Norman's Bistro
Joseph Ray · 401 Google reviewsNorman's Bistro — dependable soul food in Bronzeville. Backed by 1,150+ Google reviews. [$$, patio]
What 1,177 diners keep saying
What 1,177 diners keep saying
verbatim, from Google
“Wednesday evening s at Norman's Bistro is the perfect place to get you through Hump Day. Great food atmosphere customer service and music by DJ Smooth (Al) accompanied by Mrs Smooth. If you're a stepper like me this is the place to be. Me and Lady T make the 2 hour drive from Rockford every Wednesday for the phenomenal experience Norman's has to offer. I'd be remiss not to mention Darryl my server. He's always ready to roll out the red carpet.”
“The atmosphere is extremely excellent. I love coming every Wednesday with my Auntie for the food and dancing...I just love our host Darryl who waits on us like royalty. Great food and music. The DJ (Al) is truly the best!”
“It had been several years since I dined at Norman's Bistro. There is street parking and luckily enough I was quickly able to find parking directly across the street on a Sunday evening. Our party of 5 were serviced by the lovely Jasmine. Her customer service and attentiveness was Great! First off we all enjoyed the Fried Green Tomatoes appetizer. The tomatoes were sliced just thick enough, tender inside and crispy outside. For my entree I had the Caribbean Flame-Grilled Lamb, served with grilled Red Peppers and Onions. For my side I chose Red Beans and Rice. Everything was so delicious. The only reason I gave 4 stars, for the atmosphere, was because once the Jazz Band started playing inside the dining room, they were competing with the sound dj music loudly playing in the next room. Overall I enjoyed the experience. Ahhh ... On Thursday, May 21, 2026 I was back at Norman's Bistro. This time I tried the Half Fried Chicken with a side of Collard Greens and Corn. The chicken was extra crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The greens were tender with a delightful flavored blance of sweet and savory.”
“The atmosphere is very welcoming. You also must try their chicken gumbo! Yum! There is also stepper dancing with a DJ on Wednesday evenings in the back bar area but get there early, around 7:00, if you want to get a seat!”
“Went there on April 27 on a Sunday. The food was great. The service was great. They had a live band. Everything was wonderful.”
“A perfect spot for a relaxed evening with friends. Food is as lovely as the environment.”
“Nathan's is a great place to go for a relaxing Sunday dinner. A nice mature crowd and great service, not too mention great food. It's a good way to end your weekend. And add a live band and you got good memories as well.”
“Everything had flavor! Good flavor not too salty just right. The fried green tomatoes didn’t need anything the gumbo had plenty of seafood in every bite. The fried catfish was fried to perfection. We came on a busy Friday evening and it was pretty busy the service was a little slow. Our waitress was holding it down. The live music was good a lot was happening because the place across the street was having a part as well and the. Music clashed. Overall for sure I’d return”
“Stop by for dinner no reservation opening seating and its decent amount of tables available. The vibe outside was live thou had DJs on the block with people dancing its was dope. Ok the food so yeah I started with Fried Green Tomatoes 9.2 these was bussin fr...aint ready need no hot sauce. The flavor profile was like that and low key the cole slaw was served with it paired so well. For the main got 1/2 chicken and again they didn't miss the chicken was cooked extremely well and season wasn't bad at all 8.7. I got a side of mac n cheese which was cool 8.1 was creamy but not much else. Had a rum punch to wash everything down with and the bartender was a little heavy handed but I didn't mind. Customer service was a little slow with it but I wasn't in no rush today. Overall was happy with the spot definitely a must try if in the area 8.6.”
“I waited 15-20 minutes after sitting down before anyone came to take my order. No water or anything. I was preparing to go find another restaurant. Then when my food did come, I had no silverware… why isn’t it already at the table? There was only one waitress working the entire room and by the time she stopped at all of the tables she forgot that I needed silverware. The food was good, but it was tainted by the delay. There also happened to be a jazz band performing towards the end of my visit. That was a nice addition to the atmosphere.”
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