Edna’s

Edna’s is now Ruby’s and apparently ran by some of the same staff.
I met the owner Mr. Henderson when I was there the other day and he seems very interested in maintaining the same traditional soul food vibe.

Let me first say that the reason I gave only one star is because there was no option for half a star. Perhaps this is a cultural issue or something of the sort. However, as a self proclaimed foodie and nearby resident I truly wanted to give Edna’s a shot. From the jump off I was greeted with the unmistakable smell of grease and oil. The ambiance was akin to something out of Alice’s Diner which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Without getting too in depth, the food was poor at best. Nothing was fresh, butter was fake, everything was oily and coffee was watery at best. Flavor was nonexistent and required many processed condiments. I truly hope this wasn’t an accurate portrayal of soul food.

R.I.P. Edna.
You have been a strong supporter of the area for decades. You have won awards, broken bread with MLK Jr., and tended to the hungry and tired.
I’ve heard that your restaurant may not make it, now that you’re gone. Which is very, very sad. There aren’t a lot of things to bring people to the area, but your biscuits were one of them.
I hope that your legacy continues, and future generations can enjoy the recipes you have crafted into an infamous, successful woman– owned business.
Cheers.

This is a quaint little spot on the west side of Chicago that offers decent soul food. The wife and I went a few years back and i know the chicken is the cream of the crop for the establishment, but for me that just about done it. The greens i remember tasting like they came from a can, and the mac and cheese was little heavy on the cream for me. The biscuits however were great and the service was excellent, but i have had better soul food. Eat, Drink, and be Merry my friends!!!

I wanted to love Edna’s — I adore soul food and loved Edna herself — but I found it to be good, but not great. I had the fried chicken (good, but I’ve been to Gus’s in Memphis — ’nuff said), fried okra, mac & cheese and collard greens. The okra was good but pretty much deep fried anything is good, right? The mac & cheese was fine but nothing spectacular. The greens, however, were delightful. They were definitely the best thing I ate. The biscuits proclaim to be the best on earth, but I found them to be good, again, but not great. They were out of banana pudding (bummer fer sure), so I had the peach cobbler. Bear in mind, I’m kind of a dessert snob and I found the use of canned peaches (yeah, I know it’s February in Chicago) just plain wrong. The crust was fine and the cinnamon added a nice warm touch.

This is a sort of soul food hub, especially brunch hub, on the Westside. Local government officials can sometimes be spotted here in fact.
And as a soul food spot on the Westside, there are, of course, bazillions of options for non-​Vegans. However, in true Southern style, they offer a vegetable plate for about $ 7.00. With a vegetable plate, you can choose 3 smallish portions of «veggies» from their list (which includes, in true Southern style, rice, mac and cheese and mashed potatoes). Vegan friendly vegetables include greens (they don’t cook them with meat, yay!), steamed okra, beets and a tossed salad with Italian dressing. The salad is pretty average: iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, onions, but fortuneately no croutons (which aren’t always Vegan-​friendly). I have not yet asked about the rice or creamed corn. I also had the candied yams, but there were clumps of brown sugar on it. I don’t know if it was held together with butter. Of course, Vegans can also get OJ, coffee or water to drink.
I went twice, both on Sundays after church and received prompt service each time, even when I went with a group of six. The décor is definitely not some chic northside joint. It looks like your grandma’s living room. Really, it’s pretty average and maybe only deserving of two stars. There’s nothing that quite compares to homemade soul food, after all (MY homemade greens have more flavor, for example :-P). However Vegan options on a vegetable plate bump it to 3. So if your non-​Vegan friends are itching to go, you’ll find something to eat, but you won’t get much protein from your meal.

We arrived around 12:30 and ordered immediately, and was served around 1:30. The service was VERY slow even though they are courteous. We ordered 4 entrees of fried chicken dark meat, fried chicken white meat, chitlins, and ham hocks. The sides were fried okra, steamed okra, biscuits, corn bread, candied yam, and cornbread dressing. I have to say that the fried chicken, fried okra, biscuits, and candied yam were good, but everything else was mediocre.

Eating soul food is like watching an indie film — it hardly ever lives up to the hype, but it’s a nice alternative once in a while, and you can’t help but respect for what it tries to accomplish, even when it falls short.
Walk inside the door, and just past the bullet proof glass protecting the cashier is a jukebox that warms up the dining area with some lesser known R&B hits. Food ranges from über cheap ($ 4 for an artery clogging breakfast) to daily specials, such as the oxtail and catfish which start at 11am. For breakfast, two eggs, southern style grits (tons of butter), thinly sliced steak, biscuit and a coffee set me back $ 12 (after tip).
Divorce yourself from the hype that hipsters have lavished on it, and you’ll find a quaint place serves cheap food that hits the spot when you’re hungry, keeps a tradition alive, and is a local West Side community hangout. Definitely a fun hangout if you are into the soul food experience.

Taking it back to the old school… I remember when this place used to be on Kedzie many moons ago. You can find just about every preacher on the west-​side eating at this joint. The Food? Take no prisoners soul-​food that’s tastes so good to you but is sooo bad for you. One bite of the biscuits and you will wet your pants. A nice occasional diversion but not for the health conscience.

Soul food lovers come on it… just make sure you keep the cab running. I just Had to try this spot during my recent trip to Chicago because if MLK frequented this spot then I must at least try it once. Yes it is true that we had to take a 15 min cab ride and then have him wait 45 min during our adventure because in his words «we may not find a cab ride back». And yes we had to wait an insane amount of time to order and receive our food even though there were more people working there than actually there to dine. And of course we had to pay through a bullet proof window but would I go back to this place, yes I absolutely would. The food was great! Mac and cheese to die for, great greens even though a little salty. We were all very happy with our dishes. And finally, to all the people working and dining there, no we are not the pussy cat dolls for the last time!

Wow!!! That is how I felt when I bit into my hotlink surrounded by a world famous biscuit. It was delicious!
First of all, got to say that my friends and I absolutely love soul food. We believe you can only get good soul food in the outskirts of any area. Since we were staying in Chicago, we had a very cool cab driver take us 5 girls to Edna’s and wait til we were finished with our food. Afterall, neighborhood is a little suspect. The trip to West Chicago was worth it.
The greens were a little salty, but add some hot sauce and they melt in your mouth. The Mac N Cheese was out of this world! The stewed apples were savory. I was very impressed with Edna’s cooking. We were on a time limit, so we did not order any fried food since the wait was 35 minutes for anything fried. I opted for a hot link with biscuit. YUM YUM… just like my father’s cooking.
The service was pretty good. My friends and I jammed to the oldies in the jukebox while we waited for our food. We kept the staff pretty entertained.
My most favorite ending of the meal was our $ 14 dollar bill. I was amazed since we ordered so much food and didn’t cost much.
Definitely worth the drive.
If you ever go to Chicago, and need some good comfort food, make sure and try Edna’s.

A SOULD FOOD LOVERS MUST!
im a white boy from naperville who has been in a 5 yr relationship with a sista from the burbs. i have become a huge fan of soul food. the day after valentines day my gf and i check this place out to get some good food.
we were blown away! service is what you expect at a place like this, to the point. but the food truly puts you into a comfortable home-​like place.
MUST GET FRIED CHICKEN, biscuits, cornbread, greens, spaghetti, yams, EVERYTHING IS PROBABLY GOOD.

So far this is the best Southern food I’ve had in the city (though I’m no expert on the cuisine). The Mac ‘n’ Cheese is absolutely fantastic! I ordered smothered chicken that was served atop stuffing that was deliciously flavorful (and I typically don’t like stuffing). The caramel cake was soft and just sweet enough. My friend got breakfast, which looked fined, but the entrees and sides are where it is at!
The atmosphere is that of a neighborhood place – with a mix of families, young people and older couples in diner style booths – the type of place where I imagine they learn your name after you’ve been there a couple time. An extra plus was the gentleman who greeted us and opened the door for us when we came and went
I’ll definitely be back to pick up carry-​out on my way home from work.

Good Lord, where to begin…
Well, the food is phenomenal. Best fried chicken I’ve ever had. And the biscuits! And the fried okra! And the mac n cheese! And the greens, oh the greens!
For a white kid, going to Edna’s is a cross-​cultural experience. Worlds collide, but in a really good way. Edna’s probably isn’t more than two or three miles from my house, but when I’m there it feels like I’m in another city.
If you’re on a low-​salt diet, you can forget about it. This is soul food.

I was not able to make it home for the holidays, so I was on the prowl for soul food. After reading the reviews for Edna’s, I had to check it out for myself, because it sounded too good to be true.
So, yesterday after I ran my errands, I took a huge detour to Edna’s. It was fairly easy to find and there was plenty of street parking.
Inside, I was quickly greeted by the hostess/​cashier. She handed me a menu and I decided that I wanted to try the fried catfish dinner w/​collard greens and macaroni and cheese. I had a short wait, since my order was to go. After about ten minutes, I was handed my meal. I paid the cashier and headed back home to indulge.
The greens and the macaroni and cheese were delicious. The best that I have ever had in Chicago! The catfish was ok, there were some bones, the seasoning was bland, and the ratio of fat to fish was too high. Unfortunately, I did not try the biscuits. I totally forgot about them when I ordered.
Overall, I do recommend Edna’s, because of the side orders. When I return, I plan to try something other than the catfish.

I gained 10 lbs here in one delicious brunch experience. The biscuits are quite delicious, though they were covered in more butter than one should consume in a whole week! I ordered the smothered chicken, which was huge! And delicious pancakes. Wayyy too much food. No offense to the local cliente… but there were some super large folks eating there, must have been regulars! This is definitely an old establishment. Edna and crew were a little slow with service, and you have to pay Edna through a turn-​about beyond bullet-​proof glass, but it is definitely worth the experience! Yummy! I have to ration my trips to this place, and probably run a marathon each time I visit…

YUMMY!!! The best soul food I have had in Chicago, and you have to believe me because I’m from the South :). The food was very delicious and fulfilling. I didn’t know rather to get lunch or breakfast, so we sampled both and were completely stuffed. The food is reasonably priced and there is a nice selection of entrees and pairings. I had the pancakes and salmon croquettes. They were perfectly seasoned and the pancakes were buttery and fluffy. I couldn’t pass up the cornbread… make you slap yo momma… and the veggies are just as delictable. Must have peach cobbler and the collard greens. And yes in book she does have the worlds best biscuits (well next to my granny).

Eating at Edna’s almost made me feel like someone was going to tell me to drink a glass of milk and make sure I eat all my veggies. This was home cooking to a TEE.
On my first time, I ordered a 9.50 meat loaf special, which you could get with either red tomato-​ish sauce or brown gravy. I chose red sauce. Like others who came here the first time, I got the option to have a third side dish. My sides were mac & cheese, mashed potatoes with gravy, and fried okra. Plus a couple of hot buttered rolls. See what I mean about the home cooking?
The meat loaf was delish– a little spicy, and loaded with green peppers and onions. Mac and cheese was rich and melty, one of the better recipes I’ve tried (I grew up on the boxed stuff and loved it, so it takes a good one to get me out of that groove). The fried okra looked almost like fried mushrooms at an italian restaurant and had a nice crunch to disguise the naturally slippery texture of okra. Mashed potatoes were garlicky and smooth, and the rolls were awesome because they were still hot and came already buttered.
My friend also got the mashed spuds and mac & cheese, as well as green beans. That was the only disappointing thing I’d seen all day was that the veggies look like they’ve been cooked awhile. I prefer things like green beans with a little snap left in them but to each their own. However, he also got an awesomely spicy fried half chicken and some cornbread that looked like a pancake and managed to avoid that crumbly corn-​muffin thing a lot of cornbreads have.
I was so freaking stuffed I couldn’t get any cake or peach cobbler. And believe you me, if you could see those three layer cakes, you’d be disappointed too. I couldn’t see the cobbler but given the quality of pretty much everything else coming out of that kitchen, I want.
Service was a bit slow, but that kind of supported that «grandma made me dinner» feel of the whole experience. It’s a bit of a hike but seriously folks, I haven’t had down-​home cooking like that since my grandmas hit their 80’s. Tuck in your shirt, wash your hands, and go.

Edna’s Rules.
Three of my friends and I turned up there searching for some fried chicken. Two of us got the ¼ dark meat ($ 9.50) and one got the fried catfish. Both mains were awesome. Crispy and juicy. (Be prepared for a little bit of a wait. The menu says fried foods take 25 minutes. While it was less than that, the wait whets your appetite but wouldn’t be good for someone on a tight schedule.)
Being our first time we also received THREE sides with each entrée instead of two. When our food arrived on a little wooden push trolley, the plates filled the table. Mashed potatoes, fried okra, corn bread dressing, biscuits, collard greens, salad and macaroni and cheese. For about $ 10/​person we filled up and felt welcomed in this little neighborhood joint.
Sadly it was closing time, so the big chocolate cake beckoning from the counter beneath its plastic cover will have to wait for next time. But believe you me, there will be a next time!

The day called for collard greens and banana pudding, and I had read about Edna’s a few weeks ago, when I first checked out the Garfield Park Conservatory for the first time (something you should definitely do too). I didn’t get to Edna’s that day, but I did today. At Edna’s, you get biscuits after you sit down (we had a nice booth by the jukebox). David says the biscuits are «awesome,» which backs up the sign outside: «We claim the world’s best biscuits.» They seem to have a point.
I’m more of a cornbread gal though, and I had some with my vegetables sides. I’m starting to like cornbread that is flat and round like a pancake. That’s the kind Edna’s has.
Our waitress asked us if we were first timers: first timers get a free side dish. Nice. I had two sides of collard greens (excellent), one side of peas and one side of green beans. The peas and beans were good. David had fried chicken, pickled beets, collard greens, and cornbread. He loved the collard greens too and he says the chicken was pretty good (he likes Rajun Cajun and Negro League Café chicken best).
I topped off my meal with banana pudding, most of which is sitting in my fridge (which could be your fridge if you decide to buy my 1-​bedroom condo: read all about it in my 35^th and State Starbucks review.) The pudding is in my fridge because there is so much of it; I think I’ve got half a box of Nilla wafers left to go. Besides the lovely pudding, what I like about Edna’s are the ticket-​booth type box where a woman with the register sits waiting to ring up your ticket, the jukebox, the cakes under glass on cake stands on the counter, and a lot of friendly people. Edna’s is perfect for you if you are visiting the Conservatory. Check it out.