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Categories: Southern, Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
6611 Roosevelt Road
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Ok after several visits, here goes my review.....
Great place in Berwyn. I've not had many experiences with southern cooking but I love their shrimp Jambalaya. They've also got a tasty grilled chicken spring salad with apples and stuff. MMmmm. I get the tangy lemon tahini dressing on the side. Oh, and the grilled chicken with mango salsa is also yum.
Friends and I have met here several times for dinner. They're located next to Fitzgerald's which is a popular live music spot. They have a weekend over the summer where they host a live music festival (Fitzgerald's), so it would be a fun way to spend a day in Berwyn.
I was just on their website and it says they are closed Mondays and Tuesdays. They do have a vegetarian menu. Also noticed their menu is different for weekends and weekdays, and they have a breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner menu.
I know Wishbone has been at this location in Berwyn for some time now, but I finally got the opportunity to try it recently. I was impressed.
The menu may look small, but if you have vegetarian guests, like I did, they'll love you for a long time. Wishbone has a large vegetarian-specific menu with tasty entrees. No more salads and pasta for your veggie friends!
The ribs were good, as well as the pulled pork and the roast beef sandwich with creamy horseradish served on the side.
If you're into simple and hearty American fare with a quirky restaurant atmosphere, you'd be well advised to try the Berwyn location of Wishbone. It's even within walking distance of the Oak Park blue line.
Had brunch at Wishbone yesterday, following a 5k.
I ordered biscuits and gravy, something I'd never eaten for breakfast/brunch before. It was tasty, but heavy. Probably my bad for ordering something composed entirely of breakfast sausage, buttery biscuits, and gravy, so I won't blame Wishbone for that.
I also had a side of home fries covered in cheese, which was unfortunately burnt but still pretty good with all the cheese, and a Ghiardelli's hot chocolate which was A-MA-ZING!
My boyfriend had the corn cakes with a side of brisket hash. I thought brisket hash sounded like the best idea of all time, but wasn't as impressed as I thought I'd be trying it.
My experience with brisket hash, actually, was somewhat of a metaphor for my experience with this place in general. People had RAVED to me about it, so I was super excited. Everything was fine there; I have no specific complaints, but I just wasn't blown away. Maybe my expectations were too high?
I'm not sure. I think I need to go back and eat something slathered in BBQ sauce and with a side of mac & cheese before I make up my mind on Wishbone.
didn't even realize that it was the SAME Wishbones as the one off of Washington.. hmmm.. the food was ok.. The server told me that the seating would take almost 45 minutes when there were about 6 empty tables to the right of me.. I'm still trying to figure that one out!.. Thank goodness the weather was nice out or I would've snapped.. We found out that there was a nice concert next door at Fitzgeralds and was allowed to take our food there. Fitzgeralds Saved the Day!! they had a great band there who were well worth the price of our $10 tickets. Would I go to this wishbones again ? Well maybe if i needed something to eat while at a concert at Fitzgeralds.. for a hangout ?? no..
Ah, Wishbone--you had me at "southern cooking". Went for Sunday brunch and got the crunchy french toast (the one dipped in corn flakes). I wasn' t sure how much I'd like it but I was feeling adventurous and let me tell you--IT WAS AWESOME. Really, really good. It was, in fact, so good that I'm not sure I'll ever be able to order anything else off the menu because if I do, I'll just be pissed off that it isn't the crunchy french toast.
Next time, I've got to try the sweet tea--makes sense that they have it since they're a southern restaurant, but I somehow missed it on the menu the first time.
Since it's been mentioned, the decor is kind of odd and not really my thing, although it was fun to look around it. I'd say interesting but not worth coming back for, if that makes sense.
Our service was okay--the waiter was pretty funny, he just looked frenzied and had a little trouble keeping up with our drinks. But the food was fast and to be fair, we rode our bikes over and were really hitting the beverages hard, so I can't be too tough on him.
Definitely a good brunch place to try if you're in the area, and I can't wait to go back for some of that good southern cooking in the winter when it really gets cold--that's when that food is best!
Let me first say I been eating at the wishbones in their various incarnations and locations since 1993. I am a devoted fan. I was so excited when they opened the Berwyn location, and have been there several times.
The breakfast rules, lunch is dandy too. Service is service in Chicago. Usually good here, one can occasionally run into a novice server but at this level in the food chain, it's what happens.
This is a good place to bring an appetite, and also has lots of vegetarian and some vegan options.
I would give 3 and half stars if they let us. Hello yelp? the half star thingy already???
This is by far my faveorite place to eat in Oak Park. I use to live in New Orleans, and the food is pretty right on southern cookin. I ALWAYS have the shrimp and grits. You can have it ANY time of the day. It always puts me in a good mood. The shrimp are big plump and fresh, and grits are cooked just right with cheese and bacon. Man, I'm making myself hungry! The staff is very pleasant, and there is an outdoor seating area as well. Also their fresh squeezed juices and smoothies are FANTASTIC. If you like wine, don't bother. The wine list is ver ho hum. But they have great beer. I would recomend going at brunch. YUM YUM YUM
I can't believe I haven't written a review for this place yet.
I love this place. I love the food and the bar and the fact that they are pooch friendly. The outdoor seating accommodates my dog.
What I order regularly: bean cakes, crab cakes, jambalaya omelet. Always with cheese grits and the corn muffins. I think the corn muffins have gotten smaller but that's not a bad thing. The bloody mary's are great and so is the coffee.
At dinner here I've enjoyed the chicken fried steak and the salmon.
What I love second to the food is the always super friendly service.
I love the brunch at Wishbone. I have never had a problem with service like some reviewers have mentioned, but have only had extremely friendly and attentive servers. Their corn cakes are fabulous, the cheese grits are great, the bacon is great, the coffee is great, I've loved the omelets I've gotten, love the cornbread, their corn flake french toast is great, the bloody mary's are good...I've never had a bad brunch here! This place is a brunch stand-by!
Still a fan but i'm unimpressed with the mac and cheese.
Flavor of the "jambalaya" was awesome but the chicken used seemed a bit dry which is odd since it was simmering in juices...right?
Waiter was uninteresting, slightly inattentive and quite ready for quitting time and it showed. Seating was pretty quick but this particular experience was mediocre at best.
I went here for brunch and I was impressed by the huge brunch menu. I didn't partake in mimosa or… Read more »
I simply cannot believe that even though we have a Wishbone MUCH closer to home (Lincoln Ave.) that we have never been to one until coming to Berwyn! Yes - BERRRRRRWYN!
The mister and I have been here several times with friends and have never been disappointed - especially in the Birthday celebrations department. Our last two visits were for birthdays for Greg and I and the service was OUTSTANDING! I do wish I had got the name of the server we had this past Friday but he was absolutely amazing and attentive, plus he got really excited when he seen that there was a birthday gift (care of fellow Yelper Angela U. and hubby Ron) on the table for me :). Another server Bruce who had taken care of us several months ago, actually remembered us and was also happy to take part in the festivities. They both even called attention to our table and had the whole restaurant sing Happy Birthday to me :D.
Ohhhh..I think we ate some food too. N.C. Pulled Pork dinner with the original BBQ sauce is always a winner, pair it with crispy oniony home fries and the homemade mac n cheese and you got yourself a MEAL. G. likes the mango chicken dish cause it's all healthy-ish n stuff ;).
On a final note - drinks are strong so get a Jamaican June Bug and thank me later...by buying me one!
I've always enjoyed this place and been here many times but haven't yelped it yet. The thing that I'll never forget is the corn muffins at the beginning when you meet your waiter or waitress. When my family and I go to Wishbone there is usually shrimp and grits at the table, and its pretty good. My recent meal was the pulled pork tacos, it looked dry, but, it was quite juicy and delicious.
There are sides for every one, however, this time I didn't enjoy my mashed potatos with gravy. They were a bit peppery. I think next time I'll go back to my favorites rice and beans and mac "n"cheese.
Let me start by saying that the Randolph St location in the city is MUCH better, I still love it. I was ecstatic to see the one in Berwyn open so close to my home. So much, that in May, I invited guests out to eat with me for my graduation. In advance, I spoke with management about a dinner special they had going on. They assured me that they would honor the promo offered on the http://dineinoakpark.com website.
Once we got there, it was a different story. The on duty manager was so rude, she even came to me in a confrontational manner, asking if we were all using the discount. How rude? I was so appalled by her unprofessional behavior. She completely turned me off to ever being a patron at that location again.
Word of mouth can make or break a business. The owner should choose his selection of staff more carefully.
This place deserves solid 4 stars, but because of the service, I gave it 3. Four of us came here around 11:30 on Sunday and were seated within 2 minutes. That's when the service started going downhill.
- the server asked us if we wanted coffee and when we said no he made a very sour face. No eye contact whatsoever
- we ordered drinks (bellini, screw driver, diet pepsi) and it took at least 10 minutes to get the drinks. When we ordered our food, the server took so fast, we were all convinced that we was high on something.
- it took another 20-25 minutes to get our food. Our server didn't approach our table once except to bring the drinks. Once again, no eye contact.
- When we finally got our check, it had an item that none of us ordered. To get the check fixed and to pay, it took another 10 minutes. Still no eye contact
The food was great, the screw driver was weak, and the Bellini had peach fuzz on the bottom that my friend didn't like. By the end of our meal we were all convinced that our server was under the influence (of something). Instead of the meal taking an hour, it took an hour and a half and it was because of all the wait and the absence of our server.
Husband and I both agreed that when we go back, if we get the same server we will ask for another one.
Overall, I had a great experience. We walked in around 11:45 Sunday morning and were immediately… Read more »
While Wishbone's food is decent, and definitely different than anything that you will find in the Berwyn/Oak Park area, the service here has been spotty- and on one occasion, downright awful.
Food is comparable to their other locations, and the space itself is nice. Being located right next to Fitzgerald's is cool- and I appreciate the fact that Wishbone chose this location for its expansion.
The problems I have had have come with service, which one time in particular was horrendous. After waiting about 45 minutes for our food- seeing a few tables who were seated after us get their food served to them (it wasn't that busy after all), and being told that our order would be right up a few times within that 45 minute time frame- the waitress came back to us with an "I'm sorry- but it looks like we f-ed up and they are just now taking care of your ticket............." while giving us that shoulder shrug with arms extended and doing the dog-recognizes-she-is-being-called head tilt things and a scrunched face look.
Granted- brunch is typically a time to sit back and relax, and god knows how many brunch places rifle your food in front of you and want to see if they can turn your table around in 15 minutes, but still- this kind of reaction was not appreciated. Being the patient people we are- we waited for the food....... Which then came wrong anyway. AND it was cold.
I know we were somehow comped something- I think maybe our drinks- but in the end, it was enough to keep us away from this place. I understand accidents happen- but the reaction to such accident was what keeps us away from here.
Two-stars simply because of the location and the fact that the food is pretty good usually.
This place is great, It gets better the second time around!!
We celebrated two birthdays there and the staff was better than any other restaurant.....
We can't wait to go back. Reasonable prices, good size portions, quiet, quaint environment.
Dessert are wonderful. Drinks are unique.
WOW!!!! A "Southern" restrauant with a Vegan dish!?! I am there.
Me and a special lady dined here the day I moved to Berwyn (from Oak Park(movin'-on-up)) I was hoping for the best and it was just ok. Nice place and decor, but very crowded. She had one of the few veg dishes, I had the Vegan black bean cakes. Food was ok, portions were to small. Will go back to give it a second try.
A great local doggie bag favorite. Food is good. Nice variety of treats.
Especially love the brisket and cajun chicken sandwich. Jumbalaya is pretty good too. All natural meats- hormone free!
Only complaints are that sometimes hot food has arrived served cold and sometimes it's a little bland in flavor. Oh, and there kind of skimpy on the portions. Especially the home fries. One little scoop? grrrrr.
Housed in what was originally a bakery, this southern reconstruction food restaurant has many of the original bones of the building. The decor is eclectic with a whimsy decor of chicken themed pieces, the paintings were done by the owners mom and the more elaberate lights were done by the brother.
Now open for lunch. Good ole' comfort food. They start off with bringing you warm cornbread muffins -- MMMMM! The food is flavorful and plentiful. We had blackened catfish and crawfish cakes (both very good), each comes with coleslaw and two sides. We had the hoppin jack (beans and rice -- very good), mashed sweet potatoes (with pecans -- so good). Mac & cheese and collard greens (cooked with smoked turkey wings), neither were very good. We had the sweetened iced tea that was bottomless and very refreshing. Overall very good.
They have daily and take-out specials.
It was pretty busy when we walked in and luckily we were seated quickly. Interesting decor, I like that. My friend & I both ordered omelets. Mine was spinach & egg while, and with salsa I asked for, it was very good. I liked their coffee and my friend enjoyed fresh orange juice. The servers were often checking on us and also were friendly. Good way to start my Sunday.
For me, nothing says insanity like waiting in long lines for breakfast on the weekend. I'd rather be the victim in a Poe classic.
So, strictly a weekday breakfaster/luncher for any/all of the Wishbones. Especially in "feh" whether. I met a friend last week and had the corncakes with scrambled eggs (yes, the evil corn brought joy into my day). Side of split pea soup, which I'm declaring a must-have. Lunch date enjoyed the seafood chowder. The corncakes are huge - I didn't quite finish one.
Excellent southern cooking. I only wish it were closer to me so I could go more often.
I used to drive all the way to the wishbone in the city. and when i saw the wishbone here i was so happy!
needless to say i've been there many times and i am never disappointed. nice seating outside and very nice kid menu too.
i try and get something new every visit. try there strawberry lemonade to wash your meal down, its so refreshing, they also have cucumber lemonade. corn muffins are amazing!
try and make it on the weekends to have brunch.
the crunchy french toast is so good, i started making it at home =)
MEH...m.e.h...
I've eaten at the Washington Ave location of Wishbone many, many times...but only for breakfast. I had high hopes for dinner at the Berwyn location...which disappointed.
Located right next to Fitzgerald's, the location is great for Berwyn and Oak Park folks. The wait staff is nice, our waitress was very peppy and around often. The restaurant does have fun art to look at with barnyard creatures in odd landscapes and strange scenarios.
BUT...I ordered the meatloaf, which our peppy waitress raved about, and it was served cool to cold and bland, BLAND as all get out. Even the bland cool gravy couldn't save the poor tasteless meatloaf. It was really strange; I'm no fool, I know a lot of stuff is pre-prepared in food service. I expected my meatloaf got a nuking prior to hitting my plate, but whether they need a more powerful microwave or they need to microwave it longer should be addressed.
The Jambalaya was also strangely bland...it looked right, but I couldn't figure out how they managed to take all taste out of the dish?
I might try Wishbone one more time for dinner, just to see if the cook was having an off night...but I think I might find the same bland food.
I came with an appetite. I had been up since three a.m. with only two hours of sleep and needless to say, no food was served on the flight. My in-laws took us straight from the airport, no stops in between. After hurdling 1-2 foot piles of slush we crossed the street and got right in. (I won't mention the limited parking because if you live in Chicago you are used to it.)
I thought I had an appetite until I saw the menu. I would unfortunately have to limit myself instead of trying even half of what looked good.
It was breakfast with a Cajun theme and a soul food twist. The chicken sausage was dry (there goes the one star) but everything else was great and ordering a full order of biscuits and gravy (even though I was sharing with Amy) was a fool's errand. It's a meal in itself. There appeared to be about a half pound of sausage in the gravy.
Ahh, yes, Chicago. Fattest town in the galaxy -- a whole different sense of portion control.
Bottomless and quickly refilled coffee, a view of the street, engaging and not entirely amateur art on the walls and a devoted staff . . . hard to take away that one star.
I may have to go again and cross-reference my combined experiences.
went for brunch and I was really impressed! the food was really good, the service was outstanding, and the atmosphere is really cute/kitschy.
a great addition to Berwyn.
Our first meal after collecting our luggage and beginning our trek to my mom's place in OP. We were actually heading to get an Italian Beef, but my mom did a crazy swerve and parked the car abruptly as we approached Wishbone and Fitzgeralds.
Everyone really enjoyed their meal. I had the pulled pork sandwich with a side of collard greens. Both were delicious. I especially appreciated that the sandwich was just the right size...not so ginormous that I felt sick after eating it (which I would have since it was so yummy).
Other items ordered included corn cakes, fried chicken, mac 'n' cheese, coleslaw, and cornbread. Everything was very good.
The food at this place is good. Expect to pay $25/person (tip included) for dinner with a drink included (no dessert). The place is small so if you are going there with parties that are larger than 2 ppl, I would highly recommend a reservation.
This place got me really mad. I had one family member come in from out of town on a weekday. I called to reserve a table and Wishbone said we did not need to because it would not be busy. I reserved anyway to be safe. We showed up 20 minutes early and they were so busy that we were seated 20 minutes AFTER out reservation time. There was no place to sit to wait, which our elder out of town guest needed. Food was pretty good but it may be some time until I get back there because of the experience.
This is a smaller place compared to its sister's place in Chicago. The hostess was very nice and accommodated our table request (since we wanted to be closer to the window.)
The food was okay. I had grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, and Hoppin' John salad. The salad was an interesting dish but it was okay. I wasn't impressed with the chicken or the potatoes. There was a section of the menu that had a list of vegetarian food!
People raved about breakfast, and I had breakfast at the Wishbone in Chicago and I remember it being good. I would like to go back for breakfast.
The food is excellent. The ingredients are very pure and fresh and really taste great. I've been in about 1/2 dozen times - for lunch, dinner and brunch and have always had a great meal. The strawberry fizz drink for brunch is very tasty and the corn cakes are out of this world.
The only complaint is that the service is very slow.
Been to Wishbone since it was on Grand & Wood (?) in Chicago. Never had a bad meal. I was very excited to see them in BERRR-WYN. friendly staff, clean bathroom, and great service. I'm sad they stopped serving Rogue beer. no biggie.
I ate here a couple of months ago, and didn't realize that this was the same Southern restaurant I so enjoyed many years ago near downtown Chicago.
When I eat Southern I try to avoid pork products. I know how I like my ribs, and anyways pork strikes me as cliche in a Southern joint. A real test is beef. So I ordered the brisket.
My mom made great brisket. She'd take the leftovers and fry 'em in BBQ sauce and make sandwiches for us on white bread. A very strong memory of my childhood. I really miss those leftovers...
So I ordered the brisket, collard greens, and mac and cheese. All were just wonderful. The brisket was not _quite_ as good as the place on the upper east side that I haven't gotten around to reviewing yet, but one can't always go to NYC for down-home-cookin'.
I can't remember what my wife and friend had, but it was all great. And conveniently located next to Fitzgerald's :-)
We have been to the Wishbone on Lincoln and also this one on Roosevelt. The Roosevelt location has the same feel as the Lincoln one but is MUCH smaller. If you go during a peak time, be prepared for a LONG wait.
I give this 3 stars because of mixed results. We had been with my father a couple times and loved it in the evening for dinner. We went Father's Day around 12:45 and had a completely different experience. There was about an hour wait. That I can understand, it was Father's day.
We were on the waiting list behind a several other parties, but saw not one, but TWO couples walk up tot he front, talk to an employee I can only assume was the manager and get seated right away. Guess we weren't important enough.
The dining area was packed and they were very short staffed for the day. Come on, it's Father's Day, bring more than 5 people. (at least that's the way it looked) Service, was terrible. We had no silverware and after several times asking she finally brought some out. I guess there wasn't enough to go around, however, tables seated after we were had silverware. Go figure. Then, while waiting for our food, we saw our waitress sit down with one of the couples that got the preferential treatment and have a chat for about 10 minutes while we were waiting for our silverware. We didn't have food, but my Dad had no way to stir the cream and sugar into his coffee. Next was the menu. I have been at night and the menu was great. Nice selection for everyone. Brunch is a little different. If you don't want eggs, you will have a hard time finding a plate. I asked to substitute for spinach, and to their credit they accommodated. But be prepared, if you are looking for some lunch items or maybe breakfast. It's pretty much all a breakfast menu, with some of their dinner plates with eggs on them. The food came out very slow and really wasn't all that spectacular. I had their beans and rice before and loved them. This time they were quite bland and not too exciting. My wife's corn cakes were pretty much the same. In fact my Dad who started a big fan of the place and asked specifically to go, was not thrilled with any of it.
In conclusion. Go on a week night. Don't bother for brunch AND DON"T go on any holiday like Father's Day or Mother's Day. It will put you in a bad mood dealing with the bad service. From this experience, we may not be going back for a while.
If anyone from Wishbone is reading this, note, DON"T give certain customers the "Goodfellas" treatment in front of your other customers, just not cool.
Wishbone's third restaurant has opened in Berwyn, just across the street from Oak Park. We enjoyed a yummy meal -- hubby got blackened catfish, I got grilled chicken with mango salsa -- close to home with no waiting. We'll go back to try brunch next time.
Stopped in for lunch on Friday and had the special, Jambalaya. Good flavor and just the right sized portion. Also has some fresh lemonade to go with it. I'm definitely going back to try some of the other dishes which appeared to be thoroughly enjoyed by the rest of the patrons. The breakfast/brunch and desert menu looks good too!
I love this place. Just really good comfort food. Prices are good and you feel very satisfied after leaving. I've been there and we 've had dishes from chicken, beans and rice, catfish, dessert and it was all good. A good place to take friends from out of town.
This really is southern cooking. Went with friends from Kentucky and they loved it. The drinks were great, the servers were great, and the food was amazing. The collard greens were terrific and the mac and cheese was super thick (the kind you can hold upside down in the pan after it cools). Will be back for sure.
I will admit I've only been to this Wishbone location once so far, but I had an incredibly enjoyable experience. My father was visiting for one night and everyone really liked what they ordered, the service was A++ and I definitely want to return because of it. Thumbs up especially to the Hoppin' John Salad and Electric Lemonade.
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