Bettie Lou’s

Very Friendly! Good food! Tried the infamous soul rolls! Good stuff! I don't eat yams.... so I had them without them...I think that's the kick that folks have been sharing with me it needed. The fried Tacos are 🔥🔥🔥🔥

The staff are friendly, food is great! Chef Kelley is so sweet...my tired and sick grumpy baby was so fussy and she just helped him feel better with no rushing out the restaurant. The restaurant is so comfy inside and out and did I say I need more of everything... I had jerk chicken, red beans and rice. And fries... for dessert yummy sweet potato pie! See yall tomorrow!!!

Delicious hidden gem in Andersonville. Stopped in for lunch today with friends enjoyed a leisurely afternoon lunch. No rush, they wanted us to relax and enjoy - we really did. Soul rolls were surprising, fried chicken was crispy!

This is a cant miss jerk chicken. The heat is all there, but has good flavor and is nicely cooled with a side of greens and red bean rice. The place is unprentenious and just down-home carribean/southern comfort food. Definitely will be back!

We was not ready for the flavors we received from Chef Kellys cooking! Hands down THE BEST Soul Food restaurant in Chicago!! We ordered the jerk dinner with yams, rice and peas, collard greens, and macaroni and cheese. The chicken was grilled to a delightful crisp, but miraculously fell off the bone. The rice and peas creamy and delicious. The yams yummy! And the Mac...scrumptious! We ate everything with no shame! If you haven't been to Bettie Lou's do your stomach, tastebuds, and life a favor and Go! They offer delivery and dine in options on the weekend. Chef Kelly also served us and chatted with us for a bit. She is such a beautiful person inside and out! If you're still reading this STOP and place an order or get in the car!

Had the pleasure of visiting Bettie Lou’s this weekend. The food was amazing. Very flavorful and delicious. Don’t pass on the soul rolls. 👌🏽Great vibes! Service was on par!

I had chicken dinner, and it was tasty. But the portion is small. It cost too much for the size. The Johnny cakes were very good.

About a 50 minute wait. The flavor of the soul rolls was all from the yams, chicken was crispy needed hot sauce. The salmon croquettes were burnt. Greens were underwhelming.

Chef Kelly puts all the love in every dish as anyone could wish. Everything is made to order and with care for slightly healthier versions. It's not quick, so make a night of it. Top picks: soul rolls, Mac and cheese, peach cobbler!

The food was really delicious. I'm glad I discovered this place.The Chef was super friendly and the place has an old school throwback vibe like your in your mama's kitchen. The Johnny cakes were so good I ordered a second one. Be prepared to wait because the food is cooked to order and well worth it.

Generous two star review. .. The Fried Chicken was edible, but mediocre at best. ..as were the sweet potatoes and cabbage. The Soul Rolls weren't good at all. I've had much better variations. I'm all for supporting small business, but this was very disappointing and overpriced. The 5 star reviews are either from kind small business supporters, or folks that don't know good soul food. Zero chance this is a 4.5 worthy restaurant :-\

Bettie Lou's is an incredible restaurant. Chef Kelley and the family is amazing and so sweet, and the food is always made fresh and you can tell it's made with love. The jerk chicken falls off the bone and I cannot get enough of the mac and cheese! The sides are so delicious, red beans and rice, cabbage and the yams are my consistent favorites. You will have a happy belly after visiting Bertie Lou's.

When a friend had told me that this restaurant was recommended on her high school page on Facebook, I was game for trying it out. We met on a Saturday afternoon and I understand the recommendation. We had salmon croquettes with scrambled eggs and brown rice. The salmon croquettes put me in mind of Southern breakfasts. The brown rice had been seasoned such that it didn't need gravy. The turkey chops beat any pork chops I've had. Add to that the sides of cabbage and cheese grits and this was all a hit. We finished with perch, collard greens, yams, and johnny cake. The perch was fried in a seasoned flour batter. The greens were the first vegan greens I've tasted that actually had flavor. Lived the yams. My friend and I tasted the peach cobbler. She hot it for takeaway. The only thing missing was a scoop of ice cream. The cobbler was outstanding. Everything is cooked to order so food coming to the table was slow. That didn't matter because food prepared to order means it's not warmed up or microwaved. You get the good stuff. For there to be a focus on vegetarian and vegan options, I appreciate the food having taste to it. And you can't beat the service. I'm a fan.

My girlfriend and I were lucky enough to have dinner at Bettie Lou's tonight. If you've been waiting or simply thinking about trying it out, do your tastebuds a favor and do it! Here's the breakdown: Food: PHENOMENAL! We had the jerk chicken dinner with yams and red beans & rice as well as the fried chicken dinner with cabbage and green beans & potatoes. Each came with a Johnny cake. Topped it off with the warm peach cobbler. Everything was so flavorful! It was soul food but with a healthy twist that didn't leave you feeling heavy afterwards. Lots of food for not a lot of money. And can we talk about the YAMS?! Imagine your favorite thanksgiving dish that you go back for seconds and thirds... that's the level of obsession I have with these yams. People: Chef Kelley herself greeted us, talked us through the menu, delivered a five star meal and truly made us feel welcomed. She even cared for our dog by bringing him a water bowl and helping us get his towel and stuff set up. So friendly and kind! Atmosphere: It was a gorgeous evening to sit on the patio. They have a few tables set up on their patio which make it convenient for people looking to get out of the house and dine al fresco. The street doesn't have a ton of foot traffic compared to Clark St. so it made for a bit more enjoyable evening as there were few distractions for our pup. 10/10 will definitely do this again! They also do take out and delivery orders too so do your tastebuds a favor and dine here. Support local, black owned businesses. We don't only vote when we cast ballots; we vote in favor of businesses and the people behind them when we spend our money there.

O'boy! I was looking so forward to my meal. 3 of my fav foods. Soul rolls had no soul. Missing flavor. Bland Mac & cheese inside. Jerk chicken was awful. We couldn't eat it. Fried chicken gets 2 stars Manager did say that if I was not satisfied, they would make it right. I didn't have the heart to deliver the news. Praying it was an off day!

Oh man, I really wanted to like this place. It is a new business and the staff were so friendly but so many things turned me off during my visit. I found this place on Yelp while searching for a soul food restaurant on the North Side. I should've taken the reviews of this restaurant with a grain of salt because I came in with too many expectations of great soul food and got soul food lite. Don't get me wrong, I can imagine the food being phenomenal to someone that may not have grown up eating the type of food that makes your mouth water during Thanksgiving. When I first walked in I thought I had walked into the past to the days of 100 plus degree weather. It was unbelievably hot inside... I think the AC was broken but they had one fan that I am not sure was even on. I was sweating just thinking about how much cooler it was outside than it was inside. Nonetheless, I decided to brave the heat and order this food that was so highly ranked. The waiter told us that the food was made to order so I knew it would be piping hot, not that it would take 30+ mins to make. Normally if a dish takes over 30+ mins to make I always assume it should be worth the wait and when the food finally came I was underwhelmed. I ordered the fried chicken dish with a side of collard greens and cabbage. I was surprised they did not offer mac-n-cheese as a side dish. They only sale it as a main dish which is insane for a soul food restaurant not to even offer a small sampling of a dish that is a staple in any soul food joint. That should have been my first and only red flag that I needed to get up and run away. The fried chicken was so light that I could see the meat inside. For some reason they put some type of horseradish mustard in the collard greens that instantly turned me off. The cabbage was bland but the hot sauce made it tolerable. For some reason I ordered the peach cobbler, I ignored the fact that it looked so watery that I assumed it was peach cobbler soup. On my gosh, it was pure water. I do not know how they did it but it was hot and cold at the same time. I really hope this restaurant takes off because the staff was so friendly but the food was too gross to claim soul food. I will not return and highly recommend not wasting your money unless someone else is paying!

I really enjoyed Bettie Lou's. I am excited to see this place develop and become the owners vision. The food is there already and very good. The style is lacking and very similar to the previous Ethiopian place but the owner is aware and focusing on the health department, getting lisences. Andersonville loves Taste of Lebanon and her decor is on par there. She is food focused and decor and stuff that really matters less, are on her back burner. Chef Kelly does catering and wants a place to have people in and have a place for regulars. I totally see how catering could be lucrative but not as fun as having a place where you get to know people. I really enjoyed the Fried Chicken. It was lightly battered and would love to see white meat as an option as I like breasts. The greens were very clean tasting. Not super fatty or seasoned but very good my 2 and 4 year old kids ate all of them. The cabbage was very good too. I would like to make a meal out of this! It was not something I have had before exactly but she explained it to me and I loved it. Kelley also explained to me how she was a vegetarian and really focuses on what goes into each dish. I try and do the exact same thing at home and I am confident easy dish here is items the owner would serve her grandchildren. All in all I am so excited to see this place open on Olive, Clark and Ashland because the food is good, the food is not wildly bad for you and the woman who owns it is so genuine and interested in the business and essentially having you into her place for dinner. If you love Andersonville and local get over here and support Kelly because it is good, local and they will appreciate your support. If you are Andersonville fancy... for now... order the food for delivery for like a year and support this place. You will love it and then next year you will be able to enjoy a fun meal and cocktail on her super cute patio!

Great soul food at a price that can't be beat! Friendly staff and prompt service. Glad to discover this gem of a soul food restaurant tucked away in a sleepier part of Andersonville.

Great jerk chicken place I took my parents to. Great vibes throughout the whole place.

As a southerner transplanted in Chicago, I'm always on the hunt for good soul food. So, when this place opened a couple of blocks away, I had to try it. The good news is that the food is excellent--pretty much exactly what a Mississippi grandma would serve up. The fried chicken was some of the best I've had in the city, and the sides were packed with salt, heat, and the delicious smoke of fatty pork. The downside is that service is painfully slow, like someone's actual grandmother is in the kitchen. It took us an hour to get our food, and we were the only ones in the restaurant. I'm really hoping they can get the management side of the business on par with the cooking, otherwise I fear this place won't last. What about a buffet-life meat and three approach?

I have a million good things to say about Bettie Lou's! Stopped in for a girls dinner with my friend who lives in the area. The owner and her family were so kind to us during our visit. You can tell this place is a true family owned spot and I loved supporting local. We sat outside and the tables were super clean and tucked away for adequate spacing. The food was wonderful. It really reminded me of the Alabama foods I love & miss. I had fried chicken, collard greens, and fried okra. The Johnny Cake is a fun twist on cornbread & was SO fresh & so tasty! I could eat 100 of them. We also both had peach cobbler and it was divine. The food takes some time to come out as it is made fresh & with so much love for what she is doing I don't mind the wait because it was so good!!! I highly recommend this place for take out or outdoor dining. I will definitely be back for more. Thank you!

A fun place to get takeout. I highly recommend the jerk chicken, cheese grits, and collard greens. Don't get the sweet potato fritters: the filling is good but only about 20% of the fritter.

I had the soul rolls my first time, then the jerk chicken dinner, which came with two side: I chose the cheese grits and the yams. The flavor of everything was so well balanced and everything really hit the spot. It seems reasonably priced, especially for the area. Nice portion sizes. Also, the atmosphere is nice, casual and authentic. Can't wait to try more of the menu items.

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Andersonville! Chef Kelly's food is so good, especially the Soul Rolls!! Because they're a ma and pop shop, and they're so good...there can be a bit of a wait, but it's always delicious, and their team is so friendly and kind.

Great experience! My wife and I went on quiet Thursday night and loved the ambiance and vibe. There is passion in this food which is oozing from Chef Kelly's take on soul food with a more health conscious approach. Well, relatively speaking. The Soul Rolls were great and a unique twist. I loved the Fried Chicken and collards. Can't go wrong with a few Johnny Cakes too. Hope this place makes it on the map among a crowded Andersonville restaurant scene. Check it out!

Well let's just say nothing to brag about and she had already ran out of certain dishes. You think she would have been stocked considering it's Easter weekend. The wait was extremely long she only had one cook. They were pleasant but I won't be back again or recommend. I think a lot of soul food restaurants forget what makes them good like seasoning. It's now a wait time of 47 minute and still no food. Also it looked like I was walking in the 80s just really run down. Also tried to call to see if my order was somewhat ready And no answer. I've I'll L now spent almost 1 hour and still no food. Well here's where it gets interesting still NO FOOD we eventually went in and cancelled the order the chicken dinner. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. And I wish them the best of luck.

Awesome... soul rolls are a must Hubby loved chicken (crispy from bat iron taste) & waffles

My husband and I dined in here, and we were blown away by the service, hospitality, and most importantly- THE FOOD. We started out with the soul rolls. Honestly I thought it would be similar to a fried Mac and cheese bite- but it was far from that! The Mac and cheese, greens, and sweet potatoes in the roll- dipped in an amazing chipotle type sauce- was incredible. A perfect combination of flavors. I could eat those everyday. We then had the fried chicken with beans, rice, and greens. It comes with a delicious Johnny cake too. SO GOOD. I highly recommend Bettie Lou's!!

I am so sad that our experience here was not good. Went in on a Friday at lunchtime. Had to ask questions about the menu because the vegan and vegetarian items are not clearly marked...so as a vegan it made me really nervous to order anything at all. But the two of us did, ordered 2 veggie dishes, but when we wanted the collard greens as a side, they were out. So that was disappointing, as this is a southern cookin' place and collard greens were a staple item we were looking forward to. But oh well, we were happy to select some other sides. Here is where things went south. After taking our order, we didn't see our server again forever. By the time our food came out, we had been sitting and waiting for over an HOUR since we ordered! Then we had to eat real fast and leave, as we needed to get back to work. Also, there were only two other tables of people, so there is no excuse for such slow service. What a disappointment. Two stars are for the fact that the food, when it did eventually come out, was pretty tasty. Too bad we won't be going back again.

Betty Lou's is very delicious! Very satisfying! A favorite in the neighborhood. Especially if you are ever in the mood for a home cooked meal! I ordered the jerk chicken dinner on my first visit and it was Literally finger licking good. I had red beans and rice and fries with it. I also had the jerk chicken nachos on my birthday. Also delicious. The staff is super friendly and made me feel so welcomed. Everything is cooked just right.

Everything is delicious. Don't go when your in a hurry- everything is made fresh. You taste the quality and love. She uses a lot less salt and fat than you usually get with southern food. Highlights: Soul Rolls are a must try- most unique! Mac and cheese served in a cast iron skillet! The staff welcomes you like family.

This is some of the best fried chicken ever. Swear to god. The greens? The yams? Amazing. The peach cobbler was so good. I cant say enough how wonderful the food is here. Maybe she can serve fried green tomatoes at some point? Pretty please? Lol

Great new place, you have to come here! Food is delicious. Had the fried chicken dinner with red beans and rice and hand cut fresh French fries. My son had the chicken and waffles. All of it was great, and the portions are huge. You won't regret it!

I ordered the jerk chicken with a side of yams and red beans & rice for delivery. The food arrived hot, and everything was delicious and exceeded my expectations. The jerk chicken was cooked to perfection and had a real kick to it, and the BBQ-like dipping sauce it came with was very tasty. The yams were also perfect. Great texture, sweet, but not overly sweet. The red beans and rice was very flavorful, too. Plus, the meal came with a mini pancake that provided a nice balance to the spicy jerk chicken. There aren't many authentic Caribbean restaurants on the Northside, so I'm so glad I found this gem of a place. Will definitely be ordering from here again.

This place is a neighborhood favorite! Chef Kelly makes for great conversation and her delightful personality speaks through her food. I'm from the south so I know SOUL food when I taste it! Chef Kelly puts a healthy spin on her food (just ask her). Anytime I have out of town guests this place is a must for us to go to!

So this place finally opened and had their grand opening. Went in for lunch today. Service was delightful. Food was hot and tasty. Some of the highlights. Definitely get the peach cobbler for dessert. The sides were nicely prepared. Some of the best collard greens.

An incredible soul food restaurant- very friendly- great service. I have the vegetarian Soul Rolls. A unique creation by the chef - well worth the visit!

The food and lemonade was amazing. I ordered the jerk chicken and I would order that in the semi croquet 1 million times over so what happens if

Let me tell you something...I am MAD and upset I've been living in the area a year now and just found out about this place. SO GOOD! The soul rolls - yes. Get them. I tried the jerk chicken dinner which was fantastic, perfect level of spice, solid sides. I will be returning very soon to try other items which all sounded tasty. And the owners are delightful!

I am an African American man who has lived on the north side of Chicago for over 35 years.I am huge fan of soul food because i grew up on it. Over the years on this here north side their have not been many soul food joints that have been able to find success on this side of town.Betty Lou s unfortunately desrves to be on the R.I.P. list also! The food is Horrible!They should be ashamed of themselves.I ordered jerk chicken on 3 piece dinner. The chicken was small dry and unflavorful.The sides were barely more than a spoon full.I had green beans & cabbage.Both sides were unremarkable.I should have taken my hint when I noticed that the restuarant was empty on Sunday afternoon.A good soul food restuarant stays busy on a Sunday afternoon.Don t try it you won t like it!

We ordered the fried chicken & jerk chicken meals. For sides we got: fries, yams, green beans & beans and rice. Everything was SOOO good!! Then to top it off we got the peach cobbles and oh my gosh...best peach cobbler I've ever had!! That was phenomenal! Will definitely be ordering again soon.

I was looking to support a Black owned restaurant and found Betty Lou's just a few blocks from me. I ordered the jerk chicken with green beans/potatoes and yams on the side. This meal was amazing! Spicy and delicious. I highly recommend!

I went here for a work event where they served a buffet with collard greens, Mac n cheese, wings, and rice and beans, plus peach cobbler for dessert. Everything was so delicious and the staff was so kind and welcoming!

I searched for a new restaurant in the area and this came up. I looked at the menu, and read some reviews both good and bad and decided to give it a try. I am so HAPPY that I did. Chef Kelly greeted us and told us some things about the menu. How her goal was to have tasty food on a healthy level. She was as nice as could be and took pride in explaining the menu to us. I had the fried chicken, greens and fried okra. my friend had the jerk chicken. Both were amazing!!! I asked if the sweet potato pie was made by chef Kelly and since she did, we had it. Very good. I am sorry to read that other people did not have the same experience as we did, and I hope they will give it another try. I know I will be back!! thank you Chef Kelly and wonderful staff for making our night complete!!

Everything at this place tastes perfect. Good flavor and texture to all the food - everything fried perfectly crisp, nothing soggy or mushy, Johnny cakes are the best I've had. Everything cooked fresh to order and with love. The soul rolls tho..

My roommate and I got take out tonight from Bettie Lou's. I started writing this review as soon as I finished eating because I was so happy! The jerk chicken and turkey chops were cooked to perfection. The red beans and rice were the best I've had outside of New Orleans!! Everyone I talked to that worked there were incredibly warm and friendly. I will definitely be going back. Even if you don't live in Edgewater/Andersonville/Rogers Park area it is absolutely worth the trek. Seriously, go. Now. No really, what are you waiting for?

We loved their twist on soul food - Jerk chicken, collard greens, mac & cheese, and rice. The soul rolls were really good - a must-try when you visit. All tasted delicious! My husband got to know the owners, and he enjoyed conversation with them as he waited for our food. Although there was a bit of a wait, the meal did not disappointment. We hope the location gets more foot traffic as we had a pleasant experience with the place. We plan on stopping by and/or ordering from them in the future.

Covid visits are a bit of a challenge for smaller restaurants and the outdoor seating was less than desirable on the day that we went. There were large dumpsters on the street and bugs galore. The service was Awesome and the food was good. The fish was okay ( 3 very small pieces) but the cheese grits and jerk chicken were very good. I'd go back for the jerk chicken, for carry out in a heartbeat.

Amazing food, amazing people. We went to Bettie Lou's tonight and got the chicken and waffles and the jerk chicken dinner. Everything was cooked so it would be hot when we got there (for pickup)! So it was still warm. We ordered red beans and rice but they were out due to them being so busy-they instead gave us (with permission) a huge heap of some bomb Mac and cheese, pancakes, and what was left of the red beans and rice! I couldn't believe how much food there was when I opened my container. And I also couldn't believe how good it all was! We had the pleasure of chatting with the owners/staff while we were there and they were also just great. We will support this business again and again and again.

Portions were small for the price, some items were hit or miss (soul rolls), I think too much experimenting was going on. Chicken was definitely the star.

This review is late, due to illness, but needed. Back in July I ordered for delivery that took 2 1/2 hours, three calls made concerning delivery, no I'm sorry and no return courtesy call back from owner, wow. The food was not good, cold and hard. Once delivered I got a ph call stating my food has been delivered, but security had already call to inform me of my order, so driver had called me once he got back in car. My past experiences for LONG wait time on take out and dine in and at times food not so good. I'm a grand supporter of black owned and small businesses, but when something like this happens, its distasteful and disappointing. I'M DONE.

Simply Amazing! Really enjoyed the food and the service was phenomenal! YOU MUST TRY THE SOUL ROLLS!! Trust me, you won't be disappointed! Great food, great staff. Definitely an unforgettable experience! I will be back

Everything on the menu looked phenomenal. I'm a vegetarian, so they had tons of options. I got the mac and cheese and soul rolls. Mac & Cheese was delicious and the soul rolls were unique and tasty. I can't wait to try their peach cobbler. Their brunch menu looks great too, so definitely going back.

Had the jerk chicken, was amazed as the meat literally fell off the bone with the slightest touch from the fork. Plenty of flavor but not overly salty at all. Fries were fresh and flavorful and not too salty either. Excellent.

I suspect these folks are good cooks whose friends and family encouraged them to open a restaurant. Problem is, they haven't mastered the need to scale up to a commercial enterprise.Service took way too long and although much of the food is freshly prepared, waiting over 40 minutes for fried chicken was unacceptable. On the plus side, they were friendly and open to constructive criticism. I wish them much luck in transforming into a successful business.

Seriously the best soul food. Chef Kelly is amazing!!! Incredible menu with tons of vegan and vegetarian menu!

Can't stop thinking about the soul rolls and mac n cheese WOW YUMMMM!!! Also if you get the chance talk to Chef Kelley - she's great!

Awesome little spot! Lovely owners. Fried tacos, amazing green beans, red beans and rice mmmmm so good.