Dixie Kitchen and Bait Shop

This restaurant has consistently produced good food. I ordered the fried okra (delicious) but need a better dipping sauce. I also ordered the blackened catfish wish is good as well but very spicy. The coleslaw was okay. Their Johnny cakes, however, are really great. The only negative aspect of my dining experiences here are the charges. They have automatic gratuity added regardless of party size and there are card fees for using anything other than cash. While I do like this place and recommend it, I don’t go as often now because of the fees.

Texting from the toilet. I had the Cajun chicken Alfredo with added shrimp ($1 per shrimp x 5) and the cheese sauce was lacking cheese flavor. That was so disappointing because the Cajun flavor was “ok”. The sauce was very watery. The chicken was sautéed but the shrimp were not. The French bread on the side was ok it tasted more burnt than anything. I haven’t been here in years and I can’t remember this tasting like this. Spent $26 on takeout and tipped change from a $50. Wish I had just gotten Popeyes but wanted to treat myself. Won’t be back. Woke up with diarrhea.

Star was amazing tonight! Very kind and empathetic to my mother and I during our visit. I love the chicken salad with blackened chicken. It was filling and delicious. My mother says her catfish filet was cooked to perfection! The okra and the fried green tomatoes are some of the best we’ve ever had. Everything on the menu is phenomenal! A true gem in the south suburbs!!! BTW, the gentleman who serves the Johnny Cakes is a total delight, so please ignore the nasty bitter person who was so disrespectful in these reviews to criticize him and post his photo without his knowledge or approval. When I saw that on here moments ago, I was disgusted because her entire review was beyond hateful and evil because that man is nothing but kind to my family and everyone else he encounters every time we visit. Proof that you can’t make everyone happy and misery loves company, sadly. Keep up the extraordinary work!!!! 🩷🩷🩷

Dixie Kitchen & Bait has done a spectacular job of bringing Southern cooking to the North! Specifically the NOLA and Cajun-inspired dishes. I’ve dined at Dixie Kitchen & Bait several times and they never miss!! One would think someone in the kitchen were in fact from the South- Incredible! I especially love New Orleans food and they come the closest! My family & friends and I will travel the distance for the food here (2hrs). It’s worth it! We’ve had several dishes over time, and here are some of our favorites: Fried Green Tomatoes, Cajun & Fried Catfish, Shrimp po boy, Catfish po boy, Beans & Rice, Shrimp Gumbo, Greens, Yams, Mac N Cheese, Spaghetti, Fried Chicken, Cornbread Cakes- basically the entire menu! Lol! There is SO much more. I will say, my aunt felt that the Spaghetti had sugar in it- which I agreed. It’s not how we do it- but it’s still not bad. The drinks here are also delicious. Be sure to read their About section of their website- what a nod to culture! TIP: 🥶🥶 Dress in layers because the A/C is always on “Arctic”.

I loved it here. Very nice energy. I had the Sampler w/ black eyed peas. Great staff - Attentive and kind. Would recommend & will be back when I want delicious food without the hardwork!

I had the opportunity to attend this place for a family birthday dinner. Thr atmosphere was fun and relaxed. The food was good I just had a simple item from the menu which was the peach bourbon glazed wings they were okay because they were tiny and the swamp water cocktail which was on point but i wished i had more but thr presentation was good. The other people in the party had the other menu items like the sweet potatoes, green beans, Mac and cheese and fried catfish with the fried French tomatoes which were all good. Will be back

Ordered jerk chicken wings meal x 2 for the first time. Manager advised they are really good and sure we will enjoy it. Got the wings, looked liked baked wings, overcooked and burnt smelling from charring on the grill. Husbands and son hungry and very disappointed with the dish. Called and spoke with the Manager of our disappointment with the wings. Sides were good but the wings are not jerked, no jerk seasoning, tasteless. Manager very defensive and explained the prep process of marinating, smoked and grilled. She further explained how you have to use the sauce for flavor. I disagree sauce is not required with jerk food, it’s added for those desiring more flavor. As I explained this chicken have no jerk seasoning and very dry. Manager refused to acknowledge my disappointment, very curt reaction to her product. No offer to discount, refuse or replace. This is really not comprehensive considering the business generated from the community. I will advise of my disappointment in this forum and take my business elsewhere. I promise to not give this business another $1. You can take my money but you cannot respect nor honor your customers complaints and concerns, I no longer will support you.

I will say nothing was lost since the transition. The food is good, and the place is still busy. The wait time was acceptable (under 15 minutes) for a Sunday afternoon. Food was good, very decent portions, the wait staff checked on us so often it was almost annoying. LOL 🤣 One of the last places to sit down and eat old fashioned soul food in the Greater Chicagoland area.

Amazing!!! I was in Lansing for a quick work stop and stumbled upon this gem. What an awesome place, great staff, and atmosphere. Highly recommend.

I mostly get take out at Dixie kitchen because of the wait but I love it every time. The food is generally ready when I get there and comes in these containers that keeps it hot for you.

My First time dining at Dixie Kitchen in Lansing IL The Hostess informed our party of their dining policies, only one check and one form of payment per table, eighteen percent gratuity is added to all checks and three point two percent fee is charged for all card payments. With all this being explained to our dining party I expected my dining experience at minimum to meet my expectations and hopefully to exceed my expectations and I would become a repeat patron of this restaurant in the future. I must say I will never dine her again for several reasons Our waitress took our order and went ghost (we didn't see her again for more than 25 minutes.)When she returned to our table, only brought on third of our appetizers. We waited again more than 20 minutes and asked her what happen to our other appetizers, she gave us a look she was puzzled and walked away. I requested to speak with the manager, the manager came to our table and I explained our dissatisfaction with our waitress. The manager response was in support of her staff not caring how we felt as customers or the inadequate service we were experiencing. The food was good, but the service was unacceptable and Management seems to think its ok to be dismissive to their customers.

Back when Dixie Kitchen was in Hyde Park and closer to 170th & Torrence Avenue, my family introduced me to this Cajun/Soul Food restaurant. Now the 179th & Torrence location survives. The host/hostess explains the 'rules of engagement' which includes: 18% gratuity on all checks; no split checks; additional charge for debit cards (only chip cards are accepted). Once you agree, you're seated and promptly served. I loved the catfish filet (delightfully seasoned)and mashed sweet potatoes. The collard greens tasted a little gritty (in my opinion.) The sweet potato pie slice was "okay" cold, no whipped cream, without the spices I remember.

We were going to dine there and when the host ask me did I know the policy? I said no. He informed me of mandatory 18% gratuity & 3.? credit card fee, no matter what size party you have from1-?. This turned me off and I decided to eat elsewhere. I consider this price goshing or just being inconsiderate of your customers. Good luck with your business, but please consider change your policies. It may make your business more prosperous.

We were a huge party of 16 and we thankfully were seated very quickly and the manager was very kind explaining why we were seated first to the other patrons waiting. The food came very quickly and everything was fresh and delicious and the portions were wonderful! I didn't know they don't serve fried chicken on Sundays but there were plenty of other things to choose from. My meal was phenomenal but the gentleman who sat across from me said the Mac and cheese needed some doctoring up but overall he loved the meal. The decor was very eclectic and did feel like Louisiana. Just a note: gratuity was included and you had to pay one bill; no separate checks.

I went on the 19 Oct for birthday celebration. My food was season well, nice portions of food. My food could have been hot. It was warm. Our waiter was awesome he made our dinner experience pleasant. The ambiance was cute and cozy.

Late post My friends took me here yesterday for lunch to celebrate my birthday. I haven't been here in a while, and I remember the restaurant being at a different location because it looked different from years ago. I will have to say that this location is much nicer looking. Another thing that changed is the fees they charge to dine in. I don't remember all the charges, but fees include 18% gratuity for any size party, & credit card usage. I also don't remember our waitress's name, but she was sweet and would come by every now and then to see how we were doing or if we needed anything else. One of my friends ordered the Georgia Peach Colada, and my other friend ordered the Southern Paradise. Both liked their drinks. Two of my friends ordered the baby catfish with mac-n-cheese and collard greens. Another friend ordered salmon pasta, and I ordered seafood cakes with mac-n-cheese and coleslaw. For dessert, we had homemade Southern peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream. We all loved what we ordered. I also ordered a gumbo bowl to go for hubby, and he loved it.

I don't know if this place is under new management now or what, but the service has gone in the tank. The server was noticeably inattentive, never asking if we needed anything or refilling drinks. The check came, and we found out why. There was an 18% percent gratuity and a 3.5% card fee already included in the bill. When we asked management, she fed us a line of bull about the gratuity being added to all tables no matter the size of the party. There were only 4 of us. I understand that the economy is hitting everyone, but at least give me the choice. There were several options in the area with better service and no bs surprise fees. I'll be sure to choose one of them next time because DK is FOS now.

Too many rules you are accosted by the hostesses with oral warnings, as soon as you walk in the door. No split checks, they impose an 18 % gratuity fee, and a 2.9% fee fee for using your debit and or your credit card vs cash!! This must be illegal?? By the time you get to your table you are stressed!! Why assault people when they are coming in your hostesses are stressed repeating it over and over just raise your prices and deliver good food people will pay! Geesh!!

Gumbo and Johnny cakes are too die for. There always pretty quick to with service..............

Great southern cooking in this place. Good service and casual dining found here. Tasty desserts also ready to take home.

It was a takeout order and the food was great! It was hot and tasty! Nice size portions! We had fried chicken dinners, catfish, and gumbo! Going to return for that good gumbo! It was seasoned just right!

I was not happy with the baby cat fish or the two sides. I had sweet potato souffle and greens. The souffle was just ok, but the greens were awful. I am visiting from Georgia, and that is someplace I don't think I'll revisit.

The Food was very Good , the Ambiance seems different to me because the DJ isn't there anymore & the bar isn't visible : but We did enjoy our meal

The Hostess greeted us with rules. She barely greeted us but recited a couple of rules: 18% gratuity and one check. Turned off. Johnny cakes were very gritty. The walls surrounding the dining tables and the booth seats are dirty and stained. It's time for a deep cleaning. Dining guests ordered the 1 lb. mild chicken wings (party wings = baby chick drums & flappers) for $15. He said they were tasty. He also devoured the side of Mac n cheese that was served in the square section it was cut from. There was no attempt to plate it. I ordered the catfish filet with red beans and rice and corn. The one filet was a nice size. It was soggy so I'm happy that I didn't pay the extra $6 for the additional piece. My sides were flavorless. Our waitress was very perky and pleasant.

There are too many rules going into this establishment. First we were greeted at the door by a nice young lady who told us the rules before we sat down. The rules are: There is an 18% gratuity automatic put on the bill. No splitting of the bill. There is one bill per table. If you use a credit card, there will be an additional 3.9% additional charge. We never sat down to taste the food. There are too many rules at this place. We left after being seated and before placing our order. I don't appreciate being given rules at establishments. If the service is good I have given the server a cash tip according to service. I have given a 20 to 30%. Servers do not make enough. Establishments need to pay their servers instead of making tips part of their salary. Servers have to pay taxes on their tip on the bill. That's why I give them a cash tip even if I use my credit card to pay the bill. Then you have to pay a charge to use your credit card..... I'm out!

Great portion sizes and friendly staff. Dixie kitchen is my dads go to when he wants a good meal yet we don't feel like cooking. I love the fried green tomatoes and the fried catfish! The jerk catfish is his favorite. Can we can't forgot the Johnny cakes. I'm always embarrassed as he has to have an order to go every time.

The manager is AWFUL and unprofessional, the food is inconsistent, and the sides are mediocre. This place nickel and dimes you for everything. They even charge you for tartar sauce which they call remoulade sauce. They also have added fees if you use a credit card which is hidden into the check amount, added gratuity, and no splitting checks. The service isn't great. They don't check on you for refills, etc. The only good thing there are the fried tomatoes but they are inconsistent. Sometimes great, other times hard cores and lacking batter. Catfish is hit or miss. Sometimes it's great, other times lacking flavor and soggy on the bottom. Fried wings are the smallest wings I've seen in my life. Mash potatoes blah, Mac n cheese blah, red beans, rice blah, and peach cobbler way too sweet. The fries and sweet tea are good. Dill sauce with the fried tomatoes are great but that's another added amount. I think the "credit card fee" is a way to grab more money from people.

Food was okay. Got the atomic wings. Sauce was on the better side. My sides (mashed potatoes with gravy & red beans and rice) didn't come out warm, it was chilly. Pink lemonade was an interesting taste. Not the normal pink lemonade taste, kinda like a knock off version of koolaid. They didn't have any key lime pie left, or the bread pudding but the peach cobbler is a good size, cheesecake on the other side isn't a nice slice for the price at all, but they said it's because everything else is homemade while the cheesecake is prepacked.

I haven't been here in a while since moving away but the experience here was quiet awkward but the food made up for it. Also this place has a bunch of random extra charges like please...stop. The host at the front...very awkward. He didn't tell us anything besides hi, but we waited for a good 10-15 minutes. No updates, no telling us it was a wait, he just looked at us lmao. Next they were short staffed so I gave our server grace. He was deff on it so I will say the service was good. There were a lot of tables and he was able to hold it down. I ordered the peach wings which I used to always get. They still buss. The macaroni was good and everybody in my party liked their food. Only recommendation would be to add music because it was just very dead inside when I came in particular and add someone more friendly to the front. I would give it 3 stars but the food was good and our server with the locs really took care of us.

Food here at Dixie Kitchen was excellent! I had their Seafood cakes, Mac n cheese, and their fried green tomatoes. All the food I ordered was delicious and has reasonable prices. I am really impressed and satisfied. They made it to perfection and served all of it on time. Their place was huge and well-organized, they have interesting decor and designs. Clean and cozy place. Their staff was also contributes to the good and amazing vibe of the place. I highly recommend this place especially who lives near the area. This place never disappoints!

I am a former Chicagoan living in Las Vegas. I truly miss your establishment. For many years, my family visited the former Hyde Park location after church and for special occasions. That said ... We need you out here in Las Vegas!!!! Chicagoans out here find ourselves reminiscing about the delicious food and the wonderful atmosphere. I know Calpso Cafe is no longer in existence, but we miss that also.

Food is delicious. Service is mediocre, I'm assuming it's like that because of the added gratuity. You don't have to work that hard as a server when you're already getting 18% gratuity. Note to the sever, you could get extra if you just do your best regardless of the gratuity being added, guest would want to give you more if the service was stellar which it's below average. The manger Karen had an attitude and wears her emotions on her face. Every time I asked her something, she seemed annoyed and aggravated. She needs more training with the public.

Was seating right away. The food was hot, fresh, and delicious!! They have the BEST fried green tomatoes I've ever eaten and our waiters were the bomb!! Definitely will return again and soon!!

I have been coming here for 10+ and order the same dish the same way every time. Seafood pasta with spicy chipotle. Date of last service the spicy was extreme. Manager refused to refund or remake or offer some regular alfredo sauce to off set the spicy. When mentioned to the manager she had an attitude and threatened to call police. Jonhnny cakes served cold . Drinks were literally watered downed and the server was offended cause he made it himself. No bartender - they missing out on real money by keeping bar closed all the time . The staff have a very weird vibe but i tipped anyway cause mayb they cant help they weird idk. Such a downgrade in quality of service . Disappointed .

Food: Fried catfish nuggets, Mac n'cheese, collard greens was just Ok. I wasn't WoW'd. Service: Young man that kept water filled was very engaging and attentive to our table, though he wasn't a server. The young lady that was our server seemed overwhelmed. We had to constantly remind her of request. I ordered dessert to go, peach cobbler and it was delicious which weighed heavily on my rating. I wouldn't visit again for sit down service. I would order dessert for take out.

Came here for dinner, love the pecan something glazed , nice employees, nice experience

There used to be a Dixie Kitchen in Evanston. It closed down a couple of years ago. I truly Loved all of the food at this restaurant but the other establishment is way too far to drive to. I hope in the future they will have one up North again.

Went there yesterday. Drove miles and found out the dining option starts at 4 p.m. I had to go elsewhere. Next day told manager they need to have that info put on Google. She tells me she has it on FB and an intelligent person should have looked for it? WRONG thing to say to me. Wings were NOT wings just fried and over priced. He attitude suck and I let her know it and WON'T be going back EVER!!!

Every trip to Dixie Kitchen has been outstanding! The service was amazing! We started with the homemade green fried tomatoes which were delicious! The Louisiana Lemonade is a drink we love to order and it was so good! Our entree was the Cajun Chicken Pasta which was perfect! Last, we finished with the Key Lime Pie and a Mudslide! We didn't mind paying more than 18 percent gratuity because the service was outstanding! Great place in a small town!

Food great, service was amazing. I will be going back at some point. Fried green tomatoes, and the fried chicken was the best .

If you have a shellfish allergy do not eat at Dixie Kitchen. Tonight's manager on duty refused to cook food for me. Told me that I was a liability when I asked for baked fish. Even the johnny cakes are cross contaminated. I told her it isn't my fault your kitchen doesn't practice sanitation policies. No apologies or nothing just that it's too huge of a liability. They should post signs about shellfish allergies. I may have to go to the doctor because of them. The staff wasn't great, but that's what happens when gratuity is already on your bill.

First time there today. The service was great. The food even greater. Can't wait to take some friends for dinner tomorrow

Food is good, however prices are not worth the meal...plus they charge you 18% gratuity regardless of the number of people in you party, and additional 3.9% for using a credit card!

Quality has gone down steadily in the food and service since the move from Hyde Park. I use to visit regularly years ago during it's heyday... but no longer

Food and Service is always A++ will definitely recommend and be back. Best Blackened and fried Catfish around.

Food is excellent(appetizer: fried green tomatoes are excellent) and servers great, music leaves something to be desired FIX pot hole,it's not worth tearing up your car to enter parking lot

First & foremost let me start off by saying the only thing good here is the food!! Hands down from the jerk chicken dinner, catfish dinner, sides, etc!! the Service Sucks. I went on my birthday which was already pretty sAd then to have the service we had i was juss about over the dinner. When you go there please read the fine print the door gratuity of 18% is automatic whether its a dinner for 2 or 6!! Not to mention the prices on the menu are inaccurate & instead of accommodating for the false advertising, its an apology of inflation lmaooo. Then most restaurants will sing happy birthday & offer free dessert. No the waiter will ask if you want it & put it on you bill ! So none to less I would go here to eat but bring a calculator with! Cause the menu price vs what they wanna charge will be very different

Tried Dixie Kitchen for the first time. Fiancé opted for carryout. I had the Seafood cakes with mac n cheese and greens. I really enjoyed the seafood cakes. Flavor was good although could have been a slightly thicker patty. The sides were less than spectacular. The mac n Cheese was ok. Puts me in mind of Stoufer's Mac n Cheese. But the greens you can take a pass on. While the flavor was ok, the grittiness you may want to take a pass on. While I would order the seafood cakes again, I would advise on choosing alternative sides.

Great service at greet and carryout stages plus delicious food for the night. Looking forward to dinning in next time because the ambiance was amazing inside and out! Collards and Mac were true standouts.

Always great service and great food!! I ordered the Dixie Burger and it was YUMMIE!! They have a new guy name Walter and he is lovely addition to their current staff!!!

Customer service was bad our waitress Bre disappeared often for 25 minutes. Never asked how our appetizers and drinks were . The jerk salmon the jerk sauce was burned to crisp on top ! This establishment does not accept food back .. even if food was prepared bad . Charges 18% gratuity , which means if service is bad u still pay your bad server . Charges 3.9% for credit card usage and will not tell you if there is a wait for a table , if you call and ask over the phone . The original restaurant in Hyde park was good . Not this trap house establishment .

Forced 18% gratuity. 3.9% for credit card usage. Food was decent but so tired of all of these fees.

First time there since the pandemic. All of the dishes were at least good. The smothered pork chops fell a little short. The onion gravy on them was great. They could have directly seasoned the pork chops better or more, instead of relying on the gravy. Another critique is the ceiling was leaking and dripping on the next booth. Everything else including the service was great! I really enjoyed the seafood cakes & fried green tomatoes.

We were greeted at the reception stand by a very condescending woman with a dissertation to all waiting parties on mandatory 18% gratuity plus service charge, no split checks and an added charge if using credit. Once seated, we were served cold corn cakes. I asked for warm ones and was told by our waiter we'd have to pay for additional. I had to ask for a glass of water, cutlery and my ordered beverage. Our waiter, Arturo had the personality of a cold fish. He did one stop to ask if things were alright. The woman from earlier walked by so I asked about the corn cake issue, she waved it away and said "yeah, why didn't you ask for them before?" then proceeded to spend approximately ten minutes In conversation with two gentlemen at another table then returned with, "oh I forgot about your bread." The food was just ok, peach cobbler delicious.I decided to pay my check with cash because of the added expense of credit. Arturo returned and asked if I wanted my change. Seriously! We got no "thanks for coming", "have a nice day." I guess when the gratuity and charges are already included, no need for good customer service. Totally not recommended!

So. I go to New Orleans a few times a year. We tried the jambalaya and the Cajun chicken pasta and both were great. Well seasoned and not over seasoned nor over salted. Really good food. We had the peach cobbler. Served warm with ice cream. Very good. Pleasant staff. Agree with others. This place could be a bit nor welcoming. The whole 28% gratuity and credit card surcharge. There are better ways to handle this. But. We will be back as the food is very good.

BEWARE- It's a shame I must leave this review, but after my visit yesterday, i don't ever want to return. First of all upon entry you're greeted with all sorts of typed signs telling you about changes to prices, what you can and cant do, fees that are automatically included, etc. That was the first sign to walk out. Decided to stay anyhow, the host refused to let us sit at the table until it was set with menus and glasses of water...say what? Who does that? Just to bring us back out more water because we don't like ice, weird. Tried sitting at the bar, it was closed, but you can order drinks from your server, whatever. Proceeded to order, the jerk wings were under cooked, hard, flavorless and disgusting. All other food ordered was very tasty. So why am I leaving a one star review??? After thoroughly reading the signs that say no food can be returned, I ordered a side that the waitress got wrong. Upon mentioning it to her, she asked did I eat out of the dish that sat in front of me for at least 10mins. Actually I did, but baffled by this question I go why are you asking? She honestly tells me that they will recycle the food back into the kitchen and serve it to someone else. My entire table now disgusted, shocked and in disbelief no longer want to finish our recycled food. Matter of fact, im sure this is an issue for the Department of Health. This is flat out absurd and if this business is in that much bad shape, perhaps they should close. They are literally jeopardizing the health of their patrons despite the fact that an airborne pandemic still exists. WOW!!!

I so badly want to like this place. I have dined here down through the years since before it made it's move further down on Torrence. Three consistent things here: 1. The food is awesome. The Fried Green Tomatoes - Oh My! 2. Historically (pre-covid during dine-in service) the wait staff was attentive and pleasant. 3. The owner/manager is habitually Rude and Disrespectful beyond comprehension and has been so for as long as I can remember with few exceptions.