Table Fifty-Two

My friend made reservations for brunch at Table 52 for his birthday. The vibe here is southern kitchen with an edgy twist from the celebrity chef owner. It feels like you are transported back to granny’s house with the oil paintings and menu but yet there is a brick oven right in the middle of the place! So you literally can watch your as meal is being made. I ordered the pork hash and potatos. For the price it was a small portion. However the flavors were big! The the complementary chocolate loaf bread was a special added touch!

It was our last night out before the new arrival, so my wife booked a table for two at Table Fifty-​Two, largely on the reputation of their fried chicken. The fried chicken is absolutely worth going here for, but as it turns out, so is everything else.
The chef provided an herbs-​and-​cheese biscuit to start off the evening, and it’s something I wish I had the recipe for. Nice balance of cheese and fresh herbs, tender in the middle with a nice crust on the outside. It’s a good start, and my wife mentioned that she could just eat the biscuit all night long.
I did pick up a starter for the evening: the shrimp and grits. This was lovely, with varying sized grits (from very small pieces to the size of rolled oats) topped with perfectly cooked shrimp, paprika, tomatoes and some watercress (I think). The texture of the grits was uniformly smooth, which I thought was an accomplishment considering the variance of the grits. It also had some truffle oil on top, which was almost too much, but fortunately I love mushrooms and I didn’t think flavor was too overwhelming.
Entrees were the fried chicken for my wife, and the jambalaya for me. My jambalaya was on point; perfectly tender scallops, fish and tail-​on shrimp with a very spicy andouille sausage, served over a bed of rice. The seafood broth was excellent, and the size of the entrée ideal. I don’t remember getting jambalaya before, and I hope this experience hasn’t spoiled me for future jambalaya dishes!
On my wife’s plate, the fried chicken was spectacular. It was brined long enough to keep it tender; the breading clung to the meat and was about as thick as the skin, which is great for the part. With the riced mashed potatoes, this chicken is well worth getting.
We were fortunate to have enough room for dessert, so we picked out the hummingbird cake. It’s served a la mode, and with the walnuts and cranberries in the cake, is best described as «hearty». The cream cheese frosting had a great sweetness to it. And the slice was so big that we took half of it home with us!
This is a great place to go for quality southern food, and it won’t break the bank too much, either. Service is excellent; they know how to treat their guests here! I would definitely come back.

when I first walked into table 52 I had heard they had good fried chicken and was ready to enjoy some of that. Little did I know I was in for an amazing experience that included so much more than just some great chicken.
I arrived before my reservation and we sat at the bar to get a drink until it was time to sit. The bar is very entertaining bc it is an intimate setting that gives you a first hand look at the fire stove where a lot of the amazing dishes are created.
After a couple minutes of enjoying watching the chef move hot skillets in and out of the stove like a conductor at a fine symphony we decided to just enjoy our entire dinner at the bar.
Every bit of food was to die for. The goat cheese biscuit, the chicken, deviled eggs, Brussels… It was all awesome and exploded w flavor.
The drinks and service were also top notch and whenever I get the chance I will be back to enjoy it all again!

The décor/​ambiance of this place is so cute; i’m sure it’s attractive to most girls, myself included. I can’t get over how homey and pretty the inside is. Exterior is just as charming. Place makes a great bridal shower/​baby shower venue, though im not sure if they have private rooms. That would be important for such events. On top of that, food was stellar! Why only 4 stars? Menu options were slightly limited but price was steep. Chicken and waffles with maple syrup were good but i dunno if they were worth $ 25 dollars good, ya know? Coffee with unlimited refills was $ 5. With prices like that, it adds up quickly. I also tried my friend’s scallop with grits and bacon which was incredible! The presentation was beautiful, which exceeded my expectation. It’s just brunch, and Southern brunch for that matter. Not a knock on Southern food, but aren’t they more about being laid-​back and subtlety? Pancakes with apple slices were good, too. I would certainly recommend this place to anybody and take visitors to impress them, but would limit my visits b/​c i’d rather splurge on other things.
Easy to get a reservation the night before which is rare for places like this in Chicago.
Warning: slightly hard to find in my Über, but just look for the classiest house on the block, said some by-​passer haha.

the brunch is so so delicious。 It becomes my favorite restaurant! The chef here is also really nice! Definitely will come again

My girlfriend and I had brunch at Table Fifty-​Two last Sunday and we were very happy we did so. The ambiance, service, and food were incredible. It truly did feel like an experience, and has set a very high standard for brunch in Chicago.
Upon entering the charming and unassuming space you are greeted with a quaint, cozy, and laid-​back Southern-​style interior. We did not have the opportunity to tour the second story but were very impressed with the décor and welcoming vibe of the first floor. Personally, I would feel comfortable not only bringing my significant other here, but a group of friends, a family member, or business colleague. It boasts an incredibly versatile interior.
The wait staff were attentive and friendly but unobtrusive. Though we were in a packed house, we had three separate individuals check on us (the waiter, chef, and restaurant manager). None of the staff were snooty or pedantic, and this helped it maintain its air of chill and relaxed sophistication.
The food was awesome. You can tell that the restaurant takes pride in its food based on the specialty coffee (Sparrow), and the espresso butter and delicious pastry it serves as an appetizer. These were «complements» to the meals we ordered but we probably enjoyed these bits the most :)
I was tempted to ask to take a loaf of the pastry home with me it was SOOOOO GOOOOD.
My girlfriend had «the Bagel» (smoked whitefish) and I had the Fried Chicken + Waffles. We shared each and agreed that they were both delicious. I was also impressed by the hearty portion size.
If you are looking for a cozy breakfast place to visit in the Fall or Winter in Chicago, definitely try Table Fifty-​Two out.

Okay so I made reservations a while ago as we wanted a special brunch for one of my girlfriends 30^th birthday. Upon walking in they get credit for being absolutely charming as I’ve been to Nola and this reminded me of a smaller version of Commanders Palace minus the jazz band on Sunday mornings. None the less, the four of us arrived on time and were asked to wait a few minutes until they figure out our table. The first hostess wanted to sit us right by the door where people are walking in, and I was like «We are here to celebrate a special birthday» is there anyway we can sit somewhere nicer. The other hostess (who was much friendlier) was able to find us a table upstairs and the place was empty at that point for our 12:00pm reservation. It made me wonder why they wanted to give us the worst table in the first place.
Okay, so let’s talk about service because in a place like this, that needs to be on point. Our server took a while to approach us and when he finally did, although he seemed giddy and nice, he truly lacked in our dining experience. We ordered drinks which took a little while to be brought out and when one of the girls ordered a pineapple juice after we had received our drinks, he completely forgot about it and I had to remind him close to 20 minutes after. The hostess (the nice one) brought out some yummy banana bread and maple syrup butter for us to try. It was tasty but tiny, I felt like they could have been more generous and offered two portions since there were four of us. We had ordered a bunch of dishes but the stand outs were the fried chicken which was divine and the mac and cheese which was amazing, truly a must get if you are dining here. So they get all the stars for food and atmosphere as those were great. However, I brought it up more than once to the server that we are celebrating a birthday. He didn’t even acknowledge it. He literally was MIA for half the time and it was annoying since the service was slow. I did want to order the hummingbird cake that everyone talks about and is absolutely huge here but our server was missing. I literally had to go find him to get this going and then it was brought out, no candle, no little happy birthday, no nothing. I literally wasn’t expecting them to come out and sing for us, but a little even acknowledgement would have been nice. The cake, once again, was moist and tasty, a little more raisins than I would have preferred but the frosting was delicious.
I’m left confused of the experience since we did save it for a special afternoon and I know service is slow in the south but this is downtown Chicago and our server, although nice, should have made more of an appearance and didn’t forget to bring stuff and I shouldn’t have had to chase him down for bringing us a dessert menu. Also, it makes me rethink coming back here for my own birthday brunch as I would absolutely expect much better service and everyone wants to feel a little special on their bday which my friend did not.

Love this place. Had Fried green tomatoes, deviled eggs, catfish, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts Mac and cheese and of course hummingbird cake. It was all amazing. Great service. 4 stars because biscuits were originally served cold but that was quickly taken care of and I would’ve liked to see more selection on the cocktail list. Great wine though.

Coffee cake: 5+
Espresso Butter: 5+
Sparrow Coffee: 5
Art’s hummingbird cake: 5
English Muffin with Poached Egg and Salmon: 5
Came with two English Muffins, two poached eggs, generous amounts of salmon, dill aioli. Perfectly satisfying dish.
Bacon and Potato Hash: 5
Hearty, flavorful bacon and potatoes with sunny side-​up eggs. Excellent.
Service: 5+
This is thee perfect Sunday brunch spot.

Very cute little spot. Visited Chicago over Labor Day weekend and wanted a date night with the hubs. Came across this on Unilocal and based on photos decided I needed to try this place. Made reservations and got seated with no problem. We ordered the fried green tomatoes as a starter (good) then I had the jambalaya and hubby had the fried chicken (very good). The biscuits at the start of the meal are very good! For dessert we had a cup of coffee and the hummingbird cake (to die for!) service was great, very attentive. Overall good experience and glad we could try it out

Pros:
— Francis, the chef working the front oven. Rock star, worked so fast and clean, truly an artist.
— Atmosphere: Very cozy, not a lot of seating and a somewhat small space, but without a lot of noise. Great date night spot.
— Low country cuisine: Very good, with imaginative dishes, and nuance added to the usual comfort food.
Cons:
— Really none, the wait staff and service seemed a little «shotgun», with a few different waiters serving the same table, and food being delivered to the wrong table. All of which seems odd considering the total number of tables in the place.
— I would say not a great place for mixed drinks, minimal bar.
Randomly selected this place to take my wife, and what luck! Seated immediately at the counter in front of the chef working the word fire oven where the molten mac n cheese was being cooked. We ordered drinks, and the deviled eggs of the day… which must mean they have different deviled eggs EVERY DAY. Glorious… we also ordered the mac n cheese (see photo) and braised short rib. The rib was very well prepared and tender, obviously a lot of cooking/​rendering time.
We also ordered a slice of cake that is their signature car… forgetting the name, but ask for it, GET IT. So good.
I wish this was in my neighborhood, and look forward to being back in the Gold Coast. Awesome!

Not as good as before but still enjoyable.
Deviled eggs were plain disappointing whereas before were much better. Served chilled and on a chilled plate as they should be but the small plates they put in front of us were damn hot.
Obviously no one thought of or cared about such a «detail.»
Loved the corn bread.
Collard green: blah
corn and such. Good and fatty as hell. But I did not expect otherwise.
Fried chicken. I have had better. Much better.
Service. Not impressive. If diner plates are 25 $ or above, i expect much better service.
Regardless, I’ll go back and am glad they are around.

My friends and I dined here unexpectedly and were delighted by the ambience and the food.
We dined at the bar in front of the oven so our faces turned a glow of red toward the end of the meal, but it was nice and warm in contrast with the rainy, windy and cold weather outside.
The restaurant was not too big but it was cozy and also quiet. We were able to dine using our regular voices instead of shouting over everyone.
We started off with complimentary goat cheese biscuits. My goodness! I wanted to steal the container of biscuit batter the cook had in front of me. He scoops the batter onto a cast iron pan and puts it into the oven. It’s done within minutes, the biscuits are gold and crusty on top. The middle is moist and has goat cheese so I wasn’t sure if it wasn’t cooked enough or if it was the cheese. It was so good… My friend said he was willing to pay 10 dollars just for the biscuits alone.
My friends and I shared the fried chicken and the pork belly roulade. Great southern chicken and I wish the pork belly portions were larger because it was just so good!
Service was friendly and accommodating.

Honest review: be careful there is no sign, it jus says 52 in small letters, u might miss it. The ambiance is really pretty perfect for date nights and the service is really good really attentive really accommodating. The best fried chicken is at longman and eagles and the best mac and cheese kumas corner was really disappointed for the price i paid only the cat fish blew me away really nothing special u could find better food for a lot cheaper.
Free biscuits: there small :/​picture the biscuits from red lobster just a million times better. They were the perfect texture not supper hard or really gummy. There was alot of cheese in it. Just it needed some salt though or extra seasoning on top
Mac and cheese: i saw how they make it they put like a mountain of cheese on it and shove it into the wood oven u can see it get all bubbly and gooey to the point where u think its burnt but it comes to the table and thank u jesus its not burned! The texture of the pasta was good not overcooked not under cooked. It was really really creamy not dry or like kinda over cooked, u know when the pasta is hard, the flavor of it was good the only thing though was i wish there was bacon on for some wow factor needed something extra to take it to the next level the best i ever had was at kumas corner a burger joint? U ask ya try it and youll see what i meAn!!!
Broccoli soup: they give u this big bowl and hardly any soup. It was really delicious had alot of broccoli flavor there wasnt a lot of cream in it thank god then it would have been really heavy. There were lil broccolis in it that were a nice crunch then there were greens in it that were really delicious was a great fresh note that was really needed. There were these delicious parmesan crips that were great like i love cheese so this was amaizing! It was really crunchy!!! Like these way more then simple croutons! The only thing was there was no depth of flavor to the actual soup it was just one dimensional like u know when u try a soup n ur like omg this is so good its so rich how did they make it this was lacking that
Fried chicken: i am really picky on fried chicken like really the best i ever had was at long man and eagle i still dream about it every night like that would be my last meal on earth this didnt match up to that. Regarding the batter it was crunchy and flavorful not to thick to the point where theres more batter then chicken and not to thin where u just one bite and all the skin is gone. It needed more seasoning though wasnt anything special. Regarding the tenderness i was so happy i was like omg its so tender then i get to the breast and it was dry kinda hard to mess up the thigh and leg when there naturally more moist wish it had gravy or a sauce for more extra flavor and to make it more tender and moist. The mash potatoes were a really good texture because they used a ricer besides that they were really plain nothing special about it was really disappointed because everybody says this was the best fried chicken and it wasnt long man and eagle was
Fried catfish: omg this was the best meal of the night!!! It was so freaking good! Like u just wanna like lick ur fingers after u finish eating good! The batter on the fish was perfect supper supper crunchy and guess what the fish was supper moist perfectly cooked!!! It was seasoned so good! It needed nothing it was perfect! Felt like i was in the south! The grits were out of this world! Like it was so creamy and delicious like a 3 star Risotto! Then there was ham in it to!!! It added so much richness to the dish and i dont like grits by far one of the best tasting fish dishes i ever had!
Humming bird cake: lol this is a banana cake ignore the fancy name its a banana cake. The cake it self had a good banana flavor to it not to much to the point where u think ur a monkey but a good amount of it. The frosting was really good not to sweat wasnt grainy like the consistency of sand was really good. The texture of the cake was hard wasnt moist like i needed a knife to eat this. The red sauce on the side really didnt do anything if ur gonna put a sauce put more of it not jus a lil smudge to make the plate look cute otherwise if its just for presentation dont put it in the plate. The icecream though was amaizing! It was a vanilla bean ice cream with actual vanilla bean not vanilla extract it was so decadent not overturned the perfect texture all in all i would just order the icecream minus the cake
Drinks: we ordered two drinks pimms and stormy, and the humdinger i never send anything back because i hate to complain but i had to the humdinger sucked. Then we ordered the tea 52 lol it was worse then the humdinger i was like fml the pimms and stormy was amaizng though i kept drinking it i wanted to order another one but they put way to much ice in it so i was like no thank u

I give table 52. (5 stars for the ambiance. The food was very delicious. I felt very happy to be there everyone was very nice. The food was very comforting and plentiful. I love the fact that everyone that was waiting on us made me happy.
I love the soup it was very delicious. The three cheese Mac and cheese was cooked in the brick oven and was scrumptious. I ha he cat fish it was so delicious. My son has the southern fried chicken and mash potatoes it was amazing.
The drinks were delicious too. I did not cared for one and I was able to return. It and for a different drink so satisfying.
The deserts were so pretty as well as delicious

Sunday brunch at this quaint homelike restaurant is sure to be a favorite find! We ordered the deviled eggs as a starter; sweet, salty and savory delights. The shrimp and creamy grits w a light tomatoey sauce were excellent. The dish is filling without being overly heavy. My daughter had the quiche and said it was light and fluffy; the best she’s eaten. The other tables were ordering the fried chicken and waffles or the macaroni soufflé (that looked delicious) Very attentive service makes this a top Chicago brunch pick!

We had no problem getting a table (we made reservations), and, the dining spaces were intimate and quiet — qualities far too difficult to find in Chicago restaurants these days.
Service was attentive and friendly. And every item (except the spanakopita, which was meh) we ordered was delicious — like, FAR beyond what most restaurants provide. Simple, classic recipes — nothing fancified just to be different. The food was just really, really well prepared.
Terrific. I only wish we’d been hungrier!

A nice little Southern-​inspired restaurant. We went here for Sunday brunch and reservations were easy to get. There’s no huge sign above the restaurant, so just look for the «52» on the outside. Note: the items on the menu are a mix of appetizers and entrees, so be sure to check with your server to see if what you ordered was enough for your party. We ordered:
–Fried green tomatoes: had a good crunch and the batter didn’t fall off. It came w/​bacon (always a good thing) and the mustard sauce that accompanied it was a nice touch.
–Shrimp and grits: the grits were nice and creamy and the tomato stew had a nice spicy kick to it. Definitely one of the highlights of the meal.
–Braised short rib: our server recommended this to us and I’m glad he did. The short rib was extremely tender and moist and had some nice charred pieces. The meat was a little bland by itself, so make sure to dip it in the accompanying sauce on the plate — it had the perfect amount of sweetness and really made the short rib much much more enjoyable.
–Housemade chocolate donut: this came out still warm and was heavenly. I don’t even like chocolate donuts, and I thoroughly loved this! Donut lovers, this is a must get.
–Hummingbird cake: DELICIOUS. Be warned that it is a pretty big slice of cake — it can definitely be split among 2 or 3 people. The cake was moist, the frosting (I think it was buttercream?) was amazing, and the ice cream topped it off perfectly. A must try for sure!
We were dying to try the goat cheese biscuits, but they’re not available on the weekends. The service was great, food was on point, and it had a nice homey feel to it — I would definitely come back!

Oprah and Lady Gaga loves this chef and now I know why! Simply delicious. Service was awesome and food was a mouth orgasm!!!
Try the prohibition Manhattan from the bar. Delicious!

I’m sorry everyone, but I have to buck the trend here. This was unimpressive, and I really wanted to be impressed. Our service was good, the restaurant itself is cool, but the food does not live up to the hype.
We split a number of appetizers, including their deviled eggs (which featured kimchi that day) and the fried green tomatoes and shrimp and grits. I skipped the deviled eggs, given that I don’t like eggs, but others thought they were OK. Their fried green tomatoes were good, with nice cornmeal batter and some bacon on top, and the shrimp and grits were probably the best part of the meal, if I’m honest. Very very very tender and flavorful shrimp, and nice creamy grits.
It really went south with the entrees. A lot of us ordered either the catfish or the fried chicken, and all of us were disappointed. Basically, no seasoning harmed in the making of this food. Unsalted batter, unsalted meat. The only savior for what I ordered was a small dollop of hot sauce. If there had been 10 times as much, I might have enjoyed it more — as it was we had to ask for salt and pepper grinders in order to doctor the meal. I’m OK with adding a little salt and pepper to taste, but it’s so easy to properly season fried food, so I just think to miss on something like that is kind of unforgivable.
I went back and forth here on 2 and 3 stars. Yes, appetizers (at least, those I ate) were good. But the entrees really weren’t. And we ended up skipping dessert. I always say, I would come back to a 3 star. And I don’t think I would come back here — there are too many other good restaurants in Chicago, and this is a little pricey for a misstep. So I’ll go with a strong two star… but a two all the same.

My experience at Table Fifty-​Two was fantastic as far as the food goes. We arrived early for our reservations and were seated immediately. Almost right after we were seated they brought out the most delicious light and fluffy biscuits that I have ever tasted.
The real problem with my experience was the service and it is also the reason why I cannot give the place five stars. We finished our biscuits for about 15 minutes (I know because we were seated at 5:10, and it was 5:30, by the time I complained to the hostess about not being served). When the waitress came over, she didn’t apologized for the wait or anything. She didn’t introduce herself. She just asked if we enjoyed the biscuits and continued to talk about the specials. However after such a long time to look through the menu, I had already decided on what I wanted.
I ended up ordering the chicken and dumplings as well as the fried green tomatoes for an appetizer. For Entrees, it was the duck, and pork belly. Sides were the Mac and Cheese as well as the collard greens. Unfortunately they were out of the pork belly so I went with the short ribs instead.
The chicken and dumpling soup was great but definitely not a traditional take. Instead of the hearty thick right broth this broth was very light. The dumplings were like little pillows that dissolved in your mouth almost immediately. Even though it didn’t have the thick gravy-​like both I was used to it was fantastic. The fried green tomatoes were light and crisp. Combined with the bacon and the frisee you almost are left with a bit of the tastes reminiscent of a classic BLT.
I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention the cocktails. There was the prohibition Manhattan which I enjoyed, that was slightly heavier on the vermouth side than I would like it to be. The Ginger and The Lioness was a tasty and well balanced drink that is perfect for people whom enjoy drinks that are on the sweet side. It has a lovely little kick from the ginger as well.
Back to the food though. For what it was worth the duck breast was just ok. It was well cooked but of the two entrees it was definitely the lesser of the too. The skin was crisp and the meat was juicy and the only negative criticism I have about ti is that the meat didn’t stand up on it’s own. Combined with a bit of the garlic jelly and sweet potato gnocchi it came together pretty good.
The short rib was fantastic. The meat was fall apart tender and that potato crust provided that bit of texture that you needed to make everything come together. The sauce was absolutely divine and the bit of acid from the lemon cuts through the richness of the short rib quite nicely.
As the sides go the Mac and Cheese was probably the best I’ve ever had, and I know I’ve said that about the biscuits as well but believe me that neither is an exaggeration. The blend of cheeses was absolutely perfect and you had this amazing creamy sauce with a good crust on top. The greens were just ok, and were honestly not bad but a pass in my opinion at that price point.
For dessert we had the pecan pie. The crust was crisp and it was sweet but not too sweet. It was a great way to finish the meal.
Overall, I would give this place five stars as it stands and maybe the servers were just having an off night. However the overall impersonal and borderline unprofessional service is enough for me to take the rating down to three stars. For a restaurant of this caliber and this price point, I would expect the servers to be much more friendly and helpful. As it was the Waiter and Waitress that split our service were so near utterly useless, that I could have taken the orders to the kitchen myself.

3.5 Star
This review is based on my brunch experience at Table Fifty-​Two.
The restaurant is cute, intimate and with limited seating. It was not a good idea to have a big group… over 4 people. But it was kind of our fault that 2 extra friends wanted to join us last minute and the restaurant did able to accommodate of of us but with almost an extra 45 minute wait.
Was the wait worth it? The service here is really good and professional. We ended up ordering a few item for the table to share and our own individual main.
Sweet Potato Bread — complimentary and so good!
Bacon and Potato Hash ($ 13) — Excellent
Benton’s Hand Cut Bacon ($ 7) — Meh
Low-​Country Shrimp and Grits ($ 16) — Excellent
Buttermilk Fried Chicken and Waffle ($ 24) — Meh as it is just way overpriced
Biscuit and Gravy ($ 6) — Excellent
Three Cheese Mac ($ 12) — Excellent
I would not order the fried chicken again, it is just way overpriced! The sides though all really good. Maybe I should just eat all the sides next time?
$ 5 for dripped coffee?!
Yes, it was an expensive brunch!