This is just for the peach cobbler. I tried the peach cobbler and I wasn't impressed. I wouldn't buy it again. It didn't have that  "made from scratch" taste, you know? I don't know if the peaches were overcooked or canned. That's alright. They have plenty of other items for me to try
Review Source:Really enjoyed my visit to Macarthur's.Staff was really friendly.Place is nice and clean with plenty of parking.They have a huge selection of entrees from which to choose from.I was a happy camper today.Definetetly giving them the thumbs up!!!! I WILL
be coming back.Also,great bang for the buck!! I ate like a king for under $10!!!!! NICE!!!!
The food here is absolutely delicious and should receive 5 out of 5 stars but unfortunately the service reflects the great prices. Not the most courteous staff but if you don't mind it for 2 or so minutes, you'll have a great experience. Definitely try the meatloaf.
Cash only and there is an ATM outside. There is usually a hellish wait on Sundays (lines out the door) and I've never been any other day so I don't know if it's any different then.
I am in NO WAY a soul food connossieur...PuertoRican food is what I know...BUT MacArthur's smothered pork chops, will you marry me??????
I have been here plenty of times, but am just now getting around to reviewing.
I went with my mom and my best friend from Miami and they loved EVERYTHING.
Meatloaf was great, catfish was great and all the sides were good too especially the sweet potatoes.
Please order the banana pudding. I know you will be full, but just order it to go!
We went for the lunch rush so it was busy and the ladies behind the counter were nice and helpful and I didn't feel rushed.
There is a 10 dollar minimum for credit card purchases and three of us ate for under 25 bucks and had more than enough to take home for leftovers.
I don't scare easily so the area really doesn't bother me.
This is definitely my kinda restaurant when I am having fat girl days.
I actually went months ago but just now finally reviewing the place. Once again, i dragged my friend with me b/c: 1) I wasn't familiar with neighborhood ( i'm a southsider) and 2) I needed someone to be fat with, lol. So we went ahead and went, thankfully we got there before the after work rush especially on a Friday. As the previous reviews says, definitely was cafeteria style and be prepared to order.
One thing i did not like was how the mac and cheese is made, slices of cheese baked on top? I was informed that was unfortunately how they make theirs, bleh.
But i did love banana pudding, i had to take some home.
Pretty good spot for soul food home cooking.
Probably a little bit of grade inflation because there really isn't much else around Austin, but there is some pretty tasty comfort food here. Everything is stick-to-your-ribs: meatloaf, mac and cheese, fried chicken, salisbury steak, etc., all served cafeteria style and with plenty of hot sauce at the tables. Nothing is fantastic, but you'll leave happy and full, and isn't that what matters?
Review Source:MacArthur's has soul like church on Sunday.
After my favorite soul food spot closed down, I desperately needed a replacement.
Not too bad of a line when we went to this institution on Chicago's West Side. Which I was told is a blessing, because it's commonly not that easy. Be ready with your order, because their clearly ready to take it *read between the lines*.
I was with my guy whose getting married, since we just got fitted, and two youngins. My guy and I chose to share most of what we got because we're soul food blood hounds. I had the fried chicken, Ribs, greens, mac and cheese, and corn bread. My guy got the catfish, smothered pork chop, spaghetti, and mashed potatoes.
Fried chicken was crunchy and juicy. Ribs were surprisingly good, lotta sauce, but real good. Their greens were good too, could have used a little more heat and vinegar. The mac was kind of a let down, but it was still enjoyable. Loved the corn bread. The catfish is outrageously good, same to is to be said about their spaghetti. I was not a fan of their smothered pork chop, just didn't work for me. Mashed potatoes were pretty boring too, but that's because my German momma makes the best around.
For dessert we had their red velvet cake and banana bread pudding. Both delicious.
I was really happy with MacArthur's. Overall they hit the nail on the head for soul food.
I just want to say that the food was fairly decent however one thing that I didn't appreciate was the customer service, or lack thereof. Instead of getting a "please or a thank you" or "service with a smile" we were greeted with a "mean mug" and sweet potato juice spilling off the side of my styro-foam platter onto my hands and clothes.
I was highly disappointed with the service of this establishment. This is the second time that I've brought out of town guest to your restaurant and both times, both parties said the experience was sub-standard for a big city like Chicago. The workers, the service and the attitudes certainly represent that your restaurant is a product of the neighborhood. Yes, I will be back when I don't feel like cooking at home or leaving the neighborhood but at least the next time I can know what to expect. Unfortunately I won't be recommending the restaurant or bringing friends back during my next visit either. I'll be recommending Chicago's House of Chicken and Waffles for a true dining experience.
It's so amazing that the city of Chicago continues to be a trend-setter and innovator in the world of culinary arts but it's very unfortunate that Mac Arthurs is still a pillar of the ghetto. Not that there's anything wrong with the ghetto because I live in the ghetto. The NEW Chicago House of Chicken and Waffles at 543 W. Madison, Sylvia's of Harlem is (was) in the ghetto but the food and especially the service is sophisticated. Beans and Cornbread or Franklin's in Detroit is hood but it's an awesome dining experience like no other. Just because you're in Austin doesn't mean you should lower yourselves to that standard. Set a goal for yourselves and bring an air of pride to your restaurant service.
MacArthur's is THE place to go when you want soul food, outside of going to your mom's house (or in my case, my friend's mom's house since my mom lives in Atlanta and I'm in Illinois! LOL).
Not only do they have great food, but they are prices are ridiculous (ridiculously GOOD that is!). I bought meals for myself and my two kids and it cost me less than $20! While I'm not a total fan of the west side of Chicago, I tend to conveniently forget this fact when I have a craving for MacArthur's mac & cheese or banana pudding.
The last time I went, I freaked out because I only had my credit & debit cards on me (no cash). I was pleasantly surprised to find a sign in MacArthur's window informing me that they had an ATM on the premises. And luckily for me, the ATM worked just fine and I was able to take out money for my future purchase.
You are able to view the food and have the server choose what you want if there is something specific you want, especially in terms of the meat (thighs, wings, etc.). The entire staff was very pleasant, which was a bonus, as I already knew that the food was great.
The décor is nothing to write home about, but it's clean and it's comfortable, which is more than enough for me when I'm starving. I enjoyed the fact that the atmosphere was nice (no loud crowds, no loud music playing overhead). This place can get a little crowded on Sundays after church services are over (there are a million and one storefront churches on Madison, and everyone who attends seems to find their way over to MacArthur's after church).
I've found that the best time to eat at MacArthur's is during the week, immediately after work. I also enjoy taking the food home and eating it there. Either way, with great food and even better prices, you just can NOT go wrong with MacArthur's!
Growing up in the south, I love cafeteria style food (e.g., Luby's, Wyatt's, Furr's) and I've missed it, so I was really excited to try MacArthur's...
MacArthur's missed the mark w/ me and my fiance. If I didn't have diabetes before, I have it now. I had the fried chicken, cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cornbread. He had cubed steak w/ gravy, sweet potatoes, mac n' cheese, and cornbread; and we split the peach cobbler.
The fried chicken was cold and overly greasy... grease was dripping off the meat, and it wasn't seasoned, just salty. The cornbread stuffing... Jesus Christ, they must have dropped the salt shaker in the batch, it was too salty and just not good. The mashed potatoes were awesome, just delicious. Too bad they don't have cream gravy, just brown gravy. The cornbread was dry and crumbled everywhere.
For my fiance, his cubed steak was salty and flavorless, and he said the steak itself was too soft, and there was no chew to it. His sweet potatoes were OVERLY sweet. It was good but there was too much brown sugar. Mac and cheese was good, despite the slices of american cheese on top. As he says "you really can't fuck up mac and cheese." The peach cobbler was too sweet, slimy, there was no crust, no crunch, just soft baby food for people with no teeth.
Overall... I've had better southern food, hell, I make way better southern food and I've been told my food is better than people's grandmother's. But MacArthur's was just too salty, too sweet, too dry and a definite pass.
I look forward to two meals every year - Peter Luger Steakhouse in Brooklyn, NY and MacArthur's in Ghetto-Ass West Chicago. Â Every year I take the train for an hour from downtown to the hood to get my fill of smothered chicken, mac and cheese, candied yams, cornbread, and banana pudding. Â All for under $10, I might add.
This place is incredible. Â Everything is fresh, perfectly seasoned, and served piping hot. Â It beats every soul food restaurant I have been to in Harlem, NY and L.A. Â Absolute perfection. Â To get any better, you'd have to be in the deep south and know the right people.
I see a lot of comments about the neighborhood. Â It is true that you literally will not see a non-black person for miles. Â My response: Â So? Â There's something to be said for having an "authentic cultural experience." Â From my experience, I find that so long as I mind my own business and keep my eyes on where I'm going, the most that ever happens is I see a few eyes wander in my direction (I'm assuming they're wondering what the hell this white boy is doing in their neighborhood. Â Answer? Â Eating, fool!) Â Yeah, there can be the occasional homeless crackhead. Â Again, my response: Â So? Â They're all over the city, in every city. Â Just walk on by.
I am giving this place a solid A+ even though I am willing to bet I will die of a massive heart attack in their establishment someday. Â I don't even care. Â That's one hell of a last meal and at least I will go out doing what I love!
Honey~ let me start with an overview & points:
1) This place will keep my 5star rating simply because, I LEFT my wallet behind with my license, DEBIT not credit CARDS, and everything else in it and I never noticed. Â IT WAS RETURNED, NOTHING MISSING NOTHING UTILIZED.
2) I went for a "date." Glad he chose the place because it's nice not to have chain-food all the time and it's always good to try Southern cooking away from the familiar. It wasn't bad.
3) I don't really recall what all I had but I know I got the smothered pork chops, 2 sides had to come with it, peach cobbler and a soda or something. Hot sauce and other condiments are all around the table.
4) Good value meaning Cost of food + portion amount served = Good Value here. It's like a Piccadilly or any staple in the South. Step up*Order*you get a tray*your plate will be handed to you and you pay at the end of the line.
5) Decor = simple (really basic) but I like the fact that they hang up pics of the celebs and local figures. Cute
Now....I'll say again, I'm a Southerner and don't know the westside at all. But it wasn't bad as some Yelpers have listed. But I also know from living that I'm not crazy enough to half the things that tourist will do ....like....walk through an UNFAMILIAR neighborhood and expect to be welcomed with smiles & hugs at 1am in the morning. Trust me baby, I've lived in New Orleans Pre-Katrina long enough to see Yuppies scroll through neighborhoods drunk/loud/belligerent and shocked when they get robbed. But I went mid afternoon and I was fine. The dining crowd was cool, not loud, and everyone mind's their own business.
Back to why this place gets 5 stars: The lady tried to search for me online to no avail but she found "a relative" which was my mother. Normally, I'm all over my mother about not just talking to people over the phone and giving out information (she's not crazy just Southern - child everybody does it). But she didn't want to talk to this lady but this lady "just keeps on calling." So my mom finally spoke with her and then called me.
I called the lady back to learn - she had my wallet. I didn't realize it was gone. (shaking my head over here) Anyone that has ever had a lost wallet or purse knows its not always about the money but the inconvenience of replacing the Driver's License and everything else. She was willing to mail it to me and I was okay with that, but the date guy wanted to pick it up and bring it to me. Hey! I don't live in Chicago but Wisconsin. At any rate, think what you want about Chicago/the westside or this business but I've had more stolen from people in smaller places like Madison, WI and while on campus in class than anything I've experienced elsewhere.
So my point: I had a redeeming event occur courtesy of MacArthur's. I'm glad they're still in business. It's a worthwhile TO-DO when going to or while in Chicago. Try anything once, but my meal including Smothered Pork Chops, greens and cobbler was nice enough and the price makes it better!
Hell, much of everything is bad for you so don't let that deter you.
You know ! When you want the BEST soul food, YOU GO TO THE HOOD!
If you come here , drive. It's near the L but most people would be scared to walk through here, especially at night like we did ! If your not comfortable in an urban, sketchy at times area , then this place ain't for you. Â Â You will see :
- Crackheads asking you for 1$ to "catch this train"
- People "chilling" on the corner or on the stoop.
- Groups of teenage kids wandering the streets aimlessly looking to
 " start something".
- The local "hood rats" on the ave
For the rest of you , some of Chicago's tastiest soul food. !
It seemed to be the " Who's who " of the neighborhood in there , so were laughing at people's shenanigans the whole time... There are some characters in there boy !!
The smothered pork chops were tender, moist and everything a good ol' southern pork chop should be . Mac & Cheese melted in your mouth. Collard greens were just ok.... nothing special.
They aren't going to be nice to you here. But your here for the food after-all. Â The ham hocks seemed popular too.
This place is known to many for good soul food . And it's absolutely  because the food is GOOD !!
This food has crazy amounts of fat and sodium . Their portions are HUGE !
I would say come here to support the owner- lady , who is a hardcore Bulls fan !
Me and my buddy hit this place up on our way back from Midway. He said that he's been here before and that it was good so we went to check it out. It was alright. Just basic comfort/soul food. The sides were delicious. I had the yams and mac and cheese. The fried chicken wasn't that good. I think they fried it for too long cause the skin was dry. The meat was still juicy but the taste wasn't much to write home about. The cornbread just sucked. the price was decent. A full meal for around $7 with tax. Not missing much if you haven't been here.
Review Source:When starving, craving soul food, and too lazy to cook it yourself, head on over to the west side and give MacArthur's a try. Â Their banana pudding is simply wonderful. Â The mac and cheese is good. Â The smothered pork chops are great. Â The greens taste like canned greens. Â If you like Glory greens, you'll love these. Â I prefer the cabbage at MacArthur's. Â Yum. Â Peach cobbler is yummy. Â The fried chicken is really good, but can be too salty. Â The corn is sweeeeeeeeeeet. Â If you don't like sweet corn, don't bother trying it. Â
Enough about the  food.  Parking is easy and free.  If you're scary, only go eat there in the day time.  If you're scary DEFINITELY park in the lot.  Street parking is ample for the rest of you.  Oh, and one time I was there near closing and they handed out free banana pudding.
WARNING: This food if consumed on a regular basis will result in the following:
- Diabetes
- High Blood Pressure
- High cholesterol
- And will lead to a slow, but semi-tasty death
Okay, maybe that was a little harsh, but its true. The majority of the food here is HIGHLY salted, and overly saturated in butters, oils, fat, and other greases. That is precisely probably why the food tastes pretty darn good (from time to time, that is).
You walk into MacArthurs, stand in a lunch room style line, get shouted at by some rude ghetto mama's (whatchu want?)...oh and don't be indecisive, they start to get SNAPPY.
The customer services could be so much better here. They could also cut down on the salt and let the people that want to kill themselves add their own additional salt, which sadly I've seen people do on top of all the pounds of salt sitting on the food.
I'm am a glutton for punishment and from time to time I find myself ordering the "veggie" plate. These aren't healthy veggies either, lol.
This is a good place to go for a taste of soul food. Its not the best, but its pretty darn good. They could work on their customer service (I think I've said it already) and even start to offer healthier options to a community already plagued by health crisis of hypertension, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure...etc.
Eat at your own risk, and try at least once!
I wanted to get some quality soul food and this place came very recommended but I gotta say that I wasnt a huge fan. Its not BAD food but its not great either. I had the ribs with mac and cheese and greens. The ribs were pretty good but the sauce was a little sweet for me. I could have sworn the mac and cheese had slices of cheese on top. Not a good look. The greens were kinda dry.
The cake was great though! I will keep searching for a soul food go to spot but may try this place again but get some different food.
Just Painful  :( MacArthur's has fallen off! Today I had their greens which were salty their Mac N cheese was more like Mac N butter :( I hate to see an icon go down hill. Its like finding out Whitney can't sing anymore :(  Very sad! Â
   As for the peach cobbler all crust no fruit.  I think they have crossed over to canned items.  So if you have a taste for  greens and blackeye peas go to the store buy Glory greens and pop it in a pan.  Cause that is all MacAurthurs really is these days.
Mac and Cheese of course rocks! But what can I say, they are not bad at all. Is it me or does the lunch time crowd take over? It says alot of MacArthurs, and I have been coming for years here and there with my friends. I am totally in awe that they can produce probably the best Mac and cheese, and their lunch platters are ridiculous in size, but that's a good thing right?
Cornbread will make you slap several neighbors!
This place is awesome for some home cooked soul food! I am in love with the BBQ chicken, yams & mac n' cheese! Yes, that is right...I am a girl who loves to eat!
This place is in the ghetto but that never stops me from going. The staff are not all that friendly but the food is worth it all!
!st time at MacArthurs. The friends that suggested it said this is the new location. Very nice I like the decor. I had a combo of Fried Chicken & Short ribs. The short ribs were great. The Dressing was good. The little container of cranberries is a nice touch. Everyone along the line were very accommodating. The friends that suggested MacArthurs had the greens and liked them. If you go on Sundays, get there before 11am, after that there was just this continuous line of people. Were glad we gotr there eary and got a table.
The meal, service & price were very nice.
I sense the southern atmospher. I will go back for the Short ribs. The only thing that would make it more southern to me is if they had Dr. Pepper.
I must set the record straight about how President Obama refers to this place in his book. Â He never says it's his favorite place to eat, he never even says that it's his favorite soul food in the city. Â He refers to it mostly because of the way the owner runs his business and gives people with peppered pasts a chance to work in his establishment. Â
That being said, this is not the best soul food I've ever had. Â But it is a cornerstone of the Austin Community and if you are a virgin to soul you may want to start here. I once went here with a young friend of mine, who is also white like I am. Â So, when we walked in the gentlemen in front of us asked, "so, you've come to see how the other half lives, have you?" Â
The people that work here are extremely nice and the establishment is very clean. Â There is a baked chicken alternative to the more fattening fried and plenty of other healthy choices. Â In nice weather you can eat your meal outside.
You think you know, but you don't know. Â I thought I knew. Â I am a born and bred Kentuckian. Â I have been eating soul food all of my life. Â I was convinced that I could never find any of the good stuff north of the Kentucky border. Â I was wrong. Â It makes sense. Â A good deal of Chicago's African-American population are descendants of those who made the Great Migration. Â These are not pretenders to the throne. Â This is the real deal, Holyfield.
I tore this place up! Â I ordered fried chicken, mac & cheese, blackeyed peas, cabbage and cobbler. Â So. Â Good. Â The chicken had a great skin on it. Â It was well seasoned and more "original recipe" than crispy - which I like. Â The blackeyed peas were plentiful, thick, seasoned and NOT watery. Â I hate watery blackeyed peas. Â The mac & cheese was heavenly. Â I am not one for frou frou mac & cheese. Â It doesn't make sense to me. Â It smacks of a terrible mix of exoticism and commercialism. Â Blah. Â This mac & cheese is how mac & cheese should taste: cheesy, creamy, filling and undeniably starchy. Â This is after-church mac & cheese. Â And, the congregation says, "Amen." Â The Johnny T says, "Hallelujah" after eating the peach cobbler! Â Oh.My! Â The three signs you're in a good Southern restaurant: fried chicken, mac & cheese and peach cobbler. Â if all of these are done well, you're in a good place.
MacArthur's is a GREAT place. Â Holla back Austin. Â You've got a new visitor.
It's hard to give soul food restaurants a fair shake when you've grown up with women (and men) who prepare it better, but as far as it goes, this place is good, if a bit inconsistent.
If you are too lazy to make your own, good portions and well-seasoned food can be had here. Â However, like other restaurants, they have off days. Â
Do I recommend it? Â Yeah.
In a casual converrsation with my daughter, I mentioned that  I missed the "Soul  Food" at Everest & Jones in Oakland.  A friend overheard me and suggested we do dinner at MacArthur's.  He raved about their fabulous southern cuisine...
I'd like to say he was right...and this place was as wonderful as he proclaimed...would hate to say a handsome man was wrong!? Â But, he wasn't entirely right. Â While the food was not horrible...it was definitely not memorable...
My concerns:
Although this is sort of a caferteria, they had a rather limited selection.  Smothered Pork Chops.  Fried Chicken. Fried Fish.  Baked Fish.  I think that was it for main entrees.  The side dishes were just as limited, with  Greens.  Mac & Cheese (that looked horrible.  Had slices of American Cheese on top!  Still in the square shape?!), Sweet Potatoes (swimming in juice of some sort), Mashed Potatoes...that sort of thing.
I had the Fried Chicken: Â The flavor was "ok", but it was incredibly greasy. Â The green beans and mashed potatoes were sort of bland...Where was the butter and were the potatoes made with milk or cream? Â The gravy was fairly well seasoned, but she put too much on the potatoes and it consumed my plate! Â My friend had the Fried Fish: Â Pronounced it NOT good at all. Â He agreed, the chicken was greasy. Â He had the greens and said they were very good.
We both agreed, the corn bread was about the best thing on the menu....that said, this is probably not a place I'll frequent too often. Â Prefer Army & Â Lou's.
Where do I even start!
First of all, I will go out on the limb and say this is the best soul food spot in the city! Hands down! Great selection, although it varies on certain days. They give you nice portions and you can dine in or take out if you please. You can also call your order in and it's usually ready to go once you arrive. You get the choice of a meat, two sides, and rolls. The peach cobbler here is great as well. The Baked Chicken is great and I recommend that more than anything. The mac and cheese is fab also! This place is sort of a celeb attraction as they have pics of Shaq, P. Diddy & Oprah on the walls.
The only issues with the place is never go on a Sunday afternoon, when church lets out. The line can sometimes be out the door. Parking can be funny sometimes as well. This place is usually worth the wait in line, I guarantee!
I have southern roots, and the first time I was here I was floored. Â But, now that I think back, it had to be because of lack of soul food in my diet and a need for a quick fix.
I returned recently and had the smothered pork chops, with a side of macaroni and cheese and greens. Â The pork chops were salty, the greens had a funny after taste, and the macaroni and cheese was not baked!
I'm going to shop around for another soul food restaurant.
I went to MacArthur's with a few co-workers, and I think I wanted to like it more than I actually did, since it is close to where I work and everyone else raves about it so much. The mac and cheese was good, but not outstanding - the noodles were a little mushy and the sauce was very thick. I liked the greens and yams, and the peach cobbler was good, but I was very disappointed with the fried catfish and the corn muffin.
My cornbread is better.
Mouth watering. That is what happened on the 15 minute car ride back to my bf's house from MacArthur's. I have to say, when my supervisor at work kept going on and on about this "amazing" soul food restaurant on the West Side, I just thought she was over-exaggerating. NOPE. Not the case at all.
It took me a bit to find the place (even though there was a big, bright lit up sign on the front)... probably harder because MacArthur's isn't exactly in the most appealing of neighborhoods and I was rushing. Before I even entered the doors I noticed the sticker that read "People on Yelp love us!". Expectations went up at this point, however were shot back down a little after seeing a "Cash Only" sign by the register. Sucked paying $4 to get out $40.
Once I got to the counter, a nice older woman asked what I wanted. I ordered the baked chicken, meatloaf, mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, sweet corn, and sweete potato. Oh, and I can't forget the awesome corn bread. (OMG, my mouth is watering again just thinking about it!) She pleasantly surprised me when I asked her to pick out whatever chicken pieces looked best. She did not disappoint me, and my tummy was satisfied.
HUGE fan now, I even went back 2 days later for the BBQ turkey legs. Definitely check the website to see what they offer for the day, and you're going with a friend, don't bring more than $20. All that food I listed above cost me $17!!!
This is supposedly Obama's favorite soul food restaurant. So, I figured I should pay a visit. I went on Sunday in the afternoon so there was a long line. There must have been over 80 people in line because I remembered waiting for more than 30 minutes to get to the food counter. But once I was there, seeing all those delicious food, it was worth the wait. There's fried chicken, smothered pork chops, and meatloaf with plenty of sides to choose from. My favorite was their sweet potatoes. It could be overly sweet for some people but I like how the brown sugar syrup seeped into the potatoes. Simply amazing! For under $8, I had a hearty lunch enough to keep me full till supper. I don't think the food is excellent, but it's worth a try.
Review Source:Good soul food is surprisingly hard to find. Â You definitely have to travel for it. Â I've been going to EVERYWHERE anyone mentions, so that I can find the best mac & cheese, smothered chicken and peach cobbler.
Here, you can find 2 out of three. Â I don't hate their peach cobbler, but I love their banana pudding better. Â The mac & cheese is great. Â It's super cheesy, always moist and very buttery. Â
The smothered chicken is worth trying. Â It runs out, so if you are dying to try it, I would call ahead to make sure it's available.
Better yet, it's best to call ahead and pick up. The lines get sooo long that it can take a while to go through it. Â Also, it's especially long on Sundays after church. Â
Take a drive, try it, you won't regret it.
I think that most people who read Barack Obama's "The Audacity of Hope" take away some very important lessons on how to make themselves better people and make the world a better place. I took away the name of a restaurant. Don't get me wrong, I learned lessons and think that Obama would make a fantastic president. However, the most important thing in his book is that his favorite place to eat in Chicago is called MacArthur's. Â This I took very seriously.
MacArthur's is located off the beaten path, in a fairly rough neighborhood. Â Don't let that deter you. Â You'll be rewarded.
I don't mess around with my food, so take it to heart when I say this is one of the best (and inexpensive) meals I've had in my life: smothered, fork tender pork chops; golden fried chicken; stewed, spiced yams, which perfectly complimented the pork chops; and, though lacking in bread crumbs, soul-warming mac-n-cheese. This place is as close to eating a southern grandma's home cooked meal as you can get without being cooked by a southern grandma (mmm, country ham and fried corn). If you're ever anywhere near Chicago, go here. By "anywhere near," I mean anywhere. Go here, now.
get off your ass and get to the westside for macarthurs! i'm amazed at what this place cranks out in the short time i spend there. ther may be a line around the block but it goes fast and its a great line to be in!
get in line and oogle the food case once you get there! everything is lined out to see-your first time you'll be whats this, whats that.....get your main course. i dig on those smothered pork chops! you can also get a split because the portions are so big you can get two! say a smothered chop and a meatloaf or fried chicken and some fish! just ask for a split!
keep on movin cuz the sides are coming up. i always got the mac and cheese and candied yams. but everything else in that case will satisfy you for sure!
now the drinks-the selection isnt the greatest in fact it sucks but that doesnt lose a star when the gittin is this good, there's cups for water and an ice/water machine to your left if you wanna go that route! there's is ample seating and its great to sit and eat and enjoy the atmosphere! just dont get there after church lets out-oh boy!
go ahead do yourself a favor and get in line-you will not be dissappointed! Â make a day of it go to the frank lloyd wright
studio/house after!
So good it's just ridiculous. Â The fried chicken, wow. Â Don't think because it's stacked up cafeteria style it's gonna be cold- they serve it good and hot. Â Greens are really good- a little smoky, chopped up nice too. Â The mac-n-cheese is as good as it gets, creamy and sweet. Â Seriously, I debate picking it as a side because it's so filling and I always leave so stuffed, but it's so good I have to get it. Â They have red beans, and they have rice as sides... Â You can order one, the other, or have 'em combine them like you should, duh. Â And save room for dessert- PEACH COBBLER. Â A cup stuffed with sweet peaches, soft, warm cakey cobbler chunks and just enough cinnamon. Â Best Peach Cobbler ever.
Tip- if you look around the seating area you'll see some self serve water fountains with tumblers- when you pour yourself some water make sure you grab yourself a to-go box while you're up there. Â You're gonna have trouble finishing everything and don't you dare pitch the extras!!!
MacArthur's is a cafeteria-style soul food restaurant which cranks out all the favorites for a very loyal clientele. Â When I have to wait 20 minutes in line, I'm pleased with my timing, because I've been there on nights (in the summer, mostly) when the line has snaked 3/4 of the way around the restaurant and out the side door. Â MacArthur's is the only restaurant I've been to where two people work in the parking lot (there are two lots, actually, one next to the restaurant, and the other across the street), and they aren't valets, they're just managing the traffic. Â Lining the walls are pictures of local and national celebrities, including prominent ministers, Mayor Daley, and Snoop, Jay-Z, Puffy, and Ice-T.
The menu varies night to night, but includes short ribs, smoked ham hocks, barbecued chicken, smothered pork chops, fried catfish, cornish hens, Â turkey legs, and meatloaf. Â There are even more sides, such as black-eyed peas, candied yams, spaghetti, mashed potatoes, and cornbread dressing. Â There are more options than I can even remember, and that's because I get the same thing every time I'm there... the fried chicken dinner (which includes your choice of two sides and cornbread). Â The mac and cheese isn't the "New American Updated Comfort Food" version, it's the original. Â The collard greens are my sister's second favorite after my mom's. Â All of the above is tangential to the fried chicken. Â The lightest breading possible, perfectly crispy skin... the absolute best. Â I've heard the banana pudding (with vanilla wafers, of course) is very good, but I'll never pass up the peach cobbler. Â I very much doubt there's better to be had anywhere in this city. Â Â Â
Expect a line, but don't stress it too much, lots of people get food to go. Â I've never been stuck waiting for a seat. Â Hit the ATM first, strictly cash only.
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