Chic Cafe

We ordered delivery and the food was delish. My girlfriend really liked the peach cobbler, but I wasn’t a fan. The chicken tenders were nice. I also really admired the seasoning on the fries. My girlfriend got the shrimp omelet and biscuits and gravy. She enjoyed both dishes.
Will be ordering again in the future! Good job chic café!

Horrible service for the price. 15 dollars for bad cooked chicken and horrible sides. Poor customer service. Would never recommend.

Good Food! Had the Chicken and Waffle! Waffle was Delicious but the Wings were kind of Skimpy! Will Definitely be back to try Something Different! Menu looks pretty Good!

Amazing soul food with fantastic service. Great selection of fresh cooked food. Love the Jazz and r&b ambience. Look forward to the upcoming live jazz improvements.

Delicious home style southern food with a nice wide selection and fantastic service. Sounds like they’re planning on expanding soon which would be fantastic. Make sure you don’t miss this lovely hidden spot.

BBQ chicken, red beans and rice, collard greens and sweet potato pie. Doesn’t get much better!

Best grilled catfish in Milwaukee. Excellent corn bread. Kind of strange place but if you like fish or chicken this is the place. Great sides too.

Would be 5 stars with better service. The food is amazing but you have to wait for it when they do table service. Go for lunch during the weekdays and go to the counter.
Fantastic food though!

Went in for a quick lunch. Have been craving real southern food. The shop was unassuming, so I wasn’t expecting many options but was pleasantly surprised. Because it was Friday, they had two kinds of fish (tilapia and catfish) available plus roast chicken, po boys, shrimp and grits, etc. I opted for gumbo and collard greens. Both were excellent and the price was totally reasonable. The gumbo came with corn bread, which was a fried patty rather than baked loaf or muffin. That too was really very good and rounded out the meal perfectly.
I will definitely become a regular. Next time I’ll try the dirty rice and sweet potato pie!

If you aren’t looking for this Café, it would be easy to pass it by. Located below street level in a Jefferson Street Office Building there no signage on the front of the building to provide any clues.
But GPS the address, enter the office building, and proceed through the open atrium to the lower level. You’ll encounter a mini-​food court with a maximum of three counter service restaurants.
Chic is at the far left and you’ll likely smell the delectable fried chicken before you see it. So follow your nose, your eyes and anything else that will put you in front of their hot case of food.
The fried chicken and fish are made to order and the mac and cheese, greens, spaghetti, sweet potatoes and various other delights are in pans behind the glass.
Menu items are all available ala carte. Or you may choose a dinner with a entrée, two sides and cornbread.
Since it was a Friday I opted for the Catfish Lunch basket ($ 9.50) which came with two sides and cornbread. I choose the country style garlic butter mashed potatoes and the mac and cheese, carb overload FTW!
But this lunch was worth the extra workouts. The catfish was thinly breaded and then flash fried expertly to create a perfect crispy coating that sealed in all the moisture and flavor of the fish. A little southern seasoning (I didn’t ask what was in it because no doubt it’s a secret family recipe) and each bite was delish!
The potatoes were also tasty. They were so well seasoned with garlic and butter there was no need to add anything. Creamy with just the perfect amount of texture to verify they were home made that morning.
And then there’s the mac and cheese. Not only is this my favorite comfort food, I find the multitude of variations so interesting that I created a Pinterest board dedicated to collecting them. But I’m pretty sure this is another dish derived from a secret family recipe, because that’s how it tastes — so good it must be a secret. Creamy but not soupy, perfectly cooked but no where near over-​cooked macaroni and a whole lotta love. If you ever find yourself needing a meal that will give you a comforting hug build it around this mac and cheese!
And no Southern meal would be complete without Sweet Tea. And Chic’s hits the mark with just a hint of sweetness in theirs. The perfect balance of pure tea with a tiny hint of lemon and sugar does wonders to offset a bit of the richness of the meal.
I did see some of the Southern Fried Chicken being made while I waited for my order and the smell alone was enough to convince me to return for a taste.

My mother-​in-​law brought me to Chic Café this past week since I was in Milwaukee for the weekend visiting from D.C. She said this was her favorite soul food place and after a couple of bites I now know why! We ordered the all you can eat menu and I followed «Ma’s» lead by ordering the fried fish, fried chicken, greens, cornbread, stuffing and mac & cheese. Each bite was excellent and I should have just ordered a single plate since I couldn’t eat more than one! Rita and the chef were über friendly which only added to the positive dining experience. The location is almost a hidden secret since it is in the lower level of a downtown office building, but this gem was well worth discovering. My next visit to MKE will definitely include Chic Café. My wife will LOVE it!

Ordered a shrimp po’boy, fried shrimp basket and red beans and rice for my co-​worker and I’s lunch.
Let’s start with The good:
The red beans and rice were very flavorful and tasty. Delivery only took about 15 minutes.
The bad:
The Po’Boy was small and soggy. There were however tons of fries. I paid $ 9.50 for 4 pathetic little shrimp on a soggy bun.
The fried shrimp basket was $ 9.75. Again tons of fries, but this time. Drumroll Please… 6 tiny, bland, ghostly shrimp!!!
The ugly:
The guy who delivered our food had extremely long and dirty fingernails. Not appetizing.
This place is pretty sad. No flavor, all fries and highway robbery prices.
You’d be better off going to KFC or Popeyes than wasting your money at this food circus.

Met a cousin for lunch today. He was set on chicken, so I suggested Chic Café. When we arrived, we noticed meat glistening in a broth. It was BBQ pork tenderloin.
Sold!
The $ 9 lunch combo included the pork tenderloin, 2 sides and cornbread.
I selected a sage cornbread dressing, which was moist and full of flavor, and red beans and rice which was equally good.
The dressing was an item I haven’t seen before and the cornbread was made into a thick pancake instead of the «cake-​like» square on my last visit. The cornbread pancake was still good, but I think I would add butter or honey next time.
The pork was extremely tender and the BBQ sauce, while not a «traditional» BBQ sauce, provided a nice flavor.
I also noticed a dedicated area added for making waffles for their chicken and waffles, I presume.
I also noticed new $ 5 lunch specials including gumbo, catfish, and po boys.
I appreciate when a business continues to tweak and fine tune, looking to improve in any way. That’s the kind of business I want to support.
I’ll certainly return.

I’m Unilocaling based on the average of the last four visits. I will have to take a photo of my meal next time.
With that said, yes, the dudes are very nice and friendly. However, their pricing and portions fluctuates slightly every time I go.
What do I mean?
The catfish basket I purchased was $ 8.50 without a side. I was told it came with a side — but then I was charged an extra $ 1.50 for fries. This most recent time, they actually didn’t charge me for the fries when I asked about the price fluctuation. I guess that’s cool – but what about next time?
The portions fluctuate too! Sometimes I get four pieces, sometimes I get six. Sometimes they’re big (like the photo someone else provided), sometimes they’re little strips. I guess it just depends on when you go.
The food itself is good. I always have the same thing — catfish basket with fries. I’ve had it breaded and non-​breaded. Breaded holds the seasoning better, otherwise it’s too seasoned!
I’ve never tried the actual soul food — collards are not my thing. But fish fry, totally.
Also — if they deliver, make sure you let them know you’re paying cash! The delivery guy didn’t even bring enough change for $ 20…

I thought the food was just ok. The staff was very friendly, but for my first time, they don’t explain everything to you, like catfish is made to order & included in the breakfast buffet. Also, I was disappointed in the donut holes & chocolate chip cookies as the dessert options… where’s the peach cobble or banana pudding?

I had high hopes, but in the end, they were dashed by a lack of flavor. The greens were a candidate for the blandest thing I have ever ate and the chicken was rubbery. The guy who helped me was friendly, but I had to drag each dish in the buffet out of him; «what do we have here?» «cornbread stuffing», «ok, what about this?» «…» Just run down the sides man!
Another thing that caught me, was that every thing I asked about, the response was «yeah it’s ok.» Talk about salesmanship. If the food is going to cost what it does, and taste how it does, then at least get someone with a personality to peddle it.
I regret not getting Shah Jees, but there is always tomorrow.

Let me start this off by saying that the guys at this place were EXTREMELY nice and accommodating. Their space is nothing to write home about, but it is clean — really, really clean. I had absolutely no qualms about eating here based on appearances. My Facebook friends have been raving about this place. I tried to order delivery last Friday… and got told that their delivery driver had gone home. I was pissed because they still had another hour and a half for business and I work about a mile away, but I just promised myself to catch them another day.
Today was the day…
I walked in and looked at the buffet. I noticed the food looked like it had been there since they opened this morning, but they were so damn nice… I ordered something despite my reservations. I had a fried chicken lunch special — to me this is the epitome of soul food and the truest test of a country chef/​cook. There were about five or six well fried wings. They didn’t have much in the way of seasoning, but they were golden… cold as ever, but golden the same. The mac ‘n cheese… was also cold, but wasn’t bad.
The collard greens… OMG…the collard greens! Greasy and needed to cook about 10 more minutes, Do y’all folks know that you have to put some kinda seasoning on greens? Salt, pepper, Mrs. Dash — IDK just put SOMETHING on them! Y’all be easy on whatever oil y’all using to cook them thangs down in next time, hear? I had to get up to get the salt, pepper and hotsauce to make the helping I had palatable. I should NOT have to season my food when I go out to eat. These were almost the worst things I ate; the black eyed pea «stew» my husband had was not good either. The beans were a bit too al dente for me… but he shoved it down, so it must have been ok to him.
The worst thing I ate — the sweet potato pie I decided to save until I got back to work. I’m going to take another bite just for y’all, so I can tell you what I taste — there is NO sweet potato flavor! The only way I know that’s what is in this container is because they told me and the because filling is orange. I taste sugar and vanilla… lots of grainy overly sweetness and vanilla.
To the guys who served me today — I’m really sorry. Y’all are nice as hell, but I cannot make my review as sweet as that dayum pie y’all selling up in there. I really wanted to like this place, because there have been SEVERAL TIMES I’ve been at work and felt like, «Dayum I could go for some chicken, lima beans, fried okra, insert any other delicious soul food here.» I usually end up going to a local grocery store and eating off their hot table, I didn’t want to do that anymore! I’m really rooting for y’all…and whenever I want some fried wings and mac ‘n cheese I’ll seriously consider bypassing KFC and coming to see y’all.
Can’t say I’ll ever try anything else… but I’ll be back one day.

If you love Soul Food like your Mama’s cooking, but don’t want to spend all day cooking, then Chic Café definitely has what you need!
I went to the new location on the lower level of Jackson on Wednesday and baby, I got a treat for only $ 8! I had my choice of fried or baked chicken and a choice of sides, like Mac n cheese, yams, collard greens, gumbo, plus a cornbread muffin (which I passed on, cause I am watching my weight… sure!). They have a wide variety of foods, wraps, breakfast ! Yes breakfast and they deliver to some downtown locations!
So, check them out, the hype is Real!

Lots of choices!
I had to run out for lunch and thought Chic would be a great place to try on a freezing day. First off, the menu is pretty substantial for such an odd location. The easiest way to order was just by getting the lunch special for $ 8: one entrée, choice of two sides and cornbread. Honestly, I don’t know what all of the entrée choices were but I picked the fried chicken which I had zero’d in on. The chicken was perfectly seasoned and crispy however given the option, I’d have preferred a breast over the provided thigh and wing. I was impressed by the Mac and Cheese — it’s a little institutional but had a nice cheesy crust and creamy sauce. The collard greens were perfect other than some hardened pieces of pulled pork. The cornbread was light and fluffy and stood well on it’s own.
Chic needs a selection of hot sauces. Something other than Chef’s Quality please.
I picked up to-​go orders for my coworkers and they had no complaints about their chicken or sides. Once it warms up it will be well worth the walk for some comfort food!

Descriptive phrase: simple southern comfort food, to-​go.
I heard a new breakfast and lunch place opened up in the basement of the odd 770 Jefferson St building next to another downtown-​lunchtime favorite and I had to check it out. On Christmas Eve at lunchtime, the other place is closed but Chic Café not only is open and smelling delicious but has gathered a small yet enthusiastic crowd.
The owners have transformed the space beautifully. The seating is still the odd basement cafeteria, but the restaurant area has been remodeled to use bright lights to show off the gleaming food area, counter space, and wall cut-​out to the kitchen. The chef and line servers were all dressed-​to-​impress and look better suited for a nice sit-​down than a cafeteria take-​out. They also made you feel right at home, welcoming me in and offering me up a sample of «the best mac’n’cheese in Milwaukee.» I’ll admit, it was good.
I was drawn in by the food on display. There are three large flat-​screen TVs showing a relatively extensive menu, but you’re better off talking with the guys there or looking at the food itself. This day they offered a lunch special consisting of sliced turkey breast and gravy, and with side options such as mashed sweet potatoes, cheesy grits, collard greens with turkey, and the mac’n’cheese. They also had fresh-​made jalapeño cornbread. Chic Café, with its Southern flair, brings a unique style of food to the area, which is always a good thing.
While I was browsing the chef told me he also could make me a grilled Cajun-​chicken sandwich not shown ($ 8.45). I jumped at it. He went right in back and grilled me up one fresh; I could see him through the wall cut-​out. I took it to go back home, and it was worth the wait once I finally opened the container.
Next to a sizable portion of thick-​cut fries was the sandwich, open-​face at this point. One half had the chicken breast and a few pieces of crisp bacon, the other half had fresh tomato slices, cheddar cheese, lettuce, and a tangy Cajun sauce. I slapped those two halves together and enjoyed the well-​cooked and thick chicken sandwich. Even with so many ingredients I didn’t feel overwhelmed and all of the flavors bled through. The fries were also crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, very good if in need of a bit of salt.
For just opening up, Chic Café appears to already have a lot of the kinks worked out; at least in the food department. I greatly enjoyed my chicken sandwich, and felt the atmosphere was warm and inviting. Add Chic Café to the list of quick-​lunch downtown eateries worth visiting.