Izola's?

Has anyone eaten at Izola's Soul Food in Chatham? And what kind of neighborhood is Chatham anyway? I saw an article in Saveur about Izola's and everything sounded so tasty. One day when we have the time to make the trip, I'd love to try the food. Any opinions? Thanks!

What Tracy Poe wrote about Izola's is true. That part of 79th Street is a pretty busy stretch of small neighborhood businesses. I don't recall if Izola's has a parking lot but if not I think you could find street parking most of the time.

Izola's
522 E 79th St
Chicago
773-846-1484

Here's a review I just wrote for Yelp!

http://www.yelp.com/biz/fggxNV7ZQ4EbGFy4wL0_Nw

I first learned of Izola's in Saveur's magnificent issue devoted to the gastronomy of Chicago. In a sense, it's perfect fodder for a magazine profile. Located on an unintimidating block of East 79th Street, Izola's front windows are peppered with decades-old photographs of prominent black Chicagoans--Mayor Washington, Charles Hayes, other heavyweights, and countless police and firemen. The interior--part lunch-counter, part carpeted dining room-- is comfortable and inviting and the experienced waitresses aim to please. This is reportedly where then-Congressman Harold Washington began his race to become Chicago's first black mayor.

The Sunday dinner menu was filled with a predictable selection of southern favorites--fried pork chops, catfish, and chicken, a chopped steak, short ribs, and baked and stewed chicken. Last night, they were mysteriously out of the last three. The price of an entree ($12 for a generous half fried chicken, $10 for fried catfish) gets you a liberally-dressed iceberg salad (the aforementioned greenery was swimming), your choice of two sides ("only the beets and the beans aren't homemade"), and dessert--on our night, ice cream or a cloyingly sweet bread pudding. Izola's sweet potato pie merited a 2004 segment on Steve Dolinsky's Hungry Hound series, and I hope it is available when I return.

Our entrees--a half chicken and catfish--demonstrated formidable skill with a frying pan, as well as a generous spirit. The chicken arrived in five pieces with the breast meat separated from its bone, thus rendering the latter a delicious conduit for its crispy coating. "Candied sweets" and mustard greens simmered with salt pork and sugar stand out among a selection of less memorable sides. Tasty cornbread muffins approached a biscuit-like lightness; it was hard to stop, even after three.

For the beverage-conscious, note that Izola's carries Pepsi products and not Coke, and that the iced tea is unsweetened. The restaurant is open twenty-four hours a day and parking is available in the rear as well as on 79th Street. Cash only.