Cleo's Southern Cuisine

Review Highlights

Keith Lee returns to Cleo's Southern Cuisine in Chicago nearly a year after his first review — the one that ignited the now-famous "Keith Lee effect" and turned this Bronzeville soul food spot into a sensation. Since that visit, owner Cleo has opened two new locations, and Keith has one question: after all that growth, is the food still the same? He orders the exact meal he gave a perfect 10 last time, delivered via DoorDash so the kitchen has no idea who's on the other end of the order.

• ·Catfish with Pineapple Glaze — crispy fried catfish filet coated in a sweet pineapple glaze. Keith doesn't even let it touch his tongue before reacting: "Big Mac! Big Mac!" He calls it buttery, crispy, seasoned, a little spicy, and perfectly salted — exactly as good as he remembered
• ·Pineapple Candied Sweet Potatoes — the sweet companion to the catfish, carrying the same pineapple thread through the plate
• ·Cornbread Muffin — the third element of the plate, earning an instant "10, ten, ten, ten for sure" from Keith

Keith's overall score: 10 out of 10 — again. "Everything I said last time, I stand on that 1,000%." He calls it not only some of the best soul food he's ever had, but one of the best restaurants on his entire food tour — putting a three-item soul food plate in the same conversation as the Michelin-starred restaurants he visits off-camera. He closes by promising to be a regular and hoping Cleo's continues reaching its target audience: a full-circle endorsement from the critic whose review helped make it all happen.

About

Cleo's Southern Cuisine is a Chicago soul food restaurant founded by chef-owner Kristen Ashley and named after her grandmother, Cleodell "Cleo" Harper, whose family recipes form the foundation of the menu. What began as a single takeout spot in Bronzeville exploded after Keith Lee's viral TikTok review in 2023, leading to three locations across Chicago — the original on South Cottage Grove, one in The Loop, and a third in Lakeview. The restaurant is known for its fried catfish, signature cornbread muffins, and the Keith Lee-inspired "The Ten" combo.