Looking for true Southern flavor up north? Discover the Illinois soul food restaurants locals swear by year after year.

A small patio with wrought iron fencing offers fair-weather dining for those who prefer their Cuban French toast with a side of fresh air. It’s a pleasant enough spot, but the real show is inside.

That’s exactly the sensation awaiting you at Thoroughbreds Chophouse in Myrtle Beach, where unpretentious elegance meets a Bananas Foster that might just be worth risking jail time for. In the vast ...