Creed II, a soul food restaurant owned by Erwin and Tina McKennie, opened in Flossmoor Commons on Saturday, May 18.
soul food restaurant in Flossmoor Commons.
(Nick Ulanowski/H-F Chronicle)
The restaurant serves lunch and dinner, has a bar adjacent to the dining area and offers catering services. The menu includes chicken wings, pork chops, cabbage, yams, black-eyed peas, macaroni and cheese and peach cobblers. Smooth jazz and easy-listening blues play on the speakers.
Both restaurant owners are originally from Mississippi. Tina said that soul food makes her feel warm, adding that her grandmother grew her own food and cooked for the family.
“Everything we ate was out of the garden,” Tina said. “She passed away in 2009. And my mom passed away in 2015. So, I actually cook for the family now.”
Tina previously owned 6978 Soul Food in the Galewood neighborhood of Chicago. Around the time they got married, the two of them opened Creed on Lake in the East Garfield Park neighborhood of Chicago.
Neither of those restaurants is still in operation, but the owners said some of their regular customers followed them to Flossmoor.
“We were looking at a lot of different communities,” Tina said. “I have a lot of colleagues in the area. I have a lot of friends in the area who came and patronized me on the west side of Chicago. Now that I’m closer, it’s real convenient for them.”
“I’m from the Northwest Side. It (Flossmoor) reminds me of Oak Park with a forest,” Erwin said, describing why he likes Flossmoor. “It’s a nice environment and nice community.”
Erwin said he views the restaurant as something that can be passed on to his kids and grandkids if they’re interested. Creed II – and previously Creed on Lake – is named after Erwin’s grandfather, Creed.
“My grandfather didn’t get that much recognition. So, this is recognition for my grandfather,” Erwin said, explaining the restaurant’s name.
A drawing of a military dog tag is on Creed II’s menu. Erwin said this is because his grandfather was a World War 2 veteran who received a medical discharge after being injured by a tank.
“He got sent home and opened up a bar on the West Side of Chicago,” Erwin said. “My grandmother would cook for his peers that he was in the war with.”
Erwin said that in the future, Creed II would likely have a meat of the day option – such as oxtail, meatloaf and bistro rib. These menu items would be the same every week but only offered on certain days of the week.
Creed II is at 3331 West Vollmer Rd in Flossmoor. It’s open Monday through Thursday from noon until 9 p.m. On Friday and Saturday, it’s open from noon until 10 p.m.
