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What a beautiful café! I did not expect for Café 43 to be a full service restaurant. I was thinking it would be more of a grab and go, counter service type of establishment. We had lunch at the café after visiting the Bush Presidential Library. The staff kept telling us how good the food was while we were there. I honestly thought they were blowing smoke, but I have to admit, I really enjoyed my meal. I ordered the Avocado Toast. It came with salad. It was very light and refreshing. There was a good amount of avocado on the toast, but it didn't over power the dish. I ordered the eggs scrambled and they were very good and firm. I liked that they were placed on a bed of spinach. I'm not usually a fan of fruit in a green salad, but I enjoyed this one. My friend had the Omelet and enjoyed it. It looked really good, but I did not try any. Our server was Manny. He was very nice and personable. He made good recommendations and answered our questions. The dining room is very large and there are a ton of windows which allows in natural light. I recall seeing a small patio, but no one was sitting out there. The space would be great for a gathering like a bridal or baby shower. There was a painting by President Bush near the entrance which I found to be a nice touch. I'm happy we were able to eat lunch at the café. We had a busy day so it saved time being able to eat here after visiting the library.
I've been to all the presidential libraries and unfortunately not all of them have restaurants; President George Bush's Cafe 43 is a pleasing sit down establishment, replete with cloth napkins in a handsome, classy venue. You follow a long hallway/corridor to get to the beautifully adorned tables and chairs. Almost immediately, we were brought a tantalizing arrangement of different breads. Some crunchy, some soft, all great tastes. We ordered the Hummus plate appetizer to share and thoroughly enjoyed it. For my main course, I ordered the shrimp po boy sandwich with a side of sweet potato fries. Very good dish. Don't forget to grab some of Laura Bush's "Cowboy cookies". Staff even provided us with the recipe; naturally we had to buy some for the road too! Overall great experience and friendly staff!
Visiting Cafe 43 was not on my Dallas to do list, but after working up an appetite from checking out the presidential library, this place was just too convenient to pass up. I was expecting a small cafe with a few grab and go options, but this was a beautiful, full blown restaurant. You do not have to visit the library to eat here, but there is a fee to park in the lot across the street. We were seated right away and customer service was great, although a tad bit slow. We were not looking for a heavy meal as we had more plans for the day in Dallas. The brunch menu mostly leaned on the healthier, lighter side which is exactly what we were looking for. They have starters, salads, sandwiches, entrees and desserts. They do have Mr. & Mrs. Bush's favorite items scattered throughout the menu as well which I thought was a nice touch. They started us off with a little bread basket. It was nice to munch on while waiting for our food. There was a lot of good options, but for some reason the omelet stood out to me. I usually require some sort of protein with my breakfast or brunch, but this dish did not come with one. The omelet came with mushrooms, spinach, gouda, a mix of fruit and a salad. The omelet was really good and I did not miss meat at all. The salad that came with it was nicely dressed and complimented the omelet perfectly. The fruit was fresh and a refreshing bite after the savory items. This meal filled me up and left me completely satisfied. From walking through the library and even seeing cookbooks in the gift shop, Mrs. Bush's award winning cowboy cookies kept being mentioned so I had to get them. We did not want them right then so they do have the option of getting some fresh cookies to go nicely packaged. The cookies were indeed good. I'm glad we checked out this cute little café located inside the presidential library. Sometimes you gotta take a chance on these little hidden gems.
Everything we ordered was delicious! The waiter was wonderful and kind to our 6year old. The place is modern and an overall nice setup. The view is nice and the dining area is beautiful. Our total was around $100 for four lunches, 3 starters and one drink. Not bad at all.
Was a delightful lunch at President Bush Library's Cafe. 43 is upscale and elegant setting with lots of light and windows. My appetizer was the fried Avocado. Delish! I enjoyed my Bacon Burger. Was cooked perfectly at medium and very flavorful. The sweet potato fries were cooked perfectly and the aïoli to dip in was yummy. Hubby had salmon salad with Dill dressing. Was good but salmon a bit over cooked. We finished off with Mrs Bush's oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (2) and vanilla bean ice cream. So glad we ate here before our tour!
Wonderful experience. Family really enjoyed it. I had the pecan crusted chicken with green beans and herb mashed potatoes. It was fresh and tasty. Would have it again. Service was excellent, I felt a bit under dressed. I would return just to enjoy this restaurant without going to the library, ambience is upscale and refined
Came back to try something else and DAMN! This place is great! The host is so nice and welcoming! But why did this sandwich taste so good?! I've never had soft ciabatta bread before and this bread was so soft and was so good with the avocado inside. The grilled chicken was like a herb chicken and was cooked to perfection. The sweet potato fries were so crisp and delicious with the aioli sauce it came with. It was such a great experience. Everyone was so nice and attentive that waited on us. Even the manager kept walking around, checking on all the tables making sure everyone was okay. Everyone seemed so happy to be there. Love it!
Cute little spot on SMU campus. I liked that there weren't too many options on the menu. I don't know if that's because I went around 11 am or if it's always like that but they had some great options. I enjoyed my meal and Bernard our waiter was a gem.. very kind!
I had lunch for 1 and enjoyed my entire experience! I started with a Texas mimosa. I don't know why - but I was expecting something bigger, but it was served in the classic mimosa flute. When I think Texas, I apparently think big! Then I had the hummus. Yum!!! Super super fresh and homemade! It was served with a bit of pesto on top (I believe) it was salty and my favorite part. It came with pita and roasted veggies. I had Mrs. Bush's favorite sandwich. Mashed avocado, fresh mozzarella, tomato and mayo. I could definitely be best friends with Mrs bush because this was SO SO SO GOOD!!!! This was a great start to my museum adventure! Friendly staff, clean decor, and amazing yet simple food!
Food: 5/5 stars Parking: 5/5 stars Service: 5/5 stars Ambiance: 5/5 stars Parking is also validated! This cafe is upscale. More for a dining + museum experience not a true cafe laptop situation. Heads up: This is actually a restaurant that serves breakfast and lunch options. There were no Matcha, Chai, Latte, & Espresso options. There is no Espresso machine. They expect you to order food or an alcoholic beverage. I ordered the avocado toast. Others from the group ordered the crusted chicken. Everyone loved their food. The avocado toast and salad was so delicious I couldn't even get a photo because it was gone, as you can see. Yes I recommend a visit especially for breakfast! read more
1 month ago
10 months ago
3 years ago
What a beautiful café! I did not expect for Café 43 to be a full service restaurant. I was thinking it would be more of a grab and go, counter service type of establishment. We had lunch at the café after visiting the Bush Presidential Library. The staff kept telling us how good the food was while we were there. I honestly thought they were blowing smoke, but I have to admit, I really enjoyed my meal. I ordered the Avocado Toast. It came with salad. It was very light and refreshing. There was a good amount of avocado on the toast, but it didn't over power the dish. I ordered the eggs scrambled and they were very good and firm. I liked that they were placed on a bed of spinach. I'm not usually a fan of fruit in a green salad, but I enjoyed this one. My friend had the Omelet and enjoyed it. It looked really good, but I did not try any. Our server was Manny. He was very nice and personable. He made good recommendations and answered our questions. The dining room is very large and there are a ton of windows which allows in natural light. I recall seeing a small patio, but no one was sitting out there. The space would be great for a gathering like a bridal or baby shower. There was a painting by President Bush near the entrance which I found to be a nice touch. I'm happy we were able to eat lunch at the café. We had a busy day so it saved time being able to eat here after visiting the library. read more
I've been to all the presidential libraries and unfortunately not all of them have restaurants; President George Bush's Cafe 43 is a pleasing sit down establishment, replete with cloth napkins in a handsome, classy venue. You follow a long hallway/corridor to get to the beautifully adorned tables and chairs. Almost immediately, we were brought a tantalizing arrangement of different breads. Some crunchy, some soft, all great tastes. We ordered the Hummus plate appetizer to share and thoroughly enjoyed it. For my main course, I ordered the shrimp po boy sandwich with a side of sweet potato fries. Very good dish. Don't forget to grab some of Laura Bush's "Cowboy cookies". Staff even provided us with the recipe; naturally we had to buy some for the road too! Overall great experience and friendly staff! read more
Visiting Cafe 43 was not on my Dallas to do list, but after working up an appetite from checking out the presidential library, this place was just too convenient to pass up. I was expecting a small cafe with a few grab and go options, but this was a beautiful, full blown restaurant. You do not have to visit the library to eat here, but there is a fee to park in the lot across the street. We were seated right away and customer service was great, although a tad bit slow. We were not looking for a heavy meal as we had more plans for the day in Dallas. The brunch menu mostly leaned on the healthier, lighter side which is exactly what we were looking for. They have starters, salads, sandwiches, entrees and desserts. They do have Mr. & Mrs. Bush's favorite items scattered throughout the menu as well which I thought was a nice touch. They started us off with a little bread basket. It was nice to munch on while waiting for our food. There was a lot of good options, but for some reason the omelet stood out to me. I usually require some sort of protein with my breakfast or brunch, but this dish did not come with one. The omelet came with mushrooms, spinach, gouda, a mix of fruit and a salad. The omelet was really good and I did not miss meat at all. The salad that came with it was nicely dressed and complimented the omelet perfectly. The fruit was fresh and a refreshing bite after the savory items. This meal filled me up and left me completely satisfied. From walking through the library and even seeing cookbooks in the gift shop, Mrs. Bush's award winning cowboy cookies kept being mentioned so I had to get them. We did not want them right then so they do have the option of getting some fresh cookies to go nicely packaged. The cookies were indeed good. I'm glad we checked out this cute little café located inside the presidential library. Sometimes you gotta take a chance on these little hidden gems. read more
5 months ago
Everything we ordered was delicious! The waiter was wonderful and kind to our 6year old. The place is modern and an overall nice setup. The view is nice and the dining area is beautiful. Our total was around $100 for four lunches, 3 starters and one drink. Not bad at all. read more
7 months ago
Was a delightful lunch at President Bush Library's Cafe. 43 is upscale and elegant setting with lots of light and windows. My appetizer was the fried Avocado. Delish! I enjoyed my Bacon Burger. Was cooked perfectly at medium and very flavorful. The sweet potato fries were cooked perfectly and the aïoli to dip in was yummy. Hubby had salmon salad with Dill dressing. Was good but salmon a bit over cooked. We finished off with Mrs Bush's oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (2) and vanilla bean ice cream. So glad we ate here before our tour! read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
Wonderful experience. Family really enjoyed it. I had the pecan crusted chicken with green beans and herb mashed potatoes. It was fresh and tasty. Would have it again. Service was excellent, I felt a bit under dressed. I would return just to enjoy this restaurant without going to the library, ambience is upscale and refined read more
2 years ago
1 year ago
Came back to try something else and DAMN! This place is great! The host is so nice and welcoming! But why did this sandwich taste so good?! I've never had soft ciabatta bread before and this bread was so soft and was so good with the avocado inside. The grilled chicken was like a herb chicken and was cooked to perfection. The sweet potato fries were so crisp and delicious with the aioli sauce it came with. It was such a great experience. Everyone was so nice and attentive that waited on us. Even the manager kept walking around, checking on all the tables making sure everyone was okay. Everyone seemed so happy to be there. Love it! read more
4 years ago
Cute little spot on SMU campus. I liked that there weren't too many options on the menu. I don't know if that's because I went around 11 am or if it's always like that but they had some great options. I enjoyed my meal and Bernard our waiter was a gem.. very kind! read more
I had lunch for 1 and enjoyed my entire experience! I started with a Texas mimosa. I don't know why - but I was expecting something bigger, but it was served in the classic mimosa flute. When I think Texas, I apparently think big! Then I had the hummus. Yum!!! Super super fresh and homemade! It was served with a bit of pesto on top (I believe) it was salty and my favorite part. It came with pita and roasted veggies. I had Mrs. Bush's favorite sandwich. Mashed avocado, fresh mozzarella, tomato and mayo. I could definitely be best friends with Mrs bush because this was SO SO SO GOOD!!!! This was a great start to my museum adventure! Friendly staff, clean decor, and amazing yet simple food! read more
This is worthy of 5 stars for several reasons 1. Beautiful restaurant 2. Great service 3. Lovely menu 4. Convenient location 5. Excellent food Seriously, the food is great. We ordered the chicken sandwich with fresh fruit and the Red Snapper with couscous. Both were done to perfection beautifully presented and oh so good. I honestly don't think you could go wrong with any of the options. Expect to pay around $40 for a lunch without dessert or liquor. A little spendy, but worth it. read more
I loved this cafe. It had great lighting and the food was just right. I ordered the summer minestrone which was refreshing, smooth and perfect on a hot day. That's strange to say but you must taste it, then you know. I also had the brisket sandwich with chicken instead and had just the right amount of flavor and the bread was toasted perfectly. The waiter was calm and relaxed and set the mood for a relaxing for a great day to walk around the museum. read more
AMAZING experience here! Would definitely recommend eating here when visiting the presidential library. The service was outstanding, there was a beautiful view, and I loved the art on the walls. I'm still dreaming about the Parmesan encrusted flounder and the wonderful sauce on it... FYI: they have excellent bloody Mary's here read more
We had a nice light lunch after touring the Fantastic library next door. We had to wait about 15 minutes to get the table, but that was okay. I ordered the chicken and dumplings, which was like a nice stew or soup. It was very good. My wife ordered the steak salad. It was too spicy for her, but that's just a personal preference. read more
9 years ago
9 years ago
We dined here after touring the Bush Library. We didn't think to make a reservation especially since we were on a home school field trip. We had a party of 10 and originally we were told we would have to sit at 2 tables or wait 20 minutes. We opted to wait which only ended up being 10 minutes. It's a small restaurant and a bit classy but it's attached to the library so everyone that was dining was not. We saw some business people but mostly people we had just seen in the museum. The views of the SMU campus were beautiful. The service was excellent. I was really surprised they has an extensive children's menu. There were 5 children with us and all except one chose the grill cheese as an adult I would have enjoyed the the grilled cheese. It was on ciabatta bread a generous portion for a child paired with french fries. One of the children ordered chicken strips that came with a huge plate of perfectly fried crispy strips that was to many for an 11 year old to eat, lol. The servers brought out bread basket with delicious breads that were probably unusual to the children but welcomed by the adults. The menu apparently changes because I had look at it a few months earlier and today's menu was a little different. No problem I ordered a turkey burger and it was wonderful. The patty was perfectly seasoned and served on a buttered toasted bun with blue cheese, tomatoes, arugula and pickled red onions. It had to have been one of my favorite turkey burgers, the flavor combination was perfection. I tasted my brothers Chicken Schnitzel and it was really good, not a fan of German potato salad but I would eat that again too. All in all if you are visiting the Bush Library you should also make time for a meal at Cafe 43. I may just go back for lunch when I'm in the area. read more
8 years ago
Stopped in here for a later lunch halfway through touring the museum. The hostesses were very friendly and had me seated quickly. I was alone, so it was easy to seat me. There are waiters and then there are workers who deliver your food and ones who refill drinks. It's very efficient and they were very fast. The brisket grilled cheese was phenomenal! It has perfectly melted Swiss cheese and a really complimentary horseradish sauce. The whisky onions were there, but I didn't taste them as much. I got a package of Laura's Cowboy Cookies to go and they're super yummy! Highly recommend! read more
7 years ago
13 years ago
Very professional staff. Nice understated decor. Delicious food. Reasonable prices. You need reservations though! I had the daily special on a Wednesday. It was an ahi tuna tower on top of pineapples and guacamole. Delicious, healthy, and refreshing! read more
Simple. Fresh. Delicious. This restaurant uses locally sourced products and makes EVERYTHING in house - even down to the ricotta and ice cream (both of which are fabulous). I was surprised how good the meal was here and it isn't your standard boring museum food of dry sandwiches or romaine salads. Creative dishes that clearly have been well thought out and a decent price point, Cafe 43 would be a great stop for brunch or lunch when you just want good, simple food. Cafe 43 is NOT open for dinner but you also do not have to go into the Presidential LIbrary in order to dine here! read more
4 years ago
The start to a fun day at the Presidential Center. We started with the Texas Mimosas & then on to Mrs. Bush's favorite sandwich & chicken w/pesto on a ciabatta roll. All was delicious & then onto our main reason for deciding on Cafe 43 - Laura's Cowboy Cookies with vanilla ice cream. Bernard was our great server. Treat yourself to a visit to Cafe 43! read more
I wasn't sure what to expect at a restaurant inside a museum, but Cafe 43 didn't disappoint. Is it a culinary hot spot? Probably not. It is pretty darn good food though. I had the pulled pork sandwich on a jalapeño roll. The pork was juicy and tender, and the roll added some extra flavor. I wasn't as hot on the slaw inside the sandwich, but overall enjoyed the dish. There is a small wine and beer list as well. I would recommend reservations - the museum and restaurant are quite busy. read more
13 years ago
Very very professional. The staff are accommodating and happy to answer questions about the food and how its made. My family and I went twice in one week..each getting something different each time. The breadsticks were amazing! My order of the Grilled chicken, pesto mayo, avocado, bacon, tomato, toasted milano. Was to die for, great flavor and simple at the same time. My other family member ordered the Mediterranean grilled chicken, quinoa, with market vegetables. Again, amazing. Then we had a Wood grilled bacon cheese burger. Great flavor and oh so good! My son did their chicken tenders which were nice and moist, crispy and just enough flavor. He loved them. After our lunch we decided to get desert. I ordered the raspberry ice cream with chocolate chips. I can not begin to explain how good that was! I would go back just for that ice cream! The atmosphere is classy and quaint. Our server, Rafael was the best! We even asked for him our second time back. Sweetest man, very attentive and a warm personality. I don't know if I could find anything bad from our time there. We went during the government shut down the first time and we were not dressed at all for a classy dining experience and they still sat us and treated us no different. We originally went for pictures of the building and to run into the gift store. We decided to go back the day they opened from the shut down and were dressed for the occasion and still treated just as nice. I would bring anyone there to eat. It is one of my favorite restaurants now and I look forward to eating there again read more
3 years ago
Nice restaurant located just outside the George Bush Presidential Library. Service was great.. Good view of SMU Campus. I ordered the Grilled Chicken Sandwich which was served on Sour Dough Bread..It was complimented with Fries. (Could have had fruit).. read more
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