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    Cafe Brauer

    3.6 (124 reviews)
    Closed Closed

    Services - Cafe Brauer

    Venue rental

    Cafe Brauer Photos

    CAFE BRAUER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Classy
    Casual
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Cafe Brauer

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    Reviews With Photos

    Cucumber Garden Party And Falafel Burger
    Steve A.

    Getting something to eat in Lincoln Park is never better than from here. It may cost a bit but it's worth it mostly. Cafe Brauer is located next to the zoo, which doesn't have anything good to eat, so coming here is one choice. Open seasonally so check ahead if they're open before going. The prices aren't that bad for this truthfully. After going to the zoo the last time, we came here. It's usually open daily in the spring and summer. The food has a pretty good variety. Lots to choose from that's either fried or healthy. Prices are the worst thing, but these aren't that bad for the area though. It's about $12 for a cocktail. Those are the cheapest ones. A good one was the Cucumber Garden Party, which happened to be the cheapest. This was made Fever Tree Light Cucumber Tonic and Gray Whale gin. I got the Falafel Burger. It's $14 and comes with a side. This had cucumber, lettuce, red onions, tahini, and tomatoes. Kind of like a falafel pita but with a burger bun. The falafel was crispy without being burnt, but a little dry though the tahini helped that. She got some kind of salad which was okay looking but liked it. The prices were kind of high but of course because the location. Come here for lunch or host events. It's popular as a public venue and there's a lot of people who like to rent it. The menu is good for meat eaters and vegetarians.

    Patio Breakfast
    Robert E.

    We were seated really quick and Tim (our server) was extremely polite and helpful. Food arrived rather quickly and it tasted good. Excellent portion sizes. Location was perfect for a couples brunch or family.

    Covered patio seating
    Sara B.

    First off, the views from this patio are beautiful. We loved everything about sitting on the patio looking at the water in the park. The food was OK. We ordered three burgers with fries. They asked what temperature we wanted the burgers cooked, we asked for two to be medium and one to be well done. All three were well done. Only one came with the requested cheese. The servers were pretty slow to get around to us, so we often felt like an afterthought. So the reason for three stars is so-so service, okay food, excellent location and view.

    a plate of meat, corn, and coleslaw
    Karim J.

    Avoid this place if you can. My family stopped here because we didn't really have a choice and we were very much hungry/thirsty while at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. Generally when you go to a food vendor inside of a park of any kind you can't get your expectations up (and I did not). It has nice seating, but it is entirely outdoors because the inside is reserved only for staff and kitchen to churn out food. I was kind of disappointed in that because we were really hot and wanted to get inside somewhere with air conditioning. Our server was very nice and probably the only good thing about this experience. They told me the special that particular day was short ribs, which is a beef dish. I came to find that when they brought me my meal it was pork spare ribs. For personal reasons I do not eat pork, so I pretty much lost my appetite. I did however notice it was very dry and rubbery when I cut it open so I can't imagine it was going to be delicious. I tried my wife's carne asada tacos and they were just average at best. I think our son's chicken nuggets and fries were probably the only worthy option between everything we ordered. Naturally they didn't charge me for the ribs as I didn't eat it, but even after removing that charge the meal was still too expensive given how poor it was.

    Cafe Bruaer view
    Ernie H.

    You're paying for the ambiance. Their outdoor seating has the view of the north Chicago skyline painted in a canvas of the water pond in front of you. In warmer weather with potted flowers right next to your seat. What more can you ask for? Yes they have a menu and the service is excellent the multiple time I've been here. But the food really is secondary to me in this venue. Just live the moment and don't be too be to nit picky.

    Jane V.

    Went here for an event which was on the second floor in the Grand Ballroom. It's a beautiful historic building from the 1900's in the prairie style and is an official landmark. It is located just south of the main Zoo grounds and offers a spectacular view of the nature boardwalk at the Lincoln Park Zoo, as well as the wonderful Chicago skyline. They rent the building itself for private events and weddings. You can check their website for more information. There is a restaurant on the first floor which is called The Patio Cafe. They offer seasonal lunch and dinner as well as weekend brunch. Check the website for times and dates that they're open, they are currently closed. They also have an ice cream shop where you can just walk up for a delicious treat on a hot summer day.

    Venue
    Marina S.

    I had my wedding here and regret it. The venue itself is so beautiful, but the air conditioning was broken on the day of my wedding and we pretty much melted. No one even wanted to dance because it was so hot in there. It was a very important day for me and they should have been checking and maintaining there HVAC systems on the regular as we paid a lot of money for this place.

    Lindsay C.

    Might be a little high priced, but you can't beat the views from their patio deck. Staff is also super friendly, and food is good, so WIN :)

    Mahsa T.

    Didn't get to see this place as an event venue, but did enjoy a hot dog and a beer on a break from strolling around at the zoo. Good Chicago dog but not too many good choices when it comes to beer. Great outdoor patio with a view of the pond. Friendly service.

    wedding
    Tori W.

    I went to the most fantabulous wedding here a few weeks ago! If you want to drop loads of money and spruce it up a bit with fancy table linens, beautiful flower arrangements, etc...go fer it! But, It might not even be necessary. The vaulted ceilings complete with ornate steel trusses and glass skylights were absolutely stunning. The bride had about a million little glass votives hanging from the trusses and created such a magical environment! I did not notice anything bad about the acoustics, the smell, or the bathrooms, as mentioned in the other reviews. Perhaps, they fixed em up since then. My only complaint is with the upstairs corridors which look down into the main space...did those horny bastards really think no one would see them going at it up there?! ewww!

    The view!!!

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    3 years ago

    Great venue for a wedding! Recommended. Good service. Valet parking. I'd go back. Check it out.

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    Absolutely gorgeous wedding venue! Staff was great and the food was exceptional! Highly recommend

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    6 years ago

    Nice location with a nice view and fresh air. Parking might be a problem however . Food is nothing special but is OK.

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    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - Cafe Brauer

    Review Highlights - Cafe Brauer

    It overlooks the pond for the Lincoln Park Nature Boardwalk and is a hop, skip, and a jump away from one of the entrances to Lincoln Park Zoo.

    Mentioned in 15 reviews

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    Bar Siena - mini tavern burgers. april 2026.

    Bar Siena

    (2.4k reviews)

    $$

    West Loop, Near West Side

    Last night, after a genuinely frustrating experience elsewhere, I walked into Bar Siena not…read moreexpecting much (if anything), just hoping for a reset. When I asked about the wait time, the host joked that it was two hours. Under normal circumstances, I would have laughed and played along. Given what had just happened minutes earlier, it did not quite land... but to their credit, the moment I explained the situation, everything shifted. They sat me promptly and turned what could have been a lingering bad night into a completely different experience. Julio, my server, set the tone immediately. Julio was professional, attentive, and generous. He brought out meatballs on the house, which were excellent. I ordered calamari, rigatoni alla vodka with shrimp, and what I believe was a chocolate torte for dessert (also on the house, which I was not expecting). Everything was spot on. The rigatoni in particular stood out. It was made in house and had the kind of texture and quality you notice right away. The Manager (Lance) also stopped by, having been present when I explained what had happened earlier. That kind of awareness and follow-through matters more than people realize. It what separates a place that serves food from a place that understands hospitality. By the time I was finishing dessert, I found myself watching pizzas go out to nearby tables and immediately reconsidering my menu choices for the evening. That's usually a good sign. The host who initially joked about the wait time also came by at the end of my meal. She was polite, thoughtful, and clearly intentional about making sure the experience landed well. I appreciated this gesture. When the bill came, I asked what the total would have been without the discounts and complimentary items. Once I had that number, I tipped Julio the difference. It felt like the only appropriate way to reflect the level of service and generosity I received. I'll be back (for the pizza). Overall: Food (yes) Service (yes) Ambiance (yes)

    Bar Siena really didn't make the high standard that its priced and ambiance should reflect. For…read morestarters, for a group of 6, we were only given one silverware? Als server never noticed it and had to ask multiple times for more. In regards to the food. Most if not all the dishes we had (gnocchi, vodka pasta, a salad) were pretty bad. Very costly for how tasteless it was. The only okay/good thing that came out of this place was the prosciutto, fig pizza that I had. Would not recommend spending an insane amount of money here.

    The Dearborn

    The Dearborn

    (2.7k reviews)

    $$

    The Loop

    Being a California boy (born and raised) my only way to get a Fish & Chip meal was at a fast food…read morefranchise called H. Salts Fish & Chips; and it was fairly good. Several golf trips to the U.K. (Britain, Scotland, Wales) I got my fair share of excellent Fish & Chips; the best being in Ullapool, Scotland at The Seafood Shack I have never had better! But, leave it to Chicago to deliver some of the best fish and chips I've ever had in the USA, here at The Dearborn restaurant in the Chicago loop. Everything about The Dearborn's signature dish just worked in every way: The fish was fried perfectly The fish itself was moist and delicious The chips (fries) were excellent The coleslaw was the perfect side dish The tartar sauce was scrumptious My Krobacher Pilsner paired perfectly with my dinner The service was spot on And sitting at the bar watching the NBA playoffs didn't hurt either. I did have a scoop of delicious salted caramel gelato that finished this meal perfectly. Having such delicious fish & chips a few blocks away from where I live is certainly better than flying "over the pond" (a British term for the Atlantic Ocean).

    This is an excellent spot for a special occasion! I visited recently with a large group for brunch…read moreand we had a great experience all around. Regardless of the time of day and especially during peak hours, I would definitely recommend making a reservation to air on the safe side. The staff prepared our table super quickly and was very attentive- they really went above and beyond throughout the meal. I do not recommend skipping the drinks! I ordered the seasonal Si Se Puede, Tia mezcal cocktail, which was quite spicy and perfectly sweet. For appetizers, we shared the parkerhouse rolls. The rolls were soft and buttery with a delicious whipped butter spread. For the main dish, I ordered the Dearborn Burger. It was solid overall and the portion size was very generous. I tried the fish and chips as well which were excellent. Would definitely order this next time! For dessert, we tried the sticky toffee date cake. I liked that it was not too heavy, and the Heath bar crumbles added a nice crunch. My only wishlist would be to have more of that delicious sauce to scoop up! We left with ample leftovers and in high spirits. Definitely looking forward to visiting again and trying more of the menu!

    HIDE+SEEK

    HIDE+SEEK

    (377 reviews)

    West Loop, Near West Side

    The Fam and I are always looking for new places to indulge one of our favorite food groups, which…read moreis brunch with bottomless mimosas. After doing a search on Yelp, I decided we should check out HIDE+SEEK. Ding ding ding! We have a winner folks. We decided to go with the Brunch Party. First let me start off saying that Brunch Party is one plate, one side, and endless mimosas. The entire table participation is required and there is a strict 1.5 hour time limit. That said, Angelique (was our server) was on point during that time period. Our glasses never got pass the half-way mark and a good time was had by all! HIDE+SEEK has a pretty chilled vibe and the décor was cool, a very nice bar area, booths on the east side of the restaurant and tables in the front. I think there was a back area, but can't for sure as I didn't explore as we were seated immediately in our booth. Angelique was very cool. She welcomed us and asked if it was our first time there (it was) and began to explain the menu, focusing on Brunch Party and that everyone at the table had to participate, which we did. For my entrée I got the Short Rib Hash (Sunny side up egg, piquillo pepper, red wine jus, rosemary mornay) and my side was Eggs Your Way (over easy). I got an order of the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes (honey-whipped ricotta, blueberry compote, maple syrup) for the table. Both dishes were very nice. I am a sucker for anything with short rib meat in it and this hit well with me. The pancakes were good, nice and fluffy, and the compote was very good. They weren't as lemony as I have had at other restaurants. The flavor was there, but in a subtle way, almost like an afterthought, but still nice. The pancakes themselves were nice and fluffy, just they way I like them. The Doctor got the cheeseburger and fries, which looked nice. He cleaned his plate so I have to assume it was good. The Queen got the Steak and Eggs. I had a bite of the steak and it was tender and had a nice flavor to it. Overall we had a great time and while it was only an hour and a half, it seemed longer. I will totally come back here again for brunch, but want to check out their happy hour and dinner as well. The menus looks interesting.

    This place was fine I guess. The service was nice and the place was well managed. We split a burger…read moreand it took much longer than average. Without asking, the manager stepped over to our table to apologize and offer us a drink for the wait. The burger was a good average. Like a 3.5 star. The side salad was forgettable. Basic dressed greens. The service was the real hero of this reviewer. Might be back for cocktails.

    Cafe Brauer - venues - Updated May 2026

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