This review is not based on food because I didn't eat here. I stopped here while waiting to do a drop off at O'Hare. The place has a really cozy vibe. I sat by the fireplace. I had a mimosa. The service for the drink was fast and friendly. The next time I have to go to O'hare I will try the food because the vibe was one of kindness. read more

Cafe Mirage - Mimosa - Cafes Near Me - Schiller Park, Illinois

Wanted to get tea and a pastry before heading to the airport. It's a cosy restaurant with outdoor patio and nice indoor seating. Service was quick , our server was very friendly and quick with our order. The only thing that bothered me was the free smoke zone outside . Will certainly be back to try the food next time. read more

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This is one of those places I have driven past dozens of times thinking we should give it a try. We'll tonight was the night we did. The price per person was supposed to be $20 -30. We had one appetizer, two entrées, two carbonated beverages, and shared one dessert - $50 per person after tax and tip. When we arrived, we sat outside on their patio. Unfortunately, they allow smoking anywhere outside. State law is: no smoking within 15 feet of the business entrance and people were smoking at a table within 3 feet of the entrance. We sat inside. They made a design choice with these metal chairs that have this grey twisted padding. I have a 40-inch waist and the chair was very uncomfortable. Even if had more room the back of the chair was at an uncomfortable height, but they look cool. The music was popular covers. They played Rolling in the Deep but not sung by Adele. Demons but not sung by Imagine Dragons... We ordered the grilled calamari appetizer at $20, we both agreed it was over cooked and came out chewy. Mirage has a signature burger, 'the Mirage Burger ' at $24. I asked our waiter, but he could only say the beef patty has seasoning. He suggested the Chicken Gouda at $16 and I went with that. It was excellent, the smoked gouda really came through. I really appreciated his guidance. My friend had the grilled Salmon on a creamy spinach sauce with a side of feta fries. He said these were the best feta fries he has ever had. He was not a fan of the creamy spinach. I ordered a Diet Coke (on the menu it said the bottle was $4.50). The waiter brought a 12 ounce can and it was still $4.50. Those are cruise ship prices. We ended with the meal with the Mirage Cake at $7.00. I asked for coffee but the only sugar-free sweetener they had was Equal brand and that stuff gives me headaches. I want to mention the bathrooms, I cannot speak of the ladies' facility but for a restaurant with 20 inside tables and another 30 outdoor tables one single 5ft x 5ft restroom is not enough. I have been on ships with bigger restrooms. When we left again there were so many people smoking on the front porch I went back inside and asked the waiter if there is a non-smoking area of the option. He said there is not. Outside people can smoke wherever they want. I am not looking to return. I do want to say other reviewers said they were charged for a glass of water. After a $4.50 can of Coke I asked for water and was not charged. I do not know if it is a change in policy but we did not experience that charge. read more

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You would never think from the outside this place has REALLY good European inspire dishes . Service is slow , but it could be worth the wait when they're the only ones open at odd hours or holidays . Pizza is fresh and probably the best schnitzel you're going to get in Chicago . read more

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Interesting restaurant and bar with both an outdoor and indoor seating. We came to drink a coffee and share a dessert. Both were good! I would like to return to try the food to give it an honest assessment. read more

The food at Cafe Mirage is always fantastic, and they have a very diverse menu. The staff is equally outstanding, friendly and helpful. Overall, I would recommend this restaurant to everyone without reservation. ***** read more

Came here for a last minute brunch on my long layover from O'Hare airport. About less than 15 minutes away, convenient and with perfect outdoor seating. Plenty of space, staff wearing masks and easy to social distance. Plenty of planes fly over but it's masked with music they play outside. It's still easy to carry conversations. Food was really filling! We started with coffee and rolls. Omg! The rolls are oh so hot... temperature wise. They are dense in consistency but fresh and soooo good! Calamari- I was underwhelmed with the choice but once I tasted one, I wanted more! They were crispy and flavorful! Mish mash- peppers, feta and eggs scramble, tasty and a locals favorite. Palachinka- light crepe with Nutella, strawberries and creme. They had different variations but all delicious! We would definitely come back. Their outdoor seating is really a bonus! Plus there were plenty of other menu options to try. Mmm we just really wanted our fix for Balkan food! read more

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Don't be fooled by lack of appearance when you drive by. The sweet crepes were delicious! They don't have them listed on the menu, but you can request and they will make. Their cappuccinos and lattes were quite good. The omelet was huge! Definitely big enough for 2, and the ingredients inside were perfectly crisped beforehand for a delicious and non soggy omelet experience. Staff was extremely friendly and helpful. They are in a very loud spot (airplanes taking off overhead), so don't go here for a quiet morning...but aside from that they have done a nice job building a pretty little patio to make the most of their space. read more

Huge portions. Loved the mish mash. Omelets are fresh and big enough to share. Nice atmosphere on the patio! read more

Cafe Mirage - Mish mash and hash browns - Cafes Near Me - Schiller Park, Illinois

To enter the restaurant you need to walk through a covered patio that allows smoking. That also means every time the waiter goes in and out, cigarette smoke gets pulled into the dining room. If you are sensitive to the smell stay away from this place. At least until summer and the covered patio goes away? We also ordered drinks but the waiter never returned to see if we wanted anything else. read more

Great local spot, last minute decision to grab a quick bite to eat- the Turkish coffee was awesome! I've never had this type of presentation and the feel was like sitting at a home- I had the mish mash for my food order and it was a fresh meal! Thank you! read more

Cafe Mirage - Turkish coffee - Cafes Near Me - Schiller Park, Illinois

Definitely the usual coffee spot we go weekly! The outdoor has lights, a European vibe, great music and lots of airplane views passing by which can get loud at times. Overall, this is one of my most frequent spots for an afternoon coffee and socializing time fmwith family and friends read more

Cafe Mirage - Cafes Near Me - Schiller Park, Illinois

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Not sure why this is listed as an American restaurant because the food is very much Eastern European. The staff was very nice even though my partner and I are super American and definitely pronounced things wrong. Truly enormous portions. read more

Would not recommend. Overpriced, served cold , dry food. You have to pay for water. Very disappointed.

I like this place. Does it have the most appealing decor? Absolutely not but i really like this place and here is why. Mirage tries alot. They have worked on their drinks and menu and that works for me. I have visited Mirage several times and I have to say that i have never been disappointed as far as food goes. But they used to have an overwhelming menu that made no sense so they shortened it and the experience had gotten way better. Maybe they perfected the dishes they had because I gotta tell you, their cevapis make my belly sing. So good. Whats great about it is that they have ballkan music on and everytime I visit I am reminded of my summers back home. It can get loud because of the airport but you start ignoring at some point. Come and have some of their home made sangria, it's amazing read more

Was very pleased when I came here: very clean place, amazing food, very fast service, and nice workers. Prices were also very reasonable. Besmir was helping us and he provided exceptional service. You can tell Besmir really cares about this restaurant like he owns it. Would 100% recommend this place!!! read more

The food is usually good but I ordered some calamari for pick up. I ate here so many times before and as usual I was expecting my food to be the same. After I wait around 25 min for the food I end up getting just a box with 10 pieces of calamari. I ask if it's not supposed to come with a side or something. And I get a rude answer that no, they changed the menu. I go online and ordering thru Grubhub from them, you get to chose a side for free. I ask the girl once again and she is telling me this time that you can't order online from them. So I end up paying $18 for what you can see in the image below. So bad for your business. Just lost a customer! Ps: I didn't even got a fork, nor a napkin! read more

Cafe Mirage - Grilled Calamari - Cafes Near Me - Schiller Park, Illinois

Just a very interesting experience. Couldn't find the door in to the building and had to enter through what seemed to be a smoking room. Our food was sub par, but at least it was cheap. Would not recommend for breakfast. Also got a fun little hair surprise in the rolls. Service is good if you're looking for an experience where they don't do anything but bring you food. read more

Cafe Mirage - a basket of bread rolls on a table - Cafes Near Me - Schiller Park, Illinois

The service isn't that bad but when I received my cevapi they weren't cooked they were still raw. I even had my boyfriend tasted the cevapi and he said they was raw. It's not the same like before they had better food before. I'm very disappointed with food. read more

I always have a great experience when I come here whether its for a cappuccino or some crepes. Love this place for summer nights super cute! Definitely recommend! read more

The place is a nice idea but it needs work on the decorations, it looks cheap and bought from a holloween store, I like the food there and the waitresses are super nice but there seems to be a confusion on the ownership of the place. The menu is full of Bulgarian dishes and most of the witresses are Bulgarian but the owners are Albanian. It's not a big deal but it does seem weird... Regadless their drinks are good and so is their food. I would recommend it but only if you know a Bulgarian person so on and find yourself one ;) or just call me! :D read more

Cafe Mirage - Cafe Mirage - Cafes Near Me - Schiller Park, Illinois

was charge $2.50 for water, when I asked for a free glass of water just about every restaurant is giving free water, additionally was charge $5 for a can of orange soda , overpriced was charged /told mandated 20% tip, where the service was terrible, Do NOT go here, unless you are dying for food:( read more

Great coffee and awesome patio near the airport. Came back for lunch and was blown away. The stuffed steak in mushroom sauce was awesome. English is not a problem anymore! read more

Cafe Mirage - Awesome Bulgarian cafe near the airport, great patio and good coffee. - Cafes Near Me - Schiller Park, Illinois

The food is wonderful and the staff is great. Very clean. Did a birthday party here and it was amazing.

We loved our experience at Cafe Mirage from the wait staff to the food to the sitting on the patio to enjoy the nice weather and planes flying over! We stopped there after dropping off our daughter at OHare before we headed home to Wisconsin. Next week when we go to pick her up, we will be having dinner here again because it was THAT good. There were many things on the menu we want to try and we can't wait! read more

Worst service EVER! Was barely acknowledged! Waitress was terrible ! Bus boy gave better service than the waitress! If I could give zero stars I would! read more

This is a five star restaurant, with five star customer service, five star quality of food, five star interior decor, and five star exterior decor. Welcome to Café Mirage. Welcome to Chicago's hottest Balkan night lounge. read more

We travel out of O'Hare airport a lot and stop at this place every time. The food is great! Authentic Serbian, Albanian, Eastern European food. Staff is knowledgeable and friendly. Plenty of parking and easy to make reservations. read more

Cafe Mirage - Smoked meat platter - Cafes Near Me - Schiller Park, Illinois

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Amazing mojitos! Chill spot, no rush service so you do not feel like you're being kicked out. Very sweet Serbian girl served us.

Waited 15-20 minutes for a server to even come up to our table to give us menus. (Not over even kidding.) Waited another 7 minutes before they came back and asked us what we wanted. There was more workers than people and they didn't check up on us at all. We had to ask for our check twice before finally receiving it and we were over-charged for our coffees. (Menu price was diff. than check price.) Safe to say we won't be going back. read more

Went here for a coffee, but ended up getting an ayran and a banana shake. Both were mediocre... Ayran seemed like just simple homemade yogurt, and the shake seemed like they just blended milk and ice (not real cream, ice cream, or substantial banana or even fake fruit). Service was also exceptionally slow even though the place was totally empty. The staff clearly didn't care. read more

I love the enviroment here at cafe mirage and the food is delicious. Definantly my new favorite place to hangout at.

There are big parties there at night. Does not follow covid restrictions at all.

Reasonable prices, HUGE portions, very good food. I would go back! Other reviewers were right -- this place is unmistakenly Bulgarian, and I was the only NON Bulgarian there. However, I was attended to quickly and the waitress was very kind and attentive and helped me choose dishes that I liked. I told her that I was in a rush, and the food was brought quickly. I am wondering if the treatment that others got may have been due to their own attitudes? Just a thought . . . read more

We came here one day,in hopes of finding a cool new spot in our neighborhood. We walked in and immediately realized..... 1) We were the oldest people in the place. 2)We were NOT Bulgarian or even Eastern European. 3)We were not acknowledged for over 5 minutes...so we left. I am glad that someone bought this old,run down residential property and made it a booming business. I was very skeptical when they first opened,but they have bought the property next door and made a club as well. Great business,just not for the likes of us! I hold no grudges,but they could be more welcoming to the local residents,too! read more

Cafe Mirage is my first Bulgarian Restaurant. We purchased the dinner from our local Rotary Club auction, so were dining with several other people. The name choice may be an effort to be a play on words. Based upon the appearance of the outside, one would not expect to find a Bulgarian restaurant on the inside. I must admit the outside seems a bit playful with tall faux palm trees that light up. However, the inside is semi-fine dining or at least that could be ones initial impression as you walk up the "inner" stairwell and you walk into soft lighting, curtained windows with sheers, and shiny black tabletops. But then the hostess comes who seems like she inviting a sojourner into her home and makes you feel at ease. There was a family with a young child, who was quiet and later a few others, but that was it during our visit. The weather was rainy and very foggy, which may be the cause for the slow night. There were at least two large flat screen televisions, (which for me, detract from my dining experience when with others), but the sound was off so, it was all the better. Gary, our host from our local Rotary Club, ordered four appetizers, which arrived at our table within about 15 minutes. Our hostess was very kind and helpful explaining what was in each item. She provided us with pictured menus to aide in our decision making for our entrees. I didn't taste everything, but I did sample the Chuska Burek. It was a new experience - a little salty, but tasty. We learned that the chef was without an assistant, so our meals came out spaced about five to ten minutes apart. Still, there was hearty bread to munch on and we had eaten the appetizers so really, all was well, given the trouble and stress that the chef was under. Still, everyone enjoyed their meal choices and seemed satisfied. The prices seemed reasonable, there is more than adequate parking, the waitress was charming, and the food was authentic and very satisfying. If you're looking for something different or if you're from Europe and wish to taste something from "the old country" this would indeed be the place to go. Don't let the outside scare you away - it's only a "mirage". :-) read more

I came here with my friend just to get drinks and deserts. First we walked inside sat down at a table that had crumbs all over! It took the waitress more than 5 mins to notice my friend and I. The waitresses underwear was showing! There aren't enough servers! The food is good but the service is horrible! The tables aren't clean and trash on the floor! read more

Cafe Mirage - Dirty tables, there were crumbs all over and the table was sticky! - Cafes Near Me - Schiller Park, Illinois

Nice atmosphere. Laid back staff. Food is good. Decent variety. Indoor and outdoor seating. Plenty if room. Authentic

I was very disappointed to find out that my daughter and her friends were asked to leave this place tonight after being attacked by a drunk customer. The owners instead of asking the loud mouthed, obnoxious, drunk 40+ year old woman who was verbally attacking my daughter and her friends for no reason, to leave the establishment thought it was wiser to keep excepting her green dollar as the night grew, and told my daughter and her friends that they could not serve them any more and that they should pay the tab and leave. At no time did the owner ask the girls if they were ok and if there was anything that they could do for them. Bring the good kind girls that they were they paid their tab and left mortified as the whole restaurant stared at them as if they were wrong. I can't believe how mistreated they were! This is horrible! read more

I went here with a friend. We ordered some pork cevapcici and a bulgarian dish that reminded me of a stuffed pepper with mushrooms chopped up in a clay pot.....yum yum and yum The outdoor patio is great. Euro dance music plays over the speakers as you dine. Service is okay, things are just a little slower so don't expect to be right in and right out...that is not the way it is done. You enjoy the weather, enjoy the stars, enjoy the planes (since it is near a takeoff runway at O'Hare), enjoy the food, and enjoy your company. If you are looking to get out of the city without getting all suburbia....this is your place. I will be back. read more