A super sunny day in Chicago, so we walked along Shoreline Drive to the Dock at Montrose Beach. Sat outside on the terrace overlooking the sailboats on Lake Michigan, where they were playing easy-going music. Our charming server took great care of us, as we selected the fish & chips and the fish tacos. Both were delicious & just what we wanted. read more

Perfect for what it is: beach food, drinks, and nice music on a warm Friday evening. If you come around dinner time when the weather is nice, expect to put your name on the list and wait for a table. That said, when I put my name down, the wait ended up being much shorter than they originally expected. The food and drinks are a little more expensive, but you're paying for the beach setting and live music, which I think is a great plus. It's a nice place to relax, enjoy a drink, and take in the atmosphere. read more

The Dock At Montrose Beach - Fish Tacos - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The Dock is your eating option at Montrose Beach. You can get seated much quicker if you're okay with not being in the shade, but that means you run the risk of cooking in the sun. Nonetheless, the food is pretty decent for anyone familiar with the usual food options at most pools and beaches. It's filling and a good way to start/end your beach day. I ordered the shrimp hoagie which was a little intimidating to figure out how to even pick it up but it was good. The employees are super energetic and kind as well. read more

The Dock At Montrose Beach - Shrimp Hoagie - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Only had the popcorn shrimp and fries, both were good but not great. Service was not good at all. Was closed out after we got drinks and was told the name of our next server, but after twenty minutes of sitting with an empty basket and drinks, no server ever greeted us. We tracked down the host, who actually didn't know who our server was but said he would find her (he didn't). Finally we tracked down a server near our table who claimed she didn't "realize we weren't being served" read more

The Dock At Montrose Beach - Beer and wine menu - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We visited Chicago during the busy summer season. It was a particularly hot Saturday so the beach was crowded. The restaurant is perfectly located on Melrose Beach. The seating is outside but be aware that you can't take your large belongings onto the deck with you. Dogs are permitted! There are umbrellas that help with the sun. The service was very slow so allow extra time. They have an extensive menu which is good. We were disappointed by our mixed drinks that contained very little alcohol and tasted diluted. We just wanted a snack and ordered chips and salsa. The chips were stale. The salsa was good! read more

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Had a decent time at The Dock at Montrose Beach for a weekday dinner. We only waited about 5 minutes for a table on a Monday, even though it was pretty packed. Service was quick, and drinks were reasonably priced 16 oz Beers for $7.50 and vodka lemonades for $11, which is solid for a beach bar. The main downside was the food pricing. Apps were around $15, and most entrées hovered near $20. I got the shrimp tacos (just two tacos and a few chips for $20), and while they were okay, it didn't quite feel worth the price especially with extra charges for things like cheese on a burger. It's understandable since it's the only food option right on the beach, but still felt a little steep for what you get. On the plus side, the vibes were great. Live music added to the beachy atmosphere without being too loud, and there's plenty of bar seating if that's more your style. I'd definitely come back to hang out and grab a drink, but might skip the food next time. read more

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Enjoyed the extended summer nights. Ample parking. Vendor with food. Plenty of bench seating. I really enjoyed the area of hand made bird houses. So cool to see read more

Such a pretty view and perfect after going to the beach or playing volleyball. They're lots of outdoor seating but be prepared to wait as everyone wants a table. Love the live music and the different deals each day of the week. read more

The Dock At Montrose Beach - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Such a fun spot! Good prices. service is quick and so nice! Food was good! I had the shrimp sandwich really good

I've had the Dock on my list for so long purely for the views and beach access and it lived up to the hype! I didn't expect much from the good but I had a really great chicken sandwich. They were out of some draft beers which wasn't a big deal at all - it forced me to try something new and I ended up loving it. The views really sealed the deal for me, plus you get live music every night and the staff were super lovely as well. Can't wait to go back before the season ends! read more

The Dock At Montrose Beach - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

the usual trap embedded in beach side establishments is pre-packaged food with a homemade price tag, the Dock flipped the script - the food was clearly made right in the back, hot crispy tortilla chips...sizzling charred pita bread....irregularities in the protein shapes...hardly salty potato-y fries...etc. YET the food lacked flavor! - the restaurant is gorgeous, open deck space with tons of seating all with views of Lake Michigan. there are specials and events each day, Monday with some quite Brazilians jazz band. all covers though, nothing original. - the atmosphere is quintessential for a night of fun drinks, very well priced cocktails between $10-$14 and plenty of drafts and canned beverages. I got the Montrose gin spritz, it was good but I could not taste the gun at all. so basically an Aperol spritz (not mad) - the blackened whitefish plate was quite pretty but the hummus was thick and bland and the fish despite looking super seasoned lacked flavor. looks can be deceiving folks - the fish and chips was good quality, bad quantity. beer batter was the perfect thickness and crunch! however, 2 pieces of fish is pretty ridiculous, needs to be in groups of 3!!! the fries were beyond bland and reminiscent of a in-and-out fry... no crunch or seasoning. - the popcorn shrimp was surprisingly a win, even though it is fried we could still taste the meaty shrimp. read more

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This place has an unbeatable location: right on the beach. Being from New Jersey, this place brings me back to days hanging out at the Jersey shore. The menu has all the right foods so you can have a cold beer, munch away, listen to live music, catch some rays, and pass away the day. Make no mistake, everything on the menu tastes great. I love this place! read more

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We played summer volleyball at Montrose this summer and the Dock called to us with its siren song each week. We finally decided we deserved to dine at the Dock and it was a great season end cap. The food was fresh, hot, and delicious. The beers were cold. The music was good! The prices are higher as you should expect for a beach bar, but the views and vibes are well worth it! We brought 8 people and waited about 45 min for a table. Not too bad considering we could frolic the beach while we waited. They texted us when the table was ready. Definitely go to the dock if you're looking for an epic beachside dining experience. read more

The Dock At Montrose Beach - Caprese panini - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Outdoor seating in front of a Sandy beach as far as your eye can see, and all that entails in terms of your viewing pleasure. Live music from 7 to 9. On a clear summer day it doesn't get any better in Chicago IL. If there's a wait take a walk at the beach - you won't be disappointed. The food is not bad and pricing is not ridiculous. Shout outs go to the steak tacos(tons of meat), blackened white fish, and the quesadilla. Enjoy your summer. read more

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Service is awwwful. The hostess actually rolled her eyes at me when I asked to sit near the band (90% of the tables were available bc it was early June and not warm). I got the blackened fish tacos which were fine, not good but not bad. Fairly bland. They were supposed to come with chips and salsa and when I asked the server she said they didn't and I had to show her the menu that says they do. Then she never came to give us the check, had to go to the bar to pay. I came there last summer and the service was crappy then too. The food isn't terrible or anything but it's pretty bland and really overpriced. Basically it's a place you come solely for the view or the band. The view is indeed beautiful. But everything else is not great. read more

Awesome beach atmosphere and some pretty good dishes. Must do in Chicago, especially on a beautiful night. Live music every night (some exceptions at beginning of the season). read more

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Tremendous vibes and great live music. The perfect place to hang after a volleyball game

The food is just ok, the service is ok as long as you're on beach time of course.. but they will charge you full price for "specials" that are listed on their menu and add on extra things you didn't order. I asked for a printed copy as they don't show or give you one unless requested, which is how I found out. This is my second time here this year and the first time wasn't great at all. Hopefully they will get it together soon as they just opened for the season, it takes a while to iron it out I guess. read more

The Dock At Montrose Beach - The Twisted Tea was a special that should have been $7 each and the "WC Cranberry" was not mine - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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You want to feel like your on vacation but in a major city? This is one of the best places to do it. Montrose beach is massive and the views north and south from the dock are awesome. The menu is pretty solid. I got the fish tacos which were good. They also came with chips and pico which was a nice surprise. Food is one to two dollars more than it should be which is fine for the ambience. read more

Great lil spot right by the beach. The food is good and they are dog friendly which is awesome. The waitstaff provide excellent service and great recommendations on food and drinks. Always feels like summer there read more

The Dock At Montrose Beach - First Bloody Mary of the season...yum - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My buddy and I wanted to go to a beach bar & found this gem of a bar. My buddy had the fish & chips that he stated that they were terrific & about $18.95. I worked on running up my bar tab and chatting it up with the locals. The staff was genuinely friendly & if you are visiting the lakefront on a hot summertime day, this is a great place for day drinking and beach bumming. read more

The Dock At Montrose Beach - Exterior view of the bar looking towards Lake Michigan - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Seems like a pretty basic concept - don't wait list people for a table if the kitchen is closing soon without warning them first. WTF?!? They were packed and the hostess put my wife on an hour wait list for a table when the kitchen was getting ready to close. She didn't even bother to mention that detail though. After waiting 45 minutes, my wife went to check the ETA and was told by the same hostess that the kitchen had already closed. We've been good customer, have spent decent money there over the past few years, are considerate to the staff and always tip well. Don't think we deserved to be treated like that. Thanks for wasting our time - likely not coming back. read more

Great place to dine at on July 4th. Decent food, quick service, and live music. What we ordered: Quesadilla: Yum! Exactly like how you expect it to taste Fish and chips: Small portion but the fish was good The Dock Burger: My favorite from the night! Came with fries as well I also got the captain white mojito (recommend) and day at the beach Overall, love the atmosphere here. It's a great laid back spot to hangout with a group of friends read more

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Sinead our waitress is lovely! Drinks were tasty! Band was chill and fab! Beach location wonderful. read more

The Dock At Montrose Beach - Band Dizzy rodio! Very good. Atmosphere chill! Drinks fab . Sinead waitress lovely. - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We visited around 12 noon on a beautiful day. It was in the mid 70's and not a cloud in the sky and a light breeze. They had all of the umbrellas in their stands but all were closed. We asked if we could open the umbrella at our table. The server said the were not using the umbrellas this day. We heard many other customers request to open the umbrellas. But they refused. There was no reason they couldn't accommodate this simple request. The food was ok but overpriced. $60 plus a tip for 2 sandwiches and 2 beers. read more

Horrid service and poor management. Did not feel welcomed by the 2 immature hostesses.

Having a place like this around is really lucky! Beautiful location with views of the lake and the skyline. Far enough from the city to get away from the noice. Also makes it a little harder to park but we usually walk! Prices are great, and the food is amazing! Like it's really good. Live music on a large stage most night! Service has been great every time! Defiantly a place to check out! read more

The portions were a heaping amount and great for after a day at the beach! Our server, Ivy was extremely helpful and offered assistance in their crazy good menu! We went on a Monday and there was even a live band! Wow! If that's not a Monday spent right then I don't know what is! Mmmm fried cheese curds! read more

The Dock At Montrose Beach - Fried Wisconsin Cheese Curds - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

What a great location for a restaurant. On an amazing mid 70's day we took a trip to the beach to get our feet wet and spent more time than we planned and wanted a bite to eat. Grabbed the Dock Burger (spicy), a BLT, and a hotdog (dog was cold but our server took care of it right away) Food was tasty, service was great, view was lovely. read more

The Dock At Montrose Beach - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Live Music | Vibes | Tacos Live Music - We showed at 7 PM on a Wednesday and the band was preparing to go on. There was a lot of rain from 5:30-6:30 pm, therefore they may have gone on earlier if not for the rain. The music was a cover band that played a lot of funk and oldies from the 70s/80s. Vibes - The place had great vibes. You have an amazing view of the sunset, the beach, and the water. The co-ed beach volleyball league was going on and many of the teams came over to the restaurant for post-game libations and food. Overall, it was a great low-key fun vibe which was a nice oasis from the city. Tacos - I had the chicken tacos which were really good. They have 3 tacos in the basket and they were very filling. Monica had three tacos as well and only got through 1.5. Additionally, we shared sweet potato fries which were pretty good. Pro-Tip. There was surprisingly decent parking on the street. The actual restaurant is about 400 - 600 meters from the street. You have to park on the street and walk over to the restaurant. So plan accordingly. Pro Tip. The GPS location for the restaurant is not very good. It takes you to the docks where the boats are located which is .5 miles from the restaurant. read more

The Dock At Montrose Beach - The view from the table - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We got so lucky when we came here, it just stopped raining and the band was able to come on! The food is okay, but the chips were stale. The prices are reasonable for being on the lake, and I liked how intimate the venue felt! I'd go back for another relaxing night out... but probably sit further away from the stage. The band was definitely projecting out to the beach. read more

The Dock At Montrose Beach - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I have walked by this place so many times whenever I'm at Montrose and didn't check it out until recently. It's one of the two restaurants on the beach. This place has live music which seemed pretty cool. I've walked by when they had a band playing Foo Fighters and Red Hot Chili Peppers, and they were actually pretty good. However, the band they had on the night we dined here was not so good. We didn't know how good the cocktails would be so we played it safe and just got a Blue Moon and White Claw. For food, we ordered the dockamole (their version of guac) and the steak quesadillas. The steak quesadillas were pretty good actually, I would get these again. The guac on the other hand was horrible. The chips were so stale like they had been sitting out for 2 weeks and the guac had no flavor whatsoever, it was as if you just mashed up avocado and didn't put anything else in there. I'm thinking the avocados were not ripe either, because even though it was so bland at least it would've tasted buttery if they were ripe. Unfortunately we probably won't be returning. The restaurant has a lot of potential but the food needs work. read more

The Dock At Montrose Beach - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The food is decent. The service isn't terrible by any measure, but I was asked 3 times in the span of 5 minutes, by 3 different bussers/waiters if I was done with my plate when there was still a decent amount of food left. Given the atmosphere of the place, I would have liked to be able to just sit and enjoy my food a bit slower, especially when it wasn't the busiest on a cloudy Monday (several open tables). Come here for a quick bite before the beach. The servers are nice. Just be mindful that they can be a bit rushy/ "too helpful". There's a balance in customer service, which I know of cause I've done many customer service jobs. I know it can suck and people can be hard to read or nail down, but it is what it is. This isn't me being a Karen about this. I'm just pointing out that maybe you should balance excellent responsive service with giving the customer a chance to take things in. read more

Went here for a quick bite after visiting the montrose beach and was surprised at how packed this place was! We were seated very quickly and waitress and services were prompt and the food was ok. I would recommend checking out this place if you just want a quick drink read more

The Dock At Montrose Beach - a glass of lemonade on a wooden table - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I don't usually expect much from beachside cafes. I've been to them from LA to Miami and they're often overrated with meh good. That said, I was pleasantly surprised by the Dock at Montrose Beach. A good spot to hang right on the sand and water on one of Chicago's most popular beaches. Great city views on an urban beach cafe. They have live music nightly and this Wednesday mid week night the place was jammed. Comfortable large table and stage views from any angle to watch a great reggae band. Cool little bungalow bar with some seating. The service is good. Our server Matt was friendly and knowledgeable and patient even though he was pretty busy. I had a BLT which was tasty and better than most beach cafes, my buddy had fried cheese curds also pretty decent and not greasy. Some decent bar food on a beach cafe which can't be easy. Most of all great music good beverages with a bangin' view of the city. They should be open daily through September with live music going on all the time. read more

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Trendy and casual, almost always busy, perfect summertime beach view outdoor bar and eatery with daily specials, good drink selection, and great live music. I've lived in the area for years and eaten here maybe 3 times, but always enjoy the experience. Kid and dog friendly, and always lively! Lovely stop if you're biking Lake Shore Path or are nearby enjoying the Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary. read more

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Last Friday night, June 2nd, we arrived about 6:00 PM and The Dock at Montrose Beach sat us immediately. It was a beautiful evening and we felt pretty lucky to be able to sit down right away, given it was packed - packed for fun that it is, and fun it was. Making it even more fun, and us more lucky, was our server, James - I think he goes by AJ or RJ. Point is, James knows what he's doing and does customer service like he invented it. My wife had been longing for a Dock's pina colada since last year. Unfortunately, The Dock discontinued the pina colada, but James ran with it and made it happen, coaching the wife into a coconut option that was even better. And when you make things better, no apologies are necessary. What more could you ask for. Then James pulled another rabbit out of the hat when he coached me thru how to best order fish taco's. What started out as a lovely evening was transformed into an epic experience all thanks to the wisdom of James' customer service leadership. Thank you James. read more

What an amazing spot to have a nice dinner and listen to live music. The only down side is the parking is difficult.

This establishment got great location with fun and active crowd throughout entire summer, yet still only three stars after 300+ reviews. I was like, whaaaaa? Now I know why. I went there solely aiming for their shishito pepper that we had last summer. It was so good but the item's sadly taken off from the menu. I decided to support our local business so I stayed. 25 exact minutes I stayed. During the 25 minutes, at least 5 different servers walking pass by my table like I was invisible, at least 4 songs were sang by the live band including an intermission, at least 3 tables came after me and already got their service. Finally I asked one of the servers for my server, well if there's any. And yes! I did have a server, who happened to be one of the 5. But I was just too confused to bother. So my friends, if you are minority or just by yourself, you might want to bring your business to somewhere else. If you insist to dine there, make sure you bring some little snacks. Because honey, it could be a long long wait. Oh by the way, some little thing to share at last. The host told me if I wanted water, I wound have to go get it at the entrance myself. It was empty when I came. It was still empty when I left. read more

Awesome food and wait staff!!! We had great cheese curds ( so lightly and delicately fried.) the best part was the staff: Mady, (server fun and cheerful - beach goddess siren with a touch of dark) Kiki ( bartenders who actually made me a gin mojito and it was Good) and Kira ( sweet Midwest volleyball player gonna be actress/model). Don't know the chefs name, but the fish tacos were yummy. Beautiful view. It's been lightening and spitting rain, but they made it a really FUN time. We'll be back. read more

The Dock At Montrose Beach - Empty beach post lightening - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois