Very good food. Order the Lobster roll. Long line unfortunately,but worth the wait. Very scenic right on the water. Have planes flying to O'Hare a lot. Nice to see them on flight radar 24. Would recommend. read more

As the close for the season this upcoming Labor Day, had to finally cross it off my list! Very casual but cute cafe along the lake. Plenty of shade to enjoy your food and listen to live music in the evenings. Brown butter crab roll was good and so was the blackened Cajun shrimp role which beware it is cold shrimp (maybe I just didn't know that). We also got the queso to share that has crispy jalapeños but it did just taste like your typical nacho cheese which didn't mind. Food service was quick and the staff was very kind! Can't wait for next summer to come back! read more

See all

A little lakeside gem, overflowing with authenticity, character, and unmistakable Chicago charm. With brilliant views of the lake and an unforgettable Lobster Roll, The Waterfront Cafe is the kind of place that captures the spirit of the city in the most effortless way -- and a MUST-ADD stop for any perfect Chicago day. Their Lobster Roll blew me away. Generous chunks of chilled lobster tossed in a bright, creamy lemon caper aioli, all tucked into a perfectly toasted, buttery New England-style bun. It's rich, refreshing, and packed with flavor. The service is nothing to write home about, but with views like these and a Lobster Roll this good, it's hardly a deal-breaker. This is the kind of place that reminds you why Chicago's best dining experiences aren't always found behind a white tablecloth. read more

The Waterfront Cafe - Lobster Roll - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Thank the almighty algorithm for finding this place for me. It's outside, it's on the lake and they have drinks and a lobster roll for my wife. Near perfect. I'm really only writing this now because there is something you should know if you think that the jerk chicken nachos are even remotely related to what those words together does to my brain when I form a mental image. Language is tricky like that. For the most part, we have generally agreed upon definitions of words so that we can form community and eventually civilization. Things can really break down if how I think of a string of words is drastically different from how you might think of them. Menus are a strange thing. Sometimes the words are so fancy that I don't even know what I'm looking at. I trust that someone has curated a culinary experience for me that will delight and make me think about intent and how we connect to food. Other times you might see Jerk Chicken Nachos and think, "Hey, that sounds good," but what you end up with is chicken salad with dried pineapple on some chips. Okay...I guess? Humans are funny. read more

The Waterfront Cafe - Believe it or not, what is in this photo is jerk chicken nachos after I ate the wet chicken salad that was on them. - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Friends and I organized a beach bike bar crawl this summer and of the 7 bars along the lakefront, this was by far my favorite. It's tucked away. Hidden almost and has a beautiful view. They feature live music and cafeteria style lobster rolls. I'm not going to lie, it might not have been the best lobster roll I've ever had, but it is the best one I've had on a Chicago beach. While I don't mind the cafeteria vibes. The interior where you place your order was very chaotic and felt very much like an afterthought or barely any thought. Considering how lovely the outside is, would be nice to spruce up the inside and create a stationed line or ordering system. Otherwise, I declare this my favorite of the northside beach bars. Now I may have saved you a bike tire from taking one for the team during my intense research that resulted in a busted tire, but a happy heart! read more

As always, amazing!! Best lobster roll in town, friendly counter service, beautiful outdoor dining. My only "complaint": I absolutely loved the canned sparkling rose (pink can). The past few times I've been, they've only had the canned flat rose (red can) and it is nowhere near as good! If you're reading this, go back to the sparkling!! read more

See all

My friend and I came here on a Thursday night to grab some drinks and food and listen to the live music. It has a super cute patio with lots of trees and you can see the lake. You could either order your drinks inside or they had a QR code on the tables where you could order drinks that way. Since it's fully outdoors it is only open during summertime. I had a pina colada that was super refreshing and not too sweet. I also tried the hibiscus margarita which tasted really fresh and the sangria which was a red blend with fruit mixed in. The drinks were a big serving for the price. We shared the seafood salad and sweet corn salad. I'm glad I got to check it out this summer it's been on my bucket list! read more

See all

Truly wish Waterfront Café was closer to my home, but it's so good that I have to visit every year with my girlfriend and doggies! I mean, look at the view alone! the food is delicious, fresh, affordable and prepared by the friendly, professional & efficient staff! Plenty of lovely patio seating next to a friendly family Park and bonus is live music on most nights! read more

See all

Nice place on Lake Michigan in uptown. Nice staff and cool vibes. The food leaves a lot to be desired for this price bracket. The ceviche was literally baby shrimp for sure frozen. Very chewy and fishy. The jerk chicken nachos were okay at best. The drinks were decent and the only good thing we experienced from the menu. Would not recommend honestly except for the location. read more

The Waterfront Cafe - Ceviche - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Tis the season! Waterfront cafe is back! Absolutely loved this place last summer and excited to love it again this summer. I got the deluxe roll this time which is lobster, crab, AND shrimp. Absolutely fantastic! read more

See all

Amazing place for lunch with friends. Great food, drinks, service, and views. I brought my dog along as well. Perfection! 100% recommend!!! read more

The Waterfront Cafe - View from picnic table. - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

This is a hidden gem in Chicago / Edgewater neighborhood. We found it on Instagram and went. First of all, location is prime with lovely lakefront views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline views. It was so good we went back the next night on Friday while they had live music! We got the seafood salad and nachos. It was really good and sorry it's been a month now and I can't remember the titles! My cousins have said they go there too!!! read more

The Waterfront Cafe - Waterfront Cafe. Seafood salad and nachos - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Waterfront Cafe is truly a hidden gem. My only regret is that I didn't find out about this place sooner. It's located alongside the water with an abundance amount of outdoor seating (pup friendly!!) Because it is very much so an outdoor patio type of place, they are only open for the summer time. You first place your order inside and grab any seat outside and they bring it right out for you. I've sadly only was able to go twice since I found out about this place but both times were nothing less than perfect. Both times, we ordered the brown butter crab roll, lobster roll, and jerk chicken nachos. Now there are a lot of places that have good views and views but lack food quality and taste but this place certainly has it all. The brown buttered crab is so sweet and the crispy buttered roll.. I don't think there's anything better. I personally prefer the brown buttered crab roll over the lobster. Both rolls are super generous portioned and fresh as well. And to think I couldn't be more blown away, the jerk chicken nachos.. I never had jerk chicken before so I can't say how authentic it is BUT this chicken is the most tender and soft chicken I've ever had.. and the sauce that comes on top.. I'm honestly drooling over it typing out this review! I have nothing but good things to say about this place. Only sad thing is we gotta wait another few seasons to get our hands on this delicious food again!! read more

The Waterfront Cafe - brown butter crab roll x jerk chicken nachos - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Such a gorgeous view! Go for the lobster roll and hibiscus tea, you won't regret it. They also have gluten free rolls!!!! Service was ok, but not the focus: this is an order at the counter place. I'll be back!0 read more

Beautiful location and cold beer, sangria, and cocktails, as well as many snacks. This is a great place to meet friends after work and enjoy the late summer evenings. If you come at dusk be sure to wear longer clothing and/or bring bug spray, because the biting flies will try to snack on you. read more

Can't beat the views, vibes, and ambiance of this place! Gorgeous spot on the water, transporting you to the beach. A bit hard to find parking, but worth it. Lobster roll was good, but not $28 good, a little dry. Fast service, you order at the counter and they bring it out to your table. read more

The Waterfront Cafe - Lobster Roll - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

What a beautiful and relaxing place to grab a bite! This little gem had delicious, affordable food and drink in a terrific location - right on the lake! Apparently they also have live music occasionally which would make it even more interesting. Highly recommended! read more

See all

Great place for a quick bite and a drink eight on the water in Edgewater. Summer hours only, but they stayed open an extra day this year, which was a pleasant surprise. There is nothing bad on the menu. All the seafood is delicious, and the lobster roll is fantastic. They have a limited alcohol list, but it does the trick. Live music on the weekend completed and ambience. read more

This place lived up to the hype. It's a great spot off the lake. The food was delicious. And the vibe was fun. The only down side was the very long line and we were the last to leave. They had pretty much shut everything down and all the critters started to come out, but how can you avoid in a big city ? read more

The Waterfront Cafe - Ice cream - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

I'm going to break down my reason for only 3*. First, the menu pricing here on Yelp is way off by $5 or more in some cases Whose responsibility is it to fix that?? 5* for lakeside dining-beautiful set up outside. 5* for wait staff inside, friendly and efficient. The food fell short for us. Jerk Chicken Nachos were very tasty but skimpy on the chicken and sauce. Too many tortilla chips had nothing on them. We ended up taking the chips home to make our own nachos later. I was very disappointed in the Brown Butter Crab Roll. The brown butter on the roll was delicious as well as the crab but the over filler of onion ruined it for me. Why would you think onion should be with crab. That is all I tasted! The aftertaste was just onion. A lot of celery also which I didn't mind as much. I was told they also put onion in their lobster roll. A big no to that also. Would rather you raise your price and not use fillers or be skimpy with the nachos topping. Even though I love the outdoor setting, I would not return for the items ordered. Maybe, to try something else. read more

Tasty simple food served up quickly and enjoyed by flawless view of Lake Michigan. A friend in the neighborhood took me there.

I came here because I had a taste for a lobster roll and wanted to go someplace where the views were nice; and got just that. I will say this place is somewhat in the cut, and I can see how people would miss it if they didn't know what they weee searching for. Once I arrived was able to seat myself to a table for 2 right by the views of the lake. FYI have a QR code to order drinks to be delivered. You have to go inside to order your food though. No big deal, but it would be cool if you could do both. I ordered a lobster roll with a Diet Coke. It didn't take long for the food to arrive. It was delicious, fresh and filling. read more

The Waterfront Cafe - Diet Coke for the homie - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Second time now at Waterfront Cafe; good restaurant with a nice amount of parking outside. Good amount of tables both inside and outside. Extensive menu and food is good. It can be pretty busy at times and service might be slower but all the servers are really kind and considerate read more

The Waterfront Cafe - Truffle Fries - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Disappointed. We walked 2 miles to waterfront cafe after looking up the hours and seeing they were open until 9. As we arrived an hour before listed close there were a few tables still there and they told us they were closed. Another group came in after us and pointed out the sign said 9PM. read more

Fantastic place. I've been coming here for years and it has evolved and changed over the years but has always been great. Food is quality and fairly priced, staff is friendly and efficient and the location can't be beat. The live music is a big plus. read more

Outdoor restaurant right on the lake. Beautiful view but all outdoor seating. You ordered your food from a window and the bring it out to you. I got the delicious lobster roll. I need to go back! So fresh and delicious. This place is seasonal so go before the season ends. read more

super solid northside gem - will miss it so much when I move!! Staff is super friendly and the seafood rolls scratch that summer itch for me. Best ones I've had in the city for sure. read more

See all

everything was awesome. the wine was awesome, the atmosphere was awesome, the staff was awesome. everything was awesome minus the millions of flies eating on my flesh and the bees sipping on my drink. read more

The fact that Waterfront has only 3.5 stars average on Yelp is beyond me... it's an easy 5 star experience every time. I bring my boyfriend, my friends, and my family here whenever I can. It's a bit pricey in terms of the menu, but for the vibes of snacking/sipping right by the lake during gorgeous seasonal weather, it's worth it. Not to mention that the food and drinks are actually GOOD. I love the jerk chicken nachos, and the crab roll is heavenly. I also really enjoy their sangria and their watermelon vodka lemonade as alcoholic drink options. Even though I live here, when I come to eat at The Waterfront, I feel like I'm on vacation. read more

What a cute spot on the lake. Wish I had found this gem sooner- makes a great spot to work from, enjoy a book, or meet friends. They have drinks and a restaurant, though I didn't try any of the food. read more

The Waterfront Cafe - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is wonderful the ambience. It's very relaxing because of the lake and the set up with the canopies make you feel like you are on vacation. They have a band every night. There's one band that plays on Sundays. A husband and wife duo their music is so downbeat if it wasn't for the atmosphere I would not go to their performance depressing. I love animals, but this one guy had a big German Shepherd, jumping in barking at someone else's dog really scared me. Everyone was looking around, hoping someone would come over and tell him to curb his dog or leave.. then another person had a dog digging holes in the ground, where he was able to put his whole head down in the hole. Maybe I'll bring my dog next time and let him have a good time as well.. The service is amazing. As far as the food and drinks, I was not pleased with it comparing to last year. They did not have simple fries with cheese. They couldn't even deep fry a Polish because they don't have a deep fryer.. I bought nachos once and they have pineapples on top pineapples and cheese do not go together I was like ewww lol. read more

This adorable restaurant made me feel like I was dining at a quaint seaside restaurant on the east coast. There is only outdoor seating and it's on a first come first serve basis. You order at the counter and then they bring your order to you. There was some fun jazz music playing, and they often have live performers but we didn't go on a night they did. We ordered a bottle of wine and two starters - the queso and the corn salad. They had a couple other vegetarian options too, such as a tofu salad and a beyond sausage sandwich. I did not love the food. It was fine to have as a snack but was nothing great. Maybe the non-veggie food here, such as the lobster roll or burger, would be better? I would 100% come here again because the location is amazing, and there's no better spot to watch the sunset over the lake on a warm night. Atmosphere is a 5/5! Service was fast. The food was really lacking for me. I would come back for a glass of wine but I wouldn't eat here again. read more

The Waterfront Cafe - wine - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Just a beautiful place on the water, I could sit here all day. Delicious crab roll. #iraeats #iraeats1 read more

The Waterfront Cafe - Brown Butter Crab Roll - Sandwiches Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great spot for summer nights with friends. Great lake views, live music, and friendly staff and manager. Food is good too!

The Waterfront Cafe was ok. The view and patio was epic, but the food was pretty basic and expensive. It wasn't bad, but it also wasn't amazing either. It could be better. It was very one dimensional. We both agreed that the flavor wasn't worth returning for. It's a one and done for us. read more

This is an amazing place just for the location on the water. The salads are good and decent beer and wine selection. Spend a lovely afternoon hanging out there. I watched the jets practicing for the air show. read more

The views and space here are amazing! I wish they had a little bit of a bigger menu. The corn salad I had was ok

Bummed to say the least. I brought friends from out of town, excited to dine by the lake. We waited in line for a while and talked through the process, as it was new for most of the group and English is not their first language. A couple in line, named Kirsten and Freddy, made a comment and said, "You don't want to go get a told, that's not cool." I had no clue who this person was, so I introduced myself since she felt it appropriate to interject into my conversation. Moments later, an employee pulled Kirsten and Freddy out of the long line and allowed them to cut. Meanwhile, four of us waited in line, and finally, when we got to the desk to order, we were told we couldn't order if we didn't already have a table. Meanwhile, Kirsten and her partner cut the line and did exactly what she scolded me for. I told the employee, as he cleaned our table and laughed at me, that I was disappointed he encouraged this. I also shared that Kirsten ruined our experience and, because of her hypocritical behavior and his actions, we won't be back. read more

I didn't know what to expect. No reservations. Seat yourself, any open table. Order & pay inside and take a number to your table. They'll bring the order once it's ready. I love the beachy atmosphere! You sit under a canopy of trees and cafe lights, looking out onto beautiful Lake Michigan, clouds, sun, water. Just beautiful! Btw, there is no indoor seating; the only thing that's inside is the kitchen and bathrooms. Every order was flavorful and filling. The chicken salad had big chunks of chicken, walnuts, and cranberries. It was not swimming in mayonnaise. My two favorites were the Jerk Chicken Nachos and Blackened Cajun Shrimp Roll. There was plenty to share with the nachos. Just alittle heat added for a very tasty shareable dish. The Blackened Cajun Shrimp Roll also had some heat balanced out with a sweet lemon caper aiol. The New England grilled buttered bun is also an unsung hero of this sandwich. Mmmmm....so good! We also had ordered drinks: piña coladas, margaritas, and cold beers. Bottom line: this is a great outdoor place to pass an afternoon or evening. Very casual, low stress. The views are wonderful. I love the natural surroundings. It makes you think you're at the beach. Just go. You won't have white linen and stemmed goblets, but you'll love it all the same. read more

See all

I had NO idea this place existed, but someone invited me here to grab dinner on a nice warm day (Memorial Day) and it was such a beautiful spot. I will say the ordering system was a bit interesting given than only one person could be inside to order at a time, and then they'd ring the bell one it was your turn. It's not that big inside, but still found it weird. Maybe they're still taking COVID precautions? I'm not sure. Anyways, we ordered the jerk beef nachos and I got a beer and my friend got a cocktail. Needless to say, there's quite a lot of seating here and the views are absolutely stunning. They have string lights and lots of trees for shade, and it's also a great people-watching spot since there's a playground next to it as well as a little path just before the rocks at the water. They started playing some music when it got a little later so I'm assuming when it gets dark they do that? I have to say the nachos were pretty standard and nothing really stood out about them. I'd prefer to come back again to try some of the other food items. I don't feel like this is really a place I'd generally go out of my way for to eat per se, but definitely to have a drink any enjoy the views on a warm day. Will certainly be back! read more