Located within the Bush Library and Museum, this quintessential restaurant delivers great food. I had their Butternut Soup and Cobb Salad. For dessert, the Apple Cobbler. EVERYTHING was flavorful, and delicious! The customer service was stellar! I enjoyed my lovely surroundings, as I dined in this location! Highly recommended! Worth a stop! 5 Stars! read more

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

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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

Cafe 43 - Exterior of the George Bush Library which houses Cafe 43 - Cafes Near Me - Dallas, Texas

We reserved a table for 8 for a birthday celebration! The room was open and inviting with beautiful windows giving you the feeling of being outside! The service was excellent! They really cater to your every request! Everyone enjoyed what they ordered and the drinks and desserts were excellent too! It's actually a place where everyone could hear everyone at the table so that made for a wonderful place to celebrate! read more

Nice restaurant- good service and good food. We got the Salmon salad and Crab salads. The dill dressing on the salmon was solid and the crab with the avocado was tasty. Also got the cobbler and brownie desserts, they were okay. 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

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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

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We had a business lunch with 7 people on a moderately busy Thursday afternoon. Our server was very attentive and helpful. He kept our party happy with drinks refilled regularly. The food was good. For lunch, there was a nice range of salad options and some sandwiches and entrees, too. I had the salmon salad. It was a play on a Niçoise salad but the other ingredients (potatoes, green beans, etc) were is short supply. The salmon had a very nice crisp to the edges but was still tender on the inside. Quite tasty! A great option for group business lunches! read more

Fabulous meal! It was my daughter's birthday and they made her feel so special. Husband had Laura Bush's Favorite sandwich, added bacon and said it was one of the best sandwiches ever. I had crab salad which was delicious and fresh. Daughter had the pecan crusted chicken and said it was awesome. Atmosphere is light, bright and beautiful. Highly recommend! read more

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

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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

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Pecan Crusted Chicken is worthy of any President or one who served under him! What a great surprise! Who would have known a restaurant at a Presidential library would have been such a wonderful experience. We were there on Presidents day. The restaurant is immaculate inside with servers and staff who know how to take care of their customers. It was an unforgettable meal in an unforgettable place. read more

Wonderful food in a very nice environment with great service. Ive never had a bad meal or service at this restaurant.

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

Cafe 43 - Grilled Chicken Sandwich with sweet potato fries - Cafes Near Me - Dallas, Texas

Excellent service and really good food in pleasant surroundings...I had a lovely omelet and Bloody Mary. The dining room has wonderful natural light and the windows look out on the pleasant grounds...a favorite George and Laura's favorite ice cream for dessert! Check it out because I'm not telling you what flavor Double Ya likes! read more

All I can say is WOW. We just wanted a quick bite. Before we were totally seated, we had water and bread. We ordered two of the icecream desserts and almost ordered seconds. Definitely a place to return to. I will be back the next time I am in town. read more

A great option if you're hungry at the George W Bush Center. The $15 burger and fry was as good as you'd get at most places. Pretty atmosphere amd view. Friendly staff. read more

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

Cafe 43 - Grilled Chicken Sandwich - Cafes Near Me - Dallas, Texas

While in Dallas I planned a visit to the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum and noticed they had a cafe on site. I parked in a paid lot and walked up to the library which was looked pretty impressive, and noticed the entrance to the cafe on the right. In my mind I was expecting the typical museum cafe where it is very casual but walking in it was very elegantly fine dining. I was extremely impressed and this was just the lobby and the dining room had high ceilings and lots of windows. We were escorted to our table and passed by a private tables in a enclosed outdoor patio. We were seated at a white table cloth table and immediately attend to by staff members. We had a nice view of the outside garden and SMU in the backdrop. I have not been to a fine dining restaurant in a while since I live in Austin where it's hard to find due the hipster culture. But Dallas is cosmopolitan and this place shows it. There were professional waiters and staff where each person had their own job and attended to our needs. I ordered coffee and Mediterranean Grilled Chicken and my wife ordered a Wood Grilled Burger. While waiting I studied the map for the museum. The coffee tasted very good. Soon our meals arrived and was very presentable. I took a bite of the chicken and was very delicious. The chicken was seasoned perfectly and very soft. The Quinoa and vegetables include artichokes was a perfect choice and excellent too. I tried my wife's burger and wow it was really good. I was impressed with the lunch and atmosphere is so quiet. It is truly a romantic place to bring your loved one to. Afterwards we enjoyed the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum. You do not need admission to eat here so Democrats can relax. 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

Cafe 43 - Cafes Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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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

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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

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I came in here a little while ago on a Sunday for brunch and I must say, this place was fabulous!!! The service was top notch and it was all thanks to Mason! As soon as we were seated at his table, he took such wonderful care of my friends and me! He was so attentive and that is something that I truly appreciate! And the food is delicious! Oh my goodness, my brunch was literally in my dreams that night it was so good! I ordered the banana, peach, and pecan French toast and I think I went to heaven as I ate it! This is a wonderful brunch spot in dallas. Big thanks to Mason for making this such a great experience for our table. Because of him, we will definitely be back!! 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

Cafe 43 - Cafes Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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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

Cafe 43 - This is the artwork in the lobby of the restaurant. - Cafes Near Me - Dallas, Texas

Ok...so, I have to admit that I wasn't expecting much, but I was totally blown away. Excellent location, great ambiance, fantastic service and delicious food. Felt like a 5-star experience at surprisingly unassuming prices. $18 for an entree made with so much love. YES, please. I had the shrimp and crab spaghetti squash. Easily a $25+dish elsewhere, I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. Bread basket was warm and fresh. I had to stop myself from eating it all up. Luckily, I was having a meal with a cousin I hadn't seen in a long while and we had a lot of catching up to do - so I had to spend some of the time talking and listening rather than stuffing my face. I never eat all the food on my plate. But, I did here! Oh, and the special lemon box pie? I think I died and went to heaven. I started with a small bite...and then swallowed the rest of it. I will dream of this dessert. It needs to go on the regular menu. read more

This restaurant is located in the Bush Presidential Library right on the edge of SMU's campus. We thought the food was delicious - we had the crab salad and a chicken panini. The restaurant decor was simple and pleasant. It was a very nice unch. read more

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

Cafe 43 - Turkey burger yummy - Cafes Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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

Cafe 43 - Brisket Grilled Cheese with Whisky Onions, Swiss & Horseradish Sauce - Cafes Near Me - Dallas, Texas

I had one fancy chicken salad at Cafe 43 after visiting Dubya's Library next door. Granted it tasted dry, and the 2 pieces wheat toast was slightly burnt on one side, it was a pretty good light lunch. The accompanying salad existed of a spring mix with cherry tomatoes and a light vinaigrette. For dessert, I had a white peach sorbet. I believe the menu changes with the seasons. The next time I visit Cafe 43, I should really take advantage of the menu's variety. read more

Food was delicious. Atmosphere was very relaxing. Service was terrific. Great overall experience.

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

Cafe 43 - Texas Mimosas - Cafes Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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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

Cafe 43 - Ahi tuna tower - Cafes Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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

Cafe 43 - Cafes Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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

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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

Cafe 43 - Pulled pork sandwich with fruit side - Cafes Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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

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We had lunch here after we toured the museum. It was a very nice restaurant with a very nice menu. It was beautifully served in a beautifully designed room. I had Mrs Bush tomato mozzarella sandwich which was pretty good and my husband had the days special of fish tacos which he loved! My friends had the tomato soup and hamburger which they both enjoyed. The bread basket on the table had delicious cheesy flats and a cheesy bread. If you're having lunch after your tour I highly recommend stopping here! :) read more

This place has solid lunch offerings. I was able to enjoy a nice meal with my mother and a friend. The salads that they ordered looked good. I had the Short Rib French Dip. It was great. Savory meats with a nice jus. I would recommend this to anyone who in near SMU and wanting a no frills classy lunch read more

We came here for a friend's birthday. Decor is beautiful and the staff was very friendly and professional- even made special arrangements to accommodate a child at our table's picky eating habits with a smile on their faces. My husband's food was okay. But, my friends, the crawfish ettoufee pot pie that I ordered was a tragedy. It was more like frozen crawfish tails swimming in this weird tasteless gluey gravy. It had no flavor. I don't know if we just came at an odd time or what. It's a shame the food was so mediocre, because again, the waitstaff was amazing. read more