We were curious to try Czech food and we were delighted to find this charming restaurant. There were six of us and we tried and shared everything. The potato pancakes were light and crisp. The Topinky appetizer was a surprising combination of flavors on rye bread and just delicious. We tried braised beef, the roasted beef, the pork schnitzel, and the goulash but our favorite was the beef cheeks. Our server was outstanding, so friendly and efficient. She could give us a detailed description of everything on the menu. And the house made strudel was a must. The restaurant also gave us a complimentary shot of a herbal digestif after dinner. We had a great time and we will be back. read more

Milada, Thanks to you and your wonderful Cafe Prague staff, I hit the jackpot in man points! My descion to have my wife's birthday party at Cafe Prague was a stroke of genius. The table presentation was beautiful and classy. Not an easy task to accomplish. The appetizers were outstanding, both in taste and presentation. Your bartenders we're quick and friendly. Cafe Prague rocks! Everyone had a wonderful time. Thank you and Merry Christmas. read more

Had a delicious lunch at Cafe Prague today -- thank you Yelp for directing us to this neighborhood gem! Our server brought us a basket of bread with a pate that was out of this world. We started out with a delicious bowl of Czech garlic soup that looked like French onion soup in a soup crock with the muenster cheese melted on top -- no comparison though since this soup had ham chunks, potatoes and garlic. I ordered the Grass-Fed Beef Tartare that was the best I've had in the U.S. Besides tasting great, the presentation was absolutely beautiful. My husband ordered the Schnitzel Pork Cutlet and said it was good but liked my entree more. When we're in the neighborhood again, we will definitely be back. They have a Jazz Jam on Tuesdays which sounds like a lot of fun. read more

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I tried calling during the day to make reservations and after about 100 rings I gave up. I tried calling again just in case I dialed wrong but still got nothing. When I tried to call again I got a voice mail but it was full. Went a few weeks ago with a friend and we got there early, around 6:00pm. The restaurant was empty except for a couple of tables. The place is very warm and inviting, lots of wood, nice candle light and very clean. The hostess asked if we'd made reservations and I said we didn't but I tried and there was no answer. She shrugged. OK! She seated us right away and told us that they will get very busy around 7:30 or 8 as they had lots of private parties and the place gets very wild after 10. Nightclubish. We were served some bread with liver pate which was good. My friend ordered a beef dish and I got the chicken paprikas with bread dumplings. We also ordered side dishes of cucumber salad and beets salad. There are really no dinner salads to speak of and the small orders of cucumber and beets were $2 each which was very fair. I had to issues wtih our dinner. My friends beef dish came with potato pancakes which were very greasy and the plate only had six pieces of stew meat. But there was a full plate of gravy. She said it was very bland. My chicken paprikas was one chicken thigh. Just one. Thigh. Four massive slabs of very dry bread dumpling and a plate of gravy. There must have been a full 10 ounces of very bland gravy. Usually chicken paprikas has the flavor of paprika. This had none. It was bland and lacking flavor at all. The piece of chicken was either grilled or baked but had no seasonings on it and it too was bland. Good consistency, but how do you serve one chicken thigh and dry dumplings? The little cucumber and beets salads were good. The quality of the products was good but everything was boring. The dumplings were overly dry, and a piece of white bread would have been better because it could have soaked up the gravy. The other reason for a low star count was the flowers. There were huge lilies on every table along with some other beautiful fresh flowers. Something tropical. The problem though is that the lilies were so fragrant that they made it so all we could taste was flowers. I love flowers on a table in a restaurant but they have to be unscented. You never put strong flowers or candles with smells in a place where food is being served because the odors take over. And the flower scents were s strong that I was getting a headache by the time we left. When we left at 8pm it was getting very busy and many of the tables were now filled with private party gueusts which is nice to see. I would go back and try it again if they got rid of the flowers and I could ask the chef to add more seasoning. i do want to say that our server was really nice. A terrific young lady who could not have been nicer. She is the other reason I would go back. Super nice and had a good attitude and lots of information. read more

My wife and I lived in Prague for a long time and we've always had a hankering for a good svickova or Smazeny Syr and Cafe Prague nailed it! Run by Czechs, clearly for Czechs. Great beer. Great food and the weird Czech decor :) If you get 'the traditional fried cheese' which is Smazeny Syr, get it with Muenster cheese. Also the sirloin in cream sauce (Svickova) is a great meal. Being Czech don't expect the service to be on point, they're slow, but hey in the Czech Republic its the same so just go in with that mindset. You are stepping into a Czech establishment. They're very polite and helpful though, which is not what you get in Prague. On our last visit we took some friends and they absolutely loved it. I would recommend to anyone who wants the authentic Czech food and experience and not want to pony up for a flight to europe, go here! You won't be disappointed! read more

Wow. Not sure where this is but it's like 6.5 miles west on Belmont. Went here for the bf's birthday with his family. Got there at 6:30pm and ended up staying until 1am. Let me explain... We get there and order drinks. I had the staropramen which was good and ended up drinking that all night. I started with the mushroom soup and then the goulash for my main. My food was really good. For those of you who are cooler than me, they do have absinthe but my wilder dranking days are quite rare now. The best thing was that around 8ish the DJ starts playing quite a bit of disco a la Bee Gees. Then as it gets later he starts playing a lot of obscure new wave and lesser known 80s music. Shut. The. Front. Door. I. Die. After the 'rents pay and leave, we go to the bar and have a few more drinks. All of the staff here was nice and they spoke English for us. Make sure your phone is charged so you can shazam all these songs. I knew they would play One Night in Bangkok, but the lesser known Boney M (not Rasputin!) was a surprise. We actually got out to the dance floor for several songs. Definitely a fun Saturday night! read more

I give cafe prague 5 stars because they have an interesting set up. The place has an internet cafe, restaurant area, bar area, and a reading area filled with books, CDs, magazines all in czech. They also have good margaritas, different selection of food, and alot of side dishes. I have tried their goat cheese side dish with a glass of wine. However, my only complaint is parking . Most places in the city have tight places for parking. read more

My Girlfriend and I went on a Sunday Afternoon around 4:00pm. We both had the Moravian Style Pork Slow Roasted Pork with Aromatic Vegetables served with Sauerkraut and Potato Dumplings!!! The sauerkraut is homemade/handmade, no sulfites, no MSG!!! The vegetables were just some tiny and thin fried onions that were garnished on top of the pork, they tasted yummy. This was so good; I thought it was even better than what my Bohemian Grandmother would serve up! I was very impressed. Nice looking place to come anytime, especially at night to party and have some good drinks. Awesome beers on tap, Czech beers rock! Not much of a tap selection but for 4 Bucks for a 1/2 liter, that great!! My server was nice. The other people eating their shared some of their potato pancakes which were tasty. We left feeling stuffed and happy. I look forward to many returns. I will bring my dad and grandpa for sure! This is the kind of yummy, savory and delicious food we grew up with. Order or even take a sample of the different beers! = ) Enjoy! read more

Went in, not knowing what to expect. The Czech places that I'm accustomed to had retirement-home clientele, old dated interior, and big portioned meals that were cheap. Cafe Prague isn't one of those places. Inside was anything but dated, had the exposed brick thing going, which made the interior look modern. The set-up was different as it looked like it was half restaurant/dance club. The constant loud trance music was a bit much, especially for 3:30 on a Thursday, which felt like walking into a trendy salon. Had my heart set on the beef goulash but the barmaid said that they didn't have any and she said in a cute and enthusiastic heavy eastern European accent to not go without trying one of her homeland favorites, either the Moravian Pork or the Czech Roast Beef in Creamy Sauce. Hungry and enjoyed hearing that accent, I decided with the Czech roast beef in creamy sauce. The few slices of roast beef with bread dumplings covered in some type of yellow gravy didn't look appetizing at first, but the sauce was pretty tasty, had a definite sour cream taste to it. Roast beef had zero fat on it and was very good. The sliced bread dumplings had pieces of bacon inside. The lady there was nice and very pretty, but expect to feel a little out of place if you don't speak Polish. 3.5 stars FYI park in the Walgreens lot for a spot read more

I feel like I ate at a completely different restaurant after reading the other reviews. My boyfriend is Czech and has lived more of his life in the Czech Rep. than he has in the US, so finding decent places that remind him of back home is a difficult task. I'm assuming like myself, all the other reviewers are American. However, I've had a lot of authentic Czech food and usually the flavors are more bold and the portions are larger. I also thought this place was really steeply priced for what you get. I split an entre with my boyfriend and had a couple beers and our bill was like $60 bucks. Maybe you city folk are just used to being robbed.. The only saving grace is that the staff was very friendly, and the atmosphere was what I expected (very similar to Bistro). The beer selection is great but it's fairly standard for what Czech bars and restaurants located in Chicago have to offer. I would probably stop in again for a beer if I'm in the area, but I'll stick to cuisine at other places since this is just too far from my neighborhood. read more

This place is such a gem! After a trip to Prague, we were hankering for some traditional Czech food. You HAVE to try the dill potato soup--- DELICIOUS! The prices are very affordable and the service was top notch. Their lattes weren't half bad, either. Be careful! The food is so good you could find yourself ordering the whole menu. read more

Always great food in this classy restaurant. For me it is one of the best restaurants and I would recommend it to everyone read more

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I am obsessed with stealing wireless and their iced coffee. Pretty good place to chill on a lazy summer afternoon. It's usually freezing, there's usually somebody in here who knows who ever is working and they're hanging out, and there's lots to look at with the giant windows. Haven't had the food yet, but they serve their iced coffee in these cool giant glasses. The different areas to sit are cool, and they have a pretty nice bathroom. Yeah, I'm a fan. read more

Cafe Prague Jazz Tuesday night was a hit! Great job guys definitely a relaxing place and funky place to go in the week. read more

Cafe Prague - Music - Czech Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Very disappointed due to the blatant racism I experienced here. We were celebrating my mom's birthday and when one of my Hispanic friends entered, she was automatically confronted at the front and denied entry due to not being 21 while other White people were not even stopped to be carded. We then explained that she was a guest at my mom's birthday party. We were told that due to her parents not being present she wouldn't be allowed. We then pointed out that there were other polish teenagers and children there without parents and were let in without incident. The manager then stumbled over his words gave another excuse and simply would not budge. A big group of us then left due to feeling very disrespected and unwelcome. We will not be returning as it's very obvious that they want to keep this establishment white and only white. read more

My first time here and I will definitely come back. The food and service was amazing! Make sure the have the beef cheeks! Please make sure to come and see Olena read more

Nothing special. So poor menu, nothing to choose and not delicious;/ I order tiramisu eat two spoons and feel nausea ,it was extremely sweet. I am not recommend this place. read more

Cafe Prague - Schnitzel - Czech Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I had my birthday party at Cafe Prague last night. I just got to review as I never felt so glad of having a birthday celebration there. Upon arriving, the reception lady showed us to our reserved spot. Our waitress was so polite asking if the table arrangement was good. Never have I been asked something related to logistics before - that is great attention. Upon reservation I asked for a spot which is not too noisy (not blasting with music from speakers) and we were placed right on. I asked our server if it was okay to split the bill into 3 at least as we are a big group and she even presented a better option - individual bills. Some restaurants I had to request such and I have been denied. (Billing can be chaotic when it is a big group.) The table set up was wonderful and the atmosphere was elegant. I asked our server to help me on my choices and I was pleased with her suggestions of meal. The cake we brought was served in a nice tray and they have oomph it with a great firework style candle. The DJ announced my birthday and everyone in the restaurant was singing. My husband was kinda late in taking a photo so I was not able to blow before the light went off but the server was so attentive that she put another candle and lit it up. They cut the cake for us and served them individually. The waitress even gave me whatever was left of the cake to go. Soon our waitress came over with some shots for everyone on the house. How sweet is that? My husband ordered beef goulash and mushroom soup. He liked the soup. My order came a little later from some of the guests nearby me but I guess mine takes longer preparation so I did not mind that. Those who had salmon I believe liked it. The portions were relatively satisfying - actually can be quite plentiful - like the roast pork. I think the pricing is reasonable. The music was a mixed of different genra. There were some latin which some of my dancing lady friends liked and some pop and I think there were also some techno. People were dancing so it meant there was not any dull music playing. I would recommend this place for parties. There are not a lot of places wherein you can have dining, dancing and actually hear each other when talking. read more

Ordered goulash and pot roast. Goulash meet was dry. Pot roast meet and gravy was good but dumplings too dense. I lived in Prague so have a basis of comparison. read more

I attended a concert here and I am assuming they changed the set-up to accomodate more people. The stage is actually in a good spot - it is in a corner in the back of the cafe, so no matter where you are sitting, you have a good view of it. Although the decor was not visible underneath the many people who flooded in to watch the concert, I did like the modern look of the exposed brick wall. The bar is alonside one of the walls on the way to the bathroom (someone really must have put some thought into the set-up). Parking is a bit hectic, because they do not have their own lot, but we were able to find a spot along Belmont about a block away. Considering that the concert attracted many people, I would say that the parking situation was not bad at all. This was my first time at Cafe Prague and I understand that they regularly feature local artists. I did not have the opportunity to try the food, but definitely will the next time I'm there. read more

We had dinner here on 5/31/15. The food is wonderfully and beautifully presented. Our server, Oaxana, was delightful. I did not get the manager's name, but she was very welcoming. The atmosphere is warm and friendly. We will definitely go back. read more

Cafe Prague - Filet minion - Mmm! - Czech Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I've lived near Harlem & Irving for many years and must have passed this gem of a spot a million times. First visit this past Tuesday 3/12/19 for their weekly jazz night, which runs 8:00 - 11:30pm. The ambiance, service, cocktails, and music all worthy of 5 stars. I look forward to coming back for dinner!!! read more

Had a great experience eating here! The waitress was very kind and offered great recommendations, and let us try a sample appetizer on the house. Our drinks were never empty and she was attentive without being in our faces. Let's talk about the ambiance. Simple but elegant. The music was great. Lots of Melodic metal ballads and dancy cover songs. And best of all, they are OPEN LATE! I had goulash which was tender well seasoned , and came with my favorite, potato pancakes. My boyfriend had chicken schnitzel with gooey cheese and mushrooms with mashed potatoes. So freaking good! Will I be back? Oh yes. read more

I've been here seven times now and every experience has been excellent. The servers are all attentive, nice and extremely helpful in making food and drink recommendations. For purposes of comparison I've been to the other Polish and Czech restaurants in the are and find the service here well above the rest. The atmosphere is simple but tasteful. The value for the quality of food is exceptional. I can recommend the beef goulash with potato pancakes, the shnitzel and the pork shank as well as the selection of beer. If you're up for some Czech spirits try the Becherovka, Fernet and the plum brandy. They usually have the game on (Blackhawks, Bulls, etc.) at the bar so I go here instead of the sports bars in the area when I want to watch a game and drink a beer. However, I haven't been there for the DJ nights yet, so can't comment on that vibe. read more

Uplně Výborný! As one reviewer notes "...by and for Czechs..." but also for anyone that appreciates new and different experiences in dining. Brought a large party for a special event. The staff treated us with friendly efficiency, style, and class. The decor breaks from the traditional, beloved, beautiful but folksy, artisan-based woodwork, paintings, and artifacts of a Bohemian mountain lodge and moves toward casual, wide-open, urban upscaled dining, drinks, and entertainment. The menu is simple but every appetizer and dish displayed a passion for the art of cuisine and took well known everyday dishes by Czechs to the next level. Dishes were brought promptly. Servers were attentive. The beef goulash was succulent, the beef melt-in-your-mouth tender, the gravy perfectly seasoned and paired with a merlot was memorable. There was not a complaint in the crowd. They have a nice selection of Czech beers on tap and an ample selection of beer, wine and liquor overall. You can watch all Hawks games on several monitors at the bar. Most of the staff speaks Czech but all of the staff is professional and friendly. All of this for very reasonable prices. Cafe' Prague vy jste super!! read more

Cafe Prague - Food and Friends Well Enjoyed at Cafe Prague - Czech Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Visited on Sunday afternoon. Was in Chicago visiting relatives. I am originally from Chicago and I am Czech. The food was overpriced for the serving on each plate. Schnitzel was just OK with just mashed potatoes. No vegetables or anything extra. The beef goulash was very dry, even with the gravy. Way overpriced with only bread dumplings included. Had 8 people for lunch with us and nobody really exclaimed how good the food was; just OK. Pretty sad!!! Small servings. Not worth the visit. Food was boring!! I think my relatives were just being polite, because I picked out this restaurant. Won't be coming back when I visit again. read more

I really enjoyed this place however I wish I had gone for lunch instead of dinner because it is a little bit pricey. They are authentic. I like that. I enjoyed the delicious appetizers as well. I ate more of that than anything else. I would come back. Good selection of alcohol too. read more

This restaurant has a great ambiance. I had the Beef Goulash, it was amazing. I wish there was a way to rate twice. Once for the food which would get 5 stars and once for the service. Petra provided no service. She never offered to refill our drinks and she never came to check on us. We had to wave her down. I had previously been there and Barbara provided way better service. This is a beautiful restaurant with great food but the service is a toss up! read more

Cafe Prague - Beef Goulash with potato pancakes. - Czech Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My favorite restaurant in the area. Service and food are always excellent. Definatly have to try the goulash and their homemade pasteka.

Cafe Prague is a neighborhood staple with a great ambience, wonderful service and delicious food. We have had a few events and parties hosted here and I have never seen a business owner more attentive than Milada. She'll do everything to make sure your guests have a great time. Ran out of appetizers? She'll whip up more amazing and beautifully presented appetizers in a few minutes. Brought a cake? She'll have it cut up perfectly so that everyone gets a slice. What to play your own music? She'll talk to the DJ for you. If you're thinking about renting out a space for an event, a birthday party, anniversary, christening- anything really- I recommend Cafe Prague. With Milada, you don't have to worry about a thing and your guests will be impressed with the food and the service by all the beautiful waitresses. And even if you're not hosting a party, enjoy a beer on their patio this summer! read more

Yum, yum Yum. My Step-Father found this place and insisted we try it out. As usual he was right. I ordered the Dill soup and also the Chicken and Mushroom Ragout for lunch. Our server gave me a weird look but didn't say anything. The Dill soup was HUGE! No wonder she looked at me oddly... so. much. food. I do wish she would have said that the soup was big enough to share with the entire table, but I get why she didn't... maybe too polite to call me a pig lol. She was pretty on top of her game. The Dill soup was incredible. I would recommend it to anyone. It also was way too much. I ended up taking the Chicken and Mushroom Ragout home so I am sure it wasn't as awesome as it could have been fresh. As a leftover I thought it was pretty good, though the Potato Pancakes didn't make it... sob ;( My honey got the Caprese Salad which he felt was a bit bland, I agreed with him. The Basil was a bit overwhelmed by the amount of oil. He also got the Beef Goulash which again we felt was a bit bland and my Step-Father had made mention of this at the beginning but we still wanted to try it. My Step-Father got the Garlic soup & really liked it much to the dismay of Vampires throughout the Schorsch Village. He also had the Vegetarian sandwich and felt it was extremely tasty. read more

I have visited this place three times, yesterday being my most recent. I went with a friend were surprised to see kids running around. At times kids sitting around the bar area with I'm assuming their parent. I was also confused by their concept, alternative music? Bar and family restaurant ? Weird mix. Food wise, we both had salads and both were disappointing. The lettuce tasted like it had been too long in the fridge. I had nothing to drink but water, and even that wasn't filled promptly by our distracted waitress. Quiet annoying since she seem to check on everyone else ( we were in the bar area). On the flip side , coffee was pretty good!!! Two stars for it! read more

We have gathered as a small group of friends twice, and both times were fun, delicious, and memorable...which is saying something since their drinks are potent and flow like wine...or, in CP's case, like plum brandy!! * The food does not fail!! We ordered a myriad of items and it looked like a king's feast complete with a giant shank resting atop an enormous bed of sauerkraut. The potato pancakes are my fave and the mushroom soup is the mister's. He had been dreaming about it since the first visit. The biggest problem with the food is you order so much and barely have any room for it when the actual meal arrives because you've already scarfed down this light and fluffy pate (I don't even eat that but it's sooo good!) and other appetizers you just had to have. Oh, yes, we are a bit loud from time to time, and not once did we feel shamed for enjoying ourselves. Because of all of the above, this has become our new fave meeting place to share and catch up on our lives. *they also have flaming absinthe shots and a number of delightful martinis. read more

Nice atmosphere, not so great food. The dumplings were hard, pork was not tasty. My friend got the Duck and was disappointed. Nice place for drinks or coffee, forget the food. Service was OK. Waitress was busy doing side work most of the time. read more

They serve great food! Personal is very friendly, especially the owner Milada, she gave me great advice what would be better to order for my family party. Everyone enjoyed the dishes and the place itself. Highly recommend! read more

It has been 10 months since I first stepped into Cafe Prague and I am please to say that everything I expressed in my first review is true today. The food remains varied and prepared with care. Malada's kitchen continues to balance its traditional Czech fair with wonderful salads-the Caprese- and fish offerings- the Grilled Trout.. And the Garlic and Mushroom soup have yet to be surpassed by any I've had in the city.. My recommendation as we enter 2016: be more aggressive with new menu offerings. Just don't touch the Mushroom or Garlic soup ! 5 Stars are now gladly bestowed. read more

I was searching today on Yelp a place to had lunch, seeing the "Cafe Prague", I was thinking why to not try it and I did a good choice. The food was delicious,I had the chance to try stuffed mushrooms, schnitzel pork mushroom and one of there desserts-tiramisu. Cafe Prague had a nice ambiance and a good service. The time that I spent there was nice. Definitely I'll be coming back read more

I wish it was possible to give half a star to reflect the experience I had at this establishment. First, the waitress made a mistake on my order but I just asked for my intended request as a side order and was considering paying extra but she informed me I couldn't have it with my meal then changed her story that I could, but it will cost extra. She didn't apologize nor acknowledge her mistake but I let it go. So after eating my meal (my steak wasn't even hot and wasn't prepared the way I requested) i asked for the check, I had to make this request multiple times before she finally delivered the check to me. I gave her my AMEX card and she quickly informed me that they don't accept AMEX but I told her it clearly shows on the door that they accept it. She responded rudely "well I don't know what it says on the door but we don't accept it". Luckily I had another card and paid to include a a $0.00 tip. Maybe they provide better service to individuals that look like them or they waitress was having a bad day or various other reasons. THIS IS NOT HOW YOU TREAT PATRONS PERIOD! read more

I give it four stars because it isn't open late. But other then that it's really the perfect cafe. It really takes you to Europe with it's culture (books in the back, candy from Prague, music videos hanging from the ceiling). it also is a cozy little place for a nice dinner date or even to catch up on a book. And did I mention free wifi!? You got to love that. read more

Food is amazing there! Staff is very nice and helpful. The only thing I didn't like is their DJ. He is very rude!!! My friend had her 21 B-day there and when she came and ask him to play her favorite song he said that he doesn't work for her and she can listen to those songs that he has in his playlist. Most of his songs were Polish and since we are not Polish we didn't really enjoy it. When you have B-day dance part is very important and that polish DJ just ruined it. read more