I had dinner here with colleagues during a visit in Chicago.The food was good. The service was excellent. I had the rigatoni and sausage pasta. The appetizer of cauliflower was delicious! Not too crazy about the deviled eggs. read more

Best pancakes in Hyde park. And everything else is also amazing quality and great service

I have been to Mesler many times since it opened and always found the persons at the host/hostess station to be aloof. The last three times that I was there with different guests, Raven made sure that we were able to keep our reservations, made us feel comfortable and welcome and thanked us profusely for coming. It was as though she was graciously inviting us into her own home. The food has always been outstanding and the wait staff has always been excellent. This one addition (Raven) makes the experience worth repeating over and over for my local and out of town guests. Thank you? Ingrid Wallace read more

So delicious! Also, I felt like the portions were perfect, and reasonable for the price. I didn't leave feeling unpleasantly stuffed. We had some amazing liver mousse, and 2 yummy pastas with more stuff than pasta (thanks!) They had created some great cocktails to start. The space is very pretty, with an artsy, literary vibe and live music. (though I was glad that was in another room--think it would have been too loud in the same room.) My only complaint is the service was slow, though very nice. It was a very busy night. I will definitely be back. read more

I enjoy drinks on the patio and at the bar. The bartenders have great personality and know how to make a good sidecar.

Update: Ate dinner in the restaurant last night and had a fantastic meal. Again the pisco sour was a winner, and I really enjoyed my bucatini. My husband had the salmon, which was out of this world good. read more

This is our third time eating at Mesler Kitchen & Bar, and we were hoping that the third time would be the charm. Unfortunately, that was not the case. We were told when we called, that first priority would be given for the outdoor area to those who made reservations and requested this area in the preference section of the reservation form. When we walked in however for our reservation, we were told it would be a 45 minute wait to sit outside. When I asked about this, we were told that walk ins were given priority for those tables even if they came in a few minutes prior to our reservation time. Most restaurants would hold the most sought after tables for those who made reservations. When I brought this up to the managers (a male and a female), they were both argumentative and contradicted one another. Finally I had to just walk away. The space is beautiful, but with food that is just "ok" and poor ratings for customer service since it opened, they need to do better. read more

The restaurant is empty. The hostess has a line of people and is claiming she needs to get tables clean. We can see lots of clean tables. We've paid for breakfast as part of our stay but it seems we won't get to use it. It makes no sense and it's infuriating. We finally got seated. The waitress is great -- friendly, warm, good description of the food. The room is very pretty and seats are comfortable. The food is very well presented. The problem is the restaurant is under-staffed. The table next to us is dirty when we sit down and never gets cleaned before we leave. It's a first class place but the service suffers because there are not enough people. As we were leaving I saw the hostess clearing a table for the next party. It's no wonder she's overwhelmed -- she shouldn't be cleaning tables. read more

Went here on a Wednesday night and it was packed! Outside and in. Well appointed space, tasty food and reasonably priced drinks. The manager (Claire?) was accommodating when we were mistakenly told they were no longer seating outside. She was cordial and gracious. We will definitely return for another meal! I hear the brunch is great! Thanks for adding another spot to the growing list of fun hangouts in Hyde Park! read more

The restaurant in the hotel itself is beautiful and the ambience is upscale - the whole experience was decadent. We enjoyed the pineapple mimosas with brunch and our server was helpful and very friendly. Food was good but the portion sizes were very small for the price. You won't be filling up on your favorite foods here but you'll enjoy your meal nonetheless. read more

This was a great experience of good energy and food drinks. LaPorscha was an amazing server , who was honest fun-loving, and had the best energy. Then, Ryan the manager came and greeted the table and was highly professional and reminded us of why we love Mesler! It was a great experience. Good way to kick off the holiday week! read more

Mesler is definitely one of the best restaurants in Hyde park.I'm a big fan of the lobster roll, I order it every time.

The food and atmosphere may be grand but the service is not. I keep coming back to see if it will get better--and because I love working out of this space--but if anything, it has gotten worse and that makes me so sad... My advice is to sit at the bar or in the actual dining area for a prompt, professional experience. If you have a TON of time on your hands and aren't that hungry, sit in the lobby/lounge area. I'm not sure how management hasn't seen or realized how extremely lackluster the dining experience is in the lounge. If they were to simply stand by and watch, they would see how often people are looking around for their server and asking for the same item twice or never getting it at all... (My advice is to try to come in on a day that a server named, Dell is working. He is exceptional and noticeably making an effort to provide a good experience. Even on a busy day.) read more

We went out tonight and had the most wonderful dinner. Our server Laporsha was so incredible! She gave great recommendations and was so happy and in good spirits. I've been here before and liked it but tonight was truly special because of Laporsha. I hope this feedback gets back to you, thank you! read more

I was there early Sunday evening with a friend. The service was good at the bar, comfortable seating in an attractive interior and the music was at the right sound level. The wine by the glass was a nice selection - I had a still rose' and later an effervescent rose' and my companion had Moscow Mules. Why no copper mugs ?We ordered the chicken wings, not bad - a little dry. Had they been sitting in the warmer station? Anyway, I plan to return in the near future for it ambiance. read more

I celebrated a friend birthday at Mesler Kitchen . The ambience is very elegant . We enjoyed the food , and a wonderful evening. Our waiter was very nice and attentive. read more

Hot spot with just-right menu and friendly wait-staff. Sunday brunch is best early since late service folks and no service folks eat up all the good stuff LOL. A definitive go-to and needed in the neighborhood. read more

I'm visiting from Texas and this place has a great atmosphere. It was good to get away from the tourist part of Chicago. Loved the 5th Ward burger just what I needed to go along with two strawberry margaritas. Would love to visit in the winter and enjoy drinks by the fireplace. read more

This is a fabulous bar and restaurant right in Hyde Park. The staff are busy but really take the time to chat and get to know you so you'll never feel like a stranger. The menu is decent, not a huge amount of choices but almost everything is delicious. You won't be disappointed! read more

We are Hyde park residents who love supporting local businesses and we eat at restaurants all over the city. We were very excited to try Mesler this morning for brunch. We saw they closed at 2 and we arrived at 1:47 and they refused to seat us. We asked if they could make an exception but they said it was 2 mins too late. It was very disappointing as there were many people eating. I don't feel they should treat local patrons in that manner. We have gone to many restaurants ten minutes before they stop seeing and there has never been an issue as long as we agree to order quickly and we were happy to. read more

My wife and I travelled from Baltimore and stayed at the Sophy hotel. We decided to try Mesler. Our waitress BEE was nothing short of amazing as was the food we ate. She convinced us to try something new and her customer service was superior. Because of BEE, we will gladly come back! Reggie G. read more

First time ordering here and I am not pleased. I order the Maine Lobster Roll. When I opened the box, I immediately saw juice at the bottom of the box so I knew then my fries was soggy. The Lobster Roll was very small for $25.00, it taste watered down, no flavor. The bun was soggy which was not good either. I won't be ordering that again read more

Mesler continues to please!!! Great Old Fashioneds and Steaks. LaMar and Mikael are amazing servers--friendly and efficient.

Marvelous place to dine and enjoy a glass of wine and delicious appetizers followed by freshly created entrees and a romantic atmosphere with candlelights, books, I tired, mirrors, and great company. Ask for the waiter, LaMar. He is so excellent. read more

I really wanted to enjoy my time at Mesler because the presentation of the restaurant is phenomenal and would seem to lend itself to a well structured and sophisticated dining experience. Sadly, the service did not match the decor. The manager Ryan was very apologetic and worked to try to remedy the numerous service problems we had, but there was only so much anyone could do as a result of the abysmal service. Although I ordered from the prix fixe menu for Chicago Restaurant week, they didnt seem to make their staff aware that there was more than one menu for the night, nor did they seem to know what the menu and price included (despite both menus and the standard menu being made available when we were seated). It's hard to believe that one could be given the wrong dish 3 times, but that is exactly what happened when I got the seafood pasta dish (to which I am allergic) instead of the butternut squash rigatoni. As a concession, we were offered a comped cauliflower appetizer and a free dessert, but those, too, were lacking in flavor with poor texture(although I admittedly did not get to taste the ice cream, which told is amazing). I didn't receive my entree until an hour after I was seated and by then I was already so disappointed that the unappetizing and unrecognizable mushrooms in the dish could do no further harm. Our server was friendly and apologetic, but after all the mishaps, they still managed to get our bill wrong. We had a fantastic stay at the hotel, but the restaurant left everything to be desired. I would only go back for the wine and the ambiance. read more

I've been here for brunch and dinner. The brunch menu is good and reasonably priced. For dinner, I had one of their pastas and I was sincerely disappointed. The pasta itself was overcooked and the sauce tasted like the tomato sauce you can buy from generic brands in the super market. In summary, I would come here again for brunch but not for dinner. read more

Mesler Kitchen Bar Lounge - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

From the outside, Mesler looks like a dream. Every evening, the bar is full of laughing people, there's even a pretty gas fireplace. Whenever I walk by, I want to forget about wherever I am going and duck inside. And the couple of times I've actually done it have not disappointed! The wait staff is kind and good-humored. The food is top notch. The atmosphere is beautiful and comfortable, upscale without feeling stuffy. The crowd is pure Hyde Park -- people from all over the South Side and the world, relaxing and enjoying a little splurge. Walk in that door! read more

I'm giving it 4 stars for food, ambience, and friendly service and a 5th star for adding a great spot to Hyde Park. My wife and I had breakfast there recently. The decor is fun and warm. Our server was very kind and made us feel welcome. The chicken and waffles was OUTSTANDING - crispy skin, moist flavorful meat, excellent Belgian waffles, and a nice mustard counterpoint. The shrimp and grits were great too. We look forward to coming back in the evening soon. read more

I was excited to try it and had gotten a gift card for a delivery app so we said what the heck and ordered the Denver omelet and the French toast online for pick up. The ambiance seemed nice and it was ready on time but the food was bland. The berry "compote" was literally overcooked berries in sugar water for the soggy French Toast, the omelet was unseasoned watery and just overall tough and lacking. It's a shame because we saw the menu and we were thrilled to have another brunch place. I really wanted to try their chicken and waffles and their lobster roll but I'm not sure it's worth the risk. read more

Great atmosphere amazing drinks and food. All around solid place for a reliably enjoyable time.

My hangout spot. Amazing, cool, chic & great crowd in hyde park. This is one of the best places I've ever been to and it's right in the heart of Hyde Park!! read more

The drinks and atmosphere were great. Went here on a Saturday evening. Three stars because, why do you need to bring in the University police at last call to yell that everyone who's not a guest needs to leave? People know what last call means. Seriously. read more

I stopped in for breakfast/brunch at the bar and Osasu was such a pleasure. She served up some tasty Mimosa's and was very attentive and kind. Based on my experience with her, I will definitely be back to Mesler! Make sure you ask for Osasu, she usually works towards the end of the week and weekends. read more

Had Sunday brunch here. Beautiful space, delicious food, great service! We had the eggs in purgatory and the chicken waffle, both were excellent. The staff was very nice and attentive. A most welcome addition to the booming Hyde Park culinary scene. read more

We ordered food to go living in the area. Chicken and waffles was to die for, waffle so crispy and flavorful alone without any syrup or butter. Fried chicken breast was cooked perfect and served with a delicious mustard seed sauce. Definitely recommend! Will be dining in at the bar soon. read more

Great place for a chill meeting or even a brief meet up for date plans. Affordable prices and nice ambience.

Our first visit to this restaurant, for a special celebratory dinner, was lovely. We had some of the specials -- carrot ginger soup was great, the fish special of walleye with pumpkin seed topping was crispy and delicious. The crab cake appetizer was excellent --- full of crab meet, with a nice sauce underneath. The filet was good with a choice of sauces. It was crusty, so if you want your filet pretty rare, order rare rather than medium rare. Our server, Aisha (pardon the spelling if wrong), was lovely, very helpful and charming. The space for the restaurant section was fairly quiet and attractive. The lounge and bar areas were quite busy--but with the advantage of a large fireplace burning brightly. The hostess was welcoming, and the manager came around checking on things, and comped my son his dessert (in honor of our celebration). We were less thrilled with the desserts -- they seemed to be trying too hard to use novel ingredients--they were quite pretty, but the macerated berries were overwhelmed by a vinegar sauce, the almond cake was pretty dry and the tipsy apple cake had a not so great apple at its center. But we were overall quite impressed, and will be coming back soon. It's nice to have fine dining in Hyde Park -- I haven't had bearnaise sauce since the closing of the Court House, ages ago. Welcome to the neighborhood. read more

The food was amazing , drinks are creative and they are willing to experiment, the chef was receptive to a table side chat. This is the new Hyde Park and for all those " never want to see a change " old Hyde Parker's, move aside bc the change is welcomed and needed. Just don't expect to eat with more than seven people they don't allow a table with more than seven. So for my Saturday after Thanksgiving I had to book at the amazing and always accommodating Francos Restaurant at 31st and Princeton read more

I'm giving The Mesler 5 stars because I was so thoroughly impressed with the head bartender Noah. He had complete command of the bar and delegated without being condescending or throwing anybody under the bus. Not only were his drinks delicious, but he was kind and took time to chat. I've never left a review on yelp before this one. It goes to show just how happy I was with Noah's service and incredible drinks. As a Hyde park native, I'm so happy we have a bar with delicious cocktails as well as professional service. I will be frequenting this bar. read more

On Christmas Eve, I typically take my mom and dad out for brunch. They are 89 and 93 respectively. They like simple, tasty food and comfort. The brunch menu is simple, the portions are relatively small. I was impressed with the decor and the atmosphere. The service was responsive. Sheron our server was delightful. As for the quality of food, everyone enjoyed their food, except me. I am a vegetarian and I can't figure out why a restaurant with a chef would not have more options for vegan or vegetarian customers. I don't eat eggs and chose vegetarian hash without eggs. What I got was colorful but tasteless. There are no veggie patties offered...just lack of thought or creativity for that customer demographic. If the parents want to come again, I would just have a drink while they eat. The Bloody Mary was super! read more