We came to Soundings Cafe for lunch while visiting the Shedd Aquarium. Overall the service was great. The food was okay. We ordered burgers and chicken with rice. There was a summer camp of kids the day we went and it was so chaotic in the outdoor dining area which was the only downside to our experience at the cafe. read more

I stopped at the cafe for a coffee and pastry this afternoon, and the service and fare were exceptional. Despite the holiday season bringing a large number of patrons, the staff was courteous, kind, and efficient. David and Duncan in particular were very welcoming and I can't wait to stop in again! read more

A very busy lunch rush, the wait was not horrible to be honest. Food came out pretty quickly but they did mess up my drink unfortunately they didn't have any more ingredients to correct it so I had to either go without the drink or drink the incorrect one which is what I did. They still charged me extra and couldn't refund the money for the almond milk alternative. The lady was super apologetic and things do happen. Portions are very small and as you can imagine, prices are well over market. The views can be great if you can find a spot, luckily we did! The food was ok, nothing to write home about. read more

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My significant other and I stopped here for a break from all of the beautiful scenery at Shedd Aquarium. This place was located on the Ground Level of the facility. We ordered at the counter. I purchased a Strawberry Fruit Smoothie, a Peanut Butter Cookie, and a Monster Energy 16 Fl. Oz. To get some energy. The prices were a bit steep, but not intolerable for me. My order was completed relatively fast. We sat down at a table that they had there. The smoothie was thick, fruity, and tasty! The cookie was a good size and just as tasty! That was a relief, as it was rather pricey. The Monster was crisp and refreshing! This was a convenient stop. It was just what I needed to continue my day at Shedd Aquarium! Overall, this was a great place to recharge. If I ever go back to Shedd Aquarium, I might pop in here again to try something new. Date of visit: 01/20/2023 read more

Just like every other cafe inside of an attraction, they know that you're not going to leave the location to get food, so they increase the prices of everything. read more

Seated cafe can offer nice views of city over the water but they have you order before you can sit which is tricky. The line is loooong to order but the entrees look appetizing. They serve beer and wine as well. Hamburger was acceptably fresh but wouldn't be confused for gourmet. Chef salad w $3 chicken upgrade was large. Ask at ordering counter for glasses of water. read more

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Grabbed a ready made chicken salad croissant sandwich before the dolphin show and it had a solid crunch from the celery, a creamy texture from the chicken & Mayo, and a freshness from the crisp apples. The croissant was light and fluffy, so the sandwich didn't last very long :) It was also $7, which rivals the prices of that area, which was a pleasant surprise to me. It was a good size to share with my son before seeing the dolphins and kept us full til we left an hour later. The view from the windows inside and the balcony outside are stunning, and I'm sure look amazing no matter the weather-- luckily we had a beautiful sunny day, but I'd also love to see the view during a dark rough thunderstorm or a heavy snow..... read more

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We came in a few minutes before Noon on a Monday afternoon and I'm glad we did because it quickly filled up inside as soon as we sat down. There was no line when we walked in and both the inside and outside patios were pretty empty. Our food arrived very quickly so we had little to no wait. I ordered a Hot Vanilla Latte and a Brioche Grilled Cheese at the cafe portion of the restaurant and both were ready in less than two minutes. The latte was Starbucks so it tasted just like I expected and the grilled cheese wasn't bad either. In the restaurant portion of the place they had a lot of Vegetarian food options but they were a little pricey and I want very hungry so I opted for something small. My Husband got a Chicken Caesar Salad from the restaurant side and he really enjoyed it! There was a whole chicken breast on the salad and it was cooked perfectly. He felt like he got a good deal for the money and it was better than most restaurants located inside attractions. Service was great. The cashier was friendly and my Husbands drink was refilled quickly and our plates were cleared as soon as we were done. There were various servers and busters walking around everywhere ready for the lunch rush. There are great views of the city and the lake from the windows of the cafe so it's nice to look at while eating. The cafe also seems to be geared towards an older crowd because of the prices (NOT like the cafeteria downstairs!) so we enjoyed having a nice relaxing lunch. I would come back. read more

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That hits the spot. One Bavarian Panini, waffle fries, Sprite and big pickle (no comments) later, and I am a new man. Who knew that you could get such good food at the Shedd? And, it's really good. My Bavarian Panini consisted of black forest ham, caramelized onions and gruyere cheese on pressed panini bread. They don't skimp on fillings here. My sandwich was packed to the edges with meat, cheese and veggies. Because I wanted some extra crunch, I cut up my sizable pickle and placed it in the halves. It was quite the nice addition and my belly was satisfied. The waffle fries were numerous, lightly salty and a terrific way to finish a quick meal on the go. No longer hungry, I can get back to the task of transforming fantasea into reality. On a day like today, it's best for everyone that I'm not stumbling around weak and hungry. You wouldn't like me when I'm hungry. read more

The food was OK, but the service was extremely slow. There are 2 sections and they have 2 different counters. One counter only gives out coffee, shakes, etc. The other counter is only open for lunch and takes orders for sandwiches, chips, etc. We had to ask for water 3 times, ask for a fork 4 times. It was just a big waste of time waiting for the staff to come around to you and then say "Oh! Sorry, I forgot what you asked me to get" read more

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We went to the Shedd mid-morning. We assumed any place to eat at the Shedd would not be very good and would offer low quality, prepared offsite, standard food. And, naturally over-priced.How surprised we were at the fare offered at Soundings Cafe. First, there is a great view of the Lake and the option to eat outdoors. We were waited on for our drinks very quickly by a very polite lady. Throughout our meal, she continuously provided water and soda refills without us ever seeing a glass go empty. My wife had a very good hamburger with excellent sweet potato fries. I had a chicken sandwich with avocado and a cup of the tomato basil soup. Both were very good. We had expected plastic utensils and paper napkins. Nice cloth napkins and real flatware. The prices were very reasonable and the food came very quickly. As a former restaurant manager and owner, it was good to see this type of establishment run so well. Is it a 5 Star restaurant compared to normal establishments? No, not really. But, for being in a public museum, it is very much a 5 Star business! read more

If you're looking to avoid the mad rush of the lunch crowd as we were, Soundings isn't a bad plan. And something tells me the food court would have been overpriced *and* not tasted as good. As it was, at 11:45 on a Sunday we had room to stretch our legs and then some, which I found a bit odd. I ordered the burger ($14) for myself, while my wife had a pork sandwich ($11-ish) and we ordered the quesadilla for the kid. Pro tip: if you come here, consider ordering from just the kids meal section if they'll let you. The quesadilla, while dry, was huge and enough for two dinners for a 2-year old. Only $5! As it was, my wife liked the pork sandwich and I thought my burger OK. They didn't ask me how I liked it cooked, and it came out medium-well. The ingredients I thought were of great quality, but the seasoning was lacking. The fries were well seasoned, but essentially limp. Bacon was nice and crispy though! So no, don't expect a gourmet burger while you're here. Service was very good overall, though; friendly and helpful. The views of the city from our window booth were great. Plus the restaurant was a good respite from all those other tourists out there! read more

Soundings Café - Bacon burger! - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A decent place to rest for awhile between exhibits They have a lot more seating space overlooking the lake in the section behind. Starbucks coffee, some good tea. We tried a muffin which was quite reasonable. Not a bad option to take a break if you haven't carried a packed lunch or snack read more

No one has been mean here; it's a legit two (2) star-place. It's located inside the Shedd Aquarium. Unfortunately, this is the only option for food if you didn't bring your own snacks. I'm not really here to bash how "bad" this cafe is, but the common sense will tell you that items are going to be marked up higher. Although the food that we had was fine (veggie wrap and Spanish/pita croissant), if you want to save a few bucks, as I told you before, bring your own food and have a picnic by the whales. They have a plenty of seating in there. If you don't plan on purchasing any food item at this cafe, I'm assuming the view is free. They do have a spectacular view of the Lake Michigan. read more

The workers made the place! I hope they are paid well as I didn't see other people leaving tips. Our table did. They hustle & bring your food quickly. 2 of us split the turkey wrap with homemade chips. The 3rd had the chicken & spinach panini. Everything was very tasty. Reasonable prices for the location. I had a nice Sierra Nevada in a cold glass & my friend had her fave Blue Moon. Great views from the windows. Would be nicer to sit outside but they don't let you do that at this restaurant. read more

An extremely underwhelming experience from start to finish. - Long line that moved at a snail's pace. - Salty employees. - Nothing unique - it's basically a mini Starbucks. - Food was stale and cold. We needed a snack while exploring the Shedd and thought this cafe would be a quick and safe bet. Unfortunately that was not the case. The asiago & cheddar pretzel I ordered was very dry and cold from being in the refrigerator case with the sandwiches. It did the trick of taking the edge off my hunger, but it wasn't worth the cost or the wait in line. read more

We eat here every time we visit the Aquarium. The menu offers a lot of vegetarian options and the staff are really inviting. We love the view of the water too. The prices aren't too bad. We fed a family of five for $30 which is impressive. The food is very high quality. I've had the Mac and cheese and the Caesar salad. The soups are great too. My husband loves their burgers and sandwiches. As annual members, we are happy there's a quality dining establishment to visit. read more

Soundings Café - We ordered a burger that was cooked to perfection and a huge tasty chicken Caesar salad. - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I give this high rankings because it was decent enough food in a museum for fair prices. They are still gauging you on some items like a cookie was $4 which probably should be $2. I got the taco bowl which was a hearty helping for a fair price. It wasn't exactly chipotle but was close enough and delicious. The atmosphere with amazing views of the lake and the city made for a great experience. read more

Soundings Café - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Many of the photos reviewers uploaded here are misleading. No mac&cheese, no hamburger, no salad here. The blue interior dining area should be Bubble Net Food Court according to Shedd's webpage. But these are not the reason why I gave Soundings Cafe low rating. It's more like a cafe here. You got choices of pastries, sandwiches, wraps, and Starbucks drinks. Order to the staff and pay at the register. Some of the items need to be reheated so won't be on the counter immediately. The problem is the lack of communications between staff. The person who prepared my food knew what I ordered but the cashier didn't. She just charged me for whatever's on the counter right in front of her eyes. Nor did she double check my order with me before I pay. I didn't know what's been charged and what's not. I paid for all the food and drinks for my family of four in 3 different transactions. No receipts. And her attitude was like it was all my fault. Seriously the staff need to know what team work is. read more

We came here for a late lunch while visiting the museum. We had two young children who were hungry and cranky, so we needed a good rest. We chose the Soundings because the food seemed better than down in the food court. The view of the lake is gorgeous from here. In better weather you can even sit outside. We ordered first at the register and then you get a number and sit down. You have a dedicated wait person who brings out drinks (plus refills) and all of your food. Our particular waitress was amazing. She was so very sweet and kept us fully stocked on drinks, silverwear and anything else we needed. She was very attentive and we made sure to tip her directly before we left. The food was all pretty good and fairly healthy. My boys both got a grilled cheese sandwich on whole wheat and a cup of applesauce and milk. My mother and I split a grilled deli sandwich with homemade chips and each got a cup of corn chowder. I felt the sandwich was good but the chowder was bland and not even salt and pepper helped. However, my mom loved the soup, so I guess I just like things a little more spiced up than some. Our waitress even offered to bring my mom another cup as it was getting close to the end of lunch and she said it was going to go to waste. So nice. Overall this was probably the best museum dining experience we had in Chicago. The prices were reasonable, the dining room was large and not crowded with a beautiful view, food was good and service was excellent. It was actually good compared to most museums I have experienced nationwide (and even internationally). read more

Soundings is one of the eateries in the Shedd Aquarium. It's sort of like a Corner Bakery concept, so you order food off the menu, pay up, then find a table and plant your order number on a metal post. We did not wait too long for our food to come out. I ate a chicken Florentine panini, which was good but not great (Johnny T's Bavarian panini sounds way better!). You get your choice of side orders, so I had a side salad with vinaigrette dressing, and my friend had fruit cup with the chicken salad sandwich. You can also eat outdoors on a patio with a spectacular lakefront view, but unless you wish to relive Tippi Hedren's experience with seagulls attacking you, it is better to eat indoors or in the covered outdoor patio space. read more

This is a restaurant in the Shedd. The Shedd is a museum, meaning its resources, for the most part, get spent toward the fishies and outreach. I'm okay with that. So when I walk into the Soundings Cafe, I'm not expecting much. After all, it's just there for our convenience, not because the people at the Shedd really like cooking food. I'm going to say it: seeing all those fish made me really want seafood. Don't tell me you saw that Japanese Spider Crab and didn't think "with just a little lemon and butter you would be DELICIOUS!". I did. That's exactly what I thought. But, I digress. I was hungry and I wanted seafood. Much to my surprise, they have a sustainable seafood option! How cool! Tilapia with pasta and garlic sauce. It was pretty good, definitely exceeded expectations. The Tilapia was well seasoned and cooked just right. The real standout though was their Southwestern Salad. Seriously, I could eat those all day long. Either way, the meal is way better than the cold ham and cheese sammich I was expecting. I'd go back! read more

We waited in line for 45 minutes, then 30 minutes to get our food. Once we had our food we waited another 10minutes for the server to bring our utensils by which time out food was cold. The only saving grace was a place to sit and a nice view of the lake. Don't bother ordering a pop. $3 for a flat soda the size of what used to be considered a small at Mcdonalds. Get plain water instead! read more

Soundings Café - $3 soda dwarfs a pepper shaker - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My bf and I went on a museum binge (Shedd, Field, and Art Institute on the same day) and came here for sustenance. We thought it was really weird that they served fish in the cafe of an aquarium, so we both opted for non-seafood items. I chose the lemongrass chicken wrap and he ordered the tarragon chicken salad sandwich, and we shared our orders. I thought my wrap was terrible and really small, as if I ordered it off the kids menu or something. The sandwich was okay, although the chicken dressing was super bland. I'm not sure if we just ordered the wrong thing or if the bad food is a consistent pattern, but I wouldn't opt to come here again. read more

Horrible service and setup. Bad staffing model...whoever designed the staffing should be fired. Only one cashier at peak lunch hour (12:00). Standing in line for an hour for lunch is not what I paid to come here to do. Eat before you come to Shedd Aquarium!!! read more

If you step outside, the view is amazing but the food is overpriced & slow to serve with a limited menu. "Don't expect anything and you won't be disappointed lol." Just remember how long the line was upon your arrival. Those are the two hundred people that will be hungry, along with you, at lunch time. The one thing we did find that was semi affordable & that we all could share was the cheese plate. I have to admit that it was tasty to my palate since I never had goat cheese before but after waiting 20 minutes for service (with a growling stomach) perhaps a slice of cardboard with red sauce would have been 5 stars. The Shedd is packed with families that walk around working up an appetite. Bring some food items / snacks to "tide you over" (1860 version aka tie you over) and you will have a better more fulfilling experience not pressed by hunger. read more

Similar to others here, I'd say this place is a 3.5 or 4 star cafe outside of a museum but very happy to find it inside the Shedd -- food is surprisingly decent and not as overpriced as you might expect with a captive audience. Also, we had some incredibly nice interactions with the staff here, a guy named Mike in particular who was super friendly and helpful at a couple of moments when we were struggling a bit with our kids (spills, some dropped food, etc) -- nice to see staff at a place like this being observant and having a light touch to assist families in the middle of a day out. We love the Shedd in general and having a good place to eat (and get off our feet for a bit) makes it all the more likely that we'll come back. read more

Went to Soundings for lunch as we had just done the Aquarium and with baby in tow, we needed a place for all of us to sit and regroup...and feed the child. Soundings is located inside the Shedd Aquarium (in case you had not figured that out by now) and it actually just hit the spot. For a restaurant that has you at its mercy (like most all museum/tourist attractions do) Soundings is pretty alright. How's that sound as an endorsement? I mean, La Bernardin it ain't. But what is? (well, ok, Le Bernardin is...) But it's also not a taco vendor selling you burritos with meats of dubious origin. You order and pay as you walk in, seat yourself and wait for the servers to appear with your drinks and then about 5 minutes later, your food. I wonder why they even wait that long. It is clearly prepared well in advance, the wraps probably sliced to order, paninis pressed, salads tossed...you get the idea. So for all of this, we actually had great service, a really polite server (who cruised our table two or three times, when considering how busy it was that was impressive), and the food was ok. Ok, not great, but better than it had to be and better than I expected it to be. It was also a timely break from touring the Aquarium (which was great, btw) Anyway, if you are touring the museum, don't be afraid to stop in, it is a pleasant cafeteria experience. read more

Two counters one has more ready-to-go items, the second is slightly more expensive and the food has a little more prep time to it, so they give you a number and bring it out to you. We ordered from the latter. Service was good. My dad's burger was good, but the veggie panini I got was kind of gross and the bread fell apart when I tried to pick it up. The fries that accompanied both were too salty and tasted like they had been sitting out for awhile losing their temperature. Overall, it was fine for what it was but I would not recommend the veggie panini. read more

Meh. Gas station quality sandwiches. I guess what you should expect for a museum. Definitely packing in a lunch next time.

Over the vast wasteland of the Internet you can't see it but I'm giving Soundings Restaurant the finger right now, from my couch. It's rare that I declare somewhere the "worst (fill-in-the-blank) ever" but for Soundings I have to declare it the worst service I've ever had, ever like eternally stretching across all time and space. I left no tip. NO TIP. I otherwise tip generously, even at times where my wife thinks it foolish. But for the waitstaff of Soundings I couldn't find it in myself to leave anything, it was that bad. We arrived at a bad time, I guess. Lunchtime on a Saturday. In tow were our two kids but almost every other table there had kids of some age or another, so I felt comfortable having our kids in what was otherwise a sit-down type establishment. Our wait in line was pretty quick, altho the host tended to walk off to check on various staff instead of standing and taking names. But it's busy, I understand these things, so I was just happy that we got to the front, told him we were two adults and one high-chair and were off to a table instantly. Now he confirmed the whole high-chair thing with me so imagine my surprise when I was left standing for five minutes waiting for someone to bring one by. I ended up asking a staff member if I could go grab one from recently vacated table and was told, "sure" in passing as that staffer rushed on to do something else. So I did. And we sat. And we waited. We waited, as aforementioned, and finally after about ten minutes we asked a different passing staffer if we could order. She asked if we wanted our server and I replied that I didn't know we had one, but yes we would. She walked away and a couple minutes later our server arrived for the first time, took our order and walked away. He returned with our drinks, which was promising, so we sat, fed my son some snacks and waited for our food. And waited. We waited, as aforementioned, and finally after about twenty minutes we asked a different passing staffer what the hold-up was. He informed me our server was "bringing it over right now" so we left it at that. And we waited. Finally five more minutes passed and most of our food was brought over. Most, but not all. So still we waited for our full meal to be delivered. Another five minutes and we were there. Not once were we offered refills on our drinks or any apologies offered for the delays. Just a lot of waiting. So Matt, you're asking, surely all this waiting was well worth it! Your meal must have been delicious, nay sumptuous and satisfying. But eh, it really wasn't. I had ordered a steak sandwich and it was marginally good, mostly sloppy and fatty. My wife had a simple burger which they managed to leave an ingredient off of and my son had their fish nuggets which he took one bite of and abandoned to consume more crackers and grapes. You don't pretend to have an uppish-scale sit down restaurant and staff it with folks that don't care about customer service. You just don't. I don't care if you can't find good candidates, I don't care if it's in a museum and I especially don't care that it's a busy day. Stop by the table and ask how things are, address my concerns with something more than a grunted syllable and for fuck's sake, give a shit about your job. I saw none of this at Soundings and as members of the Shedd Aquarium, I'm just angry my money goes towards supporting service this bad. read more

Soundings Restaurant is located inside the John G. Shedd Aquarium. We stopped here for lunch. I highly recommend it over the cafeteria/food court downstairs.I had a grilled chicken sandwich with grilled peppers, bacon and cheese.It came with french fries. It was good and inexpensive($9) considering the views, decor and service. The views here are fabulous. You have a beautiful view of the city and Lake Michigan. It was a nice and romantic. The servers are wonderful - very attentive and helpful. Definitely a must if you plan on eating at the museum. There are not many restaurant/eating options nearby, so it really is special. read more

The Staff R Nice. The View of the City Skyline and Lake whist U eat is remarkable. The Food, Well My sister wouldn't eat there she said. I snuck away to get some soup, n a well it served its purpose I guess. Took them like 2 askings to get water. read more

Eh. This place could definitely make their food better, especially if they get a lot of hungry people seeking a quick bite after wandering around the aquarium. I ordered a Turkey Club Wrap that came with potato chips. The portions were small but was enough for me. The wrap and chips were both way too soggy and they completely overloaded on salt. I'm not sure if I should've gotten something else because they managed to ruin a really simple meal. I'd say if you have time, go around Chicago and find somewhere else to eat. If you're just looking for a quick bite, this place is sufficient in fulfilling your empty stomach even if you won't be completely satisfied. read more

Hands down exceeded expectations during a long day at the Shedd. For being in a museum, the price was actually very reasonable (9-12 bucks for a sandwich), and the serving sizes were great. It's not quite a restaurant, not quite a cafe; but it works just great! The tables were very clean, the wait-staff was very friendly, and even on a holiday weekend that was busy, it didn't take too long to get food. We've been to all the museums in town, and we get tired of having fast-food that is really terrible for you and your taste-buds. This place serves actual food! You even get a great view of the boats over the harbor. We were also surprised by having cloth napkins!!! No paper for our dirty fingers. The Shedd has done a great job improving the sustainability of their services over the last few years, and the Soundings Cafe was fantastic. I would definitely go there again. read more

This was basically a Starbucks but with fewer options. They also don't allow straws within the aquarium so if you order something like a frappucino, you'll have to basically eat with a spoon (or sip it). For lunch, they do have a very limited selection of premade sandwiches and salads. read more

Pizza is garbage! Coffee is cold. Stick to burrito bowl and bottled drinks which are severely overpriced!