Nice place to stop whenever you come to botanic gardens. Plenty of seating, with a great patio outside. Lots of options on the menu too. Got the apple brie panini with an earl grey tea. Food was good, enjoyed the sandwich. Didn't blow me away or anything haha but definitely hits the spot. The tea was alright, teavana is a nice brand but the hot water they had was definitely not hot whatsoever. Anyone who likes tea has gotta know that you need a certain temperature for it to taste right. So I had more a cup of apathetic leaf water than nice tea. Besides that point, still like the cafe haha. Just might abstain from tea next time. read more

The Garden View Café - apple and brie panini with earl grey tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Glencoe, Illinois

This is about the Garden Grille section. The outdoor dining area is divine. I love how it overlooks the pond, greenery, and flowers. Feels great to be in the fresh air. Lots of sparrows are hanging around, trying to eat the crumbs. :) Regarding their food options: I looked at the bottom of their menu and was excited to see that they mark items "vg" for vegan and "v" for vegetarian. But wait. Not a single item on their menu is actually vegan. read more

Overpriced, overcooked and overlooked! Apparently a new vendor took over and in my opinion it's a disaster! They were understaffed and disorganized with no cups and utensils available. A grilled cheese sandwich for $16 with not even a bag of chips! Top it off by being overcooked with the burnt side craftily hidden from view. Their salads sounded nice but $24 is ridiculous. Even the margharita pizza was $21. I hope Cook County will solve their financial crisis with this overreach! I'll be bringing a sack lunch with me in the future! read more

I was disappointed by The Garden View Café at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. I ordered the coffee from the bar area. It wasn't very good. The cafe itself was clean and you can see the gardens from here. Better than any view at the office. The cashier was nice and friendly. I would recommend getting a coffee from a nearby cafe instead. read more

Poorly run. I went there with 4 family members on a Saturday. We ordered and they gave us a buzzer. After waiting 40 minutes we went back to check on our food and they said "we've been calling your name!" Then why the heck were we given the buzzer if we should have waited to be called?!! They got parts of the order wrong and when we reiterated what we ordered the counter service just said "here's your receipt" and told me if I wanted what I ordered I had to go pay for it. I walked away. In the end they fulfilled the correct order but after that amount of mishandling and aggravation it wasn't even worth the wait. Eat before or after visiting the Garden, but don't bother getting a meal at this Cafe. read more

The Marguerite pizza and Mac-n-Cheese were fantastic and were only beat out by the wonderful view when you sit outside.

Don't bother. Used to be good if a bit pricey. Now the mains are even more expensive and not good at all. Very weird pea soup for $8 and a truly inedible peri peri chicken salad for $22. Kids ravioli was decent but $4 for a box of milk?? Stop in for a coffee but go somewhere else for lunch!! It's a real pity. read more

Eat before or after you come to the Botanic Gardens. What a joke this place is. It takes advantage of the fact that it's the only restaurant. The line didn't seem long, but it was about 20 minutes, all in all, with glacial service. A busy Sunday was somehow the best day to do training? At the grill, you can see just how ridiculously pre-made everything is - someone was dumping a huge bag of generic chips into a bowl, and they were using very basic store-bought buns for hot dogs. The food was horrible, prepackaged marked up crap. The spinach tortilla on my wrap was gummy and slimy. They also need to check on things like expiration. The vegetable cup featured red pepper slivers that were covered in slime and probably already past the sell-by date, but no matter. To add insult to injury, I sat on the wooden bench. I was wearing leggings, and the bench had many splinters that made their way through the leggings and into the back of my thighs. It is very painful now. Maybe they could sand it down or cover it in sealant or something similar? read more

This was our first stop before heading in to explore the Chicago Botanic Garden. There wasn't an abundance of vegetarian options, but the wrap we had was good. It was $7.49 for a Pepper, Onion, Aged Cheddar & Egg Wrap that came in a spinach tortilla. My husband and I shared this, and it was a generous size to really fuel us up for the morning. read more

The Garden View Café - Pepper, Onion, Aged Cheddar & Egg Wrap vegetarian / 7.49 scrambled egg, cheddar, sautéed peppers and onions, spinach tortilla - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Glencoe, Illinois

We were starving and opted for grab and go options in Cafe. Two turkey and cheese sandwiches on sourdough and a Mediterranean pasta salad. Bread in sandwiches was slightly soggy and thick, but seemed double of the meat and cheese too. Salad was fresh spinach with penne pesto pasta, sundried tomatoes, black olives and feta cheese. Although others complain about the prices, I think that similar in NYC and other cities for an on-site restaurant with a view. 10% discount for members! read more

Horrific prices 28.00 for a tuna sandwich. 20.00 for a hotdog. Even with inflation these prices are absurd Also the indoor cafe close at 2:00 on a Friday At least give people a few more hours to get ripped off read more

If you are looking for a healthy meal and love nature views this is the place for you! Conveniently located at the entrance to the botanic garden, this place offers a variety of healthy options all day long. In the summer they have grilled options cooked right outside. Today, I had the turkey sausage and egg chili skillet and have enjoyed every single bite. Not a big fan of potatoes but I can't get enough of these tasty roasted potatoes. The food is ordered at the counter and delivered to the table using a tracker. If you like specialty coffee they also have plenty of options for you but that is another counter to order from where you wait similar to Starbucks. Staff is very friendly and I can tell they try to keep things clean. read more

The Garden View Café - Turkey sausage and egg chili skillet - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Glencoe, Illinois

See all

Typical high priced museum food service. Lots of choices--sandwiches, salads, a few soups, and quiches. If you paid $30 to park your car here, you'll survive paying $15-$25 more for a meal. I had the chicken panini and a side Caesar. Grossly overpriced, but it was tasty and served up fast. Almost everything is by the can, so no refills except tea and water. That can of Coke will run you $2.50. read more

If you care about your stomach and money, but especially your stomach, don't eat here. I couldn't eat half of the burger I got because it was uncooked, and I was starving. The burger was $13.99. The hot dog I got for my kids was $6.99 and didn't come with anything else but the bun and the hot dog, not even chips or anything for that matter. On top of that we waited for 20 minutes. I used to love their burgers, most of all, but this was before the pandemic hit. They had the same cook for a long time and he did a great job. To say I'm disappointed, it's truly an understatement. Chicago Botanical Gardens and The Garden View Café, if you charge as much as you do, please do better than this. read more

The one star is purely for the view. I thought it would be nice to have a frappuccino outside but didn't get any service. I waited in front of the barista counter but the employees had way too much fun talking amongst themselves than filling orders. Whoever was "working" the barista counter failed to impress on Memorial Day at 4pm. read more

The Garden View Café - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Glencoe, Illinois

Very tasty breakfast, nice view, beautiful place to relax, injoi good coffee. Higly recommend!

No thank you! After a fun morning walking (or more like running w/ my toddlers) around the gardens we thought lunch at The Garden View Cafe would be easy. It was anything, but easy. We got in line to place our order, but when we got to the counter (around 11:15am) they told us we'd have to wait until 11:30am to place our order because that's when they start lunch service. We asked if we could place a brunch order instead and they said brunch was now over too even though the restaurant was full with people and we were the front of a long line of hungry children. We waited...and it didn't turn out to be worth the wait. They brought our food to our table relatively quickly, but when they put it in front of us my husband's sandwich had a hair right on top of it. Ugh. Way back when subway first opened I found a hair in my very first subway sandwich and haven't been back since. And this hair alone will likely keep me back from returning to The Garden View Cafe. Somehow I managed to stomach a few bites of my turkey sandwich. I had requested no jam on it, but apparently they can't make it without jam. Jam, without jam...it wasn't very good. My kids seemed happy with their (not so tasty) pizza. My daughter finished her portion and then asked if we could all split a cookie. I obliged before realizing I'd have to stand in a line with 100 people to pay for it. I stood in the coffee line instead, which was a bit shorter, but still ridiculously long. The cookie turned out to be the best thing there, but likely because they make them elsewhere. Botanic Gardens continues to be one of my favorite North Shore destinations, but I'd suggest eating elsewhere. read more

Wonderful setting within the botanic garden with a beautiful outdoor patio surrounded by a water garden view. The food is average and overpriced but has a variety of options to make most people happy. beer and wine are also offerings here if u need a pickme up. Just expect inflated pricing since they are within the botanic garden. Note you do have to pay the entrance to access the restaurant so if you aren't coming for the garden I don't recommend coming here. Although if you bike, run or walk here it's free and is a nice biking stop. The garden charges per vehicle/parking fee. read more

You can't go to botanical gardens and not stop by here- you'd be missing out! I haven't been able to eat hot dogs or deli meats during my pregnancy so I was super eager to finally eat a hot dog. Imagine the excitement when I saw the menu and they had hot dogs and burgers. YAS is an understatement! My mom ordered the burger and I ordered the hot dog. I loved, loved, loved that the burger and hot dog were prepared on an outside grill so it had that somewhat smoked taste to it. We got chips as our sides. Now, this is not your typical restaurant. You order the food and then you get a buzzer. Once your food is ready, the buzzer will start to rattle. The food smelled absolutely divine and I couldn't wait to devour it- trust me, you'll feel the same! I tried my mom's burger- it was a grass fed patty with cheese, caramelized onions, BBQ sauce, onions and lettuce and it was nothing short of perfection! My hot dog was absolutely amazing- I don't think I've had a better hot dog in over 9 months haha! I highly recommend it. I love this place for the views- not only do they have amazing food but they also have a beautiful view of Botanical Gardens! Highly recommend! read more

Good food. Nice service. Clean place. Did not offer 5* because of the prices. A little overpriced. I had the bratwurst. It came with chips and a pickle. As a person who eats mostly chicken and fish, this was nice and enjoyable. I think the view helped. read more

The Garden View Café - Brat - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Glencoe, Illinois

The food is so overpriced and so mediocre it's just a joke. The setup for ordering and paying for your food choice is really screwed up. If you grab a ready to go item from their coolers you have to stand in a long line of people ordering their prepared food and then pay. Who thought of this? It's a cafeteria. Why not have cashiers for convenience stationed away from the lines and processing payment. This system was in place BEFORE COVID and it's worse now. The prices are like $16 fir a burger and $10 for a brat. Visit the gardens they are spectacular but they need to outsource their food service to a company that actually knows what they are doing! read more

Honestly, my friend and I wasted our money here today. My friend ordered the salmon Cole slaw and I ordered a veggie burger. When my buzzer rang I went up to the counter and received their cheeseburger, and after politely telling the server that I ordered a veggie burger she asked if I had a receipt, which I did not. This means that 1) the person taking orders really doesn't pay attention, and 2) I got a burger that was more expensive, and I didn't realize until after this. (I just thought tax was high!) And 3) what if I was vegetarian?! No one even bothered to switch it out for me, because I had no receipt. I went and started eating this rather plain burger that was WAY too big. The tomatos and chips were good though, I'll give them that. I noticed that my friend hadn't gotten his food yet, despite me ordering after him and me having my plate for at least 10 extra minutes. So he goes up to check on his order, and the lady "lost the ticket!" Seriously?! At least they made it for in though. Thank God. Ugh. Don't waste your money here, just enjoy the free gardens and find somewhere local. read more

Wonderful location with outdoor seats overlooking the garden. There's an outdoor grill for burgers and a selection of more traditional food inside. A bit pricey but I'm happy to support the garden. I love to go there whenever I'm in the area and pleased that they have food service. Great bakery items! read more

Healthy options available. I do gluten free. It's not too easy to find food options for me. While enjoying the Chicago Botanic Garden, I took a break to checkout this cafe. I wasn't too confident they'd have something for my palette. Once in, the options are plenty. Plus the view is beautiful! I got the salad-soup combo and they tasted yum!! Wish this place had a location closer to my home so I could enjoy them more frequently. Service was good. The staff brings out your order. One of the guys cleaned up my table as it appeared to have some smudges. I appreciate that they did that for me. read more

This cafe at the Chicago Botanic Garden has one of the best outdoor dining situations I have ever experienced -- provided they are not using a chain saw across the pond. The noise severely detracted, though I'm sure it's not happening all the time. The real reason for my low review is the crappy breakfast sandwiches we just purchased. The cafe handed the sandwiches to us in about two minutes, proving they were pre-made. The eggs were thick, pre-fab slabs, not seasoned. The spinach skimpy. Cheese seemed low quality. Sauce: none. The "curved" croissants wilted, not a trace of flake. Nothing "chic" or "upscale" about this cafe. I'm a member and am embarrassed how much this place does not meet the general high quality of the Chicago Botanic Garden. read more

So for those of you who haven't guessed yet, this cafe is a part of the Botanical Gardens of Chicago. During the summer they have grilled chicken and burgers along with refreshing beverages. In addition to the outdoor grill they still keep the indoor kitchen open in case people are in the mood for yogurt, pizza, cookies, or any other snack or dessert. The food is amazing all around, it's very fresh but it is a little on the pricey side but naturally that is to be expected since it is a tourist attraction during the summer. I love the gardens and I love the cafe. Would not change a thing. read more

The Garden Cafe has really improved over the years, and it's a decent place to get a bite to eat when you are at the Botanical Gardens. It's cafeteria-style, but with Greek yogurt and fresh fruit and unsweetened lemon green tea - sort of like you are eating at Whole Foods. They have an outdoor grill that has a variety of dishes available, and no line! Plus, you can't beat the outdoor seating and the view in nice weather. read more

Two stars because the food is fine but the service is garbage. We waited 43 minutes for two salads - I simply don't understand the hold up. Everyone else dining here was aggravated with the wait time too. I understand that the restaurant is here for the convenience of people that are already at the gardens and looking for a quick meal, but there is nothing convenient or quick about this place - It's down right disrespectful. read more

Love to visit the Botanic Garden & when we do, it's now become a custom to have lunch at this cafe. I m a big fan of their Veggie burger. Highly recommend. We also had their grilled chicken burger & Tuna sandwich, that was good too! read more

See all

I visited The Garden Cafe for the first time today. The food was good but this was definitely pricey. I had a salad ($9) off the shelf and a can of Peach Iced Tea ($3). To me it was like a super upscale cafeteria. If you wanted hot food you needed to wait in line. I arrived around 12:30pm on a Friday and it was PACKED. Unfortunately, the lines were too long for the hot food so I grabbed items off the shelf/refrigerated section. I would like to go back and try the hot food someday. read more

The Garden Cafe is a night place to grab a meal in the Botanic Gardens. You aren't going to get a great meal here - but something decent with a great view. And it's a tad pricey, but they have you in the Botanic Gardens. I'm not surprised. My husband had the pizza and I had a salad and some sweet potato fries. Everything was decent - we were starving and didn't know what else to eat in the area (PF Chang's? Max & Benny's?). Last time we visited, they did NOT have any bottled water. Instead, you had to buy a reusable Botanic Gardens bottle and fill it with water. I understand the sentiment to protect the earth by reducing waste, but they are still serving on paper products and using plastics and aluminum for their other beverages. If you are a member, you receive 2 10% off coupons every year. This helps a bit with the prices and is an incentive for us to eat there. Great for kids and wonderful outdoor seating with a grill. Free WiFi here. Great idea. Serves breakfast lunch and dinner. So you can get something here anytime. Reduced hours during the winter season, though. Overall, recommended if you are here. It's not terrible. But a nice meal down the street in Glencoe or Northbrook or HIghland Park is probably better. read more

This review is based on a Sunday visit during breakfast. The restaurant stresses 'everything local' yet they use liquid eggs from a carton, bland bacon and cheddar cheese and tater tots instead of potatoes. Food was OK, not very exciting and ultimately disappointing given their green claims. Sodexo runs this cafeteria, which explains this discrepancy. Other meals may reflect their localvore philosophy, but until they make serious changes to their breakfast menu (dump Sodexo in favor of a local company?) it's hard to take them seriously. Not worth going out of your way. If you are already there, may as well chow down. read more

This is a review of the Cafe inside the Chicago Botanic Garden. Don't misunderstand me, I love the Botanic Garden, and recommend people to visit. But the cafe inside that you might consider dining at for lunch or dinner sucks. We just had lunch there, so maybe the dinner would surprise me. But lunch is basically 2 lines. You can go Express and just get prepared sandwiches, salads and drinks, or go "Full" and get hot pizza, paninis, or something from their "bakery" :) I got pizza, my wife got a panini. The pizza reminded my wife of something made with some kind of instant tomato sauce called "Pizza Quick". I don't remember that from my childhood, but regardless it was terrible. And the panini only got a couple bites. It was some kind of roasted vegetable thing, and it was just gross. The place is also jammed at noon on a weekend, which is understandable since there's a lot of people going through, but just keep that in mind if you thought you wanted to grab a relaxing bite before or after your beautiful stroll. There's also lots of flies nipping at your legs because well, your at a garden and the doors to the outside are constantly opening. The only good thing about this cafe is they had beer to buy. But still my advice is eat before or find somewhere afterwards. read more

Friends and I bike through the Chicago Botanic Garden every week or two. The Garden View Cafe is a favorite stop. They get 5 stars for their coffee and baked goods. The scones are top-notch, baked from scratch on-site and well worth a stop. Enjoy! read more

We had a great meal here today! Watermelon salad, watermelon gazpacho, green salad, mushroom panini! All were delicious! Food was served quickly. Yes, it is overpriced. But a great place to grab a quick bite before checking out the gardens. Highly recommend. read more

Very nice, trendy cafe at Chicago Botanical Gardens which includes a Starbucks as well (naturally). Sammies, organic snacks, sweets. Price are quite fair for the location and "upscale" air. Service is quick and efficient despite looking like there may be a long line. Perfect for lighter fair or if the kids are "hangry". read more

The Chicago Botanic Garden's Outdoor Grill has long served up over-priced mediocre food in a pleasant venue (except when the wind blows smoke in your eyes and clothing). It's somewhat expected that a monopoly food source in a large tourist destination will operate in that manner. But tonight we received a large dose of incompetence and insolence from the manager of the grill. I would quip that Francesca, the manager, must be a graduate of the Pyongyang University Hospitality School, but that would be unfair to the North Koreans. We ordered a cheeseburger and grilled salmon for dinner. After seeing about 20 diners who had ordered after us pick up their food, 1/2 hour after our order was in, I asked Francesca what the problem was. She asked one of the grillmen if he had put the salmon on, and he began to look around. We waited another 10 minutes, and still no food. I asked Francesca for a refund, and she issued one only for the salmon. When I told her she had not refunded my burger, she claimed I had received and eaten it. When I protested, she finally refunded the burger. Then she sarcastically intoned, "have a great evening." Sure, after she had done her best to ruin it. We have been members of the Botanic Garden for many years and were there for a concert, which we attended hungry. Afterwards, we picked up dinner at Back Yard Grill in downtown Highland Park, where the food is always good, reasonably priced, and the service is totally customer oriented. Then it dawned on us, next time we'll just pick up our dinner at BYG and take it to the Botanic Garden. A sound dining strategy for everyone. read more

The food is wonderful, clean, seasonal, fresh and local, sustainably produced, much of it cooked to order. And the price is right. We have eaten there for breakfast and lunch. The omelets, oatmeal, coffees, buns, and very many other offerings are all delicious. For lunch, we have had burgers, vegy burgers, mac and cheese, and sandwiches to go. Portions are substantial and the staff are completely helpful and friendly. Highly recommended as a repast during a visit to the Chicago Botannical Gardens. Not far from Metra, bus and bike routes. read more

HUGE improvements here - those old reviews are out of date. Great food (grass fed beef burger, yum) although it is pricey ($10 average). I love their selection of teas, beer, and other drinks. Beautiful place to eat outside! Birdsong, live music, relaxation... read more

The botanic gardens are undeniably amazing, and being able to sit outside on a gorgeous day enjoying an omelette is a real treat. Went with a friend and "made" my own omelette. They don't have a huge selection on their menu, but there are options for most. I suspect it would be great for kids and picky eaters. Coffee is good, not great. Sit outside of you can. read more