I treated myself to a day at the zoo and the Chicago history museum. I chose this restaurant because it had impossible tacos! It ended up being the highlight of the day. The entrance faces the zoo and since I was there on a weekday , I was able to get a table outside right away. Some seats were in the sun but I was able to get on in the shade. All tables had a lovely view of the flowers adorning the path along the pond. A busser immediately brought me water. The server came promptly and brought my Diet Coke. Although several items looked good, I didn't need any time to decide on the impossible tacos. They can come with rice and beans for a charge but I was glad to keep it simple at just the tacos. The server was polite and efficient. I overheard him easily able to answer questions at other tables. The tacos outshone my expectations. First, they were each on two soft shell tacos which were slightly crispy like they'd been in the oven or on a skillet / not greasy and fried. But just warm and crispy. They were bursting with the impossible meat which was charred pleasantly crispy. It was some of the best impossible meat I've had. The tacos were brimming with flavor but not at all spicy. I could choose between red (spicy) and green (milder) salsas. I chose green and on the side. It had just a hint of spice and such a lovely flavor. read more

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This cafe has the best view among the food options at Lincoln Park Zoo! The food was pretty decent and didn't take too long to come out. They have a menu with rotating specials, when we went they were a grilled veggie wrap and a salmon plate. The teriyaki wings were a bit on the salty side and slightly cold but the fries were excellent (fresh and hot). The salmon/wild rice special was a good portion split between two people with small appetites. I liked that we didn't need to wait for a table as you seat yourself. During summer I believe there's only patio seating (no indoor seating) so keep that in mind if it's super hot out. The food options here are higher caliber than the typical hamburger/hot dog available at the other food courts around the zoo, with a great view of the skyline and the pond nearby which had a family of geese. It's also really close to the famous honeycomb structure. read more

The Patio at Cafe Brauer - Wings and fries (teriyaki wings were a bit salty and slightly cold but fries were excellent!) - Cafes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The menu is a bit limited, but the outdoor patio kinda makes up for it. Good views and a great vibe out there. Heads up: no indoor dining during the summer, so plan accordingly. I had read some reviews about ordering at the counter and taking a number, but when we went, it was full table service. The service was excellent - friendly and attentive. Draft beers are $7, with a few good local brews to choose from. I had the Turkey Club ($19), which came with fries. The fries were fantastic, and the sandwich was big and delicious. The 3 chicken tacos were $15, but they charge $5 extra for a side of rice and beans--which felt like highway robbery. The tacos were good, and the chicken was decent, but nothing amazing. I would come back for the patio experience and solid service, but that $5 side charge stings! read more

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This was a very cute cafe. They had many choices for your sweet tooth The coffee was fresh and delicious I liked the area and surrounding neighborhood There was a lot of parking options The staff was friendly and busy . It was order and sit down with your number and you will be served I plan on trying this cafe again read more

The Patio at Cafe Brauer - Patio table - Cafes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great view of the skyline! Located next to the Lincoln Park Zoo. Turkey club sandwich was great. read more

The Patio at Cafe Brauer - Turkey Club Sandwich - Cafes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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It's the end of JUNE 2025. Is the Patio at Cafe Brauer open for business? There is no phone number that works for this restaurant. Does anyone have any idea how to contact them for reservations / information? They have the best Baja fish tacos around and friends are coming to town. Help! read more

Not a bad atmosphere after walking around the park and the outside seating offers a really nice view of the water and people walking by. The seating situation was a little confusing, not sure if it was due to Covid or not but I wasn't sure if we needed to be seated at the hostess stand or just to seat ourselves so it was kind of a first come, first serve for tables and it was a little awkward to manage during the height of lunch time. We got the patio burger and the carne asada tacos. My husband isn't a big fan of sauces so the tacos came with just the meat and hot sauce on the side. The meat itself was pretty good though. My burger was decent and I liked the house chips that it came with. The sweet pickles on top were a little strange to me and I wasn't really a fan. Pretty much your basic little patio restaurant in the park. It was decent and convenient but not a huge deal to go to again the next time we visit. read more

The Patio at Cafe Brauer - Carne asada tacos (without toppings) - Cafes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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HAPPY HOUR WITH A VIEW @patioatcafebrauer Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago What a great way to enjoy the sun with a nice view and live music . Had the best time drinking their house Patio Mule (tart & refreshing) and margarita (got the original but they also have strawberry, peach, mango, or wild berry) # sponsored (more on Instagram @midwestmunching) Biggest highlights for food was their shrimp ceviche, market salad , chicken tacos & house chips. Shrimp ceviche came with tomato & avocado, nice and light. Market salad was huge as you can see here - added grilled shrimp . They mixed the ranch in their which made every bite just tasty! Chicken tacos had a nice flavor throughout, came with pico de gallo, cabbage, and fresh pineapple. Which kept the tacos light And their house chips. WOW I can eat these all day. Nice thick cut & double fried till super crispy. We also ordered their burger (super juicy as you can see), fries & fruit cobbler read more

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In terms of food, I would give this restaurant 5 stars-it was delicious. But the service was pretty bad. The waitress missed an item on our order, and mumbled everything. The food took 30 minutes-people who were seated after us got their food before us. The view of the pond is nice, but honestly the service quality really bugged me, and as good as the food was, I wouldn't come back here. read more

The Patio at Cafe Brauer - Falafel burger - Cafes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Went here for bunch, and all I have to say is $18 for bacon, eggs, hash browns and toast I'd pay for! Just not at this place. Y'all, just use fresh eggs! Why are we using powdered eggs when this plate is 18 dollars? read more

The only thing good about this place is the view. Everything else is shabby and run-down, in my opinion. Here's an example: The website says they're open most nights till 9PM. It also has a link to make reservations. You'd have to hunt around on Google to try and find a phone number. 1) The restaurant officially closes at 7, but often staff choose to close the kitchen earlier so they can start their commute earlier (their words, not mine)*. 2) The reservation link is broken. 3) No one answers at the phone number, other than an automated recording for the restaurant management company that has the contract to run this place. I tried going here three times before I caught them at one of their unpredictable hours of operation. * P.S. The sign outside the restaurant says they close at 6PM. If someone invested a little time in this place and updated the info to be consistent, they could avoid all this needless confusion. Another example of how shabby this place is: the menu says they have a rotating selection of beers on tap. Guess what. The taps are there but not being used. Just bottle selection. Why? My guess is management doesn't want to invest in the maintenance. Why should they? I would guess they're raking in the cash from unsuspecting folks wowed by the view. The view is stunning, but you can do yourself a favor and avoid wasting time, being disappointed, and spending a fair amount of cash by just finding a bench or walking around the park yourself. The food is ok. The guacamole isn't from a powder, but underseasoned. Don't ask for the salt, as it's caked shut. The servers are trying their best, but are really just going through the motions. Had to ask multiple times for water while they talked among themselves. Yes, these are first-world problems. But also yes, you freely chose to browse this free website that's about posting opinions of businesses. And in my opinion, this restaurant is run-down. read more

I've been to The Patio at Cafe Brauer a few times now. Once for dinner with my family two years ago, brunch and last night. After last nights experience I think a review is needed. The view and ambiance of the place score a 5/5. It's a gorgeous view looking at the skyline over the pond. The seats are fairly comfortable and it feels like you're in a very secluded place. Unfortunately that's the only thing really going for The Patio. The service is fairly blah and nothing special. I will say that it makes you feel like you're in vacation because they seem to be on vacation time. The food is a bit sad. The menu has changed over the years I'm sure due to food costs, etc but even the items that have stayed on the menu don't taste quite the same. I've ordered the turkey burger twice now and this most recent time - last night - was terrible. It was sooo incredibly dry that I asked for more aioli and really that didn't do much to mask the bland, dry flavor. The fries were good but clearly frozen from a bag. The rest of my dinner mates last night felt the same about their food. Bland. Plain. Nothing special. The theme of previous reviews- nothing special about the food but the views is nice- will remain true as long as the patio continues to coast on the good views instead of priding itself on a well designed, flavorful menu. read more

Very shaky food, quite mediocre in fact. Everything is "pretty bad," but the views and patio are nice. Sometimes there's insanely loud music playing making it impossible to talk to people, even if they are inches away. Keep this in mind. Service is okay. read more

Fabulous place. Great views in Lincoln Park Zoo. Drinks and food are reasonable. Live music several days a week from 5:30-7:30 with live music. I'll definitely return! read more

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Exceptionally nice location Friendly waiters Decent food read more

The Patio at Cafe Brauer - Cafes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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SKIP this place. Last meal when my grandmother and mom were visiting and so disappointed. It was a Friday at lunch time, place was packed. No biggie, I figured because the weather was nice, it's literally outside one of the zoo entrances and plenty of tourists in town. We waiting 15 min; they can text you when your table is ready so we walked around the pond. I'll give the benefit of the doubt since I've been once but the service was awful. They gave a burger to the guy at the table next to us then came back and took it right from under him saying they needed to remake it. I watched, he waited a LONG time. We were seated, hungry and thirsty and never greeted by a server. Several different servers took care of the neighboring tables, looked at us and walked away. I had to get up myself to ask for a server and also get ourselves a water carafe. We just got the steak chili nachos to share; also a hard pass. Cheese was bleh. Steak chili and guacamole were good though. Overpriced place for food. The only nice thing would be to sit outside on the patio on a good day read more

I have been to Cafe Brauer several times over the past few months and the staff wears masks, menu offered using your scanner on your phone, social distancing enforced and you can't beat the food and the view of our skyline is gorgeous! Check it out. read more

The Patio at Cafe Brauer - View from my table at Cafe Brauer; stunning. - Cafes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The sandwich is the same as 7-11, and it is $14 with $2 for fries, not worth. My husband had a coffee and they serviced with a hot coffee when it is 80F today. read more

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We ate outside at the patio while it was drizzling. Love the scenario and our waitress. Our waitress was very friendly. It was basically fenced in so I felt ok eating outside with my kids. I ordered a steak chili nachos salad and it was huge. Will order again. My husband likes his tacos. My son wasn't a fan of his Mac and cheese but loved their fries. Their cookie skillet with ice cream was good. Definitely will come back. We also discovered free parking and can get into the zoo after eating! read more

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We had such high hopes for this place. It has a gorgeous location overlooking the pond with a great view of the city skyline in the distance. We were seated right away, but then waited for over 10 mins while we watched the person who identified himself as our waiter just stand around and talk with other staff without even bringing us water. We tried to get his attention several times to which he made eye contact and ignored us. Finally we got up and left. It was not busy time either. Shouldn't have ignored the other poor reviews about terrible service here. read more

Four stars for the Training Manager who politely apologized that the Cafe will not open until April 29, 2017 when I tried to eat lunch here today. They are training their staff. I was given a new menu (paper) and he wrote the opening date on the top. The food sounded great and there are many options that I would like to try such as the steak nachos, the cuban sandwich, the buttermilk fried chicken sandwich with tomato, bibb lettuce on a toasted brioche bun, or the blueberry crisp! Extensive wine and cocktail menu. The training manager, Derek said that a music school located in Lincoln Park will be performing live music every Wednesday (after April 29, 2017) and will include jazz (live music 5:30-7:30 pm). He also stated that there will be cocktail specials on Wednesdays from 5:30-7:30 pm. read more

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This place is confusing, and I think the servers were confused as well. You can walk up and get a drink at their outdoor bar/station/set up but it's just a walk up bar, not the kind you sit at. So then there are also tables and people being served. Do we seat ourselves? Do we go inside and see a hostess? Do we get drinks at this walk-up bar and then just sit, or are we then wasting a table in someones section drinking drinks we just paid for already? After we decided to just sit and see what happens, a server came over and got our drink orders. Shortly after that a different server showed up apologizing for not having helped us yet, as if no one had waited on us at all. Confusing. Nice little stop-off after or before the zoo though, great views. read more

The Patio at Cafe Brauer - Cafes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Sat outside and had the best brunch and bloody Mary's. Light salads and sandwiches before a stroll next door at the zoo. read more

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If you want to sit down and eat, take a load off, enjoy your friends and/or family while at the Zoo, this is the place. It sits a bit off the beaten zoo path, directly on Stockton, beside water with beautiful views of the city. After many trips here, I like it. 1. We've had INCREDIBLE service and Meh service. Lately, they've really really picked up their game. On a trip in during the pre-fourth week, the service was excellent. We were seated quickly, our server was great, etc.. 2. The menu. Given the location of Cafe Brauer and the fact that it is part of the zoo, the menu is pretty good. It is a rounded Pub menu; burgers, salads, paninis, wings, guac- etc. There are also a few desserts. I tried the Beef and Cheddar Panini. It was A-Okay. 3. The bathrooms. The bathrooms are located inside and often have a line. ***Accessibility Thoughts*** All servers and seating were accommodating to our needs. On one trip to this establishment, the location of the bathroom made it difficult to reach. A door needed to be unlocked as it was easiest to roll the member of our party in from the outside to get closer. That took quite awhile, the bar staff ignored feverent knocking. After this hullabaloo (and weaving through a packed bar area), the line for the restrooms (2) was very long. It was not ideal. However, the situation may have changed. Given this situation, plan ahead :) . read more

Official last day of summer and another wonderful visit to the Patio at Cafe Brauer! The restaurant is quite busy and their always pleasant staff is working hard, and successfully, to keep all patrons happy. I had the Black Bean Burger which is always excellent. We were also able to bring our dog who thoroughly enjoyed having his own water dish supplied by the cafe! Kudos, Patio of Cafe Brauer! Another perfect visit!! read more

Food is bland and dull. I guess since options are limited inside the zoo, they feel they don't have to try. We had the brunch... no garnishes on the plates... bare and unappetizing. No seasoning on eggs or the hamburger patty... not even salt. Wait staff was mediocre. It was a sunny fall day, and there were so many bees (yellow jackets?) on the patio, that we had to move inside. There was zero evidence of any attempt to get rid of the bee problem. I give it two stars for the view. read more

The Patio at Cafe Brauer - The view may be worth the dull food. - Cafes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Friendly waitstaff, nice menu items, nice food. Nice ambience, try the beer on tap. It would be nice to have more choices for coffee and deserts. read more

They get a star for the patio being on s pond... that is the only reason to be here. The food we had was awful! The buffalo cauliflower was a soggy mess and the nachos reminded us of something you could get at speedway or Wendy's. The food quality was definitely low compared to the cost. read more

We stopped in originally just to grab something cold to drink and sit in the shade because it was hella hot today. After sweatin' up a storm in the hot primate house at the Zoo, a cold drank was in order. We were seated under an umbrella that didn't have that great of a view of the skyline. Boo, but whatever. My brother and I ordered Green Line on tap and my sister in law ordered a mojito. The beer and glasses were refreshingly cold and my sister in law said her mojito was made really well. Woo! We soon realized we should probably eat something and proceeded to order food. My brother and I had the burger, he asked for a fried egg to be added to his, and my sister in law had the turkey burger. Our server said the burgers came with chips but we could add fries or onion rings for extra. We all ordered fries (I had the sweet potato fries). The food came out like in 15 minutes, pretty quick. Not too long after our food arrived, another worker (manager maybe?) came to our table and notified us that a severe storm was headed our way and that we could move to a table under their awning instead. After we agreed, he told us he'd grab our food for us and take it to us at our new table. Our new table had a much better view of the skyline. Score! So we ate while we watched the storm. Luckily it didn't hit Lincoln Park too bad. It was nice and relaxing actually. Oh and the burgers were pretty damn good, including the turkey burger! The burgers came on nicely toasted brioche. A bit greasier than I expected, but all in all, not bad for this cafe. I guess we had pretty low expectations for this place, so it was a nice surprise that this cafe right next to the zoo actually had good food and drinks. My only complaint was the price. We weren't really keeping tabs on the extras (avocado, egg, fries substitute) and a couple of drinks each. For 3 of us it came out to be over a $100. BUT, that's pretty average Chicago prices. I'm just happy everything was made well or else I'd complain that they over charge for convenience, location, view, etc. Overall, I liked this place! read more

After we snagged a great parking spot across the street, my mom and I decide to check out this cute little place because of its great location. Seated right on a beautiful little pond with a great view of the city, it's the perfect little oasis nestled right by Lincoln Park Zoo. We ordered the cheese platter as a starter and it was delicious- especially while enjoying a glass of wine and the great view. Our waitress was extremely accommodating as we mulled over the menu as we ate our cheese. My mom and I ended up settling on splitting a pulled pork sandwich with sweet potato fries and macaroni and cheese as sides. We loved the sandwich (the coleslaw on it was a nice touch), enjoyed the fries, but thought the Mac and cheese was mediocre at best. However, the cookie skillet for dessert made up for it- a sizzling hot chocolate chip cookie with vanilla ice cream and caramel drizzle. Definitely a great way to end the meal. Overall, a spot with great ambiance, food, and service. read more

The Patio at Cafe Brauer - The cheese platter! Definitely would recommend. - Cafes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Good food even for vegetarians (impossible burger). Love the view of the pond. The staff is great especially our favorite waitress Chiquy read more

Cafe Brauer at LPZ is the place to be. Why am I just finding out about this hidden gem...NOW?! So they have a fantastic patio space on the boardwalk overlooking the pond. This place is not just for events. This is a summer bar, hang out patio. This place is the place to go for socialization. This place is to go for drinks with friends new and old. This place is the place to go for appetizers and even main food dishes. They have a menu, specialty drinks, Goose Island Beers on draft (one is especially made JUST for the zoo), and bottled beers too (even Three Floyds and Two Brothers). Service is fantastic! Staff is friendly and knowledgeable. They let you relax on the patio and do not rush you out. The patio has a roof that is retractable but they leave it open. You have more than enough breeze that comes through the open area. The roof is a nice shade from the blazing sun too. Music playing the background is simply that, a nice background. It does not interfere during conversations and it is nice when the conversation has died down. The drinks here are awesome. They can make margaritas, various flavored mojitos, vodka lemonades, and martinis. They are all tremendously good. YUM! So go enjoy a day at the zoo and follow it up with a visit to this Cafe. It is open until 9/10pm You will find me here enjoying my summer free time because this is my new favorite spot!!! Bike parking north and south of the Cafe. read more

Well, I am kind of sad. I loved The Patio at Cafe Brauer the first few years. Of course it is still a beautiful setting. But they have changed the menu and eliminated some of the best things (e.g. the flatbread pizzas) and the prices seem to have gone way up ($18 for a burger and chips? $5 for iced tea? Really?). Service is spotty and inconsistent; it really depends on the server. There used to be a manager on site always, not sure if (s)he still is. I will still go occasionally, just because I love the setting and like to support Lincoln Park Zoo but I am no longer a big fan (Oh and they stopped taking reservations through OpenTable - or at all!) read more

A nice gem outside of Lincoln Park Zoo. After a short 30 minute wait (which they text you when your table is ready), was seated with a great view of the Chicago skyline. The place was slammed for a Wednesday afternoon (7/23) and the food took a little longer than expected. That was fine as I was in no rush. My Garlic Herb chicken breast sandwich was good though a little heavy on the aioli. My friend enjoyed her salad wrap which came with homemade chips. Def go chips over fries. read more

Great location overlooking the pond/nature boardwalk. Surprisingly reasonable prices at breakfast. Portions were small but very nicely done and presented. read more

Number 1 pet peeve in a restaurant. NEVER assume your guest is finished unless they tell you. Cafe Brauer has such an amazing location and yet continuously drops the ball on service. I come here because it's close to my house and I love the pond. However there has only been one time where service was passable. Today everything started off great, my server did me a favor and grabbed the WiFi password, he took my drink order and dropped it off. 25 min later he came back to ask me if I wanted anything else. That didn't bother too much because I did tell him I had a lot of work to do. Then I ordered. No check back and no offer of another beverage (which I ordered) (What I did notice was the lady sitting at the table next to me looking around for water, got irritated, and left. The staff was just hanging out inside, perfect example of service doesn't end just because someone pays) Then when I asked for a box from the manager, he was the quickest he was the entire time and just dropped off the check. No "hey would you like anything else" I must have made a face because he tried to back track and at that point I didn't want to stay. I was thinking about dessert and possibly another cocktail. Shame, I'll start looking elsewhere for a new patio spot. I honestly don't blame the server too much, I blame the managers for not helping and inspiring their staff. With the amount of bad service, it isn't bad eggs, it's bad leadership. read more

Here's what I love about this place: drinking at the zoo! The view is fantastic and I could easily throw back a few drinks while enjoying the view and chilling by the new nature boardwalk. I had two of the margaritas (the Sunset and the Dragonfly) and they were both really good and packed a punch. They were about $7 which I think is really reasonable for what you get. They also had 3 beers on tap (312, green line and another blueberry beer). I also got an order of hot wings which were pretty good, but nothing spectacular. The bartenders were very friendly and I saw them out busing tables and chatting to guests. read more

One of my favorite things about summer and visiting Lincoln Park Zoo is stopping by the patio and having a beer and a snack. The prices are an incredible value with a view to match! This has to be one of my favorite al fresco spots in the city. They have a nice beer selection that includes a special Goose Island blueberry brew made just for the zoo. I'm a poet and I do, in fact, know it. The menu is limited but everything I've had has been surprisingly excellent; far above what I expected. Even the servers have been consistently great. read more

Great for weekend brunch! Menu choices and service were both good. Of course, the view and casual ambience were special. We will be back.

My family and I love Brauer. We are regulars and enjoy the view, the outdoor seating, the suitability for kids, the ability to bring dogs. Food is always consistent - no frills and not a huge menu, but always hits the spot. Latest menu addition - the vegetarian Impossible Burger - is our new fave. Prices have gone up a bit this year, particularly for dinner, which isn't ideal and it's a little overpriced, but the location can't be beat. Certain weekday evenings feature live music - great way to spend the evening. Management is working on the service - hard to blame them as it's hard managing a seasonal staff. The returning servers are usually pretty good while the new ones need extra coaching, and the manager Rene does a good job with that and keeps a close eye on his guests as well as on his servers. read more