Cafe Brauer
Categories: Venues & Event Spaces, Restaurants [Edit]
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park2021 N Stockton Dr
(at Dickens Ave)
Chicago, IL 60614 (312) 742-2400
- Attire: Dressy
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Take-out: No
5 reviews
Neighborhood: The Loop
"Wow. Had a welcome to the company lunch here and was astounded. The service was indescribable. The people at the Metropolitan all wear…" read more »
11 Reviews for Cafe Brauer
So Cafe Brauer is in fact not a "Cafe" at all... what a misleading and uninspired title. I guess in the warm months they do have a patio cafeteria-style dining area where you can eat pond and park-side while you visit the Zoo, but with that aside, Cafe Brauer is for all intents and purposes an event and venue hall. And a lovely one at that!!
I attended an event there this past Friday evening and was astonished when I saw a gorgeous and ornate reception room and not a restaurant like I'd been expecting. The second floor is the event space and it was large and open with amazing woodwork, I was truly impressed... vaulted ceilings, wood domes, beautiful artisan handwork and 3 outdoor patios... in a word, it was gorgeous!!
I have to concur that the acoustics were terrible... anytime someone got on the mic is was completely unintelligible and the dj music sounded a bit echoey. I'm not sure what could remedy the problem aside from some carpeting, but I know that totally defeats the purpose of the rustic wood vibe. Either way, Cafe Brauer is really an impressive alternative setting to Chicago hotel ballrooms for weddings, parties, corporate events, etc.
Now only if we could do something about that name.... I think 'Lincoln Park Zoo Fabulous Event Spot' has a much nicer ring to it ; )
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I went here for an event this past weekend. The event was fine, so I'm not faulting the organizers. My issue is with Cafe Brauer:
(1) The acoustics are HORRIBLE. You won't be able to hear the band or DJ if there is one.
(2) The staff is very unprofessional. I was merely standing by the open bar, not even ready to order a drink, and at 6:58 the bartender told me "Um, we don't open until 7pm." The other bartender said, "It's two minutes to 7, we are open!" How unprofessional!!!! I felt completely embarrassed.
(3) The food service was WAY too slow to the point that the organizers got up in arms, and the manager had to begin flashing lights to get the servers to serve faster.
(4) While the dining room/main room is BEAUTIFUL and situated in a very scenic area of the park, the bathrooms look like public restrooms. I kept thinking that if I was paying to host a very formal event, I'd be really upset to find that bathrooms look like those in public pool house. Really, the bathrooms in Barnes and Noble are nicer.
Cafe Brauer is an event space located in Lincoln Park near the Zoo. It is a very nice building and you can rent it out for weddings, parties and events. I haven't been to an event here but I have checked it out when it was completely empty and I can see how it would be gorgeous once you get the tables and flowers etc inside. It has very high ceilings and two outdoor spaces where you can have cocktails or just enjoy the views of the pond and the park. The only problems I see with it are that the bathrooms are not the cleanest, and there is an odd smell to the place. Not a bad smell but it smells very old- which it is so I really can't hold that against it.
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I went to Cafe Brauer last night for a company event. Wow, what a gorgeous building!! The reception space was very open with a huge skylight. I could have spend hours just looking at the details in the brick and windows. It does get a little loud, though, because it is a decent sized open space...but a quick step out onto the patio quiets things down and the views of the park are beautiful.
This is a perfect location for a wedding reception or party.
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Would have given it two stars but the place truly is beautiful. I was at a wedding here and the sound was horrible! The acoustics in the place make it really hard for a DJ or a band to perform. Levy Events catering wasn't very good either.
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Basically, it's just a regular cafeteria type place, but what makes this glorious is (literally) the park like setting. You are surrounded by beauty here. This side of the zoo is more peaceful because it's in between the main zoo and the farm area. I love to come here to feed myself, then give some food to the ducks and geese swimming around the pond!
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My friend had a small,intimate wedding at Cafe Brauer last year and it was absolutely beautiful. It was the perfect spot for a smaller sized wedding and it really is in an ideal locataion. The food was very good as well!
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With it's almost storybook-like location between the duck pond by the Children's Petting Zoo and the Lincoln Park Zoo, this cafe is a fine place to hang out and enjoy an ice cream cone or a hot dog, if you can eat such things. However, it rarely seems to be open.
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I attended a law firm formal at Cafe Brauer last year and loved it. It was the perfect place to have a formal event during the summer. I love the way it looks over Lincoln Park Zoo! This would be a great place for a small intimate wedding.
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Sometimes used as for receptions for weddings because of it's location. It's right next to the south pond at L.P.Zoo. It's open in warm months to the public and serves dogs, pizza, snacks and even beer. Definetly a nice relaxing spot to enjoy the geese as they fly by and watch the paddleboats on the pond.
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This attractive cafe is on the grounds of the Lincoln Park Zoo. The beer garden looks out upon the lagoon, and the Great Hall can be rented out for receptions if you want to spend some real dough at a free zoo.
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