Where To Eat Along The Lakefront
photo credit: Vandalay Brands
We might not have an ocean, but we do have a giant lake. During the summer, it’s our sacred duty to walk, run, and bike alongside it, and to take pictures on its many “beaches” to pretend we’re on the coast. All that active appreciation can make a person hungry. Here are 13 spots to get a drink and a bite to eat that are either a short walk from the lake or right on the beach, and casual enough that you won’t even need to change.
Unrated: This is a restaurant we want to re-visit before rating, or it’s a coffee shop, bar, or dessert shop. We only rate spots where you can eat a full meal.
The original Reggies is a very casual rooftop music venue and bar, and this location is basically the exact same, except it’s on the beach instead of a roof. You can expect live music, bar food like burgers, fries, and wings, and no one will judge you for wearing shorts and Tevas—even if they should.
Pier 31 Restaurant in Douglas is a good spot for drinks and a quick bite after falling asleep on the beach. It’s also great for live music. They have local acts like soul bands and live DJ sets and a small menu with nachos and burgers—all of which can help take your mind off your newly acquired sunburn.
Caffe Oliva is a reliable outdoor restaurant on Ohio St. Beach. It’s kind of like ordering food at a hotel pool, with options like coconut shrimp, turkey burgers, and pita and hummus. Are you going to call all your friends after eating here to tell them about the food? Probably not, but it gets the job done when you’re too hungry to travel more than 100 yards from the sand.
Robert’s is located on the Ogden Slip, which might make you feel, for a brief moment, that you have a boat. You don’t, but the excellent pizza with its flavorful, airy, slightly crispy thin crust will help you forget that. You’ll find a variety of toppings, from fennel with pepperoni and honey to sausage with caramelized onions.
Whispers At Oak Street Beach is on the stretch of sand where Lake Shore Drive curves and the Gold Coast gives way to Streeterville. Which makes their deck a pretty fantastic backdrop for drinking mojitos and frozen pina coladas without getting sand in your shorts like a plebian: you’re just a few feet away from water while the LSD skyline towers above. Most people are here for drinks rather than the short menu of mediocre beachy small plates and sandwiches, but burgers and tacos appear on most tables for a reason.
Yes, this place is a total sh*tshow, but if you want a burger after drinking on North Avenue Beach all day, this is where to order it. The location is inside a fake ship that’s right on the beach, and it’s a decent option if you happen to be sad you never got to see Sisqo perform live during MTV Spring Break in 2000.
You never won that trip to Palm Springs by reaching your “adventurepreneur” sales goal, but Shore Club is here to help you pretend you did. This place on North Avenue Beach has a cabana-style atmosphere with loungy daybeds and some solid Mediterranean food. And unlike that resort in Palm Springs, you don’t have to come here with your boss.
Theater On The Lake is (unsurprisingly) right on the lake, which means you have a close view of Lake Michigan and the pretty stretch of lawn right next to the path. This is both a restaurant and an event space, so just stick with bar food like wings, the burger, and lots of cocktails.
Clock Tower Cafe is, inexplicably, a family-friendly hybrid cafe-dive bar managed by the Chicago Park District. It sits on the edge of the Waveland golf course, so it’s primarily used for post-game drinks. But there are plenty of people on the back patio eating basic options like wings, burger patties you’d find at a friend’s backyard BBQ, nicely charred Chicago dogs, or perfectly crisped quesadillas while taking in a view of Lake Michigan through protective golf netting.
As hard as we try to pretend it is, Lake Michigan is not an ocean. That said, there are some spots along the “beach” that make you feel like you’re closer to the Jersey Shore than to Gary, Indiana. The Dock at Montrose Beach is one of these spots. It’s right on the lakefront sand and they serve a respectable burger.
Aura On The Lake is easily the best place for a meal on the lakefront. This walk-in-only beach bar and cafe from the team behind Uvae is right on Kathy Osterman Beach in Edgewater, which means minimal travel time between taking dips and enjoying well-made food like delicately battered fish tacos, a juicy signature burger, and a variety of other seafood dishes. It’s exactly what you want after building a sandcastle megalopolis and deciding that’s all the energy you’re going to exert for the day.
If Castaways is MTV Spring Break, Waterfront Cafe in Edgewater is Ina Garten’s spring break. This outdoor cafe is attached to a coach house next to the Berger Park Cultural Center mansion. It’s quiet enough to hear your friend complain about their expensive haircut, and has food like nachos, spreads, and sandwiches, which you order from a takeout window. There’s also live acoustic music. It’s basically the beach restaurant equivalent of linen pants.
