Brauwer Cafe

Brief Information

Café Brauer stands by the lagoon in Lincoln Park, at the edge of the zoo, and still carries the place’s old name: the South Pond Refectory. Before the present building, this site had a boathouse and William Le Baron Jenney’s restaurant, which operated from 1882 to 1908. So the name is not just a historical habit: it recalls that the plot was associated with the pond and recreation even before the café was built.

The 1908 building was designed by Dwight H. Perkins. Its restaurant function changed several times: after the original restaurant closed, the second floor became a public recreation room with dancing; later, part of the floor was occupied by a theater, while the first floor became a small dining room. The 1987 restoration returned the building to a similar role: events are once again held upstairs, while a family restaurant and ice-cream café were arranged downstairs.

What to notice first

At the café, it makes sense to compare four noticeable features: the green roof, the red brick, the second floor with its ballroom, and the location by the lagoon. Together they explain why the building was described as a strong example of the Prairie style: its character is created not by a single decorative detail, but by the combination of a low roof, a warm brick mass, and an open view toward the water.

The interior organization can be read through the floors. The second floor was a ballroom, then a covered recreation room for children’s choreography, quadrilles, and waltzing; later it was partly a theater, and after restoration it again became an event space. The first floor, in different periods, remained closer to food and everyday use: a small dining room, then a family restaurant and ice-cream café. In this way, the building shows not one fixed function, but a stable division: upstairs, gatherings and movement; downstairs, service for visitors.