The Dawson
Each reservation will be given an appropriate time slot to enjoy their meal and company, based on their party size—90 minutes for parties of 1-2 guests and 2 hours for parties of 3-6 guests. We may ask for your table back at the completion of your meal.
Reservations cannot be guaranteed for guests that are more than 15 minutes late, but we will do our best to seat such parties as soon as possible.
We are not able to accommodate guests indoors, so in the event of inclement weather, reservations will be rescheduled. As restrictions are relaxed, we look forward to honoring reservations rain or shine.
We greatly appreciate your patronage and look forward to serving you.***
Private Dining
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Safety precautions
- Surfaces sanitized between seatings
- Common areas deep cleaned daily
- Digital, disposable or sanitized menu provided
- Sanitizer or wipes provided for customers
- Sealed or wrapped utensils used
- Limited number of seated diners
- Distancing maintained in common areas
- Extra space between tables
- Waitstaff wear masks
- Diners must wear masks unless eating or drinking
- Sick staff prohibited in the workplace
Menu
Great patio and amazing food. Definitely my favorite spot in town.
We were so thankful to get out to the Dawson. The backyard was warm with the fire and heaters and so beautiful with the lights. It felt SO safe as they spread everyone out well. The food and drinks were amazing and they even let us order the scallops off menu, which were absolutely incredible! The host was so so so accommodating and attentive even though we were 15 minutes late for our reservation. Thank you!!!
Waitress was very nice & polite
Such great service and it’s so pretty! Jimmy was the best!
Great date spot with a beautiful patio. The food is a little expensive but it is meant to share. The cocktails are all delicious. The whiskey and wine selections are also great. And I love how the patio reflects the seasons; right now, it’s decorated full of fall.
Excellent patio
We sat outside on the patio, with the fire going and wine flowing, it was a lovely night.
Great food and ambiance . Server was great and tuna was fabulous
Delicious cocktails and plenty of heaters outside!
Great outdoor setup, good service, food was great too!
A glorious patio weekend capped of with attentive and socially responsible service.
This outdoor space is beautiful in the fall. Great service, food and drinks
Gorgeous, perfect vibe
Amazing food, great music, and the all around atmosphere was one of a kind! Def recommend this place as one of my top ten go-to’s
While situated on a busy corner of Chicago, the Dawson's patio does a great job of creating a cozy, secluded oasis complete with delicious, crafted cocktails and exquisitely-presented entrees. Our server, Reese, was super attentive and we left our Sunday late lunch with full bellies and big smiles - we'll definitely be back! The whole roasted chicken was so AMAZING!! Succulent sections of juicy poultry, served with two oven-fired pita rounds, a heap of fresh parsley-tomatoes-cucumbers, a chilled bowl of Tzaziki sauce and peppery-red salsa -- delish!! Next time, I'm gonna hit that giant burger that I kept watching go by...
The ambiance was great with the patio and the fire pit going. Noise level wasn’t too loud and the staff was very accommodating. Highly recommend this restaurant.
Everything was absolutely perfect! From the outdoor fireplace, great ambience, to the incredible service and dishes! Can’t wait to come back!
Wonderful romantic atmosphere on the back patio. Incredible customer orientation!
Great first time experience at Dawson!
The food and drinks were good and the ambiance was great! Unfortunately the service took a long time and the waitress was a little curt and rude.
Made a reservation here for my anniversary, I requested to be near the fire outside and a regular table. We were seated at a high top table by the bar, right in a dark corner. We had a fence between us and busy street. If you're going for drinks this would be a fine place, but don't go for anything special.
The Dawson is always a great place to dine! The service is always spectacular and the food delicious! We enjoyed the garden - so relaxing - and even purchased Dawson throws/blankets to keep us a little warmer. And always good to have a visit from Billy!
We sat by the fireplace outside - it is a beautiful setting!
Came here for a birthday dinner, specifically wanted outdoor dining and was so impressed with the patio space. Tables were truly spaced out, there were plenty of space heaters (3 surrounded our table) plus there is a gorgeous fireplace at one end of the patio space. Loved the fall festive decor. The food was delicious, 10/10 recommend the lamb shank pot pie!
Thank you for a lovely experience in these COVID times!
The steak was a bad cut, extremely fatty. Everything else was tasty.
Food and drinks were excellent! Vibe in here is great...whether it's happy hour with friends, a date, or celebrating with a group - highly recommend for all!
It was a cold damp Friday night and we sat on the patio. We were made as warm as possible by the lamps and we enjoyed the food and atmosphere. A riotous birthday party kept us entertained. They did their best!
Extremely slow service. We sat inside and it was as if there was no service inside. We waited so long to get even our drink order in and but they rushed us with the bill. We tried to flag someone down to place an order an appetizer order that came AFTER our dinner....
I would go back and give them another chance, but woof....they should really fix the service problem. Rude, rushed and honestly, quite awkward. Food was great though!
We had the steak and potato fingerlings and they were the most delicious cuts of steak we had in the city so far! Amazing service and drinks have a kick.
The restaurant is beautiful, but the service wasn't great. Our waitress was not very friendly. She wouldn't answer any of our food recommendations and only returned to the table every 30 minutes. We even saw a couple of tables leave during our time there. The food seemed a bit overpriced for what it was but was delicious. I think you can get the same ambiance but overall better experience elsewhere in Chicago
Sit outside if you can. The difference is night and day between inside and outside. The atmosphere outside is great. Inside is dismal.
Came here with a date for drinks and had an overall spectacular experience: great drinks, service, and ambiance. Order the spicy margarita..
The outdoor patio is adorable. We sat next to the fireplace which was perfect on a chilly morning. The only thing better than the ambiance was the food. I highly recommend sharing the fish tacos as a table--a pound of the most amazing fish with fresh taco toppings--delicious!
We will be returning to the Dawson again and again! Service was great, the atmosphere was so cute for fall, they had plenty of heaters too! The food was amazing, cannot wait to have more!
Great experience, however the tables next to us were a little loud. Made it tough to have a great conversation.
Nice surprise. Patio area is quite nice, lots of heaters, would be great during the summer. Food was great. Creative cocktails. Service was very good. We will be back, probably next spring.
Loved it, a tad expensive but great over all. Definitely would go back.
The perfect outdoor dining experience during the craziness of COVID.
The food was excellent, heat lamps made sitting outside so enjoyable and Trent was incredibly hospitable! He along with the delicious Ahi Tuna is why I’ll be back again very soon :)
Oysters were everything!! Outdoor patio really nice ambience. Will be back!
FAQs
You can order delivery directly from The Dawson using the Order Online button. The Dawson also offers delivery in partnership with Caviar and Postmates. The Dawson also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (312) 243-8955.
The Dawson is rated 4.7 stars by 1802 OpenTable diners.
The Dawson does offer gift cards which you can purchase here https://gagehospitality.cardfoundry.com/giftcards.php.
Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable. Due to local restrictions, this restaurant may not be accepting reservations at the moment.
