The Dawson
Acclaimed items and guest favorites include: Chicken-fried Lobster Tail, Bone-in Ribeye, Dawson Burger, Mac & Cheese, Bloody Mary, and featured Fish Tacos.
A nod to the contiguous Dawson Brothers Fireplace Plant of late 19th century Chicago, The Dawson's interior design draws inspiration from the history of the neighborhood and the industrial innovation of that era and offers an artfully stripped-down aesthetic, highlighting natural and reclaimed materials in unexpected ways throughout the establishment.
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 4:30pm - Midnight (Kitchen 11:00pm)
Friday: 4:00pm - 1:30am (Kitchen Midnight)
Saturday: 10:30am - 1:30am (Kitchen Midnight)
Sunday: 10:30am - 11:00pm (Kitchen 10:00pm)
BRUNCH:
10:30am - 3:00pm Saturday and Sunday
CTA Bus - Grand Avenue/Halsted Street stop
CTA Bus - Milwaukee Avenue / Halsted Street stop
CTA Bus - Halsted Street / Grand Avenue stop
The Dawson
312-372-4001
events@the-dawson.com
Private Dining
The Dawson is the gathering place in Fulton River District for globally-inspired American cuisine, award-winning libations and inviting decor. Featuring multiple spaces on two levels, including an expansive courtyard, The Dawson offers many options and is an event host's dream location.
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Menu
Mixed reviews - ambience and vibe was cozy and intimate. We had a table on the patio which was super cute with string lights. Cocktails were their strong suit. The food, however, was just okay. My steak had little no to flavor/crust and the brussel sprouts were pretty hard and difficult to eat. The chicken fried lobster had great flavor but it was just two super tiny pieces. Nothing that made us say wow or want to rush back here again.
Always love Dawson but disappointed they advertised on their website Camp Sunday sept 16th and it was cxld. Went there for the music.
The patio is a lovely place to brunch. Aside from the occasional city sounds, it was a very relaxing and peaceful ambience. The host was also very friendly and helpful. She checked my bags for me which was appreciated after traveling and lugging it around all morning. The bloody Marys and lox were amazing as well. Great brunch all around!
Always a favorite before but finding it to be the same menu for food and the drink menu not as interesting. : /
Fun vibe, tasty food. Outdoor area was wonderful for one of the last summer evenings for outdoor eating. Looks like they have heat lamps though so we’ll see if we can eat outside in the fall too. Burger was juicy, Branzino was cooked perfectly (although the waiter should have offered to filet it for me), steak frites was flavorful but tough.
Had about 8 people in my party. Waiter was very attentive. Great food and ambience
Brunch is always so good! I had the avacado toast! Been there a handful of times. It's one of my favorite outdoor patio spots! Great outdoor seating, people watching, cocktails a d great food and music!
Decent restaurant. Good food, nice patio area. Would go back again.
Loved brunch at the Dawson. The coffee and cinnamon sticky bun was outstanding- and you can’t beat the patio vibes.
Amazing food and ambiance. Elote corn and fries are a must. Service was a bit slow however
Service was incredible
The food was pricey but beat our expectations! We got corn ravioli and sausages.
Food is ordinary and overpriced for the type of entries you will get. Multiple restaurants in Chicago. Keep searching.
Great server. I think her name is Monica. Know her stuff
Appetizer and entrees were excellent. The server was very friendly and on top of things. Desert was just ok and the pour on alcohol was very measured, e.g. exactly 2 ounces.
Our server Troy was outstanding!
Mart
Our server
Was outstanding! We had an awesome nite
Great experience. Host was also great
Great atmosphere with excellent craft cocktails and fantastic service. Had the halibut and it was to die for! Highly recommended by a local and it didn’t disappoint!
The Dawson was a perfect location for lunch. The outdoor patio is amazing and the service was great. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was very laid back. We will definitely be returning.
Love the ambiance here. Our hostess , bartender and waitress were all very helpful and friendly I just didn’t love the food. In fact our whole table said the same. Nothing was omg delish and memorable. We went for dinner so brunch may be different. I’d probably go back for drinks but definitely not dinner.
Amazing culinary experience!! They have a beautiful outside patio, a wide variety of creative libations, great tasting food and wonderful service! Highly recommended
We love this spot, and have been here multiple times. This time however, they went above and beyond in their customer service. We requested to move tables after we had been there for a bit (and with a baby stroller). With relative ease and accommodation, they quickly moved us in a very seamless manner. The manager and wait staff were tremendous. Not to mention the branzino was fabulous!
Food was better than expected based on other reviews. Seafood was the best part of the menu from tuna ceviche to red fish tacos. Service and ambiance was great outside on the patio. A little loud but it was a lively and energetic atmosphere. Prices seemed a bit high but overall solid warm-weather dining option. We will go again!
Great service, cool patio and interesting menu items. Probably should have ordered more food because we left hungry as portion sizes are small. Everything we did have tasted amazing (chicken fried lobster and sea scallops).
Have been to the restaurant many times before but the service was poor and the doors to the outside were open making it muggy and gnats we’re flying all around! The reddish tacos were great but not for that price! The pork chop has lost it’s amazing amazing status since it is no longer brined with the previous ingredients that took 24 hours! Just not as pleased. And I had a really tough out of town crowd to please and they were not!
Doesn’t have a lot off option for brunch menu. It’s ok for taste.
Great place for a date or catch up with friends.
I arrived at The Dawson after seeing such high ratings all over the internet and was expecting something extravagant. The ambiance and outdoor seating area was definitely great but the food was lackluster to say the least. Considering the price of our bill (for 4 people) and all the great reviews I’ve read, I expected WAY better. $50+ steak had a few leaves of undressed arugula on top and tasted like something I could easily grill at home— it was bland and only had a tiny spoonful of sauce on top, not to mention that the meal was just a plain old steak on a plate with absolutely nothing on the side. Scallops were bland even with the sauce, grilled cauliflower was unseasoned and literally tasted like they just put a big cauli on the grill (sauce under it was decent but the crispy chickpeas tasted borderline burnt), the muscles were “eh”, and the table was too small for us to keep our appetizers long enough for us to really finish before our entrees were ready. Moscow mule was also subpar. For the price I believe there is way better and I was hoping to get more out of my experience. The service was also pretty average. Overall, not a great experience and don’t think I’d ever go back.
The Dawson is beautiful, and the food was great. We had the fish tacos, the burratta, and a wonderful salad with smoked feta, to start. For entrees, the cavatelli was really good, and filling, as was the corn ravioli, and fried chicken. We will be visiting again.
Great ambiance
Beautiful outdoor space. Great food and drinks
Ate outside on patio, the chicken fired lobster and redfish tacos were excellent also the Mai Ti's :)
To start the hostess tried to seat my family and I at a table inside although my reservation clearly asked for an outside table and there were plenty of tables available. After saying that I rather wait than seat inside she took us to our table in the patio. The service started well but it declined as the place got crowded and it didn’t happen to us but two tables beside us got their orders wrong. Food was good but nothing outstanding. Burguer lacked of seasoning. The fries were really good.
At the end the server offered us a couple of shots as courtesy but that didn’t help make over for the OK experience.
Loved the night at the Dawson. I’ve been there before several times and it’s one of my favorite places. Also, has to be one of Chicago’s best outdoor dining experiences. We had a blast. Thanks everyone.
The ambiance was wonderful and I appreciated the fabulous service. The food was delicious. However, the portions are incredibly tiny for a very high value. You're looking at ~$25-$50 per dish that comes in a portion size that would fit a small plate.
Went for the Sunday night Camp experience. It was nothing but a different menu with a hot dog & grilled cheese. Online they make it seem like this totally New concept where the "guidance counselors" - aka servers, guide you through the menu & experience.. none of this happened. Service was shotty at best. The brussel sprouts were terribly undercooked & barely warm as was our elote corn cob which had to be taken back to heat, (per request by the server when dropping it off!) The chicken fried lobster was good as was the cauliflower but there was nothing that stood out. Just a very mediocre experience in a lovely outdoor setting. The outdoor patio is their redemption in my opinion.
Girls brunch, food, drinks and ambiance were perfect for our get together
Totally my fault, but I was hoping to have a romantic dinner with my husband. It was SO loud that romance was impossible. The place seems great for friends' get together, but not for a date/special occasion. We had a ribeye and scallops, for the price I felt like I could have just prepared dinner at home, not terrible but not "noteworthy" either. I think if I return I would sit at the bar, table service was slow and somewhat lackluster.
Awesome service and the food was amazing!!!