Mesler Kitchen | Bar | Lounge - Chicago, Illinois

Michaela Y.

I went for a friend’s birthday. Our server Al was attentive and accommodating. He brought out special limoncellos for our party.

Though the menu was limited, I settled for the Lobster Roll. The texture was a little different from what I’m used to. I wasn’t very fond of the lobster mayo, it sort of overpowered the roll for my taste. The french fries were good.

The pear margarita was an excellent choice, it wasn’t too sweet at all. The sugar rim was a nice touch!

Kelvin C.

Fancy hotel bar in Hyde park. Very classy. Drinks are a little expensive but they are mixed really well. Definitely a high class joint that you would hang out with good friends or to go out on a date. The chicken salad was decent. The chicken is juicy and tender. The salad itself isn’t bad but not superb as I have tried at other fine dining places. But overall it was a nice experience. I give it 5 stars.⭐️

Jan D.

We had cocktails here prior to Court Theatre production. Great vibe, great cocktails and service. Parking is tricky and it's not in walking distance from theatre. But nice place regardless.

Julian F.

I recently visited Mesler Kitchen Bar Lounge during their off-peak hours, specifically between 2-4 PM, to avoid interrupting any busy tables. Upon arrival, I was told I could wait at the bar for the bartender. Despite making eye contact with the bartender several times, they chose to engage in a lengthy conversation with a coworker, laughing for about 10-15 minutes while ignoring me. Frustrated, I returned to the hostess to request a seat and waited another 15 minutes before a server finally approached me.

I ordered a kiwi pineapple margarita and settled in. I remained seated for about an hour and a half without any further attention from the staff. Although I had finished my drink and packed my belongings, my server continued to ignore me in favor of other guests nearby, who were also just having drinks. The level of disregard was baffling, as it was not even a busy lunch time, just lounge hours.

In the end, I had to flag down a different server who had not even started their shift to handle my bill. While the drink itself tasted great, the customer service was appalling. I felt extremely unwelcome and disrespected, which is disheartening given my frequent patronage at Woodlawn Tap where I typically spend around $60 three times a week on food and drinks.

I usually visit restaurants when they are less busy in hopes of receiving better service, but I will certainly avoid Mesler Kitchen Bar Lounge during busy times if this is their standard of service. It's a shame, as I had high hopes for this place, but I won't be returning.

Melne H.

The hostess cursed and threatened to beat me up! Our server was ok, temperamental at the least. We asked her about a champagne and she went behind the bar, which was about 20 feet away and held the bottle up and said "this is what we have"? The manager/team lead on duty came to our table and asked "Is there anything I can help y'all with". I said " we are good", she then stated " I didn't ask you if you were good". The experience was not a good one. We could have spent $300 elsewhere for better service and food. I always recommend you try for yourself, maybe you will have a better experience.

Monica M.

We visited this place twice while in town from Atlanta. The first day, was a great experience , therefore, when making brunch plans with family I recommended this place and made reservations for six at 1:30 PM on Sunday, July 28th for brunch. We arrived on time, however, the hostess didn’t greet us until 1:38. At that point, she informed me they had no seating available despite our reservation. I asked if that was true for outdoor seating too because I made reservations for outdoor seating. After some time, she walked us outside to an area with a fire pit and no table. Neither of us wanted to eat brunch on our laps, so we declined.

She ushered us back inside to wait longer. When several minutes had passed, she informed us brunch was no longer being served. At this point, it’s almost 2:00. After repeatedly asking to speak with a manager, she told us to place our order before being seated. Um, okay…. We give her our orders and then seats us without any pleasantries. Her behavior and demeanor let us know she either couldn’t care less about our experience, or she was ready to end her work day and we were impeding her from doing so.

Once seated, three of our meals were served. I waited for 15 more minutes before asking our server where my plate was. When it finally came, I didn’t have the bacon I ordered. When it was brought to me, it looked dry, and old. I ordered the Denver omelette, which should not have had any goat cheese in it but, it was packed with it.

Totally disappointing experience for a beautiful establishment that looks like one could expect quality food and service. I’m grateful for the manager who had just clocked in, who came to our table to hear our pain points about our dining experience. Not sure if I’ll give them another chance when I’m back in Chicago.

*Note* My photos are from the first visit. I refused to take photos of the disgusting omelette I was served during the visit reviewed in this post.

Sandra B.

Out with a group a friends and we all enjoyed ourselves so much that 3 hours later and we still didn't want to leave. The atmosphere felt great, although there was quite a bit of people we felt secluded in our booth. The food was well spaced and everything was delicious. Including the fries. I had a Cold Melon Soup and it was not what I was expecting, but it tasted good and looked almost too beautiful to eat. My steak was great too.

Chris E.

Mesler was good! I wasn't blown away and I would not say best brunch of my life, but the entire experience was nice and I would certainly go back. I thought the portions were a bit small for the price, but still very tasty. The space was very nice as well! Love that there were books all over the main dining area. We started with the Dorchester, a cosmopolitan, and another drink I forget the name of. SO STRONG WHEWWW 😮‍💨 I was definitely breathing heavy. 10 out of 10. For food we did the burger, the shrimp & grits, and the chicken and pearl waffles. They were good, not the best I've had in my life, but still good. Our server was very kind and attentive and the vibe was great. Will be returning!