Cafe At Wild Things

My boyfriend and I experienced the best and the worst of zoo fare at the Cafe at Wild Things.  I ordered the Mediterranean salad, for about $11, which contained eggplant, kalamata olives, big chunky blocks of feta cheese, mixed greens, and Annie's Natural lemon dressing.  It was so tasty, and taking into account that we were eating within the zoo limits, the price wasn't outrageous.

My boyfriend, however, got the soba noodle and tofu salad, for the same price.  It ended up being a strange mix of noodles and some vegetables, with some stray limp lettuce leaves scattered throughout it.  He expressed his utter bafflement at how something could lack so much flavor.  Even eating the corn, he said, made him forget what corn could taste like, what it was supposed to taste like.  He ended up having Mike & Ikes for lunch that we had brought with us-- and his meal inspired a running joke as we visited the rest of the zoo that the animals' food (usually straw) was probably tastier than his lunch.

Cafe at Wild Things! is a Lincoln Park Zoo eatery located above the Wild Things! gift shop in the heart of the zoo. They have a pretty basic menu of sandwiches and salads, which they will bring to your table after you order it at the counter.

They focus on getting local, sustainably grown, and organic foods to use in their wraps, salads and paninis. I got a roast turkey sandwich, which had cranberry sauce, cheese, lettuce and tomato. It was pretty tasty. Others in my group got the same, and also their roast beef wrap.

They sell bottled water, sodas, milk and wine - and their bottled water is now in plastic-free bottles (plant-based materials which can be composted)

The dining area is outdoors, under a large canopy, and since you are on the second floor, you have a nice view of the center of the zoo, including the seal/sea lion area. They take credit cards! Prices are a little higher than a similar place in the city, since you are paying for zoo prices (and possibly for having local/organic/etc.)