The vegetable burger here and fries filled me up with content to the piano and jazz band. Â Drinks at the bar was nice before a movie at the IMAX for a dim lit and clean quiet place. Â Very reserved and classic here. Â Can be a private occasion set atmosphere because of the jazz set up and ambiance of dark wood floors and tables polished with shine.
Review Source:I was in Chicago on business and wanted to sample some of Chicago's Great Food and Jazz. Â My choice was Joe's. Â I had a Pulled Pork meal with Great sides. Â There is a good menu with many choices. Â There are autographed photos on many Jazz Greats on the walls which was very interesting to view! Â The music was excellent and atmosphere Super! Â I am planning on being back in Chicago the first week in December (09) and am planning to return to Joe's. Â If you are in Chicago don't pass up a chance to visit Joe's!
Review Source:Just plain gross. Â I know that I should not expect too much from a tourist trap like Navy Pier, but wow, this place was bad.
My folks and I took a water taxi from the Field Museum over to Navy Pier. Â Not sure why, because none of the three of us really wanted to go there, but that is beside the point.
Be-Bop was the first place we saw when we got off the boat and so we walked in and decided to eat. Â Big mistake.
Our server was horrible. Â I must preface this with the idea that I dont really like to give servers bad marks because it has to be one of the shittiest jobs on earth..dealing with incompetent assholes all day and such. Â That said, he was really bad. Â
The food, was disgusting, unedible really. Â We left with much to be desired. Â Definitely will not be back.
My family and I stopped in to eat outside and try to catch the fireworks which I specifically asked if we'd be able to see where we were being seated and the girl told us yes (lies)! The meal wasn't bad. I got the special which was bbq pulled pork on a baked potato with sour cream. Random combo but good. The potato wasn't done enough. Then when the fireworks were about to start we had just finished so we tried to rush with the check and pay so we could catch them. Well instead of doing his job our waiter was watching the fireworks. It was unfortunate that he was more concerned about himself having fun then providing good customer service. Food is so so...I won't run back here for food anytime soon.
Review Source:Kudos to them for getting my party of 11 seated within 20 minutes. Now after that kudos I must say that their were some disappointments. 2 children in our group and one was only three months. They don't have the type of chair/holder that can hold a baby carrier. I thought this was pretty common in most restaurants. Next, our server wasn't very friendly although he was efficient in bringing out food and drinks.
Now the food, my portobello mushroom sandwich was not that good at all. A friend got etouffee and that was pretty good. I don't think I'll go back but if you're in need of seating and service for a large group then check it out.
3 stars for the pulled pork sandwich
OK, I know Navy Pier is a tourist/death trap, but somehow I ended up out there for a trade show and landed at Joe's Be-Bop Café & Jazz Emporium for lunch.
I know you're at a tourist trap, but my advice as always is to go with what's fresh and/or what the special or specialty is. I'm not sure ordering hamburgers at a place known for Creole food is the best choice, but maybe that's just me.
My companions and I drank enough beer and tried to enjoy the atmosphere, but when my pulled pork sammich arrived and I got a taste, I became a fan instantly. I haven't really found any other pulled pork in my bubble, so I default to Joe's Be-Bop Café. I think any sandwich that can actually improve an already better-than-average situation is worth noting.
No, No, No.. Not the place to eat at Navy Pier. We had lunch here and afterward, the food in the food court sounded like it would have been the better choice.
It's kind of disappointing to me, as well, that substitutions for a salad instead of fries are not honored. It was in it's entirety, below mediocre.. and tap water tastes like what I imagine toilet water would taste like.
I wish they had live music there when we were.. It may have added to a greater atmosphere.
Came for a movie, fell for the trap!
I stopped in to this place with low expectations because of the tourist natue of the Navy Pier area, lets just say we have have reached a new low....
Right off the bat, I asked our server what he recommended and got the dreaded "Everything is good" response,,, Ok, at this point I knew to stay away from the BBQ, even though the entire place is themed to that tune. Iv'e had enough truly grate BBQ that I was not going to even attempt it at this place that didn't have even a hint of real bbq smell in the air.
So I decide to play it safe and take their signature "freshly ground chuck" Burger. Â From the way it was described on the menu, expectations were on the rise, I mean c'mon, its tough to mess up a burger. Â Now before I get into my burger lets talk about the popcorn shrimp app that we ordered that our waiter assured us of being "great".
A reasonable size bowl of popcorn shrimp arrived at out table with some Chipotle dip on the side. Â Looks good.... Â Before I even take my first bite I can smell a hint of what seems to be rancid old low quality cooking oil. Â
After popping my first shrimp or two I am tasting poor quality freezer burnt shrimp in a chewy oily tasting popcorn batter. Â This dish fell flat in every way. Â Lets just say that KFC, Long John Silvers or Popeye's would have been heaven in comparison. Â Horrific! Now here is were it gets interesting,,, I ask the waiter if he would go next door to the other tourist trap, The Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and grab me a serving of their shrimp app. Â Well needles to say that didn't happen, but during this light hearted chat the manager came over to see what was happening. Â I shared my thoughts on the shrimp and all the manager could tell me was that they looked "just right" and he loves them. Â After asking him repeatedly to try these nasty morsels I gave up as he refused to try one bite. Â This manager obviously must have worked at a shoe store prior because nobody could taste that garbage and call it good. Â What a disappointment to see such uninspired management.
Ok, lets get on to the burger...
Appearance, looks like a standard decent sized piece of meat.  On closer look I notice an anemic looking tomato, sitting atop a burger with no trace of any grill char  that was torn apart one too many times by a "chef" who doesnt yet know when a Burger is cooked to MED.  OK fine, so the burger has been mauled a bit.  I'm still more interested in taste.  Well lets after bite number one I asked my self one question: Do restaurants boil hamburgers?  This pice of tasteless meat had the texture and smell of bad salisbury steak.  Now I know that restaurants don't boil Burger's, so I cam to the conclusion that this burger was likely pre-cooked with a bunch of other patties then thrown in a warmer carafe that sat in a big puddle of hamburger juice for hours before some cluless cook tossed it back on the flame and started to slap the sh**t out of it, then stab it countless times to test fore doness.
This burger was the worst I have ever had, white castle would have been a vast improvement.  A Cold  and small amount of fries and ok slaw didn't help either.  No really.... this has been the worst burger I ever had.
What kills me about all this is that the restaurant was in good shape, and looks like it costs plenty to run- why the hell not actually pay attention to the FOOD?? Â It doesnt cost any more to make food a hell of a lot better than this. Â
Note to Be-bop - You are killing your business one customer at a time serving up crap like this. Â I would provide some low cost consulting to this disaster of a restaurant if you are interested. Â It could be saved.
Mabye if I was drunk or the band was playing it could have helped. Â Sorry Be-Bob, its a big Flop!
Great cheap buger alternative- The Weiners circle -Chared goodness
Great $$$$ burger, Nicks Fishmarket Kobe burger, only $15 or so
Ultimate burger, I make it myself on the bbq at HOME.
ribs,,, dont even dare here, run to carsons, or Smoque,,
ps. my waiter was nice kid, other than that this place would have only 1 star.
It was a while back that we went here for a special occasion, we wanted to play "tourists in love in a foreign city" So we headed to Navy pier, I don't care how long you live in chicago, Navy pier should never become "whatever" People like that don't know how to have any fun!
It was a night with Fireworks and a small band playing at the Beer Garden so we opted to have dinner at Joe's Bebop Cafe, the jazzy music was so inviting.
The service was good, Our waiter was attentive, the food came out on time and still warm. Our drinks were good. I wouldn't say that this is the best dinner and drinks I've ever had, but we didn't go for a culinary experience to die for.
The music and ambiance, the interior decor, it was all a very nice escape. It made me feel like I was on vacation. I like the touristy aspect because I can escape from the normal routine in a place like this. The music is really quite good and people are actually listening to it (perhaps because it is the reason for many people being there.)
The restaurant (in the summer) is open behind the band's stage to the outdoors. They have outdoor seating (note that when dining outside all drinks are served in plastic cups.) The breeze from the lake is wonderful, the view is nice, We went in the evening so it was very romantic.
I'd like to thank Joe's Bebop Cafe for allowing me to enjoy a great fun evening that night.
The food quality isn't very good, whether it is the chicken or beef (tasted like frozen food) The service was mediocre as well. As for the ambiance, well, you will have to love the music to put up with sub-par food, and I mean love the music.
Not much more to say about this place. The only reason this place stays in business is their location, period.
For a touristy area (even though we were tourists), this was a really cool place.
I'm vegetarian and I enjoyed the portabella sandwich, it was very tasty and satisfying, especially with a beer and the fries. It was kind of a burger-mood experience.
Also, they had a great band, and we sat outdoors, so it was a really fun vibe.
I would give this place 2 stars, but the jazz music was so nice that I decided to give it 3.
I ordered the craw-fish entree that they offer and I can still remember the sound of uncooked rice hitting my teeth... yuck! My boyfriend and brother had better luck with their dishes... and they were actually good.
They sat us front and center to the stage so you couldn't even try to have a conversation with anyone at your table... or try to get your waitress's attention.
I'm not a fan of this place, and I would never pop over here on a weekend as any part of a night on the town. Â It's on Navy Pier, which should tell you right away that you'll be paying a premium for kitschy presentation, not the quality of the food.
I'm going to give it 4-stars, though, because Joe's Bebop Cafe saved my life.
I work for Chicago Public Radio, which sits awkwardly in the middle of Navy Pier, surrounded by its polar opposites on all sides. Â Eating lunch on the pier may be feasible and uneventful for the casual visitor, but for the daily worker it's a nightmare. Â Not only is the food awful, but it's overpriced.
The other day I decided that I'd had enough. Â Instead of wading through aisles of crappy fast food and uninspired choices, I was going to run the length of the pier and take a flying leap into Lake Michigan to try and catch a fish in my mouth. Â I figured the price was right, anyway. Â I wanted to enter the water with as much speed an momentum as possible, so I started by walking down to the start of the pier.
That's when I saw Joe's Bebop Cafe and wondered, "do they have a pier employee specially priced and portioned lunch special on their pulled pork, pulled chicken, and/or K.C. brownie sandwiches?" Â It couldn't hurt to ask, right? Â This would just be a short and quick detour... I'd be chowing down on self-caught sushi in a few minutes. Â I popped in my head, talked to the barkeep, and lo and behold, they did have specially priced and portioned lunch specials on their pulled pork, pulled chicken, and/or K.C. brownie sandwiches for pier employees.
So I got one of those. Â It wasn't the greatest sandwich in the world, but this $5.50 K.C. brownie was far more palatable than the $8 McValueMeal around the corner.
Also, it turns out that it was National Poison Fish Day, the one day each year where all lake fish are poison. Â So Joe's Bebop Cafe saved my life.
Pretty good cajun food. Great atmosphere. Â Great place to dine during the summer. Â Located in Navy Pier, one can eat and then enjoy walking up and down the pier or enjoy fireworks. Â Live music can be a bit loud but makes for an interesting dining experience. Â Food is average priced. Â I would recommend.
Review Source:It wasn't my idea to go here. I mean I tried it years back and wasn't impressed so when a friend wanted to go on Friday night I tried being nice and went. Bleh...man the stuff I do for friends. I should be sainted.
We were seated right away. The place was loud. Service was slow. Food was lousy at best. Drinks were okay.
Never again....and this time...I mean it!
I sorta expected a bit more from this place. Â At least a server who wasn't a dumb-ass. Â First off we had called and made reservations for 9:30 to sit outside. Â We planned on watching the fireworks from our table. Â Well when we walked up to the out door hostess station they had told us that there was no reservation. Â All the tables outside were taken. Â They tried to seat us inside, that wasn't going to happen. Â The reason we choose this restaurant was because of their outside seating. Â We ended up waiting until about 10:00 to get seated. Â Our server was just not with it, it very well could have been her first day (at least it seemed like it). Â At one point when she came to take our order she brought a empty beer bottle from a different table and set it on ours. Â As you can guess she forgot it sitting on our very small table for 5 people. Â Gross! Â We didn't want someone else's garbage on our table. Â Regardless of our server the food was pretty good but they wouldn't do any changes to the specials, even keep the food the same just not piled all together. Â How weird! Â In the end I don't think I would go back there again.
Review Source:Stopped in recently with some out-of-towners who love Navy Pier. Our large group of 9 was seated at a rickety, paint-chipped table by the kitchen, left for too long wondering if we even merited tableside service at our location.
When our server (flabbergasted when I ordered a soft drink AND water) finally did arrive with our "beverages," he tried passing off slightly sour, cloudy ice water as lemonade and brought me a regular Pepsi instead of diet. Flavorless, red tortilla chips came paired with salsa straight out of a Costco plastic jug.
I grew suspicious when our server was astounded by my request for grilled onions on a burger--and rightfully so. What I got was a lump of wet, brown shreds tasting like they'd been displaced from their original home inside a warm pot of French onion soup. P's country-fried steak was barely warm, and his sausage gravy-topped potatoes were cold enough that the spuds had gone grainy and the gravy had coagulated.
Don't go here.
This place used to be alright, but as of Saturday night, it sucked. Â If I could give negative stars, I would. Â Of course I realize that Saturday night on the Pier is insane, but let's staff accordingly. Â After being told we'd be seated next, four different parties were sat before us. Â No biggie, just don't tell me you're seating us next. Â Later, the waiter rolled his eyes at me for ordering "just water" and proceeded to charge us for two diet cokes to my friend, because he drank two. Â Doesn't every place that charges per drink state that on the menu. Â Not here! Â After waiting 35 minutes for two Cesar salads and a bowl of Jambalaya we got served. Â The waiter didn't come back to check on us, or to see if we received his food. Â Instead, he was too busy smoking behind an advertisement with another employee--this was the third time in the HOUR and a HALF that we were there. Â Great Service! Â Then, it took us another 20 minutes to flag him down to get the bill. Â I won't be back.
Review Source:this place is great! if i hadnt eaten a hot dog in the food court, then i would have definitely eaten at joe's. first of all, there was live jazz music...and the band was jammin! the customers and the servers were dancing in between the tables. i did take a look at the menu and it looked like cajun/creole/southern coooking. all entrees come with cornbread! SCORE! we ended up...more like i...ordering a side of the cornbread and it was yummy. it was hot, moist, soft, and sweet with a little spicy kick to it. even though i was still full from my dinner, i had to finish so no piece went to waste. yes, its that good!
my sister and i had a few drinks from their margarita menu. the drinks were great, but were a bit small for 6.50 each. there was no actual bar, so we had to sit at a table. the outdoor seating is perfect to catch the fireworks. all the lights and minus the crowd.
First-good music and ambience--GREAT jumbalaya and the crawfish etouffee is very good. My husband says the BBQ pulled pork is worth the trip as are the ribs. The apple cobbler is a bit of southern heaven on a bad day.
I don't understand some of the pricing tho--a Guinness draft is $5.50, but a bottle of MGD is $4? Sam Adams seasonal draft is $4.50, why get pricey with the cheap stuff?
This is a franchise/chain type place, but its pretty good. There is a Bloody Mary bar on weekends during the summer--have never been there, but it's supposed to be packed!
Good music and location, but bland BBQ. Â If you have to eat at Navy Pier, this spot offers lots of BBQ and burgers, but the BBQ is not good BBQ. Â Maybe I'm spoiled from visiting a 24 hour BBQ shack in St. Louis while I was growing up. Â This guy named Ray made the most awesome stuff!
Anyway, this place has indoor and outdoor seating and good music. Â The wait staff was flaky. Â There is a kids' menu which has the usual on it, but they charge an extra $1 for cheese on your cheeseburger.
I didn't really have high expectations considering the location, but they made this huge deal on the menu about their BBQ and even sell the sauce. Â I'm telling you this place would even lose in the Naperville RibFest competition!
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