As a washburne alumni I always wanted to try this place out. They were talking about opening this restaurant right before I graduated, so I missed out. O well, I'm not in foodservice anymore anyway.
The restaurant is very small but I really liked the decor. The students were very professional and the food was very good as well.
I had not been to this restaurant in many years only because I forgot it was there. The food was still excellent and the service was good. I would say to anyone thinking about going to please be patient with the wait staff and remember that they are students and are still learning. The service was by no means unsatisfactory, but maybe not as polished as I am used to.
Review Source:I finally made it there with my husband and 9 month old son and none of us were dissappointed. To start I had the shrimp and grits. I LOVED!!! them. My husband got a fried seafood sampler that was not too greasy and just perfectly crisp. He had the steak and I had a crad crusted tilapia I think it was. Both DEE licious. My husband loved the desert the best. He had a chocolate chip cookie pie with ice cream and now plans to get that for an appetizer when we go the next time, which will be tomorrow. Overall, the server we had could have been a little more attentive but the food was well worth it. Highly recommend!!!
Review Source:What a special place. Â Gorgeous grounds and the dining room is so pretty. Â The wait staff is nice too. Â We were there for their Thursday night special...$30 for appetizer, entree, and dessert. Â The crab salad was perfect, the beef tournedos were good however the beef was tough, and the berry bread pudding was good but not amazing. Â Cocktails were good as well. Â The dining room was very warm, perhaps it is better to go there in the fall or winter?
Review Source:I went to The Parrot Cage for the second time yesterday for Sunday brunch. Â They have changed their brunch offerings since I was there last. Â Much improved! The setting is just beautiful. Â If you haven't been to the historic South Shore Cultural Center I'd highly recommend going. Â The restaurant itself is decorated in a very charming way with, as you can imagine, lots of parrot related decorations. Â Our server was very attentive, Â refilling our glasses before they were even empty. Â They had made to order omlettes and waffles. Â They also had a a beautiful turkey breast cut to order. Â They also had the usual offerings of bacon, sausages, salads, fried chicken. Â It looked like that there is an outdoor dining area just outside for warm weather dining. Â I'll be back in summer!
After brunch we sat in the lobby looking out the windows at the lakefront and took out our I Pad and Googled images of the South Shore Country Club and looked at dozens of old pictures of the space when it used to be a fancy members only country club. Â The Park District has done a very good job restoring it. Â We walked outside around the grounds after brunch. Â This place is truly amazing. Â Definitely worth the drive down Lake Shore Drive.
The shrimp and grits were some of the best I've had, that overbearing fishy taste was not there. Â The steak was cooked to perfection and the portion was generous, 16 oz. Â I had to take some home. Â More than 6 baby asparagus spears would have been nice though as well as more than 5 thin onion rings. Â The staff was very pleasant, friendly and accommodating and I did make note of a couple of things on the receipt in the comment section regarding reaching over the diners to get something and bumping into chairs (mine) several times in order to service the next table. Â But they are learning and the concept of the Parrot Cage is an excellent teaching tool. Â I will be back.
Review Source:"Another South Side Gem Underutilized: Overall Grade "A-"
Reviewed June 5, 2011
Another fixed-priced fine dining experience on the South Side of Chicago at the historic South Shore Country Club on 71st and South Shore Drive. (Easy access off Lake Shore Drive, to South Shore Drive if coming from downtown Chicago). $25 for three courses: a soup or starter, Entree and Dessert.
A relatively rude manager/hostess, and a pedestrian wine list, did not overshadow the otherwise outstanding front-of-the house service from these culinary students, and an exceptional very diverse menu with exceedingly well-prepared food by the back of the house! A job well done students: A+!!!!
SOUPS & STARTERS: I tasted two soups and two starters: the Louisiana Chicken Gumbo and Creamy Asparagus soups, and Lobster Ravioli and Spicy Shrimp & Grits appetizers. B Grades across the board. Generally well seasoned and the pasta and grits were cooked to perfection. I would however suggest Jumbo fresh shrimp, and fresh lobster meat for a restaurant of this type. The soups were both prepared to perfection.
ENTREES: A+ Grades for all four entrees! The Grilled Maple Glazed Pork Chop with Collard Greens and Corn Fritters was the best I've ever had anywhere! The 16oz Ribeye was prepared in a Merlot-Demi Reduction with Allumette Potatoes. Yes I said 16oz perfectly prepared Ribeye with a soup/starter and dessert for $25.00!!!!! The Salmon Chermoula was pan seared, again to perfection, and I dare say it was at least a 12oz piece of very fresh fish. Although the menu called for a side of Asparagus, it was served with steamed whole carrots with a delectable glaze. The Grilled New Zealand Lamb Chops were served with Ana Potatoes, Broccoli Rabe and a mustard demi-glaze. An exceptionally well-executed dish by the chef. The technique in the preparation of the potatoes was flawless, and the presentation of this dish was "Iron-Chef" worthy!
DESSERTS: A+ Grades on the outstanding finishing desserts! Finally, although there was very little room left (or so we thought) to finish dessert, every dish was completely consumed! Crème Brule, Banana Bread Pudding and a Chocolate Chip Cookie Sundae (prepared to order with vanilla ice cream and a caramel & chocolate sauce) were what I would describe as decadent finishes to great meals!
Congratulations! I'd issue the diplomas with honors!
I loved, loved, loved this place! I love the fact that it is housed in the beautiful and historically rich South Shore Cultural Center for starters. As others have mentioned, this is truly a hidden gem on the South Side. I also loved that the place is run by the Washburne(sp?) students. I think it's an excellent concept and you get to witness first-hand these students developing their craft.
As for the food, excellent. I went on a Wednesday with the prix fixe menu, which was a steal. I had the grilled caesar salad that was done just right and the lamb for my entree, which was so tender it almost fell off of the bone! My dining partners also enjoyed their meals. One of them had the pork chop that was so huge it was almost unreal. And, despite its size, she also said that it was done to perfection!
It's a classy place and the dining room was packed with a diverse crowd, with multiple people who found the place pleasurable enough to celebrate their birthdays there that night. Â I will definitely be back to try their brunch buffet. I highly recommend this place to anyone who enjoys a fine dining experience!
Wanted to love this to support the culinary institute students.
Great parts: Â the food was delicious at the Sunday brunch. Â Lots of meat. Â Some of the best sliced turkey breast I've ever had.
Not-so-great parts: Â the servers were not good. Â After being seated by the hostess, no one came to say "hi" or bring water until about 15 minutes later. Â Once she came over, she was nice but had little tableside manner. Â She took my son's plate mid-bite (with several bites left.) Â She poured my coffee into the wrong cup. Â She reached over us instead of serving at our right, etc. Â I wouldn't worry about this, but she's supposedly learning how to serve in a fine restaurant, as well as how to work in the kitchen. Â Actually, our server told us she'd graduated and had gotten a real job there. Â Maybe she was just having a bad day.
I'm not a complaining customer, but there were so many issues (gnats b/c patio doors were open) that they gave us one brunch gratis. Â That was really nice.
We will go back, because, again, we want the students to succeed. Â And the free brunch helped. Â But they need to refine the service a bit.
I got a red velvet cupcake from their booth at the taste of chicago. Â Dropped it right in front of them and they didn't even give me another. Sure it's at the Taste but the point of this yearly event is to promote your establishment. Thiscustomer service reflects poorly on the restaurant and of course I will never taste that cupcake so I really have no reason to remember this place. Â Really, how much would it cost for you to get a customer another mini-cupcake? Â FAIL.
Review Source:A beautiful nostalgic restaurant where the Washburne Culinary Institute students prepare the meals. The star of the experience is the restaurant and the location being right on Lake Michigan; while dining my mind wondered what really went on here during the country club years. Â The food was delicious, and the service was polite. I would recommend this place to anyone who is looking for something different or romantic and after the meal why not take a walk around the grounds if you visit on the weekend you will most likely see a wedding or a reception taking place. Like Corinne G. said this place really is a hidden gem!
Review Source:We went to the Parrot Cage for the first time on Sunday afternoon and had a fantastic experience. Â We had never been that part of the city, South Shore, and found a historic gem and one of the most gorgeous historic buildings, the old South Shore Country Club, we've seen in Chicago. Â We went to the Sunday brunch and found the wide assortment of dishes wonderfully prepared, fresh and of great quality. Â The mimosas were good and cold and the bloody marys were very good which is unusual for a brunch. Â The service was first class and all staff members were very attentive, pleasant and accommodating. Â The restaurant overlooks lake Michigan and is right next to a small beach and a Chicago Park District golf course. Â After brunch we went down and walked in the sand and dipped our feet in the lake (I wish I had had my swim suit.) Â This place is truly a hidden gem and we look forward to heading back for dinner in the near future. Â Some additional stuff: Â The Parrot Cage is a teaching restaurant affiliated with Washburn. Â There is seating on the outside patio. Â The price was great at about $19 a person for brunch.
Review Source:I ama big Fan of the Parrot Cage have been going for the last two to three years the great service, beautiful setting, and outstanding food. I applaud the Washburn Culinary Institute for putting the Parrot Cage on the southside and in the historic South Shore Country Club as those of us who grew up in the area know the place as....
Review Source:Hidden gem!
I would never have heard of the Parrot Cage if not for searching for Wednesday prix fixe specials on Yelp. The restaurant definitely suffers from a lack of marketing... We couldn't even find any signs on the outside of the South Shore Cultural Center telling visitors that the Parrot Cage was inside, so we weren't positive we were in the right place until we walked in. I had never heard of the place before seeing it on Yelp. The South Shore Cultural Center is a gem itself! I found out that it's where President Barack Obama and Michelle held their wedding reception, and it is listed on the historic register. The marble stairs, chandeliers, and architectural details are stunning!
Upon entering, we were sure glad we found the Parrot Cage! We were there for about an hour and a half, and the entire time, there was only one other table of two diners there. With the quality of the food and the beauty of the atmosphere, it should be filled. There are very few restaurants with a view of the lakefront, and the food holds it own as well. The goat-cheese flan alone is worth the trip! My husband also raved about his jambalaya. He finished the etouffée entree in short order, pronouncing it "very good," and I also enjoyed my crab-encrusted catfish. For dessert, my husband said the peach cobbler was among the best he'd had, and my banana bread pudding was good as well, although just a bit on the dry side. Maybe more sauce would have helped? We also enjoyed a couple of the signature cocktails, the Parrot Martini and the Pineapple Martini. Â
Overall, I would give the food and service and solid 4 stars, while the beauty of the location rates a 5. We will make an effort to return... the Wednesday prix fixe is a great value!
The food was excellent but the setting upstaged it. Â There were six of us and the staff obligingly set up a round table for us in the corner right next to the window, where we (well, those of us not facing west) could see out the floor-to-ceiling window into the park and toward the nearby lake). Â I hadn't been in the building in nearly 20 years and was thrilled to see that the weird green/gilt/oxblood color scheme from the 1980s had been replaced with something warm and cream/peachy. The prix fixe was a great deal, and they were gracious about sending us home with leftovers (there was a lot of food). Â The service was friendly but rather slow in parts: one of my hosts had to step out for 45 minutes to deliver one of the guests to a nocturnal janitorial gig, because the whole thing took about an hour longer than we had expected. Â So I wouldn't suggest it for a tightly scheduled pre-theater date, but if you just want to hang out and relax, it's great. Â (I suspect the martinis were rather strong, which may have contributed to our lack of ambition to get out of there any time soon.)
Transportation note: Â The place is practically next door to the South Shore stop on the Metra Electric line, which originates in the Loop. Â It's kind of a long and lonely walk at night up the drive through the park from the street
--a legacy of the country club mentality from when this place was built--but well lit, and pretty.
BTW I assume the name is in honor of the green monk parakeets that are all over the south side. Â Kind of a dumb and insensitive name, considering that these characters' ancestors apparently escaped from some pet-store shipment, and now live happy, loud and free (squawk).
Went here with hubby for the 87.7FM Sunday Brunch. Â I thought the food was pretty good, my favorite was the Jambalaya, my least favorite was the dressing aka Stuffing. I loved the ambiance, and the building which has an old southern charm to it, not to mention our family used to visit the park in general for the 80's committee picnics when I was a youngin. Â I would recommend Parrot Cage to others because it helps support the culinary school, and it's students which did an awesome job at cooking. Â The service was great. Â The "Noteworthy Band" was wonderful. Â If you're ever in the area, I would recommend you give this place a try.
Review Source:I'd give Parrot Cage one star because it's quite lovely in decor, and comfortable with good jazz in the background. Â That being said, the food was disappointing considering it is run by the Washburn Culinary Institute. Â The prices are reasonable, and we tried the prix fixe menu for $30. Â The house martini was way too sweet & Grey Goose couldn't be tasted, Â crab appetizer used snow crab, but menu said jumbo lump crab meat, and was bland, the fritto de mare had slightly tough calamari, the salmon entree was overcooked with dry edges & sorely lacking in Moroccan spices, the lamb chops were ok. Â My frustration peaked when dessert arrived with peach cobbler from canned peaches! Â Wait staff seemed unconcerned...My dinner companion packed her dessert to go only to arrive home and find a fly in it! Â Not planning a return, and such a shame!!
Review Source:I chose this restaurant because of its name (The Parrot Cage ... ridiculous and awesome?) and because it's part of a culinary school, which usually leads to good and cheaper results. Also BYOB. ($5 corkage fee)
The setting is amazing. It's in the South Shore Cultural Center, which is right on Lake Michigan and a beautiful old building. It's a bit of a hike from the North side, but worth it.
The service is a little slow (as is the crowd in general, lots of older people), but the food is great and the staff is so friendly and nice. And it's always fun to support students.
They start with this delicious seed-bread? I'm not great with tastes (or memory - it's been almost three years since I've been there), but it was bread with some seeds in it or something. Whatever, it was great. Since I'm boring, I always ordered the salmon, but that was GREAT and obviously I liked it enough that I continued to return there and order it.
It's also a fun date place.
Not a huge reviewer, but had to comment on this place. First of all, I've been going to the South Shore Cultural Center since I was a little boy. I spent many a year in their summer camp program. I though it was an awesome place then, and I think the facility is an awesome place now. The views (when it's not pouring rain, like last night) are wonderful and the overall atmosphere is just great.
With that said, the Parrot Cage received 4 stars from me. The food was excellent (I had the Pan Seared Tilapia), our server was nice and attentive and even apologetic when my Aunt's fish was a little too spicy for her tastes and couldn't be redone for her. She even went the extra mile to not charge my Aunt for the drink that she had. Â
My biggest complaint however, is that it took what felt like 5 years for us to get our food after we ordered. I never knew it took that long to cook what was a majority of fish dishes. However, the plating of each dish in my opinion was really nice.
I've read a few harsh reviews about the restaurant here and the only think I can think of is that because they are students, maybe they rotate out and you don't have the same people there every year, because everyone was pleasant from the moment we walked into the door to the minute we walked out.
What a unique and interesting dining experience!
The Parrot Cage restaurant is the kitchen and stomping grounds of a culinary school, but you hardly notice and the food and service are wonderful! Â The restaurant is located in the gorgeous South Shore Cultural center/country club that I now want to research.
We were seated at a table with a lovely view of the lake and our server greeted us quickly. Â The wine list is small, but all of the glasses are offered for $6 and the bottles are all $24. Â The menu includes a wide variety of items and you can choose anything you want for the prix fixe menu, which is $30 (we lucked out and got it for $19 because there was a special promotion).
We started with the shrimp and grits and the crawfish soup. Â The soup was hearty and spicy and the grits were TO DIE FOR. Â If this place was not so hard for us to get to than I would return often for these. Â For our entrees we had the salmon and the steak. Â The salmon was nicely prepared, however the steak had a lot of fat on it. Â For dessert we had the banana bread pudding and the cookie sundae. Â The cookie was impressive as it was freshly baked in a hot skillet, however it did not taste quite as good as it looked.
Overall, I would give the food three stars, however I bumped it up to four as the venue was just so impressive.
The check is a little strange here are they charge an automatic 10% gratuity. Â I added an additional 10% on top of this (to make it 20%) but then when I asked my server about it, she said that the 10% gratuity was actually for a scholarship and did not go to her so I am not sure if you are supposed to add 20% on top of the 10% already included....
THE FACTS:
Prix-fixe is $30 on Wednesday and Thursday night (anything on the menu)
Corkage is $5
There is a 10% gratuity/scholarship added to your bill
The Parrot Cage Restaurant is housed in the South Shore Cultural Center, a gorgeous Chicago landmark owned by the Chicago Park District. The Park District runs recreational programming at the location and also offers its Grand Ballroom and Solarium as rental facilities for weddings and other functions.
Operated by Washburne Culinary Institute which is a part of the City Colleges of Chicago, the Parrot Cage is a show case for the culinary students who prepare the food and act as servers, hosts, and hostesses.
On a recent Friday night four friends and I had dinner there. I ordered the salmon, three of my friends ordered the crab encrusted catfish, and another friend ordered the tilapia. Each of us asked to substitute the sides that accompanied our entree, which probably accounted for the lengthy wait before our meal was served. But every dish was delicious, and our server was both helpful and attentive.
There's a 10% gratuity which is automatically added to each bill. That gratuity is donated to a scholarship fund. The Parrot Cage is indeed a hidden gem!
Just did holiday brunch with Santa. Â Having had a pretty nice dinner here in the past, I was surprised by today's brunch. Â Let me begin by saying that the Parrot Cage is a gorgeous room with tons of charm, a real gem on the south shore. Â It should also be noted that it is part of a culinary school, so the food is prepared and served by students. Â The end result is a mostly fine dining experience at a reasonable price. Admittedly, I walk in the door not expecting the same treatment or cuisine that I would expect at a 3-4 star restaurant downtown and everything works out just fine.
That being said, today's buffet style brunch was awful. Our server never asked us if we wanted any drinks, we had to flag him down to order coffee and never got any refills. As for the food, let me begin by saying that I LOVE brunch buffets, however only the carved beef was up to snuff here. Â Well roasted, albeit flavorless.
The rest of the fare could either be described as bland or dry... salmon cakes, fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, greens, potatoes, bacon and sausage. Â Yes, that was everything. ANY type of sauces paired with ANY of the buffet items would have gone a long way to save this brunch. Â I can safely say that the quality of the buffet items was below what I would expect from "Chef's Kitchen" or similar grocery store hot deli counter carryout food. Â We did NOT try the omelet station or waffle. Â One dessert was offered, a vat of soggy peach & strawberry cobbler that our toddler enjoyed.
We left feeling ripped-off, disappointed and hungry... which is a first for me at a buffet brunch.
I had dinner there on a Thursday night and I thought everything was great. I had been there for brunch previously and thought both the food and service was awful so it took some convincing to get me back there. But I am always looking for interesting dining on the southside and we all know how difficult that can be!
At any rate, the man who created the Parrot Cage was on hand to show us a great time. He was knowledgeable, unpretentious, and committed to providing great food to a community starved for it. The fact that the restaurant is a training ground for Washburne Culinary students is great. Plus, you don't have to tip them because they are students and they've incorporated 10% gratuity to the bill.
Everyone was exceptionally nice and attentive. I would definitely go back. The food was also very good. I had the butternut squash soup and the catfish entree. I enjoyed them both. This place needs some more foot traffic. Please check it out!!
Amosphere:B+
Service:B+
Food:C+
The restaurant is located inside the South Shore Cultural Center. The entrance of SSCC has well manicured lawns and a curve driveway, however the parking lot is not paved, full of pot holes & gravel.
There was another event taking place, when we arrived. We felt odd, like party crashers in search of the Parrot Cage, which is to the left of the entrance. Â
The small restaurant has high ceiling with a parrot cage in the middle of the room. There are huge windows on one side, in view of the lakefront, which makes this a nice setting for a romantic dinner. I noticed a balcony facing the lakefront, not sure if this is open during the summer.
Our waiter was pleasant. The menu was pleasingly simple. I ordered the Baked Catfish Fillet with stuffed crab, served with rice and spinach. While waiting on our order, we were served a choice of several types of bread. The sour dough bread was soft and delicious, but the pretzel shape bread with the sesame seeds was hard as cement.
The fillet was a generous piece, undercooked in the middle and missing the stuff crab. I was so disappointed, since I'm a seafood lover. I'm guessing the sauce on top of the fish was crab sauce. The yellow rice was ok, nothing out the ordinary, aside from the kids meal serving. The texture of the cooked spinach was fine, but it tasted AWFUL......plain, blanched taste. It would have been better if a butter or cream sauce of some kind was served on top. Â
The soup sampler (chicken, turtle and pea soup), served in 3 tea cup size portions. The chicken soup was delicious, plenty of vegtables and season just right. The pea soup was nothing short of evaporated milk mix together with whole peas.....NOT good at all. I didn't have the nerve to taste the turtle soup, my party said it was good!
I will return and give them another test and perhaps try the desserts.
Hate to do it, but it must be done: Had dinner here tonight and the service and the food was awful. I think the concept of the restaurant and the fact that culinary students are working there is great. But they have a long way to go toward making the experience an enjoyable and professional one and taking constructive criticism in order to improve.
Our service was lackluster and paint-dry slow. When the food finally came my salmon was overcooked and the bed of rice accompanying it was undercooked. The server tried to tell me that  the texture was supposed to be that way because it was "sticky rice" but it wasn't. It was just bad, gritty, undercooked rice. My nephew's "well-done" steak was pretty much burnt to a crisp. The roasted tomato soup was a standout but that's about it.
We tried telling our server the meal about little things -- forgotten beverages, slow service, etc. and it was met with "we're students and at the end of the night we're just trying to get an A." No real effort to try to make the service any better.
Well, tonight, nobody there, from the rude hostess to the slow server to the indifferent manager should get an A.. I wish the restaurant and its students well but professionalism can't be sacrificed in the learning process.
This is my second experience here and my second time being utterly underwhelmed. I'd love to say that this place is a diamond in the rough, but right now it's far more rough than diamond.
I'm really hesistant to write about this place because I've always considered the South Shore Cultural Center one of those little secrets to be kept between those in the know.  Only in the last few years has the parrot cage been added to this lovely place, which is the setting for the practical application for students of Washburn's Culinary program.  The cream of butternut squash was great.  I thought the reduction served with a pepper crusted filet mignon was fantastic and the Jerk Chicken was nothing short of scrumptious.  Additionally  I enjoyed the malbec they had available to accompany my dinner.  The food was sometimes a bit salty, and the students will have to slightly improve their table side manner but both of those criticisms are meant more as constructive advice rather than a negativism.  I will come back here... and even though it was shown on "Check Please," lets try to keep this place on the low.
Review Source:
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