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Castaways Beach Club, Chicago, IL

Castaways Beach Club

3.6
3.6
31 Reviews
$30 and under
American
  • Great for scenic views
  • Great for outdoor dining
  • Charming
Castaways is synonymous with summertime in Chicago. The iconic boat house on North Avenue Beach features the best views in the city – overlooking the lakefront and the Chicago skyline. The newly reimagined Castaways Beach Club is the perfect blend of old and new. The classic charm of Castaways has been preserved while incorporating modern design elements, additional seating, and elevated food & beverage offerings. The result is a warm and inviting atmosphere that appeals to both loyal regulars and new customers alike. Come and experience the best of both worlds!

Castaways is an outdoor venue, suit up for the elements.

Not bookable

This restaurant is temporarily offline. Please contact the restaurant directly or check back shortly for availability.

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Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service, International
  • Hours of operation
    Daily 11:00 am–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (773) 281-1200
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress

What 31 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

3.6
3.6 based on recent ratings
  • 3.5Food
  • 3.4Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 3.5Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Castaways Beach Club offers an unbeatable beachside experience with "spectacular views" of the skyline and lake. Guests love the "great atmosphere" and the "friendly, attentive service." While some find the food average, the drinks and live music are praised. It's the perfect spot for enjoying Chicago's stunning vistas.

31 Reviews
  1. Bill

    VIP

    Chicago

    14 reviews

    3.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on September 22, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Nice spot, beautiful atmosphere, polite staff but... They took our 7 PM reservation, we arrived on time after paying $25 for parking. We ordered our drinks and a starter and arrived promptly. The server was very nice, but even before we could order our main course (about 7:10-7:15, she told us the kitchen closed in 10 minutes. We got our order in and it too came quickly and was all very good and plenty of food. Before we were able to finish everything a nice man came by (about 7:35-7:40) they would be closing and we needed to wrap it up. I guess, I'd just say... don't make dinner reservations after 6:30 PM unless you going just for quick drinks. Entire night ran a little over $200 for 2 for under an hour of dinner, not much of an evening.

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  2. Eleanor

    London

    19 reviews

    2.0

    19 reviews

    Dined on September 16, 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    Lazy staff who stood around doing nothing. The restaurant was dirty. Outside space was ok overlooking the beach. Music was good. Web site said the outside space was fully booked but it was empty.

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  3. OpenTable Diner

    Chicago

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on September 5, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Decor was Park District industrial. Views, however (beach/lake/volleyball courts), were spectacular. Lunch was basic but surprisingly tasty, and our server, Guadalupe, was exceptionally nice/helpful. Bottom line: rare sit-down dining ON the beach, with drinks and a view to die for. We'll be back.

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  4. Catie

    Greater Boston

    3 reviews

    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on August 31, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    The view is wonderful and the ambience is great. Right on the beach/lake. But as reviewers from other sites have said, the service was horrible. Waited 45 minutes to get our check after requesting it. And the food isn’t great for the price but I guess you’re really paying for the location.

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  5. Billy

    Boise

    2 reviews

    2.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on August 30, 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Place was dirty. Service was okay. Food was not great. The view was the only thing worth the 1.5 hrs

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  6. Feedmesoon

    Chicago

    14 reviews

    5.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on August 26, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Very nice, better since redone! Food and views were good all the way around

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  7. Chris

    VIP

    Greater Boston

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 25, 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing location. Unfortunately the food was very bad. McDonald’s is fine dining compared to the quality here. Hope they improve.

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  8. Linda

    Chicago

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 17, 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    We had reservations and they seated us when we arrived. However, it had rained, so they were wiping off tables/chairs, which was great. However, the seats were still damp...but we sat down. We ordered drinks, and about 5 minutes after that, it started to rain. I asked if they could put a giant umbrella up, or what our options were. the servers really didn't know what to do, what to offer. so we ducked under the middle section. No one was very concerned at all about finding us a place to sit. They acted as if this had never happened. We found a table somewhat under a covering, but still had to use our umbrellas. We sat waiting for our server to come over. After 10 minutes of sitting in rain, we decided to leave and cancel our drinks. Overall the staff didn't know what they were doing, no sense of accommodation. it was very disappointing.

    1 person found this helpful

  9. Rosa

    Chicago

    47 reviews

    2.0

    47 reviews

    Dined on August 8, 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Unfortunately, we were told upon arrival that they were closing. We were able to have one drink and had to depart the premises...no dinner. We made the reservation with the intention to hang out for the Wednesday night fireworks, but were asked to leave before we could enjoy them. My biggest disappointment, besides not being able to enjoy the night at Castaways, was that they accepted my reservation. It was quite an inconvenience to have to alter our plans.

    1 person found this helpful

  10. April

    Chicago

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 4, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    I’m sorry but the food was horrible. Service was just ok.

    1 person found this helpful

FAQs

Castaways Beach Club is rated 3.6 stars by 31 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Not bookable

This restaurant is temporarily offline. Please contact the restaurant directly or check back shortly for availability.

Google Map for Castaways Beach Club

1603 N Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60611

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    River North (Chicago)
  • Hours of operation
    Daily 11:00 am–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service, International
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, View, Wine
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  • Terms of Use
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