Clock Tower Café

Clock Tower Cafe is, inexplicably, a family-friendly hybrid cafe-dive bar managed by the Chicago Park District. It sits on the edge of the Waveland golf course, so it’s primarily a post-game drink spot, but there are plenty of people on the back patio enjoying a beer while writing emails, and families taking a snack break during their lakefront walk. The small menu is made up of basic picnic food like wings, burgers with the type of frozen patties you’d find at a friend’s backyard BBQ, nicely charred and snappy Chicago dogs heavy on the toppings, and chicken quesadillas crisped to perfection. But you’re not really here for the food—you’re here to savor timeless pleasures like cold beer, baskets of crunchy fries, and a view of Lake Michigan through protective golf netting.