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Located in the Visitor Center, the Ginkgo Restaurant and Café offers indoor dining, as well as outdoor seating and picnic lunches to go.

Enjoy a healthy assortment of beverages and locally sourced food, freshly created with a commitment to sustainable practices. Take in sweeping views of the Arboretum’s Meadow Lake from the dining room.

The Ginkgo Restaurant and Café is the perfect choice for a picnic, lunch with friends, or weekend brunch after a walk through the woods. The menu of internationally inspired meals includes vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options, as well as craft beer and wines, baked goods, and coffee. The widely acclaimed menu and venue are also available for private events and catering.

The Ginkgo Restaurant is a Level 3 Certified Green Restaurant®.

Explore Catering Options

Ginkgo Restaurant

The Ginkgo Restaurant is open Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The restaurant accepts both cash and credit cards as payment. Please plan accordingly.

Closed during normal business hours on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Easter, and Mother’s Day.

Please note: The Ginkgo Restaurant will be closed on Sunday, May 11, for the ticketed dining event Mother’s Day Brunch. Concessions will be available in Arbor Court from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. that day.

Weekend Brunch Service

On Saturdays and Sundays only, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., enjoy brunch favorites such as brioche French toast, biscuits and gravy, or oatmeal, paired with a mimosa or bloody mary.

Brunch will be served on Saturdays and Sundays along with the rest of our regular menu offerings.

Online Ordering at the Ginkgo Restaurant

Skip the line at the Ginkgo Restaurant and enjoy more of the Arboretum by using our convenient online ordering system. Place your order online for pickup. Once you’ve ordered, you’ll receive an estimated pickup time based on the current queue. Orders are packaged in to-go containers so you can enjoy your meal while enjoying the Arboretum. Online ordering is available from opening until 30 minutes before closing. Whether you’re in the restaurant or out on the grounds, you can avoid waiting in line and make the most of your visit.

Ginkgo Café and Concessions

A modified assortment of freshly made food and beverages is currently available at the Ginkgo Café, ranging from bakery items to salads and sandwiches. Espresso beverages, hot tea, and drip coffee are also available.

There are a limited number of tables and seating near the Café in the Visitor Center. Tables inside the Ginkgo Room are reserved for Ginkgo Restaurant guests only. Visitors are welcome to sit outside in Arbor Court or picnic anywhere on the Arboretum grounds. Please plan accordingly.

The Gingko Café is open 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily; closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Arbor Court Concessions

On weekends from May 3 through September 21, an outdoor concession stand offering snacks and beverages from the Ginkgo Café is available in the breezeway outside the Visitor Center that leads to Arbor Court.

Soft Bavarian and gourmet stuffed pretzels, Arboretum beer and wine, and other refreshments are available at the concession stand on Saturdays and Sundays between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Arboretum Signature Beer

Golden Leaf Lager

Crisp and easy-drinking, Golden Leaf Lager features subtle elderberry notes balanced by a bright lime finish.

Golden Leaf Lager is available to purchase at the Ginkgo Restaurant and the Ginkgo Café, as well as on a seasonal basis from the concession stand in Arbor Court and the Traveling Tap Beverage Bike, the Arboretum’s mobile beverage service.

This beer is brewed especially for The Morton Arboretum by Noon Whistle Brewing in Naperville, IL.

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