Yes, it was a real magnet for the neighbourhood. I went for bacon & eggs there pretty well every day. It was packed pretty well every lunch hour and every dinner hour and sometimes had line-ups to the door. It was an incredibly civil and friendly environment in the heart of the big (and sometimes) bad city. Every neighbourhood should have a place like this. Along with Bemelman's, Brother's is sorely missed by a lot of longtime residents.
Yes, the tiger cage was a small barred affair; the poor beast pacing round and round in it whenever I saw it. Hard to believe that a 19th century zoo could survive unchanged until, what, 1968 or so.