Bongo Room
Category: Restaurants [Edit]
Neighborhood: South Loop1152 S Wabash Avenue
Chicago, IL 60605 (312) 291-0100
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Breakfast
- Alcohol: Full Bar
10 reviews
Neighborhood: The Loop
"Atmosphere: Theatrical Price: Lunch expensive Bathrooms: Very Clean Food: Excellent We went here for lunch after a meeting in the area! No…" read more »
93 Reviews for Bongo Room
Really like the food, really don't like the wait. This location seemed to be a little better (wait-wise) than the other one, but maybe I was just hungover with no sense of time. Highly probable.
Had Chocolate Carrot Cake pancakes with cream cheese frosting-y stuff on top. omg. So good. Friend had the banana toffee (I think), which were also delish. Boys had omelets. Stupid boys.
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If you want to know how to justify pricing a sandwich at $12 a pop, then put apple slices and brie on it and call it a day. They also have to be really good, which they are. The breakfast is also really good, and relatively inexpensive.
The wait can be a little long sometimes, even when there aren't many people around, but I don't blame them, because they are putting brie and apple slices on my sandwiches. The restaurant is also really clean and the men's restroom has a urinal AND a toilet in it, right next to each other. That blows my mind. The soap generally smells pretty good too.
Really can't go wrong with any of the breakfast or lunch items on the menu, which is short and sweet.
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This place was kinda of hard to find with their sign being so small even though it was a corner restaurant. We were looking for this place after braving out the violent winds and rain after the race. We did a mile soaking wet yeah! We waited in the car for the winds to calm down a bit and decided to call before we go in. We didn't want to wait outside. So, they said yes we could take you in right away and they did! It was a ready-set-go! Ran a block to the restaurant and made it! woo hoo! Nobody was blown away. We walked straight to our table. Our server was nice, she knows the menu and was pretty honest on what we asked her. I loved my cilantro breakfast burrito. Yum! My hot apple cider was just perfect for the cold day. But it was a $4.50 cider? c'mon! Wish I had room for dessert. All stuffed and ready to battle the wind and rain again. Opened up my umbrella, ran to the car...damn, one man down! But wait, she's back up and... my umbrella was fine! And oh, she was fine too!
Overrated... Everything is caked in fatty butter and VERY creamy sauces.
Waited over 45 minutes for a table for 3...and then the printer missed our order so we waited 40 minutes for breakfast. I will not be going back to this overcrowded, mediocre breakfast place.
Keep it.
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After hearing rave reviews about the Bongo Room, I was excited to try it on a recent visit to Chicago. After my visit I feel that the Bongo Room has the right idea, but they fall short in several key areas.
First of all- the food. I appreciate their attempt to put a flair on the classic breakfast/brunch staples, but I feel like it's just a little overboard. I ordered the banana toffee pancakes and, as other diners have said, it was just too much sugar/fat/richness for my stomach to handle. It wasn't long before I had enough. However, they were downright delicious, it was just too much. Another person in my group ordered a breakfast burrito, which wasn't nearly so rich and over the top, so I have hope that their savory items might be a little easier to digest.
Second item- the wait. It was AWFUL. We waited for a table for over 45 minutes on a Sunday morning at around 11:30 AM and then waited for our food for another 30. Turns out, the waiter had messed up when entering our order in the system, and was very apologetic for the delay.
Between the caloric content of the food and the wait you must endure to receive your food, brunch here is easily an all day affair. Be prepared for this, and the Bongo Room will meet your expectations.
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bf and i went to the bongo room on sat around 10:00. we had a time constraint and i didnt really want to go there after reading the reviews... but we live close and since it was early, it would be quick. i, of course, was extremely jaded.......... but i was also hungry.
after waiting about 5 minutes, we were seated and introduced to our server kraz. i got the BLT eggs benedict with a side of thai ginger chicken sausage and a glass of tomato juice (pretty sure it was V8 but kraz could not confirm). bf got some sort of chorizo burrito extravaganza with very sour grapefruit juice...mmmmm. everything was REALLY tasty and original, like the pesto lemon hollandaise sauce on my benedict. it also had tons of spinach and wasnt overdone on the bacon - and came with 2 eggs not just one (perfectly poached, i must add)!
service was prompt, even with extra requests like a glass full of ice. kraz dropped off the check mid meal which i appreciate, and was there to pick up my credit card right when i took it out. we got out of there for $48 after my generous tip and were done by 10:35.
they did have a selection of things i would never eat - caramel drenched chocolate pancakes or what have you. who wants that for breakfast? but there were plenty of other offerings as well, including 3 (i think) kinds of egg benedict - one with shrimp!
i have to say that in spite of my initial skepticism and usual cynicism, bongo room really delivered! and we noticed its byob - next time, champagne.
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I have been eating here since I've moved to Chicago (about 4 years ago), but I used to have to haul ass up to Wicker Park (which is pretty far, when you're south of the south loop!) to their other location.
I LOVE THIS PLACE!
I can completely understand the reviews that say it's "awful" because of their fatty, sugary, buttery pancakes - but I think they're delicious - and what more could you want when you're hungover?
Beyond that...
I have ordered many of their different creations - in their different seasons (they change their menu). The pancakes are HUGE (the normal order is 4 I think?) Here's a tip: order a half! It's still big enough to share with someone. My other favorite here is their Eggs Benedict. I am pretty sure it's the best in the city! Granted, I have only been to a few other breakfast places around Chicago (Yolk, Orange..), but Bongo Room's Eggs Benedict were the BEST. Plus, depending on the season, they have both traditional and other types (I think I had a caprese-type once!) The breakfast burrito is also delicious - as are their rosemary hashbrowns (which are more like just chunks of potatoes).
It does get super busy on the weekend - so if you can, get there during the week - there's no wait! The staff is also super nice (at least every time I've been there, they have been), and will let you bring in outside drinks.
Cool location, great food - don't be thrown by the bad reviews - some people just like sweets more than others! Yes, it's a little pricey - but totally worth it.
If your favorite thing on earth is sugar enveloped in a pound of butter and laid over a stack of carbohydrates, head to bongo room. This is ESPECIALLY true if you like your butter/sugar sauce poured on by the gallon. If you actually want to feel good when you leave and not like your arteries are going to explode, head ANYWHERE else.
PS. Also plan on spending your weekly paycheck on this glorious meal.
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I have a few requirements in a brunch location:
1. plentiful coffee. And when I say plentiful, I mean it.
2. Not a ridiculous wait.
3. Food quality that is commensurate with the wait and price.
4. To not be rushed out.
This Bongo Room location hit the first three. Sadly, they disappointed on the last. Being rushed out is exactly why I stopped going to the Wicker Park location.
I loved, loved, loved that I could get a cup of coffee at the coffee bar while I waited for a table. The wait was only about 20 minutes on a busy Sunday morning. Not half bad. You'd probably wait at least twice that at the WP location. Food was good, although I'm still thoroughly confused by what constitutes "hash browns" in this city. The only place I've gotten real hash browns is at Sunrise Cafe on Chicago. Oh, and a couple of dive diners at wee hours of the morning.
I was pleased with the experience until the end of the meal when I felt rushed out. I know you're busy, but people want to linger with their friends after brunch.
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Hrmmm.
I don't know.
I love the idea behind the coffee bar while you wait for your table. And I love the creativeness/inventiveness on the menu- but somehow, I just failed to see the execution in their food, really.
I went there with my tried and tested strategy of going to brunch places only before 9:30 am or after 1pm, and only had to wait 10 minutes.
Also, I have a major peeve with interior designs where the tables come up only to your waist. I'm a tall girl (5' 10"), and bending over double on kindergarten tables and chairs meant for five year olds while getting my stuff on is not exactly something that makes me happy!
The wait staff were mostly nice (except for when the server dumped the (very cheap!) check on the table without informing us the kitchen was closing, or asking us if we wanted anything else- another pet peeve of mine- I wanted to order the pancakes!!!!)
I had the breakfast burrito and it was....ok. I wasn't impressed, it was somewhat tasteless- (which, considering the amount of things in there, is a feat in and of itself!) and somewhat lukewarm when it arrived at my table. My guest's potatoes, however, heh, were not at all oily or undercooked :). I had the hot chocolate to go with, and this was very well done, mounds of whip and cinnamon and chocolate...excellent!
My guess is that this place is good for the pancakes, and little else. One more try when the S.O. comes to town, and we'll see what happens then.
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The food is great, for the first bite.. after that, I go directly into Diabetic shock. It's way too rich for my tastes... If you like a pound of molasses and another of butter, than this is your spot! They get TOO creative with their concoctions and it is definitely not done right. The service is horrible! The wait staff is stuck-up while the busboys do the brunt of the work, while the waiter/waitresses make all the tips! Bongo Room is too pretentious and overrated. If you want creative upscale brunch, then go to FEAST in Wicker Park... the food is amazing and so is the service (so is the space, it's really inviting- especially al fresco dining).
So if you need to go eat breakfast in the South Loop don't go here. The food is way too expensive and the service is horrible. I wouldn't mind the pricey food if it was actually good. I got an omelette (which was 9.25) and added a few ingredients (1.00 per extra ingredient). When the food came out I was less than impressed. Also our waiter rushed us to pay and he got part of the order wrong. If you are in the South Loop and looking for a great breakfast place head around the corner to Yolk.
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I had a great experience at Bongo Room today (Sunday). We had a complicated problem with our party of 6 and we found the host to be very understanding.
The server was very friendly and attentive from beginning to end. Our food was delicious. I had carrot cake pancakes, which were quite yummy. Sweet, but delicious. I shared an order of potatoes with a friend and those were delightful as well. One of the other girls had some sort of cranberry pancake that she loved (it had a really awesome flavored butter with it). The third had the breakfast burrito. This was really the only questionable dish. She enjoyed it, but found the mixture to be interesting. Definitely not your typical breakfast burrito.
Great atmosphere, reasonable wait time = great brunch
Our second trip to Bongo was about 9:30 am on New Year's Eve morning. No wait, and we even found street parking a block away. I enjoyed the bright airy room and the service was quite attentive. Both times I've been here I've ordered pancakes (sometimes called hotcakes or flapjacks on the menu -- I asked the server if there was a difference between the three terms and she said no) and both times they were good but just a bit too cloying. I mean, I like sweet things, lord knows, but the sauces they put on are just over the top. It's like having dessert for breakfast.
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I have been here a few times. The service didnt really wow me lke some others have said. The food is average. I like the booths. the meican burrito is good. Parking is awful and the fe times Ive been in theres been a pretty good wait, but just not worth it to me.
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Right now I give this place 4 stars. I should give it 5 stars for the food alone and the service.
For your information, there is no need to order a full order of Chocolate Creme Brulee Banana French Toast (which was totally awesome but too much for one person). I was informed that I could of order a SMALL order. I learned about this after forcing myself to almost finish what I ordered. I kept seeing people getting their eggs, meat and potato meals that I realize I should have ordered that.
I'm sure sooner or later I'll be waking up at 8am on a Saturday to get there. That way I won't have to go through the wait.
Maybe one morning after a night of partying I'll turn to the girl who stayed over and say, "You wanna grab a fantastic breakfast?" She'll say (after realizing she's not at her place), "It's 8 am and I don't remember what happened last night." "I'll reply, "That's okay. This Breakfast will make everything better."
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Mmm, Bongo Room, how I miss thee.
Their breakfast burritos are a-mazing. It's full of egg, cheese, guacamole and sour cream. I could eat these things everyday for the rest of my life and I would be happy. Just to warn: There's a LOT of egg in this burrito. Some people say there's too much. I say - woo! I love eggs.
I like their pancakes, but you have to be careful with them. They sound good on paper (ie S'Mores pancakes), but when you get them it's kind of a sugar overload that leaves you unable to finish your meal. Go for the more subtle pancake varieties, such as, exhibit A:
Last summer they had these saucy pancakes that were of the Lemon-Raspberry variety. The pancakes had lemon zest and raspberries cooked inside of them with a light whipped cream to go on top. It was DELICIOUS. And it didn't taste sickeningly sweet, either - that's what you have to be careful of in this place. Some of their food is just too sweet.
The potatoes are undercooked and greasy. Skip. With Bongo, the food that is good is REALLY good (which isn't the majority of the menu) but the rest of the menu is kind of a turn off.
It's still better than 11 City Diner, though.
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I've been here numerous times at the Wicker Park location and have consistently had a great experience. This last Sunday was my first time at the South Loop location. I'm typically pretty skeptical about second locations opening up as they tend to never live up to the original (case in point take Orange on Harrison). Much to my surprise the food was actually pretty decent.
After having tried mostly savory items at the original (omelettes, spinach tortilla sweet potato burrito, etc which have all been delicious), I decided to go on a limb and try the pear and currant french toast. The toast was yummy when dipped in the pear sauce which was sweet and delectable. I really liked the rum gelato on top, which added a nice contrast to the sweetness of the pear and currant. Plus how cool is it to eat gelato during brunch!??? My friend was going to get the chocolate french toast tower, but unfortunately they ran out so he got some enormous pancakes which I forget the name of. Portions are definitely huge, I could only finish half of my meal.
The only drawbacks w/ this place are that for one, they won't seat you unless your whole party is there. The Wicker Park location is annoying as hell in that regards and are complete as#holes about it too. The wait is pretty substantial on weekends, so be prepared to spend 30 min or more at Sam's Wines putzing around. They are also only open till 2pm, so make sure to get there early enough. Thankfully the food has come through, and these gripes are minor in comparison!
Yep, I'm Yelping about another brunch place ;-) This place would get four stars if they still had their Chocolate/Marshmallow pancakes! I went here about a month ago totally expecting to order this amazing dish and it wasn't there!
However, if you're looking for a brunch place that consistently serves great food, this is the place. I've been here several times ordering variations of their eggs benedict - traditional (great!), beef tenderloin (excellent!), and a bacon eggs benedict (great!). Their potatoes also complement their eggs benedict dishes very nicely.
There is usually a long wait on the weekends, but I think it's worth it.
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Why must you disappoint me time and time again? I've given both you and your sister location 4x to make it up to me, but I continue to be disappointed.
Must you taunt with the flowerly language on the menu, with no payoff -- it really is underwhelming. The pear & currant french toast (with rum gelato) sounded so good today, but it was lukewarm, bland, and I think those pears were canned. The $4 strawberry lemonade was so diluted, and doesn't live to Red Robin's bottomless strawberry lemonade (with REAL strawberries).... Can't even get the simple things, like eggs & taters right...
How many more things can you let me down?
After wanting to try this place for months, I finally made a trip this past weekend around lunch time. The wait was at least 20 minutes for 2, but it smelled so good that I didn't mind the wait! Very small place and pretty crammed. Their menu is not very extensive, but I'm always happy with a classic omelette so I tried an egg white omelette with veggies. The price for an omelette is ridiculous...$9.25 ($9.50 for egg white) which includes only 2 ingredients, and each additional was $1.00! $1.00 for a few diced onions?? I wouldn't have minded the price for a great omelette but this one disappointed - it was basically a layer of egg folded around bland veggies. (Yolk has way better omelettes and a better selection!) They messed up my toast order and I had to wait for that also.
We would have forgiven the food and prices if it wasn't for the waiter throwing the bill on our table while we were in the middle of eating - we felt like we were being rushed. To top it all off, as we were finishing our meal, they rejoined a small open table to ours, and wiped it off with a dirty rag while we were still eating! Couldn't they wait 5 more minutes?
I'll stick to Yolk for weekend brunch.
PS: don't bring a huge purse that doesn't hang well on a small chair - I had to leave mine under my chair because it kept falling on the floor!
Four stars is bang on for Bongo Room in the South Loop. I had eggs florentine which were perfectly cooked and the hollandaise sauce was fresh and tasty. Our table also ordered the breakfast burrito (excellent), chocolate carrot cake pancakes (believe it or not - awesome), more eggs (cooked perfectly), an omelette (devoured instantly), orange juice (fresh) and drank champagne (Bollinger) and weren't charged corkage (excellent). The reason it doesn't get five stars is because of the coffee which was appalling: the brewed was awful and the cafe latte a large glass of burnt hot milk that tasted vaguely of something remotely related to a coffee bean.
In short, definitely go there for a good breakfast/lunch but buy your coffee hit at Intelligentsia first.
Stopped here for a quick lunch before my flight back to the Bay Area. It was good - not great. I had the chicken apple club - I'd wrestled with getting it or the chicken pear club. What I'd forgotten was that apples haven't been great this year - so while the intention was that that apple would provide some needed crunch and tangyness to the sandwich - it didn't...so the sandwich was a bit bland. The side salad was good - but mixed greens with tomatoes (and maybe other stuff....not memorable) isn't anything special. My iced coffee was STRONG...and not in a good way.
Maybe the brunch items are much much better - but this is a good enough place for sandwiches. Service was quick and not memorably bad or good.
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Picking a place to take my parents when theyre in town is not always asy cause they are definitely not city people. This was the perfect place though. Although it was a little noisy, the place is bright, airy, has a great menu selection, and reasonable prices. The specialty pancakes are amazing but induce a food coma due to their gooey deliciousness. Not good for your health, but oh so yummy!
Downside - if you go on the weekend, expect to wait as they don't take reservations.
good food. Good service
They have very creative breakfast choices. But a long wait to get a table.
The best advice I can give is to order a bunch of 'single' pancakes and split them with some people. That way you get one pancake of each flavor/style and can really sample the menu.
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If brunch is your thing then check this place out asap. The wait is worth it. Try the BLT eggs benedict.
Had brunch here today and it was awesome. I typically avoid this place on the weekends, though, because of the super long line/wait. Also, it closes kind of early. But during the week, it's a great place to go. It has great coffee, omelettes, bacon and the portions are pretty large. The service was great--our server was very cute and sweet.
DELICIOUS!
Arrived on a Sunday around noon and there was no wait (maybe because it was the Chicago marathon weekend?? not sure). A friend and I shared the chorizo breakfast burrito and the chocolate tower. The burrito was above average but the chocolate tower was the BOMB! also the potatoes are awesome!
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A cool, trendy spot for breakfast. The prices can get a bit steep when you realize that you just shelled out $60 for two people at breakfast. The food is good, but very heavy on the sweet sauces. Most of the pancake items on the menu could be dessert.
I usually order a boring omelette which they've tended to under cook recently so I have not been back in a while.
My fav place to brunch on the weekends. Great food and ambience. Two thumbs up!
I've only been here once with my cousin. They have Great service,and great food. Most likely will go back someday.
Is it just me or are the good ole breakfast places pulling over to the side of the road to make way for the ultra modern contemporary "brunch spots"? Despite my "refined" palette, sometimes I just want some breakfast/brunch standards like corned beef hash or biscuits and sausage gravy or steak and eggs . Brunch is supposed to be the bridge between breakfast and lunch. Having said that you'd think you'd find a menu balanced with items that were soley breakfast, soley lunch, but then several items that really bridge that gap and satisfy the consumer who truly wants brunch. If this is the type of menu you are expecting than Bongo room is not the brunch spot you are looking for.
Bongo Room has ONE dish that has meat in it, the croissant sandwich, and that's what I ordered. Had I know that this was a $7.50 knock off of the Croisann'Which that can be found at Burger King, I might have actually went to Burger King. Like Burger King the croissant was greasy and flimsy. Like Burger King the 3 slices of bacon were as thin as Keira Knightly. According to the menu accompanying my Croisann'Which where "hashbrowns". However, what was delivered to me were the standard run of the mill red potatoes with a bit too much rosemary. According to Dictionary.com hash browns are: crisp-fried potatoes made by dicing, chopping, or mashing boiled potatoes and browning them in hot fat or oil. The potatoes where none of these things. I really wish they would have accurately portrayed these potatoes on the menu so I knew what to expect.
Ok, so onto the rest of the menu. There is a French toast offering and 4 different types of pancakes all which are covered in a healthy amount of cream. If you really look at the menu they truly only have 4 unique items. I guess I want more variety for breakfast.
So aside from the menu, the ambiance is great. I like the room and the overall design. It feels like a bright fun airy light filled brunch/lunch spot. It's always crowded which gives the room and lil electric. Sadly , the design is all I really have to say that is positive. The service really missed the mark. We sat at 9 and the food didn't arrive to us until 9:45. Futher complicating the situation, we had asked the waitress to further delay the delivery of our food so that one of us could move our car because of the bears parking enforcement which begins at 10. Of course when I returned at 9:55 my cold Croisann'Which awaited me.
I have been here several times and I think this time will be the last. Maybe I would go back for lunch if I was really hungry and standing in front of it. Otherwise I will steer clear of Bongo Room.
2 Croisann'Which
1 Cream Covered Pancakes
1 Can't Remember What John Had
1 side of sausage
2 coffees
1 orange juice
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$55.00.
PS.... Some of my frustration with respect to the lack of imagination on the menu is deeply rooted in the entire Chicago brunch scene and is not soley due to the uninspired menu at Bongo Room. But for the record the Croisann'Which sucked.
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Whenever I have brunch in this area, I always end up at yolk but decided to try bongo room this most recent Saturday. Ehhh, not sure what all the hype is about because it was all around disappointing. Luckily we didn't have to wait but service was still terrible despite the unfilled dining room.
Between the three of us, we had the veggie breakfast burrito, the croissant-wich, the pear/brioche french toast, and a side of chicken sausage. All arrived luke warm and just meh. The chicken sausage was cooked to within an inch of it's life and just so tough we couldn't eat it. The croissant-wich was soggy and came with oily, undercooked potatoes; we all decided dunkin donuts made a better breakfast sandwich. The veggie burrito, also cold and also forgettable. The pear brioche french toast with rum raisin gelato looked so promising but was once again, cold and just so...chewy. The pears and gelato were delicious but the actual french toast just no good.
The orange juice was great but how can you mess up fresh squeezed juice? Definitely skip.
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I came to this South Loop location recently (have never been the the one further north) - and what a wonderful reason to get out of bed on a weekend morning! The ONLY thing it lacked was outdoor seating, but I can easily overlook that with how great the food was! Got there around 11 and it took MAYBE 10 minutes to seat a party of two, and in the meantime they will get you coffee just off to the side of the hostess stand (would have been a bonus to have chairs at that coffee bar but then again there wasn't really room
We looked over the menu while we waited for our table and seriously just about everything looked good (same was true when we were seated and were looking around the restaurant at everything our neighbors had ordered). We went with the burrito (some wonderful combination of tortilla, eggs, guacamole, and other yummy stuff), which came with great potatoes. We followed that up with the chocolate french toast with bananas-and let me say it was sheer heaven on a plate :)
service was fast and friendly, staff was quick to remove the dishes (before we could lick them clean I guess :)) and the atmosphere was lively but still relaxing
Will definitely be back!
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5 stars for food, 3 stars for service. This was my first time at this location, usually we go to the wicker park bongo.
The food! the food. we both had savory plates and split something sweet. lots and lots of food. a 5 egg omelette w/ spinach, swiss and mushrooms (i'm trying to recreate dodo, but still miss it), sourdough toast and a half plate (!) of homefries. she had the burrito, which she has everytime. we split the banana-chocolate-honey-cream-bread explosion thingy....and a cappacino.
sooo good, i'll have to go to the gym after i write this and fall into a deep carb coma, so that i can burn a fraction of the calories just inhaled.
the staff was worn out, it was the end of brunch and we quickly became the last table. our server was impressive; it isn't easy to ride the edge of sarcasm without being completely hateful. being a former brunch server myself and knowing the hell of this experience, i enjoyed the impatient banter.
"...uh huh, are you ready to order yet?"
but then it became clear that all the staff wanted us out. we'd only been there for 30 minutes...and ordered three meals between the two of us! so we politely denied the multiple attempts to remove our unfinished chocolate explosion from the table. at 45 minutes, we left. now i might be wrong on this, but it appeared that the entire staff was sitting down to eat together and it all made sense. they wanted us out so they could have THEIR chocolate explosion french toast. and that was actually really nice to see.
great interior, accoustic lunchroom racket aside, the material palet was tops.
This place isn't cheap. It just isn't. Know that going in and prepare to eat Ramon for dinner because going out to breakfast and dinner on a Saturday is not an option with this place.
The food is outstanding. The BLT eggs Benedict is really freaking good. I am kind of obsessed with it. The strawberry mango french toast, the two breakfast burrito options, and the pancakes are all really good.
The environment is light and airy. Pretty sparse. There is a large coffee bar in front, you can drink coffee while you wait - which makes a noon hangover very happy.
I really enjoy Bongo Room - you should check this location out. We have never waited more then 15 minutes and the food is always great.
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Have always been a fan of this location. The wait is rarely over 30 minutes, service is good, and the food has always been great. Pricier than it should be (especially for the South Loop), but I guess someone needs to pay for all these highrises going up. Its a bit crowded space-wise, and definitely loud, so leave the worst of your hangovers outside... the food here will help, but not the noise.
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After biting the bullet and experiencing the very long wait for this place, I found myself disappointed. I like the inventive menu, but the food is too heavy. It tastes more like a very rich dessert than breakfast. I had the chocolate pancakes and I couldn't even get through a quarter of it. It's definitely one of those meals you leave with a stomach ache and nap. I like Orange much better.
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This is one of my favorite spots to promote my champagne brunch lifestyle. This place hits the nail on the head. Great food with great selections. They have decadent desert-fast; creme brule french toast, smores pancakes mmm...So many ways to cheat on my diet ...so little time. They also have really yummy sandwiches, salads, and traditional breakfast food prepared not so traditionally. They have a egg and croissant sandwich however, its so much more than a sandwich. The croissant is all buttery and the egg all gooey and they they throw in ingredients that are just good, avocado and sprouts. Drinking here is just as thrilling. The last time I ate here prickly pear mimosas were in order, it turned into quite the afternoon.
They only other thing to note is that they don't take reservations and on a weekend, you will always wait....its so worth it!
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Arrived on a Monday as Bongo staff was prepping for the day and was absolutely starving. This spot was recommended as one of the best breakfast spots in the area. Turns out the wait spent window-shopping outside -- just until they opened -- was well worth it.
Everything on the menu looked amazing, but I selected the breakfast burrito (eggs, guacamole, and especially the chipotle sour cream) and potatoes (seems to be on every menu in Chicago, but my clean plate can attest to the tastiness of these) and loved the combination.
It was also the cheapest thing on the menu ;)
Service was friendly and attentive -- glasses always topped up and nothing was neglected. Fairly quiet, nice atmosphere and setting. Quiet pretty much sums up the whole experience. More people began arriving as we were leaving, so perhaps this livened up a bit after we left.
Great for a brunch spot or if you're looking for breakfast with a twist. Run-of-the-mill home-style breakfast was not.
If you're of the persnickety sort and want to enjoy your dining experience to the max sit at one of the tables, not in a booth on the elevated platform. One mans wobble (shake, seating adjustment or shimmy) is another diners annoyance ;)
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