Bongo Room

Vittrad
First Reviewer
4 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
4
Reviews

Local Secrets, Big Finds 2007 Pick

  • January 22, 2008
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Local Secrets from New York, New York
The food at the Bongo Room is "unbelievable." Nowhere else will you witness such savory culinary transformations. "They take ordinary menu items (i.e. pancakes) and turn them into food that is so good you can't stop eating it (i.e. pumpkin cheesecake pancakes with vanilla anglaise)." Located in Wicker Park, the Bongo Room's "décor is artsy, but no matter what kind of person goes, they always love it."

www.travelocity.com/localsecrets

Bongo Room

  • November 19, 2006
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Little Ayun from Cambridge, Massachusetts
I don't, as a rule, wait in line for Sunday brunch. The Bongo Room just may be worth it, though, and you can avoid the worst of the wait by visiting on a weekday or showing up early to beat the hangover crowd. The most elaborated items on the brunch menu are only served on the weekends, but the daily breakfast menu offers plenty to choose from, and avoiding the line is absolutely worth it.

The Bongo Room is located near Ground Zero of Wicker Park, one of Chicago's most hipster-dense neighborhoods crammed with boutique shopping, see-and-be-seen coffee shops, and over-designed restaurants. If you do arrive during peak brunch hours, add your name to the list and kill time in Reckless Records, or Myopic Books, or any of the other nearby shops. The hours (yeah, it could easily be that long) will fly by.

When you are finally seated (I'm serious - don't say you weren't warned about that wait), it'll be in a bright open space with cheerful green walls that feels like early spring no matter how lousy the weather outside. The tables at the back of the room are on a slight rise, great for the people-watching you'll want to do.

Once inside, you'll be confronted with the classic Brunch Dilemma: Sweet or Savory? The Bongo Room serves up excellent renditions of the standard eggs Benedict or Florentine, and a great avocado-heavy breakfast burrito, but most diners seem to zero in on the rotating menu of pancakes. These are no pedestrian pancake creations - the amateur-hour chocolate chip or blueberry you can find at any diner. They're banana-Heath bar, or key lime cheesecake flavored, and served doused in super-sweet syrupy toppings. Highly recommended for those sweet of tooth.

From journal Chicago - Girls On The Town

Bongo Room

  • January 20, 2004
  • Rated 5 of 5 by kinaida from Chicago, Illinois

The Bongo Room is not for those who are unwilling to experiment with food or try new flavors/ingredients/recipes. It's a bold, eclectic approach to brunch! Pancakes with Heath bar topped with caramel creme anglaise. Chocolate brioche french toast. Black forest cherry pancakes cris-crossed with vanilla and chocolate crème anglaise. The menu changes periodically as well.

This place is notoriously busy and cramped. It's a small space to begin with and no formal waiting area. Expect to wait at leaset 45 minutes during peak times (e.g., Saturday and Sunday mornings). I would recommend going either on a weekday morning or early afternoon. The prices, while high, are not outrageous for the quality of food--it is definitely worth the splurge!

Bongo Room is located in Wicker Park, an up and coming neighborhood northwest of downtown. If you are staying downtown, you will definitely want to take a cab here. There is public transportation that you could navigate (it is close to the blue line and there is a bus line that runs past the restaurant), but that may be more tedious and confusing than it is worth.

From journal Chicago - A Little Bit of Everything

Bongo Room

  • May 29, 2003
  • Rated 3 of 5 by Vittrad from chicag, Illinois
A wonderful place for breakfast/brunch. Their pancakes such as raspberry cheesecake, pumpkin with toasted pistachio praline butter, and ginger walnut are really unique and worth the wait. If you go on Sunday or Saturday, be prepared for long lines. Additionally, you can hit the boutiques and Wicker Park shops afterwards.

From journal What I do in Chicago

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