The Bongo Room: Pancakes, sandwiches and mimosas
Crowned one of the most likable brunch spots in the city, The Bongo Room’s popularity stems from friendly service and scrumptious lunch and breakfast dishes.
Located in Wicker Park and in the South Loop, Bongo Room can get so busy on the weekends lines tend to form, so if possible, try to dine during a weekday. Light streaming in from the restaurant’s two storefront windows enhance the already sunny interior of yellow, wooden tables and booths and baby blue colored walls. Booths align one section of the place while tables and a bar area make up the rest. The first side of the menu offers minuscule breakfast options of omelets, eggs, a veggie croissant sandwich, a breakfast burrito and sides like Canadian bacon and Thai chicken sausage. Decadent white chocolate and caramel covered pretzel pancakes (crushed pretzel coated pancakes topped with warm white chocolate cream and topped with buttery caramel) and lemon ricotta and blueberry pancakes satiate the sweet tooth, but if the stomach doesn’t crave red velvet hotcakes or banana bacon hotcakes, flip the menu over to reveal more extensive lunch items.
The chicken and pear club features a broiled chicken breast with a cranberry-pecan aioli that’s served on a baguette, and the tuna and caper salad club comes filled with chunks of tuna, egg and pickles. Each sandwich comes with a healthy side of either hash browns, potato salad or a salad, but realize the portions are so abundant, a doggy bag will probably be mandatory. Besides the sandwiches and salads, Bongo Room’s coffee beverages, flavored mimosas and fresh-squeezed O.J will surely jumpstart the day.
HelloChicago Tip: The Bongo’s Room other location is at 1152 S. Wabash Ave., 60605, (312) 291-0100. Their hours are Monday-Friday, 8 a.m-2 p.m; Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m-2 p.m.
Posted by Garin Pirnia
