Bongo Room

In Short – This eclectic, colorful storefront is decorated with cool knickknack installations and a hip local crowd. Breakfasts come steaming off the line. Pancake options include brown sugar-pecan and banana, and ginger-walnut with warm maple-mascarpone cream. Eggs Florentine are light and airy, the classic preparation with hollandaise over poached eggs. Hash browns are a crusty mountain of new potatoes with lots of dill and not a hint of grease.

Editor's Tips

Know Before You Go:: Expect a long wait on weekends with nowhere to sit; get there early or late, or you'll end up toughing it out with the rest of the crowd.

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User Reviews (51)

ambiance	85.60999870300293% positive	“Nice ambience, friendly patient people, and the food is magnificent!” “Food okay, long wait, overrated atmosphere.” “Great brunch, great atmosphere.” “OK - the wait's no fun.” “The location was convenient for meeting friends, and we were intrigued by the name, and the high ratings listed here and elsewhere.” “Bottom line: Good service, unique decor and atmosphere, but food that isn't that great.” “Great decor, atmosphere and service.” “It was definitely crowded, but the decor and feel was very cozy, and the food was great.” “The menu is creative and fun.” “The decor is unique and quirky just like the neighbourhood they are set in.” “went to this cozy breakfast spot with a group of 5 friends; the wait was long since the place was bustling on a Saturday morning.”
dessert	100.0% positive	“Who would have thought that a breakfast consisting of chocolate could be so delicious in the morning.” “And even better - when you can't decide between one of their incredible sweet options (say the chocolate tower French Toast) and one of the more savory options, just get a half order of each!”
drinks	50.0% positive	“The coffee is great, so is just about everyhting on the menu.” “Things started off badly with the coffee which everyone agreed was terrible--weak and tasteless.”
food quality	84.25999641418457% positive	“I'm still scratching my head at all the good reviews of this place, because poor cooking aside, the meal was not good in any way.” “Great breakfast food, worth the wait!” “The service was poor and the food was tasteless.” “It's the perfect place to take a date or recover with a tasty treat from a long night before.” “Been going here for a long time and I continually find that the food is consistent and some of the most creative breakfast food inthe city.” “Portions are huge and delicious.” “Wife and I agreed the potato salad was great.” “You will find more then one meal on the menu you'll want to order; so many egg and tasty pancake selections from which to choose (and did you see the Chocolate Tower?” “secret to ordering-when a meal comes with three flapjacks, you can order just one, allowing you to sample more of the tasty dishes.” “The eggs benedict was the best I have ever had.” “When the waitress stopped by to ask how everything was, my reply was "to be honest, I'm disappointed considering how much hype this place gets - I was expecting GREAT food” “My suggestion would be to come with a couple of friends so everyone can order a savory dish off the breakfast menue, and the share a plate of the most tasty pancakes in the city.” “Who would have thought that a breakfast consisting of chocolate could be so delicious in the morning.” “Sorry, but there are too many fantastic brunch places in this city to warrant having to put up with snooty service, mediocre food, cramped seating arrangements, and a patronage that seems to have meandered a little south of their natural habitat and doesn” “Loved the mochas, the pumpkin spice pancakes, the twist on Eggs Benedict w/beef tenderloin and Bernaise sauce.” “any magical brunch food that they might be able to produce does not warrant withstanding this level of poor service.” “thought it was overpriced for the lukewarm, stale french toast I got.” “It was definitely crowded, but the decor and feel was very cozy, and the food was great.” “The menu is extensive, and all of the food is very high-quality.” “It was a Friday afternoon & the waitress then demanded we order our food.” “The food is very good.” “When the food came, it all looked good, and about half the dishes tasted good.” “had the lemon poppy seed french toast with a fresh strawberry & peach mimosa.” “They might be my favorite food on the planet.” “The food wasn't so good the first time, but the banana pancakes were great the second time.” “And even if they did, the food is just so good that I think it's worth it!” “Good food but beware of the crowds” “We don't usually mind the wait, the service or the tight seating because we enjoy the food.” “the food is mouth-watering good.” “Bottom line: Good service, unique decor and atmosphere, but food that isn't that great.” “The poached eggs with red peppers and feta is my favorite, though it's very hard to choose.” “My friend that had been there before recommended the Eggs Benedict BLT (with spinach, tomatoes and bacon) so I got that.” “Any pancake dish is good and the portabello sandwich is a must for veggie types.” “didn't even get to try the food the acting manager was so rude.” “Great brunch food!” “We've been there several times and always had quick, efficient service, and incredibly good breakfast food.” “We waited for about 30 minutes to eat at the counter but the food was AMAZING!” “then pointed out my well done bacon and non-poached eggs and she said, "well everyone likes their poached eggs differently - let me know if you want me to get you another batch” “The ingredients are fresh and the breakfast is never boring.” “When we got back, we were seated immediately and our fantastic food was up within 5 minutes of ordering!” “The food is delicious, and beautifully presented.” “Good food but the waitstaff was anything but.” “Nice ambience, friendly patient people, and the food is magnificent!” “The pancake servings are huge, and 1/2 orders are available.” “Good food, long wait”
menu variety	100.0% positive	“You will find more then one meal on the menu you'll want to order; so many egg and tasty pancake selections from which to choose (and did you see the Chocolate Tower?” “After about half an hour, we got seated and were handed menus by a super friendly waiter.” “good brunch buffet, if you're up for that, and a fine menu to boot.” “And even better - when you can't decide between one of their incredible sweet options (say the chocolate tower French Toast) and one of the more savory options, just get a half order of each!” “In addition, if you did not feel like getting breakfast, they also have a great lunch menu.” “The menu is extensive, and all of the food is very high-quality.” “The coffee is great, so is just about everyhting on the menu.” “The menu is creative and fun.” “Great menu!”
overall	66.66999816894531% positive	“I'm sorry, but this is by far the best place to get brunch (weekends are tough) in Chicago.” “I'm still scratching my head at all the good reviews of this place, because poor cooking aside, the meal was not good in any way.” “Maybe if the editors of Citysearch had not voted this the best breakfast place in Chicago, we wouldn't have been quite as disappointed.”
return potential	100.0% positive	“So great that they can close at 2 or 2:30p everyday, always have a huge wait, couldn't possibly fit any more always full tables into either of their locations and don't need wait staff kissing up to you so you'll come back.” “go back and forth between this place and Lula, but I can't believe anyone would have bad customer service from this place.” “work in the restaurant industry so I tend to cut people a little more slack, but I will never be back or recommend this place to anyone ever again.”
service	63.75% positive	“Great decor, atmosphere and service.” “When the waitress stopped by to ask how everything was, my reply was "to be honest, I'm disappointed considering how much hype this place gets - I was expecting GREAT food” “didn't even get to try the food the acting manager was so rude.” “So great that they can close at 2 or 2:30p everyday, always have a huge wait, couldn't possibly fit any more always full tables into either of their locations and don't need wait staff kissing up to you so you'll come back.” “work in the restaurant industry so I tend to cut people a little more slack, but I will never be back or recommend this place to anyone ever again.” “It was a Friday afternoon & the waitress then demanded we order our food.” “go back and forth between this place and Lula, but I can't believe anyone would have bad customer service from this place.” “After about half an hour, we got seated and were handed menus by a super friendly waiter.” “The service is wonderful.” “Nice ambience, friendly patient people, and the food is magnificent!” “The service was poor and the food was tasteless.” “Friendly service, great music and yes, you will wait to get in.” “I've visited the Bongo Room twice and each time the service was awful.” “We've been there several times and always had quick, efficient service, and incredibly good breakfast food.” “Sorry, but there are too many fantastic brunch places in this city to warrant having to put up with snooty service, mediocre food, cramped seating arrangements, and a patronage that seems to have meandered a little south of their natural habitat and doesn” “Bottom line: Good service, unique decor and atmosphere, but food that isn't that great.” “any magical brunch food that they might be able to produce does not warrant withstanding this level of poor service.” “We don't usually mind the wait, the service or the tight seating because we enjoy the food.” “The owner is rude, obnoxious, and makes the entire experience unpleasant.” “very rude service - worst ever experienced”
value	90.0% positive	“So great that they can close at 2 or 2:30p everyday, always have a huge wait, couldn't possibly fit any more always full tables into either of their locations and don't need wait staff kissing up to you so you'll come back.” “And even if they did, the food is just so good that I think it's worth it!” “thought it was overpriced for the lukewarm, stale french toast I got.” “the portions are huge.” “Portions are huge and delicious.” “They have very large portions but also offer half-orders, so unless you are very very hungry I suggest a half-order.” “Great breakfast food, worth the wait!” “But it's so very worth the wait, and there's a great bookstore next door in which to pass the time.” “The pancake servings are huge, and 1/2 orders are available.” “so the secret to the bongo room is: you can order single pancakes (for just a little more than 1/3 the price of a normal order).”
wait time	88.88999938964844% positive	“went to this cozy breakfast spot with a group of 5 friends; the wait was long since the place was bustling on a Saturday morning.” “Good food, long wait” “Be prepared for a 30-45 minute wait, but there's a great bookstore next door that will make the wait go quick.” “Food okay, long wait, overrated atmosphere.” “We've been there several times and always had quick, efficient service, and incredibly good breakfast food.” “When we got back, we were seated immediately and our fantastic food was up within 5 minutes of ordering!” “Been going here for a long time and I continually find that the food is consistent and some of the most creative breakfast food inthe city.” “We waited for about 30 minutes to eat at the counter but the food was AMAZING!” “It's the perfect place to take a date or recover with a tasty treat from a long night before.”

11/02/09

Cozy little nook!

by WindyCityNewbie at Citysearch

I thought this place was perfect for a Sunday morning breakfast. It was definitely crowded, but the decor and feel was very cozy, and the food was great. I would recommend the raspberry banana pancakes if you have a sweet tooth!

Pros: Great atmosphere
Cons: Long waits

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11/02/09

Cozy little nook!

by WindyCityNewbie at Citysearch

Pros: Great atmosphere
Cons: Long waits

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04/12/09

Major Disappointment

by rhythmdoctor at Citysearch

I gotta say, not only was it NOT good, it may have been the worst breakfast I've ever had. I am not exaggerating either. When my poached eggs were solid yolk inside and my supposed under-cooked bacon was crispy, I knew I was in for some major disappointment. When the waitress stopped by to ask how everything was, my reply was "to be honest, I'm disappointed considering how much hype this place gets - I was expecting GREAT food". My waitress said, and I kid you not: "Well, you didn't get anything special, you only got plain pancakes with eggs and bacon". I then pointed out my well done bacon and non-poached eggs and she said, "well everyone likes their poached eggs differently - let me know if you want me to get you another batch". I just looked at her like "duh, of course I want a new 'batch' of eggs and bacon. To top it off, yes I only got plain pancakes, but the pancakes were very heavy and dense, probably the worse pancakes I've ever tasted. In my opinion, pancakes should be light and fluffy, not heavy like bricks. I'm still scratching my head at all the good reviews of this place, because poor cooking aside, the meal was not good in any way.

Pros: Wait quicker than expected
Cons: Food was not good

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08/17/08

A religious experience

by guera399 at Citysearch

Was in town for a wedding this weekend and was taken to Bongo Room by some former bucktown inhabitants who raved about the food here but warned us that the service was lacking. While we did have to wait awhile to get seated with six people in our party it was well worth it! The eggs benedict was the best I have ever had. Everyone in our party shared the raspberry banana cheesecake pancakes and the white chocolate caramel pretzel pancakes and I swear its like a religous experience to eat them. We could hardly set our drinks down without being offered a refill and while you could tell they were concerned about turnover, they still let us add on one extra pancake after our check was closed. Maybe we went in with lowered expectations due to the other reviewers, but I thought the service was top notch and I will be dreaming of the food for weeks!

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07/14/08

Great decor, atmosphere and service...but average food.

by emh005 at Citysearch

I went to this cozy breakfast spot with a group of 5 friends; the wait was long since the place was bustling on a Saturday morning. After about half an hour, we got seated and were handed menus by a super friendly waiter. My friend that had been there before recommended the Eggs Benedict BLT (with spinach, tomatoes and bacon) so I got that. Some others got the Crab Benedict and another one of my friends ordered a breakfast burrito. The place was cute, but the food was bland. BLT Benedict was not worth the $14; the Hollandaise sauce had little flavor. Crab Benedict had even less flavor plus the saltiness of canned crab. Burrito was average.

Bottom line: Good service, unique decor and atmosphere, but food that isn't that great.

Bongo Room

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What People Are Saying About Bongo Room

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Editor's Tips

11/02/09

Cozy little nook!

by WindyCityNewbie at Citysearch

11/02/09

Cozy little nook!

by WindyCityNewbie at Citysearch

04/12/09

Major Disappointment

by rhythmdoctor at Citysearch

08/17/08

A religious experience

by guera399 at Citysearch

07/14/08

Great decor, atmosphere and service...but average food.

by emh005 at Citysearch

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