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As someone with a strong sweet tooth, BomboBar hit the spot. My only "complaint" is they are strict on adjusting their "special" menu items. Which made my order double the price. Service was speedy and one scoop is plenty (just heads up, it's a large scoop). Disappointed by very limited seating for such large portions of food. Not very easy to eat on the go.
Solid spot for dessert! I would recommend if you are in the west loop area. They have wonderful donuts and ice cream.
My friend and I were very confused by this place as the menu did not reflect what we were seeing on Yelp or on their social media. We ended up with much smaller donuts than we thought we would get. Don't get me wrong, they were still very much delicious! It was just very confusing as it wasn't what we were expecting. Do they change out their menu items? If so, how often? I really wanted a donut ice cream sandwich, but that wasn't even on the menu anywhere. It was still a very good donut place and they have a nice outdoor seating area that's enclosed with heat lamps, so you can come here even during the colder months. Not much decor, but still some cute signage. Be aware their tables are extremely off balance since it is on a hill. They should put something under the legs to make them even because I was nervous amount my food sliding off if I wasn't paying attention. The woman at the window that helped us was more on the rude side. She visibly looked annoyed as it she was upset we were making her do her job. My friend and I split 6 Bombolinis and got 2 dipping sauces: chocolate hazelnut and salted caramel. The donuts themselves were pretty good! I don't think I would make a special trip out here just for them though. Both sauces were very good, but the salted caramel was to die for! Definitely my favorite of the two we tried. I would give this place 4 stars, but the false advertising and confusion is making me give it 3 stars instead. I was really looking forward to certain things and there's no explanation at all.
This is a great spot if you're looking for desserts to take pics of. That being said - the last few times I've gone here they are out of a lot of their ingredients so good luck lol. The staff is friendly and nice to chat with. They have screens where you can place an order on your own or you are able to go to the window and place an order with someone. This is an all outdoor spot - there is no access to indoor seating. There are a few places to sit outside, very limited. This is more of a 'grab what you ordered and walk around with it' type of place. Right in the heart of Fulton market so there is plenty to see while you walk around with your sweet treat. It is on the pricier side, but city prices are always higher. Cute presentation but the quality is so so. Full of sugar which is to be expected.
The Bombolato satisfied my sweettooth! I've always wanted to make a stop here when I'm in Chicago and finally had the opportunity to. It was a beautiful afternoon and I ordered outside without a wait. I like the simplicity of the menu. I ordered the Strawberry chocolate chip bombolato. It was very filling, but I did end up eating it all! It was delicious!
YUM YUM YUM in my tum! The hot apple cider was delicious and I loved the whipped cream and caramel. I also appreciated the VERY CUTE, decorated, and warm area we were able to sit in as we enjoyed this treat, which came out very quickly. Definitely stop by here to get you into the holiday cheer! You won't regret it!
Hipster doughnuts and ice cream. It sounds like it would be expensive, but it wasn't quite as bad as I thought. BomboBar is a window on the side of Bar Siena, meaning there's no actual inside seating area. Get some locally made coffee to go with your doughnuts. There's a few vegan friendly sorbettos. A better place to go when it's warm, because there's no indoor seating area. It's just a window on the side of Bar Siena. They're best known for their Bombolini, an Italian style doughnut they sell by the ton. Besides that, the ice cream. Coffee is about $3 a cup. This is brewed by La Colombe, so it's local. As for the ice cream, it has a lot of flavors. It's $5 for a single scoop. The last time here I got the Berry And Mango Swirl Sorbetto. It's non dairy. They have a few others. Cool place literally for some ice cream. It's a place to get doughnuts, ice cream, or even both if you like. There's even ice cream for dogs so you can get some for your friends, and there's a few sorbettos for vegans.
Was not super impressed by the donuts here, and was expecting much more based off of the pictures I've seen on Yelp. First of all this place has no indoor areas, so especially the Chicago cold it was very hard to stay there and order and eat the donut outside even though they had heating lamps. Second of all a lot of the pictures that I've seen advertised have little squeeze bottles that go into the donuts, but when we asked about those they did not have them, and the donuts that we got obviously did not have them either. In terms of the donuts if you're someone who really likes dough, you will enjoy these donuts. The filling was pretty scant and everything was pretty sweet, with not as much balance of flavors as I would've expected. Overall, I don't think I would be back here based off of my experience. I wasn't too big of a fan of the donuts and was definitely not a fan of the false advertising and the lack of indoor space
This was such a disappointment. I read online that they had donut ice cream sandwiches with all different types of toppings- so naturally I had to have one. I went there and they had just reopened after closing for awhile and no longer served them. They also no longer serve their specialty small batch donuts. But I had looked for parking for nearly 30 minutes to go here so I ended up ordering anyway. This is an a part of a restaurant- this is an enclosed patio. They had a heater but they weren't using it and it was pretty cold. My friend and I got a three pack of bomboloni donuts with three dipping sauces - chocolate hazelnut, vanilla, and salted caramel (my favorite). The donuts were made fresh which was nice - they were covered in sugar and pretty delicious. We also had gelato - I had strawberry cheesecake and my friend had Cookie Monster. Overall it was fine but I wouldn't have gone out of my way to come here if I'd known they didn't have the old menu items.
Went to grab a Bomboloni after a Saturday brunch at West Loop. Got the Cookies and Cream Bomboloni and it was delicious. This is a donut which has a filling of oreo custard, vanilla glaze, crushed oreo. The donut was indeed soft and decedent. The reason I gave a 4/5 was because they don't have the Nutella Bomboloni any more which used to be so goood!! If you are looking for a dessert spot which has both homemade gelato and donuts, I would definitely recommend this cute place. It is located at Bar Siena's dessert walk-up window in case you are wondering where it is :) Sad thing is that they have only 1 vegan gelato which is the berry & mango swirl sorbetto :( All this said, I would come back again especially for the bomboloni !!
Finally tried this place out! Now admittedly I'm not a filled donut gal so wouldn't be my first choice BUT if you are, these are worth the visit! Great service at the window, fresh and no wait. We got the 6-pack to taste test all the flavors, of course. We chose (L - R, T - B): - Peanut Butter & Jelly - White Chocolate - Maple Bacon - Cookies & Cream - Pistachio Lemon - Cherry Cheesecake . My favs were the (1) Cherry Cheesecake (2) PBJ and (3) Lemon Pistachio. Good flavors and donut/filling ratios. PBJ surprised me! Pretty good.
I wanted to try Bombobar after dinner because they had interesting desserts. When we got there at 9:30pm they only had the classic donuts and gelato left. Boo oh well. After we ordered they gave us our order on an open tray saying they had nothing to cover it with so we had to take it back to our hotel in the pouring rain. I think i shielded it from the rain successfully enough, he We got vanilla bean and nutella bombolini at $4 each and I'll have to say it was not spectacular. The little squeeze bottle they give for you to squeeze was really hard to get anything out of so i was basically eating a glorified donut. Glad i gave it a try but no thanks on coming back for more.
Donuts are my favorite sweet ever!! I wanted to come here because they fun flavored donuts that I had never seen before. Its located right in the heart of West Loop, so I thought it might be busy, but I was happy to see there was no line. I'm not sure if you can go inside or not, I ordered from a window. They guy was helpful in helping me make my selection, great service overall! I got Cherry Cheesecake because the guy taking my order told me it was his favorite & I love cherry pie. I also got Cookies & Cream because he said it was the most popular. Both donuts were slightly dry on the inside, definitely not the best donut I've ever had, but still good and enjoyable. The Cookies & Cream was honestly average, I don't think I would recommend it or order it again. BUT the Cherry Cheesecake was soooooo good!!! Loved this one & would definitely order again & recommend. The cherry pie filling that came on it was amazing. They have other desserts as well, that I would love to come back to try. Next time I'll be ordering gelato and/or a shake. Worth stopping by if you are in the West Loop area!
Came here after dinner at Pizza Parlor with about 10 people. We went to the pickup window, but a server came out with an iPad and went around for our orders so it was super efficient. Most of us got the 2 scoop with a mini bombini (donut). It's probably recommended for 2 people as the flavors are rich and heavy in calories (not to include the donut), but I finished mine all myself because it was so good. I ordered the coconut and matcha. The coconut was amazing and just the right amount of sweetness. The matcha had crisps in it which I didn't love and felt it took away from the matcha taste (which I would've preferred to be stronger). The waffle cone was also very yummy and a perfect complement to the ice cream. I tried some of my friend's chocolate as well, which was super rich and delicious - perfect if you're a chocolate person. The donut was good but was in the shadow of the ice cream; it's great for photos though. read more
8 years ago
Cute instagram-able donuts and hot chocolate esp this Chicago weather. I usually don't like donuts but it's literally like fried dough in ball form with your choice of flavor drizzle or filling. I filled mine + ate the whole thang read more
6 years ago
8 years ago
Always the best part and what I always look forward to with our West Loop food adventures is stopping by the walk up window of the BomboBar. Ordering a scoop of pistachio gelato, straciatella gelato, a box of mini bombos and some italian ice. Walk back to Ogilvie Train station to catch the Metra home while enjoying the creamy decadent gelato and the refreshing italian ice. The mini bombos are to be savored at home with a cup of coffee or tea. Bombos are those delicious fried italian donuts with the little syringes of chocolate, caramel or vanilla fillings. You can choose your filling or combine your fillings in a single bombo. And that is how we always end our gastro outings in the West Loop of Chicago! read more
Such a fun place for Insta-worthy treats! But you can also get a donut (bombolini) or a scoop of gelato. During the summer, grab a cooler chocolate. My kids each got a scoop of gelato with one topping (gummy bears). A scoop is an actually really big serving for gelato. read more
One of my friends and I stopped by after having dinner somewhere else in the area and the place was pretty busy. We waited in line for about ten minutes before getting to the order window. I wasn't incredibly hungry, so I just ordered a maple bombolini. I thought it was good, but I wasn't overly impressed. There wasn't anything necessarily bad about the maple bombolini, but it just seems like this place is a bit overhyped. The bombolini product itself is very similar to a donut, and I've had many other donuts from other places that I've enjoyed better. read more
4 years ago
9 years ago
8 years ago
Definitely an over priced Instagram worthy tourist trap but still very enjoyable. I can confirm it tastes as good as it looks though! read more
9 years ago
Saw a viral post on FB and figured mine as well try it out since we were in the City today! This place is AWESOME!!!! Little hole in the wall... literally so prepare to wait a bit as it was crowded even for a Sunday at 2pm! BUT ITS WORTH IT. I dont mind waiting when cool places like this are around. Customer service: AWESOME. Menu is confusingish... so just ask the person at the window. The lady helping us was great answered all our questions to make it make sense and get us exactly what we wanted. Also if you have allergies they will custom make things for you! The deserts!!! - OMG. Talk about unique and amazing! COFFEE. CAPPUCCINOS. HOT COCO. APPLE CIDER. FRESH DOUGHNUTS. SYRUPS. How can you go wrong?! I had the cappuccino with peanut butter chocolate sauce sugar coated doughnut... it was so good!!!! Sauce came in a squeeze tub ao you add what you want and had leftovers to put in my cappuccino! Wife had the smores hot coco... and it was literally homemade marshmello fluff, chocolate, more chocolate, caramel, a doughnut, and hot fudge on hot coco! JEBUS this is awesome. If you dont mind the wait (and dont) i recommend stopping here! Youll learn fast why people are lined up outside. Look them up on IG and see all the creations you can have! LOVED IT. read more
7 years ago
Okay so I came here a few years ago when it was less crowded and had only the donuts (which were awesome btw), tried again last week after waiting in quite a bit of a line (waited in the cold) but...the hot chocolate didn't quite meet the "hype" that I expected. The drink itself is pretty small and honestly had more of a burnt taste than a chocolate taste , wouldn't say it's worth it for the amount you get. Although the place itself and drink is very Instagram-y If that's what you're going for. Very limited seating on the inside but decorated very cute for the holidays! read more
6 years ago
Love the overwhelming sweet desserts, ice cream, cappuccino and the donuts. Although a small outdoors area to sit, it can get very crowded and is a very busy place. Definitely worth the experience where u order from a small window, find a place and enjoy these out of the world delicious greateness!!! read more
We got the Hotter Chocolate which is big enough to share for 2. It comes with a biscotti like sugar cookie and a doughnut. It's hot chocolate with whip cream on top. They put the sugar cookie in the hot chocolate so half of it is soaked and falls apart right away. The hot chocolate is good. It's on the sweeter side and when you add on everything, it's even sweeter. I recommend it to everyone. I liked it but I would definitely share it. read more
8 years ago
Well we had to get these for the ride home even though we had already stuffed ourselves across the street. So delicious. The walk up window is adorable and watch out, they also have dog treats and those pups know exactly where they are going! Get a mix and try them all. I want to drive 3 hours just to eat more!!! read more
8 years ago
I came here specifically for the amazing desserts and drinks they have. They seem to have a hot chocolate dessert for cooler months and a "cooler" chocolate version for the summer months. They had the cooler version available in smores and a green tea variety. I had the smores of course! It was amazing! A cold chocolate beverage piled high with whipped cream (which was the best part in my opinion since it tasted authentic) and chocolate, caramel, and more chocolate that I couldn't quite identify. The straw also held a small donut which was perfect for dipping in the whip cream. They have plenty of other yummy donut treats and a special Italian ice but this chocolate drink should be your main reason for visiting. So get your butt down here and check it out! You will certainly leave happy. It is a small place and you sit outside. Be prepared to wait a little bit, but it's worth it. read more
This concept is just very cool! You order delicious donuts and coffee through a window which you can then eat in standing at their little bar or at a small cafe table within the seasonal enclosure. The donuts are cheeky in their design: all vanilla donuts with a delicious sugar crust, made into different flavors and experiences by their fillings which are injected by the diner using a squeeze bottle. We ordered Nutella, vanilla bean, and mixed berry. Nutella and mixed berry were beyond delicious. The vanilla bean was a bit flavorless, but I squeezed in some extra jam for flavor. Overall, really yummy! read more
5 years ago
8 years ago
Your typical Instagram-able dessert spot that will give you a sugar rush for hours. I came here on a Tuesday night to try their famous bombolinis. They're essentially donuts without the home in the middle and come with adorable "squeeze me" bottles that you use to squeeze filling into your donut. I tried the s'mores and salted caramel bombolinis. The donuts come out HOT and they practically melt in your mouth as soon as you bite into them. I also tried the charcoal Oreo gelato (highly recommend) with a mini bombo on top. Very cute presentation and the gelato was creamy with a good amount of Oreo chunks in it. I really enjoyed trying this place but I'm giving it 3 stars because it seriously is a sugar overload. I'd come back to try another one of their gelato flavors but probably not another donut. It was good and memorable, but I'm just not a donut person and this was too sweet for me to try again. read more
6 years ago
Had gelato, it tasted great- kinda pricy but great staff was nice too! The place is a bit hidden and parking near it isn't ideal but it works out read more
This is always a big hit and I cannot wait for their hot chocolate to come back. The affogato was pretty good and the salted caramel bomboloni was good as well, but there was just a bit too much dough. There was not enough flavor in the dough for it to be so big, but the salted caramel was delicious. read more
9 years ago
O M G! Don't just look at the photos and think they look good. GO AND TRY FOR YOURSELF! It's my 2nd best hot chocolate I've had in my life! Ordered S'mores hotter chocolate for $9. Seems overpriced? Just try it and you'll forget that you paid $9 for it. Once you take a sip of their yummy, hot, sweet hot chocolate, you'll take a deep breath and go "wow, this is better than what it looks like". Ok, if you don't think that; too bad. Those were my thoughts. :) Went on a freezing day in Chicago at 10 degrees. They had a heater set up out on the patio, thinking that I'll eat next to it. Nope, those didn't help at all, hence the loss of the 5th star. They don't have any heaters near the order window. By the time I ordered and my food came out, I couldn't feel my feet. We walked back to car and ate in the car; there was no way I was going to eat that deliciousness in the cold and forget how good it is because I'm focused on the coldness. After looking at the photos, I'm interested how the chocolate drink would taste in the summer. read more
The most Instagram-worthy hot chocolate in town... with a fun, memorable name to back it up! While more known for their coffee, gelato, and bomboloni (hole-less, Italian donuts drizzled with your choice of sauce served in a cute little squirt bottle), I had my eyes on the REAL prize on that dreadfully cold, below 0 degrees day when I dropped by: their "Hotter Chocolate." Whether you opt for the rich, decadent S'mores flavor or whimsical, colorful Funfetti flavor, both gourmet hot chocolates are filled to the brim with yummy treats. I ordered the S'mores Hotter Chocolate, and it had marshmallow fluff, chocolate biscotti, chocolate and caramel sauces, chocolate crunchies, graham cracker crumble, and a donut to top it off. Talk about piling on the goods! As others have mentioned, this place is LITERALLY a hole in the wall with limited outside seating. Not a problem during those beautiful Chicago springs and summers, but not fun during those miserably cold winters! They do have a small, covered booth over their order window, so you're somewhat shielded from the elements. With a line, you'll probably be waiting 10-15 minutes at the most. When I visited over the holidays, we were a bunch of strangers packed into that tiny little booth... warmed only by each other's body heat and the idea that we'd soon all have some delicious, hotter chocolate in hand. Parking in the city is awful, so if you're coming by car, I recommend having someone stay behind with the car running and parked along the street for a quick getaway after you get your treats. read more
8 years ago
This place is definitely worth the hype!! I visited on a Monday evening and was excited that there was no line. We got 6 donuts and tried one of every flavor (S'mores, Raspberry, Nutella, Salted Caramel, and Vanilla Bean) and loved all of them!!! The donuts are all original donuts with little squeeze bottles of sauce flavor These are hands down some of the best donuts I've ever had and creative presentation only makes it better! read more
9 years ago
Went here with my girl friends. It's located right at the corner of the street, that I honestly missed it. However the biggest key factor is look find Bar Siena because Bombobar is literally connected to it, at the back. In terms of the donuts, they're not too sweet and not too cakey. It's actually cooked to a doughy consistency. If you eat at Bar Siena and order donuts as your dessert, it will be served on a printed china plate. I ordered the Nutella Cream donut. The Nutella was in a small squeeze bottle that you could put however much you want on your donut. Oh! it's served warm too which gave it a big plus! OVERALL: give it a try if you're a big donut person like me! read more
Probably the best donut (dough-wise) in Chicago. I mean, Do-Rite has always been my favorite donut shop. But, you take away the hoopla of the toppings and "extras", their dough is flat out just amazing. There's a bite to it, it's phenomenal. My favorite bombolini flavor has got to be the salted caramel, they found the sweet spot for making that caramel not too sweet with just enough saltiness. It's perfection. The hot chocolate is great as well. I recommend it, but sometimes it can get too much. So, I often order a small. They have those specials depending on the season, it could be the hotter chocolates or those cooler chocolates. I don't think I've ever finished one by myself, I've always had to share with a friend. They're good, though. The bombo gelato sandwich was amazing especially with the additive crunch of the fruity pebbles. Swoon! read more
8 years ago
Everything was so good. I was worried the S'mores Hot Chocolate would be overwhelmingly sweet, but it was very well balance. The chocolate was more a dark bitter chocolate that balanced out with the caramel and sweet toppings. It's big enough to share too. As for the donuts, I am usually not a donut person, but I loved it. The little sauce jars are adorable and they taste delicious too read more
9 years ago
BomboBar serves up awesome doughnut-like desserts and gelato. A Bombolini is an Italian hole-less doughnut. Each time I go the service is friendly, the bombolini is piping hot and the s'more gelato is decadently creamy. I've tried just about everything on the menu and have yet to regret my choice. Even the matcha green iced tea is perfect. They share a kitchen with Bar Sienna a great place for food, drinks and people watching. They close at 11pm daily, so satisfy your sweet tooth before tearing down the West Loop night scene. read more
6 years ago
Easy and fast ordering thru their side window. The warm drinks really hit the spot. The donuts are delicious. The cherry gelato was amazing. They will continue their window their service during the shutdown. The hot apple cider was delicious. read more
7 years ago
8 years ago
If there's anything i love in the winter time it's got to be hot chocolate and donuts and bombobar does both so win win! When we came back home during Christmas '17, we made a pit stop here. My husband got the s'mores hot chocolate and i got the funfetti hot chocolate. They top it off with a lot of whip, cookies and a mini donut (bomboloni). It was so good and definitely needed on those cold Chicago days! But it does get rich after a while so you can definitely split it with someone else (if you want to share!) Next time we go, i definitely want to try the flavored bombolonis and when it's warm, their coolers! read more
4 years ago
Super friendly service! There apparently was a doorbell to notify people when you are at the window (didn't notice it at first so I stood there for a few minutes peaking in the window like a weirdo). I got the smores frozen hot chocolate- holy sugar burst! I took 3 bites and satisfied my craving and put the rest in my freezer. Noms! read more
Was looking for some coffee while waiting for au cheval but stumbled upon this place. It's so cute. They're known for their huge and crazy hot chocolates with tons of decorations and and doughnuts. I opted for a classic hot chocolate. The wait was a little long for a simple hot chocolate. read more
7 years ago
By far one of the best places in the west loop! My dessert was out of this world! There's so much chocolate and texture that it made one of the top posts on my Instagram! The outside seating is small but the inside seating is quite vast. Ordering was a breeze and my frosted treat came out within a few minutes! Absolutely recommend! read more
More info about BomboBar
832 W Randolph St
Chicago, IL 60607
West Loop, Near West Side
Directions
(312) 492-7775
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https://www.bombobar.com?utm_source=extnet&utm_medium=yext
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Ask the Community - BomboBar
Is there any bombolinis without the filling?
No. I think that is the nature of the dessert. That it has a filling. Otherwise its just a donut.
Do they still offer the Nutella, salted caramel, and s'mores bombolonis?
Is there any way to make a phone order? The online order form always gives me error messages no matter what browser or payment method I use.
Yes
Is there parking available?
Street Parking, which is mostly reserved for valet at this location.
Hi, do you know what sort of gluten free selection they have for topping for their hot chocolate and drinks? Thanks!
Hey Megan, we always do our best to accommodate any dietary restrictions - when you come in to BomboBar, just let one our team members know and we will make sure to look after you!
How's the parking?
You can easily get free parking around on inner streets . Might have to search and walk a block or so ... but it's very easy ..
Is there waiting time or a long line all the time?
Not all of the time but MOST of the time from what I have heard. When I was there on a Tuesday night the line seemed long but not out the door like it usually is. I had to wait about 15 minutes to get to the front and then another 7-10 minutes to…
What are their weekend hours? On the website it says 9p-11p but on yelp it says 8am-11pm...
If you click the link on their IG page, it says weekends are from 9am-11pm.
Is this place popular with the locals? If so, what is it about Bombobar that locals love so much? Is it more than just the food?
Very popular with locals! With our new summer menu launched.... people are loving the cooler…
Is there any vegan options?
Yes. Not quite sure what they are, but definitely remember seeing on the menu
Do you offer Dairy Free options?
Hi April! We offer a dairy free, gluten-free, vegan, Coconut gelato! We also offer a variety of…
Do they offer soy milk as an alternative for the coffee drink/ hot chocolate drinks?
Yes!
I'd like to bring an older kid for a treat, but he's scared of dogs...are there always dogs there or is that a rarity?
I went in the winter. I didn't see any dogs.
How are the prices?
My drink was 9 dollars but it was big and it has a lot of things. It was very worth it, they have many options under 9 dollars for drinks.
Are the lines crazy long on a Wednesday evening?
I do not think they are long during the weekdays as much as the weekends. But the times i've been there the line moves fairly quick.
Are the hotter chocolates on their menu year round?
Nope, I went last week and they switched the Hotter Chocolate to an iced version called the Cooler Chocolate. Still very good though.
Is there an inside area for eating as well?
Yes! You can eat at the bar, or a high top table!
Would I still be able to eat a bombolini even if I came late or would they run out?
They make them until they close. So yes!
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37 reviews that are not currently recommended
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