Came for brunch at about 10am on a Saturday. We were able to snag a table for 2 without waiting only a little while before a rush of people came in and had to wait. The inside and outside of the place are pretty simple. Kind of bright colors with a vintage wood floor, the kitchen is semi-open and the place itself is long and fairly narrow. We perused the menu and started with mimosas, I had the guava and she had the orange mango. Both were good but I liked mine better, I have never had a guava mimosa but I definitely would order it again. Seemed to be pricey at almost $10 each but it seems that $10 is about the going rate for a drink in any good city restaurant. We also kept brunch quick and easy. I had a create-your-own-omelet and she had the tomatillo salsa scramble. Both were good but I thought hers was much more interesting than mine. Omelets aren't the most exciting brunch item, and if I didn't add the Havarti cheese, it would've been very mediocre, but the cheese added a needed texture to it. The other ingredients tasted nice and fresh, just didn't wow me. Overall it seemed a bit pricey for what it was. My omelet exceeded $15 after all the stuff I put in it, and I'm not quite sure it was worth the high price. My date really liked the scramble and the drinks were good. There are a lot of sweet options on the menu like pancakes but we didn't try any of those. Maybe next time. Our server was pretty nonchalant. We didn't need him much but he did check up on us. The only thing was that he brought the check a little too early, in my opinion. We did not ask for it and were about 80% done with our food when he dropped it off. I know Saturday brunch is a busy time and tables need to be moved, but this made us feel a little rushed as we were still eating. Didn't really see the hype here, food was good, but pricey for what it was. read more

Crappy place! Doesn't know how to update there hours? Went on a Monday at 10:00 and they were closed. A breakfast place

I have been to the other location and thought it was just ok. Today we went to the Wicker Park location and it was awesome. The brunch menu is a can't miss. From the Benedict's to the Pancakes, everything was awesome! read more

See all

All the meals we ordered were very good: Buritto, Turkey Sausage Sandwich, Tomatillo Scrambled and Pumpkin Pancakes...OJ. Damm good food. Service was perfect (Justin). Bathrooms (WC's) were well lit, nicley decorated and clean. The Dyson all in one faucet and hand dryer is a great concept however the the pressure was low and duration could be longer. The left hand WC's faucet needs to be tightened. Bottom-line: a great place to start your day and a good vibe! read more

Great hipster vibe. Local, everything seemed fresh, egg heavy menu however they can accommodate you, I'm allergic to eggs! I sampled My boyfriends pancakes and they were sweet but very good! I got the sandwich with house made turkey sausage no egg, added tomato and peppers. So gooooood! Staff was very quick and on point as well! read more

The Bongo Room - White chocolate pancakes, house made turkey sausage, pesto, smoked mozzarella, add tomato and peppers, get side potatoes well done. - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The fact that this place is still around after all these years goes to show that it is a good place. Love the design and style of the lounge/breakfast place. We had the french toast and the lobster benedict. Both were very good with decent portion. Price point is high, but I guess that is the way it is everywhere now. read more

If you're looking for a treat yourself brunch in wicker, this is definitely a great option for you to consider. I came on a Tuesday morning around 11:00 and was seated nearly immediately (I hear on the weekend there can be an absurdly long wait). The hostess was quite friendly and the busboy brought us water before we could even sit down. We were asked for our drink orders promptly and served those quickly as well. We both orders vanilla iced coffee which I thought had great flavor and was a good size for the price. They even offered to take it back and put more vanilla in it if we didn't think it was flavorful enough which I felt was very thoughtful. After contemplating our menu options for a bit, we decided to split the infamous white chocolate and caramel covered pretzel pancakes and a made our own omelette with roasted red pepper, avocado, and sharp aged white cheddar cheese. They were both absolutely amazing. They also came in sizable portions and we had some leftovers even after splitting the meals. The pancakes were a fabulous combination of the salty pretzel and the sweet white chocolate sauce with caramel. It was certainly rich, and I don't think I could've eaten an entire order alone, but it was perfect to share! The omelette was also well made and the flavors meshed well together with ample fillings. There was also a side of well cooked breakfast potatoes and sourdough toast. I'm so glad I had the chance to dine here on a weekday, I truly enjoyed my experience and would highly recommend! The service was great and attentive, and the food was delicious. I don't know if I would wait excessively long to get in, but if you have the opportunity to go during the week absolutely take advantage of it! read more

See all

Our first visit to the Bongo Room today and it was fabulous! Ordered BLT Benedict, Chocolate Tower French Toast, Spicy Turkey Sausage Burrito, Pumpkin Spice Pancakes, House Potatoes & more. Everything delicious, service friendly and attentive. Beautiful space. What took me so long to get here??? Thank you, Derrick - we look forward to visiting again soon! read more

Came here on a Thursday around 12 with a friend and got seated with water immediately. The restaurant is on the smaller side without being overcrowded. The decor, walls, and chairs are very cute. Our server was nice and helped us with menu options. Having read reviews we knew we wanted to split the Vegetarian Croissant Sandwich and pancakes but weren't sure which pancakes to go with. I have a sweet tooth but don't like things to be overly sweet. After the server assured us that the White Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Pancakes were a good amount of sweetness we decided to order that but asked her to bring it out after food so they wouldn't get cold. Food: -Vegetarian Croissant Sandwich (we got ours with scrambled eggs) was very good. The Croissant was buttery, flaky, and basically perfect. The vegetables inside were very fresh and I loved the dill mayo they used! I asked for extra :) The house potatoes were well seasoned. -White Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Pancakes - Holy hell. I have no words. These were AMAZING. They had the perfect amount of sweetness with a little bit of salty and a great crunch. The pancakes were well made (and I'm very picky when it comes to pancakes!) and were beautifully dense. If you get one thing here, GET THESE. I was hesitant at first because the pictures make it seem like it's doused in sugar but trust me when I tell you it is the perfect amount. They're constantly changing their menu around but this is one item that has been there forever and with good reason. The portion sizes are big! My friend and I split both items and couldn't finish the pancakes because we were stuffed. Service: Our server was very nice and helpful. She brought out the pancakes at the PERFECT time just as we had finished our sandwich and potatoes. Our waters were refilled constantly and at good intervals. Overall, The Bongo Room is an amazing breakfast/brunch place. If you're in Chicago, this place is a must! read more

See all

Food is good, but because it's at a good location, the place is always packed. We were luckily able to get in quick (which is not very likely)! read more

Like other 3 star reviewers I wanted to like Bongo Room more but it just did not wow me. My roommates RAVE about this place so I reluctantly allowed them to drag me out. They warned of an hour wait, which I was NOT interested in and so we were plesantly surprised when we were seated immediately. Ambiance: Like others have said- it is a noisy, crowded place. Now to be fair, this is not unusual for breakfast only places. So I'll give them a pass on it. It was however, FREEZING in this place. I know it's Chicago and it's summer but I was shivering. Not how I wanted to start my morning. Food: Reason number one I wasn't all that excited about Bongo Room is that I am not a sweet breakfast person and I hate poached eggs (see this was a disaster to begin with). Anyhow, I ordered my usual- two eggs over easy with an english muffin and potatoes. Eggs cooked great, english muffin was warm enough. Potatoes- meh. I wouldn't order them again. Service: Now here is where I may have given 4 stars but instead I'm at a 3. Our service was terrible. Although we were seated right away, we waited and waited and waited for our server to come back after we declined drinks other than water (our first mistake). Then the two tables around us who ordered after us got their food first, not the servers fault I recognize but we were kinda like uhhh okay? After we waited and waited now we wait some more? Planning your visit: things to remember- you should expect to wait. We had some fluke of luck and didn't have to. Their aren't benches or seating outside so if you have older folks with you this may not be the best. Parking- it's Wicker Park and it's Milwaukee Ave. Be prepared to have to walk a bit if you do find parking. Uber here (unless you can walk) is probably best. Overall I'd probably come back not on the weekend and try the regular menu. Not all that impressed with the brunch menu. TBD. read more

I had been wanting to come here for a couple years now, unfortunately just to be disappointed. When we arrived the hostess sat us at a very noticeably dirty table. I assumed she would ask someone to come clean it but she didn't. The guy that brought over our water and utensils moved us to a different table after noticing how dirty it was. I ordered a breakfast burrito which was supposed to be in a spinach tortilla but it wasn't, it came in a regular flour tortilla. It wouldn't have been a big deal if someone would've just gave me a heads up but no one said anything. I guess they were hoping I didn't notice? The flavor was mediocre, definitely nothing to brag about. My son ordered eggs, bacon, house potatoes, and an English muffin. He wasn't impressed either. I paid $40 for brunch neither one of us particularly enjoyed. read more

They were slammed on Labor Day- not surprising. We had the chorizo with avocado omelette, crab salad sandwich and turkey sausage sandwich plus a small order of a lemon and white chocolate pancake. Mimosa and two of the coffee cocktails. All was good and tasty- I think the pancake and the omelette were the best. Kinda disappointed my mimosa wasn't served in a champagne flute. I would certainly go back to try more yumminess! read more

I used to visit The Bongo Room as a tourist when I was in town. Now that I live here, I still keep this place in rotation. Time after time, I still always try to convince someone in my party to get the Dark Chocolate French Toast with the banana brulee sauce. It's dark chocolate flavor doesn't leave you in a sugar coma, but it's more of a rich indulgent guilty pleasure feeling :) Although it's literally dark chocolate bread that is used, the fact that it's baked in make it less sweet and you really get to control the sweetness by the sauce served with it. Get this dish for sure! You will not be disappointed! I've had a handful of the other items, but key calls outs are the dill house potatoes (served with almost everything), the vegetarian croissant sandwich (so fresh and tasty), deconstructed lobster benedict (heavier than you would think, but rich and filling), and of course, the dark chocolate french toast with the banana brulee sauce! Always expect a wait! Get here, put your name in, then walk around a bit and soak up the neighborhood! read more

Loved their lobster roll benedict. I went by myself so I got a seat easily. Service was nice and chill read more

The Bongo Room - Lobster roll benedict - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The food and service here was great. I had the lobster Benedict. The flavors were great and the portion was generous. My only complaint is that was my food was kind of cold. They have great a cocktail selection as well. I had the grapefruit and blueberry mimosa and it was amazing. I also tried the banana pancakes and they were fluffy and just the right amount of sweetness with the maple cream. If you are looking for a nice brunch spot in a great area, go to the Bongo Room read more

The Bongo Room - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Stopped in here for breakfast with a friend. We both ordered the vegetarian croissant with a side of bacon. It was fresh, flavorful, and delicious. Highly recommend! This is a hip spot to grab a great breakfast in wicker park. read more

The Bongo Room - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The original location was the main aim for our weekend brunch feast, but if you're not familiar with the Chicagoan neighborhoods, getting there requires knowledge of parking on the street or taking the CTA. We waited for about an hour before struggling with the loose front doorknob and then cozying up under their hipster-ish atmosphere, noticing the wooden and metallic deer heads on the walls and the yellowy and grayish green colors. Besides ordering their rich Intelligentsia Coffee (drinking it black, btw), our savory was one of Bongo Room's specials, the Deconstructed Lobster Roll Benedict ($14.95), while the sweet was the Lemon and Blueberry Danish Hotcakes ($9.95)--all dishes famously executed in 2-3 servings. The poached eggs were cooked and tasted splendidly with an adequate amount of sweet lobster shreds, savory green goddess hollandaise, and toasted, buttery buns underneath. The house potatoes were quite of a potato lover's paradise: perfectly fluffy b-fast starchies seasoned with thyme, but what made it greatly tastier was adding black pepper, lots of Cholula sauce, and (to DL) a pinch of salt. As for the 3-stacked sweet side, I enjoyed the plentiful blueberries that still attained its juice when I cut the lemony hotcake. The ricotta and Danish filling atop the stacks were just-right tangy and nicely creamy. The most conspicuous concern, though, was that the cakes themselves were a tad hardened, resulting in a not-so-fluffy texture and more effort to cut through the piles. Conclusively, our waitress could have been friendlier but was minimally attentive, such as refilling my coffee with no need for me to ask. Overall brunch was satisfying, but I fully bet the experience would have been more pleasurable if they could improve these noted issues. I heard the Red Velvet Pancakes were smashing at Bongo Room, so to me that would be a reason to come back. read more

See all

Four of us came to this original Bongo Room only to realize that they're located in a neighborhood with lots of shops and boutiques all around. The wait was more than an hour, and the inconvenience of the busted door hasn't helped to ease our experience when checking on our wait time. The atmosphere was festive and hipsterish. The décor was antiquated comparing to the other two locations, but by far this one was the most crowded. The Lobster Roll Benedict ($14.95) was stacked with perfectly poached eggs oozing into bits of lobster on toasted buns, and dressed in green hollandaise. The side of house potatoes was starchy and soft from the initial bite to the core. There were good textures on the lobster and the bread, and the savory hollandaise provided some finesse to this definitive winner. I recommend it. The Lemon and Blueberry Danish Hotcakes ($9.95) came with plenty of blueberries and a hint of lemon in the backdrop. I wished the Hotcakes were more finesse, as the texture could be softer for me to cut into. I wished the ricotta encompassed more wow factor, but the subtle lemony tangy finish was enough to save the day. Service was very absent with little follow up on our requests. I was especially turned off when they called the wrong name when they tried to seat us. This led us to miss our table while they had the audacity to blame us when the sign-in sheet clearly stated my name. I've had better experiences with service at the other two locations. I won't be coming back. read more

See all

Delicious brunch, but be prepared to wait....and wait it is worth it. As a reward you will get to enjoy creative old favs like French toast made churro style and eggs benedict with cajun shrimp! Yum! read more

See all

Oh yes, bang the drums, including bongos for this appetizing spot. We came here on a Friday because I love brunch but I hate lines. I was so happy we were able to avoid the crush and wait of the weekends; I think it diminishes the experience. We walked right in and sat right down. (Yes, I am channeling the folk song, sorry I am a child of the '60s.) I ordered the best meal of all my companions, don't tell them, but I did. Heck, I am practically a professional eater so it makes sense. I had the Tomatillo Salsa Egg white, chicken, spinach, chicken scrambler. I had the salsa on the side and the whole thing was scrumptious in spite of the fact that it sounds really healthy. My only slight surprise was the English muffin - pretty supermarket quality which was not what I expected at this cool of a place. Was I done having made a sanely good for me Savory choice. Have you just met me? Of course we were not done, we had to have dessert! Come on, get with it! We then shared the Red Velvet Chocolate Cocoa pancakes with creamy cheese sauce with pecans. It took three of us and we couldn't finish it. Right now, I wish I had taken that last delicious morsel home with me! Great coffee and juice, good service and comfortable table all added up to one great Adventure Friday, 2012 Brunch edition. read more

The Bongo Room - Tomatillo salsa egg white, avocado, chicken, spinach scrambler. Divine! - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See profile site for full review with formatted pics. Columbus and even more-so Ohio in general lacks good breakfast spots. Somehow over the course of many years Bob Evans and Cracker Barrel have become the standard with the occassional IHOP thrown in for variety and trans-fatty repulsiveness. Sure, Columbus has recently received a gem of a breakfast spot in the form of Zen-Cha, but in general the places that serve a good pancake or french toast have a single option and lack the kitsch that makes them fun. With that said, along with fine dining dinners and unique desserts an awesome breakfast/brunch spot is always a must when I travel. From Griddle Cafe and Doughboys in LA to Norma's in New York to Tableau, Payard, and Bouchon in Vegas I've had some hits and misses along the way......on 12/31/08 Bongo Room hit it out of the park. Arriving around 9:30am at the Wicker Park location we managed a parking spot directly in front of the building and were met by a restaurant that was only half full - none of those obsurd waits of legend.....of course when we left at 10:45 there was a line out into the cold streets. On entering the Bongo Room our server, a friendly young lady named Lani, greeted us with a big smile and a spring in her step and were were seated immediately at a booth for 6 - good thing, we ended up needing the room. Enamoured with the sheer decadence, both my sister and I opted for a half order of the White Chocolate and Carmel covered Pretzel pancakes. Between the two of us we received four of these crushed pretzel coated pancakes topped with white chocolate cream and buttery caramel and of all the options it was these that were closest to completion at the end of the meal. While my mother and aunt both contested it was simply too sweet, the pretzle pancakes were without a doubt my sister's favorite choice of the meal. With notable crunch from the pretzel topping and absolutely smothered in creamy white chocolate and drizzeled with caramel the dish was moist, sweet, succulent and absolutely over the top in every way. My sister's second 1/2 order, also ordered by my aunt, was the Banana Peanut Butter Chip Pancakes with warm white chocolate sauce, chocolate crème anglaise, and fresh bananas. Named by my aunt as her favorite choice of the meal, these four monsterous pancakes also neared completion between the four of us and the delectably fresh bananas paired with natural peanut butter and milk chocolate was nearly as tasty as the banana crepes at Tru the night before, yet clearly less refined. Amazing. My aunt's second half order was the only miss of the meal, in my opinion, and that is only because everything else was so darn good. Apple-pear and Dried cherry French Toast composed of Brown Sugar Crusted Brioche with warm apples, pears, dried cherry compote and apple pie spice crème anglaise with candied pecans, while tasty, simply had too much going on to be "great" and despite the multiple ingredients lacked the sweetness necessary. While the addition of pure maple syrup (heads up Over Easy) helped, the dish just wasn't up to par with the other wonderful choices. The next 1/2 order was Pumpkin Carrot Cakes comprised of pumpkin spiced cakes with shredded carrots, vanilla bean cream sauce and cinnamon orange crème anglaise. Expecting something 'pumpkin pie like' this dish was a fantastic surpise in its taste, texture, and consistency which more closely represented a moist carrot cake topped with sweet icing. Honestly, had there been some raisins in this dish it may have rivaled even the best carrot cakes I've ever tasted (Bouchon and Worthington Inn) but even without it was truly remarkable. My mother's other 1/2 order, the Red corn and Cranberry Flapjacks entailed ground red corn cakes with cranberry pieces and toasted pecan honey maple butter and was decidedly her favorite of the meal. With or without syrup the dish was incredibly hearty and Thanksgiving-esque, like a GREAT cornbread but more fluffy. This was likely my second favorite option of the meal. My second 1/2 order, and my favorite of the meal, was the Pear Tarte-tartin Hotcakes comprised of buttermilk hotcakes topped with torch-bruleed pear slices, warm caramel sauce, and vanilla bean icecream. Perhaps it was the buttermilk, perhaps the icecream, perhaps the carmelized pears, I'm not really sure....but this dish rivaled Keller's Famous Bread-pudding French Toast for my favorite breakfast item of all time. The buttermilk hotcakes were simply fluffier than the pancakes of other dishes, the icecream sublime, the bruleed pears crispy and perfect. Amazing. On future visits, I think 5-6 1/2 orders for 4 people would be more reasonable, or perhaps 8 single pancakes if there were more options. Great/friendly service, great quality ingredients, great prices, a good vantage point of the kitchen, wonderful coffee.....a strong competitor for "best breakfast ever" and a DEFINITE return visit. read more

Now I am not one for waiting more than 30 minutes to eat as I made an attempt to eat here months ago and was told it will be a 1 hour wait. I walked away and ate somewhere else. Usually when I walk by the sidewalk is flooded with people waiting to be seated in this popular brunch eatery. A friend of mine who happens to be a huge fan told me I have to get there once they open, which is 9AM on Sunday. We went today and met at the door at 8:55 and the line was getting longer by the minute. We walked in and our party of six was able to get one of the two big tables they have. Lots of sweets on the menu as it was difficult for most of us to choose. I saw they had some interesting mimosas on the menu such as the grapefruit mimosa, raspberry mimosa and the raspberry & pear mimosa (which i was destined to have), but they do not serve alcohol until 11AM (damn!) I ordered the French Toast that was on special which was covered in sliced pears and some sort of white chocolate creme sauce and the right dose of cinnamon. I also ordered a side of thai chicken sausage which was great. The three huge slices of french toast was tasty and very fulfilling, but sad to say it was so much I could not finish it (that almost never happens). I tried someone else's potatoes and they were off the chain! (yum). I also tried a piece of the Chocolate Tower French Toast and it was good but just too rich. The service here is pretty good except they brought the check a little too early for my taste. The atmosphere is very chill and laxed and I also enjoyed the selection of music while eating. I would like to go more often but as I said earlier I will not wait very long to be seated on most occassions and I do not think I will get up so early on weekends to eat. read more

Just not feeling the love and devotion this place garners... maybe I am missing something? As I don't do lines I have never been on a weekend re... dic... ulous wait times seem to be the norm on the weekend. Based on the apparent amazingness of the place and my love of breakfast as the best meal of the day I had to give it a try. Food - Meh you got 3 stars because you gave me 5 pieces of bacon, the "up" eggs were runny enough, and the English muffin was great but man o' man those potatoes dragged the review down. I am resigned to the fact that Chefs want to elevate the lowly hash brown for some reason but this was a poor rendition. Pieces were too big, seasoning was off complemented by far too much black pepper on some of the chunks. Service - nothing to write home about. Not like I was ignored but my coffee cup & water glass did sit empty a few times with the number of people milling around behind the counter it's not like there was a shortage of staff. read more

I've been wanting to try Bongo Room for many years now, but I'm scared of that darn wait I keep reading about! But then I was meeting a friend for lunch in this area and figured Monday morning may be just the time to try Bongo Room...and I was right! I sat right down and noticed there were only a few other tables full in this cheerful, homey restaurant. As I took a look at the menu I realized why everyone in Chicago is talking about The Bongo Room...oreo banana pancakes! Could that sound any better? Unfortunately, I'm on a diet (especially after the garrett's popcorn I devoured last night) so I settled on an egg white omelet instead. I was very impressed with their choices of cheese for the omelet- asiago, munster, etc. So much for that diet! I put asiago cheese, red peppers, and mushrooms in my omelet and it was perfect! I was very satisfied even though the hash browns that came with it were just so-so. My friend ordered the lemon raspberry pancakes and the bite I had was ridiculously good- I'll have to get those (in addition to the oreo banana ones) when I'm not dieting... So for those of you who absolutely hate waiting for brunch (although bongo room may be worth waiting for) I suggest going during the week! read more

What a vast improvement over their other location in the South Loop. Do yourself a favor and never go to the South Loop location. The atmosphere, service, and food are much better here in Wicker Park. Both dishes we ordered were delightfully delicious. The BANANA OREO HOTCAKES were heavenly. Crushed Oreo cookies were baked into the pancakes and drizzled with the most creamy vanilla bean crème, and topped with sliced bananas. The 3 or 4 pancakes were huge, almost the size of the plate, so it was definitely more than enough to share. Our other plate was the special of the day, a chorizo and avocado omelette served with breakfast potatoes. Omelette was also delish as was the fresh squeezed orange juice. Service was attentive and friendly. Our wait was reasonable, about 10-15 minutes. Space and seating are cramped but the food definitely makes up for it. read more

I still don't get it. After an intentional hiatus of several years, I came back here yesterday to visit with some old friends whom I don't see very often. That was the only factor which made the long wait tolerable. We checked in at 10:50 and were seated at 11:35. At the time that we were about to be seated, I heard them quoting newcomers 60 to 90 minutes. The hype machine rolls on, I guess. I don't understand why people make this a destination. There are so many other options nearby, not to mention other neighborhoods. My breakfast was bad. Not "just okay" but bad. For some reason my dish came out about five minutes after the rest of the table's, so I'm not sure what was going on back there. I ordered the rock shrimp benedict and asked for the remoulade hollandaise on the side after seeing benedicts going to other tables drenched in sauce. The sauce turned out to be fine and in fact I also used it on my breakfast potatoes. But the benedict was awful. The english muffins were limp and chewy and the shrimp were tough and rubbery. Also, the dish was nearly tasteless. A sparing application of the hollandaise added some flavor, but when your main ingredients cannot stand on their own without a dousing of sauce, you have a problem. I do have to say that the single lemon ricotta & sour cherry pancake that I ordered for "dessert" was damn good. Way too sweet, but damn good. The service was adequate but lacked personality. Some of us enjoy a little happiness with their weekend brunch, you know? In the attic of my mind, this place seems like a relic of the early aughts. I associate it with a time in my life before I knew anything about decent restaurants, in the pre-pre-Yelp era, and in the years before a plethora of spots sprung up to accommodate this town's brunch obsession. Now, there are so many better options, all with shorter waits. When I dated a girl who was a brunch nut but only knew a few places, and later when I had friends who lived nearby for a couple of years, I would shrug and find myself tagging along to the Bongo Room. But now that I know better and usually control my own brunch destiny, there is no reason to come here and suffer long waits for mediocre food. Except to catch up with some good friends. For that I would be willing to go anywhere. read more

Food is to die for, atmosphere leaves more to be desired. Judging just based on the food, I would have given The Bongo Room 5 stars. I ordered a mushroom, avocado, chorizo omelette and was in heaven with every bite. The omelette was literally STUFFED to the brim with the fillings and they were not shy with the avocado and chorizo. Perfectly cooked and so so tasty. Alas, it can't all be perfect. While the food was amazing, I wish that the service and overall atmosphere of the Bongo Room was a bit better. My friend, Sarah, and I got seated at a corner table, which was hard to navigate to and from because the tables in the restaurant are all packed one right next to the other. In a single moment of silence I could hear the entire conversation of the people sitting next to us and getting up to go to the bathroom was impossible. Our server, while attentive, was pressuring us to eat our food quickly. He brought the check before we were even halfway finished with our meal and came back multiple times to see if we had put our cards out. I could also go for slightly better lighting in this place. Such great food deserves a spotlight. read more

The Bongo Room - Street view - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

I'm convinced that anyone who can complain about this place is doing so just to be different. Yeah, you wait. Sometimes you wait a LOT. I've waited 1.5 hrs if I've had a group of four. And rarely would I ever say this, but: it is worth it. There's nothing I can say that probably hasn't already been said: the place is charming and cozy, in the middle of one of my favorite streets. It's unassuming and easy to miss, but for the throngs of brunchers awaiting their tables. My thing about this deservedly 5 star restaurant is that every food item is so incredibly perfect. The place is known for their decadent sweet items, but every savory item I've tried has been incredible - fluffy, ingredient packed omelets, crispy, perfectly seasoned potatoes, unique and addictive Thai chicken sausage - you can't go wrong with what you order here. But let's be real, you should order something sweet. The pancakes and French toast are unlike any food I have ever had. Unique, decadent, beautiful, and addictive. I literally cannot order anything but the pretzel pancakes with white chocolate and caramel sauce. It's my single favorite plate of food of all time. The pancakes have bits of salty, crunchy pretzel baked right in, then are drowned in a white chocolate sauce and drizzled in caramel. If I could only have one food item for the rest of my days, this would be it. Whenever someone asks my advice for a decent brunch place in Chicago, or if I ever have a friend in from out of town, I always recommend the Bongo Room. It's just that good. read more

COST: $12.50 (Omelette - Bacon, Mushroom, Avocado) $10.50 (Banana Hazelnut Pancakes) $3.50 (Coffee) Went here on a request by a visiting friend since she saw it from The Lonely Planet or one of those travel guides. Usually people scofff at travel guide suggested spots, but seeing how well received it is on Yelp, I figured it wouldn't hurt to try. I'm so glad we did because it was one of the best brunches I've had in the city so far! Both the omelette and pancakes were ginormous! We ordered a few things off the menu and wished we had known how huge the servings would be! It's not the worst "problem" to have. Nothing compares to California Avocadoes, and The Bongo Room's were so fresh, tasty and made me feel at home! The coffee was pretty awesome and service was great. The pancakes though? Sweet heavens it was paradise! The hazelnut sauce was very savory, but not completely overpowering. I need to get myself checked on WHY I have not gone back yet. read more

The Bongo Room - Banana hazelnut pancakes - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Uber driver recommended! It's good. Had the French Toast which is, by far, the best I've had in Chicago. Heavy cream, pralines, peaches and raisins (I think). Very well done. So sweet, strong coffee and a breakfast meat needed. Had a side of the maple chicken sausage. 3 pieces showed up. 3? If sausage is split in half and the order is almost $5, where's my other piece? So I asked. The sausage is homemade and they come 1/2'd. Ummm, ok. They are good and perfect to cut the sweet. The Man had eggs & ham, and potatoes--delish potatoes! No wifi. Great staff. A keeper if I'm in a pinch and in the area. read more

The Bongo Room - A little more pricey. Not a dive! - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

We were visiting Chicago for the weekend and Wicker Park is such a great location to stay in! We came here for brunch and there was a short wait which wasn't too bad (except it was freezing outside! We're from CA haha). We got the Lobster Roll Benedict to share which was pretty good. It has good flavors and the lobster was pretty fresh, but I wouldn't say it was amazing. What was amazing though was the White Chocolate and Caramel Pretzel Pancake. I can't believe we had to debate so long which kind of pancakes we wanted when this THE ONE! It's literally like dessert for breakfast and it's sooo good! The white chocolate and caramel was amazing and the pretzel flavor was a really nice kick to the pancakes. I'm so glad we arrived at the decision to pick this. Overall, it's a good place for brunch. Better place is you're looking for some kick ass pancakes. read more

See all

A very good friend of mine & fellow foodie/Yelper in Chicago recommended Bongo Room after a fun night out. She told me that they have red velvet pancakes, so it was an EASY decision to have brunch here. They didn't have the red velvet pancakes on the menu the day I was there, but they had an impressive list of yummy pancake dishes to choose from. I was close to choosing the strawberry-banana pancakes after seeing another diner at another table with a big fat stack covered with juicy looking strawberries, but my stomach told me to go with the banana-heath bar pancakes. Listen to your stomachs people, for they are most wise. The wait for the food wasn't bad, but the anticipation was nearly killing me. I sipped a tasty mango flavored iced tea while I waited. The friendly waitress brought both my friend & I gigantic plates with equally gigantic pancakes, covered in plump slices of banana & a butter toffee cream sauce. We also got the hash browns, which were chunky red-skin potatoes cooked to a heavenly crisp. I also added bacon as a side, because no pancake should go without bacon. But oh those pancakes. They looked so scrumptious I had to take a couple of sexy pictures of them before I dug in. I'm posting them for your delight! The sauce on top was a perfect compliment to the perfectly ripe bananas & the moist cakes; I didn't even THINK about syrup. Eating that delicious breakfast made my entire face happy. I couldn't finish the entire portion, but it even reheated well later. I could've turned a cartwheel in the middle of the restaurant. Mark my words, I WILL eat here again. read more

See all

Came here for a quick brunch with my sister, we literally beat the morning brunch rush by like 5 minutes! We shared two dishes: BLT Benedicts - two english muffins topped with poached eggs, applewood bacon, baby spinach, tomato and basil-pesto hollandaise sauce. Benedicts are my go-to brunch item, and what sold this one was the special basil-pesto hollandaise!! I love hollandaise, love basil, and love pesto... but to have them all thrown together is pure genius!! Obviously.. I really liked the dish. Hazelnut Banana Pancakes - Pancakes topped with hazelnut cream and fresh bananas. These pancakes are ridiculously delicious, I would seriously go all the way to Chicago just for these bad boys. The hazelnut cream is perfect and the bananas goes so well with it. Definitely the most memorable dish of brunch. read more

The Bongo Room - Banana Hazelnut Pancakes - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

I got the red velvet hotcakes/pancakes after seeing the positive reviews but it was actually a little disappointing. The taste was pretty good and i love the icing they put on it. however, the hotcakes were pretty dry and not easy to eat. At least they give you a huge portion so you will definitely be full. If i ever come back, maybe their other menu items will be better. read more

Food is 5* and Service is 3* I was fully ready to give Bongo Room 3 stars until I took my first bite of the ridiculously delicious Chocolate Tower French Toast. And then my BYO Omelete. And then my sisters White Choco Pretzel Pancakes... All my negative feelings dissipated. But I feel I have to be honest about the unmet expectations of the wait time. I understand they do not seat you unless your whole party is present. Fair enough. But once we did arrive, we notified the host who had us as the second party to be seated. We were told the wait would be 20 minutes but after seeing almost everyone else being seated 30 min later, we revisited the host. Long story short, after a full hour our butts FINALLY had a home. If we were told about the hour long wait upfront we would have decided on something else. But then again, I would have never had the pleasure of trying all of those crazy good breakfast items. Also, our waitress was apologetic about the wait and was very sweet. I'm not sure if level of hunger correlated directly to our level of satisfaction but I'm willing to test the hypothesis with another visit... read more

Best breakfast I've had in a couple years...what did I order you ask? Well...not the pancakes like most: When the waitress approached our table, I quickly noticed on the table across from us get an incredibly delicious looking burrito and potatoes plate that was steaming...I quickly and impulsively changed my order to my waitress and ordered the breakfast burrito. Little did I know, I was about to eat the best breakfast burrito ever along with a side of homemade salsa and sour cream that made the dish even more incredible. Order the breakfast burrito, get extra salsa and prepare yourself for an incredible breakfast/brunch read more

The Bongo Room - By far, the best Vegetarian Breakfast Burrito I've had in my life! (incredible salsa, order extra bc your friends will steal) - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

You best believe there's a long wait! And good luck in the winter b/c there's not much space to wait inside... luckily there's cool shops on Milwaukee. Service is good. Tables are hella close together. Food is BOMB! I'm a big fan of enjoying something sweet and savory.. I opted for one slice of the White Chocolate and Pretzel pancake w/Caramel and had the Eggs Benedict. No, I didn't finish it all there... hahah Another time I had the Breakfast Burrito. Yummy too. read more

The Bongo Room - De-freaking-lish White Chocolate and Caramel Covered Pretzel Pancake - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

This was my favorite place during my trip to Chicago. Really cute contemporary theme, which tied in nicely with the food. Dining alone, I sat at the bar, but there are plenty of booths and tables. Surprisingly busy on a weekday morning. It is so hard to pick from the menu because EVERYTHING sounds delectable. I am a French toast person, and the one on the menu sounded so good, but I went with the red velvet hotcakes to be "adventurous." They might be one of the best pancakes I've ever had- the vanilla creme was perfect with the pancakes, no syrup necessary. Fluffy moist goodness. For $10.50, it's a hell of a lot of pancakes (Are Chicago portions bigger than NY portions??) I only could finish half- definitely share. A lot of people at the bar didn't finish off their plates because the portions are huge! But it's nice to know you get a lot of bang for your buck. I also ordered a latte, which they served in a travel mug- so nifty! Great vibe, good food, reasonable prices- what more could you ask for? read more

The Bongo Room - Red velvet hotcakes - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Went for the fourth time this past weekend; this is still the best brunch I have had in America (yes, America, not just Chicago), and each time, I regret laughing at people who would wait outside for a solid hour just to eat pancakes, because this is just that good. When weighed against some of my all-time faves--Aunt Sarah's Pancake House in Charlottesville, Tops Diner in San Francisco, Lynn's Paradise Cafe in Louisville, Perkins or Don & Bob's in Rochester--the food here is just hilariously over-the-top good. At Bongo Room, I've had the red velvet pancakes, the chocolate tower french toast, the chorizo omelette, and this weekend, the croissant sandwich...bottom line, every bite of every meal has been essentially perfect, and I've taken about 15 different people there, and each time two things have happened: everyone agrees that the food is incredible, and everyone agrees that there's too much food on the plate (on this recent visit, four of my friends tried to take leftovers out before realizing that they should never take breakfast food home to try and reheat). Like everyone else who is in the know, take the advice of showing up to wait in line with your entire party at 8:30 AM if you have a party of more than two people. Otherwise, you really can slide in here at other times of the day on the weekend with two people and not wait too long (30-45 minutes) and the bar turns over frequently. Just be prepared for the Bongo waitstaff to hover over your table as soon as you finish your meal/last cup of coffee so they can get other hungry people into the space. It's not rude...it's business at a busy restaurant in America. If you want to hang out for an hour and talk smack with your friends after you eat, no sweat, just do it in Europe!! read more