The Bongo Room opened in 1993 near Damen Avenue before settling into its current home on N. Milwaukee Avenue in West Town. The concept has stayed the same from the start: fresh, seasonal breakfast and brunch food, with a few original dishes — the Breakfast Burrito, the Croissant Sandwich, and the Vegetarian Croissant Sandwich — still on the menu decades later. Pancakes and French toast rotate with the seasons and remain a draw for regulars and first-time visitors alike.
The dining room is small and fills quickly, which shapes how the place feels day to day — a mix of longtime regulars who know the rhythm and newer visitors navigating tighter, louder quarters. The Bongo Room has since expanded to a second Chicago location in Andersonville.
The dining room is small and fills quickly, which shapes how the place feels day to day — a mix of longtime regulars who know the rhythm and newer visitors navigating tighter, louder quarters. The Bongo Room has since expanded to a second Chicago location in Andersonville.