As one of Chicago’s original brunch-specialty joints, The Bongo Room continues to turn tables with their notable menu of hot cakes infused with cool ingredients like candy bars and liquor-soaked fruit. On the downside, popularity also means you can expect a good 40 minutes to an hour and a half as the average weekend wait time. Hint: In the event you ever fall ill to a full day of playing PS3 instead of going into work, weekday wait times are drastically shorter and oftentimes non-existent. 

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes (Photo: Carly Fisher)

I was able to “Hit the Bongo,” so to speak, twice recently in order to gauge whether it’s worth the wait. I’ll give you two guesses.

Brunch with the Dreamboat Guild
In an earnest attempt to impress Chicago Brunch Blog friends/house guests, The Depreciation Guild, we ventured to The Bongo Room not too long ago during one of their recent trips. The band has been in and out of Chicago over the past few months, playing gigs, laying down some sweet tracks for their upcoming album and just wrapped up a tour with The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, in which 2/3 of the Depreesh are members. If you haven’t heard of The Depreciation Guild, check out their music here. Speaking of hard-working musicians, I’d like to give a quick shout out to my neighbors across the street, who have been playing the exact same set all day long. Keep on reaching for that record deal rainbow, guys!

Tip: Get the eggs poached (Photo: Carly Fisher)

Being that the band is from New York, the Marsha Brady of cities, I had a lot riding on the quality of this brunch. We all ended up settling with the exact same dish, prepared four different ways: the Vegetarian Croissant Sandwich. A saladwich of vegetables, the consensus was unanimously positive about the entrée, but there were mixed reviews about the house hash browns — mainly what was wrong with them. 

Kurt’s opinion is automatically void due to a chemically-fucked tongue weaned on coffee doused with six packets of Sugar in the Raw. Divided among the three remaining, the potatoes could have used more/less salt, definitely less dill and wouldn’t hurt to be crispier. Consistency remained through and through for a second visit, which means survey says: not bad, but not top choice when it comes to breakfast taters.

Back for seconds
Four score and twenty minutes out of falling out of bed this morning, I sent a quick text to my home girl, Sally, and then hitched a ride along with her beau, Jason, for a little groggy morning grub. Though I am admittedly more of a savory starter, the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes ($9.25) with toasted coconut seemed too decadent to pass up. Certainly not as overwhelmingly sweet as White Chocolate and Caramel Covered Pretzel or the Black Forest pancakes, the Lemon Ricotta had enough balanced zest to keep your taste buds from experiencing a diabetic meltdown.

It was love at first bite (Photo: Carly Fisher)

On the other end of the sweetness spectrum, Sally settled with the Four Berry Cheesecake Pancakes ($9.75): a stack of three graham cracker battered cakes drenched in a thick and creamy blend of cheesecake and berry sauces. Moist and dense, Bongo Room’s pancakes have a vomit threshold that probably falls around 1.5 pancakes, or 2.5, for more experienced pancake eaters.

Overwhelmed by all of the crazy brunch choices, Jason settled with a make-your-own-omelet filled with Gorgonzola, bacon and onion. Somehow the omelet vanished immediately without a trace and was deemed pretty solid, but the onions were a bit overpowering and might be subbed for a different ingredient next time. 

Verdict: 
If you aren’t hung over and are comfortable with strolling down Milwaukee for a half hour, it’s definitely worth the wait. These guys seem to have mastered the art of making pancakes with generous portions and creative toppings that come out pipin’ fresh. I’d hit it.

The Bongo Room is located at 1470 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Wicker Park and in the South Loop at 1152 S. Wabash Ave. Brunch at the Wicker Park location is served Mon.-Fri. 8:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Sat. & Sun. 9:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m. For more information, call 773.489.0690.

— Carly Fisher