Bongo Room — Restaurant in West Chicago Township

So, I've been eyeing The Bongo Room forever, and this Saturday, fueled by an epic 12-hour sleep, I finally rolled in right at 9 am when they opened. Usually, I'm all about brunch, but after such a knockout night of rest, breakfast was calling my name.

The place was already buzzing, - got seated quick, and our server wasted no time hitting us with menu suggestions. Fresh juice on tap? Heck yes! Went for the orange-pineapple-some-mystery-fruit combo, and it was a tiny glass of pure deliciousness. Wish it was bigger, but hey, taste over quantity, right?

Now, let's talk about the Vanilla Latte - absolute perfection. They didn't serve it scalding hot, so I could actually enjoy it without burning my face off. Major points for that, Bongo Room!

The Breakfast Burrito.... that tortilla embraced the eggs, guacamole, and melted cheese like a long-lost friend. House potatoes? Seasoned just right with a satisfying crunch.

The Italian Breakfast Sandwich!!!!!! Toasted tomato focaccia, basil pesto, roasted peppers, buffalo mozzarella, lemony arugula, and scrambled eggs. Holy flavor explosion! If you go, do yourself a favor and order this masterpiece.

Now, let's talk about those mini pancakes. I'm not a pancake person, never have been. But when the server said "mini" and "purple," I caved. Those fluffy, moist, tender bites were like a pancake rebellion in my mouth. I need another round ASAP.

Now, here's where the vibe shifted. We got a bit of a side-eye from a dude eyeing our plates, practically begging to clear them. We were trying to chill, enjoy the moment, but suddenly the check magically appeared. Not cool, Bongo Room. Nobody likes feeling rushed while grubbing.

Despite the sprint to the finish, The Bongo Room delivered on the taste front. I'll be back for those purple pancakes, but next time, I want to linger over the last bite at...

I have been going to the Bongo Room since it was just a tiny surprising delight under the train tracks, a little 3 or 4 table spot where I would get a delicious raspberry scone and a coffee and chat with the friendly owner before I caught the morning train.

I saw him there today but didn’t even want to say hello, now almost 30 years since I first discovered this place. It has long outlived its relevance. Overpriced and underwhelming at best. Terrible coffee, bland food, noisy atmosphere, a cold fan blowing on me the whole time. I should have spoken up more right away, and perhaps they could have further addressed some of the issues, but honestly from the moment I sat down, I kept thinking things would take a turn for the better. Unfortunately it just kept going downhill. And when we did point out issues (like cold burned tasting coffee or toast that was not toasted or entirely forgotten items), the staff replaced them but made no further efforts to win us over (that sausage you forgot and then overcharged us for? Maybe you could have comped it after all the other issues?). When most entrees are around $20, the details are important and should include quality ingredients, we found the opposite—this was barely equivalent to diner food).

I’m sorry to say it, since it held a beloved place in my heart, and I wanted to share it with my now grown sons (we haven’t been here for more than 10 years). But I would never give it another try. There are so many other delicious places to spend my money, and this place has only kept up with the times in raising...

So I was here on 9/25/2022 for breakfast with a friend. The service from my waitress was great. She was attentive and everything. The food was good as usual until time for the bill. The tables are very close so it screams accidents waiting to happen. Well it did. Our waitress was also the waitress to the table next to us. We were packed in the restaurant like sardines to paint the picture. With my back turned to the waitress she accidentally knocked over the cup of hot coffee that she was trying to deliver to the table next to us and it spilled on my arm. I jerked my arm away from the sleeve where it was wet with hot coffee but it wasn't fast enough. It bothered me while but skin damage done other than the feel of after affect scolding hot coffee hitting my arm. The waitress was apologetic for what happened but manager could care less. He was more concerned about the lady not getting her coffee than he was me being burned by it. Told our waitress to remove the credit card fee for the inconvenience even though I paid cash. I felt that was very inconsiderate of him as I was the one the coffee landed on and for that reason I gave 1 star. I don't want to assume the possibility of it being racial because the lady that didn't get her coffee was white and I'm black. He was concerned and apologetic to the lady but to me he just asked did I need a napkin. The food is good the waitress was good but this reason alone I can not return. Hopefully this doesn't happen to...