Dodo

A friend and I were looking for new brunch places in the West Loop, and decided to give Dodo a try. We thought it might be a bit of a gamble, given the multitude of complaints about the atmosphere on here. However, the place was fantastic, and I honestly have no idea what all of the griping was about.
We showed up around 10:30 on a Saturday, at least half of the tables in the restaurant were empty, and we were seated immediately. As the place filled up, our neighbors were seated very close to us, but the tables were arranged in such a way that it wasn’t annoying (unlike Meli, where you feel like you’re dining on the median of a busy four-​lane road). Our server was friendly, and did not steer us wrong when she recommended the specials. I ordered some sort of potato hash bowl and my friend got chilaquiles — both dishes were delicious, and we picked off of each other’s plates until we couldn’t eat any more.
The bill came out to about $ 35, with tip, which seemed pretty reasonable for two people. I’ll definitely be back!

I have no idea why anyone is complaining about the atmosphere. Half of the casual eateries in the city look like this. I personally think the exposed brick look is charming. It’s obvious they didn’t hire a professional designer but hey it’s good food so who cares.
I was so happy to walk right in and get a table at 12:30 pm on Sunday and then to find they had soy milk for my coffee made me positively giddy! For my brunch I had the toasted chiabatta with herbed cream cheese. it came with a generous portion of tomato and cucumber slices. The bread was sliced thin and perfectly toasted. Next I had a lemon ricotta pancake with a Chantilly cream and strawberries. it was excellent. Not too sweet and the perfect size (I ordered the single). I can not believe that they served frozen friggin’ strawberries on top! I knocked off a star just for that bad move!
I would totally go back. The price was nice… actually very nice. They wait staff put up with our incessant questions and customized orders all the while retaining a very pleasant demeanor. even the busboy had a big smile.

3.5 Stars
It was the day after New Year’s. Hangovers were non-​existent (yay, responsible drinking!). At noon, an idea hits me like a brick. GET BRUNCH. As we walked towards Dodo, the city had a post-​apocalyptic feel. Gray skies, no cars, no pedestrians, dead silence. It was pretty awesome.
Wait was minimal for the day after a major holiday. The service was slow, but the restaurant was packed. The orange juice was freshly squeezed, but I had to resist the coffee (brewed with Le Colombe beans). The menu is limited, but there was a vegan dish called the Veg-​a-​Scramble with my choice of tofu or seitan. I chose the latter, since it’s homemade. The dish was very savory. The sliced seitan was tender and a little meaty. Good stuff. My boyfriend had the omelet with cheddar. It was one of the fluffiest omelets ever. Together we shared a single pancake, which tasted fresh. I couldn’t imagine Dodo using cheap Aunt Jemina pancake batter for them. The raspberry jam that came with David’s toast was delightful, even for a girl who can’t stand seeds and raspberries. It’s steps ahead the cheap Smucker’s kind.
Dodo didn’t wow me, but I appreciate the vegan/​vegetarian offerings on their menu. Their prices are very reasonable given the area (Next and Moto are across the street). For a brunch destination, it’s above-​average = 3.5 stars.

I went back and forth between 3 and 4 stars for Dodo. On the plus side, we rolled in at 10:30am on a Sunday, immediately found street parking and were seated right away. Try that at any other brunch in Chicago! Go ahead I dare you.
The food was also top notch. I had the Dodo Breakunwich with sausage and cheddar. Outstanding.
On the downside, the ambiance is barely a notch above acceptable. The men’s room was pretty sketchy, and my standards are pretty low. :)
In addition, the menu is pretty limited so don’t go expecting a ton of choices. They do a few things and it appears they do them very well. I asked to order one of the items off the lunch menu (remember this is around 10:30 — 10:45am) and they said I could not which surprised me.
If I was looking for a quick convenient greasy spoon brunch, I’d go back to Dodo. If you’re looking for something other than that, think twice.

A bunch of us woke up starving and hungover. Quick search on the Unilocal app and Dodo was within walking distance. We were quickly seated and hot food came out shortly.
I had a filling breakfast with some Italian Sausage Hash, a side of bacon, and some coffe from La Colombe. The bloody mary sounded tempting, but some good coffee did the trick. The hash was tasty, but only wished the bacon strips were thicker cut. Thin bacon strips make me sad.

Just ate there with 4 friends on Sunday morning, just after 10am. One of our members was late to the table and they were very cool with rush ordering his food when he showed up.
The food itself was unique (to me) and very good. I had a smoked sausage hash over cornbread. We also split their pancakes to taste the home made loganberry jam and an odd, but tasty, vanilla cream sauce.
Service was outstanding as well. I’ll be back next time I’m in town.

You’re kidding, right? All of these 5 star ratings on Unilocal?For what? Slow service? Mediocre Food? And an ambiance that can best be described as non existent? Maybe I went on an off day, but you can bet I won’t be back.
We arrived around noon and were told by a woman at the door to sit anywhere. We took a seat by the open kitchen and looked at the menu. Offerings are limited but the basics are there, omelets, eggs, pancakes and a variety of breakfast sandwiches. The fact that there were no lines to get in maybe should have been a clue that this place maybe was not all it was hyped to be.
A person came by to bring us coffee (great tasting), but we had to flag someone down for the cream. Another person came over to take our order and it was then that I saw the orders backed up in the kitchen with only one cook doing all the work himself. The manager (owner?) helped the cook prioritize the orders but should have stayed back there to help cook some of those orders.
My omelet came up but my friend’s poached eggs did not. The toast for both orders showed up and then one poached egg of the two ordered came. Finally the missing poached egg was brought to the table and slid off onto the plate but by the time it came the toast was gone. What the heck? Is this some new way to serve food? Item by item?
Service was miserable. There was one «real server» who was being helped by her friend who had stopped by to actually eat breakfast but was enlisted to help since they were busy (or so she told us) so we were served by someone in flip flops and torn jeans and served our food one item at a time,
And the food when it finally arrived? Tasteless and bland although the serving sizes were large.
All in all, Dodo is a «don’t don’t» in my book.

Service was decent, food tasted from good to decent.
The dated ambiance and lack of cleanliness turned me off and will keep me from returning.

My husband and I very happily stumbled into Dodo last week when we were wandering around the changing Fulton Street Market neighborhood.
The original plan was to stop by for a quick cold beer, but we ended up staying for almost an hour and devoured a big bowl of cold soup. Seriously, we could have licked the bowl clean. Their beer selection is smallish and clever with brands like Tsingtao and Leffe.
The restaurant décor is retro and ‘real’ without feeling old with tons of character and quirky touches throughout. Oh, and lots of dodo birds. All shapes, sizes and materials. Loved it. These kind of personal touches are right up my alley. The music was perfectly eclectic and rounded out the whole vibe.
Service: The most pleasant surprise was meeting the owner, Kim. We really enjoyed talking shop with her, learning more about the business and the neighborhood.
I grew up about two miles north of Dodo and moved out west over ten years ago. It’s places like this that make me crazy homesick (the blue skies didn’t hurt, either). If I was still a local, we’d be regulars.
If you’re looking for a welcoming, quirky neighborhood spot that serves homemade favorites with a twist, get yourself to Dodo asap.

First of all, the ambiance is great. The food, delicious. Looks like a neighborhood tavern, always a winner.
What makes it a place that I probably won’t go out of my way to frequent is the service. Terrible. I was ready to excuse it, because I thought this place was brand new. It’s not. Then, I was ready to excuse it because I got the impression that they were unaccustomed to being busy, as they were the night I went in (night of the Guerilla Truck Show). Also not the case.
The empanadas were great. We had ground beef and chicken, and the taste was good, they just weirdly tasted the same to me. A great potato salad, red potatoes in a vinegarette with chopped up hard boiled eggs. Those were good. Cheap PBRs, hipster style.
But. .. the service. I can get good empanadas at Fonda. So, I won’t be hurrying back.

I believe this is the best breakfast I’ve had in a year.
My breakfast (from the specials) involved Italian beef, grits, eggs, potatoes and giardinera. I’m honestly not sure if I could’ve dreamed up something better to eat for breakfast if I were the smartest breakfast mind in America and I tried.
When you couple that amazingness with beer for breakfast in the form of a delish michelada, I’m in heaven.
Honestly, I have little interesting in traveling further than a mile for brunch. Despite that, I’d travel every weekend for anything even close that delicious. I hope they pick up their movable perfectness and bring it to Lincoln Square.
Meg L also believed her breakfast to be the best ever. The omelette had a cauliflower purée and cheddar. Beyond that, the potatoes, which are generally the blah moment of all brunches, were really well cooked.
Dodo gets a «special» on the patented Jason M «Awful — It Works — Special» scale.

I get a million useless emails each day — so many deals, so little time. Finally, I got one that mattered, so thank you, Daily Candy. Key lime pie pancakes were on the specials menu at Dodo, and I just happened to think of a hot piece of you know what who loves him some key lime pie. So off we went for a late brunch.
We walked in to find tables galore and had our pick. Our server was super friendly, and gave us the rundown when we told her we were Dodo virgins. She also let drop that the pancake special the previous week was tiramisu. If there ever was a reason for a time machine, that’s it right there. Anyways, the man went the key lime pie pancake route and I went for the french toast w/​vanilla crème — and… sauteed maple bananas. Yes, they taste every bit as good as they sound. I loved all the food and didn’t even mind that I walked out looking like I was carrying a french toast baby. I’ve got my fingers crossed that next time it’s a tiramisu pancake baby.

I came here with my boyfriend on a random Sunday morning with the Living Social coupon many others have mentioned. My first impression was that this place is really small and cozy.
I had the Japanese pancake, and the bf had their daily hash bowl special with bbq pork – both were tasty. I especially enjoyed the pumpkin bread we received before our main items. We came here before 11:00 which meant that they are not allowed to serve mimosas but that was A-​OK – we got fresh squeezed oj instead which was super delicious. They also serve high-​quality coffee from Philly-​based La Colombe Torrefaction – interesting choice considering they’re so close to the Intelligentsia roasting facility.
Our server was friendly and laid back, and the owner couldn’t be nicer.
Sadly it’s kind of hard to get to without a car. It’s just too bad I don’t live closer to Dodo because this could easily be my brunch spot.

All they had to do was deliver on their key lime pancakes and they would have my allegiance. Give me some pretty good tasting coffee and a friendly server and we will have a good start to a relationship.
Well Dodo is my new friend and I hope to hang out there as long as they are still around. I had a really good experience and can’t wait till my next visit.
My girlfriend sent me an email about a breakfast place that had key lime pancakes on the menu. I called and found out that it isn’t on the regular menu (should be though) but it is was on the weekend special menu that they change weekly. Even better, it was on this past weekend’s menu.
So we went and didn’t even have to wait to get seated. We did go in the early afternoon on a Saturday so perhaps we hit the sweet spot. Our server was very friendly and broke down Dodo’s menu for us.
I’m glad to say that the pancakes were awesome and I can’t wait to come back and try out more creations.

What an amazingly unique and yummy brunch menu! I had the LivingSocial deal where for $ 20 you got brunch for two, including a cocktail, coffee, entrée and dessert!
Absolutely no wait at 12:30pm on Saturday — which was great! I don’t like waiting for food for hours when I am ready for food!
Their mimosa was great, the pumpkin bread with chocolate chips was the dessert and my corn bread french toast was so unique!
The service was super friendly and attentive and even though the place was cozy, it wasn’t cramped at all! Free parking right outside? Another huge bonus point!
P. S. There is no sign that says «dodo» outside this establishment so just look for Dino’s Morgan Inn.
P. P. S. Super veg-​friendly menu (for those who do eat eggs, of course).

Dodo. Ack! More like Dodon’t.
I know my review takes quite the departure from the majority of Unilocal praise you’re seeing for Dodo, but it is what it is my friends. My experience was an utterly unfortunate one. Lemme break it down via the classic three-​prong rating system: Ambiance, Service, Food.
Ambiance /​/​For starters, this place is minimal frills on the adorable scale. They’ve overtaken the space of a small, old, run down bar and left most of the character that comes with a tiny tavern that likely dates back to the 70’s. There’s some charm to be found in the vintagey space, but to be honest, it lacks any real warmth or style. Wood tables and vinyl everything pretty much sets the scene.
Service /​/​Was terrible. I don’t know how else to put it. On a busy Sunday Dodo’s staff consisted of an overworked — and sloppy — busser and an overworked — though sweet — server that simply could not keep up with a packed house. Waiting 40+ minutes for a mimosa and over 90+ minutes for food is lunacy. Were it not for the fact that I had hands-​down phenomenal company, I would have gotten up and left. Srsly.
Food /​/​Split Decision. Menu is well rounded, though brief, with tempting items like a ‘Breackunchwich’ breakfast sammie loaded with bacon, eggs and sharp cheddar, as well as the tasty toasted ciabatta bread with herb cream cheese, tomato and cucumber. The zucchini bread (which we received gratis due to poor service) slathered in cream cheese frosting is certainly a highlight, I recommend this above all else since my chicken shawarma hash started out on a delicious note and end with multiple pieces of poultry bone and cartilage throughout. Fail.
Two stars it is, «I’ve experienced better» is an understatement. I see the love for Dodo Unilocal,and I hear ya buzzin’, I think Dodo may have just gotten too popular for its own good.

I love juice. I take it very seriously. Fresh juice. Juice with colors not found in nature. Juice in paper containers. Juice in plastic containers. Frozen juice. Sparkly juice. Juice Newton. Juicy Couture. Juicy Wine Bar (review forthcoming). Juice. Good juice can make or break a place.
After dealing with frightening laborers carrying slabs of dead meat (don’t those need to be refrigerated), cat calls to my colleague (granted, heard after the fact but stories need drama, o-​kay?) and a search for parking that could have substituted for an episode of Seinfeld (but the one I found was boss), I finally made it to this corner store that doesn’t feel the need for signage (or, is getting squeezed by the city and can’t get a sign). Finally. I’d just hugged my colleague, sat down and ordered a grapefruit juice when I got a text to leave and go somewhere else.
Say wha?
I’d been through too much to just high tail it out of there. I needed to catch my breath from my sojourn and I needed to get my juice. I contemplated leaving without it. It was $ 5. $ 5 for juice? It better call me in the morning. I let the waitress know that I needed to take off and get my juice to go. She was cool with it. I tipped her well. Grabbed my juice and a straw and took off for the next episode. And, what about the juice? Did it ring my bell?
It did. That was some of the best grapefruit juice I have had in a while. Fresh, tart, slight pulp and a hint of sweetness, this was juice that Jack Lalane would be proud of. If the food is as good as the juice, I need to come back. But, I’ll make sure to ascertain that I am staying to eat next time.

Call me a sad little birdie to have to downgrade Dodo.
Initially I was psyched to find a unique little spot with excellent service and a delicious menu, however, I was not lovin’ my last visit to Dodo. Has their hype caught up with them turning Dodo into restaurant that can’t handle the new business flooding through the door?
Perhaps.
Last weekend I was stoked to take one of my nearest and dearest to brunch at Dodo after raving about it. And if I’m being honest, I was excited to get down on some of their tasty grub, too.
Well, my fellow Unilocalers, the gettin’ down had to wait. And wait. And wait some more.
We waited almost an hour and a half for our food. Not good. Not good at all.
I understand getting a little too big for your britches, but you absolutely must staff your restaurant. One server, lovely as he may be, for the entire restaurant will just not do. Nor will 2 cooks.
Staff up, Dodo. Staff up and I’ll gladly be back because I think your food is wonderful.

Man, I sort of don’t know if I want to blow the lid off this place. Hmmmmm. I don’t like to wait. So if you DO go to Dodo (and.well, do!) then please save me a seat so I do not have to get all antsy and angry waiting for coffee. I’ll trust.
(silence)
Oh, ok you’ve convinced me. I’m an open book of brunch secrets around this beautiful breakfast-​obsessed town… and I stumbled upon one this past weekend at 954 Fulton Market. In an old pizza place (!?). That has been resurrected from prior existence…(I never visited the old Dodo, but the new one… well, I love).
I was JUST having an in-​depth discussion about how the West Loop is seriously lacking good weekend brunch spots with super Unilocaler West Looper, Dan G. Ina’s, Wishbone and Le Peep all leave a bit to be desired in this mid-​tier category, and Publican requires combing my hair and putting on real pants… and thus we usually end up at The Palace Grill, which is totally acceptable for diner fare… but when you want some frou frou pancakes or eggs, well… West Loop is usually a big fat condo-​laden zero.
NO MORE! Dodo has graced us with its big-​winged, high-​powered brunch!
It’s a bit confusing, so let me break it down… Dodo is in the old Dino’s spot. I do believe for awhile they were «sharing» this space (Dino’s on the weekdays, Dodo on the weekends), but now it’s Dodo straight up, all the time (6am-​6pm weekdays, 8am-​3pm weekends). Except the signage for Dino’s is still outside. Yes, I know confusing. But its Dodo. Do not be afraid.
It sort of looks like an old dive bar (well, it is) but with some funky touches like multi-​colored tables and a big old huge canvas painting rescued from a Greektown alley. (HUGE). However, once you take a peep at the menu, you’ll feel like you’re in WickerBucker Park… so forget the meat-​packin’ district, divey digs (l like, for the record) and focus on the (creative AND reasonably priced) food.
Our decisions:
*Peach Butter Crepes
*Dodo Omelette with goat cheese and asparagus
*Dodo Hash with chorizo and potatoes
*Two coffees
*Large fresh-​squeezed OJ
And, not a loser in the bunch. All prepared fresh (hear that Le Peep!?), as you can view in their open kitchen, and delivered in a timely manner.
*The service was OUTSTANDING. Coffee and water refills abound! I’m a happy person! Even on a drizzly summer morning?! Yes. They do have a full bar, but I did not see a breakfast cocktail menu (my only recommendation for improvement, Dodo) so please report back, fellow brunchers.
It’s not a «brunchy» scene, and I love that about it. Great food, excellent service, hot coffee, creative dishes, great prices… I mean, what else could one possibly want?
Ok, Dodo’s outta my bag o’ brekkie tips. Sigh.

Dodo just doesn’t cut it for me. I was very excited to hear of a brunch place on Fulton Market that could be an option when I don’t feel like splurging on The Publican for brunch. However, sadly, I remember looking at Dodo’s menu not knowing what to order not because everything sounded so good that I couldn’t decide, but it was because nothing jumped out at me.
I decided on their special which was the jerk chicken with hash browns. It was not bad but it was not great either. My entire experience was meh. Food aside, I do think that the whole retro/​vintage diner vibe in there is pretty cool.
Other than that, I’m sticking to other brunch places in the West Loop area.