ShopEatSleep

I’ve been to Rush Street a few times before, but I had never been for brunch. So when I was invited to try out the Chicago-themed restaurant’s weekend menu, I figured, Why not? There’s a bloody mary bar, after all, and even though I’m not a big bloody mary fan, I like the idea. So I went to see what else Rush Street had to offer.

In addition to the $10 Brats and Beer special I’ve mentioned before, Rush Street’s brunch showcases breakfast favorites and lunch items. I had the fried egg sandwich ($11) with pancetta, tomato, three kinds of cheese and parmesan-crusted sourdough bread. It was tasty and satisfying, especially since I’ve been on a fried-egg kick lately. I imagine it would make great hangover food. I also enjoyed the tater tots, though the second batch we had were too salty. The seasoning on them is a nice touch, though.

Fried egg sandwich

Truffle asiago fries (top), sweet potato fries (center), tater tots (bottom)

Speaking of good hangover food, Esther of e*starLA‘s breakfast burrito ($10), with scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, tater tots, shredded cheese, pico de gallo, avocado and sour cream, looked like it would make a great day-after cure. So would the bottomless bloody marys ($20), which you can spice to your own taste at the restaurant’s bar.

Breakfast burrito

Bloody mary bar

The baked mac and cheese ($7) was creamy underneath the crunch top, which is welcome given the non-creamy mac and cheeses I’ve been having lately (how this is even possible, I’m not sure). The soup of the day ($6), corn chowder, was definitely one of the highlights as it had a spicy kick to it that I wasn’t expecting.

Mac and cheese. Photo by Elise Thompson for LAist.

Corn chowder

My boyfriend, Rory, had the grilled BBQ chicken pizza ($11), which he enjoyed but noted that the crust was different from when he had it not too long before at a later time in the day. This pizza looked like more of a flat bread than a pizza; maybe they changed it?

Grilled BBQ chicken pizza

We also sampled two desserts: the red velvet cake ($10) and the carrot cake ($10). Both were huge slices — definitely made for sharing. I preferred the carrot cake because it was moister.

Red velvet cake

Carrot cake

All in all, Rush Street is a good choice for brunch with hearty food and a laid-back atmosphere. The restaurant also doubles as a sports bar, with a focus on Chicago-area sports teams. But they’ll turn on any game you want — just ask.