CheekyChicago

The vast array of culinary options we have at our big city fingertips, providing us with the chance to experience new cultures and cuisines any day of the week, is one of the coolest things about living in Chicago. Case in point: Mr. Brown’s Lounge. Part reggae lounge, part dive bar and part gourmet restaurant, MBL is the most authentic and down-to-earth spin on a Jamaican experience you can find in our Windy City.

A family owned operation on the western side of West Town, Mr. Brown’s Lounge is a rest stop for just about everyone.  Young or old, yuppy or hipster, single or married….just make sure you have an open mind when it comes to the cuisine.

The complimentary plantain chips that substitute for a bread basket will have you saying “Ya ‘mon” from the get go, which come sided with a sweet and spicy jerk dipping sauce.  Select from a five cheese, spicy mac and cheese for an appetizer, or go for their jerk burgers, chicken sandwiches and veggie burgers, which all come with homemade waffle fries. But MBL’s cuisine really shines in the menu’s entrees, with dishes like Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Oxtail and Curried Goat.  Each of these dishes reflects a chef, a kitchen and recipes that are all born and bred from a passion and a true insight into the Jamaican culture and its cuisine. Spices are fresh, the marinades are complex, and the seasonings are nothing short of completely unique.  While it’s hard to top these excellently cooked proteins, I have to admit that the highlight of the entrees are the abundant accompaniments of “rice and peas” (rice and red kidney beans sautéed in coconut milk), plantains and house-cured cabbage, fresh out of the vat.

Cocktails are equally original with Pina Coladas, Island Rum Punch, Dry Harbor Ice Tea (homemade brown sugar lemonade and Jack Daniels) and one of Jamaica’s finest,  the Hummingbird (Tia Maria and Jamaican Rum).

Finish it off with probably the most bona fide Jamaican culinary staple on the menu: the Grape Nuts Ice Cream. Yep – what you read is what you get: vanilla ice cream smothered in the classic cereal we all grew up on.  Try it, and see why it’s all the rage in Jamaica.

Mr. Brown’s Lounge offers live reggae music regularly, with fantastic drink specials daily and an outdoor patio fit for these hot summer nights.  Just like Jamaica itself, get it while it’s hot…