Now On MenuPages: The Orbit Room

The Orbit Room, a bar and grill in Avondale (yes! Avondale!), opened last Spring in a spot that did not, and still does not, have many restaurants (just north of the Expressway on California). Most of the action in Avondale is to the north, near the intersection of Belmont and Elston. But where there’s a will, there’s a way, and Orbit seems to be doing just fine.

What’s our metric? Well, to be honest, the fact that frequent flickr Chicago Cuisine pool photo contributor bindifry has just started working there, and took a picture of their Nachos Grandes (fresh corn tortilla chips topped with cheddar cheese, jalapeños, re-fried beans, tomatoes, green onions, sour cream; $7), which is shown above. Bindifry would not accept employment at a crappy restaurant, at least in our imagination, so that must mean Orbit Room’s good right?

The rest of the menu is sort of standard thoughtful bar food (mac ‘n’ cheese, Asian chicken salad, bratwurst sandwich, Cobb salad wrap, ham and bacon panini), but one or two of the entrees caught our eye: the four cheese white lasagna (with mozzarella, asiago, gorgonzola and parmesan cheeses layered with Italian sausage, basil, garlic and cream, $11) is something we cannot recall ever seeing before. A heart-stopping good time!

Another thing sort of new to us is related to those nachos: for $3, one can add barbacoa, which is basically barbecued beef, Mexican-style. Oh yes, that’s where the word barbecue comes from.

A final consideration is brunch, which any neighborhood-on-the-go needs, and this one meets our standards with a fancified eggs benedict (with crab cakes, for $9).

This is a neighborhood spot, and if you live in Avondale you probably already know about it, but maybe some of you new to Logan Square can go check it out when the lines at your local places are too damn long again? Smiles and tables await you.

The Orbit Room [MenuPages]
The Orbit Room [Official Site]

[Photo: bindifry/flickr]

Now On MenuPages: The Orbit Room