Dove’s Luncheonette

To me there is nothing more comforting than a hearty diner breakfast on a cold and rainy day.  A couple of Sundays ago presented that exact kind of weather so Kevin and I decided to check out Dove’s Luncheonette for brunch.

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Dove’s Luncheonette is part of One Off Hospitality Group which includes some of my other favorite restaurants like Avec, The Publican, and Dove’s next door neighbor – Big Star.

Dove’s is a 41-stool diner that serves Southern-inspired Mexican cuisine all day long.  The decor and music are 1960s and 70s inspired and you truly feel like you are in a diner that has been around for 50 years even though it is actually only less than one year old.

Upon being seated, I was poured a nice warm cup of Dark Matter coffee and the refills kept coming.  Kevin ordered his standard Bloody Mary which was anything but ordinary.  The drink itself was a tad bit spicy with a salsa-like consistency while the pickled okra and asparagus garnishes added a cool, refreshing note to the drink.

For my meal I ordered the Tamal De Elotes Con Camarones which is a sweet corn tamal filled with braised collard greens served with chili garlic gulf shrimp, banana peppers, soft scrambled eggs and garnished with fried garlic.  I love shrimp and grits, but this was my first time trying the shrimp and eggs combo and it definitely won’t be my last.  The slightly spicy shrimp paired perfectly with the creamy eggs and the braised greens stuffed tamal was incredible!  I ate every bite of this dish.

Kevin opted for the Pozole Rojo which is braised pork shoulder in a guajillo chile broth with hominy, avocado, lime, cabbage, cilantro, radish, and crispy tortillas.  The pozole was served in a huge bowl and came with all of the toppings on the side so you can build your own bowl to your liking.  The broth was nice and hot, but not at all spicy.  While Kevin enjoyed his meal, he said would probably order something different next time like the Smoked Brisket Hash.

We were beyond full, but if you do save room for dessert Dove’s serves slices of homemade pie from Hoosier Mama Pie Company.

Overall, we loved the old time diner feel of Dove’s and our food was delicious!  I will mention that it is extremely loud in the restaurant due to the music and amount of people dining in a small space.  We were seated across from each other at a communal table so it was a little hard to hear each other talk.  Other than the noise level, I definitely recommend checking out Dove’s for your next brunch outing.

Dove’s Luncheonette is located at 1545 N. Damen in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood