The owners of popular brunch spot the Bongo Room have wanted to open a location on the Far North Side for about a year. After a couple of deals fell through the duo, John Latino and Derrick Robles, have finally opened their third spot, this one at 5022 N. Clark. Bongo Room officially opened its doors this morning at 8 a.m. and will be open seven days a week for breakfast and lunch.

The 73-seat restaurant has a sleek and modern aesthetic with aqua-colored walls, maple wood throughout, ash table tops, metal bar stools and chairs and hardwood floors. The space is bright and welcoming with a small bar up front, the kitchen in the middle of the space and the open dining room in the back; it'll serve the same menu as its other locations.

Bongo Room will eventually add a full bar to this location (pending the liquor license) and a 30-seat patio out back sometime this summer; the patio furniture is currently on back order. And why here? "We just like the neighborhood," Latino said. "It's a perfect fit and I love the vibe up here."

· The Bongo Room [website, menus]