After the parade the traffic was insane. No kidding, as there were an estimated 100,00 people in attendance. That's right, I didn't stutter. 100,00 people. So, there was a lot of traffic leaving. Since it was a beautiful day out JK, MK and myself decided to head towards Carytown to find us some lunch. As we pondered our options, I remembered that I had heard good things about the Bamboo Cafe on Yelp and suggested me try that. They both seemed satisfied with that suggestion and we set out hoping to reach it before the crowd.
Bamboo Cafe (Bamboo Cafe) is located on the corner of South Mulberry and West Main St. which means that I have passed it on my way to other bars plenty of times. Each time I pass it I say I want to stop in, but had failed to do so until now. It's hard to miss due to the big red awning with the name on it. We had the boys and their GIANT stroller with us, but thankfully there was a place to lock it up outside. Granted, we could have brought it in with us as the waitress and bartender were very accommodating, but why struggle with it. There were tables available when we came in so we sat in the front. As I said, the waitress was great and helped us pull some tables together so we had a place to set-up the boys chairs and still have room for the 3 adults.
Once we were settled the waitress provided us with menus, indicated the specials board and swooned over the boys. We ordered our drinks and got down to studying the menu. The specials board is located on the back wall by the bathrooms and is thus hard to see, if not impossible, from the front. I took a quick walk back there and brought the info back to the table for digestion and discussion. In the mean time, the boys got fed a solid meal of chopped up turkey and cheese, fruit and some classic PB & J. They were also super well behaved so kudos to them and their parents.
The menu at the Bamboo Cafe is very basic, which I really liked. You aren't flipping through 8 pages of options hoping to spy one that strikes your fancy. They lay it out in 1 piece of paper folded in half. Perfect. And the prices are just silly low. It got MK and I reminiscing about the sausage and cheese bagels from high school, but that's neither here nor there. JK and MK decided to split a burger with potato salad and some wings. I went off my usual path and got a roast beef au jus with coleslaw. That was a bold choice for me and I was praying I wouldn't end-up longing for something else with buyers remorse.
Our food came out decently quick, which is key when dining with 1 year olds. Apparently, they have no self control when bored. Thankfully, ours remained amused the entire meal. The burger looked great and was cooked perfectly. Even after splitting it in half, both JK and MK had generous portions. And the boys got to enjoy some potato salad as well. The wings were meaty and not overly spicy, of which MK was very grateful. Overall, they were both very pleased with their split meal.
When my sandwich arrived I was still a little fearful. As soon as the plate was placed in front of me I could feel the fear beginning to ease. The sandwich looked fantastic. The bowl of au jus was steaming and the smell wafting out of it was fantastic. I quickly grabbed a half of the sandwich and dipped it in. What a delightful first bite. The sandwich was meaty and the au jus had deep rich flavor. Just a perfect blend. I confidently plunged forward, my worries from before forgotten. I would be hard-pressed to believe the coleslaw was house-made, but it wasn't bad. And for $6.95 I was very satisfied.
Bamboo Cafe endeared itself to me very quickly on this day. The friendly and helpful service, the good food and the local bar feel all combined to encourage me to return here in the future. I have also heard that their drinks are generous, so maybe a late night visit is in store. Either way, if you are looking for good food in an unpretentious atmosphere, give Bamboo Cafe a try.
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