Bucktown Soup Cafe

TomH wrote:Looks like the Bucktown Soup Cafe is set to open any moment at 1840 N Damen.

http://www.bucktownsoupcafe.com

Just went to the Bucktown Soup Cafe today and had a crab/corn chowder-like soup. It as very good and I would definitely go back. The menu rotates, so even though the website lists tons of soups, there are only 9 per day. The only downside was that it was a little pricey. Two soups and two sodas cost about $20. I can't wait to go back there when it's cold!

Bucktown Soup Cafe
1840 N. Damen Ave.
Chicago, IL 60647
773-904-8364

I agree that the soups are good, but pricey. The two workers (was one the chef? she was dressed in a chefesque outfit...) were so very pleasant and cheery. I think they need a few cold soups in the summer (or if there were cold ones, they should point that out). It might be nice to have labels on the sneeze guard instead of having to keep turning to the north wall over the cash register to see what is on offer (the chef did tell me about the soups, offer unlimited tastes in little individual cups, etc). Descriptions would be good too (Chicken Enchilada soup - cream based soup with....)

I could see this def. becoming a popular option in winter.

I was thinking of hitting up this new spot some time in the near future. I Do It Daily will be living the bachelor life for the next 2-5 months. The special lady is on sabbatical from our marriage. No worries, she's just returning to her native Columbia to tie up some loose ends. Anyway I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to explore some of Chicago's newer restaurants solo. The old lady was never a big fan of soup so I thought this an excellent place to start. What are we looking at with regards to their price/quality ratio?

It's expensive ($6-7 for 12oz of soup, I think), but good.

The question is whether you think $6-7 is too much to pay for 12oz of good but not spectacular soup. For me, for lunch in the neighborhood, it's an OK value.

It's expensive ($6-7 for 12oz of soup, I think), but good.

The question is whether you think $6-7 is too much to pay for 12oz of good but not spectacular soup. For me, for lunch in the neighborhood, it's an OK value.

Thanks Gleam. I suppose $6-7 wouldn't break the bank. I'll give it a try.

I was at the Bucktown Soup Cafe not long after they opened, maybe a couple months back. The owner was there and told me he'd gone to law school in New York City and, after coming to Chicago, he missed the NYC soup joints he'd subsisted on as a poor student. So he opened one. I had a sweet tomato soup and something called, I think, a gumbo-laya, which was pretty much the hybrid the name implies. Both hit the spot - the gumbo-laya even packed a bit of heat.

I will say, though, first-timers might be a little taken aback by how spartan the place is. When I was there there was almost no decoration, the barest hint of signage, and the beverage selection started and stopped at water. They sell soup, period (oh, and it comes with a little side of good bread). Still, they're nice folks, the soup's good, and a couple of times it's been a healthier lunchtime alternative to a cheeseburger at George's, just a few doors to the north.

gumbo-laya, which was pretty much the hybrid the name implies. Both hit the spot - the gumbo-laya even packed a bit of heat.

So I made my pilgrimage to Bucktown Soup Cafe and induldged in the Gumbo-laya as well and let me tell you Lucky Guy was right it packs quite a bit of heat. And as I'm sure you all know from my previous posts I do not handle the spice very well. Luckily the heat resided just on the right side of sending this soup connoisseur to the local 7-11 for a 'Chug' of milk. The decor was subtle, but tasteful (along with that soup) in my opinion. Good but not great, I probably won't be heading back until next summer. Call me crazy, but my soup urges normally occur during the summer months and it looks like this one might be winding down.

As an East Coast girl I definitely miss the soup joints. The Soup Box definitely does not cut it for me so I was thrilled to read about Bucktown Soup Cafe. I thought his prices were a bit steep but the quality of the ingredients and the taste made up for it. I was pleasantly surprised that both crab soup offerings the day I went were made with real crab. I hate when you order a crab or lobster soup and there are no pieces of either in it! The owner was very friendly and appreciative of my business. He said, "I know you had a lot of choices between Uptown and here so thanks for coming all the way down." The pot roast soup was very good and so was the crab soup I had that day. I'm definitely going back for more!

Enjoyed a very nice meal with the lady here this afternoon. The menu is extensive and you are encouraged to sample as many of the soups as you like. As an update, they now offer mini-croissant sandwiches at an additional .98 cents with a soup purchase. They are small and relatively unexciting but accompany a bowl of soup well. Their drink selection has also expanded.

2 large bowls of soup (gumbo-laya and mushroom brie), 2 sandwiches, and a bottle of water totaled $20 even. Not horrible but certainly not a bargain. Overall a good experience and they deserve some business IMO.