The Bungo

The brunch was fab, coffee was good, staff was lovely, atmosphere was great. Id come back in for a cocktail definitely. And the prices were so reasonable! £10 for each of us for a seriously great breakfast. Cheers guys!

I had been planning to sleep off the office Christmas do until maybe one o’clock, but my hangover was having none of it and insisted we go out for breakfast, right now, this minute, none of this sleeping nonsense for you.
I’m really glad I had that kind of hangover today because it got me a truly excellent breakfast at Bungo. Good work, hangover!
That poached egg was perfection, the black pudding was really good (sorry, hung over, can’t do complicated adjectives), and if those aren’t home made baked beans then they’ve found a top class artisan baked bean supplier.
Also the waitress was lovely, and only mocked me gently.
One thing though, I may need to recalibrate my bloody Mary spiciness scale: if that was a 7 I should probably have asked for a four. Still properly tasty though.

The Bungo is a place I visit only occasionally, but it is a nice ‘local’ for those who stay nearby as it has a big mural of the area around the café on the wall, and people seem to put pins in where they live!
We had two breakfasts from the Brunch menu, one vegetarian breakfast and one Lebanese breakfast, happy to be able to choose two different items from the menu so we could try each other’s food.
I couldn’t fault the food but we were a little upset by the attitude of one of the staff members who did not acknowledge us when placing our coffee and commented that we hoped the breakfast was ‘vegetarian enough’ (we had asked about the Lebanese breakfast which we thought was not vegetarian as it had no v, but apparently the ‘v’ on some other items means vegan, and as there is some halloumi in the Lebanese breakfast this means it is only vegetarian. We didn’t know about this as we had not eaten here before) and thought that it was a bit unnecessary. I considered taking a star off for this but I hope they were just having a bad day.

I unfortunately have to get real about my thoughts on The Bungo’s food. I really feel like it is the worst of the south side eats. Not to say that its terrible, just that all the other places are so good it makes mediocre food taste even worse. I have now eaten at the bungo twice and both times i felt unsatisfied and left half my meal as i just didn’t like it. This time we came it with 5 minutes to order, the service as usual was impeccable. The drinks were kept coming and we ordered many!
I ordered olives and bread, then the veggie curry deal. It came with a started of dips and then a curry with a beer. The dips were lovely, hard to get those wrong though. Then the curry was just all wrong, the veggies were barely cooked long enough. The curry sauce, i can’t even verbalise what it was but i couldn’t eat anymore of it. Maybe because it was very bitter and didn’t have the warmth that i love from most currys. It had coconut shavings on top and this seemed like an odd choice with this almost tomato like curry. Im sure it is just my own personal taste but i haven’t enjoyed the food here, maybe I’m ordering the wrong things. I love the atmosphere, i love the service, this will be the last time i eat at the bungo. Its not terrible, i just don’t like paying for food that i don’t enjoy and leaving feeling slightly hungry and dissatisfied. I really would give the food a 2 star «Meh, I’ve experienced better» but the staff bring it up to an A-​OK.

Visited on Saturday with a friend for breakfast. Was strangely quiet for a change but must have been because of school holidays. I visit Bungo often as i love their food. The Bungo Breakfast is my current favourite and i would say one of the best full breakfasts in Glasgow. Only thing that marks Bungo down slightly are the coffee standard which is average and inconsistent & also service which again is either too relaxed or too forward. Music choice on Saturday morning did not lend itself to those who had been out the night before also. Overall, great food.

I visited The Bungo with my partner for breakfast. We had a very good time and our meals were lovely. We seemed to just miss the rush as it got very busy around 1pm but we had a good table. The staff were very friendly and attentive. I loved the veggie breakfast I got and it was very filling.
My only gripe was that I saw on the chalkboard there was an offer for a breakfast and a bloody mary. I ordered my drink first and then my breakfast when the waitress came over. However, when my bill arrived the items were billed separately. When we queried this I was told that because I had ordered my drink first then my meal I wasn’t eligible for the deal as I’d been given a larger measure in my drink. The waitress did ask me if this was ok, but since I’d drank my drink I felt that I couldn’t really say anything else but yes! It wasn’t specified anywhere on the board or menu that this was the case and I wasn’t asked by the waitress when ordering if this was my intention. Since it’s the norm to order drinks first before a meal I feel that this offer may catch a lot of people out and this should perhaps be made clearer to customers as the Bloody Mary is a tad on the expensive side at £6.50 when not included in an offer and I probably would have just ordered a soft drink.

Sometimes review updates are in happy circumstances, but in this case, it isn’t. I just can’t stand by my 5 star review for the Bungo anymore so thought it was time for an update.
Essentially, this place has slipped a little for me. The food isn’t quite so great, the service is a little bit hit-​or-​miss and generally, they could lift their game. On my most recently visit I ordered from the lunch menu and got a Philly cheesesteak. Now I’ve only discovered this item recently (at Roast) and was pretty excited about. Sadly, the execution wasn’t great. The biggest issue was the steak — lots of wee grisly bits in there which makes eating a ciabatta super unpleasant, having to pick those bits out. I also thought they were a little stingy on the steak and peppers inside it, although there was loads of cheese.
On a previous visit we went for brunch and I left really disappointed. It was hard to get served — so much so we ended up going somewhere else for cocktails when we’d planned to stay here. They just didn’t seem to want to bring us anything else once we’d finished eating.
As I said, I feel like this place has slipped a little and I really hope it picks back up. For now though, it’s not really worthy of 5 stars.

I like Bungo a lot and always have. A little bit of the West End (The Left Bank bar) in the Southside. The food is consistently good and the menu creative. My only real criticism is that the service, though very friendly, can be a little slow and disconnected.
My Sticky Green Chilli and Coriander King Prawns were really very decent indeed, but my Sesame Crusted Salmon with pak choi etc. was huge and outstanding!

Super food again… Brunch on Saturday.
I really like the bungo, staff are always good, fast service and really friendly.
Great decorations with the Halloween pumpkins .
Good positive buzz and fibe around the place

What a lovely brunchy Sunday I’ve just had at The Bungo with a best friend. It’s the second time I have dined there. The first time was with friends for dinner and I took another friend there today who had never been before. The menu is basically everything you are ever in the mood for. I would quite happily start at the top and work my way down every day of the week. Didn’t take any pictures of our meals but they looked darn tootin’ good. I had a Bungo breakfast, and my mate had scrambled eggs with spinach and smoked salmon. Everything cooked to perfection.
We really enjoyed the atmosphere there today with prompt but unobtrusive service, and smiley staff who very much acted like they wanted to be t work and were present. Interactive conversation instead of just transactive. The manager, Mark, who I observed on my first visit was very much acting the host and making genuine conversation with people, and all with a very confident waistcoat on. The conversation in Bungo was lively but not loud, and it felt like I was over at a mates house.
Our next visit there will be to try out their gastronomique events. Marvellous. A great hangout any day of the week but especially on a sunday. The last time I was there I had a mojhito and it rocked. Today I was driving and stuck to water and coffee. 2 very enthusiastic thumbs up.

Having eaten at ‘sister’ venue The Left Bank I knew roughly what to expect. What I didn’t consider would be a complete opposite experience.
The service at the Left Bank is what let it down, not something you could level at The Bungo, with the service delivered with a smile and a few cheeky comments too!
I ordered their fry-​up breakfast and a couple of much needed coffees. I had swithered over the Lebanese breakfast but on seeing it arrive, I knew it wouldn’t have hit the mark (tasty but quite a small portion). When it did arrive, well I wasn’t blown away.
The food looked and tasted good enough but it seemed to be lacking in something to bring it all together. Perhaps it’s that their own baked beans, which are very tasty, are pretty dry, perhaps it’s that you only get one poached egg and that one was a little over poached so not much yolk to spare, or perhaps it’s because most of the items on the plate are grilled rather than fried…
Whatever the reason, whilst the separate ingredients were delicious, it took some liberal use of ketchup to pull it all together.
Style over substance? Perhaps. And I would go back as the rest of the menu looks good, but I’m not sure I’ll be in much of a hurry.

Had a very tasty veggie breakfast today at The Bungo and credit to the staff for dealing with my fussy behaviours — a veggie breakfast minus tomato, mushrooms and cheese (I don’t like them).
Without any prompting they threw on extra poached egg and extra veggie haggis. Big plus points!
However, the reason for the 3 stars and I so very much wanted to give 4 was because of the service. It was difficult on several occasions to get the attention of the staff to place orders for additional drinks, items and the bill. (And it didn’t seem to busy)

Soo been waiting to try this place for a loooong while now and i did it in style with some other Unilocalers at the brunch menu time!
WAlked in and was instantly made happy with the fact there was a great dane puppy on the other side of the wall from us and that the pub are dog friendly. I love a dog in a pub and im glad they have embraced this. So we got our drinks and such all non alcoholic much to Briony’s dissapointment it only serves cocktails and alcohol from 12:30 on a sunday. Ordered our food and i went with the bungo breakfast which was a very tasty choice.
It consisted of a sausage, 2 bacon, a tomato, some mushrooms, black pudding, a poached egg, potato scone and toast with beans. Most of the things were quite nice, really tasty were the egg and beans. At £7.95 i didnt feel out of pocket.
The menu was a bit braggish tho, each ingredient from certain places and made itself out to be a bit posher than it was. The reason for a 3 star was the service, which while lovely when you got it, was pretty much yay youve ordered now we are abandoning you and it took a little while for food to arrive. Even flagging down the zooming waiter fora coffee proved a little difficult.
So a solid 3, cheap, cheerful and worth the money!

The main reason to go here is for the food. Not the cheapest but good for a treat. The service is generally slow at the tables and the bar. The cocktails are consistently disappointing — overpriced and often undrinkable. Nice little venue downstairs. Be aware that there are often dogs in the eating area. I’m ok with dogs in pubs but not restaurants.

«Doggy Lovers Heaven.»
Popped into Bungo yesterday afternoon for a drink with a mate. Have to say that this place was buzzin’ with Guardian reading sorts, their kids and several dogs. I must have counted 7 dogs including one held like a clutch bag by a ‘Paris Hilton’ type at the bar, all congratulating each other on how cute each other’s pup was. But I looked at the great selection of beers and persevered…
After being served we sat at the back on the old leather benches amongst the half eaten dog bones and well slurped water bowls. Immediately I could smell sweaty @rse, but I brushed it off just thinking my mate had forgotten to wash that day. However when he disappeared to the bar to order a couple of pints of Heverlee I could still smell the putridity. Was it me? Hmmm. After forensic investigation I discovered it was my seat, stinking of a dog’s worst bits :(
However I still endured. Why? Because once you get past all the stuff that you think gets in the way of a few lazy drinks or a lovely casual meal with friends, you learn to appreciate that some places are just a wee bit different. And different can be good. Sometimes…
Visited Mar 2013 to April 2014 on a monthly basis
3 of 5 stars Value
4 of 5 stars Atmosphere
3 of 5 stars Service
4 of 5 stars Food

The friendliest welcome really lifted my mood, followed by a very relaxed atmosphere and sunlit tables. Has somewhat an American diner feel, with a bit of class.
Only had a coffee, so will leave the 5^th star for the time I’m back for a meal! ;)

Just had one of the best breakfasts in a LONG time. I could not fault a single element in it and the service was outrageously good.
I have a long standing hatred of baked beans — I don’t just dislike them, it’s virtually a phobia. I forgot to ask for them to be left off the breakfast and only realised when my wife’s plate hit the table — I grabbed the guy who was serving and asked him if it was too late to have mine without beans and he paused for about a millisecond and then said «no problem» (despite the fact that my food would already have been plated up and ready complete with massive pile of beans on everything).
I then looked again at the food on the table and thought «those don’t look like normal baked beans» and had a quick exploratory poke about at them. I then did something that I’ve only ever done on one other occasion in my life… I tried a bean! It was amazing. Instead of the horrible taste of burnt carmel and sugar that passes for tomato sauce on tinned beans this was something completely different… home made baked beans and they were immense!
So…just as my food was about to hit the table I grabbed the same guy back and said
«errrrr, mate, you know how I said not to put any beans on my plate? Could I change my mind?». Again, he hesitated for about a millisecond, this time raised one eyebrow a fraction and then said «no problem at all»
Everythign on the plate was gone in a few minutes — eggs — prefect, Sausages — perfect. Bacon — Perfect. Black Pudding — Perfect. Hash Browns — perfect.
Beans — perfect (never thought I’d say that)
So, amazing food and amazing service — five stars for the combo.

Ah Bungo. You led me on at first with your delightful burger, tasty drinks and pleasant surroundings. And then… my second trip saw poor service, a stale burger bun and a missing side order. However, since the second trip fell on a holiday/​pay weekend I decided to give you a third shot at wooing me. This time round the food was okay and I would have enjoyed it more had I not waited so long. I really wouldn’t have minded a bit of a wait if it was busy but it wasn’t. Two tables came and went and still I sat there.
My final visit was on Friday night when myself and a few friends tried to go in for some drinks. I say ‘try’ as the waiter, in a round-​a-​bout way said ‘we’re busy enough and certainly don’t need a group of non diners. We went on our merry way and I’ll probably not go back.

I love the Bungo I really do, I go once a week with friends, family and occasionally on my own. The food is consistent, the service is generally pretty good and very friendly, I get recognised as a regular which is always nice because it means the staff stay consistent.
One thing that has started to grate a bit, particularly tonight, is the profusion of dogs. Most of them are okay but there is the occasional «adorable puppy» who then proceeds to Unilocal the entire time. I’m sure their parents find it fabulously cute, I find it irritating. If your dog can’t behave I really don’t believe it appropriate for you to bring it to a pub (and I’m a lifelong dog owner)
This was reinforced tonight when I was at the bar and I overheard the two waitresses complaining about exactly the same thing. I can only assume the owners of the place are dog lovers so everyone is too afraid to say anything.
Anyway, please don’t let the dog rant put you off — this is a cracking wee local and for me, still, remains exactly what the Southside was waiting for!

Birthday/​post-​race celebrations took me to a southside venue for drinks and some nibbles — in pursuit of a day of hobbitry, this was going to be my second dinner so I decided to keep it small and ordered some (paraphrasing) ‘double fried chips with rosemary and salt’. Whatever they were it was delicious, generous portion, still in potato skins, not too skinny nor too chunky (I find chunky chips sometimes end up under cooked!) and I love rosemary. The other’s food looked good but can’t comment more than that — they were unable to serve several things on the menu though which was a shame.
The bar itself has nice wooden tables, walls painted with flutterbies and was lamplit, pretty nice atmosphere with lots of cosy wee rooms and what appeared to be a gig venue down the stairs. Drinks were pretty damn expensive — one pint of stella and a bottle st mungo set my friend back £8.10. Cocktails OK priced for their strength (£6 ish) and quite delicious — I had a naked prince (ginger and orange) which was the cocktail of the day from the specials menu (nice touch!), my friend had one which was elderflower and sage based. Apparently they have a rather nice selection of rums if you are into something a bit different than bog standard bacardi.
The staff were really helpful at steadily increasing our table size as more people turned up which was good of them as it was pretty busy for what I thought a Sunday night would be like.
All in all, worth going to if only for the chips but pretty expensive drinking.