Polo Café and Catering

By Rachelle Bowden in Food on May 24, 2005 11:54AM

There’s a five-block stretch along South Morgan Avenue in Bridgeport that has seen a serious increase in activity and development over the past five years. One of the first businesses to call this stretch home was Polo Café and Catering.

Originally started as a nut and candy store in 1985 by Dave Samber, Polo Café eventually evolved into a restaurant and catering business fifteen years ago, developing a well-earned reputation among neighborhood locals for quality food and acquiring fans such as the Chicago Tribune Magazine columnist Rick Kogan, who calls Polo Cafe “one of this city’s hidden treasures.” Polo Café’s menu is decidedly American- their steaks and chops are top-notch certified Angus beef that, in Chicagoist’s humble opinion, rival anything you might find at Keefer’s, Sullivan’s, Gibson’s, or Smith and Wollensky. Our cut of choice is the immodestly named “Chicago Cut”- sixteen ounces of Frenched, bone-in ribeye steak, char-grilled to order and served with your choice of trimmings.

Polo Café and Catering is divided up into two sections. The main dining area seats 50 and has an eclectic neighborhood feel to it. A counter bar in the rear still serves candies and nuts by the half-pound; a mural in the front depicts all the city’s mayors born and raised in Bridgeport. The building next to the dining area is Polo Café’s Old Eagle Room. Opened in 1997, this 3,500 square-foot former ballroom can seat up to 100 guests, has an elevated stage, modern sound system, acoustic tiles for wonderful sound, and a
Wurlitzer concert grand piano. The Old Eagle Room is occasionally used for jazz concerts: past musical guests included violinist Johnny Frigo and pianist Freddy Cole.

As if that weren’t enough to entice you, Polo Café can also arrange to use the garden of their neighbors, the legendary Chinese artists the Zhou brothers, for special events and wedding receptions. This gated garden features an impressive array of the Zhou’s bronze sculptures.

So if you want a different dining experience, head on down to Polo Café and Catering. The address is 3322 South Morgan Avenue. The phone number is (773) 927-7656.

Images via polocafe.com.

Thanks, Chuck!