Blue Line Grill & Bakery

Today, I took The Boy, The Girl, and The Baby to check out the new restaurant in our neighborhood. The Blue Line Grill & Bakery just opened on Irving Park Road just west of the Walgreen's.

It serves Moroccan food. Which I was not expecting. It was very good, although it was S-L-O-W coming out of the kitchen. This is not a place to grab a quick bite before catching the blue line somewhere. Coffee and a pastry, sure. But not a meal. Even a quick one. We got there at noon and we were not done until after 1, which is saying a lot for a place that doesn't have table service. They did have a kids' menu -- The Boy got a chicken tenders meal that could have fed the four of us and The Girl got an amazing cheeseburger -- but the lack of highchairs make the place decidedly not kid-friendly. Which I think is a tactical mistake for a new restaurant to make in this neighborhood -- unless they plan to get most of their business from outside the 'hood. I wonder if it's just an oversight. The Baby was happy to eat on my lap.

I ordered the ground beef kebabs, which were nicely spiced and came on a bed of lettuce and with a side of fries and bread. It needed some kind of sauce, but I had heard from a fellow lunch patron that they were out of it.

They also have an American/Moroccan mixed menu of cheeseburger, skewers, buffalo wings and things like corn on the cob and garlic mashed potatoes.

After lunch, we tried the baked goods. The Boy got a peanut butter cookie, which he didn't like. And The Girl and The Baby and I split a cinnamon roll, which was OK, but nothing special. The diner from above told me that the baked goods were better when they first opened. I will have to go back sometime for a coffee drink and a pastry to see for myself.

The decor of the place is an odd mix. The walls were painted rich, dark colors. And there is a huge back dining room with colorful photos of the Moroccan spice markets on the walls, and a Moroccan "lounge" with cushy banquettes and a couple of tables, neither of which you'd expect from a quick glance in the windows from the street.

The Blue Line Grill & Bakery is located at 4027 W. Irving Park Road. It is open M-F from 7 a.m. - 10 p.m., on Saturday from 10 a.m. - midnight, and on Sunday from 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.