When you drop in on Bourbon Cafe, be prepared for nothing else that Lincoln Square has to offer, especially along that more cutesy stretch leading up to Lawrence Avenue. Not quite a bar, not quite a coffeehouse and not quite a restaurant, this eccentric establishment is a wild mix of the three.

Once firmly settled within the room, make sure to order up a platter of char-grilled sausages with fluffy mashed potatoes and a plateful of homemade French fries. You can't go wrong with a $3 omelet; served with a huge basket of homemade bread, the eggs are simple, with just salt and pepper, and makes eating breakfast food at 10 p.m., with a cocktail in hand, seem like the right thing to do.

There's a longhaired fella rockin' the synthesizer on the weekends (oddly, the telly is blaring in the background at the same time) and a mix of folks play regularly (from Macedonia and Serbia). You could call ahead for details, but they don't speak much English at this one. Don't fret about all the suspicious stares coming from the regulars when you roll in; it's simply because they're just as stunned as you are that you found the place (and dared to venture in).

The outdoor patio is in full effect, but if you chill out there, be prepared to get the confused stares from the clean-cut Lincoln Square locals on that end, too. Inside or out, everyone is just straight confused. We say who cares? Just bring another coffee and call it a day.

Average cost: <$10

Centerstage Reviewer: Misty Tosh