A lot of what we do here at Cheap Eats is to feature finely crafted and unique Nashville dishes. However, the Bongo Basic at the original Bongo Java location — a respite for students from neighboring Belmont University for almost 25 years — is not one of those dishes. But it doesn’t matter, as $7 gets you a cup of coffee, a huge pile of crisp hash browns, two pieces of toast and two eggs made how you like them (though one barista did give me a hard no when I asked for sunny-side up). It’s great bang for your buck, and an incredibly straightforward yet satisfying meal that will cover all of your bases for breakfast, lunch or even dinner. Sub in an English muffin for the toast, or spend a few more bucks to add bacon, turkey, ham or — if you must — veggie sausage.
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