My husband and I decided to give this place a try. We came on a quiet Sunday afternoon and seem to be the only people in the restaurant. My puerto rican husband ordered the Mofongo and I had the bistec empanado and a side order of tostones. The mofongo was not seasoned but my husband said it was decent with the broth for $14. Don't expect much for the tostones as they are cut very thin and fried way too long. I would assume these just to be chips and $4 is too expensive for 6 pieces. Unfortunately I can't say 1 nice thing about the Bistec empanado as the rice, beans and steak were cold. Also as I took 1 bite I spit it out on the plate. The server was busy cleaning and we let her know that it was inedible. The steak was cold and fried t9 a crisp. This is not the correct way to make this dish. I was offered a substitute but declined as I can see the kitchen staff was just sitting around in the back of the dining room. It was a disappointment as to see this. We expected much better as we waited about 40 minutes for the food. Being married to a Puerto Rican and visiting the island yearly we may be too critical as to the correct way Boriquen food should be prepared. This place is needs to step it up and make sure that the food is prepared fresh. read more

Great authentic Puerto Rican food. I love this place. It's a must if you're in the neighborhood. Their buffet breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays is very delicious and offers a veriety of great food. Their oatmeal is the best in town. read more

Nellie's never disappoints! I needed food within a short timeframe, and they were able to help me out. Thank you,Tony! You were so easy to work with. Thanks for directing me to Tony, Pablo. Our guests loved the food, and so did we. Thanks again! Definitely recommend this place! :) read more

What can I say! I loved Nellies. The food was very good and of course they had the best coconut oatmeal! The service was great, always made sure we had everything we needed and very polite staff. I enjoyed the outside eating area as well. read more

Yum! I love their brunch buffet on the weekends, with avena de coco! Their staff is also super attentive and friendly. This is a great community place, we live on the north side but will got to HP for Nellie's. The place has a very pretty island-like bar and decor, that evokes pleasant feelings and make you feel relaxed. The artwork is amazing there and we hope to buy some for our home once we can afford it. read more

I have been to Nellies over and over again and the service and food continue to impress me. I can mention many meals that include them accomodating my particular taste for that day or just grabbing something directly from the menu that was just soooooo good. I agree with the person that wrote about their brunch, its still kicks and is a favorite thing to do on a Sunday. I have to mention the oatmeal. Im sure a ton of people would agree with me that the Coconut Oatmeal at Nellies makes you realize what you might have been missing eating boring bland oatmeal over the years. Its absolutely the best Oatmeal I have ever had. Other favorites, the Martita Sandwich made with tripleta, avocado and sweet plantains and their Vegy sandwich. Also, you have to try the Nellies breakfast or the pastelon on brunch days. read more

I've read the reviews & was excited to give the brunch buffet a try. It was just ok. The omelet station was nice as were the fried plantains & some kind of yummy ground beef, egg, plantain bake. The pineapple at the fruit bar was fresh & tasty. The coconut oatmeal that so many rave about was not good. It was really liquidy, not hot & just kind of blah. The rest was like a low-mid level hotel buffet. Nothing special. Service was not great, my water & coffee were repeatedly empty. I had to ask for refills. I'm glad I tried it, because I was interested, but I probably won't go back. read more

Delivery Review: I had never been here before. Ordered breakfast special requested no meat. Omelette with cheese, veggies, plantains, garlic French bread, and coconut oatmeal. My friend ordered eggs, potatoes, sausage, and a side of oatmeal. I normally don't like thinner oatmeal. It was was like heaven! It was sprinkled with cinnamon. It would have even better with some bananas. I am not big fan of omelettes however this one was amazing!!!! Supper fluffy, super flavorful bursty with fresh veggies and chesse, and plaintains. Food was delivered quickly and driver was was super nice. I will going back... read more

My hubby and I moved into Humboldt Park almost a year ago and have been trying to make the rounds through the neighborhood restaurants. I've been to Nellie's 2 times in the last several months, both for brunch and both times the food and service were really good. The coconut-flavored oatmeal is tasty and filling. I, being a fan of the jibarito, had it there as well and it hit the spot right on. Cozy neighborhood restaurant, good food, friendly service and a Jibarito that delivered. We will definitely visiting again and will consider doing the Sunday brunch. read more

The weekend brunch is amazing with all the Puerto Rican favs and traditional American breakfast foods. It's $15.00 a person with unlimited coffee and OJ. The coffee is not good but if you want good coffee go to Cafe Colao right down the street. I think they are owned by the same people. The OJ is great! The Avena De Coco is the best I ever had (sorry abuela). Great place to take people from out of town. Be prepared to wait if you go during peak hours but it's worth it!! read more

Fresh, hot and ready! Love the brunch buffet! And the fresh omelet with sofrito....Mmmm...like no other! Super clean and beautiful art work! Definitely will be back! read more

I am just waking up from a food coma due to the deliciousness of Nellies weekend brunch. Not only were they able to accommodate a last minute reservation request on EASTER SUNDAY, the service was top notch despite the holiday craziness that comes with Easter Sunday brunch. The avena de coco was amazing and pastelon was unlike anything I've ever had. I'm already looking forward to coming back. read more

Great food. But on more than one occasion, I've seen them close their doors early. And not just 5 minutes early, I mean 15 mins early. I've worked in the food service before, so to some extent I understand, but I just wanted to get a quick coffee and couldn't get that. Bad business. New experience today, just came and waited 25 minutes and all I ordered was a veggie sandwich. When asked if someone could look into what was taking so long, not only did I not even receive an apology, I was told that it was taking a while because they had to heat up and cook the onions, because that's all I got on it. TERRIBLE!!! In response to my previous post about them closing 15 minutes early, then you guys should change your hours because now you guys are misinforming customers. I have stopped recommending this place to my new friends to town solely based on the terrible service I have received multiple times. read more

Only come here for 1 thing, and that's the Avena de coco! Absolutely amazing. Makes me feel like I'm right at home in grandmas kitchen. Obsessed!! read more

I finally made my stop and Wow! The Coconut Oatmeal is absolutely delicious. I also tried the Yuka fries, yummy. I'd like to especially thank two particular servers there for their kindness. Unfortunately, I didn't catch their names. But the younger gentleman that walked over from across the restaurant and asked me if I've been taken care of to place by to go order and a very kind woman who actually did take my order immediately after walking through the door. Thank you for all you do! read more

Meh. I've had better. Weird decor, terrible service, cold coffee, cold potatoes....there were few positives. (The art on the walls was beautiful) With the plethora of amazing brunch spots in Wicker Park/Ukranian Village/Bucktown, we won't be dining here again. Sorry Nellie's. read more

Delicious, clean, easy street pay box parking. Courteous service. Went in for breakfast and the coconut avena (oatmeal) is so delicious it's a must! The coqui breakfast sandwich, amazing and oh so filling also a must! My kids had pancakes and the other had the standard eggs, bacon, potatoes. They loved it. Standard breakfast prices. Wepa! Check it out.... read more

Nellie's - Coqui breakfast sandwich wow delicious amazing - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food is good, just the waiting time is a little exaggerated. There's a lot of waitress and only one tries to attend everyone.

UPDATE: After my review, the owner did actually reach out to myself and grub hub and I was given a full refund which was very nice of them to do. He promised to work on their delivery food and reached out to grubhub to work out their issues with the delivery drivers. I still don't think we'll ever get delivery from them again but we'll definitely visit again soon because their food when you're at the restaurant is fantastic. Thanks for the refund and excellent service! - Nadia read more

The breakfast brunch is great. Puerto Rican lasagna, fried pork, rice and beans, french toast, bacon and more. There's a chef who will make you your own omelette, make sure to tip him! Maybe best breakfast in town. read more

My friends and I absolutely LOVE their new menu! The many Different flavored fries are all amazing and the grain bowl is heathy but at the same time incredibly delicious! and of course the craft beer menu is always rotating and interesting as well. read more

I went here once last summer, had the buffet, was fairly good, though nothing special. Then I went again when my brother was in town, and we waited 1 1/2 hours for our food, and eventually decided to leave without being served. The service was HORRIBLE and the manager never came by to apologize. It was difficult to even get any staff to answer our questions about when the food would come out. I will NEVER go here again. read more

What can I say.. this place is great... Ask for the Coqui scrammble . You won't be disappointed. read more

Nellie's - Avena de Coco... Coconut Oatmeal... This is sine of the best I've had. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Went for lunch, appreciated the outdoor seating. Great sandwiches, generous portions, amazing fries. Definitely will be visiting again.

Celebrating my husband's birthday over brunch at Nellie's was a hit. We called in for a 10:30am buffet reservation and arrived to a comfortable table for 4, my husband, 2 sons, & myself. Brunch is always a hit for my kiddos, they are 6 & 3, so I tread lightly in restaurants. They were excited for oatmeal, French toast, and pancakes, and I was looking forward to the PR cuisine. On the menu that day was: lasagna (plantain, ground beef, & cheese), seasoned roasted potatoes, bacon, sausage, coconut oatmeal, PR rice, fried chicken, French toast, pancakes, an omelette bar, fresh fruit, flan, and OJ or coffee to drink. The price, $16.99 for adults & $7 for kids under 3. My favorite, the lasagna, oatmeal, amazing not burnt and still a bit crunchy bacon, & the French toast. The PR rice was okay, not worth 4 stars, but I'm not complaining. My husband thoroughly enjoyed the oatmeal, and the omelette bar, and the boys were very happy with the oatmeal, French toast, fresh fruit. Notice a pattern here?! Try the oatmeal, folks! I do have to point out that the service was a 3, since our waiter hardly checked on us and we needed refills, napkins, and were short silverware, but the experience was overall worth 4 stars, along with the price. I am looking forward to visiting again. ¡Wepa! read more

Nellie's - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

On Sunday 5/31 @ 1:30 pm, I enjoyed brunch with my friend at Nellie's warm and inviting restaurant. The artwork and decor is quite lovely. They have a 12.95 brunch buffet but my friend and I I chose to order from the breakfast menu.I had Nellie's Puerto Rican Breakfast which was very tasty, along with the oatmeal that is as great as the other reviewer's have mentioned. Toni had the veggie omelette and a side of plaintains. She enjoyed her food. The bottomless coffee is very good. There were a fair amount of people...NOT OVERLY CROWDED. NO wait. Our orders were taken immediately. Considering this, It DID take a significant amount of time for our food to be served.....about 30-35 min. This was my only drawback. If you are extremely hungry, go with the buffet. It is a place that I would visit again. read more

Great food, I always go for the coconut avena (oatmeal)....it is delicious....the Nellies breakfast special is my favorite. I havent checked out the breakfast buffet yet but plan to very soon. They do need to get a better selection of coffee because it was not very good and I didnt get it until I was practically done with my meal. The service was not that great, but I guess it's because they are understaffed. read more

The owner/person in charge is on a power trip where he thinks he should make ppl wait. I sat there for 35 min at lunch time about 1:00 PM, I saw the servers point us out to the person in charge but I was still waiting while I could see 5 0r 6 empty tables through out the restaurant and that is what I could see, there could have been MORE empty tables. So I was thinking to myself, IF THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE, WHAT HAPPENS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS IN THE KITCHEN?? I finally left without eating. read more

Eggs were cold waiting for a lunch entree oatmeal delicious, pancake were burnt one not what I like otherwise ok. Remade two pancakes at my request. read more

The most wonderful people work here. Yes, the food is great, their juices are amazing, and I will assume that everything I didn't try is spot on. The maduros were a little overdone for my preference of texture but the taste profile was great. However, I could honestly care less because the staff took such great care of me. Service was fantastic, but they also let me charge my phone and one young man shared his enthusiasm for his breakfast sandwich on French toast bread. The positivity was contagious. They treat you like family here. I don't often come to this area, but I know where I will take my friends to brunch next time. I didn't get anyone's names before I posted this, but in case the owner checks yelp I was here 10/19 Friday the morning shift and they should be very proud of their staff. read more

Their Sunday breakfast buffet is amazing! Omlets with home made sofrito and giardiniera...rice and beans just like my grandmas! I highly recommend this spot! read more

Food was tasty but used their online platform to order my food as I hate to wait around for my food. They gave me a time to show up and pick up my food and unfortunately the food was not ready when I showed up on time. No biggie, I generally don't mind waiting a couple minutes but twenty minutes later still no food. I received no explanation, no apology for the delay until I said something. At this point I just wanted to go and I asked for a refund, they explained that the food was about ready so I waited some more. Finally get my order, make it to my car only to discover I'm missing an item, debated whether to just let it go but in the end I returned and let them know about the missing item. Sorry about that give us five minutes they said. Again I waited, five minutes later I finally had my complete order. Again, staff was polite and respectful and food was good, I just wished someone would have let me know that they needed more time to complete my order and I would have gladly waited in my car until it was ready. FYI I did provide my phone number in the order form. To the very least let me know what's going on so I'm not standing there getting more upset as time goes by. read more

Omg I Loved the avena and the nellies special! The staff was pleasant too! Will def be back!

Pernil jibarito has changed my life. Omg yum. Rice could use a little more flavor, but I'm Puerto Rican and picky about my arroz con gandules. read more

It was our first time eating at this place and used the buffet for breakfast. The waiters and waitresses were nice and polite, no question about that. But every other thing was off. All the foods were either too sweet or too salty. The pancakes were over baked and completely brown. Even coffee tasted like dust! When I asked the gentleman who made the omelettes about the spice he used notifying him that I was going to give it to my infant, he responded "THIS IS MY INGREDIENTS I CAN'T TELL YOU!!!" I was so shocked to hear that and explained that I just wanted to make sure it's not spicy. He didn't even bother responding to that concern. We have made another reservation for next week which I'm going to cancel. Very disappointed! read more

Servers were very nice and the coffee (Cafe Bustillo) was good. It took a really long time to get our breakfast order but it was worth the wait. A really good breakfast. And the waitress was kind enough to bring us s sample of the coconut oatmeal which is outstanding read more

Nellie's is for sure my favorite place to go for brunch. It is family-run, cozy and familiar while offering a large menu and an impressive Sunday buffet. The price is right and the eats are delicious. For those with egg allergies or intolerances, Nellie's is a great place to order things besides omelettes and french toast. I order the avena de coco (coconut oatmeal) every time, in addition to ripe avocado on tostada criolla. Nellie's knows when an avocado is ready to eat, unlike most trendy restaurants. Me encanta este restaurante! read more

Nellie's is where its at. Despite my preference for a restaurant that bestows my middle name, the food is absolutely delicious, always warm and served by the nicest people you'll meet in Chicago. For starters, I love the oatmeal, which is a heavenly mixture of cinnamon, oats and magic. I don't know how its made but would love the recipe. I usually share a cup with my boyfriend and then get the scrambled eggs with sausage and plantains. The coffee is a hit as well. I recently went with a group of friends this weekend and unbeknownst to me, the Sunday brunch has expanded to Saturday as well. I tried it and it was great, with an omelet station and some other breakfast varieties to try, as well my staples. At $15 it was a bit more than I usually pay for my a la carte meal (affordable at $7). The decor is really cool, full of art work by a Puerto Rican artist collected by the owner, Tony. Prints are available for sale too. I bought one. read more

5 stars for the food, 1 star for service. Breakfast here is a unique, low key treat. Just be prepared to put up with completely incompetent, slow waitstaff. read more

So yummy! Pretty crowded (we were there on a Sunday) but the host was so helpful and made sure we got seated. Definitely recommend the El Coquito sandwich read more