Food is great especially the buffet they have on the weekends, only bad thing I can think of is the smallest size of Orange juice I didn't know a very small plastic cup was considered an actual serving size read more

My honey and I had the buffet, it was our first time. We were both pretty pleased, but would have liked if the food was warmer. Coffee and coconut oatmeal delicious. Wait was about 20 minutes, not bad and the server was very helpful. I found it to be a bit unorganized with the seating, since it is a small area to dine. Went on a Sunday, if you are willing to wait a bit, give it a try. Will definitely return........ read more

Excellent food!! excellent service, would revisit anytime!! Thanks!! read more

Service is great! Ambiance is nice! Food isn't spectacular but fresh if you order from the menu. Worth a try, not sure if I need to go back, but won't deny an invitation. Disappointed in waffle, but it did manage to disappear from my plate! read more

Unfortunately I was only able to try the coffee, (below average diner style coffee) at this breakfast/lunch Puerto Rican restaurant as we were at our table for 45 minutes w/o a servers attentions. We asked the bus boy to place an order and he said he'd send a server over, but the server never came. We left $2 on the table for the coffee, got up an told the manager we were leaving and he said 'ok', nary a 'sorry' or a 'but we are going to do better' plea to be heard. So disappointing. It should be noted also that while we were there only 2 guests were served in the entire 45 minutes. read more

Terrific, authentic food. Healthy and not greasy. I highly recommend the chicken salad.

The food here is absolutely delicious. I don't think I've ever been to a better brunch buffet. They have a guy who makes omelettes for you, and you get to choose what's in the omelette. The Chicharrones de Pollo are also a favorite of mine (you can get these at the buffet). The restaurant is very bright, clean, and has a pleasant atmosphere. The only reason I gave it just 4 stars is that it isn't open as much as I would like it to be, and a few times that I've been there the waiters haven't been attentive and I had to wait a while before getting my glass of water refilled. Otherwise, great restaurant, definitely worth checking out. read more

Had a Groupon my sister in law gave me, if it wasn't for that me and my wife and 3yr old would have walked out. Waited about five minutes while the server and the "other employee" went about their business while making eye contact with us several times yet never acknowledging us once! So we sat ourselves but wait, " I'm cleaning a table off for you" the server announces....hmmm nice to know now. He gives us a high chair for Cheeks, cool. Seated for a couple minutes we wait for our menus, A couple walks in and Bam, Seated they are and handed menus while we still haven't received ours...I have a Groupon, its paid for...we're not leaving. Alright now, we browse the menu and quickly order. I get the Nellies special and my wife gets a Steak Jibarito. Took about 20 minutes, meh. Coconut Oatmeal (Too much cinnamon, not enough coconut!).nice and creamy though Garlic Bread (Have had better from the frozen section) Nellies Omelet (DELICIOUS!) Jibarito Sandwich (DELICIOUS) A little cheap on the meat BUT flavorful! Rice (2 out of 5) Coffee with hot milk. (2 out of 5) SERVICE WAS HORRIBLE (Never checked if our meal was ok....never got 1 offer to fill my "bottomless" cup of coffee I ordered)... read more

I love this place. The wait is long (too long some days, but when I want maduros & don't feel like cooking, I find myself sitting resignedly on a bench for 20-30 minutes). I haven't tried the brunch buffet- not because it doesn't look awesome, but because I'm pretty loyal to my favorites of the menu. The plantains, french toast, turkey bacon, oatmeal and coffee...sweet baby Jesus, the coffee... are all best bets. We also like to linger, so I guess I can't complain too much about the wait when I help contribute to the problem. read more

We went on Easter Sunday for the Easter brunch - it was our first time. The staff was friendly but other than the Omelet station the food was nothing to pay $20.99 per person for. The 20% gratuity charge for our party of 6 was also not expected. We are usually informed beforehand of the tip amount to be included in the bill. We Will Not patronize them again. Don't waste your time. read more

LOVE THEIR FOOD!!!! However, the amount of time it takes to get an order really needs to be adjusted some how, because a hungry, Puerto Rican woman in a rush is def a lethal combination. The buffet on the weekends are AWESOME!!!!.. read more

Love the brunch. Friendly service. You have to try the oatmeal, it's to die for.

My first time, cocunut oatmeal, the best ive ever tasted. Service is amazing and on point.

Delicious! My 1st time here with my husband yesterday for lunch and I must say, it was worth every cent! Alicia our server was welcoming, sweet and smiled anytime I asked for something. Their homemade pineapple hot sauce was sweet but with a kick. Love it on my rice! I'll definitely come back for breakfast and dinner next time. Thanks! read more

Just the BEST cafe ever! We recently visited Chicago and our daughter took us to Nellie's. Service was superb and the food was excellent. Prices were great too! Highly recommend! read more

I love this place. Amazing service, delicious food, strong coffee. The folks who work here are incredibly generous, and the food is especially good for the price point. There are several neighborhood alternatives to this spot, like Flying Saucer - but the service there is a bummer, and the food is half as good. Try this spot. read more

Great breakfast and brunch spot. Ordering off the menu or joining in on the buffet brunch is always a great experience. The pernil (pork) sandwich or Jibarito are both amazing! Verduras (root vegetables) and bacalao is fantastic! Fried chicken bites are very tasteful. I have never had a bad meal and always walk out stuffed - all at reasonable prices. If you want good Puerto Rican food, stop in at Nellie's! read more

Nellie's had a good reputation for being a quality brunch spot...so Joel E. and I decided to check it out one lovely Sunday morning. After being seated we perused the menu, but it became obvious everyone was heading back to the buffet. We had a quick look and decided for $15 a pop...we should do it. There were a few PR items on the buffet that were completely new to me. A ground beef and polenta casserole type concoction that was unique and tasty. In addition, you had a standard omelet bar and other classic brunch food items. The real star was stationed in the back corner of the room. A large warming pot held in its contents the most delicious coconut oatmeal I have ever tasted! It is the type of thing you tend to find yourself thinking about days or even weeks later. For this alone...I will be back. We looked over the lunch/dinner items as well and they looked good and affordable. I'm sure when the opportunity arises, I'll give lunch/dinner at Nellie's equal opportunity to impress. read more

i was in town to visit my brother and passed up this place on my to his apartment and decided to check it! i wasn't disappointed! i ordered takeout and got the el coqui sandwich, nellie's special breakfast and some pastries cuz they looked so dang good. it was all incredible! and the folks who waited on me and took my order were among the nicest people i met in my few days in the city. i'll be back next visit for sure! read more

This place is always busy so I doubt my review will hurt them much. There were a lot of problems with the service. When we walked in we knew we'd have to wait for a table but it was annoying that the two groups that walked in behind us without reservations were both seated way before us. We needed coffee and we never got it. They brought out the orange juice that came with the buffet but our requests for coffee went unheard until we left even though we were told it was coming twice. This place could use a good cleaning. I didn't want to use the bathroom after walking in to it and decided to wait until I was home. The oatmeal was ok but nothing to rave about. I found the buffet disappointing for the price. The french toast was dried out and most things I tried were just ok. Nothing we had was worth the wait to be seated. This neighborhood is busting at the seams with fantastic brunch options so I'm not sure why there is so much hype about this place. read more

Wait time to get seated was short which is a huge relief. Once at my table it took forever to get any waiter to even acknowledge our party. After maybe 15 minutes of just waiting a waiter finally walked by and said I'll be with you in a minute 6 minutes later we finally get our menus and we order. By the time our food got to the table it was already cold. Seriously the food was ok but cold!!! Definitely not worth going back. read more

I found this place just trying to find Puerto Rican food in the city and I'm happy I found it. It is very nice, classy but informal. Servers are so sweet and caring. Food was very good. The jibarito was good even after it got cold at home and warmed it up. I ate in other places and it gets bad taste. I also liked the decoration: puerto rican themes with modern taste. If Im in Humboldt Park, I will eat at Nellies again. read more

Nellie's is a family owned restaurant that serves good Puerto Rican food, especially the Sunday brunch. My family would gather together almost every other Sunday for Nellie's Brunch. When my Aunt Carmen past away we were all devestated and the owner and family of Nellie's placed a photo of my Aunt Carmen on their wall in remeberance. Thank You Nellie's. That was my Aunt Carmen's Fav place. Big Hugz. read more

Hello Nellie's!! I wanted to try something new so my breakfast buddy and hooked up and went to this quaint little place. We read there was some big wait times but we go there about 11ish so the wait was next to nothing. Im guess because Sunday mass was still in across the street. I was also intrigued because of the strange hours of operations (Wed-Sun 9am-3pm) We went with the buffet ($16.00 all you can eat) They had an awesome elderly gentleman there hooking up the freshly made omelets right in front of you all while telling great stories of his days as a young man in Puerto Rico. He made everything with fresh veggies and a special seasoning that he could/would not reveal the secret to. Hmmm They also had French toast, Pancakes, Chicken, Rice and the famous Coconut Oatmeal. Yes. I did have seconds of that. Another awesome bonus was all available juice was included in the buffet! This was quite a good choice and I will be back. If you're in Humbolt Park make a stop at this neat little place. read more

I love Nellie's! I've never had something here I didn't enjoy. The manager (at least I think he is) is very attentive and nice. The buffet on weekends is a good deal and lets you try a variety of their amazing breakfast food. The avena de coco is mind blowing! Even if you're not an oatmeal fan, you still need to try it! read more

THE BEST BUTTERMILK PANCAKES OF MY LIFE. Not just saying this because they were good, they were effing mouthwatering. The coqui Scramble was also a dish that I must have every time I go here for breakfast because scrambled eggs have never looked, smelled and tasted so FLAVORFUL. I hate oatmeal, but not Nellie's coconut heaven in a bowl. The most satisfying and delicious breakfast. Everything was cooked with fresh ingredients the staff is so friendly and the sunday brunch buffet...to die for! Try their AUTHENTIC Pastelon. It is amazing (Plantain, ground beef, cheese Puerto Rican lasagna). Ask for it. They have a premium fresh queezed OJ you have to ask for so don't be a cheap ass and ask for the good stuff. Also try their lunch! i am Puerto rican and I APPROVE of this REAL arroz con gandules as opposed to the neon orange rice you gget at othe PR restaurants in the area. The Bacalao Guisado with root vegetables reminds me of my grandmother's cooking and that is saying a lot and their mofongo has NEVER dissapointed. Crispy outside and MOIST inside. Also it's family owned, service is swift and polite. Diana is the BEST waitress so treat her well. All in all, you have to go here. read more

I went on a random weekday morning and had fantastic service. Coconut oatmeal is the best to be had among the Puerto Rican restaurants in the area. Very good bargain for the price. The egg and cheese sandwich is so hearty it could be two meals. read more

Good service, the food is fresh, I will definitely come back. Loved that oatmeal with canela, and veggie omelette.

HORRIBLE SERVICE. The employees are not trained and lack good communication skills. CANNOT EXPRESS ENOUGH if you are not a patient person do not come here. One person at our table got their food 20 minutes after everyone. Never got our coffee cups or glasses refilled. Hostess is clueless. But the food was good. Unfortunate everything else was AWFUL!! read more

I first went to Nellie's over 4 years ago and let's just say that I couldn't get their coconut oatmeal off my mind since then. I took my mom to breakfast there on Saturday. The set up was the same, even the nice man that makes your egg omelet with all your desired ingredients was still there years later. My review isn't so much based on the food as much as the service. It's horrible. I hadn't been there since the first time I went, so understandably I wasn't sure if we let them know right away if we wanted items off the menu or the buffet style breakfast. We waited maybe 15 minutes at the table staring at each other and wondering what was going on and why no one was coming over to at least greet us. I looked around and there was one waiter who was taking care of a table of like 6 women and another gentleman serving water. It was around 11 when their peek hours hadn't hit yet since there were plenty of empty seats. No one even seemed to notice us. It wasn't until I asked the hostess if we had to wait to give our drink order before we headed to the buffet that she informed me that I can just go in and get my food or order off the menu with our waiter. After I got up to get my food from the buffet, my mom placed the order for our coffees. The waiter never came back to check on us, to offer coffee refills, nothing. I was really saddened by this experience as I will not be coming back. We were basically on our own after getting our first cup of coffee. read more

Food was amazing but the service was terrible. We were never even acknowledged after 15minutes of just sitting there...finally we had to request a waitress. The place was not even that busy so there is no excuse for the negligent service. We were never offered water or checked up on even after receiving our meal. I really loved the food but the service was a deal breaker. Jibarito, coconut oat meal is a must though! read more

The only reason I am not giving 5 stars is because of the disorganized table service. Maybe if we had had the buffet we would have fared (pun) better. But seriously, the coconut oatmeal is SO good. I had a chorizo and egg breakfast which was outstanding as well. The side order of "one egg" for our daughter had to have been like 4 scrambled eggs and the hot chocolate they brought her was creamy and delicious. We loved the coffee, but didn't like that we had to wait for refills. Everything we needed we literally had to flag down someone to help us: napkins (there's a 5 year old at the table--a waiter should just set those down first thing!), a place setting for all three of us (until our food was served there were only 2), actual milk or cream instead of those homogenized plastic packet thingys would have been preferred. But the food on the plate itself? I will certainly be back someday for that. So wonderful and worth the spotty table service. read more

Neat spot. I think I ordered poorly- would like to come back and try some of the the coconut cinnamon oatmeal.

Nellie's has become one of a select group of brunch spots for my boyfriend, his son, and me. We also took his mom and aunt, when they came to visit. The boys devour the buffet, especially the omlettes and the coconut oatmeal. I prefer the french toast, plantains, and fresh fruit. Even when crowded, we've never waited more than about 10 minutes for a table. Nellie's gets extra points for being within walking distance! read more

Tons of food, reasonable prices, and quick service. Went here on a Sunday for brunch after the wait for Toast 2 was almost an hour. We were seated immediately, received coffee instantaneously, and ordered really yummy food. The oatmeal was very tasty and the breakfast sandwich was HUGE, cheap, and delicious. read more

I live in the neighborhood and for some reason had not been over to Nellie's till this past Saturday. I typically eat at Cafe Colao down the street (also amazing) but this weekend, I cruised over to the bike shop to get a flat fixed only to find it was not open for another hour. Naturally, I asked my friend to grab some food while we waited for the shop to open. He obliged and off to Nellie's we went. I've seen a ton of reviews about rude staff. I experienced the polar opposite. The staff was so nice. They made me feel comfortable. The environment was warm and comforting.. like being surrounded by family. I got the buffet. Everything was so fresh and perfect. The coco oatmeal is amazing. The fried chicken is superb. There's this egg/ground beef/cheese/plantain casserole that is simply divine. It's basically Puerto Rican lasagna and it rules. Long story short, can't wait to come back to this place week after week. For a sit down brunch, it's super economical and fantastically delish! read more

I love this place! Food is great, people were fabulous. I enjoy myself, with family and friends. Thanks keep up the great work.

I went to Nellie's for brunch today for the first time, and the coconut oatmeal really is everything people rave about. Most people eat oatmeal because they feel like they have to rather than wanting to do, but whatever it is that Nellie's puts in their oatmeal will make you want to eat a trough of it. The other food was great, too, but even if Nellie's decided to only have coconut oatmeal on its menu and that's it, I would be a-okay with that. It's not too coconutty for those who have an aversion to oatmeal, but it's still sweet, flavorful & just perfect. The staff there is also incredibly nice & prices are reasonable. I'll definitely be coming here more often! read more

Sad to say the service has deteriorated... I've come several times to Nellie's, with friends and my family. Loved it at first. But the last few times the service has been bad. My last experience was horrible. 5 of us went for a birthday brunch. We played it safe and make a reservation -although when we got there, it wasn't busy. 3 workers were at the counter but no one came over to us. We had to flag a waitress down for coffee, she walked over WITH A FULL POT OF COFFEE and told us someone will be with us shortly - and left with our coffee cups still empty. After 15 minutes of sitting at our table, we got coffee. Everyone's order was wrong, the food didn't come out at the same time, and no one came back to check on us. Thank goodness for the company I was with or brunch would have been a complete bust. I will say the coconut oatmeal IS delicious... but not sure if it's worth dealing with the service. read more

Service was HORRIBLE. Way overpriced and overrated. Don't waste your time or your money!