i walked in the restaurant for some avena de coco and this was to go mind you. i waited 25 minutes to get my food beacuse they ran out of lids. i was asked 10 minutes into the waiting process, do you mind if we put aluminum foil i said sure np. thats when the next 15 minutes passed as i looked at the servers talking and nothing was being done for my service. the only reason they noticed it was 25 minutes was because i got a call asking where i was and what was taking so long. i had not said a word nor complained till i realized how long it had been and thats when the server gave me an attitude because i was upset.. food is ALRIGHT but if your service is trash might as well put the food there too! by the time i actually got it in my hand it was also cold. smh read more

Disclaimer, My review isn't necessarily on the food. By the time my order came out, my migraine was so bad, I took two bites, paid for my food and left because my nausea wouldn't let the food stay down. My sister bought me a groupon, otherwise I would have walked out. And I have never done that, but I have also never went to a place where the service was this bad. I originally placed a reservation through Open Table at 130, but modified the appointment to 1245 and it said no problem, there was availability. I get there, and it is slightly packed but they said they could seat us within the next ten minutes. I can handle that, I was early anyway. We sit, we order. At this point, the crowd has died down and it isn't so busy. We ordered two steak jibaritos and eggs and sausage for my daughter. It's a little noisy, and my head started to pound. We waited almost AN HOUR to get our food. An hour. I saw people seated AFTER us who already finished their meals. I mean, an egg and sausage. Were they waiting on chickens to lay these eggs in the back? My mom went to talk to the server, who said our meals were being plated. I took two bites of my jibarito (mayo was way too thick) I got nauseous and left to go lay down in the car while my mom and daughter finished eating. My mom didn't get her tostones until after she finished her steak jibarito. I absolutely love mom and pop shops and was sooooooo disappointed in this place. I usually don't use groupon because I have had terrible experiences with the businesses I have tried. I should have known better, but didn't want to not use the gift. Next time I'll give it away. read more

Nellie's - The jibarito I didn't eat. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is the perfect place to go if you're in the mood to take your time on a lazy Sunday afternoon. The food is savory and used plantains in creative ways that can lean either salty or sweet. There's also a buffet if you don't want to wait for food, but it may be a little overpriced at $22/plate. Otherwise, for a 30 min wait, you can have some excellent mofongo, yuca fries, and chicarron pollo. The atmosphere is laidback and lends itself to the kind of afternoons spent idling in the shade with friends. read more

Nellie's - Mofongo con Chicharron de Pollo and soup - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The Coconut Oatmeal is outstanding! The service is great, friendly and knowledgeable. read more

Nellie's - Coconut Oatmeal- Avena de Coco - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Nellie's is amazing. I've been coming here for 5-years. Whenever someone comes to visit me, I always take them to Nellie's (and Pearl's Place. Check them out). I always get the buffet option. Everything is good! Their coconut oatmeal taste like Horchata. It is the best oatmeal I've ever had! Their mini flan brings me pure joy. The space is quaint so come early or make reservations. Nellie's is consistently good and a staple in the Humboldt community. read more

Went back many years after my first review and WOW the improvements are real!!!!! Service was attentive and food came out fresh and hot. Outstanding, so glad to see the kinks have been worked out. Great job to the Nellie's team, so glad to have you in the neighborhood. read more

Nellie's is a nice Puerto Rican restaurant. There is a good selection of food and it's tasty but nothing amazing. The service was rough, it took more than 30 minutes to get breakfast for two people, the restaurant was not packed. When the food came it was not barely warm. read more

Wonderful as always; my husband and I have been going to Nellie's for years and it has never disappointed us....the food is great, the staff makes you feel like family; for anyone who reads this review and has never been there I recommend la Tortilla Boricua (Nellie's Special) OMG is sooooo good! I'm Cuban and eating all their boricua plates also make me think of mr island bc Cuba and Puerto Rico son de un pájaro las dos alas! read more

Just moved to Humbolt Park, and the word is that brunch here is amazing. Came here on a weekday late morning- early afternoon. This place is very welcoming and does have that family type comfortable vibe. Maybe too comfortable and laid back because service was pretty slow, we were at our table for quite some time before anyone even noticed. And the food took some time to come out as well. But now to the food, I knew before coming here what I wanted. I got the Nellie special (omelet with plantains), and some of that Coconut Oatmeal you see in all the pictures. And I must say those were amazing, must try for sure!!! The food here is pretty good. Just don't come here if your in a hurry or on a time crunch. read more

First Jibarito and was a success! Service was spotty, but overall good experience and a fun spot to try a Jibarito!!

I've been here a bunch. I'm not a big breakfast guy but I come here specifically for the coconut oatmeal. I don't know if I will anymore. Their oatmeal needs more oatmeal in it. It's become an oatmeal soup and that along with the coffee is always tepid. These two things are signatures at a breakfast place especially this one. I love this neighborhood. I'm sure they're fine without my patronage but this is a simple fix. I won't be back much more if they don't fix it. read more

Everything was good except for the service. BUT with that being said, I had a friend of mine explain the culture of Puerto Rican restaurants. Basically all Puerto Rican restaurants are inattentive and lack proactivity lol. Which is why I can't give them a 5 star rating. Food is amazing but service is just not up to par. read more

The food is excellent! It's really authentic Food from Boriqua! I haven't being to a place that the food takes me back to how my mom and both of my abuelas made! I 100% recommended this place read more

Absolutely delicious food, can't believe I hadn't eaten here sooner! Would highly recommend breakfast jibarito if you like plantains read more

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

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I have driven by this place so many times. I finally decided to go and check out this place. This place was spectacular, I was pleasantly surprised. Service Staff greeted me and were very nice. They answered my questions about the menu and my glass of water was always full. Food I did read others saying that it can take time to get the food out, I didn't feel it took too long, my server did tell me they make everything to order so sometimes it can be a little bit of wait. I really enjoyed my egg/avocado sandwich, it was a unique flavor that was quite tasty. I will definitely be coming back here with friends/family and looking forward to trying the other items on the menu! read more

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

The bistec was tender, savory perfection. The arroz con gandules soulfully seasoned and equally as enticing. But the MVP, without question, is reserved to the plump morsels of sweet delight that are your lovely maduros. Thank you for bringing me a bit of home. read more

Nellie's - 15 minutes prior this contained bistec encebollado, arroz con gandules and maduros. First review, be kind. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Arrived on a Friday morning around 9:30. Got seated, not many people in the place but maybe half of the tables had not been cleared. Sat for fifteen minutes before even getting water to the table with no ask if we wanted coffee nor leaving a menu. Eventually a waitress got off of her chair where she was playing with her phone and brought menus but left before asking about coffee. After a while she comes back and takes our order including coffee. Another ten minutes until I tracked a guy down and said we would really like some coffee. Another ten minutes and two cups of (very good) coffee came to the table with menus. Another fifteen minutes until food arrived and was average fare (lukewarm breakfast potatoes). Had to go to the waitress on her chair and ask for the check. I don't recall ever not leaving a tip before today. read more

Simply Delicious! The server we had was very sweet, but also very busy due to all tables. I believe there were only 1-2 servers at the time each with 3-5 tables to serve. read more

This place was not bad if you wanted to grab a quick bite. Didn't need a reservation either. If you come here I'd say just get the oatmeal which is what they are known for. I got the omelette and wasn't a huge fan. The big thing for me was that it took about 45 minutes to get our food after ordering, which wasn't great. Wasn't a terrible place, but not sure i'd go out of my way to go again. read more

I was looking for a great mofongo So 2 of my co workers said Go to Nellie's I walk in this morning I order the avena Cafe con leche And mofongo con chicharron was pretty good Huge portions I took some to go I be back to try the jibaritos Service good and friendly read more

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Nellie's is a solid brunch option if you're looking for something a little bit different. It's Puerto Rican, so they've got the brunch staples you've come to know and love, but they've got a different flair on them. I went with a group and did the buffet, and while it's a bit pricier than their off-the-menu options, it was worth it to be able to try a little bit of everything. The big highlights for me were the coconut oatmeal (might sound strange, but it's delicious!) and the omelets. If you do the buffet, they make them to order for you (the old Puerto Rican guy making them was impressive, he'd have four going at a time and remember everyone's order!). Whatever spice they use in the omelet makes them extra tasty). If you do the buffet, you also get unlimited coffee and orange juice (perfect since it's BYOB and you can do mimosas if you bring in champagne). It's a tiny space, they've got too many tables crammed in there so you're constantly getting bumped into by people walking behind you (patrons and servers alike). It adds to the charm a bit perhaps, but the tables were also pretty cramped so eating was a bit of a challenge. Prices seemed good-the buffet is $17 before tax/tip, which if you can eat enough food is a good deal. read more

Yum! I am going to dream about that avena de coco. Everything was fresh and fast. I'll definitely be back!

I live down the block from Nellie's and frequent this place all the time! Their jibarito and steak sandwiches are so yum! Do not snooze on their avena de coco. Also, sometime they have sweet bakery treats at the counter. That banana chíllate nut bread .... . Service during the week can be a bit slower but do not let that deter you. The staff are so sweet and the food is some of the best in Humboldt Park! read more

Not an exaggeration: we waited 50 minutes before our food came out. Once it came out, it was delicious. We should've gotten up to leave at the 30 minute mark, but were given free pastries to stay and were told that it'd be out very soon... 20 minutes later... and then the last part of the order 10 minutes after that. Not the servers' fault at all (I assume), but the kitchen needs to get it together. Can't come back because I wouldn't know whether to block off the entire afternoon for a lunch. read more

I love it here. I love the food, the coffee. The cafè con leche is delicious. I have tried so many different menu options and I have loved every single one of them. On the weekends they do get really busy, so there can be a bit of a wait. I wish that on the weekends it was open a little later, that would be awesome! However, during the week it's not as packed, so even getting in closer to 3 isn't bad. The staff is awesome, and the food is authentic. Some of the meal options have a little modern twist, but nothing real crazy. Also, try to pick up a T-shirt if you can. There is a waiter that sells really cool T-shirt's that say "Humboldt Park" on them with a Jurassic Park theme. It's nice to show support. read more

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

Food was delicious. Staff was extremely attentive and welcoming. I felt like a regular and not a visitor. The restaurant had beautiful pictures inside. It was a small place but seemed to accommodate the crowd it had at the time. The bathrooms weren't much and were oddly in the middle of the restaurant. I would highly recommend trying their jibarito as it was delicious. You can always get pancakes and eggs if you don't want Puerto Rican food read more

Very good jibarito plate here. Highly recommend. The food was delicious and service was refreshing.

Came to have some puertorican food since we were passing by in the área . We had oatmeal which was the best I have ever tasted !!! We also had mofongo with steak and chicharrón de pollo con tostones . All great food and service. The only thing I would say that needs improvement is not delaying on the service as much as we did . Other than that it was great. read more

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We were in the neighborhood and looking for breakfast so stopped in at Nellie's, and we're so glad we did! The food was delicious! (I wish I had read reviews beforehand. Sounds like I should have tried the coconut oatmeal!) I ordered the breakfast sandwich. Given the low price, I assumed it was going to be small so ordered a side of potatoes as well. Didnt need to! The sandwich was huge! Both it and seasoned potatoes were so good, but I couldn't finish. Service was really friendly. They took great care of us. We'll definitely be back! read more

Super friendly service, and they helped accommodate my vegetarian diet by substituting veggie sausage in my jibarito! Everything was delicious. I've never had more delicious oatmeal, which I never thought I'd say. read more

We went for brunch with a group of about 10 people on a Sunday. They offer a buffet option, as well as the brunch and lunch menu. The breakfast jibarito was really good, the shrimp mofongo not so much. Overall, everyone enjoyed their food. The problem we had was it took over an hour to receive our food and not once did anyone stop by to apologize or explain what the hold up was. Very disappointing. read more

I drive two hours to come get avena de coco and egg sandwiches here. My favorite breakfast of all time. They offer the oatmeal in larger volumes; I fantasize about bringing a boba straw so I can guzzle it directly from the gallon like a big amazing juicebox read more

My friend Milady Vasquez soooo loves their Oatmeal.. she is one of those people you just can't buy anything for... SO I CALLED And ordered her a week of oatmeal to be delivered to her door two blocks away... ALTHOUGH This is not their forte... The owner Cindy oblige me and doing so I think you guys so much my friend was so happy every morning!!!! ME I ALWAYS HV THE Tostones and steak sandwich ... yummmmm read more

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

Absolutely the slowest service ever !!! We were the only couple in there. Give it two stars because the food good. I would only go back if my stomach was full. read more

A colleague and I have brought high school students here on two occasions (my colleague last year, and me yesterday). This place has been the easiest place on Paseo Boricua to make arrangements with for large groups. Everything was clear- the pricing, the items that would be offered, the location in which we would be served. The server (Toni) attending to us was great and didn't miss a beat with anything. The students loved the food, and the spot they put us was very comfortable. Pablo is very responsive to communication and was flexible when I had to cancel a group due to weather. Nellie's is your place for your next group event! read more

horrible service they made me wait exactly 27 minutes for a egg and cheese sandwich. and they wanted me to wait more time , they had four or five empty tables meaning the place wasn't packed by the way I told them they could keep the sandwich and I left. Mr. Pissed Off read more

Delicious breakfast. The coconut oatmeal was excellent. Cozy atmosphere and affordable. Looking forward to going back.

The coconut oatmeal was SO good!!! You must try it. I also had the jabarito breakfast and yuca fries. Literally perfection. You MUST come here! read more

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

Great food - we've been coming here for years and recommend it to all of our friends. But the service has become terrible. The last 2 times we've visited, they seated us more than 30 minutes past our reservation time. They have even seated other parties that arrived after us. Food comes out very slowly and our order has been messed up multiple times. We'll continue to come here just because the food is good and it's a great place, but maybe it's only worth it to do takeout. read more

You have to be careful around Nelly's/Nellie's; they can disappoint. For example, Nelly Furtado hasn't come out with a solid album since Folklore. Being called 'nelly' is an insult. The Lou's Nelly's teeth are so jacked, I see them in the deepest, darkest recesses of my mind. And, Nellie Oleson still reigns as one of TVs biggest b!tches. Ever. Not a good track record. It takes a boricua to break the cycle. This spot on Division is serving up breakfast specials in a big way. For starters, you gotta go with the oatmeal. I am not an oatmeal kinda guy (unless it's in a cookie). I was dubious. I tapped that isht. So.good. The oatmeal comes out topped with cinnamon and all coconuty and Caribbean-y and taunting me to shuck it all to move to the islands and live a life of music, food and booty-y. Very tasty way to start your meal. Follow that bowl of goodness up with a Rican omelet: plate-sized egg goodness, filled with peppers, cheese, tomato, onion, ham, AND TOPPED WITH PLANTAINS. Dye your hair platinum, cut it into a crew and scream into the void, "Stop the insanity!" Delicious. Now, improve upon your meal by ordering orange juice or coffee. I ordered the lemonade and while i appreciated the free refills, it was pretty watery and I didn't 'get' it. Stick with breakfast standards. If you're a bread person, you'll like the slightly garlicky crunchy bread that comes with the meal. It's not a deal-breaker or game-changer. It's just there. Stretch out. Relax. Stay a while. The joint is a lot bigger on the inside than what it looks like from the street. This is summer in the city. You gotta do it. read more