The thing that I like about Sol De Mexico, other than the amazing food, is that it is not in Lincoln Park, that it is off the beaten path, that it is in my neighborhood. The food is excellent, the Sopecitos are great, all of the mole dishes are rich and unique (the Rack of Lamb in mole negro, the huge tamale with mole negro) the house made tortillas are nice and hot and fresh. It is definitely not the "usual" Mexican food, which is awesome. Great value, great atmosphere. If you have to go out of your way to get there, it is well worth it. read more

This is by far the best Mexican food I've had since I lived in San Diego. We started off with margaritas and guacamole. The margaritas were much better than a lot of the drinks I've had in Chicago, mostly because they use quality tequila. The tequila list was truly impressive and I'm looking forward to trying them all eventually. I had the Camarones a la Momia de Lujo (shrimp stuffed with Chihuahua cheese and jalapeno, wrapped in jalapeno bacon with roasted tomato & chipotle sauce and pueblan rice) it was amazing! The tomato/chipotle sauce went perfectly with the shrimp and had just the right kick to it. My husband had one of the specials, a flank steak and chicken enchilada with mole that was also fantastic. The steak was very tender and cooked perfectly. Dinner was served with fresh, house-made corn tortillas. I usually hate corn tortillas, but I loved these. They are so different than the usual pre-made, dried out tortillas you get elsewhere. For dessert we had the Pay de Coco (coconut pie with strawberry ice cream). It was the perfect balance of sweet coconut with smooth, not overpowering strawberry ice cream. We will definitely be going back to Sol De Mexico soon! read more

Food great. Service great. But. . .where the heck is this place? What neighborhood is this? Across from the Golden Tiara Bingo Parlor if that gives you a hint. Where Jesus left his shoes as some might say. read more

Delicious mole and good service. Not a byob anymore.

That food was pretty good the only thing I had a bit of an issue with is that they "ask" you if you'd like salsa for the table and it gets put on the tab. The drinks were okay but another issue with that was they charge "downtown" prices on those. We ordered a pineapple cake dessert and got a chocolate tamale dessert. We ate the dessert because well we didn't feel like waiting for the correct dessert. I don't know I guess I would like if the wait staff was more open on these almost hidden charges on things since usually Mexican restaurants place salsa and chips on the table complimentary but i guess not this restaurant. I think for the location this restaurant is at it's a bit pricey and the staff is just not as attentive for those kind of prices ... referring to mistakes on orders. I'm not sure I'll return read more

Its not often that I feel the need to write up a restaurant within an hour of eating there - but the food here is just that AMAZING. Not only is the food good, but the margarita's are EXCELLENT. You need to go to Sol de Mexico - they offer delicious traditional Mexican dishes, presented beautifully in a wonderful atmosphere that made me feel like I was in a jem of a restaurant in Mexico. There's traditional artwork and masks all over the walls, music piping in gently over the speakers, and the food is served beautifully on colorful plates. Our guacamole came in a silver sombrero (which we ate quite quickly), the food is fresh and well flavored, and the servings are generous. Don't forget to leave some room for their desserts, you'd be missing out on some wonderfully paired flavors that you'd not find anywhere else. They also have quite a selection of tequila, which everyone in my party enjoyed in margarita form. This place is highly rated in many places, it was featured on 190 N. and Time Out Chicago - and it lives up to the hype. If you're wanting a taste of Great Mexican cuisine, check out Sol de Mexico! They have expanded - so there's plenty of seating available inside as well as outside! read more

The food was amazing. We ordered the sopes to start off which I completely recommend. We've been here a few times and the moles are amazing. Everyone Should go here. The menu is seasonal but always delicious. The service is amazing. Everyone is so nice and helpful. I love this place so much!!! read more

It wasn't bad but it wasn't amazing like I'd hope it would be. The service took pretty long and the food even longer to come out. They do have some really good tortillas though. The food wasn't bad but I wouldn't be going back for a second time. read more

The service was great and responsive. One thing I really enjoyed was relying on them to suggest meals and drinks which added to the experience. read more

My husband is a Yelp user and is always looking for new restaurants to try. He's been looking @ Sol de Mexico for a while and wanting to try it so we did. Tried it once, won't go back. When we arrived there was one larger group of 6 or 8 finishing up. There were two tables of 2 each eating. We ordered and 50 minutes later didn't have food. The Margarita I had tasted odd. Almost like it had corn or something in it. The beans that came with the food although looked and smelled like pinto beans (trust me I know pinto beans) had hot dogs cut up in it. Wasn't bad tasting but reminded me of beans and franks which I don't associate with Mexican food. I'll stick to Las Palmas Mexican Restaurant in Howard Heights, IL. I have no idea how in the world this place get 4-1/2 stars. read more

This place is excellent, quality mexican food outside the south side, The mole is very tasty, great service, and very authentic but with a twist. read more

I went there with my bestie! We both love Mexican food and Margaritas, so we decided to check out this new to us spot. It was a world class customer service as well as absolutely amazing and tasty food. At some Mexican restaurants presentation of food is sort of sloppy, but at this restaurant presentation of food on the plate was exquisite. For appetizers we had Tostaditas de Ceviche "Chichihuliti" - spicy appetizer, not too filling which is good because we wanted to make sure we had enough room for our dinner. For dinner we ate and highly recommend to anyone to try: Culeta de Puerco an Tinga Poblana (good for pork chop lovers!) and Pechnga de polla en crema poblana. I am definitely coming back !!! read more

Excellent fresh Mexican food and drinks! Great service too! The Mahi Mahi was excellent. What a hidden gem. Will definitely be back again.

Went on Sunday evening and it was not busy at all (But am told on Thurs - Saturday there can be a bit of a wait). Still it would be worth it based on our dinner tonight, as all four of us were in heaven. Delicious mole (sorry cannot get my accent keys to work tonight), the drinks were awesome. The waiter was just attentive enough and made some great tequila and entree recommendations. And the FLAN was the most delicious flan I have ever eaten. This is a great spot for 6 corners and neck-of-the-woods and worth the trip if you want something off the beaten path that is delicious Mexican but not the same-ole standard fare, as their menu is very different. We'll definitely be going back! I revised my rating from 4 to 5 stars after our most recent dining experience. Everything I ate was delicious, it is by far the most creative and delicious Mexican restaurant I have been to in Chicago. read more

I've been here a few times and enjoyed the food and environment. I like the authentic art and meal choices in the restaurant.

I recently visited Sol De Mexico with a friend of mine and I was very impressed. From the decor to the drinks to the actual food everything was on point. The drink menu is very imaginative ( jalapeño infused margarita anyone ..... Lol) . Couple that with their new take on traditional Mexican appetizers and entrees and you have a nice night to look forward to. My favorites were the moles. I haven't had moles that flavorful since the last time I was in Mexico. Overall it was a very good meal, probably my best meal of the month and coming from me that's a big compliment! I would have given 5 stars if their entree portions were a touch larger.... Hint hint... Lol read more

I have been to multiple Spanish restaurants and have tasted authenticity in only a couple. Sol de Mexico has not changed my mind about finding a delicious Mexican restaurant in Chicago. The location is random, but the place is beautiful. When you enter, you might think it's closed because of the lack of customers. The service was great, the waitresses were all very kind and attentive. Now to the important stuff, the menu. First of all, the food is overpriced, especially for its taste. The presentation of the food was beautiful, but when it comes to the taste, you'll be disappointed. The meats all lack flavor and spice. But when it comes to there appetizers, it's a whole different story. There sopes are delicious and so are there tamales, I definitely approve and should somehow input that into their main dishes. Overall, I only recommend if you're looking for a very quiet and intimate place to eat, but not if you're looking for authentic Mexican food. read more

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I would call it high end Mexican food. Absolutely delicious. My husband had lamb shanks. I had the steak. The mole is award winning. I would like to go back to try their tasting menu. Margaritas were very good. I tried the habanero and the pomegranate. read more

I drove all the way to xni-pec because it was hot out and i wanted yucatecan food because its good for that but it was closed due to an air conditioning problem. I went to sol de Mexico instead for oaxacan. We got the entremes for two- ceviche, quesadillas, taquitos, and we got the sopes filled with plantain, chicken in red mole, aguacate, chorizo. Maybe too much for starters- the cheese was filling. I liked the entremes and sopes, both of which are similar to Frontera grill apps, but a different take. For dinner I got the pork chop in manchananteles (table cloth stainer) with pineapple plantains and potatoes (mashed). The sauce was really good- I can taste now just thinking about it. Companion got carne asada- really good flavor on the steak. We took most of the entrees home because we were so full. I'm thinking about making more tacos now. The drinks were a highlight. My date got a guava and a jalapeño margarita- both balanced and fresh ingredients. I got a tart limonada, sweet horchata and bittersweet Jamaica. I noticed the Mexican beers were all four dollars. Afterwards I walked the half block to La Plaza Paleteria for an ice pop. read more

Sol de Mexico - Sopes - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

New to YELP & had to add Sol to my review. I've been going here since they opened many years ago. Saw the sign as I was riding my bike south on Cicero ave. and it caught my eye. Met Carlos & his Mom that day & couldn't wait for the opening. Been there for special occasions & family events but most of all, THE BEST PLACE IN TOWN FOR NEW YEARS EVE! My wife & I have spent the last 4 of 5 New Years Eve's there & you can't beat the food & price ANYWHERE in or outside the city. I strongly encourage you, like me, to plan ahead now & I'm sure you will be like me & make this place your future NYE dinner place for yourself, with friends or family! If you do, Please ask Carlos to introduce you to me, John & my wife Judy and I will be glad to share a toast with you and the house (host)!!! read more

Terrible service. Waited 30 min for a drink order, restaurant was barely half full. Ordered lamb and they brought chicken enchiladas instead. I was told by the server to eat it because it would take too long to make the correct dish. Server didn't offer to take anything off the bill. Instead, she threw us attitude about their mistake. In a town full of Mexican restaurants, take this one off your list and go somewhere else. read more

I have been to this restaurant three times with my family and I love it. The service is wonderful. The waiters are very friendly and helpful with the menu. The food is delicious. I love the steak and plantains. The appetizers, margaritas, and dessert are also delicious. The portions are very generous and are just right for the price. I really recommend this restaurant. read more

Holy molé! I think this might be some of the best Mexican food I've ever had. In fact, some of the most tender, delicious meat I've ever had. The only thing I regret is that I didn't come hungrier. I ordered 2 tacos: one chicken/guac, one steak. At only $2.50 a pop, holy s%@t!!! Amazingly tender and flavorful. I mentioned to the waitress that the guac was missing from my taco and she promptly went to the kitchen, telling me when she returned that they had recently changed the menu and apologized. The big drawback that knocked off the fifth star is that the guac that came out was very cold (which sucks when you put it on warm chicken) and tasted old. You know how it gets runny and the tomatoes start turning? Yep, that's what I got. I think they pulled out yesterday's guac from the fridge and served that to me. Hopefully it was only from the day before and not older. The Biff asked what their specialty was and was recommended the pork loin in a molé/chorizo sauce. It was nothing short of incredible. I usually wouldn't order pork loin myself as it can come out really dry, but theirs was so juicy. How do they do it?! Tenderize it with crack!?! I had their margarita which was perfect (boozy and not too sweet). It was lunchtime and toward the end of our meal, we were the only customers there. They started blasting some music, which was kind of annoying at first but endearing when you've been pacified by such great food. I have a feeling that they don't turn up the music when it's busy. Don't let the price of the tacos fool you. It's an anomaly as the entrees are pricey (but worth every penny) even at lunchtime. DEFINITELY making the long trek out here again for dinner sometime. read more

First impressions count for a lot and the waitstaff being in charge of that, I was on the verge of walking out! Got there around 6:30 on a Saturday night so when I was told it would be a 30 minute wait since we didn't have reservations I was fine waiting. That was until another couple also without reservations was seated immediately. The difference was my date spoke to them in spanish and the other couple spoke in English. Odd right? There isn't much room to wait so when another waitress came to the front, she asked how many in our party and then seated us right away in the other room without even asking if we had reservations or anything. So we're seated and looking over the menu which has some great options. At this point we did end up waiting 30 minutes for a waitress to come and take our order. No greeting, no apology for the wait nothing. We did unfortunately notice other tables in our area who had been seated after us getting their orders taken and we had to ask a bus boy to find our waitress for us. So we order and the food did come in a decent amount of time. The food was truly delicious. We ordered lamb in mole and the carne asada. The chef knows what they're doing! The tortillas are hand thrown and tasty. The lamb had a side of mashed potatoes and the lamb was very soft. The carne asada is served with several sides but my favorite was the guacamole. Chatting up with the table next to ours also experiencing the inattentive waitress, they change the menu every 3 months. After having to ask the busboy to take our dishes since having walked by several times empty handed, and since our waitress had yet to come back and check on us or anything. She asked if we wanted dessert and we did so she said she was going to bring us the dessert menu, but she never did. Instead she came back 15 minutes and asked if we were ready for our check which we were done playing the waiting game. Another 15 minute wait for the check at which we just handed her the credit card immediately in fear of how long it would take to get back. We didn't leave the place until 9:30. We had to go back and feed the meter since it only allows a 2 hour max which for a typical dinner is more than enough time, but be ready to wait. I'm hoping we just caught them on a busy night but even so, our waitress barely waited on us and left much to be desired. read more

This place is a real find. Every dish was superb. Best ceviche I've ever had. Make the trek.

Best Mexican ever! Not your average too much beans and cheese Tex Mex. We had the tamale appetizer which should be called "Best cornbread ever with delicious melted cheese topped with awesome sauce". Seriously the best tamale on the planet. The pork with mole verde was super awesome and the molcajete special with steak, chicken, chorizo, cheese, and magic sauce was incredible. Outstanding margaritas and ginormous tequila selection help bump this review into the 5 star range. Don't be afraid to drive through the ghetto to eat here, it's worth it. read more

Food is excellent here. Service is wonderful as well. The owner is happy to talk to you about food and his mexican heritage. I've been here a few times and everything is prepared with care and attention to detail. A bit pricier than other mexican restaurants, but well worth it for the quality of ingredients. The old adage, "you get what you pay for" is certainly appropriate. Frankly, it's cheap for what you get. Green mole made with romaine lettuce and tomatillos was a surprising and delicious. Meats are well cooked, food is well seasoned - I'm a fan, restaurant is clean and service is very good. I'm a fan. read more

Really solid Mexican food - very fresh. Everyone loved the shrimp and cactus dish.... A little out of the way but worth the trip. Great atmosphere and service as well as food. read more

Went in on a friday afternoon. they made me feel at home and were very friendly. I had the sopa de azteca which is a must for anyone. the soup just touches the soul. I also had the pollo de nogada which was good. I will try to get back in that area to try some other of the other items. I really could use a gallon of that soup though. read more

Wonderful meal! Mole lamb and cocodrilo were definite highlights, but from apps to dessert everything was amazing. Nice selection of Mexican wines read more

I cannot tell you how many times I passed this place without knowing it was there. I'd heard about it and thought I'd gotten the wrong address. "3018 N. Cicero??? There's nothing there!" A nondescript storefront on a nondescript stretch of Cicero Ave. This is literally a hidden gem. Sometimes you go to a restaurant and get a dish that is so good, it blows your mind. That's how it is with me and Sol de Mexico and the Tampiquena. WOW. Skirt steak with guacamole, queso fresco, black beans and a chicken enchilada in mole. I'm not a fan of enchiladas, but this one is very good. The skirt steak is wonderful, but the showstopper here is the guacamole. Amazing. That and an apple soda and all is well. Service is friendly and accommodating. The reason I don't give them 5 stars is I did have a scallop dish that was good, but wasn't as successful. That won't happen again. I'm simply going to have the Tampiquena every time. It's a 5 star dish and then some. read more

Went there a second time, and their masa boat tapas was very, very good. It was a great appetizer. The steak tampiquena was, simply, out of this world. Crazy good, which was personally disappointing as I always liked the way I cooked skirt steak. :) This go, however, the rack of lamb in mole sauce was a bit disappointing. I get that lamb isn't the biggest cut of meat, but there were 4 1/2 of them. So, smallish. However, the chops were cooked very well. The rustic mashed potatoes were yummy, but the green beans were very over seasoned. But the biggest disappointment was the mole sauce. I had praised it in an earlier review, but this time it was not up to snuff. It was fairly pedestrian... not sure what went on there. If the steak wasn't so outstanding I would have dropped this down to a three. I can only hope that the mole was a one-off miss. read more

Maybe the best Mexican food I've had in Chicago. Definitely the most delicious lamp chops I've had in my life --- complex, earthy flavors, cooked perfectly, with rich but light mole. The sopes were all delicious and satisfying, in a gourmet yet homecooked way. The menu is filled with creative and appetizing choices, and I hope to be back enough times to try them all. read more

The decor was nice and vibrant. I had no trouble finding parking but then again I had dinner there at 5:30 pm. For an appetizer, the guacamole was freshly made and very good. I ordered the carne asada for dinner and it was average... I think mostly because the meat was average grade. But it was cooked to my liking and was not too rare. I had the chocolate cake for dessert and that was good as well....but not to die for. Overall, it was an okay experience with the guacamole being the best part of the meal. read more

This place was wonderful! I thought since it was Saturday night it would be crowded. It was nice and quiet and the service was great! The food was flavorful and the Margaritas were out of this world. I would totally go there again and invite anyone to try this diamond in the rough. read more

The uchepos (Michoacán-style corn tamales) were amazing and a must try. Sopa azteca was delicious with the perfect amount of heat. The duck was cooked perfectly and the Mexican sangria was great! The waiter and service were superb! We will be back! read more

I came here in a quiet monday night with the family. The staff was extremely nice and made us feel at home. Beautiful place. Lighting was perfect, colorful decor great music. I ordered the carne asada and i must say it was the best steak i've ever had. I like it medium rare and was cooked to perfection. Juicy and an explosion of flavor in every bite. Had it with black beans, guacamole and platanos maduro. Everything was goooood! My wife had the quail in molé and she said it was well worth the hype. We will definitely be going back with our friends. Highly recommended!!! read more

Great service great food! We made reservations for 7 pm last Friday, we got there right before 7 but the place was almost empty, so we sat wherever we wanted, they were training a new busboy and were very attentive to our needs, the food was excellent and the service just as good. Looking forward to going back again read more

I went back recently to treat mother in law Z to a tasty Mexican dinner. Once again totally amazing. It's totally worth the effort to make a trip out to the wild Wild West. read more

Always good no matter what day you go!! You can never go wrong with this place. Food is beyond delicious the chef always does an awesome job!! Inside always look nice and detail. read more