Mmmmm. This place serves GREAT mexican food. I was extremely please with my meal -- as were the others with me.
I live nearby and always meant to stop in - because it looked so cute - but had never gone there until a friend, new to the neighborhood, insisted that we go there.
It is now Mexican again and the owner, Jose, explained the reason for the back and forth cuisne/name change.
It's now my favorite mexican, not just because of the great food, prices, service and quaint atmosphere - but because its BYOB and if you bring in a bottle of tequilla they will mix you up a super yummy margarita or white dove. Â Thanks for bringing back the mexican Jose!
I used to be the biggest fan of this place. They had a chef right off the boat for Napoli who made pizza with crust as light as air. Then he got the boot and every time I go it gets worse and worse. The owner/waiter is a nice guy but he's trying to do too much. He should just focus on mexican and stop ruining the pizza.
Review Source:I went there on a snowy night last weekend to find that there were actually people in this restaurant. Â Most of the times I pass by -- as it is right down the street from me -- it looks so forlornly empty. Â The people were seated at one long table, very likely a holiday party. Â I was still welcomed in. Â I ordered the fried calamari appetizer and the sausage & peppers special, but since I was in the mood for pasta I had them prepare it with spaghetti. Â The sizable portion of fried calamari was quite good (what I could taste of it) and came with marinara on the side. Â The sausage & peppers over pasta with marinara was also serviceable. Â The waiter apologized for running out of bread (which comes in toasted, sliced baguette rounds). Â
I gave this place 3 stars because the marinara sauce may have been bland, but since my sense of taste & smell is 90% gone (likely nerve impairment due to chronic sinusitis) I couldn't be sure. Â I'll update my review the next time when I can actually taste more fully.
WARNING WARNING WARNING
If I could call this food an expletive, I would.
El Sol was once a place that served awesome, cheap Mexican food (with an Italian menu everyone ignored). Â Those days are over. Â Now "Il Sole" is a very ambitiously priced purveyor of greasy muck it labels "Italian." Â The restaurant has axed the Mexican half of its menu--the half everyone liked--and it now SUCKS so unbelievably badly I can compare the entrees unfavorably to day-old airline food.
I didn't notice the change before we sat down, but as soon as I opened the menu and noticed the mentions of "cream cheese" in the lasagna, I was worried. Â Surely they mean creamy ricotta, I rationalized--especially when they're asking you to pay $14 for it. Â We ordered with a lot of trepidation. Â Then the icky magarine and icky bread arrived, and I resigned myself to an overpriced, mediocre meal. Â
But even then I was not prepared for food I can only describe as atrociously bad. Â My husband's entree--pasta amatriciana--was a plateful of chewy noodles doused in a sauce that tasted like tomato juice and liquid smoke with chunks of ham thrown in. Â It was frankly inedible--at $13. Â My "lasagna" was a lump of noodles alternating with ham-and-cream-cheese (yes, the Philly kind) and swimming in grease. Â It was edible, but barely.
I really cannot describe HOW ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING this place is now. Â I wouldn't eat this food if it were free, and I am not kidding.
The waiter explained to me that the "chef" wanted to switch to all Italian. Â Wow was that an asinine decision.
I'm glad we checked out El Sol and we will be going back. The Mexican food was very good and the prices were reasonable as well. We tried out the Italian and Mexican food. The baked Mosticholli ? was typical and came with a nice salad (the dressing was tasty but had a little bit too much vinegar so you might want to have it on the side). The Mole Rojo was great. I'm not an expert on Mole but very much enjoyed the velvety texture and hints of cinnamon ?, chocolate ? and bit of heat that were all mixed together and smothering the pieces of chicken. Â The rice was good as well. Our waiter was very nice. The prices range between $8 -$20 so you can spend under $10 if you wish or more if depending on what you order. We're planning on going back to try out some other things on the menu.
Review Source:What kind of place serves both Mexican and Italian food? El Sol! Once our dinner was over, I just had to ask why the combo and the owner said that he and his father just though to themselves, "What do we like to eat all the time?" If I opened up a restaurant with that same mentality, it would be all veggie sushi and lots of pasta. Maybe I'll do that? Leigh's Japanese Italian Restaurant...watch out Chicago!
The food was good. It seems like they make their own chips as they came out hot! The guacamole was good, though the menu said it was $5 when it had actually gone up (due to market price) up to $8, but we weren't told that. I got chicken fajitas which were pretty good and Ginny got some pork dish. The serving sizes were heaping and we both took leftovers home and my Zachary monster ate mine for his dinner. Since our waiter was the owner as well, I think he must have got wrapped up in something else in the kitchen because he dropped off our check and 15 minutes later, I had to edge towards the kitchen to have someone tell him we had been waiting to pay the check. I'll be heading back here to try some of the Italian dishes. I was in a Mexican mood that day.
Love, love, love these folks!
The food is fabulous, the service incredibly friendly and the value tremendous. Our server treated us to a couple of complimentary tacos--so we could sample the piccadillo--on our second visit. Outdoor seating is also a big perk, especially since you're looking at a lovely residential block instead of busy Chicago Avenue.
Please step off the beaten path and visit El Sol. This restaurant deserves to succeed!
Added Addendum: Â I don't know what the hell is going on but I think they changed their name again. Â If they ever decide to settle down I may stop by again, for some reason it is closed at odd times.
Addendum: Â El Sol now is Il Sole: Â as our friendly waiter explained, the chef wanted to focus. Â I can't vouch for the whole new menu yet, but the pizza was pretty good! Â They didnt say directly the reason for the change. Â I'm not changing my patronage over it.
Old Review: Â The owners and chef come out frequently to chat, very cozy place. Â We were walking to try another place and voila here was this new restaurant just open two days. Â Not only the traditional Mexican fare but Italian as well. Â We tried the Mexican which was substantially above expectations, especially the mole. Â Very substantial portions for very good prices. Â Staff very friendly and eager to please with a new place. Â Nice big place, hopefully it will catch on! Â One of the few cheaper priced quality mexican places in the neighborhood.
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