They have pretty good food here. It's a fancy Mexican joint, not your hole in the wall kind of place. A little on the pricy side. I have had the guacamole, steak on 3 occasions, and the last time I had a chicken enchilada dish. They switch up the menu which I think is nice. My husband had a fish dish, can't remember which but he really enjoyed it. I remember service to be pretty good too. It's a very warm setting here, great for a date. There is also a back room where they do parties (I went to one, that's how I found out about the place).
I want to come back and try the quail... I was scared to try it last time because I've never had it. It's on my list to do for sure!
I have been looking for a fun but slightly upscale restaurant around the Belmont Craigen/Portage Park and found it!
Service: Â Super friendly, attentive, and informative. Â
Food: Â To die for! Â You know found a gem when the mole is heaven. Â The mole was heaven.
Price: Â It's medium, but much less than downtown touristy places.
Ambience: Â Very unique, warm and romantic.
I have found my neighborhood place to take friends to a fancy dinner, without having to hike it to downtown. Â Also serves as a great romantic date night place.
It's been awhile since we last visited this restuarant. We decided to head here for date night on a Friday in January. I looked forward to having their Mole soup and maybe trying something different- fish.
There was only one table occupied when we arrived close to 7p. We thought nothing of it, since it was like that when we first visited back in 2010.
We ordered the small appetizer platter, a bowl of mole soup, the fish special, and steak dinner.
My first slurp into my favorite soup had me close to tears. Why was it so salty? It even tasted slightly watered down. By the time I finished it, my tongue felt a bit numb and swollen. As for the small appetizer platter, it did not taste fresh. That escabeche was definately not fresh.
The fish special was swimming in a thich salty cream sauce. It definately overpowered the fish, which had the microwave texture to it.
As for my husbands steak dinner, it was an epic failure. After having a bite, I told him to stop eating it. That steak tasted sour! It was probably left in the marinade so long, it began to turn the meat bad.
By the time we were done, we had no qualms about declining dessert.
My husband begrudgingly paid the bill and had some fierce words to share about the dinner experience in the car.
There is a definate decline in the quality of the food at Sol de Mexico. I'm sure with the economic decline, this place has had to cut corners, and that means lower quality of meats, spices, etc..
This saddens me.
Went Saturday during lunch, the place was empty but for two other tables. Â
For starters ordered the guacamole and the sopes. Â The guacamole was not exceptional, the sopes however a different story. Â Best was the plantain and sour cream. Â Salty sweet combo was savory to say the least, definitely would have again.
For dinner ordered two steak tacos and a tilapia and shrimp dish.  The tacos served on homemade tortillas were fantastic.  The  second dish was almost inedible, the fish was so over salted it was left on the plate almost entirely. Â
That is our only major complaint and why I gave it a 3.5. Â Brought to the servers attention and almost as if we were trying to get a free meal our concerns were ignored. Â The other food at this place was too good for our concerns to be ignored. Â The servers response was "the menu changes monthly, most likely this dish won't be on the menu next month"
I would go back to try other dishes, maybe they just need to do better when feedback from a customer is received.
And before i forget, the tamarindo drink was phenomenal. Â A definite must try!!!
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
Review Source:After a friend recommended Sol de Mexico to us, we went here with high expectations only to be let down by merely average service, small portions, and mole that was good, but certainly not good enough to go out of your way for.
What should have tipped me off about this place was our server. We asked our server on several occasions what was good, or what she recommended on the menu and every single time she told us EVERYTHING WAS GOOD. Word to the wise, when the server says everything is good...she has no friggin' idea what she is talking about. Either leave now, or stand up and walk around the restaurant and look at other people's food because you can't believe a word from your server.
We started off with the guacamole and ceviche. The guac comes highly rated here on Yelp, so of course we had to try it. I thought it was average at best. Certainly fresh, a lots of red onion, but it needed some jalapeno, and the portion size was much too small. It seemed like they used just one small avocado, or maybe not even that.
The ceviche was much too sweet for my liking. The swordfish they used was tender and had been marinated in the citrus almost perfectly, but again the heavy use of sugar just made me scratch my head. It really masked the flavor of the fish, which seemed at odds with the purpose of the dish.
I ordered the rack of lamb for my entree. Where the appetizers led us astray, I thought the lamb played more to their wheelhouse. I ordered the lamb medium rare, and although it leaned more toward the rare side, I didn't mind and actually thought it was cooked perfectly. The mole is what they are known for, and Sol did deliver here. The mole had a deep and complex flavor with nice moderately think texture. It complemented the lamb beautifully. I enjoyed the lamb thoroughly and my wife thought it was the best dish we ordered that night.
For dessert we ordered the pineapple upside down cake. The server brought us the coconut pie instead, which we reminded him was incorrect, but to my chagrin the coconut pie was leagues better than the cake. I thought the cake was a total disappointment. The cake should be dense, but with a buttery and creamy flavor. This cake was about 1/2'' tall and seemed dry. They added a scoop of vanilla ice cream on  top, which was simply pedestrian, and did nothing to enhance the dish. Very disappointing.
Overall, we thought Sol de Mexico was expensive for what you get. In fact, for a restaurant trying to be upscale, they really need to improve their service. I honestly cannot recommend Sol and although I enjoyed my lamb, I can't recommend this place to my fellow Yelpers.
I continue to LOVE this place. Â I love the wierd 'hood. Â I love the art, music and total vibe. Most importantly I love the food, as I feel Abuelita is cooking in the back somewhere. Â HOWEVER - we have a service issue. Â The last two times we were there (over 3 weekends) we either had poor service or witnessed others having a service meltdown. Â The latter sucks because its stressful to watch other patrons become unhappy. Â Â As Yvonne/Christy mention the kitchen may be the cultprit in terms of not having enough capacity or too few servers. Â I do not know. Â But I will return and hope they work the kinks out. Â Early from what I can tell is better.
Review Source:The husband saw this written-up in the Tribune and decided we needed to try it. Â He picked the wrong day because not only had I eaten a late lunch, but the place was packed with people and the servers were overwhelmed. Â After looking at the menu, it is obvious that this place wants to set itself apart from other places in the area as "fine dining" (read: "high prices"), yet having a 6 foot ladder in the open in the dining room doesn't really scream "fine" to me. Â Since I am not a fan of mole to begin with, there was little on the menu for me. Â I wound-up ordering the Sopa azteca and a side of rice and beans. Â The soup had a real kick to it, beans and rice were fine and my sangria was good. Â Husband had a pork chop with mashed potatoes (?) and thought it was great. Â They forgot his chips and salsa until we got our meal, then he asked for them and got them. Â Bill was about $55 - but keep in mind I had soup and a side and nothing else.
Oh, and the place was seriously full of people with babies in tow? Â Really? Â At this price point, I would not expect babies.
I can't say I am really anxious to go back, but I think the husband wants to try again.
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.
After seeing this place on Chicago's Best we decided to check it out. Â It was a last minute decision the day went and really didn't know what we were getting into (besides the delicious looking food we saw on Chicago's Best).
We arrived and parking was easy. Â Place is cute and intimate and the background music was great (Spanish pop/rock !) .
We looked at the menu and were a bit taken a back by the prices, wasn't what we expected......keep reading.
We started off with the chips and guacamole, which was good, and drinks. Â I had the Cilantro margarita and my partner and friend had the house margarita. They were well made and very good.
I ordered the beautifully plated vegetarian enchiladas. Â AMAZING! Â Their mole sauce was delicious and had just the right amount of spiciness. Â I even ate the mushrooms that were inside!
Partner and friend had the Carne asada. It was a huge portion with several sides. Â It was full of flavor and very filling. Â Only negative was that they didn't have steak knives! Â Waitress mentioned they had been requested and hopefully the next time we come they would have them.
Overall: Â Great delicious food. WORTH THE PRICE. Upscale Mexican place (not a taco/burrito stand). Great for dates and groups. Fantastic drinks. Easy parking. Great menu with several different options. Â
Can't wait to go back!
Really nice and hidden Chicago upscale Mexican restaurant!
The food in this place is delicious!!
The service is great, The food is served beautifully and you'll find a nice variety of typical dishes presented in a way which takes them to the next level!
It is NOT the typical Chicagoan Mexican restaurant! which is great for a change!
This was probably some of the best upscale Mexican I've ever had. Â I was reluctantly dragged out this way when Graham D. said lets eat in some random neighborhood and my friend says this is the best Mexican for miles. Â
I assumed I was going to your typical taco joint, so when I got my menu and saw most items in the $18-30 dollar range I realized this must be something special. Â And boy oh boy was it. Â We started with guacamole, sopas and drinks, all were fantastic. Â For my entree I had lamb shanks in a mole sauce. Â It was melt in your mouth good, even though the place was a bit nicer, I just couldn't resist sucking on the bone. So classy, but a girl loves her meat! Graham D. ordered dessert but at the time I was on a lent restriction from sweets but he swore it was amazing.
If you're looking an unexpected knock your socks off dinner, def try out Sol de Mexico
The sauces are awesome. Â I had the tiger shrimp w/ pumpkin mole and it was fantastic. Â My boyfriend had the halibut which had a spicy creme sauce. Â We both enjoyed. Â We also tried the cilantro and the ginger margaritas. Â Both were refreshing! Â I couldn't decide which one I liked best.
We started w/ guac which was just ok. Â Nothing special. Â And we got the marlin ceviche which I liked but Anthony didn't enjoy as much. Â
It was pretty quiet in there but I'm sure it gets packed later in the night. Â I wanted to try a dessert but we were too full.
Its unfortunate that its so far from where we live otherwise I'd become a regular.
I'd like to come back to try more things - maybe with the chef's tasting.
Wow! I mean Wow! My wife and I stopped here for lunch on a Sunday. It was empty and I'm not sure why. The food was some of the best Mexican cuisine I have ever tasted. We had the carne asada and something with a long name that ended up being similar to a burrito. Oh, and we started with the ceviche. All of it was excellent. I was not surprised by all of the accolades that this place had hanging by the entrance. An outdoor patio was really the only thing missing. This restaurant is hidden in plain sight. I guess I didn't expect a restaurant this good in the neighborhood it was in. It seemed it belonged somewhere trendy. I guess it is a trendsetter.
Review Source:There are not many good and fancy restaurants around that neighborhood.
We found this place through yelp a while ago and love to come back every time we get the chance. The food is always fresh and tastes amazing. I can't really recommend a dish because I have tried so many different ones and loved them all but the "Pollo en mole verde" is to die for.
So if you are in the neighborhood definitely stop for a visit at Sol de Mexico. Actually even though you might not live close by it's worth the drive!
If you want some good dark mole enchiladas, try Sol de Mexico. Really old school style mole with nice tender chicken and fresh corn tortillas. Â Flavors are really authentic. Atmosphere is fun and cozy and drinks are really good. Try the mojito or the cilantro margarita.
We also tried the pork chop with red mole and avocado that was also really good. Pork was probably a little dry for me but it satisfied the crowd. Â Salmon and shrimp dishes were good but nothing to shout about.
Portions are sort of small for the price point though - expect $18-20 per entree. Guac as a started was also good but also small for $7.
I wound come back for the dark mole and drinks for sure.
Loved the friendly service, delicious food and authentic/interesting/semi-spooky decor. Â
Worth the calories
- Sopes xilonen (4 masa boats with various toppings (chicken, black beans, guac, plantains and mole sauce), great way to sample various dishes, only thing that'd make it better is if the chicken is tenderer
- Crispy shrimp taquitos. Â You can taste the shrimp! Â You may find the tomato sauce a bit salty though.
- Flan is very dense and rich. Â Made with condensed milk and I don't want to know how many calories were in it.
- Their green mole sauce!
Worth mentioning
- Enchiladas, uchepos gratinados (fresh corn tamales served with green mole sauce, the tamales were sweet so if you like sweet, that's good)
Sol de Mexico was great! The decor was beautiful, the service was VERY friendly and accommodating (turned the music down when we asked, made us special drinks we made up ourselves...!). The food was great too - especially the ceviche. I wasn't the hugest fan ever of my salmon with pineapple, but I should've known, I don't always like sweet stuff in savory. It was still good though. My parents really loved what they got - I think the naguros and the pork....?
Definitely going back!
I didn't know what to expect coming here and was happy to discover dishes packed full of flavor. Â If you're not sure what to order, get the Uchepos Gratinados and Carne Asada.
Uchepos Gratinados consist of super moist tamales, covered in a creamy shrimp sauce. Â The tamales have great sweet corn flavor and it's freakin tasty. Â The Carane Asada took me by surprise. Â The large ribeye steak was charcoal grilled to perfection, rubbed with a tasty red-chile marinade. Â Freaking good.
I wanted to try some mole (which is the house specialty), but there were too many different types, so I opted for the Mar Cielo y Tierra azteca (mole trio). Â You get 3 enchiladas, each covered in a different mole sauce. Â My favorite was the green mole, which was covering the shrimp enchilada.
Drool. Â That's what I do when I think about the food here.
Worth the drive/cab fare/bus trip.
Sol de Mexico has amazing food. I've had the venison, tamales, ceviche and all were outstanding. Beautiful presentations on all the dishes as well.
The ambiance is perfect. Perfect for a date, perfect for dinner out with your girlfriends, perfect for out of town guests. Love the decor.
Service is nice. The waitstaff is efficient and knows the menu if you need to ask about ingredients.
Really good house Margarita. Prices are reasonable. Its not cheap but its not expensive for the quality and quantity you receive.
Forget Rick Bayless. (Although I think the chef is an ex-employee) You have to try this place!
What a pleasant surprise in an area that is very much lacking in good restaurant options!
The food here is upscale and extremely authentic. The drinks are fabulous, and the decor is whimsical. I'd love to come back to try the reasonably priced chef tasting menu.
If you're a fan of imaginative moles, look no further!
Sol de Mexico is a contender for the best Mexican food in Chicago. Â The menu is authentic and changes every 3 months to capture flavors from every region of Mexico. Â
You will not find tacos and burritos here. Â The menu is for advanced tastes and features borrego en mole negro, a creamy sweet potato soup and their tortillas are "made by hand when you order them, with love and passion." Â Can't beat that.
Sol de Mexico is a hidden gem and will be your favorite Mexican restaurant by the time your homemade desert hits the table.
I've had Sole De Mexico bookmarked for quite some time and regret no trying this restaurant earlier. Â I love authentic Mexican food, and as far as I know this is one of the few places that actually has it in the city. Â Leave Fronterra Grill behind and go here instead. Â
The food was spectacular. Â I had the sopa aztecka (or tortilla soup). Â Much better than any other restaurant, or even my own. Â It was loaded with avocados, chicken, fried tortilla strips. Â It was very well spiced. Â The moles were fantastic- I tried the black mole with the lamb chops and the green mole with duck. Â They were both fantastic but I preferred the green mole as it was a bit spicier and more tart. Â The black mole is a little sweet and made with cocoa and 30 some other secret ingredients the chef will not even share with her son according to the website. Â They will accommodate you if you have allergies as well and made food to order for one of us. Â There is also an extensive tequila list. Â The dessert I had was fantastic- a custard cup with mangoes on top and some caramelized sugar on top... sort of like creme brule but 10X better.
The service was very attentive and polite without being over bearing. Â The decor was interesting too- they had several unusual masks. Â The restaurant is sort of a loft style and long/narrow but they should be expanding once the zoning goes through.
After seeing excellent reviews on yelp, a friend and I decided to try Sol de Mexico yesterday afternoon. We've traveled together south of the border and are always looking to reminisce over a good guac. During my time in Mexico, I have sometimes eaten ceviche every day, and so I'm always on the lookout for a new twist on the old classic.
I got the impression from some other reviews that coming to Sol de Mexico was like teleporting to the most authentic of mom and pop restaurants in small town Mexico. Well, I've found truly the most authentic Mexican eats on street corners and the crappiest looking places south of the border, served on plates covered with plastic bags. It's true that the worse the place looks, the most likely the better the food. Just sayin'.
Sol de Mexico is decked out with eclectic (and beautiful) pieces, the tables are covered with white linen, the silverware shiny and modern, water is served in goblets-- seems more to me like someplace in Mexico that American expatriots or timeshare owners might frequent. It reminds me of the restaurant at Los Jardines Botanicos de Puerto Vallarta (Botanic Gardens of Puerto Vallarta) in Mexico. A more upscale twist on the traditional Mexican. For that reason, I wasn't immediately impressed with Sol. I feel like places that tout an over the top decor (anything more than tables and chairs and a sarape or two is over the top, in my opinion) are trying to compensate for bad food.
But...
The service was great-- our server (maybe the owner?) was very welcoming and friendly. And quite charismatic. Confident enough to welcome us to "the best Mexican restaurant in the universe".
We went for a late lunch. The menu (located on the restaurant's website above) is pretty limited, including (on the left page of the menu) an assortment of drinks, five apps ($2-8), five Mexican tapas ($7-10) and ten entrees ($16-22) on the right. I was surprised that the menu didn't include more middle-of-the-road items in terms of price or that there was not an entirely separate lunch menu. I read that they change the menu every three months, but I'd still like to see a lunch menu.
Although this place was not exactly as I expected in terms of the overall vibe, the food that I tried was delicious. The guacamole was flavorful. I have encountered some very bland guacs in my life and this is NOT one of them. There was a bit of spice in it-- a pleasant surprise. The Tostaditas de Ceviche Guerrerense had olives. Usually I am not a fan of olives, but for some reason this ceviche hit all the right notes for me. A very different twist on ceviche than I am used to, but my taste buds were having a little FIESTA in my mouth!
I'd say if you know what you're getting yourself into with this restaurant (limited selection, higher prices than most very authentic Mexican places), you'll enjoy yourself.
In conclusion: 5 stars on the food and 4 stars for not having a lunch menu. I'd go again for the guac, ceviche and horchata. I'll reserve the Best Mexican Restaurant in the Universe title for a tiny quesadilla stand on a back road on the outskirts of a well-known Mexican tourist town, but this place might be in the running for it's slightly more sophisticated second-cousin. ;)
If you are looking for authentic Mexican food, Sol De Mexico is your place. It is off the beaten path and some may call it "destination dining" but it is worth it.
I went here with a group of people last week for a birthday. The first thing I noticed was the service. It was wonderful. Our waiter was very attentive. He provided great suggestions on what to eat and drink. He was also very chatty and highly encouraged us to tell people about the business. I know he is very proud of where he works.
We started off with the Appetizer platter of crispy chicken taquitos with sour cream, tangy ceviche tostadas, quesadillas capitalinas Stuffed with Chihuahua cheese and guacamole. My favorite was the ceviche, it was wonderful.
They are known for moles here, so I wanted to make sure and get an entrée that featured one. I went with the Borrego con mole negro New Zealand rack of lamb in classic Oaxacan black mole (made from chilhuacle chiles and 28 others ingredients) Served with black beans. It was wonderful. The meat was tender and  the mole was a little spicy but very flavorful...a great accompaniment to the lamb.
I did not have a dessert but they hand make them and they looked wonderful.
In talking to the waiter, I also learned that they flip their menu quarterly to be more in touch with the seasons. I will definitely be back to sample some of their other dishes.
Sol de Mexico was great, it is probably one of the top 3 Mexican restaurants I have been to. Trust me, it is worth a trip to this little known secret.
As the server said: "This is the Best Mexican restaurant in the universe". This is only a slight hyperbole.
For appz, definitely try to sopecitos (small  "masa boats" topped with ridiculous toppings). For entrees, you come here for the mole, but it isn't just your mama's chicken mole. They have four kinds of sauce and meats ranging from duck, lamb to the normal chicken, or 'pollo' for you spanish speakers out there. (Yes! I know spanish).
We got the duck dish and the chicken enchiladas. My duck came with some ridiculous mashed potatos. Both were fantastic.
The decor might come in close second to the food. I don't think I've been to such a coolly decorated interior in Chicago.
Note: We were the only two diners in the restaurant. Yes it was a crappy rainy day on a Sunday in March. But this place definitely is disadvantaged by its location. You should definitely try to come out here as soon as possible. I think Check Please needs to be bribed to come here, or something.
We showed up at Sol de Mexico with a bottle of wine thinking it was still a BYOB and found out they have a full bar now and the corkage fee is $15. That's what you get when you go a year without indulging in one of the best restaurants in Chicago.
The meal was amazing.
We had the one of the appetizers which had ceviche, guacamole, taquitos, and these wonderful cheese balls.
For the entree I had the venison in a perfect spicy red sauce, with beans and fried beets. Best venison I have ever tasted, perfectly cooked and expertly seasoned.
The dessert was a pecan and chocolate bar with homemade vanilla ice cream.
This is a special restaurant, one of the best in Chicago.
Nothing wrong with slow, patient service in my book, but this place takes the "wait" out of "wait staff." Â Maybe I just caught them on a bad day. Â A day when they just wished that those new customers standing next to the "please wait to be seated" sign for fifteen minutes would just go away. Â A day when customers would understand when you sent them to the untended bar. Â On a bad day, it's okay to mess up a reservation, and sit a party of two at a table for six while making larger groups wait.
Our waiter specialized in apathy. Â He asked us how our food was and then walked away before waiting for an answer. Â Later he gave us our check before our dessert. Â We were polite and didn't complain about a thing. Â Until now, in my left-handed passive-aggressive way, puhahaha!
I can't deny that the food was very good. Â They specialize in moles and handmade torillas. Â We got steak and mahi mahi; mine came with a delicious side of black beans, roasted plantains, and queso. Â The ambience, minus the staff, is a cheerful and well-decorated spot- bright orange walls, with ancient Mexican masks and a huge portrait of Diego Rivera who will stare at you more attentively than anyone who is paid to work here.
A little far from my hood, but definitely worth the drive, especially when you can score a metered parking spot right outside the restaurant! Â
And so I found myself at Sol De Mexico for lunch this past Monday. While waiting for my dining companion I chatted with the owner's very sweet girlfriend, who mentioned Sol De Mexico was no longer BYOB. Â GASP! This may come as a shock to many of you because based on your reviews it appears you're a big fan of the BYOB when it comes to Sol De Mexico, but you won't be disappointed when you try their margaritas. I don't typically enjoy a margarita with my Monday lunch, but then again it's not everyday I get out to the Northwest side of Chicago for some darn good Mexican food. This called for a celebration...
As far as the food I enjoyed with my margarita:
We began with the chips and guacamole. Nothing makes me happier than good guac and while Adobo Grill and Zapatista still seems to be winning the grand guac prize in Chicagoland, Sol De Mexico holds their own. From there we ordered a delicious mushroom appetizer (the exact name of the dish is escaping me at the moment). Â Now this delicious no named appetizers had quite the spicy kick to it; certainly woke me up on this Monday afternoon! And on to the main entree...mahi mahi. Â So flavorful and I should also mention it's a garlic lovers dream. Fortunately, the first living thing I came in contact with after my delicious meal was my pup and her breath smells worse than even mine after mouthfuls of garlic.
No room for dessert, but a glance at the dessert menu told me that my sweet tooth will be very happy here in the future.
I've been known to complain about the lack of good Mexican food in Chicago, but I may have to find something new to whine about after trying a gem like Sol De Mexico.
I had dinner as Sol de Mexico and I thought it was some of the most tasting food I have had in a long time! Â It might be off the beaten path but its worth the trip.
We started with the appetizer sampler and everything tasted great. Â The ceviche was perfect and fresh. Â The platter also included deep fried quesedias and I thought the cheese was perfect! Â
I had the skirt steak and it was probably the best skirt steak I have had since being in Mexico. Â Full of flavor and cooked to perfection. Â The steak came with the perfect tasting guacamole and black beans. Â My brother's had the chicken mole and I got a taste of the mole and it was right on! Â The food tasted fresh and had the perfect seasoning and flavor.
Dessert was a chocolate cake and ice cream and it was a perfect way to end the dinner. Â
It's a BYOB and the bill for 4 of us was $105. Â The portions were more then adequate and the food is worth the trip out to 3200 N Cicero. Â If you love Mexican food then do your self a favor and make the trip out; you will be happy that you did.
Overall Impression:
Edgewater needs a place like Sol de Mexico. Â This is the kind of place you love to 'discover' and tell everyone you know about. Â Great food, great service, great value. Â Completely worth driving 38 blocks west and 26 blocks south through a steady snow to get here. Â During our meal we felt the same kind of rush we had the first time we tried Dorado: that, "are we really getting this kind of dinner experience for this kind of money?" sensation. Â
Highlights / lowlights:
What was great -
- The Food. Â Across the board good, from start to finish. Â We started with a nice guacamole (maybe a little mild if you like a stronger lime / cilantro kick, but still fresh and tasty). Â Moved on with a tremendous soup from their special New Year's Eve menu. Â The check listed it as "Aztec soup", but I think the menu description was pumpkin flower puree and green beans, with a splash of mole. Â I'm not a soup aficionado and I loved it. Â Finally the entrees (see pictures - note the simple yet elegant presentation). Â I had the Chuleta Manchamanteles (pork chop with mashed potatoes, pineapple and mole) while the wife had Callos en Crema Poblana (scallops in a green sauce). Â Terrific. Â Pork was tender, mole was tasty, pineapple provided a fresh, sweet contrast. Â
- The Service. Â They were friendly across every contact - from the initial reservation phone call to the greeting at the door and all throughout the meal. Â Even with a party of 25 - 30 people taking up 75% of their dining room, we still received pleasant and attentive service. Â Our server (and the kitchen) were also flexible and accommodating, allowing us to order a mix of items from both their regular menu and their special four course NYE menu. Â
What wasn't so great -
- Only thing I could mention here wasn't Sol de Mexico's fault. Â Just a few of that party of 25 twentysomethings gearing up for a big NYE started playing drinking games toward the end of their stay, kind of crossing the line from general festive youthful exuberance into semi-obnoxious antics more suited for a frat house than a nice restaurant. Â But given the unique circumstances of timing (NYE) and the party (can't imagine they regularly seat parties of 24+), I imagine this isn't representative of Sol de Mexico's clientele behavior
Scorecard:
Two Critical Questions
- Would I eat here again? Â Absolutely.
- Did it seem like a good value? Â Definitely. Â An appetizer, two soups, two entrees added up to $56 before tip. Â The BYO factor amplifies the good value to be had here.
Essentials
Food - Excellent
Service - Very good on a busy night
Amenities
Decor - Cool, colorful, lively and interesting
Wash rooms - Okay. Â Much more modest than luxurious (not a judgment, just an fyi). Â Also, somewhat confusingly, the door with the banana on it leads you into the ladies' room, NOT the mens' room. Â
Parking - Plentiful. Â We parked directly in front of the restaurant. Â Open meter parking for blocks in each direction.
Star scoring key:
5 = Spectacular
4 = Better than average, really enjoyed it
3 = Average, don't regret it
2 = Disappointing
1 = Abysmal
For more of my reviews see <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Ftravelcasserole.blogspot.com&s=0cee7b56afeae652766f64a5f9f1505bf4f233e3ff6820a8f2a8c4e323e26bad" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://travelcasserole.b…</a>
A group of us checked out Sol de Mexico on Friday night and almost everything there was really good.
We started with a queso fundido and guacamole. The queso fundido was not like a cheese sauce, it was just melted chihuaha cheese with chorizo mixed in. It was served with tortillas and was really tasty. The guacamole was good, not the best I've had. in retrospect adding a little lime juice would have added a nice acidity to it.
For my entree I had rack of lamb in a black mole. It was cooked to a perfect medium rare and the sauce was spot on: smoky, spicy and well-seasoned. It was served with some really good mased potatoes.
I also had an opportunity to try my girlfriend's dish, a strip steak served guacamole and an enchilada in red mole. The steak was cooked right and was quite tasty. I really like the red mole as well, it was definitely pretty spicy.
All in all I enjoyed Sol de Mexico much more than either of the Bayless restaurants. Service was friendly and the food was really tasty. The BYO factor is also key. Definitely worth a visit.
Wow- a really fabulous Mexican gourmet BYOB restaurant...On CICERO Ave!
Yup, I've driven past this place on a depressed stretch of Cicero a bunch of times since it opened and kept telling myself that I have to stop in. Â Last night was the night, and I'm glad I did!
The decor is fresh and new, and very cute. Â The menu extensive- a huge variety of options, all of which sounded delicious. Â This is NOT typical ma and pa Mexican food. Â Several rich moles were included in the menu, a nice selection of appetizers and small plates, and some top shelf sounding entrees. Â Small plates went ~$8, entrees ~$14. Â I went the small plate route to get to try variety, and everything was very good. Â Chicken Sopecitos w/Mole were a standout- fresh, moist chicken meat atop four little corn cakes, with a heavenly mole- mmmm. Â Lamb in mole negro, fish in a great green mole with peanuts, I really focused on trying a variety of their moles and you should too- they're really, really good.
I hope folks in Logan Square and the NW side discover this place and it does well- saying the location is off the beaten path is an understatement. Â But the food proved excellent, and the owner we met was a very friendly welcoming guy who was obviously passionate about food and caring for his customers. Â Perhaps a path will be beaten to this restaurant? Â I hope so.
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