I have been here a countless number of times and never had a bad experience. This review is based on our recent stop (happy hour at the patio). I love the vibes (just be careful, the food and drinks seem to attract bees but we didn't mind). We tasted every tacos from the Summer menu, plus the campechano taco from the Happy Hour menu, and loved them all. Always good service! They've always been so welcoming and attentive. My only complaint is that I did think that the salsa were not tasty this time around, but I had chips and salsa plenty of times that I figured it must just be off this time. The green salsa was a bit bland, needed more salt. All-in-all, it's always a good time at Solazo. Here's some more information: - Chile torreado: Very spicy. Be cautious if you're not a spicy lover. - Cebollitas asada: Has a really good seasoning to it. Must get it! - Mezcal Margarita: Not sweet - Paloma: A bit sweet - La Chikana Burger: Definitely a must have! read more

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We came here on a 4 hour layover from MDW () and what a GREAT layover it became!!! Fantastic food. We started with the dos salsas and they were both fantastic. Couldn't pick a favorite. Great flavor and very spicy (which we loved). I got the chicken tinga tacos. Ambiance was trendy and clean - very cool vibe. So glad we stumbled upon this gem! read more

El Solazo - Dos Salsas - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food amazing !! Foods absolutely beyond expectations!! The flavors!! Drinks were on point! Service was exceptional!

Really nice happy hour food, great vibes! For happy hour, I enjoyed the mezcal margarita, which was nicely balanced and smoky. I also got the taco Campechano and the Baja taco - both tacos were super flavorful and, though prices were higher than other nearby taquerias, the portions were generous! Service was kind, attentive, and speedy. And being able to sit in the patio was a nice touch! read more

El Solazo - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Good service and delicious food. Small place with well-made dishes. The chips and salsas were fresh and flavorful, and chilaquiles were nice and crispy. read more

El Solazo - Chilaquiles with egg and cecina - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Small eatery in the Chicago's West Lawn neighborhood! Street parking. Nice bar, several tables inside, with additional patio seating. Clean! House specialty drinks, wine, beer available. Drink and appetizer orders were taken and delivered. We were a larger group and ordered a bunch of dishes to share along with individual meals. I think this confused our server a bit, it seemed like the Tinga taco got plated with the potato tacos. Regardless, everything was tasty and well prepared, not overly salty. Salsa verde is a garlicky delight, and the mound of guac should not be missed! Parralada is a mountain of tasty meat and veggies, meant for sharing! All told, El Solazo is a treat! Well worth a try! read more

El Solazo - Entryway view - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This food was so good I ate my leftovers immediately. I ordered from the happy hour menu. I ordered the elote (not on the happy hour menu), sopes, flautas (tinga and papa). Great service, waiter checked in multiple times. Will be returning! read more

El Solazo - Sopes - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Food? 5/5 Drinks? 5/5 Service? 5/5 I love this place! Have been here a handful of times and am never disappointed. The food is tasty and fancy the menu is small- they focus on quality and it shows. The drinks always quench your thirst. The vibe and decor is laid back and the servers are friendly. Great for a celebration or date night or casual night out. I recommend the tampiquena and the enchiladas with mole- though the tacos are great too- gotta try the Al pastor! Also the cocktails are delicious- I usually get the cantarita with mescal- tart and refreshing! read more

Good food and drink and attentive staff however if you eat here when it's busy they will ask you to leave EVEN if you are still ordering food and drinks!!! No problem asking for the table and 25% tip!!! Big turn off for my first visit and not sure I'll be back.. read more

Got there and 2 hosts took 10mins to place a take out order for a couple in front of us. Idk why it took 2 people to do it and if it's takeout, that should be done on the side. Seat the people in line first then proceed with a takeout order. Especially if they're gonna sit and wait for their takeout. Lol it made no sense. Staff is extremely slow and unhappy. Our waiter kind threw things on the table or had a bit of an attitude when we asked for something. Not a good first impression. Ordered the salsa trio and chips and it was just okay. The salsas weren't spicy, some too sweet, and tangy, a lot of lime. I think that's what put me off is there is A-LOT of like in everything. The classic marg was good, strong but not overpowered by tequila. The chilaquiles verdes were meh. Again, a lot of lime in the salsa. I love me some lime pero this was too much. The top 3 items are pictured but we had the items below, not pictured Burrito- just okay, like a chipotle burrito and comes with no sides. Burger- another okay item no sides, get a burger elsewhere Mac n cheese- has elote in it, not bad, that I liked the most out of everything. Ambiance is cute and tropical. Wanted to like this place but it was not for me. Also won't be returning as it's 10+miles from me read more

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I have a sixth sense for amazing food. Years of eating and cooking deliciousness has helped to develop this sense. One evening I was driving down Pulaski and I spotted El Solazo. Something about the signage and the patrons entering the building urged me to investigate. I looked up the menu online and decided I needed to go immediately. Thst very evening, after I was done running my errands, I ventured back to this eatery only to be deflowered for the 2nd time in the last two months. The plan was to order something traditional, but after viewing the specials menu, I just HAD to try the huarache. I had no idea a huarache was anything more than a sandal, but I learned that evening it was also a delicious dish consisting of mashed masa dough fashioned into a canoe-like shape, fried and topped with beans, a protein of choice and traditional accoutrements. In this case, my huarache was topped with Al pastor, avocado, and red onions. Heavenly! I also had the queso fundido con milpas (melted chihuahua cheese with mushrooms) and was blown away! El Solazo is an intimate, beautifully decorated restaurant with friendly servers. However, they don't speak much English so speaking Spanish is a plus. The servers were also a bit slow, but very accommodating when they showed up. It's the proverbial hidden gem and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys amazing food and tons of ambience! read more

El Solazo - Queso fundido con milpas - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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El Solazo is completely different from before. New menu. And it was great. I went with family and everyone enjoyed their meals. Gathering everyone's reviews is how I got to the 5 stars. Wish there was a 4.5 option. The tacos were not something amazing so I would give those a 3 but they weren't bad. And the trio salsas weren't special either. Don't think it was worth getting. Other than those, all other dishes were amazing. The Mac y queso was so delicious, it also has corn in there. Totally recommend. The tampiqueña and carne asada (not pictures) had delicious flavors. Also had tequila and mezcal margaritas that had a good amount of alcohol and had great taste. The aesthetic of the place was good. Cute place. Only thing I would want different is the music. But that's just more of my preference. Overall, go an try this place. Definitely worth it. read more

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Listen - if you expect the same Solazo from the past move on. If you're gonna be cheap and gripe about the cost of their menu items, continue south on Pulaski and hit up one of the 50 taquerias along the path. I appreciate what they are trying to do here on the Southwest side. Ownership is trying to establish a nice restaurant experience in an area where options are limited for high quality food. It's a great date night spot for sure with a full bar. Came here with the P's, wifey last night and we had a great meal! Of course I wanted to try everything on the menu but we started with their Guac and Ceviche. The Guac had Pico de tomatillo, roasted habanero, pomegranate, queso fresco and I'll tell ya that Pomegranate gave the Guac a unique good taste. For the ceviche, we did a combo of Baja california striped bass and Tiger shrimp. It included with Chile piquín, onion, tomato, cucumber, avocado, cilantro. I preferred the shrimp Over the bass but nonetheless, it was amazing. We also wanted to try the 3 Salsas which were Molcajete (Good), Guisada (my fav = Grilled jalapeño, onion, garlic) and Pina con Habanero (meh). I ordered the Enchiladas con Asada with Salsa Verde topped with Sour Cream. Wow it was delicious (note - the tortillas are homemade) but ... the salsa verde was too salty. My dad had the Mole and that wasn't salty and did taste amazing. The service was super attentive and I'd suggest to make a reservation. You can also pay via Toast. Parking is kinda limited but you should find something along Pulaski or west of Pulaski. Overall I hope they keep doing what their doing and work the area for additional business including those landing at Midway Airport and the surrounding hotels. read more

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When I came to visit, my friend and her husband took me to their favorite place and it did not disappoint. You can see them making homemade tortillas in the kitchen so you know it's gonna be good. We started with chips and guacamole and it's a beautiful as it is tasty. I went with my friends recommendation so we split the parrillada for the table and each got a cochinita pibil taco as well. The taco was amazing and I'm convinced the brightness and vibrancy of the colors just made it taste even better. The habanero salsa was the perfect amount of spicy. I have never had a parrillada before but the best I can describe it is like fajitas on crack. It came to the table, not in a molcajete which I think is traditional, but in a metal pan with a burner to keep everything hot. There was chicken, beef, chorizo, peppers, onions, and tomatoes. You can even add shrimp if you want but we opted not to. They serve it with tortillas, salsa, and limes on the side. I appreciated the amount of vegetables to meat. I'm not a big meat eater so I could try the meats but mainly fill my tortillas with vegetables. It allows everyone to pick their favorites and assemble their own meal. According to my friends, they have a menu that rotates seasonally but you can't go wrong with anything. The restaurant is cozy and fills up quickly so make reservations if you don't want to wait. They do have inside and outside dining options. They even had someone playing records which I was it expecting to see but very cool. read more

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We were on their lovely outdoor patio which is also dog-friendly. Lots of points for that! The servers were great! The guacamole was especially delish. My kids really liked their mock tails. Great little gem of a restaurant. read more

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I know a thing or 2 about Mex food. Taco Hell was voted best Mex in the US right? 7/11 taquitos are authentic, so they say. I saw a lot of low reviews, and I figured I'd see what all the fuss was about. I was happy I came to debunk the myth. Is it "expensive "? Absolutely! They make tortillas fresh, they don't use week old Milagro tortillas like some taquerias. The Margaritas are made fresh to order if you upgrade. Otherwise, they are batch made. $12 Is reasonable for a Margarita, even on the South side. The meat is quality beef, not week old steak over seasoned to hide the bad smell. Growing up, I wish there was an upscale place in the 'hood. Back then, all we had was Pepe's for "upscale" Mex. I for one am glad there's more then a taqueria in the old stomping grounds. read more

El Solazo - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The vibes and food are immaculate! Cecina tacos are a must!! Cantarito was good. The asthetic reminds me of a place you would find in the west loop. Definitely recommend! Service was great. read more

El Solazo - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Amazing experience and can't wait to return in a few weeks for my party. All the food is fresh and flavorful. The service was also amazing. Our server was so lovely offering. Many great suggestions. We also had tacos, not pictured Carnitas and Pescado tacos. read more

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The food was decent, but nothing special. The drinks were mid. It took like 30 minutes to get the drinks we ordered. The waiter apologized. We already had the appetizers and main dishes when they finally brought them. The churros were good for dessert, ice cream was generic though. After spending over $200, we were asked to leave at 8:30 because the next reservation was supposedly coming. We got there at 6:45 pm. But there was a snow storm outside and seats/tables available inside lol. They also tell you on the receipt there's an additional 2.91% charge to offset costs the business has to pay if you pay with a credit card. I didn't understand that because that's a business cost, not a customer cost. Also they sat us next to the window where it was very cold, cold air comes in. We order the carne en su jugo, tampiqueña, tacos dorados, and asada torta. The carne en su jugo was more of a soup, and the meat was gamey. It barely had any meat. The tacos dorados were very thin. Other stuff was decent. read more

Absolute perfection I have gone for late night dinners and I just went for brunch bottomless mimosas for $25. Great music great service great food there is no time to go to this amazing restaurant street parking great view and a perfection of a vibe. read more

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Service was accomodating & absolutely impeccable!! Dinner was undoubtedly yummy all the way! Music kept me jamming the entire time. Very romantic setting! read more

I've been coming to el solazo for years and I've always thought place was good , however last night was different. Usually when I go out to eat in the city the food is usually 7/10 at best at other places. The team working last night did an amazing job. From the chef making a small accommodation for me with the salsa ( best salsa roja I have had in a long time) . To the line making sure the food is hot and very well plated. These small details were noticed and ultimately contributed to an elevated experience. My taste buds thank you guys, I will be back quite often. read more

El Solazo - Burrito de asada - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I love this restaurant. I fly out of midway often and it's so nice to have a great restaurant close to the airport. I really enjoy their vegetarian options and their menu changes fairly often so they have new things to try. They also have very nice drinks and the prices are reasonable. The staff is always friendly and helpful as well. read more

Coming from the airport and my husband heard about this place and since we're out here, decided to try it out. Definitely happy that we did. Everything was amazing. Got a pitcher of margarita, nice and refreshing. Couple of things that I didn't care for but my husband did like or my mom did. We started off with the 3 salsas and the traditional guac. Both were good, I enjoyed 2 of the salsas and I am very picky with guac and it was amazing! I got the fajitas, absolutely to die for, my son got the tacos dorados, ended up order another plate of them, then my husband got the suadero, Baja, and camarone tacos. Said they were all so good but the shrimp ones were his least favorite. Now for the finale we got the chocolate tres leches, YES I SAID CHOCOLATE! Best thing ever!!! Yummm! The service was on point to! Ask for Audi, he will definitely hook you up. Will definitely be be back! read more

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(I visited on 4/5/2022 - late review) I live nearby and wanted to see the new & improved El Solazo. I stopped by the prior 1 multiple times. From the outside it looks contemporary, fresh especially for the area. Upon entering a nice friendly host greeted & sat me + guest. The music was Latin Dance/Funk(Louie Vega type) versus the previous radio friendly Latin music. I like either. The place & prices were upgraded to 10.0. Very trendy for the area. We received 2 menus(restaurant week + regular). I was confused on both. Wait! Where are my favs? Oh I see...they are gone. I became a tad skeptical but I stayed anyway and ordered a steak taco salad. Hey u can't go wrong with that right? Well hmmm u can. A bed of lettuce with steak on top? Not the way Zacatacos makes it down the street. Ok this is fancy, contemporary Mexican not traditional. The steak was seasoned well but hard to cut with the provided knife. Why didn't I ask for a steak knife still blows my mind. The Michaela drink was good. The salsa was unique, chips taste like they make them versus store bought. The tacos my guest had were small, a la carte. The men's restroom was clean, smelled great, superb decor. Though I am a fan of the decor, the freshness, the new dance music vibe...not a fan of the food. The staff were nice, friendly but with all of the improvements I'm not sure I'll be back. I wish them well + glad to see them back. read more

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Food is always hot and delicious!!! Steak tacos are on point ! Salsa is amazing! The Mac and cheese tho is the best mac and cheese I've had in a long time !!!!! read more

I'm disappointed to say this restaurant remodel has changed the good food SOLAZO once had. First let me vent as a former SOLAZO customer I loved their food from salads, to tacos, tortas everything was always delicious and affordable. We noticed the place was back up and running since their fire. I was excited to indulge on a torta come to find out they no longer carried TORTAS! The restaurant is trying to go upscale like a pilsen joint. $8 tacos stuck in two pairs, no chips and salsa. No horchata because they have the water of the day . Who charges for chips and salsa not even pilsen joints or downtown. Sorry no longer will I be going to this restaurant. read more

El Solazo - Below is a fish taco - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Wow! I new this place before the fire and it was ok. After the fire! Holy cow! Absolutely supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!!! We had the Tacos Fritos as appetizers, the enchiladas verdes and rojitas de pollo with a Mezcal Margarita. Everything was scrumptious, finger licking good. Definitely a cut above above the rest. How fortunate we are to have them on the southwest side of Chicago. Sorry, I was so excited and Hungry that I forgot to take pictures of my appetizer's, dinner and drinks but trust me they looked beautiful and were all delicious. Reservations are required. We did an early dinner (4:30) opted to sit at the bar as they have an open kitchen as there is no limit at the bar vs a 2 hour limit at the table. Both Uli, the bartender and Luis the bartender in training were attentive, on point with their recommendations and engaging! We will definitely be back! I recommend you try them. read more

El Solazo - Chocolate Tres Leches - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Located on 56th and Pulaski on the South side, this newly renovated restaurant is now open for business. Formerly a cozy restaurant with an extensive menu, it is now a more trendy bar and restaurant with comfortable inside dining area with large open windows and a large patio for outdoor dining. The menu is shortened but still has tasty options. The staff wears masks. I had the chicken enchilada (Pollo Rostizado) with green sauce. It was quite tasty with bright and distinctive flavors. I like that it was not too spicy. read more

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One of the best restaurants in Chicago. The Suadero tacos is fire. Mac & cheese is unparalleled, offering a unique and exceptional taste. High-quality food and drinks. Servers consistently provide exceptional service. The atmosphere always guarantees a great time. read more

El Solazo - Suadero, mac & cheese, and Paloma drink - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I enjoyed my drinks the best. The tacos were ok. The appetizers and mac n cheese was pretty tasty. I love the churros as well. If they improved their tacos it will be a hit. read more

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First and foremost, I want to thank our server Joel for being amazing and chef Aldredo M (hats off to you sir) Yesterday, my husband and I walked to this restaurant after it opened up recently after being shot down for a couple years due to a fire. We live exactly a block away and trekked through the blustery cold and OMG am I glad we did. As you enter this establishment, you are immediately welcomed with a contemporary atmosphere, awesome Latino music and a very chic decor. There's an amazing ambiance and overall the culinary prowess exhibited in the chef's progressive. For those whiney keyboard warrior Yelpers making silly statements about "staying humble", wanting traditional tortas, flautas & tacos, there are PLENTY of taquerias and restaurants that make burritos the size of your head that I'm sure you'll enjoy. Please go there. For those choosing to experience the progressive evolution of our culture's massive culinary repertoire, Solazo not only meets that expectation, it is the Southwest's side's pioneer and tip of that arrow that pierces this revolutionary challenge. read more

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My friend and I came here for lunch on Thursday. We had a reservation for 2pm and ended up arriving a little earlier. Our server, I forgot her name, but she had a pink sweater on and was very friendly. She gave my friend and I really good suggestions. We started off with their house made salsas and chips -- we did the trio sauce so we can try all the flavors. I ended up loving the verde Fresca. My friend liked the salsa with the meaty flavor. As for the tacos, we ended up ordering 4 different ones, and since each plate came with two tacos we were able to share. We did the suadero, pancita, Baja and camarones. My favorite of the tacos ended up being the suadero, and my friend loved the pancita. I mean all of them were great but there are definitely clear favorites. We also tried their dessert, where we got churros along with a scoop of gelato. For drinks, I had the orange flavored Jarrito and my friend did the hot coffee. We had a really good time and loved all of the dishes we ordered. I'm already planning on coming back, and I'd recommend this place to anyone in the area looking for authentic and delicious Mexican cuisine. read more

El Solazo - Churro - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Service was ok, food was so so. No gluten free options for me. Everybody else in my party said the same thing. Food was just ok.

I absolutely love this restaurant! The food is amazing, the drinks are phenomenal and the great service makes it easy to recommend this place. My family and I (group of 8) had dinner there. We sat outside on the patio. All the food was delicious and our server, Candi ( I hope I'm spelling her name right) answered all our questions and made great recommendations. I'll definitely be coming back. read more

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I am speechless with the delicious tacos of cecina, as a Mexican I can say that these tacos were the best in all Chicago. Also the hospitality is wonderful, the bartender Jose Luis is so friendly and attentive as well as the staff. I will definitely recommend you this place and their amazing churros ! read more

We ordered the Parillada that's for $42 plus a side of rice and beans for about $3. When we called and asked how many people it feeds they said 2-3 people...the amount of food that was in this parillada was not enough for 3 people, and just enough for 2. It was delicious, $42 is unreasonable for the little bit of food that was in the pan as well as the tiny portion of rice and beans. This is our second time ordering from El Solazo and both times the food has been great, however the portion has gotten smaller. read more

El Solazo - Parillada with side of rice and beans came with tortillas and a salsa - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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PLEASE GO BACK TO CHOPPED WHITE ONIONS!!!!! I like their food but they really need to go back to the chopped white onions in their tacos and other food items. I can't stand the slivers of red onions they put in their tacos now. When I order to pick up, I forget that they no longer use the chopped white onions in their tacos. I have to fish them out of my tacos. PLEASE GO BACK TO CHOPPED WHITE ONIONS!!!!! Don't try to be a "white" guero "fancy" upscale restaurant. Just be the Mexican restaurant you used to be. UPDATE: This restaurant is no longer open due to a fire. They have not reopened and I don't know if they ever will. read more

This place is a hidden gem in the southwest side . The servers are all amazing and closely pay attention to detail. Several times we were asked if we needed anything. The owner even came by to asked if we were ok. I ordered their steak burrito which was the perfect size. It had prime asada chunks were grilled to perfection. My son had 3 steak quesadillas which he enjoyed . My wife had the shrimp tacos which were to die for. The mezcal margaritas were so delicious and with 2 of them I was pedo. They also carry Casa Humilde craft beer and rare mezcals. The decor is hip industrial and it gives you downtown vibe. I'm happy we finally have a nice place like this in the southwest side. This is the best thing next to Madigan being indicted by the feds. read more

El Solazo - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I used to come here before the incident. Service is top notch now and very different. Beautiful decor. Food is ok not as good as it used to be and they have a bar available now. Drinks are supposed have this "perfect combination but in my opinion the drinks are very small. Same with food portions are very small and prices are comparable to downtown Chicago. It's an experience read more

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