This place has so much potential. Great food but awful management and service. It's bit over priced for the area. If you go on a normal day it's probably not that busy that's the only time I would recommend going. My wife n I went on valentines a few years back and it was a bit of a disaster actually comical I've never witnessed so many upset couples and people just walking out of restaurants that was the last time we went. All that being said the food is good but for me not worth the pain of how slow it comes out of the kitchen plus the inexperienced staff. If you really want to check it avoid any holiday but a sunday afternoon should be ok. Good luck read more

We had a fantastic meal last night, and had what must be Chicago's best moles. We asked for a sampler of the different moles which they served with tortillas. I don't think this is listed on the menu, but they were happy to do this. All four moles are complex and wonderful -- I don't think there is anywhere else in Chicago where you can find this. Despite reviews to the contrary, the drinks were great too. Service was a little slow, but it was very friendly and welcoming. We were a party of nine and we were pretty slow too, so this was not a problem. Desserts and cafe de olla were good, but probably too sweet. The only thing we didn't like was the television, but they turned it off for us after a little initial confusion. Highly recommend and well worth the trip. A restaurant this good and this unique to Chicago should be full on a Saturday night. I hope it will be with warmer weather. read more

This place is a few doors down from home for me and what a gem. I could see from outside this was something different. I took friends and one had rabbit in a green mole, another had a beautiful flank steak and I had lamb chops in a dark mole. Never had such dishes in a Mexican restaurant. And cooked exactly as ordered. Prices are competative for this type of dining and you get so much more this far away from the restaurant scene. I'd honestly say somewhere between Frontera Grill and Topa l' Bomba. Seriosly! The circuses are different but the staff is so nice, warm and welcoming. Worth a trip west. read more

We came in on a Friday night and it wasn't crowded at all. The passion fruit margarita is great and we shared the cliche it was ok. We also ordered lamb in mole and steak. They were pretty good. And then we got the coconut pie and vanilla flan. Also very good. The tortillas were freshly made. Parking was easy we found a spot right outside the door. Definitely worth the drive. Nice deco inside the restaurant. read more

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INSANELY good food, appealing environment, great margaritas and friendly staff. I don't know why this place is not packed every night. I wish we were close enough to go every week. Two thumbs up! read more

Classy and Fun Sol de Mexico is an awesome Mexican restuarant! When I first went, I thought it was just another restaurant. I asked for ground beef tacos and realized quickly that ground beef tacos is a very non-classy thing invented by Taco Bell. The steak tacos were PHENOMENAL. The service is excellent and to this day I haven't had one thing on the menu that I didn't feel was phenomenal. The owner is really fun and very friendly. Try the Horchata, one of the best! And they really do fish tacos really well read more

Went Saturday during lunch, the place was empty but for two other tables. For starters ordered the guacamole and the sopes. The guacamole was not exceptional, the sopes however a different story. Best was the plantain and sour cream. 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. That is our only major complaint and why I gave it a 3.5. Brought to the servers attention and almost as if we were trying to get a free meal our concerns were ignored. The other food at this place was too good for our concerns to be ignored. 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. A definite must try!!! read more

I have been looking for a fun but slightly upscale restaurant around the Belmont Craigen/Portage Park and found it! Service: Super friendly, attentive, and informative. Food: To die for! You know found a gem when the mole is heaven. The mole was heaven. Price: It's medium, but much less than downtown touristy places. Ambience: 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. Also serves as a great romantic date night place. read more

Great service and great food. The tortillas were handmade. I had a glass of white wine and my girl friend had a glass of red. Both choices were perfect for our dishes. The waiter took care of us from beginning to end. He went out of his way to name each of the ingredients that were in each type of Mole we ordered. I'm definitely coming back for more! read more

Sol de Mexico - Mole Negro chicken platter. Delicious and exceeded my expectations. The service is excellent too. We felt like we were royalty. - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I made the mistake of coming here with my kids. We were the only people in the place. I was embarrassed because I didn't realize how high end it was and then I felt like it was too late to leave. I asked if they could make my kids a chicken taco but they could not accommodate. They did end up modifying a masa boat appetizer so my kids had something to eat besides chips. My food and margarita were very good. I would come back but only on a date night. read more

we came here on the recommendation of a friend and everything was amazing. the lamb in mole sauce, ceviche, bacon-wrapped shrimp, margaritas, and caramel crepes were delicious! the staff was super-nice and knowledgeable. would definitely go back! read more

went today for my mother's birthday after she has been wanting to come because of its beautiful decor and I was pleasantly surprised! The place was beautiful and the food was great and filling. I ordered the salmon and it was delicious!! Everyone at the table loved their food and the deserts were mouth watering good. Only con is the wait for food is a little long but overall so good. Will come again for the next birthday. read more

Wonderful upscale Mexican cuisine. Staff was gracious and helpful. The menu offered several main dishes that would please. I choose the Asada and my wife choose the pork. Both of us were very satisfied. We will definitely return. read more

Sol de Mexico - Lively and warm ambiance. - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is a hidden gem. Excellent food, good service. Not to be missed are the flautas, enfrijoladas, tamales de elote and the guacamole. Would have given it 5 stars but I got a weak drink I had to send back. I ain't mad. Will definitely be back!!! read more

Sol de Mexico - Flan, coffee flavored. - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is on the west side of town. The atmosphere, the hospitality & most of all the delicious "authentic" Mexican food is perfect. The inside is nicely decorated with Aztec masks and nice canvas art. The hostess was gracious and helpful, always checking up on us but not too often, just enough to make the dinner comfortable. Even the chef gave us some ideas to set up a kids plate for my son. They are very humble, yet their presentation displayed a solid sofistication I'd like to see more of in our local Latino restaurants. I will definitely visit them again. read more

Amazing food. Amazing service. Authentic Mexican. Best in Chicago! Will be coming back a lot

I often passed this place on my way home from work but didn't think much of it since it doesn't stand out from the outside. On Sundays, my family has made a habit of eating out together and my mom suggested this place. Turns out my mom knew one of the guys that worked there through school. The decor inside does surprise you and you wouldn't think it from the outside. The staff was great and their tequila selection is impressive. The food was amazing! My brother and I had the lamb in mole and my parents had the carne asada. The portions were generous and everything tasted very fresh. This place reminded me of the Estrella Negra restaurant on Fullerton/Western because of the decor and unique cuisine but Sol de Mexico is much much better in regards to food and service. They play music on the weekends too. read more

We have been here twice now and both times were wonderful, start to finish. Authentic, flavorful food, with exquisite presentation, and a very reasonable price. On top of that, the ambiance is accentuated with wonderful art work. If you're looking for excellent Mexican that isn't the usual fare, please try this place out. And be sure to leave room for dessert. read more

Dined at Sol de Mexico for the first time and have deemed this restaurant the best Mexican food in Chicago. Classic and timeless. The menu is ever changing and all food is made fresh. I can't wait to come back! read more

First off, this place makes amazing food. I live very nearby and I want the place to stick around so we make it a point to bring folks any time we can. I'd give it five stars if not but for one issue: the wacky prices they charge for where they're located and how freaking empty they always are! They're on Cicero in Chicago. They charge more per entrée than Lula Cafe or Daiseys or Longman or just about any hipster so-and-so restaurant you could think of in 1000x "better" neighborhoods within spitting distance of this place. I don't even care about the prices personally but--in the spirit of hoping the place survives and does better--in this neighborhood they really need to reduce their prices about $10 per item in my humble opinion. read more

Me and my boyfriend went for date night, our server was not pleasant at all and not presentable either, but I just figured maybe he's had a long day. He was unable to answer certain questions about the menu so me and my boyfriend were just stuck there with no answers to our questions, we were unable to take certain things out as simple as sour cream and salsa to the waiters knowledge. Me and my boyfriend were pretty confused as to why we couldn't just ask for no salsa when that wasn't part of the dish. The drinks were disgusting, hardly any alcohol, tasted just like water to me. I will not be coming back to this place. read more

Sol de Mexico - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Any restaurant that makes its own tortillas gets an A+ in my book. Everything from my skirt steak to our appetizers was delicious. The margarita's are excellent, too. Our server, Carlos, was very helpful, cheerful, and attentive. They also make cafe de olla which is hard to find. We loved this place and will be back soon! read more

Came here couple of weeks ago based on the reviews. On a Friday evening, at 7pm, we were the only ones in the restaurant. By 8pm, the waitress was hovering over us so that we would close out and leave and they could shut down for the nite. The food and the margarita were good, not necessarily great. I will go back there after 6 months or so and check it out again. While I don't want to make any judgements based on one visit, honestly I don't have much to praise or criticize. read more

This place is amazing! Food is incredible and people are great. I don't go there enough and plan to change that. If you want to taste some innovative dishes in a lovely atmosphere - this is your place. Don't let the drive stop you - make it a point to seek out. It is fantastic! read more

If you like "high end" mexican food then this is the place for you. Excellent home made Guac and chips. On my most recent visit I had the grilled pork chop and mole sauce- excellent. The mole is very complex. The "on-site" made tortillas are the bomb. Dinner for 2 under $50. Bonus- it's BYOB. read more

Authentic Mexican food so beautifully served on very decorative and traditional plates! I'm huge on Mexican food especially if it's from Michoacan Mexico. My mother is from a very small town in Michoacan and their cooking is AMAZING. Everything is so tasteful, colorful and different from other parts of the country!! Ranging from the chile rellenos, to enchiladas, to the pozole verde and flautas rellenas de papa and my favorite sweet corn tamales. Of which all i can cook, but prefer someone else to do it.......lol!! :-) The owner/chef does an awesome job with the menu and changes it around a lot depending on the season and always greets me and the boys when we walk in, which is always very nice. Def. one of my favorite restaurants in the city!! It's almost as good as my mother's (first time I've ever said that) cooking and she's hard to beat!! The desserts are also very yummy!! I was recently in NYC and when my brother picked me up from the airport we were both very hungry and decided to come here. It was his first time so he wasn't sure what to expect. He ordered the flank steak and I had the duck in mole sauce...wow wow wow!! He was impressed and made the same remark I did, it kinda taste like mom's food!! If you decide to stop by and check it out I hope you enjoy your meal!!! P.S. They hand make their tortillas!! :-) read more

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

I typically do not go to Mexican restaurants since I usually cook Mexican food, but my mom recommended me that this restaurant had some of the best sopes. So she invited me and boy do I have to say, they were one of the best I have ever had. Next we ordered the Carne Asada and boy was it extremely delicious. I strongly believe that they also make their own tortillas because they were extremely delicious. I would recommend this place to anyone, I am certainly going back. read more

I came here on a recommendation from my cousin his words were "it may not look it from the outside, but it is a good ass place" so I took the gamble and I gotta say so worth it! I had the carne asada (which is not like your typical carne asada from any old mexican joint) It goes above and beyond! so delicious a very healthy portion and the presentation is beautiful! It came with black beans, plantains and sour cream and a freshly made guacamole oh so good. Considering the area I never would have expected such a great place hiding in plain site but I am so glad I found i now. It is small and unassuming but def has class. The chef will come out to greet you and make sure you are enjoying your meal, you could tell he takes great pride in what he does. I love it and can't wait to go back. read more

Absolutely excellent food. I can't say anything negative about a single thing I had here. The margaritas are wonderful, and the flavor of the food is complex and has you wanting to keep eating to taste all the flavors. Staff is very friendly and helpful. Great place for a date night or anytime you are looking for fancier Mexican food. read more

Sol De Mexico is unlike an Mexican restaurant that I have eaten at. The food is authentic Mexican, not your typical burritos, tacos, etc. The dishes are rich and flavorful, and extremely fresh and creative. I chose their wood-oven scallops with pumpkin seeds, and I think that I died and went to heaven. The scallops were cooked to perfection! My husband chose a braised lamb with mole sauce for his appetizer and their Chilean sea bass. Both incredible as well. I would highly recommend trying this restaurant for yourself. It's not in the most convenient location, but there is always street parking, and it is never too crowded. The only thing that I think is a turn off is the smell of the restaurant. They use a Mexican disinfectant that is totally unappetizing and over powering...the scent almost made me turn back, but I am so glad that I stayed. 11/17/07 update We had dinner there tonight. Was happy to see that business was booming, the restaurant is child friendly, and most importantly, the odor is GONE!!! They've again updated their decor and completely revised their menu. I was sad to see that they've trimmed their tapas and appetizer menu. There are more familiar Mexican items on the menu now. I chose the scallops again, but this time it was served with a poblano green sauce. Very tasty as usual. Service was attentive, can't complain. The only complaint that I do have, which I am so glad that I was not aware of until after we had eaten our dinners was the fact that my brother in law found a "kinky" short hair with a root attached in his meal. I think that I would have gagged and not been able to eat had I known. read more

Avoid this place at all costs. I wish there was a no-star option. What am absolutely miserable experience. We were seated immediately and then proceeded to experience some of the worst service we've experienced in a long time. The food was mediocre and completely overpriced - and the cocktails were terrible. We'd been there several times before the Bib Gourmand, but will never return. There are so many better Mexican options in the city - avoid this one! read more

Great find in our hood - get the Tamales! No kid menu but the cheese quesadilla worked in a pinch.

Extremely tasty food, friendly and prompt service, and cool decor. This is one restaurant that I will be celebrating at more often. I took my grandmother here for her birthday and the staff was super nice! We had many delicious plates, including the guacamole, sopes and the steak. The desserts were also amazing (flan and crepes). Mmmmmmm!! read more

This place is absolutely delicious! It's Mexican food but not tacos and burritos but actual traditional Mexican food! The decor of the place is so cute with its Mexican flare, you can tell that they went above and beyond to make the place look amazing. What I love the most is that they change their menu so you get to try different and new things every time you go. A little pricey but definitely worth it! read more

Sol De Mexico is amazing. The rotating menu never disappoints and there options for everyone...vegetarian, meat lovers, diet conscious etc.. The food portions are huge compared to other fine dining Mexican restaurants & it always tastes fresh and homemade. They had a white Mole on the Fall menu that made me swoon. This time around I had the new Enchilada dish which was covered in a sweet smokey Manchamanteles mole. I wiped the plate clean. The husband loved his pork chop which was served in a smokey roasted tomato sauce. Try and save room for dessert because they're also homemade and are the perfect way to end your meal there. Sol De Mexico is as good, if not better, than Frontera Grill. Amazing food and service. 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.

This is clearly one of the best Mexican restaurants that I have been to in the Chicago area. It is a cute little store front on the west side of Cicero Ave in the Cragin area so street parking is reasonably convenient. Came here on a Sunday evening for an early dinner after reading positive reviews in recent years. So, this was on the "to eat here" list. Our waiter whose family owns the place patiently explained the menu entrees and mole specials. Our entrees included the pork in a green mole and chicken breast in a red mole. Both were outstanding served piping hot with a side of perfectly cooked rice and warm fresh tortillas. The portions were large and satisfying so dessert was a pass. However, the list was most tempting. Will certainly return to try other items as well as their drinks. This was a wonderful dinner. read more

My husband and I were in the neighborhood and found this place on Yelp and went there because we were looking for authentic Mexican food. Little did we know -- we really had no idea what authenic Mexican food was... The steak and fish tacos are amazing and the that handmade tortillas have a different taste and feel from what you can buy at your grocers or get at other restaurants. We live in downtown and we make the trek at least once a month -- we are just spoiled by the quality and taste here -- no other Mexican restaurant will do anymore. read more

Ate there last night with my wife and kids. I ordered the pork in green mole. I asked for it medium-well. My dinner arrived at late and luke warm at best. The pork looked to have been cooked previously in the day or maybe even the day before! I asked for it medium well and instead I received a cut of pork rib that was barely warm with a pink to red pink middle. I did not feel well the rest of the evening. There's also a sign on the door, asking for a part time cook. Not sure what has happened, but this place needs an internal food and service review. You need more than one wait staff. You need to kitchen to COOK the food to order. Not re-heat. I will not be going back. read more