Azul 18

Azul 18, not to be confused with Azul Mariscos is a great brunch spot in the Pilsen area. I visited on a Sunday morning, and there was plenty of street parking available. The restaurant has about 30 tables, but some of the table spacing is pretty tight, so if you have big hips like me, you'll be comfy seating on the bench seats, but squeeze your body in between the tables and be careful not to hit the patron sitting next to you! The menu has some classic items like waffles and pancakes, but their Mexican entrees are tasteful. Everything was good and I would definitely go back! We tried the following: Orange Strawberry Kiwi Juice Mexican Beignets with Raspberry Jam and Nutella Mexican Omelette with Refried Beans Short Stack of Pancakes Chilaquiles with Braised Short Ribs, Eggs, Guacamole, Sour Cream, Pico de Gallo, Queso and Hominy

Service was great, very attentive staff and welcoming. The restaurant itself is cute, even tho it's Hispanic owned, it felt like a very gentrified restaurant. They are catering Hispanic food to the gringos and therefore adjusting the music and TV shows to them. So i couldn't help but to feel that its "vibe", feels a bit lost. Jumping into the food now. While it looked esthetically pleasing, the flavors kind of clashed. Traditional chilaquiles are usually served by themselves and sometimes with eggs and choice of meat. Here, their "traditional" chilaquiles, are cooked with chorizo. So, the spices clashed a bit for my tasting. So on my end it's was a 5/10. My partner had la cochinita pibil torta. He felt it tasted more like tinga and the pineapple chunks was more overpowering then the flavor of the cochinita. The potato skins however, were delicious. Their beignets were ok, very dry. So I can see why they added the raspberry and chocolate sauce. Although I've tried them before elsewhere, and I wasn't impressed with them here unfortunately. Golden question... would I make an effort to return? Honest answer, no. It just was not for me and my partner. I've yet to find chilaquiles like la Cathedral or even Fridas room.

First time here and it was good! The chilaquiles were very flavorful. Tried my parents dishes and they were very delicious too. Will come back!

Loved Azul 18! Fast weekend service, delicious food and beverages, and a generous portion of food. Highly recommend if you're looking for a blend of Latin flavors and home style eats! To top it off, they have a great Mimosa menu and Coffee bar! Thanks for the warm service Azul 18

Excellent experience at Azul 18. The atmosphere was great and me and my family had an amazing time eating here. The food was delicious and cooked perfectly. I had the Azul 18 French Toast alonh with the Mango Mimosa. The service was wonderful and very attentive and made sure everything was good. Would definitely recommend.

Delicious food! The service was great and the waitress was extremely helpful. I loved the spring air flowing in and the music playing throughout too. It created a relaxing atmosphere that was enjoyable! I had one of the breakfast specials recommended by the waitress. It did not disappoint! I would definitely recommend dining here!

I liked this place, one thing I noticed though is that the orange juice tastes different and that they put ice cubes in it, maybe that’s just a preference. I loved the eggs Benedict and breakfast potatoes, the fruit they serve is fresh and tasty and I would 100%recommend the latte. The restaurant itself is very nice and clean. I was not terribly impressed with the service here as my waitress was a tiny bit rude and condescending but overall this is a great restaurant for breakfast/brunch.

The welcoming was phenomenal, the service was absolutely great, and the food was delicious. Super recommended. I had the French toast with peaches side with sausage

My family and I foolishly thought we would walk into any Pilsen establishment on cinco de mayo and get a table....well you know how that went lol. However we walked past Azul, who was closing in 40 minutes that day, and decided to stop and dine. I'm so glad we did! Nice corner spot and great vibes here. The portions of food are generous which was a plus! The margaritas also packed a nice bite to it, usually when I order pitchers they are weak - but not true here.

This place was the only restaurant on the street that we could get a table for a big group right away - though it looked more like it's popular during brunch, they still had a big dinner menu and margarita options. I tried the la toxica mezcal drink and the mango jalapeño margarita. Both were deliciously refreshing on this hot day. Our big group shared two orders of Cochinita pibil (Mexican pork) nachos. These were tasty and good to share. I also got the steak salad for my entree, which was fresh and delicious. My boyfriend's enchiladas though were just okay and nothing special though. Overall, this place was clean with nice ambiance and good food overall. The service was pretty slow though as we had to repeat a couple of orders and remind them.

Very Casual Nice Friendly Service Nice ambiance and atmosphere Food was Delicious, never had a Flautas Salad and it was great very well balanced nice presentation and tasty

Azul 18, not to be confused with Azul Mariscos is a great brunch spot in the Pilsen area. I visited on a Sunday morning, and there was plenty of street parking available. The restaurant has about 30 tables, but some of the table spacing is pretty tight, so if you have big hips like me, you'll be comfy seating on the bench seats, but squeeze your body in between the tables and be careful not to hit the patron sitting next to you! The menu has some classic items like waffles and pancakes, but their Mexican entrees are tasteful. Everything was good and I would definitely go back! We tried the following: Orange Strawberry Kiwi Juice Mexican Beignets with Raspberry Jam and Nutella Mexican Omelette with Refried Beans Short Stack of Pancakes Chilaquiles with Braised Short Ribs, Eggs, Guacamole, Sour Cream, Pico de Gallo, Queso and Hominy

Excellent breakfast! I googled best chilaquiles in Chicago and this made the list and I see why. I had the green chilaquiles with pork and it was delicious! My husband ordered steak and eggs with the house potatoes and I was skeptical about him ordering steak but it was also delicious. The steak was very tender but could have used a tad bit more seasoning. The house potatoes were fantastic! Crunchy and flavorful! The service was great. She took our order quickly and the food was served quickly. We sat indoors but there's also an outdoor area when the weather is nice like it was today. Highly recommend and will return.

Came for brunch and ordered their famous chilaquiles, and boy did it pack a bunch of flavors and the spicy habaneros punched me right in the mouth! I was surprised however to find that their menu is slightly overpriced, and to pay ~$20 for my chilaquiles I wished the portion was larger. The ambiance was cute, it gives a homey feel inside and the service from our waitress was good. It was worth to come check out, but not sure if I'd go out of my way to come again.

Cute spot! Good brunch, nice service, outdoor seating. Chilaquiles were delicious, mole crepes also good. Ordered the mimosas and the bottle is la marca- great choice! Only comment would be to bring ice to put the Prosecco on to keep it cold. Enjoyed our brunch!

Guys do not skip off on the lattes and the cappuccinos!!!! They were divine. Our server was so attentive and sweet. We ordered the steak and eggs, traditional Benedict, lobster Benedict, chicken sandwich. The food was amazing and fresh. Service was top notch and so was the food. Saturday is packed, might have to wait for a bit but worth it in the end. Very cozy little restaurant at the corner they do have outdoor seating I believe. Full bar. Street parking only and for a Saturday we did struggle. Overall 10/10 A MUST!

So, y'all!!!! Everything was AWESOME!!! We started with mimosas in honor of St. Paddy's day!! They were green and delicious!!! Then we got the hash. I ordered corned beef hash. My friend got pork belly hash. Mine was better . The service was fast and friendly and the space was inviting.

How have I been slacking on so many places? We actually just ate here recently as we were in the neighborhood. This is a really great place and one of our favorites along that whole street. Food quality is excellent. We usually sit outside and we recently had some flavored Micheladas and they were delicious.

I stopped here on a Sunday morning and was promptly seated. The staff was friendly and attentive and the chilaquiles were so good! They're pretty customizable so I was able to get the Turkey chorizo and extra spicy salsa on the side. The portion sizes were generous and I'd love to come back to try more menu items became everything looked great. The restaurant was also decorated so cozy & cute, it felt like someone's home.

What a great brunch spot! They have so many good brunch options, my favorite being the chilaquiles. But their Benedict's are also delicious. If I had to recommend any one dish it'd be the chilaquiles though, it's done so well and the salsa is amazing.

Excellent food, great drinks. We had the hash- that perfect salty bite you want and served with sourdough toast. Bloody Mary and margaritas were really good. Space is cozy and inviting and the servers are lovely!

Had a great brunch at Azul 18! There were lots of outdoor seating options but we opted for indoor. It was nice and bright with good music. We tried the life juice and arnold palmer. The life juice was soooo good I should've gotten a large! The arnold palmer wasn't bad just not what was expected. For food we got the smoked salmon benedict and the 8oz new york strip steak. I loved the smoked salmon benedict! One egg was significantly more runny which unsettled me a little but the flavors overall were great. The steak and eggs were really good as well. The eggs were seasoned perfectly but the steak wasn't cooked to order and was inconsistent. We had two waiters, both very nice. We later learned there was some miscommunication about where the servers were sectioned which is why we had 2. Because of this I give them grace for not checking in on us until after we were done eating. The prices were also decent and our bill was cheaper than expected. We will definitely return and I look forward to trying another benedict!

Do the Benny flight! And the juice! And the everything! This place is absolutely amazing in everything they put out.

I never have a complaint when I come here. Service is always great and fast. Everyone is friendly. I always order the same thing because the chilaquiles never disappoints. The house pancakes are a most. The space is kind of small but when I go I haven't had an issue with being sitted right away. It rarely go on weekends.

Super friendly! They ladies who attended us were very informative and attentive. They created a relationship with us and made us feel welcomed. I tried the green chilaquiles and they looked and tasted really good. My friend tried the waffle sandwich and he really enjoyed it. Being that it's Christmas time there was a tree and had festive mimosas! Food was great, the service was great and it had such a nice feeling being around friendly people. Definitely coming again when I come back to Chicago. Thank you Azul 18! The only thing I would love since it's a Latino brunch place is listen to Spanish music while we eat.

Came here a few years ago for lunch with my husband. I can't remember what we ordered, but we walked away very satisfied and impressed! Great food and a nice vibe--check it out!

I really wanted to like it. The menu was large and had many options. However, breakfast potatoes were brunt, cold and completely unseasoned. Biscuit served with my breakfast plate was unflavored and rock hard. I did ask to exchange the potatoes for a basic fruit cup after tasting and either the waiter didn't understand the spoken request or it was just not allowed. Needless to say, that simple accommodation request killed the whole vibe and ruined the meal for me. There are tons of places in Pilsen, so unfortunately, I won't be back for brunch. Maybe their dinner selections are better, but honestly, I am afraid to try this place again based on first impression of a meal there.

I went here for breakfast, met with a couple of friends. I had the veggie omelette. It was good. The coffee was delicious. The customer service was very very good. I would recommend this place. I will be back

The restaurant was adorable, trendy, and quaint. Not intimidating. The large menu for breakfast/brunch had a fantastic variety. Even though there were about 4 dishes I really wanted to try, I ended up going with the chilaquiles, thinking they'd be elevated and worth being $18, considering the vibe of the restaurant. They tasted exactly like the chilaquiles I can get down the street in my neighborhood, only more expensive, and less of them. There was something about the flavor that I didn't love. However, they were still technically speaking very well made, and my friend enjoyed her food. And I am envious of all my fellow diners, based on sneaking peaks at their food. I definitely will be back, the service was quick, waitress very attentive, and I look forward to trying another dish next time!

Went on Sunday for brunch after making a reservation... easy parking on 18th and we were quickly seated. We ordered green salsa chillaqulles , pancakes (meh, too much syrup) steak with eggs, chicken sandwich, lemonade , coffee and a green smoothie. Everything was ok nothing over the top .Forgot to add that they charged $1.50 for hot water service....I always ask for warm water with lemon at any restaurant instead of the regular water but this was the first time I have been charged!!

Grabbed some takeout breakfast the other day and was super impressed. Chilaquiles with spicy pulled pork and green sauce was excellent. Service was friendly and quick. The restaurant was very clean.

Absolutely outstanding food EVERY TIME. I love bringing friends here because they always get excellent service along with a fantastic meal. Basically everything is excellent. There's nothing to avoid! But I recommend ordering the beignets and some coffee right when you sit down, and then take the time to review the menu. DON'T FORGET TO CHECK THE SPECIALS. They have AMAZING specials. If you're a fan of Benedicts, this is the place for you!

Great place and great food. Never had breakfast at a Mexican resturant and this place will not disappoint! Great drinks too

The best Chilaquiles! Great food every time and superb cocktails. Beautiful atmosphere and easy to find parking.

Great food and great service. Definitely recommend. This is the second time I come here on my birthday it's great!

Azul 18 is a fun and relaxing restaurant for great Latin food. They have nice outdoor seating as well as plenty of indoor comfortable seating too. A lot of free parking is available on the street. We went for breakfast and it was delicious. They have a great variety of items to choose from and there is something for everyone. I ordered the Chilaquiles which was excellent! Red and green sauces were freshly made and eggs were perfectly cooked. They make it with turkey chorizo which is a really nice change of pace. My niece ordered the Mole Crepes which had a wonderful authentic flavor. We ordered beignets that were fresh and hot with Nutella and strawberry sauces to dip. They give you really generous portions. The coffee tastes fresh ground gourmet and has a nice robust flavor. The staff is super friendly and attend to your every need. We really love this place. I'll be back!

I ordered the: 1. House #Pancakes with caramelized banana, salted caramel sauce and whipped butter. 2. Custom #Omelette - spinach, mushroom, onion, pork sausage, ham Pancakes were fluffy. The Caramelized banana was ripe and caramelized perfectly. The egg of omelette was perfectly cooked golden yellow. Service was good. Plenty of street parking on a non busy street. I would come back.

Azul 18 is a well established pleasant restaurant for breakfast, brunch, and lunch in Pilsen. This restaurant had been around for many years, and have weathered difficult times and for a good reason. I highly recommend you try their tilapia fish tacos with your choice of sweet potato fries or house wedges. I love the crispy house wedges a lot. I also recommend the beef burger and chilaquiles.

Had breakfast here on a Wednesday morning. We split the chilaquiles and the special French toast. It was a good start to the day. The chilaquiles was flavorful and came with a nice amount of chorizo. The French toast came with a berry compote and a ton of fresh fruit. Would definitely recommend, just for the fruit.

I am always weary of places where they don't cater to the clients' needs. For one, there are no reasons why we can't split a check when going out with friends. It doesn't take much, it's easy and it accommodates the client. Substantively, the service is slow. A drink order can sit on the counter for ages before you get it--yet, from the time you enter to the time you get to place your order, you interact with 3 staff persons: one sits you down, another brings you water and yet a third one gets your drink/food order... then you sit... and then there is a 4th person bringing the food! I feel like I am in a car wash!! I ordered the NY steak and egg, scrambled eggs and medium cook. The meat was one of the toughest I ever had--I thought I was going to break a tooth and it was cooked well done. Overall, a 2 star is generous. I likely will never go there--and that is too bad because I live in the Pilsen and I would like to have good restaurants to visit. Maybe this will help.

Great brunch place in Pilsen. Sitting outside on a nice day made it really picture perfect. First, I think Azul18 is a fantastic deal. All the dishes are priced on the lower end from what I've seen in Chicago, but they don't skimp on quality. I had a vanilla latte, which came served in a cute glass and tasted great, and the lobster benedict. The eggs were poached a bit hard so the yolk wasn't as runny although I'd prefer it this way as opposed to gooey underdone whites. I also really liked the potatoes on the side. These were super crispy. My friend got the pork belly hash which was also tasty. We both really liked the toast it came with lol, but the hash was yummy too.

I came here for a professional brunch and the food here was 7.5/10. The waffles were delicious; they had the perfect texture. I ordered the spicy mole crepes and the sauce was spicier than I thought, which I appreciated as an Asian who can take very spicy food. I was disappointed in the beignets because I've had really great beignets in the past and these did not live up to the expectation. I would return here though to try their other breakfast dishes or perhaps their dinner dishes!

What to Get: - House Lobster Benedict ($12.50) - Steak Benedict ($13.75) - Chilaquiles ($14.25) Spotlight: One of the best Benedict in town Azul 18 (1236 W 18th St, Chicago, IL 60608) payment Options: Cash/Credit cart/ Parking : Street meter *In my yelpions: Let me explain why you should try Azul 18. Since many brunch restaurants in Chicago that serves Benedict are usually hitting the 80% kind of perfection, which means either they don't fully marinated their meat, or the egg is not yolky enough, or either the sauce was too less, thus making the English muffin too dry. And you found some of the places did do a very great job, usually you are looking into paying above $18-$20 for a Benedict dish. But not Azul 18, for less than $14, you get a full plate with side of seasoning potato cubes. I personally are obsess with their steak Benedict, the meat are so juicy and tender, also well marinated. If you are a seafood lover, their lobster Benedict are coming into a full serving stuffing of lobster meat underneath a bouncy pouch egg that ready to be explode. If you love chilaquiles, and since you are in Pilsen, you can't go wrong. The whole dish are stacking with tortilla chips layers with green sauce and house made turkey chorizo that makes every bite perfect.

Stopped by on my last day in Chicago, I had their avocado toast and a dirty chai latte with oat milk. The avocado was delicious and very filling, the chili sauce it was garnished with gave it an extra kick. The dirty chai latte was better than I was expected, I would definitely order that drink again. From what I had and my friends had I can say that they serve very filling portions.

Amazing food and nice servers. Will definitely be back! I was here for my bachelorette brunch and had a wonderful time. I highly recommend the omelette with pork belly or their trio of egg benedicts.

Great appetizers and excellent service. Didn't get a picture of our drinks but they were delicious. Highly recommend the Terremoto and mangoneada. Our waiter's name was Daniel and was really nice and attentive. Would def return and try the entrees.

We went to Azul 18 early on a rainy Sunday morning and were seated right away. Between the two of us, we shared the spicy green chilaquiles with pork and a short stack of pancakes. The chilaquiles had great flavor. We had the eggs scrambled and they were nice and fluffy. The pork was very nicely seasoned and we enjoyed the whole combination of salsa, guacamole and sour cream. The tortillas were really nice too, they soaked up a good amount of salsa but were still crispy. just wish there were more of them, especially for such a pretty pricey dish ($18). The buttermilk pancakes were good. They weren't as fluffy as the ones we make at home, but still solid. We had them with strawberries. I do wish the syrup was better. It wasn't very sweet and didn't have much of a flavor. Overall, Azul 18 was fine, an easy and solid brunch spot, but we won't be making the trip back anytime soon.

Stopped by and got the fresh squeezed juice, and was delighted. The potatoes and eggs were good, and the staff was very warm. The patio outside made for a beautiful breakfast out in the city.

Azul has a delicious Mexican breakfast. The owner is there everyday. His favorite is the steak and eggs which is delicious! The spicy omelette is my favorite and has some Asian inspired flavors. The chilaquiles are amazing. Coffee is great. Juices are available freshly squeezed. I would definitely recommend!

We came here for brunch and was actually surprised everything was wonderful at Azul 18. The inside is very spacious and their staff was very welcoming. They were all smiling and professional throughout our meal. The service was very prompt, and we felt like we were in and out of this joint without feeling rushed. The wife and I both ordered Chilaquiles. Unlike other restaurants that serve both green and red, Azul 18 only serves red ones. They had a nice presentation and were topped with over medium eggs, green salsa and guacamole. Although I love guacamole, this plate would do just fine with slices of avocado instead. The green salsa was a nice touch as it added some extra heat citrus to the meal. Only other think I wish they could have added is a little bit of queso fresco sprinkled on top for some extra flavors. Still a almost perfectly executed dish that I wouldn't mind returning for.

Underwhelming for the price. Had brunch and was pretty excited to try this place. The chilaquiles were nothing special. For what they charge and hype I thought they would be top notch. The place is nice but I care more about the food and overall value.

I love coming this corner joint for breakfast as it's typically easy to find street parking and there are plenty of seating. No wait necessary. The only qualm I have is this restaurant charges $1.50 per cup of hot water. Really? I get it if I ordered tea. No other place has charge such a ridiculous up charge for something so basic as water. Other than that, the food is solid and pretty good value.

I picked up brunch for my boyfriend and I on a very hungover Saturday morning. I ordered the chipotle chicken wrap, green chilaquiles, and house pancakes. Everything was so good, fresh, and quality ingredients. The chicken wrap was so tasty and came with fried potatoes that my boyfriend loved. (Hangover healing) The house pancakes had caramelized bananas on top, tasted delish and really pretty presentation, even as carry out. The food was packed with care, I also ordered some coffee drinks and they wrapped my hot coffee up so it wouldn't spill on the drive home. This places cares about the food they serve and it shows. Highly recommend, plus you're supporting a local small business!

I will not make it a point to return to this place. My friend and I dined here on a Sunday afternoon. Our server was very nice and the hibiscus margarita was very good. However, the food was quite lackluster. I ordered a special of breakfast mac and cheese, which left a lot to be desired. The sauce was watery, the chicken was rubbery, and the flavor was completely lacking. The bathrooms in this place were also pretty shady, and I think the bill was much higher than it should have been considering the low quality of the food. If you are dining in Pilsen, you can find much better options.

Great Staff!Great Food!Great Service!! Great Menu!! Great for Breakfast ,Lunch & Brunch !! Open to 3.00pm Fresh Clean Fast Very Tasty !‼ Nice Quality!... Very Nice Service!...Quaiet ...Great Background Music! Great Experience!!! I find in Pilsen! I will be back!! I will try some sweet stuff!!! P.S. ...maybe little overpriced. Anyway good quality food!...I will be back. P.S. ...I was back !..and try something sweet! French Toast with Fruits ! Amazing! Test Look and Smell so Good! Great Quality! Super Nice Service! ..I will be back!

In search of vegan breakfast tacos or burritos, we ran across this little gem. While they didn't have a vegan option on the menu, the chef made us veggie burritos that were vegan friendly! The burritos were so so delicious! They had grilled potatoes, sautéed mushrooms, roasted peppers, spinach, and avocado. The were quite filling and we got them with a side of fruit! We topped off our brunch with a nice, refreshing mimosa

Absolutely worth a visit. The service was great and the menu was plentiful. I had the pork belly hash and can highly recommend it. We were a party of 8 and we all left happy. Be sure to try one of the brunch cocktails.