Pl-zen

This place has a trendy, sorta Tex-​mex vibe to it. The veggie tacos were great. The truffle fries were okay, kind of soggy and didn’t have an accompanying sauce other than this spicy ketchup which was kind of a downer. The drinks were definitely the highlight of the evening though. I had this cucumber mint gimlet that was so summery and refreshing as well as this chile mango one, the exact name of which escapes me now.
Overall not really cheap but it’s fine. Service was pretty good overall, our waitress was very nice with lots of good suggestions about what was best to order.

Solid burger. Solid beer. Solid service. Smelly bathroom that smelled like a sewage backup. Not solid.
Would go back though.

I’ve been coming here pretty consistently with my boyfriend’s family who happen to be regulars here… and I have seen why! the staff always welcomes the family by name, hugs, kiss on the cheek etc. A very personal welcome for sure! they make you feel right at home. The times we have been there have always been on a friday night and we love to stay out pretty late. I love that they don’t ever try to rush us out like some restaurants do. In fact, they urge us to stay longer and enjoy ourselves! they laugh and joke with us and provide us with spectacular customer service. Every single time, the owner eventually comes over to us and also personally greets us and most often stays and chats. One time we all had a round of shots with him! Super cool, very laid back people. They definitely give you the feeling of being welcomed at their home. OH and let me not forget how amazingly delicious the food is. I’ve 2 different kinds of burgers they serve here and each time I was left speechless.
The atmosphere is VERY modern, low key, low lighting and fun. Perfect for a date now that I think about it! but also for any other special occasion like going to dinner with your boyfriend’s family :)

The food is really great. Has a great artistic and modern vibe. The food is a little more expensive, but it is organic, grass fed, and vegetarian. Overall, great for the value! Highly recommend!

We were in the area looking at apartments and I’ve been meaning to try this spot. I knew I’d like it after walking in and it having a chill vibe. We were told the guac and margarita special and decided to try both. The guacamole was delicious and the marg was good. The guacamole was a huge portion for two people so we decided to just get another appetizer. We ended up sharing the tamarind wings which was sooo good! I also loved the blue cheese potato salad that came with it. We were stuffed but def want to come back because there were so many good things on the menu! I also liked that they displayed and sold art in the restaurant. Hopefully we find a place nearby and this will be our new fav spot!

Unilocal won’t let me list a review of «wow», so I will ramble on and repeat what others have already said. My two bits: Excellent.
Really enjoyed the bone marrow; prepared perfectly with immense flavor.
Brussel sprouts: a perfect cook. Crunchy but not raw.
Fish tacos: wonderful.
All of this makes me sad to live on the north side.

The guac special was one the best guacamole dishes I’ve ever had– it had watermelon cubes on top, which sounds weird, but somehow made it BOMB
I had the salmon burger for dinner and my bf had shrimp tacos– both were worth trying. Really want to try the Kobe burger
Service was ok, vibe of the restaurant was super chill.

Pl-​zen is what you call one of the biggest players of Pilsen’s progressive gentrification shift.
In an endless stream of new Mexican-​American fusion restaurants popping up left and right in light of the neighborhood’s demographic shift, it seems like long-​time locals rave this place. On (what was supposed to be) my last day in Chicago, a friend and I decided to conclude our Chicago adventure by exploring Pilsen and stopping here for brunch before we got on our flights.
For a Saturday afternoon, I underestimated the popularity of this place and brunch show out crowd was much less than I expected… which is a good thing for me. Compared to some other buildings in the neighborhood, the building’s Little Red Riding Hood-​themed art may stand out above the rest, but isn’t nearly as vibrant. The tilted pathway is quite unique and leads to a basement entrance, which I guess would make this a basement-​leveled restaurant.
The brunch menu is small and doesn’t have much of their specialties on their dinner menu, so if you’re expecting to try their famous Pl-​zen burger, come for dinner. We both had the Pl-​zen Skillet (skirt steak) and it was disappointingly small. We had a small breakfast just a few hours ago but this was not very filling at all. There were more potatoes than steak but I think it was an interesting mix overall; ask for salsa (which goes well with entrée) on the side because it adds flavor but may overpower the overall taste. It was also my first time eating cactus, but I’m not sure how I feel about eating something that was once so thorny. I didn’t think it was worth $ 13 and we both were still a bit hungry afterwards, I think we were much better off getting a few tacos nearby.
Pl-​zen is visibly a local favorite, as seen with a mix of long-​time locals and the newly-​settled locals, but if you come to Pilsen to truly experience heart and soul of the neighborhood, this may not be the place.

So geeked that I was able to try this place out. I ordered the Eggs Benedict Short Ribs, crispy chorizo with roasted potatoes. Oh my, one of the best eggs Benedict I’ve had so far. Who would have thought… That ribs would go so well with eggs Benedict. The roasted potatoes were also good, and the ketchup has a little kick to it. I like it. I can’t wait to go back and try the dinner menu.

I have been wanting to check this place out for a while now and I’m sorry it took me so long!
I don’t really know how to describe it except to use the words Urban and Industrial. I love that it’s in the basement or lower level of the building. I always love the exposed brick that reminds me that I’m in the city.
I felt like it was a hiding space. I love the feeling of quiet and privacy it gives. The walls are covered with some interesting Art with el dia de los muertos theme. I can’t even begin to describe the art but it fits perfectly into this quiet, hipster hang out.
So of course I needed to get a mixed cocktail and I think I ordered the Hibiscus margarita. Anytime a drink reminds me of a party, you know its a good drink! Loved it and had two.
We ordered the calamari appetizer and for dinner I had the shrimp tacos which were covered in a spicy chipotle sauce. At first my eyes were bigger than my stomach and I thought I would still be hungry after eating the tacos but I could barely finish them. They were quite filling.
My husband had one of the burgers which he said exceeded his expectations. He had been thinking of a delicious burger all day and the burger he had filled his craving.
The waitress was attentive and helpful. The crowd that was dining were mostly young, hipsters but I did see two families there as well. So I would venture to say it’s a family friendly restaurant.
Pl-​zen you were awesome and I cannot wait to visit again with my teacher colleagues.

I always thought this place was called Pi-​zen and continually called it that. I’m sure my friends thought I was insane, since they all clearly realized that it is actually PL-​zen. I had my moment of clarity when we were leaving the place and my friends just looked at me like a proud mom looks at her second grader when they finally figure something out. I was like, «Oh, that makes a lot more sense!» Haha, so yeah, it’s PL-​zen, I got it now.
Anyhow, I really like this place. I brought a group of my coworkers on a quiet-​ish weekday night. My coworkers can be a rowdy bunch but our server, Rafael, was awesome and fun. I’m sure we were obnoxious (sorry Rafael!), but he didn’t miss a beat. We all loved him.
We started out with drinks and I was impressed with the beer selection. I’m always on the hunt for new and great dark beers and this place actually has several really interesting ones, along with a variety of other styles. It was great!
We all ordered burgers and they are seriously delicious. I had the kobe beef burger and, oh man, it was good. I think it was the garlic butter. Yum! We also shared some brussels sprouts, which ended up being delightfully spicy.
I’m kind of sad I don’t live in the neighborhood. I would be in all the time. The service is friendly, the atmosphere is nice, and the food is delicious. What a great spot!

I don’t always crave a burger, But when I do,…
PL-​ZEN always comes to mind!
I just had their Diabolo again. It was delicious! Serrano peppers for the (necessary for my palate) taste of spicy and pineapple round slice to balance with a hint of sweet. The pair is heavenly! And their fries,. Forget it!!! Forget all other burger places! Try this one first, you won’t need another!

Wow! I’m glad I came here. The food was absolutely delicious!
Pros:
Incredibly flavorful food
Intimate, romantic atmosphere
Friendly staff
Did I say incredibly flavorful food?
Cons:
Small setting makes for a loud atmosphere, while it is romantic by the looks of it, it’s difficult to hold an intimate conversation without shouting over everyone else.
Limited staff, so wait times are rather long, they don’t seem to know how to accommodate the entire restaurant, which is really tiny and not that many tables to begin with. If you’re starving, go somewhere you can get food fast and come back when you have some time to kill. (For me, gazing into the eyes of my date was a good enough distraction)
I am tempted to say their menu is simple, but it isn’t. Everything on the menu seems to have some sort of complex, intriguing element that has you thinking «Hmmm…what IS that?» and then shouting «OH man, whatever it is, it’s delicious!» when it enters your mouth.
I had the shrimp tacos (and asked for the jicama relish as well) — I really had a hard time deciding. I really appreciate the brevity of the menu, if there were any MORE choices, I would probably never eat here due to the sheer impossible task of deciding what to eat. The shrimp tacos were amazingly flavorful, perfectly crispy shrimp and a delectable chipotle sauce. They’re somewhat small, but so packed full of flavor I couldn’t complain.
My date had the Kobe burger which was also AMAZING. The meat was so juicy and well flavored, topped with carmelized onions, garlic butter and an egg. Probably one of the best damn burgers I’ve ever had. (Thank God my date likes to «split and share» I got the best of both worlds, surf and turf, Mex-​American fusion, thank you!)
We shared an order of their brussels sprouts and they were pretty darn delicious too! I mean, I love brussels sprouts, but add spices and BACON and who WOULDN’T chow down?
As for price — well, I’m a cheap bastard and I cringe at the thought of paying $ 12 for a burger or 3 small tacos, but I have to say I’d definitely return for it again. Too delicious not to!

I don’t come into Pilsen often, but I went here on a date and we tried something new. I really like the atmosphere of the place, its a little small but not too bad. The night we went we had $ 2 off on tap beers which was great. Our waiter was friendly and knowledgeable about everything on the menu. To start I ordered calamari as an appetizer. I also like that our waiter gave us these different hot sauces, one was Chipotle hot sauce, then there was another green habenero sauce which is great especially if you like spicy stuff. As an entre I got a chorizo burger which was delicious no complaints here. I guess the only thing I didn’t like about the place was that my meal was a little pricey, I mean my burger was $ 15… but I left full and satisfied so no complaints. I would totally come back some time and recommend this place. Especially if you’re in the mood for an above average burger. And they also have vegetarian options for those of you who are vegetarian.

I’ve been to Pl-​zn twice and both times all three of us had superb drinks and dinners. I enjoyed several different tequila based drinks and the grass fed beef burger. My friends mostly enjoyed vegetarian options. Despite the very loud room and slight language barrier between us and some wait staff everything worked out well and we’ll definitely be back.

Stopped in while in town for the Chicago marathon, mainly just because they had a pumpkin Dogfishhead Head beer on tap. Sat at the bar with my friend, it was very relaxed, almost cozy.
The service was excellent, I only had the brussel sprouts (that were awesome!) and the sweet potato fries (also very good). The fries tasted like they had a light dusting of brown sugar or something, which I don’t usually like, but it was just the right amount.
Will definitely have to go back next time we meet in town and try some of the other offerings.

As I entered the restaurant, I was pleased to be greeted with an artsy décor, inviting bar area, and a welcoming wait staff. The basic block tables and chairs shift focus to the murals on the wall which depict the neighborhood and it’s industrial influence. The space is smaller than I expected, but there was plenty of room for all the patrons to socialize easily. In addition, there is a small outdoor space for those who want to enjoy the colorful vibe of 18^th street.
This upscale food bar with a Mexican flavor is a newly discovered gastric gem. Dressed up bar burgers, tacos, and tostadas are only a few of the delectable dishes offered here. Most every dish includes an assortment of vegetables, avocado, tomatillo sauce, jalapenos, and sour cream. The freshness of the ingredients in each dish bursts with flavor.
Finally, the service was second to none. The wait staff was attentive, cordial, friendly and very accommodating. Pl-​zen is a creative gastro-​pub with a unique atmosphere. Our dining experience could not have been better! We enjoyed delicious food, outstanding service, the ambiance was casual yet unique, and the value was not unreasonable. I invite you to enjoy the same.

Excellent burgers! Love the Pl-​zen and Kobe burger!

3.5 for the food but I’m rounding up because service was excellent. I saw this place on Chicago’s best and have been wanting to visit since then. I started with a hibiscus margarita which wasn’t that great to me but I also have a cold so the meds may have thrown my taste buds off.
We shared the short rib mac and cheese, and it was very good (as was the pl-​zen burger). Definitely worth a try if you’re in the area!

Wow, who knew this hidden, basement-​level spot could pack so many flavors into its food and drinks?! Completely unexpected.
We happened upon Pl-​zen when my wife’s coworkers invited us to dinner in their ‘hood. We were greeted promptly and served quickly! We came for the Tuesday $ 15 special — chef’s choice of burger, a beer and a shot of bourbon all for fifteen smackaroos. Great deal, PLUS you get fries, which isn’t mentioned in the special. The special burger this evening was Asian-​inspired — it had slaw, pulled pork and more on top of a grass-​fed patty. I opted for the veggie burger, which is a free sub for us non-​meat-​eaters. Everything was superb!
The taps here are where it’s at, though. Rare, delicious, high ABV beers all under $ 8 beckon.
I’ll definitely be back to Pl-​zen when I’m in the area (which, sadly, isn’t frequently.) But after hearing about their brunch from someone who visits this place quite frequently (she’s on a first-​name basis with 90% of the staff!), we’ll make a point to visit on the weekend during brunchie hours.