Sol Food

I would eat dinner here every single night if I was closer. I would hire these people to do catering at an event as huge as a wedding. Fresh ingredients– delicious flavors, and the food is affordable too. What more could you ask for. This is in my top 3 of all time. Wow.

When a small joint like this is crackin’ on a Friday night before the clubbers get loose, you know you have something special. A couple foodie friends of mine had raved about this place ever since they went, months ago, and I am ever so happy that I got to try this place out. XD Under the expert advice of my friend, we came closer to closing (as opposed to the usual dinner time when presumably the lines would be wayyyyyy out the door) and ordered the ponche, a cubano, and a po’boy. (I did want to try the famed roasted chicken, but I didn’t think I was capable of finishing it lol).
Ponche– For some reason, even though this delicious drink is just described as «mango iced tea & lime-​ade,» I could *swear* there was something more… spicy (almost like elements of chai?) in here to keep it interesting, but not too sweet. The tiny bits of pulp in the juice might have fooled me into thinking I was going to be drinking something more viscous/nectar-y…but it’s really quite light and refreshing!
Cubano– Hot DAMN. Pork, ham, and cheese with condiments have never tasted so darn good! Is it the melty Swiss? Or the sturdy bread, toasted to perfection? Or the generous, but never sloppy, portion of pickles? Or maybe it’s the mustard, pulling it all together… I have no idea. just get it, eat it, and enjoy the hell outta this amazing sandwich! XD
Po’boy– Okay I have NEVER had such huge shrimp before! Yea, I know these are techincally butterflied, but the serious volume of each shrimp is astounding! The plantain breading makes for a ultra crisp layer of crunch that can withstand the cilantro-​lime mayo and juicy tomato…*throughout the entire time* you’re eating the sandwich without a hint of sogginess. Totally badass! With things (especially seafood) so well-​breaded, it’s easy to accidentally over-​fry and end up taking away from the inner juiciness… no such problems here! Sol Food does their food frying perfectly!
All in all, a most excellent way to end the week! Can’t wait to swing by again to take a crack at that chicken!

Best Limeade EVER!!!
Best Limeade EVER!!!
Best Limeade EVER!!!
Best Limeade EVER!!!
Best Limeade EVER!!!
Best Limeade EVER!!!
Best Limeade EVER!!!

50 cents for extra sauce to a regular who dumps hell of money on you… Classy move sol food
What’s going on! One of our favorite places screwed everything up tonight!!! Our order was wrong twice and then we waited a half hour for our dessert!!!

Bistek Sandwich! *Mic Drop
Seriously tho. Bistek Sandwich. All the flavors were there, something so simple tastes amazing. It has a sweeter taste to it and it’s juicy. The bread had a crunch to it but wasn’t too filling that it overpowered the meat. It had an orange sauce inside as well and grilled onions. Te Helado, orange mango iced tea is a must. The Pollo Al Horno, is a popular item and was the #1 choice here on Unilocal.It was good! The chicken was superb. It was moist and flavorful. The seasoning wasn’t strong so the hot sauce on the table will help that out. I’d still pick the Bistek sandwich over the pollo al horno. Plantains were crunchy, just how I like it. They’re not soft!
You order then you seat yourself, sometimes there will be someone who will assist you. The line here was crazy when we finished our lunch. It was wrapped around the building. I mean, if that’s not a good sign then idk what is. You can’t miss it! It’s a lime green building!

My first time trying Puerto Rican food. It was amazing. Everything was very fresh and well seasoned. The atmosphere was great and festive. It looked like they had a separate TOGO store next store. The workers were very helpful, I told them it was my first time and ask what a store favorite was/​what the would recommend. They were very helpful.
You walk up to the register to order, they give you a number, and you find seating. It was fairly busy when I went at 2pm on a Monday. Lots of tables, community tables, and counter seats so finding a place to sit wasn’t hard. I got a fried shrimp combo plate. It was so fresh and gave very generous portions. I also tried their «special» drink which was mango iced tea mixed with their house carbonated lemonade. It was great! I brought my cousin who is from Mexico and she loved it.

The food here is so good. Everything I’ve tried was amazing, and always very consistent quality! Customer service is great, the place is always packed, so calling in your order way ahead of time before you pick it up would be a good idea, so you don’t have to wait as long!
Parking can also be a challenge as well!

Ordered the pollo al horno and bistec encebollado combination plates. Each comes with a salad, choice of pink (pinto) or black beans, garlic or sweet plantains, and rice. This sounds kind of weird, but I thought the salad was one of the stars of the dish; it was just a simple green salad with a really good vinaigrette. The rice was good but I was surprised that it was similar to a sticky jasmine rice. Sweet plantains were great, thought the garlic plantains were under seasoned and plain/​dry. Really recommend the pollo (really tender and well marinated skinless, boneless thighs with herbs) over the bistec (thin sliced steak; really liked the caramelized onions over it, but thought the meat itself was plain and dry).
The prices for each of the dishes was pretty reasonable and the serving size is generous; felt like it is enough for a dinner and leftover lunch; or two people could easily split one combination dish (just get 2 or 3 orders of the meat). Definitely worth a try and one of the best Puerto Rican food I’ve had. And was worth our drive up from San Francisco. As much as I want to give it a five though, I’ll have to stick with a four for now.

I could eat myself sick with tostones con queso, avocado and tomato. My absolute favorite thing on the menu! As simple as it is, the lemon garlic dressing that they use on their salads is delicious as well. I’d recommend trying the pollo al horno with pink beans and a side of the tostones (they come in 3s or 5s… I get 5… In which I know my eyes are bigger than my tummy!) I’d love to venture and try other things on the menu, but when I find something I love, it’s difficult for me to veer another direction! Tables are community seating, which I enjoy, so don’t be a stranger and meet a new table mate!
If you are ordering «to go»… You can’t place your order at the main location… You need to go next door. That’s the main inconvenience, as it isn’t stated anywhere (that I’ve noticed) and I found out the hard way… standing in the long line! My personal feeling is that 9 times out of 10, the longer the line, the more worth it the place is! Any time I go through San Rafael, Sol Food is a guaranteed pit stop.

Sol Food. So good! We got the veggie sandwich wheat-​free, which means it comes with tostones as bread. It was a little light on flavor, but add a little hot sauce and its delish.
We also go the plantain-​crusted shrimp. Those were incredible. I’m gonna be dreaming about those for a while.
The ponche and the orange-​mango iced tea were both delicious and good serving sizes.
Finally, the dessert of the pineapple bread pudding was an incredible way to finish the meal. We had to get the wait staff’s attention to have them bring it to us, but it was wonderful.
Even though the line seemed long, they’ve got a good system and we were in and seated in under 15 minutes at lunchtime on a Saturday.
Great spot for vegetarians and meat eaters alike.

It lived up to the hype. Stellar delicious. The only thing that will hold me back (even a little) is the promise of a wait and the likelihood of sharing a table — something the food and charm will easily overcome.

Who doesn’t love Sol Food. The main staple in San Rafael for your casual dining experience. My family orders Sol Food every weekend and my dog Max even loves it.
I highly recommend the chicken, rice and beans. Very tasty, big portions and makes for nice leftovers the next day.

Flavorful, especially with the vinegar sauce on the table. However, I would not wait in the horrendous line that forms out the door — not worth it. Luckily, I came for an early dinner and we beat the human traffic.
The Monte Cristo, that everybody raves about, was good but you can only make sandwiches so good … the chicken marinade was delicious but the chicken could have been juicier.
All in all, a place to visit if there is minimal wait time. Otherwise, take it to-​go or come back another time.

Loathe the lines to eat here, or even the lines to pick up food I ordered over the phone. But the food is definitely fresh, tasty and overall pretty healthy.
My favorite is their vegetarian, and getting an order of their plantain chips. My friend loves the pollo frio sandwich. One of these days I might get their fried whole fish on friday, heard it is good. Overall there are not that many great restaurants in Marin, so this one is my go to. I never wait in line for a table, I just order on the phone, pick it up (ask about their daily specials when you call, you won’t be sorry!) and my friend and I enjoy it on her patio as we catch up. Must try, it is worth it!

I’m never disappointed whenever I go to Soul Food. The menu was absolutely wonderful incredible and we had a varied menu between the three of us. One ordered a quarter chicken and one of us ordered a Cuban sandwich in one of this order the beef sandwich. All three came out tasty juicy and we followed it up with their famous lemonade which is superior comes out there nice mason jar a big one. Is nothing on the menu that I wouldn’t need it still is.

My gawwWwd! Just let me get this off my chest and make this review easy for you: GET THE POLLO AL HORNO!
If you THINK you’ll be hungry, just go and stand in line! It’s quite a wait which was fine by me because I was doing my Unilocal homework. I told my bro we have to get the following:
–Al horno
–bistec
–pink beans
–plantains
–drink ponche
Since the bro said he was gonna get the horno dish, I got the bistec but substituted it with plantains instead of bread per a follower Unilocaler. To be honest with you, it was really bland and I wasn’t expecting the plantains to be so dry. The meat was tough– I couldn’t bite it with my teeth so as I was trying, the whole piece of meat comes out, I’m my mouth like I didn’t have any manners, in a barbaric way– so I forked and knifed it.
THE POLLO AL HORNO WAS DELICIOUS. It was tender-​juicy-​flavorful! I was full but stopped eating my dish to help my bro finish this plate. They apparently sell it in pieces of chicken– we went for it and got the 3 or 4 pieces, which I’m glad because if he didn’t– I wouldn’t have been able to eat it! HE DEMOLISHED IT! the sauce they leave on the table– it’s like a Cuban version of nouc mum (Vietnamese fish sauce) — it was spicy and salty– just pour it EVERYWHERE… Just dump the whole damn bottle on the rice and chicken!
We washed it down it ponche which is ½ mango and ½ limeade. It’s different from anything I tasted but I REALLLY like it! Towards the end– I diluted it with water which still tasted good.
Other than my dish– I still gave it a 5star rating for the ponche and most def the al HORNO!

La comida estaba muy buena. Yo orden un cubano y mofongo. El cubano es unos de los mejores cubanos que he comido. Nunca he probrado el mofongo, pero este mofongo estaba muy bueno. El caldo estaba super y va muy bien con el platillo. Mi novia ordeno camarones criollos. Los camarones son frescos y el platano frito era super bien! La limonada fresca sacia la sed y esata muy rico.
Recomendo este restaurante a todos (I would recommed this place to everyone).

Buena comida alimentos muy frescos lo q no me gusta es q tengo q compartir la mesa con otras personas pero muy rico

I came here with a friend who’s been talking about coming here for months and we finally made it this past weekend!
There was a short line leading out the door, but moved really quickly. We ordered at the register and you seat yourself in a family dining style (You share the table with others). I ordered the Bistec sandwich w/​a side of fries, based on the many reviews, and the limeade.
The limeade came out first and they came in massive mason jars and it was SO good, not that I drink limeade a lot… but this was particularly tasty. They add some sparkling water in there to spice it up a little and the best part is when you’re half way done with your limeade, simply fill it up with the bottle of water on your table and it tastes brand new. Srsly. Try this.
As for the Bistec, the meet was juicy and the side of hot sauce on the side was absolutely perfect. The only downside were the fries — Nothing special, not very seasoned, but I was so full from the sandwich, I barely had room for them.
Must try!

I don’t get what all the hype is about.
I could only eat half of the bistec sandwich because it was so rich. The warm mayo, swiss, steak, avocado situation didn’t sit well with me.
I fell in love with the house made hot sauce and should’ve bought a bottle when I had the chance.
The restaurant was out of many of the food items. They were out of plantains. How? And overall was a forgettable experience.
I will most likely give it another try the next time I’m driving back from wine country.

I have been back a hand full of times since my last review in 2012. Suffice to say, Sol Food is still serving up amazing comfort food that is well worth the pilgrimage.
The whole fried fish is only served on Friday and is well worth the struggle of eating. The flesh is moist and seasoned just right with a fantastic crisp exterior. My suggestion is to finish it there because the next day you can taste the oil flavor more.
I also really enjoyed the mofongo relleno de camarones, the broth was flavor charged and shrimp was done well.
Overall Thoughts
Well worth many repeat futures visits for years to come

Sunday Special — Pernil, Arroz con Gandules, Pastele $ 14.95 | Rice is good, but it lacks that sofrito punch. I do like that they cook it with bacon/​salt pork because it just adds another interesting flavor element and that complexity PR food is known for.
I don’t like the pasteles — they use pumpkin and it doesn’t firm up. It’s too mushy.
The pernil made me cry, on site, at the table. And btdubs — they only have communal tables. They force you sit with other people, which I don’t like and this is one of the reasons I don’t like it… no intimacy. I’m not sorry that I probably made some people uncomfortable with my crying. The pernil just tasted so much like my grandma’s and she’s not here to share it with me, or to talk about it with. Ugh.
This food is pretty damn expensive, they give you a lot of food, but when you’re really the only restaurant dedicated to PR food (not caribbean or a mashup of half PR and half something else) in all of Northern California… who’s gonna complain?
They had frituras under a heat lamp next door at the bodega. I might come back and try them.
No pegao. Boo.

How is it possible to seat and serve hundreds of people the most consistently delicious food in a tiny restaurant? Answer: a meticulously organized food preparation and service system.
Do not be dissuaded by the omnipresent long line at the front door, as you will likely be seated in 30 minutes or less. Once inside, your drinks arrive in seconds, your meal in a few minutes.
The food, ah the food! Scrumptious black beans, super juicy chicken, perfectly cooked plátanos, always fresh salad, incredibly tasty rice and vinegar/​chili sauce that is to die for! The friendly staff, dressed in the latest Sol Food T-​shirt design, are attentive and relaxed — amazing given the pace. Don’t want to wait in line? You can call in your order ahead of time and pick it up at the next door location. Yum, Yum, Yum.

Too gosh darn expensive and the beef they use for the Bistec sandwich isn’t really even that great. I guess I just got burned out on this place. Every other year or so I don’t mind it.

Hands down one of my favorite spots!
I had no clue how good Puerto Rican food was until I found this spot a few years back. I haven’t tried anything there that I didn’t like. My personal favorite is the Puerto Rican po boy. The breakfast is also amazing. The French toast is one of the best I’ve ever had. I love everything about this place from the atmosphere, food, drinks, customer service, and location. If you have never been or are interested in Puerto Rican food, I highly suggest giving it a try!

Good food, employee at sit down restaurant was not friendly, but gentleman at togo restaurant were super nice! I got the bistec sandwhich. It was very tasty, but not different from any other steak sandwhich I have had. It was packed and loud. No liquor of any kind here. I need to go back and dine in and try something new…

Having moved to California from Portland in September, I’ve been missing a great many Portlandian flavors. I was vegan when I moved here– then I found that in Novato, being vegan is not so easy when you’re dining out. However, Sol Food has vegan options. Chances are though, if you like meat, you’ll quickly opt for the Cubano or one of the many other delicious options on the menu. Their salad dressing is so good that they have it bottled for purchase (yes, my love and I absolutely did purchase a bottle and yes, it was hard not to consume it as a beverage).
The first time I ever came to Sol Food was kind of magical. It was the first day of the 2016, after an extremely lousy (with the exception of meeting my partner and ending nine very toxic years with the wrong person), and we were looking for something to eat in San Rafael; I’d wanted to try Sol Food since I moved here, but there’s always a line WRAPPED AROUND THE BUILDING! This day was no different. But this day was beautiful and crisp, and we decided to do it anyway. Fortunately, Hog Island Oysters was out in front of Sol Food giving away free oysters and there was a phenomenal band entertaining folks outside as well.
The service is quick and professional, the prices are good for the ambrosia that arrives at your table, and you WILL walk away understanding that line wrapped around the building. As for health nuts, this place is totally doable. Vegan friendly too!

Looks like portions got smaller again. Before side salads would get tomato now you don’t.
Tonight, i ordered the small bistec combo plate. Rice, beans and the salad was smaller then usual. Not happy about that.
I also ordered medium lentil soup. If you eat inside they give you 2slices of french bread toast. So how pick up soup does not get any?

Sol Food is one of those gems of San Rafael that everyone just needs to try out at least once. Like it? Then keep on comin’ back! Not your thing? That’s okay too! It’s become so popular that they opened up another location right next door to the first — for take-​out and delivery.
A personal favorite is definitely the Bistec sandwich. Arguably one of their most popular sellers, the sandwich comes in a small or large size and is differentiated by how much MEAT goes in it (not the size of the sandwich)! I’ve also had the Chuleton sandwich on separate occasions, which is just as delicious, though slightly drier. Interestingly, I’ve traditionally taken sandwiches on the go, but ordered the Bistec or Pollo a la carta when dining in. If dining in, EXPECT A FAIR WAIT! This place is almost always packed, though the line does move along at a good pace. Interior décor is a cultural feast for the eyes, and the overall ambience is very lively. Finally, don’t forget to treat yourself to a Ponche (half mango iced tea and half limeade)!!
Pros:
* Food is BOMB. Period.
* Ponche. Damn. Das gooood.
* Lively ambience means bring some friends and have a good time! Not meant to be a quiet, romantic, candlelit dinner sort of place. Can still bring your significant other for some amazing grub, of course.
Cons:
* Long lines may not necessarily indicate a long wait. People usually move in and out quickly. Patience — it’ll be worth it!
* Street parking is tough — check out two nearby lots for pay-​by-​hour options.

On the way back from Muir Woods, we decided to grab some Puerto Rican food before hopping on the bridge. Such a fantastic decision, and even better that we went earlier before it got real cold, real fast.
But alas, the FOOD. We grabbed the Pollo al Horno with pink beans and ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ garlic plantains and sweet plantains.
Step 1: Drench yo rice with the beans. Just do it.
Step 2: I like mixing in my meats and plantains. So do that if you’re game.
Step 3: Enjoy.
I preferred the regular plantains as the garlic ones tasted a bit starchy in my opinion. Portions are plentiful, 1 piece meal should be enough for one person, but you can go up to 3 if you’re really feeling savage.
Just make sure to come early and know that small groups often get priority!

Sol Food really is good for your soul– they serve hearty Puerto Rican specialties and the chicken is a perfect meal post-​hiking Mt. Tam!
I had the mango juice, pollo al horno with pink beans, and flan. The mango juice is sweet and refreshing and comes in a huge jar! The chicken was tender, had good flavor, and overall well-​cooked. The pink beans were unique and not bad. I tried both the savory and the sweet versions of the plaintains and I liked the kind that weren’t as deep fried. It’s nice that they have both options though. The dessert was also really good– the flan was well set and had a nice caramel sauce on top.
The service here is also great, the staff are super friendly and contribute to the lively atmosphere.

Pollo al horno — chicken thighs with black beans and sweet plantain. I got their 3 pieces, The portion was enough for 2. Full filing. I enjoyed their hot sauce which is vinegar base. It went perfectly with everything. I put it on my rice, chicken, beans and salad bed.
Mango orange limeade! Very refreshing!

I have actually only visited San Rafael a handful of times. On a visit a couple years ago, my friends & I were Unilocaling for a dinner spot. Sol Food popped up as the highest rated (and most reviews) so we came for dinner and was not disappointed. Fast casual type of environment but fancy & very delicious food! I love restaurants where the décor makes you feel like you’re sitting outside — so fun! The feeling of outdoor seating without the bugs & creepy crawlies. LOL: D :D
My friends & I stopped by lunch before a winery day in Healdsburg recently and it was just a good as I remembered! Those 2000+ reviews definitely say something. We also went right when they opened, so the wait was minimal. When we left, we saw there was quite a long wait. You do order before you sit down so study the Unilocal pics or grab a menu to decide what you want before you get to the register.
I ordered the EL POLLO AL HORNO and for the most part, it was a great dish! It also came with some mixed greens and beans (I chose pink) and plantains (garlic). OKAY so the plantains fell short for me — didn’t taste very garlicky & hard like cardboard :(. I should’ve chosen sweet plantains instead. I had to make them more flavorful by topping it with my beans + mixed greens and eating it like a taco. The STAR was definitely the chicken though (hence the name) was very well seasoned and moist (even though it looked dry) — YUM!
We also shared a flan for dessert and it was quite tasty — would order again for sure.
A fun lunch or dinner spot with for a casual date or group outing. It IS a bit pricey for a «casual» place but solid quality of the food is worth it. I’m looking forwarding to going again next time I am in San Rafael!

Nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom. Pollo sandwich? Nom. Pollo el horno? Nom. Limeade? Nom nom! Sweet plantains? Nom nom nom!!! Worth the wait.

pollo al horno — si por favor!
camarones criollos — si por favor!
te helado — si por favor tambien!
there’s a reason why this place averages 4.5 out of 5 stars on Unilocal :)
i had visited miami last summer and after being exposed to a wide array of amazing puerto rican restaurants, i couldn’t help but venture off to find a restaurant in the bay area that provided me with the culinary delights that i fondly associated with the MIA! sol was recommended to me by a friend who wouldn’t stop raving about this place. i figured i’d take my chances and make the trek out to the other side of the bay.
boy, was i surprised to find that on a thursday afternoon, the line at sol went out the door and around the block. this sight alone merely confirmed my friend’s rave reviews. since i was looking to satisfy my puerto rican food craving, i went with the item that i had been craving the most, the infamous appetizer: tostones! these crispy plantains were fried to perfection. the bottle of dipping sauce provided at each table was the perfect accompaniment of tart & sweet for these fried goodies!
i had the camarones criollos which were by far the largest prawns i have seen! the combination of the delightful tomato sauce with rice was amazing! i can’t help but note the organic salad that is paired with every combination plate! the lemon garlic dressing didn’t overpower the greens and had just the right flavor to season this side dish!
the te helado is another treat that should not be missed. this refreshing drink is served in a cute mason jar that can easily be shared due to its ginormous serving!
sol food, muchas gracias por sus platillos deliciosos! no longer do i have to travel across the country for amazing puerto rican food! i will definitely be back!

Suuuuuper addicted to their pollo sandwich and tostones con queso (con tomate y el aguacate tambien!) and their rice. I dunno what it is about their rice but it is SO GOOD. also their limeade is the best I’ve ever had. Great people, great food, great ambiance, what’s not to like?

Well, there are a few hundred great reviews of this place, but I’ll throw down another 5 star for this one. Unique, original and incredibly tasty. I love the combinaciones– bistec encebollado and the pollo el horno are freaking great! I have also had the camerones criollos. These come with fried plantains, gotta try those too (two types– get one of each).
OK, the only downside is the restaurant’s popularity. Seating is hell– lots of people trying to get in (line usually out the door), trying to sit down or trying to get their damn food. Great ambience, tho, and nice servers to boot.
I left the restaurant once without one of my orders and the guy came running down the street to find me so I could have my camerones. What a place!

Can’t go to the bay and not stop here. It’s phenomenal and I always get the same thing: steak sandwich and limeaid. The chicken is also amazing with a perfect spice to it.
There will be a wait outside and the pick up next door is very convenience. Ambiance is super chill and a lot of buzz of folks running around.