View Dining Pick of the Week: Sonio’s Cafe & Rotisserie

Sonio’s Cafe & Rotisserie

3900 W. Charleston Blvd. at Valley View Boulevard, 702-307-2177

Sonio’s Cafe is a blink-and-you-miss-it type of place. Tucked inside a nondescript strip mall at Charleston and Valley View boulevards, this neighborhood gem makes up in charm and flavor what it lacks in ambience. Chances are you’ll want to try the chicken —made rotisserie-style in house, it is a specialty — which makes an appearance in many menu items, including salads, tacos, enchiladas and burritos. I like it served au natural with sides: chicken or spinach and feta pasta salad, roasted red potatoes, garden or Caesar salad, french or Greek fries (feta, lemon juice, black pepper and basil), Spanish or Primavera rice and pinto beans. Rotisserie chicken is offered with a quarter portion and two sides for $7.25 or half portion with two sides for $8.25. All white meat is available for $1 more. With chicken this savory and juicy, you might surprise yourself by finishing the half bird portion. The rest of the menu is dominated by Uncle Teddy’s specialties, including beefs and dogs (served Chicago style “wet” or “dunked,” and yes, there is an actual Uncle Teddy, who can often be found greeting fans at table 1), Italian beef or sausage sandwich with sweet peppers and fries, meatball sub with fries and homemade lasagna (the menu lists this under “Uncle Teddy’s Sometimes,” explaining “sometimes we have it — sometimes we don’t”). The original Sonio’s burned to the ground in an electrical fire in 2003. The restaurant reopened the following year with an expanded menu. The Chicago-style selections came on board in 2010. One thing that has never changed is a quality meal for a reasonable price: Most selections average less than $10. Sonio’s is open from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday. For more information, visit facebook.com/sonioscafe.