My friend had her birthday celebration here last night. I never heard about this place but was immediately intrigued when she told me about it. It's a live show while you have dinner. The staff was very friendly and I did enjoy the host of the show. I thought he did a great job interacting with everyone in the audience. However, we were there for a good 2 1/2 almost 3 hours and after a while the show started to feel very repetitive. The same performers and performances would come on stage on a loop. I did enjoy the performances but after a while it did become quite predictable. As far as the food, I wasn't crazy about it. I ordered the calamari for my appetizer- which was pretty good. I liked the sauce that was drizzled on it. However, my entree was kind of a disappointment. I got the lamb shank which just didn't mesh well with my taste buds. I know this is a cultural dish so it's just not a taste I was used to. However, I did wish I enjoyed it a little bit more. I will say the lamb was nice and tender. The best thing I had that evening was the pink dahlia. It was a delicious cocktail made with Malibu rum, pina colada mixture, pineapple juice and strawberry purée. It was so yummy, I had two! I'm grateful I got to experience this place, it was an overall enjoyable night. With that being said I don't see myself coming back to this establishment. For me it's very much a one and done experience. read more

I was hesitant to go after reading some of the reviews. I visited Alhambra Palace Restaurant on Sunday, 4/26/26 around 4:30 pm. The restaurant wasn't crowded at the time, only a couple of tables were occupied, which made for a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. Our waiter, Amine, was attentive throughout the entire dinner and made sure we had everything we needed. The food was delicious, and you can tell care goes into the dishes. I would definitely come back to try more items on the menu. Overall, a very pleasant dining experience. read more

Alhambra Palace - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Came for a birthday dinner and the ambiance is really nice. However the experience was meh at best. We ordered the royal platters for the table and honestly they're the most saddest platters i've ever seen at a Mediterranean restaurant, like the amount of rice served with it is a joke. We got the same amount of rice that 2 people would normally get? It's nice that is all halal and there was definitely a lot of meat but none of it was worth writing home about and after waiting over 2 hours for food it was really underwhelming. Everyone had tiny plates of meat basically and a small scoop of rice and that was it. We had hummus, lamb meatballs, shrimp and tabbouleh for apps and again the meat itself was nicely sized but it was all cold and just meh. Even the bread with the hummus was hard. Speaking of the wait the service was atrocious- probably because of the 18% automatic service charge. They were nowhere to be seen until an hour after being seated and every single thing took a 10-20 minutes minimum to bring out, including water. We had a pregnant person who we literally had to demand a drink for asap because she was starting to feel sick from waiting so long. Just absolutely unacceptable. They would also just forget to do things despite being asked several times, like being asked to leave a menu or for hot sauce which never came. A lot of the details were just off like having no serving utensils for appetizers or being able to clear the table appropriately for apps and then dinner and then dessert. We got an extra drink that no one ordered but still had to pay for. Our waitress would disappear a lot. Keep in mind if you have a birthday they bring out a sparkler cheesecake but that is also $10. And there's also a 3% service charge on top of everything. And a minimum spend for some reason? And nonalcoholic drinks were all $15 which is crazy when other restaurants in west loop will at least vary the price depending on the drink a little bit. It was just weird. The entertainment itself was okay - nothing you can't see elsewhere and every act i've seen at other places in Chicago actually be done better. The fire guy was the only cool one. The dj playing different cultured music for the dance break was the saving grace of entertainment. Overall fun if you're with a good group but would not go again. read more

Alhambra Palace - Royal Platter - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Don't visit this spot unless you really want to go for a one time experience. Their food is the worst of all, and they will rip you off. Not recommended. read more

My husband and I came in for dinner at 7:30pm on a Friday evening. They offer valet parking and there is pay to park around as well. We were greeted right away and taken to our table. Light music was playing and the room had beautiful decor and lighting. Water was brought with the option of tap or sparkling. We ordered a drink, hummus appetizer with bread, the platter entree for 2 and dessert. Menus is QR code. Everything was cooked to perfection and Amine provided excellent service. We even had one of the managers, I believe, stop by and ask us how everything was going. Very personable. We could not stay for the show that started at 9pm, but we were informed Saturdays show is great as well. We will definitely be back thanks to the great service of Amine and the delicious food. read more

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THIS PLACE HAS GONE DOWN HILL. EVERYTHING IS A MONEY GRAB. BEWARE. I've been here before, two years ago and it was quite nice, but now.... We get there at 7:15 PM and it's completely empty on a Friday night. That should have been a cue for me to turn around and head straight out the door. We ordered the Alahambra Platter - Chicken kabob*, beef filet kabob**, beef kefta kabob** and chicken kefta kabob*, served with grilled vegetables and basmati rice; and their Hummus appetizer to start. The beef "fillet" kabob was dry and hard to chew (overcooked). We actually asked for it to be prepared medium rare, but our server, Adnane J recommended that we have it cooked medium-well - he said otherwise we may get sick if it was undercooked. I should've known then that this place was not what it use to be. The beef and chicken kefta kebab has the most flavor, but nothing to write home about. Their hummus was very good though. It's odd that the place was empty and they had tons of servers standing around, but still we had to wait for Our server to take our order or even ask for anything else. Their tiramisu was decent. BUYER BEWARE, IF YOU COME ON A FRIDAY, YOU WILL BE CHARGED $10 FOR ENTERTAINMENT, EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE NOT STAYING TO WATCH THE SHOW . We had no idea there was going to be a show and there was no indication that there would be a show, much less be charged for one. It all seems crooked. The server, Adnane J was also very deceitful in saying that we didn't have to tip if we were unhappy, but that's because the Sneak applied an automatic gratuity of 18%!?! What dishonest server and establishment! All in all, it was a VERY DISAPPOINTING experience. I went to this restaurant without looking at the current ratings because of my previous experience two years ago, which was quite delightful, but Unfortunately, their current rating from other reviewers holds true. SKIP THIS PLACE IF YOU VALUE HONESTY. read more

Alhambra Palace - Only good thing was the tiramisu. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Wonderful ambiance after all these years. Still a beautiful interior and nice events to enjoy. Food rating: Platter and salad were perfect to share for 4 adults. Meats: a bit overcooked and slightly underseasoned. Pita bread: good Baba ghanoush: good, but could've had more seasoning Rice: good Fatoush Salad: tasty, the shell was a nice touch but a bit oily. Service: Waiter was average, a bit non-chalant, had to remind him for things a couple times and it wasn't that busy as far as dining guests went. Other ladies like the hostess was nice and helpful. Overall good experience. read more

Alhambra Palace - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Went there for a Diwali celebration and everything felt like a money grab. They took pictures and tried to charge us to buy them. The babaganush was good and creamy,but the surprise minimum on our table of two was not explained to us before sitting down. The pina colada was not mixed well. Ambiance was tacky but could be good for families looking for a night out. read more

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We always have so much fun in Alhambra place is amazing food as well what I notice lately the prices are very high for beverages and entertainment. We had few times celebration there and was pretty expensive. read more

Alhambra Palace - Latino night - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

interesting place to feast your eyes. My suggestion, request a cocktail menu before ordering. I'm not adverse to paying a premium for a cocktail, however, I feel $50 is excessive for two"old-fashioneds. read more

Do not valet they scratched our car and distracted my husband so he wouldn't see. Good thing our car had video of the whole thing. Waited 1 hour to order and 1 more hour for food. The waiter was serving 120 people on his own. Ridiculous. read more

I went there for a Diwali celebration, paid $60 for two tickets. I ordered a virgin piña colada, it wasn't mixed. So it was just pineapple juice and coconut mix on ice. The baba ganouj was decent. When we tried to leave, the waitress angrily said there's a $30 minimum per person. I explained that we already paid $30 per person just to get in. She immediately ignored that and said "that is something else". We asked for the manager, when he came he seemed to have no knowledge of what the waitress said. We paid for what we ate and left. Oh and there's a photographer going around selling photos. Everything felt like a money grab. read more

Alhambra Palace - Baba ganouj - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I loved this place! I've rode past this place all the time but never stopped until recently! The inside of the restaurant is beautiful! The decor makes you feel like you're in another country, and they have cool artifacts! The service was amazing, our server was very attentive and even gave us suggestions! The food was so flavorful and it didn't take too long to come out! Overall an amazing experience and I will certainly be making another visit! read more

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Freezing cold in the place. We all had to keep our winter jackets on. The bathrooms were colder the main dinning hall. $51 dollars for a ribeye that was worse then ponderosa. The waiter asked me if I wanted it medium well. I said no medium. They don't give you a steak knife to cut it with. I had to ask for my wife's soup. After I finished my salad. I had to ask for my wife's meal after I was half way done with mine. We were never offered a second round of drinks. I actually just went to the bar to get my own. My one star reflects the quality of the food. Better off to just go to McDonald's HQ down the street. As others have said automatic 18% gratuity. Then asked for more when we got the bill. Like dude I went to get my own drinks twice! And saw the waiter at the bar once. He asked if everything was ok? lol I had to get up and walk around to keep warm. The place seems to be run very sloppy. A gentleman came to ask us how was everything as we were leaving. I just wanted to get to my car to get warm. The show was ok. The lady that ran the show was pretty cool and the performers were good. But the place seems to have run its course. We got there at 8pm. We walked in and the place was virtually empty. On a Saturday night that should have been a sign. I'd be shocked if they are still in business by the end of the year. read more

The place is beautiful and the crowd and DJ is so fun. Everyone had a good time. The music and interactive shows are the best. I went on a family holidays dinner with my family and we had the best time. The food is great and fresh and one platter of the food is enough for 3-4 people. We had let the waiter suggest and select food and he brought out the platters of proteins and hummus and other dips X 2. And two big platters or rice. I ordered a salad thinking it would be a typical 1.5 person type of salad and it was a giant salad that like 3-4 people could eat. So, needless to say we had plenty to take home. The lamb chops were all of that and juicy and cooked well. The entertainment was great and by the end of the evening everyone was up dancing. The belly dancer, fire dancer, the bike rider, the DJ, and MC were super and they commanded attention and kept the audience/diners involved and entertained. I got up and I am a dancer and I had a ball. I wish I had wore my true dancing shoes and more dance ready wear as I would have acted up more on the dance floor. We were there on Friday night and it was lit. There is Latin dancing on the first floor and we were told that it was $15 to enter that event. Overall, the palace is fun, entertaining, and be ready to eat and dance. The parking is street parking (park pay) I don't know if there is a valet service. They serve alcohol and have a bar read more

Alhambra is a BEAUTIFUL spot, especially if you want to take photos. Aesthetics 10/10. The service is incredible and everyone is so nice. The live shows are so cool, and they go all out to get the best performers. Owners, managers and DJ are all super kind to locals and visitors alike. No hookah anymore but the food was also delicious, we tried just about everything & all of it was just what we were craving. read more

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We had a great time until we left the restaurant and find out that we were just robbed. They don't give you the bill, go over the items verbally by your table very fast with laid music on and most importantly they don't TELL you that the tip is already included. My dinner was $180 and I ended up paying $320. Tell me how it is not a scam! I paid $50 tip on the top of the tip that was included because the waitress didn't tell me about it and didn't give me the bill. I'll never go back. It is really robbery. I celebrated my mom for the Mother's Day and left the restaurant feeling like a fool! What a terrible experience. read more

Haven't been here in decades whoa... its still around (unlike the Wild Hare) and kickin' good job Al. Food menu seems trimmed down a lot from what I remember, and per our server, there is a minimum purchase of $30 per person (that we just made) and an add-on entertainment charge of $5... that is not mentioned anywhere on their website. Pita was more warmed up and had some oil and dried herb sprinkles, better than I recall but not anywhere as good as Naf Naf. The beef kefka was good, the rest standard rice and veg. Entrées are all about $25-30 aside from salmon... and drinks at $18 geezus. Personally, I found the volume too high for the music. Did not allow conversation. My friend mentioned the vibe as being like a wedding reception. Truth. TBH It's probably going to be another decade before I go back, if ever. read more

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Have mixed feelings about this place; really enchanting or Moroccan Disney. Some amazing decor. Came here as a friend was performing. Good Mediterranean food, but not sure of the elevated price. We live on the north side and there are so many good Mediterranean restaurants there. We ordered the Alhambra Platter for two. Plenty of left overs for the next night. read more

Alhambra Palace - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We didn't have a reservation, so the only way to get seating was to purchase the VIP option, which honestly was not worth it. The entertainment was phenomenal and the food was delicious, but the service was extremely disappointing. Everything was delayed, and the entire VIP section was visibly upset. The manager did nothing beyond saying he would "check on it," and no real effort was made to correct the situation. read more

The service was absolutely horrible -- one of the worst experiences I've ever had. I've been to the Alhambra Palace several years ago, and it was much better back then. Our server completely ignored our table. We were not given proper silverware, and no one came back after we asked -- one guest had to eat shrimp with their hands. Wine was never brought. We waited two hours for nothing, and people had to go to the bar just to get drinks. They didn't even take our orders until an hour after the show started, and we were all starving. Cold food was brought multiple times. It was nearly impossible to find our waiter -- he seemed to be hiding. We asked several staff members to call him; they tried, but he never came back to check if we needed anything. We were ignored, abandoned, and never received the coffee or tea we requested. Do not go there if you don't want to be frustrated. The show is good -- the only reason for any stars. Stars only for the show. Service deserves minus 10. read more

The food was great and the portions were huge. The show was very interactive and fun for a night out with friends. read more

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Latest visit (4/24/2026) was good food and entertainment. However... got a text the next day accusing me and my boyfriend of not settling the bill. This was untrue and we had the receipt and his account shows the money was withdrawn. The text from "Dr Jaaf Aksikas" threatened the police would be called for theft of services. I told him my boyfriend paid and would be calling him to speak with him. He raised his voice with my boyfriend and then wanted to go over the receipt line by line, asking if we ate this or that. He accused us of getting wine, but neither of us drink alcohol and only had lemonade and Pepsi. My boyfriend has eaten there many times over the last 16-17 years without incident. I responded to the text that we would never leave without paying because that is crass. This is the same guy who, while we were at dinner, walked around the restaurant with his nose in his phone all evening and did not acknowledge a single person. When my boyfriend and I left the restaurant, this man had gone out before us and let the door close on us. I am truly disappointed because I genuinely enjoyed eating there. If this is how business is conducted, I want no part of it. ​ read more

Terrible cold as hell no heat in the place, we were celebrating mom she got seek because the place was very cold. service very bad late food, manager apologize for food been late, waiter want extra tips after 18% was already included in the bill. Never again not even free. read more

I will start with the service of this restaurant, service was good and staff was friendly even the performers of the night were nice. The show could have been better and needs more performers than the same people all the time. Felt a bit repetitive after a while... food was okay nothing to brag about. If you don't eat fast your food goes cold, definitely recommend eating first and then enjoy the show. Ambiance of the restaurant felt good, I felt good vibes all around. Place needs more heaters as I felt cold through my meal and show. Restaurant needs to be a bit more clean especially the bathrooms. I honestly don't think I'm coming back as per my opinion the food wasn't all that and not worth the price. This place is a one time deal. read more

Definitely a fun place for an evening with friends/family. The highlight of the evening was as the host/emcee and her AMAZING performance!! I wish she was on longer! The Baba Ghanoush was the best part of the meal! I wish I had a picture; as soon as one person at the table tried it, it was gone! read more

Alhambra Palace - Vegetable ravioli. I expected more for $27. There were maybe seven ravioli total. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We came here for a private event in their banquet hall upstairs, but we have been to the restaurant and show another time. It's an interesting place as it is huge and very ornate, and a great concept of dinner and entertainment. It was years ago that I came for the main dinner and show, we weren't so impressed with the food, but it was fun with the belly dancers, and Open dancing. At least go one time to check it out kind of event. But last night for the private event, I was very impressed with the food buffet of falafels, hummus, baba ghanoush, rice, and a various assortment of chicken, lamb and shrimp. All very delicious. read more

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We had a wonderful tonight at Alhambra palace. Ahoo "the beautiful performer" was wonderful. Such a fun night. Dj "Vic" was awesome,we danced for hours, he is apparently also there on Fridays. And the assistant manager "Amin" took such good care of us. Everyone was so nice. I made sure to ask their names for this review. We will be back for sure read more

The Alhambra Palace was definitely the Latin Thursday spot. It's kind of like a Disney scene out of Aladdin, yet like a ballroom in beauty and the beast. Very first date vibes, skip the photo op, those pictures are 30$ a pop in a frame. Don't let them fool you. I would say this scene is mostly 40+ , but I liked it mostly. It has a charm. Water is expensive, Chicago is expensive. Anyways, Pay the cover and get to boogying. read more

Have you always wondered what this place is like? Don't wonder anymore - it is so terrible that is is actually impressive to be so terrible in every category! 1. Don't worry about your outfit because you won't be taking your coat off. This place is absolutely freezing. Many people around us also had kept their winter coats on the whole time they were there. Even my partner, who is always hot, asked me to share my scarf with him... during dinner... do you like going out just to have to curl in a ball and keep your winter coat and scarf on while you eat? With shitty music playing in a huge, drafty dining hall? No? 2. Service: this place is overpriced and overly small portions - you will still be hungry when you leave... but don't worry about that because you're lucky if you ever receive your food! We waited so long for our food... and when we finally received it we had to remind them that we ordered appetizers that we never received. We couldn't find anyone to help us though, and especially not our server. 3. The drinks were terrible. Had to send mine back. 4. They literally won't let you leave... exciting. We finally found our server and told our server we were ready to leave. She had her electronic pad in her hand. She literally just ignored us and went away. Finally we just went up to the front and started to leave and found someone to let us pay and go. 5. On top of the awful food, awful atmosphere, awful service, you get the luxury of them tipping themselves for you anyway ! Yep! They automatically add their own tip that you don't get to choose! On top of all of that. Enjoy read more

The waitress was very annoying.. She was overly friendly, then she kept saying, you should order more, it won't be enough, and there is a $30 minimum, and the kids like filafel, you should order more.. etc We ordered 2 platters, then decided to settle for 1, she insisted that 1 will not be enough and made us order 2. We ordered 2 platters and a whole $125 was wasted.. The drinks were too expensive and not good.. read more

Prices have gone up significantly Service is poor The food is good A very long wait Their performances have gone shorter in time and less belly dancing Have been coming here for over a decade Lots of unpleasant changes Although it's my absolute favorite place in Chicago Jameson is 255$ read more

I came for Thursday night salsa. I can't speak to the food, but it was a great experience to be able to dance and practice some salsa moves in such a big dancing space! read more

My first visit with a good friend was very disappointing in such a beautiful place. It's been a few years and I will try again. The food was very good. But a chef got fired. It was an impossible situation. I'm happy to see the place survived the mishap. I'm going to try again. read more

This place was a party!! They had a MC that was full of life and energy. He was going around dancing and saying happy birthday to people. The food was amazing, but I wish they provided more available sauce for all the meats! People danced with silks, rings, and sticks. We were tired and left early but the party kept going on past 11pm!! Recommended read more

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The only very good thing there was the waitress. Such a sweetheart. Houda. The Décor is very nice. People do get up and danse. Good ambiance. The food is mediocre. The "Egyptian" belly dancer is anything but Arabic. Same comment about the "brazilian" dancer. The overall vibe is like a mob-run club. So it's tacky cheesy but fun. Just don't go there to eat. read more

Alhambra Palace - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Came from out of town and had a really good experience on Thursday night. The dance class is VERY beginner friendly (slightly too much if you're more intermediate- I would skip the class and just come to dance if you know basic steps). The service was prompt and attentive, food was good, but what you're really going here for is the ambiance. Truly BEAUTIFUL, special location. This is a date night, birthday, anniversary, let's dance the night away type of place. I can also say I could see coming here solo to the class if you're new in town in order to meet people. Would also like to say the server was very clear that gratuity was already included, which is also standard if you have a larger party anyway (which we did). The waiter earned it and we were happy to throw in a little extra. read more

If you're looking for unfriendly staff and bottom of the barrel food, look no further. We only stopped by here because it showed up on my corporate benefits which they didn't end up honoring, easily the worst dining experience I've had in the last 5 years and left literally robbed. Dated decor and loads of fake reviews to try and scam people into visiting. Would've been a 1 star rating but the server salvaged half a star. Walked in and asked hostess for a table for 4. Hostess rudely told us to sit anywhere so we walked toward the front and it looked like an emptied out entertainment hall for some event. Still confused, the hostess finally walked and told us to sit in some side hall. We were the only people there in the entire building, seemed very odd, but sticked around which proved to be a massive mistake. I will say our server Amine was fantastic. He was very prompt and polite. We ordered the grilled lamb chops (medium), grilled ribeye (medium rare), and chicken nuggets/fries for the kids. The grilled lamb chops were fine, but the asparagus/carrots it came with had no flavor at all and were very soggy. It also came with some bland mashed potatoes and gravy that tasted like generic mccormick brand powdered gravy that you'd get at KFC. Absolutely NOT worth $44, for this quality I'd pay at MOST $12. The grilled ribeye? This was the cheapest and thinnest steak I have eaten this past decade. Literally less than half an inch thick, burned to a crisp on both sides, and cooked beyond well done when we asked for Medium. As soon as my wife cut into it she knew it was way overcooked but being hungry and seeing the poor quality of the rest of the food didn't want to wait another 20 minutes for a replacement that would likely be just as bad. Came with the same bland vegetables and mashed potatoes with gravy. This is a legitimate scam for $43 when the entire plate was significantly worse than a $15 steak at Outback or the cheapest stake at Applebees. The chicken nuggets and fries for $8 was also disappointing. It was passable for the kids but also tasted very cheap and looked like it was just the cheap frozen nuggets and fries you'd get from Walmart, specifically the cheapest walmart brand ones. We go to pay for our meal and I present my corporate passport benefit card, a program that this restaurant specifically signed up for to drive more traffic to their business. The offer that advertised was "Enjoy a complimentary entrée when purchasing another entrée of equal or greater value 10% off banquet dining". Waiter stated that he's never seen this discount before and would check with his manager. 15 minutes later he comes back with his manager on speakerphone who is one of rudest people I've had the pleasure to talk to. Manager/owner aggressively says he's not familiar with this and said that it "must be one of those online scams and they never signed up". He asked where I got it from and I told him it's through my Microsoft corporate benefits, and said that it had to be a scam, that this is a "fine dining establishment" and to go to "McDonalds if you want buy one get one free". Ironically Mcdonald is significant better. He offered 2 cocktails on the house and said they're normally $20 each. Turned it down because based on the food I had no faith in the cocktails being worth more than $2 with generic store brand mixers and no name well liquors. I would be absolutely embarrassed to serve this kind of food at this price. Just by the manager immediately calling it a scam shows that he immediately has to jump to make baselsss accusations to cover up his own scam operation. Manager hangs up and the waiter is in an always position and apologies and asks me what I would like to do. I clarified that the steak was terrible and to take that off on the basis of that if you can't honor the advertised promotion, but he said he was locked out. Walked me through the total initially with already had full gratuity in there. It wasn't until I confirmed why it was so high that he removed it and had me pick from the standard options. I'm convinced that this place has to be some sort of front because it legitimately could survive as a restaurant. Either that or they make their living by scamming people who decide to host their wedding or event here (likely just for the middle eastern vibes) and get robbed by poor quality and way overpriced food. You would be making a mistake eating a normal meal here, you will be straight up robbed if you make the grave mistake of ruining a special event by hosting it here and having it catered and embarrassing your guests with the experience. read more

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Quality food and atmosphere and for sure worth a return. Nice mix of international crowd read more

Alhambra Palace - Alhambra Palace Chicago - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is a great Tourist spot, or Group of Fun friends or relatives spot. Food was good, a little overpriced for size, drinks expensive and they tacked on $5 each for the show. Came at 7pm and show was 9-10, then turned center into a dance party which was fun to watch. The show contained belly dancers, a juggler, an acrobat and another dancer. The MC had a drag-Queen vibe and involved the audience alot. Great place if you like interaction, Altho it's not forced. A restaurant with almost a Club atmosphere. Having said that, the table next to us was 2 parents with 3 Little kids- 2 slept thru most of the noise then woke up and danced with their parents. Til 11. Ordered the chicken tagine, would get the kabob if I went back. read more

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