Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    BenjYehuda

    4.1 (214 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 3:00 pm

    Order BenjYehuda Takeout or Delivery

    BenjYehuda Photos

    Business Info

    BENJYEHUDA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

    You might also consider

    More like BenjYehuda

    Recommended Reviews - BenjYehuda

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Chicken Shawarma Bowl
    Jason S.

    I stopped by BenjYehuda for lunch during work after a friend recommended it as a must-try spot in the Loop and she was absolutely right! The setup is similar to Chipotle, where you customize your order with bowls, pitas, and salads. I went with the Chicken Shawarma bowl on a bed of rice, and it did not disappoint. I added hummus, a few veggies (corn, red cabbage, red onions), and the Mediterranean pickles, which were by far my favorite topping. If you're going to get one topping, get the pickles some of the best pickles I've ever had not exaggerating... To finish it off, I topped everything with the garlic white sauce. The bowl was delicious and came with a free pita on the side, which was a nice surprise. Normally, I get double chicken at Chipotle, but a single serving here was more than enough. The chicken was flavorful and perfectly cooked--not dry at all, which is always a big plus for me. While seating is limited, I was lucky to find a spot, so I'd recommend avoiding the lunch rush if you plan to dine in. The staff was friendly and super helpful, making the whole experience even better for my first time. I'll definitely be back next time I'm craving a quick, delicious Mediterranean lunch!

    Karolina J.

    Going to start by saying a few years ago, I was really on a Nafnaf kick. Could go there for lunch twice a week. It has since gone down the hill with portions getting smaller but prices increasing. I've been looking for a new spot that offers something similar and BenjYehuda did not disappoint! Came here with a coworker for lunch, and decided to both get a bowl. I love being able to put whatever I want on my bowl and they have a ton of fresh toppings to choose from. I got the chicken too which I really liked because some of the pieces had a nice crust to them. The portion was large and came with a small half piece of pita. It was the perfect amount of food. I will be back!

    a view of a restaurant
    Molly C.

    Great falafel. Wonderful service, very quick and friendly. Cool vibes in the spot. Fresh ingredients.

    This is with extra meat and they put very little sauce.

    See all

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jim B.
    7
    211
    0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2

    9 months ago

    Ordered a salad bowl and it had worms in it. I then proceeded to throw up. I want to get my money back.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2

    11 months ago

    Overly packed and staff were not friendly. Prices are not great. The food tastes very bland.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 3
    Love this 2
    Oh no 2

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Joseph D.
    4
    18
    115

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Bill M.
    2281
    1964
    4420

    8 years ago

    Helpful 13
    Thanks 0
    Love this 12
    Oh no 0
    Photo of AJ A.
    1
    82
    42

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 years ago

    Quick and delish!!! Perfect for during the work day if you're looking to do something fast

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of C F.
    0
    63
    5

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Abby A.
    0
    82
    44

    3 years ago

    Great food. Worth the wait in the line. The line does move quickly, by the way. Had the chicken shawarma with everything. Delicious

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of tim w.
    4
    18
    0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 6

    BenjYehuda Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - BenjYehuda

    Is this place Israeli owned?

    unfortunately, yes

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    You might also consider

    North Ave Falalfel - Hawawshi

    North Ave Falalfel

    (107 reviews)

    $

    Not super friendly. The food was odd. The beef kabob platter did not come in a kabob style. The…read moresalad was old. The rice was more like Spanish rice. The garlic sauce was 50 cent. MOST disappointing and odd was the hummus tasted like egg, never had this experience before and I am an average connoisseur of Mediterranean foods.

    For a place in a strip mall this is pretty good to be honest. It was a lot better than the…read moreexpectations based on the looks. North Avenue Falafel is located on North Avenue of course, but it's way out west around Oak Park. Has more than just falafel here with lots of classic items. There's options for both meat eaters and vegetarians who will find lots of good things. Came in around lunch and got a combo. It's about $12 for a typical one. They also have a few cheaper lunch specials. Had to get the Falafel Platter. This is the place's signature item after all, so it had to be good, and it was. I came with eight pieces of falafel. Quite a lot for a platter at this price. Lots of good ass stuff on here. There was hummus, Jerusalem salad, pitas, and rice. Falafel is the main thing it seems, but there's actually plenty more. There's side items like salads and soups. Have to make a return trip over here some time and get some more of the falafel and some other items. It's the best at lunch when there's some specials. There's more than just falafel, with a few meaty choices, and lots of choices for vegans and vegetarians.

    Ragadan - Thee ragas

    Ragadan

    (108 reviews)

    $$

    Uptown

    With limited time for dinner and uncertainty/disagreement about what we were in the mood for, this…read morewas such a good choice. What are the odds one restaurant can be a serious contender for the best falafel AND the best burgers in town? I've been there a few times and I'm in love with the ka'ak patty melt burger. Its not only melted cheese and grilled onions. It's bacon and jalapeño and za'ater mayonnaise. And it's two burgers. Served on an amazing sesame loaf. We split it and fries (also delicious with za'atar seasoning) and that was plenty.. But the onion burger is also pretty great. And you have to get the falafel. Also the onion rings. You may want to skip lunch. Ragadan has quickly become one of the first places I think of when we consider picking up dinner somewhere. We've eaten in, but there's not a lot of ambience. And even though they have a powerful space heater, the dining area is kind of cold in the winter. The kitchen is open though, so you end up interacting with the friendly staff. It's a bonus to see how clean they keep the kitchen.

    I had Ragadan saved for so long, as a burger guy, you know that took some will power and every time…read moreI wanted to come, they were either closed or we were too far away. But on this day, everything aligned, we picked up some cupcakes from Jennivee's and I found street parking in one minute flat and walked over here. It's a nice and inviting space and there's a lot going on in here with the owners being from Jordan, the chefs being Mexican, the burgers being Oklahoma style smash burgers. We were talking to this dude with his girl and he was from Italy and he seemed to have enjoyed his burger as well. We get double protein as much as possible as we're big eaters and the double pattie OK smash cheeseburger was excellent. The Ragadan salad was different with kale and it was pretty good (bright, fresh, and colorful) with extra kefta beef patties. We also smuggled in those Jennivee's cupcakes and ate them after our peaceful meal here in Uptown, which happens to be my old hood. I still remember eating sardines for dinner, just like Biggie. :)

    Ema - Salmon bab.

    Ema

    (1.9k reviews)

    $$

    Near North Side

    I've come here with my boyfriend a handful of times and we love it. We like to try different…read morecocktails every time. The mimosa on a nice summer day on the patio is my happy place. The entrees are amazing too. The rice with the chicken skewer is my favorite so far and my boyfriend loves the beef and lamb skewer. The service has always been great as well. We've had the same server a couple times now and she's friendly and gets the job done. (Wish I could remember her name!) The ambience is great. With natural light coming in and the soft lamps, it's calming. Truly a beautiful restaurant.

    So disappointed. I…read morecame about 5 years ago and loved my meal, especially the sticky date cake, which lingered in my memory as my favorite all time dessert. This year I was so excited to bring my family and Ema was the only restaurant in Chicago I couldn't wait for them to try. I booked it as our final meal in Chicago and lay awake at 4am being so disappointed in my choice. Our server's greeting was monotone and emotionless, which I realize now, would be foreshadowing the meal to come. Ordered the following 1) Smoky eggplant- arrived appearing as an unappetizing curdled purple grey mush. This was the worst tasting baba ghanouj I have ever eaten. It was acidic and had the texture of cottage cheese. The only redeeming thing about this appetizer was the warm naan. 2) house made stratciatella with side of green falafels- The stratciatella was bland and stringy. I would not order this dish expecting the creamy interior of typical burrata. However, if you like string cheese mixed with heavy cream- you may enjoy this dish. The tomatoes and basil were good. 3) chicken kefta- kefta was bland, rice even blander . 4) short rib with polenta- bland and the meat and polenta had the same texture, which seems impossible but somehow the plating was over complicated by the addition of mushy dates and grapes. 5) buttered noodles- my 8 year old ordered this. It was decent with a good amount of Parmesan and cooked perfectly al dente. By the end of the meal, I was so shocked by how terrible the food was I didn't even want to order the sticky date cake that was my main purpose for returning to this restaurant. Ema, what happened to you?!

    Naf Naf Grill

    Naf Naf Grill

    (244 reviews)

    $

    The Loop

    Have you been to a Cava? I'd be surprised if not - they're popping up like daisies! Naf Naf Grill…read moreis kind of similar, but with a smaller selection. Between the two, I prefer Cava for both the wider selection and seemingly higher quality. Before I get into the meat of the review, a word of caution: One of the keys to enjoying Naf Naf is not overdoing it by adding everything to your bowl. That said, my experiences at Naf Naf with both the food and the service have been hit or miss. Sometimes, the service is perfectly pleasant for a fast-casual eatery, but at other times, I've found it rude and unfriendly. As for the food, I feel the quality of the veggies, meats, and other ingredients is fine, but nothing to write home about. However, I think one issue with piling on too many ingredients is that too much liquid seeps into the bowl, which interferes with the overall experience. It's worth mentioning that even though I do go overboard at Cava, I've never encountered this issue there. Finally, while Naf Naf isn't the cheapest place around, considering the downtown location and portion sizes, I feel the prices are reasonable. Final verdict: Naf Naf Grill is a solid, respectable choice for a healthy-ish, reasonably priced lunch. At the same time, I feel there is room for improvement, and there are places within a five-minute walk that outperform it.

    Pretty good quick and casual Mediterranean spot. Located in the loop so it's a great place to grab…read morea quick lunch. Food is fairly fresh and good portion sizes. Got the pita sandwich and the bread was nice and fluffy. Also got the lentil soup which was a bit oily and I would skip next time.

    BenjYehuda - mideastern - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...