Best chicken shawarma wrap I've had in Chicago, hands down. Evette's had been me and my husband's go-to, but this place tops it. We wandered in for lunch the other day on a whim and had a great experience. Fast and friendly service, comfortable place to sit and eat together, and the food was amazing. We will definitely be back to try more of the menu and to hang out on the patio in the warmer months. read more

Very homey place! I enjoyed boorak a lot that came with spicy mayo (!!). When I walked in initially I was a bit shocked as the first person we saw was some guy that was very clearly stoned and one of the workers cleaning out a soda machine. However, walking in some more, it's clearly a family-run establishment with very nice people. My boyfriend enjoyed the food a lot and the bill came out to be quite cheap~ read more

Cedar Palace - Lebanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

TLDR: The Arabic Style Chicken Shawarma Sandwich Meal on the Lunch Menu was TASTY!! Ordered lunch take-out on a Wednesday as I was walking towards Cedar Palace. I was maybe about 10 min away when I placed the order. The only reason I deducted a star was bc my fries were cold, even though I went to pick up way before the food was supposed to be ready... And I did that precisely bc I wanted fresh hot fries to eat while walking home!!! That's how much I hate cold soggy fries. (I know, #firstworldproblems.) The chicken sandwich combined with the special garlic sauce was absolutely bomb! Whatever marinade they use for their chicken is so flavorful and addicting; I literally did not want to stop eating it. And you can't beat their price for a lunch combo that comes with a sandwich, fries, and a drink! Service for take-out was friendly and prompt. Hopefully next time the fries will be hot and crispy! read more

How do things change in such a short amount of time? I paid 5.00 via doordash for this very sad baklava. It was dry and ridiculous. The pita was also dry and disgusting. I'm on the search for better. I think these managers take a lot for granted. read more

Cedar Palace - Joke - Lebanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

AMAZING!! Been on the search for a great chicken shawarma wrap and this was it! Flavors and authenticity are incredible. Service was outstanding, the owner/chef herself came out and introduced herself and even gave us something new to try. Incredibly passionate about her business. Super cute spot and can't wait to go back and try their breakfast! Couldn't recommend it more read more

Ordered the shawarma with meat from Cedar Palace, it was delicious! The meat was well-seasoned and tender, and the portion was just right. Definitely worth it, will order again. read more

Food is wonderful Family run business and they really care about the food and that you enjoy your meal read more

Loved the flavors this place packs. Outstanding beef kabobs, chicken shawarma, beef shawarma, chicken kabobs. They have an amazing Lebanese style tabbouleh and both falafel and baba ghanouje were a hit. The staff was professional and friendly. Management on point read more

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Nice and friendly folks turn out very good Lebanese food from a delightful dining room. Its not flawless, but its good and you should be glad they are here. Family operation. Baba ganoush is a particularly worthwhile option. Baklava is the only desert option. read more

The dinner platter was all so delicious, the lamb was the favorite. Along with great food is great service they really make you feel like you're part of the family. Can't wait to go back. read more

Cedar Palace - Dinner Combination - Lebanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is fantastic. It is a hidden gem with fantastic food. Our server Anthony was great. The food is fresh and delicious. It hits the spot every time. Best falafel in the city. I I highly recommend supporting this family owned spot! Everything on the menu is a family recipe and the service is amazing! read more

We polished the plates--great food, excellent service, and an incredible ambiance!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

Cedar Palace - Amazing food, great service, and beautiful decorations - Lebanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Beautiful family. Amazing food, service, and ambience. Best lamb I've ever had AND vegetable saute was WOW. read more

We came for a Sunday family dinner. The inside has limited seating, so be prepared to wait if you're a large group. The food was amazing!! We had the combination dinner and tried a few different meats plus the baba ganoush and hummus. We also ordered baklava for dessert to-go and they gave it to us on the house! They were so kind and the owner even came out to say hello and check in on us. Would definitely recommend checking this place out! It is also BYOB! read more

Cedar Palace - Dinner Combination and Baba Ganoush - Lebanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Found this hole in the wall spot on Google Maps. It doesn't look like much from the outside and is pretty small on the inside. It's BYOB which is an awesome perk. It's family owned and the people are so nice. The food is soo tasty, big portions, and super quality ingredients. I highly recommend you come to this spot for some authentic mediterranean food and a great time. Try the arabian coffee, it's so strong and got a great flavor. read more

Cedar Palace - Chicken Kafta Kabob Lunch Plate - Lebanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

After reading the good yelp and google reviews for this BYOB restaurant me and some friends checked this out. Smaller restaurant with about 12 tables. We split the Vegetarian appetizer platter and each got individual meat entres. Food was fantastic and portion sizes were healthy. It closes early so keep that in mind if you want a place that stays open later. I'll be back. read more

I totally get why this place has 5 stars! I only got one picture because of how quickly we are. The outdoor seating is a decent size and they have a few tables on the sidewalk as well. The place is family owned and the atmosphere is really laid back. In terms of COVID - everything felt really social distanced and all staff appeared to be adhering to guidelines. The food was amazing - flavored super well - definitely recommend the hummus and feta. We got 3 apps and 1 main dish to split between two and it was plenty. The best was the shish tawook. The place is family owned and you couldn't find a better/ friendlier staff . Absolutely will be coming back. read more

Cedar Palace - Feta Cheese and olives - Lebanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great great place!!! Ownership is so friendly and accommodating. I love their patio in the summer. Ownership really makes this place feel family friendly and welcoming. The food is great. For appetizer I usually get the vegetarian combo but as an appetizer (listed in menu as lunch entree but appetizer for dinner I think). Gives you a great sampler of tastes. For entree, I love the dinner combination with beef shawarma, shishtawook, and chicken shawarma. All so good. The beef has a hint of cinnamon maybe? Love it. Ask the bulgur wheat and rice are both good, so is the salad and lentil soup. This place rocks, the outdoor patio is great, and great ownership and service. Great covid pickup options as well. Can't say enough! read more

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I love this place! It was hidden next to a high school and I went to find some Lebanese food and thank god I did. I really loved the vibes and the flavors of the food. Service was fast and I would go again. I am proud to say my heritage is going strong in Chicago. read more

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Cedar Palace is a friendly neighborhood spot in Lincoln Park for authentic Lebanese food. The Vegetarian Combo came with a sampling of their mezze dishes including creamy hummus and baba ghanoush, lemony tabbouleh (parsley, tomato, bulgur salad), a block of feta cheese, two dolmas (grape leaves stuffed with tomato-flavored rice), and two crispy, golden falafels. Each of these items went nicely with the basket of thin pita bread and a dollop of the spicy red chili sauce that came on the side. Next, the Fattoush Salad was a refreshing mixture of chopped romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, green bell peppers, onions, and radishes, all topped with sumac and crispy pita chips. Overall, the flavors of the food here were all on point, the service was super friendly, and the dishes made for a healthy meal that came at a great value! read more

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I'm so glad we stopped by! We ordered from here once on a food delivery app and thought about how good it was delivered, and how much better it would be freshly served. The service was super friendly and gave great recommendations. There are a lot of people coming in and out for take out, so there was a good amount of seating when we first came but then it did start to pick up for a Friday night. There's also an outdoor seating area that I didn't realize until we were seated inside. I really really enjoyed the vegetarian combo plate. I loved getting a bit of everything, and each part of it was appropriately portioned. The lamb kabob was also good, but I don't think I'd get it again. I'd come back but to try something new! We heard the lentil soup was worth having. When ordering both dishes, I thought the portions would be big enough that we would have leftovers. However for two people, we finished both dishes. read more

Cedar Palace - Vegetarian Combo Dinner Plate - Lebanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I have to say, I really had high hopes. I'm Jordanian and I fondly remember eating tons of delicious Lebanese food growing up. Unfortunately, Cedar Palace fell far short. The Hummus & Baba Ghannoush tasted like store bought options. The bread was the flimsiest and thinnest pita bread ever (not the khobz you'd expect). Worst of all, the falafel was as dry as it gets & had absolutely no parsley (a key component to falafel!). The ambience is nice, service is very friendly, which is why it's at two stars. The food, however, is unfortunately very disappointing. read more

Stop reading through reviews and JUST GO. IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A SIGN, this is it. Don't make the same mistake I did and sit on it for months only to come and wish you've been eating here everyday for the past 4 years. Cedar Palace is a fantastic spot. I have been wanting to come here for months after seeing Cedar Palace named by MANY as their favorite restaurant in Chicago in a lot of random private foodie/gal groups, and I finally got around to it tonight. Friday night 6pm and we had no problem getting a table inside (to our surprise, but patio was BUMPING on this summer night). "The Palace" is unassuming to be honest. When I walked in, I had to ask if it was the right place because I wasn't sure. Definitely feels like a hole in the wall, which I think is another reason why the food is of INCREDIBLE QUALITY - because they pour their energy/efforts into the food. Cedar Palace is family owned, and a lot of the family members work at the restaurant. They're all so kind & easy to talk to, proud and love to tell stories of how they've leaned on the family recipes over the years. Asher & Anthony, thank you for taking the time to ask about us first timers!! This place does not cut corners. EVERYTHING IS FRESH. You may not be able to tell from the photos alone (I too was skeptical), but trust me, it is all so freshly prepared, freshly seasoned, freshly fried, etc. The sauces are even made in-house, and are not to mention, to die for. Perfect textures and flavors and consistencies, that all maintain authenticity to the cuisine - which is so important!!! The meats are juicy and perfectly cooked (not dry like some restaurants prepare kababs/kefta). The veggies are fresh and burst with flavors. The spreads you can tell are also one of a kind to the restaurant, and had me scraping for the last bits of hummus (which I normally don't do). They don't try to add some crazy flare and up-charge you for it. Cedar Palace remains true to recipe roots and they GENUINELY CARE about providing customers with fresh, quality food. Just in our hour of dining, dozens came in for pick up orders even, which was so awesome to see as I know Cedar Palace will always make it a priority to maintain this level of quality and freshness no matter how big they get. CANT WAIT TO COME BACK! read more

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Love this place for delicious mediterranean food. The portions are huge and we always have enough for leftovers. But, the staff is even better! The service here is always so quick and so friendly. read more

We've been looking all over the city for a good, authentic Lebanese place and we finally found it! The food is incredible and the service is somehow even better. Cozy, friendly ambiance inside and a great outdoor patio space outside. read more

Okay, you saw a restaurant near you that has 5 stars on Yelp. 5 Stars? Probably new and doesn't have a lot of reviews...oh wait there are more than 300 reviews? Well it's probably like 4.5 or something rounding up.....wait its got nearly ALL 5 star reviews? That can't be...can it? Yup, it can. I didn't expect to like it this much but here I am, giving yet another 5 star review to this wonderful, wonderful place. Where Lebanese grandmothers hand make all the sauces and marinade all the meat. This place is a 5/5. Don't miss out. You'll be back anyway. Food 5/5: Let me start off by saying the garlic sauce is amazing and goes with everything. 5/5 for Garlic sauce and just the garlic sauce. Okay moving forward. **Feta Salad** Should be pretty vinegary and comes with awesome blocks of feta. If it's not vinegary enough, ask for more dressing. Lots of fresh veggies! 4/5 **Lentil Soup** This soup feels like it's been cooked over hours and hours with the recipe having been handed down for generations. It's warming and comforting and soothing for any kind of day. 5/5 Combo platter: Okay I've had a bunch of the different meats here but there are two that stand out. **Shish Tawook** It's a marinated chicken breast and when I tell you that I ONLY eat dark meat, this is the juiciest, most tender, most flavorful white meat you'll ever have. It's SO good. Especially with a garlic sauce. 5/5 **Beef Shwarma** There's a hint of cinnamon or something in this that makes this taste absolutely amazing. It's savory and goes perfectly well with the yellow rice or the bulgar wheat. The vegetables that it comes with are all so so good. 5/5 **Falafels** THE. BEST. FALAFELS. I've ever had. It's so crunchy, and fluffy. It's not dense at all and has such good flavors. 5/5 There are other things that are good here. Literally the hummus, the labneh, the dolma, so so so good. Service 4/5: They don't wait at your ever call but your water is always flowing and they're all so nice. Atmosphere 4/5: Just come here for a first date, a second date, your 50th anniversary, it's just that good. It's cute and cozy and never gets too loud. Has a really cute outdoor section that's open during the summer. read more

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Hands down this is the best Mediterranean food I've had in Chicago! I had never heard of Cedar Palace before, but my friend wanted to visit for her birthday dinner. It's a fairly small restaurant, but has a very European feel to the decor and atmosphere. We had a group of 5 with no reservation, but the staff greeted and seated us within minutes and were more than accommodating our our group's staggered arrival. We tried a handful of items off the menu and everything was amazing. I had the chicken shawarma sandwich and I had to physically stop myself from continuing to eat it so I could go home and share with my partner. The food is flavorful and addicting, and the portions are huge! The staff provided excellent service and made my friends birthday feel even more special. Everyone in our group was incredibly impressed with our first visit - who knew this great of a Mediterranean place was tucked away in Lincoln Park. Another fun perk is that it's BYOB! The taste, menu variety, great service, and cozy atmosphere will have our entire group coming back asap. read more

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Okay, this place is great. From the start to finish, a wonderful experience. Our server was friendly and helpful and gave me a solid tip on salad/meat choices. Service was fast, food was delicious and I mean really good. We had a side of bulgar wheat and I'm telling you - I've never had the stuff- it's incredible. Full of savory flavor, it was amazing. Definitely stop in for a meal! read more

Cedar Palace - Feta Salad with added beef shawarma - Lebanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is probably one of the BEST Mediterranean Dishes I've ever had next to Israel. Highly recommended! Also, the service was also impeccable! Victoria was our server and she was very sweet and very attentive. The owner also was very warm and very welcoming. We Would definitely come back to this establishment when We come back to Chicago. Thanks for a great experience. read more

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This is the best Middle Eastern food in Chicago and closest to what you can get in Dearborn, MI. Everyone is nice. Everything is fresh and delicious. Fattoush is awesome and the combo plate. read more

The food was great. Meat was spiced and grilled perfectly. We got the shish tawook and beef tenderloin dinner place. It came with a choice of malfouf salad or soup. Both were great. The service was really friendly and welcoming! This is necessarily a bad thing but the environment was a little loud the hour we stopped in which was a Friday night. Overall this is a great spot for authentic Lebanese food. read more

Cedar Palace - Shish Tawook Dinner Plate - Lebanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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food was great, service was excellent! portions were super large and a great price. will definitely be back!

Whenever I see an all five star rating on Yelp, it makes me obligated to go and see what's up. I came here with my friend on bikes after a decently long bike ride since we were in the mood for Lebanese or middle eastern. I had this place bookmarked so we came given how close it was to my friend's place. We saw it was BYOB on their window after we parked the bikes across the street. It was just before 8pm, so we figured we had enough time to walk down the street and around the corner to grab a bottle of wine at a liquor store and come back before they close at 9pm. Unfortunately, we came back around 8:10pm, and we were told we could only do take out. We were disappointed. I've worked in the restaurant and service industry so I understand people want to get out of there, but in my mind, 45 minutes + before closing to be told the kitchen is closed for dine in is kind of depressing. We just wanted to chow down on some food quickly and finish our bottle of wine. I know we wouldn't stay longer than an hour. It was a beautiful summer night and the patio was calling our name. I guess next time. We ended up doing take out since that was our only option. I got the Shish Tawook which was recommended by the front cashier. It came with a side option and I opted for the lentil soup. Long story short, my friend and I came home, and devoured our food. It comes with A lot of rice. I wish it had a bit more protein given the price. I'm pretty sure with the taxes and tip, my entree with the small side soup came out to $27+. I would certainly only come back to dine in, and I did enjoy my food. It tasted great. I would just hope for less rice and more protein. I'll be back for the shawarma and falafels for sure though. Wish you guys stayed open later on a Thursday night! read more

Service was amazing!!! They were all so kind. We got the hummus, shish tawook, and baklava. Everything was great!! Brought our own wine and they opened it for us. Highly recommend!!!!! read more

Great spot!!! I love a good Mediterranean place and this is just the spot. Right on Armitage Ave (lots of free parking in the more residential area a bit more west as well as pay to park on Armitage). A big dining room and it smells fabulous when you walk in. The staff was very friendly and even threw in the Baklava for free it was so sweet (literally and figuratively :P) ! I got the hummus and pita with Baklava for dessert and WOW. The pita was so soft and the hummus was bursting with flavor. 10/10. The baklava HOLY HECKINBOB- the top was crunchy and light with a sweet honey and nut center for a well rounded dessert. Looking forward to going back to Lincoln park for more!! read more

Cedar Palace - Baklava - Lebanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Unfortunately the meat they use for their dishes are extremely dry, making it difficult to chew and swallow. We had the beef wrap and one of the minced meat kabobs. The meat is flavored well enough but not juicy at all. read more

Just had lunch here and we had the chicken shawarma sandwich and the lunch combo (beef shawarma, chicken kabob and kafta kabob). My wife really enjoyed her shawarma sandwich. I really enjoyed my lunch combo. Although the protein was slightly overcooked, when dipped in their tuom, that solved any issue. For the quality and very reasonable pricing, this place is somewhere you'll enjoy. read more

Cedar Palace - Lunch combo - Lebanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Delicious home made food. The owner is the chef and cooks her food with love. Absolutely delicious. The lentil soup is incredible, as was the Mediterranean sauté. One of my favorite Middle Eastern restaurants. read more

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One of my favorite places in the city! Always very fast, also a great environment. My mom and I always share a combo and get an app! read more

Cedar Palace - Veg combo - Lebanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We catered Cedar Palace for a school event. The service was amazing and the food tasted great!