First timer! Came in today for lunch and had the falafel sandwich. It came with a size of hummus and I asked for hot sauce. Naeem the chef was so kind and Cooked a delicious meal. It was so hot and fresh and perfect. I also met the owner Nasser and he was awesome. I love this little gem in Jefferson Park neighborhood. I hope they expand to more locations in the city. Would love to be able to have their food delivered in Logan Square. You can also get their food delivered on all the apps. read more

Falafel Dream - Falafel Sandwich - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

There seems to be a growing number of Mediterranean restaurants in the Northwest side and I came across Falafel Dream near the Harlem/Irving Plaza. It is a casual somewhat "fast food" style restaurant where you order at the counter. I came before dinner time so the place was relatively empty. I ordered the Combo Plate #2 which included grilled lamb kabab, beef kofta and chicken kabab. The combo came with a Jerusalem salad, house salad which was essentially a cucumber salad, pita bread and rice. Overall, the flavors were generally all there. The only issue I had was with the preparation of the chicken and lamb. The chicken was overcooked and dry. It is as if they had cooked the chicken kabab and was refiring it on the grill to order. The beef kofta was fairly tender and flavorful, but the lamb kabab seemed to lack the distinct gamey lamb flavor that questions the quality of the meat. The combo plate is a hearty portion so you certainly won't go away hungry. Overall, for the area, Falafel Dream should satisfy any Meditereanean food craving. I haven't specifically tried their falafel, but I would be cautious if they are made beforehand rather than made to order. If you have ever had authentic Middle Eastern food, this doesn't really quite hit the bar. It may cater more to the American taste preference. Service was average. Prices were reasonable. Parking is very limited. read more

See all

Come here and have falafel in your dreams. Falafel Dream is a great little place for some hearty portions of Middle Eastern food. It's recommended to get something with falafel of course, but that's just one of the many menu items you can get. Has a variety of meaty and vegetable choices. The prices are pretty affordable for the big portions. After learning a falafel place was way out by Norridge, we made our way here to get a combo. It's just off Irving Park on Harlem. The building is located next to a Middle Eastern market. Gets a lot of people from that part of the world coming here. This is authentic for sure. Both of us got some falafel and combos. It's about $9 for platters. The falafel is good but you also need sides. I got the Vegetarian Combination. This has a few big pieces of falafel, along with baba ghannouch, hummus, Jerusalem salad, pita, and rice. A filling meal. This was enough for lunch and then some. For sure could come here again. It's kind of out of the way, which is the only bad thing about getting here. There's falafel and much more for vegans and vegetarians. read more

Falafel Dream - Vegetarian Combination - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We felt a little adventurous & surprised some of the my other haunts we were closed. We decided on Falafel Dream! The owner was attentive and willing to assist in our selection. A no frills eating spot with various visual menu's to help you decide on what meal you will want to enjoy. This was our first time here. We selected a sort of combination plate with skewers of Beef, Lamb & Chicken. Was Pleasantly impressed on how delicious our meals were. When looking for a more middle esteem meal, do recommend Falafel Dream. Enjoy! read more

See all

I had an hour of my time to kill since my car was being serviced around the corner. What a,waste of money and time. I walk in. A family is trying to explain to the worker they need to pay. Ofcourse no English speaking dude had me translate. I finally ordered my food. Kifta plate. Ordered it with no rice. The salad was supposedly a Jerusalem salad. But i had to search for the tomatoes. It was a cucumber/carrot salad with tahini. Dry a.f. the kifta had more coriander spices than a falafel. I just couldn't tolerate that flavor in kifta meat. I just decided to get up and leave all but 1 skewer of kifta( they serve 3 skewers I must mention, and I tried so hard to tolerate the taste. I must say though, the one star came from having decent falafel. Or else zero would've been the rate if possible. Customer service 0/10 Jerusalem salad 00/10 Kifta 00/10 Falafel 8/10 I should've took pictures. read more

Well I have passed by this place whenever I go to just tires to get my two vehicles inspected and maintained if not repaired and always looking at this Mediterranean if not Middle Eastern casual restaurant tucked away at the Harlem and Irving plaza or hip. I'm surprised how norridge as well as this part of Chicago has a lot of Middle eastern or as they say Mediterranean restaurants popping about not like it was 10 or 15 years ago. Anyways I was hungry and I couldn't wait anymore from just tires inspecting my car so I went to try this out instead of going to KFC across the street or Arby's or Wendy's on Harlem or on Irving Park. I decided to make a bucket list and give this place a try for lunch. Service was a bit slow but then again I came around 1140 am. They had your typical hummas, lentil soup that I ordered and a grilled combo. They had a schwarma combo but they were out of chicken which was a disappointment. I didn't care for falafel despite the name of the restaurant. Anyways 3 stars because of the service. Also this restaurant has no washroom despite being a place to sit and dine in if you are not carrying out. Also they did not offer water in a cup and from the tap read more

See all

Delicious Foule, Shawarma salad, and Beef Kafta. So fresh with intense flavors. Great atmosphere with music. Easy parking. Family friendly. read more

Falafel Dream - Foule, Beef Kefta Kabab Entree, Shawarma Salad - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great vegan options and friendly staff! The combo plates are really good value as well.

Usually have delivery. The food is average but it's convenient to have it delivered. I've definitely had better though.

Falafel Dream was a-okay! We love another Mediterranean place in our area, but wanted something a little cheaper, and, well, it was cheaper, but the quality was also a little less. We really loved the falafel itself, and the pita was great. The hummus was very.... earthy? I'm not sure how to describe it, but not our fave. The chicken was a little dry, and the two accompanying salads were just that; more of a plate filler. We didn't think Falafel Dream was amazing, but we also didn't hate it. We would probably spend the couple extra bucks and stick to our favorite place in the future. read more

Falafel Dream - Shawarma Meal - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

My bud and I recently ate dinner at Falafel Dream, a restaurant on Harlem near Irving Park. The interior is bare bones with a few tables and plastic ware should you choose to dine in. The main mural is colorful, though inexplicably they have their star dish spelled as "Flafel" on this mural. There are a few free parking lot spots in front. However they wish to spell it, by far the best item I tasted was the falafel, crisp on the outside and moist and flavorful on the inside. The tahini sauce was just there as it did not add much to the flavor of the delicious falafel. I ordered the kefta plate, and I asked them to give me two beef pieces and one chicken piece and they obliged. The dish also comes with flavored rice and veggie salad of tomato and cucumber. Everything was good if not great, but the falafel was the best tasting item. My bud enjoyed his chicken kabab plate, and we each snagged complimentary bowls of lentil soup. We each had some leftovers to take away so the portions are pretty generous. Whatever you do - eat some of the lovely falafel! read more

Chance upon this grab and go restaurant. It is beside a halal grocery store. . Place: order counter, has take outs, only few chairs. Grab and go place. Has some parking spaces. Food: Grilled fresh kebabs. Kefta kebabs are flavorful. Chicken kebabs are tender. Garlic white sauce is thick and yummy! Good portion size. Shawarma has some nice crispy bits and well cooked and tender, some crispy fatty bits as well. Nicely flavored!! Price: Seems like they have increased the price 2-3 dollars from previous which is a bit steep... read more

See all

We ordered take away here during Covid and it wasn't really memorable. Like it wasn't bad but it wasn't amazing. I ordered the chicken kabab entree and I enjoyed it. The rice and sides were pretty good. I didn't eat the pita bread so I can't comment on that :) read more

Falafel Dream - Chicken Kabab Entree - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

I had a delivery order. There were items missing. I called the restaurant, and they told me the Grub Hub driver must have stolen the items. The rest of the stuff was packed and wrapped in a handled paper bag. I asked that they make the item again for me, then the guy literally told me "F*ck You". Never again Falafel Dream! You suck. Learn how to keep customers and take care of people that could keep you in business! read more

These reviews are either fake or you guys have no tastebuds. Worst middle eastern food I've ever had . Rice dry and flavorless and so was my chicken looked like they gave me dog food how stingy they were with the chicken . WISH I TOOK A PICTURE. Disappointed especially for how much you guys charge read more

The Chicken Shawarma as well as the rice was extremely dry. My first time experience and food choice with this restaurant was poor. $41.00 plus dollars thrown down the drained I feel like I have taken advantage of...Honestly, the pita bread was more moist than the dish alone. I provided No filter on the photo so that you can get a view of how dry my chicken and rice was ... read more

See all

I found a newish Mediteranean restaurant on Harlem Ave that has been open about 18 months just south of Harlem Irving Plaza @ 3950 N Harlem Ave. Mediteranean restaurants have been popping up all over the Chicagoland area which is fine by me as Mediteranean food is one of my favorite types of food. The food is healthy and most of the places have generous sized lunch specials for a reasonable price. We are so fortunate to live in a city where the food selection from every ethnic origin is available as many other areas around the country really lack the ethnic diversity and variety of foods that ethnicity brings. That being said the food was pretty good, but nothing exceptional. The chicken shawarma was seasoned very good as was the beef, but the beef was dry, the rice mehhhh nothing to write home about. The salad was diced cucumbers, tomatoes and cilantro again nothing to write home about. The other dish had chicken kabobs seasoned good, but too dry & overcooked. The beef kifta was tasty, same yellow rice and cucumber salad The owner seemed very nice, but the service was slow. It took about 15 minutes to get our food after placing our order. read more

I pass this place often and always think I want to try it. Today's the day. When I went in there was a customer at the counter and no one else. No employees! I asked if she had ordered yet and she said no. She had been waiting for more than 5 minutes. So much for the falafel. I left. read more

DIRTY TABLES, GOOD FOOD, POOR SERVICE We went here for a very late lunch Wednesday, July 24, at 3:35 p.m. I ordered the chicken schwarma with hummus for $7.99 and my husband had the beef sandwich for $6.99. Where, oh where, do I begin?!?! The food was good, but the service was horendous. Not spectacular enough to get me to return again. My chicken, although flavorful, was dry. I even found bones in my chicken. The service was very, very poor -- almost non-existent -- in one word: Awful When we walked into the restaurant it was very, very warm. It was actually cooler outside than it was inside! No matter which table we picked they were all dirty. A young man was on his phone taking a food order. We waited, waited, waited and were ignored for 5 minutes until he finished his phone call. No apology. No greeting. No smile. No personality. Nothing! We requested 2 cups of water which they forgot to give us. We walked up to the counter and no one was at the front counter. Again. Waited. Waited. Waited. I wondered if they were in the back doing a hooka (...and I'm not talking about a hooker here). Finally, someone came out from the back room and we got our H2O. OMFG! The water was almost hot to the taste. I couldn't even drink it because it was warmer than room temperature. Their forks, spoons and knives are flimsy white plastic, and out in the open where anyone can sneeze or cough on them. Sanitary? I don't think so -- disgusting. Fortunately, I remembered I had plastic covered utensils from another restaurant with me. I used my own utensils. The hummus was ok. I prefer the hummus from the Sultan Restaurant which tastes very, very fresh and is much more flavorful. I was eating my chicken when I realized I had a bone in my mouth. I spit it out into a napkin. I ate more of my meal and the same thing happened. Another bone! The pita bread was very fresh and served cold. Please serve it warm! At that point my husband asked me, "What's wrong?" I told him I have never had chicken at a Middle Eastern restaurant that contains bones in the chicken. I couldn't eat anymore. My husband finished it off. We ordered a 6 piece falafel "to go." I didn't want to sit in a very hot restaurant any longer than I had to. The falafel had a crispy exterior with a semi-moist interior. Flavorless. Bland. When they delivered our food to the table there was no "Enjoy" -- not even a smile. Customer service here is non-existent. The food was good, but not outstanding. Portions were decent. The tables were all dirty. They weren't busy when we arrived, so there is no excuse for dirty tables with lunch crowd stains on the cheap plastic Dollar Store tablecloth. There was a young couple with two unruly screaming toddlers. I wanted to eat quickly and leave. At one point, the mother stepped outside the restaurant with one of the out-of-control kids. I love kids, but if you cannot control your child in a restaurant hire a babysitter or order food "To Go !" We went here based on the so-called rave Yelp reviews. We had high expectations and were excited to try a new place. Needless to say Falafel Dream did not meet our expectations. It was a huge let down. Based on the above I must give Falafel Dream 3 stars. Service and customer service: 1 star Parking is free with a super small parking lot (only room for 6 or 7 vehicles). The restaurant is located on the west side of Harlem Ave. & across the street from a KFC, a tiny bit south of Irving Park Rd. Look for the large white sign with green letters: "Falafel Dream" read more

See all

Seems like a good spot to stop for lunch. Wasn't too busy when I stopped by, which was good because the parking is limited. Service was friendly and helpful enough. Restaurant seemed clean, had some music going. I had a shawarma lunch special, which was pretty good. The chicken was great, the beef was a little dry but good, and the rice and salads weren't bad. Was expecting a single falafel with the meal since I swear there's one in the menu picture, but didn't get that. It was more than enough food for lunch though and the price isn't bad. read more

Falafel dream I ordered Falafel and stuffed grape leaves. So delicious and filling. The portions are amazing.

it should be called falafel nightmare !!! the fries are undercooked and the cheapest quality , no customer service at all , place isn't the cleanest and the atmosphere is depressing inside . read more

First time and last time, I drove 25 minuets to get my self chicken shawarma salad and the chicken was raw and I found bone in it which soooo gross! I throw it all to the garbage wasting time and money! read more

Falafel Dream - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Perhaps my body was extremely food-deprived, I made a dream come true with "Felafel Dream" at approximately 9pm. The food was very delicious, and the price was reasonable as well ($19 and some change for an order of lentil soup, vegetarian combo plate, and beer shawarma sandwich). My original plan was to do a full order of falafels, along with lentil soup. However, the falafels were about to be out for the night and hubby already had his mind set on the vegetarian combo plate, which came with four (4) pieces of them. Next time I would have come early because these falafels were flavorful and moist. The other outstanding side was the baba ghannouj. Hubby commented that he normally wouldn't like it due to the roasting aroma from the eggplants, yet he thought their baba ghannouj was super addicting! I, Rosa J., approved this message. This joint (near Harlem and Irving Park) diagonally across from Mr. Beef is truly a dream-maker for my next takeout meal in the city. By the way, they have parking. Spaces, nevertheless, are tight, so exercise extra caution coming in and out. read more

See all

My wife and I feel very fortunate to live in an area where there are multiple options when it comes to satisfying our shawarma cravings. That said, we routinely drive past all of them to get to Falafel Dream. Nasir and his team are kind, hard-working people selling a high-quality product that they stand behind proudly - as they should! Everything here is absolutely delicious. Our personal favorite is the generously portioned Shawarma Lunch Special - all chicken. Nothing against the beef, but that perfectly seasoned, tender, yet slightly crispy chicken is absolutely irresistible. Make no mistake, the chicken isn't the only star in this show. The yellow rice is truly something to write home about. Perfectly cooked and seasoned with complimentary savory spices, it simply must be included in every bite. The Jerusalem salads included provide snappy, slightly bitter flavors to add refreshing contrast amid the orchestra of flavors popping off in your mouth. The falafel (as the name would suggest) is also a revelation, standing head and shoulders above any of the bland fried balls of mush you've had elsewhere. These little guys are packed with flavor - and made by hand to order. Pro-tip: try 'em stuffed for an extra dose of flavor and spice! Fit a little of all of the above in the provided pita and you're truly in for a Falafel Dream! Extra hungry? Start with an order of baba ghannouj! This is yet another Middle Eastern delicacy that most places just can't seem to get right - but FD absolutely nails. If you aren't in an eggplant mood, the hummus is also exceptional. Final pro-tip: It may have a distinctly take-out vibe (and parking lot size), but if you've got the time, dine in! In addition to the entertainment to be had reading the mural wall (you'll understand when you see it), the people behind the counter are all quite friendly. If you're respectful and interested, they will take great joy in having a conversation with you. For many of them, English is a second language, but they enjoy getting some practice in as they work to support the people they love and work toward their American dream. We find them all very inspirational - and their food/culture has us dreaming about someday experiencing their home countries for ourselves. Shout out, Saad from Jordan! read more

Outstanding. Fresh. Hot. Fine ingredients. Great service. Easy parking. This restaurant is a small store front. There are about 10 tables and has little ambiance , so I use it for take out/delivery. read more

Falafel Dream - Sign on Harlem Avenue, just south of Irving Park. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

With a name like Falafel Dream they better deliver some outstanding falafels, and yes, they sure do! The beef shawarma is tasty and not dry, the garlic spread is delicious and you will ant to put it on everything, and the hummus and baba ganoush are fresh and extremely creamy. Try the onion and hot sauce stuffed falafel for a different spin on these crunchy, yet fluffy morsels. Get the Turkish coffee for an extra jolt in your day, just leave the sidement. The small parking lot make it an easy stop over while in the area and take some time next door and leave with some goddies for home. Grear place, however, it wouldn't kill the guy taking your order to act like you aren't bothering him from his phone to do this job or be at least a little friendly. Hey everybody has their day and I don't go there to make friends so whatever, I smile, compliment, and wish him well. read more

See all

My first time eating here, and I have to talk about the pita bread. No matter where I go, I get dry and seemingly stale pita. Not here! I even set some of the bread aside (it's apparently bad mojo to throw bread away) for the next day, and it was still phenomenal. Probably the second best hummus I have had as well. I guess there must be grades of chickpeas. When I chewed up a whole chickpea that was in the hummus, I was waiting for it to be dry and almost flaky. However, the whole chickpeas in the hummus were bursting with flavor! Definitely stop by if you want some tasty pita and hummus! read more

The food here is deeelicious. I've had takeout a few times and have never been disappointed.

If you're looking for excellent fresh and flavorful food this is the place for you. Great tasting dishes and definitely not skimpy. Plentiful amounts of food and friendly service. Will definitely be back. read more

See all

In a word: Incredible. I didn't think I liked baba ganoush. I've always been more into hummus. Falafel Dream's baba ganoush changed me. I'm a baba believer. It has a super great smoked flavor, and I love it. I randomly encountered this restaurant on Grubhub when I was visiting after having moved away from Chicago several years ago. I ordered the super combo entree, some falafel, and some hummus. What I didn't expect was that the first thing I finished was the baba ganoush that came with the super combo. I couldn't stop eating it. The only thing I didn't eat was the french fries, and I found it difficult to save some for the next day (It was a big order). Pros: The baba ganoush (by far) The falafel (definitely homemade. Tastes so fresh) The chicken shawarma sandwich (there's a citrusy tang that makes it so good) The hummus Cons: French Fries (I still don't understand why they do this, but they do this all over Europe in kebab shops too) - It's fine, I just toss 'em and if I get the chance to order again I'll just ask them to leave them out. I don't think anyone in history has ever been excited to get french fries via delivery. The spices they use really come through in the flavor. It really makes a difference. read more

I ate here a couple weeks ago. I arrived after 8, but they were still open. I ordered a beef shawarma and some Falafel. I got a cold hunk of fat in a cold wrap with some tasteless green... stuff. My second bite pulled the whole hunk of fat out of the "shawarma" and I couldn't stomach any more. The falafel was ok, they were almost warm and the white sauce (it wasn't tzatziki sauce) was runny and tasteless, but still oddly gritty. The next day felt terrible and spent the next 5 days with food poisoning. This is the only place I had eaten that day. read more

The worst. The rice is not good. The meat is all dry. Like, how does one make the salad taste so blah when it's simple?! I don't know. Never again. Especially ordering through Uber eats, it's marked up and it's not even close to good. I don't know how these reviews gave it such a high rating. The yogurt drink is also so nasty. What a waste of $30. read more

Non descript place on Harlem with shockingly good food. Got the felafel sandwich combo. Fries were fresh, felafel was freshly fried.... Literally the best felafel I've ever eaten. Pickles were an added bonus too. Give this place a shot. read more

Good flavorful meat and very nice humus. Definitely hits the spot for a Mediterranean meal. The side salads are a bit too similar for my taste but still very happy with the meal. read more

My family and I had a great experience here a week or so ago. First of all, I fed all of us more than was necessary for about $40. I don't know what the other reviewers were talking about with small portion sizes. I spent a summer in Jordan years ago, and this is as good an example of Middle Eastern fast food as I've seen. Good sized shawarmas with plenty of pickles and garlicky sauce and falafel with a good Jerusalem salad. The one improvement on places in Amman: seasoned french fries - a lot of them. Really good. The service was friendly and helpful (and also patient as my son debated exactly how he wanted his falafel). There aren't really any drawbacks, but if I had to compare it to similar places, it'd be the following: I wish they had fountain drinks, kibbeh, and easily accessible bathrooms. read more

Please be aware this place has been fined by the city plenty of times.Its at high risk of dirtiness.STAY AWAY

absolutely no one was wearing masks in the restaurant. Ridiculous. Usually my favorites. So disappointing. Makes me wonder how they handle my food. read more

Not good shawarma has no flavor Falafel are just ok Not what I expected reading the reviews I would not recommend or will I be back. 2 stars for effort read more

My buddy and I tried Falafel Dream for the first time today and we were both disappointed. We ordered the beef kefta and the chicken kefta. Both came with rice and side salad. The portions are very, very small in comparison with other restaurants such as Pita Inn and NOK. The beef was flavorless, the chicken was okay and the rice tasted strange. I will not be returning. read more