Everything we have tried was awesome-excellent. Our favorite is Fish zurbian and lamb Mandi…read more You can taste the freshness and quality of lamb used. Yemeni bread is awesome

When you eat it a Yemeni restaurant, it's best to not expect a fancy dining experience. You might…read morebe seated on the floor, or you might have a plastic tablecloth and plastic cutlery. Al-Diar is no different. It's tiny inside, with only three tables. The tables have plastic tablecloths with another piece of plastic on top, making clean-up easy, as Yemeni food is typically eaten in a communal fashion out of one dish and by hand. The chairs are foldable, but at least they're cushioned. There is silverware you can help yourself to, but when I asked if I could have an extra plate, they said no. In any case, we ordered a chicken mandi and a shrimp stew. The food took a while to come out, but both dishes were excellent. The mandi included flavorful chicken, rice, a few raisins, chopped veggies (onions, tomatoes, jalapenos), and a couple of different sauces on the side. This was a very enjoyable dish. The shrimp stew was also very flavorful; it was saucy enough and included some chopped veggies. Service was decent and pricing was fair.

Mansaf is the national dish of Jordan and this is my first time trying it. I guess it's an acquired…read moretaste but I liked it a lot. It has yellow rice on top of ultra thin flatbread, lamb, yogurt sauce called jameed, and pine nuts. We got the tray for 1 and it came with a drink. It can feed 2-3 people. We also got an extra piece of lamb. I build muscle so I need that extra protein lol. It also comes with jalapeño, radish, onions, and arugula to add more flavor. We had leftovers to take home and we ordered 2 more extra meats. You can get this around Little Palestine but this place specializes in it. It's the only item they make. The lamb is perfectly cooked and it literally fell off the bone. They give you a spoon to eat. I also saw locals use gloves to eat. They wrapped the rice and meat into small balls. The yellow rice is very tasty, not sure if they use turmeric. The yogurt sauce is tangy, salty, and tart. This is located in a small strip mall and parking is very tight and limited. We parked in the back. The prices were good since you get a lot of food for your money. I would come back. Also, this is a small restaurant. They have about 5 tables. It was kind of busy on a Wed night after 7:30 pm. I would recommend coming here on a week night and avoid the weekends.

The best mansaf in town! My fiancé is Jordanian and said we had to come here as soon as we landed…read more The mansaf is absolutely the best you'll have in Chicago. We got it to go and sat at one of the tables outside. Just delicious. It made my fiancé feel like he was back at home.

Place came highly recommended and so I was curious to try their chicken shawarma, but total…read moredisappointment. The sandwich was cold, chicken was dry, no sauce. Fries were decent though.

I got the zinger meal from Baba Saj which is essentially a breaded spicy chicken sandwich with…read moretomatoes, lettuce, pickles, cheese, and their special house made sauce wrapped inside their house bread and served with fries and a drink. They do have a drive thru too which is nice and what I did. Don't expect them to be fast tho, it's not actually a fast food spot. I thought the meal was good! My only complaint was that it wasn't as crispy as I wanted, i think both the fried chicken and the wrap being meh in terms of that crispy bite you'd expect. As you can see it is toasted but it was still more chewy than crispy. Otherwise the flavors are decent and for like a $15 meal, it's ok. The portion is good and it does the job.

Lately we keep ending up at Yemeni restaurants. We actually went to M'dakhan for lunch, but when we…read morewalked in we were told that there would be a 1 hour wait! Thus, we drove down the street to Shibam instead, which was nice and empty. I believe this is the newer Shibam, as there's another Shibam down the street on Harlem next to Prince Sweets. The parking lot is spacious enough, and the restaurant is located right next to Shibam Market, so you can get groceries afterwards. The interior of Shibam looks okay. The booths are comfortable and spacious, and the restaurant overall is spacious. There's even a small area for prayer space. Like other Yemeni restaurants, they have plastic tablecloths for easy cleanup afterwards. We were given a couple of menus and picked our own booth. We ordered lamb haneeth (rice w/ lamb) and agda chicken (chicken stew w/ veggies); for the latter dish, we selected bread instead of rice. They also served complimentary salad, broth, and some sort of hot sauce. The lamb haneeth was very good, but we noticed the amount of meat was less than a couple other Yemeni restaurants we've tried. Still, it was enough for the three of us. The chicken dish was pretty flavorful and had plenty of veggies, but it was a bony chicken, so we had to pick off the meat. The broth and hot sauce were good. Overall a nice meal. Service was friendly and pricing was reasonable.

PLEASE!!! Change the server!!!…read moreThe lady was super rude and not accomodating, doesn't know how to do a proper hygiene!!! So gross!!!

I ordered a chicken wrap to go. They seem to have used tortilla bread, but it wasn't bad. The wrap…read morewas pressed, so it was easy to eat. The chicken was cooked nicely and marinated well, so plenty of flavor. The garlic sauce was nice and gooey and really enhanced the flavor. Overall, this was a delicious wrap, but I wish it had something more like some onions or pickles. The interior is fairly nice and has some fun posters. Service was friendly and pricing was fair.

Hommies Shawarma never disappoints consistent flavors and delicious, well seasoned meat every…read morevisit. Their sauces are outstanding and really elevate each bite, and the fresh pickles add a bright, crunchy contrast that keeps the dishes balanced. Portions are generous and the staff are fast and efficient, so you get tasty food without a long wait. Great spot for a quick, flavorful meal.

So far been here once, but the one time I went, I really had no complaints except for some small…read moredetails. The food is overall very delicious. The Fattah was one of the best I've had and they had it in a fried pita bowl! All the plates and serving material are all Syrian style and very nice. The omelette was good, but kind of oily. I probably wouldn't get that again. The foul taste was so good, but beware that the beans are large and that kind of ruined it for me. I'm Egyptian, so I was literally mushing it because I just can't eat them whole. Also, if you're coming here, you need to be about 4 people or more so you can get multiple items without it being so expensive. Plates are large and pricey, but if you plan it right, it can still be under any budget. Manager came by a couple of times asking if everything was ok, so that was nice. Service was great. Overall it's a great addition to the neighborhood! By the way, this place is above Melt N Dip.

Damascus Village is one of those places that just does everything right. From the moment I walked…read morein (go upstairs and hang a left) I was greeted by the owner with a friendly smile and look of genuine, relaxed contentment. Instantly at ease, I surveyed the room and saw a few young families leisurely eating and enjoying the ambiance - the interior is well designed with a thoughtful layout and wall of windows that gives you a sense of separation from the world below. Taking my seat, I was presented with an abundant array of vegetables and warm pita bread; everything was lovingly arranged, portioned correctly, and tasty. This is a place that stresses the little things and has great attention to detail. Everything from how the appetizers were sliced to the temperature of the water in the pitcher I was presented with was done correctly. When my server arrived, she was super friendly and open - no hurry, no agenda, just fielding questions about what I should order as a first timer and making recommendations based on my fickle nature. I didn't catch her name, but she not only contributed to, but enhanced the overall peaceful vibe and relaxed nature of Damascus Village. Ultimately, I decided on the foul with tahini sauce and from my first bite I was glad that I did. It's not often I find a restaurant that blows me away - it happens, if I'm lucky (and you can never look for them, these places just appear) maybe once every four years on average - but DV is one of those places. The olive oil they use is the freshest and best I've ever tasted in my life. Full stop. I tried to get the name of the brand but couldn't (I wouldn't give it to me either). Midway through the meal I actually said "wow" aloud. Then, when the server came by to check in, I started gushing about how excellent everything was. Shortly thereafter, the owner reappeared and asked if I'd like anything else. Noticing they had falafels on the flat screen tv display I impulsively decided to get an order. "Six or twelve?" he asked. I'm not a svelte guy, but I wasn't about to put down a half dozen falafels by myself, so I tried out a "three?" He apologetically crooked his neck and told me they only served them in denominations of six or twelve. I told him it was okay and not to worry. A few minutes later, he appeared with a trio of them "on the house." I effusively thanked him and obliged his generosity. I was texting food inclined friends and family from my table pressing them to go there asap - I personally can't wait to return, next time trying something completely different knowing it will be of the same, highest standard. It's not just the hospitality that makes this place special, or the food - it's something intangible that so few establishments have. I guess if people knew what it was there'd be more restaurants like Damascus Village, but there aren't.

Man!!!!! Incredible... I had the lamb. And my boy had the fish, and thank goodness he allowed me…read morean opportunity to sample it - it will be my choice next visit. The lamb was really good, incredibly tender and juicy, unlike any other I've had. Its a hole in the wall and the good tastes like it... If you don't know, hole in the wall spots deliver the best eating!!!

Very bad service I'm trying to call to make an order and no one is answering me I called four times…read moreand no one picked up

Its a local delicacy. The wait time is lengthy but its worth the wait. Some of the best hummus Ive…read moreeaten. The fillet skewer was delicious. We also enjoyed the chicken. The fries were fresh. Would come back but maybe just get it to go.

Mashawee Guy is the epitome of a hole in the wall. Minimal parking, fast food interior dressed up…read moreto look fancy, so-so service... But there was a steady stream of customers, so I figured it had to be decent. I didn't pick the best time to go, as there was a large group there and the small staff was busy preparing their orders. After I got someone's attention, I asked for a few skewers with a side of rice. They didn't have rice, so I asked for pita bread instead. I ordered one kufta skewer, one chicken skewer, and one beef (filet mignon) skewer. In addition to the pita bread, they served the food with hummus, pickles, and some sort of tomato salad. Although you order and pay at the counter (no paper menus), they did bring the food out to the table. The kufta and chicken were decent, but a little dry. The beef was excellent; tender and juicy. The hummus and tomato salad were delicious, especially the former. The pita bread was fine, but it would have been nicer if it was slightly warmed up. The interior isn't the nicest, but there is an extension with additional seating. Decent food and a good value. The total with tax and tip came out to just under $25, which was enough for a light lunch for three people.