Food: 4 Decor: 2 Service: 2 3.5 stars, rounding down because they forgot my water. Come here if you want fast, cheap, and decent Mediterranean food. 1. Chicken shawarma, 7 http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/oezMXnkdUQMuMH7RuKaiyw?userid=2fN8mN7uUjOw-QqtcgYqXQ Not bad. Food came out almost as soon as I got a seat, and it was all decent. If I went to school around here, I'd probably come here pretty often. FYI, they're CASH ONLY. read more

Mediterranean Cafe - Chicken shawerma plate - Greek Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Such a great find! Delicious food, fair price, kind staff, great service. I will be back.

The hummus is made in the restaurant if. If it has chicken, definitely order itI recommend the apricot chicken pie. Tea is good. The servers are nice! The lighting is alright. I thinks they should change all the lights a deep blue color, fluff up the place, add something interesting. There's always room for growth. read more

I haven't had good Mediterranean food in months, as I'm a good couple hours from my old favorite place. Found my new favorite, this far better than some of the other places around Madison, and the value is great, especially compared to other restaurants on State St. read more

One of my favorite places in Madison. Simple yet flavorful. They only take cash though! read more

Mediterranean Cafe - Hummmus Hummus Plate - Greek Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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I loved this place. Delicious, natural, homey tasting food with kind people running it. The food reminded me of what I might have eaten at my yiayias growing up. My kids loved it to, and ate all their egg lemon soup. Reasonably priced as well. Would definitely come back if we are in town again. read more

Med Cafe is more than just "Great". It is a State Street Staple, a hidden gem, the 8th wonder of the world, and the Beyoncé of Mediterranean food. I almost always get the falafel wrap with a side of lentil soup and it has gotten me through some of the toughest of times. One time the owner of the place, who was working, told me my order was so good, it deserved a free tea (the tea is delish btw)! I have never experienced customer service as amazing as this. I feel like the employees are my family. If you see a woman with a cheetah pullover and blonde bun in there any given day of the week, it is probably my manic roommate who has been addicted to Med Cafe for at least the past year (please tel her to come home! We miss her). She wants you all to know that she gets the Greek Salad and a side of hummus ("it is remarkable"). She has also noted that Med Cafe's only flaw is that they use styrofoam for carry-out orders (bad!) but otherwise it is a "perfect establishment". My carnivorous friends have also told me that the chicken shwarma plate is very good too, and you can never go wrong with their house made hummus either. The only thing that makes this comfort food more comforting is the cozy atmosphere that the restaurant provides. It's like a warm hug on a cold cloudy day. Also very easy to order ahead on the phone and come in for pick-up. I've done this many times before and they have it hot and ready for me in 10-15 minutes flat! Love Med Cafe. XX read more

I was recommended this place and although the food was definitely good, I think other places in the area are simply a bit better. I felt like the chicken was exactly schwarma, but more along the lines of boiled flavored chicken. It was still good don't get me wrong, but it wasn't schwarma. The complimentary pita was nice though. The plates and everything else about the interior were super homey and I enjoyed the vibe inside the restaurant. read more

Mediterranean Cafe - Chicken Shawarma Plate - Greek Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Best Best Gyros that you can have . Cozy place friendly staff .I I highly recommend it for people who ar looking for Halal food. read more

Mediterranean Cafe - Without rice - Greek Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I adore the owners, I love the food, the quality, the taste, it is always amazing. I have been coming her for years before I met the owners and I have never had a bad experience here. The staff is always fantastic and the vibe is always so cozy, like going to your aunties house for some food. read more

I think this place is overrated. The food is okay but pricy. There are better and cheaper options around library mall and other state street restaurants. The cafe is very crowded during lunch time. They only accept cash. The menu in the gallery is outdated, here is a recent one. read more

Mediterranean Cafe - Chicken Plate - Greek Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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It wasn't the worst I've ever had, but it wasn't good. They also forgot part of my order. Was hoping it was going to be good so I ordered two hummus and pita, two orders of falafel, three yogurt sauce, two cashew baklava to make sure I had lunch for tomorrow, too. Received everything except the pita bread, but now I'm not mad about it because I won't be eating anymore of the hummus. The only thing that was tasty was the baklava and that was the smallest portion of anything in the bag. The hummus was too salty and had an off flavor and the falafel was enormous and very dry, dipped it in the yogurt sauce to add some moisture and was very put off by the flavor of that, too. $30ish later and I'm still hungry :( read more

One of my favorite spots to pick up a great Mediterranean meal! Everything is always so fresh and I usually have to make 2 meals out of it.

I tend to avoid eating at State St. establishments, but "Med Cafe," as my friends affectionately call it, is the first State St. establishment that has made me really regret this. Let this be some valuable and vague lesson in life on never giving up. Prices are reasonable, plates are nicely portioned, food is fast, and everything is really good, like catered food good. If I'm ever a few blocks from State St. and it's feeding time, you can be sure I'm there. I don't like carrying cash, but I'll start doing it now. Med Cafe, you've changed me. *shakes fist* read more

Mediterranean Cafe - Shawarma Plate - Greek Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Med cafe is good every day. Every meal. EVERYTHING I've eaten here has been spot-on and delicious. Also awesome for groups who are lookign for a restaurant that offers vegetarian&meat dishes. They could serve this food in a different restaurant and charge twice as much and people would totally go for it. Akin's plate: Get your schwarma put over rice , salad, and a bit of pita bread. Nom. Hummus plate: Yes, there's freshly made hummus topped with smoked paprika. But you can also get schwarma with your hummus&salad! Rotating specials: Chicken with apricot sauce is excellent. Staff is always ready to help customers with a smile, and don't forget to get a piece of baklava on the way out! read more

My favorite lunch place to go to, definitely have to go with lamb shawarma plate. Staff is friendly and food is so flavorful and satisfying definitely recommend. read more

There are a few food categories that, being from LA, we maintained the snobbery of "there's no way that ______ is better in Madison." Mediterranean is not one of those things. It's up to par. The Mediterranean Cafe is the very best affordable food on State Street. Hands down. The house-made hummus is absolutely wonderful, and the chicken shawarma plate will keep you coming back for more. For under 10 bucks (bring cash!) this place will blow you away. It's decorated well, has ample seating, and the food is just killer. Give these people your money. They will give you their food. It's a win-win. read more

Ordered delivery and the food was delicious. The rice was an unexpected surprise, tasty and well spiced. The falafel were huge! The cashew baklava was adorable and tasty. My one complaint is that I did not get the pita bread I odrdered. read more

Amazing and amazing! Afternoon kayaking made us hungry, so we walked down State Street to find some food. We saw Mediterranean Cafe and walked in. The manager/owner kindly reminded us that his restaurant closes at 3:30, but he could prepare food for us and we could take it to go. He explained the menu since we told him we had not eaten there before. The manager/owner along with all the staff people were very friendly and cordial with us. We ordered the akin's plate, falafel plate and two different slices of baklava for dessert. Long story short: this experience happened a month ago, and we're still raving about how incredible the food was! The parsley made the akin's plate taste fresh and earthy, the rice on both plates was fluffy and buttery, the falafels were fried perfectly, and the hummus was spiced just right. And the baklava. THE BAKLAVA! The baklava was crispy and flaky and buttery and sweet and salty. It was everything that baklava is supposed to be. I could go on and on! Or I could just go back to Mediterranean Cafe and enjoy this experience all over again. I think I'll do that. :-) read more

Mediterranean Cafe - Amazing akin's plate! - Greek Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Since there are so many 5 star reviews for this place, felt obligated to leave my opinion. If you love the taste of sour lemon, then you will love this place. My shawarma plate all tasted drenched in lemon juice...the hummus, the salad, the rice. My wife's and daughter's falafel plates tasted the same. Not a "hint" of lemon, but drenched. Asked on the way out, "Why so much lemon juice?"...was told that was how Algerian food was made. Hmmm...I don't like Algerian food. read more

Super flavorful Algerian good. They have daily specials which are all so amazing. Their almond and pistachio baklava are hands down the best of its kind. Must must have. read more

Truly my favorite Greek/Medi restaurant in Madison. This iconic restaurant on State St. serves up delicious pita sandwiches, lentil soup, baklava, and other typical faire of the region. I highly recommend the sandwich combo where you can get two large sandwiches and lentil soup/tea for $17 - a very reasonable price for two people. The ambiance of the restaurant is nothing special, but the kind faces of the staff and owner make the space feel inviting. Be sure to get a hot mug of sweet mint tea to round out the experience! read more

I'll need to go back to try this out again because I wasn't impressed! I got the chicken shawarma and it was fresh, perfectly filling and healthy. But the flavors seemed sub-par to me; the chicken was boring and the hummus wasn't thick enough. I'm also thrown off by their hours- If you want to go between classes, there's a huge rush! Anyway, my friends' lamb was much juicier and spicier, so I definitely would get that next time. I hear the tea is good, too... So I'll report back later! read more

Mediterranean Cafe - Chicken shawarma was light and fresh, but lacked flavor :/ - Greek Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Best mediterranean food in Madison. Everything is delicious. The lemon chicken and lentil soups are the two best soups sold by restaurants in Madison. Gets busy, but friendly people and a clean dining area. read more

Great food for cheap, and the platters were put together so quickly I almost couldn't believe it. I walked in, got in line (actually, I might have accidentally cut in line), and ordered the Chicken Shwarma Plate and the Chicken Akin's Plate. By the time I got to the counter to pay for my order (less than two minutes later), my two takeout boxes were already being carefully placed inside a plastic bag. The Cafe hours definitely cater more towards UW students than to the working people, as the cafe opens at 10AM and closes at 4PM on most days. The prices definitely benefit the broke college student community as well. $6-8 bucks for a balanced meal? I'm SOLD! Good thing we can allllll cash in the great deal! (: I had the Chicken Akin's Plate myself, and although it was a simple meal, it was very filling and very satisfying. The chicken was well-seasoned and tender, the hummus was fresh and complimented the chicken and the pita bread well, the salad dressing was superb(!), and even the rice was bursting with flavor. I can't wait to be in Madison this summer. I know that this will be one of my staple food groups for the season! :D read more

Vegan options that are yumz and will definitely taste better than Naf Naf down the street Lol jk no shade, but you can expect a little more love in the food coming from a locally owned business. Good people, nice atmosphere, reasonable prices, and you get a lot of food, so come for lunch and take home dinnerr read more

Delicious. Flavorful food, good, friendly service; definitely making a trip back here.

I'm all for the ambiance - the cozy setting, the uniquely decorated walls, and the wornness of the furniture. Expect a wait for a table during lunch rush hour, since there aren't more than 10 tables within the 4 walls of this place. Turnaround seems to be pretty quick and efficient though. Also, don't forget your George's and Abe's bc this joint is cash only. I had high hopes for my chicken hummus plate, but I was let down. The salad was really acidic, the chicken shawarma tasted like it had been sitting in a lukewarm water bath all day, and the hummus was just meh. Pita Inn blows this place out of the water. read more

We stopped for lunch last week (our first time) and overall had a good experience. I had the Akin's Plate with lamb (smaller version of the larger plate) and my husband had the Roti Chicken - peel off the bone. The rice and the white/yogurt sauce were good, but I just wish they had a spicy sauce - like many of the other Mediterranean places do. Of course - maybe they did, but I wasn't offered it. I think both our dishes were screaming for something spicy...or was that me? Small place - seats maybe 25 people, but we had no problems getting a table on a Saturday during lunch. Food is good and if I lived in the area, I would go back. If I was a tourist and only had a few meals to eat in Madison, I would eat elsewhere. read more

Med Cafe is by far the best Mediterranean restaurant in the Madison area, if not the entire state, country, or world. The falafel plate is amazing. A perfectly balanced, nutritious meal. The pistachio baklava is the best I've ever had. I wish I could eat Med Cafe for every meal. read more

Your best choice on State St! Terrific middle eastern fare. Perfect college town atmosphere. Locally owned family place.

I always get the Shawarma Plate. Order as you walk in, find a spot to sit, they will bring it out. Beware the hours or you might find it closed. read more

I have been going to Mediterranean Cafe for a vey long time. Not only is the food delicious and fresh, the people who work there are also friendly and amazing. All the food is made fresh daily. They have specials that change daily and if you come in to late, they will be gone. My favorites are the moussaka, cous cous and lentil soup. That being said nothing on the menu is a bad choice. It is cash only so keep that in mind. The good thing is there is an uw credit union across the street with a fee free atm. read more

Prices & portions are perfect..where else can you have Baklavas for $1.35 & .85? Food was enjoyable, lamb lacked the home seasoning of another spot on State but nothing to complain about. read more

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This was our first time ordering and we enjoyed restaurant week delivered. It was delicious. Moussaka-good, Spinach pie-good, Roti chicken-good, falafel-good, hummus-good, salad-good, soup-good, baklava-goooood. We loved everything! Perfect delivery and very friendly service. read more

This seems like a very well-meaning restaurant and the staff was very kind, but I am absolutely mystified by the rave reviews of the food. The shawarma was incredibly bland and did not taste the least bit authentic, and the falafel tasted stale, like it had been frozen and re-heated. The very fact that the food is ready less than two minutes from the time it is ordered should concern anyone looking for quality and freshness. To me, it seemed very much like a fast food version of authentic Mediterranean food. Having moved from a city with an incredible selection of exceptional Mediterranean restaurants, I felt incredibly disappointed by my experience and utterly misled by all of the 5-star reviews. This restaurant does not even come close. read more

This was easy: 4/5 for food and 6/5 for service for an average of 5. I ordered two falafel sandwiches. After remembering that it was a cash-only business, I looked in the wallet and said "Make that _one_." A man who may have been the owner said "Give him two. It's on me." read more

The best restaurant in the entire world. Lamb sandwiches for days. Drove 2 hours from Chicago to get a sandwich one time

Who reads reviews for Med Cafe? Go here and eat their food. Seriously. Go here and eat their food. Now. Take it to the Memorial Union with a book. Or a friend. This is a real restaurant. The food is cheap and delicious. For every time I see someone in a chain restaurant with the same play school aesthetic, I think about how Med Cafe utterly kills it. Their food is so fucking good. If you hang out with someone that would prefer Einstein Bagels over Med Cafe, stop hanging out with that person. That person cheats in Monopoly. That person takes your beer without asking. That person would attempt to steal your girlfriend but can't because ladies aren't property. That person will take you to Olive Garden for your birthday. And that person will also be late and regift you a shitty used present. And it'll be your fault because you knew that person didn't like Med Cafe. read more

Let's get this out of the way first: -Cash Only -Vinyl plastic table covers -No outside food/drinks -A chalkboard menu of items that slowly gets erased as the day wears on -Line out the door, and you can only get a booth during the lunch-time rush if you have a party of 3 or more (They _will_ ask you to move). This place clearly does not need you. But come here once, and you will realize that it's more about you needing Med. Caf', not the other way around. The food is amazing, and they have something to keep you fed at every-single-price-point: SSB Combo: On a diet, running low on funds, or just killing time 'til a big dinner later? The soup, salad and bread combo can be had for less than most things from the S'bucks next door, and will keep your motor running for at least a few more hours. Plates: Hungry out of your mind and looking for a lot of savory protein, creamy carbs, and a bit of crisp clean fiber? The Akin's, Shawarma or Hummus plates all feature their absolutely delicious gyro meat (or optional chicken), creamy rice, and a very appetite-whetting salad. Apricot Chicken: But the crème de la crème in my opinion? Once a week, when the stars align, the delightful Apricot Chicken may be had. It's a lasagna-looking item that is very creamy, and runs slighty sweet. For comparison, the apricot flavor it's somewhat reminiscent of a fine mango chutney. This dish is _only_ available on Thursdays (Tuesdays need not apply!), and unlike most of their other dishes, will sell out damn fast. From first-hand experience, if you try to go later on a Thursday, you've basically waited a full week to _not_ eat this dish. Atmosphere: As the 80's motif is strong with this one (not to mention you will end up bussing your own table), I generally prefer to take my order to-go, and walk across to the next-door Starbucks, grab a coffee there, and sit on the rooftop balcony and enjoy my food/coffee/view there. A further walk puts you at the memorial library courtyard, which also has ample seating. In short: Bring Cash, and don't let looks deceive you, this place is an awesomely delicious alternative to starving! read more