Have you been to a Cava? I'd be surprised if not - they're popping up like daisies! Naf Naf Grill is 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. read more

Pretty good quick and casual Mediterranean spot. Located in the loop so it's a great place to grab a 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. read more

It was pretty empty when I went. Food was decent but a little messy to eat. Probably why my sandwich was wrapped in foil. Service was quick and everything was pretty clean. I can see this being a popular spot during office lunch hours. read more

Naf Naf Grill - Inside dining area - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Years ago we discovered Naf Naf on one of our first weekend trips together to Chicago. We love the fast casual concept and the fresh ingredient options that you can assemble to create the bowl, platter or pita of your choice. Hummus, lettuce, chicken shawarma and diced cucumber salad and other pickled options making with an array of sauces make for a yummy and affordable lunch option. Fresh pita comes with most dishes, the falafel are really tasty and they have an interesting curly fry that's ok if that's your thing. Plenty of seating. Affordable options and quality ingredients merge to create a solid experience every time. Service has always been fast and good. Several locations across Chicagoland to try. read more

Naf Naf Grill - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Ok I love Naf Naf. I have tried probably all of their locations and the quality and flavor just hit every single time. Their spicy hummus bowl is so beyond delicious. The falafel adds the perfect crunch and flavor, combine that with all the pickled goodies and veggies with tahini, the new moroccan sauce and harissa, omg. You have the perfect bowl with incredibly flavorful bites. My husband loves getting the chicken shawarma hummus bowl or plate. I love that it comes with a side pita that is always perfectly soft and toasted. The naf naf fries if you're feeling indulgent add the perfect crisp to the bowls. If you haven't tried it, you're missing out! read more

Found a metal ring in my food. For your safety do not eat here. Corporate and staff have done nothing but make excuses. Haven't even provided a refund. Do not eat here for your safety. read more

Naf Naf Grill - Metal ring found in pita sandwich. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We came here after lunchtime, so the meats weren't exactly freshly grilled. But everything else was pitiful and fresh tasty. Starving portions were fantastic. It's nice to have a choice other than burgers.. There are no burgers here. It's pita or a bowl or a plate or you pick a base and a protein and toppings. We had both the grilled steak and the chicken Shawarma. I had the barbecue, which was fantastic. I guess I'll be coming read more

I really enjoyed the shawarma bowl from Naf Naf. I'm eager to try the shawarma's next time. Great place for some middle eastern cuisine! read more

Honestly, the BEST customer service ever and the food is amazing!! I'm so happy I decided on this place vs every other restaurant around this area. Eric, Demetrius, and Trayvon were phenomenal! Managers need to be aware and offer promotions and praise to these gentlemen who provided such an amazing customer experience. I'm just here from Tampa,FL for my kid's vball tournament, but the customer service alone made this a best choice in my book! Kudos to you all for making us feel so valued in Chicago!!!! Will visit again soon! read more

Naf Naf Grill - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Excellent chicken shawarma! The baba ghanosh, hummus and falafel too! Flavorful and using fresh ingredients!

I got the falafel bowl and it was okay. Falafel was fresh and tasty. Ambiance was okay. Service was quick for a fast food chain. read more

This was a great find while we were out exploring the city! The food was super good and the prices were great! We had some questions and the people working were very helpful! We both got a bowl with rice and chicken but different sauces and they were both so good! The bowls hold more than you think, I couldn't finish but half of mine. And the bowls come with a pita. Overall, this is a place worth coming to again! read more

I'm going to start and say that the service was as bad as it gets, and this is a place you order at the counter! I would expect some kind of a positive attitude at a minimum, but the approach here seems to be more on the Soup Nazzi approach, and not in the funny Seinfeld way. The food was ok, I liked that the Pita is fresh and soft. The chicken shawarma is nothing special though but the spicy hummus was good and very spicy. The place is clean, but could use an update and they should have someone handle bums that get in and bother the guests. read more

QUICK REVIEW: Ordered for delivery and it was professionally put together with utensils and napkins, included, so big win there. I really enjoyed the "Mediterranean Chipotle" it offered in terms of options and customization. The prices were pretty fair and most importantly, the dish was delicious. I really enjoyed the crispy chicken complemented with the tahini sauce. Strong recommendation as an EAT! OVERALL: 9/10 read more

Naf Naf Grill - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Amazing food! The falafels are super crispy and love all the sauces! Great quantity wise as well! Must tryyy

The quantity was huge. I got the pita sandwich and it was soon big for 1 person for sure, but, the taste did not make me say wow. May be I expected more taste wise but it was jist okay. It was super messy, gooey and very difficult to eat as well. But still a good offering for the price point. I like the skchg sauce very much and the nafaksi sauce was alright too. I don't crave so I might not try again here. read more

I ordered a falafel chicken bowl with tzatziki, hummus, and garlic sauce, and I had baklava. I like it better than Roti, but overall just ok, not the same as going to a real Mediterranean restaurant. read more

Naf Naf Grill - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

DO NOT GO TO THIS LOCATION. Female employee asks for my name then hands me the wrong order. I didn't realize until I got home so I had to go back to get my correct order. Once I got back, there was no apology from the shift manager nor the female who made the mistake. Instead they started YELLING at me and never once apologized. STAY AWAY FROM HERE read more

Naf Naf Grill - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is a "build your own" restaurant - choose your base (rice, couscous, etc), protein, salad and toppings, all can be assembled in a pita or a bowl. I had couscous and baba ghanoush, shawarma, and a few salads with tahini sauce in a bowl. You can also get a side of fries and a fresh pita on a side (I didn't). Overall, it was tasty. Most importantly, it was a quick lunch at a reasonable price. read more

It was close to our hotel in the Loop, so my sister and I decided to treat ourselves to lunch there. Note: my sister has an authentic and unpleasant wheat allergy, and she was happy to find so many things on the menu at NafNaf that she could eat. I just enjoyed the plentiful helpings and the fresh and tasty food. The falafels are great, btw. read more

I have worked in hospitality and customer service for my entire career. I've also worked in food service, including as a supervisor. I'm not the most naturally cheery person, so I think the thing about needing to welcome someone with a smile and a super happy attitude is unrealistic. But I think that the bare minimum expectation should be that the person who is going to help me at any business, and the experience I receive from the business itself, should not make me feel worse about myself than before the transaction. This location and the employee I interacted with completely failed to meet this expectation tonight. I walked into the restaurant maybe ten seconds behind another customer. When I approached the line, the employee was busy setting the prep station. It must've taken too long, so the person in line left, which is a thing that happens and it's fine, no big deal. The worker scowled after her, as if it was a personal affront, and that's not really a great way to start the interaction. Then I stood at the counter, and the worker continued to prep the station for a good 30 seconds before acknowledging me. This is a nitpick, but it's a bad look. Tell me that you need a few seconds to get something done and that's completely fine, doesn't bother me at all. It stands to reason that this employee did not acknowledge the other customer, and feeling blown off, they left, so this employee cost the business a sale. Based on the the interaction, I can promise you that they did not care. When I started my order, I asked for a chicken shawarma bowl; the worker asked if I would like a "full bowl." I replied, "uh, yes... well, what's the difference?" And my question was completely ignored. I haven't been to naf naf since they apparently started offering different sized bowls, and having an explanation would have been nice, but to hell with me, I guess. The employee put in the hummus and the chicken, and asked if I would like anything else, and I got Jerusalem, salad and cabbage. I asked if they had olives, and the curt "no" I got in return made me feel like an idiot for not knowing something so obvious to this worker. OK, fine, garlic sauce. But the real kicker. and the thing that honestly pissed me off so much that I am even writing this out, is that, once she had prepared this bowl, and after I answered "here," when prompted for here to go, I was dismissively, told, "oh, it's to go only right now." At that point, I seriously considered walking out because I hadn't paid yet and this was beyond ridiculous. I came in because I had an hour to burn before other plans. I wanted to sit somewhere warm and eat slowly for a little while. It's 7:40PM, in the Loop, in February. It's 43 degrees out. I don't live downtown. There isn't anywhere to sit that isn't cold. And a shawarma bowl isn't exactly the easiest thing to eat while on your feet. So I stood in the lobby and ate it there, because it's warm, and the place is open, and I won't make a mess, but I'll be damned if I'm going to stand outside in the cold because the tables have already been cleaned off. And they don't trust me to not make a mess. Afterwards, I looked on Google and reconfirmed: 9PM. I really do wonder if management knows that people are basically blown off for the last hour and a half at this place. The food itself was not good, and I don't know if this is just a decline and quality since I've been to naf naf or what... but It was somehow runny (I guess juices from the chicken, fine, whatever), but it was the least hefty bowl I've ever gotten there. I also wasn't offered a pita which has been a mainstay of every single time I've been to one of these places. I don't know if this employee had a hot date that they were missing out on or if they were desperate to get home, right away or if they had been there since six in the morning, but this person made me feel like crap. I don't know if I am a total fool for coming into the restaurant that had posted hours on their front door that stated they'd be open another nearly hour and a half longer and expecting high-quality food, but that's not what I got, because the food sucked and the value was poor. I am definitely not coming back to this spot, despite working a short walk away. But what I definitely AM going to do is send this review to the corporate office, because this was a comedy of very small errors that led to a quite negative experience. I am giving two stars because it did look nice and clean inside, so, good work for putting the absolute minimum effort in. read more

Naf Naf Grill - Closes at 9pm. I was told "to-go only" at 740pm. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

service was great, food was decent, nice flavors and textures balanced, it was a bit cold though, i got the falafel pita, if you can go to sultans market they have the best falafel pita for 6 bucks ! read more

Horrible, i got sloppy sandwiches with barely 3 pieces of meat. Almost $30 for 2 nasty saggy sandwiches that couldn't hold for 10 minutes. Never coming back here again. Other Naf Naf is ok, but not this location. read more

Naf Naf Grill - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Stole my money. We ordered $61 worth of food online on NYE. We walked from our hotel to the location to pick up our food. Their holiday hours were posted on the door and they were supposed to be open, but the doors were locked. We called the phone number listed in our confirmation email from the naf naf grill website. A man answered the phone, who we could see inside the business peaking through to see if we were actually standing at the door. He claimed he saw no order from my name. Then he offered to issue a refund, which is odd if he never got the order. How does he know where to issue the refund if he never got the order? Except I have received no refund and no email stating a refund is coming. The charge is still on my account. We got charged $61 bucks and received no food. Bunch of thieves and obviously an employee who just wanted out of there because it's a holiday and didn't feel like making orders. But don't be rude - Customers didn't create your holiday hours, your boss did. Also while we were standing there on the phone with the employee inside the restaurant, several groups of people tried walking up to enter the business as well. Obviously we weren't the only ones being shafted by the employees at this location. read more

Naf Naf Grill - Receipt from order. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My very picky 6-year-old daughter devoured the falafel pita and begged for more. Fast and friendly service.

A large group of us stopped in this Chipotle-style restaurant in the afternoon and were immediately excited looking at the variations on the menu. It took a minute for a worker to notice us, but a nice man took our orders soon enough. I got a rice bowl, which comes with complimentary pita bread, vegetarian. The menu has clear vegan and gluten free labels so it was extremely easy to find an accommodating meal. I got falafel topped with garlic sauce, which was the best falafel I think I have ever had, not dry and was crisped perfectly. The falafel is also gluten free! They also had amazingly flavored pickles to top the bowl off with, and a lot more topping options. Ordering was easy as the worker just asked if I wanted each individual ingredient, which you reply yes or no to. The bathroom does have a lock and code on it, for customers only I presume. Overall, this was a memorable meal that I'll look forward to next time I am in the Chicago area - I am so glad we found this gem! read more

Naf Naf Grill - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This place doesn't look like much from the outside but the food was pretty decent. Bowl concept where you can choose your sides, protein and toppings. I had half salad and couscous with steak and all toppings. :) Very good and refreshing. It's 'healthy' fast food. The tahini sauce was really good. Great place for a quick lunch. read more

Naf Naf Grill - Half salad, half couscous, steak and all the toppings - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Naf naf is probably one of my favorite fast casual places. I love that they allow you to pick hummus or baba ganoush as a base instead of the typical rice/greens options. Bowls are well priced around $10-12 before tax. They don't have as many toppings options as other fast casual Mediterranean spots, but they tend to give a larger quantity of their options (cucumber & tomato, sumac onions, cabbage, and pickles). Their sauces, especially the skhug and harissa, are packed with flavor. I wish their pitas were less crispy and more fluffy though. read more

Naf Naf Grill - Chicken bowl with baba ganoush base - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

this was a great surprise for an inexpensive little lunch! The lentil soup is a steal, is really delicious and unlike other lentil soups! The falafel balls were very good, the falafel pita excellent and the harissa although surprisingly runny, was delicious and wonderfully hot. plus we received very friendly helpful service read more

So first, when I am in a mood for falafels or shawarma, I prefer Pita Inn. But as we were in Downtown this was our best alternative. Not to say Naf Naf is terrible. There was 7 of us and our orders were 2 chicken shawarma bowls and 5 falafel bowls. The food os tasty and their sauces are excellent. I think their pitas are the best! The guys at the counter were wonderful as they took the time to explain and provide suggestions. I would return here if I am at downtown again and am in the mood for middle eastern meal. read more

After a morning full of walking, this place hit the spot for lunch. The guys behind the counter were fun, friendly, and welcoming. The place itself has plenty of seating and looked clean. The food looked fresh and tasted great, I really like their tzatziki sauce and spicy hummus, but the star of the show was their freshly sliced chicken shawarma. read more

Naf Naf Grill - Chicken shawarma plate - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

what a pita shawarma fast food is like, made without much attention. convenient, easy, simple but not a first choice given alternatives.

This was my first try of NafNaf and glad to know it will not be my last. I did the build your own plate with chicken and steak, basmati rice, sumac onions and pickles-- delicious! Everything was great. read more

Naf Naf Grill - Chicken and beef with basmati rice. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Oh my lan, this food is amazing! Every bite is a flavor paradise! Zero apathy here. I wish we lived nearby. 10 out of 10! read more

Naf Naf Grill - This is chicken shawarma on rice and couscous, with cucumber and red cabbage, topped with garlic sauce and a bit of harissa. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I ordered a bowl at peak lunch time on a weekday: -- the rice was crunchy/poorly cooked -- the sparse chicken shawarma was stringy and dry -- I told them what sauce I wanted, and they didn't put it on (realized after I got it back to the office) -- they didn't give me the included pita -- I had digestive issues that would not surprise me if it came from this food The next day I went a block down to a local middle eastern place, and for $1.84 more, I had THREE TIMES the shawarma, it was moist and flavorful, veggies were fresher, rice perfectly cooked, included pita as well as hummus, and three of the best falafel I've ever had. Money is too tight to waste it on a terrible meal. read more

Just had lunch at one of my favorite spots NafNaf, the food is always delicious!!!! Today I came in not having the best day but the NafNaf team here is nice and kind they turned it right around !!!! Shout out to the cashier Aaliyah, you deserve a raise !!!! read more

I popped in here for lunch one day with friends. The food was good and filling. I had a falafel plate and I liked it. It's a casual go through the line, tell them what you want, and then sit in the dining area type establishment. Pretty good for a chain. read more

I highly recommend trying Naf Naf Grill. The staff is always friendly and helpful. But the main reason to go is for the very tasty Chicken Shawarma along with a mix of couscous, chopped salad, cabbage, and onions topped with harissa and tahini with a pita bread on the side. And it's in a great location that does not get overloaded on busy days in the loop so it's a solid lunch spot. read more

I went in about an hour before closing time and was completely ignored by the three staff who were working at the time. One made eye contact with me multiple times but said nothing. I had hoped that I'd be able to order a falafel when a different clerk peeked around the corner and appeared to be putting on gloves, but alas--he disappeared. I walked out without being served and ended up having a delicious gyro around the corner. All's well that ends well. read more

So in love with Naf Naf! I always order on the app for pickup, and my food is hot and fresh when I pick it up. I typically get a bowl with half lettuce half rice, chicken, all the sides, hummus, and harissa. The bowl is packed with healthy ingredients and always very filling. But the best part might actually be the warm soft fluffy pita on the side. I honestly haven't had better pita anywhere else, much less a fast casual chain like Naf Naf. Very affordable as well! Sign up for the app and get free fries on the side! YUM! read more

Naf Naf Grill - Bowl - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois