The food was amazing and the wait wasn't long. They really went all out on food. There were some…read moredecorations and Mediterranean music playing, good ambiance.

Do not let the strip mall fool you. Do not let the kiosk ordering fool you. Do not let the…read moreunassuming interior fool you. Just go. Taste of Jerusalem is the kind of place that reminds you why you should never judge a restaurant by its zip code or its signage. Tucked into a perfectly forgettable strip mall in Plainfield, this little spot is quietly serving some of the best food in the area and I am genuinely annoyed it took me this long to find it. The chicken kabob plate was a revelation. Massive portions of beautifully marinated chicken laid over a split of white rice and spicy rice. That spicy rice deserves its own paragraph. Fragrant, deeply spiced, with a slow building heat that lingers just long enough to keep pulling you back for another bite. Addicting is the only word for it. The hummus was exactly what hummus should be, fresh, delicious, also addictive. I added falafel and pita and those falafel were genuinely among the best I have ever had. Perfectly cooked, not a trace of that greasy heaviness that ruins lesser versions. Just fragrant, spiced, crispy little bites that I genuinely savored. My partner got the chicken wrap and said every component worked together without competing, tasted fresh, and left him full without feeling heavy. High praise from a man who knows his way around a wrap. The space is clean and simple. You order from a kiosk. None of that matters because the husband and wife team running the grill are pouring obvious passion into every plate and it comes through in every single bite. Plainfield has a gem here. Treat it accordingly.

Our first visit to Chef Abdul was an absolute winner! My husband and I stopped in for lunch, and we…read morewere so impressed. It's a true hole-in-the-wall spot with just enough seating for about 10-15 people, but don't let the size fool you--it's clearly a local favorite because it was busy throughout lunch. We ordered the tabbouleh, lentil soup, mixed shawarma plate, and a falafel wrap, and every single dish was fresh, flavorful, and absolutely delicious. The owners were incredibly kind and welcoming, and they even treated us to a sample of their baklava. It was so mouthwatering that I had to get some to go! If you're looking for authentic, flavorful food and warm hospitality, this is the place. We highly recommend Chef Abdul and will definitely be back!

5 stars for Chef Abdul Mediterranean Restaurant - a very nice family owned small business in St…read more Charles. We tried them for the first time today and it was amazing. The waitress was very friendly, and provided us complimentary pita bread and pita chips and a sample of orange/pomegranate juice. The entrees were excellent, the beef kebab was amazing, very tender and fresh, as was the chicken shawarma. The portions are also massive and can easily be split into 2 meals if you wanted to. As an FYI, the dine in area is not very big so if you come during prime lunch time you may not be able to dine in. Overall if you want Mediterranean, I highly recommend Chef Abdul - a great chef and restaurant!

Great casual modern middle eastern food. We tried the beef crunch wrap, the chicken shawarma crunch…read morewrap and loaded fries. All were good. Prices reasonable, nothing takes too long. Lots of carryout orders but they have a dining room. Staff is super friendly and helpful. Free parking lot.

This is a chipotle style Mediterranean spot which I have not experienced before. Service is quick…read moreand the food is authentic. Menu is quite diverse as well from what I can tell. The chicken wrap was what drew me to try Damascus Falafel while driving by and it did not disappoint. Seems like it's what gets ordered the most. If you're looking for something quick, relatively healthy, that doesn't break your bank, this is your spot!

food was delicious, great serving size and fresh !! customer service was also fantastic, super…read morefriendly and accommodating. will be coming back

I really liked this place. They have parking in front of the restaurant and back. I highly…read morerecommend a reservation on Friday-Sunday even if you are just one person. I called them because I wasn't sure if the online version would be too slow. We were a group of three that came in Saturday night at 7 pm. It was moderately busy. The staff were all welcoming with smiles on their faces and attentiveness. Prices were fair for the amount of food you receive. Food portions are colossal so I would recommend one appetizer and one entree if you are a couple. They give you a complimentary dish. We ordered arayes with meat, meat toshka, mixed grill with baba ghanouj, fillet of basa fried, and mint lemonade. They also offer you fresh Arabic coffee before you leave. This is about a 4.5-5. -arayes with meat 4 - this was not bad. It's like a tamer version of the meat toshka. -meat toshka 5 - I prefer this over the arayes because they add the Syrian cheese. This one was bursting with flavor the moment you took a bite out of it. The minced beef and lamb just melt in the mouth. -mixed grill 5 - this came with 3 big skewers (shish kabab, kufta kabab, and chicken tawook. It also has tomatoes and onions to help cut down the meat when digesting. There are two heaping portions of biryani and saffron rice and baba ghanouj. The baba ghanouj was creamy and flavorful. It goes well with the pita bread. The meats were cooked medium well unless you want something. I think next time I'll ask for the shish kababs to be cooked medium rare or medium for a more juicy taste. The chicken tawook and kufta were both succulent. -fillet of basa fried 5 - the two pieces of basa fillet were astronomical. It also comes with two different kinds of rice. The fish was flaky, moist, and seasoned. Make sure you add the lemon and eat it with the sauce. -mint lemonade 5 - this was very refreshing after eating a heavy meal.

Loved this place. Food and service was amazing. Got the falafel wrap, houllomah wrap, hummus and…read morebarley pudding, plus a fresh pressed juice. Will def be back when we're in the area. Loved it so much we were talking to the owner about opening an Indiana location!

I had been wanting to try this place for a while but just never got around to it. We used to live…read morecloser to a spot in Tinley where I would always get my shawarma, but it's a bit of a hike now. So today I finally decided to give this place a shot. Unfortunately, I was really disappointed -- not only with the presentation, but also with the skimpy portions of toppings. The meat and rice tasted like they had been sitting for a while, and I was surprised that I had to pay extra for sauce. I selected feta as one of my toppings, and they literally placed a solid brick of it on top of the bowl. ‍ The other toppings looked like maybe a couple of tablespoons each. The wrap was also served in a floppy tortilla. From what I'm used to, places typically crisp the tortilla slightly in a pan before wrapping it so it has some texture and a little crunch. I'm glad to see that others seem to be enjoying their meals here, but unfortunately this experience just wasn't it for me. I guess I'll have to make the drive to the GOAT -- Sem Sem.

This restaurant looks really nice on the inside and the food tasted good, but there were two main…read moreproblems 1: The portion size was quite massive to the point of being really hard to fully eat 2: It was EXPENSIVE. We ordered the fish tower for 2-3 people and it costed $99. Overall, the ambience, staff, and food were all good but with these two flaws just bringing it down to 4 stars.

It was Mother's Day weekend so I will offer some slack. I will start with saying that they need to…read morehave a pleasant well organized hostess at the door. I think the owner may have been at the door that day and seemed a bit frazzled (understandable). Also, a sign that says please wait here to be seated. When we arrived we didn't know where to stand so we went to the other side of the front desk and were somewhat scolded and redirected to go back around and wait. It was pointed out there was another family waiting to be seated. Hmm. But it was a busy day so we let that go. Fortunately we didn't wait long to be seated. The waiter, although not to experienced, was trying hard and answered all our questions. When we placed our order we were informed several items were not available. Hmmm. It was still early in the day, how do you not have the items. We ordered humus. DELICIOUS!!! Spanish Octopus with white rice, combination plate with lamb, steak and chicken plus the white rice, and finally lamb chops with white rice. Problem the octopus was served first it had superb flavor and not rubbery at all. That was my son's meal. Then about 5 mins later came my meal, the combination which was deliciously seasoned and the chicken was moist!! Finally 5-10 mins later the waiter came and told my daughter that the kitchen failed to tell him there were no lamb chops. So disappointed. They apologize and she ordered the combination plate which came about 10 minutes later. Needless to say my son and I were done with our meal. Problem: initially when we got the hummus we ate it but had to drink water because our drinks didn't come till I got my meal. I reminded the waiter and he explained they had to make the drinks. habiscus water and a mint lemonade. Hmmm Problem: when my son got his octopus, he didn't get a knife and I had to give him my steak knife so he could cut his octopus legs. Finally when we got the bill, we were being charged for the lamb chops!!! Needless to say Al Bahar was recommended by Albawadi Grill waitress. And yes the food is terrific! Even the white rice makes my mouth water. But the service and consistency needs much improvement. Although the waiter apologized, at no time were we offered some type of compensation for all the inconveniences experienced. Not that it's required nor do I expect it but it would've been a nice gesture. The table next to us complained loudly and they were offered free food. We complained subtly and no type of courtesy was extended. Do I recommend. Yes for pick up order the food is scrumptious and No I do not recommend dine in experience. They have much to improve! Goto Al Bawadi instead!! Their food is delicious, the service is very friendly and the humus and fresh made pita unbelievably delicious!

A happy breath of the exotic!…read more We love to travel the world and part of that experience is enjoying the local cuisine. This was a wonderful combo of many regional delights. Even better - you can customize what you want in your wrap! If I lived closer I would come multiple times a week.

Late post Came here…read morelast night with some friends for dinner. For most of us, this was our first time. This place is located in a strip mall, so there is ample parking. Some staff are inviting, others, not so much. They have seating and music playing. I like that they offer options to choose an item from the menu or build your own meal. Some of my friends chose to do this. Another friend ordered a wrap, and I chose the chicken shawarma garden. They don't have their desserts on their menu, but they do offer quite a bit. We got a sampler which had a variety of desserts. The ingredients were fresh, and everyone enjoyed their meals. The fries are awesome, and I am not sure which dessert I had, but it had pistachios on top, and it was delicious.

I used* to* love* Kabobs, BUT sadly I fear it's becoming commercialized and the quality is…read moresignificantly suffering. Please hear me out. They have always* struggled with CONSISTENCY issues ever since they started (I've had raw chicken multiple times from them, now it's all burnt/dry), but it's more and more apparent recently. The meats are not only overcooked and EXTREMELY DRY, but the burnt exterior is a genuine *carcinogenic* (fact-check me) issue that leaves a disgusting taste in my mouth that is worse than sand IMO. The gyro meat is more grainy and un-chewable lately. The chicken is overcooked and dry as heck. The rice is undercooked and almost hard. The salads are less fresh, and I notice a distinct difference in the olives lately (more bitter and mushy, YUCK- I love good Kalamata olives, but NO thank you). I genuinely write this in a probably naive attempt to warn Kabobs that they are cutting too many corners that will probably, eventually, bite them. I would be very sad if that happened. I used to love Just Kabobs-- I've had great gyro and chicken and salad, etc, so I KNOW FROM THE PAST that they can do better. The main problem now* is that they are SUPER busy and they probably don't care about quality control because the money is rolling in, but I hope they will reverse course and get better quality ASAP. (PS; at their peak they are capable of 5/5 stars.-- I just feel that the quality has significantly* declined lately and it's sad to see, and waste money on. I couldn't stomach the burnt dry chicken kabobs I got last night and it's going to waste in my trashcan ).

We got takeout during the Christmas Holidays, the wait was long…read more Price is super affordable. Portion is huge for the price. Both the gyro and rotisserie chicken are tasty. Plate comes with a salad and fresh pita bread.