The food at the Nile is wonderful! I suggest the Mezze appetizer and the Steak in a Sack entree. Since moving to their new location some years ago, there is much more dining space with a more modern design. The wait staff is ok, could be better for my taste, however, considering there are only 2 of them, I would stick with adequate. read more

Great portions, excellent service and I find midday or evenings are great. The ambiance is quiet and an amazing atmosphere.

One of the most consistently delicious restaurants in Hyde Park. Never misses and you can't go wrong if you're looking for authentic Mediterranean food. I usually do take out, but is a nice atmosphere for dining in as well. read more

Portion sizes are great and the food is tasty. However, the service was extremely rude the last time I dined in. I wonder how this place stays open given how empty it looks most nights. read more

We did not have a great experience, most notably because of poor service. The waitress slammed every course down on the table, even spilling my soup not only to the layering plate but onto the table and then did not even acknowledge it. They rushed us to order, to pay, and then we felt pressured and left despite it being before closing time. When we first sat down, the table and chairs were so wobbly that we both swapped our chair with one from another table because it was so distracting. They were out of grape leaves, which happens, but I feel like should've found a way to make up for it on the mezze platter. Both the falafel and hummus were good but somehow did not taste anything like chickpeas. The vegetarian maklouba was incredibly underwhelming, primarily in terms of flavor but also texture. I would not order it again. I'd be willing (and honestly curious) to give Nile another chance, but to be honest, if I had this same experience again, I would not recommend it to anyone. I hope for their and the Hyde Park community's sake that this was a one-off. read more

I love the Nile. Have been going there for 40 years and it's still excellent. Their hummus is the absolute best in Chicagoland and I always order the shish tauok. Never been disappointed! read more

Ordered dinner for 10 several weeks ago. Annual party with past coworkers. Asked group what they would like (loads of choices in Hyde Park), and they said, "The food we had last year". So, The Nile it was! Ordered a large variety of dishes. Owner (who is ALWAYS fabulous, helped me plan the menu. Hummus, falafel, lamb, shrimp, salmon, shawarma, salad and Mediterranean rice. Food was FABULOUS and portions were generous. Everything was perfectly packaged and delivery was on time and perfect. THEN....Family from out of town came to visit this week and what did they want??...food from The Nile. It was delicious! This remains one on my FAVORITE restaurants. So happy it is right here in Hyde Park. read more

Extremely high quality middle eastern spot in Hyde Park. Everything we had was delicious. Baba is a standout along with their lentil soup and kabobs. Place was pretty empty on a Sat night but they were doing a lot of delivery and takeout business. Service was professional and friendly. No liquor license but that is fine - you can go next door to Woodlawn Tap afterward! read more

Solid, no frills option for middle eastern food. Very casual, service is helpful and direct. As others have noted the portions are very large. My friend ordered a vegetarian rice dish she loved. We shared an order of falafel which was pretty good. The hummus looked great- I regret not ordering some. I had a kebab plate with chicken and beef which was very good and great quality. I think the prices are very fair and comparable to other similar restaurants like Kebobi up in Albany Park. I'll definitely be back when I'm in the area but likely wouldn't go out of my way if I wasn't in the neighborhood. I look forward to returning and trying a wider range of menu items the next time I'm nearby! read more

I love the food here especially the Shish Taouk Chicken. The portion to price ratio is great- it's essentially two meals.

With a yelp rating of only 3.9 we only ate here because it's close to the Court Theatre, but it turned out to be the best Middle Eastern food we have ever had. We had the mezze appetizer with falafel, stuffed grape leaves, baba ghanoush, hummus, , homemade yogurt, and middle Eastern, olives, and pickles and everything was fantastic. The falafel, which is usually too dry for our taste, was crispy on the outside and moist and flavorful on the inside. We split an order of the Maklouba, which consists of layers of eggplant, potatoes, cauliflower, chicken, garlic, rice, and spices braised in a pot, which is then flipped over leaving a layered cake of delicious ingredients on our plate. With the Jerusalem salad (which was also very good) our total bill only came to $45, and we took home lots of leftovers. Wow ! read more

such an affordable dining option in Hyde Park!!!! The portions are giNORmous and the food comes out so hot and fast. I'm always so excited when the Nile caters events on campus because you already know it's gonna hit but you guys should check out the actual restaurant too. It's bright and the conversation fills up the room to the high ceilings. I always share the Mezze, an appetizer sampler, and any of the meat dishes are so juicy and yummy tbh. Truly a Hyde Park gem! read more

Nile Restaurant Hyde Park - Inside - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Among the best Mediterranean food around is located on 57th in Hyde Park in this awesome establishment. It always has had great service and food. Nile is a longtime favorite among locals and students. Maybe prices are kind of high on some things, but for around here they aren't bad. There's lots of healthy food for meat eaters and vegetarians alike and most people here should be happy. Got here recently and had lunch. It wasn't too busy in spite of it being in the middle of the week and UC students all around the place. The service was pretty fast too. I wanted to get a lot more but of course, budget. We had the Hummus. It's $5 for the appetizer. This is creamy and garnished with paprika. Good stuff and even though the portion wasn't large we got satisfied anyway. I had the Falafel Sandwich. This is $7.50 and is a pretty good size. Has many good things to choose from. It has quite a few meaty entrees but there's plenty that are not. This has some great things for vegans and vegetarians. read more

Nile Restaurant Hyde Park - Hummus And The Falafel Sandwich - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My team and I ordered lunch from here. I ordered the chicken shawerma. I chose to have rice instead of potatoes. It comes with soup or salad and I chose the Lebanese salad. I also ordered the hummos. The salad was ok, the hummos was delicious, and the chicken shawerma was tender and tasty. The veggies that came with it were a little overcooked for my taste, but they were seasoned well and went well with the rice chicken. read more

Nile Restaurant Hyde Park - Chicken Shawerma, Lebanese salad, hummos and pita - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great food, fast efficient service, nice ambiance, great for catering too! The Nile has been our longtime go to eatery for many years. Nice comfortable seating great for family, friends or meetings! read more

Why? It's 2024 "The salad tasted like it was prepped in the backseat of someone's car. The lettuce was drowning in vinegar, and by the time I got to the soggy croutons (which might've been fresh...a week ago), I was ready to call it quits. The bread? Old, dry, and sad. If you know your way around the kitchen, this place will have you clutching your pearls. But if you can't boil water without burning it, you might think this food is a masterpiece. Trust me, the 'flavors' are doing too much, and none of it in a good way." read more

Great food and great prices. Excellent customer service. Great location . Timely service also

Awesome Chicken shawarma! First time here and I'll be back! Also got some of the hummus that was very good as well!

This place is amazing. Enjoyed my food. The service is outstanding, and pretty good atmosphere. Recommended 100% read more

A good time! The service was diligent but not interruptive. The entrees did come a bit late but they give you delicious pitas and lintel soup before hand that offset the wait. I got the beef and lamb shawarma and enjoyed it. The decorating seemed a bit dated on the inside, but good for a casual or semi formal occasion. read more

Good service and a nicely priced lunch special was my experience at the Nile. For $10 I had choice of two items from a satisfactory list of options. I chose lentil soup and chicken shawarma. Because the lentils had been so finely puréed the soup lacked much substance but I enjoyed the flavor. The chicken was much like a gyro. The top of a round pita loaf was pinched off and the inside stuffed with grilled chicken chunks, onions, and tomatoes coated with a thin cream sauce. Street parking only for this large, open space. read more

Nile Restaurant Hyde Park - Chicken Shawarma. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Always so good and fresh! Came home to Chicago and this is the first place i came! Authentic, healthy, satisfyingly delicious!! read more

Nile Restaurant Hyde Park - Hummos Tabbouleh Salad Chicken Shawerma - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Delicious food! I got a combo of delicious yellow rice with shrimp kebabs with vegetables on the side. It also came with a salad and bread. This fed me for 3 meals! The leftovers are equally delicious. My cousin and friend ordered lamb and chicken shawarmas. Everyone loved the food. The lunch and dinner deals are great. My meal was pricier than what they got, but its so worth it. One con would be how my kebab stick was just bent in the box. There were splinters of wood inside my shrimp and rice. If that gets improved it would make this a 5 star experience. read more

See all

Baby Friendly: 2 stars Kid Friendly: 4 stars It's about time I update my review, I eat here all the time. The Nile has good food, comfortable seating, helpful staff, reasonable prices, and everything is quick! The outdoor patio is great. We eat outside anytime we can. This is one of the better outdoor patios in Hyde Park. It isn't along the street. I have had most of the food on the menu (if not all). I can't think of anything that I didn't like, but here are our favorites: -Hummus (their hummus is the best! it has a bit of lemon juice and some other liquid that make it fantastic!) -Lentil soup -Lebanese salad -Chicken shawerma entree with potatoes -Shish Taouk entree with potatoes -Mo Jadara They are still BYOB The restaurant is kid friendly. There's enough space to bring in a stroller, they have high chairs, no one looks at you funny if the kids make a little noise, the food is kid friendly, and everything comes out pretty quickly. However they don't have a changing table for a baby. read more

Nile Restaurant Hyde Park - Great outdoor patio! - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Very bad service. Wait nearly an hour to get entree. Soups were spilled. Rushing us to finish even when the restaurant is not that busy and even when we started the entree for 15 minutes. read more

If you are looking for good Mediterranean food in the Hyde Park area, this is the place to go! The price is decent for the large portions they give you. You will end up taking some leftovers home unless you are really hungry and can eat the whole thing in one sitting. My friends and I ordered the hummus (3 kinds), and falafel. The falafels are made fresh so it's warm and not too oily. The hummus with eggplant (I believe) had a little kick to it and it was flavorful. I ordered the beef and lamb shawarma and chicken shawarma platter and I wanted to try both since it was my first time. The chicken is way better since the beef and lamb was more dry. The platter comes with the Jerusalem salad, pita, and rice. The Jerusalem salad had more sauce than the vegetables itself so it was more soupy. The appetizers itself was very fulfilling especially with the pitas. I ended up taking my main course home since i couldn't finish it. They also give you a lot! I definitely will come here again if I'm ever craving Mediterranean food. read more

Nile Restaurant Hyde Park - Combination platter: beef and lamb shawarma and chicken schwarma - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I was in the area looking for a location to eat food, and I found Nile Restaurant. I found it to be nothing spectacular upon entrance, the atmosphere of the restaurant being that of a stereotypical hole-in-the-wall. I ordered a Vegetarian Makloub because the Makloub was marked as "Chef's Favorite" dish. Service was fast and efficient, and the waitress was very nice. Water was brought out, and then pita bread in a basket that sat on the table for around 10-15 minutes. It was hot when it arrived, but because it was a side for the Makloub I waited until my entrée was given to me to eat it, and in the time I waited it became pretty cold. When the dish arrived, I began to taste it. I'm not sure why, but had very little flavor. I was expecting an abundance of spices, which I feel would've elevated the dish considerably, but those spices were untastable on my dish. Perhaps it was because I ordered the vegetarian option, which contained none of the traditionally-included meat, but if a lack of meat makes the dish bland, why include that option on the menu at all? I must say, though, that all the vegetables were very well cooked, and if I'd been able to try the dish with tastable spices I think it would've been fantastic. Nile Restaurant has a lot of potential to elevate their dishes, and I jolly well hope they harness it. My experience at that restaurant wasn't negative in the least, but it could have been better. read more

Nile Restaurant Hyde Park - Vegetarian Maklouba - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Always great food any option you get, good service too! Setting is nice too, always very chill in here read more

Nile Restaurant Hyde Park - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I love their food! The staff are always friendly and so are the delivery people. Whenever I need comfort food, I order from Nile Restaurant Hyde Park. read more

When we arrived, there were only 2 other diners in the restaurant, and yet someone from behind the kitchen counter motioned at us to sit down, and we had to take our own menu. We ordered a large red lentil soup, a fattoush salad, and a chicken shawarma wrap. The red lentil soup was yellow and only lukewarm. I explained to the waitress that it was yellow, not red, like the menu said, and she tersely informed me that it's the only lentil soup. The salad leaves were soggy, and the fattoush had pickles in it but no radishes. It needed feta and some flavor. The homemade chips were alright, and the chicken shawarma wrap was better than Cedars. At the end of the meal, the waitress brought us some to go containers after having to explain our request a couple times and a crumpled check. She was working all of the tables in the whole restaurant (it filled up to over 50% capacity as we were there), and she seemed a little frazzled. I think they can improve their hospitality, food quality, and communication. Maybe we will order a larger entree next time as those platters looked better than what we ordered. read more

Although I haven't here in a while, I would still recommend this restaurant. The service is great and the food was always good. I will be visiting again soon because they are a neighborhood staple! read more

Regarding the food, I have one word - Yummy!!! I'm always greeted with a warm and genuine smile when I come to pick up my carry out order. Great customer service. read more

We ordered takeout from here and it was very bland and I was regretting that I hadn't read my friend Alida's review first. The beef dumplings were soggy and mushy. The chicken shawerma was right on the verge of being dry. The red lentil soup was flavorful, but it was a humid day and I wasn't in the mood for soup. I know it's been a month, but I clearly remember thinking damn, I want zankou (Armenian/Mediterranean chicken place in LA). read more

The food was very good. I had a stuffed chicken pita with fries. Carr you service is great. Very comfortable environment and staff exhibited professionalism. Quality service and great. read more

Always phenomenal food. Generous amount of pita provided with each meal. Excellent dine-in or takeout!

This place time and time again has consistently been delicious. The shawarma wraps, lentil soup, lamp chops etc is some of the best things on their menu. My favorite is their hummus. Not only is their food delicious. Their service is quick and I admire the waitress waitressing 8 tables alone. During this pandemic it has taken a hit on businesses to have employees and here even with the need for more employees they are truly making it work. Thank Nile for always being consistently delicious and fast. read more

Nile Restaurant Hyde Park - This Red Lentil Soup is ohhhh so yummmyyyy. Especially on a cold fall day. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Great food great prices can't wait to try the delicious food again , had the combo lamb shawarma and chicken with rice amazing ! Keep it up

We ordered pickup on the coldest day of the year . They were open and the food was fresh swarm as could be in below zero temps!

The most incredible Lebanese food!! Do not miss the tabbouleh, baba ghanoush, falafel and more. Highly recommend this spot!! read more

Nile Restaurant Hyde Park - Falafel Sandwich - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Absolutely delicious, freshly prepared and excellent service and you can't go wrong with BYOB.