I ordered the Combination Meat Plate - beef kabob, kifta kabob, chicken kabob, chicken shawarma…read more This combo plate was delicious and enough for two people. Meats and rice were well seasoned. Beef kabob and shawarma were notably tender and chicken kabob was white meat and juicy. No issues with service. No frills interior. I will definitely come back next time I'm seeing a show at the Den Theatre.

Good "bang for buck" would be an understatement when describing this place. The quality of the food…read moreat Falafel & Grill is absolutely OUTSTANDING, and comes at a beyond reasonable price. As typical for a counter serve, this facility is no thrills but it's kept very clean and the service is straightforward and great. We've gone back here a few times and have never had an issues with wait time, which is impressive as it can get pretty busy with orders. We've tried both the Chicken Kabob Plate and the Kifta Kabob Plate and both were fantastic. They truly make the meat here the PERFECT tenderness - probably the softest and juiciest chicken I've had in the city!!! The hummus and falafel that the Plate meals come with are also delicious. 10000% recommend for a casual Mediterranean meal or takeout

This place is beyond welcoming and such a refreshing spot to eat at. The food is delicious,…read morefilling, and so affordable. It's your typical kind of ambiance for a place like this--clean but not at all sterile. A welcome quiet spot in the chaos of Wicker. Aside from the delicious, comforting food, the service is incredible. It is rare to find spots like these nowadays and I sincerely hope the CAVA heads (don't get me wrong, I love CAVA!) try this out, too. We were accidentally charged for two orders of dolma when we ordered one, but I didn't realize. The person who took the order--wearing a propellor hat, by the way (hello whimsy!)--walked over to our table to let us know and asked if we'd like a refund and apologized. This already took me by surprise, so while I was fine without it, I said "sure." Next thing I know, they walk over with still two orders of dolma and the refund. I looked for a tip jar to put it back but couldn't find one. It was such an act of kindness and generosity. The kind of small interaction that reminds you of what being human is all about. Any time I'm in Wicker, I will try and stop at this place. Reminds me so much of Bulgaria and the "" I'd always beg for as a kid. 10/10 -- please support this independent restaurant!

I got delivery from here, interesting take on middle eastern food. I go the falafel wrap, with…read morehummus, it did not come with many veggies on it, the falafel itself was quite dry and the hummus was not very flavorful. My partner got a falafel plate. He liked the meal. He also got a salad, which he reports was good. I also got some French fries with tahini and extra garlic sauce. Overall average.

Terrifically fresh falafel, decent baba, very good lavash, and good hummus. Overall a great value…read moreand we got friendly service. Bonus: Fries were excellent. Did not get/try any torshi, will ask for next time.

Just went here to order a gyro sandwich for $12 and received the tiniest portion I have ever…read morereceived from a local Mediterranean place. Have to be honest the price doesn't match the food you receive. I know at least 3 nearby places that give you way more for the same or less price. Please work on your portion sizes or else your place isn't worth it Also had a friend order separately and the workers never called out his order. He had to ask if his order ready and it was just sitting on the counter for 8 mins already at that point. Do better

This place does not play with portion sizes!! I ordered the chicken plate with half and half of the…read moredifferent kinds of rice they offer. It also came with pita bread and hummus. Service was excellent and quick. Food was rich in flavor and very filling. Will definitely come again!

I ordered through Grubhub and did pick up. My order was ready promptly! I got the kebab sandwich…read moreand the mixed meat (lamb, chicken and  kefta kabob). The chicken was so tender! All the protein was flavored nicely. I liked the white and red sauce they gave. I got the curry rice. For the price, this is a really good value. I didn't dine in, but the booths have beautiful tile on the side and a pretty lamp above.

Unless someone recommended this place, there was pretty much zero chance of me eating here. In a…read moresea of delicious dining options in this city, this one is a hidden gem. The place is clean, the staff is genuine, the food is delicious. The most memorable part of my dining experience was a bowl of lentil soup that the owner?chef made & shared with me. DAMN DUDE! I NEVER ORDER SOUP & NOW I'M CRAVING ANOTHER HIT!

For a place in a strip mall this is pretty good to be honest. It was a lot better than the…read moreexpectations based on the looks. North Avenue Falafel is located on North Avenue of course, but it's way out west around Oak Park. Has more than just falafel here with lots of classic items. There's options for both meat eaters and vegetarians who will find lots of good things. Came in around lunch and got a combo. It's about $12 for a typical one. They also have a few cheaper lunch specials. Had to get the Falafel Platter. This is the place's signature item after all, so it had to be good, and it was. I came with eight pieces of falafel. Quite a lot for a platter at this price. Lots of good ass stuff on here. There was hummus, Jerusalem salad, pitas, and rice. Falafel is the main thing it seems, but there's actually plenty more. There's side items like salads and soups. Have to make a return trip over here some time and get some more of the falafel and some other items. It's the best at lunch when there's some specials. There's more than just falafel, with a few meaty choices, and lots of choices for vegans and vegetarians.

I had Ragadan saved for so long, as a burger guy, you know that took some will power and every time…read moreI wanted to come, they were either closed or we were too far away. But on this day, everything aligned, we picked up some cupcakes from Jennivee's and I found street parking in one minute flat and walked over here. It's a nice and inviting space and there's a lot going on in here with the owners being from Jordan, the chefs being Mexican, the burgers being Oklahoma style smash burgers. We were talking to this dude with his girl and he was from Italy and he seemed to have enjoyed his burger as well. We get double protein as much as possible as we're big eaters and the double pattie OK smash cheeseburger was excellent. The Ragadan salad was different with kale and it was pretty good (bright, fresh, and colorful) with extra kefta beef patties. We also smuggled in those Jennivee's cupcakes and ate them after our peaceful meal here in Uptown, which happens to be my old hood. I still remember eating sardines for dinner, just like Biggie. :)

I'd heard such amazing reviews.of.this place that I had to come, but I think I must have hit them…read moreon an off day. I got the patty melt ka'ak and the bread was really hard and stale, kind of painful to bite into. I thought I could just eat the filling but somehow that wasn't very flavorful either and the textures weren't pleasant. I also ordered the baklava milkshake, but it just didn't hit right for me - maybe not creamy/thick enough? It was kind of thin and overpowered by all the big dry chunks of baklava. Ordering at the kiosk was easy, food came out pretty quickly, and everyone was nice. In the end, I'm the one who paid over $32 for a burger and a shake, so shame on me!

Ema is special…read more It's Mediterranean with a California twist. Everything is very flavorful and each bite is memorable The pumpkin hummus was really good. It tasted almost like a pumpkin pie filling The bhel hummus was great too. With a ton of toppings. It has a citrusy flavor which was really pleasant The baba ghanoush was also incredible. Super smoky and flavorful. The pita that comes with the dips are also incredible. They've got zatar sprinkled on top The Greek salad was great. Tomatoes feta and olives with cucumber The halloumi kebab was really good. I was so full at this point I couldn't eat much but it comes with a really spicy sauce that is outstanding and also perfectly cooked basmati rice

I first tried Ema back in 2022 when I visited Chicago for the first time to attend the Northcoast…read morefestival. For some reason, I overlooked reviewing it then, but I never forgot it, so I was ecstatic when I found out my company's annual offsite team dinner would be hosted at Ema. Our group of 35 was pretty large, so we were split up amongst several tables, but it was nice getting to chat in smaller groups. Our drink orders were taken not long after we were seated, and the food and bevvies started to arrive in short order. I got to try way more during my business trip than I did 4 years ago, but regardless, I noted the quality of food that was served remained consistent over the years. Highlights for me included the salmon, Greek village spread, pita bread, chocolate torte, and honey cake. The salmon was so mild and tender, the Greek village spread taster local and refreshing, and the pita bread was seasoned to perfection and hands down the best I've ever had. The desserts were a surprisingly delicious end to the meal. I didn't think I could stomach more food, but somehow I rallied. I don't even like chocolate that well, but the chocolate torte really hit the spot, and the honey cake was a new-to-me decadent dessert. It reminded me of the flavor of honey grahams but in cake form. I've never had anything quite like it and am really glad I got to try it. Coming back to Ema after 4 years was better than I expected. I love Mediterranean food, and after 5 total trips to Chicago, I must say Ema is so far my favorite restaurant here. I'm not easy to please, but Ema serves up some of the best this city has to offer.

Yum yum yum yum--this place is a palace of flavor! Authentic cuisine in a warm atmosphere with…read morefantastically friendly folk; Anthony said the entire menu is based on his mom's recipes--so it makes a lot of sense why everything has that only heart-warming flavors that only a home-cooked meal can have. Everything tastes exceptional from the dolmas to the Arabian coffees

Finally found an authentic Lebanese restaurant in Chicago that serves with love. The spot is cozy…read moreand the simplicity adds to the beauty. The restaurant was also very aware of vegan option needs, and recommended all the tasty vegan items. To summarize - the hummus and falafel reminded me of my childhood in the heart of Middle East. Thank you!

Everything was delicious. Lentil soup was piping hot, like I like it. Falafel could have been more…read moreflavorful but it was crispy enough. I will be going back for the shwarma.

Came here prior to visiting the nearby theater. I've always seen this place but never knew what it…read morewas. When we arrived on a Friday evening, it wasn't really crowded. We were seated right away on the outside patio. The ambiance was a very stunning little escape from the hustle and bustle of the area. The menu was robust but my partner and I knew that we were crunch for time, I ordered the lamb chop kebab & I believe he ordered the steak. Mine came with a house salad which was good. Our entrees came out quickly and were delicious. The waitress and staff was friendly, it made for a lovely date night.

food was incredible the steak is so fire and the sauces are perfectly seasoned not to thick and not…read moretoo watery aswell love the vibe of the inside but prefer eating outside I love the lil seating area, only suggestion I'd say is maybe add real flower, service was absolutely incredible sameer was incredibly helpful and friendly to both me and my lovely girlfriend helped us figure stuff out since it was our first time and even offered samples of everything 1000/10 thanks for helping me have a good date with my girlfriend!!

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