Visiting from Kansas City, I thought I had found an authentic gem in the heart of Lincoln Park. Had I known how horrible the experience was going to be, I would not have wasted my time or money. I have NEVER, EVER had such HORRIBLE SERVICE in all of my dining experiences! We had a Groupon that I set on the table upon us being seated. The sever noticed it as she was pouring our waters with no greeting or introduction. Several minutes pass, I'm guessing it was the owner, comes to our table to inform us that with the voucher you can only order meals up to $18 and there would be an upcharge for pricier choices. Understandable, I'm good with that. Moving on, I order our wine. I ask for Tom Gore Cabernet Sauvignon. He informs me the wine that comes with the voucher is only Beringer. I purchased the voucher for $49, it stated on Groupon.com that the voucher was valued at $89 for a 4 course meal for 2 including wine. On the menu, a 4 course meal for 2 is offered at $79, which includes a bottle of wine up to $36 menu price-so I'm naturally thinking the voucher would cover that as it stated it was an $89 value. Tom Gore Cab was $36. But instead, we got a $24 bottle of Beringer. How does that add up to an $89 value? Disappointed in the false advertisement through Groupon. But to top it off, we had NO SERVICE. Our water glasses sat empty for nearly 25 minutes. The server completely neglected us. When our entrees arrived, I immediately asked for boxes, sealed our bottle, tipped like 5% (which I don't feel like the service rendered even that), and left a note on their paper table cloth and before leaving. The food was good, but the treatment from the owner and the lack of attentive service were extremely disappointing to say the least. It was horrible, honestly. If the owner does not want to treat groupon holders as paying customers, he should stop offering the vouchers through the website. Terrible experience!!! read more

We ate here today. We sat outside and drank wine and ordered appetizers. The service was very friendly and welcoming. In addition the appetizers we had were delicious. I'd recommend this place if you like Mediterranean style food and are looking for a place to sit and enjoy the company of your friends. read more

I have fallen in love with Pars Cove. I don't know what took me so long to try this amazing Persian restaurant. I don't think it gets nearly the credit and attention that it deserves. It wasn't until I saw all of the amazing reviews on Yelp that I decided that this place MUST be good and boy were the reviews right! We started out with the cold sampler. The hummus was delicious, I melt just thinking about it! I then tried the chicken, lamb, and the scallops, all very good. The staff is very sweet and attentive. At the end of dinner they brought out free ice cream (with cinnamon and honey...great combination!) as well as four red roses. It's little things like this that makes this restaurant stand out. read more

Absolutely the best sit-down Persian experience ever in Chicago. The downstairs establishment has the most intimate arrangement perfect for couples or even larger parties. The manager offered us the Wednesday 1/2 Wine Special on Tuesday and the hummus, lentil soup, and everything to follow was off the charts unbelievable. The ice cream at the end of the meal was served with honey, cinnamon and warm graham crackers. I took my mother, who is not a fan of ethnic ethnic food, and she said it's her new favorite when she comes to visit me. Upon settling the absolutely reasonable check, the manager brought out a rose to give to her. read more

This place gets one star because you have to check a Box before it will let you save the draft. First, they were oddly out of the more reasonably priced wines. Most important think you should take away from this review is, after eating the scallops here I Spent the next 20 hours throwing up and if anyone wants to give them the benefit of the doubt that it was something else that I ate that day... FYI I had peanut butter and jelly for lunch that day. My girl friend did not get sick but would also not recommend her vegetarian dish. The ambiance was nice and romantic but everything else about the experience ruins the place. Go somewhere else for dinner. read more

I'v been wanting to write this review for awhile. I literally live around the block from this place and was always tempted to go in but never really had a chance...till now. I've never been to a persian restaurant before so this was a gamble as it was a "date night." And I gambled well. Place is small but cozy. The meals were amazing. And they even gave roses to females! So if you happen to be roaming around the area and in need of something different, delicious, and romantic...head over to Pars. read more

I received excellent service from whom I'm assuming was the owner. The food was interesting (very good rice). We had a shared appetizer (the sampler), two entrees (Chicken Walnut Pomegranate Sauce and Lamb Gourmeh Sabzi) , dessert (ice cream something), and a bottle of wine. The owner did a great job to make us feel welcome. He picked out a bottle of wine for us, recommended options, and checked in with us. I also agree that something shifty happened with the bill, but it resulted in me getting a free bottle of wine from the owner. It was higher than it should have been. I'm pretty good at math, and I couldn't derive how he calculated the tax or gratuity. I didn't bring it up to him because I would have been more embarrassed than happy to get a few bucks back, and since I'd saved some money with the Groupon, I tipped him anyways. He was pleased and offered a complimentary bottle of wine (Rex Goliath) to thank me "for my generosity". read more

One of my favorites in Chicago. This is very much a neighborhood place and it is quaint, friendly and warm. The food is Persian cuisine and this is family owned. My favorite is the fresh fish (ask qhat their best choices are when you order) prepared in the style you like. The menu offers four varieties of preparation, but I highly recommend the pomegranate sauce with walnuts. I had Salmon last time and it was delicious. Their salad is fine, but I recommend the Lentil soup as they do it very well. The package deal is probably a better way to go if you are going to have drinks - but your waiter will guide you on this. They offer hints and tips to try to save you money and enhance your experience. They offer outside seating and the owner is often there to oversee things to make sure all is smooth. I have found over the years that they are consistently warm and friendly here and interested in making sure you have a wonderful meal. read more

I love this place. Great staff and very fast service. Food was really tasty and the patio made for a lovely evening. We were treated like princes. Happy read more

Loved this place. Unassuming exterior. We ate outside but did get a chance to see the dining area. Lots of seating. We had a Groupon for this restaurant and so we started with a sampler plate of salad, hummus and various other spreads to go on naan-type bread that was provided. We had two entrees with our Groupon. Both were chicken dishes. One was a chicken breast dish that was delicious and the other was a ground chicken dish. We shared the two dishes. My wife enjoyed the ground chicken dish better and I preferred the chicken breast dish. In any event, the food was definitely very good. read more

Pars Cove - Front of the restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This one of my favorite places in the neighborhood . I frequently eat here and it never disappoints me. The food is very well prepared and cooked. It is amazing that you can have a menu for $10 in which is included an small appetizer, lentils or salad as start, an entree to chose among different plates, and dessert. Quality-price ratio unbeatable. It is not strange that this place was opened in the 70's and it still lasts. read more

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Absolutely love their dinners. The sample appetizer plate is delicious, the meal and wines are great - even the rice is flavorful. Finally when you think you can;t eat any more they bring you amazing ice cream topped with cinnamon and blueberry - ahhmayyzing. The staff is friendly and if you can sit outside it's the perfect evening. Also - both times my girlfriends and i have been there they gave us each a rose. I have such a soft spit for this little, classy place :) read more

I'm so glad Pars Cove has been able to stay afloat during Covid. It's a staple of the Lakeview community. Today we ordered the winter special. Both my beef dish and my husbands lamb course were excellent. They came with tasty sides including hummus, bread rice and cucumber salad. There was so much food for our money . Go to Pars Cove and enjoy this neighborhood gem. read more

Amazing service and food! The owner and staff were incredibly hospitable and generous. They went the extra mile and were incredibly welcoming. Our group was given complimentary ice cream and a rose at the end of our meal, which was a perfect touch to a great meal. Great place for a date night or for a group of friends! read more

The owner is incredibly friendly and welcoming. He gave us a complimentary bottle of wine and a rose at the end. Food was also amazing, we'll be back! read more

Best place for date night. Super romantic, especially in the little corner under the windows. Just don't be cheap and have the free flower be the only bouquet your date receives! read more

Ordered takeout today and everything was amazing. I loved my chicken kebab and my boyfriend had the beef soltani which was also amazing. We didn't know hummus could taste this good. We also loved the herb yogurt. read more

WOW. I actually went here because of the yelp reviews- and they were dead on. The food was fantastic, the mood and decor very cool, and the service phenomenal. I wanted to switch out rice for pasta and instead of just listening to my stupid request the server told me that the chef didn't think it should be done because the flavors.. i really respect that. and man, it was freaking delicious. i will most definitely absolutely be going back. read more

My FAVORITE restaurant in Chicago by far. Went here for the first time on a date with my boyfriend, and we have gone back several times since. I am a vegetarian and my boyfriend is a hearty meat-eater, and this place suits us both. The wait staff is so nice, and the food always outstanding!!!!! We feel welcomed here, and one night the head chef even came out to our table and gave my boyfriend a big piece of lamb that had been slow-roasting for 8 hours, just to let him sample and taste it. Oh, and the free ice cream with honey and cinnamon to finish off the meal isn't bad either! read more

Used a livingsocial deal, worth every penny. At full price, I'd say it's worth the price, but try to find a groupon/liviginsocial/etc deal to make it especially worth it. Had the sampler platter (GREAT), friend had the chicken kabob (good, but I'm not a chicken or kabob fan), I had the lamb shank with walnut/pomegranate sauce which was DELICIOUS, cinnamon ice cream with honey and some sauce and pastry thing that was a perfect end to the meal. Atmosphere is great for a dinner with close friend/small group of friends or a date, low lights, small place, nice decorations. Owner walked around the whole time making sure everyone was enjoying themselves, gave us roses with the check. read more

The owners made my birthday celebration a delight! A group of ten adults and I made a reservation, which was a simple process, and the table was set up for us when we arrived somewhat tardy. The owner was gracious and proceeded to bring out pre-prepared platters of appetizers and numerous pitchers of alcoholic beverages to enjoy. Throughout the evening, everyone was shown the greatest consideration and even the picky eaters (gluten-free; vegetarian; kosher, etc...) had various options to enjoy. This is the kind of old-world charm that people yearn for in their dining experience. Whether it's bringing an out-of-town family member to their first 'exotic' restaurant or enjoying a casual, intimate date, this is a great option. I cannot recommend it enough! read more

I had almost the exact same experience as someone else on here so rather than write up my own review I pretty much used theirs below. Overall though I would say that the service was excellent, the prices were reasonable, the appetizers were great, but the rest of the food was just so-so. "I was really excited about this place because the reviews were so fantastic! Sadly, I left this meal pretty unsatisfied and underwhelmed. Pars Cove is a very intimate and cozy restaurant - great ambiance for a romantic date or a low key night out with friends. My family and I were searching for a place to have a birthday dinner and we decided to try this place with a Groupon and the high reviews on Yelp. We came and were seated immediately in their front room section. The groupon gave us a great selection of food,- a pitcher of alcoholic drink, an appetizer sampler, 2 soups or salad, 2 entrees, and 2 desserts. It was a really great Groupon deal for all the food it gives you. We picked the Sangria which wasn't the best and also wasn't the worst - it was a red wine base which I wished had more fruit juice to help counteract the bitterness of the wine. The appetizer sampler came with a delicious hummus, fresh baked bread, tapenade, mixed cucumber and tomato salad with feta, potato salad, stuffed grape leave, and one other thing I couldn't identify but tasted of curry. This sampler was pretty delicious and the hummus was probably the highlight of my entire meal. Afterwards we both had the lentil soup which was good and standard. For entrees we each had various combinations of the kabobs. The dishes lacked salt and flavor. The beef barg was cooked incredibly well - a perfect medium rare (which they didn't ask us how they liked our beef cooked) and when it came out, it looked like it had a lot of seasoning. Upon first bite, we tasted tender beef but really nothing else. The lamb shank was very tender and fell apart but again, lacked anything to enhance the lamb flavor. I chose a tomato and garlic sauce to go on top and even that was a pretty mild flavor :( I've never salted a restaurant dish so much in my life. Both dishes came with lentil mixed with rice which was cooked well. The meal was topped off with a serving of ice cream with some fruit topping and honey. This was pretty delicious and probably was my second favorite course next to the hummus. At the end of the meal, they do give every lady a rose which is a really nice touch. This is the first restaurant that I've ever seen do that and for that, I give the owner kudos for making the guests feel special :) For food though, I think not." read more

I live a block away and just tried Pars Cove- I'm surprised I haven't eaten here before! The food was delicious (I tried the eggplant kashk and chicken kabob w/lentil soup). The service was so great and our waiter was very conscientious that I left a much larger tip than I normally would. The interior is great too! read more

Great friendly service. The appetizer sampler was great. Enjoyed the beef sultini and scallops with walnut sauce a lot. Highly recommend to anyone. read more

Usually, groupons are underwhelming. The deal offered at Pars Cove is truly the exception. We went with the $49 groupon, which includes an appetizer sample, lentil soup for two, two entrees, dessert, and a bottle of wine. Try and beat that! All of the food was exceptional; the appetizer sampler is truly varied, with succulent stuffed grape leaves, delicious tomato and cucumber salad, not to mention piquant hummus, served with delectable flatbread. Lentil soup is surprisingly not underwhelming (which it usually is at most restaurants). Entrees are all very good; essentially, you mix and match meats with a variety of Persian sauces. Lamb fesenjan with walnut and pomegranate sauce is an excellent combination - the lamb is tender and flavorful, and the sauce is only very lightly sweet, but rich. I was licking it off the plate. Chicken kibbideh is a no nonsense, spiced ground chicken kebab, an excellent rendition of a classic. Whitefish with tomato and garlic sauce is a well-executed if somewhat generic offering. Pricing is, as you can see above, extremely low, and the service is highly attentive in a genuine way. The host/owner has a legitimate passion for hospitality, which is exceedingly rare in a city that is overrun with peppy waitresses. All in all, Pars Cove is good enough in its own right (a solid four star restaurant), but leapfrogs into elite status with that groupon deal. You must check it out!! read more

One of the best 4-course meal specials in Chicago. App sampler, lentil soup, and lamb shank Fesenjan were all great! But Max (if you read these reviews), the red sangria is terrible - tastes like red wine watered down by ice. No juice. No flavor. Check out what the sangria at Cafe Ba-ba-re-ba or Bularias tastes like. read more

I went with a group of four last night. We all really enjoyed everything we ate. We had a Groupon that cost $89 for two appetizer samplers, four entrees, two bottles of wine and two desserts. This seemed like a decent deal until the bill came. We had the exact same situation as Anna T who posted a review on 4/16. When the bill came, they charged us tax and an automatic tip (for a table of 4) as if the value of the meal was $196 which was the cost if you added everything up individually. This was a ridiculous approach, however, since the "special" amount if you did not use a Groupon for what we ordered was $110. The menu did not indicate any prices for the wine, so you just picked the grape and they brought you a bottle. For the purposes of calculating our tip, they charged us $44 per bottle. The wine was a Ruffino Lumina Pinot Grigio (2010) and a Blackstone Pinot Noir (2010). Both bottles retail for under $10. When I raised the questionable billing issue with my waitress and another woman who appeared to be the head waitress, they did not back down from their approach and argued that I should be forced to pay tax and auto-gratuity on a $196 bill even though I could have ordered this same meal for $110 without the Groupon. Finally the owner (Max) came over and reduced the tax/tip by $15 for us. I probably would not go back given the way they try to treat their customers. If it is not profitable for them to work with Groupon, then they should not issue Groupons. It's like they wanted the advertising reach of Groupon but needed to find a way to recoup the costs associated with running this special. read more

We went to this spot because we had a groupon. Well, I gotta say that they still treated us very nicely as if we were full paying customers. The owner Max came out and talked to us, joked around and was very cordial. The servers were very attentive and helpful with knowing the menu options and answering our questions. The food was great. I am of Middle Eastern heritage so I kind of had an issue with the ''dolma' only because we cook it a lot differently but I guess that is the way Persians make it. The Persian potato salad was my favorite on the appetizer sampler. I didn't care for the dolma or the olive spread. The lentil soup (which is what I got) was very good. The salad (which is what my partner got) was "it was good, not too much dressing and just the right amount of greens". For the entrees we got: the Chilean Sea Bass and the Lamb Kouibeha. The lamb was very, very good with the rice but I would have liked to have was some sort of sauce to go with it. The sea bass was very tender, rich and flavorful. For dessert, we had the ice cream with berry sauce and brownie chunk. It was perfectly sweet and just the right size. When we first got the cups, I thought "that's all?" but it was so rich and sweet that it was just the right amount. We will definitely return here soon! Thanks Max! read more

A class establishment. From the rose that every lady gets to the great service, this place is top notch. Very intimate as well. The food was excellent both times I have been there. i went on Monday and all the entrees were 1/2 price! I had the eggplant appetizer, which is a paste of yummy excellence. I also had an entree of vegetables in a walnut pomegranite sauce. Very, very good. They brought out complimentary ice cream at the end as well. A great place to bring vegetarians but their meat is really good as well. I will be back for sure. read more

I have had an incredibly stressful year. I was on the verge of tears from frustration, stress and anxiety and then my friend and I decided to get Persian food. I suggested Pars Cove, since it was a Persian restaurant i hadn't been to and looked cute enough when I passed by it. We had the best lady-friend date I have ever had. When I walked in, I was really amused by how cute the restaurant was. I really liked the ambience. I was excited to see my friend and talk about crap, and the waitress came by a few times asking if we were ready to order. The menu was limited, but we ended up just getting two entrees even though they had some sort of special. Basically two entrees, desserts, an appetizer and a pitcher of Sangria for $60 or something super cheap. I ordered the Beef Sultani and my friend got the vegetarian plate with fesenjan sauce. A server dropped off an appetizer sampler plate, and said that it was on the house. I was shocked! I also felt bad, because I'm a horrible Persian. I don't like most of the traditional Persian meals/foods/etc. However, since it was free, I felt obligated to at least dip some bread into the options. It was a nice serving of hummus, Salad Shirazi with some feta crumbles, Salad Olivieh (potato salad), Tapenade (some olive thing), and something with eggplants and grape leaves. The bread was very good and I was surprised how much I liked the grape leaves dish. I got a plain salad, and my friend got the lentil soup. Those were fine. Our main entrees were good. My sultani wasn't exactly to my liking, it tasted more like generic middle eastern kabob than the Persian seasoning that I'm accustomed to. I believe the kabob already had a nice dosing of sumac, and our table didn't have any sumac, salt or pepper on the table. It would've been nice, but definitely not necessary. The rice was less than I expected as well... only because most Persian restaurants give you about half a plate of rice. I'm sure if I asked for more rice, I would've gotten some. It was nice that they gave like a scoop of white Persian rice and a scoop of Baghali rice (dill rice with lima beans), and both were very good. I asked for some parsley, and the got a few sprigs as well as a little cup of mush-e khiar (cucumber yogurt). It was all really good and almost too much. After our meal, we got free dessert! It was a scoop of vanilla ice cream, with honey and I think sour cherry preserves on top with a little zulbia on top. So much food already, I ate as much as I could but I was stuffed. When our bill came, it was only $30 some dollars and we got free red roses. We made sure to tip as if we were charged for each dish we received for free and the service was so good, it was well deserved. They rewarded our 'generous' tip with free cups of tea. I'm surprised to see that some people have different experience than us, but overall I cannot wait to go back to this location. The service was extraordinarily better than any Persian restaurant I've ever gone to. Most of the other Chicago Persian restaurants have great food, but their service is just meh. Also, the rose is definitely a nice touch and makes me feel appreciated as a customer. read more

Terrible terrible terrible. Sangria was bad... table was dirty when we sat down. Kabob was not flavored poorly and not authentic Iranian food. I would not recommend this place at all. Grossly over priced and poor food. Would not recommend this place at all. Stay away. Disappointments await. read more

Oh the wait was so worth it. It has been over 3 years that we've dine here but things haven't changed a bit. Still that great service with a constant smile and still the great tasting middle eastern food. We had the 4 course meal which came with their appetizer sampler, soup or salad, an entree and an ice cream dessert . At the end of the meal, the owner came to our table with roses for our wives which was a great touch. Definitely will go back much sooner read more

I had bought the groupon dinner for two at this place. And I'm glad I did. The food was pretty good. Tge place doesn't look all that fancy or nice. Kinda old. But the service was good and very nice. I love that they give roses to the female customers, its cute. A good place for a couple to have dinner together. The starter app hummus was delicious, loved it. The lemonade martini pitcher was a bit strong for me but at least ur getting ur money's worth. I recommend this place. read more

A strange mix of "middle eastern food," technically had Persian dishes but in no way would I classify this place as a Persian restaurant which is what I was in the mood for when I showed up... A bit disappointed with the choices and the presentation (completely unorthodox in the Persian world) but overall the food was decent for the price, with good service. read more

This place gets 5 stars on customer service alone! I went here with a friend using a Groupon. Now, I've been to many places where I felt "snubbed" because we had a Groupon, but Pars Cove was the opposite. We were treated respectfully and provided a ton of great food. More importantly, our server (who, I actually believe was the owner) spent the time with us to explain what each of the items we'd received was after we indicated we'd never been to the restaurant. He also gave me a glass of wine on the house when I arrived and was waiting for my dinner partner. This is a business that truly cares about the dining experience their customers have. Will go back for sure. read more

On my recent business trip I dinned at Pars Cove after searching the google for a Persian restaurant. As Persian myself, I know Persian food. I was disappointed with the taste of the food. Non of items I ordered (Kebob, Eggplant and Yogurt drink) was authentic. I ordered Kabob with with rice, I got lintel rice and this is very new too me to have Lintel rice with Kabob. This was just disappointing. Only the Owner (Matt) was a friendly guy. read more

This is one of Lincoln Park's best kept secrets. It is a cozy setting with exceptional service. It is incredibly inexpensive for the quality of food you get. I love the fish and it always taste fresh. Entrees come with a delcious homeade soup and a dessert. I highly recommend their hommous. It's exceptionally smooth and tasty. Lastly, each female diner never leaves without a rose. Such a bonus for a consistently satisfying meal. read more

I adore this place- we usually go here when we get a deal on Groupon, or when the owner gives us one of his little coupons for the same deal (an appetizer sampler, 2 entrees, 2 desserts and a bottle of wine for $49- it doesn't get better than that everyone). The Chilean Sea Bass here rivals any of the fine dining establishments- it's so light, flaky and buttery it's decadent but so light and delicious. Everything here is good, and the service is outstanding. The owner is always there and he always gives us a nicer bottle of wine than the coupon allows. He also gives every woman a rose when they leave, it's such a lovely touch. Definitely one of our date night staples. read more

I was looking for some good Persian food while visiting Chicago. I had been to Reza's on multiple occasions but was willing to try something new. That was a huge mistake. I'm not sure what kind of Persian food this restaurant is claiming to sell but I was very embarrassed when I took my American friends to this restaurant. It had overall very good yelp reviews but it left me very disappointed. We ordered several of their dishes and the kebab was OK, but the rice was far below average and there was a minimal amount on the plate. I also ordered a couple stews that were not what I would classify as a traditional Persian stew that I was expecting. I'm being generous here with three stars. I would advise you to stick to what you know and go elsewhere. read more

Sat outdoors. Friendly waitstaff. Great food. Nice place for a quiet conversation and to enjoy the warmer days of Chicago.