The food was good. The meats were all really good. The place was full but they had ample parking space. On the other side, if you don't like to smoke passively, please don't go here. Everyone around us was smoking packs of cigarettes. The local beers that they serve are expensive and just OK. read more

I am not Bulgarian, but I enjoy Balkan Food. I was there several times and I am totally in love with food and ambient. Must make reservation for Friday and Saturday night - it's packed. I brought several friends here and everybody loved it. Must have - Peppers "Burek" and my favorite : Grilled Trout. And what will make you give up any diet - once you try it - Cake Mehanata - I brought an expert on one of my visits and she took another piece to go. Place is clean, their personal is very friendly and prices very reasonable(you can look up their menu - pictures do not give justice but prices are correct) read more

I ordered chicken with vegetables last night it was not good. The portion decreased in size twice, there were hardly any vegetables in there and came dry with burned onions and green peppers. Very disappointed. read more

After a two year hiatus I returned to Mehanata after a friend told me it had been sold and had a new owner. It's amazing what a change in management can do for service and food quality. The food was amazing ... taste and quality like I am sitting at my mother-in-law's table in Burgas with all the ingredients coming from the village. Snzhenka had just the right balance of dill and garlic with the yogurt strained properly. The beef tongue was so tender it just shredded and melted in my mouth. The chicken livers village style had that warm, deep flavor that comes from adding the paprika at the right time to really allow the flavor to open up. My father ordered some sausage that was really flavorful, cooked just right. The star of our lunch was the rabbit. Cooked gyvetche style with potatoes then served on a platter ... holy crap, it was a foodgasm. The sauce was amazing and I almost filled up on bread just sopping it up. I hid the leftovers in the refrigerator from my husband ... yes, it was that good. I have no clue what changes the new owner made in the kitchen, but I am so thankful. Everything that crossed my lips was seasoned really well and not over salted like it had been previously. Now the place is doing Bulgarian kitchen justice on the food scene. The service was also better, and I really appreciate the waitress being patient with my father who is hearing impaired. Mehanata is back on my list of restaurants to frequent, and I am looking forward to once again partaking of salads, tarator and drinks on the patio during the warmer months. read more

Amazing Bulgarian food, kebabs, salads and the fig cake with mascarpone. Customer service could be nicer. If you order water, it will come bottled, so if you don't want to pay, order tap water. Parking is tricky so make sure you park at the right place. Meat is fresh, intestines too, liver and hearts are the best here. Highly recommend, big portions and reasonable prices! read more

This was my first time trying Bulgarian food. Overall we really liked it. Our server was super friendly and talked us through the menu. The food was overall dry....which I was not used to....but it was the general style of the cuisine. But overall I really liked it and I can't wait to try the different items of the menu. read more

I'd make it 3.5 stars if I could... I had dinner there a couple of weeks ago. A Greek-like salad was ok (it was listed as something else so the name's probably not quite right). The trout in tomato sauce was very good and so was one of the Bulgarian red wines. The staff does not speak English particularly well, but they were nice and patient. The service could be a bit better... But I'd go there again. It would be a fun place for a group. read more

I have to plagiarize Ericka A's comment of: ".... I'm taken aback when I turn the corner and spot a huge Bulgarian flags and a sign in giant, ethnic lettering: MEHANATA. It practically screams at you to come in. The signs are bright and colorful..." I am amazed that you could read the restaurant's name Mehanata!!! as the 8 of us knew the name of the restaurant but couldn't make it out from the signage that is present. FYI, the signage is not lit, the easiest way to find this place is to look for Foremost liquors with the yellow awnings, Mehanata is just to the south of Foremost. Well as stated 8 of us went to dine here so we were able to trade some bites with each other to see what various dishes were about. For drinks we had some Bulgarian Beers and a Bulgarian wine called Bear's Blood which suggested a heavy red but was actually light and semi-sweet with slight trace of tannin. For starters: Burek - fried red roasted red peppers that have been stuffed with feta, accompanied by a yogurt dill sauce, very good. Large Mixed Plate - of various salami type meats - This is huge, get the small, some varieties of meats were quite excellent, others meh. For Entrees: Chicken Mushroom - basically a grilled chicken breast with a very good mushroom gravy w/mushrooms, fries on side. A really good dish & only $8. Chorbadgiski Sach (pork) - chunks of pork cooked with bacon, onions, mushrooms, pickles, potatoes, served with cheese & fries on top. This was an ok dish, the large could have fed 4 people EASY. Kara Bunar (pork) - a pork filet cooked with peppers, onions, carrots, pickles & tomatoes. Very good. I'd certainly like to go back and try some other dishes as my curiosity is certainly peaked. read more

We found out of this place on accident, and maaaaan, this was delicious. Everything looked good. We good lil of everything. Especially the fried pepper with cheese. The sausage is the best meat on the menu. Definitely come back. read more

Traditional Bulgarian Restaurant You cant beat the atmosphere - very authentic. The food is delicious, reasonably priced and it comes in large portions. There is a big variety of what you can order...it confuses a bit. The menu has pictures though. The red house wine is not so good. Skip it. The desert menu is pretty good, try the Mehanata cake. Really good!! The lunch special is my favorite, homemade cooked meals for $7.99. You should try it. It comes with soup and desert. The service is excellent. Fast and attentive. Overall is one of the best bulgarian places in Chicago. read more

DELICIOUS!!! Best Bulgarian food in the US so far. We went there two days in a roll when visiting Chicago. All dishes we ordered were amazing including the desserts. We wish we could live closer! read more

Great owners and great food!! Everything is so fresh, especially their seafood. Excellent grilled squid and calamari - best value for your money! I will bring my business clients so they can try delicious Bulgarian cuisine. Everything is grilled so the menu choices are healthy, affordable and high quality!! I'm definitely coming back!! read more

Best Bulgarian restaurant abroad I've ever been in! Wonderful service and the food is out of this world! Very pleasant experience.

Nice ethic casual restaurant. Good service, pleasant atmosphere and very good eastern European food. Will visit again.

Great bulgarian food! Mnogo dobra kuhniq!

The food is cooked traditionally and is always tasty, there are tons of options, and the atmosphere is very authentically Bulgarian. Was pleased with the quality and value of this place. It would be a regular spot if I lived a bit closer. read more

Amazing. So good and authentic! Best Bulgarian restaurant in the Chicagoland area!

perfect bulgarian spot - feels like you have been transported to bulkan peninsula

Awesome place to have a drink relax with friends and family, work outing you name it. everything was great

Very good quality food! I`m glad I found this restaurant! Parking is confusing. They have some parking spots near the building but it took us 10 minutes to figure it out. read more

Been there two times.Love it.Okay service,good fish( mackarel,sea bass,anchovies),decoration inside is good,little dark but okay.They provide you the most popular two Bulgarian beers.Clean restroom. read more

Very nice place. Food was tasty and the service was great! Definitely will visit again when coming to Chicago!

Amazing food, daily special for lunch, fresh ingredients and authentic atmosphere. Do leave space for desert! The fig cake was to die for :)

Best food and great owners!! Love the atmosphere...cool place! Be sure to try the deep fried feta, yogurt balls, the mixed grilled. Absolutely delicious. read more

Love , love , love this place . Best food ever :)) I would definitely go back .Has endless menu and it's all delicious . Service is awesome and everyone is polite . I m very happy overall and would recommend to anyone that wants to eat good Eastern European food . read more

Very delicious! Weather you are Bulgarian or american, i would strongly recommend! Great ambiance and food! Enjoy!!!

The experience was not so good like I expected : the waiter was slow, he did not know the menu, the food was ok, the only think which I really liked were my crepes, those were good. read more

Mehanata is my place where I go to eat most of the time I just love there food. Thank you for your service

outside is a total dive fitting for an eastern european gangsta' movie...restaurant is next to a busy liquor store...signage is hard to read...be careful where you park because it seems the neighbor businesses are very protected of their space so park in the wrong place and you will be towed...parking for the restaurant is behind the chain link fence towards the back, on the grass and gravel dimmed lot, along with rows of chopped cars...i came here with a large group, was the only non-european while we dined/drink for 4 hours on saturday night...i certainly did not fit in, and would have felt uneasy being here if i were not with the company of dozen bulgarian and russian ufc fighters...so make sure you have someone in your group to help with the translations and to communicate with the staff...very small dining space, tables and seatings are cramped, very hard to maneuver yourself out once you are seated...i was very careful not to bump into someone too hard because the crowd seems like they are ready to find any reasons to rumble...if you are still not afraid of all that is mentioned above - then come because the food is outstandingly delicious and super huge quantity perfect for high-calories, carnivore eating people like myself - and the price in unbelievably cheap...as the evening progress, and the dj started to crank up the techno disco music while the bar tenders got busy pouring shot glasses, it became apparent that this place is also a meat market, and i don't mean the menu... read more

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The wait staff is rude and inattentive. Went there for fathers day with my son and 8month pregnant wife. Waiter comes and speaks to me in Bulgarian. Told him no speakie. We exchanged pleasanttries in English. The waiter left and never came back to take my drink orders. I waived him down and he still egnored me. I waited 10 minutes with no service. Got up and went Up to the waiter and told him to go to hell because we are leaving. Left this place and will never return. read more

This is the very last time, I am visiting this place!!! Food was horrible, the meat was hard to eat, potatoes "sote" were cold and probably wormed uponthe microwave, salad had old, soft, taseless vegetables....but thats not all...the service sucked big time! When we walked in we were not let to sit on a table were we usually sit because they were hoping that bigger crowd will go to it....but only group of 3 set on it...after us, the waitress didn't even care about the order and was about to place totally different meal in the kitchen, some people showed on the door and we overheard how we should go so others can sit on the table. WTF what if we wanted desserts??? Someone put a sign on our table " reserved" while we were still eating...how rude!!! We really used to come for the food and the atmosphere!!! However, I rather spent $50 elsewhere, where we can enjoy dinner without being rushed and treated like crap!!! If I have to be born again...I don't want to be Bulgarian! This kind of service available only in Bulgariaaaaaaa read more

I have been going to this restaurant from years and love the food. This Thanksgiving my family ordered turkey and it was the most delicious and tender Thanksgiving meal that we've had. They cook a whole turkey to order and you can pick it up by noon. Anyway, my father is a very judgmental person, but he liked it so much that he even called to personally thank the cook. I would definitely recommend that place to other people. read more

I have been to Bulgaria once before and missed their food. I found this place is close to where my mom lives luckily. The food is just as good as it is in Bulgaria. The price is great for the giant portions you get. They even have Zagorka beer which I haven't been able to find anywhere else. I am definitely going back again! read more

Very colorful and pretty menu but the taste of the food was not very good.

Great food. Great service. Great family atmosphere. Hearty portions. Our waitress, Priscilla, made our birthday brunch both fun and special celebration. Highly recommend. read more

On the recommendation of one of my student's Dad (they're Bulgarian) we went for lunch today. We were a party of 4. We ordered chicken liver appetizer, feta salad, yogurt salad, herbed pita bread and chicken kabob appetizer. We could have stopped here because we were full but our taste buds were so happy that we all ordered meals. Catfish, chicken rolls, house specialty plate, grilled plate of assorted sausages. We were so pleased with everything that was served to us right down to the Bulgarian beer! Our server was a young lady who was very helpful, courteous and friendly. Can't wait to go back...but must finish our leftovers first. We also were able to sit outside on a beautiful day...perfect. read more

Love the sausage clay pot! Great food and service.

Great food, nice atmosphere (including some outdoor seating). Prices were excellent. Only negative: The loud disco music started at maybe 10, which made it hard to talk. But otherwise, a great experience. read more

I was amazed with this place, the atmosphere music and the food. If you like lamb chops you would love the lamb chops at this place, it also looks like they have a nightlife music and dancing I am definitely coming back because their menu is pretty big and I need to try it all read more

I will never go back to this restaurant! The service is horrible. You will wait one hour for your food and they will serve it one at time so your family and friends can watch you eat while they wait for theirs. We ended up returning one of our soup because it smelled and tasted funky. The waiter stated he will take it off the check. We then asked for a small side of parmesan cheese to go along with one of the dish( which was less than 2 ounces). When the check was given to us it was written as open food $2.00 and $5.00. We asked the waiter what the open food charges meant. He said the $2.00 was for the parmesan cheese and the $5.00 was for the soup. He apologized that he should have taken the $5.00 off and he took the check back to fix the mistake. He gave us the check back and took the $2.00 charge off instead of the $5.00 charge. We told him again, that the $5.00 charge was still there and that he took the $2.00 charge off. He then stated, "The $5.00 was for the parmesan cheese". Please mind that their soup prices ranges $4-5. I told him does it make sense to you that a small size of parmesan cheese is the same price as the soup you're selling? I do not mind at all paying for the food I ate, but that's if it equates to the amount I'm spending. I was already upset and didn't even want to stay a second in this restaurant. I paid the bill and will never come back to this place. If you make a mistake own up to it. read more