Of all my trips to Albany Park, I can't believe this was my first time trying Salam. Creamy, spicy hummus with light, fluffy pita...perfect. Other small plates that were excellent were the falafel (complete with sauces) and the grape leaves. Onto the mains, the kifta plate and chicken shawarma plate were top-tier...so well-spiced that no sauces are needed but they do provide them if you want to switch it up. Finally, you have to end the meal with something sweet: baklava! Special shout-out to the friendly staff, cute yet unpretentious space, and free parking lot! After only one trip, this has already become one of my favorite Middle Eastern restaurants in Chicago, which is certainly saying something given the strong competition (especially in Albany Park)! read more

Salam Restaurant - Mixed combination - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This restaurant has the absolute best falafel in the city. Also the best hummus for the price. What are my qualifications? I have backpacked through Egypt, Jordan, Israel, The West Bank. I have sought out quality Middle Eastern food my whole life. This falafel is moist and cakey inside and crispy on the outside. The owner is also a very nice guy. I highly, highly recommend this place," whether you are vegetarian or not, this is one of the best vegetarian restaurants in the city. If you eat meat, check out the chicken shawarma as well. read more

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As I thought in my previous review it must have been an off night. Got Salam this evening and the hummus was amazing and not overly salty. Tahini was fine as well. Got a generous portion of chicken shawarma and it was so tender and tasty. We have middle eastern restaurants close to us and when Salam is on it reigns supreme against all the others. Also learned. Oops Jerusalem salad is different than other places I have ordered from. If I want the Jerusalem salad I am used to order Tahini salad here. As always they are efficient and kind. read more

I just came here to say this is hands-down the best hummus I've had in Chicago in a really long time. Their vegetarian selection is limited but everything I tried, I enjoyed. We placed a take-out order so I have limited comments on service and ambiance. read more

I came across Salam while online, searching for a Mediterranean restaurant. I had the taste for a chicken/ lamb platter with rice, near Lakeview. They had an extensive online menu and I found a platter that looked promising. They are located in a small strip mall and at the time that I arrived (about 1:30pm-Weekday), there were spaces available. There's also metered street parking on Kedzie as well as free street parking on the adjacent side streets. The restaurant was completely empty, so there was no wait for me to place my order. Their menu items are accessed via a scannable QR code (chownow) which you them tell the counter server. I ordered the combination lunch special which is advertised as "a combination of chicken taouk, ticka kabob, shawerma, and falafel. Served with salad, fresh pita bread, and choice of side. A nice mix of different meats,I thought. I also asked for white sauce. It was lunchtime so they had their lunch special pricing available, always a plus for me. While waiting, I noticed their extensive refrigerated dessert options ranging from baklava, cheesecake to tiramisu. It's a casual restaurant with a dining area that has about 10 tables. My food took about ten minutes. I briefly chatted with the server about how I found Salam online and had the taste for Mediterranean, a la the street food I was used to in NYC. He joked that their food was better. When I got to the car, I realized that the pita wasn't in the bag. I was in a rush so didn't bother going back. Maybe the online menu was outdated, no biggie. The food was good, well seasoned, but I did find the meats to be somewhat dry. The sauce I was given was Tahini, which wasn't quite what I was looking for. I was looking for white sauce reminiscent of Halal Guys. If I had a sauce, it would have tasted better. Salaam is a cute place that would be good to grab a quick bite with friends or late nite dinner, since they're opened past 11pm on most days. I will definitely stop by again to try other menu options (Gyros,Areyes, Baklava) the next time I'm in that area. read more

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Been my go to place for years. Their tabouleh is cruchy and fresh. The hummus is better than noon O kabab's lol. Salam's hummus is of superior consistency, smooth and not grainy. Honestly I find their hummus better than the one I had in Israel. Salaam's hummis is very similar to the one I had in Bethlehem (West Bank). Their kifta is great. The shawarma is on the salty side. Recently I had a craving for some mansaf since I just got back from Jordan and have it too. read more

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The food is very tasty Personal is very nice Good prices for what they offer Really recommend read more

Salam Restaurant - Jordanian lamb - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Another exceptional experience getting my late night grub on thanks to Salam. This time around I ordered the spicy beef entree and mine eyes have seen the glory. Don't think I'll ever order the regular beef again as long as they keep this deliciously marinated spicy option available. Entree comes with cucumber tomato salad, tomatoes and onions, one pita, and a choice of side. I went with fries since I love the way they make theirs. May look like they were missing from my order in the photo but there were plenty under the pile of still steaming beef. Also ordered a shawarma chicken and fried cauliflower wrap that tasted amazing. It comes doused in garlic sauce and filled with pickles that go very well with the chicken and cauliflower. I knew this was going to be a lot more food than I needed but I figured being able to eat more later or the next day wouldn't be so bad and it definitely hasn't been. I ordered ahead using their app and was happy to see a number of promo codes available including one that gave me $6 off my order. Put in the order at 12:20am just as I was saying my goodbyes at the Empty Bottle and the food was ready for pickup at the quoted time of 30 mins. Sure it was a bit of drive but it was well worth it to be able to indulge in some grade A shawarma on a Tuesday night. read more

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Great place to spend our Friday after work hanging out night. The service was wonderful and the food was amazing. We will be back for sure!

Consistently delicious food at reasonable rates for decades. Don't sleep on this Albany Park gem!

Hi everyone, I moved away from Salam a few years ago. And fortunately I had a chance to be back in the area and the food Was exactly what I recall. The friends who were with me and this was a pick up order, we were really impressed and they know good Middle Eastern food. once again, I congratulate these hard-working people that produce some really great food. My very best to all Jim McLaughlin read more

The food was great but the atmosphere and the service were not. A friend suggested we go here because he had had the Hummus before and said it was the best he'd ever had. I can agree. It is some of the best hummus I've ever had, but we ate it in silence because there was no music playing. In addition to the lack of ambiance was the lack of service. I felt for the guy waiting on us, because he seemed to be working both the counter and the tables, but he wore one ear bud the entire time he served us and any other table. We had to ask him for a second glass for water, and when we asked if the small Hummus was enough for 2, he suggested we get the larger size. As he walked away, he said, the small is just an appetizer. We both said we're also ordering meals, but he just walked away. The hummus was easily enough for 4 people. We eventually flagged him down and ordered dinner. I got the cauliflower sandwich, which was good, but I was expecting more than just cauliflower in a pita, like tomato, cucumber, onion. I got tzatziki which made it tastier. Overall, I'd get carryout but not eat in. read more

Food was so good , service was amazing they're very friendly great portions and the vibe was peaceful.

Salam is our family favorite of all the Arabic restaurants in Chicago! Their menu is enormous and we never had anything but incredibly delicious food- from their wraps (mine is falafel and fried cauliflower) to full dinners. Everything is cooked to order- no food sits around. The owner, servers and bus staff are lovely, often giving us small bottles of dessert pastry- and the prices are incredibly reasonable for the huge amount of food that every order contains - always taking home a second dinner. Salam is a must for anyone who loves Mid-Eastern food- a true stand out on Kedzie, the Mecca of Arabic food in Chicago! read more

The food was really good, the smell and taste of dishes, hummus , falafel, kebab, salad and everything was really fresh and super delicious, the service was great and super welcoming, highly recommended. read more

I went in today for a casual dinner with friends. Boy, was I blown away! The food tasted sooo fresh and amazing! The service was very attentive and top notch. I will be coming here again no doubt and recommending this place to everyone! read more

Salam Restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Truly one of my favorite restaurants! The menu is impressive with its variety and has something for meat lovers and vegetarians. I order from them at least every few weeks. There is seating which is cute decorated with middle eastern flair, beautiful glass lamps. However, the reason I can't give it more stars is the quality is inconsistent. There will be times that meat is burned or fries are soggy and service can vary. Despite the inconsistency, I will continue to order from them because it can be so good. I've had the most perfect lamb, kabob, and chicken. With refreshing fruity drinks and the freshest most delicate baklava. read more

It was all very good! What I appreciated the most is the convenience of their up-to-date website that made it super easy to order. You have to create an account to get 10% off your first order. Well worth it. I ordered at noon for pick up two hours later. I really enjoyed the simplicity of how easy the online ordering was. I was able to add all the sauces and extra pita bread without having to write special instruction. They gave us a whole bag of pita bread, like fresh from the store. They must of been trying to get rid of it before it goes bad but they definitely were generous. Hummus was excellent. Their falafel plate was great too. The combo plate was good but not the best. The rice wasn't the best tasting but it wasn't the worst either. I appreciated being able to order the falafel plate that already came with hummus and pita which is where I was able to request additional sauces and pita bread. Some places don't offer that and have to purchase the hummus and bread separately. One of the most authentic places I've been to. There is so much to choose from all along Kedzie but this somewhat hidden gem is a must try at least once. read more

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Yesterday, I ordered two "Gyros Burger Mix Sandwiches," through Uber Eats and I was absolutely disgusted. They were kinda small for the price, but the worst part was that the meat patties were nearly raw--both of them! I had to throw them in the trash. As someone who loves supporting halal restaurants, this experience was beyond disappointing. You guys seriously need to get your act together. read more

Salam Restaurant - Gyros Cheese Burger Mix Sandwich - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Amazing food! Always fresh and tasty! Service is top notch as well! Will come back for sure!

This restaurant has a lot of options to choose from, which can make it difficult to decide on what to order, so I went my go to entree. The service here wasn't really great at all. I was put on hold when I initially called and then was hung up on. When I came to pick up my food, he had me sign the credit card slip and walked away. No thank you, no nothin... The food on the other hand was fantastic. My wife ordered their mix combo that came with both chicken and beef shawarma. I ordered their beef shawarma. They both came with a salad, tomatoes & onions, and meat piled on top of a lot of rice. The meat was tender, perfectly seasoned and tasted fresh. The entire dish was very flavorful. My only mistake was I thought the entree came with hummus. I read the menu wrong, and had I known, I would have ordered a side of hummus because it looked all good. I'll definitely be returning. Salam read more

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Amazing food and incredible service! Celebrated my best friend's new job. Very accommodating and friendly.

This is probably my favorite top two Arabic restaurants in the country. First of all they are friendly, and they are generous with bread and napkins. What makes this a great Arabic restaurant is the selection of unusual and hard-to-find Arab stuff. Stuff that my mom used to make like eggs and potatoes. Food itself is delicious and made to perfection. Nothing with tried was ever bad. If you are are ever in the Chicago area make the trip to this place. P. S. Don't get intimidated by the area it's safe. read more

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The service was great and the place was very well kept. Was offered a chair to sit down while standing, amazing service. Food was delicious came out hot and crispy. Lovely vibes and would come here again. read more

The service was great staff was very kind to us, the restaurant was clean and smelled very nice. Food looks and taste delicious. 10/10 would recommend. read more

Food was delicious! Nour's service was phenomenal! Thank you! Ambiance was super nice! Def recommend.

No exaggeration, this is some of the worst food I've ever ordered. I used to order Salam quite a but before, but I had noticed that the quality got significantly worse a few years back, and so I stopped coming. I decided to give them another chance today and I soon rediscovered why I stopped going in the first place. This chicken has absolutely NO flavor, NO seasoning, and tasted like there was NO salt. This was weird, because the falafel I ordered were PACKED with salt, and tasted so bad I threw them away. If you'd like quality Mediterranean food on the North side, please do yourself a favor and pick somewhere other than Salam. read more

Salam Restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Had a wonderful experience eating here. I walked in and was greeted by the friendly staff. Service was quick and food came out delicious. Would come and eat here again! read more

Since, the best shawarmas are located far from city I gave this place a try. I ordered shawarma from this place a few times. It is a bit expensive for the quality of food. There was one time they gave me a something that could not be called a shawarma. The bread was dry and not a good fit for any kind of shawarma. They put the chicken inside the bread and tried to wrap it but they failed. Hence, they didn't cut the shawarma into smaller chunks. So they ended up piling everything in a aluminum foil. Even the chicken was poorly cut. And the fries taste like they were soaked properly but not fried enough. The customers expect good quality for that price. read more

I love ALL the food at Salam. NOUR always gets my order right. I have been ordering from Salam Restaurant for the past 25 years. read more

All I ordered was the Knaffeh and we ate it there. The workers were kind enough to bring us water and were very welcoming even though we were there close to closing. The food was delicious! read more

I stopped by this spot once before a few years ago. Then I ordered I think it was a falafel veggie wrap but I don't remember too well. This time I ordered the Chicken Shawerma lunch with Arabian cheese on the side. First off, the chicken shawerma. The chicken and rice was solid and balanced; while the chicken was a little dry, it still had that tinge of roasted flavor to it, which made up for the dryness. I was also provided with some hot sauce to pour on top of the chicken, which enhanced the flavor of the chicken, although it exacerbated my throat (I have a bad throat for some reason). The rice was very moist and also made up for the semi-dryness of the chicken. The veggies were very fresh and were even better with the tzatziki (?) sauce I was provided. In addition, sliced onions came with my order, and even though I normally don't eat onions, in this case I chose to make an exception by scooping them onto my chicken and veggies and eating them together. 6.5/10. As for the Arabian cheese, it was hit-or-miss. There were three main attributes about it which swayed my opinion in different directions; in other words, there was one element I really liked about it, one I didn't like, and one which I thought was quite odd. #1, the positive: I loved how it tasted like the cheese sticks you find @ most Italian restaurants. #2, the negative: It was very salty. #3, the odd: The texture of the Arabian cheese was similar to that of an eraser. As I was chewing I felt very loud and apparent squeaking as well as it being rubbery and semi-coarse. I might as well have been chewing a cheese-flavored eraser. Overall, the Arabian cheese alone was a 5/10. Don't know if I'll be ordering that again. Now on to the service. To put it briefly, it was quick and flawless. The only thing I didn't like was that my server placed it in a bag instead of on a plate because I guess he assumed I was ordering it to go, which wasn't the case. No big deal. 8/10 Overall, I'd give this place a 6.5/10. read more

Salam Restaurant - Chicken Shawarma lunch with Arabian cheese and pita bread (not pictured) - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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During covid times, difficult to find a go-to restaurant! Thankfully we have Salam to satisfy your middle eastern cravings! All meats are halal, so no worry about antibiotics or growth hormones! I'm glad the reviews about lentil soup didn't deter me, because finished a whole bowl and wanted more! The white basmati rice is perfectly cooked - not too soft, not too hard, and the lamb dishes are great as well. To top it off, they are very cost effective, even at this time! Also long list of vegetarian options! I'll be ordering again. read more

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I've ordered from a few different Mediterranean places over the past few months. My upstairs neighbors get from this place pretty regularly, so I decided to try it myself. Got a meat combo plate, a beef shawarma, and a cheeseburger (in order to get the free veg samoas for spending a certain amount) The burger was really unexciting. The ordering process on grubhub is weird, as it only gives you the option to choose one topping or plain. I wasn't sure how it worked, assuming a burger would come with the standard toppings, but I got a plain burger. I know. It's not a burger place. The combo plate was nice to try different things, but the ingredients just don't seem the best. The chicken in particular seemed like shavings from one of those gyro rotisserie things, and mine must've been the first of the night as it was really dry and the pieces were thin. I had hoped for bigger chunks. Similarly, the other meats seemed a bit dry and bland. The rice is okay, but didn't seem like the usual basmati rice. The best item was the shawarma. It was flavorful and though I only planned to eat half and save the rest for later, I ate the whole lot. So the positives are you get a lot of food. Probably enough for two more meals. Nothing is particularly negative, but there are definitely better places to order from. Could've been an off day, but I won't try again. read more

The place so nice Good crew. Best hummus Keep it going guys. My friend loved their chicken Tikka read more

Been going for years. Better than anything else on the northwest side as far as I'm concerned

You wouldn't think it from the more critical reviews but this place was surprisingly good, especially for having had ordered it about a half hour before they closed on Doordash. The spicy gyro had the perfect amount of spice and flavor, and the fries held up really well even after sitting by my door for a few minutes in these freezing temps. Wasn't sure about the Kunafa when ordering it but I'm so glad I did because it was delicious too, and aptly sweet. If you're on the fence def go for it. read more

My family caters from here a lot! Food is delicious and very reasonably priced especially with the portion size! I had the Mansaf and it was one of the best things I've ever eaten. Plus everyone in that restaurant is welcoming. Very wholesome! read more

Some of the best food I've ever had. Nothing beats it, the prices themself are very fair and reasonable for the area. Had an amazing time and the dining area is clean and well taken care of. The staff themselves are also very nice. I ordered a chicken and beef shawarma mix for takeout. It was full of delicious and savory food filled to the brim. The salad was fresh and the sauces also amazing! read more

Salam Restaurant - Shawarma mix - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great prices for a large portion of pretty solid food (at least as far as the wraps are concerned). They've also got a loyalty program actually worth joining where they send out monthly discounts and freebies. They're open late, which is also often a godsend. read more