Breakfast edition Food: yummy and generous. Very authentic according to a Turkish friend. I believe served only on weekends. Service: very friendly waiters, fast Ambience: family, big groups friendly! read more

The Gundis Kurdish Kitchen - Breakfast - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I genuinely really liked the food, the ambiance and the service! The restaurant is nicely spaced out and aesthetic, although it does get a bit loud when it's busy and the chairs were a tad too low but that's more personal preference. The servive was absolutely amazing with a very funny and personable waiter and staff constantly checking on us and refilling the complimentary tea! The tea was delicious and so was all of the food. We got the lamb scramble breakfast for 3 and the backlava crepes and it was all absolutely delicious. Can't think of a single thing that wasn't good and you can tell every ingredient used was high quality and nicely seasoned. I had to take 2 stars off for the price and credit card surcharge that's not highlighted or stated anywhere before you pay. The price because the breakfast set is definitely on the high end, and because it's one of the few places in chicago that does kurdish food well, so it's swallowable. I would definitely come back more often if it was cheaper. But charging a credit card fee on top of the high prices is always annoying and a no go, especially when it's not clearly stated anywhere beforehand. They clearly know no one is carrying around that much cash so it's easy extra money and just frustrating as a customer. read more

The Gundis Kurdish Kitchen - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've been here so many times since my first visit, that I assumed that I had already reviewed this place. This restaurant is my favorite brunch spot in Chicago. I bring friends and family from our of town to visit here, and I will even come solo if given the opportunity. The vibe is always classy casual, haha. During weekend brunch, the place is usually at 80% or more capacity, so I always like to make a reservation on OpenTable to secure a seat. I have only ever had the same server, and he's a gem. I order the Soujouk Beef Scramble, one of the signature dishes, and it always fills me up. The dish always comes with bread and fries, and both compliment the scramble well, depending if you want to add a bit of saltiness or savoriness to your taste. The scramble itself is light but rich in tomato flavor, and the saltiness from the meat is subtle yet powerful. If ordering for two, the larger spread consisting of jams, olives, butters and sides is well worth the price. read more

The Gundis Kurdish Kitchen - Soft Scramble and Soujouk for one - filling and extremely flavorful. The fries and bread offerings aren't overkill, lol. - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Oh my goodness. One of the best restaurants I have been to. Everything was delicious. If I just had the bread I would have been in heaven. But everything was good. Their appetizer sampler was fabulous throughout. Our family of 5 shared a salad and a soup to try all the flavors. We shared the lamb shank which was so tender it fell off the bone, salmon with crispy skin that was wonderful, chicken stir fry, and my favorite which was the eggplant. Service was superior. Our water was never empty. The Kurdish coffee was a first for me and yummy. A terrific family owned restaurant that deserves its place in the Michelin guide when it rightfully earned. read more

The Gundis Kurdish Kitchen - Lamb shank. - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

First time trying kurdish cuisine and I am a fan. The stuffed chicken was FIRE. I usually don't like chicken breast but this one was so juicy with a rich spinach and goat cheese filling. I also very much enjoyed the rice and vegetables soaked in the sauce. The zaza tofu pasta was also cooked perfectly al dente with a smoky tomato isot sauce and lots of goat cheese (I love goat cheese). I wanna come back and try their kurdish breakfast next time. We came at 5:45 and there were a lot of seats open. Service was pretty quick. They do charge a 3% credit card fee so bring cash if you can. Ambiance was very nice, very aesthetic dining area. read more

The Gundis Kurdish Kitchen - Zaza Pasta Tofu - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Had no idea that I'd fall in love with Kurdish food....now how will I ever find it back home in NC. Regardless I shall return! Very flavorful and fresh topped with great service and a quant atmosphere. read more

I'm very happy that I closed out my visit to Chi-City at this amazing gastronomy destination! Made a last minute reservation, and the magic unfolded. Beverages: 5/5. I don't see the drink I ordered online and I forgot to take a picture of the menu. That said, it was a superbly blended craft cocktail with whiskey. Cuisine: 5/5. The stuffed chicken was recommended by the waiter and it was superb! Flavorful, filling, and just the perfect meal after walking miles around the city. The milk pudding was a solid closer, but I'd probably order one of their other desserts next time. Service: 5/5. Efficient, which was impressive, given the dinner rush. Ambiance: 5/5. Classy space, nothing to dislike. Buen provecho. read more

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We had dinner here before a show at The Annoyance Theater. The food was wonderful and I really appreciated the gluten free bread (toasted!) to enjoy the amazing hummus! Drinks were creative and tasty and the portions were perfectly sized. Will definitely be back. read more

The Gundis Kurdish Kitchen - Yummy cocktails with our grilled halloumi cheese and hummus appetizers! - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Forgot to take a before pic because the food was so good and I scarfed it down. The brunch for 2 is such a good deal. You get so much food and a variety. The servers were also super nice and kept chatting with my toddler. Casual place. East too packed on Saturday. read more

The Gundis Kurdish Kitchen - Brunch - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I love everything about Gundis! Always a 5 star experience when I go. If you want the full experience, you need to get their breakfast for two. The line up that comes out is outstanding. From housemade jams, to olives, to fries, to spicy omelettes and fresh hot bread, there is always something you'll love. Their fig and walnut pancakes we also very good, with actual walnuts and dried figs in the mix. The cucumber lemonade was so fresh and you could tell immediately its juiced in house. The ambiance is light and always bustling with service being top tier! I can wait to go again. read more

Sought out an experience as well as a cuisine that wasn't typical fare and...found it! The Gundis Kitchen was very uptown in design as well as the food. Interior and ambiance were well curated and the food was absolutely stunning. The starter was spicy Hummus...presented well and very flavorful. The wood-fired bread was light, yet crisp and served as a sturdy vessel to scoop, slather, or dab the creamy hummus or lemon vinaigrette on salads and such. For entrees we had the grilled octopus (best my dining companion ever had!) and the Navy Bean Salad---huge, ample tender beans, greens, and a very tasty lemon vinaigrette with a spice (sumac?) that was perfect for the richness of the feta. For dessert, chosen by owner/chef Basheer, we had Rice Pudding with Apricot and goat cheese Baklava. Both were excellent and the Kurdish Coffee was superb sweet jolt as well. The service on a weeknight was short and still a work in progress, but that didn't harm the experience or quality of the food. Go and gather some friends to try this hip restaurant for modern cocktails, delectable food and ambiance. They do take reservations so call early in the week for a choice window table on the weekend. This was a great experience, all-around. Don't sleep on this restaurant...at all! read more

We finally had the opportunity to eat at Gundis tonight. We really had a enjoyable experience and I would highly recommend it. I liked the fact that there were plenty of options for my vegetarian husband. I am now a fan of Kurdish food. The environment was warm and welcoming and it was packed on a Saturday night. I will say it was initially very noisy but got significantly quieter as people left. We had great service and our drinks, appetizer and main meals were served with great timing. We started with the sampler plate, which included baba ghanoush, octopus salad, ezme (a Kurdish dish) and hummus. The bread it was served with was delicious. I did feel like everything on the sampler plate, apart from the baba ghanoush, had a similar taste. I think the similarity in taste came from the same seasoning on everything. We still enjoyed it despite. I did love my dinner which was grilled octopus with spicy lemon yogurt and roasted vegetables with mashed potatoes. The potatoes weren't super hot but they tasted great. The portion sizes were very generous. Everyone in our party enjoyed their meal. I would definitely come back as there are so many great options on the menu that I would love to try. I also liked the atmosphere and location. Parking can be challenging so give yourself time. read more

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I have since returned twice for dinner. We had a lovely meal 3 years ago and returned lat night reminiscing about it. We found the service to be incredible - warm, sincere, helpful. The staff genuinely cared to deliver a positive dining experience. Our water glasses were always refilled (so many restaurants these days don't do it). The menu is marked so well for allergens - my friend is vegan and I am vegetarian gluten-free - I was able to enjoy the soup, appetizers, and salads. They prepared a vegan cous cous for my friend. I recalled the salads being better - it was mostly greens with very little of walnuts/ beans, etc - the other ingredients that had previously made these wholesome and enjoyable. I might suggest cutting back on overall size of the salad but not on the ratios of the recipe. The soup was flavorful and they provided me with gluten-free bread. And my friend absolutely loved the cous cous - generous portions, flavorful spices. My husband had had the lamb shank last time which he found a bit dry. Last night he gobbled up the stuffed chicken delightedly. read more

Wonderful food, a generous menu so something for everyone. Really nice people work there. The ambiance is modern comfort with warm brick walls and good table spacing. Take a break from your regular spots and try the Middle East flavors of this place. The starters, all good, have a sampler plate. I often have the Stuffed Chicken, delish, with many options: shrimp, beef, lamb. Multiple salad choices. Vegetarians will like four entree options. Save room for dessert! read more

I love the brunch here but not a big fan of the dinner. Service was great all around, lots of seating too! To start we got the calamari, I love calamari. This wasn't cooked great- extra chewy. For my main I got the fries and the goat cheese and lentil soup. The fries were great! The soup was really lacking flavor. The lentils are also blended so you don't get the texture. I would come for breakfast/brunch as that menu has many options and is great! read more

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This is my third time here. The food is excellent. One of the best lamb shank entrees ever! But the service is even better, if that is possible. Attentive staff, literally there at your table immediately when they see a need. I observed them closely tonight. It's obvious that they work well together, are kind and considerate of one another while they focus on the customer experience. Amazing! read more

Presentation was decent but food quality very poor. Some ingredients like the mushrooms and other vegetables were from a can. Meat was tough. Was not of the quality or freshness I would consume. read more

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hands down one of my favorite restaurants i've ever been to. the flavors are different than other middle eastern restaurants i've been too. the staff is very friendly and welcoming. we ordered a bunch of dishes and finished them all. great for groups! read more

I'll be honest, I had never heard of this place prior to going to lunch with a group of friends. We were able to make a large party reservation for 9 the week of which was great! The service was excellent! Our waiter was very attentive, the food came out quickly and was very fresh! They had a variety of options on their menu from brunch to lunch to dinner options so you could certainly go back and even try different options! The ambience was perfect, not too loud, not too quiet. I would certainly return! read more

Gundis food and service makes you feel the same way when you're invited to someone's house for a meal. It's wholesome, hearty portions, and filled with absolutely unique flavours. The grilled calamari was a party favourite for appetiser. You can't get enough of the jus with the bread. If you're a meat eater, the lamb shank is to die for- the meat melts off the bone. Highly recommend the rice pudding w apricot- its cinnamon-y and the absolute best way to end a meal read more

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Located in Lakeview, it is said to be the first Kurdish restaurant in Chicago. I ordered the red lentil soup and Mardin. Both of them were new to me and delicious. I never had **red** lentil soup before. Its darlk orange-red color seemed to come from both the red lentils and spices like chili and paprika. It was topped with smoky Isot pepper and a mild chili powder, giving the soup a subtle heat and complex, raisin-chocolate taste. So rich. But once I added some lemon juice it became refreshing. The Mardin was basically chunks of grilled beef (I chose medium rare) over a bed of creamy eggplant puree, topped with a mixture of vegetables. The puree contained small cubes of eggplant and eggplant seeds, and had a slight hint of creaminess. The beef was quite tender and fresh. Recommended. I also want to mention their naan-style bread. Not salty at all--they just let the food speak for itself. Good for pairing with the soup and Mardin. read more

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The only reason we visited this place was because it was recommended by someone we trust and boy did we love it. Both our host and sever were really polite. Since this was our first time trying Kurdish cuisine, our server recommended Kurdish coffee for caffeine free drinks and Ezme. Both were delicious. They have some really nice vegetarian options. We ordered the beet salad and couscous entree. Portion sizes were perfect which meant we did not have to carry any leftovers. Ambiance was nice and relaxing. Much needed respite after walking around Chicago on a sunny day! read more

The Gundis Kurdish Kitchen - Kurdish Coffee - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Stopped in for the kurdish breakfast on a weekend. The restaurant is cute and bright, great for a brunch location. I loved the kurdish breakfast experience. Our favorites were the bread and jams, the cheese bread, and the baklawa crepes that we ordered in addition. We got the veggie scramble and I do think it could use some more flavor, and it was slightly watery but overall everything was good. Service was also very attentive and I had several refills of my tea. read more

The Gundis Kurdish Kitchen - Brunch - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Our server was very accommodating- Luckman was his name. We started with soups and move on to the main course. Tea and dessert were gifted to us The inside is very soft light and gives a good and relaxing feeling. read more

The Gundis Kurdish Kitchen - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Food was delicious. We ordered the Soft Egg with Lamb. It was bursting with flavors. The Octopus Salad was fresh and the octopus pieces were tender. Service was quick and it was nicely decorated. read more

The Gundis Kurdish Kitchen - Soft Scramble and Lamb - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Dining companion, #1 daughter, and I first visited based on her walk past the restaurant and her keen instinct for good, interesting restaurants. Our first time there we ordered individual items. All good. Except the better approach for us has turned out to be to order the Kurdish Breakfast (done the second and following times). The KB has a wide variety of sides with different egg options. The sides include feta, fresh mozzarella, kashar cheese, three house jams, honey, butter, Kurdish sesame butter, black and green olives, fries, cucumbers, tomatoes, fried cheese rolls, and bottomless Kurdish tea. Even better than it sounds! Along with the food, the servers have been helpful and attentive. And always finish (or start) with dessert. Do that here for sure. Sophisticated sweetness! read more

This place has great service, lovely ambiance, and delicious food! They have 3 main vegetarian options and some different vegetarian salads and appetizers. I loved the halloumi salad--their halloumi is cooked differently than the usual and has a wonderful taste; dressing is also very mild but fresh. The pasta was absolutely amazing; I was shocked at how well the tofu went with the dish. The pasta felt very warm and homey--I would say it's between a soup and a pasta because the sauce is more watery but absolutely delicious. All the flavors were great and I will def be back to try more dishes! (I was very upset they didn't have Kurdish coffee or hummus when I visited, but the food makes up for it!) read more

The Gundis Kurdish Kitchen - Halloumi Cheese Salad - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The foods were wonderful especially the main foods. Service was unbelevible fast .Ambiance was friendly and restaurant was clean and all foods were healty. read more

The Gundis Kurdish Kitchen - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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After walking past The Gundis Kurdish Kitchen and always seeing it packed we decided to give it a try. I definitely recommend making a reservation, otherwise you'll probably be waiting. the staff busses tables extremely quickly, but patrons won't be rushed to leave. We went with the Kurdish Breakfast for two and chose the Lamb Scramble. It's comes with house tea, but we also tried the Kurdish Coffee as it was a popular item. It is definitely enough food for two, maybe three people and you don't feel heavy after. The scramble was soft and filled with peppers and onions, delicious. The jams and jellies were fresh and flavorful. You get orange, apricot, and strawberry. Also honey, butter, a sesame butter (more savory), and black & green olives. It also has some cheese and what are essentially cheese sticks. Overall it was fantastic and highly recommend it. This area of Clark Street has great restaurants. read more

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Came here on a Saturday afternoon with friends to try the Kurdish breakfast & it was awesome! The breakfast includes a scramble of choice (we went with veggie scramble), 3 varieties of jams, sesame bread, honey, butter, olives, sesame butter, fries, 3 types of cheese, fried cheese rolls, tomatoes, cucumber, and unlimited tea. We also ordered turkish coffees which were well loved by everyone. The spread was amazing. Everything was fresh & we loved every single item! We all left The Gundis feeling happy & with full bellies! read more

The Gundis Kurdish Kitchen - Kurdish breakfast - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great food, friendly service, lovely ambiance. I've gone for dinner and brunch. Both were great. It's the kind of food that's delicious and doesn't leave you feeling bloated and tired afterwards. Highly recommended! read more

Had the brunch for two and chose the lamb option. Also ordered the octopus salad. Everything tasted fresh and in season. They were out of the Kurdish coffee so had the tea instead. Service was great! read more

The Gundis Kurdish Kitchen - Brunch for two spread and octopus salad - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I ordered the Halloumi salad, Zaza pasta chicken, and Adana Kabob. The flavors, the food itself, temperature, and everything else were excellent. I made the decision to order a salad instead of an appetizer and it was a great choice since the salad was fantastic. I will go back if I remember too. The costs are reasonable for the food you are getting. I saved $50 versus another comparable place along the same street. read more

Food was really good and the service was incredible. Very nice and genuine people work here. They were able to accommodate multiple allergies and substitutions. Food was reasonably priced and very filling. I highly recommend the stuffed chicken and beef shish. Kurdish coffee wasn't overpowering, very nutty, espresso sized. read more

The Gundis Kurdish Kitchen - Sampler - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came last weekend after a Candlelight show with my wife and her friend. My wife had been here before a few years ago and recommended it, so figured we would try it out. We had a friendly greeting right away and were seated fairly quickly. The whole restaurant had a cozy ambiance to it. Since its still been a little cold in the evening, we got the tea and went straight to ordered. The menu had a good selection of offerings and everything sounded very appetizing. I had difficulty picking between the Stuffed Chicken and Adana Kebab but decided on the Stuffed Chicken since it was one of their signature dishes. My wife picked their salmon dish. Our food came out after a short wait and my stuffed chicken was excellent! My wife really enjoyed her salmon as well. Overall, the service, ambiance and food were all very good. I would definitely love to return and would strongly recommend their food and service. I keep hearing about this breakfast experience and hopefully can return soon to try it out! read more

The Gundis Kurdish Kitchen - Crusted Isot Salmon - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The sampler appetizer plate was a great way to taste a little bit of everything! It had the hummus, baba ghanoush, octopus salad, and ezme+walnut. The octopus and ezme were the winners. The pasta was nice and flavorful, and the staff was very accommodating to substitute the goat cheese out for tofu. The dessert platter had chocolate mousse, coconut milk pudding, rice pudding, and baklawa. It was absolutely delicious and I can't wait to come back again! The interior had very nice ambiance and there was plenty of space between all the tables. The waitstaff were very quick and attentive. Altogether, a great experience and very deserving of the rave reviews here on Yelp. read more

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We were in a rush to get to the airport on a busy Friday night, and our waiter was totally on board. We ordered the vegetarian stew with bulgar, and both were very tasty and served hot. The bread that they offered was really, really good and also very hot. (They don't automatically bring bread out, so if they don't happen to offer it, make sure to ask for it,) The restaurant itself is fairly loud, but that seems to be the latest build-out vibe from the 2020s. All staff were very polite and we are definitely going back soon! read more

The Gundis Kurdish Kitchen - They're also open on the weekends for breakfast and lunch. - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We came here for the Kurdish breakfast, it was a new experience. The breakfast was pretty light and didn't feel heavy at all with all the food. The meal came with Kurdish tea which strong, but good. The breakfast came with various cheeses, jams, sweet butter, honey, Kurdish sesame butter, black and green olives, fries, cucumbers, fried cheese rolls, and bottomless tea. It also came with your choice of scramble and we picked the soujouk scramble which is scrambled eggs with spicy beef halal sausage, tomatoes, bell peppers and onions. There was also freshly baked bread with some black sesame inside it. Staff continuously refilled our teas and offered us more bread during the meal. Since there was a lot of things flavors and items, you could taste different combinations. I would say the price is on the higher side, but it's a nice experience and good quality food. We made a reservation in case it was busy, and once we sat down the restaurant got busier. read more

The Gundis Kurdish Kitchen - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The food and service was phenomenal. This was our first experience with Kurdish food and we really enjoyed it. There was lots of food and the only thing we didn't eat much of was the fries, but that was also the only thing that we had plenty of experience with. The Turkish coffees were enjoyable and great for a cold day, and the Kurdish tea that came with the breakfast for two was also tasty and really smooth. The ambience was nice as well, a restaurant that probably held 60-70 people that had music playing and was probably 1/2 full when we went but not too loud as to limit conversation. Highly recommended!! read more

Recently came to The Gundis for brunch and had a great experience! I walked in on a Sunday at 11 without a reservation and was told it would be 15 minutes for a table for 2, not bad at all. Once seated, we decided to get the Kurdish breakfast with the veggie egg scramble. Along with the scramble we got a variety of cheeses, jams, olives, bread, fries, tomatoes/cucumbers, fried cheese rolls and tea! I also ordered Turkish coffee and it was delicious, but definitely on the strong side, so beware. It was such a big spread for only about $55-60 for two! Definitely worth the money. This was such a fun and unique brunch that I definitely enjoyed. However, I don't know how often I'd come back for brunch. I'd love to try their dinner options though. Definitely recommend if you're looking for a unique brunch meal! read more

The Gundis Kurdish Kitchen - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois