Restaurant and food were lovely. I came in for takeout. It was my first time having yemeni cuisine so I took my time reading the menu and the lady at the front was really welcoming and patient. The food felt and tasted fresh, beef and chicken were super tender and well cooked, portion was solid. Ambiance was nice, very cozy family restaurant vibes with booths on one side and tables on the other read more

Zahra's - Haneeth Combo - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Zahra's was a little confusing... we didn't know if we should seat ourselves or not. We were the only customers so we asked and they said to sit anywhere. After we got menus, we waited a while and no one came, so we went up to the counter to order. The food itself was pretty good. One main dish is at least enough for two people, and each dish came with plenty of rice. There's a sauce in the side that had a good kick to it! I split the combination platter with my kiddo--it was enough for us with leftovers. The lamb chops were the best in my opinion. We went up to the counter to pay at the end. Overall, everything is fairly slow paced. read more

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So so good, woman is amazing so sweet and her food is delicious!!! I come back for the woman running the show.

First time trying Yemeni food. It was similar to middle eastern food with basmati rice with spices including cardamom. The rice was excessively spicy and we had to bring it home to add much more white plain basmati rice. The bread was good and came out warm and huge for my baba ganoush. The baba ganoush $6 was good and had lots of olive oil plus some olives and spices. The lamb dish was $23 with not so much lamb and the meat was quite fatty ...and it had a huge pile of spicy rice which was most of the food. Nice and friendly and respectful staff. Just wish the rice weren't so spicy and the lamb so fatty. They don't serve tap water cold or hot. They charge $1 each for bottled water bottles. read more

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Tasty plates here. Foul, Hummus, Baba ghanoush came with amazingly fresh pita / naan type bread. Bubbly, chewy & warm. We ordered Mandi Chicken and a lamb plate. Generous rice portion & very well marinated / seasoned meats. Service was friendly but took some time. Busy cooking many orders. Ambiance was calm, dine in not too busy on this cold winter weeknight. They had many to go orders out the door. I'll look forward to a return on my way in/out of ORD. read more

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Food is great. Service was slow but worth waiting Ambiance was okay. But i am more concerned about the food which was good

Since my kitchen is out of commission while being completely renovated, I have been taking advantage of takeout and delivery. Tried Shibam after looking through their menu and noticing some curry dishes. This along with a side of basmati rice were outstanding. The food came fast and was full of flavor. The curry chicken and rice reminded me of a cross between Afghan and Lebanese. From what I remembered years ago, the restaurant serves Yemen cuisine. Nevertheless, I would certainly order again. After an experience I had several years ago, I never returned for a sit-down so that I could blog the experience. Perhaps when things ease up with the pandemic, I will go for a proper sit-down. If not, there is a strong chance that I will order again for delivery. read more

Zahra's - Fahsa Chicken - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Ambiance and service are wonderful!!!! Dubai chocalate cake is so delicious!also, it has the option of renting a lodge for groups of friends

This place has reopened under the Zahra's. The food is even more delicious than ever and the service is great too! I love their food so this is one of my favorites if not my favorite restaurant. The staff is always so welcoming and gracious as well. Everything they have is tastier than most other restaurant food so this is a must go to place. read more

Wow... great people and great food. Once you order the food it does take awhile which is actually a good sign since each dish does take awhile and it's cooked fresh. The meat dishes were fresh and delicious. The service was outstanding and the server that helped us always had a smile on his face and was very hospitable. The ambiance was good, but place is a bit dated, but don't let that fool you. When we're back in Chicago, we will definitely come back. read more

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First off, this place needs to do something about the gutter smell coming from the bathroom area. Very offputting aroma. I've tried every dish here, since they first opened. New management over the last few years has not kept up with the taste of the food. This time I got the zurbian lamb and it was ok. Nothing to write home about. Not spicy like it used to be. I wouldn't go out of my way to go here but check them out if you're in the area. read more

*SCAM ALERT *SCAM SLERT *SCAM ALERT I will never eat here ever again after got scammed out of money. I was charged 40% gratuity and 4% cc fee. When I walked in I saw the sign on the door which says 4% service charge even the sign is incorrect. it's not service charge it's credit card fee. I was ok with that until my family and I don't eating and got hit with total of 44% over the bill. It was 6 of us. 3 adults, 6, 3, & 1 year old. Service was bad, bread was old, restaurant smelled really bad lady behind the counter was loud, screaming at cooks and customers the whole time. How they can scam people out of their money. It's hard as it is and they have guts to charge customers 44% over the bill. Credit card fee is the cost of running a business and who are you to decide what to charge customer for gratuity and not even mention it until they done dining. Also, they scamming by charging 4% credit card fee where clover don't charge anywhere close to 4%. They charging almost double the fee than what they pay to clover. Unbelievable. No one is ever OK paying 44% + over the bill. read more

Zahra's - A bill - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great food, and great service. We went there at the end of the year and the place was busy. It took a little time before we got the food. We recommend getting the Mandi as it is their specialty. read more

This is the best food I've ever tried. I've eaten at a lot of 5 star restaurants, nothing compares to this. The lamb here is literally the best thing that I have ever tasted, easily! read more

Zahra's - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A very low-key Mediterranean restaurant located in a corner of the Old Irving Park neighborhood. The service was attentive and quick. We ordered a lamb soup dish, babaganoush and their milk tea. The food was tasty but a bit too greasy for my taste. The tea was very sweet so I couldn't finish it...It was a very affordable meal though. Would hopefully return to try their chicken liver and hummas. read more

Wait : none for new year day Service : there is a shortage of the servers and it was a bit slow Food : very big portion. We ordered lamb, chicken, and a few other dishes. The portion was huge. But everything is delicious. Their tea is fabulous. A little bit of Indian and Middle East style dishes. Price : cheap Overall : will definitely come back again read more

Zahra's - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We really enjoyed the food. Yemeni food strikes me as sort of a mix of African, Indian, and Middle Eastern food. If was very surprising. I'd recommend people try it. We will be back again some day. We got the saltah, the agda, and the haneeth. The saltah and the agda are fairly similar, so I wouldn't get both of those again. I'd get a more different thing next time. read more

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We got the chicken zurbian which is a spiced rice! It was pretty good but we thought it was a little bland. I added some extra salt and it managed to give it more flavor. Definitely will be back to try some other things on the menu! read more

Zahra's - Chicken Zurbian - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Excellent food, loved the Greek fish ( perfect seasoned and spicy made to order) and lamb Mandi. Made with fresh ingredients and that's what made the food so good and delicious! This review is for Devon and McCormick location. The lady was very nice and patient. She was doing everything from taking orders to cooking and accepting payments! Thanks for the excellent service and delicious meal. read more

(Note: I have been a solid customer for some years so my review is critical of how they represent today. Over the years I have spent $$$ on catering orders. For a new customer that has never tried Yemeni food, you may like it. But know that they were once better than what they are doing today. An unfortunate consequence the toll the pandemic has placed on restaurants and businesses. ) Don't bother with this one, hard pass. Not the same quality as years past. Worse actually. It's upsetting. For late night eats, this was one of the area's best options. An incident occurred while grabbing carry out the other day. The waiter just shutdown. It was 9 pm and not very busy but the dining room needed a cleanup. (Un-masked) Customers were starting to walk in (this despite signage indicating to mask up while walking around the restaurant) and the phone was ringing off the hook. I'd never seen this waiter before but she was overwhelmed and not quite trained in their menu or servicing. I'd placed an order 30 minutes in advance and was told my order could be ready in less time. But now I was waiting on-site another 20 minutes for her to get a chance to service multiple people in the restaurant, try to answer a caller's many food related questions and plate food for other carry out orders. It was a shit show. Those of us near the counter could hear her pleas to the chefs for help. She was exasperated. I didn't realize there were three other people in the kitchen. Why was this one waiter all alone!? My carry-out order of lamb zurbian was awful. I think it was lamb mandi and I'm sure the waiter put it together not knowing how they prepare. My request for "spicy" was fulfilled by them pouring crushed red pepper all over the rice. That is not how Shibam had added spice in the past. This, some new, new, bs. It used to be mixed into the rice seasoning and then properly mixed throughout the entree. I had to doctor the dish once I got home. It was awful. Their Yemeni food has been a staple of this neighborhood for a bit over a decade. Pre-pandemic the diner was open most of the time, 24 hours/7 days. I would pass it at random times of day /night and hadn't yet seen it closed. Then the pandemic hit and everything changed and with it changes to their abilities to offer decent food and worse, changes to their staffing. The quality & cost today is poor in comparison to any previous year. It's edible but it isn't as valued or worth the stomach space. I'm not certain whether the same people own the brand/ company and or, the same chefs/ cooks work the kitchen. Staffing woes and two price increases in a short span of time plague this location. **However, I don't believe the people currently staffing this location are part of the original ownership. Since July of 2021 many of their signature entrees have been different in ingredients, flavors and preparation. My catering order in July was so poorly represented I wasn't sure what was going on. Even when working out the charges with staff at the time, the exuberant increase in charges was more than just "inflation."I feel that I was overcharged by $200. At the time they claimed sourcing woes, etc. Speaking with a manager and the chef at the time both assured me there weren't any shenanigans with pricing. Then a week later I consulted a manager at the new location in west Rogers Park and was told that had I ordered from them, the cost would have been lower. WHAT THE HECK! So now I realize some of their pricing structure is not printed in stone, chefs at different locations are making estimations and guesstimates on the spot. **If ordering catering you will want to line the inside of your vehicle with trash bags. Go down the seams and cut them open and then line your trunk or flat space with them. These guys poorly package catered foods and worse they do not offer help in carrying food to the car or placing any in your vehicle. After my last catering order, the rear of my car had to be detailed. I tried cleaning it myself but the smell of lamb soaked the carpets. Some of the dishes had a moat of animal broth, that stuff spilled all over the place. Another wet dish had also spilled from the container and soiled. The food was passable after some doctoring we had to add. Based on how high costs have risen and their poor performance in keeping to their menu, it's no longer worth spending on. read more

We went there a little after 5 pm today noting the Ramadan hours after a long bus ride, having read the favorable reviews on Yelp. No one was there. We heard voices in the kitchen. No one came out to greet us. We looked at the menus and left as the atmosphere was not inviting. You lost two customers who routinely enjoy Middle Eastern food read more

Delicious Yemeni food! Fresh and tasty! I went with a friend and he recommended the red tea. I wasn't disappointed at all. I'm coming back soon! read more

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I came here from out of state to try some Yemeni food in the area and I was pleased. The worker was kind, helpful and attentive. Oh and all the food tasted delicious. My friends and I ordered the FAHSA, lamb and chicken mandi, mugalgal, and Masoob. Lamb soups were given to us as appetizers and meat Mutabaq was on the house from them because it was our first time. Definitely a super kind establishment. Thank you for everything. read more

Zahra's - Lamb Broth - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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If you want to get your money's worth of food, go to Shibam!! My husband and I have seen the Shibam advertisements all over the Chicagoland area- from i94 to Devon, it's hard to miss! One evening we didn't know what to eat so we decided to order for pickup. My husband ordered the grilled chicken kabob platter and I ordered the grilled lamb chop platter along with cucumber salad. The lady took our order and we were able to pick it up within 20 mins of ordering. The food was hot hot hot - like straight off the grill to our plate and it smelled divine. I want to say that there were 6 pieces of chicken kabob with a very large serving of rice that could probably feed three people. The rice was so delicious- fluffy and well cooked. There is an art to making rice the right way and I can honestly say Shibam has nailed the art down! The chicken was so well cooked and juicy- omgosh! My husband and I ended up switching plates and I had his chicken and he had my lamb. My husband absolutely devoured the lamb chops and said they were so delicious but to me they were a little over cooked and not as tender as I make them at home. Again, this comment is a reflection of personal taste, it doesn't mean there's anything wrong with the lamb chops or how they are cooked, simply personal choice. Only downside to our entire meal was that whoever grilled the vegetables didn't remove the yellow onion wrap off of the onion haha but it's okay, we laughed about it! I will say that for as much as they charged us for the cucumber salad, we didn't get that much. It was in my opinion a small serving and I knew they had a bigger size I would have bought it because it was really good. Overall we look forward to dining here again and possibly ordering food from here to go as well! read more

Zahra's - Grilled chicken kabob - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Based on the other reviews on Google, I drove 40 minutes to try this place. So not worth the trip. For starters, its physical proximity at a busy intersection makes it hard to access and easy to miss on the GPS. Minor irritant. Dressed in burkas from head to toe (I guess by definition), the servers are VERY nice, efficient, and attentive. I do like that the servers come from Yemen and Morocco, very authentic. Because they are halal, no BYOB. Bummer. The food was a mixed bag. The hummus was delicious, but had too much oil on top. It was swimming in it. The faul bean dish was served medium spicy; it was the bomb! I might come back just for that. The massive family platter we ordered for almost $60 was just ok. It had way too much rice. The lamb and chicken were just ordinary, not spiced particularly well. Tasted home-made, but not in a good way. I wish they had less chicken on-the-bone, more kabobs. If you're in the area, not a bad place to try, but I wouldn't make a special trip. read more

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I keep coming here expecting it to taste like I ate about 6 years. But over the years the food has just gotten worse and the quality has went down I get food from here every few months. There's only one good thing on the menu and that has been inconsistent too ( The lamb mandi). The chicken is dry and at time's flavorless. The fahsa is not good and the mutabaq was soggy last few time since got it. read more

I cut into half of my wrap and literally no meat at all!! Smh ‍ won't be coming back! read more

Zahra's - This is Mutabq Chicken!! I cut into half of the wrap and there's literally no meat at all inside!! Smh ‍ never again! - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Yemeni food is so underrated! It's so much better and so unique compared to other middle eastern food, and it also has clear Indian influence! Portions here are HUGE, the photo shows the agda lamb (already big) and it comes with a (not pictured) equally humongous portion of bread or rice for Free! I always get the rice because it's better tasting imo. It's basmati rice cooked with some splotches of biryani type sauce. I'm not ethnically Yemeni but I definitely think the place is super authentic - highly doubt there's any Americanization of this little known cuisine. Btw, Agda is a lot more complex than it looks - it's not a mere tomato and vegetable soup as the description on the menu may imply, it's got some spices and oil that give it a Yemeni taste you can't find anywhere else! Also the lamb is stewed to perfection! They also have some phenomenal hummus, with a similarly big portion! I feel like with hummus restaurants either get it right or wrong - there are two variations of the taste and texture. Shibam and Jarasa Kabob are the ones I know who get it right. read more

As you can see, ordered two grilled salmon plates but got one. When we opened our order it was only one salmon plate that has clearly been a victim or the Australian fires. What you see in the photo is the remnants of the burnt salmon we picked at and what I assume was once a promising, heroic tomato. Called the exact restaurant we ordered from and was told they didn't take our order. After several minutes they said they'd send another. We gave the lady our address no less than 10 times before she finally got it right. We will not be ordering from this place again. R.I.P. little tomato. read more

Zahra's - We used the salmon and tomato to make charcoal paintings. Our use of shade was impeccable. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This place simply sent my tastebuds to another planet and back !!! Unreal experience. Will become a regular here for sure ! Be aware that the photos in the menu and the sizes of the plates served are totally two different levels ! One portion is big enough to feed an army ! Highly recommended!!! read more

Zahra's - Lamb Agda - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Went here at 11 pm because nothing else was open and found a gem! Had the beef mutapaq for an appetizer of which is a like a beef pizza puff...Awesome....The agda chicken that is an incredible stew with a rich tomato sauce...it was perfect for dipping the pita bread. It was affordable, delicious, the portions were huge and the service was great! read more

Zahra's - Chicken agda - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Shibam is a gem of a restaurant. I had no expectations of what Yemeni food would be like but was greatly excepted to have such an amazing experience. Ahlam was our server and ensured we were taken care of. The food came out promptly, and could not have been more fresh. Whether it was an appetizer, the delicious tea or the dessert, it was all great!! Ask for Ahlam, get an appetizer and the tea, and get for an amazing meal! read more

Omg This place is soooo good. After a very long day at six flags we came here for a late dinner. Surprised at how late they r open. We had to wait for a large table since we were a party of 9. Eventually we ended up splitting up in two booths side by side. Food was delicious and came out pretty fast. Best items for me were haneeth and mandi read more

Humus, Humus with Megagal, Chicken Mandi, and other dishes were ordered were amazing. The chicken came off the bone easily and the meat was succulent! Never had Yemeni food and did not expect the food to be this good! Staff was welcoming and very helpful! They suggested dishes for us that we should try. The decor has changed since other users posted and is much bett read more

Zahra's - Humus - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This resto offers an authentic Yemeni cuisine. I got the Agda ( stew with a choice of chicken or lamb) and it taste awesomely delish! Even my son who is usually a picky eater, was raving about how good Agda was! Just like the homestyle cooking you crave for when you're far away from home. I also love the dessert massoub and the adenni tea (taste somewhat like the Indian masala tea) .Customer service was excellent and brisk with two thumbs up.. The portions are humongous, truth be told, I was drowning in the mountain of gourmet , so tasty rice! You get your money's worth. Inshallah, will be back for more authentic , Yemeni gastronomic delights! read more

Zahra's - Agda Lamb... Awesomely delish! - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Holy mother of God! Excuse the language but I can't believe after almost 2 years of being in Chicago I only knew of this place just a month ago. And by God it is one of the best restaurant I have been to. The food is by far the best I have tasted. It honestly blew my mind. No exaggeration there I swear. Will recommend this place to every one of my friends that visits me here in Chicago. Head over heels. I'm actually thinking of ordering right now. This lockdown is making me miss it more read more

Zahra's - Lamb chops - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I went here yesterday bc I was craving baba ganoush (sp) and fatoush salad. They were out of fatoush (and every other salad on the menu except the house salad - sad) but they did have baba ganoush. It was incredibly creamy, flavorful and perfectly smokey. The pita was fresh and soft. It definitely hit the spot! I'd absolutely come back to try more items on the menu. read more

After picking up some specialty groceries in the nearby Seafood City, I was as craving something savory, but not too overpowering. COVID-19 has made going to restaurants difficult, but the internet continues to make searching for them rather easy. I found this place on Google Maps because of the close proximity to Seafood City. I'd never had Yemeni food, and I was interested to give it a taste. Upon arriving, I was struck by the interior. Sure, it doesn't really matter now due to the pandemic, but the inside was quite presentable, even though I was picking up take out. A few tables divided the customers from the counter where I placed my order. I ordered what seemed to be two quite popular items from what I'd gathered on Google Maps: Lamb Mandi and Hummus. I was told the food would take 10 minutes, but in less than 5, I was ready to go, food in hand. I went to my car and checked the contents of the plastic bag. A huge pita bread, more than a foot in diameter and folded into quarters was included with the hummus, which I tried first. The hummus was fresh, light, nicely spiced, and refreshing, complementing the pita well. The olive oil and the one-olive garnish on top was a nice touch. I set the pita and hummus down in the passenger seat while I opened up my main course: the Lamb Mandi. I was given a spoon as my only utensil and thought, "that's odd...normally I'd have a fork and knife with meat." Little did I know I didn't need one. The lamb was so tender that you could easily remove it from the bone without much force with just a spoon. However, it was a lot easier to eat with the hands. I don't eat lamb much, but I could tell that this lamb was prepared so well by the depth of flavor and distinctive texture. The rice and included sauce complemented the lamb well. Portions were bigger than expected, which is never a bad thing. Now I have leftovers! Their hours, 10:00am-1:00am, ensure that you can get your fix whenever you'd like. The takeout is delectable anywhere you eat it, whether that's at home, at work, or immediately after picking it up in your own car. If you're in the area, Shibam is a must go for speed of service, quality of food, and an experience that is, in these trying times, both safe and beyond delicious. read more

Great little hole in the wall. Their strew that's called Fahsa is fantastic both in chicken and lamb. I also always order the Zurbian lamb. Lamb is very tender and the spicy rice makes for a great little kick. read more

SUPER SPICY, PLASTIC UTENSILS, CARELESS SERVICE. ok lets start from entrance, I came to this place with high hopes following the reviews first: we sit and the girl brings plastic plates and the cheapest foam cups without even spreading them around the table. next I make my order she is not writing down anything, immediately brought the wrong soup. then fixed the order after 10min. while making the order she said mild or hot we said mild to end up with the hottest spiciest meal of my life, the food was ok but that much chopped jelapino wasnt necessary. we said that people can be harmed with sUch hot food especially that tomato sauce, to be faced with laughing and saying that their customers are used to it. verrry dissapointing experience. read more