Masada

Similar to my «Enoteca Roma» review, I never tried their food, and I will never come here again. This was one of the worst service experiences I’ve ever had.
We made a reservation for 7:30 p.m. The seating hostess sent us to the back waiting area because they were cleaning our table. 15 minutes later, my husband went back to the seating hostess to check on our table. We were eventually seated.
We had to flag down the waiter to place our orders. We ordered an appetizer and our entrees at the same time, because by this point, we were running short on time. About half an hour later, we had nothing. We flagged down the waiter again. He told us that the restaurant lost our order ticket. He brought us the baba ghanouj for free. We had a concert to go to down the street, so we knew we didn’t have time to wait to re-​order our entrees and wait for them. We canceled our entrée orders, left, and got hot dogs across the street.
The good news is that the restaurant did not charge us for the baba ghanouj or our drinks. It was the least they can do for their abysmal service.

The Unilocal reviews about this restaurant are a little iffy. But, I saw potential and gave it a try. We had 5 people in our group and went on a Saturday night. We had 6PM reservations and pretty much had the entire restaurant to ourselves. So, we were dining a little earlier than the usual crowd but, we had theater tickets.
The Hostess warmly greeted us and seated us promptly. We were greeted by a friendly waiter who provided us info on mixed cocktails. He had a sense of humor (always appreciated) and went to get us our drinks. Once the drinks arrived he indicated that his shift was ending and a new waiter would be arriving. We were disappointed he was leaving (seemed like he would’ve been fun) but, yet appreciated his honesty regarding the shift change. Not to worry our new waitress-​Caila was just as warm and friendly.
We had a $ 50
coupon so we took advantage of ordering a few appetizers: falafel, dolma and the hummus. We love falafel but, it always arrives extra crispy. Wasn’t bad but, I would like it more golden brown vs dark brown. Maybe it’s just the chick peas which darken it.
The negative: during the shift change, the bus boy didn’t bring us the customary pita bread, spices and dip. We finally asked what the plates were for and Caila quickly summoned the bus boy who brought us the pita, a little late but we had a few bites.
Our entrees arrived and the portions were large and nicely plated. The lamb chops (cooked medium), 2 orders of chicken tika kabobs with lots of rice, meklooba and the lamb shawerma wrap were flavorful.
We would definitely return to Masada. The restaurant’s ambiance is filled with colorful accents. Sorry we couldn’t stay for the belly dancer & music, maybe next time.
Lastly, I gotta mention the bathrooms! They are located on the lower level and WOW! I wasn’t sure which door was the men’s or women’s. It is mirror city on the walls. Not just clear mirrors but black almost granite like mirrors. Confusing and very strange. Who wants to see themselves in the bathroom from all angles? Not me!
When we left at 7:30pm, most of the 1^st floor of the restaurant had become occupied by additional diners. So, it does get busy but, later.

My wife really enjoyed the décor and atmosphere. We had appetizers, salad, and I had Kefta kabob. Overall I was happy with the food. Wife’s chicken shawarma pita was better than my Kefta, but both were good dishes. We will come back in warmer weather to try the outdoor patio.

This place successfully blends Middle Eastern, American and European cultures. You get the dim light and the relaxing atmosphere from every hookah lounge, the extensive middle-​eastern cuisine menu, but you also get the American style attentive service. Add the European discothèque dance floor with that excellent DJ and you find yourself in for some really good time.
I arrived at Masada at around 10.30 pm on a Friday night and, unfortunately, missed the belly dancers’ performance but then the party was on. The music was a fantastic mix of contemporary and retro dance, r&b, Arabic and Latin rhythms, accompanied by a live drummer all the time. I loved the music in the place so much that I had to approach the DJ a couple of times to ask which song was on.
The owner and all staff of Masada made sure our birthday celebration group and especially our birthday girl were all feeling welcome, entertained and well taken care of at any given moment. And the owner can dance — he put on such an amazing show on the dance floor that had everyone cheering loud, applauding and possibly wondering about his artistic background.
I am definitely going back, particularly in the summer when their cozy patio opens up!
Thanks, Masada!

I came here on a Sunday night to celebrate a birthday dinner with my close friends. The décor was absolutely amazing; I think I spent the first 20 minutes there exploring and taking pictures of… everything. I loved the ambiance as well. The restaurant was, however, dead. There were two small families who ate and left, but for the most part, it was just me and my friends, which was nice. It was a Sunday night after all, so I completely understand the lack of customers, but I was pretty surprised because of how cool the restaurant was.
Anyways, the food was pretty good. The food is Zabiha Halal btw, so yeee son! I ordered the Shish Tawook wrap, which was delicious. The chicken was cooked well and had tons of flavor. The waitress was also extremely nice, and was always checking up on us and accommodating us for whatever we needed. Downstairs, there’s a dance floor, a «lounge-​like» hookah area, and a small stage with instruments set up. There’s also a bar. Since the restaurant was empty, we spent a good time chilling there, taking pictures, and enjoying lyfe. Will definitely go again, but probably on a Friday night. :)

Food — decent middle eastern food, probably the best in Logan but it’s not saying much give we only have one other middle eastern restaurant in the neighborhood and it’s the pits
Venue — amazing, one of the best patios I’ve seen in chicago, beautiful decoration inside, a belly dancer on weeknights (!!)
Service — kind attentive staff, but don’t be surprised to wait a really long time for your food
Drinks — middle eastern cocktails you won’t find elsewhere, but also pretty weak
Price — averagely priced for the amount of food you get.

This place has ALOT of potential, but it’s not quite there. I came on a Friday night… It was a little dead, but I will say that the décor looked beautiful. Ordered the lamb chops which were okay, I’ve had better lamb chops at other restaurants.
Downstairs was more of the entertainment area– a live band, a belly dancer and an open area where you can smoke hookah. The band literally played for 10 min and they sat down to smoke… Okay then? Afterwards, a belly dancer came out to perform for about 5 – 10 minutes downstairs and then she went upstairs to perform for the other guests… Maybe they should have dancers on both levels to keep all guests somewhat entertained?
The hookah was decent, the guy behind the bar knew how to mix flavors which was a plus.
I’m giving them 3 stars because I felt like I had an «okay» experience. This place kind of reminds me a smaller, low-​key Alhambra… But like I said earlier, it certainly has potential to be better.

Don’t understand all the negative reviews. We went on a Wednesday night. Prompt, friendly service. Waiter glad to clarify questions we had with the menu. Chicken wings were so good! I can’t spell the name of the wrap I had, but the flavor was amazing. We will be back.

Great food. Interesting atmosphere. Very good service.
Been here twice — once in a large party, one just with 4 people.
The food is well spiced, but not spicy. Very flavorful.
Prompt attentive service.

I came in to pick up some carry out as Bang Bang Pie Shop was only serving pies for the holidays. I can’t comment on the service at all. The wait for the chicken shawarma was a little longer than I expected but they have a nice waiting area. I was surprised that the food didn’t suck after reading the reviews. It was probably a ⁸⁄₁₀ as far as chicken shawarma goes. They obviously spent a fortune on the decoration and design of the place but at these prices the food isn’t worth it. Great location though!

This place is amazing! Delicious food, stunning décor, tasty beverages and beautiful belly dancers! Staff is so friendly too! I can’t wait to go back

This place is just what you need. As a middle eastern I am usually picky when it comes to middle eastern food but not once i was disappointed at Masada. Always bringing in new dishes. Different cuisines sometimes with a twist. Drinks are also really good. Make sure to try that mint lemonade. Some days they have live music and a belly dancer just awesome. The owner is very friendly and always working. Highly recommended.

Unilocalers beware, some of the pictures (on Unilocal) AND descriptions (on menu) are no longer the food they serve.
(Edit) So let me ask this question to the Unilocalers out there. Why is the Owner also the manger AND the Chef? Riddle me that? Why is it when I ask to speak to the manger, I get a run around «oh he’s busy in the kitchen». What kind of reputable establishment doesn’t have a manager available to relieve any issues or concerns that a patron might have? Is he trying to save money? Is he trying to cut corners? Ahhhh maybe it’s both, because that would explain why my meal was missing several parts that are clearly on the plate in the Unilocal picture (from last year) AND the current menu description.
What other corners are you cutting? I’m legitimately concerned.
Also, if you look at the attached pictures, you can get a sense of what I’m referring too. So their excuse was that the potatoes, zucchini, and cauliflower that you see in the one picture was given negative reviews by the Arabic patrons, so they decided to mince them up to be more authentic? But here’s the problem, none of those three items were in the dish.
The Salata Arabia? Where is that? Was that minced up into my dish as well? *Looks over at my friends dish*, ohh she has a side dish of Salata Arabia. Soooo where is mine? Humm maybe they just forgot.
Let’s fast forward a second.
Oh here we go, my other friend (big party) ordered the same thing as me. So I look over, to my surprise, nope, they didn’t give her the Salata Arabia either. WTF. Ahhh I see, maybe this is that cost cutting thing they do now a days. First potato chips, now this? Big bag promises, but end up with nothing but air.
(End of edit)
Food was good. Service was horrible. Management you could have fixed your mistake, but $ 7.50 discount on a meal over $ 300. Spit in my face why don’t you. Get your S*** straight.

Arrived At seven ten. Served at nine. Ordered shish kebabs.
23 bucks. Half of the kebabs inedible gristle.
This place is shit.

Came here for the first time and really enjoyed a beautiful summer night on the patio. Had the Moroccan Mojito while we waited for a table and listened to a live band downstairs. The music was a little loud, but wasn’t too uncomfortable. When the band wasn’t playing they played really beautiful and chill music.
When our table was ready out on the patio we were amazed by the atmosphere. Vines, iron rails, exposed brick, and beautiful lanterns in a walled off patio.
We had the dolma, the hummus with lamb shawarma, and the falafel with entourage. All delicious. We’ll definitely be back.

Talk about rooftop and patio dining season!
Time: 7:30PM on a beautiful Tuesday spring night
Upon walking in, I immediately fell in love with the décor. Taken back by the colorful tiles and natural lighting, this place became a little getaway. As I navigated through this large space, one room after another created a different mood from the dining room filled with portraits to the patio under Moroccan lamps to the rooftop surround by greenery. The ambience of this place is on another level. Besides the incredible space, the food was pretty awesome.
With 5 girls we were able to try an array of options.
Drinks:
— White Peach Sangria — Light and delish. You can’t go wrong getting sangria with the girls.
— Little Village — Packs quite the punch. The Cayenne pepper is definitely there.
Food:
— Hummus — Easily one of the best hummus I have ever had as it was light and very creamy.
— Falafel & the Entourage — The falafel was definitely the star of the dish. Dip it with the hummus and you won’t regret it. Besides that I thought this dish would be more on the heavy side because the veggies are fried, but either we took too long to eat it and the sauce made the veggies soggy or it wasn’t even that fried to beginning with which isn’t a bad thing.
— Vegan Dolma — I was skeptical about this because I had the meat version before and wasn’t a fan, but the vegan one is WAY better! Paired with a minty yogurt sauce was quite refreshing.
— Fattoush salad w/​seafood kebab — Light, but the pita chips were too big in the salad.
— Lamb shank — (Special of the night) Slow cooked and falling off the bone goodness! Paired with grilled Brussel sprouts made the dish not so heavy.
— Half chicken — (Special of the night) Cooked in a huge pita bread left the meat juicy and tender. This huge portion easily feed us 5 girls.
Overall, the food was very flavorful and the portions were quite generous. Get the hummus and falafel… AMAZING! Not into all that food, no problem. I find this place is definitely the perfect girls night out spot to catch up over drinks. The drinks are one of a kind and the atmosphere is so peaceful and intimate. If you and your girlfriends need a little getaway from the city, I highly recommend this place!

Horrible service! Terrible Food. busboy did more than the unprofessional waitress. Edible but not enjoyable. Our evening of a celebration turned into a night of hunger and stress. The worst watered down flavorless hummus I’ve ever had in my life. The watress didnt ask how we wanted out meat cooked. drinks were never refilled and food took over 70mins to get to table after ordering because they dont have proper grill for cooking more than 2 plates at a time. according to out redheaded waitress she said only 2 kabobs on the grill at once. I can’t imagine how they cook when there’s more than two tables in the restaurant at the same time. All in all «NEVER AGAIN» our celebratory cake was brought home and put back into the fridge because at the end of the night there was nothing to celebrate other than the fact we were finally leaving this place.
My apologies for the timing of the food. my mother and sister timed the food at 90mins
Yes! reservations for a party of 15 were made 5 days in advance for the evening of 5÷06÷15 after attending evening mass 8:30pm.
We had a party of 10 adults and 4 children and the restaurant was completely empty.
3-​teachers and 4-​children In our party who have school to attend to the following day, they were sleeping at the table hungry. We ate uncomfortably fast and left quickly at nearly 11pm. Food & service was not satisfactory.
It is a very beautiful restaurant and hopefully with proper customer service it should be packed with an overflow of customers.

I can only comment on ambiance, service, and drinks as I didn’t have anything to eat here, but I will definitely be back to check out the food menu soon. This place is AWESOME! The décor is super cool: trendy with Mediterranean flair. There’s a lovely patio and a very cool lounge area (the rainbow stairs are so cool!). Service is exceptional. Everyone who works here was super friendly. I loved the Sangria’s Sister cocktail, and it was only $ 9, which is super cheap for Chicago. I can’t wait to go back!

Masada is like the popular girl in school. She has good style and even a sweet personality but you know she’s not wifey material.
After walking by and always wondering if the place was ever gonna open, I counted the days to when I could finally try Masada. Rooftop and patio in Logan Square? I thought, «Omg, this hood is turning into drunk Disneyland!» After visiting, I learned Masada is more like Saturday Night Fever inside and a scene from a Shakespearean play outside.
We had prompt seating with no reso for a Sat night, and asked for the patio. It’s absolutely gorgeous outside. You feel like you’re in the garden scene from Romeo & Juliet. Beautiful detailed lamps and ivy along the walls make it a nice date spot. Service was ok. Took a bit to be seen and took a while to get our order. Complimentary pita breads and olive oil with za’tar were given in funky bowls that opened like clams. We ordered the falafel and roommates wrap for me and lamb shawarma wrap for him. Portions are hearty and tahini sauce is one of the best I’ve had. Wrap was pretty thin and things kept spilling out but flavors were great. Much better tasting wrap than Dawali’s.
We asked to take the rest of food home and the check. Server forgot to swipe the card and gave us the wrong receipt. Took an extra 15 just to track her and get the bill squared out. I took the time to snap pics of the funky disco décor inside. Bathrooms consist of walls of mirrors that made me a feel like I was in a funhouse and little claustrophobe.
I glanced at the other menu items. $ 20 for kabobs and $ 23 lamb? When your neighbor serves $ 7 pizza, beer and Jameson shot? LOL. I know it’s trying to be a date spot but I don’t see the logic in that.
3.5

They are very new so they are still working out some of the kinks in their operation.
The parts that did not work for me were:
They did not give pint glasses with our beer, even after we asked for one every time we ordered (3 times). It’s better to have the server bring it and take it back than to make two trips.
We did not get small plates with our appetizer orders. Plates are pretty much a standard at every restaurant ever.
The falafel was quite overcooked. It was not burnt but it was very hard. Something that a cook should be able to tell just by picking up the falafel as they put it on the plate.
The parts that I did like:
The décor and atmosphere of the entire restaurant is amazing. Everything compliments each other and gives the restaurant the same feel as the food does.
The owner was incredibly nice and was there to make sure everything was going well with the opening of the restaurant.
They give pita with za’atar and olive oil to all the tables. Their za’atar was delicious and a little addicting.
The sauce they gave with the falafel was delicious and quite authentic, definitely reminded me of my trips to the middle east.
I will definitely be back here to try their food again in a month or two to see if they have improved. Hoping for the best.