Mediterranean Grill & Cuisine

Am not a gormand and this place isn’t intended to provide Five Star service and extraneous «stuff» — to death. But — it’s very reasonable, neat, and the Shawarma, Kabobs, Lentil Soup (especially) and accompanying vegetables, various appetizers (except the babaganoush — what’s with Eggplant anyway however, friends whom I will never understand — thought the «ganoush» was great). Combining really good Mediterrean food, reasonable cost, BYOB makes this a nice place to eat in Lincoln Square for singles, couples, or groups. Ambience is pleasant and adult — romantic lighting. We’ve been there more than once and will visit again.

Sad to say that they have gone out of business. Signs in the window say «we closed» and list the hours for the restaurant equipment sale.

Went here for a private party (rehearsal dinner) and had an amazing time. The hummus and pitas were good, followed by kind of a lentil curry soup. That was very flavorful and spicy.
For dinner some had a veggie plate with two sauces and rice and others a marinated grilled chicken. The chicken looked like it would be boring and dry but because of the overnight marinate (I asked) and perfect grill, they were delicious. Especially with the yogurt sauce.
The baklava was also quite good, not super sweet and Americanized. There is a good cheaper parking lot a few blocks away. No patio unfortunately but a great spot. BYOB as well as no corkage fee on wine. They even put your beer in a fridge. The owner/​manager seemed super nice. Prices were reasonable as well, especially for the area.

Easily my favorite restaurant in the city! Sam is very willing to make a meal exactly as you want it. There are a zillion options for me as a vegan. He makes the smoothest hummus I’ve ever tasted. The pita is to die for. My favorite dish would have to be the veggie chila fry. Plus it’s Byob with no corkage fee. I feel so at home here!

OK, I have never provided feedback on Unilocal before, but now it is time. I have NO clue how this place has 4 stars nor how it remains open. I think it is because it has been there for a while and changed hands, and kept the same name…
My boyfriend and I stopped in for their lunch special because we were in the hood and needed a quick lunch (and Costello’s had an annoying guitarist playing!) I got the chicken shawerma and he got the beef and it came with hummus and rice and pickled veggies.
Just so you know, we eat Middle Eastern food a lot and know what we are talking about. The beef shawerma was the best part of our dishes — at a 5 out of 10 rating. The rice and hummus were about a 3 and the chicken shawerma was a 1. There was no char at all on there and you could tell it was probably floating in some chicken broth, trying to keep it «fresh» and edible — like boiled chicken. Not good. Also, there were only 4 pickled veggies included. NOT good and not a good deal either.
The waitress was nice enough, but she must have been new to the waitressing world. She walked the whole length of the restaurant and brought us waters, walked the whole length back and got menus, then walked the whole length back to us in the front to deliver the menus, etc. etc.
Oh, we were also the only ones in there at 12:30pm. When we were leaving an older couple arrived and were asking her many questions about the menu and Middle Eastern food etc. They had not eaten it before. We wanted to scream «go to Kedzie Ave. and throw a stick and you’ll find a better restaurant!»
I feel sorry for this place.

Their food was really good however we were the only ones that were in the restaurant. No one else was in the place. They had a great deal for 2 people for only $ 32: soup, entrée, hummus, and baklava dessert and soft drink. So for $ 16 a person, we got to enjoy a good meal and there was enough for us to take home in a doggie bag.

Awesome customer service! The lady working there is super sweet. I ordered a hummus tabbouleh wrap… yum. Two things that I absolutely love, mixed together into a pita wrap? AND I can feel good eating it, without wondering how much more time I’m going to need to put in at the gym? Yes. Yes. Yes. Thank you, Mediterranean Grill and Cuisine, for offering me tasty and healthy vegetarian wraps. Now to try that feta cheese wrap…

I cannot fathom what scale people are using such that this place has a 4-​star average. Mind boggling. I will say that the service was attentive and friendly, but that is about it. The shish kabob was bland and unremarkable, and for $ 13 or whatever should have been much better. Beyond that, as someone else noted, what they call couscous was some strange rice like dish that was totally unappetizing. Worst of all, the «potato» slices appetizer was — I kid you not — pure potato chips. As in basically a bag of Jay’s on a plate, with sauce, for $ 6. Simply bizarre. If this place is a 4 star restaurant, than Sultans Market or Roti must be 12 star restaurants.

I was going to meet a friend in the Lincoln Square area. Since I don’t get up there very often I asked him to select a place & without hesitation he said «Mediterranean Grill & Cuisine». He told me that the restaurant had been through some changes, but the original owners were back & the food was even better.
He was absolutely right — the food was EXCELLENT & the service was phenomenal.
If you went away — come back! I live in the Bridgeport area & I plan on bringing my brother here when he comes in from North Dakota.

Ordered take-​out from the Mediterranean Grill for the first time last night.
My boyfriend and I split the Falafel and Chila Fry entrees. They each come with rice, soup and pita. What a steal for $ 11! The lentil soup was delicious and the flavors of the Chila Fry mixed with the Falafel were great. I also got the mint yogurt sauce to go with mine. Yummmmm.

One of the happy facts of my marriage is my husband’s and my shared love of middle eastern food. Another happy fact is that we are a stone’s throw from Taste of Lebanon (though we would never throw a stone at it since it is good and we are nonviolent). But this weekend we ventured in the other direction and tried Lincoln Ave.‘s middle eastern offering.
The good news is, the lentil soup is both very good and very cheap. I ordered a small and it was a decent-​sized bowl, for I think three dollars. It was thick and hearty, but with some whole lentils too. It was flavorful and satisfying.
Which brings me to my next point.
The baba ghanoush and falafel we shared for an appetizer were both substandard. I may be spoiled by other incarnations of these, but dang. The baba g was bland and not at all smoky, and the falafel were just depressed. They didn’t seem fresh or peppy at all, and didn’t seem seasoned. Sad face.
I also tried the spinach and cheese phyllo pie, which was pretty good. It was loaded with spinach and the crust was very light and flaky. This was on the appetizer menu, and it was two large squares with beets and a pickled salad.
Which brings me to my next point.
The quantity of food for the price is pretty good. We ordered four appetizers, a soup, sandwich and iced tea and I think spent less than $ 28. On the other hand, only two of those items were worth getting again.
Our server was sweet. There were only a couple other tables to cover but she handled it on her own. I am conflicted anytime there’s a discrepancy between the effort and consistency of the service and the execution of the food, but this is really only a three star place.

The prices are a bargain, and our server Katia was wonderful, but the food was uniformly underwhelming. Most of it was just so bland, especially the falafel and the chicken shawarma wrap. Dousings of tahini and black pepper could not salvage either of those two dishes. The falafel was also hard (not crispy – there’s a difference) on the outside and wet and mushy on the inside, like the mixture was far too finely ground. The lentil soup and baga ghannouj were okay. Torshi and pickled turnips were good but then again are pretty much the same everywhere.
I like that they have rarer options on the menu, such as the various versions of chila fry. I would definitely have come back to try that if my first meal had been remotely engaging. But it wasn’t, and thankfully we didn’t spend much.
It’s truly a 2.5 but even when everything else is good, the food has to satisfy, and here that consistently failed to happen.

Here is the thing. I am lazy. I know that there are amazing restaurants throughout Chicago and that most of them are too far away for me to even seriously consider going to. Sometimes I will be adventurous, leave my neighborhood and have an amazing meal. But for the most part I don’t. And the Mediterranean Grill makes this even more difficult for me to do.
My boyfriend and I have been coming here at least 5 times a month for the past two years. It is OUR PLACE! It is the restaurant that we go to when we can’t think of anywhere else to go. It is the restaurant that we go to when we don’t want to have to worry about trying new things and being disappointed. We go here because we know that we are guaranteed to have an amazing meal every single time.
If you have read through the reviews you will note that the lentil soup is to die for. Let me just say it again… THE LENTIL SOUP IS THE BEST SOUP I HAVE EVER HAD. I like to think I know my way around a bowl of soup. I have had more than my fair share even… but this one kicks all other soups ass. It really is that good.
The Chila Fry is also one of the best items on the menu. I have never heard of it before. I even thought to myself… well heck Mary maybe you can make the Chila Fry at home sometime! Surprise your fella by making his favorite dish. I couldn’t find a recipe anywhere online for it. It must be their well kept secret.
Their chicken kabobs are the reason to eat meat. They are tender and juicy and full of flavor. My mouth is quite literally watering right now.
I have dinner plans tonight to go to a «cool neighborhood» and go to one of their «cool restaurants» but really what I want is the Mediterranean Grill. But if I am being honest with you I always want it.

HOLY. LAND.
Stop. Stop what you’re doing right now. Grab your keys, we’re getting kabobs.
This place is amazing. I went last Thursday night with my boyfriend and our two friends, Wine and Beer. We got the $ 30 dinner for two (1 app, soup or salad, 2 entrees, 1 dessert & 2 beverages). We payed a little extra to get the feta and I’m SO glad we did. It was literally the best feta I’ve ever had, and coming from a Persian Princess, that’s saying a lot. We both got the Mediterranean salad (I had lentil soup for lunch) which was crunchy, herbal and zesty. Boyfriend got the chicken kabobs and I went with regular kabobs (or Koobideh, as they’re called in Iran). My kabobs were expertly grilled to juicy perfection and served with a generous portion of buttery, tender basmati rice and grilled tomatoes. We split flaky, sticky Baklava and had 2 cups of tea to round out our meal.
Maybe it was the beautiful night, maybe it was the bottle of wine that I drank during dinner. Or MAYBE it was the fact that Med Grill’s kabobs are even better than my father’s (I’ll cut off your hand if you tell him I said that). I will absolutely be back.
The ONLY reason I’m not giving 5 stars is because the poor server was SO overwhelmed that the entire restaurant felt sorry for her. She was serving 12 – 15 tables BY HERSELF, no bussers, NO ONE. She did a great job not having a meltdown, but I seriously expected to see her asleep on the restaurant floor when I walked by the next day. Call in a busser or another server for Thursday-Friday-Saturday’s and you’ll have my heart forever.

I had read about the Lentil soup here, but had never come to have it for some reason. When my girlfriend planned her dinner here, I was excited, especially for the Lentil. The place is a nice casual place, and while we came when there weren’t many people there, it picked up shortly after. The lentil soup is really as advertised. It is tied for the best lentil soup I’ve ever had. Similar to some lentil soup I have had in the middle east before.
The other food I tasted was great too. Lamb, Chicken, the rice, etc. Very good. Loved the Kibbeh too. Easily one of the best middle eastern places I’ve eaten at in Chicago.

This is our go-​to spot for falafel now. We had the 8 piece appetizer with a side of dill rice and it was enough for an entire dinner for two people when paired with hummus and jerusalem salad. Such a great place for pennies. The falafel is incredible: crispy on the outside and extra hot, moist and so flavorful on the inside. It comes with some cucumbers and tomatoes and yummy dressing on the side. The dill rice is buttery and almost milky smooth with the perfect amount of dill without being nauseating.
The waitress we always seem to have remembers that I love to spice up my hummus and always brings me hot sauce on the side without me even asking. When my hubby spilled his wine onto the table, she quickly cleaned it up and didn’t make a fuss at all. This really is a neighborhood gem to treasure.

A decent meal at a good price and service that is prompt and friendly are what make this place a great option for lunch or dinner. I first stopped in with a friend when we were looking for a quick lunch before a weekend matinée at the Davis, and this is now one of our go to lunch places.
I usually order either the falafel sandwich or the falafel dinner. I am a sucker for falafel. I can’t help it. I love the stuff. That being said, I have occasionally branched out and tried some of the other menu items. So far, everything has been very tasty, from the kabobs to the potato chop. The lentil soup is amazing, as is the rice, and the pickled vegetables that come as a side option are terrific. The menu is extensive and has plenty of good vegetarian options, and they have a great lunch special.

I used to live in the neighborhood and have seen 2 or 3 middle eastern restaurants come and go from that exact location, some better than others, but for some reason I think a lot of people tend to walk right by this spot without noticing it. I find this sad because it’s the perfect addition to Lincoln Square, and the last few owners have had some legitimately awesome food.
Anyway, I stopped in for the first time tonight and got a Shawarma dinner and some hummous for carry out and was very happy! The shawarma was well seasoned, lean, and flavorful, as was the by equally amazing rice. I had a feeling those would be good, but what I didn’t see coming was the lentil soup. It was AWESOME! The lemon (included for squeezing into it) was a nice addition that many other restaurants fail to provide, and it was the perfect compliment to the meal. The hummous was great as well, and came with the large, thin Lebanese pita that I love so much more than the pocket pitas that are a bit more common.
I am very judgmental when it comes to middle eastern restaurants, and am happy to say I approve of this spot! I will definitely be back, and hope they are successful in Lincoln Square.

BYOB Mediterranean? Really? YES!
No corkage fee at this fantastic place!
Went here with a group of friends on Friday at 7 and got seated right away… perfect! We had the falafel (a tad dry, but not too bad), hummus (GREAT) and the potato chop (veggie style, again, GREAT!). For my entrée, I had the lamb kabobs (AMAZING) and that came with lentil soup (to die for! No seriously, I’d die for this stuff). The chicken and beef shawarma were also really good (had a bite from my friends plates).
Service is quick and super duper friendly.
The portions are large, so you’ll get two meals out of your entrée…
This place is perfect for a group dinner, where you’d actually like to hear what your group is saying…

My friend and I were on the hunt for a good lunch option and we ran into this place. The menu sounded delicious, the prices were reasonable and so we decided to give it a shot.
My friend had never tried falafel so we got that and hummus as appetizers. Each plate was $ 4. I’ve had better falafel but it was still delicious and the hummus plate was creamy and yummy.
We each got a feta salad and it was light and refreshing.
Service was a little slow, but I think there was only one server working the restaurant. It wasn’t crazy busy, but enough to have to wait a little while for something. But that was fine — we weren’t in a huge rush or anything.
I’d definitely come back here if I’m in the area and a Mediterranean food craving hits.