Mezza Mediterranean Grill

It’s a fast food joint. It fills the void when you’re hungry and have no place to go. Definitely agree that the hummus needs a lot of work but their spicy chicken with brown rice is pretty good along with their cucumber salad.

Reasonably priced Mediterranean food off of Michigan Ave. near the pedway. I had the falafel plate for about $ 8. Filling. I saw someone getting tossed-​for-​you salad that looked pretty good so I would go back for that. I also like the seating. The booths are nice for a more private conversation and there’s sunlight coming from the walkway. Modern décor.

If you want a quick lunch, this place is fine. If you want a healthy, tasty Mediterranean option, then meh. The hummus is tasteless and oily, and the the pita is fluffy in a wonder bread processed way. I had a craving, but I wish I had saved my $ 1.75 on a side of hummus.

Let me start out by saying that I have been going to Mezza for lunch for the past 2 years on a consistent basis. In that time, they have changed the menu twice, switched the ordering process, removed chips as being included in a 9 dollar salad, and switched loyalty programs.
Every time I go here I leave unsatisfied and feeling as if I just got ripped off. Not the food prices, but everything else that this business tries to do to make more money. Getting rid of the bag of 5 chips and charging extra for them? Not allowing me to use my reward card that was going to give me a free salad because the system was broken?
This place clearly has had major growing pains. They have taken the good team members and moved them on to other locations. It is a shame. The food is the only reason I gave it a second star.

Dilemma: you run a popular lunch spot with a line issue. In order to increase business, you shorten the menu options and adjust your assembly line of employees to increase efficiency. More customers through the line, more money right? The downfall, is when you sacrifice common sense for efficiency and the quality of the product goes down. Yes the lines are shorter at Mezza now… but for me that is because I go to Mezza less!
Food-​wise, delicious and tasty. I love the lentil soup (so creamy), Shepard’s Salad (sweet, tart, and nutty), and the spicy chicken wraps hit the spot (name is a misnomer, they’re not spicy at all!). From this perspective, 5 stars top notch option for grabbing lunch in the Loop.
Experience-​wise, here is where the wheels have fallen off the bus for me and made my visits to Mezza drop from once a week to once a month:
1. Down-​sizing the menu last year. Now, I actually don’t have any issue with the smaller menu per se. I understand the financial reasoning for it and the remaining items are delicious. However a bizarre casualty of the list was the plate of sides. They still serve the sides like hummus and falafel, but you can no longer order a sampler plate of them. You have to order each side individually and it’s pricey. Also, the sides are listed as $ 1.75−3.95 so it’s unclear what things cost. I’ve switched over to visiting Oasis Café for a hummus & stuff sampler plate instead when the mood strikes me. Also, agreed with other reviewers that there are weird upcharges from time to time that are not listed anywhere on the menu or consistently applied.
2. Assembly line orders. Again, I understand the reasoning for having every person in a role behind the counter. However when someone isn’t in place here, the system breaks down. The soup person stepped away? People look around confusedly trying to figure out how to get you the soup. You want a half salad with the soup? Well, our system of color coded tongs is great but we don’t have a half salad designation. Unless I follow the bowl down the line and keep saying «Half! Half», there’s a good chance I’m getting a full-​size salad at the register. And sometimes the cashier wants me to pay for the whole salad even though the order was done wrong.
3. Salad quality. While everything is still tasty, they are putting together the salads at a much faster pace and some of the quality isn’t there. Used to be that the person would thoroughly toss and make the salad so every piece was dressed. Now they just splash the salad, a couple quick tosses, and put in the container where pieces are either drenched or dry. You can’t shake it yourself either because it’s packed tightly in the container.
The staff is super nice and I can tell they are just following the system. I don’t fault them for the awkwardness or the weird menu policies.
I like the food plenty but unfortunately its less hassle to go elsewhere.

We use Mezza for catering regularly. The food is awesome and the service is top notch! The food at our events is always the BEST and everyone raves about it! It is always fresh and made just the way we want it! We look for opportunities to order from Mezza. Try it and you will be hooked too!

Good spot for lunch if you work nearby. Quick service, but usually gets pretty busy around 12. I always get the shepherd salad with spicy chicken and it is very good. I probably eat here once a week and its consistently a good lunch spot.

This place would get 4 – 5 stars as I’ve been eating here for years and the food is great, however in the past year it’s all gone down hill. They changed their menu and removed all the variety, which is what made it so great. There were many vegetarian options as well, not the case anymore.
I usually get the falafel or the spicy chicken wrap, or the chopped salad/​lentil soup combo. The lentil soup is good but a little overly salty, and make sure you get harissa mayo on pretty much anything you get, it’ll only make it better I promise :)
Another disappointing thing is that in the past year they’ve jacked the prices up from an average meal costing around $ 7.25 to about $ 9+ which I consider a pretty extreme price hike. They’ve also started nickel and diming their customers, but my biggest complaint is that the menu is super vague now… Often times I find myself wondering and subsequently arguing with the staff as to why they’re upcharging me. I’ve even asked where it’s written on the menu etc. and they can’t point it out to me. And from one staff member to the next, the perception of what is and isn’t an upcharge is different. I wish I could rate this higher, being a regular 2 – 3 times a week customer of this location since it opened on Day 1, but I can’t due to the poor customer care in the recent year. What’s funny is the menu was reduced to make it less confusing, according to management, yet it’s now more confusing!
That said, the food is still top notch … try the Chicken Chili it’s very good!

This is one of the greatest lunch spots in the city… a hidden gem if you will. If you are looking for a Mediterranean place that has a lot of variety, come here. You can customize your wrap/​salad with everything from avocado, to their delicious red pepper sauce. I usually stick to the Chicken Schwarma with lots of add ins. If you order something that you don’t like, it’s probably because you made it that way.
Strangely, I also love the fact that they rock curly fries. Not exactly what I think of when I’m jonesin for Mediterranean, but also hard pass up.

This is a solid weekday lunch option! The line was long but it went quick. I had a falafel pita, it was very large and messy! The falafel tasted good and the flavors worked well together. Nothing amazing though. The chips that come with it are tasty. I noticed everyone around me was eating salads, so I’ll have to try those next!

Mezza. You are delicious but you are overpriced for a downtown lunch spot and the nutrition information page on your website has been «under construction» since you opened up years ago! Isn’t that illegal? I want to know how dangerous your wraps and salads are since they taste so good. Fix it and I’ll come back!

I cannot help but frequent this place as often as my pocket book allows me to for lunch. The looooong line at Mezza’s in the Illinois Center full of a ton of other places to eat should be all the proof you need that it’s at the top of a lotta people’s lists.
I heart the Sheppard’s and Mezza Salads, Chicken Shwarma Pitas, and Beef Kabobs that come with brown or white rice and a choice of a number of different sides. The cucumber and tomato salad is my fav side though the tabbouleh is pretty delish as well. You like more of this, less of that, Mezza’s happily obliges with the make-​your-​own salad option! All veggies are fresh and the greens options are pretty big. Never once have the ingredients tasted like it’s been sitting around in the fridge for days or even hours! Portion sizes for everything are awesome. Even the side of piita breads with hummus can fill you up!
Service is friendly and quick. In/​out in a jiffy. Want to actually relax and eat here? Sure can here with a mix of booth and cafeteria table-​type seating. Not a bad sized eating area, although, probably not a place you wanna hang with more than a handful of people.
Lunch (rush) hour from noonish is pretty packed as many places in the Illinois Center. Just be patient… and you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Mezza will take care of ya and you too will want to go back again and again… and again…

Time for an review update –
Today I remembered why I stopped going here. Pulled in by a new startup, LevelUp, partnering with area restaurants to sign people up, we got pulled in for lunch. I ordered my usual (or what used to be when I was regular) — falafel pita sandwich with curly fries. The pita was stale, the sandwich falling apart, the curly fries were oozing out oil on your tongue as you took a bite.
A few hours later, the lunch meal is still making me sick just thinking about how poorly prepared everything was. I have memories of a couple of scattered similar experiences in the past year and based on those aggregate, it’s time to put Mezza stars where it truly now is.

This is a decent lunch choice in the Illinois Center pedway. The ingredients are usually fairly fresh although on one occasion I did have some «mystery-​meat» instead of beef, if you know what I mean. It took me a few months to go back, but eventually I did and haven’t had a problem since.
The spicy chicken wrap is my favorite sandwich. The potato chips are excellent — just make sure they remember to give them to you as I’ve noticed lately that they don’t automatically add them to your order.
All in all, Mezza is a nice option in the pedway. It isn’t as tasty or interesting as Roti, though, so if you’re looking for even better fast-​food Mediterranean food in the Loop, head to Roti.

This is one of the reasons I miss working in the Illinois Center. They keep teasing me saying they are opening a location in the Merchandise Mart but I won’t believe it until I see it!
Mezza uses quality ingredients. The vegetables and protein are so fresh and not scraps that some other places use. Definitely get their Mezzateranean Saland and some hummus to go. So good!

If you work anywhere in relation to the Michigan Ave pedway and haven’t been to Mezza yet… your eating way to much Burrito Beach!
Super Quick for dine in or to take back to your desk!
There are quite a few options so take a mintue to check out the menu on line avoiding the stress of feeling rushed once your in line. I redomend the Falafal pita with an upgraded side of cuscous, a huge portion for $ 7. Healthy, filling, and on the lower price point range of Loop Lunches. sold.

Let me start of by saying how much I love kebabs… and the thought of having them as often as i could with a mezza’s just next door– makes me even happier. but I just don’t get this place. I try to like it, but they just miss the mark every time I go there. So, sorry mezza’s today was your last try. Your rushed service, messy counter and disappointing food won’t suck me in again.
I guess that means i’ll just have to continue making the long trek to Roti when I need my kebab fix

Mezza is a good alternative to the humdrum office lunch place. It’s better than a regular cold cut sandwich, and has more flavor than the bland salads at other places. I usually get the chicken kebab with brown rice (awesome and a great portion size), or the chicken shwarma pita.
This location moves really quickly and I found that I can get in and out of there in under 10 minutes, even at the peak lunch time!

They have the best red pepper hummus I’ve ever had. The pita is usually warm. If you order just a side of it, it’s only a little over a dollar.
The falafel pita was very heavy. Will not get that again.
My favorite there is the feta pasta. A small order is a little over $ 3 and it’s very filling.

I’m SOOOO glad someone finally opened a quick serve shop that does more than just sandwich/​salad/​soups… there literally must be 30 sandwich/​salad/​soup shops in a 1 block radius of here, and very few non-​sandwich options (and really, I’m not even exaggerating on the count).
My first impression of the place… it’s very nicely decorated inside. People eating in were served their food on white glass plates, instead of paper like all the other places in the area do… environmentally friendly, and a nice touch!
The menu has quite a wide variety of things, something for everyone perhaps. The prices were pretty decent.
I got the Chicken Shawarma Pita … It comes with homemade [potato] chips. About $ 7 after tax. You can substitute any salad/​side item for $ 1. I was going to get the jerusalum salad as a side, but the guy at the register convinced me the chips that come with it are good (and they were).
The chicken shawarma was enjoyable… it’s marinated chicken, with tahini, lettuce, tomato… Overall it was a good choice, it had nice flavor. I really like their pitas, I don’t know why… :]
They have a breakfast menu that includes a wide variety of plates (egg scrambles), sandwiches, yogurt parfaits, etc. Pretty well priced, starting at $ 2, most around $ 4.
I went back for breakfast… Ordered the shepard’s scramble as a sandwich (it’s available as a plate or sandwich on a pita). Eggs/​potato/​mushroom/​peppers/​cheese I believe it was. it was OK, more like hangover food than healthy food…
I almost missed it in entirely, but behind the register they have a full coffee menu. (Some things are crossed off already, or is that «for now»). I stuck with what I order just about everywhere – a chai latte. Their chai is the standard Oregon Chai that’s available in every other coffee shop. Good, but nothing unusual.
Some Trixie behind me ordered a café au lait… the register girl didn’t really know what it was at all, but the manager knew and was explaining, then just made it.
I waited a week after opening, and things were quite well ran when I’ve been there. The line went quick, there weren”t more than 1 or 2 waiting in front of me, and the wait time was decent. Anyone who reviewed the place opening week saying their organization was bad needs a reality check. For what it’s worth, they’re at least twice as organized as the Alonti that was previously in this space. They seem to mostly put the orders out in the order they were received.
I had the Kefta Kabob pita on my last visit… the flavor of the meat was good, but it lacked the tahini sauce the menu advertises. it was just meat and lettuce. and it was supposed to have tomato too, but there was a tiny fragment of a tomato from the skewer on there. I wish I was dining in, I would’ve taken it back… :(