Mouthwatering Halal in Chicago

Kabul House

★★★★☆ 4.4 (1250) • $$

"Afghanistan is renowned for its hospitality, and the significance is not lost when you dine at Kabul House. You are welcomed in, treated with great care, and you will enjoy yourself in this opulently decorated restaurant as you dine on traditional Afghan dishes.Though not my first time dining at Kabul House but my first in this location, I asked myself why I did not come more often. The cuisine is halal and has elements similar to dishes from India and Persia and other countries.There is a spacious parking lot, an expansive dining area, beautiful decor. We started with bright and refreshing mint lemonade then shared Mantoo, which are minced beef dumplings, topped with garlic yogurt, and mint. These were very tasty and served with a bright and intense coriander chutney.One of my companions ordered the combination grilled kabob platter which is kabobs served with rice (Afghan, dill, or white saffron), grilled tomato and peppers. They are a regular to this restaurant and this was a favorite. My other companion chose scallion and leek dumplings which were cooked in herbs and spices, and topped with minced beef, garlic yogurt, and mint.I ordered the vegetarian platter which contained roasted eggplant, sauteed spinach, and pumpkin and came with Afghan rice. I loved the smoky, silky eggplant, the delicate spinach and the chunky, earthy and sweet pumpkin. It was tied together with the delicious Afghan rice, sweet with carrots and raisins. The national dish of Afghanistan is Kabuli Palaw which is rice, carrots, raisins and lamb. We had a great time, sharing the dishes which came with a basket of delicious naan and assorted chutneys. We weren't rushed or hurried and we stayed long after we finished, reconnecting and updating each other on new developments in our lives."

Salam Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.7 (660) • $$

"The food was great but the atmosphere and the service were not.A friend suggested we go here because he had had the Hummus before and said it was the best he'd ever had. I can agree. It is some of the best hummus I've ever had, but we ate it in silence because there was no music playing. In addition to the lack of ambiance was the lack of service. I felt for the guy waiting on us, because he seemed to be working both the counter and the tables, but he wore one ear bud the entire time he served us and any other table. We had to ask him for a second glass for water, and when we asked if the small Hummus was enough for 2, he suggested we get the larger size. As he walked away, he said, the small is just an appetizer. We both said we're also ordering meals, but he just walked away. The hummus was easily enough for 4 people.We eventually flagged him down and ordered dinner. I got the cauliflower sandwich, which was good, but I was expecting more than just cauliflower in a pita, like tomato, cucumber, onion. I got tzatziki which made it tastier. Overall, I'd get carryout but not eat in."

Slim's

★★★★☆ 4.1 (426) • $

"Slim's is a great local, slightly above average, fast food option. They don't bother with those grey frozen burger patties found at many competitors. .. nothing but Creekstone Farms beef here! The prices reflect the fresh ingredients and upgrades like brioche buns. 3.39 overall. I tried to convince myself to generously round up considering the service and the never frozen burger patties, but. ..that wouldn't be fair to the other 4 star restaurants.I don't like their Chicken Strips, but they are popular. I find they lack seasoning and are chewy. Not worth a special trip, but absolutely check out if you live in the neighborhood. Open til 9pm."

Cafe 53

★★★★☆ 4.4 (332) • $$

"Service was a little indifferent and annoyed (?) with me asking a couple of questions. Order a Turkey sandwich and a Turkey with Lingonberry sauce. French bread was crusty deliciousness and I liked the lingonberry sauce. My daughter enjoyed her chocolate gelato. Would recommend for to go food. Ambiance was odd, as in it seemed a college student hang out with high school or college art lining the walls. If not for the other good reviews, I would've skipped it on the lack of welcoming atmosphere."

MazMez Middle Eastern Grill

★★★★★ 4.5 (290) • $

"My husband and I stopped at MazMez Middle Eastern Grill to get a pickup order. Ordering online was pretty easy, and our food was ready when we got there. The food was warm when we got to our friend's house. The food was pretty good but does not taste very different from other similar restaurants. The children even liked the food. They were eating the hummus right along with the adults. I recommend MazMez Middle Eastern Grill for the entire family."

Cedar Grill

★★★★☆ 4.2 (332) • $

"The gyro sandwich is delicious and huge, had to eat half of the meat before I could even consider folding the pita. Killer onion rings. Sister loved the falafel wrap. Cooks are awesome and prepare everything to order."

Sinya Mediterranean Grill

★★★★★ 4.8 (221)

"Happened upon this casual service Mediterranean restaurant in Roscoe Village and came in for a combo. It has all the favorites. Sinya may be kind of expensive, but you get a lot. A lot of people get takeout, and if you eat in you may be taking a lot to go because the portions are big. There's many vegetarian friendly items including falafel, grape leaves, and more. Came at lunch and we ordered at the counter. It's about $12.95 for the cheapest combos, but these are still worth it. The large portions make these a good value. Many plant based items to get. The Falafel Plate has 6 pieces, which is impressive. Many other places only put in a few. This also comes with hummus and tahini for dipping, pita triangles, and there's rice and salad. Get the Vegetarian Plate for even more food. This also has baba ghannouch and grape leaves. Full of flavor and it's all fresh. It's not like many places that have the hummus in a can and it gets scooped out. There's plenty for meat eaters and vegetarians."

Sara's Grill & Eastern Cuisine

★★★★☆ 3.7 (331) • $$

"I highly recommend this business! The food was hot and delicious, the portions were generous, and the presentation of the food was nice.The variety on the menu was large - although the drinks were a little constrained. I asked for tea, but I was warmly greeted with that which wasn't my imagination nor typical of the American convention (black tea). Something easily oversee-able, especially when the milky beverage was tasty nonetheless. The cleanliness of the restaurant, the service, the prices - all stellar. Our waitress was so darn polite and kind. It was unlike any previous service I had experienced in Illinois. There was no wait time either (we walked in at 12:47 p.m. on a Saturday). I would be so glad to return for further business and thankful to have been shown it."

Zad by Pita Inn

★★★★☆ 4.4 (230) • $$

"I met a friend here for a weeknight dinner. We needed a place between the areas we live and, because she was leaving from dinner for a drive of a few hours, we also wanted something relatively quick. She suggested Zad and I eagerly agreed. It was quiet there at 6:30 on a weeknight. We arrived at the same time as another party of two and offered to let them order ahead of us. They were a little slow but that gave us plenty of time to browse the menu and make decisions. Zad operates as fast casual - you order at the counter and then pick up your food when it's ready (or, in our case, a staff member brought it out to us). The food is prepared quickly, or at least it was during our visit, and is made fresh to order.I had the falafel entree, which came with two sides. I chose baba ghanoush and rice. The falafel was seasoned well and fried to a crisp while still being tender inside. The baba ghanoush was delightfully smoky and garlicky. My entree came with two fresh, warm pita, perfect for dipping in the eggplant. We also shared hummus, which has now ruined all other hummus for me for at least a month. The restaurant was clean and quiet. In addition to the party who ordered ahead of us, there was one other table with a family. It was an easy place to catch up over delicious food and enjoy our visit."

IDOF Fresh Mediterranean

★★★★☆ 3.8 (303) • $

"Currently, this looks to be the only suburban location and we are so lucky to only live 20 minutes away! This is one of my favorite Mediterranean places. My usual go-to is the chicken shawarma plate with couscous, baby spinach, lettuce, cabbage slaw, tomato and cucumber, feta cheese, and tahini sauce with a side of falafel. Food is fresh and excellent while service was attentive and quick."

Indian Clay Pot

★★★★☆ 4 (268) • $$

"Awesome Indian spot in north center! I started with the samosas and onion naan bread, both were amazing.For entrees, I ordered Chicken Chettinad and Haryali Chicken. Both were great and had decent spice. Each entree comes with steamed rice that was perfectly cooked. Highly recommend Indian clay pot. Amazing depth of flavors and amazing food. Can't wait to take friends here again soon."

Burger Moovment

★★★★☆ 3.7 (277) • $$

"The burgers were good, the fries were good and the service was good. This is a good burger place and yet, it was surprisingly empty. We had bacon cheeseburgers and our only complaint was that the bacon was hard and had no flavor. There's really nothing to set this place apart from any other burger joint. The burger was good."

J Beez Mediterranean & Grill

★★★★★ 4.5 (186) • $$

"I love this place. It's definitely a hidden hole in the wall gem! I was looking for something different and came across this place online and let's just say I'm a regular! They people who work there are alway respectful and nice and are always welcoming! The older gentleman there always likes to come out and pray and it doesn't bother me! I think one should always believe in their faith! Moving on, the food is delicious! The Chicken Shish Kebobs are amazing! It comes with chucked chicken breast, rice, hummus, salad and pita bread which was all seasoned well and the meat was tender and delicious! Great portion sizes as well!The beef and chicken samosa are delicious! They are the beast I had in the suburbs. They consist of minced meat chicken or beef, onions, cilantro and chilies and are so good! The egg rolls were not my favorite but they were not bad! That also had a chicken sandwich and fried but I did not get the chance to taste it. However it looks delicious. Once they let me try a new menu option and it was a gyro pizza and I thought it was delicious but the dough needed to be cooked longer but the seasoning was perfect! My only complaint really is the waiting time but everything is mainly cooked fresh so I really don't mind but it is best to call ahead if you want takeout"

Hakuna Matata

★★★★★ 4.5 (183)

"Quick drive through with fresh food and great portions! Their prices are decent as well. Only con is their baklava is not made fresh by them- it comes in a package. The shawarma and chicken over rice are excellent here. Great place to come for a quick and delicious halal food!"

Noon O Kabob - Highwood

★★★★★ 4.8 (126)

"Came here for lunch on a rainy day and the place had such a peaceful ambiance! The floors are painted a serene turquoise. When you sit by the window watching it rain outside while you have your lunch, it brings peace into my heart!Besides that, service was friendly. You order at the counter and they bring the food to you. Water and utensils are self service. Food is provided with generous portions at a affordable price!We got the Lunch Special Chicken, Steak, Falafel and a Lamb Koubideh plate. Both came with seasoned rice, pickled veggies, a roasted half tomato, sauce, cheese, creamy hummus, & a half a pita! So much food! The meats were super tender and flavorful. All the food items went really went well together. We will definitely be back."

Jerusalem Grill

★★★★☆ 4.3 (149) • $$

"6 years since my last review. This place does not disappoint. Stopped by this evening for a gyro bowl and still very clean place , friendly staff, and delicious food."

Jerky Jerk

★★★★☆ 4.1 (157) • $$

"I'm so glad I got to try this #hiddengem of a Jamaican restaurant and I'm mad if yall knew about it and didn't tell me!!!!! This is now of of my new, favorite Jamaican restaurants in the city. First of all - everything is fresh, made to order and you can taste it! They have it proudly posted that they do not have a microwave.... and they ARE NOT SORRY ABOUT IT! With that being said - know that you will have a wait, BUT you can place your order online, pick it up in store and sit down and eat in the restaurant.There is a bar serving up drinks and the drinks are GOOD! But the food?! and there are so many different things to choose from! There are VEGETARIAN options too and I KNOW those are amazing as well!Here's what I tried: Jerk Fried Wings w/Fries Egg rolls Jerk Chicken dinner (1 meat + 2 sides)Jerk Stir-FryJerky Chicken SandwichSteamed CabbageAnd the drinks were hitting too - very tropical! When you're in the area, hit the brakes and grab you a plate and tell them that Bri from Planes and Plates sent you! YEAH MON! Enjoy!"

Bab Al Salam

★★★★☆ 4.2 (147)

"Low key location in a stip mall with delicious food and great service. My wife and I would br happy to come back."

Biryani Pointe

★★★★☆ 3.5 (209) • $$

"The food was fantastic. Super fresh, flavored well, and my in laws love coming here because it's halal and authentic. The owner, I think, was working by herself and was super kind, making sure that each table was tended to."

Asada Mexican Grill

★★★★☆ 4 (160) • $

"Solid lunch option! Came here with a co-worker after checking out my company's office location. Remote working has its benefits, but having the office around a lot of lunch options is also a plus.I actually tried the lunch special (chicken enchiladas). Good portion size and super tasty.The rest of the lunch was great... all the tables were taken which tells me that this is a reliable place.The staff was super friendly!You walk up and give your order and then work your way down the line as it's being prepared. A lot of to-go orders but if you get you eat-in they give you a bottle of sauce to use for your chips (perk). Small space with a handful of tables, but the way they serve food and the food's "eatability" the tables will turn over pretty quickly."

Cultura Subs

★★★★★ 4.5 (125) • $$

"Morton Grove's best kept secret!This place is in an unassuming strip mall location just north of the Red Roof Inn. It has 1-2 tiny tables outside for dining al fresco and 2-3 tables inside with a handful of bar seats. Menu prices are at a premium for this Latin American-Mediterranean fusion. Think jibarito, tacos, and shawarma options. I myself tried the $15 steak jibarito, and the fried plantains were perfectly crisp and salty, steak juicy, and rounded out very nicely with the sauce, lettuce, and tomato. I can't wait to eat this again! If you are what you eat, my husband is on his way to evolving into a Philly cheesesteak bc he's eaten this for a meal weekly for what seems like the last couple months. Cultura's version is a hefty $20, but the serving is monstrous and would easily be 2 sittings for many people. My minis both had a cheeseburger ($9), which was juicy and delicious. I almost forgot to add that the yuca fries are strongly recommended! Generous serving for $5, well salted, and plentiful. All the food is prepared within eye shot behind the counter, and you can taste the freshness. #pipinghotWith a Yelp check in, you get a $5 valued box of baklava, which is nutty, sweet, crispy, and delicate. I'm not usually a fan of this dessert, but I enjoyed the offering here. See you soon, Cultura!"

Shawarma King

★★★★☆ 4.4 (117)

"Excellent!After a long international flight, we were on our way to Milwaukee from O'hare and were ravenous. After getting away from the hustle and bustle of the airport area, we did a quick search on Yelp for some fast casual bites, and Shawarma King came up. I'm so glad we found this spot.I ordered a falafel wrap with fries. We also ordered the hummus side and a piece of baklava to share (again--ravenous). Everything was pitch perfect and over-the-top delicious. The falafel was the perfect texture (not a bit dry!) and the fries were well seasoned. The hummus was also incredibly flavorful. The baklava was, of course, a sweet dream.The service was kind and the prices were reasonable.A resounding five stars!Get to it!"

Kabul Kabob

★★★★☆ 4.3 (120) • $$

"08/21/24 - My wife, her brother & I were down by Midway Airport today for a doctor appointment. We had planned on going to Al Bawadi but it was closed out of respect to the Pro Palestinian protesters in Chicago @ the DNC. We were little disappointed but found that there were other offerings across 87th street.Much to our delight we found Kabul Kabob across the street in the large at strip mall. This area of of Bridgeview has a number of middle eastern. Afagan food fuses Its cuisine & has influences from all over -- Persia, the Mediterranean, South Asia and China.We decided to try Kabul House in this mall @ 7265 W 87th St, Bridgeview, IL 60455. We went in & the owner & her daughter & one other woman were there. She was a very gracious host & spent some time explaining some of their dishes. We ordered 2 dishes that came w/Afagan rice had julienne carrots & raisins, chicken & beef kabobs. One dish had a beef Kofta & the other had a lamb kofta blended with onions, garlic, parsley and a few of my favorite Middle Eastern spices including, allspice, cardamom, sumac, and nutmeg. She also brought out a plate that had hummus, cucumber, tomatoes red onions & cilantro. There was also a sweet tomato dish that was absolutely delicious. They also have fresh made pita type bread that was still hot and made fresh right out of the oven, absolutely delicious. The food & service was very good & I will be back when I'm in the area again (unfortunately I'm usually this far south. The little daughter happened to be there today & brought out the appetizer dish w/hummus, sweet red tomatoes & salad of cucumbers, red onions & cilantro. She was mommas little helper. The restaurant had some beautiful Persian lights made of cut pieces of beautiful colored glass."

Moti- Lincoln Park

★★★★★ 4.6 (104) • $$

"I have ordered takeout from this location of Moti several times now and the food has always been phenomenal. I have only tried their momos, various bowls and the palak paneer pizza. Food is fresh, creative and tasty. I have met the owner Dhruv and he is very friendly. They have great deals for dining in as well so I recommend you give them a try."

Falafel Dream

★★★★☆ 3.9 (141) • $

"Come here and have falafel in your dreams. Falafel Dream is a great little place for some hearty portions of Middle Eastern food. It's recommended to get something with falafel of course, but that's just one of the many menu items you can get. Has a variety of meaty and vegetable choices. The prices are pretty affordable for the big portions. After learning a falafel place was way out by Norridge, we made our way here to get a combo. It's just off Irving Park on Harlem. The building is located next to a Middle Eastern market. Gets a lot of people from that part of the world coming here. This is authentic for sure. Both of us got some falafel and combos. It's about $9 for platters. The falafel is good but you also need sides. I got the Vegetarian Combination. This has a few big pieces of falafel, along with baba ghannouch, hummus, Jerusalem salad, pita, and rice. A filling meal. This was enough for lunch and then some. For sure could come here again. It's kind of out of the way, which is the only bad thing about getting here. There's falafel and much more for vegans and vegetarians."

Nawabi Hyderabad House

★★★☆☆ 3 (231) • $$

"I love Hyderabad house. Maybe a hot take, but this place has the best Andhra style food, and South Indian food more generally, in the Chicagoland area. Has unique items like pomfret fish fry, that you won't be able to find elsewhere. The service can be a little hit or miss, but it's worth persevering through for high quality food!"

Quesabirria Jalisco

★★★★★ 4.8 (86) • $$

"Wow! Such amazing quesabirria tacos definitely one of the best in the city. They are absolutely STUFFED with so much meat and cheese honestly 2 tacos would've been enough for one portion I wish they would sell them in smaller quantities. The people there are so nice and they run a tiktok where they give you a chance to win free tacos. Not sure if they still have that but it's a cute idea for engagement."

EuroAsia Restaurant

★★★★★ 4.7 (88) • $$

"You know you're in the right place when most of the crowd seems to be from Uzbekistan. It's an unassuming hole-in-the-wall place with good, homemade food. We ordered the chebureki, salad, lamb with rice, mushroom potatoes and manti. The chebureki were very delicious with a fresh salsa sauce on the side. I will say they are usually much flatter but these were closer to empanadas, still very delicious though and I ordered one more. The salad was very fresh and the bread was just incredible. I didn't care much for the manti but my coworker was a fan. The lamb and rice was a little dry so maybe a sauce could have helped. Also many of their drinks only come in 1L size so be prepared to share or take it home. Overall, a very very tasty meal and very nice and friendly service. Prices are incredibly reasonable too. We got the Napoleon to go and that was absolutely bomb!"

Ali Baba Kabab

★★★★☆ 4 (118) • $$

"We went on a Sunday for lunch. We placed a to go order consisting of one falafel pita, to chicken schwarma pitas and two lentil soups ($38). The woman at the counter was nice, but she was flustered. She told us a couple minutes and it turned out to be 25 minutes to get our food. Once home, the schwarma pitas received a good review. Loaded with chicken and very large. The falafel was also large, but is was very, very seasoned. Maybe it was too much coriander and a bit too much cumin. I could not taste the pickles or the garlic sauce through the spices. This type of falafel is not for me, so I would not return, but the others did like their sandwiches and the soup. If you dine in, I still believe you order at the counter. There is plenty of space inside the restaurant which has two rooms. The paint, flooring and finishes look new and are well done."

Nash Bros

★★★★★ 4.6 (89) • $$

"Stopped here later at night for dinner and it truly is a hidden gem. We got a couple items and the hot chick was the star. We got medium and it had good spice. The smash fries were so good. It had chunks of beef on it with nacho cheese. The owners are super nice and asked how we found out about them. Overall, I would come back and try their other items. If you're a fan of Nashville style chicken sandwiches, I'd recommend this place."

Indian Paradise

★★★★★ 4.6 (86) • $$

"I'm feeling hungry just looking back at the photos of the food here at Indian Paradise. Everything was well-portioned, especially the lamb biryani.Here's what we ordered:Chicken Tikka Masala: So good and buttery. I have to come back for this!Palak Paneer: Very flavorful, and I love the generous amount of cottage cheese in there. Every bite tasted amazing.Garlic Naan: Mandatory to pair with the main dishes, no complaints.Lamb Biryani: HUGE. We definitely overordered as it was way too much food for 2 people. Loved this too.Crispy Onion Pakora: On the house! I've never tried this dish, and it was a pleasant surprise from the owners. Loved how crispy and airy this was--definitely a great appetizer.Most definitely will come back for the great food, generous portions, and personable owners!"

Shemroon Kabab House

★★★★☆ 4.3 (86) • $$

"We are grateful for this unique addition to the local dining scene. The food is FANTASTIC. Various kebabs, the dill rice, even the little sides and garnishes, all are delicious and crafted with obvious care and expertise.If you're looking at the menu just for takeout, it may seem a bit pricey, but the quality is incredibly high, and you get a large quantity of food. Each entree makes three meals for me.The dining room is classy and warm, perfect for a date night. We can't wait to try the dine-in experience."

Istanbul Market and Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.8 (101) • $$

"Was craving something delicious today and was reading great reviews about this market and cafe. I was welcomed by big smiles, great conversations and an amazing menu for carryout meals.The gentleman behind the counter was so helpful and really had a passion for his food there...he described as the "Best Street Food Style Meals"I ordered Lamb SoupWedding SoupKofta Sandwiches Beef Shish Sandwiches Bulgar KoftaMeat filled Pide....WOWOWOWOWMany delicious recommended dessertsAll were amazing choices...I will definitely make the 30 mile drive to come try more. I highly recommend this place"

Hello Shawarma

★★★★★ 4.5 (70)

"Interesting a delicious shawarma! I didn't really understand the concept until I looked around but you order what you want in a kiosk and your food is brought out to you, or handed to you if you're taking it to go. I ordered the Shawarma Saj, and tbh I should've ordered it in a stuffed pita because it comes with more pickles and such. To make up for it, I ordered a side of pickles where I can fully my own container and it was delicious! The sandwich was filling and full of flavor. The fries are also well seasoned and delicious. Friendly staff and clean. Really enjoyed coming here and will do so!"

Tim Tim's Halal Grill

★★★★☆ 4.4 (71)

"My love and I were on a late-morning stroll when we decided to get a bite to eat at Tim Tim's, located on an awkward lot on Montrose and Keokuk. This was my first time at Tim Tim's though I have had food from this location when it was a previous establishment.This is basically a burger shack, with a tiny interior that has a few tables. There is also some outdoor seating on metallic chairs, but we feared burning our booties in the summer sun, so we chose to eat indoors. There were a couple of peeps ordering takeout, but everyone cleared out by the time our food came out. There are a few parking spaces as well.The diverse menu lists quite a few value meals that include fries and a fountain drink, so that's the way to go. My love went with the cheeseburger meal, and I chose the weirdly named gym shoe meal. I have heard about the existence of a "gym shoe" sandwich in Chicago, so I just had to try it out. It's sort of like a "garbage" sandwich with many ingredients, or a stacked version of the Wreck served at Potbelly's. My gym shoe included roast beef, corned beef, gyros meat, lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo (and possibly other toppings) on a toasted sub roll. It's a tasty sandwich that somehow was not overly messy, and each of us took half of our food to go. The fries taste good and have a nice crispiness to them."