Taste of Lebanon Restaurant
Categories: Middle Eastern, Fast Food [Edit]
Neighborhood: Ravenswood1509 W Foster Ave
Chicago, IL 60640 (773) 334-1600
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: No
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch
- Alcohol: None
42 reviews
Evanston, IL
"Small and cozy with amazing food. This is the only middle eastern place I have been that is better than Pita Inn. I love the grilled…" read more »
75 Reviews for Taste of Lebanon Restaurant
I kept hearing good things, so maybe it's just me, but I found this place really mediocre. It seemed kind of filthy and low rent when I walked in. Usually I like that sort of thing, but I'm wasn't there for a rock show, I was there to get some food.
Not being able to decide between hummus or falafel, I ordered the hummus falafel wrap. Good idea, right? Apparently not. It tasted like I was chewing on bitter carpet. Yeah, as much fun as it sounds.
As part of Ted C's continuing misadventures, he was deployed to Iraq. One of the all too few good memories (besides having a Kurdish girl say she loved yours truly,) was this place Mudjat's near the far end of the FOB (Forward Operating Base.) You could sit back, order a couple of sandwiches that were grilled right out back for three bucks a pop, watch crazy European MTV and buy soda that you could otherwise get for free from the DFAC (Dining Facility.) Mudjat was a pretty friendly guy, and the place was great when it wasn't closed down for buying meat from unapproved sources, (knowing how Iraqis handle meat being one of the many bad memories of being there.)
When I walked into Taste of Lebanon today, that's what it reminded me of, Mudjat's. The sandwiches were the same-although Mudjat didn't have chicken. The interiors of both were pretty no-frills and the cooler full of drinks almost brought a tear to my eye. I'm not just giving this place 4 stars because I was waxing nostalgic, though. The food is cheap and tasty, with the Chicken Chwarma being oh so delicious. Now that I've read the other reviews, maybe I'll check out the lentil soup, and I'll give the grape leaves here a try even though I've had bad experiences with them at other places.
Yummy yummy lentil soup. The best I've ever had.
The falafel sandwich was also delicious.
The grocery store across the street has a huge selection of spices and stuff too - try the chile covered dehydrated mango - spicy!
The one downside - you will smell like your falafel sandwich until you can shower.
A great place to eat before getting a drink at the Hopleaf - maybe your new falafel perfume will keep people from standing close to you at the crowded bar :)
omg... the best lentil soup i think i have ever had! the wraps,(lamb is my fav), and stuffed grape leaves are great. you will not be disappointed!
This place is almost as good as your Lebanese grandmother's cooking. Although the menu is very small, what Taste of Lebanon offers is very good. I've had nearly everything on the menu, and been very pleased with the quality, the amount of food, and the price (ridiculously cheap). I wish they offered kibbeh or kefta, though.
The people who work there are really pleasant from my experience, and although the place lacks ambiance, the food and good prices certainly make up for it.
Yislamo!
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Don't let the first sight of this place frighten you. Yes, the inside looks like it has seen better days but the food is good! The grape leaves were fantastic, hummus was good, and the wrap was decent although it didn't blow me away. I don't have a ton to say other than I think it's a great little place to stop for a tasty and quick bite to eat.
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I wish the people here would adopt me so I could stuff myself full of falafel, lentil soup & chicken shawarma all the time.
It's cheap, it's fast & it's delicious. What else do you need to know?
Beirut 4 Life!
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Yes, the falafel.. blah blah blah.. Get the Lebanese Salad! Fresh tomatoes, fresh firm lettuce! The dressing has got lemon juice and, like, mint in it. Pair it with the lentil soup, and sip it straight out of the container, coffee style. Yum yum yum!
I have watched the kid at Taste of Lebanon grow from pre-pubescent quiet teen into a young, still quiet man. I have also watched the once UNDER-priced items go from $2.39 to about $3.29 (damn andersonville rents) But the quality--always consistant. I've had this at least 150 times throughout the past 8 years. The staff are friendly and quick but order ahead if you're thinking lunchtime munchies because so is everybody else.
I stick to lentil soup (best damn lentil soup--EVER) with spices
falafel wraps with or without hummus/babaganoush
(almost peanutty taste...maybe the oil?)
dolmas
lamb kebob
dips
or pretty much ANY of the concise menu.
Enjoy a HUGE meal...but beware
1) You're probably going to fart your ass off
2) You're going to crave it
3) They're closed Sundays...so don't get a hangover on this day
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I just started to work in Andersonville and this place was recommended by my coworkers. At first, I was reluctant to go inside because the place looks a little shady (and ugly!) However, I didn't know where else to go and I only had 15 mins left on my lunch break.
It is weird that their falafels are in a wrap and not in a pita, but I liked it! It was very good and the price is very cheap! The service there was also great! The employees were very nice and polite. That probably made up for the lack of a good ambiance.
I'll probably be stopping in here frequently for my lunch breaks!
The place is just one step above dive status but the falafel here is the best in town. I don't know why everyone is cramming themselves into Reza's for overpriced and completely mediocre mediterranian food when this place is a superior value. I seriously crave this s***. Authentic, fresh, and amazing.
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I've never been able to comprehend why the Middle East is such a hotbed for extremism and terrorism when they get to eat food like this ALL THE TIME.*
Seriously, if I were from that part of the world and I was looking at an American porker, I'd just laugh and say, "Hamburger? Ha! Lookit this kabob and WEEP! Rock beats paper, falafel beats hot dog. Praise Allah, motherfucker!" They don't need to blow us up--taunting us with their delicious, nutritious cuisine should be torture enough.
That said, I had an intense religious experience at Taste of Lebanon--mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord in a bowl of lentil soup.
Usually I'm not one to talk to myself as I eat (I save that for when I'm walking down the street alone, and lemme tell YOU I'm a fine conversationalist), but without even thinking about it I took one bite of that lentil soup and cried "ohmigawdthisissogood!" Speaking in tongues? Perhaps. The stuffed grape leaves made me shudder in ecstasy, and I'm not sure what religion this food prescribes, but I wanna find out and convert my ass.
Cash only, and make sure to tithe--I mean, tip.
*Lemme just add that, yes, I am well aware that the situation in the Middle East is far more complicated than my comments would suggest. I may not be an idiot, but I am a constant purveyor of tasteless jokes and oversimplifications. Laugh, goddammit, it's funny.
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My sister put me onto this place right after I moved to Andersonville. She used to do transport for a private ambulance company and would go out of her way (not mid-transport, I assume) to have lunch here.
If I ever move out of Chicago I'm going to have to figure out how to clone everyone who works here and then bring them (the originals, but I guess the clones would do) with me.
My favorites in include the lamb wrap, the falafel with hummus wrap, and the lentil soup.
Up in the 'Ville, this legend of Taste of Lebanon has grown to mythic proportions.
"The falafel is the best in town!"
"Oy, the portions!"
"So cheap, so good!"
The murmurs are close to true. I finally stopped in today for a try. I aimed at the schwarma (I'm a sucker for chicken schwarma), but opted for the Combo #2: tabouli, two falafels, salad and (yet another weakness) grape leaves. All nicely priced at just under $7.
The service was outstanding and efficient; put these guys to the test against the quickest New York street vendor!
Portion control be damned. Two falafel balls, 4 grape leaves, two huge pitas and a large mound of tabouli is enough to fill two people. I waived the white flag after my second grape leaf and felt like a wasteful schmuck for dumping the rest.
Good stuff, cheap and quick. All in all wonderful, yet shy of my coveted 5-star. The falafel was good, but a little overdone and dry. The menu is pretty limited, although this is truly a fast food joint. Nothing absolutely blew me away, but I would certainly make it a regular stop for satisfying a cheap Mediterranean craving.
On a side note, I love Lebanese food. I have enjoyed many wonderfully diverse eating experiences thanks to some great Lebanese restaurants in the US. This is the quick-bite, a very abbreviated "taste-o-Lebanon," featuring good greasy fast food.
There is no better falafel meal for $5.99 anywhere else in the city. I gare-on-tee that. Yes, I am yet another huge fan of this little hole-in-the-wall up on Foster Ave. I give this place 5 stars because it is the best at what it does - making very tasty, delicious and fresh Mediterranean Food and serving it cheap to boot. We've even gone in there just before close and they kindly served us the best damn tasting falafel I've ever had in my life. The hummus is great, too. Just don't wear your jacket into the place because it will smell like a restaurant for days afterwards. Thanks.
I have been meaning to go for a while b/c my friend and soon to be chef, Stephen H. lives around here and swears that Taste of Lebanon is the best.
Leah J and I met here for lunch, and everything was just average to me. Hummus, Falafel, and chicken schwarma were all good, and cheap as well.
I live in Wrigleyville, and Alhambra is normally my place for Mediterranean. For special trips for this cuisine, I am still going to stick to Sultans down on Clark.
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I'll be eating at this place at least one a week this summer. This place is currently tied with Sultan's for the best falafel in Chicago, I can't choose which one I prefer more, although both are very different. I will say the Lentil Soup is better here than Sultan's.
Outstanding restaurant, cheap but delicious, not super crowded at all, a great find.
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When I worked in Uptown we went to this place often for lunch.
The falafel isn't bad but I'd stay away from the red meat schawarma's and kababs.
Can't comment on the chicken, because a chicken kabab or shawarma is just plain silly.
Overall not bad, but I wouldn't go out of my way to go there.
Another fan, I love this place particularly for its creamy-and-smooth lentil soup. It's spiced wonderfully, and comes hot. Great for a cold day, a snack, or even the sick.
There are also some great salads here, and the hummus is delish. And the service sweetens the deal.
The wraps are small though, so take the warning.
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I will eat any of the following items at any time whatsoever, except for the first meal after I wake up (whenever that is), because I prefer to eat only classic breakfast items at that point in my day:
1. The wraps, either with hummus, falafel, hummus & falafel, grape leaves, grape leaves & hummus, chicken chawarma, or baba ghannouj. So delicious and cheap you might slap yourself to find out if you're dreaming.
2. The appetizers, though the word is a misnomer, since it's more like a platter of food. The fool mudammas don't leave me wanting for garlic, which is truly a feat for which I have to salute them. Truly, no vampire would want to sit next to me on the bus. The falafel appetizer comes with enough falafel, tahini, pita, and vegetables to stuff you silly.
3. The combos put a bunch of any of this stuff together, maximizing the power of each foodstuff.
4. You should be required to get the lentil soup and fatoush salad with your order. Either you will think they're delicious, or you should.
Everything is good and cheap. The selection is not incredibly extensive. It has a takeout atmosphere. It's open only until 8 and not at all on Sunday. Taste of Lebanon does extremely well at what it chooses to do, and I will keep going there.
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I love the hummus and falafel here. Everything is so fresh and so cheap!
I don't know about you, but when you get your pitas w/hummus served to you, do the pitas usually come in the bag the restaurant bought them from? Does anyone else see this as a little weird? Well, I'm no pris.... I opened the bag, grabbed some pita and started dipping.
Average hummus, good. The pita's were big and dry, they cooled fast. I like the little, fluffy ones.
We ordered both the chicken shwerma wrap and falafal wrap. Both perfect for lunch time. My fav was the falafal. My bf liked the chicken wrap.
Total for all was about $12. Not a bad deal for a quick bite.
Oh, what a delicious little hole in the wall this is.
The wraps are a little on the small side and i think that might be my favorite part about this place. Finally food that's normal sized rather than our usual super-American size. So nice to get a wrap I can actually finish--and cheap too!!
The menu isn't very extensive, but I'd rather have a small menu of deliciousness than a huge menu of average choices.
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This is my favorite place for Middle Eastern food. Yup, I'd rather go to this cute little hole-in-the-wall than any other fancier restaurant in the city with the same food. Their lentil soup is amazing and I always order the falafel wrap (I just can't try anything else, it's so good) and I can't go there without ordering up their hummus as an app. My husband always orders their lamb kabob wrap. Their vegetarian platter is good, when you feel like eating a bit more, otherwise the wrap is a perfect little meal. And, this place is sooooo cheap, but like I said before, much better than some of the other higher priced Middle Eastern food!!! A whole meal can cost you under $10! The owners are so great too...they notice when you become regulars and often give baklava as a freebie.
xoxo
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I know it's been said before, but this is probably the _best_ hole in the wall discovery ever! Tiny little spot with what looks like a lemonade stand in the back. Great soup, awesome babaganouch (sp?), super strong tea, cheap, fast. They'll customize your schwearma if you ask -"a little extra hummus in there?" or just get some on the side and add it in. And the most perfect size pieces of delectable baklava ever. I'm in love with those little rolls of honey, pistachio goodness!
Good wraps.
Great soup.
Decent price.
Quick and good service.
This is a review, and also a response to "Junie B."
I can't "gare-on-tee" that there is a better falafel meal for $5.99 in the city, but I can guarantee there is a better falafel meal at Salam Restaurant on Kedzie, for $3.19 - and it isn't a little better; it is miles beyond. From my experience, the falafel at Taste of Lebanon is not fresh, not crunchy, and definitely not soft and delicious in the middle. Why it is served in a wrap and not inside fresh, warm pita bread, I do not know (forgive me if my memory is inaccurate; I ate there over a year ago). The falafel sandwich I had here was completely mediocre, lacking any sort of flavor distinction that would set it apart from any other run-of-the-mill falafel I've had in town. The hummous is also ordinary. They are fast - which is why I have given them 3 stars... but if you want real middle eastern food, at a better price and substantially better quality and taste, go to Salam on Kedzie - it's the best this city has to offer.
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Bad murals, kick ass lentil soup!
I'd much rather hang here than Reza's or Andies!!!
Super reasonable and super yum!
The place is bare bones perfect. A simple menu, consisting of such items as falafel humus wrap, beef/chicken schwarma wrap, lentil soup, salads, etc. You order, the bring it out to your table and then you pay before you leave. For casual, convenient, fast and fresh. The lentil soup was flavored well, thick and just a little spicy - and my wrap was as good as I suspected.
A friend took me here, but I would, and will, go back gladly on my own.
I love this place. Even though it's a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, the food is just amazing. Whenever I feel like a taste for some Middle Eastern food, I always order the chicken shwarma, which is delicious! The lentil soup is delicious as well. What's great about this place is the quick service and cheap prices for authentic, good quality food.
Oh, and the Middle Eastern Bakery is right across the street. They make the best hummus ever!
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I stumbled upon this review-page and completely flipped out.
I moved back to Chicago after a few years in Southeast Michigan, where lebanese etc food is ubiquetous, and very very good.
It drove me to tears that almost every falaffel I have encountered in Chicago is of the stuffed kind-- a small pita has a corner removed, white lettuce is stuffed in, then a couple falaffel balls, then sauce. The whole thing falls apart and half of it is lettuce with no sauce. I highly prefer the rolled vareity, which is presented like a burrito, and each bite contains the full spectrum of flavors. Can you imagine a burrito where all the rice is on the bottom, then all the beans in a separate layer etc??
So i saw numerous references to "rolled" sandwiched below, and the high marks made me drive way way out of my way to go by the next day.
I didn't map it, or I would have seen that it is right around the corner from the Hop Leaf, so I am shocked I never ran into it, even though it is, as others testify, pretty much officially a hole in the wall. The storefront is about 9 feet wide-- I drove past. It's about one step away from being a cart. it's just west of Clark.
The menu is spare, mostly salads, dips, lots of meat sandwiches and falafel. I got 2 falaffel to go, but would have liked to get the taboili--I saw one go out, nice and green-- and some baba, but I didnt have much cash and refuse to pay ATM surcharges around they corner. Yeah-- cash only!! Prices are quite fair-- I think 3.80 a sandwich, a bi8t more for salad or hummous, but most likely it's worth it.
I ate one sandwich promptly in the car, found it to be delicious but not dumbfounding. In SE Michigan, the place would rate as 'ok.' in chicago, it's really good.
If ToL were in my neighborhood I'd go there all the time, but it's not, so I won't. I would go there when I am up in the area, although there's some competition within a few bocks (Hop Leaf and Kopi are both on my 'list,' although both are quite different experiences-- I'll probably be eating a few falaffels under the table with my beers at HL.
Delicious. Quick, easy, inexpensive.
I don't know much about Middle Eastern food; I was raised on Wonder bread and bologna. I was well into adulthood before trying falafel. Unfortunate that I've wasted so many falafel eating years.
At Taste of Lebanon, I've always gotten the falafel wrap with hummus and the lentil soup. The combination of the two is perfect to me. The lentil soup is good for dipping a pita or the wrap itself. You can't go wrong with that combo. I'd like to start trying other items on the menu, the pull of the falafel and soup has just been too strong thus far.
Soon.
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After getting recommendations from countless people, we ventured over here during the first big snowfall for some of the legendary lentil soup we kept hearing about. It was delicious and perfect for the snowy evening. We also ordered a couple of the falafels (which are very small but also amazingly good and inexpensive) to go. I fell in love with the falafel and soup combo. This place is worth the trip but thank god it's close to where we live!!!
I didn't really like Middle Eastern food until I ate here. The babaghoush and the beef shawarma are fantastic! My wife loves the fattoush. The staff are very friendly and the food is cheap.
This is the first place in Chicago I've found that even comes close to replicating the fast food schawarma and falafel restaurants found in the middle east. And it does it without inflation, if not a little cheaper than over there! $5 for falafel sandwich and bottled water is probably the best food deal in town (aside from their $2 huge bowl of lentil soup).
Those who think that Pita Inn, Sultan's, or Noon-o-Kabab is "the best" need to start eating here and realize what they're missing out on.
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(Hands waving wildly in the air)
I have little-to-no previous experience with Middle Eastern food. However, it was a most joyous occasion when I happened upon this place with a co-worker a few blocks away from work. If I bought lunch every day, I could happily go to TofL.
Chawarma (beef, chicken, or spiced lamb) and falafal wraps combined with fresh french fries or a cup of lentil soup make for a satisfying and moderately priced lunch. I haven't venture far afield from these items, but that is for convenience sake. I haven't eaten in the restaurant enough to try the salads or the other dishes, but I am sure that I would not be disappointed.
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I see from the other reviewers that this gem is not so hidden, but I'll add my testimony to the chorus. Everything I've had is fantastic, from the chicken chawarma to the hummus, the lentil soup to the salad, but my favorite is the falafel. Perfectly crispy and not-too-oily exterior with a nice warm, moist center. It would be lovely at any price, so that it's dirt cheap makes it a true gift to mankind.
As others have said, the selection is limited, but you can't go wrong with any choice you make. While there's seating, I definitely recommend doing take out, as the ambience is defined by a television above the cash register.
This is the definition of a hole in the wall, but not in a bad way. It's clean and well-kept. But it's tiny, with a total of maybe 7 tables. The awning out front reads, "Hummus Falafel Vegetarian Combo" and that's most of their menu. The decor is almost comical, with a painted mural of a beach scene on one wall and a bunch of postcards on the other. The Lebanese flag -- red and white stripes with a green cedar tree -- is a recurring motif that rims the walls.
But the food. The falafel is (are?) crispy and moist, and the lentil soup makes me wish it was winter. The sandwiches are served as wraps, which makes sense considering that the majority of their business is probably take out. Be aware that the falafel and hummus wrap is just that -- the hummus is in the wrap. But it's a winning combination. Prices are, as my friend says, "Cheap cheap almost free."
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Prior reviewers nailed in highly recommending the lentil soup and the falafel sandwich. The chicken shawerma is also pretty good. Key missing point is that Taste of Lebanon makes its sandwiches in lavash/ lafa (sweet flat bread) rather than in pita, which is the traditional way that sandwiches are made in parts of Lebanon, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Why bother to tell you this? Because another thing that some Lebanese and Saudis do with their falafel and shawerma wraps is add french fries or fried eggplant. Since learning this I have been known to take these cheap and delicious Taste-y Lebanese sandwiches home, unroll, add fried eggplant and french fries, reroll and eat. You want to be known for the same thing, 'cause it will blow your taste buds' minds.
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Tiny but packs a wallop! Reasonable prices, friendly service, and very tasty dishes. The cheapest items on the menu are the wraps which are great to go, but if you do feel like eating in, grab vegetarian #1 (hummus, falafel and baba ghanouj) which comes with a small bag of pitas along with a plate of lettuce, tomatoes, olives and various pickled delicacies. It's great to live in a neighborhood that has cheap and delicious eats like these within a five minute walk.
Oh, and if you do have to use the facilities while you're there, just ask and they'll open the little half door which lets you into the back part of the business.
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