Al-Khaymeih
Category: Middle Eastern [Edit]
Neighborhood: Albany Park4748 N Kedzie Ave
(between Lawrence Ave & Leland Ave)
Chicago, IL 60625 (773) 583-0999
- Nearest Transit:
Kedzie (Brown)
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
62 reviews
Neighborhood: Near West Side
"Best delivery food ever! You get alot for your money too. If you order the special of the day, you get an entree, tons of rice, a small…" read more »
29 Reviews for Al-Khaymeih
I have tried them all, the 3 middle eastern restaurants on the 46-4700 N. Kedzie stretch. They all have something special about them and I do love them all. If you haven't tried middle eastern food, you are are definitely missing out!
After I got home late last night with the red line mishap, I was in no mood to cook. We decided to try Al-Khaymeih and I'm glad we did! They have the most flavorful chicken kabobs and the chicken is very lean. They also give you a small salad with your meal and that was very outstanding. The staff is very sweet as well. We will be frequent diners at Al-Khaymeih!
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Al-Khaymeih is quite simply the s$%&.
I went with some friends on a Saturday night, and I was weary because it looked empty. We sat down and had some appetizers. The baba ganoush was excellent. I don't even like hummus, but I was eating that too. And I had some of the best falafel I've ever tasted.
I then got a kabob sample platter with chicken, ground beef, and steak. Sweet lord, it was good. The waitress and owner was extremely courteous.
They are pretty new, and their food is so good, it deserves to succeed. I hate to say this, but I like this place better than the one down the street, Noon-O-Kabob.
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You know when you have one of those days when you get home from work and you don't even have the energy to fix yourself a bowl of cereal? As a middle school teacher, I experience those days often. Luckily, take-out at Al-Khayameih allows me to not only sit back on the couch watching reruns of the Cosby Show (no cable), but it also provides a mouth-watering, need-at-least-a-couple-times-a-month meal. I love Al-Khayameih! Their falafel is SO FREAKIN' GOOD!!! And, I must give them props on their baba ganoush. Basically, every dish I've tried here has been tasty. If you haven't tried it yet, now is the time.
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Excellent Lebanese food. I thinks it's the best restaurant in a neighborhood full of good places. The hummus was a perfect mix of texture and flavor. The steak kabob was good. The chicken kabob my girlfriend got was simply amazing. The server was attentive and prompt. The atmosphere was so so but the food more than makes up for it. Overall I highly recommend this restaurant.
I absolutely love this place. I suggest the rice wrapped in grape leaves as an appetizer, its just tart enough to wake up your taste buds and it had this distinct taste that hit the spot. I had a chicken entree and ill tell you ive never loved the taste of chicken like i did that one day. absolutely explosive.
The place was full enough to have life, but not crowded enough to be neglected. the waitress was nice and very concerned about our experience, portions are generous..overall great!
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This has to be one of the most flavorful and satisfying meals I have had in Chicago. Every dish was bursting with flavor and every bite made you excited for the next one. From the complimentary pickled vegetables to the pitas with decadent hummus and ground meat all the way to the fattoush and chicken kofta. It was an absolutely awesome meal from start to finish. Highly, highly, highly recommended.
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The neighborhood has many Middle Eastern restaurants, but Al-Khayameih is the best. It's great for a big group, and the food is amazing. The falafel is perhaps the best I've had.
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Allah - ya mat3am ya 7ilu yalle b7ibbo, bmout feek.
When I told a friend at work that I had moved to this neighborhood, he immediately told me to stop by Al-Khayameih. My first stop in certainly proved to be a positive experience. I went in for a late dinner and everything was very tasty.
I started with the grape leaves, and I have to say that they came out exactly how I like them. Piping hot, very lemony, and served with a yogurt sauce, these grape leaves made me feel warm and grounded. It's a great earthy feel to have good grape leaves, don't you think?
I followed it up with the chicken kafka. It was beautifully spiced. Just slightly drier than I'd have hoped for, but it came with a nice little salad and a whipped yogurt sauce. The grilled onions and tomato that came with it were also perfect complements. I so love grilled onions.
It's great to know that there are great little places like these around. I'm looking forward to checking out the bakery soon as well.
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My friends and I were actually trying to go to another restaurant that turned out to be closed, so happening upon Al-Khayameih was serendipity.
Nearly everything we got was heaven, from the light as Marshmallow Fluf baba ganouj to the perfectly smooth hummus to the mildly seasoned rice to my kibbie plate, even to the grilled onion and tomato with each entree. The only gripe we had was that their falafel was a little bland-tasting, although it did have one of the best textures I've eaten (felt? what's the verb I want here?)--super doughy and smooshy in the middle and crispy on the outside.
The service was a little slow, but whatever. There was only one server for the entire restaurant, and she was packing up to-go orders too, so eh, get over it.
I can't think of anything witty to say for my last paragraph, here. This food tasted good when I put it in my mouth and chewed it. You should put it in your mouth and chew it too.
P.S. I swallowed it, too
P.P.S. That's what she said
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You can eat like a king (or queen) at this place for not a lot of clink! The kebab combo is easily enough to feed 3, maybe 4 people. Plus there aren't many middle eastern restaurants that have a BYOB policy.
The falafel, baba ghanouj, and hummus all were quite tasty, and their lemon garlic sauce/dressing (I think it's called toum) will knock your socks off.
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Initially we were going to go to Semirami's but the wait was much too long since we were both rather hungry so we walked a bit farther and came across Al-Khayameih. Their awning advertised Lebanese and Vegetarian food which seemed really promising.
The restaurant is nice but simple. When we were there they were seating everyone by the window so while most of the restaurant was empty they had a concentration of patrons up front. This meant I had to listen to some lady talk non-stop during our meal - I only heard her date speak once - ONCE in an hour!
The menu was extensive -there was even a breakfast menu. Alot of the food sounded delicious - even the meat dishes and I don't eat meat. Immediately after we sat down the waitress brought out a little appetizer - some pita chips, cole slaw ... and a slightly spicy red dip (?). Very good and the bf pointed out that little touches like really add to the restaurant experience.
We ordered lentil soup, the falafel and hummus plate, the fattoush salad and a side of veggie skewer. Most of the food arrived with a basket of warm pita - very light and fluffy.
The lentil soup was delicious. The bf detected a hint of butteriness - maybe a touch of ghee? I marveled at how similar the ingredients and spices are to dahl and yet the soup has its own taste, its not a more creamy dahl.
The hummus and falafel plate was next - the hummus was good with a very light oil drizzled over it. The falafel was incredibly light and fluffy. The fattoush salad was tasty - nice combination of diced veggies with lemon juice, olive oil and salt.
Then we waited .... and waited for the veggie skewer. Finally we had to ask for it - not sure if the waitress forgot to put it in or the cook forgot to make it. When it arrived - it was an ENTIRE dinner-sized plate full of grilled vegetables - onions, tomatoes, and green peppers - and it only cost $2. I could just eat a plate of this with some soup and pita and I'd leave the restaurant happy and full. I love veggies grilled over a fire - it adds a great taste to the vegetables.
The service was a bit spotty at times - the waitress was working along on a Thursday night and while the restaurant was by no means full there were 7 or 8 tables full of patrons. After she brought our food she never stopped again until we had to ask about our veggie skewer and then our check so we never got a drink refill.
Even with the over-worked waitress the experience was excellent. We'll definitely be back.
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Great place. It has a casual atmosphere, and everything I tried was really tasty. I took one star off because the menu is pretty standard Middle Eastern fare in terms of selection, and a lot of the dishes are somewhat repetitive. It is also a little pricier than similar restaurants. They had an interesting breakfast menu, but I was there for dinner.
I usually get take out from this place so am unaffected by slow service. The kibbie they serve here is the best I've ever tasted. For parties I will sometimes get a few large orders of falafel -- extremely good and everyone raves about it.
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Excellent food. I'm in AP a few days a week during the day and I love to get the chicken wrap to go and just walk with it... it has the best combination of food in it including roasted-on-the-spindle-type-thing chicken, tahini, and some crazy awesome pickled thing. The meals are huge and come with TONS of bread... easily three meals when carry-out. I agree with the rest of the rave reviews!
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This place has great food, but they do need more waitstaff. The evening we were there, there was only one server for half our meal; by the time we were nearly done, another server joined her, but the poor girl who took care of us from the start was terribly overworked. Al-Khayameih, please hire more people!
The atmosphere is very "functional". Don't come expecting gorgeous artwork, fancy furniture and white tablecloths; it's a simple place, which is fine by me.
But, back to the food: it's all delicious, fresh, and the portions were definitely large. I loved the rice; how do they make it taste so good, I wonder? Loads of deliciousness, and for not a load of cash! I've been told by others who know Lebanese food that it's authentic, as well. If (when) you go there, let me know, I'll join you!
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This place is great. My favorite dishes are the yogurt salad, falafel and meat shwarma. The portions are huge- I can normally get three meals out of one order of shwarma. They are rarely packed, so you can always get a seat and its also BYOB.
I like the servers but there are times when they are harried and I don't get great service. Otherise, I would have given 5 stars.
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This is the restaurant portion of the larger Al-Khayem pita/bakery/grocery store empire.
It's amazing! Almost everything a restaurant should be (except for the alcohol, I'm unclear on their policy). It's my comfort food for all occasions, and it's dirt cheap, especially for the amount of great food that you get.
I always go with a friend, and we each get a bowl of lentil soup ("with secret recipies," as the menu says) for $2.95 each, and it's the best soup EVER- especially with the lemon squeezed over it. Then we split a small order of hummus, which is perfectly seasoned and textured and comes with warm pita (baked fresh next door), green olives, pickled beets, and if you ask for it feta cheese, onions, and tomatoes. This adds an additional $2.95 to our tab, and at this point we are usually stuffed full. If we are feeling particularly hungry, we order a small falafel plate (another $2.95...ouch) which comes with 6 pieces of falafel, more tomatoes and onions, and tahini. Sometimes the waitresses bring it out at really weird times or in a strange order...but a small detail in light of the cheap, amazing food.
I've also had the chicken kebob and it's moist and juicy and flavorful and tender and so much food, and comes with a HUGE bowl of the garlic yogurt sauce for dipping.
I also love the glass goblets they provide for water, and white linen napkins, and how I feel comfortable wearing jeans despite these oddly classy touches.
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I think this place has the best falafel and value in Albany Park by a long shot. It's a good sign when many of the patrons are Middle Eastern. Their baba gannouj is excellent, and my brother-in-law swears by the chicken shwerma. They also give you a complimentary pickle and lots of pita to start with. Now that's a lot of food! But don't exect to break a 10 (fot 2!) at this place for a filling lunch or dinner.
However service can be hectic. In fact, I think a good indicator of a place is how they handle things when things go wrong. The other night we were in there in the place was swamped, and they totally fucked up our order. However, the manager (owner?) who was helping the only waitress in the place was awesome, and he comped our hummus, and I believe he gave us an extra portion to our already groaning plates, so that we now have food for three days. He also repeatedly apologized for the situation. Now that is SERVICE!
In the category of Middle-Eastern/Medditerranean Food, this restaurant rates 5 Stars. Informal setting belies the best such food I've eaten at many such places in Chicagoland. You start with the usual complimentary appetizer plate of small green olives and slices of pickled vegetables. For appetizers, we had delicious Falafel ($2.95 for 6 pieces); and, a small but delectable bowl of fresh Lentil soup with a squeeze of lemon (also $2.95). For entrees, we had the Chicken Shawerma plate, and the Kefka Kabob (which was the best I've eaten), and both plates were piled high with Basmati Rice and a roasted tomato, accompanied by a bowl full of toasted Pita. (our entrees were $9.95/each). Best of of all, it's BYO (and no corkage)! Sooo much too eat, we only ate half of our entree plates and had enough for left-overs dinner next night. How can you beat that?
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I have to say that this place is some of the best middle eastern style food I have ever had. Every single item that we ordered was fresh, tasty and sized appropriately... not too much, not too little. The prices were reasonable (not as inexpensive as places like Salam) for a nice cozy sit-down restaurant. The waitress was 100% smiles and very attentive.
I have nothing at all to complain about with my experience here and urge you to check it out, if you enjoy middle eastern food much as I do. They have a very unique Baba Ghannuj and very delectable Hummus. Yum, yum... I didn't even need any bourbon while I was here I was so impressed. And that's saying something.
A coworker brought their baklavah and other delightful pastries in to work today. Wow. Talk about flaky phyllo and the sweet was not too sweet, the fillings were nutty and not too soft. This was great stuff, and if it had a little rose oil as I have experienced baklavah in New Jersey (I recall cooking with rose oil is ethnically specific and probably off target for the culinary creators at this estab- does anyone know about this?). So for my palate the baklava would have been beyond beyond comparison with rose oil. As is it is still beyond comparison and worth a personal visit!
We stopped for some Lebanese takeout today and absolutely loved it.
The pita was soft, the Kifka Kebob was very tended and the rice was done well, but the star of the show was the Kibbie.
The Kibbie (Kibbeh) has a wonderfully crispy crust and the inside opens up with a beefy cinnamon aroma. I could have eaten a dozen easily.
We plan to return and stuff our pockets with Kibbie.
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The food was good, everthing prepared very well. Shwarma was very tasty .
Bring your own hot sauce, theirs is no good, it was homemade and did nothing. I like spicy, If I'd hopped up and bought some from across the street, I would've been more happy.
Alike most places catering this cuisine, the food is expensive. But, you can get what you want without having to deal with ridiculous dinner menu prices, like other places.
Next door they've got some great baklava, desserts.. check it out. Hookah goodies on sale!
Been back as of Dec 06' . Food has gotten even better! Hummus with meat is a necessary to try! They've redecorated and it looks nicer. But, they've added too many tables and especially on holidays and weekends it can be too crowded. Tables weren't spaced well, it felt cramped. Service has gone down, a waitress was delivering hummus and spilled olive oil all over a relatives jacket and the back of her wool sweater! She didn't and wouldn't apologize, her attitude was more like, oh well shit happens in a restaurant. They could use at least another 2 servers for weekends. The waiting time is ridiculous.
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This place was very good. On a trip to visit an old roomate who now lives in Albany Park, my partner and I joined him for dinner here. Being our first time, we were not sure what to expect. We ordered Humous for an appetizer which was delicious but not necessary. Our meals were huge. I don't know exactly what I ordered but it had two different types of meat that were grilled to perfection with perfect taste and texture. The Basmati rice that joins the plate was incredible. Overall I thought the food was very good and affordable. Definitely recommend it if you are in the area.
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Good cheap eats. Great veggie plate. Visit the adjoining bakery for many middle eastern treats/deserts/spices. Fresh wheat pita straight from the oven for $1. Each bag contains 10 - 12 pitas.
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This place rocks! Pretty much everything I had here was absolutely delicious! Best falafel I had since I left Seattle! Grape leaves were also great, though I was expecting them to be cold...but oh well hot is also good. Lentil soup was as good as my mom's! Bread was just mouth-watering. My only suggestion is that the waitresses can be a little bit more friendly.
AMAZING food, some of the best i've had outside the middle east. delicious.
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better than average, fast to the table, easy on the wallet. see photo for details
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