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Haifa Cafe
Category: Restaurants Middle Eastern Middle Eastern [Edit]
115 S. Clinton(between Monroe St & Washington Blvd)
Chicago, IL 60661
Neighborhood: Near West Side
(312) 804-4000
- Nearest Transit:
-
Clinton-Blue (Blue Line)
Clinton-Green (Green Line, Pink Line)
Quincy/wells (Brown Line, Orange Line, Pink Line, Purple Line)
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
20 reviews for Haifa Cafe
20 reviews in English
-
Review from Jimmy P.
Chicago, IL
2/1/2012
Decent change of pace for lunch in the area, where options are essentially limited to the Halstead Deli, Pret a Manger or other.
The food was dry, the service was friendly, the portions were incredible and the price was low. Averages out to a very sexy 3 stars. -
Review from Susan F.
11/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great loop lunch option. Super cheap (most under $5 or $6), with a good amount of nice quality food. Ask for extras, and they give it you to on the house--like hot sauces. They also have smoothies--but I'm not sure how they taste...
Anything chicken is good, and sometimes, they pop in an extra falafel for ya! The food comes out quickly and you can see what it looks like before you purchase--kind of Chipotle/Subway style.
Don't be afraid to stop on by this lunch joint. They take credit cards, too. -
Review from Andrew T.
Joliet, IL
12/14/2011 18 Check-ins Here
I frequent this place at least once a week. Staff is friendly. Food is decent. I usually get the turkey gyros combo. No where else in town you can find a fresh roasted turkey every day. The cucumber sauce for the gyros is a little watery though so I don't get it
-
Review from Peter D.
Philadelphia, PA
6/8/2011
Very mediocre and that is for both prices and quality of food.
I had a felafel sandwich and a soft drink that came out to be nearly $6.
The felafel was not very warm nor was it as crispy as I would have liked it to be. The wheat pita was not as tasty either. Perhaps the most impressive and only highlight of the sandwich was the hummus.
I love the location as it is a block from where I am taking classes at Chicago-Kent but I would rather go somewhere else. I probably won't be patronizing this establishment anymore in my time spent in Chicago. -
Review from Michael S.
Denver, CO
7/15/2009
I wanted to love this place. I liked the food going down. But alas, it was slurp n burp...and worse.
My Seafood Curry Combo of a huge piece of grilled salmon and shrimp on rice, with a piece of Falafel and Hummus, I thought, was terrific....until my stomach started feeling yucky.....very yucky, not long after I got home and before I ate anything esle. So, I know it was the food.
You get what you pay for, and it was cheap. -
Review from Amanda B.
Chicago, IL
7/29/2009
This is exactly what I was looking for when meeting a friend for lunch the other day! An affordable, quick falafel sandwich on pita in West Loop. And they even have fresh carrot juice. That's right - CARROT JUICE! This is one of my favorite things and it can be hard to find. They have a mixed juice drink called the "Energizer" that's half orange juice and half carrot juice. It was ultra-yummy!
The falafel was good too - had some crunch, but in a good way. And they just automatically added the cucumber, tomatoes and sauce - all that good stuff...
My sandwich and good-sized juice cost about $6.50 - not bad for lunch near the loop.
I'm a fan and will be back the next time I have a falafel sandwich and carrot juice craving. -
Review from Michael S.
Chicago, IL
4/15/2009
So I've never been to Haifa Cafe before and this one newly opened across the street from work so I figure why not?
I had the chicken schwarma lunch special. It was decent, but definitely not the best I've had. They only gave one fallafel with it too with seemed pretty stingy especially for their price point.
I did like their smoothie however. Had the one with mango, milk, and banana.. It was sweet and delicious.
This place is fine, but for my money I'd probably just go to Roti a block further down.
Really wanted to give this a better review being the first for this place, but just couldn't do it.. Sorry Haifa Cafe :( -
Review from Kar M.
Chicago, IL
6/4/2009
I went here fairly often and took this to mean that I liked the place. But I'm finally willing to admit that I only go there when I have a $1 off coupon. They're not bad. They're just... only good in certain ways.
The falafel, for example: tasty. They just don't give you very much. The lentil soup is amazing and their fresh juices and smoothies are to die for. See? Good things!
But their combos come with a lot of filler -- Uncle Ben's rice (sad to confirm) and salad (an insulting blend of sub-par chopped lettuce and an occasional dime-sized tomato chunk). The hummus is really touch and go. And entrees tend to taste like a frozen dinner.
I'd give four stars for the vegetarian combo, lentil soup, and whatever they call their carrot-celery-apple juice blend (Energizer?). But I'd give two for everything else I've ever had here. -
Review from Gina H.
Chicago, IL
3/5/2010
Having worked in the loop for years you sometimes get sick of your lunch options...(sure many can relate). I eat at the Hafia Café at lunch at least once a week...and have turned others on to it as well as a good quick lunch option when you need to grab something and go back to you desk.
I see some other less than stellar reviews, so I suppose I can only report on the one thing I order - the Chicken Kabob plate. I think it's really good! Also, they give you a lot of food, and it's somewhat on the healthier side (something severely lacking from many lunch options) - grilled chicken, a little rice and a pita bread, plus some falafel, hits the spot during the work day, so I can't complain. -
Review from Max A.
New Lenox, IL
6/2/2011
I stopped here cause a kid handing out a flyer gave me a menu and it's around the corner from my office. The food was mediocre at best. the chicken swarma didn't seem to be spit roasted at all, tasted more steamed with some dry seasonings shaken on as an after thought. The rice Pilaf was bland, but i did enjoy the falafel. In terms of cleanliness, I've eaten at worse, but it certainly could be better. The big guy at the register was overly sweaty (and it wasn't even warm) and his shirt was dirty. Granted he wasn't making the food, but I didn't find that to be conducive to making me anxious to eat. on the whole it was edible, but I won't be returning.
-
Review from Mark A.
Chicago, IL
4/16/2010
I am a Roti FANATIC but sometimes the walk to Haifa is worth the extra block. Roti definitely is fresher with more condiment options, but the platters at Haifa are double the size. I've had 3 different platters and they are all ROBUST and delicious. The person who said the rice is like "Uncle Ben's" must've gotten a bad batch.
Before 11:30am, I will go to Roti for the shorter walk and free falafal promotion; after that I will go to Haifa. -
Review from adam C.
Chicago, IL
7/7/2009
I love middle eastern food more than anything. This place is a 3 minute walk from my work.
I probably won't go back again :(
Edit: I was so wrong about these guys! Apparently I was ordering off the wrong potions of the menu. Now that I've tried a few of their dishes, I'll definitely up my star-rating from 2 to 4! -
Review from Carolyn S.
Chicago, IL
4/28/2009
I was excited to try this small Mediterranean lunch joint, which is a little closer than Roti, but this was pretty disappointing.
I also tried the chicken schwarma special with a $1.00 off coupon picked up around lunch time at the corner of Adams and Clinton. The meal was (before the discount) $7.65 with tax--it comes with rice, one (1) falafel, a small amount of hummus, a half pita, and some lettuce, and also a 16oz drink. The chintziness on the side dishes didn't help the chicken, which was dry and vinegary--not tasty at all.
I wanted to ask if I could get some sauce or some other salad, but the people working there were pretty unfriendly.
There was some seating available in the small restaurant, service was very fast, and it was not at all crowded (but I can see why--the food is just no good). -
Review from Edward C.
Chicago, IL
8/31/2009
This place is right across the street from work and for a little while, I was going there a couple times a week. Their combos are so-so, but the falafel sandwich is all I really go for. Not the best falafel ever, but still quite delicious for lunch.
I wouldn't go out of my way to go here, but it's convenient for me. -
Review from Norman P.
Chicago, IL
11/21/2010
Food is decent but I prefer my falafel hot not cold. Nice fruit drinks.
-
Review from Diane H.
Chicago, IL
9/21/2010
Absolutely love this place when I am in the mood for it, but don't come as often because the portions are so BIG. A coworker introduced me to this gem and I have been coming back ever since. It is a small store front with very few tables; I have only ordered to go. I get the turkey platter which is quite the deal. Tons of turkey on top of a bed of rice, a lot of hummus, and a pita for cheap. The amount of food lasts me at least two meals. The staff is very friendly and always willing to throw in an extra pita if I want :)
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Review from tony c.
Alameda, CA
4/23/2010
haifa does have some nice lunch platters, especially if you're trying to shoot for something that resembles healthy food. the chicken shawarma can be pretty tasty but is usually kind of dry, and the roast turkey- their signature- is pretty good too.
it's a nice big plate of food, but still a hair pricey for what it is.. i suppose location is key here. the staff is nice enough. just don't get there at the tail end of lunch. they do run out of stuff and the staff is less tolerant of... well, you.
i get the comment about the uncle ben's rice. it seems as though it was parboiled. it has that shape and texture. which is fine by me, i'm not all that picky - but there is some validity to that statement.
anyway, haifa is worth a try in my book. -
Review from Bree L.
Chicago, IL
4/15/2010
I crave Haifa on the weekend when I am on the Northside and can't walk across the street for it at lunchtime. I probably eat here 3 times a week for lunch. They have tons of healthy lunch options. The egglplant pita and the chicken shwarma are to die for. The tabouli salad is delicious as well.
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Review from Brad D.
Chicago, IL
6/4/2009
Nothing special.
I loves me some falafel, so I was excited to give them a try since they just opened. $5 for a falafel sandwich and an apple (which needed to be washed). The price is typical for lunch downtown, but there was nothing special about it.
Wouldn't make a special trip, but I also wouldn't avoid it. -
Review from McCall M.
New York, NY
7/1/2009
I really wanted to like this place. The staff was friendly and the portions were big but the food was AWFUL. It may have been one of the worst lunches I have ever purchased.
I got the vegetarian lunch combo. None of it was good but the hummus was the worst part - it was bland and did not taste like hummus at all. I have eaten many different types of hummus but this was like nothing I've ever had - it was quite disgusting. The pita oddly tasted like PB&J and whatever they squirted on the falafel was more of a mayo than a yogurt sauce.
If you want to waste your money on terrible food, go here.
