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Category: Restaurants
Neighborhoods: Lincoln Park, DePaulDiversey (Purple Express, Brown)
Mon-Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
"I've been living in Chicago for 6 years and Sapori is the one restaurant I keep returning to. It is the most authentic Italian food I've…" read more »
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My boyfriend and I are avid searchers of authentic Lebanese food in Chicago, and really found Maza to be a diamond in the rough! Upon the first step into the joint we were instantly impressed. The decor tended to be on the French side, along with the perfectly set French music in the background, not too loud, and not too soft! We were the only ones in the restaurant, which made the experience even more intimate.
I have been a part of and working in family owned restaurants my whole life, and so having the owner as our go to man, truly made the experience worth while! Every recommendation was met beyond expectation. From the first sip of my traditional Lebanese wine, which I ended up taking a bottle home to share after, to the warm pita, to the lemon enhanced lentil soup, and I cant forget to mention the lamb ... every sip, slurp and savory bite made you transcend to another level of dining.
If you are looking for a unique and not to mention authentic place to take a special someone, family member or even a group of friends, try your pallette out at Maza, I promise you'll enjoy the experience.
People thought this was:
I found the soup Nazi of Chicago! Or rather, in this case, the Lebanese cuisine Nazi!
After reading all the reviews on Yelp about how the owner is such a meanie, I was unabashedly anticipating the experience. Call me masochistic, but I wanted to purposely do something wrong, so the owner would go on some sort of tirade and slap me with a spatula. Of course, going in with that expectation, the owner actually seemed rather nice. I understand that his English is not the best (he tends to mumble his words and not pause between sentences) and his demeanor is intimidating - he even shook his head (kinda like a disapproving parent after you've eaten dirt out of a potted plant.....I mean what?) when one of our friends ordered an entree they were out of. Either way, I don't think the dude is genuinely mean, maybe just a little stoic.
Anyway, to the food we go! Food, hands down, was amazing (or maybe aMAZAng - haha corny)! I ordered the Stuffed Lamb Special with pine nuts, almond chips and rice. I was thinking a little more Chicken Kiev action going on but it was more like slow roasted lamb over a bed of rice. Regardless, it was very very good. My girlfriend had the Brochettes of Chicken which I was a little suspicious of, only because it seemed so simple and I could totally see them just making it bland or so so. Totally not the case! The pieces of chicken were bursting with flavor, so much so that I think I liked her dish better.
The owner also hooked us up with complimentary lentil soup and dessert (two for that matter, flan and baklava). Overall it came out to just around $23 pp for appetizers, entrees and dessert. Not a bad deal - highly recommended and I will be back to get more lashings from the Lebanese cuisine Nazi!
People thought this was:
3.5
Ok, I will say this, its definitely romantic. I went here on a Monday night and actually there were quite a few other tables in there. So we were seated by a guy and we got a bottle of wine. Not bad. We then ordered a fattoush salad and the spinach squares or whatever they were called. Both were good...the salad was a little overwhelmed in dressing but it was good. Also, the guy that sat us was the waiter and I am pretty sure the cook too...it was odd. Anyway, he asked if had been there before, we said no and he actually brought out a small plate of hummus and baba. They both were really good. Then we got lentil soup with our meal so by this point...we are pretty much full and our meal isnt even out yet. I got the veggie couscous, friends got some chicken grill thing and seafood couscous. Well, the couscous was ok...nothing to write home about. Plus, that night a got a little stomach ache...not sure if it was from the food or something else. After dinner, the guy brought us out rice pudding? and some sort of little rolled up pastries. It was cute. He was really nice and I really wanted to like this place more but I just have to say, it was just weird and the apps were REALLY good but the entree I had wasnt fantastic. I would definitely go back for apps and some wine but I am not sure about the actual entrees. Maybe I just didnt chose the right thing.
We've lived in the neighborhood for a year, and finally made it in to try this place!
Personally I loved the atmosphere. It was artistic and romantic - like eating in a gallery. There was French music playing, and a clear French art influence throughout, which inspired us to go home and google France's connection to Lebanon. Who knew? Maybe lots of people, but not us.
All this stuff about the owner - seriously people, get over it. It's a very American thing to have a host/owner/waiter who goes "Hi!!! how ya doin??? how can I help you fine folks today!???" You aren't in an American restaurant. Appreciate someone else's culture and respect someone else's style for a change. Even if it isn't a style that meshes with you, don't blame the guy for not fitting into an American-Applebee's style hospitality.
Anyway, I thought the owner was a perfectly nice man - quite serious, but he gave us the free lentil soup and he was working so hard the entire time we were there. It seemed like there were only three people working in the whole restaurant - I swear the owner prepared my food himself.
We began with the fool modamas, after hearing it recommended, and it was a wonderful choice of appetizer. Since we also had free olives and other complimentary mezze, our meal was off to a great start. If you are looking for a break in the hummus routine, try the fool modamas (fava beans). They really were a savory, delectable treat.
I ordered the red snapper, after hearing that recommended as well. It was a perfectly prepared piece of fish; flaky and divine. The preparation is extremely simple, so don't order it if you are looking for creativity....just if you want fish prepared in the perfect way as to highlight its own natural flavors. I truly enjoyed it. My dining partner had a shwarma that was not his favorite. It was perfectly fine, but not exceptional. There was not as much meat as he'd hoped, and it was not quite as tender. He is a loyalist to Fattoush, what can I say?
Service was very slow. because (I think) barely anyone was working in the restaurant. I can respect a family-run operation and the challenges involved, so I have no issues with slow service if the food is created with such care. We had a long, leisurely time, and enjoyed it very much. Would've been five stars if not for the shwarma.
I wish I could rate this 0 stars. The owner and service could not be worse. INCREDIBLY rude owner. I once went to pickup dinner, and I was left waiting at the door for 30 minutes. When I gestured that I was leaving, he waved me off.
There are much, much better Lebanese restaurants out there (such as Al-Khamieh). Do yourself a favor and pick another restaurant.
Very dark interior, fantastic food, good prices, slow ass service. Each table comes with a bottle of wine sitting there (no, its not free.. $32.. but it is really good)
We got complimentary soup (my sister keeps on talking about the soup), baklava and ridiculously good bread pudding. Definitely get the specials for the day--four of us got them and we think we got comped the free food because of this.. but the specials were amazing in their own right.
You may need to hail down your server to get the bill.
Damn good Lebanese food.
People thought this was:
I have to start by saying: Worst attitude by an owner I have EVER seen.
I wanted to like this place. I tried. It looks small and quaint, inviting nevertheless. It has an intimate romantic setting suitable for a date.
However, the owner/waiter's attitude ruined the whole experience.
I was here with my family. It was a group of 5, two being vegetarians. Since he did not have falafels as an entree, we ordered two falafel appetizers, babaganouj, spinach pie, and the entrees for the others.
First off, the food wasn't even good. Overcooked chicken, blandness all around, and dry pita bread.
Secondly, upon presenting him our http://restaurant.com coupon, the owner immediately turned into some money hungry machine and told us that since we had not ordered 5 entrees, we could not use the coupon. First of all, that is not a rule written on his coupon. If he does not want people using http://restaurant.com coupons, he should remove his from the service. Also, if he doesn't offer a good vegetarian selection, he can't expect vegetarians to order, ESPECIALLY around Lent.
He said, "I don't work for free."
He also didn't bring us our leftovers to take home.
People thought this was:
I have mixed feelings about this place. I had high hopes because I've passed it hundreds of times and it always looks so cute and authentic. I finally went in this past week and left feeling less than thrilled and really full. However, now that I reflect back on the food, there was little that was disappointing.
For appetizers the stuffed grape leaves were perfect, not too oily and tasted very fresh. The houmos was delicious and had a fantastic blend of spices that tasted so damn good with the warm pita bread. The lentil soup (which I was not excited about) turned out to be very tasty, and I don't even like soup.
I ordered the chicken shawirma which was actually kind of dry, I had the brilliant idea AFTER my meal that it would have been way better if I would have made a little pita pocket out of it. My friend has the lamb special and it was so good, it practically melted in my mouth. He definitely got the better dish.
We didn't order any dessert, however they gave us a complimentary (for it being our first visit to the restaurant) flan type of dish that was really gross (I should mention that I really don't like flan to begin with) but I did appreciate the gesture.
I thankfully read up on some yelp reviews before going and presented my http://restaurants.com gift certificate as soon as I sat down, I didn't want to get yelled at. I'm guessing the man who served us is also the owner, but he was very pushy. At one point I asked for a side of yogurt for my meal and he wouldn't give it to me because he didn't think it went well with my dish. Me no likey.
We were also one of the only two filled tables in the entire restaurant (although it was a Tuesday night), and I'm hoping that doesn't mean that they are not doing so hot.
Moral of the story: it was mostly great food but the service was less than wonderful. I would go back again, but it's not making it on my top 10.
People thought this was:
Came here on a Friday night, without reservations. Walked in at 6:30 to an empty restaurant; when we left, the place was packed. Good timing, I guess.
The place is cute... not fancy or lovely, but cute. We started with the falafel appetizer (3 pieces arranged around a little tahini-salad-mashup), which was yummy. Then the lentil soup: yummy. Then my friend had spinach pies & a salad, and I had the lamb couscous with braised veggies. Yummy! Dessert was baklava, something that seemed like a fat fig newton with mango puree, and a free custard that they threw in. All excellent. So far so good!
It took us probably 15 minutes to flag down someone for our bill. Hiss. All that food was a fair $39-and-change. We handed them my credit card and a gift certificate. This is when things soured.
The owner came back and quite snidely told us that they needed the GC at thae beginning of the meal, and we would have to pay cash if we wanted to use it. W T F ??? This shift in attitude really frosted my ass.
The food gets 5 stars. The atmosphere gets 3.5. The prices get 3. The service would have gotten 4, but after old boy's tantrum at our desired payment method: 2.
Overall: 3.7
I'd like to come back, but would be hesitant to take someone here on a date just to avoid the chance of running into Mr. Hyde.
People thought this was:
Came here after reading all the rave reviews (and not to mention, it is three blocks from my house). I really love middle eastern food, and I found Maza to be very middle of the road (pun sort of intended).
I was here with a group of 5 on a week night, and getting a table was easy. However, we were there for more than two hours. In other words, we had very slow service on a pretty empty night. Part of me thinks that perhaps this is because they don't want to rush you, but another part of me really likes being, well, waited on when at a restaurant.
The food is also just alright. The highlight of the meal was definitely the lentil soup (which each of us got with our entrees - surprise!). I ordered the chicken couscous, and out came a huge plate of couscous with four pieces of chicken, each about the size of my two big toes put together. Good thing soup came with the meal because otherwise I would have had the Chinese food effect and been hungry two hours later.
At the end (18 hours later), I presented a gift card from http://restaurant.com and the waiter got very upset and said that we had to show him at the beginning of the meal. After looking around awkwardly at each other, he said it was ok but we must pay in cash. Fine. We did. And then, perhaps he had a change of heart because he gave the gift certificate back to me and said I could use it again! I give one star for that.
This is definitely a great place to take a first date who doesn't know good middle eastern food from bad middle eastern food because the atmosphere and the price are right. I am just too spoiled by Pita Inn to even appreciate a nicer middle eastern meal.
People thought this was:
Not sure of what to expect after reading the reviews of Maza, I was admittedly, a bit apprehensive of the owner. So I put my fearful repect asides and entered the restaurant. We were greeted by a friendly hostess - I breathed a momentary sigh of relief. After being seated, the owner ::dun dun DUN:: came by - he told us of the specials. Truthfully, I could not understand a word he said, but I felt rather sheepish asking him to repeat the specials more than once.
Once the remainder of our party arrived, I was thrilled to find out that some of our friends are semi-regulars. The owner once again came to greet the new-comers. After chatting us up a bit - if you can really deem that chatting - I decided that he was not really all that "mean" per se, intimidating, yes. He reminds me of the first generation grandfather whose rough exterior is only a front for the grandpa who beams with pride when serving his homeland's cuisine.
Finally (after hearing the specials another 3 times - which I might add, the owner did not mind repeating), we placed our orders with some recommendations from the owner himself. The food was absolutely delicious. Our appetizers - cheese filled phyllo, falafel, and hummus - were all bitefuls of heaven. I have never had falafel quite so addictive. We were each served complimentary lentil soup - again, wonderful. I ate every last drop and began eyeing neighboring bowls that were not so empty. Three of us took advantage of the specialty plates - stuffed lamb. This particular dish was stuffed with almonds and pine nuts served over rice. The entire dish seemed to be smoked in the almonds and was quite savory throughout - just thinking about this entree is making me drool! I ordered the chicken brochettes - what a delight this was! Chicken is a hit or miss, usually too dry if not swimming in a sauce of sorts. I was hands down impressed. Each mouthful was delectable.
To round up the entire experience, the owner gave us complimentary flan and baklava. What a treat! The baklava was not overly sweet and the flan was light and flavorful. The service I could see being "lacking" given American standards, but there was no pressure to leave right away which upped the intimacy of the whole experience. The overall ambiance is a bit quiet, but it seemed to work for Maza. It was not a cheap meal, but definitely not expensive either. I think the value was huge and found the owner to be charming in his own stand-offish sort of way.
Fantastic. I am hesitant to give it 5 stars because its my first review. I want to leave room for improvement.
Both my G/F and I loved our food. Start to finish, Maza was a pleasure. We were at first hesitant to eat there because we were the first customers on a Tuesday night. (is it just me or is there something creepy about eating in an empty restaurant?) Anyways, the Owner/Server guy convinced us that if we stayed we would not be disappointed. He was dead on.
We started with the Hummus and Cheese Pie. I am no hummus expert, but I have had my fair share, and this was by far the best I have ever had. The creamy dip was laced with garbanzo beans, a few sweet peppers, seasonings, and some oil. I could also taste the lemon juice that was added and i loved that. The cheese pie was good too, but paled in comparison to the epic hummus.
The lentil soup was included with our entree. It was good.
For the main course I had the kabob combo, chicken, beef, and lamb. It was awesome. Each of the different meats was packed with its own distinctive flavor.
My G/F had the salmon special and loved every second of it. her plate was filled with different flavors. After every bite either her eyes rolled back into her head, she let out a sigh, or she was just speechless. I'm used to that reaction in the bedroom, but i guess its a good sign when we're out to eat too.
We ate a complimentary dessert that was a flaky pastry drizzled with some fruit sauce. It was pretty good. Free food is like sex. when its good its great, and when its bad, its still pretty good.
Other reviewers are right about one thing. Do not come here in a rush. Even though we were the only ones in the place for the majority of our meal, service was slow. It reminded us of dining in Europe. They would have let us sit there without the check all night if we cared to. But i found the owner to be very polite and helpful. We will eat at Maza again soon.
People thought this was:
I would give this place a 2.5 because I may or may not have a seasoned palate to truly appreciate the cost and price of this place. For three people who ordered four appetizers, three entrees, a shot of espresso, four glasses of wine, and three soups (on the house), our bill came out to be over $160...and I wasn't even full from what I ate. Then again, we ate family style and I didn't purchase any of the aforementioned drinks for myself, and only ate my share from three of the appetizers and my entree (which was the cheapest entree out of our orders).
If Maza typifies Lebanese food, then I would say that other general Mediterranean restaurants would satisfy me while providing a similar menu.
I do want to give credit though to the restaurant owner/manager who was very hospitable and appropriately theatrical in his description of the day's specials. This restaurant also has the BEST bus boy I have ever met, who quickly filled our waters and took away our dirty plates. He warranted an excellent tip (on top of our hefty bill).
Perhaps I should try this place again, next time on my own. After all, it is a restaurant that I know has been around for over 15 years, so they must be doing something right.
People thought this was:
Came here on a Friday night with 5 girls. I had made reservations earlier in the week and the guy who answered the phone was pretty pleasant (*Note: I had read other reviews here about the not-so-great service, so I was on guard.)
At 7:30pm on a Friday night, it actually wasn't too packed yet. They put us at the table at the very front of the restaurant that was in a nook that made me feel a bit clausterphobic. There were plenty of open tables so not sure why we had to be stuck in a nook...
While we were all deciding our drinks and entrees, the waiter (who I assume is the owner) seemed a bit annoyed when he kept checking to see if were were ready to order and we weren't. What do you expect from 5 girls who are wishy-washy and couldn't make up their minds yet? Oh well. I just shrugged it off. (*Note: I had planned to go with the maza for the group to take the stress off of deciding what to order so we could do family-style of a variety of appetizers/entrees, but it was a bit expensive. I think it was $36 or so for two and he didn't seem to budge when I asked if we could order that for 4 instead of making us pay for 5 people.)
When we were ready for our initial order of drinks/appetizers, we ordered a bottle of Lebanese wine and the hummus, cheese pie, and falafel to share. The wine was a pretty good blend of reds. I thought the hummus was a bit bland and the pita bread wasn't hot. I was disappointed and wished we had also ordered a baba ghanouj since the hummus wasn't all that spectacular.
When we asked for recommendations and the specials, our waiter ran all his words together and mumbled...I couldn't understand anything he said. Plus he talked with such a lack of enthusiasm that it was hard to be excited about anything he was telling us. (Such a drastic difference from the experience that I had at the Lebanese restaurant in Portland.) In any case, everyone ordered the lamb special and one of the girls ordered the chicken special.
While we waited for our meal, we all got a cup of lentil soup which was rather tasty and warmed us up given the cold Chicago winter weather. We got our meals shortly after and everyone loved their dishes! The lamb special wasn't what most of us imagined based on the description but everyone was really impressed with the flavors. We were all excited to have leftovers to take home because we were sure it was going to taste even better the next day.
They brought a plate of dessert at the end of the meal cut up into 5 pieces...so guess that was complimentary?
All in all, good food but wasn't a cozy and friendly as I had hoped it would be. I will definitely give it another try though since the lamb special was so delicious.
People thought this was:
Almost gave this place 3 stars, but then I remembered how pissed I STILL am about it.
There were 4 of us that met up here for dinner. We ordered a bottle of wine, 3 appetizers and entrees. The appetizers were really good. We got humus, cheese pie and kibbeh. Everyone liked their entree, but I thought mine was too salty (I had the lamb special). At this point, I would give this place 3-4 stars.
But then our bill came. After a lot of head scratching and number crunching we realized that we had been charged for 5 appetizers. We politely pointed it out to the server/owner guy and he said that he brought enough appetizers for everyone at the table, so although we ordered only 3, we got 2 cheese pie appetizers and 2 kibbeh appetizers. I almost fell out of my chair. If a table of 4 orders 3 appetizers they obviously want only 3 portions. I eat out in groups all the time and I've never experienced this. This is the first time in years that I didn't give a min 20% tip.
People thought this was:
I went to Maza with two of my friends and we had a great experience...until the bill came. We ordered the Maza deluxe, which is like tapas and we all shared. The menu stated that it was $17 and would serve two people. Sounded great; however it was $17 per person. Even though we all shared what is typically a meal for two people, the owner charged each of us and our bill was about $70. We didn't order drinks or entrees, or even dessert. $60 for tapas for three struggling graduate students is extremely painful.
Also, received a parking ticket of $50, because we were there over two hours. Overall, the experience was financially painful but the food was good.
Go here for delicious Lebanese food, NOT for fast or attentive service.
Make reservations if you go on a Friday or Saturday. I'm not sure what the crowd is like on weekdays, so it may even be necessary to make reservations then.
We waited for about 15 minutes at the door before anyone spoke to us. After they found out we didn't have reservations it was another several minutes before we were seated. Once seated, another 15 minutes passed without a word from the server. There were only 3 people working the entire restaurant, so we could see why it was so slow.
The food was well worth the wait. They have the best hummus I've ever tasted, and the red wine is delicious. I got seafood cous cous and was delighted with the sauce on the cous cous and the vinegary spinach and carrots in the middle of the dish.
They threw in a small, free dessert at the end.
Bottom line: Go here with friends you actually enjoy talking to, and savor the Lebanese cuisine when it finally comes.
Would normally give 5 stars for the excellent food at great prices, but the service was a little quirky. However, as long as you know what you are getting yourself into, this won't be a problem.
The food: as appetizers, we ordered the Falalfel and the Fool Modama (sp?). Both were excellent, and the falafel in particular tasted very fresh. The main dishes were also excellent. Lentil soup comes with every dish. Portion sizes were average, but we certainly did not leave hungry.
The service: If our experience was typical (and it sounds like it was), you need to have the right expectations when you go to Maza. They are understaffed and there is basically one guy who appears to be running the whole show. The man (whose name I think is "Joe") is basically head waiter, manager, owner, etc. all rolled into one. He is was constantly zipping around the restaurant and appeared very busy. Because he is rushing around most of the time, he may come off a little rude. This brings me to....
Quirk #1: my friend wanted to order soup. As Joe came by, my friend tried to flag him down, saying "hey, can I order some soup too." But he just kept walking, pausing only long enough to say "soup comes with everything...no problem." It was a little odd.
Quirk #2: as soon as we were done with the main course, Joe brought out an order of baklava (dessert), even though we didn't order any. Normally, I might have been a little upset, but the food was so inexpensive and the baklava so tasty that we didn't complain (we also thought it might have been complimentary, so we kept our mouths shut).
Quirk #3: when the check came, it was entirely illegible. All we could see was the total amount due, but could not make out what we were paying for. Again, if the food weren't so inexpensive, we might have been upset.
All in all, these were somewhat minor aspects of the service. If the food weren't so great (and so cheap), we might have been a little more upset. But all in all I was very satisfied and plan to visit again.
People thought this was:
Last night was my first experience at Maza. Walking in, I was pleasantly suprised by the charming, somewhat romantic, atmosphere.
Service was great - and our server (which made up the entire waitstaff that night) quite charsmatic - but the food was the real draw here! We started with the spinach pie & green bean appetizers, which were both quite good. I had the seafood couscous, while my boyfriend had lamb as an entree - both of which were served with the most amazing lentil soup. Both entrees were well seasoned, among the most flavorfull dishes I've eaten. (i can still taste the garlic!) My bf's lamb was a little tough, but overall fufilling.
if you enjoy wine, I'd suggest a glass of the lebanease wine.
At the end of our meal our server brought over a complimentary dessert, which was a great end to an excellent meal. I'll definately be back!
This is going to be a long one, so I'll summarize here: food was okay, prices were a bit steep, service was the worst I've ever had in my life, in the way that I was actually upset and humiliated by the owner/our server. I will never be back or recommend this place to anyone. There are FAR too many better Middle Eastern restaurants in the city.
I struggled with how to rate this place because the food was not bad. If I were rating solely on the food, I would probably go with 3 stars.
However, the experience I had there was one of the worst service experiences of my life, so if someone gets something so unbelievably bad, I think the rating should reflect that.
The service was unimaginably bad, rude, obnoxious and completely humiliating.
There were three of us total and we came for an early dinner Sunday. When being seated we were reminded that we should make sure to "spend lots of money" since we got a bigger table. It was uncomfortable to say the least. The owner was our server and when he ran through the specials, it sounded like he was naming bus schedules. Because of this, we didn't order any of the specials, but when ordering 2 appetizers and 3 entrees for the 3 of us, he told us we should order the lamb special as well. When we declined, he snipped that we said we were hungry (an uncomfortable response to his earlier "joke" about spending money). We also ordered a bottle of wine with dinner which he neglected to let any of us taste before pouring large glasses for us all. I asked if he thought our order would be enough food, and he said that if we weren't really hungry, he guessed that would be fine-insinuating that it wouldn't be enough (fyi, we were STUFFED and didn't finish the food because there was so much... lying to get more money out of customers. Nice.)
As the food was brought out, we were ignored for the most part, which I'm okay with. When we were finished, he came to clear our plates and when we asked if we could box the leftovers, he just stopped and stared at us as if we couldn't be serious, then he ROLLED HIS EYES, sighed, and agreed. We were laughing at the bad service at this point, but then it got really bad.
This is when the trouble started. He came back and I mentioned that I had a gift certificate from http://restaurant.com and he immediately YELLED at us that it is only for parties of 4 or more. NOWHERE on the gift certificate does it say this. I mentioned that and the fact that we ordered quite a bit for only three, and even offered to order another entree to take home, but he kept waving at us dismissively, pushing the gift certificate away, talking over me and saying over and over, only parties of four or more, and yelling, NO at us over and over again when we tried to ask how we could make it better. Did I mention that we had told him it was our first time eating there and this was how he was treating a customer? I wouldn't treat another human being so rudely and meanly, let alone a paying customer. I was humiliated and finally just asked if we could have the bill.
My friends and I waited forever while the whole restaurant sat in unease while he went to get our check and examine it for 5 minutes.
Finally he came over and said he'd take the gift certificate off our bill as though he was doing us a big favor, but told us that we had to pay the rest of our bill (over $60 after the gift certificate was taken out) in cash, with gratuity not included (not that he deserved a tip, but even though I was close to tears at this point, I felt like we had to leave one. I'm stupid, I know). We didn't have enough cash on us for a tip, so my boyfriend had to run and get cash at an ATM across the street (while the owner waited and KNEW that we had to do this, and could have offered to let us use a credit card at any time). We paid and tipped 14% though I've never felt more certain that it was undeserved. Not once did we receive an apology for how we were treated.
Our experience at Maza ruined our entire day. The food was okay, but the lamb we ordered was overcooked, gray and tough and most everything was salted with a heavy hand and very vinegary.
I will never go back and not only will I not recommend Maza to anyone, but I will WARN them against coming and having such a traumatic, awful experience.
People thought this was:
I have to agree with the other reviews on this place. The food is very good. The lamb was a little on the tough side, but MAN the flavoring was outta sight. DELICIOUS.
I ordered the Kafta Kebob which is basically ground beef snausages. They were very tasty. The cheese pie was a good appetizer, but just enough for two.
So the owner? is nice, but he did appear short handed. I think they just don't have many people working. This didn't bother me though. I flagged down someone to get coffee and it was no problem.
The bill seemed slightly overcharged, but the chicken scratch was impossible to read. Since they were so busy, it was hard to get time in to question the charges. The prices were so reasonable that we didn't bother disputing. They also gave us a dessert that we didn't order and were charged some random amount for....it seems to be a tactic they frequently use.
So-a little shady? Yes...but the setting is romantic and the food is very good so I'll probably go back and get ripped off a few dollars again soon. Considering it was a BYOB, it probably balances out. I wonder how much the corkage fee was though....there's no way of telling.
EDITED: Looking over other reviews, it's apparent the guy who owns Maza is a giant dick bag.
4 stars for the food, 1/2 star for the service. It averages out to 2 stars for Maza.
The food was pretty good on both occasions we went. Had a good glass of recommended Lebanese wine as well. Food is a bit pricy (14-18 for main courses, which are usually only accompanied by a small portion of rice and 2-3 grilled veggie slices).
First time we were here there was a 30 minute wait (which they never told us about or updated us on how much longer it would be-- we were the only ones waiting). Once we sat down it took another 15 minutes to get menus and our water filled. When the check came my credit card sat poking out of the thingy for another 15 minutes before it was processed. And this wasn't because it was busy- we really just felt like they didn't give a shit or completely forgot about us.
The second time we came we were seated quickly and ordered quickly but when we presented an Entertainment Book coupon before the check arrived (like you're supposed to, right?) and the waiter, after conferring with the owner at the next table, told us they would only accept it if we paid our tab in cash. WHA? You paid to put your restaurant's coupon in the book dude, don't act like it's an inconvenience when people actually use it.
Luckily we had $50 cash between us and were able to pay it, but if we didn't have the cash he wouldn't have budged on the coupon.
Good service usually brings me back to places that overcharge by a few bucks, sorry dude.
People thought this was:
Great for that candle lit date experience, sure. A bottle of wine, maybe a few appetizers, good conversation and drinks and your good. That's what would have prompted me to give Maza four stars.
However I was here for dinner, which is burning a whole in the middle of my belly and I'm unsure whether it wants to fly out now or later. I just don't feel as awesome as when I first stepped out.
Due to a http://www.restaurant.com gift cert we had and not wanting to take away numerous dishes we opted for the dinner for two which is the most expensive dish. This gift cert asks you to spend $50 minimum. Rack of lamb for two $48, its the rack of lamb stuffed with rice, minced sirloin, some other junk and topped with a rich VSOP marinade and sauteed mushrooms. The dish will be served flam-bee`, done so by the waiter at the side of your table at which point you will yell "Yullah" and he makes sure you don't say "Opa". Cause Opa is Greek. The meal was not what was stated on the menu, instead it tasted like super salty Chinese food, hold the MSG. Still not sure about the MSG part, I'm kinda okay but my friend had to drive like lightning home before leakage happened. That food was so salty and the spinach was doused in a sour vinegar it was all with too much tart I couldn't stand to have another bite. Once we handed him the http://restaurant.com certificate he looked up and made a WTF face. What a grouch! His attitude is what sent our good graces about Maza so far downhill. Nice ambiance, good jazzy music, but the food and waiter make the experience suck ass. When the bill came it was all chicken scratch, I'm pretty sure the math he conducted is not how it's supposed to go down with use of the gift cert. The bill was far greater than the math we calculated and neither of us were even close to a buzz. Still we tipped about 28% because I cared not to wait for change.
One last thing, the hot sauce is not homemade. It's Tabasco sauce with a bit of oil and some diced tomatoes. It's boring just like the effort.
People thought this was:
I dined here with a friend on a Wednesday evening, it was our first time there. Unfortunately I hadn't checked Yelp before going and he was starving upon arrival so it wasn't good timing for a 3 hour meal, which we didn't anticipate, since we weren't in New Orleans.
The food was AMAZING. We got baba ganoush, with huge chunks of garlic for an appetizer with Crow Canyon merlot (good Cali wine). They brought us some lentil soup we hadn't ordered, it was the best lentil soup either of us had ever tasted. I was going to order the herb-stuffed trout but they were out so I got scallops with cheese. The scallops were perfect (but they might've given me more than 5) and the cheese was a blend of three types of cheese. The waiter was too busy to make eye contact or answer questions about what kind of cheese (I am a cheese snob) was in it, which is a shame because I would've liked to purchase it at the cheese store. My friend got lamb with couscous. They brought over dessert we hadn't ordered, the baklava previously mentioned here.
The food is 5 stars all the way. We decided somebody must have quit that night or called in and that we'd give it another try sometime but after reading the rest of the reviews today I'm only going if I have 4 hours to spare because apparently this is the norm. This guy definitely needs to suck it up and hire some more help.
I also thought it was way too dark to see my food and since it was such great food I would've liked to see exactly what was on my plate. During the meal, they actually turned the lights down MORE. I don't really think that's romantic, it's just annoying. At home, I always turn on all the lights when I eat, it just makes it more enjoyable to see what's before you. I did really enjoy the art work (what I could make out of it) but I could've done without the two guys at the next table discussing the "camel toe" of their coworker.
We got the vibe the waiter was owner/manager like others here have stated. The guy matches the description of briskness and I can't say I'm too surprised that he has treated people poorly, since he wouldn't even look at us when he gave us our food.
People thought this was:
I want to say that Maza is awesome. The food is great, the prices are reasonable, and the owner/waiter/host only makes the whole deal a more authentic experience.
Some hints when going to Maza:
- If you are a LPT, you aren't going to like it. The lighting isn't good enough to show off all your hard work from Pilates, time spent in the tanning booth, and multiple skin peels.
- If you say things like "Me no likey" and mistake the free rice pudding for flan, then you are definitely not going to like it.
- If you somehow expect your experience to be similar to that of a typical American restaurant - eat fast, get the hell out - then it won't be like that. Pretend you're in the Middle East. It really enhances the experience.
- Don't go to Maza in a rush. Don't be that person that says, "Oh my god, we like have to be at 'Mall Cop' in like 43 minutes, so can you like, really hurry?"
- Have a personality. The owner isn't gruff - he's just not American. He's not going to smile and say, "Hey, how about those cubs?"
- Have a palette that goes beyond pizza, burgers, and things like Chili's (however, I do love all those things, I'm just sayin' appreciate other types of foods)
- Know that on a Friday or Saturday, they tend to overbook - ie, if you make a reservation for 8pm, you'll wait. I know, it sucks, but the reality is that people flake, and so they try make up for that.
- Remember that this is a small business - the owner works his butt off, and no, he's not jolly-ho-ho-ho friendly, but he makes damn good food, and charges a reasonable rate.
- Be nice and be polite. The owner has always been nice to us (we've been there probably 20 times) and that's because WE ARE NICE to him. I've been in there and I've heard some of the attitude and rudeness he's been given, and I love that he's just rude back - so entertaining. If only I could do that at my job...
In summary, if you're not a douche, you will like this restaurant.
People thought this was:
One of the great hole in the wall places that makes Chicago a great place to eat. The owner and staff are passionate, the food cooked with love and special attention, and the atmosphere cozy and comforting. Anytime I have clients who move to Lincoln Park I always recommend they try this place.
People thought this was:
The food was good but too salty....the server was not happy to hear about our decisions to split a couple of dishes.
Would be better if it was byob.
People thought this was:
Twan and I have been on a Middle Eastern kick lately, so Maza seemed like an obvious choice. Since we were dropping in on a Saturday evening without a reservation, I expected to wait, and was pleasantly surprised when we were seated right away. Our waiter offered us drinks relatively quickly, and I thought we had avoided the slow service that other yelpers have noted. I was wrong.
Our waiter was, we assume, the owner, so he was understandably busy. But, we got no hello, heard no specials, and practically had to beg him to order dinner. It also bugged us that the table next to us (three lovely ladies instead of the cutest couple in town) was seated after us and was served before us.
On the other hand, the busser filling up waters and clearing plates was very attentive and was buzzing around the room all night. So, at least we weren't parched while waiting to order our food.
I had hoped that the food would redeem the service, but the only thing that impressed me was the falafel. Twan loved his salmon, and it was indeed quite tastey. The soup was bland, the pitas were lame, and my vegetarian couscous was good but not great.
I don't mind having dinner at a leisurely pace, and I certainly don't want every waiter everywhere to give me a saccharine smile, but come on Maza, try a little tenderness!
People thought this was:
I've eaten a lot of Middle Eastern food in my day, and I have to say the food here is delicious and authentic. A friend recommended it because she was going to be dining with three vegetarians. The maza for four was the perfect choice for the occasion--and probably what out to be ordered here no matter what. It seems to be their specialty and they do it well. The number of small plates they bring out is utterly impressive. I've had maza dinners before at other places, and no other restaurant, even the amazing LaShish in Dearborn, Michigan, did not approach Maza's variety.
After a cup of yummy lentil soup to start, there was of course houmos and baba ganoush, and falafel--the standards--but also, cabbage salad, fatoush salad, tabouleh, eggplant in pomagranite sauce, green beans, olives, cucumbers, pickled beets, potato salad, thickened yogurt dip, grape leaves, spinach pies in philo pastry, beet salad, and just a couple of meat items: chicken shwerma and kibbeh (ground lamb in a ball of cracked wheat).
Two of us had Lebanese wine and after dinner, one person ordered espresso and one person ordered mint tea. The maza came with a perfectly portioned dessert of tiny rolled cashew baklava in honey and raspberry sauce. The whole thing came to about $25 per person--$30 including tip.
With regard to the problems with service that other folks mentioned, we had none of those experiences. We walked in without a reservation at about 8pm on a Saturday and were seated right away. We got our menus quickly but did not really need them as we knew we wanted the maza for four. There was a tiny lull between the lentil soup and the maza course, but we did not notice it much because we were having a fun time. One of our companions noted that the lighting was too dim for her, but the owner seemed to insist on having it that way and offered us candles for the table instead of turning up the dimmer switch.
Overall, it was a good experience. Others who were there must have liked it a lot too because there were two birthday celebrations going on while we were there. I'm a fan and I'll definitely be back.
People thought this was:
Maza has really good food, the best Lebanese food I've had in a nice sit-down restaurant in the city. Flavor: terrific (in other words, it hasn't been too enblanded for Yanqui tastes and contains the appropriate garlic payload).
Personally, I am a fan of tapas-style eating, and their fairly extensive and reasonably priced appetizer menu allows you to do this sort of thing and get a taste for a whole bunch of stuff- without destroying your wallet. Everything on it is excellent. You may, however, get disappointed looks from the owner for not partaking in the house special. It's not so bad, he seems to get over it.
Unfortunately, while their service is pretty good once you sit down, it doesn't seem as though they've figured out how to handle a packed house. The last time we went it took a few minutes for someone to approach us near the door, and when he did, he didn't even say anything, instead choosing to look at me with a quizzical expression on his face. I asked if we could have a table for two, he responded that it would be "some" minutes, and asked if we could wait before walking away.
After waiting a period of time we felt more than qualified as "some" without anyone further acknowledging our awkward presence near the door, and after several parties had left without their tables being bussed or prepared for further guests (us), we walked out. This was only barely noticed by the guy who approached us, and it's not like he did anything about it.
I will certainly be back here, but probably only on an off-peak night, which is a shame, because it would be nice to eat here before going out for some drinks afterward.
People thought this was:
Sometimes, there is a same-ness to restaurants that serve food from the region between, say, Italy and India. Every now and then, though, you come across a restaurant that transports one to a specific place and/or time. Maza is one of those places.
From the moment one walks in, one begins a journey to the Paris of the Mideast, Beirut 50 years ago. From the primarily French music, to the always wonderful Lebanese table wines, but especially the owner himself, Maza keeps delivering. The flavors are so exciting, and so satisfying. From the mighty cinnamon-powered sausage, to the pistachios in the lamb special, every bite begs me to ask, "Why did it take me 29 years to know flavor combinations like this?"
If the owner or waiter recommends it, get it. Such standbys as Falafal and hummus are simply yummy. But the real stars are anything that's a special of the day, and everything with lamb or beef is great. If you're with a group of 6 or more, just order one of everything on the front page, and see what happens.
Service is great, prices are amazing for Lincoln Park, and I always leave wanting more. Easily one of the best values in town.
People thought this was:
Me: I'd give you more stars Maza, but you are my jinxed restaurant ...
*Maza looks at me with incredulity*
Me: No, I'm serious. You are jinxed for me.
Maza: How in the world could I be jinxed for you?
Me: Well, how about I went on the worst date of my life at you?
Maza: Coincidence. Nothing more than coincidence ... And maybe that was YOUR fault, I mean you aren't as smooth as you think you are, Mr. High-and-mighty.
Me: Well, what about last Tuesday?
Maza: That wasn't MY fault!
Me: Oh really? So it wasn't your fault that my wife mistook a jalapeno pepper for a cucumber on your baba ganouj plate?
Maza: Okay, well maybe that was my fault. BUT I saw you snickering a bit!
Me: Shhhh! Okay, but that was slightly funny.
Maza: So is that it? A stinkin' pepper makes you call me jinxed?
Me: Oh yeah, no not just the pepper! You drew blood on my wife!
Maza: WHAT?!?!?!
Me: I'm serious. She bit her tongue, drew blood, which was made worse by the pepper ... Oh yeah, we owe you a napkin.
Maza: I was wondering where that went ... But seriously, my food is so good! Didn't you like my lamb? Wasn't your wife's fish divine? Don't forget my couscous! And what about my prices?
Me: I'm sorry Maza, you do have all those things going for you, but don't forget about your waiter ...
Maza: What about him?
Me: He made us wait for 20 minutes to give us our bill. And then another 10 before he gave me the check to sign.
Maza: But I was busy!
Me: On a Tuesday night?
Maza: Okay, maybe I was a bit out of line there ...
Me: Apology accepted, but I just don't know if it is safe to come back to you.
Maza: Your loss. I'm amazing. I've got sweet prices, great food, I play FRENCH MUSIC (which makes me really cool). And I'm romantic to boot. I won't miss you. I won't miss you at all, you SOB!
Me: *Sigh* I'm sorry Maza, I just can't risk your temptations on the health of those I love. I'm sorry, so sorry ...
*Walks away into the night*
People thought this was:
Oh, goodie! I'm glad I'm not the only person who thinks this place is fantastic, because the night we went, we were one of only two tables full in the place. The food was excellent, perfectly seasoned. I honestly had no idea what to expect, never having had Lebanese food before. I was very pleasantly surprised.
The owner/manager/waiter (or perhaps all three?) also gave us complimentary after dinner drinks, which was a nice touch.
Go because you want a good meal, not a quick meal.
People thought this was:
I've never had Lebanese food before, but I found that it's very similar to Mediterranean food. In fact, they're pretty much one and the same.
My friend and I shared the appetizer combination special, which was an overwhelming sample of different dishes. It was pretty amazing and again, overwhelming. Easily could have fed 3 or 4 people and it's perfect for trying a wide variety of dishes. While this combined with some wine led to a slightly more expensive evening than we anticipated, it was worth it for trying out the place.
Service was great and helpful throughout the night. Recommended.
Went here with a friend from out-of-town after reading the great reviews. The food was good, especially a lamb dish my friend ordered. What appaled me was the service...the owner is rude and EVRY impersonal. When he read us the specials, he didn't make eye contact ONCE...almost to signal "This is such a waste of time with you guys". Also, when our food arrived, it was pretty much just thumped down on the table in front of us.
What's the deal with this guy? I understand that this restaurant is good, but the attitude SUCKS.
People thought this was:
LOVE IT. We found this place because it was the only thing still in the neighborhood open at 10:30 pm, after a late-night climbing session at LPAC. And what a find it was! Yea!!! Adorable! Low light with candles and a rose on every table, tables not scrunched together (a pet peeve of mine), linen table cloths, fabulous art, perfectly chosen music... a really nice, intimate restaraunt feel. The waiter was gracious and very attentive. The wine was fabulous. The food was excellent (soup, hummus, couscous, potatoe pie) and so vegan friendly I wanted to cry. LOVE this place. So happy we found it. Will highly recommend to anyone and everyone. I liked the attentive but not my friend waiter (the owner I believe) - I hate cheezy waiters fishing for tips. I didn't come there to make friends with the staff, I was in search of yummy food and to be waited on whenever I needed something - this was all that in a perfect setting - score.
Maza exemplifies why Chicago has a reputation for good food. It's a one-of-a-kind restaurant: the owner (Joe) is also the head chef is also a server (as opposed to a Lettuce Entertain You, for example). The atmosphere is tasteful and intimate, with plenty of tables for two, French music in the background, and tasteful art decorating the walls. The quality of the food is first rate. Their house wine (a Cabernet/Syrah blend) goes well with their menu and should find broad appeal.
Go to Maza if you like Mediterranean food. You'll find plenty of lamb, beef, chicken and seafood of the menu. Everything is prepared with delicious spices that most American kids weren't raised with (raise your hand if you grew up on salt and black pepper).
I had a dish with lamb medallions covered in a ginger-cream sauce, served over couscous. Joe asked when I ordered it, "How do you want the lamb cooked? Medium rare?" To which I replied, "I want you to cook it how you would eat it." "Thank you," he said.
I'll go back to Maza. Definitely go there on your next date.
People thought this was:
I'm from Boston and work regularly in Chicago. This past weekend I went to Maza with a co-worker for dinner and was blown away. The food was amazing, the service outstanding and the value better than any other restaurants I have been to in Chicago. I will be sure to go back to this restaurant every visit I make to Chicago.
Highly Recommended!
People thought this was:
Have I ever told you where to take your girlfriend on a date? I meant to ! Maza. The ambience, the service, the food, the wine...it all comes together so beautifully. Joe is the chef, the waiter, the owner..and he takes such pride in his restaurant serving you his home country's food. Lebanese is a wonderful blend of spices and my favorite, falafel, fava beans simmered, grape leaves stuffed with rice herbs and seasoning shallots braised in lemon juice and olive oil, artichoke hearts mixed with chopped olives and scallions in garlic scented citrus dressing, tabouleh, and hummus, and the most delicious lentil soup I've ever had... simply a delight to experience a meal at Maza. Be sure to try a bottle of Lebanese wine or BYOB.
People thought this was:
Ate here with my sister the other night -- as she'd describe it, you get a great feel that it's an independently run place that takes great pride in their food and what they do.
The owner waited on us, and right after we sat down, the owner of the bar across the street (Delilah's) got up from the table next to us and raved about the place for about 10 minutes.
It lived up to expectations. The meals were reasonably priced with generous portions and delicious flavors. The owner gave us a taste of something we hadn't tried and then brought a dessert on the house.
I will definitely be back.
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