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Sultan's Market
Categories: Restaurants Middle Eastern Restaurants Mediterranean Middle Eastern, Mediterranean
2057 W North Ave(at Hoyne Ave)
Chicago, IL 60647
Neighborhood: Wicker Park
(773) 235-3072
- Nearest Transit:
-
Damen-o'hare (Blue Line)
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 10 am - 10 pm
Sun 10 am - 9 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Hipster, Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
866 reviews for Sultan's Market
Review Highlights
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"Falafel sandwich - Perfectly crisp and delicious." In 183 reviews -
"The yellow lentil soup is creamy and flavorful." In 162 reviews -
"The salad bar is reasonable and full of tasty treats." In 148 reviews
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- A Yelpy Insight: Vegetarians go nuts for this spot. See more places they like.
866 reviews in English
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Review from Erin N.
Chicago, IL
5/19/2012
The absolute best falafel sandwich you'll ever have in life.
I know I should try other things on the menu - I'm sure they're just as good - but I just can't stray. And for $4? Come on.
The vegan cookies they have on the counter are always delicious, too, and a good way to end the meal.
Go. Eat falafel. You will not be disappointed. -
Review from Samuel M.
5/10/2012
I should really stop trying to eat Middle Eastern food in Chicago. I'm either hopelessly spoiled by Pita Inn, or hopelessly biased towards Pita Inn; regardless of the etiology, I end up comparing what I'm eating to Pita Inn, and it ends up losing by a mile. Though I had expectations to the contrary, my experience at Sultan's Market was comparable.
I went with the hummus and chicken shwarma entree. It was not terrible, though it had flaws; the hummus was far too loosely held together, and not the most flavorful. The shwarma was significantly better, though it could have been a little more moist. Pita bread was fresh though bagged. I sprung for an extra falafel, which was probably the highlight; fried to a delicious crisp but not remotely greasy, and thoroughly seasoned on the inside. I'll probably get falafel the next time I come here.
Service is friendly, and pricing is low (all that above food was under $10). All in all, this is a serviceable option for Middle Eastern food in Chicago, but by no means is it anything to write home about. Guess I'll have to follow my Jewish heritage and make the most of the (Pita Inn) diaspora... -
Review from Katie K.
Chicago, IL
5/4/2012
Everything here is delicious. I love this place. So far it's the best falafel I have found in the city. The chicken is super moist and full of flavor.
The prices can't be beat and if you get a platter that's definitely enough for two meals. Everything is very fresh, service is great.
Definitely a must-go if you are into falafel. -
Review from Mikhael M.
Chicago, IL
5/20/2012
Great food.
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Review from Jena K.
4/25/2012
I've been here handfuls of times over the past 5-6 years or so and I always get the same thing - the falafel sandwich. It's $3.75 and stuffed so full of awesome ingredients that every time, the pita splits.
Get a fork, guys, it's not the end of the world. Who complains about too much food, seriously?
BYOB, but cash only. -
Review from Melanie R.
Santa Cruz, CA
5/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
I think half of this restaurant is super cheap, and the other half is overpriced. So, skip the salad and hot food bars, and head straight to the counter. There you can get a delicious falafel sandwich for $4.
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Review from Anna E.
4/3/2012
I really miss this place. The staff are a litlte flirky (that means flirty and quirky) and sometimes appear to be high, but doesn't matter, the food delivers. Schwarma is always good, hummus ridiculous, tabouli, yes please. Spinach pie is a good starter. The only downside, which is like a rich people's problems downside, is that they stuff so much food into the pita, it doesn't always hold up. Again, I know...too much food is a rich person's problem. Everything is great and reasonably priced.
CASH ONLY. -
Review from Melinda V.
Chicago, IL
3/22/2012
1. The service was rude.
2. They completely destroyed my take out order. I was missing several things that I was charged for.
3. The food was dry and greasy. My rice sat in a puddle of oil.
4. I was sick for almost 2 days after eating it.
Fail.Listed in: THIS PLACE SUCKS!!!!
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Review from Kensey W.
4/29/2012
so cheap and delicious, i hope to be back many many times. i got a falafel sandwich and lentil soup and it was great! the falafel was cripsy and then mushy, and deliciously fried. there was a bunch of stuff in my sandwich - some kind of beany wet salad that was a great touch. lentil soup was hot and tasty, not too salty and had no weird flavors. the sandwich was under four dollars and the soup was three for a giant bowl.
my only complaint is that i ordered my sandwich spicy, but all the spiciness was concentrated in my first bite and burned my mouth off. i do like that the option is there though. they also have lots of hot sauces around in case you want it even spicier. other complaint is that i wish they had ice for the water. these two are kind of related though. haha.
overall a good experience - the people working were friendly and pleasant. oh and be warned that it's cash only. -
Review from Mike B.
Urbana, IL
4/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
I'm not usually into this kind of food. But great value for what you get, I had a falafel, hummus, pita, and cucumber sandwich and that was good, the buffet style lunch looked solid, hot, and had a good variety as well.
The vegetarian friendly/cheap nature of the place lent it to a pretty hardcore hipster hangout spot which I liked the change of pace. -
Review from Will W.
Chicago, IL
5/2/2012
This place has the best food! Every time I come here it is delicious. I would recommend this to anyone. Great for takeaway.
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Review from Kyle M.
Chicago, IL
5/1/2012
Best falafel in chicago. Cash only.
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Review from Becky M.
Chicago, IL
2/28/2012
Honestly, I've never eaten at Sultan's Market.
One of my coworkers orders delivery fairly frequently, though. It's usually good enough that he's willing to order again. Saturday evening, three of my coworkers ordered delivery; each had a slightly different sandwich.
All three got pretty violent food poisoning. One of the guys had falafel, while the other two had lamb (one spicy, one not)... so it wasn't the meat. It was likely whatever veggies were on all three or the hummus they shared. Not sure what it was, but we certainly won't be ordering any more Sultan's Market.
(Two stars because the food was always good before and this is the first time they've gotten food poisoning from it.) -
Review from Jason H.
Chicago, IL
4/20/2012
Woot! Fast food, healthy, tasty & BYOB... what else could you ask for?
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Review from Kerri S.
Chicago, IL
3/10/2012
My most visited Middle Eastern restaurant. Excellent prices for lots of food. As a vegetarian, I love that they mark what's vegetarian and vegan on the menu. It's also good watching them make it in front of you, since you know what you are really getting, and not worry (at least not as much as you would in other restaurants) about meat and non-meat coming into contact.
I've done both take out and dine in. The restaurant is really large, so I've never had a problem getting a seat. The choice of music can be interesting- one time I ate to the best of the Geto Boys. If you need lunch and you're taking the Damen bus, and it's at least a 15 minute wait (and isn't it always for Damen?), then this is perfect to run in for takeout. They're quick to prepare the food, so it's like Middle Eastern fast food (and I mean that in a good way!)
The falafel sandwiches and lentil soup are very good; I do prefer the hummus at Babylon though. But overall, this restaurant is always going to be a mainstay on my list. -
Review from Jessica G.
Chicago, IL
4/16/2012
Fiance and I had dinner here on Friday. Both had shwarma plates - one with lamb other with chicken.
Needless to say we got very bad food poisoning and haven't been able to leave the house. Judging from a few other reviews back in February and March, sounds like others have experienced the same.
My bachelorette party was Saturday night and it had to be rescheduled because I was confined to the bathroom. Thanks Sultan's.
Stay away from here. -
Review from Eli S.
Chicago, IL
4/6/2012
I love this place. It's cheap and you get a good amount of food. I feel like I could always eat more shawarma but the hummus and pita they give you fills in the cracks. I heard they're lamb shawarma was good but actually in going there several times I found it kind of tough. Chicken shawarma is the way to go.
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Review from Heather L.
Chicago, IL
3/24/2012
This place makes my belly and wallet happy. Great falafel sandwich and the lamb shawerma dinner is enough to feed two. The salads are light and refreshing. I would skip out on the lentil soup though, it was lackluster compared to everything else.
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Review from Tom P.
Chicago, IL
5/6/2012
Amazingly inexpensive and fast. Very good food for the price. Also much healthier then most fast food options. They serve cafeteria style so if you come earlier everything is fresher.
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Review from Dina L.
Chicago, IL
3/8/2012
I haven't been here in over a year, but have visited many times in the past. For me, I seem to like the sides and salads they offer better than the main ticket items like falafel...
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Review from Tim Y.
Manhattan, NY
12/29/2011
Warning: I go to school in NYC near what seems like is populated half by delis and half by Halal places, so this review is inherently biased. Regardless, I will put as unbiased a review as I can.
Price = 4/5: While some items such as the drinks ($2 for a pop), hummus ($4), and tabuli ($3.50) are a little bit pricey for the portion size, the sandwiches ($4-6) such as Falafel (3.75) and Lamb Schwarma (5.75) are a great deal. These things come in restaurant-burger size only - hugggeee.
Taste = 3/5: Hummus tastes pretty good compared to the store-bought stuff, Tabuli is like every other tabuli I've had. The falafel itself is very crispy and not grainy/coarse like a lot of that frozen junk is, and the lamb shawarma is made from stacks of lamb and an onion on top of the spit instead of a frozen block. The sandwich as a whole, while a very good deal, is nothing special in terms of taste - they only add salad veggies and hummus, no white sauce that is the pride of many halal places, and would be even better with pickled radishes as well.
Despite it's drawbacks, this is a great deal for lunch if you're in the area and could use a healthier alternative to meat 'n potatoes. -
Review from Pooja K.
12/23/2011 3 Check-ins Here
They have a really cool salad bar with chicken, shrimp ( cooked), a few curries ( i could make out one, and it was okra), and random salad stuff. Everything looked quite fresh.
The bf got the lamb shwarma and i got chicken dinner. The portions were above average, but the hummus was amazing and so authentic! We got the pomegranate chocolate cookie too ( its horrible). My chicken was very well spiced but the lamb i thought was kinda bland. Ive definitely had better shwarma no doubt ( in nyc) but for the price ( 9$ per platter which came with-meat, rice, hummus, and 1 pita or 4.65 for just the sandwich), its definitely something i would return to :)
Overall, its kind of a cute, cozy place, away from milwakee and all the rush ( which is great, cause you can actually find parking). Besides the sandwiches and salad stuff, they sell random things like candy, jordanian almonds, dried figs etc ( expensive tho)
OH BTW- its cash only! They do have an atm inside, but to avoid those nasty charges, just bring cash:) -
Review from Allison O.
Chicago, IL
4/4/2012
Best falafel in the area and has the best price. I have never had anything that I did not like. The service is great and friendly. The perfect location. You really can't get any better
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Review from Kenny O.
12/2/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I've come here three times now. It seems that whenever I'm in Wicker Park to study (i.e., get caffeine-drunk at Wormhole), I drop by Sultan's for lunch.
The ambiance:
Hipster -- like the rest of Wicker Park/Bucktown. It's really cozy inside since the salad bar takes up a good amount of the indoor area.
The food:
$3.95 for a Falafel Sandwich (and made extra spicy) always hits the spot. It's a large sandwich with great falafel. Order baklava if that's your thing, too; at $1 per piece, the baklava is pretty tasty and I consider it a good deal.
The service:
No complaints here. It's self-bus. -
Review from Kyle W.
Chicago, IL
12/1/2011
Joined a friend for dinner here and the food was very good.
Had the Lamb Shawarma sandwich and it was among the best I've had. The lamb was great as was everything else packed in the tasty pita. It is BYOB with no cork fee but be warned that, unless you bring your own glasses, you'll be drinking wine out of a red plastic cup.
To give a sense of the popularity, there was a consistent line of at least 4-6 ordering for the entire hour and half we ate and drank.
Cash only. -
Review from Allison V.
Chicago, IL
11/16/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I like falafel and I like hummus.
It is a little dimly lit in here but that is okay.
Self-serve Sultan food bar is in the middle.
Once in a while they have these vegan cookies that are awesome.
The employees are always nice.
Outdoor patio seating in the summer.
ATM inside.
Try a weird Aloe drink for fun.
Bike Parking out front. YAY -
Review from Andrew C.
I live in Portland, Oregon and hear all the time that we're the cheapest city for food in the history of the world. A recent trip to Chicago is making me question the validity of that claim. Straight up, I cruised into Sultan's Market and got a big ass falafel sandwich for $4. This is a brick and mortar business, not a food cart. $4. HUGE.
And it was awesome. I'm not typically a big fan of falafel but a homey said come here and I obeyed and the results were more than gratifying.Listed in: Chicagoland
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Review from mary b.
Bucktown, Chicago, IL
Updated - 2/15/2012
Sultan's used to be one of my fave middle eastern eats in the hood but after having a chicken shwarma pita, my opinion has changed dramatically. The falafel is good but skip the chicken shwarma, it is a lot of dark meat and very fatty and I bit into a few bones during the eating, not cool. I would stick to their vegetarian options here and go to Taza and Oasis downtown for some really good shwarma!!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/16/2010
$6.04. make your own salad including greens with yummy spicy chicken, feta, fava beans, brussel… Read more »
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Review from Kyle H.
10/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
If I lived anywhere near this place you better bet it would be on my regular rotation - cheap, delicious and plentiful - that's my kind of meal!
What I had was a half portion of what's normally served for under $4... a falafel sandwich stuffed to the brim with goodies! I'm always impressed when I get decent middle-eastern food for a reasonable price, it seems like it's trendy here at home, giving most places free license to charge an arm and a leg.
I loved hearing our guide's story of the history of the market - a classic story of supply and demand... The proprieter made some slammin hummus one day and the people who lived in the area just couldn't get enough, fast forward a bunch of years and it's a fast, full-service restaurant serving all of your favorite Middle eastern food quickly and cheaply... Ok, i'm sure I left out a bunch of details and perhaps remembered the whole story wrong but the fairy-tale ending here is - ya got four bucks and you're hungry? Head here and you'll be satisfied for at least two meals! -
Review from Kent S.
Chicago, IL
Updated - 11/5/2011 22 Check-ins Here
Egg bread! Egg bread! Done.
I don't know why I always insist on being painfully full every time I come here. Falafel sandwich, extra spicy, add rice and lentils. Then one piece of egg bread. The sandwich is dense enough that it could very well be used to knock a man off of a moving bicycle. Yet I still try and force more food in my belly after finishing it.
Considering that they're BYOB, you can then get drunk and painfully full here for less than $5. That's kind of amazing. Yet all my idiot friends back in Ohio have the audacity to call Chicago an "expensive" city.
Last time I was in Akron, I paid $8 for a highly disappointing falafel sandwich. Bunch a wiener butts.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/12/2009
Spicy falafel sandwich please! Before I lived in Chicago, this was already one of my favorite places… Read more »
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Review from Reuben H.
8/27/2011
The good:
- CHEAP prices all around, at least considering the quantities that you get for the price.
- Ample selection at the salad bar ($5.99/pound).
- Falafel is a good one here and worth trying.
- Chicken shwarma is the best of the meat options.
- Hummus is quite good, with a perfect consistency and balanced flavor.
- The yellow rice is tasty.
- BYOB
The not-so-good:
- Pitas many times are quite stale. Just a slight toasting or steaming would help out immensely.
- Kefta isn't very flavorful. Sadly, this American white boy's kefta is much better.
- Salad greens at the salad bar are often wilted, and none of the dressings are labeled, making it a bit of a guessing game.
- Homeboy at the register is downright rude many times. While I've found the counter service to be pretty good when ordering food, paying that guy can be annoying.
While Sultan's does some things pretty well, and other things not-so-well, I think you can still go there for a cheap meal that is tasty, if you know what to get (stick with the falafel, hummus and chicken shwarma). It still leaves me desiring my last neighborhood's Middle Eastern spot- Cedar's down in Hyde Park. -
Review from Gina S.
10/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Everything I've tried has been amazing and fairly priced. My faves:
Dolmas from the bar
Hummus
Lentil Soup
You go now! Cash only. -
Review from Allison P.
Bucktown, Chicago, IL
3/4/2012
The falafel sandwich is usually delicious and only $3. I would go here just for their delicious hummus, which is 200% better than most store-bought hummus. I wish they accepted credit cards.
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Review from Lydia B.
Chicago, IL
3/4/2012
This place is delicious and the employees are nice. I always get this pita thing with chicken inside and its super good.
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Review from Kristin L.
Bloomington, IL
3/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
Pretty dang great! Give it a try, fast and cheap :)
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Review from Shauna M.
Chicago, IL
4/18/2012
Love, love, LOVE Sultan's Market. My husband and I come here once a week for the Veggie Combo. We can both eat (and get full) for around $8. (we order an extra felafel and pita and make our own sandwiches) The service is quick, the felafel is fresh and they even gave my 18-month old daughter a free glass of milk. (Yes, a small thing, but very much appreciated!)
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Review from Justin G.
Fairfax, VA
3/6/2012
Stuffs ok. The vegans and vegetarians seem to love the place. Every vegetarian I know raves about the place. Soups are ok, Pastries are ok. Everything is moderately priced.
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Review from Sam K.
Chicago, IL
8/12/2011
True, the food here isn't lovingly made to order. It isn't the highest quality middle eastern food in Chicago by any stretch.
Yet I love Sultan's Market for what it is. I love the cafeteria vibe and the plates with separations on them. I love that the food is ready in seconds. The food is not only always good - it's always the SAME. I love that the people who work here are always friendly but focused. And I sort of love how they casually throw the food onto the plates. I even love how dark and sort of creepy it feels in there.
Sultan's Market is one my favorite places to eat in this area. It's real food that fills your belly, and you can have a big lunch here without feeling sleepy when you head back to work (of course I always substitute the rice with salad). They make the food on the bland side, but there's a full selection of hot sauce and salt and extra tahini. The delivery, which I ordered often when I lived in Bucktown, is fast.
And even though I live in Albany Park, well known for having the best middle eastern food in Chicago - rightly so - I still find myself looking forward to days when I'm in Wicker Park and I can stop at Sultan's Market. I don't wholly understand why. -
Review from Kevin T.
10/21/2011
Huge portions (the dinner meals are filling)
Great tasting Middle Eastern food at it's best.
Large variety with salad bar.
Inexpensive as well.
Love this place!
Cash only -
Review from Laura G.
10/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Hands down the best falafel I have ever had. EVER. REALLY!!! Crispy on the outside, moist and chick pea tender on the inside. This is the real deal.
Generous servings, top quality and made with love. They have an inside joke here - try to spend $ 10.00 and eat it all - good luck!
