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Categories: Middle Eastern, Mediterranean
Neighborhood: The LoopWashington/Wells (Orange, Brown, Purple Express, Pink)
Clark/Lake (Pink, Brown, Green, Blue, Purple Express, Orange)
Washington (Blue, Red)
Mon-Fri. 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
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Solid.
Great tastes, good portions, good price.
This place gets five stars because of the value to price ratio. I pay just over $5 for something truly delicious and am satiated until dinner.
I stop in to this small, unassuming storefront on Franklin at lunchtime. I get into what appears to be a long line - though it goes quickly. I have to get out of the way of people going to the soda machine - no big deal. They have fresh, homemade lentil soup and the special of the day posted. Usually a chicken kebab plate. Looks great, but I'm going for the gourmet falafel sandwich. Before I get to order, I get a free sample of falafel. Delicious times five. It's gotten to the point now where as soon as I say 'gourmet falafel' they recognize me, say 'how's it going, man?" and give me the common ingredients I want without having to ask. These include the hummus (comes with gourmet falafel sandwich), lettuce, jerusalem salad (tomato/cucumber/herbs/spices mix) and hot sauce. I pay with cash though I don't have to, and head back to work.
The result is warm, delicious, crunchy-on-the-outside falafel freshly made, mushed into hummus and veggies and with a hot kick to it. Love it. And you can get other favorites here like shawarma, gyro, kifta (kofta), dolma, and an above average baklavah. They have some of the above in salad form as well.
Definitely competes with Sultan's Market for best falafel in the city. I love when they take it out fresh - they crack a few in half for sampling on the counter, and it steams right in front of your face. How can you resist?
This place is sooooooooo awesome! Cheap, yummy mediterranean food.....what more could you ask for? I usually get the Combo Plate which comes with two mini skewers of Kifta (beef/steak) and two skewers of Chicken Schwarma, dill rice, a small side salad and half a pita bread ($7). I also order a few falafels on the side for about 50 cents each.
The owner is super nice and offers free samples of the falafels (just dont talk on your cell while you're in line or they won't let you order!). The food is super tasty and I can usually never finish the combo in one sitting because they give you so much food! I like to make little falafel and meat sandwiches with the pita bread (squished together because it tastes better that way! lol) and then eat the rest of the meal with the rice and salad. Ask for a side of the white sauce (tahini?) because it goes so unbelievably well with EVERYTHING.
This place is an awesome place to go to if you need something different for lunch or are just sick of getting sandwiches everyday. Luckily its less than a block from my work so I will definitely be back again and again and again!
Best lunch I've ever had in the Loop by farrrrrrrrrrrrr. And I didn't even know I liked falafel. But I really, really do. This place gets 5 stars from me for being cheap, delicious, clean and fast. The people who work there are awesome too. I got a complimentary piece of baklava after finishing my meal which was a nice touch. (Actually, finish is the wrong word since they give you way too much food to finish!)
Good falafel, good gyros..
Guys inside are friendly..
5 bucks.
Nuff said
This is my favorite place to eat lunch. The schwarma, gyros, falafel, and the roast turkey are all excellent. The lentil soup and tabouli are also very good.
GiveForward's office is around the corner, so I stop by here and La Cocina a lot...it's always a dilemma for me...which delicious spot to choose.
More often than not, I go with Taza. The food is fresh, not greasy, and the perfect value. The falafel is the best I've had in Chicago, but you have to ask for extra sauce if you get the combo plate. The delicious rice greedily eats up the sauce before you can spread it all over you falafel :(
Overall, one of my favorite loop spots!
Oh, how I love Taza. I have my girl Janet to thank for this. I'm a pretty picky eater, and when she first mentioned eating here, I thought she was crazy.
My first falafel was amazing. Chicken shawarma was so good, and the hot sauce makes you sweat. A plate of chicken, falafel and rice is only $6?! A fantastic price and a TON of food.
The guys that work here are very friendly and do pay attention to who comes in there- many times that we went, we were happily greeted and not the usual "hello, what can I get you?" standard response.
Check this place out. Very limited seating, so grab it to go- or you might get lucky and grab a seat- either way, it'll be delicious!!
I thought my falafel was pretty average. I thought my lentil soup was pretty average. I thought everything about Taza was pretty average. Hence the 3 stars.
Maybe I'm just a chain restaurant whore.
I tried to get a free gryos today from the Works, but when they ran out I had to change my plans. Since I didn't bring my lunch, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to try Taza.
This place is little and fast! The slowest part was me deciding what to get. The guy gave me a falafel to try while I decided. I fnally settled on a falafel sandwich and lentil soup. The sandwich would have been enough for lunch, but I like lentil soup and wanted to try theirs.
When I tasted the falafel, I thought "this is good, but not really that much better than others", but then when I bit into the sandwich I completely changed my mind. That is the best falafel sandwich I have ever had. It's tasty, soft, crunchy, and is the most amazing texture combination. I didn't know what I was missing before! Next time I will try the gourmet one with hummus, but I wanted to try it plain first.
The lentil soup was good, but I think Cedar's in Hyde Park has way better lentil soup (theirs is amazing). So next time I will pass on the soup, but for sure get falafels. The chicken also looked really good. So I guess I will have a hard decision again next time!
Anytime I don't bring my lunch from home, I will be tempted to go here!
Ok, so when i have a hankering for a Gyro, I expect a little grease, but the Taza Gyro was so greasy that my bread was soaked through. Perhaps this is because they keep the meat in warming trays, cafeteria style.
I did try a falafel which was pretty tasty. Next time I'll go for the falafel sandwhich and stick to CND for my Gyros.
I was turned onto this place by coworkers when I worked at an office around the corner from it about a year and a half ago. Sure I quit that job, but I'll never quit Taza! Forgot the owner's name, but he's super friendly and will let you try anything. Curious about the hummus? The baba ghanouj? The falafel? No problem, here's a nice sample. There have been times I've forgotten to order a falafel and the owner has placed one or two of them in my bag - gratis! Grab the lentil soup and a bag of pita chips and you are filled up for lunch.
Fast, inexpensive, and sooo good.
Great Mediterranean food at a reasonable price.
The owner is fantastic. The falafel is some of the best around.
Some of the best gyros I've ever had. This place has friendly staff, free tasting samples, amazingly fresh and good quality food at very affordable prices and most importantly, great portions. For under $10 bucks you get an amazing meal. I also love it when a place has "full size" cups for water and not those little "look at you, you didn't buy a drink" cups that you have to refill 2000 times. The only down side is seating space. It's limited. So, either come early, or expect to "hover" for a bit if you are with a group of people.
I've eaten here every day for the past 3 days and I plan to revisit again during my lunch run. I am so addicted/obscessed with this place that I have been systematically trying everything on the menu with giddy schoolgirl delight. Nothing has been dissapointing and I find new favorites with every trip.
The servers are so nice and its an ample amount of food for a mere $6.00!
The falafel, chicken schwarma, taza chicken, lentil soup, and babaganoush are DELISH!
The lines move quickly and be sure to sample a free falafel during your wait. Yum-o.
I decided to check out Taza after reading all the rave reviews on Yelp, and I was not disappointed! This was probably the best falafel I have ever had--extremely crunchy on the outside and warm, soft and flavorful on the inside! The spicy red sauce and tahini are soo good and really give the falafel an added kick. The food was prepared quickly and it was really cheap too!
Note: The chicken dishes are halal. We tried the chicken shawarma and while it was good, it didn't really compare to the falafel. Also, we tried the Boylan's grape soda, which is made with sparkling water and cane sugar, so it has a surprisingly strong kick and may not be for everyone!
YUM! Great falafel and hummus sandwich. Amazing. The gyro meat is also seasoned so well. It tastes different than any other gyro I've had. Very unique. They also have free samples of items sitting out to try while your order is being made. The place is small and I think it is only open for lunch, but it's worth a short wait in line, especially if you work downtown. I'd go here once a week if I did!
Great place and cheap!
I'm in the process of trying not to go here every day for lunch, because I find it a little embarrassing that they know me as the falafel monster. Still, best. falafel. ever. My gourmet falafel sandwich: a super soft pita spread with hummus, three pieces of deliciously crunchy, grease-free falafel arranged in a triangle and squished, lettuce, tahini salad mix, tomatoes. It's a little pita pocket of heaven.
I've heard that the Gyros and Chicken Schwarma are good too. I wouldn't know, I can't get over the falafel.
And less than 6 bucks.
Fabulous Falafel, Astonishingly cheap, and perfectly fried and spiced. As a bonus, the very nice man behind the counter gave us free baklava.
Now if only it was open for dinner...
I'm happy to report my mouth is still a little bit on fire as I write this.
I anxiously awaited the first nice day to make the trek from my office to try Taza. What I found is unquestionably one of my go-to places relatively near my office.
While it's not the best falafel I've ever had, their falafel sandwich with all the fixings, plus hummus, and "normal" hot sauce have me ready to go back for more. Love the hot sauce! Take note that if you get your sandwich "Gourmet" (with hummus), it'll cost you extra. The signs are easy to miss, especially if you're being rushed through the line.
The lentil soup is a healthy alternative to some other places around. It has a very tiny kick and is refreshing with the addition of lemon. Definitely one of the best I've tried.
Skip fast food and other ho-hum loop lunches. Head to Taza and save your taste buds and your wallet.
Went here for lunch and was pleasantly surprised to not encounter the long lunch lines some Yelpers had warned about. I had the Chicken Kebab plate, which was served with dill rice, hummus, pita, Jerusalem salad and one medium sized falafel. I had gone in intent on having the falafel sandwich but changed my mind last minute. Should've stuck with the plan because the falafel was pretty good and it likely would've made for a tasty sandwich.
The meal came to $8 and change, which I thought was cheap for a downtown lunch (I paid more than that for 2 coffees and a cupcake at Intelligentsia about an hour later, seriously). In exchange for decent food and a decent price, you get a straightforward presentation: a styrofoam partitioned plate.
A little leery about dropping in again only because I got really sick for the rest of the day. Who knows? Maybe it was the cupcake frosting at Intelligentsia but I don't think so... Anyway, will definitely have the much hyped falafel sandwich next time and hopefully update the 2 star rating.
yummy falafel!
only problem is that their "large" sides are not very large, I can eat a whole large side (or two) on my own along with my falafel. Thankfully they're cheap, so I guess it balances out..
Oh, and another problem, they should put pickles in their falafel sandwiches, that would make them awesome.
oh well, still 5 stars..
This would be a 3.5 if Yelp allowed it. Service was amazingly fast, everything seemed fresh, and the falafel was really good. However, my hummus was only decent, likewise the chicken kebab. I'll try it again and have what everyone raves about.
I won't remember how cold and windy it was walking to meet Brett D. at Goodwin's on Good Friday in the long Winter of 2009, so I'll mention it here for posterity. Is the pity party over? Well, not really. Get out your tiny violins folks... after months of ships passing in the night, Goodwins was closed on Good Friday! Good grief! What next?
Taza's across the street for Plan B.? I'm game! Hit by an air of fresh lemons when we walked in the door, these are some Free Smells I can get on board with! Sure enough, the food was every bit as fresh and tasty. The Falafel is the star here, and the combo will get you 6 crispy and tasty falafel balls, creamy hummus for dipping, several pitas, a cucumber salad, tahini dressing and a spicy red sauce that packed a zing! That stuff was good! And coincidentally, the next day I saw Diners, Drive-ins and Dives visiting a falafel place in California with the same red sauce! Guy Fieri did his typical big mouthed bite and Heat Miser imitation...And normally I would be salivating with envy; but I was smirking, smug even! I was sated at Taza.
Plan B. is now Plan A. Goodwin's for the Hold, but Taza for the Save!
Great loop - and conveniently open - lunch spot!!
The always adventurous Kyle H and I have been trying to hit up the salad/sandwich spot Goodwins (across the street from Taza) for months now... When the stars finally aligned and we were able to venture out for a Good Friday lunch we unfortunately found it to be CLOSED. Mothertrucker!!! We are now officially in an episode of Seinfeld, the lunch clock is ticking, what to do!?!?!
Apparently we were not so unfortunate after all... look! What is that? An Oasis? No! Stage left, enter Taza, a great spot to grab some quick Mediterranean lunch fare and on the super cheap! The line is bustling and heavy, but moves quick... use the time wisely and browse the tasty menu. Hummus, Dolmeh, Fattoush Salad, Chicken Shawarma, Kifta Kababs, and of course, The Plates... Yummy, delicious, little combo platters that give you a perfectly portioned sampling of everything terrifically Taza!
Nachos and I both went for the Falafel Plate... 6 tremendous pieces of tasty, crispy, moist falafel served atop a garden salad, nestled next to a tasty cucumber-based Jerusalem Salad and smooth, creamy hummus. Dude. YUM! They also add on a generous serving of warm pita bread, tahini sauce and a little cup of something super spicy and spectacular that was the perfect hot zing to some of the best falafel I've had ever!! Seriously, between the outstanding chickpea balls and other healthier menu options, I could happily eat here everyday and save money! Ka-Ching!
Taza is small, slightly cramped, low maintenance, totally affordable - ahem, our lunch was $5.95 - but 100% friendly and even more-so delicious, everything a loopy lunch should be.
Don't judge this book by it's cover. This is one of my favorite loop lunch spots!
Sure, It's a small cramped restaurant with seating for about 20 (if that many). Sometimes you'll even see a line out the door (dont be discouraged service is fast), granted that line happens partly because the place is so small but the food is no joke.
Their Gyros is very flavorful. Their pitas; i've tried their grilled chicken and their roasted chicken, both are very good. Their falafel is nicely fried, crispy and crunchy (on the) outside, but moist and soft inside! It's simply the best falafel around! They tipically have samples for you to try while waiting in line, which is obviously a plus. Their lentil soup is very good too.
For about $7-8 you get a drink, a sandwich with as many toppings as you'd like, and a falafel or 2 on the side. Trust me, the price is right, service is friendly & fast, and the food is great. Try it, you won't be dissapointed!
Mmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmm!
So far, hands down - best falafel in the Loop.
Falafel-virgins, take note: There are samples of the fresh, crunchy, moist, delicious falafel available for the taking at the far end of the counter so you can try before committing.
I had the gourmet falafel sandwich - falafel & hummus in a pita for only $4.50!
Rounding out my lunch was a Boylan's Grape Soda in a glass bottle (so vintage!). These sodas are made with cane sugar and just as delicious as you'd thus expect them to be. Alas, they are not always so easy to find, so I was delighted to see them available here.
How can one place have the best, cheapest, and fastest falafel? I wouldn't have thought it possible, but Taza proved me wrong. It's a close competition with Sultan's Market for flavor, but barring a double-blind experiment, they're pretty damn similar.
Taza is one of the best lunch options in the Loop by far. They get the food out to you super-quick, and the service is always helpful. If you're a doubter, they have constantly refreshed free samples, so you can taste for yourself the crunchy, delicious falafels.
I have yet to see a falafel sandwich this cheap ($3.95) anywhere else... it's a steal for the area. The portions are very generous: I ordered a falafel sandwich and a side of baba ghanoush, and I had enough for dinner that night. Un... believable.
It astounds me how La Cocina has a line out the door, while Taza doesn't. I'm chalking that up to Taza's speediness; I simply can't live in a world where there's any other explanation.
This is a five-star experience.
Five stars for frickin' fabulous customer service. Coworkers and I voted on Taza for today (yay, cuz I love it).
We order our respective plate to-go, and the sweetheart of a man who's always giving out good suggestions to eat and free samples says, "Hey, wait...here...." and hands each of us a serving of baklava.
Um, free sweets? Why? Well, he says to my male coworker "This is for bringing these two ladies in with you."
Free dessert, compliments, and a huge lunch of falafel-y goodness. Nothing but five stars here, my friend.
The falafel-love continues today, as I sought for something to fulfill the craving not-sated, but… Read more »
I am pleasantly surprised that Taza is of the top reviewed restaurants in Chicago.
The owner is simply amazing - he is proud of his restaurant, and when my friends and I went in for lunch he was more than willing to let us sample virtually the entire menu as it was our first time and we didn't know what to order.
I went with the Chicken Kabob and Gyros combo. I threw a falafel on for good measure. Seven buck lunch.
And now I am a regular.
Taza is a great choice when lunching in the loop. Great food for a great price. Don't get too attached to your order before exploring their daily specials! Just yesterday, I had some sort of stewed chicken dish with carrots, potatoes, and green olives that was out of this world. Also notable are the stuffed grape leaves, but it's hard to disappoint me when it comes to stuffed grape leaves.
The Baba Ganoush left a bit to be desired, but I will give it another chance the next time I go.
Wonderful quick lunch spot. Yes their falafel is great. I love getting the Gourment Falafel - which includes hummous and spicy sauce. The grape leaves are good too. I've had better schwarma and hummous to be honest, but that was like in metro Detroit, the middle eastern capital of the US. But for a good place for a quick, cheap lunch, you can't go wrong with Taza. I'm glad to see these really nice people providing a great meal while doing well with their small business in the Loop, even though they have to compete against giants like Chipotle and Subway.
Hmm... actually I think this corner of Lake/Franklin has the best food in the Loop overall....
I called to order lunch for me and 2 coworkers yesterday after reading good reviews in Menu Pages and seeing that they deliver. I was craving a good chicken shwarma sandwich and trying to find somewhere good that wasn't too expensive. When I called to place the order I was told that they were VERY sorry but they don't deliver small orders, only catering. He was very apologetic saying he didn't have a driver. I hung up disappointed. After some thought I decided to call back and just go pick up the order instead and I am so glad I did.
I called back to place the order and then when I arrived to pick it up the owner (?) was again so apologetic that he couldn't deliver. He actually remembered it was me who had called and for some reason knew who I was when I came in to pick it up! He then gave us some bonuses to our order, some sample falafels, some sample hummus and extra hot sauce. All delicious, as well as my friend's schwarma salad, my chicken shwarma sandwich and my co workers falafel sandwich and Jerusalem salad. I actually heard her say "Man this is so f#@*ing good!!" in the next cube and she's pretty discriminating. From now on, on those slow days when I can jump in the car to get over that way for lunch I will be coming back. A convert for LIFE!
As many other reviews state, this is a great quick lunch spot. I made the trek from the other side of the loop to get here, and it was well worth it.
For all the chicken schwarma lovers out there: Taza's is very good. I would not say amazing, however, as the chicken was a little dry. Nor does it compare to the best schwarma I have had in Europe or the Middle East. Still, the pita was fresh and the hot sauce added a nice flavor.
I tried the tabouli and a few pieces of falafel on the side, which were delicious. All in all, if you are looking for a cheap, quick, delicious and healthy mediterranean lunch spot: this is IT.
(Small negative: there is not a lot of seating. We were able to grab window counter seats, but I wouldn't depend on being able to eat there.)
Taza has to be the hands-down best falafel in the loop. YUM. Any place that offers a free falafel while you wait in line is a winner.
Super friendly, hot and fresh food. The falafels are tasty, the turkey is moist and fresh, the pitas are soft, and the lentil soup is perfect and creamy.
Gormut falafal (w/ extra falafel, a little lettuce and hot sauce) + lentil soup = filling meal, great price.
Go no later than 11:30am if you want to sit indoors during the lunch rush.
Holy cow--that falafel sandwich was AMAZING. Perfectly seasoned, crispy (NOT greasy) outer coating, great sauces, soft pita. I walked all the way from Wabash/Jackson (a little over 1 mile each way) and it was completely worth it. I had falafel at a more upscale restaurant in Lincoln Park that was mushy and completely flavorless, so I was shocked to find out it could taste so good! Amazing value, too--I'll definitely be going back.
I skipped out on work early for the day to come eat here for lunch. Seriously. I've heard all sorts of excellent things about Taza, but working waaay far away from it and it's 10-4 M-F schedule was making it impossible. But I've been dying for some falafel and just had to have it. So buh-bye work! Pick up the girl from her place of employment and run over in the freezing cold to Taza.
What else could be said that hasn't already? Not much. I had the gourmet falafel sandwich which was simply amazing. I could have eaten 3 right there. So good...a plethora of flavors all in one nicely packed pita. And that hot sauce was too good! Nice and spicy but not too bad that I had a hard time eating it.
The manager/owner was walking about and picking up plates. He was talking to some girls who were telling him they heard about Taza on Yelp. He coyly played it off that he hoped there were at least some good reviews on there. Like you don't know how good your place is!
A well deserved "People Love Us On Yelp" sticker is in the window and I can't wait to play hooky from work again to come back.
If it weren't for Taza's crazy lunch rush you'd think that this place would be one of the Loops hidden gems. Apparently the locals know what's what. Ever since I was introduced to Taza and its smiling owner and friendly staff I was head over heels. Mediterranean restaurants often seem a dime a dozen but there is something special about Taza's. I think it all boils down to the attention to the customer that sets this one apart from the pack.
Had my first experience with falafel, as well as with Taza. And I have to say, both were a hit out of the park!
I had the falafel sandwhich, but instead of tomato, I asked for onion and cucumber instead. The sandwhich was delicious, (I got the gourmet) with their special tahini sauce and hot sauce. The hot sauce was just perfect, and to be honest, I think the lentil soup I got was actually spicier!
They were quick and efficient, I am about 3 blocks from the place, and I was back at my office eating the yummy-ness w/in 15 minutes. That was sure a heck of a lot quicker than going over to the Thompson Center.
The lentil soup was by far the best I've had at a restaurant here in the states. Especially with no fats, broths, or oil. Spicy, and full of lentil goodness.
If you are anywhere within the vacinity give it a try, you won't be disapointed!
Words can not describe the amazing flavors here. If you have never had this type of food before like me, you will be blown away like nothing you've ever tried. I ordered the falafel plate and it was delicious. Also try the dessert on the counter called baklava. I swear, it's better than apple pie or ice cream. I will make a point to eat here every time I'm near Chicago from now on. Amazing.
Neighborhood: The Loop
Category: Sandwiches
Neighborhood: The Loop
Category: Mediterranean
Neighborhood: The Loop
Category: Burgers
Neighborhood: University Village
Category: Middle Eastern
Neighborhood: Uptown
Category: Middle Eastern
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