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Category: Mediterranean
Neighborhood: Irving ParkDelicious Exotic Mediterranean and North African cuisine for lunch or dinner ONLY $5.95!!
Mon-Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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Awesome joint for vegetarians as well as meat lovers. Dine in experience is a bit hindered by having too few chairs (2 tables and 4 chairs total) but the food was overwhelmingly yummy and I forgot that my daughter was sitting on my lap while I was scarfing the delicious choices. Brie cigars with chutney dip is probably a crowd pleaser. Savory Veggie pizza was a deal at $5.
The meat eaters loved the lamb brochette and the Merguez Panini (lamb and beef sausage sandwhich), along with the Veggie Pastilla (pastry w/choice of veg, seafood or chix)
I suggest pick up so you get the food fresh, but it was still good the next day (even the tofu ceasar salad!) . If I had a reason to have food catered for a party, they would be on my short list.
Very delicious!
But their delivery sucks.
Stick to taking out.
Yeah, almost everything we ordered from Zebda ended up in the trash. Lukewarm, undercooked meatballs. 3 dips with stale pita.
The only bright and edible spot was the spinach, onion and feta, which I would say was as delicious as everyone else's reviews indicate Zebda is on a normal day.
What a surprise! Ordered delivery through grubhub today and am so glad I did. Had the steak sandwich with balsamic portobellos and spinach--was out of this world. Even the falafel (which doesn't typically travel well) was great! Prices are very reasonable and delivery was EARLY. What a great asset to the neighborhood!
Well Done!
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh Zebda!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rainy days and Fridays always make me want great food!!! So...... today we ordered from Zebda. I had ordered from there once before and it was really terrific, so a repeat performance seemed like a great idea.
I ordered thru GrubHub, so I got the email notification of delivery time. After a bit, the phone rang and it was Zebda calling to say they would be 5 to 10 minutes late. He apologized and said he had put in a complementary dessert. I was blown away by the courtesy. I have had rather poor customer service experiences lately and this attention to detail was so refreshing. In reality they were only four minutes late. I would never have noticed.
The food was delicious. Mom had the salmon salad. The fish was perfectly prepared and the salad base was so full of variety and unusual components like sweet potato and grilled onions amid the assortment of field greens.
I had the Tandoori Chicken Sandwich. It was deeeeeeelicious!!!!!!
BTW, the free dessert was stuffed dates and they were wonderful. That thoughtful gesture has bought them a loyal customer. I recommend them to one and all.
I've only ordered Zebda for delivery so I can't speak to the dining in experience. That being said, I've ordered it at least 3 times in the last two months.
This is one of the highest quality foods I've seen for delivery anywhere. If you want to go the lighter, slightly healthier route, they have a ton of options. If you need to get your protein fix, the meatball sandwich is sure to hit the spot.
I was raised in a household whose food focused on a blend of Lebanese dishes with a Southern twist (weird, I know- that's what happens when great grandma and grandpa immigrate to Birmingham- it's delicious). Zebda presents an excellent snapshot of Mediterranean fair with a few surprises tossed in.
You absolutely cannot beat the value when you order from this spot- highlights include:
The array of spreads- I've tried several and most are great. I read one review that said the pita was stale- they give you a side of deep fried pita (I guess this could be mistaken for stale) and a foil wrapped piece of fresh- take your pick.
Sandwiches- averaging 6$! Tandoori chicken, steak and don't pass up the Nutella, Banana & Jam for a dessert!
Extra points for their killer customer service when my order was screwed up by a Grub Hub mishap (big love to Grub Hub for some of the best customer service in the biz as well). They immediately corrected the situation without question- this is far to rare these days.
I'd definitely stop in if I was looking for a bite in the neighborhood- the food isn't life changing, but it is flavorful, fresh and a great value.
Oh, yes, how I loved you, you and your little storefront flavors. I stopped off, killing time before a medical appointment, and what a fine discovery. I wanted everything on the menu. And what an incredible menu for a little walk-in joint. I orderd a Tandoori Chicken Sandwich. Came with a side, all for $6.00. I chose the Jerusalem Salad. So very tasty!
I want to have a Happy Hour at home and just order in each of all the 14-15 sides. They all sound so good. Even though there are hundreds of places to try, I know I will be back here to work my way through this menu. I have no current culinary love, and am dangerously vulnerable to your charms, Zebda. Please be gentle with me...
$7.80 for a grilled chicken pannini, potato salad, & flatbread
The pannini had grilled chicken, brie, carmelized shallots, and fresh spinach. Doesn't it sound like something you would get at an upscale restaurant? It tasted like it was, but without the prices. The sandwich is big enough for 2 meals and the food doesn't taste heavy.
I'm very particular about potato salad and this was one heck of a potato salad! Creamy & very flavorful.
The homemade flatbread was also very good. It was flaky and chewy. They warm it up on a press for you and it goes really well with any of the sides.
It can be easy to miss the humble looking store bc there isn't a big sign. I love places like this because it just goes to show that you don't have to pay a lot for really good food. I'd definitely go back and try the other items.
My receipt said:
1 Lamb Brochette
1 Create Your Own Sandwich
[Baguette, Corned Beef, Swiss, Dijon Mayo]
1 Create Your Own Sandwich
[Wheat, Smoked Turkey, American]
1 Trio of Spreads w/ Flat Bread of Crudite
[Goat Cheese w/ Spinach & Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Smoked Salmon Pate, Gourmet Hummus]
But what it really meant was MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!! YOUR SOUL BELONGS TO US NOW!!! YOU WILL NEVER BE SATISFIED WITH ANY OTHER!
Seriously, I'd trade my firstborn if they made me.
Eating for my first time as I type... Insanely good food, and equally insanely good prices. fast delivery. Zebda!!!!!!
The irony of having lived a block away from the corner of Elston and Pulaski for 40+ years, and then moving just before Zebda came into the neighborhood is not lost on me. Frankly I hadn't found much to miss in the old neighborhood over the last year (Taxco being a notable exception) but now that Zebda has opened, I think I'll be going back.
Trying this place was a total fluke. Originally we were going to order from Shokran Cafe but found it no longer delivered, so we opted for Zebda and were repaid with a WOW-level meal big enough for four or five. We ordered "The Plate" a combo of hummus, falafel, Jerusalem salad and stuffed grape leaves, all of which were just excellent. The falafel I particularly liked as it was fluffy on the inside like the falafel from Couscous house, but quite crisp on the outside. We also had the chicken curry salad which had an amazingly well-balanced flavor and which was accompanied by caramelized figs, roasted grapes, toasted almonds and mixed greens with a balsamic dressing. There were also onions which were caramelized on one edge but which, in spite of being cooked, retained just enough crunch to make them really fresh and unusual.
Entrees were Tagine aux olives, a slow-cooked braise of beef with olives and potatoes in a saffron sauce. I don't normally think of beef and saffron together but it worked, and the olives cooked that way retained their briny quality but also showed their true fruit nature quite clearly with a warm sweet undertone. Potatoes were browned on the outside, flaky inside as all good potatoes should be. Also appearing was the Apricot chicken, a very aromatic dish of chicken breast cooked with apricot-almond butter, making it sweet and savory by turns, and accompanied by rapini with preserved lemon and basmati rice.
For dessert we split a Reine de Saba cake. Now I'm almost 60 years old and only once before had I ever seen Reine de Saba at a restaurant -- the Baker's Rooms/Ovens of Brittany in Madison Wisconsin, now sadly closed. I remembered it as a slice of heaven on a plate and while I recognize that memory can certainly play you false, I have to confess that Zebda's Reine de Saba was not what I remembered. It was damn good, in fact some truly excellent chocolate case with a mousselike chocolate cream on top, but it wasn't the Reine de Saba I remembered. However, it wouldn't be fair for me to mark them down just for not serving the cake of memory, so the restaurant gets full marks for what really was an awesomely good meal.
I trust that tomorrow's lunch of leftovers will be really excellent, too.
The food at Zebda is amazing, yummy and worth visiting again and again. We have picked up take-out twice and have been blown away both times. What a great addition to the neighborhood.
Without any exaggeration, I can truly say that Zebda is the best delivery food I have ever had in Chicago. The portions are generous, the food is fresh and consistently delicious, and the delivery containers are neat and clean. No sloppy Chinese take-out boxes here! So far, we've tried the salmon, tilapia, "the plate" appetizer, chicken kebab and both soups. They include homemade, warm bread with your order. The prices are extremely reasonable, and the delivery man is our new best bud.
Zebda is absolutely amazing. It's one of those hole in the wall type of places that you'd never think of going into, let alone traveling to, unless you knew what delights awaited you.
This is why I LOVE yelp. I can tell my friends all about AMAZING places like Zebda with just ONE review.
One of the minuses about this place is that it's carry-out only. However, it seems the owner of this place also owns the place next door, and so he offered my friend and me a place to dine there. We decided that it was too nice outside to dine indoors, thanked him, and walked to a nearby park on Irving Park near Pulaski for a picnic.
The other minus is that this place is waaaay up on the North West side of the city, I think the area is called Old Irving. If you're not in the area, it can be a hike, although WELL worth it, I must say.
Other than these two minute things, I only have good things to say about this place.
I went with a friend and here's what we ordered.
-One Grilled Chicken Panini (with brie, carmelized shallots, spinach and Dijon mayo). This sandwich was delicious! Freshly prepared, flavorful, and filling!
-One Tandoori Chicken sandwich (with cucumber, red onion, mint garlic spread and cilantro yogurt on an amazing flatbread). My friend told me he totally enjoyed his sandwich. I had a bit and it was really tasty!
Since both sandwiches came with sides, we each got a salad.
We had one couscous salad that was absolutely AMAZING. It had bits of orange peel and mandarin pieces, richly flavored and exquisite!
We also had one potato salad. However, this was no average potato salad. The flavors in this potato salad were rich, as in the couscous, but perfectly balanced for a potato salad. Amazing.
To top it off, the prices are great, as is the service.
Also, I believe the meat here is Halal, so if you're religious (and I know some of you are!), you can eat freely and to your heart's content!
Now, go enjoy some REALLY GOOD food!
Zebda? "ZOMFG" is more like it! We've ordered in from this place a couple of times and both meals were excellent. Great prices and incredibly tasty entrees-- the Marguez Panini was LOADED with goat cheese, the Apricot Chicken sweet without being overpowering, and the Tagine aux Olives was amazing. And then you get dessert. You HAVE to get dessert. The cheesecake-stuffed dates are INCREDIBLE, and the mint tea! GAAAAAAAAH!
Short version: Good, good stuff. Go get some.
Zebda is the product of a partnership between the former chef/co-owner of Pilsen's Mundial and...a cab driver?
Well, that's what those losers at Metromix would have you believe. Tassili, the cafe next door, is also owned by one of Zebda's proprietors. Both establishments pride themselves on their halal menus, essential to large segments of Irving Park's diverse population.
And if my first visit is any indication, this place will be huge.
The prices are beyond reasonable--in fact, downright criminal. A three-item combo plate is $6, and the amount of food you get is obscene. We went and basically ordered one of almost everything.
Warning 1: The menu is still being worked out. But don't let that stop you.
Warning 2: It's basically a walk-up counter with no seating. Make sure to get home fast for your feast.
--Mushrooms stuffed with yogurt, feta, and spices: OMG. One fell on the table and I still insisted on eating it.
--The BEST deviled eggs I've ever had in my life, with peppers in the mustard mix and lots of paprika.
--A pretty tasty beet and feta salad, with hints of lime and vinegar.
--A French potato salad with thinly sliced radishes and red onions, and homemade pickles.
--Some really creamy, tahini-heavy hummus.
--A potatoes au gratin that was nothing to sneeze at.
And per the man:
--A fairly standard but still quite good pasta salad.
--An excellent curry chicken salad.
--Somewhat sweet French-like loaf of bread.
--And last but absolutely not least, a piece of "stuffed bread."
Let me explain that last one--more like spanikopita, with paprika and powdered sugar surrounding some well-prepared, tender chicken. (You should hear the moans he's making right now; he's lucky his pants are still on.)
If you lazy "foodie" slobs can make the trek to Urban Belly and Hot Doug's, get your asses up to Elston and Pulaski for some AMAZING Algerian/Middle Eastern food. I expect Zebda to improve dramatically once they've hit their stride, if only because I'm selfish and I want my neighborhood joints to stay open.
My fiance discovered this place was just around the block from us last week. We have already spent over $50 there on repeated trips to try new things off the menu and have found ourselves loving each and every one. Fresh and exciting flavors for a reasonable price.
I wasn't ready to try Zebda's main lunch items, so just sampled a couple of their side dishes: hummus and a dip of spinach and sun dried tomatoes. I was offered a choice of pita bread or pita chips and chose the pita bread half-rounds. After I got them home, I waited until they got a little closer to room temperature before tasting them.
The hummus was surprising and disappointing because it was extremely chunky, with almost no smooth, ground chick pea mixture to bind together the whole chick peas, garlic, chunks of orange rind (?) or perhaps a root vegetable, and small strips of a stalk vegetable like ramps or leeks. So it was nearly impossible to eat in the traditional "dipping" method that I've always eaten hummus with; using torn pieces of the pita bread as almost a spoon. Instead, had to gather the mixture with a bread knife and then spread it on top of the pita. The hummus also had a very orange color and had a very bitter after taste. Not the most appetizing hummus I've ever had.
The so-called Spinach and Sun-dried Tomator DIP, was like the hummus, more of a spread rather than a dip. Again, it was extremely chunky, with the same stalk vegetable chunks as used in the hummus. This time, the binder was a off-white, but seemingly non-dairy spread, which had a starchier texture.
I'm planning to take the remainder of each spread and put them through the blender separately to get a smoother mixture. I'll give Zebda another try and taste their main dishes next time.
We were slow to discover this place, and The Husband only randomly stumbled upon them when doing a GrubHub search for cheapest delivery rates. OMG, Zebda. OMG. Your felafel made me think of home (Melbourne, Australia, melting pot of Mediterranean fare and Middle Eastern mecca), your chicken curry salad with grilled figs and grapes blew my mind, and I want to rub myself down in your garlicky feta sauce. Every time we swoon for a new place, it ends up eventually disappointing us (service/quality falls + prices rise, typically simultaneously), and we're hoping Zebda doesn't go the same route. But for now, we love you - your reasonable prices, incredibly fast delivery, good portions, and fresh, quality produce. America is yet to fully comprehend this culinary area (please, please, haloumi, lamb and turkish bread be made available everywhere), and it's heartening to see Zebda championing the genre.
although a large part of my fat content will always have a soft, cellulite-y place for mexican food and burgers, i generally like to vary what i eat when i can. being back home and in charge of what to eat for the evening, i chose zebda on account of its reasonable prices and its tasty-sounding arabic/mediterranean dishes.
the spreads were pretty good. (i ordered the eggplant caviar, goat cheese w/spinach and sun dried tomatoes, and smoked salmon pate.) although they weren't freshly made, the generous portion of the trio was a great deal for its price.
the pomegranate-glazed tilapia (served over couscous and mandarin spinach salad w/yogurt mint vinaigrette) and apricot chicken (infused w/apricot almond butter and served w/rappini) were too sweet. it was as if a heaping dollop of jelly/jam was added, which was unnecessary b/c the dishes already contained mandarins and apricots, respectively.
the tagine aux olives (braised beef w/olives and potatoes in a saffron sauce) was ok. besides the smoky flavor of the beef, it tasted like a filipino dish that i've had on several occasions.
the artichoke pappardelle (ribbon pasta w/artichoke, portabello mushrooms, rappini and red pepper in a saffron cream sauce) lacked flavor. the only thing that i could really taste was butter.
great price, overall average food.
perhaps i'll go to zebda again in the future and try one of their $6 sandwiches.
zebda was featured in "the reader" this week and we had to go there. i love the neighborhood it's in-chock full of inexpensive delicious ethnic foods. there's a 24 hour algerian resto (tassili) right across the street from zebda!
we were mezmorized by the choices and vowed to get just a couple of things. but of course ended up spending $30 and carrying 6 meals worth of food home with us.
we tried the tandoori chicken sandwich with cucumbers, onions, mint garlic spread and cilantro yogurt. it was served on the most FANTASTIC M'Semene-home made gigantic flatbread-SO moist & fresh it really blew my mind.
sitting next to the fresh batch of flatbread sat a few sweet & savory phyllo dough pasteries. we had to try the mushroom spinach & the chicken, veggie & herbs. both very moist & very unusual. of course they were rich. phyllo dough is hardcore.
we tried the marguez panini-delicious lamb sausage with goat cheese, arugula, roasted peppers & dijon mayo. a delicious winner. marguez is usually a creole thing, but seeing this is an algerian place, it's the french connection.
we threw a zebda couscous salad in there, which ended up being my favorite dish. the combinations of flavors were awesome-chicken kabobs, apricots, grilled veggies, toasted almonds tossed in harissa. sweet, spicy goodness.
with the very inexpensive sandwiches ($5.50-$8) you get one very generous side dish-we had the mixed veggies which really were mixed pickle-sour! and jerusalem salad-refreshing goodness. for dessert, honey sesame sweets. just the right mix of savory/sweet goodness.
the service was excellent & joyful. the place is squeaky clean (very important to me-it's always the first thing i notice) and very bright & cheerful. all of the food is halal, and right now it's carryout & catering. but they are going to put a counter in there soon.
amazing food.... really fresh ingredients. It's a take out place so you can order ahead or wait there. Also, I think they deliver until 10 or 11pm. The food is delicious and definitely a huge step above any falafel and sandwich joints in the city, but still has reasonable prices. The sandwiches, sides, and desserts are all great. The only down side is I wish you could dine in.
We tried Zebda's yesterday, on a pretty cold rainy Chicago evening. First of all, the inconspicuous storefront had us walking in circles until we spotted it. I was a little surprised at the set-up, its a take-out and delivery place and the owner said we could take our food over to the next restaurant (Tasili) which is owned by the same person. A very weird arrangement!!
The food was ok. Nothing great that stood out. I tired a Chicken Tagine (which was pretty good and wholesome) and hubby, the lamb kabob (which was very uninspiring). The pastilles were stone-cold and the owner made no effort to heat it up for us.
I might return to try the sandwiches, but will probably take it to-go, since the dining arrangement did not appeal!
delicious! so healthy and tasty. everything on the menu sounds so so good. i cannot wait to try more things. i've kind of stopped buying groceries and this place is just around the corner from my house (and it is so cheap i might actually be saving money) i had a meal and a snack for under 7 dollars after tax. i just wanted to write this brief review to get more people to support this new kitchen!
i will be sure to update.
Went to Zebda after reading other reviews on Yelp. I have to say that I will be back for more. I had the falafal and hubby had Tagine aux olives--both were delicious! I also tried some wrap type thing with chicken, cheese, and other spices and it was like a flavor explosion in my mouth! Super tasty! We also split a chocolate pastry that was out of this world. All in all a great experience and we're happy to have a new place like this in the neighborhood! The only suggestion I would make to the owners is to make the inside of the restaurant a little more inviting (e.g., get rid of the computer behind the counter, hang some pictures, take down the Yelp/Metromix reviews taped on the wall, etc.). It's a little plain Jane and that may be off putting to some customers.
I was very reluctantly dragged by my husband there last week. Immediate reaction was was far from positive. I was weirded out by the store front feel and the lack of seating. Hesitantly ordered the eggplant sandwich and parked myself on the radiator to wait for the food.
While waiting i eyed some pastries on the counter and asked for a sweet one. Holy heaven!!!! Amazing!!!! The very same should be said for my food once i dug in. First of all, the baba ganoush is the best I ever had (seeing as how I didn't order it myself, I ate most of husband's) as well as my eggplant sandwich, of which i only planned to eat half, but couldn't resist.
The food is fresh and creative. Also, it's halal, which makes me feel good about eating it.
Try it. It's a heck of a schlep, but I just ordered from there and they are willing to trek out all the way to Lincoln Square for delivery!
Food poisoning! Tasted so so good going down, not-so-good coming up. Blech. Maybe because we went late at night and the food had been sitting out? Seriously, I can see why there are so many positive reviews of this place, because our meal tasted wonderful, but my boyfriend and I were violently ill afterwards. Sorry. Won't return and dreadfully disappointed because we thought we'd found a new favorite.
when i decided to order food at work, i wasn't expecting to get a balsamic glaze steak sandwich with portabellos and roasted shallots, braised artichokes with fennel and lemon pickles and homemade middle eastern sweets for ten bones. the lunch box special saved my day, i'm definitely going to try it in person soon.
I'm thrilled to have this spot in my neighborhood. So yummy! Delicious food, huge portions, freshly made, affordable and vegetarian friendly!
I particularly enjoyed the watermelon salad. The falafel sandwhich was very tasty, especially the flat bread. Coucous salad with apricot, roasted veggies and greens was another highlight.
I can't wait to go back and explore more of the menu.
I had my first Zebda experience this Saturday, and it was great! the food is fresh and homemade, and you get a ton of it. I had the falafel, which came with a big side salad (and by "side salad" they mean anything from couscous to potato to chicken, in a portion that would make a meal of itself.) The people are very pleasant, and I always love supporting family businesses.
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