Nice ambience. Totally forgettable food. Not memorably bad, but not memorably good either. A decent option if you live nearby, but not worth driving out of your way for. read more

This was our first experience at Al Bawadi Grill! We were unfamiliar with the menu, so our server, Bayan, gave excellent recommendations. We had the mixed grill with hummus..so good! We also had the Chicken Toshka. It came out hot and deliciously crunchy-very filling! For dessert we had Knafa, made to order, with warm sweet cheese, honey and pistachio. Excellent! Arabian coffee, a warm atmosphere and great service. Highly recommended read more

My husband and I have been coming here for years! We go once a week and each time we go it's better than the last time! Amazing food, staff is perfect and prices are great! We love you guys!!! Mashalah allah yerzik o ybarik o yzeed :) read more

Not really good service takes along time to get what we ask for the coffe should be served with with a special Arbic cups .. you guys need to put some napkins in the path room instead of air dry read more

We order from here pretty often and haven't been disappointed. Our favorites are the Mixed Grill, the Seafood Grill and the hummus with meat. Delicious. read more

So much flavor and a menu that makes it difficult to choose. I had a chicken kebob salad that featured juicy grilled chicken, shrimp and greens. I also tried the grilled wings and a new potato appetizer with garlic and cilantro...I am happily stuffed. The owner is very friendly and so is his staff.Thank you for another delicious meal. read more

I just got home from a tremendous meal experience at Al Bawadi Grill. I took my son and it was my first time (I'm ashamed to admit) eating Arabian food. We had a great time at this restaurant--our waitress was probably the best waitress I've had in years at ANY Chicago area restaurant. She was patient explaining every dish and every option, and checked on us with everything we tried. Service was quick and the food was amazing. My son fell in love with their falafel's--I only got to eat one of the six! We shared the Mixed Grill and two appetizers along with the amazing pita bread, and we brought home just as much as we were able to finish. (Of course, even though we were stuffed, we HAD to try their baklava. It was also terrific. Now, maybe i don't have a lot of other restaurants to compare this to, so I'll just say that we loved everything we ate, and are anxious to take friends with us and go back often. But I have to remark again about how amazing everyone was in treating us well (and the restaurant was reasonably busy), and serving us quickly with platters of hot, fresh food. Our waitress was also willing to take the time to answer my questions about the neighborhood--which is obviously populated by a large muslim/arab community. She was kind and friendly, and just exactly the type of waitress I want when I eat out--someone who is invested in me having not only plates of food, but also a good dining experience. We'll be back soon, and often! read more

Awesome! Awesome! We went there last night for a birthday dinner. It was a very busy Saturday night. Always a good sign that a restaurant is bursting at the seams with patrons on a Saturday night. Loved everything about his place. We will be going back for many more birthdays to come. read more

This place is the best mediterranean restaurant I've ever been too. It keeps getting better and better. their service is the best. their food is always fresh and portions are amazing. I recommend the chicken shawarma wrap, mediterranean platter, lentil soup, their fish is amazing. Salad is always fresh. Their smoothies and iced tea are the best. Their arabic coffee is free courtesy when you walk in. they cater and they keep upgrading. There is an outside sitting area as well. this place has came on tv. This place is the best and keeps me impressed every time I go. Its a bit pricy but you definetly get your moneys worth. LOVE this place with all my heart. And im Palestinean, and all their food reminds me of my moms own cooking. Its the best read more

Pros- LOVE the food, everyone who I brought along loved it! It is now one of my favorite types of foods. Cons- Waitress/Hostess are arrogant/rude, that is the only reason why a few of my friends don't want to eat there anymore. However, I still got there just for the food. read more

I have been to this place during ramadan buffet and below is my review Food: Taste wise it was very good. To be honest, i would rate 4 from taste point of view but i was disappointed with the ambiance and the way whole buffet thing was handled Ambiance: It was very full and there were long lines since it was buffet. Within minutes their special offering of buffet will be over and it wont come again during the buffet. They will ask you to move while eating , so that, they can accommodate extra people. Miscellaneous: I called them before hand to make sure they have arrangements for salah after iftar, but it was not there, they show some place on the back of the restaurant which is not appropriate for salah. So make sure you pray you salah and then go. Hope it helps.... I request owners through Yelp.. Please make proper arrangements for salah. Inshallah you will be benefited more.... Thanks, Syed read more

My first time dinning at Al Bawadi Grill, I give it FIVE stars. I come from a Mediterranean culture. The atmosphere, quality of service, quality of food and friendly faces made my experience an incredible one. I was craving to try some of the authentic food and it was all available on the menu. I would definitely return and bring my family again. read more

The best Mediterranean ,Middle Eastern food ever in the United States ,the chicken shawrma sandwich is so delicious and the mixed grill plate also so tasty these are my favorite dishes and the falafel is perfect. you can feel that from the perfect smell of the grilling that full the surroundings of the restaurant after you park your car and start entering the restaurant.The waitress are so cooperative helpful serve you fast and with smily face:) I have my dinner each weekend there and I wish I could go everyday ;) read more

No dount the Food is good.. BUT pathetic customer service. Not to mention, this is first and only restaurant i have ever been to where they charge you for little (despite how much you sepnd there). The guy in the kitches states "can you imagine if everyone ask for it" REALLY???? that's their fear? That's the cost of the doing business. Besides, i asked for Hot sauce, not Gold. Hot sauce is cheap. So, I even returned the ketchup packets they gave me and told them to sell that to some one else and make up for lost hot sauce. read more

This is the worst restaurants in Chicago! Terrible customer service, manager had a very bad attitude and was not at all fased that our order went to another table right before our eyes. Instead of apologizing he said "what is the big deal jusy wait a little longer"!!! This is after an hour wait to get our food. Will never ever go back again! read more

I'm a visitors not a Chicago resident I went to that restaurant because it had a good reviews but when I went over there I don't know is that a Chicago customer service standard . it's a very very bad customer service. I can give them -5 stars . they have a non smiled face. Store Manger or owner have 0 scale of customer service. Instead of fixing his issues he attached me. if you dont like it that what we have. Even I threw a $20.00 dollars on the table for the salad I have . but I don't recommend it to any one. It's the worst i ever seen. read more

Excellent food and excellent service! The mixed grill and mint lemonade was fantastic. I would without a doubt come back as well as recommend to other people. read more

Absolutely amazing. Frances was our server, friendly very upbeat personality offered great suggestions. I had the grilled seafood platter. DELICIOUS! read more

Really good food. I had the combination grill plate. The price is a little higher but good quality. 2nd time here and both times were good. read more

Al Bawadi Grill - Mix grill plate - Mediterranean Near Me - Bridgeview, Illinois

Their authentic Mediterranean cooking is in a league of it's own. Hand's down the best this city has to offer. The ambiance is awesome. Definitely going back! read more

Al Bawadi Grill - Mediterranean Near Me - Bridgeview, Illinois

Great restaurant if you want mediterranean food. There kabobs are amazing (perfect blend of spices and they are tender) I like how they decorated the place it ads a good touch to the whole experience . Even the waiters wear cultural dress. If you visit this place you have to try there kabobs. read more

Easily my new favorite restuarant. You will wait on the weekend, but the warm pitas make it worth it. Family friendly, the staff is attentive, you can tell the owner runs the place very well. read more

Only been here once, but this place, hands down, has the BEST hummus I have ever tried. The falafel is amazing too. I will definitely be returning soon. read more

Been there twice and drive by all the time and it smells excellent as they cook on wood grills. The food was really good, but I didn't feel comfortable as I am not middle eastern and could feel a negative vibe. read more

Everything was fantastic! I'm not good with words so what I can say is that it's definitely worth the 45 minute drive for me! From apps to dessert everything was delicious. Our server was fantastic and had an amazing welcoming smile with great recommendations. Will definitely be back! read more

This place will never disappoint! Best middle eastern food and now they have the best Kunafah dessert I had in a while! And yes they have a very nice staff and clean restrooms read more

Love the food. Honestly is a great place if not the best for Mediterranean cuisine. It's always busy and the people are generally friendly and even cater large events. Definitely would recommend highly as a place to bring your family as well. read more

We made a reservation a week ago to come in today Thursday may 24th at 6:30 because they don't take reservations fri-sun. We get here at 6:30 and they tell us they're closed? Confused at this, we tell them that we have a reservation and we made it online over a week ago. The girl at the hostesses stands looks over at the guy next to her and he tells her in Arabic I believe, that they are closed for Ramadan and they only offer a buffet at this time with a reservation. We again say we have a reservation, they just keep telling us they're closed for the buffet only. We drove over an hour to get here for this really good food, only to be told sorry were closed. When I asked why we didn't receive a phone call to let us know about all of this, the girl at the stand says "well our system isn't really updated to get our online reservations". Angry and annoyed about the whole situation there is a bright side. We can order food to go. We placed our order but couldn't order any fried appetizers because the fryer hasn't been working. That to me says it hasn't been working for it least the last 24hrs so why not get it fixed by now? Over all I'm very happy to be eating this really good food, but not happy with this costumer service at all. I'd recommend you call ahead with any questions, don't bother with trying to make a reservation, if this system isn't working then I doubt the online ordering system is updated for you to that. read more

The food and atmosphere is excellent here. A little on the expensive side but totally worth every penny. If you're not familiar with Mediterranean food, just order the "Mixed Grill". It's a great assortment of different meats and treats and a very healthy portion. I'm a big eater and I have a hard time finishing this. It's easily enough for 2 people with average appetites. Enjoy! read more

Today is my birthday so when my family asked what I wanted it was middle eastern food. Ordered online at 11:46am for 5pm pickup. Got there at 4:58pm for pickup and they couldn't find my order even after showing them my email confirmation. After about 5 mins they found my order but nobody filled it. The employee apologized and said it will take 10 mins for your order. As I am waiting numerous other customers were picking up their orders and all of them were experiencing issues if they ordered online. The customers that ordered by phone experienced some issues but nothing like the online orders. As the people were all gathered around waiting for their orders I couldn't help think with the Covid pandemic occurring there was no active social distancing being followed or monitored by their staff. At approximately 5:46pm my order was ready for pickup. After the employee mentioned twice to me the food will be ready in a few mins it took approximately 45 mins to make my order of 3 entrees, hummus and a salad. Mind you the hummus and salads are all prepackaged in the glass refrigerated case ready to be placed into a bag. I requested to speak to a manager about this delay. He came to the pickup window where all the customers and his employees are staged and I asked him to step out away from the area because I did not want to make a scene. I explained to him what happened and he apologized and insisted that I should have came to him immediately. I explained mistakes happen but don't have your employees tell me and other customers it will be 10 mins and it's over 45 mins to make my order and anywhere from 20 additional minutes for other orders. All I asked of the manger is to have your employees be honest and these situations would would not need to be escalated. I was very unsatisfied with this response after I further explained it takes me 30 mins one way to get to this restaurant and my family has been waiting for dinner. I didn't ask for any sort of free hand-out or anything like that. The meals were already paid online. I felt that the manager needed to be able to address this type of issue in a manner not to lose a customer. The hospitality industry is built on service. This is an independent family business that I want to help with my money during this Covid pandemic. They are not some big chain that can weather the storms of this crisis. Well they lost a customer. To be 100% percent honest due to the negativity of this review the food was very good. I was very satisfied with the quality of the food but when you start off with a very negative experience it's difficult to enjoy the meal. read more

Great food I just wish the service was better. You never know whos your server it's uncomfortable when one person takes your order a different one brings your appetizer another one brings your meal you just get confused on who is your server there's more than 5 people that approach your table read more

I've heard so many great things about this place from friends and family and decided to try it out last week. Let me tell you something, you will be full when leaving there. They seated me fast and had a waitress get me something to drink, some bread and other stuff immediately. They had nice interior. The food was great and the khnafa was even better. No wonder they have been on Chicagos best and even DJ Khaled are there. I will definitely be going back there soon! read more

Great kabobs and great rice ! Love the knafa they make live:. However they have the worst service ever . The waiter tried to hand my sisters boyfriend her phone number after dinner .. that totally threw us off guard and we were shocked at how disrespectful she was . When we told the manager he shrugged his shoulders and laughed about it. We will only pick up from now on . read more

This place is very consisting. Ive been coming to this place for years and the quality was always the same. The food is very indulging and in point. and the staff are really nice. read more

This is my favorite place to go when I am in justice... I used to live in the area. Loved it then and love it now... no other place can beat them. And I've had my share of Mediterranean food but nothing can compare. read more

Love this place, Pretty and very respectful waiters, Wouldn't bring kids there., although there allowed. Just writing this review makes me want to visit, Haven't went for a little bit. Food is great! Portions are perfect! Style is awesome and i love the atmosphere, Puts me in a great mood. The bathroom is OK should be remodeled, Other than that everything was great and i enjoyed it! Thanks! read more

Had a surprise birthday party at Al-Bawadi for my husband ... Some of our guests were coming in a little later and the manager was ready to kick us out. He was yelling at us in front of the guests... Extremely embarrassing. On top of everything, the lady taking down names ruined the surprise by telling him "oh you are here for the party of 25"... The food wasn't even that good (seems like the quality has gone down over the past few years) and I would say their prices are not worth the quality and definitely NOT the horrible customer service. If it wasn't for the fact that everyone was already on their way there, I would have canceled and went somewhere else. Please beware if you are planning a large group or event there. I was super excited to be throwing this surprise bday dinner for my husband and they totally gloomed down the mood for the rest of the evening with all the yelling, staring, and insults read more

The owners are good people. They are willing to spend more to differentiate things and have good quality ingredients. The food, no matter what you order, is likely to exceed your expectations if you're not familiar with this type of cuisine. and if you are familiar with this type of cuisine, it's never going to taste as good as homemade, but it's not a bad place to eat with your family or friends. The combo plate will give you a taste of most flavors. Kabobs are always delicious as is their shawarma. If you just want a sandwich their french fries are delicious. For appetizers, humus or humus with meat is pretty good as is their baba ghanouj. Their pita bread & falafel can never be as good as the falafel from nearby Rasheed bakery, but it's good enough if you have a taste for it at night. If you want to watch your carbs, ask for tabouleh to replace the rice in your dinner plates, they are more than happy to oblige. Their service is better than may Middle Eastern cuisine restaurants, but still lacks the American standard of professionalism... but they do try and most come off as sincere in their warmth, attention and smile. I definitely recommend this place to anyone who has ever driven by and wondered about giving it a try. read more

I've eaten here A LOT. The food is very good. The wait can be a bit long, but they are busy. I usually get the mixed grill or shish kebab. The meat is cooked really well and the rice is perfect. The food quality doesn't vary much from visit to visit. The baklava is so good. They have dividers for women in niqab, which is so thoughtful. The atmosphere and decorating is very nice. Even the bathroom is beautiful. It's a nice place to bring people visiting from out of town because it's not just a restaurant. It's an experience with all of the servers in traditional clothes and Arabic music. read more

The place was packed and we had to wait 5 minutes to be seated. I took them more than half an hour waiting for the food. It was not even worm when arrived. The taste was bad and right after we finished, the waiter brought us food boxes for the left over , that we did not ask for!. Actually I will never come to this restaurant again. read more