Very awesome and popular Palestinian restaurant here on the SW side of the city! Very nice people working here and just a really nice environment. I came here for lunch recently as I was visiting some friends in the area and wanted something quick as it was nearing my lunchtime @ 11:30am. I ordered the Chicken Shawerma sandwich which came with homemade garlic sauce, pickles and onions. Very good lunch I have to say and I would like to return for a full on meal sometime soon. read more

If you're in the mood for Arab / Middle Eastern food, Al Bawadi is one of the better destinations outside of Chicago. The ambiance on a Saturday night in the summer is lively and social (and packed). We had a group of 3 couples and were seated fairly quickly despite the busy night. We were all looking forward to the food and as a group, we were all discerning critics of Middle Eastern food (inclusive of 2 individuals from Istanbul) - all of us walked out impressed by the meal. Given the group size, we ordered the large mixed meat platter (which resulted in plenty of leftovers for all 6 of us). The starters came out before the platter, which included fresh pita bread, hummus, baba ganough, garlic spread, and veggies (along with a salad). We were all impressed with the starters and probably lamented stuffing ourselves before the platter. The platter then came out, covered by a soft bread, which after taken off (it was used as a cover) revealed a bed of buttery rice and shish kabob, kefta kabob, chicken kufta, shawarma, and tomatoes and onions (grilled of course). The food was more than enough for everyone and we ordered tahini and spicy sauce to drizzle on top. Finally, after stuffing ourselves, we made room for kinafa (made fresh and was delicious) and the baklava (loved the cinnamon ratio) topped off by black tea. Overall, a great experience and while I've catered from here before, eating on site is absolutely worth it. read more

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This Place Has Delicious Food And Really Excellent Service. First Time Trying Mediterranean Food And Wishing There Was One Like It In CA. Definitely Going Back Next Time Am In The Area. read more

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This place was phenomenal. Very authentic Middle Eastern food experience! Great food and friendly service. The decor is beautiful. The workers are dressed in traditional outfits which adds to the ambiance. Ordered Arabic coffee and Fatteh hummus with meat. My two favorite dishes are the chicken toshka, and the daily special Ouzi. Al Bawadi is consistently delicious, fresh, and flavorful. This is my favorite middle eastern restaurant in the surrounding area. read more

Al Bawadi Grill - Mediterranean Near Me - Bridgeview, Illinois

Their service is really nice and their setting is very welcoming, their food is okay, they can make it better

I visited Al Bawadi on 04AUG21 and 17AUG21, and received the same standard of food both times. I ordered the chicken shawarma platter on both occasions with a side of hummus. The hummus had a nice and proud garlic taste with olive oil very much strewn throughout the plate. The cooked chickpeas on top of the platter was also a nice addition. The pita bread served at table is delicious and warm and pairs well with whatever you put it in. The main course was well-seasoned and plentiful. The price point for the amount of food you get is definitely favorable. This will become a new frequent spot for me. read more

I f***ing love this place. The mint lemonade keeps me up at night. The service is friendly. Tabouleh definitely needs more lemon.

Came here for breakfast on a Saturday morning. I don't think they get a lot of activity during this timeslot (nobody at the host station when I arrived). I was given a standard dinner menu, and had to ask for a breakfast menu. If you haven't been here, the decor is nice and sets the tone for the meal- booths are draped with fabric and are decorated with beautiful light fixtures. Ordered Arabic coffee and Fatteh hummus with meat. The complimentary appetizer tray with pita came quickly after ordering. The coffee came with the fatteh hummus. This dish was really excellent. They crisp up some pita bits, mix them with hummus, top it with meat, and serve it in a generous portion. I've had this dish elsewhere - in which the hummus more or less soaked into the pita and made it soft. I prefer this version for sure. My main quibble here is with the service received. It was friendly enough, but inattentive, not checking on the table during the meal. If it was insanely busy, this could be explained, but under the circumstances, nope. So 5 stars for the food and 2.5 stars for the service. I'll round up and say the average is 4 stars. read more

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Love this Place! Food is good (B+) Atmosphere is Fantastic! Go and Enjoy the Experience read more

The food looks good in the pictures but was extremely disappointing it was over priced the portions were small it had no seasoning and all the meat was very dry. I had to apologize to my wife after eating here. read more

Ever since I saw Steve Dolinsky's review of this place I wanted to try. So when I had the opportunity to be in the area I waited for it to open. I ordered a bunch of food to go. The interior looks interesting & if I was with my family I would have stay. They give you a lot of fresh pita bread. Rice was good but I was hoping it had dill in it. The steak was tender. The hummus, baba ghanouj, and falafel were all delicious. read more

Went to this place for dinner tonight and it was disgusting. We walked in after their buffet service ended. Based on the look and temperature of the food, it was instantly obvious that we were eating leftovers from the buffet that had just finished. Service was also very slow & our waitress practically kicked us out by giving us the bill a minute after bringing our entrees. We were not even asked about dessert! Go to Libanais. Much better (& fresher) food than this garbage. read more

The Large Meat Platter at Al Bawadi has got to be one of the most impressive platters in all of Chicago. They start you off with Baba Ghanoush, Hummus, some salad and another appetizer with some pita bread. After that, the main course comes the main course. A massive plate filled with rise, roasted onions and tomatoes, and all kinds of differently marinated meat, topped off with a large piece of bread covering it. It's really flavorful, and the meat is all very tender. Put it on your list and go have it! read more

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We found this place 5 minutes before they close during Ramadan and they did not disappoint very professional and nice and courteous to us. The food was breathtaking and we all loved it. We will definitely come back soon read more

Al Bawadi Grill - Mediterranean Near Me - Bridgeview, Illinois

This place is actually amazing I loved their food so much. I'm from Milwaukee and I have a lot of Arabic options here. But nothing compares!!! Will come again. The ambience is so nice too. read more

loved this place all around. good authentic food, authentic service, and authentic ambiance. will always be my number 1 choice when in the area. read more

Great atmosphere, tight place thought. A little suffocating considering it was so packed. The waitresses were great and respectful. Our waiter was a bit overwhelmed tho by the big group. Just take a deep breath. You got this. Now food: my dish was amazing. It was a rice and lamb dish. The mixed grill was great too and the hummus and baba ghonosh were amazing. The knafeh was ehh. read more

Al Bawadi Grill - Large Mixed Meat Platter (Serves 5-6 people) - Mediterranean Near Me - Bridgeview, Illinois

This place was phenomenal. My friend and her husband brought me here one day and luckily it wasn't super busy so we got our food really fast. We got fried potatoes as an appetizer. Ambiance: I came in and all the workers were dressed in traditional middle eastern garb and it was clean. Most of the time I have noticed that many places are just not as clean. Even the bathrooms were nice! Food: I was told that whatever I get would be good and they weren't lying. I got the chicken and meat mixed shawarma plate and no complaints on my end. So flavorful and the garlic sauce adds that extra touch. *halal**** read more

Al Bawadi Grill - Mixed chicken and meat shawarma! Bomb.com - Mediterranean Near Me - Bridgeview, Illinois

Food was excellent. Staff was also very nice as well. The interior is very cozy and cute! Everything we ordered was great!

amazing food! Great service as well and amazing ambiance. Great representation of arab cuisine

Had dinner tonight with friends. We have only been there a few times and our friends have never been. We asked our server for recommendations and they were fantastic. Our server Osama was great he did a great job helping us order and how much to order. Service was excellent and the ambiance is perfect. We had a corner table that felt like we were in a tent it was great. read more

Now this is how you serve and cook good food. In this place everything is good. Simply like that. From service, gentlemen who opened the door to us. Amazing. Wonderful Palestina shirt. This is one of those places where everything about it is wonderful. Ladies are very pretty and polite. Ready to serve you the best. We didn't have a lot of time and our server Marian respected that fact. So she helped us with manu and we got the best out of it. Started with some complementary pita chips with za'atar, pickled veggies, Baba Ganoush.. Continued with delicious lentil soup, lamb hummus, falafel! 100 stars. Yes. I said enough. My boy had mixed grill plate and it was delicious as well. I've tried recommended mint limonade and I didn't regret. We decided to get a lunch for our friend and surprise him on work. Yes we didn't resist to try knafeh , made on order. I know. A lot of food. But we couldn't resist. So we had plenty for dinner! Yes, we are already planning to go again with friends. Crazy right?! read more

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As someone who has eaten middle eastern food in the middle east, as well as have access to ingridients brought from Jordan. I find it very hard to enjoy middle eastern restaurants here because it's a bad interpretation of middle eastern food or Greek, Persian, Turkish, and Pal lol estinian all on one menu, and it sucks when you're trying to introduce someone to it. This is a great middle eastern restaurant. Amazing that they also have desserts on the menu. I normally have to go to seperate restaurants. Consistently great food, customer service, and wait times! read more

The Food Here is Great and Very Consistent and Unsurpassed. Service Was Fast! and Ambiance was a Modern Middle Eastern. By Far the Best food in town! read more

I've been coming here for years and it has yet to disappoint. The ambiance, the food and service is incredible. If you've never been to the Middle East and want to try some flare, this is the place. The servers are all wearing traditional clothes along with the decor. The food was absolutely delicious. We had the mixed platter and the chicken tawook wrap. Both were very flavorful and cooked to perfection. Lastly, we had the Knafah and mint tea. Some of the best knafah I've had in town. Highly recommend al bawadi. read more

Too many issues with this place 1) Been there three times, never got a reservation because they dont do reservations , fair enough , but they also do not do polite phone conversations either (like "maybe we will have room maybe we wont when you drive from 40 miles aways with three kids, if we do not have a table, plz wait & up yours) 2) we were kinda packed in a small corner (party of 8) , request of seating us at a larger table were ignored as if they did not hear us 3) the pita, hummus , yogurt starter, baba ghanush all are amazing 4) we ordered a kabob platter ($99) which had an assortment of their signature kabobs, let me just put it this way : I have had much better kababs , you need teeth to chew all that springy beef , the chicken kabab was like a dry pebble used as a tool in the paleolithic age 5) now for the most surprising part : there was an 18% tip just added to the bill as a christmas gift, you like it or not. 6) three times too much, not repeating this blunder again read more

Chicken Tawook is bland and was undercooked. The beef shawarma was dry and tasteless and the steak was chewy and had a bad aftertaste. They were out of a lot of their cocktail ingredients so there were very few options. We came midday on a Saturday so not sure how they were out of so many items. Fattoush up the street is much better don't waste your money here. I wish I could give this place negative stars. read more

Al Bawadi Grill - Dry unseasoned inedible "shawerma" basically cardboard. - Mediterranean Near Me - Bridgeview, Illinois

One of best middle eastern cuisines in the US . Food was delicious. Service was quick

I have been going to that place since 2011. Over the years the food and service got worse and worse. I am actually writing this review while waiting on my food. This is how frustrated I am!! Took them a good 10-13 minutes for any kind of server to come by then he took our order and I asked for the "complementary dip" they brought us one small plate. When I asked for another one as there is 5 adults at the table, They seemed not to like that, and I heard one of the managers asking the server how many people are there to have another COMPLIMENTARY DIP. Also the bread is a day old and stale. Very cheap and customer service is sub par. I won't be back that is for sure. Also just watching other tables looking for help and watching the waiters all talk among themselves and hang out like children. read more

I gave you 2 stars due to the poor service quality especially thanks to the person serving our table. His name is Anas and he was beyond terrible. To the Management of Al Bawadi, Your food is amazing and thats why we drove 20 miles to your place but how do you hire such characters in this day and age? They are damaging your brand and your identity of a good dining experience. This guy Anas waiting our table is a piece of work - busy socializing with his friends on the next table. We didn't have glasses or silverware and kept waiting and reminding him. We had to ask for the Pita bread and the Hummus took another 10 mins to arrive as he was too busy chatting and attending to his friends. Everyone else around us was being tended to as they were his friends. When the silverware was finally brought after repeatedly asking and reminding - this guy has the audacity to give me 1 napkin and 4 forks and spoons for 4 of us - he asks me to wipe it with the napkin and pass it on to others. 1 napkin for 4 people. What a nerve? I saw every table given silverware with a napkin per person. When I paid with my card, I had to keep waiting for this guy who was holding my card but chatting with his friends at the next table while we waited. Seriously? I doubt we are 'EVER' coming back just because of the pathetic service that Anas rendered. read more

Excellent food and customer service. I have been going here for years and the food is always the same....well prepared, seasoned and delicious down to the crumbs read more

When you're greeted by a man in a thawb, a keffiya, a gun holster and leather straps (think Lawrence of Arabia) and then walk into a restaurant where 90% of the patrons were born within 400 miles of the Persian Gulf, you know the place is an authentic Middle Eastern restaurant. Abu-Fares, the owner, came soon thereafter and could not have made me feel more at home (see picture). He explained the origin of the name and welcomed me in. Before the menu arrived they brought me pita chips, eggplant and tomatoes, and pickled turnips and carrots. The eggplant was extraordinary. So good, in fact, I asked for a plate of it. The cracked wheat soup was not on the menu and not served every day. It, too, was delicious. I wasn't overly impressed with the fish I had for the main dish, but really, who orders fish at a Middle Eastern restaurant? I eat a lot of Middle Eastern food, yet still had to ask a lot of questions about the menu. It offers a far wider selection of dishes than your standard ME restaurant. I'll certainly return, I love how authentic both the food and the people are. Next time I'll be sure to try a meat dish. read more

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Great food and outside scene!!! Decent prices and menu selection. Biggest gripe was the lack of attentiveness to us regardless of how entertaining the dedicated coffee person was. read more

Great food, ambiance, great prices, clean, love the music, very authentic. Enough said. read more

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I think my search for the best Mediterranean food in the Midwest is over! Needed to pick up dinner after my hubby's basketball game at a nearby high school, and again, I consult with my fellow yelpers on what was good in the area. I scoped out the menu online and it looked promising. What sealed the deal for me to order from here was the FRIED POTATOES appetizer! I am originally from Long Beach, CA and I've only had food fried potatoes at a Lebanese restaurant called Open Sesame. I took a risk and decided to go ahead and order this dish along with many others. I ended up ordering the tabouleh salad, fried potatoes (i asked for extra lemon juice sauce), and the mixed chicken and meat shawerma platter. Their menu is extensive and lots to choose from. As I arrived to the restaurant, I was directed to a indoor kitchen/pick up window. It's not intuitive that you need to walk up to the open window to let the staff know you're here to pick up. As I waited for my order, the restaurant was quite busy. Think it because many people were breaking their fast from Ramadan. The restaurant itself has good ambience, and it definitely has authentic finishes to the decor. Alright back to the food! Once I got home, I tore ripped the bag open. Literally! I was super hungry and wanted to see if the food was going to be as yummy as everyone said it was.. And the verdict... YES! YES! YES! Everything was delicious!! From the rice, to the garlic sauce, to the meats, to the tabouleh salad, and the FRIED POTATOES! The FRIED POTATOES were so awesome!! One bite and I was brought back to Long Beach to my favorite Lebanese restaurant. The portions are huge, so make sure to have someone to share it with :) I am definitely coming back and will bring family and friends here :) read more

Al Bawadi Grill - Just incredible!! Fried Potatoes appetizer dish. This dish is sautéed with cilantro, roasted chili and lemon juice. - Mediterranean Near Me - Bridgeview, Illinois

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Went to order takeout during the indoor dining ban while Covid was surging in December. Lo and behold the inside was packed filled with people doing indoor dining. They clearly think they are above the law. Tables are not separated and not 6 ft apart. Also noticed workers going in and out of the kitchen not wearing masks. Good food but this whole experience ruined it. With the community experiencing so much spike in covid it's quite sad to see an establishment like this contributing to the problem. Happy to chat with the manager if you'd like to clarify things up. read more

AMAZING AS ALWAYS!!!! BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE AND BESTEST FOOD IN THE WHOLE WORLD!! BAYAN and Hamza thank you SOOO MUCH for the lovely customer service, you were so sweet and attentive! From the ambience to the flavors of the food everything was just mind blowing!! The muthawama and baba ghanouj were on point! The al bawadi mixed grill oh m gee!! Such tender kabobs yum!! the kenafa was the best I have ever had!! Also guys they have complientary coffee, one giant appetizer plate that had something totally yummy in it (eggplant curry type?), crunchy pita chips ana whole lotta fresh pickles, and so much pita bread!!! How can you beat that??!! You guys are awesome, definitely coming back again soon!!! read more

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Very kind people here. The service is always great and the food is even more amazing. Learn about new foods and share with your friends too!! Good place for a small get together very beautiful decor and ambiance. Try mint lemonade with any of the meal options here all are very good read more

I know things are busy there but find a better system for the phone calls. No reason why I should have to sit on the phone waiting for my order to be taken for over 20 mins and I'm hearing multiple customers being taken care of. Good food but where is the customer service?? read more

It was probably one of the worst experience but lady with the front desk turn it around positive. Buffet is way too crowded where they can't accommodate. I will give a suggestion to the manager that do the reservation only and cut those table to 4-6 peoples tables, that not being used due to reason it's for 12 people or so. Anyway it's not my call. read more