Thank you for a lovely lunch. My daughter and I had chickenn shwarma on pita and a side of sweet potato fries. The food was fresh and yummy. The service was fantastic, super customer service and friendly. We certainly will come back next time we are in Chicago. read more

A pleasant, healthy option similar to Cava, Naf Naf, or Chipotle. This is a build your own bowl/pita casual dining sort of place, perfect if you are looking for a quick, easy, and relatively healthy option for lunch in the loop. They are generous with the sauce and meat and their portions are just enough for me to finish without feeling overly stuffed. I would like to see more rice in the bowl next time, but that's because I'm a little crazy about my rice in these bowls and I just can't get enough - the rice is the best part in my opinion. Give this place a try and compare it to the similar types of places in the area to find your own personal favorite! read more

Great casual lunch option with vegetarian options! I got a cup of lentil soup. Comes with a side of 2 pita and you can get hot sauce on the side. Very good and filling. Friendly staff and searing available inside. No restroom. read more

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Good lunch spot for people who work in the loop. The food is always fresh and they're very efficient. Even if the line seems long, it goes by quick. read more

Delicious food. Best fries pretty much anywhere. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and flavorful. I gave 3 stars because the lunch portions are excessive. A rice bowl at half or two thirds the size would make a lot more sense!!!!! read more

I stopped by BenjYehuda for lunch during work after a friend recommended it as a must-try spot in the Loop and she was absolutely right! The setup is similar to Chipotle, where you customize your order with bowls, pitas, and salads. I went with the Chicken Shawarma bowl on a bed of rice, and it did not disappoint. I added hummus, a few veggies (corn, red cabbage, red onions), and the Mediterranean pickles, which were by far my favorite topping. If you're going to get one topping, get the pickles some of the best pickles I've ever had not exaggerating... To finish it off, I topped everything with the garlic white sauce. The bowl was delicious and came with a free pita on the side, which was a nice surprise. Normally, I get double chicken at Chipotle, but a single serving here was more than enough. The chicken was flavorful and perfectly cooked--not dry at all, which is always a big plus for me. While seating is limited, I was lucky to find a spot, so I'd recommend avoiding the lunch rush if you plan to dine in. The staff was friendly and super helpful, making the whole experience even better for my first time. I'll definitely be back next time I'm craving a quick, delicious Mediterranean lunch! read more

BenjYehuda - Chicken Shawarma Bowl - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I will definitely be coming back to this spot for an affordable and healthy work lunch in the loop. The concept is similar to cava (imagine mediterranean chipotle), where you build your own bowl or pita. I think the ingredients here tasted fresh and flavorful. I really enjoyed the hummus and the baba ganoush. They were smooth and balanced out the dry ingredients in my bowl. Some of my chicken shwarma was overcooked, which made the pieces feel tough and dry. However, it wasn't a major grievance that would stop me from coming back given the convenience and reasonable price. Service was friendly. The woman building my bowl gave me a big smile when I stepped up the counter and she handled each customer efficiently. The inside of the restaurant is small but it has seating for a few parties. I chose to take my food to-go. read more

I ate it so fast I couldn't take a photo! Did takeout and got gyro on pita it was insane! Tasted like it came straight from IMEA region. it was the BEST gyro I have had since I lived in the Middle East!!!! read more

Super-fast service even though they were very busy during lunch hour. Friendly staff. If you've never been here, it's similar to chipolte in how your order is processed/made. Easy to understand your options and what is available. The food was tasty. read more

This is one of those lunch spots on LaSalle street. The food is always fresh, consistent, and cost-effective. Plus, the Chicken Shawarma is pretty good. Or if you want a meal to take home, the food heats up well! I cannot make any recommendations on the line, but submitting your order over the website is convenient. Unlike Chipotle, you are getting a meal worth paying for and they don't skimp on the portions like Chipotle (IMO). Also, the staff is friendly. This is definitely a great go-to option. Join the rewards program for some benefits too! read more

Going to start by saying a few years ago, I was really on a Nafnaf kick. Could go there for lunch twice a week. It has since gone down the hill with portions getting smaller but prices increasing. I've been looking for a new spot that offers something similar and BenjYehuda did not disappoint! Came here with a coworker for lunch, and decided to both get a bowl. I love being able to put whatever I want on my bowl and they have a ton of fresh toppings to choose from. I got the chicken too which I really liked because some of the pieces had a nice crust to them. The portion was large and came with a small half piece of pita. It was the perfect amount of food. I will be back! read more

BenjYehuda - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I love Middle Eastern food and was so excited to come here as I really want to find a good fast casual Middle Eastern restaurant to frequent in Chicago. I was sadly disappointed. The meat was dry, food was fairly bland, and it wasn't impressive. The location is so convenient for me which makes this a major letdown. read more

OMG!!! I don't know or I promise I would have taken photos. This food at this very unassuming spot was SCRUMPTIOUS & IMMENSELY HEALTHY! I absolutely positively LOVE this restaurant. They know how to make healthy tasty and know one appreciates that more than me. I thought I went to a fast food no frills spot and thankfully I'm addicted to stickers or this would have been that spot that I could not find again. This is the first place I've had the pleasure to eat black rice and it was delicious. Everyone was super nice and offered me tasting that I ignorantly declined. BEST FOOD EVER. So, this technically isn't date night. But, if you love someone this is exactly where you want to You won't be disappointed!!! read more

Great falafel. Wonderful service, very quick and friendly. Cool vibes in the spot. Fresh ingredients. read more

BenjYehuda - a view of a restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Awesome Mediterranean fast casual. Clean. Fresh. Good prices. Good quality. Good amount of food. Felt full afterwards. Salads and bowls to go. Will be back. read more

Great quality fare served up fast and friendly. Not much in the way of seating or atmosphere, but that's not why most people come here. It's grab and go for a nice hot meal with plenty of veggies and toppings. read more

I went to the location downtown, Lasalle street. I ordered a gyro and they totally skimp out on the meat, I asked for extra and they gave me like 4 extra pieces which I paid for. It was not worth it. I won't be going back there. read more

BenjYehuda - This is with extra meat and they put very little sauce. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ordered a salad bowl and it had worms in it. I then proceeded to throw up. I want to get my money back.

Overly packed and staff were not friendly. Prices are not great. The food tastes very bland.

this is not middle eastern food - it tastes nothing like it....come to find out it's israeli! if u don't care about eating colonized versions of shawarma, i'd still give it a pass. There was several huge pieces of gristle and everything has the same flavor and a weird tang. The rice was flavorless and kinda hard. The hummus has the same flavor as sabra which if you've ever had it, it's not great. Pass. read more

So I think I got somebody else's order but that's not why it's a 4 star review. I ordered a falafel bowl and it came with every protein: gyro, shawarma, falafel (I think that's it). I eat meat so I'm not complaining but it may have been an issue. Everything was good, but the gyro just didn't belong. Having sampled everything the Chicken shawarma is what you should get here. The reason for the down grade is the pita which is not even serviceable just bad. I can get better pita at a chain grocery store. Like I LOVE pita and this was just not good. All in all the food is good and the bowl options make it unique to come back. If they start caring about their pita like the rest of the menu this will be a must go to for lunch but for now there are better options. read more

This place is amazing! Definitely recommend and definitely will go back. Food was super tasty and delicious. We did a group Uber eats order and it couldn't have gone smoother. Everything came labeled and with utensils! I had the chicken shawarma bowl and it was great. read more

Fifteen years ago I was one of the first customers. At the time they were setting up the first location and training their employees on the way to run the line, the specific way to prepare the food, and the standards for cleanliness, communication and customer service. Those standards are still in force today. The food, brand and overall experience has been very consistent as the franchise has expanded, contracted (covid), and expands again. It is a healthier lunch option, customizable Mediterranean bowls, pitas and salads. Quality ingredients are not overly salted. Your selections greatly impact the dish, so choose wisely, especially with the sauce. If you don't know, ask. The wait in line varies from short to very long, but always moves well. Nice urban/music-oriented vibe, industrial interiors. It cannot be overstated how much healthier this food is when compared with other options. You have to realize this is a combination of mostly whole vegetables, the option for brown rice (grains), and lean protein (chicken). However, for you Americans, you can get it with cheese fries and Coke. read more

Great tasting, fresh ingredients. Clean restaurant and great customer service. I got the chicken schwarma bowl (I chose a combo of rice and romaine as my base). Great lunch spot. read more

BenjYehuda is one of my favorite loop lunch spots. It is tasty, clean and quick. I typically get the chicken shawarma bowl with everything--good and so filling! Also, love how colorful the bowl is with all of the toppings--definitely a kaleidoscope of color! I've also had the lentil soup, which is perfect for a chilly day (can get it spicy too). The fries are excellent. They will ask you when you order if you would like soup or fries. On my first visit, I thought those were included but they are not! read more

BenjYehuda - Chicken shawarma bowl - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Excellent place for lunch! The portions are huge...bigger than Roti for the same price. They have different toppings here than Roti but better than Naf Naf. I enjoyed all the fresh toppings like the cucumbers, carrots, and red cabbage. These give the bowl some texture. The steak for my bowl was cooked perfectly and the garlic sauce was the cherry on the top. They can improve on the pita but their lemon Dill brown rice is on point. The staff are friendly and quick which is needed during the lunch time crunch in the loop. I need to come back and try the fries as I heard they are double fried. read more

BenjYehuda - Steak bowl with everything except hummus with garlic sauce on top - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is good its scary. This is by far, hands down, my favorite place in the city for lunch. I used to work in the city and eat here almost every day. Now I work in the suburbs and get here when I can. The food is hot, fresh and so flavorful. The chicken is spicy and sometimes crispy, the cabbage is my favorite- crunchy and fresh - just everything on the line is perfect. The lentil soup is also incredible. It's not chunky but smoothe and just delicious. The people working at the LaSalle location are the same ones that opened the first store on Vanburen and couldn't be nicer. Falafel is crispy and fries are off the charts. The even do cheddar fries with temerity cheese. All in all, I am a huge fan and if you are looking for hot, fresh, homemade, customized middle eastern food, this place cannot be beat. It's Naf Naf on steroids. read more

Due to its location, it's really easy to pass this restaurant if you work in the area, but it's hard to ignore the aroma of the food being cooked. When I came here I didn't know what to order. I decided to get a chicken shawarma bowl for the first time. I was highly impressed. All of the food here was fresh and flavorful. I would summarize this place as Mediterranean take on Chipotle or Qudoba, which in my opinion equates to healthier options. Unfortunately they're only open for lunch hours and closes at 3pm. But if you're in the area, check this place out for lunch. read more

BenjYehuda - Chicken Shwarma Bowl - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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So yummy! Came here for lunch this week and it was delicious! The gyro meat was so good and it was really cool to actually see the spit of meat behind the counter. They gave really good portions of hummus and other toppings as well. read more

Decided to stop here on a whim and I'm glad I did. I ordered a falafel bowl and it was pretty tasty. They give you decent serving sizes depending on how much you want in your bowl. I don't think I was able to finish it all! My only small complaint is that I wish the falafels were bigger. read more

BenjYehuda - Falafel bowl! - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've eaten the fine food from the BenjYehuda location on Van Buren many times, but I just ate lunch for the first time at the LaSalle location with my bud. Chicago office workers certainly like the "urban street food" served at BenjYehuda. My bud and I lined up a bit before noon, and the queue moved along reasonably well. Later on, the line literally looped around the entire path of the aisles in the restaurant. There are some booths and some stools along counters, and we were fortunate to snag a small booth for our sit-down lunch. The servers are efficient, whether dishing out the food in person or bagging takeaway orders. I ordered a falafel box, and I might add the distinctive design of the black and brown box is now quite attractive rather than generic cardboard brown. I chose regular falafel rather than spicy (never had a choice of falafel before) and went with brown rice and salad. I asked for all the toppings - hummus, baba ganoush, pickles, tomato, carrot, onion, red cabbage, along with tahini sauce. It was a very fresh tasting meal. My bud ordered a lamb box, with slices of gyros-style meat. The bite of lamb I tried was good if not great. He also ordered a bowl of lentil soup, which was nice and thick. It felt like we ate a good and healthy lunch at BenjYehuda. read more

Suck small portions and such expensive prices. Save your money because the chicken and falafel is not good. It was cold and did not taste fresh. You're better off going to an Authentic middle eastern place. You don't get good portions. read more

Quick and delish!!! Perfect for during the work day if you're looking to do something fast

Limited menu but they do it well. While you're pretty much limited to chicken/steak shawarma, falafel, and fries -- Benjyehuda does serve this quickly and in large portions. It's very easy to pay higher prices for much less food in this portion of the loop and the combo box easily lasts 2 meals. The food is interesting in that it's not highly processed or refined like a lot of the other food you'll find in the area. It's a more raw presentation and cooking style that's like street vendor comfort food. It's served with a wide variety of salads and sauces you can choose from. Which on my last visit, I was surprised that they took my request to get a small scoop of everything. Make sure you put sauces on your food to give it an extra burst of flavor and grab a side of their delicious fries. Nice place to stop by for a change of pace and to inexpensively get a ton of food if you're a hurry. The food isn't the most amazing but it matches up well against Naf Naf and Roti. read more

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Great food. Worth the wait in the line. The line does move quickly, by the way. Had the chicken shawarma with everything. Delicious

Love, love, love this cramped, somewhat dark location with the best shawarma and falafel. I haven't had dry falafel, always warm and moist. Fast service but accommodating. One day I came in with 10 minutes to close and they made fresh falafel read more

First time ordering here via Ritual. Portions are excellent with plenty of sides included in the box. See my picture for beef amd lamb combo box with white rice, hummus, baba ganoush and corn. I could've added the Jerusalem salad and should've. The shop smelled fantastic when I picked my order up. Happy with my order, everything was tasty and will eat here again. read more

BenjYehuda - Beef and Lamb box with white rice, hummus, baba ganoush and corn - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I heard such great things about this place. I normally go to a couple other middle eastern places (not naming them here; I'm not shilling for someone else), mostly because they are closer to my office. I had an errand that took me to the loop location today around lunchtime, walked by, and it really smelled good. I don't eat that much, so I got just a side of hummus with pita (this is a typical lunch for me). The line moved quickly, and people there were very nice and they told me that next time I want just a side I could skip the line. I walked the 2 blocks back to my office and opened the most disappointing hummus and pita I could imagine. The hummus was thick and gritty, like it was a few days old. The pitas were weirdly rubbery, like they'd been microwaved. Even though they have many great reviews and smelled good, I won't go back. Any middle eastern or Israeli restaurant should have fresh hummus and pitas. read more

I've been wanting to check this place for a long time and finally put in my lunch order through ritual. The place is good, clean and maintained. service seems to nice too. The main thing that really wowed me is the porti size, they have plenty of options to add in as sides/toppings and the best part is you don't have to pay extra. There's no limit on that. Also, one other thing that's interesting is you get to choose one pound or half a pound of fries as side. Yes, a pound of fries. I bet you'd love them. The food tasted good but to me it was bit dry altogether, I didn't get enough sauce on mine so maybe that's what made it feel so. I've only heard good reviews from all my friends who tried this place. Definitely worth trying and maybe I'll give this another shot read more

BenjYehuda - Lunch box with chicken shawarma - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is new, so I'll give it time. And this is a meta-review, since I am eating my BenjYehuda lunch right now. Falefel: should be bright green, is not. Sorta dry. OK flavor. They have steak schwarma - but I didn't get it, 'cos why no lamb? It should be lamb. Rice: no pieces of the teeny, mystery vermicelli that middle eastern rice should have. Hummus: where is the lemon juice and garlic? TOUM, I want TOUM! (Ziyad still rules) Salads: I had lettuce, corn, red cabbage, onions, pickles (THOSE are right, and sooo delicious and sour) But habibi . . . WHERE ARE THE SPICES and TOUM?! So . . . this was just sort of a boring, Middle Eastern salad of cut up vegetables. I may return, but I think I'm gonna hit Mezze before I try this place again. I should add I'm a demon for Mideast food, 'cos I had it from the SOURCE in Damascus, and there is no better food than Syrian food. But I don't think this is Syrian. I didn't finish my lunch, even. I got bored and quit. read more

BenjYehuda - Meh. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois