Just left the restaurant and I could not be more impressed with the food and more importantly…read morekindness and hospitality of the owner Ahmad. Greeted us upon arrival with a kind smile and explained the menu in detail based on how many people we had in our family. Told him I'd been craving "Mansaf" but my sister in law was no longer preparing it today, and needless to say I was a a bit disappointed. Ahmad went to the back and brought out a huge plate of Mansaf and it was absolutely delicious. Hospitality, great service, and phenomenal food is why I'll be recommending Hakuna Matata to all of my family and friends.

This was my first time eating here, and everything was absolutely delicious! The young man behind…read morethe counter was exceptionally friendly and wonderful. They even gave us a complimentary lentil soup, which was really good. I would definitely come back again! Highly recommend!

omg I drove 25 mins and I can honestly say it was well Worth it Amina The Host was wonderful & I…read morecant wait to come back Thanks again for the great customer service

I was just at this establishment about an hour ago.. and unfortunately, I was treated pretty rudely…read morein a very short amount of time. To briefly explain... I ordered, paid for the order, then my wrap was being prepared. I see the worker putting the finishing touches on my wrap, crisping it on the grill.. so I wait to be handed my order. While waiting, someone else comes in.. orders and pays, customizes their bowl.. receives their bowl ....and then is given an extra bowl that a customer didn't pick up and was told it was to make up for the "wait".. meanwhile, the worker who made my wrap has long disappeared and my order has been sitting on the grill. That person who came in after me, has now left. I only received my order a few minutes after that. Btw there were no other people in line waiting. Just me, standing there for over 15 minutes waiting on an order that was done. Also, the way I was talked to was not okay when I was asked was 'said bowl' my order. So unfortunately, this came across as racially motivated, since I was treated as less of a priority. And it's really rare that I feel that way but... this was a weirdly rude experience. Will not be returning. Thank you for my meal.

The whole concept and aesthetic of this restaurant completely wowed me!! It feels so well thought…read moreout. The service was amazing too, super professional, friendly, always on top of everything without being overwhelming. And the hummus was especially good, and creamy, which I loved!! The food overall was great. Such a cool experience from start to finish.

I really liked this place. They have parking in front of the restaurant and back. I highly…read morerecommend a reservation on Friday-Sunday even if you are just one person. I called them because I wasn't sure if the online version would be too slow. We were a group of three that came in Saturday night at 7 pm. It was moderately busy. The staff were all welcoming with smiles on their faces and attentiveness. Prices were fair for the amount of food you receive. Food portions are colossal so I would recommend one appetizer and one entree if you are a couple. They give you a complimentary dish. We ordered arayes with meat, meat toshka, mixed grill with baba ghanouj, fillet of basa fried, and mint lemonade. They also offer you fresh Arabic coffee before you leave. This is about a 4.5-5. -arayes with meat 4 - this was not bad. It's like a tamer version of the meat toshka. -meat toshka 5 - I prefer this over the arayes because they add the Syrian cheese. This one was bursting with flavor the moment you took a bite out of it. The minced beef and lamb just melt in the mouth. -mixed grill 5 - this came with 3 big skewers (shish kabab, kufta kabab, and chicken tawook. It also has tomatoes and onions to help cut down the meat when digesting. There are two heaping portions of biryani and saffron rice and baba ghanouj. The baba ghanouj was creamy and flavorful. It goes well with the pita bread. The meats were cooked medium well unless you want something. I think next time I'll ask for the shish kababs to be cooked medium rare or medium for a more juicy taste. The chicken tawook and kufta were both succulent. -fillet of basa fried 5 - the two pieces of basa fillet were astronomical. It also comes with two different kinds of rice. The fish was flaky, moist, and seasoned. Make sure you add the lemon and eat it with the sauce. -mint lemonade 5 - this was very refreshing after eating a heavy meal.

This was my second time visiting this restaurant. Ever since my first visit, I cannot stop thinking…read moreabout the great food and knew I had to stop by when I was back in town. The place is very busy so parking can be a bit hard to find but they do have an overflow lot. Inside, they have a seating area where you can wait until you're seated at a table. Both times I've been there the wait time was around 20-30 minutes but trust me, the food is worth the wait. Even though they were busy, our server was attentive and the food didn't take too long to come out. I went with a group and for our appetizer we tried the platter that comes with hummus, baba ganoush, grape leaves, and fresh pita bread. For my drink, I had the lemon mint smoothie...very refreshing. The plates that my husband and I got were the chicken shawarma sandwich with a salad and the filet plate that comes with rice as well as grilled tomato and grilled onion. They give you generous portions which made it possible for me to share some of my meal with someone in my group to try and I still had leftovers. Finally, we could not leave without having dessert. We had knafeh which is made fresh. Everything was amazing and I can't wait to come back next time I visit the Chicagoland area.

4.5/5 Service is ok…read moreLong wait Great food Bread is a bit hard Good grill and wings Nice restaurant

First time visiting and the customer service was great! Helped us with the menu and even gave us a…read moretaste of the meats we were thinking of ordering: the food is fresh and made on the grill while you wait. The flavor and food were amazing. The amount of food you get and pita is way worth the price for great food: ate until full and had enough left over for work lunch the next day. Will be adding to our favorite foodie spot list!

The service was amazing! The food was ok, the rice, falafel, chicken and sauces were great! The…read morelamb unfortunately was dry and flavorless as well as the minced beef... definitely not made to order. Other than that I do recommend this place

Its a local delicacy. The wait time is lengthy but its worth the wait. Some of the best hummus Ive…read moreeaten. The fillet skewer was delicious. We also enjoyed the chicken. The fries were fresh. Would come back but maybe just get it to go.

Mashawee Guy is the epitome of a hole in the wall. Minimal parking, fast food interior dressed up…read moreto look fancy, so-so service... But there was a steady stream of customers, so I figured it had to be decent. I didn't pick the best time to go, as there was a large group there and the small staff was busy preparing their orders. After I got someone's attention, I asked for a few skewers with a side of rice. They didn't have rice, so I asked for pita bread instead. I ordered one kufta skewer, one chicken skewer, and one beef (filet mignon) skewer. In addition to the pita bread, they served the food with hummus, pickles, and some sort of tomato salad. Although you order and pay at the counter (no paper menus), they did bring the food out to the table. The kufta and chicken were decent, but a little dry. The beef was excellent; tender and juicy. The hummus and tomato salad were delicious, especially the former. The pita bread was fine, but it would have been nicer if it was slightly warmed up. The interior isn't the nicest, but there is an extension with additional seating. Decent food and a good value. The total with tax and tip came out to just under $25, which was enough for a light lunch for three people.

Was good until I found a black hair in my food. Definitely not mine…read more It's a shame I used to say how clean this place was. If they are letting hair in food I can assume that everything else is lax. The one thing in food to not have happen and it did.

Always a fresh, authentic bite. Nice, clean space. Friendly service. Wish I had the time to dine…read morein. I opted for the stuffed pita; hummus was my sauce base with chicken as a protein. Extra pickled red cabbage and veggies with a drizzle of lemon vinaigrette. So good. My husband requested a bowl; rice was the base with chicken as a protein. Pickled red cabbage, veggies, hummus and mild sauce. He talked about how fresh it tasted. But, I think his sauce was hot instead of mild because his mouth was on fire and his eyes watered. Next time, sauce on the side. Lol.

We dined on a Sunday night around 8 PM and were seated right away, which was a great start. We…read moreordered the mixed grill plate, a Nutella shake, and I asked for water. The salad and hummus came out within a few minutes and the food itself was actually very good. No water given at this time. Unfortunately, the service was disappointing. We waited almost an hour for our main entrée, had to ask for the water again, and the Nutella shake we ordered was never served at all. Our server was not attentive throughout the night. One more thing to watch out for -- a 15% tip was automatically added to the bill, so make sure to check before paying. The food was enjoyable, but the poor service really affected the overall experience.

Dined in yesterday. I wasn't greeted. I ordered the mixed grill plate and appetizer of chicken…read morewings. The soups, salad and baba ghanouj were all excellent. Pot of Arabian coffee was fresh. The meat in the mixed grill was alright. The waitress was ditzy and not too attentive. When the waitress wasn't anywhere to be found I asked the bus boy for two to go boxes, he gave me a mean look and didn't speak. The waitress didn't serve water for my guest and I. Also she didn't ask if we wanted any dessert. I found better restaurants with much better service in the area that's where I will dine at in the future. Also the waitress didn't offer my guest and I any water or asked us if we'd like any dessert.

We have both eaten in and carried out. The food was delicious both times and we had an abundance of…read moreleftovers. The left overs heat up well too. Too often people are unwilling to try food that's different from their usual. These flavors are unique if you never have/had them but ultimately it comes to down to flavor...and these flavors are delicious. We love the hummus with meat, kefta with tomato, and the mixed shawarma plate. The flavors are great, the meat is juicy and well seasoned and the portions are large. Everyone has been friendly and the derive has been prompt.

Al Basha Cuisine was a wonderful surprise. The food was fresh, flavorful, and clearly made with…read morecare, from the perfectly seasoned meats to the warm, fluffy pita. Portions were generous without feeling overwhelming. The service was friendly, attentive, and efficient, making the experience even better. Prices were super reasonable for the quality and quantity you receive, which is always appreciated. Whether you're dining in or taking food to go, Al Basha Cuisine delivers a consistently satisfying, comforting meal that keeps you coming back again soon.

This is our first of many adventures to eat in Little Palestine. I had this place on my list for…read moreawhile. We came on a Saturday night around 7 pm and we were able to find parking immediately. To be clear, the parking area is kind of tight and cramped. If you can't find parking here, you can try seeing if parking is available in the neighborhood or next door. Inside Al Manakeesh, they have a plentiful amount of tables. You order at the front, receive a pager, and wait for your food. They have additional drinks in the back. They are known for making Middle Eastern flatbread pizzas and kaaks (bagel). Customer service was great. They were very efficient at making the food and drinks. Everyone was nice. No one was pushy when we ordered our items. Prices were good, they were inexpensive. We ordered egg/meat/cheese, pepperoni, mixed meat bagel, sfeha with tahaina, and zaatar/akkawi cheese/cherry tomato. Honestly, everything was a 5/5. I liked that the pizzas weren't floppy and none of the ingredients slid off. The portions were huge. I also got a peach matcha. After mixing it, the peach taste was very noticeable: -The pepperoni tastes cleaner and more flavorful than the American places. For some reason, the American ones are so greasy and oily. -For the egg/meat/cheese pizza, the egg taste really stands out. -Sfeha is halal ground beef and has more flavor than regular ground beef. The tahaina helps make it pop. -The zaatar/akkawi/cherry tomato is an awesome combination. When you take that first bite, you'll immediately taste all of the ingredients. It's that prominent. -The mixed meat kaak has halal turkey, halal roast beef, halal salami, mozzarella, Mexican cheese, and their signature sauce. They give you two cups of sauces. One I think is the signature sauce and the red one is a little spicy. The portion is big enough to share between 3-4 people.

Food was amazing. Get the buffalo chicken one. The girl that was working the register was super…read morekind and so was everyone else!