I'm going to stop cheating on Zaytune... This food was terrible. I was so excited to eat it too *deep mournful sigh*. I got the falafel sandwich, which fell completely apart when I tried to pick it up. The falafel tastes like it's 90% flour, and the pita itself just doesn't taste good and it tasted "old". I got a side of spicy sauce (that comes with the falafel at Zaytune and is actually spicy), it was $0.75 cent and not even spicy. Tastes like straight vinegar. Why is the tahini runny and flavorless? Did the try to stretch that too (like the flour-lafel)? I imagine the tahini was 30-40% water. The only edible parts were the little salad and the potatoes (the potatoes earned this place that second star), I threw the rest in the trash. On the the plus side, it was a lot of food for kinda cheap. So if you're broke and don't care what you eat, this place might be for you. read more

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I like this place I had to go all the way on Ashland & Madison for my Greek and Mediterranean food so to find this place was great. I recommend this place to an6that likes Greek and Mediterranean food read more

Cedars Mediterranean Kitchen - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Tacos and wings were BOMB!!! It was so good! Also had the watermelon lemonade so refreshing and perfect pairing with my food. These is legit gonna be my go to meal on those summer days at the lake front!! read more

I wrote a review approx. 12 years ago about this spot and gave it 5stars. Sadly, this review of 1star is not by happenstance, it is due to an increasing decline is service as well as food quality. I visited the this past Wednesday, to a somewhat empty an empty establishment which seems to be the norm over the last few years. I ordered the Kushary with lamb as the protein; visually it was unimpressive and the experience from there when into a free fall from there. The bits of lamb were fatty and yet dry. In short the meal tasted as if there was a pot of leftover of all the ingredient (rice, onions, pasta and meat) tossed together and re-heated. I ate as much as I could stand. When I asked for the check, the server asked if I wanted the remainder packed to go and emphatically said no. I paid the check and even gave a tip. The server as she collected the signed receipt and her tip, asked how was my meal and I made a gesture to indicate not so good. Her response was "Have a good night" and walked away. The guest that sat next to my table, I overheard them discussing the waitress's reaction of not being concerned. Unfortunately, with the owner no longer overseeing the day to day operation, this places is not worth spending my money. In short... Wednesday was the last time I will ever be a customer at this restaurant. read more

I stopped by for lunch yesterday with two co-workers, and we loved our meals. We started with the hummus with Chef's toppings - it was different than regular hummus and really great! I think it changes daily, so ask your server how it's made - ours was topped with roasted corn and mango chutney - and we ate absolutely all of it with the pita bread it was served with. We also got the crispy falafel to start - I never had falafel before but now I know I like it ;-) I ordered the Chicken Shawarma and my two co-workers ordered the Spicy Harissa Fried Chicken Wrap and the Chicken Kefta. The crispy potatoes that came with the chicken wrap were spiced perfectly, and we were all stealing samples from her plate. I think you can also order them as a side - do it! The owner was really friendly and came over to talk to us (I think he said his name was Amer), and told us how his dad (the original owner of Cedars) died last year, and instead of closing, he decided to take on the restaurant to remember his dad. He grew up working at the restaurant, so he knew what to do. The chef (who we got to meet, which was cool), started out washing dishes at Charlie Trotter as a teenager, went to the CIA (paid for by Charlie Trotter!), and was a sous chef with Rick Bayless - not bad! You can definitely tell this by the quality of the food - it's not often (or ever) you can have a meal like this in a mini-mall... The owner said he wanted to change up the menu a bit, and though I hadn't eaten there before so I don't know what it was like, I can say what we had was really good and it's definitely worth trying and I'll be back for dinner. read more

The staff here was exceptionally nice. All of them were very welcoming and made great recommendations. I had the chefs humus which was amazing and I also had the falafel. The atmosphere was very welcoming and clean. You can tell they take pride in their food and it shows. I highly recommend trying this place out. You won't regret it. read more

I haven't been in since the menu changed but I have gone there regularly before then. The reason I stopped going is that I moved and I'm closer to another Mediterranean restaurant in the area. The Kefta was good and their sandwiches were always a go to due to size and flavor. I also found One of the reasons I liked going there was to dine in. The restaurant was never super full and it was a good place to take my kids. I look forward to going there again when it opens up, and now that I realized I haven't gotten them during the quarantine. THey are really helping the community. read more

My Lebanese dad said these were the best falafels he's ever dad! We were incredibly satisfied with everything we ordered and staff was very friendly and kind when I came in to pick up. Food was ready right on time and order was correct. Definitely will be ordering again! read more

If you look up 'yum' in the dictionary, you find a plate of food from Cedars. Flavorful, fragrant, and awesome. The staff is wonderful and attentive. I can't say enough nice things about this gem of an eatery. Come here and be wowed! read more

Hm, I'm torn between 3 and 4 stars. If I could give 3.5 stars I would, but I'm leaning toward 3. It's a fine mediterranean place. I especially love the complementary pita bread and dip. As others say the lentil soup is quite good. I got the Combination Kebab. It's a great deal - for the price it's amazing how large and tasty the dish is. I loved the flavor of the lamb and chicken skewers. The reason I'm considering 3 stars instead of 4 is that I really, really didn't like the beef skewer. How can I describe... the smell and texture of the beef was almost repulsive. I usually never leave food behind but I could not finish this. Maybe it's how it's supposed to be? But if that's the case I don't think I'll ever order it again. So this place was a hit and (big) miss. The service was good. I'd be happy to come back to this place occassionally and enjoy great food at great price, but I think I'll explicitly mention skipping the beef skewers next time. read more

Cedars Mediterranean Kitchen - Combination Kebab. The visible skewers are great (lamb and chicken). The problematic skewer (beef) is hidden underneath. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've been underwhelmed with the Mediterranean food here. I've tried giving a chance more than once to show support. Even after being disappointed after paying for an anniversary dinner for my parents here. The last straw was a dry chicken shawarma pita to go here. Not sure what happened. Maybe I'm hitting up this place when the wrong people are working cause I see these 5 star reviews that I've never experienced from the food. The good thing from here is the tzatziki sauce and hummus. read more

In my search to find the best cous cous. I saw them on TV and the cous cous looked amazing, I had to try them. I have had hand made cous cous and it is so good. I have been here 2 times in a week, Here is the list of what I have had: Lentil soup, spinach, 3 cheese, and tomato flat breads, lamb-beef shawarma, falafel pita and chicken cous cous of course. The lentil soup is crazy good. The 3 cheese bread is so rich and so good, you can feel and taste the different flavors and textures of the cheeses. The spinach bread is good and tangy. The falafel was good and it comes with a side of salad and house fries, both really good, but the tahini sauce was watery and bland. Cous cous, so close, so disappointing for me. This is how I've had it and absolutely love it. Steamed cous cous, sauteed onions and tomatoes sauce, grilled or roasted chicken. This is how they serve it: cous cous, onion and tomato sauce and chicken. Almost the same and so promising. This is how they messed up (for my taste): They cooked the onion and tomato sauce with lamb stock and it gave the sauce a strong gamey flavor. But if you like lamb, by all means try the cous cous here. The service is nice and helpful. The place is cool bright and clean. I did notice that the art on the wall is very monochromatic and almost blends in unnoticed with the wall. Price is about right for the food and place, I noticed in the menu that they have family style dinners for parties of 4 or more, can't wait to drag some friends and try it. CMK, good food, service and price and almost great cous cous read more

Cedars Mediterranean Kitchen - falafel pita - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I love Cedars. Their blackberry ginger beer is so refreshing. Whether it's the chicken shawarma plate or humble lentil soup, I can always count on a hearty and tasty meal! Plus the staff is always cheerful and friendly! read more

If I could give zero stars that is what I would give...I did not frequent Cedars often but when I did, it was good. I had finally found something I really liked - I cannot remember but it was a couple of appetizers that I made into a meal. I was up north about to go to this one restaurant when I decided, I would just go to Cedars. As I stood there and looked at the menu for what seemed like an eternity, I never saw what I had gotten in the past - not even anything close to it. The server suggested the pomegranate wings - I did not want wings. :-( I finally settled on the lamb/beef kefta with rice and grilled vegetables. HA! The vegetables had no seasoning and very little, if any "grill." I had not eaten all day, so I was really anticipating sitting down to eat. HA! The food was horrible - the tahini was like water; the pita was stale; the kefta looked like...even the hummus was bad. Needless to say, I dumped it in the garbage. UGH!!! I passed up several restaurants for a horrible alternative!!! The one nice thing - the server was super nice...said the owner died and that the son had taken over and was trying out a new menu. Yeah, the son needs to bring back the old menu...if it was not broke, why try to fix it. Maybe he might not want to bring back the entire old menu but he should definitely bring back some of the menu items customers knew and loved...and add a new item or two. The new Cedars is not going to last if the current menu stays as is. YUCK-O! read more

I threw it up it made me sick for 3 days I took off work those days & my stomach haven't felt the same since

Very tasty and consistent quality food. Services are lovely. Great go to option in Hyde Park!

I wanted To give a review...the lentil soup is delicious and the chicken barley. I got chicken swharma...it was dry with no real flavor but the fresh onions were delish! The Veg total lacked any flavor at all!! read more

Great Lebanese Arab menu. The falafel is among the best in Chicagoland. Shish kabobs, yellow rice and grilled vegetables plus lentil soup and hummus. Very good. Lots of room to enjoy a good meal, although the parking is tight. Ve read more

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Food was decent. We got a complimentary small dish of baba ghanoush with delicious pita at the start of the meal. The service was poor. My dad and I were served each other's meals, and they also switched the meats we had originally ordered. The woman who served us initially just abandoned us to do nothing and proceeded to ignore us as we waited a looong time for the check. The portions were large and the food was fine, but it was not worth the very frustrating service. read more

Ordered pickup from Cedars last night. We had heard that the son took over and revamped the menu so we had to try it. We were jonesing for some wings and caught the 'Best Wings in Chicago' claim and thought we had to try. I have to admit, they're the best I've had in Chicago! The perfect mix of sweet and spicy. The sauce is a game-changer! They came with a side order of potatoes and we dipped them in the sauce for an even better tasting potato too!! Next time I'll order extra sauce on the side (mixture of Harissa, Tahini and garlic sauce) because it's so damn tasty! read more

This review is LONG overdue, and not for the restaurant per se, but the pre-prepared meals they USED to sell in the now closed Treasure Island grocery store in Lakeview on Broadway some years ago. Just found out this was the restaurant that sourced them out to TI. The were called Cedars of Lebanon back then I believe. At least that's what was on the label on the top of the round black plastic container with clear lid. These meals were in the TI deli fridgerated section with other prepared foods and the only place I could find them. They were SO DELICIOUS, In particular, I'd buy the salmon and tilapia filets that came on a bed of rice with some tomatoey sauce with a few veggies for about $9, and it was a great meal for the value! Nearly forgot that they also had AWESOME pita sandwiches well stuffed with falafel or chicken wrapped in cellophane too! These and their meals were SUCH a great alternative to frozen foods or even American deli fare. If they were still available, I'd buy AT LEAST 3-4 of these a week! Meals and sandwiches! Plus, as someone living in Uptown on the north side now (lived in Lakeview then), it's a nice way to experience food from a restaurant that's way out of my travel zone. Feelng nostalgic today and spent 3hrs on google trying to find out if the company who sourced these to TI was still around and maybe partnered with another grocery chain. Sadly, the nice girl who answered my call said they didn't, nor do they even sell seafood anymore! Anyway, I'm definitely sad another good thing fell by the wayside of time! RIP, Cedars of Lebanon pre-prepared meals! You are missed! read more

This locally owned restaurant is doing everything right - they've got a beautiful little seating area outdoors with tables, music and the most gorgeous potted plants, along with a big jug of cold citrus-infused water + cups to quench the thirst of anyone passing by. I was so taken in I had to order some food - and OMG the crispy falafel plate!!!! Wow. I could **drink** the dill sauce they serve alongside 6 of the most perfect falafel balls you ever want to eat. A filling little meal, for less than 8 bucks. I've eaten here before and have always been pleased; but today was just blown away so I had to come leave a review. read more

This is pretty good food here and the place has a nice setting. The people here are nice and friendly. I will be going back again. Plenty of parking available. read more

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This restaurant has a new chef and is now a Hyde Park favorite of mine! The atmosphere is fun and welcoming, as are the staff. The new chef has struck a great balance between serving up Mediterranean favorites and putting his own spin on new menu offerings that are as innovative as they are delicious. Everything I have had so far has been great but the potatoes and the wings have been serious stand outs. read more

So pretty inside, amazing service, HUGE portions, BYOB. The only thing holding me back from giving this place 5 stars is that the falafel sandwich I ordered was on the bland side, but then again falafel is hard to perfect. read more

Cedars used to be one of my favorite places to eat in Hyde Park. I say used to because after today I doubt I will be going back. Apparently the restaurant has a new chef and new owners and they are experimenting with a new menu. All I can say is if my experience is any indication the experiment is a failure. The menu has been reduced by 2/3 and what is on there is hardly authentic. The menu has Fish and Chips on it. In what universe is Fish and Chips a Mediterranean dish? My go to dish when dining at Cedars was the Mashawi, a combo plate of chicken and beef/lamb shwarma and a small kefta kebab. Served with a cup of soup or salad, choice of rice or potatoes and veggies. It is gone from the menu. The server seemed not to care about anything, rattled off some company propaganda about trying new things. She said the Lamb and Beef Kefta would be to my liking given what I usually order, and that it was very popular. I ordered it. It did not come with soup or salad and you had no choice of sides "herbed basmati rice" and grilled veggies were the only option. When the food was delivered it looked horrible. The kefta looked like someone and removed the casing off two large hot dogs, slapped it on a grill and thrown it on a pile of rice. A tomato cut in half and a quartered onion counted as the grilled veggies. The herbs in the "herbed rice" ended up being dill. A flavor I can not stand. The textures and the flavors of what was presented to me were beyond disgusting. I managed to eat two bites gagging on both. My server, Leanne, could not care less. Did not ask if everything was ok did not care that the food was disgusting and did not offer to do anything to make it better. She presented the check and took away the full plate, minus two bites, and collected $23 from my card for two bites of food. Horrible food, horrible service, horrible experiment. Not all changes are good. Old owners, PLEASE COME BACK!!. read more

Never had Mediterranean food before and this place was so good. I went in here , and didn't think the food would be this great. The waitress was very helpful explaining the meal. read more

Cedars Mediterranean Kitchen - Chicken Shawarma Plate, Chicken Shawarma Wrap, I'm not sure what wings these are. But the gingerbeer was nasty to me - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is my Scandal night weekly dinner. I stop & pick up two delicious chicken shwarma dinners w/tasty lentil soup for hubby & I. Its delicious food & reasonable prices. We also love the falafel sandwich & make sure you ask for the sweet white dressing for your salad, very delicious. read more

My husband stopped by this restaurant and came home with a chicken shawarma plate. It was so good this is all I want to eat when we visit Hyde Park. This is my go to spot when thinking of something yummy and healthy to eat. read more

I always get the same things at Cedars, so I haven't updated my review in a while. This place is still amazing, and I just tried something new to me, so time for an update. I love this place! The food is wonderful, it's BYOb, reasonably priced, and you feel comfortable inside. (There is even a liquor store next door, so if you forget your wine at home, or need another bottle during your meal you can grab it quickly!) My favorites are: Hummus Falafel falafel sandwich chicken shwarma sandwich Shekriya (lamb in yogurt. This is so damn good!!!!) chicken shwarma lemon garlic chicken lentil soup kushary with lamb As I said, I love this place. We had them cater our wedding, we've had multiple birthdays here, and my family gets it on a regular basis. (It's vegetarian and vegan friendly). read more

My gf (32) took me (29) here on a date one a Wednesday night. We both were nervous because we had never tried Mediterranean food. Parking was simple. Customer service great! The food was hearty, hot and delicious! We will be back! :) read more

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Food is always amazing and good!! They staff always has a smile and makes sure you are satisfied

I used to live right next to this place and it is a solid option. It recently redid its restaurant so it is much more modern and the food is always consistent. I always get the beef and lamb schwarma pita sandwich with potatoes and a salad. It is a great deal for a lot of food! The staff here is always great and very attentive and it is BYOB which is nice as well. It is a great place for a casual dinner with friends or to go on dates. They have a lot of other great dishes like their combo plates and I have heard that their group meals work out really well. I will say that some of their dishes are over priced, but still, I revisit this place over and over again. read more

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Cedars used to be a wonderful restaurant. The food was fresh and fairly affordable. Since the former cook has been replaced with a new cook, the food is not good. The kefta balls are mainly beef with no lamb and no seasoning. The falafel sandwich comes all fattened in an under cooked cold wrap! And to make matters worse, the price is much higher and the plates so much smaller. I tried it again today hoping it would be better but it's not. So I hope they read the reviews and realize I'm not the only one to be very disappointed in what used to be a wonderful place to eat good healthy food. So until things improve bye-bye Cedars. I will not go there anymore read more

This was one of the first restaurants I went to in Hyde Park and it WAS a reliable go-to choice for healthy middle eastern food. Unfortunately in the past month, it seems to have gone completely off the rails. It is now HORRIBLE. They use to have excellent kebabs and shwarma that came with delicious and generous sides of fresh vegetables and salads, but apparently that has all changed. The menu now includes dishes that can hardly be called middle eastern (FISH AND CHIPS!!!???). After looking at the new menu and being fairly confused the server encouraged me to order the Kefta. It was almost unpalatable. And to make matters worse it did not come with hummus, bread, or vegetables as it used to. Instead, it came with one tomato and a quarter of a raw onion. The bread has been replaced by a soggy thing tortilla like you would get with a quesadilla. The meat tasted rotten. Worst of all the prices have gone up 25%. Food of this dismal quality should not be sold at this price even downtown. I am not sure what is going on, but if things continue this way the restaurant will be out of business in a month or two. I feel very bad for the wait staff who are polite and clearly trying to do their best. I don't know what the new management is thinking. read more

I had not eaten at Cedar's in a year or two because the food was only mediocre. I think the management or chef has changed hands since then. I went back last week and got the falafel wrap with garlic butter and lentil soup. Very delicious! I went back again today and got the chicken schwarma plate which was SO GOOD! The chicken was moist and flavorful and the rice was buttery and delicious. I will definitely go back! read more

it was delicious it was better than I thought and the food was good, not too overtly price

The only thing i get is the wrap and it's always a 10/10. The potato fries are soo good. Gets extra garlic sauce if you want the meal to rock your world. They are always pretty busy so it's best you order ahead over the phone even if you plan to sit in. read more

Wow just WOW. This delivered special Ramadan meal was one of the best meals we've had in awhile. Wonderful combination of traditional cuisine with a twist of modern deliciousness. Well done Cedars. You have a new groupie!! read more

I always ate at this place and the food is good. Their delivery is horrible. I waited for 1 hour and decided to call them when they told me they didn't have a driver to deliver it. They only refunded my money and never offer some free food and delivery for the next time. They want me to stop by the restaurant to pick up my food. What business is that? A good customer service would provide me with something to compensate for their fault! read more