This place absolutely rocks!!! My girlfriend and I came her on 04/03/19 and we had a great late supper. The restaurant is located right off Lake Street in the town of Oak Park. There is a lot of street parking and parking lots nearby. It's also very easy to access from public transportation. The restaurant is good size and there is plenty of space to sit down and eat. It is a popular place and can get crowded during peak hours. The menu has all the classic staples on it and the prices are very fair / competitive. We ordered the combination platter and the grape leaves to split. The food was very good and came with Pita and hummus as well. The Kafta Kabob was probably my favorite. Tons of flavor and very, very tender. The vegetables were also cooked just right. They give you a ton of rice with meal as well. Definitely put this on your places to eat list. You'll walk away happy and wanting more. read more

See all

Food didn't have enough flavor, worst baba I ever tasted and upset after purchasing 3 dinner plates I still had to pay for sauces.

Delicious food! I love the yellow rice and the hummus is to die for! I used to come here all the time but have since moved Highly recommend! read more

After passing this place for more than two years, I finally stopped in last week and have already had a second visit. As I write, I cannot explain why I stayed away so long. I enjoyed every item we have ordered. The portions are large given their price especially in Oak Park. Combination Plate - 5 stars; delicious and enough to for two people. ($9.59/ $10.45 with tax) Lebanon Salad - 4 stars Service - 4 stars; very good; the order is always right and most items are prepared once ordered. Location - 4 stars Ambiance - 3 stars; the equivalent of fast food type dining with a few extra signs and papers for other area businesses or additional notices. read more

Jerusalem Cafe - Combo dinner - falafel, rice, veggies, kifta, chicken and beef. Also served with pita bread and hummus $10 - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

Update: The review that I wrote stated that the food arrived 45 minutes late and was lukewarm. Also I paid for an order of hummus and received a different item, baba ghanoush, which was thrown in the trash. I don't think there was any confusion. read more

Restaurant review A hidden gem in Oak Park. I had no idea this place had a AYCE lunch buffet for 8.99. What you get is a wide selection of Mediterranean food similar to Reza's but with half the cost. If you have time you might as well get the lunch buffet as the combo plate is essentially the same cost. The buffet has a selection of salads, hummus, kifta kabob in mini hamburger shape, falafel, multiple chicken dishes including chicken kabob, lamb marinated with a sour sauce. This is a great selection of food and you can always get up to get more with a clean plate. Service is friendly, but you bus your own plates. The downside is the hummus comes out of a bag and you don't get other kabobs except for the chicken type. No sauce for the falafel which makes it quite dry to eat Pro: inexpensive, quick, large portions, AYCE buffet Cons: no sauce for the falafel Hidden gem: Lunch AYCE 8.99 Park in the Oak Park garage free for the first hour read more

Jerusalem Cafe - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

See all

Downtown Oak Park on Lake St. reminds me of State St. in Madison, WI. I'm a proud alumna of UW-Madison (go Badgers), class of 2009. As always, you can find something Middle Eastern in a small-city downtown. On a spring Saturday afternoon, hubby and I stopped by Jerusalem Cafe for vegetarian-friendly meals. Initially, I didn't think this place was suitable for dining in, yet I discovered a dining room on the right. Our entire time spending at Jerusalem Cafe was quiet and enjoyable, with soothing Middle Eastern music playing in the background. Hubby easily found a dish he could consume without any reservation. He had the vegetarian combo (dolmas, falafels, hummus, yogurt sauce, and salad). My pick was the kifta kabob entree. Kifta are Turkish-style meat patties, a mixture of lamb and beef. The entree came with rice and hummus. They were also provided a plenty of pita bread for dipping the hummus. Hubby still preferred the food at Hala In on Lawrence in the Mayfair neighborhood (see Hala In review if interested); nevertheless, he thought the entree was well put-together. He raved about the side salad he had. I tasted a little bit but couldn't figure out what was in there. Can someone, who sees the picture I took, help decipher the components of this delicious veggie dish? My kifta were tasty, and I was full after this late-afternoon meal. I don't think there are many "city foodies" travel to Oak Park for something that Chi-town doesn't have (since Chicago pretty much covers 95% of the world cuisines humans can find). If you ever visit Oak Park, for fun, for work, or for whatever purposes, Jerusalem Cafe is a solid choice. read more

See all

On this place on Belmont and Narragansett has become my favorite. I visited last two weeks and maybe this week again. Love it, staff is kind and quick, prices are good and food just too yummy to explain. I had the falafel bowl and platter, thinking I may try all the other plates as I visit. Go get some good food, I know I will. Lol read more

I was really excited about trying this place I order online to pick . I ordered the falafel platter and the grape leave wraps. I love falafel. However these were disappointing very dry. I'm use to falafels that are green inside. Grape warps awful! They were squished unflavorful and one has something crunch it in . The only thing was somewhat ok were the fries they had good flavor accept like they had been frozen and re frozen then fired. Just avoid this place it's not worth it. read more

Jerusalem Cafe - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

Cold, inedible food. This is a review for a delivery order. The meal arrived late and therefore was completely cold. We ordered the chicken tenderloin kabob sandwich. Kind of impossible warm since it was already super soggy and same with the fries. The combination platter was equally horrendous. The beef shish kabob was so tough that I could not chew it. The kifta was over cooked and dry, also inedible. Everything went in the trash. Do not order from this place. read more

I got takeout last night and I was nervous because I've never tried this kind of food before but I was IMPRESSED!! I got the combination bowl which completely filled me up plus I had left overs. It was an amazing dish. I loved the grape leaves as well as the desert! I highly recommend and will be back. read more

We just finished our take-out Easter dinner from the Jerusalem Cafe. The family wanted Gyros and our local place was closed for the holiday. They all enjoyed the tasty, tender meat and veggies that came with it. Dad felt like the meat was a little dry. We also tried the Lamb Kabob...well seasoned but a bit too well done for our taste. I had the chicken Kabob sandwich with hummus added. I loved it and will be back for more! The chicken was delicious, moist, and tender. Thanks for the great food, accurate order, and timely service. We ordered online. read more

Easiest 5 stat review I've ever given. Been going to Jerusalem Cafe for years and the food is always incredible. Best Beef Shish Kabob I've ever had, every time. Delivery felafel is tough, but again I can't say enough good things about the kabob. Shwarma and grape leaves good too read more

Online prices are not the same as the actual menu prices in the restaurant. How can you be more expensive when you do not have the cost of cleaning dishes and waiting staff? Food is good though usually but I do not like the 10% higher prices in store. That's not good business practice read more

I wouldn't post again but had to bring up post review interaction. Scroll through the reviews and see the management argue with bad reviews. What you don't see us the direct messages arguing with the reviews. Instead of taking feedback they turn me attack the customer. Class act guys! read more

Jerusalem Cafe - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

The chicken shawarma entree looks nothing like the photo. 70% of the container is rice, 20% chicken and 10% veggies. There was a single piece of broccoli and scant any onions. The dish was also missing the hummus that was supposed to be included. For 12.99 I feel absolutely cheated. For the limited options of Mediterranean available in Oak Park, this place is a miss. read more

Delivered much faster than expected. Love their hummus and baba ghannoug. Saw comment about falafel not being as good when delivered. I threw them in toaster oven for a few minutes and they were crispy and delicious! read more

To my knowledge, this is the only halal restaurant in Oak Park. But, only the chicken is halal, nothing else. The food is good, but not great. I think the hummus and falafel are overrated, but I'm a big fan of the chicken kabob sandwich. I originally gave this place only 3 stars, but had to bump it up one after I had their awesome buffet. It's $7.60 (incl.tax) and you get a lot of excellent Middle Eastern choices including three types of chicken; beef kabobs; lamb; two rices; lentil soup; pita; and assorted veggies and condiments. By far one of the best lunches to be had in Oak Park. Oh, and I like the condiments they offer for free like hot sauce, giardenera (sp?), etc. I would agree with some of the other reviewers that the service is slow, even when there don't seem to be too many customers there. read more

Bought a combo tray for a lunch meeting and one of my colleagues bit into a piece of glass. I called the restaurant and was essentially being told that there was no reason for glass to be in there based on the way they prepare the food. It seemed like they were making excuses and not taking responsibility for their mistake. They were more or less suggesting that we were trying to be deceitful. This was a professional hospital meeting and there was no reason for us to lie about the situation. read more

Jerusalem Cafe - Piece of Glass in beef kifta - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

See all

Really great traditional Mediterranean food. Fresh. Generous portions and fair price. Will definitely go back.

This is consistent Middle Eastern food. ALWYS fresh, always delicious. Convenient location (for me) and delivery is on point !! Don't cheap ya self, treat ya self . read more

Jerusalem cafe never disappoints me. I've been coming here ever since I met my better half. She actually introduced me to this cuisine. I have to say I enjoy the food a lot. I used to always get the chicken shawarma entrees, but as of lately I've been trying their vegetarian options a bit more. I love the falafel they taste very good. The texture is incredible. Some may like their falafels round I prefer mine the way this cafe makes them. I gave them a four star only because their menu is a bit deceiving. Today I ordered the vegetarian falafel plate under entree. It states that it comes with sautéed veggies and rice pilaf. I got the rice pilaf, but there were no veggies. When I asked the woman at the counter she said the menu changed. A bit disappointed that they couldn't honor what the menu stated but it's ok. I still enjoy this restaurant and I'll definitely be coming back over and over. read more

See all

I really wanted to like this place, but I found the food tasteless and the service slow. I went at 4:30 on a Tuesday, so the service should have been better since we were the only eat-in customers. The falafel was tasteless and came only with rice and sauce-no attempt at a salad or anything green, not even parsley. But the real problem was that they just didn't have any flavor. Too bad. read more

First time here - really! I've always wanted to try it and finally made it with a coworker. We went during lunch time and had the lunch buffet. The buffet offered a wide selection of meats, salads, rice and soup. I really enjoyed the lentil soup, hummus, tabouleh salad, Jerusalem salad, beef shish kakob, kifta kabob, fattoush salad and chicken shawarma. Yes I ate a little bit of everything! I tried the stuffed grape leaves and they're not for me. The pita bread was good as well as the falafel. My coworker ordered a hot mint tea (not on the menu but my coworker speaks Arabic so manager made a special order just for us) which was a nice ending to our lunch meal. :-) And he brought it out in very fancy crystal tea cups! Awesome! read more

See all

Absolutely love the hummus & the combination plate. My son tried it this time & he is an extremely harsh critic when it come to my picks, he had no bad reviews!! He just asked when I order from here to be sure to let him know!! My oder was done on time as well!! Thank you! read more

I really liked this place. The food was very delicious. It has this fast food feel kind of place but the food does taste very authentic middle eastern. People are very nice. Portions are generous. Prices are really good. They have a big menu. They were prompt with the food. Definitely recommend and plan to come here soon. read more

Jerusalem Cafe - Delicious fries with falafel sandwich - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

Delicious food and outstanding prices! I had a very good experience being here as it felt as I was back in Jerusalem. The staff was very friendly and hospitable. The foods presentation was beautiful too! Lovely spot to eat all around. read more

Service + Interior: 4/5 Quantity vs. price: 3/5 Food Taste: 3.5/5 This place won't have the best Mediterranean food you'll ever eat, but it's decent. It has its goods and its bads, but I think the goods are overall worth it. I've ordered the combination feast which includes beef shish kabob, kifta kabob, chicken shawarma, and falafel. For $1.50 extra you can add chicken breakfast. It's served over a bed of rice with veggies on the side, pita, and a small cup of hummus. All of that comes to about $13-14 with tax. Not bad for all the food, but not a great price. I will say you have to wait a bit for food if you go in there to order expecting to be in and out right away. The service has been nice, and the restaurant is clean. It's not anything pretty to look at, but it does it's job. Now for the food! The rice is plentiful and moist which is excellent. The pita is average, but at least it was warm and slightly soft. The hummus is ehhhhh. It's very pasty and they really don't get you a lot of it. Just a small plastic cup of it. The nice thing is I think they put lemon juice in it because it has a unique citrus taste. Overall though it's lacking. All of the meats are just small portions since it's a sample platter basically. The chicken shawarma and kifta kabob are drrrrrryyyy! There isn't anything wrong with the flavor, and honestly I enjoy the flavor of both. The kifta kabob has a nice seasoned taste-essentially it's a burger patty. The shawarma had a slight spiced flavor. But darn are they dry. I actually wish they would have given me some sort of sauce like tahini or a chili sauce. SOMETHING to moisten the meat because the amount of times I almost choked were a bit too much. The falafel was also average. Slightly dry, but the flavor was decent. Now the stars are the beef shish kabob and the chicken breast. Amazingly grilled, both of them. The beef was tender and moist, not fatty. It has a delicious grilled/charred flavor. The chicken was less moist, but the flavor was the lick your lips kind. I saved both of those for last. read more

One of my fave Mediterranean cafes. In high school, my cousins and I used to come here a lot just to get baklava. Today, I usually just come here for the stuffed grape leaves and chicken kabob dinners. Simple, fresh, fast, and flavorful. Always a go-to since I'm not really a huge fan of American fast food. This place is perfect anytime of the day for me and I never get tired of the taste. read more

Jerusalem Cafe - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

One of our Oak Park favorites! Beef shish kabob is amazing. The current lunch special is $6.99 for a huge mixed plate!

Great food and service! Hummus and lentil soup were excellent! Would recommend for anyone in the area!

This is conveniently located fast food joint for people close to downtown Oak Park who subscribe to Halal or Kosher lifestyle. I ordered the beef shish kabab entre. It came with rice and sauteed carrots, hummus and bread. I have absolutely zero complaints about the flavors. Everything was tasty and shish kabab was marinated beautifully. If i'm being overly critical - A more generous serving of protein and a white sauce to accompany the entree would make this joint even better. read more

When I visited here the staff was very friendly. I had their hummus, baba ganoush and falafel. It was a good place to stop for lunch.

delicious but they were out of Baklava and I had thought that Hummus came with the meal I'll order from them again read more

Yummy worth the $$ salads are the best! And the falafel flavorful lamb is delicious !

I ordered from this restaurant through Uber Eats. My entree was missing so i contacted Uber eats who refunded my purchase. However, i wanted my food instead of a refund and after trying to work with Uber eats with no success i tried something else. And i wanted to know if the issue was with the delivery driver or the restaurant. I attempted to get Uber Eats to address my issue with no success so i called the restaurant. The restaurant informed me that they packaged my entire meal (2 entrees, a salad, and 2 sides) in one bag. Impossible. The bag i received was neat overflowing without one of the entrees. I'd additionally leave a negative review for Uber eats for not responding in a timely fashion but Yelp isn't the place. However, the restaurant made a mistake and instead of fixing it they gaslit me. I'll never order from them again. And my wife said the chicken shawarma was bland. *edit Now that the owner has responded, let me reiterate that there was literally NO room in the bag. What you're capable of and what happened are different. Also, to insinuate that I'm unfamiliar with what Uber drivers do is to not take responsibility. As it stands, i ordered from your establishment. My order wasn't right. I called and gave you an opportunity to address it and you chose to blame the driver. Then you followed that up by suggesting that i don't know how volume works AND suggested i may not be familiar with current events. My money has been refunded. I'm out nothing. However, i live in oak park and prefer halal/kosher food. I will not be getting that from you. read more

Make sure never leave the place before checking your order , if not you will have to come back to pick up what they forgot to give you ,specially if you are 30 min away from the store.... If you are lucky enough they will give you what you paid for with no apology or they will accuse you of lying .....no manners and no respect for customers .....last time going over there read more

Welcoming, spotless, tasty, reasonable and one of our favorite places. I have eaten at Jerusalem Cafe at lest 200 times and it met my expectations each and every time. The food is authentic and excellent and the staff is efficient, polite and helpful. Try the weekday buffet if you want to sample many of the menu items or order off the menu- everything is good and cooked to order in no time . My favorites from the buffet are the Baba Ganoush with the fried pita chips, the lentil soup and the mixed veggies and the lamb patties with some Tabouleh. Instead of buying hummus from the grocery store I buy Hummus from Jerusalem Cafe- I think it tastes better and fresher, read more

Delicious food! I love the Fatoush Salad w Chicken. Their hummus is also a favorite. Great kababs as well. I've been coming here for years and every meal has been excellent! Check them out - both vegetarian and meat options! read more

This place is very promising... Great location... Good service... Not much taste in food. read more