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Oasis Cafe

4.2 (506 reviews)
ModerateMediterranean
Closed • 11:00 am - 3:00 pm

Oasis Cafe Photos

Business Info

OASIS CAFE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Dogs allowed
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Oasis Cafe

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Reviews With Photos

Jane Y.

Overall a decent sharma but it is lacking something and I cannot put my finger on it. I will say this place has fast friendly service. Arguably a hidden gem restaurant. literally hidden behind gems at the back of a jewelry store!

Wabash Mixed Combo Special
Stacie J.

LOVE LOVE LOVE Oasis Cafe!!! A couple of co-workers were working in the area and found the cafe from a Google search. The best part is you walk through a jewelry store to get to the cafe in the back of the store...and yes an actual jewelry store! The prices are very affordable and you receive a lot of food especially for lunch servings; I had enough leftovers for dinner. Everyone behind the counter was very nice and answered our questions about the menu. Highly recommend!

Nandana N.

Ever since I heard about this place, I've been wanting to try it and I'm so glad I did. I got the Kushari with chicken. It's brown lentil rice with salad and pita. I really liked it. I wish the cinnamon flavor in the rice wasn't so overpowering but that's a me problem and nothing else. The chicken was delicious. Good service. Can't wait to come back and try their spinach pie and falafel.

Rabia H.

If you blink you'll miss it! Oasis cafe is tucked away in a small corner of jewelers row and it's jam packed with affordable and yummy lunch options. I got the falafel sandwich and it was crunchy, fresh and delicious. Service is fast and friendly and there's ample seating.

Cheryl T.

So for many years I heard about this 'secret restaurant' in Jeweler's row. Today, I finally went to try it out. It really isn't so secret anymore, they clearly label the restaurant on the outside of the store and there's a sidewalk sign. The restaurant itself is in the back of the Jewelry store. It's a simple walk up and order at the register. They have a ton of options ($11-$15) and all relatively inexpensive for the area, so great find for lunch. The dining area itself isn't fancy at all. The food is 'fast', we barely sat down and our food was ready to go. The portions were large. We ordered a couscous dish with chicken, also the falafel with hummus. I never am a fan of falafel, however this one was really good! The couscous dish was very flavorful as well, was pleasantly surprised! Definitely a 'gem' (ba dum bum)

Menu
Juveriya M.

Sometimes you're not in the mood to drop 200 for lunch near Michigan Ave and this is when Oasis Cafe comes to the rescue! We ordered chicken shawarma and chicken couscous. We got served fast and both lunch entrees were flavorful and fresh. Our total came out to 23 without drinks. The cafe is located at the back of a jewelry store. There is plenty of seating. There was a strong odor coming by the bathrooms so avoid sitting there. Plumbing issues happens in a lot of downtown restaurants so I dont think the cafe can do anything about that. Beware of the hot sauce, it's super spicy, mix it with tahini sauce.

Wabash Special
Mark T.

A Mediterranean restaurant in inside of a jewelry store?! Who could've thunk it. After a salad was not enough to satiate my appetite, I decided to finally give Oasis cafe a shot. The result was a very pleasant surprise all around. The food quality was great, and the service was polite and blazing fast. I ordered the Wabash combo, which came with Shirazi Salad, Foul (fava bean stew/porridge), hummus, falafel, and a Pastilla (resembles a burrito - filo dough stuffed with chicken, carrot, green peppers, and onions). Everything was homemade, fresh, and flavorful, and the falafel even had a little heat. The Pastilla had a generous amount of tender chicken, and enough veggies and spice to balance it out. Let me be honest: the food at Oasis isn't mind-blowing. However, for a grab and go deal, it hits the nail on the head. Also helping it is that it is healthy, filling, and a great value at ~$10. I have nothing against fried chicken sandwiches or $16 salads as both have a place. Yet, Oasis find that ideal middle ground! Very well done - I look forward to coming back, trying more food, and getting some garlic sauce too!

Mixed combo with kofta
Su-Yee L.

Great value at this spot inside a jewelry store! It's not super hidden: there's a big neon sign in front so it's easy to find. Lots of specials, so take a look at the board inside. I shared a combo plate with the kefta and it was quite good! The hummus was creamy and the kefta was meaty and nicely grilled. The falafel were fine to me, nothing special but not bad. I would've liked the cucumber tomato salad on the side to be fresher but it was fine. And all for $14 (including tax)! Plenty of seating and not too busy during lunchtime on the weekend. A great meal after ice skating at the Maggie Daley skating ribbon!

Veggie Combo Special
Casey W.

Good food and the location at the back of a jewelry store is cool. I ordered the vegetarian platter and there's plenty of seating.

Megana V.

huge portions for the price and good value!! located behind a jewelry store, this place is a not so hidden hidden gem. service is quick - falafel was crispy, and schwarma was decently tender. great for a quick bite!

Shawarma Plate with Hummos Special
Charissa F.

Stopped in for a lunch since I've been seeing videos about this place and I was not disappointed! The value for the mount of food was great. Service was fine. Order at the counter and find a seat yourself - very casual and I could see it being more of a pick-up than fine in. I'll be back again to try more dishes. We ordered the shawarma plate and the Moroccan special - both were good and great portion size.

Interior & menu (May 2024)
Leland L.

My new favorite affordable lunch in the loop - not only is oasis such a cool "Chicago" spot tucked away in the back of a jewelry store, the food is GOOD and CHEAP! The falafel sandwich came out to $8.53 and was a filling and satisfying lunch. After ordering, it was prepared quickly (in about 30 seconds) and I was on my way. The falafel was crunchy and flavorful and the hummus was super fresh. They are generous with the ingredients and the portion sizes, and the food tastes super authentic. The space has plenty of tables to sit, but it definitely fills up during the lunch hour! I can't wait to go back and try more from their menu!

a view of the kitchen counter
Faria M.

If you truly want to experience a hidden gem food spot of Chicago, look no further! Oasis Cafe is located in Jewlers Row in the Loop, and is in the back of a diamond/ jewelry store. It a bit hard to find because there's no blatant signage out front, but apple/ google maps will guide you. Now it's only open during lunch time, but you can order ahead online or order in store. There are also a few tables/ chairs set up inside where you can eat your food after ordering. Now the food: wow, for the price you get a decently large portion. There are daily specials along with staple menu items like beef/ chicken kebabs, shawarma, grape leaves, falafel, hummus, baba ganoush, etc. Everything looked fresh & the service was so friendly! i got the mixed combo platter which came with your choice of meat, rice, falafel, hummus, and salad: delicious.

Kefta Kebab Plate  and grape leaves

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3 months ago

Saw this thanks to yelp. Very odd to walk through a jewelry store, but food was tasty and reasonably priced for the area.

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2 months ago

The lunch special is a good value, and the quality of food is there. I will go there again

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7 months ago

Bit of a quirky entrance but a great recommendation to a cozy neighborhood find. Really good falafels, light, crispy and flavorful.

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11 months ago

The food is very fresh !! excellent ingredients !! highly recommend. if you want low carb options go with a kabob salad!! so tasty !!

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4.4(2k reviews)
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Aba Restaurant review -- Fulton Market, Chicago…read more This was my husband and I first time visiting Aba Restaurant, and we left impressed on every count. From the moment we arrived, the service stood out. We had an 8 PM reservation, but since we were in the area early, Chris B. kindly accommodated us for an earlier seating. We settled on the rooftop deck, which set the mood with a vibrant, buzzy vibe. The service was outstanding throughout. Our waiter greeted us promptly, with a trainee at the table. (My apologies for forgetting their names). Both were exceptionally pleasant. The trainee did a superb job walking us through the menu, explaining the concept of ordering. We decided on a variety of dishes, and Aba delivered: - Wild Mushroom Hummus: A smooth earthy dish with roasted mushrooms folded into a creamy hummus, finished with truffle oil and herbs. Yummy! - Tuna & Watermelon: A refreshing pairing of tender tuna balanced with juicy watermelon, cucumber, pomergrant seeds and mint. Loved it! - Green Chili Shrimp: Served in a metal dish used for escargo. The shrimp were covered by breadcrumbs and lots of butter with a slight kick to it. Great for dipping your bread in. It did not disappoint! - Pan Seared Halibut: A perfectly seared, delicate fillet, moist and flaky that highlighted the fish's clean, buttery profile. And from the cocktail menu, the Aloe? It's Me. It has a kick to it. Loved it too. Everything was excellent--the food was inventive and delicious, the service was great and the rooftop ambiance added a memorable layer to the evening. Highly recommended for a refined yet relaxed Chicago dining experience.

Aba is in Fulton market and has outdoor and indoor seating! The restaurant is open and bright. I…read moreloved the olive trees that made the room feel like I was outside! The plates are shareable so this is great because you can share a few dishes! I tried the smoked garlic hummus (comes with pita bread), short rib Shakshouka, crispy potatoes, and the beef and lamb kofta! This was for two people and we had left overs. The hummus was fantastic! I highly recommend getting the crispy potatoes as well! I have never tried shakshouka with meat in it before and didn't love the texture. However, the flavor was sweet and savory! The only thing that was not ideal was that an optional surcharge was on the receipt, when we tried to get our server to help remove it per instructions on the receipt no one was to be found. That was disappointing and potentially strategic? I would have rather just tipped. I'm not sure how others feel about the surcharge?

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Kabobi Grill - Mixed #1: Lamb Koubideh Kabob (Lamb Kofta) and Chicken Koubideh Kabob (Chicken Kofta Kabob)

Kabobi Grill

4.5(1.3k reviews)
7.3 mi•Albany Park
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We stopped by as a group of 5 for dinner Sunday night and we were promptly seated. We visited…read moreChicago for St. Patty's, but my two Persian friends were eager to show us some authentic food and Kabobi did not disappoint. The food was absolutely delicious and I particularly loved the Shami and Koubidehs. The koubidehs were so tender and juicy. The service was phenomenal and they even brought us some tea and dessert (bamieh) for free. Kabobi is open late and was the perfect spot to chat while the rain died down. Definitely coming back when I'm in Chicago next time!

Ordered: Caspian Mix Grill (~$25) with Albaloo Polo (~$6): 1…read moreskewer boneless chicken breast, 1 skewer filet mignon marinated in a pomegranate walnut sauce, with grilled onion, raw onion, and butter Bamieh & Balava (complimentary) Aya's take: I was really craving Persian food before leaving Chicago and decided to place an order for pickup to take on my way. I arrived 25 minutes later and they hadn't even made my order. From there, 3 different people told me it'll be another 5 minutes, 10 minutes, and 15 minutes. I ended up waiting 20 minutes and during that whole time there was no apology. One of the workers handed me a tea and later I saw they included dessert in the bag. It was a nice gesture but I was frustrated that it wasn't acknowledged by the staff at all and part of my order was still missing. I paid $2.25 for a Yogurt & Cucumber Sauce which I never received. The Caspian Mix Grill with Albaloo Polo was very good. The filet mignon & chicken breast were both juicy and well-seasoned. The Albaloo Polo is plain basmati rice mixed with saffron, caramelized onion and sauteed sweet & sour cherries. I liked the rice but it felt like they just threw the cherries on top rather than incorporate it into the rice. It was very filling, enough to share with 2 people, and good value. The Bamieh & Balava were also fresh, sweet, and a nice bite to end on. Ultimately, I would give the food a 4/5 and the service a 2/5, hence my 3/5 rating.

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Kabobi Grill - Dine in area

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Avec - Chicago - Chorizo-Stuffed Medjool Dates

Avec - Chicago

4.3(2.6k reviews)
0.9 mi•West Loop, Near West Side
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Overall experience was great! Made a reservation online and sat at a shared table. Went for a…read moremid-week lunch date, which was a really nice and easygoing experience. The entry door is a little fun, just push where the pig is. The hummus is an absolute must. We got an extra pita (one per person) and I would recommend getting the extra. For the lunch menu -- the prix-fixe is a really great option. It's only about $26 for the stuffed date, sandwich & chips, and rolled baklava. Service was great, our server was amazing (thank you Marlee)! Waters were consistently refilled, timing was great, atmosphere was enjoyable. Will be going back!

I went to Avec for my birthday and from food, service, and ambiance the entire experience was a…read moredisappointment. The endive salad was warm and not cohesive at all. Nothing really went together and it was warm, which didn't make sense and made it worse. The steak was cooked how I asked, but the sauce was extremely oily and had this strange burnt flavor which likely was from the onions? The onions were extremely burnt, nothing like a typical caramelized delish onion. The chicken had the same issue, everything had that same burnt tasting oil and the chilies sitting in it just made it more intense. It was honestly just edible and nothing I would come back for or recommend. I love middle eastern food and know that even with a midwestern there are some considerations to take with the flavor profile but the burnt onions, burnt spicy oil in the chicken, and a warm salad are all indications for poor execution. As for the actual ambiance and experience it was my birthday and there was no acknowledgment at all not even someone to check in on whether the food was okay. I did not want to order a dessert after the salad, steak, and shawarma all missing the mark. The seating was very uncomfortable. It is cramped and communal and at this price point I expected a much better experience. Will admit I should have looked into the actual dining set up before booking a late night reservation but even still there are so many better places in Chicago where you can get better food and actually feel comfortable. Overall it just was not worth it. I would not return or recommend this spot.

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Oasis Cafe - mediterranean - Updated May 2026

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