I've recently moved closer to Pars Cove and discovered it one night with my husband where we were both impressed. Since then we've continued to bring our family and friends here when they are in town and everyone always leaves ecstatic. I think there are 3 key qualities that make Pars Cove so great. 1) The food is amazing; their attention to detail and simple flavors is evident. The lamb with walnut pomegranate sauce is the epitome of subtle - the sauce is smoky and enhances the flavor of the meat perfectly. The lentil soup is to die for - I think it's the broth base they use that just makes this the best soup. Ever. The beef kabob is delicious - moist and spiced just right. And the vanilla ice cream with honey and cinnamon is just so simple yet so delicious! Everything, right down to the olives they choose, is just impeccable. 2) And, the service is impeccable. It is like walking into someone's home, and having them treat you like family. It's unpretentious. They're humble. The last time I went with a larger group (there were 8 of us) at an off hour and we had the restaurant to ourselves. The owner came out and told us not to order from the menu, that we should just tell him what we liked and he would bring it out family style. We ended up eating 9 courses that day, and all were amazing! The way the food was brought out on big platters to share really did make me feel like I was at the Iranian version of a Thanksgiving feast. It was wonderful. 3) Which brings me to - - the price. After having 9 courses and not knowing what the final bill was going to come out to since we hadn't ordered from the menu, we were all shocked at how affordable it was (I think just over $20/ person!) Granted it was a slow day for them and I know they gave us an amazing deal, but even so, Pars Cove has great food at a _great_ price. read more

Excellent food and service! Very romantic setting. Perfect for a date. I've never seen this place full. Why? Delicious. Everything is very fresh and flavorful. Some of the best hummus around. Seems to be a family run restaurant. The owner is always around and brings out roses for the ladies at the end of the meal. And vanilla ice cream with honey. read more

Best hummus in Chicago! I like to start off with the Cool Sampler, which includes hummus, kashk, Bulgarian feta, dolmeh and a Pars salad in a balsamic virgin olive oil. Next comes the lentil soup, which is good but not great. In the lineup I'm presenting, it is perhaps the weakest link but again, it's still very good. I then usually get the Filet Fesenjan, which is beef in their fabulous walnut pomegranate sauce. It's served with white rice (not dill rice, thank god - why do all the other Persian restaurants serve only dill rice?!) and a diced vegetable salad (cucumbers, tomatoes, onions tossed in olive oil) and is a perfectly proportioned plate. You can finish it without feeling like you are going to explode, especially if you accompany it with one of the delicious Californian cabernets or merlots that they offer. I never feel the need to order dessert because they always bring a complimentary scoop of vanilla ice cream drizzled with honey with a powdering of cinnamon that is a perfect end to a fantastic meal. The place is always dimly lit, creating a very romantic ambiance. The owner and his waitstaff, most of whom are his family members are super friendly. I have been here more times than I can count and can see myself frequenting this place for a lifetime. read more

I can't express in words my love for Pars Cove. My boyfriend and I checked it out because we were starving and it was the closest thing to his house. Holy geez, this place really is Chicago's best hidden secret restaurant in my opinion. It really is like a little cozy cove. We always sit underneath the skylight. The atmosphere is so wonderful and unique, a great date restaurant. Every time I've been there haven't been a lot of people. It's usually quiet and romantic. Their cool sampler platter is a must if you go there. I've had their lamb and their chicken with the walnut pomegranate sauce. Everything I've had there has been awesome. Their piping hot flatbread is so damn good. I love bread, it 's my favorite food, and every time I go there I keep asking for more until I feel like I might explode. Their hot tea is absolutely wonderful if you love tea like I do. I had their Turkish coffee and I was afraid I wouldn't sleep for a week. As for dessert, the ones I've had have been frozen and then thawed so when they arrived they were a bit hard in parts. If they were a little more soft they would have been really delicious. For free they give you vanilla ice cream with cinnamon and honey. It's a great end to the meal, I now make my vanilla ice cream Par's Cove style at home. And of course, the ladies get a rose at the end of the meal. Between 3 and 6pm they have early dinner specials so go then or during lunch for great deals! read more

I used to live in East Lakeview, but never got around to dining at Pars Cove. Too bad, but I'm glad I finally got to visit. It's a small place with a welcoming staff and a simple menu of Persian dishes. The menu format offers entrées by type of meat, with each available in a variety of saucings, as well as an appetizer sampler plate. The appetizer sampler was fresh, tasty, and prettily presented. We both opted for braised lamb shank (my companion's with pomegranate/walnut sauce, and mine with garlic/cilantro), and both of us enjoyed its falling-off-bone succulence. We were using a coupon, which included a "house dessert" of ice cream and carrot cake, which was plain but pleasant. Our deal included a bottle of wine from among a basic selection of food-friendly choices. The staff was uniformly cordial, including the proprietor, who stopped by to say hello, explain the check, and present us with a rose. Nice. The prices are fair, even without the coupon, though not inexpensive - our meal would have been about $85 to $90, exclusive of tip and tax. Now that I've been there, I'm likely to go back - we had a nice meal and a good time. ps - I initially had a similar reaction as Anna T, below, when I received the bill -- it seemed like the tip & tax were too high. However, I went back and looked at the Groupon offer -- it was valued at $114, the tip was 16% of that and the tax was commsurate, as well. To me, the $114 valuation was at least $24 higher than menu price, but since I paid $49 for the Groupon, I was OK with it -- it was still a good deal in my book. read more

Wow! Thanks for the hook up, Groupon Now! We stumbled on this place from a Groupon Now deal (3 course dinner for 2 plus a bottle of wine for $50!) and it got stellar Yelp reviews for very good reason. The sampler platter is a beautiful assortment of their appetizers (hummus - wow!, baked eggplant - one of the best things I had all night, etc.) I had the lamb sabzi with rice ( I'd give it a 3 out of 5. A little fatty but good flavor) and my BF got the koubehde (he totally wins! it was delish). We got the Malbec for our bottle which was a really nice accompaniment. The ice cream with honey was a perfect finish. We will definitely be back! Great service. Beautiful atmosphere. Awesome food. read more

I found a groupon deal for this place a few times but was never able to get it in time and my girlfriend was wanting to check it out. Pars Cove appeared on Chicago's Best, but the owner came off as too serious. When I finally snagged a deal and went to this place today, I was excited to try the food and celebrate my girlfriend birthday early. We arrived around 2:30 so there was barely anyone there. Nobody was at the front to attend people at the door, but that was fine as a quick "hello" got us somebody to greet us and seat us promptly. The place was dimly lit minus the front seating area under a skylight which was complimented by the beautiful afternoon sun we had. The tables were lined with paper topped with a candle and a flower vase. With only one other table occupied by a couple, the environment was quiet and very intimate. The owner is very friendly with a gentle demeanor. Right away I felt right at home. I told him about the Groupon deal for a four course meal for two and he got started on explaining it to us. We started with a appetizer sampler that included hummus, baked eggplant, crushed olives, potato salad, and dolmeh (grape leaves stuffed with spiced rice). This was accompanied by warm flatbread drizzled with olive oil. We also had a choice of wine or sangria. We went for a pitcher of the latter. Then came the soup (you have a choice between soup or salad). The lentil soup we got was the best! Very flavorful with a faint heat at the end. Finally, the time had come for our entrees. My girlfriend had the chilean seabass with walnut pomegranate sauce. The seabass was very tender to the point that it fell apart when the fork made contact. The thick sauce wasn't too sweet and had the delicious nutty flavor of the walnut without standing out too much. My chicken soltani was a safe choice, I'll admit. It was pretty much a combination of chicken jujeh marinated in a lemon, oil, and saffron and the koubedeh which is chopped chicken mixed with herbs and spices served with roasted tomato and onion. It was served hot and oh so juicy. I kept wishing I could cook like this at home. These were served with saffron rice. At the end of our meal, each of us received a small dish of homemade ice cream topped with fig, honey, and a piece of strawberry sprinkled with cinnamon. I intend to use that combination in my ice cream in the future. This was capped off with a rose handed to me to present to my love. I was so happy with everything. The service was prompt and friendly, the atmosphere was romantic, and the food was amazing. I will be sure to return to this location without a Groupon deal because these people deserve all my money. read more

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I enjoyed my meal and experience here although I was disappointed that the website menu and actual menu were different. I really wanted sea scallops! We used a Google offer (sampler app, two entrees, dessert and a bottle of wine included), which only saved us a few bucks, and didn't have any issues using it. There is a $55 dinner for two deal already on their menu. I think it's a pretty good deal since you can pick any entree on the menu. I liked the sampler appetizer and my salmon with pomegranate walnut sauce, but that is better suited for beef or chicken. The entrees are the perfect size as well. For dessert we had vanilla ice cream with carrot cake and watermelon chunks. I've never had all three of those things together, but it was good. The owner was super nice and even gave out roses to the ladies that night. I want to come back, especially for anything smothered in that delicious pomegranate/walnut sauce! read more

Went there with a friend. Staff never bothered to welcome us nor did they help us get seated. I had to ask them. The food was good and you have a lot of options to choose from. You also get ice cream after the meal. You have two choices for the ice cream, yes or no. Overall the service was horrible other than the time they had to bring us the bill. That part they did a very good job. After you pay the bill don't forget to thank yourself on the way out because that is also not part of the service. read more

Soooo glad we finally tried Pars Cove. We sat outside on a beautiful Saturday eve. We were led to our table by a lovely man and served by a beautiful young lady. From the wine, to the appetizer (including hummus, eggplant, olive tapenade, cucumber salad, grape leaves, and more), to the salad, to the entrees...we had a spicy chicken and the traditional plum/pomegranate sauce chicken dishes....we were so pleased. We had a nice bottle of wine, ice cream with honey and some fruity deliciousness to boot, and the love in each other's eyes to make us feel like a million bucks! Great place for a date night to reconnect and rekindle romance! read more

This place is awesome! The food is delicious and if you bring a chick here they get a rose. It's a great place to go on a date and woo the chick into thinking you're a real smooth guy. The food takes a bit to come to your table since it's super fresh and super yum, but totally worth the wait. They really do treat you like family too, I came here for a bday and they gave my family a free bottle of wine! It's so sweet. I love this place oh and the eggplant dish and ice cream is definitely worth a try! read more

A neighborhood staple! The first time I tried Pars Cove, a courier had accidentally picked up my order. The owner recognized this mistake, poured me a glass of wine while he re-made my order. An incredibly friendly and passionate guy. But THIS FOOD! Oh my god. Everyone needs to try this place!! The hummus is phenomenal and anything with the fesenjan sauce is out of this world. High quality service and food. If you're craving a home-cooked meal, this is the place to go. read more

OK, I love me some hummus and they have some of the best I have ever had. Not only is the place super cozy and romantical but the staff is very attentive and and food is so amazing. We had the sampler platter (always my fav). The flat bread was super yummy and just the right amount of soft and toasty combination to accompany the goodies. Soup was nice, very basic and I was full after the soup/app and wished I would have just had a few bites. Oh well. Ordered the special, salmon and linguini. Very nice, salmon was so succulent, but wished I ordered the Beef w/ the walnut pom sauce. My boy ordered it and it was better. That's how it always is. Oh well. Desert was a complimentary icecream w/ honey and cinnamon (nice touch, who doesnt like free??) oh, and I was given a rose at the end. Very nice!! Pars Cove, I will be back. Promise. read more

Got the dinner for two for $60. The staff was very welcoming and accommodating. The wine was brought out immediately. I'm not a big fan of white wine so I have no comment on how good it was, but I think you can also get 2 glasses of wine, per person, if each person prefers something different. The appetizer sampler was wonderful and was a good lead into the main course. I had the braised lamb shank which was delicious and fall off the bone tender. My girlfriend had the beef kebob which was cooked well but was a but bland. I would suggest asking them to season it a bit. I loved the honey ice cream and they were happy to bring my girlfriend a slice of cake (which was also great) because she does not like ice cream. We will definitely be back. read more

I loved my experience at Pars Cove! I went with a friend on a Tuesday night. The place was pretty empty so we got to sit in the area that has windows as a ceiling which was pretty neat. The place seems decently decorated and the servers are all very friendly. We got a sampler platter on the house! It had olives, a cucumber and tomato salad, some hummus and ... something else that I can't remember. Everything was so good! And it was nice of them to give us the food on the house. For dinner I had a lamb shank and my friend had some beef. Our meals came with a soup or salad as well. I had the lentil soup and it was great! We both agreed that the food was delicious but we were so stuffed we couldn't finish. Our server ended up coming back and giving us a coupon for a 4 person dinner, with wine, for a great price. She also gave us 2 roses. It was a really neat place. The servers were so friendly and attentive. The food was solid. I would definitely come back! read more

Just walking by this place, you'd probably never expect to find what I found in it. A friend of mine took me with her family to see this hidden gem. Reza's cannot compare to this restaurant! Everything here was delicious and the pomegranate sauce was the best I've ever had. If you like fish, that's definitely something to try here too. The restaurant itself is huge. It's a lot bigger than you would expect it to be. The staff is elegant to say the least and each person at the table gets a scoup of ice cream with cinnamon and honey free with the meal for dessert. To top it all off, every woman there gets a long stem rose. How can you beat that? You would think that this restaurant would be ridiculously priced, but it's not. It's not bad at all. I highly recommend it. read more

being Persian, I am extremely picky when it comes to decent persian food. This place is over rated, over priced, for literally no food. Forget the Rose at the end of the meal, give me more RICEE. read more

What a gem! We went in a large group for a New Years brunch and we left so happy! The owner is so involved in making sure he customers are happy! He offered to serve us "family style" and basically brought us a wide variety of EVERYTHING! Right from appetizer to soup to entree! And we felt like one big family! The hummus was to die for and so was the lentil soup. Very reasonable. Definitely recommend. read more

Pars Cove - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Visited here on the suggestion of a friend with similar taste to mine. My boyfriend and I arrived in crabby moods from a long cold day of shopping outside and our hungry empty bellies. Pars Cove is surprisingly romantic! The waiter even gave all of the ladies at the tables a single red rose. The food was better than expected. The lentil soup was the best I've ever had and my vegetable plate was delish (a delight for any vegetarian trying to eat out with an omnivore). His lamb was cooked quite well and our wine put us in the best of spirits. The complimentary ice cream and honey topped everything off nicely. I could see that a family party was setting up in the back room so don't let the size fool you- you could host a group event there as well. All in all, a most enjoyable evening. read more

Woohoo! I'm a fan! :) Went here last week for the first time. Also realized they had a groupon before I went in, but when I called to make a reservation, which the owner Max said wasn't necessary, he told me to just come in and he'd give me the deal on the spot. He was true to his word, and greeted me with a handshake when I arrived a short time later. Max let us choose our table and since he knew we wanted the special, he recapped what it entailed, got our beverage choice out of us, and then immediately went to the kitchen to get the drinks and appetizer sampler going. No wasted time at all. Their normal "special" is a $55 dinner for two which includes an appetizer sampler, a soup or salad for each person, an entree for each person, a small but delicious ice cream honey dessert for each person, AND a bottle of wine, pitcher of sangria, pitcher of margarita, or pitcher of vodka lemonade. That's a damn crazy deal. Plenty of food, all of which is delish! Would be a good deal without the alcohol, but throwing that on top brings the whole meal together and makes you totally love this place. Throw in the tag teaming staff that are collectively handling all of the customers in the quaint establishment - and we're in good shape. Oh, the owner Max is also helping seat and serve, so he's clearly making sure things are running well. The groupon is for this normal special, but knocks off $6 and brings it down to $49. Mention it before arriving and they'll probably hook you up regardless. Even at the regular non-coupon price of $55, this special is solid and will keep me coming back. When the bill came the waitress said it was $53ish or something like that, but if we paid cash, they'd give a 6% discount and bring it down to $50 even. Heck yes I'm in. The service, the food, and the ambiance were all perfect. I'm coming back and nothing will stop me. read more

I give them credit for creativity in how they get people in the door. The credit stops there. As most reviewers mentioned, we were drawn to Pars Cove from a Living Social offer that my parents had purchased for us (they are not from Chicago). The voucher was $49 and included an appetizer sample, soup or salad, two entrees, two dessert, and a bottle of wine. The deal is supposed to be worth up to $104. Almost immediately after being seated, the waiter came up to us and asked if we were here on a promotion. Since we were he asked for the voucher number right away and disappeared with my phone for a while to write down the number. It was a very transactional welcome and pretty much set the tone for the rest of the meal. Looking at the menu we noticed that the very same "daily deal" that had brought us here was also featured on the regular menu. This seems like a bait and switch in my opinion, but I can see why the restaurant does this. Anyway, without us asking, the server brings our appetizer platter (worth $16) and asks if we want any wine. Keep in mind, there aren't prices for the wine bottles on the menu itself so you're left with vague descriptions of what to order. We opt for the Malbec and the server comes back with two bottles of wine, the 2nd of which we can upgrade to for $5 more. He tells us the 2nd bottle is "better" and it also happens to be bigger than the 1st. Of course we upgrade, why wouldn't we? I'm sure this makes the server smile every time because the 2nd wine was clearly not a "better" wine by any standards and came to our table already open. As for the food, I will say that the appetizer sample and lentil soup were decent. The soup/salad option came with each entree so I will complain again that the "deal" is a little misleading. For our entrees, I ordered the chicken ($16) and my man ordered the lamb ($19). In my words: "Did this chicken come out of a frozen Tyson bag?". In his words: "This is gamy and gross". Yes, we received the ice cream and rose at the end of our meal and this would have been a nice touch had we not felt so taken advantage of by the "deal" we thought we were getting. Since we visited, I searched for their menu online and found that they've greatly increased their prices. The appetizer platter that is $16 on the dinner menu is $8 on their website and my chicken entree is priced at $14 and the lamb at $15. I can guarantee you we will never go back and I'd warn anybody from thinking this is a good deal. Maybe I'm a cynic, but I'd rather take the $50 and pick up a great inexpensive bottle of wine and head to a BYO where I don't feel like I'm eating last night's leftovers. read more

We live three blocks away from this place and love the staff and food. It is a family run restaurant, and it is one of the few places in this area that has outdoor seating. The promptness of service depends on how busy they are, but I'd say its mostly good. The food is a bit pricey for the place, but they offer you all sorts of discounts on your food. The owner will come and say, 'I will give you a bottle of wine complimentary' or 'I will give you free appetizer with your entree'. Dont go expecting that, and you might be pleasently surprised. In the 10 times we have been here, we have been offered something complimentary atleast 5 times. Vegetarians will love this place- they have some good options. We will keep going here as long as we live in this neighborhood. read more

Let's start with the food. It's awesome. Probably the best lentil soup I've ever had, served with a warm, seasoned flatbread. Everything I've tried here has been great, but the lentil soup is the star of the show. Even better than the food is the service. The old guy who I assume is the owner will make you feel like an old friend of his. I got carryout from here twice last week; the first time he served me my soup while I waited for the rest of my food, and the second time he gave me a free glass of wine while I waited! Also, both times he let me substitute hummus or kashk (eggplant salad) for the ice cream which normally comes with the lunch special (a steal at $10), because who wants ice cream in the middle of winter? read more

I got the 4 course dinner for 2 off Groupon, it was about to expire so my lady and I end up going Sunday evening, It was pretty empty. They started us off with the sampler plate with warm pita bread and pitcher of white sangria. The sampler plate was pretty decent but the sangria wasn't that tasty at all, tasted bitter far from sweet tasted like no alcohol was in it. My lady ordered the seafood soup with side salad and I ordered lamb chops with the side soup. She said her food was ok and mine was pretty decent. We finished off with a scoop of ice cream a piece which was ok. So basically it was a ok experience, customer service ok food ok. We both feel like we wouldn't come back. read more

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Oh my god this was delicious! I bought a Groupon to try this place out and I'm so glad I did! The place is so perfect for a date. Very cute and has a romantic feel to it. The food was all fantastic and our server was wonderful. It was a great experience and I will have to come back again! read more

Pars Cove - Our server gave us roses after dinner! - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The service was amazing. Very attentive and they are constantly giving you free stuff. The owner came by at least twice with some free appetizers. And as other reviewers have said: free lentil soup, free ice cream at the end, free roses. It was a great time. My entree was pretty good. Didn't knock my sucks off. A friend of mine got something really spicey which I might love if try it next time. Or maybe this walnut pomegranate chicken people are talking about. If you like hot totties, get the Pars Cove tea. Delicious drink. Basically hot brandy and honey, and maybe some tea in it? I've had such a bad cold, but that thing actually got me perked up some. I'll be back just for this awesome drink alone. I don't usually give a crap and write about "the ambiance" of a place, but this place was pretty cool. Walk down a flight of stares to enter, well, a cove is the right word. Could be a very romantic spot for a couple dining there. So 4 stars because I wasn't in love with my entree, but all around the price is awesome for a very rewarding place to dine. Going to come back here a lot probably. read more

Pars Cove is a great value (not to mention, delicious). Everything comes with lentil soup and a dessert of ice cream topped with honey and cinnamon. They give all of the women a rose at the end, which is a little bit cheesy but I can't complain! As for the food, I usually split the sampler appetizer with whomever I'm with because it's all so good and it's hard to pick just one. Then, I usually get some kind of kebob. Last time I had the filet mignon kebob, which was perfectly cooked and seasoned. This is especially a great place to come in the summer and sit outside. read more

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you know how you find an amazing restaurant of a certain cuisine, it's your go-to place if you're craving that kind of food and it's the only place you go and should never go any place else? That place to me is not here- it's Turquoise. Hubby and I wanted to try a new restaurant and decided to check this place out after great yelp reviews. This place was not busy at all on a Friday night- maybe 5-6 other groups came in and out while we were there. PC has a typical Middle Eastern menu consisting of hummus, cheese, and salad appetizers. We tried the Cool Sampler which was all really good. They also have typical entrees like different kabobs and lamb dishes. We tried the Seafood Mediterranean and the Beef Pomegranate Dish. The SM was pretty good, though you might have to ask for a side of rice to mellow out the flavor a bit (which they didn't charge me for!). Lots of seafood and a few veggies cooked in a slightly spicy seafood broth. The Beef Pomegranate was ok. The beef itself is very tender and cooked perfectly. The sauce, however, is a little bit too heavy for the dish. It comes out like a black mess on the plate and doesn't leave you wanting more after eating it like you think it would. They have a fix prix menu there- appetizer, 2 drinks, 2 entrees with lentil soup, 2 desserts, and 2 after dinner drinks. The drinks are blah. not blended very well at all. oh well. Overall, decent experience. pricing is very good. service was great- very attentive waitstaff and super nice. i can see why ppl would rave about this place if they haven't gone to Turquoise. For better mediterranean food- head over there for similar food just classed up a notch. read more

Oh dear Pars Cove! We will never ever never come back there! First of all, are you kidding me people? 104 reviews out of 189 are bragging about the ROSE at the end!! Really? That's all it takes? I wanted to give this place another star because of the rose too but after seeing this it's only fair if I don't! Anyway, back to business! I am from Iran, but I love any food as long as it's delicious. I never heard about this place from my Iranian friends (unlike Noon o Kabab, Reza, Masouleh etc. that everyone knows about!) till I came across the Google offer and I thought wow that's great and it's the best Persian food according to yelp so let's try it! These are the pros and cons: Good stuff: Well the location is my favorite place in town, the lentil soup was absolutely delicious, and emm oh the "ROSE"! Bad stuff, worst to best: 1- This is a restaurant that had health issues before and made people sick at the taste of Chicago (http://foodpoisoning.pritzkerlaw.com/archives/cat-pars-cove-taste-of-chicago-lawsuit.html), and I don't think they give a damn about it! We went to sit inside where we were welcomed by this terrible smell of rotten meat!! and we couldn't tolerate it so we came back outside and it wasn't only us all the next 4 couples did the same thing! I though well maybe something smells in the trash and they just open and are getting rid of it and blah blah (benefit of doubt or stupidity whatever you wanna call it) so we sat outside to eat. 2- For our entrees, We ordered the Sultani and lamb "RACK" chicken combos and then we found out the source of the smell, it was right in front of us, the beef!! grilled, tasteless, full of odor. and with a touch of sumac! I want to puke even typing about it! And then the "RACK" was only one piece, again tasteless and with no seasoning! For the love of God at least don't call it Persian food. Even Reza does a way better job than you guys not to mention the best in Chicago Noon o Kabab (I know they have some service issues but at least the food is the best FOR Chicgao). The rice was terrible, uncooked, small cheap rice which was just an insult to Persian rice but on the bright side it wasn't that much! The only nice thing was the chicken which was okay, and instead of saffron marinade it had turmeric but it was a delight among all the rest! 3- The deal had a wine bottle up to $48, but there wasn't any wine list only 4 kinds of red wine and some white wine, we ordered the Malbec and after some time we got our lovely bottle OPENED!!! Really? That's how you serve wine bottles? I am sure it was not Malbec, it was an okay wine and I needed the alcohol to kill the meat bacteria probably but you cannot just bring a bottle of wine opened along with a cork screw that its shape says "Hey, this is not my first time hanging here! look at my belly!" 4- They gave us the appetizer sampler without asking (although the deal said we could choose two appetizers). Some of them were good, most of the not fresh especially the ugly salad and the worst part was there was a hidden garlic clove in the hummus!! Why? Why would you do that? I love garlic but not a raw clove as a surprise in the middle of my mouth! ughhhhhhh 5- We spent $66 for this crap where we could have twice the amount of food and 10 times the taste at Noon o Kabab but I'm glad we are alive and not in a hospital! read more

Wow, this is the first time I have had Persian food and I am beyond impressed. Now, I am not a fan of humus. I hate it. But Pars Cove's humus is to die for! It's seriously orgasmic. The appetizer sampler platter is delicious. I ordered the beef barg and it was beyond amazing. The meat was high quality and seasoned well. I loved the dipping sauce it came with. The rice was great too. The sangria was delicious too! For desert we had ice cream with fruit, cherries and cinnamon. Awesome way to end a fantastic meal. At the end of dinner, the waiter gave my husband a rose for me. Made me love them even more! We are definitely coming back, again and again. read more

This is a family restaurant, with very basic decor and food. If you are looking for simple fare, then you may want to give it a go. However, it is a bit too rough for me. No asking how I want my meat cooked, the wine bottle came to our table already opened and the wine tasted a bit off. The sample platter as a starter was quite good, while the lamb afterwards tasted okay but was really overcooked. Service is basic: you get your food and that's it. Well, I guess at least the place was cheap. Well, it looks and tastes somewhat cheap as well. So, diners beware: you do get what you pay for. On the other hand, the owner was extremely nice. Three of us came here with a Groupon for two and they extended the Groupon pricing to the third person. In addition, the two ladies among us left with a red rose at the end of the dinner, courtesy of the owner. Nice, but not worth the trip. read more

One of the best meals I had in Chicago, I have no idea why they need to do LivingSocial or Groupon because the food is more than solid. Between two people, we shared a pitcher of sangria and we had a Pars Sampler for appetizers which consist of 6 different things and I loved every single one of them. The hummus was really creamy and buttery, stuffed grape leaves, a chunky olive tapenade, baked eggplants, a bulgarian wheat salad, some feta and olive. It's always fun to be able to try different stuff with someone. I had a soup while my friend got the salad. For entrees, I had the lamb shank with the ariabata sauce. The lamb shank came out very tender and flavorful. I love how accommodating they are in that they give you 6 different sauce to choose from to custom made your own entree. My friend got a koubedeh which he loved. As if this is not enough, we got a very nice dessert. Ice cream with a fruit syrup and crunchy cookie toppings. I mean I don't really have much complains, the wait for food is slihtly long but it's well worth it. After dinner, they give you a coupon for the same deal for you to come back next time. And if you're female, you'll receive a rose with your check! Slightly sexist but I think I'm just jealous. If I live in Chicago, Pars Cove would be one of the spots that I would introduce all my friends. read more

Great food, great service, great atmosphere. I'll break it down: 1) Persian food here is very tasty and succulent. Leg of lamb with pomegranate sauce is my favorite dish here. 2) Prices are about $15/ entree- great deal for such good food 3) Owner is so nice. On separate occasions, the owner has come to our table and just talked with us. He's also recommended good wine pairings. 4) Atmosphere- If you sit downstairs, it is dimly lit with candles on your table and it is quiet- very romantic. 5) If you bring a date, a policy is that you get a free rose. Something small, but it is very special. If King Xerxes were in Chicago, he would be so proud of Pars Cove that he would have no desire to conquer Greek Town read more

After stumbling across some of the reviews for Pars Cove on Yelp, myself and a date ventured down Sheridan to Diversey for some Persian goodness. I tend not to be huge on Middle Eastern food, so I was a bit skeptical, but I wanted to try it anyway. Am I ever glad that I did! The restaurant itself is a small, hole-in-the-wall basement joint that we almost missed. Inside is rather cavernous, dimly lit, cozy and easily romantic. I love hummus, so we started with that as an appetizer, and it was indeed delicious. Some of the best I've had. Both my date and I got the pomegranate walnut sauce entrees (lamb and chicken, respectively), and they were delicious delicious delicious. Somewhat sweet with a lot of depth, served with not overly impressive but still quite good salad and rice. We also were suprised with how much extra food we got, with lentil soup coming out before our meal, and amazing, yet simple, vanilla ice cream with honey and cinnamon afterward. I was also given a rose that I left, a nice touch, to be sure. This also makes PC a great place to come on a date, as my doorman made a remark about the rose when I walked in to the effect of "how nice my date was to buy me one." Look like a guy with extra game and just pay for dinner! Overall, an excellent meal. I can't wait to go back, and the variety of entrees (not overly meat-y as I was a little concerned it would be) makes it a great place for anyone. We also got a takeout menu with some insane prix fixe deals on it, including a three course meal for two with a bottle of wine for $40. Where can you beat that? read more

Not sure I really understand the hype for this place, especially as there is better Persian food in Chicago (albeit not as close as Lincoln Park). I purchased the LivingSocial deal for $49, includes dinner for two, an appetizer platter, soup/salad, a bottle of wine and dessert; this was supposedly an $85 value. Once at the restaurant, you can see that it's actually available for $60. Still savings, but not as great. I had originally called ahead for a reservation, and was given one; but once we arrived at the reservation, the owner/host had no idea about it and we still had to wait for about 20 minutes. As soon as we sat down, he first asked if we were there on a voucher, so I handed him our coupon and we got started. We started with the appetizer platter, which at its regular price of $16 is a complete rip off. It's all very mediocre except for the hummus, which is good. In addition, we asked him to leave the cheese on the side, as I have a dairy allergy; to this he simply mumbled and walked off. Low and behold, still cheese. Next, we both got the lentil soup; we were pretty confident it came out of a can. Enough said. We ordered Barg for our entrees, one skewer of beef tenderloin and one of lamb koubideh (Ground, seasoned lamb). He didn't ask how we wanted the beef cooked, which was suspicious. Once the food came out, the lamb koubideh was very good, tender and tasty. The beef tenderloin was a struggle to finish, it was dry and chewy, despite coming out medium rare. My next gripe with the entree was the rice. Normally at a Persian restaurant, you get a huge plate full of rice; here it was hardly a cup, not enough for my meal at all. Lastly was dessert, I assumed we would have choice of dessert based on the LivingSocial deal description, but it was just ice cream. My girlfriend told me it was sub-par. Perhaps the worst part of the experience was when the owner came for the bill. He once again asked if we had a promotion, after already taking our coupon. Fortunately, I was able to access it on my phone. He then comes out with a very shady bill and tells us we owe $6 for tax and $12 for a tip. I'm not sure how he came up with either of these numbers but at this point I was ready to leave. We didn't have enough cash for the tab so I had to pay with my card. Turns out they only charged $6, needless to say they did not earn a $12 tip and were not tipped so. If you want real Persian food, skip this sub-par establishment and go to Noon-O-Kabab. read more

Great little place. Good was fantastic! A little gem.

We originally intended on going to Forno Diablo upstairs. Since there was a wait, we thought we'd take a chance downstairs with Pars Cove. I came here when it was ridiculously cold outside, and it was cold inside too! The food was pretty good, but I feel that if you serve great food, you want the place well lit. The place was so dark, I felt like I could barely see the food I was eating. After the meal, the server asked if we wanted dessert. We declined, and we were brought complimentary ice cream and fruit. I kind of wonder whether we would have been charged if I had asked for ice cream for dessert... At the end, they brought my date a rose. It was really sweet and a nice touch. read more

Amazing dining experience! The service was phenomenal and the food was spectacular! The look and feel of the place is that of a cute garden apartment, decorated with ornate table cloths and beautiful wall decorations. The owner came over twice to tell us about the menu, and genuinely thanked us for dining there by giving us free desert and tea! Great for vegetarians/vegans. Also a very romantic environment, we were given roses after leaving. read more

Great couples deal-$40 for two drinks (includes a gin martini, which was strong!), two entrees, and two desserts! Went here on a Monday with the manfriend since the place next door was closed and we were both about to pass out from hunger. This place really hit the spot! We got the couples deal which is just fantastic: you get two drinks, two appetizers, two entrees, and two desserts. This is a family owned and run place and we didn't realize it until later; since we were in a corner and couldn't see everything. I had baba ghanooj and the pomegranate lamb chops. Those lamb chops were nice and moist, just a teensy bit cooked longer than medium rare, but still really yummy! The service was attentive without being too involved in our meal; we had plenty of time to chat without feeling ignored. I will be back here soon- it's a really lovely place to go for a date and the owner gave me a red rose when we left, such a cute touch! Come here if you want to have a semi-casual, semi-romantic dinner with a loved one. There were also a couple families here and this would be a place to have a dinner with a smaller group of friends. read more

If you are a grouponer, buy it for Pars Cove. Well worth the money. We first started off with a bottle of white which came with the groupon followed by a platter of like 10 different things on it with a side of bread. The hummus was really good. Then we got to choose soup or salad. I really liked my lentil soup. After, I got the Sea bass with the tomato habernos sauce as my entree. Holy cow, unbelievable! I loved it soooooo much! Extremely tender and flavorful. I HIGHLY recommend. My friend got the rack of lamb and he thought it was very good as well. Finished off with ice cream. I will definitely be coming back for more of that sea bass. read more