I used to love Salam When I was overseas I used to long for Salam When I used to live in Libertyville I used to drag my prego self to Salam Then one day Salam began to turn into Mataam Because of rude service and mediocre food I stopped going to Salaam read more

I just created this yelp account so I could review Salam. I just had one of the best meals I have had since I moved to Chicago a month ago. The chicken tikka kabob is A-friggin-MAY-friggin-ZING. It had the perfect amount of spice. I also got a cup of the lentil soup, which was out of sight. I just kept taking bites and shaking my head in disbelief at how good it was. They use chicken stock in the soup, which gives it less of a mashed bean consistency and more of a creamy, rich, homey quality. The felafel is also really good here. Make sure you get turnip pickles to put on everything. Also, very reasonably-priced. read more

This place is great!! I ended up getting the lung special, and was more than pleased with what I got, especially the price! The falafels are crispy, the shawarma was perfectly spiced, and juicy as well. The main course comes with a large assortment of sides like fresh cut salad, steamy rice, and crunchy pickles veggies too! I really enjoyed this place although the service was pretty lax, and the seats were really uncomfortable. However, I definitely would recommend! read more

Salam Restaurant - This place is good, Here's a couple of their more popular dishes! - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great Arabic- Mediterranean cuisine. Combination entree with rice, salad, and falafel is a great choice ! Probably the best Arabic food in the city. Very cozy setting and the staff is very kind and inviting :) everything is always fresh and delicious. Portion sizes are great ! Really great value. Lentil soup, and beef and vegetable kalaya are also especially good. Half price lunch specials can't be beat. read more

When I get the craving for some authentic Arab food without the time or desire to drive to Al-Bawadi, I come to this place. Food is fantastic, not as great as Bawadi of course, but great in its own way. Best of all the jolly guy with the stache(I'll get his name next time) is as friendly a person you'll come across. read more

Salam Restaurant - Lamb shank - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'm updating because Salam has undergone a huge renovation since my initial review. They took over the store front next door and really spruced up the interior. It looks a lot less like a restaurant in the Middle East now, and is much more comfortable. Plus, they expanded the menu and have gyros. The food was delicious as always, and they've added some people - including a hostess. I really the other places in the neighborhood, but retain a soft spot for Salam read more

Wow my wife and I came for a late night meal and I just wasn't ready for the orgasm of mouth watering different flavors that makes food porn pics look lame.. we both ordered the vegetarian meal #2 with a little difference in both plates and we couldn't have enough.. enough to warrant a review on the spot that I couldn't wait for, I can see why now they have so many good reviews... the service is phenomenal as well! read more

Salam Restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This spot is awesome. We we're filming a feature here on their Hummos and let me tell you it is some of the best I have ever had. So fresh, made daily, just delicious. I got my Chicken Shwarma served on a bed of Hummos with Pita = Game Over! So good. I also tried a very Jordanian dish : Mansaf. This Lamb, Rice and Yogurt dish was amazing. I think my camera guy ate an entire serving himself. This place is top notch. Stop in and get the Hummos it really is one of the BEST! read more

Oh Salam how I love thee. If I want good Middle Eastern food this is the place I go. I usually get the combination dinner - which comes with all different types of meats and rice. Also, an order of hummus and a half a dozen falafels. They also give a veggie type salad along with a ton of fresh pitas. All for only $20! It feeds myself, my hubby and my son and we always have leftovers. The food is always fresh, always good. The hummus is probably the best I've ever had. read more

Lie. They always say one tahini is "on the house" but the next is 25cents. Their prices went up about 25% the food decreased about 10% but all that is irrelevant when it comes to cursing at a customer. The "owner" said, "this is my business, I can do what I want! What are you, Pakistani, indian? You cheap motherfu*kers!" All because we wanted to substitute one meat item for another in a combination. Is it really that serious? Taking your bad day out on the customer. If they deny this, they're lying. read more

I admit that I have a love/hate relationship with this place. Love : FOOD IS TO DIE FOR. Affordable prices too! The falafel is delicious and everything on the menu is pretty up to standard. Hate : Service. I somehow feel that they are a bit............. discriminating. I don't know, I hate to think of it this way but every time I visit this restaurant the services I received were pretty bad. No water refills, no one to check on you, constantly having to flag your waiter down to even order. They seem very nice to the other people who speak their native language though, and also to the Caucasians. In short, I will still go back to Salam. Because I love the food and I love the prices. However, I won't expect too much from the wait staff. read more

Salam. Salaam. Salaaaaaaam. I ordered a kabob, 6 falafel and a coke. I paid for them. You didn't have coke in the cooler but I wrote it off...no sense haggling over fitty cents. Then I get home and there's no falafel in my carry out. I'm so pissed at you. Not pissed enough to drive all the way back for two dollars but pissed nonetheless...I mean 2/3 of my order was screwed up. I'll give you 2 stars because the kabob was delicious. It came with the most creamy/smooth hummus that my mouth is watering with spittle of forgiveness but seriously...try not to screw up my order again. Please. read more

This place is unreal- the food is great and the portions are huge. Easily the best, creamiest hummus I've had in my life! read more

Salam Restaurant - $40 via uber eats for all this! - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

After the owner saw my last less-than-favorable review of my experience, he contacted me and offered me a coupon to come in and try their food again. I'm a fair gal, and was willing to give them a second chance. I'm glad I did. This time, no hairs in the food, thankfully. The owner had apologized for this, and stated they try to keep the staff wearing hats all the time. So, the food? The hummus is simply fantastic. I love the fact that they put a lot of olive oil in it. The falafel is also good, and wrapping it up in their pitas with hummus? Delicious. I love the fact that you can buy the falafel by the piece too. I went in and bought four falafel for a buck today. Awesome. The falafel and potato sandwich is also good. Overall, I'd go back to Salam again - decent prices and pretty good food. The service can be somewhat iffy - I was ignored for awhile when I first went in, but today they were super nice...so maybe they have their on and off days. read more

I went for falafel, specifically. See, my girlfriend and I have been on a mission to find a falafel spot in Chicago comparable to Pita Inn (nearest location: Skokie). I thought their falafel tasted much like Sultan's Market. It's good stuff, but if you've had Pita Inn falafel, you'll know Sultan's is just "good" as opposed to "f*$%ing fantastic" -- I'm just saying... My girlfriend ordered a shish kabob sandwich and I, the veggie combo + a dozen falafel. Hers came with fries and mine with baba ghanooj -- which was my favorite part of the meal, fyi. The service was nice. Regarding the dozen falafel we ordered: the waitress said they had exactly 10 left, which she brought out to us, but said she would bring us 2 fresh ones as soon as they were ready. I appreciate the gesture, but I thought the 10 older ones tasted better than the 2 new ones which seemed greasier -- and not in the "we just came out of the fryer" way; greasy deeper down into my chickpea patty. Overall, prices were good at $0.25/falafel (Pita Inn = $0.50/falafel), service was fine, and location...can't beat next door to the Kedzie brown line stop. Skokie is a far bike ride. read more

This spot is great, food is awesome and the staff is so sweet and friendly.. I can't wait to come back. Again, and again.. my go to for middle eastern food.. hands down a great place.. read more

Salam Restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I wanted to like this place, but most of what we ordered was borderline gross. Ordering carryout after being disappointed that Kedzie Dawali Kitchen is permanently closed, I read reviews and thought we'd give this place a try again after a few years. In picking up our order, the staff was friendly but I did not like that the fatoush salad was sitting under our hot sandwiches on the counter when I arrived. Payment took quite awhile, slow credit card machine and ringing up at the register, but the staff was talkative so it wasn't a pain. We started with the Vegetarian Samosa app which were delish! Perfectly fried with a slight curry flavor. Next the fatoush which was less lettuce than I would have liked but full of cucumbers and peppers- would really like it if there were not lemon wedges mixed in- who wants to be picking out lemons throughout there salad experience? Next, my husband had the chicken shawerma which he would not eat- picked out the chicken and fed it to our dog, stating that it was tough and dry, like a puck. Luckily my gyro was overloaded with lamb so I gave him some of my meat. My gyro was yucky- the lamb was over seasoned and too salty, the pita was hard and chewy and the tomatoes were sparse. We won't be back, buyer beware! read more

As anyone can see from my previous reviews, I loooove Middle Eastern food. This place was pretty busy, which is a good sign for me. I placed an order to go at the counter. One falafel sandwich, one chicken shawerma, and one beef shawerma. I personally did not try the falafel sandwich but my daughter enjoyed it. My mom, not so much. She said the oil the falafel was fried in tasted old. I had the chicken sandwich and omg was it spot on. It was seared just perfectly. Flavor was amazing. Piping hot by the time we got to our destination (which was about 20 minutes away). I wish I lived closer to this place because I'd probably go there once a week. I certainly will be coming back at every opportunity when I'm in the area. Kind of pricey but it was worth it for me. Because I didn't dine at the restaurant I really cannot comment on the atmosphere or the service. From the few minutes I was there the service was fast. Not super friendly but that's not my issue when I'm taking food to go. The dining area seemed cluttered but again, from where I was sitting I couldn't see much besides the first two tables. I really recommend giving this place a try. read more

I used to consider Semiramis my dine-in Middle Eastern place and Salam my strictly take-out one, but considering the fact they just renovated the hell out of the place, that might change a little. Their food is delicious -- I think it's the cheapest Middle Eastern eatery in the area, too. I like that their shawarma sandwich is filled almost solely with meat. *drool* Sucks to be you, vegetarians & vegans! I am also obsessed, OBSESSED, with the pickled banana peppers that you get in addition to the complimentary pickled radishes. Soooo good. I could snack on those all day, plus it's really cool of them to include them in take-out orders as well as dine-in. They have some kind of grand opening special going on, so I'm going to make sure to take advantage of that and check out the new decor, which thus far I have only seen from the outside while passing by. If you're in the area, it's the perfect place to grab a quick lunch & be on your way. I always make my boyfriend pick some up when he's coming to my place straight from NEIU, bwahaha. read more

ZABIHA HALAL! Yay! I had dinner here on a Sunday night at about 9:30PM. The place was packed! It was a good sign as it was our first time here and we were worried if it would be good lol. There is a parking lot in the front which is awesomeeee. And the restaurant is separated into a dining area and one side is like the kitchen, right when u enter. The decor is simple - there are large, beautiful pictures of different structures in the Middle East. Looks stunning. Lots of space for people sit. Ok food was awesome. I would recommend the Middle Eastern fare over the American burgers etc. Those were good...but not amazing. We got a small bowl of salad and another plate of olives and beets when we sat down. My husband and i shared an entree and had a cheeseburger and a hamburger. The entree was their combination (shish taouk, kefta kabob and shish kabob) ... O.M.G. The shish taouk is grilled chicken breast marinated in spices and it was SO GOOD - moist & smokey. The shish kabob was epic too...cooked perfectly! We did not order the rice for anything...just had fries...but next time we go, will definitely try their rice. One thing that was kind of annoying - we initially wanted to order gyros, but they were out. But...i mean we were there on a Sunday night half an hour before closing. I don't blame them. The service was prompt and polite...made up for it :) read more

I've ordered from here quite a bit and haven't been disappointed until today. Order is the same, falafel plate; gyros entree and buffalo chicken tenders. Perhaps it's the delivery method, not quite sure but the tomato and cucumber salad isn't fresh, they gyro meat is cold as is the falafel. Disappointed. read more

We found hair in 3/4 plates we ordered. We've come many times for many many years and this time was terrible. Service was simply not there, we had to ask for everything (the menu, the drinks, etc). The food was cold once we did receive it and it was so hard to find servers. read more

This is my go to place for Mediterranean eats! I ordered late last night (1 o'clock ish) and forgot to choose delivery instead accidentally selecting pickup. They call me 30 minutes later and let me know they're closing so come grab your food. At this point I'm way too intoxicated to drive or really even think about leaving the house, so I'm freaking out. They tell me no problem and have a guy come deliver it after closing. It was still warm when it got here and absolutely delicious as always. Great company with great people - will be coming back for a long time. Thanks guys! read more

Avoid this place at all costs! I ordered via Grubhub and my order wasn't ready after an hour. I arrived to the owner physically removing someone from the restaurant (strange and uncalled for). Once they finally completed my $50 order, half of it was incorrect. Cleanliness is lacking here, as is any semblance of customer service. This place used to be good, but that's no longer remotely the case (new ownership?). Look elsewhere: You can do better! read more

Salam serves up solid Middle Eastern food. The meats are decent, they have been dry at times and other times moist and delicious. The rice is great, the salad is tasty and the white garlic sauce is the perfect compliment to any meal, really. Order extra! read more

We got a delivery from Salam the other night. The delivery service was prompt and friendly, and the food was quite good. Mom had the lamb shank dinner. It came in a nice tomato based sauce with vegetables. That made for a great dinner for her because she cannot eat rice. There was also a side salad (marinated veggies) which made for a nice, healthy meal. I had the combo plate with hummus instead of rice. I really liked it and would order it again. Christopher had the shawerma (beef), which he said was good, but not the best he has ever had. All in all, we were pleased with our food and with the service and will absolutely order from Salam again. read more

A lovely friend was putting me up at her place in the neighborhood so I figured I would bring home dinner on my way from the train. I stopped in at Salam and bought a dozen falafel, a small hummus (not really that small, a generous portion), two spinach pies (much bigger than I expected), and an order of fried cheese. Way too much food at an amazingly low price. The cheese was a bit salty but otherwise I was happy with everything, and I have plenty of meals out of it. Service at the register was also very friendly. I brought her back a menu, because if I lived around there, that would definitely be on my list of places to frequent. read more

Great food at a cheap price, a filling dinner for two at around $16 bucks. So far I have been here two, each time I have gotten the combination platter (which includes falafel, chicken shawarma, kefta kabob, rice and some veggies) and they have been consistently delicious. Check it out and judge for yourself, I don't think you'll be disappointed. read more

I was just about to head out the door to go to Sultan's Market when I though I'd check Yelp to see if there were any other fast places to grab a quick falafel sandwich. Yelpers suggested Salam and I decided, why not give it a try? I hate comparing it to Sultan's Market, but truthfully, it's one of the only places that I will get falafel. The two are very different. For one, Salam is not crawling with fixed gear riding hipsters, or the new wave yuppies of Wicker Park. Instead there were Palestinian families leisurely sharing meals, men in suits picking up huge catered trays of meat, and babushkaed women picking up ingredients to make Middle Eastern food at home. The food was great and came out incredibly fast. I had the falafel sandwich- the balls of chickpeas were expertly seasoned, hot, and adorned with great tasting Jerusalem salad. My boyfriend ordered the chicken shawerma and the entire pita was filled to the brim with sliced chicken. We also ordered the hummus. I never thought I'd call hummus beautiful, but the presentation was pretty- smooth, creamy hummus with olive oil swirled in, adorned with whole chick peas, and sprinkled with chopped parsley and a dash of paprika for color. It was some of the creamiest, most flavorful hummus I've ever had. They did not skip on the pita bread, either. Next time I eat here I'm going to order something else, because the menu offers falafel ball for only twenty-five cents! So I can have the best of the menu, but still satisfy my falafel cravings. read more

Love the food here. Got a couple combos (delivered via grubhub). Got it with babaganoush, very tasty, and it came with an entire bag of warm pita bread. The kefta was large, the beef was nice and tender, tasty chicken too. So for around $30 for two combos we got enough food to share with 4 regular people, or 2 Americans ;) Do yourself a favor and get a few extra hot sauces because it will taste even better. read more

First time here and I was really pleased with the food and service! Food 9/10. Service 7/10. Very friendly staff! Prices are very reasonable and food are more than enough per entree. They are open from 8 am- 12 am. Tables were clean and restaurant looks neat. read more

Salam Restaurant - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great price but not great service! The food is so cheap and wonderful! There are so many options and the portions will last you for days! The service is not super friendly or fast... so get it for take out instead! read more

Went in for a quick lunch and was pleasantly surprised to have a vegetarian feast for under $10. The food was fresh and tasty. The menu was also large and offered a ton. What a great spot. We will become regulars! read more

Salam Restaurant - Vegetarian combo 2! - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

SOOOOO!!!! Delicious!! How have I driven by this place everyday for years and yet not stopped in? I have to say the new renovations drew my attention as well as a push from a neighborhood business who raved of the fab food. The quality is outstanding, the portions huge (I'm currently eating leftovers for lunch) doesn't get much better people!! Please try this outstanding restaurant and get ready to be taken for an affordable culinary ride! Thanks Salam for being another neighborhood gem! read more

Stopped in here for a late lunch after reading rave review on Yelp, and I was really impressed. My friend and I got there around 3:30, so it wasn't very busy. The service was fantastic; the waiter was very attentive, gave us samples of their sauces for our pitas and sandwiches, and was super friendly/hilarious. The atmosphere of the place is also great. The artwork is nice and everything is very well-spaced so you don't feel like you're sitting on top of anyone else. The food itself was amazing. I had the chicken schawerma combo and it was fantastic. Tahini sauce + hot sauce on the chicken was heavenly, and whatever ketchup they use was so sweet and so good, so I ended up eating way too many fries and ate way past being full, but it was totally worth it! My friend got the falafel sandwich combo, and she had only rave reviews as well. Both of us were huge fans of the hot sauce and emptied a cup of it each over our food. Definitely a must-have if you like things spicy! Albany Park might be quite a ways out from downtown -- it was about a 30 minute trek for me -- but totally worth the trip for the food! I'll definitely be dragging a group out there sometime for dinner sometime soon! read more

This place is a hidden gem in north Chicago! We bought a groupon deal at Salam and decided to try it out tonight. The service is so good and the only word can be used to describe the food here is amazing! (As well as the food portion!!) We ordered hummus as appetizer and chicken kabob and spicy lamb chop. The lamb chop is really juicy and tender, best lamb ever! I will definitely come back and try other food here;) read more

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Don't eat here. Worst service ever. had to wait 90 min for delivery. when it finally showed up it was 1/2 an hour late and delivered By my neighbors because I never got a call or text! No surprise I didn't. half the food was gone! When I called, the rude man on the phone said there's nothing he can do if his driver takes the food. What kind of backward-ass place is this? Get your fuckin act together. read more

Got a beef and lamb Kafka sandwich and it was pretty good, except they didn't give it to me in the regular bread like in the pics. The fries I got with the sandwich were alright, some of them weren't cooked all the way through. Overall good staff but not sure if I will be coming here in the future. read more

As other reviewers here state, Salam has the best falafel in Chicago. Completely fresh and better than the more popular Sultan's Market. It is unappealing from the outside as it is tucked away in a strip mall, but it is definitely worth the trip to Albany Park. read more

Had Salam for lunch today, and was BLOWN AWAY by the delicious falafel sandwich! First, the falafel were prepared PERFECTLY, the right crispy/fluffy ratio. On top of the awesome falafel was a good portion of fresh vegetables, colorful and crisp. tomato, cucumber, red pepper, orange pepper... it was beautiful! I cant believe that I had never ate here before today, I will definitely be going back... and i will bring my friends. :) read more