This place is always busy whenever I go, whether it's 12PM or 12AM. The meat that they have here is incredible. It taste amazing, along with their garlic sauce! Words can't describe how good it taste. But I'm not a big fan of their rice or bread though. The waitresses are typically friendly and nice. They are always on top of their order and service. The reason why I give it a 4-star is because the place does look and feel a bit run down. I have no doubt in my mind that if they remodeled, they would definitely be one of the best middle eastern places in Chicago. read more

I've been going here a lot, but last few times the meat has not been cooked all the way. So last night we come in and my boyfriend told the waiter he wanted just tomatoes and cucumbers as a salad and she gave him an attitude what's a salads with lettuce and she's like well we don't have cucumbers so he said okay just tomatoes. And then we then we told her we wanted half chicken and she complained about it taking to long we said it's okay. We told them to cook it well done for everything we waited long bad service and our meet came out bloody and not cooked. read more

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I noticed this little place last year and have hit it at least 3 times in the last 6 months. I've has a few dishes so far with the Combination Schwarma platter being my favorite . The portions are more than ample with a lightly seasoned rice, salad and bread. I've ordered some Marsala chai while waiting that was fantastic although I dont think its on the regular menu. In one instance, things were a little backed up in the kitchen and they comped some Baba Ghannaouj to the order as a way to make up for the inconvenience. The meat was succulent...not hot and overpowered with spices. The service has always been fantastic. This place is a winner not just based upon food quality but because they are conscientious proprietors. Keep up the good work read more

Best Middle Eastern food i've ever had, and I grew up in a Lebanese town. 24/7 and very very very good with great staff. We had the combo which fed four with leftovers on about 23 bucks. The mixed grille is great - maybe the chicken was a bit dry - but that is an utterly insignificant complaint. The Baba Ghannouj was insanely good. You don't need any more info. go there before or after Lincoln Karaoke across the street, also a fantastic establishment. read more

I have been ordering shawarma sandwiches for take out for the longest time. And up to now, I still can't understand why they are so ungenerous in giving sauces to go. I would order 3-4 sandwiches and they will give me 1 small plastic container(2 tablespoon) of sauce. And when you ask for more, the lady in the cashier will give an attitude and would say that sauces are not free. While the people dining in has bottles of unlimited sauces. This has to change. read more

My wife is from Iraq and so we're always on the lookout for good Middle Eastern places. Before coming to Chicago, she lived in Michigan (Troy area), which has the largest Middle Eastern population in America. Needless to say, there's a ton of great places there but we were surprised to find that Shawarma Inn tastes like the real authentic places we love in Michigan. My favorite dish is Chicken Shawarma and out of all the places I've tried in Chicago this place is the best. They also have the best baba ganoush too. It has a real 'smoky' type flavor too it. This place is great and the price are pretty reasonable too. Good stuff. A new fav. for sure. read more

Visited in March, 2010. Shawarma Inn really serves up a great meal, and the rice is fantastic. Yes, the rice. It's one of those things you never really think about until you have it done right. Service was excellent and the entire plate of food was a great value. I'll go here instead of Pita Inn from now on. read more

Hummus: Exceptional and addicting. The small order goes a long way. Lentil Soup: I don't know much about lentil soup in general, but all I know is that they have my favorite version of it. They give you a big bowl with an order of an entree. Masgouf (Catfish): After seeing 4 guys walk in and all order the catfish, you know I had to try it. Delicious. Get it. Combination plate: The shawarma, kefta and chicken kabobs were all amazing. I love variety and this gives me what I love. Shish Kabob: The tenderness and quality of the steak pieces are amazing. I'm curious what cut they use, because it seems to be of higher quality than most places. Lamb Kalaia: Honestly, I don't remember this dish too well, but I remembering enjoying it. Sauces: The white sauce and red sauce are on point and they also have a greenish one that adds a kick of flavor as well. My friend and I split a combination plate and small hummus and still had left overs at the end. I'll be back as fast as humanly possible. read more

Shawarma Inn is without a doubt one of the best Middle Eastern food restaurants I have eaten at. The food is absolutely incrediable and the service is fantastic. The food was all prepared fresh and prepared with extreme care. The owner, was walking around introducing himself and talking to all the customers and making sure the food and service was to our liking. This restaurant owner seems to take the customers preferences and satisfaction very seriously and takes immense pride in the quality of his food. I ordered a large humus and a 3 way combination plate for a friend and I. The combo consisted of a Kefta Kabob, Beef Shawarma and the Chicken Kabob severed on a bed of seasoned rice. We ordered 2 bowls of soup one which was Lentil and the other was White Bean both of which are very good. On the downside the Lentil was so damn hot you had to wait about 5 minutes to eat it. The Humus was the best I have ever had and is a absolute must try. The texture of the humus was perfect along with a nice and rich flavor. The humus was severed the pita warm and fresh and cut into manageable pieces. My favorite dish was the Shawarma with the Garlic sauce which the most wonderful sauce and a very tasty sauce. The Tourshe was very good not very spicy and not very bitter or sour tasting like some I have ate. The Chicken Kabob was so good it was absolutely impossible to only eat one piece. Tender and seasoned perfect. It is very easy to locate this Great little find with all the bright lights lining the windows and roof top and large sign on the corner of Lincoln Ave, The Shawarma Inn environment is relaxing and comforting, the service was top notch, they had plenty of open parking and their pricing was pretty reasonable for the quantity of food given. read more

The food was AMAZING! The rice was flavorful and cooked perfectly, the baba ghanouj and the hummus were on point, and all 4 of the meats I sampled were DELICIOUS. Between everyone at the table we had chicken kebab, beef kefte, beef shawarma, and chicken shawarma, ALL OF THEM INCREDIBLE. Do not expect anything fancy from this small set up, but GREAT food. read more

Its very good food and it's open almost 24 hours. It doesn't get much better than that. Make sure you try the sauces they offer. All 3 are really good. Load the sauces up on top of the food and you're all set! read more

Nothing quite like a 2am shawarma run at this place. When 2am hits, there's a crowd of men (taxi drivers, mostly) packing the place who all know each other. Talk about neighborhood, living amiright? If they rely on this place for their late night cravings, so should you. The sandwiches come with ... well.. nothing extra. But they're quite yummy and satisfaying. The service was quite good, and the prices reasonable. I'd certainly return--especially if I go to Lincoln Karaoke again and need some eats after belting out some tunes. read more

So I'm not food critic, but this is probably one of, if not, the best Middle Eastern food places I've ever been too. I come here every so often and it's delicious every time. I always get the combo platter and the meat and chicken are always so fresh and juicy. Pour some of the green sauce over the rice, delicious. The salad I don't really care for, but the lentil soup is delicious too. Maybe I should try something different, but that combo platter is just too good. There are a few nights where I come here and it get's pretty packed, mostly with big groups that come over from Lincoln Karaoke, and the service get's pretty slow. But that's not really their fault. They can't really predict that the place will be full at 1 or 2 am in the morning. But just be prepared to wait a little if it's full. I usually only see 1 server and 1 cook working at a time whenever I go there. read more

The best food and healthy food the price is reasonable and always friendly in the restaurant so clean

Best Chicken Shawarma in Chicago (likely the Midwest). Best Babagnouj in the United States. Amazing value. Service here is a little wonky sometimes, it seems to really just depend on how many people are in the place. When it's full, it's very slow. When it's not full, service is fine. Order ahead if you're in a rush, we have never had a problem with orders ordered ahead. The food is freakin' amazing, and it's very, very cheap. Also a plus, it's 24-hours (and typically they can deliver). Yeah, we hit this place up on the regular. It's a magical place. Eat here, and eat here often. read more

I was clued on to this place by a Palestinian cab driver after a long discussion of Middle Eastern foods. He said this place is the best, and sure enough for Arab food it is the best I have found in Chicago. The best Kabobs to me are still Afghan Kabob but that's not Arab. The Shish and Kefta Kabobs are amazing. I don't even care too much for Shawarma unless its from here. I find shawarma to be often too burnt and lacking seasoning. Not here. The prices are reasonable, portions are huge, 24hrs, what more could you want? read more

They know what they are doing! Ordered the veggie combo appetizer that came with hummus, baba ghanoush, falafel and dolmades and dang that was a plate of goodness! I have been a victim of bad bab ghanoush and dolmades and was leery of them until they got sucked into my pie hole - holy crap, they were great! For dinner I got the combination plate of kefta kabob, shawarma chicken shish kabob served with rice and soup. The lentil soup was served in a large bowl and very tasty and hearty. I was almost full just from the soup and appetizer. I didn't let my expanding tummy stop me from diving into the shawarma. I haven't had Shawarma this good since Al Maatem Maatem. The chicken kabob was moist and seasoned nicely and the keftka was delicious. The place itself is sparse but you go for the food, not the ambiance. The service was fine, she hustled and was pleasant. read more

Great food my favorite Mediterranean food ever ! Must try their combination plate and love how late they're open !

The flavor profile of both the kefta & shawarma sandwiches were pretty decent for $5. The sandwiches were constructed poorly though. Both had a loosely rolled pita, super chunky vegetables (which overpowered the meat flavor) & overcooked meat. Not bad for a late night munch when you're in the mood for Middle Eastern food. I'd go back, but probably just for the sandwiches. Super cool owner, spotless kitchen & overall good vibe in the place. Warning: Wear your sunglasses at night as you approach the restaurant space. It reminds me of the Electric Light Parade at Disneyland. Obnoxious, but it definitely does the job. It got me to notice the place & decide to pull in..... read more

35/40 pts Taste/Flavor/Texture 14/20 pts presentation 7/10 pts Service 2/10 pts Environment 7/10 pts Menu 3/10 pts value Grade D Food for thought, whats the point of calling it a "combination plate" if your going make me choose and I can't have little bit of everything so I can taste what I like? Anyways, I feel this place is very pricey for what I get, my friends swears the meat is higher quality and its worth paying the 3x compared to pita inn. As for taste, flavor was decent but factoring in the environment and value, it wasn't all that. read more

Tasty, home made, fresh.....Best place in town are small words to express the quality of the food. My personal favorite is the Chicken Kalia Plate, comes with a side salad, lentil soup, I ask them to make it spicy... Tasty Quality food, High end Restuarants don't even come close... Try it, promise you'll love it. read more

Shawarma Inn - Chicken Kalia plate for those that like spicy foods, ask them to make it spicy.... Perfection - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We had been out cemetery touring and my out of town guest wanted Middle Eastern Food after the Police let us out of the cemetery we got locked into.... I lose track of time. I found this on the GPS and it sounded Middle Eastern. So it is not much to look at and my guest first wanted to pass on it. But It passed three of my tasty restaurant qualifiers, it had people eating who seemed to be enjoying the food, it had clean windows and frankly the smell outside made me drool. So we decided to try it. SPOILER ALERT It was really Good! I always like to order a sampler, and theirs is meat heavy (it comes with great soup, indifferent salad) so I ordered a large baba ganoush. It was the BEST baba ganoush I have had in a very long time, in fact it ranks with other people's home made... I am too lazy to ever make it. I ordered the lentil soup they were out, so I had the white bean and it was really yummy! This is a hearty bowl of soup! They do not bring you a stingy bowl. The salad was okay... but really everything else was SO GOOD, I expected better. Lemon i sa nice touch as I like it on a salad. I REALLY advise having the combo, there is too much to eat! Due to an ordering error, they brought my lady friend chicken, and they did not make a fuss and fixed it. The Chicken is great by the way, I tend to avoid it because it is often dried out... very nice and juicy. The Shawarma was obviously gona be good, the place is named that! The Kifteh (spiced ground beef cooked like ka bob style) was maybe tied for favorite with the shish ka bob, the beef is just so tender and juicy.... I thought the staff were nice, my guest thought the dark haired woman hated her. She just seemed business like to me. I tend to do water with meals and I needed more. Not that anything was spicy, I just like water. Next rip that way I will probably want to go there again. Great food! read more

Seven days after I had an awesome first visit to the Bucktown location, I happened upon this location. It is everything the Bucktown location is (even Maria , the very nice server),but the prices are higher. Hmm, what gives. I felt the Bucktown location was a bit on the high side, but then I come over to Lincoln Ave, and it's 16.7% more for the same exact dish, which was still really delicious. Copy of my review of Bucktown pretty much applies here, too. "The thing that really makes the food great is the sauces. All three are delicious! But that's not to say that the meat and rice and hummus etc. is not great, too. The food is tasty and very well seasoned. There is only one thing I would recommend: lunch portions. All the dishes are pretty much one sized and there's a lot on the plate (e.g. the combos plates) plus extras like salad, soup, and REAL middle eastern style pita bread. Not the fluffier Greek style. The combo plates can easily be shared unless you like going into a food coma once you head back to work. I highly recommend this Assyrian/Iraqi inspired Mediterranean restaurant! In my opinion the prices are a bit higher than most restaurants of this type, but you get some good food!" read more

Falafel sandwichs here are fresh and you can tell they are made at the store. Chicken shwarama doesn't quite hit the spot BUT if you are looking for a midnight spot that is open late then look no further! read more

I love me some Shawarma Inn on Lincoln Avenue! The only reason I created a Yelp account was to review this humble, family run, always open, always delicious and deserving establishment. I've been going to Shawarma Inn for about a year and to be honest I have mainly eaten the Combination Plate, a meal that just keeps on giving. It has a salad to start, soup either white bean or lentil, both are out of this world, I usually order a small hummus as well. The main feast though is a literal pile of tender, juicy, a little bit crispy delicious shawarma, a large skewer of kifta kabob and several large juicy pieces of chicken kabob all roasted over a grill, not to mention a ton of tender perfectly cooked yellow rice. This is all great, but in addition, they give you three different squeeze bottle sauces to decorate your meal with, the first one is a red hot sauce similar to sriracha and it goes perfectly with the meats. The second one is a like a mint yogurt chutney sauce again, use liberally. The third sauce is tahini sauce. They also serve you warm pita bread with your meal. The service is outstanding and I always feel at home when I eat here. I brought a vegetarian friend here once and he had no problem finding a delicious vegetarian meal here as well. read more

So, my boyfriend and I decided to do a take-out order from here, since we pass it all the time. The parking lot is okay, it could be worse. I thought the service could be better. The employee who took our order was a female with blonde hair and blue eyes. She needed a better attitude, that's for sure. Also, I felt like she kept rushing us. It's like chill, girl. Anyways, I ordered the beef shawarma. The food was good, until night time came around (around 2 AM), and that's when I spent about an hour or so in bathroom, pretty much suffering. No, thank you. I definitely will not be returning to this place ever again. read more

This place was really bad. I would not recommend this place to anyone. I really like to go to pita inn since this place was closer to my house I wanted to come to here Unfortunately, I didn't expect the place was that horrible so bossy waitress but one of the waitresses lil better, iced water tastes like dishwashing soap or something they were not clean! and the food Came out burned! This place is nightmare! read more

Literally went here every night after lollapalooza. Food was amazing and very affordable. Service was quick and friendly. Definitely would recommend to anyone! read more

I ordered a chicken shawarma plate to go. The wait was not too long. Maybe around 10 minutes, which wasn't bad considering how busy they seemed to be. I was a bit disappointed that they didn't give any kind of sauce. I would've thought it would come with it. Or I wished they would have at least asked me. Regardless, the chicken was moist so it was not bad. It is a lot of food for the money too which is great. read more

I was hesitant to come to this place initially because I heard that they were related to George's Pita Kabob up the street on Lincoln and I was DEFINITELY not a fan of that place. The food is hit and miss at times, but I give it four stars because 9 times out of 10, its hit! The thing I love is that their rice has a lot of flavor. Its not just bland curried rice, its got salt and seasoning. Once, there was a bit too much salt, but still quite edible. Their chicken kebab is also full of flavor and so is their kefta kabob. its my favorite middle eastern place outside of Pita Inn (which basically means it's my go to place since Pita Inn is too far to visit on a regular basis) read more

I would maybe come back for carry out/to go. But not again to eat inside. Everyone IS nice, but it's freezing in there & there's not many other people inside. It's much more of a to go, kind of place. I enjoyed my food. Especially the soup & rice. read more

I have been going to shawarma inn for quite some time now for the most part the food is okay not too much to brag about but okay when you're in a late-night pinch. However the waitress there was extremely rude to me and I will not be returning again. read more

I ordered a chicken shawarma dinner and a beef shawarma dinner, which for $10 each included soup, salad, rice and a side of pickled vegetables. The lentil soup was fantastic, rich and flavorful with a nice creamy texture. The second soup was a tomato based broth with okra. The broth was excellent with a deep flavor, but the whole okra were a little hard to eat with a spoon. The rice was great, long grained and fluffy with a savoriness that you don't normally associate with rice. Pickled vegetables were very good and served as a nice compliment to the rest of the meal. Last but not necessarily least was the meat. Both the chicken and the beef were very flavorful, but a bit dry. A generous portion of grilled pita bread came with the meal. I will definitely return to try some of the other menu options. The staff was very friendly, and I talked with the owners who were having a snack at the bar. They thanked me for coming. read more

The best middle eastern food in Chicago. Amazing food and amazing prices. Large portions, fresh and delicious!

As long as you get the correct food, it's good. Which obviously, hit or miss - followed up with some rudeness. But the food is great, good on them for not using fat pitas for shawarmas. read more

Ugh! Should have known - no one in parking lot, no one inside. Cook was sitting in the dining room on his phone. I ordered a beef shawarma wrap & tabbouleh salad to go. Got home, the salad had lime in it??-just tasted bland. The sandwich was slimy; pita & meat were greasy & it fell apart when tried to eat. Would never go back. read more

The plus side.. It's 24 hours and the food is decent. The negative side.. it's pricey because you're paying for the 24 hour convenience. A combination platter should not be $12.00. Those are Reza's prices and that is because you're also paying for the fine dining atmosphere. The service is ok but bitchy if you decide you want to split checks in a large party.. The parking lot is a mess too. They forget to mention the delivery drivers or owners of the establishment park behind the patrons cars.. Overall, kind of a mess but I give them two stars because of the food and that it is family owned. It's one of those joints you go to late night when you want a Shawarma and are within walking distance to your next destination. read more

I was fortunate enough to be treated for dinner yet again. This time at Shawarma Inn. As always, a place with their own spacious hassle-free parking is always a plus for me! We decided to eat outside. It was around 7pm, and the warmth was tolerable. After a record rainfall earlier, we might as well take advantage of all the nice weather we can. We got the hummus appetizer and I loved how they took care to cut the pita into manageable pieces (best pita I ever had by the way, I like thin flat and fresh pitas). We all got the combination plate, with salad and chose the lintel soup. The servings were generous and I had enough food left over to last me several days. I love how they provided us with a lemon wedge which added a special touch of freshness to the flavorful food. Our waitress was friendly and service was fast! This will definitely be one of my favorite places for Middle Eastern food. I'm so glad to know where I can get a nice serving of lentil soup any day or hour (they are open 24 hours)! UPDATE 081911 Went for a second invite. Got the combo but this time asked for chicken kabab instead of lamb. Should have stuck with the lamb, chicken turned out to be really dry. The pita was cut in fourth not smaller like before--no big deal, but I know it wasn't as fresh as thse first time when I had left overs and the next day and the pita was still soft. This time the pita was as hard as a rock the next day. So they don't have the best pita all the time. Also, we wanted to try their Burak appetizers and they said they were out. I have a pet peeve when restaurants that don't have what is listed on their menu. So I knocked off a star. I see Tracy H. had a problem with the gift certificate. I think we had the same one that we presented when we paid our bill. Glad they didn't give us a tough time about it or I would have been upset too! read more

This place is a hidden gem. I never liked lentil soup until I had it a Shawarma Inn. I'm pretty much hooked on the combination plate and the hummus/tabouli/babaganoush platter. Love that everything is made to order. It gets really busy, but service is still stellar. Ask for the white sauce. And save the side salad if you're getting the combo plate, because the lemony-ness cuts the heaviness of the meat nicely. Portions are huge, so you'll leave happy with leftovers for tomorrow. read more

I ordered two beef warps, very favorable and delicious but I got them kinda cold and not hot. I still give it a 4. Would come again