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    Sofia Grill

    4.9 (27 reviews)
    Closed 10:30 am - 5:00 pm

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    Entrance
    Art J.

    Well usually I pass by on the weeknights since I'm close to Sophia grill but I really had a craving for a Bulgarian cuisine so after selling or donating plasma blood and being done by 12:00 I had to drive all the way from Chicago to here in Des plaines. Very busy and I'm glad they're open on Saturdays. Service was decently good but you have to remember with Eastern European restaurants you have to get the water ahead since they don't give you free tap water. Why I'm writing this review now is because I finally tried the tartar meatball plate and it was very delicious it's a very big patty with cheese inside and to stay healthy I went for the traditional shopka salad with cheese cucumbers, Bell peppers and tomatoes. I also was that hungry that I ordered their Bulgarian type soup which I've had before but I'm starting to like this a lot more than the cucumber Dill soup that they serve in the summertime even though it's that season. Do try it with the garlic peppercorn and lint vinegar. I finished off my dessert with the biscuit cake bread that they make in-house. Unlike some restaurants this is more of like a informal hole in the wall fast food. Otherwise really happy I went over here versus polish cuisine which was the other choice

    Grilled chicken thigh with potato salad
    Ho T.

    I ordered the side of potato salad with chicken thighs. It was fillet instead of bone in, which made me unhappy. The chicken thigh was seasoned and had grill marks to give it a visually appealing appearance. Every bite of the thigh was tasty, and the quantity size was appropriate. The potato salad is distinct; it tastes strongly of dill and has a smooth, mashed potato-like texture. The biscuit cake, which included layers of vanilla custard, biscuit/cookie, and crushed nuts on top, was phenomenal. I like how smooth and creamy the custard was, and I'm glad it wasn't overly sugary.

    Beef patty and Shopska salad
    Brian D.

    I'd never actually had Bulgarian food before so this was a new experience for me. Let me tell you, I couldn't believe how good it was. I've had a few things from here but the top 2 without a doubt are the Shopska salad and the Beef patty. The salad is light and refreshing and the beef patty is full of punch! What seasoning they use for it I have no idea - but it's outstanding! The portions are decent, and I've never eaten inside, only had take out so far, but I'll be coming back for more.

    Siew Y.

    Menu is small but food was great! Fresh ingredients and friendly service too! Place your order at the counter. Open seating. Ventilation could be better due to the grilling. Definitely worth trying!

    Menu Cover Page
    Patrick V.

    As a typical ignorant American, I had never had any Bulgarian Cuisine prior to visiting Sofia Grill. With no idea what to expect, to say I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement! The food was phenomenally seasoned and grilled to perfection. With a large variety of meats, salads and soups, Sofia Grill has options for everyone to get a glimpse into the Bulgarian culture. A quaint environment with a view right to where the magic happens is a great atmosphere to enjoy your Bulgarian feast. And there is even a snack station for the kiddos to try some authentic Bulgarian sweets, candy, and chocolate. Since it was my introduction to the cuisine, I tried to order as much as I possibly could; we tried the Kebapcheta sausages, the Pork Chop, the Sofia Salad, the Roasted Pepper Salad, but the one that deserves first prize was the Tatar Meatball! This large patty-like meatball was dutifully flavored and served piping hot with a delicious mozzarella suprise inside. I just couldn't save some of it for later and ate the whole thing! And to complete this grand feast was the decadent HOMEMADE Biscuit Cake. Creamy marscapone layered between sweet biscuits, topped with walnuts and drizzled with caramel. This delicious dessert hit the spot and was gone within seconds!! Unfortunately I was too enamored with the food to even stop and take pictures before I wolfed it all down... Whether you are a Des Plaines local, an out-of-town tourist, or a food aficionado, you MUST stop at Sofia Grill for a window into the flavorful spices and delicious desserts of Bulgaria!

    Chicken thighs and shopska salad (mixed)

    Sofia Grill is a small hidden gem in the burbs. The food is delicious, made to order, and simply flavored. It also makes the best chicken thighs (flattened & grilled!) I've ever eaten. Alexander greets you with a charming smile, and the small kitchen does their magic. Shopska salad is a fresh favorite, so are the hearty delicious soups they have on special rotations. Don't miss the crusty fresh baked loaf of bread! The condiment tray has the best imported season salt to shake on your foods, and a variety of oil and vinegars to customize your salads or veggies. Portions are generous. They do a lot of carryouts, and also cater events. Who knew Bulgarian food was so delicious?! It's one of our faves, and I try to visit frequently and you should, too!

    John G.

    Authentic Bulgarian food! Meat is super fresh, perfectly seasoned. Casual Eastern European comfort food. Save room for homemade dessert, Absolutely delicious. Super family friendly.

    Homemade Bulgarian chicken soup
    Chris E.

    This place has amazing food and I cannot recommend it enough. Reopened recently with new owners and staff and a friend took me there! Absolutely hits it out of the park! The meat is so tender and well seasoned you don't need salt, pepper, or any modifications! Fries are delicious, sides are delicious and everything is homemade so you can feel good about eating it! I will probably end up going every two weeks at least because I've craving it! Going this Friday!

    I seen this new place open up. I thought I would give it a try. I never tried Bulgarian food, there's always a first for everything! I had a sampler plate with all different meats! From sausages to pork chops and chicken! All were sooooooo good!!!! So very juicy! I loved their Sofia patty. So tasty! The owner of the place was super friendly and helpful! I also ate some of their desserts and had to take some home with me. I definitely would go again!! Absolutely loved this little gem!! Enjoyed time out with my friends as well! Best day ever!

    Very good food!!!!! Delicious dishes, beautiful presentation and wonderful dessert. I recommend to everyone! I would like to come back here again and again.

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    16 days ago

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    11 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    Aleksandar B.

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    Aleksandar B.

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    1 year ago

    The food is very fresh and delicious , I m recommend this place . I can eat there every day and I won't get bored

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    2 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    Aleksandar B.

    Thank you Chris for your feedback. See you soon!

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    3 years ago

    Best place for bulgarian soups. The tripe soup is great, wish it came with bread for delivery though. The homemade cake is also a must.

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    3 years ago

    Best Bulgarian food in the Chicagoland area tbh. Relaxed atmosphere and good service.

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    4 years ago

    Small, quick place for a bite. Nice, good food. Not fancy. Workers were friendly and helpful with the menu.

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    2 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    Aleksandar B.

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    2 years ago

    Great great food. Highly recommend this place. The pork chops are incredible and super big

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    5 years ago

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    Aleksandar B.

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    4 years ago

    Delicious food. Ordered two entrees and a cake. Super fresh and tasty. I would recommend

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    Aleksandar B.

    Thank you Laurel, appreciate your feedback!

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    3 years ago

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    Aleksandar B.

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    5 years ago

    Great healthy meal, My go-to place at airport. Clean and friendly staff. Everything on menu taste great!!

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    Aleksandar B.

    Thank you Master P. I appreciate your feedback!

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    Galaxy Hot Pot And Grill

    Galaxy Hot Pot And Grill

    4.3(112 reviews)
    2.9 mi

    I am so glad we finally tried this place out! We were looking for a place for hotpot and were about…read moreto head out to Schaumburg when I remembered this place (and seeing another trusted Elite's glowing review sealed the deal, so thanks, Lina W.!). We came on a weekday around 5:30 and the place was practically empty when we got there and not too busy when we left, either. So when we arrived, they gave us the rundown. It's an all-you-can-eat place for two hours (at least on weekdays--it may be different on weekends or peak hours). You also get to visit the appetizer area, which had a variety of stuff including fried rice, egg rolls, orange chicken or something, and more. There's a sushi area where there were several different types of sushi. Desserts are available as well, and they looked good though we forgot about them. The available veggies and stuff is a smaller selection of choices than some other hot pot restaurants I've been to. But that doesn't mean you'll go hungry. While we were here we got brisket, chicken, calamari, lotus root, broccoli, potatoes, a couple different types of noodles, gyoza, and there was more that we didn't get of course. They have like six different types of hot pot base you can choose from, and you can get refills of that, too, during your 2 hours' time. I got what was described as the "spicy sour" soup base, and my partner got the Szechuan which was described as the spiciest. Everything was excellent, the meal was a great value (~35 per person), though the drinks were a little high. I got a couple peach iced teas and they were $7 a pop, so overpriced but the rest of the meal was so reasonable the cost of the drink was not a big deal. There's lots of parking in the municipal lots, and you might even be able to park in the library lot, so parking shouldn't be an issue. If you're coming from the city or a nearby suburb, it's also a block away from the Des Plaines stop on the UP-NW Metra line. I've already told my sister we're coming back here when she next comes to visit, and I'm looking forward to it.

    This was truly a fun experience. While I've had Hot Pot and Korean Barbeque before, the combination…read morewas interesting. We went for lunch on a Monday and there were many open tables. We were seated immediately and a server came right over. Their first question was to ask if we'd been there before. The second question was if we'd had Hot Pot or Korean Barbeque before. Since we were "pros," she let us know to order on the provided iPad. They also have a few steam tables where you can find things to make a dipping sauce, sushi, fresh fruit, some deserts, and other items. With the name "Galaxy," they have an outer space theme with planets and space suits hanging from the ceiling. Lots of neon lights, too. Fun. We started with Hot Pot, then shifted to Korean Barbeque. We had so many different meats and vegetables I won't even try to recount. Apparently, the menu is more extensive, with better cuts of meat, for dinner. I have to tell you that the meats we had were more than adequate. We ate so much, I'm not sure if there were other choices, if we would change anything. Our server was also great. She was there when we needed her, was very pleasant and helpful and helped make our experience a great one. The food is all included and endless, but you pay extra for drinks. They have a full bar if you are interested (but at noon, it wasn't for us). There is a two-hour time limit, and we hit our fill before time ran out.

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    Galaxy Hot Pot And Grill - Totally digging the vibe

    Totally digging the vibe

    Galaxy Hot Pot And Grill - SPREAD

    SPREAD

    Galaxy Hot Pot And Grill - Malibu sunrise

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    Malibu sunrise

     Karavan Restaurant

    Karavan Restaurant

    4.8(45 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    I came here with a group of friends, our main goal the khachapuri, but everything about the food…read moreand experience was fantastic. The restaurant has a very open, warm vibe, very spacious. We had boorsok for our appetizer, fried dough bites that reminded me of funnel cake without sugar, and there were a lot! I had the strawberry mojito drink, and it was fantastic, really tasting of fresh fruit with many mint leaves inside. The khachapuri was extraordinary. They do imeruli style, round and similar to a pizza, the crust beautifully blistered and the cheese thick with a wonderful pull. One of my friends hadn't had khachapuri before and is now a convert. We also had boso lagman, with hand-pulled noodles and beef, and big manty dumplings with flavorful meatballs inside. I requested we get a slice of honey cake, too, and that was a perfect finish to the meal. Sweet but not overkill, and really tasted like honey, graham crackers, and cream. I'm not sure when I will possibly be in this area again, but wow, I would come here again.

    I had previously tried Karavan at the taste of Des Plaines and recently had my first experience…read moreeating there in person. We went during lunch and were promptly seated. The decor offered great ambiance! In order to try a couple of items my sister and I decided to split the laghman and eggplant salad. The laghman was excellent with fresh hand-pulled noodles. I appreciated that they split the dish in the kitchen for us. The eggplant salad was a good portion to supplement the noodles. But points of caution that they are fried and have an almost sweet and sour sauce on top which for me was a little heavy. Overall quick and efficient service for a sit down lunch during the work week. They also appeared to have an extensive drink menu of different lemonade and coffee that I would be interested to try next time.

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     Karavan Restaurant
     Karavan Restaurant
     Karavan Restaurant

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    Nostimo - Tirokafteri Dip

    Nostimo

    4.6(187 reviews)
    6.9 mi
    $$

    The former JD's Que and Brew has been transformed into a lovely fast casual Greek restaurant with…read morecounter service. There is even a bar are with counter seating and three - five tables (two standard height and three counter height. There is a monstrous screen behind the bar for sports, but they mostly show videos of Greece, but they are mesmerizing videos of a beautiful country. It's a cleaner version of Dengeo's. And, dare I say, better version. Except for their avgolemeno soup. Such a weak travesty. Please fix this. It's just a watery mess. However, everything else is delicious. I ordered the Greek Chicken with their lemon-butter rice. They debone the chicken and serve atop a mountain of their rice. If also had their potatoes (which are good) but the rice is magical. The first time we went, they had a serve yourself soda fountain and they since got rid of it and sell soda in bottles and cans. They do still have a self-serve water station. Once you order, staff will bring to your table, so please tip when you order or leave on the table as they do come by and clear your table as well. It is first come first served and you grab your own tables. I've been there on weekends and weeknights and they get pretty packed. The food is flavorful and quite tasty. The portions are huge so you're definitely going to bring something home. Nostimo is now in our rotation of places to go in a pinch and they do have an outdoor seating area, too.

    We decided to come here as 2 of my sons wanted to try this place. We invited my in-laws and my…read morebrother-in-law and his family. Since there was a total of 11 and the seating is first come first serve, we decided to call to see if they had reservations. They did take our name and reserved a table. When we arrived we noticed a table was reserved and we were informed that it was our table. We sat and looked over the menus. When we were ready my 2 boys and I went up to place our order. My one son has major allergies so we spoke to the chef and he came back out to recommend the dishes he can have. It was great that he did so and gave us confidence that my son would be able to eat without worrying too much about the ingredients. I ordered the Shrimp Kalamakia with a side of the Greek Rice. My son with the allergies ordered the Pork Kalamakia with Greek Rice and no pita, my other son ordered the Traditional Pork Gyro with Greek Rice. The sides we ordered: Saganaki Fritters and Spanakopitakia. My son that ordered the Pork Kalamakia devoured it. He said it was tender and juicy and probably could have eaten 4 skewers. My Shrimp Kalamakia was nicely charred and seasoned, I squeezed some lemon and it provided a nice tang over the seasoning. The Lemon rice pilaf was soft and cook just right and was nicely balanced. I had one Saganaki Ball and it was delicious. My son had the Pork Gyros said it was really good and the Tzatziki sauce was creamy and rich with flavors. My in-laws bought the table desserts and I got the Baklava and my wife got Loukoumades (Greek Donuts with Nutella) and both did not disappoint. I really loved the citrus honey syrup in the Baklava. The Loukoumades had a crispy shell and nice a fluffy on the inside and the Nutella amount was perfect. This place is very good and well worth the price in my opinion. I loved the fact that they took the time to make sure my son with allergies was safe.

    Photos
    Nostimo - Beautiful and spacious

    Beautiful and spacious

    Nostimo - Saganaki Fritters

    Saganaki Fritters

    Nostimo - Shrimp Kalimakia Dinner

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    Shrimp Kalimakia Dinner

    A Thousand Tales

    A Thousand Tales

    4.4(360 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$
    Healthy dining
    Private events

    A Thousand Tales is a wonderful dining experience. The space is much larger than I expected, with a…read moremain dining room, an attached bakery cafe and what looks like a banquet room in back. Located in a strip mall, there is ample free parking. Staff is unassuming, professional and helpful, willing to help with any menu questions. We came for lunch to celebrate a birthday and it was an excellent choice. The menu has a lot of clean eating options, including vegetarian and keto. We opted to share a lamb pizza, a tomato and cucumber salad and a meat tray. All were excellent, plenty of food. The pita was excellent. The tea at the end was lovely. Prices reasonable, good food good portions. Absolutely worth checking out and adding into the rotation of where to go.

    I was invited to this restaurant I love the lamb chops it was delicious, my friends loved their…read morefood , but the 2 star is for the lamb Tandir I think this not good to be on the menu it's the worst meat I ever had it was very tough to eat , I had few bites , I have to take it home to see if I can do something with it but unfortunately I have to throw it away , not recommend this item to anyone it's waist of money. I have the picture from the menu Plus the potato was on my plate was only 9 slices the menu picture around 20 slices, Come on Thousand Tales restaurant you can Do better than that

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    A Thousand Tales - Buffer on weekends

    Buffer on weekends

    A Thousand Tales
    A Thousand Tales

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    Sofia Grill - bulgarian - Updated August 2026

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