Do not let the strip mall fool you. Do not let the kiosk ordering fool you. Do not let the unassuming interior fool you. Just go. Taste of Jerusalem is the kind of place that reminds you why you should never judge a restaurant by its zip code or its signage. Tucked into a perfectly forgettable strip mall in Plainfield, this little spot is quietly serving some of the best food in the area and I am genuinely annoyed it took me this long to find it. The chicken kabob plate was a revelation. Massive portions of beautifully marinated chicken laid over a split of white rice and spicy rice. That spicy rice deserves its own paragraph. Fragrant, deeply spiced, with a slow building heat that lingers just long enough to keep pulling you back for another bite. Addicting is the only word for it. The hummus was exactly what hummus should be, fresh, delicious, also addictive. I added falafel and pita and those falafel were genuinely among the best I have ever had. Perfectly cooked, not a trace of that greasy heaviness that ruins lesser versions. Just fragrant, spiced, crispy little bites that I genuinely savored. My partner got the chicken wrap and said every component worked together without competing, tasted fresh, and left him full without feeling heavy. High praise from a man who knows his way around a wrap. The space is clean and simple. You order from a kiosk. None of that matters because the husband and wife team running the grill are pouring obvious passion into every plate and it comes through in every single bite. Plainfield has a gem here. Treat it accordingly. read more

Tried this for the first time and was so good. Loved they give the option of half and half flavors of rice. Chicken was so flavorful! Only thing is definitely a bit over priced. Got 3 little pieces of steak and it was added $9.... read more

This place first caught my eye a little while back when I was driving to Crest Hill but it unfortunately wasn't open that day so I had to wait until the next time I was in the area to give them a try. The restaurant was big and clean inside with plenty of tables and seating. I even saw a large party of more than 8 people easily accommodated.The cashier who took my order was very nice. The menu isn't extensive but they have a decent selection from which to choose. I ordered a chicken shawarma wrap to go and sat down while I waited for my food. The order took a little longer than expected but I could see that it was being made to order which I appreciated. I asked the cashier if they had any hot sauce and she happily grabbed me a cup. I really liked the chicken flavor and the toppings in the wrap. It came with a cup of garlic sauce which I appreciated but was a little too thick for my taste so it was kind of hard to add it into the wrap. The hot sauce was interesting and had a flavor profile similar to others I've had but with something added that sets it apart. Although I think I prefer others I still appreciated what it brought to the wrap. If you're a fan of middle eastern cuisine I would recommend giving Taste of Jerusalem a try. read more

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The food was great. I ordered the chicken and beef shawarma with the half white half spicy rice. The meat was seasoned well and the beef had a great char on the edges. I never enjoy ordering from a kiosk, but would return for the food. With a water my bill was $22 read more

Absolutely excellent Mediterranean food. Everything tasted fresh, flavorful, and authentic. The meats were perfectly seasoned and tender, the spicy rice was outstanding, and the portions were generous. The staff was friendly and welcoming, and the whole experience was great from start to finish. Definitely one of the best spots for Mediterranean food in the area. read more

Food is very authentic, it reminds me of me of the time when we visit Jerusalem , great taste , I prefer chicken vs beef, but overall a great taste and good price. The salad is great. Service very courteous and personal. Ambience is awesome very quiet, read more

The food was amazing and the wait wasn't long. They really went all out on food. There were some decorations and Mediterranean music playing, good ambiance. read more

Everything about the place is superb!- From service to food quality and taste., place is Very clean, great location and food is made fresh. Their coffee is also phenomenal! We are regulars now! read more

Updating this review. The kefta and chicken shawarma were also great. I also enjoy the spicy rice.

So we wanted something different tonight we decided to try the Taste of Jerusalem for the first time.... We ordered both beef and chicken shawarma which was quite tasty.. and actually wasn't dry I've had it from other restaurants in the past and this was a problem.. We ordered the falafels, which were one of the best ones I've had... We also ordered the Baba Ganoush that was also delicious... I wish that they had had pita chips .. because I'm a dipper.. I'm a fan of basmati rice .. although their spicy rice was way too hot for me,.. I know it would have been good. Had it not been too hot for my taste... And I prefer more of a yellow rice than just white, but everybody's place does things differently..... Overall it was a decent meal..... read more

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I Love this place. It's my favorite! I live 40min away and everytime I'm in the area I stop there. The chicken kabob is my go to, I usually don't like rice but the spicy rice here I swear is amazing and paired with the garlic sauce . The people who run the place are also wonderful people! You must stop here if you are in the area! read more

Taste of Jerusalem - Chicken kabob and spicy rice - Mediterranean Near Me - Plainfield, Illinois

Phenomenal Mediterranean food. The best in the area. Always fresh, always delicious. We love this restaurant & everything that comes out of their kitchen. The vegetarian plates are spectacularly tasty. My boys love the combo plates. Chicken skewer, Beef skewer, kafta skewers, super juicy & tasty!! This is a family owned business. Mary is amazing. We order often, but weekdays from 2-5p is generally the time for the fastest, ultra direct service, Come check them out then or anytime! read more

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Delicious Mediterranean food perfect for lent. Had The vegetarian plate. So delicious. Falafel perfectly fried. Tangy Baba Ghanouj. So fresh and good. Service with a smile! Great price. I went out of my way to come here today. read more

Taste of Jerusalem - Vegetarian plate perfect for lent. Each bite is savory and mouth watering. Very authentic Mediterranean food. - Mediterranean Near Me - Plainfield, Illinois

Food was amazing! Their French fries are the best French fries I have ever had omg so good!

Great food. Huge portions. Never had this kind of food before. 10/10 would eat again.

I visited Taste of Jerusalem in plainfield about two weeks ago and was taken aback by how expensive it was. I ordered two falafel sandwiches and one beef shawarma sandwich. Each falafel sandwich was $12, and the beef shawarma was $15. Having traveled across the country, I've never paid more than $7 or $8 for a falafel sandwich or more than $10 for a beef shawarma. What sets this place apart is not just the price, but also the lack of flavor. Even if the taste had been perfect, the price still feels exorbitant. Honestly, with these prices, they could be in the Guinness World Records! Overall, it was a disappointing experience given the high cost and average flavor. read more

the staff was very friendly and accommodating. The restaurant was very clean and reasonably priced, beef shawarma with spicy rice, pita 10/10 read more

This place rocks! Delicious and fresh! We have been going for years and every time I am impressed.

This was simply an amazing meal. We got the meat combination and the veggie combination plates and it was perfect for two people.

We decided to order for delivery several meals from the Taste of Jerusalem based on the stellar reviews on Yelp. We found the meals mediocre. The beef kabobs provided very small morsels of beef that were overcooked, tough with very little char or marinade taste. The chicken kabob was a little better size-wise and tenderness. Very little char taste or marinade taste. Salad was minimal in terms of yummy ingredients and pretty tasteless dressing. A little Balsamic vinaigrette would have gone a long way. Rice was good. Lentil soup was adequate. Pita bread was fresh. Baba Ganouche was tasty. We paid over $100 for this mediocre meal. read more

Wow ! Absolutely delicious. I got the combination platter. Phenomenal. I have driven past 100 Times always said I wanted to try it. I finally did and I'm so glad I did. I will definitely be back. read more

We had ordered the chicken kebab entree and chicken shawarma over hummus! By far the most fresh food I've ever had. Their garlic sauce was amazing. Very tasty unlike other places. The chicken kebab were tender and juicy. I got it with the spicy rice. There were no left overs! We will be coming here often since it's close to home. Thank you for a wonderful experience! read more

Taste of Jerusalem - Mediterranean Near Me - Plainfield, Illinois

Food is always fresh and taste great i highly recommend this place who wants authentic Middle Eastern food

Place has some of the best Mediterranean food I have had in any suburb; my go to is the lamb kabab with extra lamb. The pita is soft and fresh and the lamb is always tender and juicy. The chicken shawarma is seasoned to perfection and with lots of love. Not to mention the service is always fast and the people are very pleasant. Very good and lovely place and well worth the money you spend. read more

The food was a 10/10! Fresh to order, quality and quantity based on cost. I have a pretty big appetite and I could not finish my plate. The spicy rice is the way to go! The lamb was super tender as well. The chicken was perfection. No fat or rubbery pieces either! Totally recommend! read more

Taste of Jerusalem - Chicken Shawerma - Mediterranean Near Me - Plainfield, Illinois

Delicious so full of flavor however the serving of rice compensates for the meat serving.

Highly recommend for lunch or dinner. Their menu is full of tasty options and the staff goes above and beyond on the service.

Food was delicious, and served quickly. The owner was very accommodating and friendly I would highly recommend if you are in the Area read more

Food is pretty good but quite expensive. Over the past couple months, i noticed the portion sizes have gone down. The past week they barely put any rice in there. No longer worth the already inflated price. Wish yall the best read more

Every time we visit TOJ we are not disappointed. The staff are a delight and the foods is spot on fresh and filled with flavor. My favorite dish is the chicken kabobs they are on fire with a slight char moist and filled with flavor spicy rice and hummus and a pita I get 50/50 white rice and spicy rice. If you are thinking of some great fresh Mediterranean food stop by TOJ today. read more

Taste of Jerusalem - Chicken Kabob on fire!!! White and spicy rice with a pita also the Hummus rich creamy fresh and full of flavor!! Bam! - Mediterranean Near Me - Plainfield, Illinois

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Spicy rice! Foul! Kafta kabobs! Fast and friendly service for a family crew! Clean, organized, wonderful smells from the kitchen. You come for the food, are happy with the service but could jazz up the strip mall space. Who am I kidding I would come back if it was in a hole in the ground. The food is amazing because of who cooks it. Thank you for sharing your families meals with our family. read more

We ordered the beef kabob and chicken shawerma. The flavor was really good but everything was dry. The beef kabobs are supposedly two but came out as 6 large chunks of beef (sirloin??) and no sharp knives to cut them into pieces . Nobody asked how I like my beef cooked and they came out well well done as in way over-cooked. You have the option of spicy or plain rice and the employee said the spicy was medium spice so I got half and half. Imo it was a bit more than medium and I'm glad I got the plain to mix in. But the spice had no flavor. It was just hot as in cayenne hot, and it was also dry. It came with the Jerusalem salad but even that I don't think had anything on it. Just lettuce, diced tomato and cucumber. I don't think there was any onion. No lemon, olive oil, no mint, no parsley. There were two sauce containers one of which looked to be maybe tahini?? It's not on the menu and from the flavor I couldn't tell. It was just like runny/watery sour cream. Maybe it was yogurt. Some of the texture prob was tahini but it was watered down. The single pita that came with the meal was also dry and stale. They were out of lids for the cups. The chicken shawerma was a bit better. Again the chicken was over cooked. It did not appear to have been cooked on a spit but more like boiled in the sauce. The garlic sauce was good but there weren't any onions or tomato as in the description. The pita was stale. The store looked pretty clean, lots of light inside and tables to eat outside. It's a shame. The flavor on the beef and chicken was good but just not cooked correctly which ruined it all. We really could use a good Mediterranean restaurant in the area but this isn't it read more

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Really enjoyed the food here. Very unassuming decor much like a strip mall restaurant it is. But the food was great! Lamb chops yum! Spicy rice yum! Great representation of good Middle East food. read more

1/8/21 I was so excited to try this place because of all the 5 star reviews- like every review is 5 stars...? The girl at the counter was friendly and my food was ready when I arrived. I ordered the chicken shawarma with spicy rice. It also comes with pita, garlic sauce & salad. The chicken was good as was the rice BUT there were 3 hard, inedible pods of what, I don't know in the rice. The garlic sauce tasted like mayonnaise, the pita was tough, and the salad was meh. Overall, not a good first impression for a place that gets 5 star reviews... I must have caught them on a bad night?... read more

Taste of Jerusalem - Chicken shawarma with spicy rice, garlic sauce, & salad - Mediterranean Near Me - Plainfield, Illinois

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Delicious! Wow! The red hot sauce, and green are amazing! The flavor is the best i had. Beef wrap and vegie platter were fresh, clean place! Can't beat it!!!! read more

Solid fast casual, mediterranean themed restaurant tucked away in an unassuming strip mall. With a family diverse in food choices (a vegetarian, one who eats only proteins, etc.) Taste of Jerusalem is perfect! Will definitely stop by if I get hungry shopping at the new Costco! read more

Taste of Jerusalem - Prep area - Mediterranean Near Me - Plainfield, Illinois

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The combination plate here is a great way to sample their offerings. Each kabob was done perfectly. Chicken was juicy, and you can taste the marinade. The beef was equally tender. I loved the kafta the most. So very flavorful. The Jerusalem salad was ok for a salad. The hummus was also good, but did not stand out from other Mediterranean establishments. Friendly staff and a spacious dining room. Definitely would recommend stopping by if you were in the area. read more

Taste of Jerusalem - Spacious dining room - Mediterranean Near Me - Plainfield, Illinois

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Mediterranean food does not get much better than this! Extremely tasty, great portion sizes, fair prices, and the staff is very polite. If I lived in this area I'd be coming here a couple times a week, minimum! I ordered the vegetarian entree (with extra falafel) plus a side of spicy rice and tabbouleh salad. Not only was it delicious, but it fed me for lunch and dinner. SO FREAKING GOOD!!! My friends I was with ordered the shawarma sandwiches (beef & chicken) and all 3 of them LOVED it. They never had this type of food before but afterwards all thanked me for introducing them to such a good spot. :) This place is great overall and HIGHLY recommend to anyone looking for a go-to Mediterranean spot in this area. Yummmmmmm! read more

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My only regret, is I didn't get a chance to take a photo of the absolutely gorgeous meal I just had. Referred by family we went today for the first time and I am laying here typing this thinking about how delicious the food was. I ordered the chicken pita . Huge chunks of chicken heavy with vivid seasoning. A colorful salad delightfully coated with a creamy sauce packed with a nice fresh crunch of cucumber. All of this heaping in a pillow of heavenly pita holding it all together. I'm drooling thinking about it. Paired with a shareable bowl of rice that visually brightened the room, this overwhelmingly robust boutique of spices both familiar & not made this the perfect set. The service was warm and inviting and I genuinely cannot wait to return so I can explore more of this generous menu. read more

Amazing! I really hope they survive this weird time we are in since they just opened. I've tried Mediterranean food once and I loved it. This is the second time and this place is much better. Very fresh food. I'm going to be weird but I mean it when I say it was made with love. They seemed to really care about what went in to the food. I had the combo plate. Everything was cooked perfectly. The humus and falafel are amazing too. Hub has the schnitzel sandwich and he really liked it too. read more

Taste of Jerusalem - Combo plate, humus and falafel - Mediterranean Near Me - Plainfield, Illinois