Recommended for being quick, cheap and healthy, I headed to Taza. I'll give Taza one thing, they certainly were quick. While reviewing the menu, I was quickly rushed to place my order. From all the reviews I've read, I was expecting friendly, welcoming service. I must have come at the wrong time of the day. Wanting to stay healthy, I went for the white meat roasted turkey plate and baba-ganoush. Not in the mood for rice or the cold wrapped pita, I really only had turkey and baba-ganoush for 10.65. This left me hungry and unsatisfied. Succulent homemade fresh roasted turkey from a mediterranean place specializing in falafel? I was impressed. Baba-ganoush, something I should expect to be decent, tasted as if it had been in the refrigerator for quite some time. I took a bite of the rice, and was happy they were using long grain basmati rice. I gave the wrapped pita back before leaving. It didn't look any better than what I would expect to find at a convenience store. Sorry to say Taza, at the end of my journey for quick, cheap and healthy lunch options in Chicago, I will not be returning. read more

Good flalfal and chicken pita. I would go back for a quick lunch and try some of the other pita sandwiches. It's not a big place, so plan on taking your order to go. read more

In NYC they have falafel places almost every block. Nice to have a great one close to work. Falafel has nice taste and exterior crunch without any oiliness. Schawarma is good and appears homemade, but didn't confirm it. Favorite is the lentil soup. All vegetarian with subtle flavoring. read more

Chicken shawarma and Chicken platter was tasty. Their lentil rice had good flavor too. Typical Mediterranean place. Lot of traffic during lunch time. 2 blocks away from the metro/rail. Rest room is at the back of the restaurant and is in bad shape. You reach the restroom by walking through their kitchen/store where you can see the kitchen and sacks of groceries lying around. The restroom had lots of stuff (including shoes, etc) stored in a rack in the restroom. I am reducing 1 point for this since I was turned off by seeing this and had to see this before eating my lunch. They advertise lemonade as freshly squeezed, but i saw a bottle of lemonade concentrate in a bottle sitting in the rack on my way to the restroom. So I am unsure as to whether its is really home made freshly squeezed lemonade as they advertise. Hope it is. read more

I stopped by this place mainly because it was close to the office. I would say decent food, efficient service and reasonable prices about sums it up. I did find their baklava particularly tasty!! If I'm passing by again, I'd definitely consider stopping in just for that! read more

This place was okay, but I won't be ordering again. I got delivery. The hummus and chicken were pretty good, however the Jerusalem Salad was filled with soggy lettuce (instead of parsley) and watered down tahini sauce. The baklava I had was stale. read more

I highly recommend this place! The food quality is excellent and the service as well! The owner was behind the counter and was very pleasant. He asked me to try a few items aside from what I had ordered, all of which were full of flavor. I had the shawarma hummus plate, with fresh falafel and pita bread, and a side of dolmeh (Grape leaves filed w seasoned rice). Delicious!! Seriously, Try this place out! read more

Your lentil soup is so awesome. I love you lentil soup from Taza. You make my heart beat with glee and my tummy so happy! ^___^

Best falafel I've ever had!! The staff were incredibly kind and we enjoyed speaking with them. I would definitely recommend!

I was very sad to be leaving the vicinity of Pita Inn to go back to working in the Loop. You get attached to your regular lunch places and don't want to give them up. Reading the reviews on Yelp, I decided to give the Chicken Shawarma a go. This was a dish I was unsatisfied with at Pita Inn -- I'd get the Chicken Tenders plate there. Oh my it was delicious. The rice is very flavorful. The chicken is moist. The hot sauce measures up. I wanted to lick my styrofoam container clean. I haven't tried other things yet, but so far, I'm very, very impressed. read more

I says, 'Damn, motherfucka! That's some good falafel!' Good everything. The lines out the door don't lie, give it a try--it's the best.

Cheap, healthy, delicious option for downtown! And they're super nice, too. Check it out!

There is a dearth of delicious but inexpensive lunch options in the loop, so it is always exciting to discover one. Several coworkers and I were out foraging for food on our lunch hour, and stumbled across Taza. We were not disappointed! The very helpful man behind the counter (manager? owner?) let us sample some of the items, and we returned to work with an assortment of yummy food, including some of the best falafel I have ever had. He even put together a sampler plate that wasn't on the menu for me. Great customer service and awesome food. Sold. read more

I defy anyone to find a better, cheaper middle eastern joint for lunch in the loop. This is the best falafel I've ever had. The proprietor and his staff are very friendly and give you samples of the food if you aren't quite certain what you want. Go with a side of baklava. They get it fresh from Nazareth Sweets. Other favorites include the Taza chicken sandwich and gyros plate. read more

Best mediterranean in the loop. The food is good quality and cooked well. Not to mention the owner greets all his customers as old friends and is generous with giving out free bites. Small seating area so be ready to eat outside during busy lunch hours. read more

Hands down BEST FALAFEL IN CHICAGO. The gourmet falafel sandwich is my favorite. I also sometimes opt for the Taza Veggie plate. Its fast and cheap and delicious. Sometimes I get so addicted to their falafel, I wonder if it is made of crack - the good kind of crack of course. Bring cash. Its just easier. read more

Finest falafel I've had in Chicago for the price.

Very good food, good prices, quick service. Can't beat it if your in the mood for mediterranean for lunch.

I'll let the other reviewers do the talking for me, as there are already too many accolades. Most authentic Mediterranean lunch place place in the loop, great falafel, and the price is right on the money. read more

Arguably the best tasting falafel in the city. Great lunch option in the loop. Always a wait and almost never a table.

Ate here 2-3 times a week when I worked in the Loop. How 'bout the friendly staff giving me a free sample of baklava here, an extra falafel there. Hard to go wrong. read more

Hmm, maybe I'm missing something but for me this wasn't the best Middle Eastern fare in the loop. I mean it was decent but in my opinion the chicken was a bit dry (maybe an off day) and the turkey wasn't that flavorful. I will say the lentil rice and the falafel were pretty good. All in all a decent option but wasn't a stand out to me. read more

I picked Taza Cafe today based on the reviews and boy were they right. Went to lunch with a co-worker and we got the chicken salads, I got the chicken schwarma salad and we shared the hummus with fresh pita. My salad was excellent the chicken was so tasty and the salad dressing was perfect light, refreshing and just right. The hummus was outstanding. The pita was fresh and so soft and yummy. Will definately be back. read more

This place is so authentic and so is the staff. The chicken swarma was delicious. They gave us complimentary falafel to taste while we waited to order. When we were paying they also have us 4 complimentary baklavas! This is a hidden jem in the loop! read more

Goodness gracious, it gets better everytime I go there. This is maybe my fifth time in the past 8 months or so (I just don't get out of the office often enough). I order the falafel sandwich (plate, so 2 extra falafel and a drink, about $8). Everything is always SO FRESH! And, I'm a very picky eater and always change how things are prepared/served, these folks have never got it wrong. They are friendly, they are fast, they make simply good food without all the extra salt/fat and they are reasonably priced. I would recommend take-out, as it is a smaller establishment. read more

Fantastic and super authentic. Coworkers wanted to get Naf Naf and I suggested we give this place a try instead because it was closer. The staff is friendly, the food is extremely fresh and authentic Arabic food, unlike most of the chains in the loop. This a mom and pop shop and the owner is there serving you. There's something to be said about that in this day and age. The food was fantastic. I got the chicken shawarma plate. Eating it made me feel like I was the middle of Jerusalem! read more

I would definitely go back. This was my first time there and the staff was very nice the food portion was good. I normally don't order falafel but I got one with my combo plate of chicken and kifta kabob and the falafel was reallly good... I was surprised. read more

When I get pita bread stuffed with hummus and salad and shawarma, I don't expect much. It doesn't even have to be evenly spaced out to hit the spot, and honestly, as long as the meat isn't dry, I'm usually about it. I'm trying to think about what more Taza could do. Like, I guess they could have, idk, "juicier" falafel and they meat could be more dexterously marinated, but it doesn't matter when I scoff this shit down. The portions are generous, and they really know how to put this together; every ingredient is like a tier above what I'd expect from a chain (cough cough Olive) that is usually more expensive. It's $8. For a cheap Mediterranean grill type place, I honestly do not know what else I could ask for, without telling them to line the bread with hummus (I mean it kind of gets stuck at the bottom of the pouch, but nobody's a magician here). The chef's sandwich gives you falafel and shawarma (or gyro meat, if u want that), and it will not leave u hungry or wanting more. read more

I feel that I should add that their turkey sandwich in a pita is fantastic! So fresh and the hot sauce is not to be missed. Falafal also very good and very friendly service! read more

Absolutely THE best falafel in town. I thought it was Sultan's Market, but Taza is truly the tastiest. The owner is so concerned about his customers and making sure the quality of the food is fresh. Just minutes from our house...cheap delicious lunch. read more

BEST falafel! Rice is always perfectly cooked and don't forget to grab some baklava for dessert. Their hummus and chicken schwarma is also amazing. The quality of their food, pleasant staff, and reasonable prices will keep me coming back. read more

What can I say? The previous positive reviews said it all.... The food was good, the place was real busy and the guy serving me made it clear he appreciated my business.... a real winner here. read more

I just went here today for the first time--it was GREAT! Thanks, Yelpers, for turning me on to another great find. I had the salad with chicken ($5.95). After looking at the menu for a while and not being able to decide what to order, I finally narrowed it down to the salad. I couldn't decide on whether to get chicken shawarma or grilled chicken on top of the salad so I asked the guy at the counter for his recommendation. He was so lovely, and without me even asking, gave me both types of chicken so I could try both and decide which one I liked better! AND, he threw in a free falafel ball for me to try. I have to say--everything was DELICIOUS! The grilled chicken and the shawarma chicken were both incredibly juicy and well-seasoned. The dressing on the salad was great! And though the salad was a bit more expensive than a sandwich ($4.50), I have more than half of it left over, so it is really a generous portion. And also--the falafel. While I was standing there looking at the menu board, trying to decide what to order, I saw about 3-4 people go up and order a "gourmet falafel sandwich". And everyone ordered it! Men, women, everybone! Now I know why---their falafel balls are so flavorful and perfectly crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. I think a basic falafel sandwich is either $3.50 or $4.00, and the gourmet (which comes with hummus and maybe some other fixings?) is $4.50. All in all a terrific experience!! I got there right before 1:00 and there was not a long line at all. Maybe people are afraid of the line so they don't come here sometimes? I would encourage everyone to check it out. Chances are, the line will be short and the food will be terrific. What a find! read more

I know that this place does not look fancy on its exterior, but that says nothing about its food. Their food is awesome. I would go here every day if I could and many times I did. Their falafels are so good and they have great hummus, chicken shwarma, I could go on and on. I have not had anything nasty here. I think that it is a family owned business and they move fast. I guess you have to when you have a constant line that is out the door. read more

This is easily the best falafel I've ever had. If it wasn't on the wrong end of the loop, I'd be eating there every week. Unfortunately, this is not the case. read more

Fantastic Falafel. It's a shame I no longer work downtown and can get this (they're closed on the weekends). Was a great option for a quick, cheap and delicious lunch. read more

You can never go wrong with the special here....or the hummus, falafel, chicken shawarma, tahini or baklava. I will say that they could do a little better with their pita which is not home-made but the rest of the menu more than makes up for it. The staff is very friendly and remembers their regular clientele. read more

Super fresh everything, super nice guys behind the counter offering sample of anything if needed. Best felafel and humus in the Loop and nice to see a small locally owned place be so good. Simple, no frills, small and really good which I why I am a regular. Keep it up!! read more

After reading all the reviews, I HAD to try out Taza. And I was... disappointed. I tried the Gormet Falafel Pita and it honestly was dry and not mind blowing. I don't think I'll go back, especially since Naf Naf has impressed me more. (I literally bought a falafel pita at both places... And NafNaf won me over.) So, be a bit cautious. And yes, the place is really small. I say go by yourself first before bringing friends to this place due to glowing reviews. read more

First time a Taza today. Had the chicken kabob combo special. It comes with rice and hummus which I really liked. Very filling! Service was great. The guy in charge (owner maybe) was super nice and attentive, he approached our table and gave my friend and I some baklava to try. I thought that was very nice. Not a fancy place at all but great service and food. I will be back. read more