I got the combo platter with the white sauce on the side (pro tip: get the white sauce on the side). Combo btw means chicken and gyro which I both love! I always get the regular (bigger) size over the small because it's only a dollar extra. I should also mention their red hot sauce. Warning if you cannot handle spicy, do not get this sauce. It will burn your tongue off. But if you can handle it, well, friend, you are a beast. Anyways, I don't eat halal often but I am never disappointed when I do go. The only downside is that they don't have cups for water. But they sell bottled water. read more

People were Hamilton-stoked when these guys got into Chicago about a year or so ago. I remember hearing Halaal Guys this and Halaal Guys that, but unfortunately I think they were just overhyped for me. It's cheap, greasy fast food. Nothing more, nothing less. The type of meal you feel like you need a shower after eating. Small menu, expedited service, and pretty average taste. Add hot sauce to up the experience. If you're low on funds and looking for something to fill the stomach it's a decent option, but I wouldn't plan my night around eating here regardless of how drunk I planned on getting. read more

Firebreathers and Scoville lovers - Listen Up! If you're like me, you grow your own Moruga Scorpion peppers just so you can always bring the heat. I'm happy to report you won't need to bring your own fire here. The Halal Guys have super-hot pepper sauce, (and you can even get some to go!) This little plaza location has streamlined the ordering process and narrowed down the menu small enough to fit on a New York street cart, yet they'll put so much in your bowl that you won't need seconds if you order the platter, an extra pita or two, and above all, don't forget a drink... you're gonna need it! I love love love Ghost Peppers and Reapers, and when these NY cats tell you their hot sauce is the real deal, you'd better believe it! The Hummus and Kalamata olives were a nice addition to the combo plate I had, and the place was bright, clean, and the staff was friendly and efficient. Because we're so spoiled here in Chicagoland with tons of Mediterranean cuisine to choose from, you may find the menu to be a bit sparse, but if you're a fire-breathing dragon like me, you'll come back just because they've got the fix you need to keep your flames burning! Flame On! read more

Met some friends here last night at 7pm- second day they're open. Long line and it moved slowly- we got inside close to 9pm. We were lucky though- maybe 5 people behind us is where they cut the line off. (Side note- it was really weird, the owner came out several times and said, we do not have enough food for all the people in line, this is where we are cutting it off, so sorry, etc. But people WOULD NOT LEAVE. If I had been told "you are waiting in this long ass line for no reason" I would have left and gone elsewhere but these were some motivated people apparently.) I have never been to the original in NY so I have nothing to compare it to. They had run out of the lamb/beef while we waited so we had chicken. My friend who is from NY said the chicken here was better than the chicken in NY, but apparently the lamb/beef is the tastier option. And after all that wait, I thought it was... good. I mean it's chicken and rice. I don't really get why people are going ape shit for this stuff but it's good, and I would maybe think about getting it again when the hype dies down. Very close to the red line Clark/Division stop. And word to the wise. The red sauce is HOT. Like way hotter than most hot sauce. Way hotter than sriracha. Proceed with caution. read more

The hype surrounding this place was off the charts. I heard about it from friends, I saw ads on Facebook, I even saw a massive billboard driving down the street. I couldn't wait until this place opened. WHAT A WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY! This place is the equivalent of eating Chinese food at Panda Express. That's not really Chinese food and this wasn't even a hint of what Mediterranean food is! I couldn't believe it, the place was nowhere near the hype that I was hearing about from people who ate there in New York. I went with a platter that consisted of small pieces of pita bread, falafel, chunks of chicken (dark meat, cheap stuff), about a pound of this dry rice (with no flavor), cut up lettuce and tomatoes and I tried some gyros off of another plate that was not that appealing. The first thing I tried was the chicken, it was very cheap tasting, dry and had no distinct flavor whatsoever. The rice was RIDICULOUS, so freaking dry, I coughed when I first put it in my mouth. The gyros was oily and didn't even look like gyros, it looked more like hamburger meat. And the final straw was the falafel, oh my god, it was weird. It looked like a falafel but tasted like a hash brown from IHOP or Denny's. Everything here just tasted like an Americanized version of Mediterranean food. If you like that type of thing, this is the place for you! I've never written a review this long but I have also never been as disappointed. If you want real Mediterranean food and it's even cheaper than this place. Take a trip up to Pita Inn over in Skokie, 10x better and definitely worth the drive. read more

It was snowing outside Saturday night and all I wanted was halal guys. Uber eats deemed it outside of the delivery zone and I really did not want to go outside in the cold...somehow I miraculously discovered Postmates. I was able to order a small combo with a promo code that eliminated the delivery fee so the price ended up being just $9 for someone to come and deliver to the apartment. I had never been so happy in my life to discover these magical couriers. Though the food did take a while to come, granted it was snowing outside too. It arrived outside my door around 45-50 minutes later but was the most memorable Halal guys I ever had. Everything was piping hot, the white sauce and hot sauce were all on the side without me needing to even specially request it. It was just like I remembered from New York but even better because I didn't have to wait outside for it. Thank you to the courier that trekked all the way to get my Halal guys in the snow fall. Thank you Halal guys for existing. read more

I was waiting for this place to open up because it's Halal and sad to say it didn't live up to the hype. 1st I waited like 15 to 20mins to order which was long for a line that was smaller than a busy line at Chipotle and they move faster. Then I order a plate which was Chicken and Gyro with rice and simple lettuce salad. Gyro was chopped up like little bites of nuggets, not good and very greasy. The chicken was dark meat and had no flavor. The rice was a joke and dry and hard with no flavor. The lettuce was a waste of time they should of just not put it on the plate. The people working treated me like I was back in high school. The only good thing they had was there white sauce I had on the side and had to put it all over my meal just to be able finish some of it. Not going back. I wish they change and get there act together. read more

S P A R I N G L Y. The red sauce. Murder (or revenge) in a small packet. Use sparingly. Or suffer flustered mild hallucinations (along the lines of Santa Sangre) as you flutter your hands at your throat in your little kitchenette, hoping for the heat to abate by crunching on fried fava beans and pushing the pulp to the rear palate, hoping it will work like sawdust and dry out the fire. Water is useless, you fools. Regular falafel plate with everything. Yes, that white sauce is good, in a very bad way. No lettuce, just tomatoes next time. Closes surprisingly early for Division street locale. read more

I lived in NYC for 5 years and ate at the original spot 20+ times, hence I fist pumped for 5 mins straight when I read on Eater they were opening 5 mins away from my Chitown apt. On the soft opening, despite a 90 minute wait, I thought they were pretty close to NYC quality. The chicken was moist, the portions were decent, and familiar white sauce (basically a home made ranch) and hot sauce put a smile on my face. I should have realized that it probably had something to do with a few familiar faces from the 53rd and 6th location in NYC flying out to help out with the opening. I've been back 3 times, each time getting precipitously worse, and tonight was an absolute joke. I'm so upset, I had to write a review. I paid $20 for two chicken and rice platters (would have paid $14 in NYC), which I don't even think are as large as NYC. More importantly, (a) the Sahara desert has more moisture than their chicken, (b) half of the entire platter was lettuce (think taco bell style lettuce), (c) the manager on duty (I didn't see the two owners tonight) chewed out an employees in front of the customers for giving sauce on the side when they had already put it on top, even though the customers asked for it on the side at the register (unprofessional). I genuinely wanted to love this place and support it weekly, but they've lost my patronage. Do yourself a favor and go to Chipotle around the corner. At least they don't charge you $10 for about $2.50 worth of dry food. read more

I haven't been to NY but I happen to know a thing or two about middle eastern food so I was excited to find out that Halal guys came to Chicago. Sorry to mention the hype but it's there. What are you gonna do? Anyway not to be the kind that likes to wait in lines we took our time making our way to the joint. We were there around 730 and there were 3 people standing and eating but no line. I was mentally prepared to handle the cold so I am not complaining. The hubs ordered the large platter with chicken and a gyro sandwich, I had the chicken and falafel platter and a side of hummus. The only good thing there was the falafel. Top notch in my opinion but nothing else was good. The chicken tasted as if it was cooked yesterday and then microwaved and put on my plate, the rice was meh and the lettuce and tomato, well they are lettuce and tomato. What can I add about them? The white sauce was great too but I shouldn't have to plaster that all over my meal to save it. So unimpressed! I am sad and disappointed but its okay! I kept wondering, is NY really lacking in places of middle eastern cuisine? I dont want to say that it was more harram then halal because that's harsh and the falafels at least were good but I don't plan on returning. In my opinion there are better middle eastern places in Chicago than Halal guys. read more

I came to Halal Guys with my BFF after completing our 2 mile walk and talk catch up. It was around 8:30pm when we arrived here and only one person was in line (SCORE). While the space is small with no seating, the staff was friendly and worked fast to get us our food so we could get up out of there....which I appreciated. I had the chicken sandwich and it was delicious. I got it with everything on it and the sauces (hot and white) on the side since I knew I had to walk home and didn't want the pita to get soggy. I give this sandwich 4 stars!! I also got a side of fries, crinkle fries no less, and they were so damn good I cried a little when i realized I was down to my last fry. 5 stars!! Overall, I'm giving Halal Guys 4.5 stars. I will definitely be going back again and again and again and again. **Warning: Beware of the hot sauce because it is insanely hot. I mean it's like "french kissing the devil" hot. read more

I'm only rounding up to 4 stars because I'm addicted to that white sauce and I could never slander such phenomenal food. The service dragged it down in my eyes though. It's not even close to the experience you get in NYC. But given that finally I don't have to wait till my next trip to New York to get it, I guess I should be grateful and not complain too much. It took all my will power to avoid this place since their grand opening. I'm a die hard 53rd and 6th loyalist, but after reading all the updates on their FB page, I didn't wanna risk driving all the way from the burbs just to find out they ran out of food or closed early for the day. Since the hype died down a little bit, I finally decided to check it out. I was relieved to see that there wasn't a line out the door when we showed up. Food: First and foremost, the food tastes pretty damn close to what they serve up in NY. The rice, the gyro meat, and glorious white sauce were all on point. I don't even need to describe the taste of the food in detail. If you've ever been to the cart in NY you already know what to expect. It was perfect. Where the Chicago location differs is the quantity. Basically at the Chicago location you're paying more and getting less food. I know, I know, it's completely different because it's not a cart and not cash only, but since it's the same product people are naturally gonna draw some comparisons. The tin is carefully sectioned off into portions of veggies, pita, and meat/rice. You only get literally 4 triangles of pita, and barely half of the plate was meat and rice. The veggies were all filler to make it look like a full plate. In NYC they'd pretty much just scoop a liberal mound of meat on top of everything instead of limiting it to a tiny section. They never seemed to measure it to a business defined specification. Second, you don't get to put the sauce on there yourself. It sucks because I like dousing the white sauce on there, eating like half of it, and then dousing more on there again. Here, you're better off asking for the packets instead of having them put it on for you. They give 2 pretty decent sized packets of white sauce with a regular platter. Overall I ended up paying over $10 without a drink and I finished it within minutes. This was way different than the NY cart, where sometimes it was a struggle to finish the plate because they gave so much food. Service: This is where you can really tell they just opened. There were only like 3 or 4 people ahead of me yet it still took way longer than it should have to get the food. They were just soooo slow. The guys in NY just have the execution down to a science. They got the tins all pre-prepped with the fixins, one guy workin the grill and when the meat is ready, just plop it on each platter and bam you're churning out orders by the minute. Here, they're just taking their sweet ass time. When I was ordering, the chick at the register was like spacing out and was looking off to the side. I had to repeat my order twice and she still screwed it up. I didn't want red sauce on it because I'm not man enough to take the heat, but they still squirted a ton on there. Almost ruined it for me. Then, they slowly assemble each tin one at a time. The guy handing off the food at least was super nice. The whole process just took way longer than necessary. I could only imagine how frustrating it could be when it's really packed. While there are things that are slightly different than the original cart, at least the food is just as delicious. A gyro platter drowned in white sauce is way too good to hold a grudge, so I'm sure I'll just deal with it all and will come crawling back to get my fix. read more

The Halal Guys - gyro platter w/ extra white sauce - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'll start off by saying that the food is good. An hour in line to wait good? No way. I live only a couple blocks away from here and I've waited 45 minutes in line but never again will I wait that long. I came out on a Thursday at 3pm to grab a late lunch, saw the line and walked down to State St Chipotle, ate, finished and called a friend, came back and saw the people at the back of the line had just entered the building to order. You only have 4 items that you sell in different combinations, which is maybe a sandwich or a rice plate. How is it so hard to throw it all together? It makes watching Chipotle workers look like they're doing open heart surgery in a 3rd world country compared to how long it takes people here to put a plate together. If you seriously see the line that stretches all the way around the corner, you'd think they have the best gyros or rice or something but none of it is worth the 40-60 minute wait in line. I was super excited for this place to open and had hyped it up to all of my family and friends but am disappointed in the service. You're truly better off spending your time on the red line to the brown line spot to get to Lawrence and Kedzie where it is loaded with amazing middle eastern spots, seeing that the commute time is equivalent to the time sitting in line. read more

Has no one had good Middle Eastern food before? This is an example of the PR machine in full force. You all realize that the white sauce is just mayo, right? How can a white sauce at a Middle Eastern place not have tahini in it. And that hot sauce is just fire with no flavor, like the red sauce equivalent of Tabasco. I wouldn't be surprised if the orange in the rice is just food coloring. The only silver lining is Halal Guys have fantastic falafel and the pita wedges are wonderfully soft (but they do not open up into a pocket so that defeats their purpose). Their charm and differentiation in NYC was being a food cart - cheap and fast. Chicago's brick and mortar location takes all that away so it's no longer unique among its competitors in the same price range. Do yourselves a favor and go to Naf Naf, Nesh, or Pita Inn and tell me if I'm wrong. read more

We ordered for delivery: two gyros. The gyro meat was crumbled pieces versus the strips. It was served with Halal Guys signature "white sauce" that comes in a packet..which is not what we were expecting. It tasted like liquified hummus. We were expecting meat strips and tzatziki sauce. Our crumbled meat had chicken mixed in. Taste overall was not bad, but not great. We do not see ourselves ordering from here again. Their preparation was not our preference. read more

Don't be fooled to wait in line for this. The line is caused by a lack of organization. This franchise is a dismal copy of the beloved original Halal Guys experience at 6th and 53rd in NYC. The food is on par with your average Gyros joint, while the Chicken is outright nasty. The big pile of chicken on the grill is not kept warm at the right temperature so it has the marginally gone bad taste. I threw it out after a few bites. To top it off, they don't listen. The guy filling orders makes it differently than what was ordered. Correcting him will get you something different, but it still won't be what you just told him. It's comical. read more

Just as delicious as it is in NYC. Get the gyro (it's beef by the way, not lamb) and chicken combo platter with white sauce! It's only been open for a few days so the line is pretty long and their hours are up in the air depending on how busy things are. If you don't have the patience to wait in a long line, I would suggest waiting a month or so before visiting. The red sauce is pretty spicy so I didn't get that much. read more

I was one of the lucky ones that got to try the Halal Guys before the grand opening! Food was good and reasonably priced. I've never been to the one in New York, but glad it made its way to Chicago. I went with the Gyros and a side of fries. Both were good! Only con to me is I prefer my gyros meat to be thick slabs versus chopped up into tiny pieces. Other than that sauce was good. (Go with the white sauce) This location has about 3 tiny tables, so it's more of a take your food and go type spot. I'll be back in the near future to try more food items. read more

The Halal Guys - Gyros with a side of fries - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Let me be clear that this is an unbiased review coming in from a person very familiar with the restaurant so don't hate me for this. I'm not one of those really picky people on yelp either. Also I don't do many reviews but this is one I'm choosing to do because I've been to the Manhattan location multiple times whenever I go to New York because The Halal Guys are one of my favorite places to eat...at least the one on 53rd and 6th. I went during it's opening week and as expected, I waited in line on a Friday night around 6PM. The line was about a block long from the restaurant headed down to where the side walk ended so I didn't think it would be that bad. They had a bouncer letting people in to contain the line, from my experiences I didn't think it would take the hour and fifteen minutes it did to get a simple order in. When we finally went in, I already knew what I wanted because I've been getting Halal Guys multiple times. I always order the chicken over rice and I even elected to bring an extra home since I'm from the suburbs. The way that it's made is apparently made to order which is fine but with a reasonably long line and wait times, it should have been made a head of time and just handed out because it's literally two things on the menu: chicken/gyro or combination over rice. Instead it was treated as a Chipotle-esque system which shouldn't have been done in the first place since it took forever. Lines in Manhattan in the original location are 3x larger but served 20x faster because they have plates filled out and they are literally slinging them like a machine to customers to speed up the process since the menu is that simplistic. Anyway, when I was watching the guy prepare my plate, apparently in Chicago's location they fill the plate half with rice and half with lettuce/tomato which appalled me because in New York they fill the whole plate with rice first and add some vegetable on the top instead of clogging half your plate with simple lettuce and tomato. The chicken was chunkier and though as well for some reason. Plus, you can't even put your own white sauce (the main reason why it separates every other halal joints from the rest) and they do it for you. I had to ask for extra "to-go" packets of white sauce which is convenient (after 2 weeks my friend said they actually charge extra for white sauce packets). Ridiculous I understand it can't be exactly like New York's but its actually very far apart from it to the point where I don't understand how you get it wrong. So to sum it all up for those who were expecting the same result as Manhattan's... - Plate is filled half with veggies instead of served on top of the rice so you're already losing value - Can't pour your own white sauce (NYC has 8 bottles spread out for as much as you'd like). Believe me this is important. - Service is extremely slow and when the line is long plates need to be prepped ahead of time to be handed out quickly. - Pricing for two plates cost me about $22 dollars here in Chicago where as New York it costs only $6/plate and they aren't stingy with the issues listed above. They give you so much for so little. I've been waiting for Chicago to finally open a location up and I really wanted to like this place but I'm just being completely honest. Wished these issues would be fixed because it seems as if it's all about the business aspect of it instead of customer satisfaction and tradition. read more

Chicago has great food but what it is definitely lacking in delicious ethnic foods that can go head to head with what you find in other major metropolitan cities like LA or NYC so when I heard NYC's Halal Guys was coming to Chicago I was both excited yet wary. My friend got me my beloved all lamb platter. It ended up filling my stomach with nostalgic feelings of late night bingefests in NYC. The meat was super seasoned, rice was soft, and bread was soft and buttery. The sauces are the cherry on top and they do not skimp either! The only difference is it seemed perhaps a little less greasy and dirty than the NYC spot. That may or may not be a plus for you. I'm just glad we even have this as an option. The location was super busy but the line moved relatively quick. Four other locations are supposed to open in the near future so hopefully it becomes more convenient and less congested. read more

There's definitely a cult following with this one. If you're a Halal Guys virgin, give it a shot for sure but don't let the fanboys hype it up too much for you. At the end of the day, it's a $10 ultra-fast plate of food cart food. You don't eat here for the health benefits of the white sauce or to dissect the layers of flavor in the chicken/gyro meat. Just stop thinking so much and enjoy your food. And be nice to the people holding up the line with their questions and decision-making pauses. Not everyone is a Halal Guys pro... yet. read more

This location is 1000000x better than the one in Wicker Park. Honestly, I don't know what my NYC friends are raving about when it comes to Halal Guys because I've had better Mediterranean bowls/sandwiches elsewhere. Nonetheless, the food at this location is decent and consistent. White sauce on errythang read more

Went twice in 1 week and there's definitely been some changes. They removed the chairs/tables which sat about 12 ppl (if you squeeze in), and replaced it with two industrial sized refrigerators, made a little storage area there and blocked it off. (Not very aesthetically pleasing...but hey, I just come for the food). There's a long red counter facing the window and line outside that I guess you can eat at, but really?...I don't want 20 ppl staring at me as I hulk out and scarf that shit down! Here's a tip: if you can't wait to go home to eat your food, there's a Starbucks just a few stores over. Buy a tall drink or even just order a free cup of water and eat it there. (I think) they don't mind. I asked just to make sure it was ok, and they said it was, but I'd say just don't do it too often. Plus if the weather is nice, Sbux has outdoor seating:) The line is still long! When I went last week, The line was at the end of the Jimmy Johns canopy and that took about 45 mins. Today was a rainy day (and not a weekend which makes a huge difference), so the line was shorter. There were about 4 ppl outside the door including those inside, and it took (dare I say it even longer) about 30 mins. They really need to work on their organizational/time management skills there. I've been in longer chipotle lines and was in and out in 15 mins. (Seriously Halal Guys, take a book out of Chipotle's setup. You would save yourself so much time and effort). You already have an assembly line setup back there. The amount of time it takes you to read the tickets, then double check it again at the pickup table....just sayin. The week prior, they squeeze the white sauce and hot sauce to your liking, and now they no longer do that. They just give you two white sauce packets and a hot sauce packet, which I was told is what they do in NY. If you want more, you gotta shell out that 0.50cents, but that white sauce is worth it. Be careful of that hot sauce tho! Regardless of all that, is the food worth it? Heck yea! If you want a sandwich, get that; but I say go for the platter. it's enough for two servings, and it even taste good warmed up the next day. Btw, the week before, I got 3 falafels. Today, I only got 2 smaller ones. What's up with that?! Maybe after the hype dies down, the lines might be shorter. Maybe they'll switch things up. It's still fairly new, so I'll cut them some slack. Either way, I just hope they don't sacrifice the quality of the food just to get more customers. This isn't related to the food, but I tried to ask a Q to one of the workers and they had to side whisper to me that they weren't allowed to talk to ppl while working. They just looked so sad and miserable. One of them even said they were working them like dogs. I hope that's not true. Regardless of where you work and what you do, you gotta treat your employees right. read more

Ordered a cater lunch for the office and it was fantastic! Everyone loved it and I had a great experience placing the order with Sasha from the Wabash store. Nancy S. read more

Alba was really helpful helping me choose my order and had great customer service.I will be back again

Ahh...that one hour wait. The one hour I will never get back and I really wish I did because it's exactly an 'A-OK'. With all the hype, it was kinda disappointing to just chill outside waiting on food that took 5 minutes to prepare. This is pretty much something you could throw together at home without standing in a line for an hour, and yes, I will emphasize an hour. Price wise, it was good. Three platters, with a side of falafel and hummus which was about $40. I got the chicken platter with a side of falafel and my boyfriend got the mixed platter which was the gyro and chicken. The chicken and falafel were really good but what overpowered it was that white sauce (don't get me started on that hot sauce). It was so creamy that it really took away from the flavor of the chicken which isn't too bad if you take into consideration the hot sauce since it took away my ability to taste period. If you like spicy food and see the innocent little man squeezing a cute little hot sauce dot on your platter, put all your faith and trust into him because he's about to do you a favor. WAY too spicy. My favorite was the falafel and hummus but you can get better at Kurah or my all time favorite : Al Bawadi. Overall: Cheap, pretty good, not worth the wait, and very filling. It's definitely an experience. Just prepare to stand in line for about an hour. read more

+ good quality meats.. Not greasy and pretty pure ingredients +flavor is on point! No lingering taste of extra sodium or drenched in unnecessary sauces -overpriced for the amount. Everyone raved on his big the portions are.. Maybe I'm just a fatty but the regular size seemed like a single serving. +/-hot sauce is so incredibly dangerous! Careful!! +/- white sauce was good but don't get the hype read more

Food: Taste as good as NYC! -But the portions are much smaller!! Usually in NYC they are very generous and sometimes I couldn't even shut the lid!! Here in Chicago they seem to measure it out and even when ordering double meat; the meat doesn't seem that much. -The food also doesn't seem that hot. It wasn't steaming. Seemed kind of lukewarm. -Where's the BBQ sauce??! -Go light on the hot sauce. It's pretty hot. Service: Slow! Not sure if it was one person but it just seems kind of slow. They kind of work in a line so you'd think it would go fast but it was rather slow. Experience: Not the same as NYC. I kind of miss the cart aspect. Small location. About 10 chairs and parking is pay at the box. I would probably come back. But maybe when the line dies down. read more

Don't understand it. I just think I'm never going to. I've had this multiple times in NYC, and it's definitely better there, but still not good. It's really just plain meat in a tin box with lettuce and tomatoes. Oh, and some rice. The rice has color to it, but no flavor. So, I'm assuming orange-food coloring was involved? Then you choose your fate, top it with spicy, unflavorful red sauce, or mayo-like, but still equally as unflavorful white sauce. There are MUCH better options for Mediterranean/Middle Eastern food in Chicago, at the same price point. read more

The Halal Guys - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Heard about halal guys last year a lot of hype and then it finally came to chicago! Loong lines amazing reviews on yelp! So had to check it out. Waited 1hr and 20 mins in line. Finally made into the shop. Its a small shop can seat maybe 10 people. You order at the counter we had chicken/gyro platter falafel n fries. Move down to the pickup side and the person asks you what sauce. They put white sauce all over the dish and like a streak of red sauce. We decided to take our food elsewhere to eat since there was no room. We did try the fries n falafel in the car. And I can say I've had better falafels. Finally the food! the plater was 8.99 you get like 3 small pieces of bread lettuce tomatoes with rice that has orange food coloring with chicken and gyros on top. Idk if anyone else feels the same way but i cant really describe the taste its just a mix of the rice meat and chicken gyros is well done its most and boneless chicken it looks as if its boiled. The sauces give it flavor thats for sure! I like the chicken better! The meal is greasy! You may not realize it right away but when your half way or 1/3 in ur meal it gets to you. Its definitely middle eastern fast food! I prolly wont go back for a while! read more

Taco Bell IS NOT Mexican Olive Garden IS NOT Italian McDonalds IS NOT a real burger PF Changs IS NOT Chinese Halal Guys IS NOT and no where near Arab cuisine. As a world traveler I can say their food is good, if you are drunk and high in the area it's an amazing fix but to associate it with the middle eastern part of the world would be doing injustice to region itself. read more

Okay, so as I've mentioned before that the portions are smaller than what you get in NYC, and a little more expensive. I was actually cool with that part as I understand there's more overhead costs in Chicago. However, I had this for lunch yesterday, and words cannot express how disappointed I am. I am mourning the sad event. I can't believe how small the portion has become since my last visit here. I only like the gyro meat, so that's what I got. There was very little meat, and it was very dry with hard edges, like it's been sitting for a while. Seriously, my little tin was like halfway full, and half of that was lettuce and tomatoes. So, from now on, I'm just going to save myself for the NYC carts. read more

Just finished my gyro platter and I want more already!! The flavor is awesome- perfect ratio of meat to rice. I ordered mine with the jalapeños on top. I've been there twice now and both times the experience was pleasant. The service is fast and professional. Our wait time was reasonable, about 20 min. toward the end of the night. During dinner time, the line is longer but it's worth the wait! read more

When I heard that The Halal Guys were opening up shop in Chicago, I was beyond excited. Having been to the one in NYC numerous times (and loving it), I was reallllly excited when this one opened up. It's not exactly like the cart on 53rd and 6th, but it's still good nonetheless. So far I've been twice - during their soft opening and again last weekend - and I've had the same impression both times. What I've noticed: -The line here moves slow - muuuch slower than the cart in NY. I get that they just opened (I understood the slow line during their soft opening), but you would think that they would get the hang of it by now. The workers at the cart in NYC move frantically to push out platter after platter...the workers here, not so much. Maybe (hopefully?) the efficiency/speed comes w/ time. -The food is amazing, just like in NYC. If you haven't been here, you should go. The meats are full of flavor, the bread is always warm and never dry, and the rice is heavenly. Remember to add lots of white sauce, some BBQ sauce, and go easy on the red sauce (Halal Guys rookies - the red sauce burns going in and burns going out. Use sparingly)! Speaking of sauces... -You CAN'T pour your own sauces here. This is a major drawback for me. Although you can watch the workers pour your sauce for you and request how much/little you want of each, there's something about being able to do it yourself that is so much better. I really wish they'll start allowing customers to grab bottles and pour their own sauce. -Apparently, the gyro meat here is beef and NOT lamb like it is in NYC (I was told this by one of the workers). I've seen some reviews talking about the food tasting different here, and this is probably why. Can I haz sum lamb, plz? -It's only open until 10 pm, and 11 pm on the weekends, which is a major bummer (a Halal Guys platter is great sober food, and it's even greater drunk food). I talked to the owner during the soft opening and he said he had planned on staying open till 4 am on the weekends, although he didn't say when, so this will be a perfect late night snack. Cliff notes: Slow lines. The food is still hella good. Can't pour your own sauces. Gyro meat here is beef and not lamb. Not open super late (not yet, at least). But even with all that, I'm still coming back. read more

Gotta say, pretty damn delicious. Expectations set for quick and dirty middle eastern and it's fantastic.. White sauce is killer. Hot sauce is HOT, which is awesome. The lamb blows the chicken out of the bowl. Add a little bbq drizzle and you got it. Will be back. read more

They have gotten a bit faster so bumping up one star, Their portions are a bit inconsistent, but last time in a good way because they jam packed my last platter with chicken. The food is crave worthy but still nothing out of this world. It's definitely worth a try now that their line moves a bit smoother if you haven't been yet. read more

I'm a bit confused... the white sauce, which is insanely delicious, has two VERY different caloric info stats on these two different packages of the same exact sauce. Where is the discrepancy here?! For health conscious consumers this is obviously a big deal, and not ok!!! read more

The Halal Guys - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The food is amazing. Well worth the wait. The lines aren't bad at all. The service is top notch. White sauce is and the red sauce is spicy but if you like spicy its worth it. Menu is nice and small so it makes your decision that much easier. read more

Simply stomach turning. Burned gyros , old smelling chicken and falafels that has nothing to do with falafel. Disgusting!

Awesome, awesome food. It's like the Halal Guys in NYC, but even better. It tastes fresher and more flavorful. The owner, Steve, is an friendly guy. There is usually a line, but service is fast. My favorite place to come to after the gym. read more