I come here for a quick treat such as their chocolates and ice cream selection. They are very friendly and even have a nice selection of Dubai chocolates. read more

Valley Of Jordan - Dark chocolate - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Nice owners but they sell expired products. Purchased black seed oil and after getting home I realized the bottle expired in 2023. This is unacceptable and kinda the reason why I do not shop in a lot of cultural stores. Make sure you pay attention to the expiration dates when shopping here because they don't. read more

Valley Of Jordan - Expired Blackseed Oil - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I love the owners of this place. They are always so nice and are an awesome part of the community. I usually just stop in for groceries, but today I got their Chicken Shawarma sandwich and it was sooooooo good. About the groceries as well, despite being a small place they have a lot of very surprising things there that I wouldn't expect. Love this place! read more

It took over 40 minuted to get a to go order Hostess seemed like she didn't want to help us. She kept saying our order is coming without checking with the kitchen read more

The staff are friendly enough and it's a great source of imported feta and labneh, and lots of other fun stuff that I happen not to need at the moment. A friend who is serious about food swears by their olive oil and has gotten me into it; not expensive and has a good, strong flavor. It took me some sleuthing to see that the pita bread is in the freezer. The falafel are a good deal if you need party food and have limited resources for cooking (e.g., time). It's old-school, with narrow maze-like aisles and a surprising number of options crammed into them. read more

I love Valley of Jordan. Best groceries, $8 chicken shawarma, and the nicest two owners! I highly highly recommend this place.

Giving this a 5 star rating on their sandwiches. My journey now finds me in Chicago. Been here for the last 6 months in the Hyde Park area. A hidden gem in small local convenience store. read more

The man who works in the store used to greet you when you come in and say thank you after you made a purchase or make an interesting comment on what you buy but he doesn't do that anymore. Now he has become very unfriendly with a stern countenance and demeanor. He always has his cell on speakerphone with a person speaking loud Arabic. Because of that the energy is too negative and makes me feel uncomfortable coming into the store. I wish he would have better customer service. read more

Love this place. Small minimart, but the real gem is the sandwich counter. Very cheap, very good sandwiches. Nice selection of halal lunch meat. The owner is a really nice guy. A bunch of us rented a storefront in the building for a weekend event in Hyde Park, and we were in and out all day when he was open. As a thank you, he brought us an enormous tray of hummus and pita. Good place to drop in and get ice cream or a parfait. I hope we can come back next year! read more

Valley Of Jordan - What a nice guy! Hummus was delicious. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is a welcome addition to the neighborhood! It's a no-frills mini-mart sort of thing, but they have a couple of standouts: 1. The sandwich counter: they have great sandwiches, including halal selections, and very inexpensive. Awesome. 2. The middle eastern specialty prepared foods: they have baba ganouj, hummus and stuffed grape leaves in the front counter and they are all SUPER cheap and delicious. Seriously-- you can get a package of 8 stuffed leaves for under $3.00. 3. Middle eastern desserts- I've tried a few of their different pastries from the front and they were all really good. (I'm too ignorant to know the names of anything besides baklava, but they were all tasty!) read more

I like the turkey pastrami and the hummus here. I'm sad to hear the story about the little boy getting attacked with his pennies. It seems so off from what I've seen from the owner over the years but I wasn't there, so it's hard to judge what really happened. The story is upsetting though. I totally agree the older woman at the counter can be super grumpy. I've never felt like she's been really mean or rude. It's just sort of a grumpy old lady thing. Kind of like what you get in Chinatown. My asian friends jokingly say they go to Chinatown to get abused. I don't take her attitude that seriously though and usually I get so upset with bad service. It's almost kind of humorous how grumpy she can be. Some days I walk out of there feeling like I annoyed the crap out of her just walking in the door. She's almost like the Soup Nazi from Sinefeld. Your not sure if she's going to agree to ring you up! Then there are other days when I go in and and she's as nice as apple pie and all is well with the world. My friend and I let each other know what kind of mood she is in if we go in there as a running joke. Yes, we actually have conversations about her. Maybe she's ill. She swings high and low and it's really just a crap shoot what you're going to get. The other owner is always smiling and friendly and remembers what I order. read more

My dearest mother wanted to have a middle eastern themed Festivus -- yes you read that right -- so we decided to have it catered. We ordered trays of falafel, hummus and tabula salad. All were exceptional!! read more

Picked up dinner here tonight. Ordered a lamb shawarma and falafel sandwich. When we got home, we found out the falafel sandwich had ABSOLUTELY NO falafel inside, but just a bunch of lettuce and sauce. Suffice it to say, we are unlikely ever to come back. read more

Valley Of Jordan - Here is the picture of the "falafel" sandwich I ordered, which had NO falafel inside, which I only noticed once home. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I came here to try their food, based on reviews on yelp. The review is focusing specifically on the food I ordered, the grocery aspect is not what i'm reviewing. I found the cashier to be rude, she was not helpful in nature and was very abrupt with her responses. Additionally, the pricing on the wall is completely inaccurate, and it was off by 2 dollars or more for every item I ordered. I ordered a lamb shawarma sandwich, and a falafel sandwich. Both the items were mediocre at best. The shawarma was not really a shawarma sandwich, it was more like a roasted lamb leg pulled meat type of sandwich, which was extremely soggy and had not much of a flavor to it. There was fat in the lamb as well, it truly was soggy and not worth the money. Falafel sandwich was the same, it was very dry and the falafel was grilled or something, but it tasted bad. Sorry, but not a big fan of the food. Grocery selection seemed good. read more

The woman at the register was talking on her phone when I entered the store and did not acknowledge me. The store was full of stock on the floor which made it hard to navigate the aisles with a stroller. When I took my groceries to the counter, she proceeded to continue talking on the phone (what sounded like a personal call) despite me and another customer having placed our merchandise at the register. I purchased 4 bottles of water for 99 cents and a bottle of tea for $1.89. She proceeded to ring it up as $6 plus tax. When I stated that it should not be $6 plus tax, she told me not to tell her how to do her job. Unfortunately this is the only corner store near my home, but I definitely will not be going out of my way to visit them despite their large selection of middle eastern items. read more

Great store for halal meat and wonderful Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food. Gotta love canned stuffed grape leaves. My one problem with Valley Of Jordan is that it's not a one stop shop. The produce selection (at least right now when it has just opened) would be generously described as minimal, and most of the foods are standard convenience store and CVS items. Eggs and milk are from factory farms, and the spice selection is pretty bare. I still have to go to Hyde Park Produce for the stuff I need. VoJ right now is really only good for a handful of thongs I want. read more

Very kind people. Very supportive of their neighborhood. We're very appreciative. I am looking forward to my next visit there when I am in the area again. read more

The raw ground beef I got (to cook with at home) was HORRIBLE. The smell was strange. The coloring was strange and a combination of colors. Will definitely be avoiding!!!!!! read more

I've been living in hyde park most of my life and down the street from this place since for the last 15 years. This has been the only business I see that will last. They have a large selection of spices and just random things you would think you would see in a small store but usually when i need something they have it. The owner is awesome. Keep being awesome. read more

Stopped by after dropping off some UPS packages next door. I came here to grab something quick to eat, I didn't feel like walking further. Cuts. Service sucked, was asked if I could read...yes, he looked me in my eyes and asked if I could read. I knew then I would not be ordering anything, but I asked about items on the menu to which he seemed agitated I let the customer behind me go, and I left to never return...which sadly I think is exactly what he wants. read more

It's kind of janky, isolated, and different, but I definitely appreciate this place. Try the chicken shawarma which is decent. Make sure they don't overcharge you. The man/owner won't--he's great. But that grumpy old woman who works there will ALWAYS overcharge you and unfortunately you can't even understand her when she speaks if you want to contest it. I generally try to avoid her at all costs. Even still, if you're craving a different sandwich, try it out. Support independent immigrant businesses. read more

Best food in the neighborhoo. I love everything on the menu. Gong down one item at a time.

An absolutely great store they do amazing sandwiches and lunch meat to go. Great owner he is very friendly. And the cashier miss Mary is very nice as well. read more

I've been stopping by Valley of Jordan since they opened for hummus, baba ghanoush, dolma, and various convenience items. They are super friendly and the salads are great. I tried a deli sandwich for the first time tonight for a quick dinner before an evening class. Incredible! Best sandwich I've had in the neighborhood. Do yourself a favor and stop by to get a sandwich sometime. read more

Best falafel in the neighborhood. It's freshly fried to order and served with good hummus in a pita.

I've been through a lot of stores in my time that would be termed "convenience stores," and I've never found one quite so convenient! What's more, the selection is really what makes the place shine. In addition to the traditional sodas/chips/candy one finds in normal convenience shops, Valley of Jordan has a good variety of items, especially if you need to go farther afield in search of red lentils, sugar-coated chickpeas, coconut milk, or other ingredients essential in a wide variety of cuisines. They also have a small section of fresh produce! What's available there can vary, but I've walked out with great bell peppers, fresh ginger, that carrot or celery rib I need for tonight's soup, etc. The produce can sometimes vary in availability, but I'd say that the majority of times I've been in there they've had at least the basics, and occasionally a few more esoteric items. They also have a sandwich counter that I hear is very good; I haven't tried one of these myself, but I hear reports that they have some of the best middle eastern sandwiches around! Many items are halal, for those with dietary restrictions. And there's these great little things they offer -- $1 for a pack of big, tasty cookies! Something I try not to get too often for obvious reasons, but great for when you have friends coming over and you want to provide some cheap and easy snacks. I recommend Valley of Jordan to everyone I meet. It might not suit your purposes for a full-on grocery run, but it definitely is there for just about anything else. And its selection of specifically Middle Eastern ingredients and items actually exceeds both Hyde Park Produce and Treasure Island! read more

I initially had a negative experience with the cashier other reviewers mentioned, which I presume is the old woman who co-owns the place. She was quite grumpy at first, which scared me off of this place for a few months. But she definitely warms up to you. After I lived in the area for two years she would chat me up and ask me what I was cooking with what I was buying, etc. Also, by that time they'd let me haggle for bulk purchases, helped spot me bags and quarters when I was desperate, etc. This is a pretty good place to buy certain items. If you catch them while they have fresh meat coming in (which is every couple of days) it's probably the cheapest in the area. Treasure Island can be a little cheaper sometimes I guess, but that's a fair distance to walk from 53rd and Ellis and it's not that much cheaper. They have pretty good prices on basics like oil, flour, sugar, cleaners, and so on. They don't have much produce, though they have some basics like potatoes and onions. I've never ordered a sandwich from the deli so I can't comment on that. They also sell some prepared food under the counter. The spinach pie is okay--I prefer Hyde Park Produce's, but sometimes you don't have the motivation to walk that far. The hummus is great, although they don't always have pita bread that isn't frozen. Do try their imported candy bars! Overall, it's a quirky small shop and as long as you can accept its quirks it can work out pretty well for you. read more

There's potential here. As previous posters note, sometimes its hard to find the true gems in this store that tries a little too hard to cater to the American palate. Everything's there, you just have to know where to look and what to ask for. There's a Turkish coffee bar, veggie juice bar and a full service Lebanese deli in there but they don't jump out at you. The owner 'Jordan' is very friendly and accommodating. Ask for some bulk Turkish coffee, its not on the shelf but its worth searching out. read more

Best Chicken Shwarma in Hyde Park. Hands down. I'm going to start eating there every day and try the rest of their fare. And I just joined yelp to write this review. read more

the lady was a bitch. i tried to by a soda that was $1.80 when i handed it to her she scratched off the label and said: $2.00. i gave her a 5 and she gave me $1 back. i explained that i needed all my change and she said it was + tax. i told her that $1.80 + 9.25% tax was $1.97. she told me that she ran the sore for 16 years and knew how to run a store than told me to scram. VERY RUDE AND BAD EXPERIENCE DO NOT GO THERE read more

I'm so excited to have a halal meat store in Hyde park! Great service!

AMAZING SHAWARMA!!! This place is like a little corner store meets deli ... it's a gem. Discovered it a few weeks ago and have gone there a few times since then. Very clean and the owner is very friendly. read more

I was in the neighborhood sometime ago and dropped by this store, thinking it was just a convenience mart. I was pleasantly surprised to see they have middle eastern food so I made a point to drop back by later on. I went by today for lunch and overall was disappointed. They didn't have any lamb schwarma available, which may have made a huge difference in my experience. (I love lamb) Instead I had the chicken schwarma, which wasn't nearly as savory as the ones from Nile on 55th. If I'm ever by there and have a chance to try the lamb I might change my mind, but in general I don't see myself making a plan to go back. read more

Great food, great people. I tried the Jordan snack, falafel, cake and and lamb schwarma. I used to live really close and tried falafel there for the first time. I loved it!! Then I tried different falafel at other places but Valley of Jordan has the best!! They are cheap as well, around $4, and huge huge portion! The lamb schwarma is so large that if fills me for a whole day - and I'm a food person that can eat a lot! They are also nice people there. Jordan has given large boxes to help me moving. He has ALSO given me several kinds of food as gift, and has told me I to make them. I come back once in a while because I want to try every sandwich that Jordan makes. I absolutely feel that every sandwich there is quality garanteed and I love new and exotic food! Definitely recommend this to every food or friend person! read more

I love this place!!!! I dont no of another place in on the south side where you can get a freashly made halal turkey or pastrami sandwich plus the own is a very good guy.Much success read more

Actual reasonable prices as opposed to most of Hyde Park and delicious fresh pita.

As previous reviews have noted, I don't think that Valley of Jordan gets nearly the attention it should. It's a great local store, and carries a number of products that are difficult if not impossible to find in Hyde Park. I used to live about a block away, so I'd always head over for late-night or last-minute groceries. They're open until 9pm (or they were last I checked), which makes them the only evening option for groceries in the neighborhood, unless you count CVS. I don't recommend them for fresh produce, as they usually only have a few wilted specimens, although they have ginger, garlic, and onions which I'm sure are fine. They have the usual mini-mart selection of a few cheeses (including some interesting canned fresh cheeses with labels I can't read but buy nevertheless), eggs, milk, and creamer, as well as a dizzying array of sodas, Arizona teas, and fruit juices, many of which are rarer brands not sold elsewhere. Some paper goods and cleaners, and an aisle full of typical dry and canned goods. Since it's a smaller store the prices are a little higher than at bigger grocery chains but not significantly so. The highlight is, of course, the more hard-to-find middle eastern products they sell. Dried fruits and nuts, spices, curry paste and sauce, preserves, flavored molasses, various sweets, etc. For a while they had big jars of coconut oil at a great price, which made me especially happy. I have actually never even tried any of the deli side, but the prices on deli look decent and they do offer sandwiches and the like. Customer service is varying, but about typical for a small hole-in-the-wall grocery. I've found the owner and his employees to be on the whole very accommodating (he once ordered an item he no longer carried for me because I mentioned to him that I missed it). I can see where other reviewers may have felt put off by the attitude of some people, and I have certainly felt that way sometimes, but I have had no truly bad experiences. read more