Food in the back of a small grocery store is often the best in my experience... It's family run, and they gave us a free cup of lentil soup because it was so incredibly cold, the guy was very nice. The soup and chicken shawarma were both fantastic. Good tzatziki too. I'll be back to try the falafel, it's supposed to be some of the best in the city. Good price too! read more

If you want authenticity, you'll find it here. The food here is as real as it good, from the spices to menu items to their in-store products - everything is that REAL real Middle Eastern food. The staff here are very hospitable and welcoming as well, they're always so kind. One time I was waiting for my order and one of their employees brought me over a small cup of their lentil soup to try. It ended up being the best lentil soup I've ever had lol. I typically get either their chicken kebab or chicken shawarma entrees, their falafel is also superb. It's always freshly made, hot, and flavorful. I don't have anything bad to say about this place, just go here the next time you're feeling authentic Middle Eastern food. read more

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Super! So glad there are still some old school, family run businesses in the area. I used to eat at some of the stores off of 26th street in Little Village, and this reminds me of those places. Theres little to no marketing on the outside of this place, so I'm glad they are on here and get customers by word of mouth. It's nothing fancy, but the food was delicious and authentic. A very eager young fella served me lentil soup while I waited for my food and watched soccer on their TV. Like eating at your neighbors' kitchen and getting a ton to bring home. read more

Yum great food and service!! There's a few seats if you want to eat at location. Enjoyed the Bears game on tv while waiting for food go. read more

Yaba's Food & Middle Eastern Grill - Chicken Kabab Plate - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I went to the restaurant today after seeing it featured on WGN's Around town. The restaurant is in the rear of the grocery store. There were a couple of tables so I was able to eat my lunch there. I ordered the lunch special which included falafel, a salad, french fries, pita bread, hummus and a 7up. Needless to say it was a filling lunch The owner and staff were very nice. I will definitely visit in the near future. read more

The ambiance is humble, familial, and uber welcoming. The service is friendly, fast. The food is the best part. Great, flavorful, and filling. I'm visiting from out of town but if I stayed in this area I'd be a regular here. No doubt. Thanks Yaba. Blessings! read more

Mr Yaba is the man! Great food and good vibes. Try the lentil soup. Definitely going back. read more

Great food, great service, great video of smoked fish. At home feel, with large tv, wide selection of beverages, and a recliner. 10/10 place will be back. read more

May Allah protect this family and business MashAllah Yaba granted us samples of lentil drink and dates and even put in extra meat for my wife and I to share without asking I will definitely be back to support this business. Bismillah May the hospitality never end Long love Palestine read more

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The service at Yaba's Middle Eastern Grill is top-notch!, the staff is friendly, attentive, and goes above and beyond to ensure a memorable dining experience. Overall, the food is really outstanding,hands down, some of the most delicious food I've eaten lately!, and the staff were absolutely amazing. - Omar Alqudah read more

Great service. Delicious food. Will be coming back again! The falafel wrap one of the best I've ever had!

DONT JUDGE THIS BOOK BY ITS COVER! ITS SO FRIGGIN' GOOD!! Sure, Yaba's may look "outdated" from the curb...I get it! When you compare it to the curb appeal of Sultan's Market, Suffron, Sinya, etc. it's not the same. This is the a time where you trust the reviews, walk into this local family owned business, and get some great authentic food. The chicken shawarma sandwich has the best sauce that I've ever had. Add to that some truly great French fries...and you're going to get one amazing meal. Go support this bodega!! read more

Bad and liar and bad service bad bad bad bad bad bad bad they canceled my order without telling me they cancel to order without refund my money. They canceled my order and I'm waiting for two hours. read more

Not my favorite. We had a taste for mediterranean food and decided to give Yaba's a shot based on all of the good reviews. Except for one item, which I'll elaborate on, it wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. Husband got the chicken shawarma plate and said it was decent, but asked that we go back to ordering from one of the other places we usually order from. The pita that came with his meal was really thin and I think the same as what was used with my wrap. I got the falafel wrap, lentil soup and sides of hot sauce and garlic sauce. The soup was more watery than I'm used to, but good and arrived smoking hot. I did notice that the price on their website is wrong, but is correct on DoorDash and GrubHub ($9.50 for a cup of soup seemed outrageous). My wrap wasn't great. I got it without pickles and it was smashed so flat my husband wondered if it was more pita. There was definitely falafel, hummus and tomato on it (I skipped the pickles), but the flavor of hummus dominated. The garlic sauce was ok, fairly inoffensive, but someone botched that batch of hot sauce. I nearly gagged it was like biting into a spicy salt lick, saying someone was heavy handed with the salt is an understatement. I tried to power through because I love spice, but couldn't do it. Husband tasted and said it was revolting. Again, I have to imagine it's not like that on the regular, but didn't help our lukewarm opinion of the food. We don't live that far, but it's unlikely we'd make ordering from here again an priority. read more

a modest market with the most delectable chicken shawarma i've had in Chicago. the sauce is rich and the right amount of garlic. tender and thin burnt slices of chicken and the owner is a big hearted and kind man who brought the sandwich out to the car personally. read more

Hands down the best hommus that has ever been created on this planet. Everyone who works here is so kind and the portions are 2-3 meals. We truly love YABA'S! read more

We ordered Yaba's for delivery, and the food was absolutely amazing!! Everything was generously portioned for the price, and delicious! I did not know that Yaba's was also a convenience store! Will need to make a trip up to get some goodies! read more

Cannot imagine a more delicious meal. I always feel like I'm home when I'm at Yaba's. From Ghareeb and his sons always making us feel welcome, to lentil soup, and watching Al Jazeera, this is my favorite restaurant in the city. I typically get a chicken kabob lunch special and make Mediterranean "tacos". I take my hummus and spread it on the pita, and pile chicken, rice, and a little bit of the salad on top. Don't even get me started on the falafel. It's so delicious and I'm so grateful for having an amazing restaurant in my neighborhood that makes me feel welcome and loved. read more

Yaba's Food & Middle Eastern Grill - Kefta kabab lunch special - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Literally some of my favorite middle eastern food I've eaten in a while, and at a good price too. The lunch special in particular is a great deal, and all the meats I tried were delicious. I had the chicken kebab lunch special, and the chicken kebab and rice were amazing. Their kibbehs were a bit pricey, but soooo good. I also love the selection of soda, and the store atmosphere added to the place as a chill comfortable vibe, which I prefer over a more stuffy restaurant. Will definitely be going back and highly recommend to anyone who wants some delicious food! Service was great too! The staff were all friendly and got our food out pretty promptly. read more

Food service I can't believe today was the first time I tried!!!! Wow it will not be my last, everyone was so nice. Can't wait to everything on the menu. read more

Yaba, the owner, is a friendly man, generous, and adores his customers. The food is clean, delicious, and made from scratch. The entire team at Yaba's grill rock! They work hard everyday to serve good customer service and delicious food. If you are a meat lover, order Yaba's combo or the Shawarma plate. If you are Vegan, try the lentil soup, Spinach pies, Hummus, and Falafel plate/sandwich. If you're not feeling adventurous, try the Cheeseburger or Chicken Wings with French fries P.S. if you are short on groceries while ordering food, the convenient store will serve the purpose. Also, check out some Middle Eastern sweets and groceries. Yaba is welcome to hear any suggestions to your grocery needs, if you don't find something in particular, let him know. read more

Yaba's Food & Middle Eastern Grill - Chicken Shawarma Salad - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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You know a place is legit when you have to walk to the back of a convenience store to find it. I discovered this place about a month ago but since then have returned numerous times. The gentleman who runs the place is super friendly, exactly what you'd expect from a small family-owned store. Here are most of the things I've tried: - chicken shawarma plate: chopped up chicken simply seasoned, accompanied by flavorful yellow rice and small portions of salad and hummus + pita. - lentil soup: excellent, not too salty unlike a lot of places. - hummus: smooth, creamy, lemony, delicious. Small is a good size for 2-3 people to share, large is indeed quite large. - yaba's combination plate: how can you go wrong when you get 3 different meats in one dish? - grape leaves: yum. - falafel: good but personally I need to eat them with the garlic or chili sauce they give you with the meats to make up for the minimal seasoning (for my tastes) - I'm comparing this with downtown Mediterranean fast food spots where the falafel is a little salty. Overall I'd describe the food here as delicious in its simplicity. Nothing is doused in spices but the fact that everything still tastes excellent is a testament to the quality of their Middle Eastern food. The times I've been, they usually have 1-2 people making food (keep in mind this is a back-of-a-store establishment) so be prepared to wait a bit. Or better yet, order ahead to minimize that wait. Even if you do have to wait, I promise the food is worth it! read more

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I had the chicken shawarma lunch special. I'm not a big fan of falafel but it was really good, the hummus was so soft and delicious. The chicken was flavorful and for the amount of food it was a great piece! Will be back read more

Well it looks like we have a new Middle Eastern quisine fave! Would highly recommend their babaganoush and hummus (get a large order and you won't regret it!). Their pita bread is bigger than our plates. And the kafta may be a bit dry, but delicious nonetheless. read more

Yaba's Food & Middle Eastern Grill - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ordered catering for my birthday and was not disappointed! The food is delicious and the portions are more than generous for the price. Plus the owner and staff are extremely kind and threw in extra on top. A must if looking for middle eastern food in a homey environment. read more

Absolutely horrendous food. This might count among the 5 worst meals I've ever had. The kababs were rubber, the gyros were disgusting, the rice was stale, the chicken shawarma was barely edible. I have no idea how on earth this restaurant is rocking a 4.5 rating on yelp, it'll be one of the great mysteries of this app. read more

Really, really nice family running this establishment. For a place without tables and take out only, rarely would I find such warmth and hospitality. Even Yaba's 10 year old son is back there hustling and helping out. I judge Mediterranean/Middle Eastern establishments on three criteria: Lentil soup, felafel and hummus. The lentil soup was fantastic! Hands down awesome! It was silky, flavorful and clearly something made with love. Next up was the hummus and felafel. This was where things got dicey. The felafel was nice and crunchy on the outside, but painfully dry and dense inside. The hummus was good but was a tad on the bland side. The chicken shawarma however, was really terrific and was what I come to love at places like this. Maybe it was a bad night, so I'll go or it a go again. Yaba is a wonderful individual with a beautiful family so I'll definitely give him another shot soon. read more

Elite neighborhood spot. A true hidden gem, with great welcoming ambiance. The family that owns this joint is wonderful and proud of their space and food. Speedy and friendly service, always. And their food is no joke! The hummus, chicken shawarma, and falafel is off the charts. If you haven't stopped by yet, you're missing out. read more

I've ordered from here a few times already and each time the food is on point. Their store front isn't very appealing but the owner is super nice. Their meat is well seasoned, the gyro meat has that good charr flavor, chicken kabobs are tender, and all their sides are pretty good except their cucumber-tomato salad and their rice tastes more like from a box not like real basmati. I wish they had dill rice!! The last time I ordered from them they forgot to give our Baba Ganoush to the GrubHub guy, so they had one of their own guys drive it to us when the snow was getting bad, And even sent us an order of baklava for the inconvenience. They go out of their way to keep their customers happy. read more

Made with so much love n care ! And the workers make you feel like family when you come to visit, they always went to leave you with extra food to sample and most importantly make you feel full !!!! A bang for your buck! read more

New go to for Mediterranean food. Everything was good (especially hummus & lentil soup). In usually very critical of lentil soup. Spinach pie was delicious. Uniquely bready. Only issue was there was no pita delivered with our hummus. It was torture cause it looked so good. The owner insisted on bringing us out bread. And gave us baba ganous and another spinach pie on the house. Completed unneeded but saved our dinner. Thank you, sir. We will be back! read more

Overall bland and forgettable flavors, the rice was cooked nicely. My salad was brown. Very rude cook was berating me the entire time I waited for my to-go order. Go to Sultan's instead read more

This family run spot is such a delight! Tucked in the back of this bodega is a really solid Palestinian falafel/shawarma take out. I lovvvve their combo plate, falafel and lentil soup! Super affordable for HUGE portions! The owner and his family are some of the most kind and genuine business owners (and just people in general) you can come across. He also mentioned to me yesterday they are contemplating opening a dining area and patio next door which would be amazing. Really hope Logan Square supports this place as its hard to find solid middle eastern food in the area and as previously mentioned I really appreciate their positive energy. Pop in and try them out! read more

Yaba's has delicious food! We ordered a large amount for a family dinner and shared almost everything. Great service and so convenient for pick up during Covid. Owner is super friendly and they deserve all the business that they can get during the pandemic, he's been open throughout and has been serving the neighborhood for years! Highly recommend. read more

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Yaba's is some of the best middle eastern food I've had in Chicago, and even better, it's a short walk away from me in Logan Square. The portions were enormous for the price. Definitely a great value. Everything was made quickly and the entire staff was very kind. The gyro sandwich came with a huge portion of fries and the falafel was perfectly crunchy with a smooth center. A gem in the neighborhood for sure ! read more

Yaba's Food & Middle Eastern Grill - Gyro Sandwich - Middle Eastern Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Five stars all around for Yaba's - great food, awesome value and some of the nicest people around. From the minute you walk in, you'll likely be welcomed with a cup of soup (well, at least in pre-COVID days) to sip on while you wait. Everyone is super friendly, and Yaba himself is usually there working the kitchen. We stopped in once a few weeks right before ABC 7 did a segment on them back in January, and the excitement and pride that Yaba exuded as he told us about the upcoming air date was so earnest- which is beyond heartening, to know there are such hardworking and passionate small businesses to support in the neighborhood. There is a fair range of options to order especially given the space constraints of their kitchen, but mostly have the same base ingredients (rice + meat/falafel + pita in some combination), as well as generous portion sizes in common. Only downside for me is that I'm not in love with the falafel here; the texture is very fine and I like it more uneven and chunky... But everything else, from the shawarma wraps or plates to the lentil soup (TRANSCENDENTAL, we have tried and failed to replicate this at home), and the super smoky baba ganoush (my personal favorite), hits the spot if you're craving middle eastern food. Best part is that you'll probably end up with leftovers so you get to enjoy it a second time! read more

Food from here is very good. I've tried other places but this one hit the spot. It is a very humble family owned grill/store. I do recommend to order ahead and they do get a lot of orders from Uber eats. There were 2 tables for two people and a small sofa to wait. Overall the service was great and would definitely recommend. read more

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This might have been the worst falafel joint I've ever been to in my life. The grape leaves are from a can, I could taste the metallic flavor. Very small falafel that when cooked to get that nice hard outer crust it left the inside so dry not even the tahini could help it. Onto sauces, seriously charged for every sauce that I asked for, $0.50 for hot sauce? Nothing here was complimentary. $7.00 for a chicken shawarma sandwich with barely anything in it and yeah the chicken tasted good it was very average and not worth the up charge . I have no idea how or why there are so many positive reviews here, drive down to Wicker and there are so many places to blow this out of the water. Even Masada a few blocks over is a better deal than this place. I left this meal feeling sad, maybe I had hopes for a good affordable spot in the neighborhood. read more

Chicken in the chicken shawarma looked and tasted like small loose pieces, it didn't look like it came sliced off of a spit roast. Hummus was pretty bland. Rice in the stuffed grape leaves had an undercooked texture. Pita's are more thinner, wrap-like that a thicker pocket (not a negative for me, just different). read more

It may have taken a professional archaeologist to discover the 10,000 year-old lentils in Franchthi Cave. But it's somewhat easier to find much fresher lentils in soup form, tucked away in the back of a convenience store. And one could argue that a cup of hot lentil soup is much more welcome on a below-freezing day in Chicago than it had even been closer to its Mediterranean origins. I didn't ask for the soup, they just put it in my hands while I waited for my order- Yaba's Combination plate, a sampler of chicken kebab, kifta, and gyro served with hummus, a salad, pita and a generous portion of excellent-grade rice. This sampler is a good value at $14, enough to feed two mouths or (in my case) one mouth, twice. And while you wait, the surrounding store is your one-stop place to shop if you ever need to pick up an avocado, boxer shorts, and a rat trap in one fell swoop. read more