Ordered the chicken doner kebab plate for takeout and a side of dolmas. Every bit of it was delicious and one plate lasts me three meals! The chicken was perfect but best part is the buttery rice it comes with. I could eat this forever. read more

I recently checked out Zizi's with a friend because it was on his list of places to visit. I was pleasantly surprised by the food I ordered. I really like that Zizi's is located right off the brown line ans only a few blocks from the red line. I did not have an issue locating the restaurant. My friend and I were able to sit outside since it was beautiful outside. The inside of the restaurant is spacious enough to hold a variety of group sizes. The waitress was very attentive and didn't try to rush us to order since we were busy catching up. I ended up ordering the Zizi's Favorite: Pizmahmagun Wrap. I would say the wrap is the best bang for your buck because it is large and not too expensive. The wrap was absolutely delicious and I was able to have the second half for lunch the next day. It sat really well which is a plus. I was not impressed by the carrot spread. It was runny and flavorless. It was not great especially with the bread that was offered. I am just happy that it was a complimentary item. I will say there is one thing that really confused me during my visit. I arrived at the restaurant a little early so I stood outside to read the menu posted on the outside wall. A gentleman that worked at the restaurant ended up watching me a little too close. He stood in the doorway, he did not say anything to me, but watched me which was slightly odd. read more

I'm really glad I got to try this place since I've been having a craving for Turkish/Mediterranean food since coming back from Turkey. I ordered Zizi's favorite wrap and the portion size is quite tremendous. While it was satisfying and I liked the meat, it fell quite short of what I had in Turkey (look up Durumzade - a shrine should be made for that restaurant). It was savory but I wished there was more vegetables and flavor inside the wrap. The fries are average and could have used more seasoning. Still, it's a nice environment and it would be a great place for a quick lunch. They were relatively empty when I came in the early afternoon. read more

Zizi's Cafe - Generous portions - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We really appreciate this neighborhood cafe. The food is fresh & generous and the staff is as kind as can be. We ate outside so our baby grandson could watch people & play with bubbles. The owner came out to say hello & our server was super accommodating. So grateful this restaurant has managed to survive Covid! read more

Killer place: great food, large portion, nice staff, good price. They often throw in a little something too. I've had a few gyro places in Chicago, even highly rated ones, and my disappointment was unresolved until going to Zizi's. The beef gyro sandwich, wrap, and fries are amazing. The former is so big that even my constantly overconsuming American ass can't finish it in one sitting. read more

I had a really great meal at Zizi's! I recommend the combo platter to share with someone. The sidewalk cafe tables are a really nice touch. Great service. Really all anyone could ask for! read more

Trek-worthy. One of the few Turkish restaurants in Chicago, and prolly the only one who puts a LOT of TLC in the dishes they serve (see open kitchen video). Caution: Group BYOB may limit table turn-over. Dishes are best enjoyed when shared as it is plenty of food. Clean taste with well-seasoned complementary flavors. Complementary BREAD AND CARROT SPREAD (puree preferred rather than chunks) is much appreciated. Thank you! EGGPLANT LOVER (aka BABA GHANNOUJ) with DÖNER KEBAB with just right mixture of ingredients serves 2+. Interesting BULGUR is couscous' cousin twice removed -- different look, feel and bigger. Single-serve TURKISH CHAI TEA (wishing for a pot next time). SKIP the excellent tasting TURKISH COFFEE as there are more coffee grounds (1/4-1/3 at bottom) than coffee. Beautiful presentation. KAZANDIBI is a okay. Casually prepared firm custard (NOT the love child of Panna Cotta and Flan as a Yelper described). Due to online photo search, my expectations were unusually high than the reality. Better consumed when thawed a bit. $15 TURKISH BREAKFAST serves 2. A wonderful morning feast. SPINACH PIE is different from Others, more like a meal due to onion. I didn't care much for the eggs. TURKISH SAUSAGE in the eggs is a must try. SKIP generic Columbian drip coffee. Indulge in TURKISH TEA in a pot (keeps it warm for a while). 1-star less due to pack your own Brown Bag during a Table Service. read more

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Good portions and nothing tasted bad, but this had to be the least flavorful Mediterranean food I've ever had. I had the chicken doner hummus plate and she had the falafel (which she really liked). The service was attentive and the establishment was clean etc. Just needed to use more spices or marinade or something. PS: it's BYOB read more

Zizi's Cafe - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Some of the best food and service we have ever had! Everything is so fresh, delicious, and well-prepared. Zizi is an incredible business owner and so friendly! Great experience and totally recommend! read more

Zizi's Cafe - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Super friendly staff and great food! It was our first time coming here and we will definitely be coming back!

I don't do many reviews, but I just want it make sure this restaurant keeps the high marks it deserves. It was recommended to me by a Turkish girl who said this is where her family comes for good food when her mom gets tired of cooking. Enough said. It's been on our family's list of favorite places for many years. Truly good quality and service. Delicious and inviting. Thank you Zizi and staff! read more

It may look like your average neighborhood Mediterranean joint, but Zizi's Cafe is anything but! I wandered in with two friends on a Saturday night, and was immediately greeted by the friendly server Lara. The restaurant was filling up quickly, but we managed to snag a table. I ordered the falafel and salmon sandwich. It was amazing. The sandwich came with fries. We also ordered rice puddings and baklava which were also delicious. By the end of the meal we were planning our next visit. The food is fantastic. This place is perfect for groups or a casual date night. read more

This place is open and delivering, they are family owned and their dishes are great ... The trifecta of food! Their moussaka keeps me coming back. Don't cook dinner tonight, call them directly and order in!! read more

Great experience here, loved the fresh baked bread and the spread served with it. The chicken kebab was cooked perfectly, served with fresh veggies and a nice helping of rice. The wait was a little longer than expected but overall it was a great experience read more

Zizi's Cafe - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Had a nice dinner here earlier this month. The complimentary carrot spread was our favorite! The red lentil soup was okay, maybe I prefer yellow lentil soup. We enjoyed the doner sandwich but thought it was a little dry. The meat was tender and delicious though. I really enjoyed the Lachmacun, it was like a thin crust pizza or flatbread and was very tasty! Would come back for the lachmacun and carrot spread. Overall the ambience was nice and service was good. Prices are fair. I've had better Turkish food but could possibly come back to this place. read more

Soggy fries. Bland. No condiments. The wrap tastes like tortilla instead of doner. Not great. very odd that they presented the falafel with chopped carrots and two cherry tomatoes. read more

Zizi's Cafe - Doner Wrap. Soggy fries - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I've dined in and gotten takeout or delivery from Zizi's countless times and never had a bad experience. Food and service is consistently solid. Pretty interior with mosaic lamps makes this a fun restaurant to bring guests. Menu must-haves include their carrot spread (free for dine-in), doner sandwiches, and lamacun or pizmahagun wrap. The true standout is their homemade bread, which comes on their sandwiches and alongside starters. Not quite like a traditional pita, as it's fluffier and pocketless, but entirely superior. Be sure to order extra to take home! read more

Super friendly staff and amazing food. Highly recommend for authentic Turkish food! The chicken doner was so the best

Loved this place!! It's a casual environment with delicious food. The beef kebabs were definitely our favorite but all of it was good. It's some of the best Mediterranean food we have had in the city--definitely plan on coming back!! read more

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Hands down some of the worst food I have ever had. I ordered the chicken wrap with fry's. My partner ordered the chicken kabobs. We also had hummus and falafel. All of it was absolutely terrible. This was a very expensive order, so the dissatisfaction is double. I can't believe the reviews of this establishment, they must pay people to give 5 stars because they are most certainly a 1 star restaurant. Never again! read more

One of the best places I have ever eaten in Chicago! From appetizer to desserts, the food is delicious. I had the dolma, chicken doner kebab, and baklava, and it was all great. Everyone in the establishment that I met was very kind and courteous. Could not recommend more! Definitely vegetarian friendly too, and has plenty of options for all! read more

The only thing better than the food is the service. Come hungry. Big portions. Red lentil soup is wonderful

Delicious, fresh, and affordable Mediterranean food! Ordered take out through Grubhub on a Saturday night. The order was ready within 30-40 minutes of ordering. We shared the falafel and the hummus with bread. The falafel was so flavorful and had a fantastic texture that was a little crispy on the outside but very soft and moist on the inside. It came with a nice tahini sauce for dipping. The hummus was very smooth and creamy and the fresh bread was amazing! It had a great texture and was hearty. It complimented the hummus perfectly. I had the chicken kebab entree which was fantastic. The chicken was tender and flavorful as was the wheat couscous that came with the meal. Loved the variety of roasted veggies as well. It was a large portion and made great leftovers. He had the wrap with ground beef and chicken and said that eat bite got better and better. Also came with fries. We will definitely be back to try more! read more

I have been to this restaurant many times, I can honestly say that every time I am even more amazed how great Turkish food is. The owner Zizzy is such a great guy , and he always makes sure that everything is fine. Makes great suggestions and always takes care of his customers. Food is always fresh and so delicious. Prices are reasonable. This is a great place to hangout, BYOB too. There is something for everyone here, you won't be disappointed. Please update your bathrooms, very bad. One thing that may turn some people away. That's why I gave you a 4 star rating, otherwise it would have been a 5 star. read more

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Zizi's is a nice little spot for Turkish cuisine. The owner is very friendly and attentive. They have good selection of different dishes. Sultan platter looked great, however they didn't ask how well we wanted our meat and it ended up being a little dry. read more

Zizi's Cafe - Sultan Platter - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Wowowow. What an unexpected treat. Stopped in here before heading out to a bar for the night and was completely blown away by all The deliciousness that was thrown at me. Let's start with the bread that they bring to the table. So much bread. It was so freaking good too. Warm, crusty and soft at the same time. Just yum. Then I ordered the falafel wrap, which came with fries. It was massive. Such a stinking deal. I'll definitely be back. Loved this place. read more

Zizi's Cafe - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great Turkish cuisine. I have an eggplant allergy and our server recommended what to order to get the full experience while keeping my allergy in mind. Everything was so delicious. And she brought us a free dessert! read more

Had dinner with friends and the food was absolutely delicious. Everything I tried was soooo good. The service was spectacular. We tried all the recommendations from our super friendly server and she was spot on for us. We will definitely be back! read more

Honestly, this may be my favorite restaurant in the entire city. The service is always familiar and friendly, usually by the owner himself. My go-tos are the carrot dip, iskender and eggplant lovers. The cherry on the sundae is that this place is byob. Head here if you want delicious food and fantastic service for a price that can't be beat. You won't regret it! read more

Best Turkish restaurant in the Chicago try it you can get your own bottle good service read more

Zizi's Cafe - Crusted salted sea bass - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is a neighborhood gem! Zizi and his staff are great! We love their bread especially with the carrot dip. A few favorites are their Turkish feta salad with chicken, the salmon sandwich and entree and soups are wonderful! Great value, great service and yummy food! read more

This place is delicious! A bunch of us took over the sidewalk tables. A waitress promptly took out orders, gave us a yummy amuse bouche and pretty soon we had our delicious meals. Great food, family owned.. can't recommend it any higher!!! read more

I came here with a friend for a Saturday lunch and absolutely enjoyed the food and service. We were seated right away and started with the Turkish chai, which was delicious. We tried a few different dishes, and everything tasted fresh. The platters are huge, so I would recommend getting a sandwich if you aren't that hungry. Overall, this was a great spot for a Saturday lunch. Looking forward to going back. read more

Daniel picked up our order and brought it back to fremont. I had the salmon sandwich, cam had the chicken doner, and daniel got the falafel wrap. Despite enduring a 5 minute bike ride, the food was the perfect temperature for consumption. Cam put on ZeZe on repeat while we ate. The food was all delicious and paired well both a Busch light. Great food for a great price, highly recommend read more

We came across this place when browsing online for new restaurants near us, and we decided to give it a try -- it didn't disappoint us! The lady who served us was kind. The complementary carrot spread and bread was pretty good. I got the Iskander platter and it was not only tasty but also generous in portion. I could only finish half of it and took the rest home for lunch tomorrow. It was definitely a nice first experience with Turkish food and I recommend this place. read more

Zizi's Cafe - Iskender Kebab Platter - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We decided to try this place out for dinner during the week because of all the great reviews. And they don't lie! The service was very fast & everyone was so nice. They bring out some free bread & free carrot spread to start. The bread is so good! Warm, light & fluffy! We basically filled up on bread. It's hard not to eat it all! They also gave us a small plate of the smoked eggplant salad. It was very fresh tasting and had a great smoky eggplant taste. They also refilled our bread. We ordered the Pide with Chicken Doner and Cheese. It is definitely big enough to share! It came out nice and hot. It was like a Turkish quesadilla or pizza pocket. Definitely good for a picky eater. Basically just cheese and chicken inside baked dough. We also ordered the Combo Platter. Also big enough to share! A great way to try 4 different options! I loved the salmon & chicken doner! My husband loved the lamb doner & kofte. Worked out perfectly! We got half rice & half couscous (recommended by our waitress) and it was perfect! They also gave us some free dessert. It was a Turkish custard. Not too sweet kind of like rice pudding. I would definitely come back! Also BYOB! read more

Zizi's Cafe - Combo Platter - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

What a neighborhood gem. BYOB, free carrot dip appetizer (seriously it's crack it's so good) and the bread that comes with it is amazing. The food is delish! Their wraps are great, the moussaka is great, and their chicken schwarma is SO GOOD. I've been here probably 10+ times and never had anything I didn't like. The service is also great- they are super friendly. They have a couple outside tables but not many. Inside is pretty dark - would be good for a date, but I also have come here on many a girls dinners. Highly recommend! read more

Zizi's is such a delight. They have an amazing menu and a cozy atmosphere that makes you feel at home. But if that doesn't pull you in immediately, the complimentary crispy bread and carrot spread will. The first time I came here, my friend and I shared the falafel wrap (which comes with really great fries) and arugula caprese salad. The falafel is wonderful and its texture is on the creamier side. I wasn't expecting to love the arugula salad as much as I did, because it seemed fairly simple, but they managed to make it taste exceptionally good. I had never tried ratatouille before coming to Zizi's, but I was intrigued by the Pide with Eggplant Ratatouille so I ordered it the next time I visited -- it was delicious and light, wrapped in thin dough and served pre-sliced so it was easy to share. Zizi's is BYOB, and needless to say, everything pairs wonderfully with a bottle of wine. The service is always great and I feel happy just thinking about the food here. Can't recommend it enough! read more

Highly recommend this place. I've never really tried Turkish food before, aside from shawarma. All of the dishes I tried were all out of this world. Keep in mind the portions are GIGANTIC. The waitress was very nice (even gave us a complimentary dessert), and the restaurant was super clean. Free bread Outstanding food great service read more

I requested no onions when I ordered yet the food came with lots of onions. Didn't want to wait to send it back and have it made all over again. Also, the food was extremely salty. read more