Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen
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Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen

Permanently Closed

Authentic Mediterranean cuisine with shawarma, falafel, and fresh sauces

chicken shawarma
falafel
byob
hummus
baba ghannouj
garlic sauce
friendly staff
good portions
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen by null

Information

319 S Jefferson St, Chicago, IL 60661 Get directions

$10–20

See Menu
Restroom
Accepts reservations
Vegetarian options
Comfort food
Credit card accepted

Information

Static Map

319 S Jefferson St, Chicago, IL 60661 Get directions

+1 312 944 5800
@dawali_kitchen

$10–20 · Menu

Features

•Restroom
•Accepts reservations
•Vegetarian options
•Comfort food
•Credit card accepted
•Debit card accepted
•Contactless accepted
•Free Wi-Fi

Last updated

Jan 23, 2026

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Lincoln Park Restaurant Dawali Mediterranean Kitchen Moves to West Loop - Eater Chicago

"Dawali Mediterranean Kitchen is relocating from its original Lincoln Park location after eight years. The restaurant is known for offering a range of popular Mediterranean dishes, including baba ghannouj, falafel, shawerma, and kufta. It was originally located at 1625 N. Halsted Street and was a BYO spot with a menu that included strong Arabic coffee with a touch of cardamom. The restaurant is moving to a new space at 319 S. Jefferson Street in the West Loop, which is being developed quickly. The new location is less than a block away from famous diner Lou Mitchell’s and is set to open on July 15, according to Yelp. The S. Jefferson Street space formerly housed a Subway sandwich shop." - Naomi Waxman

https://chicago.eater.com/2019/7/8/20686135/dawali-mediterranean-kitchen-relocating-new-west-loop-restaurant
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen
@infatuation
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Dawali Mediterranean Kitchen Review - Lincoln Park - Chicago - The Infatuation

"For a casual weeknight dinner of affordable and tasty Mediterranean food, go to Dawali in Lincoln Park. They have a long menu with delicious hummus and other dishes like stuffed grape leaves and shish kebabs. It’s also BYOB, so make sure to plan ahead." - Adrian Kane

https://www.theinfatuation.com/chicago/reviews/dawali-mediterranean-kitchen
Dawali Jerusalem Kitchen

Piu

Google
Beautiful place to eat falafel but nothing great. Asked curry to make spicy, they didn’t make it. We had salad, baba ganoosh, falafel and some mix veg curry, baklava, all vegetarian! There were vegetarian options but taste was ok not sure about non-vegetarian options.

Rachel Arias - Tripp I.

Google
**Update to review on 3/31/23** Tried this place again, food is still pretty good but for the amount you get, I can't see paying so much for so small amounts. The best things so far are the fries, very tasty with the dipping sauce (as long as you get enough in your orders) and the Falafel are delicious. Good food and service. I got the spicy chicken wrap and fries, and both were good, a bit pricey but good. Would recommend. 👍🏽

Anna D.

Google
Really tasty! Great atmosphere. We came in while waiting for a train out of town with a few hours to kill before our departure. I got the Chicken Shawarma sandwich, and my partner got the Chicken Kabob sandwich. We also got Dawali Fries, but we ate those too fast to get a picture. Everything was lovingly made and very fresh with generous portions and good prices. Happy we came in! If we didn’t live so far away, we’d be regulars. Great job!

Michelle T.

Google
Such a wonderful experience: Arabic-language pop songs, beautiful interiors, friendly staff and - most importantly - unreal good food! The beef/lamb is so flavorful and tender and the falafel tastes so unique. I will definitely return for more!

Jaden D.

Google
I cannot express within the limitations of the English language how good this is. If you've ever seen the movie Ratatouille when the critic bites into the meal and has flashbacks to his childhood? That's me currently. I'm actually taking the falafel and hummus back home to Texas right now, as I feel a moral duty to share this with everyone I know, though it might not make it home and will nigh certainly end up eaten before we make it Not only is this the best "Mediterranean" I've ever had, it's the best food I've ever had. Ever. I damn near cried at the table into my flavorful curried french fries, my perfectly crispy and perfectly fluffy falafel, and my smooth and decadent hummus. It's made fresh, and sure as hell worth the wait. You can see the steam coming off the falafel! The first bite had me reeling, and the plates were completely cleaned. Also? This is the best price I have ever seen. $18 for the best culinary experience of my life is highway robbery, and honestly I would sell my soul to try it again for the first time.

Brian A

Google
Incredible flavor, quality, and value for a downtown lunch spot! First time here and will return. The chicken shawarma pita was so flavorful with the garlic sauce adding additional depth. The French fries were fresh and seasoned perfectly. Enjoy!

Eran D.

Google
Great service (they are really nice there) and good food (I love the chicken Shawarma wrap and the Baklava). The Falafel is decent and the place is comfy (the regular chair are less comfy) with lovely decor. Next time I'm gonna try the Sabich 😁

SumerA C.

Google
Cute little area. Beautiful design. I love the vibe that I come when I get in here. Very private. A lot of places to sit and mingle with friends. Good, decent price food. The owner and workers were really kind of smiling and helpful
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Amy D.

Yelp
One word: PORTIONS I couldn't believe how huge this plate of hummus and beef was. Came here for a work lunch and ended up stuffing hummus into my to-go box in front of my coworkers for later. No shame.
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Sandra L.

Yelp
Not sure what the deal is , they were closed on a Monday.. had plenty of people wondering why it wasn't open. Was my first time driving out there to try it but it wasn't meant to be.
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Rachel A.

Yelp
Good food and service. I got the spicy chicken wrap and fries, and both were good, a bit pricey but good. Would recommend.
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Steve A.

Yelp
A small place for Mediterranean and Middle Eastern coffee and food. Dawali is a fairly inexpensive cafe for lunch. It has many of the common favorites like falafel and tabbouli. Good vegetarian choices. The food comes out pretty fast so you won't have a long wait. It now has a newer location not far away from the old one and this apparently is as good. Pretty convenient to get to from Greektown. The cafe is pretty small but there's enough room for some counters and a few tables. For a small place they have a lot of coffee and food. There's cold and hot drinks including tea. I like the Jasmine tea cold or hot. It's $3.95 for a regular. This is good with just a little sugar. I would say the best food is the Falafel. It's $6 and comes in a pita. The pita has cucumbers, tahini, and tomatoes. Good flavor. The pita is too small but that's the only complaint about it. A lot of good stuff here. It has many healthy items. There's lots of things for vegetarians.

Blaise M.

Yelp
EAT HERE! The food is so delicious. The menu is fairly small, but everything is masterfully made. The humus has a beautiful floral flavor, the meat is savory and tender. In my opinion the best foods are simple yet complicated in flavor. Dawali nails it. The service was very friendly and they offer a 15% military discount which makes the already reasonably priced foods all the better. The interior is clean and cozy. Try the baklava with the Arabic coffee; it's heavenly.
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Ploy N.

Yelp
A great little spot with delicious food! The Dawali Sampler is a must in my opinion. You got to try 2 hummus, baba ganoush, and marraskah with warm pita bread. Super yummy! The Spicy Chicken Shish Kebabs were also very tender and flavorful. Rice was well-cooked and aromatic. Salad was also very complementary. Service was fast and friendly. Nothing to dislike about this place at all.
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Johnfavour N.

Yelp
Awesome, cheap, and delicious falafel sandwiches! My go to order for two is two falafel sandwiches and the dawali fries. The dawali fries come with an amazing curry yogurt dipping sauce. I used to get their classic falafel sandwiches, which has both falafel and fried eggplant. I talked to the owner and found out they took it off the menu because of an eggplant shortage. Once eggplant is more available they'll bring it back on the menu. Sometimes I'll get an order of baba ghannoush or hummus and get some extra pitas, as a healthy snack. The vegetarian options are so good I haven't gotten around to trying their meat options. Definitely recommend this spot for a healthy, cheap vegetarian meal. Typically I'll order by phone and it'll be ready in 10 minutes. There's street parking on Jefferson right outside the restaurant.

Jennifer B.

Yelp
This has become one of my favorite local lunch spots. The Kufta wrap is my favorite. And the Baba Ghannouj is delicious. Most flavorful lunch in the area.
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Caroline M.

Yelp
Secret spot of deliciousness! Lovely service and super quick. Hummus and wraps are chefs kiss yummy! I go try and support this local small business.

R R.

Yelp
Amazing authentic middle eastern food and great service. I always love coming here. It's a nicely decorated place as well

Rodney B.

Yelp
Best lunch time spot for me Always fresh and tasty If you around I would highly recommend their falafels and sandwiches
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Mazen A.

Yelp
Fresh cooked falafel. And good tasted chicken plates .The service was friendly and the gentleman behind the counter was so accommodating.

Eva A.

Yelp
Palestinian food is the best!! So excited to come back and get some shawarma!!! Falafel is great too
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Eric L.

Yelp
Just visited the new location today. Beautiful bright spot on Jefferson street. The food and service are still as great as ever. I'm glad to see this spot persevering. That chicken shawarma wrap always hits the spot.

Kathleen M.

Yelp
Great service! The food was tasty and the flavors amazing! It is located in the heart of Downtown and has great parking! Bonus!
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Leslie D.

Yelp
I love Mediterranean food. LOVE IT! I'm so thankful I found this place. I loved it so much, I've ordered from it 2 days in a row. I've tried the chicken shawarma, the beef shawarma, falafel, tabbouleh salad and hummus. All were unbelievably delicious!! I don't know what they put in their garlic sauce, but I plan on using it on everything I cook! The portions are huge so it's definitely worth the money. I did both Door Dash and GrubHub, and you get better menu selections from GH.
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Abhishek M.

Yelp
Relative to Michigan, where I travel a lot for work, Chicago doesn't have too many Middle Eastern restaurants that are consistently good and serve close to authentic food.Of course I don't consider Roti, Naf Naf Grill, and I dream of Falafel as sit down restaurants. In addition, Pita Inn and Pita House in the burbs are certainly good but over the years, I personally have gotten bored with the same limited menu items and they feel very 'production line' like. Dawali is a pleasant change from all of the above and had a very broad menu, BYO, solid food, excellent service and located in convenient location in the city. I have had their Fattoush salad, Chicken Shawarma and Kefta kebabs and enjoyed everything. Finally, Dawali offers great value for money.
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Stefan S.

Yelp
I been at Dawali last week, and everything was excellent service, food... It looks like small operation, family owned, stuff is very nice and attentive, and food is delicious. It was 2 of us and we had like 4,5 dishes, and everything was fresh, tasty, food on their plates looks amazing. Me and my friend are quiting from our usually place to go for this kind of food because this place is now our number 1 place to go for Mediterranean food
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Amanda M.

Yelp
Not sure why it took me so long to come here, but I finally did recently on a Friday evening. Boo and I were seated right away and the place was moderately busy. It seemed to be a nice casual atmosphere. We ended up with chicken shawarma entree, half dozen falafel, grape leaves (5), baked spinach pie (2), and a small baba ghannouj. The grape leaves and baba were decent, as was the accompanied pita. The spinach pie had a nice spice to it but did not quite enjoy the texture. The chicken shawarma was fine, but not quite how I'm used to. The falafel was especially disappointing, as it was mealy and on the bland side. Overall, while the food wasn't bad, it wasn't great, as I've had much better elsewhere. Prices and portions were good, especially for the area. Service was fine. We were serviced promptly and requests were taken care of when asked, but we certainly weren't ever asked first of how we were doing throughout the course of our meal. Overall, very average all around.
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Nicholas M.

Yelp
I'm not around this New City neighborhood much, but because I had an event to attend in the area, I wanted to stop by a nearby eatery. Then I found a Mediterranean gem, Dawali right on Halsted. This was more of a restaurant setting rather than a fast food type of place, which I don't see much too often in Mediterranean spots. The interior was quite relaxed and elegant, with lovely paintings hung all around the space. I ordered their special Falaffel sandwich which included cucumbers, eggplant, and potatoes. The sandwich was filled with way more fixings than actual falaffel unfortunately, but it was still enjoyable nonetheless. Service was fairly quick and the waitress was extremely friendly. Delicious meal overall.
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Surbhi T.

Yelp
This is a downtown mediterranean joint perfect for lunch or early pick up or sit down dinner, located near Union Station. My usual order is the lentil soup, with a fattoush salad and their seasoned french fries and delicious curry aioli dipping sauce. Everything is well made and service is fast and friendly.
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Yvonne B.

Yelp
I had a spell-binding experience at Dawali the first time I went. M was entranced. I guess that's to be expected anytime we go to a BYOB with our wine guy, but Dawali seemed exceptional. We got several dishes while we were there and then a few more to-go. M LOVED the Qudsiya which is a bed of hummus with beans in the middle. The beans are very similar to Mexican refried beans but Mediterranean. I was in love with the Chicken Shawerma Wrap. The pickles surprised and delighted me and the creamy garlic sauce took it to a whole new level. The server was very friendly and had no end of patience with bringing us fresh glasses for our many bottles of wine and beer. We loved her. She felt like a chill cousin who was hosting us at her apartment. Cheers! We ordered delivery from Dawali last night and it just wasn't as good as before. For one thing, it took an insanely long time for it to come - over an hour. Heck - I could walk there and back in that amount of time. For another thing, it just wasn't as delicious as when we were there in person with our wine guy. We are going to absolutely keep Dawali in our rotation of easy and yummy food. We'll probably get take-out and go to the Mouse Trap (Off Color Brewery on Kingsbury). I recommend Dawali for sure.

Liz S.

Yelp
Delicious !!! It's not greasy and salty. Very good and neat packaging! Cashier and kitchen attendants are diligently Working together to accommodate customers waiting.
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Ken O.

Yelp
A friend and I were going to see a show at The Royal George Theater and she had suggested this restaurant. The restaurant is very easy to locate since it is so close the the theater, public transportation and to North Avenue. I did not have a reservation, however, I was able to be be seated right away. Within few minutes, my friend had arrived with a bottle of wine. I was not aware this is a BYOB restaurant. Without a beat, the server had brought couple of wine glasses then went over the menu. We had opted to have the Appetizer Sampler. Since I'm not very familiar with Middle Eastern spreads, this was a great way to begin me dinner. I certainly enjoyed the two white spreads. I had opted to try the Chicken Shawerma and my friend had ordered the Check Kabob. We were still enjoying the appetizer sampler. The server would continue to check in with us. About 10 minutes later, our meals were delivered to us. Both meals were good size and very good. Neither one of us had nothing to complain about. So much food, we had to skip desserts. If you are in the area, I would recommend this restaurant.

Ann S.

Yelp
Recently moved around the block and tried this for lunch. Very good and very filling. Will definitely be going back!
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Alex C.

Yelp
I'm a huge fan of Mediterranean/middle eastern food and this place is super close to my school, so I had to try it for lunch last week. The inside is nicer than your average fast-casual spot, and the guy at the counter was pretty friendly. They have all kinds of wraps, pitas, plates and similar items. I went with the beef shawarma wrap with tahini and added hummus (upcharge). I really liked the wrap! Not a skimpy portion of meat, and they put the tahini on the side which was good. Meat was flavorful and seemed to be of decent quality. The price came out to just under $10, about average for a Loop lunch without a drink. However, I must say that one of my favorite places for shwarma wraps in the suburbs, Pita Falafel on 103rd & Harlem, makes a similar wrap for close to half the price. But this is the Loop and I know we have to expect to pay more for the location. Great, non-chain option for Mediterranean food in the Loop area!
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Courtney Y.

Yelp
Disclaimer: this is for delivery. I've eaten at the restaurant and it's good. The delivery was a let down. We just placed an order for delivery and I have to say, I would not recommend it. We ordered two soups, a salad and an appetizer sampler to share for 2 people. The sampler said it feeds 2-4, and I've had it dining it before, it was huge. This one was so small. It was served in a small take out container with barely enough food for one person. We spent close to $40 on delivery and I'm still hungry wanting more food, except I just spent $40 and that seems impractical to order a second dinner. Don't order delivery from here. Dine in or order elsewhere.

Gene P.

Yelp
Salad was rotten. A friend of mine got sick from it. Chicken shawarma was ice cold and I'm not sure it was chicken that was served. If it was it was the weirdest chicken I've ever seen. It looked like chicken skin instead of meat. There are many hard working restaurants in this city that produce higher quality. So don't order online from these guys. Instead go in person and spot check your food with a close eye. The city should review this place to ensure they are meeting quality standards of health.
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Michael C.

Yelp
Big fan of dawali! I can see the hype as 4.5 star restaurants are a rarity on yelp. My gf and i were craving fresh and a kind of cuisine that wasn't short on vegetables so we decided to hit up Dawali before a show at IO theater. There's a solid selection of food here and it's gooood given how packed it was on a Thursday night (though there was no wait). We ordered a cucumber salad, falafel, shwarma sandwich, and the veggie saniya. The cucumber salad is composed strictly of cubed cucumber slathered in yogurt and olive oil. It's a simple and refreshing dish. The falafel here is good, but nothing to write home about (sultan's market in wicker has some of the best). I would suggest skipping out on it favor of some other stuff like the shwarma. And damn good shwarma it is. Each piece of meat has a beautiful char on it and is spiced wonderfully/has some great acidity. Huge fan. I'm not the biggest fan of vegetarian dishes in general --MEAT is king-- but the veggie saniya was excellent. It was an entree sized portion of medium spice tomato base with mainly eggplant and zuchini. It was light but super flavorful and the heat they added was a great touch. Our server was great and patient with taking our orders. The design of the restaurant lends itself to easily coming in, grabbing a bite, and leaving. It's perfect for a night out in the area!
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Cathy F.

Yelp
Okay place. Stopped by to pick up dinner late before heading home. Got the combination platter with chicken kebab and shawarma. Subbed in "grilled veggies" instead of rice. The positive bit was that their garlic sauce and pita bread are very good. Super garlicky yummy sauce and fluffy pita as it should be. The chicken shawarma was solid too The bad: dry chicken kebabs, like pretty tough to eat. Also, if you see the picture below, I opened the container expecting to have a good amount of grilled veggies in one of the side sections. But where is it?!?? I nearly called the restaurant to complain when I dug under the chicken and saw that it was just a measly few pieces of soggy grilled veggies at the very bottom. Was so disappointed in what I was hoping to be a filling and well balanced healthy dinner. I ate the shawarma with the veggies and ate something else at home. Maybe the dine- in experience is better? Oh well...onto the next one...
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Sonika ..

Yelp
It's a good Mediterranean restaurant which offers decent portions for a good price. We ordered Qudsiya- a appetizer with hummus and mix of some beans with pita bread, combination entree of chicken and lamb kebabs which comes with side salad, rice and tahini sauce and a baklava. The lamb was little tough and dry, hummus was very smooth and light and baklava was crisp and sweet pastry, one of the best I have had!
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Jordan E.

Yelp
For what it is, a casual sit down restaurant, I have to give this place a 5 star rating. The food was really off the charts, good portions, lots of options, and service with a smile. We started with appetizers of hummus and a large plate of falafels. Both of these were really good, a nice olive oil on the hummus, and great texture with the falafels. For entree, I got the Spicy Chicken Kebab plate, and I would highly recommend. I am usually a schwarma guy, but but he waitress convinced me otherwise, and rightfully so. Super tender, great flavor, not overwhelmingly spicy, but a good kick. Comes with rice, salad, and pita. We also got fries for the table, and these came with a great curry mayo sauce. Will definitely be back
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Dan P.

Yelp
The wife and I went here before a play at the Steppenwolf theater. The service was fast and friendly. The food was delicious. For a long time, we have not had a standby pre-Steppenwolf restaurant. This place may now be that restaurant. We started with what was essentially a puréed fava bean dip. It came with pita bread and was delicious. I had the chicken shawarma sandwich and the wife had the chicken shawarma plate. Both were good. My sandwich came with what appeared to be a yogurt sauce of the type that Greek restaurants put on gyros. The server recommended getting appetizers next time because we told her how delicious the fava bean app. was. We will certainly be back and will consider her advice.

Stacey M.

Yelp
I still absolutely love Dawali. It's my hands down favorite restaurant in the West Loop and my go to for easy week night dinners. They are friendly, quick, the food is amazing every single time, and on my most recent visit they were more than willing to accommodate some very challenging food allergies for one of our family members. I can't recommend them highly enough!
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Emily H.

Yelp
the portions are just right and the food is not overly greasy with a good amount of veggies and tasty at the same time. the wraps are really good, loved the hummus they have in it! the grape leaves are great too, very refreshing. we also tried the lamb bread pie, they are just like empanadas but with amazing taste we had baklava for dessert, it is very well made the price is very decent too given its location
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Jean L.

Yelp
I came here on a shivering winter day, thanks to Spring Rewards' suggestion. Seriously - thank you Spring Rewards. First off, BYOB, casual restaurant with amazing food!!! The prices are around if not under $10, and up to this point, Old Jerusalem was my favorite middle eastern restaurant..but Dawali has since taken its place! The food well-portioned and well spiced. My only complaint was that this place is a little heavy handed on the olive oil, but other than that...mm mmm DELICIOUS
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Francis R.

Yelp
Mmmmm. Yes. Black Friday shopping had me all hangry and such. A quick Yelp & SpringRewards search later, and boom Dawali Mediterranean Kitchen it is! First thing is first... BYOB. No corkage fees or any of that business. A true BYOB joint. Secondly, food was surprisingly awesome! Not sure how traditional I would consider it, but if it tastes good and you end up eating it all, it had to be a pretty good meal overall. Am I right? Started with a small order of baba ganoush and a bowl of their soup of the day, which was a vegetable soup of some sort with bits of braised lamb (sorry I don't recall the name). Both dishes were fresh and excellent, and only $4 a pop. Not bad! For main entrees, the falafel sandwich & shawarma wrap were our final choices after minutes of debate. The Classic Falafel Sandwich ~ essentially a unique Falafel Sandwich with the addition of fried eggplant, cauliflower, and potatoes served with tahini sauce. By potatoes, they mean french fries! Say wuuut. That was a nice surprise! The Shawerma Wrap ~ features choice of chicken or beef/lamb shawarma with pickles and tahini [beef] or garlic sauce [chicken] wrapped in a flat bread and toasted on the griddle. For this, we decided on beef/lamb with the garlic sauce, let just say "Oooo wee". That garlic sauce is a punch in the mouth and delicious at the same time. To be honest, it tasted more like a burrito with gyro fillings and a nice garlic sauce. Not complaining, but the flavors can be a bit rich once you get closer to finishing it off. Anyways, sandwiches were only $6-ish a pop. In short, BYOB, delicious food, and affordable. Definitely will be back! 'Til next time, cheers!
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Sarah K.

Yelp
Byob! I really like this place. The food is good and reasonably priced.our server was friendly The hummus with the chicken shwarma is delicious . Falafel is good as well . The stuffed grape leaves were just ok , not bad just not awesome . Ive also tried their salads which are good as well This place is great to share stuff with others so you can try alot I recommend!
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Zamira S.

Yelp
I'm so lucky to live a block away from this gem! Probably the most delicious middle eastern food in Chicago. Garlic sauce is awesome, hummus with pita bread is to die for and my favorite is their tabbouleh salad. Im drooling just writing this review
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Simon T.

Yelp
Stopped in for lunch. Line moved super fast. Falafel was delicious, as was the masakas (roasted veggies). Hummus had good flavor, although the texture was a little thinner than I like. Will be going back for the meats at some point. Definitely worth a look.
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Sepideh R.

Yelp
Owner is very friendly, reasonable prices, and great food. Also many options for vegetarians!
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Alex L.

Yelp
Dawali Mediterranean Kitchen is a convenient and delicious restaurant with great prices near North/Clyborn. We visited on a Friday night before a Steppenwolf Theatre Show and were happy with the selection and tastes. Definitely start with appetizer sampler ($13.50, the priciest item of our meal) which includes hummus, baba ghannouj, masaka, ful mudammas and 3 falafel, artfully presented. The hummus and baba ghannouji were perfect and the ful mudammas was so tasty. Falafel were nicely portioned with a fantastic crisp and taste. I ordered a falafel sandwich ($5.75!) which included all the standards (plus fried eggplant and fries) and was filling. We also ordered the chicken shishkabab plate ($13.45) and were rewarded with a large plate with generous portions of juicy, grilled chicken breast, rice and salad. Chicken was well cooked and charred, rice well seasoned and salad a good compliment. Every aspect of the meal was delicious and definitely choose the garlic sauce over tahini if you like a bold, creamy dip. BYOB so bring it on! The atmosphere is casual and calm with mediterranean/Turkish flare. You can't beat the quality and prices, check Dawali Mediterranean Kitchen out!
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Ron J.

Yelp
I had dined at the old location an unimaginable amount of times (I worked a block away) and was just in the city again. A friend reminded me of Dawali but thought it had closed. To our delight we found they had moved. So we went. As always the food is delicious. Fresh and flavorful at just the right price. The fries are unbeatable and the sauce that comes with them is ridiculously good.
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Dale K.

Yelp
Sorry to learn last night that the Halsted location is closing. Was very convenient for dinner before a show at Steppenwolf or Royal George. Large portions of quality food at reasonable prices. BYOB was great for having good drinks with dinner without being gouged by restaurant prices. New location on South Jefferson.
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Elise G.

Yelp
The best restaurant in West Loop and the Loop. The falafel and spicy hummus are amazing!! The sauces are all so flavorful and the services/people are top-notch. LOVE!
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Nancy L.

Yelp
MEH. meh. meh. This was a downer on virtually every level. Let me start with a few positives: Pita - very fresh, very good. Tahini - good. BYOB - although we didn't take advantage of this visit. Now the downers.. Around 4pm on a weekday we walked into a nearly empty and cozy middle eastern inspired dining room playing middle eastern holiday music..(in the Spring, huh?). Only a few diners inside. Hostess greets us, now seated we browse the menu.. Ask hostess (who also serves us) a few questions regarding menu. She gives us mainly two word answers. Seems sort of rushed and overall demeanor is impersonal, uninterested, unenthused. The smile on her face was all we got. I asked how long the kebabs take to cook and my answer was "as soon as you place your order". Alrighty then.. Onto the food... We ordered the baba ghannouj and small order of falafel to start. Baba ghannouj is stated on menu to be a chunky and tangy puree of roasted eggplant. Falafel is described as a chickpea fritter. Description of falafel was spot on as this was definitely more of a fritter than a falafel. Served piping hot. Very crisp shell, very soft bite. Not at all dense. No parsley. No flavor. Tasted like chickpea and only chickpea. I happen to like fritters, but with flavor.. Upon tasting the baba ghannouj we were confused and thought maybe she brought us something else. We couldn't detect ANY eggplant. There were no visible "chunks" as described. Still perplexed, we asked our Server if in fact we did receive what we ordered, and she confirmed we did. I'm not sure what this was, but it tasted nothing like baba ghannouj. It was tangy, I'll give them that and that's all it was. I eat this all the time and it was a poor excuse for baba. We waited a good 25 min for our entrees to arrive. I thought maybe the meat takes awhile to cook. I envisioned big juicy pieces being that it took so long. My Kebab combo plate of Spicy chicken and beef kefta arrives, along with friend's Classic Shawarma sandwich. My hypothesis was wrong. No big pieces here. This would have reasonably taken about 10 min. tops to cook. While my plate was hot, my friend's Shawarma pita sandwich was not. Logic tells me it was sitting while my plate was being prepared. Friend said shawarma was ok but dry. My Kefta was dry and scrawny. Spicy chicken was tender chicken breast pieces, they give you three. Nicely charred and cooked well, but had a forward spicy hot kick that lingered. It was all I tasted. Wouldn't be surprised if they doused the chicken in bottled hot sauce and threw it on the grill. My combo comes with rice, small salad and two sauces. Tahini & a yogurt sauce? I couldn't tell. Rice was really bland, dry and tasted as if it had been sitting for hours, no way was this fresh. Salad portion was ridiculously tiny. Could it be the small plates they use to cram everything on it just doesn't work here? Yep. Could it be that $15 for a combo sounds like a good deal only because your really getting half the amount you'd likely receive at other middle eastern joints? Yep. Would I come back? Nope. What we did have did not taste authentic middle eastern, and if they claim it is, that's ok too - but I like flavor with my food. Not only was it overpriced for the absence of taste & portion size, and the wait unjustified, but the dining experience itself was just unwelcoming...We couldn't wait to get our check and leave.. I'm surprised by all the high star reviews (reason we came here). I can see Dawali's being a convenient choice as its across the street from the theatre and byob makes it all the more alluring. But as convenient as it might be, I'd go to Reza's before I'd come here or Kebab House in the burbs and skip this place..
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Bettina S.

Yelp
Very disappointing. I ordered the chicken schwarma entree, which came with some sad iceberg lettuce a few diced tomatoes, some very oily yellow rice, and chicken that was so dry that it was hard to swallow. The sauce that came with the chicken tasted like watered down miracle whip with a hint of parsley. The chicken was seasoned well, which is the only reason I'm giving this place two stars. I'm not sure whether we got a bad batch because we ordered around 6:30 and they close at 8, but I was very upset that I paid money for such a disappointing meal. I will not order from here again.

Ari C.

Yelp
One of my go-to lunch spots. Delicious, authentic food, friendly staff, and reasonable prices. If you like middle eastern food, you won't be disappointed.
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Ernie M.

Yelp
Man I hate to do this, but the service sucked. One of the ladies ringing me up was really helpful and sweet, the other was rude as can be... no idea why. Food was decent, but they nickel & dime you for everything, I asked for extra pickles on my wrap and they asked for $2. Overall food was fine, but not good enough to come back, especially in a town FULL of great options.