Dubai Grill

Best middle eastern place on campus. Offers wide variety of middle eastern options. I got the chicken Kebab plate and it was great. The kebab was spicy and the tahini sauce added extra flavor. Also got 3 toppings with it. This place has THE BEST blueberry cheesecake on the campus. The only downside is it’s WAY expensive for the portion sizes they give.

After finishing campus tour at UIUC, we noticed this Middle East restaurant: Dubai Grill. The restaurant looks really clean and nice, and we love middle East food! It turned out to be an excellent choice. We ordered Gyros, Sultan Bowl and Turkish coffee. All taste great! Also very friendly service. Highly recommend Dubai Grill for a healthy and delicious meal!

Dr. Solaiman Ali Bloomington, IL 4-06-25 Dubai Grill: I taught at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for nearly 30 years in a row (1991 to 2020) and I see myself as a fan of Arab cuisine. Now I live with my family in Bloomington, IL. On Sunday, April 6, 2025, during my random family trip to Urbana-Champaign, while driving through the campus, we came across DUBAI GRILL and all of us felt nostalgic and stopped by to taste the food. The food was as expected, delicious. However, when I requested the front desk to send someone to clean up the table top and the space under, one young man came and cleaned the table top. But when I told him that there was a rice spill on the floor under the table, he ignored my request! I was surprised!. Overall, it was not bad experience.

Food was delicious! Staff was kind, informative, and accommodating. The restaurant was clean and spacious. I would definitely recommend the chai karak, falafel, tomato cucumber salad, chicken shawarma, and baklava! If you don’t know what to get, ask the staff and they will point you in the right direction. They care about the food and your experience. We came hungry and left absolutely stuffed (we took the baklava to go!) We will be dining there again!

Great for a quick flavor-filled bite. Delicious and fresh sandwiches. The falafel was the best I've ever had. Worth it. Also excellent desserts. Staff was friendly and welcoming.

Really good food and even better service! Got the chicken shawarma plate and the gyro plate and both were super filling and tasted great. They give quite a large portion, easily enough to take home leftovers for another meal. The people working were extremely kind and hospitable and I’m so glad we found this spot!

Price was reasonable and portions were pretty good. I thought the meat was dry and the toppings weren’t portioned super well but it was still good. Had a few issues with our order but they were prompt to try and rectify it. Felt like a newer business that was still trying to figure things out and the staff operated in a disorganized manner. Maybe we just went on a bad night. I gave this place 4 stars cause I understand how important reviews are to a small business, and I appreciate the effort from a local business owner.

I got the sultan bowl, spicy rice, chicken shawarma, hummus, arabic salad, tzatziki sauce and fire sauce. The tzatziki and hummus was very refreshing and complemented the fire sauce and spicy rice well which were only slightly spicy but nice. The chicken was tender and well seasoned. The staff was very nice and understanding when taking my order, always good to support family businesses. I would highly recommend this place.

I've been there twice and ordered falafel to go. The gentleman making it is very friendly and kind. While he prepared the food, we chatted about how it takes 3 days to prepare the skewered meat that was roasting, and it looked delicious. I don't eat out much, but if I did, I would go here a lot and try everything.

Dubai Grill . If you haven't tried this amazing restaurant in the CU you haven't lived. The customer service alone was 10/10 the food on the other hand is OUT OF THIS WORLD. There was nothing on our plate that wasn't amazing. Definitely going back. I've decided this is weekly worthy. My opinion, and if you don't agree I honestly don't care, because this meal was amazing even with eating it at home slightly re-heated. They're so accommodating. We asked for all salads/toppings on the side so we could eat at home and they had NO issues. We go back because their food is phenomenal. But on top of that their customer service is top knotch.

Went into this restaurant and expected the prices to be correct from the menu up until when I pay the wraps said that they were 9.99 each but on the receipt it was 10.99 each also, the sales tax is incorrect. It's not 11.5%. It's 9%. The food was not up to par as it was when they first opened. I am an expert in Arabic food and this food is kind of bland the hummus,baba ghanoush, Arabic salad and cabbage salad tasted bland and I couldn't really taste the flavor of the garbanzo beans or the eggplant and, the Taziki sauce was very watery. If this establishment can fix their foods, they would do a lot better I was not impressed with the food.

Delicious food and okay prices! But a little not satisfactory service... I ordered the Middle East Vegan. Since it was my first time trying this restaurant, I wasn't sure about the options as well as the set of their catering. The lady who helped me order and check was really indifferent, which made me feel not being taken seriously and a little embarrassed... They do provide various healthy and delicious food, and the dining environment is good, but I may not go again if the server is still frosty...which might make me down for the rest of my day.

Cool small place in Urbana for Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food. It's super casual and fits in with the campus atmosphere around here. Dubai Grill is one of those build your own kind of operations while they fill the base of your choosing. Get a bowl or a pita. The prices aren't bad for this kind of thing. A pretty bare looking place but forget about that and just focus on the good ass food. It was lunch and we were looking for something easy and fast, and this was it. They have a choice of bowls or pitas. Choose a protein like a meat or falafel. Then get toppings. It's about $5 for a pita. We got these with falafel, and got a few toppings. Falafel was soft, and not as crunchy as it usually is. This still had pretty good flavor though. Portions were good. These were filled with a lot. Get the pita if you like falafel. It's good for holding it together because it's kind of messy. The bowls are good if you're hungry because they can put in a crap ton of good stuff.

Awesome food. Staff is super nice. Highly recommend to everyone traveling to Urbana Champaign area. All the kebobs was super tasty.

Great, healthy, low cost middle eastern food. Vegan plate has everything, best smoothest hummus n baba ghanoush, tasty grape leaves, grilled eggplant, multiple pickled vegetables, parsley salad, falafel, and more. Pita bread average. Lunch and dinner. $10 I have had it 3X slight differences in composition everytime Tried chicken shawarma sandwich roasted parts of chicken awesome, unchared parts boring. Positive service

Very good middle-eastern food. The vegan platter, falafel sandwich and shawarma sandwich were very good. The restaurant room was bright, quiet and clean. The service was quite friendly. We will come back during one of our future visits.

Dubai Grill has the best Middle Eastern food I've ever eaten in C-U. The prices are reasonable and the portions are generous. If you enjoy Middle Eastern food, I urge you to try this restaurant the next time you eat out... I doubt you'll be disappointed! My wife and I ordered the kufta kabob and chicken shish taouk, with spicy rice, pitas, and a sample of everything from the wide variety of salads and sauces. The shish taouk was extremely tasty, and the kufta kebab highly delectable. The salads and sauces were super fresh, and added so much complexity and richness to the meal. Some standouts were the babaganog, the hummus, the cucumber sauce, the dolmas, and the Jerusalem salad, but honestly it was all very delicious. After lunch, we had a light dessert of chai karak (warm coffee-drink with notes of honey) and baklava, both of which we thoroughly enjoyed. Dubai Grill has exceptional food, especially the grilled meats. It's got me and the wife wanting to come back and try the shawarmas! We certainly will return the next time we're in town! Highly recommend this place.

Amazing. Just amazing. Beautiful. Tasty. Amazing. Gorgeous. Wonderful. Amazing. I like it a lil bit‍

wanted to try both chicken and beef shawarma, so he let me split it half and half at no extra charge. It was absolutely delicious, got the baba ganoush and jerusalem salad for the sides- both were phenomenal. service was great along, price was extremely reasonable, and food was great 10/10 would recommend and will be coming back. oh and there was a bunch of rice under the meat! very filling meal

I absolutely love this place, not only is the food made fresh Everytime but the people (and what I assume is the owner) are so welcoming and friendly! It's super large portions, I also have left overs! We eat here as often as we can with it being on campus. I promise it's worth the hassle of parking!

I actually live in Dubai for six months if the year. The food here is pretty good... healthy portions, fresh and the shawarma is very tasty. People are nice and the place is calm. I've been several times and will keep going back.

Made a pickup order online 6:20 PM on a Sunday. Ordered an entree, soup, fries, hummus, salad, and pita. Friend got there to pick up at 6:36 PM and was told they didn't have our entree or the soup. Guy said they couldn't make it because they close in 20 minutes... but we ordered 40 minutes before close. I've worked in a restaurant, so I get that, but no one gave us a call or let us know beforehand so we could have planned our meal. Hummus and pita were really good. Fries were soggy and undercooked. I'm sure the food is good but I didn't get to eat it

A locally owned place that puts in the effort. Their falafel is fried fresh to order, making it probably the best I've had in town. All of the workers I've interacted with have been incredibly pleasant and helpful. (They love to make sure you don't forget Tahini or salad on your sandwich.) If you're a broke undergrad or grad student, come for the very reasonable prices and satisfying portions. If you're a townie, come for some of the best falafel in town. Regardless of who you are, try to support the buisness in cash, so that they aren't eating those 3% credit card fees. If you like Shwarma Joint, but hate fighting crowds on Green, I encourage you to try Dubai Grill. The strip they are in has some great competition, and I would still choose Dubai over the other options more often than not.

I've been here three times and the food was amazing every time. Staff is also very helpful and patient, and location is clean and well-maintained. I recently went and placed a group order for 8 Dubai grill large mixed plates, and we got everything exactly as ordered. They were really accommodating and the food was fresh and delicious. Servings are generous and satisfying. Healthy food. I highly recommend the shawerma, kufta kebab, shish tawook, vegan plate, lentil soup, falafel. I think all of the salads and hummus/baba ghanoush are really good. They also have hot sauce and a variety of sauces, as well as hot tea.

Yo ngl this spot bussin fr no cap Good vibes from my habibi behind the counter Ong gyros hit the spot frfr

This is a simple Mediterranean fast food place where you can select shawarma rice bowls, sandwiches and other options. The staff are very friendly and very accommodating. I got a chicken shawarma which came with 3 toppings. It's a nice quick grab and go kind of place when you're in a hurry.

When therefore lunch one day and then ended up buying tea. It was the best tea in the town. And it also did not cost as much.

Made a second visit about 6 weeks later. The falafel and baklava were still excellent but the shish taouk wasn't as good as the first time round.

Once you've had really good Halal Mediterranean food, the bar has been set and it's hard to pay for food that was mediocre. But I'm guessing students are the ones who have 5 stars? Okay if you're starving and service is good. Food meh.

Really really good! Had their chicken shawarma, which can be hit or miss for me depending on the restaurant, but this was definitely a hit. Try their chai, it's delicious!

I had a gyro, which was very good. I'd definitely recommend it. My only complaint is that the Baklava is a lot smaller than expected. The picture shows 4 triangles of baklava for $4.99 (which makes sense), but I got 1 triangle :(

Not from the area, but stopped by for a quick lunch. Such a good experience: delicious authentic food, barely any wait time, and the staff were all so helpful and friendly :)

Great food and awesome service. Lots of options as far as sides with the bowls. Love this place

Experienced Dubai Grill with my college student daughter this weekend after her high recommendation...It did not disappoint!!! The BEST hummus I've had, hands down. Vegetables were fresh. The food was wonderful- The service was just as impressive. Everyone was so personable and welcoming! We were given a sample of the lentil soup in addition to the food we ordered, and I will order that next time as well- curry perfection. This is a delightful gem on the edge of the U of I campus!!

Yummm gotta love shawarmas, falafels, and hummus on a hot summer day. Dubai Grill replaced where it used to be Merry Ann's deli and had been under construction for a while. I'm glad they opened and in a prime location as well. I think I read a review somewhere saying that Dubai Grill is better than Shawarma Joint on Green Street, but it's hard to weight out which is better because they have equal pros and cons. I was pleased to see that their prices weren't too high, but they're not cheap either. For a chicken shawarma bowl, you can expect to pay around $15 total, but you do get a few different toppings and pita on the side. I had to try the falafels because I love me so falafels and they were perfectly fried. A 10/10 for the falafels. I had a chicken shawarma bowl and first impression was that their portion sizes are small. I barely had an rice underneath the bed of chicken. Portion sizes at Shawarma Joint are insanely large, so by comparison, I'd say that you get less than what you'd pay for at Dubai Bowl. I was pleasantly surprised by how nothing was too salty. Definitely do give this place a shot if you're a fan of Mediterranean-style food.

Great food, fresh and very friendly staff. Only drawback is location and parking (not free). But i will definitely visit the place again, great flavors out of the chicken shawarma and you get to pick the garnishing!

Food was delicious! Staff was kind, informative, and accommodating. The restaurant was clean . I would definitely recommend it.

Very good food. Lovely service. Wrapped well for takeout. Would go back again. Close to campus.

Loved everything on the vegan platter, and it includes the creamiest hummus I've ever dipped into. The chicken shish taouk and chicken shawarma sandwich were also huge hits!

Ordered just falafel with tahini sauce (want to know if the flavors are good order a basic item). Having been in the Middle East many times I am pretty picky about falafel, and the Dubai Grill delivered. Excellent! The only down side is that they were out of chai, but I'll be back.

Staff is so kind and the food is delicious! The hummus is TO DIE FOR! Lots of vegetarian, vegan and GF options that are packed with flavor and nutritionally substantial! I recommend this place all the time!

Great gyros, my wife's new favorite place for middle-eastern food. This restaurant is Halal. I wish the friendly staff and this business all the luck and good fortune I can give.

Oh my! Some of the best Middle Eastern food I have ever tasted! I had the vegan plate and pistachio baklava. Delicious! Plus, the staff was SO friendly! I am so grateful that we checked this place out. Highly recommend.

Found this place just after it opened. Staff and food make it a weekly visit for me. Best in town !!!

Food is fresh and the service is friendly ... better than Naf Naf and other similar places in town

My friend and I LOVED Dubai Grill. It had vegan options for me and my friend got a chicken and rice meal. The hummus is amazing, and I loved the falafel. The people serving and making the food were so kind and they gave us a bunch of recommendations for what to get! I got the vegan bowl which had so much food and only $10!! please take the time to visit Dubai Grill and try their amazing food :)

Best Baklava in USA, or better than at least 20 other places I have tried Baklava at all over US. Great food overall, excellent service!

Amazing service, and the food is delicious. The music is also great. Would definitely recommend!

I tried their falafels, lentil soup and Karak Chai. Falafels were a filling snack and tasty. Single lentil soup was good but the quantity was not filling enough even for one person. Katak tea was so good and refreshing

I tried Dubai Grill for the first time last night and that will not be my last visit! The staff was very friendly, answering our questions about the different dishes and offering suggestions and options. I ordered the Medium Dubai Grill; a bowl of rice (I opted for half spicy rice and half yellow rice; the spicy rice was perfectly seasoned and not too spicy, but the yellow rice was my favorite), 2 meat (chicken and beef schwarma), with 3 toppings. I selected the Jerusalem Salad, Taboola, and Babaganog as my toppings, and drizzled tahini on the meat. It was spectacular! On our way out, the owner asked us how everything was and thanked us for coming into the store. The menu has many options and accommodates everyone - from vegan options, vegetarian options, and has many plates that are dairy free, peanut free, egg free, shellfish free, gluten free, kosher, halal - and more! An excellent experience and I can't wait to return.