Mr. Kabab

"We’re not exactly sure who Mr. Kabab is, but regardless, his casual counter-service spot has some of the best Middle Eastern food in the city. Order either the massive combination plate (which includes your choice of shawarma, kefta, rice, salad, and pita), a gyro sandwich, or the vegetarian combo with baba ganoush, hummus, falafel, and dolmas. After your first visit, you’ll find yourself quickly becoming a regular here." - john ringor, veda kilaru

"A random DM telling us to, “Check out this place, best Middle Eastern food in the city,” is how we ended up at Mr. Kabab, ordering half the menu for carryout. And it turns out this new spot in West Rogers Park does indeed have incredible food. We tried the combination plate (which included chicken shawarma, kefta, rice, salad, and pita), a gyro, the beef shawarma sandwich, and a vegetarian combo with baba ganoush, hummus, falafel, and dolmas. It was all so delicious that we became legitimately upset when we started to get full." - adrian kane

"Sometimes you can’t truly understand the need for something until it’s a part of your life. Like a pet or significant other - or one of those big, puffy blanket coats you used to make fun of people for wearing. Turns out, when you live in a city that’s visited by the occasional polar vortex, leaving the house in a sleeping bag isn’t a bad idea. SP Kebab in Rogers Park also falls into this category for us. It’s a very casual counter-service place that you could easily go for years without knowing about - but once you’ve eaten here, you’ll be ready to put it on the GPS equivalent of speed-dial. The menu ranges from salads to hummus and falafel, but you’re really here for the delicious doner-style kebabs. And whether you’re eating in or taking your kebab to-go, you’ll be doing your best A Beautiful Mind impression at the counter trying to figure out the ideal ingredient combination. That’s because you have a lot of options. There’s chicken or pork, either of which you can get in a pita, wrap, or cup - or on a plate, if you like seeing your food spread out in all its glory. Then, you need to choose from fries, a side salad, or both - and in addition to all that, there are three excellent housemade sauce options. We go back and forth on which meat is our favorite, but we really can’t decide, since both are perfectly seasoned and juicy. Whichever we get, we like it wrapped in lahmuchan (a thick flatbread) with garlic and hot sauce, and stuffed with French fries. It’s the size of a large baby, way less responsibility, and you’ll love it the same way. In a big, sprawling city like ours, there are plenty of restaurants you’re not going to come across if you keep to a routine. After all, between work, home, and that one coffee place that takes your embarrassingly long order without judgment, there’s not always a ton of room for variety. But whether or not you usually find yourself in the area, SP Kebab is too good to miss out on - which is why you’ll find us returning here even in the middle of the winter, in our puffy blanket coats, holding onto the lahmuchan for extra warmth." - Adrian Kane

"Mr Kebab opened in West Rogers Park in September of 2020, and is making some of the best Middle Eastern food in the city. Order either the combination plate (which includes your choice of shawarma, kefta, rice, salad, and pita), a gyro, beef shawarma sandwich, or the vegetarian combo with baba ganoush, hummus, falafel, and dolmas, and plan on immediately turning this place into one of your new favorites." - Adrian Kane

"New Mediterranean spot offering menu items like fattoush and tabbouleh salads, gyros, kababs, shawarma, and more." - Naomi Waxman