Reza's Restaurant- Evanston

The service was excellant. Our waiter was very good and knowledgeable about the food. The barley soup was delicious. The baked feta appetizer in the cooked tomatoes, red peppers, and onions as well as the grilled mushrooms were amazing! Their hummus is delicately seasoned and the warm persian flat bread was perfect with it. The ground beef kebabs with the dill rice were tender and moist and very flavorful. There was almost no difference in flavor between the ground lamb kebab and the ground beef kebab. The carrot cake was dry and crumbly by itself but the cream cheese frosting was rich and decadent. I liked the persian touches in the decor but the spray paint on the upper part of the walls seems out of place. I will definitely be going back and definitely recommend this restaurant.

Serendipitously walked by on my way to somewhere else and saw their “lunch special” sign. I couldn’t walk by. The kabobs were juicy and delicious! The rice and veggies were proportioned perfectly. Even had a bite of the falafel!!! I added their hot sauce. It was refreshing and spicy!!! Super delicious!!! Don’t let the lower rating draw you away from this awesome place!!! I highly recommend a visit!!!

DoV (date of visit): 2/17/2024 Portions: huge!!! Quality: good! Food: 4 out of five, fresh & in generous portions; I have eaten better persian around the world and in the US. Entree comes w bread & soup. Very nice! Service: ok; the lady was nice enough. We all know Middle Eastern restaurants don't pay their staff well. Disaappoing: they didn't have dough (yogurt drink). More disappointing: they didn't have Bamiye!!! Nice seating area, clean bathrooms! Is it worth trying? Not sure, depends on the other options you're considering!

Gave this spot 2 chances, nothing here really impresses my palate. My latest plate was the salmon & chicken dish, it left me wondering why I just didn’t go home and cook myself. Dessert was a cold piece of chocolate cake, which the waitress claimed was baked on premises, highly doubt that. Customer service was good, 2 stars.

I use to eat at the Reza's downtown many years ago, it was my favorite restaurant in the city before it closed down. I didn't think they had a location that was open (the one in uptown closed down too) and when it popped up as a nearby option when I was recently in Evanston, I had to go. Unfortunately, they were closed for a private party but they still had the to-go option available so I ordered the combo #2, filet and lamb with dill rice. Even to-go, it was everything I remember from before. I definitely will be back more often and have added this place to my list of restaurants to take people who want to eat various ethnic foods.

Excellent food! The lamb was so tender and juicy. The vegetarian dish was so delicious. The ambiance was great. It is also spacious. Love it!

I've been here twice and the second was just as good as the first. Really good food served timely, and tasting great. And humongous portions that allow you to keep having great food the next day as well. (Try the salmon kabob...it's awesome.) I'll definitely be back for more when I'm in town.

I was excited to find a new location ( 3 yrs in Evanston), since Reza's on Clark St in Chicago closed. I got the Combo Kabobs. Lamb and Beef Koubideh Kabobs with Dill Rice and Flatbread. It was a cold and rainy day so the Tomato Soup hit the spot.

* Salmon is excellent. Boneless and grounded chicken are also good. Tomato lentil soup is also worth trying and it's included in the meal. * Good service * Pleasant ambiance

My friend and I tried this restaurant for the first time on 7/30/2024 - the food was delicious: fresh, well seasoned with generous portions.

I really enjoyed this meal. This was my first time going to a Greek. The server was very friendly. We went early on a Sunday and there were not many patriots so we had a lot of attention. We tried the items that she recommended, and they were all excellent, highly recommended, and would definitely go again.

This place has been around for a very long time and it used to be an absolutely fantastic Persian restaurant. Sadly, after the owners son took over, it has gone steadily downhill. In fact, the way it's going, it might be out of business soon. Seems like everything is falling apart... The chairs, the tables, the serving utensils . Nothing appears to be maintained.. it seems like they are also cutting corners with the buffet. I wish I could rate it higher, but it's extremely disappointing as this used to be a must go to place when visiting Chicago . When I asked the manager what happened, he just pointed to the picture of the owner on the wall, and said that he's no longer involved in the day-to-day operations. They used to have other locations that have since shut down so now the main one is in Andersonville. I'm not planning to go there ever again !

من از جنوب کالیفرنیا و در حال سفر در ایالت ایلینویز ، از طریق سرچ اینترنتی رستوران رضا رو پیدا کردم ، برخورد خوب پیشخدمت ، چلوکباب گرم و خوشمزه ، ظروف تمیز و محیط آرام بخش . قیمت ارزان برای همه هموطنان در اقصی نقاط امریکای شمالی موفقیت آرزو می‌کنم .

Food is great. Portions are large. Service is good. Look and feel of the place is nice.

We are visiting Chicago from California, the state with the largest Iranian community, and we are over here drooling over the food at this restaurant! The food is absolutely delicious and fantastic! Chicken barley soup was such a hit, Chenjeh came with TWO skewers! Lamb koobideh was awesome. Everything was awesome and tasty, I can't even believe it. The price compare to California at least is cheap. Super large portions which is hard to finish by yourself. We mentioned to the server that we want one of the plates half rice and half salad and he ended up bringing us a "large" plate of salad which was fresh and delicious. Nicholas, our server, was such a sweet guy. I can't say anything negative about this place and the service. Not sure why the review is low, I had the best experience. I will definitely come back next time I'm in Chicago.

Shami shami shami shami hummus shami shami hummus shami falafel shami dolmeh shami. Not necessaarily in that order. I missed Reza's in Andersonville but now that I'm in Evanston I get to have my shami and eat it too!

We'll forgive the service, a waiter called in sick...although large tables were attended to more than ours. The Fatuous was ok, falafel served cold, hummus flavorless, tabbouleh just not good and our dining mates fish wasn't great. This place had it's day, we used to like it, but I think the time has past. Go somewhere else.

Reza's is not what it used to be in the day. They should have stayed in Andersonville. Definitely should not have moved into the space after the most beloved steakhouse in Evanston. Kinda dirty and sad in there. (Won't miss you when you close.)

Ordered for pick up, most food was either cold, stale or both. Service was *fine*, and ambiance is usually quite empty/quiet (I pass by there often).

Good Persian menu. We were brought a plate of feta, parsley, and tomato and plate (called sabzi in mid east/Persia) and size flatbread (lavash) on entry. There are vegetarian options. Entrees come with tomato lentil or chicken barley soup. Nice atmosphere, and service. Tasty kabobs. Easy to converse in large dining room. Although I went twice with 1 other person, I could see that it was good for groups due to size, large tables available.Prices are very reasonable.

Service was prompt. The food was phenomenal. Definitely will be making return trips. The waiter was spectacular and was just right with the service. When i ordered water their was no issue.

Not much diner on a cold Tuesday night. The food is good but I notoced that the rice they served is half of what they used to. They did not have quail for appetizer so i just ordere hummus. The hummus is yummy . I think they only have one waitstaff. Understandably because most resto cant hire a lot of staff because of scarcity of workers. The meat are so juicy and tender. Love them!!!

Poor service, poor ambience, and food poisoning... a disappointing first time at an establishment that used to deliver such delicious food in Andersonville and the Loop. The linens were shabby, the service was slow, and the waiter couldn't seem to get my order right. The food simply is not as good as it was in the Chicago locations (with the exception of the tomato soup, which is as delicious as it ever was). The restaurant was out of several items on the menu, and the kitchen substituted random other things for them without checking to see whether this was OK or whether we wanted to change our order. The waiter was very blasé about the kitchen errors and when my husband got food poisoning immediately after dinner, management could not be bothered to acknowledge, let alone check the rest of that suspicious batch of babaganoush. There are plenty of delicious Middle Eastern restaurants on the North Shore: save your money and don't go to Reza's!

I will never eat here again!!! My best friend saw a mouse enjoying crumbs near the table behind/across from us and didn't tell me until a few days later that we're never going there again. He said something to the waitress but she didn't seem too surprised. When rodents are bold enough to come out where people are around it means their rodent problem is severe!! Gross!!! No wonder why they keep the lights so dim, they're hoping people aren't paying attention and don't see the problem. Sadly we've been customers for over 35 years from when they had the original location on Clark Street. That location went down the drain a few years ago and that one had roaches in the ladies room and I had quit going there and switched to the Evanston location but clearly it's just as bad!! NEVER AGAIN I only gave the one star because I was forced to in order to post my review!!

Reza's was a go-to favorite when visiting Chicago. After trying out the location in Evanston for the first time after they closed Clark location I would never even think of coming back here again. The server was a very nice lady, very attentive, but the food was absolutely disgusting! From the cold rice on the plate that tasted like they cooked the rice in the rice bag along with the kebabs that lacked flavor and presentation. Do not recommend.

The food was not good at all . Not like the rezas i remember . The rice was cold . The koobedah had no flavor . Everything we asked for they didn't have . I will not return . The lady was nice but that's all .

The food is excellent. However, the manager is horrible. He served main course with dirty dishes still on the table, had to ask him for refills several times, asked us to pay cash and than gave attitude when we didnt have $60 in cash. Grabbed dirty plates and food and silverware went flying. Reza's use to be a classy place with great staff. This manager in Evanston needs to be replaced !

I hate to leave a 1-star review, but here goes. Most people would agree that the Rezas of the 90s was phenomenal. Now - not at all. The food was not fresh. The rice was bland, soft, and not aromatic. The bread was old and tired. The kabobs had a faint repugnant odor. Bottom line - nothing was fresh. Not even the grilled veggies. Everything was served room temperature. Including pictures of our unfinished food as an indication of our sadness. Please don't support this establishment. When you go to a kabob restaurant without a lot of middle eastern people... that tells you something!

Where to start. I've been to Rezas many times in old downtown location before it closed and in Andersonville. All good. But this Evanston location. Has steadimy gone downhill since it opened. Now has bright cafeteria style white lights, even in evening. Institutional feeling. Not comforting at all.. Food is so so. Hit and miss. And space is depressing. Huge space, totally empty. On regular basis. I feel bad for them.

We ordered delivery from Reza's tonight. The online system advertised a 15% discount for online orders, which we didn't receive. The online system quoted $0 for delivery, then 8 minutes after completing the order I received an email telling me my order was increased by $8 for delivery. That's two counts of false advertising. The order quoted a 60- minute delivery time to a location 2.5 miles away and we got it 10 minutes late. When we got our order, one item was quoted as out of stock; instead of calling me to ask if I wanted to substitute, they presumptuously substituted on their own, charging me for something I didn't want or like. One entree advertised that it came with vegetables, but there were no vegetables. Another entree was a beef dish and the beef was almost entirely fat. The food wasn't very good. We're done with Reza's.

For my son's birthday we decided to order food from Reza. I ordered the food online. The total was over $180 which included 20% tip and taxes. I live few miles from the Evanston location, so I requested delivery when placing my order. The food arrived on time, and was delicious. I responded to a text I received from them to write a review and I did, but it was through their website. I gave them 5 stars for my order, however 2 days later I got a text from them telling me that my credit card was charged $10 for delivery. I called the restaurant and requested to speak to the manager. The woman who answered the phone said she's the manager. I told her this was an unethical practice to not state the charges on their website when I ordered the food. She promised to credit me for the charges. 2 weeks later, the charge was on my credit card statement. I called again and the same woman answered and said the credit would be for future orders. I promised her that I'm not ordering from them again and decided to call my card company and dispute the charges. I ended up getting the credit back. I decided to go back and edit my 5 stars review, but couldn't since it was through their website. I told them they gained $10, but lost a customer.

Delicious meal! Everything from the soup to the Persian salad to the entrees. Plus, enough to take home leftovers for another full meal. Also, the service was excellent.

The Oak Brook Terrace Rezas location is a hidden gem . The food is amazing! The buffet has a wide variety of food to choose from. The staff are all friendly and accommodating. Plan your next lunch or dinner and you won't be disappointed .

We wanted to try the newly opened 'Reza's Restaurant' in Evanston... Glad they've finally opened this wonderful location in the Northshore! We ordered the nice Tabouleh salad to start and the Chicken Barley soup that came with the main course was outstanding alongside the freshly baked 'naan' that's brought with a feta and herbs platter. Our main courses were the 'Chicken Barg' that was juicy and perfectly seasoned as well as a beef Soltani that was awesome and juicy and flavorful! Their tap beers aren't a go yet! So had the Allagash beer from Michigan. Hope this new Reza's Restaurant receives the support of the Northshore community and continues to settle in and thrive!

I couldn't help but be confused when I walked into Reza's, a new Persian restaurant in Evanston. The dining room was opulent, bedazzled in sparkly chandeliers and painted in eye-catching colors. But no one else was there. Empty restaurants are often a bad sign; I wondered why no one else had come. Was the food okay? Luckily for me, I found that every bite was nothing short of spectacular. I tried the herb bread, thin and toasty with fresh feta, radish, onion and parsley on the side. It was tangy and perfectly appetizing. The vegetarian feast was stunningly good. Couscus, cranberries and more feta complemented delectible eggplant and roasted tomato. I couldn't have enjoyed it more. The atmosphere, quick service and outstanding food make this a must-visit restaurant in downtown Evanston. I would return to Reza's in a heartbeat, as each moment of my meal felt special and unique.

Overall not bad, but not like special. I had the tomato Lentil Soup, and I thought it was fine, but those in my party said it tasted like pizza sauce. But like...I like pizza sauce? So I thought it was acceptable but not exceptional. For my entree I had the kabob combo 2. The meat was GREAT! I ordered it medium and it came a little more medium well but it was delicious. However the couscous was kind of sweet, so that wasn't my forte, but not bad. Service was decent considering only 1 person was serving, and she was very friendly so I enjoyed that. Again, overall not bad, but not like WONDERFUL

Such a disappointed meal.... We've frequented the Andersonville location many times back in 2007-2013, when I was in college at Loyola so I had high hopes when this opened up in Evanston. Pros: -fairly easy parking on the street -plenty of seating inside Cons: - two waitstaff at noon, they do everything from set the table to seat you, bring your beverages and meals... too many jobs to be attentive; had to ask three times for sumac and she also spilled the water on our table trying to set food down. Also waited about 10 minutes for to-go containers and the ticket... when she had three tables total.... Horrible service - was given the dinner menus at noon.... When I asked for the lunch menu, she was like "oh yeah we have those too" - asked for iced tea, got hot tea; she never refilled the iced tea again and the waitress was always busy, even though at Noon, there were literally three tables with guests - bread that comes with the feta cheese,radish and parsley... is basically a big tortilla, unlike the Persian bread that should be served with the appetizer. - they up charge you $6 for the steak kebab, we got 6 quarter sized pieces and two of them were all fat/tendon; all was under seasoned - kashkbodemjun was okay, nothing particular good about it, had way more kashk then it should have - beef kubideh lacking in general seasoning, tasted like just straight ground beef with salt/pepper.... Needed a lot of sumac to give it flavor - dill rice was lacking in dill - white rice was oily, lacking in salt and not sure what kind of basmati rice they use but it's definitely a lower quality... I have to add, I'm half Persian and know what things should taste like, nothing tasted authentic They didn't have a soup container, and I asked her three times for a container to take my soup home. She brought me a to-go drink up. The didn't have straws and she didn't offer a spoon for my mom to stir the sugar and lemon into her iced tea. It was literally as hot as it is outside and it is inside... so if you need A/C, they Defn skimp on good A/C, and you'll be sweating and miserable the whole meal.

Hmm, have always loved Rezas, both in Andersonville and Ohio. Had a couple of great holiday memories with the family - good food, good service. Not sure what's changed but the food still had good flavor; cleanliness was in question; appetizers and soup fresh tasting and good; meat felt dry/ potentially reheated and the service was ok, but inattentive, slow and strangely paced, especially because the restaurant was almost completely empty. We will try again and hope it was a fluke. No other choices for Persian food in the north suburbs. Crossing my fingers that the management/ owner gets its act together. An average experience, but I know Rezas can do better.

Not sure why this restaurant only has three stars. The food is amazing and portions are great. It's also quiet spacious and staff are friendly. I had the eggplant steak which was perfectly seasoned. It puts eggplant parm to shame. They charbroil the eggplant so it's got a nice smoky flavor and the tomatoes and ingredients they use are so fresh. You could easily taste it. The whitefish I got Persian style and I highly highly recommend it. It was enormous and perfectly seasoned and crisped. Veggies and dill rice were also really good. I highly recommend checking this place out!

Absolutely disgusting! Ugh. Went for Mother's Day - expecting a similar experience to the Andersonville location, received anything but. The food was cold - I mean cold. Very small buffet, ants on the soup table - lots of them. The floor was sticky and the the table cloth has stains and food stuck to it. The bathroom's were dirty with no paper towel. Definitely not the white glove service we receive in other locations. I'm so sad that this was our experience, we have spent many holidays at Reza's and always loved it. We spent well over $100 for the meal and it was absolutely not worth it. We will not be back.

Will write an informed review once or if I speak to a manager or owner. Critical review concerning staff.

We like Reza and have been to Clark street and had great service. We went to Evanston and the server was ok and took our order when she dropped our order she never returned the order was wrong we finished our dinner and asked for the check which took a long time. The check was wrong overcharged. When we brought it to her attention she was rude. She removed the extra charge and then made a rude comment. The error was her fault we did not send it back she never returned to check on us. Not a good experience.

We ordered from here yesterday and the food was horrendous. I ordered the kabob barg and it tasted old and reheated. The rice and the greens and veggies were old too. We spend over $90 on the food and it was totally not worth it. Do yourself a favor and order from other Persian restaurants in the city. Noon o Kabob and Kabobi are way better and always serve food fresh. I will not be ordering from here again.

Terrible. We ordered carry out and spent about $20-$30 on each meal for exactly 8 people. We will never order from there ever again which is so sad to even have to say. My mother has been going to this restaurant since the 90s at their original location which has now closed down. Makes sense why they closed down, Reza's sucks now. The rice was cheap and definitely wasn't basmati rice. Soft and long grain type of rice and very oily. Worse dill rice I've ever had didn't even taste like dill rice. My order was the Kabob Makhsous. The meat was fine and tasted okay can't complain much there. But the rice dude just ruined the whole meal. I don't wanna eat my grilled meat, that's already nothing special with some terrible rice. My Mom spent $150 to entertain guests (biggest mistake ever). We just ate and tried not to complain to much. TAKE YOUR BUSINESS ELSEWHERE AND GO TO BETTER PERSIAN RESTAURANTS LIKE KABOBI!

I was Evanston looking for a place to eat dinner. I saw Reza's and decided to try it. Everything was delicious. The lentil soup was the best I've ever had. I also had the vegetarian feast. There was so much food, I had the rest for lunch the next day. Our waiter Nicholas was friendly, attentive and made wonderful suggestions. I look forward to going to Reza's in Evanston again soon!!

Rezas was really good. My recommendations: Beef koubideh Chicken kabob Chicken barley soup Chenjeh (filet mignon) Will be back for more. So glad they opened in Evanston.

Everything about this place was a disappointment . When we first walked in there was someone playing the piano terribly and really loud. It turns out it was a customer who was quite drunk. The pita and 'flat bread' which was actually a tortilla was cold, like taken out of the refrigerator cold. My salad was over dressed and wilted, the shrimp I ordered extra well cooked were slimy and under cooked. My boyfriends meat kebabs were mealy and frankly put, gross. The service was painfully slow and inconsistent. And the ambience was super tacky Please proceed with caution or better yet, don't go

I booked a family dinner for 19 at the Reza's and wasn't sure what to expect. What I got was an incredible meal, fantastic service, and a great quiet spot in the resturant for us to congregate as a family. Some very fussy family members even gave the food two thumbs up. We ordered so many things all good but the standouts were all the kebabs, lamb shank, feta appetizer, even the rice was amazing. I did not take pictures because I was too focused on eating :) and didn't even think about writing a review.

Not a great atmosphere at all-- zero music was playing. Waitstaff didn't wear masks and stood way too close for comfort as we ordered. We actually went up to the manager to ask the waitstaff to wear a mask, only to find out that the manager wasn't wearing one either. Pretty sure there is an indoor mask mandate now. Overall, It didn't seem like the waitstaff was keen on serving us or trying to garner a good impression of the restaurant. It kind of felt like we were in a cafeteria. The food is a good price for the quantity, but most all of it lacked flavor. (the chicken in the chicken kebab was pretty good, same with the couscous) Overall this restaurant lacks ambiance and, in my family's opinion, is not worth going to again.

Wow, what a nice place. The atmosphere and overall vibe is casual and festive. The bright colors give it a light feel. The service is great. Friendly, attentive, eager to please. They have unique cocktails such as the Persian Martini and old stand by as well. They also have a good wine selection. The food is delicious. I started with the dolmeh. Which are grape leaves stuffed with rice, yellow peas, caramelized onions, covered in a tomato and herb sauce. It was delicious. The grape leaves were tender the inside soft and mild the sauce full of flavor, all warm and satisfying. I could have easily had that for my meal. For my main course I had the fesenjan which is simmered chicken breast in a pomegranate and walnut sauce and a side of couscous. The chicken was juicy and tender the sauce a wonderful mix of sweet and savory. It was so good. The couscous was a nice compliment to the chicken with its slightly chewy texture. For dessert I had the bamieh which is apparently a traditional dessert. It was incredibly sweet and had a nice soft texture. Sort of like sponge cake with honey. Additionally I should say all of this food along with the full meal and drinks my husband ordered was very reasonably priced. For a fun, casual, delicious dinner with great service that won't break the bank go here.

I am SO EXTREMELY disappointed with my order today. I called to place an order for pickup, went to the restaurant and they didn't have it because the number on their Google page is linked to another location. Fine, the lady at the front was kind enough to take my order there. I was told it should be a 5 minute wait, which was great! 15-20 minutes later I receive my food and walk back to my job (I was on my lunch break) only to realize part of my order was missing. So, I had to go back and get the rest of my order after all of this being an inconvenience. They gave me some baklava on the house, but really, I will not be ordering from here again. The food (boneless chicken wrap) is a 4/10 (super bland). I really wanted to like this place :/

The food at Reza's in Andersonville is always solid and now they are in Evanston in the space that once housed Pete Miller's. The food doesn't disappoint and neither does the ambiance! Our server was Nick, prompt and attentive and quite knowledgeable of the menu. Reza's is a great addition to downtown Evanston!

Great hospitality and Really perfect test of the meals. I finally tested what I was missing after 5 months of staying in USA.

Food, wine and drinks are amazing! If you were a former fan of Pete Miller's you need to look beyond the graffiti paint and focus on the excellent food and authentic service. The grilled chicken kabobs, lamb kabobs, homemade hummus and spicy margs were excellent. Similar to Pita Inn only better.

If you know what Persian food is, never go here, absolutely the worst service, I can't really put into words how terrible it was. Horse radish in the eggplant dish, tortillas for bread? The waiter and his girlfriend feeding each other while doing nothing. Rezas was good, now it's just trash. If I could give a zero I would.

Dirty, ant infestation on food table, cold food. Dirty floor, sticky. Food is terrible flavor. I can't believe we paid $150 for the worst meal of my life. Street food in a third world country was more flavorful and sanitary. I told the waitress about the ants on the soup table. So many ants. She just swept the of the table with her hands and that's it. Left the food still sitting on the table. She didn't even wash her hands. Ice bowl didn't even have a serving utensil. Not covid friendly. The place is deplorable. Don't go to this location. They ruined Mother's Day.

What a great restaurant ! Good service, and excellent food. If you like quality, Persian, Mediterranean, and middle eastern foods,...Thai is the place. Quality and good value. Nice ambiance . Try the kebab sultans with filet mignon on a skewer. Also we enjoyed an order of falafels.

we were 6 of us yesterday for dinner and we were all disappointed. food was ok. beef kabobs were too salty. our waiter was in rush. I don't think I am going back there again.