Taboun Grill

My favorites ; hummus, pita bread, purple cabbage salad and date cookies .

Absolutely fabulous. Spacious, comfortably lit, and well ventilated. You would never know the shawarma and grilling takes place openly right across the counter. But you can't miss it as you look across the large room over the happy diners and along the walls adorned with beautiful art depicting Israel and Judaica. Vibe is comfortable and, casual, and family friendly. Service is fabulous and waits are completely reasonable. The Israeli salad, in deed, all of the salads, are fresh, addictive, seasoned to perfection. The pita is hot and fresh and fluffy. Imagine my delight when my 8 year old tries the shawarma for his first time ever and says "it's amazing!" The wait staff are sweet and attentive and polite. I expected the Yemenite soup to be thicker and to come with pieces of meat but the flavor was there and it warmed my soul. For desert do not pass up the home made baclava or pareve ice creams. Kids menu includes chicken nuggets and a burger sans veggies. With sides of fries. Can accommodate parties of few to many. Order the ribeye with a side of Israeli salad and fries, some hummus and fresh pita and feel like a new person. I can't wait to return and try the curry chicken. שמיר, שתמשיך בהצלחה בכל אופן עם כל לקוח

Taboun Grill is the best restaurant I’ve been to in Chicago. Their food is always fresh, the place is clean and the staff is attentive and friendly. The lunch special is a great value. The prices in general are quite reasonable for kosher.

Very friendly service, food was decent yet overpriced.

As a non Jew, I always feel welcome coming here. The staff are always friendly, and willing to customize an order for me. I always want schnitzel on a bun with no pickles (not on their menu) and they oblige with a smile. Thank you, ans see you next time!

This place has a lot of fake reviews by a lot of haters and disguising people. But the food is amazing. The owners are great and down to Earth. G-d bless this business.

Dinner started with being greeted promptly and seated at a table. A starter of beets and pickles were brought to my table and water. I had particular dietary needs (vegan) and my server guided me through the menu for vegan selections. I had split pea soup and a falafel pita. The food was fresh and good. I finished the meal off with tea with Nana (black tea with fresh mint.) The only Israeli grill around. I went during Hanukkah.

Food is always delicious here. They appeared to be a bit short on staff. They were trying I think, but it certainly cut back on my experience and enjoyment to not get my full order or my preferred condiments. Overall I usually love this place and will be back, maybe even Tomorrow lol

I wanted to get a chance to expand on my review with Tahoun Grill. I have been coming here for many years, Time and time again they have delivered incredible middle eastern style Israeli food. From shwawarma to Israeli salad to humus, they seem very authentic. The service was great, and the interior design is incredible. They have this feeling like you are eating in a different region of the world. This place is a great spot for family or friends to come for a casual dinner or for something special to celebrate like a birthday. I have always recommended this place to anyone looking for a middle eastern style dinner. An incredible establishment!

I'm aware kosher food is more expensive but this was ridiculous. 30 bucks for the smallest shawarma I've had along with a side of fries. I also tipped the smallest amount showed on the mobile register. Ambiance was cool and service was quick. But overall, not worth it to me with all the other kosher options.

I so want to love this place, but the food is just okay. It's one of the few kosher restaurants so I will keep coming, but I wish it were better. The chicken in particular just isn't good. Service is fast. Cafeteria feel. Always busy.

OMG!!! my parents always talked about this place for years. I finally came here for once, and no doubt it was insane. My mother and I got steaks, they were one of if not the best steak I have ever had. My father got schnitzel which he didn't love. We had a great experience, we will definitely be back sometime soon. The room was a little hot, but come on who really cares. And the staff were really nice. Loved it!!!

Best Israeli/kosher food in Chicago ! You can expect friendly staff and good service. Everything is fresh and yummy!

Wow!! We were traveling through Chicago and staying by airport and kosher dinner. They delivered the food quickly and we're super friendly. They are also super accommodating with allergies...just call and ask they will take care of it all. Highly recommend them when you need a tasty kosher meal. The servings are also generous. If your looking for recommendations get the appetizer sampler and meat trio!

Great authentic kosher food. The service is quick and everyone was very friendly. Lots of menu items. We did the salad and app combo, falafel, and shawarma. Everything was great. The place is quiet, and although it was busy there were still open tables

The fish pita was fabulous. A very pillowy pita, filled with two big pieces of golden fried fish (tilapia?), Israeli salad and a tahini sauce that wasn't bitter. A wonderful combination for $13 or $14. Unknowingly, I happened to walk in at 6:30 pm on Israel's Independence Day, so the place was hopping with the staff moving frantically between tables and lots of to-go orders, so it took a while for the food to arrive and the staff was apologetic and explained. I'll gladly come back at a less busy time. The food pretty expensive (with several entrees around $27), but they have pitas, salads, soups and appetizers that cost less.

Delicious Healthy Cheap Not much else to say. I wish this place was closer to me I love the options that you can mix and match

This place is great! We came for lunch on a Thursday. Her had the mushroom Barley soup and Chicken Shawarma. Delicious! Service was really good. The Turkish coffee and Baklava were exceptional! I'll be back really soon!

Ordered the lunch special Falafel pita and the chicken Schwarma pita. The food was super delicious!!

We also eat her often & it is always great. A clean place with great choices! You will not regret stopping in. Many choices for all.

Very authentic food!! Really loved it. Will visit again. Very nice ambiance and extremely good staff

Do you like the Mediterranean cuisine? Do not look any further! This is the spot. Do not be fooled by the very unpretentious decor, the cuisine is A+. Every single dish we ordered was mouthwatering: the lentil soup that I always order at any Mediterranean restaurant was the best I ever had, my mom's Yemenite soup was very tasty, my shawarma was very flavorful and juicy, side tomatoes grilled just right and Israeli salad had the right amount of all the ingredients and seasoning. My son loved his chicken curry which was today's special and my mom's beef kefta kebabs were delicious. I highly recommend!

We had dinner few days ago. Wood was fresh portion were huge (we couldn't finish). The schnitzel was very tasty. Highly recommend

Such an amazing middle eastern cuisine! Their Shawarma was extremely authentic and their dips were incredible! We will definitely come back again for another round! Costumer service was 10/10 and the location was easy to reach with plenty of parking! 5 stars!! Highly recommended

Typical Israeli/Middle Eastern food served sit down style. The food was okay. The steak / not great (fatty & chewy) The picture looks better. Stick with the typical Israeli food / falafel / shawarma/ dips...The service was ok/ nothing special. No liquor/ beer...

I am surprised that this kosher takeout is really just average, given it's excellent location and opportunity to fulfill a need (good kosher food). It is often dry, and the portions are tiny. Grilled onions are somewhat tasty and service is fine, but it is truly just OK. I wish I could say better things because I love to support a small local business.

We love this place! The food is great! The shawarma is delicious and the Moroccan cigars are amazing!

I saw Taboun many time when driving on Dempster. I also had their salads (very recommended) at the Village Market (on Dempster) Last Tuesday I decided to try it out. It was absolutely amazing! We had Shawarma, and it was tender, generous portions, and balanced spiced. The Falafel was as good, crispy, fresh and yummy We also had their salads, Tahini, Babaganoush, Moroccan Eggplant and Matbucha, each tastier than the other It was really a feat, very reasonably priced and really delish I was helped by Anat, which I also believe is the owner. Highly recommend to anyone who like good, quality and freshly made mediterranean cuisine Thank you, and we will come again Gil

One of my favorite restaurants in Chicago that servers fresh and delicious Kosher food. The service is always amazing, the staff goes above and beyond to meet our needs. I highly recommend it. Ask for Ramona, she is the absolute best!

Pita sandwich so good, I bit into it before I could snap a photo. It was too ugly looking after that for a photo - LOL! Today I met up with a friend and ordered up the lunch special. It consisted of shawarma (chicken) in a pita. It came in a huge pita, and when I looked inside it had chicken, cucumbers, lettuce (I think), and another vegetable. The chicken was melt-in-your-mouth tender and very flavorful. It reminded me of a chicken gyro sandwich...a little spicy in a good way. The pita tasted fresh and stone ground. The tahini sauce was served on the side, but it had garlic, so I avoided it. It also came with a side of fries and a soda. The fries were thick and crispy, and not pre-seasoned. They were cooked to perfection. A nice-sized portion. Very friendly owners. I get the sense they might all be a family. The chef who cooked the food asked me how I like it! Four stars, because I couldn't eat there every day. Kosher food tends to be on the pricier side. Lunch special $11. And, it's full-service, so plan to tip :-)

I have to give 5-stars just because Taboun Grill is kosher which is rare in Chicagoland. The bread (which came from North Shore Bakery) was so fluffy and yummy. I ordered the small combo salad plate (see photo) and could have called it a meal. However I drove an hour in rush hour traffic to eat kosher meat, so I ordered schnitzel pita. Cost a bit more than I expected, but it was worth the aliyah.

An establishment that when it first opened on California avenue, was really quite tasty. I don't know what happened, but things have changed. Greasy, sloppy, flavorless food that is far from cheap and service where they clearly don't give a shit about taking care of their guests. There are far too many Middle Eastern establishments in the area for the staff to be so indifferent to their guests. Get it together. Mizrahi is better by a long shot!

We were in Skokie for a post op appointment and decided to pick up dinner from this place....considering as how much we liked the old Rogers Park location, where the food was delicious and the portions generous. This pace had neither. The portions were paltry by any standards, but considering their skirt steak entree was $32, the expectation was for a reasonable portion, you know, like the size of a skirt steak. Nope. A small container 1/2 filled with some meat and mostly mushrooms and onions, and the meat was very chewy. At least there was consistency in the small portions and chewy meat, as the chicken schwarma was that and more....dry as the desert. The front of house gentleman was lovely and I enjoyed chatting with him, but that was certainly not worth the price. Sadly, I won't be eating there again any time soon, and I can't recommend this place.

I was really impressed with this place. I've always driven by on the way to 90/94 and it turns out they serve very high quality, kosher Israeli food and it is pretty good! WOW... THEIR PITA: is amazing! So I'm dedicating a little section to highlight such a simple yet blows-you-away kinda bread. They are made fresh, are so fluffy, soft and arriving piping hot at your table. For those who have tried Naf Naf Grill's pita, I thought they had reached the top of the pita ranks, but the ceiling has just been busted by the ones from Taboun Grill. So good. Can you imagine if there was a pita contest in Skokie, or maybe Chicagoland? I bet this place would win. Their pita really does make "breaking bread" the best part of your day. But anyways, since not everything is a contest... I recommend the hummus (a small is more than enough to share between 3) to go with the pita... instead of getting a pita sandwich so that you can avoid getting a soppy pita pocket half-way through. Nevertheless, you can't go wrong with their pita, in any form, period. Next time I might try it with their baba ganoush. THE 4-STAR LOW-DOWN: This place is missing a star because it is a little pricey... and I won't be able to come here as regularly as a daily morning coffee joint. But it's worth it to visit this gem in Skokie. You will spend around $10+ for a pita sandwich, or around $20/25+ for an entree, but the quality and the flavors are there without a doubt. They also don't skimp on the portions. My dad got the lamb chops entree and they gave him FOUR chops, which were cooked perfectly to a medium and very tender. For me, this place is like a fancier Pita Inn. It's a place to enjoy a Middle Eastern "fine dining" atmosphere compared to the hustle-bustle of Pita Inn. We came here with a "buy 2 for the price of 1" deal through a WBEZ 91.5 Membership. For a party of 3, (after our discount and including tax & gratuity) our bill came out to be around $80 [appetizer, drink order, 2 entrees and a pita sandwich]. Btw if you dine in, you get a complimentary little plate of pickles and seasoned beets. VAST MENU: Their menu is pretty extensive. Without hesitation, I would enjoy coming back here to try other items, like the Yemenite soup, their Schnitzel, "cigars", the beef/chicken shawarmas, taboule, and their Turkish coffee... the list goes on. HIGHLIGHTS: 1) Mint tea- you get a large glassful of fresh mint leaves to steep with the tea. The glass was filled maybe 3/4 of the way with mint, which made the strong tea very fragrant... ahh the way mint works in its aromatherapy. 2) Pita bread- It's explained in about 33% of this review, and it would win "Chicagoland's Best Pita" contest, should that contest or title ever exist. 3) Side dishes- When you order an entree, it comes with two side dishes. I was able to try the onion-mashed potatoes, the grilled onions and the purple cabbage salad. Other sides that I hope to try in the future include the Israeli salad and roasted tomatoes. 4) Customer Service- We were greeted warmly, were asked if we had any questions about the menu and were even given a sample of their chicken shawarma before we placed any orders. Service throughout the night was effortless... and there is even a huge basket of lollipops for kiddies by the register. Overall, they're pretty good for kids. The management has thought this through!

For all you people who like middle eastern food here is a real gem. Yes it is Kosher. I know it's in Skokie but at least if you live in the burbs or the North Side this could prove to be a trek that is worth it. When you get there ask for the Morrocan Cigars which is a awesome combination of some spices , beef and hummus. Yes there is a spicy kick to it but not too spicy that you will go call an ambulance or anything like that. It is on a moderate level. If one finds themselves ordering the schwarma platter you will get a choice of twi sides. The side that I reccomend the most is the grilled tomatos. Yes they have hot dogs but you did not come this far just to have a hot dog ... One of the best things on the menu is the chicken thigh steak. It is succulent and juicy. Nothing here wil be dried out which is aproblem I have with other middle eastern places..I just wont name names now. I will just focus on the positive. The wait staff is fast and effective. You will not wait more than 12-15 minutes for anything. For those of you that dont keep kosher which is 99% of you, when ordering the Turkish Coffee understand that they will give you non dairy creamer because they cant serve milk and meat together. I'm afraid the milk shake will have to wait a few hours :)

Great food , always freah and taste great. The place is very clean, and very good service!!

Had a great lunch here today! My wife's Jewish coworker recommended this place for me to try. (It's Kosher) Its really not much to look at from the outside so you might pass it by but don't! They have lunch specials that cost way less than the regular entree. I wanted to try a couple things but was unsure about ordering too much food. My server helped me decide and assured me I would be satisfied but not overfull. I started with the Yemenite soup. Its a potato and herb based broth. Really good. Oh and they put out a small plate of delicious little pickles and beets to get you started. Then I had the falafel appetizer. Tasty little fried balls of deliciousness with some kind of spread! Yum! I decided on Kefta, an herbed sausage. You get to pick two sides. So I chose, with help from my server, Israeli salad and the grilled onions. This is all served with the most incredible pita bread you could ever eat! The restaurant is open, comfortable, and very clean. The staff is friendly and attentive. You don't need to be flashy or gourmet to get 5 stars from me. Delicious food, presented well by friendly people, in a clean and comfortable environment!

To the owner with Lough of hatzi mana falafel. I enjoyed to eat in your restaurant It's remind me my childhood in sbipuday atikva. Thank you for feeding us the best culinary Israeli Mediterranean lafa Shaurma .

Good service and great Yemenite soup!

I worked with Anat on three big orders for my daughter's school- she is a pleasure to work with and is extremely detailed. When a miscommunication occurred, she was focused on the fix and said everything possible to make it right. That being said, I love the food! It's our go to kosher restaurant in Chicago. If you haven't been before, the pita is awesome, I love the combination salads and shwarma.

I was driving through Chicago to Indy and got taboun carry out. This place is sooo amazing. I got potato pastels, beef cigars, beef kafta, and chicken thighs. The food lasts us for 3 meals. The food quality is just so high class and the service was quick. My husband is israeli and loves getting taboun anytime we come into the city. If they offered frozen shipping I would order all of the time!?

Worth the short ride from the city for the delicious food . Atmosphere nondescript - in a strip mall. Service is fine. Reasonably priced lunch specials.

Love it! A little pricey, however, the food is fresh and authentic to Israel .. I had the schnitzel with onion mashed potatoes and Israeli salad, one word to describe it - Devine! :) Great food!!!

They have delicious food. Their falafel has the perfect texture and flavor. The staff is really nice and it's a great place to gather a big group of friends. This is my favorite Middle Eastern restaurant in the area.

My go to for a great kosher meat meal that's close enough to Lincoln park. I was craving lamb and got delicious chops. Grilled onions and green beans for the sides. I could eat this every day! The cost isn't too bad, makes sense for kosher food.

Very good service the environment is nice. There are a ton of options to choose from they even have a vegan selection for those who are vegan. Everything came out fresh. Shawarma is juicy and moist as it should be. I recommend this restaurant for anyone looking for a great experience an very good tasting food!

I have finally found great Middle Eastern food in Chicago. I spend most of my time in the Detroit area, specifically my place of employment is in the heavily Lebanese, Iraqi and Yemeni city of Dearborn, MI. I am lucky to work minutes from literally dozens of truly authentic eateries that range from sandwich shacks, nut roasteries, juice bars, to high end pastry bakeries. I have been very disappointed, and even grossed out by the piss poor examples of Mid East food available here. Finding something that was delicious, and yet unique was truly a surprise. Taboun Grill is a strictly Kosher establishment in the Israeli style, and that has brought some unique things to the table. First, there is no dairy on the menu. That means the traditional dishes/drinks/condiments that use yogurt are not here. Second, the quality of the meat is a cut above what you normally find in a Lebanese Halal establishment. Third, there are some very unique appetizers and salads that are found only in Israeli style grills. Fourth, they actually make their own soft bread, and it is excellent. I shared three dishes. The portions were very generous, and 2 diners were well fed for $25. For a salad, we had the Red Cabbage salad which was very fresh and refreshing on a hot June day. For an appetizer we shared the combination plate. It included 2 Moroccan Cigars, ground beef wrapped in a thin bread and dipped in hummus. Kubeh (Fried Kibbe), ground beef stubbed in a cracked wheat wrapper, and finally Pastels, which are spiced potato wrapped in a thin crust. The main course was a huge wrapped sandwich cut into two pieces. We had the Mixed grill, which included chicken tenders and thighs seasoned with garlic and onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, and hummus wrapped in a lafa (lawash like bread). Other reviews criticize the prices, which are not cheap. However the quality, freshness, and portion size justify the extra cost. I laugh at those reviews that compare Taboun Grill to Pita Inn. Pita Inn is perhaps the worst example of Middle Eastern food i have ever eaten. Gas stations in Detroit serve better food than that dump. Unfortunately Muslim friends of mine insist on serving Pita Inn, and I have has the "honor" of eating the Halal Taco Bell garbage too many times to count.. Then again, some people like cheap and disgusting food. If that is you, stay away from Taboun, and hit Pita Inn.

Had a late lunch over at Taboun today. The food is as authentic as you will get outside of the Middle East. Pricing is good, especially for Kosher. Service is very good and the staff is excellent. They have the best Baba Ghannouj in the United States.

Have always wanted to eat here and finally got a chance tonight! Parking: a ton. It's in a plaza so no worries about this. Ambience: nicely lit, clean, spacious, open layout. Looks fancy on the outside but pretty laid back one you go in. Recommendation: Moroccan cigars, it's got a pretty good kick. It's flavorful, highly recommend trying this. I got the skirt steak special. This only comes with hummus, no Fehina or salad. This was not bad it was not what I was expecting. I was expecting for it to be more flavorful. Meat was a bit chewy, pita didn't see as fresh. My husband got the fish pita. Was not salty at all, flavor was just right. Thumbs up on this one. Overall, I give it a three. I would probably come back again only to try the Shawarmas

My friend and I came across this place by accident last night. Our hotel manager had sent us to another restaurant, but when we got there it was closed. We kept driving down the road and saw the Panda Express and had to turn around to get to it. When we did, we saw Taboun and figured we would try it out. We are sure glad we did. There was a very large party in the front celebrating a wedding. It was a really neat cultural experience to see and the people were very friendly. Our food was outstanding! I got the mixed meat platter with Israeli salad and the rice of the day. All of the flavors were great. The wedding party had some dessert sent to us. I don't know what the items were called, but they were great too. Our waitress was very helpful and friendly. We plan to dine here again the next time travel brings us to the area.

I think it's a little on the pricey (and odd) side, but I guess that's what you get for kosher meats. I can't really tell the difference though, but their onion/mashed potatoes are really good, moist and flavorful with the onions being there but not overpowering the potatoes. Their menu consists of traditional middle eastern food...and schnitzel. Weird, I know, but their kefta is really good, if a little lean so maybe not as tasty as some other places and the beef shwarma is also a pretty good go to. Their soup choices are a little limited but their Yemenite is really good. They have a pretty good lunch special deal but it's only dine-in. Which again, is a little odd. Why have people dine in for basically a sandwich and fries deal? Especially when all your drinks are in cans? Well, honestly though the food is pretty good. The service is nice and the price well, it's what you get for kosher, I guess.

I was very concerned about going to this place since there are very few places like it, but I was blown away by the food that I had! The service was a bit sketchy, but it was crowded. We had hummus with pitas and I had swaharma plate. Probably the best thing was the extremely fresh pita bread that they make on ther own. I will agree, their prices are very high so its not a place to go back all the time, but I will go back soon because I was just so impressed by this unique resturants NOTE: As many Jewsh things, this place is not open Friday night and all Saturday. I understand why, but they could make a killing Friday and Saturday night in my opinon

Israeli / middle eastern style meat restaurant with excellent food. Just the right balance between fancy and casual. Can be crowded at peak times, but other times easy to get seated.

I liked the little pre-dish with the beets and the pickles as they were delicious. I enjoyed their kibbeh as it had a great flavorful filling with a hint of mint and cinnamon. The Combination Plate for our appetizers came with Moroccan Cigars, kibbeh, and pastels served with hummus. The Moroccan Cigars were similar to Filipino eggrolls. The pastels were like fried pierogis in a pastry puff shell with a mashed potato paste - that was okay, too. I wasn't much of a fan of their hummus. The Chicken Schwarma and the Beef Special, I was also not a fan of, as they were both bland and quite underseasoned. I'm curious about their other entrees, but I would come back for their kibbeh. +beets & pickles +kibbeh

When I am back in my home town, I always try to hit this place. It is simply a cut above your better Middle Eastern fare...and for me, because it is strictly Kosher, one of the only places I can eat without taking 10 minutes to explain my Dairy allergy to cows milk products. What you get here are sensible portions, the finest ingredients, prepared to perfection in a simple yet immaculate setting. Don't miss the Yemenite Soup! Lunch entree half portions will allow you to sample that soup along with 2 sides-I always do the rice of the day and Israeli salad. Enjoy!

Awesome place to go for authentic Israeli food. People are great and food is awesome. We were her just visiting and stumbled onto this place what a find

We ordered some items from Taboun this year for break fast, and we're going to make it an annual tradition. They were so excited and sweet about our order, they ran out to the parking lot with more with baking instructions for our Jachnun and advice on what to eat it with (grated tomato, hard boiled egg and s'chug). It was DELICIOUS and worth the 12 hours we slow cooked it in the oven. It's family owned, glatt kosher, and an overall sweet operation. Happy to support!

I've always heard good things about Taboun and decided to give it a whirl! I walked up to the to-go counter to place my order. Unlike many counter-based restaurants, Taboun also features a full-service seating area. I ordered a chicken schwarma pita without tahini sauce (hate the stuff), knowing I would still get hummus and Israeli salad. I forked over an amount just shy of $10 (the entree is $9 excluding tax). Although the schwarma pita was rather expensive at $9, and although other entrees exceed such a price, one must remember how expensive Kosher items are to both procure and produce. The price was at least somewhere near fair, given how the portion was filling, tasty, and stuffed with tender, flavorful chicken. The accompanying Israeli salad and hummus complimented the chicken, and the pita was fluffy and held up pretty well for sitting in my car on the way home!