Roti Mediterranean Grill

Have been to this location multiple times and the food is usually great as well as the staff however this particular evening I arrived an hour before closing, ordered the chicken plate and have to say I was not happy with the food or the staff person who served me.
The main issue was my being rushed to order by the staff person, the chicken was very dry and luke-​warm (not hot) the homemade bread (pita) was dried out, cold and unappealing in taste (the bread is what I look forward to), and the staff person lied about how many pieces of bread to an order (she gave me one for a plate order should have been 2).
Word to the wise do not go to this located if it’s close to closing, you’re sure to be disappointed

I normally enjoy a Roti salad or plate but was sadly disappointed with my Roti chicken pita sandwich today. As soon as I tried to take a bite, it fell apart and I was glad I grabbed a fork. I tried to put it back together and hold it with the paper but the pita just broke into several pieces! I will probably eat here again sometime and give this location another chance. However, no more pita sandwiches for me! By the way, did the falafel recipe change? They seem twice as garlicky now, so I stopped ordering them. My fondness for this place is fading.

I first want to start off by saying that Roti is amazing. The food and taste never disappoint, and the staff but today was a complete 180.
My main issue was that there was many employees at this time, most of the customers got individual attention and I did not, and when I spoke up, I got a lot of questioning and very rude behavior from your employees. It was really uncalled for because I was in a great mood and that really just put a damper on my meal and day. Everyone is usually very attentive and super friendly when I go to that Roti location. It’s just VERY disappointing, it’s the really bad attitude of the employees and response that i got was ridiculous.
Can’t say I will be back at that Roti location any time soon.

So its January and time to get back to healthy eating, the holidays are OVER! A friend suggest we eat at Roti. I like that the menu is simple and straight to the point. I had the chicken roti salad, it was so delicious. You can choose your toppings, so i had them to pile on the veggies. Everything was very delicious. I looked up the nutrition calculator on the site and i was well within my calories for lunch. This is definitely a new favorite for me.

There’s a lot of hype about the falafels, and they are very good (especially for a fast food chain), though not the best I’ve ever had. The hummus is pretty great too. The food is overall inccredibly delicious and healthy without sacrificing flavor. A little expensive, but at least the portion sizes are huge. Overall, goooood food.

I really wanted to love this. It was ok at best in the flavor department.
I tried just about all of the vegetarian offerings and was surprised at the lack of flavors. All the sides, toppings and sauces I tried were on the mild and uncomplicated side. My boyfriend’s chicken was also chewy and lacking in flavor. Maybe there were items I should have selected. Maybe I hit them at the wrong time. Mediterranean food is among my very favorites and have eaten at many other cafes which had much better food. Falafill in Lakeview is vastly superior for their sides and falafel quality. It is also not a very complicated food to prepare, so maybe their recipes will be revised with their upcoming name change and growth.

So that’s what a falafel is supposed to taste like!
The food is crazy delicious here. I ordered the chicken roti rice plate with eggplant, tomato and cucumber salad and hummus. I also wanted to try their falafel since it got such good reviews. I had no idea they could actually be good. The falafels I try are always dry and mealy like a piece of overcooked cornbread. This was different and as moist as a bunch of mashed up, deep fried legumes could be. Delish! The chicken was incredibly tender and the sides couldn’t have been fresher. Loved the tomato salad as well. The total price for my lunch was about 11 bucks, which is a bit high but not bad for a lunch splurge. This is a great spot for a fast lunch that provides a lot healthier option than most of the restaurants around the area.

Well I can honestly say that that was a very enjoyable meal. You could tell that the ingredients were extremely fresh and the food tasted fantastic! We are very happy that we decided to stop here before we saw our show.

This is one great place for its too good falafel and spanish eggplant.
I like the couscous as well.
Tahini is a bit bitter, so I never tried it again but from my personal exp. I know Tahini shouldn’t be bitter.

The quality and portion sizes has diminished drastically over the last year. I noticed a new manager. New manager, are you instructing your staff to serve smaller portions? My rice plate was the Roti equivalent of a happy meal! Now Im still hungry and my lunch time is over. I was begining to wonder why Roti always seems empty when I go in there. Return the portion sizes to what you were serving when the restaurant opened, or stage someone that cares about customers coming back on the line, and watch the staff serve & interact with the customers. The service level has also suffered a steady decline.

I was in Chicago and happened to try this place. I was disappointed! I took something called as ‘BB’ plate or something. It had rice and you could pick 3 items of your choice. The vegetables were cold. The only thing I could eat with heart was the rice. This is one of the bad lunches I have had. I will never go back here. I hope they get better with their quality. And, it’s not like it’s very cheap. We paid around $ ¹⁸⁄₂ people. I have had better quality food at $ ¹⁴⁄₂ people.

I’m always looking for clean, healthy food choices near where I work. I met a friend for lunch who was surprised that I had never been to Roti. As a first-​timer my impression was pretty positive. Keep in mind that this isn’t a formal Mediterranean place, but a more Chipotle style, pick-​your-​own ingredients chow line. Still, the food was fresh and tasty and it didn’t break the bank. I had rice, with falafels, egg plant, cabbage and cucumber/​tomato salad. All were flavorful and light. The eggplant was especially good. They say the falafels are made with organic garbanzo beans, and they were crispy and fresh. The line moves fast so it’s the perfect lunch hour spot. I’d go back to grab a bite.

It never ceases to amaze me how little the staff at the restaurant knows about Mediterranean food.
I have asked for hummus before and the sales person didn’t know what I wanted. I then pointed at the hummus and he went «ohh, you mean choo-​mis (phonetic)»
A different time I dined at this restaurant, the employee was confused when I asked for the laffa bread. (She only knew it as «the big bread»).
Today, I asked for some s’hug (a popular Mediterranean spicy sauce). The woman was very very confused what s’hug was and kept asking me if I wanted any sauce, and I kept saying «yes, I would like some s’hug». Finally, I pointed at the red bottle and said «spicy,» which she understood.
Dear Roti on Randolph, your employees are not well trained if they do not even know all of the menu items!!! It is insufficient for your employees to call a sauce «spicy» or «big bread» and not even recognize the names of the items on your menu. A person working on the sauce station should AT THE VERY LEAST know the names of the sauces they are serving.

Not sure why this place is so popular. It’s pricey for what you get. It’s like Chipotle for Mediterranean food. Their «sides» are really sad. The steak was really chewy. The best part was the yogurt sauce.

Roti is my go-​to lunch spot. This restaurant runs efficiently and the line moves quickly, even during the lunch rush. Offerings are fresh and they offer a great variety of proteins. Falafel is my personal favorite.
My only complaint is that the mixed greens used for salads sometimes have brown edges. I’ve mentioned it to the manager before, but it still happens from time to time.

This place hit my hunger spot every time. It’s an order as you go place, where you order the start, the meat, and the toppings as you go down the line. I love getting a roti pita sandwich but it always ended overflowing with toppings, so I have to eat it like a salad at first. If you like spicy, get the S’hug sauce! It’s one of the best hot sauce ever.

Roti is a great option to come to for a healthy lunch at an affordable price. I don’t come here often because the food is sort of boring to me, but when I do the standout item is the falafels. The falafels are season well, crispy on the outside, and mushy on the inside. Usually I get the falafel rice plate with 3 sides (Tomato and cucumbers, hummus, and cous cous. Every entrée comes with a tiny slice of warm pita bread as well.
If you are a novice to this type of food… good luck. They have instructions on the wall, but I can see the confusion if you are ordering here for the first time. Lots to choose from and different combinations.
At this location they have a decent size dining area and in the summer they have a little outdoor seating patio area.

Came here for lunch. I ordered the plate which comes with rice, choice of protein, 3 sides and a sauce. I ordered chicken kabob with yogurt dill sauce. My sides were tomato and cucumber salad, red cabbage slaw, and mixed veggies (broccoli, red pepper, onion, carrots).
The veggies had a crunch, the rice was cooked properly and the chicken was flavorful and moist. Friendly staff.

do it yourself wraps…
i feel like i’m part of the reason for the not-​quite-​5-​star dining experience. there is a lot of seasoning and sauces involved at roti, which is fantastic of course but too much of something is not always the best. i think i just need to concentrate on the menu a bit more before i order next time. too many sauces and textures made for a sloppy, soggy mess. plus the chunky vegetables really made it impossible to eat as a sandwich. i would maybe go with just veggies and condiments and perhaps ask for some cucumber sauce on the side. then i would dismantle the whole thing when i get back to the office and dice up the veggies to make them more sandwich friendly!

Love Roti’s salads – food seems fresh, healthy, tasty. Service is fast and friendly and consistent.
This location is near my office so whenever I want to grab something quick but somewhat healthy, i go to Roti.