Athar

Well, this place is officially closed.
We went there on a Thursday a couple of weeks ago and it was their last day of business. The food was good. I was disappointed that they were closing and I wish them luck. I can’t say I’m surprised, the place was always dead when we would get there. I am not surprised that they couldn’t stay in business although they told us that they lost their lease and their website states the same. The food was good, the people were nice and they had a cool interior.
But that’s it. Their rein is over. I’m not sure what’s going to happen with the space. Stay tuned, it’ll hopefully get turned into something that has amazing food.

Definitely tasty food, but I have had FAR better Lebanese for much less money. Also, didn’t help that the friend I was dining with was born and raised in Lebanon, and was kinda giggling at how not Lebanese everything in the place was. Greek, Byzantine, not Lebanese. The food was lacking in a lot of the spices we were used to getting in more traditional greek food.
Service was great, decent and reasonably priced wine list too. It was dead empty but at 5:30pm on Thursday I expected that.
We had grape leaves, falafel, hummus, shawarms. A-​OK but kind of bland compared to some I’ve had in the city or even Oak Park where I live. So I gave it 3 stars, definitely decent, but not really GREAT.

I owe Athar an apology. I had read the prior reviews and was totally expecting mediocrity, which I wouldn’t normally set myself up for BUT my cool Daddio had given me a
GC for here because he knows I like saving money and love trying new places so along I went along for ride and was oh so pleasantly surprised.
The date and I (yes, I take my dates out with
gift certificates) arrived just after 7:30 and the place was empty besides the manager/​owner, our server, Anna (or as I like to call her, Awesome), and one chef. Normally, I think it’s sad when you’re the only table in restaurant, not because it has to be sad, but because something about it makes you feel like the lone kid at the loser lunch table, BUT on this occasion, the date and I came up with the idea that we could pretend like we were big shots and rented the place out all to ourselves… like in Mr. Deeds when Adam Sandler rents out Madison Square Garden for Winona Ryder… haven’t seen it? Don’t go out of your way, it’s on TBS all the time.
Anyway, Anna, our server, was awesome! She guided us through their large menu and suggested some of the restaurants specialties and let us know what items were large enough for two to share in case we wanted to go that route. We got delicious grilled pitas and hummus, spinach pies that were oh so soft and succulent, A little wine, the bf got chicken, lamb, and filet mignon kabobs, and I cheated on being a vegetarian and got Anna’s fish recommendation of Atlantic Salmon cooked Lebanese style in a pomegranate sauce with mushrooms and served with rice, raisins, nuts, and grilled veggies. Everything we had was phenomenally outstanding. The portions were huge so there was plenty for both of us to take home… in fact I just finished eating my leftovers a few minutes ago. The rice, and I know this sounds stupid because really, how great can rice be? But it was totally the best rice I’ve ever had… EVER.
For dessert we got the lava cake which is like a chocolate brownie type thing with a big pile of ice cream and whipped cream along with Turkish coffee. Much like the rest of the meal, it was amazeballs.
I heard that on the weekends they sometimes have a belly dancer and also have hookahs if you’re into that sort of thing. The décor is sort of cheesy but in the most awesome way imaginable… like how I know I’ll probably never be able to afford to go back to Europe but I could totally pretend that I’m at least in the Epcot Center version of the Mediterranean here.
The BF and I are So going back and bringing friends.

This is normally not the kind of place you’d find in a conservative little suburb like Elmhurst. Overall, the food is good but not as daring as it could be; they feature some basic Middle Eastern cuisine, along with steaks and chicken, but the consensus of friends and clients is that although their food is tasty, they could have been a little bit more ethnic in their choices than they are. But overall, their food is safe and good, although dinners are a little pricey. But the action here is in the weekend evenings, when the hookahs come out. We walked in here last year when they started offering this, and it was almost like we were sitting in some casbah, listening to exotic music while many sat around in the bar sucking on different flavored hookahs. Quite a different experience! They also feature belly dancers, though I’ve never been there for that. Worth a trip!

If you are in or around the Elmhurst area and looking for an alternative dining experience look no further than the Fine Mediterranean Cuisines at Athar. Located in the downtown area, near the Metra train station.
The lamb is excellent here! Try some or their Mediterranean white wines as well. The whole dining experience is a real treat here, especially if you go late on a Friday or Saturday night when they have their belly dancer come in to dance around the tables. The last Thursday of any given month, they have a Jazz night as well. After you have dined, make your way over to the bar side and enjoy a Hookah, at their Hookah Bar. I believe they have around 10 different flavors to choose from, I prefer the peach or double apple flavored tobacco. For anyone who has not tried this before, it is a lightly flavored tobacco smoke, not like the tobacco taste from cigs. The price for the Hookah runs from $ 15 to $ 25 dollars and can be shared with up to four people at a time. I am not a smoker normally, but this is a special treat that I enjoy after dinner with a nice glass of wine and Middle Eastern music in the background. Tell the owner Hanan that Tania sent ya ;)…they will know you by name after a few visits there.