Shawarma-Matik

I would give this place zero stars but not an option. I went in with a Groupon and the owner (?) said he didn’t know how to process it and told
me it was a «copy» on paper. VERY rude and raised his voice at me. I had to explain to him that’s how Groupons are presented — on paper or phone. He eventually honored it but no customer should have to deal with that level of rudeness and awkwardness. I still get an eye twitch thinking about my experience at this place. Food was meh and waited nearly an hour. Clearly, they’re signing up for deal sites to bring people in with no intent of honoring them since others posted similar reviews. There are better middle eastern options in the area with better seating and service. Don’t bother with this one.

I had a
certificate for this restaurant. The owner/​manager refused to accept it. At first, he said he didn’t know what it was, then he said it’s new management, and he just wont take them. Then, he said he wont take it because they don’t pay him, and what did I pay for it. He was so rude and ignorant, I walked out. So, I gave it one star based on service. I have no idea what the food tastes like, and I never will, not that I am too upset about that.

The food here is a 4 out of 5, but the service is amazing and truly makes this place special. It’s one of those small restaurants that endear you to them with their hard working scrappiness and hospitality.
We got the chicken kebab platter to-​go with extra meat and a side of hummus. The chicken was great and different than other Middle Eastern kebab spices… the chef seemed to have added cinnamon to it, creating an earthier flavor than usual. The platter also came with baba in one and hummus in the other, and the jasmine rice was generously portioned. Total with extra chicken came out to $ 16 for each plate ($ 10 otherwise).
While we waiting for the chicken to be grilled, the owner gave us a small free sample of falafel. He also insisted that we go home with sauce samples and drinks. The cherry on top was that this all happened around 10pm New Years Eve, when all the other middle eastern places closed early, weren’t doing takeout, or flat out lied about being open when they actually weren’t (I’m looking at you, Shawarma Inn).
Some small things I’d love to see improved: a bigger pita to hummus ratio, less oil in the baba ganoush, and using white meat for the chicken kebabs (dark meat is more flavorful, but it came with untrimmed fat).

The lunch we had here was awesome. We tried the falafel platter ($ 8) and a gyro and it was delicious. The new owners were super friendly and welcoming. At first glance, the place doesn’t give off a warm welcome vibe but the owners were very friendly. In addition to our ordered food, they brought out some delicious lentil soup, which they definitely need to add to the menu. Their falafel ($ 6) was perfect and their hummus and baba ganoush was great too. One commenter mentioned that the food temps were a bit off and it did seem like that were true. The pita wasn’t warmed and some of the food was only lukewarm but I didn’t think the temps seriously detracted from the taste. I’m glad they took over from the last owner as the food has significantly improved.

I had their hummus and Arabian chicken shawarma. Everything was good and fresh. My wife loved their hummus and chicken shawarma. She said she wouldn’t mind eating the same stuff everyday lol yea well I’m definitely going back here. and I also wanna try all their lunch special.

We had a great dinner there tonight The food was very tasty and well prepared, with a good char on the edges of the shawarma meats. The flavors come in interesting combinations and really complementary to one another – definitely try their hot sauce and garlic creamy sauce with whatever you eat. We had babaganoush (sp?) and combination plates but everything is excellent. The staff/​owners are very friendly. Seating is a bit limited and it’s not a place to go if you’re in a rush but the warm atmosphere and delicious tastes makes it all worthwhile.

Over the past two years, we have tried every place within 5 miles of here and this is by far the best Lebanese in the area. We eat here at least twice a week. It’s a local mom/​pop joint. They are teaching their son ins and outs of the business and the husband/​wife team make everything food to order. They are very pleasant and warm. This isn’t fast food to please don’t expect your order to come right out right away. Just like at Harolds Chicken, it takes a little time to prepare a good meal, be patient. We really hope that for the success of their business, the operations will continue to improve especially because some customers just aren’t very forgiving and these little places live/​die by word of mouth.
Here’s a tip that works well for my wife and me – stop in, place your order. Then go run a few errands and come back in about 20 minutes. Do that and you’ll never wait.
At all the other places around, you can tell they just carve meat off a rotisserie and give it to you. Shawarama– Matik adds some more flavor and does something else on the grill the makes it that much better. The baba ganoush and hummus always looks beautiful, with olive oil, giardinera and spices. Tabaloueh is fresh and smells and tastes wonderful. They always add little salads to sample. Very, very good.
We’re so happy they are within walking distance from us and hope they are here for a very long time.

I went here on a weekend during lunch time with my wife and daughter and we were the only people in the place. The food was so slow. The only thing really edible was the falafel. The rice was flavorless, The chicken was super dry, the kaftka was under cooked and had a super strange taste to it. I doubt I will ever go again and spend 30 bucks on a horrible lunch.

Excellent food, good prices. The only negative about the food is the cold pita. The place itself isn’t nice but it doesn’t matter for take-​out.

Nothing changed. Very disappointed. I ordered a chicken shwerma sandwich and it takes to much time to prepare it. I wouldn’t come back to this «restaurant».

So I decided to try this place, though Eat24, and 45 minutes after ordering I was called and told that they have no drivers for delivery. If this is the case then why would they wait 45 minutes to call? This is ridiculous and unacceptable. I will never order from them again.

We tried this place with a Groupon. We got offered a couple of lunch plates with the Groupon and tried the chicken shawarma plate and a kufta kabob plate, each valued at $ 8.95. I can’t in good conscience go with more than 2 stars here though. The pita bread was cold, everything else that should be hot was lukewarm at best, and the beef plate had a quite strong lamb flavor. The hummus that came with the kabob plate was refrigerator cold. The place is barren. With the Groupon, we didn’t make a fuss, and left after a quick and somewhat unappetizing meal.

There is a sign stating «under new management» so hopefully people will give this place another try.
I have tried falafel once and was not impressed. Being a novice to Middle Eastern cuisine I decided to try this place close to where I work. While waiting for my chicken schwarma plate, the man behind the counter offered me a piece of fresh homemade baklava (amazingly delicious and melts in your mouth) and a fresh falafel out of the fryer to try. I ended up ordering a falafel sandwich as well. So flavorful. The salads and sauces were fresh and flavorful. I can’t wait to go back.

SO GOOD

Really disappointed with this place. We have heard nothing but great things about the food so we decided to try it on a Friday night. We placed an order at 8 for delivery — the weather was bad so we didn’t expect fast delivery — except that we received a phone call at 9:30 from the restaurant telling us that they cant deliver the food because they don’t have a delivery driver. Then they stated that we can come pick it up, and to top it off the woman who called us was extremely rude and very unprofessional. We didn’t receive a single apology nor were we offered a different solution other than «pick up your food after over an hour of it being cooked».
If you know that you don’t have a delivery driver then why even accept an order for delivery, and better yet, why wait an hour and a half to inform us of such?
Extremely disappointing experience, will not be dining there in the future. Just glad that we didn’t use a credit card with the order!

First of all, this place changed hands as of a few weeks ago.
Second, I experienced the worst customer service here. So bad that I walked out mid order. Don’t waste your time on this restaurant. There are too many other good middle eastern places nearby.

I really wanted to try this restaurant but the poor customer service turned me away. I purchased a certificate from
about a week ago and it was for $ 10 off. When I called the restaurant to order, the person on the phone said that they no longer honor that certificate because they have a new one for $ 5 off. He then called me «sweetheart» and told me to contact
if I have a problem. The certificate clearly states «DOES NOT EXPIRE.»
In my opinion, if you make something available you should honor it.
The food could be delicious but now I’ll never know.
UPDATE: I was contacted by the owner with many apologies for the poor service. I decided to give this place another try and the experience was much better the second time around. Hani was pleasant to speak to on the phone and the order was ready when he said it would be. My husband and I both had the chicken shawarma plate and the chicken and rice were tasty. The hummus and baba ganouj were good as well. I will have to go back to try the shawarma sandwich for a more complete review.

Nope! Sorry Shawarma-​Matik.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Twice in the last few weeks I’ve attempted to order Shawarma-​Matik through GrubHub. Twice.
Both times, they failed to confirm my order and the order was cancelled.
The only thing this is good for is losing customers.

You can smell the wonderful herbs and spices, and delectable meats as you walk into this joint. The food is made fresh everyday. We ordered two sandwiches: beef shawarma and chicken shawarma. The chicken had a wonderful garlic sauce and stuffed with excellent, savory condiments which made for the perfect amalgamation. It was tender, meritorious, fresh and scrumptious! I really liked how fresh the pita bread tasted. It was light and fluffy. We learned that they make it fresh everyday. Sweet! The sandwiches were a generous size and very filling for only $ 4.95. We ordered a Tahini salad for $ 2.95. They also offer Tabouleh and chopped shawarma-​matik salads for the same price. Our sandwiches did not come with anything so we assumed that maybe some items are a la carte. For an extra $ 2.29 you can purchase fries or a side of yellow rice. They have a very simple and limited menu, but I like this because this means great quality for the customer. Their kufta kabab plate is only $ 8.95 and it is a bargain considering that it comes with two skewers of ground beef and lamb mixed with a bit of grilled onions, tomatoes, garlic and parsley. If you do not eat meat, you may want to order a veggie falafel sandwich stuffed with fresh chopped salad and tahini sauce for only $ 2.95 (it is a huge sandwich) and get a side of humus or baba ghanouj. By the way, they offer lunch specials Monday — Friday for only $ 6.95, but I have no idea what their lunch specials consists of so if you go here for lunch just ask about their lunch specials. If you like hot tea, you must try their mint tea, which is excellent (only $ 1.45)! They have a self-​serve area for your beverages with free refills. My friend had a soft drink, but I don’t drink soda pop at all, so I was happy with a tall glass of water with my meal.
I was on my way to drop off a friend at O’Hare Airport. We wanted to grab a quick bite to eat before heading off to O’Hare. My friend took out her phone and looked up several restaurants. She really likes Lebanese food, so we agreed on this joint. When we walked into the restaurant we noticed the soothing soft peach colored walls with some mint green glass tiles. It is clean. It is quiet. It is quaint. It is unpretentious. The pop of red color on the chairs makes it appear cheerful and bright. There are less than nine tables. This restaurant has only been opened for 1−½ months. It is a 2-​man operation and the two owners were hospitable, kind and polite. They seemed to take pride in their restaurant and happy to serve each customer with a smile and a kind «Hello, how are you today.»
We arrived around 1:15 pm so there were only four customers in the restaurant. The restaurant is located on the corner of Lawrence and Chester (two blocks west of Cumblerland Ave and one block west of Clifton on the north side of Lawrence). We almost drove right by, but fortunately I saw the colorful sign and made a quick right turn on to Chester. We parked on the side street (although they have a small parking lot with ample parking). This place has wonderful lunch specials. The price-​point and customer service is 5-​star worthy. I am definitely a fan and would like to return for their dinner platter specials. When we were heading out I purchased mint tea which was superlative… exemplary…exceptional (you get the picture). I would stop in here for dinner if I am ever in the area again. Good food. Great prices. Excellent quality. Hospitable, inviting and polite customer service. For these reasons, my final rating is 4-​stars. We left captivated, gratified and satisfied!

Schiller Park has a new winner on its hands with Shawarma-​Matik! Only 2 miles from O’Hare, it’s worth the trip even if you’re not in the neighborhood. Open only 6 weeks, owner Hani has a couple of guys working so they can get to know the customers. Sami took our order at the table, which surprised me because it looks like a take out place. The interior is clean and spartan, and the logo design and menu belie the fact this is a single location operation.
All of the food is made fresh daily. It’s influenced by Lebanon and Jordan cuisine according to Hani. We tried the tahini salad with veggies and the tabbouleh, both fresh and delicious. Then came the baba ghannouj and the hummus, which had a smoky flavor because they pan roast the ingredients before blending them. Falafels were tasty and so was the chicken shawarma, but the lightly spiced yellow rice stole the show. The portions are huge.
The service was so nice! Sami came over multiple times to refill our drinks and salads and then introduced the owner. The generosity overflowed. The taste was awesome. The value is off the hook. Go there immediately! It’s amazing.

Wow! What a great find. My boyfriend mentioned seeing this place on his way home from work, so we decided to give it a try. I’m so glad we did! Everything was fresh and tasted so good! I kept it simple with hummus and falafel.
The service was great– friendly, helpful, and the staff seemed genuinely excited to share the delicious food. I will be coming back soon, and encourage you to check it out– you won’t be disappointed!

Delicious food, very friendly staff! Have been back here multiple times. Huge portions for lunch specials. Great when you want a home cooked meal with a great price!

The food here is delicious, but what really makes it stand out is the service. The people that work there are extremely sweet and thoughtful. They seemed genuinely happy to see us and genuinely interested in what we had to say about the food.
As I mentioned before, the food is delicious! You get a lot for your money and you will not leave hungry. I am so glad to have experienced this wonderful little place and would highly recommend it to anyone that lives nearby.

Satiated, happy, and SO GOOD!
Although slightly sparse décor-​wise, it’s very clean and bright. Solid, simple menu items with owners focusing on really fresh, made-​to-​order plates. We brought take-​out home although there was available seating. Dinner smelled amazing when we got it home and the result? GOOD. Food. Not spicy (read: not hot/​caliente), but flavorful.
We’ve tried other Middle Eastern places in the area (tied with Chinese for favorite family cuisine), and this place does stand out for freshness– chicken shawarma and chicken tawook (menu spellings) were good for first trying out the menu. Falafel is freshly formed and fried (I watched the chef from a distance). Hummus had surprising tahini notes, and like the rest, FRESH. Add a little of their home garlic sauce to items and it’s heaven on a plate. I could taste the individual spices in their rice and a little sliced pickle and was overall pleased.
Owner also asked us if we liked beef and gave us a little beef shawarma to try to go. Excellent.
Less-​expensive than some other Middle Eastern restaurants in the area and brand new, portion sizes were just right. Well-​designed bright menus shout competency in the restaurant business for casual, inexpensive, modern Middle Eastern food. Parking directly in front wasn’t bad during rush hour. Two people with dinner plates, extra falafel (came with appetizer, salad, 1 piece falafel, 1 piece pita), and soda for $ 20 and change. Public restroom available.