BenjYehuda

Awesome Mediterranean fast food! I got the chicken schwarma box with combo of romaine and rice. Then I asked them to put ALL of their assorted sides in there and they did so happily! Needless to say it was a VERY generous portion for the price. Chicken was well seasoned but sometimes a little bit dry. I liked the pickles and picked red cabbage best. The carrots and corn and cucumber were a bit bland by themselves. But everything was very fresh which was much appreciated. I ended up mixing everything together with the hummus and tahini and it was delicious.
There was a very long line with the lunch rush but they are pros at moving the line along. Plus people at the tables eating were all there to eat and move on with their day so it wasn’t hard to find a seat when I got my food.
Minus one because it’s not the best fast food Mediterranean I’ve ever had and I don’t think I would travel just to get it. But it was pretty awesome and I would definitely go back if I’m in the area.

Everything I’ve had here is good! Steak pita or chicken pita is always an easy choice for my lunch break. The box is awesome if you are really hungry.
Fries are awesome and make sure to get the fireballs on fridays if you like hot stuff!
Oh ya and check out the icecube pic on the fountain drink dispenser.

I love this place. I always get the chicken box. Even if I get it without rice, it’s a ton of food, and the veggies are fresh. Totally worth the wait.

for a fast lunch that is relatively inexpensive, delicious, reasonably healthy (if you make the right choices), this is absolutely one of my faves. The spicy falafel can be a bit much, but worth a shot if you’re a fan of heat. Service is always fast, seating can be a bit tight, but who cares — go sit outside if it’s a nice day.

Naf naf is way better. Chicken is dry although flavorful, salads are bland and not seasoned, fries were dry, and hummus was watery. Won’t be back. I’ll stick with NAF NAF.

Nice, friendly. Falafel customized to your liking. Had a fast orientation to a lunch time crowd. Interior was not something that invited lingering. (this is from a visit in 2013… no idea what they are like in 2015)

I went over after it was recommended by a friend. A very strange mix on Mediterranean fare. Nothing but the chicken resembled anything I’ve seen or tasted at Pita Inn, Roti etc. The baba ganoush literally looked like porridge with some multi-​colored lumpiness in it (not purchased). Hummus is runny, Jerusalem salad isn’t minced and cabbage has a tough consistency. By far the steak is the most unusual, it’s not charred which to me is borderline undercooked, and has a bittery marinade or something to it. I guess this is meant for people who don’t like the traditional stuff.

I have been looking for healthy, affordable lunch options in the loop. As I was headed to the South Loop I gave this place a whirl based on the reviews. Not worth it. Falafel salad, drink & fries =$ 14. The falafel was dry & not particularly flavorful. Naf Naf Grill is SO MUCH better.

Great food. Even better people.
I lost a phone there, and Ernesto went out of his way to help me recover it. It was only my second time eating there, but I’ll be sure to give them more of my business going forward.

I adore chipotle style places, and especially Mediterranean ones. I had a steak shawarma wrap on laffa and it was delicious. The laffa (thick naan style bread) was especially tasty. The boy had the chicken pita and liked it, although I found it a bit dry. The fries were perfectly crispy and paired well with the Merkt’s dip, although I wish they’d had a little more seasoning on them. Overall, a quick and easy lunch spot with pretty good food.

I came to BenjYehuda for the first time and decided to go for their sampler. It was a lot of food because they give you a huge amount of french fries. They were good french fries, but not the best I had in Chicago. The pitas were okay, but I found the meat to be a bit too dry and the falafel seemed to have been fried for too long. This is a fast-​casual place, so you go up to the counter to order and your food is ready pretty quickly, too.

I know there are a lot of Mediterranean places to choose from for lunch in the loop, but this one is truly near the top of the list. The food is fresh, delicious and reasonably priced.
I got the Chicken Shawarma box, and it came with more food than I could possibly eat in one sitting.
If Roti and BenjYehuda got in a fight, I think BenjYehuda would win.

When I say big portions, I really mean BIG PORTIONS! Holy cow. This is definitely my go to place if I need to fill up for lunch. Don’t be intimidated by the long lines during lunch, it goes by pretty quickly!
Ever since I this discovered this Chicago chain, I’ve always gotten the chicken box and every topping possible. I’ve found that I don’t like the baba ganoush and the pickles that much, but everything else here is spot on. I love the option of having half rice and half lettuce with the box option, making me feel just ever slightly healthier.
If you haven’t been here, definitely give it a try! It’s like a better Mediterranean Chipotle :)

This place is great! I’m only in Chicago for 8 weeks this summer, and I’ve been to BenjYehuda 5 times.
Like most middle-​eastern places, falafel is pretty much the only vegetarian option, but MAN it is delicious! I get the falafel laffa. Hummus, baba ganoush, pickles, tomatoes, tahini. It’s fantastic.
The service is prompt and friendly, but you do have to wait a few minutes for falafel. First time that happened, I thought I just came at a bad time, but I guess they freshly fry the falafel for every sandwich. Personally, I’d rather have falafel that’s been sitting out for a few minutes and get my food RIGHT NOW. But I can be an adult and wait for a couple of minutes, and it is quite delicious.

Honestly there are so many Mediterranean places to eat around this area, but what makes this place different? What does this place offer that really make it stand out? The Flight.
What the heck is The Flight you ask? Well, I don’t know about you but I ALWAYS have trouble deciding what to eat. Do I want chicken? What about the steak? Oh, the falafel looks good! Whenever in doubt, order The Flight! It has a little of everything — 3 mini pitas — Falafel, Chicken, and Steak shawarma with a large order of fries. Of all the Mediterranean places I have been, fries has never been an option. To top it all off, you get salad toppings with your pita, like corn, cucumbers or whatever they have made that day. When it’s time to pay, you have this jam packed box full of food. As a result, you can do what I did, and split your lunch with a coworker or a friend. Yes, lunch under $ 5 per person that isn’t McDonald’s or Subway does exist in downtown Chicago.
Key Points:
1. Line moves fast!
2. Variety. Like for example, falafel, you have a choice of either spicy or traditional. If you can’t handle spicy, don’t get it. The spicy falafel is numbing actually. It was too much for me even.
3. There is an optional cheddar sauce for your fries, but that is an extra charge.
4. If you get The Flight, lunch is under $ 5 per person if you share it with someone, and yes there is that much food. (Only applies to those with small appetite. Otherwise you may suffer from food coma finishing it yourself).

It’s Chipotle-​style Mediterranean food, like Roti or Cava Grill (in DC), although I didn’t like it as much as either of those places.
I had the falafel box with rice: the falafel was OK, not great, as were all of the toppings (veggies and sauces) I added. The baba ghanoush is better than the hummus, and the pickles are required to enliven the whole thing; don’t skip the pickles.
I don’t understand the high praise for the fries: they were over-​fried and very dry on the inside.

My favorite fast food Mediterranean in the loop.
I usually get the combo box option that you don’t normally see on the menu. I can never decide what I want so I get everything in the combo box with all the toppings. You can’t go wrong except when you see the amount of (decently healthy) food and wonder how are you going to finish it all. it runs similar to Chipotle and you can pick a pita, wrap or box and get any toppings you want.
I prefer their chicken and beef over the falafels. Falafels are crisp and dense here and way way way better than Roti’s falafels.

A million thumbs up. Wow! I was so excited to finally check this place out. Its way closer to work then I had assumed, which is great, and I think I will become a full-​on regular. I did the flight, which was a mini falafel, steak and chicken, all in their own pitas, and it come with piping hot french fries. SO DELICIOUS and as other people said, so much food!
The steak was the highlight for me. The spicy falafel is truly spicy, as is the hot sauce, so look out!

I’m so glad that I live so close to this restaurant. It’s nice to be able to grab a quick healthy lunch (with a side of crispy fries to wash it down).
I’ve ordered food to go twice and had the same thing because it was perfect. The «Box» on a bed is romaine with a mix of Chicken and Steak Shwarma is a healthy meal and there is a lot to eat. Both times I’ve shared the box and each time I was stuffed.
The staff seems willing to listen and make the customer happy with special requests such as making the fries well done. The review on fries is actually what caused me to come here in the first place (I haven’t tried the cheese cup).
The only drawbacks to the restaurant are the difficult parking situation and that they close so early. The parking isn’t their fault and I understand the early close as well because it’s a heavy business district. I’ve learned to wait to eat lunch and just get there before three to enjoy a quick healthy meal.

Had the pita for the first time today. Delicious! Spicy falafel Fridays are back so I HAD to take advantage. Got the spicy balls with ½ lb. sack of fries — hit the spot on my cheat day!
Took a picture of it but only half the pita, got a little too excited to cheat I guess.