Passion Cafe

Phenominal food, flavors and ingredient mix. Hands down the best chicken avocado sandwich in the city! Tangy and gooey and delicious. The lentil soup is amazing and the teas are wonderful. Staff is so accomodating and friendly. Great place to lunch outside too!

This place is OUT OF BUSINESS.
I run past this business almost every day and noticed within the last week a «for rent» sign in the window and no sign of a functioning restaurant. Too bad because it was a cute place and I wanted to try it.

The good: Great tasting meat and fish
The bad: EXTREMELY slow service, food was rather oily, portions were just okay, pretty high prices for what you get.
Overall: I don’t understand how this place has such a high rating. It was very average if not below average. The great tasting meat was the only thing that redeemed the night’s dinner. Very poor service and long waits.
Also, apparently, the owner said they will be closing soon. Who knows.
Atmosphere: ⁷⁄₁₀
Service: ³⁄₁₀
Food: ⁷⁄₁₀

I was out on Sunday morning looking to try something new for breakfast; I drove past Passion and thought it looked cute so I gave it a try. I was not disappointed at all.
My dining partner and I sat outside, which was comfortable, clean, and spacious. The intimate Euro-​café vibe is there, but not in an obnoxious way. Ramos, our super cute waiter, was attentive, knowledgeable, and very patient with our many questions. The menu has lots of Mediterranean-​inspired yet accessible options, and I went for one of the savory omelets which was very good.
The food was simple, fresh, and tasty. Yes, it’s a bit on the pricey side, but I think one should appreciate fresh food that is carefully handmade. Oh, did I mention that it was made by Ramos, the aforementioned waiter? Very cool. Props to people who can make the food and serve it, too. I have never seen that before in any restaurant in Chicago, and thought it gave the place a really special, intimate feel.
I enjoyed it and will definitely be back to try one of their sweet dishes!

An average of 4.5 stars… Really? Am I a crazy person for feeling like Passion made me want to vomit?
My $ 4 glass of orange juice was the tiniest thing imaginable, maybe 4 shots worth of liquid that tasted like minute maid from a soda machine. The curried vegetable cous cous was bland and the slimy cold cauliflower made me gag. Could only force down half the plate. The Passion crêpe was bearable, but how that skinny little wrap comes with a $ 14 price tag is beyond me.

I stopped in on a whim thinking I could get some work done whilst I ate lunch. The staff person who seated me was nice enough and attentive enough but everything else was just kind of blah. The décor is pretty cool; a lounge-​y side and a café side comprise the restaurant. The kitchen/​grill area is on the café side and I suppose had I been interested in it, I could’ve watched my food being prepared.
Overall, the steep menu prices are kind of a disappointment. I don’t care that my crêpe had «unique» cheese in it – three sliced strawberries, a baby’s handful of blueberries, and two dollops of cheese wrapped in an egg blanket (the crêpe was too thick and eggy for my liking) should not cost $ 14.
Maybe if I hadn’t been sweating bullets while trying to enjoy my lunch, I would have left with a better impression.
I was really hoping this would be a nice alternative to Starbucks as this place is so close to me, but I guess I’ll just go back to old faithful. At least Starbucks is predictably overpriced and mediocre.

I can see myself becoming a regular here. On a weekday, it was very peaceful, with a cozy room off the main dining room that seems set up to attract people who want to get some work done. Comfy chairs, tables and free wifi — this is all good. Nice, clean décor, with just enough personality to seem original without trying to hard to be hip. Lots of outdoor seating, too.
I got the Passion Wrap, which came with lamb, eggplant purée, and basil. The lamb was more like a merguez (spicy sausage) and I was expecting sliced or ground lamb, but the sausage was flavorful and I’m assuming made on the premises. Came with a little side salad. My only objection is that it’s a little pricey– $ 12 or $ 13, I can’t remember. It’s a tad more than I would want to spend on a lunch wrap, even with premium ingredients. Everything on the menu looked like $ 1 – 2 more than you’d expect, but hey, if the food’s good, I’ll pay for it.
The service was a little slow — my wrap took about 20 minutes to come out. The server was very friendly and chill. I would like to come back for dinner and take advantage of the BYO, which you don’t see much of in Old Town. Seems more like a lunch café, so I’m interested to see what the dinner vibe is like.

My husband and I dined here on a Thursday night. The food was excellent. Everything was very fresh and the website says that it is locally sourced and organic. Try the arugula flat bread and curried vegetable couscous salad. Also, they make the desserts fresh daily. We had a vanilla bean cheese cake that was wonderful, but the portion was on the light side. However, the it was priced accordingly.
The service is European-​style — very slow giving you time to visit and they might not bring the check until you ask. If you are in a hurry it might not be the best place to dine.
I would come back for the food as well as to try the coffee and tea. I had an iced tea and it was freshly brewed with high quality tea. They have a big patio and a small indoor area (off to the side of the dining area) with comfy chairs for relaxing and free wi-​fi.

Came here again the other day and had some lentil soup and the Shaw Wrap. Both were amazing, but I would strongly recommend the lentil soup. Had just the right amount of flavor and spices.
Also, rumor has it that the owner is bringing in a pastry chef… stay tuned!

Love LOVED this place! I came here with 2 of my girlfriends for dinner on Tuesday. The owner was so sweet, and made me my own dish that wasnt on the menu. The food was delicious and he also gave us a free dessert.
I will definitly be coming back to try their coffee and breakfast.

They were under-​staffed the day we went, the food was OK, and the coffee came out an hour later.

After walking around aimlessly for an hour in search of a unique brunch spot, we decided to look for something on Unilocal and found the Passion Café. Seeing that it got mostly great reviews AND had Turkish coffee, we excitedly got in a cab (we were STARVING by this point) and hurried over.
Whomp, whomp.
If I had to pick an adjective to describe the service at this place it would be SLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO­WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.
After being seated, it took awhile for the server to get us menus. Granted, he seemed a little overwhelmed because it was moderately busy and he was working by himself at that time. Finally, he came and gave us menus. Ten minutes later, he came back to get our drink orders and replied there was no Turkish coffee (!), but then another 15 minutes elapsed before bringing us «bottom of the pot» regular coffee. He took forever to get our order and then our food took FOOOOOOOOR — — EVVVVVVVVVV — EEERRRRRRRRR to arrive. It was decent, but by no circumstances mindblowing. Certainly not worth the wait.
Midmeal, we noticed a pony-​tailed man (the owner?)came to help out, but he did not make an appearance at our table until the table full of attractive ladies across from us left and he could no longer try to flirt with them. In fact, nobody really came to check on us to see how we liked the food or if we needed anything.
Darn you Unilocal!Your usually excellent recommendations failed me this time. I wish we would have just gone to Dunkin Donuts to avoid having wasted so much time.

A long-​lost friend was in Chicago for work and staying in the Old Town area. I was gonna meet her for lunch and, being unfamiliar with Old Town, did a Unilocal search. I was intrigued by Passion Café for their 5-​star average and the fact that I haven’t had much experience with Turkish/​Mediterranean food. My friend’s sister said the restaurant had changed hands recently, and so she wasn’t sure if it was really that good, but hey, why not?
And indeed… why not? This place did not disappoint. I can’t vouch for the authenticity of the food, not having been to the Mediterranean world or much experience with that cuisine overall. I ordered the beef and lamb kebab and it was delicious. The meats were cooked perfectly and the flavors were just awesome. It all worked together beautifully. My friend’s roasted veggie sandwich also did not disappoint, at least according to her. :)
More than that, though, was the excellent service. As I was walking in, a guy whom I assume is the owner or manager was coming out, and he greeted me and held the door for me. When my friend wasn’t sure about what kind of tea she wanted, they brought over their entire collection of tea canisters for her to peruse. The chef brought us our food personally and wished us a good dining experience. I tried Turkish coffee, which turned out to be way too bitter for my taste (yes, I’m a fluffy coffee drinker). The owner came over and said, «It looks like you didn’t like the Turkish coffee. Can I bring you a cup of regular coffee, on me?» How generous and what a pleasant surprise!
(The regular coffee was also excellent, by the way.)
I was so happy with this discovery. I hope to return soon with my husband, as I think he will be just as pleased as I was. I hope, anyway.

Stumbled upon this little gem because I was in the area with my friend and we had some time to kill on a Saturday morning. After skimming a few Unilocal reviews, I was convinced.
We chose to sit at a sunny little booth/​table in the corner. The daylight streaming in and the ambiance was wonderful. I had plenty of vegetarian options to choose from, and I went with the Avocado Scramble crêpe – it was super flavorful and filling. My friend had the Breakfast crêpe and also loved her dish. We also tried the turkish coffee; I’m usually not much of a coffee drinker, but I definitely enjoyed it.
The best part was the customer service; they were attentive, warm and genuine. Our waiter was a hoot. The whole café has a wonderful local/​neighborhood feel. Someone besides our waiter (I’m guessing one of the owners?) even came over to my friend and I to offer us coffee «on the house» while we sat and chatted after our meal.
It’s a great breakfast/​brunch place. However, it was surprisingly (and sadly?) empty for a Saturday around noon. I’m not sure if that’s normal, but hopefully their business picks up, as they certainly deserve it (although I want to keep this secret all to myself!) I’ll definitely be back.

Went here last night for dinner with a couple girlfriends. The place came highly recommended and definitely did not disappoint. The owner was super friendly and gave us all free hot chocolates. I couldn’t have one so he brought me a chamomile tea instead. Food was great. We ordered the chicken kabobs, vegetable couscous, the passion wrap, and the berry crêpe– all were fantastic. At the end of our meal the owner brought out a bowl of rice pudding for us all to share on the house.
I look forward to coming back especially that it is a byob and has free wifi.

This place is definitely one of my new favorite spots in Chicago and serves some of the best Mediterranean food I’ve ever had anywhere!
I came here with a friend for an early dinner on a Friday night and the café was not crowded at all. I love the ambiance here and the fact that they have BYOB! Huge plus in my books. The staff was awesome and super friendly, and the food was nothing short of spectacular. I had ordered the Cops Favorite flatbread, while my companion had ordered the mixed kabob plate. Both were equally delicious!
Definitely looking forward to coming back next time to try some of their other dishes. Until next time, cheers!

Got the Passion Wrap. seriously the best thing I’ve heaten this year. all of 2013. Incredible. Awesome coffee too.
You should go to this place. yesterday.

This place is amazing. We went on a Saturday morning for brunch. The food is excellent and the owners are some of the nicest people we’ve ever met. We’ll be back many more times in the coming years.
I highly recommend you check this place out asap!

I Love passion! The food is fresh and very tasty. The service is great, very personable and the owner is always there with a giant smile on his face.
You can’t beat the BYOB aspect of this place and the food is devine. I’ve tried the steak flatbread, steak sandwich, veggie sandwich andthe hummus platter. The fresh salads that come along side the sandwiches are really good.
I can’t wait to come back here!

It was my first time to Passion Café last Thursday and it left a wonderful impression on me! The owner was the most hospitable and attentive I have met in a while! The food was excellent! The owner took time to come and talk to us about the kind of organic products they were using to make the dishes, no wonder they tasted so good.
And one of the best parts– the coffee! I had a cup of Turkish coffee and I can say it was the best one I had in Chicago. After visiting Turkey last year and drinking 4 cups of coffee a day, it was hard for me to find the same quality in Chicago until now. If you have never had Turkish coffee I highly recommend it!
The atmosphere in the restaurant is cosy, stylish, and very welcoming. A great place for meetings with friends and clients.