Zander Import Groceries

I love coming here whenever I visit my family in Illinois! Though I am not middle-​eastern, I am an adventurous cook and eater :) I can get all the middle-​eastern groceries I need for my cooking: couscous, falafel mix, ayran, spices (like sumac, zaatar, ginger, cinnamon), tea, chickpea flour, olives, pita bread, and tahini. My favorite though are the fruit-​filled chewy candies from Turkey. I bring them to my students in Milwaukee and they absolutely love them!
Zander is one of the few places I can go for quality middle-​eastern groceries.

«Food is a central activity of mankind and one of the single most significant trademarks of a culture.» Mark Kurlansky
It is my mission while I am residing in the northwest Chicago suburbs to submerse myself in the cultural treasure trove around me and experience as much as I can, as fast as I can. Finding the best and most authentic international groceries (and conversing with the owners and patrons inside) is one of the best means to do this, I have found.
On my way to Assi (a Korean grocery), I saw the Zander Import Groceries sign with the curious winged lion. «Another time,» I thought. But, it ate at me while I was shopping at Assi. So, I read a few Unilocal reviews in the parking lot and decided to endure the six o’clock traffic on Milwaukee Ave and drive back there.
The reviews said bread and pickles, try the bread and pickles. That was the mission. I believe it not chance that Zander was grinding fresh Turkish Coffee beans for another customer as I walked in. The smell was inviting and immediately perked me up. Now I know I’ll come back when I have coffee drinking guests to entertain.
There are plenty of good Indian, Pakistani, and Persian stores within a few miles of Zander Import Groceries, but Zander earns his relevance due to certain specific Assyrian goods he offers.
The breads are acquired from bakeries in Skokie and Chicago, and the quality is good. The lavash was particularly nice, but the heavily floured crust left me wanting some of that coffee to wash it down. The Assyrian bread had a great bite and reminded me of a doughnut without sugar. (Does that make sense?)
A kind gentleman patron directed me to a spicy homemade pickle of cabbage, carrot, and spices. I must say, it was delicious and I hope my husband loves it as much as I do. Zander also had some imported pickles and olives which looked fascinating.
There were other staples, too, as you can see from my photos. This shop is definitely needed and earns its place with some unique offerings. I enjoyed my pickles and bread, and will have what is left of them to accompany an eggplant dish I am making tomorrow night.
Brittney Tun
Food Writer and Culinary Enthusiast

Polite wonderful Customer service fresh food I was a long customer of arax this place by far is a place to shop

Thank God for Zander, he is an Assyrian family friend of ours, and he has a lovely grocery store filled with Middle Eastern goodies like gehmar (creamy goodness), date syrup (to go with gehmar and tahini), samoon (thick filling Assyrian bread), pita bread, Assyrian flags, Earl Grey tea leaves for Chai. And I could go on and on. To fulfill all your Middle Eastern needs come to Zander, he is the friendliest man with a nice shop.

I’ve been going here for a few years, always happy w the freshness, always get a carton of their hot marinated veg., love the persian pickles.

Thank you for your fresh bread, yummy olives, cheese, and great imported groceries! :) mmm Great staff and good parking! Persian cravings, come shop here!