Middle Eastern Flair

Sadly they were forced to close. Hope they find another location close to old one.
Story why they closed

So I heard about Middle Eastern Flair and its location in Norridge of all places, not somewhere like on Kedzie Avenue. It’s primarily a grocery store with some interesting ethnic goods in stock (I bought some cherry juice and some candy), and my bud said the baklava from there is good. They also have fresh food to sell such as falafel, which is so good and crunchy. I bought six falafel pieces and wish I had bought more. They have these flatbreads (not sure what they’re called) with varied toppings such as meat and cheese and oregano, and they taste OK but the falafel is definitely in a different league. I hear their chicken and rice is tasty too.

This place is a gem for its location! I love the variety of Ziyad products that they have as well as the bread selection, yogurt, and hookah flavor selections! The food itself here is as authentic as it can get, this coming from a Palestinian food lover! This place reminds me of the restaurant/​store hybrids in Palestine that I love so much!

You cannot put into words how delicious this food is here! The owner is so genuine and is always so friendly you can tell he takes pride in his establishment. Anyone who is reading this you must come to Middle Eastern Flair and try it you will be in love:)

This is my second time trying Middle Eastern food and this place was recommended by my uncle and his wife. They eat here a lot and I understand why, the food is very delicious and the service is very good. I would definitely recommend this place to friends.

Per the suggestion of my Arabian friend Adel, we came here on a weekend to buy lunch. I’m glad we stopped in.
They had half chickens for $ 3.99, which we got two of to devour later, along with some yellow rice and Arabian-​style fried rice. I got an order of some awesome hummus that came garnished with finely-​diced jalapenos and paprika. The peppers gave it the perfect amount of kick; on a warm freshly-​made pita, it was damn good. I regretfully didn’t buy any baklava (they had snack trays with several varieties), but if I’m in the area next time I definitely will.
The rest of the store appeared to have a nice selection of ethnic foods and a refrigerated section with some very interesting items. We awkwardly stood around for a while waiting for the customers in front of us to get their orders filled, as there was only one cashier/​order taker. The hummus was worth the wait, IMO.

This place is definitely a gem in this area. The owner (I think) is so nice and always gives samples. The food is really good and reasonably priced. The falafel, shawarma, hummus, rice, and baklava are great. I’ll be back to try more for sure!

I stop there regularly for prepared rice, often with beef and vegetables although sometimes only the vegetable variety is available. I really like the yogurt that comes with the rice; its sour and adds a little tang. The other day the only let me send. The other day the owner let me sample some fresh falafel and that was very tasty.

After driving past this place and eyeing it curiously for two years, I finally made it a point to go inside. It’s a cute little Middle Eastern grocer that also sells hot food. The people are very welcoming and eager to please. I ordered the shawarma sandwich and it was seriously delicious… until I pulled a long ass black hair out of my mouth. I have purple hair, so thanks but no thanks. The rice pudding was meh. Better luck next time.

Great place, love the taboulleh, hummus, and shwarma. Has farm raised chicken and a variety of good healthy foods!

Best falafel I’ve ever had. Wonderful little grocer too.

I had a delicious shawarma and chicken roll. The owner is very friendly and kind. Had a very pleasant experience — will stop by again!

Aaaaaaand, we’re back to 5 stars again! I stopped in the other day and was pleasantly surprised. Tons of fresh food, cheese pies, falafel, etc. The kids are back working at the store again and the quality has improved. They are also remodeling and adding counter space. Love it!

Love the friendly owners and the food is excellent. Their rice dish with the meat is amazing

Stopped by here for a quick lunch. The staff here is very friendly. Greeted with a sample of falafel! I ordered the half rotisserie chicken plate which comes with salad, hummus, on a bed of rice for 3.99! Great food and value. Do some shopping while you wait. Pita bread is baked fresh in the store. Would come back when in the area!

A much needed addition to an area which doesn’t have a whole lot of eating options outside of Polish and Italian cuisine. Middle Eastern Flair is both a grocery store and a deli. Their falafel, when fresh is amazing… light and airy inside, hot and crispy outside. Best falafel I’ve had ever had and I’ve eaten a lot. Rotisserie chicken and spinach pita pies are really good too. Date cookies and baklava are both decent, fresh and not too sweet with a nice hint of orange flower water. Aside from that, they have shawarma, pastries, salads, hummus, and several daily specials on the menu. There’s no place to sit down and eat though, so it’s best for take out.
I haven’t done too much grocery shopping here but their store is clean and well stocked with all of the usual Middle Eastern groceries. Butcher department though is a little limited.
Definiately worth checking out if you happen to be in the Norridge area.

Meh…
Was craving Middle Eastern Food and hit this place up because I didn’t feel like driving to Skokie for Pita Inn (that I grew up on).
I have been here before but just for some simple groceries. As always, greeted with a Falafel Ball when I walked in the door.
I ordered; Hummus, Baba, Shawarma, Falafel, Ozzie rice.
I think the owner was spending too much time bragging about how great his food was, and not paying attention to preparing the food. Hummus and Baba were very good, Falafel was OK, Shawarma tasted like 2 day old leftovers that he somehow reheated.
Not the Awesome Middle Eastern Food that Pita Inn served me for years. Next time; I will take the 20min cruise to Niles for Naf Naf Grill!!!

I live in downtown Chicago, but this is by far my favorite middle eastern food. Hot and fresh, delicious, authentic, priced well, and very friendly service.
In reading old reviews, it looks like they went through a few months where food and service was poor. I’m not sure what happened, but as of 4÷16÷2012 this place is amazing. Whenever I’m anywhere near the ‘burbs, I try to make it down here.
Highly recommended.

Such an uncommon restaurant for this area.
Dominated so long by Italian restaurants and cuisine, with small deli’ s and the occasional Polish and Mexican restaurant thrown into the mix. Norridge and Harwood Heights as well as the surrounding area are opening up to a larger variety of ethnic tastes.
Most notably food that is not only delicious but healthy for you to eat.
The place is filled with all kinds of Middle Eastern food, snacks and staples for any kind of Middle Eastern dining and food preparation.
People who work there have always been friendly and customer service has always been terrific.
Food is quite good, with falafel, Kibe, Tabouli and pita bread always fresh. The deli case is overflowing with all kinds of tasty olives, salads, puddings and special Middle Eastern deserts. Prices can be a little bit high. But definitely not a dealbreaker
So, if you’re in the area, give this place a try. Your body will thank you next time you’re in the bathroom trying to push out your Tuesday night double dog and cheese fries.

I feel like this place deserves an update so I can give them the 5-​star rating for sure this time.
I’ve bought food many more times since, so I can say that things here are consistently great. One thing in particular is the delicious rotisserie chicken. It’s so full of flavor and lemony goodness that the zancoo plate has become my go-​to lunch of choice when I’m craving their food. Their rice pudding is also a tasty, unique treat with a light floral flavor from the orange blossom water in it.