Haifa Cafe

Ah, my tumultuous affair with Haifa Café. I remember the first day I happened upon this tucked away restaurant. My coworker and I were out scrounging around for a lunch spot. All of a sudden we walked past a young guy handing out coupons. «Haifa Café» it read. Well, with our new coupon in hand, the lunch decision was made.
The restaurant is the epitome of a «hole in the wall» place. It was small with just a few tables to sit at. Upon entering we were greeted by a friendly man who boomed, «Gentlemen! What can I get you? I recommend the combo platter. You get two choices of meat, hummus, rice, falafel, pita, salad, and a drink.» I was sold. I stared with eyes wide as I saw their generous helping of rice, followed by big spoonfuls of the curried chicken and chipotle chicken (my two meat choices). Then came the big glop of hummus. My mouth was salivating. I thought nothing could get better, until I saw the price. Unbelievably cheap for the mountain of food I just witnessed.
I received my food and walked out of the restaurant cradling my newly found treasure. Quickly my coworker and I rushed back to the office to taste our food. The first thing you’ll notice is the smell. It will fill an entire room and instantly make others hungry. My first choice to taste was the curried chicken. The curry flavor was decent and not overpowering which I greatly appreciated. The chicken itself was a little dry, but since it was coated in a sauce, it was hardly noticeable.
Next up was the chipotle chicken. Its sauce was a tad watery. I didn’t get too much flavor out of it either except for a mild smoky taste. The falafel was amazing: crispy, tasty, and not dry on the inside which is very rare to come by. I dipped it in the hummus and the flavors most certainly agreed. The hummus by itself was disappointing. There just wasn’t a whole lot of flavor to it. The pita seemed like it was just grabbed out of a bag from a store. The salad was generic, with the vinaigrette being very salty. In the end, the food was good, but average.
Why then, you may ask, do I have a tumultuous relationship with the place? I have since gone back there more times than I want to admit, but why? All I can say is it hits the spot. Is the food the best in the loop? No. Can it be too salty? Yes. How about inconsistent flavor? Sure. But I never went there with the intention of finding the best place. I went there hungry and looking for good food. Haifa Café is good inexpensive food that keeps me full long past dinner time. Keep doing you Haifa.

Good spot to get quick lunch, no long line or wait. Decent sized portion for special $ 7 with drink.

I really wanted to love Haifa Café. I am a big fan of Naf Naf Grill and wanted a nearby alternative for when I didn’t feel like waiting in a line out the door for lunch. .. but I don’t think Haifa Café will be that place. I ordered a side of hummus and pita, as well as a few falafel.
The falafel were delicious — not too dry, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They also tasted a little bit different than your average falafel — I felt like there was the tiniest bit of masala flavor to them. Overall, they were well-​spiced, and I didn’t feel like I needed to cover them in hummus to add flavor or make them edible, which was probably for the best…
For me, hummus is the make or break item, and I just couldn’t get behind Haifa Café’s hummus. While the portion size was very generous — a big take-​out container for only $ 3 — the consistency seemed a little bit off. It was very creamy and almost runny — more like tahini. The flavor was also missing something — maybe it was the garlic, I don’t know, but it was just bland.
Also, the man preparing my order was exceptionally sweaty, to the point where sweat was actively dripping off of his face. I realize this is something he can’t control and hey, sweat happens, but I was a little bit concerned he was going to sweat into my hummus.
Overall, Haifa Café was ok, but it would not be my first or even second choice for Middle Eastern food in the Loop.

Friendly staff and free refills. But no Pita Inn.
Ordered the gyro platter special for $ 6.99. Good sized portion that looks like Pita Inn’s business lunch special. Came with a drink, choice of two meats (some of the meats seemed more like fusion than Mediterranean, e.g., spicy gyro meat, chicken curry, etc.), one falafel, a half of a pita, veggies, and yellow rice. It also came with humas, which was good and isn’t included in Pita Inn’s business lunch special. Rice was mushy and needed more seasoning. The lamb kabob was good but didn’t look like what I think of kabobs.
It is wheelchair accessible. There are limited tables and chairs that are movable. Unsure if they have a public restroom.
It’s in between a Dunkin Donuts and Panda Express, below LA Tan.

I think I really want to like Haifa Café. The man serving me food was really nice and delightful (and allowed me to try a variety of meats in my plate). The flavors are not as overpowering like other Mediterranean places, and there are definitely highs to the fare that I’ve tried. But on the flip side, there were also a few lows that I noticed and have troubles with making Haifa a regular occurrence.
I ordered a Lamb Kitfa and Chicken Sharwma plate, which probably was the wrong choice for lunch (seeing how I had meetings non-​stop afterwards). The man behind the counter was even kind enough to give me a bit of beef to try (which was appreciated). The total came out to be around $ 10, but it was quite a sizable portion, due to the salad, rice (choice of spice and non-​spicy), and hummus.
I guess I can lead off with the good. The portion was sizable, and definitely filling. There was a decent amount of meat-​to-​rice ratio. My favorite aspect of the meal was the hummus and the spicy rice. The rice had nice subtle flavors (and was not very spicy). It was served nice and hot and really provided a great base to the meal. It was so good that I forgot about the pita (and pretty much skipped it). The chicken was not too salty and had nice flavors as well. The hummus was really creamy, and really tied the meat and the rice together (a very necessary component). I have rarely seen hummus in this kind of viscosity, but it seemed to work out fine. The salad was also nice and tangy. It provided a refreshing taste to give a change of pace.
There were quite a few things I wish were better. The pita was lackluster, and I pretty much skipped it all together after a bite or two (there was enough carb in the plate for me anyways). The meats were a bit under-​flavored, and over cooked. The chicken desperately need help from the hummus, while the lamb kifta was so light in flavor that I could barely tell it was lamb. I did not enjoy the lamb kifta very much, and thought it was the low point of the meal. I probably would’ve just rather have only chicken (or maybe beef) shwarma.
Overall, the portion sizes were OK, and there are quite a few highs to the meal. Unfortunately, the lows will probably cause me to not become a repeat customer.

I was in a hurry to grab lunch so I ran in. For some reason I’d been craving stuffed grape leaves. Weird, right? So, to satisfy my cravings I got an order of grape leaves and the vegetarian plate. The plate included falafels, spicy rice, hummus, and a cucumber salad. The portions were decent and the price was reasonable. The grape leaves were ok. They were tasty but way too mushy. The falafels were just a little different from other falafels I’ve had. They had a nice spice and a crunch to them. The spicy rice was good, as well as the creamy hummus. The surprise star for me was the cucumber salad. It was crunchy, fresh and very refreshing. I’m not sure if the lady behind the counter was the owner but she was super nice and helpful. I’d skip the grape leaves next time, but the vegetarian plate is worth revisiting, with extra cucumber salad, please!

Today was my first and last time going to Haifa Café. I usually go to Roti or I Dream of Falafel when I crave Middle Eastern food close to the office.
I ordered the vegetarian platter with falafel, baba ganoush, hummus, Jeruselum salad, and pita bread. It was disgusting — completely inedible — YUCK!!! The only thing I could eat was the bread. I put the rest in the trash.
I would recommend Roti instead.

Made the mistake of stopping halfway to a walk over to Greek town when I had gyros on the brain… I should have kept walking. The service was prompt and lunch was relatively inexpensive, but that’s where the positivity ends. Ordered the gyro sandwich and chips & hummus. While the pita chips were tasty, they were overly greasy and the hummus just flat out didn’t taste like hummus (missing lemon? or maybe garlic?) — it had a saucier consistency and lacked flavor. The gyro meat didn’t come off the spit, but rather was in a tray and added in to the pita with tomato, onion & tzatziki. Also less than optimal… Next time I’ll probably just keep walking. Ho hum.

If you’re choosing between Haifa and it’s «fancier» doppelgänger across the street, I Dream of Falafel, I would definitely recommend going with Haifa. It’s just better food. The BEST baba ganoush I’ve had in our area. A very wide range of meat choices, wider than most Mediterranean fast food I’ve been to.
Probably not as healthy as IDOF and not as nice of a seating area, but the food and service is much better than all the big chain fast food joints around here. Plus they have fresh juice!

Fast & Delicious! First time, ordered to my office. Delivery was here in less than 20 minutes and delivery guy was super considerate that I was on a work call when he arrived.
Got the veggie plate with grilled veggies, hummus and salad. They packed 3 yummy sauces including giardiniera. I also got a carrot, celery, apple juice, yum! Great value.
Will definitely order again. So happy I found this place.

I used to go here about once a week when I worked down the street.
The turkey sandwich was always my favorite and I never went wrong with it – you had the option of a pita or wheat roll. It was fairly good sized and hearty. You could also purchase a side of pita chips (as opposed to Fritos or the like) which were really good.
They also have a variety of other Middle Eastern items — pitas, falafel, and the like.
Reasonably priced and they move you in and out fairly quickly — worth a stop!

I’ve never eaten a falafel before, so I decided since I was in Chicago, staying near a falafel place, I’d give it a shot. It was pretty good. Not super duper amazing, but pretty good.
Service was okay. Food was above average, I think… but I have nothing to compare it to. For $ 8 for a lunch for two though, I’d do it again.

Come for the $ 4 groupon now falafel special, stay because the unfulfilled teenagers working behind the counter are pleaing that you take them with you. And then they’re shlocking bland sauce in your pita because you won’t. I’ve even tried the chicken shwarma here and it’s another case of eating crappy food just because it’s cheap. This place doesn’t have it going on. There’s a mcdonald’s next door with a value meal, and a Falafill across Wabash.

Haifa Café is one of my go-​to places for lunch. I usually order to-​go as it’s just as fast as calling ahead. Never tried the delivery or catering so I can’t speak for those. The line is always short and fast moving unlike more recognizable chain fast food in the area. It’s also cheaper and the portions are big. The falafel is fresh and the pita almost never breaks when I order the sandwich which is impressive with all the stuff crammed in there. If you’re at a loss for what to order I recommend the falafel sandwich, salmon or vegetarian combo.
Try the fruit smoothies; they’re delicious.
I love the guy who’s usually at the counter taking orders. He’s upbeat and friendly; always puts a smile on my face.

Greetings!
I haven’t gone to this restaurant for over a year, as I thought the food was bland and just plain unhealthy. But against good judgment, I decided to go with coworkers, who were craving it. There’s one coworker at our office who eats it 3 – 4 times a week, so I thought perhaps things have changed since the last time I went, which was over a year ago. So, I gave it a shot.
Let me tell ya, nothing has changed. Here are some «good» points: The food proportions are generous. You do get a lot for the amount you pay.
But here are the bad points: The food is bland. I got the combination plate, which for under $ 7 you get your choices of meats and two sides. Sounds like a great deal… not. I opted to go «healthy» and asked for the veggies instead of rice. The veggies was soaked in oil, perhaps olive or vegetable oil, but in either case, it was excessive. For my meats, I got turkey and chicken schwarma. The meat was so dry, which I found surprising, as both these meats were soaked in oil and/​or «juices» waiting to be served.
Sides-​wise, I ordered the hummus and lettuce salad. I had the food to-​go, so perhaps there was some movement and jostling, but when I opened my container to consume the assumed awesomeness, I was horrified that my hummus looked like mash-​potatoes and gravy; the oil from either the veggies or just the hummus itself pool all over the hummus. The lettuce was oily as well, perhaps a product of their «vinaigrette», or as I like to call it, oil-​a-​garette. All-​in-​all, I’m pretty disappointed, and it’ll probably be the last time I will go. This is my very first review and as I write this, I have my still half-​eaten container of Haifa. I’m hoping that maybe after another hour or two, the oil will somehow magically transfer into something better. But I doubt it. Roti is the place to be.

Decent change of pace for lunch in the area, where options are essentially limited to the Halstead Deli, Pret a Manger or other.
The food was dry, the service was friendly, the portions were incredible and the price was low. Averages out to a very sexy 3 stars.

Great loop lunch option. Super cheap (most under $ 5 or $ 6), with a good amount of nice quality food. Ask for extras, and they give it you to on the house – like hot sauces. They also have smoothies – but I’m not sure how they taste…
Anything chicken is good, and sometimes, they pop in an extra falafel for ya! The food comes out quickly and you can see what it looks like before you purchase – kind of Chipotle/​Subway style.
Don’t be afraid to stop on by this lunch joint. They take credit cards, too.

Very mediocre and that is for both prices and quality of food.
I had a felafel sandwich and a soft drink that came out to be nearly $ 6.
The felafel was not very warm nor was it as crispy as I would have liked it to be. The wheat pita was not as tasty either. Perhaps the most impressive and only highlight of the sandwich was the hummus.
I love the location as it is a block from where I am taking classes at Chicago-​Kent but I would rather go somewhere else. I probably won’t be patronizing this establishment anymore in my time spent in Chicago.

I wanted to love this place. I liked the food going down. But alas, it was slurp n burp… and worse.
My Seafood Curry Combo of a huge piece of grilled salmon and shrimp on rice, with a piece of Falafel and Hummus, I thought, was terrific… until my stomach started feeling yucky… very yucky, not long after I got home and before I ate anything esle. So, I know it was the food.
You get what you pay for, and it was cheap.

So I’ve never been to Haifa Café before and this one newly opened across the street from work so I figure why not?
I had the chicken schwarma lunch special. It was decent, but definitely not the best I’ve had. They only gave one fallafel with it too with seemed pretty stingy especially for their price point.
I did like their smoothie however. Had the one with mango, milk, and banana. It was sweet and delicious.
This place is fine, but for my money I’d probably just go to Roti a block further down.
Really wanted to give this a better review being the first for this place, but just couldn’t do it. Sorry Haifa Café :(