Hala In

This is my second time here and I really enjoyed the food, again. The first time I got the falafel, which I highly recommend, and the second time I got the chicken swarma… it was fantastic. Their fries are the best in town, crispy and hot. I definitely would recommend this place to my friends and family.

Best chicken shawarma I have ever had. I’ve ordered with rice, with hummus, with fries, all delicious. Such good food.

I tried the Chicken Shawarma Sandwich at Hala Inn which was pretty good. The meat was very fresh and the portions were good. Overall, I would give the food a ⁴⁄₅. I felt that it was a little over priced. Also, I wish the staff was a little more friendly/​helpful, which would have made for a better overall dining experience

This place surprised the heck out of us just now. Seriously some of the best Mediterranean food I’ve ever had. EVERYTHING was good. More care was put into this chicken shawarma then any I’ve had, beef was tender and awesome, even the dolma were uniquely seasoned and fantastic. There wasn’t anyone else here so GO HERE PLEASE

Fattoush salad was large and fresh but side order of lamb kebab was overcooked and three measly pieces. Big front windows overlook Clark but the dining room is charmless.

Better Than Average!!!
This is probably the BEST middle eastern food I’ve ever eaten, and that’s saying a lot considering there’s a lot of exceptional places here in Chicago.
Since this was my first time here, I wanted to sample as many different things as possible so I chose the vegetarian option which is offered as a lunch option ($ 8.99), from 11−3PM. It came with baba ghanouj, tabooleh salad, hummus, falafel, grape leaves and pita bread. This is definitely a feast.
Highly recommend: Baba ganouj and falafel. Baba ghanouj was chunky, had a pronounced smoky flavor and was seasoned to perfection. They mix the lemon juice and olive oil together, which makes it stand out more, very flavorful. Loved it! Falafel’s were excellent too, they both reminded me of a big ball of crispy french fries, I’ve had falafel a million times, but never like this. You have got to TRY this, it’s freshly made too. The only thing I didn’t like were the grape leaves, it’s just that I’ve never liked them, even though they make them homemade here. It’s just a personal preference.
The only thing I was disappointed with was the ambiance, it could’ve been more cozy and inviting. Instead it’s kind of cold. It’s a shame too because the food is soooo good. Maybe that explains why it’s never that busy inside, even the clerk said they get mostly carry-​out orders.
I’d probably get a carry-​out next time.

All items I had were made in-​house & were excellent! Tabooleh was chopped finely & lentil soup was very flavorful. They also make their own vegetarian grape leaves, which is not common among restaurants! Mujadarrah is another item on the menu I was excited to see since that’s another traditional dish that is not commonly seen.

We have now ordered take-​out from the Hala In in Lakeview on two occasions. Both times, the food has been exceptional. I order the chicken shawarma entrée which is a big enough portion that I can usually get at least two or three meals from it. On this last occasion, we also ordered the hummus. It had a little kick to it, perhaps a taste of jalapeños that was really delicious. We will continue to go here for mediterranean food.

Very good middle eastern food — you get a ton of food and not very expensive. We ordered a small hummus and it was fantastic. Then got some chicken shawarma that was incredible and baklava. Definitely worth going to.

The food here was delicious! The chicken shawarma was yummy and flavorful. The hummus was outstanding! The falafel was tasty. The only thing is that they could have given a little more meat portions. My girlfriend thought the rice could use some more flavor. But overall I am very excited to go here again and try other things!

I legitimately dream about this place. The people who run Hala In are the kindest. The food is out of this world.

Great food!!! For all those vegetarians out there their veggie plate is the best! They have the best baba gahnoush which is the one to beat!
Also we had the chicken and steak shawarma combo and it was sliced so thin that the meats were succulent :-) rice was fluffy and their salads esp tabouli salad was excellent. Bigger than expected portions and definitely a great place for middle eastern foods!
Even the owner said hello to us and checked on us to make sure we were ok. Very nice guy. Most definitely recommend to those in the area of lakeview!!!

Today (9÷20÷15) I was so excited to place an order because the food on the menu looked so good & filling! I placed a order for a lamb & chicken kabab & a extra side salmon kabab. First off it took them 1 hour and 22 minutes to deliver my food and I’m only 13 minutes away. When the food finally got to me it was cold and they did not put any eating utensils in the bag. There were 4 small pieces of chicken & 2 tiny pieces of lamb that was basically gristle and 1 dry filet of salmon. I called back to talk to the manager and was not the least bit concerned or remorseful. He just offered to «take care» of me next time. Next time? There will be no next time! This was the worst $ 30 I ever spent in my life, don’t you make the same mistake I did!!!

Solid. Great chicken kabob sandwich. Pretty decent lentil soup too.

I could eat Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food on a daily basis and be a very happy woman… I ordered the lamb and beef shawerma platter with hummus and pita — and the ever delicious tahini sauce on the side. The cucumber and onion served with it is tasty and I like mixing everything together and eating all at once… Ok I’m drooling thinking about it and need to check out more of their menu offerings…
Another thing I loved was the family vibe it had while we were there. A cute little girl was there with her father after soccer practice and he was teaching her how to be polite and give salams to the staff behind the counter, they obviously knew each other personally… Those small things are what make me love a place… What can I say I’m an emotional Unilocaler…
I need to eat here a few more times before upgrading…

So it was decent I got the beef shawerma and wouldn’t pay 14 dollars for as little meat as I got and the tiny five piece salad I got nor did they put extra tahini sauce on it like I asked but what can you say.

This used to be something else – a previous Middle Eastern food restaurant, but this is so much better. Newly remodeled and the same ownership as the other location on Lawrence. A quaint place that’s casual but serves surprisingly excellent food. The hummus garnished with sumac, dill and extra virgin olive oil, and was one of the best I’ve had in Chicago and served with warm plenty of warm pitas. The beef shawerma was delicious. The chicken breast in the kabab melted in my mouth. My friends and I will be back for more.

I ordered food for delivery and was surprised at how good the food was considering this was a random pick. I ordered the build your own combo. My order consisted of beef shawarma, chicken kebab, & lamb kebab that came with a side salad, roasted tomato & zucchini, a slice of pita, & a bed of rice. Everything was seasoned well and cooked to perfection. No complaints here!
I also ordered a side of French fries, but that’s nothing to rave about, and I wouldn’t recommend buying them here. They’re the frozen crinkle fries you can buy at your local grocery store and can fry up yourself. Obviously this item isn’t what they’re know for, so stick with their specialty dishes. Those are superb!

Do not let the décor turn you off. The food is fantastic, freshly prepared and very tasty. The prices are very good for the amount of food per entrée.
7.99 lunch special offers a fantastic tasting of grilled meats. …
Great for catering also.

Falafel and Shawarma taste the best in chicago.
I would lovely try eating here next time.
People of the resturant are so friendly and generous. We’ve got Mtbal dish for free. My wife loved it.