I Dream Of Falafel

Came by on 9 Nov and the chairs and tables were gone and the door was locked. No sign outside. Looks like it is closed.

I am a pretty big fan of Falafel and for people who like to eat healthy or are vegetarian their pattys are on point and made fresh to order and so is the pita soft and hot. the portions are good size and they usually throw in a bunch of sauces but thats only if you ask for them on the side… its great healthy fast food and very close to a bunch of the schools in the loop :)…only wish they were open till later they close at 6pm or so

Pleasantly surprised by the tastiness of the meats and its accompaniments! There are a lot of make-​your-​own plate Mediterranean lunch places around the area, and I think IDOF has some of the tastiest (compared to Roti, Greek Kitchen, Mezza, Benjyehuda, Nesh).

Paco to the rescue! i wanted to cater for dinner over the weekend and this location was closed in the evening, Paco @ I Dream Falafel was prompt in getting my party order, connecting with the location at 60 E Jackson and arranging for my food to be picked up there on Saturday evening and giving me a discount. Rufina at the 60 E location called me promptly to tell me that my order was ready. The food was good for 20 folks, I did the 2 protein package which included Chicken Shwarma, falafel, Salad, party platter with assorted dips, chickpea salad, grape leaves, hot sauce, rice and pita bread. The guests thoroughly enjoyed and i am one happy hostess!

Food was fine however customer service was atrocious. I initially called to get information and whoever answered the phone was down right rude. I let that go and went to get something to eat anyway, and same thing. I encountered the same woman who answered the phone (was obvious same voice and attitude). I will NOT be back.

First time eating here. First time ever eating Middle Eastern food so I can’t speak of authenticity. I like it. I’ll be back.

I’ll begin by saying that I see IDOF as a Chipotle-​ized version of a Middle Eastern joint. I don’t like Chipotle at all, but I do love IDOF.
With so many locations around the Loop, it’s a great and healthy option – especially for those who keep halal and zabihah. You get a lot of food for a decent price, but you never leave feeling heavy or greasy. All the meat options here are good (the chicken can sometimes be dry, though), as are the falafels.
This is a great place to grab a healthy yet filling quick lunch (and for me, leftovers serve as tomorrow’s lunch) on a work day.

I used to come to this place ever since they opened back in 2008 or 2009. They were always amazing, and then about 2 years ago they changed the falafel recipe. Fine, I get it, parsley is expensive. Even though it was nice to crack open green falafel, I’ll take it. Then they changed their menu and made it more like Roti and about 20% more expensive. Ok, again, not the best; I miss the couscous and dolmas on the veggie platter, but it’s still reasonably priced and the hummus is really good and there weren’t so many vegan options in the area so I kept going. Now, they haven’t changed the menu, but have changed the portion sizes to a ridiculous level. I ordered a plate, and got 3 tablespoons of hummus, a decent size chickpea salad, about 3 slices of cucumber, 1 cherry tomato and about two tablespoons of tabbouleh. Seriously, 2 tablespoons. Half the plate was empty, and it only came with about 2 teaspoons of sauce for 5 falafel. WTF? Is this now the freshii of falafel plates? I finished hungry, because let’s be frank, a half cup of salad and falafel isn’t very filling.
I’ve spend an embarrassing amount of money here over the years-​before the menu change I used to go about twice a week, and I have to say, I will not return. If I’m going to pay Roti prices, I might as well go there because they at least put more parsley in the falafel and give you more than a tablespoon or two of sides.
The staff have always been great; it’s a shame the guys in charge are trying to fleece as much out of the customers now.

So,
Let me preface by saying I’m originally from Israel where we have falafel all the time.
They did not have Pita, they offered me lafa which is supposed to be like a thick burrito. However it was thin a little better than lavash. So 1 point down.
Originally I wanted Shawarma which is the spinning meat, however they offered me the
meat that was already cut half an hour ago instead of fresh and the meat
on the spit was charred from spinning too long.
What happens is if you don’t have clients buying then it gets over cooked.
So 1 point down.
So basically, this is a Burrito that pretends to be a Middle eastern thing.
Which is understandable since the staff were mexicans and not Israelis or Arabs.
So they probably thought that is how you fold it.
So lack of authenticity 1 point.
So 2 points.
The salad was nice and fresh, you can tell that a middle eastern trained them
on making the salad at least
For a burrito it tasted fine, I had the falafel. So 1 point.
Anyway, I will not be going back.
Enjoy it if there is nothing around.

Consistently decent product if you have a craving for Mediterranean food. The meat lacks strong flavor and is a bit bland. Staff is nice and get you in/​out quickly.

I love IDOF!!! The Kefta Kabob is my favorite! Humus great!!! The spicy tomato sauce it’s so delicious but also get the garlic sauce with it. All of the salad items and vegetables are fresh and very well seasoned, I love the cherry tomato salad even if it’s extra! I had the falafel today and it was crispy on the outside and soft and warm in the inside! Greatness! Excellent meal! Just the right amount of food if you order the wrap. I try to go to IDOF as much as I can but it’s hard because the closest location it’s downtown and there’s no parking. I wish the would open one in the south Canal and Roosevelt area. Did I say it was very inexpensive as well!

I ordered a salad plate — spinach, protein, 3 toppings.
I was charged $.75 — for lettuce. It’s considered a topping.
Lettuce is a topping? On a salad? $.75 for two tablespoons of shredded lettuce?
I don’t understand and I won’t be back.

With a name like «I Dream Of Falafel», I had to try their namesake food item. I’m no connoisseur of falafel, but I have had mediocre falafel (right, Falafill in Lakeview?). Sultan’s Market in Wicker Park has good falafel. But this restaurant ain’t kidding… after I had their falafel, I do dream of their falafel (and no, I don’t work for them or have any connection to them).
We ordered only the falafel and I must admit I was skeptical b/​c they looked somewhat smaller than falafel I’ve had elsewhere. But so much for the adage that size matters, b/​c once you bite in, oh my. You won’t dream of Jeannie… just the perfectly crispy and super tasty falafel. Sauces are complimentary in four different varieties and the spicy tomato was a revelation.
Stop dreaming and wake up. Go get some!

We’ll be spending some time in the area and on the way home last night we needed some nourishment! I think the boy actually might dream about falafel, so when I saw the name of the restaurant I knew we had to stop!
Upon reviewing the menu, we both looked at each other and said that it reminded us of a certain Mexican fast food burrito place with the way it was set up. We were delighted by this because it meant that we could try many things! This was love at first sight!
The boy order a Wrap with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Falafel, Tabouli Quinoa Salad, Tzatziki Salad, and Garlic Salad. The falafel is quite tasty! The boy was excited to find another fabulous falafel place!
I ordered a Salad with Chicken Shawarma, Tabouli Quinoa Salad, Cucumber & Tomato Salad, Chick Pea & Quinoa Salad, and Garlic Sauce. This was the best salad I’ve ever had! Ha! This isn’t something you can throw together at your local salad bar either!
The staff was great! They explained everything to us and let us know that everything is made fresh each day. They had various chips laid out for sampling. We’ll be back here for sure! I hope more than 2 open up and quickly!

I love that some of the other reviewers here went to a place called «I Dream of Falafel» and then did NOT get the falafel… people, use some common sense. If you go to International House of Pancakes, don’t get an omelette… get the freakin’ pancakes!
IDOF may do a lot of things well, or maybe badly, but a friend of mine and I hit IDOF for lunch on Monday and we both got falafel wraps with pita chips and a drink. Total: $ 9.97. You get five pretty large pieces of falafel in the wrap, and they are spaced out so that every bite of the wrap could feature some falafel. (This is a good thing.) The lettuce, quinoa, and hummus were tasty, as was the spicy sauce, although I’m always wishing restaurants would take the training wheels off and give me something that really IS spicy. The chips were great and my soda options were plentiful. Lots of space to sit in the Franklin location and it’s just far enough away from my office to walk off some of the pain once you finish up.
The falafel here is really good but Taza also has some pretty solid falafel too… now I’m in a tough spot, where do I get my weekly fix???

Only thing I can say is… I’ll have to try more than the baklava next time. I stopped in after my first experience next door at Haute Sausage. Haute doesn’t have a bathroom so I couldn’t just use their facilities and not buy anything.
The baklava consists of a four piece bundle. Each one a little different shape and texture. I rally enjoyed each cluster. If I was going straight home, I would have grabbed something for the road. Everything is laying right out in front of you, which makes it helpful to decide.
They have a nice size dining area and the staff were helpful, a must try again type spot. Just lunch time hours but I see they’re delivering now.

Their customer service is outstanding. The manager is very nice and always want to make sure that every single customer is satisfied. Good size wraps. Their their home made pita chips and potato chips, they should have samples on the counter. They are very good. Dishes aren’t expensive, usually $ 6.75-$ 8

This is like the Chipotle of Falafel. Do you want a wrap or a plate? Pick your meat… pick your veggies… pick your sides… pick your hummus… pick your sauce. Whatever you pick, it’s all pretty tasty.
There are not a ton of lunch choices on this side of the Loop, IMO, and I usually pack my lunch for this reason (and cost). A friend wanted to eat out and we wandered over here. I’ve been a few times over the past few years and what I can say, is this place is concistent. They’re fast, fairly cheap, and good quality.
I usually go with the plate. This comes with rice, humus, one of the sides, meat, veggies, and whatever sauce you like. The roasted red pepper humus is good and the chicken is flavorful, not dry. It’s a lot of food for around $ 7.50 (not including drink).
Good lunch spot.

I think the IDOF on Monroe St has better food than this location.
$ 7.5 for plate with up to three sides including rice.
$ 6.5 for wrap.

I was tasked with ordering lunch for a team meeting and it could not be something that we previously have ordered. I recently saw some other co-​workers walking around with this fantastic looking Mediterranean food. I inquired and found out IDOF does cater.
The ordering process is extremely simple and they are spot on in regards to the number of people it will feed. We had the Chicken and Beef with a couple of salads and the dips. Everything arrived on time, very hot and was devoured by the team.
Since then we have gone in and grabbed lunch to go a couple of times and seems to be everyone’s early summer favorite.