Semiramis

Ful is awesome — super fresh fava beans, garlic, mint… delicious. Pita and cardamom coffee were super tasty as well. Our waitress was really friendly (but not in that overbearing way) and told us all about how the food was prepared. Only complaint was that the kibbe and borak were a little dry.

Is tried this restaurant after going to noon-​o-​kabob and Saleem for years. The whole roast chicken was excellent. The ful and tabbouleh salad were very good also. I will be coming back to try the kabobs.

This is a review of their catering/​carryout. I planned a party for an indeterminate number of people (I guessed 30 – 40 would arrive over a long period of time). Joseph helped me select a simple combo of foods that would cost around my budget. The food was freshly made, on time for pick-​up and… delicious! I wish I could make Baba Ganoush or cucumber salad that was even half as good. Even though the guests loved the food, we had a few left-​overs, which was A-​OK with us.

Meh – average food, average prices. Beef/​Lamb Kefta were a little dry, the waiter told us it would have grilled vegetables. To me, a charred /​raw ½ onion, ½ a tomato and a couple of green pepper slices don’t constitute grilled veg. BYOB to boot.

I’ve been here a few times and I can’t believe I haven’t received it yet! The first few times was years ago. I don’t know if they’ve changed, if I’ve changed, or a little bit of both.
The prices are ok although I think a lot of the dishes are pre-​made. This time we ordered hummus, baba ganoush, and some falafel to start. Everything came out almost immediately. The pita was warm which is a very good thing. The baba ganoush was ok. I think it needed a little something. We love the hummus, and my friend said the falafel was great. I didn’t partake because I had ordered the special falafel sandwich.
We waited a really long time for our mains. There’s one lady running around on her own so maybe she was jammed. My sandwich was all wrapped up in waxed paper and the falafel was cold. I’m pretty sure this sandwich was made earlier in the day, or maybe yesterday. My friend got the mixed meats plate. He said the chicken was his least favorite of the three. It looked really dry. I also think this was prepared either earlier in the day or the day before. He loved the beef and lamb.
We shared the baklava trio. I couldn’t tell the difference from any of them. The pastry tasted a little stale.

The food is absolutely delicious! If you have not tried middle eastern food or not very familiar with it this is the place to go. The hummus and baba ghanoujj are fresh and very flavorful. The chicken schwarma and fattoush is hands down one of the best salads I have had the pleasure to eat. The prices are very reasonable the owner is friendly and accommodating. A real gem of a restaurant!

Good food… been there a few time, and always very consistent. BYOB is nice as well.

By far the best Lebanese restaurant in Chicago. Their hummus is the creamiest I’ve ever had and has the perfect balance of texture and seasoning. Parking is on the streets so if you are going on a weekend be prepared to look around for a bit but I promise you, the hummus and and almost everything else they serve is worth the drive and the wait.

I have a bad habit of letting Groupons expire. I wish I actually used the deal at this place, but at least I used my credit. And we ate like queens!
Complimentary olives– score!
Hummus with warm, soft pitas– so good, I nearly filled up on it.
Tabbouleh– I don’t know where this has been all my life. This is a must-​have.
Roast chicken with garlic mousse on the side (a bit like garlic mashed potatoes but with more garlic than potatoes) — pretty good, and a lot of food for a little $.
Chicken shawarma wrap with hummus, eggplant, pickles. Delicious, but not quite as good as my fave chicken wrap from Noon-​o-​Kabab next door.
The service was friendly, atmosphere pleasant. Overall very satisfying.

Food was great but a little too pricy for what it is. There are more economical options that serve the same style meals. I had the Mixed Grill, all the meats were tender, flavorful, and not over cooked. This in my opinion is not the type of food you want delivered. Eating it fresh off the grill is ideal since it may dry out by the time it arrives to your door. Just an FYI to all the delivery reviews that knocked them. If you don’t live within a mile don’t even bother asking for delivery.

I think this place is really underrated. It is like having a big brother that everyone compares you to. You could be doing a good job but still you dont get all the credit you deserve becuase you are living under his shadow. The big brother is noon-​o-​kabob in this case. Which I love but I still feel takes all the credit from Semiramis.
Anyway, Semiramis! The place is small and clean, nothing special but its full of culture. The food is really good and the portions are not bad. For 40 bucks we had 3 appetizers, 1 sandwich and 1 entrée. Cant beat that. The hummus and their falafel appetizer are to die for. The great news is that the place is BYOB which I did not know when I came but plan on taking full advantage of it next time.

Roast Chicken was excellent and their rice is delicious! Hummus also hit the spot. We spent about the same we do when we order pizza, but the meal was better tasting, healthier, and more filling.
The best thing though? Delivery was super fast! I do live less than a mile a way, but still we got our food nearly an hour before the GrubHub estimated delivery time.

Entrées
Lamb and beef kafta: 5
Lamb and beef Sharma: 4.5
Hummus: 5
Baklava: 5
Tea (with mint leaves in): 5
Service: 5
Ambiance: 5
It was very busy and animated on a Sunday afternoon, and all was enjoyable.

Great food and BYOB. This place always has delicious and fresh food, I’ve never had a bad meal here.
Parking is real easy on the street, just don’t forget to pay the meter.
I’d like to recommend a specific dish but i’ve had just about everything here and would recommend it all!

Was in at opening, on Sunday during Ramadan, and also the pride parade. We were 2 of 4 customers in the joint. The server was great, my only complaint would be that the cabbage in my sandwich was too fresh out of the fridge. I know it’s a health dept issue. Four of five. Easily.

We love Semiramus and are regular customers. They have the best Chicken Shwarma I’ve ever had. Recommend the Fattoush with Chicken Shwarma. Soooo good!

I have been dining at Semiramis for the last 10 years or so. Love the food. My wife and I typically start with a couple of appetizers such as the Dolmas, Falafel and hummus. My wife loves the Fattoush as well. Always fresh and refreshing.
I am addicted to the lamb and beef chawarma with the baba ghannouj. Joesph makes the best baba in the city. Love this dish. My wife is a bit more open than I am and loves the lentils and rice dish and the roasted chicken as well. Our son is partial to the charwarma and baba (takes after me, i guess).
We travel up north for our Semiramis fix 2 – 3 times a year. I wish it was closer to home. We would visit Semiramis more often if it were in walking distance.
And, BYOB. Most excellent. The baklava, which i believe is purchased from the store across the street, is just perfect for an after dinner dessert. Not too sweet and not too large. Just right.
As a side note, you need to walk through part of the kitchen area to use the bathroom. Some people may dislike this. I like restaurants that have this layout as it allows me to view the cleanliness of the restaurant. Semiramis is always sparkling clean. I am a super big fan of clean restaurants.

One of the top spots in Albany Park. We often get the same, sweet gal for a server and she always makes me smile. BYOB, which is wallet-​friendly, so that’s a nice perk.
Falafel has the perfect texture, which is a falafel game-​changer for me. There’s more than enough sauce, the lack of which is sometimes a concern for me at Middle Eastern places. I’ve kind of fallen in love with the pickled veggies they bring as an «appetizer». All the meat main dishes have been juicy and flavorful in my half-​dozen experiences so far.
Lebanese food as good as I’ve ever had it in the states. Yum.

I FINALLY tried Semiramis. Finally. What took me so long? I have no idea. It’s within walking distance. I pass by it all the time. It’s BYOB… but I must admit I was at a friend’s house and we wound up ordering it via GrubHub. Wha?
GrubHub. I love you and I hate you at the same time or rather, my waistline hates you. On to bigger and better things like how much I loved the falafel pita special with it’s red cabbage, pickle and tahini sauce. What I loved even more? THE FRIES! Now, I’ve made it known that my favorite fries come from another Middle Eastern joint which also resides on Kedzie. But, I think that Semiramis has taken that title with their thick cut steak fries seasoned with sumac.
Now, I hate to be a buzz kill amidst all this Semiramis love but as much as I loved the fries… I did not love the garlic «mousse» that accompanied it. I love garlic. I loved the flavor of the garlic «mousse» but I did not like its consistency. I hear the word «mousse» and I think… creamy and light. That is not what you are going to get at Semiramis. The «mousse» is like the consistency of mashed potatoes. Yes, I dipped my french fries in garlic mashed potatoes. Ok, not really… but that’s what I felt like I was doing.
Yes, I am going to keep going on the garlic mousse thing… I know, I know. This «mousse» should probably be called by it’s traditional name; toum. Ya know, so a gringo like me doesn’t get their hopes up expecting an aioli type sauce. You are thinking: is she done talking about this damn garlic mousse? Why yes, yes I am.
The sandwich is also served with a Lebanese potato salad. At first glance, you might think it’s smashed sweet potato… but it’s not. I am not sure how I feel about this side dish. I’d rather just stick to the fries.
Overall, a tasty experience. I will definitely have to stroll on in and try the roasted chicken that I hear people raving about… with a side of fries, of course.

So yesterday, Mothers Day, we stopped in for our dinner around 5pm. It was a group of 9 of us and we had my 1 year old nephew with us as well.
First let me just say, THANK YOU to the waitress who was patient and so helpful during on whole time there. With my nephew not wanting to sit in his seat (what 1 year old does) and all of us changing our minds and being a pain, she stood their with a smile and always said it was not a problem.
This place is tucked on the street filled with so many amazing hole in the wall places, and it does compete very well so! The food was fresh and very good, the only thing im sad about is not ordering the Shrimp salad special which my aunt did because it was OUT OF THIS WORLD amazing! Between all 9 of us we tried almost most the menu. Its not too large but that okay, because was is there is amazing!
Helpful Tips:
–They take reservations!
–Its located right by the metra track.
–BYOB! You can’t beat that!