Mediterranean Restaurants in Chicago, Illinois

Originally a frontier trading post, Chicago quickly grew during the 19th century into a major industrial and transportation hub that linked the eastern and western United States. Lincoln Park offers a rich variety of outdoor activities for visitors with fields, ponds, a rowing canal and a bird sanctuary that hosts more than 300 species of birds each year. Downtown offers the newly established Millennium Park as well as ice rinks and walking paths among the towering skyscrapers. People of many ethnicities settled in the city over the years. Chicago's rich ethnic history is reflected in the variety of Mediterranean restaurants that feed the city of big shoulders.

Nesh! Mediterranean Grill

A family-owned restaurant, Nesh! specializes in "fast, casual, healthy, and fresh" Mediterranean cuisine at reasonable prices. Fare includes standards such as falafel, hummus, kabob and shawarma. Be sure to try the fresh-squeezed mint lemonade. This restaurant is definitely a healthier alternative to the ubiquitous fast food spots in Lincoln Park.

Nesh! Mediterranean Grill
734 W. Fullerton Ave.
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 975-6374
neshgrill.com

Naha

Nada serves upscale American cuisine with Mediterranean influences. Award-winning chef Carrie Nahabedian combines her Armenian roots with a Californian sensibility she developed at the Beverly Hills Four Seasons to produce unique fusion dishes. The menu includes intriguing items such as "Wild Striped Bass with a Tagine of Middle Eastern Flavors of Caramelized Fennel and Lebanese Eggplant" and "Rich Autumn Squash Soup of Long Island Cheesecake, Queensland Blue, and Spaghtetti Squash with Toasted Pine Nuts." Reservations are recommended.

Naha
500 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 321-6242
naha-chicago.com

Greek Islands Restaurant

If you are looking for straight up Greek cuisine, you can't do much better than Greek Islands. One of the oldest establishments in Chicago's Greektown neighborhood, the restaurant specializes in serving meals in a traditional "family style." That is, diners order a variety of appetizers and entrees that everyone shares at the table. The menu includes Athenian standards such as taramosalata, mousaka, leg of lamb, and "flaming" saganaki.

Greek Islands Restaurant
200 S. Halsted St.
Chicago, IL 60661
(312) 782-9855
greekislands.net

Cedars Mediterranean Kitchen

Founded 17 years ago in Hyde Park, Cedars serves a traditional Mediterranean menu that includes hummus, falafel and couscous. With a "bring your own" policy for alcohol, prices are very reasonable. Traditional dishes include kushary (basmati rice tossed with caramelized onions and sautéed lentils) and eggplant stew (served on a bed of crunchy pita).

Cedars Mediterranean Kitchen
1206 E. 53rd St.
Chicago, IL 60615
(773) 324-6227
eatcedars.com

Resources

Chicago Park District

Article Written By Noel Lawrence

Noel Lawrence has written on cultural affairs and cinema for Release Print and OtherZine since 2000. He holds a graduate degree in Russian literature from Stanford University and currently lives in Los Angeles.

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