I ordered a chicken Tikka sandwich and lentil soup. Â The sandwich came filled with roasted vegetables, potatoes and salad on the side. Â The salad dressing was amazing and the chicken Tikka reminded me of those I would buy at train stations in London. Â The flavor was wonderful; service was extremely friendly, generous and prompt. Â I wish more restaurants in Chicago would follow in their footsteps. Â The decor was contemporary and nice, noise level was low to moderate and the bathrooms were extremely clean. I'm looking forward to going there again soon.
Review Source:The prices are a bit high. Â The husband likes the grilled cauliflower sandwich and the lentil soup.
The flat breads are a nice substantial snack. Â I particularly like the garlic spinach.
The trio of dips is good. If you request it, you can get whole wheat pita instead of white pita which is a plus!
The dinners are not that appetizing when received, in my opinion, usually they have fat floating on top and in the stew.
The family likes the food better than I do.
There is free parking in the strip mall's lot.
It is BYOB and recently was remodeled so that it is much more attractive inside now.
Credit cards are accepted.
This is the place I go to if I feel like reading, or if I'm entertaining out-of-town guests. You can go to Sultan's up north and have something cheaper and tasty, but for the south side, if you don't mind spending $10-12 an entree, you're in for a treat. The portions also justify the price. I eat it all because it's so tasty, and then I say to myself "Why did you eat all that?" and then I answer "because it's so darn good." And then I notice that I've been talking to myself.
I love their tagine. I love their appetizer sampler. Their hummus and baba ganoush are just phenomenal. The flatbread is tasty. A good, quiet place to relax and talk and eat good food. Recommend it, a bunch.
Bonus, it's BYO.
The food is old and tastes as such: Â the bread is stale, the falafil are aged as if they were tried yesterday and sat around, the falafil are suppose to be crispy with a distinct taste of falafil, the foul modammas as well is aged and tastes like tea with mint, the hummus is canned, the fried egg plant and cauliflower had no taste. Â
Overall, they are lucky that got one star. Â I guess it would be for effort.
I've lived in Hyde Park for a year and finally got around to ordering pick-up from Cedars. I ordered the shish kebab for myself and lamb tagine for my girlfriend. The food tasted okay and the portions were huge, but the kebab gave me a wicked case of food poisoning. Hard to trust this place again in the future :(
Review Source:So this was my third visit to this establishment since my initial review a few months ago.
I decided to give this restaurant another chance after I was contacted by Mike, who is the manager of Cedars. He was very honest and apologized for the bad service I had received before.
I really respected the fact that he took the time to read my review and comment on it honestly and decided to give them another chance because of this.
The first time, I ordered delivery and because I no longer eat meat I ordered the Curry Salmon and the plain kushary... And I have to say, the reason why I have given them two stars is because the food was delicious, the salmon fresh tasting and seasoned perfectly!
Unfortunately, the service over the phone was atrocious but of course I gave them another go (because I am a glutton for punishment) and because my friend from the University, Jose loves this place and was shocked at what I had experienced. So under his coaxing I ate at this restaurant with him a few weeks ago and I was happy with how our waitress (I forget her name) was so great and seemed to really take pride in her job. She had very striking short red hair.
But I cannot say the service was great the third time... I understand perfectly how hard it is to be a waiter but the service over the phone when I placed my order for pickup after I had eaten there with my friend was so bad that I contemplated not picking up my order at all. The lady who gave me my order when I got there was so rude, she all but threw my credit card back to me, it fell on the floor next to the counter/bar where she swiped it and I decided to forgive her as she looked really tired! But that was no way to behave as she did. I left ZERO TIP but the waitress whose name I forget was so nice, she saw what happened and politely gave me a smile, telling me to enjoy my day.
She is great and she has given me exceptional service before. She has red hair and wore a faint reddish orange lipstick/lipgloss today!
She is the only one in this restaurant who takes pride in her job and I thank her for her great service. But alas, I have to concede, this restaurant is the worst I have ever been to and I will no longer go there or order from there. Sorry Jose, I gave it a chance and it did not work out...
My advice to others hoping to eat here? Do not call in and place an order, I think the anonymity of the telephone makes them rude AND, there are many better places in Hyde Park with exceptional service to choose from. Don't bother with this place.
I've lived in Hyde Park for three days, and I've already been to Cedar's twice. The lentil soup is unbelievably good, and the portions in general are way bigger than I'd expect for the low prices. The falafel is perfectly done and the hummus is great, and I expected to pay about $10 more than my actual bill.The bistro design is lovely.
The only reason this isn't 5 stars is because the second time we went there, we were seated and then promptly forgotten for close to 10 minutes. When we did make eye contact with a server, she apologized and quickly summoned someone to help us. I think they just got caught on a shift change.
We had dinner here after my son's high school graduation, which was held on a weeknight. We hurried to the restaurant because we knew it would close at 10 pm, and we got there around 8:45. I dropped off the family with instructions for my order and went to pick up another member of our group. By the time I finally got to the restaurant, a waitress had STILL not had any contact with our table. And we waited another 15 minutes before someone finally asked us if we were ready to order. (Yes! If we don't starve to death first!)
There were maybe three other parties in the restaurant at the time. And our group wasn't huge--just six people.
Anyway, the food was pretty good. The Egyptian lentil soup (they also have just regular lentil soup) was very good. The pita bread was a bit dry, but they provide two varieties, whole-wheat and white. (It probably dried out while we were waiting to place our order, not wanting to fill up on bread before the main course. )
The portions are HUGE. Â I took half my dinner home with me. (And I have what everyone refers to as "a healthy appetite." ) I had the shawerma (lamb/beef) dinner and it was delicious. Â The rice was cooked just right, with roasted veggies on the side. You get a soup or salad with that; I had the house salad and it was okay. We also shared an appetizer dish, and all the selections were tasty.
The place is clean and the decor is very minimalist. It's not your typical Arabian restaurant on Harlem, with camel statues and disturbing photos of little boys wearing keffiyahs and holding rifles. This place is much more eclectic, and the menu has choices from several cuisines.
I will go back, but not if I'm in a hurry. I may, at that point, revise my review up or down a star.
The sandwich lunch special looks and tastes like it cost more than $7.99. Large, fresh, portion; and it's fairly healthy, too. Even the fries that come with didn't seem greasy, if that is possible.
I was there awhile ago but I remember the place is clean and service attentive. I felt like it took awhile to get lunch, but that could have been because I was with my boss and I didn't have much to talk about. I would go back.
As a person who used to live near Kedzie and Lawrence, a haven for some of the best middle eastern restaurants in town, I have experienced some highly enjoyable Mediterranean fare. But that is decidedly not what you will get at Cedars.
What you will get is a strip mall-like atmosphere, fast-food type servers (friendly but very inexperienced), and just average food. And maybe even below average food.
We started with the Mediterranean salad: mixed greens with fresh vegetables and feta cheese topped with house-made vinaigrette. This was so boring I nearly fell asleep head first into the lettuce leaves. An utter disappointment.
We also ordered the lebna, a Mediterranean soft, creamy cheese, topped with diced roma tomatoes and olive oil. This was also boring and tasteless. Sadness ensued.
Finally, we ordered the spit-roasted lamb & beef. I chomped down on a bone on my first bite. And...we're done here.
There are so few restaurants in Hyde Park. If only there were some good ones. ~sigh~
The tables here are about ten inches wider than they should be. It's weird. And what do you know, that "almost but not quite" theme seems to pervade every experience at Cedar's. Lackluster is the order of the day. I know it's Hyde Park, and businesses don't have to try and can still charge premiums just for locating in this neighborhood, but seriously, have some self respect.
Some days I eat here and it's great, justifying some of the good reviews. The food is well prepared, the service is totally on the ball (shout out to the few servers who do an especially great job) but then often the experience is just the opposite. Falafel that is half cooked, chopped salads that are un-chopped, hummus that is missing from pitas supposedly including hummus, and other evidence that most of the time, this place just doesn't really care about your business.
I wish I could give it a better rating. But, that would mean clicking again on the rating bar to change it from two to three stars. And frankly, I just don't want to make the effort.
Cedars is awesome! The food is awesome, the service is awesome, the atmosphere and decor is awesome, and the prices are awesome.
I have been to Cedars many times and I always leave feeling satisfied and with a very full stomach :)
They have very delicious Mediterranean food. For the quality and the portion, the prices are very reasonable. My favorite dessert is the Cheese Pineapple Hareesa. I know cheese and pineapple sound weird together but it's actually delicious! They also have Baklava, of course. It can get pretty crowded and noisy around meal times.
If you go with a group of four or more, I highly recommend the Family Style meals!!! You get to try a wide variety of food for a great price.
Highly recommend :)
This is my favorite restaurant in Hyde Park! Everything I've ever ordered here is extremely delicious and reasonably priced. All of the pita sandwiches are about $6, HUGE, and delicious; they are two meals in one! I also highly recommend the Egyptian lentil soup.
Good for large groups, but not the best for dates because of the proximity of the tables.
The food is great, I prefer a little more spacing between the tables so that I can refrain from eavesdropping on other people's conversations but whatev.
Cedar's is a hyde park gem. I have had their pita sandwiches that my work caters regularly and they are awesome. But I had never been to the restaurant and never tried their dinner menu. I loved it.
Thumbs up:
1. Appetizers: great mediterranean grilled shrimp!
2. Main course: great pan-sauted lamb was tomato heavy but it was good. Also good was their lemon-garlic chicken. Â Both come with soup. Lemon chicken soup was delicious.
3. Service: Our server was nice and friendly.
Thumbs down:
1. It feels like they stuffed a lot of tables in a small space. Please be aware if you are claustrophobic :P
I was excited to come to Cedars and try another Middle Eastern restaurant in HP. Â I only wish I had known they had a parking lot with free parking!! Â I walked, like, an extra 3 blocks. =)
But once I got there, the food was fast and SUPER fresh. Â My sandwich had so many good flavors going on, and I didn't care that I looked like I just had a shot of Novocaine trying to stuff all that yummy goodness into my mouth. Â Thankfully the waitress brought extra napkins.
The restaurant is super clean and neat and has a very nice ambiance. Â But the most impressive thing?? Â Well, let's just say that I have the stomach of a champ-- seriously, the amount of food I can eat is impressive and borderline dangerous. Â I actually needed a box!! Â So uncharacteristic....in fact, I left the box at the restaurant, since I am so unaccustomed to having leftovers. Â I still have visions of the thin fries and tandoori chicken....
So I took away a couple of stars because of the customer service. Â I visited yesterday and when you walk in, you basically have to wait for someone to notice that you are standing there before you get seated. Â
I was sitting there for a good 20 minutes before I had to get my waitresses attention (she didn't even introduce herself but she had short hair) to order an appetizer. Â I had to call her because every time she made sure the table next to me was ok she didn't even bother to look my way. Â When I told her I wanted to order an appetizer as I was waiting on two other people she asked me if I was in a rush, HOW RUDE! Â I think sitting for twenty minutes with out any food is not a rush at all. Â
Another rude thing happened when my friend ordered her entree and she wanted to taste the rice that the waitress had mentioned and she hesitated as if it were a problem to bring a sample and it turned out that the rice was just white rice (why didn't she just say that? O_o).
One more incident happened when another friend wanted to order another side dish and the waitress wanted to know if that was part of what she had ordered. Â Is there an order limit?
I feel like the waitress was arrogant and rude and I don't even think she knows it. I was embarrassed that I was the one who set up this dinner. Â And my food was thrown in the to- go tray in the end and I didn't get a bag. Â I ended up separating the food myself.
The good thing about this place is the food is good! Thank heaven it wasn't a completely bad experience but customer service is very important to me.
Oh and btw, I had the salmon but the rest of my party had steaks and they were HUMONGO!! Great for the price and were tasty!
I probably would visit again but only if I get a different waitress.
This is a good place if you know what to order. The portions are huge so it's often a good idea to share the entrees. The dip trio is good, specifically the hummus and the lebna. The soup is typically very good, especially the Egyptian lentil soup. The salads are fine, the best one is the Fattoush salad (pita chips are yummy)- you an ask to have the chicken shawarma put on your salad- this tastes better than the grilled chicken. You can ask for whole wheat pita bread if you want. Also, I really like the falafel appetizer. Sometimes I order just that for dinner as it comes with a little Jerusalem salad (which tastes much better combined with falafel!). The Cedar's sampler is good, but it includes the dolma, which is think is pretty average. On the upside is has hummus and falafel to that's good. The best stuff on the menu is in the starters section.
The flatbreads are pretty good- they're like little thin crust pizzas- the cheese one is the way to go (spinach garlic is good, too). The tomato sausage one seems like it will be amazing but the textures just don't balance (it's both too juicy and too crunchy).
My favorite entree is the veggie curry. All the sandwiches are good, especially the veggie hummus, falafel and shawarma sandwiches (I prefer the lamb). If you go with a friend, order one sandwich to split and each a soup- really, it's that much food (that way you can tip your waiter more). If you order the Kushary make sure to get the tomato sauce and yogurt on it- otherwise it's too dry. The Shekriya is good, as is the Kallayah. The ripe tomato couscous is excellent- I like to add lamb, which is very tender. The "sauteed vegetables" are delicious (sandwich, too) but they are actually deep fried. If you don't mind that they are definitely worth ordering.
The Pineapple cheese Harisa cake is amazing- it's made by the owner, Sudki's, wife- by far the best dessert.
I used to work here so that's how I know all this stuff ;-) That's also why I'll suggest that you tip the takeout orders person. In addition to waiting tables, servers have to manage the to go orders, which divides time and energy. As servers get paid less than minimum wage, it's really helpful if you tip the take out person, even a dollar or two.
Finally, this place is BYOB which is really great. It generally has a nice ambiance. Best for meeting friends, not recommended for a first date (for God's sake, get out of HPK for that).
Okay, let me start by saying I feel guilty for giving the place 3 stars. Â The friend I went to eat with lives nearby and loves it loves it here. Â But I suppose that doesn't mean that I have to.
There's plenty of parking in the lot, and a liquor store next door, so parking and BYOB isn't an issue. Â That's nice. Â But...I met my friend inside and we literally sat there for 25 minutes drinking water and nibbling on pita before my friend flagged down an employee and asked if we had a server. Â The employee said "Let me check" and returned saying "Your server is busy but I can take your order if you're ready." Â We were, of course, having had 25 minutes to study the menu. Â We both ordered falafel sandwiches. Â They came, after what seemed like an absurdly long time, and they were good, but my friend mentioned that every time she comes, her veggie hummus pita is made differently....sometimes with some kind of red saucy stuff, sometimes with traditional yogurty stuff, and this time it had neither of those but it did have zucchini...she said she'd never seen that one there before. Â
More plusses...once the food arrived, it was good. Â The restaurant is pretty. Â The bathrooms were clean. Â The server, once we got one, was efficient and nice. Â And oh, holy cow, was this ever cheap.
Ate here recently...good conversation, okay food. Â Started off with crispy falafel (which was tasty) and for my entree I had Chicken Shawerma which was just okay. Â In my opinion I have not had any chicken shawerma that taste better than the Nile (also in Hyde Park). Â The person I was with had the eggplant stew with lamb which I must say was delicious and when I return to Cedars, that is what I will get next time.
Good atmosphere, service was so so. Â It took awhile for them to bring us our food but it was hot and fresh. :-)
Ribs and Chicken are not something that I usually associate with a Middle Eastern restaurants. Especially when one considers Harold's is immediately next door to this place, why would I, the fried chicken fiend that I am, try out the chicken at Cedar's?
To answer things delicately, I am living out a daily struggle to break my addiction to Harold's and his greased-up devil meat- so I need to take baby steps away from Harold's and get my chicken fix elsewhere.
I have tried many things here and my reactions have run the gamut of either really disappointed to very impressed. One thing that I can stand by here is that Chicken and Ribs dinner plate.
The chicken is a boring piece of breast that has been sauced up bright red- like a tika masala. The flavors are good despite using the wrong piece of meat. With no fat, and the way it is cooked- it is always dry.
The saving grace for the meal comes from those heavenly short-ribs. I don't know what that sauce is, some kind of pomegranate infused au jus or something, but the sweetness goes so well with the smoky, earthy, meaty ribs that just fall apart with a pull of your fork. Hell- that sauce could go on my damn cornflakes in the morning and turn them good. If only I had cornflakes in the morning, or ever...
Anyway, I use that sauce on everything that comes on the plate- including the chicken, which gives it just enough juice to keep it from grabbing hold of your throat as you try to swallow, causing you to choke and turning your face a similar color red.
The restaurant itself is nice, but really loud. Not sure if it is because of the modern decor, and therefore a lot of flat, shiny, reverberant materials; or if Hyde Parkers just like to shout over one another- but for the simple reason that it is too loud inside for us to enjoy a peaceful meal, we always get our food to go. Luckily we live three blocks away.
Oh yeah, my worldly wife really likes their kefta. Â Only second to my own in terms of flavor and how well it is cooked. Â That's right- I do a mean kefta!
For those of us living in Hyde Park, good food is hard to come by. Â It should automatically be assumed that most restaurants in Hyde Park that recieve a 4 or 5 star rating are actually 2 or 3 star quality. Â Context matters in all things, and food is no different. Â Cedars is an excellent example of this "inflated" rating system that envelops Hyde Park reviews (I'm guilty of it myself). Â
Is Cedars a good place to eat? Â Yes. Â The space is very cute and conducive to a relaxing dining experience. Â Is Cedars a 4 star dining experience? No. Â Unless you only eat in Hyde Park (which is where the inflated ratings come from). Â Sorry, but I've been to too many restaurants in this city to place Cedars next to them.
I do not recommend Cedars for group dining. Â First off, they don't have any round tables, so the group can only spread our horizontally. Â Meaning, the more people in your group, the more polarized and isolated the conversations become. Â Second, and this is something that Cedars does not tell you when making reservations, once the group becomes more than 10, your dining automatically becomes "family style". Â In my experience, we weren't given options, they just brought out our food. Â And it was a lot of food! Â But what if you don't want as much as they bring you? Â Too bad, you have no choice. Â The result is a bill that can be well over $20 when individually a dinner at Cedars can easily be $10 and under. Â
This aside, Cedars is a great choice for those looking for good mediterranean cuisine at a descent price (except if you go in a group of more than 10). Â Cedars is also BYOB so be sure to drop-in to Kimbark Liquors before and pick-up some wine.
I'm not a huge fan of Mediterranean cuisine, but I often order from Cedars to cater lunches at work- and they are always a HUGE hit. Â They have such nice vegetarian options as well. Â They always do a great job recommending serving sizes for our group #s, they are on time, friendly and easy to work with, and we will just keep on ordering from them.
I've been to the restaurant once- and it's very lovely inside. Â I'd venture to say one of the nicer places in Hyde Park.
Cedars is definitely one of my favorite places to eat in Hyde Park. They have really great options for vegetarian dining, and my omnivorous friends and family have always said great things about the meat dishes they get here. There have been a couple occasions were service was on the slow side (they can be very busy for dinner!), but the wait staff has always been very friendly and upbeat so I rarely get upset if I'm kept waiting a little long for the check. A few times the manager will be around greeting customers and sending out little gifts of hummus appetizers to diners, which always gives you that warm fuzzy feeling of being oh-so-appreciated.
I definitely recommend the eggplant/cauliflower/potato sandwich, which is far better in the restaurant than it is when you buy it at the UChicago Div School's campus. There have been a couple times that I got one through the Div School and it was unedibly salty, which I guess must have originated at the restaurant, but whenever I get one at Cedars itself I am never disappointed. The sandwich is a great price and if you're a lighter eater you can probably make 2 meals out of it (especially with the generous portion of fried potatoes they give you). Alternatively, they've been happy to substitute salad for my fries when I don't feel quite like eating a massive mound of starches.
The food is similar to Hyde Park's other mediterranean place, the Nile, but the decor at Cedars is incomparably better. Â I've been to Cedars far more than the Nile though, so I can't give too much insight into how specific dishes match up.
They also have an option for a multi-course family style meal, but I've never come here with 4 people and so have never been able to try it. It seems like a very good deal though if you should come with a group.
I am trying hard to find a story to tell about my experiences at Cedars but really nothing comes to mind.....damn...a bland review....
I guess it's just the sign of an honest "ok" place. Hence the 3 stars.
I really can't complain about this little restaurant conveniently located 3 blocks from my place because everything I had here has always been good. I tend to always get the lamb kefta kebabs though; Â they are really tasty and come with two sides. It has become a take-out staple for us, and a very reliable one: good and cheap. Feed the beast. Straight to the point. I actually don't like eating on-site because it tends to get really loud and pretty cold in any season. I prefer eating my meat in front of my fireplace. Call me asocial if you want - I don't care as long as I can feast on my skewers.
They have fusion Mediterranean food that I crave like an hummus ravished dervish, free parking, and some kind of fruity ribs that keep my carnivore man happily not complaining about having to eat "ethnic" food.
The interior is beautifully simple with low lighting, minimalist without being cold, which was nice and unexpected coming in from a strip mall parking lot. The service was warmly smiling, kind and thoughtful, even bringing my baby free goodies to snack on (and pretty much throw on the floor -sorry...). I was with my baby eating during the off hours (also known as "whenever he lets me eat"), but this is totally a date night spot.
Menu was like a fusion of Greek, traditional Middle Eastern stuff, Turkish and some other stuff that had elements of parts of all of it.
The man got the pomegranate ribs, which, while too sweet for my taste, were tender and made him more than content. The lemon chicken soup was so good that I ate half of my baby's bowl, too (What! He was just throwing it on the damn floor anyway). I had a fantastic scallop kabob thing. The scallops were a tiny bit dry, but the flavor was so good it made up for it. Every veggie on the kabobs was flavor full, nothing on the plate, even the rice, was a throw-away. We all cleaned our plates (Even the baby, but only because he dropped so much on the floor - sigh...).
The only knock I give them is that the prices were a little bit higher than I expected, but am also kind of a cheap ass who likes my falafels to be less than $3. But then again, I also know how to make my own.
I'll totally be back again the next time man wants ribs and I don't.
Good old Hyde Park. I'm happy to have migrated to the north side but I really miss some of the neighborhood gems like Cedars. This is some of the best Mediterranean food I've ever had, especially for the price.
Everything that I've tried here has been fresh, unique and flavorful. All of the usual suspects like hummus, lamb kabobs and falafel are great. They have daily soup specials and an extensive menu to choose from. Â Cedars offers a great selection of small plates and appetizers that are plenty big to pass as hearty meals. One of the benefits of dining near a university is that the neighborhood restaurants understand college kids are trying to stretch a buck. I recently ate here with a large group and we ordered one of the family style meals- everything was delicious and plentiful- it's a great way to sample a variety of dishes and leave with food for the next day's lunch. Â This place is also BYO which is AOK in my book. There is a huge liquor store in the same shopping center so if you like booze with your tabuli you're in luck.
Cedars bonus:
If you are a member of the Barack fan club like me, after a filling meal at Cedars, you can meander the 3 blocks or so to casa Obama. Don't worry about the black SUVs hanging around, in fact, if you're like my mom you can even wave to the "undercover" secret service and let them know that you are huge fans of the future pres. The house is beautiful, classic and understated. I get a warm fuzzy feeling thinking about having a leader who comes from the diverse and  middle class Hyde Park hood- you won't find any gated communities here!
Cedars Restaurant is actually good food, not just good food for Hyde Park (which is almost an oxymoron) but darn good food.
Kimbark Plaza, where it is located, is very run down and looks pretty unappealing from the outside. (And if you make the mistake of going in Leona's -- from the inside as well) However, once you step inside it feels as if you have been transported out of a hideous strip mall to a cute downtown restaurant. Cedars is stylishly decorated with a great open kitchen that includes a wood fired grill -- pretty impressive for a strip mall.
The food is also some of the best Mediterranean food you can get in the city. The hummus is outstanding but their specialties like the Lemon Chicken are to die for! Its also a great place to bring vegetarian friends as they have a VERY vegetarian friendly menu.
As others have mentioned it is also BYOB, so on top of being incredibly reasonable, you save money by going next door to Kimbark Liquors to get your wine!
Bottom Line: This place is worth traveling to Hyde Park for... which is saying something.
Are are the reviewers for Cedars insane? Or maybe just overly optimistic when it comes to good Med food. Sorry to break it to ya, but this place is average at best. Now, I'm not from the Middle East, nor am I from Chicago. I'm from Pittsburgh. So what does a Pittsburgher know about Med food? Not much. But... I can recognize good Middle Eastern food when I have it. And sadly, this ain't it.
I ordered the Lentil soup that is supposed to be out of this world. It was tasty but nothing that I will remember come tomorrow. And the cup really is a small cup.
I also ordered the Baba Ghanooj as an app. All I have to say is "Ehh... just ok." To make it worse, the pita were microwaved so while they did come out warm and soft, but you know what happens when they sit for awhile. By the end of my meal, they were cardboard.
And finally a falaffel sandwich. Again, just ok. The falaffel's were fried too hard. I hate it when they're super crunchy. Makes me feel like I'm eating my mom's overdone tater tots back in 3rd grade. The sandwich came with the Cedar's "homestyle fries". Not sure what that's all about. I checked with a friend of mine who moved to the US a few years ago from Lebanon. He couldn't think of anywhere that potatoes were done like this as part of a meal. Oh well, perhaps Cedars is trying to cater to the non-Med-food-eating crowd.
So, I dunno what all the fuss is about. I've had much better Middle Eastern fare (for example, check out my review for Zaytinya in Washington DC). Maybe in Hyde Park your choices for this kind of food are slim. I realize I'm in the minority when it comes to this review so I'll probably be ignored. It's ok, I won't take it personally ;)
One of the nice things about Hyde Park is the diversity of its cuisine. Â From Thai to Italian...or, in this case - Mediterranean, one has a plethora of choices. Â I often find myself dining here for a variety of reasons:
1. Â The restaurant is very nicely decorated. Â Soothing colors, nice comfy seating and a 'chill' atmosphere.
2. Â The food is actually quite good. Â They have a variety of dishes, some familiar and not so much. Â All, quite satisfying.
3. Â The food is moderately priced and very plentiful. Â A dinner often nets several meals!
That said, if you want to escape the hustle and bustle of the "loop" ...
I remember a couple of years ago when this place was nothing but a hole in the wall at it's old 53rd and Cornell location. With Cedar's move across Hyde Park to 53rd and Woodlawn, this restaurant has simultaneously crossed over into the realm of an upscale type eatery.
Cedars has a very calming ambiance, with a modern contemporary decor, and nice, light ethnic music. The wait staff is always incredibly polite, helpful, and knowledgeable about their menu.
While their lentil soup is not as good as their competitor, The Nile Restaurant, they do over a wide variety of dishes, all of which are bigger portions than served at The Nile. They do tend to be a little pricier than The Nile. Regardless of price, I highly recommend you try the chicken shwarma here. It's delicious!
While I tend to give the edge of middle-eastern/Mediterranean cuisine to The Nile, Cedars is not a bad choice!
Cedars is a Hyde Park gem. Â The hummus is creamy, pita bread soft & warm, and portions huge. Â Lots of veggie options. Â I got the cauliflower and eggplant sandwich for $4.50! Â Crazy cheap for a very yummy curry-like veggie pita sandwich plus a salad and french fries. Â I just wish I had ketchup for the fries, but I was afraid that would make me an uncultured American. Â I was so full at the end and there was plenty to take home. Â It's BYOB, which we were not aware of, but next time-- and there will be a next time-- we're bringing a bottle of red.
Edit 6/15/08: Â You cannot compare Cedars to Zaytinya--that's like comparing McDonald's to Ruth's Chris and wondering why people still like to eat at McDonald's. Â It's cheap, that's why. Â Living in DC, I've been to Zaytinya many times and it is probably the best Mediterranean food I've had (although I will qualify that by saying I've never been to an eastern Mediterranean country). Â Zaytinya is a fancy restaurant--trendy decor, cocktails, a fashionable crowd (well, as fashionable as DC gets), a famous chef owner (Jose Andres), and high prices. Â Cedars is a neighborhood restaurant where you can wear jeans and flip flops. Â Six dollars at Cedars gets you a huge meal while you drink your own bottle of wine. Â Six dollars at Zaytinya gets you 1/2 cup of (the most delicious) hummus and a glass of water.
PS. Â They also deliver, which is great.
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