Sometimes my friend Jill will just text the words "NAF NAF". Sometimes I hate her. Â
This is because it will remind me of the fix I can't necessarily get to so easy (all locations are a good 30 min. drive). Their falafel and shwarma sandwhiches are the thing that will make you wake up in the middle of the night remembering the good times you had together while you stuffed yourself silly. Hands down the best falafel in the Chicago area and finally a shwarma that isn't dried out and flavorless.
Be careful with the pita because it is a deal changer. Outstanding. You'll wonder what the hell they're passing off at other places. Â I always plan on trying some of their other items but I can't get off the pita sandwhich merry-go-round.
Total image make over from the old days when they were in a converted Taco Bell building. Love to see someones dream take off.
This place is expensiiive!! Â $25 for two people...granted they do give a bit more food than other places as well as a package of pita bread when you get your food to go, but their food isn't that great for this much money. Â We finished our meals and had only small amount of leftovers for later.
My fiancee, who's middle eastern, works downtown and goes to I Dream of Falafel and says that he gets the same food, maybe a little less on the plate, but at only $8/pp and that it tastes better overall.
I did like their hot pepper sauce...very interesting blend of flavors and spices at first then the hotness hits you! Â Make sure to have a cold beverage on hand and sample it first before pouring it all over your plate!
I had the chicken shawarma, yellow rice, and Israeli salad. Â I felt that it was lacking in seasoning all over (hence the need to add lots of hot pepper and tahini sauce). Â Also, the chicken shawarma was dry and overcooked :(. Â The pitas were good but pretty doughy, not like regular flat pita bread. Â My fiancee got the fries and they were sliced potatoes which were different, nothing special.
I have yet to try the other dishes but might hold off because of the price. Â Overall it's a good try for something different or don't eat much middle eastern food and like these types of food, it will definitely not having you feeling sick even when you devour a lot of it like other greasy fast food places.
I've recently expanded my ordering at Naf Naf. I've tried everything vegetarian there. The hummus is delicious, or maybe it's the pita that is so delicious that the hummus tastes great :-) The baba ganoush is amaze balls. Previously all the baba g's I've tried have been too smokey, this is the perfect balance. I love the cabbage salad too. It's simple, but very fresh and clean tasting. As is the Israeli salad. Wow, so fresh, and the dressing is nice and light. More Naf Nafs please...Schaumburg, Geneva, St. Charles, someone franchise to these locations, please!
Review Source:My daughter and I go here at least once a month when our cravings get too strong to deny! Â The falafel in a pita is just a sensory delight! Â The falafel itself is crunchy on the outside, tasty on the inside, and the contrast of the warm falafel wrapped inside a pita with cool cucumber sauce is delightful. Â I was never a huge fan of pita until I had their oh-so-pillowy version. Â If you are a fan of spicy, do not miss the green (very) spicy sauce available at the counter. Â This bright tasting sauce added to the pita is so yummy! Â The fries are good, especially when you get a batch with lots of crispy ones, Â but they can be a bit greasy. Â We did once venture away from our beloved falafel to try the chicken shawarma. Â It wasn't bad, but we come here for something different, and we just weren't impressed enough to get it again. Â I only wish they would post some nutritional info; that would be so appreciated!
Review Source:How soft are these pitas?? Thats what I though to myself as I walked to this placed called NAF NAF Grill.
Honestly, they are as real as everyone described: clouds. I'd go even further to say that they are softer than a baby's behind with some baby powder on top. Inappropriate? Only if you make it that way.
We had the hummus w/ falafel. Those little balls are amazing. The insides are smoother than other falafels I've had. These aren't as gritty; it's almost like they decided to include some potatoes in the mix. Â With the hummus, they are out of this world!
We also had the beef kifta patties which were moist and tender. None of that old, dried out material. It was spiced up just right. The basmati rice and homemade fries (aka potato chips) as side options were awesome too. But if I were to do it again, I'd probably opt for the israeli salad instead of the fries for the sake of keeping things from getting too heavy.
Chicken shwarma in a pita was another hit that made this place stand out. There was so much going on in that little pouch that I almost fell off my seat. Let yourself loose and pour the included sauce all over it. So naughty. I saw someone at another eating a chicken shwarma plated with basmati rice and an israeli salad...almost got a damn nose bleed. I think that would be a good option to try next time too.
This place is the craze. These guys got it going on. I wanted to go back in after getting in the car to leave.
Top of the line fast middle eastern food. I really love this place, and it would certainly be trouble if I lived closer to here.
I got a Beef Kifta pita this time; in the past I've gotten the plate, but with the Israeli salad and the rice, it would've ended up being far too much food. The beef patties are consistently spiced really well; throw in the hot and tahini sauces, and... mmm. Maybe this is or isn't authentic, but it's enough for me.
I really like the naan, also; it's a really flavorful flatbread.
The Chicken Shwarma my wife ordered ended up very good as well. Again, not a middle eastern food pro, but the meat was moist and spicy, just how I like it.
In the past I've also ordered the baklava, which I will order next time. You can't go wrong with honey, pistachios and pastry bread.
This location getting a bit bigger, so if you've been turned off because too many people are in the restaurant, hopefully that problem will be solved soon!
We only really do take out from this place, and we do so about once a week. Being a vegetarian, it's the best option for take out! The falafel is the best I have had, and the fries are great (sometimes when I get home though, I have to throw them in the oven for a bit because they aren't crispy but that's no big deal).
They are always quick with our order also. Sometimes we also take the food over to world of beer across the parking lot and it's a great option for that.
We just absolutely love this place and I would recommend it to anyone.
I really liked the dips. The Hummus, the baba ganoush. And I was sooo prepared to love my chicken shawarma. The flavors were great. All sauces and dips are just fantastic, especially for your money. The pitas were great. The atmosphere is nice. It's casual and it's affordable and I'll admit that nearly everyone I know who goes here gives this place high ratings.
But my chicken consistently had really hard parts in it that I just couldn't chew--cartilage or something. Â It grossed me out a little bit. I am going to come back and try the falafel because it seems to get great reviews. And everyone else I went there with loved theirs, too. But for the record, Naf Naf.. hard parts in chicken = bad. Everyone who works there is really nice.
I thought the food was delicious, but the portions were a bit skimpy for me. I feel like I paid too much for not enough. I look at the pictures here and think...why didn't they give me that much food? Did I give someone the stink-eye? Did I smell bad? What did I do to deserve such a fate?
If they can give me more cucumber salad and more falafel, then I'll probably up this score to 4 or 5 stars. Oh and don't burn my pita next time!
I am a big fan of Naf Naf. Â I have been their a number of times and had a great experience there each time. Â
The most amazing thing there is their on site fresh baked pita. Â Once you have these pita, you will start to weep every time you have to eat a hard cold store bought pita. Â These pita are white fluffy pillows of deliciousness. Â
The falafel, beef, kefta, hummus, rice, and salads are delicious. Their chicken was a bit over seasoned when I had it. Â
It is a casual place. Â It is kind of a middle eastern Panera because you order and pay at the register and then pickup your food at the counter.
Naf Naf is really is just your standard fast-casual restaurant affair. Â Order at the register, wait for you food with a buzzer Panera style, take your food, eat, leave. Â Not much new or innovative here.
Food is great. They cook their beef so well, it's juicy and the sear on the outside is crunchy and its all just so fantastic. Pitas are fluffy and steamy and amazing. Â Israeli salad is fresh and bright. Â Toss all that together and you get a killer sandwich for eight bucks! Â
And yet, the service is blah. Â It's your standard affair. Â At no point of the person to person interaction does anyone feel like anything more than a person shaped robot. No one has done anything 'above and beyond' to wow me. Â Or anyone else in the dining room for that matter. Â Â It would be nice to get a 'hello' or 'welcome to Naf Naf' or see someone in the dining room asking how food is, or busing, or someone at a register talking me though the menu. Â But there's an invisible wall between counter and dining room.
Food is consistently amazing, service is consistently lukewarm. Â A good place to grab a bite, very fairly priced, and their food is really good, I just wish the staff would be a little more engaging.
I don't know where to start. Â For starters who are not accustom to Mediterranean food, Â you must try the chicken kebab in a pita! Â Excellent all the time. Â The Falafels and Chicken Shawarma is decent too. Â The homemade pita and hummus and fries...i cant get enough. Â Naf Naf owners, can you please open up your loop restaurant up on Saturdays since they are the closet to my home?
Review Source:The place was surprisingly fabulous. First impression was bad because the ambiance and first person servicing my client and I made it feel like a stuffy, pompous Miami Beach wannabe quick serve grille. However, it went up, quickly from there. The gentleman taking our order was friendly, helpful, and was even prepared with a confident recommendation (chicken Shwarma). As highly as this place was already rated I would say it may even be underrated. Great experience and I recommend going out of your way to try this Golden Olive of a restaurant!
Review Source:I'm definitely in the "this is basically Chipotle of the Mediterranean/Middle-East" Â crowd, including the high prices for what you get. I agree with other reviews that the food is fresh, but if you're on a budget and want a less sanitized Chipotle feel, go check out Pitaville instead.
The quality of the ingredients is only slightly lower at Pitaville, but not noticeably so, especially when weighed against how much more Naf Naf costs. Aside from trying to support the "little guy" (if they're good),I also prefer the smaller, "we're not a huge chain restaurant" branding that smaller restaurants have, so Naf Naf's "Chipotle-fied" atmosphere just comes off as being too homogenous for me.
Soft pita, spicy flavors and quality ingredients across the board. I preferred the tenderness and flavor of the Chicken Shawarma over the Beef tenderloin. Also, I wasn't expecting hummus to come in the pita sandwich but I was so glad it did. If you're not a fan of it make sure you tell them to keep it off. Service isn't that quick and not friendly at all but the food will make me return for sure.
Review Source:Omigosh yum. On our first visit we were a bit overwhelmed by the lunch crowd and the quickly moving line to place our order at the counter. The staff were patient and helpful though and the food is divine which explains the crowds. The falafel are out o this world. I had no idea falafel could be so fluffy and crispy all at once. Â yum. Freshly made pita & sauces. so good.
Review Source:This was delicious falafel! But when you get the " On a plate" order, it's way too much food for me-especially at lunch! The falafel plate included 6 yummy pieces of falafel, 2 huge fluffy pitas, basmati rice, and a very fresh Israeli salad. I think next time I will just go with the "In a pita" option that was cheaper and a smaller portion.
I also can't wait to try their hummus because I'm a big fan of that, and now after trying their pitas, hummus would be a great addition! My coworker got the beef tenderloin kabobs and they were very juicy!
This place was so busy at lunchtime that I think they could definitely benefit from a larger eat-in area. We scored the last empty table when we arrived at 12:45 on a Friday! Can't wait to make this a regular stop for me!
I LOVE this place. By far my favorite Mediterranean place.
I got the plate with 2 sides.
The chicken shawarma is so good! I love the spicy green sauce!
The basmati rice is perfect!
The pita is the fluffiest I've ever had!
The homemade fries are so good too!
The plate is huge! Enough to share between two but the food is so good, do you really want to share??
I'm hooked on Naf Naf!
I work nearby, so my co-workers and I go there A LOT. Â I've tried more than one plate... and everything is sooooo good. I never leave there feeling overstuffed or guilty for eating a lot. The food is healthy and I still feel light after I leave.. if that makes any sense. HA.
I'm giving it 4 stars since this place is TINY, and Loud. When we dine in, we either get there before the rush or after. They need to organize the pick up area a little better. When your food is ready, people are so crammed up - it's a toughie on getting your order. So yeah... super crowded during lunch hour. When you find a table, you and your party are practically having lunch with the next table next to you.
Is the food worth it? Heck yeah!
Must try --- the pitas. Best I've EVER had! I've driven from Chicago to this spot on weekends just for the pitas. They are so fluffy and just so perfect. The Israeli salad is also yumm, yumm.. as well as the falafals.
Can't go wrong with this spot... just try to go after lunch hour. Oh.. and it's a little bit on the pricey side for the portion, but uh.. worth it. Better than a fast food, greasy joint!!
I have become a Naf addict -- unfortunately my office has moved to Chicago so I am patiently waiting for the location in the Loop. Â I remember talking to the owner at the Naperville location about how I've been a fan since the beginnings at the old Taco Bell building on Ogden and look how far they've come. Â I put in my request for a Loop location then! Â And it's almost time!!
They have the absolute best homemade pitas, the most awesome chicken (thigh is my fave), beef and Falafel meals. Â The Lentil soup is delicious. Â The Schnitzel was the last "new" meal I tried there - it was lightly breaded and had the most perfect sesame seed coating served on a huge platter with your two sides - I always do rice and Israeli salad - the perfect compliment to any meal. Â
Just go! Â You will become an addict too. Â Just GO.
For a quick bite to eat that won't make me feel fat, I love this place. It's not my favorite Middle Eastern restaurant, but it's a healthy alternative for fast food.
Best parts -
*Fluffy pita bread. They are much lighter here than any other place I have been.
*Super hot sauce. Free and plentiful with a lot of kick.
*Combo choices galore. I love variety. Pick and choose sides that include soup, salad and potato.
Not so best parts-
*Meat isn't as tender here as I have had at sit-down places, but that's not a surprise considering that this type of food usually takes longer. I got the beef tenderloin and it was a bit tough for my liking.
*Rice wasn't as flavorful as other basmati pilafs I've had. It's pretty bland.
*Prices are a little much for the platter portion size. I've paid just as much at longer, bigger meals at regular restaurants. The pita sandwich combo is a better bang for your buck.
I'd opt for more authentic Middle Eastern whenever given the chance, but this is the place to go when I'm not in the mood to work out later. ;)
The food is amazing! I've never had fluffier, tastier pitas. I took 1 star off because the set up in this joint is awful. Tables are stuck to the ground so you cannot move to accomodate different size parties. The acoustics are set up so noise bounces off everyhwere so you cannot hear the person you're eating with. The pick-up food and drink area is so small that it gets super crowded with just a few people waiting in the area. The place is truly horribly designed.
What they severly lack in floor planning, they make up in food making. The pitas are the bomb, but the ingredients inside are also really fresh. I've had the chicken shwarma and the chicken thigh kabobs. The meat is so tender and juicy. Be aware that the sides are HUGE. You get a heaping plate of basmati rice for a side portion. I also love the spicy green relish you can grab. It really gives the food a kick!
I can't wait for the Loop location to open!
This place is fantastic. I think the best way to describe it would be "Chipotle Goes East." You know, like Fievel going west in that An American Tale sequel. Only, unlike that movie, this place is actually worth checking out. In fact, if you told me the same corporate wizard was behind the curtain pulling the levers of Naf Naf Grill that operates the pedals for Chipotle, I wouldn't be at all surprised. Fortunately and unfortunately, fact checking and research are the #1 and #2 things that ruin all Yelp reviews, so let's just roll with this.
You walk in the door only to be greeted with a well lit, well decorated, modern-industrial feeling takeout place. Eerily excited teenagers man the cash registers, over-anxious to take your order. Naf Naf's menu features a wide assortment of meats and plating options (ranging from sandwiches served in pitas to full-on platter-style meals) but, spoilers, the best thing on the menu is the falafel pita.
They make their pitas fresh in house, so you'll want to maximize your pita intake while you're there. Definitely get SOMETHING in a pita, regardless of what type of filling tickles your fancy and be sure to order some hummus with a few extra pitas. Seriously, if you leave Naf Naf Grill with less than three pitas spread across whatever you ordered you're doing it wrong.
Oh, their rice is great too, and I totally recommend getting it over their somewhat strange potato chips they make in house. You can get a feast for two for around $20, and unlike a lot of takeout places, Naf Naf Grill has food that actually seems to get better as it melds together inside of the foil wrapping on the car ride home.
Give it a try, you won't be disappointed.
Really below average. Food was greasy and salty and tasted like Americanized versions of good Lebanese/Middle-Eastern food. Chicken shawerma was bland as was the kifta kebab. Tahini sauce tasted strange. Pita bread was really puffy and reminded me of sopapillas more than pitas.
If you like good Lebanese food, this IS NOT the place to find it.
Fantastic place for great Mediterranean food! Â The restaurant is styled like a fast food place. Â You order and are given a buzzer that will begin to light up when your food is ready. Â Though styled like a fast food place, the food reflect a more homemade feeling. Â The pitas are made in house, and you can see them making the chicken shwarma on the spit behind the counter. Â
I would recommend ordering a pita instead of a plate, as the portions are very generous. Â Also the plate prices range around $11 while the pitas are around $6-7. Â
If you are a fan of Lentil soup, or even if you have not tried it, I would recommend ordering it as a side. Â Absolutely delicious!!
Oh ma gah!!!! Â I would eat here everyday if I could! Â The decor was modern, open and inviting. This was my first time eating Naf Naf and wish I had known about it sooner.
I got the Chicken Shawarma Pita, Beef Tenderloin plate and a small order of hummus.
-Chicken Shawrma was fresh, delicious and refreshing. Served on the most amazing pita bread ever.
Beef tenderloin was extremely tender and juicy. Fries are more like house made chips and were absolutely delish.
-hummus....best ever! Â I've had many a hummus and this was like no other.
I want to go back again, again and again!!!
At first I had a gut reaction to dislike Naf Naf after its move and sleek new look. I thought, "there's no way they can retain their authenticity and quality while expanding and looking like the Chipotle of the Middle East Cuisine." To me, it does feel overly marketed and the consultant's trite decoration concept oozes from every aspect of the interior. With that said, however, it's a great place to eat, air conditioned (now that's an improvement everyone can love!), and clean. Oh, and I stand 100% corrected on the quality of the food! The food has remained awesome. The hot sauce is flavorful and spicy. The purple-cabbage and tabule salads mouthwatering. The pitas are warm, fresh, fluffy, and delicious. The falafel is fried perfectly and actually taste like chickpeas.
If you're looking for an interesting twist in flavor and high quality in the ubiquitous fast-casual restaurant scene, Naf Naf is for you.
Came here on a Paleo lunch date with my wife, and had a great meal!
Ordered up a Chicken Shwarma sandwich and Beef Tenderloin sandwich. Â Both delicious, dropped the pita and asked for extra cucumber salad along with some baba ganouj instead of hummus (no chick peas on paleo).
They were happy to make changes, and even though the extra cucumber salad didn't seem like much, it was just comfortable for lunch.
Their pita's smell and look amazing, and they seem to give generous amounts, so we'll definitely be back for a cheat day. Â But for $15, it was a good lunch at a reasonable price. Â
Protip: Â Hot sauce is awesome. Â Nice heat that sticks with you for awhile, so if you're not a heat head, you may want to reconsider... or at the very least, be prepared for long burn.
Verdict: Â Great food, somewhat pricey (though dinner prices are the same, so maybe dinner would be more reasonable), looking forward to coming back to try the pitas!
Obviously, Naf Naf has kept it up. Everything is amazing, just go.
Of particular note, they have upgraded their hot sauce to something new and delicious. It's now kind of a combo of the corriander-mint chutney you'd get at an Indian restaurant, mixed with some seriously hot chiles. So hot, it's soapy tasting. So incredibly delicious on everything they make. I'm thinking about going right now, just to dredge plain pita through it.
It's almost redundant for me to write a review, given how many reviews there are already!
I've never sat down and eaten at the restaurant, but we did a very large takeout order of pitas, falafels, baklava, hummus, and so on - and it was phenomenal.
I actually picked up on Christmas Eve, and the gentlemen working the cash register turned out to be one of the owners - really nice guy, very dedicated to the business.
Stop reading and drive there - NOW!
I love Middle Eastern food. Â I could eat it every meal of the day and would bathe in hummus if I had the chance. Â My addiction started young and by the time I first got my own place, I was eating hummus, falafel, and shwarma almost 5 freakin days a week! Â Pita Inn has always been my go-to place, but Naf Naf just blew me away.
Their Pita Breads are amaziballs delicious! Â Freshly baked and served piping hot, you won't find fluffier and softer pita anywhere else. Â Just give me a plate of hummus and a basket of hot pita bread... that's all I really need. Â Their Falafels are tasty and their Hummus is even better - just the right creamy texture and flavorful.
Now there's chicken shwarma and then there's Naf Naf Chicken Shwarma. Â Juicy bits of chicken, well seasoned, and packed with flavor. Â Even better after doing the double dip - some tahini and hot sauce makes everything taste even better.
The food costs a few bucks more than other Middle Eastern joints I frequent, but the good eats justifies the price. Â Can't wait to go back for some more of that amazing pita bread!
I was VERY pleasantly surprised by this place when I stopped by for a quick lunch a few weeks ago. Â Bottom line - I can eat their fresh pita's without ANYTHING else in it. Â Seriously, the fresh pita's are so soft and moist that I would be happy if that was the highlight. Â It wasn't. Â Â I ordered the chicken kabob (dark meat) pita and enjoyed every bite! Â The pickles on the side were an absolutely perfect touch and the spice sauce added heat in all the appropriate places.
Having eaten this type of food in the Middle East before and missing it here - this definitely scratched that itch!
Love the decorations too...doesn't really fit with the theme, but very pretty to look at. Â Avoid at rush hour, hard to find a seat, but definitely perfect for a quick bite!
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