YUM! Â In my humble opinion, this is the best fast food in the city!
They have several different types of meat and they are all delicious. Â I recommend trying every one. Â The salads and spreads are fresh and have an authentic middle eastern flavor. Â Add in excellent service (Irfan and the rest of the staff go above and beyond) and a trendy up-beat setting and you have a recipe for success! Â I've seen some people complain that the parking lot is difficult to navigate, but these presumably suburbanites need to chill and be thankful to have a place to park.
I recommend the OMG plate w/persian yogurt, mediterranean salad, rice or cous cous and half turkey / half steak shawerma. Â Quite a feast for under $10!
At OMG (Olive Mediterranean Grill --- yes, the acronym is annoying) the food is tasty, and the atmosphere is modern and clean feeling. Â The service is a little over the top with 4-5 people chiming in, "hello!" and "have a nice day!" as soon as you enter or make towards the exit. Â Also, I totally agree with Kyle H - the falafel/pita sandwich assembly process shouldn't necessitate more than one person. Â Optional extra cashier, if needed, but 3 different people shouldn't be interfacing with my food before it gets to my mouth.
Notes on the chicken schwarma (the main event):
- Good, shaved meat with a light garlicky/onion-y thing going on
- Texture isn't charry like at some places - this is chicken is juicy!
- Hot sauce is legit hot.. in a good way. Â Not in a "get me some milk!" way
- The chicken schwarma sandwiches are a little too small. Â I recommend opting for the plate (with Israeli couscous)
- Still not the end-all-be-all chicken schwarma in Chicago, but this place can hold its own, and is close to my office so is very quick.
I'm a fan! Â Now if only that parking lot wasn't such a pain in the @$$.
Today was my first time here and I was pleased with the food. I ordered an OMG plate which filled me up unlike most Mediterranean sandwiches. My only criticism was I announced it was my first visit and I didn't feel the staff went out of their way to help me with my decisions based on preferences they learned or even through sampling.
Review Source:Yeah yeah yeah. We've heard it: C*******. We get it. But did C******* come up with the assembly-line concept? There's a place where I'm implored to 'Eat Fresh' who's been doing it for a while. But this review is neither about Mexican chains who have cool Super Bowl commercials with Willie Nelson or sandwich chains who unleashed Michael Strahan upon the world. This is about OMG (squee).
As you've probably guessed by now, you come here, pick your food, figure out how to individualize it to your particular taste, and then you eat it. Simple. You've done this before. So, if the concept isn't new for you, the most important question is: how does it taste? Answer: pretty dang satisfying. I ordered a falafel pita with chicken (I wanted it my way), tahini and cucumber salad, a side of hummus (with chips) and a blood orange limoncello. Don't judge me. I came here after pulling an all-nighter of packing up an apartment of eight years, loading it up and moving everything out. I was ravenous. I needed comfort food and I sought it out in chickpea form.
For what it is, OMG has a pretty good thing going on. The rabid urban explorer within me will always suggest heading to Albany Park to get a Middle Eastern fix, but when in the land of Chixies and fiending for a meal that has a bit of ethnic flavor to it, you'd be hard-pressed to find fault with Olive Mediterranean Grill. This location has a comfortable dining room and plenty of convenient parking lot parking which in this part of town is a luxury. Plus, when you talk about coming here, you get to say OMG! That has to count for something.
On my way into Whole Foods I spotted the OMG sign from the street. Â I'm a big fan of Mediterranean food and Sultan's has been a favorite of mine for years. Â OMG is at least as good.
Irfan is the founder/business operator and he was a terrific host. Â I ordered the beef plate, but he let me sample everything and it was all delicious.
Great food, atmosphere, and owner.
I thought I was clever for thinking of Olive as a Mediterranean Chipotle. Â Then I saw that about a dozen other people had already said that in their reviews. Â Oh well.
Olive is like a Mediterranean Chipotle. Â You walk through the line and personalize your order. Â Whether you're a meat head or vegetarian, you'll be satisfied. Â I ordered chicken kabob because it was advertised as spicy (not so much, but still very good) with hummus and two different salads. Â Great quantity and quality of food for the amount I paid.
Pretty healthy, pretty fast, pretty reasonably priced. Â I'm a fan.
Olive fell pretty short of my expectations.
Walking in, I found very few customers there (around 2pm, which is I guess kinda late for lunch). The people making the food seemed nice enough, but confused and disinterested.
I was excited to try the steak. I sat down in my apartment and opened it up. I didn't recognize the green sauce on it, but I liked the spiciness. The steak was very off-putting. It was gamey to the point of tasting like lamb. Very weird. The mediterranean salad was OK but had way too much of one seasoning (I think mint?) overpowering it.
The food here just wasn't that good, and it's in the same price range as other fast-casual places like Panera or Chipotle. The problem is, of course, that the food here isn't good enough at all.
Like a Middle Eastern Chipotle!
After a 14-hour flight...I really just needed lunch, and I needed it not to be freeze dried or zapped at 30,000 feet. We were in the area, and spied this spot...which saved us a sure-to-be hellacious venture into Whole Foods and decided to give it a go.
First, the staff is ridiculously friendly. Like, they seem genuinely happy. And satisfied with life. And healthy. Robust with positivity. You get the point, ain't no surly fast food workers or growly cashiers up in here.
Second, the food is pretty darn good. I had an order of 4 falafel and an lentil soup, a chickpea salad and my driver (boyfriend) chose the steak sandwich and we split a large soda fountain drink. All for about $20. It was hot, made fresh, super fast and there is adequate seating if you'd like to stay and enjoy. It wasn't "blow your mind" style, but it was above average and not soaked in grease.
*free private parking in lot, but DO NOT leave after you eat or you'll get towed.
*credit cards accepted.
*they offer catering.
Approved when you need to eat NOW!
OMG is chipotle for mediterranean food. Â you know how chipotle goes. Â in this case, you choose a sandwich or a bowl. Â i gots the chicken shawerma sammy, threw some garlic sauce, tabbouli and called it a day. Â my friend got the omg bowl - chicken kabob. Â he added 4 pieces of falafel to share and those were tender and cripsy in mi boca. Â it was great.
i loved sitting inside by the big windows - it was a nice touch. Â felt like you were outside the whole time. Â this place does have some competition (dawali's not far) but this place is pick up and go or sit on your bum. Â fast service.
the peeps behind the counter were great. Â i will definitely be back. Â private lot for porking, but dont leave the premises, otherwise they will tow yo' ass.
I live in the area, so this is a favorite dinner stop when I don't feel like cooking or haven't gone grocery shopping in a while. Â I have only every ordered the rice bowl, but switch between the chicken kabob and chicken shawarma, with rice, hummus, tomato salad, and spicy sauce on the side. Â It has always been fresh and delicious. Â The amount of food is also so much that I usually get two meals out of it (sometimes I am hungry and eat it all).
OMG reminds me of Roti and is on par with Roti's food and service. Â If you are looking for a quick, quality meal on the go or to eat in, OMG is a great spot.
Friendly, but I hate the trend of Mediterranean Assembly Line...Henry Ford never intended his process to be used for falafeling! (Yes, I verbed falafel.)
Making a falafel sandwich, isn't a two person process. Have one person make the damn thing, instead of having two people asking me simultaneously what I want on it, and the cashier asking me to pay. Nobody was even behind me in line!
Nice to know this place is here for a quick bite, but I really hate the rushed Assembly Line concept.
I can't believe we stumbled upon this gem the other day; we've been here twice already! Â This place is as good as it gets next to Sultan's Market. Â I really love the hummus here, and the option of sauces, sides, bread, etc is very generous. Â Their garlic sauce is really good. Â You get a lot of food for your money. Â They cater too!
We will be back!
Sooo, I am a big falafel fan in general and have been making my way across the city sampling it. Haha, not exactly, but I have been hitting up a lot of Mediterranean places of late. We stopped in for lunch on a Saturday and they greeted us as we walked in.
I got the falafel plate or whatever it is called (not the one with the rice) and it was the perfect amount of food. The falafel was super fluffy and light, which I enjoyed. I liked the mediterranean salad (cukes and tomatoes), hummus - yum (but I don't like when they put olive oil on it so I will ask for none next time), and tabouli (which I didn't really like, but I don't think I am a fan of it in general). Next time I will try the chickpea one. My husband got a chicken schwarma and liked it a lot. The thing I like is that it seemed a little healthier than other places that are similar. Less grease, less fat, lighter, etc. Yay for Olive!
Fast casual restaurants are like Adam Sandler movies. A new one pops up about every other month and none are quite as good as the first couple that came out. Olive is a Mediterranean edition of the fresh food fast concept that's blown up over the last several years, and although it's no 'Billy Madison' or 'Happy Gilmore' I wouldn't exactly call it a 'Jack and Jill.'
It's slightly below 'Big Daddy' which I think most would agree is about Sandler's 3rd best flick. The food is fresh, served quickly, and made with healthier ingredients than some grimey gyro place.
The OMG Rice Bowl is a great lunch option. For under 8 bucks you get your choice of salad, some hummus or baba ghanouj, pita bread, and choice of meat all on some basmati rice. For what they have it priced at it's certainly a solid lunch deal.
The food's not gonna make you get an Olive tattoo or anything and the portions are a little smaller than some of the other similar spots, but it's definitely a solid place that I'll be returning to if I'm nearby.
After coming here three times in one week I figured it was time to pay my respects to Olive via Yelp. The service here is wonderful. The people are very friendly and upbeat, always greeting you when you enter and exit. The prices are pretty inexpensive, especially for the high quality of ingredients you're getting. And I love that this place puts such an emphasis on being ecologically and socially responsible. I actually do prefer to eat at a place where the recycle and use biodegradable serving ware over a place that doesn't.
The food here is pretty stellar, though I find that the steak is lacking in flavor. It's not greasy though, and always cooked perfectly. I usually get a sandwich with a side their phenomenal baba ganoush. Big fan of the grilled peppers they put on the sandwich, as well as the spicy sauce. Great place for a quick bite - and don't forget to check out the restrooms, they are impeccably clean!
Ambiance is pretty good, the place is clean and the bathroom is nice. I had the falalel sandwich, it was average, the potatoes are a good touch. On the other hand the sandwich and the lentil soup were both a bit too salty for my taste, not sure if I would come back. On another note, for mediterranean food it is on the expensive side.
Review Source:PLEASE NOTE, I DON'T INFLATE MY RATINGS!
Alright fellow Yelpers...Olive Mediterranean Grill is not a bad place. Â It is not extraordinary, it isn't awful. Â I am comparing this place to other restaurants who serve similar Middle Eastern cuisine. Â
Their chicken and beef is marinated nicely, it really isn't bad. Â It's flavorful. Â I just found the entire sandwich relatively bland. Â The hummus isn't all that great, I'm sorry to say. Â While hummus, by definition is impossible to screw up, it's not hard to make hummus fantastic or incredible. No effort. Â
Their pita bread is alright, just alright. Â
Their pricing is excessive for what you get and for the quality of the food. Â A middle-eastern food chain is a good idea, when the competition moves in, OMG (Olive Mediterranean Grill) might step it up. Â
I can think of other places to go in the city that are better in quality, and price.
Try Sultan's Market in Bucktown.
Nice looking design, and people working there were friendly. Seems like a middle east version of Chipotle.
I thought that the prices were inflated, and 7 dollars for my falafel was somewhat of a rip off. The sandwich "looked good", but there wasnt much substance or flavor. The guy put a small teaspoon of hummus on it, along with some chopped vegetable. Overall it was somewhat dry.
I may give it another go and try one of the meat sandwiches.
I would recommend driving a mile west and going to Sultan's Market. Better food and better value.
I was recently fortunate enough to win over the coveted Mayor status for Olive on FourSquare. Â It felt like a good time to "Yelp them out."
Once you walk in, the staff is very inviting. Â "Hi, welcome to Olive... let me know if you have any questions... would you like a sample?"
If it's your first time there, I would recommend taking them up on the offer for a sample. Â My favorite is the Mediterranean chicken with the chicken kebab coming in close second.
You can choose between a pita sandwich or a rice bowl. If you are on the hungry side, I would recommend the rice bowl. Â You get a side of hummus (a little wimpy I will say), your choice of three salads (I recommend the chickpea salad or tabbouleh), two scoops of rice, your choice of meat, and half a pita.
I guarantee they will ask you if you would like to add feta cheese to your salad for 59 cents. Â If they don't, I'll give you 50 cents.
You get a pretty decent sized portion of meat with your order. Â The quality and flavor of the Mediterranean chicken is out of this world.
When you are offered to have sauce put on your food, I would recommend getting it on the side. The jalapeno sauce, although delicious, may seem a bit potent for Olive newbies. The manager suggested a mix of the jalapeno sauce and the garlic sauce, and, ever since then, that's been my go-to dipping option.
Parking in the strip mall is hit or miss with the popularity of NYC Bagel Deli (especially on the weekends). Be aware that all of the northwest parking spots are 30 minutes only, so don't take your sweet-ass time here.
My hat's off to the great crew here. See you guys soon!
Random find during lunch yesterday. Â This spot was really good and fresh and flavorful! Â The chicken schwarma was delicious, as was the hummus. Â Definitely a great lunch spot. Â It's no-frills, and you can quickly add up a bill, but it was really tasty. Â
I am going to recommend it for work take out as well!
My fiance and I are both Mediterranean food fans and fans of fast casual spots so stopped by here for lunch today.
I thought with the name maybe I would be served some olives with my sandwich. Â Nope, pickles. Â Not very Mediterranean, even if you refer to them as Mediterranean pickles. Â Unless I missed something, there was nothing on the menu that even offered Olives. Â Why is this place called Olive Mediterranean? Â If you are going to have Olive in your name, at least put some type of olive on your menu!
We were unsure of what to order and even though there was no one behind us, felt a little rushed. Â I ordered the chicken shawarma and Fiance ordered the mediterranean chicken sandwich. Â Both with the works, which from what I could see was feta (very lightly), tomato, and pickles.
Before we get to the register another couple walks in and is immediately asked if they have ever been there, offered samples of the meats and explanations. Â WTH? Â Am I chopped liver? Â Maybe chopped liver would have been a better sandwich choice. Â I was not impressed with the quality or flavor of either sandwich. Â The Mediterranean chicken looked very flavorable, but in the end they were both just Meh...both sandwiches became too soggy from the amount of sauce they put on and broke through the bread.
The menu seems very limited, as did the toppings for the sandwich. Â Maybe there were other toppings you could add, but they certainly weren't listed on the menu. Â I think the concept could work, but they definitely need to change a few things. Â Including adding olives to the menu!
All and all....I was left feeling very unsatisified from this lunch. Â Not that it wasn't filling, it was, but definitely not pleasing. Â This place was just too forgettable for me to return.
The right idea. Chipotle, middle-eastern style. Needs work, tho, needs some pizazz
Purchased the chicken shawarman pita and the lentil soup. Sandwich was ok, a bit runny. Lentil soup was thin. So thin I was tempted to pick up the bowl and drink from the rim, because the spoons they provide are more suited toward handling gelato.
Suggestion to Management: Get some fresh-brewed iced tea on the menu, please. Not digging the soady-pop only option. And some functional soup spoons.
I read some of the five-star reviews of this place here on Yelp. Five stars? FIVE? Really?? Some of you folks don't get around much, do you? Run down and get that Grilled Sicilian Panini from Blimpie's and let me know how that goes.
Like I said, Olive-Med has the right idea but needs work. Strong location there on North Ave.
Fast, cheap, healthy, friendly, AND tasty. Is there something more you want? The chicken shawarma is delicious, though salty as heck. The chicken kebab is made with ground chicken and is also really nice and flavorful. Good tabbouleh, for those who like that sort of thing.
I totally disapprove of their charging a full $2 for soda -- seriously, guys? -- and the tap water tastes pretty bad. Otherwise, this is one of your better options for the area.
The garlic spread they put on the sandwiches here is UNREAL. It really is to die for, and the sandwiches are huge. I always get the chicken, but the kafta looks tender and juicy too.
I have been to the OMG in the loop, and I actually think this location serves better quality food.
It's a great alternative to Whole Foods if you just want to get in and out and don't want to be tempted by anything else.
The service is also super friendly, which makes for a dull winter weekend lunch :)
Don't forget to get a punch card!
Super impressed. Yes, it's like a Med Chipotle. You know what, I love Chipotle and I love this place. They had enough mix and match options to make it unique. It's clean, the people are friendly (yes I know it's new.)
The most impressive part was I left my wallet at work and hadn't realized until I was done placing my order. When I asked if they would hold it for five minutes while I ran back to work, they said not to worry about it. It's on the house. Very wow.
This place is a nice addition to the area. Â I work nearby and we are always looking for new lunch options. Â It basically is like a Mediterranean version of Chipotle. Â I am not giving higher than a three because it is on the expensive side (it is Lincoln Park after all) and though the food is good it's not awesome. Â I will say that I LOVED the hummus.
I do like that like Chipotle you can build your own meal. Â You can choose your rice, meat, and salad in any combo.
Overall it is a good place and I am sure that I will be hitting it up for lunch in the near future!
This place is EXACTLY what this area needed: a delicious, healthy, casual lunch option in the North and Clybourn corridor. I was so tired of going to NYC Bagel Deli (though it's also delicious), but I am really glad Olive is there now.
It has an assembly line-style food service similar to Chipotle, Subway, etc. You can get a sandwich or a rice bowl (or a trio of salads, as I did) with your choice of meat. The selection isn't huge, but it's a good selection and everything I tried was super fresh and tasty. They have a small seating area, as well, for those of us (*cough* me *cough*) who can never wait to get food home before scarfing it down, or you can do takeout.
Besides the food, all the staff were super friendly and nice, and the whole place was really clean.
Welcome to the neighborhood, Olive!
With the name Olive, they don't serve any nor do they serve lamb. What the hell kind of respectable Mediterranean place doesn't serve lamb???
Although the hummus in the steak shawarma sandwich I ate was flavorful, the steak itself lacked flavor. Not only did it lack flavor, but it didn't have good texture either. The meat was just mushy. Couple that with a soft pita and creamy hummus, it just seemed like the shawarma sandwich was a mush sandwich.
BTW, this is a chain restaurant reminiscent of Chipotle. You walk in and you go through a lineup of the ingredients you want in what your ordering. Very disappointing.
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