by Jeremiah S.

Recently made a trip here for lunch after being a devout Cedar's patron for a long time and was pleasantly surprised.  The decor is nothing worth mentioning, service was a bit slow, but the food was very tasty and on the cheaper side.  The falafel, hummus, chicken schwarma, and kefta kabob were all quite good.  If you're in the area, check it out!

by Irene L.

this is my favorite place to order from in hyde park. when i first started school at uchicago, my boyfriend at the time ordered food for me from far away from the nile (random choice, i think)... and it was delicious! and that was how the nile and i met. my friends and i had a dinner party catered by the nile and they were able to accommodate and negotiate something that worked in our budget. they, frighteningly enough, lost our order when we went to pick up the food, but luckily, we did get our food (though a late) and the restaurant paid the tax on our order as a nice gesture. highly recommend:lamb shaweermachicken shaweermabaklawatake or leave:taginshish kabob beef

by Sebastian M.

Probably the best place in Hyde Park to grab a bite for less than $10.  The Lebanese Salad is good.  Good place for vegetarians.  Clearly nothing about the Nile is going to knock your socks off, but if you are a Hyde Parker this place is either a blessing or a necessary evil depending on how often you like to eat out.

by Ross G.

Excellent. Simply excellent. This place understands how pita should feel and how humus should taste. The portions are of the, "great, now I have lunch for tomorrow too" variety. If you've been to the Middle East and you miss the food, go to The Nile. It's also worth mentioning, The Nile wins hands down in comparison to Cedar's.

by Anon Y.

I love this place!!! :) most of it is because of the name of the Restaurant in itself! :) the foood is great ( i love getting take out from this place) --the atmosphere isn't the best..but it's still a comfy place! I HATE hummus..but the falafels were great!! =) and the food wasn't too spicy, i enjoy it!!

by Manoj S.

I went here for a late dinner. The decorum was ok, it didn't take my breath away, but was clean. The food is pretty inexpensive for the amount you get, it's enough to make a take home meal for the next day for the average person if you get an entree. I really enjoyed the Middle eastern cuisine here. I'm no expert but it was simple and nothing was too overpowering as far as spicyness. I would like to rate the restaurant higher, but on my visit my table wasn't wiped down very well. Plus they probaby needed background buffer music so as not to be able hear other conversations.Still a nice date place or a place to bring friends when you're in the area and are looking for something where you're not going to drop a ton of cash and get good service.

by Karry L.

I don't care what anyone says, I love the Nile.  It's clearly the best restaurant within walking distance of the UC.  I love it for its takeout and I can't get enough of the lamb/chicken shawerma sandwich; there's no better way to blow $6 in Hyde Park.  The full meals are solid; you get lentil or broccoli soup along with your entree.  The meat is tender and juicy and reminds me of the halal food I get back home in New York.  Order some hummus appetizers and stick with chicken or lamb kabobs and you can't go wrong.  The service is excellent considering most of the time there is a single tiny Asian lady with the most awesome accent manning the entire place.  Go there.  Help her out.  Leave a nice tip.

by Haytham S.

By far one of the best places in Chicago to eat Middle Eastern food. we are not talking about fancy $20 kebob here. This is the type of food grandma used to make...goooood home cooking.If you are in the neighborhood dont waste your time looking for anything else. This place beats anything within 20 miles at least. I work 15 minutes away and make the drive at least once a week. With that said, its a personal favorite of mine. every day they have a special that is not on the menu. the special on most days is lamb w rice. it could be Beryani or with yougurt soup or with fried vegetables. each day the preparation is different  but the lamb is always fresh and tender. this is how lamb supposed to taste. I rarely order from the menue anymore but if I do i get the Chicken Shawerma or Kufta Kebob sandwich, great fresh pita. good portions and never more than $12. if you make it there don't forget to finish your meal with sage Tea. No alcohol at this establishment.

by Candace P.

The chicken shwarma is my favorite dish here.  Their lentil soup is delicious too.  It's quite a distance from me but when I'm in neighborhood, I always stop by to get my meal to go.

by Sam K.

Stopped there for a $5 sandwich - the lamb Shawarma.  It was delicious - really flavorful and tender.  It was also a LOT Of lamb - if I cared about my colon more I would have saved some for another meal . . . . On the negative it hardly had any veggies with it.  When I go back, though, I'd probably just spring an extra dollar and ask for extra vegetables.  It would still be a great deal.  I'll be back, for sure.

by Honey B.

Oh, I love love love The Nile.The atmosphere is lacking, and some of the entrees are just so-so... but the appetizers are amazing. Cheap cheap cheap for large portions of satisfying food- I usually pay under 6$, and end up eating my meal for both lunch and dinner.Take out/delivery is best.Keep in mind, though, that this is a Hyde Park rating-- meaning that this is compared to the dorm food and Harold's chicken.

by John R.

This is a really good restaurant for the price.  My wife and I go there usually once a week.  The best dish is probably the lentil soup, which is truly great.  The hummus is very good, and so is the salmon kebab (which I like) and the chicken shawarma (which my wife likes).  I only give it 4 stars because the desserts (e.g., the baklava) are not as good as the rest of the food.

by Piercy T.

One of the better Middle Eastern restaurants in the region. Outstanding Schwarmas, Falafel, Lentil Soup, Jerusalem, Lebanese and Tabouli Salads, Shish Taouk and Kababs. Worth going to Hyde Park just for dinner.  Also a perfect place for lunch after going to Museum of Science and Industry or other Hyde Park attractions.

by Ruthie H.

Delicious, delicious middle eastern food.  This is one of my go-to restaurants in Hyde Park.  Excellent felafel sandwiches, great hummus with warm, fresh pita bread.  My favorite entree is the Mo Jadara (spiced lentils and rice with caramelized onions on top, served with homemade yogurt and pita and a salad.)  The tabbouli salad is lemon-y and fresh and delicious.  Portions are huge (especially with take-out-- I always seem to get twice as much salad when I do take-out as I do when I eat in).The ambiance in the restaurant is pretty bare-bones, and the service is usually perfunctory (on the rare occasion that it's busy in there the service can be slow, it's usually just one lady working the whole restaurant).  I prefer getting take-out and eating at home or making a picnic.  I've also gotten huge amounts of food from here to cater parties and meetings, and the food is always well-received and the bill very reasonably low.Overall, I like this place enough to keep going back over and over whenever I get a hankering for Middle Eastern food.

by Casandra G.

Yes, the décor is meh. But the food is great. This is one of my top 5 hyde park restaurants, and sorry but this place beats the pants off of cedars. The food is so fresh and delicious, you can get shish kebab beef with the most tender, juicy filet mignon medallions for like 10 bucks. And for you cilantro haters (I know there's quite a few if us), you won't find any here!  My ma says it's got the best Turkish coffee she's ever had, seasoned generously with cardamom, and the hummus is so smooth and just a tad spicy with cayenne... this place is a great deal in every way.

by Jason L.

If you are looking for great Mediterranean cuisine on the South Side, look no further than the Nile. This Mediterranean restaurant is a staple in Hyde Park. There is usually plenty of places to sit, and if you have a group of 5-6 people, this place can be astronomically cheap.The same little Asian woman is always serving the guests, usually by herself. This is why the service can at times be slow. However, once you lay your lips on their signature red lentil soup, you'll be glad you waited.I always order a cup of red lentil soup, a Jerusalem salad, chicken shwarma sandwich, and hummus. This usually runs me about 7-8 dollars, an unusually cheap price for this size and quality of a meal.The atmosphere is not really unique, or indicative of most Mediterranean restaurant aesthetics, but it is clean and tidy. If you are a U of C student, a passer-by or a long-time south sider like myself, this place is always a sure thing!

by Immer R.

By far one of the best places in Chicago to eat Middle Eastern food. I love, love, love their combination plates. The tabbouleh is tops and the Kibbehs are delish! I couldn't get enough of the lamb schwarma or the hummus or the Jerusalem salad or the...you know what, when you get there, anything you get will be delicious. You won't be disappointed.

by C W.

Really effing good Middle Eastern food. Tenderly, explosively juicy chicken dish (forget what it's called, but it was like the third or fourth item under entrees, I think). The falafel almost made me weep. (Sorry, Sultan's, you've been dethroned.) And the tabbouleh--lipsmacking delish. The staff sort of has a staring problem, so don't come here drunk unless you want to pick a fight with a bunch of small Asian women.

by Adam S.

The Nile is pretty often.  I prefer it to Cedars even if only for its excellent red lentil soup.    The meals come with a cup of soup, veggies or rice and your entry.  However, for a slightly lower price you can get the corresponding sandwich and a bowl of soup (roughly twice the size of the bowl) and walk away none-the-less full.Ok, I'll admit, the food here makes a glutton of me (exchanging my veggies for massive quantities of soup), which is bad for me but it'd be difficult to ask for more in a restaurant.

by Paul B.

My co-workers and I eat at the Nile every week. I order the chicken shwarma sandwich everytime (sometimes with falafel or hummus appetizers if we're hungry). The c.s. sandwich really defines the word "yummy" for me :) Priced so right at $5.50, you just can't beat it.The decor is the pits and it kind of smells in there, but the cheap awesome lunches make up for it.

by Liz S.

I had just spent 4 hours at the Science Industry Museum and was in dire need of nourishment.  I had look previously to see what restaurants were in the area and this one popped up.  I'm so glad it did.  The restaurant is a bit of a dive (BUT ohmygoodness I've never seen such a clean bathroom), but the food makes up for it.  I had a chicken schwarma sandwich and split an appetizer with my friend.  When the check came it was 17 or so dollars.  A wonderful deal for a filling and delicious meal.  I'll definitely be hitting up this spot if I'm in the area.

by Alberto M.

On election night, I was in Obama's neighborhood, anxious to hear the results. With Obama on the brain, a craving hit me hard for some Middle Eastern food (I guess Obama just morphed into Shwarma in my head) and I'm so glad I found The Nile Restaurant.This restaurant would get 5 stars from me, but the travel time to get there from Wicker Park is a deterrent; it's GREAT but, come on, there's always Sultan's Market. I wish The Nile was in my neighborhood because it has everything I need: Delicious middle eastern, great prices for full meals (they take credit cards) and a pleasant vibe.The service was good but we were the only people there, it's not really a place that you'll need to see your waiter/waitress much anyway. I ate the Kifta in Tahini Sauce entree. $11 for my dish including rice, pita, and a cup of soup. I could not shut up about the rice it was so soft and tasty, and trust me, you will want the Red Lentil soup to start.Give The Nile a shot if you're looking for great Middle Eastern in a very casual setting.

by Tom H.

It may be weird-looking and have only one waiter (at least, that I've seen), but this is the best restaurant in Hyde Park.  I love their lentil soup, and I don't even like soup.  The kifta kebab is fantastic.  There's not much else to say about it; it's a very spare restaurant with minimal decor but plenty of space.  The one waiter is ruthlessly efficient and is always happy to split the check as many ways as you want to split it, which is helpful.  I'll take the Nile's excellent food and quick service over Cedars' mediocre food and lame atmosphere any day.

by Karin L.

I actually wasn't looking forward to trying out this place...mostly cuz I flew all the way to Chicago and I wasn't here for the Middle Eastern food. But, surprisingly I really enjoyed it. The red lentil soup was amazing...I'm looking up recipes now in my attempt to recreate it. I'd buy a whole tub of that stuff...yum. The #11- I think its an eggplant, cauliflower,  and chicken dish with either rice or potatoes was delicious too. The cauliflower was very different from the typical one...almost didn't taste like cauliflower right off the bat. It is the only place my cauliflower hating companion will eat cauliflower. I got #2 it was a rotisserie chicken dish with veggies and rice...at first I didn't like it much because the chicken on this one was dry in comparison to the chicken from I believe #11 (which was moist and tender). It was sliced chicken that seemed to have been baked more after being sliced...so it had the dry crust on each piece...but to me it dried it out. The veggies were carrots, zucchinis, and onions and were good. They have some homemade yogurt to eat with the dishes. I didn't like it much there...but after I took it home and had leftovers...it really grew on me...not sure why...but I happily ate the rest. It was a shame I didn't get to go back and drink more soup...I hope I find a decent recipe!

by Marina K.

Ahh! EXCELLENT!Cheap too...

by Kara B.

The Nile is the red-headed step brother to Cedars. Basically, it serves the same food, at similar prices but doesn't do as good of a job. It has decent everything, but nothing to write home about.Their delivery is average. The portion sizes are large and you get a choice of salad or soup plus potatoes or rice with any entrees. But if you want to eat good Mediterranean food in Hyde Park, why not just go a few more blocks to a much better restaurant?

by Tom T.

I would have never thought that the best humus is at the Nile in Hyde Park.  But it's true.  I've eaten at a lot of humus at a lot of places and The Nile has the best of them all.  It's not runny or clumpy like other places.  It's almost like a cream cheesy consistency.  I love it!The Kefta Kabobs (sandwich or plate) are delicious as well!  For the plate, you get a ton of food.  Their Tabouli salad is refreshing and served up in a big bowl.  The baklava is sweet and is the best!  I can't stop at Nile and not get a baklava.  They're that good!

by Cathy H.

Service is grumpy, decor's bad, parking's bad, and it's in HP--that's pretty much all I dislike about it.Otherwise: food is great (beef kebabs are GO GOOD), lentil soup is decent, pita is good and plentiful, spinach pie is good (if a little salty), cucumber salad is tasty and refreshing (a bit too much dressing).  For those who like turkish coffee, they have that, too, although I'm not personally a fan.  Always really empty, big tables--good for groups.BYOB.

by Danya L.

I didn't walk away too impressed with the Nile, unfortunately, but it was over all an okay restaurant.Strengths:1.) Very affordable food, but you don't feel at all like you're eating "cheap food". Great for the student on a budget. This is worth two stars.2.) Their baklava is tasty.3.) There are many interesting things on the menu.4.) Conveniently located on 57th along the Central Route, near a lot of other businesses including a hookah bar.Areas for improvement:1.) Their falafel has a sort of metallic taste to it. I don't feel comfortable ordering it anymore. I prefer the falafel at Bartlett Dining Hall.2.) Service here is nothing special.

by Jasmine B.

The food was good but the atmosphere is really odd. I felt really uncomfortable walking in. Too quiet and too bright. No music and the tables are very close together so you have to awkwardly squeeze yourself through the tiny spaces between chairs.Once I got settled in a little and we got our food the experience got better. I got the chicken schwarma and it was good. Nice seasoning, chicken wasn't dry. Overall it was good, not the best but worth checking out.

by Dave S.

There are two types of people in Hyde Park: Cedars people and Nile people.  Sure, Cedars is flashier, more centrally located, and has easier parking.  But for what is probably the best Middle Eastern food short of Pita Inn way up in Skokie, the Nile is the absolute clear winner.Let's start with the Red Lentil soup.  Amazing.  Light, lemony, and nourishing.  Quite possibly the best soup for a cold Chicago night.  Then, the hummus: outstanding.  No joke.  Creamy, tangy...just right.  Both are better than Cedars' options.The mains themselves are no less impressive.  Portions are huge.  The food itself is light and definitely not salty, which is often the case with other middle eastern offerings elsewhere.  My favorites are the simple falafel sandwich and the red snapper.  To top it off, it's all very affordably priced: usually around $10/person.  Cedars is hipper; I get that.  But the food just isn't as flavorful to me.  I vote Nile.Only negative is that they close pretty early, even on weekends.

by Jeremy W.

Not sure how I missed reviewing the Nile since we live close to this restaurant.  Where do I start?  The Chicken Schwarma sandwich is to die for.  Falafels?  Excellent.   The Hummus, some of the best in the city. Lastly, the Baklava is always a wonderful capper.   The Nile delivers on taste and they also deliver to Hyde Park-Kenwood-North Kenwood residences.

by scott B.

Big portions, great taste, good sevice but a rather plain look and feel.

by Allison E.

This place is pretty good. I have nothing to say about the decor or the service, but the food is quite excellent, especially the hummus.  I never really know how to rate a place that has such mediocre decorations and absolutely nothing remarkable about anything, and then delivers such a fantastically delicious meal. But really, when I go to a restaurant, my purpose is eating, and the Nile doesn't disappoint in that department. Really, with food this good, who cares about anything else?

by Shannon L.

Shilpa - the last reviewer - inspired me to write a review.  Almost 11 years ago she and I were placed together as college freshman roommates at the now defunct Shoreland dorm on 55th and South Shore Drive, just a few blocks away from the Nile.  Shortly after freshman year started, Shilpa's dad was in town and he took us out to dinner at the Nile.  Shilpa and I ended up eating at the Nile so often - we even negotiated discounted rates to get our dorm meetings catered with falafel and hummus - that the owner asked if we were interested in waitressing and we ended up basically splitting a job and taking alternating shifts.I mention this nostalgic background info to: 1) acknowledge my bias in this review having worked at the Nile, and 2) to highlight just how great the Nile is - it's more than 10 years later and I still think it has some of the best Middle Eastern food I've ever eaten.  I haven't lived in Chicago since 2002 and no one I know lives in Hyde Park anymore, but every time I visit I make the trek down there to go to the Nile at least once.Must-haves: the lentil soup, hummus, and Turkish coffee - they're just THAT good.My personal favorites: * Mashwiya - a zucchini and yogurt dip served with pita, lighter than hummus and very refreshing* Kibbeh - spiced ground lamb and/or beef and pine nuts stuffed in a mini football-shaped bulgur wheat shell and deep-fried, served with lemon wedges to squeeze over each bite.   Ahhh.....  They're slightly pricey (and most of the menu items aren't, so it stands out), but totally worth it.* Chicken shawerma sandwich - spiced marinated chicken cooked on a rotisserie and shaved thin, juicy but with crispy bits, served in a pita with tomato, onion, and tahini (the tahini at the Nile is my favorite tahini of all time - I don't know how they make it, but it must have yogurt or something in there because it's thicker than the super liquid-y tahini I seem to find everywhere else that just dribbles off your sandwich onto your chin or shirt)* Kifta with tahini (entree) - spiced ground lamb and/or beef shaped into a very thin wide patty, simmered in tahini and served with potato slices on top and saffron rice to soak up all the tahini.  Mmmmm.....* Mu jadara - lentils and rice with caramelized onions and homemade yogurt (this one doesn't sound that exciting but it's really delicious)Other good things to know** - they don't serve alcohol but you can bring in your own wine or beer, they deliver, you can find some of the menu items for sale at the various coffee shops on the Univ. of Chicago's campus, and the owner Abed is usually willing to negotiate prices to cater things like student group meetings, speaking events, or personal parties.**Disclaimer - these things used to be true and still are as far as I know, but it's been a while.

by Lisa L.

I was solidly impressed by this little spot in Hyde Park.  I went here with a friend a bit ago, and we decided to split a couple appetizers and a sandwich a piece - definitely a poor plan!  I was mislead by the cheapness of the appetizers, thinking that anything under $2 had to be a sample size, which was not the case at all.  We could have easily skipped the sandwiches and just dined on the starters.  All told, the two of us left stuffed and with leftovers in tow for a little over $20; if we had known about their portion sizes, we could have left for half of that.Aside from the cheapness of the place, it was also very tasty.  Next time I would like to test out some of their entrees just to see if the flavor translates into a bigger dish.I'm happy to find more Middle Eastern places on the South Side; I love the cuisine but hate having to go out of my way to get it on the North side.  I'm definitely going to be a repeat customer here!

by g r.

My south side adventure continues, as a new resident I've been trying out many places looking to build up my list of favorites. We'll another one bites the dust.I'm having a hard time understanding all the great reviews for this place. The food was okay, I've had better. Nothing outstanding:Hummos- as it is spelled on their menu, was good, but served with only two slices of pita. so we had to be conservative with our dipping. Rice- tasted like instant Uncle Ben's that food coloring was used on.Chicken Schwarma- good, but not trimmed of fat. I know I'm a snob.Vegetables- overdone and limp, again I'm a snob.Soup- The lentil soup was very good, it's one star of this review. Service- just okay, they never asked us if we wanted anything to drink, they put down a pitcher of water, which was good because they gave us the smallest of water glasses. Which was another strange thing, the table across the way had small and medium glasses on it, then across for them the table had nicer regular water glasses. Just very random.We ordered the Chicken Schwarma entree with the rice, if you order it with rice, you get no pita, or at least we didn't, other places I've been to give you some to go with it. We did ask for some, then about ten minutes went by I we told her to forget it and just give us the check.Ambiance- I have no idea what's going on here. Clean the place up, just a bit. The carpet could use a shampooing and at least vacuum The baseboards by the windows on the west side had visible peeling paint, and the window sill had loose paint and plaster on them. (Are they remodeling?) The table where we sat had a chair rail with uneven paint on it, some brown color.  The other chair rails didn't, strange design?The tables have seen better days and so have the cafe style chairs. I don't know the place seemed very tired, so did the staff. I'd like to think it was the pricing, yes reasonable, however I've been to less expensive places that are cleaner and not exhausted. In my years of property management, I know old peeling paint when I see it, actually I'm sure you do too.It's really to bad, because it could really be a cute place. I know it's cliche, but I really wanted to like this place. However, the longer I sat there, and the more I saw I just got the heebie jeebies. Paint peeling, dirt here and there and ceiling tiles with water stains on them. This is what you see. Makes me wonder about what you don't.Was I really in the same place as the other reviewers? Or, I guess I'm that much of a snob, it's okay I know I'm picky. However, I have no weirdness about NYC street vendors, but something put me on edge here. Oh yes, non-snobby will eat just about anything husband, felt the same way.

by Anne S.

I had dinner here Saturday night, and the place was pretty empty.I ordered the lamb kabob with a salad.  I thought the lamb was amazing, and the rice was pretty good.  The salad was perfectly fine as well.The service was pretty mixed.  We had several people attending to us.  Some were very nice.  They left a pitcher of water on our table, which I was appreciate since I drink a ton of water!  However, the person that handled the bill was awful.  First she asked me directly if I wanted a box, when I had an empty plate in front of me but my fiance's mother had food in front of her.  I thought this was odd.  But then when she returned the check, she gave the credit card to me, even though my fiance's mother was the one who gave her the credit card.Needless to say, she was not impressed.

by Alex A.

The Nile is absolutely great. The food is delicious, plentiful and cheap, as long as you don't pay to much attention to the decor or service.  We had the lentil soup, which was light, yet comforting.  The hummus was also delicious, especially with a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice.  The lamb shish was the most tender, amazing thing I've ever tasted. Tender and juicy, my mouth just waters thinking about it!! My partner had an equally delicious, well-spiced chicken shawarma. The side of roasted vegetables was also tasty.Highly recommended!

by Alex A.Anne S.g r.

The Nile is absolutely great. The food is delicious, plentiful and cheap, as long as you don't pay to much attention to the decor or service.  We had the lentil soup, which was light, yet comforting.  The hummus was also delicious, especially with a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice.  The lamb shish was the most tender, amazing thing I've ever tasted. Tender and juicy, my mouth just waters thinking about it!! My partner had an equally delicious, well-spiced chicken shawarma. The side of roasted vegetables was also tasty.Highly recommended!I had dinner here Saturday night, and the place was pretty empty.I ordered the lamb kabob with a salad.  I thought the lamb was amazing, and the rice was pretty good.  The salad was perfectly fine as well.The service was pretty mixed.  We had several people attending to us.  Some were very nice.  They left a pitcher of water on our table, which I was appreciate since I drink a ton of water!  However, the person that handled the bill was awful.  First she asked me directly if I wanted a box, when I had an empty plate in front of me but my fiance's mother had food in front of her.  I thought this was odd.  But then when she returned the check, she gave the credit card to me, even though my fiance's mother was the one who gave her the credit card.Needless to say, she was not impressed.My south side adventure continues, as a new resident I've been trying out many places looking to build up my list of favorites. We'll another one bites the dust.I'm having a hard time understanding all the great reviews for this place. The food was okay, I've had better. Nothing outstanding:Hummos- as it is spelled on their menu, was good, but served with only two slices of pita. so we had to be conservative with our dipping. Rice- tasted like instant Uncle Ben's that food coloring was used on.Chicken Schwarma- good, but not trimmed of fat. I know I'm a snob.Vegetables- overdone and limp, again I'm a snob.Soup- The lentil soup was very good, it's one star of this review. Service- just okay, they never asked us if we wanted anything to drink, they put down a pitcher of water, which was good because they gave us the smallest of water glasses. Which was another strange thing, the table across the way had small and medium glasses on it, then across for them the table had nicer regular water glasses. Just very random.We ordered the Chicken Schwarma entree with the rice, if you order it with rice, you get no pita, or at least we didn't, other places I've been to give you some to go with it. We did ask for some, then about ten minutes went by I we told her to forget it and just give us the check.Ambiance- I have no idea what's going on here. Clean the place up, just a bit. The carpet could use a shampooing and at least vacuum The baseboards by the windows on the west side had visible peeling paint, and the window sill had loose paint and plaster on them. (Are they remodeling?) The table where we sat had a chair rail with uneven paint on it, some brown color.  The other chair rails didn't, strange design?The tables have seen better days and so have the cafe style chairs. I don't know the place seemed very tired, so did the staff. I'd like to think it was the pricing, yes reasonable, however I've been to less expensive places that are cleaner and not exhausted. In my years of property management, I know old peeling paint when I see it, actually I'm sure you do too.It's really to bad, because it could really be a cute place. I know it's cliche, but I really wanted to like this place. However, the longer I sat there, and the more I saw I just got the heebie jeebies. Paint peeling, dirt here and there and ceiling tiles with water stains on them. This is what you see. Makes me wonder about what you don't.Was I really in the same place as the other reviewers? Or, I guess I'm that much of a snob, it's okay I know I'm picky. However, I have no weirdness about NYC street vendors, but something put me on edge here. Oh yes, non-snobby will eat just about anything husband, felt the same way.

by Alex A.Anne S.g r.Lisa L.Shannon L.

The Nile is absolutely great. The food is delicious, plentiful and cheap, as long as you don't pay to much attention to the decor or service.  We had the lentil soup, which was light, yet comforting.  The hummus was also delicious, especially with a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice.  The lamb shish was the most tender, amazing thing I've ever tasted. Tender and juicy, my mouth just waters thinking about it!! My partner had an equally delicious, well-spiced chicken shawarma. The side of roasted vegetables was also tasty.Highly recommended!I had dinner here Saturday night, and the place was pretty empty.I ordered the lamb kabob with a salad.  I thought the lamb was amazing, and the rice was pretty good.  The salad was perfectly fine as well.The service was pretty mixed.  We had several people attending to us.  Some were very nice.  They left a pitcher of water on our table, which I was appreciate since I drink a ton of water!  However, the person that handled the bill was awful.  First she asked me directly if I wanted a box, when I had an empty plate in front of me but my fiance's mother had food in front of her.  I thought this was odd.  But then when she returned the check, she gave the credit card to me, even though my fiance's mother was the one who gave her the credit card.Needless to say, she was not impressed.My south side adventure continues, as a new resident I've been trying out many places looking to build up my list of favorites. We'll another one bites the dust.I'm having a hard time understanding all the great reviews for this place. The food was okay, I've had better. Nothing outstanding:Hummos- as it is spelled on their menu, was good, but served with only two slices of pita. so we had to be conservative with our dipping. Rice- tasted like instant Uncle Ben's that food coloring was used on.Chicken Schwarma- good, but not trimmed of fat. I know I'm a snob.Vegetables- overdone and limp, again I'm a snob.Soup- The lentil soup was very good, it's one star of this review. Service- just okay, they never asked us if we wanted anything to drink, they put down a pitcher of water, which was good because they gave us the smallest of water glasses. Which was another strange thing, the table across the way had small and medium glasses on it, then across for them the table had nicer regular water glasses. Just very random.We ordered the Chicken Schwarma entree with the rice, if you order it with rice, you get no pita, or at least we didn't, other places I've been to give you some to go with it. We did ask for some, then about ten minutes went by I we told her to forget it and just give us the check.Ambiance- I have no idea what's going on here. Clean the place up, just a bit. The carpet could use a shampooing and at least vacuum The baseboards by the windows on the west side had visible peeling paint, and the window sill had loose paint and plaster on them. (Are they remodeling?) The table where we sat had a chair rail with uneven paint on it, some brown color.  The other chair rails didn't, strange design?The tables have seen better days and so have the cafe style chairs. I don't know the place seemed very tired, so did the staff. I'd like to think it was the pricing, yes reasonable, however I've been to less expensive places that are cleaner and not exhausted. In my years of property management, I know old peeling paint when I see it, actually I'm sure you do too.It's really to bad, because it could really be a cute place. I know it's cliche, but I really wanted to like this place. However, the longer I sat there, and the more I saw I just got the heebie jeebies. Paint peeling, dirt here and there and ceiling tiles with water stains on them. This is what you see. Makes me wonder about what you don't.Was I really in the same place as the other reviewers? Or, I guess I'm that much of a snob, it's okay I know I'm picky. However, I have no weirdness about NYC street vendors, but something put me on edge here. Oh yes, non-snobby will eat just about anything husband, felt the same way.I was solidly impressed by this little spot in Hyde Park.  I went here with a friend a bit ago, and we decided to split a couple appetizers and a sandwich a piece - definitely a poor plan!  I was mislead by the cheapness of the appetizers, thinking that anything under $2 had to be a sample size, which was not the case at all.  We could have easily skipped the sandwiches and just dined on the starters.  All told, the two of us left stuffed and with leftovers in tow for a little over $20; if we had known about their portion sizes, we could have left for half of that.Aside from the cheapness of the place, it was also very tasty.  Next time I would like to test out some of their entrees just to see if the flavor translates into a bigger dish.I'm happy to find more Middle Eastern places on the South Side; I love the cuisine but hate having to go out of my way to get it on the North side.  I'm definitely going to be a repeat customer here!Shilpa - the last reviewer - inspired me to write a review.  Almost 11 years ago she and I were placed together as college freshman roommates at the now defunct Shoreland dorm on 55th and South Shore Drive, just a few blocks away from the Nile.  Shortly after freshman year started, Shilpa's dad was in town and he took us out to dinner at the Nile.  Shilpa and I ended up eating at the Nile so often - we even negotiated discounted rates to get our dorm meetings catered with falafel and hummus - that the owner asked if we were interested in waitressing and we ended up basically splitting a job and taking alternating shifts.I mention this nostalgic background info to: 1) acknowledge my bias in this review having worked at the Nile, and 2) to highlight just how great the Nile is - it's more than 10 years later and I still think it has some of the best Middle Eastern food I've ever eaten.  I haven't lived in Chicago since 2002 and no one I know lives in Hyde Park anymore, but every time I visit I make the trek down there to go to the Nile at least once.Must-haves: the lentil soup, hummus, and Turkish coffee - they're just THAT good.My personal favorites: * Mashwiya - a zucchini and yogurt dip served with pita, lighter than hummus and very refreshing* Kibbeh - spiced ground lamb and/or beef and pine nuts stuffed in a mini football-shaped bulgur wheat shell and deep-fried, served with lemon wedges to squeeze over each bite.   Ahhh.....  They're slightly pricey (and most of the menu items aren't, so it stands out), but totally worth it.* Chicken shawerma sandwich - spiced marinated chicken cooked on a rotisserie and shaved thin, juicy but with crispy bits, served in a pita with tomato, onion, and tahini (the tahini at the Nile is my favorite tahini of all time - I don't know how they make it, but it must have yogurt or something in there because it's thicker than the super liquid-y tahini I seem to find everywhere else that just dribbles off your sandwich onto your chin or shirt)* Kifta with tahini (entree) - spiced ground lamb and/or beef shaped into a very thin wide patty, simmered in tahini and served with potato slices on top and saffron rice to soak up all the tahini.  Mmmmm.....* Mu jadara - lentils and rice with caramelized onions and homemade yogurt (this one doesn't sound that exciting but it's really delicious)Other good things to know** - they don't serve alcohol but you can bring in your own wine or beer, they deliver, you can find some of the menu items for sale at the various coffee shops on the Univ. of Chicago's campus, and the owner Abed is usually willing to negotiate prices to cater things like student group meetings, speaking events, or personal parties.**Disclaimer - these things used to be true and still are as far as I know, but it's been a while.