La Brochette

Wow, there are some pretty bad reviews of this place. I’ve only eaten here once, but I had a fantastic experience. I was there on a date, and we each ordered something different to share. Both meals were very good. I really packed an artery that night, which was the best part of my date. Anyways, we brought a few bottles of wine, and the setting was actually pretty romantic. Don’t get me wrong though, this place would also be fun if you’re just hanging with some dudes for the night too. The prices weren’t terrible, but could have been a little better.
The only downside was the 35 year old woman at the table next to us, who was still trying to be a hipster, only she was just slightly past her hipster prime. Anyways, she kept making calls every 3 minutes, in some kind of pathetic attempt to get the entire restaurant to look up at her, and acknowledge how important she was. Trust me, she wasn’t important. Every call was about how much she drank last weekend, how dumb all of her coworkers at the salon are, etc. Cheap entertainment like this is everywhere, as long as you have the right perspective. She didn’t ruin the experience.

Service: slow and not apologetic — particularly ridiculous on a not-​so-​crowded Friday night.
Food: the complimentary hummus was probably the worst I’ve ever had, and the pita was served in a basket that smelled like it had just had rotting raw fish in it! The food we ordered didn’t get much better. We got some deep fried veggie thing with ASIAN chilli sauce (um, last I checked Asia and the Middle East aren’t the same thing). The lamb with prunes wasn’t too bad, but the Ketka was barely edible. And then there’s a corkage charge. Really, if you can’t cough up the bucks for a liquor license, don’t charge your customers extra for your cheapness!

I finished eating at La Brochette four hours ago and I am STILL FULL. It was great! We started with the Hummus, Spinach Briwat and the complimentary olive dish. It was great– especially the Hummus :) I ate way too much, so when our main dishes came I was already a little full but ate the whole thing because it was so good. I ordered the Chicken Pastilla, and my two friends had the lamb tagine «la brochette» and the chicken brochette. Everyone loved their food. I will definitely come back!
The only thing I will say, is plan on a leisurely dinner. Service isn’t super fast– we were there about 2 hours.

I really, really wanted to love this restaurant and I just couldn’t.
My boyfriend and I first visited the place a week or two after it opened. It was really convenient to our old place because it was literally right around the corner… we thought it would be great.
The first night the service was insanely slow even though there were only two couples in the entire restaurant. The menu was very, very small but it was great that it was prix fixe for $ 14. The food was pretty good, but I seriously could not believe the service was so damn slow.
We wanted to give it another try once we knew there were more customers and assumed there was a bigger menu. The service was, again, insanely slow. We spent over two hours in the restaurant, which is absolutely ridiculous for arriving at 6:30 p.m. The food was decent but nothing to write home about. I can definitely get broiled chicken with Mediterranean spices at another restaurant at probably better quality (i.e. Rodan).
I’ve just had better, more authentic Mediterranean food and I don’t think the place is worth going a third time. Again, I really, really want to like the place since it seems so good… but I just can’t.

Let me first say that I never did sample the food at La Brochette. Why, you ask? Well, it all began as soon as we walked in the door and a women sitting at one of the tables turned to me, her eyes blood shoot, sweat beading on her forehead, her face absolutely filled with rage, and said «Turn around and leave. Just go. Run.»
But, I chose to assume that she was probably just drunk and out of her mind and proceeded to sit down at a table. Well, it was about 45 minutes later that I found myself still sitting there having not even been given a menu yet. At this point, it had become nothing more than an experiment to see how long it could actually take.
Soon after that, we were finally given menus. I politely said «thank you» and then left.
The enraged woman was still there… probably still waiting for her food.

Last night, I joined two of my compatriots at La Brochette for a belated celebratory dinner. From the outside, I did not believe that I would be impressed, as the restaurant looked like a former dry cleaner or paint store. I was wrong. The interior of the place has been redone, with contemporary lighting and appropriately-​placed drapes. In addition, the waitstaff was incredibly friendly and attentive as they guided me through my maiden voyage into Moroccan food.
I ordered the spinach briwat as an appetizer. It arrived perfectly cooked, with the phyllo crispy yet not burned, accompanied by a red-​bell-​pepper-​and-​mint dipping sauce. The briwat was better than any spanakopita I’ve ever ingested — and I’ve had the homemade stuff.
After I inhaled the briwat, I ordered the lamb and quince tagine. Who would think that lamb and quince would make a tasty flavor combination? It was, however. The lamb was fall-​off-​the-​bone tender and the sweet of the quince melded perfectly with the savory of the lamb. I was sad that the lamb bone had no marrow to eat, and some of the «Moroccan fries» that accompanied my meal were a bit soggy, but overall it was a delicious dining experience.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that this place is very reasonable considering the amount of food served. We ordered two appetizers and three entrees and the bill was under $ 70. The portions were very large and we all took our leftovers home.

Somewhat of an indiscreet place on the outside, this is a great friendly place. The service was especially attentive, with an extensive explanation of the different suggested options by the server. Not too crowded or too long of a wait for a late Friday night. I can’t judge the authenticity not having had much Moroccan, but I thought it was all excellent, with pretty big servings for a decent price. And you can go shopping at Jewel after!

Very good byob place. Bring a bottle of syrah to accompany the tasty food.
My friend just came back from visiting Morroco, so we thought we’d tried this restaurant and look at her travel pictures.
They start you off with pita, humus and olives. We also ordered spinach briwats. Briwats are pastries filled with whatever you desire. Every culture has them… like samosas or empanadas. Ours was very tasty.
Then we got the chicken cooked with lemon and olives, and lamb tagine. Both dishes tasted excellent. Cous cous was very fluffy, meat falling off the bone. We wish the lamb tagine came in a tagine, but alas, this is Chicago on Ashland, not Casablanca. Two entrees for 3 of us (women) were plenty.
We didn’t order dessert, they only have flan and baklava. Just not very attractive choices. Go across the street to the strip mall and have some Oberweiss icecream.
We will come again. The service is friendly; the waiter does like to talk.

I went there over the weekend. I have to say that had you asked me about it while I was eating and immediately after I ate I would have told you I loved this place. Great service, BYOB for the win, the food was incredibly tasty and plentiful. My girlfriend and I shared an appetizer of Briwats of shrimp and mushroom and then split the lamb couscous with 7 veggies. With the hummus and olives and pita servings this was more than plenty of food for the both of us. All of it was incredible.
However, about an hour later my gf starting feeling nauseous and she thought it was because she ate too much. Later that night, though, she was cramping up in style and feeling very bad. I started feeling some what bad but I think the enzymes in my stomach are stronger than hers because because although I wasn’t in pain, I did have some discomfort. In other words, I feel that we both got food poisoned from it.
Shameful too because we both thought the food tasted great and were looking into other menu items for future visits but after the pain she experienced that night I highly doubt we’ll make it back there. Yes it was probably a one time thing but I don’t want to risk it.
So yes based on food and serivce alone, 4 stars, but the side effects of what happened makes me want to give it 2 stars, so I compromised and gave it 2.5 (well ok 3).
Go if you like and hope the food is prepared better, I won’t be going back.

Wow, it seems like the service here is really hit or miss. A lot of variance. It seems like they have trouble feeding groups on the weekends.
I went here on a Friday night at around 8:30, I’d say the place was about 75% full. Service was fine for us — but there were only two of us. The waiter was efficient, somewhat friendly, overall all right.
The food was about 3 — 3.5 stars, overall. They give you some olives, hummus, and pita, which is nice, and it was good.
We ordered some mussels, which were very nice — nicely seasoned, seemed to be good quality, and overall it was good. We also had a soup– forget the name, it is a Moroccan minestrone — that was excellent. We had a shrimp appetizer that was underwhelming — they were those little puny shrimps — which have no taste. Bad app.
Main course was a chicken tagine — it was good, interesting, served with a fried potato thing that was OK. Nicely seasoned — but the chicken was a bit dry.
I’m torn on this place. I really would give it 3.5 stars. The mussels and soup were excellent. Overall, I say try this place out for yourself — it’s worth a try, even if the overall quality and service is variable.

Maybe I’m just an arrogant asshole or maybe I refuse to be a cultural relativist when it comes to food but damn does some of the food in Chicago suck. As usual, let’s break it down:
AMBIANCE
Other than the fact that the «1^st Republican Ward Headquarters» next door look like they haven’t been used since the last ice age, the restaurant itself is comfy. The entrance however makes one wonder which genius designed this restaurant. Only one person can enter the door at a time before it has to be closed and re-​opened. Let me explain: the door opens counterclockwise into a protected area (as many restaurants do in the winter) but the protected area is not deep enough for you to go around the door despite the only entrance being to the right of it so you have to close it, pass it, and reopen it to enter. Dumb.
FOOD
Oh god. Save me please. I need to go to North Africa and really figure out if their food is so tasteless. I really doubt it is. Tizi Melloul isn’t authentic but at least it doesn’t leave me wondering if I ate anything at all. The hummus is bland. The lamb is tasteless. I’m always amazed at how many people «love how succulent the lamb was». It didn’t have any taste! I spent 10 minutes dumping salt and pepper on my food hoping it might end up having some taste. If you want lamb that has some taste, I suggest you head over to Devon or Vermillion. This place is awful.
PARKING
Yes, in the back, by the dumpster. No one tried to sell me a Street Wise in my 1 minute walk from the parking lot into the restaurant. That’s worth a star right there.
BYOB
For now. $ 3 corkage fee.
OVERALL
Good atmosphere, good crowd, mediocre food. For a lot of Chicagoans, the last one isn’t so bad since they are used to even worse food on a daily basis. I envy all of you whose taste buds don’t need taste since they were raised on Mac and Cheese.

I stopped by for one of their shwarma pitas. The pita was soft and warm and the meat was tender, spicy and pungent (some yogurt sauce would have complemented well). I really enjoyed the tagines — the lamb was falling off the bone and exuding the aroma and flavor of exotic spices. The waiter was very friendly, but messed up my order (I did not complain as the food was delicious). The tea given after dinner is brewed with fresh mint. Subtly spicy and sweet, it is quite addictive.

This might be my new favorite restaurant. I had a FANTASTIC meal here tonight. We started out with the hummus and falafel. Both were really good and the pita bread was so soft and warm, it was awesome. Then we had the chicken briwats which were also delicious. I was kind of full by the time my actual meal came — the chicken cous cous — but I plowed right through it anyway because it was AMAZING! The chicken was really tender and full of flavor and the vegetables were all perfectly marinated. I can’t wait to go back to try some of the lamb dishes.
The atmosphere and décor are very nice — warm and inviting. And our waiter was so sweet and helpful. AND it’s byob! Can it get any better? Actually, it can — they have a huge patio for outdoor dining. I’m in love.
And to all the folks complaining about the slowness, you need to understand that quality Moroccan food takes time to prepare. If you don’t have the time to wait, you probably shouldn’t be eating here.

What a warm, pleasant, romantic restaurant. And ignore the «slow food» reviews– this is authentic Moroccan-​style tagines and couscous and it really does take time to make well. But the two hour troubles they had when the restaurant first opened seem to be over. When we went, it took less than an hour to get our food, but we had appetizers in between, so it was more relaxing than slow. The server was fantastic and friendly, recommended some great dishes, and even had some tips for upcoming Moroccan vacation.
BYOB, but $ 3 corkage. Try the chicken-​lemon-​olive tagine– the olives are one of the best things I’ve had in my life. And don’t miss the Arabic coffee, so tasty. If you’re veg, ask them to make you a veg couscous– not on the menu but tasty.

I went here on a Friday night and the service was great. We got our food really quick and the server was very attentive. It looks like some had a bad experience with the service, but it also seems like most were in a large group. The restaurant isn’t very big, so if you’re in a larger party then chances are you won’t get your food in 30 minutes.
Anyways, the food here was really good.
We had the chicken briwats as an appetizer, which I enjoyed.
There was complimentary pitas and hummus.
And the chicken brochette I ordered was scrumptious, especially the potatoes w/​caramelized onions that came with it.
We ended the dinner with some baklava, which was OK. I’ve had better elsewhere, but at 3 $ I can’t really complain.
Overall I will definitely come back. Good food, good service, good prices!

I went here on Saturday night and it was okay. I think that we were sitting right next to the big party that Kara H. is talking about.
So the food was good. Although I think that they have a heavy hand with the salt, seemed a little out of control.
BUT…OMG, the service was a crap hole. I think that we sat down at 8:45, ordered at 9 and then got our food a prompt hour and 45 minutes later!!! He did put plates down midway through the wait, saying that the food would be out soon. That was kind of stupid and maddening. We only ordered one entrée too, it was insane. And there was absolutely no apology given or reason or anything. Talk about junky.
Our waiter was an Asian guy, which was fun, but I think that he might need to be fired. And by the looks of the other reviews, we were not the only ones that got this garbagey service.

An open letter, to the owners, managers, and waitstaff at La Brochette…
First, let me start by saying, that your food, was actually very good.
My Chicken and Beef Kabobs were perfectly grilled, tender, seasoned well, and delicious.
The Veggies were also good… a little over cooked, but, hey… it happens…
WHEN IT TAKES 2 HOURS FOR YOUR FOOD TO COME OUT!!!
Your service is ridiculous, bordering on insane.
Don’t get me wrong, our waiter was very nice… and seemingly accommodating.
But, what he neglected to tell us, was that it was going to take almost 2 full hours for us to get our food.
It was well over 30 minutes before we started getting our appetizers and soups/​salads…
At THAT POINT, it would’ve been good, if we’d have been informed by the server, that our meals were going to take a little extra time due to the size of our party, the time it takes to prepare certain dishes… SOMETHING.
But instead, we sat there, blissfully ignorant of the «March of Tears» our meal was about to become.
We were given MORE than enough water (clearly, you have been reading the OTHER reviews of your restaurant posted here and have fixed that situation), and yet AFTER our appetizers and soups/​salads arrived, a complementary basket of pita was laid on the table, with two saucers of Hummous (that tasted like peanut butter… please, it’s chickpeas with tahini, not tahini with tahini, and oh yeah, we forgot the chickpeas).
So, we’re at 45 minutes at least, JUST finally receiving bread (7 pieces for 10 people for 2 hours).
The waiter came back another 15 minutes later, and made a big show of taking away silverware, and placing fresh silver on the table…
We assumed that the meal was on its way.
We were wrong.
When another 20 minutes went by, some people started ordering coffee just to stay awake!
When we reached ONE HOUR AND THIRTY MINUTES WITHOUT OUR ENTREES, someone finally asked when our food was coming out, and our waiter said…“oh, well, the meal that she ordered (pointed to one of our guests) takes 30 minutes to prepare, so it’s going to be at least another 15 minutes…“
We were aghast… He’s telling us this NOW. AND, to top it off, he’s saying that her meal takes…30 MINUTES to prepare.
Why on earth did it take 2 fucking hours for a 30 minute meal to be prepared, along with a whole host of grilled chicken and steak?
Please…tell me. HOW… WHY?
Can you not accommodate parties larger than 4? SAY SO when someone calls and asks for a reservation.
Look, your food is really quite tasty. I’d recommend it to friends… except that I want to KEEP my friends.
I want your business to succeed… but I don’t think YOU do.
Look, we go to Amsterdam on an annual basis… they have this whole lifestyle thing, it’s called «gezellig»…
It basically means laid back, easy going, slow moving, cozy.
So, you can kill quite alot of time in a restaurant in Amsterdam, thanks to this lifestyle… and it’s fine.
You’re usually too high to notice or care. But I can tell you this.
As laid back as they are there, I’ve never been to a restaurant that takes 2 Fucking hours to grill a piece of meat and bring it to the table.
We kill 2 hours at a table there because we WANT to.
All I wanted to do was run out the door of your restaurant screaming and walk to the nearest liquor store for a bag of potato chips.
Please, for your sake… so you stop receiving shitty review after shitty review… fix your service problem.
Hire a cooking staff… shorten your menu… INVENT A TIME MACHINE… do SOMETHING to fix your absolutely ass-​backwards way of doing things…
And maybe, JUST MAYBE… you’ll beat the other Moroccan restaurant that’s just 2 doors north of yours on Ashland.
But, at the pace your restaurant keeps, they could serve semi-​cooked cat food, and it would be better… because at least it would arrive at your table quicker.
Get it together, or suffer the fate of the previous restaurant that occupied your space.
Good Luck…

We went for a friend’s birthday last night. Like many other Unilocalers, it took way too long to get our food. We ordered our food at 9:00pm and received it close to 11:00pm. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? TWO HOURS!!!
Granted we were a group of 10. However, it’s totally unacceptable to wait that long for your meal. In our opinion, the waiter should have at least let us know how long the wait would be b/​c of our group size. It would have been nice to have something snack on while we waited. They brought us a basket of bread once.
The food is good. But it’s not worth the wait.
GET IT TOGETHER LA BROCHETTE!

I went there on my birthday. I was sitting alone. That sucked.
However, let me go back to before that time…
This place was new to me. I would see it under construction then one day I saw it opened. The thing was it was when I was jogging and I was a bit hungry and I thought about seeing if they had a to go menu. There was a walk up window and I asked if they had menus. The place was so new that they didn’t… but offered me a Chicken Shwarma pita sandwich instead. It hit the spot.
Originally I wrote this place off, but I should realized that this place is pretty damn new and at the time of my review, I was just not in the right mood. I’m willing to give this place a second chance. especially when it gets warm. I’m hoping that 1) they have inexpensive chicken shwarma pita sandwhiches and 2) falafel by the piece.
In retrospect, it was that Chicken Shwarma pita sandwich that made me go back (and the fact that it’s not as far as Sultan’s) and what I ate on my lonesome b-​day was pretty tasty. I also hope that the food gets to me quicker too, for it took longer than I wanted.

I had mixed feelings about this place. I was really excited when I realized that the dilapidated Stevie B’s was going to be a new Moroccan/​Mediterranean restaurant, especially because I live a half a block away. The first reviews were not too impressive, but I don’t always believe what I read.
So one Thursday night, my boyfriend and I grabbed a few bottles of wine and walked on over to form our own opinion. By the time we visited the restaurant, they had a new expanded menu and there were plenty of options to choose from.
We had the mussels as an appetizer. This was my first time having mussels and they were so good. The French onion soup was amazing. I had chicken with vegetables and cous cous that was cooked just right. I had enough for lunch the next day.
My boyfriend had the steak kash kash that was grilled perfectly. He absolutely loved it and wants to go back for the same dish. The entrée portions were huge.
The staff was so friendly and accommodating and our bill was around $ 50. We’ll definitely be walking over for dinner again.