Noora Café

Here I am, some 10 months later from my first review, and I can only give 3 stars. I don’t have the heart for 2, because the owner seems to be such a customer-​oriented person. It just doesn’t carry over into the food preparation. However, he does, it seems, make the ever so delicious lentil soup, so that is a redeeming start. My niece and I choose Noora vs. the other one on California Avenue, and I found myself wishing we had chosen the other. That’s not a good reason. Why? 1) no beef shwarma, 2) no lamb shanks, 3) no baba ganouch. That’s 3 strikes and you’re out. The Cubs would know something about that! It got more disappointing: the pita tasted stale and was too bread-​like (for my taste). The hummus: meh! My niece settled for the chicken shwarma, which was quite dry tasting. The rice was not «yellow rice», but just some very generic rice, albeit done well in terms of consistency. I asked for a candle at the table and they did put one in the lantern, as well as muted the TV at the far end of the restaurant, though it would have been better to turn it off. I do not think a TV, however large the screen, is what pulls someone into a restaurant. A sports bar, certainly, that goes with the territory, but a Middle Eastern restaurant? Strange. I don’t think I would go back, unless it was for the lentil soup, which rates 5 stars.

Last Thursday night my wife and I went to the gym. I went to Groupon to see if I could find any deals. What I found was a real gem Noora Café @ 6310 N Western Ave. After finding Noora on Groupon I went to Unilocal to see what I could find out. Imagine my surprise when I found out it was rated 4 ½ stars. Noora Café is a Mediterranean (Assyrian) Restaurant. Well we were all set to go and I called because I saw they closed at 8 pm. (A little early?). Since it was close to closing time & they had hosted a private party that night they weren’t taking anymore customers that night. (Bummer).
Fast forward to last night and I called in advance as we left the gym around 7 pm and I figured it would take about 20 minutes to get from LA Fitness in Morton Grove. Boy was I off. With the traffic we arrived around 7:35. I wasn’t sure they were going to take us because it was so close to closing, but they were gracious enough to take in 2 starving travelers.
My wife ordered the 3 item combo meal. It came with a delicious lentil soup w/​a piece of fresh lemon to squeeze in, yellow rice, chicken kabob, beef kabob and beef kifta. I ordered the 4 item combo meal (basically the same as the 3 with an extra seasoned and sliced beef item that was delicious). Everything was very good, but I found the beef kabobs a little chewy.
The server was a very nice guy and in speaking with him I found out he is Assyrian. Overall the restaurant was very nice with great service and food. This is someplace worth checking out!

Free and fast delivery.
Large portion, tons of food.
Extremely friendly service.
And finally a combo that actually tastes different flavors! Very Delicious!

Delicious food and even better service! The owner is really really nice! I asked for some ice and he said sure I’ll grab it.
A couple minutes later I saw him go out and buy a bag of ice and didn’t turn me away. Most restaurants say they don’t have it at the moment and they just give me a cold drink. I absolutely loved their service and food!

Noora Café is now one of top go-​to restaurants. I was there for the first time last night to celebrate a friend’s birthday. And from the moment we walked in the door we were treated as honored guests to a family home. We started with Hummus and Boorak. The Boorak came with a red chili sauce that sparked the flavor of the meat. Then we spread the hummus on the bread added a bit of olive oil and topped it with the red chili sauce. The sauce is not too hot, you must try it! Next came the catfish with peppers and onions served over a bed of rice. Excellent — chock full of flavors. To finish this perfect meal the owner brought us baklava. Now I love baklava yet many make it way too sweet — not Noora Café. Another delightful flavor bomb. Next visit, which will be very soon, I am going for the lamb shanks. Or should I go for the 3-​way kabobs?

Three way combo. All I have to say. Amazing.

I enjoyed it, and the service was very friendly. My daughter, who loves simple food, loved the beef kebobs. They were quite good. I thought the babganouj was fine but not extraordinary.

Although I was a bit apprehensive about getting food delivered to my condo I was pleasantly surprised. This plating of the foodstuffs for takeout is great, a lot of time spent to make sure everything is just right. We ordered 2 combo plates, the rolls, falafel and Jerusalem salad. My favorite was the Jerusalem salad. Absolutely delicious.

I’ve come here with family a few times and the food is consistently good. The kabobs are always flavorful as well as tender. There are a lot of middle eastern places that has that certain «something» that is missing but Noora’s kabobs know how to hit the spot!
I always come here when I’m on the North Side!

Found this gem on GrubHub. Food was delicious! I was shocked about the amount of food you get (you get a lot and could easily be shared). I will definitely be returning and will keep this one in my back pocket for nights I just feel like ordering out. The delivery man was very nice as well. :)
Try it.

Excellent! From the moment we walked in the door until the last sip of Lebaneese coffee, the owner was attentive, the food great. Authentic, high quality and well balanced dishes. Generous portions. We left SLP.

Noora Café is an incredible take on Middle Eastern cuisine. As someone who is a native of the Middle East, and naturally, familiar with the foods, I must say that Noora Café is just wonderful. I’ve tried probably half of their menu by now, and I’m never disappointed.
What always makes a difference to me is the cleanliness of any location. This place offers that sort of comfort. You can also taste the freshness of the ingredients, which distinguishes Noora Café from other restaurants.
I’m a fan of family-​run places. That’s what makes Noora Café such an authentic location – not just the food, but the feel. What many Middle Eastern-​inspired restaurants lack these days is that familiar touch. The food tastes like it was made by a mother cooking for her family, and it’s supposed to be that way. Noora Café is an incredible reflection of our culture.
When I’m on the go, but craving a home-​cooked meal, I make a quick visit to Noora Café. Authentic culture, delicious food, wonderful service. Skip Pita Inn. You won’t find this kind of quality anywhere else.

Had their food catered at a party this past weekend, and everything was delicious! Can’t wait to try it out at the restaurant as well.

Absolutly superior! I recently had Noora Café cater a holiday party/​networking event I hosted. The food was a hit, everyone had seconds and thirds. Their most delicious item is their chicken, but I have to also mention their baba ghanoush. I eat lots of baba ghanoush and theirs is by far the best that I’ve ever had. Their food is authentic yet its flavors are unique. The chicken is tender and perfectly seasoned and cooked every time. The owners are exceptionally friendly and welcoming, making you feel like your a regular even on your first visit.
If you want authentic middle eastern food with new flavors, this is the place to be. I will be catering a lot more from here.

Had the kabob plate and it was delicious! This place is the whole package good food and service! Noora Café also has such a relaxing atmosphere, great for family dinners or date nights. I absolutely recommend the Kabobs, and while you are here say hello to the owners; they are very friendly and welcoming!

Came in for lunch with my wife and son last Saturday afternoon. We were the only customers and there was only one member of staff, I’m guessing one of the owners. We had the baba ganoush, falafel, a chicken kebab plate, and a chicken shwarma wrap. All of the food was fresh and tasty, and was well presented. The kebab plate came with a soup but we got an additional soup for free. Very friendly place.

Great service and delicious food! Stopped by this great little family run restaurant with some friends and had a wonderful experience. Everyone left bellies were full and smiles on their faces. Shish kabobs were awesome.

Having grown up eating authentic Middle Eastern food, it’s very hard to find that «as good as mom’s» restaurant. Well, my search was over the day I found Noora Café. People assume that «fast food» middle eastern restaurants are a true reflection of the cuisine;well it’s not. The food here was amazing. Meat was juicy, the chicken was tender, and the portions were large. You can tell that the family running it knew how to cook.
The décor is cool too. They told me that even the old pictures on the wall are family.
Anyways, if your looking for a spot with Killer «AUTHENTIC» food, then check this place out

Been wanting to try it for a while, finally decided to cater for 6 people for a small birthday party. The food was great and very tasty. The kebob was my favorite and not greasy like other places. I would definitely go back again and dine in next time.

So the only reason they are getting one star is because that’s the minimum.
I tried out this new place because Dawali, where we usually go, was closed. We had high hopes for this place because of the great reviews. First off, trying to figure out if they would deliver took a good 5 minutes, no one seemed to know. Once they finally decided they would we ordered. We called in our order at 8:39 pm. After 50 minutes we called to check in the progress, the owner told us that our food was «in route» and that it should be there shortly. After another 25 minuets, we called again and were told that they did not understand why our food was not here yet. 10 minutes later the driver called us and told is that he was having «car troubles» and that he would be here in 10 minutes. After another 20 min, which this time is now 10:25, almost two hours later, we called the restaurant, again, saying our food was not there. The owner said the driver called him 10 minutes ago saying he was in front of our apt, which was a lie. When we mentioned the «car troubles», the driver claimed to have, they were confused but assured us that the food would be good and warm. After another 10 minutes, the driver finally got to the apt, looking like he had ran from the restaurant. When we looked at our order, one bag looked like they had poured soup in it; mind you we had not ordered soup. When we mentioned this we were told that the food was ok, clearly liquid in a bag is NOT okay. When we talked to owner about discounting out order for the 2 hour wait and the liquid in a bag he was hesitant saying that it was the drivers fault. He finally took $ 5 off our order and called it a day.
Secondly, the food was not good. It was cold and had a salty flavor to it. We didn’t get the sauces we wanted and our salad was drenched in a dressing, that was half spilled in the bag.
I recommend no one order from here the food is not good and the customer service is even worse. You are better off ordetng from Dawali for some really good grub!

Love this place! Very cute and cultural inside and have the best staff! ;) I tried their hummus and it’s just like my mama makes it-​perfect. Can’t wait to come back and try the rest of the menu!

Food was excellent! Try the kefta kabob and the chicken kabob, unreal! The food came quick and the service was very good. Omg, the cheesecake! It’s made from scratch and is so creamy and delicious… it’s a must.
Definitely will be frequenting this place!