Heart of Middle East Grocery & Bakery
Laura Meagher · 100 Google reviewsHeart of Middle East Grocery & Bakery — one of Lakeview's strongest bakery spots. The kitchen starts with good ingredients and it shows. Good service that doesn't feel rehearsed, and owner on site. Jing Li: "The baklava was sweet and crispy, with the sweetness perfectly balanced"
What 207 diners keep saying
What 207 diners keep saying
verbatim, from Google
“One of the highest-quality Middle Eastern grocery stores around.✨✨”
“Walking home and came in for rice, left so happy! And abundance of spices, olive oils, chilis, just all the flavors I crave! These falafels in the unassuming bag? the BEST I've ever had. I'm excited to try the cheeses and homemade baked goods next time! The prices are great too, I'll be buying ingredients here as much as I can. The owner was working this register I think, and was so kind! Felt good to support this business ✨”
“Place is a nice addition to the neighborhood. Always helpful with bread, cheese, olives varieties which are wonderful to try. The gentleman is so helpful and always there or just outside the door. Prices are competitive and their ready made food is surprisingly delicious!!! Don't overlook! The pies are not overpriced and are filling. Try the spicy hummus to take home with some bread which had a long shelf life!”
“Huge shout out to Heart Of Middle East Market on Halsted. I needed my sugar fix last night (and yes, I am a personal trainer who needs a sugar fix 😁) and they absolutely made me happy 😁 Love love love everything I got! Baby cakes are so adorable and realistic looking and omg delicious (I got mango, cotton candy and banana), Dubai chocolate is perfect as usual. And of course Turkish Delight yums and Baklava are a chef's kiss! Oh and Guava sorbet bar - 😋😋😋 Great for your sugar cravings, as a treat to take with when you're visiting someone or as a small gift to make someone's day 💓 Bonus point: the owner is the sweetest person!! I hope you check them out 💓”
“Careful on the pricing. Bought 4x of am item for $8.99. Total came up to $56. When I asked for a receipt, it just says custom item for $56.25. I know this is a common practice in the Middle East. They might be bringing the practice here. There is another review having a similar experience. Update: AI thinks there is fraud. The owner’s "new cashier/pricing error" response doesn't hold up under basic scrutiny. The Math: Even at their "old" price of $12.99, 4 items plus 10.25% Chicago tax equals $57.29. My receipt was for $56.25. The owner is using a "discount" story to explain a random, manually entered number that still doesn't match the math. The System: A "new cashier in training" would rely on the scanner, not a manual override. Using the "Custom Item" button requires a deliberate bypass of the store's inventory system. The Login: The cashier was a woman logged in under a male name ("Sarmad"). In retail, sharing management credentials to perform manual overrides is a major red flag for tax skimming and "off-the-books" sales.”
“I should’ve known better. Be careful if you see popmart labubu selling here. It’s fake! My friends and I each bought one for $30 and weren’t told it was fake. Ugh!”
“Ahmed was really sweet, very clean store with a really nice variety of grocery and pantry items. I picked up the hummus and babaganoush, as well as a couple of the pies. All delicious and tasty, will definitely be coming back. And great little hidden gem in boystown, highly recommend!”
“Love this spot. They have delicious homemade desserts and dips, and the olive oil they sell is a staple for salads and spreads. If you’re in need of any spice or herb, no matter how rare, I guarantee they have it. It’s great having a Middle Eastern market right in the neighborhood!”
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