Mazmez Middle Eastern Grill
Mazmez Middle Eastern Grill — quiet Wilmette middle eastern spot where the Falafel draws regulars. Friendly without hovering. "The shawarma is perfectly spiced, the falafel is crispy on the outside and soft inside" — Noa Li
What 107 diners keep saying
What 107 diners keep saying
verbatim, from Google
“easily one of my favorite places to eat in Wilmette, with the best value in the immediate area. the falafel is excellent, the portions are large, the chicken shawarma rules, and everything is very fresh. friendly, helpful staff in a chill environment. I strongly recommend this place and I'm glad to have it around. great options for vegetarians as well”

“I found my new go-to Mediterranean place. Some of the best Mediterranean food I’ve had. I’ve had lots of eats from Devon street and Skokie - but this place was amazing. Worth going out of my way to come back! All of the staff are so kind and friendly. Their lunch deal is incredible. Some of the juiciest & most flavored chicken thigh kabobs. Everything tasted like a home cooked meal, it was fresh and great quality food. Take this as your sign to go and try now!!”

“Food is SOOOO good, authentic and fresh 😋 Ambient feels nice and music is good! We got the hummus, lentil soup and combination platter. They have a healthy selection of food.”

“Delicious, freshly made middle eastern food. Lamb kebab is out of this world, so is the kefta. Added bonus: enjoy the wonderfully atmospheric art photographs from the region.”

“We had their hamburger Kebabs which were excellent. We were offered a choice if 3 sauce which were all unique and good. their side salad was excellent as well. each eating area had a wall charger if you’re phone is low on juice or you have a laptop that needs power.”

“I tried it for the first time and the food is very good and tasty. I was surprised that they only offered one sauce with the entree and I generally use 2 or 3 different sauces and often blend them together because I like it spicy with tahini. Other restaurants I’ve been to have not charged for that. I tried the falafel and it’s different from the other popular restaurant on Dempster and I must say it’s better than theirs. I also ordered the beef shawarma and it was juicy and tender. You do order at the counter but they bring it to your table. I prefer eating with regular plates and silverware especially with so much microplastics we already encounter, but I would come back but more likely for carry out. The restaurant has been remodeled and is very clean and modern. I think it was previously a pizzeria.”

“The total came to $29 including tax and a 15% tip. You place your order at the counter and throw away your own tray after eating, so I’m not really sure why the payment screen automatically suggested a tip. Even though I chose to dine in, the food was served on a paper plate with plastic utensils, and there was only one napkin. It felt more like eating a takeout meal inside the restaurant than dining in. There were no other customers when I visited, and my order was ready in about 10 minutes. The “beef shawarma” and “chicken shawarma” were made with thinly sliced meat cooked on a flat-top grill rather than being freshly carved from a vertical rotisserie, which wasn’t what I expected. The falafel also didn’t taste very fresh. That said, nothing was bad or inedible. The food was decent overall, but nothing really stood out. I probably wouldn’t come back since there are better Middle Eastern options in the area.”

“Totally disappointed. Looks bad and taste bad. So dry and no flavor at all. I had high hopes. Might not be back.”
“This is a hidden Jem. Started with the hummus, and it was really good, I have been to the Middle East, and they nailed it. I love how they put it in a to go bowl! (Smart) also lots of hot pitta bread. Lamb kebab was excellent, cooked perfectly, good portion. Daughter got chicken kebab, she loved it. If you have seen but not ventured in, I highly recommend you do. Always a heathy alternative to the usual suspects.”
Sounds like your kind of place?
Star it — your hit list is where dinner decisions get made.
One email a month — new openings, hidden gems, and where locals are actually eating.
More Middle Eastern in Chicago
See the ranking →In the same lane · Middle Eastern
If it's packed, walk to…
More good rooms in Wilmette, minutes away.










