Middle East Bakery & Grocery — Restaurant in Lake View Township

I got food here yesterday and purchased one item. I told myself that although the food was bad, I wouldn't write a review because that's unfair to a small business. But then I looked at the sauce bottle I purchased yesterday (9/17/23) and saw the expiration date on the product was 7/31/23. How old must this bottle be if it's expired already? Premade sauces usually go for like 12-18 months! So with poor service and stocking expired food, I cannot keep my mouth shut.

First of all, I am Lebanese, so of course, I am going to be critical of the food. That said, even with me being critical, the food was low quality and the service was bad. We went up to counter to put in our order, the cashier was too busy speaking with his boss in Arabic about who's vape was who's. So naturally, he ignores us, doesn't repeat the order back, and he only rings in half of our order. So I don't get the chicken shawarma sandwich I wanted, which sucks, that's ourtright inexcusable just awful customer service.

To be fair, it's not like me having sandwich would've made a difference in my opinion on the food. We order the 6 pack of graph leaves, the chicken shawarma plate, and a side of rice (plus the sandwich they ignored). When I tell you the side of rice was the most delicious and correct thing given to us out of all of these... that's a shame. Wow you seasoned rice! 1 star.

In regards to the other food: serving thick, rice filled grape leaves cold is awful, they don't taste like anything other than lemon and cold rice. Also, the chicken shawarma wasn't seasoned well, it was dry, it didn't come with garlic (toum), and they couldn't even do the customer the courtesy of sautéing the onions. They really expect a tiny spoon full of average hummus to carry the entire flavor of a chicken dish. The pita is also flavorless, so like really, you're eating unseasoned chicken and starch when you order this. Your side of fatoush is small and the lettuce was not fresh and visibly had spoil marks on it.

All in all, I went from having a place that reminded me of home, to place that I cannot trust at all. Selling expired products may not be illegal, but it is classless and appalling. TLDR: you'll only like this place if you don't know a damn thing about middle eastern food and are ok with lazy shop owners who stock...

I recently had an extremely disappointing experience at a local bakery, and I feel compelled to share my negative encounter with the community. Let me paint the picture for you: there's this guy who always wears a gray hoodie, a black hat, and sports a long gray beard. He's the epitome of rudeness and inefficiency.

Firstly, I stood at the checkout counter for a solid five minutes, waiting to pay for my items, and not once did this individual acknowledge my presence. It's as if I was invisible. Then, to add insult to injury, I waited a whopping 18 minutes for a simple kufta wrap. Meanwhile, I watched as 5 to 6 other customers who ordered after me received their entire meals promptly. It was beyond frustrating.

When I finally received my order, it wasn't even what I requested. Instead of the kufta wrap I ordered, I was handed a chicken wrap. Seriously? So, I had already driven home since it was a to-go order, only to realize the mistake. I had to drive a grueling 20 minutes back to the bakery, all for the sake of a proper order. Yet, when I asked for a receipt to rectify the situation, I was met with more rudeness and hostility. It was incredibly frustrating and completely unnecessary.

What makes this experience even more infuriating is the fact that I've been a loyal customer, spending a considerable amount of money at this establishment every single week for the past 2 month, easily totaling around $100 each time. And how am I repaid for my loyalty? With shoddy service and disrespect.

But what truly left a bitter taste in my mouth was the apparent discrimination I faced. It was crystal clear that this individual saw me as an Arab and decided to prioritize serving the white customers ahead of me. It's despicable and unacceptable in this day and age. I refuse to support a business that condones such behavior.

In conclusion, if you value your time, money, and dignity, I strongly urge you to steer clear of this bakery. The service is abysmal, the staff is rude, and the discriminatory practices are downright appalling. Save yourself the headache and take your...

We were headed to our favorite place, Taste of Lebanon, and were happy to find free parking on Ashland Avenue. However, they closed early for the holiday weekend. Having a craving for shawarma, we decided to give Middle East Bakery and Grocery a try.

We both ordered chicken shawarma wraps, and 1 lemonade. They weren't very busy since we got there about 3:15. Wait time was about 15 minutes. The wraps were average size, but were rather low on chicken. The tomato chunks seemed like filler, and were almost green. Tomatoes had no taste. The garlic sauce was rather bland. We asked for hot sauce and got some that looked home made. It was tasty, but not at all spicy. The surprise came when we got our check. Just under $25. The wraps came with no sides.

They have more menu options than Taste of Lebanon, more seating, and a bit more atmosphere, but not worth double the price. Taste of Lebanon is still #1. Two chicken wraps and a delicious lentil soup will only set...