Char & Coal Mediterranean — Restaurant in Lemont

I visited Char & Coal today (8/28/25) and was overall pleased by the food and service, however a few drawbacks that made me rate 4 stars rather than 5. My experience is as follows:

Upon entering the restaurant, we were greeted by the cashier/manager. The manager who took our order was very friendly and made us feel welcome.

Our order was: 1 gyro combo, 1 chicken shawarma combo, and 5 piece of kibbeh.

For this order, it took roughly 20 minutes to prepare which in my opinion was way too long. There were 2 other active orders going on, but for 2 simple sandwiches and a side I expected the order to be completed quicker.

They included a small container of pickles and olives which was a nice surprise, and was very tasty!

The gyro sandwich was extremely small, yet tasted good. The amount of meat was my biggest complaint, as it was mostly bread.

The chicken shawarma was nice and hot, which I expected due to the wait time. The amount of meat again was very minimal. The sandwich was cut into 4 pieces. The 2 end pieces had very little meat in them, and 2 middle pieces had an average amount of meat.

The wrap bread used for the chicken shawarma was hard to bite off, some of the sandwich was falling apart as I was trying to take bites. The bread tasted good, but it was rubbery in texture.

The fries were delicious and seasoned perfectly.

The kibbeh was good, but lacking. Firstly, the price was pretty high ($3 each). The ground beef inside was good, but it would fall apart as soon as you took a bite. Also, there were no nuts inside, only meat.

Overall, I think this spot has a lot of potential. It seems like ownership is involved in the operations and cares for the customer. The food is good, but the portions were small. The kibbeh is overpriced and needs an adjustment with the recipe so it doesn’t fall apart so easily.

I will be back to try the other menu items and will update my review...

We discovered this new gem, recently opened in Homer Glen. Upon entering the restaurant, I was greeted by one of the owners (a family run business) who took my order and enhanced my knowledge of Arabic foods. While waiting for my order, everything is literally freshly prepared, one of the brothers was helping prepare the meals for my family and I was engaged in conversation with the others. On a side note, the cleanliness of the restaurant, the maintenance of the equipment, and the willingness to assist the customers exceeds expectations. For these reasons alone, I will be frequenting this establishment.

With that said, I arrived home and we immediately opened the food (sorry we forgot to take pictures of everything) and are not only impressed with the temperature, the portion sizes are quite the value for the price - a perfect combination of value based portions. But, there's more.... The flavor profile of the falafels, the chicken rice bowl, the shwarma, are amazing.

Having sampled all those meals, I felt as if there was a party in my mouth and each item brought more and more flavor. I am excited to sample other items from their menu and experience all Char and Coal have to offer.

If you're still questioning whether or not you need to try this place, I only wish I could assign 6 stars. Char and Coal is...

Service was attentive without feeling forced. Staff struck a friendly balance: knowledgeable about the menu, ready with recommendations, and quick to respond, even during busy times. The restaurant’s design — thoughtful lighting, comfortable seating, clean lines — encourages you to relax and really enjoy the moment. And while the atmosphere is lively, it’s not so loud as to drown out good conversation.

The menu offers generous portions, and each dish feels crafted with care. The smoky essence from their charcoal grilling infuses the meats with a rich, deep flavor that elevates every bite. The steak was perfectly seared — a satisfying crust that gave way to juicy, tender inside. Sides complemented the mains well: fresh, crisp greens; potatoes done just right; and sauces that carried just enough zing without overpowering the...