Zayna Mediterranean Grill — Restaurant in West Chicago Township

A few things made this a very bad experience: Mixed meat platter ( comes with chicken and beef kebab as well as kofta kebab) and the person at the register starts telling me it comes with gyro, chicken kebab and beef shawarma…. I believe The reason for it - that’s what they had left by the end of the day. I wanted the chicken shawarma sandwich , however with the sides of a platter. So I asked for a chicken shawarma platter and asked if I may have the chicken shawarma itself as a sandwich with the sides that platter has instead of fries. Oh boy, that was the most painful and long ordering experience…anyway, at the end I got the chicken shawarma wrapped together with the rice no sides included. 😂🤦🏼‍♀️ Dolma was tasting weird ( vinegary ). Not sure if that was intended or they were old. I didn’t like dolma at all. The food was alright. Idk whether my chicken shawarma was not good cause it was filled with rice, or it just wasn’t good. Dolma - didn’t like as well. My bf’s mixed kebab plate was ok.

I honestly would not have the one star experience if I was just listened to. I wanted to walk away once I started getting frustrated and talked over. I live around the corner, but I’d rather walk further than...

My friend and I visited Zayna for the first time last night, just because they were open late. The general vibe, coupled with the high ceiling and practical decor instantly reminded me of colonial era cafe's in Calcutta, India - known for being utilitarian, quick-service and inviting at the same time. The food was tasty with lots of options, great portions too, along with proper plates and even silverware rolls. The chicken shawarma I ordered was sufficiently tender and flavorful, while the rice appeared to be long-grained basmati - a welcome departure from the usual dry breast patted down with supermarket shawarma mix. Sauces were authentic - no sacrilegious slathering of mayo here, even though we'd have also loved having something akin to toum and shatta. Finally - the service is respectful, genuine, and spirited - and this is at 11 in the night ! This place has the bones to become a charming hangout for folks looking to have relaxed conversations...

The food is OK (when they have food in stock--they are often out of things--also, REALLY small portions), but just had the worst experience and I doubt I will be going back. Their chicken shawarma sandwich is listed as $6.49 on the menu. I was charged $9.90.

When I questioned it, she shrugged and said the menus were "old prices." That's a 40% increase (!!!) before tax, which they don't tell customers about. So dishonest and slimy. I get prices going up 10%, maybe even 15-20% because of inflation, but this FAR outpaces that.

The five-star reviews seem similarly dishonest. I've never had a five-star experience there, but the one-star reviews accurately describe my prior experiences. I wanted to give this place a chance, and know running a restaurant during the pandemic was tough. But this was the last straw. Pay attention to the poor reviews, and question the veracity of...