Cairo Kebab

The original Lincoln Park location of this beloved Egyptian spot closed at the end of 2022. Luckily, Cairo Kebab found a new home in University Village and still serves the same excellent mezze, kebabs, and specialties like koshary. Resist the urge to only get kebabs (despite what the name suggests), and make sure to get the eggplant—whether spicy and fried, or smoky and in baba ghanoush form. The taamiya is a must-order as well, because there aren’t many places in Chicago to get these fava bean falafel and the ones here are perfectly crisp without being over-fried. Whatever you end up ordering, meals never feel hurried, so be prepared to linger or call ahead for takeout.