Food: BenjYehuda

Location: LaSalle and Monroe

Visited: November 13, 2013

Service: Helpful, good suggestions
This place has an assembly line ordering system similar to that of Subway. This seems to be a common trend among Middle Eastern eateries, so no surprises here. Service was quick and efficient and the server spoke coherently (always a positive for me!) It was my first visit, so the guy there nice enough to explain my options. When I was unsure about whether or not I wanted any red cabbage salad, he encouraged me to try it, saying “it’s good!”. I like that.

Atmosphere: Dark and modern
For a quick lunch, I don’t care about the ambience that much. In fact, I prefer a quiet locale, although that doesn’t exactly scream great reviews. There were a number of tables and stools available, and since it wasn’t jammed like Starbucks, I was more inclined to sit down. While I was sitting at a booth, I noticed a few pedestrians walk up and try to open the door, but then they walked away. I almost did the same thing, since the wind was blowing so hard that it seemed like the entrance was actually locked. That’s probably not great for new business.

Order: Chicken Laffa
A grilled flatbread filled with my choice of toppings. I included hummus, Jerusalem salad (cucumber), corn salad, mediterranean pickles, tomato, cabbage sauce, tahini and hot sauce.

chicken laffa unwrapped

Prices: Medium
I opted for a middle of the road order – it was $8.30 with tax. Other options would have been falafel (less) or steak (more) on a pita or in a box format. In my opinion, this is an average lunch price, and would be willing to pay for it again.

Deliciousness: Good
I had high hopes, as I selected this place based on Yelp reviews. I’ve had my share of shawarma and other Mediterranean options, and at first bite, I would have raved about the flavours and how they exceeded my expectations. By the end of the wrap, I was wondering whether my enthusiasm was actually the result of waiting until 2pm to have lunch. The toppings were actually lacking the punch I’ve come to expect from pickled turnips and cabbage; the good news is that I didn’t receive a sodium overload, which is common at American establishments.

Overall rating: Average
If I was at home, an $8 lunch would be on the low-to-medium side since it’s more of a fast food meal. The laffa was comparable to other fast food meals in size and equivalent in value to the average shawarma joint. I would return to BenjYehuda, because the food was solid in flavour and satisfying. The downside for me was that it wasn’t anything I haven’t had before – just another acceptable shawarma in my books. Overall it was a tasty lunch, however not good enough for me to rush back within the next week.