Casbah Cafe

PLEASE READ (specially towards the end of review!!!!): I have been to Kasbah several times, and it is probably one of my favorite Mediterranean restaurants in the area. We arrived early and got the table up by the window, and our server was awesome. She knew the menu and what to recommend, why you should order this and not that and so on. All of a sudden they got extremely busy, given it was a Friday night, around 7:30 pm and people was waiting to get a table. Unfortunately our server was THE ONLY SERVER in the place. They had a bus boy who kept giving us refill, but it was clear that they he couldn't do much more than what he was doing given the fact that he probably did not have any training on the menu, order taken or sitting people. Our server did an AMAZING job at keeping things under control and making sure every table got the attention they deserved. BUT ONE THING HAD TO HAPPEN TO RUIN OUR EXPERIENCE: I gave the buy boy our cards, since our server was extremely busy, and asked him to take it up to the manager (or whoever he was that ran the credit cards) to save the poor lady a run up an down the restaurant. 10 minutes later, on my way to the restroom, as I walk by the desk where the guy was with the credit cards, I decided to stop and see if I could get an update on our checks, or what not. WOW, he was a total A**HOLE!! yelled at me and said that I had to sit down and wait, that I had no business being up there. I was ready to give him the reaction he deserved, making a scene wasn't worth it. I went back to the table, gave our poor and amazing server a 25% tip and left. BE AWARE OF THE MAD GUY!!!!! more

I made reservations for 20 people for a birthday party and 15 minutes prior to arriving called to make sure that our table will be set for the requested time and I was assured that it will be. When we arrived, it was pretty clear that our table was not even close to being ready. When we POLITELY asked how long the wait might be, in a very rude manner we were told that we are free to leave if we're not willing to wait. It was not about the wait, but it was the manner in which we were spoken to. We asked this ""gentleman"" why he was being so rude and all he could say was ""do you want to teach me how to properly speak"". I?m assuming it was the owner, because who else would allow their employees to speak to their customers in such a disgusting way. The only reason we even allowed such disrespect is because we had to think about 20 people that were attending this dinner. We waited for about 40 minutes and walked out. As other patrons of the restaurant were leaving, they were appalled by the fact that their waiter asked them to speed things up since other people were waiting for a table. I?m speaking for 20 people, this was the most unpleasant experience and left a VERY bitter taste in my mouth. more

I always enjoy going to Casbah Cafe...really friendly service and the food is authentic and delicious. Pros: great food and friendly service...good atmoshphere for a small place too Cons: moroccan food takes a while to cook, so dinner can take a while more

When we first walked by this place, it was empty. We should have taken a cue from this and skipped it. But we like Middle Eastern and Moroccan food so we gave it a try. BIG MISTAKE !!! \r \r My lamb dish was served on a bed of RICE-A-RONI (NO, I am not kidding.... flavored instant rice mixed with those skinny noodles !!!!). The lamb was smelly and muttony-tasting. My friend's chicken ""curry"" dish was equally bad... big chunks of flavorless chicken thrown in at the last minute. \r \r To top it off, our waiter was a big bull-sh*t artist.... talking endlessly about how ""authentic"" the food was, and how everything was made from ""scratch"".... my god what a LIAR. Do yourself a VERY BIG FAVOR and SKIP THIS JOINT. \r \r Cons: bad food, high price, lousy waiter more

The food is very good. I dined there and I don't know if it was the day or whether they just was not prepared for the group we had but the service just was incredibly slow - but the food was good. Still would choose Cousins as the service is consistently good and so is the food. more

This place is small, dark, semi romantic but can get very loud if there are big groups in there. Our waiter was very helpful and accommodating. The service was excellent. The food for me was just ok...nothing really to rave about, although I really enjoyed the green salad and the carrot soup. My vegetable mouska was just ok. I would eat there again but there are various other restaurants that I would like to try first. Also, I thought for being a small little restaurant, the prices were a little high, my dish was $15 and my bf, who got a steak dish with rice, it was $18. I just thought for a vegetable dish with rice, it was a little high same for the steak dish. Pros: Great service, byob Cons: slightly expensive when comparing other restaurants of the same, no parking more

I love this place! The cozy, intimate atmosphere, the decor, the food, the service - all great! Sit back, relax, and enjoy your time at this restaurant.. Feel free to ask the manager for recipies - he loves sharing them. You can tell that the staff really care about the food, they will go to immense lengths to explain everything - I had a 20 minute conversation on the type of grain the couscous was made from, and the choice to use pomergranate seeds as a base for the sauce ! Highly recommended if you live in the LP/Lakeview area. more

Me and three of my friends went into this place and were seated, and them moved to another table shortly after to accomodate other guests. We were fine with that- but then we pretty much recieved no service after that point. At the end of our dinner, we tried to order dessert, and were told we can't order because the chef was busy....or if we really wanted dessert, we would have to wait a half hour. We were just going to order baklava- I don't think the chef even makes that on order- they would just have had to place a pre-made dessert on a plate! The food here is ok, but not worth their lousy attitude. Honestly there are lots of great middle eastern places nearby where they seem to have much better manners- Cousins and Pars Cove to name a few...I don't believe I would ever eat at Casbah again. Pros: decent food, good location Cons: a little pricey for the quality of the food, awful service more

This place has excellent north african food with good quality and quantity. The BYOB policy is good as you can pay normal prices for liquor. The atmosphere is personal and so is the food with great kababs, lamb and chicken entrees. I recommend the kabobs and the falafel entrees. The entrance is narrow with two doors opening against each other leading to a jam during peak hours. more

I don't know how any body can give Casbah anything lower than a 10! I never took anybody there that didn't think it was amazing! The food is sometimes prepared by the owner personally and it's the only restaurant in Chicago where I don't feel like I'm in the Big City without compromising on quality. The only thing is that I believe Casbah lost one of its best employees, a Turkish waiter named Ozgun that welcomes you with a knowing smile each time you return. Pros: Service, Food, Ambience more

In a city like Chicago with a million places to eat, a return visit to the same restaurant is rare. That's what makes Casbah a truly rare treasure. My boyfriend and I continue to go back there for the wonderful, unique food, beautiful decor, and small romantic setting. The service can be slow when it's busy, but that only forces you to ""have dinner"" instead of just eat. For an appetizer, try the Casbah pizza. It's simple and tasty. The Veal Mt. Olive is definitely our favorite entree but the Shrimp & Pistacchios is also very good. Pros: Unique food, Romantic more