Ramadan 2024: 15 Chicagoland restaurants with specials and late-night hours
As the sun sets each night during Ramadan, the call to prayer sounds on cell phones, in mosques — and, of course, in restaurants across Chicagoland. At many Muslim-owned establishments, diners and kitchen staff who have been fasting since dawn are offered a complimentary date, water and appetizers to break their fast. Then after maghrib, the sunset prayer, the feasting begins.
For many restaurant workers, Ramadan is a time to focus on spirituality, community and improving the self. Many say they formally or informally commit to donating meals or other forms of charity during the holy month.
It is also an intensely busy time — with the number of customers and staff fasting, kitchens must adapt to manage the rush. The result is a segment of the restaurant industry that barely sleeps for a month.
There isn’t one specific culinary fast-breaking tradition — beyond dates and water — shared by all the cultures that observe Ramadan, but many restaurants have their own traditions for iftar, the Ramadan evening meal.
The Palestinian restaurant Al Bawadi Grill offers a spectacular buffet of kebabs, rice and bread alongside holiday specials, including a whole roast lamb. Yemeni cafes in the suburbs keep extended hours, bustling with activity until well after midnight. And occasionally, community hubs like the Somali cafeteria Bulsho stay open late enough to sell food for suhoor, the pre-dawn meal.
As Ramadan approached, several restaurants around the city had not fully finalized pricing, hours or menus, so call ahead or check websites to confirm details. All the restaurants featured here confirmed they use halal meat, but certification standards vary.
Classic iftar buffets and special menus
Al Bawadi Grill
For over a decade, Al Bawadi’s iftar buffet ($33) has been a social center for the local Palestinian community. Using family recipes, the Ismail family offers special stations at iftar all month long, including a whole carved lamb with lemon, a massive platter of cheesy sweet chenafa, grape leaves, fresh cold appetizers and dips, Arabic coffee service, and a full buffet. Available at fast-breaking time at the Bridgeview and Niles locations. Reserve ahead of time by calling.
7216 W. 87th St., Bridgeview, 708-599-1999; 8501 W. Dempster St., Niles, 847-957-1999; albawadigrill.com
Anmol Barbecue
The Devon Street standby takes reservations for their iftar buffet ($25 for adults, $15 for kids 5-11), which offers nearly 20 rotating dishes, from South Asian iftar classics like fruit chaat, onion pakora and dahi barah to more eclectic fare, like rooh afza lemonade and mango habanero tikkas. Tea, desserts, Medjool dates, garden salad and raita are offered daily. They keep standard hours, noon-10 p.m. The restaurant takes pride in having its own halal slaughterhouse and groceries across the street.
2858 W. Devon Ave., 773-508-5050; anmolchicago.com
Fattoush Restaurant
South suburban Fattoush will do its annual iftar buffet each day of Ramadan, which includes traditional dishes such as ouzi with lamb, mansaf, stuffed grape leaves, kofta with tahini sauce, desserts, along with beverages like tamarind juice. Adults can dine for $36, kids ages 6 through 13 for $18 and kids under 5 eat free. Patrons are urged to call and reserve a spot ahead of time due to the holiday rush.
10700 S. Harlem Ave., Worth; 708-671-9999, fattoushchicago.com
Jibek Jolu
This range of Kyrgyz-owned restaurants, which has Turkish, Persian and Indian influences, offers a few different options for fasting customers. At their new Karavan location, a dozen or so dishes are on rotation at their iftar buffet ($40), including soups, fresh salads, and comforting entrees like kebabs and plov, as well as dessert. The regular menu is available from 11 a.m. until iftar time. At Jibek Jolu Chicago, diners can grab an iftar combo ($20) of an entree with a choice of soup, appetizer or salad. A sample order includes shashlik chicken with lentil soup. Tea, bread and dates are complimentary.
Jibek Jolu Chicago, 5047 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-878-8494; Karavan, 851 W. Oakton St., Des Plaines, 224-519-0323; jibekjolu.us
Kabul Kabob Afghan Grille
This Bridgeview restaurant with a focus on kabobs grilled over charcoal offers a $30 iftar buffet at dinner time. The dishes on offer rotate but expect many Afghani classics: qabuli palow, badinjan, dips and kabobs. In addition, the restaurant says they offer food that has a bit of an Arabic and Indian twist: qatayef, biryani, firni and more. Afghani tea and desserts are also available daily.
7265 W. 87th St., Bridgeview, 708-529-0590; kabul-kabob.com
Tandoor Char House
Chef Faraz Sardharia and his team at Tandoor Char House offer a daily three-course Indian-Pakistani Ramadan iftar prix fixe dinner menu ($50), as well as a sampler platter of dishes South Asians traditionally eat after breaking the fast with a date: spiced fruit chaat, pakora and samosa. On weekends, the restaurant offers nihari, the national dish of Pakistan. The restaurant also plans to continue a tradition of providing free meals to those in need in collaboration with local nonprofit ChiCares. Note: take-out only at all locations until April 1 due to renovations. The Halsted location plans to open for dine-in service on April 1.
Locations vary, tandoorchicago.com
Tary Coffee House
The new Kazakh cafe in River North has an iftar menu with two three-course meals, served with traditional dates, bread and unlimited tea. One of the meals includes lentil cream soup, chicken with wild rice, vegetables and carrot cake for dessert. A second option has pumpkin cream soup, myzhyma salad, kazan jappa with beef and concludes with quymaq. A full dinner is $46 or $40 without dessert.
111 W. Illinois St., 773-322-7315, tarycoffee.com
Limited-run items
Cedars Mediterranean Kitchen
Alongside their mainstay falafel and shawarma offerings, this small Hyde Park joint is a great place for iftar takeout. Their Ramadan plans include a musakhan special: roasted Palestinian chicken on a bed of caramelized onions and pita, garnished with sumac, parsley, and pine nuts and served with side of mint cucumber yogurt salad. A portion of proceeds from the sale will be donated to Pious Projects for emergency aid in Gaza. Available March 15 to April 8, but their social media is the best way to stay up-to-date with their ever-rotating menu.
1206 E. 53 St., 773-324-6227, eatcedars.com
Chocolat Uzma
The South Asian-inspired chocolate shop in Pilsen is offering a limited edition collection of covered dates ($32) with flavors like pistachio orange, toasted sesame, cardamom halwa, chocolate plum, hazelnut lemon and s’mores for the holiday. Also for sale are a gift box of two chocolates with an edible Ramadan Kareem label ($7) and a salted date cake ($15) made with Yuma Farms Medjool dates. Available in-store and online for shipping.
917 W. 18th St., 312-900-9170, chocolat-uzma.com
Charity and community
Holy Buckets Halal Chicken and Pizza
This tongue-in-cheek chicken shop, with its keffiyeh-clad chicken mascot, announced they will donate the entirety of their sales during Ramadan to feed people in Gaza in a “Ftoor for Falasteen” partnership with Bridgeview nonprofit Pious Projects. Though proudly Palestinian, their menu has halal twists on American fast-food classics: from Gaza chicken strips to zabiha pepperoni pizza. They plan to stay open late on Friday and Saturday to 4 a.m. during Ramadan.
7331 W. 87th St., Bridgeview; 7150 McCormick Blvd., Lincolnwood; 708-931-4659; holybucketschicken.com
Extended late-night hours
Bulsho Restaurant
The Near North Side Somali cafeteria-style spot with a mosque inside is typically open from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. A representative on the phone said they shift their hours during Ramadan, serving food from 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. The menu changes often here, but rice, meat and Philly cheese sandwiches are staples. And make sure to get a cup of spiced shaah (Somali tea). Bananas on request, per Somali culinary tradition.
211 W. Walton St., 312-265-0198
Chi Tea
Chi Tea is a youthful spot that offers a mix of Nashville hot chicken sandwiches, bubble tea and fries. The local chain’s Lombard and Schaumburg locations plan to offer super-late night suhoor hours on the weekends. Check their social media and websites, but representatives for Chi Tea said they plan to be open until 3 a.m. on weekends, perhaps even later.
413 E. Roosevelt Road, Lombard; 602 W. Wise Road, Schaumburg; officialchitea.com
Haraz Coffee House
The Orland Park outpost of the Yemeni cafe chain is celebrating its first Ramadan ambitiously. They plan to shift their hours to 8 a.m. to 4 a.m. every day of the holiday. Kick back with friends after dinner with a communal pot of harazi coffee, adeni/karak chai, or qishr ($20 for a medium, $25 for a large). This location says they are unique amongst Haraz franchisees by baking several pastry items in-house. Keep an eye out for Ramadan specials, like qatayef.
13137 LaGrange Road, Orland Park, 708-608-8760, harazcoffeehouse.com
Qahwah House
The Michigan-origin Yemeni cafe has quickly become a late-night Ramadan staple for Muslims of all ages at their Lombard and newer Skokie franchise locations. Already open late for a coffee shop, both Illinois locations will offer extended Ramadan hours again this year (closing 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, 1 a.m. every other day). The chain is known for specialty Yemeni coffee beans and drinks; despite that, the most popular order is the Adeni Chai, served in a large communal pot ($19) and evocative of many tea traditions through Indian Ocean cultures. Order a slice of sweet and creamy honeycomb Khaliat Al Nahl ($6) to share. There’s plenty of seating at both locations, but they fill up late at night.
406 E. Roosevelt Road, Lombard; 630-519-3632; 5238 W. Touhy Ave., Skokie; 847-305-1108; qahwahhouse.com
Quesabirria Jalisco
The viral Pilsen taco shop has been growing in popularity amongst Muslim diners and plans to offer late hours for fasting customers. Owner Ventura Orozco distinguishes himself from many of the taco shops on 18th Street by eschewing from cooking with pork and alcohol and serving halal meat, even though he doesn’t identify as Muslim. Typically, the store runs one shift daily until they sell out. For Ramadan, they plan to add a second shift that begins at 7 p.m. and ends around 2 a.m., satisfying customers who crave spicy suhoor quesabirria with consomme. A four-pack with one side of consomme runs $20. Available in family packs and with chicken and shrimp as well. Typically closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
1314 W. 18th St., 773-771-2123, visit-chicago.com/birria-tacos-consome-quesabirria
