Rating: 4.5 out of 5

The little red building on the side of Roosevelt Road belies nothing as to the numerous flavorful dishes Jerusalem Cafe holds inside. Upon entering, one can immediately discern that the restaurant is a favorite amongst many. Seats can be hard to find during rush hour, with usually a 15 minute wait. Perhaps for this reason, many customers seem to order for pick-up, constantly coming in and out.

Upon walking up to the counter, a friendly young lady greeted me who waited patiently as I decided on what to order, invariably making me feel like an old friend through her generally genial attitude. The kitchen could be seen right behind the counter, with the sounds of the chefs moving around pots and pans as they prepared dishes a lively background to my meal. The restaurant is generally self-serve; one can either bring the food to the table oneself, or someone on duty will bring it over.

The one appetizer that can probably predict the authenticity of the rest of the food at any Mediterranean restaurant is the hummus. As such, the hummus dish, coming at $3.59, was the first thing I ordered to taste, and it did not disappoint. Coming with pita bread to dip into it, the hummus had almost the perfect combination of chickpeas and tahini sauce blended into a smooth and creamy texture. The proportion of the appetizer was decently large, more than I could finish before my main dish arrived. As far as hummus in the area goes, Jerusalem Cafe’s hummus is rivaled perhaps only by Shawarma Express, and no other.

After the appetizer, I moved on to try one of Jerusalem Cafe’s main dishes. The sandwiches at the restaurant are of special note, being completely unique to the area. The restaurant serves traditional Palestinian cuisine and attempts to preserve the culture and tastes of Palestinian foods in its dishes. The falafel sandwich is a traditional classic that the restaurant captures well; just the right golden brown and crispy covering to the chickpea patties known as falafels, wrapped in lettuce, tomatoes and strong herbal spices all inside a fresh pita bread. The size of the completely vegetarian sandwich is very reasonable at $3.99.

Similar sandwiches can also be purchased with either chicken, beef, or lamb fillings, at around $5.59. The chicken shawarma sandwich is another favorite. The pleasantly tangy chicken is served with Jerusalem Cafe’s signature salad and tahini sauce at a decent size. One particular downside of the sandwiches offered is the persistency of the same strongly flavored spices in most sandwiches often taking away from the uniqueness of each particular type of sandwich.

The entrees are also tasty, each served with rice pilaf, sauteed vegetables, tahini sauce and pita bread, all assembled with beautiful presentations usually around $8.49. The Kifta Kabob dish is particularly flavorful with grilled, seasoned and ground cuts of beef and lamb, combined with minced onions and parsley. The onions and parsley lend both a softer texture and more savory quality to the kabobs. The dish is served with rice pilaf, sauteed vegetables, hummus and pita bread as well. The vegetarian combination plate and vegetarian falafel plate are just two of the vegetarian entree options offered.

The drinks are self-serve as well, and customers can select any side sauces and seasonings they want from a little sauce bar located at the end of the restaurant. The restaurant uniquely features a fresh squeezed juice bar, along with the option of creating an all natural fruit smoothie. What makes this menu option truly unique is that Jerusalem Cafe’s smoothies and juices are not one’s average McDonald’s smoothie; when Jerusalem Cafe says natural, it means natural. The juices around $3.99 each and smoothies around $3.69 are made of various fruits of one’s choice with absolutely no added sugar for a natural flavor. While these concoctions may not really appeal to sweet-toothed sugar lovers, anyone looking to enjoy a chilled and healthy drink will not be disappointed.

A notable drawback of the restaurant is the incredibly limited seating space. Many customers seem to choose to call orders for pick up, a way to work around this disadvantage. While there is definitely enough seating space for one and one’s colleague, Jerusalem Cafe is not the place to plan birthday dinners for over ten people. None the less, the atmosphere of the restaurant always seems lively with upbeat music on and the usual chatter of families having their food.

Overall, the restaurant offers an immense variety of dishes for incredibly reasonable prices with the average sandwich price at $5.59 and the average entree at $8.59. The staff is incredibly friendly, and even the owner often can be seen around. With just a few downsides regarding the limited space and occasional monotony in flavor, the restaurant is nonetheless a lunch favorite for many with a plethora of delicious mediterranean dishes to offer at incredible prices.