Uncle's Kabob Restaurant - Assyrian on Devon

I couldn't find anything on the forum about Uncle's Kabob restaurant except for this brief mention of it.

I stopped in last night needing a quick late-night bite. I opted for the shawarma sandwich. It was very tasty. The meat looked attractive on the spit and it was nicely seasoned. The flavor reminded me of the shawarma at Salaam. The condiments and the sauce were also spot on. The only weird thing was the bread. The sandwich was made on French bread, and not a nice crusty artisan-y bread either. Kind of a puffy, Wonder bread-like thing. It wasn't a deal-breaker, but next time I'll definitely request pita bread.

I didn't try anything else on the menu, but there are some intriguing items listed on it, including Cream Chops Chicken, Chilly[sic] Fried Chicken, Pacha (Saturdays only), and Cornish Hen.

Apparently, this place used to be located at Lincoln Village, but I never noticed it before. The staff was a bit terse, but not rude. I think I'll go back again.


Uncle's Kabob Restaurant
2816 W Devon
773-338-3134
Open 7 days

tapler wrote:The sandwich was made on French bread, and not a nice crusty artisan-y bread either. Kind of a puffy, Wonder bread-like thing. It wasn't a deal-breaker, but next time I'll definitely request pita bread.

Thanks for posting this, I am always looking for new Assyrian places to try. That bread is actually an authentic type of Assyrian bread. It is the "Big Buns" referred to in the name "Big Buns and Pita".

d4v3 wrote:That bread is actually an authentic type of Assyrian bread. It is the "Big Buns" referred to in the name "Big Buns and Pita".

Oh, OK. I've never been to Big Buns (couldn't pass up to Salamera when I was on that block!) Good to know that it wasn't a shortcut or anything. Maybe I should try it again with a more open mind.

Oddly, I have never seen the Big Bun referenced in the name. Of course, I have only ordered dinner plates, so it well may be that the sandwiches come with that kind of bread.

At any rate, I greatly enjoy soft puffy bread (pleasant childhood associations) and am intrigued by the idea of piling some shawarma onto that rather than pita for a nice change.

Suzy Creamcheese wrote:Oddly, I have never seen the Big Bun referenced in the name. Of course, I have only ordered dinner plates, so it well may be that the sandwiches come with that kind of bread.

At any rate, I greatly enjoy soft puffy bread (pleasant childhood associations) and am intrigued by the idea of piling some shawarma onto that rather than pita for a nice change.

The only time I have seen the buns used at BB&P is in the Tashreeb (lamb shank stew). You might ask for them.

d4v3 wrote:

tapler wrote:The sandwich was made on French bread, and not a nice crusty artisan-y bread either. Kind of a puffy, Wonder bread-like thing. It wasn't a deal-breaker, but next time I'll definitely request pita bread.

Thanks for posting this, I am always looking for new Assyrian places to try. That bread is actually an authentic type of Assyrian bread. It is the "Big Buns" referred to in the name "Big Buns and Pita".

Coincidentally, this place was recommended to me last weekend by an Assyrian gal
who is the hostess at Chopal on Devon - she wasnt aware of Big Buns, but
claimed Uncle's was authentic and pretty good. Havent gotten around to
trying it yet, though (Chopal, BTW, had its typically very good Chilli Chicken
even when taken to go).

c8w

We stopped in briefly while wandering Devon looking for something...something, and while nothing there fit the bill, it did look like an appealing option for lunch. (They had some tasty-sounding featured dishes lettered onto the front door - shawarma, falafel, etc - but I had to stop and think for a minute what they meant by "homos".) I was intrigued by the "potato chop," whatever that was. I definitely would have ordered that, just to see, if we had been ordering other things as well. As it was, we ended up at Uru-Swati (I think?) which was pretty good and which I think I'll post about once I figure out what the actual name is.

d4v3 wrote:Thanks for posting this, I am always looking for new Assyrian places to try.

Another great Assyrian place is Venus, at California and Touhy. I do have to disclose that a friend of mine is the waiter there, but I think their food is great as well. GWiv writes about it here:

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=7649

Sharona

I did end up eating dinner at Uncle's kebabs last night, with a friend who is a big fan of Big Buns. The food was very good and some of it was excellent. We will definitely be returning on a regular basis. One thing I have found with Assyrian restaurants is that while they all have very similar menus, each one makes certain dishes where they really shine. Uncle's was no exception.

First, let me get the inevitable comparison to Big Buns out of the way. On the whole, the menu was more expensive than BB&P (not hard to believe) or Venus. That was mostly due to the fact that many of the items that come standard with a meal at Big Buns were an add-on at Uncle's (soup, rice with stew etc.). Like I said, the food was mostly very good and a few dishes really blew away their BB&P and Venus counterparts, others not so much.

Like BB&P and Venus, the room was bright and clean, but sparsely decorated. However, unlike Big Buns, there were (plastic covered) table cloths on the tables, which was nice. There is a long lunch counter that runs about half the length of the store front. Most of the cooking takes place in the open, behind the counter, where there is a big stainless steel char-broiler and a rotisserie holding an absolutely gorgeous cone of Shawerma (I wish I took a picture).

The business was run by a couple, who were at first a little stand-offish, but soon warmed up and displayed that trademark Assyrian friendliness. I think the wife spoke only a little English, which may have accounted for the report of terse service. Also, it appears that their customers are almost exclusively Assyrian (a good portent). Once we started to ask the owner questions about the food, and he became aware that we were familiar with the cuisine, he really opened up. The place was almost empty when we arrived, but soon got moderately busy with young Assyrian men eating at the counter, and many orders being prepared to-go, or for delivery.

For someone not that familiar with Assyrian food, the menu may be a little daunting due to a lack of descriptions and some unusual English translations and (as noted) transliterations. For instance, the Kifta Kebabs are listed simply as a ground kebab. There were a few dishes that were available at Uncle's, that are not available at either Venus or Big Buns. One thing that jumped out at me was the Saturday only Pacha, which is a type of stew made with an Iraqi version of haggis (stuffed sheep's stomach) and sometimes sheep's head and feet. I have never eaten it, but I understand it is a popular Assyrian comfort food served on holidays. They also make ground Chicken Kifta kebabs, which I have not seen elsewhere. The sandwiches as noted above, come on Assyrian buns rather than pita. One dish noticeably absent from the menu was Lahim Beajine (ground meat "pizzas"). Just as well, nobody can compete with Larsa's Pizza oven for those.

We started out with Hummus and Gus (Shawerma). The generous topping of Shawerma was delicious. It was pretty heavily marinated, but not overly tenderized. It had a nice crispy char to it, but was fresh and moist (probably due to the big chunk of fat mounted on the top of the meat cone).

We passed on the traditional lentil soup (a $2.50 side-order), but tried the "Chilly" Fry Chicken with rice (they spell it 'chillifry' at Venus). Although the cook asked us if we wanted it spicy, it was not that hot (the torshi was hotter). It had a nice flavor of preserved lemons and some other unusual seasoning that was very tasty(I didn't ask what it was). However, I think I might like the Venus version of this dish better (it was much hotter). Uncle's also makes a version with beef shawerma instead of chicken, which sounds intriguing.

We also tried the lamb kebabs, which were not the best (Café Suron, a Persian restaurant, takes that prize). The nicely grilled chunks of meat were just a little chewy in places, and a little well-done for my taste. They were prepared in a flavorful marinade, that was a tad salty but delicious. The lamb was better than Venus' rendition of this dish, but did not come close to Suron's ideal. It was very edible nonetheless, and the leftovers made a decent late-night sandwich in the Assyrian buns.

Most dishes are accompanied by freshly sliced tomatoes, raw onion, cukes and torshi. The torshi, was very good, but unlike BB&P where it contains of a variety of pickled vegetables, Uncle's version consisted of only crisp pickled cabbage and hot peppers. Still, it was very tasty.


One highlight of the meal was the Kibbeh Mosul (bulghur pancake stuffed with ground meat and onions), which was available fried, boiled or grilled. At the owner's suggestion, we had it grilled. I had never had it that way before, and it was fantastic. Uncle's win the prize for this dish. The only odd thing about it was the way it was cut. Most places serve Kibbeh Mosul pie-cut, but Uncle's serves it Chicago-cut (probably to fit on the oval plates better). Regardless, it was delicious.

I have posted before about how I enjoy the Assyrian version of the ubiquitous Kifta (Kufta) kebab. The kebabs are denser and meatier than other versions, and the spicing is strong. I think the Assyrian version reminds me of the Armenian kebabs I grew up eating in Watertown, Mass. Anyhow, Uncle's kifta kebabs, simply called "ground kebabs" on the menu are some of the best I have tasted. I am a big fan of BB&P's kifta, but these blew them away.

Here is a picture of the fluffy Assyrian bread that was mentioned up-thread, along with a bottle of HP, which is a favorite Assyrian condiment. The buns make a nice addition to the usual pita.


In summary, Uncle's kebabs will definitely make my list of frequented Assyrian restaurants. The shawerma was very good, and the grilled kibbeh and the kifta were outstanding. I will return soon to try the tashreeb and qoozi (both lamb shank dishes), and I will definitely return on a Saturday to try the pacha. I get the feeling that it is best to go to Uncle's with a fair-sized group of people to share the dishes and sides (although there is little room to put two tables together).
Thanks again to Tapler for starting this thread.

Uncle's Kabob Restaurant (Assyrian)
2816 W Devon
Chicago, IL
773-338-3134

Venus (Assyrian)
7156 N California Ave
Chicago, IL 60645
(773) 465-8595

Big Buns and Pita (Assyrian/Fast-Food)
6944 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60626
(773) 262-2000
http://www.bigbunsandpita.com

Larsa's Pizzeria (Assyrian/Pizza)
3724 Dempster St
Skokie, IL 60076
(847) 679-3663

Cafe Suron (Persian)
1146 W Pratt Blvd
Chicago, IL 60626
http://cafesuron.com
(773) 465-6500

edited to add addresses

Based on the above post, I successfully lobbied for a return visit to Uncle's last night, this time to order something.

We ordered the kibbeh mosul and shawarma as well, with the shawarma being presented in sandwich form (couldn't resist the siren song of those big buns). The sandwich was absolutely delicious! The meat alone would have been enough, but then they outdid themselves with the addition of "white sauce" and pickled cabbage. The bread was as soft and fluffy as expected and stood up well to the meat.

Kibbeh mosul was good as well, and even better when enjoyed with the extra pickled veggies on the side.

We also got dolmades, but my foster dog seems to be determined to throw himself out the window no matter what I do (damn puppies) so I suppose I'd better attend to that and return later after my husband wakes up for his dog-wrangling shift.

We picked up some sandwiches to go from Uncle's today. We got the kifta kebab and the gus (shawerma). Oh Man, were they delicious. Unfortunately, I was so hungry, I ate them before I could photograph them. I really like the puffy Assyrian buns Uncle's uses instead of pita. As Ms. Creamcheese pointed out above, besides a generous portion of meat, they come stuffed with spicy pickled cabbage (torshi), cucumbers, tomatoes and a touch of yogurt sauce. The combination of all the ingredients (especially the crunchy hot and sour torshi) makes for a heck of a good sandwich.

Like I said upthread, I think Uncle's kifta kebabs are among the best I have ever tasted. Apparently, I am not the only one who thinks so. While I was waiting for my sandwiches, I watched at least a dozen of the tasty ground meat kebabs being grilled up for delivery. The only thing that would make them better is if they were made on real charcoal grill intsead of a charbroiler. The kebabs are definitely the most popular dish at Uncle's, but the shawerma is outstanding also, moist and flavorful with crispy charred bits.

On this visit, the owner (David) was very friendly and gave me a glass of strong and flavorful Assyrian tea to drink while I waited. While sitting there, I did find out that they get their pita from Al Khayam. Also, I found out that the grilled Kibbe Mosul (which I do like) a) does not travel that well and b) comes frozen from a package. I suspect most of the restaurants that serve this type of Kibbe buy it pre-made. The exception might be Venus, where it seems a little more flavorful than most.

At any rate, Uncle's kifta kebab sandwich has definitely found its way onto my list of top 10 favorite sandwiches (which has a few holes to fill now that Norka has closed up shop).

d4v3 wrote:Here is a picture of the fluffy Assyrian bread that was mentioned up-thread, along with a bottle of HP, which is a favorite Assyrian condiment. The buns make a nice addition to the usual pita.

For those who might be interested, this wonderful bread is available (fresh daily) at Marketplace on Oakton in Skokie. My nephews, who visit yearly, fell in love with these buns, and they ask for them as soon as they arrive in Chicago. One year they even laid in a supply to take home with them! These buns also come in a round shape which is great for burgers, though the bun does not stand up to a very large and juicy burger, in my experience. One nice thing about these Assyrian buns is that they stay really fresh for a few days and they freeze beautifully, so you can buy them to have on hand for sandwiches. I like to use them for breakfast sandwiches. They have it all over the typical American bun because they are not too sweet. Mmmmm.

Josephine wrote:For those who might be interested, this wonderful bread is available (fresh daily) at Marketplace on Oakton in Skokie.

I have also seen (nd purchased) this bread at Lincolnwood Produce. It made for a very good hamburger bun.

Today, I finally got around to photographing a couple of Uncle's sandwiches served on the Assyrian style buns (samoon). I got the sandwiches to go, so they suffered a little on the ride home, but they were still delicious. However, I can't help but think they may have changed their bread supplier. The buns were very tasty, but darker and not quite as fluffy as usual (see above). They gave me a couple of extra buns to go with the soup I got. The bag said they were made by the Madeline Bakery in Skokie. I will have to investigate the next time I am there.

The sandwiches are topped with hot and sour pickled cabbage (torshi), yogurt sauce, cucumber, tomatoes, onions and sprinkled with sumac.


Here is a cross-section of the Gus (shawerma) sandwich.


Here is the interior of the Kifta sandwich.


Somebody asked upthread about potato chops. They are creamy mashed potato disks stuffed with meat and fried, a sort of mini-shepherd's pie

The interior of a potato chop.


I also tried Uncle's lentil-rice soup today, which was quite good. It tasted like it was made from scratch (without soupbase).

Madeline Bakery
3925 Oakton St (near Crawford)
Skokie, IL 60076
(847) 676-5787

News of the closing of the nearby Afghan Restaurant has compelled me to post an update on Uncle's Kabob. Stopped in Uncle's a couple days ago for lunch and I was the only customer.

They offer a $7 lunch special which is an outstanding value. You get servings of shish kabob, chicken kabob, ground kabob and shawarma, plus a choice of soup/stew (I chose the lentil soup) and rice. And of course you get a nice serving of torshi on the side. They also include three of their signature Assyrian rolls, which on this day were the only disappointment--not stale, but perhaps day old.

If I had to choose one adjective to describe the food here it would be "aromatic." The wonderful smells of spices and grilled meats filled the car instantly and I was in heaven. The meats are aggressively marinaded and charred nicely. The lentil soup had a hint of spiciness complemented by a hint of sweeter seasoning (cinnamon?)

Service was swift and congenial--got a nice complimentary glass of hot tea while I waited.

Opinion of Uncle's seems to be unanimously positive so far; I'd love to see them get a little boost from the LTH'ers out there.

d4v3 wrote:The shawerma was very good, and the grilled kibbeh and the kifta were outstanding.

I remembered your praise of Uncle's Kabobs, but misremembered exactly what and ordered lamb kabab which I enjoyed, but was by no means dazzled by. White bean stew, rice, torshi and hearty Assyrian buns rounded a $9 high value lunch that left me still full come dinner. Next time, I'll try grilled kibbeh and kifta kabob.

tapler wrote:News of the closing of the nearby Afghan Restaurant has compelled me to post an update on Uncle's Kabob. Stopped in Uncle's a couple days ago for lunch and I was the only customer.

Slow during a recent noon hour, myself, one take away customer and a buddy of the counter man stopping in to schmooze, though given the flavor value I'm surprised Uncle's Kabob is not busier.

Enjoy,
Gary

G Wiv wrote:I remembered your praise of Uncle's Kabobs, but misremembered exactly what and ordered lamb kabab which I enjoyed, but was by no means dazzled by. White bean stew, rice, torshi and hearty Assyrian buns rounded a $9 high value lunch that left me still full come dinner. Next time, I'll try grilled kibbeh and kifta kabob.

Yeah, the lamb at Uncle's is just OK. What I really like are the sandwiches that are served on that puffy fish-shaped "Samoon" bread, and are topped with torshi, yogurt, cukes, onions and tomatoes. The Shawerma is very good, but the kifta is my favorite. It is dense and garlicky.

On another note, I recently stopped for a Kifta sandwich to-go at another Assyrian restaurant called Kabab House on Kedzie. The sandwich came on what appeared to be a freshly hand-made pita of the thin variety. It was topped with humous, torshi and onions. It was delicious. From what I could see, the rest of the food served at Kabab House looked pretty good
also, especially the grilled Golden Pomfret (similar to a snapper). They also serve liver kababs, which I had never seen before, but found intriguing. The decor was a step up from most other Assyrian restaurants in the area. I will have to return for a sit-down dinner.

d4v3 wrote:They also serve liver kababs, which I had never seen before, but found intriguing.

You can get liver kabab at Chaihanna. Probably Turkish and Georgian places, too.

I eat at Uncle's pretty often without ever reporting about it so he's a brief byte:

I love their kufta kabab sandwich ("ground meat" sandwich on the menu). It may be my favorite rendition in Chicagoland. Simply dressed with fresh cucumbers, sour torshi, onions and whatever sauce you tell them to put on (tahini, yogurt, hot) on puffy samoon bread (think sub roll). The result is fresh, tasty and a great lunch or dinner for $5. The kufta, or whatever grilled filling you choose is always fresh, and the shawerma sandwiches I've had there are also great.

I haven't explored anything other than sandwiches yet, but it is probably time.

Cry uncle!

As noted above, I also (usually) like the samoon sandwiches at Uncle's. I like my sandwich on samoon with onions and torshi and a schmear of hummous. The problem with Samoon is that it only stays fresh for a day or two. That is why so few places offer it as an option. I think Tashreeb was developed to make use of stale samoon bread (lamb shank in broth poured over the bread). If you get a sandwich on fresh Samoon at Uncle's, it is very good. Unfortunately, the Samoon at Uncle's is sometimes frozen then thawed. You can tell the difference. Don't get me wrong, I still like Uncle's, and they do make Pascha on saturdays(at least they used to), although I have never actually tried it.

Currently my favorite Assyrian sandwich place is Venus at Touhy and California. They seem to get fresh Samoon every day. You have a choice of either Samoon or thin pita. They also put leaf lettuce on the sandwich, which is a nice touch. Unfortunately, they also occassionally run out of the bread, but as far as I know, they never resort to freezing it. The bread they use comes from Oakton Bakery, which I prefer to other bakeries' versions.

An interesting variation on an Assyrian sandwich is sold at Kabob 2, where they use Gonella french bread, which makes a crustier and less spongy sandwich than those made with Samoon. Unfortunately, the shwarema and kufta are not as good as either Uncle's or Venus.

It's been three and a half years since I started this thread, and Uncle's is still ambling along. After today's visit, I will definitely make a point of visiting more frequently. The $7 lunch deal is one of the best values in town. The shawarma was especially delicious today:



We tried two of the soups--lentil and okra--both of which had that elusive homemade aura that's hard to describe. To my surprise, the two cubes of chicken kabob included in the lunch special were dynamite. Chicken usually bores me, but these pieces were tender, moist and flavorful. The torshi was also on point, aggressively vinegared and seasoned the way I like it.

The big screen TV was playing Aliens, a movie I like, but rather off-putting for lunchtime fare. I've never seen more than three or four patrons inside Uncle's at one time, but they must manage to do OK. I encourage the community here to check them out soon.