SP Kebab - European style kebabs in RP

In the openings etc. thread, Dr K complains that the fairly new SP Kebab, in Rogers Park, does not get the love it deserves around here. Well, I am going to rectify that, I love SP Kebab. SP serves European style Kebabs. They have two big spits of pork and chicken to choose from (but, unfrortunately no lamb). The sandwiches come on either an Italian bread type bun or wrapped in (what appears to be handmade) soft Lamachun type bread. You can also get it in a cup or on a plate with salad and fries. The sandwiches are a great big sloppy mess, but they are wonderful. The Lamachun wrapped ones resemble giant burritos and come stuffed with a generous helping of meat (sliced and shredded with a really cool electric slicer), leaf lettuce, onion, cucumber, red peppers, tomatoes and several ladles full of a white yogurt type sauce, as well as a not so spicy hot sauce that resembles a spicy ketchup. The wraps are huge and messy, but oh so tasty. .They cost a fairly reasonable $5.49 each, but I had a hard time finishing one by myself. Cajun seasoned fries are also available. I have tried both the pork and the chicken. Both have a nice char to them, though I think I prefer chicken. That is not to say the pork isn't very good also, athough bits of it were a little dry. It was also not seasoned as well as the chicken. Still, it was quite good and all the sauce made up for any lack of moisture. The place also serves falafels and salads which are also available wrapped in Lamachun. There are lots of vegetarian options, though I find the big sizzling spits of meat hard to resist. Anyhow, among all the kebab choices available in Chicago, SP really is something special. Just make sure you are plenty hungry when you go, or plan on splitting a sandwich and fries.


SP Kebab
6808 n. Sheridan
773-856-3755

Yes, I agree! I've only been once, but am itching to go back. I had the #5 [kebab bread, meat, french fries, homemade sauce], and I chose chicken. I will try the pork some time, but when I go back, I'm going for the #4 [kebab bread, meat, salad, homemade sauce]. When I read "french fries" on the menu for #5, I figured they were on the side, but they were actually stuffed in the sandwich. And the #5 didn't have the salad in there, which I would have liked.

The sandwich IS huge, and so good. The sauce is very flavorful, and the spice not overwhelming, as d4v3 mentioned. They will vary the amount of spicy sauce they put on if you want.

I went the day that Dr K mentioned this place in the openings thread, excited because it reminded me of the doener kebaps I used to love when I was in Germany. I am a huge fan of the doener bread and was not disappointed with SP Kebab's bread! I plan to ask where they get it from, and it's one of the best parts of the sandwich, to me.

I went around 6pm on a weekday - there was one person there eating and one person waiting for carryout (like me). The worker (owner?) was super nice and answered a few of my questions about the menu. I hope they catch on soon!

I have only tried the Lamachun wrapped sandwiches, which are great. I will have to go back and try the "bread" sandwiches. The bread is like none I have ever seen before. I described it as "Italian like" because it sort of reminded me of the small Italian round loafs. Now I know it is what Donner Kebabs come on (which I've never had). These kebabs differ from what I understand Donner Kebabs are in that they are not ground meat, but more like shawarma with flattened pieces of meat stacked on the spit. The sandwiches with salad are definitely the way to go. There must be about two cups of veggies on each one. The pork was also a (pleasant) surprise. I am not sure what nationality the owners are. The lamachun made me think they are Turkish, but the traditional Turkish kebabs are made with lamb not pork.

My partner is a huge fan of this place as it reminds him of the doner stands in Germany. And just like cookiemahnster mentioned, the "bread" is just like what you find all around Germany. He also said that he overheard the owner mentioning that he is Polish. This really is a great place for an extremely reasonable, quick meal. If you are not into the bread (which you are certainly missing out on), they offer plates with just meat and salad and they are seriously enormous - two meals worth. I highly recommend SP Kebab and it could certainly use some LTH love.

Well that takes care of yet another odd and unreasonable complaint regarding food lacking in Chicago

"Why can't I get Turkish food like I had when I was drunk in Munich (the Turkish from Turkey places don't get it right)?" has been a quirky recurring question over the years, similar to requests seeking Bombay-style Chinese and Indonesian as eaten by post-colonialists in Amsterdam. Now if we can just get some East African style Keralan. And yes, I'm looking forward to trying this place. What a town for sandwiches, Chicago.

Yay, Royal Kebab by Central/Belmont finally gets friendly competition!

To those who've been, is it truly withing walking distance from the Loyola Red Line station?

It's a little over half a mile from the Loyola stop. Depending how fast you walk, and the weather, it's no more than a 10-minute walk.

According to google maps, it is .3 miles from the loyola stop and .4 miles from the morse stop. The 151 and 147 busses run fairly regularly if you don't feel like walkiing that extra distance.

Absolutely walkable from the Loyola stop. I stopped in the other day and had a #4 (chicken) with extra falafel; this could probably have fed my condo complex. It was huge, and I couldn't finish it. It was definitely a mess, and I'm not sure if I really liked it or not... I'll certainly give it another try.

On the other hand I tried Bopngrill, which is right next door to the Chipotle on Sheridan, and that was great! I had a bavarian burger.

Kid Charlemagne wrote:Absolutely walkable from the Loyola stop. I stopped in the other day and had a #4 (chicken) with extra falafel; this could probably have fed my condo complex. It was huge, and I couldn't finish it. It was definitely a mess, and I'm not sure if I really liked it or not... I'll certainly give it another try..

You know, after the first few bites I thought that the SP sandwich was one of the best things I had ever eaten, but by the time I was 3/4 finished with it, I was so full (and covered in sauce), it lost some of its appeal. I think the size of the things may work against them. By the time you finish it, you are really struggling, and it doesn't seem quite as good as it did at first.

Thanks, d4v3 for answering the call!

You know, I think you totally nailed the portion thing. I had a similar experience - my kebab was just awesome at first bite, but there were diminishing returns as I worked my way through all 3 1/2 lbs. of it. I guess there's an easy fix -- appetite control. I'm not so good at that, unfortunately....

The food here is really, really good. Split a sandwich or stop at 2/3 (#1, pork with hot sauce for me), and it may just change your life a little bit. I was just telling some LTHers that I don't mind eating Chipotle, and I will very happily eat Bop N Grill, but the extra block walk to SP is so worth it. I feel now extra, extra spoiled to have a regular volunteer gig in the area--it seems I have no choice but to eat more SP.

finished the last of my wrap for breakfast this morning....the bread he makes is so good it's still great the next day. He bakes his bread onsite, made from scratch, everyday. Veggies are crisp and fresh, and always plentiful. If you're a fan of wraps or salads, and mounds of fresh veggies - this is the place. The meat consistently tastes good, though sometimes (like last night) it is unparalleled. Crispy edges, juicy pieces of meat, seasoned perfectly. This place is right next to my house, and my wife and I have enjoyed many quick bites from here on our day off - Monday. Kinda worried that the giant place next to him (Pillars Social cafe) is going to overshadow the success he deserves, so if you live in Rogers Park - show SP some love and keep this great place going!

PS - his fries aren't fresh cut, but freshly cooked, seasoned well, and cooked in fresh oil - the best it gets out of a bag...

SP Kebab
6808 N. Sheridan Road (next to the cowboy liquor store if you're from the immediate area you know the one)

Rub, thank you for posting. We need to get someone in there who knows how to take pictures (ahem, incite), but maybe these quick shots will give a rough idea, at least of scale. This sandwich is a commitment.





I, too, thought the vegetables were outstanding. Beautiful and tasty lettuce, cucumbers and even tomatoes. No vegetables are visible in the second picture because I devoured them all.

This place saved my life through a few too many late nights at work last week. Open until 10pm is certainly a winner for me. I also wanted to mention that the portions are not that gratuitously large. The high percentage of fresh veggies/salad means the density is kept sensible.

A remarkable (ridiculous!) fact: according to their menu, SP's delivery radius is 20 miles . It certainly had me forlornly wondering if I could order my wrap delivered and stowaway to Wicker Park (but alas, yet more work awaited). The fee is also listed as a flat $2.50. This is untested, so perhaps it really is too good to be true, but if anyone has been wanting to try out their fare, it's worth a shot!

Hit three places on this bustling corner of Pratt/Sheridan, Royal Coffee, Pillars and SP Kebeb, all different, all recommendable.

Royal Coffee has serious mom and pop vibe, older neighborhood folks in and out, out and in, nary a smart phone between them, much less a laptop, though Royal has free WiFi. Enjoyed my cappuccino and, if the quiet confidence of the 'mom' in the kitchen area is any indication, Ethiopian offerings should be high on my list.

Flip side, Pillars is a large space clean lines, local artwork, local sourcing, farm to table friendliness and a hip fashionable crowd with the latest road warrior electronics deployed and ready for business battle or, more likely, catching the latest TMZ video of the Kardashians. Cappuccino well made, my first ever snicker doodle, comfortable seating and a no rush atmosphere, as was Royal.

SP Kebeb, love the place, friendly enthusiastic owner, huge portions of fresh made high flavor sandwiches and hyper reasonable pricing. I've been tying to eat only at meals, no snacking, so had little trouble finishing off a sandwich and a couple of falafel, but smaller appetites, or people, may have a tough row to hoe. My one critique is the salad, and sandwich in general, is overdressed masking flavor of the other ingredients.

SP Kebeb



Cool little corner and I hear the bar just east of Sheridan on Pratt has really good burgers.

Enjoy,
Gary

I stopped by SP Kebab recently when I had occasion to be in the old hood. Given the usual disparity between my appetite and the average LTHer, I was pretty shocked to find that I had no problem snarfing half of a chicken kebab - and even more so that I totally could have finished it, but decided I'd rather eat dinner later. I could have just been unusually hungry that day, I don't know.

It was a fine sandwich, but I think I would have been disappointed had I made a special trip for it. If I still lived there, it would be a go-to, but now that Rogers Park is a world away, I think I'll stick to Zaytune.

G Wiv wrote:SP Kebeb, love the place, friendly enthusiastic owner, huge portions of fresh made high flavor sandwiches and hyper reasonable pricing. I've been tying to eat only at meals, no snacking, so had little trouble finishing off a sandwich and a couple of falafel, but smaller appetites, or people, may have a tough row to hoe. My one critique is the salad, and sandwich in general, is overdressed masking flavor of the other ingredients.

As much as I have fallen in love with the big sloppy drippy sandwiches, and think that the exceptionally tasty homemade dressing is an essential part of the whole SP sandwich experience, I might ask for "sauce on the side" the next time I go (or at least ask for easy sauce with a separate container for dipping). I have noticed that when getting a sandwich to go, the overabundance of dressing tends to soak through to the bread by the time I get home. However, the wonderful handmade bread is solid enough to hold up to the soaking. I am almost certain that the gregarious and agreeable proprietor is amenable to any special requests.

What happened to this place? I had a couple of lunches here recently and could not believe how bland everything was compared to my previous visits. Meats -- both chicken and pork -- tasted like they didn't even have salt on them. Sauces tasted like watery yogurt and off-brand ketchup respectively. The only thing that had any oomph at all were the cajun fries, which were ridiculously overspiced. I wish we'd been offered 'regular' fries but that would have been the tail wagging the dog, anyway. What a bummer.

=R=

I had a couple of lunches here recently and could not believe how bland everything was compared to my previous visits.

was Peter (owner) there? I know he was working open to close 7 days/week since they opened (2 years without a single day off)...maybe he's taking days off and doesn't have the right help? Really nice guy, hard working fellow, and has always been passionate about his craft. He didn't even have a single employee the whole first year he was open.

I'm gonna stop by next week to say hi and give a 2nd opinion, I live on Pratt by the beach, so I used to walk down here every couple weeks...haven't been for a few months, hope you just had a few off-days and things are still great. I'll report back soon.

rubbbqco wrote:

I had a couple of lunches here recently and could not believe how bland everything was compared to my previous visits.

was Peter (owner) there? I know he was working open to close 7 days/week since they opened (2 years without a single day off)...maybe he's taking days off and doesn't have the right help? Really nice guy, hard working fellow, and has always been passionate about his craft. He didn't even have a single employee the whole first year he was open.

I'm gonna stop by next week to say hi and give a 2nd opinion, I live on Pratt by the beach, so I used to walk down here every couple weeks...haven't been for a few months, hope you just had a few off-days and things are still great. I'll report back soon.

I hope you're right about them being off days. I used to lust for this place when I couldn't make it over there.

=R=

Glad to report that Ronnie and others who are worried about SP KEBAB losing their touch need worry no longer. Had the basic #1 with pork and thought that it was very tasty and that the sauce was terrific. The Cajun Fries did not seem over-spiced and they were crunchy on the outside while soft and full of potato flavor on the inside.

A note about the spicy sauce: If you challenge them to bring-the-heat, they will adjust the mix of peppers in the sauce to make it hotter. The downside of doing this is that you will mask the flavor of the other sauces, if they are also included.

Finished only half of the sandwich and looking forward to the leftovers. Will definitely return to try the chicken version and the falafel.

Had the number one last week. Pork. Sauce on the side. Really good. Took the rest of the week to finish it. A housemate laughed at its size. Didn't take it personally.

Love the flavorful meat with all its tasty char. Have to re-shout out the care taken in the "salad" part of the sandwich: lettuce, red cabbage, cucumber, red and green pepper, red onion, good tomato ... bet I'm missing something. I liked the yoghurt and hot sauce just fine. Worked in its environment. The wrap was unique in my book. Looked better than it tasted, but I would gladly eat it again.

Driving there today at lunch, I contemplated whether to order the exact same thing again, which I was now craving, or the chicken with the bread. Too bad they were unexpectedly closed.

Hate when that happens. Omm....

Was in the area, so wanted to give the place a try today. Had the #1 with a combination of pork and chicken.

Delicious. Huge. Especially loved the pork. If I'm back in the area (not often do I find myself in Rogers Park), I definitely will be back.

I absolutely love SP Kebab. I can't believe I've never posted in this thread, tbh. Ever since I moved to Chicago I have been craving doner like I had maybe three nights a week when I studied abroad in Spain and this place is IT. Super authentic, incredibly friendly and passionate owner/manager, ridiculously inexpensive, and you get a ton of food. The only thing I'd say is lacking is that the condiments could be a little bit better, both the garlic aioli or alioli as they call it in Spain and the hot sauce could be improved. Still, all in all, this place is an absolute gem that, imo, approaches GNR levels.