Detroit Kabob House - Niles

On my recent drive down Milwaukee Ave. in Niles. I saw a new place that opened on June 15th called 'Detroit Kabob House' which seemed intriguing to see the comparisons with Pita Inn. I stopped by just to grab a menu as I was not hungry but will return sometime in the weekend to give it a try.

Has anyone had the pleasure of trying out 'Detroit Kabob House' yet?

Detroit Kabob House
9021 Milwaukee Ave.
Niles, IL 60714
847-967-9100



pictures of the menu:

Any idea on how Detroit play into an Arabian eatery?

Thank you so much for posting the menu to this place! I have been wanting Middle Eastern food and heard good things about this place. I ordered the combo plate for 3 and it came with rice, 2 beef kafta kabobs, 2 chicken kafta kabos, 3 chicken chunks and they sprinkled the plate with beef and chicken shawarma. Honestly speaking, they were quite skimpy on the meat. The food wasn't bad but I was not too impressed. The food was actually very dry and the platter also came with a small bean stew came and a small salad (no dressing) that was portioned for only one individual. Would I go back? I'd have to think about that one. If I did, it would definitely have to be take-out again since the restaurant had no AC and when I asked them why they said "it doesn't help". I don't know how they expect their guests to be able to eat at their place of business comfortably!

mmm i see "garlic sauce" on the menu, which at a place advertising a detroit link must surely mean toum. Gotta get up there.

gjdad: dearborn/detroit has a very large middle eastern population, and some of the best middle eastern restaurant food in the US, I think.

gleam wrote:mmm i see "garlic sauce" on the menu, which at a place advertising a detroit link must surely mean toum. Gotta get up there.

gjdad: dearborn/detroit has a very large middle eastern population, and some of the best middle eastern restaurant food in the US, I think.

That is indeed the connection. This place is very near my new office and I plan to check it out next week. I've driven by it a few times but haven't had time.

=R=

gleam wrote:gjdad: dearborn/detroit has a very large middle eastern population, and some of the best middle eastern restaurant food in the US, I think.

Thanks

yep saw the sign for this place too recently and was excited - Detroit has a very established lebanese population and great lebanese restaurants, as well populations from other countries in he area. when we first moved to Chicago from there my father would make a semi-regular trip up there to get our lamb from halal butchers in the area. One bonus was the ability to get makanek, the pine nut studded semisweet lebanese sausage. I haven't found a good substitute for this in the chicago area - do folks know of places selling?

I appreciated the shots of the menu posted up top and thought, after our lunch here this week, I'd post a scan of their carry-out menu . . .





Service was remarkably friendly and even though we picked up, when the falafel were accidentaly left out of the order, someone from the restaurant called us and insisted on driving it over to our office. That was wonderful and very much appreciated. Because of the error, the owner also included an order of Chicken Cream Chops, which is essentially chicken schnitzel. It was crispy, juicy and nicely seasoned.

All this said, for me, lunch was a mixed bag. I can't say I loved it, though much of that could easily be attributable to innate perils of carry-out. A few of meats were somewhat dry. Chicken Shawarma was in this category but still, it was a generous portion of big, thick slices of tasty chicken. Chicken Kabob were nicely marinated but also a bit on the dry side. The falafel, which were piping hot and crispy on the outside (even after the drive over to our office), were seasoned in a way that I didn't care of (more sweet spices than I prefer) but several of my workmates loved them. I really enjoyed the tabouleh and the eggplant salad.

Next time, I plan to eat in and see how it differs from the carry-out/delivery mode.

=R=

This is one of those places you really want to like but it doesn't quite come together. I don't suppose that Pita Inn -- which is overall both less expensive and better -- needs to worry about this competition, although I might give a slight edge to Detroit Kabob's shawarma.

Quails were nicely seasoned but cooked until very dry. Dipping the pieces in the potent garlic sauce helped. I liked the curried pickles that came with our meals, but the rice pilaf was lackluster. Tabbouleh is excellent, fresh and refreshing. Both the hummus and the falafel have, as Ronnie noted, an unusual seasoning that takes some getting used to.

We also picked up some lahm ajeen (flatbreads with a seasoned beef topping) that look good but have yet to try them.

The wait for food was fairly long for somewhere with such a fast-food ambiance. They were, however, doing a brisk business with folks who were chatting with the owners in Arabic.

imo this place has good shwarma and i like the falafel

With the exception of the Halal meat, judging by the menu, I would guess this place is Assyrian owned.

My guess was Iraqi, but I didn't inquire.

As hip Brooklynites turn to the Midwest for inspiration, Chicago, in an offbeat and possibly brilliant move, looks to Detroit-style Arabic food. Love it.

Too bad the food sounds only average. Love the idea though.

I had a very satisfying lunch special ($6) here yesterday. I'm by no means an expert in Middle Eastern eats, but I know good when I taste it. Most notable was the chicken shawarma which was handled with care. Beautifully sliced thin pieces of crisped up meat went straight from the cone to the container. You could see the lining in it's different layers. I hate the places that slice off large thick hunks and throw it on the flattop. That defeats the entire purpose of meat on a spit. On weekends they're doing fresh Armenian style pizza aka Lahmajoon. I'll be stopping back when in the area.


Lunch Plate (served until 3p weekdays)

Detroit Kabob House
9021 N Milwaukee Ave
Niles, IL 60714
(847) 967-9100

If they are Iraqi, maybe you should ask about tashreeb. It is a hit or miss dish, of lamb neck or shank, served over bread and with a soupy, sour sauce over it all. In southern Iraq, the sauce is soured with dried limes (noomi basra) or tamarind. In northern Iraq, and especially among Assyrians and Chaldeans, the sauce is made tangy by using tomatoes.

d4v3 wrote:With the exception of the Halal meat, judging by the menu, I would guess this place is Assyrian owned.

Most of the Chaldean-owned eateries in metro-Detroit serve halal meat, actually. A good example is the Warren restaurant Najeeb Kebab, which features prominent Catholic imagery of the Divine Mercy and the Sacred Heart of Jesus hanging above the service counter. As a side note, when I went to Najeeb Kebab for pacha, a satellite TV crew was there, and I was filmed eating pacha and singing the praises of Najeeb Kebab in broken Arabic for the world.

Cyriaco wrote:If they are Iraqi, maybe you should ask about tashreeb. It is a hit or miss dish, of lamb neck or shank, served over bread and with a soupy, sour sauce over it all. In southern Iraq, the sauce is soured with dried limes (noomi basra) or tamarind. In northern Iraq, and especially among Assyrians and Chaldeans, the sauce is made tangy by using tomatoes.

Someone told me that when catfish is on the menu, it's likely Iraqi. Don't know if that's true, but this place has catfish.

Many Chicago Assyrian-Iraqi places feature grilled/baked catfish, a local take on Iraq's national dish, masgouf.

Cyriaco - I'd be interested to know where one could get pacha nowadays in Chicago. The last place I knew that occasionally served it was George's on Lawrence, which has sadly closed. I also agree that Tashreeb is an awesome dish. Big Buns on Clark used to make it before they closed. It was Assyrian owned and accordingly used a tomato based sauce. I've never had tashreeb with noomi Basra, though I have made a lamb-stew variation at home with noomi thet was pretty awesome.

We've sadly lost a couple of places in recent years that used to serve it. There was Danny's Restaurant on Western, where they used to sell homemade whole Iraqi-style basturma. There was George's, which was run by a Chaldean family who used to live in Sterling Heights, MI, if I remember correctly. They knew my haunts when I mentioned them, like where I used to buy fresh samoon. The mom was from Syria, but I can't remember exactly where.

I remember reading a handwritten sign in Arabic saying that pacha was served on Saturdays at Baghdad Kebab, which occupied the old Al-Amira spot on the corner of Kedzie and Lawrence, but that too is no longer.

Unfortunately, our Chicago Chaldeo-Assyrian places have a nasty habit of folding. It's a rapidly changing environment. It might be worth probing places that advertise themselves as generically "Mediterranean" for broader appeal.

As for tashreeb with noomi basra, I found it in Dearborn, MI, restaurant some years ago, but I couldn't tell you exactly where. Dearborn's Middle Eastern community is mostly Shia, from Lebanon and Iraq, with many Iraqi Shia from the south where noomi basra is used more (hence its name; the limes were imported from India in the old days through the port of Basra).

Does anyone know anything about this place on Diversey, I'd say not too far west of Cicero. It's a pretty big storefront restaurant, with "Iraqi Cuisine" in big letters on the awnings. I've driven past this place for over a year and it seems to be either about to open or having just closed, but I never heard anything of it's opening or closing. I know this is not much, one of these days I mean to park and look at the signs and such on the windows. Still, maybe those in this thread no something of it.

Cyriaco wrote:We've sadly lost a couple of places in recent years that used to serve it. There was Danny's Restaurant on Western, where they used to sell homemade whole Iraqi-style basturma. There was George's, which was run by a Chaldean family who used to live in Sterling Heights, MI, if I remember correctly. They knew my haunts when I mentioned them, like where I used to buy fresh samoon. The mom was from Syria, but I can't remember exactly where.

I remember reading a handwritten sign in Arabic saying that pacha was served on Saturdays at Baghdad Kebab, which occupied the old Al-Amira spot on the corner of Kedzie and Lawrence, but that too is no longer.

Unfortunately, our Chicago Chaldeo-Assyrian places have a nasty habit of folding. It's a rapidly changing environment. It might be worth probing places that advertise themselves as generically "Mediterranean" for broader appeal.

As for tashreeb with noomi basra, I found it in Dearborn, MI, restaurant some years ago, but I couldn't tell you exactly where. Dearborn's Middle Eastern community is mostly Shia, from Lebanon and Iraq, with many Iraqi Shia from the south where noomi basra is used more (hence its name; the limes were imported from India in the old days through the port of Basra).

It's really a shame that all those places closed. Danny's and George's in particular. Just west of where George's was on Lawrence is Cafe Ur, named after the old Sumerian city state whose remains are located in southern Iraq. It's one of those curtained, cabbie looking places, that might seem intimidating to some. I've never had a chance to go. I wonder if they serve pacha or masgouf or tashreeb. Anyone been?

Cafe Ur is no longer among the living, or I am completely blind.

Cafe Ur is no longer among the living, or I am completely blind. The storefront in question had nothing of the sort on my attempt to drive by this evening, and the telephone number listed in the white pages has been disconnected.

For the sake of stoking the fires of my disappointment, I'll assume they not only had tashreeb, but also made pacha on the weekends, but word never got out. In any event, it's another blow against Assyrian/Aramaean/Chaldean/Iraqi eats in Chicago.

At least Taza is now a GNR.

The one saving grace in Chicago's Iraqi/Assyrian/Chaldean scene is Devon ave, west of California, which is lined with one Iraqi grocer after another. There must be at least 5 as you drive toward Kedzie. There is also at least one restaurant just north of Devon on California. What does this mean? Torshi amba (curried pickles with mango powder), Iraqi date syrup and clotted cream, and the occasional homemade-looking Klecha, an amazing cardamom flavored cookie usually filled with walnuts, fruits, or date paste. It's only a matter of time before we have more places for tashreeb and pacha. Also, let's not forget about Eastern Breadstone, another amazing Iraqi bakery on Devon.

Da Beef wrote:I had a very satisfying lunch special ($6) here yesterday.

In deference to Da Beef and other posters in this thread I found Detroit Kabob House just nudging the ok meter. Hockey puck falafel, and a general lack of flavor in the lunch special, though a huge amount of food for $6.99* The Lahmajoon I added suffered lack of flavor. I added hummus which I liked and the rice which accompanied the lunch special was tasty.

On the other hand Arax, a compact busy friendly stuffed to the gills Mideastern grocery one door South, was a terrific stop.



*.99 cents price increase not bad for 4-years later.

We went once after a meeting across the street and our experience matched Gary’s. No need to return, especially no need to drive past NOK on Elston to get there.

Sorry to say that I gave up on this place after a few visits. Dine-in or carry-out, I never managed to get served a meal at which the meats weren't dried out. I stopped trying.

=R=

G Wiv wrote:On the other hand Arax, a compact busy friendly stuffed to the gills Mideastern grocery one door South, was a terrific stop.

Snack from Arax Foods shopping, pan toasted zaatar bread , pickled turnip, labneh dusted with sumac, fantastic fresh ground tahini cut with lemon juice, olives, served on our best china.


Arax Foods, count me a Fan!

Arax Foods
9017 N Milwaukee Ave
Niles, IL 60714
847-966-1808