Gus Gus Restaurant & Bakery

Yum! Menu has lots of options, reasonable prices. Food is not heavily seasoned, which I’m a fan of, it seems like some are not based on previous reviews. Food is made fresh right in front of you. Very happy.

It’s an easy going little hole in the wall with good food and good prices. I had the lunch special called a Mediterranean plate. It was exactly what you’d expect. Beef, chicken, rice, hummus and Jerusalem salad. Plenty to eat. I would eat here again.

I’ve been here 3 or 4 times now (in the past two weeks!) and I love it. The other day I placed a phone order for several meals and when I was being rung up, they discovered that their credit card machine was down. I didn’t have cash on me, so «Hamid» asked me if I could bring cash tomorrow. I told him sure, no problem, and we were on our way, with no hassle. (I was imagining if this was a chain…)
The next day I brought the cash, and let Hamid know that the falafel were missing from our meals the day before. (They were very busy at the time so it was understandable, yet my daughter was super disappointed.) So he asked if we wanted them right then. We said yes, and he even threw in a couple extra for the inconvenience. We also got some of their delicious hummus to go, with plans to be back again soon.
Seriously good food and although there are several Middle Eastern restaurants in the area and on the north side (Reza’s, Noon-​o-​Kabob, etc.), I am happy that this is minutes from my house.

Gus Gus Restaurant & Bakery is located @ 4047 W Oakton in Skokie in a tiny strip mall. I found out about Gus Gus (GG) through Unilocal.
I have very mixed feeling about this restaurant. Like I mentioned before it’s located in a small strip mall. Currently there is road construction so the east end of the lot is closed. Of course the parking spaces are angled to come in from the east so you need to pull in from the west and back into the angled space. I walked into the restaurant the person behind the counter who I assumed was the owner walked right by me. No hello greeting or anything leaving me standing upfront for about 5 minutes. When he came back I ordered the combination special. Once I ordered the food came out very quickly.
This special was $ 6.99 & came with the following items
*. Cucumber & tomato salad — nothing special
*. Hummus — which was delicious (I ordered some to go)
*. Pita Bread — this was also very good. It was soft and chewy and very fresh delicious (I also ordered some of this to go)’
*. Yellow Rice — ok, but nothing special
* Kifta Sausage — this was seasoned & cooked pretty good
*. The Chicken Kabob — was very good, seasoned & cooked so it was very tender, delicious.
Overall I enjoyed the food @ GG and would go back again.

The menu is very good in general… My absolute favorite is the «lahm baajin», or Mediterranean pizza, will not regret ordering this… it is very authentic and similar to the Middle Eastern version… I am used to ordering this for friends and family gatherings, and almost always it is a favorite! Shawerma and other food on the menu are good but tend to be slightly dry… Overall a good place for Mediterranean food.

while pita inn is pretty close to perfection, i occasionally try other middle eastern spots just in case somebody can raise the bar even higher. though pita inn still remains the benchmark for me, i am pleasantly surprised at this new, little spot in skokie located in a small little strip mall.
now i am a bit anal about my falafal balls. done right, they are crispy on the outside and soft and steamy on the inside. done wrong and they end up soaked in oil. gus gus does em’ right. i got the falafal plate and everything was great. the hummus delicious, the made every morning pita bread a little different than other places but just as good, the sauces (hot and tahini) spot on and the salad fresh and crisp.
i cannot say i saw anything «dingy“about gus gus as other folks had noted. my only complaints were television turned on instead of music (i think ambiance is important) and not a smile from any of the three people working there.
but these as just quibbles. great prices, no massive lines, long hours and an easy parking lot means i will return to try something else and i bet it will be good. there is a new guy in town and his name is gus… gus.

This place is in the plaza with currency exchange, right next to ye nail salon. I got the combo plate with chicken shawarma, and the lentil soup. It was really yummy. I loved it. The people at counter seem like very nice, hardworking people and I wanted to dine here more for that reason. Falafel was tasty, left a kabob was delicious!!! I also love the hummus. Will be coming back!

I’m really surprised by the rave reviews. Came here on a Sunday evening to order 2 dinners, falafels, and a tabouleh salad. I’d say their meats are Pita Inn level (dry and scrappy) and slightly burnt. Their pita seems to be homemade — unique and nice texture! Can’t be separated into a pocket, though FYI. The hummus and falafels are good. There seems to be only 3 good tables that seat 2 – 3 people and a few counter seats along the window. Seems to be run by a husband (front of the house), wife (back of the house), and son (miscellaneous duties). Wasn’t really impressed with anything except the pitas!

I am mad at my self for waiting 3 months to try this place. I am moving in a week and only stopped in this past Saturday. I grew up on middle eastern and mediterranean food so I know my falafel, thankfuly so does Gus! He made me a TBK burrito size wrap with tahini, falafel humus and Jerusalem salad. This thing was a meal in it self and did I mention all made in house! Pita inn fell off when they started prepping there falafel by the dozen, they taste stale sometimes, but I still love them. I just order everything off broiler and they hook me up :) But back to Gus Gus if you want a big healthy meal in the $ 5.00 range go see this guy you wont regret it.

My husband and I were sans kitchen for a very long time this summer, and this was our favorite cheap eats. High points: Shawarma sandwich (the sandwiches are served with sauce and loaded up, soo good), chicken kababs, falafel (wayyyyy more flavorful falafel than Pita Inn), cucumber salad (so remarkably fresh), and their hummus. Their hummus seriously the best I’ve ever had — I cannot get over it.
The only thing I don’t really like is the «pizza» –I’ve had it several times at other restaurants, and there’s something that turns my stomach. I will say that it’s the best one I’ve ever had, so that’s something; it’s just not for me. Lots of folks love it though, so it must be a matter of taste.
I don’t find it unclean in any way, and in fact, think they keep it very clean. It IS a bit dingy — you know, just sorta run down, but that’s different than dirty. Also, there will be an Arabic tv station playing and the seating is, well, basically patio tables. Get it to go, problem solved.

So my buddy and I walk in today and the TV is way too loud blaring a soccer match and the establishment didn’t exactly look as clean as it could’ve been. In the end, none of this mattered. We got the lunch special and it simply blows pita inn out of the water and anywhere else for that matter.
The chicken and beef was perfectly cooked and super tasty. The cucumber salad and hummus were the perfect accompaniment to the protein. I loved the variety and for $ 6.99 you are never ever beating the value. I will be back for sure. I saw some gentlemen order something that looked like a middle eastern pizza that I will be sure to sample next time.

My mom introduced me to this place about a month ago, and I’ve already gone back three times since then. I’ve been getting the $ 5.95 lunch special (offered M-​F), and it’s delicious. You get a taste of a bunch of middle eastern staples like Jerusalem salad, hummus, kefta kabob & chicken kabob. I was surprised at the care that they took in preparing my food, and the quality of the ingredients is top-​Notch. I’ll be going back many more times, keep up the good work guys!

Mr. GUSGUS, Salam Alaykum, not only we both look like identical twins but we both are refugees from the middle east. Walking into your restaurant made me feel like I was back in JORDAN because of the walls peeling off, the lawn chairs, and also the tables look like they were sitting outside in the rain and snow for a long time before you bought them from a thrift store on Devon. Anyhow, my brother Bassam and I ordered the combination plate and soup. The combination plate came with chicken kabob and beef shawerma with Israeli salad and hummus. I must say that even though your restaurant looks like it was hit by hurricane, your food is really good and nicely seasoned just like how my mother seasons masgouf. The soup was very hot and very good. My brother Bassam asked you for some pita bread and I did notice you reached inside the bag with your bare hands and handed it to him. Some people would think this is not nice because they don’t know where your hands were before you reached in the bag, you may have been killing a chicken or a lamb in the back, or you could have been doing number 2 but I’m not gona sit here and judge you. You are very family oriented just like my brother Bassam and I, reaching with your bare hands reminded me of the days back in Baghdad al-​shemahl when my grandfather would break bread during dinner when we all sat down on the floor in a circle and ate together. Anyways my friend, I love your food and my brother Bassam and I will definitely be back here. Make sure you have some chai sada ready next time. Shookran.
Jamal

Great food, great price. My husband and I have to share the lunch special you get so much. Also tried the soup and it was very tasty. A must try.

Fabulous food! Kabobs, humus, baba, rice, sauces, pita, falafel and oh my gosh, try the Mediterranean pizza-​it is out of this world!
This restaurant is in our neighborhood and we see the owner baking early in the am. We have only driven by Pita Inn since Gus Gus opened.
This is seriously great food.

Had the family feast, crazy good, tons of food to feed 10 people, $ 70, so $ 7 a person and there were plenty of leftovers. Kabobs were outstanding. Gonna be regular in our family food rotation.

I would have given this new place 5 stars if it had been clean. Having recently opened and being featured yesterday in Shop Local Skokie, I felt I had to try it. Hubby & I went for dinner. The restaurant was teeny tiny with maybe 3 tables. The floors were dirty and the walls had peeling paint, a health code violation! The chairs were plastic lawn-​like chairs and very cheap. However, I must say that the food was plentiful and outstanding. Both hubby & I ordered the «combination feast» and it was wonderful. From the fresh cuc & tomato salad, to the beef kabob and chicken chunks and rice enough to feed an army + fresh hummus for each… delicious. But, it’s just not enjoyable to eat here. Place needs fresh paint, a major clean-​up and remodel… get your food to go… is all I’m saying.

Gus Gus! Love supporting good local businesses. Been going to this place consistently ever since they opened up. Their chicken kabobs are out of this world. Big and juicy EVERY time I’ve had them. My buddies are big fans of the ground chicken skewers. Their portions are good sized and their prices are spot on. On top of everything, their service is great. Friendly guys just trying to supply the village with good quality food. The other middle eastern joints should take notice.

So cheap, so fresh, so good. They have a little buffet for toppings, all really fresh — falafel greasy fried so flavorful. I had two falafel, two dolma, some chips, and giardinera on a cute china plate for $ 1.37. I’m not sure how that’s possible, but there it is. The guys are really nice, Arabic television, a couple of old guys in robes and sandals on the side. They cook everything fresh to order right there. Much better than Pita Inn, which I really like.

Stumbled upon this hole-​in-​the-​wall Mediterranean place after getting my nails did at Crystal Nails next door.
I smelled yummy food and had to go in! Once inside I discovered that this place had just opened 3 months prior and the manager– Ray– was telling me that the people in the area would start receiving flyers soon!
Ray was so friendly and kept asking me what I wanted to try and filled up my order with delicious and fresh foods!
I ordered the chicken shawarma and it was so tasty! It came in a huge pita with cucumbers and hummus and veggies.
The hummus was freshly made because it was kind of chunky so you can tell that it is actually homemade! The pita was «made by a woman in the back» and it was HUGE!
Finally the lentil soup was yummy and it was only 1.99!
Huge portions, great prices, and really friendly service :) Will definitely return!
5.99 lunch special! Hard to find nowadays!