ARARAT
364 Townline Rd, Mundelein, IL, 60060
ARARAT Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Mundelein for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Mundelein for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Mundelein for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
364 Townline Rd
Mundelein, IL, 60060 - Phone (847) 566-9755
- Website https://restaurantararat.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Tue
- Mon :Closed
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Dogs Allowed : No
Waiter Service : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Tony P.
Very authentic food, home cooked and perfectly so. This is Armenian cuisine, not the Middle Eastern. Very different flavours, much less seasonings and salt. The food cooked the right way doesn't require those in abundance. The place is family owned and these folks are very nice. Beautiful decor, huge portions. I have been there quite a few times, always fresh and delicious food. Don't understand some of the negative reviews here, but it is hard to please everyone, especially "know all" self proclaimed food "connoisseurs".
(5)Todd M.
I was looking for a hole in the wall ethnic lunch to get rid of the stench of strip mall suburban illinois and boy did I find it. Really good food, just like your babushka made, great service, and low prices. The only negatives were the Armenian gangster rap videos playing on the tv, and the total lack of heat/ spiciness in the dishes.
(3)Marie M.
Terrible. Im not picky by any means, but the service was no good at all. Let's see...I went there with a group of friends and we waited at least an hour for our food. During that time the lady sent her worker to the grocery store next door and get groceries. The restaurant was empty except for us, so imagine our surprise when she came back with two bags of groceries. It was kinda funny. My friends ordered meat dishes, which they said smelled, I didn't bother to smell it myself. The bread was stale. My order came incomplete and when I told her I was missing the cheese pastry, it took another 45 mins for her to make it! While we were waiting they played old armenian music videos which were not appropriate for kids to say the least. Nope not again, get it together Ararat.
(1)Justin F.
Ararat was a great pick for my treat to my dad on Father's Day! When we first walked in we were greeted with "Are you guys looking for the Korean Restaurant down the street?" because of our Asian looks :P But we said we wanted to try something new and right away we were welcomed into there dining room. Many of the items on the menu were explained to us in great detail. We started off with hummus and bread. All homemade! Hard to find places like this these days... For the main course I ordered a lamb shish kabob. The plate came with a side of rice, onions, and tomatoes. Meat great taste but a bit bland. Overall, Ararat was a good restaurant because of it's welcoming atmosphere, staff, and interesting food choices!
(4)Joseph P.
We felt like we were interrupting a private party. So we ate and beat it out of there fast. Never went back.
(2)Lauren R.
Food was delicious! We went for a private dining experience with my family. It is small but definately worth it
(4)Renato P.
I was under the impression that this place would be a Middle Eastern restaurant, but was pleasantly surprised that it had some Armenian flavor going on as well. The place is very small, and definitely had an odd foreign vibe to it, cool though. The food did take a little while to prepare, so if time is an issue, be aware. Having never tried Armenian before I went simple and tried the Soup of the day, Kharcho , which had lamb(I think) and rice, very good. I also ordered the pork kabobs, which were tougher than I would have liked , but damn it was tasty. I have plans to return here sooner rather than later, and maybe get a little more adventurous next time.
(4)Jisun K.
I'm not kind of person who left review about restaurant, but I've got to tell something at this time!!!! The nasty owner is sucks. I had a $20 coupon from Groupon(I bought it as $11) which was she didn't accept. I ordered lunch special and main entrees. Server explained me main entrees included soup and salad so I couldn't know that was promotion. But the owner keep saying "you should tell us about your coupon from the beginning. our meal is already a very good deal so I cannot discount any more. you already have soup and salad and tea! And you're gonna pay only $7? you're so cheater." I have no idea where came from this $7 which was I had to paid $20($11 for coupon and $9.xx for discounted meal). I was stunned because they didn't mention any of that on Groupon site. Anyway she got so mad at us and said "you just pay whatever you want and leave!!". And also we wanted order one more meal at 3pm, but they said No. Even the linch time was until 3:30.
(1)Mike A.
I really wanted to like this place, but in the end it was a big disappointment. We have lived in the area for about 20 years and have always wanted to stop in here since they opened, but somehow never made it in. Several years ago they catered my friend's birthday party, actually cooking onsite and the food was delicious. Yet, somehow we never made it in until a few weeks ago. We came in with a decent size group, as I dragged them all in here determined to finally give this place a try: Good: Eggplant app was very good and tasted homemade; which basically means like my grandma used to make. Nothing else! Bad: Service: Borderline awful with one person waiting on tables, acting as hostess and doing something in the back/kitchen. It took forever to get refills, orders placed and finally the bill. She also neglected to ask for the cook temp on any of the lamb and beef dishes; so all came out well done. My wife ordered a beef kabob, but was served a flank steak; which she decided to just keep as everyone else's dishes had already come out. Food: Outside of the eggplant app, food was not impressive. While $12.99 for chicken kabob or $16.99 for lamb seem like a decent price, you get a very small portion for the price. The side dish is either a small serving of brown rice or 6-7 thin slices of potato (think homemade potato chips) and nothing else. No salad or cup of soup. To put in perspective the serving size is 1/2 of what Reza's in Chicago would provide for about the same price. A chicken kabob plate @ Dengeo's in Buffalo Grove is 2x the size and comes with a small salad as well! Someone had ordered the lamb chops and was not happy with the taste and portion size either for the ~$25 price. I have seen some coupons in the mail for this place, so maybe that makes it a better deal, but alas we did not have any with us. Overall: Our bill for 4 with soft drinks, apps and entrees before tip was just under $100; which was way out of line for the quality and amount of food we had ordered. As a side note, we also noticed another woman; who I assume is the owner and/or mother of the server walk through the restaurant with a few containers from the deli next door. I assume they either ran out or just simply buy some items from the deli instead of cooking them onsite. Somehow they have managed to make it work for a while in this strip mall, but for us it was just too much of a poor experience to come back again.
(2)Kelley B.
5 stars for family-run business, very nice woman. 4 stars for hummus - among the best I've had - and Neapolitan 3 stars for the rest of the food - chicken and lamb kebabs - good flavor but rice was dry
(3)Katie G.
I would highly recommend this restaurant for anyone looking for an authentic experience. You can tell that the family that owns the restaurant is so passionate about food. Everything is made from scratch-- from the bread to the baklava. Try the Armenian coffee, it's delicious!!!
(5)Lorna K.
The food was just OK but the place is unclean. I had a Groupon which they didn't accept as they wanted me to order two main courses, which was not a part of the deal. They even called me a cheater, of course they didn't realize that I understand Russian. Horrible service. Anyway, I paid my bill and I am not going back.
(1)Madeline L.
The only reason I'm not giving a full 5 stars is because the wait time for our food was extremely long - It was about 1.5 hours for a lamb meal and kebab (can't remember the exact names). The restaurant is very cozy and the woman was very sweet. If you want an authentic taste, this is the place to go. When the food finally arrived, it was amazing. Packed with so much flavor and absolutely delicious - Sadly, the portions were quite small.
(3)Mick B.
The sign out front says Mediterranean food but I would call this a Russian cuisine that I remember my Grandmother either cooking or talking about, with some Mediterranean influence. I stopped in for lunch with friends, great food and the owner is the best. I'd encourage you to order the appetizer sampler plate if you have a party of 4 or more people. Trust me that you will be glad that you did. As someone else mentioned, the home style bread basket is off the hook. Even if you avoid carbs- at least try one piece of the bread. The beautifully etched water glasses and delicate tea cups were charming; where else can you get a huge POT of tea for $2? I felt that the entrees were beautifully plated- in this case they are simple but beautiful. I had a wonderful avocado salad with cilantro, there were other great looking salads on the menu. If you are unsure what you want to order- ask for "the pictures" which illustrate what's on the menu. Others in our party had the "women's soup" (excellent) and lamb kebabs (excellent). Be aware that sides are easily substituted at no additional charge. If you are unsure what is available- please ask. You never know what you can get here until you ask. I hope to stop in some evening for dinner to try more of their dishes. A great place- just go try it! PS: Yes there is a Russian/East European deli in the same strip mall. If you can possibly afford the time, please go and visit them.
(4)Chris D.
What a charming restaurant with amazing vegetarian food and outstanding service. We had a plate of appetizers, including wonderful hummus, squash with raisins, currants and rice, soup, and the baked cheese appetizer. Green tea in a lighthouse teapot added to the charm. What a fun place to bring a small group. Can't wait to return.
(5)Natalia D.
I've been to Ararat a few times, and every time it's a great experience. You get good personable service and great tasting food for a reasonable price. My favorites are avocado salad and pork shish kabob, but everything I tried there tasted very good. I will keep coming back.
(5)Vikki Y.
Was here for my best friend's boyfriend's birthday and we had a large group of about 20 people. The food is Armenian but def has hints of Russian (and the former USSR) as we had potatoes and meat, an amazing avocado salad, cheese pastries and stuffed pockets with beef (it sounded like it was called a Cheburashka- which is Russian for mouse-like-creature with big ears)- kind of like elephant ear pastries. The decor was fancy- all crystal glasses and fine china plates- it felt very European and classy. There are a couple of fish tanks and the inner walls are covered with Armenian tapestries and swords haha The service was really nice and the server seemed like an Aunt or your friend's older female relative- not like a waitress. The bathroom is really clean and there is a brick motif in the entire restaurant. The place is not that big but the food tasted very traditional! The best part about the food was the dessert- the "napoleon" as my Russian friends called it- was AMAZING! MELT IN YOUR MOUTH- perfect amount of sweetness and creaminess- layered pastry cake! The drive is way out of the way for me- but I will def be back if I am in the area!
(5)S. B.
What makes this place so special is the owner. A woman who has a passion for the food she prepares, and the people she serves. The service was outstanding as she takes the time to tell you all about the food and tries to help you make a selection. The food was very good. The soups and bread are some of the best Eastern European food I have had in a very long time. The place is a bit on the small side, but that makes it feel cozy and welcoming. The only issue I ran into was the opening time, it is listed as 11am, but they actually open at 11:30. This was not a problem as we were still welcomed in and attended to. They also have some great desserts. Tiramisu, Napoleons and a few others. Some nice lunch specials for only $6.99! There is a Russian grocery store in the same strip mall if you would also like to purchase some specialty groceries. I hope to return again soon!
(5)Victor K.
We drove 10 miles to this place from Lake Bluff today because we thought the food looked interesting. This place is located in a rundown strip mall in Mundelein. Upon entering this restaurant under an "OPEN" sign in the window we noticed that the place was jammed with what looked like a private event and then I hear "what do you want" from a corner table in a angry foreign accented voice. I tell the person we are here for dinner. This woman "Irene" tells us its closed. I ask her why does it say its open? She responds by asking me in rough manner "what do I want?" It was clear this woman was the owner and perhaps the most obnoxious restaurant owner in all of metro Chicago. At this point the crowd in the restaurant which was not pleasant turned their attention to us and we decided the place was too dangerous too linger further. PLEASE BE AWARE OF THIS RESTAURANT AND THE NASTY OWNER BECAUSE THEY REALLY DON'T WANT ANYONE THERE THAT DOESN'T SUIT THEIR ETHNIC PROFILE. This place and its owner are a travesty.
(1)Steve R.
When we arrived at Ararat my first thought was how will this kebab house stay in business across the street from a new location of the highly successful and inexpensive Pita Inn. From the outside it was a storefront space in an aging strip-mall. This was clearly going to be different than the mediterranean kebob house I was expecting. Instead, we found ourselves in a family run Armenian-Russian restaurant with mediterranean influences. Upon walking in I felt as if I had mistakenly walked into someone's home and was a bit uncomfortable. We had interrupted a conversation the owner was having with family or friends at one of the dining tables. That initial awkwardness did not last long once we were seated and had some time to absorb and embrace the idea that this would be a little more adventurous dining experience. The decor was warm, dark brick patterned walls with various Armenian ornamental serving pieces, ceremonial knives and decorative rugs mounted to the walls. The plates and glasses were more like what you would expect to find when served at someone's house rather than those of a restaurant. We started with some hot appetizers: pastries filled with whipped potatoes, another with ground lamb filling. These were tasty and the presentation was pleasing. We also had a bread pastry with cheese (looked a bit like a cheese danish) but was topped with a soft poached or fried egg. Our hostess (apparently the owner and chef as well) explained how when serving this to be shared, you break the egg and allow the yolk to run across the cheese filling. She did this in front of us and cut the pastry into portions. It was far better than a cheese danish and not quite that sweet. Also, her attention to our experience and pride in her preparations overcame the earlier awkwardness and the lack of professional staff. We tried a few kebobs. Each was served with planked grilled potato slices, some sliced onions. The flavors were not particularly seasoned compared to mediterranean meals, but none-the-less tasty. Had we still been expecting middle-eastern kebab flavors and pita bread we would have been disappointed. We found Ararat to be a more authentic dining experience and a welcome alternative to the more typical kabob-pita-hummus menus more readily available elsewhere.
(4)Deb M.
Order what you want - get what you get! The food was all very good- fresh, home cooked, seasoned wonderfully not too salty, but the service is ridiculous, like sit back relax because, I am pretty sure there was one person running the entire place!?! Taking orders, cooking, plating, serving, handling cash .... Ugh, but it was quite clean! Decor is very charming and cozy, but the tables and chairs are horrible... Homemade bread and starters - something with eggplant, bean dish, hummus & everyone raved about the bread!!! Beverages took a while & tea drinkers were offered refills, but not coffee? Didn't get water, felt like it would be a bother, never dined at a restaurant that didn't automatically give water? ... Didn't get what I ordered- beef / chicken - whatever?! ridiculous!!!! but it was good! Also, didn't even ask what soups we would like - just brought out a couple different varieties? Ha! .. Both totally delish! Menus are a confusing the pictures do not help... I would totally avoid this place if you have any special dietary needs - I can't eat wheat and honestly I can not say for sure I avoided it? However, I would go back for the soup alone! Wish I skipped dessert - awful butter meringue thing? This place could be amazing but for now just good.
(3)Howie C.
Located in a LARGE strip mall that has seen better days. This place doesn't look like much from the outside especially with the hit man looking guy in black leather sitting just outside smoking a cig where there is a chair and ashtray, the inside doesn't look like much either but what the heck, we're here with a coupon. The lady that served us is VERY helpful. I think she is nervous because she apologized for her accent and her lack of vocabulary (English). We didn't have a problem with this at all. We asked for the humus and she brought out HOME MADE BREAD that she makes every morning with the humus. The humus is very good BUT HOLY SMOKES, this bread is crazy good. It is made without yeast yet has air pockets inside. The outer is crusty and crunchy and the inside was chewy. We ran out of bread and of course asked for more. :) Nathan S. from a previous post says it all. This was my 2 Cents.
(4)Kathy S.
Ararat is a small family run restaurant located on a small strip plaza in Mundelein. They serve a mixed cuisine characteristic of Armenia and Georgia. The food is somewhat similar to one from the Middle East, yet distinctly different. Meat and vegetables along with multiple spices will give you a good idea of the cuisine of this region. The food quality is excellent, prices are very reasonable, and you can fully rely on the suggestions given by the hostess. If you like fancy places, look elsewhere. But if you enjoy taste and aroma and value a simple family atmosphere, I suggest you to visit the restaurant. In certain respect, you'll feel like a tourist: the owners are very nice people who are eager to make you comfortable and introduce you to a different culture. Their thick accent and informal behavior adds to the unique atmosphere of a small Armenian restaurant.
(5)Elizabeth G.
My husband is always on the lookout for Armenian restaurants and trying Ararat was next on the list. I'll admit that when we pulled up to the restaurant, I told my husband that we were going to make alternate dinner plans. I am very glad that the pitiful look on his face forced me to park the car and go inside. If you enter Ararat with an expectation of restaurant efficiency and service, you will be disappointed. If you enter Ararat with an appreciation for someone trying to share a love of their country's cooking, you will be enchanted. It was reminiscent of eating at my mother-in-law's house, with the owner checking several times to make sure we were warm enough, liked the music and had enough food. Sure the service was scattered, but the owner is so deeply endearing and the atmosphere so distinctly homey that you can't help but open your heart and fall in love. Overall, the food was outstanding home cooking from Georgia (more than Armenia). We tried the baked cheese pie (delicious!), goat cheese stuffed peppers (delicious, but in very small doses), homemade hummus (delicious) for appetizers. For dinner, I had the chicken kebabs after being forced to forgo any notions of vegetarian eating and my husband had the Lula lamb kebabs. All kebabs come with a myriad of side items to choose from - I had fried potato slices with dill and my husband had roasted vegetables. To finish, we each had a homemade pastry (Armenian baklava and a honey cake) and Armenian coffee. For as much food as we ate, the bill was ridiculously low. Overall the value was great and the food was nourishing, well-seasoned and lovingly made. We will be back with a contingent of Armenian in-laws.
(4)Nathan S.
I am very particular about food, as you can see from my other reviews, and I do not give five star reviews lightly. Keep that in mind when I say that this was the best meal and overall restaurant experience that I have had since I moved to Illinois. I went with my wife, who I know is writing a similarly glowing review as I write this. The food is Georgian/Armenian, with a lot of Russian flare. It is authentic, home cooked food, which is extremely difficult to find in this neck of the woods. I actually spent some time in the Soviet Union back in 1989 and this was definitely a nice reminder of some of the food that I had when I was there. The service was fantastic. The owner of the restaurant, who also happened to cook our food and serve us, was extremely nice. She spent a lot of time describing dishes, explaining their origins, and making sure that we had everything to make the meal great. As an example, she kept bringing out different sauces to try with our dumplings while explaining how they were made. We started with a plate of Armenian pickled vegetables. This included beets, cabbage, mushrooms, carrots, and cucumbers. All of them are pickled in house by the owner, and they were fantastic. I was pleasantly surprised by the pickled cabbage and will be trying to duplicate this at home in the future! This came with a side of fresh baked bread that was also quite nice. We ordered two different dumplings, the manti and pelmeni. The manti are large steamed dumplings stuffed with beef and onion. These took a while to cook, as I mentioned everything is freshly cooked, but they were worth the wait. The pelmeni were small boiled beef dumplings, and were also quite good. We had a sour plum sauce with the pelmeni and a hot plum sauce with the manti, and they were both astonishingly good. The combination of the hot plum sauce and a little sour cream on those dumplings was incredible. Next I had the Russian Borscht soup which was very flavorful and rich. I cannot remember the soup that my wife had, but it was the second on the menu and it was also quite good, if a little lighter than I usually like my soups. I will definitely be trying other soups on the menu in the future. This was followed by Armenian coffee (think Turkish coffee), and two very well executed desserts. The Napoleon was among the best desserts that I have had, and the meringue was nearly as good. What really pushed this place to five stars was the overall atmosphere of the meal. Between the great food and the attitude of the owner, I was genuinely happy throughout the entire meal. The atmosphere was welcoming, and she was more than happy, even proud, to tell us about the food that we were having. It was fairly busy, with a ten top celebrating a birthday near us, but I felt that the service was extremely attentive. The one problem that we had during the meal, when she forgot to bring out our soup, was met with a plate of stuffed peppers and tomatoes given to us for free. We will definitely be going back regularly. This is exactly the kind of place that we need more of in the Chicago suburbs. UPDATE: I recently went back to Ararat and my experience was just as good as the first time. I tried the shish kabab (both pork and lamb chops) and they were fantastic. I thought that I would report back and let you know that the first wonderful experience was not a fluke.
(5)Michelle G.
Go for the food....it's made with fresh wonderful ingredients.....so yummy! Great old world service, from a family with love in it!
(4)Margie B.
Late lunch. Everything was wonderful. Couldn't decide between Armenian bean or eggplant salad so waitress gave me half order of each. Homemade bread is amazing.
(5)Philip P.
We found out about this place through the Chicago Entertainment book and figured we'd give it a try. It's a very small place located in an older shopping center and seems more russian than mediterranean (the staff is Russian) We wanted something a little lighter so me and my wife both ordered the chicken kabob and hummus as an appetizer. Hummus was tasty and not too thin or thick and the kabob chicken was marinated and pretty tender. The rice served with our entrees was a bit bland (could have used more salt). I'd agree with a review I saw on google saying that the service wasnt the greatest but it wasnt terrible either. We went on a weekday at lunchtime so it was slow and I was expecting more responsive service since we were the only ones there. A russian tv channel was on pretty loud and the waiter smelled of cigarette smoke from his break. Not sure if I'd go back again but if I did I might try some of their more Russian dishes that sounded really appetizing.
(2)MaSHa K.
If you are looking for a middle eastern or Armenian place, this is not it!!!! The food was VERY bland, not only it was missing salt i don't think they used any spices........
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