Restaurant review: M'daKhan, Middle Eastern food by way of backyard barbecues in Little Palestine near Chicago

Chicago Tribune

07-04-2025

M'daKhan, a Middle Eastern restaurant in Bridgeview, specializes in great halal smoked and grilled meats, inspired by lifetimes of backyard barbecues in Little Palestine.
'We have all the traditional Mediterranean dishes,' owner Muhammad Baste said of their silky hummus, crunchy falafel and house-made pita. 'Then we have the charred, grilled meat,' he added of the tender kebabs.
M'daKhan, however, translates to smoked in Arabic, he said, and the restaurant is best known for its smoked meats.
Baste took over the business last May. The space was previously a quick succession of three restaurants (Oozi Corner, Em Karam, Jabri) under a former owner since the modern freestanding building opened in 2019.
At M'daKhan, you'll find an Ole Hickory Pits commercial smoker out back, constantly cooking beef ribs and brisket, lamb shanks and necks, and chicken wings.
The bestselling smoked beef ribs, piled high on a platter, explore the convergence of culinary cultures.
'We serve it two different ways,' Baste said.
One presents the plump ribs over a bed of rice, with a side of creamy cucumber yogurt salad. The other over fries with coleslaw, the traditional American Southern way, in his opinion.
'We started out with fries and coleslaw only,' he added. 'And a lot of customers would ask me, 'Can I get rice instead?' So we changed.'
Now 80% order rice, said the restaurateur, because Middle Eastern people love rice with their food.
'I mean, you have to serve rice with rice,' he said, laughing. 'That's how it works for us.'
For me, too, especially that ethereal rice, delicate basmati, reddish with spice.
'It has a little kick to it,' Baste said, not necessarily traditionally Middle Eastern, but inspired by South Asian biryani rice. The heat comes from serrano chile peppers, he added, which they dry and grind themselves.
The ribs weigh in at about a generous pound and a half of meat. They're deeply infused, served without sauce and fall off the bone. It's the old school Chicago-style barbecue, a touch too soft for my taste, but tasty nonetheless.
'They do cook anywhere from eight to 12 hours,' Baste said, and they use hickory wood for flavor in the propane-powered smoker.
Do note that smoked items are available from 1 p.m. until sold out. And they do sell out. I tried ordering the M'daKhan N' Charred chicken wings but missed out on two visits.
The M'daKhan mixed grill, another signature dish, showcases three kebabs. The experience begins just behind the front counter. A line of cooks work the huge indoor grill fueled with natural lump charcoal and covered in skewers.
'You get filet mignon,' Baste said of the shish kebab. 'And you get chicken tawook, and you get kofta kebab, which is minced ground beef and lamb.'
They're served off the skewers nestled against a bed of both the spicy rice and a white basmati, plus grilled onions and a tomato wedge.
I loved the smoky flavor and preferred the texture of the grilled meat that was tender yet kept its character. And the chicken, on the menu as breast meat, was surprisingly succulent.
'Everything's marinated in advance for 24 hours,' he said, and they do use dairy with the chicken. 'A plain white yogurt, which also helps to retain the juiciness and tenderness.'
That magnificent mixed grill dish is normally served with a small side of half hummus and half baba ghanoush, but I substituted it with a small fattoush salad. Seasonal vegetables, mostly cucumber and tiny tomatoes, tossed in a too-tart garlic lemon dressing, are crowned with crisp toasted pita.
The vegetarian plate, described as a sampling of their most desired appetizers, needs a far better name, because it is stunning. Yet another platter serves as a canvas for satiny swaths of hummus and baba ghanoush, plus the deep-fried giant gems that are falafel, stuffed grape leaves and fresh feta cheese. We've talked a lot about the meats, but this dish is elemental and breathtaking.
And then there's the radiant pita bread that's hot and supple and will spoil you for any from a store and even from many bakeries.
'We do make our own bread,' Baste said. 'It's made, of course, in batches.'
He declined to share details.
'Because everybody tries figuring out what goes into it,' he said. 'But we don't use any dairy, that's as far as I could say.'
They make about 150 to 250 pieces every hour, he added, in a hot brick oven, similar to a pizza oven. And when you dine in, the pita bread is complimentary and unlimited.
The lemon mint is their most popular drink year-round, and no wonder, a gloriously green traditional slushie fragrant from the fresh herb. Get it instead of the individual cup of hot tea, brewed with an Alwazah Tea Ceylon bag instead of loose leaf but saved with more fresh mint.
For some reason, a creamy freekeh dish is served flaming in a clay pot. I couldn't detect the promised smoked flavor of the cracked wheat, but sautéed onions, mushrooms and cheese and drama more than made up for it.
So why's it on fire?
'Just for presentation,' Baste said. 'It's fully cooked before it comes out.'
Fair enough. After all, flaming saganaki was invented in Chicago.
For dessert, the knafeh is the house specialty. It comes out nice and crispy on the outside, 'but still a little soft on the inside with cheese fully cooked through it,' Baste said.
The dish is the heart of the original Dubai chocolate but is served traditionally here with crushed pistachios and rose water syrup for a lovely aromatic finale.
Originally, Baste didn't want to open a restaurant.
'I'm in business management and accounting by trade,' he said, but the former owner insisted for months that Baste take over the business. 'The restaurant was never a plan.'
But the home backyard barbecue cook figured it was something he could do.
'I love food more than anybody will know,' he said. 'And now we have a restaurant.'
M'daKhan kept five or so of 35 former employees, he added, and hired a new crew of nearly 50 people. Their skills are evident, from excellent service to precise cooking.
'I never thought I would be in a restaurant from open to close,' said Baste, who decided to close on Wednesdays. 'Everybody needs a break, and now we're just making changes and having fun while doing it.'
M'daKhan may be the only Middle Eastern restaurant in Bridgeview with a commercial smoker out back. Outdoor seating will be available when the weather permits.
'This is all backyard cooking,' Baste said of their smoked meats. 'And I guess we're a new generation now.'
He was born, raised and still lives just a few blocks away in the same neighborhood of Little Palestine.
'My parents were both born and raised in Palestine, and they immigrated over here to the U.S.,' Baste said. 'My father's been here for the last 55 years.'
His mother, Nabeha Baste, lived here for almost 50 years before she passed away last July at 74. She did have a chance to dine at the new restaurant.
'She was always a supporter,' Muhammad Baste said. 'And our biggest supporter is my dad.'
They made his father, Yusef Baste, 84, his own table next to the front counter.
'His friends will come out every now and then and sit with him,' said Muhammad Baste. 'I want him to feel at home and happy.'
What's his father's favorite dish?
'Anything from M'daKhan is his favorite dish,' Muhammad Baste said, laughing. 'That's what he tells everybody.'
M'daKhan
9115 S. Harlem Ave., Bridgeview
708-229-8855
mdakhan.com
Open: 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday to Sunday; closed Wednesday
Prices: $37 (smoked beef ribs), $28 (M'daKhan mixed grill), $14 (vegetarian plate), $20 (creamy freekeh), $17 (knafeh for 2 to 4), $7.99 (lemon mint drink)
Noise: OK (60 dB) when nearly empty
Tribune rating: Excellent, 3 of 4 stars
Ratings key: Four stars, outstanding; three stars, excellent; two stars, very good; one star, good; no stars, unsatisfactory. Meals are paid for by the Tribune.