Taste Of Jerusalem, New Rt. 30 Restaurant Worth Trying: Ferak

PLAINFIELD, IL — Most of my readers understand the difference between one of my restaurant reviews and one of my restaurant stories. A news story is alerting the community to a new restaurant that may have opened. A recent example would be my coverage of the new Red Crab Juicy Seafood. I haven't tried to any of their food so I have no idea if this place in the 2300 block of Joliet's West Jefferson Street is good or bad.

A review, on the other hand, is where I go out on the limb and urge you, the readers, to give a certain Joliet area restaurant a try.

Maybe it's a place you're already familiar with. Maybe it's not. Today's column is urging you to break out of your comfort zone and try something different for a change. The menu features kabobs, beef and chicken shawermas, a Jerusalem steak sandwich, a Schnitzel sandwich plus combination and vegetarian plates as well as appetizers you won't find at most Joliet and Plainfield restaurants.

The place I'm recommending opened Aug. 28 in Plainfield, and it's called Taste of Jerusalem. It's along Route 30, just up the road from the Louis Joliet Mall. It's in the same business plaza that has the Plainfield Moose Lodge.

The Taste of Jerusalem is worth giving a try if you are in the mood for something that isn't your ordinary cuisine for Joliet, Plainfield or Shorewood.

While I was on my way to my parents house in Plainfield in September, I picked up Taste of Jerusalem for a carryout order and thought it was incredibly delicious.

This past Friday, as we were contemplating where to order takeout, my wife suggested we should try a place called Taste of Jerusalem.

My ears perked up, just like our dog, and I wholeheartedly agreed. I was game for giving Taste of Jerusalem another try.

My wife placed our order online, and I made the 15-minute drive to pick up our food.

Our total order cost about $30, and we got more than we bargained for, way more.

Taste of Jerusalem takes care of you. They are very generous with the size of their portions.

For a start-up restaurant, their quality is superb. This time, I went with their marinated half chicken, which is cooked on a grill and served with your choice of rice and a Jerusalem salad. We also ordered Falafel as an appetizer. A Falafel is a deep fried ball of ground chickpeas and herbs.

All in all, Friday night's order went over very well at the Ferak household and my wife, not me, deserves all the credit for that.

I loved their chicken and my spicy yellow rice. I had no complaints about the Jerusalem salad. Everything was fresh.

So, now that I have had Taste of Jerusalem twice, I can say with confidence that it gets my vote as a place you should strongly consider if you are in the mood for something different.

Taste of Jerusalem is following the rules imposed by Gov. JB Pritzker and keeping their large indoor dining area off-limits to guests during the pandemic.

But that should not stop you from ordering takeout.

I would urge you to place your order online. That's the most efficient way to go.

As I finished this review, I was curious what others who have eaten at Taste of Jerusalem are saying. Well, based on 85 Google reviews, Taste of Jerusalem has a solid 4.8 rating out of 5 stars.

The address for Taste of Jerusalem is 16310 South Lincoln Highway in Plainfield.

Its Facebook page shows 660 followers and it's open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

For more, check out the full menu for Taste of Jerusalem here.

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