The Illinois Hole-In-The-Wall Falafel Restaurant That Features An American Twist

Whether it was Chicago's unique tavern-style pizza or something else that brought you to the Windy City, there is an iconic hole-in-the-wall restaurant that just might make you stay: Ragadan. Holding up his parents' practice of serving Jordanian and American dishes together, Danny Sweis, owner and operator of Ragadan, combines Jordanian cuisine with that of the American Midwest, from entrée to dessert.

These include American menu mainstays like burgers, fries, and milkshakes, right alongside falafel and baklava. While you can order a classic diner-style burger, don't miss out on the Dan Burger, which features sour shoor pickles and tangy za'atar-spiced mayo, or the patty melt prepared on a ka'ak sesame loaf. Finish your meal with a baklava milkshake to really lean into the fusion concept.

Similar to how Midwestern egg coffee sports Scandinavian origins, the herbs and spices used in Ragadan are another mash-up, this time bringing Jordanian flavors and aromas to the Midwest. In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Sweis emphasized the connection, saying, "I'm an Arabic dude who grew up in Oklahoma ... The menu reflects me."

Ragadan is a family business through and through, being owned and operated by various members of Sweis's family, who also offered him guidance to ensure the flavors are as close to what he envisioned as possible. Sweis's mother helped him put the finishing touches on this falafel recipe by revealing the key spice that brings all the flavors together: caraway. With a taste reminiscent of anise, dill, and fennel — and which tends to overpower other flavors if used with a heavy hand — caraway adds the perfect amount of complexity to Ragadan's falafel.

While the crunchy exterior is delightfully contrasted with its soft interior, the flavor of Ragadan's falafel is quite possibly its most memorable attribute. Sweis crafted the mix of spices in his own falafel with the flavors and aromas of Jordanian falafel in mind. This menu item can be paired with tahini-marinated cucumbers, hummus, parsley sauce, tahini, and other toppings that provide fresh, savory, and herbal contrasts to the falafel. 

Whether stuffed in a pita pocket or served on a sesame loaf, the falafel certainly takes center stage on the Ragadan menu. And should Ragadan inspire you to make a road trip focusing on iconic hole-in-the-wall establishments, consider adding the oldest dive bar in Nashville to your destination list.