Hot New Restaurant in Glenview is it worth your time and money?

I was so excited to try this new restaurant! I received an email via Lettuce Entertain You about a Mediterranean restaurant, my favorite, that had just opened in Glenview. That brings me to my next stop:

Ema in Glenview.

hot honey halloumi cheesePhoto bycfk

I received the email on a Wednesday, and I immediately went to OpenTable to see if I could snag a reservation. Unfortunately, all the reservations were booked, except for late evening timeslots—it’s a very popular restaurant.

Tahini saladPhoto bycfk

I called the restaurant and was able to secure a reservation around 6:30 PM. My wife had just gotten home from work, so we headed over to Ema to see what all the hype was about.

crispy kale and feta spreadPhoto bycfk

As soon as we arrived, I noticed the building was modern and cute. The setting was very comfortable, with lots of natural light. The place was absolutely packed with people—all North Shore types. Although my reservation was at 6:30, they were able to seat us about 20 minutes earlier.

oven roasted potatoesPhoto bycfk

People just kept pouring into the restaurant. It was like a revolving door—there was never a moment when the place seemed to slow down. Our server greeted us warmly and was very friendly. She explained that their concept is small plates, and that they don’t take orders separately—everything must be ordered at once, including appetizers, small plates, and entrées.

inside dining roomPhoto bycfk

She left to give us a few minutes to look over the menu. I decided to share the tahini salad with my wife. We also ordered the halloumi cheese with hot honey and the roasted potatoes with feta cheese. I also ordered the crispy kale and feta. Both my wife and I ordered the chicken kebabs over basmati rice.

entry wayPhoto bycfk

I would have preferred if all the dishes came out at once, as some of them I would have liked to enjoy alongside the chicken kebab. The dishes did come with warm pita bread, though. The first dish to arrive was the tahini salad, which was tasty and refreshing—something I’d definitely order again. he crispy kale and feta was absolutely delicious.

frontPhoto byyelp

Next came the hot honey halloumi. Unfortunately, the flavors weren’t really there, and the texture was tough. I don’t think I would order that again. The potatoes were tasty but nothing special. Flavor-wise, they were very average.

menuPhoto bycfk

The chicken kebabs were tender and juicy, but the rice didn’t have much flavor. I’ve definitely had more flavorful meals at other Mediterranean restaurants for half the price. The entire meal took about an hour for all the dishes to arrive. Our server mentioned that dishes usually fly out of the kitchen, but that wasn’t the case for us—though they were clearly very busy. By the end of the meal, I was full. The overall food was pretty good, but there was nothing I’d rush back for, and definitely not worth the $130 price tag.

It seemed more like a North Shore hangout for locals to schmooze with each other. I think I’ll stick to my local Mediterranean restaurants over this one. I give Ema in Glenview a 6.5 out of 10.