Aban Kitchen brings the rich, welcoming flavors of Middle Eastern cuisine to the heart of Carbondale, offering a dining experience that feels both satisfying and easygoing. Located at 114 S Illinois Ave, this casual, cozy, quiet, and trendy restaurant is a comfortable choice for a relaxed lunch, a flavorful dinner, or a peaceful solo meal.
Guests can enjoy comforting dishes alongside healthy options, small plates, and a thoughtful selection of vegan and vegetarian choices, making it easy for groups with different tastes and dietary preferences to find something they will love.
Aban Kitchen is also known for its local specialty, excellent desserts, and great tea selection—perfect for rounding out a meal or enjoying a warm, refreshing drink on its own.
Whether you prefer to settle in for dine-in service, order at the counter, or take your meal to go, Aban Kitchen offers flexible options to fit your schedule. Customers can choose from takeaway, delivery, and no-contact delivery, while catering services make it a convenient choice for gatherings, celebrations, workplace meals, and special events.
With both seating and table service available, the restaurant provides a welcoming setting for everything from a quick midday meal to a leisurely evening dinner. The combination of flavorful food, attentive service, and a comfortable atmosphere helps make each visit feel relaxed and rewarding.
Aban Kitchen is highly regarded by the Carbondale community, earning an impressive 4.70 out of 5 from 594 customer reviews. Accessibility is an important part of the guest experience, with a wheelchair-accessible car park, entrance, seating, and toilet, as well as an assistive hearing loop. Gender-neutral toilets and restroom facilities are also available.
The restaurant accepts credit cards, debit cards, and NFC mobile payments for added convenience. Visit Aban Kitchen at 114 S Illinois Ave, Carbondale, IL 62901, United States, or call +1 618-319-1000 to learn more, place an order, or plan your next meal.
Our Specialties
Every dish tells a story. Explore our carefully curated menu featuring seasonal favorites and signature creations.
Our chef's signature creations featuring locally-sourced ingredients and innovative culinary techniques.
We partner with local farmers and suppliers to bring you the freshest seasonal ingredients every day.
Every plate is prepared with attention to detail, combining traditional recipes with modern presentation.
Our Story
Welcome to a place where great food meets warm hospitality. We believe dining is more than just a meal - it's an experience to be savored and shared.
Our kitchen is dedicated to creating dishes that bring people together, using recipes that honor tradition while embracing innovation.
Photos
A glimpse of our restaurant experience
Food & Drinks
Five Fried Balls of Ground Garbanzo Beans Served With Tahini Sauce.
Blend of Chickpeas, Garlic, Tahini And lemon juice.
Smoky Roasted Eggplant With Garlic, Tahini and Lemon Juice.
Chicken, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and tahini sauce.
Beef, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and tahini sauce.
Chicken Skewer, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and tahini sauce.
Kofta Skewer, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and tahini sauce.
Ground Fried Garbanzo Beans, lettuce, tomato, pickles, hummus and tahini sauce.
Slowly Roasted Marinated Lamb Shank.
Lamb Shank Served With Specially Seasoned Rice, Salad and Salsa.
Lamb Shank Cooked With Vegetable Stew Served With Rice.
Minced Lamb Boiled In Vegetable Stew Served With Rice.
Diced Lamb Sauteed With Vegetables.
Four Grilled Marinated Lamb Chops.
Seasoned Grilled Chicken Leg Quarters.
Chicken Leg Quarters Served With Specially Seasoned Rice.
Chicken Leg Quarters Cooked With Vegetable Stew.
Diced Chicken Sauteed With Vegetables.
Authentically Seasoned Grilled Chicken.
Authentically Seasoned Grilled Steak.
Two Skewers of Seasoned Chicken.
Two Skewers of Seasoned Ground Beef.
One Skewer of Chicken Kabob and One Skewer of Kofta Kabob.
Includes Hummus, Kofta Kabob, Chicken Kabob, Grilled Chicken / Chicken Shawarma With Your Choice of Mogulgul.
Includes Hummus, Four Chicken Kabobs, Grilled Chicken/Chicken Shawarma and Chicken Mogulgul.
Five Fried Balls of Garbanzo Beans, Hummus, Salad, Tahini Sauce and Pita Bread.
Mashed Fava Beans Sauteed With Vegetables in Special Seasonings.
Red Kidney Beans Sauteed With Vegetables in Special Seasonings.
Stew Made With Vegetables in Special Seasonings. Served with Rice.
Eggs Sauteed With Vegetables in Special Seasonings. Served with Rice or Pita Bread.
Classic spiced rice dish made with premium basmati rice, tender chicken. Served with raita.
Crispy, boneless chicken tossed in a signature spices and aromatic herbs. Served with Rice.
Medium Portion of Crispy Golden French Fries Served With Ketchup.
Five Pieces of Crisp Golden Chicken Nuggets Served With Mayonnaise.
Two Pieces of Vegetable Samosa Served With Ketchup.
Five Pieces of Battered Shrimps Served With a Cocktail Sauce.
Crunchy, Bite-Sized Pastries Crafted from Filo Dough, Butter, and Nuts.
Two Delightful Bite-Sized Butter Cookies Featuring Nuts and Dates.
Rich, creamy New York–style cheesecake on a buttery graham cracker crust.
Hear from our valued guests
I just want to start out with saying that this is almost an entirely gluten free menu. The only thing not gluten free is the pita and one other thing. I normally don't like falafel but they're Falafel was actually really good and not too please say. Because they are only frying Falafel and french fry you can actually have the fried food here which is awesome. They went above and beyond to accommodate all of my allergies. The land was tender and the rice was so flavorful. Great price for the food. Ill be back.
✨WONDERFUL!!✨ The service is amazing and super personable! The masala tea is a MUST, as well as the Clay Oven bread! The back room is now open and is such a fun environment for groups or date nights! You would be CRAZY not to love this place!!! What are you waiting for…. GO!!! 🚗💨
Our food was delicious. The clay oven bread and hummus were items I would get again and again! Server was very nice and attentive and gave great recommendations. Everything was fresh, hot and the servings were large. 5 stars!
Friendly service and excellent food. Service was a little slow, but we went in expecting that given the other reviews, so no concerns on our part. We ordered the chicken shawarma plate and sandwich, and both were very delicious. I think we should have ordered a side of the clay oven bread for the full experience, so make sure you do. Highly recommend the chai karak. I have never had a chai tea that tasted like that, so it tasted a little strange to me at first. But I assume it was authentic & the flavor definitely grew on me.
A gem! If you are within two hours and not even hungry, make a detour and stop here for food. You won't be disappointed Authentic yummy food. Everything we had here were top notch, really tasty, authentic spices. The slow cooked roast lab is really good, one of the best I have ever had, tying with the roast lamb at stephos in Vancouver, BC. The karak team is perfectly sweet and spicy. The baklava is just full of flavor, the flavors keep bursting in your mouth. The restaurant looks popular with the locals, gets busy quick during dinner time. Friendly staff!
If I remember right, when Aban Kitchen first opened, they didn’t have many vegetarian options, so we never got a chance to try it back then. We were pleasantly surprised to see that they now have a separate vegetarian section on the menu. We went later in the evening, so it wasn’t very busy, and the staff were very friendly. We tried the Shakshuka, Falafel Plate, and their tea and everything was delicious! It’s a great spot for vegetarians in Carbondale.
My friend and I went to Aban Kitchen for the first time after talking about it for a while, and we were extremely pleased!! As someone who likes exploring different foods, this was a perfect place for me. I got Lamb Kabsah and he got Chicken Kabsah, both were extremely tender and falling off the bone. I will be returning! Our waitress was extremely kind and helpful. We had so much fun!
First time visiting. Everything we had was absolutely delicious. The food and service were amazing! The server was very friendly. We’re visiting from out of town, and this will be a regular stop anytime we’re here. I cannot say enough good things about this place!
Listen, I’m a simple man. If the food tastes great, that overrules everything else. And the food was delicious. My fiance had the beef shawarma and I had the chicken. It did take a bit to come out, but it was delicious and hot. We had some samosas for an appetizer, which they serve with ketchup. Unorthodox but it was excellent. Very hot, a little spicy and so tasty. And the ketchup worked. Still can’t believe it. Place is a little dark and the ceiling has a bit of wear. But you don’t eat ceilings, so if you’re okay with a place where the food is the star, give it a shot. We’ll definitely be back when visiting our college student at SIU.
Great food, amazing new ambiance, and outstanding service! Everything was fresh and delicious, and the staff was incredibly friendly. Our server was so kind and attentive. Definitely one of the best places for Mediterranean foodhighly recommend!
Common questions about Aban Kitchen
Aban Kitchen is located at 114 S Illinois Ave, Carbondale, IL 62901, United States, Carbondale, IL, United States.
You can reach Aban Kitchen by calling +1 618-319-1000.
Aban Kitchen has a rating of 4.7 out of 5 based on 594 customer reviews.
Aban Kitchen features the following accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible car park, Wheelchair-accessible entrance, Wheelchair-accessible seating, Wheelchair-accessible toilet, Assistive hearing loop.
Aban Kitchen features the following service options: No-contact delivery, Delivery, Takeaway, Dine-in.
Aban Kitchen features the following highlights: Great dessert, Great tea selection, Serves local specialty.
Aban Kitchen features the following popular for: Lunch, Dinner, Solo dining.
Aban Kitchen features the following offerings: Comfort food, Healthy options, Small plates, Vegan options, Vegetarian options.
Aban Kitchen features the following dining options: Lunch, Dinner, Catering, Counter service, Dessert, Seating, Table service.
Aban Kitchen features the following amenities: Gender-neutral toilets, Restroom.
Aban Kitchen features the following atmosphere: Casual, Cozy, Quiet, Trendy.
Aban Kitchen features the following crowd: Family friendly, Groups, LGBTQ+ friendly, Tourists, Transgender safe space, University students.
Aban Kitchen features the following payments: Credit cards, Debit cards, NFC mobile payments.
Aban Kitchen features the following parking: Free parking lot, Free street parking, Paid parking lot, Paid street parking, Plenty of parking.
Business Features
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