There are restaurants we Chicagoans like to tell people are our favorites—the fancy, expensive places meant to impress out-of-towners—and then there are the places that are actually our favorites. Those are the ones to which we return again and again. Salam, with its dingy charm and dirt-cheap Middle Eastern food, is safely in the latter category. Located in a strip-mall, it might not be a place you'd stop into by accident, but it's certainly a place worth trotting out the phrase "hidden gem."

Dispensing with anything so pretentious as décor (unless you count the wood paneling and floral wallpaper), Salam knows that what keeps regular customers coming back is simple: reliably good food. And here you get it for cheap. A falafel sandwich will run you $2.99, and the most expensive items on the menu (the shawerma-and-hummus platter is delicious) are a whopping $7.79. Still too expensive? Grab that jar of nickels on your nightstand and get your individual falafels for $0.21 apiece. The dishes are as tasty as they come, with the added bonus of leaving money in your pocket for later. It may not be the prettiest spot in town, but it's one you'll find yourself going to all the time.

Centerstage Reviewer: Mac McCormick