About Restaurant Mehanata

Let me introduce you to Restaurant Mehanata, a Bulgarian restaurant tucked away at 1141 Lee St, Des Plaines, IL 60016, United States, that instantly feels like a neighborhood secret worth sharing. From the moment you step in, the place gives off a warm, old-world Bulgarian vibe, mixing rustic charm with a relaxed, welcoming energy. It’s the kind of spot where conversations flow easily, music sets the mood, and the atmosphere invites you to slow down and actually enjoy your meal instead of rushing through it.

Restaurant Mehanata is all about hearty comfort food balanced with thoughtful options for different tastes. You’ll notice a menu that confidently leans into traditional flavors while still offering lighter and vegetarian-friendly choices, which makes it easy to come with a group and keep everyone happy. Whether you’re stopping by for a quick bite or settling in for a long dinner, the food feels satisfying without being overcomplicated. Pairing your meal with a cold beer, a glass of wine, or a well-made cocktail feels natural here, especially during happy-hour drinks when the place really comes alive.

What I also like about Restaurant Mehanata is how flexible it is. You can enjoy dine-in service when you want the full experience, grab takeaway on busy days, or even opt for delivery when staying in sounds better. Outdoor seating adds another layer of appeal during warmer months, while on-site service keeps things smooth and friendly. Late-night food options make it a reliable choice after hours, and the availability of coffee, spirits, and small plates means you’re never limited to one kind of visit. Overall, Restaurant Mehanata feels approachable, flavorful, and genuinely rooted in Bulgarian tradition, without trying too hard to impress.

Another thing that stands out is the drink selection, which ranges from spirits to cocktails that complement the menu nicely. Alcohol, beer, and wine options fit both casual evenings and celebratory nights, making each visit feel slightly different depending on the mood.

Business Info

Service options

Service options

+ Outdoor seating

+ Delivery

+ On-site services

+ Takeaway

+ Dine-in

Highlights

Highlights

+ Fast service

+ Great beer selection

+ Great cocktails

+ Great coffee

+ Great dessert

+ Great wine list

+ Live music

+ Serves local specialty

Popular for

Popular for

+ Breakfast

+ Lunch

+ Dinner

+ Solo dining

Accessibility

Accessibility

+ Wheelchair-accessible car park

+ Wheelchair-accessible entrance

+ Wheelchair-accessible seating

+ Wheelchair-accessible toilet

Offerings

Offerings

+ Alcohol

+ Beer

+ Cocktails

+ Coffee

+ Comfort food

+ Halal food

+ Happy-hour drinks

+ Healthy options

+ Late-night food

+ Quick bite

+ Small plates

+ Spirits

+ Vegetarian options

+ Wine

Dining options

Dining options

+ Breakfast

+ Brunch

+ Lunch

+ Dinner

+ Catering

+ Counter service

+ Dessert

+ Seating

+ Table service

Amenities

Amenities

+ Bar on site

+ Toilet

Atmosphere

Atmosphere

+ Casual

+ Cosy

+ Trendy

Crowd

Crowd

+ Groups

+ Tourists

Planning

Planning

+ Dinner reservations recommended

+ Accepts reservations

Payments

Payments

+ Cheques

+ Credit cards

+ Debit cards

+ NFC mobile payments

+ Credit cards

Children

Children

+ Good for kids

+ High chairs

+ Kids' menu

Parking

Parking

+ Free of charge street parking

+ Free parking lot

+ Parking

Pets

Pets

+ Dogs allowed outside

Hour time open

Right Now :

  • Monday: 10:00 AM - 11:00 PM
  • Tuesday: 10:00 AM - 11:00 PM
  • Wednesday: 10:00 AM - 11:00 PM
  • Thursday: 10:00 AM - 11:00 PM
  • Friday: 10:00 AM - 02:00 AM
  • Saturday: 10:00 AM - 02:00 AM
  • Sunday: 10:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Order Now

+1 847-824-0100

1141 Lee St, Des Plaines, IL 60016, United States

Reviews

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My girlfriend and I really loved this place from the atmosphere to the scenery. We're always looking to try something different so we decided to try Bulgarian food. They had excellent service and our waiter was very helpful in helping us pick out recommendations to eat. The portions of food are very very generous and quite actually a lot for the price. The food was really good, fresh and well seasoned. It was a new, but a great experience. Definitely recommend.

- Jose Huerta -

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My husband and I live 2.5 hours away. I was flying out of ORD for a travel agent convention and stayed at a hotel down the street. We found this quaint place by chance and LOVED it. Our server was incredible! He explained everything to us, provided excellent recommendations and made sure we enjoyed our experience. In fact we enjoyed it so much that as soon as my husband picked me up at ORD today, we headed straight back to the restaurant. The aromatic salt they provided for the bread was delightful. So much so that I researched it and was going to try to replicate it at home when our server gave us instructions to a grocery store nearby that carried it. We will most definitely be back!!

- Shelley Waller -

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This place is absolutely stunning. You forget for a moment you are in the US! The decorations the flavourful food and such a nice staff!!! Loved it beer was also very good, definitely come with your family!

- Helena Love -

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Absolutely amazing. Ivo was the best. The food was amazing and the atmosphere was relaxing and inviting. The dessert was the top of the evening. I've took time to explain about the culture and was very inviting. Eating here was truely an experience.

- Winnie Joe -

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I finally came here after having this place on my list for awhile. First things first, the parking situation. To the left of the restaurant, you’ll see a parking lot. Do not park in the first 3 rows because the liquor store is strict about it and will have your vehicle towed. The same goes for parking across the street in the empty parking lot. To be on the safe side, park in the 4th and 5th row after the liquor store parking spaces. The restaurant and the repair shop share the same spaces. You can try parking in that big parking lot in the plaza next door but I can’t guarantee anything. You can eat inside or outside. We ordered beef tongue with tripe cooked in butter, garlic, and red pepper. We also had chicken roll up, tatar meatball, and the cake Mehanata. There is a 3% convenience fee which is only like $1.77. Prices are typical for this type of food because it’s not very common. Service was excellent and very friendly. Portions are huge so you’ll be taking home some leftovers. -beef tongue with tripe 5 - I loved this dish. Beef tongue and tripe were soft and tender to eat. Good seasoning. -chicken roll up 4 - I like the concept of the chicken stuffed with ham, pickles, peppers, and cheese inside. However, parts of the chicken were kind of tough and dry. -tatar meatball 5 - I had something similar to this at another Balkan restaurant. Meatball is flavorful with cheese inside and very tender. -cake Mehanata 5 - this is a fig cake with mascarpone. Only slightly sweet due to the chocolate chips, other than that it has a good balance.

- Nicholas P -

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Love this restaurant. I haven't had a bad meal here. Quite inexpensive. Food is delicious. Atmosphere is very authentic, welcoming, beautiful. Love all the plants on their patio. Quite beautiful. Convenient location.

- Nelly Bulgaria -

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Well this was recommended by a Bulgarian coworker that I didn't know who was Bulgarian cuz his first name is Yuri he suggested to others but he said this was the best one and the only Bulgarian restaurant I've eaten in Mount prospect was Sophia grill but it felt more fast food or less formal or less European Ambience. I decided to come here on a bucket list and splurge for a Friday night and I guess you could say i was quite impressed. It has that Eastern European tavern but is also a traditional authentic restaurant although the music they're playing is more American LOL instead of some Eastern Bulgarian music I expected but the people are the customers dining and are Bulgarian as well as the staff originally I was going to get the tripe soup but my server suggested the lambs which I really wanted online but it was supposedly served for Saturday and Sunday until I found out they serve it on Fridays which I was so happy and it was very delicious it was like a comfort food for lamb soup very Hardy flavorful although the soup itself wasn't like a thick bra it was very rich in taste. The next thing I ordered was the chicken liver and it did taste like liver usually I assume chicken liver and onions was not sold tasty like beef liver and onions there were two variations one had extra virgin olive but again my server suggested having just plain liver and onions cooked in butter instead of olive oil the other one had extra ingredients that made it more stewy he said. Just FYI most of the dishes here are quite pricey you're spending between 18.99 to $25 or more I tried to keep it within my means and since I went to Sophia grill they did have the Bulgarian link sausage or karache. Compared to Sophia grill the way they cooked it was much better in texture and taste. I wanted to get some side orders of mashed potatoes or steamed vegetables but my weight or suggested to get sauteed potato cuts it was just the meh okay I should have gotten the steam vegetables with which look delicious one thing I do give credit is that they do get very Hardy dishes for how much you pay for. Otherwise I would come back cuz I saw other dishes I've never had like chicken hearts that seems intriguing and when I have more money I probably might splurge on the tartar meatball which is a familiar dish or a seafood dish I shall see those days when I used to go out and my parents were living in Chicago I would have done this in a heartbeat but now that I pay rent and have to live the reality of other people paying a rent it's going to probably be a while otherwise do come here just very expensive for authentic Bulgarian. Also noted parking can be a little tricky if they have a busy night you could park across the other side of the street in the parking lot with a pet supplies Plus or another bar or plaza across the street

- Art JIMENEZ III -

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Ivo was a great server, he really made us feel welcome and had great insight and recommendations. Can't compliment the hospitality highly enough. The food was great too (the mixed platter especially was very tasty) and the Bulgarian beer was really nice. If you like meat and well-seasoned food, you'll like this place.

- Andrew Sands -

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