Nile Restaurant

So maybe this Middle Eastern stalwart isn’t much to look at. But does that stop students, professors, townies and anybody else from packing the place? No. And here’s why: The falafel is fried crisp, the hummus is pureed smooth, and the shawarma is sliced thin. It’s all dropped off at your table with almost alarming speed, which makes it maybe not the best place for a romantic, lingering dinner. But this is U. of C. territory—who has time for romance when there’s Heidegger to read?