CHICAGO – Two people who say they fell ill after eating hummus at the Taste of Chicago food festival are suing the restaurant that served the food.

Monique Roach, 49, and Willie Smith, 43, of Chicago filed a lawsuit Monday against Pars Cove Persian Cuisine in Cook County Circuit Court seeking unspecified damages.

Roach said she and Smith visited the festival on June 29 and she felt sick the next day. She said she went to the hospital after getting worse and was diagnosed with salmonella poisoning.

“Truly, I thought I was dying,” Roach said.

More than 500 people have reported becoming ill after eating food from the Pars Cove booth, according to the Chicago Department of Health. Health officials have confirmed that at least 50 of those cases were caused by salmonella poisoning and at least 17 people were hospitalized.

Attorney Adrian Mazar said Roach and Smith both suffered high fevers and diarrhea and were dehydrated. Smith did not seek medical attention, he said.

The suit alleges that the restaurant failed to properly inspect, store or package the food, or made another misstep that resulted in the illness.

Pars Cove co-owner Mike Bambouyani said he sympathizes with those who were ill, but he thinks it’s too soon for a suit to be filed.

“It seems a little early for people to make a decision when we don’t know for sure if it’s something we had in our dish,” Bambouyani said.

The only dish implicated so far in the outbreak was an herb tomato cucumber salad that was served on hummus, according to health officials. All reports of illness came from people who ate at the Pars Cove booth.

The restaurant has been ordered to stop serving hummus as a precaution while the health department investigates.

“We’re working with the health department, and we want to get to the bottom of it,” Bambouyani said.

The Taste of Chicago is a 10-day outdoor festival that brings out food from more than 70 restaurants.