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Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Ethiopian Ethiopian [Edit]
5842 N Broadway St(between Ardmore Ave & Rosedale Ave)
Chicago, IL 60660
Neighborhood: Edgewater
(773) 271-7133
- Nearest Transit:
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Thorndale (Red Line)
Bryn Mawr (Red Line)
Granville (Red Line)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 10 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 9 am - 1 am
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
114 reviews for Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"The veggie combo dish really was amazing." In 17 reviews -
"The Veggie Combo was good, as was the Honey Wine." In 6 reviews -
"My favorite was the yellow split peas, but the chickpea..." In 3 reviews
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- A Yelpy Insight: Vegetarians go nuts for this spot. See more places they like.
114 reviews in English
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Review from Robert H.
Chicago, IL
Updated - 5/21/2012 1 photo
I'd previously reviewed this restaurant a little over a year ago and just want to update my review so everybody can see that they are still holding up the same high standards that impressed me on my previous visits.
Unfortunately due to medical problems I can no longer drive and have to ride public transportation for approximately 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours each way to eat here so I don't get here nearly often enough (only about once every 2 months or so). However, I do have a move coming up in a few months and am going to seriously look into finding an apartment near this restaurant so I can eat here more often.
If you're not familiar with Ethiopian food don't be the least bit shy about trying this place. They've not only got incredible tasting food, but they are always very friendly and willing to explain the menu items. They even are willing to explain the very simple and fun Ethiopian eating style of using the injera (sp ?) bread as your eating utinsel to get the food from your plate to your mouth. Although lots of Yelpers comment about how fun it is to eat with your fingers if you have a bit of a germ phobia rest assured the fingers are NOT touching the food. The injera bread is a flat bread that you tear a piece off and then pinch up a bite of food so no fingers actually touch the food. Forks are available by request if you prefer that style of dining.
When your food first arrives if you're not familiar with Ethopian style dining you may think you've been short changed on the serving sizes. Set that thought aside because what you may not realize is that with every bite of food you are also eating a bite of injera bread (it is SOOO good, it has a slightly sour taste similar to an American sourdough bread but is flat and moist and it gives the already incredibly flavorful food yet another pleasant subtle taste!) so you really do get way more than enough to eat. I've posted a picture of a vegetable sampler platter that has about 8 items on it and when it first arrives at the table it looks like maybe enough for one person. Looks are decieving though. It is easily enough for 2 people with good sized appetites and could even feed 3 with moderate appetites since you're also eating injera bread in every bite.
This is a small restaurant that can easily be overlooked especially since it is located right next door to a larger restaurant serving similar cuisine. If you have a great experience (which I'm sure you will) don't forget to not only leave a tip, but also review it here on Yelp for all to see and also tell your friends about it. They'll thank you for turning them on to this place!
As far as the service I am thoroughly impressed also! I've been here many times and have never had any reason whatsoever to complain. The service for me is spot on perfect. For me personally I appreciate the fact that they do check back sometimes to make sure everything is fine (fine is the ultimate understatement for this great place) but they don't bother you by coming by too often. It is not a McDonalds so don't go in expecting to be served in 5 minutes. Yes, it usually takes around 25 minutes to get my meal, but I don't mind waiting for freshly cooked delicious food. Sit back and enjoy the smells while you're wating. If you do find yourself needing something catch their attention with a smile and they'll fix you right up!
The owners children are frequently present in the restaurant and they are always very well behaved and I enjoy seeing them. For me it gives it that much more of the feeling that it's almost like I'm being invited into their home and that they've prepared a special feast just for me. For me seeing the smiling childrens faces is the icing on the cake that rounds out yet another wonderful dining experience.
There is another Ethiopian restaurant literally right next door to this place. I can't honestly say anything negative about it since I have never been there, but I would strongly encourage you to check out Abyssinia first and I'm sure you'll be as happy as I am with it. Do yourself a favor and walk past that other larger restaurant and instead try Abyssinia and you'll have not only great food, but I'm sure you'll get more personal service than you could get at a larger business. If you don't agree with my assessment of Abyssinia then go ahead next time and try the bigger and probably less personal service next door. If you try Abyssinia first though I really doubt if you'll be tempted to ever go into the other place. Maybe the other place is good too, but I've already found perfection in Abyssinia so I personally don't see any reason I'd ever want to try another Ethiopian restaurant.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/11/2011
I've been a bit delinquent and I've acutually been to this fine restaurant twice now so I'll combine… Read more »
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Review from Helen S.
4/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
Came here for dinner with my bf and roommate on a Saturday night. I've never had Ethiopian food before and I've been dying to try it, so I bought a http://restaurant.com voucher. We made a reservation beforehand but the place was absolutely deserted when we arrived. I think we were the only group (another group came in when we were almost done). The restaurant next door, which is another Ethiopian place, appeared to be hopping, so we were a little nervous about what we were getting ourselves into.
We split an order of chicken sambusas for appetizers, which were delicious. They reminded me of samosas and were perfectly crispy but not heavy, with a delicious filling and a tangy sweet chili dipping sauce. Since we weren't too hungry, we split the 2 person (non-vegetarian) sampler, which arrived on a huge platter lined with injera. The sampler consisted of mounds of beef, chicken, and lamb, with two mounds of vegetarian sides (lentils and something else?) and two salad mounds. My favorite was the beef, but everything was delicious. The injera took awhile to get used to, but it went well with the food and it was just such an interesting experience to eat with your hands in a restaurant.
The three of us were totally stuffed with just the app and 2-person sampler, and the price was more than reasonable after the voucher. I've decided that I'm a big fan of Ethiopian food. -
Review from David L.
600 reviews.
Food: 4
Decor: 3
Service: 4
I came here with my gf and her roommate for dinner Saturday http://www.yelp.com/bi..., even thought I had a bad Ethiopian food experience a few weeks earlier.
1. Chicken sambusas, 4
Good. 4 sambusas, which were pretty much samosas.
2. Sampler plate for 2 people, 34 http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Good. Meat was all cooked well, and the 3 of us were all full afterwards.
Service was okay, but we had to ask for water. -
Review from Beatriz T.
Chicago, IL
3/6/2012
I have never had Ethiopian food before so am by no means an expert, but I thought the food was excellent and I would definitely go back.
Yeah I guess the service was slow, but I had had a rough week and had 3 bottles of wines and 2 great friends to unwind with so I wasn't really pressed for time. When I walked in there were a lot of kids hanging around near the back, but as soon as the restaurant got more crowded I didn't really see them anymore and it wasn't a big deal anyway. So get over it. It's not like the owners asked you to babysit or breastfeed them or chip in on their college education.
Our server was an older gentleman (maybe the owner) and he was SUPER nice. He had no problem explaining the dishes to us and even brought us out a sample of the spicy chicken when he hadn't realized that there was a spicy option on the menu. We ordered some of the chicken and beef samusas and they were pretty good. I wasn't ready for how sour the njera bread was, but it eventually grew on me.
For dinner we ordered the tibs sampler which was chicken, lamb and beef and they came with three sides of veggies. YUM! I also tried one of their beers by the name of Tusker which is a Kenyan beer.
I used my $25 http://Restaurant.com certificate so it was a good deal.
BYOB-No Corkage fee.
Plenty of street parking. -
Review from Daniel H.
Chicago, IL
2/12/2012
I suppose I'll chime in as well. Overall, excellent with one noticeable flaw.
Food: The food is 5 star. All Ethiopian places in Chicago (and probably elsewhere in the US for the most part) have more or less the same things, making comparison rather easy. Each dish was done perfectly, and balanced that savoriness and sourness that is characteristic of Ethiopian cuisine. The portions were smaller than some of the other places in the area, but the dishes were less expensive. Besides, even though there was nothing to take home, those at the table were full.
Service: This is the flaw. There's one guy handling all the tables. He's very nice, but clearly overwhelmed. The service was excruciatingly slow as we waited for everything and had to ask for essentials like napkins and injera several times. Again, the man there was very nice, and the slowness wasn't done out of malevolence. Still, it took 3 hours for the four of us to eat. This ain't Alinea you know - hire some more servers...
I'd come back, but only if I didn't have anywhere to go afterward...Listed in: Ethiopian
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Review from Susan C.
1/9/2012
I love this place! Without fail, a certain friend of mine and I always end up at African restaurants. No complaints here! We have been to Abyssinia twice and we always leave there stuffed to the gills and happy.
The space is quaint and quiet - perfect for us to get down to brass tacks: girl talk. The service is wonderful- if a little slow. When we couldn't decide our server explained the dish (in regards to style and Ethiopian tradition) and then brought us a sample of the spicy sauce so we could be certain.
Tip: bring a couple of bottles of wine...waiting for our very attentive but very busy waiter didn't bother us one bit with some BYOB loveliness in front of us.
The food: amazing. Everything is well spiced and tasty. So tasty that the two of us couldn't STOP eating even with a complete lack of room in our stomachs. Not to mention how reasonable the prices are. -
Review from Thor D.
Evanston, IL
3/19/2012
Came here tonight with a $25 http://restaurant.com certificate. Called ahead to see if they offer gluten-free options to accomodate my friend. The man on the other line said that as long as I called ahead, they could make gluten free Injera (the flatbread you use to eat your meal--no forks! Though you could ask for one.) Told them we'd be there at 9--was told "Okay, but we close at 10." I don't know if that was to just let me know or if that was a way of telling me to come another night because 9 is close to 10 and they want to go home?
Regardless, food-wise, everything tasted excellent. We ordered 2 Veggie Combos which were basically a sampling of all the vegetarian items on the menu. In addition, we tried the Dinch Alicha which was nice--potatoes and carrots with onions, garlic, ginger, etc. I was totally impressed with the taste and loved sampling the assortment of Ethiopian food. However, I was not impressed with the small portions. Yes, I know it's a "sampling" of all the items, but we ordered 3 dinner entrees and although it filled us just enough, I don't feel each "dinner" was worth the $11-$13.50 price tag. (Prices on their site are not up to date.) Yes, I was using a certificate that I only paid a couple bucks for so I don't mean to come across as some entitled fat ass prick, but I do wonder if the certificate is why the portions were so small. I like supporting small businesses and that's why I use http://restaurant.com (I later return to the restaurants I enjoy without a certificate) but an average of $12 an entree is a bit steep considering the small portion sizes.
The waiter (most likely the owner) was just great and totally accommodating. His kids, wandering throughout the restaurant, were adorable. I love how he explained everything on the menu without us even needing to ask. I didn't like how he left halfway through our meal :-( but I'm sure he had to get home to put the kids to sleep.
After the owner left with his children, we were left with a female server (presumably his wife?) who was eyeing us quite a bit as it was now approaching 10pm. She presented us with the curiously expensive check ($56-$25=$31) which included a $2 miscellaneous charge, a $5 miscellaneous charge, in addition to a $7.80 fee. Confused, I asked her about these fees--she didn't acknowledge the $2 fee (maybe for the gluten-free?), but in broken English told us the $5 fee was the corkage fee, and said that the $7.80 was the tip.
From all the other reviews (including one submitted not even two weeks ago) I see that nobody has been charged a corkage fee, so this kind of ticked me off. If they changed their policy, so be it, but then tell us! I have no idea what the $2 miscellaneous fee was and the $7.80 for tip was fine as this 18%-20% included tip is often the policy with http://restaurant.com certificates, but the fact that I had to ask her what all these numbers were on the receipt was a bit puzzling. (And on a side note, I'm a real good tipper, ESPECIALLY when using http://restaurant.com certificates, and will tip at least 30% as a way of saying "thanks for the discount", so this did not work in their favor especially in conjunction with the corkage fee. I ain't tippin' no mo!) There were so many numbers and there was so much math on the receipt, I had no idea what I owed. After taking a good 10 minutes to figure it out, I gave her our two cards to split the tab. She went behind the counter, underneath the counter, and kept this strange dance up for 20 minutes. We had no idea what was going on. Maybe she was making copies of our cards? The machine was down? She could have communicated with us. (At the same time, we could have asked what was up but I'm a stupid non-confrontational white person who vents on Yelp. I post more positive reviews too, I promise.) She was on the phone through this ordeal and 20 minutes later our male server came back in the establishment apologizing, helped her out a bit, and gave us our receipts.
I'm not sure that I'll come again because of all the kind of weird occurrences...this seems to be a trend at many establishments when I use http://restaurant.com certificates. But I guess that's part of the excitement--you never know what the hell to expect, which is both exciting and terrifying. -
Review from Alden V.
Chicago, IL
11/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
The food was excellent, very very good. I'm by no means an expert on Ethiopean food, but I've had it a few times and I liked this place.
It was a little dead in the restaurant, only like 6 people in the place. And, it's too bad it's so far north, difficult to get to from the Gold Coast. -
Review from Manisha D.
Chicago, IL
4/27/2012
This place was a colossal failure from the moment we walked in. Initially, I was excited to try an Ethiopian place that was BYOB. Well, needless to say, I am not coming back EVER. My family is vegetarian and we went to the restaurant with another family that are meat eaters. When I ordered the food I specifically stated to separate the meet and veggie entrees (which they did). However, I order the sambusa (lentils) and we specifically ordered vegetarian. The server mixed our order with the table next to us serving them the lentils and us the chicken. I wasn't eating the sambusa but my daughter (who has been vegetarian since she was in preschool) immediately noticed something wrong and so did our meat eating friends. The waitress half-heartedly apologized and brought us lentil sambusas (still charging us for a grave mistake that they made). I don't even know how anyone can be so careless without dealing with possible liability. Unbelievable! The service was SLOW and it took up to an hour for our meal to arrive. The waitress (who was not attentive despite the fact that no one was there) didn't even offer our children water glasses. Our vegetarian meal arrived mostly cold and was flavorless with very minimal portion sizes. Our friends' food arrived 20 mins after ours (which is so disrespectful for a restaurant) and out of the four dishes, one was edible. HORRIBLE experience, horrible service, and poor quality of food. I am a regular at DIamond Ethiopian restaurant and there are so many good restaurants in Chicago, don't waste your time and money on this. MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT AND COLOSSAL failure.
I am still shocked that the review on yelp was so positive because I have lived in Chicago for over 20 years and this is HANDS DOWN one of the worst dining experiences I have had. If I could give them a 0 or half of a star (at best) I would, but alas here is my reluctant one. Save your money and go to Ethiopian Diamond (wonderful food) or even Ras Dashen because this place SUCKS!!! -
Review from Grace N.
10/11/2011 Seated via OpenTable
We ordered the doro wat (both spicy and mild chicken), kitfo (steak tartar), and the absynnia special (spicy beef), and the spicy chicken and spicy beef were my favorites. They came with small veggie sides. Everything was flavorful and 4 entrees were just enough for 4 people. I wanted to roll the injera "plate" up like a giant burrito and eat it afterwards but didn't want to create a scene. Try the Ethiopian coffee if you like espresso, especially since it comes in a cool ornate jug.
With the drab ambiance (the eerie silence from the lack of background music was strange), it would be a 3, but the BYOB definitely kicks it up to a 5...hence the average of four. -
Review from Christopher M.
Chicago, IL
10/3/2011
Its tough to have two restaurants creating the exact same food side by side with one another. It is harder still to succeed like this. Abyssinia not only does this but it exceeds any standard you might have.
Ethiopian food is not for the squeamish, nor for the unclean. You eat communally, everyone sharing a single massive plate. Add to this that you eat with your fingers and many people often find themselves squeamish. But I tell you, its worth it!
First off the foods great, spicy and hot and flavorful, I prefer the meat dishes but I'll tell you the vegetarian ones are surprisingly good as well. Pick one per person and you get 2-3 sides usually as well. Then sit back and wait for it to come out. Maybe enjoy a hot tea, its quite tasty.
The food itself comes in huge portions which you pick up with pieces of ripped flat bread called injera, its tasty and slightly sour. You start with one free piece but by half way through the meal you start to rip up the layer of it on the bottom of the plate, all of it soaked through with the dishes sauce, god it is good.
I never leave less than stuffed to my gills and counting myself lucky. So good. -
Review from Mary T.
1/4/2012
I love the warm, friendly feeling I get when I dine here. It's reminds me of a dinner with family; minus the thinly veiled hints about marriage and grandkids.
On all of my visits, I have been more than satisfied with my meals. Like many of their competitors, Abyssinia divides their menu by protein (vegetarian, lamb, beef, and chicken). The veggie combo, an assortment of all of the vegetarian items on the menu, is a great way to eat your way through the entire veggie menu in one fell swoop. There really isn't anything on the vegetarian menu I dislike (quite unusual for me), but the beets and potatoes deserve a special shout-out. While I like Abyssinia's sampler, I do prefer the way Ethiopian Diamond offers their veggie sampler; you pick three items, focusing on a more substantial allotment of your favorites. The vegetarian Abyssinia special is one of my favorite dishes; powdered beans cooked with onions, garlic and pepper, give the dish a slight spiciness that makes it addictive. In addition to your main entree, all diners also choose two of four available sides.
Service is the only area where Abyssinia falters. Maybe I'm jinxed, but my visits have been a cornucopia of comedic confusions and inattention; nothing serious enough to give me pause about returning, if anything, it has helped commemorate each visit. Despite the hiccups, I'm only knocking off 1 star; even though service can stand to be tightened up, it's always effusively kind and well-intentioned. Every time I've dined here, the owner has come to the table to thank us for dining; it feels feel like he's bringing you into his home.
Excellent food, reasonable prices, friendly staff, BYOB without corkage, http://restaurant.com coupons and Open Table reservations make dining here pretty much a no-brainer in my book (unless you're looking for a quick meal). In fact, it puzzles me why it's always empty.
TIP: There are two Abyssinia Specials on the menu, one vegetarian and one not. Be sure to specify or you might end up with an unwelcome surprise.Listed in: Veggie Tales, On the 3-6, Have Booze, Will Travel, Melting Pot, Visiting the UAE
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Review from Tarra L.
Chicago, IL
8/31/2011
Pleasantly surprised with the intense flavor, unique presentation and attentive service. I must admit I was excited and equally intimidated to try Ethiopian food. Please note- this is not your usual dinner because you don't eat with a fork and knife, instead you use your hands tp scoop up your main dishes with something called injera bread. It's OK, keep reading- it's totally worth the experience.
For beverages we ordered the honey wine and also opened up a bottle of wine that we brought in ourselves. The honey wine doesn't taste like reisling or a port, but it's sweet. Try it! It's definitely unique and unlike anything else I've ever tasted. I thought it was a neat compliment to the spicy food.
I ordered the vegetarian combo and wow was that a ton of food for one person! It came with a small portion of every singe veggie option on the menu. It included lentils seasoned with red peppers, yellow split cooked in garlic, powdered beans with Ethiopian spice; peas with green pepper, butternut squash, collared greens, cabbage, potato and carrots seasoned with spices and string beans. Every bite was unique in flavor and so delicious.
They serve everyone's entree on one huge round plate! So the concept is communal dining. If you are freaked out about this, you've been warned before sitting down via Yelp! Think about sharing your food with the people you are dining with because everyone is grabbing and scooping during dinner with the individual injera bread that they give you.
Injera bread is a flatbread made from the grain, teff, native to only Ethiopia. This is the pancake type food that they give you to use to scoop up your food by tearing off pieces of the spongy bread. Usually served in a colorful basket, it also sits under your food to soak up all the delicious juices. Unique, huh?
This place is located in Uptown/Edgewater, so I would recommend driving or going with a friend that has a car. The prices are extremely reasonable, the food was really good and it was something completely different. If you're feeling adventurous, I say go to Abyssinia for some quality Ethiopian food. -
Review from Pooja K.
10/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
The bf and I went there on a thursday night with a http://restaurant.com coupon ( 25$ .. with a minimum order of 35$). We really loved the place- quaint and cute! We called ahead of time to ask if it was BYOB- the answerer was kinda "not so nice" over the phone, so we thought we were doomed for a lousy experience. Fortunately, we were wrong.
Our server was a cute ethiopian young lady who explained the menu to us and kept checking on us, filling our water glasses whenever empty. She bought us wine glasses and and opener for our wine. The bf ordered the lamb tiga( ?) and i got the doro wat.
Food:
Appy- we got the chicken and lentils samusa- they are little triangular pastry sheets ( the one they use for spring rolls) stuffed with either lentils stuffing or chicken and fried. Each appy order came with 4 samusas served with a tangy sauce ( tasted like a combo between chinese duck + hot/sour sauce). It was pretty good.
The lamb was yummo ( as rachel ray would say)- cut into tiny pieces and it seems like it has been marinating in spices for a while. The meat was tender and did not have that overwhelming lamb taste. Def 4 star entree.
The chicken doro wat- it was spicy ( said it on the menu itself) and was served w/ a boiled egg. I was not a huge fan of this one just cause it was way too oily for my taste.
Sides- between him and i , we got to try all the sides. All of them were quite bland except for the salata ( salad ) I really enjoyed the dressing- which was some lemony concoction. The split peas type thing, lentils and cabbage were nothing to write home about.
We didn't get the dessert, but i believe they only serve baklava ( or maybe thats all they had left at the end of the day)
In summary- our bill was supposed to be around 44.00 but b/c of the 25$ coupon subtracted from our bil, add tips (18%) and taxes, we ended up shelling out 19.00 ( which is not horrible at all!). The place IS BYOB, and normally they do not charge a corking fee. However, as he explained to us while handing us our check- normally they will charge those paying with a http://restaurant.com certificate a corking fee because as he put it " u are already getting a discount with the coupon, and we need to make money somehow". ( he did not charge us and said he was making an exception) I did not appreciate that comment, but then the bf said something that made sense- he could have very well charged us on our bill and not bother to notify us. So,i guess if u look at it that way, it was kinda nice. The decor was minimalistic, but cute. If im in the mood for ethiopian food, this is where ill go :) -
Review from Tiffany K.
Chicago, IL
Updated - 8/17/2011
IF YOU DON'T COME HERE YOU ARE MISSING OUT!
Although the last time I was here, it took over an hour to get our food, my friend and I shared the veggie and meat combo again and it was absolutely delicious. We pretty much finished the entire plate, and the injera. It's so cheap, and so worth the trek. This place rules.Listed in: Good for Groups
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/8/2011
Two of my friends and I came here and we were definitely not disappointed.
This place is BYOB, for… Read more »
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Review from Noshaba B.
Chicago, IL
8/31/2011
Given by the largely positive reviews of other Yelpers, I'm wondering if I just had a freakishly unusual experience. I tried Abyssinia a few months ago for the first time by placing an order through GrubHub. The restaurant was just a handful of blocks from where I was staying at the time, but I was recovering from a medical procedure and delivery was the way to go.
The estimated delivery time I got was about an hour, but when my food had not arrived an hour and 15 minutes later, I called them. Whoever picked up said that the delivery guy was around the corner from where I was staying (erm.. okay.. but so was the restaurant) and would arrive in 5 minutes. So I waited. Nearly 20 minutes went by and my food had still not arrived. I called again, and they said the same thing, that the delivery guy would be there in 5 minutes. It took him another 15 minutes to get there. When I stated that I had ordered nearly 2 hours ago and my food was an hour late, he simply said, "We're very busy." Gee, thanks.
The food itself was COLD (surprise, surprise), NOT what I had ordered, and tasted terrible. I wouldn't even have eaten if I was physically able to walk somewhere or stand long enough to cook.
Perhaps dining in is a completely different story? I wonder how so many people could enjoy it.. my food was inedible. Despite the positive yelp reviews, my experience was so bad that I am terrified to give them a second shot.
I love Ethiopian food and will just stick to my absolute favorite place for such, Ethiopian Diamond, which NEVER disappoints!
P.S. I gave them a 2 instead of 1 just because I didn't starve that day. And to give them the benefit of the doubt that they were just a part of god's master plan to hate on me that day.. -
Review from Binal M.
Chicago, IL
Updated - 3/15/2012
Well as I said the time is an issue. So I give it a 4 start. We went to other restaurant but nothing matched the food and hospitality. Hands off!! the best Ethiopian restaurant.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/14/2012
Hmm.. where do I start... this is my first review on a restaurant on yelp. I decided to write about… Read more »
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Review from Grace L.
Chicago, IL
6/14/2011
Best. Best. Best. Best. Best. In sooooo many ways.
Reason #1: the food. I love Ethiopian food and have had my fair share of it while living in Philadelphia and traveling around on the East Coast. It's good stuff if you haven't had it before and for sure a unique culinary experience. The food comes out on injera which is like a spongy plate on top of a real plate. You scoop up the food in the injera and eat with your hands. The flavors are outrageous - it's definitely a mouth party! The menu is quite vast with a large range of vegetarian options as well as carnivorous options. The spices were all just right and I am drooling as I type. We got the Tour of Africa since we went for my bf's birthday dinner so I'm not sure what exactly was what but I will say that I was not disappointed with any part of it.
Reason #2: the service. We had a party of 13 and we were attended to very promptly and courteously. We had round after round of injera, multiple wine glasses for red and white wines, etc. They also brought out my bf a complimentary beer for his birthday! They were very kind and patient and just plain nice!
Reason #3: BYOB. Chicago does not do enough of this! It is a Philly staple and it is so nice to be able to bring your own beverages without a corking fee. So bring it on.
Reason #4: it's great for groups. The restaurant space is very large and it seems like they are accustomed to having large groups dine there. Definitely something I was looking for when I was booking dinner and they delivered!
Definitely coming back here. -
Review from Megan K.
Chicago, IL
11/7/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Good, solid Ethiopian food. I went for a nice dinner for three there--very cute and the staff is nice.
We had the vegetarian combo and it was very good and quite spicy. It was not "dumbed down" for an American palate. We enjoyed the injera quite a bit too, though we had to ask for more twice. The staff was sweet and accommodating. For me, the food comes in a solid second place for Chicago Ethiopian food behind Lalibella. -
Review from Sharon R.
Chicago, IL
7/14/2011
First time eating Ethiopian and I couldn't imagine a better experience. Luckily I had my foodie cousin with me who knew how to order, because we all got a big combination tray with chicken, lamb, beef, lentils, an awesome cabbage side and some other things I can't remember, all atop plenty of injera bread, with extra rolls on the side.
Great service, clean place, reasonable prices. (I think, my family wouldn't let me pay...)
Would love to try more Ethiopian in the neighborhood, as there's a place right next door, but will always remember this place as my first! -
Review from Marion P.
Chicago, IL
6/11/2011
This is my favorite Ethiopian restaurant in town, and I've been to all of them a bunch of times (Ethiopian food being my favorite cuisine in the world).
I don't just want to write a yelp review, I want to walk up to people and tell them to come here - I feel like the storefront doesn't do it justice, and they should be getting even more business to feed that beautiful and kind family.
Everything here is perfect: The food is incredible (get the veggie sampler!), the prices on the lower side for Ethiopian food, the portions huge, the service the friendliest in the city. They will probably remember you when you come back. They might even remember what you ordered, and inquire about your friends they met last time. Everything you wouldn't expect in a city of this size.
One time we were picked up by a friend who sat with us for just a minute as we were finishing up. Within minutes, not only did he have a glass of water even though he wasn't ordering, but he also got a free tiny sample of a few dishes - just in case he still needed to be convinced about Ethiopian food.
I feel like Raz Dashen next door gets much more business. Their food is amazing, as well, and they probably have the better decor, but at Raz Dashen I've gotten some attitude in the past about ordering a "sampler for two" to share among three people (does it really matter to them?, we're low income and it's $26) or been charged a dollar for each extra injera, whereas at Abyssinia I always feel like a welcome guest of the house, no matter how much or little is ordered. -
Review from Erick N.
12/9/2011
Title: Chased Away by Young Children
We attempted to dine at Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant the other night and were excited as we greatly enjoy Ethiopian cuisine, the restaurant had received overall very favorable reviews and the prices are extremely reasonable (especially considering http://Restaurant.com certificates are available as well as the option to BYOB for no corkage even though they have a limited bar). Unfortunately when we were seated there were some small children running amok in the restaurant; one even commenced climbing on the legs of one of our chairs. They were creating a fair amount of noise and appeared to be unsupervised. After this continued for a few minutes we opted to walk out of the restaurant as this was not the ambiance we were expecting and felt that we would not enjoy the meal in such an atmosphere.
We have dined next door at fellow Ethiopian restaurant Ras Dashen on a few occasions and always had a wonderful experience. While it would not be fair for me to compare the food between Abyssinia and Ras Dashen (since we did not consume anything at Abyssinia), I can comment on the ambiance. Even without the noisy children Ras Dashen has a more sophisticated, fun and upscale vibe. The menu also was a bit more appealing at Ras Dashen, though the menu at Abyssinia was nice and the prices (when factoring in the http://Restaurant.com certificate) are quite a bit cheaper. The servers were friendly and informative at Abyssinia during our limited time there (talking some about Ethiopian food and going over their menu in some detail), but I do wish that some limits had been placed on the rowdy children. It is too bad we did not have the chance to dine at Abyssinia as I had been looking forward to trying this venue, but we just felt it would not have been a pleasant experience that evening. -
Review from Rosalind B.
Chicago, IL
3/6/2012
I miss Sheeba Cafe like crazy but the food here is just as good. The decor is pretty sterile (loved the authenticity of Sheeba) but the service is faster and very very friendly.
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Review from Keith K.
Dallas, TX
7/5/2011
We had the pleasure of dining at Abyssinia on a recent trip to Chicago. There isn't much (if any) Ethiopian food in Dallas, so we thought we would give this a try. And it was excellent.
I had the Abyssinia special, which is kind of a beef mixed with jalepenos, onions, and spices. It was outstanding. Quite spicy but not overpowering. My lady friend and her friend each had vegetable sampler plates. It was a great way to try everything, and it was a lot of food. Also very tasty and obviously a great variety of tastes, textures, and smells.
Our waiter was the owner, and he was also excellent. He eagerly explained the dishes to us. It was clear that he takes great pride in the food, and that shows inn high quality dishes and service.
All in all, Abyssinia is a fantastic restaurant in an interesting neighborhood and a remarkable value. If you want to try something a little different, Abyssinia is well worth a trip north on the red line. A great experience! -
Review from Erika C.
Chicago, IL
12/13/2011 Seated via OpenTable
I want to say that Abyssinia has the best Ethiopian food in town but I'm not sure I've visited every Ethiopian restaurant in the city. Even so, I'm pretty sure this place does. However, let me warn you that this is not your typical restaurant. If you are looking for a dining experience outside of excellent food don't come here. This is a small restaurant that's run by a husband and wife and you will here for a long time. The good thing is that Abyssinia is BYOB so if you bring a bottle of nice wine you won't mind waiting for the food. I usually order the tibs sampler which gives you a lamb, beef, and chicken option as well as three veggie options. Their beef sambusas are awesome. Order them as an appetizer. Abyssinia won't lure you in with frills, decor or live music. It doesn't have to - it has great food and you can hear the live band from the Ethiopian restaurant next door :)
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Review from Shradha A.
Chicago, IL
6/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
Sigh - language and communication was just so damn hard here. There was only one server, waiting on 4 tables, and she was so shy that she was spending all her time hiding in the kitchen besides bringing the food out. How or who do you ask for more water?
Towards the end, the manager seems to have returned from somewhere, and was a lot more diligent in checking up on tables.
But now to the main focus - the food. Their injera was good, the red lentils (mesir watt) was really good. Their chickpea puree and the yellow daal were not bad and I always like the cabbage-carrot salad as well as the regular salad as sides. For the food alone, I would return here (maybe even over Ethiopian Diamond, which used to be my favorite for years until recently). -
Review from Saren F.
Chicago, IL
1/8/2012
Atmosphere was pleasant and not very busy. Food was tasty. Service was lacking; our server was not very attentive and did not update us on the timeliness of our meal, which took approximately 50 minutes to receive (for party of 4). I went here with a groupon so it was a good opportunity to try something new. However, I would probably go to other places before I return here.
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Review from Nishan P.
2/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
I had reserved a table for 6. They had set up a table for 16! Oops!!
Despite the mixup, the lone waitress was very pleasant and promptly brought glasses for our BYOB wine. She also steered me right by recommending the lamb awaize tibs. It was one of the best dishes I have had at an Ethiopian restaurant.
My dining companions all decided to go the meatless route. I didn't taste what they ordered but it must have been good because those petite ladies managed to polish off a mountain of vegetarian fare.
After paying our ridiculously low bill, we sat around the table chatting, hesitant to leave the warmth of the restaurant. The manager came by and surprised us with a tantalizing lime dessert.
With such excellent service and tasty food, I would surely make a habit of this place if I lived anywhere close to Edgewater. -
Review from Nimisha J.
Chicago, IL
3/3/2011
Best Ethiopian food in town. And its BYOB!
The injera(ethiopian sponge bread) here was especially good.
We had the veggie combo and an order of the red lentils, which was delicious. -
Review from Ato Z.
Chicago, IL
2/14/2011
Came here with three friends last night. I had the veggie combo which was more than enough food. Loved the collard greens and the salad especially. Service was excellent. They let us linger for quite a while after our meal was done, and even brought us a piece of complimentary pie (some frozen cirtusy kind) with four forks and it was delicious!
Reasonably priced, many vegetarian options, I was a happy camper and would definitely go back. -
Review from Chris M.
Chicago, IL
10/15/2011
Best ethiopian I've ever had. Excellent spices, the best injera, and great service. It is owner run, so you can tell that they really appreciate your business. There are lots of other ethiopian restaurants in chicago, and I've been to many of them, but I really appreciate this one the most.
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Review from Angel L.
Chicago, IL
3/26/2011
Okay...
So its once again that I post a review for an Ethiopian restaurant, and once again that I am not impressed. The restaurant atmosphere was okay (even though I would have appreciated more of a display of culture like Ras Dashen next door has), and the service was good (the waiter I believe was the owner and was very attentive, even though the female waitress seemed a bit off), but the food was very bland. I like my Shiro (chickpea flour stew with spices) good and tasty, and I just didn't get that here. The Miser (stewed lentils with spices) was AMAZINGLY FLAVORFUL, however one dish isn't going to get me to go back. They also do not have Quosta (seasoned spinach) on their menu at all! :(
The pricing is a little bit cheaper (about $1-$2 less per entree than Ras Dashen) but the menu is a lot smaller with only four options for sides as opposed to Ras Dashen's twelve. Even though their entrees come with three sides as opposed to the standard two, the portion sizes of said sides were TINY. As in I thought I was going to need the Hubble Telescope to see them tiny. Not worth the decrease in price.
Also the bathroom was GROSS with none of the attention given to decor and ambiance as the restrooms at Ras Dashen. The floor looked like it hadn't been replaced in 20 years! Also there is a TV in back that's available for viewing, but instead of making the place seems homey, like a nice bar, or chic like a hip place up on its technology, it just seemed to cheapen the place. Also since they lack the full bar that Ras Dashen has (they only serve beer and wine) this place just falls short or entertaining much of anyone. When my boyfriend and I left the almost deserted place we noticed Ras Dashen was packed. :(
In short, (I think I've said their name enough times for you to get it) go to Ras Dashen. Better atmosphere and food. -
Review from Jade T.
11/22/2010 3 Check-ins Here
Abyssinia is literally two doors south of Ras Dashen. With the latter having 200+ reviews, I decided to give Abyssinia a chance. I must say, I had best service (at an Ethiopian restaurant) at Abyssinia. Granted, my friend and I were the only two patrons. The very polite manager and a new waitress checked on us regularly. Fortunately, the food was just as good as the service.
I got the Veggie Combo ($12.50) which came with ALL of the vegetarian dishes (in "sample" sizes). If you've had Ethiopian food before, portions are huge. With the Veggie Combo, you get enough for two days worth of leftovers. I find the lentil/split pea dishes to be a little dry. I prefer porridge-like consistency. It's alright though. My friend had Doro Wat (marinated chicken). It comes with a drumstick, hard-boiled egg, sauce and cheese (to tone down the sauce's spiciness, if you request it spicy). This conglomerate of ingredients actually works, or so my friend says.
When the waitress asks, "do you want the food to come together?", she is asking if you'd like the dishes combined (meat and vegetables) on one platter. She DID NOT mean if the platters can arrive at the table at the same time. If you're a vegetarian like me and prefer to keep meats separate, make sure to tell them so.
There is no shortage of Ethiopian restaurants in Chicago. But, if you're looking for one with low-key atmosphere, then I suggest Abyssinia. I do hope that this restaurant gains popularity and customer patronage though. (Especially now that I've learned that it's a family run business with the husband as the chef/owner, wife as the hostess/waitress, and their polite daughter provides cuteness.) -
Review from Janine G.
Chicago, IL
5/23/2011
This place is the best! I have been here numerous times and every time I fall a little bit more in love. I usually end up going during the week, and it's never that busy. I have been on weekends, where it livens up a but, but still didn't have to wait to be seated. The servers are always so incredibly friendly and give great recommendations on what to order. The place is simple with some great Ethiopian Tourism posters up, nothing too fancy.
The food continues to impress. I always get a meat and veggie combo platter (which is so.much.food but not so much money). There are about 10 samplings of veggie dishes and 3 meat dishes (last night they included chicken, which I'm not usually a fan of, but I went crazy for this really flavorful option).
It's also BYO which is AWESOME! I love Abyssinia and highly recommend it. -
Review from Evan L.
Chicago, IL
5/22/2011
Great service, affordable, well-spiced.... tasty all around... the chicken was amazing and the veggie combo is also awesome...
The owner was very attentive and kind, great vibe in that place... -
Review from Claire G.
Chicago, IL
1/13/2011
I couldn't decide whether to give this place a 4 or 5 star review, so I decided to be a nice person and go with 5 stars. I went last night for the first time with our huge dinner group. The staff was just the sweetest to our group of 18 people on a snowy Wednesday night. The place serves beer and wine, but it's also BYOB (lovelovelove this). It's inexpensive and delish. They were very nice about telling us what everything was on the menu and describing the dishes once they came out. They also separated all the vegetarian combos from the meat ones for our non-meatasaurus friends. To top it all off, they remember which groups ordered what and separated our bills for easy paying.
I would definitely make the trek up to Edgewater and go here again. A+ -
Review from Gaurang B.
Chicago, IL
7/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
I have been twice over to this place. Vegetarian food was truly tasty, awesome and it's a LOT!! When I went for the second time, I had a lamb dish which was tasty but was medium-rare. I am not sure if it is the way they cook in this cuisine or it wasn't well cooked. Probably my taste-buds favor well done one :)
I must say that service is very much hospitable..Truly appreciated..
I loved Ethiopian coffee too.. Somehow it's dense even without milk/ cream. -
Review from Brett B.
Chicago, IL
2/8/2011
This place is amazing. Small, family run, clean, and very hospitable. But the best part of course was the food. They were running a special on the Vegetarian Combo at lunch time which was $7.50. Certainly a good deal for the amount of food given. This combo included Kik Alicha, which are yellow split peas cooked with garlic, green peppers, and onion. Next it had Tikel Gomen, which was a stew-y sort of concoction of cabbage and carrots. It ended with Misir Wat, a red lentil dish that had a wonderful roasted flavor with cinnamon.
They were extremely friendly, and this place is a stones throw from my apartment, so I will be back often. -
Review from Tom A.
Chicago, IL
1/15/2011
Things were very quiet here on an early Friday night, and I'd certainly go again. They do have beer (all imported), but allow free BYO, always appreciated as Ethiopian food needs (in my opinion) a sturdy beer.
Service was super nice -- she had this high level of concern that everything was going ok, and if we'd like more of anything.
The veggie combo is the way to go here.
In addition to the typical shiro, wat, salad, cabbage etc. (all of which stack up)., there are a few menu rarities that make a visit mandatory for any Ethiopian food connoisseur.
"Fosilia" is a rather surprisingly delicious dish that I wouldn't have ordered on its own, but came as a part of the combo, and now I'd say I'm hooked. It's mostly string beans and carrots, seemingly roasted and tossed with delicious flavor.
Another dish that you don't see around is the squash stew, which was nice and deeply and darkly spiced.
The shiro was different than I am used to (which is to say E Diamond). It was milder, nuttier, roastier. I liked it, but was glad I had a bunch of other things to try. -
Review from Made N.
Chicago, IL
2/17/2012
We love Ethiopian food, so we thought we'd give this place a try given it's just down the street from our fave, where we usually land (Ethiopian Diamond). We were a little leery because on a Wednesday night, it was totally empty, while Ras Dashen next door (which was good, but not as good as ED) was packed. It felt sort of like eating in a family's home. There were two little girls (obviously the daughters of the owner) and a couple of other women, while the man served us. Service was very good and attentive (then again we were the ONLY people in there!) and friendly. We got a veggie combo and order of our stand-by quosta, plus two honey wines. I'd agree the prices are bit less than other places, but the services are also slightly smaller too - that said, we both arrived hungry and left full, so it was plenty. The injera was good, though a bit cold. The food was solidly good, the lentils were amazing. The other dishes were good, but not as good as our usual places. The quosta seemed that to be lacking some flavor/spice as did a few other places. The honey wine, well, it tasted a bit funny. It had a more "brandy" sense to it than honey. You could taste the honey, but more so a dry white wine wine (I mush prefer to sweet smoothness of Diamond's honeywine). So all in all, this is a good Ethiopian place, but in a side-by-side comparison, I think I'd still revert to the standby, but this is a good place to try (maybe you'd like it better, who knows? We're both vegetarian, so no knowledge on meat dishes). Such a wonderful luxury to have so many excellent choices for great Ethiopian food in the hood!
