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Categories: Ethiopian, Vegetarian, African [Edit]
Neighborhood: EdgewaterChristmas is right around the corner so start making your reservations for your next Holiday Party at the Ethiopian Diamond Restaurant!!
Granville (Red)
Mon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
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Contrary to popular belief, they do not serve goat.
I went here for my friend's birthday last month. It was a dark and windy and lightly stormy night, probably the first of the October chills. I entered a very homey atmosphere with the lights dimmed to a low glow. Live music was playing in the background. I expected to hear ethnic music, but it turned out to be a local rock band. They were great anyways....
Ok...now the food! Be prepared to eat with your hands. all the food is served on top of a spongy-textured flat bread. They give you extra flat bread to use as your utensil to pick up the food. When they first serve your meal, it looks a little intimidating, but your server will guide you. The flavors of the food are very intense and the textures are comfortably filling! The flatbread really fills you up!
They took really good care of our group, and I would definitely go back when I come to the area again!
Great food and Great service. I went to watch my buddy play drums and decided to try some of the food. It was my first time at an Ethiopian restaurant so I had no idea how or what to order. The waitress was patient and helped expalin the different items.
I had lamb which was covered in this amazing garlic sauce.
If you have never been, try Ethiopian Diamond.
It is kind of sad to me that I live very close to this restaurant and haven't had the pleasure until now. I met 5 of my friends here for dinner recently and we had blast. Only 1 person had eaten Ethiopian food before but even she proclaimed that this by far the best she'd ever eaten.
We loved everything that was placed in front of us. The Ethiopian beer was very flavorful and smooth. We ordered the tilapia, the lamb, the chicken, shrimp, okra and there was some other orders that I cannot seem to remember but not because they weren't memorable...more than likely it's because I am 41 and I can't remember a lot of things now.
Everything that we shared was amazing. Specifically for me the okra. I don't even particularly care for okra except when it is fried. This okra was prepared so well that I thought it was collard greens or spinach...lol. When the vegetarian that ordered the okra pointed out what I was eating, I became obsessed with the okra.
Even though there were six of us at the table and we were sharing, everyone let feeling full. We had two bottles of wine, a few of us had beer, two orders of appetizers and six entrees and the total bill was $211 which equaled out to be $35 bucks each...you can't beat that with a stick! I would recommend this restaurant to anyone that wants to experience something new, a great meal, have a great time and not break the bank.
A couple of side notes- they have a full bar but they also allow BYOB with a $5 per bottle corkage fee. Also, you eat with your hands but if you ask they will bring you flatware. Enjoy!
Which of the following do you enjoy?
a. Caveman habits.
b. Live music.
c. Eating with your hands.
d. Meat and carbs.
If you answered one or more of the above, then I'd give Ethiopian Diamond restaurant a try. I can't guarantee there will be live music every night of the week, but there was a pleasant jazz band this past Fri. that performed some elevator music-y tunes.
What other type of cuisine offers silverware in the form of spongey, sourdough flatbread with an exotic name like injera? I'm not a huge fan of sourdough, but I do love meat, so scooping my protein up with injera was a sacrifice I was willing to make.
The staff was friendly, attentive and handled our dinner party of 15ish expertly.
And if you go, make sure your friends don't have germs or cooties on their hands. There's a lot of communal dishes.
Worst food I ever had, no wonder those people are so skinny.
I've tried several Ethiopian places, and this is one of the best. The injera has the right amount of tang, and I've always gotten the veggie combo - the yemisir watt (spicy lentils), the gomen, and yatkilt watt (potatoes and carrots), all excellent.
For meat dishes, I'd recommend the doro watt (spicy chicken). Ethiopian "spicy" doesn't have too much heat.
And Ethiopian tea is like no other, with a natural sweetness and subtle cinnamon spice - very refreshing.
Friendly service, and of course, the joy of eating with one's hands! This is a great restaurant.
My first time having Ethiopian food and my first time attending Veggie Supper Club (mad props to Michael G for planning!).
The food, service, and company were all fabu and I can't wait to go back and try more things BUT there were just a few things to keep it from getting a first run 5 star review.
A. Not the fault of the restaurant, just my own personal thing but it was weird for me, being a first timer, to share food off one plate with folks I hadn't really met before. I usually don't go knuckles deep into my food with people on the first dinner.
B. I like a little more variety among meals... like when you order a meal and it has several sides. I get that it's meant to share and they do have a veggie sampler option where you can choose 3 of their select veggie options but I don't know... some sort of something different would have been cool. Next time I'll be a little daring, get something spicy and some apps to satisfy my side cravings.
C. I want to recommend they serve the food on something other than a stainless steel plate for the food but I don't know if that's tradition or not. I mean, the food is fabu when it first comes out but it gets cold so damn fast on that stainless steel plate.
Beside those 3 minor things, this place is totally rockin'! I'm SO coming back and bringing friends. PS- the Ethiopian beer I had was yum-tastic.
This place is awesome. Delicious, authentic, and nice environment. The location is the worst part of this place. Parking is a problem at all times, but especially in the evening. The food is pretty authentic and delicious at the same time except their messir which sucked. But it was part of the veggie side-dishes that accompany your main course so it is okay.
I recommend trying the "gored gored" if you are a fan of meat. Ask for some awaze (ethiopian hot sauce) to complement the "gored gored."
Firstly ,don't eat here if you're afraid of eating with your hands or are grossed out by saucy dishes. If this doesn't apply to you, read on!
I get an Ethiopian food craving about once a month, which is really inconvenient as I live on the south side. However, I will always be willing to bus my ass up to Edgewater to Ethiopian Diamond. I love this food so much, I actually get sad when dinner is over.
Note: this is family style food folks, and you get way more bang for your buck if you go with a friend or two than if you go alone.
I've loved everything I've eaten here: Gomen, Yesiga Alicha, Doro Watt, Yellow split peas, Yemisir Watt...mmmm. I must admit I'm not a fan of the honey wine, but I think it's just because I'm not into sweet booze.It really does taste like some one poured some honey in hoppy wine. Oh, dear GOD, but the food is divine!
I have over eaten every time I've gone and will continue to do so, at least once a month.
Myth #3018 about Ethiopian cuisine: Ethiopians are not technologically advanced enough to take reservations at their restaurants. The group who wins a machete fight in the waiting area is seated first.
Fact #1 about Ethiopian Diamond restaurant: You can make reservations online in advance for this particular restaurant. Absolutely no knifeplay required. In fact, since like at almost all Ethiopian places you eat with your hands, there are no knives outside the kitchen.
Planning Veggie Supper Club is often a challenge. There have been some months with up to a 75% flake rate. Some people say vegetarians are picky eaters. I saw that's not true, but we are apparently very fickle diners who decide at a moment's notice they don't want a particular restaurant. The September dining excursion was not an exception. Our reservation for 20 quickly became 10 in about a 24 hour period. Ethiopian Diamond, used to large groups did not even bat an eye and managed to adjust on the fly (which as I stated in an earlier Ethiopian restaurant review is not a side dish of this cuisine - neither, for that matter are bats or eyes) and made the dining experience one of the easiest yet.
Like most Ethiopian places, Ethiopian Diamond serves large groups family style on a giant piece of injera (sponge bread used similarly to Indian naan) that ends up closely resembling an artist palette (the color range of Ethiopian food is second to none). And like most other Ethiopian places, you can order a combo to experiment with the full range of flavors and textures ($11.25 for three choices is a bit more pricey than some Ethio places but the portions are large).
But there is one difference that's the only one that matters - Ethiopian Diamond is the biggest and best place in the city (that's just my opinion but I'm sticking to it). The injera's just a little bit spongier and more savory, the gomen's (collared greens) just a little more tangy, the dinich alicha (potato cubes and carrots) is the best in the city. The plaques on the wall don't lie.
Though I'm surprised no one's eaten them yet. The rapidity that the food disappears here borders on insane.
Luckily, no one was harmed in the quick devouring of all of the delicious choices. But probably only because none of us had knives.
I am hesitant to say that I have a 'favorite' restaurant, but if I were to make such a committing declaration, Ethiopian Diamond would surely be a safe bet. Not that I can repeat what everything was called, but I can recall that everything I've tried on the menu is stellar. You can't go wrong with one of the combo meals...either with meat or vegetarian.
Above all, this place is wonderful in its simplicity. Ethiopian Diamond offers straightforward and delicious food with substance, a comfortable ambiance without pretension, and a welcoming staff . You don't need much to dine here...just your hands. You'll need them to eat, to high five your fellow diners, to offer a toast with some yummy honey wine, and to applaud in praise. Can I get an AMEN?!
My second time at Ethiopian Diamond was for Veggie Supper Club: IX. Although I am a devout meat eater, I appreciate vegetarian dishes and have a couple up my chef sleeve. There's plenty on the menu here for both meat-eaters and vegetarians to enjoy, and I decided to go veggie, as I always seem to do for Veggie Supper Club meetings!
There was a bit of a wait for our server to acknowledge that our group was ready to order. This may have been due to our party still having their menus open (a sign you're not ready to order), but I think the server was told we were expecting more people, hence she was probably just being polite and waiting. That was the only negative all night!
Our server helped with any questions on the menu, and helped us choose yummy African beers, based on preference (Lager, Stout, Pilsener).
Most of us chose the Vegetarian Sampler; an easy way to try three of the dishes for $12. I got #30, 31 and 37! Don't they sound great? They were Yemisir Wot, a spicy chick pea dish, Kik Alticha, a yellow chick pea dish, and a potato and carrot dish soaked in garlic and ginger that was excellent! Everything satisified, and we were given plenty of spongy injera bread to dig in. The meal was excellent.
The one other time I was here was on a Friday night, it was crowded, so it's best to make a reservation through the website. They also had a gentleman from Sun Ra's band playing music, and it was quite obvious he was a skilled musician and not just background music.
Ethiopian food is a great way to share a communal meal and get to know people, so it was great for the Veggie Supper Club. Thanks to Michael G. for taking the reins on this one.
PS- super clean bathrooms and they have the Xcelerator. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
This is the real deal, you won't find any cubic zirconium in here!
I was a little nervous about my first experience with Ethiopian for three reasons. First, I'm an obnoxiously picky eater. Second, an old friend went for Ethiopian on a first date and complained endlessly about how terrible it was. Third, I was headed there with my Veggie Supper Club crew and didn't want to be lame and order a green salad. Luckily, E.D. has a menu online so I was able to confirm in advance that there were a few dishes I wanted to try.
I know E.D. is "waaay far up North," "in Canada," or whatever, but put those thoughts aside for a minute and listen up! It's really easy to get to; the 36 bus literally drops you in front (get off at Glenlake) and the Red line is also about a block walk from the Granville stop, if you can handle that.
I urge you to get a combo platter, for a few bucks more you can pick three dishes. I ordered the veggie combo and got Quosta (#34), Yatkilt Watt (#36), Dinich Alicha (#37) with a Castle Beer. I'd really like to thank E.D. for putting numbers on the menu, it saves diners the embarrassment of trying to pronounce the dish names; although it would be funny to listen to people try.
Food comes out family style on a giant round tray. If you have issues sharing your food or having items touch one another you may have some problems. The dishes are eaten using Injera, a thin, crepe-like bread; in other words you are eating with your hands. I have a feeling that was the reason my friend hated Ethiopian, it's hard to be dainty on a first date eating this food, but in my opinion it's worth potentially offending your dinner date.
My food was amazing, my favorite dish being the Yatkilt Watt, string beans, carrots and potatoes in sauce. All three of the dishes I got were billed as mild, but this was definitely the spiciest of the three. It wasn't uncomfortably spicy, it just had a nice kick to it.
Service was friendly and attentive. The menu is expansive, with something for almost every type of diet including vegans. The place is really big, which makes it ideal for group dining excursions.
Ethiopian Diamond has set the bar very high for all future Ethiopian dining experiences!
So I went back a bit ago but I didn't update right away, it's been over my head! But I am very pleased I did. I had a much better experience this time around. It goes to show what I know, restaurants should not be judged once through. The food was very yummy, we got a "Tour of Africa" dinner for two. My mother complained "Is that gonna be enough?" with furrowed brow and narrow eyes when it arrived but in the end we ended up having to be rolled out of the restaurant, a service included in the already affordable price of the dinner combo.
Unfortunately I don't recall my specific dishes, but I'll have to go once more, take note, and update. I know I did not get to fall in love with anything in particular, but I'll be happy to go back and explore the menu for a chance to!
This is one of those cases where popular consensus make you tilt your head and wonder whether you… Read more »
Yay to Veggie Supper Club for finally getting me here. I live close by but always think of it spur of the moment when I don't have anyone else to eat with. You need at least one other person for Ethiopian or else it's no fun.
Since I was with vegetarians I thought it best not to order meat. I always feel really guilty for eating meat while a vegetarian is around, much less a table full of them. I stuck to the veggie menu this visit. The spinach was my favorite but the potato and carrot thing was tasty as were the red lentils. I was a little iffy on the bread that you use to eat with. It added some good flavor to the dishes but I think it might take some getting used to. Everything was really filling though. My belly was happy when I left.
Service was good and everyone was friendly. The place is big and they had no trouble accommodating us. I'd like to go back and try some of the non-veggie dishes. Some of them sounded amazing.
Thank you Yelp Veggie Club for bringing me back here after so long! You guys were all lots of fun and I was reminded of how good Ethiopian Diamond is!
Love love their red lentil (yemisir watt #91); love their spinach (#94); like their split peas (#93); and found their chickpea (#92) okay.
Injera was good too and love the salad in the middle! Decently priced, friendly service and large space!
This is the best Ethiopian in town for sure!
The first time I went here was my first experience with…
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How is it possible that I have not reviewed this place yet?? My husband and I have been coming to Ethiopian Diamond for years, and it is hands down our favorite restaurant in Chicago. I'm not just talking favorite Ethiopian restaurant--it's literally our favorite restaurant in the entire city of Chicago.
We always get the same thing when we go to Ethiopian Diamond--the vegetarian Tate of Ethiopia sampler. It comes with a cabbage dish, collard greens, spicy red lentils, mild yellow lentils, potato and carrot stew and Shimbra Assa, a "chickpea fish" dish. I think about their collard greens almost every day. They are so tender and delicious. I could eat them at every meal. And the cabbage is not far behind.
Ethiopian Diamond has the best Ethiopian food in Chicago and is actually better than most of the food I had while traveling in Ethiopia last year. Go on a Saturday night for the live music. You won't be disappointed!
This place rocks my world!!!!
The whole experience of eating here is amazing! from the friendly staff to the awesome food and their great honey wine, this is a mandatory visit for anyone interested on ethnic food.
Huge selection of veggie dishes and a broad variety of flavors make this culinary experience unique.
If you know me and want to surprise me for my birthday, take me to this place!
Simply AWESOME!!!!!!!
I have been short sighted....How could I've never had interest in trying Ethiopian food!?! I love Indian food! I love spicy sauces! I love middle eastern food! .... Thank goodness for restaurant club and my good friend for choosing Ethiopian Diamond to break-in my taste buds.
And you know what, I loved every bit of it! Between the seven of us, we ordered just about everything on the menu. The sambusas were fantastic, the yebeg tibs was a favorite, and the red beans dish was just as good as yelpers say it is.
Top it all of with $5 glasses of wine, and I am one happy foodie.
couldn't feel the communal love that ethiopian dining normally ensues...
had nothing to do with my wonderful dining company but the restaurant itself had a very input-output sorta feel to it.
i've tried several ethio restaurants and i almost feel like they work out of the same kitchen. one is no better than the other as far as taste. i do appreciate the service more at lalibela, however. the service was vapid at ethiopian diamond. i felt so rushed and the food looked rush as well. (5) of us shared (5) dishes - the menu points out that you will be charged per person whether or not you order at a 1-1 ratio. that wasn't a problem - we were happy to order a smorgasbord. i just felt like the food was piled on top of each other. because there was a mix of meat and vegi dishes, i had to be very careful that i wasn't eating lamb or chicken broth.
note: take advantage of their $5 corkage fee - we did and what a good choice that was :)
In the mood for something deliciously authentic? A friend took me here about six months ago and I loved it! I have no clue what I ate, but EVERYTHING was delicious. I love eating with my hands I was right at home. I think I'll have to make a trip back in the next few weeks!!
LOVE LOVE LOVE their food! A must stop when in uptown!
This was my first experience trying Ethiopian food and I have to admit I was a bite worry as to to expect...but this is the BEST food I have had in a while. I went with a few people and we ordered the Sambusa(carrot/potato) to start with...yum! not greasy at all and the red sauce was delicious!..next I ordered the Doro Tibs (chicken breast in a sauce..)...So freakin good! My friends and I ended up trying each others food (some veggies/ some meat) it was so awesome...and the food is filling, yet, easy on the tummy.
Oh and service is great and friendly...if your a virgin to the cuisine as I was they will be gentle and walk you through and make suggestions....just like a waiter should do.
After trying a lot of Ethiopian places, I feel secure in saying this is the best in the city. They had a lot of veg options, and a few I hadn't seen before. I really liked the 'fish' stew, which had a fried chick pea dough instead of fish, which I thought was good and seemed more culturally consistent.
Only thing is that to be sure to emphasize if you want the veg sambusa variety pack, as opposed to the omni one. We ended up taking a bite of a chicken one to our surprise.
I always thought I was cool and exotic because I love sushi. I might not be a "world f'ing traveller" but I'll try just about anything. It never occured to me to try Ethiopian food. I had NO idea what to expect or what they would even serve.
This past weekend a "world f'ing traveller" offered to take me on my first Ethiopian food adventure. I was nervous. I won't lie. But I agreed to go. (Mostly because the guy who invited me is really cute).
The place is HUGE. And it was also packed. A really good sign for a newcomer.
We sat by the window at an odd table. It was a cool table- wicker and charming. Unfortunately the base was so thick that we literally had to either straddle it or sit sideways. Kind of uncomfortable. But part of my exotic world travels.
I thought it was kinda cute that you get a mini chair to place your beverage on (because the table just isn't big enough for the platter of food they bring). At first I thought the mini chair was a foot rest. Maybe some sexy Ethiopian man would come by and rub my tootsies? Maybe it was a chair for a kid? Nope- it was a chair for my diet Coke.
Anyway, the menu was intimidating because I had no idea what anything was. They do define things for you (much the way a sushi menu does) but I let my more knowledgable "world traveller" companion do the ordering.
The food came quickly. I like that- I was hungry!
The presentation. It was both pretty and gross all at once.
Pretty because it comes on a platter. And on that platter are piles of different foods. Lamb, Chicken, Beef, lentils, spinach. It was colorful and a really unique cool presentation. Then of course the unleven bread.
Gross because the meat looked kinda like diarrhea to me. I did not mention this to my world traveller companion because I didn't want to ruin his meal. But I was sort of torn between grossed out and intrigued.
My tour guide lead me through the experience. He showed me how to break off a chunk of the unleaven bread and use it to pinch the food with and chow down. I prefer to eat with a knife and fork. It took me 7 years to accept chop sticks as "utencils" and to actually use them for sushi. For 7 years I ate sushi with a knife and fork. So to be told I'm to use this bread as my "utencil" was sort of a kick in the pants. I did it though.
The meat was good. All the meat was really really good. The sauce was really tasty and not too spicy. It was just yummy. I was pleasantly surprised. The downside was that they serve you meat and bones. And until you bite into it, you dont know which you are getting. But the bone thing only happened like twice.
The spinach was AMAZING! I think I liked that the most actually. I was not a lentil fan.
But the unleaven bread- EW. I did not like it. It had ZERO taste. And the texture was like... rubber. I couldn't get past the texture of the bread. If I could have had a fork and just eaten without that dang bread getting in the way, I'd have been much happier.
The service was terrible. I think our waiter must have had too many tables so it might not have really been his fault. But there was a point where I was literally waving my arms over my head to try to get ANYONES attention (we needed the check because we had a movie to get to) but no one paid any attention. My Ethiopian tour guide had to get up and go to the hostess stand and ask someone if they could by chance find our waiter.
All in all I'd return IF they would allow me to use a fork and just eat the meat and spinach. If I have to deal with the unleaven bread it's a no go. I am really proud of myself for giving it a try. I feel more worldy already. In fact, I think I'll stamp my own damn passport. I'm a world f'ing traveller, baby!
I will say this experience was interesting as I don't recall having to eat my food with my hands. So guys/girls, if you're taking someone on a date here for the first time just be mindful that the food can be messy.
This was my first time eating Ethiopian food, it reminded me of a mixture between Indian and Nepalese food; I really liked it. I ordered a Vegetarian combo which consisted of my choice of three dishes - I can't remember for the life of me what those dishes were but I think they were numbers 30, 36 and 38? They were VERY good! The food comes on sponge-like bread that takes on the flavor of the food on top of it; it's quite tasty. [I believe all the veggie dishes are totally Vegan - there is a note about it on the menu as to their definition of Vegetarian]
Overall it was a good experience; however, I will say that although the staff was very nice, the service was slow...and it took forever to get our bill. This won't keep me from going back though...the food was very good.
I ate here at noon today and I am still stuffed!! One of my best friend's Cat is a huge Demera fan and thinks they are number one and although I enjoy Demera, I think Ethiopian Diamond has them beat! This is my favorite Ethiopian Restaurant EVER! My friend and I shared the vegetarian combo for two and everything on it was amazing. Even when we both got so stuffed that we should have stopped eating, we just couldn't because it was so damn good. My friend Nicole is also a huge fan of their honey wine and had a glass with her meal. She loves it so much she even asked if she could buy a bottle from them and sadly the answer was no. I was working after lunch so I had the Delicious but very strong Ethiopian coffee. It really hit the spot. Even though the thought of eating right now kind of makes me sick since I'm so incredibly full of injera and other yummy stuff I'm still looking forward to my next visit to Ethiopian Diamond. Oh, I was excited to see they are opening a second location even closer to me on Clark in the West Rogers Park area. Oooh, maybe they'll deliver to me!!!
I was very excited to go to Ethiopian Diamond but unfortunately it didn't reach all of my expectations.
First the honey wine was horrible...I am convinced that it was mixed with champagne and made to taste more like a mimosa.
The honey wine was also not pure or good quality because on the bottom of my wine glass I noticed dark flakes floating around; either from the cork or I don't know what....
For dinner I had the vegetarian taste of Ethiopia for two. The food was good but pricey as the vegetarian plate was $30
Overall the food was nicely prepared, the injera was delicious and I liked that the waitress never even asked us if we wanted utensils or plates just assumed that we were ok with eating with our hands.
So Ethiopian Diamond fix the honey wine and I will come back for seconds.
Recently I go this message from Almaz Y
I copied and pasted it here
" Hi Moni, you for your review. Our wine is homemade and is made with Hop like they use in beer. We must have missed some when we strained it so sorry. Please try it again the longer we let it sit the better it tastes."
Excellent! Came here with my partner and some friends on a Sunday night for dinner. I have never had Ethiopian food and was not sure what to expect. Lots to pick from on this menu. My favorite out of all the vegetarian choices was the red lentils in a spicy sauce. We got the vegetarian combo plate, so got to taste a little bit of everything. The honey wine was very good and to end the meal we had Ethiopian coffee, also very good. This place goes on my list of top places to come to for dinner.
Ever since coming back from Ethiopia (with my in-laws who adopted from there), I was on the look out for a restaurant that we could take them when they are in town. EDR was perfect. The staff were wonderful and we left it to them to order a variety for our party of 11. We had a variety of meat and veggies to go along with our njera which everything was very flavorful. I had the honey wine which was fabulous while my husband had the dark beer (can't remember the name) and he too asked if there was anywhere he could buy that beer (sadly not - they get it from Ethiopia). We knew what to expect when it comes to Ethiopian food - eating with your hands - but want to warn the newbies about this cultural shock some may have. Definitely will be visiting again....found out they are opening a 2nd location soon!
Ethiopian Diamond is a real find in Chicago. The food is top-tier Ethiopian. Washington DC is known for it's Ethiopian food and as much time as I've spent there, I have yet to experience better food than Ethiopian Diamond. In fact, the food is so good that the slow service doesn't get in the way. It's worth the wait. My family and I probably go to Ethiopian Diamond 10-12 times a year. We love it.
The food is so yummy at this ethiopian restaurant. The people are always very pleasant and our 3yr old loves it too!! Easy street parking. I love it!
Zil zil tibs, dora wat!!! Yummy!
The food here is amazing. Everytime I come to eat here, I am never disappointed. The service is always great. I highly recommend Ethiopian Diamond for a great meal.
Get the vegetarian combo! It's enough for 2, maybe even 3 people. I went with a boy who is a human garbage disposal...he can finish almost anything...but this time even he could not finish the amount of food that they give you. Tofu tibs are yummy! Get some of the ethiopian tea, it really helps you digest all that food. Lots of spices in it...cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, etc.
It was a saturday night & it was packed!!! Huge, long tables full of people!
That fish is too good and all their veggies! honey wine and phil cohran on fridays...I will wait in line with no problems.
You would think that every restaurant in Chicago would be crowded on Mother's Day and that you would have to wait 30 minutes for even a carry-out order, especially at an Ethiopian restaurant (after all, Ethiopian is the new "Thai").
But not Ethiopian Diamond! I ordered a vegetarian platter and as other reviewers mentioned, it is totally enough for 2 people. And of course, you must eat Ethiopian food with the injera bread, with your hands. Sadly, injera bread does not keep well to the next day so if you have leftovers, you must eat them with a fork. It's not the same, but still good.
I ordered the food carry-out and it was done in about 10 minutes. For an African restaurant, that's fast food!
I dare anyone who thinks vegetables are bland to try any Ethiopian vegetarian platters. Apparently, the poorest countries, not the most chic restaurants, know how to cook meatless meals.
But I digress, I wish the entrees were slightly cheaper, hence why I gave it four instead of 5 stars. But again, at least you get two meals out of it.
I hate beans and I though lentils were included somewhere in there. I am truly in love with their red lentils. Injera is top notch and the depth of flavor is fantastic in every dish. I attended a birthday party for a group of 20 and the waiter was happy to make 4 platters with everything from the menu. They even went so far as to make specific vegan platters, combos and a carnivore platter for our meat eating friends. Service was great and incredibly attentive. Not fast paced by any means but the food is more than worth it.
I totally understand Colleen C's obsession with Ethiopian food... I would be obsessed also if I lived in a city that had so many Ethiopian restaurants to choose from. But, I don't - (Phoenix just doesn't compare when it comes to International restaurants, I admit it) - so I just have to take advantage when I come to the Windy City to visit...
Lucky for me, Colleen introduced me to E-Diamond during my last visit. We had a very romantic meal there starting with our wine (I had the honey while she went with a more traditional glass of Cab Sauv), shared salad, and a main course that we enjoyed sans silverware.
Abeba, our waitress, was sweet - she helped us through the menu and once we decided on the Tour of Ethiopia, she helped us with our 'picks.' We chose (as Colleen also stated) the following: spinach and lentil sambusas, diamond salad (fresh with a tasty light dressing), lamb and okra entrees, split pea and collard green sides, and extra injera...
OMG - everything was delicious - there was a ton of food... it was fun to eat, and the combination of flavors wrapped into the injera (spongey Ethiopian bread) was orgasmic... I swear, it really was!
We were too stuffed for dessert. I think that the injera actually expands once it's in your stomach, so use caution with how much you eat! I'll have to remember that next time I dine at E-Diamond... I say it like that 'cause it may just have to become a regular stop during my future visits to Chi-town. Based on Colleen's review, I have no doubt I'll be able to convince her to join me there again too!
Oh man, I soooo want to give this place a five star, but I haven't really tried other Ethiopian restaurants, so I feel that I need to keep this at a four star for now. There is another ethiopian restaurant about two blocks south of Diamond, and they are far inferior, so don't go there.
Man, I love everything about Ethiopian food, even the fact that you have to eat with your fingers. It's really not as bad as you think. I mainly eat their vegetarian dishes b/c I first fell in love with this place during the years I was a vegetarian. In recent times, I have tried some of their meat dishes and found them to be nowhere near the quality of their vegetarian dishes. Try the combination where you can pick three or four vegetarian dishes from the menu. The cabbage dish is a MUST, as is anything with lentils or chick peas. I usually pick the same five things and I am ashamed to say I do not know what they are called, I just have them memorized when I look at the menu... just make sure to try the cabbage, it's way more delicious than you think it could ever be. Please try at least couple dishes from their vegetarian page, it'll be worth it!
Ok, whatever...I'm obsessed with Ethiopian food, so get off me!
E-Diamond (I think this could be it's rap name, suitable?) is very clean, spacious and well laid out for large groups or an intimate dinner. The staff is fantastic, helpful with recommendations (still getting my grip on what's what), and very sweet.
The food! OMG. I love it. Seriously, it's just...so good. Hearty, flavorful, good portions, and I do love injera something fierce. Do it, just eat all the injera. Mmmmmmmm. My friend (the lovely Gabi K from Phoenix) shared the Ethiopian Tour, which is a sampling of dishes including: sambusas (we opted for spinach and lentil), salad (very fresh), two entrees (lamb and okra), two sides (split pea and collard greens). Add a side of injera, and we were quite literally stuffed with hot, tasty food.
Homemade honey wine! nice. A glass of Cab Sauv...that came out of a little airport mini bottle. Funny, but still good. You can BYOB with only a $5 cork fee, so that may make sense on your next adventure...
Great overall experience and I would definitely come back with a large group. Very cool. Try.
Neighborhood: Edgewater
Category: Ethiopian
Neighborhood: Edgewater
Category: Ethiopian
Neighborhood: Uptown
Category: Ethiopian
Neighborhood: Edgewater
Category: Ethiopian
Chicago, IL
Category: Ethiopian
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