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Categories: Ethiopian, Vegetarian
Neighborhoods: Edgewater, AndersonvilleTue-Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
"This was my first experience eating Ethiopian food and I was blown away. I was confused about how to order the food, since they give you…" read more »
I love Lalibela. As some reviewers have noted, the service was rather leisurely. However, as the intent of my evening was to enjoy some wine and catch up with some old friends, the pace of the meal suited me just fine.
The food was fantastic. We started out with the yemesir sambusas, which reminded me of a lentil samosa. For our entrees, we decided on spinach, beef tips, lamb, and marinated beef. Each entree had its own distinct flavor, each complementing the other. And there was plenty of food to go around -- we even had leftovers. Throw in the fact that our bill was $51.00 for four people and you have a winner through and through.
My only complaint (if you can even call it a complaint) was that the only dessert on the menu was baklava. It would have been great to have a few choices to go with the terrifically strong and rich Ethiopian coffee.
First things first, I don't lay claim to knowing what "authentic" Ethiopian food is like, given I've never visited there and when I had a friend from there, their cuisine was not so popular to be served at restaurants. What I can tell for sure, however, is that any Ethiopian restaurant using JALAPENOS in their recipes can only be far from winning that title!
Of course, they didn't have all the usual dishes that Ethiopian Diamond or Demera serves. Instead, they had an jalapenos dish, another mushroom dish, and yet another zucchini dish.
Service was crazy slow on a Wednesday night - there was a total on one person serving, billing, taking orders, and I suspect helping in the kitchen too. The restaurant was decently busy though with about another 20ish people there!
It took 56mnts for our food to arrive and we didn't even order anything too exotic.
There were no water refills for the 2hrs we were there. After asking us our order as soon as I got there, when we weren't ready to order yet, she totally forgot about us and was impossible to get attention from to place an order.
So order takes 25mnts, food arrives in 55mnts, and this dinner becomes painstakingly long = 2hrs. If it wasn't for the excellent company I was with, this would have turned into a nightmare.
The injera itself was too sticky, the yellow lentil too pasty (#9), the green lentil undercooked (#7) - the chickpea paste was okay (#15).
The only reason this place seems to be popular is because its byob. But I personally highly highly recommend visiting any other Ethiopian restaurant in this area over Lalibela if you're going for the food!
The decor here was great and the people friendly, but the carryout I ordered was damn near inedible. One overcooked, gristly beef dish consisting of chunks of leathery beef and nothing else, some tasteless vegetable side dishes, plus one extremely spicy dish I wish I had been warned about when I ordered it since I specified that I didn't like spicy food. My friend just looked at her food and closed the lid of her carry-out container, saying "I am so grossed out. I can't even stand to look at this." Our dog was begging throughout our attempts to eat, but we did him a favor and threw our practically-untouched food away. Spare yourself the same experience.
P.S. My fellow diner is now clutching her stomach and moaning "I really think I'm going to be sick..."
The food was great, the service was painfully slow.
We went with a group of about 9, and honestly, although there was one or two other tables, we didn't get our food for about an hour and a half.
Half the table had all veggies, the other half of the table had meat and veggies.
Aside from this, the food was wonderful. I love the BYOB, too and it was a good cheap dinner.
Just the service - perhaps it was an off night - is the only thing I can complain about. The food was so good that I will go back to try it out again.
Yum. Yum. Yum! This place was sooo good! The service was slow but, in my mind, not in a bad way. They came to our table often to refill water, give us more injera, etc. so it's not like they are neglectful. And they were friendly. We took the time to enjoy our wine (BYOB!) and the company.
The food was delicious! We ordered three meat dishes with three vegetable sides and we loved every one of them. We ate until we could hardly move and then we ate some more just because it was so good. I was just there yesterday and I would go back today.
My two suggestions would be to make sure you save enough room for the injera on the plate that all the food is on. We couldn't eat it because we were too full but it had soaked up all the juices and flavors and was out of this world. Second would be to make a reservation for after 7:00. We got there at 6:30 and it was kind of empty, making it a little quiet. By 7:30ish the place was packed and felt a lot more fun.
I almost forgot the best part! All this for $20 per person!! Amazing!
The newest BYOB adventure brought me and my dining pal up to my former northern haunt of Edgewater for some Ethiopian. I have only had it once or twice before and he never has so it was a culinary adventure for both of us. We both got over the lack of utensils quickly; I am known to forgo mine normally.
Like others have said this is not a dine and dash sort of meal; be prepared to take your time and relax and enjoy yourself. We found our bottle of zinfandel not only helped with that but also paired wonderfully with the spices and meats.
We went with 2 dishes: a lamb dish (#21) and the chicken special that they do only on weekends (#30) and were not disappointed with either. The chicken was served in a little clay pot and still on the bone which can be a bit intimidating without utensils but just dive on in - and ask for extra napkins! The meat just fell off the bone and the sauce it was in I wish I had something to put it on it was so tasty. The lamb was also delish even if the cubes were a bit chewy; the onions in the sauce added a nice flavour and texture, too.
And with the meat dishes you get to choose 3 veg sides for the table and we went with #11 (collared greens), #12 (cold mix of tomatoes, onions ingera and spices), and a lentil dish. All were fabulous and while I was hesitant about the cold dish, my friend was keen on that one, it ended up being very good. However, I do recommend eating the greens while hot because when they cool off they are not too tasty. Best of the bunch was def the lentils.
Craziest thing: all this food was barely over 20$! And we were pleasantly full. Unfortunately it is not anywhere near me but it is definitely a keeper for the BYOB rotation. And the staff there is very nice keeping water refilled and bringing extra ingera if you need it.
Pull up a throne...errr..chair and let the eating begin!
On a Tuesday evening, we were one of three tables in the whole place. Good for us. Not so good for business.
As promised, perfect portions! Two entrees and three sides are more than enough for two, unless you eat a ridiculous amount of food.
My standout for the night was the Lalibela Special Tibs with lamb. The jalapeño rounds out the taste with a nice, subtle kick of heat. A bit messy for injere, though I suppose with practice it gets easier. More practice is a good excuse to go back!
We also tried the kefta appetizer. Tasty, but 4 little meatballs with toothpicks on a platter certainly don't pack a wow factor. It's worth a bite, at the very least.
Service was decent enough, although a bit slow. In fact, everything is a bit slow. Don't go here expecting to grab a quick bite and be off. It's kind of nice to have time to sit and enjoy conversation over a long, long meal.
The most important thing about Lalibela: BYOB! Save your pennies and truly dine like royalty.
Make your pilgrimage to Andersonville and try this place out before it's gone like its 12th century namesake.
If you can first manage to pull one of the enormous, hand-carved chairs up to the table, you'll discover fantastic Ethiopian food and a darn good dining experience.
Lalibela's atmosphere is nice, warm and relaxed -- some might even say slow -- but good things do come to those who wait. The menu is full of interesting options, including many, many vegetarian entrees. In addition to your individual meal, the table gets to choose three sides to share, allowing everyone to try many things and have more than enough to eat. The food is delicious, prices are great and it's BYOB. An overall satisfying experience that won't break the bank.
I"m really a big fan of this place.
I eat Ethiopian food a lot in Chicago, with Ethiopian Diamond being my old standby. When this place opened close to my house, I was thrilled as I could walk to it. From early on, I really liked the food but the service was really uneven at first. That scared me away for a bit but upon returning, I find that the service has been very good and consistent. I think they finally brought in an additional server.
I think the quality of the food is up there. There are two dishes I get a lot because I don't see them on the menu of other Ethiopian places: one is the tikil gomen, which they describe as a curried vegetable stew, and the other is a vegetable dish with squash that I can't recall the name of. I go there whenever I'm in the mood for either of those.
The lalibela special tibs with lamb is also fantastic. I get it spicy and love it. There are chunks of jalapenos in it that you can eat (I do) or not, depending on how spicy you want it. It add great flavor. I also like the beet salad I lot. I usually get that as a starter.
I've never been to an Ethiopian place with good food and fast service. So yes, be prepared to wait at your table and likely finish a bottle of wine before you eat.
This place is out of the way too. The dining chairs alone are worth the trip, but the food was really excellent.
If you have dietary restrictions of any sort--or just prefer restaurants where servers actually listen and aren't too timid to ask for clarification if something is lost in translation--be wary of Lalibela.
I mean, the food was delicious, and the employees were very nice.
However, when we initially placed the order, I ordered my dish with rice (which is $2 extra) and explicitly said that I am on a gluten-free diet and cannot have the injera bread. The server wrote down our order without including this info, as indicated by the final bill we received.
My food came out...on a big slab of injera. I sent it back and explained that it would have to be prepared again, because I have allergies and cannot eat the bread. My food came back out suspiciously quick, which leads me to believe that they merely scraped what I was served from the injera and placed each item in a separate bowl. Despite the fact that I did not have injera, I was still charged extra for the rice.
I have eaten Ethiopian food many times by this point in my life. I have never had a problem with restaurants working around my dietary restrictions, and I have never gotten sick from the cuisine...until eating at Lalibela. I spent a rather sleepless night with intense stomach cramps, which I'm confident can be attributed to that dinner.
If you don't have any dietary restrictions, by all means go here. Like I said, the food was outstanding. But the service is slow and incomplete. Even my boyfriend, who will leave a minimum 20% tip for even the worst service, left a bare 15%.
Maybe my parents started me on utensils too soon. Perhaps I had an unfortunate fork incident as a child that I have chosen to block from my memory. I don't know, I just know I like eating with my hands and that's just one reason why I love Ethiopian food. This is only the 3rd Ethiopian restaurant I've tried, and it is now my favorite.
Parking is easy at the metered spots in front of the restaurant. Just bring lots of quarters as the old school meters are still in place and service is going to be a bit relaxed so you'll want to make sure you fill the meter to the max.
The dining room is bright and airy with dining chairs that look and have the heft of mini-thrones. They're letting you know up front that you are going to eat like a king, and they don't disappoint.
Our server came over immediately and gave us a wine opener and two glasses (BYOB, no corkage fee, apparently because you open your own), and took our appetizer order of the spinach samosas.
We perused the menu and decided to go with the sampler platter, which included our choice of 4 of the vegetarian dishes. We went with the warm lentils, the squash, the chick peas and something else, which escapes me.
Once our samosas came (delicious, I could put the spicy dipping sauce it's served with on just about anything) we ordered. This is why I described the service as relaxed instead of slow. This is not the place to go if you want to get in and out in 50 minutes, they're going to pace you whether you want it or not.
Our sampler came out on a large platter covered in a piece of injera (spongy, flat bread which also doubles as your utensil) with each of our selections placed in 4 corners. Ethiopian food has some spice to it but the heat never trumps the flavor. Perfect.
We ate and chatted, chatted and ate until we could eat no more, yet there was still about half of our order still on the platter. The manager came over to make sure we liked everything, that we didn't find it too spicy. We said we loved it, but were full, so he brought us a to go box and our check, which was $26.
This was only my second venture into Ethiopian food. Since I live so close by I wanted to give Lalibela a try. We went at an in between time, late afternoon on a Sunday so the place had only a couple people besides ourselves. The waitress was very friendly but a little hard to understand at times. We ordered a couple appetizers to share. They were phyllo dough with different vegetarian fillings. They were good and small which suited our needs. A bigger eater might be disappointed in the size but they were affordable at only $3.50. We also got the vegetarian sampler. Lots of yummy items you can mix and match together. The lentils were fabulous! The curry was a bit bland but not terrible. The injera was very good and fresh and also plentiful. The coffee was served on a platter with an incense side giving off a very powerful smoke. It was an affordable meal, only about $15 a person. I would definitely stop by again to try some of the other dishes and get more versed in Ethiopian food.
This is a tough call.
The food was truly phenomenal and delicious.
The service, however was utter crap. They were polite enough, but we had to call over the waiter after we'd been there twenty minutes to serve us water. It took us over an hour for our food to arrive, and one person's food came out about an hour before everyone else's. What was supposed to be a double portion of food for two people sharing (and was charged as such) was the same size as the single portion. Maybe there was a mixup in the kitchen. I would give them a second chance because the food was so good, and every restaurant has their off days...but the waiting and neglectful service was intensely frustrating.
I stopped in to Lalibela after a rainy Saturday afternoon walk around the neighborhood. My girl and I were the only customers, and were excited to try Ethiopian food for the first time.
The waiter explained everything that we needed to know about the cuisine and more, from ingredients to why the bread was so weird.
The sour bread that doubles as a utensil was really tasty at first, but I wasn't used to it, so couldn't eat a lot of it. I ended up using a fork after a while. The food all looks really similar, but is very savory. It does kind of all taste the same after a while though. But good!
We enjoyed watching the owner's son play around and sneak Diet Cokes while he was watching TV. There's a very nice family vibe at Lalibela.
I'm hoping that all the positive reviews mean Lalibela will stay in business, because they always seem to be pretty empty. Here are three reasons you should eat here, and not at the other 50 Ethiopian restaurants in the same 2-mile radius:
1) It's BYOB.
2) It's serious value. Our check for two (we both got the 4-item vegetarian combo) was $28 including tax and tip.
3) The butternut squash stew. All of dishes we tried were very good, but the squash was the one we fought over.
As for service...It's an Ethiopian restaurant. I've never gone to an Ethiopian restaurant and gotten out in less than 2 hours. I just budget for it. At least here, you can crack open a beer while you wait for someone to mosey on over.
Going to college in a liberal Midwestern town that drew many foreign students, I was familiar with Ethiopian food. We even had a food cart on the main Mall where Doro Wot was one of my favorite lunches! Familiarty only got me so far at Lalibela, as their menu is extensive!
I laugh at Lalibela's website which states "Perfect Portions". Yes, the food comes out in perfect small portions, but somehow ordering Doro Tibs and the Veggie Sampler got us enough food for King Solomon! Starting off the meal with Yemisir Sambusa was a nice spicy lentil introduction to a classic Samosa-like pastry. Then came the huge round platter of food and our spongey injera bread.
I've never had injera that was so lemony fresh before! Are you gelling? I think spongey Injera insoles could put a spring in your step! Injera is the way to go if you're sharing a meal, and how often do you get told to eat with your fingers? It's playtime! The Doro Wot chicken dish was very good, but hard to grab with the injera. Other highlights from our veggie side dishes included Shuro (chick peas in sauce), Yemisir Wot, Diblik Atkilt (yummy green beans and we like carrots!). There were a few others that were forgettable. Trust your gut when ordering; I think everything we ordered as a first choice was what was appreciated most! There was an incredible amount of food for a low low price!
I rarely come up to Andersonville and aim to visit more often. But what's up A-Ville? On a Tuesday night Lalibela was empty, save for one other couple! Bon Bon was closed (all day) and Ole Ole was empty as well. Save Andersonville! The food at Lalibela was great overall, and service was an absolute delight!
What to expect when eating Ethiopian cuisine? You will get fed and fed well! Contrary to preconceived notions, if you have them (I sure did) Ethiopian food isn't going to leave you with a grumbling belly, on the contrary, you'll be served up family-style regional fare in plenty. Who knew... it's not just a few pieces of grain after all... ::Bad Judgey Brett::
Lalibela is family owned and run which is incredibly apparent the moment you step in... from the very friendly, warm service with a genuine desire to serve and delight, to the laid back atmosphere of eat-with-your-hands dining, it's authentic and gratifying all in one. On a side note though, casual is casual and empty is empty... there was not one table occupied in the place when my cool kid posse arrived. Literally totally void of people. A warning sign? An opportunity to really cut loose? Are tuesday nights really that light in the city? All valid questions, but they do lead to one answer... if you don't support your local small businesses, they will die. Just like I would without getting my hands on more of that spongy injera! And with that PSA out of the way, on to the food...
Taking a cue from good suggestions and pure curiosity many dishes were sampled - I think about 6 - totally sounding like a boatload about to be unleashed upon us I anticipated food arriving KBBQ style, plate after plate after plate, but surprisingly the portions are actually quite petite and all items fit on one large serving plate. Each 'side' is about a large ladles worth and the entrées aren't much larger, an ideal size for sharing a deux. The best part is the soft, almost cloth like, slightly lemony injera (bread) that comes with the dishes for sopping up the goodies... you don't sop with a biscuit anymore, no Sir, you sop that shizz with a shammy! An injera shammy! As your only form of utensil you best be down with the sham-WOW or you'll find yourself desperately attempting to shovel chickpea puree into your mouth with your index finger. Not hawt.
A few of the tasties I enjoyed most were the Yemisir Sambusa (yeah, like a spicy fried samosa), Yemisir Wot (vegetarian dish), Shuro (veg dish) and the Doro Tibs, a chicken dish in yummy awaze sauce. Awaze? Like Shwayze? I don't know, it's just good.
A couple dishes that didn't really wow... something yellow and something cabbage - the Tikil Gomen, I think... I'm sure names would be helpful but I tend to better remember the good things, mea culpa.
The BYOB factor certainly is fabulous but the food is really, really cheap already... all of the above at only $13 p/head - sham-WOW** that kiddies! Those chairs have to go though... I don't care if they are ceremonial thrones or captains chairs from the SS Minnow. They are heavy, uncomfortable and ugly. There. I said it.
Get adventurous and go Ethiopian... all the cool kids are doin' it.
**Many thanks to one C.Nachos for allowing me to plagiarize the cleverest of comparisons.
I must begin my review by stating that Ethiopian cuisine is one of my absolute favorites! Greens, lamb, lentils, sultry spices, injera - it all adds up to complete fabulosity in my book.
Since the unfortunate demise of my favorite Ethio dining establishment (R.I.P. Sheba Café), I have been on the hunt for a replacement. Lalibela is it!
First things first - it's really close to my house -- BONUS! It's BYOB with no corkage fee - BONUS! The place is small, spotless and totally inviting - yet another BONUS!
The greatest and most important thing, however, is that the food is AWESOME!
My partner and I began with the Yemisir Sambusas and an order of Kefta. The sambusas were flaky, filled with lentils and other goodness - very satisfying. The Kefta, while extremely delicious, was not a good value -- $4.00 for four smallish meatballs. For $1 per meatball, I expect a larger portion.
I selected the Lalibela Special Tibs (lamb, spices, jalapenos) and my partner chose a weekend-only chicken specialty. We chose Tikl Gomen (curried vegetable stew), Gomen (collard greens) and a butternut squash dish as sides.
The Lalibela Special Tibs were exquisite! The succulent lamb was perfectly paired with delicious spices. Slivered jalapenos provided just the right level of heat.
According to my partner, the chicken was fall-off-the-bone tender and full of savory splendor.
The sides were also perfect. Especially delicious was the butternut squash.
The injera at Lalibela is the best I've ever tasted. The texture is exactly right and there is a wonderfully surprising lemony finish.
Lalibela is a family-run establishment. This has its plusses and minuses.
In the plus department, you can be assured of getting a wonderful, fresh, home-cooked, made to order meal. It is apparent that the owners take great pride in their native cuisine. The quality is excellent and the atmosphere is warm and welcoming.
As for the minus column, they seem to be understaffed. This translates into REALLY long waits and very slow service. Mind you, from my experience, most Ethiopian restaurants have rather relaxed service. At Lalibela, the service is kind, gracious and charming - it just needs to be more swift and efficient. After placing our entire order, it took nearly 25 minutes for our appetizers to arrive. As I was extremely hungry, the impressive Ethiopian throne upon which I was seated began to look tasty. My hot tea arrived sometime between the appetizers and entrees. Water glasses were frequently empty. Clearly, the menu is spot on. Now is perhaps the time for the owners to give some thought to pacing.
The décor is quite nice with an array of interesting Ethiopian prints. I mentioned the chairs earlier, but must reiterate that they are big, heavy and very impressive. They are literally throne-like. Another great feature is a large sink just for hand washing located in the rest room corridor. As Ethiopian cuisine can get a little messy, it was really nice to have somewhere to wash up easily and as frequently as necessary.
I give Lalibela four-stars. The food is heavenly! There was nothing left when we finished. To quote the owner/waiter - "Clean plates - that's what we like to see". I will definitely return often (they are also open for lunch). If they can just tackle the service issues, it would be five-star all the way!
Take this short quiz to see if you'll enjoy Lalibela:
Are you short on funds? (meal for each person with tip: $13)
Do you like to eat good portions?
Are you interested in trying ethnic cuisine?
Do you love BYOB with no cork fee?
Do you prefer to sit in large/heavy chairs made for kings?
Do you enjoy good service, and authentic recommendations?
Do you like supporting a mom 'n pop business?
Are you a vegetarian?
Are you a meat-eater?
Are you curious about the tastiest utensil ever: injera?
Do you have lentil lust?
How about creative displays of plattered food?
Do you appreciate eating with your hands?
Do you crave strong coffee after dinner?
Do you enjoy ethnic menus with AWESOME descriptions?
Are you sick of your "restaurant rut?"
Do you like life?
If you answered yes to at least one of these...this place is for you then. GO. Trust me.
Erich "Mancow" Muller is an asshole. Really this is an opinion that I have in my mind on a pretty regular basis, but it's germane to this review so I'm putting it out there. See, I was watching the Chicago episode of "No Reservations" yesterday and Anthony Bourdain hung out with that guy (in the episode that showed before it he hung out with Ted Nugent; what is it AB, is 2009 total douchebag year for you?).
Interviewed on Mancow's show, Bourdain started extolling the virtues of Ethiopian cuisine. Mancow says, "what is that an empty bowl with some flies? A piece of rice stuck in your throat?"
No, asshat, Ethiopian cuisine is one of the greatest things ever - and a food that Chicago has quite a few restaurants devoted to (not like Mancow knows Chicago from his own rectum). Though it's surprising how few people have tried it. Thankfully, Suz C. is working hard to correct this on Yelp. That Lalibela, where she had an event, was deserted on a weeknight is a sad state of affairs.
Lalibela is one of Chicago's more laid back Ethiopian restaurants. The staff is extremely friendly (and will give advice for newbies to Ethiopian food) and the decor matches (even the king sized thrones you sit on are incredibly soft). It's the little perks, however, that make this one of the better Ethiopian restaurants in town. For example, they have a sink to wash your hands before the meal (without clogging up the bathroom) - very important since Ethiopian is finger food. The injera is plentiful and they will refill it for free. And they give glass service for the b.y.o.b. without a charge.
Ethiopian can be done communally but I have yet to find a place with perfect portion sizes such as this one has. Unlike some other nameless Ethiopian restaurants, Lalibela lets you choose two, three, or four items on their combos (ranging in price from $8.50 to $10.00) depending on appetite or size of group.
While I feel I've had better gomen (my favorite dish) elsewhere, the food is generally spectacular and the injera (spongy bread Ethiopian is eaten with) is made incredibly. Perfect to stick your middle finger up at Mancow under (so it's still family appropriate).
Definitely a place that I would go back to. I'd only had ethiopian once before at Addis Abeba in Evanston, but there is not question that this place was far superior.
The food was a steal. Each person at the table orders a meat entree (for no more than 10 an entree) and then the table as a whole gets three vegetarian entrees. All of the food is served on the traditional ethiopian flatbread. It is expected that you will share all the food.
Ontop of the delicious food is the fact that this place is byob, no corkage fee. So cheap food PLUS free alcohal makes this place awesome.
The only thing that worried me was that even though we went on a friday night, the place was almost empty. It was clearly a family run place with everyone from the mom and dad to 14 year old son working, so they don't necessarily have their marketing strategies down. I just hope that they get more business so that they can stay open.
So go for the great food, the byob, and to support your good old family owned authentic restaurants!
I think I need to come back here on a night that isn't Valentine's Day. The only way I can describe the dining experience: frantic. I got stressed out just watching the proprietors of this place dash around like chickens with their heads cut off.
My dining companion and I entered Lalibela at around 7:30 pm on Valentine's Day. We were asked if we had a reservation. When we said no, the guy (I'm assuming he's the owner) looked pained. But he sat us anyway, as there were many empty tables......
.....then we were ignored for a full half hour. Thankfully, this place is BYOB,and thankfully, they did get us a corkscrew and some glasses, but we were literally half-way through our bottle of wine when I finally got up and flagged down the woman (owner's wife, I'm guessing) to put in our order. I think we might still be sitting there waiting for her to take our order if I hadn't taken matters into my own hands. The place is not that large, but clearly they were understaffed for such a big night as Valentine's Day (which I'm guessing is the biggest crowd they've seen in quite some time).
The food came out reasonably quickly, and we really loved the three vegetarian items we ordered, especially the butternut squash. The injera was perfectly spongy and delicious -- I had eaten Ethiopian once before at Addis Abeba in Evanston, but my friend was an Ethio-virgin. So it was fun to show him the ways of the injera. Of the two meat dishes we ordered, one was the wrong dish, but we were too terrified of how long it would take to get the correct dish if we sent it back. Both were tasty, but the beef could have been cooked a little better -- it was chewy.
The one major plus of Lalibella is the price. We both ate heartily for a total of $28.00. That's $14 a person. It doesn't get much cheaper than that. Unfortunately it then took another half an hour to track down our check. At this point we were getting seriously annoyed, as we were meeting friends out at a bar and wanted to get the heck out of there.
I'd be willing to give Lalibella another try, and I'm willing to forgive their service errors seeing as though it was one of the biggest dining out nights of the year. It seems from other reviews, however, that this is the norm as far as service. Yikes. I'll probably try Demera and Ethiopian Diamond before I come back to Lalibella.
And Brett D. is right, those chairs have got to go....
Okay, I have to admit this upfront and get it over with - I am reviewing Lalibela because I loved it, enjoyed my meal immensely but I can barely name one specific dish we ordered. I let an expert do the ordering.
Reason being - fellow Yelper Suz C organized a Lalibela dinner a few weeks ago which 5 of us attended. As I had only had Ethiopian food once in my life, about 10 ten years ago in Arizona, I was eager to let someone as knowledgable about Ethiopian food as Suz C is order our entire meal for us. She did a smashing job!
As she was choosing our delectables, I said "the only thing I remember about my last Ethiopian experience was the bread. It reminded me of eating human skin." I don't think that went over well, and I fear that my fellow Yelper dinner mates that night now think I am Hannibal Lecter-ess. What I had meant was that the injera (Ethiopian bread and used as a utensil) was moist, spongey and sticky like human.........oh never mind.
Everything Suz ordered was so yummy from the vegetarian platter , which had about 6 samples of various red/green lentil, cabbage and veggie dishes, to the lamb dish which was like a stew, to the kitfo (seasoned beef tartar which we ordered med. well and was served with homemade Ethiopian cottage cheese - fab!).
We ended the evening with Ethiopian coffee served in a traditional Ethiopian style - very strong (think Turkish) and in a beautiful clay jar/dispenser.
Note: we were there during the week and there was hardly a soul in sight. Support your small local restaurants during these trying economic times. A wonderful meal - at $12 per person, a great recession-beater find! And BYOB. AND - thanks, Suz, for organizing this dinner. I am eager to show off Lalibela to friends.
It was a hard decision to not have dinner at Ras Dashen, but I thought this place deserved a chance . . . and I'm extremely glad we decided to try it!
Where else can a group of six people . . .
Have delicious vegetarian AND carnivorous fare
All eating to their content
Spend 2.5 hrs laughing and telling old stories (not feeling rushed at all)
Have 4 bottles of wine
Debate how to spell/pronounce INJERA
and spend only $100??? (gotta love BYOB)
. . . GO HERE . . . I know I will be
Great menu - lots of vegetarian options, a lot of them unique. I loved the decor. The chairs had really cool high backs and I felt like I was on a throne. It was quiet but not eerily so.
The food is the main reason I'll go somewhere and it was overall just so-so for me. Ethiopian food is one of my favorite cuisines and I thought the food was definitely ok but the portions small for the price. I would go back but not before trying a few more places first.
We finally made it over to Lalibela after getting bored with our usual Andersonville haunts (yes, we're spoiled to live in such a fantastic 'hood). ANYway, I'd never had Ethiopian food before and I was very impressed. I've had west african/nigerian before, but this is different.
I really liked the injera (spongy bread) - it had a bit of a sourdough flavor to it. We ordered two beef dishes for the two of us. I was worried that we'd have too much food but it was so good, there were no left overs.
I believe one dish was called Amara Tibs - nice spices, just the right amount of spicy heat, yummy sauce and just the right amount of veges in the dish. It made my tastebuds dance.
The other dish was Gored Gored - the flavor in this dish was more mellow and savory than the other. It was absolutely delicious! Seriously, you have to try this one!
The lentils, yellow split peas and spinach plate was really yummy. We were fighting over the peas - they were the most savory of the three.
Total bill was $25 - a VERY fair price for a delicious and satisfying meal. I can't wait to go back!
Working my way around trying all the African places. This place was decent. They had a few things I've never seen at Ethiopian places before, like butternut squash and chickpea dumplings. Stuff wasn't that spicy, despite asking for heat. Portions were on the small side.
The decor is cool. The big burly chairs are a hoot, I liked them. As we were finishing our meal, it started smelling like church: I think they lit some incense for some reason. Didn't really go with the food though. I found out later this was an unseen Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony. Cool.
I think I'd go back to try the dumplings (which I didn't get to), but otherwise I wouldn't really go out of my way for it.
Food was quite tasty and the Gomen was superb!
My friend had never eaten Ethiopian cuisine before but was welcomed by the owner's husband who served us. He was very pleasant and informative about Ethiopian culture, tribes, and the coffee ceremony.
The atmosphere was nice: full light, clean, decorated with beautiful drawings of individuals from each tribe of Ethiopia.
Definitely a place to return too! My only wish was for spicier food.
First time ever eating Ethiopian. I'm glad I read these reviews to know what to expect. It's so awesome to have an Ethiopian restaurant that's located a minute away by foot. Andersonville is THE GREATEST. We ordered the shells that were stuffed with beef. They were fried and reminded me of fried wontons....they were okay. We also ordered a vegetarian entree with lentils and vegetables. There were two different kinds of lentils, both of which were so tasty. The bread was interesting...quite spongy with a strong vinegar taste, but I enjoyed it. Lastly, we ordered the beef tibs, medium spicy...it was definitely spicy. The beef was delicious and very tender.
I'll be coming back soon, bringing more people to try out Ethiopian food.
The restaurant is family-owned and woman was very sweet!
I would love to give this place 5 stars, as it is my overall favorite Ethiopian restaurant in Chicago, but the service is so spotty that I just can't. The owners, who do all of the serving, seem very nice, but sometimes it can be SO slow that it is somewhat maddening. The last time my wife and I went we were literally there for 3 hours, only because the service was so incredibly slow. The food is great, it's an unbelievably good deal, and you can't beat BYOB. As long as you're not in any kind of a rush, I definitely recommend you go there.
This is our new favorite Ethiopian restaurant. It's right in our neighborhood (Andersonville) and the food is delicious. They just switched the menu so now each meat entree comes with three vegetarian sides (per table) which gives you lots of options. It's BYOB so that helps to keep the costs down. Our dinners out (for two) average $20 to $25.
The service is a bit on the slow side but I really think they don't want to rush you. But the wait staff (which is usually the same woman who I assume is the owner) is super sweet and happy to explain anything.
This place was the best. My favorite Ethiopian restaurant and possibly my new favorite restaurant! The food was excellent, the people were delightful and helpful...The atmosphere was spare and quiet with gigantic heavy chairs and you could talk to your dinner companions without having to shout above the din of glasses and dishes and other diners (how come no restaurant seems to master this cavernous room issue?).
The food though - was the best treat... really nice. We got a lamb dish that was medium spicy (and it was!) and savory. The lamb was tender and the sauce was perfect and it was enough for two. The injera was nutty and sweet and sour and went great with the more savory stews and greens. The sambusas were perfect triangles filled with lentils and onions and spices and the butternut squash was excellent. Afterwards we had a really nice nutty coffee and even the incense that burned a bit with it lent for a really good taste and smell experience.
I really enjoyed this place and will go back again!.
Lalibela is the best Ethiopian restaurant I've been too so far. There are many vegetarian (vegan?) dishes, but I recommend ordering one of the platters. For $10, one can get a huge vegetarian platter that includes injera bread and four dishes of your choice. It is a bargain! The food is well spiced and delicious. The Yemisir Wot is a must - it's similar to vegetarian chili. The Shuro is a mild-flavored complement to it.
Lalibela is a great place to introduce yourself or a friend to Ethiopian food. For the price and quality of the food, it's well worth a visit. The food is EXTREMELY filling so come with an empty stomach too.
Note: If you're ordering the vegetarian platter for two people, they will charge you for two orders and bring the food altogether onto one pan to share. Ask if they allow one main dish to be shared/split. (I'm not sure.)
I have avoided reviewing Lalibela for months in an attempt to limit publicity for the finest Ethiopian food in Chicago. Partly out of guilt, but mostly due to the Great South Edgewater Population Wave of 2008, there's just no point to holding out any longer.
Lalibela sets itself apart from other Ethio joints in the area by moderating the amount of oil in their dishes, yet completely failing to care about the amounts of chili and spices. Success was swift.
Yemisir wat is probably my favorite food on earth, and it might still be, as long as Lalibela's azifah is nowhere within walking distance. Definitely sample the shiro, a beet salad, and a sambusa.
The owners are fantastically friendly, and service is laid-back- just how we like it.
I truly HATE to say bad things about Lalibela, as it seems all the other reviewers enjoyed it AND the wait staff is so nice however I feel the need to be completly honest.
I was not impressed in the slightest. The service was INCREDIBLY slow. It took about 40min for my food to get to me and it was not busy at all. Their vegetarian section is sparse, I did NOT like the shuro(actually I kind of hated it), they were out of the ONE dish I wanted to try and while the prices were significantly cheaper than Ethiopian Diamond, Id rather pay MORE and know Ill enjoy the food.
To be fair, the sambusas WERE very tasty and when I took 2 bites of the shuro, hated it and simply asked for the check the owner told me no charge as I didnt eat that much AND they were very late with the food. Due to this fact I am going to give them another shot. I also hate to think my fellow yelpers would lead me astray.
Please eat here people! My husband and I went on a Friday night and it was pretty dead. 2 other tables of people plus what looked like family of the owner. The place is actually pretty nice for a family owned BYOB ethnic food joint. A few little wishes as far as atmosphere went though - The lights could be dimmer and the music was on so low that you could hear every word that was said by everyone else in the restaurant. Although that ended up being entertaining because the other table - halfway across the restaurant - was discussing porn. Oh, and there was a tv in the corner with sitcoms playing on silent. That seems partially because the owners son tends to be hanging around watching the tv and playing on his computer. I do like the family vibe though.
That being said, this place was amazing! I have eaten at a bunch of Ethiopian places around the city and this was hands down the best. We got 2 meat dishes - 1 lamb and 1 beef, each of which came with two veggie sides. Everything was unreal except the curried veggies which were kind of boring. We told the server that we liked things spicy and she brought it that way. Oh, and there was this beef samosa like appetizer that was the allstar of the night. A must have. It has only been 2 weeks and we can't wait to go back. Yum! Plus, it cost us about $30 and a $5 bottle of Trader Joes wine. What more can a girl ask for? Please Please Please eat here people! There are so many crappy restaurants - one this good should stick around.
I swear only in Chicago can you have Mexican, Turkish, French, Thai, and now Ethiopian all in walking distance of one another. Lalibela is a great addition to the Andersonville area. Being my first time I couldn't have picked a better place.
We ordered so much food Doro Tibs, Yemisir Wot, Quosta, Sambusa, and all for only two people. I was like a mad man I couldn't get enough. Everything was so fresh and flavorful. Looking at the flat bread you would've never known it would be so filling, it looks like a really thin sponge. I have to say that I love eating with my hands too.
The service was a little slow along with the food prep but I really don't mind if the food is that good. The owner was our waiter, who is one of the nicest persons you will ever meet. It is BYOB and they have no problems uncorking and pouring you a glass. No fee
I really don't think enough people know about Lalibela because it is dead every time I walk by so please keep this place alive and come often.
Hearing such positive things from some of my most trusted sources, I finally ventured here for dinner with friends last Friday. I have been trying to get my butt over here for months on end. One opportunity after another slipping through my fingers, so when my friends and I decided on a night and came here, I came with a bar set with some pretty lofty expectations.
Thankfully they were pretty much met. It is a fairly inexpensive meal. $60, (without tip) for four very stuffed people. Plenty of choices for vegetarians. BYOB. Good, friendly service which anticipated some of our needs and was quick to meet our others. Really though, this wouldn't be a review from me if it wasn't two pages long, so on with the show.....
Walking in you will see wicker chairs as far as the eye can see... and then you will the wall. Its not that big of a place, sizable but not that big. We made a reservation, because well.. that's how we roll, rather safer then sorry.. um -er. We started off with some appetizers, some of their beef meatballs and their spinach pies. The balls were small, but had a little bit of heat and spice and were quite flavorful. The pies could be considered a close relative to spanakopita, but the larger cousin. Filled with minced spinach, seasoning and garlic with a harder dough, but certainly quite delish. We opted for the biggest way possible to eat for our main course. If everyone orders a main entree, then you get three free side dishes, (#7 - #14), so we ordered three main dishes, the vegetarian sampler and then three more veggie dishes. Needless to say, plenty of food. We went with one beef, lamb, and chicken, (I want to say 27, 28, and 35), it probably took less than 15 minutes from order to table. When they say very spicy, don't worry, it wasn't that spicy, but everything had good flavor. I particularly enjoyed the chicken, (a hint of spice, rich tomato almost curry consistency sauce but not as complex of flavors, but with some depth), and the lamb, (slightly buttery, with a slight tomato sauce, a little earthy, but simple), the beef was a not as tender, but still good with all its veggies. Then the side dishes, all 7 of them. Okay. I won't break it down, but I will say the lentils and the curried veggies were my favorite. They all came out on a tray laying on top of the staple injera bread. Now this can be a love it or hate it kind of thing. This soft, spongy bread texturally is like a really thick crepe. Slightly sour, but it is the way you eat with it. Picking up your tender pieces of meat or sauce or vegetable, cradling it with your fingers and popping it in your mouth. I felt like it could get a little fun and addicting eating this way.
Now, traditionally the bread is made with teff, a small round grain found in Ethiopia it is high in nutrition and low in gluten. However, be wary since some places in America splice in wheat flour, so if you need gluten free diet, this might work for you. I sadly didn't find out if the bread was all made with teff, but my sensitive tummy didn't get all too achy so I am thinking it might be okay. However, check with them, don't rely on my word or stomach.
We chatted the night away, our server was polite and the price was beyond just right. Open your mind, try some new dishes. If you love meat, you are covered, about 20 dishes with lamb, beef and a few with chicken. If you need vegetarian options, you have more than your fare share. And you better share, I know your momma taught you right!
Have you ever been offered free refills on your food? (buffets and parties not withstanding) Neither had I... not until Lalibela anyway! It could have been because we were dining late night. The food and the service couldn't be any better!
Large portions (even without refills) and small prices- just the way I like it. This place is awesomely delicious.
Neighborhood: Edgewater
Category: Ethiopian
Neighborhood: Edgewater
Category: Ethiopian
Neighborhood: Edgewater
Category: Ethiopian
Neighborhood: Edgewater
Category: Ethiopian
Chicago, IL
Category: Ethiopian
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