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Category: Ethiopian
Neighborhood: EdgewaterThorndale (Red)
Mon-Sat. 12:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 10:30 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 »
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Delicious, delicious! This place is much bigger than I expected and they do take reservations (a definite plus for late weekend dining). They also have a full bar and quite a few imported beers that are not badly priced. The staff is very friendly and helpful considering how often they probably hear the menu items mispronounced or need to explain something to the customers. My recommendation is to definitely go with a group of at least 4, and if you aren't familiar with the food just take a quick look at the menu then be brave and order. You really have to try the dishes to understand the flavors. And you will likely be surprised. Personally I never imagined myself to be someone who would develop cravings for spicy lentils--I can't get enough of them.
Be advised that they do say orders will take at least 25 minutes to come from the kitchen and that they also charge for extra baskets of injera bread if you are a liberal eater of the stuff. This is not the cheapest Ethiopian restaurant I have been to in Chicago, but it is so far my favorite and the price points are reasonable considering the quality and that there is enough food that you do not have to order one entree per person. (we ordered 5 entrees for 6 people and had more than enough food)
Otherwise, my favorite part (besides the communal eating style and that you are supposed to eat with your hands) is that they spice the food really well for my taste. I don't usually eat much red meat, but I could not pass up the marinated sirloin (gord gord, i believe) and the subtle burn left after each bite. Go with an open mind and an empty stomach and this restaurant will definitely deliver.
ps: they have a hand washing station near the bar--a nice touch considering the meal style. thank you to the owners!
I just love ethnic food. However, I never really had a chance to try Ethiopian food before, until a group of friends asked if I would like to join them here Friday night to see what it's like, and I said yes indeed. All in all we had six in our party and since I was a novice to this type of food I'm going to share with you what I learned.
I learned that Ras Dashen when translated means comfort food from the moutains of Ethiopia.
I learned that handwashing is very important because there are no utensils, you use injera instead.
I learned that it's ok to pig out because everyone else is and I just loved the communal nature of this meal. It really brings people together. Plus, the live music made the night very lively and enjoyable as well.
Then I finally learned the names of all the dishes we had. Here they are:
* Ras Dashen Salad - similar to a garden salad but served with a light tangy dressing, this was a standard good choice.
* Misser wat - red lentils in a spicy berbere sauce. Quite delicious.
* Gomen - chopped greens slow cooked with mild spices. Milder in the spice category but good none the less.
* Doro wat - this was my favorite dish of the whole meal and what it translates to is the chicken and the egg, cooked in a thick and spicy berbere sauce. I also learned from our server that this is the national dish of Ethiopia. I would recommend this one to everyone.
* Yebeg tibs - lamb lightly cooked with onions, green peppers and seasonings. This too was a nice balance to our more spicy dishes.
* Kitfo tere - steak tar tar, yes indeed. Most delicious and seasoned with kibe which is a spicy butter and a blend of crushed peppers. Scrumptiously seared to perfection.
Also, just because my friends and I are carnivores doesn't mean you have to be. They also serve veggie friendly platters that will make you say yum. So, don't be afraid to come here no matter if you're a carnivore, vegitarian or somewhere in between.
All in all the service was great and friendly. I can't wait to come back here again to try some of their other dishes, now that I know what to expect.
Mmmmmmmm.
This is what I call finger licking good. The vegetarian sampler is a must when you are craving rich and delicious, well seasoned veggies and legumes. Cabbage takes on a whole new meaning when stewed and spiced Ethiopian style, garlicky and sweet...honestly, even if you don't think you like greens, I bet you will here. My favorite dishes are the Gomen (collards) and Misser Wat (red lentils in a sauce they call spicy but it really isn't too hot.) I recommend getting 1 salad (I got the Ethio Salta) as a contrasting element and palate cleanser.
Veg heads will appreciate that vegan items are labeled on the menu. For dessert they even offer Chicago-based Temptations soy ice cream (as well as a molten chocolate cake, baklava, and other items that probably aren't authentic but sound great.)
There are many meat items that look and smell tasty (I haven't tried yet, feeling so blissed out with the veg), but I have noticed that my dining companions who get meat sometimes have to spit out some gristle or tough bits. They seem otherwise content.
I haven't tried the gluten free teff Injera yet but will make a point to in future. (Have to request that the day before...so takes some planning.)
Service is sauntering, but with a smile.
Talk about an educational experience! A week ago I knew nothing about Ethiopian cuisine. It's not often that I actually need to do research before going out to eat. I was very impressed. The atmosphere was laid back (this was Saturday afternoon), the service was polite and helpful.
We started off with spnach sambusa, which I was later told was a precursor to samosa, which my research didn't confirm or deny. It was like a middle eastern spinach pie. It was good and spicy and was served with a kind of salsa. We ordered three dishes and three sides. Three sides are included per table, and you can get additional sides for a charge. Everything was good. The Asa Wat (tilapia) was tangy and spicy. The lamb tibs was very tender. The Doro Alicha (mild chicken with egg) was a little too mild but it was still tasty.
The entire meal came on one large tray accompanied by plenty of inerja, a sourdough flatbread. The bread saved our hands from getting too messy, but when eating with my hands I'm bound to make a mess. Who needs utensils when you have perfectly good hands to eat with? I wasn't used to eating in this style, but it was a lot of fun.
For dessert we had the coconut creme brulee and ethiopian bread pudding which came topped with vanilla ice cream. Both were excellent, though the creme brulee could have been torched a little longer.
All this was accompanied by honey wine, which seemed to be recommended by everyone. I can see why. It was a little strong, but I loved how the taste of honey mixed with the spice of the entrees. It wasn't too sweet, but that was the first time I ever had honey wine so I don't really have a basis for comparison.
For those with dietary restrictions, the menu is vegan friendly. They even mark the items that are vegan friendly.
I'm glad Ras Dashen was my first Ethiopian experience. I will most likely be back. I heard they have live bands on weekends. I will need to check that out some time.
I have always wanted to try Ethiopian food and very glad I did. I ended up trying out this place after yelping various cuisines.
I started out with the spinach sambusas which were little spinach pies. The dinner for two which included doro wat (chicken and egg in a spicy sauce), shimbera asa wat (ground chick pea dough and misserana bowmia (lentils and okra in sauce),yeqay tikil gomen (sweet and sour red cabbage). I liked the spices that were in the dishes. Service was good, the food is communal which is really fun when you go out with friends. The portions are quite ample.
I've wanted to try Ethiopian food for a very long time and Ras Dashen was a great place to enjoy it. The first thing I noticed when walking into the Restaurant was the aroma of cooking food--making me very hopeful for a tasty meal. I had studied the menu and read many reviews (thanks Yelp'ers!) but when I got there, it still took a while for us to decide on what to order.
So what we had: Spinach Sambusa appetizers. Doro Wat (Chicken) Yebeg Tibs be berere (lamb) and Asa Wat (Tilapia). The sides we chose: Yeqaysur Salata (beet salad), Misser Salata (chilled lentil salad) and Gomen (chopped greens). Because everything is served on the large plate of Injera bread we all got to taste everything. For me, the lamb dish was the best one. From what I understand the lamb dish I ordered is just called "spicy juicy" and that's exactly what it was--spicy juicy. (YUM!) The Honey Wine was good. I also tasted the Ethiopian iced tea--if you like cardamon, this is one to try. For dessert we shared the Coconut Creme brulee and the Bread pudding--both very good too.
The loud-talker on the mobile phone at the next table next to us loved her meal too--she told everyone she talked to on that phone--talk about word-of-mouth! :)
I think this is probably my favorite Ethiopian restaurant in Chicago. I've been to Demera (good) and Ethiopian Diamond (good) but this one is my favorite.
Their doro wat is probably my favorite. It's always really flavorful. Their sambusa is also really good... we've had all the varities and liked them all. My favorite side there is the Kik Alicha... always really delicious.
I love love love the coffee service there but, unfortunately, I cannot have it anymore because whenever I indulge after dinner, I'm awake ALL NIGHT LONG. But if caffeine doesn't bother you, it's a must have.
I would have give this a 5 star if maybe the service was a little better. The wait for the food is often REALLY long and the servers aren't super quick to refill your water or ask if you would like another glass of wine. Oh well...
It can be a bit far, but totally worth it. This is the restaurant I will take people to if they've never experienced Ethiopian food. Not because it's safe (the food is spicy if it says spicy and nothing is bland) or friendly (though they are inviting), but I feel like the whole vibe of the place is perfect for that get-outta-the-comfort-zone attempt. Awesome live music, delicious food, and really cool ambiance.
This is also the only place where I've witnessed my party actually clean up the whole platter sans leftovers. It has taken seven years of Ethiopian feasting to achieve this.
Ehh, I've learned to give up on MOST Ethiopian restaurants because of the not so lovely service. Now, I'm personally Ethiopian myself, so if I really needed Ethiopian food... I'd go to my mother. And overall, the food isn't so wonderful.
The only people who would fall for Ras Dashen would be people of different cultures because they don't know how the quality of the food SHOULD be. I go if someone is paying for it, cause well, who doesn't want free food. But other then that, ehhh.... NO! Besides... the tea there is waaayyyy too bitter.
Now I know the whole Ras Dashen VS. Diamond is a big issue. I'd have to go with Diamond on this one.
And you know whats funny, time and time again that I come here... I never see more than two Ethiopians, including me. Anyyywaayyss...
Ehh, Ras Dashen just isnt my cup of tea...
Granted, I don't know that many restaurants in Chicago - compared to the average yelper;
It is only the second Ethiopian restaurant I've tried;
I have a soft spot for exotic, spicy.
For those who care, they have gluten free injera (100% teff, no wheat flour); I think you have to call ahead to make sure, but they definitely make it. The regular is better in my opinion, but the all-teff is decent nonetheless.
Ras Dashen is one of my top three restaurant in the Chicago area. Just orgasmic. I would go there just for the music (their resident band, Magic Carpet, hits the spot every time): really, they're very talented, groovy, and non-intrusive in my opinion.
But then I have to mention the Asa Tibs (marinated, grilled tilapia and bell peppers - which is not a spicy dish btw) which is so wonderful, the injera (not as sour as the Ethiopian Diamond I found), which fills you up faster than you want, and just pretty much everything I have tried on the menu.
I have been there, I don't know, at least 10-15 times, it is consistently excellent. I am very happy to see that the service is still slow, and I wish it remains that way. Too many places focus on speed and efficiency; this place, well, it is a great reminder that it is, after all, African! when you go there, you take your time, wait for your food to be freshly made, really enjoy it when it arrives, and enjoy some of their excellent beers (check out Hakim) while you have a good conversation with friends, in a relaxed atmosphere, music playing if you're lucky, and just have a jolly good old time! Every time I take someone new to Chicago out, we come here: never been disappointed. On top of that, the price is right (leftovers often times); what more could you want??!
This place is a real gem.
Ras Dasehn is absolutely adorable.
And, on a Friday night at 8 o'clock, there's wasn't a wait...for the table at least. Service was a little on the slow side, which was strange since we were sitting at the awkward corner table under the kitchen window. The waitstaff pretty much tripped over us every time they picked up an order.
Once we got the food, it couldn't stand up to Ethiopian Diamond. The cabbage was wonderful, but the gomen ( spinach) was bland and the lebleb tibs ( beef with onions and peppers) was just okay and a little overcooked. Maybe it was an off night or perhaps I should try their specialty rather than sticking to my old faves....
My boyfriend and I went here last nite for my b-day. We have never had Ethiopian food before but we do like to try new things. We did our homework prior to going. Printed menu's from diff places as to get to know the food a bit.
The honey wine is pretty storng. The food was very good, the bread was intersting. I liked eating with my fingers. Very spicy and some are very very hot. We did two-two meat combos and the food was almost to much for two people. I think I liked it more then my boyfriend did.
You must must try the ethiopian coffee. If you like greek coffee this is ten times better. The best coffee we ever had. We shared a blakava (sp) with it. Very good.
Yes, I recomend this place ! ~_~
It only seems fitting that I choose Ras Dashen to be my very first review. Since my first trip there, it has become my favorite restaurant in the world by far and I have returned many many times.
Hands down, excellent food, period. I salivate during the entire drive to Ras Dashen in anticipation of eating there. I don't live especially close to this establishment, but it doesn't make a difference. I would follow these people anywhere. My fiance and I typically order a beef entree with varying sides. So far, we haven't found one side that we didn't love. The chilled lentils, the ib cheese, carrot/cabbage/potato stew, beets, and even the little salads with spicy Jalapenos- everything is awesome here. Extremely flavorful and satisfying. And of course, we both love the prices. I don't believe I've ever paid more than $20, between myself and my fiance, to eat here.
If you've got room for dessert, try to the bread pudding with ice cream.
The atmosphere here is another bonus. It is often busy, but we've never had to wait more than five minutes for a table. The service is generally fast. A few times we've had a wait a little longer, but believe me, it is worth it. The wait staff is courteous and prompt. On weekend evenings, there is a little band that plays great percussion-based groove music. It can get a little loud if you're sitting right next to them, so request a table further back.
There isn't a whole lot else to say that 140+ people have said already about this fine restaurant. If you're in the mood for something outside the box, try Ras Dashen. Great food, great prices, great environment, easy street parking, the works.
Lovely dining room and quick service seperates Ras Dashen from the rest of the Ethiopian restaurants. Unfortunately the food isn't as good.
Started with the spinach sambosas (or however their spelled, I get it wrong everytime). Not so good. I expect some spice from my Ethiopian food and these had NONE. The salsa was tasty, but still a bit tame.
Got the vegetarian sampler (which they say is built for 1, but plenty for 2), which includes 5 selections of our choosing. We got the cold beet salad, warm red lentils, warm spinach, pickled cabbage and cabbage/potato dish. The highlight was the warm lentils, the rest were forgettable. Again, I need some spice!
The thing that seperates Ras Dashen from the rest is the swiftness of service, but I go to restaurants for the food and in this case, my heart currently belongs to Lailbela.
This is one of my top 10 favorite restaurants ever. Ethiopian food is amazing, people. Give it a try if you never have, and go here!
All of the food I've had has been excellent. There aren't any specific recommendations I can make beyond saying that you should just go here.
Seriously. As if their food weren't amazing enough, they also have cute atmosphere (great date spot) and a wonderful little selection of African beer. Did you know that African beer is good? Try the Hakim-- it's a stout, but it has the consistency of a nut-brown ale and is very flavorful.
I recently ate at Ras Dashen and found it to be a very pleasant experience. Being a Vegan I found it very easy to find several options here. They have a separate section labeled as vegetarian and a V is next to everything that's Vegan. Virtually every veggie dish was Vegan so that's a plus in my book. I got the Vegetarian Sampler and I got to choose five different items. I can't remember the names of what I got, but the numbers were 5, 8, 10, 11 (I got two of one of them). My meal was so good and I was partial to the potato and green bean item. After our meal they gave us the desert menu, and to my surprise, they had Vegan Temptation Ice Cream! This place gets many stars in my book! Great food and great options!
Up until tonight I had only been to one other Ethiopian restaurant [Demera] that I was not fantastically excited about. I had also tried a more Eastern African restaurant that I loved, but went out of business [Bolat]. When I tried the Ethiopian initially it was not what I had pictured, and and had attempted to explain in class without actually having eaten it. When I went the first time I was with a bunch of people I didn't know so well, and everyone else was meat eaters, so I had limited veggie items, and really had no clue what I was doing becuase none of us had really eaten Ethiopian.
Tonight I was supposed to go to an organic restaurant with a girlfiend of mine, who much like me likes everything different. She opted for either Ethiopian or Middle Eastern when we found out our initial choice was closed for the evening. She offered up Ras Dashen -- her and her husband have eaten there many times and LOVED it. I was ready to give Ethiopian another try, especially with someone who had been there, was veggie friendly, and knew what she was doing.
So we got there, and the atmosphere was very good. They have more American tables and then more traditional tables. The wait staff was awesome and selected some great wine to us. I don't even like Chardonnay and he suggested a glass to me that I actually thought was really quite good.
I don't know what it was, but I thought the enjera here was much better; wans't as sour tasting. We did a 2 entree option where you get 4 sides with it. We did tilapia which was delicious and then this more spicy okra and lentils dish which we weren't ecstatic about as we don't like spicey food too much, but it was still good. Then our four sides were a beet salad, another lentil dish I believe, this amazing cheese and buttermilk dish, and then I can't even remember the fourth. No complaints whatsoever!
I even managed to save room for dessert even though the enjera expands as soon as you eat it and you tend to fill full quite quickly; can see why they eat it in Africa when they don't get to eat so frequently. I wound up getting a vegan chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. As a friend joked with me, "That must have tasted grainy!?!?" Honestly, and I don't know how they do it, it was creamier than most ice cream I've eaten. My friend was full and wasn't even going to have some, and she helped me gobble it down.
Overall -- fanatastic, and I would totally recommend it if you want to try Ethiopian, especially for the first time. Also, going with someone who knows the cuisine, also really helps, as I pretty much had her order for the two of us! Delicious!
Loved it! Me and a friend from out of town decided to travel way up north to Edgewater to indulge in some Ethiopian food. I can't get my boyfriend to go near the stuff, so this was an almost once-in-a-lifetime experience! We found Ras Dashen to be exactly what we wanted! The staff was prompt and courteous and the food to be delicious! Some spicy, some mild, some rich and some light. We washed it down with Ethiopian chai tea and we were completely content!
I have now been to three Ethiopian restaurants in the Chicago area and Ras Dashen is by far the front runner. The service has been excellent both times I have eaten there with my husband. It is a very relaxing environment with the option of sitting at traditional round tables with very comfortable seats. The service is leisurly paced and very polite, helpful but not pushy in any way.
The food is amazing. I recommend getting a mix of spicy and not so spicy. The cucumber salad in the appetizer section is a must have! The dressing is one of the best dressings I have ever had, in any type of cuisine. I highly recommend getting the cheese as one of the side dishes as it is a nice change of pace to the rest of the items. Also, try the coffee for dessert. My hubby who likes his coffee light and sweet enjoyed drinking the coffee straight up black. It had a very rich flavor. Ooo, also the beer we had (Hakim, I think) was really good.
I think the 2 star notation "Meh. I've experienced better" pretty much sums up MY experience here. I've gone to the (up the street) competitor and for what I eat (vegetarian) I prefer the other place hands down. A couple things played against Ras Dashen 1) after choosing the 5-combo vegetarian platter, the pleasant waitress tells me that 2 out of the 4 items they didn't have.. I was going to double up on 1, so I am now left with trying to understand how you run out of vegetables and quickly decide on something else.
The waitress was helpful and accommodating giving suggestions. 2) What actually didn't help was when the food came out it was luke warm (this is after another waitress accidently gave us another parties food by mistake). So I am left with luke warm vegetables, 3 of which I really didn't want, but ate anyway and injera that made my taste buds question (WHAT?) prompting me to ask for a fork. Blew the entire experience.
I will give them the benefit of the doubt and try them again... perhaps with my friend who recommended but also eats meat.
So, if you've never tried Ethiopian food, make sure you can stomach ethnic foods or you might have a hard time with this one.
I tried Ethiopian for the first time here. I thought I had a diverse taste palate, but the food was too foreign for me.
We had the communal dish where you use the bread to scoop up the food. I was expecting the bread to be like nan or pita bread, but it was spongy and sour. The sourness threw me off, so I wasn't able to fully enjoy the food. Also, my friends ordered the food, so I had no clue what I was putting in my mouth and that was unsettling too.
My experienced Ethiopian-food-eating friends said it was the tastiest Ethiopian food they'd ever had though. It was a good time.
I don't know whos e idea it as to walk the 45 minutes from our place to here (oh wait, it was mine) but by the time we got here, I was starving and as a result we ordered way too much food. Here's a little tip - the omnivore dinner for two, actually feeds more like four with its three sides and three meat dishes.
Our dishes were hit and miss - none of the veggie dishes impressed much- but the good made up for the not as good. The doro wat, (chicken and egg) was exactly that - fall off the bone chicken in a berber sauce with a whole hardboiled egg on the side, and it was the best dish. The "fish stew" that was acutally fired chickpea balls was also amazing and between those two dishes I filled up.
We also tried the honeywine which was, as expected, very sweet but complemented the dishes well. Service was slow but friendly and despite our massive over-ordering the total bill was reasonable. I'll definately be back for my ethipoian fix, though next time I may take the bus.
Brought my little sister here for the last night of her Chicago visit. We were in a slight rush, so this was more convenient than hiking up to Ethiopian Diamond. The food was fantastic as usual. Ras Dashen knows their customer - That's you, American, vegan hipsters! Vegetarian and vegan dishes are clearly marked on the menu.
The service was fantastic. My little sis is a carnivore and tends towards less spicy food, while I am vegetarian and a devoted fan of the misserana bowmia (spicy lentils and okra). Our waitress navigated her towards the mild chicken and helped us pick a few sides we would both like.
While we were here, a couple came in with their toddler. I can't even imagine how much fun it must be to watch grownups sitting at a little table eating with their hands.
In my experience the injera (flatbread) is not quite as good as Ethiopian Diamond or African Harambee. That won't stop me from coming back though.
Hey jerk, why have you not reviewed Ras Dashen yet?
As others have noted, call at least 24 hours in advance for gluten-free injera. That shit needs time to ferment!
The one time I've been to Ras Dashen, it was a last-minute decision and they had no time to prep GF injera. Their solution? A non-fermented bread made from chickpea flour. If you can't handle the tart goodness of injera, try this instead--my injera-feasting friends actually preferred my garbanzo bread. It's been almost a year since I went and I STILL crave it.
Very vegetarian friendly as well--the veg sampler is an excellent deal. Yellow lentils on one end, beets on the other, and I was in heaven. Food is rarely this good.
The service? Wonderful. If I was the least bit irritating with my standard ten billion questions about the menu, the staff never showed it. The beer list is quite good, even if I cannot partake.
Dig in and enjoy. Pardon me while I schedule a date for the not-near-enough future.
So I paid for this delicious spicy meal the entire next day, but it was worth it. A day of heartburn and whatever else is a small price to pay for the dinner that you experience at Ras Dashen.
You can choose from a traditional seating set-up of wicker lounge-ish chairs around a small circular table, or you can sit at a regular square table with upright chairs. We sat down in one of the traditional seating arrangements, but then switched over to the regular table, as I imagined myself dropping half my food in my lap and ending up wearing the larger part of dinner.
Once seated, we were greeted right away by our server with menus in hand. I liked that you are able to choose your own sides instead of them just defaulting to greens, lentils, and salad. We ordered the Doro Wat and a spicy beef dish. The injera was great and the flavors were fabulous. I was initially scared to order the cabbage and potato stew as a side, but it ended being wonderful. The spice was strong and after about 20 minutes into the meal, our sinuses were clear and noses were dripping. May have been a little too spicy for me, but I somehow managed. :)
I will definately head back to Ras Dashen soon and would love to grab a group of people and do the party thing there. Good stuff!
I haven't been to many places but this was very tasty. Plus, my North African friend recommended it so I'm hoping that gives her opinion some more authenticity. :)
My only complaint is that the service seemed a bit slow, but I don't think I've ever been to an Ethiopian restaurant where that wasn't the case, so it seems moot.
The food was fantastic; all the meat was super tender and the veggie dishes had interesting textures, etc. Also, everything seemed between $13-$18, which seemed pretty reasonable.
This would have been an easy 5 stars if our server hadn't been so. incredibly. slow. (and just inattentive in general). We weren't in a rush, but having to ask for our check by cornering the server two separate times and sitting with menus, starting at every passing server for 15 minutes just couldn't make the 5th star happen.
The food is great. I do recommend going early if you're heading here on the weekend because we got there a little after 6pm and when we were leaving (close to 8, yeah, I told you the service was slow), it was PACKED with people waiting for tables from about 7pm on.
We took the train and had no troubles getting there. You can sit at the traditional tables (small, round table about the height of the seat of your chair), which we did, or a regular table (recommend for groups larger than 3-4).
Tried the honey wine (glad I tried it, but really sweet and acidic. probably wouldn't order again) and the coffee (FANTASTIC! Super dark and rich, served in a beautiful pot with small cups).
We split the lentil sambusas which were recommended by our server and they were very good. I maybe would have liked a few more lentils, but delicious all the same.
We also ordered:
Sides:
Qosta: (spinach, onions, garlic) Very tasty and quite a bit of spinach.
Misser wat: (red lentils in spicy sauce) Also very good, but I thought this would be my favorite and it was great and spicy, but not as much flavor as I was hoping for.
Kik alicha: (yellow split peas, onions, garlic and other good stuff) This one was AMAZING. All of us were scooping and even swiping our fingers on the edge to get every last bit. So much flavor!
Tikil gomen alicha: (cabbage, potato and carrot stew) This one was also uber yummy and a nice contrast to some of the spicier entrees we got.
Entrees:
Doro wat: (Chicken & a hardboiled egg in a spicy brown sauce) This was the national dish of Ethiopia I think and it was amazing. The whole, hardboiled egg was a little weird, but the chicken and sauce were spicy and incredible.
Yebeg Tibs Be Berbere: (aka Spicy Juicy; lamb stew) I liked this one a lot, but there was a higher than I'd like bone to meat ratio. The sauce was super spicy, but I like spice, so that was good for me.
We didn't have dessert because while waiting for our server, we gave up and decided we didn't need anymore carbs after ingesting so much injera (the sour, flat, spongy bread you scoop everything up with to eat).
This was my first experience with Ethiopian food and it only made me eager to try more, so I'd say that's a pretty successful experience. Go here when you're not in a time crunch and enjoy the amazing food and experience.
I can't talk this place up enough. I love taking people here, I've never brought anyone who didn't like it. There's another Ethiopian place just up the road, and I'm always tempted to try it, but Ras Dashen tugs me back every single time.
The atmosphere is very nice, calm, and clean. The back room (for parties) is great; I was there recently for a surprise birthday party and it was large and very well handled.
The food is absolutely delightful. The vegetarian specials are very good, but I admit I'm a sucker for the kik alicha. The misser wat (another staple) is also great. The "bread pudding" dessert is worth at least one try, just for the interest factor, although I have now been won over by the rice pudding as well. The beer selection is great.
The only con is that the coffee takes forever, so plan a dessert or some time digesting if you want coffee afterwards!
I am a big fan of Ethiopian food and Ras Dahsen is the second best restaurant I have been to for this type of cuisine, number one is the Blue Nile in Detroit - see that review to find out why.
Out of the many offerings for Ethiopian in Chicago Ras Dashen is the best in every category.
The food is very sapid, the drinks are moderatly priced and options plentiful, the atmosphere is fun and lighting just right, the weekend has the great band Quadrangle (at least they were still playing there last time I went there) and the prices for the food are reasonable.
The only bad mark is the service. It can range from slow to a snails pace.... This is not really a mark on the restaurant yet the tactfulness of the management.
If you want great Ethiopian food and couple of drinks and some decent conversation head here. Just don't think you will be in and out. If you want fast food style Ethiopian maybe try Diamond or Addis Abba in Evanston.
If they had guaranteed speedy service everytime, cause i don't always get slow service (I go here often), it just frequently enough to be annoying, then total five stars.
Ras Dashen is actually pretty good, but Ethiopian Diamond is much better. I think the former caters to the more American crowd, whereas the latter is mixed with actual Ethiopian customers. Not to mention the food is simply tastier at Ethiopian Diamond.
The one time I went to Ras Dashen it was pretty much empty up until the overweight vanilla couple walked in. The girlfriend was one of those people who couldn't stop talking to the waitress about how little she knew about Ethiopian food and how crazy and different it is. Then she ate her food with a fork. Nice.
This is a place you have to go to more than once - not because it is so good, but just before you get a handle on what you should be ordering. For someone new to the experience like me, figuring out what to order our first trip was borderline frustrating and I was unsure what to do considering my food did not come with instructions. But the plate in front of me was delicious for the most part.
It was not until my second trip when I figured out 1) don't order too much to make yourself sick and 2) what dishes compliment each other (I did get a little help from the wait staff) that I found our how truly great the food can be.
The Service and Atmosphere (music on the weekends) are amazing. Some of the sides are hit or miss, but I think the best way to go is just to ask the wait staff what they like and what goes well together. I would avoid the chicken but all the other meat dishes have always been amazing.
I'd never tried Ethiopian food before, and the excellent reviews everyone wrote about this place made the selection process a lot easier. The restaurant had a very pleasant atmosphere - half the seating was American traditional, with square wooden tables and chairs. The other half was on lower, cushioned chairs, set around circular, brightly painted tables with woven lids. My boyfriend and I ordered the Omnivore Dinner for Two, which consists of three smaller-sized entrees and three side dishes. It all comes out on a huge, circular metal plate lined with injera, the sour, spongy bread you will use in lieu of utensils. It didn't look like that much food at first, but we were both ravenous, stuffed ourselves silly and still failed to eat it all. I know the lamb menu is mouth-watering, but I highly recommend you also order one or two vegetarian dishes! I really enjoyed the Yeqaysur salata, which was a chilled beet salad side dish. The ib, a fresh cheese, was something of a disappointment. I love cheese, but I didn't think it significantly enhanced the other dishes. I wouldn't order it again. Kitfo tere was the hit of the evening. It's an Ethiopian beef tartare-type dish; very spicy and delicious. We also ordered a pot of chai tea, which was aromatic and palate-cleansing. I recommend this place to anyone looking for a new experience, or for some tasty food.
Ras Dashen is the best ethiopian around. Fantastic injera, delicious sauces and meat dishes. I recommend the #10 appetizer.
Service is quite slow... still a fantastic experience.
Service: Awful. Asked for a coke and 5 minutes later we see our waitress standing around chatting it up with no coke in sight. Asked her about it and she said she knew and came back 5 minutes later with the drinks. It also took FORTY-FIVE minutes to get our appetizers and well over an hour for our main dishes (they served patrons who came in after us before us). The weren't even anything special to warrant a 45 minute wait...some type of meat in a pastry dough, deep-fried; we're not exactly talking rocket science.
I wish I could give zero stars, but truth-be-told, the injera was good, as were the potatoes so I don't feel quite as jipped in giving one star. I wasn't thrilled with the other food outside of that though (seriously...$22 for a pile of slopped meat with veggies?! Rip-off).
I cringe everytime I pass this place...I shant be returning any century soon.
Sheba Cafe is closed.
What is happening with this world?
So after being disappointed and hungry for some ethiopian cuisine, my brother and I trekked up to here for dinner the other night. I loved the feel of the restaurant when I walked in. The drink list left a little to be desired (is it bad that the drink list is how I judge most restaurants?), but the ethiopian coffee more than makes up for it.
The live music was great too. The food was delicious, no complaints there (although I've only had ethiopian food a few times in my life so maybe my pallet isn't refined enough to judge that harshly). The only issue I really had was the layout. Getting all the way back to the bathroom was a total hassle. It's a very narrow joint.
One awesome thing is ethiopian left overs are DELISH.
Finally I found you again!
A friend took me here on a date when I first moved to Chicago, and I'd forgotten the name and didn't know the neighborhood. I found it on yelp again, and I confirmed that my affinity for this place wasn't only that it was my first Ethiopian.
The atmosphere is much more authentic than any place in Chicago. The food is unparalleled. RD is a great date spot (it's small so maybe not the best option for large groups).
Try the coffee. They serve it in a gourd pot and it is so strong and so delicious.
Five Stars!
My man & I went here for Valentine's Day. I originally planned on going to Mama Desta's (the only other Ethiopian place I've been), but once I saw the reviews on Yelp I came here instead.
It was delicious! That said, I really didn't see a difference in quality between Ras Dashen and Mama Desta's. I'm surprised at the vast difference in reviews. The food actually tasted pretty much the exact same to me.
The service was terrible, but I am only taking off one star for that because we were taken care of very well. (I suspect this is because we politely reminded them of our presence a few times instead of angrily causing a scene.) We witnessed several others who were NOT being taken care of, and many actually got up and left without eating. We heard the manager get yelled at more than once. Still, it was Valentine's Day and things are crazy and out of control on that day pretty much everywhere.
We will definitely come back, but probably on a weeknight since they aren't the best at handling large crowds. The food is good, the honey wine is good (and 12% alcohol--watch out!), and while the service might not be fast, the servers are friendly.
Ras Dashen, how do I love thee. Let me count the ways:
1. Injeera: One of the best out there! And it's gluten-free!
2. THE BEST vegetarian dishes!
3. A lady who wards off voodoo and bad spirits!
4. Great Ethiopian coffee!
5. Live music!
6. Sharing is caring!
7. Spicy, Spicy, Spicy!
Go here with people you actually like. Remember, you'll be sharing your plate!
Seriously good. I think it's the best Ethiopian restaurant in Chicago -- at least from what I've tried.
The thing I love most about this place is that they are VEGAN FRIENDLY. They even have vegan ice cream for dessert!
And the food? It's REALLY, REALLY flavorful and fresh. I love their sauces, and salads. And ethiopian food (the vegan stuff anyway), is very healthy. Their bread (made from teff flour) is loaded with calcium -- which is a nice plus for vegans. And then there are lots of dishes with lentils for those all important amino acids we need.
The homemade honey-wine (not vegan) is really good too -- if you do honey.
They've even added a new hand sink in the back for the ever important hand washing you'd be wise to undertake both before and after the meal. For anyone unaware, eating with your hands is apparently the norm in Ethiopia!
Honestly, this place is great.
The first time I ever had Ethiopian food was this past December at this restaurant, since then I've been back quite a few times.
First off, be prepared to eat with your hands. That's right, there is no cutlery to speak of, well at least there isn't supposed to be. If you ask for utensils you might be provided with something but I have yet to see anyone with a knife or fork in this restaurant.
In place of conventional eating utensils is injera. Injera is a kind of sticky and spongy bread that almost resembles a crepe or thin pancake. You use pieces of it to scoop delectable pieces of meat and soak up their flavorful array of sauces (I suggest the berber sauce). If meat isn't your thing their side salads and vegetarian offerings are just as tasty. Be forewarned the injera can be quite filling and the sauces a bit sweet, in addition to spicy.
The service is not always the greatest, but the food has so far made up for it.
Neighborhood: Edgewater
Category: Ethiopian
Neighborhood: Edgewater
Category: Ethiopian
Neighborhood: Edgewater
Category: Ethiopian
Neighborhood: Edgewater
Category: Ethiopian
Chicago, IL
Category: Ethiopian
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