Ethiopian Diamond Restaurant

Chicago, United States

4.7

Open now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 773-338-6100
Website:
www.ethiopiandiamondcuisine.com
Address:
6120 N Broadway St, Chicago, IL, 60660
b/t Glenlake Ave & Hood Ave
Edgewater
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
500 ftGranville
520 ftBroadway & Granville SB
0.2 miThorndale
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
Yes
Delivery
Yes
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Good For
Dinner
Parking
Street
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
Yes
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Casual
Noise Level
Average
Alcohol
Full Bar
Outdoor Seating
No
Wi-Fi
No
Has TV
Yes
Waiter Service
Yes
Caters
Yes

Today

Today 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Open now
Local time (Chicago) 21:52 Thursday, 28 November 2024

Business hours

Monday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Tuesday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Wednesday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Thursday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Friday 11:00 am – 11:30 pm
Saturday 11:00 am – 11:30 pm
Sunday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm

Description

Specialties

The most popular dish is «Taste of Ethiopia» a perfect sampler including meat and vegetables.

The food is displayed on a big platter, and diners must tear off a piece of Injera, (the traditonal Ethiopian bread, is part of every entrée) It is a pancake-​like bread on which the various stew dishes are served. The traditional way of eating it is with your fingers. A bite sized piece of the injera is broken off to pick up a mouthfull of the chosen dish. According to an ancient custom, if you feel particularly close to someone you will place a bite in their mouth.

Ethiopian dishes are characterized by the variety of spices from which they get their exotic taste. Watt is a stew that comes in the form of beef, lamb, chicken, fish and vegetabels. These range from hot and spicy watt to very mild. The mildy seasoned watt is called Alicha.

Vegetarian/​Vegan dishes are also very popular in Ethiopian cuisine. All dishes are free from artificial coloring, flavoring and preservatives.

History

Established in 1996.

The owner Almaz was on the board of directors of the Ethiopian Community Association when the Chicago Bears sponsored an entrepreneurial training course. Her final paper, developed with a classmate, included a survey of where Ethiopians lived and how much business would be needed to sustain a restaurant. She was particularly impressed when two students at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management told her «This plan will work!» and in fact it has. Its been featured on television and in several publications with top reviews.

She bought out her partner two years ago and since then hired a manager that is not Ethiopian to help with service and marketing, making them a strong team from different experiences and backgrounds. In 2008 they remodeled and they started delivery, keeping the quality they are still known for.

Meet the Business Owner

Almaz Y.

Business Owner

Almaz, the chief cook and owner of the Ethiopian Diamond – Almaz means Diamond in Amharic–

Almaz grew up in Gondar and learned to cook from her grandmother. To this day, she judges her cooking on whether it tastes just like hers. Many seasonings and butter are imported from her sister who still lives in Ethiopia. She also imports the grain for the «injera» bread, and the coffee, from Kaffa, where coffee beans were first cultivated.

In 1982, Almaz and some friends thought they were fortunate to be admitted to America under the immigration quota system, because their country was undergoing some internal turmoil. they were sponsored by Travelers and Immigration Aid, and ended up on Chicago’s far North Side. Almaz graduated Senn High School (one of the most linguistically diverse schools in the country) and attended Rockford College for two years.

Almaz is very involved in the community and donates her time and food to different organizations especially when it involves education.

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«Michelle and her staff are great customers of ours and we frequent their establishment regularly… Incredible food!»

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«If you love good food and great music this place is a must. Live music on most nights.»

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20 reviews of Ethiopian Diamond Restaurant

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
Great food and service. I’ve always been treated well and the staff is very helpful explaining those unique dishes.
Place rating: 5
Reading, MA
Went to this spot several years ago … During pre-​Yelp times (can anyone even remember back then?). Going tonight to celebrate a friend’s bday and I am so excited! I would go more often except I am very rarely in the area and when I am, I’m tempted by so many possibilities. Anyhow, food was superb and the staff was super nice. I recall this beef dish … Wow! Maybe the sambuzza? Very pleasantly flavored and tender and the veggies were out of sight. Service was fast, victuals were fresh and warm and the waitress was so accommodating. I hope to find the same charm and quality tonite!
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
I hadn’t been in here in at least 15 years, or more. We went for my son’s 19th birthday celebration and it was fantastic, from the food to the service. It was a little busy, but not overbearing. The waitress was very attentive and kind. We had the taste of Ethiopia on a variety platter. It was so good, we were all very full at the end. Alcohol was good too, I had the Ethiopian sunrise (compares to a tequila sunrise but fruitier). The ambiance was great! Great place to have a celebration and try some new flavors! You will not be disappointed.
Place rating: 4
Detroit, MI
Very good and very plentiful food, but a bit pricey in my opinion. Nice ambience and attentive staff.
Place rating: 5
Glen Ellyn, IL
Food here is absolutely amazing! Their Samosas are perfectly crispy and so thoughtfully made you can see each fold. My favorite is the spinach Samosa. The honey wine is to die for! I’ve never had a wine that was so deliciously perfect in it’s sweetness and flavor! This by far beats all the wines I’ve had. The vegetarian platter was fantastic! Every sample on the platter played off well with each other; a little something spicy, sweet, sour and bitter, but not too bitter :) coffee is a must with dessert! I had the chocolate delight and it was a delight for sure. Very decadent. I love the presentation of the food and the service is superb! Definitely going there again! And check out their Ethiopian store! Lots of really neat things!
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
The service to the meal was great. It wasn’t busy on a Monday night.
We got a mix sampler of E2 and the E4 for 2 people. Doro wat is always my favorite but the lamb was quite tender. The spinach and the collard greens were great too. There was only one yellow lentil which was too bland in flavor for me. And the ingera was not warm at all maybe room temperature which was my qualm. Portions were slightly on the small side for the price.
Place rating: 5
Urbana, IL
I have been coming to Ethiopian Diamond since I was a child and I have never been disappointed. The meats are extremely flavorful and I love the décor. I’ve sampled practically all of the meats and I can recommend anything, and I love eating with the injera bread. It’s also a fun place to go with a large group, because everyone is sharing from a central location which promotes social eating. I always have to come here whenever I am visiting the North Side of Chicago.
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
The food was incredible and reminded me of my Ethiopian roommates cooking. The server was friendly and helped us through the menu to pick out her favorites.
My one con is the plum wine we had, it was just to sweet for me.
Place rating: 5
Palos Hills, IL
Awesome restaurant. The service is great women are like models serving food BEAUTIFUL. the sea food sampler off the chain! (Exquisite) Honey wine, desserts amazing! Had a great bday dinner. Will definitely be back!
Place rating: 5
Forest Glen, Chicago, IL
Ethiopian Diamond is the BEST Ethiopian food in the city, period. The flavors are rich and authentic, the textures are perfect (not over or undercooked like other places), and it feels like family every time I dine there. I’ve tried the other options, none compare! You will not be disappointed!
Place rating: 4
Bristol, VA
Tasty food but a long wait for a table with a reservation on a busy sat night. I went with hubby and ordered E2 and E4. The meats are delicious. I love the spicy chicken legs, spicy lamb and the lentils. Veggies are well seasoned but cold for some reason. The bread is fresh.
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
Cute place and some of the warmest, best service I’ve ever had.
Went here on a groupon, and completely enjoyed the experience.
It felt more authentic, in comparison to other Ethiopian restaurants I’ve ever been to.
I only didn’t like the bones in my chicken, but that’s probably because we were dumb when we ordered. A must if you’re in the Edgewater area!
Place rating: 5
Bartlett, IL
Excellent food. Excellent service.
It was my birthday treat. My wife picked the spot. Our 5 & 9 year old boys wiped the plate clean. I was so proud
We ordered sampler E5 — meats and veggies. Did not care for the beef, but everything else was just perfect
We did not try any of the desserts.
We’ll be dinning there again, soon.
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
FANTASTIC! I’ve been twice and had the vegetarian sampler (for 1 the first time, then my husband and I split the platter for 2 the second time). The food is phenomenal — incredible what interesting things they can do with vegetables and lentils. If you’re new to Ethiopian food, I recommend getting a sampler so you can taste lots of things. It seems like all dishes are served on this giant traditional crêpe-​like stuff. Then you tear off some crêpe and eat the different dishes with your hands. I’ve had great service both times. This place is legit and delicious.
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
Now, I’m no Ethiopian food expert, but I love this place! I’ve been here numerous times and everything I’ve had here has been delicious. My favorite dishes are the tibs wat, the kitfo, and the greens (I don’t remember what it’s called). The lentil dish and the potatoes are also really good. I also really enjoy the Ethiopian hot tea and honey wine. The staff here is always really nice. Best of all, it’s also pretty cheap for a sit down restaurant. I typically end up spending about $ 25 and leave completely stuffed. This place is definitely my go to for Ethiopian food.
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
The wuss and i have been coming here together for years starting in maybe 2002. This is one if those places I like and frequent often, but never review. Now is the time to remedy that oversight.
The food is all delicious. We usually get beef angar wat, stewed potatoes/​carrots, lentils and chick peas. I don’t know what the dishes are called. When you order an entrée, the restaurant picks a side for you. The sides are as good as the entrée.
This time we ordered gluten free injera because the mother in law was with us. To be clear, she is not one of those cretins who falsely and without any basis in reality believes that gluten is unhealthy. She is actually allergic to it. If she were one of those «healthy» cretins, we would not take her to a restaurant in the first place, let alone ask for gluten free anything. I was expecting the gluten free injera to be terrible, but I was pleasantly surprised. The wife and I noticed that the gluten free injera is more filling.
Place rating: 5
Denver, CO
Excellent Ethiopian cuisine — fresh and flavorful food and a great service experience. House made INJERA is a medium brown indicating use of real teff flower with a nice spongy but firm texture. Injera like this is hard to find. DORO WAT (chicken in egg in bere bere pepper sauce) has a nice dark spicy yet buttery finish. The KITFO (raw beef tar tar) is also a special find combined with homemade white cheese. All of the VEGETARIAN ENTREES — yellow lentils, red lentils, chopped greens, boiled potatoes and carrots were all cooked to perfection not too soft or hard with rich flavors.
This 100+ dining rooms has a warm and welcoming feel with traditional Ethiopian décor. Staff was friendly, and attentive
Place rating: 4
Streamwood, IL
Traveled all the way from downtown to try out some good ol’ Ethiopian food. The trip was worth it for sure.
We ordered the Tour of Ethiopia– the 2nd one with more meat. Go for this if you’re a newbie like me who isn’t sure what to order off the menu. You get a taste of a lot of items.
First off the goat is AMAZING. So juicy, succulent and flavorful. The chicken was well marinated as well. The samosas were alright, nothing out of the world.
I just wish the portions of the entrees were a bit more. I did get to peep into other people’s plates (yeah I’m RUDE, don’t worry I’ll peep into yours as well if I get the chance), and did notice that ours was a lot smaller. Wonder why. Serving in the kitchen is done a bit random, disproportionately.
But overall, it was a great experience. The server was super friendly too. Go for it
Place rating: 4
Edison, NJ
It was my first time ever trying Ethiopian food and I didn’t know what to expect. However, I was blown away by the depth of flavor and richness in everything I tried there. Felt like it’s a lot similar to Pakistani food except the bread which was a novel experience. All in all, great taste, great food, great service. Will definitely go there again. Only downfall is that it’s quite expensive, you get very little for what you pay for.
P. s. it’s a great date idea, you get to sit and eat with your hands sharing one plate, very intimate and something we don’t get to do anywhere else ;)!
Place rating: 3
San Francisco, CA
Here we go…
1) The sambusas — these were pretty bad. They only have Lentil, Potato&Carrot, and Spinach. There were no meat ones on the menu. They were all very bland and the dough was very tough. Skip these.
2) The salad was just okay — nothing to write home about. Skip it.
3) We had the E4 and E5.
From E4 — Tibs Sampler
09⁄13 Combo Zil Zil Tibs/​Doro Zips (marinated steak and chicken) these were terrible. It was like fajita fillings but without any seasoning. Definitely skip this.
30 Yesmir Wat (spicy lentils) — the best of the whole group!
33 Gomen (Collard Greens) was bad. really bad. skip it.
34 Quosta (spinach) — it was good if you are into that sort of thing. my vote is to skip it.
35 Tikel Gomen (cabbage & carrots) — it was good but not the best we have had
From E5 — The Traditional Platter
06 Tibs (grilled steak) was terrible. It was like fajita fillings but without any seasoning. Definitely skip this.
12 Doro Wat (spicy chicken leg) was good, I would recommend it if you are here but I have had better.
17 Yebig Alicha (mild lamb) was pretty good, not the best
30 Yemisir Wat (spicy lentil) — the best of the whole group! We should have had two portions of this since it came in both E4 and E5 but we definitely only had one portion. Skimping out on us!
31 Kik Alicha (yellow split peas) was okay but not the best I’ve had
33 Gomen (Collard Greens) was bad. really bad. skip it.
37 Dinch Alicha (potato & carrots) was okay, a little too bland — we have had better. Skip it.
So overall, my recommendation is #1 — Yemisir Wat followed by Doro Wat. I would also want to try Kay Wat although we didn’t have it so I can’t say yay or nay. No need to get a sampler platter here given that it’s super hit or miss.
4) Desserts — these were terrible. Absolutely terrible. Do yourself a favor and skip them. Even though the Groupon doesn’t say anything about exclusions, our server would not let us order the chocolate Diamond. I offered to pay the extra dollar (the price difference between the chocolate diamond and the next most expensive dessert) and she wouldn’t have it. She wanted us to order three desserts.
The House Special was terrible. Just fried chips with crappy vanilla ice cream and some hershey’s chocolate drizzled over it.
The Destaye was in the sambusa dough and it was SO TOUGH you could barely eat it. Not to mention the filling was terrible.
5) Ambiance — this is a big place with a couple unique pieces of furniture. They also had a guy singing, he said he’s there every other Sunday night.
6) Service — slow. Confusing. She didn’t tell us what each of the dishes were when she brought them out.
My advice: if you go here, do not get the Groupon. This place should not be selling Groupons that highlight all of their shortcomings (sambusas and desserts). The only things you need to get from here are a couple specific entrees (not sampler platters). If you do that, you’ll have a great time!
*I read other reviews that said the spicy dishes are really, really spicy. I didn’t find that to be true at all. They were definitely well spiced, but not anywhere near too spicy! So don’t be afraid. In fact, the only good dishes were the spicy ones, the rest were very bland, so I would focus your attention on the spicy part of the menu if I were you…