Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant

Hands down the worst service I’ve ever had in Chicago. It took over an hour just to get our food, and they forgot all our appetizers. It took close to 2 hours before we had our appetizers. Our waiter never checked on us. Honestly the most terrible experience I’ve ever had in Chicago and I will never go back.

I moved to the States from Ethiopia almost 2 years ago for college and was craving some authentic Ethiopian food. Lalibela supplied exactly that for me. Not only the food but the warmth of the owners reminded me of home and can not explain what that meant. The awazay tibs and the salad was phenomenal too. I would recommend it to anyone.

Loved the veggie combo (and how you can choose 4 types of dishes for the combo) and beef tibs here. We originally ordered chicken tibs but the waiter messed up and gave us beef. That was actually good, found the beef tibs to be much better than the chicken. Love to come back again and again.
Service is somewhat slow, it took a long time to get the waiters’ attention to order, refill water, get the check, and everything that you need them to do.

Place is great — the owners are incredibly sweet and the food and vibes are awesome. If you enjoy culture and experiencing different things, you should fall in love with this place too.

I’ve been to numerous Ethiopian restaurants in the area, if not to all of them. I always enjoy Ethiopian cuisine. This place did not disappoint me. The friendly personnel and the delectable food, the beautifully decorate ambience all made it a memorable moment for me. I highly recommend it for those who like to explore something delicious and different. The spices will awaken you.

Lalibela Ethiopian continues to be an excellent choice in Andersonville. We’ve eaten here every week for the last several months and it is consistently good and the service very friendly.

I used the Groupon coupon for food for two people (27 $) and came here not expecting much since the place seemed empty. It’s a family run place with the wife cooking the food and the son doing the waiting. The food was excellent. The coupon allowed us to select 4 vegetarian dishes, 1 chicken, 1 beef along with 2 sambusas (Triangular Patty filled with spinach/​lentil) and a salad. All of this was served on a large pan cake like sour bread. Several of these breads were given on the side too. It was a good experience and the chef came and spoke to us and explained the food to us.

This is my favorite Ethiopian place in Chicago! Try the Shrimp Tibs and the Duba Wat– perfection. Its BYOB and a really clean, cute place with friendly staff. I only put 4 stars because I had to flag down a waiter multiple times to ask them to refill my water cup. the food is spicy! But delicious :)

This is my favorite Ethiopian restaurant in Chicago. Surprisingly it’s right in my neighborhood (Andersonville, although it’s on Ashland so it’s easy to miss if you’re passing through on the Clark side).
It seems to be run by an older couple who are very friendly. It has glass tabletops with pictures underneath. Paper napkins. Plastic (?) plates. Heavy wood chairs. At the end of the meal they provide wet naps although they also have a public use sink next to the bathrooms if you get a little too messy.
They do BYOB and will bring you wine glasses and a corkscrew to your table.
We had Veggie Messob which was delicious and they provide a fresh salad in the middle which was a lovely contrast to the rest of the portions. I’m not sure what the meat dishes are like but as a vegetarian, I loved it. Here were the dishes we enjoyed:
Gomen
Collard green sautéed with onions, fresh garlic, ginger and spices
Duba Wat
A savory stew of butternut squash prepared with garlic, ginger, onions, peppers, and spices.
Diblik atkilt
Green beans, zucchini, carrots, green peppers and onions. Sautéed in garlic, ginger and tomatoes.
Tikil Gomen
Delicious curried vegetable stew made with carrots, potatoes, cabbage, peppers and onions
And a eggplant dish and then a beets dish.

I tried this place for the first time and had a blast. I had no problems with service. The host was very accommodating and offered his favorite choices. We had the vegetarian combo along with a lamb and chicken dish. I loved everything. It was also my birthday and the restaurant brought out a large slice of delicious cake. This night was fabulous. I will be back again to explore more of the menu.

I tried Lalibela for the first time last week and I am so happy to have found this hidden gem in Andersonville. I have been to many Ethiopian restaurants, but the food and atmosphere here is amazing! Our food was very fresh, flavorful and the spices on point. Our meal was made to order and the smell of the food when we walked in immediately had us drooling. The server was incredibly friendly and the background music was great for relaxing. We loved the huge seats and décor. The place is intimate and you feel like you have it all to yourself — great for a date night or a small get together with friends. Prices are reasonable and it’s BYOB. Lalibela makes me crave Ethiopian food, and will probably make you too! Highly recommend the Yebeg Tibs (lamb dish) and Yesiga Sambusas. Delicious!

To kick off this review, this was my first time having Ethiopian food and Lalibela did not disappoint. An added benefit is this is a BYOB restaurant which we took advantage of. I believe it says $ 1 per bottle of beer, but they did not charge by each bottle, but by one BYOB price.
I went here with a group of 4 people and ordered the #7-#13 for the table with the kitfo and doro wat. The injera was awesome and since this was my first time eating I thought this was almost close to a pancake. I tried all of the vegetarian options as they all came out on one platter. If you aren’t a spicy fan ask for the #9 Yemser Wat to come less spicy. The doro wat (chicken) was fairly spicy but delicious. The sauce almost reminded me of sauce you would use in a spicy chicken quesadilla. The kitfo was great as well, but not what I was expecting. This was mainly seasoned ground beef, but with delicious flavor.
All in all, I will come back here and definitely eat Ethiopian food again. The only reason why I did not rate this 5 stars is the service is amazing, but a little slow. You shouldn’t come here if you are in a hurry, but the food is worth it.

I’ve been to Lalibela three times in 3 weeks. It pains me to see it near empty, we were one of two tables each time, when the food is so delicious, and the owners, a husband and wife team, are so warm, gracious, and attentive. The wife cooks, she said because she loves to cook and it makes her happy. The menu offers lots of choices, though my favorite is the Lalibela special tibs, tender cubes of beef sauteed and glazed in a delicious tomato, jalapeño, rosemary, garlic and onion sauce. I had it with a vegetable combination platter (you can pick 4 veggie dishes from a selection of 12) and it came with delicious injera, a spongy, fermented ie. sour dough risen flat bread. It’s BYOB. So yummy.
Check out Lalibela.
Go hungry, and after you leave, tell your family, friends, and neighbors. It’s that good.
It would be a shame for Lalibela, a work of joy and love, to fold because of lack of customers.

I thought we had a $ 40 deal; server stated «about $ 40 big plate sampler .» But when the bill came, it was a la carte menu pricing at $ 53 & tax. We asked then, & he said that was «about $ 40.» So the tip was negligible then. Food itself was average Ethiopian food. 2 Sudanese guys w/​me agreed on these points. Ethiopian Diamond is better.

Went with a friend on a Sunday for lunch– we were the only people there (I wasn’t even sure they were open because it looked so deserted) so I guess if you don’t like crowds, that’s the time to go!
We did a veg combo– between the two of us we could choose 8 total items. We did a good assortment of the veg options– I liked the butternut squash dish a lot (super flavorful and spicy) and the ye shimbra asa. I sometimes find those chickpea dumplings are hard (I’m looking at you, Demera!) but here they were really tender and the sauce was great. The only thing I didn’t love was the mushroom curry– just not something I’d pick again. But the yemsir wot was great, kik was great. All in all very flavorful. I’d definitely come back.
The service was spotty though. I know we were the only ones there, but it really did seem like they forgot ANYONE was there. I had to walk back to the kitchen to find someone and ask for more injera. But the people who worked there were all really friendly and nice. And the food really was good. I am usually a Demera devotee but I would come back to Lalibela in a heartbeat!

Ethiopian food is a wonderful experience, and I am so glad that we finally came here for dinner! For starters, I love that it has a BYOB concept so this alone receives a 5-​star rating. We ordered two appetizers — Yesiga Sambusa which is like an empanada — only it is not — it is two thin shells hand-​wrapped and stuffed with a blend of minced beef, onions, peppers and wonderful herbs. We also tried the Kefta meatballs made from lean ground beef. The amalgamation of the crushed peppers, onions and spices and other traditional herbs were ethereal. They have an exceptional selection of vegan and vegetarian dishes here. In fact, we counted 13 items for vegans and 16 items for vegetarians! You can order a side of rice for two bucks.
We ordered the Awaze Tibs which consisted of tender cubed beef marinated in a fantastic broth with a touch of tomatoes, onions and jalapeño and just the right hint of fresh garlic and berbere sauce. I rate this dish with 4−½ stars. The beef was a little bit too fatty for my taste, but I know it is «fat» that gives meat tenderness as well as flavor. We also tried the Doro Tibs and this was my favorite dish. We shared both dishes. This dish was boneless pieces of chicken sautéed in seasoned butter with hot pepper and onions and awaze sauce. What we enjoyed most is that they will make the food as spicy (that is, heat wise) mild, medium or extra hot. This is good for those of us who do not like super spicy foods that clean out our sinuses!
The traditional dish of Ethiopia is wat. I saw a few dishes on their menu containing wat. Wat is a a hot spicy stew which is accompanied by injera (this is a traditional large spongy pancake made of teff flour and water). Think of injera as their version of bread. There are varieties of wat, such as, chicken, beef, lamb, vegetables, lentils, and ground split peas stewed with hot spice known as Berbere. The Berbere here is truly bold, and made with dried red hot pepper, herbs, spices, dried onions, dried garlic and salt. The Wat is served by placing it on top of the injera and the food is eaten with fingers by tearing off a piece of injera and dipping it in the broth of the Wat.
Service was very slow, but hospitable and kind. This is a family-​owned restaurant. Portions are generous and the price-​point is affordable. Our total came to $ 33 and change (excluding tip). You can share several dishes if you go with a group. Although the meat dishes are served individually you can still share them! They also offer weekend specials, so we’d like to come back for their weekend specials. For example, I would like to try the Doro Wat (tender chicken marinated in lemon sautéed in seasoned butter and stewed in a red pepper sauce, onions, garlic and ginger with a pinch of cardamoms and nutmeg). We enjoyed the experience and the food was worthy of 4−½ to 5 stars. We can’t wait to return!
Wine Recommendations — if you order a lamb or beef dish I recommend Kadette Pinotage Rosé (about $ 15) which offers lovely floral aromas and juicy raspberry flavors. Dry and full-​bodied in the mouth, it pairs perfectly with veal, beef and other tender steaks. OTHER WINES: You can’t go wrong with a good red Bordeaux, a California or Australian Cabernet Sauvignon, a Washington state Merlot, an Argentine Malbec or a Spanish Rioja.

This is definitely the place to take the spice lover in your life. When you order something spicy, they take it seriously. The Gored Gored was a real treat — flavorful and plenty of meat. (Note that meat dishes are served individually and veggie ones are served communally. This can lead to the meat portions looking smaller than at other restaurants, but it was actually a very filling portion.)
The menu is different than other Ethiopian places I have tried — no honey wine here, only a few lamb dishes but lots of beef, few potato or spinach dishes. You may have to try something outside your comfort zone, but it was uniformly delicious.
Plus, despite reasonable prices and pretty good food, the place was basically deserted when we went. So we got a great, intimate experience with our friends!

Good food. Lovely service. Decent prices. My friends and I always choose Lalibela when we have a craving for ethiopian food. The owners are super nice and if you call ahead they have gluten free injera. Writing this review is making me want to go eat there right now. Try it out next time you are hungry!

It takes a lot to haul me out of the house with a world cup on, but after a day of rain, we opted to take the long trek out to Lalibela. What can I say besides it was worth it! We have tried a number of different Ethiopian spots in the past which are a wee closer to home, but this is our new favorite!
Without a doubt, this place serves the best injera I’ve ever had. After the first mouthful, followed half a roll, at which point I realized there might be a problem, but polished off the other half while attempting to assess the situation — even though we had just finished our appetizer and the entrees had arrived.
Besides, of course, injera, we had spinach sambusa, kitfo, and Lalibela special tibs. For the non-​vegetarians among us, regular entrees (i.e. non-​combination platters) are also served with two sides per table. As with nearly all Ethiopian restaurant experiences, the portions are larger than they first appear. This was especially true of the meat dishes. Most generous serving of kitfo I’ve ever had and the special tibs was fantastic, by which I mean in that I’m-so-full-oh-why-am-I-still-eating-this-I-hate-myself-just-a-little-more sort of way. (Note: the kitfo here is a little denser than at some of the other places. Pro: There is actually a lot more than you think there is. Con: There is actually a lot more than you think there is.)
The owner is thoroughly lovely and helpful, chatting with customers while they were waiting for their dining partner to return from the restroom. We actually arrived at an odd time of day, between normal lunch and dinner hours, but were seated immediately and did not feel awkward.
Although cats are of the order carnivora and cannot sustain life without meat, lolcats are well known to consume vegetable matter for stupidity and pleasure. Given the great positive experience here, another hour’s drive may be in order soon — even though they do serve vegetarian (s?).

Came here for a large birthday dinner and it was the perfect venue.
We were able to fit 25 people by adjoining several tables together. It’s BYOB. It’s not expensive — it was a set menu & price for everyone, which makes for a MUCH easier bill at the end. They set up our food buffet style so we could get up and grab as much as we wanted. And they gladly kept the bday cake and champagne cooled in the fridge.
This was my first experience with Ethiopian food so I’m no expert. But everyone enjoyed their meal. It was salty for some, but everyone still gobbled it up. I can’t recommend anything in particular because I just threw a little bit of everything on my plate, not knowing what they were.
I’d definitely recommend this place for large groups. Just be sure to make a reservation.

YUM. I went here on a wintry Saturday with friends and am glad that I did. A family owned and operated BYOB spot, it was full to the brim. While service was a little slow since there were just 2 people, I didn’t mind because we were able to eat at a leisurely pace and not feel rushed.
The staff were super friendly and helpful with answering questions about the food. I’d definitely come back here, and they also had larger groups in addition to small parties.
This place is adorable and although it may be a trek for some, completely worth it. Plus, it’s BYOB, they have neat carved wooden chairs, and the staff is friendly and helpful with choosing dishes that complement one another. A place with such a welcoming atmosphere, Lalibela’s a great spot to go here and have a long meal with loved ones and friends.
We ordered 1 vegetarian platter, a shrimp entrée and a lamb dish (both the shrimp and lamb dishes come with your choice of vegetables, so for the vegetarian platter we chose things that weren’t on it) and managed to be fully satiated without being overly full — definitely a good idea to just get 3 entrees for 4 people as injera can be quite filling. The injera bread here is darker (maybe whole wheat or a different style from what I’ve had at any other Ethiopian restaurant in Chicago or NYC) and delicious. Although I don’t remember everything we ordered regarding the vegetables, I know that the chickpeas, okra and collard greens are delicious.
One more thing: if you like spicy food, definitely ask for heat! The next time I’m here I will; since it was our first go-​round as a group we didn’t ask but will definitely do so. The food was delicious without it, but I would have enjoyed some additional heat.

OK, I had my go to spot at Den Den, but then a friend of mine wanted to try here. Let me tell you, the atmosphere is great. I want to know where did they get all those heavy, lovely chairs. They should sell them. We went on a Sunday at about 5pm. Now it was the recent Sunday of the horrible tornadoes, so we were the only ones in the restaurant at first. I ordered a coffee which came in this awesome little coffee service set up, and they had incense burning in a little container, this unique coffee carafe, I’m guessing native to Eritrea, and cream! I always have to ask for cream in other Ethiopian restaurants and they act as if I’ve asked for a child sacrifice. Here, I didn’t have to ask, they just brought it!
Ordered a Veggie combo and a chicken dish. Everything was deliciously awesome. Very laid back atmosphere. More people came when they realized that Dorothy and Toto were safe, at least in Chicago. Very clean bathrooms, decent parking for the north side.

ok lets start off with the lack of waitstaff. I get that its a small place and they might want to cut back on labor costs… but one older gentleman for a 50 seat restaurant?
We were greeted right away and seated as there were only a few people there. about 10 mins went by before we even saw someone to ask for menu. It says «it takes time to make fresh food so please be patient.» well was an hour from the time we sat down to when the food came.
The food: So I really dont know why Ethiopian restaurants seem to charge so much more than any restaurant for less the food.
We had the Kefta… which are supposed to be special meatballs… totally not made in house… in fact I will go as far as to say they are GFS frozen meatballs… They were noway homemade… VERY DISAPPONTED since the app was 4.00 for four meatballs with toothpicks… they need a lesson in plating.
I will say that the rest of the meal was really good. I had shrimp and my partner had lamb. I will say with definity that I will not be returning to this establishment.