We had a wonderful group dinner at Awash on a snowy Chicago night that was full of warm vibes. It was so memorable that everyone in the group--living in four different cities--agreed that we're going to meet there again in 2026! The waitress served us a fragrant tea at the perfect temperature at the end of our meal. She lit incense right afterwards that floated over to our table and kept us feeling full and grateful. The spicing on all of the dishes was delicious. This place is special. read more

Awash Ethiopian Restaurant - The center dish was amazing - Ethiopian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Sooooo delicious! We ended up here by chance; we were out looking for Ethiopian food around 10:10pm, after a concert. The first one we went to, closes its kitchen at 10, so we found this wasn't far and called to confirm they were still serving food. The ladies that served us, were great! They had great recommendations. We ordered sambusas; the lentil sambusas were so delicious, I ordered some to take home. My cousin enjoyed his beef sambusas. We shared the veggie combo platter; every item on it was packed with flavor; we cleared that platter! We also enjoyed the honey wine in the traditional glasses; what an experience! This was our first time at Awash and we agree that it won't be the last. read more

SO AMAZING!!! All the entrees were incredibly flavorful, the meat dishes tender, the injera fresh. There was a bit of a wait but we were a rather large party!! Also the sambusas were super duper fresh!! 100% recommend as someone from the DMV!!! Some of the best I've had. read more

Awash Ethiopian Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Enjoyed trying the sampler plate at Awash. Thought the quantity of food was a little slim, but I am always a growing boy! read more

Awash Ethiopian Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A cozy restaurant. Very open area. The wait staff was attentive. Because we had we'd never been there before, the staff helped us decide what to eat. Lots of beverage selections. Music was loud enough to hear but not overbearing. When the food was brought out we were shown how to eat it. Let's just say, I'll be back again! The food was fantastic. We requested it not to be spicy and they made it perfect. Everything about this restaurant was great. Hats off to this restaurant. read more

Walking up to Awash to grab my to-go order, I see the place is packed. A completely full house. Everyone dressed to impress, beautiful suits, gorgeous gowns, amazing hairstyles, fine jewelry. It's a private event, a graduation party, probably 100+ people. And 150 years from now, someone will look at photos of their great great great grandmother's graduation party, and see me, this solo white dude in the background, wearing shorts, a t-shirt, and a Bills cap. Leaning on the bar, bobbing my head, and enjoying the vibe. I'm a part of that family forever, now, and to me, that's special. When ordering, they told me, "you can get food, but we're closed." I didn't realize that meant the dining room was closed for a private event, but I certainly figured it out. Give me a heads-up next time, and I'll wear something nice. Was it a little awkward weaving between tightly packed tables and guests while in flipflops? A little. Worth it? Absolutely. Because that food was just what I was looking for. I walked a veggie combo for one out the door that must have weighed 10 lbs. All vegan. An incredible assortment of veggie dishes, all doing their own flavor thing, with a perfect pile of injera, for $20. A complete steal. Everything had a little kick, but I like it that way. I added a side of the hot sauce too, which was no joke. Be warned, go easy. I also snagged the Lentil Sambusas which were perfectly crisp and delicious, and completely unnecessary given the mountain of food I had from the combo. I absolutely want to come back to dine-in next time. Or maybe I'll just continue to crash random private events. Maybe if I show up to enough celebrations, I'll become an honorary member of the Ethiopian community. And then I can eat this food all the time, which I would gladly do. Nice work, Awash. Call me next time there's a party. read more

It was my first time having Ethiopian food and it was fantastic! We had great service and the food was awesome. Will be back for sure. read more

Awash Ethiopian Restaurant - 24, Meat Combo and 53. Veg combo - Ethiopian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great authentic food in both the meat and veggie departments. Have been looking for a good spot in Chicago and would be back. Sambusa are bussin as well definitely order them read more

First time here and the food was really good! The lentil sambusa was great and the sauce that it came with was really tasty. Definitely recommend getting the sambusas for an appetizer. Great ambience and customer service. I'm definitely coming back! read more

Etiopian restaurants have the most gracious staff. Awash was no different. The staff was warm and hospitable and full of smiles. We added orders throughout the dinner as we had more guess arriving after our initial order. They were beyond helpful. The restaurant is spacious and clean. It is sparkly decorated with some special tables sets made from carved Ethiopian furniture. The bulk of the tables are standard. One wall has a long, well stocked bar and there are Ethiopian prints and artwork read more

So delicious! We ate in the restaurant. Very clean, clean bathrooms. Wonderful friendly staff. Listened to our preferences and made recommendations. Spot on! Highly recommend! Ps. Very random but their water tasted to usually good.. clean, crisp, cold. I know it's weird but, it was great! And they had local (Ethiopian) beer. Great flavor! :) read more

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My family and I had not tasted Ethiopian food before. We stopped in on a winter afternoon. The place was warm and friendly. We had assorted sambusas and found them all very tasty. Next, we ordered doro wat and yebeg kay wat, which were served with accompanying collards, lentils, and salad on a large platter of injera bread. When we admitted our ignorance regarding the best way to enjoy these foods, our server kindly demonstrated the technique with injera and toppings on a small separate plate. We dug in. Everything was deliciously flavored and much-enjoyed. We finished with a satisfying pot of spiced tea. It was an unforgettable adventure of a meal. Thanks to our server for her gracious assistance. read more

Food was yummy and prices were fair. I liked the service but my date didn't for some reason. They served a huge group so maybe they didn't favor our table. The ambiance was good but maybe slightly chilly, or something else was off. read more

I forgot the name of the food, but if you are seeing this photograph then the food was that good. My friend group and I came to this restaurant looking for something to eat, and this restaurant epitomizes the diversity that this city provides. If you are not eating at this restaurant yet, you are honestly missing out. The meat was well seasoned. I am totally coming back when I get the chance. If you are reading this review I advise you do the same. Trust me, you will not regret your time eating the food. If you do sit down here, I will say that you will wait a while for the food, so be patient. Other than the wait, the food and place is amazing. read more

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D and I made a rare venture out to the Northside of Chicago on a random Sunday afternoon to satisfy a hankering for Ethiopian. We've only gone to Ethiopian Diamond but D suggested trying a different spot. It was a great suggestion as overall we received great service and delicious food from Awash. There was one server for the whole restaurant but there was only one other table so there wasn't a mad rush. Everything we ordered from the sambusa to the mixed meats and veggies were tasty. Overall we were pleased with Awash and will definitely add them as a place to visit again. read more

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Amazing!! So delicious. Great service. Loved it here. Got the tibbs sample platter and veggie sample platter with lots of injera. Amazing amazing amazing. read more

Awash Ethiopian Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Went there on a Sunday and it took almost two hours to receive our food. I ordered the tibbs sampler platter. It was delicious however, the beef tibbs were a little over cooked. The waitress tried her best to attend to us, but the restaurant seem to be short staffed. The ambiance is nice and a great place to have a family meal. read more

My favorite Ethiopian restaurant not only in Chicago, but also in DC or Los Angeles! They have veggie dishes that don't appear on lots of restaurant menus. And the shrimp dishes are delish. Great portions and amazing food. read more

Delicious food! Friendly waitstaff! Clean! Enjoyed a late night meal after a long day of driving. Not far from Loyola university and a short walk from our hotel Would definitely recommend! read more

Great food, ambience, and service! The beetroot salad, meat combos, sambas, and spiced tea were delicious.

Best authentic Ethiopian food in Chicago! Great service and space! It's clean and smells like incense in here! Will definitely be back!

Food was excellent. Got several combo plates (vege, meat, and tibs) and everything was great!

I went here with a friend and his coworkers. The restaurant was beautiful, and the waitress was wonderful, nice, and very helpful. The food was delicious and I can't wait to come back! read more

Delicious food, especially the chicken. The meat combo and the vegetable combo are great deals and a wonderful variety. Highly recommend.

Ethiopian food at its best. So one thing I learnt about Ethiopian food is they are diabetic friendly. The service was apt. The lady server who was serving us answered all our questions was polite and cordial. They had full bar with lots of options. I had chicken Wat mild and veggie combo which was cooked to perfection. Ambiance was quiet and was family friendly restaurant. For me the biggest selling point was they have a huge private lot for parking, which was insane on a busy street. Will definitely be back here. read more

Awash Ethiopian Restaurant - Ethiopian beer - Ethiopian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Food is like poop from a butt. All these good reviews are fake. I went and was the only table sat there. I got my "food" and was disgusted

The customer service here is excellent, and the food is delicious. They also have a great bar with a variety of options. read more

Awash Ethiopian Restaurant - Ethiopia culture chair - Ethiopian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Amazing food and service. If you are a student at Loyola, this is a must come place. I will be back!!!

The vegan platter was delicous. Considering there are so many other places to eat around there, I'de give them a return visit. The only thing I didn't like, was that the water smelled really musty. Was it from Lake Michigan? The food was awsome. B.y.o.w. (bring your own water) read more

Excellent veggie platter and spicy beef tibs and great service. Especially loved the red lentils.

I love Awash! They have a parking lot which is a huge draw on a very busy street. The restaurant is spacious and the service is pleasant and prompt. I enjoy the vegetarian platter. Give it a try! read more

I ordered the spicy doro tibs wat and it was absolutely delicious. service was very nice and food came out promptly. would come back again!

Unlike others, I find a "language barrier," to be 1) a sign of ethnic authenticity and 2) more the fault of the customer than the staff. Since I love Ethiopian food, I really should know more of the language, right? Chicago has no shortage of good Ethiopian restaurants, it was in Chicago that I first discovered the cuisine at Mama Desta's Red Sea Restaurant. This place is better, but there's only one ever first experience. Awash is a lovely place, spacious and some of the tables and chairs are carved with the famous Ethiopian rock churches. Beautiful but not comfortable. There are also Ethiopian style tables, which are fun but also not comfortable for me. The service is great, faster than other Ethio place I've been, and the food is quite good. I got a meat combo which had too much meat and not enough vegetable choices (okay, I see how that reads, but I'm keeping it anyway), and I like that the waitress was perfectly fine with us ordering the entrée for one even though there were two of us. We of course still didn't finish. I always enjoy an Ethiopian coffee afterwards even though after 3pm that means I'll be up all night. I think the biggest plus is that they have their own little parking lot, parking in this area is worse than tight. Very close to the Hampton Inn, Loyola, and the Red Line. read more

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Delicious!!!!- we got the meat platter and a veggie platters, and they were both so good! Deff recommend getting both. Everything tasted so fresh and good for you. 5 stars :)) read more

This was a great experience, so much good food and able to be shared with many people!! highly recommend!

Food was excellent and unique as well as reasonably priced to the portion. The service was exceptional and so generous. Definitely recommend! read more

This place is everything I love about Ethiopian restaurants. The ambiance is simple, clean, and inviting. The food was authentic and so flavorful! The service was excellent! This is a must try for Ethiopian food enthusiasts or newcomers alike! read more

Awash Ethiopian Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Delicious food, comfortable atmosphere, and amazing service. Will absolutely be coming back!

The veggie tray was delicious the teff bread very relaxing restaurant the ambiance was nice. Excellent service, will return soon, mm

Very nice, helpful staff with absolutely amazing food would definitely come again. Everything was very flavorful and left me satisfactory.