First rate Ethiopian restaurant in a neighborhood full of Ethiopian restaurants. An extensive menu, full bar and very good service.

Ok, so I've had great Ethiopian food. This ain't it! They messed everything up. I could have sworn that my wife ordered the chicken plate and I had ordered the beef. Instead they gave us 2 orders of grease and sludge. We paid 38 dollars for this crap! I'm no restauranteur, but if I were trying to save a few bucks and cut corners, this is something that I would do. Of course that means you can eventually kiss your customers goodbye, as we certainly have seen the last of this place. Edit: They did email me about this review and said that they'll be working on cutting down the grease and the presentation. I guess everyone makes mistakes, but I respect how they seem to be trying to correct them. read more

Demera - This looks like every dish that Gordon Ramsay curses out on "Kitchen Nightmares". - Ethiopian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Tiny portions and WILDLY expensive. After an $85 takeaway dinner for two, we had to make more food at home. A disappointment for sure, especially with the VERY flattened-for-white-people flavous. Sad, given a vibrant cultural presence in the city...I'll try someplace else that's not hyped beyond rationality. 1/10 do not recommend. read more

For my first try of Ethiopian cuisine, this place was exquisite. From the get go, the staff was pleasant and accommodating. Looking to escape the brisk weather, I asked if I could sit for 30 minutes before my reservation. The hostess asked for a few moments and had my table ready immediately. The warmth just continued from there as I ordered a delightful pot of chai. While the appetizers were quite lovely (lentil Sambussas, absolute perfection), the vegetarian platter intended for two stretched to three very hungry dinner patrons. With an extra order of ingeras (the fluffy, spongy sourdough flatbread), we were able to sample eight different Ethiopian dishes on a single "plate" (which was really just another ingera stretched out over a metal serving platter.) I have to give credit to restaurant which utilizes every single drop of flavor by creating an edible serving dish. A bit pricey, but worth the dollar signs given that this restaurant is Michelin recommended. Be sure to make reservations! I made one a few days in advance at 7 with no problem at all. Even at 6 on a Thursday (while walking by), there seemed to not be too much of a rush. read more

Demera - Vegetarian platter. YUM! - Ethiopian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I ordered the "For One, Vegetarian/meat Messob" with doro alicha wot (basically chicken and an egg), ye-siga alicha (basically a mild beef), tikle gomen (basically cabbage) and ye-dnichena carrot alicha (basically potatoes and carrots) Although I didn't love the food, I thought coming here was worth the experience. We filled up quickly on the injera (a spongy flat bread used for dipping and eating the messob) and felt like kids eating with our hands and playing with our food. The restaurant is extremely warm and the music is relaxing so I'd recommend this place just for the experience. Based on food alone I probably won't return but the service and accommodation was enough to at least write a yelp recommendation. read more

Overall: Great way to experience Ethiopian food even all the way in Chi. Left full and happy. The good: Plenty of injera to go around for spreading the awesome array of meats and veggies from our family platter. The potatoes, beef, lamb, lentils, etc. were all great in their own way. Sambussa were also crispy and tasty on the inside. Dessert was also fantastic. The bad: Service was a little slow at times, and they only had 1 of the African beers available on the list. No seafood on the platter we got. Atmosphere: 8/10 Service: 8/10 Food: 9/10 read more

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I was able to order easily online. It was ready to go when I picked it up and kept on the walk home and when I reheated the next day. The meat was great and had the perfect amount of spiciness. I was able to have enough for dinner and the next day, which was nice. The only downside was the injera the Flatbread. It was so limey, and it ended up overpowering the food. I'm not sure if it was accurate taste, so I want to go back and try more items. read more

I ordered from Demera last weekend, and let me tell you my taste buds were rocked usual. The vegetarian mesob is everything. Every bite is bursting with flavor and spices. I have to say Ethiopian food has to be one of the most satisfying meals you can have. I look forward to a time when we can share a meal with friends again, and tomorrow will be one of the first stops on my list. But for now, take out will have to do. read more

I came here with my boyfriend and my family for dinner the other night and we had a great experience. We were quickly seated, our water cups stayed full, and the food came out in good time. We did the shared meal at $15 / person for the 5 of us. It came with plenty of bread (more than we needed!) and a variety of foods to pick up including peas, shrimp, chicken, beef, lamb, some type of greens, and beets. I had never tried Ethiopian food before so I was looking forward to coming here. I personally did not like most of the dishes and was a little put off by the sour taste of the spongey bread (although the texture was fun!). I still give Demera 4 stars because although I did not personally like the food, my family did. That is just my taste preference. You eat this food by ripping up pieces of the bread and using it to grab the protein dishes. Very hands on. My mom asked for a fork and they gave her a little flak which was pretty funny, but the server was not rude in any way. Just joking around. The overall consensus at the table was that it was a great meal. If you are feeling adventurous, even if you do not end up liking it, Demera is a place to try! read more

Demera - family style meal $15/person for 5 people - Ethiopian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I ordered delivery with my boyfriend on a Saturday night. I expected it would take a long time from a previous writer's review, but called a couple times to move things along. In all, the food took about 80 minutes to be made and delivered (mostly delivered, I am sure) and was well worth it. I had never had the pleasure of eating Ethiopian before, but it was a fantastic treat! Everything was delicious and well prepared and packaged (even mints and wet naps put in the bags). I will definitely go in person someday to find out the atmosphere and service, which I am sure are excellent. Staff over the phone and also delivery lady were all very friendly and apologetic for the wait, but I expected as much on a late evening Saturday night, so all was well. I recommend the Beef Sambussas, Kitfo (rare); and for desserts, the Hibist Volcano was a pleasure! Everything had such an excellent assortment of spices and herbs that it was fun to try and experience such a medley of flavors. Long story short, amazing food experience! But delivery is not recommended unless you allow for an hour and a half to two hours (on a weekend night, at least) before your hunger will set in. read more

Demera - Demera Ethiopian Restaurant; B. Vegetarian And Meat Messob Sampler for Two; Delivery - Ethiopian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Delicious is an understatement! My friend and I came here for dinner around 8:00 pm on a Tuesday. Surprisingly enough, it was packed! You don't expect a business to be that busy on a Tuesday but they were slammed. To be frank, I was really surprised that they only had two waitresses and a server working at that time but everyone around us seemed to be happy so I assumed that the waitresses were super quick and responsive. The place looked very clean inside and there was street parking available! In fact, I think they have parking to the side of the building for customers but I was dropped off, so I would double check. In addition, this place is a block away from the Lawrence red light stop (no excuse not to take advantage of the experience)! We sat down and within a matter of seconds, the server provided us with water and said our waitress will be with us shortly. The waitress arrived but since my friend had just walked in, we needed a couple of more minutes to decide what to order. When we were finally ready to order, our waitress was occupied but the host noticed we were looking for a waitress so he jumped in instead to take our orders. Let me just say, homeboy snapped! He took our order by memory- super rare attribute in today's food world. We ordered the Demera Messob for two. This platter allows you to choose your choice of three meat dishes and three vegetarian choices from the menu. From the veggies choices, I know for a fact that we chose the shimbra assa (spicy), quosta and yatkiltwat as our veggie choices and I think we chose the doro alicha, siga tibs and lega tibs as our meat sides. I could barely pronounce the names of those dishes nevertheless remember the names by heart! Shoutout to the host! In addition, we ordered a sprite and a coke. The food came out almost immediately. Be prepared to be amazed! For starters, the six dishes are served on top of injera. Injera is a sourdough risen flatbread with a light spongy texture. It is the Ethiopian stable bread- made out of either whole wheat flour or Ethiopian teff flour (this is the gluten free option). Also, although the food is served with silver wear- in the Ethiopian culture, injera is the equivalent of utensils. I know- mind blowing. Keep in mind, you're getting basically sampling size of the food- enough for two people to share but believe me, it's a lot of food! The food was absolutely delicious. I don't really know what I was eating at any point because it wasn't labeled (not that it was expected to be) but the quality of the food was fresh, tasty and flavorful. The chicken dish was probably my favorite- also they get bonus points in my book because all their chicken is amish chicken. The beef was a little spicy for my taste (call me a chicken, ok?) but the lamb was amazing. I wouldn't recommend getting the bone in because it ruins the experience. The Quosta was good but I wished it was more flavorful. I could barely taste the tomatoes but the ginger was heavy. The shimbra assa completely through me off because it totally looked like beef with its Berberbe sauce but it wasn't! The shimbra is ground chickpea dough- I know, I know, I bet you didn't even know such a thing existed until reading the menu! Yes, it's ground chickpea dough stewed in a rich berbere sauce. Really delicious! As for the tikle gomen- not your average chopped cabbage and carrots but definitely very tasty. We couldn't even finish our platter but we did have traditional coffee and it was delicious! I would highly recommend this place! read more

This restaurant was AMAZING! We were greeted when we walked in & immediately seated at our table. The waiter was very nice and answered all of our questions. The food was so delicious. We ordered appetizers, entrees & a pitcher of the melon margarita. I will be back! I recommend Chicken Sambussas, Ambasha, Messob, Doro Wat and Doro Tibs. The collard greens & spinach were delicious. read more

I am still thinking about the meal I had here last week. I came for restaurant week and we got a great deal of an appetizer, a 3 meat + 3 veggie meal, and dessert. And for only $2.50 extra, they made all of our injera (the spongy bread) gluten free! Every single thing we ate was amazing, but the spicy fish portion really stood out to me. The fish was so mild and the sauce was so creamy and spicy and delicious, and it worked perfectly together. We found ourselves tearing up the injera underneath just to keep tasting the sauce. I have a feeling I will be back here very, very soon. read more

Demera - Everything served on gluten free injera for a perfect meal! - Ethiopian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We love Ethiopian food and we're eager to try out Demera since we are new to the neighborhood. The food did not disappoint! The service was a little slow, but everyone was super nice and welcoming. We very much enjoyed being able to sit outside. While I enjoy Restaurants that play Ethiopian music and music videos, I appreciated being able to have a conversation with the people at the table in a quieter setting. I didn't get a chance to try a cocktail, but I'm looking forward to returning - there were some unique options on the drink menu! read more

The food is so good! The tea was also great. Love the vegetarian options and really great environment

I've been craving a veggie platter all week and today I chose a platter with 2 meats (beef wot and chicken curry) and 2 veggies (cabbage and lentil in berbere) and to know surprise to my readers - I SMASHED!!!!! read more

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Demera has a lot of things going for it. The restaurant energy is both relaxing but lively. The staff is very helpful and give great recommendations. I was very impressed with the quality of the meat and it tasted very fresh. Overall the food was delicious and I highly recommend checking it out! read more

Demera - Ethiopian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Everything was delicious! The food; we had the family style Messob that comes with 4 sides and 4 meats. The honey wine was great; ordered a bottle for the table. Everyone enjoyed the desserts, I had some pretty awesome tiramisu and the rest of my party had cheesecake. read more

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Always a hit! Food, ambiance, wine...the list goes on. Definitely one of my favorite restaurants.

Dined in once, and ordered delivery again. Really liked the food - great flavor, and great comfort food for cold winter days.

I was actually very impressed by this place! Clean, bright, and very friendly! The drinks were very well mixed and they had a pretty impressive beer and wine list. The food is the real star and the restaurant was very accommodating when it came to some shellfish allergies! Certainly the best Ethiopian food in the city! Highly recommend it! read more

Went here for a date night a few weeks back and was really excited to try my first Ethiopian restaurant. I really wanted to like it here but came away very disappointed. My girlfriend and I split a messob. The first thing we went for when it came to our table was the doro wot (chicken) and instantly spit it out. On the menu it was listed as bone-in, which was fine, but under a little chicken was a majority of bone too small to see when eating. The rest of it was sub-par, our beef dish was very good but that was about it. read more

Stopped by for dinner with my brother and sister-in-law who were visiting from out of town. They requested Ethiopian and Demera was the only place I could remember. We were seated quickly and ordered the family style messob, which comes with 1 beef, 1 chicken, 1 fish, 1 lamb, and 4 vegetarian dishes (lentils, collards, cabbage). This was my first time eating injera, a sourdough flatbread made from teff flour. The fish, chicken, and all of the vegetarian dishes were my favorites as they were the least spicy. The beef was spicy. Ethiopian food is extremely flavorful and full of spices. The messob for 3 was more than enough food. We also ordered a bottle of tej, a honey wine, which was tasty and had an alcohol content between 11-12%. It was not overly sweet and had a slight honey note. To finish off dinner we ordered Ethiopian coffee, which is a darker roast and can be slightly bitter. Sugar is traditionally provided, but not milk (I'm sure it could be provided if requested). The service was fast and friendly. Our water glasses were never empty and the staff never rushed us. Our server was also kind enough to take our picture. I would definitely recommend to those interested and in the area. read more

Demera - Messob for 3, includes 8 dishes - Ethiopian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Really unfortunate experience after trying to support a local business during the COVID-19 pandemic. I submitted an order for pick up through Yelp and a young woman called me about 10 minutes later saying that the location I ordered from (in the loop) was closed. I thought "okay.... weird. Why would yelp let me order then?" I ask if I could come pick up the food 20 minutes later to factor in the longer drive to Uptown. The employee said OK and hung up. I come to pick up my food and the waitress says that what I ordered doesn't exist on their menu. Don't you think she could have mentioned this over the phone?? She asks me to re-order from their menu and, here's the kicker, offers for me to buy an IDENTICAL combo plate for twice the price I originally paid. So here I am, waiting for food that I ordered 2 hours ago that isn't ready and that I was overcharged for. Very disappointed in businesses treating customers this way, especially right now. Won't be back. (I should also note that the employee was wearing gloves but completely oblivious to the cross contamination. She asked me to touch the same keypad she was using and wanted to grab my credit card. Doesn't make sense...) read more

I love Ethiopian food and Demera was some of the best Ethiopian food I've had. We ordered spicy Ambasha (bread with cheese spread) and the Demera Messob (3 meats and 3 veggies). We chose Doro Wot, Siga Alicha, and Kitfo for meat and Kik Alicha, Dinich Wat, and Tikle Gomen for veggies. We paired it with a South African wine. I usually get headaches from red wine, but this one was delicious and headache-free. My favorites were Ambasha and Kitfo. I've always loved Kitfo, so I'm not surprised. I would order the entire meal again. As far as spice level, I don't find it to be very spicy. My husband doesn't handle spice well. He's able to eat it through happy tears. It's too spicy for him, but he can't stop eating because it's so flavor-packed. I highly recommend Demera. Definitely get a reservation! We were there for dinner on a weekend with a reservation, but people were told the wait would be 45 minutes. We were seated right away. Service and ambience was top notch. read more

One of the better Ethiopian restaurants in town, with a wide variety of dishes designed to be served family style. I would recommend coming here with at least one other person to split a messob, though you really can't go wrong here regardless of what you order. We started off with the sambusas, which came with a delicious sweet sauce with deep notes of spices that were unfamiliar to me. Both the chicken and beef sambusas were excellent, and they cut them up into pieces to make it easier to share. For the messob, we got beef, lamb, and chicken stews, along with sauteed goat, beef, and lamb. We mixed up the spice levels, though I would have to say we didn't notice much of a difference. All the dishes were great, but the beef stew and and sauteed lamb were absolutely incredible! The chicken was a little overcooked, but the boiled egg that came with it was delicious. Overall - a great experience for newcomers and seasoned vets alike. read more

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This was my second experience with Ethiopian food so I knew diners aren't supposed to eat with utensils. If you want to attain the best of the meal, I'd advise you to dig in with your hand. Literally. It was a Friday evening and we went in a group of six so we figured it'd be best to order the family style messob sampler. We had a vegetarian in the group so they allowed us to order a mix of veggie and meat dishes. It came in a huge bamboo-weaved platter in which the entrees were placed together. The sour Ethiopian flat bread was served in a separate plate. The way to do it is to hold the bread with your left hand and peel small slices with your right hand and proceed to wrap that around a piece of meat or vegetable in the platter. It can become messy, so it will be an ill advice to suggest children below 10 years of age to join in. The food was great although I'm not a fan of the flat bread. Quite a few of the meat choices were spicy so if you're a spicy person, that'd be very satisfying. Many of my friends were also appalled by the presentation of the food. But I believe it's the quality and flavor that should be prioritized. Enjoy the meal open-heartedly and do not be judgmental. It can be a pleasant dining experience. Service was superb and they also had a live band for the evening. There is street parking as well as a parking lot for $1. read more

Demera - family style messob sampler - Ethiopian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My goodness, Demera is the place for a spectacular dinner. I've tried a number of their entrees - beef, chicken, lamb, vegetarian, you name it. There really hasn't been one that I did not enjoy. I must say that their vegetarian options are phenomenal (and this is coming from someone who never orders vegetarian if there's meat). Same goes for the spicy beef entree. The injera (sour flatbread?) is delicious even by itself. It might be somewhat of an acquired taste but I loved it instantly. All the hearty spices that goes into the dishes really resonate loud here. The flavors are extremely bold and packs a real punch. Also, who doesn't like eating without utensils every once in awhile? Just be careful that the spices from the food can soak into your skin and make putting on contacts rather painful....I washed my hands with soap multiple times post-eating and ouch, that still hurt! Finally, don't forget to finish off with a dessert. Most of them are really unique and hard to find elsewhere. It's such a treat to come to Demera and I would really stop by more often if I lived closer. The food is so good here that I don't even want to look for other Ethiopian restaurants to try now! read more

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This place is fantastic! The food is delicious and service is great. We had the Sambussa sampler (a must!) and the Siga Alicha (also delicious) with a side of potatoes. We will be back to try more items soon! read more

I love Demera! We always order the vegetarian messob. The staff is so kind and welcoming. It's fun to order communally and eat with our hands. Demera is always such a great experience. read more

Hands down the best Ethiopian I've had in Chicago! And second only to my absolute favorite Ethiopian restaurant in Michigan. The restaurant is unassuming from the outside but the atmosphere is cute and the service is friendly. We got the vegetarian messob (6 entrees to eat with injera). Our favorites were definitely the red spicy lentils and yellow lentils. The red lentils were perfectly spicy and both had a deliciously creamy texture without being too heavy. We also got the potatoes which came in a really unique sauce that I loved! The cabbage (a classic) was very well done. And while the spinach and collard greens weren't at the top of our list, they definitely also got eaten! I will definitely be back. Excellent food and not a bad price for an extremely filling meal! read more

We were REALLY happy to have found this spot. We shared a generous vegetarian combination plate, and extra injera was brought to us on request, at no charge. Several dishes were on our plate--including greens, at least two kinds of lentils, and a salad that is far better than any we've had at visits to other Chicago Eritrean spots. When we wanted our food a little spicier, our waitperson (who also cooks) happily brought us spicy pepper paste. Atmosphere is VERY casual, and we found street parking easily. An added feature--they're open late. We'll be back. read more

This is the best Ethiopian food in Chi-4.5/5 stars for taste and deliciousness and amazing vegan options. I regrettably have to downgrade my review to a 3 because I have yet to have a good delivery experience from this restaurant. I've now ordered uber eats from here over 6x in the last two years and the story is always the same: half-filled (or less) containers, probably half the serving you get in person. Earlier this week I ordered a vegetable messob for 2 and received a 1-person serving, and the amount of doro tibs (full $17 portion) I received was offensive (pic for evidence. I'm still shook. I also have small hands.). Just be warned-go in person for SURE, but NEVER get this place delivered. read more

Demera - Doro Tibs (Full) - Ethiopian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ordered the Vegetable Beyanetu because I wanted a sample of every vegetarian dish they had. Generous portions of 9 samplings: split red lentil stew, collard greens, chopped potato stew, split yellow pea stew, mixed legumes with ginger roots and garlic, chopped cabbage and carrots, spinach, mixed veggies and garden beets. The injera - a slightly sour and spongy flatbread - is huge. Two pieces meant I could wrap up plenty of food as I ripped small pieces and soaked up the spices. Ate this for two separate meals - and everything tasted better the next day. I want to go back when we can eat in the restaurant and hear the music. read more

Ladies and gentlemen, I just discovered my favorite Ethiopian place to eat. By now, you guys must know how much I love easily accessible restaurants as well as places walking distance from home. Y'all, this place is it. It is right off the Lawrence red line and its right there on the corner of Lawrence and Broadway. I honestly couldn't tell u why I haven't been to this restaurant yet.... well I lied, I know why its because I don't have friends that like Ethiopian food. That aint gonna be a problem any more becaz I found me one ... yay me! Anyways, the service was amazing. The waitresses were just too cool for school (got one on snap chat) and the ambience was great. The food is very affordable compared to Ethiopian Diamond ... I just had to put that other there. They equally had a variety of options to choose from. Wait, did I mention how cheap it was? lol Caz prior to going here I always thought Ethiopian food was crazy expensive.... thanks to Ethopian Diamond. We used a restaurant.com coupon and I cannot wait to return to use my friend's T-mobile Tuesday coupon. Perhaps we are gonna come up with an Ethopian Tuesday theme caz imam be back. You best believe that ;) read more

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Love love love this place! The atmosphere and the food are awesome. There are a lot of Ethiopian restaurants in the area, especially in Edgewater and Rogers Park, but this one is the best. If you want to try Ethiopian for the first time, this is the one to go to. read more

Went here for restaurant week and we really enjoyed it. It was my first time trying Ethiopian food and I'm glad my first time was here. The ambiance is great and so is the service, our waiter was very helpful in choosing our dishes. We got honey wine, sambussas, demera messob (3 veggie and 3 meat), and flourless chocolate cake. Everything was delicious with such good flavor and no shyness on the spices. We got the split peas, lentils, and collards for veggies; for meats, we got the doro wot, special kitfo (my favorite dish), and ye beg alicha. The messob is all served on a platter over a spongy flat bread. It's worth noting that you do not have silverware to eat and have to use your hands--you are given a basket of the spongy bread to dip into the dishes. After the initial surprise of not having silverware though, eating with your hands is a fun time! Just make sure to wash your hands before eating(haha but for real)!! Highly recommend getting a bottle of the honey wine since it paired so well. We will definitely be back! read more

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Went there a day before my birthday. Having lived in a few countries around the world, including Africa, I have to say that I was really looking forward to some authentic cuisine. This place was a major disappointment. Crowded tables really close together. If I want to share my discussions with anyone I would ask them to join in. I don't want to hear others personal problems during my dinner. No table cloth in sight. Most of the restaurant pictures show them? Food-mediocre at best, everything was barely room temperature, nothing stood out in flavor or presentation. Portions were tiny, one of the meat dishes had a cube of meat of about an inch long and wide, and falling apart. The pan baked bread which we ordered in addition to the meal was stale. You could actually see the sides were it was cut caving in. And it was cold and hard. The final straw was my desert, chocolate coconut pie. It came in frozen solid on the inside and the sides of it pouring around the plate, awful. Will not be back, ever. For a total of around $130 for two people I think I can find better places to eat. read more

Demera - Half frozen, half melted chocolate coconut pie- awful. - Ethiopian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

When you walk in, it smells amazing and your mouth waters. The food is wonderful, the service is a little slow but the servers are extremely friendly and kind. Its a cute, large restaurant with a nice outdoor patio. We ordered the family shareable and it was perfect! Chef choice of 1 lamb, 1 chicken, 1 beef and 3 vegetables. Loved each order! read more

Demera - Ethiopian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food is delicious and authentic. Restaurant clean. Service is a little slow. Full bar and drinks influenced from Africa.