Cancel

Open app

Search

Den Den Restaurant

4.5 (165 reviews)
ModerateVegetarian, Eritrean
Closed • 11:00 am - 11:00 pm
Updated a few days ago

Den Den Restaurant Photos

DEN DEN RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Quiet
Casual
Good for kids
Dogs allowed

You might also consider

Recommended Reviews - Den Den Restaurant

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

lamb, beef, seafood, veggie, chicken on injera
Mona T.

The food here was delicious and so filling. I came with a group of 5 and basically ordered one item from each section on the menu, trying a lamb, beef, seafood, veggie, and chicken selection. Honestly, I don't even know if we specifically got what we ordered; it seemed like the server just gave us what she thought was good for each section, which was fine by us. Eritrean food and Ethiopian food have a fairly large overlap, sharing the injera and eating style, but differing on certain sauces and use of tomatoes (among other things). The injera here wasn't as sour as I've had at other places, which I found I actually prefer, and I really loved its taste. The salad in the middle was a nice touch and the dressing was delicious. All the flavors of each item were rich and robust. My favorite was the fish-- it was tender and full of flavor; I felt the beef was pretty tough/overcooked though. Overall, it was a lot of food and we all were extremely stuffed afterwards; it was well worth the ~$30 per person cost. A family-owned neighborhood restaurant with very homey vibes and a spacious interior, our servers were super sweet and attentive. They kept bringing out more injera, various spicy sauces, and water for us. Though the food took quite some time to come out, it was worth it when it arrived. Overall, it's a great spot to bring a larger group, and if I lived closer I would definitely come more regularly. -- Price (relative to peers): 4.2/5 Food: 4.5/5 Ambience: 4.4/5 Service: 4.8/5 Overall Value: 4.5/5

P G.

Den Den has been a favorite Chicago restaurant of mine for years. They serve Eritrean food. It features meat, vegetables and legumes served with injera. Injera is a fresh, whole grain sourdough crepe made fresh of teff and other ingredients --one side is more smooth, and the other side more bubbly to capture the food. The proprietress is named Eelen and she does a splendid job. I recommend the vegetarian sampler, of which there is a picture attached. Den Den also serves spiced tea, very different from the Indian variety as it has no milk, but completely delicious. This is a perfect restaurant for vegans since almost all the vegetarian dishes are vegan along wth the tea. I have eaten here over 100 times (not an exaggeration) and have found it consistently tremendous each time. Not every city is fortunate enough to have an Eritrean restaurant, Chicago is lucky to have Den Den. Five stars

My first time having this type of food and it was amazing! Extremely friendly staff with great recommendations for the inexperienced, good portions too. The Denden Mes wine was also delicious.

Veggie Combo
Steve A.

Clark Street up north has a lot of ethnic restaurants, and this is the only one I know of its kind. Den Den is Eritrean food, which is among the rarest known cuisines around here, even in a big ass ethnic metropolis. It's not that hard to find Ethiopian restaurants, which are similar but have slight variations between these. High prices are the biggest complaint. There's lots of vegan and vegetarian items to choose from. A lot of basically unknown cuisine to average Americans can be found around here. It's very rare to find an Eritrean restaurant anywhere but this is one. There's a slight difference from Ethiopian cuisine, but these are quite similar. It seems there's more meat used in Eritrean. Particularly seafood. Eritrea is along the ocean, while Ethiopia next to it is landlocked. They do have plenty of vegetarian choices though. It's about $15 an entree. The injeera is fluffy and spongy. Lots of vegetarian choices. The yellow lentils are the best protein. Also lots of vegetables such as greens. They serve it like Ethiopian where you use your hands and injeera. Got to make an update for this business. It seems to have changed hours so be sure to go when it's open. They're open daily except for only Wednesdays.

What an awesome place! I'm so sorry that we haven't been here sooner!
Chris M.

I'm kicking myself for not posting this review sooner. We've been here a few times and always experienced excellent service and delicious food. Authentic Eritrean cuisine with generous servings sizes.

Steve H.

I'm a 30-year fan of Ethiopian food yet have never tried Eritrean food. It's quite similar and while I'm experienced and a little bit knowledgeable of Ethiopian food, I could not quite identify the subtle differences. Customer service at den den was top-notch. The owner and his team were so very polite, friendly and attentive. The restaurant was very clean. They were very conscientious about covid-19 protocol. Our food was so very fresh, flavorful, not salty, and presentation was a treat just like had an Ethiopian restaurant. I will return, and I will do a little homework so I'm knowledgeable of the differences next time!

the menu for the restaurant
Cheryl H.

Phenomenal & Flavorful food !! Eating this with the "sponge- y " bread ( as I like to call it ) is a wonderful experience.. just a tiny bit spicy and excellent quality . Casual atmosphere. Very kind people and service . I can't wait to bring everyone here .... !

M Z.

This my favorite Ethiopian Restaurant. The service is always great. Family owned buisness. They are always very gracious and nice. And once I needed a platter short notice and she supplied and also let me borrow a tray. I will always support them https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMe1Mv8jU/

Menu

See all

Photo of Mike H.
232
197
1183

8 years ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0

10 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Evan K.
30
31
126

15 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

8 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Pete S.
32
44
8

8 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0
Photo of Steve S.
249
81
2

4 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Les O.
77
57
64

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 years ago

Helpful 5
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

12 years ago

Helpful 5
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

13 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

14 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

13 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0
Photo of Dan M.
0
13
0

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

14 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Pete C.
119
87
91

14 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of B L.
9
16
4

11 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Good tasty food, friendly service, value for money. Would go back for my eritrean food fix.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

14 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

10 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

14 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

8 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Gerry G.
23
363
45

8 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

10 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Maria Z.
13
45
72

11 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Tony A.
182
11
12

11 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Frank O.
121
44
43

10 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

14 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of M S.
31
34
57

13 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Alex C.
185
35
10

11 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

8 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

15 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Page 2 of 5

Ask the Community - Den Den Restaurant

Is your Inerja gluten free?

Our regular injera is not gluten-free. We do offer gluten free injera but we do ask for advanced reservations of at least a day for gluten free injera.

View All 2 Questions

You might also consider

Oromo Cafe - Assortment of food and drinks at Oromo Cafe

Oromo Cafe

4.3(329 reviews)
2.6 mi•Ravenswood, Lincoln Square
•$

I stopped by Oromo one afternoon for a quick pick-me-up. The woman working the register was so…read moresweet and welcoming. I asked her for some recommendations and she suggested one of the frozen drinks. I'm so glad she did because I have been craving it ever since! They have a few frozen drinks to choose from, but I went with the cold brew + hazelnut truffle. It's made with housemade hazelnut milk, cold brew, cacao, frozen bananas, housemade coconut caramel, maple syrup, vanilla, and seasalt. Trust me-- it is just as heavenly as it sounds! I forgot to get photos of it because I drank it so quickly--sorry! The space is so cute inside and it's in a fun area to wander around, right in the heart of Lincoln Square. Can't wait to come back!

I wanted to love Oromo Cafe. I popped in for lunch during a visit to Lincoln Square, primarily…read morebecause the menu sounded fabulous - so many plant based options, including house-made milks. Unfortunately the menu overpromises and the food underdelivers, at least that day. -Lentil soup: good flavor, but very watery, more like broth than soup. The amount of soup barely reached a third of the way up the bowl, and the price of $7 for the bowl size was candidly just not worth it. -Beet hummus sandwich: again, good flavor, but I was anticipating a sandwich (as per menu description). What was presented was a single piece of naan spread with a thin layer of beet hummus, scattered with a few toppings. For $13 my expectations were higher. The beet hummus was delicious; with the goal of recreating this at home I asked a member of the staff about the ingredients. Unfortunately rather than saying, "I'm not sure, but let me check," they responded with "I don't know. I just started and I don't know most of the menu items." There is a lot of fabulous food in Chicago. Although Oromo Cafe is fine, I recommend saving ones dining experience and money for something truly fabulous.

Photos
Oromo Cafe - Seating area

Seating area

Oromo Cafe
Oromo Cafe - Turkish Coffee

See all

Turkish Coffee

Alice & Friends' Vegan Kitchen - The Special

Alice & Friends' Vegan Kitchen

4.5(549 reviews)
1.2 mi•Edgewater
•$$

It's not often that I would consider moving to a new city just for the food, but Alice & Friends'…read moremade me carefully weigh the pros and cons. The entirely plant based menu is varied, whimsical, and intentional, and the staff are just glorious. Once seated our server inquired whether we had had the pleasure of dining at Alice & Friends' before, and upon discovering it was our first visit delightedly offered suggestions for our optimal enjoyment. The outcome: -Laksa: Malaysian noodle soup with a coconut curry broth, served with a variety of vegetables, tofu, and vegan shrimp. What? Yes. So good. -Heavenly curry: magical curry base (coconut milk, coriander, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, turmeric), chickpeas, and lots of hearty veggies including sweet potato, served over perfectly chewy brown rice. -Raw tiramisu: I can't even. Espresso, chocolate, cream, crust. Just get it. The decor (like the restaurant) is based on Alice in Wonderland, with lots of anthropomorphized friends to appreciate. Pricing is reasonable for the quality and the quantity. If ever I move to Chicago just know it's entirely to be closer to Alice and her friends.

First, I'm an idiot. I've lived near this restaurant OVER 20 years, but have never come here. Happy…read moreto report, no longer an idiot. I came here with a vegan friend and an omnivore friend. Typically, I reject these dietary labels, as what we all eat is food. Simply food. However, I'm also not someone who is all "OH EW, VEGAN STUFF, NO." I will not only never say that, but I will ALWAYS try something new. You should too. ON TO THE FOOD. I had heard talk of their Ramen, so I immediately ordered that. OH MY GAWD. It is so good. It tastes like "regular" ramen, but is 100% vegan. There was a strip of stuff (it was seitan) that looked like the pork belly that typically comes in Tonkatsu ramen. How is this not meat?! It was SO GOOD and had the texture of meat. But it wasn't meat. The broth is silky smoove, savory and . . . my gawd, I drank every single drop. The noodles and veg things that typically come in ramen were there, and just delicious. Writing this review, I am now craving this ramen. I took home an additional order of this ramen for my BF and he became obsessed as well! We had a couple other appetizers that were fantastic too! Some breaded mushroom app that was super tasty. I'm typically not a breaded food fan, but this was light and crispy and really tasty. The interior is spare, uncluttered, full of light and spotlessly clean. The staff is so helpful, friendly, and earnest with answering any questions. No booze, it's BYOB, but they have a lot of Kombuchas to try! A neighborhood gem that I will now keep in rotation when dining out.

Photos
Alice & Friends' Vegan Kitchen - The New Look.

The New Look.

Alice & Friends' Vegan Kitchen - The special

The special

Alice & Friends' Vegan Kitchen - Vegan Hot dog

See all

Vegan Hot dog

Penelope's Vegan Taqueria - taco

Penelope's Vegan Taqueria

4.4(104 reviews)
1.8 mi•Andersonville, Edgewater, Uptown
•$$

I'm trying to think of something on which Penelope's could improve, I truly am, but nothing comes…read moreto mind. Decor - fabulous. Menu - varied with options for anyone, plant based or not. Pricing - quite reasonable for a niche vegan taqueria. Portion sizes - appropriate. Flavors - spot on. Our server was knowledgeable about the menu and ingredients, and while hesitant to offer suggestions did share her favorites, which was just as helpful. I tried: -Street style elote: I nearly cried. I found out about the (potential) joys of elote after becoming plant based, and as such had not been able to try it until my visit to Penelope's. The corn itself is sweet and bursts delightfully between the teeth. The combination of mayo, cheese, tajin, and cilantro elevate the dish that much more. I could eat a bucket of just this for a meal and be entirely satisfied. -Soy al pastor taco: beautifully seasoned soy protein balanced by fresh veggies and pineapple, with just enough kick to make you pay attention. -Mushroom chimichurri taco: THAT SAUCE IS EVERYTHING. The veggies are also fabulous, but holy smokes - chimichurri perfection. Ah! I just found the problems, of which there are two. 1. There are so many options I wasn't able to try everything. 2. Penelope's is located entirely too far from my home. Fix these, and I will award a magical 6th star.

I visited here on a Sunday afternoon. It wasn't very busy... maybe 3 other tables were occupied…read more Our server was nice and friendly, but a couple of times I had to call her over while she was on her phone. Also, when I used a credit card to pay the bill, she skipped the tip screen so I couldn't add a tip to my payment. I said something multiple times but she didn't seem to understand and said something back to me that I couldn't understand. It was odd. The good news is, the place is a fun restaurant to eat at; I love the decor! I absolutely love, love, love that this place is 100% vegan! Their loaded nachos are one of my favorites with a perfect blend of flavors and textures. I will definitely be back to try more of their amazing vegan options!

Photos
Penelope's Vegan Taqueria
Penelope's Vegan Taqueria - Asado skillet, assorted tacos, butterfly pea pancakes

Asado skillet, assorted tacos, butterfly pea pancakes

Penelope's Vegan Taqueria - Soy alpastor taco

See all

Soy alpastor taco

Oda Mediterranean Cuisine - Butternut squash soup and mini eggplant roulades

Oda Mediterranean Cuisine

4.4(217 reviews)
1.2 mi•Andersonville, Edgewater
•$$

My date took me here to Oda on a weeknight. Oda is listed as Mediterranean but cuisine leans more…read moreTurkish/Georgian. I found the food, drink and dessert to be very savory. We shared the Oda Grill Combo and Karniyarik/Moussaka. Both were outstanding and seasoned just right. I ordered a cocktail (Drop it Like It's Hot) and that too was refreshingly tasty for a warm summer evening. Ambiance is really cute and they have an outdoor patio. Our server was kind, attentive and helped me make a decision on dinner and dessert when I was torn between a few choices. They let us hang around after dinner and they didn't rush us out which was nice too. We had the option to dine in or out but we chose to stay inside because of the humidity and frankly, we just love our air-conditioning. Granted if the weather is favorable, it's a nice space for alfresco dining. Parking is generally street only since they lack a parking lot. Depending on what time you go, you might end up finding free parking on the side streets since the meters tend to run out after 6.

Now why aren't more people talking about Oda? I will be a FREQUENT visitor now! To start this is…read morethe perfect, quaint, neighborhood restaurant. Dim lit but still inviting and plenty of seating for various sized parties but still keeps the intimacy. Our server, Alec was friendly, attentive and gave us the entire run down on the food, cuisine, and his favorite recommendations! Everything was absolutely AMAZING. Big Fs: Fresh, flavorful and filling. Once of my main highlights from the meal was something Alec recommended, the Adjaruli Khachapuri which is Georgian cheese and egg baked in a bread boat. I had never had this before and was blown away by how absolutely tasty it was! I also ordered the Kofte Chargrilled Meatballs which were amazing they came in a large portion but also were SO good bold in flavor with the perfect texture! I ordered the Crimson Petal and the Drop it Like it's Hot cocktails which were both extremely tasty! This was the perfect meal and I cannot wait to get back!

Photos
Oda Mediterranean Cuisine - Interior of Oda!

Interior of Oda!

Oda Mediterranean Cuisine - Pita and hummus - excellent

Pita and hummus - excellent

Oda Mediterranean Cuisine - Dining room

See all

Dining room

Khepri Cafe - Blueberry Whipped Feta Toast

Khepri Cafe

4.7(71 reviews)
3.1 mi•Albany Park
•$

I cannot say enough good things about this place. Right next to the Kedzie Brown Line stop it is a…read morecafe with excellent food, great coffee, and a superb music playlist. But that is not why you should come here. They are the definition of community. They support locals and create a welcoming place. They show local art. They are a refuge from ICE and they host a community bulletin board. Every staffer seems cheerful without being fake about it. But a lot of cafes do that, to varying degrees. And it is not why you should come here. There is a person, a woman, who comes in. She is probably unhoused and while her clothes are a little on the ragged side, she is quiet and in no offensive or bothersome. Not only do they give her free coffees every day, which she sips for a short while, but I have seen patrons engage with her. That is such a gift. A perfect expression of kindness and a commitment to caring for others over the distracting pressures of running a business. This is the town square where we can all be together. Their kindness, their community, and their cappuccinos. Those are the reasons you should come here.

The cafe has a lot cute and interesting merch on the side wall shelves, and a free standing one…read morewith writing-related paraphernalia, accessories, earrings, puzzles etc, Surprisingly a small but sufficient selection of pastry and other meal items. The pumpkin chocolate chip was great, moist and goes with the cup of brew. Also had the tomato cream soup, it was delicious. I stayed almost the entire day from 10am until they close at 4pm last Friday. It got a little cold inside. I was wearing a T-shirt and didn't bring any other shirt for layering. Also, whenever a meal is being prepared, it smells delicious. Having stayed in for several hours, made me smelled like food too haha. Staff were friendly. Cozy corner. I love that they also promote/sell art works from local artists.

Photos
Khepri Cafe - Inside

Inside

Khepri Cafe - Power Bowl Salad

Power Bowl Salad

Khepri Cafe - Indoor

See all

Indoor

Den Den Restaurant - vegetarian - Updated October 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...