If you're in the west/SW suburbs of Chicago, this is probably the best place to get authentic Ethiopian food. Got their weekday chef special (highly recommend from 12-3pm) for pickup and the flavor was absolutely on par and delicious with many of the other Ethiopian places I've tried across different states. The chef special is a great value and starter for trying all different types of Ethiopian cuisine staples if you are new to the cuisine - some of my favorites within the special were the alicha wot (split yellow peas), gomen (collard greens), and doro wot (I think it was chicken). Injera was fresh and the spice level was perfect. They have a very helpful menu if you dine-in explaining all the dishes. Staff are very friendly and the place definitely gives homemade mom-and-pop shop vibes, and even better - there is a grocery store attached right next to it. Would definitely drive 30 min again to try other dishes. Parking lot available. read more

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Stop 3 on our global cuisine adventure takes us to Ethio Beans in Carol Stream. The service and hospitality was fantastic, they're very patient for newbies like me who have never had Ethiopian food. We had the Shekla Tibs, collard greens, kitifo, and the coffee and tea. My favorite was the Shekla tibs and I'm obsessed with the tea. My partner said he could live on the collard greens and coffee. The ambiance was authentic and had several booths and tables, connected to a grocery store. Overall, I'm thrilled to have tried something new and had a great experience. My partner who's had Ethiopian food before very much enjoyed it. Definitely give them a try! The world may be large but it is places like this that shrink it enough for everyone to be able to experience other cultures and food. read more

Ethio Beans - Ethiopian Near Me - Carol Stream, Illinois

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My group did not like our experience. The sambossa was very dry and sauce they gave tasted like Franks Red Hot Sauce and did not pair well. My plate was decent but my companions did not like their meals. The 2 vegans stated it wasnt seasoned well and the tibs were horribly dry. When we ordered wine the dry and sweet tasted the same. That's not good. We are fans of Ethiopian food and drove almost 2hrs for a very disappointing experience. I can say the sever was friendly and tried to assist when we had concerns. read more

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Great place to try Ethiopian food. The employees (owners?) are so friendly. They take the time to talk with you and tell you about the food. They gave us a sample of the honey wine (unique taste - prominent honey flavor). We had the vegetarian plate $15. It was nice to try a little bit of multiple things. You eat with your hands and use the bread. They also have a grocery store attached. It isn't the fanciest restaurant but the authentic food and great service makes it worth a stop! read more

Ethio Beans - Vegetarian plate $15 - Ethiopian Near Me - Carol Stream, Illinois

Excellent food and service! The sambussa appetizer was so good and we tried the sampler player. Thank you-we will back!

We have come here a few times and each time it's been amazing. The injera combo comes with basically everything and can feed 2-3 people for $35. Great value for the quality. If you've never had Ethiopian food, this is a must try! read more

I can't believe I didn't know about Ethio Beans until a month ago. I am so jazzed, I don't have to drive to Chicago anymore to get my fix of eating with injera generous portions of door wat, misir wat, and tibs. The space is simple, with a few tables, and some decorations, with a small shop where one can buy Ethiopian closing, coffee sets, and food ingredients. Service was warm and friendly, we had a nice conversation with the owner/cook/server about Erhiopia - I got to share my experience when visiting my daughter in Aleltu. The food was fresh, cooked on the spot to order, flavorful, earthy, spicy, and fragrant. The Lentil Sambusas were crispy and flaky with a perfect ratio of pastry and filling. I will be coming back often, and perhaps ask for a Habesha coffee ceremony to enjoy with friends. read more

Ethio Beans - Ethiopian Near Me - Carol Stream, Illinois

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This is my second time having Ethiopian food. The first time was in Chicago so I was pleased to find one in the suburbs. It's located in a small strip mall. Parking is not a problem. When you enter, there is a restaurant along with a shop next door. Unfortunately, we did not have time to look at the shop. Service started out great. We were greeted and they sat us down. The only reason I took off one star is because the service went downhill towards the end. They took quite a bit of time before they brought us out our to go containers. Quite a bit of time meaning 10 mins or longer. I believed the other tables were also confused by this, but you have to go up to the register to see your bill and pay. They don't bring you your bill first. The food itself was great and that would have been 5 stars. Portions were very generous for the prices. Generally, you use your hands to eat. You tear off pieces of the injera and put food into them like a taco. We also got tea that can be shared by two people. I recommend getting either the tea or the coffee. You can really taste the spices in each sip. Unfortunately, after factoring in the faltering service, it brought it down to 4 stars. -sambussa 5 - big pieces. Outside was crispy. That sauce has a sweet and spicy flavor. The filling inside wasn't dry or bland. This is a good vegan dish. -lamb tebes 5 - we got the non spicy and juicy version. Highly recommend getting the juicy version. It was a well balanced meal by itself. Injera is moist and spongy. Nightshades were tasty. -shekla tibs 4.5 - I liked the presentation, it comes in a clay pot. Lots of well seasoned meat, I think it was cooked well done since it was kind of chewy. I believed the juicy version (medium rare would have been better). It has a good mix of meat and veggies along with the injera. The powder that you can sprinkle onto your food is only slightly spicy. read more

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$12.99 for lunch special..... absolutely amazing. Unique way of eating, punchy flavors. read more

Ethio Beans - Lunch platter - Ethiopian Near Me - Carol Stream, Illinois

Great food, place was a bit dirty tho so I was scared to eat but...when one is hungry right?

Chicago Burbs Coffee Tour stop 48 out of 75 of my list 105 @ethiobeans in @carolstream_chamber . Coffee Rating Order: Cultural Coffee for Two. (Authentic Ethiopian Coffee Ritual) . - A MUST Try for coffee lovers. - A True Hidden Gem in the Burbs. - Outstanding, Authentic Ethiopian Coffee. - Restaurant & Market too read more

Ethio Beans - Ethiopian Near Me - Carol Stream, Illinois

This place is a gem. The food is outstanding--rich, authentic flavors across the board. The restaurant itself is cozy and comfortable, and the staff is warm and welcoming without being overbearing. If you're looking for amazing Ethiopian food in the suburbs, this is the spot. read more

Lovely service, cute ambiance and authentic food! We had the tebes and injera which was delicious, and then the traditional Ethiopian coffee and popcorn which turned out to be a surprisingly good combination. Would definitely recommend the traditional way of eating with your hands when you're there. Can't wait to go again! read more

Second time coming in - everything is amazing each time. Start with the tea, spicy and herbal it's perfect. Vegetarian dream for the veggie combo, the yellow lentil is my favorite. Injera is perfect each time. My partner said the chicken was tender and amazing. read more

Nice simple place. But the meals were delicious and authentic. The very spicy sauces are served in the side, to give the guest a choice. The Ethiopian Honey Wine was just right, light a d tasty. The authentic Ethiopian coffee, the Ethiopian tea, everything was so good. Eating in this establishment is worth the drive. Follow the navigator to the T. Service is very friendly and quick. In another (also positive) comment it read that service was slow due to the small staff. Thus I called ahead and informed the owner of the number of guests and our arrival time. It worked out beautifully. read more

First time trying Ethiopian food. It was delicious. We had the platter so we could try a variety of dishes. The beef and chicken were nicely seasoned and tender. It was different eating without silverware but the bread injeri was fantastic. Everything was gluten free and tasty. The service was attentive and I learned about how their food is made. Very friendly. The tea was great. Next time we have to try the coffee as it smelled wonderful. Look forward to our next visit. read more

Second time at this hidden gem. Has the combination, trusting the owner to take care of us (and she did). Since it was lunch time I had to order a coffee service and it came using a traditional jebena, their coffee is from Yirgacheffe - at the time close to an italian roast. read more

Ethio Beans - Chefs choice Ethio Beans Combo - Ethiopian Near Me - Carol Stream, Illinois

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Staff were friendly and helpful. Most importantly the food was delicious! It was my first time trying Ethiopian food and it left such a great impression. Me and my friends shared the Ethiopian beans combo, sambussa, and coffee. The coffee experience was so cool! It was paired with an incense and made it so memorable. I would definitely recommend trying this place out. read more

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One of the best restaurants in the area. Fantastic food and the owner is just lovely. Very happy to have Ethiopian food in the suburbs, always had to go downtown before. The attached grocery store is great too if you want to get spices or other ingredients that you might not be able to find at other stores. read more

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Amazing food! Just ate here for the second time today! I showed up at 10 am, they were doing remodeling but still open! They did a great job getting me my correct food and order! Cheap, good, flavorful food! read more

Ethio Beans - Ethiopian Near Me - Carol Stream, Illinois

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Wife has been telling me about this place for ages. Made our way over here finally and it did not disappoint. The food was great and the service even better. The coffee was fantastic and the presentation was a great experience. read more

Ethio Beans - Combo plate and coffee - Ethiopian Near Me - Carol Stream, Illinois

Food quality flavor and service is all amazing!! The tea is to die for. We loved the tea so much. The waitress told us she would kindly sell us some to go. Never had Ethiopian food before but the experience is very fun. The portion we had was good for 3-4 people. read more

Ethio Beans - Ethiopian Near Me - Carol Stream, Illinois

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My friend and I shared the Ethio Beans Combo. The combo came with various veggies from the veggie combo, beef tebes, dorowot, cheese, and extra injera. The food was great. It's enough for 2 hungry people or 3 small eaters. I also got the Ethiopian tea and my friend got the Ethiopian coffee. We were being kind of silly thinking we could each finish our own pot. You should definitely share the tea or coffee with at least one other person! I think it was pretty good considering the lack of African restaurants (let alone Ethiopian) in the area. We're super lucky to have this spot out in the suburbs. I'm not an expert in Ethiopian food, but it was on par with other Ethiopian restaurants that I've been to. Personally, I wish the combo came with more meat, but this seems to be the usual amount of meat at most Ethiopian spots. read more

Ethio Beans - Ethio Beans Combo - Ethiopian Near Me - Carol Stream, Illinois

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I spent some time in Ethiopia and was really keen to try this their beef tebes are excellent and injera is excellent. Also their Ethiopian coffee is great - if you like Ethiopian or Turkish coffee make sure to ask for your coffee strong! The ambiance is great as is the service. It's great you can also buy everything you need for Ethiopian coffee and tea there to make at home! read more

An Ethiopian Restaurant in Carol Stream!?!? It's pretty amazing to have access to Ethiopian food in the suburbs. I got the $35 Ethio Beans Combo and it's big enough to share. The flavors are very subtle, but delicious. I really enjoyed all the different veggie sides in this sampler and my favorite main was the chicken curry. The bread is pillowy soft and is used to pick up the food and soak in the flavors. They were unfortunate to open during height of COVID and I hope they continue to grow. .|\---/| | o_o | .\_^_/..2022 read more

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Worth the drive!!! I live in Crystal Lake, but willing to make the hour drive to have the most amazing Ethiopian food! Staff is warm and friendly and makes the entire experience wonderful! It may not be the most glamorous location, but it is clean, welcoming, and top that off with incredible food! My only wishes that it was closer so that I could eat there frequently! read more

Great food! Very inviting restaurant, service was awesome as well! Got the combination platter, highly recommended! read more

Ethio Beans - Ethiopian Near Me - Carol Stream, Illinois

The friendly server recommended that we order the Ethios Combo instead of the lunch buffet since we wanted to eat more meat. The Ethios Combo is a good size for two people to share. When you order coffee, you get a pot. I did not order it because I was not dining with other people who drink coffee. You can also buy a bag of Ethiopian coffee beans for $12. read more

Ate here for the 1st. Very lucky find as a date planned by my husband. We arrived for an early dinner, we were the only people eating for dine in. The inside eating area is small, the service was fast and helpful with our menu questions. Our food was delicious and came out quickly, I included photos of our meal. We are vegan and the menu was pretty easy to navigate for us and had a good amount of options. My favorite was the lentils, or maybe the potatoes, or the greens. Really it was all so good I can't pick 1 favorite. Many people were coming and going for carry-out orders and I believe that is likely the bulk of their business. There is a kind-of cluttered mini-mart area attached but I found some wheatberries there at a good price. there were a lot of flies inside though read more

Ethio Beans - Ethiopian Near Me - Carol Stream, Illinois

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This was out first visit and we are so glad we came to this nearby treasure! My husband and I shared the Lentil Sambussas and the Ethio Combo. The combo was perfect with 2 meat dishes and cheese for him and 5 vegan dishes which i shared with him. We loved everything! Favorites were the sambussas, the red lentils stewed in berbere sauce and his chicken curry. It is a huge beautiful platter and we ate nearly every morsel! The people were welcoming, gracious and very helpful. It's a very nice place to enjoy good food and a beer or wine! We look forward to many more wonderful meals here. read more

We had a vegan meetup there. The food was amazing !! Such a great variety. The staff and owner were super sweet and friendly!

I grew up within a couple miles of Ethio Beans. Back in those days, we had a lot of diverse restaurants from all over Asia and Latin America, but not any African restaurants. I was super happy to see Ethio Beans show up recently. Located in an unassuming strip mall in a working class suburb, Ethio Beans offers solid Ethiopian food, groceries and coffee. Their menu has a large and dedicated vegan section. The sambussa ($5) is vegan by default and pretty good. You can't go wrong. The "foul normal" ($6) can be made vegan on request. It's a rare dish consisting of fava beans and spices and is typically served with a baguette (though not always). At Ethio Beans it's fresh and flavorful, served with injera, and reminiscent of Mexican refried beans, albeit with different spices. The misir wot ($12) is vegan by default and extremely tasty and spicy. Get this dish of lentils. I was less impressed with the alicha wot ($10), which consisted of freshly ground split peas, but it felt under-seasoned. I also got a cup of Ethiopian coffee ($3). It tasted burnt, but I'd give it another shot the next time I'm around. The service is warm and friendly. There's a lot of incense burning inside, so be warned if you don't like aromatics. They also have a couple outdoor tables but given that it's in a grimy stripmall, it's not exactly an amazing patio experience. Stop by Ethio Beans for maybe the only Ethiopian restaurant in the west suburbs of Chicago. read more

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I love this place! Fantastic vegan options and coffee. The employees are incredibly friendly and provided us great care. The market that is attached is also fun to walk around in. Ethio Beans is rather affordable and definitely worth the price. read more

The food is authentic and full of flavor. You will be immersed in culture here! Crom suthentic dress to suthentic music and even Etheopian shows on their TV! Our group of 6 dined here and its great for groups. Its a very casual restaurant so don't expect fancy decor. The food is inexpensive, service is great and owners are very friendly. read more

I'll be honest. I had no idea this place existed and even then I didn't realize it was Ethiopian food. Even tho the Ethio should make it obvious... There is not really this type of food anywhere close. So good. The injera is good. I've had the meat and veggie combo plates. It's really delicious and well spiced. They also have some coffee and other knick knacks around the store but I haven't really looked into it much. Seriously, this is such a gem and I highly recommend everyone to try it especially if you've never had it. This is especially good for vegetarians. read more

What a wonderful experience it was to dine at Ethio Beans. The three of us had never had Ethiopian food before and we were doing a progressive dinner, so we ordered the Veggie combo and shared. We all thought it was delicious. The owner was so sweet and chatted with us for quite awhile. She let us try a sample of Ethiopian honey wine, which is not made from grapes, nor is it processsed. I googled it later and learned that Tej, or tejj, is an Ethiopian sweet wine, similar to mead, that is typically made from fermented honey and a special kind of hops called gesho. It was a little too sweet to drink with dinner, so after trying another sample, I ended up having an Ethiopian red wine, which I enjoyed. After we ate, the owner showed us the adjacent shop and explained more about her country. It was the cultural experience that we were hoping for. I think everyone should try it and support this small business. read more

Ethio Beans - Honey wine samples - Ethiopian Near Me - Carol Stream, Illinois

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Incredible! Amazing! Tasty! Terrific! A true gem in the world of Ethiopian food in America! We usually hit one of the city Ethiopian restaurants but there was NASCAR on LSD blocking our way from Science and Industry so we headed to suburbia and I had found Ethio Beans on Yelp! and it did not disappoint. Such value, incredible flavors, hospitality beyond belief, and a comfortable atmosphere. The injera was fresh and perfect, the spices were absolutely on point, not overpowering at all, the aroma of the dishes cooking in the kitchen filled the restaurant beautifully, and everything was incredible. I wish that I had done the coffee or tea service too! Cannot wait to get back for another round. read more

I was craving Ethiopian and was going to head into the city when I saw a place in the suburbs! It was delicious and the service was great. All of the meats were tender and flavorful. My favorite side was the yellow split peas! I will definitely be back. read more

Ethio Beans - Chef's Special Combo - Ethiopian Near Me - Carol Stream, Illinois

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We shared the Veggie combo, chicken curry and sambusa and it was all great down to the injura.

Excellent food - I had the curry with a little dish of their beans as a side. Should have asked for it to be spicier, but the sweet and savory flavors forgave me this oversight and were delicious all by themselves. The sponge bread was very good. Understand that you don't get utensils unless you ask - you tear off a bit of bread with your right hand (left hand in your lap!) and scoop up a bit of sauce with it. Easy-peasy. There are napkins. Beautiful store, cheerful and friendly staff. There was a little language barrier for me, in large part because the waitress's voice was in the range I don't hear well; you may not have as much of a problem. And while you may feel worried and concerned that you'll order something icky by mistake, don't worry. Try the curry. Not cheap, but not terribly expensive. There's a little North African food shop attached to the restaurant. Fun ingredients in there, but best part is the crockery and the tea china. Very pretty and warmly unusual stuff. Go there. (Wear a washable shirt.) read more