Everything was excellent the lamb chops were great Multiple very good appetizers I can't wait to go back read more

The food was amazing! The tender pieces of beef cheek literally melts in your mouth. The pork skewers were our favorite! Grilled to perfection, crisp and flavorful. The salad was a nice pickled-type slaw and paired well with the meat. The long grained seasoned rice was fluffy but dense. We ordered three different types of the dumplings. The meat ones tasted the same but the mushroom had a nice unique flavor-- definitely savory! We ordered the fruit tea. I realized too late I should've waited for a bit and allowed it to seep longer because the first cup tasted very diluted. The second cup was much better, more flavorful, in addition, I also added a packet of sugar. The traditional bread was also a favorite. It was fried but soft, airy in the center. Dipping in the cheese/butter like dip was fantastic. So addicting! The restaurant is very narrow. Not a lot of space and seating. Staff was very accommodating to make space for our table of 5. They even went as far as rearranging tables. The dim lighting and simple decor made it feel cozy and warm. We enjoyed the Georgian food experience! read more

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Outstanding experience featuring delicious food, excellent presentation, and exceptional service. Every detail seemed thoughtfully handled, creating a memorable evening that exceeded expectations and encouraged a return visit. read more

Stumara is a great place to grab delicious and flavorful Georgian (country) food. It's a neighborhood gem and a popular spot among the locals. I have been here only once and I liked it a lot. Not only the restaurant has an inviting atmosphere with nice decor and good service but also, their staff is passionate about their cuisine and their head chef creates a menu with flavorful traditional dishes. We tried the following dishes: Gamarjoba (Shoti Puri) - first order was complimentary Appetizer - Badrijani nigzvit (eggplant with walnut) Khinkali beef pork (large Nepalese Momos lookalike) Adjaruli khachapuri (a traditional and popular dish usually ordered as a starter) Entrée - Shqmeruli (roasted chicken in creamy garlic sauce) Dessert - Opium cake with lemon and berries All the dishes were good in taste. My favorite was Badrijani nigzvit. It was simply amazing with its flavors and had an unique taste. The Kachapuri, Shqmeruli, the Opium cake were the next favorites. We enjoyed our meal and had a wonderful experience. I'd go back. read more

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Oh. My. Gosh. Stumara was a fantastic experience for us. First of all, the service we received was outstanding. Going in, I was not expecting to receive that level of attention and care, but it really went beyond my expectations. Now, the food was unforgettable. We ordered the Badrijani Nigvzit (rolled eggplants), the Pkhali plate, and the honey cake. I've never tasted anything like the rolled eggplants before, and the more I ate them the more I loved it. The Pkhali plate was phenomenal. The flavors of the vegetable spreads were so vibrant, light, and delicious. What really "wowed" me, however, was the cheese cornbread that came with the spreads. They were steaming hot, fresh, and delicious. We also got a complimentary bread with the butter (I believe it was the Goda cheese melted butter), and the butter was phenomenal and so so delicious, I never tasted anything like it before. I loved the glass of wine I had here, it was so delicious. We tried a couple of different samples to see which wine we wanted to order, and we went with Traditsiuli Kindzmarauli which I highly recommend. The honey cake had a good taste, but we felt like we got an older piece of cake. The filling is also not as creamy / milky as other honey cakes, but either way I still enjoyed it. The only thing is, the prices are a bit high and it's a bit expensive. But I am coming back here to try more, one of my new favorite spots! read more

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I picked this spot for a belated birthday dinner and wasn't disappointed. It's got a nice vibe and ambiance, a little dim for my liking but it would be good for a romantic mood. I'd recommend a reservation if your going at a normal dinner hour, we ate early but it filled up. They started us off with a complimentary bread with smoked butter. Nothing beats a fresh baked bread, and the butter was a very nice touch. I had to try some dumplings! These soup style dumplings are fantastic and definitely a must try. They're pretty large too, so 3 is really plenty for an order. I had the beef cheeks as my entree, what a phenomenal dish! The beef is super tender and the "savory broth" is much more like a rich and mild curry, with a great texture and warming spices throughout. Comfort in a bowl would be a good description. I would have liked a bit of acid in there somewhere, and maybe more onions, just to balance the dish. On the side was a cheesy grain or rice dish, similar to grits, which is nice and filling but again very rich and a bit one-note for me. The lamb skewer actually comes in a smoke-box that they open at the table for you, very cool presentation. The lamb itself had a great smoke flavor and was cooked to perfection. It comes with a great salad, kind of similar to a rustic coleslaw. A perfect blend of acid and greens to balance the lamb. At checkout we noticed a charge for 4 cappuccinos, but we'd only had 1. They fixed it for us with no hassle, but I'm glad I noticed. I really enjoyed this meal and can't wait to come back for some more of the menu! read more

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It's a REALLY tasteful and decadent plates that hits all your palates form breads to salads to meats to all types of variations. Just watch your money and what they charge ya as we got charged for something we didn't order. No biggie. Great place, rare great food, and a good meal. Georgian food is pretty good, at least here. read more

Simple, excellent food and great service. The portions are generous and so flavorful. We enjoyed everything that we had. The live music was as a nice touch too. Sorry I did not take pictures of our actual meals! read more

Stumara - Knight's Tears - Georgian Near Me - Wheeling, Illinois

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I am of Polish and Italian ancestry and had no idea what the food would be like when we decided to give it a try. It was incredible. The service was great, the appetizers and salad we had were amazing, and I had a tarragon lemonade I can't stop thinking about. GO! read more

This was our first visit to a Georgian restaurant. The food was absolutely delicious. Our server recommended some delicious drinks (she makes the syrup), and helped us decide on some dishes. We loved the chicken croquettes, the adjaruli khachapuri, and the khinkali mushroom. The service was great. We loved the decor and the cozy atmosphere. We will definitely be back. read more

Stumara - Chicken croquettes and adjaruli khachapuri - Georgian Near Me - Wheeling, Illinois

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Very nice and authentic place. If you like Georgian food I can recommend this place. Everything was delicious. I'll definitely come here again. read more

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This was my first time trying Georgian cuisine and it was so good!! The restaurant is located in a plaza so parking shouldn't be an issue. And its located next to a Georgian store owned by the same owner apparently. The restaurant itself was clean and inviting! They recommend family style so you can try a bunch of dishes. I recommend the khachapuri which is bread with cheese and egg yolk in the middle which I'm sure many people have seen before. The lamb chops were delicious especially with the pistachios! Everything tasted very authentic and our waiter told us we chose all the right dishes to try. Also try their lemonades! We tried the pear one and it was light and refreshing. Their lemonades come in a whole bottle so its good for sharing with the table. read more

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Wow!!! This hidden treasure shouldn't be missed! It's probably not hidden or a secret to the Georgian community, but for all those like me who have never had Georgian food, this place is an amazing discovery! Hubs and I took advantage of being without kids and decided to try someplace new for dinner. Stumata popped up on several searches and based on the reviews, everyone was right! The food is beyond delicious and the service couldn't be friendlier! Yugslavko(sp?) our server was so attentive and helpful at recommending things for us to try. We have never had Georgian food before, but the enticing aromas of other patrons' meals made our stomachs growl the moment we stepped in through the door. The inside of the restaurant was so cozy with plenty of seating for small parties like us 2 to a larger dining group of 12 already dining. The seating was comfortable and the decor was welcoming. We felt like we were eating at a friend's house! We were served complimentary bread (gamarjoba) with a yummy butter. The bread was warm and the butter cold - it was a good combination! When we told our server we've never had Georgian food, he told us we were in for a treat and boy was he right! At his recommendation we started with Rolled Eggplant (badrijani nigzvit). It was pretty good. Our favorite of the meal - the bread canoe (adjaruli khachapuri) - OMG - butter, egg, and cheese all mixed up at the table for us by our server at our request so he could show us how it's done. It was so creamy, cheesy and the bread was so crispy - it was all soooooo good! We also had the mushroom khinkali which is this tasty dumpling that's filled with a umami broth and mushrooms. Our server told us to pick up the dumpling by the stem, take a small bite and drink the soup that'll spill from the bite before enjoying the rest of the dumpling. It was all such a delicious combination with the dough being the perfect thickness. We also had the shemcvari gochi (boneless piglet). The skin was crispy on top of juicy pork served with some tender baby bok-choy. It was all so good! We finished off our dinner by splitting a napoleon with the most flakiest puff pastry and sweet cream filling. It wasn't heavy or overly sweet. Perfect end to our meal! Another table ordered the lamb chops and it came in this cool looking box. When the lid was taken off the mouthwatering smell of the dish filled the room. We will definitely be back to try the lamb and the meat skewers! Don't miss out on an incredible dining experience. You won't regret it! read more

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The khinkali were okay, pretty standard. The khachapuri was good but much smaller than expected, more like a single-person portion rather than something to share. The salad was a generous size for a group, and the meat dishes were really good. Service was fine as well. Overall, not the best place ever, but I still liked it. read more

Stumara - Khankali and khachapuri - Georgian Near Me - Wheeling, Illinois

4.5/5 but round up! Recently opened for their soft opening, and located in a plaza right off of Dundee and Elmhurst by the market. My husband and I decided to try somewhere new for lunch this weekend and wanted to try this Georgian restaurant. We have never had Georgian food because and assumed it would be similar to Turkish food/ Mediterranean but we super excited when the staff came by and shared her recommendations and how to properly eat bunch of the dishes we ordered. We definitely had plenty to take home and enjoy later. To start, I got the strawberry compote drink and my husband got the pear lemonade. The strawberry compote drink was sweet, and tart at the same time. But we certainly favored the pear lemonade, I mean the bottle alone was stunning. While we waited for our food, they brought out complimentary bread with their butter which was a bit harder than I expected, but it was topped with spices and tasted kind of like a bacon butter which was interesting. To start we got the chicken croquette, it reminded me of the texture of an arancini. It wasn't my favorite but it was jampacked with flavor. The adjaruli was probably my favorite bite of the whole experience. When brought out, it was cheese with an egg yolk on top. We learned that it's traditionally mixed up first and you take the bread to dip it in and enjoy. Our server kindly mixed it for us and shared with us the way to eat it. And it blew us away, we had to force ourselves to stop before we got too full just on this! Next up for the pork and beef dumplings. We were told the thick numbs were traditionally used to hold the dumpling. When holding it, you take a bite to slurp the soup first then eat. These were delicious in flavor and had tons of filling so each bite was evenly spread out. Before of the amount of soup though! Just when you think you slurped it all, there is more as you continue to eat. The last two items we got were the pork skewers and the roasted potatoes. The pork skewers were presented in a box, with tongs for us to share. And the potatoes were brought out on a hot plate. The pork was full of flavor and were spare rib cuts. And that potatoes were super crispy and had a tomato paste base and sour cream on top. All in all the restaurant was beautifully decorated, and the furniture and seats were super homey. We had a great time and a great experience. The only thing that I was a bit taken back on was the cost of each dish, granted the items were super fresh and you can taste the flavors and passion there put into each dish. It just felt a tad high for some of the dishes that were on the menu. read more

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The food was fresh and excellent but the reason I gave it 3 star everything was extremely salty. They should take it easy on the salt. Even my kids said it was very salty but they were hungry they were except for the chicken croquet read more

WOW !!! I ate in a few Georgian restaurants in my life and this is the best place by far. Everything was super fresh and delicious. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Stumara - QATMIS MTSVADI / chicken skewers - Georgian Near Me - Wheeling, Illinois

The food was average. Some items in the menu were not available. Disappointed with that. When they brought the food they brought all together. Not in order as we ask. Appetizers first and the main dishes after appetizers are done. Also we ask for some sauce and they bring very little 3 different flavors sauces When the bill came they charged $4.99 for each sauce That's totally not normal. The food should come with sauces like burgers with ketchup and mustard. And never should be cost extra We not coming back and our all friends not going there read more

I am always on the hunt for great Georgian food and found it at Stumara. You know we had to start off the meal with khachapuri and it did not disappoint. We loved trying Georgian lemonade for the first time with their pear and tarragon flavors. The khinkali was great as well which is a Georgian soup dumpling. These tasted so fresh. The butter served with their bread was unique and delicious. Check out this new spot in Wheeling! read more

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I adored dining at Stumara, and it earns my most enthusiastic recommendation. Stumara is a destination restaurant located in Wheeling. It's worth the trek from the city. If you come before 7 p.m., you can stop in Pirosmanius, a small deli maintained by the same owners, which shares a wall with the restaurant. Our meal started with Pkhali - vegetable pâtés bound with pureed walnuts served with savory donuts, similar to beignets. Then slices of tender eggplant stuffed with caponata-like eggplant puree, rolled and dusted in a black "dirt" derived from walnuts. Other courses included cooked spiralized beets in a mild creamy horseradish puree served cold, beef cheeks in a creamy walnut sauce served on a comforting corn-derived white sticky pillow that reminds me of West African fufu, and baked chicken with flavorful lacquered skin that is served flooded with a generous amount of garlic cream sauce tableside. My favorite dish is lamb sausage lettuce wraps with tender herbs. Service is welcoming and enthusiastic. Stumara Elevated Georgian cuisine Georgia, a former Soviet republic, is at the border of Europe and Asia, and is home to the Caucasus Mountains. 847 W Dundee Rd, Wheeling Thanks Mike Gebert, Fooditor.com, for putting this amazing restaurant on our radar. See the Fooditor article here: https://fooditor.com/the-buzz.../buzz-list-for-july-8-2024/ read more

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Four of us went to Stumara last evening. We had never been but thought it would be fun to try this Georgian restaurant. Oh my! The food was so great and we were welcomed as if we were part of the family! Kaja explained the different items on the menu and even told us how to eat the soup dumplings without fork and knife. The meal started with a complimentary bread and then we had Badrijani nigzvit- an eggplant with walnut dish. We had Adjaruli khachapuri- which was my favorite. It is a homemade bread canoe filled with melt cheese and egg yolk! We also had Khinkali beef pork- which are soup dumplings and are in little twisted pockets of dough.For dessert we had a wonderful berry dessert Opium with lemon/berries and one of us had Carmelized Nazuki. It was a great meal and would go back again. Ask Kaja to help you pick your items! I will definitely be back! read more

When I saw Stumara listed on Yelp, it immediately caught my interest. I had never had Georgian food and was keen to try. Every single aspect of the dining experience was wonderful. Our server was enthusiastic, helpful, and made wonderful recommendation for wine, salad, soup, and mains. Everything she recommended was delicious. The decor and ambiance was welcoming, romantic, and very comfortable. We got there at 7:00pm and ended-up closing the place. 10 out of 10, would recommend. Great for date night! read more

Our close friends -- long-time regulars at Stumari -- spoke so highly of the place that we decided to host a 10-person birthday celebration there. From the very start, the experience exceeded expectations. The restaurant owner graciously met with us beforehand to help curate a menu that would suit our party. He offered us tastings of some of their red and white wines, which beautifully complemented the meal. Coming from a Georgian family, I grew up with authentic home-cooked dishes -- so my standards are high. But I was genuinely blown away by the exquisite presentation and depth of flavor in every dish we tried. The food was not only authentic but also elevated in the most thoughtful way. The waitstaff were incredibly patient, attentive, and warm, making everyone feel welcome and well taken care of throughout the evening. And the Georgian music in the background added so much charm and atmosphere to the evening that it truly felt like a celebration of both food and culture. If you're looking for an unforgettable dining experience -- whether you're familiar with Georgian cuisine or discovering it for the first time -- Stumari is a gem worth visiting. Thank you, Inna and Josh (birthday party on June 14, 2025) :) read more

Wish I could come here every day! Food: every single thing we ate was unforgettably good. Started with the bread and butter infused with smoked cheese. So simple, but so tasty. Had the katchapuri next. Highly recommend. Next came the chicken kabobs. Very juicy and tender; not dry. Then the chicken with creamy garlic sauce. I would drink that sauce by the gallon if I could. Beef checks in walnut sauce. That sauce was equally remarkable. Finally came the lamb chops presented in their own smoker. The aroma was unforgettable! Service: the service was very authentic, down to earth, and friendly. Atmosphere: the decor offered a nice Georgian flair. Value: Prices weren't bargain basement nor were they ultra fancy. I'd say they were actually a steal given the amount of food, the quality of the ingredients, and the unforgettable flavors. read more

Amazing food and ambiance. Great service. Loved the wine! Our favorite was the main entree chicken dish.

First time and we were definitely impressed! Food was delicious and food portions were larger than expected. Service was friendly and overall an amazing experience. The lights were dimmed and music was perfect. We will definitely come back when in the area. read more

Very good Georgian food! Stews, dumplings, amazing bread, the butter is homemade incredible, kabobs that are delicious! It's a great looking space - fun decor & family run. The service was spot on. Fun date day or date night or fun with a couple. Can't go wrong going here. read more

We stopped in during their soft opening and were completely blown away. While my sample size to Georgian food is still relatively small, everything we tried was outstanding-fresh, flavorful, and unique. Our server was patient and helpful when answering our questions. She was great. I don't know what was in this space prior to opening but the restaurant is decorated well with tables and bench seating with a small bar in the back. We tried a few different things and as I mention above, everything was great. One of the most interesting items was badrijani nigvit-fried eggplant with walnuts topped with an almond sauce. It was a flavor profile that I haven't had before and was excellent. Of course, the khachapuri and the khinkali (some of the more well known items) were excellent. They have beer and wine along with other beverages. It was great that we could choose wine by the glass from any of their bottles. If we lived closer, this would be a weekly stop for us. Definitely need to check it out if you are looking for outstanding food. read more

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the restaurant did not have any kids drinks and only had water for the kids the servie was fine the food was great

I rarely review restaurants, even ones I really like and enjoy, but I feel that I have to write this review. My son works close to Samara and had been there a few times and when we were looking for a place to eat while driving back from Milwaukee to Chicago, we decided to stop. All I can say is that this restaurant exceeded even my most optimistic expectations. I have never had Georgian food and if all of it is anything like the food at Stumara, that is a very sad thing. We were a party of four and decided to treat our dinner as a "tapas" dinner (something a definitely recommend when eating a not so familiar cuisine), sharing all dishes starting with the house salad which had a dressing that reminded me slightly of fattoush, but that may be because the flavor was not familiar to me, but very fresh tasting. Following the salad we shared the cheese bread with spinach, the sausage dish, pork skewers (which weren't really skewers, I had expected a shawarma style spit), roasted potatoes and a chicken dish. All of this was delicious. Some of the best food I have ever had. As an example, I like potatoes and having grown up in Sweden, I think I can say that I also know potatoes. If there are two things that all Swedes are familiar with it is potatoes and coffee. These potatoes were worth a trip from Sweden! If you like potatoes even a little, do not miss these! Service was great. We had limited time, having to get back to Chicago by a set time and they were very accommodating and friendly. One final note: Do not overlook the orange Georgian wine. This place is worth the drive from Chicago, or Milwaukee or, come to think of it, from Cincinnati where I live. read more

If I could give this restaurant 0 stars, I would. I regularly try new places all over the world. I saw several articles on this restaurant. We should have walked out when they did not acknowledge us standing at the restaurant entrance. There was very loud music playing, and the restaurant just seemed interested in providing service to large parties that seemed to be friends with the staff. We were finally seated, and we had no wait staff approach us for a very long time. We had to ask for menus. The waiter was inexperienced and did not offer any suggestions on the menu. He had zero personality and seemed to be rushed. The food: nothing was particularly good and very salty. The food did not arrive hot. The turkey meatballs were inedible; the meat filled dumplings were not fresh and the dough was hard. The breads were stale. The food was thrown on the table without anyone checking on how everything was. This was one of the worst restaurant experiences we have ever had. I am embarassed as I suggested this place to our friends who joined. us. I am not sure how this restaurant received positive press. It is terrible. Last weekend, we tried a newer Cambodian restaurant in Rogers Park, and it was phenomenal. Shame on the owners and staff for ignoring us and not providing a good experience. read more

Never had Georgian food before and they made me feel right at home. The food, ambiance and customer service was amazing! read more

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What a great new Georgian restaurant with a lovely ambiance and very friendly staff ! Our waiter Anna was very helpful, nice and joyful. But let's talk about the most important part of the restaurant: the cuisine. We started our dinner with a glass of outstanding red Georgian wine Chkhaveri. Following Anna's suggestion , we ordered eggplant with walnut and 3 pieces of beef and pork Khinkali as appetizers. Eggplant dish was realy well balanced with a rich sauce on the side. Khinkali had a very light dough, wonderfully flavored broth inside and very tasty meat stuffing. My mom ordered a grilled sturgeon with ramson salad. Fish was very tender and full of flavor. My husband's pork skewers served with salad were absolutely delicious. However , my Shemevari Gochi, a boneless piglet with crispy skin served with corn puree, roasted bock-choy and green adjika,deserves a special mention. It was absolutely the best way to cook and serve the suckling pig that I ever tried! We could barely finish the dinner and I was already dreaming about coming back to try more new dishes ! Even though we were pretty full after an amazing meal , we could not resist a dessert. Opium cake with beries was a perfect finale of the epic dinner! Bravo! We cannot wait to be back! I highly recommend! read more

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Amazing place! Next level Georgian cuisine. Definitely recommend and definitely will come again!

everything was amazing! service was super friendly, attentive and helpful with navigating the menu. they have a qr code to their online menu that has photos and descriptions of all their dishes, which was super helpful since i had never had georgian cuisine before! everything was delicious - my favorite dishes were the beef & lamb khinkali (similar to dumplings) and the adjaruli khachapuri (bread with cheese and egg yolk). we also tried the badrijani nigzvit (eggplant appetizer with nuts) and the ikhvis kerdzi (duck with meatballs and grains). the ambiance and vibe are super cozy and cute! 10/10 experience and will be back!!! read more

Actually the best Khinkali I've ever had. The broth inside was so flavorful and the filling was perfectly seasoned. On top of that, the atmosphere and the service was great! Even a bakery next door. Definitely coming here again! read more

Second time here- Super delicious food! Amazing service and cozy atmosphere. Will definitely be back.

This place opened about 4 months ago, and we discovered it by accident. So glad we did! Georgian food there was absolutely amazing! We went to another georgian restaurant (Aragvi) a few months ago, and they have slightly different variations (Plus the music there was way too loud). We went to Stumara for lunch, and the ambiance, food, and service were absolutely amazing. Every single dish we ordered was delicious (soups, lamb, eggplant, cheese breads, dumplings). Highly recommend, and we will definitely come again! read more

first time trying Georgian food and it was delicious! the whole staff was so friendly and helpful. I can't stop thinking about how good the food was! Highly recommend the chicken skewers!! read more

so nice to have new ethnic food in the area. beet salad appetizer is really good. khinkali dumplings are also wonderful. the at the table presentation of lamb kabobs in the smoking box is really fun. lula kabobs wrapped in salad are excellent. good attentive staff. as far as i know this is the restaurant version of pirosmani which is next door. wonderful pair. read more