Reviews for Tesfa Ethiopian Cuisine in Chicago, IL
Excellent service and amazing food! It was my first time in that part of Chicago and I found the restaurant to be quite... accessible. My first impression of the restaurant was the smell. That recognizable scent of African spices made it smell andfeel like home cooking. Tesfa Ethiopian Cuisine is a tiny space beautifully decorated with murals and pictures. The easy-goingEthiopian music added a warm ambience to the restaurant. I walked in on a very busy Saturday and I was greeted by Samuel, theowner of the restaurant. He was very friendly and welcoming. After ordering, I was served a cup of tea while I waited. The ownermentioned that what is now the waiting room was the only space that the restaurant had when it first started. He told me of thehistory of the place and had the patience to describe some of the foods to me. I ordered beef and chicken sambusas, Yebeg tibsand the Doro wat. The Doro-wat, Samuel explained was a food for celebration. It would be the equivalent of jollof rice for WestAfricans. The meal came with eggs and a drumstick in a delicious sauce, which had been simmering for hours. I enjoyed twothings: the sambusas and the Yebeg tibs. The Doro-wat and Yebeg-tibs came with a side of beans (yellow split peas, and lentils Ibelieve), some collard greens and cabbage. The food was very flavorful and my family loved it too! The people dining at therestaurant was mostly family and friend groups and as they ate, it reminded me of how my family used to eat back home. It was anall-round amazing experience. I would give it ten stars if I could. I would definitely go back for more tea and sambusa! Read more
If you’re looking for an authentic ethnic food experience please make sure to check out Tesfa. It’s a family owned and... operated business that serves up the most incredible Ethiopian fare. Our group ordered two family style meals that we thoroughlyenjoyed grazing over together. Definitely a family vibe and the food is created from the heart. Our palettes left so happybecause of your incredible food. Thank you Tefsa for sharing your passion for food and culture with the city of Chicago. Read more
Place has about 5/6 tables so not huge but could definitely handle a crowd. They serve you complimentary tea upon arrival which... is pretty good. It's BYOB so that definitely makes the over all meal cheaper. We got the platter with 3 veggie and 2 meat. 1 ofvegetarian items was the potato and cabbage, 2 lentils. For the meat we got the chicken and beef both of which were prettydelicious. Personally the beef was my favorite in the entire meal. The bread was very interesting since this was my first timetrying Ethiopian food. Overall, I would definitely come back since the smells inside were just off the hook. Best to come witha large group 4+ to try all of the different items since we had way too much leftover! Ps: 1 star less because the servicecould have been better. Lots of situations where we kind of just left waiting. Overall, not a deal breaker. Read more
Wonderful experience!! The food was excellent and the staff was so kind. This restaurant is family owned and just the atmosphere... and friendliness was so nice. From a health standpoint, they use canola oil for cooking which is one of the healthiest, and theveggie dishes were not oily at all. Each was distinctly flavorful and some were spicy as well. Injeera was spot on. Hoping to beback soon! Read more
Shared the family plate with three other people and the amount was perfect. Everything was so delicious and flavors were... amazing. If you haven’t tried Ethiopian food this is a good chill place to start. The staff are incredibly nice and helpful.The injera is plentiful and you can always ask for more! Trust me everything is great - meat, chicken, vegetarian! Come with anopen mind and definitely eat with your hands! Would recommend making a reservation for dinner on weekend especially for largergroups. Read more
The food is really good here. The portion size is really big. We got the vegetarian family style meal and it had many delicious... gravies. Will keep coming back to this place. Read more
Delicious, cozy spot for traditional Ethiopian food. Service was great, food was amazing. Fun music and videos playing in... background gave the whole place a vibe. Can't wait to come back and bring people. Come with a small group (at least 3 hungrypeople) for best experience tasting different dishes. Read more
First time I ate Ethiopian cuisine and it was spectacular! It was very tasteful and enough for 3 people, we tried all the... options in the platter: vegetarian, meat and fish. The dish came fast and the service was good despite the place was full, thewaiters was very helpful. Read more