Denden Restaurant in Chicago - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Restaurant needs to update everything ,food horrible they need new chief .food is not fresh it’s been in the freezer for days or weeks and when you order they just warm It and serve and that wrong .

The lady who owns the place is always so welcoming. The food is amazing and very well seasoned.

The staff was friendly and the food was very good.

Delicious, loved the food and warm, relaxed atmosphere. They seasoned the chicken just right and the injera melts in your mouth. I liked how quiet the place was too.

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

We have tried Ethiopian and Eritrean food all over the US. This has to be the most flavorful food we have enjoyed. Friendly staff and hostess.

My wife and I love this place! We stopped by on a whim and were not disappointed! They accommodated her Gluten allergy very gracefully and made us feel very comfortable, like we were family!

Omg this food was heavenly!!! So good.

Food is so so good! The lady who runs this place is very nice and continuously offered more food during our meal — despite portions already being generous. Price for dinner was very cheap for Chicago. Definitely split a platter with a friend or two :)

I am still dreaming about the fantastic meal we had. We had about 10 meat and veg dishes and a side of the spicy sauce. Delicious!

Great service, all the food is excellent but the fish is the best.

Very hospitable, family run place with good Ethiopian food and friendly service.

Everything was really fresh and the staff was very sweet

I had a wonderful experience with my friends Kim and David, also I sat in a separate coffee table to have coffee with Mrs.Ella,very respectful and sweet Ethiopian woman. Thanks Mrs Ella's for your hospitality.Food was delicious. Leia/Brazil 🇧🇷

Everything was so delicious and fresh!

Fantastic food and very friendly service! Can’t wait to go again!

Great fasting food options. Get the Veggie Combo at the bottom of the list, but order for however many people you are with.

No one actually goes there only older Ethiopian men that want to drink the restaurant is empty most the time. They wrote their own reviews.

Mediocre food, poor service. There is a veggie combo platter only but no meat and veggie combo. They were out of the soda, beer and wine we ordered from the menu. I would recommend Axum which is close by and better food and service.

I love the food here! Great price for what you get, but only reason I took a star off is because they got half my order wrong. The food was still good though!

Awesome love it. Our happy places reminds one of a cafe back in Asmara

Such kind people and wonderful food

This is the best place to eat in Chicago. I live in Detroit and I specifically chose an Airbnb within walking distance of Denden so we would have easy access! Go here. Often. Enjoy. Wonderful flavors, quick and friendly service, nice atmosphere.

Very enjoyable overall with a family and neighborhood atmosphere, very comforting. The food is great and some of the best East African food you'll find anywhere in Chicago.

Excellent Eritrean food, in relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Meat, veggie and fish dishes all hit the spot

Delicious food, friendly service. The sides of lentils, salad, and cabbage are especially good. Perfect injera.

Great authentic food. Would recommend trying the platter

I'm not an expert, but the food at Denden is delicious! I wasn't a fan on injera, but theirs is soft, and tasty. I had the spicy fish with collard greens, lentils and potatoes. I loved everything, that now I order take out every two weeks. I highly recommend this restaurant.

Great food. My favorite are the sides.

Superb staff, cozy family atmosphere, Awesome food, reasonable prices. I will definitely return

Thank you Mike for the delicious Hilbet & cold Asmara beer, I enjoyed it.

Very friendly staff, specially the gentleman, who enquired about my preferred spice level to make sure to match my taste. Food was tasty, abundant, and was served in a promptly manner. I particularly liked the okra and yellow lentils. A gem.

Best Ethiopian food around in my opinion, portions are good, fairly priced, the staff and owner are very nice and wait times are short. we go here whenever we're in the area

Went there for lunch on a sunday afternoon, it was very quiet but the service was pretty quick! The hostess was very kind and food was so yummy and wholesome! We will come back again and again :)

Great place that I would called undiscovered! Service is very pleasant, food delicious. You have to be willing to step out of your comfort zone...food is to be eaten by hands..not as easy as you might think, but all worth it!

Phenomenal restaurant! Every dish I’ve ordered from here has been incredible. I have one complaint, though! Please update your hours online. On two occasions I’ve tried to bring friends to eat at den den and for some reason it’s been closed during business hours that are posted online.

Delicious food with a close attention to customers need

Simple and healthy. Not too oily.

Neighborhood feel, yummy food, nice server.

Seemed to have only 1 host, waiter an bartender so service was dreadfully slow buttl the food is worth it.

So amazing! We get the veg platter and the portions are generous and v reasonable pricing. Hospitable service and always offering more injera, this is a gem! Everytime I bring someone new here, they all love it.

Great food. Alot of vegetarian food choices....they have the best tea too..very unique restaurant

It's good food up there. Especially combo-vegetable.

Very nice quaint restaurant. Good food and good service. This is the only Eritrean restaurant in the city. Have been here three times and it's always a special experience. We consistently order veggie and meat platters. My family loves it.

Delicious & flavorful food, friendly people, vegetarian-friendly, cost-efficient

The place is good and the host was amazing. The food is also good, and it was fun to try something new!

I loved this Ristorant Eritea food so delicious

Went here for lunch with my daughter. We we’re looking for something different. I had a fish dish and my daughter had a chicken dish . One of the sides that came on the platter were lentils. We loved them. They woke up your mouth and it happy. I will definitely make it here again. Tell your friends, tell your neighbors. You won’t regret going here. Not too pricey at all. Loved it! Yum!

Lovely place with great authentic food. I'm so happy to see a place that says spicy and actually means it. So much flavor too!

I was in the neighborhood and had this place bookmarked as a recc from an Eritrean friend and it did not disappoint. I'm on a little vegetarian kick recently, so we got the vegetarian combination and wow it was delicious. Tsebhis on point. Great flavor and spices done well. About 7 different tsebhis to try on the platter with some salad. Affordable and the beer menu was inexpensive $3-4 per beer. You'll like this place.

Service is good and food is great

Good food; very spicy; a fun experience

Food is good . Service is bad . I had to drive back 5 blocks because they didn't put any sauce maybe sounds silly but it's really annoying and makes people not wanna come back

One of my favorite spots in Chicago. Excellent food and service.

Delicious food great for families to share.

The food here was just ok. The restaurant is a nice rehab with a cool vibe. The staff is friendly and inviting. The restaurant and bathrooms were all clean and orderly. If you haven't eaten this type of food before, don't let this be the first time you try it because it isn't indicative of how it usually tastes.

Been here a few times, tried different dishes and the food is always fresh and delicious! Love the flavors! Will continue to come. Iphie is very sweet and attentive. Great with customers.

The food is fresh and plentiful. You can have your selection made either mild or spicy. The spicy is pleasantly hot but not overwhelming. The restaurant has a full bar, I would eat here again.

They are very nice people and friendly food is great.

My 1st time eating eritrean food!! My daughter took me, it was awesome!! I loved it!! Food and the Service was fantastic! Coffee is wonderful! The spices are amazing! A must go to place! Please eat there, give them a try you won't regret it!!💕🎉🥂🎉

A very unique experience and amazing people there! Everyone is so nice!

My family and I occasionally come to the Chicago Metropolitan area for many events. We always seek to find Eritrean cuisine, but end up going to Ethiopian restaurants. I was so shocked to find out there was an Eritrean restaurant that I never heard of. The environment was amazing and the food was even better. We ordered a variety of traditional Eritrean dishes and the price was shocking. Other Ethiopian restaurants in the area are ridiculously expensive. The owner and waitress were very sweet and welcoming of us. Definitely will come back very soon, and if I could give more then 5 stars I would!! Yakeneialay <33!!! I recommend this place to any Eritrean traveler or anyone who likes our cuisine.

Very good service and the food was great.

Really good food, very friendly staff. A unique experience.

This is the first time I’ve tried Eritrean food - having been to several Ethiopian restaurants and really enjoying them, I understood the flavor profile to be very similar. We had a vegetarian in our party and made it clear we wanted a veggie comb tray. I also really wanted veggies, so we requested extra of certain things, fine with being charged extra if need be. We were told not to worry. The woman taking our order asked if I was also a vegetarian, and when I told her no, she said I needed to pick a meat entree, even though I told her I was fine with the veggie tray. We got our meal, but unfortunately, the meat was on the same tray as the veg, and there ended up being a lot of “cross-contamination” between the meat and veg on the tray. Also, we didn’t get the extra veg we had requested. All in all a great meal, but would have given 5 stars had the veg been separated or at least put on one half of the tray to minimize how much meat touched the veg after we started eating.

This is one of my favorite Ethiopian restaurants. The food is amazing and the owner is really nice. We always order Doro Wot and it is the best ! It reminds me of my adventures in Ethiopia!!!"

The server was super friendly. We got the beef qilwa and zighni derho (chicken). I'm not an Eritrean/Ethiopian food connoisseur but it tasted great. The only thing which would have made it even better was if the food was served hot instead of warm, I'm particular about that, you might not be. Injera was plentiful and the main dish came with salad, lentils and sauteed cabbage, all of which were delicious! Server was a little busy and hence not as attentive but she made up for it by being super nice and apologizing 4 delays. Also the Ambiance in the restaurant is great and feels like like you've Conover to your friend's house for a meal. There's beautiful artwork on the walls which is captivating to say the least. Highly recommended.

Very tasty food! Nice wait staff. I will definitely go back.

Amazing, authentic Eritrean/Ethiopian food. Beats the competition on Broadway by a mile! Come. You won't be disappointed.

Great food that comes in huge portions. Excellent value.

The Ethiopian food here is delicious

This was my first time here. And I’m typically a creature of habit and have been going to another Ethiopian restaurant for the last 15 years. But my chain is now broken. The food here is cooked fresh, the potions are great, and seasoned to PERFECTION. YUM!!!!!! YJG

Great food, very good service, friendly and diverse atmosphere, absolutely inexpensive. A place to go and come back.

Very good food... Friendly service...I will be back.

Its Eritrean food its exactly as Ethiopian dish, but Denden has variety of veggie and all kind of spice food. Its the best of the best testy food.

It is like Ethiopian and a couple bucks cheaper. I have takes 3 other people there and everyone likes it. If you order coffee the lady roasts the beans then and it is different than anyone elses.

The restuarant has no off street parking. If you're as lucky as I was you may find a free parking space along the side streets. Otherwise, its $2 an hr to park on Clark St. I went during lunch and there was no wait. The smell of Sage welcomes guests as you decide on the perfect table for your party. And the sun brightens the front of the eatery with a certain love. So, I decided to sit right at the front door. The menu is easy to understand if the food and style of eating is foreign to guests. The server was kind and friendly. I ordered the T'ibsi Begi'e. Spicy lamb. I waited just about 11 minutes before the food was served. It came out hot and delicious.

This is my second time trying Ethiopian/Eritrean food. Before coming here, I had my reservation about Ethiopian cuisine since the last time I tried it in NYC, the dishes were a bit on the pungent side and many flavor combinations tasted unfamiliar to me. This time around, we ordered 3 entrees consisting of mainly chicken stew and vegetarian options, all served and neatly arranged on a single platter with a layer of injera sitting underneath (they also come separately on the side). For the uninitiated, injera is a fermented flatbread that has a very spongy texture and a yeasty taste. To begin the process of eating, you take the injera to grab whatever on the platter in small, manageable bite sizes. I personally really enjoy coming to the end of a meal and eating the bottom layer of injera that had already soaked up all the essence of the meat and vegetable sitting on top. Contrary to my prior experience, I really enjoyed the various dishes and flavors at Den Den. I think it is because the flavors are quite mild but at the same time pleasantly authentic, which my friends and I really appreciated. The thing though, it is a bit above average in terms of price but it's absolutely well worth a visit if you are a foodie. Lastly, for drinks, try the Honey Wine that comes in a jug, it's homemade and taste very refreshing!

Eritrean food is much like Ethiopian food. This place serves very good food and is less expensive than others in the area and they are open for lunch.

Unlike many restaurants from that area this Eritrean restaurant is open for lunch during the week. Most of the customers were native to that land so I know the food is authentic. I loved it. The coffee was exceptional. It was dense but not bitter. It had a rich pleasing flavor that did not even need the provided sugar. Of course I had the lamb but there were vegetarian choices too. It is less expensive than the Ethiopian restaurants in this area. I loved the place.

Love this place, food and staff are excellent!

First time having Eritrean cuisine. Lovely server, excellent food. Perhaps a hidden gem in Chicago. .

Great Ethiopian food and friendly service.

Fantastic food. Great prices. Wonderful friendly staff.

Its is extent try the so cold dulet and tebs

Very friendly, good service, tasty food BUT PRICEY

Great food! Always empty when we come early in the evening. A little confusing if your new to the style of food!

Delicious food ,friendly staff, and clean restaurant .my favorite restaurant

Food was authentic, my family got the Tsebhi Begi'e. It was spicy but mouthwatering. Clean restaurant with friendly staff, we're lucky the owner made Eritrean coffee when we were there and offered us some.

Best Eritrean restaurant in Greater Chicago, I've tried them all. This is the one where the Eritrea expats come. Basically, if you're looking for delicious veggies or a cultural experience, I recommend Denden the place. Walking into this place was like stepping into Asmara, Eritrea. I was excited about having dinner there with my friends. We also tried the Eritrean tea which is an herbal, caffeinated tea that comes out with a black tea and you can add a sugar. I steeped the black tea in for a brief second, added some sugar, and enjoyed the yummy herbal-ness. It smells almost like chai, but has a very mild flavor. Excellent Ethiopian. I have eaten my way through almost all of the Eritrean places in USA but here in Chicago and I think I've found the one I'm sticking with!. My favorite Eritrean food in the area. The owner Eleen made us FREE coffee and the Eritrean coffee ceremony is much more than sipping a good cup of joe. It's an important cultural ritual that's been passed from generation to generation . Love the ambiance, the menu, the friendly staff. No hesitation in recommending this restaurant. Robel Yemane

Some of the best Eritrean/Ethiopian food I've had. I'll be coming back next time I'm in Rogers Park.

Yummy food, a touch pricey, quiet service.

Amazing food, surprise fresh roasted coffee. We will be back!

Delicious Eritrean food.that is where i go most of the time when i want to eat.

The proprietress/cook was very kind and warm. Fast service, great food. Had the vegetarian combo. Looks similar to Ethiopian, but tastes different. Less spicy.

Every time I walk in the food smells awesome and always tastes great! The owners are so sweet and always makes me and those I bring feel as though we were was invited into their home for a meal. We've been here multiple times and we always go back! If you want authentic Eritrean/Ethiopian food, this place is a must!

Went here with the family. The owner and waitstaff were very attentive. We all ordered different dishes and they were brought out together on s large platter. As a result, the meal was more social and there was a lot more sharing than would be typical at a family dinner. We were given the traditional injera bread to use to scoop the food up with our hands. Everything was fresh and delicious. Great overall experience!

I've never tried this type of cuisine but I'm glad I did! Very tasty and flavorful food, definitely recommend the fish of the day. The meat was all tender and the side dishes were great. It was a fun experiencing sharing the food and eating with our hands.

As an Eritrean, definitely the best Eritrean food in the country. I love Denden

Nos mudamos cerca de este lugar recientemente y buscando un lugar donde almorzar encontramos este restaurante. Los dueños del lugar son de Eritrea y sirven platos típicos de su país. Pedimos dos platos, uno con carne de vaca y otro de cordero, ambos muy ricos y fuertemente condimentados. También hay opciones vegetarianas o con carne de pollo. Los platos vienen acompañados con injera, es pan típico de Eritrea. Para los que no lo conocen, tiene la forma de un panqueque grande y una textura elástica. Las comidas se sirven en una fuente y el comensal come con las manos utilizando trozos de injera para tomar los bocados. No es una opción recomendable para aquellos que no gustan de las comidas picantes. Cuando fuimos había pocos comensales y la atención fue muy buena. Volveremos a seguir probando otros platos.