Came in because I love cooking a few dishes with berbere, mitmita and injera, but the man at the counter took over twice the amount than it was worth. I ran to the car to grab my wallet because I forgot cash, and when I came back, I ignorantly handed him some money and ran back to my car. While in there, I realized he charged me $30 for what was listed to be only $12 worth of things. He offered a free cold sambusa saying "since I am such a good friendly customer" so I mistook his smile for a friendly gesture, but now it's obvious that he just took advantage of people who didn't look ethiopian. I'm embarrassed, and yes, I definitely should have paid more attention, but this place is NOT friendly to newcomers, so stay away and spend your money on things with kinder staff. read more

I'll admit to being a little nervous entering this store. I was going to need to ask a lot of questions. I love Ethiopian cuisine and am a pro when it comes to devouring it, but on how to make it at home... I was in the dark for the most part. When everyone talks about how the small the store is, they're being generous. It's SMALL, really small. From the moment I entered till the moment I teff, I mean left (ha! A little Ethiopian humor), I was touching someone or someone was touching me. Apparently it gets busy on the weekends!! I loved how everyone just stared at me as I shifted to the back wall all the while scratching my head trying to read what the spices and mixtures were. Only some were in English, so I had to rely on my nose. Lucky enough the owner showed up. He was really great about describing Ethiopian flavors, cooking styles, and ingredients. He also explained all about the teff bread and how his family makes it fresh every morning, the whole process seems exhausting! He did all of this while people were waiting in line for him to ring them up. They didn't say a word, they just waited. I decided on my spices and teff, then went to pay. Cash only, with no cash on me. The owner recommend the Walgreen's just next door, so I went. When I came back he and everyone was still waiting, I felt really embarrassed but no one said a thing or gave me the ^%$&^ U face. I've been back since and now I know the procedure I'm like a pro. People even smile at me now. Support your local community!! P.S. They have freshly made veggie Sambussa sitting in a container by the door all hot and waiting for you!! read more

I finally put off my dreams of making my own berbere paste (as The Spice House doesn't have all the ingredients) and stopped in here to buy some berbere powder. The berbere here is excellent, and it should be in every cook's spice rack. I also picked up powder to make shiro, and the two folks working there gave me a thorough explanation on how to prepare it. This is the information you can't get from a cookbook, and it was freely offered. There's no way anyone could feel intimidated by Ethiopian cooking here. read more

Modestly sized shop but well-stocked. I was able to get a good amount of berbere and niter kibbeh for a fair price, and the man behind the register was friendly and helpful in answering some of my questions. read more

Stars don't really work when a place is unique. The friendly and helpful owner-cashier offers up Ethiopian goods that really aren't found elsewhere. I was happy to find the green Ethiopian coffee beans and cardamom with the Ethiopian coffee pots and cups I developed a taste for across the street. He also has some Ethiopian grains, Ethiopian agriculture domesticated some of the oldest cereals in history. Lots of inexpensive fresh made injera. It's a tiny little store, he also sold me some delicious sambuca (an ancestor of the samosa of South Asia). Cash only, plan ahead, the nearby ATMs are expensive. read more

Kukulu Market - Ethiopian grains, coffee, and coffee pots. - Grocery Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It's a very small store so it's lacking in variety. The staff there is also not very friendly nor helpful. I went to get some Ethiopian spices to make a few dishes at home. The prices are reasonable, like many other Ethiopian grocery stores I've seen in the past, but their variety of spices and ingredients are limited. They have a couple varieties of injera you can choose from, but don't ask which to get or which is preferred, otherwise you'll get a spiel about how they can't recommend any which one. Not everything is labeled, which makes it a bit harder to figure out. But of the ones they did have and some of which I purchased: shiro flour, teff flour, split yellow pea (supermarkets don't tend to have this one), split red lentil, curry powder, berbere, turmeric. I'm hoping to find another Ethiopian supermarket that has more to offer. Easy street parking though. read more

Whoever thinks that all this store is good for is teff is either too lazy to take 3 minutes to look around a not-so-large store or just not knowledgeable about Ethiopian cuisine. Here is a quick list of things that this store has to offer that are very hard to come by anywhere else in Chicagoland. 1. Berbere 2. Mit' mita 3. Shiro 4. Kibbe 5. Sambussa 5. Green coffee for roasting for Ethiopian coffee ceremonies 6. Kulet 7. Gesho 8. Jebena 9. Coffee ceremony mats 10. Ethiopian dvds and cds. If there is more than 1 item on the list that you don't recognize, then obviously, you don't know enough about our food to make such comments. This store is the flagship of all Ethiopian ingredients in the city since Abyssinia Market converted into a restaurant. Good luck trying to find injera at 7-11, by the way. read more

Corporate America, if you're reading this review, please don't ever tear down this store and replace it with a Dunkin Donuts. No offense, I like Dunkin Donuts too, but how lucky am I to live in a city with a little store like this? If you've eaten at Ethiopian Diamond restaurant (which I also recommend), chances are you've walked by this tiny little shop across the street that sells Ethiopian groceries. Pssssst.... here's a secret for people who like to cook... you can make Ethiopian food yourself at home with ingredients from this store- it's easy, tastes just as good as what you'll find at restaurants and your friends will think you're some kind of kitchen deity! Kukulu sells the berbere spice mix and niter kebbeh (spiced butter) which form the basis of the flavors in Ethiopian cuisine. Seriously- a couple of random recipes I found on the web along with these two ingredients have yielded crazy authentic and delicious results. They also sell other Ethiopian spices and dried legumes for your home cooking. And yes, they sell bags of teff too, but if you (like me) aren't gutsy enough to try your hand at making your own injera bread, this store gives you a great alternative. They have few local cooks who make stacks of injera in their homes and bring them into the store to sell- each cook uses a slightly different recipe and the shopkeeper will help you pick out one you'll like. Authentic, fresh, homemade injera at $1.50 for three enormous pancakes - holy crapamoly, that's tefferific! read more

I've only been in here a few times, but each time was great! Mostly shopping for Ethiopian spices, a few slabs of injera, some random grain, or whatever. The store is SMALL, but the service is helpful and friendly without being pushy. Prices are also very fair. I'm so glad this store has lasted as long as it has. Go get some injera and some spices (Elaine H's review is great and totally spot-on regarding Ethiopian cooking) and rejoice in a city that can sustain a store like this! read more

They've moved to a new space a few doors north, larger and nicer layout. Still the same great supply of injeera and berbere, for those who enjoy cooking Ethiopian cuisine at home. And the great vibe from the owner, super helpful and friendly to even the greenest shopper. read more

Came all the way from St Louis, and they are not open on the advertised hours for Sunday. 8 July. Not good business.

This little grocery is awesomesauce and it has red lentils, which is what I come here for. The people who work there are SOOOOOOO nice and last time I went in they were giving me ideas for recipes, which I will definitely be trying in the future. It's really small, but they use every inch of space to stock various types of legumes, spices, injera, and tons of other goodies. It's a great resource, especially if you want to try cooking Ethiopian food yourself. read more

The market is small but the man who owns it is SO friendly! I'm Asian and have never cooked ethiopian food before, but he was so helpful and recommended the Internet. He then said if I'm still confused I can always stop by and he would help until I got it right lol. Berbere is about $6-7/container if you get a bigger size. Teff was 5 for $4.00. read more

I. Love. This. Place. Great store, helpful and interesting staff. Great injera, berbere, spices and teff flour. Quaint, exotic and wonderful little market. read more

I love this place! It is clean, sells great products, has good service. read more

Kukulu Market - a blue sign with a rooster on it - Grocery Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Skip this place if you're American or non-Ethiopian! If you're not Ethiopian, they will lie to you. I recently went in to buy Injera, just as I have for the last 7 yrs. I used to pay $2.25 for a pack of 3 and this time, the clerk tried to charge me $4 per pack. I question it and he said the Injera was made from 100% Teff flour. I informed him that I am very familiar with Teff and what Injera looks like when you make it with more Teff or when you add white flour to it. He laughed and tried to play it off. I also know what the Injera look slike when it's made with more white flour, which was not what the Injera he was charging $4 looked like. It was clear to me that he thought I was just an ignorant American with no knowledge of what I was purchasing. He was just trying to make a few extra bucks from an unsuspecting customer! This isn't the first time I encountered a "race" issue at that business. On another occasion I was purchasing Injera and a woman had just brought in fresh Injera to sell. As she put it on the table, I started to pick up a package and she pointed to another stack of Injera that had already been on the table, and quickly told me that it's fresh and for me to buy from that pile. I've been eating and cooking Ethiopian food for 2 decades and I know fresh Injera when I see it. I was so irritated and angry at this obviously uneducated woman's comment that I quickly picked up the so-called "fresh" Injera she was pointing to and flipped it over to show her the white MOLD starting to grow! Then I spoke to her in your native language of Amharic and asked her if that was really the case and asked her if the MOLD looked fresh to her and I told her that wasn't true and called her a liar. She just laughed and asked where I learned to speak Amharic. What an idiot! She then went to the clerk to complain and laugh at the fact that she "tried" to load the MOLDY goods off on an American! The spices are not fresh either. Some stay on the shelf for so long that when I opened a container of Berbere, there was a spiderweb already on the inside. The clerk also tries to charge for a plastic bag to carry your purchase. If you tell him "No bag", he tries to add the few cents on the bill. This is a dishonest business! Stay away from it if at all possible! There are more respectable businesses in Chicago! read more

I really wanted to like this place and support a local Ethiopian business. It's been on my radar and I wanted to check it out before I recommended it to my friends. Unfortunately, I was quite shocked at how poor the customer service I received was. I was really rooting for this place, but it appears that since he has an established customer base, new people looking to support his business do not matter. I'll stick to getting my berbere, kibbeh, and beso bela from Ethiopia. A pity. read more

It may be small, but what a unique little Ethiopian specialty store. Has everything you could ask for if you're into making Ethiopian food. 5 stars for being one of a few places in the US that sells Gesho. Drinking homemade Tej makes me happy to be alive. read more

After eating Ethiopian in Atlanta and Washington, D.C., I arrived back home and knew I needed to eat more! With my limited budget, I yelped around until I found this gem. I walked in, expecting a tiny space (yep), but even I was surprised to discover how well it's set up. Within a few moments, the delightful owner asked if I needed help. He directed me to the berbere and injera, which I quickly picked up. The berbere will last for dozens of servings, so I'm not sure if it's even worth my time and effort to create my own. The injera is AWESOME!!! and I love the fact it is locally made. I've been back twice and each time, the owner's big smile awaits me. What a gem! Yes, it's cash only, but so are farmer's markets. read more

The store is tiny but if you are a fan of Ethiopian food a trip to Kukulu Market would be well worth your time. In my opinion the best find in this market is the homemade injera, something that I am not quite ready to tackle in my own kitchen. read more

This place has what you need if you're making Ethiopian food at home. I went in with the intention of seeing what spices and goodies were there, having read the reviews. I wasn't going to make Ethiopian food, however, so i ended up not buying anything. SO...what I'm saying is it's a nice market for that specific purpose, and it even has some hot, ready-to-eat treats. The service was good, and I might have gone in at a time when they were low on stock, as there wasn't an abundance of any one thing in particular. If anything, it is an inspiration to get crackin' on learning Ethiopian food. read more

Friendly and helpful service with good prices. Fresh Injera and spices. Have your list ready. Definitely go to for Ethiopian ingredients/staples. read more

Small little store selling Ethiopian food and goods. My dad sent us here to pick up some injera. My parents make their own, but they wanted a break. They have injera with various percentages of teff - you can tell by the color pretty much. I asked one of the other customers to confirm. We picked up a bunch of injera packets. They also have spices, but my mom and I didn't get any. My aunt bought some curry powder, I believe. My parents have really liked the injera. I wish they had more goods. Cash only. The cashier could have been more helpful by asking if we had any questions or needed help. read more

Great place to pick up some injera and all of it's Teff induced power! And other Ethiopian items needed to complete a meal..staff is nice too. read more

The injera (flat bread) is delicious and they have all the ingredients (berbere etc.) to make your own Ethiopian food. And if you are a coffee fiend like me, buy the green coffee and roast it yourself at home on the stove top--absolutely nothing like real fresh coffee. Just, low heat, slow roasting, and wow! read more

This place is wonderful. I know little about Ethiopian cuisine...except...that I love it. LOL. I went on an adventure to make my favorite dish to date: Yebeg tibs be berbere. So. Since I only know I like the taste of it....and not yet even how to pronounce it properly...lol....I figured I should do a serious recon for ingredients. Plus, Kukulu Market is so close to my place I have no excuses! First...I'm really glad that I looked at the yelp page before I went....this place is cash only. So....got some cash, got a list together...and went to this place. Lucky thing too....because they have everything one could possibly need. It's a small place...so it's literally filled floor to ceiling with delicious spices and dry goods (and wet goods...lol...they have the purified butter!) The very kind gentleman helped me find everything I needed and even helped me figure out how much injera I would need for how many people I'd intended to serve. I am so happy with my experience here. I'll definitely go back when I want to try more dishes. I'm also pleased to find that the injera is made locally by ladies in my neighborhood. Yay. I'll support local! Indeed! One delicious piece of injera at a time. read more

I hope you like teff! That's pretty much the only reason to come here, as everything else can be found at a 7-Eleven for half the price.

I've been here a few times just to get injera. They usually have a great selection, along with some spices and other essentials for making Ethiopian food at home. The staff is always incredibly nice and polite. Cash only but there is a Walgreens with an ATM next door and they will give cash back on a debit card. read more

The store had the essential aspects of the culture. Plenty of huge rolls of injera, vibrant red berbere spice & many others , a few books & music, kitchen & serving supplies etc. It was a pleasant spot in the Edgewater community right by the train! The man at the cash register was very nice & even described the tedious process of drying and milling the barks, herbs & spices in order to make berbere spice. read more

I ended up here after googling "Chicago" and "berbere." If you're interested in cooking Ethiopian food, check this place out. The shopkeeper was friendly and helpful - he even talked me through the ingredients for what I wanted to make and made suggestions based on cost and taste. I will definitely be back for injera, too. read more

The owner was extremely helpful. The injera was very reasonably priced and delicious.

been here a couple of times. i'm not really an ethiopian cook. but i just got some injera today made with T'eff. love how fresh it is, can't wait to eat it with dinner tonight. $2.50 for 2-3 pieces. read more

OK....I love this market! First, Assafa the owner is sooooooo sweet as is his wife and children. . Second, they have great injera and traditional spices...Third, I love supporting what this country is all about by buying local instead of at a huge store with no customer service. Actually, truth be told, he is not local for us....we drive an hour + just to get some injera....This store is what our nation was founded upon....hard working, ethical people with talent and a dream and a good location! Please, support this awesome business! read more