Might be my new favorite restaurant. It's a super authentic, hole in the wall, family owned restaurant, and you can just tell because when you walk in, the owner and their family is all sitting at one of the tables. I know there's a menu, but when my friend and I walked in, she just asked us if we wanted meat or veggie (probably because we are very white and don't appear like we would know anything about ethiopian food, which is fair). We told her we like both meat and veggie, and she told us she would bring out a plate for us to share. When she brought us our plate, we instantly just smelled absolute deliciousness. The large platter was lined with injera, and then also came with 4 rolls of injera bread on the sides. We were given Tibs, shiro (lentil/chickpea stew), yellow peas, green beans, and some stewed collards. When I tell you EVERYTHING was good, I mean it. Everything was so delicious and flavorful. Dig into the injera bread with your hands and taste all the stews. The injera bread has a perfect fluffy texture with a sour taste, and I genuinely could not tell you which stew was our favorite. I am OBSESSED. It was all so so so good. It is more expensive than I imagined (we EACH paid $27 for the meal plus a waterbottle each), but utterly worth it. The one platter was more than enough for 2 of us, and we still had leftovers. read more

Abyssinia Ethiopian - Ethiopian Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Can't really speak to much on the menu, because I always get the sampler platter. I can say that the menu is a bit larger than some of the other more simplistic (but still fantastic) Ethiopian places within a few miles of here. Ample beef, perfectly seasoned and cooked veggies, and injera. Friendly and fast service as well! If you like Ethiopian or have never tried it and want to, this is a great place to try. read more

Abyssinia Ethiopian - Sampler platter for two. Everything is perfect. - Ethiopian Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

In town for work meetings and 4 of us wanted to get Ethiopian food. The first place we found on Yelp was closed when we got there. We searched for the next place and found this one. Overall we were all happy with the food. It is a local no frills place. Food was good. I haven't eaten at enough Ethiopian places to say how it compares to others but two others in our group have and also enjoyed the experience. The veggie platter was good. The yellow lentils were my favorite. The red portion was spicy. I would go back and try other options as everything we had was good. read more

See all

My 17 year old cousin called to place an order and was immediately met with a women yelling "you gave me 1 star, I cook good food". Not knowing what was going on my cousin tried to ask more questions but was responded to with more yelling; something about door dash, but we could not understand what this meant. Whomever was on the phone clearly thought they were speaking with someone else. My cousin was then hung up on. I called back to try and defuse to situation and was met with the same rude woman. She claimed she was a cook and also took orders. After being hung up on 2 times and me calling back I said I would be reporting them. Food is good but not worth the hassle. This restaurant will never see a dime of mine again. Customer Service is not what they are worried about, they want your money. Take a look at the other lower star reviews. read more

We absolutely love this place. The staff is so friendly and helpful and the food is authentic and delicious. We get the combo usually, but the shiro wet, miser wet, tikel gomen, and beef tibs are our favorite. And you can get the St George beer we loved to drink in Ethiopia as well! Highly recommend! read more

The food is so good and the owner was wonderful!! We had the sampler platter and it was delicious. read more

Great food. Vegetarian platter is HUGE. Injera is so fresh. I loved the spicy red lentils and my kids devoured the yellow lentils. Food is super authentic, which we are very familiar with having had Ethiopian in other places like Boston. Owner made a tim-a-tim salad (tomatoes and onions) especially for us at our request. It's a dive, but don't let the exterior fool you -- we absolutely loved the food and the hospitality. read more

This is a great place to enjoy authentic Ethiopian food. Be brave through the parking lot. It's worth it. The food portions were generous and delicious!!. The staff were friendly and accommodating. We loved the Ethiopian coffee--complete with the clay pot. If you're craving Ethiopian cuisine. This is the place! read more

Delicious! I was worried that I wouldn't be able to find great Ethiopian food in town but this definitely eased that concern. One thing to note is that this is take out only. When you arrive, you enter a large blank building that has a lobby with a pickup window, some chairs, and a kiosk that you can order on. You can order ahead or in person. I ordered at the kiosk and it took about 10-15 to receive my food but someone actually walked out and handed it to me and she was very kind and friendly. 10/10 would recommend! read more

We ordered delivery from Abyssinia recently, and we really enjoyed our meal. We love Ethiopian food, but since we hadn't been to/ordered from Abyssinia before, we decided to order the basics to try their food out! We ordered one Veggie Lover (a veggie combo platter that came with two types of lentils, chickpea puree, cabbage), one Abyssinian Special (two small servings of meats as well as the same lentils and cabbage from the Veggie Lover platter), and foul (stewed fava beans) - one of my favorite dishes that I don't see too often in menus in the Nashville area! The two platters came with plenty of injera. The injera was great, and everything we tried was very good. The foul was our favorite thing of the night - we finished every bite; no foul leftovers! I'd happily order takeout from Abyssinia again, and I look forward to eating there in person in the future! read more

Great food and service. We had the meat and veggie sampler and really enjoyed it. Would recommend.

Craving Ethiopian for my birthday so we decided to give Abyssinia a try. If it had been busy we were going to take food to go but since we were the only ones there we decided to dine in. A lovely woman greeted us, I believe she was running the show and doing the cooking as well. We told her we ate vegan and to bring us what she wanted us to eat. We were delighted with a platter about 20" inches across with five different veg options, two scoops of each and a fresh tomato jalapeño relish surrounded with warm fresh injera bread. There was a chickpea foul, sautéed greens, yellow lentils, sautéed cabbage and a spicy delicious tomato onion stew with soaked injera. It was hard to pick a favorite since the flavors all complimented each other perfectly. We enjoyed a pot of spicy ginger tea with our meal and all three of us left full and satisfied. A few other diners came in but there was plenty of room to have distance during these Covid times. The restaurant itself is a simple casual space but let's face it, when you're craving delicious Ethiopian food that's what's important, not a fancy dining room! read more

Abyssinia Ethiopian - Dining room - Ethiopian Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

See all

I came here for dinner to look for a potential caterer. After the first bite, I knew Abyssinia was the winner. The food tasted fresh and absolutely delicious! I felt like I was back home. And Yetim, the owner, was so absolutely sweet! After dinner, I asked them to cater our event and we could not be happier with the results. Food was made for over 100 people and the quality was amazing! Yetim was really great to work with. The next time I'm feeling homesick, I know where to go! read more

Love it! Never had Ethiopian food so decided to try this out. It's in a shady part of town where multitudes of different ethnicities reside. Prepare to eat with your hands unless you ask for silverware. If you are intimidated like I was, order some coffee first, it's excellent and served in what I assume is a traditional wooden coffee pot thing, very strong, very good. Staff was friendly and showed me how to pour it. I had the Abyssinian special. It had yellow lentils, beef, cooked carrot and cabbage mix, potatoes, and some incredible feta cheese, served on and with an additional piece of an unusual crêpe consistency type bread, with which you grasp the food and eat with your hand. Everything I had was delicious. I will definitely eat here again. read more

Abyssinia Ethiopian - Abyssian special - Ethiopian Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

See all

Amazing restaurant the quality,and you feel at home every time with how good the owner treats

The food was less than okay, would I get it again no. I was excited to try Ethiopian food, but personally I felt that the restaurant was not clean nor was the cook wearing a mask or gloves. The food for the price is not great quality and also the hard boiled egg in my dish was not fresh because the egg yolk was green from being boiled for too long. It was an experience to say the least. read more

Abyssinia Ethiopian - The Abyssinia Special - Ethiopian Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

This may be my favorite place to eat in Nashville. Don't be scared of the way it looks, it's tucked into a little strip center by a gas station and other interesting shops, but it's not the outside that count. When you walk in the door there are maybe 7 tables and you are greeted by the most charming lady. I ordered the kitfo (rare) for myself and the spiced beef for my 5 year old. The kitfo melts in your mouth and the flavor is to die for. You can control how spicy it is by letting the owner/waitress/cook know. The spiced beef was a hit with my daughter as well. I grabbed a couple of bites of that too and couldn't be happier. This restaurant is a gem and well worth seeking out. If you are looking for something snowy and full of atmosphere you will be disappointed, but if you are wanting some good Ethiopian food, you are in the right place. read more

Delicious and reasonably priced Ethiopian food! Staff is friendly and the portions are generous. They have both mixed injera and 100% teff injera (gluten free), which was much appreciated! I highly recommending a visit here. It is located in a strip mall, so there is ample parking. I had the veggie mixed dish and it was delicious. Very authentic and delicious meals! It didn't seem as greasy as other Ethiopian restaurants either. read more

This restaurant is superb. They are hands down the best Ethiopian restaurant in Nashville. I truly think I've tried all of them in Nashville because I love Ethiopian food. But this place tops them all. Their food, service and care is weigh past "good" it's great!!! I hope they continue to serve Nashville for a very long time. I love Abyssinia Restaurant!!!! read more

Server was nice but the place was so dirty looking inside I could not eat. I am used to the place I usually go to out of town and the place is clean there and that's how it should be. Also In a bad area. read more

For Ethiopian food in Nashville, this is DEFINITELY the place to go. The food is just absolutely delicious. My wife's mother makes the best Tsebhi I've ever had, but the woman who runs this place is a close second. So tasty, so fresh, and not so spicy that I couldn't handle eating it. If this restaurant were in the Gulch, you'd have to book a table a month in advance. So. Good. read more

Located in a bad area. Restaurant did not look clean and when we were there, it was basically just us and even then took about 5 min before someone came over and gave us a menu. We left without ordering. Service was just too slow and just did not look clean. read more

Don't let the looks or the neighborhood fool you, this is some of the best food in Nashville served by friendly staff. It's a must stop for me every time I'm in town! read more

I love this place!!! Not only are they the sweetest people ever, but the food was above & beyond! I ordered for my first time last week & can't get enough! My third time ordering Ethiopian food this week! All I can say if you have do try it for yourself! read more

There were things on the plate not included on the menu. Specify dietary needs before ordering. I've had better presented Ethiopian food. The whole place could use some bleach and a good cleanup. Not the safest looking place from the clientele in the parking lot. read more

The worst Ethiopian restaurant, if you're American definitely don't recommend coming here because they will talk about you in their language. Good thing I came with someone who understood the language. Not a returning customer to a racist unwelcoming environment . read more

Raw beef Kitifo dish is one you may wish to take a chance on ordering, especially if you like the raw fish in sushi. Expatriate Ethiopians consume raw beef Kitifo nostalgically. Ethiopian food in general can be basic and maybe a bit messy, in a fun way? But why not take a chance? read more

Delicious Ethiopian Food that was affordable with ample portions! Seated at a table next to us were traditional musicians who serenaded the restaurant with song and music before their meal came. The rare meat dish Kitfo was awesome and fresh and went well with the veggie combo. More than enough food for 2 people. read more

As a first foray into Ethiopian cuisine we were pleased overall with our experience at Abyssinia. Our hostess/waitress was cordial and informative and made a recommendation for an entree for myself and my girlfriend. The #13 was a wonderful medley of meats and veggies and a great flavor sampling of the native cuisine. Service was sufficient, our meal came out fresh, in a timely manner and the portion size was enough to feed us both. Highly recommended! read more

This is my first visit, but it won't be the last. I just had the Abyssinian Sampler with a friend. There are other familiar Ethiopian dishes for future visits. The place is small, informal, and friendly. The cook knows how to make a good platter. read more

Abyssinia Ethiopian - Ethiopian Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Just as good and maybe even slightly better than some of the others around town. Average prices $10 a dish, we shared an abyssinian mixed platter which was way more food than we needed, beef awaza/yellow lentils/cheese/wat/tons of injera and two spiced teas =$16. The curtains were drawn and it was nice and cool inside. Not a romantic date night with the TV on and the owners kids running about but it hit the spot. read more

Really great foodie dive. The Abyssinia special is your best bet. It is essentially a sampler platter with plenty for 2. We still filled a to go box. Add on 2 spiced teas and your whole bill with tip is only $20. They have all your favorite Ethiopian homestyle dishes served ip with fresh injera. read more

The best Ethiopian restaurant I have found in the US. They were even able to make one of my favorite dishes I have loved since childhood but have not found since leaving Ethiopia. The staff are the best. If I could give 6 stars I would. read more

We drove an hour and a half to return to this restaurant. It is not easy to find, tucked in the back of a strip mall, but is well worth the search. The coffee here is the best I have ever drunk. The owner roasts the beans and then lets the water seep in the traditional manner. The menu listed dishes in English on one side, but we chose to go with the family special, which includes yellow and red lentils, beef tibs, cabbage, and cheese served an injera. The food was excellent, the service warm but not obtrusive, and the entire meal, which also included three diet cokes, and tip for a family of three was $36. read more

Very good food, but the family atmosphere made it even better. I'm from out of town and the owner made me feel right at home. Next time I'm in Nashville I'll definitely be eating here! read more

This place is amazing. We couldn't decide what to order so the sweet owner told us she'd bring out a few vegetable dishes and a few things with meat. It all came in the same big serving bowl for us to share with injera. She chose perfectly for us, each dish was tasty and we'll spiced, and the portions were just right for four people to share. The laid back family atmosphere made this a great low-key spot to linger with friends. We'll be back soon. read more

We intended to go to Gojo, but it was closed due to a "family emergency." A quick search revealed Abyssinia close by so off we went. This place defines hole-in-the-wall. It is tucked between a gas station and a Mexican market, and may actually be impossible to get in to without bending space-time. After nearly running down a hooker and taking an unfortunate detour where I'm pretty sure we interrupted a drug deal, we parked and went in. We were greeted warmly and sat immediately, but then again, we were the only customers. The menu is incomprehensible. There are a few pictures, but no descriptions, and it is not in english. The owner/server clearly saw this, and immediately started asking questions and making recommendations. We ordered non-spicy meat and veggies, and crossed our fingers we would get something good. We did. She brought out a plate with some beef tibs, yellow lentils, red lentils, cheese, and cabbage. All was tasty, especially the tibs. A nice, relaxing meal, tasty and quite the adventure. Check it out, but be wary of wandering hookers. read more

This place is awesome! A little hole in the wall place behind the Mapco on Murfreesboro road. If you like Ethiopian food, you will love this place. They have the best awaze tibs I have ever eaten. chunks of beef cooked in a spicy sauce with tomatoes, garlic and onion wrapped in the typical ethiopian style sour dough bread. The lady who owns Abyssina is also very friendly and courteous. Great Place! read more

I rolled in after a wild storm that left the area without power. Dark and warm, lesser restaurants would have stopped serving, but not a problem for Werkinesh, the owner. She went to work in the kitchen with a flashlight and prepared an excellent well spiced meal for me. I lived in Ethiopia for some time, speak Amharic, and we had a good time talking and laughing in the fading light. My time at her place reminded me how much I like Ethiopian people, the food and the language. Thank you for the good time, I'll return when I get back to Nashville. read more

YUMMY. Excellent Ethiopian cuisine!! I would give it 5 stars. I myself originally from Ethiopia and consider myself pretty picky when it comes to Ethiopian food. I've eaten at almost every Ethiopian restaurant in Nashville,TN and Abyssinia is the only place I recommend you to visit. It's really the original Mother Ethiopia "soul food". It's healthy, hearty, wholesome, and delicious. If you've never had Ethiopian food before you will become a fan after just one visit to Abyssinia.Great place to bring friends and family that want to try something new! The beauty of an Ethiopian meal is its communal nature, the food is meant to be shared. It really does create a sense of closeness between friends during the meal.The owner chef is very accommodating to your requests for different food items and provides helpful suggestions regarding the same. The portions are generous and surprisingly, prices are not high, compared to other places I've been to in different locations. I HIGHLY recommend!!! read more