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    Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant

    4.4 (201 reviews)
    ModerateEthiopian, African
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

    Order Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant Takeout or Delivery

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    ABYSSINIA ETHIOPIAN RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant

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    Reviews With Photos - Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant

    Vegetarian platter with added beef!
    Elaine D.

    WOW!!! This was one of the most DELICIOUS Ethiopian restaurants I have ever had!! Incredible food, all of it. The Injera was perfect, nice and soft with the lovely flavor. All vegetables were so delicious and the extra helping of the cold lentils was very much needed!!! The beef was also EXCELLENT! The owner was such a joy to speak with and you can tell she genuinely loves her craft. A must-try in the Memphis area. Will be back soon!

    vegetarian combo after i filled up on eating all the multiple types of lentils, mustardy lentil salad, and most of the warm carrots/potatoes
    Lauren B.

    I am pretty sure Abyssinia is my favorite restaurant in Memphis. I have been eating there for more than 20 years, and the quality has not gone down one little bit. I got delivery from them Friday using GrubHub for lunch, and my vegetarian combo plate came extremely fast and incredibly flavorful. From mustardy lentil salad to multiple variations of warm lentils, to warm and savory cabbage/potato/green bean/carrot combo, to cold jalapeno-beet salad and the most perfect injera (Ethiopian sourdough you use to pick up the food with your hands), every single bite was exciting, delicious, and just so, so, pleasing. I chowed down a bunch before taking a photo of the vegetarian combo goodness today, so my apologies for an incomplete picture. The platter easily amounts to more than one meal and is perfect shared alongside one of their other options (like their deliciously simmered doro wat chicken) with a friends.   Abyssinia's longstanding storefront on Poplar can easily be missed, but don't miss it!

    Me
    Jerald M.

    I must have came in at a slow day cause no one wasn't there until I showed up than a lot of people came in after 12 but overall small restaurant but looks nice love the decor service was definitely friendly not to mention that the food was just as delicious. I've had a similar experience to last year with the Indian food but this here kinda different but I would have wanted to try the goat curry and gave it 5 stars but the lamb had to do so today I m giving it a 4 out of 5 recommend you give it a try though.

    Spiced Tea
    Ellie F.

    Ethiopian food is a rare find here, and at Abyssinia, it feels like enjoying a meal at home with family. The owners are incredibly kind and patient as they recommend dishes. Sadly, I did not get any pictures of the food because we devoured it so quickly! I recommend getting a family platter with a few different meat options so you can taste multiple dishes. Everything is delicious, from the cabbage to the meat to the spiced tea. The location is a bit hidden in a plaza off of Poplar, so don't miss this place!

    Beef, rice & cabbage
    Lisa J.

    I was hoping we'd really like this place. They had one waitress and we kept having to hunt her down. She just disappeared. The food was very fresh and hot which was good. We asked for it mild like we do at all Ethiopian restaurants, but what we got was absolutely tasteless and bland. The meat was spicy but everything else had zero and I mean zero seasoning in it. I've never experienced that with Ethiopian cuisine before. There are 2 other Ethiopian restaurants in Memphis, so we'll be trying those next. Also, the bathroom was very dirty! Between the bad service, dirty, bland food and getting sick that night , I won't be back. One more thing, the waitress came out to check us out at the counter and she had food handler gloves on which clearly had food on them and she proceeded to take our cash with those same gloves on. I'm sure she went back to handling the food with them on. Clear violation of food handling rules. Of course later that evening I was downing Imodium pills and spending lots of time in the bathroom. So I really don't recommend this place.

    Vegetarian plate, comes with injera. So good!
    Rose K.

    We were road tripping through Memphis and did not want barbeque. My road trip partner doesn't eat meat and I saw Abyssinia on the list. The owner was very friendly, and even answered my questions about the beautiful decor. They are currently take out only. The vegetarian plate is completely vegan (no dairy!) and the portion size is huge. We took the meal out to a nearby park and enjoyed it with the backdrop of spring flowers. The injera is perfectly textured, still hot, and perfectly portioned with the rest of the food. I daresay this rivals the Ethiopian food in DC! I'll be back the next time I'm in Memphis, thank you, Abyssinia!

    Vegetarian platter
    Ty M.

    Oh my, goodness gracious! This was our second experience with Ethiopian food in Memphis. While the food was tasty at the other place, Abyssinia checks ALL the boxes. The decor is warm and upbeat, but the first thing we noticed upon entering were the delicious smells wafting thru the restaurant. The very gracious owner waited on us, suggesting three of us share a vegetarian platter. My husband had chicken tibs. We also ordered ordered the spiced tea, a delicious concoction of spices with cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Every bite of the vegetarian platter was delicious, and ample for 3, with leftovers to take home. This was the most pleasurable meal we have had in Memphis.

    Vegetarian Combo with extra cabbage
    C F.

    I ordered the vegetarian combo for delivery with extra injera and extra cabbage. It was a great meal, and now I can add it to my list of favorite restaurants in Memphis! PROs * Beautiful colors * Great variety * Tasty -- just as good as Ethiopian food I've had in other major cities like Seattle and DC. * Price -- reasonable, affordable CONs * I ordered the large mango juice and didn't know it would be from a carton (in other words, not house made) -- but that's on me, I should've asked. * That I didn't get to enjoy the food on a plate in the restaurant -- next time, I'll dine in!

    Gored Gored with side of extra spice
    Matthew N.

    I have been here twice now and by God I cannot wait any longer to review this place. On the first visit I just showed up to dine in. I did not realize the preferred method is to call ahead and make a reservation. Fahcado (spelling? Sorry!) politely requested in the future to please make a reservation but happily sat our party of four. We ordered hot Ethiopian tea as a beverage. If you do not order this, it is your loss. The food is phenomenal. Much to my disappointment, this was my first visit to this restaurant. I have been to every other one in town, and they have all fallen by the wayside post Covid while this one has weathered the storm. After having visited I can see why. Fahcado (spelling? Sorry!) has been the most polite and accommodating person I have ever encountered and look forward to many happy return visits!

    Veggie platter combined with wat combo
    Hillary G.

    Food was excellent! The injera (bread) looked odd in the pics but it's amazing. So soft & almost velvety, slight sourdough flavor, & not dry at all. It's perfect for its job: grabbing up pieces of the other food & soaking up delicious juices. The wat was spicy but so flavorsome! I think our favorite thing on the plate was the red lentils. Service was a bit spotty; we weren't really checked on very often. If we had needed something we definitely would've had to flag someone over. That wouldn't really have been hard though, since the restaurant is pretty small. We didn't need any help, though, & it didn't mar the experience. Will absolutely come back!

    Tilapia fish (bottom),  Yesbeg Tibes (top left)

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    2 years ago

    All of it, I go EVERY time I visit Memphis. My #1 spot!! It's the best Ethiopian food outside of Adam's Morgan in DC!

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    Excellent service and food was delicious and authentic. Will go back again! It was dark in the room though

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    3 years ago

    Excellent beef stew! Try injera !!! I would definitely return again to chow down on these exotic delicacies!

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    3 years ago

    I had the lamb, greens, yellow peas, beets, and spiced tea. The food was hot and tasty. The staff was polite

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    3 years ago

    The food is always great. The service is quick. Friendly atmosphere. I always get the lamb stirfry with cabbages and mustard lentils.

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    7 years ago

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    African Restaurant

    African Restaurant

    3.8
    (12 reviews)
    5.7 mi

    The Food was so delicious! The chicken was grilled to perfection and the season was so good! The…read morerice was delicious and cooked just right. Their homemade juices were made just right! Had me feeling like a new man! I will definitely be back

    I give three stars because the egusi is very different than what I'm use to with the Nigerian egusi…read moremade with palm oil and different types of meat. The presentation of the fufu was lacking. I cut them some slack because they made it quickly and poured it into the plate before it had time to thicken. They also use something other than the white fufu I'm use to. The wait was very long. (Althouth they were very courteous and kept apologizing). The egusi has a very VERY different flavor than Nigerian Egusi. It gas a smokey bitter flavor. They also mix in different types of greens and other things. Although it was still good. I had to pick a lot of the meat out because as I mentioned in the photos I uploaded I couldnt tell what I was eating and the meat had a weird texture and the parts they used were strange. I swear I got part of the anus or genitalia. Just review my pictures. I also give three stars because none of the workers had masks. This place is literally a Covid-19 Hotspot. They had their children and teens in there lounging around the place (its family owned I believe) and they were coughing with the dry coughs (with no one covering their mouths) and the dry coughs are a hallmark of having covid. I was double masked and the place was warm on the inside as they had no fans or a/c and they had the door closed. I couldnt understand why no one had on a mask. So weird. Especially given the amount of coughing going on. I was so thirsty at the restaurant but they didnt have a drink machine or sodas or even bottled water. They had nothing but large jugs of what appeared to be a powdered drink in gallon jugs (the powder had settled to the bottom of the jugs and it was a lot). They had good customer service. Although it wasn't the customer service we are use to in the U.S. The young woman tending the counter was cordial and friendly. But when I called the restaurant before I came she answered the phone with a sleepy "Hello". I thought I had reached someone's home at first. I didnt know what to expect. I sort of thought someone may have been cooking out of their home because the rest of the conversation was very relaxed and nonchalant and she was like "yeah, we have this or that" and did not elaborate. It's just not what I'm use to dealing with American businesses and American style customer service. Overall, I will never order fufu or egusi from here again. I may return to check out their fish dishes. The Senegalese are exceptionally good at preparing those and I saw some of the meals they made with fish and they were very appealing. My suggestion to them would be to perk up when customers call and sound like more of a business. Season the meat in the egusi more and stop using parts of the animal that most would throw away. Also, run some fans on the inside or the a/c. Or open the door and leave it open. It was stifingly hot on the inside. There was no air whatsoever. Also, please mandate masks. People were coughing, there was no ventilation, it was hot, the air was still and that's not good. Last, offer guests a drink. Even a drink of water. I was so thirsty while there and there were no single serve drinks to even purchase. All that was available were gallon jugs of a powdered drink. In closing I ended up throwing out the Egusi and FuFu after a few bites. The fufu never turned solid. It stayed very mushy and sticky. It clung to my fingers like gum. The meat in the Egusi, as mentioned above, was not seasoned at all. The Nigerians season their meat and slow cook it in additional seasonings so the seasonings are well infused in the meat. These people seasoned the greens and I believe they simply put in unseasoned meat. The seasoning did not stick to the meat. The meat was flavorless. Also strange textured. At times I didn't know what I was eating. On my way home from the African Restaurant I had a serious case of anxiety because of how many ppl were coughing in there who were not wearing masks and how poorly ventilated the place was. Here it is a day later and I'm still having anxiety attacks over sitting there. I should have walked out.

    Photos
    African Restaurant
    African Restaurant
    African Restaurant

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    Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant - ethiopian - Updated July 2026

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