I came here as a tourist from NY on a Wednesday evening. This is a well decorated restaurant with plenty of seats. There is a bar at the entrance, and tables at the back of the restaurant. Prices are cheap with most meals costing $8-15. I ordered the Yebeg (lamb) tibs for $14. I have been too so many Ethiopian restaurants and this dish is almost always grilled with onions, tomatoes and green peppers. The dish came in some sort of stew, with the waitress telling me after the fact that I should have specified how I wanted it ("dry or wet"). Really? They were kind enough to redo it. The meal itself was okay--subpar compared to LA and NY restaurants. service was really slow even though the restaurant was not busy. The waitress seemed a bit disorganized... Overall, you get what you pay for... read more

The best dorowot you can find in Philadelphia. I ate Ethiopian cuisine at most restaurants in the city and this place had the best ever dorowot. The sambusa is good if you are in for a fried treat. read more

Abyssinia - The mixed platter with 2,12 and 13 - Ethiopian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I ordered what I thought was a tomato salad from them because I had ordered from the place next door and discovered they didn't offer it. I also ordered an extra slice of injera. What I got was an Abyssinia salad which is a $4 salad that you can basically make at home with one cup of romaine and a half of a Roma tomato. The injera was oddly pale and strange tasting compared to any others I've had. More the color of bread than the brown of traditional injera. It didn't keep well either, the next day it was stale. read more

Excellent food and very nice staff! That being said....the wait is crazy and the bathrooms aren't great so just set your expectations and you'll be overjoyed. Pros: Simple but varied menu. Food was absolutely delicious - bone in chicken which is always the best. Honestly the best dish was actually the lentils. Perfect amount of injeera for the amount of food you get. Spacious seating area Quiet Cons: Wait was quite long, although we did go during dinner time Bathrooms are very random...they are advertised as unisex...but there are urinals in one of them with a door that can't be locked and I imagine women probably don't want to walk in on some guy using a urinal. Also for a cuisine that encourages using your hands, would have been nice to have some paper towels in the restrooms. If you come for the food alone, it is excellent and you won't be disappointed! read more

We went there with a large party of people maybe about 20. The service was unorganized. They only had one person to manage the party. We received the wrong food, some people didn't receive food. They gave us paper plates and silverware still attached to holder it was purchased in. It's a hole in the wall place. The floors are uneven and unsafe The walls had drywall spackle on them and the base boards had holes in them. But what I can say is that the food was tasty and didn't disappoint. They need to do some work on the upkeep of the establishment and work on the service. That's the reason I gave it two stars. It's definitely a mom and pop shop that's needs some work. read more

An Ethiopian/African restaurant. Best in larger groups so you get plenty of their spongy bread in. It's definitely somewhat of an acquired taste, though, as many people had specific favorites - there's a mix of bitter, meaty, spicy, salty, and sweet tastes on the large trays, and the selection doesn't change too much from visit to visit. The restaurant is dark, though, although I'm not sure how the ambiance would be with more light. Rose water is a nice touch on many of the plates and in drinks. The seating is definitely bad for my back, though, I think. read more

Its Orthodox easter (Fasika) during Corinna virus and I decided to order 5 meals from Abyssinia. The sauces were okay but the enjera wasn't the best. It was dry and not as fluffy as it's supposed to be. Because the enjera was dry - one of my orders (kuanta fitfit) was mushy. So overall , it was okay but not the best I've had. read more

Tried this place out with a group of friends. We got the kofti, which was okay with the bread. Though I think there are definitely other restaurants in the are that are better. The service was very bad. We ended up waiting for food for around 1 hour even though the server said the wait was 15 minutes. The same happened earlier waiting for a table. Server told us 5 min waited 30 min. The server was also not very attentive had to get his attention multiple times for water / the check. I don't think I would recommend coming here to anyone and dining in person. read more

Call ahead of time! It'll save you enough time but the braised lamb is phenomenal, I wish it would have less fat/ bones to better group with their bomb sides. I miss going in but I love the packaging their Injera so nothing is spilling and I always feel full and satisfied. Often times, Disappointed on how fast I eat their food here. LOL read more

They have decent priced lunch specials that are more affordable there. Food is great, just a little slow at times. It's def more fun if you go with a group of friends for dinner, we ordered lamb, beef, chicken, vegetables, beans on a large plate of anjeer where we all used our hands and dug in. If you are only going by yourself, or with one other person. My favorite dish to get is their meat combo. Make sure you go hungry because their anjeer (Ethiopian pancake/ bread where you use your hands to wrap food to eat) is plenty to the stomach. It comes with pork, lamb, beef, lentils and you will definitely walk out full and be ready to take a nap. They also have a nice bar area right when you walk in, if you walk in early enough you'll always walk into some interesting conversations with very friendly old timers. My recommendation is never go super hungry, but always go with a empty stomach. read more

Abyssinia - Ethiopian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Great local restaurant. I love their food. My favorite is the yodoro tibs - a delicious dish with chicken breast. But I also loved the rest of my meal. Highly recommended! read more

Really slow service. We were 5 really hungry people, and were getting irritated. But the food was good, and the vibe of the place was really chill. Maybe I went on a slow day and that's why I have taken a star off. Only one dish really lived upto the hype of the place -Doro wot. I would recommend just eating this or the veggie platter. The other lamb and chicken dishes were disappointing. read more

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I really wish I could give this place 5 stars, because the food was great. The service, however, was astonishingly bad. After we were seated, no one came to get our drink or dinner order. After 40 minutes of trying to get the server's attention, I finally got up, found him, and told him that we hadn't ordered yet. Ten minutes later, we were able to order our drinks (including water) and food. About twenty minutes later, I asked if we could please at least get our waters, because we were thirsty. Ten minutes later (well over an hour after we arrived), they served us our drinks, waters, and food. The food was delicious, but if I come here again, I'll make sure not to come on an empty stomach, and I'll bring a water bottle. Last tip: if you have back problems, request a table with chairs. Our table only had stools with no backs, and by the end of the evening, my back was aching. read more

Food is delicious!! Atmosphere is fun! We had a blast and cleared the plate! The servers were friendly. We all had a great time enjoying dinner here tonight. read more

Abyssinia - Delicious food! - Ethiopian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Wandered upon this place on a late dare search for food and it was such an unexpected gem. Food was delicious, inexpensive and generous serving sizes. The waitress was more than pleasant and very helpful navigating through the menu (I got the meat combo platter to sample a variety) Very nice date vibe. Quiet music, dimly lit (but not dark), cheap drinks. Overall had a great time. Definitely will be back. read more

Abyssinia - Meat combination platter - Ethiopian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I've been going here for 12 years. The decor never amazes but the food never disappoints. How can anyone resist a carpeted Ethiopian joint with a rickety staircase up to (what was once primarily) a hidden anarchist bar overhead? How can one resist the spread with its ample piles of kitfa, the chunky beef and lamb tibs smothered in berbere and fried onion, the creamy piles of stewed lentil? Forget that the overhead lighting reminds you of a Tennessee nursing home in the late 1970s and dig deeply into that injera until your nail beds are sopped in collards and red grease. Mmm, mmm. Deluxe dinner for 2: About $30, pre-tip. read more

If you like steak and can handle spice, get the gored gored. My favorite dish on their menu AND the best gored gored in Philly. read more

I wasn't crazy about dinner here. The food was good but not good enough to be my immediate go-to Ethiopian spot. Though the prices were reasonable, the portions for the combinations were much smaller than I expected and the food was served lukewarm. Plus the meat seemed over cooked and none of the individual dishes stood out as anything noteworthy. I imagine the injera is supposed to fill you up but I was still quite hungry after the meal. read more

I have loved Abyssinia since 2000. Yes, the service is slow, and always has been. No, I don't understand why they don't fix it. I don't care. When we go, we go in the right frame of mind, ready for a slowly paced dinner. We go at 5pm, and few tables are sat yet. We play 20 questions. We sip drinks. The waitresses are nice, if harried. We've gotten to know them and they know us. The food is always magnificent. I like Dahlak, and the smaller joints on 45th st and Chestnut st, but dish for dish, Abyssinia rules them all for flavor, and portion too. The lamb and chicken dishes are mostly on the bone, which I feel is better than boneless cubes. The berbere is fiery and more complex than elsewhere. The various legumes are always perfect. The kitfo... I think an Ethiopian restaurant is best judged on its kitfo, and here it is perfect, served raw. I no longer live in W. Philly, but every time I'm near, I take out a large order. All hail to Abyssinia, proudly pissing off hurried, unforewarned diners for two decades, but worth it! read more

The portions were small 6 months ago when I tried them and now they're smaller. The biggest issue is that they misrepresent the Injira bread that comes with all Ethiopian food. They are no longer making it with the traditional Teff grain that makes this food so healthy and great. Now they are using regular flour and not telling anyone- just expecting people to be ignorant and not recognize what they are doing. I noticed, and went back inside to challenge them on it, and the owner admitted that they are no longer using all teff in the Injira bread. read more

I have been coming to This restaurant for over 30 years. Today marks the last day I will every support this business. My family and I have been supporting the restaurant throughout the pandemic, despite abysmal customer service . After waiting for my order through Uber eats for close to an hour ( the driver was waiting for over 20 minutes at the business in person ) the order was cancelled for no reason. When I called the restaurant to inquire about why, the owner said he had no idea why the order was cancelled and kept screaming over me saying "tell the driver to come back then". He spoke to me in a nasty and disrespectful manner, and then said he was too busy and proceeded to hang up on me. The quality of the food is not worth the way this place treats their customers , and quite honesty their staff. As a fellow African, we should do better to treat each other with respect . This is so sad and I won't spend my money here . read more

It's the first time we visited this place. For the ambience this place is not a good choice. I found the cleanliness is very poor too. Needs serious improvement in hygiene. Regarding food,it's the first time we tried Ethiopian food. We visited the place along with our friends. The food was good. We tried vegetarian combo ,meat combo, doro vot. The meat combo n doro vat were really good. They were really spicy and filling. The person who serviced us funny. She cracked joked to keep our spirits high. Altogether it was a good experience but not an exceptionally impressive one. read more

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The food here is pretty good, sadly the service is not. I placed my order via grub hub. When I went to pick it up, the sign on the door says to call a number. I called and the woman said to wait outside. I stood there for a while and she came outside with another order yelling 'doordash' no one else was there. She then said she didn't have my order and to show her the receipt. Then she said to come inside. I did, she placed the doordash order next to me, took some phone orders, went downstairs and came back telling me my order was already picked up 'by a man'. I'm not sure of the thought process here, but knowing my order was given to 'a man' she thought I was just out of luck and should leave with no food. It didn't cross her mind that she had given my order to someone else, and that she was at fault. It honestly felt like I was being punked. Only after some words did a man come over, assuming the owner, who went back downstairs to confirm my order wasn't there and then decided to re-start my order. It took another 20 minutes. She should have started to remake the food when she realized my order wasn't there anymore. But no. We had to go back and forth about this 'man' for a while. All in, it took 45 minutes to pick up my food. And that doordash order was still sitting next to me when I left, with no name or order number on it. Super disorganized and unfriendly service. Extra star for COVID hardship, but we're never going back. read more

Food was ok, portions pretty small. Real issue was the service...took forever for everything, nearly an hour to get our meals. Took 20 minutes to get water refills (which i actually got by myself behind the bar because the waiter disappeared. Had to ask for napkins, ask about the food twice, ask for another cup, ask for more plates, ask for the check, everything. Everything we got I had to go get myself or ask for repeatedly. And we were the only ones In the place. They seemed to be mainly focused on the takeout orders. read more

Went there for the first time the other day with my partner and their family. It was excellent! Between the 4 of us, we ordered 3 of the combination platters. We are all fairly big eaters and it was the perfect amount of food. Had just enough room for some delicious baklava for dessert! Good service as well. I wish I could recall all of the different dishes, but there were so many I don't even know where to start. Only disappointment is that they had turned off the espresso machine by the time we had dessert. I can definitely see this being a go-to place in West Philly read more

I came in a huge group and shared a vegetarian platter and a chicken platter with a friend, and it was *plenty* to eat. Definitely one of the longest waits I've had for food, but we were also a big group and the food was absolutely fresh, and the portions were enough to totally reverse the state of hanger I'd gotten myself into that night. Even the unfamiliar vegetables were delectable to my carnivorous friends, and injera (the Ethiopian bread that I think is related to sourdough, which you use as your dip-sopping-utensil) is one of the coolest textures I've come across in a pancake-like food. Abyssinia is also one of those atmospheres that makes you feel like you're eating with a big, happy family. Also, sharing a humongous flat plate while eating with your hands is one of my fondest activities with friends, and everyone needs to do it more often. Everything feels 2000% authentic, from the lady taking the orders, to the seating arrangements and furniture choices, to the freshness of the food itself. I'm always looking for an excuse to go again. read more

I got a veggie combo platter to go and split it with a friend. Everything was delicious

From what I understand, any Ethiopian Restaurant is only as good and authentic as its Kitfo (thanks Sam). And if I had to rate this Kitfo I'd say it was a complete success. Lets get something clear, if you're gonna order Kitfo then please don't be bore and eat it in its traditional and raw state. The way it's eaten in its homeland and the way it should be eaten here in the states (raw). . I couldn't stop eating the many different dishes we ordered and by the end of the food-fest I was stuffed (I think I still am stuffed, wheewww!). We had a mixture of raw Kitfo and other meats including great lamb dish, along with many of the vegetarian dishes which were some of the tastiest veggie dishes I've ever tasted. I love the family style served on a single platter for everyone to pick at with their own fingers. I'll warn you that this isn't a Steven Star restaurant so don't expect a polished palace with all the decorative elements we all connect (wrongly) with a "good" restaurant. If there's one thing I'm learning is that a good authentic, ethnic restaurant should appear the way it would in its homeland. That means no disco balls, no fish tanks, no fancy paintings, no chandeliers, no upholstered chairs and sofa's, no dancing/singing waitresses, and not even a candle or flower on your table. How about this: JUST GOOD AUTHENTIC FOOD! Isn't that what this is about? Abyssinia is good, authentic Ethiopian food served as it would be to their families back home. What more could you ask for other then some good home cooking. List me as a huge fan, and I'll be back again real soon (that's a hint Sam). read more

Oh man! I can't even justify two stars. I was SO looking forward to coming here... I love the 45th corner @ Locust and I'm totally down with eating with my hands. I brought a dubious friend and sadly his qualms were sustained. Where to begin? I've had a couple great Ethiopian experiences prior to this (once in DC and also at *Almaz* on 20th near Walnut), so I thought I would get myself out to W Philly and give it a try. The service was SO so so SO bad. There's just one woman who walks around and she's a pretty slow person as is (it wasn't particularly crowded on this Thursday evening), but I felt ignored and rejected from her restaurant. At one low point, I thought it was quite possible that our food would never come. Once it did, 7 years later, my friend couldn't eat his meaty thing cause it was so damn hot, and my veggie platter was honestly just OK and sorta bland. I've had the veg sampler at Almaz (second shoutout, can't help it), and it's far superior and a bit cheaper. Now let's do the math.... terrible service = no water refills. Terribly hot food = I need water NOW. The whole experience just felt kinda icky. I wanted to like the decor and layout of the restaurant, but it was really just meh. Hopefully my friend will still be up for trying new restaurants with me.... read more

Love this place. They have okay beers (Lager and Sam Adams bottles) a full array of juices and it satisfies that palates of my carnivores, veggies, and epi-uncurious friends. Plus, you get to eat with your fingers. Who doesn't love that? It's a group eating experience, so you should have your veggie friends specifically ask for a separate plate for their dinner. Some items are spicy so go easy at first. They have a crazy cabbage dish that I love, and all the dal dishes I've had are really good, too. Beware, the chicken dishes come with a hard boiled egg, which sometimes looks a little weird when covered in the sauce. BEWARE THE NGERA BELLY ACHE! Everything is served with a spongy almost pancake like bread (ngera) that you use to scoop your stuff up with. This stuff expands in your belly after you eat it, so try to go easy on it while eating or about 20 mins after you're done, you will have to pull an Al Bundy and pop that top button on your pants. I've been here with 1 other person up to 10 people. The staff is really nice and there's a full bar upstairs too. read more

I used to live in West Philly and, well, that whole West Philly scene just wasn't for me. There just didn't seem to be much to do over in that neck of the woods, and to each his own by all means. However, Abyssinia and the little bar above it , Fiume, were two of my favorite haunts. I love the vegetarian platter at Abyssinia, and the only reason why I am giving the place 3 stars is because the service is just god-awful and slow as molasses! If you just need a quick meal this is not the place to go. I have waited up to 1&1/2 hours just to get a plate of food at Abyssinia. The upside to that is if you want to meet a friend to catch up over dinner, this is the place to go because you will get to chat it up forever... ...and ever... ...and EVER... until your food finally gets to you. read more

Nice little neighborhood restaurant with an adjacent full bar. As others have said before, the food is amazing! I think I had Ethiopian food for the first time here, and I'm already craving it. We ordered a salad, which looked at little bland, but turned out to be seasoned with a delicious, very peppery dressing. We also shared the vegetarian plate, which consisted of a sample of five or six different dishes, all of which were spiced right on-spot. I really liked the Injera bread, too, but beware - it does have the tendency to expand in you stomach. No complaints about the service, either. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area. read more

Time for me to check out some Ethiopian food in West Philly, so I came here with my buddy and his girlfriend on Friday night. As I have never had Ethiopian food before, I deferred to them on ordering. I did make sure to try out the manjo juice, and that was pretty tasty. We had a large plate brought over with a thin wafer like dough. You then have different meats poured onto it, and use pieces of the thin wafer to scoop up some of the meat (just watch out for the bones!). Additionally, you can eat the bread that is underneath the meat, as it has soaked up the additional juices-it was a tasty treat in the end. A few notes-come around 7pm and you can get a table. By 8pm, the place was full. The ambience is interesting, as it has a home style environment. The room is intimate and feels like you are apart of a large extended dining room. They also have a bar too. Prices aren't bad, and you certainly get enough of a serving size-especially if you go family style. Overall, another hidden gem in West Philly that I just discovered read more

The food gets 4 stars. The experience gets -3 stars. I'm averaging it out to 1 star. So the service is always slow here. If you look at the Zagat review for Abyssinia it actually says they have poor service. AND THEY HAVE THE BALLS TO HANG THAT UP ON THE WALL IN THE DINING ROOM. I shit you not. If you eat there you'll see a zagat review that says basically: food = good. Service = bad. BELOW IS WHY I'M NEVER GOING BACK Well, if you ever go with a coupon they try to get you to not use it and that's why I'm never going back. I brought a $25 coupon I purchased off of allmenus.com for $12.50. When I got there they said I wasn't allowed to use it. I explained that they can't do that and I would walk out and not pay then. So they said it's ok and I could use it and gave me a new bill with $27 WORTH OF EXTRA STUFF I NEVER BOUGHT ON IT. I said they gave me the wrong bill and then the owner came out and said that I had to pay that bill. i said he was out of his mind if he thought that could ever work. The owner called the number on the coupon to verify it was real and after he verified it was in fact legit, he said he decided he WAS still not going to honor it and just give me $12.50 off of my bill. I said either they give $25 off OR I walk out and pay nothing. FINAL THREAT. They decided to give me $25 off. Fuck that shit dawg. read more

I've decided Abyssinia won. It was due to the discovery of the upstairs bar with the huge selection of tasty beers from all over the world. Chimay and Ethiopian... Priceless. I was a Dahlak fan but it hasn't been the same since the passing of the owner. Not to mention REALLY Dirty... And since I'm not a west PHillthy hippy or wannabee hippie i don't dig the outside at Dahlak either. The food At Abyssinia is fresher, plumper, more meat, tastier and just downright better. read more

I much prefer Abyssinia to Dahlak (perhaps also due to being a block's walk from my house) - the staff is great, the food is prepared more carefully i think than the other Ethiopian spots. The atmosphere is perhaps not as warm as previous posters have mentioned of Dahlak, but the pros outweigh the cons. The vegetarian platter is delicious, and surprisingly filling for two people. read more

While passing through Philly, I stopped by this place to try the highly rated atmosphere. I grew up in Ethiopia and cook Ethiopian cuisine very well, so my expectations were very high to this restaurant. The restaurant feels like an old funeral home in a third world country. The building is falling apart. The chairs are worn out, broken and tables are not stable. The curtains and table clothes have not been washed in a long time. You can spot food stains as well as dirt. Old carpet, peeling wall papers and unclean restrooms. I am surprised that the Department of Health has not cited this restaurant. This place would not make it in NYC or SF. Major food ingredients are of very cheap quality. The chicken legs were not cleaned properly. Food lacked basic and appropriate spices. No garlic or ginger. The salad, lentils and stew dishes did not taste fresh. Again, I am impressed how this place continued to sell substandard quality 'authentic' food. Plastic cups and plates to serve drinks and foods detract from the experience. Never again. If you had similar experiences, please call the Department of Health to report this restaurant. The place is a public health hazard. read more

Went here to dinner tonight with a few friends because we had heard great reviews about the Ethiopian curries. we ordered two meat combos which came out quickly with a plenty amount of injera- the beef cubes and chicken were tasty and tender (the beef brisket in a greenlike chutney stew wasn't great) but overall i though that the vegetarian sides were much better (the dark orange lentils were amazing) and would probably come back just for a veggie platter. the service was slightly slow and the restaurant vibes a little sleepy but the food is worth it read more

We called to ask if the injera was gluten free and were told that it was, so we booked a reservation for 8 of us. The place has bright florescent lights and is generally not very attractive, but we didn't really care and went ahead and ordered. When I took a bite of the appetizer, made with injera, my daughter, who was speaking with the waitress, shouted over not to eat it - that it had gluten! Too late!! Luckily my allergy is not so strong that it sent me to the hospital - but for someone else it easily could have become a serious situation. I spoke to the owner/manager and they tried to explain how they make the injera and would have needed us to tell them days ahead so they could have made it - but it took him a long time to understand that even a small bit of wheat contains enough gluten to matter. They did not offer to comp a meal or do anything special. We found another place to eat. read more

Nasty attitude encountered when we go picked up our take out. Lady just shouting thru the door to ask for food money and didn't even ask the name of customer when tried to confirm whether is our food or not. Will never come back. read more