The food here is pretty good, but the service is a bit on the slow side (come on people, we need inefficiency here!). The Yedoro tibs are very nicely seasoned and tender. Amongst the vegetarian dishes, the collard greens and lentils are quite flavorful and go well with the injera. Personally, I found the injera to be a bit too spongy for my taste. Overall, there is nothing remarkable about this place. It has Ethiopian food, maybe even decent Ethiopian food but I would not go out of my way to come here. read more

The food is terrific. The service is realllllllly slow. You order. You arrive when they tell you, half hour or hour later. Then you wait and wait and wait, it's not clear they even know you're here. Eventually, your food comes out, half hour or hour after that. Had this experience several times in a row. Really like the people and the food, want to support them ... and it's hard to depend on unless you have nothing but time. I'm not fussed about waiting for service, this is just unusual. Did I mention: the food is good!!? That's why I keep trying. read more

Get the meat combinations where you get 3 different meats and three different veggie sides over huge injera bread. Sometimes they will combine all the dishes ordered into one huge platter... Ask the waitress to keep the dishes separate so that a) you get more food b) nobody steals your share of the food and c) you don't know where your friends' hands have been. The alicha wat (yellow lentils in a mild oniony sauce) is delicious! I'm still thinking about it... Mmm... I wish this place were BYO. read more

Usually people have a first bad experience with Ethiopian food. This was my first time having it and the food was amazing it was very tasteful with a lot of flavors. The portion is really big so two people can share one, and if you're still hungry you can always order another one. The only thing I really disliked about this restaurant is that the service is very slow we waited over an hour for our food. The host didn't even give us water for the first 45 minute until you mentioned it. Although the service wasn't the best experience, the food was. You have to go in knowing that you might have a long wait time. Overall the food is amazing and I'll definitely be going back, now that I'm aware of their wait time. read more

Despite the food being my absolute favorite in University City, I can only give this place 3 stars. The service is bad. The ladies at the front are the only ones waiting on a full room. Before they renovated, they were very kind and nice. After, when they got more business, they became more cold and defensive. Our last time there, we had to wait over an hour for our food. Tables that arrived after us got their food much earlier. When we asked about this, the waitress told us it was coming out any minute. It did not. We were about to leave when finally, after an hour and fifteen, it came out. I was hangry and my husband was upset so our evening vibe was ruined. They were not apologetic at all and denied that another table was served before us. That was a turning point for me. I care about service alot and this was poor service. We were really loyal customers too. If you really want to go, get the vegetarian combo and the meat combo, and ask for some ayib. It's not on the menu but it's really good homemade farmer's cheese-like-cheese. They don't always have it but you are in for a treat if they do. The atmosphere is casual and there is a bar upstairs. The bar is noisy and the area isn't too clean. I think this place had a lot of potential but the bad service is why I decided to stop coming here. We even wrote the waitress a note because we did feel bad. We used to go there a lot so it felt like a vendor break-up. Even so, check out this place at least once for some really tasty food. It's a good place to go with a group or on a date because the eating style is very communal-rip off a piece of injera to grab some food. read more

The food was fine, but far from the best Ethiopian food I've had. The injera was not particularly sour - a little bland- and the dishes were similarly under-spiced. It was pretty cold in the restaurant too, so it was a little uncomfortable. There were several issues with the service too; nothing huge, but enough to be a bother. The menu was missing pages and we had to exchange it, the glass that the waitress brought was quite dirty, and it took a very long time to get more injera when we needed it. Our check was incorrect at first as well. Overall, it's not a place I'd return to or recommend. read more

Abyssinia - Vegetarian combo (two of them together) - Ethiopian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Let's establish something from the get... 1. It may be busy. 2. They don't have a huge staff. 3. It's an East African spot... service may be somewhat leisurely. If you're cool with that and know It's all bout the food you'll be straight. Pros... Their kitfo is to die for. They do lamb very well. The berbere is very good... umm... did I mention the kitfo is to die for. Cons... The injera has just a slight sour. I assume they use a little less teff,(sour tasting Ethiopian grain) than some... but it is still decent, and their greens are a little bland... those are my biggest negatives here... which are minute. Great place to come to with a group of people, gather 'round a messob, relax, have some drinks, and enjoy some great Ethiopian fare. 2 more things... 1.The prices are outstanding. 2.The kitfo is to die for! read more

I went here for the first time yesterday, after hearing such great things about it. My table ordered the combination platters and shared everything. It comes out on a huge plate with all the meats, vegetables, sauces on top of the injera bread. They give you some injera on the side too. The idea is to take the bread and grasp whatever combination of meats, sauces and vegetable you can into it. There are no utensils so you should be comfortable with eating with your hands and your companion's hands. The dinner was awesome and I can't wait to go back. The wait for the food was quite long. Although I understand that's because everything is made as you order it. I believe you can call and order in advance though. They do in fact have alcohol there, so if you have good company, and a couple of beers, the wait will seem insignificant when the food comes out. read more

We went here a few times with the recommendation of a coworker (who preferred Abyssinia over the other restaurant Dahlak). The main dining room was big, and the tables were scattered. Instead of the traditional baskets, there were regular chairs and tables. The lighting is dim and sets a nice ambiance. The menu is vegetarian-friendly and meateater-friendly. We ordered a few veggie entrees, a beef entree, a lamb entree, and the spicy chicken entree (doro wot) to split between 3 of us. We regretted not ordering an appetizer as it took quite a while for the entrees to come out. When it came out, it was on a very large plate and took up almost the entire table. Extra plates with Injera bread was given too. All of the dishes were very tasty and the meat selections were tender as well. I really like the doro wot as it had a nice kick to it, though the hardboiled egg that came with it is hard to split. We were very full and content and there was still food unfinished. There is one lady working the floor. She is the hostess, the order taker, and the server. So when there are quite a few tables, service is quite slower. It was hard getting water refills sometimes. I would have given it a 5/5 if service was better. But 4 will suffice. There is also a bar area where people were drinking, eating, and watching tv at. Street parking can be a pain. One time we parked 1/2 a block away, another time 4 blocks away. read more

Maybe it was the nostalgia of walking through the first Philadelphia neighborhood I called home. Or maybe it was the fact that I had forgotten just how good the food is. But I can't walk away from my recent visit leaving a three star review in my wake. Nothing about the interior has changed. I still feel like I might fall through the stairs on my way up to the bathroom. The downstairs bar is as no frills as it gets. The molding on the walls shows which direction the house has settled over the years, and the furniture and wall art looks worn around the edges. The prices are still absurdly low. With all the new shiny restaurants popping up all over Philly, Abyssinia brings more charm than ever. I must have been there on an off night because the staff was pleasant and smiling. Even if they weren't, I would still upgrade my review. And I look forward to coming back the next time I'm reminiscing in the neighborhood. read more

The food is good, but there was a mouse running around while I was eating the last time and it kinda distracted me from how tasty the food was. My food is sometimes unusually cold (no, not warm; cold. Cold like uncomfortable to touch with my hands cold). I've eaten here at least 7 times now and I'm not sure that I'll be back. read more

I'm yet again surprised I haven't written a review for this place yet. I'm gonna make this one short and sweet: Pros: 1. The food is EXCELLENT. Just make absolutely certain that you know what you're in for before you order something you didn't want (like I ordered "Gored-Gored" and hated it, but everything else was delicious). 2. The food is very, very reasonably priced and they serve alcohol which these days in Philadelphia is a rarity. Cons: 1. They run on their own time. It WILL take forever to get your food so do be prepared for that. 2. It's not the cleanest place on earth. If you can get over that, this is a great place to go for something a little more...adventurous. 3. It's a little bit out of the way for people well inside Center City and it's not in the greatest neighborhood on earth. But a little culture never killed ya' did it? Didn't think so. read more

Abyssinia is the best Ethiopian joint in West Philly and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. My favorite dishes are the raw kitfo and the vegetarian combo. Make sure you order the kitfo raw though, because otherwise -- sorry, hate to break it to you -- you are a huge pussy. Yeah, sometimes there's gon' be a wait for food. Deal with it. Or better yet, visit more often and be nice to the wait staff, because I've found that the more they like you, the better the service. Either way, as long as I've got a cocktail I don't mind waiting a bit longer for my food. I think the longest we've waited was 45 minutes on a busy night. Assholes will wait for brunch at places like Sabrina's for up to two hours so I don't know how this is any different. Oh, and it goes without saying, but Fiume upstairs? GIANT PLUS. read more

The service is slow, but it was worth the wait. I had yetibis fitfit and it was amazing. Would definitely come back

Abyssinia is not for those who lack patience, for with this virtue your palate will not be let down. I have been eating at this place for many years now. I have honestly not tried Dalek, its competition. I found Abyssinia and I liked it. The interior feels like someone's house converted into a seating area. Its awkward. Its not hip, it doesnt have clean lines and sharp edges like a Stephen Starr restaurant. But it feels right. Abyssinia is not about image at all. The chef is the owner's wife. She prepares your meal as you order it. She works there every day. It is that kind of dedication that comes through in the food. I have frequented this place so often that I no longer even have to place an order. The waitstaff recognizes me and brings out my favorite - The Veggie Combination Platter + 1 Order of Yedoro Tibs (extra spicy). The last two times I was there, the recipe for the chicken seems to have changed. The sauce feels too thick. There are less onions. It doesnt soak into the bread that separates the food from the plate. While this is somewhat disappointing, I think perhaps it is due to the fact that the kitchen is closer to having a home cooked meal than a tightly prepared entree. In other words, expect to be surprised. Sometimes pleasantly. Unfortunately, in this case, I preferred the older Yedoro Tib recipe. However I would recommend Abyssinia to anyone looking for not just exceptional flavors, if perhaps they have never tasted Ethiopian cuisine, but affordable prices. I have eaten at other Ethiopian restaurants in Washington DC and while the atmosphere seems done up to make it feel more apropos to its setting, they all lacked that special something that Abyssinia has in spades. But again, remember to be patient. read more

First time eating Ethiopian food and it was pretty delicious. We tried the meat combo along with a sweet chicken curry dish as well as a lamb dish. Everything was perfectly seasoned, flavorful, and spicy. The meat combo came with 3 meats and 3 veg dishes. Everything was served with injera (a thin, moist, crepe like) which was lemony. Service was good, but a bit slow. Overall, yummy food. read more

I've been to Abyssinia a couple times. Each time the food is excellent and a great deal. I usually get one of the combination platters with an extra entree to split for the table (2-4 people). I asked for my food to have a bit more heat than usual and they accommodated it perfectly. My only reservation is the service is inconsistent. The food is usually on the slower side, but the wait staff is variable. Sometimes, you have to flag them down for water (and remind them you asked) or the check. But other times, my water was never empty and they constantly checked on my table. read more

I can't believe I haven't written a review for this place because I've been here a ton of times. PLEASE GO HERE! I order the same thing every time I got here: the vegetable platter and ful. I am never disappointed, except when I miss the brunch hours (11-2) to get the ful --worst. feeling. ever. The food is amazing, spicy and super filling. You can order any $8 vegetarian dish on it's own and be full. I wouldn't do that though, you can just get the full vegetarian platter with lots of variety for $10. If you get a platter (any platter), be prepared to be STUFFED! The atmosphere is really chill, and by chill I mean I have never been here when there was more than 2 groups of people in the whole restaurant (maybe because I always go during the week between 1-3pm). I like it like that though because the waitress ladies get distracted easily so, the less distractions the better the service. I love this place, I love the food, and the people are super pleasant. Give it a try! read more

pretty good, came here when I was full and I ate even more because it reminded me of the ethiopian food I had back in Little Ethiopia in LA, CA. read more

When your country has been consistently besieged by famine and political uprising, it is hard to find the time to cook your meat - This is why your cuisine has developed specialty techniques to serve raw meat in a delicious(and parasite free!) format. The raw kitfo is very, very good. It has a nice, subtle dark spice flavor. The injera, usually the part I dread most in an Ethiopian restaurant, doesn't taste like I just put a battery in my mouth. In other words, it isn't the bitter, inedible piece of sponge that I thought I would be getting. It is quite tasty and compliments the rest of the food very well. Wash your hands before eating because you will be using this bread in lieu of a fork and knife. The side of ayib(collard greens and cottage cheese) rounded out the dish very nicely. The ambiance here is very no frills. This isn't a good place to impress a date. It is a place to get a good, large portioned meal that is very different from what you're used to cooking at home. read more

I'm a bit torn because the food was delicious here but the service is horrendous! And I've been twice and both times have had shotty service. The first time I went in the afternoon on a Saturday, so I assumed because they weren't very busy the server was slacking a little bit. We told the server what we'd like and she said she didn't have any of those options, so we asked her what she did have and she responded with what do you want? We told her already what we wanted so we were confused by the response. Ended up getting a veggie combo and some lamb thing. All delicious of course. The injera was a bit dry, but I contribute that to being there early on a Saturday. The 2nd time I went I got take out. I got a veggie combo and beef tibs. Food was amazing and I wish I could eat it for every meal of my life but again, awful service! I had to wait for about ten minutes to pick up my food and then the server immediately walked away after I signed my credit card and did not return for a minute or two. So I assumed the bag of take out, which had my order receipt resting on top of it, was mine. So I took this and walked out. I was almost home (which mind you, took about 20 minutes) when I get a call saying that's not your food, turn around. Talking to my mom later I should have just said I already started eating it and left. But damn it, I wanted my food! But bad service aside, the food is realllyyyyyy amazing! So flavorful and the injera was much better the 2nd time around. Definitely going to come back despite the crappy serivce. read more

This was my first experience with Ethiopian food. I enjoyed most of the food. It was definitely an experience eating and sharing a meal with no utensils, but I enjoyed it. I was a part of a big group of which there was a reservation in place. I was one of the first to arrive, and they were not prepared (I was about 10 minutes early). We actually had to help them set up for the group. There seemed to be only a couple of people serving, and I'm not sure how they were able to keep up with our large group in addition to other parties-but they seemed to handle it. The decor in the restaurant is unimpressive-but they make up for it with the tasty flavors of the food. The vegetable samosa was my absolute favorite even though they were quite expensive compared to everything else on the menu. read more

Abyssinia - Ethiopian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I enjoy this place partly because it's right there and the other part it has good food. Very comforting to eat with your hands. The restaurant intself is fairly spacious, always people there but never packed. The drawback again is the wait, maybe to get you really hungry for the food so go with good company. Also, go enjoy the bar upstairs, it looks like it should be in my living room! read more

if this review was based solely on how the food tasted, i'd give it a 3 - it was definitely unique and an interesting experience. i've only experienced ethiopian food once before in a cooking class, so i was open to whatever this place had to offer. but factoring in the rate of service lowers this place to a 1..if even that. i think the whole meal lasted +2 hours, they definitely need more than one server because the restaurant was packed 'n u could hear the grumblings for refills and others threatening to leave. once we paid, we bolted and all three of us had stomach aches the rest of the night. read more

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I've gotten food twice now at Abyssinia while hanging out at Fiume and I am a huge fan of the vegetarian platter but it huge so only recommend getting it if you have a buddy to split with. Not going to lie it looks a little like baby food but it taste delicious. Some of my friends tried other thing I tasted the chicken sandwich it was yummy as well. But not sure how Ethiopian it actually is. read more

It's actually rather difficult to find Ethiopian food in Philly, but I'm glad a friend recommended Abyssinia. Don't let the outside aesthetics deter you - there is good food waiting inside, I promise! The best deals are probably the combo platters, as you can sample a variety of their offerings, both meat and vegetarian. Although I found the beef tips to be very spicy, the chicken was excellent and so were the collard greens. Booze-wise, I ordered a red wine and was brought one of those mini Woodbridge "to-go" bottles, which I was down with, especially for $5. I'll echo some other reviews about the service - mediocre at best. But to be fair, there were only 1 or 2 waitresses working. We didn't wait long for our food and went on a Friday night during dinner time. Overall, a solid experience. read more

This place is just overrated. Abyssinia really pulls it in with the Penn kids taking their parents to eat here, but the management clearly doesn't spend any money on the place or the staff. The moulding and fixtures look like they were installed by 5th graders. The walls are filthy and they have a ratty old AC running in the corner. I can't imagine what the kitchen looks like. While this kind of urban grittiness is what makes Fiume so charming, it just makes Abyssinia gross. We have to eat this stuff man. The service is pretty slow although they are polite enough. The food is decent but not really up to what you'd expect from being located near one of the biggest East African neighborhoods in the US. With the Green Line having spent thousands on the place across the street, it is time for Abyssinia to step it up by hiring more staff and renovating the interior. read more

Great food. Good service. Amazing veggie options. I have been to 4 or 5 Ethiopian restaurant and this would be probably be 1 or 2(the other one is in Chicago) Only negative. Poor restrooms read more

{ International Wednesday Post } My husband, cousin and I made the trek over to West Philly on November 29th for my first foray into Ethiopian. After carefully reading some reviews on Yelp for the best place to try, we settled on Abyssinia. We shared a giant platter with deliciously marinated meats and vegetables piled on top of a large piece of injea which is like a crepe. I knew the food would not be served with any utensils, but it still was a difficult adjustment. I got weak and begged for a fork, but my request was denied. The place was pleasantly crowded with a lot of families surprisingly. The ambiance was what I expected, not fancy but a little nicer then a hole in the wall. The food was really delicious, but I just couldn't get used to not having a fork! read more

I've been here twice and I've loved it twice. I couldn't tell you what I had but the vegetarian platter was humongous, delicious, and inexpensive. I really enjoy getting a ton of different tastes and this is perfect for that. You pick up your injera and go to town on whatever glop you didn't just try. It great as a date because it's interactive and it's great for groups for the same reason. As others have mentioned, the service leaves something to be desired but it's totally worth it if you're not rushing out the door. read more

Abyssinia is the Ethiopian spot I go to if I'm not BYOBing and I'm looking for an excuse to go to Fiume. From the injera to lentils, the food is the usual Ethiopian fare. But I should also mention that the service is slower. I also feel like their liquor license isn't used well. They used to offer Tej, an Ethiopian honey wine, but no longer. The only white wine option is white zinfandel. I should also mention that sound carries in is place. You can hear the conversations of anyone dining on the other side of the room. They have a sound system for performances. My suggestion would be to use it to play background music. I really wished Abyssinia would get back to their roots and offer more interesting Ethiopian drink options and local music playing in the background. read more

Good food and great prices. The service was crazy-slow and we had to correct her on drinks a few times. Not much in terms of atmosphere (Dahlak's better for that), but the food was good. Great to bring a few people and split platters. Had a good laugh over the beverage menu that called Yellow Tail "Yellow Fail." I think that's my new name for it. :) read more

As soon as you step in you are not 100% sure what to do. Do you wait? do you seat yourself? it's all a little unclear. The hostess wasn't super helpful but she did end up seating us without a wait (we went at a time where it was pretty empty.) We ended up getting a non veg combo platter and it was pretty good. it definitely satisfied the Ethiopian craving but I wouldn't say it was the best I've had. the reason I mostly liked it was because the portions were big enough for two and were very reasonably priced. read more

This was my first experience eating Ethiopian food, so I didn't really know what to expect, but I was pretty excited because everything looked good from photos I had seen. I went with a big group of people so we ordered a huge sharing platter and I got to a try a bit of everything. I don't eat meat at the moment, so I basically only got to try the injera with the different selections of vegetables. Honestly, everything was good but I wasn't particularly impressed by anything. Maybe this isn't a fair review since I didn't get to try the meat, but I would say this restaurant is just okay. The service was also incredibly slow- it took us like 20 minutes just to get water. I would come back, but I'm not crazy about this place! read more

Abyssinia - Huge sharing platter - Ethiopian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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The only reason this place doesn't get full stars is because I never want to eat there. I always get the vegetarian platter (delicious!!) to go.... Because to be honest, there is better ambiance in my living room. read more

I recommend the Vegetarian Combination, the food is so flavorful, but not over whelming. I have been here about four times now and every time I come it's always delicious. read more

Abyssinia - Vegetarian Combination - Ethiopian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The service was very slow, even at 3:30 PM when I went with 3 friends for a late lunch/early dinner and it was not busy at all. There was only 1 server and it took her about 20 minutes just to bring out our drinks, and I had to tell her twice what I wanted to drink. The soda, specifically the coke was flat so it tasted awful! I don't understand how they can serve flat soda! The dish I ordered was terrible. It was the beef and onion mixed with the injera bread. The beef was not seasoned well, so it tasted awful. I had a few bites and couldn't bare to eat any more. If you do not like sour dough bread, you will not like the injera bread, which is made with sour dough. I tasted my friend's chicken, which was not bad. I would not return to this restaurant. read more

I visited in the afternoon to try the vegetarian combination plate. It was a nice, varied arrangement, more puréed than most and blander. The dominant taste was vinegar from the salad. Quiet in the restaurant area which is arrived at by way of a fairly popular bar. Note that the washrooms are up a flight of stairs. read more

Abyssinia - The restaurant space ... - Ethiopian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The lentils are flavorful, you can taste the differences and similarities of each dish, the injera is moist, fresh (while before it would be sometimes weirdly dry and cold), and the service (maybe because I'm a regular) is always good. Was just there two weeks ago so I'm about due for a visit. Here's hoping, with some consistency, we can make three stars four. read more

Ate here again last night. The food was great and the communal aspect of eating from the same humongous dish (see pic) with only bread and hands is really enjoyable. Ethiopians are cool (and f-you to the snooty hipster outside smoking who could even acknowledge my simplest of questions). read more

Abyssinia - What's not clear in this lousy pic is that the dish is about 2' in diameter. Very nice way to eat with close friends - Ethiopian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania