Food was mediocre; not particularly offensive, but also not particularly tasty. Service was lovely, and the ambience was somewhat pretty. Tried the veggie special platter (we were told it was for two people): this was by far the smallest Ethiopian veggie platter I had ever beheld. The veggie and lentil dishes were inoffensive, though the injera was much more tart that I was used to. After finishing our meal, my dining partner and I were still quite hungry, at which point we decamped to a Thai restaurant across the street for tom yum, spring rolls and dumplings. For a platter for two that cost nearly thirty dollars, this should not have been the case. While the restaurant is conveniently located on Main Street with ample parking, I do not intend to return - the food was just about okay and the portions were frightfully small. read more

I've been wanting to go to this place for a while and we were able to sneak in this past Saturday for a family meal, me, the wife and two kids. From the start, the place is fairly small and the decor is not anything overly special. There is a small bar/counter in the right and a buffet just past that with lots of closely spaced tables and 2 nicer tables that are bench seating. The decor and ambiance is not why you should try this place. The service was also just ok. It was a bit slow with not that many diners but it appeared that there were two people in front end service who also did work in the kitchen and a single chef/cook who just worked in the kitchen. There is a bit of a language barrier/accent in the speech of the servers but they are friendly and helpful. The service was ok, but again not the reason to try this place. The food, yes that is why you should try this place out. The injeera was soft, pillowy and had the right acid notes that I am used to in Ethiopian food. The lentils / veggies were a huge hit for the family, especially the cabbage side and the Misir Wot. The Alcha Kik Wot has never been my favorite and it was ok, but the rest were a big hit. The meats were also popular with the family. The Doro Wat was super flavorful and I'm sure the egg would be a hit for those that like Egg Curries (not our thing). The sauce over that part was thick and very flavorful forward. Our favorite meat dish was the lamb tibs however. Nice and cut small, the flavor was a huge hit for the whole family. As usual with Ethiopian food, the dishes were all served on a single piece of injera with other pieces rolled up around the plate. When we left, there was not a bit of food left on the plate. Another bonus is that it's not too expensive for what you get and is very family / group eating friendly. This is definitely a place to try if you like flavor forward ethnic foods. Parking is easy on the street just outside and it's right next to the inn at Middletown if you're staying in town. read more

My wife wanted to go to Abyssinian for her birthday, so I agreed and I am so glad I did so. The waitress help us with ordering, so don't be worried about not knowing what their foods are. The food was incredible. We ordered two different meals off the menu and the waitress asked us if it was ok to serve it on one giant platter, we said yes. The meals came on one dish with her food on one side and mine on the other, which gave us the ability to try each other's food. The entire experience was absolutely great! read more

Abyssinian Ethiopian Restaurant - Chicken - Ethiopian Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

One of the best restaurants in Middletown. Food was different and very flavorful I had Gored Gored it was excellent my son had Doro Tibs excellent The entire experience was absolutely great! read more

Above and Beyond This is my second review of Abyssinia. They were closed for 7 months and have reopened under new leadership and chef. Same awesome food. Same very friendly attitude. I was talking with owner cook. He reopened this restaurant due to his love of his culture and his love of cooking. I told him I too enjoy cooking. To my surprise he gifted me enough of their homemade berbere spice mix the special spiced butter that he called Ethiopian gold and instructions how to make doro wat. Doro Wat is often referred to as the national dish of Ethiopia. I made it and the photo of my effort is below. It was super tasty. I served over rice as I can't make injera. This is going above and beyond and gave an experience I won't forget. Thank you and please check them out. read more

Abyssinian Ethiopian Restaurant - Nice outdoor seating - Ethiopian Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

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The place is casual with plenty of seats and there was outdoor seating when we went in the summer time. The server was very helpful in guiding us with what everything was, as this was our first time, and we decided on the doro wot (chicken) and salmon tibs. All I can say was flavor explosion. Everything, including the veggie sides, we're so flavorful and accompanied our entrees so well. The soft injera bread, that it's served on and alongside, is a sourdough flat bread so it is a little sour, which was delicious but was a little overpowering toward the end of the meal (might just have been because I wasn't used to it). Wow, what a wonderful experience and great introduction to Ethiopian cuisine. The restaurant was closed for a bit but glad they're back open. I've been craving Ethiopian ever since, not sure there's a cuisine I've tried so far that compares. read more

Abyssinian Ethiopian Restaurant - Our two entrees (Doro Wot and the salmon ribs I believe) are served on injera and with the accompanying veggie sides - Ethiopian Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

Wonderful authentic food experience. We were there with family, took vegetarian dishes and lamb. It's was scrumptious ! Even out picky 16 year old had a blast ;) read more

The food is delicious and the service is very good...we will return many times...the food is very good

It's little wonder no reservation is needed at Abyssinian Ethiopian Restaurant on Main Street in Middletown and unlikely anyone who eats there would ever return. As the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat - or the unsuspecting consumer who is brave enough to venture into uncharted restaurant territory. The small, chicken coop sized space is over lit, probably to ensure that patrons don't linger, but there's no worries here. Being the only customers in the establishment, the isolation, and suspicions began to settle in: why is the place empty? It didn't take long to figure that out, beginning with the before dinner aperitif, a standard glass of what is called white wine, that has a decidedly amber color, raising fears of "what is it?" Tasting the suspect liquid confirmed all fears, once again begging the question, "what is it?" Moving on to dinner, the small portion of a poultry menu item didn't matter because no one would want to eat much - if any - of it anyway. The cubed chicken in a nondescript sauce had a decidedly gamey taste, otherwise known as yesterday's, or the day before yesterday's leftover bird. My dining companion's dish was no better, with the beef being notably chewy, accompanied by a tablespoon or two of a lentil concoction that was the "side." Both dishes came with a rolled up, peculiar looking and surprisingly tasteless item that resembled a dirty sock. It's called Injera. Again, the small portion is no problem here. For sure, no doggie bags will be needed. Though there are a couple losers along the Main Street stretch, by and large Abyssinian Ethiopia is an anomy among the many fine restaurants in downtown Middletown. In all fairness, maybe the vegetarian entrees are a better choice on the menu, but with price tags of around $30, that's a gamble. It could also be that other Ethiopian restaurants do a better than this one, or maybe they were just having a bad day. But in a country whose sustenance comes from whatever they can get from the UN, Red Cross, and similar donors, it's no surprise that Ethiopia doesn't excel in the culinary area. It's a shame they occupy that prime real estate and mystifying how they have managed to stay open for this long. Hopefully they will find the sense to move over and allow someone else to take the reins to provide high quality cuisine that local patrons expect and deserve. read more

Fantastic food! The staff was incredible and the service was amazing!!! The ambiance was incredible too!!! I would come back anytime!

Sometimes it's about the food, and sometimes it's about the entire experience. At Abyssinian, it was definitely the entire experience, as the owner was a really interesting and welcoming person with whom to interact. For drinks, we first asked about Tej, and we were told they had probably just enough for 3 glasses. As we were 6, we instead opted for wine, and we ordered reasonably priced bottles of both red and white wines. We followed this with appetizers. The sambusas may have been my favorite part of the entire meal, they had a nice kick to them. So did the Ayib Be Gomen, which happened to be served with a fork. This is the first Ethiopian restaurant at which we ever received utensils instead of injera, but that was fine. At Abyssinian, you order your own plate of food, and your entree comes out with typically 3 sides. For ours, we all received potatoes, lentils, and cabbage. We inquired about collards and were told they were not part of the platters, but the owner was nice enough to give us a plate of collards to go with our meal. No forks now, everyone got their own plate of injera. The injera on my platter was a bit dry and crisp around the edges, possibly slightly older or possibly under a heat lamp briefly. We had some people in our group who were not good with spicy food, so we asked for the meals to be only mildly spicy. The spiciness of the meal was perfect for the request, though I would have been equally content having it be spicier. One of the things I like about Ethiopian restaurants is that sometimes you're almost family within minutes of sitting down. I definitely got that feeling here. read more

Abyssinian Ethiopian Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

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Small Ethiopian spot with a very friendly owner and a bunch of different authentic dishes I came for dinner with my friend and we split both the salmon dish and the veggie sampler. Everything that we tried was delicious, including the sourdough bread used to mop up all our of different entrees. 9 read more

Abyssinian Ethiopian Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

Service was poor when we dined here. No other customers were there. I can see why. We were basically ignored by the waiter. Despite being the only customers, the waiter left us sitting alone in an empty restaurant for 10 minutes while talking with someone outside. No napkins or water offered during the entire meal. The waiter literally didn't bother to do the minimum. When our food arrived it was cold and bland. Hopefully this was just a bad day and not a typical night. I was disappointed because I have always heard such high praise for Ethiopian food. I will certainly have to try another Ethiopian restaurant that takes customer experience more seriously. read more

Have been here a couple times since it reopened and I'm sad to say it is nowhere near as good as it used to be. Portion size has gone down as well as the quality. The food has been cold when served and the variety on the vegetarian platter is poor. They no longer serve alcohol. I'm just not excited about this place anymore. read more

Really great meal! Friendly proprietor. Convenient location right on Main Street. Highly recommended! read more

This restaurant is a hidden gem! My boyfriend and I were looking to try something new, and I cannot recommend this place enough. Our server was wonderful-- he was kind and recommended us some fabulous food. We went hungry and ordered many, many items off the menu. Most of them were things we had not tried before, but every one was a hit. The flavors were so rich and incredible. This place has become a new go to for us, and they do take out as well!! The ambiance was cozy and quiet-- perfect for date night! read more

Kind owners with a lovely family atmosphere the food was very good I had Doro wat, coffee, and marbled cake all terrific

I came here with a friend because I was craving Ethiopian food and my friend requested something with *flavor* (emphasis on flavor). The owner made us feel like we were entering his home, sitting with us and chatting like we were old friends while we were choosing what to order. It was so refreshing to have that level of attention and I can see why this place is so highly rated. All the vegetarian meals are vegan, so do not worry! Everything is fresh and the injera is amazing, and the stand outs are the Denish Wot, Yemeser Wot and Ater Kik. Everything was well seasoned though, and the injera was perfectly sour without being overwhelming. The Sambusa were also tasty, perfectly flaky even after sitting through our meal and the accompanying sauce was a perfect complement. They are also allergy friendly so be confident that if you tell them of any that you may have that you will be taken care of. All things told, it was an affordable meal, with enough for leftovers, and I would make the trip to come here from New Haven again. As the owner told us, the owners of Lalibela come here to eat too, so you know its good! I highly recommend. read more

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Really enjoyed our visit here Thursday evening... It was for my birthday dinner, they not only reserved a table, but put out special flowers and my name on a little sign :-) very nice personal touch. Food was tasty and came out reasonably quickly; they were able to accommodate my husband's dislike of very spicy food, and put the spice on the side so we could add it to our liking. Even without the "hot" our food was rich and flavorful. Especially enjoyed their falafel appetizer. read more

We went here for a Veterans Day celebration for my husband. This was a cuisine we had wanted to try for a long time and came across Abyssinia on Yelp and had to try it. The service and food were amazing! The owner came to our table multiple times to check in and see how we were liking the food, as well as tell us about the way certain food were prepared. I highly recommend going here for an authentic Ethiopian food experience! read more

Abyssinian Ethiopian Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

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Make sure you visit this wonderful restaurant! Our kids had never had Ethiopian food before and wanted to try it (mostly because they heard they could eat without utensils). The owner was so kind with his recommendations and took into account what our kids said they liked. The service was really attentive. The food was fantastic! The injera is delicious and we especially loved the sliced beef and the yellow lentils. Try the hummus; my 8 year old was scraping the plate. We wish them all the best as they reopen, they deserve all the success! Don't miss out. read more

Abyssinian Ethiopian Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

I'm in no way familiar with Ethiopian food but the service here made it easy for me. Simple, you have your bread, your meat, your sauces and vegetables. Next you just use your bread as an eating utensil to scoop up your meat and what not. Finally, shove that ***** in your mouth and enjoy the spicy flavors your stomach would love the next day. Super friendly and caring service. They truly want to show you their culture and they really want you to come back for more. We ordered the lamb, chicken, beef, salmon, vegetables and more but they were able to serve it all on one dish for the whole group of 6 that I had to share. Really brought us close together and we were able to enjoy this new experience together. Such a good time when they make it easy for you. The meats were so full of flavor and spice, cooked very nicely. Seasoned so heavily it was hard to tell what was what but it was so good that I honestly didn't even care. Service was quick, restaurant was clean and the food was Ethiopian. Apparently the restaurant is old but the location is new if you know what I mean. 5-Stars, I'd come again, but one word of advice; bring your more adventurous friends. They'd appreciate it more. read more

Abyssinian Ethiopian Restaurant - Litterally everything - Ethiopian Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

My wife and I were excited to try a new restaurant with vegan options. We both ordered from the vegan section of the menu, where the entrees were described in detail. When my order was served to me, it featured a large helping of chopped meat. When I brought this to the server's attention I was told that it was "one of the sides", and not a problem. I did not agree. Perhaps the word "vegan" has a different meaning in Ethiopian cuisine. read more

Food was just ok a bit overpriced 22 bucks for a drumstick and veggies is kinda crazy. Service was slow even though i was the first guest of the day. I was craving Sambusa but they did not have it. So i ordered the Hummus it was literally 3-4 scoops of hummus with a large salad on top like they was tryna hide the hummus it was good tho. It was super cold in the restaurant i just had a bad experience. With this being 1 or 2 Ethiopian restaurants i will take the trip to New Haven Laibela is handsdown best in CT i doubt i will be back. Had the runs 2 days after eating here smh read more

Abyssinian Ethiopian Restaurant - Doro Wot and Veggie Platter - Ethiopian Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

The food here is amazing. It was my first time eating ethiopian food, the Masir Wot and Kay Wot were our favorite. One of the owners, Solomon, was serving us and helped explain the menu and gave recommendations. He was very attentive, very sincere and made us feel extremely welcome. We stayed past closing time and he did not mind at all. Will be going back to try the rest of the menu! read more

Abyssinian Ethiopian Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

It was a Friday night, we decided to try something new to us. Although there were only two other people in the joint, we were not deterred. Atmosphere was welcoming, clean but not spotless, almost cozy, but not really. Service was, shall we say, adequate. The food was flavorful and filling. Good enough that I would go again. read more

Great food! The injera is excellent, awesome rich flavors, and they have the tej honey wine!!! Excellent

Amazing food. We wanted to try this place for a long long time and we're very glad we did! Loved the place and the food. We got there before the place opened by mistake and they still took us. They served us some wine and the food was just outstanding. We spoke for a while with the owner of the place and WOW! Such incredible people... everybody working there is just great. He talked to us about how they opened the restaurant and how they actually import the Teff grain to make their bread, amazing. Great attitude, friendly and soooooo welcoming. If you're not familiar with Ethiopian food, please try some at the Abyssinian Ethiopian Restaurant. You won't regret it. Amazing family, amazing food and great environment. Loved every second of it, we'll be back regularly for some more of that Ethiopian deliciousness!!!!!!! As for COVID regulations, they seemed to follow their rules. We were the only ones in the restaurant when we got there because it hadn't even opened yet but they had tables blocked in between so I imagine they won't sit people so close. Overall a great experience. My husband and I both have worked in the service industry and this was just great. We love to try new places where people are humble, honest and work hard. Definitely worth your business. Go get some!!!! read more

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This place is absolutely great! My husband I went here for a date. We ordered a couple of different dishes and asked for them to be on the same plate. The platter was beautifully arranged, and it was all soooo good. The owner came out and told us that his wife is the cook; he also brought us more samples when it looked like we were running low. Highly highly recommend this restaurant. read more

So thrilled that Abyssinia has reopened! Food is even better than before. The beets and hummus were particularly delicious. Service is friendly and attentive. We will be back again soon! read more

We stopped here on a drive home to the Hudson Valley. Everything was outstanding! Truly - the food, the service, the atmosphere. I wish we lived closer - I would eat here every week. I'm a vegan and they had great selections for me. My partner is not vegan and they had great selections for him. Really, really loved this place! read more

Wonderful food prepared by a warm and kind couple, Solomon and TG. I asked TG (the chef) to just pick what I should eat for me and everything was delicious and beautifully served. Many thanks for a fabulous meal. I've told all my friends to come by. read more

Food was awesome. The owner and his wife are very personable and she is the cook! Cant say enough good things about it. After dinner we had the coffee and it was fabulous! read more

Enjoyed an excellent vegan meal tonight! Food was delicious and service was great. Owners are very friendly and attentive and the ambiance was delightful. read more

Abyssinian Ethiopian Restaurant - Assorted vegan entrees. - Ethiopian Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

Fantastic food, even better service. Staff was kind, engaging and gave fantastic food recommendations. Highly recommend the Doro Wot. read more

I am so disappointed I have not stopped here sooner. There is no shortage of great places to stop in Middletown. Do not make the mistake I have and pass this place by. They have fantastic food and great personality. We were on our way back kind of late and decided to order pick up. We put our order in 20 minutes before close. I had place the order online, but there is sometimes a delay. They advised me to call it in next time if we are nearby. We kind of knew we would be early, so we were planning on having a glass of their honey wine anyway while we waited. The man serving and seating welcomed us and treated us like friends. He told us about their special honey wine and kept us updated on how the chef was doing in the kitchen. As they were about to bring out our food, the man asked us if we had had Ethiopian food before. We answered that it had been a while. He then asked if we remembered how to eat the food. We said we were not sure. He immediately ran to the kitchen telling us he will show us. The man brought out his own dinner ready to go for him when he was done. He said he had to show us. He opened up the container, gave us some instruction, and told us to try. The man sacrificed his own meal because he wanted to teach us to eat it properly and get the full benefit of the food. Already above and beyond. We had ordered a little bit of everything. We got a Chicken Sambusa Pastry, the Doro Tibs, and the Gored Gored. Everything was delicious. The Gored Gored was next level though. The meat was so tender and so delicious. Wow. My number one to recommend if you eat beef. There so much food! We had enough for lunch the next day too. Overall, excellent place to try something a little different! read more

This was our second visit to Abyssinian, my first visit preceded my service with Yelp. I remembered from my first visit that I was really enchanted by the place, the uniqueness of the food, of the way it was served, and the novelty of the whole experience. Returning tonight, I looked at things a bit more critically because the novelty of this very unique style of cuisine had worn off a little. My son and I arrived around 6:45 PM on a Thursday and there was one table of three diners sitting in the front. The rest of the place was empty and stayed that way all night, at least until we left at 8:00. We ordered two Ethiopian beers (Castel and a St. George) for $5.50 each and they were pretty good- in fact they tasted remarkably similar. We split two appetizers - a order of Chicken Sambusas ($6.95) -they were three minced Chicken pastries nicely spiced with cumin, garlic, onions, and nutmeg. They were excellent. We also split a second appetizer; a Yemiser Salad ($5.95), a really nice warm lentil salad with onions, green peppers and herbs. The appetizers were both very good and well priced. Our entrees were a $16.95 Ye'Siga be'ye Ayinetu -it's a 4-meat combo platter (2 chickens and 2 beefs) served with the traditonal injera bread, sauces, chutneys, and whatnot. It had a nice quantity of meat on it and seemed like a pretty good value. Mine wasn't -I ordered Doro Wot (Spicy) -advertised as "Tender chicken marinated in lemon, sauteed in seasoned butter stewed in a red pepper sauce flavored with onions, garlic and ginger root with a pinch of cardamom and nutmeg. Served with Abyssinian Cheese and boiled egg". Sounds good doesn't it? Well what I received was a very small bowl containing a most definitely unspicy red sauce with one drumstick. Yes, it was $12.95 for one drumstick, sauce, injera bread and a few scoops of whatever. A definite disappointment. Service was OK tonight, she was in a good mood, and a definite improvement over what I remember from my first time here. Bottom line-- this is a very cool place to visit the first time, the whole idea of the injera bread and ripping off morsels to eat with your hands is fun -at least the first time. The second time I realized that the taste of entrees didn't really wow me, and combine that with the questionable bang for your buck value, well, let's just say I doubt I'll be back. One last thing - there was an incessant beeping electronic noise that probably had something to do with their security system. Made me feel like someone was watching Grey's Anatomy nearby........ read more

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I love absolutely everything about this restaurant! This was my third visit over the last couple of years, but my first time writing a review. We came with a party of four and ordered three dishes, which was more than enough food to satisfy all of us. We ordered #6 Doro Wot, an incredibly flavorful chicken dish that will have your taste buds rejoicing! We ordered medium hot, which was just perfect. The red sauce flavored with cardamom, ginger, and garlic makes a multi-layered flavor profile. We also ordered the one lamb dish on the menu, and the steak tartare. All were equally delicious. If this your first time eating at an Ethiopian restaurant, be prepared to dig in with your hands. The dishes, with exception of the tartare, are served on a giant round platter, to be shared with group. The platter is first covered with the spongy, tangy flavored pancake-like bread called injera, then the stew-like dishes are plopped in the middle and surrounded by smaller serving of lentils, chick peas, and cabbage, all deliciously prepared. Each person is given an individual plate of injera, and then the fun begins. Tear off a piece of injera and use that as fun, and sometimes messy, food delivery system. Who the heck needs forks! The service is friendly and very down to earth. At the end of our meal, as only a couple of us were eating it, we had a significant amount of the tartare left to take home. Someone from the kitchen came out and asked if it was okay. What a nice thing to do! They were out of Ethiopian beer which was disappointing, but I had a glass of honey wine, which starts out sweet and ends up bitter. Nothing i need to have again but it was fun to experience it. Is this my go to, let me stop by here a couple times a month place? No, but it's a great place to REALLY share a meal with friends and family. read more

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The Abyssinian, aka "The Abyss." You will feel as though you have fallen into one when the wait staff abandons you for an eternity, neglecting to offer water, or ask for your order, or bring what you ordered... Good food once you get it, and nice enough staff. It's just that the service is so terribly slow, what should be a pleasant experience dining out is a frustrating experience of increasingly intensifying thirst and hunger. If you do go, be sure you are well hydrated and show up not yet hungry. read more

Everytime I tell someone I had a great meal at an Ethiopian restaurant they look at me sideways. Well they don't know what they are missing!!!!! Great food, delicious, healthy flavorful!! Yes you have to get used to no silverware but they will teach you. The owner is friendly and really fun! And don't miss out on the Ethiopian beer!! read more

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