Great food,and lovely people. I lived in Ethiopia for some years. The whole vibe of the restaurant was both authentic and relaxed

Lovely spot! Great menu - lots of vegan/veggie options. Good prices. Food tastes so fresh and amazing! Loved the portion size. Left very happy and satisfied. Service staff was very sweet and speedy to attend. read more

Alem Ethiopian Village - Veggie combo - Ethiopian Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

How have I not reviewed this place! I've been here probably about a dozen times, and it's my go to spot for Ethiopian food in the U.S. I fell in love with Ethiopian food, and the owners here make this space truly unique. I love the attention to detail and the family friendly environment of the restaurant space itself. The owners wife cooks the food, and it is consistent and delicious every single time. The red lentils are so tasty--I order double portions when I come in. I am a meat eater so that says a lot about the preparation of the vegetarian sides--so good! The injera is some of the best I've had--perfectly chewy and tangy, not too mild and not rubbery. 10/10. Portion sizes are generous and family style. Order several different sides and enjoy. read more

Alem Ethiopian Village - Ethiopian Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Alem Ethiopian Village finally opened for dine-in. I'm not sure when this happened but I finally had time to come in. When I first moved to the area, COVID restrictions were still in place. The ambiance was everything. Ethiopian music (Zema) was playing in the background. The food is always amazing. I'm a huge fan of the doro wot. It's a nice mix of spicy and sweet. I had the spinach (quosta) and lentils (yemiser wot) as my sides. Everything came out plated on injera. Their injera is my favorite. They give you enough to eat with unlike some restaurants I've been to. Before my entree came, I started off with the sambusas. I highly recommend using the sauce that comes with the sambusas. read more

Alem Ethiopian Village - Beef Sambusas - Ethiopian Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Alem Ethiopian Restaurant is hands down one of the best Ethiopian restaurants I've ever been to. The food is incredibly flavorful, fresh, and perfectly seasoned--every dish tastes authentic and made with care. The injera is soft and delicious, and the portions are generous. The service is just as amazing as the food: warm, welcoming, and attentive without being rushed. The atmosphere is cozy and inviting, making it a perfect place to enjoy a relaxed meal with family or friends. From the moment you walk in, you feel taken care of. Everything--from the food to the service to the overall experience--is wonderful. Highly recommend to anyone looking for truly great Ethiopian cuisine. Do not forget to get tea and or Coffee. Best experience! read more

One of my absolute favorite Ethiopian restaurants. The food is top tier in terms of quality, authenticity, and overall taste. My family and I have frequented this restaurant for many years for different occasions. The owner and his family are great people and generally make dining here such a great experience. read more

Been 5 years since my last visit to MKE and came right to Alem. Food still amazing flavors and textures. So tasty. read more

Alem Ethiopian Village - Chicken with 2 sides - Ethiopian Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

4.75/5 The energy of Alem Ethiopian Village is vibrant; I mean, as soon as you enter, it's the engaging colors, the lovely couple that runs the business, and the smells of authentic Ethiopian dishes. We catered from here for an event, and we're so grateful that we could support a local business like Alem's. FOOD: We ordered trays of zilzil, doro wat, yemsir wat (spicy lentils), gomen (collared greens), and injera, all of which had felt like a home-cooked meal when served together. The chicken was the 9.9/10 from individuals that attended the event and the yemsir wat, or lentils were a huge hit. Yemsir wat was pretty close to what a bowl of dal, or lentil soup would taste like in Indian cuisine. VIBES: Cozy. Comfy. Sincerely, felt like food from the heart. SERVICE: The couple cheffing up the food and serving it were extremely passionate about their work and only speaks highly of their service as well. They ensured that our catering order was processed smoothly and quickly. read more

Alem Ethiopian Village - injera with some gomen and yemsir wot - Ethiopian Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

As a newbie to Ethiopian food I thought it tasted great. I would recommend that if you don't normally eat spicy foods that you start at the "regular" level since most dishes had some heat to it. Service was extremely fast and friendly. Prices were more than fair for the amount of food served. read more

Alem Ethiopian Village - This was a combination of 3 different meat dishes (chicken, lamb and beef) as well as several vegetarian sides. - Ethiopian Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

I wasn't impressed. I'm guessing things may have been "off" due to COVID. I really wanted fasolia but the worker said it's only available for dine in (which is ridiculous, for one. It's literally just string beans and carrots). The restaurant was carryout only, so... just say fasolia isn't available? Plus, she had an attitude about me even asking. The vegetable plate only came with gomen, tikil gomen (cabbage, carrots and potatoes. Which means you might as well make the fasolia too.), misir wot, and alitcha. The food was good, but nothing memorable. There was more injera than there was food, which is a far cry from the hefty portions you get at many Ethiopian restaurants. Also, most other Ethiopian restaurants include fasolia with the veg plate, so... I do like that they didn't charge extra for gluten-free injera though. So overall it was an ok experience. However, I wouldn't go out of my way to return. read more

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Stopped by for dinner on a Tuesday night. It didn't look like they were doing dine-in but they let us come in. We ordered the chicken and lamb which was very tasty. The owners were very welcoming and nice. They checked in on us and talked with us about our first time having Ethiopian food. Will definitely be back! read more

Alem Ethiopian Village - Ethiopian Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

We ordered the vegetable combo which included a collard greens, beans, corn, and onion/carrots. The bean dish was are favorite, it had a great savory/acidic flavor. Additionally we ordered the Doro Wat Chicken dish which included a chicken leg and a hard-boiled egg covered in what was described as a "pepper sauce". This dish was savory and delicious. Lastly, eating the food with the injera bread was a fun experience the bread had the texture of a spongy crepe and tasted sour like sour dough bread. read more

Alem Ethiopian Village - Ethiopian Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

We went for dinner with our 3 year old and we all LOVED it. Food was all amazing, our waiter was so excellent and kind, and we just thoroughly enjoyed it all. read more

Got one chicken leg with a egg for 19.00 The greens or cabbage were not good. Very disappointed. Doro Wot was so disappointing from what I've eaten so many times at other restaurants. read more

I was delighted to find out that Alem finally reopened their doors for dine in. It wasn't widely advertised for some reason which explains why they were half empty on a Friday evening. Waiter was very knowledgeable and pleasant and prevented us from over ordering which is rare. This was my first Ethiopian food experience and I loved that no utensils were provided as you are expected to eat with your hands. Very authentic. And the food was out of this world delicious! Bold flavors, aggressive seasoning, meat falling off the bone! I did enjoy Ethiopian steak tartar but I prefer the European version more as it was a bit too acidic for me. Otherwise, top notch experience and I see myself becoming a regular! read more

Alem Ethiopian Village - Ethiopian Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Don't try to eat here order takeout instead because the dining area is closed. The food is really good. I had chicken greens and rice. The bread is very filling and I couldn't finish everything but I found myself still hungry about 10 minutes later. So I guess the advice is to pace yourself if you don't eat this type of food often. read more

Alem Ethiopian Village - Take-out pick-up area - Ethiopian Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

I would have written this review earlier but I was so full ana pleased with this meal I just wanted to bask in the moment. This food was so good! When I visited they were only doing take out only, so I ordered take out. When I picked up the bag it was so heavy, they were not stingy with the food. The food was well seasoned, not too spicy, just enough to give it a kick. I may have to do one more visit before leaving town, they are a great vegetarian option. read more

Alem Ethiopian Village - This is V14 - the vegetarian sampler platter - Ethiopian Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Mostly a reminder to myself to order V1 or V3 for the next time I eat here because I can never remember. I welcome eating meats... but here I go vegetarian. Their lentils are to die for! Well seasoned and balanced. I've heard a few comments about the injera being a little too sour from others I dine with but I've had it elsewhere where it's overdone so I've preferred their injera! Lots of injera to share. It was cutely wrapped in a To-go box which I wasn't expecting. read more

So flavorful! Got take out here, and I got the V1 (yemiser Wot). The spice level was fantastic! The dish was hearty, and I had enough for lunch the next day. The dish came with plenty of injera. Injera has a slightly tart taste, maybe kind of like sour dough? It soaked up the yemiser wot perfectly, and it has a nice texture to it. When I went at the end of April, the place was still take out only. I hope to go back and try some of their other dishes! read more

Cancelled my order an hour after I ordered it and twenty minutes before its expected delivery after they confirmed the order.

food came out so quickly! everything was really good and the injera was perfect. Only wish they gave us more napkins read more

Alem Ethiopian Village - veggie platter x 2 - Ethiopian Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

We visited Alem Ethiopian Village for the first time early on a Saturday evening. We were promptly greeted and seated, even sans reservation. The restaurant was about half full when we arrived, but quickly filled up by 7PM. We started off with the sambusa as an appetizer, requesting the beef. I think we received the lentil, but were still happy with them. Nicely fried and crispy, with good spices. For our entrées, we ordered the lamb L2 (fantastic, deliciously spiced but not too spicy, in a wonderful red pepper sauce), and vegetarian V1 (lentils in red pepper sauce - my favorite), V2 (steamed collard greens - pretty good), and V3 (yellow split peas in sauce - good, although definitely strong on the garlic). They have a decent selection of mostly imported beers, as well as some wine. Opting to have our entrées served on the same platter with injera worked well, and the injera itself was delicious; probably the best I've had. The food was delicious, the atmosphere was welcoming, and the service was very pleasant. However, only two people were serving the whole (full) dining room, and they probably could have used at least one extra person. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit, and plan on returning to check out some of the other options on their extensive menu. read more

Alem Ethiopian Village - Yellow to clockwise: V3, V1, L2, V3, V1 - Ethiopian Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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We got beef sambusa, doro tibs (chicken), yebeg tibs extra juicy one (lamb) with collard greens, yellow split peas, spinach and steamed cabbage. The extra juicy lamb were so good and super flavorful . It didn't have the lamb smell. That's how you know they are good. I asked to make it less spicy and that was spicy enough for me. The chicken one was okay. I wish it had more sauce to go with it. For the vegetable side dishes, I was not a bit fan of the yellow split peas. The spinach was a bit too mussy for me. The steamed cabbage had carrots along with it. Additionally, the beef sambusa was so crispy. The filling was savory. The Injera was not too sour. I hate it when the injera too sour because you wouldn't able to taste the tibs well. Definitely would go back again. read more

We finally made it here for the vegan buffet. Amazing food--and a great deal as well. We especially liked the potato dish and the spinach. The service was friendly and attentive. Our server even assured us that they would fill up the buffet, which was running low, which they did, Immediately. Update (four years later). Another wonderful meal on a rainy Thursday night. We had the vegetarian sampler, which was fantastic. read more

Alem Ethiopian Village - Vegetable sampler for two! - Ethiopian Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

If you are looking for TRUE ETHIOPIAN FOOD, SEARCH NO MORE. Wow just wow. Since you arrive the hostess has the best smile and the ambiance is so nice and relax. The food: we got combo 1 and 5 and it was Plenty for 2 people. Tips: don't ask for utensils, use your hands embrace the culture. The price was super reasonable for the amount of food we got. WE ARE COMING BACK!!!! read more

Alem Ethiopian Village - Combo 1 and 5 - Ethiopian Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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This was my first time eating Ethiopian food so while I have no benchmark, I do know this place has food PACKED with flavor and the portion sizes are amazing! I got it with my roommate on a weekend and I think she got it another 3 times in the next week and a half if that says anything about how good the food is I got the lamb, it was really flavorful and not gamey at all, and nice and tender! I've tried all the sides and you really can't go wrong with any there! I also got the baklava and OMG it's SO good. Super light and crispy and deliciously sweet. This is one of my go-to's in Milwaukee now! read more

I am huge fan of Ethiopian food from when I lived adjacent to a large Ethiopian community on the west coast. I was so stoked to find Ethiopian cuisine in Milwaukee. I'd say: it's not nearly as spicy as the Ethiopian food I enjoyed on the west coast, but still delicious and the portions are huge. I recommend everyone try Ethiopian as a unique group dining experience where everyone eat with their hands. read more

I went to this restaurant with my boyfriend for the first time and it was also the first Ethiopian food experience for both of us. We ordered Sambusa in lentils and beef (3 in total), Yetematim Fitfit and the meat plate. Although we felt lost when we looked at the menu, our server was friendly and patient enough to explain everything to us. The food was delicious! Fun and great experience. Note that the size of the plate is definitely big for 2 or 3 adults to share. If you order other appetizers as well, be prepared to ask for some to-go boxes lol! read more

Alem Ethiopian Village - Meat Plate - Ethiopian Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

If you look behind me, somewhere way far off in the distance, you'll see a very blurry line that marks my comfort zone. We are WAY out of it here in an Ethiopian restaurant where they have goat on the menu, they serve the food "family style" and there's no cutlery (they will bring it if you ask). Spice levels are going to be big question marks. When my planned Sunday night restaurant was closed (so many closed restaurants on Sunday nights!), I found Alem was open and welcoming and surprisingly not busy. The hostess let me sit anywhere and the waitress came up to me a few minutes later. I told her that I had no idea what I was doing and asked her what I should have. And uh, I have no idea what she brought me. I know one of the piles was beef and the other two piles were beans of some sort. And it was tasty and spicy and really really unique. On a scale from ketchup to jalapeno's, this fell in the middle of the scale. It's hot, but it's not burning hot. And it's spicy, but you can actually taste the food and the variations in the spicy. It's... yummy! So the big deal here is that they don't have cutlery. Probably because they didn't have much metal in the Ethiopian part of the world or not enough wood to fire up and melt to shape into knives and forks. You don't *quite* eat with your hands. Instead, the food is served with a spongy bread. You tear off 2 inch square bits of the bread and use it to "pinch" the food. If you do it right, the stew manages to not only stay on the bread, but you're also able to keep it off your fingers and out of your lap. Good luck. Tasty meal, good service, a really different sort of experience. Try it. You might like it! read more

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We enjoyed an assortment of entrees for my take-out birthday dinner: spicy lentils, collard greens, yellow split peas, spinach, and chicken and fish tibs. Everything was delicious! I've been spoiled by the amazing Ethiopian food in Oakland, but Alem's offering were comparable. The injera was outstanding! We had leftovers for days! I'm looking forward to dining in to enjoy the ambiance as well as the traditional shared eating experience. Can't wait! read more

The food and service are great here. My wife and i went after a play nearby and we had the vegetarian platter for two. They have standard tables and chairs for the rookies , but we like the traditional small round tables they have. The dish arrived quickly and it was very good. They gave us so much we had leftovers, which is rare for us at Ethiopian spots. We plan to make this a regular location after plays read more

No doubt about the deliciousness of this restaurant. We ordered a vegetarian platter for pick up (during Covid-19 times), and they had the food steaming hot and ready to go when we arrived. The platter included ample injera for two of us, as well as 4 dishes - yekik alicha (yellow lentils with that smoky flavor), atakilt wat (cabbage carrot and potato, slightly sweet), yemisir wot (spicy and deep in the palate), and gomen (collard greens always mustardy). I can't express how grateful I am that places like Alem are still offering food during this time. Affordable and absolutely perfect. Thank you for existing and can't wait to come back when we are in Milwaukee again. read more

Straight up, some of the better Ethiopian we'd had outside of Ethiopia! The first place I've been that will actually serve proper Kitfo (raw meat with cheese). Kitfo was incredible and a must if you go on Friday or Saturday. The injera was done very well (harder to find than it should be), the shiro was amazing, tibs were excellent and the Honey wine was heavenly as if you were in Lalibela sipping it! The traditional art on the walls is very reminiscent of the art seen in the country and the baskets we ate from in the back room further heightened the experience. One of the best Ethiopian spots we've been from coast to coast. A must go for those who love it or those who don't yet know they love it! read more

Alem Ethiopian Village - Tej ~ Honey wine! - Ethiopian Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

On my last three visits, the food has still been very good with robust flavors from the seasoning in the sauces of the stews, but the temperature of the food has been lower than expected for the meat stews especially. Also, the temperature of the injera on last night's visit was as if it just came out of the refrigerator. I prefer that the injera is no colder than room temperature and the meat stews should be well above room temperature. There was a group of 30 or more last night which may have impacted quality control in the kitchen, but that needs to be addressed. I will still visit again, but I hope these issues are resolved. read more

Alem Ethiopian Village - ES3 M1 sampler platter - Ethiopian Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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V1. Yemiser Wot - spicy/Splits lentils slowly cooked in Ethiopian red pepper sauce and assorted spices V2. Gomen/Collard greens steamed, delicately seasoned and cooked with fresh garlic and pepper. V3. Yater Alitcha/Yellow split peas cooked in specially flavored mild sauce. V5. Yatakilt Alitcha/Steamed cabbages cooked with onions, fresh garlic and ginger. V14. Any of four Vegetable Entrees/Portions of V1, V2, V3 and V5 This place is beautiful and can't wait to return to dine in. I ordered a four item vegan platter. So delicious. The best way to try different entrees. Generous helpings. My favorite was the Yemiser Wot. Looking forward to trying more! read more

The food is healthy and tastes reasonably good, however it is far from outstanding being the least tasty Ethiopian food I've had. Of course the many other Ethiopian restaurants I've eaten at were mostly in Washington DC and New York City where there is a lot more competition than in Milwaukee where I think there is only one other Ethiopian place. We had the vegetarian combination for two which comes with ten selected dishes. read more

Alem Ethiopian Village - The Vegetarian Combination for two. You choose 10 of their 12 vegetarian dishes. - Ethiopian Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Such delicious, fresh tasting ingredients, I was pleasantly surprised! We got an order for delivery (which is a first, never gotten Ethiopian via delivery) and it was nice to enjoy this in the comfort of my own home. This review is solely based on the food and not the service since I have not physically dined in (May update if I dine in). read more

I met a friend here for dinner on a Tuesday night. He'd never had Ethiopian food (nor had I) and knows I'm an adventurous eater so he invited me to join him. After perusing several other Yelp reviews, I was thinking a sampler would be the way to go. After revising the menu, I ended up deciding to get my own entree. The next thing with the entrees is that they also come with your choice of 2 vegetarian sides. I went with the C2 was chicken thighs cooked ginger and garlic, so good! For my sides I picked V1 and V3, one was spicy lentils (delicious) and the other split peas (also quite good). As this was my first experience here, I was glad to have read in reviews that there are no utensil, you use the spongy bread to scoop up your food. I thought this would be messier but actually was relatively easy. I've made more of a mess with forks and spoons. We both went with Ethiopians beers which are premium lagers. Service was great. Our server gave us some recommendations, checked in on us, all in all a good experience. The only disappointing aspect of this place is the restrooms. The dining area is bright, colorful, welcoming and spacious. The restrooms are rather drab and could use some sprucing up. When I went to grab the toilet paper, the roll home fell off at just a slight touch and I had to put it back on. Not the end of the world but just interesting in comparison to everything else. I still plan to return for another meal. read more

No frills restaurant in here the food is the star of the show. A different dining experience, where utensils aren't provided by default. Instead a pancake-like flatbread is used to scoop up the entrees. Plentiful plant based options. read more

A solid five star experience, start to finish. I braved the 17F windchill in nothing but a light windbreaker to walk the less than a mile from my hotel. The walk ended up at a much brisker pace than I anticipated, I didn't think to look at the windchill when I originally set out, and the 29F didn't seem that scary. Well the service, ambiance, and food did a great job of warming me up. The injera, chicken, and veggies were all excellent. Huge portion sizes that I inhaled and completely over ate. On the way back, I jogged because of the cold. This is the sort of restaurant I don't mind eating at a few times a week. The food is fairly healthy, lots of veggies, the price is reasonable, and the service is great. This is a business I like supporting. read more

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