I liked the ambiance and the fact that it is family owned and run. However, I ended up being disappointed with the food, as it didn't compare favorably to previous experiences with this type of food. Contrary to past experience, this was bland and unexceptional. Too bad, as I had high hopes when I came in. read more

This is literally my favorite restaurant on the planet. I've been coming here for years and it is some of the best food in the world. I highly recommend the red lentil platter...it is my personal favorite. I get it every time because it is absolutely terrific. Try it before you judge it...I thought it looked weird the first time, but I'm so glad I got it. If you're thinking about it, come in and try it out. You'll be glad you did! read more

Asmara - African Near Me - Portland, Maine

The. best. restaurant. in. Portland. Friendly service, amazing food, and the best mead I have ever had.

I love this place for lunch! I've not tried it for dinner but the lunch specials and the fact that it is not crowded gets my thumbs up. The lady that runs/cooks is super sweet and very accommodating. I've not had Ethiopean food this good since I left Los Angeles. The injera is wonderful as are the vegetarian dishes. Awesome place! read more

I love Ethiopian food. The dishes typically take forever to come out because they take their time and make fresh injera. This place is microwave happy. You just continue to hear the beeping of the microwave. It is a really big turn off to hear that especially when you don't eat microwaved food. My friend said the food is flavorful though. I was completely just dissapointed..why not keep it in a crock pot on warm read more

I admit that this is the first Ethiopian restaurant I've eaten at. I love trying new food, and I had high expectations for this place based on the reviews. Asmara has exceeded all expectations. I went with my girlfriend (we are from Canada) and we were greeted by the woman who owns the place and a man who I am guessing is her husband. They had on huge smiles and were very friendly/accommodating. Don't expect a very fancy restaurant, it is small (but cozy) and the decorations are very basic (just the way I like it.) The food did not take long to arrive. We both ordered the chicken tibsi, which comes with a salad and a choice of sides. It is all served on a big flat bread which is used to scoop up the meat/veggies with your fingers. Everything was wonderfully flavored and spicy. It ended up costing us around $45 for two people...which is not bad considering we both ordered the wine, appetizers, main dish, and a desert. I highly recommend Asmara!! read more

Best Ethiopian food I have ever had. Staff was friendly, with the chef also stopping by to check on us. Huge portions of food. I'm a vegetarian and there was plenty to choose from. Took a co-worker for lunch there last week only to find it was closed for vacation and I was sad. read more

My daughter had been to Asmara and wanted to share it with me. It's a small, nondescript place with a few tables, on a quiet side-street. The Eritrean food they serve in this tiny place is really delicious! We started with a glass of homemade mead - thick and very sweet. Every entree is served with salad, side (each more flavorful than the last), and rice or injera, traditional Eritrean flatbread - guaranteed to be like no bread you've ever eaten! As large as the plate, and moist, light, spongy and delicate. We asked for both meals to be served on one plate, and ate it in the traditional way - picking up the food with bits of injera. My daughter's lentil paste and my lamb were just heavenly. Too much for one meal, so we took food home, and had no room for dessert. The server was sweet and friendly, as was the hard-working chef (we assumed she was the owner). Service was quite slow, considering that we were the only ones in the restaurant, but worth the wait. If you don't mind lingering, love ethnic food and are looking for a taste adventure, Asmara is the place!! read more

Asmara - Our beautiful food on its injera bed - smelled and tasted as great as it looked! - African Near Me - Portland, Maine

Call first. I was looking forward to trying this place and Yelp said they are currently open. They are not. I had to put a star review or it would not let me post. read more

This place is a hidden gem in Portland. To be honest, I have never had any other Ethiopian food BUT, this is downright delish! My favorite dish is the Foul ( i am probably spelling this wrong) And i love how they make it really spicy if you ask for it. Also, they honey wine is sooo good too. The family that owns this place is great too. The only downfall, as they other reviewers mentioned is that they are sometimes closed on random days. bummer. Also, it is dirt cheap to eat here and the portions are huge. If you haven't been yet you must go! read more

Ethiopian food is a treat, and this restaurant doesn't disappoint. It's small, no frills, but the food is prepared so well and is so flavorful. The injera bread is worth the visit alone. We drive up from our home in southern Maine just to go here. Highly, highly recommended. read more

Ethiopian in Portland? Yup, Portland has this too, and it's really good! Don't let the inside fool you into not coming in. It's not hipster, it doesn't have exposed wood or brick walls, and that's okay. The food speaks for itself, and the flavors are intense, the way that good Ethiopian food should be. All highly authentic, and the best part is it doesn't break the bank. I like to come with friends that are more adventurous eaters, because they can appreciate it more. Wouldn't recommend it for people that don't really like spicy food. read more

See previous review re: Ethiopian/Etrian...it may mean blood enemies there, to Americans it is To-may-toe/To-mah-toe Anyway, we have been working our way through every Ethiopian restaurant from Boston - Maine, and this one is THE best. The food is super yummy and generously portioned - you can easily share 2 entrees between 4 people...HOWEVER it is so reasonably priced, why bother? Splurge on a couple things you wouldn't normally try. The injera is the best - still not as good as in Ethiopia, but the closest we have seen here. The family that owns it is pleasant and helpful. Not a great beer selection, AFAIK no wine list. I missed my favorite ethiopian wine with dinner, but the rest of the experience makes up for it. One note, while it has never happened to us, I have heard that they will be randomly closed on a night you would never expect (Saturday?!) so ALWAYS call ahead read more

We tried this restaurant for the very first time. We have never had Ethiopian and Eritrea food. This is a small local family run restaurant. The food was phenomenal. The dishes seemed very authentic and the service was excellent. You have to try the desert and the Ethiopian coffee. That was the highlight and superb finish of a great experience. read more

My wife and I love Asmara. The decor is a little spare, but the food is great and the service is excellent. We usually get the vegetarian platter. It is way more food than we need, but it's so good that we can't stop ourselves. Their kid's chicken meal is also excellent. For a fun treat, try the Honey wine. read more

A group of 5 of us went to Asmara a few months ago for dinner and I have been meaning to review it ever since. The restaurant itself it small and quaint, but has a good vibe. You have to go down an awfully steep flight of stairs to get to the restroom, which could be problematic if you are older, somewhat immobile, or tipsy. Now on to the food. Two members of our group had never had Ethiopian or Eritrean food before, so I was very excited for them to try it. For appetizers, we had an order of veggie sambusa and meat sambusa. As an entree, we all split a vegetarian sampler and got a side of alitcha derho (chicken stew) and the beef tibsi. Between all the appetizers and entrees we had quite a bit of food. We actually ran out on ijera, and they brought us more on the house. For dessert we got an order of the ligamat (fried dough balls), which I highly recommend. As we ate there a couple months ago, I cannot comment specifically on how everything tasted, but I can tell you that we were very satisfied. I have had Ethiopian food a few times before, and Eritrean food seems essentially the same, though slightly milder in terms of seasoning. If I did not live over an hour away, I would fast become a regular at this restaurant. My friends and I are already talking about planning another outing. read more

Came here late in the evening. When we got to the door, the sign said they were closed but they waived us inside and quickly sat us, providing warm towels to wash our hands. It was such a relief to find authentic Eritrean cuisine in Portland, ME. I ordered some traditional Fou'l dish served on Injan, which was all fantastic. The family atmosphere was wonderful. I never felt rushed and the staff was kind and attentive. I will definitely go back again. read more

EXCELLENT Eritrean food. My spicy beef and okra over the injera was absolutely delicious. And at under $9, an absolute steal. Comfortable, casual atmosphere. Service is a bit slow, but totally worth it. Highly recommended! read more

I've heard Ethiopian and Eritrean food is supposed to be similar, but I hate that statement. I mean even if one has been ruled but the other for a long time, there has to be differences! That was just a theory until I visited Asmara for dinner. Yes the ingredients are fairly similar and yes so are the dishes (even if the names may be different). But that is where the similarities stop. Just as two curries from different region of India are being different so it makes sense that two countries that have been in conflict for so long have different taste preferences. Not that I can comment after one meal! Food at Asmara was delicious, but lacked that oomph that is usually found in Ethiopian places. Additionally they didn't have a few of the items on the menu that we wanted to order. sort of a bad sign for a lunch on the weekend. I will try other Eritrean restaurants and keep testing my theory, but my preference so far would be to drive to Habeesha in Malden than to Asmara in Portland for the real deal. read more

Yum, yum and more yum. Went with my 8-year-old daughter for a fun eating adventure, and we loved the whole experience -- eating with fingers, the spongy injera and the superbly flavorful food. We ordered the mildly spiced chicken for her and the red pepper spicy chicken for me. Both were exceptional, as were the accompanying side dishes. We also ordered lemonade, which was clearly homemade and had great lemon flavor. (We did need to add sugar to our drinks, and ice would have been nice. But the taste was amazing.) read more

This is the best Ethiopian food in New England. We routinely drive the 90 minutes from Boston just to go here. We have eaten at 4 different ethiopian places in the past 3 weeks. The following ranking from best to worst: asmara in portland maine, habesha in malden, fasika in somerville, addis red sea in cambridge. Really only amsara and habesha are any good. pros and cons of each: asmara portland: food is excellent. it comes with some vegetable side dishes and salad, all for the price of the dish. you can get delicious appitizers such as sambusa. they bring you a warmed damp towel to wash your hands before you eat. the injara is brown with a pleasing sour note. i beleive this is the traditional way it should be. the con is that it is so far from boston! oh and sometimes it is hard to find parking. and they do not have a "pick your own combo" for meat eaters. but it is so cheap it is easy to just order several dishes. habesha: easy to get to and good parking. the injara and the food was good, however no towel to wash your hands to start (tho they do bring you a wet nap afterwards). also, no appetizers and you cannot get salad on the side except with their predetermined combo meal (no picking what meat dishes you want). faskia: yes the atmosphere is weird, but its manageable. the injara seemed to be half teff and half white flour, so it is less sour and paler than habesha or asmara portland. the lamb had bones in it! and it was very chewy and tough. many of the dishes were on the cold side. you do get to make your own combo plate here, but it can be confusing and they tell you that certain dishes cannot be included even if it is written otherwise on the menu. the only good thing is the size and taste of the sambusa. it is nice that you can get appetizers here. but overall this places wasnt good and we wont be back. expensive too. addis red sea: bland. white flour injara was tasteless. food was tasteless (well maybe it was a bit like how i imagine dog food to taste). the ambiance is very nice but the food wasnt worth it and we wont be going back here either. read more

I work across the street from Asmara, and I frequently go there to pick up one of their $8.95 lunch specials, a steal for the quality of cuisine. I love this place. Love it. I've tried several things on the menu, and they've all been spectacular. The foul is spot on, on par with the stuff I've sampled in Egypt and the Middle East. The chicken dishes always consist of juicy, tender portions, and the lamb is always a highlight. The side dishes are also great: I always get the red pepper stew with my lunch special. The highlight of this place, however, is the owner. Warm, friendly, and hard-working, she is always a pleasure to see when I stop by for lunch. read more

Wow!!! DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!! I want to move to Portland just to have this food often!! Wonderful and nice service and I learn about country of Eritrea! The house made wine was made of sparkling honey and complimented vegetarian sampler! I wish for two stomachs so that I could eat more that day!! read more

I've come here now on several occasions and have always had a delicious and fun meal. While you can go about it the usual way (with a fork and knife), it's much more fun and effective to just dig in with your bare hands. Oh, and the homemade honey wine packs a punch! read more

Some of the best Eritrean food I've had with such charming owners. Walked in for the first time and was greeted like we were family! Homemade honey wine, delicious lamb dish, and a quick lesson on the history of Ethiopia; I loved it and will definitely be back! read more

Really can't beat this place if you're into Eritrean/Ethiopian food. I don't have too much to add to the glowing reviews, but I'll highlight a few points: 1) Food is extremely tasty and varied -- the veggie sampler has items such as okra and ful which you don't see everywhere 2) Extremely pleasant and thoughtful owner/chef -- she saw that we had kids who were craning their necks to see SpongeBob on her television behind the counter (for her little nephew); she turned the tv so they could watch it too! 3) Great kid's menu - basically, a few items in a tomato sauce w/o the spice, but still served on injera, so I can say my toddlers enjoyed Eritrean cuisine! 4) Best salad dressing -- usually the salad is a thrown on in the sampler, but this was the best salad I've ever had 5) Cool photos on the wall -- waterfalls, picturesque sunsets, runners, you really get the vibe read more

Good portion food for decent price. Great customer services. I have been here many times and will keep coming back. I usually get the combo plate which comes with samples of many types of meat. read more

We were visiting for the holidays and our parents babysat so we could have a wonderful, rare date night. I'm so glad that we chose Asmara! The food was delicious (we got the beef with spicy potatoes and shiro with the red lentils and cabbage/carrots/potatoes as sides). Yes as others had commented the injera does fall apart a bit when wet, and it is a small restaurant with no atmosphere. But does that really matter when the food is so good! We literally cleaned the plate, which is why we have no photos to show (we forgot about taking photos until after we had devoured the food).. We would have loved to have tried the veggie sampler but it would have been too much food for just us 2. Next time we'll come with friends! read more

When I arrived I was so pre-occupied with telling the story of what happened in my day that I barely looked at the menu. When the meal arrived with injera bread and our order, I stumbled as I found no silverware. We laughed, gobbling up the food and the experience. Definitely recommended! read more

Excellent! The hot hand towels prior to the food's arrival are a nice touch. We had a beef and a chicken dish, both were of decent size (enough for a 3 person lunch) and nicely presented. read more

What Rox F. said below.... We have been fans of this place since they opened and adore the family who runs it. Very good, very tasty food and one of the best in Portland for flavor and value! read more

My favorite restaurant in Portland. If you haven't tried Eritrean/Ethiopian cuisine, make this your next stop. Habesha food is spicy, aromatic, and WAY fun to eat. It will tantalize your taste buds! The family that owns the place will treat you right. They are lovely people. read more

Frequently visiting Washington DC, where they have Eritrean and Ethipian restaurants it seems at every corner. I was very happy to find Asmara in town. The owner cooks behind the counter, and there is one waiter waiting on everyone, don't expect a quick meal. Take your time and relax in this great atmosphere with ever greater food! read more

Great and very friendly family-run restaurant. Great for groups. Don't try their special hot sauce. So damn hot. Wash your hands!

Delicious Eritrean food. Spinach and potatoes in berbere, red lentil stew and injera. The honey wine was refreshingly different. Great wait staff too. read more

The food is so delicious and the atmosphere is friendly and welcoming. A great cozy spot to spend a chilly winter day!!! Quite possibly one of Portland's best restaurants. read more

Great experience. There is something wonderful about walking into a restaurant and feeling like you just walked into a sweet, doting, but overworked motherly-type's dining room. That's what Asmara feels like -- the place is by no means well-decorated in a purist sense -- with the wrinkled and stained tourist posters on the walls, and random wicker trays, pieces of mesob, etc -- but all in all it has an underlying charm and elegance that makes you feel comfortable despite the clutter. No coincidence that it is run by a sweet, doting, motherly-type. read more

Amazing traditional Ethiopian food, I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for amazing flavors delicious meat and great host.

It's like an Ethiopian style cafe/diner. Authentic owners, with an Ethiopian menu. I'm sure the menu is based mostly in family traditions. Asked the waiter (who was possibly the owner or a relative of) what he would recommend, stating I have no preferences over meat type and that I like all kinds of spiciness), I got a humble 'it's all good, do you like chicken, spicy', sure, let's go with that. I know it's probably a cringe worthy question, but secretly I was hoping he'd say 'I love xyz I have something I'm sure you'll like. It's not on the menu but for those that are open to something different, this is what I recommend' :) alas, it wasn't to be, but close enough answer. Asked for Mango juice and got a can of Goya Mango. I get it, but maybe it would have been better poured into a glass behind the counter so as to kinda fake better quality. Asked for the appetizer that ended in Fit Fit. Really zesty, light salad. Good flavor. Then the entree came 3 mins later. Not sure the name, just a huge 12" fluffy pancake with spicy marinated chicken on the bone (I shredded it with a spoon it fell off the bone), spinach and some other stuff. Felt bad I started it all before they bought the towel to wipe my hands first. Oh well. Very polite owners. Chill atmosphere. All in all I paid $26 which was reasonable for Portland. Will come again. read more

Asmara - Menu description at @Asmara. Love me some Ethiopian food - African Near Me - Portland, Maine

Excellent food. Great flavor. Pleasant servers. I've been to several Ethiopian restaurants and this may be the best yet in respect to food quality! read more