Authentic EthioAfrican Scottsdale is located in the corner of a shopping center off East Indian Bend Road, behind somewhat intimidating dark, reflective windows. Don't be put off. Inside, the space is warm, subdued, and inviting, with Ethiopian music--ranging from traditional to funk--played at just the right volume, perfectly complementing the cuisine. I visited alone from out of town on successive Monday and Tuesday evenings, with few other customers there either night. I ordered combinations both times, trying most of the vegan options and two of the meat options between the two meals. There wasn't one dish that I wouldn't eagerly order again. The two-meat / two-vegan and four-vegan platters were each probably enough for two ordinary appetites. I finished one each night, but was very full afterwards. Service was provided by a friendly and charming server who graciously chatted with me about some shared interests. I see a few reviewers complain about service on busy evenings, and it was clear from the size of the place that one server would have little hope of keeping up by themselves if it was busy. I will definitely visit again if I am ever back in town. AEA has everything going for it: great atmosphere, delicious food, engaging service, and extremely reasonable prices. I hope they can resolve whatever staffing issues they may be experiencing and enjoy continued success. read more

If I went by the star system, in terms of my experience, "it could have been better". But that would be 2 stars and doesn't really reflect the overall experience. And this is why: We arrived on a Tuesday around 5.30 pm. The posted hour for opening was 4.00 pm. The doors were locked. I called the restaurant. The voicemail eventually answered with the business hours and that they were busy serving other customers. We looked on Yelp for other Ethiopian places that had Kitfo and/or Gored Gored. I saw the restaurants other (first) location and called that number. It was answered and I asked about the restaurant not being open. I was assured that someone was on the way. We decided to walk around the deserted shopping center but then found an Albertsons there. We needed a few things, so we went grocery shopping. Upon returning to the restaurant, we found it open. No one was there, so we stood there for a short time. Eventually a smiling man greeted us and asked if we were the ones who had called. I nodded and he profusely apologized for the delay. After a while of sitting at a table, he returned to take our order. We wanted Kitfo (raw), Chicken tibs, and the 4 veggie combo with tikel gomen, gomen, misir wat, and yesuf fitfit. I had never had the last and was excited to try it. Since there were no Ethiopian beers like Harar or Bedel, we settled for a Modelo especial draft, our favorite Mexican beer. The waiter (who was the owner of the two restaurants, as it turned out later), asked what we would like if there was no Kitfo, the main thing we were there for. We decided to get beef tibs, in that case. Eventually the food arrived with no Kitfo, but beef tibs, Misir wat, tikil gomen, gomen and salad. He was unable to do the yesuf fitfit. He offered a substitute and we got the keyser. The food was good. Not the best Ethiopian food I've had, but authentic tasting. The salad lacked acid. It was salty, but I don't mind that part. The veggies were done correctly. The beef tibs were heavy on the rosemary but pleasant in taste. There were only onions, no hot peppers like in other versions. As always, we ordered too much. The owner, Andu, gave us a complimentary piece of cake to take with us and recommended we visit his first restaurant in Phoenix where we may have gotten kitfo. In my 4 star rating, I only considered the food and the lovely service we received. I did not consider that the opening times were ignored, and we could not get 2 of the dishes we wanted that were on the menu. The next time we are in town, we will try the Phoenix location. read more

The best Ethiopian food in the valley. We took our son here for his birthday since he loves Ethiopian food and he had a great time. We loved the food samplers plate served in wide plate with variety of vegetables and meat. The amount of food was large enough to share for 4 people and it was perfect. Service was excellent and we will definitely come back again. Thank you. read more

The food is delicious! It was the first time having Ethiopian for half our party so we got the Vegan Deluxe plate and the meat sampler to try everything. It was all super tasty. The service is slow and they were out of multiple soft drinks and also didn't have a bartender and apparently no one else knew how to mix a drink. So that part made the whole meal experience less exciting. Especially because we drove up from Gilbert. But if it's yummy food you care about, they won't disappoint! read more

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Came here for a late lunch on a Thursday, the place was pretty empty. But the aroma was immediately apparent. We were searching for something other than burgers, tacos, and pizza, and we came to the right place. Service was friendly and helpful. The restaurant was large and had old school bar type of vibe. The food is the star of this place. My son tried the meat sampler and I had the one meat/one veg combo. Everything was flavorful, the bread was soft and spongy. We were stuffed with some left over. Prices were reasonable. read more

Authentic EthioAfrican - One 1 Meat & 1 Veggie Sampler: beef with collard greens and chickpeas - Ethiopian Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

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My first time having Ethiopian food! I got it for takeout but live around the corner so it was fresh when I brought it home. It was delicious! I got the 2 meats and 2 veggies. The chickpeas and string beans and carrots had tons of flavor. The beef was a little dry and I didn't recieve a ton of pieces of it. The chicken was fall of the bone tender. I will definitely come back and try again! read more

This restaurant is in a little strip mall on Indian Bend and Hayden. It's nicely decorated with a welcoming atmosphere. Our server was very friendly and gave us some nice tips. They have a wide variety of options for meat lovers and vegetarians and even have gluten free injera. The food was all tasty and the lentil sambusas were probably the best item we had. The food did take a while to come out and they were out of a couple of items we had hoped to order. It's definitely worth trying, especially because there are not many Ethiopian options in town. They do also have a full bar. read more

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We enjoyed our first Ethiopian lunch this week with wonderful service and the extremely informative Avia. She explained the culture, the various aspects of each entree and guided us in placing our orders. It was delicious! The aromatic spices hit you upon walking in. And that's just the beginning of a delightful meal. My wife had the Meat and Veg Sampler, of Sega Wot Key (stewed tender beef) with Kyser (gently puréed beets and potatoes). Served in the traditional style on a large injera (teff flour bread, fermented 2-3 days and prepared much like a pancake- delicious!) with a pita-sized supplement on the side. Their house made cottage cheese is a must too- haven't tasted anything remotely similar; nothing like what's at the grocery store. Avia saw my wife feed me a hot bite and grinned; explaining that "sharing food is an expression of love" in Ethiopian culture. So of course we both shared bites with one another. It was great. I'm a huge fan of lamb and it was as prepared beautifully- in fact the photos do not do justice to just how complex and aromatic our lunches were, especially mine: somewhat like vindaloo but unique too. I ordered Lamb Tibes, medium spice (I like spicy meals and medium was perfect) which was pan seared along with red bell peppers and onions cooked to perfection. Mine came with a tasty side salad all also on a bed of teff. It is a definite do-again! Their attention to detail- even each glass of iced tea is freshly brewed, as are refills, is impeccable. We cannot wait to return. read more

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Our first impression was not great. The staff was not helpful in getting us seated, and the table we were supposed to sit at had not been cleared. No one made an attempt to clean it, so I ended up clearing it myself. In the end, we chose a different table, but once again there was no assistance from the staff. After waiting for a server and still not being approached, I finally got up and grabbed menus for our group. At that point, I was half-joking that I should be on the payroll. Service was very slow, and to make matters worse, one of the waitresses left mid-shift, leaving just one person to cover the entire floor and bar -- about 90 guests. Fifteen minutes later, a server finally arrived and brought only three waters for our group of five. To her credit, she was extremely pleasant and quickly brought the missing drinks once reminded. On the positive side: the food was excellent. Everything we tried was flavorful and authentic, and the atmosphere itself was warm and welcoming once we settled in. My ratings: * Service: 1/5 * Server's personality: 5/5 * Food: 5/5 * Ambience: 4/5 The main issue was that our table simply wasn't attended to properly. If the staffing had been adequate, this review would easily have been much higher. I hope they consider adding more staff to match the quality of their food. read more

Had to come back within in a week. It's so good! Lots of people clearly caught on because easily 60% of the place was people eating. For dessert we actually tried the mixed juice drink (so good) with papaya, mango, strawberry, avocado. For dinner my husband got a meat and veg sampler and I got a 2-veg sampler. I love those spicy berbere lentils. Our daughter had a few sambusas and shared with us. I am so excited Scottsdale has an Ethiopian restaurant. read more

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I've been fortunate to visit several times and it's a gem!!!! Friendly knowledgeable staff. Great decor. In talking with one of the servers, family if I'm not mistaken, the place was furnished by the owners and brought from Ethiopia! And that they travel to the mother country often for the spices that make it oh so memorable! The flavor profiles are fantastic. The sauces special. The freshness shows. For those that have never experienced Ethiopian food, don't worry, the staff is very knowledgeable and friendly and will walk you through it all. Trust me, it's a must and something you'll want to experience again and again! And don't miss the coffee ritual. This needs to be reserved I believe as it takes a while. read more

I am so excited that they are in Scottsdale. We each got 1 meat & 1 veggie plate. The beef and collard green are so delicious. Butternut squash is very spicy. Chicken and egg are tasty. The spicy hot tea is good and the presentation is the best. They have many selections of drinks. We got carrot cake to go and it is full of tasty spices. read more

Authentic EthioAfrican - Hot tea spicy - Ethiopian Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

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Easily 5 stars. Service was so awesome, lots of check ins. Gorgeous decor with soothing music. To start, The chicken wings were crispy topped with peppers and onions. Great peri peri style sauce. I had the chicken fir fir, basically cubed chicken with onions and egg. My dad had the chicken tibets and it is hands down top 5 food item I have ever had in my life. read more

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This place makes me so happy after I moved from Little Ethiopia, Los Angeles where it was filled with so many restaurants competing with spices and wonder. This restaurant is so amazing especially with good prices, and especially the young waitress who is not related to the family that also owns a place in mid-town PHX but attends the restaurant so well. Even in all the Little Ethiopia places in Los Angeles, I never had injera so soft and fresh. Great prices, can't go wrong. Most memorable: Anything chickpeas with berbere Kaiser beets with potatoes Collard greens Dessert: Tiramusu or Carrot Cake read more

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Finally! Finally Scottsdale has an Ethiopian restaurant ! And oh is it ever good! A very comforting setting with absolutely gorgeous decor. I'm no expert but the art appears to be very authentic. The service is kind and caring. If you're not familiar either Ethiopian food the employees are happy to help. They have a full bar and prices are exceptionally reasonable. Everything we ate was FANTASTIC. Do not skip the carrot cake and you must have the traditional Ethiopian coffee service. A beautiful addition to the Scottsdale dining scene. read more

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I've never had this type of food before but it was really good, nice to experience some unique flavors and textures. Service was very nice too. Comfortable setting and ambiance. They had a decent selection of liquors and beer. We didn't drink but for the amount $ we got a decent amount of food for two! read more

Authentic EthioAfrican - 4 Meat & 4 Veggie Sampler - Ethiopian Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

This place never disappoints. Gluten free options, kind people and great food. The juice drinks are delicious and refreshing. read more

Authentic EthioAfrican - Gluten free options - Ethiopian Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

Some of the best Ethiopian food I have ever had!! Their chicken sambusas are perfect appetizers and I always bring home extra injera! Shiro Wat and Misir wat are my go to veggie dishes as well as spicy chicken doro wat! Ambience is authentic and appealing. An absolute best addition to Scottsdale dining! So glad they opened this second location close to home, staff is always friendly read more

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Authentic EthioAfrican is amazing! The food is just as delicious as their original location in Downtown Phoenix. The service is always very friendly and welcoming. Andu did an amazing job decorating this location. Touches of decor all throughout are just beautiful and unique. I can't recommend this place enough to all my friends looking for unique, flavorful eats. Every bite is packed with incredible flavor and is freshly made. Love all the vegetarian and vegan options too. There's something for everyone to enjoy here. I have been a long time customer and have learned so much about the owner, his humble beginnings, challenges and witnessing tremendous growth. I am so proud of Andu and his family for expanding their business and bringing such a special dining experience to Scottsdale. read more

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Had a wonderful meal last night and it was the first time for the 4 of us trying Ethiopian cuisine. Kirby was our great server recommending the 10 veggie platter with the meat platter, and chicken wings, followed by the tiramisu and baklava. It was all very delicious! read more

Authentic EthioAfrican - Ethiopian Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

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Food is amazing but be careful when ordering on Uber eats. It doesn't say their platters have cottage cheese. So when I got my order it had cottage cheese all over it. I don't mix red meat and dairy, so had to toss most of it. What I did eat was delicious. They say it has cottage cheese on their own menu but not on Uber eats. Otherwise I would of asked for it to be removed. read more

Delicious food in a nice setting. Everything was fresh, well cooked, and well prepared. Service was fantastic. Enjoy!

I love their food and the ambience was beautiful! Best ambience in the Valley for Ethiopian food in fact! The restaurant was clean and everyone there was nice. Prices weren't bad and there is also a full bar- perfect for date night in their Scottsdale location. read more

Authentic EthioAfrican - Ethiopian Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

5 stars all around for a great lunch. Very healthy, shareable and awesome flavors. Get out of your comfort zone and try something new !! You won't be disappointed. Very friendly atmosphere. read more

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The food is so delicious. The place has a very relaxed vibe. It's great for when you want to take your time and relax while you enjoy your food. It's a great addition to the neighborhood read more

First let me say that the food is excellent, however, you will wait and wait and wait and wait to order, wait for your food to arrive, and whatever you do, don't order cocktails because you'll wait 45 minutes for watered down drinks to arrive. Let me repeat, do not order their cocktails, they're awful. It was a Saturday night and there was one waitress taking care of the entire dining room, the bar, and who knows, probably back there cooking too. As I said, food is excellent, but you'll age 10 years waiting for it. Please have more respect for your customers. read more

Loved it so much we came back the next day! We came in Sunday June 8th. We asked for suggestions from our waitress as we are unfamiliar with Ethiopian cuisine. My wife and I split the 2 meat and 2 veg sampler. It was more than enough for the two of us. Everything was so flavorful. My favorite was the sega wot key. For desert we had the baklava along with the spiced tea. When we went back the next day we had the same platter but switched the veggies up. We ended with an afro 75 cocktail and carrot cake. That carrot cake was amazing. We're definitely adding this to our rotation of restaurants. read more

Authentic EthioAfrican - 2 meat and 2 veg sampler - Ethiopian Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

We ordered the Sambusa and the 4 Meat & 4 Veggie Sampler. Every item was tasty. The injera was delicious, it was delicately balanced in its flavor and did not overpower the of rest of the food. The servers were friendly and made sure to check up on us regularly. The decor and feel of this restaurant was welcoming. read more

Authentic EthioAfrican - Ethiopian Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

It's 128 on October 2. I'm only saying that so the owner can see this and know who is working. The incense burning on the counter was a little bit overwhelming. I open the door, said hello to the young lady behind the bar, and she didn't say anything. She was just looking at her phone. So I sat down at the bar and pulled out my phone and waited. After four or five minutes, the young lady was still looking at her phone and hadn't acknowledged me or said hello or asked me if I wanted something to drink or Handed me a menu. So I got up and walked out. And she still didn't say anything. I was really looking forward to trying a new unique restaurant like I have not been to before, and if I owned this restaurant I would be embarrassed. read more

Authentic EthioAfrican - Front door of the restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

Great fresh food, and awesome flavors! The plant based and vegan choices are delicious. We're going to keep coming back.

I'm so happy to have found this place! While visiting Scottsdale for work I found Authentic EthioAfrican and they did not disappoint! Being from the East Bay Area of Northern California I'm used to high-quality Ethiopian food. This place exceeded my expectations. The veggie combo was excellent, lentils, shiro, greens, and beets were cooked to perfection. The restaurant had a nice ambiance and the service was super friendly. This is my new go to spot while visiting Scottsdale when I'm craving delicious homemade Ethiopian food. read more

I loved the pictures online and thought it looked lovely but the atmosphere is even better than expected. Came here for my birthday with my husband and we were so delighted. Beautifully decorated, super comfortable seating, and you can't go wrong with gorgeous Ethiopian music! It's hard for a brand new, modern restaurant to feel cozy but they pull it off! Our server was very kind and attentive, and the food itself, yowzah! What a showstopper. We eat mostly vegan and the menu definitely accommodated us. We've had Ethiopian before but this food is made with so much love and fresh ingredients, it's on another level. Fluffy injera and delicious stews...my husband declared it's his favorite meal in the city. Please come and support their new location, these folks are crushing it!! read more

We are visiting from CA and I was browsing yelp trying to find a place for dinner and stumbled across this gem. Everything was fantastic. The flavors were bold but not overpowering. We were so happy to support a small business. I can't recommend the food enough! read more

Happy to have an Ethiopian restaurant in Scottsdale. Finally! Food was tasty, servers friendly, full bar, cozy space.

Though the place was surprisingly empty for a Friday night, it didn't deter us from trying this new Ethiopian restaurant. It was appropriately decorated with African colors and designs. Pro tip on the menu: refer to the pictures to see what the dishes look like before ordering. We ordered the Meat sampler and the Vegan Combo with 4 sides for 2 people. It was all very tasty and more than enough food. The large platter that they used to serve the food was perfect for tasting a variety of different small dishes. Make sure you ask them to adjust the spiciness of the dish if you're not into heat. The service was great as well, except our to-go Tib order took forever. Otherwise, a different kind o' date night. read more

Went early on a Saturday evening..despite being the only customer in the place, it took FOREVER to get served. The 1employee was sweet enough but was beyond slow. Ordered a cocktail that took over 30min to get and was watered down with no flavor. Absolutely nothing positive to say about the cocktails. I will say, the food is fantastic and would rate that a 5 but that goes out the window with the long wait times and lack of customer service. They absolutely need to work on time management and customer service! Skip this one and go to the one on McDowell instead! read more

This place has some seriously good food. The spices are so well balanced. You can tell they love what they do. From the tasty food to the warm and welcoming staff. The vibe in this place makes me want to stay all day. Check it out. You won't be disappointed. read more

Neighborhood gem! Excellent food, service, and atmosphere. Cooked to order in olive oil.

The decor was on point, the service was great and the food was tasty. Need I say more?

Great food, prices and service ! The unique flavors really shine in the various sampler platters they offer.