It has been a very long while since I have had Ethiopian, and I heard that Dilla's was the place to…read moretry in the Twin Cities. After a brief adventure thanks to Apple Maps, we arrived. There is a large paid lot right next to the restaurant, so parking was easy. We did arrive early--right at 5, so that probably helped. We were seated pretty quickly as well. As others have noticed, the service is quite slow (there seems to be only one person working the front of the house), though that felt like it was part of the experience--there was a distinct "gathering place" vibe, and there were plenty of regulars who were engrossed in conversation... it seemed like everyone was family there. The decor added to the family/community feel, with art, textiles, and wicker ware all contributing to a homey feel. Of course what you're really wondering about is the food. It's quite tasty. We started with the veggie sambusas, which were hot and crispy and came with a spicy tomato chutney that was just delicious. We also ordered the fule, which was quite tasty and filling. I loved the seasonings and textures. My favorite dish, though, was Dilla's Mix. It was absolutely beautiful to behold thanks to the jewel-toned beets and golden squash, and the juices of the veggies combined with the spices to create a glorious sauce. It was very comforting and oh-so-satisfying. Of course, all was served with springy injera to scoop it up with. Their injera is a bit lighter and milder than some that I have had elsewhere, but it does the trick nicely. As others have mentioned, Dilla's serves entrees in their own dishes, which is great if you are a group that likes to share.

Small spot for good Ethiopian food. Pros: Good flavors, friendly servers and appreciated they were…read morewilling to create a veggie+meat combo for me - the menu only has veggie or meat combos. Cons: only 4 parking spots and their catering van was in one of them. Server disappeared for long periods of time though there were few tables. The injera was very cold, which made the food get cold fast. Especially since the room was very cold (the server was wearing a down coat).

I got such good vegetarian food here as part of the Cedar-Riverside Open Streets festival. While…read moreI'm not sure if everything I ate was regularly offered, the barley salad (kinche) definitely is, so I'll be back for at least that. Super friendly employees, too.

The food here is so, so good. And so is the coffee! They make espresso drinks really well, not…read moreburned at all. My only issue is that I can't dine in here because they burn so much incense (it gives me a headache). So when I'm craving their delicious fuul, which unlike some other food here takes 20 minutes while they make it fresh, my decadent routine is to order it, then go down the hallway to Afro Deli and eat a sambusa while I wait.

The food was amazing! So much flavor! We shared the biggest meat platter with started of the…read morerolls. Sooo much food! The rolls were delicious. . The waiter was very kind and friendly in explaining the food and with our service in general. The only thing detracting was it was a cold night and no way to avoid the cold air blowing in, every time the door opened. Therefore, I can't wait to go back in summertime and sit at the patio tables out front!

Great Ethiopian food, and beautiful restaurant. They also have a few tables outside and a bar in…read morethe back. The service was great and friendly. Very attentive. Wish they didn't use one use plastic ramekins when we dine in. And would love if they added some Ethiopian coffee to the menu. But the rest was fantastic.

great food, friendly staff, menu with lots of variety and diet friendly options for allread more

First time my husband and I came here. We ordered simple food. I got scramble eggs and he got their…read moreveggie combo. We think they give a lot of quantity. We were surprised with how much we got. My husband and I could've shared the veggie combo haha. We'll definitely be back to try some other dishes (mainly my husband since he can have meat and I can't.) The place is also very clean! Their prices shown are tax included. We thought that was nice (we prefer it that way..)

After making doro wat in my crock pot, I realized that it really just doesn't great without some…read moreinjera. I made it out to Shabelle hoping to just buy some injera bread but was pleasantly amazed at all the variety of spices they had. They were in smaller bags, small tubs, and big bags. They were all VERY reasonably priced. I can't remember them all but they had everything from teff flour, whole wheat flour, corn flour to spices like berbere, cardamom, and a bunch of different African spices. They have 5 pieces of injera for $4 which doesn't sound great unless you know how big a piece of injera is. They even have food - I ordered the vegetarian combo plate to go with my doro wat and wasn't thrilled with the food. It was still cold and was good but not great. The people are friendly, they carry Ethiopian tea sets and ceramics, beverages and snacks. If you're looking to cook Ethiopian food, you've found the right place by starting out at Shabelle.

The injera is ~$5 for five gigantic pieces, and it's delicious. They have a great selection of…read morespices as well.

Great cappuccino and a nice place to sit and get some work done. The interior is roomy with big…read morewindows and different seating options.

I've only had cappuccinos here so far but they're really good! So many places burn their espresso…read moredrinks to all heck but this guy knows what he's doing. I'm not eating indoors until my kid is vaccinated, but once she is, I'm looking forward to eating here a lot--the decor is beautiful and seating plentiful, so it seems like a great spot to meet a friend or bring a book.

Who doesn't love a restaurant that makes their own injera? Ummm, I was delighted that they have…read moreinjera here that is gluten free and you can buy a pack of 10 full size pieces (unlike other places when they say a piece that is NOT a full size piece) for under $15. You might say that's expensive, but it is a steal of a deal and absolutely worth it. The flavor profile was rich and well developed/ fermented. The texture was lovely and the thickness was on point. Ok, so my sister and I also loved this because we ordered a vegetarian combination for 2 people via delivery. Boy oh boy was my fat stomach super happy and my pieplate sized eyes overjoyed when the takeout/delivery container for the 2-person veg combination was a huge aluminum buffet style container that legitimately weighed at least 5 pounds with the 3 pieces of injera in addition to our other on the side 10-pack of gluten free injera. It was insane. So, folks, when people say this is a good deal for your money, that is an understatement. We two folks love Ethiopian food, and we could not finish it at all. The servings were deliciously generous for every one of the veggie dishes. There was the traditional salad that was made with spring greens mix, not just iceberg- very nice. There was also a raw cabbage salad, which I adored. There were all the other traditional dishes like green lentils, kik alicha, gomen, tikil gomen, misir wot, shiro wot, beets and fossolia. A nice addition to round out the 11 items was dinich wot, a lovely potato dish with pieces roughly the size of one-sixth of a potato cooked to tender and gently spiced perfection. We both loved the green beans dish, I loved the gomen and cabbage dishes, and my sister loved the shiro wot. All the flavors were fresh and balanced, with nothing being overly salted or greasy. It actually felt much healthier than some other places that overcook, over-salt and over-oil the dishes. This buffet dish could easily have fed 3 hungry people and 4 normal people (sorry, I do not have a normal appetite for Ethiopian food, I am a glutton for it!!). The food was prepared faster than expected and even with delivery, it was piping hot. Loved this Ethiopian restaurant for the freshness and healthful dishes in the vegan combination that was extremely generous in portion, sure flavorful and complemented by the best gluten-free injera I've ever had. I am sad I do not live next door or even in the same state, even though MN is a very large state... So good!!!!!! Dreaming of when I could go back....

Katar River Ethiopian Restaurant is a true hidden gem tucked away in a quiet corner of town--and it…read moredeserves every bit of praise. From the moment we stepped through the grocery store door, we knew we were in for something special. After walking through the grocery Store, the warm, inviting décor set the stage, but it was the food that stole the show. We began with the combination sampler platter, a colorful array of perfectly seasoned lentil stews, sautéed greens, and creamy split-pea dishes, each piled atop soft, fresh injera. Every bite was bursting with spice flavor. Next came the Doro Wat, rich and tomato-forward, with tender chicken simmers in a luscious red sauce that left us scraping the plate for every last morsel. We also tried the beef tibs, seared to order and tossed with fragrant garlic, fresh jalapeño, and just the right pinch of rosemary. What really elevated the meal, though, was the service. Our server Isaac was patient, kind, and deeply knowledgeable about the menu. When we hesitated over which combo to choose, he guided us toward the perfect balance of mild and spicy dishes--and he was spot on. It felt less like ordering off a menu and more like discovering family recipes. If you're craving authentic Ethiopian cuisine--fresh, artfully seasoned, and cooked exactly to your taste--make a beeline for Katar River. Whether you're a longtime fan or brand-new to these vibrant flavors, this restaurant is not to be missed. Highly recommended!

Before commenting on the food taste and quality, I want to emphasize how important it is for this…read moreestablishment to exist in such a neighborhood. Normally, daily Ethiopian food that's not in the US are vegan, so what is offered here is closer to what's authentically made in Ethiopian culture. I enjoyed pretty much all the dishes I had, and I would recommend this spot to anyone who wants good vegan food. My friends had the awaze tibs, which contained seitan, a high protein meat substitute, and it was seasoned very well, having an adequate amount of spice. I ordered the mushroom tibs, and it was okay, because it tasted as if the only seasoning was salt, and it was a bit dry, which indicated that the mushrooms were overcooked. In addition to such, we had a few veggies on the samplers, including miser, ater kik, gomen, fasolia, and keysir. They all had a good amount of seasoning and in general tasted good with the injera. I would say, though, that they may have all needed a bit more mekelesha, because I have had more vibrant-tasting versions of all of those veggies elsewhere. One thing worth noting was that shiro wasn't one of the options for the veggie sampler, so I had to order a separate portion of shiro, since I considered it necessary when consuming Ethiopian food in general, and it tasted good, in a conventional manner. It seems like per the menu that they have a shiro wot now, which indicates how popular it is among customers.

Lulu's is casual, family owned, and full of flavor! I visited for the first time with friends who…read moreare vegetarian - and it was such a treat to be able to order anything on the menu and know that nothing would contain meat! The Wot and rice are the definition of comfort food, the falafel were crispy, and the mushrooms came out of the kitchen sizzling. Service was quick and incredibly kind. Next time you're looking for a new, vegetarian/vegan bite - definitely come to Lulu's!