Quite the experience... We were looking for some food near Colina Del Sol Park. This was open and…read morewalking distance, we figured checking it out. Don't judge this spot by the outside--the food speaks for itself Pulled up to this spot and I'll be honest--it's super lowkey and easy to miss. But once you try the food, you understand why people keep coming back. Here was my experience: AMBIANCE: Parking: Street or small lot, it can get busy based on the time of day. Seating: Inside seating, good for small groups. Maybe room for a total of 20 people. Vibes: Welcome to Midcity/City Heights area! It's not the flashiest part of SD but its definitely a grit and grind gem of San Diego. The spot itself is a no-frill type of spot, all about the food and not the aesthetics. You go up to the window and they'll let you know if you have in the kitchen - chicken, pork, beef, or fish. Super no-frills. This is one of those spots where it's all about the food, not the aesthetic. It almost feels like a hidden kitchen more than a traditional restaurant--but that's part of the charm. Reviewers even note it's "unpretentious" and focused on flavor over presentation FOOD / DRINKS: Chicken Combo (Recommend) This is where it hits. The chicken was well-seasoned, tender, and packed with flavor. Complemented with the rice, it made it extra fulfilling. Salad was simple but nice to have. Well worth the $20~ CUSTOMER SERVICE: Straight business. There was a little bit of language barrier but we got things all squared. TL;DR OVERALL: 3.5 Stars. Good food, simple selections, and quite the memorable experience. It's not a place you come for ambiance--but definitely a place you come for authentic, flavorful food. If you're open to trying something new and keeping it lowkey, this is worth checking out. #SupportBlackOwned TIPS: * This is not your conventional restaurant so come with an open mind! * Cash helps!

Foood was amazing. My girlfriend and I wanted to try something different so we found this place…read more Kinda run down, hole in the wall. They don't have a menu. You just tell the chef what kinda meat you want and he'll cook you up something good. Chef was really nice and recommended some dishes. I eventually went with the goat dish.. 10/10. Would definitely come back

Love this place. Hadn't ordered from here in a long while. I ordered egusi and fufu from here last…read moreweek, which is always good. Today I decided to try something different. Okra goat and cow leg pepper soup were perfectly spiced, so flavorful, and just so delicious. I had jollof rice with the cow leg soup which I'm not sure if it's traditional, but for me they went well together- maybe white rice next time be better to taste the pepper soup even more? Cow leg super tender. the goat was both tender and some pieces slightly chewy (depending on the part of the goat the meat is cut from) which if you've ever had goat meat is pretty normal, and I loved it. Every bite followed with a "mMMm". A real pleasure to eat, thank you!! Prices are very fair in this economy.

After seeing fufu and egusi soup trending on TikTok, we had to give it a try at Nigeria Breeze!…read more They were out of beef, so we ordered the egusi with chicken instead, and it did not disappoint. It was packed with flavor, rich, and super satisfying. If you've never had fufu before, you eat it with your hands, which made the experience even more fun and authentic. I noticed some reviews mentioning that the food was too spicy, but I personally love spicy food and thought the heat level was just right. The woman working there was also kind and took the time to help us navigate the menu, which we really appreciated since it was our first visit. We'll definitely be back, and next time I'm hoping to try the egusi with beef!

TL;DR 5/5 Awash is a family run restaurant serving authentic…read moreEthiopian cuisine as well as selling home goods and groceries you might not find in your daily store. The food is a great intro to the cuisine, but the flavors are a bit lighter than I expected. Service and friendliness are peak, and the ambiance is suitable for a chill lunch with friends, or a culinary excursion! Food: a friend and I picked Awash to try Ethiopian for the first time. If that's what you're looking for, Awash has you covered! We ordered the veggie and meat combos which allow you to sample an array of meat and veg curries (unsure of the proper term) along with the signature Injera, classic Ethiopian flatbread with a light spongy texture and sourdough-like tang. This is perfect for the culinary adventurer like ourselves, but their menu hosts a wide array of Ethiopian dishes we'd be excited to try in the future. I found the Injera to be delightfully unique in texture and flavor with their surprisingly light and delicate body. And eating with hands, as is traditional, is a fun experience. The curries were wide in variety and flavor, but I felt each one lacked a real depth and umami punch that you may find in other cuisines. Since I've now only had Ethiopian food once I don't have a frame of reference to compare, but I prefer to err on the side that this simple taste is a quality of being home cooked food, clearly prepared by the wife of the owner, and not of the cuisine as a whole. I would love to try other dishes to see if I can get that complexity, but if you come expecting the "wow" punch of comparable dishes from say Indian cuisine, don't. This is home cooked food by a family that has been running this shop for many years. Not a chef, not a kitchen, just a pair that is making their way and sharing with the world their culture and cuisine. Service: Being a family restaurant, the husband and wife pair were the ones to serve us on the quiet Saturday afternoon we stepped in. The husband has better English, and was happy to recommend dishes, teach me how to eat with my hands, and check on our experience throughout our meal! Extremely welcoming, and I could feel his joy at being able to share his culture with me. That in and of itself makes this a 5 star meal. The restaurant is also patronized by members of the local community, lending to a casual and friendly atmosphere where the husband will sit in the dining area with his friends when it's quiet, where they will chat, and he will occasionally call out to me casually to see how I liked the food. Very sweet! Again, this is a family and community institution. Do not expect on hand waiter service, DO expect owners that will come and happily help if you call, and do expect authentic smiles and excitement if you're a first timer. Ambiance: Awash has a lovely and welcoming exterior ripe with culturally inspired colors. The open layout interior from the dining area to the grocery store is clean and orderly. The decor itself is sparse, but you can really get the vibe that the husband and wife who own Awash have started, sustained, and built a life out of this quaint shop. It's great for dining with friends, family, or dates if you're coming specifically for the food. If you're trying to get to know someone, though, save Awash for when you're already together lol. Overall, I can't give awash less than a 5/5 for the excellent introduction to Ethiopian cuisine, the homey and sweet owners, and the casual friendly vibes. Will definitely be back to try more!

Coming in, the restaurant is small, but has a charming and homey quality to it. The servers are so…read moresweet, and would check in on us throughout our meal. We ordered the meat and vegetarian combo platters, and the food was very delicious. The portions were sadly a little small compared to the amount of injura we got and the price we paid, but delicious nonetheless. Unfortunately, the day after my friend and I both got food poisoning from this restaurant. I want to love this place since the food and people were great, but from sifting through Yelp reviews, it seems like food poisoning is a common thing guests experience.

I ate at this restaurant back in college many years ago and couldn't remember the name of this…read morerestaurant until my friend made the suggestion this past week. Everything is just as delicious as I remembered, but less spicy. I like to think I've built up a spice tolerance over the years.. I don't think you can go wrong with anything you order here. Service was great and there was minimal to no wait at 6:30pm on a Tuesday. Parking is always a struggle in this neighborhood, but there were a few metered spots across the street from this restaurant at this time. Make a reservation if you have a group of 6 people or more.

Down in SD for a ladies weekend to see the Timbers v SD match. We were seated on the restaurant…read moreporch which had heaters and the friendly server asked if we wanted them turned on, but it was a lovely cool afternoon so we went with nature. The porch faced a busy tourist street buzzing with people and it was great seeing everyone come and go. We started with the vegetable sambusas which outstanding. The spice level and filling were perfection and the pastry divine! I had the Shiro + Beggie which was out of this world! My friends shared a mixed vegan plate and everything on it was delicious! Next time I'm here in San Diego I'll remember to return. Highly recommended!

Amazing shop in San Diego!…read more Wow, I have been thinking of this place and missing it. Until last week when I received an email from them, they are now shipping their Biltong and some other items outside of California! I highly recommend stopping by and trying Graham's awesome meat pies and meat pastries. The shop is small but they have some fresh warm pies, ready for a lunchtime snack! Now I await my order, it was supposed to arrive today, but delivery companies being delivery companies, the package is delivered to another day. My only complaint is that I didn't get my tax refunded on my order. Their shipping system set my state to California instead of New Hampshire and assigned me a sales tax. When I brought it up, they gave me an incorrect answer, but honestly, this place is so awesome, I don't care.

Pretty good steak mushroom pie. Nothing crazy. Personally I found it expensive for what it is.read more

Came here one evening on a whim because it's close to the church my mother goes to. While I had my…read moreeye on the restaurant for a while, I never realized it was so close. The staff are all very welcoming and kind and quickly got me seated with a menu and soon after got my order in, just an order of Derek Tibs, and started. The water I ordered came soon after in the form of a glass and a pitcher. There's a wait time that's pretty typical of ethiopian food that you'll get used to as you have more of it. When it comes to the Derek Tibs, they're honestly a bit bland, but not any more or less so than what I've grown accustomed to. The Berebere sauce (they offered it to me as hot sauce), and the Injera is really what gives it a lot of flavor. Honestly my favorite part of the dry style Ethiopian food is the texture and amount of crust they're able to get on the meats. Overall a very enjoyable experience, I would definitely recommend trying if you get the chance. Likely will return with friends.

as a san diego college student, i am in a tireless search for affordable and nourishing food in…read morehospitable places, and i was able to find this experience at lucy ethiopian restaurant. we ordered the two meat combo, which was satisfying for two hungry adults, and a glass of tej (ethiopian honey wine), which was a beautiful pairing to our meal. even as someone unfamiliar with ethiopian culture, the food and drink made me feel nostalgic, and the peaceful atmosphere of the restaurant contributed to a blissful dining experience. our server was very friendly and helpful, and the service was very quick. i felt very welcomed in this environment, and i will happily return again soon.

I was skeptical first to order food but food was very delicious…read more I have always tried one particular Somalian food in San Diego but today wanted to try same food but at different place.abdul was very nice person and treated me very nicely. I will definitely will go back next time when I m in San Diego area.

I was looking forward to check out this place. I arrived around 4pm. The restaurant is in the back…read moreof a supermarket. I ordered Chicken stew, grilled salmon, chicken sambusa (the only option), and Mandazi. I wanted to order chapati & maharago but i was told that they didn't have it. It took about 50 min to finally get my food. I loved the grilled salmon! The chicken stew was good too. The chicken sambusa was not too crunchy on the outside and a bit too dry for my taste. The Mandazi was undercooked. The center was gooey. The flavor was good though. The price is reasonable and there's parking out front. Overall, the experience was ok but the food was good.

Everything we consumed was very flavorful. The owner was so friendly and helpful to make sure we…read moreknew what we were ordering and ultimately enjoying! Thank you for a great meal at the San Diego County Fair!

I first tried Rafiki Foodz last summer at the San Diego County fair. The food was amazing! The…read moreowner and the staff are best. The flavors feel like a warm blanket of comfort. I can't wait to eat the food again! no one else compares!