Update: the North Park location is temporarily closed, but they are operating as a ghost kitchen out of a rotisserie place off of Carroll road near Miramar road. Definitely worth the drive up to the Miramar area for this delicious food! One of my favorite Ethiopian restaurants ever! read more

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The food was nice and had a different flavor compared to other Ethiopian food. Servers were friendly and explain the food when asked. Small place but had a nice decor and very clean restrooms. Parking at the street only. read more

When I text someone asking if they want to get lunch and they come back with "Ethiopian?" it's safe to say I'm with the right person. Neither of us had ever had it and it seemed like a great idea. But where to go? There are a few different restaurants with this cuisine up on El Cajon Blvd. I went with GIHON based on some friend's reviews and that the pictures of the food here looked good. Those platters are bright and colorful, not to mention bountiful. Who doesn't want that? I walked by while they were still closed as they open at noon and I could smell the food already, the sauces simmering and the smell of the spices floating by the sidewalk. It smelled so good, I knew it was going to be a good meal. When we were ready to eat we headed inside and were met by a very lovely lady from Ethiopia whose name I missed. She was working as hostess, server, and working in the kitchen too plating up our food, after helping us decide what to order of course. We don't know what any of this stuff is! We showed her a photo off Yelp of the platter we liked and she assured us that it was too much food for us. But an order of Doro Wot, Tibs (we went with lamb) and the Vegan Platter was going to be perfect for two with some leftovers for enjoying at home. She was right! Eats: Doro Wot- so freaking good. The chicken was fall apart tender, the sauce was delicious, and I could have easily used all the injera (which I loved so much) to eat all of it. Lamb Tibs- Again I could have eaten all of this. Lamb tibs, lamb tibs over rice, lamb tibs in a burrito, lamb tibs tacos...there isn't a thing I can think of that these little cubes of lamb wouldn't be delicious in. But here, wrapped in little (or not so little) bits of injera I was totally smitten with GIHON by now. Vegan Platter- This is what we saw the little scoops of decorating the platter covered with a large injera so we knew we wanted it. Plus one needs some veggies to go with all the protein. This was a great way to sample all the majority of their side dishes. I liked all of them but the ater kik and the fasolia were my favorites. I'll definitely be ordering this vegan platter with every plate I get. It just tastes good and plus the flavors soak into the injera a bit which is my new favorite utensil. Edible spoons? Amazing. We got more injera because I kind of inhaled it. The texture you see. It was just so soft and tasty. I have a new ridiculous dream of an injera pillow. Like that Patch Adams movie with the pool of noodles but me with a bed of injera. Oh and we also enjoyed the sambusa as we tried one of each. The lentil might have even been tastier than the chicken, that's just how well they do vegetarian food here. But then again the meat was amazing too...Get both. For drinks I enjoyed my minted iced sweet green tea and Dara liked her beer. We sat in the back, the patio area, and enjoyed it. We got there early and had the place to ourselves but I can see how dinner time could fill up. If you have a large party- call ahead. GIHON is definitely going onto my list of favorite places in SD. I'll be heading back this week because when you find food this good you can't keep it to yourself. As I've said the food is delicious and the staff is so welcoming it's impossible to stay away. If you've never tried this cuisine before or you're already a big fan, you should give GIHON a try. Hopefully you fall in love with this charming place like I did. read more

GIHON Ethiopian Kitchen - Our plate of doro wot, lamb tibs, and the vegan platter - Ethiopian Near Me - San Diego, California

I was so excited to eat at GIHON because I love Ethiopian food and DC, where I'm from, has some of the best Ethiopian restaurants! Unfortunately, I was quite disappointed by the doro wat. It had WAY TOO MUCH SALT. The butter and berbere flavors were still there, but it was masked by all of the salt. However, the green beans and carrots were absolutely delicious. The waitress said that the recipe is her grandmother's and you can tell why it's being shared with restaurant-goers. So flavorful and perfectly balanced! I'll still come back, but I think that I'll get the vegan platter instead. It seems like their veggies are pretty great! read more

GIHON Ethiopian Kitchen - Green beans and carrots - Ethiopian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Great food!! Everything was so flavorful. We had the vegan platter, lentil Sambusa and the Shekla Shiro with refills of injera. We also tried the Iced Mint Green tea (which I found to sweet) and the Ethiopian Spices tea over ice (which I loved) We will definitely be back, I did learn that they have buffet every other Friday so, that's a plus! read more

GIHON Ethiopian Kitchen - Ethiopian Near Me - San Diego, California

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San Diego has some amazing Ethiopian resturants, but overall this is probably tied as my favorite. The vegan combo platter has several more veggie dishes included than most others places- it always comes with the 6 or so veggies listed on the menu (including an eggplant wot!), but the last few times we've gone we got an additional sampling of a few daily veggies (the smaller takeout box in our pic). In it, has been a magical red colored garlicy potato (?) dish and an aoili-like tasty side-theyre incredible. Shiro is my favorite Ethiopian dish, and I would say this one from Gihon is not my favorite, but it's definitely good- it's much saltier than I personally prefer. The lentil sambusas are not be missed! Also appreciate how generous they are with the injera. Covid precautions were great- 100% masks; very easy, clean, outdoor pickup and bill signing for our takeout. read more

GIHON Ethiopian Kitchen - Ethiopian Near Me - San Diego, California

Best Ethiopian food ever... Seriously the best eggplant dish ever! I cannot wait until they open back up!!! So excited to see that they're planning on reopening in January read more

I'll miss y'all Best food Good people That restaurant across street I believe ran them out They told me that they tried to buy their place they refused and than they go and be petty and rent a place across street !! Of course that creates competition. Two Ethiopian places across right from each other smh I will always support Gihon not that other place Hopefully Gihon will pop up somewhere else read more

Covid take-out was seamless (called at 11:50am for a 12:20pm pick up). When I arrive, the street parking in front of the restaurant was all taken and there were a few people waiting for their orders. I parked around the block and call to let them know I was waiting there. They called me when my food was ready and brought it straight out to my car as I pulled up. I ordered the meat combo (beef, lamb, chicken with beet and collard green sides), plus shiro. Everything was extremely well packed! I love this place for their amazing clean food and friendly staff. Please support them! read more

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Love the vegan platter. It's perfect for 2 people. The staff is always very attentive.

Amazing Ethiopian food in the San Diego area. The place has been in business for over 20 years and recently returned to this location. It isn't that big of a place, but that adds to the intimacy. Be on the lookout when your drive up. Everything was delicious. Started off with the sambusas (which I rarely go with, but their sauce was amazing), and followed things up with the veggie platter and lamb tibs. We also got the fish, which was seasoned perfectly. For those unfamiliar with Ethiopian food... best bet is to get the veggie sampler and a meat dish you prefer. Family style and you get to eat with your hands. It's more than a meal... it's an experience. Our server was extremely friendly and conversed with us about the options. At the time we went, they didn't yet have their liquor license... but that shouldn't stop you from having a great time. Stop by and enjoy. read more

GIHON Ethiopian Kitchen - Veggie Platter & Lamb Tibs - Ethiopian Near Me - San Diego, California

Wow! I don't claim to be any kind of expert on Ethiopian cuisine or vegetarian food in general, but I was blown away by my lunch there. I got the vegetarian combo plate. At least 10 different dollops of different dishes. I'd say 5 were outstanding, 3 good and the rest tasty. It came with the traditional injera bread, which served as silverware and starch. The most memorable dishes were the eggplant, carrot & green bean stem, and the small green salad with a delicious, sweet dressing. The mint iced tea was a perfect foil for the different stews redolent with exotic spices, some of which reminded me of Indian curries. They have remodeled nicely. the back patio was delightful on a mild September afternoon. Can't wait to bring my other half! read more

Couldn't decide on what to get so Mercy the owner/cook made us a family plate to share. Prime beef, beets and potatoes, eggplant, carrots and green beans, collard greens, spicy lentils, cabbage...SOOOOOO GOOD!!!!!!!!!! She also mentioned that there is a buffet ever 4th Friday of the month!!!! Love love this place! Can't wait to come back!!! read more

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We had lunch at GIHON on Sat. The place was quite empty, only 2-3 tables total. The people there were nice and friendly. For 3 people, we ordered: Doro Wat, Asa Dulet and Misir. Everything was very very good. At first we didn't think we would be able to finish it but we did! I was surprised that I liked Asa Dulet a lot. Chopped up fish didn't sound too appetizing but it turned out to be quite yummy. Doro Wat is my favorite Ethiopian dish so of course I liked it. Misir was also very flavorful and my friend was totally obsessed with this dish. We were so FULL after lunch. We'll definitely be back to try other dishes! read more

Harar is now under original ownership and has renamed itself as Gihon. The tenant prior did a fantastic job in regards to the quality of the food and I'm very glad that the rebirth of this place did not disappoint. Gihon does look aesthetically more pleasing but my ratings are never about decor or service. It's strictly based on what's coming out of the kitchen. The new menu offers some items not previously available like tofu items. I ordered the veggie combo, shiro, and tofu. The shiro was amazeballs. The tofu was as expected, like tofu, and shouldn't be in Ethiopian food. The veggie combo had a salad, cabbage, spinach, lentils, and chickpeas. Lots of savory flavors and mild to wild spices. The most important item, the injera, was a bit thick. I'm not use to that and was interesting to handle. It still tasted like quality injera though. Newcomers: You eat Ethiopian food with hand, your right hand. Practice it. And start with the injera under your sides first before moving to the extra injera. read more

GIHON Ethiopian Kitchen - Ethiopian Near Me - San Diego, California

You gotta get the veggie based items when you come here. They were amazing. I think we got the veggie sampler. We also got 2 of the meat options but I wasn't impressed by those at all. The honey wine was great and the service was great. read more

Wow, what a pleasant surprise... I haven't had Ethiopian food in awhile, and this place is absolutely fire. I got the chicken Sambusa, which were on point. The minced chicken was flavored well, and it was deep fried to perfection! And then I got the lamb misir with the injera. Normally the Ethiopian food I've had was good, but this was definitely the most flavorful and spicy I've had! I mixed in the awaze with the meat, so I think it gave the extra kick. But the lamb was perfectly tender, and the misir curry was delicious! read more

So yummy! This place is priced so amazing and one of the best meals we've had in a while. It tastes authentic and homey and made with so much love. I hope that we can come back when the buffet opens again one day. I am used to shiro wot that has chunkier chickpeas and isn't so spicy but it's still good. The injera and the dip and the rib eye and veggies are all so good. Grateful to find this place. read more

Honestly one of the best meals I had in San Diego an top tier for Ethiopian food in SD. The seasoning was PERFECT I got the Ethiopian tea an the veggie combo an it was amazing I could go back everyday! read more

The Food was very good, It was quite unique and had a different variety of flavors. I would definitely like to try some more Ethiopian style food. read more

GIHON Ethiopian Kitchen - Ethiopian Near Me - San Diego, California

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I went by this place last week and saw a sign that said closed for good. Say it isnt soooo! And the owner contacted me to say they are relocating! Thank goodness! I hope they open up one down south san diego, but will go where-ever they relocate. . Very good veggie combo! read more

Glad the original owner is back. the food is very good, her spicing is maybe a little better than some other places. my only quibble is that they charged an extra $4 for original injeera made from teff, rather than sorghum. its normal to charge 1-2 extra, b/c teff does cost more, but not THAT much more. 1.29 a lb retail vs. 49 a lb retail.. I will be going back so i will update my review after i have... read more

This place is quickly becoming my favorite Ethiopian joint in San Diego. I salivate every time I think of the food here. It's truly authentic. They have the most delicious vegan options here. I always get their vegan platter which comes with all the vegan samplers. Service is fast and the owners are super friendly. They recently renovated the restaurant. When you go there especially at night, take a blanket along or wear a jacket. There is no heat inside. read more

GIHON Ethiopian Kitchen - Vegan sampler platter - Ethiopian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Amazing vegetarian platter and salmon dinner, injira is always fresh and the flavor combinations are delightful.

Gihon is my favorite go-to takeout restaurant! We've been ordering from Gihon multiple times during week when we're too lazy to cook. They're super affordable and are friendly people. Picking up takeout orders are a breeze during covid, just call to place the order and wait times are usually 20-25 mins. Our order usually consists a combo of the vegan platter, chicken tibs (plus awaze) and rice, sambusas, and aukri dip. The aukri dip is included in the vegan platter but we need a whole extra order since it's so addictive. Other stand outs for me is the gomen (collard greens), eggplant wot, and kay sir (beets and potatoes). I can't wait to try the doro wot tonight. I highly recommend this restaurant for delicious Ethiopian delights. read more

GIHON Ethiopian Kitchen - Vegan platter and chicken tibs (added awaze) and kay sir - Ethiopian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Now called Gihon with a new look and less ability to overeat (no all you can eat buffet), but still offering good tasty dishes, trendy GF options, and smaller portion sizes. Went on a Friday night and they were VERY understaffed. Good thing I was in excellent company with good conversation. The Shiro is very tasty. The eggplant is still excellent. I'm unclear why their yellow split peas are served cold. I'll be back on at a less busy time. read more

I happened to come across this restaurant in looking through options in Doordash for Ethiopian food, and I am so glad I found this place! I was absolutely blown away by the serving size of the vegetarian combo - I have been known to single handedly take down an entire plate by myself, but I barely made a dent in my order. Plenty of delicious leftovers. The flavors, spices, and aroma are wonderful! This just became my new go to place for Ethiopian and I will definitely be spreading the word. Thank you for the amazing food! read more

GIHON Ethiopian Kitchen - Vegetarian combo & order of sambusas - Ethiopian Near Me - San Diego, California

I used to go to a different Ethiopian restaurant but it unfortunately closed. I was craving Ethiopian food and took a chance. ... tried Gihon Ethiopian Kitchen which was only a few blocks away from the restaurant that closed. I had the soybean hummus appetizer with ingera chips, veggie combo, and lamb tibs!! The Veggie combo interestingly had cold and hot items. Loved it all!! The food was very delicious and tasty! Went twice in one week! read more

GIHON Ethiopian Kitchen - Veggie combo with lamb tibs - Ethiopian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Nice service. Apparently it's under original management again and redesigned. I can't compare to how it used to be but my experience today was great. I've been wanting to try more Ethiopian places in SD. The waitress treated me and my wife very well and I liked that I got to try their signature Doro Wot. Was a nice cultural experience for me. I wish I had ordered more side dishes. It'd be better to go to a large group to try all the different dishes. read more

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We came in after the late shift at work after passing by on the way home. Always excited by trying new places so pulled over and went inside. Greeted warmly immediately after walking in and we sat down to order. Our server, Meskerem (saw name on receipt) asked if we had any questions and since we're new, told us about the platter. $38 is a pretty good deal to try 3 different meats and vegan options so we went with that. A LOTTA FOOD AND IT WAS BOMB! Asked her to surprise us with options on what to get and she suggested using pita for bread and yeah, took it to a whole new level! 3 of us and had to pack up food to take home. Loved the place. Clean, our server was fantastic, and great food. For sure would be back! read more

I couldn't be happier with their food. It really hits the spot when I can't get my families cooking. My favorite item was the vegan platter. read more

GIHON Ethiopian Kitchen - a person's thumb up - Ethiopian Near Me - San Diego, California

Hidden in plain sight, Gihon is a super tasty place to have dinner at. Perfect for vegetarians/vegans, but they also have meat options. The Vegan platter is perfect for 2 people, 'cause it has a bit of everything enough for both to try out. The mint tea is sweet but just on point :) They have buffet nights the 2nd & 4th Friday so definitely remembering that Staff is friendly and it feels like a cozy place to have dinner at. read more

GIHON Ethiopian Kitchen - Best veggie buffet Super tasteful :) - Ethiopian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Soooo.... My boyfriend and I had reservations at 7 pm. We arrived at 6:50 pm. I am currently writing this at 7:55 pm because we ordered a Harar Special for two 40 minutes ago. This one family who came in 20 minutes ago and suddently they got a Harar Special for two?!?!? What the heck?!!?! And we have been sitting there for 30 minutes (after finishing our appetizers). Their excuse when we brought it up? "Oh, it's because the man came in early and made an order beforehand." Really? Didn't know you could do that. So just to let you know, you can come in EARLY and order ahead of time. If they tell you that is not possible, than just proves that they just lied to my boyfriend and I. Which I assume they did because another waitress came by later (around 10 minutes later) with our order and apologized because the wrong order was placed at the wrong table. Being that I was hungry because I was waiting it out for my first time eating Ethiopian food, I already had stomach pains going on (gas develops when I wait too long and am stressed) and I couldn't truly enjoy our dish. The only thing I liked about the experience was that it was different (hence, the reason why I wanted to try it for the first time). We had to eat with our hands! It was a unique experience. There was a variety of food on the platter itself - different meats, vegetables, potatoes, chicken pieces, etc. I loved the flavors of the dish -- very subtle but had a nice savory flavor to it at the same time. My boyfriend, on the other hand, was not a fan of it. He's really picky about texture and he thought the bread used to eat the dish was too soggy, especially when it soaked up all the sauces and whatnot. He would not like to come back. Should you try Ethiopian food? Yes, you should, it is a wonderful experience not having any utensils to eat with and relying on your own hands. Should you try eating Ethiopian food here at Harar's? I recommend finding another place if you can. A place with faster service and better excuses. read more

GIHON Ethiopian Kitchen - Ethiopian Special for Two - Ethiopian Near Me - San Diego, California

I read a lot of good reviews about the flavor and the combo plate, but I thought the food was average. The vegetarian platter just wasn't as flavorful as some other Ethiopian places I've been to. No kick to it. Injeera bread was only ok. I love going to "hole in the wall" type restaurants if cuisine is on point but this one was not. The waitress and staff was nice, which made for a pleasant experience. The guy who paid before me exclaimed, "this is the best Ethiopian food I've had!"... Sorry, I have to disagree... But they're so friendly here! Indoor and Outdoor patio seating available. Space heaters are available for outdoor seating but bring a sweater on a cold day. It can be easily missed driving by at night. Look for a shorter building in bright green. read more

GIHON Ethiopian Kitchen - Photo from Back of restaurant. Inside seating also available. - Ethiopian Near Me - San Diego, California

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So glad these guys are in business again! I just got back into town, so perfect timing! They've recently remodeled and the owner says they're still working on the decor, but it's the food that's super tasty and worth the trip. Always a friendly smile from the family that owns and works this restaurant. Super chill environment. Great place for authentic Ethiopian cuisine. Delish! read more

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The food and the service were fantastic. Also if you call the day ahead you can get Gluten Free Injera, which we will do next time when we come back! We had the vegan platter with an additional plate and it was perfect for two. We came on a Monday night and it was busy which is great, want to see quality places like this doing well in the neighborhood. read more

Where to start??? The family that owns this place are some of the kindest people I've met. They are genuinely excited to share their food and traditions regarding meals with you. I didn't know what to expect, having not eating Ethiopian food before. This was one of my favorite dining experiences I've ever had. The food... incredible. Four of us shared the Harar special. This was the large platter with the flat bread and about 10 different dishes on it. The portions were perfect. The flavors were out of this world. read more

GIHON Ethiopian Kitchen - Harar special - Ethiopian Near Me - San Diego, California

Yes, you get to eat with your hands, kind of. Every dish is served with Injera, traditional Ethiopian bread that looks like a rolled up Ace bandage. You're supposed to use the bread to scoop up the food. Order the Harar Special; it's a platter that comes with small samples of seven dishes. My top choices: Number 17, Yatakelt wot (cabbage/potato/beans/carrot mush) Number 12, Yemeser wot (spicy lentils). I'm a stinky vegetarian hippie though, so the meat dishes could be great but I have no way of knowing. The honey wine is interesting. I think they drink it at room temperature, which I can't stand. Last time I went, I had them chill it and it was much, much better. read more

GIHON Ethiopian Kitchen - Yes, it's empty, but that's because the masses know no better. - Ethiopian Near Me - San Diego, California

Small buffet, kinda feels like you're at someone's house and you showed up uninvited. Yeah, didn't really seem like they cared for any of the customers. Kinda cheap and wasteful that they use paper plates and plastic utensils. The food was tasty, but I didn't like the atmosphere. I really liked the carrots, lentils, I think I liked the veggie stuff mostly. Ethiopian food isn't something I eat often, and I enjoyed my meal, service was just lacking. read more

This is one of the most easily bypassed restaurants I've eaten at recently...and also one of the best. Acting on a suggestion from a Twitter friend (yeah, I Tweet...what of it? got a problem?), I took a friend who had never had Ethiopian food (and who, like me, is less than familiar with San Diego, having just moved there a few months ago) on a Harar mission. And boy am I glad I did. She was skeptical. The smell of the restaurant (delicious in my eyes) overwhelmed her and reading the menu, she wasn't sure that she would like anything. So I convinced her to get a vegetarian dish (something with tomatoes, carrots and cabbage) while I ordered the eggplant. Was NOT disappointed. The food was delicious and came quickly. It was flavorful and attractively prepared. Plus, you have to love any restaurant where you're expected to eat with your hands. Oh yeah. Additionally, it's down the road from Live Wire, which is a great, cheap dive (with at least one asshole who drinks there, as I will note in review to come :). And, according to a friend who has lived in SD for a long time, El Cajon is also where you go if you want to look for hookers. Sounds like a winning situation all around to me!!! read more

GIHON Ethiopian Kitchen - Vegetarian Deliciousness - Ethiopian Near Me - San Diego, California