Huge fan of Gojjo. I will say... customer service isn't always speedy, especially if there are a lot of people at the bar. However, they more than make up for it with their food. AMAZING Ethiopian cheesesteaks, samosas, doro wot, and lentils! A true staple in the community. Great place to watch the game too, upstairs and outside are a vibe. read more

Gojjo Bar & Restaurant - Ethiopian cheesesteaks - Ethiopian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Gojjo is a restaurant, bar, and cafe. It's been known since the late 90's. My friend and I shared the special combination vegetarian platter. The shiro wot was the best. Customer service was subpar and the rest of the food was mediocre. It was cold, bland and americanized. There wasn't enough spices for me but the injera was pretty good. read more

Gojjo Bar & Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

My first visit was during the first Eagles game of the season so to be fair, it was veryy packed. However, they seemed understaffed downstairs given this big event! It was like two to three people managing the bar and the tables which was too much and they need another waitor or two downstairs. I ordered a chicken tibs mild over rice with injera and the food was very flavorful and great. My coke was flat but the food was really good. I would be back if I wasn't starving or expecting attentive waitstaff and had the patience to wait. read more

Food: 4 Out of 5 Ordered the lamb chapati and the special combination platter (veggie platter). My lamb was spicy, just the way I like it. On the special combination I preferred the lentils in orange and yellow spiced sauce, injera tasted great and everything else was par. 80% of everything I had was seasoned nicely and plenty of flavor. Things I personally would pass on are the greens and regular lentils, flavors were flat. Service: 4 out of 5 Feels understaff, but I understand since it's COVID. The bartender remembered me from the last time I was there so I ordered right from the bar since I knew it was going to take some time for my food to come. Environment: 4 Out of 5 Nice patio in the back but I do recommend having more hand sanitizers around given the nature of COVID. Overall: 4 Out of 5 Second time at this place and so far the Ethiopian food has not disappointed. I say that because the first time I was here I ordered chicken wings and the lamb chapati. Pass on the wings since I can bring better ones at home. Obviously I enjoy the lamb chapati since it's my second time ordering it. Portion size was ok for sharing. Lamb chapati was $14.50 & special combination was $17.00! Because I'm a proper patron and tip at least 20% my bill was $41.02. I will say that this place is more pricey compared to other Ethiopian places I've been to, even with my Bay Area/San Francisco standards. For West Philly it's definitely on the higher end. read more

Gojjo Bar & Restaurant - Special Combination Platter - Ethiopian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Bartenders were rude! We walked in to have a few drinks and we were IGNORED the entire time! When they did take our orders, I personally felt very disrespected. Ambiance can only take you so far. read more

We were back at Gojjo & had a good time. *** Bozena shiro, with collards: unfortunately, the bozena shiro was not as flavourful as I remembered it. Meat seemed overcooked & sauce wasn't as tasty. It was still all right, just not as good. (3 stars) *** Spicy split lentil plate was fine. (3 stars) Service was good. read more

Gojjo Bar & Restaurant - Bozena Shiro - Ethiopian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Best Etho food in the neighborhood, full of flavor, fresh and filling. Restaurant is large and pleasant to dine in at, full bar, my only complaint is that they charge you for soda refills. read more

Love gojjo. Fri3ndly staff great food. Great drinks and cozy. The vegetarian platter, the samosas and the fül are so good. Alan is very funny and nice. read more

Pretty cool spot. We didn't eat there but the bar tenders were cool. Def doesn't have the divey neighborhood feel of the surrounding bars. Also they were organizing for Bernie! *Update: my first time eating there and sitting in the back outside area was great! So I'm bumping this place to five stars. Food was excellent and as always the wait staff is super cool. My only gripe would be it's a little expensive in comparison to the Ethiopian places that all over West Philly. Not expensive in comparison to most dine out places these days though. I'm just used to West Philly being the place you can get a hoagie and a Hurricane for under $4. read more

Normally would be my spot for a nice late night beer or two and watching some news & talkin sh*t w the homie. But in this day and age my friend suggested we try the Ethiopian Cheesesteak to go. Personally I could have used a little more flavor and spice, but it did taste good. The portion was what a cheesesteak literally should be Always feels good supporting quality local businesses like this one :) read more

Gojjo Bar & Restaurant - Ethiopian Cheesesteak - Ethiopian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Service was absolutely terrible. The lady behind the bar was on her phone the entire time and the man was just basically ignoring our group as well. The whole place was empty aside from another table and another person at the bar. There was absolutely no excuse for their behavior. We came from New York and stopped by, even though their kitchen was closed we were trying to order drinks and their attitude was despicable. You're better off going to the other Ethiopian spots in the neighborhood tbh, they were much better and well mannered. This place sucked terribly. We left after half an hour of attitude and crap service. read more

The price here has been a small deterrent, but I finally was able to get in and try some bites and come to a conclusion- this place is fresh, fine, and light. Ethiopian food can sometimes be heavy and greasy, but everything that I tried here the other day left me feeling full but not heavy. The veggie platter had lots of lentils, cabbage and gomen, not super flavorful but some good variation on texture. The gomen besiga was extremely flavorful and the meat was tender. It came with a little cottage cheese, but no sides like other restaurants usually do, so coming here should be for quality, not for quantity. I'll reserve this place for a treat, as they have some interesting platters and options that other places in the neighborhood do not have. read more

Gojjo Bar & Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I am glad I went so I can cross it off my list of places to go. Gojjo made Philadelphia magazines 30 cheesesteaks. The first thing I didn't like is the price I paid was at least $2 higher than when I saw online. It wasn't a horrible cheesesteak and it did come with a couple french fries. I guess the seasoning makes it Ethiopian. I guess $7 for a draft isn't bad in the city. It wasn't a horrible overall experience. read more

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I kind of don't want to say this because I think the reason it's so relatively peaceful in the back is because people don't know about it. But in my opinion, this is one of the best back porch eating places. It's like your hanging out in your good friend's backyard in West Philly enjoying food and a couple of beers. Like home, but better. And the food makes it special. read more

Gojjo Bar & Restaurant - Back patio - Ethiopian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Come for the basketball. Stay for the food and the house made hot sauce. Everything on the menu's pretty good; you can't really go wrong with Ethiopian in UCity. But that Gojjo hot sauce? Get outta here. For real. I'm a spice head. I've been using Sriracha like salt since I was ten. In my fridge I have jars of pepper jelly - think like grape jelly but if all the grapes were angry and wanted to make your butthole hurt. I have "The Last Dab" from the web series Hot Ones. It's the kind of thing that seems like a good idea and then you put too much and you're like "what exactly is a good idea and do they even exist anymore?" I put hot sauce on everything, including my hot sauce. And lemme tell you: Gojjo hot sauce is not here for the weak of heart. If you've had the last dab before, it's not as intense as that. But it is more in your face and fast burning with a long sweaty cooldown. Eating and surviving Gojjo hot sauce is a triumph. It's so good it's like flavor tripping. Got a really bitter beer? Eat some fries with Gojjo hot sauce and then taste that beer again - totally different, maltier, juicier beer. I can't think of a thing I wouldn't put this hot sauce on. I'm thinking about it right now. I think it affected me so much that the night after I had it, I had a dream that I was dropping acid with a friend, and I'm pretty sure all we dropped was Gojjo hot sauce. That sauce was so good that I felt the need to write this cryptic review of an entire restaurant where I'm like "the food is good, but have you had the hot sauce? Because really, the food just exists so you can have more of this hot sauce." Real talk: if you're not great with spicy food, this hot sauce will make you cry. And not tears of joy either. Tears of weakness and regret and "I wish I was strong enough in spirit to weather this storm, but alas, this is the end." Try it anyway. read more

A neighborhood watering hole. Its a very casual place and for you have to lower your expectations when coming here. Mostly Ethiopian cuisine and not bad for the price. Drinks are just okay or not terrific if you order off menu, as it's mostly a pour place for bottles and what's on tap. There is outside seating in the warmer months, which is nice. The service outside hasn't been the greatest, however. The last time we went outside, the service and food took so long that we left before we ordered our entrees. It was very disappointing. The server tried but she was the only one working outside and there were lots of tables. read more

Get the honey wine! Salmon and rice dish is well seasoned and not too spicy. I enjoy the chill environment and seasoned food. The honey wine I drink there and take a bottle home. Be sure to check them out.. don't pass em by read more

Excellent customer service, amazing quality Ethiopian food I order from here all the time. There kitfo, and beef Tibs are amazing and all the dishes on there menu. Here is the picture of the Goden Tibs I ordered prime beef ribs. Plenty of street parking for cars and even bike parking. The location is centered on the main strip of West Philadelphia on Baltimore ave and very accessible by public transportation by using Septa route 34 Trolley that will drop you right to the restaurant. Ride sharing apps such as Uber or Lyft are pretty low and inexpensive to get you to Gojjo to have there delicious Ethiopian food. There is even outdoor seating in the back area to enjoy your meal. There is a vast menu of Ethiopian food, finger food, appetizers and even an Ethiopian cheesesteak which is really good you should try it. Definitely worth a try and a amazing dining experience with authentic food made with quality ingredients. read more

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The lamb stew was tasty, but it was downhill from there. The injera seems to have less teff than at other restaurants. At least, I think that's why it lacks the 'sour' kick that I enjoy so much in other injera. This injera was bland. Worst of all, some of the veggies in my veggie platter were CANNED! The string beans were definitely not fresh, and in the center of my injera was a pile of mixed vegetables (like the nasty can of Veg-all that I keep in my emergency kit next to bandages and candles). I was really upset by that, especially since the samosa appetizers seemed fresh and tasted good. Other veggie items like shiro peas were okay, but after the two canned items I was suspicious. Were those collards fresh or frozen chipped collards? Whom can I trust. I will say that the servers were enthusiastic and very sweet. We were served quickly and they were attentive. The restaurant is nice, clean, and has a good bar. But without good food, none of that matters to me. I'll stick to Almaz Cafe for good Ethiopian food. read more

I've been to Gojjo for casual drinks a few times, but my fiance and I finally stopped in for dinner this week, and we were happy we did. The entire ambiance and vibe is casual, laid back, and very friendly. Once we were seated and had looked over the menu, I ordered the Doro Wat, a classic for a reason. The entree came with stewed collard greens and some crumbly cottage cheese, plus PLENTY of injera. The chicken came on the bone, which kept it very juicy, but was challenging to eat without a fork. The flavor and spice on the chicken was phenomenal, and as all of the flavor and juices seeped into the injera, it just got better and better. I liked my first experience dining at Gojjo a lot - and I can't wait to check out the rest of the menu. read more

The most horrible experience tonight. We usually frequent and have a great experience, however, this new waitress is horrible. We had a conversation about our order and she bought out what we didn't order. We asked for rice to fix it instead of making brand new orders, and she charged us for sides of rice. We asked for spicy tibs and were given non spicy. In addition to all of that we were never given silverware to eat with. We had to get her attention for silverware. We ended up NOT eating our food and had to go to the bar to pay as she never intended on checking on our table again. While there we expressed our concerns to her and the lead waiter. Instead of listening to feedback she says "say it to my face." How inappropriate!? Not to mention we WERE. Clearly, communication isn't her strongest skill. We paid for our $70 meal and left never to return. We've supported this local business on many occasions but simply cannot continue to not be supported in return. read more

this is a great bar with awesome food and a nice backyard. the people who work here are friendly too. 10/10!

Only came for drinks, but enjoyed our time here. There is TouchTunes which is nice, but also felt too quiet when people weren't playing anything (nice to have some music on in the background). Pretty good beer selection - including some draft options and lots of bottles. I'd like to come back for food and maybe try one of the Ethiopian beers. read more

I've been going to Gojo for many years! The wait is a little long but the food is amazing and authentic. I often say it's the best Ethiopian in the city! read more

Great Ethiopian food for a bar hang! We ordered the vegetarian platter, featuring 6 different dishes and big enough for two. My favorites were the yellow lentils, yemisir watt, and gomen, but honestly all of it was tasty and the injera was perfectly made. They told us that there was a big delay in food orders, but we ended up only waiting 45 minutes, not bad. The table next to us waited an hour and half, though. So be ready to wait! In the meantime, order a pitcher and just chill in the bar area. Not bad prices for what you get. Enjoy this gem! read more

Service was incredibly slow, but I got the impression it was a bit unusual the night we went. My husband and I are in town for a rally and to visit old friends, so the wait with pleasant company was no bother. Everybody ordered the cheese steak, and they were tasty indeed. I felt like such a local going to a place that you have to "be in the know"about. There's a thrill in that. Heck,I even ate some of the fries and I almost never eat fries. These looked and tasted so fresh, I went for it. You can really tell how clean they keep their oil. read more

And so my West Philly Ethiopian restaurant hopping is complete (at least until something points me towards another direction). I saved Gojjo for last because some of the food write ups were freaking me out to the point that I felt it would be best to savor the better before taking the plunge. But most of that was unnecessary since it turned out to be pretty flipping sweet. As a whole Gojjo was probably fifth as far as the food chain goes. But my rice platter with lamb, peppers, cabbage, and onions was still pretty damn fantastic. The tea hit the spot even if it was predominately Lipton (not dissing the bags, just comparing them to the tea that places like Dahlak and Blue Nile Falls hooks up). But what won me over with Gojjo over any of the other Ethiopian haunts was overall atmosphere. It had two floors of fun with a great downstairs bar, a good spot to eat in that hooked up plenty of artwork, and a chill room with a pool table. I also got down with the chill music and well rounded beer selection. So it's fair to say that with the exception of Dahlak during Spring/Summer (back courtyard party!), Gojjo is the the Ethiopian Restaurant I'd consider going to just to chill in the bar (I consider Fiume a separate entity all together). Especially since it had some chill people working there. read more

My first Ethiopian dining experience was at Gojjo. Some late night food was necessary and I am always willing to try something delicious and new. I tried the spicy beef and chicken w/ veggies. I will have to say that i like my veggies FRESH and these were not.....which sucks......but overall, it wasnt a bad dining experience...but i know there is a lot better. They have a full bar, accept credit cards, and friendly staff. PS Big screen @ downstairs bar read more

The ownership is a disaster. I saw the owner ask a patron to leave simply because he claimed he did not like the way the patron looked at him!! Yes, it's an Ethiopian ownership and the owner is Ethiopian, but in the US this is no run a business! Yikes! read more

I'm sorry. As a stand - alone restaurant/bar this might be a pretty good place, but when it exists in a neighborhood with two other ethiopian food/bar combos, it should be stepping things up a bit more. Gojjo just doesnt stand up to the competition. Dalak has better ambience and wonderfully friendly staff, and the paradise in the back and outside is a better stocked bar, with the added bonus of outdoor seating. Abyssinia has much better food with the best bar in west philly sitting on top of it. Go here and try it to make your choice, but in my humble opinion, Gojjo doesnt hold a candle to the other two west philly ethiopian institutions. read more

Gojjo is the definitive West Philly Mix of neighborhood bar and cultural flare. I haven't had the tibs, but the Ethiopian Cheeseteak is freaking delicious. They basically use higher grade beef than your typical cheesesteak, throw on Ethiopian spices and cheese and serve. Not too greasy and exceptionally tasty, great sized roll. Good TV's, can usually grab a spot at the bar, and good beats after 10 if you feel like dancing! The Ethiopian Cheesesteak itself makes it a destination if you're in the Baltimore neck of the woods. 2 thumbs up! read more

Not experienced in Ethiopian food, I've only had it one other time when I was in college. Nice waitress/bartender (there was only 1 person working besides the kitchen staff) who was friendly. The food - REALLY SPICY! Maybe I'm not used to it but my vegetarian shiro was sooooo spicy (and salty) and the boyfriend's gored gored was too! The waitress laughed and said it wasn't spicy though... O_o Decent selection of beers (she told us they used to carry Ethiopian beers, but not anymore), worth the experience. I'm not sure Ethiopian is quite my thing, but it wasn't bad, either. read more

Gave it one more shot. Same deal. I got off th 34 to have a post-work cocktail and dinner. My friend who I was meeting was already there waiting. I ordered my drink and saw they're still measured (like many of the Ethiopian places in the neighborhood) and when i say measured I mean smaaaaall. OK, I can work with that. Speaking of measured drinks: What's up with this Philly? You know, the black dohicky attached to a nozzle (or something) and placed over the bottle? I noticed the back room was cleared out for dancing. It was still fairly early so I did not think the dancing would start until much later. About five minutes later the disco lights came on and...BOOM BOOM BOOM! The music was turned on and up and up and up. Instead of ordering dinner as we'd planned to do, we left. There was no way either of us were going to sit, chat and try to eat a meal while having extremely loud music pounding at the volume of eleventymillion. Music? Great. Higher volume music? I'm OK with that too! This, however was almost deafening and my friend and I had to yell at each other to hear each other. As we were leaving a gentleman who was perched at the end of the bar closest to the door gave me total stink eye. I've seen him there almost every time I've gone but had never spoken to him so I'm not sure what that was about. My friend informed me he's the owner. Oooooo kay then. read more

Great little spot for just drinks or excellent food. Service is good, but keep in mind that it can take some time, especially if it's busy. If you're interested in outdoor dining, they have a great patio and deck in the back! read more

Gojjo has been my favorite West Philly Ethiopian restaurant for several years now. They have a fine selection of traditional dishes -- even fish dishes -- served with good injera (the fish dish was, however, a bit bland, which I suppose I should have remedied with a side of hot sauce, which they do provide upon request). In addition to traditional Ethiopian dishes, they have Ethiopian (i.e., berbere-spice infused) takes on Philly's classic cheesesteak (both beef and chicken versions are available). I've only tried the chicken version, and it was very good. They might even have regular pub fare, but I never bothered looking at that part of the menu. To help you wash down the delicious and filling food, Gojjo has a very good selection of beers -- including some tasty and very-hard-to-find Ethiopian brews (by hard to find I mean I've never seen them at any beer distributor or bottle shop). Service is ... laid back, so don't show up ravenous and cranky; it will go (and perhaps end) poorly. The prices are in line with, and generally a bit less expensive than, average for Philly's Ethiopian restaurants. There are lots of seating options. When the weather is nice, there is a lovely back yard with both ground-level seating and a second floor deck (though the outdoor furniture is mostly kinda flimsy plastic). Inside, there is bar seating and tables on both the first and second floors. The upstairs tends to be closed on slow nights. On some nights they have a DJ that plays ridiculously loud music on the first floor. Your eardrums will rightly hate you if you expose them to it (until they implode, that is, which they might; I didn't try to find out). read more

This place is interesting in that it seems to focus more on the bar element than the restaurant, yet it serves outstanding Ethiopian food. I came here with a large group of people and we ordered a bunch of food and all of it was outstanding. There's not a huge amount of space, we sat upstairs and had to rearrange tables a bit, but it worked well. Service was minimal (but good!). The place was a bit chaotic, but the people were so nice, the food was so good, and it came out in a reasonable amount of time, so our experience. Plus, there was live bluegrass, and the group was really good! We were here on a wednesday night. I really liked the vibe in here...maybe it was just the particular night we were here, but the people hanging around here seemed really nice, and the place had a really chill vibe. I would really recommend this place, both for food, and as a bar. read more

Ethiopian cheesesteak hit the spot and came with tasty fries. I think this is pretty unique. Very laid back atmosphere, so expect to wait a long time for your food and don't come in a hurry. read more

As a restaurant, Gojjo has become my favorite Ethiopian restaurant in Philly. Kachumbari (Tomato Salad) was very tasty, a lot of flavor in what looked like a fairly simple dish. Tomato, peppers, onion, and some vinegar. The Gojjo Special Tibs (Spicy) was very good, spiced beef with peppers and onions, the spinach that went with the meat was well seasoned. I would have liked some more vegetables, but the dish was otherwise very good. Lately, when eating here, I'll split this and the vegetable combination between two people. Served with injera (spongy rolled bread). Spilt Lentil (Spicy) was excellent. The flavor with the lentils was terrific, the lentils were thick with a flavorful sauce that paired very well with the injera. Lentil soup had a good flavor to it, but I wish that it had more lentils in it. Service was pretty slow, but it's sort of a place to take your time at. Outdoor seating is terrific, and I would recommend if you want to get away from the loud bar. read more

This review is only in regards to it as a drinking establishment. It is interesting to see the cultures clash of the young, White crowd mixed with a moderately 30-60 crowd of Ethiopian men. It is a funny dynamic but totally embraced at this Baltimore Ave. joint. I didn't have any of the Ethiopian fare but I am told by many of the locals that it is a rather good palate (I'll stick to Abysinnia for now). The selection of beers is not plenty but it was enough for our Super Bowl Sunday where they had plenty of TV's and a very laid back duo of bartenders who served us throughout the evening. I would come back only for a cheap nightcap in West Philly but it wouldn't be a go-to for me. Heads up, Cash Only read more

We were incredibly hungry when we stopped in for food and a couple beers. We ordered at 9:13 and literally waited for an hour for an Ethiopian steak and cheese with no cheese on a dry roll with very little meat. Don't come here, it's a scam! read more