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Habiba's Ethiopian Kitchen

4.8 (81 reviews)
Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

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Beyaynetu (Vegetarian Sampler)

Ordered vegetarian platter (Betaynetu) and it was delicious. The flavors are perfectly seasoned and not overwhelming. The lady at the counter was very helpful in explaining the food options. The food hall is clean and lots of table to it at.

beef sambusa
Jessica G.

I love the beef sambusa and the doro tibs here. Service is very friendly. Located inside the Salt City Market this brings some diversity to what the market has to offer. Everything is authentic and fresh and tasty. The sampler platter is great for a group of people looking to try out a variety of food.

Jason P.

I've wanted to try Ethiopian food for a while now. While staying in downtown Syracuse on business, I saw that Habiba's was closeby so I decided to give it a try. Street parking along the main road was easy. There are tons od active parking meters in effect until 6pm. After that, parking there is free. I parked about half a block away. The storefront is very plain and somewhat dark...it wasn't immediately obvious that the place was open. I walked into a lovely greeting by the staff. It was practically empty, but I went at around 6:15 pm and I believe they close at 7 pm, so that may be expected. The decor was lovely. The space was also very neat and clean with lots of tables, chairs and bench seating. Not knowing what to order, the lovely server was able to suggest one of the platters which had a sampling of a few items. (About $18 for a sampler of 2 meats, 3 vegetables and injera.) The food came out in about 15 minutes. While I liked some items, more than others, I understood that my palate was not acustomed to the spices they used. I did like the heat of the food, I didn't immediate love one of the main spices, which was present in all three vegetable dishes. As with many things...I figured this was an acquired taste. Overall I had a great experience at Habiba's. I hope to return and try some other items. The staff was very nice, patient and helpful.

Restaurant front
Isra S.

Sambusa's will keep you coming back. Restaurant is super clean in a beautiful spot. Just across the street from the bus depot, this place is very convenient. It's also just a few steps away from Syracuse Co-op market so you order & do some grocery shopping if needed. Food is made to order with variety. The owner & cook is a sweetheart. You will get the best service! I remember eating here when it was on North Salina. Memories & good food!

Paige C.

This was the first time I tried Ethiopian cuisine! It was a great experience! The server was really good at explaining everything and offering suggestions. We ended up splitting a meat platter. If you're sensitive with spice, be mindful of that. It was such a unique and great experience! The type of bread they use is extremely soft and delicious. Any type of restaurant that encourages you to eat with your hands is good in my book! You will wait a little for your food, so make sure you're not in a rush or consider calling ahead.

Chicken dishes middle is Alechia, 6 o'clock Wot, 11 o'clock split pea, 2 o'clock red lentil veg dish, 9 third chicken dish  $33
Tracie L.

I have been wanting to try this spot and we finally made it today. We tried the platter that has all of the chicken dishes and 4 vegetarian dishes. The collard veggie side was good, the lentils too- they had moderate heat. The chick pea side was puréed vs chunky. The split pea side was less flavorful but still good and a nice consistency. All 3 Chicken dishes were good. Going there, I was most wanting to try the Wot because I like Berbere but that was actually my least favorite. Though it wasn't spicy, the flavor the Alechia was really good. I would definitely go back but may try the beef dishes. Note you're definitely not going for atmosphere or service (not bad but not great), you're going for the delicious food. The food was received pretty quickly.

Mango smoothie.
Thomas C.

I've known Habiba for over 10 years. If you don't know her story, it's amazing and inspiring. Her family left war torn Ethiopia when she was 4 years old, she spent 10 years in Kenya in a refugee camp before moving to America on 2000, alone. In Kenya, she watched her mother cook to support her family, selling meals out of a small hut made of mud and sticks. Habiba and I worked together a long time ago, and even then, her dream was always to open a restaurant. She started catering and had test runs of her food at With Love and My Lucky Tummy. She sold meals at the Westcott Community Center. Finally, in late 2018, her dream came true and she opened her own restaurant, the first Ethiopian spot in the city, on Syracuse's northside. I made it a point to go to With Love when Habiba was there, wanting to show my support and try her food. So I already knew she could cook. My wife and I finally went to her restaurant today for the first time and she did not disappoint. Habiba herself waited on us and we caught up a bit. The restaurant is very small, only about 10 tables, probably 35-40 people can fit inside. My wife ordered a mango smoothie, a veggie sambusa and gomen besiga, a dish of seasoned beef stew and collard greens over top injera bread, while I chose Doro tibbs, a dish of seasoned basmati rice with chicken seasoned and simmered in a slightly spicy sauce. Everything was SO DAMN GOOD. The mango smoothie was fresh, sweet and delicious, the sambusa has great spice and flavor to it and our main dishes were just amazing. My wife repeatedly said "this was a good choice" about her dish and mine was delicious. The seasoned rice had great flavor and the chicken itself was even better. Just packed with flavor, slightly spicy. I got it normal this time to feel it out but I'll definitely get the spicier version next time. All the main dishes are over $10 but you get plenty of food. Both my wife and I brought home enough to have another meal of, and honestly, it's so good it's worth the money anyway. 2 meals, a smoothie and a sambusa came to less than $40. Be prepared...you may be in for long waits at busy times. Habibas is everything you want in a restaurant. Delicious, amazing food and owned by genuine good people who care about their community, their patrons and the food they serve you. If you don't try it, you're doing a disservice to yourself.

Awaze Beef Tibs
Casey F.

Habiba's is a great addition to the salt city market! I love going to the market for a quick bite to eat, or when you're with a group and want to appeal to people with different taste preferences. I tried the beef tibs and I'll definitely be getting them again. I got the mild and my fiancé got the spicy. We didn't find either dish to be too spicy.

YEBEG ALECHA and VEGGIE SAMBUSA
Eric V.

Went to the location at the salt city market. Everything was delicious. they have a lot of vegetarian options in addition to chicken, beef and lamb options. The sambusa are to die for and our cooked fresh. The staff was friendly, courteous, and quick. I'm definitely going back again and again.

a meat and vegetarian combo platter for four
Stephanie S.

I first learned about Habiba when she was the chef of the month at With Love Restaurant. As I now live in Vermont, I was excited to see she was opening up her own place in Syracuse that I could go to with my family members, many of whom have never had the opportunity to eat Ethiopian food, as there has not been an Ethiopian restaurant in Syracuse in years. If you've never had the opportunity to eat Ethiopian Food, I highly recommend the experience. Our server was a pleasant young woman who helped us choose a platter combination of meats and vegetables. We each ordered the mango smoothies and also one hot chai. The smoothies were described as mango pulps and chunks, strawberry, banana, blended with skim milk. The chai was a steaming and fragrant tea served black with sugar and cream on the side. We love chai and I think this was the first time we'd had it with the additional spice of clove. The platter came out soon after, piled high with four vegetarian sides and four meat sides. It consisted of: Gomen Wot x 2: Finely chopped seasoned collard greens stew with garlic, black pepper, and onion Shiro Wot: Seasoned ground chickpeas stew, with berbere, garlic, and curry powder (mild) Misir Wot: Seasoned red lentil stew with berbere, garlic, tomatoes, and black pepper Doro Wot: Seasoned drumstick chicken stew cooked slow with berbere sauce, Mekelesha (special blend of 7 spices), onion, garlic and ginger Awaze Doro Tibs: Seasoned diced chicken breast sautéed with onions, garlic, rosemary, peppers Siga Wot: Seasoned beef cubes stew cooked slow with berbere sauce, Mekelesha (special blend of 7 spices, onion, garlic and ginger Siga Alecha: Seasoned beef cubes stew with onions, garlic, fresh ginger and a touch of curry in a sauce Everything was well seasoned and excellent; the beef cubes were a little tough, but not a real complaint. We had more than ample food and injera (traditional and special homemade gluten free sourdough bread). The meal is extremely reasonable in terms of value, quality, and price. Four of us ate well for $75 (including tax and tip) and we still had leftovers. Our service was very good, but our server had to be asked a couple times for napkins, etc. As they've been open less than a month, I am certain this will improve in time. Habiba's Ethiopian Kitchen is aptly named. When you are here, you are treated as family. Habiba came out to personally chat with each table in order to have a sincere conversation with her clientele. We each let her know we'd definitely be back. FYI: please be sure to have cash for tipping. You can pay for your meal on a credit card, but there's no line for tipping on the card.

Appetizers, beef entrees, and specials.

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1 year ago

Food the great taste of the food likes the time it was Delivered will recommend it to all my friends and family

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Hawi Ethiopian Restaurant

Hawi Ethiopian Restaurant

4.0
(217 reviews)
45.4 mi
$$

Second time here, and it did not disappoint. From the quiet and calming ambiance to friendly staff…read moreand an extensive menu of Ethiopian cuisine, definitely one of my top restaurants in Ithaca. The lamb (Yebeg Alicha) is so so good & tender. Everything is very flavorful and made with a lot of thought into the flavor profiles and high quality ingredients. I will say that the chicken (Doro Tibs) was kind of dry, but the other components (Kilt was my favorite) made up for it. The spicy (Misir) can actually be quite spicy, but the hints of sweetness help mellow it out a bit. The portions are huge, and perfect for sharing! Overall, I love coming here and highly recommend checking this place out!:)

My friend, who's extremely well cultured, and I, driven by equal parts hunger and curiosity,…read moredecided to feast like royalty on the special combo for two ($39.50) at Hawi. We chose Misir Wat, a glorious heap of red lentils stewed in onion and tomato sauce, and Kilt, a turmeric-kissed medley of potatoes, carrots, and cabbage that made me briefly consider adopting a vegetable-based lifestyle (briefly). We also got the Hawi Special ($6), an iced blend of sesame powder and honey. Imagine the rich, nutty taste of tahini and the comforting hug of honey -- but in liquid form, and with occasional hard bits that feel like nature's own attempt at boba. It was delicious and slightly mysterious. I liked it! 4/5. The food? So. Good. The kind of good where you're halfway through the meal and already regretting how full you're going to be but refuse to slow down. The kind of good where you consider getting extra injera just to prolong the experience. Now, full disclosure: I love Ethiopian food. Unconditionally. Irrationally. My Ethiopian friend, in their infinite wisdom, tells me this place is just "okay." But do I trust their expert opinion, or my own food-induced euphoria? I think we all know the answer. 10/10, would happily waddle out of here again. Thank you Anan for coming here with me!

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Hawi Ethiopian Restaurant
Injera
Injera
Spreece

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Spreece
The Taste of Africa

The Taste of Africa

4.1
(17 reviews)
1.9 mi
$$

So flavorful! First…read morevisit last week and we will be back! Our group started with puff puffs, delicious fried dough balls similar to doughnuts but not as sweet, and fried plantains, which were cooked perfectly (not overdone and hard) and served with an incredibly spicy red sauce. Trust me: dip carefully at first and work your way up to it. For the main meal I ordered Egusi (chicken stew with a spinach, chile, and onion sauce), fufu (made of yams), and collard greens, and my boyfriend had Mbuzi (goat curry with a red Congolese sauce), rice, and red beans. I'd never had fufu and I didn't expect it to be solid and gelatinous; definitely an interesting thing to try, but it went better with the liquid red sauce of the Mbuzi than with my dish. The chicken stew was very tasty, with a bit of spiciness. Be aware that the bones are hacked up so that you can chew on them to get at the marrow, but this means you need to be careful to eat around the sharp bits. I loved the seasoning of the goat and its curry sauce, although of course there was fat and gristle because it's goat. The collard greens were good, not stingy with the onions and peppers. Surprisingly, my favorite of all the dishes was the kidney beans, which were remarkably flavorful and among the best beans I've ever had (and I love beans). We will have to go back to try the oxtail stew, which is only served on weekends. I wasn't crazy about the plastic silverware or plastic bottles of water (as someone trying to reduce plastics) but that's true of a lot of casual places. I wish they'd had prices written on the menu instead of us having to ask for them. But I liked the generous servings and the chance to try interesting foods. The owner/chef came out to talk to our group and he was very friendly and welcoming, and answered all our questions. Recommended!

My husband is West African and was born and raised in NYC, where he had more access to his cultural…read morefoods. Once he moved to Syracuse, he desperately craved the delicious foods that he grew up on. Unfortunately, African cuisine is not as accessible as it once was for him. Luckily, we have Yelp, and we're able to simply type in African cuisine and The Taste of Africa was listed as an option. We decided to stop in and check them out. I can tell instantly upon arriving that the aroma alone teleported my husband back to his NYC days. His excitement on its own was enough for me to leave a rave review! The ambiance of the restaurant is very clean cozy and comfortable. You can either dine in or opt for takeout. Once we decided that we would dine in, We were greeted kindly and told we could sit where we liked. Upon sitting, we were immediately given our menus. The selections here all sound amazing, which made it difficult for me who's never had African cuisine to choose. Ultimately, I decided to order their stewed beef with rice. My husband ordered the red snapper with cassava leaf. We also ordered plantain for our starter. Each dish was so full of flavor! As a first-timer, I was very pleased. My husband was very impressed with his meal as well. We were checked on quite often by our waitress, and she was extremely kind. Towards the end of our meal, the owner came over to our table, and he was also very personable and kind. Overall, this is a wonderful family owned restaurant. We had a wonderful first experience dining with The Taste of Africa and will definitely return again. I encourage anyone who's interested in trying African cuisine to give them a try. Owners are very kind and extremely helpful when it comes to explaining what each dish is. Update: These photos are from our 2cd visit to this restaurant (take out).

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The Taste of Africa
Rice
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The Taste of Africa

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Habiba's Ethiopian Kitchen - ethiopian - Updated June 2026

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