Have you ever had Ethiopian food before? Nope, neither have I. I was hanging out with a friend from across town & I wanted to try dinner at another restaurant further up on Commercial Dr. So we decided on drinks here first at Harambe Ethiopian Restaurant, while we waited for our standby reservation to come through at the other restaurant. My friend had been here before & highly recommended we come back again to eat. I got to try Ethiopian Honey Wine for the first time. It was refreshingly delicious. Sat at the bar & chilled. Saw various dishes coming out of the kitchen & the look & smell were causing my stomach to growl. Got to meet the owner Daniel - a very nice gentleman. He has been running this restaurant now for over 25 years. He expressed that times are hard, as noted by all the restaurant closures all over Metro Vancouver. But he's hanging in there so if you want to try Ethiopian food - consider Harembe & support local. Look out for more food pictures sometime in the later part Spring when I return. read more

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I was excited to try Ethiopian food as it has been a while since I had last tried. I went with a friend for dinner and there were plenty of tables available with no reservation on a Saturday evening. I got the chef's choice combination and my friend got the veggie lovers combination. The food arrived relatively promptly and it was presented as a nice spread. Eating with our hands was a neat experience to enjoy the food the traditional way. The server told me to mix all the ingredients together but I wanted to taste each item first. Perhaps mixing it all would have been better as there were a couple items I found their taste to be a bit strong on their own. Personally I also found it on the oily side. The injera was great at soaking it all up but I was unable to finish the injera that was served at the bottom of all the ingredients at the end, with all the oil that was there. Overall it was a great experience and if I were to return, I would skip the combo and order a dish I liked. read more

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Slowly working my way through the Ethiopian options in town. Finally tried out Harambe Ethiopian Restaurant. They're a few doors down from Grandview Lanes. We dropped in on a Friday for lunch (noon) and were the only customers. The inside is tastefully decorated but incense wafts throughout. The street patio looked spacious. Food came out within 15 minutes, the quickest I've experienced at an Ethiopian restaurant. Someone came in to buy their "best spice" bag but it wasn't available. - Injera - didn't taste any fermented flavour. - Veggie lovers combination ($16.50) - tekil gomen (cabbage), miser wot (red split lentils), yatekilt alitcha (carrot and string beans), kik alicha wot (yellow split lentils) and gomen (spinach). Favourites were the red lentils and spinach. Cabbage always solid, yellow lentils were bland. - Chef's choice combination ($22.99) - yebeg wot, doro wot and alicha wot. Lamb and beef were overcooked, chicken was okay. The onion with berber sauce was tasty. Same vegetable dishes except no spinach. Okay eats but stick to the vegetarian offerings. read more

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We had the pleasure of having a lovely meal here during our last trip to Vancouver. We had kitfo, doro tibs, and the veggie combo. The service was absolutely lovely by a charming woman who spoke Amharic, Tigrinya, and some Oromo in addition to English. The restaurant is decorated by beautiful pieces of Art. The kitfo was of good quality, the chicken a little on the dry side. I would order some awaze with it the next time. The veggie dishes were very mildly spiced, not as bold as I like. Since collard greens are apparently hard to find in Vancouver, the gomen is made with spinach instead. Although I would give the food only 3.5-4 stars, with the service, decor/ambiance, and the warm welcome it is definitely a 5 star experience. read more

Ethiopian Eatery situated in the hustle bustle of commercial drive! Harambe means "all put together" and that is exactly what this place is. No matter how big your group size is, expect to eat in one big plate and increase the bonding experience. Their combo options come with 5 different types of sides on a very unique flat bread. They also give you extra bread on the side. The bread has sort of a spongy texture and is super filling!!! Things to know: most of their combos have an option for 1 person, 2 people .. all the way to 6 people. The price doesn't change, the only thing that's different is that you get one big plate instead of individual plates. The staff are super friendly and make sure to meet any allergy requirements. Overall good experience!! read more

Harambe Restaurant - Veggie combo for 2 - Ethiopian Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Our go to Ethiopian is place is Fassil but they don't deliver. We tried Harambre and it's no where near the food of Fassil. It was bland and the legumes were undercooked. read more

Hands down one of my favourite spots on Commercial Drive. Flavourful & delicious ... I always get the vegetarian platter with fish tibs. A relaxed and social place to unwind! read more

Harambe Restaurant - Veggie platter ! - Ethiopian Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I've been here so many times! Almost always get the vegetarian platter and gluten free injera. It's always excellent and served by lovely people. Maybe one day I'll try something else but those veggie dishes are so damned good!! I love the feel of the place and many of the original art pieces are awesome. read more

Tucked at the corner shop is this euthopian restaurant open till late night. Injera is what i wanted to try but i ordered gluten free injera with some veggies from the menu. Its actually their vegetarian platter. Good but one of the serving on the platter was too oily. Non vegetarian options include beef , chicken dishes. Small bar with enough liquor variety. In food- Coconut spinach soup was yuk. It was like spinach cooked in plain coconut milk. No spices or condiments, even salt quantity was less. Drink- we just had non alcoholic beer which was not bad. Would have to go again to try different food item. read more

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Dinner at Ethiopian restaurant on Commercial Drive called Harambe. Since we are not familiar with Ethiopian cuisine, we decided to have the Chef special sharing plate and Muriyebo soup. Definitely will come back again. Lots of good food and at a reasonable price. read more

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Really good food, I love all of the vegetarian options that they offer. I like how flavourful the food is. Really good service, great staff. This is one of my favourite restaurants in BC. I highly recommended trying this place if your curious or have the opportunity. read more

It's so good! We order the vegetarian combo. Maybe too much food, and not too expensive. So much fun eating with injera bread. We go at least once a month. Great atmosphere!. Good service! read more

Had veggie platter today. I must say I'm disappointed. For $16, i was served only half portion. This is bad compared to the other Ethiopian restaurants which serve full portion for the same amount. Taste was good but nothing exceptional. So I'd rate it 3/5 read more

Harambe Restaurant - Veggie platter - Ethiopian Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Good food and very nice art. I got the veggie sampler plate and everything was delicious. The injera was nice and fluffy and tangy. Unfortunately my friend got a chicken dish and said the chicken was badly overcooked. There were no seasonings or condiments on the table. The service was okay. The waitress showed up a couple of minutes after we started eating and asked how everything was, which to me is the most important thing. However, I expect wait staff to start by offering drinks and appies and end by offering dessert and coffee and there was none of that. At one point I flagged her down and asked for an orange juice and she said they didn't have any and just walked away without offering soft drinks or tea or anything. There's a lot of art on the walls that was for sale and if I was looking for a colourful painting with lots of red in it I would definitely swing by and have a look. read more

Come here to enjoy a new experience eating with your hands and the flavors of Ethiopian food. The honey wine is amazing and recommended to get a whole bottle because I would have drank it by itself and would have been satisfied with this meal. Honestly the wait here was so unnecessary. Over an hour to get our food when we arrived at a restaurant with maybe 5 total tables seated at the time. They are not: making the injera (flat bread) since this comes out cold, maybe any of the items on the platter fresh since this all should be made in huge batches and then placed on the platter, or taking time to make it pretty because they are just scooped on. Here is a time when I can say the food is not worth the wait. 2 people chef's choice combination is more than enough food for both people to enjoy. The injera served on the platter wasn't as good as the one served on the side - the flavor of this is very yeast-y and sour. I enjoyed most of the veggie options picked out, not so much the meat options since a few were packed with salt. However eating it all together balanced it out. All the waitstaff was nice. The restaurant got filled to the brim halfway through our meal! Recommend coming early to snag a seat. Definitely enjoyed tasting the flavors, not sure of this is my cup of tea. read more

Harambe Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Great ambiance, delicious food, amazing service. I would recommend this as a good place to for a fancy dinner. It can get a bit noisy inside sometimes with a crowd but usually it's very chill. Be prepared to eat with your fingers. Always wash your hands right after you're seated. The sweet wine is very sweet. The chefs platter for one is enough for two. Extra teff is a good idea. It tastes even better the next take if you take it home. read more

Continuing our journey of supporting Black-owned restaurants, my friend and I decided to dine at Harambe for dinner. Neither of us had ever tried Ethiopian food before, so it was nice to have a wide assortment of dishes to choose from on the menu. Based on the owner's(?) recommendation and several Yelp reviews, we opted for the Awaze Tibs ($18.99) and Veggie Lovers Combination ($14.99), respectively. Both meals were served with Regular Injera--a traditional Ethiopian bread that is thin, rolled-up, and comparable to a spongecake-crepe hybrid minus the sweetness. It held up well as a vessel for eating either meal by hand. Prior to choosing the Awaze Tibs, we had actually settled on the cooked version of the Gored Gored. Contrary to the menu option, however, we were told that the Gored Gored was only raw, so I'm not sure if this is in light of COVID-19 and safety precautions. Anyhow, I'm glad we were recommended the Awaze Tibs instead as it was simply delicious. The stir-fried beef chunks were infused with butter, glistening in its flavourful sauce (we ordered mild); the onion slices added a touch more sweetness and crunch; and the lightly tossed salad helped to balance the dish overall. We wiped the dish clean of every single grain of rice and morsel of beef. The Veggies Lover Combination for 1 person was quite tasty and considerably filling given its size. Since this dish was served on top of injera, we were not expecting to be given more injera. This made us extremely full, but it did make it easier to try the vegetarian toppings separately! In hindsight, I do wish we were introduced to what the toppings were as I am now comparing them to the pictures on the menu instead. By taste, they were all quite delicious both individually and when combined, though the Miser Wot (I think) was quite spicy even for me. Akin to prior reviews, service at the beginning was kind of slow for getting the menu and our order taken. However, it redeemed itself with the owner(?)'s charisma and charm throughout the meal. Towards the end, he began to clear away our dishes, but he quickly put mine back down and laughed after I said I had one last bite left. When he returned, he jokingly sought my approval first and said that an empty plate is what he likes to see. Thank you, Harambe, for inducting me into the world of Ethiopian food! read more

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We weren't sure what to expect...but the warmth of the serving staff and the delicious food made our evening a wonderful experience. The small appetizers were more tasty with the sauce-and fun-when we bit in to the little triangle, the round lentils popped out and rolled across the table, providing spontaneous fun. The mains were tasty and tender. Fragrant spice wafted up from each platter. The platter arrives first, with the holey, spongey textured injera awaiting the mains, which arrive in small pots, and are then spilled onto the injera. We ordered the chicken, beef and fish-and the fish was buttery and warmly spiced-the sauce from each main soaked in to the injera, changing the taste and texture to a moist and delicate sensation. The vegie platter for two really serves four easily as a side. Yellow lentils, caramelized cabbage and onion (so delish), green beans and some potato and carrot, all naturally sweetened and very tasty. Warm ambience, lots of choice for seating arrangements for your group size, all customers seemed happy and chatty, nice! Located on Commercial Drive, lots of street parking, bus stops in front, easy walk from Commercial SkyTrain station. read more

Loved this Ethiopian restaurant they serve great platters which have a little bit of everything, chicken, beef, lamb, lentils, butternut spinach and more, served their traditional bread - Injera. Tried the honey wine, which was really great (tasted a lot like gluhwein) We went when they opened at noon, so service was a very slow they only had 2 people working but the ambience was chilled, and the servers were very friendly. Great place to go with friends and have the Platter :) read more

Harambe Restaurant - Food platter - Ethiopian Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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I was very excited to eat here since I've never tried Ethiopian before! There are a few Ethiopian restaurants in my hometown but all of them are very focused on meat but I was so happy that there were so many veg choices here. As soon as we arrived, a man who I assume was the owner or one of the owners was very amicable and made us feel welcome. It seems like he and other staff had a good rapport with some of the regular customers. Our waitress was also very nice, although when she stopped by to ask if we were ready to order and we asked for "just one more minute", she took a while to get back to us and didn't see us when she was helping the table nearby and we tried to get her attention, but this was really just a little frustrating because two of us had been there for a while and our third person had just recently showed up, and us first two were extra hungry at this point while the third was doing fine. This was just one instance where she was probably busy and she otherwise wasn't inattentive at all. It's also worth noting that after you're done eating, you go to the register at the front to pay, which I don't think was explained to us, but we figured it out by seeing others do it. Onto the food! I am always on a mission to try as much variety as possible so I got the Veggie Lover's Combo. The first thing I tried was the Injera, which looked and smelled so good that I couldn't resist taking a bite out of the roll even though I knew it was meant for scooping up food. This had an extremely soft texture which I thought was amazing and everyone enjoyed, although I think my friends were a little put off by how smooth it was initially ("I wouldn't know that this was food if they didn't tell you it was food"). The Injera held up well for eating the various dishes even when it soaked up the sauces. The combination came with Tekil Gomen (cabbage), Yatekit Alitcha (green beans), Miser Wot (red lentils), and Kik Alicha Wot (yellow lentils), plus a salad. Each dish was like nothing I have tried before and tasted smooth and comforting, but well-seasoned. I will note that the Miser Wot was slightly spicy, but I think you'd be able to handle it even if your spice tolerance is low. I think this or the Tekil Gomen was my favourite! Also be careful because it's very easy to overload on injera! At $15 including free unlimited injera, my meal was very fairly priced. I would definitely go back again. read more

Very strange that I haven't reviewed this place... or did I and it got removed? Anyways, in the past, I gave it a 4 star. But today I downgrade to 3. Not because of the food, but the lack of attention from the server. Let's start with the food. Excellent! So tasty, good portions, and reasonably priced. I've done dine in and ubereats and the flavor doesn't change. With ubereats you get a ton of extra injera (too much maybe). I always had leftovers which was better later because the juices soaked into the injera. Years ago dine in was great. The owner was the server and was super attentive, even when it was busy. The last time I went there was a woman server. She was nice but you HAD to flag her down. We sat for 30mins before we waved to order. Then sat another 30mins to get the bill. Luckily, time wasn't an issue. I recommend but be willing to do some work and/or have patience. read more

Wonderful food and service. Best Ethiopian we've had in Vancouver and as good as our favourites in Toronto and New York. If you've never had Ethiopian food it is unlike any cuisine anywhere. The food comes on a large platter and sits on a bread called injera. You're given a plate of injera, break off a piece and pick up the food with the pancake. If you really want an authentic experience you can have your partner put the food directly into your mouth. We order combination of vegetarian and chicken and lamb dishes. The cabbage and green bean was fresh and light, lentils and yellow split peas - the lentils were soicy and tasted of berbere that unique Ethiopian spice. There was a good mix of spicy and mild dishes. As you finish you end up having the pleasure of seeing the pattern on the platter. This was a silver platter. Often they are ceramic with colourfu designs. The waitress was sweet and over-worked. She seemed to be on her own when we were there - which was pretty early. Altogether a delightful experience and one that doesn't break the bank. read more

The best Ethiopean food in town. Their service is fine, and so is the ambiance. Food is what is great here.

The first time I went here, it was on the reccommendation of my Eritrean Friend. I only had tried home-made previously. This was as good as anything sampled from sweet, little 'Grandma G'. I have returned for over 10 visits and often bring out-of-town guests here. The decor is cozy with bright colors and a bar with a TV at one end. The seats by the window are great for people-watching on Commercial. Staff is hard-working and accomodating. The first time you go, try the Chef's sampler. It offers a family-style variety of lentils, veggies and stewed/marinated meats on a plate of Injera bread with additional scrolled Injera to share. (Injera is a bread used in lieu of utensils. It is springy, slightly sour and addictive). It's possible to order gluten-free Injera ahead of time and there are vegetarian options. The dishes are a feast for the eyes, but more importantly a treat for the tastebuds! read more

Harambe Restaurant - Creamy spinach, spicy lentils, fragrant chicken, soft flavourful beef, delicious corn and carrots...a FEAST! - Ethiopian Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

We walked in later at night as a group of 7 at 9:55pm and they took us. The music was like riding in an elevator which was interrupted by an incoming call (guess they were playing it on a phone). The decor is pretty all around the restaurant. The food? Delicious! As others recommend go for the combination platter so you can find out what you like. It's a little different to eat with your hands - the flavour and textures were different! Try: the honey wine, the combo platter Be patient: service was OK, food took about 35 mins to come out and we had to ask for the bill as the restaurant was closed by the time we started eating Confused about: why they didn't offer wet naps that were in this beautiful glass jar with a hand coming out, the slow service It's Ethiopian food so it is pricier than other options along Commercial but hey - it's different! I will be back for a raw beef dish a friend had (it wasn't in the combo platter). read more

Harambe Restaurant - The restaurant looked pretty! - Ethiopian Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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First of all, I had believed Injera is gluten free. But according to the menu, it seems I have to pay extra to make it gluten free. ?? Anyway my friend ordered regular Ingera and I ordered gluten free one. You can check the difference on the pic. Regular one is thicker and whiter. Gluten free one is thinner and darker. According to my friends, reg has more sour flavor. Anyway my vege combo was awesome. So many slow cooked foods on one plate! So heaven, isn't it? Worth to wait! Easily my stomach was filled. read more

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So yeah, it's an ethiopian restaurant. You know the drill - "combo plate" + injera + beers. That said, the place is *comfortable* - it's the kind of place where can chill/hang-out for a while pre-and-post meal, and they're quite ok with it. The service is definitely on the slow side, but that's also ok - as long as you're prepared for it :-) I like it... read more

Harambe Restaurant - Combo plate for 3 - Ethiopian Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

One of the things about Vancouver is that you really can find almost every type of food out there. That includes Ethiopian. Parking is available on the side streets. The interior definitely is definitely different, with orange walls and a purple ceiling. Looks pretty cool, though I don't know how autentic it is. The staff (mom and pop) were definitely Ethiopian though. As I didn't know what to order, I had the Chef's Choice, which is basically a Royal Sampler of random animals and plants ($14). Great value. I just wish I knew what I was eating. It was served with those spongy rolls (injera), and the traditional way is to eat with your hands. I'm not sure how the locals do this, but I can barely do this without making a huge mess. In any case, it was a good time, but towards the end the food all began to taste somewhat the same, with that sour tang. Authentic? Yes. Value? Yes. Would I eat here everyday? Unfortunately, no. Not that the food is bad, but this stuff is a bit of an acquired taste. Definitely a great place to try if you've never had Ethiopian before. read more

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I went to Harambe many times and missed writing them a review... So here we go! I always get the Veggie Lover platter and it is simply delicious every single time!! My partner loves the lamb dish and gets the Chef's Choice platter. Although vegetarian I had to dip the Ethiopian bread in the lamb stew and it's made in heaven, so tasty! Too bad I don't eat meat, but for everyone who does, I highly recommend to try it!! read more

The service here is excellent, one of the best we ever had. The servers are very knowledgeable and friendly. We ordered a little bit of everything. The injera wasn't really our thing, a bit too sour, but the meat and veggies were great. If we come back for Ethiopian we will probably go with rice. We definitely had fun trying the food. The Ethiopian coffee was very good and strong. Highly recommend. read more

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Oh Harambe, Harambe, may he rest in peace. I partly chose this location for April's International Supper Club because of its name, but after reading their reviews, I thought it would be worth a try. If you've never had Ethiopian food, (apparently) this is as authentic as it gets. They do accommodate large party reservations, but since there is usually only 1-2 waitstaff on, you need to give them some notice. Trust me, they'll thank you for this. Let's get to the good stuff. Food-wise, everything was delicious. After looking at the table's food next to us, my boyfriend and I decided to split the Chef's Combination platter for two. That came with a three meat dishes each (chicken, lamb, beef) and an assortment of veggie dishes. All these were served on top of injera bread. Now, I've never had injera bread before but it reminded me of a spongy crepe, where it absorbed all the sauces and held in all the flavour. It was delicious. There was no cutlery needed, since you used the injera bread to scoop up all the meats and veggies. Service was a little slow for how many people were in the restaurant, but again, there was only 1 server in at the time, and she was very, very kind. This restaurant has also been open for 20 years and adds it's own culture to the vibrant Commercial Drive. If you're walking around Commercial and stumble upon this place, it's worth checking out. read more

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loved loved loved the food the service everything. I would go again if ever I'm visiting Vancouver again.

Did you know that Harambe means "everyone pull together"? Doesn't it ALL MAKE SENSE now? Kinda blew my mind when I heard this. International supper club w new friends and old!:) Never had Ethiopian food before so this was something different! I really liked all the spices and little bits of everything. I also really enjoyed eating w my hands. Warning: you WILL get food on your pants if you arent careful. Definitely came here for the memes, stayed for the injera bread. Injera is this really cool sponge crepe that is got the sourness of sourdough. I reaaaaallly liked this "bread" I got the vegetarian plate (which i suspect is probably vegan as well, which is great!) and it had lentils, spicy beans, cabbage a lil salad and some greens. Everything was yummy. Next time I am thinking of getting a few small dishes to try. One thing is that although service is really good, I wouldn't go absolutely starving because it was prETTy slow. Really wished they gave us a basket of injera bread to nom on while we waited like oliver garden or something lol. Overall, it was a great time and I would recommend the veggie plate! read more

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The injera is soft and fluffy, and the food is really well done--especially the vegetarian dishes. I love the atmosphere too. The owners have made this a great place to spend a night out. read more

Great food, nice decor and friendly staff. We had a chef's choice platter combined with zilzil tibs beef. Introducing a friend to Ethiopian food for the first time, and he enjoyed it too. For the honey wine, try a small bit first to see if you like it. Previously we ordered a carafe but it was too sweet for us. read more

An aunt visiting from overseas never tried Ethiopian cuisine before so I wanted to let her have a go before she departs. We arrived at 6pm on a Friday and it appears to be pretty busy already. Atmosphere: the walls are painted an earthy red and the walls are decorated with colourful paintings. Customer service: we were immediately seated. Kitchen service: we ordered chef's special combo for 3ppl and fish at 6:27pm. The orders arrived at 6:58pm. Price, taste, portion: the fish was really good. Everything was really tasty and all of us were super full by the end of it. Overall: I would definitely recommend this place to others and will likely come back when I can gather a large group again. read more

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Hey ya'll, Sir. Eastalot back at you with yet another food review - feasted at Harambe (on Commercial Drive) with the ever so beauttiful Queen Piggy and to say the least we felt satisfied, but we've had tastier Ethiopian in the city to be honest. Sir Eatsalot and his Queen Piggy split: - Ethiopian Spiced Tea - The Peanut Soup - The Vegetarian Platter with Injera (of course) - The Ye Assa Tibs (ie: Ethiopian spiced fish) Bill came to around $55 + Tip -Atmosphere - quite nice. Warm colours, nice lighting and decor, - Friendly fast service, for being busy - Food was good, fish was a little on the greasy side, veggie options were okay, not very flavorable Overall, whole experience was pleasant. We'd try it again, but it wouldn't be the first on the list. read more

We went to Harambe and had the chef's choice platter for two, as well as a small bottle of tej, a kind of honey wine. The platter was filled with a variety of meats and vegetables (I think there was beef, chicken, and pork), all of them well-cooked and nicely presented. Everything tasted great, especially the meats and the lentil portions. There was a little pile of each food for each person, which was nice, and it's all served on a bed of injera, that delicious and spongy sour flatbread. The tej was also great! If you've tried mead elsewhere hoping it tastes like honey, been disappointed, and are now skeptical about honey alcohols, absolutely try the tej. It actually tastes like honey! Service was a bit slow despite there being almost nobody there, but I've experienced the same thing at other Ethiopian restaurants, so I'm guessing it has something to do with how the food is prepared. The decor was very nice, though, and it was pleasantly quiet and comfortable. I'd definitely go back here again! read more

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Judging by the pictures, they totally ripped my boyfriend and I off. He ordered a Chef's platter and it came with one measly bite of chicken as opposed to what I'm seeing other people post (with the lamb, fish, etc). It was $3 more than my veggie plate and I thought it was weird how it only had 1 more item than mine. Now I know they were short changing us. This is remarkably disappointing and a really poor take away from a restaurant we were both eager to try. Nevertheless to say we won't be back. Congrats, you might have just lost two loyal customers. Also the wait is terrible. I don't know why they only had 1 server working, on Italian Day out of everything? read more

Superb food. I love their vegetarian sampler, it's some of the best Ethiopian I've ever had. Will keep coming back for more and more!