Michael L.

THE BIG: Great Ethiopian food in the heart of Cedar Park. Interior is absolutely beautiful and you get a sense of calm inside the restaurant. Plenty of parking in the lot. THE BLACK AND WHITE: A friend and I always do a monthly eat out at a new restaurant. Injera & Beyond was chosen for this month and we got in on a Sunday right as it opened at 11am. Like I said earlier. Interior is beautiful with clean tables and seats. There's even a back corner for big groups where I believe you can order shisha. For food, we didn't hold back. We got the beef sambusa, vegetarian combo and the meat combo. Two big heapings of the injera filled toppings came out . To be honest, everything tasted great. The fun part is you get to eat with you hands. We rounded out the meal with an ethiopian coffee which came out so vibey with the coal and preparation. It did take a bit for the coffee to come out. Didn't get to try the Trio Ayib (ethiopian cottage cheese) but that definitely tickles my fancy to try next time. THE FINAL BAMBOO: Overall, we spent around $110 for everything. Pretty good value and variety. I'd definitely be back to try out more menu items.

Erin M.

The ambiance of this restaurant was really nice. The service was a little slow but the food was great! We split the vegetarian combo which was a generous amount of food and a great value for 2 people.

Robert P.

So we visited in early September - 5pm on a Thursday. Not many folks there at the time, and the service folks were very kind and gracious. Please be aware this was I believe, early days for the restaurant, so I am certain things have evolved, and we will certainly return. Service was as noted, very friendly and helpful, however a tad slow given there were two services and only two tables to manage. It was unusual to find one of the folks spraying off the table near us with cleaning spray, but as I noted, early days. They were out of some items that evening, so we ordered the Lentil Sambusa, and the Vegetarian Combo for Two. The Lentil Sambusa with the hummus was outstanding, really really good. The Vegetarian Combo was a little puzzling as they brought out the plate and bread (Injera) about 8 minutes prior to the other dishes that are spooned on top of the bread (red lentils, yellow split pea, string beans, greens, et al. So the bread was cold at that point. The dishes were excellent, and we did order some additional Injera, but again, when delivered it was cold (not warm or room temperature). So, all in all, the food was very good, with the potential to be great, same for the overall experience, bets wishes and will return.

Eric H.

Wow, great hospitality. Injera & Beyond is a beautiful new restaurant serving up Ethiopian cuisine in Cedar Park in a strip mall just south of the Whitestone and Walton intersection. It shares a plaza with a handle full of other eateries in different buildings. We arrived on a Sunday afternoon. The restaurant was not busy; it had 3 or so tables going when we arrived. The seating is a plush orangish-red, and the decor is green and floral. The two bathrooms are clean and cool. Each table has a label and a QR code menu taped to the surface. However, physical menus will be handed to you. After looking through the menu, we were interested in choosing between the veggie and meat combo platters. But then, the waitress gave us a useful tip. She mentioned we could actually do a one person veggie combo and a one person meat combo, even though the meat combo for one person isn't listed; they will be updating their menu to reflect this. A series of events then commenced. After waiting for a bit, a large plate was brought out with a circular piece of injera on it, along with a basket of four injera rolls. If you've eaten at different Ethiopian restaurants, you'll notice that no two restaurant injeras have the exact same flavor profile. In the case of Injera & Beyond, their injera reminds me of a nice sourdough (where you can taste the sour), along with a slight flour aftertaste. Of course, their injera is made from fermented teff and it is gluten-free. Their injera is quite porous and it seems to be around 3-4mm in thickness. If you finish a basket, they'll be happy to bring you more. After a bit longer, the veggie and meat combos will be brought out and plated on the injera. Each item is presented with an explanation while it is being plated. The benefit of this approach is that you'll remember each of the items in the combo when consuming them. After digging in and finishing most of our order, I made the following observations. First, each of their items is seasoned well and flavorful on their own (that is, without injera). However, this means one must be a bit careful about the ratio of injera to non-injera. Too large a piece of injera can mask a good amount of the flavor, so I would recommend something like at most a 1 inch by 1 inch piece per bite. Second, I spotted no utensils in this restaurant. If you are unfamiliar with the process, the staff will encourage and guide you through the art of eating with your hands as I overheard at some of the tables. Third, our waitress gave another great tip, one that I hadn't ever really thought of while eating Ethiopian food before. She suggested combining the different stews in a bite; this turned out to be a great suggestion. So instead of being limited to 9 flavors, we could access 72 combinations, or 504 combinations if we were up to the task. Fourth, injera is pretty filling, which is why you might want to use smallish pieces when eating, despite its porosity. The restaurant plans to start making injera available for purchase on its own. I'll be excited to return in the future to try out their tea, dessert, and other items.

Xi T.

Injera The injera here is quite porous, making it easy to chew. It's on the thicker side, so we found ourselves tearing off smaller pieces to scoop up food. Made from gluten-free, fermented teff flour, it has a mild yet pleasantly sour flavor. Menu & Combo Options The menu offers a veggie combo for one or two people, and a meat combo for two. However, our server kindly let us know we could mix and match--ordering a veggie combo for one and a meat combo for one, and combining them on the same plate. This flexibility was appreciated. She also shared one of her personal favorites: pairing the collard greens from the veggie combo with the spicy beef stew from the meat combo. We tried it--and it was genuinely delicious. If you've never played around with mixing your combo components on injera, it's worth a try. As Socrates (allegedly) said: playing with your food is legal. Aside from that tip, I particularly enjoyed the red lentils, spicy chicken, and yellow split peas. Overall Experience I left feeling fully satisfied and surprisingly healthy. Where else can you enjoy assorted vegetables, dark leafy greens, lentils, meat, and fermented whole grain all in one meal--while dining out? This is a culinary tradition from Ethiopia that I truly appreciate. Ambience The space is clean and welcoming, with a bar area as well. We came for lunch, and our booth happened to be near a scent diffuser. If you're sensitive to fragrances, consider mentioning this to your host when being seated.

Chrissy N.

We decided to try this new Ethiopian restaurant that just popped up in Cedar Park. What an incredible dining experience and a delicious meal. A new gem for Cedar Park. We went with the Meat Combo served for 2 - (5/5) It was a magnificent feast for the senses, beautifully arranged on a large piece of spongy and tangy injera bread. The platter offered a perfect mix of spicy and non-spicy options, allowing us to explore the full range of flavors. The tender, slow-cooked meats were seasoned to perfection--from the warm, complex heat of the spicy beef stews to the rich and savory (and spicy) chicken dishes to the amazing mild lamb stew , then rounded with some collard greens . Tearing off a piece of that soft, spongy injera to scoop up the different meats was the best part of the experience! For appetizer, we did the Trio Ayib (Ethiopian cottage cheese) - (4.5/5) I'm not sure if this is traditional but it was great; came with three different types of cottage cheese. This is not your traditional wet cottage cheese that we are used to but it's more on the dryer feta cheese-ish type. Came with injera bread as well. We liked them and so did our10 year old. To end the meal, we tried the Ethiopian Spiced Tea - (5/5) It was the perfect aromatic and warming beverage, beautifully balancing the spices in the food. The blend of traditional spices was soothing and unique, making it a must-order to "melt" the heavy meal we just engulfed. Came with lemon slices and honey. So glad we opted for it. We'll have to try their coffee next time.

Brian C.

Was thrilled to see this new spot pop up near our house. Love Ethiopian food but never wanted to drive 30-45 minutes to get some in Pflugerville or Austin. Beautiful dining area and kind servers. We chose to go with the meat combination platter with a side of shiro (a thick rich sauce). The platter comes with chicken, beef, lamb, white cheese, and greens. You eat everything with the injera bread that comes on the side. The shiro was good, but I don't think I'd pay for it again. We had a slice of strawberry crepe cake for dessert. It was light and not too sweet. We will definitely be back in soon to try more selections, including the vegetarian platter and the beef tibs (stir fried cubes of meat.)

Brittany B.

The waitress is was amazing. The food was so flavorful, and the decor is beautiful! We also had the lentil sambusas they were also very tasty with a garlic Ethiopian hummus. I'm just happened to drive by and see the restaurant, and I'm so glad I came by. Cedar Park needs this diversity.

Dave R.

Food & service were amazing. A Beautifully decorated space combined with relaxing jazz make for a peaceful atmosphere.

Andrew W.

Came here for the first time! We ordered shiro and vegetarian dishes on plant based menu! It took a quite awhile but the vegetarian plate we got was really good! Injera was perfect texture and tart flavor with delicious sauce and food items! Shiro needed some umami seasoning but other than that our visit was pleasant. Would love to be back! Cheers

Heather M.

A New Favorite in Texas! My sister and I dined at Injera & Beyond for the first time tonight, and WOW -- we are blown away! This is our first time having Ethiopian food since moving to Texas, and I have to say... it's right on par with (if not better than) some of our favorite spots back in California. Everything was incredibly fresh, flavorful, and exactly what I hoped for. The injera is absolute perfection -- the ideal texture and thickness, soft with just the right tang. You can tell it's made with care. Our server was very attentive and helpful. We ordered both the vegetarian combo and the meat combo, and I'm so glad we did because it let us try a little bit of everything. Every single dish was delicious, but the standouts for me were the red lentils (always my favorite!) and the spicy chicken -- both packed with rich, authentic flavor. You really can't go wrong here. Everything tastes vibrant, homemade, and beautifully seasoned. I'm so happy this gem of a restaurant opened just three months ago, and I absolutely cannot wait to come back. Cedar Park needed this place!

William T.

We've eaten in Ethiopia before, and I can honestly say this place is legit. Not the sit-on-the-ground traditional kind of legit, but definitely the kind where you can eat with your hands and taste all the authentic flavors. The food was fantastic--rich, balanced, and full of that depth of spice that real Ethiopian food has. Our server was also great; we mentioned we were on a tight schedule to pick up the kids, and she made sure our dishes came out quickly without feeling rushed. We truly enjoyed our meal here and will absolutely be back. It's refreshing to find a place that delivers both on authenticity and hospitality.

AMAZING! My first experience at this type of restaurant and it was sooo great! They are EXTREMELY nice and will guide you through the experience with genuine kindness. The ambiance is also so aesthetically pleasing - complete with good low lighting perfect for date night. The food was incredible and we didn't have a single thing we didn't like! The manager was such a girls girl, and honestly a delight!