Just got our order without injera! Called and told you have to pay for it. What a joke! Go elsewhere. Worth paying for Blue Nile.

Love Lucy's for lunch - my go to is the green combo, staff is friendly and the stews are perfect on at chilly day.

We ordered Lucy's for takeout and got the veggie combo for 2 and the Yebeg Tibs as well as extra Injera. It was so much food so we have lots of Injera leftover as well as some of the fillings. The food was so good so we are not complaining! Delivery was great and we ended up unwrapping the food in a large platter. We would happily order from Lucy's again but maybe just get the veggie combo haha. The food was spicy but not too hot and very well balanced between dishes. read more

Lucy Ethiopian Cafe - Veggie combo for two! - Ethiopian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Eh, it's okay. The peanut tea that everyone raves about is delicious for the first few sips, but becomes overwhelmingly sweet before it's half consumed. To be fair though, I drink water and unsweetened tea with my meals, so this was definitely not my style. On the other hand, if you love having shakes and soda with your meal, the peanut tea probably wouldn't be so bothersome. It would have made a good dessert, I think, but by the end of the meal, the rest of it was cold and not tasty anymore. The food was very good. We tried all their vegetarian options, and my favorite was probably the lentils. I wish they weren't so stingy with the injera, but hey, you get what you pay for. The bill come out to ~$10 each before tip. Oh, and you will definitely smell like Ethiopian food when you leave. The scent seeps into your clothing -- plan to go on a laundry day. read more

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Lucy's Ethiopian Café is the most racist restaurant i have ever walked into. I am even scared to believe that fellow Africans would treat a fellow black person like they were trash. In summary, i made my order for pick up and since there is no parking I stayed in the car and my husband went in to pick up the food. Unfortunately he was denied to pick the order as the order was for a female. I would agree with them at some level for doing this, he returned to the car and I went in to pick up my order. The cashier told me to show my ID to prove the "debit card" I was using was indeed mine.. Wow. I felt so small that this woman treated me like a thief. Please boycott this place. read more

We ordered the veggie combo for 2 (comes with 8 veggie dishes) and the beef Lega Tibs tips. Very very good, I loved all the veggies. Unfortunately, I can't eat spicy foods anymore and requested everything mild and the food came perfect for me. Next time I'll remember to request extra Injera. This is a black-owned business. I'm trying to do better about financially supporting immigrant- and PoC-owned restaurants and will definitely be ordering from Lucy's again. read more

The food was phenomenal, the service was excellent, and they're very accommodating to dietary restrictions. The spice was just right, and the dish with a beef and lentils was exceptional. Especially for the price and the location very much worth it. read more

I ordered takeout and the gentleman on the phone was very pleasant and kind enough to give us directions, and guide us to the restaurant over the phone. Once arrived, i thought the place was quaint and special. My meal was packaged for me to eat the following day as there are no Ethiopian restaurants less than an hour from me. They served my meal in 7 separate clear plastic "dessert-like" containers. I thought that was a nice gesture as it seemed they cared that my food had integrity the following day. Turns out I couldn't wait to eat it for lunch the next day so I dug into every container as soon as I got home. Ok, now for the real stuff... My heart broke every time I grabbed a piece of injera. It had a gluey, moist texture that made it more like a damp crepe. I had only experienced "teff only" injera at Blue Nile restaurant, but the injera at Fatima's Cafe in Worcester was still good although it seems that they prepared it with different ingredients. However, the wet paint-like, gluey injera at Lucy's is extremely disappointing. The stews were eh...ok, and the lamb had nice flavor, but not very tender. I never received the spinach I ordered so I can't even comment on that. I won't return to Lucy's, which is unfortunate because I thought the atmosphere was nice and the service was commendable. All I can say is at least I didn't go hungry. shrugs read more

Came here the other day and it was my first time back in a while! I had the veggie rolls for starters, I expected them to be a little spicy and they weren't but they were still great. For the main course we had a veggie combo with collard greens, spinach, and potatoes/carrots. For me, I had one of the lamb plates at a medium spice level. Both were delicious and honestly the food here never disappoints. The weather was pretty bad and they had a bucket for umbrellas and a coat rack, so it was nice to be comfortable during dinner. The traditional tea is on the sweeter side so if you aren't looking for that don't get it. If you love spicy food I would say get the medium the very hot can be deadly if you aren't prepared but think you are lol. Next time you want Ethiopian food, come here with me, they even teach you Amharic! :) read more

I've been wanting to try Ethiopian food for quite a while. Eating with my hands without being judged is one of the main reasons. I came in last night for dinner and got the Veggie Combo for Two which comes with a variety of delicious vegetables and such to scoop up with injera (the bread that comes with the meal). They are not stingy with their portions and I definitely left full and satisfied! read more

Lucy Ethiopian Cafe - Veggie combo for two - Ethiopian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Very cozy ambiance and friendly service. The food was very tasty however the potatoes were pretty hard and not fully cooked.

Had a great treat today when I walked into Lucy Ethiopian Cafe for lunch. The food was so fresh and delicious!!!!!!! Prices are very reasonable and you are promised a great meal. I love Ethiopian food and I am so happy to know I can go to this very special place for the most yummy food! read more

Exceptional food, good for delivery, combo menu perfect Good priced, large portions, excellent service read more

Delicious food! I had the Combo for 1 with Yebeg Tibs fir fir (spicy lamb - amazing!!), collard greens and red lentils. Everything was so good, the portions were perfect, and there was plenty of injera to scoop everything up. The service was good and really friendly, too. They had outdoor seating on a raised patio, so you're away from and above the traffic, which was nice. Highly recommend this place. read more

If I could I would give this place a 4.5 stars. This place is the real deal. I do not have much experience with Ethiopian food, but even I could tell that this place was very authentic. The servers were very friendly and welcoming; the cafe is very cute and cozy - it's the perfect place for lunch or dinner. My boyfriend and I shared the combo platter for two with lean beef and four veggies sides. We chose the miser wot (red lentils), cabbage, spinach, and collard green. It's served on a huge platter with injera (a spongy crepe like bread) as the base, as well as 5 rolls of injera on the side. You eat with your hands, scooping up the veggies and meats with the injera. We choose our beef to be mildly spicy, which was just the right amount for us. The beef, lentils, and collard greens were my favorite. The beef is so tender and juicy. The lentils and collard greens were very flavorful. This was both of our first times eating Ethiopian food, and my boyfriend and I both really appreciated the meal. It was very authentic, not over powered by spices, not heavy, and very fun to eat. However, we both agreed that we just do not have the same appreciation and taste for Ethiopian food as other people, which is why I personally give it a 4/5. Honestly, though, if you know you like Ethiopian food, or if you've never tried it before, I would recommend this place 150%!!! read more

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Great food and kind staff! I love all of their vegan items - 10/10 will be back again

Good place and good service. We were group of 4 and shared the vegetarian platter. The best was lentils in the platter. We also did a side order of chicken (not on the menu so ask for daily specials). I personally did not enjoy the taste of it. While the chicken was tender the gravy wasn't the best I imagined. Overall great service. read more

I went here because I'm obsessed with Ethiopian coffee and I was sure that I would love their food too. The concept of this restaurant is pretty cool! They serve their food in an authentic style - which means no cutlery! I loved the food! I tried their vegetarian platter which 4 different kinds of sampler entrees and they served their bread which was so interesting to eat! I really enjoyed the experience but if you're going here because keep in mind that the service is really slow! read more

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Loved the veggie combo for 2 and the peanut latte was absolutely delicious!!! Everything was done to perfecting, will definitely come back.

4.375 Stars Diagonal across from the BSO on Mass Ave is a nice Ethiopian place that I finally made a visit. My Ethiopian experiences have been Addis Red Sea Ethiopian Restaurant and Asmara (Eritrean & Ethiopian). The experience at Lucy is nice. The tables are for 2 or up to 4 eat at the tables. I like that they have combos so you can a varied experience as do other Ethiopian places. This day I had all vegan, everything was great. * parking on Mass Ave is hard to park. Walk to park. * Timatim Fit Fit appetizer was my fav. * I had the traditional "bark" tea that was infused with honey. * staff was helpful and helped me pick my meal. * their sponge bread is a chocolate color. * dishes were nicely spiced. * I would go back for meat dishes. * easy on the wallet. read more

Lucy Ethiopian Cafe - Ethiopian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Horrible service, not authentic Ethiopian food. If you're really looking for great Ethiopian in Boston visit Fasika not this place . Doesn't do our food justice. Very disappointing. read more

I'm disappointed to share that I wouldn't recommend Lucy's. Twice we have been turned away after being told they were "sold out". The first time we understood. So we called to make a reservation for our second attempt. They would not take the reservation, saying there was no need. We arrived around 6:00 and were told they were sold out. We were a party of 4 and could see a couple of free tables for two which could have been moved together. I suspect they just didn't want our business. Additionally there was absolutely no sincerity in "the apology" for being sold out and for not taking our reservation. A true disappointment! read more

This was my first time trying Ethiopian food and everything was absolutely delicious. The peanut tea was creamy and delicious, and we shared a platter for two that included a chicken and four vegetable dishes. I can't wait to go back! read more

The food here was phenomenal. I had never had authentic Ethiopian food before, but I was open to anything. It was healthy and very flavorful. We had friends that joined us who had eaten here before and recommended the beef platter. After eating here, I quickly looked up Ethiopian recipes with high hopes of recreating some of the flavors I experienced. The icing on the cake was the peanut tea they're known for. I ordered the hot version and it was so creamy and delicious. And to my understanding, there wasn't any cream! Overall, the atmosphere was great. Cozy and intimate while still feeling open. The staff was courteous and gracious. If I am ever in the area again, I will find every excuse to revisit this establishment! I highly recommend! read more

Lucy Ethiopian Café is a hidden gem that you can barely see from the street. I stopped in on a Tuesday night and it was not crowded at all although lots of takeout orders were headed out while I dined. Since I'm a relative novice to Ethiopian Food, I asked for a recommendation and went with the combo for one with an extra side of Kik Alicha split peas. The combo with lean beef, home and misir wot was like a carnival of different flavors, from the spicy beef to the fragrant cinnamon of the gomen, I couldn't help but sop up every last bite with the sour injera. If it's your first time dining on Ethiopian, there's even an instructional guide on how to eat. If you ask nicely they'll even give you a fork! read more

Lucy Ethiopian Cafe - Combo for one and split peas - Ethiopian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Injera: you only thought it was a well-marketed pharmaceutical. And yet, the actual stuff (a flat, spongey, unleavened pasta-bread akin to insulation, or a velvety towel) is all that stands between your salivating mug and a platter of savory dips, purees, stews and chutneys at Lucy. Opted for the Addis Combo ($9), a cafeteria-style platter of red lentils with a kick, garlicky split peas and a pleasantly seasoned spinach and potato mashup. Or, to those schooled in Ethiopian cuisine: the miser wot, kik aletcha and, um, spinach and potatoes. Light, earthy flavors, satisfying portions and if your GI tract suffers a sprain, the injera is there to wrap it up tight. Boasting bright yellow walls adorned with African flair and arguably the friendliest service (albeit slightly inattentive, disappearing from 20 minute stretches at the front of the lunch rush) of any cafe setting on Mass Ave, it's an easy spot for suits who want to look worldly, creative and conversational first dates or tormenting your germophobic friends. Yes, you eat with your hands. Speaking of hands, pour a steady stream of that steaming peanut tea into my palms. I'll raise it up to heavens and let its dense, foamy majesty pour down my arms and face like hearty grains in a cereal commercial. 98 degrees outside? Get the tea. Hate peanuts? Get the tea. Allergic? Call an ambulance... then get the tea. Damn. read more

Lucy Ethiopian Cafe - Addis combo and a big, fat peanut tea. Bam! - Ethiopian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Injera is the nectar of the gods and we all must bask in it. The Tib Fur Fur was literally served to me as a spongy-breaded envelope (injera) containing this spicy beef that might have parted the seas had it not been for Moses at the time. And while it was really filling, it wasn't like, omg-I-just-developed-a-food-baby kind of filling. Woot! Really cool staff that work here who are happy to introduce you to tradition Ethiopian food! P.S. Wash yo hands. You'll need 'em. read more

How it's taken so long for me to review Lucy is anyone's guess, as I started dining there and ordering takeout back in 2011. I was even treated to lunch here by Boston Yelp's amazing community manager, Damien. Being Yelp's "Biggest Foodie" (or having Yelp's "biggest booty," depending on who you ask) has its perks. If you are already an established Ethopian food fan and have yet to visit Lucy, you should go immediately. They serve all your favorite dishes at ridiculously affordable prices and generous portion sizes. For these same reasons, I would also recommend Lucy to newbies. Try the Addis combo (a mere $9 the last time I visited for lunch), and sample a range of classic Ethiopian fare to be mopped up with some delicious injera. Long flat strands of spongy SOMETHING, this bread substitute looks gross, but is actually the perfect accompaniment to what is likely to be a saucy meal. I wouldn't blame you if you walked into Lucy and skipped food entirely in favor of the peanut tea. Consuming this heavenly creation is like drinking warm, velvety peanut butter. If you don't have a peanut allergy and that doesn't sound amazing to you, then we needn't be friends. read more

Lucy Ethiopian Cafe - Party plate! - Ethiopian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Awesome food at great prices, very nice staff. We enjoyed the platter meal with three people.

I crave Ethiopian food like a Cubs fan craves victory so I've sought out as many Ethiopian restaurants as possible in the Boston area. Lucy is great choice if you don't feel like leaving the city for Fasika or Habesha and happen to be in the Back Bay/Symphony area. Our party of 4 shared the Attkilt Combo with Miser Wot (red lentils simmered in spicy hot sauce), Gomen (collard greens simmered in mild sauce, seasoned with spice and herbs) and Tikile Gomen (cabbage and potatoes) as well as the Lega Tibs (beef chunks seasoned with onion, green pepper, jalapeno, tomato, garlic, rosemary and awaze). The food was flavorful and delicious, though not quite spicy enough for my tastes. I think their version of Miser Wot is the best I've had in Boston. The teas are amazing and a must if you love tea. The traditional Ethiopian tea is packed with spices and the aroma of ginger really comes through. The peanut tea is the stuff of dreams! I almost changed my order after sampling it. Hot and fragrant and loaded with bits of peanuts, it was sweet and frothy like the peanut equivalent of hot chocolate. My non-tea drinking boyfriend actually got himself a mug after a taste and that's a feat on the scale of a vegetarian ordering a meat dish. The prices are several dollars cheaper than at other Ethiopian restaurants. The four of us only paid $11 each for our meal and I'm used to that number being closer to $20. Service was friendly if a bit inattentive (I think they expected us to take our time and relax, so they didn't check in on us much). A word on the space: There's a front room with a few two-seater tables that looks like a typical cafe and a back room (where we sat) with a low table and stools for four that's decked out in Ethiopian memorabilia and has a lot more of an "exotic" feel. Docked one star for smaller portions. Accompanying injera was given in rolled-up half-circles rather than the usual full circles I'm used to and we had to order a second round of injera to satisfy our bellies. Then again, with that second round, we still only paid $11 each so I think the customer still wins in the end. read more

I ordered the veggie combo and it was DELICIOUS! Pictures do not do it justice! read more

Lucy Ethiopian Cafe - Ethiopian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

We stopped here hoping to find a generous amount of good food for affordable prices this is the place for you. If I lived in Bahston I'd eat here all the time. read more

I've been eying this place for awhile, because it's close to campus and because of the good Yelp reviews. So me and my two friends came here on our last day of finals to enjoy finishing our last final. It's a cozy little shop on the corner of Huntington and Mass Ave; not too hard to find at all. When we walked in at around 1 pm, there was nobody else in the restaurant. Strange, but not off-putting. The host, who seemed to be restaurant manager/cook/server/waiter as well, was very welcoming. He got us seated right away. As none of us have ever eaten Ethiopian food, we didn't really know what to order. Based on Yelp, however, we went with lega tibs (beef) and a 3 veggie combo with spinach, dinch wot (potatoes, tikle gomen (cabbage). Both dishes come with 5 pieces of injera (the spongy bread). We also ordered peanut tea, because of the rave reviews I've seen on Yelp. We got the tea within minutes of ordering. It was like peanut butter, but better. Absolutely delicious. Definitely on the sweet side, but I didn't mind. Especially since it was about 20 degrees outside, the hot peanut tea definitely hit the spot. We got the food really quickly as well. The portions were huge. The lega tibs we ordered the spiciest it could get, and it still wasn't too spicy (which isn't a bad thing; I'm Chinese and used to spiciness, but the guy did tell us it wasn't going to be too spicy). It was nicely flavored and went well with the injera and the other veggies. Now the veggies themselves weren't super great, but combined with the lega tibs and the injera, they were decent. Now, the injera...not sure how I feel about it. It's healthy, that's for sure, and gluten-free. The restaurant guy told us about the process of making it, and it was interesting. It's spongy and slightly sour due to the fermentation process, and has a strange texture. Takes some getting used to, but is definitely unique. We paid about $17 each for the meal; that included the peanut tea, which was $3-$4. Kind of expensive for lunch, actually. But it was a good experience, since I'd been wanting to try Ethiopian food. Overall, if you haven't been here, I'd definitely say give it a try. I might come back to try some of the other types of food, but more likely I'll be back to try the other drinks or have the peanut tea again. read more

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I have no experience with Ethiopian food or culture so I loved the whiteboard with different Ethiopian phrases, and the "how to eat Ethiopian food" notecard on the table. I found the food pretty satisfying! We started off with some drinks: I had the carrot juice with ginger which was refreshing and had just the right amount of ginger. I also tried my friends' drinks which were sweet like candy; the iced peanut tea was just like a Reese's milkshake, and the Besso shake tasted like a Crunch bar. Loved the drinks! For food we ordered the cottage cheese stuffed injera roll appetizer to share. This had nice spices spread on the injera and the cottage cheese seemed whipped or blended, like a sour cream sort of consistency. I love cottage cheese but would recommend this to someone who doesn't; it complemented the spices well. I ordered a combo for dinner with the lega tibs(beef), spinach, and red lentils (medium spiced) which came with 5 injera rolls. As an Indian person , I found the concept of injera similar to using paratha or naan to scoop up the main dishes. The injera itself was soft and spongey with a slightly sour taste; thinner than a pancake but not quite as thin as a crepe. Though the combo plate was flavorful, I found it very bland and wish I had ordered the spicy version! The beef dish was a little dry for my liking. I'd give this place 4 stars but knocked off a star due to the service. The servers were a little slow and inattentive: we didn't receive water until I asked, and had to ask again when my glass was empty. I also noticed one of the servers go outside to wipe down the windows several times during our meal. This was some awkward timing considering I was sitting at a window seat. It might make more sense to clean midday when there are fewer people in the restaurant. At least I know the place is kept clean! read more

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Ethiopian food is awesome! I got a meat combo with spicy lamb, potatoes and carrots, and red lentils. The lamb was really flavorful but oily, and the two vegetables were tasty but the flavors could have been stronger. I really like combo plates when I eat at Ethiopian places because I like to have a bit of everything, so this slightly disappointing in that I could only have one meat and two vegetables as opposed to all vegetables and a few meats that Ethiopian places usually do. Pricing is high for the amount of food and variety on my plate as my combo was $19 pre-tax. Ambiance and service are average, nothing special but acceptable. read more

I love Lucy for being a truly unique spot in central Boston. It's unpretentious, affordable, and offers great food without fuss. Service isn't super attentive but I feel like that's part of the appeal. I generally order the combos - they have combos for 2-4 people, and you can get them vegetarian or with beef or lamb. The combos include a bunch of dishes. If you're familiar with Ethiopian cuisine you can pick your favorite dishes off the menu to fill the combo. If this is a brand new experience for you, you can always ask the server to pick the combo dishes for you. The peanut tea is like a chai tea latte except peanut flavored instead of chai. It's very delicious and unique! I also love to order the Ethiopian style coffee, which is basically a pot of espresso served with small cups and incense. One thing to note - they can run out of injera, in which case they close down early, so try not to get there too close to closing!! read more

Lucy Ethiopian Cafe - Ethiopian style coffee - complete with incense!! - Ethiopian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I've never tried Ethiopian food, so I came over here to pick up some takeout while I was in Boston. I got a four-item vegetarian combo so I could try a little bit of everything since I was unfamiliar with the flavors. I asked about the heat level of the miser wot (red lentils simmered in spicy hot sauce), and the person at the counter said it was negligible...it so wasn't, lol. For a wuss like myself that can't tolerate too much heat, I was unable to eat much of this. The kik aletcha (split peas cooked in garlic and ginger sauce) was pretty good. Texturally, it left much to be desired. It was flavorful mush, and I just scooped it up with torn pieces of injera. The spinach that was simmered with potatoes and seasoned with spice and herbs was rather bland. I saw this coming based on the reviews I read on Yelp prior to going to the restaurant, but I still wanted to trying it since spinach is one of my favorite veggies. I wasn't sure what to order for the fourth item, so I asked the waitress for her recommendation between the tikile gomen (cabbage and potatoes simmered in mild sauce) and dinch wot (potatoes, fresh green beans & fresh carrots simmered in flavorful mild sauce). I ended up going with tikile gomen, and it was also a bit bland, though it was nice to be able to munch on the cabbage when most of the other items were like mushy purees. I likely would have been better off skipping the miser wot and going with the dinch wot. Man, those lentils were spicy! My final comment would be on packaging. I suppose they were trying to keep everything tidy, but instead of rolling and cutting up all the injera, they placed one intact one at the bottom of the styrofoam box. The four vegetarian dishes were then put on top of the injera in their respective quadrants of the box, with the remaining rolled and sliced up injera sitting on top of this. The piece of injera used to line the box would not have been pleasant to eat, as it became rather soggy. I'm glad I tried this place out and experienced Ethiopian cuisine. However, Boston is a plethora of culinary delights and I'd probably opt for something more my taste the next time I visit. read more

Lucy Ethiopian Cafe is uniquely different than other Ethiopian restaurants. They serve injera on the side and put the wats on plates without injera underneath. It's an interesting presentation, like modernized/Westernized Ethiopian. Though I think I like having the injera be the plate instead. The food is good though and we enjoyed our meal. Our portion sizes were great. What's really neat about this place though is that they have a lot of Ethiopian coffee choices that are served in traditional carafes. Some coffee even comes with incense to enjoy at your table while you sip your coffee. I really enjoyed that part. The decor of the place is also unique. They teach you Ethiopian words on the wall and include Ethiopian characters in their menu. I haven't seen any other Ethiopian place do that. read more

Food: 4 Service: 4 Value 4 Overall: Came here after a Lang-Lang concert, since it was so close to Symphony Hall and I was craving Ethiopian food after having so much Chinese and American food. The food and ambience were great, and the prices were fairly tame as well. Food: I had the peanut tea, which was very novel to me, and very comforting. It was warm, thick, and tasted a bit like peanut butter. I shared the TImatim Fit Fit (appetizer), the Addis Combo (vegetarian combo), and the Lega Tibs (beef dish). This was only my third time having Ethiopian food, so I'm not sure how it compares in terms of Ethiopian food, but I really liked it. The injera (the sour pancakes) is one of my favorite parts, and it was particularly soft and tasty here. The food was very flavorful and full of spices, and went well with the injera. Service: The server was very friendly, and recommended the dishes to us since we had no idea what to get. Value: The prices were reasonable. read more

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I've been to this place a zillion times now and it feels like home to me. Each person that I've recommended this place to has liked it and all the new customers that I've seen while dining there seem to love it too!! Don't leave without trying their HOT PEANUT TEA!! You'll like it once and you'll love it forever... 1. A great selection of vegetarian options too. 2. Amazing service. And yes, they're Ethiopian!! 3. Very reasonable for the quantity and authenticity 4. They ask you to try eating good with hands only at first (so it gives a very cultural aspect to the dining experience) 5. They play ethnic Ethiopian music It's not too big so it could be packed on weekends. Call and ask if they make reservations. read more

Lucy Ethiopian Cafe - The Veggie Combo for 2!! It's a lot of food and don't worry, they give you more bread (ingira) if you eat it all.. - Ethiopian Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts