I've been a customer since they opened in 1988. I hadn't been back since the 90s. Well they've expanded but the food is even better than I remembered. This was the first experience for my bestie having Ethiopian food. My son is a long time love of it. The service was excellent but it took an hour on a Saturday night for food to come as they caught up with the take out orders and a fresh seating. Just the same, they were apologetic and it was well worth the wait. The samosas were perfect and the vegetarian dishes and beef & lamb (according to my son and bestie) were fantastic and again, better than when they first opened - as one might expect. Very fresh, very fun, great Columbia atmosphere and proving you CAN go home again! Highly Recommended (and be prepared for a wait on busy nights!) read more

Playing tourist and stopped to look at Columbia between the net Cloisters and the Met. Massawa caught our eye on Yelp and we gave it a try. We got the sampler platter (1 veggie and one meat) to share. OMG... so good! The flavors were wonderful and just a little spice. If you haven't been, I highly recommend it. Also got the lemon/ginger mocktail which was so good. The hostess/wItress was also very nice. 5/5 for sure. read more

Came here on a Friday night. My friend mentioned this spot and after doing some research, I suggested we try this spot out. I have never tried Ethiopian food before, let alone African food but I'm always down to try something new. Once you enter the host sits you down. It was busy when I went but didn't wait long. The place is dark and with interesting art work on the walls. Kicked it off with Ful ($14.10) which was kinda like a chilli and it was so good. It came with slices of pita. Also got the agave ginger lemondae ($6) which was refreshing with a strong ginger taste. For the main, got the shared dishes of tebsi derho ($26) which was a chicken dish and the zegeni ($26.50) which was the beef dish. Each dish comes with sides and this fermented crepe, not sure what it is called. You eat with your hands with the shared dishes. I ripped a piece of that fermented crepe and dip and grab anything on the dish. It was really good and interesting experience. The flavor was very interesting, like the flavor is familiar but the combo of all of it was different and def something I haven't tried. It's a lot of food, like a lot so I suggest ordering a dish per person unless you don't mind trying all types and packing the rest. If you never tried Ethiopian food, I highly recommend trying this place out. * order and pay from your phone * street parking read more

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Was so excited to try an Ethiopian place in the area, but unfortunately, our plates came out pretty cold! They did agree to reheat the plates. They also didn't have the best options for vegetarians - my favorite was probably the ful and hummus with pita. They are generous with portions fyi! read more

My friends and I stopped by this sleek restaurant serving Ethiopian cuisine for dinner. The interior was classy and grown up, with a comfortable ambiance. We ended up sharing 3 entrees, which came with our choice of 3 vegetable sides. Our order included Beef Tebsi, Lamb Tsebhi Beghe, and Salmon Tebsi. In terms of veggies, we selected Lentils, Collard Greens, along with a medley of Potatoes, Carrots, and Cabbage. Of course, this all came beautifully plated on top of spongy, yummy injera bread. There were extra rolls of injera as well. The Beef and Lamb were both absolutely mouthwatering, but I think my favorite was the Beef. + Beef Tebsi: This consisted of tender sirloin cubes sauteed in onions, tomatoes, berbere and herbs. There was so much rich, bold flavor throughout the dish. + Lamb Tsebhi Beghe: Spicy chunks of succulent, slow cooked lamb in onions and boldly flavorful berbere. + Salmon Tebsi: Included wine glazed, flaky salmon cubes sautéed in onions, tomatoes and herbs, which I wasn't really a fan of. There was a weird aftertaste I didn't enjoy. Out of the vegetable dishes, below was my Favorite to least favorite: + Alitcha: Ensemble of perfectly cooked potatoes, carrots, collard greens, and cabbage baked in turmeric. All the veggies were soft and delightfully flavored. + Timtimo: Savory red lentils stewed with berbere and hints of ginger was quite tasty with a slight kick. + Tsebhi Hamli: Tenderly cooked collard greens stewed in tomatoes and berbere was a nicely seasoned dish. Service was solid. Our waitress was lovely and knowledgeable about the menu. The prices were affordable. We enjoyed our time dining here. Since I tried almost everything I wanted, I won't be back for awhile, but would love to try the Citrus Shrimp. read more

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Have eaten there several times. Always excellent. Sometimes, they have "spicy" collared greens. Outrageously good! read more

Long time neighborhood staple, ruined by app integration. I've loved this place for years, for its comforting food and tasty drinks. Usually order from the servers directly, but we were encouraged to use the QR code menu when ordering last night. We received our drink order right away, but then waited a really long time for our meal even though the dining room was only a third full. By the time our food arrived other diners were getting their checks. Our food arrived cold on the outside, hot on the inside, no one bothered to check how we were getting along. I did not get what I ordered. The server's solution to correcting my order was to offer to bring me a side of rice rather than re-plate or replace the dish. If I wanted delivery, I could have stayed home. It's an insult that such poor service would require you to pay upfront for such a low quality and expensive meal that would not even be plated properly. Skip the app, or maybe just skip the risky service. If the restaurant can't be on their game on a Friday night after years of experience, it's probably not worth your evening. read more

I ordered takeout from Massawa and really enjoyed it. We started with the chicken sambusa, which had a flaky crust but flavor was slightly lacking. For the main entree I ordered the vegan sampler, which came with lentils, collard greens, potatoes, carrots, and a good amount of injera. The injera was great, slightly sour but not overwhelming. My friend ordered the Silsi Derho, a chicken dish with a hard boiled egg. The sauce was flavorful and went well with the injera. My friend thought the meat portion was small for the value but enjoyed the flavor read more

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Going to an exceptional Eritrean/Ethiopian restaurant with good friends is the best! We split several dishes which by the way come with automatic injera refills. Also be sure to try the Massawa hard lemonade! read more

Massawa - Great food - great friends! - Ethiopian Near Me - New York, New York

Massawa is a great spot on Amsterdam! The service is friendly and attentive. The meats are really tender and all of the vegetarian dishes are excellent as well. Their outdoor seating is really nice if weather permits! Would definitely recommend if you are in the mood for Ethiopian! read more

Massawa - Ethiopian Near Me - New York, New York

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It's hard for me to give 5 stars. But I got to give it up to Massawa: their food, service and ambiance has always been consistent over numerous visits! You can come during the day and catch the lunch menu. Or, just do the regular menu! During spring, summer and fall, outdoor seating is available. And at times, they have live music! I found the staff to always be welcoming and friendly! The bathroom is spacious and most importantly super clean! The establishment/interior design is well designed too. The food is delicious: I'm always experimenting going between vegan, vegetarian to meat dishes. The salmon dish and sample veg platter are my favorites. Massawa's ambiance is usually mellow during the afternoons so its a good place to read a book or telework - while indulging in anything on their menu or at their bar area. At later times, it does pick up! Tip: Try the Ethiopian honey wine! Its sweet and will make you feel joyful down the road! Also, don't be afraid to ask for a fork - if you're not comfortable using your hands to eat! No one judges! Everyone is very pleasant. read more

Massawa - Salmon Tebsi which is wine glazed cubes sautéed in onions, tomatoes and herbs. I spilt this with another person and we ended up full!! - Ethiopian Near Me - New York, New York

Such great Ethiopian. Must try. Coconut sorbet is to die for and comes in a coconut! Cool ambiance as well good for night out. read more

This place was amazing! I ordered from here the other night. I loved that I was able to order food at 9:45/10pm, and it was really yummy food. Typically places that you can order a bit later aren't quite as good, but wow this place really hit the spot. I loved their veggie sample platter. It also a large amount of food, and they give you lots of injera bread with it! I would love to go here in person but it is nice to know that there is somewhere that delivers delicious Ethiopian food near me! read more

Massawa - Vegan sampler - Ethiopian Near Me - New York, New York

Great food, Nice interior ambiance (outside is overlit at night), and Good service (once seated inside). We took a friend who never had Ethiopian cuisine before, and blew her mind! Thanks Massawa. read more

Great Ethiopian food in the area. The vegan sampler and the lamb were good. The ambiance is cute and the service seemed short staffed. read more

Massawa - Sambusa - Ethiopian Near Me - New York, New York

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What an incredible find! Food was delicious. Portions were huge. Tej (honey wine) was perfect. Ambience was great. And, best of all, Abraham was amazing - friendly and attentive. read more

Delicious ethiopian food! Very relaxed vibe, perfect for meeting friends and talking. I always love their shiro and timtimo read more

Massawa - Shiro - Ethiopian Near Me - New York, New York

I have never had ethiopian food until this night. And I am now a fan. The food was super flavorful and super fun to share. A great group dinner! We got a meat and vegan sampler and all was delicious. I also noticed they have great happy hour deals. I look forward to coming back when I am in the neighborhood. read more

Massawa - Ethiopian Near Me - New York, New York

The food, service and ambience were aces. I had the Shiro plate with red lentils and Alitcha. I recommend that as a good vegan option for the first time. The cafe has a hip earthy vibe and is a 4 minute walk from the subway. I would go back. read more

Massawa - Shiro - Ethiopian Near Me - New York, New York

All aspects of our meal showed attention to detail. Their menu items both satisfy and taste great. The quality here is outstanding!!! The personnel combined friendliness with immediate help. The service was good and I would definitely go back. read more

The whole package--food quality, staff attitude, and location--makes the price feel completely right. Staff members combined friendliness with helpfulness. The food quality here is excellent. You see their dedication in the food preparation and customer care. I intend to make this a regular place. read more

We love Ethiopian cuisine and know the best in NYC is in Harlem. We brought our skeptical friend here to try this cuisine for the first time, and he loved it and enjoyed every dish. We ordered a vegan and meat combo for two off menu, extra injera, and two beers for 3 adults. At first, we thought the portions were too small, but by the time we finished and the injera expanded in our stomachs, we realized it was the perfect amount of food. You can dine indoors or outdoors. As it was a gorgeous day, I wish we dined outdoors. The interior is nice with a large bar. Typical design for most of these nyc Ethiopian restaurants. Our friend commented it was more spacious than Manhattan restaurants he's been to, but we find this typical of Harlem ones. It was his first time in this neighborhood. The food was quite good, but not the best we've had in Harlem. Priced a bit higher than expected. Great drink menu, but $48 for a bottle of honey wine seemed excessive. Staff was very friendly and pleasant, but as with most Ethiopian restaurants, it was a bit slow to respond to requests like for a menu or napkins despite few customers for late lunch around 3ish. read more

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My friends and I arrived on a Saturday night. It was not too busy and we didn't have to wait for a table. The ambiance is very nice in the restaurant and it is wonderfully decorated. You place your order via QR code on the table. My friends ordered a bottle of wine that came out quickly. They also ordered appetizers but it was taking suspiciously long to come out. After about 15-20 mins of waiting, we flagged down a waiter to asked for the appetizers and he said I'll go check on it then immediately came out with them. That's a bit suspicious as there's no way the food wave came ready as soon as we asked about it... then it took even longer for our main dish to come out. There were two tables next to us that sat after us and got their food before us. One table had finished their meal before we received our food. We had to ask about 5 times and two different staff members for updates on our order. We waited about 50 minutes. This is unacceptable. The food however was delicious. Especially the beef; it was seasoned in a way I've never tasted before. The food is a 5/5 but the service is a 2/5. read more

Massawa - Vegan platter with beef - Ethiopian Near Me - New York, New York

A welcome addition to the neighborhood! Excellent food, reasonable prices, wonderful service, and a very nice ambiance combine to make this a very nice to place to grab a bite. read more

This restaurant is located one block north of Columbia's campus. The interior is cozy with a nice ambiance. There are multiple vegetarian and vegan options. The menu, ordering, and check payment are supposed to be done by QR code which can be a burden for those without digital wallets or who need the larger print on regular menus (accessible only if you can flag someone down and ask for a paper menu). The portions for a lunch plate were a little smaller than I was expecting, especially for being predominantly vegetables, but it was filling. I was hoping for more robust flavors and spice. The injera was the best thing on the table - it had a nice tang almost like a sourdough and was very fluffy. The service was slow despite not being too busy. We arrived at 11:30 and did not leave until almost 1pm. read more

Massawa - Tebsi Hiwas (chicken) - Ethiopian Near Me - New York, New York

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It's dark in here I'm not good with food places where I can't see my food. I need to be able to see what I'm eating. The service is good. The place is touristy The Decor is light and airy. Open concept. I'd also like to be able to read the menu. read more

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I came here for lunch today and we ordered the beef tebsi and veggie combo. I really loved the beef the most. There was an option for spice level for the beef and we chose medium spicy. As someone who can handle a little spice but not too much spice, I didn't feel this was spicy. If you're into spicy food, I would recommend getting something more spicy than the medium. The server was extremely kind and often came back to ask how the food was and refill our cups of water. The ambiance of the restaurant is nice and there are lots of seating available for tables of 2. I'd imagine these tables can also be easily moved together for larger parties. I went around lunch time and it was quite busy so I'd say this is a popular place! read more

Massawa - Beef Tebsi (L) Veg Combo (L) - Ethiopian Near Me - New York, New York

Went to Massawa on a Saturday night around 5:30. It started to get crowded around 6:30. They have barcodes on the table so that you can scan for the menu and even order to the table. We eyed what the table next to us was having and they recommended the lamb. The Sambusaa were crispy and flaky. We had the vegan sampler and the lamb (Alitcha beghe) and the two together were SO SO GOOD! I believe I could make at the red lentils for every meal. And combining the lamb and the carrots from the Alitcha made for an amazing bite with the injera. I'm all about combining flavors for the perfect bite and no matter what I combined the lamb with every mouthful was so flavorful. I absolutely recommend massawa, the vegan sampler and the lamb! read more

Massawa - Ethiopian wine - Ethiopian Near Me - New York, New York

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The food here is not the best Ethiopian I've ever had. Lacking some flavor but overall not bad! I went back a second time and it took over an hour to get my food. We watched as other tables who were seated after us got our food, paid, and left. We alerted the waiter and waitress about this a couple times and they were very nice about it. I just am not sure this would be my top pick for Ethiopian food in the future. read more

Massawa - Platter - Ethiopian Near Me - New York, New York

Ahhhh if you're looking for some authenticity in your life, don't walk! RUN to Massawa. I've been going here for years and quality and consistency never disappoints. read more

I found a new favorite that will be seeing me on a regular basis. Massawa won't overcharge and provides plenty of vegetables. The people at this restaurant enhance the experience. Workers deliver dependable assistance. The restaurant becomes very busy during rush hours. read more

This is my second time dining at Massawa, the first time the staff was fast, the portions were large and the food was phenomenal. I absolutely loved it the first time and was hoping for the same again. Instead I have been left disappointed. Firstly we sat for 20 minutes before our order was even taken, and then we waited over 40 minutes for our food after we had ordered, even though the restaurant appeared to be at less than half capacity. On top of this, it was quite obvious that the portions were vastly smaller than the previous visit, I would argue just over half the size. All whilst being the same price. On the first visit my wife and I were both full with leftovers to bring home after we had finished, this time I wouldn't even say my appetite was sated. That being said, the food was still phenomenal, which is the only reason I am still comfortable giving 3 stars. read more

Ordering through QR codes made the process smooth and efficient at Massawa. Upon entering, I was greeted by charming little flower decorations that added a delightful touch to the ambiance. To my surprise, they were all real flowers. I can definitely appreciate the effort put into that. This restaurant came highly recommended by friends, and now I understand why. The dishes were very well seasoned and perfect for sharing. Also, the dishes are perfect for a vegetarian as well! read more

Massawa - Ethiopian Near Me - New York, New York

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The food is great and the service was pretty good. It was my first time eating Ethiopian food. I took an Ethiopian along with me to confirm the authenticity. It's legit. The honey wine isn't like the real honey wine in the motherland, but it tasted like an upscale Yellow tail. Very sweet. The payment system was seamless, you can settle your bill but scanning a QR code. It's called Toast; why isn't this everywhere? read more

Massawa - tibs (meat) and ingera (bread) - Ethiopian Near Me - New York, New York

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Solid Ethiopian food, cute ambiance. Surprisingly not busy and I hope that was atypical. Came here for an early dinner with a friend as I had to work starting at 7 pm. Arriving at 5:30 pm, there was only one other table taken in the whole restaurant. During our stay, only 2-3 more tables would be seated-- definitely a damper on the vibe. For food/drinks, you order via QR code + website. My friend and I got the sambusas, ful, and massawa combo. The combo was a great way to try a variety of their dishes, all of them were great! The ful was decent, with a good mix-in of fresh produce (I particularly liked the jalapeno). Skip the sambusas though-- they were pretty small and not very tasty. If anything, they felt mostly like just a bunch of filo dough. Happy hour runs until 7 pm, which was perfect given my schedule. As a result, my friend and I each got a cocktail, which were delicious. Only weird thing was trying to pay-- when I tried to close the tab on the website, it showed nearly ~$200 of beverages tacked on. I had to flag down the waitress and pay via normal check instead. The waitress didn't seem surprised by this, which was odd to me. Make sure to check your bill thoroughly! read more

The lamb here is super good!! Got a second order bc we were obsessed. Service was quick and didn't have to wait long for food. read more

Great place for Ethiopian food. The dishes are seasoned well with perfect level of spice. We tried the vegan sampler and the lamb. Highly recommend the sambusas to start. Service was a bit slow but overall it was still a great experience. read more

Massawa - Chicken Sambusa - Ethiopian Near Me - New York, New York

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Massawa is located in my daughter's neighborhood and she had been wanting to check out "one of the very first Ethiopian restaurants in the U.S." for a long time! So when we happened to be walking by and they had an available table outside, we grabbed it! We decided to get a couple cocktails and have the Vegan Sampler for Two: an assortment of vegan dishes served on top of injera, Ethiopian flat bread. More rolled injera was served on the side as an eating utensil. The spongy flatbread is used to scoop up the food. So delicious! The vegan dishes included varieties of lentils, a potatoes and collard greens dish, cabbage with carrots, and more. Plenty of food for two. Plus, the staff were kind and attentive! We would definitely go back! read more

Massawa - Ethiopian Near Me - New York, New York

I recommend the chicken soup. It has lots of veggies. The broth tastes super good. Peach lemonade boba tastes very good too

Massawa is one of the best restaurants in this neighborhood. We got the veg platter for two and we ate until we burst (in a good way). Everything was delicious and plentiful. The lighting is nice, the atmosphere is chill, and it was busy but not packed on a Tuesday evening at 8. This is a dependable standby for the Columbia area, a well-loved and treasured Ethiopian place that I'll return to again and again. We weren't rushed to leave, the food came quickly, our injera was replenished twice, and we were seated as soon as we arrived. Everyone I know loves this restaurant. read more