Food and service is always the same, excellent. Love coming here with colleagues from my office.

Thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Food was delish and authentically Ethiopian. Staff was friendly and food came quick...they even had gluten free options! Recommend you get the sampler so you get a taste of it all. Also, pair your meal with the honey wone. Dare I say "yum"!? read more

Quite the unique experience with exceptional and awesome tasting food. Great service with an in-depth explanation of the menu options.

Love the food here! Consistently delicious! It's nice that they've expanded, too! This is by far one of the best restaurants in tucson!

Zemam's is a Tucson staple! I've been eating there for years, and the quality has never wavered. The best thing to do at Zemam's is to go with a group and get samplers. Each sampler consists of three selections, so you can make any combination -- all vegetarian, all meat, or some of each -- that strikes you. I typically like the mixed sampler, so I can do some combination of my favorites: shiro (pureed chickpeas with spices), gomen wat (collard greens with garlic and cayenne), spicy boneless chicken (chicken cooked in berbere sauce), mincheta bish (chopped beef cooked in berbere, cardamom, and garlic), and yemisir kay wat (spicy red lentils). The food here is both served on and eaten with injera, a spongy, deliciously tangy bread. I love the injera -- I could eat heaps of it by itself! Zemam's is very casual, and is BYOB should you like to do that. It's a perfect spot to share a meal with friends! read more

Zemam's - Clockwise from top: mincheta bish, gored-gored, yemisir kay wat, gomen wat, shiro, and spicy boneless chicken - Ethiopian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

What an amazing great restaurant. I love the whole vibes of this place. You enter as if it were someone's house, through a house door and screen door. The inside is small and cozy with traditional pictures and art pieces designed throughout. Parking may be a bit difficult as there's not many places to park but a couple around the restaurant. The food is phenomenal! I suggest coming with a few friends so you can try the sampler platter with different options. The spicy boneless chicken was my favorite, it has a rich tomato-ey flavor. We also got mincheta beef which was ground beef it tasted very home-ey. The shiro tasted a bit burnt flavor and it wasn't our favorite. I definitely want to come back and try the rest of the sauces. The bread is so soft and delicious :) can't wait to come back! read more

Zemam's - Ethiopian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Love the new spot! Great food, amazing and unique drinks, and now space for the kiddos to run around! Service was kind and attentive, as always. read more

This was my first time having Ethiopian food and it was AMAZING!!! Highly recommend I let the waiter pick out the food for me and he asked a few questions and he picked the perfect things for me!!!! Great customer service amazing food! So much flavor!! If you don't come here you are missing out. I will be back only wish I lived closer but I will take that drive! read more

We were down by the university at an art exhibit and very hungry afterwards so I mentioned wanting to try an Ethiopian restaurant that a thought was sort of close by. The kids were less than thrilled with not going to In and Out, but the adults outvoted them! There is some construction going on near Zemen's in the parking lot and on one of the buildings but once we finally found our way inside, I was thrilled with the restaurant itself. Nicely decorated, simple and clean. We were seated quickly and began studying our menu. Everything looked delicious, spicy foods were clearly marked. Having been to Ethiopia, I couldn't wait for my family to try Injera and all the saucy foods! We ordered way too much food so we could try it all! Everything was fantastic! The kids became fans of Ethiopian foods after their first bites. My oldest grandson's favorite part was that you can eat with your fingers. A very friendly man came out to chat. I'm not sure if he was the owner or the cook, maybe both. All in all, it was a great experience with excellent food! If you don't like spicy foods, there are plenty of options but if you do like spicy foods, you're going to love Ethiopian food! read more

Came here as a group of six, and we made reservations beforehand. One friend is gluten intolerant, and this place does an excellent job catering to that. You just need to make sure you ask as soon as you're seated about this since the gluten free bread takes time to make. We also asked about this accomodation when we made the reservation. What we ended up doing was ordering our dishes on gluten-free bread, and we shared the normal bread, while our friend got extra gluten free bread. This is family style, where all your orders get grouped on to a central plate. It's great for sharing, and it's meant to encourage you to grab the food with your bread. If you do need a spoon, go ahead and ask because we did to limit cross-contamination, at least in the beginning. Lots of food, and we even had leftovers to spare. I ordered the mixed veggies and meat sampler with 1 meat 2 veggie, Doro watt chicken, cauliflower, yetakelt wat (red lentil sauteed with onions). All were delicious! The other dishes that were ordered were also good and I have no complaints on anything we ordered. For the Doro watt chicken, do keep in mind there's bones; I'd probably get an alternative meat dish in the future. Everyone in our group loved it. A great spot for vegetarians too. Many of us have been thinking about it in the days after, and we are definitely planning to go back, or order takeout in the future! read more

See all

Wonderfully flavorful food and excellent service. Highly recommend. Lots of vegetarian options as well as meats. It's family style, but at with your hands by means of a thin, spongey, sourdough type bread. We had the minced beef (#16), the roasted cauliflower and red lentils. Was absolutely amazing. I will be going back with my vegetarian friends. read more

So we had a chance to come back here after all these years! It's still the same place. The rearranged things a bit. No longer is there a table in the entry area. We arrived a little early, and it wasn't very busy. We got a nice table in the first room on the right. Even before our food arrived it started filling up. Apparently they are still popular. Yeah, it's still a bit of a dive. Decor has improved a little, and they have a poster of Guy Fieri from "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives"...apparently he did a show here. It still doesn't feel like what I would expect Ethiopia to feel like. More like an American diner with a few posters. I think making the ambiance more African would complete the experience of dining here. The food is the same as I remember, served in the same manner as I remember. The spice palette for Ethiopian cuisine is very different from most other cuisines a foodie may encounter on a typical night out. Unique flavors. We liked our food very much. My last review still applies. Bland ambiance, but really good food. read more

Zemam's - Gored gored front and center, plus lentils, chicken, cabbage - Ethiopian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

This is a great place ... food was good and awesome service from noah Me and a buddy of mine stoped by and we both had a two choice meat and one choice veggie. All together had lamb , 2 beef, chicken, spinach, and potatoes Great place will stop by if in the area read more

Zemam's - Ethiopian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

We stopped going to restaurants due to Covid, and being high risk, haven't really resumed yet. And, since I'm WFH I rarely get to the Zemam's area. But I placed an order and picked up recently, and was SO pleased. The food was as great as ever, and the take out was really well packed. Portions felt quite generous, and everything was perfect. Love the current spice level on the spicy dishes. read more

Fantastic food. Amazing service. Perfect ambiance. Authentic and fairly priced. 10/10

If you're looking for a meal option out of the ordinary, Zemam's is worth trying! Tucked in the corner, Zemam's is an Ethiopian restaurant that has been featured on "Dinner, Diners and Dives". It has a variety of sized tables and chairs that don't necessarily match, but it don't let the decor turn you off. It's a humble restaurant with delicious flavors and great quality. A unique feature of this restaurant, like many Ethiopian restaurants, is that you eat with your hands and not with utensils. There's usually a small wait to place your order, even when it doesn't seem too busy or full in the restaurant, but it doesn't take long for your food to come out. The best option, in my opinion, is to order the Plate combo. There's a couple options, but I personally like the 2 meats and 1 vegetable plate combo. It comes on a large circular dish with 3 portions placed on top of injera (sourdough-risen flatbread with a slightly spongy texture). My boyfriend and I can share one combo and are satisfied with the amount of food we've ordered. There are great vegetarian options, so if you don't eat meat, you can get a plate combo with all veggies. They also give you a side plate with injera. The last time we visited this location, we ordered #2, #12, and #17. There is a lamb option, with a small extra charge. In addition to food, the main beverage options are water, tea, and soda. They do have a policy that allows you to bring your own beer/wine. You must supply your own glasses and uncork your own bottle, or you can have them do it for you with an extra charge. Overall, Zemam's is a great restaurant to go to for a taste of something unique. It's a great option for adventurous eaters, as well. I highly recommend picking a couple of their spicy options and one non-spicy option to balance the flavors and taste! Enjoy! read more

Zemam's - Zemam 's Combination Sampler: 2 meat & 1 veggie. - Ethiopian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

We recently moved to Tucson, and I was so excited to hear there was a good Ethiopian restaurant in town. Zemam's was great! The food was just as it should be, flavorful and fun to eat. read more

Delicious Ethiopian food. The food is excellent. I always get the Vegetable sampler with cauliflower, yemisir wat, shiro, yetekelt wat, and of course the collard greens. All are deliciously seasoned with onions, garbanzo beans, and spices. The injera (spongey bread) is perfect. I do ask for more than the amount it comes with, and they have always been nice enough to give me extra. They are finally remodeling the inside so the location on Broadway is under construction at this time. I think that they also own the place on the east side but I've yet to eat at that location. I'm excited to visit once the new remodeled location is open! The people who own it, and work there, are super friendly which to me is a major bonus. read more

Eating at Zemam's is a great way to experience authentic Ethiopian food. The homey ambiance creates a very welcoming environment for diners to enjoy their food. I was also surprised to find out that Zemam's was actually fetaured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives (the TV show that Guy Fieri does for Food Network). Forget your forks and knives! Eating at Zemam's is a very hands on activity. We ordered one veggie sampler and one meat sampler for 3 people and we had plenty of food left over. The mincheta bish beef dish was my personal favorite. If you need more of the injera flatbread to go with your dishes, just ask! I will definitely be returning to try out more of Zemam's amazing dishes! read more

Zemam's - Ethiopian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

If you're into flavors you gotta try Zemams. I've only been to a few different Etheopian restaurants so I don't know what's authentic, but i do know that this restaurant has amazingly tasty dishes. I highly recommend the combo plates where you can choose three different meat or veggie dishes. It'll come out on a large injera and they give you extra injera to enjoy it with. I went with two other people and we ordered a meat combo and veggie combo, and we were only able to finish about half of the plate. Everything was so flavorful and the meats were so tender. There wasn't a dish I didn't like. I will definitely be back to try the rest of the dishes. Don't be intimidated by the appearance of the food, it's well worth it! read more

Zemam's - Ethiopian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Got my in laws to go with me while in Tucson on a visiting. That made five of us there, so we got to order a lot. Yeah! Our server said he recommended us ordering two - three sampler plates, and we went with three, which was perfect amount. We ordered a mix of spicy and non spicy and they were all great. My favorite was the spicy vegetable and potato dish, and my daughter pretty much kept the brown lentils to herself. Our server was awesome - in addition to his recommendation on amount ordered, he kept our water filled and the bread (sorry, know it's not bread but can't recall correct word and I'm too lazy to find it) plate stocked. Go eat! read more

Zemam's - 9 samples, which our server had them separate between spicy and non spicy - Ethiopian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

See all

ALWAYS OUTSTANDING! The food at Zemams is superb. Spiced with amazing blends, we learn every time we stop in. Recommend stopping also at the bar-Zerai's. Great drinks, cleverly crafted. read more

Upon walking in the aromas of spices and herbs was enticing. We were seated quickly in a cute and colorful outdoor space. The menu offered a wide variety of proteins and vegetable options. We ordered two Combo platters with the injera and it was absolutely scrumptious... one of the most unique and best tasting meals we had in the last four months we had been living in Arizona. read more

Great Ethiopian food in a very homey restaurant. We had the two meat and one veggie sampler. Had the lentils (yemisir wat), spicy chicken and mincheta Bish (ground beef with berebere). All AMAZING! Cool thing is the servers are more than willing to bring out extra injera if you just ask. One combo is the perfect amount if you want to grab a dessert later. Two combos necessary if you want to pig out. All out our dishes were cooked perfectly! I don't know who said the meat was dry but ours was perfect and moist. The variety of flavors is what makes this place amazing. Service is relaxed but awesome. One tip is that you take your check to the register when you're ready to go. This place fills us fast so I recommend going earlier on the weekend before it gets slammed. We showed up around 5:45 and got food about 6. During our meal the place went from almost empty to slammed. read more

Zemam's - Ethiopian Tea - Ethiopian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

See all

We enjoyed the food immensely. We had a sampler with the sourdough bread. This sourdough was unlike any we have ever had. I'm guessing typical Ethiopian. It was good and you use it to pick up your food with it. The service was top notch and the food delicious! Had some Honey Wine. Very different and very sweet. The ambience was inviting and tasteful. Overall a wonderful experience! read more

I've been trying to go here for months. Ever since I saw it on my way to work one day. My partner doesn't have a penchant for adventure so I have been unsuccessful in getting him to go with me. Finally, I managed to get someone from work to go with me. It was both of our first times eating Ethiopian food in Tucson. My first time ever, her second or third time. We sat down and looked at the menu. We decided to try the veggie and meat samplers. She chose the veggies and I chose the meats. We tried to stick to traditional dishes as much as possible. It came out quickly and it was the 6 total samples sitting on a giant injera (traditional Ethiopian sourdough flatbread). The injera is sour by itself and has the texture of a pancake, very soft. They gave us additional pieces of injera, and you use it to pick up the food. It's a finger heavy food and no utensils. But oh my god, it was F**KING amazing!!! The flavors of all the samplers were amazing. It overpowers the injera, so you don't taste the sourness of it. The meat was tender, spicy, and cooked perfectly. The vegetables were amazing and hearty. This is a food I recommend if you have not tried it, you need to eat at least once in your life. I felt like I was in heaven. There are 2 locations. One of Broadway and one of Speedway. We went to the broadway location, so it looks like it was an old house that was converted to a restaurant. So it's a bit small inside, a little cluttered, and not too much room to move around. The waitresses seem to maneuver well around the tables and carry large trays of food. There were 2 waitresses when we worked. One also worked front of the house. The main waitress was attentive and was always smiling. I can tell this place is popular. There are always cars in front of it. We were there like 5:45pm, it was not crowded. By 6pm, 6:15pm, people started walking in. I would definitely love to go back again. This is great for large groups because there is a lot of sharing involved. Definitely bring friends, family, or go alone. If you don't finish, they provide a box and if you ask, more bread. read more

Zemam's - Ethiopian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

I'm not going to exaggerate and say that Zeman's alone is reason to visit Tucson, but it is definitely a culinary highlight of the city. My cousin picked me up from the airport, said, "Want to go for dinner?" and was surprised when I said, "Can we go to Zeman's?" Thanks to you, my fellow Yelpers, I knew where to go. Said cousin had never eaten Ethiopian food in her life, but was cautiously willing to try. I ordered the vegetarian sampler to share. She told me later that, when she saw the platter delivered, she wondered if there would be enough food for the two of us. As it turned out, we couldn't finish the entrée. She didn't know how wonderful the injera bread tastes, and how filling it can be. I dove right in, and she followed my example, pausing only to say "Oh wow" and "this is really good." I frequent Ethiopian restaurants in my home town of Chicago, and I can assure you, Zemam's stands with the best of them. This is really good food. Our entrée included #9 Kik Wat; #2 Shiro; and #7 Yetakelt Wat. Everything was fresh and flavorful, appealing to a veteran like me, and not intimidating to a novice like my cousin. My only complaint is the payment process, and maybe the problem is that neither I nor cousin knew what the procedure was. We kept waiting for the check to be delivered, and it wasn't. Finally, I went to the counter when I saw our waitress handling payment for other customers, and I was able to pay. Again, the problem may be my fault, not the restaurant's, but I'm not sure. I'm back in Chicago, so I can't go back again to find out for sure. There are some parking places out in front, and we got the last one, early on a Sunday evening. I'm not sure if parking really is limited to those few places. If you're going at a popular time, maybe check with the restaurant before going. Zeman's was absolutely delicious. Prices were reasonable, too, especially since we shared one entrée. Go early, go often. read more

Zemam's - Vegetarian Sampler - Ethiopian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Zemams is always great. The food is amazing and our server was so nice. We will return time and time again

I have been eating at Zemam's for about six years. I usually only go about twice each year, though. I was pleased to have been able to visit this week. Walking through the door, I felt that I was returning home after a long hiatus. What do I love about this place: 1. The injera is consistently delicious and fresh. 2. The food is flavored appropriately, always without that off-balance, chalky flavor that I have experienced as some less admirable Ethiopian food restaurants (but not in Tucson). 3. The costs are reasonable, and the portion sizes are generous. 4. The corking fee is only $1.50. That's pretty amazing, especially when other places in town will charge upwards from $15 (which is just pure silliness to me, but I get the point: the need for a profit). 5. The women are wonderfully attentive and cordial, and I am always pleased when they seem to recall my face. Again, getting to that feeling of being back home. 6. Nice central location. 7. There tends to be quite a divergent range of people who frequent the establishment. To me, that is always a good sign. 8. The menu is fun to read. One annoyance, and this has less to do with the establishment and more to do with how people describe it, is the emphasize that you get to "eat with your hands." Certainly, there is a strong sense of Western dining etiquette here and, indeed, across the country. I must say that etiquette is hugely context specific. So what are these people talking about? Eating with your hands is one of the most common forms of eating around the world. In the states, even, we eat with our hands all the time! Consider that bread and butter, sometimes asparagus, bacon, hot wings, lobster and crab, burrito, hot dog, hamburger, those french fries and a whole assortment of finger foods. All that to say that the tendency to describe populations of people and certain foods as exotic has got to stop. And, please, remember to wash your hands before you begin to chow down. read more

See all

Such a happy and bright place to eat, drink, and just BE. Fantastic staff. Food is best Ethiopian ever. My new hang. Met so many cool people Portal night! read more

I don't typically post reviews, but I felt like I just had to help promote this restaurant. We're in town for the weekend and we came across this gem of a restaurant completely by accident. We love Ethiopian food, so we thought we'd give this place a try. We are so glad we did. The food here was absolutely fantastic! Definitely authentic, with amazing rich flavors. The restaurant is very cute and clean, and the service was wonderful. I HIGHLY recommend to anyone looking for a fantastic meal! read more

I loved Zemam's. My friend recommended this place to me and we decided to go for lunch. She called ahead for the gluten free Teff Injera bread, which tasted like sourdough. I had to look up the recipe online for the teff injera bread after eating lunch there, because I really loved the texture and taste. I would recommend calling ahead for them to prepare the bread. This was the first time that I went to a restaurant that didn't hand out utensils, and I actually thought it was pretty awesome. The menu has lots of descriptions for what I call "side dishes" (please refer to photo) - there are vegetarian options as well as meat options. The combination sampler gave us the option to choose 3 different flavors, and since I went with a friend, we chose 6 different flavors. One of my favorites was the vegetarian Yetakelt Wat - it reminded me a little bit of curry. Some of the other dishes that we got had meat in them, and were quite spicy - I was sweating away since I'm super weak to spices, but I just couldn't stop eating because it was that good! Plus, the server was really nice and explained any questions that we had. For the menu, refer to: http://www.zemams.com/Menus/Zemams_Too_Lunch.pdf I will 100% go back again - I'm happy to say that Zemam's is one of my new favorite restaurants in Tucson. read more

Zemam's - Ethiopian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

See all

I used to love getting Zemam's too. The new location is just that, a bigger property but higher prices and smaller portions. I ordered what I always liked, the vegetarian platter. To-go plate that comes with three different vegetables options and injera. I found a long sharp chicken bone in the gomen alicha. huge disappointment read more

Zemam's is a great place to come with a group of friends, since the food is served on a large platter, and you eat with your hands---family style. When you first walk in the door, you almost feel like you're entering someone's home. The ambiance is cozy and comfortable. On the menu, there's a variety of options to choose from for the sampler platter, which includes three selections. My personal favorites include the Micheta Bish, which is finely chopped beef cooked in berbere, cardmon and garlic, the Kik Wat, which consists of split peas mashed with onion, garlic and green pepper, and the Yetakelt Wat, which is a medley of veggies and potatoes. The portions are generous, and the injera (it's sort of a spongy bread) soaks up the juices perfectly. The restaurant allows BYOB, which is always a plus. Be careful not to overeat! It doesn't feel like you're eating a lot when you're slowly grabbing at enjoying all the unique different flavors.... read more

Zemam's - Ethiopian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

See all

Very Good. First Time ever in a Ethiopian restaurant. Staff was verrrrry humble and helping. We ordered shiro and yemisir kay wat both comes with bread (made of rice). The bread is similar to india dosa or crepe but very soft and smooth. SHIRO is blended chickpea curry and YEMISIR KAY WAT is potato curry with some veggies. ETHIOPIAN BREAD is like crepe or dosa (very soft) read more

Zemam's - Shiro( big portion in left)and Yemisir kay wat (big portion on right) and ethiopian bread (bottom) - Ethiopian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

I've loved every dish! I've been going here for at least 20 yrs. I'm never disappointed! Try Lega Tibbs for meat eaters and pretty much everything for vegetarians. My favorite are Gomen Alicha, Spinach, Kik Wat, and the mixed veggies. read more

Food is always great. Nice people. Unmatched for Ethiopian in Tucson.

Never experienced Ethiopian cuisine before and came with 4 other friends, two of which had experience with the restaurant before so we had an idea on how to share the food and what to split. The server was very understanding and nice. She explained the dishes well and helped with the overall acclimation to the eating style. Friendly and thoughtful, there was constant refill of the injera and water. Even though we sat in the back, they were very attentive. We went for spicy and non spicy meat portions and then two vegetarian options. Our party agreed on what to order and that is how we ordered the food instead of doing the platter option since there was more variety this way. The Spinach and Foussulia were unexpectantly flavorful for vegetarian options. Foussulia (beans) had great spice and a kick. The Yebeg Watt (lamb) was the best and probably my favorite out all the dishes, would definitely recommend getting that dish. Doro Watt (chicken with a hard boiled egg with berbere sauce) was a good choice, the meat was so tender it fell off the bone. When sharing with people, this is a great option since the price split between six people is very reasonable for the amount of food (and refillable injera). read more

Zemam's - Doro Watt, Spinach, Yebeg Watt, Spicy Tilapia, Mincheta Bish, Foussalia - Ethiopian Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

So good, I have been going here for years and it has been consistently perfect and amazing with great service. Highly recommend going as a large group so that you can sample as much as possible, but makes for a fun date place too! read more

I used to frequent here when I attended college from 2004-09 and totally miss this restaurant. The owner is amazing and when my friend and I would dine in would load up our portions since he knew we where college students. The food was always amazing as was the service. Next time I visit Tucson I will definitely have to visit Zemam's and recount my memories with Amanuel. I loved dining here and totally recommend all the dishes they offer. Now I want and am craving Ethiopian food as I recall my college memories;) read more