Looking for a Delicious Ethiopian Restaurant? Here Are the Top 25 in the U.S.
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With less than 300,000 Ethiopian immigrants in the United States (as of 2014), the fact that Ethiopian cuisine is one of the most popular types of food in the country is truly impressive.
Ethiopian food is typically characterized by vegetable dishes as well as spicy meat dishes, usually served in stews, which are sopped up with spongy, sourdough injera bread. It's typically eaten with your hands and the emphasis is always on sharing the delicious cuisine with those you love. Ethiopian food is about feeling good, feeding your family and being together.
There are hundreds of Ethiopian restaurants in the U.S., but not all are created equal. Where do the real experts love to tuck into their favorite Ethiopian dishes? We scoured Yelp, Google and TripAdvisor to determine the most popular Ethiopian restaurants in the country.
What Makes It Stand Out
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A small, unassuming restaurant tucked away in a shopping center is actually a tiny gateway into the tastes of Ethiopia. Enat Ethiopian Restaurant is beloved not only for its affordable prices, but also for its very authentic flavors and dishes. They even do vegan options, which is much appreciated by their veg-friendly regulars.
Another perk? They're open late so you can get your Ethiopian fix at any time. The doro wat and doro tibs come highly recommended.
What Makes It Stand Out
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Radio Africa & Kitchen splashed on the San Francisco scene with its old-world recipes and new-world sustainable methods. Ingredients here are organically grown, and the menu highlights cuisine from Ethiopia, Morocco, Egypt and other Mediterranean countries.
Reviews are consistently raving that the restaurant exceeds expectations and that the quality of food is always remarkable for the price.
What Makes It Stand Out
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Enatye Ethiopian Restaurant prides itself on being a true taste of home, especially for those who are missing the comfort of Ethiopian cuisine. For those who come to try it for the first time, they are consistently blown away by the flavorful recipes that the restaurant is serving up.
Guests recommend the four-person combo that comes with chicken, egg, lamb, beef stew, spinach, dahl, green beans and many other flavors and dishes.
What Makes It Stand Out
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This Charlotte-based restaurant is full of bright colors, authentic fabrics and dishware, and, of course, phenomenal Ethiopian recipes. Helmed by a mother-daughter duo, Abugida Ethiopian Cafe & Restaurant serves all the Ethiopian classics like kitfo, doro wet and lamb tibs, along with their own specialties, like the Abugida kitfo, made with minced beef and seasonings. Guests also rave about the lentil yemisir sambusas.
The restaurant also serves gluten-free injera alongside cabbage sautéed with onions, garlic, jalapeno and spices.
What Makes It Stand Out
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Selam Ethiopian & Eritrean Cuisine is one of the most popular restaurants in Orlando. Guests come from all over to sample its consistently excellent African cuisine, from the Selam Special Kitfo to the samosas, gored gored and yemisir wot.
But diners also come for the warm, friendly atmosphere and the helpful staff who are on hand to walk you through every dish — which is particularly helpful if you're a first-timer.
What Makes It Stand Out
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Lucy, a family-owned Ethiopian restaurant, is actually named after the direct ancestor of modern-day humans whose bones were discovered in Ethiopia's Awash Valley. This link to the history of Ethiopia is further emphasized through the vibe of the restaurant and lounge, which not only serves authentic recipes but also provides a space for events and art.
The sambusas here are to die for, as are the doro tibs and eggplant dip. The food here is spicy, so make sure to specify if you want it toned down.
What Makes It Stand Out
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Founded by Fouad Wassel and his wife, Eka, Awash Ethiopian Restaurants has been in business since 2017. It prides itself on providing its customers with that traditional "gojo bait," or home-style environment. The restaurant experience is much more than just great food — it's a lively bar with Ethiopian beer and wine, a space for art and traditional music, and hosts a coffee ceremony every weekend.
The sambusas and beef tibs are particularly noteworthy, as is the veggie platter.
What Makes It Stand Out
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Veronica Mussie, owner and chef behind Vera's Kitchen, honed her culinary skills in her homeland of Ethiopia. After coming to the U.S., she opened her own kitchen that has been serving up tastes of home, growing in popularity by word of mouth.
Today, diners rave about the Ethiopian coffee, the desserts and the friendly attitude of everyone who works at the restaurant.
What Makes It Stand Out
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What's cool about Authentic Ethio African is exactly that — it's cool. The restaurant embodies an African-inspired, jazz-bar atmosphere, where music plays that infuses the soul. Add to that a delicious menu of both plant-based and meat dishes, and it's easy to see why this is one of the best tables in Phoenix.
The decor also sets this place a cut above, with guests describing the experience as a transportation to Ethiopia.
What Makes It Stand Out
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Serving traditional recipes passed down from mother to daughter, the chef at Hawwi Ethiopian Restaurant is passionate about keeping her family traditions alive. Her favorite recipes to serve are items like doro wat, the vegan sampler, lega tibs and, of course, the injera bread.
Diners describe the restaurant as immaculate with an elegant, yet comfortable, vibe. The lega tibs are a huge fan favorite.
What Makes It Stand Out
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With many locations across the San Francisco Bay Area, House of Tadu is all about sharing a meal and joining in on the family experience. The Mission Bay location, the newest in the fold, serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee, and Ethiopian beer and wine.
The name Tadu comes from the restaurant owners' grandmother, Tadelech Oda, and it is her ethos that they hope to convey through their food — warmth, hospitality and a bright personality.
What Makes It Stand Out
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A humble, no-frills dining room sets the scene for some truly tasty Ethiopian dishes. Aberus takes pride in serving the greatest hits as well as traditional Ethiopian coffee and tea. Portions here are generous, and the quality is superb.
The Aberus combination platter is a must. It comes with a beef combo, vegetable combo and doro wat in one sampler platter.
13. Teff Stamford
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Location: Stamford, Connecticut
Visit: Teff Stamford
What Makes It Stand Out
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Since 2015, Teff Stamford has been dishing out traditional favorites from Ethiopian and Eritrean kitchens. Chef Hadas Mengesha emigrated to the U.S. from Ethiopia in the 1980s and has been passionate about bringing their culture and traditions to the hungry diners of Connecticut.
Guests love to rave about the vegan tasting menu as well as the honey wine, which is also a fan favorite. This is a great restaurant option for vegans, as much of the menu is fully vegan, though there are some meat options that are equally delicious.
What Makes It Stand Out
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Family-owned and -operated, Manna Bistro & Bakery opened in 2002 and has been serving authentic family recipes in Centerville ever since. Ethiopian cuisine is where this restaurant shines, but it also has a menu of Spanish dishes.
Guests love the friendly and fast customer service as well as the knowledgeable staff that is on hand to recommend the best dishes. The veggie combo platter is consistently a hit, serving five different vegetarian dishes, including miser, kik, atakilt, gomen and fosolia.
What Makes It Stand Out
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Always lively and bustling, Mitmita is all about a friendly, warm and welcoming atmosphere. It also happens to serve some of the best Ethiopian food in the U.S. In fact, the restaurant has won awards from Yelp for its consistently positive reviews and ratings.
Diners rave about the ethereal injera bread, the family-friendly energy and the wide selection of both vegetarian and meat-based dishes.
What Makes It Stand Out
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Desta Ethiopian Kitchen is helmed by husband-and-wife duo, Ash Nega and Titi Demissie. Both from Ethiopia, they started their venture in Georgia with a restaurant that only served eight people. Today, the establishment has grown to serve 250 guests.
The restaurant is packed with positive reviews from Google — more than 4,100, in fact. The majority of customers rave about Desta's customer service, intense and flavorful dishes, wide variety of options and the range of customers that the trendy hot spot appeals to.
9. Ada’s Gojjo
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Location: Asbury Park, New Jersey
Visit: Ada’s Gojjo
What Makes It Stand Out
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What's interesting about Asbury Park's Ada Gojjo is that it fuses together both Ethiopian and Dominican flavors. Chef Aada grew up in Addis Ababa, where she learned to master traditional Ethiopian recipes, but later, she also took on the task of learning about Dominican cooking and flavors.
This means the menu and dining experience at Ada Gojjo is one of the more unique ones you'll find. But her customers love the mashup and are always coming back for more, whether it's to snack on injera bread or empanadas.
8. Amy’s Merkato
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Location: Seattle, Washington
Visit: Amy’s Merkato
What Makes It Stand Out
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Since the early 1990s, Amy's Merkato has been hot on the Seattle Ethiopian scene. In fact, it was one of the very first Ethiopian markets to hit Seattle. Today, it is owned by Judy and Filli, two natives of Ethiopia and Eritrea, who bought the restaurant from Amy back in 2000.
In addition to a restaurant menu, the market portion sells all the spices and ingredients people may need to cook their own Ethiopian cuisine at home. Diners rave about the green chicken, which comes as a sautéed dish or served on a buttery, toasted roll as a sandwich.
What Makes It Stand Out
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Try Me Ethiopian Cuisine is one of the best spots in Oregon to do exactly that. The home-style cooking is meant to give visitors a true taste of Ethiopian flavors and broaden their horizons into the vast world of Ethiopian food.
With an affordable price tag and a loyal fan base, it seems the restaurant more than delivers. This intimate hole-in-the-wall has a wonderfully helpful and friendly staff, and diners rave about the injera bread and the ye beg wat, an Ethiopian lamb stew.
6. Jebena Cafe
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Location: Seattle, Washington
Visit: Jebena Cafe
What Makes It Stand Out
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The name Jebena refers to the long-necked Ethiopian clay pot that is the center of the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony. Coffee is such an important part of Ethiopian culture, and the staff at Jebena strives to make the atmosphere as family-oriented and authentic as possible.
Visitors love how welcoming the staff is as well as the reasonable prices and phenomenal food. The owner, Martha, is beloved by regulars, as well.
What Makes It Stand Out
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Letena serves the residents of Washington, D.C. an elevated Ethiopian dining experience. Diners are treated to a modern open kitchen, high ceilings and a beautiful collection of traditional Ethiopian art and decor. And then there is the food. Letena means "for health" in Amharic, so the restaurant prides itself on using fresh and natural ingredients.
To uphold the recipes, chef Yamrot Ezineh has consulted with Ethiopian chefs in Addis Ababa. The work has paid off with so many positive reviews and repeat customers.
4. Arif Cafe
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Location: Dallas, Texas
Visit: Arif Cafe
What Makes It Stand Out
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Unpretentious, no frills but impressively delicious food, Arif Cafe is one of the top spots in Dallas for authentic Ethiopian cuisine. The hole-in-the-wall restaurant does not bother with fancy decor. Instead, the focus is entirely on the food. Guests enjoy the veggie combo, tibs and lamb, often saying it reminds them of their own mother's cooking.
The seasoning is perfect, and the injera is top-notch. The price is right, too, with huge portions that will leave you with plenty of leftovers.
What Makes It Stand Out
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Shewaye Yassin opened Walia in 2013 as a place to share her passion and talent for cooking Ethiopian food. Since then, it has become one of the most beloved restaurants in the area. The relaxed eatery dishes out down-home recipes, and the staff is always on hand to help diners who are new to Ethiopian cuisine.
The vegetarian menu is extensive and packed with wonderful dishes, like duba alicha watt (cubed pumpkin simmered in onions, tomatoes, garlic and turmeric) and inguday tibs (sautéed portobello mushrooms with the same spices).
What Makes It Stand Out
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Cozy, bright and family-friendly, Nazret Ethiopia Restaurant is helmed by Chef Zewdu Mekonnen. Trained in European cuisine, he applies his culinary skills to the food of his motherland, which means he has taken Ethiopian cooking to the next level. The quality of the food is always raved about, and Nazret has found itself on other lists of top Ethiopian restaurants in the D.C. area.
Reviewers consistently comment on how much the food is prepared with love, and through word of mouth, this restaurant has grown to become a community favorite.
What Makes It Stand Out
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As is common with Ethiopian restaurants, Delish is family-owned. The food and culture of Ethiopia are centered around family, and that's exactly the vibe that is served here. The restaurant is owned by Delish and his wife, Amy, who just happens to be the head chef. The restaurant serves popular vegetarian dishes but also beef, chicken and fish.
The scene here is vibrant, colorful and full of energy, yet still retains an intimate and cozy atmosphere. It is consistently named one of the best restaurants in Seattle and certainly one of the best for Ethiopian cuisine.
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