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
Abugida Ethiopian Cafe & Restaurant / Facebook
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
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.
