Cafe Ethiopia

02/21/08

surprisingly disappointed

by iamshannon at Citysearch

As my favorite cuisine, I have high hopes for trying new Ethiopian restaurants. I was excited to be trying a new place as I have eaten at all the ones in Berkeley. We got there right as they were opening with a less than enthusiastic greeting from our waiter. I was surprised that the vegetarian combination only offered 3 choices from the short list of options. The Atakilt consisted of two large undercooked potatoes, the Messer-Wot was bland although there was a lot of it. We asked for Awaze and he brought us about a teaspoon of it and it costs $2.50 for extra injera! Overall I was unimpressed. Try Cafe Collucci or Fin Fine in Berkeley for quality Ethi food.

• Pros: Location, portion
• Cons: quality flavor and bland taste

11/24/06

Fast seating, great food

by tf2001 at Citysearch

I can't figure out why this place isn't more crowded. It's a great neighborhood restaurant. The food is tasty, portions are large, the prices are reasonable, and the service is always friendly. The restaurant itself is simple and basic but the food more than compensates for the surroundings.

08/30/06

Amazing very genuinely ethiopian food!

by laurel0000 at Citysearch

This is one of my favorite spots in SF. The food is so unique and amazingly fresh. The bread is a crepe like sour-doughish and you use this to pick up various stews, meats, lentils and sauces. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. It is truly an ethnic ethiopian experience but can be enjoyed by even the most picky eaters as there is so much to choose from. The restaurant is family owned and the service is friendly and attentive. This is great for large parties or groups of friends that want a light, fun atmosphere. Who cares about the decor, this place is clean and has a great vibe. A must do.

• Pros: amazing food, amazing value, friendly family service
• Cons: not a posh atmosphere

08/19/06

Avoid this place. Food is not true ethiopian. no wonder there were few ethiopians who know about this place.

by zb111 at Citysearch

The food is not good at all. As a person originally from the horn of Africa, this is not authentic Ethiopian food. I bet non of the reviwers ( if indeed genuine review) are from Ethipia or Eritrea. Only Americans who don't know the difference between real and fake will speak higly of this place.

10/13/05

Best Ethiopian food in the Bay Area

by nancysur at Citysearch

When my husband and I adopted a daughter from Ethiopia, we quickly became relative experts in Ethiopian restaurants -- she wanted injera and wat, and since it was beyond our culinary prowess, we started checking out restaurants quickly. My daughter would try each, pronounce the bread as "American injera" (with a bit of a sneer), and move on. Until we found Cafe Ethiopia. It is, without a doubt, the best Ethiopian food we've had anywhere in the US. The wats, or stews are spicy, and the ingredients are fresh and plentiful. More importantly, the injera batter is made in advance and kept for several days before baking, giving it the sourdough taste crucial to the real McCoy. With reasonable prices, and a very friendly family that runs it, this is one of the best restaurant values (and meals) in all of San Francisco.

• Pros: Great for a group, Friendly service, Awesome food
• Cons: Tough to park