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(415) 441-8182
1655 Divisadero St
(Sutter Street)
San Francisco,
CA
94115
37.7848
-122.4398
Neighborhoods: Lower Pacific Heights (Fillmore), Central North, Lower Pacific Heights
Hours:
Tue-Sun 10am-10pm
Price:
$
Last updated 9.11.08
Category:
Payment Methods:
Visa, MasterCard
Restaurant Special Features:
Family Style Dining, Group Dining
Cuisine:
What People Are Saying About Sawa Eritrean Restaurant
Featured Review
Gina Goff
Contributor
In Short – Housed in a sunny storefront with dark wood tables, peach-hued walls and a casual vibe, this eatery caters to a laid-back crowd of alternative 20-somethings and transplants looking for familiar favorites. All dishes, such as curried garlic prawns, traditional Ethiopian stews and artistic salad creations topped with spiced meats, are served with porous Eritrean soft bread in lieu of forks. Vegetarian samosas (deep-fried snacks stuffed with vegetables) and other vegan options are also available.
Editor's Tips
- The Extras:
- The owner-chef, who also wrote a currently out-of-print Eritrean & Ethiopian cook book, offers cooking classes at the restaurant's former location at 1625 Divisadero Street. Call for details.
- Know Before You Go:
- Although dishes are traditionally served with soft bread and meant to be eaten by hand, forks are available upon request.
02/10/07
CLOSED FOR REMODELING
by dmenkes at Citysearch
We rode over here for lunch and they were closed for remodeling. It looks like it's going to be a while until they're open again.
09/23/06
best eritrean food!
by namastesf at Citysearch
sawa is the best ethiopian in SF. I haven't been to azmara in berkeley, which i've heard is good, but i've been to all of tseguy's restaurants here in the city--he used to own new eritrea on irving-- and his food is amazing. i love it! it's good to order in advance and take it to go.
- Pros: great food and lots of it
- Cons: sometimes take awhile to get it
05/31/03
Absolutely delicious
by beehappy at Citysearch
Delicious food, great price, and friendly service. The mushroom curry is fantastic. I'd fly out to San Francisco just to eat here. The atmosphere is casual and fun.
Food is served family style, so it's best to go with a group of 3 or more. You get a huge platter which injera (bread), entrees, salad, and yogurt. They make the food right there after you order, so it's fresh, but you may have to wait. Show up early for dinner if you don't want to wait.
Although it's in San Francisco, I've never had trouble parking within a few blocks.
- Pros: delicious, inexpensive
- Cons: sometimes slow
01/09/03
Make the effort to go
by joebusby at Citysearch
Sawa has the finest Eritrean cuisine in the city - hands down. Every single item is prepared from scratch, meaning that you should not expect a quick bite. Rather, savor the experience and take your time with the succulent and absolutely delicious selection. The service is friendly, albeit relaxed. This is authentic Eritrean cuisine at its best - and the finest injera in the entire city.
- Pros: Food Quality, Relaxed atmosphere, Inexpensive
- Cons: Slow
08/03/02
Why was I there for 3 hours?!
by nomad_delta at Citysearch
Sawa is right across the street from my flat, and I was in the mood for something besides Popeye's Chicken, so we headed over to the green awning. The food was FANTASTIC, succulent spongy sour wrap bread, HUGE portions, spicy vegetable concoctions... ONE drawback- it took over forty minutes for our appetizers to arrive followed fifteen minutes later by my glass of wine, which was followed twenty-five minutes later by the entrees. eek!
