06/20/08

Interesting cuisine on Haight

by tlorenz

I love coming here because it really adds to the Haight-Asbury experience, and it's great to take any tourist-friends who are visiting. Get the meat and veggie combo to really get the most out of the food, and the flavor pops when eating it with ginger beer. Though there never seem to be very many people here, don't let that dismay you-- the food is terrific and it's the people that make the experience, right?

• Pros: Not your normal cuisine
• Cons: Very little ambiance

11/17/06

eat with your fingers!!!

by spicoligirl

wow, this was one of the biggest surprises ever!!! you order the food al a cart....lets say you order 4 dishes...its all served on a large nan like pancake/flatbread....you tear it and eat it!!! oh it was soooooo fun!!! this place has the largest vegetarian menu i have seen in a long time!! i am not a vegetarian by nature, but was so impressed, i didnt order any meat dishes. i love the location in the lower haight....who would have ever guessed that ethiopian food could be so good!!! great for kids too!!!

• Pros: atmosphere, service, location
• Cons: eating with fingers....you have to be prepared!!

09/26/06

Satisfying and Tasty

by noodlecat

The food here is really good and decently priced. I particularly like the lamb and the greens (not sure what kind!). The service is really friendly too. Try the Hakim stout - I'm not much of a beer drinker but I love this beer - dark but not too heavy.

• Pros: food, beer, friendly service
• Cons: ambiance, location (parking)

07/29/06

Reasonably good food

by aaroncarter

I loved Massawa food so much that I used to bring everyone visiting me here to get them hooked onto Ethiopian food. Even people who were kinda scared trying out ethiopian food ended up being huge fans of Massawa.

However, the last couple of times I've been there, the food standard seems to have gone down a bit though but was still reasonable. Its inexpensive and there's usually not much of a wait on weekend (been there usually for lunch). Its on Haight and so be prepared for a different experience especially if you've not been to Haight before. Parking is not too easy near Haight but you should be able to find something within 2-3 blocks off Haight. The restaurant is not very visible when you're walking on Haight, so make sure you take the address along.

• Pros: Good food and inexpensive
• Cons: Bland ambience, parking

East African cuisine entices Lower Haight patrons to dig in with their fingers.

by Contributor

In Short
Meat and vegetarian dishes share the menu in an unassuming Eritrean joint. All dishes are served family style with injera, African bread, which doubles as a plate. Sambusas make crunchy appetizers and come stuffed with beef or vegetables. Shared entrees such as kitfo, a ground beef dish, provide an excuse to get a bit closer to dinner companions, and lack of knife and fork make eating fun and messy.

08/12/03

Excellent Group Meal

by hylandgirl

I always make time to visit Massawa when going to SF. The setting is simple but intimate and the family style food is fun for a group meal. The dishes offer a wide variety of tastes from spice-lovers to the less-adventurous and the spongey bread is addictive! Especially the bread the lines the plate and soaks up all the great spices of the dishes! Service can be hit or miss but it's still HIGHLY recommended!

• Pros: Great forSmall Groups, Variety, Quiet
• Cons: PARKING! LOL, Service hit or miss

01/12/03

Great food, good service

by lord_humongous

I thought the food here was great and the waiters were very friendly. Curtains hanging between the tables give you a feeling of privacy.

• Pros: good food, friendly staff

08/20/02

Great food and service!

by svarog

We ordered two beef dishes: KITFO (ground beef) and ZIGNI (chopped round steak). Both were delicious, well seasoned, and served with Injera (spongy bread). In case you're wondering how I remembered these terms, I got them off the website!

Both meals were good, but the ground beef dish was especially notable. The service was prompt, and the atmosphere was nice. There are 6-ft high straw walls between the tables, which provide just the right amount of privacy. The prices were also quite affordable.

Highly recommended.

• Pros: Food, Service, Atmosphere
• Cons: None

08/12/02

great food, speedy service

by tiffanyjf

I've tried many East African style restaurants, and this one was by far the best. My complaint with this type of food is usually an excessive amount of grease, but their food wasn't greasy at all. It was delicious! The food was served quick and the waiter checked on us regularly.

Also, all of the tables are separated with partitions, which made the dining experience intimate and peaceful.

06/12/02

Poor service, small portions, mediocre

by gfrancisco

It took 15 minutes before a waiter showed up at our table. The honey wine was so-so, and the food was bland at best and surprisingly not much actually served - so though the prices look reasonable you really don't get much in the way of food. We were 4 people, ordered 4 entrees which were all served in one large platter as family style, but it was really only enough food for 2.

• Cons: service, food, portions