A couple of days ago I had an incredible meal at Asmara restaurant. I have eaten at 5 other Ethiopian restaurants in the Boston area as well as 3 in Philadelphia and one in New York, and none of them compare. The service there is also excellent. Friendly, and you don't have to wait long for your food to arrive. Nice atmosphere too. Good place to take a date. I have eaten there many times in the last 12 years and the food just keeps getting better. It is one of my top 2 favorite restaurants in the Boston area (Red Bones being the other). The price for a meal without drinks is about $16-$18, which is not cheap. But it is definitely worth it. And in this economy, the fact that their prices are not low-end means that you usually do not have to wait for a table. I have found that food at these various Ethiopian restaurants tends to either lean towards more mild and sweet or more spicy and sour. Asmara would be in the latter category. Although this is the spiciest food that I eat with any regularity, I have gone there with friends who like their food spicy and they tell me the food at Asmara is only moderately hot. I am a bit of a lightweight, so they are probably right. If you have not had Ethiopian before, you should also know that it is normally eaten by hand without silverware. But I'm sure you can request silverware if you want it. read more

This is one of our favorite restaurants in Cambridge to take our out of town guests to. Great location near the "T" for out of towners, great food, and wonderful service. It could be a little cheaper, but it's worth it for the ambiance, music, and difficult to find Eritrean/Ethiopian cuisine. Don't skimp on the fabulous coffee. It caps off a fine, festive meal that's romantic and fun for the whole family (what kid does not enjoy eating with his or her hands?!). read more

Been wanting to try this place for a while and was finally able to go when it was not super busy (Thursday night at 7:30pm). They were able to seat our group of 7 which was a plus. I ordered the vegetarian combo. All of the dishes were great within the combo (especially the spinach), I was just not the biggest fan of their Injera. It was very salty and/or sour which made everyone at the table very thirsty. We went through our water pitchers quickly and the waitress only came around once to refill it. It was also pretty expensive for the amount of food they give you. I am curious to try the honey wine though and will probably be back...I'll just bring an extra water bottle with me read more

This place is amazing. I love the food and the staff, everybody is so nice especially the owner. The food is fresh and very good qualify.

Delicious, seemingly authentic food (not a native). The sample platter is a great deal with a good selection along with the beef tartar and the spicy scallops. However, prepare for the next day with generous amounts of toilet paper as everyone in our party experienced gastronomic distress. read more

I adore this place. The food is lovely, the service is friendly, and the atmosphere is pretty mellow. It's a great place to go when you're having an interesting conversation. You eat with your hands using a special bread to pick up bites of food. I always get the sampler because I can't pick a favorite entree. read more

Absolutely love Asmara. It's one of our go-to spots and we never get tired of it. We always get the same two items since they are just that good: the shiro and timtimo. And really friendly and prompt service in a comfortable setting. Highly recommend read more

Third time I've had Ethiopian/ Eritrean food and this place definitely was the best. I thought the lamb and lebleb was especially savory. The injeria was a bit disappointing because the consistency was a bit too spongy and was sticking to one another. Still tasty though. Would come again! read more

I don't think that you should go to this overpriced restaurant. I went there for my birthday awhile back and it was NOT a treat. I forget whether I got Shuro Watt or Misir Watt but either way it was gritty and not deliciously flavorfull at all. And the portions were SMALL, especially considering that the price was NOT SMALL. It's really sad that the Boston area has only about 3 restaurants serving this type of food. read more

First of all EXCELLENT! The food was excellent and our waitress was probably one of the best that I have ever had. Try their desserts, it's worth the calories. Their stuffed peppers were incomparable. The prices were very college friendly as well. Growing up in a Brazilian household, I grew up with lots of flavor and I have to say Asmara was very flavorful. I made the mistake of trying Addis in Cambridge tonight. I have to say it was one of the most disappointing restaurants I have ever been to in every aspect (food, pricing and service). read more

I love the kitfu...delicious food calm dining. The food is spirtually uplifting and delicious! read more

When you think of the word food, the first thing to come to mind is usually pizza or Chinese. Common amongst most average-day Americans (including me). Although today it was brought to my attention of a restaurant, that I imagine is very uncommon to hear about namely that serves Ethiopian food, called Asmara. It is located on Mass. Ave., near Central Square in Cambridge, MA. Curious to try something new, I went there with some relatives of mine to check it out. Upon arriving, I was in awe of how intriguing the restaurant looked. It was full of Ethiopian cultural items that are spread across the wall and the ceiling. All with different patterns and designs. We all took a seat near a huge multicolored bowl. This was, I later found out, is what we all will be eating out of. Puzzled at how this will be done, I wait for the arrival of the food. Then, not too long after we order, the waitress comes back with two plates. One plate she places into the bowl, the other with the "njera" gluten-free bread on the table beside us. We all immediately dig in, eager to eat the exotic food that is before us. From the moment it enters my mouth, I can remember the taste of many fantastic flavors. Not knowing what I am putting into my mouth, I try what other foods there are on the plate, each having their own wonderful essence. This restaurant is a must-eat, whether you live in the Boston area or just traveling through. I hope you enjoy Asmara as much as I did. read more

Love this restaurant! I come here regularly, and can tell you that the food is consistently fresh, very tasty, and the service wonderful. I find the food to be very nourishing and would call it "comfort food!" I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Service is fantastic and the food is excellent. We get the meat platter most often, since it always hits the spot.

great eritrean/ethiopian food. sit at one of the eritrean style tables and scoop spinach with ricotta app, succulent lamb or yummy lentils with your injera. also, they have divine FRESH strawberry, kiwi and mango juice. the owner is uber nice, too. she's a little slow to bring the check but that lets you sit back and digest. read more

Delicious. Very homely atmosphere, great service, delicious food-- you'll have a great time here. I highly recommend it as a date location, especially if your date is 1)slightly pretentious and likes to be "worldly" 2)a little old because the dim lighting will hide those wrinkles better than botox! But really, you'll have a delicious meal. Oh! and make sure to try the meat combination (ask for spicy otherwise it will be bland). Have fun! read more

Excellent cuisine. And Sarah, the waitress, is an absolute gem. Charming, elegant and oh so graceful! I'd go there a hundred times!

I really like Asmara. We usually get a combo platter to share. Sometimes you'll get some stuff that's a little dry if it's not in the sauce, but I've liked about 85% of everything I've eaten there. The people who work there are nice but if you go there in the summer, bring a sweater because the air conditioner tends to be blasting. I like the fruit juices and honey wine. read more

Really surprised this place didn't have a higher rating on Yelp! It's my favorite place for Eritrean/Ethiopian food in greater Boston. The portions are not huge but sufficient, and the food is superbly spiced and flavored. The mead is homemade, unique and pairs beautifully with whatever you order. The service is wicked competent and speedy when you need it. Absolutely zero complaints here! Prices are a little high compared to other Ethiopian or Eritrean places but... still low for Cambridge! read more

This place is one of my favorites. The first time we went, as soon as we opened the door and smelled the spices wafting from the kitchen I new I would be hooked. The food is wonderful, the traditional seating is great and the waitress is always smiling and very friendly. Every time someone would visit in Boston I would suggest going here. I miss this place a lot since moving to NY. Don't hesitate - just go! read more

This place was a hole in the wall, a gem. From the lady kindly walked us through the menu to her very detailed suggestions. I thought the decoration was very warm and exotic. The music was perfect and loved the rhythm. The food wow a taste for the meatlovers that enjoy beef,lamb and chicken. Also for the vegeterian which was the salad and humus. I definitely want to come back and taste more. Parking is a little set back as its meters mostly. We went early as they opened but went a couple of times around and found parking for 2 hrs. I was dissapointed in the dessert menu as I was looking for authentic desserts and when I saw a few that caught my eye let's say a pie as they were not really authentic I want to say. She stated non were available. The sherberts were not really called out to me. I have to say the food was really good though. I usually post my feedback and pics on instagram and I am very honest. read more

I try to be fair to a restaurant when I read reviews because everyones taste is different but I have to agree with the negative reviews of this place. The food is SOSOSOSO bland. The service ehhhh. We were actually asked to leave at 9:30 so they could close. It is Cambridge. What restaurant closes at 9:30? I have worked in the food biz for years. I don't like bad service. It is unnecessary and I am very easy to please so just be nice to me already. The food being bad is not about regionality or other nonsense. It is just bland, bad quality, uncreative food at Cambridge prices. You decide. I will be at Addis Red Sea. read more

Good food, decent service. The shuro and the beef dishes are good.

I really like Asmara. Some places just have a home-y feeling that makes you feel appreciated and that love comes into the food. I PLAN to come to Asmara, because it is on the pricier side, but I wonder if people who complain about the price know how LABOR INTENSIVE this food is? It is an all-day affair to cook this food. And Mrs. Afeworki uses good ingredients! I will be loyal to Asmara always! read more

First time for everything! Went on a Saturday afternoon. No one was in the restaurant when we went in. Greeted by very nice woman. Liked the idea of large place in middle table to place platter of food. Ordered a variety of meats and vegetables. Really good flavor, spicy. I had a hard time getting used to the injera (a part of me just wanted a hard crusty bread), but injera is the key to the whole experience. I liked sitting by window and watching people walk by. The A/C was broken when we went but it was a nice day and it didn't seem to be a problem. I found the price little high but I'm glad I went. read more

My first visit to this place and must say the food was pretty delicious. The place is cosy with a touch of old world charm ... which I kind of enjoyed, the hosts were warm and the service was fast. We were 2 and payed around $40 (including tip) for lunch which was reasonable. Definitely going back again! read more

Pretty average food at above average prices. The injera (Ethiopian bread) was fairly bland and the sauces of different dishes did little to distinguish themselves. read more

Great place. I like the food here a lot. The ambience is nice and very homely. The asmara tea is definitely recommended.

Visited last night for the first time. Arrived close to 7 and was happy to see that there was no wait for a party of two. The waitress was super helpful and explained to us the table options (traditional Ethiopian table or American style) and also made great food recommendations. We went with the meat and vegetable sampler entree, which was PLENTY of food and really AMAZING. The lamb in particular was delicious, as was the beef. The salad was also really really good. We loved it so much - the service, the food, the drink. Highly recommended! read more

Went there for dinner. I have eaten Ethiopian food all over, and this was doubtless the worst I have ever had. Everything was too acidic, the portions were small (thank goodness!), and the injera was also tasteless and acidic. I had to leave and find something quickly to banish the taste of the food. There has to be a place in Boston for good Ethiopian food...this is definitely not it. read more

Asmara is probably the most understaffed restaurant I've eaten at. As a result, the service was very slow and we felt completely ignored after the initial welcome. The food itself came out cold--not just the sour bread but also the meat and vegetable dishes. Not sure we will go back in a hurry. read more

Honey wine and meat combo is my team's go-to combo. This is one of our most favorite restaurants in Cambridge - don't miss out!

I love West African/Ethiopian cuisine. It's one of my favorite things to eat. That said, this place sucks. Their dishes were downright bland compared with what I've come to expect from this style of food. I see other reviews mentioning how their injera is sour - injera is supposed to be a bit sour, and the bread here didn't bother me. But the service (abrupt and rude) and the food did. I had a beef dish, for one, that was tough and didn't taste like anything, really. Second, one of my vegetarian companions, out of pure curiosity, ordered the "salmon curry". First of all - salmon? Do they have lots of salmon off the Ethiopian coast? That right there should have answered all the questions we had about this dish. The fish was way overcooked and the curry was shit flavored, I believe. Man, that sucked. The other dishes besides the fish and beef were unremarkable, dull affairs. To top it all off, all this stuff is way overpriced. This place SUCKS. There's much better Ethiopian to be had, in Boston and elsewhere. read more

I LOVED this place! Though the curries were a bit too tangy for my taste, its a keeper! The ambiance was cozy and the hostess was very friendly , with plenty of information about the history of Eritrea. I like to know where my food came from so ..yay! And their dessert menu is to die for! Go for the bomba, the Raspberry, passion fruit, mango sorbet covered in white chocolate, made with fresh fruits. not the canned variety. Bursting with flavor, and freshness, this is my new go to place! read more

We had the meet combo plate. Not to spicy (that was our wish and came like this) - don't get me wrong, the meat and sauces were tasty but after half the plate it just got boring and the breadcakes/ ehtopian crepes which are used to put all in your mouth were also very very boring taste wise. Not a bad place - especially to experience once, but for sure no place I would return to. read more

The food is good but whenever I go there is almost always something wrong with the injera. Last time I went it was doughy mush, other times it's been thin and dry, and the one time it was spongy and perfect they seemed to be running low (gave very little of it with the meal and refused to bring out extra, even for a charge). I want to keep giving you another chance, Asmara, but it's hard when equally delicious Fasika and Habesha are not too far and have their injera act together. read more

One of my favorite Cambridge restaurants for years now. The only "downside" is that the food is so good that I literally can't control myself and always leave way too full. I once said that to one of the staff and she said it never changes, even if you eat Eritrean food your whole life. I believe her. My go-go orders are the veggie combo and salmon--both so delicious! read more

Yum- good veggie Ethiopian on Mass Ave a block and a half from the T. The food, service, and pricing are all decent. Very calming atmosphere with videos of traditional Eritrean dance playing on the walls. I'm a big fan of the sour taste of injera even though it makes me bloat like a balloon. read more

We got a huge plate of food, very reasonably priced, and left very satisfied. Tons of different flavors all one one plate. Definitely a great option if you're tired of eating the same thing all the time. read more

Very unique way of dining. Delicious food! Expensive Ethiopian beer. For 3 of us with $16 meals, the bill was $120 total with a total of 7 beers. read more