We typically go to Collucci but a friend invited us to try Asmara. I am so glad she did! We shared the veg comb and added Lega tibs which was delicious. The service was wonderful the environment clean and calming. Nice decor as well. read more

Have been ordering the same (veggie combo with red lentils, yellow lentils, and cracked wheat; and raw kitfo!) for over 20 years at what now must be the last unhipsterized establishment in Temescal. It's also my go-to for entertaining out of town guests, usually adding the less adventurous Yebeg Tibs. At other Ethiopian restaurants the lentils and greens often seem more acidic or tangy, while at Asmara they're just savory. Injera is always whole and warm, unlike some places that give you cold rolled strips. No outdoor tables. read more

Food is delicious. Meat, veggies, lentils, whatever you get is awesome. I always have plently of leftovers to take home for later. Leftovers are delicious as well. Servers are friendly and helpful. read more

Sooooo after all my years coming I've been told by fam to try the Catfish Tibs I hesitated but OMG I tried it yesterday and it was the best ever! It's reinvented catfish for me. I can't describe it it's a must try!!! Try it and review it! I promise it's the BoMb!! read more

Asmara Restaurant - Lamb and beef tibs - Ethiopian Near Me - Oakland, California

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My favorite Ethiopian restaurant in Oakland. Been going there for years. Right in the heart of the Temescal. Great service, great owner. Food is exquisite. read more

We ordered the vegetable combo and the meat combo. It was okay. I've eaten a lot of Ethiopian food around Oakland and this was the least flavorful of all of the meals I've had. The greens seemed like they had no seasoning at all. A lot of the lentil dishes were very bland. The meats were delicious though. read more

Got a meat combo, veggie combo and doro wat. All the dishes were very good so it's right up there with the other good Etheopian restaurants in Oakland read more

Ordered the veggie combo with two eggs. Basically a mix of different lentils and it was just eh okay. The servers were very nice and helpful and the ambience is dark and cozy. read more

Overall: The service was the best part about this place. Our group of six was frequently checked on, our glasses of water filled, and our waiter very handsome. We order the doro tibs, catfish tibs, and veggie combo. I am still a HUGE fan of Cafe Romanat (near lake merritt), and don't plan to shift my loyalties anytime soon, but the food here was overall pretty decent. Location: Ample parking, and you can park across the street in the walgreens parking lot. (but you didn't hear that from me) Ambiance: Chill ambiance, with lots of seating, dim light, and great ethiopian decor. read more

Absolutely perfect on every level. Went last night with my sister and had a phenomenal experience at this restaurant. When we walked in we were greeted by a warm, welcoming, friendly hostess. You immediately knew they take pride in creating an environment where you feel like family. The service was great. The food was amazing!!!! Came out fast, hot and tasted like mama was in the kitchen. After dinner we ended up stepping over to the bar area. Again we were made to feel like we were with family. The gentleman (owner I think) made sure we were comfortable. He was so nice. We will absolutely be going back. read more

My family loves this place. The food is authentic, the management is friendly, and we always leave with full bellies. Some of our favorites are the beef with collard greens, the beef strips with jalapeños and other stuff, and the ground up chickpea dish. You won't be disappointed with most things on the menu. I'll definitely be back! read more

My favorite Ethiopian restaurant! Family friendly. Amazing food. My favorite dish is the Alicha. Parking can be difficult, but there is a large lot across the street. The wait staff is attentive and helpful with suggestions. read more

Asmara rocks. Ordered same thing for over 15 years. LOVE!!!! Our family of 7 talk often about going and when we go Rao about afterwards for days. Owner is a jewel and waiters attentive and kind. read more

My first Ethiopian experience ever! Boyfriend brought me here for my pre-birthday dinner and it was a great experience. It atmosphere is very classy and chic, the waitresses are all super nice. We got both the meat and vegetarian combo for a nice variety of everything since I had no idea what to get! It was my first time with these flavors but I enjoyed it a lot. It's a nice date place, or place to bring your parents for dinner! We were both so full after the combo plates (which they combined together on one plate which made it super helpful), and was the perfect size for 2 people! read more

Asmara Restaurant - Meat and vegetarian combo - Ethiopian Near Me - Oakland, California

Thanks s is my first experience with Ethiopian food, and if this is a good example I will try it more often. I got the combo platter to try many different things and was surprised to find everything served with delicious crepes. I had heard Ethiopian food was eaten by hand, and it was fun. Portions were quite large and the service was very hospitable. I will absolutely be back for another handful of beef with my vegan son, who will find a wonderful variety of new dishes. read more

Asmara Restaurant - Wonderful handfuls of Ethiopian food. Such a fun experience! - Ethiopian Near Me - Oakland, California

It's really hard to describe how much my family loves this place, because I feel like the love is mutual. I don't know if I've ever felt a connection with a restaurant like I feel with Asmara! This was one of the first places my family ate when we moved to Oakland and what a first impression this place made on every member of my family! Most notably my, then, 13 month old daughter. Kid friendly is an understatement! These folks SPOIL my little daughter, each server has established their own relationship with her which is one of many things that makes Asmara special. Have I talked about the food yet? It's incredible!!! So wholesome and warm, this food just leaves you feeling COMPLETE. The Doro tibsy and veggie combo is highly recommend. Just do yourself a favor and invite yourself into this families "living room" have a Manhattan because they are SNEAKY good and they clearly take a ton of pride making them. I beam with neighborhood connection and pride every time I eat here, I hope you do the same! read more

Bread was cold. Food wasn't hot. Particles floating in my water and they missed part of my order.

I really love this place! The food is great and the staff is super friendly and always gives us a great service. This place has to sides... one is quiet and traditional and the other side is cool and modern. Best Ethiopian restaurant around!!! read more

Great food! Great place!!! Outstanding service!!! Owner came out to check on us and asked if we enjoyed our meal. The servers greeted us with smiles and made this experience so amazing. If you want delicious food and great relaxing vibe, this is the place to go to!! First time eating Ethiopian food and after this experience not the last. read more

An excellent Ethiopian restaurant in Oakland. I think this place has been around since 1985! Great food quality and great service. Cool atmosphere too. They have this fantastic mead or honey wine, one of the best I've had. We had the lamb and the tibsy beef with some assorted vegetables, it was so good. I would definitely come back. read more

I've been meaning to go here for a while, and finally made it! We were looking for a place to go that could accommodate a lot of food restrictions, so if you're in that boat -- go here! I'm talking vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free. Between the 5 of us, we got 2 vegetarian combination platters and 2 separate entrees. I can't remember what one of them was, but they were #22 and 25. The cabbage with carrots was really good, and I highly recommend! The other one was a little too saucy/liquidy to eat well with the injera in my opinion. Still tasty, though. We did ask for gluten-free injera, which took them a little longer than usual and she apologized for the wait. It wasn't very long and not a problem at all, but it was nice of her to mention it! The injera was sour and delicious. Everything else was really good as well, and it was the perfect amount of food for the 5 of us. The best part? It came out to like $15 per person including tip. SO reasonable! I will definitely be back when I want ethiopian food! read more

For my 200th review, I pick you, Asmara! As you know Africa is made up of 50+ countries all rich in culture and history soooo..... My twins and I headed to Oakland to dine here with some friends of mine. These friends of mine are from Eritrea, East Africa!!! As we soaked in the beautiful baskets, decorations and beautiful Ethiopian waitresses my friend Mehary and his wife Mehret told us all about their beautiful country of Eritrea. We dined in the typical fashion of Eritreans and Ethiopians by using our hands and holding pieces of enjera (a spongy flat soft bread) to scoop portions of veggies, spicy chicken and mild chicken up from a communal serving dish. The meals are served like this traditionally and it is a time for families to be together and share stories of their day. The food was delicious - every single scrumptious bite I took was a mix of carrots and potatoes or chicken and vegetables - all very tasty. Don't be afraid of the "spicy" chicken - it turned out to be modestly spicy and I think it was my favorite. When you dine here make sure you order a glass of the honey wine, but be warned it will sneak up on you. It's like drinking a sweet glass of juice. And, to top of your experience it's an extra amazing adventure to have the company of friends who have first hand traditions, stories and love of their country to share with you as you dine. My girls and I sat on the edge of our seats in complete fascination at the whole experience. Once our last two kids are grown and out of the house my husband and I are planning to start our travel adventures, until that time I will continue to eat my way through all the countries of Africa - one restaurant at a time. read more

One star, here's why: Started with three stars for the decent Ethiopian food, and delicious honey wine. Our waitress may have just had a bad day, but from the get go she seemed to not want to deal with any part of her job. Fine, i've experienced worse. Subtracted 1 star for our said waitress rolling her eyes at our group when we asked for some more Injera Bread. (really, this should have lost them two stars when she came back with only ONE extra piece for the four of us...but i still need stars available to snatch away). It's not like we were being glutinous or rude or anything. When a restaurant where the only utensils are pieces of bread, you'd think they wouldn't have a problem providing some more. Subtracted another star for the Carpet Bug that crawled across the table at me. A carpet bug! For the rest of the night, I kept imagining them crawling up my leg from wherever their nest was. Some other reviewer mentioned a "lovely atmosphere". All I saw were plastic covered tables in make shift booths that were separated by thin straw weaves that was probably where the carpet bugs slept. There are so many good Ethiopian restaurants in the Berkeley/Oakland area. Cafe Colucci, Finfine. Try one of those other ones, and skip this one. read more

Omg.. I love eritrean food ! This place has fresh everything. Very reasonable prices and great customer service, but the food is on point. I would give 10 stars if i could. read more

Asmara Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Oakland, California

I have eaten here for over a decade and just recently realized I have never reviewed Asmara on Yelp. This place is wonderful. We are welcomed when we arrive. Promptly attended to and served delicious food. They are kid friendly, often bringing out snacks for our girls. Both of which have eaten here their whole lives. When we leave, they are cheerful and wish us a good evening. Take out turns it down a notch, but I feel the same way about all take out, except pizza, so no points lost there. Family style is a fun way to eat. The injera is always on the mark. Highly recommended. Become a regular, you won't regret it. read more

best eritrean food in the area. run don't walk! if you're in jail breakout! great food, amazing service.

2.5 stars actually. Their vegetarian selection is a bit weak. The combo is better than it looks on the menu though...it comes with a potato dish and salad. I ordered a smoothie-type thing with banana and orange called the Asmara delight. It just wasn't good. The injera wasn't sour at all...it was weird. Also, the lentils and greens were pretty bland. I can see how somebody who doesn't like spicy food would like this place. Other than that, the service was excellent and the decor was average. With so many other good choices for Ethiopian food in the area, we probably won't be going back here. read more

This is one of those experiences that you just want to rewind over and over and over again, both in your mind and on your tastebuds. I chose this restaurant for a night out with my fambam because of Rae'nesh's review. I've always wanted to try Ethiopian cuisine and this was the perfect starting point. Don't let the exterior facade or location fool you, there is a restaurant inside. We had a party of 5 and we enjoyed a couple of orders of the combo and then 3 other entree's (I don't remember which ones). We were asked if we wanted individual plates or 1 big platter. I told the waitress that since it was our first time, we'd go with the traditional platter. It arrived with plenty of injera (flat bred) which my kids called "the fork," since you use it to pick up your food with (one hand only please...lol) With the exception of my hunny bunny needing an american fork (lol), we had a blast. I drank down about 3 glasses of that awesome honey wine and enjoyed some delicious food and company. The owner came by our table and introduced himself and then visited for a bit with us. My only recommendation would be to amp up the lighting a wee bit, and to be a bit more attentive with the water and the check. But other than that, we loved it and we will be back. read more

I would give this restaurant more than 5 stars if I could. I have been going here since I was in my mother's stomach, seriously! I find any excuse I can to go to this wonderful place, driving more than an hour each time - I've NEVER tasted food SO delicious. They accommodate a wide-range of foodies, from beef to chicken to lamb; and now even vegetarian and vegan options! I've eaten at many Ethiopian restaurants in hopes of finding a restaurant that's closer in proximity to where I live, but nothing comes remotely close to the authenticity, flavor, and spice that this place brings to the table. A warm and welcoming staff, I couldn't ask for a better dining experience. My favorite restaurant and food by far!!! read more

We walked in because the line for another restaurant was too long, and we're so glad we did. Fresh, flavorful Ethiopian food awaited us, served quickly and with a smile. Zilzil tibs and doro tibs were standout dishes. We recommend eating in a group family style. We loved our meal here and can't wait to come back with more friends! read more

Absolutely loved this place!!! Great atmosphere, our waitress was totally adorable and very attentive. This was my first time eating Ethiopian food, and I loved it. We got the veggie platter, a chicken dish, and the honey wine. The bread they serve with the food is so yummy! Like a sourdough pancake. And the honey wine was so good. I was afraid it would be too sweet, but it tasted almost like a bellini or sweet mimosa. The lentils on the veggie platter were my favorite part. It took me a bit to get used to eating with my hands, but I got into it and quite enjoyed it! (Another review mentioned the bathroom...I'm not going to take a star away, but I agree, it could be MUCH cleaner!!!) read more

spacious seating and good service. oh yeah, and the food is really good too lol. it gets a bit loud inside once it gets busier, if that's something that you're worried about. there are also plenty of vegetarian/vegan options. generous servings of injeera, i would recommend getting the gluten free version (it's better!) read more

I think Asmara may be my favorite spot in the Oakland and for sure this particular Temescal/South Berkeley bit of town. In particular, I liked how creamy their shiro was. The flavors are strong, and while I would have liked it a little spicier, my friends were pretty tapped out in terms of the heat already so I guess they split the middle well. read more

Not our fav Ethiopian place but we still enjoy going here, Very decent food; great service! Asmara will forever be etched in our hearts, When our now 17 year old son was a year old we ate here. Our son, always the flirt, was totally captivated by our beautiful waitress. When we finished eating, we paid our bill, and started to say good bye to our waitress, She was about 3 feet away from us and gave us all a huge smile. Our son lunged at her from my husband's arms. He grabbed her around the neck and gave her a BIG kiss! We practically had to pry him away from her. She just smiled and looked deeply into our son's eyes. "See you soon, honey!" Our son had a grin on his face the rest of the day! read more

Here are the things I'll give Asmara credit for: 1. They have the best service I've seen at an Ethiopian restaurant. I simply loved their friendly staff. 2. They make their own honey wine. Though I've only tried two kinds of honey wine, including theirs, theirs is by far the best. Here are the things I did not like: The food, it really was not up to par with my other experience with Ethiopian food in the bay area. The meat was not tender, and the sauce on the Doro Wat was pretty well..we couldn't put our finger on what we didn't like about it, but we didn't like it. Other than that the experience was great! read more

This place always does it right. Came here for lunch to meet my girlfriends parents for the first time. Brought a gift of some cakes from Masse's Pastries in Berkeley and asked them if they could refrigerate it to keep it fresh, which they gladly did. Ended up staying here for over 2 hours with a party of 6. Ordered a buttload of food. Everything was good. Again, the chicken (I think its called the doro tibsy?) is hands down the BEST. Had some attentive service, and ate the cakes I brought at the end. They even brought a knife and plates for us to eat with! Amazing. read more

Came here with a group and liked the place. The injira bread is very filling and I think I ordered a Spicy yebeg but found it to be not spicy at all but it still tasted good. Asmara's Comfort drink was good too. read more

FIRST AND FOREMOST: This place may be the original Temescal restaurant. It's been there as long as I can remember. Never changes. Never varies. And I don't mind. THAT SAID: I love going in there after training at the Aikido Institute next door, sitting at the bar, and chatting with customers and staff. After 20-plus years the owners and waitresses know me, so I don't even have to order. Often I'm the only white guy in there, and I don't mind that either. IT'S ALL ABOUT THE VEGGIE COMBO: And an Ethiopian beer. I know there's other stuff on the menu. Savory, rich meaty delights. But not for me. I thoroughly enjoy the creamy, spicy dahl, braised carrots and potatoes, and delicious greens, all gathered up with their spongy injera. IN BRIEF: The food is exotic, comforting and absolutely delicious. It's reasonably priced. Service is attentive. And everyone there is friendly. read more

Took the BF here for his first Eritrean food experience. I've had the cuisine before, but it was my first time at this particular restaurant, so I did what I usually do with first-timers: ordered a meat sampler ($11.95, which includes Ziggni-spicy beef, Doro Watt-chicken, and Ye-Beg Alicha-lamb curry) and a vegetarian sampler ($10.95, which includes Temtmo/Yemissir Watt-red lentils, Kik Alicha-yellow split peas, and Ye-Gomen Alicha-mustard greens). All the food arrived on one large communal plate along with a crisp green salad, some potatoes and carrots, and a sprinkling of some kind of white crumbly but mild cheese, atop a layer of injera bread, with a side basket of more injera included. Everything was just spicy enough, and delicious. My only regret was that they didn't offer a side of yogurt (to cut the heat) on the menu like my favorite Eritrean spot in SF does - but maybe I should have at least asked. I do love that it's so much closer to where I live and it's such a budget-friendly place with amazing food. I'd come back again. read more

I am always on the quest for a good Ethiopian restaurant, so a friend and I ended up at Asmara with the promise of great kitfo and a fun atmosphere. The decor of the place was the first thing that struck me: not stylish, not fun, pretty tacky. But the service was friendly and relaxed, so all of those other factors were forgivable. We ordered a combination plate, the kitfo (a spiced beef tartare) and a lamb dish that I don't remember. I will admit that the kitfo was good...really really good in fact. It was some of the best kitfo I've had, but other parts of the meal were lackluster. I found the chicken to be difficult to eat since it was still on the bone and the lamb was extremely gamey. The injera was not as sour as I've had at many other places and the meal didn't come with nearly enough vegetables. Overall, the price was very reasonable but the meal left a lot to be desired. I might go back, but not before trying a lot of the other places in the area. read more