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    Aster's Ethiopian Restaurant

    4.3 (648 reviews)
    ModerateEthiopian
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Aster's Ethiopian Restaurant Photos

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    ASTER'S ETHIOPIAN RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Aster's Ethiopian Restaurant

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    1.Keyi siga
    Anthony M.

    Found this place on Yelp when a friend and I from NYC were craving Ethiopian here in Austin. Asther's is fantastic Ethiopian food! The food is really good and matched anything I've had in NYC. It's family run and they were very nice. If you're craving Ethiopian food, come to Asther's.

    Delicious merlot and healthy on the pour too
    Sarah F.

    Asters, like all Ethiopian spots, gives you so much food it's insane!! I always order a veggie combo because "you gotta eat your colors kids"! And then my extra greedy self diced to order Beg Wot as well (I think that's what it was called) but basically if you so for stewed lamb, they'll know what you mean!! All the veggies were delicious by the yellow lentils and the cabbage were my favorite. The meat from the stew was soooooooo tender. Not a bit of fat anywhere in sight. The stew itself was perfectly earthy and warm, with a deliciously thick consistency!! I was in love!!

    Vegetarian Sampler, delivered
    Hannah K.

    After working intensively on a large project focused on dessert, I would do terrible things for salty, savory, and spicy foods to balance it all out. Thankfully, I don't have to commit any atrocities here because Aster's CAME THROUGH . I've never seen such a beautiful vegetarian (AKA vegan) sampler platter in my life, let alone one delivered. It's absolutely loaded yet lovingly arranged in neat little segments. Each different stew is distinctive and unique, richly seasoned with flavors that range from mild to fiery. I will absolutely not pick favorites because you simply need to get the full fleet. I think I'm ready to call it: Overall best Ethiopian food in ATX. If you disagree... Well, you're wrong.

    Injera
    Natalie K.

    Hubby and I were happily on our way to the awesome Yelp Elite Blue Man Group Perk, and I immediately Google mapped restaurants close to the venue! We happened upon Aster's, and I saw that the reviews were stellar, so here we are! We're always up for an adventure, and neither of us have ever had Ethiopian food, so let's do this, y'all! When we walked in, the staff was so adorably welcoming! Even though there may have been a tad of a language barrier, we felt right at home! Ironically, the whole restaurant is built inside of an OG house, and we were sat at a cozy booth in what must have been the patio of that original home! My husband ordered me a Cabernet and himself a Dos Equis. For our appy, we went with samosa because I can never ever turn one down! My obsession is Indian samosa, though, and this was not Indian samosa, obviously, but my mouth sort of expected that, for some dang reason. It was more of a meat pie, with no sauce, but Chris devoured them both! They were spicy and delish, but they did read a tad dry, in my opinion. That's probably just my expectation problem. For our meal, we went with the Meat Combo. Neither of us have ANY idea what we're doing with this, but we LOVE it! For the combo, we decided on Keyi Siga, Alicha Siga, Doro Watt, and Alicha Menchet Abesh! And, for veggies, we went with Gomen, Alicha Miser, Atakelt Wott, and Bedergan! All of this comes with Traditional Injera! Here's what I'll say about the Injera! The texture is pancake-y, and it reads a bit sour, but I've googled it, and we get it now. We totally get it. Hubby dipped and grabbed every single meat and veggie with this as a utensil, and it was all so dang good! Everything on the meat combo was an ABSOLUTE winner! Totally outstanding! We've just loved learning about this culture, and my military husband is particularly enchanted, as he's been respecting and exploring cultures for thirty plus years in multiple deployments around the world. This place was honestly a win-win for us, and we LOOOOVED it! We will be back, for sure! Thanks SO much, Aster's!

    Teal H.

    Asters has the best food I could imagine. I've never had a better meal around better people! Thank you!

    Meat combo

    Wow!! Coming from LA I didn't think I'd find good Ethiopian food anywhere else and boy was I wrong. We spilt the meat combo and it was still too much (great) food! Cheap and delicious!

    (bad photo)The bottom is the lentils, next up is the lamb stew, up is the national dish of Ethiopia, and there's the collared greens on top.
    Maxfield R.

    First off, the food is great. I've always wanted to try African cuisine and the Ethiopian spot is an amazing introduction to the continent. All the meat was incredibly tender, the sides were super flavorful, and the hot tea made me feel like I was doing something good for my body, like a tasty gingery wellness shot or something. My favorite entree was the lamb stew, and the side of lentils were phenomenal. The service was alright, nothing to write home about, but our waiter seemed like a super nice guy, just a little soft spoken. The only thing mildly negative I have to say is that the restaurant itself is quite dingy, BUT I found it pretty charming. Some of the seating is in a seemingly diy converted patio where the ground is fake turf and the indoor gutters are painted green. It all really felt like a family passionate about their food trying to make it in downtown Austin. Overall I would definitely go again to try the lunch buffet!

    lunch buffet
    Tracey Z.

    A super hole in the wall kind of restaurant but definitely worth checking out. It's this little cute house that was turned restaurant- but you can really see how the eating area used to be a living room. The food is pretty good - tons of options to try, my eyes and stomach got overwhelmed by all the options. I really enjoyed the spicy lentils and the spinach and the eggplant. The injera was very sour in my opinion though. Overall the staff are really kind and I left very full. If you come for the lunch buffet it's such a good deal. only $13!

    Kitfo with Fasolia Wott, Alicha Miser, and Keyi Miser
    Andrew L.

    I've ordered takeout from Aster's a few times and had consistently good experiences. I've been particularly impressed with how well their food travels given the relatively messy nature of Ethiopian food. For those who haven't had Ethiopian food before, or are just not super familiar with the offerings, I think this is a great place to start. Their combination platters give a wide variety of flavors and the descriptions make it very clear what kind of flavor you're in for if you have a sensitive palate. Even if you only order a dish designed for an individual, each entree comes with two or three side dishes, so you're able to get a fairly diverse experience. The dishes I've enjoyed the most are Doro Wott (spicy chicken), Alicha Begg Wott (termeric lamb), and Alicha Miser (mild garlic lentils, absolute must try for one of your vegetable options). There have certainly been some misses, I didn't love the Kitfo (steak tartare) and people I've dined with have found a significant proportion of the dishes to be too spicy for their taste, but I'm sure the staff can help point you in the right direction if that's a concern. I haven't dined in, but the last time I picked up from them the indoor seating looked pretty comfortable and they've opened up quite a bit more seating since earlier in the pandemic. The one downside I've experienced with them is the pick up time estimates are not a great indicator of when your food will be available. I've had times where it was ready when I arrived, and others when I've been stuck standing in the restaraunt for quite a while. Not a big enough issue to ding them a star, but certainly worth keeping in mind

    Nihilaa K.

    Had good reviews so wanted to try this one, outside looks broken down but was good inside . Good food and the main Ethiopian dishes were flavorful but only downside was that injera was very sour and because of that we didn't enjoy it that much . Would still give 4 stars for the great side dishes and service .

    Buffet-Veggies
    Dan A.

    This spot is the original Ethiopian restaurant in Austin and has been around since my UT days. They've been in Austin for over 20 years. A smaller spot with smaller tables and buffet area in front and a larger area for bigger groups in the rear of the restaurant. We stopped here for lunch and had some Kitfo and Beef Tibs-both excellent and some of the best I've ever had. Love their Doro (Chicken) & Key Siga (Beef) Wotts as well all of the Veggie dishes! Many were here for the buffet which is popular with students and locals. The Buffet pretty much has it all from meat to veggie dishes and is reasonably priced. They carry a variety of Ethiopian Beers which are not easy to find and the Honey Wine is definitely one to try. Service from beginning to end of our visits has always been excellent! This is the place for Ethiopian food in Austin!

    BUNA
    Keith T.

    In my many years, I've traveled to many countries. Most memorable are those countries which I've wandered into a local restaurant, typically situated in a part of town that only the fortunate know about it, and was blown way by its simplicity, food and culture curations. Immediately, before entering, the aroma of wat kissed my nose and told me to keep progressing into what seemed to be my uncle's automotive shop situated next to the highway. Weary at first, my culinary senses said you will be rewarded. This place, even before I walked in, took me back to places like Acre, Hurghada, and Jericho. Though the spices may be different, the ambiance is as warm and comforting as the food. The feeding of being in a hot seaside eatery was so real, and memorable. Yes, Ethiopia is land locked but the feelings are none the less real. Muted light, rows of booths, one feels that family recipes are being shared with those who have been anointed and are culturally adept. If you want a simple bit nourishing Ethiopian lunch that will make you run home, dust off your passport, and say, "Addias would be a fascinating place to see." This place will baptize you and speed your journey, nourishing you for the upcoming trip.

    Meat Combo veggie combo
    Bowen R.

    Okay, I had to twist some arms to get the fam to come eat here. The chicken was CHEFS kiss and the ground beef. The veggie platter - not my fav because to be honest I don't get along with lentils, so that isn't really their fault. I LOVED the Teff - it was perfect and GF for the losers that can't stomach wheat (aka me). The beer was flat, I'll say it. Maybe we came on an off day though, or a restock day. All together I would go back, my family said prolly not but I would. I did feel a bit of a brick in my tum afterwards but that could be due to my lack of chewing who knows?

    Vegetarian

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    2 years ago

    Not particularly friendly service or nice atmosphere. The veg combo was mediocre. Tasted a big off or used lots of apple cider vinegar

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    2 years ago

    Really cute little restaurant. The service is amazing and the food is great! Fun to try Ethiopian food.

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    Aster's Ethiopian Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Aster's Ethiopian Restaurant

    Is the vegetarian sampler vegan?

    Yes

    Do they have gluten free injera? Or do they use gluten/wheat to make it?

    Yes. You have to ask for it and they make it fresh. When I went they seemed very knowledgeable about gluten and the server showed me exactly which dishes on the buffet I could eat (most of them) and which ones I could not. I have celiac so I can not… Read more

    What time is the buffet?

    I know that the buffet was available when I went there when the restaurant opened on Saturday at 11am, but I'm not sure how long it's available until.

    Do they have a lunch buffet on weekends?

    YES we have lunch buffet 6 days a week including week ends. We are closed on Monday's.

    View All 6 Questions

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    Taste of Ethiopia - Vegetarian platter

    Taste of Ethiopia

    4.5(440 reviews)
    4.8 mi78704 (South Austin)
    $$

    I went to Taste of Ethiopia on a Friday and was honestly surprised it wasn't busy at all. I got…read moreseated right away, which was a great start. We started with the sambusas, one beef and one spinach, and both were really good. They came with this tomato sauce that tied everything together perfectly and added a nice extra flavor. For the main, we got the lamb tibbs and the doro wot, and both dishes were packed with flavor. The lamb was super tender, and the chicken in the doro wot was just as tender and flavorful. The sauce with the doro wot stood out, especially with the injera, which was fresh and really tasty. Overall, it was a great meal with amazing service, and I'd definitely come back.

    Exploration Sunday.,, another snacky Sunday. Ended up at Taste of Ethiopia. I ordered the Sambusa…read more(beef, lentils, or spinach in a lightly crusted pastry dough, seasoned with diced onions, jalapeño peppers and vegetable oil). The Sambusa was like a egg roll but lighter and crunchier. It was loaded with ingredients...quite substantial. Really enjoyed this appetizer... A Taste of Ethiopia has a buffet Wed-Fri, which would be an opportunity to experiment with many more dishes. I have made a note to come back during one of their buffets. Winney one of the owners was nice and cordial. The restaurant was quite busy. There was a steady flow of customers. You could hear a low hum from the conversations taking place. It appears to be a neighborhood favorite.

    Photos
    Taste of Ethiopia
    Taste of Ethiopia
    Taste of Ethiopia

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    Taste of Ethiopia - Vegetarian taster

    Taste of Ethiopia

    4.6(954 reviews)
    12.6 mi
    $$

    This was 5 stars for us. We got the vegetarian sampler for two (and one item we were able to ask…read morefor the option to make it vegan due to lactose intolerance even). We also added the potatoes. It was a HUGE amount of food, we felt bad we couldn't finish all the bread it was on! It also came with ample rolls of the bread for picking up the food. I would compare it to a thali platter in Indian food, but much more food and different spice profiles. We were not afraid to ask for a fork though and were glad we did! :) Each item on the sampler was unique and SO flavorful. The food is very fresh and we assume made to order-from the time we got menus to being served was 28 minutes- so expect a slower meal than fast food or a chain! The owner came out and talked to us and was very kind. We will definitely eat here again and are excited to bring friends and family as this truly is a unique experience you can't find in many American cities. Random Tip- the strong smell of the many delicious aromatic spices really permeated our clothes after we left -don't wear clothing that you can't easily wash right away lol! We could still smell the spices the next day on everything we brought in with us Haha

    This was my first time trying Ethiopian food, and I knew I would like it because c'mon, just look…read moreat it! But I was a little wary of how I would feel about injera. I don't have trypophobia by any means, but I was unsure about how I would feel about the texture of it. That being said, I shouldn't have worried at all, it was delicious! The texture reminded me kind of Ma Lai Go, if anyone is familiar with that. Side note: this is an awesome place to visit if you are dining with vegetarian eaters, because the vegetarian options are so bountiful. One of my favorite things we ordered though was the beef sambusas. It was hot and crispy, stuffed to the brim with flavorful beef, and the tomato-y sauce was delicious. The minchet abish was also really good. The meaty stew was so addicting, I wish they had given us more. And then we had to try the Doro Wot after hearing that it was Ethiopia's national dish! The chicken was so tender and the sauce was so creamy. I kind of expected it to be spicier, but the level it was at is probably best to appeal to everyone.

    Photos
    Taste of Ethiopia
    Taste of Ethiopia - Lamb Tibbs

    Lamb Tibbs

    Taste of Ethiopia - Outside

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    Outside

    Aster's Ethiopian Restaurant - ethiopian - Updated May 2026

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