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Awash Restaurant

4.4 (544 reviews)
ModerateEthiopian
Closed • 12:00 pm - 8:00 PM
Updated over 3 months ago

Awash Restaurant Photos

AWASH RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Good for kids
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - Awash Restaurant

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Reviews With Photos

Zil Zil Tibbs
Denzel L.

The service was quick not too much talking just straight to it lol. Our Server was kind and efficient, the ambiance is between sports bar and restaurant, the soccer games and news were being broadcasted. The food came out fas, hot and sizzling, we ordered the Zil Zil Tibbs with salad. The injera wasn't my favorite it had a weird after taste but the steak was fireee. Charred to perfection. 7.5/10!

Special Kitfo
Jonathan C.

If this is your first time trying Ethiopian food, I'd recommend the combination platter (its located on the poultry section but it specifies that it comes with the beef options too #1,2,8, and 15). Combination for two was definitely a good chunk of food. I would also highly recommend the Kitfo. You do get the option of doing raw or medium rare and we were recommened the raw (I'd recommend it too). I would also suggest choosing the specical Kitfo over the regual because of all the other spices and aromatics that are included in the special. If you are a little uneasy trying raw beef, then the additions in the special willl definitely help. I love how it was a little spicy like there was chilli oil in it. Make sure you mix it up real good. I think i enjoyed the Kitfo a little too much here. Last time I had Ethiopian food was in DC and I have been craving it ever since. I know there are other Ethiopian places that are known for their Kitfo as well but regardless this is still super solid. Highly recommend. A bunch of metered street parking right outside so parking shouldn't be an issue.

Veggie combo and awaze tibbs.
Jonathan D.

Awash isn't on Little Ethiopia's main drag but rather is a few blocks away on Pico. The dining room is spare, but the one woman who seemed to be doing it all in the front of house was welcoming and to seat ourselves. We always go with a veggie combo as the "base" for an Ethiopian meal, so we did that here. While doro wat would be our normal go-to--want to see how a new place stacks up against the others--that didn't seem to be on the menu, so we opted for the awaze tibbs, another classic dish (beef with a bit of heat to it). After a brief wait, the food arrived. By and large, the veggie combo had the standards on it, with various lentils, collards, carrots, etc. We particularly loved the collards, and the salad was refreshing. All of the other items were solid, with one exception: there was a cold item, some sort of lentils with mustard that, at least for me, gave almost mayo vibes. We weren't a fan of that one. The beef was also tasty, though the dish had a bit more oil/grease than we might have wanted. As it got later (we came in fairly early), the dining room filled up, which made service a little slow but still very kind. All in all, this was a very good experience, and I'd certainly be happy to come back, though at least on this one day, wasn't quite at the level of Lalibela or Meals by Genet on Fairfax.

Whole fried fish

First time trying Ethiopian food. Great service and food. The portions are so big we split an entree and still had leftovers!

Combination for 2 people
Jill C.

This is our first time trying Ethiopian food, we didn't know what to expect but everything tasted amazing! We ordered the combination for 2 people as shown in the photo (I believe the meats are #1, 2, 8 and 14 on the menu) and we can't finish! We were surprised there's so much meat! Flavor is on a more sour side. We arrived before 6 on Saturday evening, there were only 2 tables and a couple sitting by the bar. Restaurant was at capacity when we left around 7:30. Half customers are Ethiopians, and the other half is mixed ethnicities, meaning it's universally excellent!!

Kitfo Special (comes with garlic, onions, and jalapeño)
Fortuna N.

This was my first time trying Ethiopian food and it didn't disappoint! We got the Combination meat platter that feeds two and it comes with 4 types of meat and sides of salad and ingera. The combination dish had: 1) Awaze Tibbs: Tender beef cooked in spice and Awaze sauce, onion, tomato, jalapeños and clarified butter. 2) Alitcha Tibbs: Milder version of Awaze Tibbs with tumeric. I liked this one the best as the tumeric seasoning added so much more flavor and depth to the meat! 3) Special Zilzil Tibbs with onion: prime beef seasoned with garlic, black pepper, and clarified button with onions. I liked this one the second best as the beef was tender and flavorful with a char! 4) Special Chicken: Cubes of chicken breast sautéed with onions, soy sauce and garlic. Mixed with spices and veggies. I liked this the least as it was quite bland the chicken but the veggies were super delicious. - the salad had a tangy dressing over it that helped with eating the meat platter and ingera together as it balanced the heaviness and spice with crunchy greens and dressing! The stand out dish though was the Kitfo Special! This is Ethiopian steak tartar (raw beef) that is mixed with seasoned clarified butter, chili powder, cardamom and with the special it has garlic, onions, and jalapeño. I would definitely recommend the special as the aromatics inside added more texture, crunch, and balanced the rare meat taste although still super delicious! It melted in your mouth. We were stuffed at the end of our dinner and had another full meal of leftovers to take home. The next day eating these it tasted even better as the flavors got to sit over night. I would come back again!

Veggie combo with fish and awaze tibs - so much food and sooo good
Rachel C.

We loved Awash! We came on a Wednesday around 6:30 and it was busy but not full. The food was absolutely delicious and seemed pretty reasonably priced. There were three of us and we ordered the awaze tibs and the veggie combo with fish - we had a lot left over and probably could have done without the fish, but it was SO good so I'm glad we tried it! This was a perfect spot for dinner and I am so glad I got my Ethiopian food fix. We will definitely be back!

Brooke M.

Last time I had done a review here for Yelp was a decade ago! Wow! I've been coming here since the late 90's for a reason. Incredible food and great prices. The best Ethiopian restaurant I've ever been to! I need to come more often. I was craving it and decided to take the drive. It was well worth it! Family owned and loved! Casual ambiance. Service was great and friendly. I even got an extra injera.

Ron L.

Awash restaurant is one of those joints that epitomizes the saying you don't judge a book by its cover. Although I love restaurants like this when I am looking for darn good food at a mom & pop home style meal. I've eaten at a number of the Ethiopian restaurants on Fairfax's Little Ethiopia row and they are excellent. Awash is on Pico a couple blocks west of Fairfax and comes in a plain package with some ceiling art. We chose the Combination for Two that had numbers 1, 2, 8 & 14. The platter that arrived with gluten free injera for me on Gluten Free injera, veggies and salad, regular injera for my son, was enough for four people. The Awaze Tibbs, Alitcha Tibbs were delicious beef stews and the Special Zilzil Tibbs consisted of prime tender seasoned strips of beef that were flavorful and substantial. The Special Chicken was excellent with each tear of a piece of injera assembling different combinations of the various dishes creating a different flavorful explosion in the palette. We were awash with an abundance of good food and friendly vibes.

This is the veggie plate with double red lentil, trout and red wine.

Out of all the Ethiopian Restaurants I've tried in LA, this one is the best. I've been coming here consistently for years. I tend to get the same thing the veggie plate with their fried fish, which is trout. This place will not disappoint you. You will keep wanting to come back. Enjoy.

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2 months ago

Excellent Restaurant !!! I have never eaten such delicious Ethiopian food in America. I am happy to eat the delicious food of my country.

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9 months ago

One of the best Ethiopian restaurants in LA. Food is always delicious and consistent. Try veggie combo and Derek tins

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11 months ago

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2 years ago

Very tasty food. The wait is little long but it is worth it. Big portion and nice people

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Ask the Community - Awash Restaurant

As of Nov 11, are they open for lunch and dinner OR just dinner? How many tables outside do they have?

I'd call them fir current hours other than lunch. There aren't any outside seats.

As of June 28, are they open for dine-in and if they are not open, approximately when will they be open?

They are open, at least for lunch. But I'd call because things can change quickly.

Are they often closed during the posted hours? I'm craving it but there's no answer there and we've gone before to find them closed. Not sure if it was a one off or a regular thing... if anyone knows

they are consistent Tue-Sun from noon

Do they have gluten-free injera?

No but my friend bought her own in from an Ethiopian market on Fairfax and Awash used it beneath the vegetarian plate.

Did this restaurant close? The last few times we've tried it was closed! Closed again today, Monday 12/10/18

they open noon tuesday-sunday

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Aunt Yvette’s Kitchen - Veggie platter with lamb stew

Aunt Yvette’s Kitchen

4.8(367 reviews)
11.2 mi•Eagle Rock

The most amazing service and food I've had! The inside is so beautiful and it's so evident that…read morethere is so much love put into the restaurant. Each of the employees are so welcoming and kind and attentive. The food was AMAZING and I know that I'll be back.

Don't let the strip mall parking lot and unassuming exterior fool you. Aunt Yvette's is really nice…read moreinside. This is not like any of the other restaurants I've visited in Berkeley or even LaBrea's Little Ethiopia. It's focused on a more luxurious experience with genuinely authentic touches. ** ELEGANTLY ETHIOPIAN ** Warm, welcoming, and elegant, the staff is highly attentive, from the ceremonial hand washing to refilling glasses, and detailed explanation of menu items & Ethiopian culture. Also, the staff gives you your space, much like you'd enjoy your meal and time in Europe. Or as a nice meal is probably honored in Ethiopia. There seems to be a lot of care put into how to enjoy a feast with proper rituals in place. Speaking of honoring, Aunt Yvette's seems to also reserve a high regard for coffee as I sneaked a peek at a Coffee Ceremony on the menu. I will have to come back and try that next time. ** THE FEAST ** When at Ethiopian, it's always about sharing a platter. So after some deliberation, me and my lunch date settled on the Vegan Combo. It has all the fun vegetable options like the Berbere Red Lentils, Cabbage & Carrots, Yellow Split Pea, and Ethiopian Potatoes. We added Chicken Tibs as our protein. However, I really wanted the Cornish Game Hen, but lost in the negotiation part so I will need to return another time to try it (along with the coffee ceremony). As you may know, there are no utensils since you eat with the Injera spongy bread and use your hands. That's why the hand washing with rose water was a nice start to our lovely brunch. We also ordered a shot each of Tej, an authentic Ethiopian honey wine. It was fizzy and had a hint of apple cider vinegar taste, but paired well with the earthy spices of our meal. To fluff up the water sitch, there was an anise, ginger, and citrus water that's like a healthy, African aqua fresca for $5. After we mopped up all the spices sauces and exotic flavors with the ever-refilled injera (spongy, Ethiopian bread) we were stuffed. It was plenty food for the two of us. ** TURN UP THE HEAT ** For fire breathing ghost chili fans and spice freaks who love testing the Scoville scale on their tongues, I highly recommend any item that has MITMITA in it. I asked for extra since I'm one of those spice junkie nut jobs who needs her capsaicin fix with certain foods. Mitmita's flavor notes don't overpower and I was able to sprinkle my meal generously with heat. **NOTE: Mitmita in the ingredients list doesn't mean it's too spicy, but if you ask for extra spicy, it'll give you a good kick in the mouth ;) Good thing there's a list of craft cocktails to squelch the heat.

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Aunt Yvette’s Kitchen - Elegant interior

Elegant interior

Aunt Yvette’s Kitchen - Banana split and berberae ice cream

Banana split and berberae ice cream

Aunt Yvette’s Kitchen - Ethiopian Tej (honey wine) to cheers @brunch

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Ethiopian Tej (honey wine) to cheers @brunch

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant

4.6(626 reviews)
0.5 mi•Carthay
•$$

Outstanding dining experience. Great fun, relaxed and cheerful setting, with wonderful food. On…read morethe times that I've eaten in Little Ethiopia, I've always enjoyed myself. Lalibela elevates things to another level, in my opinion. If you're coming from the north on Fairfax, it's the first restaurant on the West side of the road. I had never seen Lalibela before, and then after a brief search saw all the praise and love. It certainly looked nice. So, early evening on a Saturday, with Lalibela gradually filling up, we were seated. After perusing and strategizing (along with the help of our friendly Lalibela person), we ordered three things: Sambusa -- like a samosa but way more interesting. So, instead of the potatoes and peas, the sambusa had more seasonings and meat filling. One per order, and delicious. Veggie Utopia and Doro Wot -- The Veggie Utopia is one of the signature dishes, and will certainly look familiar to anyone who's ever had Ethiopian food. Several individual portions set on the perimeter of the giant platter sitting atop the injera (the flat spongey 'bread' that's both plate and utensil). Inside that sat the Doro Wot -- a chicken leg and potato in inside a 'stew' or 'wot'. The wot was dark and almost chocolatey, reminiscent of a good mole. The salad that comes with the Doro Wot was placed in the big circle. Two people (or more) could feast well on all this. They also serve beer and wine at Lalibela. Great experience. Awesome food. Lovely service.

Customers service hand downs was the greatest it can be. Romain did an excellent job being every…read moretables waitress, bus girl, and bartender. I have to give it up to her. She handled being the only one upfront with the patrons so much better than anyone could ever do. Food was very tasty. St. George beer was my favorite of the 3 drinks I had. The interior was clean. It can get a little loud fyi. Looking forward to coming back.

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Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant - Another Interior View

Another Interior View

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant - Veggie sambussa

Veggie sambussa

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant - Inside

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Inside

Meals by Genet - Doro Wat

Meals by Genet

4.3(830 reviews)
0.5 mi•Carthay
•$$

Love this place- we had not been here since pre-pandemic…read more The dining room recently reopened and we don't mind the trek to the west side. Great service and willing to assist, as all items appear to be out of regular dining options. Trust their recommendations! We had the vegetarian platter, a great way to sample all the side-mixing and matching. Our go/to is the dorowaht , similar to Mexican mole with a delicious taste profile. Tried the ribeye beef but it all honesty, the stars are the veggies.

I took my daughter here to celebrate a new job. We ordered two vegetarian sampler plates at $27…read moreeach. The waiter asked if we wanted tofu with that, and we said yes. When we got the bill, I was shocked to see that he had charged us for four (4) entrees !!!-- an extra $54 to add tofu to our plates! When we brought this up to the waiter, he didn't apologize or act as if anything was wrong, so I spoke to the owner, Genet -- and she was equally unapologetic! Her solution was for us to throw away one of the two containers of leftovers. I felt as if the waiter had been intentionally deceitful -- and when Genet backed him up, it seemed as if she was in on it, too.. (Apart from that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?) The food was good and the atmosphere was good -- Just be careful if they ask if you want to add tofu to your plate.

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Meals by Genet
Meals by Genet - Ordered the beef tibs, was shocked at how small the $25 portion size was.  A complete ripoff.  Save your money and go anywhere else

Ordered the beef tibs, was shocked at how small the $25 portion size was. A complete ripoff. Save your money and go anywhere else

Meals by Genet - Menu - December 2025

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Menu - December 2025

GS Cafe and Ethiopian Cuisine - Veggie combo: Misir Wot and Misir Alecha

GS Cafe and Ethiopian Cuisine

4.8(731 reviews)
27.7 mi
•$$

Extremely delicious! It was my boyfriend & I's first time trying Ethiopian food here and we will…read moredefinitely be coming back. We ordered the #14 and the smoothie & tea to drink! Serving sizes are huge and it is great for sharing. Please come here to support! Their restaurant is family owned and everyone is very kind.

I really want to personally like this place but it just wasn't the hype I was expecting it to be…read morebut I will give them a high rating for the care and sharing of their culture through food and understanding the fact that not everyone's taste pallets are the same. With that being said- GS Cafe and Ethiopian food is run by a mother and son duo. They are prompt and efficient but just be aware they are running the entire thing so there can be a wait for food especially when it's busy. There's seating for at least about 30 people here. And the parking lot is shared with many establishments in the same center so there's plenty. Nestled on a quiet main street, you can find authentic Ethiopian food. We ordered the #14 combo plate as it was our first time- shareable up to 2-3 people. It had a mixture of 80 percent of their menu (as the son who was taking our order put it) The amount of injera (somewhat of like a sourdough crepe) they gave us was plentiful. There was even a side basket with atleast 8 more pieces that I forgot to take a picture of. I appreciated this meal and loved the veggies. None stood out to me but I will say all were flavorful, healthy and a delight to eat. The beef and chicken were dry in my opinion but the sauce helped. I'm glad I tried this place and it was an enjoyable enough experience. Don't let my review deter you from trying it yourself as this place was pretty full when we were dining in- so try it for yourself!

Photos
GS Cafe and Ethiopian Cuisine - Inside dining

Inside dining

GS Cafe and Ethiopian Cuisine - Veggie platter

Veggie platter

GS Cafe and Ethiopian Cuisine - Beef tartar

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Beef tartar

Merkato Ethiopian Restaurant & Market - #3. Awaze Tibbs

Merkato Ethiopian Restaurant & Market

4.0(874 reviews)
0.5 mi•Mid-Wilshire
•$$

Ever ordered a fish & veggie combo and have a buncha veggies and injera leftover?? Me neither! I…read moreusually have to order an extra veggie combo for this to ever happen. A lot of places have me wondering why they'd include so little veggies for the size of this trout. (...I suppose a good tactic for making you order another entree). Well, this experience at Merkato was exceptional. Especially for the price. An enormous amount of food for two hungry people to share. Great flavors. More than adequate amount of pillowy delicious injera. We thoroughly enjoyed leftovers the next day. Would happily order again and recommend to others.

We have been going to Merkato for years and generally had only great experiences, but our latest…read morevisit this past weekend revealed that a lot has changed for the worse. We arrived around 6:45 on Saturday and didn't get our food until nearly 8:30 and had to manage a hungry four-year-old during this time. The restaurant was busy but there was only one server (more are definitely needed!) and most infuriating is that tables of Ethiopian diners would receive their food first despite arriving and ordering significantly after non-Ethiopian diners. If Merkato wants to discriminate against the non-Ethiopian diners who make up a core of their clientele, they should know we will gladly take our business to other restaurants on the block. Although the food was quite good when it finally did arrive, the service and the overall shabby condition that restaurant has deteriorated into over the years makes it unappealing to return to.

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Merkato Ethiopian Restaurant & Market
Merkato Ethiopian Restaurant & Market - Fresh & Tasty

Fresh & Tasty

Merkato Ethiopian Restaurant & Market - Menu as of October 2025 (p. 3)

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Menu as of October 2025 (p. 3)

Rahel Ethiopian Vegan Cuisine - Sambusa

Rahel Ethiopian Vegan Cuisine

4.2(711 reviews)
0.5 mi•Carthay
•$$

April 3, 2026 | Little Ethiopia on Fairfax | While on the go with my Vegan Private Chef friend, we…read moredecided on lunch in Little Ethiopia! I have dined in the area plenty, but this was my first time trying Rahel Ethiopian Vegan Cuisine! Sambussas | Yummy! Each bite was filled with lentils, jalapeños, and onions! Loved it! The look immediately reminded me of Indian Samosas, which I also love! We requested a spicier version of the dipping sauce, and it was incredible, as well as homemade right on the spot! Thanks again! Vegan Platter | Shared | Delicious, flavorful, & plentiful! I truly enjoyed all the different veggies and it's such a colorful plate! The Injera bread was perfect as well, as we used our hands to scoop up each bite! I'm not Vegan, & appreciated every flavorful bite! Pineapple Non-Alcoholic Wine | I wanted to try something new and refreshing and the pineapple wine delivered with a subtle flavor! Customer Service | Incredibly friendly, service with a smile and helpful with the menu! I appreciate going the distance by requesting a spicier version of the dipping sauce, and it was met with the smile, as well as heat to the tongue! Hahaha! Decor | Deep colors throughout, and there's also a store where you can buy home decor, clothing, jewelry, including food, products! It's a warm and inviting setting, with cozy seating, which was great to catch up with my chef friend, who is like family, when our availability aligns! It always turns into a fun food adventure! Haha! I'm grateful that he introduced me to this restaurant! Note | As we stepped outside of the restaurant, I looked up and saw a banner: All You Can Eat Buffet from 11-3PM on Saturday and Sunday, including the salad bar & dessert! Sounds like a great deal! Overall | Yes, Please! I'm looking forward to returning and trying more of the menu! Thanks again for both delicious food, as well as excellent customer service!

This place is incredible! Your family will not miss the…read moreanimal products. My partner and I came for lunch on a quiet Sunday afternoon. We thought we'd be getting the buffet but the regular menu items sounded so yummy that we thought it would be a good idea to try their every day items for our first time. They serve plenty of Injera which is nice. The flavors were incredible. The space is huge and nicely decorated. The staff are lovely and sweet. We can't wait to go back.

Photos
Rahel Ethiopian Vegan Cuisine - Buffet set up!

Buffet set up!

Rahel Ethiopian Vegan Cuisine - April 3, 2026 | Vegan Platter | Shared | Friday |

April 3, 2026 | Vegan Platter | Shared | Friday |

Rahel Ethiopian Vegan Cuisine - Exterior/entrance.

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Exterior/entrance.

Awash Restaurant - ethiopian - Updated May 2026

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