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    Blue Nile Ethiopian

    4.4 (186 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:30 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Order Blue Nile Ethiopian Takeout or Delivery

    Blue Nile Ethiopian Photos

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    BLUE NILE ETHIOPIAN ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Blue Nile Ethiopian

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    Ethiopian Vegetarian Combo
    Kristina H.

    such a pleasant late lunch. large portions and kind staff. it's a very small, this place deserves more popularity! the ambiance is really there, from the decor to the incense.

    Meat and vegan combo for 2
    Amanda D.

    First time here, service was kind and lovely. Food was absolutely delicious, we ordered the Meat and Vegan combo for 2 and it was plenty of food. The restaurant itself is cute, the bathroom was clean and neat like everything else there. Will be back!

    Elyse W.

    Wow - this was some of the best Ethiopian food I've had. This is a cozy spot near Lake Merritt. The service was great and the food was phenomenal. The portion sizes aren't huge - no leftovers - but the food was so good, we didn't mind. :) I'll definitely be back to try other items on the menu.

    Vegan combo platter

    I had jury duty today in Oakland and discovered Blue Nile Ethiopian. The Vegan combo platter was absolutely delicious, and I especially loved their injera - I even ordered extra to take home. The young lady working at the restaurant was incredibly kind and helpful.

    Kendra F.

    Being in this area by the Lake is really a city gal's dream. There are plenty of bars, coffee shops, and restaurants. I've been coming here since they opened and I remember when I was waiting for it to open. I wanted really good Ethiopian food near me, and this fit the bill. My best friend and I came here a bunch of times back in 2018, and being back in the area I had to try this with my boyfriend. He never had Ethiopian food! When I first tried Ethiopian food I was 17 in Reno. The injera was new and I loved the flavor. It was the fork and the spoon of the Meat Platter for 2, and the lamb was so delicious. As you can see from my pictures our plate was cleaned. I also love that there are many vegetarian options as well. I'm ambitious in the kitchen and like to remake foods that I like from different cultures. Injera takes between 72-96 hours to make, and the meats are traditionally marinated for about 48 hours from what I've read and have asked about at local stores that are East African owned. When I finally remake doro wat, lamb, mushrooms & beef and injera I hope it all tastes like this. Give this local business a try.

    Andrew L.

    Blue Nile is another favorite spot of mine in the neighborhood. They have all of the classic Ethiopian dishes you would expect, in a warm and welcoming environment. I went with one friend for dinner and we split the meat and vegan combo platter. It's served on a large piece of injera with a variety of different meats (chicken, beef, lamb) and some very tasty vegetable dishes. It was perfect to split between two people and you may have some leftovers to take home. I'd also recommend trying out the Ethiopian beer!

    Veggie combo section
    Victor G.

    Blue Nile Ethiopian has a small dining area inside. despite what's posted on website, there's no inside nor outside dining available. offerings: big menu of the usual. eats: "Vegan Mushroom Combo: Mushroom, KIk Alicha, Atalkit, Gomen w/ side salad & Buticha" (& injera bread) ($16) -split peas, collard greens, mushrooms, red lentil, organic chickpea house made huumus. -fresh, tasty, not a lot of heat (luckily) -injera tasted sour but that's from the fermenting process. it's also a low calorie carb. win-win!

    Ethiopian Vegetarian Combo
    Ida S.

    I got to grab some dinner to go here after furniture shopping. While I was shopping I came here on Yelp and ordered through the app/grub hub. The ordering process was so easy and seamless. The food was ready on time and was an easy pick up. They would meet you at the door and bring your food to the table set up by the door. I was in and out under 60 seconds. Now, when I got home and got to taste the food. I could honestly say my tummy was happy. This is definitely a solid place to get ethiopian food. I had a vegetarian combination. The food was plenty and had the right amount of each dish. Overall, I was really happy with this spot and would definitely come back again.

    Meat combo (chicken), shiro combo
    Sydney J.

    I decided to come back and order takeout via the phone. Since the restaurant said that one entree would not be enough food for two people, we added a meat combo (chicken) to what was originally just going to be a shiro combo order. The food was ready on time when we got there based on their 15-20 minute pickup time estimate, but it seemed like they might've misheard over the phone and thought we ordered a veggie combo since one of the workers, when hearing us say we were here to pick up a shiro combo, went and took one of the boxes and disappeared into the kitchen for a minute or two before coming back. The food itself was pretty good; I think the ratio of injera to dishes was well estimated as I didn't end up running out of injera or having too much injera left over. I would agree that the portions are about right for one meal for one person and are not adequate to share between two or more people, unfortunately. So that is something to keep in mind since although their prices are not super expensive, the portion of food is probably somewhat smaller than some of the other Ethiopian restaurants in the area I've been to which have higher prices.

    Danny S.

    We rate this a Go: I've only had Ethiopian good on 3 occasions. One time in Berkeley, someplace, it was pre-Yelp, once in South Africa, and here. I can't judge the authenticity of the decorations but the food was just like what I had in South Africa ... one country away from Ethiopia. So for me, that the standard. And who doesn't like eating with their fingers!

    Only giving a 3 star because location is sketchy and we were the only people eating in the restaurant. Food was pretty tasty. Not the best Ethiopian we've had but it definitely satisfied our craving. If the restaurant was in a better area, we may be more inclined to go more often.

    Meat Combo Platter Ethiopian Vegetarian Combo
    Kayla B.

    The owner was extremely kind when we got there close to closing time. We never tried Ethiopian food and she recommended the meat and veggie mixed platter. We got it to go, came out in like 10 minutes!!! Everything tasted super fresh, very flavourful. The taste was so hard to explain but so different than anything we've tried before. A friend recommended this place to us and we're glad she did! Would go again for sure and dine in for a more comprehensive review!

    Inside view of the restaurant
    Quang B.

    Best injera I ever had. The ordering is simple during COVID, even on the day ordering for Enkutatash. There were meter parking on the side of the road (free after 6pm). Be prepare to pay 20% tip during pickup as that's the first box to check as option. The injera is packaged with the combo plate, so I like that it is used to soak up the juices that we're going to flow out from the meat. That said, the injera is not as dry to eat with hands if you order it for eating at work.

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    3 years ago

    Great food. Shared the combination plate...so delicious. Service was fantastic . Family run business. Will definitely be back.

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    3 years ago

    Great food. I tried the vegetarian platter and it was delicious and had a very colorful presentation!

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    2 years ago

    Great food, friendly staff. Peaceful surroundings. The courtyard is very relaxing.

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    4 years ago

    Excellent quality. Really nice people. I had berber spiced eggs and some stewed chicken that was yummy.

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    Page 1 of 5

    Ask the Community - Blue Nile Ethiopian

    1) Are the vegetarian dishes also gluten free? 2) Does the gluten free injera have any soy,…

    Yes, we do have gluten free injera

    Is this restaurant affiliated with the Blue Nile that used to be in Berkeley (a decade ago)?

    Does this place have gluten free enjera?

    Yes we are thank you for asking 😍

    Is this connected to the Blue Nile that used be downtown Berkeley on Telegraph?

    Nope different mgmt

    View All 5 Questions

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    Inside. A giant table blocks you from going beyond the front

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    Blue Nile Ethiopian - ethiopian - Updated May 2026

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