I was so sad when Buraka's State Street location closed, but I was ecstatic when they returned, and their new location on Williamson Street is so much better! I am a longtime lover of the chicken peanut stew and the doro wot. Injera is a must! It is the only place you can go to enjoy the heat of the berbere spice blend. Even their cakes are delicious! read more

This place is great! And they have an awesome patio! Food was really good- ordered the beef samosas (delicious!) and a combination dinner of dorowot and coconut chicken curry. Server was very kind and had good recommendations since it was our first time there. Definitely a cool place to try! read more

It was the worst meal ever, TERRIBLE food and service. Waitress disappeared to smoke and left us hanging. TERRIBLE WAITRESS. Food came cold like it was heated in a microwave and has no taste and when you taste it, all dishes taste the same. Food was plated to order NOT made to order. Very, very over PRICED for what you get, at least it should be cut in half. TERRIBLE, terrible experience, nothing was good. BIGGEST RIP OFF EVER IN EVERY WAY. I NEVER REGRET RESTAURANTS NO MATTER HOW BAD BUT THIS ONE TIPPED THE SCALE IN EVERY POSSIBLE ASPECT. STAY AWAY. read more

Thank goodness for Ethiopian food! Very good atmosphere and experience, would definitely come here again!

DO NOT GO TO THIS PLACE! The bartender (Corey) is incompetent. The food is not good, this time not only was my injera ice cold but so was the rice. Nothing is good here. read more

Amazing food! The beef samosas was so flavorful and so was the food. I'll be returning back if I ever go back to Wisconsin. Do not sleep on this gem that's surrounded by pubs and bars! read more

My wife and I stopped by here for lunch recently, and it's no exaggeration to say that we were blown away! The food was incredible; perfectly spiced and so flavorful. Our cocktails were equally good. I had probably the best dark and stormy that I've ever tasted. We'll definitely be back next time we find ourselves in Madison. read more

The food was really good, but the service was lacking. My fiance and I stopped in for dinner around 7:30 on Sunday night, and the restaurant was bustling but not packed. We were sat at a table with menus fairly quickly, and then from there, things went downhill. We perused the short menu fairly quickly and were ready to order when the same guy that sat us came to bring us waters (5 minutes after seating us) but he just dropped the waters off and immediately left. There were two tables nearby that weren't bussed for a good 10-15 minutes. A different waitress came around about 10 minutes after we got waters to take our orders. After that...we waited 30-40 minutes for our food to come out. Our waitress checked on us once or twice during that time and told us our food was "almost ready!" When we finally received our misirwot/begwot family style platter, we devoured it in about 5 minutes. Then we sat around for another 10 minutes until our server saw us with the empty plate in front of us and said she would go get our check. 5 minutes later we had to flag her down, whereupon we were informed we should actually go up to the bar to pay as it would be faster. Most of this review is about the service and not about the food, because the food (though good) was such a small part of this experience. Buraka, please get your FOH act together. There needs to be more/better communication between your servers and maybe you should get an expediter. Your food is good, but not good enough for me to wait 45 minutes for it. read more

If there was the possibility for a .5 star, Buraka would be a 3.5 but I will round up in this case. This is my first foray into the restaurant that replaced Jolly Bob's. They did a nice job brightening up the space and it was clean and cozy. We stopped in on a quiet Monday night and tried a few dishes-tostones, siga alicha (beef curry stew, dorowot (chicken in a red sauce), begwot (lamb in a red sauce) and tibs (we opeted for chicken) with extra injera. Flavor wise, the food was well spiced and tasted great. What I take exception to is that toughness to the cuts of meat. As all the dishes were braised, there is no excuse for this. Service was fine and the waitress was helpful in providing suggestions on what to get/not get. The choices for east African are limited in Madison and if they improve on their food execution, I wouldn't think twice about returning. If not, I wouldn't go out of my way to come here. read more

I was a little leery about trying this place on my lunch break after reading the reviews on poor service. I decided to try anyways with a couple co-workers. We decided to get the Yukka fries - very tasty. I ordered the Dorowot with Injera. It was very good - had just the right amount of spice to it. It was served with a lentil side which I was anticipating it to be hot, but it was cold so that threw me off on my first bite. It tasted good. As far as the service, we didn't have any problems at all. The waitress was pretty soft spoken, but she took our orders in a timely manner, checked on us during the meal, and got us our bills right away(and even separated them at our request). It was a very pleasant experience and I look forward to going back to try other appetizers and meals! I also felt that the portions were just perfect. Full plate of food and I left there very full. read more

Just reopened in a new location after a hiatus of over 2 years. Glad to have them back! A friendly staff and delicious hearty stews have made this a Madison staple for over a decade. I highly recommend the dorowat! read more

Great Ethiopian food spicy and tasty! The dishes were beautifully presented. The cocktails were great. Definitely recommend for a little international flavor! read more

Great food and a nice tap beer selection. Everything we had to eat was delicious! The yucca fries were so good, as was the chicken peanut stew with injera. It all paired well with a Karben4 Lady Luck. They were out of a few menu items and seemed a little under staffed, but we still received very good service and were not disappointed with the food that was available. Excited to see this place grow! read more

How the hell did this place get a 4 star rating? Maybe it's different in person but I bet not! I just paid $40.00 for a Styrofoam plate with a few ounces of potatoes and gravy and soggy rubber flatbread that reminded me of half-cooked pancakes. I ordered a combo dinner and they put both "stews" on the same plate on top of these batter flops so you didn't know what was what. Plus it was a mere 1/2 cup of each with a few shreds of meat. When the guy delivered it and handed it to me I thought there had to be something missing because I felt I was taking a bag of chips from him! The Duck Won Ton appetizers were the best thing about the whole experience. I was sadly disappointed for two Jacksons that's for sure... read more

Buraka is back! And it is just as wonderful as before! On my son's birthday, two years ago, we were heading up State Street for this restaurant but we found rubble where Buraka used to stand. The block was being redeveloped and our favorite restaurant was the casualty. We were distressed and desperate for a replacement - we even tried buying teff flour and making our own injera - but it was nothing like Buraka. Then last year, a friend (thanks Juan) let us know that the restaurant would reopen on Willy Street. Whenever we were on the East Side we would drive by and monitor the slow process of construction. And then finally it opened! From the outside, it looks small but the old Buraka also looked tiny from the street. Looks can be deceiving! It stretches back for a good while and the rooms are fairly spacious with brightly-painted walls. And the food is just like it was: tasty, different, engaging to eat. This is what we missed all those years! We're so glad you're back, Buraka! read more

Was good food. 4 vegan options. Went there after soundcheck. 5 stars for being across from the co-op. Asked if we wanted a dollop of sour cream on top of our food, we said no, then we talked about how interesting that was, being asked about the dollop. I had never been asked that before. Was a good show regardless. read more

I was just here earlier tonight , and I loved it! It was my first time since they reopened on Willy St. They had a special menu for Black Restaurant Week, and after an internal debate, I went for it. I started out with the tostones (I have a weakness for plantains), and then really enjoyed their salad of greens and lentils. I went with the Begwot (lamb and carrots) with injera and the cheesecake for dessert. The Begwot was very tasty, although it could have been a little spicier. I also enjoyed a rum punch. Everything was delicious; we sat in their patio which was really nice. Service was good but not great. I can't wait to go back and try other things like the chicken coconut curry or the chicken peanut stew! read more

I liked Buraka on State St, and love the new location. We visited this past Wednesday night and we're seated right away at a table upfront near the bar. Service was attentive and friendly., and willing to share recommendations that were not necessarily the most expensive thing on the menu. I hate that. We ordered samoosa appetizers along with Dorowat, vegetarian peanut stew and beef tibs family style with injera bread. Three entrees for 4 people at first seemed like it was not going to be enough, but we left satisfied. Very glad to have and to keep Ethiopian in Madison. Strongly recommend! read more

Awesome food! I get lamb. My other companions get chicken usually. Service is great! Definitely try it.

Absolutely delicious. We got the "family platter" where everyone can order a meal and it is served in piles on one large platter with extra injera. Food takes a little bit of time, so don't come rushed. Everything was delicious. We had minchet, chicken coconut curry, a veggie stew, a lamb stew, beef tibs, and ... one more that I can't remember. Two critiques - the samosas were a little under done, and they were out of their lentil soup, early, on a Friday night. Despite this I highly recommend this place in the new location on Williamson street. read more

I ate lunch here today. It exceeded my expectations and my memories of its former incarnations. I sat at the bar, and ordered the dorowot, with a side of awaze. The food was delicious, and it was served quickly. The service was great--attentive and personable. I enjoyed catching up with Buraka in its cool new location. I will be back, and I will bring friends. read more

My second time at Buraka, my first at the new location, was fabulous! The service was fantastic, including a very knowledgeable and patient sever. I had a combination plate which is half an order each of two entrees. I had the Dorowot and Siga Alicha and both were delicious. The dorowot is slightly spicy and the siga alicha is very mild. The meat in both entrees was very tender and tasty. Now that Buraka is in a more accessible location, there's no excuse to not try this Madison treasure. Ethiopian food isn't scary, I promise! read more

I had a wonderful evening at Buraka with a friend who was visiting from out of town. Since it was a picture-perfect June evening, we chose to dine on the patio at the rear of the restaurant. It's a lovely garden-like setting under a canopy of trees, although the patio is on a bit of a slope so you need to be mindful about how you position your chairs to accommodate the fact that the patio isn't level. I'm a long-time fan of Buraka, and have enjoyed their food since the days of their basement-level State Street location. The main courses are comprised of things Americans would consider stews to be served with rice or injera, a crepe-like sourdough bread used to scoop up the food. My friend isn't a fan of stews, so he opted to order a couple apps for his main course: the coconut shrimp and the almond-crusted duck tenderloin. I had the begwot, a spicy lamb and carrot dish served with injera. They offer gluten-free injera for a buck-and-a-half up-charge, and that's what I went with. The verdict: The shrimp was fantastic. The appetizer features five good-sized shrimp, and they were delicious. The duck was good, but didn't send me over the moon. The thin medallions of tenderloin were dominated by the almond crust. They were tasty, but a bit over-cooked and dry. Both were served with a damn fine dipping sauce that had a fiery kick. My lamb entree was yummy, and just what I expected--a bit zippy, but not too hot to handle. Entrees are served with a simple, and simply perfect, salad of romaine and tomatoes dressed with a vinaigrette that makes a refreshing counterpoint to the entrees. They seemed to be a bit short-staffed that evening, and after a too-long wait, I went to the bar to get the glass of wine I ordered myself, but no big whoop. I can deal with that. Bottom line: Check this place out. It's worth the visit. read more

Love the new location and the renovation is nothing short of amazing! Can't wait for patio weather! Food? Awesome, as always. read more

I know it's supposed to be served like that but you better eat quickly before your injera gets soggy and loses all of its structural integrity. Coconut curry is good as is the peanut chicken. I've had order screw ups before but only a couple times on minor things so no big deal. The patio is definitely worth checking out read more

Poor restaurant, took 45 minutes(every time) to get the food and the item(injera) for which the people come for Ethiopian wasn't available and instead they gave rice to the curries. The curry was mediocre and this is by far the worst Ethiopian I have been to. Even If you have 2-3 hours available to eat, this restaurant isn't worthy to give a try. read more

Everything was fantastic, from the appetizers (recommend the samosas) to the main dishes. Enjoyed the flexibility of the lunch special where I could sample two dishes. Enjoyed trying African beer. Fairly priced. Quick service. Will return. read more

Went there today for the first time and unfortunately putting on our list of places not to return in Madison. Got the veggie samosas (2 for $6) with berbere sauce. These were good but not 6$ worth. You can get better samosas at the Indian grocery store on the west side for $1/each. Way too over priced. I got the vegetarian peanut stew with injera. It lacked flavor. Injera was cold... is this normal? Came with lentil salad... which was sweet. It left me wanting good Indian masala dosa. Partner got misirwot... I tried it, also not that tasty in my opinion. Not "spicy".. I felt like both dishes had way too much potato to other veg ratio and the potato pieces were huge. At first I said I'd go back for the samosas... then I saw the bill. read more

Totally don't get the neg' reviews. Maybe they were based on experiences closer to opening? Maybe they don't like Ethiopian food? This place is excellent! It would be great anywhere, but for Madison ethnic food of any ilk, it truly stands out as one of the best. I've had Ethiopian food in New York, London, San Francisco, Chicago. . .and Buraka compares favorably. Service was fast, attentive and friendly. Only disappointment was the Ethiopian style tartar was unavailable. Mixed drinks and dessert were also very well done. read more

Ben and the rest of the staff created an amazing experience for our 18+ group. We had family style service which made the 10+ kids happy and kept the adult completely feed. So glad that this place is open close to us. We will be back! read more

Short story- Okay food, terrible service. Longer story- Our party of 4 walked in and we were super excited to check out the restaurant. We got seated fairly quickly but then didn't receive any water, or any other form of attention, for about 10 minutes. We had to flag down the waiter in order to have him take our order, but he made it seem like it was a hassle for him. We then waited 45 minutes for our appetizer, despite asking about it multiple times. Just a few minutes after the appetizer was delivered, our entree dishes (which were only okay) arrived. Overall, we were pretty disappointed. Please take this review into consideration to improve your service! read more

We really enjoyed our meal here. The Dorowat and samosa were awesome. This is my new favorite place on Willie Street.

The business is family owned. The food is wonderful. The service was AWFUL. We took a special person here for his birthday, We felt as if our choosing this restaurant was a personal inconvenience to the waitress. I have worked in food service. I have a great deal of respect for waitstaff. I have never rated food service staff as "poor" until now - EVER. We went to celebrate. The bill was nearly $100 before tip. We all left feeling less than celebratory. Perhaps if we were seated in a manner that was not so begrudging. Maybe a napkin within 20 minutes of the first request would have helped (there were only two other occupied tables in the whole restaurant.) Do you know how one eats Ethiopian food? Maybe a smile. Maybe a thank you. Anything. A "happy birthday?" Instead we all felt our mere presence at this restaurant was a burden. 3 tables at 8pm. Open until 2am. PLEASE. read more

I was excited to finally make it here and had a wonderful time yesterday evening. We sat outside on the beautiful patio with a group of four. Our service was quick and the waitress was friendly and attentive. We split an order of tostones which were excellent. I've made fried plantains before but they have never turned out this good; crispy fried exterior with a warm almost gooey center. They were flavorful and I loved the sauce they were served with. For an entree I ordered the dorowot with the injera. I thought it was good but not great. The injera was slightly tangy and soggy. The dorowot stew itself was better. It had a great berbere flavor, but was a little runny and light on chicken and carrots. The rest of my table was pleased with each of their orders. Overall it was a pleasant dining experience and I will likely be returning in the future. read more

Love this place, never disappointed! The staff is kind and genial, the food is tremendous, and they make a killer Dark & Stormy.

I, like many other Madisonians, was very excited for Buraka's return. However, it was an extremely disappointing experience on so many levels. The food was alright (hence the 1 star), but the service was horrendous and just sort of awkward. My SO and I came for dinner on Friday while it was somewhat busy, but I don't think that's a good enough excuse for the poor service we received. When we were seated, we accidentally sat at the wrong table (same size as the one our waiter intended for us, except it has a few more chairs), and instead of being polite about it, our waiter was pushy and awkward about asking us to sit a different table. It took a while for our server to actually come and ask us what we wanted after we got our menus, but when we ordered, the drinks came with pretty decent timing, which is cool I guess. We also ordered an appetizer and our entrees, which we waited FOREVER to get, and our waiter didn't check on us at all in the meantime, except to bring us our salads. Then our entrees (which weren't even hot) eventually came out....BEFORE our appetizer. Our server didn't apologize about it or acknowledge it at all, nor did he apologize for the wait once. He didn't stop by and ask is if we needed anything afterwards. In fact, our waiter didn't stop by once after that. We sat at our table with empty drink glasses and empty plates for quite a while, and then we noticed our waiter leave the building for the night without saying a word to us, asking us if we wanted anything else, passing us onto someone else, or giving us our bill. I figured he must have put someone else in charge of us and waited around for 20 to 30 minutes more and no one brought our bill. Finally, we went up to the bar and told the bartender we still needed to pay, and he was actually able to help us pretty quickly. Unfortunately, it was a little to late. I've worked in customer service pretty much my whole life, and I totally understand that sometimes you get busier than expected or you end up short staffed, or even both of these things happen in the same day. It was super rude and awkward for our waiter to not apologize or even acknowledge it once though (not to mention, leaving the building without a single word). I can't say I'd be excited to come back at this point. read more

HORRIBLE service and HORRIBLE food. We waited over an hour for our meals, making us late to an important event. Almost half the items we ordered they "didn't have available" which would have been nice to know before we ordered. The food that we were told was not spicy was in fact, quite spicy. The food wasn't even good. Our waitress was slow and didn't listen to requests, (for example, we asked for an extra water cup and never got it, in the entire 1.5 hours we were there). DO NOT RECOMMEND. read more

Love Buraka SO much! Wonderful flavors and great vegan options!

I'm really happy to see that Buraka is making quite a stir in Madison. Went here on Sunday and the place was moderately busy. We chose to sit at the bar, yet service was on the slower end. We were immediately greeted by our bartender, yet menus were not handed right away (Restaurant 101). There were an awkward few minutes without menus. After menus, there were a few more minutes for anyone to ask us what we wanted. I made the initiative to say we were ready to order. Placed drink order, appetizer, and entree all at once. I wanted to order the Samosas, but unfortunately they were out of those (sad face). Instead, I got the tostones which came out promptly. The tostones were served with a house made sauce, which is spicy! They were basically ripe, deep fried plantains. For my entree, I got the Sigowot. I picked the white rice as my side and the entree had a mild kick to it. Food was amazing! I love saucy stews and mixing them with white, fluffy rice. My friend got the injera, and the best I can describe that is by saying it's a semi-sour, spongy tortilla. Great for sopping up the spicy sauces. Menu says you get a lettuce salad, but we were given a lentil salad instead. Lentil salad was delicious, but at this point I'm getting the impression that they are running out of ingredients in the kitchen. I'd give food a 4 star and service a 3. They are probably just getting back into the groove of things, so I will definitely be back for more delicious Ethiopian food. read more

I had been meaning to check out Buraka since forever but as as a service industry dude I hadn't found the time. Y'all know how it is. Long story (short story) short they are now in my backyard and I couldn't be more pleased. Excellent food friendly enthusiastic server (servers?) and decent cheap tap selection ($4.50!) made the experience I had tonight with two of my favorite people one I will repeat and recommend. The three of us sat outside on their killer patio and our servers M and M took great care of us. They took turns checking on us and we joked with M that perhaps they were one shapeshifting sever. Just as M disappeared through the kitchen door the other M (?) emerged from the dining room Scooby Doo style. Yuks all around. Wrapping up, good people with good humor serving tasty samosas and rich stews. Did I mention $4.50 taps? Had some. read more