We wanted to get Ethiopian food for our one year wedding anniversary, and Demera was both open on Monday night and near Como Zoo - so we gave it a try! AMBIANCE The space inside is so cozy and comforting - great Ethiopian decor, wood paneling, and vibes with music playing in the background. We had the place to ourselves besides a few takeout orders and bar guests. SERVICE Service is top notch here! The male working, presumably the owner, gave us some great recommendations on our order. He and the woman who cooked our meal, presumably his wife, came out to show us how to best eat the meats with the Injera. FOOD If you haven't had Injera, the sponge-like pancake that's a staple in Ethiopian food, you're missing out! We got the combo plate which included 5 different meat styles and TONS of Injera. We got 3 beef dishes - all varying in spice, flavor, and presentation, a lamb dish, and a chicken leg and hard boiled egg dish. It was TONS of food - we had to take home nearly half of it! Each was packed with flavor and such a fun culinary experience eating it with the Injera. Highly recommend this local spot - support this small business! read more

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Such good food! I got the vegetarian sampler and it was wonderful. Each dish was excellent. The kik alicha is one of the best in the Twin Cities. I can't ever remember the name of the beet dish, but that one as another favorite. We went ridiculously early for dinner, so it was very quiet. But the atmosphere was very nice and the service was great. Can't recommend more highly! read more

It's quiet inside before 6PM. The music is light jazz and very chilled background. Our waitress is warm and friendly and attentive too. She took good care of us tonight. We ordered two spiced black teas and then ordered our first platter: the vegetarian platter with double red lentil and double split tea, cabbage and yellow lentil, no split pea or green beans. Our second veggie platter: double red lentil, double split pea, double yellow lentils. $45.30 The service and food here is so worth a try. The food was super flavorful and reminded us of our favorite spot back at home, that's never happened before. Well done! The portions are about normal and as expected too. The red lentil and yellow lentils are my two favorite. My husband liked the two lentil and the split peas the best. The salad, split pea are also good to me. The cabbage wasn't my favorite nor my husband's either. read more

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Cute little neighborhood Ethiopian place on University Avenue. Has a small attached parking lot which was kind of full. The restaurant has that neighborhood feel and the people there are there because they know each other. Like a family that gets together. It wasn't very busy and we were sat right away. Ordered a couple of drink. A beer and a Moscato. The drinks were fine but not very cold. Which was disappointing. They had a few Ethiopian beers on the menu but only had one available that day. We ordered the meat combination that had a bunch of different items. The food took a long time to come out. Almost 45 mins. Once we got the food, it was pretty delicious. Not the best I have had in the cities but good. The injera on the platter was a little dry so I would not recommend having that. But the injera that came with was moist and fresh. Overall it was a tasty meal and hit the spot for my Ethiopian food craving but the wait was a definite disadvantage. Also the one server was spread thin between the tables and the bar. If you are in the neighborhood, not a bad option as long as you are ready to wait. read more

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I am working my way through the Ethiopian restaurants of Saint Paul and Demera is well with a stop. I picked up a veggie combo for lunch, which included several lentil/pulse dishes along with collard greens, carrots and beans and a side salad. I was really pleased with the spice level- just a hint of heat. The serving of Injera was generous and the whole meal was big enough for another lunch Tomorrow. The restaurant itself is well appointed inside and I hope to dine there in person when I can get a few friends out. read more

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I came for a weekday lunch and happened to be the only person, so I might be biased when I say that my service was exceptional! The owners are both there, sat down, talk to me for a while and we got to chat about what brought us to the city, etc. Ambiance was spacious enough, with some nice instrumental background music, and ample seating space. It's not modern by any means, but you can certainly tell that it is a family run and local business. :-) I got the vegetarian combo, which included a slew of things included in the picture. This lasted me two whole meals and I was pretty ravenous and ate probably half to 2/3 of it. The stand outs on the plate included the green beans, the collard greens, and the dish on the far right that is red. I have no idea what the name of anything is or was, but I do know that it was all flavorful, hot, and fresh. I would recommend this restaurant for anyone in St Paul who's looking for a hearty, delicious, and authentic meal! read more

Demera - Vegetarian Combo - I *LOVED* the green beans on the left and the collards - all so flavorful!! - Ethiopian Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

I ordered the vegetarian sampler and it was so delicious. It was seven small piles from the menu. I regret I do not live in st Paul in order to eat here on a regular basis. 6:30pm on a Monday was quiet. Service was efficient. A football game was on a flat screen tv. Paying cash gets a discount. read more

Demera - Ethiopian Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Demera is a cornucopia of incredible Ethiopian flavors - 5 stars! I was in the area and craving Ethiopian food. My old standby, Fasika, is permanently closed so I went with the Yelp reviews and I pointed my car towards Demera. Since I'm eating zero carb Carnivore style, the Meat Combination platter was an obvious choice. As expected, every bite of my food was wonderful. I won't pretend to remember the names of all the selections so I'll simply post the photos and promise to you - they all taste great. I haven't eaten any bread or plant products for almost 1 year so I was a bit concerned about the Injera Bread...which I love...but it's still a grain product. On the other hand, it's a fermented bread, which is waaay "less bad" than most breads. I loaded up on this stuff since we didn't use any utensils to eat. It tasted great (of course) but I didn't feel so great for 2 or 3 hours after dinner. I survived the bread overload. But next time, I'll suck up my pride, ask for a fork n' spoon, skip the bread, and go directly to the animal protein. The service was excellent. Our server was wonderful. The owner happened to be hanging out at the neighboring table with some of his buddies. He stopped by and said "hi" too. Nice guy. The ambiance is mellow, low key, not fancy, cozy, unpretentious. It's all about the food and the company. Thumbs up! -Maxx read more

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The food is great! The Lamb stew is amazing. The environment is a little out-of-date. Parking is easy.

We really enjoyed our visit to Demera. The food was delicious and the prices were great for the quantity of food. The injera was fluffy and flavorful. Our favorite was the lamb tibs with awaze. There was only one server and almost every table was full, but our drinks were always full and the food came quickly. This was one of the best Ethiopian restaurants I have eaten at. I will definitely return! read more

Demera - Vegetable Platter - Ethiopian Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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They do not give you any sides with your food only a salad. I did not like my food. And I have been sick since I ate it.

First time trying Ethiopian food so I have nothing to compare this to. Having said that the lentils were delicious and the vegetables were perfectly cooked. The injera is unique and absorbs the sauce well. The service was friendly and efficient. read more

Demera - Combination vegetarian platter - Ethiopian Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Absolutely awesome food! My friend and I had a sampling of both meat and vegetarian options and thought it was fantastic. Definitely worth giving them a try! read more

So delicious, I went with two friends and we got the wet tibs, veggie combo and doro wat. Chowed down and finished everything but the injera. I think we ordered too much for three people but man was it good. read more

Demera - Ethiopian Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Decent food but weird service. Out of many menu items, and we were told they were out of the app we ordered after we were almost finished with main. Took several minutes to get drinks, even though place was mostly empty. Can't see a compelling reason to return. read more

I've been here twice now and the food is outstanding. There is never a big crowd which I don't understand-- this place is delicious. I always get the veggie combo which comes in standard presentation to every Ethiopian veggie combo. They are generous with the Injera pieces and the yellow and red lentils are my absolute favorite. This last time we ordered the Beef Key Wot and it had a really nice flavor. Not overpowering at all, just perfectly complimented everything else on the table. We got served by the same man both times and he is permanently in a great mood it seems! Excellent service, funny, and friendly. Neighborhood gem! Great hours (open later than you might think!) and I WILL be back. read more

The food and service here are both so good! We had the vegetarian platter and it was beautiful and so tasty. I wish them well and hope we can come back many more times! read more

We had a really nice meal at Demera, the combo plate was delicous the serving size was generous, I would say 30% bigger than other ethiopian restaurants. The restaurant is across the street from the train, restauant customer parking outside (so convenient if you have a car). I noticed their really nice toilet paper (not the cheap tp most restaurants use...) I like that they are not cheap with customers. Fun, relaxing setting, we saw locals hanging out at the bar and watching sports. read more

Oh wow the food here is really good. The customer service was great too. It was a good time, and I plan on eating here again since it's so close. I had no idea this gem was here. I had to get something that wasn't so spicy and he recommended the perfect dish. I cannot remember what it is called, but here's the pic. read more

Demera - Ethiopian Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Been to Fasika too, tastes about the same to me. Just much spicier. My thoughts in bullets: -Order the meat combination and vegetable combination platters -Usually slow but friendlier service compare to Fasika -They have a parking lot, small but they have one -Not as crazy busy compare to Fasika which is nice, usually seat yourself and get in right away -I just love Ethiopian food read more

Demera - Vegetable combination platter - Ethiopian Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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Had a lovely meal with my husband at Demera. We went there after a play and called ahead to see if they would still serve us 1/2 hour before closing (10:30 pm). They were super flexible and when we arrived were so gracious and kind. It was very pleasantly laid out with photos and paintings from Ethiopia. The decor was relaxing. The food was delicious. We shared a plate of Doro Wat on injera. The chicken was succulent, falling off the bone. Only criticism was they were out of a couple entrees. Ending up there for a late dinner really made our evening. I highly recommend it. read more

Visit Demera for tasty and authentic Ethiopian cuisine in a friendly and casual environment. We shared the meat combination platter, which was an awesome way to sample many of the different dishes they offer. It comes with about 6 different meat dishes, all served with injera (spongey Ethiopian bread). The traditional way to eat is to tear off a piece of injera with your hands, then use it to pick up your various meats and veggies - no utensils required! Though this may be more or less messy, depending on your injera-dipping skills. The meat dishes were all scrumptious, and the quantity was more than enough for the two of us. The restaurant interior has some nice Ethiopian decor. There are also TVs showing live soccer, if you want to enjoy the game while you eat. And the server was friendly and kind. On the whole, Demera was a great way to experience Ethiopian cuisine. Check it out if you want to try something new! read more

Demera - The meat combination platter was tasty and had a lot of variety. - Ethiopian Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

I've been to all of the Ethiopian restaurants in St. Paul now, at least in this area, and I have to say: Bole' is better than Fasika, which is better than Demera. The food was excellent. The restaurant was pretty dirty, and the bathroom was fairly atrocious. The door leading to the bathrooms was so skeezy that I didn't want to touch it. No toilet paper in the women's restroom either. Service was fine, although I was the only person in the place. The veggie sampler was enough for two meals. Quite good. However, I like the spice level at Bolé better than here (I.e., spicier). I would come back, but I wouldn't use the restroom. read more

Demera - Veggie sampler- enough for two meals - Ethiopian Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Last week while my car was in the shop, I walked down to Demera and bellied up to the bar for lunch. The food was fantastic as always and more than I could finish portion-wise. While the dont have ice tea on the menu the waiter/ bar tender was kind enough to make me some tea and then chill it before serving it to me on ice (you can't get fresher than that!). He also was giving me tips on eating the food more traditionally and recommendations on what to have so I didn't get something to spicy. I'm looking forward to swinging back in and getting the sampler platter again with the family. read more

The menu is much smaller than expected, only 3 combo options, and 2 fish choices. Coming to Minneapolis, I think I may have expected more by way of Ethiopian options, especially Sambusa and Simosa, neither of which were an option on or off the menu. I'll give it an open minded try... read more

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This place is a gem! Their staff was extremely helpful, i felt like i was getting recommendations from a family member. Their food is delicious....it tastes like home-cooked food, which in my opinion, is the best kind of food. They have a full bar, which was excellent! Overall, 5 star experience: excellent food, stellar service, not much more i could ask for. read more

All the food was fantastic, the combo plates were amazing, especially the meat combo!! Friendly staff. It is our new favorite Ethiopian restaurant! read more

Though I'm not an expert when it comes to Ethiopian food but dang, this place packs some dang good flavor in their food. We came in as a party of 5 and order the meat combination plate with 6 dishes and veggie combo (With 6 dishes and a salad) and was overly stuffed. I can't tell you which dish was which in the combination plates but each one was excellent in flavor. The two favorite ones were the yellow split peas (kik alicha) and the beef dish with spicy red sauce (ye-siga-wot, I believe). Overall, I'd come to this place in a heartbeat. I didn't care for the parking, it maybe fit about 7 cars and last time we went, I was blocked in my spot when someone parked directly behind my car. The restaurant interior also needed some work. It seemed dark and a bit uncleaned and disorganized. The staff didn't come around much to refill our waters which were clearly empty for a while and also didn't offer us plates or utensils, which could be due to the way they eat the dish in general (which is understandable). read more

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The service was lovely. The space was clean and the food was delicious. The presentation of the food was different than I was used to so it was difficult to compare portions. It was fun to try new and different dishes than I was used to. read more

I desperately wanted Ethiopian food after moving here and decided it was worth a three hour round trip -- I was not wrong. Because this place flavors the food so well and has great service, I am hesitant to try any other places in the area. Pro tip: get the veggie platter and the tea!! read more

Do not let the unassuming setup fool you. Or the fact that it is located in a not-so-great neighborhood. Demera is one of the best Ethiopian restaurants I've been to. And I have tried various Ethiopian restaurants through out the country. Food is by far the biggest pull of Demera. It is authentic and has just the right amount of spice and flavor. Lentils and vegetable dishes are amazing but the lamb stew is out of this world. It is a must try! This is one of those places where you feel full but keep on eating because your taste buds crave more. The space is cozy, warm, and understated. The host is extremely friendly and a treat to chat with. Ambience is comfortable. They do need better bathrooms, though. It puts a damper on the entire experience. read more

Very tasty food and very friendly service! We got the meat platter, and that seemed like enough food for three people to eat well (maybe four). Everything on the platter was very tasty! read more

I've been eyeing this place for a while. We went here on a Monday evening around 5:30 and it was mostly empty. The restaurant is clean. The staff was friendly and helpful with our questions. They didn't even judge us when we asked for silverware! The vegetarian combination platter was was probably enough food for two lighter eaters or one big eater. The choices were really flavorful and fresh. I will definitely be back! What I got: Vegetarian Combo Platter ($13.99) [My Rating: 8/10] Keywords: Vegan, Vegetarian read more

Demera - Vegetarian Combo Platter - Ethiopian Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

My friend and I went to Demera for a Sunday dinner. I drive past the building all the time and have wanted to try it. We shared the veggie combo and beef tibs. It was all so good! We had plenty plus leftovers for lunch. I'll be back to have a whole dish of shiro. The man working was very hospitable and joked around ("house rules: you have to finish ALL of that"). read more

What a find! We went to this restaurant based on other reviews and were so happy we did. A comofrttable place - not fancey but also not shabby. THe people were very friendlyand the food was delicious. It came very quickly (we were there on a Sunday lunchtime but had no problem getting a table or service). I highly recommend this place. read more

Love this place. I have had just about every on the menu and have never been disappointed. It's not glitzy, but that's not why you go to eat. Expect to eat with your hands. Know that the correct thing to do is only touch food with your right hand. Even you lefty's. People saying it's a bad neighborhood aren't wrong, but not exactly right either. Frogtown is a neighborhood going through change. Demera recently had their street facing facade restored through an effort with Historic St. Paul. Parking in the lot is easy, parking on the street is not possible. What you SHOULD do is take the light rail which stops immediately in front. The neighborhood lobbied for the station to support local business like this. Use it. The food at Demera is phenomenal. Go with a group and order a bunch of different stuff. They have a bar, consider it for decoration only. It's the only reason I'm not giving the fifth star here. read more

Beautiful, plentiful food and very reasonable prices. Demera for the flavor win again. I developed a taste for Ethiopian food in the 1980s when I lived on the North side of Chicago and Demera hits the spot when I get that hankering for tangy, squishy injera and spicy dishes. Tonight I ordered the vegetable combo. It came with 3 gigantic pieces of injera plus delicately spiced green beans, a beautifully sweet and spicy dish of cabbage and carrots, amazingly seasoned collards, yellow lentils, and one other warm spicy dish, plus a side green salad. At only $14.00 this is a bargain of a meal. I'll definitely have at least 3 meals from this one scrumptious plate of food. read more

Ethiopian beer, holy smokes yummy. Fried tilapia pretty bland, needed seasoning, but perfectly cooked. The "special beef" was the big hit with everyone at the table , though strangely it included some bits of lamb. Vegetarian platter definitely a good way to sample; everyone liked something on it. Comfortable but needs some refurbishing and deep cleaning. Spotty service but very kind and friendly. The beer was the big standout for me...going to have to see where we can buy some. read more

Demera - These beers were mad good - Ethiopian Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

First time here. Was looking for some Ethiopian food and let Yelp do the choosing. Ordered the Vegetarian combo, extra shuro and chicken doro. What a feast. Will definitely be back. For people who have not tried this style of food before it was a very approachable restaurant with good parking. read more

I love Demera! The staff are always so friendly and the food is delicious. Get the sampler platters, you won't regret it!