I went in for the buffet on a rainy day. There was young lady there doing it all on the front in. She was at the bar area, serving in the dining area and checking people out. I did indicate that i would be getting a to go order as well. The buffet was good. I got the chicken Marsala along with a little curry chicken and saag paneer. It was very flavorful. Always enjoy the naan with a meal. I ordered the tea which was okay. I enjoyed sitting alone and having the meal. It was fairly quiet besides a family with two small children. I then asked about my to go order and indicated the wrong thing initially which led to me getting more food. I got paneer Marsala to go. Overall, it was a good experience. The buffet is worth the cost. The staff appeared limited but friendly and attentive. I will go back to check it out. read more

I'm sorry. We were expecting a grandma to throw down in the kitchen, and snatch our souls with the flavor. It was okay. A little awkward because they didn't have 3 of the 5 things we asked for :( read more

I'm not familiar with this type of food. With that being said, what I ordered was very good and the service was fantastic!

Students will eat anything. It is a good thing that our great American university system attracts students from all around the world. And it is a great thing that they attract restaurants with cuisine from all around the world. But students are not necessarily the healthiest of of eaters because they think they are immortal. And some are attracted to excess including excess hot spices. This restaurant has food of the Indian subcontinent and food of the Horn of Africa. I'm always on the hunt for Ethiopian food. I had the awaze tibs, lamb with red onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, rosemary, and berbere sauce. Tenderness in meat comes from fatty veins, like rib eye or fillet, from grinding it, or from braising. This lamb would have none of that. I had the order to go which came with a container of dry spice which seemed to be just cayenne, but I was hoping for a thick berbere sauce and did not find that. The rosemary was an interesting ingredient which was welcome. The collard green kifto lacked distinctive flavor and without the collards would have been even more bland. The cardamom and mitmita flavors did not come through. The injera was fine. The staff was nice, the carry out order came in a reasonable cooked-to-order time. I am concerned that the restaurant has a spice scale. That only tempts students to order the maximum, because they are immortal. Max hot spice overwhelms all other other flavors. So I ordered between mild and medium with the intent of tasting the other spices. I was disappointed. I'm glad this restaurant exists as an introduction to Ethiopian food in the great Midwest melting pot. But after an introduction, suggest exploring Ethiopian food in other cities. read more

MAN, this place is good. My husband and I came here for dinner because of a Groupon. We had 1 appetizer, 2 entrees, and 1 dessert. This is located over by UC, and parking was easier to find than I expected. There are 2 parking ramps that are very close by. The ambiance is nice for a casual date night, or even a group. The menu is extensive - they offer Ethiopian and Northern Indian fare. They also have a giant selection of vegetarian options! For our appetizer, we had Naan nachos. Yeah, you read that correctly. NAAN NACHOS. Where have you been all my life!? They were available with chicken curry or lamb. We opted for lamb. (Ok, but seriously, you can't come here and NOT have these. They're out of this world!!) I had a Chicken Tikka Masala, and my husband had the Bhindi Masala (okra). We'd both had those same dishes at other Indian restaurants in town, but at Elephant Walk, it seemed less creamy and more spicy, which was amazing. The chicken in the Tikka Masala was delicious - smoky and tender! We ordered Gulab Jaman. It was served warm, in a sweet, honeylike sauce. They came with two, which was perfect with our meals. They're described on the menu as cheese balls, but they are sweet. Almost more vanilla flavor with a cakey texture. All the better to absorb the sauce! We were just there last night, and I've already made plans to come back next week and take advantage of some of their daily specials. Check this place out, soon! read more

Elephant Walk - Naan nachos. Yes, they're a thing! Available in chicken or lamb curry. - Ethiopian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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The service is soooooooooo bad, the servers don't know the food, and when you order on DoorDash and they are out of the items, they just send something else and charge you for it without telling you!!!!!!!!!! They out her tryna FUCKING ROB PEOPLE because they can't stay profitable being honest. I used to love this place but they treat their loyal customers like shit. As a decade plus veteran of the restaurant industry I'm ashamed I gave them my money. But they only respond to reviews from people with white names, so we see what's going on here. read more

Food was great. We were only ones in restaurant - 11am so I think we were just first for lunch. I did have to go ask for more water. We got meat platter spread that feeds two and on the menu it said 20. We get the bill and it said 23 and they said the menu didn't match up with what the real price was. I politely said - no - we are only going to pay what was advertised on the menu. Server said oh ok and went back and fixed it. Strange if you ask me. You do get a ton of food though so that's a plus and it was good. read more

Elephant Walk - Ethiopian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Oh goodness, how have I been to the lunch buffet here as many times as I have and not written a review?? The concept of this restaurant as a combination Indian and Ethiopian restaurant is fascinating -- not one I would've thought of, but it works. I have plenty of experience with the lunch buffet -- while selections are a little limited, they are always tasty, and I always make it a point to have a bit from the Indian side and the Ethiopian side of the buffet. The injera bread is made in the traditional way with teff flour, so it is gluten free, as are most of the main dishes on the buffet. The waitstaff are very knowledgeable about items on the main menu that are gluten free as well. Although parking in Clifton can be a pain, it is definitely worth checking this place out, especially for lunch. VERY affordable and tasty! read more

LOVE THIS PLACE!!!! The Ethiopian and Indian are amazing, we like to stop when we are in the area!

Absolutely amazing food! I am borderline obsessed with their Kashmiri naan. Both the Indian and Ethiopian dishes were out of this world and priced amazingly. Plan on continuing to be a repeat customer here. read more

Service was fine. The food was bland and slap-dash. They are out of everything. No African food. No goat, lamb, chicken tikka, etc. Out of most spirits, and alcohol. I won't be coming back. There are far superior Indian restaurants in Cinci. read more

So I found this spot a while ago during a trip to Cincy for a medical procedure but didn't have a chance to stop by. During Spring Break, I figured this would be the perfect time to tryout such a unique combination restaurant. My oldest daughter loves Indian food and I've had a hankering for Ethiopian injera bread and cabbage and lentil stew for months now, so what better way to satisfy our cravings then to visit a spot that carries both. There were four of us, so we started off with appetizers. The Naan-chos was amazing....so good!! Then we also ordered a Ethiopian collard greens and injera bread appetizer. I took a picture of it...I've never seen anything like this before, collard greens with Ethiopian cheese sandwiched between injera bread. The serving was big and the flavor was just as big. The was the perfect vegetarian appetizer. It was also very inexpensive and could double as a full meal as the portion was very large. My husband and shared a meat and vegetable platter from the Ethiopian side of the menu and one daughter ordered curry chicken from the Indian side of the menu and the other daughter ordered a organic chicken dish also from the Indian side of the menu. I did like the stews served with the meat and vegetable platter, the only aspect of the meal I didn't like was that the injera bread was VERY COLD, which I suspect that means it was made elsewhere and just rolled up for dinners in house. The Ethiopian dinner wasn't bad, it wasn't bursting with intense flavors as I had experienced in other establishments, but I still enjoyed the meal. The Indian dishes where both enjoyed by my daughters and small taste tests led me to believe the Indian side of the menu was much more mature and the chef for experienced. This is a good place to go if you have a group of friends who have the taste for the exotic but can't decide on what. Portions are large and prices are reasonable. read more

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This has become my go-to Indian restaurant in Cincinnati. The food is tasty and spice level is excellent (I do a 2 for mild). The boo and I only order vegetarian dishes btw. When UC is not in session parking is a breeze. It's never packed at least not this summer but take out is easy. read more

Elephant Walk - Interior seating - Ethiopian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Late at night we found ourselves snackish.... This place was open, the little girl that served us was super friendly ( i am sorry i do not remember your name, i really am!) And the food was absolutely delicious. She recommended wonderful dishes and when over was way too spicy ( just SO many Chili's) she had the dish remade for us and did not even charge us. In this case you leave a large tip as i did and we now have the Elephant Walk saved as a favorite in the GPS and the phone! You guys are amazing, thank you! read more

I'm so glad to see this place finally open. Genet, the owner, is super sweet and makes you feel right at home when you come in. Ethiopian food is different, but in a good way. Especially the Injera bread. Porous and spongy, it feels funny when you're pulling it apart. I remember the first time I tried Ethiopian, I skipped the Injera because I didn't like the texture. I went for it this time and I'm glad I did. The taste is unique, rich and pairs very well with the food. The menu offers Ethiopian on one side and Indian on the other. So you have plenty of options. This place is in a great location and I hope it's very successful. Stop by the next time you're in Clifton. read more

Elephant Walk - Ethiopian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Okay, so this is only my 3rd experience eating Indian food and I have never had Ethiopian, but O.M.G., this place is phenomenal. Since I work at UC, I had passed by Elephant Walk many times and was intrigued by the Indian/Ethiopian combination. I never gave it a chance until I found a spend $12 get $24 Groupon. What have I been missing?! The inside of the restaurant is beautiful; it's definitely a great spot for date night. My boyfriend and I stuck to the Indian side of the menu mostly. We ordered the Vegetarian Mixed Platter as an appetizer. For our entrees we had Paneer Makhani and the Paneer Tikka. We also had rice, garlic naan, and the injera. The injera was awesome! I was nervous about the texture, but it was so good dipped in the Paneer Makhani. I'm salivating just thinking about the food... This is a solid 5 stars for both taste and atmosphere. Trust me, take a leap of faith and buy the groupon. I would love to try the Ethiopian side of the menu next time. read more

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You won't be surprised by any of the Indian menu items, it's pretty usual restaurant fare, but it's done pretty well. Better than average. Turn the menu over however and you'll find a very complete selection of Ethiopian food, including some things I have not seen on other Ethiopian restaurant menus. This is what brings us back so often, it's really addictive while actually being fairly healthy. You can even request the food be prepared with olive oil instead of clarified butter, so it is possible to get some vegan menu items out of it. We often order the vegetarian or meat combo platters for two, which come on the usual platter of injera. The actual contents of the platter seems to vary slightly from one visit to the next, but it's always good. It's a very spacious place in a fairly new building so everything is clean and spare. Highly recommended. read more

We visited the place the second time and did not get good service. The food was cold and we asked for coconut milk with our saag potato dish and it came out with regular milk. There were couple of take out people who also complained of how slow the service was. This was on a Saturday afternoon around 3pm. One chef, one server and another person. There were only two tables with customers. I was very disappointed. The first time when we visited, we had Ethiopian food and the food was also cold when served. We thought we give it a try again. We have decided we are going back. The food was average, nothing exciting. read more

Yeah! More Ethiopian options. Writing this review is making me hungry for the stuff! I was glad to see that this restaurant is finally open and serving up great food to hungry people looking for more diverse eating options than the typical Indian restaurants found in Clifton. If you've never eaten Ethiopian I highly recommend you get a sampler platter as there are so many delicious items and I never remember what they are, so just go with a few friends and dig in, or should I say scoop. Ditch utensils and eat mouthfuls of Injera bread and whatever you scoop up along with it. The texture/feel of Injera is akin to rubber, but the food taste is far from it. There is also a full side of the menu dedicated to Northern Indian food. My girlfriend and I split a samosa and some kind of corn dish with Injera bread. Both were great. There are plenty of vegetarian options as well. Bonus. Half the fun of Ethiopian meals are the communal aspect of sharing a giant plate of good food with your friends and family. There is also a full bar that serves up adult beverages. Cool!!! read more

Elephant Walk - Entrance - Ethiopian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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The combination of Ethiopian and Indian food is a delicious one. Been ordering takeout and delivery from Elephant Walk for multiple years now but this is my first review (sorry - I love you guys). Personally, my favorite is the Ethiopian side; the awaze and lega tibs are so dang tasty, and if you're a fan of sourdough bread, I'd really recommend you give the injera a try (or kategna, if you like it spicy). It's not fluffy - in fact, it's flat and spongy - but it's really the traditional and perfect compliment to your choice of Ethiopian entree. All of the soups and salads are great. Oh, one last thing - I especially appreciate how carefully they package all the food in all of their delivery orders! I've NEVER had any other restaurant display as much care when it comes to packaging food for delivery. The containers have always been large enough to provide plentiful servings AND keep free of any leaks (even soups and kheer) by wrapping containers in plastic wrap. Hats off to Elephant Walk! read more

Nicely decked out place overall. My husband was planning to just go with something off the Indian menu, but I convinced him to try something new since he's never tried Ethiopian food before. We shared the Veggie Combo, which is definitely sizable. Everything was flavorful, but I couldn't done without the salad that came with it as it didn't really add to the dining experience. Very diverse cuisine! read more

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The cultural ride this takes you on is extremely unique, you have a bar and a wide variety menu consisting of what they call "Indian with a twist of Ethiopian". Truly awesome to visit, they also play a mix of background music that is enjoyable while you eat. Enjoy! read more

I've only been for the lunch buffet. Everything is fresh, and not everything is super mild (unusual for an Indian buffet! )At 8.99 it's a great value too. I don't like it as much as the local takeout places, but if I'm looking for a buffet near work, it hits the spot! read more

Elephant Walk - Samosa, Palak Pakora, Vegetable Biryani, chicken Masala - Ethiopian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I am very disappointed in this restaurant. I ordered online and drove 20 minutes to pick up my food. When I got there the host was flirting with his girlfriend at the bar. I checked on my order and he went into the back. Three different staff approached me and asked me to "see the order" and returned to the back. finally, 20 minutes after my order was supposed to be ready, the manager came out and tried to defend the restaurant saying, "I know we packed the order and maybe a door dasher took it." She said "if we don't find it we will refund you." She was not overly apologetic and did not offer any solutions or to remake the food. This was 30 minutes after the food was supposed to be ready. read more

I was super unimpressed with Elephant Walk, and I had such high hopes going in to their restaurant. I had just returned from DC and enjoyed some Ethiopian food there and invited a friend to try it for the first time at the Elephant Walk. TLDR they told us it would be very inconvenient for us to order a meat platter or a veggie platter, so we ordered meat entrees a la carte and then were informed again that they were out of the most popular dish, the chicken. They were also out of the some side dishes as well. What we ended up ordering was super bland and really wasn't worth bringing home. I won't be returning, unfortunately. read more

As a first time eater of Ethiopian, this was a tasty introduction. I got the Shrimp Tibs (spice level of 0 because I'm weak) and immediately fell in love with the sauce. I also recommend the injera. Good prices for a ton of food, welcoming environment, and an extensive menu. I can't wait to come back and try more things! read more

Elephant Walk - Shrimp Tibs - Ethiopian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Haven't been in awhile due to COVID etc. Lunch menu was updated with more Indian slant vs Ethiopian which worried me as I wanted the Ethiopian food... greatly impressed. Dishes were perfect and large. Actually ordered wanting to share and eat light. We ate heavy because it was so good and still had leftovers to take home. Ethiopian styled coffee really hit the spot along with some Bonbonnerie cake slices to top it off. read more

This was my first time having Ethiopian food. When I arrived I was offered the buffet. I am not a fan of buffets. The food did look good and fresh for 2 pm in the afternoon. Great customer service when I came into the restaurant to being greeted. Food was a level 2. Not too much spice and delicious. The collard greens was a tad bit salty but edible. I will be back. read more

Ugh. I am really conflicted about this place. I have loved it -- the first time we went, the food was great. I love having Ethiopian and Indian options. But each time we have gone or gotten carry out after that, it's been not so great. And last night, we got delivery through Door Dash -- not only did they leave a dish out with no replacement, but one thing was SUPER SALTY and it gave my husband awful food poisoning -- vomiting and diarrhea. That wasn't the first time they've left out part of our order. They've even given us the wrong person's order. The food is inconsistent. The service is so slow and quite bad. And now the food poisoning. I really wish they would be better. read more

We had only had Ethiopian food one other time and enjoyed it. So, when we heard about Elephant Walk (and some good reviews) we knew we had to give it a try. We were there yesterday. First, I will say that the restaurant is very nicely laid out and the furnishing are delightful. Just felt very at ease. On to the food. They have Ethiopian food and Indian food. We were on a mission to try the Ethiopian food. Menu was a little confusing, but our server was very helpful. They have several sampler plates. They have one that is for 4 people and is meat and vegetables. However, while not listed on the menu our server said they could make it for 2 people ($23.00), so we got it. What a deal. Everything was very good. The spices were great. Some of the items were slight to very spicy (hot), however, nothing that we could not handle. The food was great. As I noted we had Ethiopian food one other time and enjoyed it. Given the two places I would definitely recommend this for first timers. The servers and the restaurant are much nicer. read more

I had this place last summer, and while the Indian food and service were both good, the price and Ethiopian food left a lot ot be desired. Maybe we had unrealistic expectations, but there wasn't much discernible difference between the cuisines here, while not being bad by any stretch, it wasn't anything special. read more

Cincinnati isn't anything like an Ethiopian food destination, but we're now up to at least three restaurants, which is more than many metros can claim. Elephant Walk is a somewhat disorienting Ethiopian choice, though, at least on the surface. See, Elephant Walk is not only an Ethiopian restaurant, but an Indian one, too. (It appears that the owner is Indian.) But the restaurant mostly draws a firm line between the cuisines by having a two-sided menu, with one side Indian and one Ethiopian. Two restaurants in one! We've visited twice. Maybe because Cincinnati has so many Indian-food choices, we've gone with the Ethiopian side both times. Our verdict is that, while the food is pretty good, it doesn't quite measure up to the quality of some Ethiopian restaurants we've been to elsewhere (like Emanu over in Pleasant Ridge, for instance). I'd say the execution is a little rough: Flavors aren't quite as well balanced, or big, and veggie dishes seem to come out a bit choppier or lumpier than the average Ethiopian. But it's still a viable, tasty option. Elephant Walk makes up for any gaps in food quality with gigantic quantity. The first time we went, the two of us ordered the $22 veggie combo to share. That seemed expensive for a single platter, but it turned out to be enough to feed a family of five. On our second visit, we learned that you can order a half portion for half the price, which was more than enough for two when pared with another entrée. Unfortunately, that other entrée wasn't so great: Awaze tibs are described on the menu as "tender lamb morsels marinated in berbere sauce," but the meat was in fact tough and overcooked, so much so that the sauce had evaporated. The veggies were quite good, again, however. There did seem to be some Ethiopian-Indian cross-pollination with the sambussa appetizer. They're more like samosas, and they're served with the trio of chutneys you normally get with samosas in Indian restaurants. There's a full bar with a decent, reasonably-priced beer selection. The dining area is big, rangy, and colorful (mostly orange and mustardy yellow). It's somewhat dim, but the seating is spacious and comfortable. Service has been fine on both of our visits. Call it 3.5 stars for food quality, but the value-for-the-money makes it a solid four. We'll have to get back for the Indian fare some time. read more

Exotic food that tastes good? Yes. Good service...not the best. Our waiter misunderstood what spice level the curry was supposed to be and the biryani was completely mush...clearly reheated. I'm giving it three instead of two because the food/service was still solid. I recommend the tandoori chicken! And the buffet is a hoot. Been here many times and lunch is better! read more

Elephant Walk - Look at that steam. - Ethiopian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Overall a fun experience but not one I will go to far out of my way to repeat. First let's start with the one reason that I will return. On the menu they are called Elephant Walk Nachos but let's call them what they are...Naan-chos. Yes, that's right. Nachos made of fried Naan and delicious spicy yogurt sauce and Lamb. They were every bit as good as they sound and then some. Let that sink in. So if you are here you have to try them. Everything else that we tried (And we tried a ton off the Ethiopian Menu) was good but not great. The Injera was served cold which was awkward to eat with the other items. The other Ethiopian that I have came out hot and it paired much better. We had a meat and a veggie platter as well as the fritter appetizers and a Lamb dish. All were good and interesting but nothing craveable. Service was good. But seriously. Get some Naan-chos. read more

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Visiting Cincinnati with our two adult sons, we decided to give this place a try. It was easy to find (near the campus of U of Cincinnati) and easy to park next door in a self parking ramp. One son went for the Northern Indian side of the menu, the rest of us went for Ethiopian choices. Other son & I had the Meat & Veggie Platter for 2. Finally my wife had a stew of green beans and carrots. They offer a spice level of 1-6. My wife asked for zero (ha-ha) while the Indian dish went for a 5. My son & I agreed we could handle a 6. Everything came out exactly as we ordered and was delicious! Highly recommended! read more

Elephant Walk - Meat & Veggie Platter for 2 - Ethiopian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

We ordered takeout from here via the Yelp app. Tip: they don't ask what spice level, but they went ahead and gave us spice level 2/6. We love spice, and this was the perfect level for us. If you're more averse to spicy foods, our recommendation would be to do a 1/6. The food was delish! We got the Chicken Doro Tips, which come with rice, and some sort of cabbage side. Honestly this was enough for two people, but not knowing that, we also got Kategna (app) and Misir Wot (lentil dish). All were amazing, and the injera was warm and tasty. You could probably get away with one main dish for two people, just order extra injera! We had several days of leftovers with all of our food. It kept very well and was a treat every time! read more

To sum up my experience with Elephant Walk succinctly, it's passable. Overall, they missed the mark: the food was not very good, the chicken tikka masala was more water-y sauce than chicken and a skimpy portion size, and they forgot 1 of 3 items in my order. Okay, honestly, Elephant Walk was a big letdown. I really really really like Indian food, nothing fancy, just a bowl of chicken tikka masala from time to time. My favorite spot in Cincy is Dusmesh or Akash if I find myself downtown for lunch, but both were closed for late dinner delivery hours. With the chicken tikka masala, the bowl was big but it was 2/3 sauce and 1/3 chicken, so the portion size was actually very small (it's like a $7 portion of food for $13). The sauce was very thin and watery. I had this for dinner but it felt like they took the lunch size portion, added sauce to fill the bowl, then doubled the price. The flavor on 4/6 spicy level was pretty bland and boring. [On the flip side, the regular chicken tikka (non masala) had a generous portion, which is great but it was also bland.] I love my food, and I'm not the type of person that ever complains at a restaurant, but if I had dined in, this is the kind of thing I would speak to a manager about. To the company's credit, I requested a refund through my delivery app for the chicken tikka masala given the quality was so bad. I figured it was a crapshoot as it's something I've done only a handful of times in my life, but they did refund it. They forgot to include 1 of the 3 items in my order, so I had to request a second refund for that. I hope they're able to provide future customers with a better delivery experience. Some attention to quality would go far; maybe they're just too busy with dine-in? If I give Elephant Walk another chance, it would probably be for the lunch buffet. As far as delivery, we have solid Indian options in Cincinnati so I would like to see Elephant Walk step up their game quality wise. read more

The food was good. The spicy was nice and not that hot despite asking for 4/5. Would eat here again.

I've been to Elephant Walk like thrice in 3 years, and every time was a satisfying experience. Well, mostly. Having tried both the North Indian and Ethiopian part of the menu, I can say the food here tastes pretty good overall. And generous quantities of serving portions makes the deal sweeter. On the Indian side, I've tried Bharta (eggplant w/vegetables and spices) and beef curry. Both were delicious and had the right spices. My only problem was that the beef wasn't very well-cooked, and wasn't soft enough. But the manager promptly redid the dish, and this time the meat dissolved in my mouth. My friend tried the samosa chat, and while the quantity was large, she found it meh. On the Ethiopian side, I tried Lega tibs with collard green on the side. It was good, although the greens were only decent. The basmati rice served with it was also very nice. But my friend's bf didn't like the dish at all. So, yeah... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Overall, the ambience is nice, cosy and warm. The service is good and polite, while the waiting time is also on the shorter side. As the only Ethiopian place around UC campus, it's a definite must-try if you want to experience new cuisines. read more

Good Ethiopian food that is affordable. We got the veggie combo and a meet combo for $37 and split it between 3 people with a little leftover. It's fresh, tasty and totally different. If you've never had Ethiopian food, this is a good first try! read more