I had the pleasure of dinning at this spot!…read more I would like to first say that the owner has an amazing spirit. She truly makes you feel at home the moment you walk through the door. She provided us with a wealth of information regarding the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony! I was with a party of 4 and we shared several different items. I don't recall the names of everything, but honestly- I loved all of it! The food tastes fresh, homemade , and is full of flavor! We also had coffee after dining and if you are a true coffee drinker, no cream or sugar will be needed. If you are seeking good tasting food in a setting that literally feels like home - check out this spot!

Melkam Addis Amet! Happy New Year! We loved celebrating the Ethiopian New Year with our friends at…read moreAbugida. Every meal here feels truly homemade, prepared with care by two incredibly hardworking and talented women. The food is warmly spiced, savory, comforting, and beautifully presented in the traditional Ethiopian style. Abugida has become one of our absolute favorite places to eat. The wonderful food, hospitality, and heart behind every meal keep us coming back. Highly recommend!

I was passing through Charlotte Douglas International Airport and wanted something to eat. Since I…read moreenjoy authentic Ethiopian cuisine, I searched for an Ethiopian restaurant nearby and found Nile of Ethiopia. It was my first visit, and it was an amazing experience! The food was absolutely delicious, and every dish was full of rich, authentic flavor. The service was warm, genuine, and attentive, making the entire dining experience even more enjoyable. I truly appreciated the hospitality and will definitely return the next time I'm passing through the area. Highly recommended!

First time trying Kitfo Dulet and it was delicious. I was a bit intimidated ordering because I have…read morelittle experience with Ethiopian cuisine and I wanted to pick the "right thing". The entree was flavorful and well seasoned with Ethiopian butter, onion, jalapeño, and mitmita to give it a kick without being overly spicy. To my surprise, the cabbage was the star of the show. I've never had cabbage prepared in this way, but it was so good!! The best part of my visit was the hospitality. Although I do my best to be intentional about respecting the chef and kitchen, I arrived an hour before close and Tsigay was still polite enough to take my order. She was so kind and sweet, and helped me with my order. The interior is a combination of a small casual dining room and half grocery store. This restaurant had been on my list to try for a while and I'm glad I made it a priority during my trip to Charlotte.

I thought East African Cuisine Eritrean and Ethiopian was closed. I stopped on two occasions. I…read morethought welp, that's just one more Ethiopian restaurant closed in Charlotte. My friend wanted me to meet her there and insisted they were open. I had my doubts but rolled in and what did I see???? An illuminated OPEN sign! Yipppeeee! We walked in a little carry out space with a couple of high top tables, looked like take out, the lady had a steam table loaded with 8 dishes, it's kind of like buffet, but Terry fixes your plate. (I used to work with a waiter from NY, when Southerners said, "fixin", he would say, "is it broken?") She loads it up with all the veggie dishes, there were one or two meat options too. I didn't try any, now I'm mad at myself, why didn't I? Plenty of injera and Terry's homemade hot sauce available. The door to the bar is open, so you can sit in the bar with your heaping plate of goodness, there's even a patio if you would like to sit outside, but not a lot of shade so it would have to be the perfect afternoon for al fresco dining. We enjoyed our lunch, barely talking, scarfing down our food, Ethiopian is one thing that I cannot eat fast enough!!! If I'm with people, I have to make myself stop and talk. Be sure to make time for coffee service. Ethiopian coffee is unique. They hand roast the beans, grind them, steep in a tiny, clay pot and serve with warm milk, tiny cups and popcorn. WHAT THE WHAT? My head exploded. I had a most enjoyable lunch, can't wait to return! Lunch is $10 and on Wednesdays it's $9!!!!!!!! CUNW.

Always love the Ethiopian food. This was my first Ethiopian food place in Charlotte. Food is great…read more Service is average! They took a while to get us Seated despite the fact that there were not many customers during that time.only for the good food we visited couple of times!

Great find! Traveled from Florida and I went with a large party. We really enjoyed our food! Our…read moremeals include a combination of shareables (Meat platter) and individual platters. The restaurant is a quaint establishment and the featured art was unique. I really liked some of the paintings. Our server was very kind, offering suggestions for us first timers. Most of us have never had Ethiopian food before and we were recommended the Tibs with the sides. The injera seems to be the core concept. You eat everything wrapped in the injera! The meat platter was a great deal, offering the different types of protein so we could try everything. The meals were delicious! The sambusas was flavorful though a little on the dry side. Reminds me of samosas, even the name had a familiar ring to it! My lamb was juicy and flavorful, I really enjoyed the green beans the most out of all the sides. Overall everyone enjoyed their food. Glad to have been here!

Delicious food and service but really hot inside the restaurant so I took off a star for the…read moretemperature inside the restaurant. Otherwise, well lit ambiance. My food was also spicy so that made me feel even hotter, lol. The mushroom Tibs is very good and so was the classic chicken. The sambusa appetizers were pretty good. Well - I liked the chicken the best, and you really need the sauce. I'd prefer a mint chutney sauce or avocado ranch sauce. lol. Also - not a fan of the texture of the injera, so really glad that pita bread was an option. Most of the table enjoyed it though. The staff was great and explained all the menu options, answered our questions and provided our food (party 12-14) pretty fast.

With apologies to the other Ethiopian restaurants in the area, I picked Red Sea for dinner because…read moretheir Yelp page had the best food pics, and rightly so. Red Sea provided exactly the type of experience I wanted, including decor, atmosphere, friendliness, and of course the food. In the background, behind a door on the side of the restaurant, there was a second area where you could hear people playing snooker. At one point in the evening, the woman who seated and served us also roasted coffee beans at a little station in the corner, then she walked around so that the smell penetrated the entire restaurant like incense. What a cool thing, and something I've never experienced at any other Ethiopian restaurant previously. It's such a simple thing, you'd think it would be more common. The food was, of course, delicious. You could order individual foods or combo platters, and the combo platters were very well explained. This was one of the few Ethiopian restaurants I've visited which included beets on the menu both in the vegetable platter and as a side. Each person gets one gigantic piece of injera, so little worry of running out (there is a charge for extra). Tej is available by the bottle and glass, and several brands of beer are available. I would classify Red Sea as a hidden gem and definitely a place to dine.

Just finished watching an amazing show at Ovens Auditorium.. Mojo was amazing. Getting turned away…read moreat The Red Sea was a buzz kill. We walked in and watched someone eating with a full plate of food. The guy literally had his friend, hands deep in one of dishes that we didn't get a chance to taste. He immediately said, "closed." We hadn't opened our mouths and you were rude.. like the door should have been locked. Clearly, they were open. Just not to us. There was a man club in the back, and more guys were eating. So, I guess we just weren't invited. Now I lived in the Middle East for a few years, so I get it. Totally. But your hours are currently listed that you're open until 2 am. I took pictures of you serving ppl. You just didn't want to serve us. I hope your friends enjoyed your open restaurant. I won't be back... and I'll tell ppl that you're "closed." The restaurant looked a little dank anyways. I'd give a zero, but the app won't allow it.

The food was excellent. The service was efficient for an…read moreEthiopian/Eritrean food, No one expects ambiance from a food bus. It all depends on where it is parked,

Had an opportunity to try this food truck while it was at Pilot Brewing. A friend mentioned it to…read moreus, so when we saw the online schedule we decided to head over. The wait after we placed our order was reasonable, and the women working in the truck were super friendly. We had a great experience - they explained the dishes to us after we shared it was our first visit. I ordered the meat sambusa and chicken tibs. I was torn between chicken and mogogo go tibs but I went with chicken. They were good, but I thought the dish was slightly greasy. I wasn't familiar with one of the sides, but the other was cabbage and pretty good. This was my first time trying Ethiopian food, I'll try it again.

This was definitely one of the best Ethiopian restaurants I've eaten at in Charlotte, and I already…read morecan't wait to get back. As a vegetarian, I ordered the Queen Sheba Veggie which had a little bit of everything. It was *chef's kiss*. I didn't specify a spice level but it was manageable, yet totally flavorful and delicious. The cabbage dish was absolutely the best I've ever had, the injera was plentiful and perfectly tasty, and the honey wine (tej) was a delight. I arrived hungry and managed to finish most of what was on the platter. I definitely think the portions were generous without going overboard. I really don't have any complaints about this place. I wish they were open for lunchtime, but I guess that just means more Ethiopian food for dinner for me!

Don't go to this place unless you're okay with being choked or pepper-sprayed. The owner, Noah,…read moreseems to think it's acceptable to assault customers. I went to pick up an order and asked for a specific item. Noah, the owner, responded, "I don't go to the kitchen," and kept repeating the same excuse for about three minutes. Determined not to leave without the item, I finally said, "If you can't get it, just refund me, and I'll leave." Noah had $20 in his hand but never printed a receipt. Eventually, he handed me the $20. As I walked toward the main door to leave, he said, "Don't go through that door." I didn't understand why, as it was the main exit, but I decided to proceed anyway. Suddenly, I heard footsteps behind me. Without warning, Noah came up and put me in a chokehold from behind. The hold only lasted a couple of seconds before my instincts kicked in. Having trained in martial arts, I defended myself. In the heat of the moment, I retaliated and landed multiple strikes. At one point, I realized I could have seriously hurt him--I almost choked him out or broken his arm--but I held back. The fight spilled through the door Noah didn't want me to use, and we ended up outside on the street. By the end of the altercation, we were both holding onto each other's shirts. I told him I wouldn't press charges because I felt I had already gotten the upper hand. Soon after, Noah called a security guard from the bar next door. When the guard arrived, I thought it was about to escalate further. Instead, Noah, clearly upset, ordered the guard to pepper spray me at close range. Afterward, the guard and I exchanged a few words. I could tell he felt bad about what happened after hearing the full story. In the end, Noah decided not to press charges, likely to avoid scrutiny over his own actions. Yelp doesn't allow posts with graphic content, so I can't share some of the images. The video shows you glimpses ywim

I visited Samoha Restaurant yesterday and I must say the égusi sauce ( melon seeds sauce covered a…read morefish cooked in a savory tomato sauce.) The flavors were rich and authentic. I have had several African dishes and this Egusi is delicious. My husband loves puff puff ( fried dough with a dash of nutmeg). The food was delectable. The server was attentive and courteous. I advice you to order ahead of time. Be adventurous try some African dishes. Visit Samoha restaurant.

The food was less than desirable. My partner was sick, and hoped to enjoy some delicious soup,…read moresimilar to what he grew up with. I should've heeded the warning of the other reviews, but I thought I would give a small business a chance. I was absolutely wrong. My first clue should've been the lack of customers in the restaurant. My second clue should've been that 90 sanitation rating. My third clue should've been the lack of food in the chafing dishes upfront. My fourth clue should've been when I was charged more than the posted price for the soup (which came to $19.47). I ignored all of this just to support a small business. Beware. If I could have given zero stars I would have. I hope this place shuts down soon. It is a real waste of space.

Love the variety in the menu. This isn't a Mexican restaurant. It's a taco spot!…read more I like the Fixie braised beef taco & Bowtie fish taco. Definitely try the flour tortilla chips & queso. Amazing! I also like the cool mural and art in the restaurant.

I grew up coming to Crafted and usually try to make it here at least once whenever I'm back in…read moretown. Unfortunately, this visit was pretty disappointing. We stopped in before heading to a show at Tanger Center to celebrate my mom's birthday. After being seated on the patio, we waited at least 20 minutes without being acknowledged. A couple was seated next to us well after we arrived and was greeted within just a few minutes. I eventually had to walk back to the host stand to let someone know we'd been sitting there waiting. The same server who hadn't acknowledged us eventually came over to take our order. Thankfully, the food came out quickly, but unfortunately, the queso was completely cold, and my taco was barely lukewarm. I didn't want to make a fuss, so I let it go. As a person of color, I also can't ignore how uncomfortable it felt to watch another table receive immediate attention while we sat there without even being acknowledged by this sane server. I can't speak to the reason for the difference in service, but it certainly didn't feel good, especially considering the patio wasn't busy at the time. I've always enjoyed coming here over the years, which made this experience even more disappointing. I really hope this was just an off day.