For sure a basic dive - practically no ambiance other than iconic wood paneling. But the food!!! It's amazing. I had the doro wot. It was out of this world. Service was very friendly and good. read more

Food was just okay. It wouldn't be my first choice for getting Ethiopian food but the bartender was so attentive and always ready to answer questions. It's an interesting combo between sports bar and Ethiopian. It was good for a midday meet-up. read more

You're finally fulfilling your dream of eating delicious Ethiopian food in the back room of a Philly neighborhood dive bar, perhaps even while a lively trivia night is simultaneously going on out front. The friendly hipster who takes your order is also tending a busy bar, but she doesn't break a sweat. Ask her for menu advice and she'll steer you right. You're in good hands. read more

ERA - Vegetarian Combination - Ethiopian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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True - it is a dive bar, so you know what to expect for ambiance, but every time we've gone it's exceeded our expectations. Staff and clients are friendly, and the food is amazing. Really solid Ethiopian cuisine. The last time we were there we went with lamb and chicken, this time around we tried the beef tips with greens and veggies. Our only complaint was that they happened to be out of eggs- which gives us a reason to return. Looking forward to exploring more of the menu. read more

ERA - Derek Tibs - Ethiopian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The front part is a bar and back part has seating space for food. The cuisine is unique and the food was excellent. The family style was enjoyable and the server was kind and very friendly. Great option to try Ethiopian flavours. read more

ERA - Era Combination - Ethiopian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You would not expect an amazing Ethiopian restaurant behind a pretty normal dive bar but that's exactly what ERA is. We came by right as they were closing and they still sat and fed our party of 4, which was just an A+ in my book. They also sat us with a smile and did not rush us to finish our meal. The food itself was amazing, I always have a soft spot for Ethiopian food. Theres just always such a variety of flavors and it goes so well with the soft, slightly sour injera. We got the combo platter and it was enough to feed 4 people well. I can't even recall the specific meats we got but it was all just amazing so I doubt you'd be disappointed with any choices you make! read more

ERA - Combo platter - Ethiopian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Ambience is dreadful. Food is dry and not fresh. I got the vegetarian platter and it was so bad. Service wasn't the best. The lady kept walking off when I was asking her questions about the menu, like she was impatient I didn't understand. Choosing your options to go with your injera is so weird. They don't have a lot of options for sides compared to other Ethiopian restaurants I've been to. Like ??? Why am I only allowed 2 sides with my injera and not a full variety of vegetarian options??? Horrible. But I should have known by the look of the place the quality of food I was about to get. Won't be back. read more

The best Ethiopian food around! Lovely staff and friendly, laid-back atmosphere. There's a bar, a dining area, pool tables and outdoor seating. read more

What an unexpected find for Ethiopian! We've been wanting to try this place out for some time and we finally got around to it for a Friday date night. The place is fairly easy to find, and for us - it was just a short walk over! They had their outdoor seating set up, and the weather was perfect for some al fresco dining. They have a good list of beers (bottles and drafts) along with some pretty decent vegetarian options. We chose to go with the vegetarian platter that came with a little bit of every item of the veggie options. For two of us, the portion was HUGE! It was definitely lunch the next day! The food was well seasoned and came out pretty quickly. I liked eating with my hands and trying different combinations to keep my tastebuds guessing. Our waitress so nice and provided lots of input on the dishes to help us make our decisions and she checked on us plenty. Definitely a culinary adventure all right in our own back yard - enjoy your time! read more

Tastiest food on (basically) Girard. Service was great and the ambience is also. Will definitely go again

Tasty Ethiopian spot with a full bar, billiards table, and a few tables for dining. It mostly feels like a bar. Our server was the bartender, and she was friendly and helpful, though service was a tad slow because she was handling everyone's orders and the food took a while to prepare. There were three of us, so we opted for the Era Combination, which comes with three entrees of your choice plus all the sides (the collard greens, yellow lentils, and atakilt wot or cabbage with potato and onion). The waitress recommended the derek tibs, shiro, and doro wot, which I thought were all very yummy. The one thing though: the derek tibs consisted of small chunks of beef that were very dry and tough. My husband didn't like the texture at all and felt like it was burnt. I've never had derek tibs before so I'm not sure what it's supposed to taste like, but I didn't mind the texture. Overall, the injera was soft and tasty, the food was super flavorful, and I'd definitely come back! read more

ERA - Era Combination with derek tibs, doro wot, and shiro - Ethiopian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Came here today to have dinner with my mom and her husband. I finally realized that you won't get the maximum experience of Era unless you order the family style option. Big is the way to go. Otherwise it's a total waste. Era excels at large portions but individual plates are abysmal...tasty but not worth it. We had beef, lamb and chicken and it was absolutely amazing. The waitress was friendly and helped us decide on the level of spice that suited our palate. I like Era because it's part dive bar, part restaurant. I'll be back but only when I know I'll be with at least 3 people or more. read more

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What a joke! I can't believe they're actually charging money for this "sampler size"! I know Ethiopian food because I travel a lot and it is my #1 go to in bigger cities where you can find it. But I have never been so disappointed in the portion sizes. And, most places will offer a combo platter with 4-5 dishes. I ordered the atakilt wat (on the left) as my main, but it came as a measly side instead. I can't believe they're charging almost $20 for these two tablespoons of food!! The quality of the food almost doesn't even matter here, because there was barely enough to even taste it. That being said, it was lacking in flavor and depth of spices. We had originally ordered this for two people! So, my friend had to order a separate dish and wait while the rest of us in the group ate our measly portions. My friend ordered something with beef and said that the meat was burnt and dry. It looked it. Even the injera (bread) was gummy. The waitress couldn't have cared less when I mentioned the teeny portion sizes. I would never turn down Ethiopian food unless someone mentioned this place again. Stay home and eat Top Ramen instead. read more

ERA - Atakilt wat on the left (which I had ordered as my main but it came as a tiny side), shiro wat in the pot, misir wat on the right. - Ethiopian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

After sitting for an hour in the resturant this past October I double checked on my order with the server who was working behind the bar. She told me the kitchen was backed up, but it should be out soon. She then asked if we wanted to cancel the order. I asked her why, if it was going to be out soon. She then admitted that the order was never placed and we could cancel if we wanted. At that point, we stood up and left the restaurant. read more

We've lived in Fairmount nearly 20 years and somehow never made our way here until just recently. Food was delicious. Dive bar atmosphere was fun. We'd definitely return! read more

Updated 9/3/22: My earlier review noted I have been coming to Era since they opened - I think their Ethiopian food is very good. But on my prior visit, the bartender forgot to put in my food order and didn't say anything until I asked about it 45 minutes & again an hour later. I left after nearly 90 minutes without being served. But, I like their food so I went back the following week - I ribbed the bartender (same guy), he apologized & put my order in promptly, and I was having dinner a reasonable while later. So, we were both good sports. Yebeg Wot (lamb stew in a red pepper sauce), Atkelt Wot (mixed cabbage, carrots, potatoes in a ginger/garlic sauce), & Miser Wot (spiced yellow lentils) served with Injera (spongy sourdough crepe bread) were all tasty. One thing I like about eating at Ethiopian restaurants is that the food is usually made from scratch/homemade at the restaurant... the reason is simple: in the US you can't buy "pre-made" components for Ethiopian cuisine the way you can for, say, a bag of French fries or an Italian eggplant rollatini, or frozen egg rolls, etc from a store or food distribution center... when's the last time you saw Injera at the supermarket? So, still glad we have Era in the neighborhood, read more

I must admit, I was a bit confused when I walked into the bar. "How is this an Ethiopian restaurant?" "Because they serve Ethiopian food." OK, then. If you are hungry, I would suggest going to the restaurant part of the building (that I didn't see). My friends and I went to the bar, where I think they also serve food. Got it? I took advantage of the Citywide Special and got the Lionshead Pilsner with the shot of Heaven Hill. I recommend taking advantage of this deal. I live in Southern California where this is unheard of. They also had a pretty good draft and bottled beer selection, including Lancaster Milk Stout (I used to be the brewer!) I didn't get to try any of the victuals, but, maybe next time? There were a number of vegetarian options that looked like they would be vegan, but I would ask to be sure. I hope to check out Era again the next time I visit your city. If I get to try the food, this review will be updated. read more

ERA - Lionshead and Heaven Hill Citywide Special - Ethiopian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I've been to just about every Ethio place in the city, and ERA was last on the list. Coming on a Wednesday for Quizzo, a trivia night where you can win a gift card or sometimes small prizes, we ordered a few city wide specials, a few beers, and the meat combo platter. The hefty price of over 40 dollars really threw me, since usually for that price, you can get 4 separate meals at my fave ethio places, but I went for it. We were a group of 3. Platter was impressive. Bar was a little cramped for Quizzo, but we made it work and ate quickly. For three people, we knocked out the whole thing pretty easily. What I first noticed is that they give less than one slice of injera per person. The injera is also a lot less sour than injera is at some places-- a pro or a con, depending on what is your favorite type. The three meats were unique-- the kitfo (raw) was flavored well, and they gave a lot! But the derek tibs, arguably the cheapest to make, were gone in only a few bites. Also the yebeg (lamb) wasn't very saucy. By the end, wish we'd left one person at home. What they lack in giving meat, they try to make up for by giving so many veggies, the bites are endless. Really great lentils, too. Everything else standard. Think the standard for the platter should have been at least one piece of injera per person, though. Don't think I'd eat here again very soon, as the portions don't match the prices, but fun to try out. read more

ERA - Ethiopian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

One of the best meals out we have had in a long time! Get the Lamb Wot! Fantastic! Server/bartender was very polite and very helpful!

So a friend too a few of us here when we were visiting, we walked over from his place and it was worth the walk. I had never had ethiopian food prior and have always wanted to try it. I was curious about what kind of thing would be on the menu. We ended up getting a sampled platter for 4. We got lamb chicken and beef and a few sides. The food was pretty awesome. I liked the idea of using the bread/pancake to scoop food and eat it. I don't remember what everything was name wise, but i really did like the lamb. It was suppose to be spicy but i didn't find it particularly so, but i may have also burned off most of my spicy taste buds. The chicken and beef were also good but not as good as the lamb. The only improvement on the meal specifically the sample platter was that we got 3 sides but they gave us like 6-9 portions total. It would have been nice to get maybe 6 portions and been able to try all the sides or more of them. read more

ERA - Ethiopian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I must first admit that I have nothing to compare this to. My husband asked if I wanted to celebrate my last student day with Ethiopian Fios and I said yes. I had to get past the look because I am not a fan of looking at the craters in the bread, but it was quite delicious. I enjoyed it enough that I got it later in the week for takeout. I gave them four stars because the establishment can get quite warm. Please fix the AC. read more

ERA - Doro Wot - Ethiopian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

If you've never had Ethiopian food before, then you will be satisfied. But if you have had really good Ethiopian food before, then this doesn't compare. We ordered Yedoro Wat (Chicken and Egg) and Yebeg Tibs (Lamb) and since each came with two vegetable sides, we got one of each: Atkelt Wot (Cabbage and Potatoes), Miser Lentils, Gomen (Collard Greens), and salad. The lamb was a bit dry and the chicken could have used more spice. However, I must admit I like things really flavorful. The cabbage and collards were good, but could have used a bit more flavor. I'm usually not a big lentil fan because of the consistency, but this was the best executed dish in terms of flavor. The service okay. We were the only ones in the dining room on a Saturday night at 7:30 (which I found odd, but could be good news if you are looking for a Saturday night spot without a reservation. After the food came, the waitress came every hour or so. When we needed something, we had to go find the waitress ourselves. This would have bothered me more if anyone else was there, but I found it acceptable since I her attention was more focused on the bar in the front. read more

ERA - Yedoro Wat (Chicken and Egg), Yebeg Tibs (Lamb), Atkelt Wot (Cabbage and Potatoes), Miser Lentils, Gomen (Collard Greens), and Salad. - Ethiopian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

A neighborhood bar with fantastic food. Bar offers a wide variety of beers and bartenders are always friendly. The space has more of a dive atmosphere (this is a compliment) but serves Michelin star quality food. read more

Food was amazing!!! My first time having Ethiopian, so simple and so standout. The server was also thoughtful & attentive. Gluten free options! read more

Food here isn't good. Honestly the Ethiopian food is unseasoned. I've had way better. All of the positive reviews are probably from white people who aren't used to seasoning in their food. Also, they have a pool table there that just......doesn't make sense. It's so close to the wall that you just can play. Waste of time and money. read more

We went at 5pm last evening for an early dinner. There was outdoor seating and very few people. We got the vegetarian and meat platter. The injera was too sour and sides were not very tasty. Lentils were very bland, greens had no flavor. We got all three chicken sides on their menu. They were all very average. It was hard to eat the sour injeras with the sides. I wasn't happy with their meal. read more

ERA - Ethiopian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Huge portions, freshly cooked, wings were wonderful. Service was impeccable and I could see their connection to the community. Please visit

portion size was a joke. a huge plate with 3 small scoops for entree and 2 sides. this place is at 28th & poplar. it isn't in ritt square. their portion sizes suggest they are trying for ethiopian fine dining. in what borders the hood. again portion size was terrible. read more

A billion stars. Great food, excellent tap list, good service. I don't know what else to say or what else anyone could ask for. It's a wonderful dive bar with amazing food. Go here, spend your money, try the Beg Wot. read more

It was a great experience. Fantastic food. The server, I think Laura, was helpful and gave great recommendations. She was nice and took care of our friend group. Price/quality is above the roof. Highly recommend. read more

This place is cute and the atmosphere was pretty dope, but flavor-wise, it just wasn't there for me. This was my first Ethiopian food experience so maybe I ordered the wrong thing. I would be willing to try again since my friends RAVE about Ethiopian food. read more

ERA - Ethiopian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Where cozy, wood-paneled, dimly lit dive bar meets warm and welcoming East African cuisine. This is probably my favorite place to eat in Philadelphia. You can sit watching sports around the bar or choose to sit in the small but inviting dining area (5ish tables) in the back. Either way, you'll love it here and will want to bring back friends. read more

The food was okay. We got the lamb and beef. Not very flavorful- definitely need the sides it comes with. I would suggest getting the crispy lamb because it gave it more texture and better flavor. The restaurant is in the back of the bar. There are two entrances (front and side). Large bar area in the front. The bartender was working as the waitress too so she was doing a lot of back and forth to serve both areas. Food took about 30+ minutes to come out. There was one other table before us. Very casual location. Street parking. Can be difficult to find parking since the restaurant/bar is located in a residential area. read more

Great food, reasonable prices, horrible service. I'm not usually one to complain about service, but when it takes 20 min to get a beer I've asked for twice and I only get it after going to the bar and asking for it a third time, I feel that's worth a review. The issue was not the employees - they were clearly understaffed. The bar was nearly full and there was one waitress serving ~30 people, counting those outside. Eventually another waiter joined, but the two of them were still not enough to provide reasonable service. With that said, the food is great, and I strongly recommended them if you can catch them on a slow night. read more

Few weeks ago, I organized a UYE at ERA, and this review is a nod to ERA for the great job they did handling our large group. Rule No.1 of eating an Ethiopian meal, you won't be using any utensil, you'll eat using the Injera bread ( flatbread, ) and with your fingers (unless you asked for a fork, of course - try not to, for the full experience.) According to the Ethiopian culture, which is not far from my Middle Eastern culture, it is customary to eat with the right hand only, and not to rise until all are done, so don't rush and enjoy. Now, one of two things is true if you're reading this: 1) Either you have never tried Ethiopian cuisine before & you are thinking about giving it a try. Or 2) You have tried it, liked it, and you want to know our opinion about ERA, if it worth to try it. Either, or you are thinking of going to ERA, and I say just Go and here's why: - ERA is basically a dive bar, and personally I don't prefer dive bars. ERA was welcoming all comers. Ethiopian food is supposed to be eaten with friends and family, we were more than 30 Yelpers. We were given the back room, which had some African art on its walls. Very simple decor. - As a first timer, it wasn't easy for me to pick a dish, there was many intriguing options, from the conveniently set menu option they offer. I ended up getting the YEDORO WAT ($9.50): An assortment of marinated chicken in spicy stew, Goman- spicy sautéed chopped green, hard-boiled egg simmered in sauce, and Atkelt Wot- splint lentils simmered in Ethiopian spices. And of course, the injera bread. - Taste Wise, wasn't anything special- not very flavorful to my taste. That being said, everyone else loved their food, so if you haven't tried it yet, go and be the judge yourself. - For less than $10. Go. Go. Go! Three and half Yelps. read more

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Meredith already beat me to the summation of my Era update since I'm a bona fide slacker sometimes. But I figured that I'd put it up anyway since Era's worth it. And if anything it reminds Aaron that he still needs to report back on the likelihood of doing a UYE here. After another successful record club I was feeling the itch to get back to West Philth, but since Aaron's constant praise had it etched into the back of my skull by then, it took little convincing to get me to head down to Era for some Ethiopian goodness. In my last reviewed I praised it for being an unassuming neighborhood bar that doubled over as an Ethiopian food hunt. But I didn't have the chance to try the food and fully engage in the camaraderie. But once I did with the wonderful group of people that I was with it didn't disappoint. Since Meredith already put the exclamation point on the fact that the Sly Fox on tap was cheaper than what it went for at the brewery, you know that the great dive spirit was very strong with in it. But it also had cheaper drafts, and hooked up a shot of hell whiskey and a bottle of Lionshead for $3, making theirs the best City Wide Special variation ever! I wish the main bartenders name didn't escape me now (I'm going with Leon) because he was very engaging and hilarious to talk too. Since Aaron already covered the long wait for food, and Meredith vividly explained how her stomach nearly ate itself, I'll only add in that if it took any longer I would surely taken a chomp out of the bar with epic fervor. But at least it had a touch of home cooking when it arrived and was mighty tasty. I had stewed lamb that was mixed in with peppers and onions. And for sides (you get 2 of them added on with your entree!) I went with cabbage and lentils. So yeah, I'm not really contributing anything new to the table. But at least I'm vouching for the good of Era. and maybe it will lead to finding out about another epic event. So score! read more

Yelp lists ERA as an Ethiopian Dive Bar. I'd find this description to be on point. While I'm not stranger to dive bars, this was my first foray into Ethiopian dining. I'm impressed by both. I recently dined in the back room with a large group of Yelpers for another fabulous UYE organized by the fabulous Sari A. Since I've never had Ethiopian food before, I can't compare it to anything else, but I definitely enjoyed it. My husband and I went splitsies on two entrees on all of the sides. We tried the Yebeg Wat (#14) and the ERA Special Beef Tibs (#6) with the goman, miser lentils, ye'miser wot and the atkelt wot. After typing all of that I really feel like I'm talking in a foreign language and have no idea what I'm talking about. That's kind of how I felt while eating my meal. Bottom line was that everything was extremely flavorful and extremely enjoyable. Sometimes it's more fun not trying to understand your meal and actually just eating it. They had a nice variety of bottled and draft beers as well. Nothing eclectic but enough that you could have a light beer or a craft beer at dive bar pricing. Speaking of pricing, recent UYEs have been BYOB so adding the bar tab element into group dining could have been a giant nightmare. Our server not only handled our large group with grace, everyone automatically received individual bills. Crisis avoided! My only real complaint was that our food came out very staggered. Some people were totally done by the time some people even got their food. We were a large group so I'm not going to let that hamper my overall opinion. The server did a great job explaining Ethiopian cuisine to newbies such as myself and kept everything else running pretty smoothly. I had ERA bookmarked for a long time. I'm so glad I finally made it and can't wait to go back for another Ethiopian and dive bar experience. read more

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A delightful, no-frills, delicious bar/restaurant that has come highly recommended from a few friends. I've tried a number of the spots in West Philly, so I have to compare my experiences to that, but overall, I really enjoyed my dinner at ERA. The bar is huge and was sparsely occupied, allowing folks to actually talk and have a conversation. In the back dining room (where the 4 of us were), the vibe is low-key and friendly. I ordered the Special Beef Tibs (with Goman, the chopped greens and the Ye'Miser Wot, the hot simmered lentils) - which was all super flavorful, spicy, and delicious. I loved how soaked in flavor the injera was by the end of my dinner. What I liked about my experience at ERA was the personal-sized entree (compared to the combination/sharing platters at some West Philly places), and thought the food was all really tasty. Service was incredibly friendly and super helpful (our server suggested the Special Beef Tibs for me, and I really enjoyed them.) Great spot! read more

Tasty Ethiopian food! Plain and simple. I was on the look out for a good Ethiopian place to go to and to take friends (after I burnt my bridges with Abyssinia) tried a few and they all bombed. But I think I've found what I was looking for. Went for dinner on a Sunday with my roommate and the place was empty, so we were kind of skeptical at first. But we shared a plate of yedoro wat, a tasty chicken dish and it came with the staple injera bread and two sides and we chose the greens and lentils. They were all really really yummy and I cannot fault them and we finished the whole thing and they gave the right amount of bread. So, NO WASTE! That makes me so happy. And the hostess was super nice and I would bring any friends who wanted Ethiopian food here. All in all great meal, happy tummy and happy me. read more

ERA - Ethiopian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I like ERA. It's casual, cheap (a few drafts for $2, and a special of a shot of Heaven Hill and a Lion's Head bottle for $3), and comfy. There's a dude who DJs reggae and ethiopian jazz (which I'm a sucker for) on the weekends (and, as he sees fit, any other night). I haven't tried the food yet, but it looks reasonable. If North Star (just a block away) is busy, go to ERA and relax. Check out the art on the walls, sit at the rectangular bar (seating on all sides, with bartenders in the middle), and enjoy some good music. read more

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