It was my first time having this type of food. I enjoyed it very much. The only issue I had was our server did not give us instructions on how to eat the food. read more

ERA - First time here. Exceeded expectations. - Ethiopian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

My three star review is based solely on their lack of bar food. The prices are right, the bartenders are the nicest, the pool table is good enough, and the crowd is always a great mix of people. The only problem is that you can't get anything to snack on...all they serve is full entrees of Ethiopian food. They wouldn't even make me the house salad if I didn't order an entree. The menu has ethiopian "bar snacks," but they apparently discontinued those. All they need is some french fries or even some sort of Ethiopian finger food, and they'd be an absolute favorite. read more

Amazing food. Such a pleasant surprise from a dive bar. Eating with your hands. Good music. Good beer. Cons:the food took a while but still so worth it read more

I've been coming here for several years; this place has gone downhill over the years. First of all, the bartenders changed and service has declined as a result. I loved the bartenders who used to work here on the weekends, and the new ones are inexperienced and rude. Next, the food has always been unpredictable, but the last time I was here, I ordered the doro wot (chicken in red sauce with an egg) with greens and lentils. The portions were tiny and the bread was dry and crusted like it's been laying out for days. And to top it all off, I watched a cockroach walk across the counter as I was eating. I would prefer the food and service at the other Ethiopian counterparts in West Philly. Overall, Era has simply deteriorated in food and bartender service quality and it's a shame. The only good thing left about this bar is Leon, the security, who is always friendly and helpful. read more

Come here if you want great Ethiopian and a cool dive bar experience. Rewina was a sweet waitress. I was so happy to have left overs the next day because this food was unbelievably delicious. The dishes come with options for two sides so you end up with a large sampling of Ethiopian standards. Only complaint were two loud groups of people making whack comments about not knowing how to eat properly and not get dirty. Just enjoy... Duh! read more

The vegetarian platter was great and they were very sweet hosts. I alao like liked the old school bar in front. The small eatery in the back is sparse but I like that better than contrived and stuffy. Its a little bright in there but the food is great quality. I recommend if you like no nonsense ethopian eating at a reasonable price. Which. I sure do! read more

ERA is the best place to hang out, play pool and eat authentic Ethiopian cuisine. I enjoyed the environment and their prices are great. This my hang out spot, very close to my home and really enjoy the food when am craving for Ethiopian taste. The staff are very generous and friendly. read more

Honestly, I have been to several Ethiopian restaurants in Philadelphia-- and you have to wait a pretty long time for the food to come. I found that that this place was a little bit quicker, but not by much. I think the wait is well worth the food being served-- delicious, abundant, and very reasonably priced. The servers are all very gracious and kind. If you live in the Art Museum/Fairmount/Brewerytown area, this is a great place to have a laid back inexpensive and delicious meal! read more

If you've never had Ethiopian food ERA is the place to go. There is a oval shaped bar in the front along with a dining room in the back if the bar doesn't suit you, the bar has a very divey feel. My personal favorites are the spicy lamb tibs as well as the ribeye. ERA also has a good city wide special and a very solid beer list. read more

Ive had two different and enjoyable experiences at Era. My first trip was a quiet dinner in the back dinning room with close friends. The second trip was a more drunkin event; at the bar, with Yelpers whom I had never met. i had a blast both times, its actually pretty hard not to. The food is as good as any Ethiopian restaurant i have ever been. i have had the beef, lamb, beef tibs. all spicy but not overwhelming, and very savory. The lentils side is actually the best i have ever had, and the cabbage and potatoes are mild enough to mellow out the sting from the spicy meat. The beer is super cheap and they have a few good ones, so you can get all banged up and still have cash in your pockets. I took full advantage on my second trip. since the beer is cheap and your eating spongy bread, you might as well have a couple more pints and take a cab home. But the truly 5 star part of Era is the service. The bartender Rachel is fantastic. She is sweet, engaging and efficient, she handled a big crowd with ease. She made me feel right at home when I arrived and the bar was empty. the gentleman who served us my first trip was also super nice and added to the experience, because he didn't make my friends who were new to the cuisine, feel intimidated. thanks to Aaron for cluing me in on this place, I feel lucky to have gone and enjoyed before the masses figure it out and there is a line at the door. read more

Ethiopian food in a fun dive bar? I love it! This place is great to have in the neighborhood and a regular place my roommates and I go to for food and a city wide special. read more

I play quizzo every Wednesday here and I love it. I would arguably reason quizzo is the best night to go to this bar. The quiz master is lively and the prizes are fun and weird. The questions can be difficult, but you always leave with a cool fact or two. The food is good, one of the better Ethiopian restaurants in Philly. Also CHEAP. I got 3 beers and an entree for $18 total. The staff is wonderful and very sweet. $10 credit card minimum. Highly recommended. read more

Good food at great value. Clean with a great outdoor sidewalk space. Highly recommend.

Nice evening to dine al fresco. Ordered the beef tips with 2 sides... fabulous. Plenty of food without hating yourself afterword. Would happily return. read more

A year ago I couldn't have imagined giving ERA a less than perfect rating. Times have changed. Granted, my better half and I normally come in on weeknights for dinner. For weekend drinking, maybe everything is still kosher, but I'll let others speak to that, although I still pine for the $2 pint Tuesdays. The bartenders at ERA used to be friendly, attentive, and they'd notice when you needed a water or a fresh beer. The past handful of visits, however, we've been waited on by the same woman, who I'd bet is related to the ownership. She's not unpleasant, but she is a far cry from attentive. Two weeks ago she parked herself under the television and didn't check up on us after our food came for a good 10-15 minutes (and some of this food is spicy and the better half does not like sharing her beer after mine's gone). Last night, after my girlfriend let her know that the kitchen had given us the wrong sides, she put up a tiny fuss and said that the two sides were what we had ordered (we order the same sides every visit and anyhow, even though we love lentils, we'd never need two sides of them). She is pleasant enough, I suppose, but nothing like the bartenders of yore, and you're never going to get much small talk out of her which is always nice. The quality of the food has quietly deteriorated as well and this has been the saddest thing to slowly witness. I was in denial for months. It just couldn't be. I'll give them another chance, they're just having a bad night. Again and again and again, but I finally had to get real with myself. Sides have become meager. Not very generous with the injera. A week ago, my kitfo was cooked! And as silly as it sounds, I just don't feel like there's much love in the dishes anymore! After last night, I've officially retired ERA as a bi-weekly dinner spot. Almaz Café will certainly do the trick. I will, though, miss what this place used to be. read more

Why is no one in this bar on a Friday? The food remains great. We had dozens of $3 lions head bottle + bourbon shot specials. We played pool. We put good tunes on the jukebox and danced. The bartender Amanda remains great. And we had the bar TO OURSELVES. Which was pretty cool. But someone should discover this great bar other than us. C'mon! read more

Wasn't initially impressed with this place after trying it when I first moved into the neighborhood. Lately however, they have stepped up their game. Always a great place for cheap drinks. I get the house wine and it is usually $5 a glass. Recently had the fish tips and lamb entrees. I always love the cabbage and collard sides. The lamb is my favorite, really good. They also just added outdoor seating which is great and are now offering brunch which I look forward to trying. read more

you don't come here for the service or the atmosphere. you come here for the bil ol meat pancakes. they are delicious and weird! 4 stars cause once we waited like forever for the food to come and i got cranky and said some things i didnt mean to my boyfriend. read more

I won't pretend to be an expert on the cuisine because, well, I'm not completely pretentious. That said, the food is great, the service is beyond friendly, and you can get fat and drunk for under 25 dollars. Yeah, get over here. read more

Cheap drinks and great food. The owner is very nice and I always have a good time when I come here. What else is there to say! It's a fun bar with cheap booze!!! read more

Yes it is a hole in the wall but you can get 6 drinks for less $20 that not happy hour specials. The beer list is decent and they serve Ethopian food and also there are other selection on the menu. You cannot go wrong with such affordable prices for drinks. read more

It is decent dive, has a pool table, Slyfox IPA on tap AND Ethiopian food. What else do you want??!! I'm in the neighborhood so it's close enough for me to go hang out every now and then. The beer selection is limited on Tap -- Guinness, Philly Pale Ale, MagicHat No.9, Hoegaarden, yeungling. There are some bottles too that are cheaper. The food is good but not great if you know your Ethiopian or have been spoiled by better Ethiopian restaurants in DC. ERA has a separate seating are if you aren't too much into the dive scene. But overall, it is a decent hangout spot that isn't too expensive. read more

If ya go it's trivia night. Good food not the best Ethiopian in town but a great neighborhood spot. Service was solid and the Trivia guy is serious and knows what he's doing. read more

Great dive bar and great food at an affordable price. Popular during quizzo but there is seating in the back (next to a a mural) and outside. Food can be a little inconsistent sometimes and seems a little understaffed at times. But still love it here read more

This is a neighborhood gem - the place is divey but the food is cheap and amazing and the bartenders are friendly. I wish there were more local spots like this in our area! read more

Definitely a fan of this place, great drink specials, even better Ethiopian food, which if you haven't tried you need to. This spot is most definitely going on my local watering hole list... read more

Era is the joint, Heaven Hill and Lionshead specials, art work on the walls and usually good music on. There's a pool table and 2 TV's, if you bug the bartender they will put on cartoons. Once my girl got thrown out though for having too much fun and these yuppie pigs complained. But she don't work there anymore and there seems to be a more fun staff there now. They serve Ethiopian food, which I am not a fan of, but I hear it's good so I can't really judge. Great place to get rocked for cheap. read more

I went to this bar for a birthday celebration for a person I hardly knew. It was an interesting experience, it's literally a hole in the wall that's attached to an Ethiopian restaurant owned by the same people. They have a great electronic jukebox, the crowd is mixed, and the bartenders are on top of things. Needless to say, the birthday girl got wrecked! read more

Era was a great time. The $3 city special, a shot of Heaven Hill and a bottle of Lionshead, help jump start your good time. The bartenders were nice, the jukebox and the pool table were open, and the food was surprisingly amazing. I'll definitely be back for the food and atmosphere. Who knew Ethiopian dive bars were so fun? read more

This review is based on the Ethiopian food only and not the alcohol. A friend and I decided to go to Era, which is somewhat close to the museum district where he lives. Well, it was definitely closer than the West Philly establishments anyways. We walked into the "restaurant" and it was definitely a bar in a rectangular shape that takes up the entire room. We asked if there were additional tables (there was only one tiny, pathetic table for 2 near the door), and were pointed to a room in the rear. One has to walk through a hallway/additional room that looked into the kitchen. A lot of hot air was coming from the kitchen, too bad this was already a very hot day. I took a look into the kitchen, because of course it is a good idea to scope out where one's food is coming from. There was one lady standing there, and it looked very old and cramped. However, it wasn't visibly dirty in the dim lighting. The back room was cozy with only about 6 tables in it. Although, all Ethiopian restaurants are really pretty cozy "hole in the walls." There was a back door that opened into an alley. There were paintings on the wall for sale by an artist that wasn't of an Ethiopian flavor. However, the tablecloths were of an Ethiopian design and looked pretty new. They are almost identical to the ones at Abyssinia. We received water fairly quickly, but ordering and getting our food took a bit of time. Typical Ethiopian timing despite for the fact that we were the only people in the restaurant. Overall, there were really only about 2 more people in the bar area. A man, who I assumed to be the owner sat at the corner of the bar when we came in and was still there when we left. I ordered my usual yebeg (lamb) tibs, which came with 2 sides. I chose the salad and the potato/carrot/cabbage dishes. My friend chose the yebeg wot dish with the collard greens and the potato/carrot/cabbage dish. There were only 4 choices, and the last was a lentil dish that neither of us chose. My food was somewhat spicy, but not really spicy. My lamb was good, but not extraordinary as was my friend's. His yebeg wot was much spicier than my lamb. The salad was nothing to write home about, and there did not seem to be much, if at all, a dressing on it. The potato/carrot/cabbage combo was good, but the potato and carrot chunks were too big, and so not as flavorful as one would have hoped for. However, all the ingredients seemed to be very fresh, which is a good thing. The injera was mediocre. It wasn't as thick as some of the other places, and definitely not as sour. It was adequate and not bad, but definitely not the best injera I have had. The portions were on the small side but the price was on the low side as well, although well within the range of typical Ethiopian places. The food was adequate, service typical, portions and prices comparable and no other customers came into the restaurant part of the establishment the entire time we were there. The overall experience was very uneventful, except for one small occurrence. At one point a marmalade cat walked into the hallway outside the kitchen and started to approach us before being shooed into a room with a closed door by our cook. Made me wonder if they have mouse problems? Conclusion is that this is a good place to scratch your Ethiopian itch, if you can't get into West Philly, but there are definitely better tasting Ethiopian elsewhere. read more

Not really sure how to grade this one... It's easily the most divey bar I've been to in Philadelphia. You walk in and it's one bar in the middle of a room with old school wood paneling. There isn't really anything on the walls so it feels a bit empty. However, the atmosphere is pretty cool. Bartenders are EXTREMELY cool, and the patrons seem like a pretty diverse and fun crowd. Beers are cheap. Definitely the destination place if you're near brewerytown. read more

I come here at least once a week for the tasty Ethiopian food and a few local brews (Sly Fox being my ale of choice here). Im vegetarian and ERA offers three tasty veg entrees (served with two sides and injera bread) for $8.75 each. Always fresh and tasty and the price can not be beat. They have a dining room in the back (which is suitable for families with children), or you can dine right at the bar. The bar atmosphere is low-key and friendly with a nice mix of locals. Check this place out! read more

Went here for my boyfriends birthday with some of his family. We ended up getting a huge platter to share between 4 people. I was nervous it wouldn't be enough food, but it was plenty enough. I had had Ethiopian food on two other occasions and wasn't really impressed by it but I will say this experience changed my mind. The food was absolutely tasty!! read more

GREAT FIND!!! A buddy of mine who lives in the are suggested we eat here and I'm SUPER pumped about it! This place is odd because it's a tavern, in every sense of the word....except they have FANTASTIC ethiopian food! I went with this pork dish, lentils and this pickled cabbage. The whole shebang was about $10, and worth every penny! You eat the traditional style using the njeri (flatbread) to pick up your food and eat, which is awesome! they also had a good beer selection. All in all, unique little spot to get some awesome ethiopian food in the neighborhood. read more

Era has a new cook and the quality definitely is not as good. The portions were smaller, the meat dishes were looser. I just got an Ethiopian cookbook so I might start replicating dishes at home. read more

I was a little skeptical of the rave reviews for ERA, but decided to give this spot a try. It was definitely a disappointing experience. Anyone who is familiar with authentic Ethiopian food would know that Era's food is pretty mediocre. I feel bad that people think Era serves good Ethiopian food. Please, if you ever visit the following cities, do yourself a favor and try these restaurants: Atlanta - Desta Ethiopian Kitchen; New York City - Zoma NYC; Falls Church, VA - Meaza Ethiopian Cuisine; Louisville, KY - Queen of Sheba. read more

Exactly what Margarita T. said. You nailed it, girl. Not much more to say. Well for variety's sake I'll add that I was held on the phone for 15 mins when ordering, then disconnected. And the portions are meant for a baby. read more

Local haunt. I'm here nearly every night reading for class or hanging with friends. The bartenders are friendly and the drinks are cheap. Food is good, but be prepared to wait for it. They have the most illogically placed pool table, but, damn, I have to have wasted hundreds of dollars on that thing. read more

Best Ethiopian spot ever! Its the perfect combination of a dive bar and great authentic food! Love the laid back atmosphere! The staff is great! read more

The food is hit or miss. I recommend Almaz Cafe in Center City- best Ethiopian. Don't get take out here, food is better dined in. Otherwise it's an interesting mix... crowd is mostly dive bar types, local watering hole type of place. One of the many dive bar-Ethiopian restaurant combos in Philly. read more