Five stars and a very full stomach. We walked in right when they opened and they were already firing on all cylinders. Food came out fast and the injera was bottomless, which is dangerous knowledge to have. We ordered two vegetarian combos served family style and I briefly considered canceling all future meals. Everything was rich, flavorful, and deeply satisfying. The spicy dishes had just the right amount of kick, exciting but not "why did I do this to myself" spicy. Prices aren't everyday cheap for me, but compared to most Berkeley spots it felt totally fair. Friendly service, pleasant atmosphere, and I will 100 percent return. read more

Ethiopia Restaurant - Menu - Ethiopian Near Me - Berkeley, California

I order the meat combination, which is one of my favorite solo meals. But the beef and goat were both either over cooked and too dry to finish. I tried to finish it, to keep from wasting it, but I just couldn't. The other items were fine, even the chicken was cooked fine. This was my first time at this place. I'm hoping it was just an off night since I did order food just an hour before they closed. read more

Check your bill carefully. Their menu clearly states that you will be charged 4% for using a credit card, however their POS system automatically adds in the 4% charge regardless. The food is good, but they really need to be more honest in the way they do business. read more

Meskie's is so good! My friends and I hit this spot up since it was in close proximity to us and we were not disappointed. We were seated super quick and the guy who took our order was really nice! We sat outside in the back, which was really cool. Did not even know it was back there! We ordered the meat combination which has beef, chicken, and lamb for the proteins, and the nene'wee with yemisir wet, yekik alicha, gomen, tekil gomen, and engudai wet. These were a variety of lentils, peas, collard greens, cabbage ad potatoes, and mushrooms! The food comes one a huge plate all together served atop a huge piece of injera bread (an Ethiopian style sourdough flatbread). We also got a couple baskets of injera to eat with! We all dug in and everything was delicious. My personal favorite items had to be the doro wet, yemisir wet, and the engudai wet. This was chicken, red lentils, and mushroom stews. The flavor is difficult to describe and I cannot compare it to many other cuisines, Truly unique and so delicious. We obliterated this meal so fast. If you have not had Ethiopian food before, give it a go! It is amazing and there is a lot of variety. We all loved this spot and will definitely return. read more

Ethiopia Restaurant - Meat Combination and Nene'wee with items 1-5 - Ethiopian Near Me - Berkeley, California

Great food and service!! Lots of flavor and spice. The dishes are large enough for lunch and dinner. I will definitely return. read more

Almost perfect! Service was very nice and attentive. Our waiter brought us extra injera without asking and he was so friendly. Our vegan combo which we chose 5 of them(no. 2,4,6,7,10) was super tasty. I love the &string bean the most. We also got sambussa but it looked so oily so I didn't taste it at all. Also got a parking spot right in the front. The only complain was the cleanliness...... the front of the restaurant was so dirty as well as both restrooms. read more

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The food was delicious!! It was also nice to go to a restaurant that had more than the B standard 5 choices. They didn't have tofu tibs which was disappointing. Our server was good but it wasn't clear if we pay from our table or at the counter. It was a little quiet on a Friday night but the food was solid! read more

Ethiopia Restaurant - Veggie combo platter - Ethiopian Near Me - Berkeley, California

This is the best Ethiopian restaurant in the area. The waitress was very friendly and seated our party of 4, immediately, upon arrival. For lunch we had the Vegetarian Combination and the Huda'da (mushroom stew). The portions are very large and the price is right. This is our go-to place for Ethiopian food, moving forward. Wow!. read more

The food is good especially the sambusa and the dip it comes with. The portion sizes are great. However, in my last visit, i was a bit disappointed since the menu prices and the actual prices on the bill seem to differ (tax was separate added to the total). When i asked the cashier about it, she had no explanation as to why. read more

Ethiopia Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Berkeley, California

I came here with two of my friends and we ordered two dishes family style, safe to say that the food was more than enough for the 3 of us! We absolutely loved it, and I was surprised to see such a large vegetarian section of the menu, it was very inclusive of dietary needs. The service was also good, we went a quiet/slow time and the waiter was very nice and checked in multiple times with us. The ambiance was also great, it's a very cute restaurant with a lot of nice art pieces. read more

Ethiopia Restaurant - 2. Vegetarian Combination - Ethiopian Near Me - Berkeley, California

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The food is by far the best Ethiopian I've tried and I've been to several in Oakland, Berkeley, and all over the Bay. Their chicken is cooked to perfection with a variety of juicy and crispy bites and the atkilt wet (green beans and carrots) are a family favorite- even the kids love it! My son goes crazy for their shrimp and their injera is made fresh daily! Cool outdoor area where the kids can be themselves and not worry about disturbing others! Always come back! read more

Ethiopia Restaurant - Shrimp Tibs and Yedoro Tibs with atkilt wet - Ethiopian Near Me - Berkeley, California

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The food here is sooo delicious We ordered the ultimate meat and veggie combo. Our eyes were bigger than our stomachs! We couldn't finish everything! That was my fault. We didn't eat anything all day and came here after running errands. I loved everything, but i can't finish everything so we are taking the rest home to eat! If you want to try a little bit of everything this dish is a good choice! The place has outdoor seating too. It's clean inside and the waitress was friendly. read more

Ethiopia Restaurant - Ultimate 16. Meat Combination and veggie 2. Vegetarian Combination - Ethiopian Near Me - Berkeley, California

Ordered the vege combo and meat combo for 2 people and this was some of the best ethiopian food we've ever had.

Our family's new favorite Ethiopian restaurant! Food is always delicious and we have been very pleased with everything we've tried. My kids love the Doro Tibs. The servers are friendly and seems to be a family-run restaurant. The outdoor patio is also very bright and comfortable. read more

first time visiting; randomly stopped after finding our original destination didn't serve lunch. the tofu tibs are amazing, and the gomen i ordered for the side was also good. husband got the 5-dish custom plate with a bunch of good stuff that i don't remember (and some of which was wayyy to spicy for me) this will definitely be on our short list of places to eat in the Berkeley area. read more

The Usher at The Berkeley Rep reccommend this resturant to us and I'm eterninally grateful. The gem of Berkeley. Excellent traditional food, sweet ambious, exceloent service. read more

We tried this place got the first time tonight. The food was fabulous and the service was great. It's slightly lacking in ambiance but I don't mind in the slightest! We got so much food for our money compared to the place we usually go in SF! I do definitely be returning! read more

A couple of us had the veggie combo and a bottle of delicious locally made honey wine. I like this restaurant because you can mix and match 5 items for the veggie combo--you are not restricted to the fixed sampler. The honey wine tastes a little fermented, pairing very well with the food. The portions were generous, and the service fantastic. We sat in the front area where there was a beam of sunshine in front of the large glass windows, but you can also sit in the back garden, and they have heaters. I love this restaurant and keep coming back. read more

I just ordered from DoorDash and these people literally gave us two sample size cups that we paid $5 each for. The dasher actually dropped one of the cuffs because they didn't have sense enough to put it in a container or carrier these are literally hospital cups that they give you because you need to drink just enough water. I have been eating at this restaurant for 40 years and this has never happened. They also sent us desserts with no utensils. I'm talking about cakes and other food you eat with utensils not the Ethiopian food the American desserts that they serve. These people have lost their mind! read more

This is my new Ethiopian spot! We've tried all the most talked about Ethiopian restaurants in the Bay and they're all great but this is our favorite! (Heads up that I have no idea what's authentic or not as I'm not Ethiopian.) The reason we love it here is that you can add all sorts of different dishes to your veggie combo. They have this carrot dish that I've never had before and a fava bean one. Both are just delicious! It means I can have my usual veggie combo favorites too (the cabbage one and the yellow lentils) They also have a little mini golf thing in the back that my little kiddos seem entertained enough by and the atmosphere is chill which, in my opinion, is great for families. read more

super good food, the restaurant was practically empty so it was a bit quiet but it was worth it for the food :)

We gave this restaurant another try and this time the injera was very fresh which was good. However, the rest of our meal was not. I don't know how to explain it other than to say the food tasted like it was tired. It wasn't fresh, the flavors were off, and it just seemed like whoever made the food was phoning it in. We ordered a side of shiro and it was put in one of those clamshell containers with three parts so when we got it, it was all over all three parts of the container and looked like someone threw up in the container. We also got a veggie combo and a side of atakilt w'et. Stars for the fresh injera. But we didn't finish our food and didn't even keep it for leftovers. read more

The food was absolutely amazing. It was only one server at the time we went on a Sunday afternoon, but he was such a sweetheart! It was chilly so they had nice outdoor heaters and a nice play area for kids and board games to play while waiting. Nice place overall. read more

Ethiopia Restaurant - Beverage menu - Ethiopian Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Quick and friendly service, delicious food in the vegetarian combo plate with plenty of servings.

I actually used to like this place because their food was good, so it hurts me to give them 2 stars. But unfortunately their customer service is very inconsistent and poor. We came to dine-in at 8:20pm one night, then the host said their last dine-in order is at 8:15pm. Okay... I come the next night at 7:45pm, and they said they still cannot do dine-in anymore and only takeout because it is still somehow past the deadline since they close at 9:00pm. The host was not even apologetic or sorry. At this point it is just rude. Please treat your customers with more respect. read more

So good! I got the veggie combo to go. I was able to substitute the green beans and carrots for double cabbage and potato. It was delicious. Everything was flavorful. I love spicy food so I appreciated the hot kick on the red lentils. The portions were good. I ended up having left overs. They are remodeling the inside but the back patio is open for dining (3/27/21). read more

I love this place. Everytime I come I get the chicken and greens over rice it never miss! . The staff are friendly and the service is great.

Excellent service, amazingly delicious food and bread, and delicious drinks! I can't wait to return and try the rest of the menu. read more

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Food was delicious!! The meat combo was more than enough for two people. We ordered extra injera and they gave us more than enough.

This is one of my go-to spots for a filling (but affordable) meal in the neighborhood. Their vegetarian combo hits every time, and is extremely shareable (I'll order two portions and share w a group of friends). There is also a Gluten Free Injera option if that is an issue for you. I have typically ordered takeout, and it's consistently good and easy to pick up. 10/10 for college students and young adults to get a mighty delish meal under $20 Dining inside, service can be slow sometimes (the waiters don't always walk around to check in). But if you walk up to the counter to check in they will help you right away and they are very friendly ! read more

This place is the best Ethiopian restaurant in the area. The red lentil dish here is fantastic. I don't even know what they put in it. Also, the prices are very reasonable and have not increased much over the years despite the inflation. They have a really posh patio out back. read more

first things first: Ethiopian cuisine is seriously underrated. This restaurant offers a wide range of options for meat eaters and veggies alike and the quality of everything I tried was great. I opted for the spiced raw beef kitfo and it was good - packing a heat alongside the tender beef though I found the whole thing a bit oily by the end (compared to other places I've tried it) the njera bread was tasty and free flowing and the veggie dishes on my friends plate were delicious. staff were quick to resolve mistakes made with ordering which was great too. would happily return but would like to see more freshness in their dishes (as opposed to reheated/overly oily) read more

Ethiopia Restaurant - ethiopian beer - Ethiopian Near Me - Berkeley, California

This place is next to my work and it's seriously amazing. Some of the best Ethiopian food I've had in the Bay Area..! Im obsessed with the vegetarian combo plate and there's something about those sweet stewed carrots !! They're absolutely delicious ..!! On top of the amazing food, the backyard outdoor dining area is so cute and beautifully designed AND the entire staff is so sweet and helpful. Some of the best service in the area for sure.. Highly recommend this place ! read more

Ethiopia Restaurant - 2. Vegetarian Combination - Ethiopian Near Me - Berkeley, California

If you're looking for a cheap Ethiopian lunch buffet special, Ethiopia Restaurant serves its' purpose. Is it the best Ethiopian food that I've ever had? Nope! But, it's still one of the better Ethiopian buffets that you'll find in this area. Dropped by around 11:30ish for lunch and there was nobody in sight. I waited for a few minutes and finally said "Hello" a few times until someone came out from the back. They seemed to still be getting the place together even their hours clearly listed that they opened at 11:00am. The lady who came out told me to have a seat anywhere and gave me a menu. I was interested in the lunch buffet, but it never hurts to take a look... JUST in case. Prices here are considerably cheaper than most other Ethiopian spots that I've been to. I'm assuming that it's because it's not too far from the Berkeley campus. When my server back to my table, I told her that I wanted the buffet special and a mango juice. I probably would have ordered a honey wine, but skipped it since I was still at work. She told me that the buffet would be ready in a few minutes. While I waited, I examined the interior. This place needs a facelift like PRONTO. It was lookin' mad old up in that joint and the wear and tear of the furniture was very noticeable. It was also extremely dark inside for 11:30 am in the morning. A little light would have helped to brighten the place up a bit. The mango juice came out first, and I took a sip of this. Their juices are made fresh and this one tasted as such. Nothing spectacular, but it was still very tasty. I think I waited over 20 minutes until the buffet was finally ready. I only have an hour for lunch, so I was upset that I had to rush to eat so that I could make it back to work. I literally didn't start eating until around noon. Luckily, this place isn't too far from my job but still. To advertise that your lunch starts at 11:30am and it isn't ready until 12 is unacceptable. Thank Gawd that it was actually good or else I would have been really pissed. I'm always leery about buffet food in general, but something about having lentils sitting out sometimes makes me feel uneasy. I've had a bad experience in the past with Ethiopian Buffets, but this one was good. For $7.99, you get to load up your plate with all of the yummy lentils, veggies, salad, and injera that you want! For the most part, everything was on par with what I would usually expect. Not the freshest food but hey... it did the trick. Split pea lentils are my absolutely fave, and theirs were flavorful. The red lentils had a nice subtle spice to them and the cabbage and potato stew had a nice consistency. Injera was spongy with the lovable sourness that I love. The only items that I didn't really care for was the salad, mushroom stew, and the collard greens. The salad wasn't much of a "salad" at all... just a few pieces of romaine drenched in salad dressing. I found both the greens and the mushroom stew to be rather bland, but hey... it's and $8 buffet! What do you expect? For the cheap price, I would say that their lunch special is truly a deal. I wouldn't recommend this spot if you're looking for high quality Ethiopian food. There are just too many other options out there that are waaay better than this spot. But for something cheap and filling, it does the deed. Service is extremely slow though, so if you're on a timed schedule I'd skip it. read more

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I'm not an expert at this cuisine but the waitress was very friendly and helpful. Food was wonderful and the restaurant was beautifully decorated with an outdoor seating area in the back. So glad I went there. read more

Ethiopia Restaurant - Beef and lamb Tibs with vegetable combo - Ethiopian Near Me - Berkeley, California

There were a few pluses and minuses for Ethiopia for me. First, I was not a fan of the fact they didn't have a straight Kik Alicha dish able to be ordered via delivery. It's a side on their combo plate (and was delicious), but wasn't able to be ordered as the main. I ordered a T'ibs, which was flavored well and the meat was very juicy - but again, it wasn't really what I wanted. I did like their Injera, but it wasn't as soft as I've had in the past and tasted a bit more sour. Overall I liked my plate, but I would probably hesitate to order again as Ethiopia Restaurant only having combo plates available is a hard stop for me when other choices are available. read more

I'll start by saying I was a little sad they didn't have any ice. But this is my first time back since the remodel and the food has always been amazing but they've created a beautiful space as well. They even brought games out for my kiddos. There also looked to be a golf area outside in the back. We ordered the shrimp and chicken tibs and we always combine it with the vegetable platter and it served our family of 2 adults and 2 kids well. Also the mango juice is excellent! So fresh! The waitress was avery kind. 10/10... do recommend. read more

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Love the mushroom stew!!!! Soooo good! The also have a lunch buffet and a patio in the back. One of my favorites for Ethiopian food!

My family and I come here often. The back patio is newly remodeled and awesome with a tiny putting area for my kids and heat lamps, lights, and music for the colder nights. Our kids love the meat samboussa. This is a must have! We also love the green bean and carrot with chicken and shrimp. The seasoning is amazing and the food is consistently good. The service is on the slower side but they're all amazingly friendly and the food is worth it! read more

Fantastic food and amazing service. We didn't have a chance to eat inside but got our food to-go but definitely plan to come back! The food was phenomenal, generous portions, and wonderful, helpful staff. Definitely recommend!! read more