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I really didn't like the pricing. Priced per person and only offering whether you want a meat or meatless shared meal. The food was tasty, very tasty. The service was chaotic. No assigned roles. Everyone did everything. Our beverage orders were lost or forgotten. Some guests were seated and were told about the restaurant's menu offering. We were not. People watching on the sidewalk tables was pleasant.
I'm so happy that Ethiopian Love restaurant is reopened. You can find the Restaurant in Our Kakaako in the Bevy Bar Restaurant. It looks like they're sharing the space. So there's still is a full bar And then they are serving Ethiopian food. There is a variety of things offered on the menu, but when we dined they were only offering a meat sampler platter or a vegetarian sampler platter and that came with the Samosa. The platters is the smartest way to taste everything. The platters were an abundance of colorful, vibrant, and tasty stews. The beverages we had were the Ethiopian tea, which was very ginger and a peanut drink, which was sweet. For two of my guest, it was their first time eating Ethiopian food and eating with their hands. They loved the experience. The restaurant space is pretty big. They have a lot of seating, when you can handle a large party. They have outdoor seating. It looks like the Bar was also set up as a full bar.. You can park in Our Kakaako garage or park on the street. I have been thinking about the food ever since. I can't wait to go back.
Ethiopian food??!!!! First time experiencing their food at Bevy!! We had beef stew and vegetable sampler Recommended by a chef!! Wow! Love the flavor!
No time to sit and eat so we ordered takeout. We ordered option #2 and pleasantly surprised by the amount of food we received and most importantly, the quality and taste of the food. This was our first time and definitely not our last.
I visited Ethiopian Love last night with a friend, and unfortunately the experience was disappointing from start to finish. The website shows a full menu, but when we arrived, the only option available was a set meal for two for $78. When I asked to see a menu so I could understand what was included, I was told they didn't have one. I had to ask for the price myself, and the only description given was chicken, lamb, lentils, pickles, and collard greens on a shared platter. The platter looked nice visually, but all the food tasted the same. There was no distinct seasoning or flavor, which was surprising because Ethiopian cuisine is usually rich, layered, and aromatic. Everything was served with injera, the traditional Ethiopian bread, but even with that, the dishes lacked depth. I've had excellent Ethiopian food in Washington, D.C., so I know what the cuisine should taste like, and this was nowhere close. Service was also an issue. We were given one napkin even though we had to eat with our hands. I had to ask multiple times for basic things like an extra plate or something to drink, and each request felt like an inconvenience to the staff. I ordered the iced tea, which was flavored with cardamom and cloves, but it was mostly ice with very little tea -- and it was $6.50. Seating was only available outside, and the tables and chairs were not clean. Overall, the experience felt overpriced, underseasoned, and poorly managed. I wouldn't recommend this restaurant at this time. There are many great places to eat in Honolulu, and I'd suggest saving your money for a spot that delivers both good food and good service.
Ethiopian Love, is a reasonably priced traditional Ethiopian restaurant located in Kaka'ako's SALT foodie haven. Chef Samuel delivers an authentic & masterful Ethiopian dining experience. The Sambussas, which are lentils, green onions, & herbs wrapped in a light filo pastry, with a mild chili dipping sauce, is a delightful start to a unique culinary adventure & a must have item! Ethiopian cuisine is a shared, communal dining experience. Our Mothers Day special featured a mouthwatering array of beef, chicken, beans, grains, & vegetables spiced with traditional Ethiopian aromas, flavors, & textures, served atop a large round bed of spongy injera flatbread, with additional injera rolled into individual portions to sop up the aromatic & savory stew of exotic flavors. The Ethiopian iced tea with cardamom, clove, & cinnamon was the perfect accompaniment to transition between the smorgasbord of flavors. The baklava was one of the best I've had in Hawaii. The casual sidewalk dining with a musician playing singing bowls gave it an enjoyable Euro-African ambiance. The staff were very friendly, attentive, & extremely pleasant. This is definitely a culinary delight that we will experience repeatedly!!!
The food was amazing delicious & so filling! The service was fantastic! & the ambiance being outside was nice!
My friends and I recently discovered Ethiopian Love while visiting Bevy in Kakaʻako. The two spots are next door to each other, and they were featuring a $39 per person set menu collaboration. It was our first time trying Ethiopian food, and we were blown away! The menu included beef, chicken, and especially delicious lamb, along with injera, collard greens, green beans, lentils, beet salad, and tomato salad. Everything was packed with flavor. We spoke briefly with the owner, who was exceptionally kind and even brought out extra injera, beef, and lamb. Portion sizes scale based on your party size (there were 5 of us, and it was plenty of food). You can truly tell how much love goes into their cooking. If you want to try an amazing new cuisine on Oʻahu, look no further!
We had the Mother's Day fixed menu. All the "dishes" were yummy. Kept eating beyond full. We recommend the mixed spice tea. Service is unpredictable but friendly when it happens.
It seems this is more of a kitchen serving food at the next door bar Bevy. They do recognize reservations because we walked into the kitchen and the cook warmly greeted us as party of two and told us the entrance was in Bevy but when you get there it is free seating so you just sit wherever so it might be so they have an idea how many people to expect to cook for. They do have someone serving for drinks and then a dedicated waitress for the food. And when we had been waiting a while the cook came out to our table and told us the food would be out shortly so that was nice. The food was delicious. It's an eat with your hands situation they didn't give us any forks but there were napkins and enough injera to use to grab and eat the food with. The menu is set combo platters but they were able to do a vegan gluten free one for me so that was nice . But with this kind of food it's normally served as a combo platter so we didn't really mind I'm used to limited options being vegan and gluten free. The food was delicious and flavorful and not too intense or spicy.
Loved the daily sampler dish from here! I can't say exactly what was included as it's the chef special of the day, but was tasty. One issue, which is both great and negative for them is that their address is to their old location, now they work out of just a kitchen. We had trouble finding them and had to call to figure out where it was. Their website and Google were both to the old location. The sambussas are a definite must! The other thing we ordered was the romi stew. It was bold and flavourful, only it tasted like it had been a little burnt. Quite bitter. I'm putting this down to me not being familiar with the cuisine. That said, I'll definitely be back!
Reviews are mixed. Many praise the flavorful Ethiopian dishes, especially sampler platters and vegan options, as well as the friendly staff and generous portions.
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How I've missed Ethiopian food I'm so glad they're back and right at SALT! My friend saw the sign for the pop up at bevy and I made the super convenient online reservations. They're only open for dinner which is fine so you can go home and wash your fingers thoroughly after dinner. I checked in at the take out counter I guess (where doner shack used to be) and they asked if I preferred outdoor or indoor seating. Basically you order either vegan, vegetarian, or meat plus veg and it's a per person price. Fine with me since I always use to order the combos anyway. It turns out to be about $40 per person which is a hefty price but eating out seems to be this range everywhere these days. It was plenty of food for the two of us. It was all delicious - my faves were the lamb and the mushroom dishes. Definitely gonna be back here. I usually only eat Ethiopian with family since you're digging your fingers into a shared plate (well you're using the injera but ultimately it gets on my fingers). Early bird dinner at 5:30 on a Friday and bevy was not full so not loud and easy to wash hands before and after in their bathrooms. read more
27 days ago
We celebrated a birthday at Ethiopian Love and it did not disappoint. We ordered the large combo platters which severed 4 people each. Everyone absolutely loved the food and couldn't stop raving about it. Our waitress was very attentive and accommodating as well. It really made for a special birthday. read more
Soooo, I was browsing around on Google Maps like people do when they're bored and looking for new places to eat and stumbled upon Ethiopian Love randomly. I thought, "Hey, didn't this place close down a long time ago in Chinatown?" I then proceeded to read some recent reviews and discovered that they were doing a pop up at the Bevy in Kaka'ako Salt. I jumped at the opportunity to eat here again, so I made a reservation online then showed up a few days later with a friend. First impression was that we probably didn't need a reservation since the restaurant was fairly empty when we arrived. Second, it was a bit confusing because we got seated without menus and no one really came to check on us for a long period of time. My friend and I started to think if we were in the right place, so we got up and asked someone at the bar before they gave us some menus. After looking at the menus, we decided to order the sambusas, the sampler with lamb, and the peanut tea. The food arrived fairly quickly with the sambusas coming out first, followed by the sampler platter. The sambusas sort of resembled and tasted very similar to samosas that you get at an Indian restaurant, but it came with a spicy dipping sauce. We thought the sambusas were just okay, and we probably could've done without it. For the sampler platter, it had a pretty good variety of veggies, two meat dishes, and inerja all served and presented on one plate. Visually, I thought it was stunning with all the colors and variety on the plate. Flavor-wise though, I thought the sampler platter was lacking. I was really expecting strong spices packed with flavor, but what we got were a bunch of dishes that were very one dimensional and quite frankly bland. I think the only thing we thought stood out was the beef dish on the center of the plate. At this point of the meal, I had still not gotten my peanut tea. I initially thought they had forgotten about it, so I proceeded to ask and was told that it was something usually served towards the end of the meal. I think it would've been nice if the server would've explained this when I had ordered, so I could've ordered another drink to accompany the meal. Anyway, they brought the peanut tea out shortly after I asked about it and it didn't end up being anything special. The peanut tea just tasted like a hot watered-down drinkable peanut butter. Overall, I thought the food and service were a bit lackluster. And while I enjoyed the novelty of the dishes, it was also unfortunately one of the only things that it had going for it. read more
I really didn't like the pricing. Priced per person and only offering whether you want a meat or meatless shared meal. The food was tasty, very tasty. The service was chaotic. No assigned roles. Everyone did everything. Our beverage orders were lost or forgotten. Some guests were seated and were told about the restaurant's menu offering. We were not. People watching on the sidewalk tables was pleasant. read more
I'm so happy that Ethiopian Love restaurant is reopened. You can find the Restaurant in Our Kakaako in the Bevy Bar Restaurant. It looks like they're sharing the space. So there's still is a full bar And then they are serving Ethiopian food. There is a variety of things offered on the menu, but when we dined they were only offering a meat sampler platter or a vegetarian sampler platter and that came with the Samosa. The platters is the smartest way to taste everything. The platters were an abundance of colorful, vibrant, and tasty stews. The beverages we had were the Ethiopian tea, which was very ginger and a peanut drink, which was sweet. For two of my guest, it was their first time eating Ethiopian food and eating with their hands. They loved the experience. The restaurant space is pretty big. They have a lot of seating, when you can handle a large party. They have outdoor seating. It looks like the Bar was also set up as a full bar.. You can park in Our Kakaako garage or park on the street. I have been thinking about the food ever since. I can't wait to go back. read more
4 months ago
2 months ago
No time to sit and eat so we ordered takeout. We ordered option #2 and pleasantly surprised by the amount of food we received and most importantly, the quality and taste of the food. This was our first time and definitely not our last. read more
4 months ago
I visited Ethiopian Love last night with a friend, and unfortunately the experience was disappointing from start to finish. The website shows a full menu, but when we arrived, the only option available was a set meal for two for $78. When I asked to see a menu so I could understand what was included, I was told they didn't have one. I had to ask for the price myself, and the only description given was chicken, lamb, lentils, pickles, and collard greens on a shared platter. The platter looked nice visually, but all the food tasted the same. There was no distinct seasoning or flavor, which was surprising because Ethiopian cuisine is usually rich, layered, and aromatic. Everything was served with injera, the traditional Ethiopian bread, but even with that, the dishes lacked depth. I've had excellent Ethiopian food in Washington, D.C., so I know what the cuisine should taste like, and this was nowhere close. Service was also an issue. We were given one napkin even though we had to eat with our hands. I had to ask multiple times for basic things like an extra plate or something to drink, and each request felt like an inconvenience to the staff. I ordered the iced tea, which was flavored with cardamom and cloves, but it was mostly ice with very little tea -- and it was $6.50. Seating was only available outside, and the tables and chairs were not clean. Overall, the experience felt overpriced, underseasoned, and poorly managed. I wouldn't recommend this restaurant at this time. There are many great places to eat in Honolulu, and I'd suggest saving your money for a spot that delivers both good food and good service. read more
Ethiopian Love, is a reasonably priced traditional Ethiopian restaurant located in Kaka'ako's SALT foodie haven. Chef Samuel delivers an authentic & masterful Ethiopian dining experience. The Sambussas, which are lentils, green onions, & herbs wrapped in a light filo pastry, with a mild chili dipping sauce, is a delightful start to a unique culinary adventure & a must have item! Ethiopian cuisine is a shared, communal dining experience. Our Mothers Day special featured a mouthwatering array of beef, chicken, beans, grains, & vegetables spiced with traditional Ethiopian aromas, flavors, & textures, served atop a large round bed of spongy injera flatbread, with additional injera rolled into individual portions to sop up the aromatic & savory stew of exotic flavors. The Ethiopian iced tea with cardamom, clove, & cinnamon was the perfect accompaniment to transition between the smorgasbord of flavors. The baklava was one of the best I've had in Hawaii. The casual sidewalk dining with a musician playing singing bowls gave it an enjoyable Euro-African ambiance. The staff were very friendly, attentive, & extremely pleasant. This is definitely a culinary delight that we will experience repeatedly!!! read more
5 months ago
The food was amazing delicious & so filling! The service was fantastic! & the ambiance being outside was nice! read more
2 months ago
2 months ago
My friends and I recently discovered Ethiopian Love while visiting Bevy in Kakaʻako. The two spots are next door to each other, and they were featuring a $39 per person set menu collaboration. It was our first time trying Ethiopian food, and we were blown away! The menu included beef, chicken, and especially delicious lamb, along with injera, collard greens, green beans, lentils, beet salad, and tomato salad. Everything was packed with flavor. We spoke briefly with the owner, who was exceptionally kind and even brought out extra injera, beef, and lamb. Portion sizes scale based on your party size (there were 5 of us, and it was plenty of food). You can truly tell how much love goes into their cooking. If you want to try an amazing new cuisine on Oʻahu, look no further! read more
1 month ago
2 months ago
It seems this is more of a kitchen serving food at the next door bar Bevy. They do recognize reservations because we walked into the kitchen and the cook warmly greeted us as party of two and told us the entrance was in Bevy but when you get there it is free seating so you just sit wherever so it might be so they have an idea how many people to expect to cook for. They do have someone serving for drinks and then a dedicated waitress for the food. And when we had been waiting a while the cook came out to our table and told us the food would be out shortly so that was nice. The food was delicious. It's an eat with your hands situation they didn't give us any forks but there were napkins and enough injera to use to grab and eat the food with. The menu is set combo platters but they were able to do a vegan gluten free one for me so that was nice . But with this kind of food it's normally served as a combo platter so we didn't really mind I'm used to limited options being vegan and gluten free. The food was delicious and flavorful and not too intense or spicy. read more
6 months ago
This is exactly what Hawaii is missing. The flavors were exceptional. It could be a tad spicier but overall it was delicious. read more
5 months ago
7 months ago
Loved the daily sampler dish from here! I can't say exactly what was included as it's the chef special of the day, but was tasty. One issue, which is both great and negative for them is that their address is to their old location, now they work out of just a kitchen. We had trouble finding them and had to call to figure out where it was. Their website and Google were both to the old location. The sambussas are a definite must! The other thing we ordered was the romi stew. It was bold and flavourful, only it tasted like it had been a little burnt. Quite bitter. I'm putting this down to me not being familiar with the cuisine. That said, I'll definitely be back! read more
I finally made it!! Been hunting for an adventurous friend to accompany me and I found one! Yes! Atmosphere, service and food was wonderful. Such a casual, classy feel, despite eating your entire meal with your hands. That was fun! The food had a tart to it, that I didn't expect, but it was yummy. The lentils was my favorite. I love it when food makes you understand a little more about the region it comes from. Glad I got to experience it. read more
5 years ago
Ethiopian Love is back back back again. I've been dreaming of Ethiopian food for months and am so ecstatic for the return. For Ethiopian first-timers, I highly recommend the Ethiopian Love veggie sampler (vegan) and a side of sambusas to get the full experience. This comfort food is more filling than it looks. For returners, Ethiopian Love is back and as delicious as ever. You'll find the new location just around the corner from their previous location. Your order will be made just for you and ready to take out. The new location is at 76 Pauahi Street. Text ahead for your order for pick up on Friday and Saturday dinner time 5-8p. Parking is available right in front of Ethiopian Love's kitchen space. Ordering was quick and simple (text or phone for convenience). read more
7 years ago
This place was really nice. From the moment we arrived, the service was fantastic, there was no wait, and the ambiance was just right. The brick wall plus the art was beautiful and told a dynamic story. Now to the food. Excellent! The sambosa's were great and extra hot. Fresh out of the kitchen. It gets no better. The veggie sampler was fantastic as well as the beef. The hubs and I really enjoyed it. If Ethiopian food is your jam, this is a great quaint spot. Not too big and not too small-- cozy and just right. Drawback, there was only one. There was no wine, ale, or any type of adult beverage, which would have been nice. Having the option of a nice glass of red wine along with our beef would've been great, but hey, what can you do? It didn't ruin the experience, but it would've added a nice touch. Nonetheless, we'll be back! It was great :) read more
7 years ago
I went here with some friends on a Sunday night, and it was an interesting experience. The food was delicious, I would say 4-5 stars. The service, however, left something to be desired. First off, one of us called about a week beforehand to ask for reservations for our party of 6. But, we were told that it wasn't necessary and we should just be able to walk in and get a table. On the day of the dinner, we arrived and the servers ushered us to the outside seating. All the chairs and tables were put away, so they had to set it up in front of us as we awkwardly watched/helped. On top of that, it had been raining earlier, so they had to wipe everything down. We were worried about it raining again while eating, but luckily that didn't happen. I also noticed an occasional foul smell wafting around, which is to be expected outside in Chinatown, but not so great to smell while eating. After we were done, my friend noticed little specks of bird poop on her bag (we were sitting under a tree). It wouldn't have been good if it got into the food, though. We really enjoyed the food, and the peanut tea is amazing! I would come back, but I'd definitely make reservations to ensure that I sit inside so this doesn't happen again. read more
We went to this restaurant on the recommendations of a co-worker of mine we had a lamb and chickpea main course that was very tasty service was attentive and location is cool with nice decorations makes you feel like you area different place. In good weather I would dine outside in the back read more
I am embarrassed to see that I haven't written a rave review about this restaurant! Located in the heart of Chinatown, this unassuming little nook on Smith street could almost be missed, as it blends into the surrounding area. Once inside however, you find an oasis of Ethiopian art on the walls, long tables for talking story with friends and family, plants and ambient lighting. Out back is a literal garden with intimate small tables, open air, and a feeling of romance. I've enjoyed Ethiopian cuisine for many years on the mainland; from Oakland, California to Baltimore, Washington D.C. One similarity I have noticed is the pace of American fast-paced dining is slowed down dramatically, so that the diner needs to take time to be present, to enjoy the atmosphere, taste the richness of flavor in each bite. Slow down like stop motion photography capturing a butterfly in flight. At Ethiopian Love, dining with friends and family IS the experience of the evening, not the precursor to another event. Food is prepared intentionally, with Love, for you, in that moment. Everything is served "Family style", to be shared from one main plate, with all dishes poured out into sections like oil paints on a palette. You will find silverware, but to truly enjoy the experience, you will find sour Injera bread rolled up into tiny rolls, used to "pinch" the morsels of food and eat. If your fingers aren't stained yellow from the Turmeric in the lentils or red from Berbere spice, then you are doing it wrong. No one is rushed here. In fact, when you make a reservation, they assume you will be there most of the night, sharing Doro Wot, Tibs, red, yellow lentils, soft potato cubes and collard greens. They do not serve alcohol, but do permit you to BYOB if it is beer or wine. They do serve Ethiopian spiced tea with cardamon and clove and cinnamon, and of course, Ethiopian coffee. (The birthplace of coffee) If you are a beginner to Ethiopian food or just can't choose from all the selections, I highly recommend the Ethiopian Love Veggie sampler which offers the widest range of vegetarian dishes to try. As for the meat eaters, try the Doro Wot (Chicken breast) Lamb Atakilt, Awaze Wot (Beef Stew). I wish there was a combo meat sampler like the veggie sampler, but everyone is sharing, so encourage your friends to order something different so you can try it! For dessert, try their Baklava. What you won't find is pork on the menu. This is due to the fact that the two major religions in Ethiopia (Muslim and Ethiopian Orthodox) forbid eating pork. So be polite, and don't ask. During 2020, I was afraid that Ethiopian Love wouldn't survive the COVID shutdowns. A friend and I decided to order delivery. I can't recall what happened, but the normal Door Dash service wasn't available. We ended up getting a hold of the manager to ask if they delivered. I'm not sure if they had a regular delivery service at the time, but I'm pretty sure the Chef or Co-Owner delivered way out off Nimitz to our house! We were more than ecstatic for this wonderful gesture. They truly bring the "Love" into all they do. read more
First review of 2021 and couldn't have picked a better place to kick off the new year! Walking in I noticed the dimly lit room is floor to ceiling brick walls. Very "old downtown" feel. We were seated at a small table (social distancing is enforced with some tables being unavailable for seating). The manager (maybe owner?) brought us water and took our order. We ordered the Sambussas, vegetarian sampler, Brussels sprouts and lentils. The sambussas came out fairly quickly. The fried dough is crispy on the outside and steamy fluffy goodness in the middle (filled with lentils) and served with a side of hot sauce called "awaze". I could eat a whole plate of those little bastards! The rest of the meal was served on one huge plate with rolled up "injera" or fermented flatbread. Don't let that scare you. It's GOOD. Spongy and light like a crepe with a mild taste similar to sourdough. Mainly used as a vessel to transfer the food from the plate to your face ( utensils are not provided), it does the job and is fun to eat.The Brussels sprouts were cooked well and seasoned nicely. Everything was delicious. We ate the whole plate and when the manager saw this he even brought over another small plate in case I was still hungry. Yes, I ate more! Lol On a recommendation from friends we tried the Peanut Tea. OMG. Try this now! Do it. It's creamy and tastes like a warm peanut butter smoothie. Hard to believe it's vegan. Everything is! The manager told us the restaurant changed to 100% vegan recently. He was so kind and answered all of our questions about the food and restaurant that I wish I would have asked his name. Next time I will remember to ask. My husband said next time he will sneak in a spoon to use haha. read more
6 years ago
Tried this tonight for dinner and found out the owner is closing the restaurant on Monday. So this is the last weekend to enjoy authentic vegan Ethiopian food. Thank you Abraham for showing us your cuisine! read more
6 years ago
A little bit pricey, but where else can you get Ethiopian food in Hawaii? We got the veg platter and it was delicious. Parking is street parking since it is Chinatown. read more
Fell in love with Ethiopian food! I've always wanted to try an Ethiopian restaurant ever since I watched a vlogger on youtube eating it. Eating just with your hands is such a memorable and intimate thing to share with your loved ones and a person of interest. This is definitely not a place where you should take people with bad hygiene or who have to always use a utensil eating....why? Because this restaurant does not carry any utensils for you to use, strictly hands! To set a great night out, I called ahead to make a reservation, just in case they were going to be busy. I typically like to make reservations so that we can go straight in and get seated instead of waiting around for a table. It took me awhile to get a hold of them, but 3 calls later I finally got in. The person behind the phone was great and was able to accommodate us when we were running late. Another reason to fall in love with this place... BYOB but with a $3 fee! To make this dinner great, we stopped by HASR Winery, just around the corner of Ethiopian love, to pick up a bottle of red to enjoy. As we entered they greeted us and sat us down to a table, although it was just the two of us we wanted to sit on a bigger table to be more comfortable and to also have more space for our food and drinks. The inside is pretty small but has a large personality; with hand painted paintings done by an Ethiopian artist on Oahu, this place embodies romance and a start to an amazing food adventure. We were a little overwhelmed with the menu, so we stuck to some Yelpers recommendations and as well as the servers choices. We ended up getting sambussas as a starter. A homemade stuffed pastry with Brown Lentil, Green Onion & Herbs, with a chili sauce. Since it was the two of us, we wanted to keep it simple, and we ten to order a lot so we stuck to what the servers recommended for us. For our main course, we went with their Veggie sampler (Misser Wot, Kik Alicha & Atakilt Wot,) and Spicy Lamb (Friday Special.) The entree was presented on one platter with injera (sourdough bread) laid down as a foundation to soak up the wats (stew) and rolls of injera that surrounded the whole dish. The Veggie sampler was full of great flavor, and the lamb was something we both wanted to cry over because it was just so good! This place is Love for a reason! We both fell in love with the food and was extremely happy with everything, maybe it could have been the alcohol or the ambiance, but from the start to the end of dinner it was amazing! Side notes* - They have seating outside, and I recommend you ask if you can be seated there, we totally forgot, - Parking, if you come after 5 PM street parking is free. We ended up parking at Marks Garage. - Don't wear anything you wouldn't want stained. read more
#141 OF 2017 We wanted to take our friend somewhere special but couldn't decide. She decided for us. I was surprised with her answer. Happy, actually, because ELR was bookmarked and forgotten. I pulled it up on Yelp and began reading. I got excited because I realized this is going to be an adventure we could enjoy. It's not a very big place, only a few tables. Love the decor, native to the country. I was told the paintings were done by an Ethiopian who lives here. We found them interesting and beautiful to look at. Service was very pleasant. We were adequately checked on. Not rushed when other parties showed up. One table had a birthday. This one staff, female, started singing the Happy Birthday song. Her voice was like a bird. I wished she continued we all wanted to hear more. What was now a room full of chatter was now quiet as we listened. When she finished we gave a sounding applaud of approval. That's a voice worth paying for to hear in concert. I enjoy cardamon. When I saw that on the menu, I had to have the Kememe Shai. Made of cardamon, cloves and cinnamon. This is a daily drink in the Middle East. Add milk to it and it's a soothing drink any time of the day. A friend of ours shared this drink with us a long time ago. Very happy they had this here. Highly recommend you try this too. You have to try the Sambusas. These were spicy but not overbearing. We could still taste all the other flavors. It's made with lentils, green onions, herbs and their house sauce. It comes with 2 but we were able to get 3 for a little more. This would be nice to have if you wanted a light meal before heading to your main event of the night. A great app. Our friend suggested the veggie platter that came with a soft, almost sticky, moist bread. Kinda like a pancake to me. Some were rolled up ready to eat with your hands. Then, underneath the different stewed and sauteed veggies was more of this bread. I believe there were about 5 different veggies. I'm not sure what everything was but what I do know is it was darn good. If I was to go vegetarian this is how I want to eat. There's lots of flavor, depth and textures to tantalize the mouth and tongue. Enough for all of us to be satsified too. I was beginning to think about what I'd like to try on a return visit. Because I like coffee, I couldn't resist trying the Ethiopian Coffee. I drank this black first to get the real taste. The rich roast taste was delightful. Not a strong bitter. I could drink it just like this but I added two packs of sugar for my sweet tooth. All good things must come to an end as they say. And it was that time to say our good byes. The food we shared this night will be remembered for sure. Good food with a good friend helped to make this a very special night with our dear friend Robyn F. read more
6 years ago
Pre-COVID19 Review. My bestie introduced me to this wonderful restaurant. We have eaten at Ethiopian Love several times together. This restaurant is great for groups and small parties. Best to make reservations for larger groups. Enter into a dimly lit dining area with the smell of spices like turmeric, cumin and cinnamon in the air. On certain nights, there's live music playing. We always get the veggie sampler and add 1-2 meat dishes. The veggie sampler comes with injera bread, which is fermented flatbread. It has a sour taste (like sour dough bread) and a spongy texture. Be prepared to eat with your hands. Unroll and pull apart the bread and dig in to everything. No utensils needed. The service is always so friendly and the food is always tasty and authentic. Since everything is made fresh, expect to wait a bit for your food. Not wise to arrive totally starving. read more
Do you ever feel like trying something just so different that you just don't know where to go? Well, let me tell you about this place! If you want something different, you've come to the right place. I've never tried Ethiopian cuisine until the night I stopped by with Blaine H. my work buddy. He's into trying new things and just thought this place was so neat. The flavors are yummy: spicy, savory, somewhat oniony and garlicky, and a lot sautéed. Order from their two-sided menu. There are lots of different things to try. I can't pronounce them at all lol but if you go there, the orderer will gladly assist. We ordered two items: (1) a meat platter of lamb and (2) a sampler platter consisting of different sauteed veggies and beans and a spongy bread to go with it. Although we ordered two dishes, everything came served on one huge platter. There were four rolls of bread placed upon the edge of the platter. We mixed the meat with veggie and beans on to torn pieces of the spongy rolled bread. It was delicious! The taste of the one cabbage item was a bit too astringent (vinegary) for me but I really liked the subtle yet sautéed and stewed tastes of everything else. At the middle of it all, we ran out of bread so we ordered more. It's lightly flavored and fun to peel off the roll, dip, and eat. You can ask for more spongy (rolled) bread but know that there is a small cost. We used up the four additional rolls entirely. The bread made the meal more yummy :D The most interesting things here is that you just eat with your hands. (They have a restroom if you'd like to start with washed hands.) You can also "cheat" which is what we did (haha!) by using spoons which we asked for at the start of our meal hehehe Blaine and I enjoyed our conversation the entire night. The server checked on us from time to time. We got there early and practically closed up the shop hehehe The only thing I'd have liked is for large glasses of water and ice. The only kind of ice they had came from trays from the freezer and then was so limited bc they needed to use the ice for the drinks for the other guests. The place does get crowded so you might want to get there earlier if seating matters to you. There are a bunch of tables of 2-4 and one for about 10-14. Located on Smith Street just across Little Village Noodle House, this place is easy to find and easy to reach. If you get there early, you could park at the municipal parking lot up and over across the street, or free street parking on King Street, at the metered stalls after 6pm, and free on weekends. Expand your Ethiopian horizons and try something unusual next chance you get! :D read more
This was our first time coming to this restaurant and this cuisine. We were greeted by warm, welcoming staff. The environment is quaint and cozy. It's good to make reservations as it filled up pretty quick - and this was a Sunday evening. We started with the Sambussas - a homemade stuffed pastry with brown lentils, green onions and herbs. They are served with this amazing spicy sauce that gave the sambussa an added kick! The Sambussas come 2 to an order. Next we ordered the Ethiopian Love Veggie Sampler Platter for two and then added Romi - a dish with mushroom, zucchini and onions. (Their policy is one entree per person. We had 3 in our party.). This platter (and the Romi) was served with the traditional Ethiopian flatbread called injera. This platter had 6 different vegan dishes that went so well together. There was this wonderful flavors of salt, sour, sweet and some spicy. It was an amazing dish and an amazing experience. There is no bar, so BYOB is recommended. Keep in mind, they charge $3 per person for corkage fees. This is a must do and experience! The food, the service, the experience was fabulous!! Thank you, Ethiopian Love! read more
Really curious what Ethiopian food was about and felt more adventurous than usual so I took this opportunity to come here! I usually don't like coming to Downtown if I don't need to for various reasons (e.g. lack of parking, unsafe environments, etc.) but I did it for the Ethiopian food. It's a hole-in-the-wall restaurant on the left side when you're driving/walking on Smith Street. The restaurant is fairly small so when I saw a group of people standing outside, I was worried about the wait time but to my surprise, me and my boyfriend were seated immediately without any wait (guess those people just finished their meal?)--but there were also seats outside with an INCREDIBLE view of a fountain but because it was raining, it wasn't an option. I docked off a star for their customer service and it was because it took us about 10 minutes to place our order. If we didn't flag down our server, I don't think we would've been able to order until he was ready. We chose to order the Ethiopian Love Veggie Sampler because that seems like what everyone eats when they come here and the Lamb Alicha. We noticed that a lot of the groups were waiting for their food long after we ordered so we were worried that we were going to be here for a while. We eventually got our plate of food and were ready to dig in! We came in knowing that we were going to eat with our hands and wraps but if you're reading this review and don't know what to expect, you're going to have to eat with your hands. The vegetables and meat were VERY tasty but the only thing that threw me off was their injera. I assumed it was going to be just bread but it turned out to be this acidic spongy bread. It wasn't bad but it did make everything taste the same so I wasn't able to enjoy the separate spices from each veggie dish. read more
Since part of my husband's descendant is Ethiopian it is just right for me to explore their food culture in here. Excited and thrilled, too bad we cannot order bigger portion coz actually we already eat dinner so an appetizer/salad is a good starter in here since I really wanna try some of their menu. ~ Timatim Salad ($9+tax), comes with onion, tomato, green pepper & fresh lemon dressing. Took 15mins. & the moment they serve it, I can feel that my face curled a lil bit. I never expect this kind of salad. I was thinking about arugula, kale or romaine with lots of onion & tomato. By the way, my husband ordered it & I did not look on their menu so basically I don't know that their salad is consist with not an ordinary salad in your plate. He just told me; "I order salad for us". Their salad's presentation is pretty awesome, and there is this thing that looks like a rolled lumpia wrapper on the side (it's called injera, a sourdough-risen flatbread w/ a slightly spongy texture originating from the Eritrea & Ethiopia) w/c I love so much the moment I took a bite on it. My husband was laughing at me coz I was very conscious on how to eat this food. He then simply showed it to me and I was like; "did you even wash your hands?" FF... this diner surprises me to the highest level, and I am blessed! I tried new things out from the basic, & I so dang love it! That tangy flavor from its dressing is so great! The green pepper is fresh and can feel the crispiness from it. And the injera? Oh boy, I can eat them in a whole day...they're just so good. P.S. this might get a little messy when you eat as no spoon for this. You use the injera to scoop the salad and dunk it to your mouth. Have napkin with you all the time while eating. (insert funny silly face) Baklava ($7), a rich, sweet dessert pastry made of layers of filo filled with chopped nuts & sweetened & held together with syrup & honey. This is so sweet for me, and it really hold it on my throat. But it's good actually and as a 1st timer of Baklava, I can tell how that crispy and sweetness combined together and will surely give dessert a new kick. Good thing I have my bandit who explains all of this to me and guide me on how these food are to be eaten. ~ Why 3 stars? Because customer service needs to improve! People don't have the whole time to hang it all night so why is it that a small cup of coffee needs to serve 30mins. after? It stressed us out coz we need to be at Hawaii Theatre by 07:45pm, & this woman server forget to serve the coffee two times at that night. Only three tables are occupied and actually, its not that busy because the other two was already being served. It's a lil bit pricey in here too and I recommend you come in here by group because food portion they served in here is big unless you order the appetizer/salad that is good for two people. Inside this diner is darker compare to other restaurants, maybe because that is suppose to be the ambiance? Well your iPhone 11 pro max will definitely work the best in here. This diner got green placard too! A tip pro; Bring hand sanitizer! In this kind of place where adventure is just in your hands, better take that 99% of germs out than be sorry. ~ Will the juanderbandits be back? We definitely love adventures! Of course we will definitely be coming back! Hope next time the server will not forget our coffee and will definitely bring hand sanitizer & wipes. ~ Mahalo & HAPPY JUANDERING fellow yelpers! juanderbandit.world read more
6 years ago
I'm not sure how the previous review was removed, but let's try again. Taste: The injera was cold as were the entrees we received. The flavor seem underwhelming to my palate, but then my only other experience with Ethiopian food is from my time in-country in Addis Ababa and small places near the border with Somalia. Value: The picture below is what I received for the receipt that I've posted. As you can see, this was over $75 for that one platter which includes the Romi, Love Shiro, and the Veggie Sampler. I also had an Iced Tea. That's it. Overall, coupled with the lack of much taste and the food being very overpriced, I wouldn't recommend eating here. (To be fair, my lackluster experience could be a result of the COVID slowdown..) For the comment below, there are no Sambussas in my order (see the receipt) and I have no idea what "three people dishes" means... read more
6 years ago
Andrew our server was great in explaining the menu and breaking it down easily for us and saying it clearly and straight . Certain items weren't available but the bread is soft and chewy and delicious ! Spice water was fair game If you have allergies be aware of all the ingredients and ask servers As for the main meals, read more
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More info about Ethiopian Love
675 Auahi St
Ste 130
Honolulu, HI 96813
Downtown
Directions
(808) 725-7197
Call Now
Visit Website
http://www.ethiopianrestauranthawaii.com
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From the Business
Ask the Community - Ethiopian Love
Does anyone have an updated menu? I'm so excited they are back!
Check their website. It has their menu on it and how to order
Is this place take out only right now or can we dine in?
Currently take out only. They aren't at the original location, but across from Wings Ice Cream. The map sometimes shows the old location.
Did they really shut down?
Ethiopian Love is back! Text or call to place an order to (808) 725-7197.
What are the current hours?
Fridays and Saturdays 5p-8p (as of December 2021). Text your order to (808) 725-7197.
Are you open?
Ethiopian Love is back for orders on Fridays and Saturdays (as of December 2021).
Are they opened? No one answers the phone.
Ethiopian Love is back! Text to order for pick up on Friday and Saturday evenings (5-8p).
Is the Injera gluten free?
Is this restaurant byob?
Yes! The menu states a $3 corkage fee per person, if I recall correctly. You can grab wine on the corner from HASR Wine Co. and head on over!
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Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
7 reviews that are not currently recommended
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