Super racist. Maybe be more inclusive. I was yelled at by a bunch of people because I wasn't their race. I lived in Los Angeles for over 10 years and ate at so many places. I have never experienced this level of in your face racism. The fact that the owners could see that I was being harassed by their customers and did nothing to stop it means I have no respect for them. They will never get another penny from me and I hope they go out of business read more

Goorsha in Durham is delicious! The only tiff I have is that the menu doesn't automatically make it family style, but they will do it if you request. I got to meet the owner when I came with my family and he is literally SO NICE. Please go support them! read more

Goorsha - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

After moving here from the San Francisco area, I wasn't sure we'd be able to find good Ethiopian food, but this place is it. Super- friendly service and extremely delicious! Highly recommended! read more

positive experince . biggest plate i have ever seen their dishwasher must be hugeeeeee

Returned to Durham for a work trip and had a nice trip down memory lane. I've done some birthday dinners here which were really fun since this is mostly a share your plate type experience. Food here can be a little spicy, so come prepared for that. I enjoy their vegan options, like the kik alecha and the tekil gomen. Those are my go-to's. It looks like they stopped tapping Ethiopian beers, which is a bummer. I still had an enjoyable meal here. I've been about 3 times read more

Goorsha - Zip Zilzil Alecha - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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This is my first experience with Ethiopian food and I definitely look forward to trying more of their cuisine. I must say I wasn't particularly a fan of Injera, but I think I'd still try eating it again. I ordered the Doro Wot w/ a side of Azifa, as recommended by my friend and it was phenomenal. So much flavor and just the right amount of heat/spiciness. I think I'll try a beef dish if I get a chance to try another Ethiopian restaurant. read more

Goorsha - Doro Wot w/Azifa - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

It was my first time trying Ethiopian food. The scenery and decorations portrayed culture and made the experience authentic. The service was a bit slow especially since there were only two people taking orders inside and outside. It took the waitress and while to come to take our order but other than that is overall a great restaurant for a chill date night. read more

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We've been here a few times in the past but not since COVID. We returned recently on a Sunday evening with a discount from a local organization. Even on a Sunday, they were packed indoors and outdoors. This is clearly a family-run operation, and even though they were short-staffed (one of their staff didn't show up for work), they were extremely polite and apologetic. We enjoyed the sambusa appetizers, my wife had the vegan entree sampler, and I enjoyed the shrimp awaze with lentil salad. All of the dishes were delicious and well-spiced. If you've never tried Ethiopian food but enjoy interesting spices and cuisine, give them a try. read more

Goorsha - Shrimp awaze with lentil salad - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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A small group of friends and I stopped by Goorsha last week to grab dinner after work. It was my first time trying Ethiopian food and I wasn't disappointed! Between the four of us, we ordered three entrees. The staff went to the trouble of putting them all on one big plate so we could enjoy them family-style. The spongy bread that came with each dish had a hint of tanginess to it, and was so light I could probably eat tons before feeling full. The shrimp dish was unanimously voted the favorite of the bunch. Goorsha is also conveniently located near Jeni's- need I say more? read more

Goorsha - Chicken, shrimp, and vegan entrees- family style - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Special shout out to the tikil gomen and the AMAZING server who came out to the parking lot to hand-deliver me my take-out meal. That was extremely nice of her and a good indication of the service at Goorsha. Oh, and I must mention the patio. A nice complement to a sunny spring day. Goorsha is the Ethiopian I've have in Durham, NC by far. I will be back for more! read more

Delicious food! The servers were so kind and accommodating! Wonderful family owned and operated spot.

Came on a weekend for dinner. Because of its location, parking should be decently easy to find nearby. It's a small restaurant with about 15 small tables that can fit 2-4 people each. On this particular evening they had live music in the background. I came with a party of 5. We ordered 1 Awaze Tibs, 1 Doro Wot and 1 vegetarian selection of tekil Gomen, Gomen and Shiro. For dessert, we got the Apple samosa. Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 4.5/5 (The place felt a little bit tight by overall it had a great ambiance) Food: 5/5 (The food was absolutely delicious and the injera was perfect. My favorite was the shiro and doro wot) Price: 5/5 For Ethiopian food, it was worth it. Overall, it was delicious and I'll definitely be back again. read more

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Amazing atmosphere on the patio, and a really beautiful location in Durham! Food was served so quick and it was delicious. Overall a great experience for a dinner out! read more

Goorsha - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Amazing injera and doro what This restaurant atmosphere was great, everyone seemed to love the food and who does not love to eat with their fingers; it literally makes food taste that much better. read more

Goorsha - Goorsha - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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We had Goorsha delivered to our neighborhood through Durham Delivers (which is amazing in & of itself). We'd eaten at Goorsha once in Before Times, and it was very good - but this was amazing. Awaze Tibs Lamb served on top of injera - spicy with bits of jalapeño. The lamb wasn't quite tender - but it had probably been cooked at least an hour before i started eating it. Nicely spiced. Kik Alecha (red lentils) Somewhat sweet? Or maybe just the contrast to the awaze tibs. I could have eaten this as my whole meal. Timatim Fit Fit - a sort of injera salad with tomatoes and bits of jalapeño. Spouse got: Zilbo (pork with collards), which he scarfed down. He also got Fosolia (carrots & green beans) which had great flavor, and Sinig Karya (stuffed jalapeño) which I didn't get to try. I worried about how they'd serve it as takeout - the main dish was served on injera and there was plenty of extra injera (we ordered a separate serving of injera, but we probably would have had enough even if we hadn't). I'm glad it was served that way, because it enabled the injera to be infused with the flavor of the dish. We are going to go again - as soon as we are vaccinated! read more

Goorsha - Awaze Tibs Lamb served on top of injera; top left: Kik Alecha (red lentils); top left: Timatim Fit Fit - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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This was my first time at Goorsha, and I was quite impressed. We got seated pretty quickly considering how busy they were. The waitress was very kind and helpful when we had questions about the menu. The appetizer (Sambusa) was delicious and came out quickly. The entrees did take some time to come out, but it was delicious. My only negative point was that the food was a little lemon-y for my liking. We still enjoyed it all very much. The location was also great being in the bright leaf area of downtown Durham; there was live music at one of the bars nearby that made sitting outdoors enjoyable. I highly recommend Goorsha, and am looking forward to coming back! read more

Goorsha - Shrimp awaze and Any 3 Vegan Entrees - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Was highly recommended by a friend. Very cute restaurant nested in Durham. Large booths inside and so much seating outside. It was my first time so I didn't know all the names of the dishes but then descriptions were great. The app was fried to perfection and the entrees were great portions. I even enjoyed the lentils and I hate lentils. I would recommend. read more

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Wow! What a fun and different restaurant! It's not traditional Ethiopian where the table is covered in injera and they forgo plates and utensils, it's much more westernized, as is the ordering. The entrees have tons of different flavors that are quite different than the Western palate, and focus just as heavily on vegetarian as they do on meat. The food comes out with entrees centered, rolls of injera (spongy bread) on both sides, and fork and knife upon request. The spice level is pretty high, so be careful. The best item is for sure the Ribeye Tibs, with the tomato, onion, garlic flavoring. Also the Doro Wot (Chicken in spicy berbere stew) but only if you can handle the heat. Also, the sides are pretty odd -- they are more like garnishes or cold deli salads, and feel odd to my Southern palate. I've found it's best to skip them or get a green salad instead, but you might like the cold beet salad or cold lentils. Or I love to go full American and upgrade the sides to the veggie entrees, 2 veggies one meat. It's expensive, but worth it. Finally when I'm feeling tame, I just get the collards with beef, it feels very homey to me as a Southerner, and get green beans and cabbage for sides. Again expensive, but oh-so-satisfying. The cocktails are excellent, especially the mitmita margarita, and the service has quickened considerably since it opened. Highly recommend if you've never done it before! read more

Goorsha - Awaze tibs with vegetarian (upcharge) sides of collards and berbere red lentils - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

My boyfriend is from out of town and makes an effort to come to this restaurant every time he is here. It's THAT good. We've tried many of their items, and it never ceases to impress us. Everything is well seasoned and incredibly flavorful. You really cannot go wrong with anything on the menu. We will be returning many times. read more

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The KeKel Soup was the most amazing thing my mouth ever had...its lemony and buttery and lamby so light!! The injera soaks up the broth without getting soggy. It looks like it wont be filling but i was highly satisfied with this dish. I also got the kik alecha, metin shiro and the yesmir kik....the last one was so fragrant and reminded me of chi tea. Great restaurant amazing food and attentive staff. Yall know i dont give out 5 stars often. read more

Great service! It was my first time trying Ethiopian food and it was so yummy! I ordered the veggie plate and it honestly was so tasty and filling. Great flavors and spices! I will definitely come back. They currently offer dine in as well as take out. If you are in the area give it a shot. Let your taste buds explore! read more

Loved Goorsha and can't wait to go back the next time I'm in town. The Zilzil Alecha was outstanding and worth a trip on its own. I just might be ordering two if I'm hungry enough. Note the lentils have chopped peppers in them that you might not get in the first couple bites but you will find later. The spice was fine for me, but one of my party members bit off a little more than they could chew and started having a hard time. The waiter was quick to jump in and provided a drink that set things straight in a snap. read more

I was there last week with my vegan family. They liked their food. My beef dish was just OK and very stingy with the beef. (I do like Ethiopian food.) The service was slow due to understaffing and the table had not been wiped. Very mixed marks in my book. read more

Goorsha was great, one of the restaurants that makes me feel happy about recently moving into an adjacent neighborhood. Ethiopian is one of those cuisines I usually feel moderate-to-positive about but am rarely blown away by. Goorsha was the exception. I usually get the vegetarian combo at most Ethiopian places and I got it here, too - and was pleasantly surprised to find that all of the lentil-centered stews had their own distinct flavor and feel. One of them had that slow burn spice that was so slow I couldn't tell which one it came from! It's possible it even came from the green bean/carrot salad, which tasted fresh and airy, but could have been hiding some jalapeños. My partner ordered the zilzil key wot, berbere-seasoned beef stew, which was also amazing. Not a hint of toughness and a nuanced enough flavor that I didn't get sick of it when taking multiple bites in a row (weird compliment, I know, but I get that with most meat dishes). Two entrees were enough to feed us for two meals, and not just because of the insane amounts of injera that come with it. read more

Maybe it was an off day. They were inattentive, the tables and menus were dirty, sticky with visible stains. The food tasted fine, and I really want them to support them - such a great part of the diversity of foods in Durham. But at the current state, the food is not good enough to offset these other issues. The bathroom was also dirty and towels and TP were not refilled. Since it was a group of us, it would have awkward to just leave. But we wanted to and I can't say the last time I ever felt this way. Big disappointment. read more

My first experience with Ethiopian food and thoroughly enjoyed it. Food flavor is diverse and reasonably priced. read more

Goorsha - Beetroot Salad Zilzil Tibs Awaze Tibs - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

UGHHHH wishing for half stars now. I wanna do 3.5. Might be my toughest review yet. If I would've started in the women's bathroom, I probably wouldn't have even eaten here. Alas, I didn't go to the bathroom first. We will get to that. My husband and I essentially split two entrees and all the sides. Had the beef awaze tibs and OMG YES. Hit allllllll of the right spots. Did the vegetarian thing which came with three veggie choices. Literally every one of them was tasty. The sides were also bomb. My only slight complaint was from my hubs perspective... jalapeño in everything. I enjoyed it, but we were sweating by the end of it. The Ethiopian beer (St George) was also good! So till this point, we were on par for 5 stars. Then I went to the bathroom. All cool till you're sitting on the toilet and glance up. We aren't talking water stains, y'all. We are talking mold. Mold that's trying to rip through ceiling tiles. If it's not mold, it's the thickest, nastiest, blackest dust I've ever seen. And so that 5 stars I wanted to give- I suddenly couldn't give it. That was a SITUATION. read more

Goorsha - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

"Ethiopian across from Brightleaf in Durham" My wife is a HUGE fan of Ethiopian food, so we tried this new place out-- opened just one week ago. We arrived on a Friday night just before 6pm, and there were some tables left, but the place was packed before 7pm. For those not familiar with Ethiopian food, it comes served on an edible bread-like dish called "injera", and you eat the food with pieces of the injira (with no utensils). Single entrees were all $12-$18, and they all come with 2 sides. The vegan options give you 3 dishes as well as two sides, so that's arguably the better deal if you don't "need" meat. The vast majority of items on the menu are marked as spicy (often coming with jalapenos or a red pepper sauce), but they do offer to make things mild. Setting: Nicely, there appears to be some outdoor seating. Inside, there are two rooms: a bar area and a general seating area. The tables are small and flexible to accommodate small or large groups. There's some nice art on the walls, and there's music playing in the background. Alas, it was rather loud by the time we left, to the point it was hard hearing others at the table. Service: Certainly friendly. Definitely not fast at any stage (ordering, food delivery, checking on us, getting check), but they may be still working things out. Food quality (mine and pieces I tried from others): Zilzil alecha (beef) -- quite tasty but doesn't knock your socks off. It's one of the milder items on the menu, though. I should note that the quantity for this one seemed noticeably smaller than the quantity for the next dish (lamb awaze tips), too. Lamb awaze tibs -- the seasoning and combinations are EXCELLENT (comes with peppers, tomatoes, etc) but the lamb was quite fatty, to the point of being chewy. Fosolia (green beans) -- this was quite tasty and very garlicy. I'd totally get this next time. Beet root salad side -- good. About what you'd expect from the name-- lots of beets. Timatim fitfit -- this was also good-- has tomatoes diced up with pieces of the injera bread. Price/ value: This is a tough one to answer. For me, it wasn't a ton of food (I had the zilzil alecha, which turned out to be smaller), so one might say the price is just a bit high. On the other hand, Ethiopian food everywhere I've had it (Chicago, DC, Chapel Hill) is always mysteriously extraordinarily expensive. Relative to other Ethiopian restaurants, this one would probably be considered somewhat inexpensive. Maybe the teff flour used to make injera or other ingredients are really expensive? Synopsis: A-OK. A very nice addition to Durham. I don't see it as someplace I'll go to on a very regular basis, but certainly a nice change for variety at a reasonable price for what it is. I'd definitely recommend the vegan options as the best value. 3-4 star border. I'll round up for now since they're new and I figure they'll improve things further. read more

Goorsha - Lamb awaze tips and sides on injera - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Really enjoyed my meal here, so delicious! Great spot for Ethiopian cuisine. I would gladly come again. read more

Goorsha - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This was delicious! I got the zilzil tibs and it was well seasoned! I highly recommend going here for authentic Ethiopian food! read more

Goorsha - Zilzil Tibs Doro Tibs - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

The food was gross and sour!!!! How can bread be sour!! It was just really sour food and a huge disappointment. read more

Goorsha - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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If you have only had Ethiopian food at Goorsha, you don't know how lucky you are to start with the best. I search out Ethiopian food and it's hard to find outside of major cities. We don't have it in Greenville, SC or in Charleston. I've eaten it in Washington DC (more Ethiopian restaurants than in Addis Ababa), Atlanta, Columbia SC, and Asheville NC. But, to my taste, the best I've had is at Goorsha in Durham. The flavors are bright and fresh, the portions are generous, and the injera is what pulls it all together. I'm trying to find excuses to go back to Durham for more Goorsha. read more

Over the years, I've passed by Goorsha so many times but never tried it. I wish I came earlier!! The food was so tasty and delicious. I recommend the sambusa for appetizer, the filling was amazing. For entrees, we got the doro wot, doro tibs, and zilzil key wot. I really liked the zilzil key wot, it's more on the sweeter side but so delicious. I really liked the doro tibs as well. They put all of our entrees together onto one plate so we could share, but I saw other people get entrees on separate plates as well. The entrees come on a bed of traditional Ethiopian bread that you're supposed to use to pick up the food (no utensils!). Personally, I didn't mind the bread; it's a kind of sour bread, which I really liked and I found that the flavors of the entrees mostly overpowered it so I didn't taste it much. It was more just a vehicle for the entrees. However, other people at my table could not stomach the bread so it's definitely an acquired taste. You also get one side with every entree, so we got the azifa (lentils). Pretty good, nothing amazing. They also let us sub one of the vegan entrees for a side, so we got the metin shiro (chickpeas). Word of warning that this dish was ground up chickpeas, so it was more like a stew instead of whole chickpeas. If you have a preference either way, make sure you read the descriptions carefully. The prices were very fair and the portion size was really generous! I was stuffed afterward. My only complaint, and the reason this is not 5 stars, was that the wait time was really long. We literally waited an hour for our food! Granted, it was a busy Saturday night, but plan to spend some time waiting here. The staff were really nice, and the vibes were great. They have a pretty big outdoor seating area with cute lights. The inside is pretty small but cozy. I'll definitely be back to try some more tasty food! read more

Goorsha - Sambusa - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Great food, service and the food did not take long. The food was delicious. Everything tasted fresh. I recommend the fried cheesecake as well. read more

A wonderful Ethiopian addition the triangle food scene. We started with the Sambusa (good) and the Kashka (incredible)! For entrees we had the Golden Tibs and the Beef Combination plate (Zilzil Alecha and Zilzil Kéy Wot). Both entrees were so flavorful and tender. We will definitely be back! We finished dinner around 7:30/8 pm and the place was packed so either come early or get reservations. read more

Goorsha - The Golden Tibs with the beet root salad and the Azifa. - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This was my first time trying Ethiopian food. It was a fun experience. I do wish the flavors were a bit more bold but perhaps I ordered the wrong items to experience this. The injera did have a fermented taste but I see other reviewers say this flavor could be stronger and understand why they may say this. The service was standard. read more

Goorsha - Asked for jalapeños on the side when sharing. - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This place is great! They serve your food with this bread thing instead of utensils (you're supposed to use the bread to pick up the dishes) and eating here is such a fun experience! On the food itself: Sooo good! The seasoning was on point. I really really enjoyed the flavor of everything I ate! One of the things I usually get disappointed by is lack of flavor but not here. Food wasn't too heavy but also very filling. Other things I liked: I like that they have so many vegan options available as my partner and I are both vegan. I appreciate that they keep the traditional names of the dishes and add English descriptions underneath them. It made ordering easy but it was nice to see what they are actually called. I think it adds to the authenticity of the place. Our server was friendly, attentive, and our food came out SUPER fast. They have a patio so it's dog friendly, but shady spots are limited. Value-wise, this place can't be beat. My parents and I payed $11 (including tip) each for great food (more than we could finish) and great+fast service read more

Goorsha - my partner and i each got a "pick 2" vegan plate, and shared all 4 options. - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Pretty good, but somewhat limited menu. Four of us dined family style. Entrees were very good, but the sides were lacking. Also would have preferred more injera. Live music on Friday was nice, but too loud for a small space. Looking forward to going back. read more

Wow. Went in on a whim. Came out more full than I could have imagined. I've had Ethopian before, but Goorsha Durham was on a whole different level. Out came a large plate with many different items...beans, carrots, collard greens, minced meat, potatoes, lentils all cooked in amazing spices. The server was gracious enough to bring out extra injera since we ran out. So glad to have came here. This is a must if you visit Durham. Five stars! read more

Goorsha - Lots of different things... - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Been a long time since having some great African food...!!!!!! Love the lentils and chicken!