tl;dr A bit lacking in flavor but down to give it another try ordered: Awaze Tibs I've never had Ethiopian food, so Goorsha was on my list of places to try. I'm a big meat fan, so I thought there was no way I wouldn't like a pile of meat you pick up w rolls of carbs. Awaze Tibs I ordered the dish w beef and got the beet salad and cubed potatoes as sides based on the waitresses' rec. When the dish came out it looked great. The meat looked well seasoned and the injera looked soft (but also gave me trypophobia). However, the meat itself wasn't too tender w some hard morsels of fat to chew thru and had a basic dry spice flavor. The injera, while soft, didn't add much and had a bland sour flavor. Overall, the dish wasn't bad but didn't have me wishing for more. Since this is my first time eating Ethiopian food I'll give the benefit of the doubt that maybe I'm just not used to the specific spices on the meat. I'll definitely come back and try the lamb option to see if I enjoy it more. read more

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

Great experience! Such a cute space. Servers were so friendly and helpful in ordering. Food was terrific! Highly recommend!

Soup was good Entree the meat part was good but I do not like their traditional Ethiopian bread/wrap roll. I could not eat any of it. Alcoholic drink was VERY good Excellent customer service from my waitress. She was very polite and attentive. Thank you. read more

Came here for dinner before heading to a baseball game. Service was so friendly and our waitress was extremely helpful in assisting with what to order. For three of us, we had the three veggie entree, a meat and sides (lentils, beets, potato and something that was mixed with pieces of injera). I honestly can't remember all of the dishes but everything was amazing and I don't think you could really go wrong with whatever you order here. The meal was perfect. A good amount for 3 without feeling really heavy. Everything tasted fresh. Flavors were complex, spice ranged from mild to hot. Every component was unique and whatever was picked out for us, gave us such a wonderful overview of what Ethiopian food is all about. The injera was so good - spongy, sour, sturdy enough to scoop up our delicious food. There was actually 4 of us. My usually adventurous four year old foodie wasn't interested in what we were eating and there isn't a kids menu or any dishes specifically catered to a child's palate. Great value for quality food. Nice, chill ambience in downtown Durham. Exceptional service. Can't wait to go back! read more

Goorsha - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Had a great experience trying Ethiopian food for the first time! My friends and I dropped by for dinner and really enjoyed the food. It was a Thursday night and it was really nice outside and they even had some live music! Unfortunately, they had the volume of the band cranked up way too high and it hurt our ears even just walking through the patio into the restaurant. You could hear the music from a several block radius, which was a shame because the patio has a great view. It also permeated inside and made conversation difficult. I ordered the zilzil key wot with the sinig karya and timatim fitfit as my sides. Our waitress was super nice and asked if we were okay eating with our hands (as is traditional) or if we wanted utensils. She was also super great about being able to answer allergy questions from my friend who is highly allergic to a wide variety of foods. The food did take a bit to come out but it was well worth the wait. I was a really big fan of the zilzil key wot and it had a perfect blend of spices and was great with the injera (bread). I was afraid the jalapenos in the sinig karya would be too much but it was a very bearable level. My least favorite of the three was the timatim fitfit, which was difficult to eat and honestly just not my cup of tea. Would highly recommend coming by! My only gripe is the loudness of the music and the slightly slow service but the food was well worth the wait. read more

Goorsha - Zilzil key wot, sinig karya, timatim fitfit - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Love the simplicity and flavor. We pick 3 vegetarian entrees and my salad is always beet salad. I can say the food is aways freshly cooked and light on my stomach. My favorites - yellow lentils and the puréed chickpeas. I don't particularly enjoy injera - they seem slightly sour. i know it is supposed be but still I enjoy their outdoor seating and have mostly managed to find a table without reservations. Unfortunately, they do not have a parking lot. Free street parking is always a hassle but paid easily available nearby. read more

Goorsha - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Very cute interior that photographs well. Good portions and various side options. We waited a little longer than expected for the food. I also thought there could've been a larger meat to veggie ratio for the price. If I returned, I'd order a less lean protein. read more

Goorsha - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I should preface this review with this was my first time trying Ethiopian food! The meats themselves were very tasty and the portions were a good size but I did not like the sides. They all had very unique flavors to them that just did not appeal to my palate. The bread you eat with instead of silverware is fun but keep in mind it is truly flavorless. I do understand why it is flavorless but it is A LOT of bread. I also had a chai spice drink. It was fun and strong. We had a good attentive waiter and the outdoor area is nice. It's a fun place to try for sure. read more

We got the Vegan Sampler and everything was DELICIOUS! Yemisir Kik, Tejal Gomen, Fosolia, and a side of beets was our choice and we don't regret it at all. Service was amazing. It was our first time trying Ethiopian food and we will definitely be back! read more

Goorsha - Yemisir Kik, Tejal Gomen, Fosolia, and a side of beets was - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Great Ethiopian restaurant close to the theaters. Great service and amazing food. Try it.

I just came here the other night for the first time. To be honest, it was only my second Ethiopian food experience, though I have always loved the Ethiopian friends and acquaintances that have come into my life! The people working here at Goorsha were also just as kind. We went ahead (between 2 people) and ordered a beef/chicken combination platter ($27). You have the option of upgrading to lamb if you'd like, which I might want to try next time. The beef was all quite lean. It was definitely a good portion with plenty of injera to use/eat. My eating companion told me that he had previously had slightly more tangy injera, but I didn't have a problem with its level of fermentation-- I thought it was delicious and soaked up all of the juices of each dish wonderfully. I'll put in a plug for the zilzil alecha. WOW, I'm getting this next time for sure. It is the beef dish with turmeric in it, so it's slightly yellow and cooked down considerably. The beef was cooked down further than the other 2 beef dishes on the platter, which I preferred. However, that is not to say the other two were delicious as well. Of the other two, I liked the flavor profile of the more spicy one with lots of jalapenos in it, compared to the more mild one. The chicken dish with the drumstick and egg was nice, since the flavor was a little sweet and mild. For sides, the beet root salad is refreshing and nice if you like beets. The lentils had a bit of mustard/horseradish flavor that also balanced out the heavier meats well! Of the few tables around us, it was obvious that they were regular customers! I'm going to need to come back soon. read more

Goorsha - Zilzil alecha & Doro wat chicken - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

One of my favorites in Durham that I keep coming back to. We always order the vegan sampler (those chickpeas... wow!) and a beef dish. Huge portions and the flavor never disappoints. read more

Goorsha - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I think they got a new chef, food markup is insane. Even with all things considered, and I just don't think the quality is up to snuff. Maybe if the food was exceptional the prices would make sense, but the food quality is poor, portions are small, and the service is just "so-so" read more

Delicious! We tried all 6 of the vegetarian items, which they were kind enough to put on one big plate for us to share. I was disappointed that they did not have mead, which most Ethiopian restaurants often have, but they did have lots of wine, beer, and cider options to please the palate. Will return when we're in the area again! read more

Goorsha - All 6 vegetarian options on injera. - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I was so excited to try Goorsha, but I ended up being really really disappointed when I went for the first time. I preface this saying I really wanted to like the place but I just couldn't give it more than two stars. First, we came with a very large group of people for a birthday dinner and we had made a reservation for about 15 people. They knew we were coming that night. When we got to the table the waitress came around to take drink orders. Their drink menu offers beers, wine, and cocktails. A lot of us ordered cocktails. A few of the beers that were ordered came out but then they brought out chai tea and told us that was our drink. First off, there was a chai tea on the menu, but we had all ordered the chai spice cocktail. Not tea. So the waitress didn't realize the mistake until we tried to order another cocktail. After waiting about half an hour for the cocktails to come out on our fixed order, the waitress came out and told us actually their bartender wasn't there yet so they couldn't make any drinks. We had to order beer and wine. So we then put in beer and wine orders. We also put in food orders. After waiting another half hour, we still didn't have our drinks or food. When we finally asked again after about 40 minutes, the waitress told us, ok our bartender is now here and our drinks were coming soon. Honestly at this point, we had all been waiting an hour (at a table we had reserved) for just our drinks. We all honestly had no idea what drinks were going to actually come out. When they did bring the drinks out, they had two or three mistakes with the orders that led to some people having two drinks. They were nice enough to comp the extra drinks, but at this point we were pretty annoyed about the service and starving since we'd been waiting for about an hour and a half for drinks and food. So for the actual food, I was also disappointed. I love Ethiopian food, and I've had it a lot in DC, which probably has some of the best Ethiopian restaurants in the country. So I know I can't really compare, but I also can't help but compare. The food is nothing like the Ethiopian food in DC. It pales in comparison. The injera was cold and didn't have a strong taste of the herb that it's supposed to have. My stew didn't come out warm and it was really under seasoned for Ethiopian food. It tasted more like meat cooked in grocery store curry powder than anything authentic. Overall, I was just underwhelmed. I mean the Ethiopian food in DC comes out in huge round plates with 8-10 different stews and sides and the tibs come out on a skillet. Nothing at Goorsha could really compare to this. I'm thankful Durham finally has some diverse food and actually has an Ethiopian restaurant, but they really need to step up the food and service. This may be a place where I have to change my mind/review, but my first experience was just not very good at all unfortunately. read more

Goorsha - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Went to this place on a Saturday. Called ahead of time and the table was ready when we got there. We ordered Sambusa, Veggie platter and Doro Wot. There was an issue with the food and the server quickly fixed it, amazing. Sambusa and Doro Wot were amazing, veggies were good. Injera which came with the food was cold to the touch and very sour. read more

Cute store!!! Bright teal paint outside makes it hard to miss. They are very generous with the amount of meat they give you, and the sides complement the beef nicely. read more

Goorsha - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Goorsha is great sometimes but when it's not great, the portions are microscopic, the food comes ice cold, and it takes one hour to get your food. It used to be on the affordable side but as their prices have gone up, the inconsistency really becomes more of a problem. read more

This is probably one of the most reasonable spots for a healthful group dinner in Durham. Three of us did a vegan sharing plate for about $10 each, a steal. My favorites from the main dishes were the collard greens and the split lentils. I would probably double up the collard greens next time. I didn't love the cold sides and I do wish they had a plain green salad side on their vegan menu. Definitely would return. read more

Goorsha - Sharing platter with 6 selections. Shared between 3 people for about $10 each. - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Love the cute decor and the food is incredible. We had the sambusas and a variety of the vegan and meat dishes. Owner and staff are lovely and the vibe is great! read more

Goorsha - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Firstly, the service was not impressive. We had to wait a good amount of time before the server came to our table for our order. We ordered the Doro wot, what was given was a small chicken leg and an egg with a huge amount of gravy. With that being said, the sauce was flavorful but the chicken was completely dry and had the taste of day old chicken. We also ordered the zilzil ribs and that was fine but the meat was tough. Will never come back here. read more

Stubbles upon this place a few years ago. Been in love with this food since then.. if you love Ethiopian food this place is what you are looking for!! Definitely will be back !! read more

This was my first experience with Ethiopian food, but if this is what it's like, it's one of my new favorite cuisines! The Food: So good. I knew Wots were an Ethiopian staple going in, so I definitely wanted to try that. The Zilzil Key Wot (beef) was so good. I love spice, so this was right at my level. Warm, super flavorful, and tender. And eating it with the injera was, of course, a fun experience. I thought I'd have to ration it out, but they gave me plenty. The entrees come with two sides, and I had the Azifa (lentil salad) and beets. Those were both phenomenal as well. My friends both had the Zilzil Alecha and I got to try a bite. It was also good, but I preferred the Wot. Neither of them like spice, so they ordered their meals mild (a nice and necessary option). It was perfect for them, but maybe why I didn't like theirs quite as much. The Experience: We ate inside, but they had a really cool (and large) outdoor space. It feels nice inside, but keeps things casual. It has an authentic feel. The prices reflect that as well. You get a lot of quality food for a really reasonable price. The service was also wonderful. The owner (recognized him from the website) seated us and checked in during our meal, and the waitress was really sweet and kind. read more

Goorsha - Zilzil Key Wot (front) and Zilzil Alecha (back) - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

We were here for lunch on graduation weekend, to celebrate Mother's Day. We had a reservation 15 minutes after opening for party of 8. There appeared to be only one server for the entire restaurant, and multiple groups seated, both large and small. I'm guessing the kitchen staff was not much bigger than the front of house staff, as it took over an hour to place our order and receive our food. Despite the slow service, the food was tasty. I will give the service some leeway, as this was both Mother's Day and graduation weekend, and would be interested in trying this again on a less busy weekend the next time I'm in town. read more

Last night was my first time having Ethiopian food. It was incredible! Evidently on Friday nights you must have a reservation, but we were fortunate enough to be able to sit at the bar. This ended up working out very well for us because our bartender, Chas (sp?) made our visit amazing. She was so helpful and so nice. She went through the whole menu with us and explained everything, every dish, all the spices, and how things were prepared. She walked me through making some of my options vegan that weren't listed that way. The food came out and the spices are immediately noticeable. The colors are gorgeous. The food is rich with flavor and everything has just enough heat in it. The food was spicy, but not overpowering. I had a vegan dish, my date had short ribs. He could not get enough of his food. I've been wanting to try Ethiopian food for quite some time, and I'm so glad that my first time was at Goorsha. I really can't wait to go back, and I really hope to sit with Chas again. She was very prompt and very attentive, I don't believe we would have gotten that kind of service in the dining room. The sinig ginger and the bijou were incredible drinks! We also paired the St. George Amber Ethiopian beer with our food, and it was delicious. My only advice, have the young blonde lady at the door please speak up when she talks to people. She mumbled so bad that I could not understand her... and it seemed like it was very difficult for her to make eye contact. read more

Goorsha - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Tasty Ethiopian food of great quality and quantity in a nice restaurant setting. I'm glad we have this in Durham to add some diversity and uniqueness to the food selection! Expect to spend a bit of time here as it takes a while for the dishes to arrive. Also, expect to spend at least ~$20 per person. read more

Goorsha - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

The food was fantastic, environment very comfortable, service attentive, and value great

Goren Goren was room temperature, swimming in grease and tasted very bland.

This was my first time having Ethiopian food and it did not disappoint! I was in on a weeknight and there was a good crowd on the patio to enjoy the beautiful September night. Our waiter was friendly and helped explain the menu a bit for us. We ended up going with the beef and chicken combo platter. Out of the four items only one was chicken. The stew was my absolute favorite, zilzil alecha, and is what I would order a whole dish of when I head back in. The sampler is a great way to try a variety and scope out what you like if you are new to Ethiopian food. The sides were great as well we got the lentils and the tomato salad. I'm not into super spicy foods, if you are like me all the peppers on the menu may scare ya a bit. I'd say everything had a good level of spice except for the chicken dish the doro wot, it was way too spicy for me. If you love spicy food I'd give that one a try. We met the owner while we were finishing up our meals and he was super friendly. He uses all his own recipes at the restaurant and it is truly a family affair! read more

This was such a lovely, quiet, intimate place to enjoy some amazing food! The staff were so kind and answered any and all questions about the menu. And amazing prices for the amount of food. We got to try a ton of new dishes for a solid price, and the dishes sparked a lot of conversation we wouldn't have had before! If you're looking to try a new cuisine and support a local business, try this one. Can't wait to go back or order takeout! read more

------ TL;DR Uncommon flavors and a fun eating experience but pricey if you're a college student. Came here with a hungry group of 6. We decided to order beef & chicken combo and veggie combo. Unfortunately it wasn't enough food for us! +FOOD+ My party liked the Zilzil Alecha (Strips of savory beef stew seasoned with turmeric, garlic, onions and ginger) and Kik Alecha (Yellow split pea stew seasoned with turmeric, onion, garlic, ginger and garnished with sliced jalapeños). We were not really fans of the Timatim Fitfit (Fresh diced tomatoes seasoned with onions and jalapeños mixed with small pieces of injera) +EXPERIENCE+ Unfortunately had to sit outside because inside was full. It was pretty chilly outside and the street noise was not super pleasant, but we appreciated that the wait staff tried to accommodate us. In particular, my group was remarking amongst ourselves how we were still hungry; a waiter overheard us and brought us a few more rolls of injera to eat. Much appreciated, but we learned our lesson-- at Goorsha you can't expect to share and split the bill for a filling, cheap meal! I would come back here again. Visited 3/18/18 read more

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3.5 for food - especially the doro tibs (chicken) and zilzil tibs and awake tibs (beef). Injira is A+. It's all greasier than other Ethiopian restaurant I've visited. 3.5 for ambience - cute, clean, nice restaurant - not fancy but not hole in the wall. 2 for service - it takes FOREVER to get your food or a server to check in on you. Solid place but don't go if you're in a rush! read more

Even though this place is only a couple of years old, it is a Durham staple for me. The food is warm, full of flavor and delicious. It is such a nice tough that the injera is gluten free for all customers and I do not have to order a special injera. The vegan dishes and side dishes are all delicious. I often have a hard time deciding which to order, but have a couple of favorites that I have to order every time. I love spicy food, but I have visited with others who do not and the staff have been accommodating to them and lowered the spice level in the dishes. Every wait person is so friendly and the owner is great. When he is there, he often comes over and says hello. He has even brought us special treats to try when I have dinned with groups. I am so thankful for delicious Ethiopian food in Durham! read more

Came here with a fairly large work group and we were hungry Half of us being vegetarian, this place just made sense. I was amazed with the choice, the freshness and just how damn good everything was. Not a scrap was left on our plates and we basically had to roll back to our hotel, full of deliciousness and small batch cider (also deelish.) The staff are super helpful and the space is cozy and welcoming. We sat at the bar as our table wasn't quite ready and we were amazed with the choice, our cider drinkers were especially pleased with the assortment. Trust me, come here and order anything at all from the menu, you will not be disappointed. read more

We had been craving Ethiopian and were excited to discover Goorsha. The portions and flavors are great, even for someone like me who isn't into very spicy things. They have outdoor seating and the day we went was the perfect day for eating outside. Will be definitely returning again when the weather warms up! read more

I'm so full from this restaurant that I cannot even begin to describe it. To be quick: go here. Go here if you're just visiting Durham, if you live in Durham, or if you're just looking for something other than a burger. We started out with the Kitfo Roll which was (if you want to get American about it) essentially a taco with cottage cheese and tomatoes. It was so amazing! They come in 2 so if you're with a family of 4, be prepared to order more! I decided to go with the Awaze Lamb Tips which were amazing. They're on this sponge-like bread which is gluten free. The culture of Ethiopia is to eat with your hands, however silverware is available upon request. I decided to go ahead and commit to the non-silverware tactic and dive in with my hands! Overall the experience was absolutely amazing. I would recommend this to anyone and everyone! read more

Goorsha - Kitfo Roll, Awaze Lamb Tips, Zilzil Tips, with a Mitmita Margarita and Chai Spice cocktail. - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Stopped for dinner on Friday 8pm, wait time was 40 mins so we left. Came back Saturday 6:30pm and was told the wait line is again 40 mins, but luckiky 2 bar seats opened so we grabbed those. Ambience: casual but not too casual. Clean, homey-feeling. Service: very friendly staff. We had to wait a while for our food due to some mix up -it wasnt too ridiculous of a wait but the bartender was kind enough to offer us a free beer. They've just been open for a week so I think things will fall into place. Food: I had the raw kitfo and my date had the lamb awaze tibs. I love the kitfo! Lamb awaze tibs was also very good. Among the four sides, I like the timatim fitfit the most. Price: 12-18 for entrees, which is on par or cheaper compared to ethiopian food elsewhere. I definitely will come back! Love it that finally Durham has an Ethiopian place! read more

Goorsha - Raw beef kitfo. - Ethiopian Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This bright Ethiopian restaurant is an anticipated and welcome addition to the Durham food scene. Dishes can be served individually, but the idea of 'goorsha' seems best embodied by eating communally -- entrees and sides arranged in happy proximity atop injera, a spongey flatbread -- done by request. We particularly enjoyed the yemisir kik (red lentils), kik alecha (yellow split peas), doro tibs (chicken) and awaze tibs (beef). A very serviceable wine list, Ethiopian beers, Fullsteam drafts, and a few cocktails round out the meal. We experienced some growing pains with regard to the service--this is a new restaurant, and it shows a bit. However, they adjusted quickly and were so generous with comping a couple things as the meal went on! This is a delicious Durham spot that manages to be true to both its cuisine and the community it serves. Give it a try! read more

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So where do I start? I previously lived with two great roommates; a Kenyan (runner) and a Nigerian (soccer player) .They always talked about how good Ethiopian food was. Well, tonight I understand. The food: Awazi tibs (rib eye) were killer. Something about the spicing that caught me off guard but once my pallet caught up with my senses it was like putting the final puzzle piece onto a 5,000 piece set. Doro wet (chicken) The heat was REAL but it was a pleasurable burn...if that sounds appealing. It reminded me of a smoked chicken over mesquite coals; however, the spices covering the leg gave it an extra tastebud journey. My girlfriend kicked up a conversation with the owner and picked up some cool facts. Facts: 1. chili power comes from home (Ethiopia). 2. The spicing can get much hotter but is toned down to American pallets. 3. Ethiopian beer is pretty good (suggest the amber). 4. Ethiopia has never been colonized which accounts for unique spicing. 5. EAT WITH YOUR FINGERS! (No utensils!! But there are if you need some). Coming back soon! read more

Really awesome food and service! My favorite is the tuna kitfo and doro wat! Ambiance is casual.