Second time here, and it did not disappoint. From the quiet and calming ambiance to friendly staff and an extensive menu of Ethiopian cuisine, definitely one of my top restaurants in Ithaca. The lamb (Yebeg Alicha) is so so good & tender. Everything is very flavorful and made with a lot of thought into the flavor profiles and high quality ingredients. I will say that the chicken (Doro Tibs) was kind of dry, but the other components (Kilt was my favorite) made up for it. The spicy (Misir) can actually be quite spicy, but the hints of sweetness help mellow it out a bit. The portions are huge, and perfect for sharing! Overall, I love coming here and highly recommend checking this place out!:) read more

Hawi Ethiopian Restaurant - Yebeg Alicha, Doro Tibs, Misir, Kik, Kilt - Ethiopian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

There was two of us and we got the we got the dinner for two and it was a lot of food plus you could bring your own alcohol because they didn't serve it there read more

My friend, who's extremely well cultured, and I, driven by equal parts hunger and curiosity, decided to feast like royalty on the special combo for two ($39.50) at Hawi. We chose Misir Wat, a glorious heap of red lentils stewed in onion and tomato sauce, and Kilt, a turmeric-kissed medley of potatoes, carrots, and cabbage that made me briefly consider adopting a vegetable-based lifestyle (briefly). We also got the Hawi Special ($6), an iced blend of sesame powder and honey. Imagine the rich, nutty taste of tahini and the comforting hug of honey -- but in liquid form, and with occasional hard bits that feel like nature's own attempt at boba. It was delicious and slightly mysterious. I liked it! 4/5. The food? So. Good. The kind of good where you're halfway through the meal and already regretting how full you're going to be but refuse to slow down. The kind of good where you consider getting extra injera just to prolong the experience. Now, full disclosure: I love Ethiopian food. Unconditionally. Irrationally. My Ethiopian friend, in their infinite wisdom, tells me this place is just "okay." But do I trust their expert opinion, or my own food-induced euphoria? I think we all know the answer. 10/10, would happily waddle out of here again. Thank you Anan for coming here with me! read more

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Such a fun experience! Came in a large group and ordered 3 of the sharing platters! Everything was very flavorful- a bit salty. I really liked the sour dough/crepe like bread, Injera. Wonderfully spongy and slightly tart, almost vinegary. Sharing platter portions are very large. We ordered 3 for a group of 13 and had a ton of leftovers. We probably would have been fine ordering 2. Also tried the chocolate fikir which was super tasty. Not too sweet. Imagine a slightly orange hot chocolate. More of a subtle citrus- not too bright which I liked. It still had that comforting hot chocolate-esque character. I would order this again! Overall, I don't think I'll be a regular, but I will definitely return! read more

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Fantastic. Everything about this place was great. It's an unassuming restaurant on a relatively quiet side street, but the staff really seem to be into the concept. The food was some of the best Ethiopian cuisine I've had. We ordered the vegetarian platter and an avocado salad appetizer, and everything was amazing. The injera in particular was clearly well fermented with a pleasant tang and excellent sponginess. It was great for picking out the perfect bite of every item on our platter. I also ordered some of the Ethiopian coffee, and that further added to the experience. The coffee had a deep, robust flavor without being overwhelming. It was the perfect accent to the other dishes on the table. After the meal, our server dropped off some disposable wipes to clean off our hands after consuming much of our platter with our hands and injera. It wasn't necessary, but it was a nice touch. This definitely isn't a fancy restaurant, and their focus is certainly not on the decor. The focus seems to be 100% on the food and the experience, which is exactly what I'm looking for. read more

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WOW- this was well worth the stop. We came to Ithaca to check out the local commons and then wanted to grab a bite to eat. We took to Yelp and found Hawi. I can confirm - when in Ithaca you have to come! We got a platter to share and it was perfect! We got 3 meat and 3 veggies off the list and i enjoyed them all. This is authentic and you use the bread they give you an abundance of instead of silverware. I wasn't sure how that was going to work but it was fine. The basket of bread they gave us was enough but, had it not been, the waiter said we could get more. I like the texture of the bread (sorry I forgot the name) and the faint sour taste. The place was busy on a mid afternoon. They serve authentic Ethiopian coffee and regular as well and other beverages. (no alcohol but I noticed a sign that indicated BYOB. It is not a fancy place if thats what you are looking for but it clean, staff is great and food is fabulous!! Add it to the Love List read more

Hawi Ethiopian Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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We were in Ithaca for 3 days and 2/3 days we were here for lunch/dinner. This place is amazing, food is freshly made so that takes time. The service however could have been better as it seems like it's highly understaffed. But the food and the flavors are out of this world. I have never had such good Ethiopian food on the east coast not even in Washington DC. There was not a single veggie on this plate which lacked flavor or was subpar. I would def come to this place whenever we visit and recommend everyone to try this out! The sambusa was flavorful as well, Gomen was my fav and even the beets, cabbage-potato curry was amazing which I don't prefer at other Ethiopian restaurants. The green beans and carrot was fried and was super crispy and flavorful. MUST VISIT IF YOU ARE IN THE AREA. Might need reservation during peak hours. read more

Hawi Ethiopian Restaurant - Sambusa - Ethiopian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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Wow!! Although the service was really slow (it took an hour for our food to arrive) the injera here is SO good that it made up for the wait. It's the fluffiest I've ever had and personally just the right amount of sourness, a little less sour than most. 3 of us shared a special plate. The doro wat, derek tibs, gomen, and misir wat were all good, though not as remarkable as their injera. The kitfo (tar tar) was new to me. The cardamom was very strong, almost overpowering, but it paired well with the cheese. It can be hard to get a table especially in the evenings, so I recommend calling ahead for a reservation. Also we didn't take advantage of the BYOB but it's a great perk, especially after a day at the wine trails! read more

This is the best Ethiopian food I've ever had. It's fresh with complex flavor. The waitstaff is friendly although they are sometimes understaffed and do their best to keep everything going. read more

This quaint restaurant is unassuming on the outside, but super well regarded in Ithaca! The injera was tangy, fluffy, and served steaming hot. The special combo for three was huge for the amount of people and has a lot of meat. Every dish in the special combo has so. much. flavor. The mint lemonade is also so refreshing and perfectly sweet! A must try in Ithaca~ read more

Hawi Ethiopian Restaurant - Special combo for three - Ethiopian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Solid spot for some Ethiopian food. Ordered the meat combo with lamb and chicken...flavors were on point for the meat, vegetables, and injera. The food took a while to come out, but it was definitely worth the wait. read more

Delicious Ethiopian cuisine with big portions. The injera (spongy bread) was perfect for eating all the food that came out. Wonderful vegetarian options, excellent lamb and chicken (we didn't get beef). Do not miss the mint lemonade or the vanilla chai, both of which were spectacular. Service was great. Ambiance was nothing special, but none of us cared because we were too busy enjoying the food. One note - they include the 18% gratuity automatically - we accidentally double-tipped. (Which we're sure the server appreciated, but it made the bill a lot higher than it would have been.) Otherwise the prices were fine given the high quality of the food. We will definitely go again next time we visit Ithaca. read more

So the only mildly negative feedback is how busy they get! This is a real highlight of any trip we take to Ithaca and every time we visit, I hold my breath to make sure that they are still in business. While I can get Ethiopian food anywhere in the metropolitan area, it's always a treat to stop by this place and get the meat specials with the veggies and delicious Injera. This time we didn't have time to sit down and enjoy the meal given time constraints, but I now realize that this travels well and we were able to take home the two meat special and enjoy it at home. read more

The service was wonderful. The atmosphere was casual but nice. I expected more from the food, but I still enjoyed it. If you're looking to try Ethiopian food, it's worth a try. read more

This was our first time trying Ethiopian food. We started with veggie sambusa (the best part was the sauce - yum!) and then ordered 1 vegetable platter and 1 two meat platter (chicken breast doro tibs and lamb yebeg wat) that comes with 3 veggie sides. It was all good. IMO, the very best of the veggies were these 3: - fasolio - kilt - shiros I was surprised that the food wasn't really spicy other than one bite. We reserved a table for an earlier dinner (6pm) and it was not at all slow. The service was good. And, it is BYOB, so ran across the street to grab a bottle of wine. read more

Hawi Ethiopian Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

We shared a two meat combo platter: lamb, chicken, greens, corn and beets each with unique seasoning. The food is typically eaten using a light bread roll - unroll it, tear a piece off and grab and eat a bite with it. The food was excellent, very flavorful and filling. Service was good. Their mint iced tea is very good as well. read more

Hawi Ethiopian Restaurant - Dining area - Ethiopian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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I've almost lived inside Ethiopian restaurants for the past 15 years and rank them by mitmita flavor, meat to butter ratio, and percentage of teff in their injera. The Tibs Wat came with an extremely wet tomato sauce that tasted like pasta sauce. This is not normal. The meat was extremely overcooked as well. The mitmita lacks spice and is on the sweeter side. It's not my preference but to each their own. The Injera was mostly wheat and fluffed, providing very little flavor. I would stick to the veggie combo but I couldn't even taste my veggies as the Tibs Wat sauce covered the entire plate. read more

What a fantastic meal! In Ithica on business with my coworker who is as adventurous about finding cool restaurants as I am. He chose Hawi tonight and BINGO it was a hit. We got in at about 5:15 and the place was empty. By the time we finished dinner this place was packed. It was packed because the food is phenomenal. The best way to have Ethiopian food is get as many different things as possible. Hawi has a few options to get the full experience. Just check out the menu to see. I decided to try the Beef Delut which was not an option on the multiple choice menu. It's actually ground beef with lots of jalapeño served raw but they offer an option to cook it I had mine cooked rare. Yelp gang... this was just so super delicious and tasty. The joint isn't very festive or decorated, it's kind of dank and old. Doesn't matter the food was fabulous. Don't go there for the ambiance go there for the food but go early because this place filed up. There's only one reason a restaurant is packed. It because the food if outstanding. read more

Hawi Ethiopian Restaurant - Beef Delut with kik and kilt - Ethiopian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Took my husband here as his first Ethiopian experience and we were both so happy! It's a tiny litte restaurant with maybe 15 tables total, we didn't have reservations but they still accommodated us! They were busy as it is, we came at around 9pm and the door says they close at 9:30pm..but they made it work! There was still plenty of tables dining past 9:30pm too and no one rushed us about the kitchen closing so don't think thats a hard set time. Didnt get any drinks but they sounded and looked good. We ordered the beef sambusa as an app but it never came so we cancelled it. Special combo for 2: a LOT of food, this could feed like 3-4 people in our opinion and we def had leftovers! All the meats were really good- I especially liked the kitfo (beef) and the doro wat (spicy chicken drumsticks) cause they had amazing flavor retention and the texture was so tender. It comes with 2 veggies of your choosing. The misir wat and shiro were really good. It's served with soft injera (soft pancakes) to dip and scoop everything in. PRO TIP: MOSTLY SPICY SO BE MINDFUL OF THAT! Recommend? Highly read more

Hawi Ethiopian Restaurant - Special combo for 2 - Ethiopian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

this place DOES. NOT. MISS. wonderful fun dining experience. the ambiance is so cute. every dish on our vegetarian was platter was amazing. delicious spot to dine at. their injera bread is DIVINE. fast service! read more

Hawi Ethiopian Restaurant - Vegetarian Platter - Ethiopian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Firstly, I highly recommend that anyone who wants to come here make a reservation as you're probably not getting in (at least friday or saturday night). They ran out of chairs for my table so I had to use a fold out chair, which was interesting but didn't really bug me. My party ordered the special, which included a ground beef like item, a chicken item, and I believe another lamb entree. It was enormous and more than enough food for everyone I came with. There is also unlimited bread, which is awesome. The food, however, did take quite a while to come out. Pricing came out to almost $25/person after tip, which is alright. I definitely had a good time and would come back! read more

Hawi Ethiopian Restaurant - The special with the famous Ethiopian bread - Ethiopian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Delicious, very affordable! Mint lemonade is a must, so refreshing! Both sambusa appetizers had an amazing crust and flavor. Great spreads and options for the main dishes too. read more

The food was tasty but did not make up for the stressed out and grumpy service. I would not go back

Hawi is a strong contender for the best Ethiopian meal I've ever had. My girlfriend and I dropped into this cozy spot just off the Commons on a rainy Saturday night. Tired and hungry from a day of travel, we split the Special Combo: kitfo (raw minced beef in spicy clarified butter), derek tibs (spicy grilled beef), doro wat (a chicken stew), gomen (garlicky collard greens), and misir wat (red lentil stew). There wasn't a dish on the heaping platter than wasn't phenomenal, with the kitfo a particular standout. The drinks (including a cold honey and sesame drink and a rich peanut coffee) were delicious as well, and the entire experience comes at a great price. read more

Hawi Ethiopian Restaurant - Special Combo with kitfo, derek tibs, doro wat, gomen, misir wat - Ethiopian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

I love it here! The food is always delicious. Sometimes the service is a bit slow but I would just expect this when you go! Other than that I love it :) read more

A rare spot in Ithaca that can take relatively large parties (20-30). You will be required to pay together as one party and to share shareable platters with 2-3 people. They can accommodate the one off few who want to order their own things. This all being said, what an experience. Vegetarian or meat items were all incredibly mouth watering. The wait staff had a great attitude and the food came out in a normal amount of time, considering that there was only one person cooking in the back for a party of 30, plus the other diners. Make sure you call in advance to make reservations. The mango starberry juice hit the spot like no other. I'm craving this place as I'm writing this review. read more

The highlight of our last trip to Ithaca, Hawi is Ethiopian done right. Despite the fact that they had run out of my favorite dish, Misir Wat (spicy red lentils), the yellow lentils, spicy chickpeas, and doro wat (spicy chicken) left me nothing to grieve about. Every dish was explosively flavorful - the Berber spices warmed the mouth at just the right heat, and the bread was exactly the vinegary sauce-sponge it was meant to be. Also, having one of two servers call out is apparently no impediment to good service when the remaining waitress is a powerhouse like ours. I never learned her name, but she was friendly, industrious, and just damned impressive with the way she triaged running food, greeting, seating, busing, taking orders, dropping checks, and refilling waters. At the night's apex she was handling ten tables with only slight delays, and never seemed flustered. True grace under pressure. If you visit Ithaca, don't sleep on this gem. read more

Wonderful experience! The mushroom appetizer was incredibly flavorful. The injera is fluffy and delicious. Our server was super sweet and efficient. The vegan vegetable platter for 2 was excellent & enough for probably 3 people! Will definitely return. read more

Once again, the food was excellent, the service could have used much improvement. We have arrived relatively late (8:30pm), were seated right away, and ordered food (which arrived fast, as the other two tables were finishing their meal). The waitress did not check on us even once, asking if everything was to our liking (beef dulet was cooked, not raw as we have ordered), or whether we needed anything else. Out attempts to attract her attention (at which point we were the only customers in the restaurant) were futile. If the food was not absolutely delicious, we would not be coming back. read more

Even our picky kids enjoyed the food here! Well seasoned and hearty portions. It was our first time having Ethiopian cuisine and it was delicious. We tried a bit of each: beef, chicken, and all the veggies. I highly recommend the samosas! read more

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Hawi is such a gem-- delicious Ethiopian cuisine in Ithaca of all places? Who would have thought? My girlfriend and I come here for every birthday/anniversary, and we are never disappointed. Would highly recommend the meat combo with awaze tibs (beef), yebeg wat (lamb), misir wat (red lentils), keysir (beets and carrots), and shiro (powdered chickpea stew). They often run out of certain dishes, but it's okay because every other beef/lamb/veggie option we've ordered has also been delicious. One of the best parts about the meal is the injera (spongy flatbread) you use to eat the meal-- the tanginess and overall texture are great. Since it's such a popular spot, the service can be slow at times, though the waitstaff are all friendly. The restaurant is understaffed considering how popular it is, which is a shame. Also, make sure to proofread your check once you receive it, as we've had two instances of being handed the wrong check. That being said, this is my favorite restaurant in Ithaca, and I'm going to be sad to leave it when I graduate. read more

I have been to Hawi about 75 times, and it never fails to hit the spot. The chef knows what she's doing, coming from one of New York's best Ethiopian restaurants with intensely satisfying recipes and flavors, and Ithaca is lucky to have an Ethiopian restaurant of such quality. Come here if you like bold flavors, generous portion sizes, and tangy and complex injera. Don't come if you think you might want to use a fork (which they will provide upon request), because there are often plenty of people waiting to get in who are eager for the full experience. And come ready to be patient. Call early (3-5 pm) if you want a good chance at takeout. Expect a wait of 30-40 minutes for your food, if you dine in. Take the time to hop across the street to the craft beer shop, disguised as an unassuming mini mart, and get a rare IPA. The interior is nice, complements the food nicely, and platters are presented invitingly on a mesob. The kitchen goes the extra mile to make the food flavorful--even the plentiful vegan platters--and so you may end up getting your entree before your appetizer. Hawi works great for vegans too, but as a carnivore, I must compliment their abundant, generous, and ever-so-satisfying meet options. I've eaten the kitfo (raw beef) here at least three dozen times, and never once had any issues (besides wanting to come back for more the next day). I could drink the mushroom tibs directly from the bowl. Get the avocado salad for a brighter complement to the richer dishes. The derek tibs is a classic, brimming with a generous serving of the tastiest lamb you'll have had, and great for take out. Meat combos are less ample in portion size, so I generally go for a meet entree (or special combo) and maybe a veggie platter, depending on whom I'm with. This is not the place for you if you like unseasoned food; this is where you come to get 20 different spices in a single meal, addictively drawing you into a food coma Come here for the food. They might be out of half of the menu, and that's fine, because everything on the menu is delicious. If you're new here, get the special combo--with the kitfo served raw. I've had it countless times, and while it thus seems safe to eat, I must warn that you might get addicted. Come ready to dig in, eat the food up with your hands, and covertly unbutton the top button of your pants when you realized the special combo for two is really for three. This is Ethiopian food on steroids, no holds barred. Hawi will take reservations via phone, and best to call before 5 pm. Don't come here too much, though, because inevitably nothing else will hit the spot. Enjoy read more

I was in Ithaca for a few days and this was by far the best restaurant I went to. I came with a couple friends for a fairly casual dinner, and we were seated quickly (although I have heard this is often not the case). The food tasted so fresh and flavorful, and the peanut tea was super creamy and well spiced. Would definitely go again the next time I find myself in Ithaca! read more

Came across this great Ethiopian restaurant while trying to find a different restaurant off the Commons in Ithaca. They atmosphere was nice with a diverse crowd. We ordered the vegetarian combo plate to share and it was delicious. Service was good, though the food took a very long time to be served, so don't go there if you're in a rush. All the items were fantastic, my favorite was the beets. A few people around us had a yummy looking drink that had two colors in it, and looked delicious! Highly recommended as long as you're not in a rush. Bathrooms were nice too. read more

Hawi Ethiopian Restaurant - Injera, not as sour as most I've had - Ethiopian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

We have eaten at many Ethiopian restaurants before and normally greatly enjoy the cuisine. The food at Hawi was by far the least tasty we have had. It wasn't terrible but it wasn't good. We shared the vegetarian combo which is comprised of seven dishes none of which we enjoyed. Also, the injera there was different than the other Ethiopian restaurants. It was much stickier than the others. On the positive side, the service provided by the young waitress was excellent and it was good to have vegetarian food. read more

Hawi Ethiopian Restaurant - Vegetarian Combo for two - Ethiopian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

My first time here and was so satisfied by this place! It was recommended that we make a reservation so I would pass that advice along here as well. Upon arrival the place was full but we got seated right away. We got the veggie platter with all 7 vegan/veggie options, and the peanut coffee which unfortunately never made it to our table. The platter for 2 was a perfect amount and was delicious! It is a little pricy but is authentic and the portions are generous. I would return! read more

Hawi Ethiopian Restaurant - Veggie Platter for 2 - Ethiopian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Food is great and service is wonderful too! It's good to call in advance and ask if you need a reservation.

Best kitfo I've ever had. Service very slow, but that's just because it's so popular. Pleasant decor also.

Nice to see an Ethiopian restaurant in Ithaca. Decided to try since I live Ethiopian food. I ordered what I usually order at Ethiopian places, Tibs Wat as the main course. It comes with two sides. I chose kik Aletcha and Miser Wat. Service is ok but when my food came they did not provide any napkins. Considering that you eat the food with your hands, some napkins would be pretty handy. The Tibs Wat is on the spicier side and the beef is long strips that seemed to be over cooked and tough. The Miser Wat was excellent! However the Kik Aletcha was under cooked. The injera comes thin and rolled and not nearly enough for the meal. Unraveling the injera is a bit of a task and their style is thin and falls apart when pinching up some food. Still, the flavors were good and worth a try one time. read more

Hawi Ethiopian Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Ithaca, New York

DANGEROUS FOOD, HOSTILE STAFF. The food itself tastes alright, but is not safe. I have had multiple things appear in my food there, but the final straw was a rock that shattered my tooth. I quietly and politely told our waiter what happened. Not even an apology, let alone any recompense. He instead turned hostile, blamed me for the tooth, and never returned to our table. Another waitress had to come give us the check after a long while. On urging from friends and family, I reached out to the restaurant privately afterwards to tell them what happened; they totally ghosted me. Even if the food tastes ok, Hawi is NOT worth the risk to your health and safety. read more