We've been here twice now and it has impressed both times. The pasta is very good and the pesto gnocchi. I enjoyed the duck lentil soup. The Ethiopian tibs is a unique dish that we've enjoyed both times. Servers are very friendly and helpful. The gelato is a must have treat! read more

Went tonite with 2 other couples. We arrived at 5:30 p and were the only customers in the place and no others came. Received the only appetizer at 6:30. Our meals came piece meal 2 at a time around 7. When last came everyone else was done. Explanation was they were making the pasta. The food it extremely spicy hot, with no indication of it on menu. The topper was they added a 22% tip! I highly recommend you not darken their door!!!!! read more

Owners are wonderful. Food always on point and tasty along with the cool vibe that makes for a good ambience.

It's good but not consistent! And for the prices and portion sizes I would expect more.

It's been a while since I revisited my review of Maaza 29. One of my newer favorites (although they've had it on the menu for some time) is their take on Gumbo. You may be asking yourself: "Gumbo in an Ethiopian restaurant?" The answer would be "hell yeah!" Their Gumbo is amongst the best Gumbo I've ever eaten. The Roux/gravy is rich and delicious - with a hint of brininess coming from the oysters. Paired up with the Andouille sausage - and sensational use of Ethiopian spices to add depth and complexity to the Gumbo... Well, I could eat this every day! I continue to enjoy their meatball appetizer named "Polpetti" - stuffed with Mozzarella - and served with a Bolognese sauce. They have a nice char on the outside of them. The Blue Crab Cake dish is still a favorite. It's served in a small white dish - with a spicy Awaze sauce drizzled over it. The lamb lollipops also kick ass. The chicken wings are also a favorite! I can't ever remember having a bad meal at Maaza 29! They have a nice wine selection, a few select craft beers, and an outstanding cocktail menu! The Mango-Chile Martini is a hit! #Maaza29 read more

Maaza 29 - Ethiopian Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

We went as a double date. We all agreed that the food was good but there are a few things that could have been changed. I agree with one other poster that said it's hard to get a glass of wine. They mostly only sell bottles, with maybe two types by the glass. The one glass that we asked for they were out of, so we ended up getting a whole bottle - not knowing how much it cost, because we didn't get a menu brought back to us after our initial drink service. They recommended one. It turned out to be one of the pricey ones, but it was good. Surprise. My husband only drinks IPA'S and they only had one IPA and Domestics to choose from, so both guys ordered an Old Fashioned, which they said was not the greatest. On the food side, we had the hangar steak with Chimichurri, which was good. The Chimichurri was spicy, but we all like spicy. What was insanely spicy was the Shrimp with Polenta. It was very good, shrimp were cooked perfectly (although small) but I could not get over how spicy it was. As I said, I love spicy food but it did not say on the menu that that dish was spicy at all. I was able to eat it only with the polenta added to each bite. My complaint on that is that it should have been stated on the menu. My husband got the lasagna but said it was just ok. The portion was not huge, and he was hungry when we got home. I felt like it should have come with a side salad and garlic bread. The lamb dish was good and the short ribs were also good. The waitresses were both nice. One seemed a little impatient with asking questions, but that was fine. There were only 2 other couples in the restaurant for the whole night, and 2 couples at the the bar. Not sure how they stay in business with such limited clientele. The reservation process says they are full all the time. Could be a computer glitch. So there are plusses and minuses but probably won't return mainly for the beer/wine issues. I don't really drink that much, so I don't need a whole bottle of wine. read more

Amazing food and great service. We found this hidden gem after our dulles flights were cancelled and we drove to Charlottesville. Mason the barman was great and the food was amazing. Recommend! read more

We tried Mass 29 on a friend's recommendation and it did not disappoint! From the ambience to the service to the food and wine, everything was amazing! My husband had the beef tibs, an Ethiopian dish that was delicious. I had the flank steak. It was perfectly cooked to my liking with creamy mashed potatoes and a Gorgonzola sauce. Our wine, Silk and Spice was delicious. We tried and lived the sambusas- had a little spice but not too much. We're taking the lemon dessert home for later. We can't wait to go back. Prices were reasonable too. read more

What I liked: -Everything I ate. Lol! Chicken and beef Sambusa. One order is $9, which comes w/ 2, the waiter let me mix and match. -Awaze tibs w/ lamb, my friends lamb shank tasted better though. The meat was so tender and juicy. -at the end of my meal, I asked for a side of enjera because I'd only had it once and wanted to see if my palate changed towards it. The waiter didn't charge me for it, and I ended up liking it. -they have HH on Fridays too unlike many restaurants but the liquor options are limited to rail drinks (liquor + a juice/soda, no complicated mixing) -the bathroom was clean and while I was on my way there I caught a glimpse of the kitchen and it looked clean too -being able to pay via iPad at the table -friendly waiter who knew the menu What I didn't like: -HH menu should have food specials up there too, like the Sambusa being $5/$6. -basic HH drinks, BUT the waiter comped is drinks due to a mix up of another waiter saying a drink I wanted was on special -they have high chairs in the restaurant, but no baby changing table, so my friend had to change her daughter on the floor -Service was pretty slow for there to not be many people in the restaurant, but I must say it was worth the wait and makes me believe the food was made fresh read more

Maaza 29 - Chicken and beef Sambusa. Loved the orange sauce, the red one had a smoky flavor. - Ethiopian Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

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I feel like this place could easily be a success, but with some tweaks. We found this place on a google search and after reading some mixed reviews, felt we'd give it a chance. The food was good. We had lamb lollipops, lasagna, duck confit, and spaghetti. My wife didn't care for the lasagna, but she's a bit of a lasagna snob. I didn't personally try that but I did try everything else it was all good. What turned me off to this restaurant was the wine/alcohol options. They serve a terrible selection of beers. When I asked about their beer selection, the waitress said the owner preferred to focus on a wine menu and didn't carry many beers. They had, I think, Miller lite, XX, and maybe Coors light. Beer that are often considered beer-flavored-water. So, I ordered a Woodford Old Fashioned. A basic cocktail. It was not great. It was watered down, almost clear in color and served with a fat wedge of grapefruit. I was not happy with it but drank it anyway. I figured I would try their wine next since that's what the owner apparently prides himself on. This was my final disappointment of the evening. They carry, or at least during our visit, very few wines by the glass. I prefer reds and they only had a Cab and Zinfandel by the glass. Any other wine required purchasing a bottle. I only wanted 1 glass of wine. I did not want to buy an $80 - $100 bottle of wine. I can't stand Zinfandel's, so I settled, quite reluctantly, on the Cab. We normally order dessert, but after their total fail on drink service, on all angles, we were done. I was hoping for a better experience. One tip for the owner, having a decent beer selection, or a bartender that makes proper cocktails is an important feature of a good restaurant. We dine at very classy restaurants all the time and they always have good beer and cocktails. Good restaurants also offer more extensive wine-by-the-glass options. Not just whatever bottle(s) happens to be open. read more

First visit last night - you definitely need to save room for dessert. I was in a pasta mood and their house made pappardelle was light sauced just right with a ragu and was great. My friend had the lamb lollipops and eggplant (which I also tried) and loved both. I couldn't decide between the 2 limoncello deserts so we got both - and they both were wonderful. The staff - from first greeting to farewell - were warm and attentive. Very disappointing was the lack of customers on a Saturday night. It's in a strip mall but once you're inside it very inviting. read more

Finally stopped in after driving by this place for years. On the positive side, The food was excellent with many unique choices ranging from Ethiopian to Italian to Cajun to even She Crab soup. We stuck with the Italian side of the menu and greatly enjoyed our meals. The service was friendly and prompt. The wine list has a lot of unique choices as well. The only negatives are that it was very quiet with just a handful of other diners, and the place could use some updates as the carpet is in poor shape, there is a lot of clutter, and the bathrooms are in desperate need of renovation. Prices are a bit on the high side, but quality of the food is a good step above other Italian places in the area so you get what you pay for. Given the entirety of the experience, we definitely plan to return and explore the menu in greater detail next time around, especially the Ethiopian food. read more

Are you a foodie? Then you must try Maaza 29. I go there primarily for Ethiopian Tidbits and my injera cravings. But the European cuisine is outta this world as well. The Osso Buco was insanely delish! It was accompanied by the BEST risotto I have ever had in America and maybe even Italy. It was so good, my family has voted it a must to get every time we order even if we eat later. The lamb lollipops are to die for. Beef short rib ragu is another absolutely delicious entree. I could go on but long story short, all their entrees and apps are gastronomic wonders of the world. They even deliver! So stop reading my post and go try Maaza 29. You will thank me! read more

The worst dinner I've had in a long time. Would not return, the dining room needs an update and the service was poor. This was the "pork belly" read more

Maaza 29 - "Pork Belly" - Ethiopian Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

Good food. Knowledgeable and attentive staff without being intrusive. Our waitress helped us select entrees which worked well with our food sensitivities. The chef made small - but significant to us - changes in food preparation to accommodate our gluten and lactose sensitivities. The result: a meal we enjoyed very much without feeling uncomfortable. Great value for the price too! read more

Maaza 29 - Awaze tibs (beef), tomato salad and Mediterranean rice - Ethiopian Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

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Great bar and restaurant near our home. We've been here on multiple occasions and have received excellent service. We've also enjoyed the food, cuisine is mainly Ethiopian. They offer unique cocktails as well. We stopped in today for brunch. My husband ordered the chicken and waffles while I went with nontraditional brunch fare and ordered the beef tibs. I loved my meal. Tibs had the perfect amount of spice and that along with the eggs and potatoes were cooked perfectly. My only complaint is they did not have any injera bread available. Feel this is absolutely a must for any Ethiopian restaurant and it's also noted as part of the meal I ordered. That's the only reason for the 4 star rating. Their version of chicken and waffles was also good but I wanted to point out it is definitely not standard. They use a different kind of dough for both. The waffles were Belgian style and chicken was not typical fried chicken. read more

Food service and hospitality excellent People are great I really loved it.Lamb Lentil Sambusa Lobster Risotto Vegetarian Platter The best wine in town read more

I've been here three times now. Twice for dinner and once for brunch. First time was amazing. Had a younger guy as our server. He was attentive and very knowledgeable. Made excellent recommendations and was super accommodating. I had the lamb and sambusas! It was amazing. Meat falling off the bone. Just cooked to perfection. Second time we came for brunch. Great food. We had a female server. She was also sweet and the food was great. We had chicken and waffles and sambusas. Sambusas were amazing per usual and the chicken and waffles were ok. Third time. The owner was our server. He was o...Kay not as attentive or accommodating as the previous servers. We arrived at 730 and we asked if we could have the happy hour menu, he said they have a progressive happy hour so it was over. The sign on the door says 8pm. My friend asked if she could have something added to an entree He responded with a pretty smart remark in my opinion. As the night progressed the server disappeared. We didn't receive refills or anything. I saw him at the bar with friends so I'm guessing he was done for the night and just hadn't communicated that to us. We had awaze wings and mambo wings they were so good. The sambusas were a little saltier than normal and I had the shrimp capellini. The pasta is made fresh. It was very flavorful! Fourth time. Was Sunday, April 14th. We arrived about 40 mins after the opening but they were closed. I checked the website and IG page and didn't see anything regarding the late opening. May have been an emergency, not sure. Anywhoo. All in all this is a good place. Good food, nice environment even better when you have the right server. read more

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Sam was great, the service was amazing, the food was EXCEPTIONAL.. it was a random pick off of google and I can't wait to go back and try more of the menu. If you find yourself there, try the crawfish ettouffe read more

So I have been here twice.. Food- awesome. Bar tender was a young professional male who paid attention to my party and was SO nice. Our first visit there was a manager who spoke really degrading to the bar tender. I was kind of shocked, didn't say anything. The second time I came with my same friends. Food was fine but the same manager was SO rude. The bar guy didn't say a word- I asked if he was okay. I read awesome reviews so I went twice but seeing the manager talk to an employee (I work in customer service), I thought it completely ruined the experience! My friends and I won't go back. Good service from the staff but the manager had an ego that was more disgusting than any good food. read more

In a word...Wow! James and I were looking for something different and interesting and we found that and more at Maaza 29. Emanuel is the owner, operator and chef of this Ethiopian influenced restaurant. He walked us thru the menu, gave us sample tastes of the various spices and made some great suggestions. We had the lettuce wraps as a starter, James tried a Chimay Belgian beer. And we each had an Awaze entree, chicken and beef. Both were quite good with impressive textures and mix of spices and flavors. We each finished with a dessert which you get to view, fresh from the kitchen. You will feel comfortable and at home with Emanuel; he has an easy style and will make you feel welcome and will accommodate your reasonable requests. I was impressed that he sources his food from local suppliers and supports both Old Bust Head and Heritage Craft Brewers with local draught beers. read more

This place was not what we expected with all of the great reviews. The decor was very odd in the main dining room and very awkward. There was zero music playing and we were the only table at 7 pm on a Friday night, which we felt was very strange. The menu isn't very descriptive. I think they need to realize not everyone understands their concept. The server never explained the menu until we asked him too. The cocktail menu had interesting drinks, but we ordered a gin and tonic and the bar had no tonic. How is that possible on a Friday night? We ordered the margarita instead which didn't taste anything like a margarita and came in an oversized martini glass. The food had an ok flavor, but everything seemed to be over sauced and over seasoned. The server would disappear for 20-30 minutes at a time. It took a good 20 minutes to get the check and another 20 minutes for him to collect payment and then another 15 to run the card. There was only 1 other table at this point. We won't be back. read more

A quick Yelp search landed us at Maaza 29 on our way to Fairfax late one evening. We were searching for some "ethnic" food- really looking for some flavors you can't find in Eastern Kentucky and quickly found this Ethiopian restaurant. Maaza is a cute little bar type lounge in a small strip mall with some flashy lights and a really cool chalk board sign that gives the vibe that everyone is accepted here- I'll drop a pic of it! So Maaza is def a different more modern type of Ethiopian restaurant- it doesn't give the traditional vibe that I've experienced at other places but works well with social distancing so as not to be quite so sharing with the food as they roll up the injera into individual rolls rather than having it under the food on a large platter that is shared (Injera is the traditional spongey like bread used to scoop up the food). We had the lamb with corn, green beans, potatoes, and a tomato like salsa with onion. Everything tasted really good and the lamb was excellent- really spicy and tender. Everything was nice and clean and the waitress was friendly. Service was a little slow but not to the point of annoying. Great place, check it out if you're in the area! read more

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Wow! So impressed! Everything was absolutely perfect about this experience. Maaza 29 is the only Ethiopian place that I know of in the area, although there are a couple inferior ones near Arlington/DC. It is located at a shopping center in Gainesville, and it is a really nice looking place on the inside. There is a full bar as well as bar seating, as well as a separate dining room. The server and owner both took time to explain the dishes (especially to my girlfriend who had never enjoyed Ethiopian cuisine before) and also let us know that our food would take a bit longer than most restaurants because nothing is frozen and everything is prepared in-house. We started off with the lentil Sambusa. WOW. The lentil filling was so fresh and the texture and taste was perfect (especially with the awaze dipping sauce). Additionally the presentation was really nice. I ordered the awaze tibs, and at the recommendation of the owner my girlfriend had the lamb shank. The lamb shank had been braised for 14 hours and literally was falling apart. It was so delicious, and the sauce it was served with was perfect. The lamb was not gamey at all. I had the awaze tibs which were also absolutely delicious. We also ordered a bottle of Malvec which was extremely well priced at $25. They also have an expansive beer and liquor selection. Finally, we enjoyed mascarpone for dessert. Unbelievable. The owner and chef were also prepping to launch a new menu, so before we left they asked us to sample their new eggplant parmesan, which was probably the best I've ever had. Overall, I am super impressed with this place and can't wait to go back to try the kitfo and gored gored. read more

Maaza 29 - Awaze Tibs! - Ethiopian Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

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This place is a amazing! I can't believe that the place didn't have more people. Get to this place now before it takes off and gets harder to get a table. I had the lamb shank and my wife had the lasagna. The lasagna was good, but different. She would rate it 5 stars. The lamb shank was amazing. Absolutely amazing. I will come back for sure. reasonable. read more

Maaza 29 - Ethiopian Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

We stopped in after lunch, to expand our horizons and knowledge of the area (we live nearby, and are exploring). We were greeted by bartender Sam, who explained the menu and wine list. As we'd already had lunch, Sam recommend a rose for me, and a red blend for my husband. He was spot on - the rose was delightfully fresh, with notes of rose and grapefruit. My husband's red blend had black cherry on the nose, with black pepper and a deep finish. As we arrived after lunch, we really appreciated Sam's explanations of the menu (Including Ethiopian, which we'd wanted to try, but had never quite understood before Sam's explanations). We are now in the process of arranging a dinner with friends, to explore your wine (and lamb) options! Thanks again to Sam, who introduced us to the venue, the wine, and the lamb options! read more

First time Ethiopian diner and this was awesome. Awake Beef Tibs were amazing! So were the sambusas. read more

Maaza 29 - Ethiopian Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

First time at the restaurant. Food was good but not an hour and a half wait good. WE are willing to try again. I don't mind waiting when the food is made fresh but at least give your guests some bread anD bring salad out more quickly. The staff was working their buttes off so maybe sOmeone called in sick? Hanger steak was cooked perfectly but the short ribs on the noodles were a bit too vinegary, however very tender. The salad was also very good. read more

This place has become a Valentines tradition for me. I always visit around that time. Their pre-fixed menu on Valentines was alright. The normal menu is where they really shine imo. I ordered the leg of lamb, and it was huge in addition to soft and juicy throughout. It was a great deal. The decor is beautiful as well. I like how they're trying to market themselves as upscale cocktail bar with Ethiopian/European fusion food. I appreciate their creativity. Would visit again for a nice night out. read more

Running out of dishes in the menu.. every time we go there.. either the lamb shank is off the menu or something else. Feel so stupid getting there looking at their menu and cannot order what we want. Low end food and bad management read more

First time visiting Maaza and I can't wait to come back! From start to finish absolutely amazing! Sam is phenomenal, very attentive and personable, made you feel like a regular right away. He was incredibly knowledgeable and explained every dish on the menu. Now let's talk about the food again exceptional. There were six of us and we each got a different entrée and we all agreed every dish was delicious! Kudos to the Chef! And Sam we"ll see you soon! Celeste Schonter read more

I've been to Maaza a couple times. With my girlfriends and most recently I took my husband, he LOVED the food. The sambusas are my absolute fave and I could just order a few orders of those and be happy. I like the ambiance in the restaurant, the wait staff is very friendly although it seems most times there is only like one waiter working. At one point I REALLY needed some water (Awaze Tibs are spicy but delicious haha) and he was busy for awhile. He eventually came over tho. Other than that I love this place and will definitely visit again. The portions are excellent and I usually have some to take home. It warms up well and still taste good the next day (or that same night when I dig in because I can't wait). I've also tried the wings which were awesome , I plan to try the pasta the next time although it's hard not to get the Tibs because it's just delicious every time. Oh and the lamb shank, fall apart tender. This place is definitely worth visiting great for a date night, after work drinks or dinner with friends. read more

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Referred by a coworker, I was excited to have Ethiopian again! When I arrived, only 2 couples at the bar having a conversation and the bartender in a friendly way, insisted I join them at the bar. He and one of the locals explained the kitchen was out of many ingredients but gave recommendations. The food and presentation was excellent. The conversation and inclusion was welcome and the atmosphere very inviting. If I were a local, I'd be a regular as well. My new friend insisted I try the eggplant parmesan and it was easily the best I've ever had. When in the area, I will return! read more

Matias was our Peruvian bartender (my mom is Peruvian and was with me). He was so great. Emanuel, the owner, is a sweetheart. And a talented restauranteur. He's half Italian half Ethiopian and that's the cuisine. SO DELICIOUS. Everything has an Ethiopian spin to it. Short rib ragu, shrimp and grits, chicken wings. Just all delicious. No crappy beers, and a great wine list. A true gem of a restaurant in a place you wouldn't expect. read more

Let me start by saying I'm usually one of those lazy people who only take the time to write a review when I have had a bad experience. This is not the case here. My husband and I finally scored a babysitter for a much needed date night. I was perusing the normal deal sites and came across MAAZA 29 on Amazon local. I texted my husband Saturday morning and asked him if he would like to try Ethiopian food and he replied with a simple, "NO". Undeterred, I sent him the link for the restaurants menu. After some convincing (neither of us have ever tried this cuisine) he agreed, seeing as the plan was to see a movie after dinner and if the dinner stunk we could fill up on movie popcorn and candy. We walked into Maaza 29 with not much expectation. We are completely ignorant about the Ethiopian culture. I made that clear to the waitress along with our fear that we wouldn't like anything. I forget her name, but she was great. She took the time to explain practically the whole menu to us and give us her recommendations based on our reactions to her descriptions.We started off with the beef Sambusas which are essentially the Ethiopian version of an empanada. Flavors were spot on and they were fried to perfection. The spicy sauce on the bottom of the plate was amazing and I only wish there was more of it. I ended up getting the Short Ribs and the hubby got the Lamb Tibs in Awaze. Both dishes came with their rice. Oh my gosh. I've ordered and made short ribs myself in the past but these were amazing and required no knife. I also tasted my husbands Lamb Tibs and agreed with him, the flavor was very different than we are used to, but great! As Hispanics, we were concerned about raisins in our rice, but somehow it worked. Everything was really great. The best part of the meal was when the Chef/Owner came out to chat with us. He explained the meaning behind the whole Ethiopian/Italian fusion (his parents are one of each) and told us he learned to cook from them. He also explained that all of his ingredients are purchased, organic, fresh every couple of days. Nothing out of a can or box. And get this........no walk in freezer!!!! As someone who came from a culinary arts background, this is pretty amazing. I truly do appreciate the fresh and local viewpoint. We didn't have any of his Italian dishes, but will definitely try them next as he makes his own pasta! Score! Also, their bar is on point. No Bud Light or Coors here. Lots of great local beer on tap. Overall, this place is truly a gem. We decided to try it on a whim and I am so glad we did, as we will be returning for sure. I only hope enough suburbanites decide to do the same so they can stay open as long as possible. P.S. Their brunch menu looks amazing!!!! read more

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Arrived for dinner at 5PM on a Friday...place was completely empty. No problem I was really excited. Tried ordering the Braised Awaze Short Ribs... was told they would not be ready till 630... Fine, tried ordering the Lamb Tibs...told again, not ready till 630... Again I was excited to try the place, tried ordering the Awaze Tibs...again, not ready till 630... The place opens at 4PM and nothing good on their menu, on a Friday night is ready till 630PM, don't open till 630 than! Never coming back. read more

I'm giving Maaza 29 2 stars because some of the food was ok, but sadly, I cannot recommend that anyone try this place. Since we had good experiences a few years ago with the kids at the old Zed's cafe in Gainesville (a victim of an absolutely awful location), I was pleased to see that Maaza 29 had opened and was looking forward to trying it. We went around 5:30 on Saturday. The place was nearly empty -- middle of a long weekend -- and the first bad sign was that one person was working both the bar and the dining room. The menu was weird -- a smallish section of Ethiopian dishes, a smallish section of Italian dishes, burgers, and some other odds and ends. We started with two appetizers, Shiro (an Ethiopian chick pea dish) and lettuce wraps. Both came out in good time and were pretty good. The meal completely fell apart at that point. I asked the server if we could have another order of lettuce wraps and she "warned" me that they might take a while because the kitchen was working on our entrees. That was not a good sign. (the reason, we learned, is that apparently there was exactly one person working in the kitchen) We then waited at least 30 minutes for the entrees. This in a restaurant with exactly one other table occupied at the time. Finally the entrees arrived. Two Ethiopian entrees -- tibs and lamb tibs. These were decent. My son got the kids portion of "Spaghetti Bolognese." This was a complete joke. There was no sign of tomatoes in the sauce all. It was just greasy meat sauce, and not much of it. So glad we didn't let him order the adult portion. My daughter's steak salad was even more of a joke. For $15, it was supposed to come with romaine, arugula, endive, and red onion. She was served a SIDE salad bowl with a few strips of steak over what looked like some pale greenleaf lettuce and few grape tomatoes. No romaine, arugula, endive or even red onion. I brought this to the server's attention, showed her how pathetic it was, and just told her to take it back. The travesties continued with the two sides we ordered -- macaroni and cheese, and collard greens. Taste-wise, they were fine, but for $6 they were absolutely puny. And then the second order of lettuce wraps arrived. Much saltier than the first order, almost inedible. To cap things off, we were charged $3.50 for my son's apple juice -- about ten cents worth of apple juice. I am all for supporting small independent restaurants, especially in the land of chains (we had brunch the next day at Bonefish Grill and it was perfectly fine, probably a 4-star experience by my standards) but this was quite pathetic. So to sum up, the main problems: 1. Menu is too diffuse. Focus on ethiopian would be best approach. 2. Kitchen staff is inadequate. Cannot imagine how long the wait for food would be if they got slammed. 3. Pricing of some items is ridiculous. We don't expect this place to last another year. Hopefully the nice space can be put to better use. read more

What a little gem!!! I have never tried Ethiopian before, so I was a little intimidated and unsure of what to expect, but Maaza 29 was just amazing from start to finish. It's very unassuming from the exterior and located in a nice little strip mall. Once you walk in there's a little bar area and futher back, a quaint more dimly lit dining room. This place is a bit of a fusion place... it's got some authentic Ethiopian items on the menu but also some italian American menu items (like the lasagna, which the table next to us ordered and devoured - it looked amazing from their reactions). The family who owns the restaurant is Ethiopian, though. I was so impressed with the quality of the food. We tried the lentil sambusa (filled, fried pastry like an empanada), which was just so tasty and fresh. My main course was recommended by the owner and was an amazing, fall-off-the-bone tender huge lamb shank with a great tomato-based sauce over it, all on top of yellow rice. A very large portion! The tomato and bell pepper flavors in the sauce complemented the oh so tender lamb meat perfectly. I noticed right away that it was not gamey at ALL -very tasty. We also got a bottle of Septima Malbec, which I highly recommend!!! It was actually one of the best red wines I've had in quite some time and was only around $25. I noticed they price their wines extremely generously. Nothing was marked up too high - A great opportunity to try a bottle of something new. For dessert we got this amazing layered Italian bowl of perfection -- marscapone on top of a chocolate sauce with chocolate shavings on top. Just great -- sweet but not overly so, and light enough that we finished the whole thing (even though I was already pretty stuffed after my entree).. We went for dinner rather late and so by the end of our meal the restaurant was clearing out. The chef and owner came over to talk with us and make sure our meal was satisfactory. The owner was so nice, and after chatting with him for a bit, I was really struck by the obvious care he puts into his restaurant and menu. I can tell he puts his all into this family-run restaurant and really cares about his patrons' experiences. Everything is made from scratch, including the pasta (although keep in mind if you order pasta that it could take a little longer for them to prepare). They are coming out with a new menu in April, which I understand will have a lobster risotto and chateaubriand included, and I can't wait to come try that! read more

Maaza 29 - Lamb shank- sooo tender - Ethiopian Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

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Best ethnic food in this area! Beautiful restaurant, wide variety on the menu and authentic Ethiopian food to just tingle taste buds!! Stopped by last week and sat at the bar with Emmanuel and his pops and chatted away for almost two hours while munching on veggie plate and beef tibs. Amazing!!! He said he's even going to have football specials as well!!! We can't wait to go back...might have to catch some pre season up there tonight. This place will not disappoint!!!! So happy to have some new options in this Mimi cafe chili pei wei riddled nightmare!!! read more

Maaza 29 - Anyone who claims these portions are small needs help... this place has amazing food, service and love in their food. - Ethiopian Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

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Crazy how a little gem can stay hidden right under my nose. We came here for valentine's day dinner where they had a special 2apps/2entrees/1dessert/bottle of wine for $80. Bargain right. Walking in my epectation was minimal. Small, very small, I can even call it tiny restaurant. Greeted immediately and seated straight away. 7 tables in total and bar seats. So make a reservation. Never had etophian food I ask the server what the spice level of the food are. She trotted off and came back quickly followed by the head chef with a little sample of spice flavors. Very nice touch. After a few taste experience we were sold on the lamb shank feature.... to die for, amazing fall of the bone with flavors that makes your taste buds sings. There Australian Oyster bay Chardonnay was very well paired with this lamb shank. Overall experience at this tiny restaurant was a worthy 10/10. Food amazing! We need to support more of these privately/locally-owned owned restaurant in Gainesville over the chains that are popping up every where. read more