I am by no means an Ethiopian food connoisseur; however, I've had the opportunity to enjoy it several times in New York and San Francisco and have always really liked it. I was so excited to try Makina Cafe after hearing that they were opening a location in Sunnyside, and I recently had lunch there with a friend of mine on the first day that they were open for lunch. The restaurant itself is really lovely and feels very warm and intimate without feeling cramped. It's bright and beautifully decorated (including the bathroom). My friend and I had a couple of delicious cocktails and shared an order of the beef sambusa, the awase tibs, the chicken tibs, and a side order of collard greens. Everything was very flavorful and well executed. In the past, I've had the dishes come out on a shared round plate with a large piece of injera underneath. The dishes here were plated individually, which was totally fine, but different from what I've seen before. Having grown up in a Korean household, I love the practice of eating each bite with my hands because it's reminiscent of eating Korean ssam (bbq). Makes it more enjoyable! We loved everything that we tasted, but for me the star was the chicken tibs. The chicken was so incredibly tender and delicious. I look forward to coming back soon to try more dishes! EDIT: I returned to Makina Cafe for dinner less than two weeks later with my husband and brother in tow. We tried the Doro Wot, the Lamb Alicha, and the Cottoletta Asmara (in addition to getting the Beef Sambusas and Chicken Tibs again). Everything was really delicious, and the service was so great. Special shout out to Asia, who was our amazing server. She has such a positive, joyful energy that made our experience even better! read more

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Makina Cafe started out as a food truck, and became so popular that they opened this restaurant in Sunnyside, Queens! Great addition to the neighborhood! I don't think there is any other Ethiopian restaurant in this area. On this Wed night at 6pm, the restaurant was packed!! Warning: the restaurant gets Extremely LOUD when it's crowded. Definitely make reservations! They don't really answer their phone, so it's best to make reservations via Resy.com. Note that you can only make a resy for 4 people, so I put a note on my Resy.com reservation requesting 8 people. Someone called me back and confirmed my reservation for 8. **Closed on Mon and Tues. Our MENU (shared by 4ppl): -- Sambusa (3pcs/$9): Crispy pastry filled with mix herbs, jalapeno, brown lentils. Good. -- Koseret Tibs ($25): Prime lamb simmered in a tomato-onion base infused with rosemary and finished with ethiopian spiced butter. Tasty! -- Doro Wot ($28): National dish of ethiopia-tender chicken in a slow simmered blend of berbere, caramelized onion and kibbe spiced butter served with an egg. Great flavors; one of the best dishes of the night! -- Kitfo ($26): Steak Tartar. Best dish of the night! This was the most flavorful dish of the bunch; great texture. Excellent! **Get this!! -- Mushroom Dulet ($23): Oyster, portobello and cremini mushrooms, onions, peppers, mitmita and cardamom. This was a tasty dish but there was hardly any mushrooms. For $23, we expected a lot more mushrooms. -- Turmeric Basmati Rice ($6): the tumeric flavor was very mild; maybe too mild? -- Injera: complimentary with all entrees. Very good texture; less sour taste, which is good! All in all, a very good meal. We found the prices were a tad bit high, considering the portion sizes. Service and hospitality were friendly and welcoming. Kudos to the busboy who kept our water glasses full and our table neat & tidy throughout the night! Give him a raise! A great addition to the neighborhood! Welcome to Sunnyside, Queens!! My group made it onto Makina Cafe's IG video! Woo Hoo!! https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXxT_WUxHOY/?igsh=cDV3Mm0yZnd2dXNu read more

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I visited Makina for their restaurant week lunch deal with my boyfriend and was honestly very disappointed with our experience. We were super excited to try the cuisine as neither of us have had any experience in trying Ethiopian/Eritrean. For appetizers, we got the injera bruschetta and the lentils sambusa. The bruschetta was very delicious and flavorful, so I would recommend that. The sambusa was ok, perhaps the beef would have been better. For the mains, we got doro tibs and fish tsebhi. The doro tibs was better than the fish but the portions were EXTREMELY SMALL. I have to believe that since it was a restaurant week meal they cut the portions, but honestly, that makes the $35 less of a "deal" as you are essentially getting the mains cut in half. For dessert we got the tiramisu and baklava, which were just fine. The bruschetta and doro tibs and perhaps the fish were definitely the winners of the meal. While the food was decent the SERVICE was AWFUL. My boyfriend and I had a reservation at 1:45pm, placed our orders around 1:55pm, and didn't get or mains until 2:39pm!!!! We got our apps at around 2pm so a 40 MINUTE WAIT??? For our MAIN??? The craziest part is that the table next to us came in about 30ish minutes after us and got their mains the same time we did... The waitress and host were not friendly at all and did not even communicate with us about the wait time for the food. They were both just leaning against the bar counter looking out the window. They walked by our tables NUMEROUS times and NEVER addressed the wait for the food. I gave them the benefit of the doubt as I wanted to see whether or not they would come to us first about the wait, but never did. The server was unfriendly and tossed us the receipt at the end with two fingers. Overall, this place is a hit or miss, which is unfortunate as I have heard many great things about the business!! I would definitely try the food truck and see how the food and service is from there. Pretty disappointing and would definitely give my business to other local smaller restaurants in the neighborhood. read more

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I went to Makina for their restaurant week lunch which was a great way to explore Ethiopian cuisine. I've been meaning to check it out since they had opened. The three course prix fixe felt very well put together. It had different variety for each course. For the appetizer, my friend and I split two options: the samosa and injera bruschetta. The samosa had a crispy, flaky exterior with a well seasoned filing. While the injera bruschetta was more unique. For the entrees, we went with the aware tibs and doro tibs. The aware stood out with its rich, spicy sauce. It does have a kick. It's not overpowering. Dessert was a highlight as they had seasonal baklava. It came in two housemade flavors: cardamom and vanilla. Both were nicely balanced which was not overly sweet. Overall, Makina's Restaurant Week lunch offered a well rounded intro to their menu. read more

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Recommendations- Kitfo, Doro Wot, Kosoret Tibs, Sambusa Less recommended: Mushroom Dulet, Tumeric Basmati rice Injera- Fluffier/softer than most and less sour I went to this crowded Ethiopian spot a few days ago with a relatively large group. They opened up relatively recently, having originally been a food cart with a location on Governor's Island and in Sunnyside. The inside was pretty loud, but it was still possible to talk to other people to an extent. The lighting was nice, and the service was good, though they seemed a bit overwhelmed. The prices were a tad high, and especially for certain dishes, reminding me more of some Manhattan spots. I didn't bother having a drink, though another person ordered the $11 Habesha beer, and another person had the $16 The Runner, which they thought was okay, but they couldn't taste the rum that much. They gave us some hand towels, which were appreciated, of course, as you're supposed to eat with your hands. Our only appetizer was the Sambusa, listed as a crispy pastry filled with herbs and jalapenos, and either lentils for $9 or beef for $11. The order comes with three pieces, and we got the lentil variety. The inside was flavorful, and the outside was crispy, while the middle was soft. I liked it paired with the earthy and slightly spicy chili pepper dip (or awaze,) which I also kept for the remaining dishes. Our favorite of the main dishes was the $26 Kitfo, listed as finally minced beef tartare, mitmita, cardamom, kibe, and Ayeb cheese. As per most spots, this could be served traditionally, rare/lebleb, or medium, and we went with the former. Usually, I find the amount of cardamom in this dish a bit too much, but this was pleasant. Otherwise, there was a good amount of meat and a good spice blend. The slightly sour bite of the ayeb/ayib cheese and the slightly spicy mitmita on the side added an extra kick when needed. My second favorite was the Doro Wat for $28, listed as the national dish of Ethiopia- a spicy chicken stew slowly braised for hours and caramelized onion, kibe, and berbere, served with an egg and ayib. The chicken inside was very tender, and the dish, unlike most of the others, had a bit of a kick. The egg inside was also well marinated in the gravy. The $25 Koseret Tibs, with seared lamb, tomato, onions, jalapeno, kosoret, and kibe served with makina sauce, was good. The sauce had good flavor, but a few of the lamb pieces were a bit chewy. I almost preferred the onions as they had the same flavor but a better texture. The makina sauce on the side added a lightly sour heat, and was pleasant with the other dishes. I would recommend skipping the Mushroom Dulet for $23, consisting of oyster, portobello, and cremini mushrooms, onions, peppers, mitmita, and cardamom. Based on price alone, I would skip it, but the flavors weren't nice enough either to make up for it. The mix of onions and peppers was nice, but the dish was lacking mushrooms and texture. I would also skip the Turmeric Basmati Rice, as you get injera with most dishes. It's $6 as well and lacks any turmeric flavor, so there's even less of a reason to order this empty carb. This was a tasty place, but a bit of a mixed bag, as the portions were a bit small for the price, and it was a bit less spicy than expected. I would recommend some things, but not others. read more

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Cuisine: 7 Service: 7 Decor: 8 Value: 5 Overall: 7 Happy to see a success story that developed from a food truck concept into a beautiful brick and mortar restaurant. My friend organized a meal for 10 people here a few nights ago to try many of their dishes, and I have to say that everyone was quite impressed. As you walk into this trendy looking space that fits about 30 guests, you'll notice a nice looking bar in the back with dimly lit lighting throughout the restaurant. Clearly they were going for a more upscale vibe that would attract the younger clientele who enjoys a fancy cocktail with their meal. As for the food, here is a rundown of dishes we had. Keysir Salata (8/10) - This was a delicious mix of kale, various roasted beets, cheese, seeds, and more. Misir (8.5/10) - One of the best items of the night. What a flavorful dish to pair with the rice or injera. Sadly portions were tiny for the price. Gomen (5/10) - Not a fan of the combination of spices with collard greens, especially the cardamom. Didn't work for many of us. Tikel Gomen (7.5/10) - Tasty cabbage and carrots that's thankfully not cooked to a mush. Mishroom Dulet (7.5/10) - How much for a few mushrooms? Wow! I like it, but unlikely to order at that price again. Koseret Tibs (6/10) - I had more tender and flavorful versions of this lamb dish in the Bronx and Manhattan before. Fish Tsebhi (6/10) - Tiny pieces of fish that tasted decent, but nothing memorable at all. Doro Wot (7.5/10) - Nice strong flavors that remind me of a Mexican mole sauce. Great for dipping with injera. The chicken was tender too. Lamb Alicha (9/10) - Super yummy and almost everyone's favorite dish of the night. However, we all thought the portion size was a problem again. One more note, the Injera compared to what I had before felt fluffier, not as dense, which was a positive and a negative. Without that slight elastic and chewy texture that I remember, it was breaking apart too easily and not easy to pick up food with since it disintegrated so easily touching any sauce. Still preferred it over the sour and drier Teff Injera. All in all, we had a good meal, but we also felt like we spent quite a bit of money to leave 60% full. I may need another visit to really determine if this restaurant falls into my regular rotation for unique cuisines in NYC. However, at the moment, the jury is still out. read more

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had a wonderful experience at Makina. This was my first time trying Ethiopian food, and I will definitely be back. Thank you so much to the staff and the wonderful chefs. Special thank you to Chef Justin and the hostesses, Asia/Asya, for such an amazing experience. Intimate space with nice design. The cocktail menu is very well thought out. Food ordered: berbere spiced prawns, asa tsebhi (hake fish served on injera), keysir salata (collard greens), and tiramisu. Starting with the prawns: they were extremely flavorful and perfectly tender. Served over an aioli, they honestly left me wanting more. The hake fish was served in bite-sized cubes. I believe it was grilled and paired with peppers and onions. The fish was very tender and not overcooked at all. It was served on injera to soak up the sauce, with additional injera provided on the side. This dish was very filling. I paired it with a side of collard greens -- they were okay. To close it out, I had a piece of tiramisu, which was absolutely divine. read more

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I was there at the last minute on a Thursday night, and they didn't have space to fit my friend and me except at the bar. We were about to leave, but they came back and gave us a seat. The food is exceptionally good and delicious. We tried the beef sambusas, chicken tibs, and vegetarian dishes. The flavors of these dishes are amazing -- I have never had them before. I would go back to try other stuff. read more

Tired of the same boring cuisine? If you're looking for something different than your normal this is highly recommended. Take a step into Ethiopian culture and cuisine without having to travel the globe right in your home. Food, drinks, and service were absolutely amazing! Wait staff was on top of what is needed at the table/ chefs came to check in on your meal to make sure everything was good. You can tell the chefs/ owners thought out their menu thoughtfully and carefully with tradition, season, and soul in mind. The atmosphere was great as well for a night out to eat. read more

Delicious food, great staff but really small portions and value. I had been waiting for this spot to finally open, since Ethiopian food is my all-time favorite. And the flavors here are amazing, with every dish we've had being so flavorful. The service is terrific and the interior is comfy and cozy. My rating is lower because unfortunately, they have a menu where everything is ala carte, and with the portion sizes so small it all gets very expensive quickly to have a satisfying meal. I would highly recommend they offer some combo dishes with a main and some vegetable sides. I'd love to eat here more often but just can't justify the high cost. read more

Went opening weekend to Makina and loved it so much. We started with the injera bruschetta, which was outstanding, the tomatoes were so flavorful and the crisp of each bite was the perfect start. For the entree I got the Doro Wot which was delicious. The owner touched every table and was so warm and welcoming. Can't wait to come back for more. read more

Excellent food. Loved the lentil Sambusa the best. My husband the lamb koseret tibs and he thoroughly enjoyed them. I had the kitfo medium and wrapped in the injera bread, amazing. The decor was tasteful warm and the space was cozy. I wish the bar was smaller and the dining area bigger. The service was good. They were very friendly and attentive. read more

Yum! Food was good good. Will definitely come back! Welcoming host and pretty quick service. Food was so flavorful read more

By far one of the most enjoyable food experiences I have had. Service was amazing and the 1920s 1930s retro ambiance was excellent. Highly recommend Berebere Spiced Prawns & Injera Bruschette as appetizers. The Koseret Tibs (lamb) was a great entree. My drink of choice was The Amiche, spicey and good! A+++ Can't wait to go back! read more

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Not as good as the first time flavor wise. Prices went up, and portions got significantly smaller. Gotta choose one or the other come on now

Authentic Ethiopian. I travelled to Ethiopia several years ago and the food is actually better than when I was there. It may be that they can get better ingredients here, but in any case we had 4 dishes and every one was spot on. The wait staff was friendly and efficient. The place is small, and it was packed, but you can actually hear one another talk. What a pleasure for a change. They have only been open for 3 weeks. If the food and staff is already so good, I can only imagine what it will be like when they have their groove on! read more