Shewhat

Is there alcohol? Can I bring a bottle of wine or is there no liquor license?

Yea you can bring .but we r going to charge you corkage ….

Do you offer halal options?

Yes they do!

Is the injera made with 100% teff - or is there an option to choose so?

100%teff flour

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Enssaro Ethiopian Restaurant

4.2(1.7k reviews)

2.7 mi

I had dinner with my best friend tonight on May 15, 2026. We were seated promptly and offered water…read moreright away. I ordered the veggie sampler, featuring spiced lentils, yellow split peas, kale greens with cabbage, potatoes, and carrots, all paired with a basket of tangy injera bread. The injera was fluffy with a pancake-like texture, perfect for scooping. The service was attentive and kind with our waitstaff continuously refilling our glasses of water without us even having to ask. The atmosphere was relaxed, making it easy to linger and chat. Overall, a positive experience with flavorful dishes, great bread, and prompt service. A lovely spot for a satisfying Ethiopian meal with a friend.

My fav Ethiopian dish?…read more Doro Wat (bone-in). With a side of Kitfo and Misir Wot. Cuz, I can't just choose one dish. I love Ethiopian food - the bold, rich spices AND the heat gets me feeling all types of way....including heartburn. The East Bay is known for their top-tier Ethiopian and Eritrean food so I'm slowly starting to explore the options here. Plan A: Café Colucci's patio was closed. We headed straight to Enssaro where we were warmly welcomed by the family behind the place, including Coco enjoying her golden years on the couch. F O O D - Requested spicy for all dishes * Kifto: Ethiopian Tartare ($24) IMO Ethiopian tartare over French tartare all day, every day! The finely minced raw beef is mixed with clarified butter and spices, creating a rich, savory flavor that's balanced by the sour tang of injera cutting through the meatiness. Served with ayib (crumbly, mild cheese) and gomen (earthy sautéed greens). Despite not being spicy, it was bomb. * Meat Platter for One ($20) - Doro Wot: Spicy Ethiopian Chicken Stew - Mildly spiced, just wish the drumstick was more tender. - Beg Wot: Lamb Stew - Mild earthy flavor, good for those who are sensitive to spice. - Bere Beef Wot: Spicy Minced Beef Stew - Most flavorful of the three meats, savory with a mild heat. Think Ethiopian bolognese. * Misir Wot: Red lentils cooked slowly w/ Ethiopian spices ($20) Deeply savory with a warm, earthy spice (not spicy). The lentils are nicely broken down to a thick, creamy texture with a bite. Seemed kinda pricey for the portion tho. Platters are served with lightly dressed garden salad and a basket of spongey, tangy injera. S E R V I C E Welcoming, gracious, and attentive. Staff kept our water glasses filled and kindly packed our leftovers. A M B I A N C E Casual, low-key. It was a rare 85 degrees in April day so the covered front patio offered welcome relief. Overall, I wished the food had been more boldly spiced and brought more heat, nonetheless, we still enjoyed the meal, especially the kitfo...GET IT!

DORO WOT ( chicken stew ), BEEF Tibs, LAMB Tibs

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Amazing Cocktails: Espresso Martini, Honey Wine Pineapple Cider, Honey wine, Campari

Blue Nile Ethiopian

4.4(186 reviews)

3.1 mi•Lake Merritt

Family-owned & operated

Free WiFi

I ordered the Doro Tibs. I enjoyed a flavorful, comforting plate that I'm still thinking about…read more Server was friendly and welcoming. Perfect visit.

The atmosphere felt warm and welcoming, just like home for Habesha people. Everything was clean,…read morecomfortable, and well organized. I really enjoyed my time here and would gladly come back again

Meat Combo Platter

Lights shining

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Desta Ethiopian Cafe

5.0(111 reviews)

2.1 mi•Lower Hills

As an Ethiopian myself... this was the best Ethiopian restaurant experience I've had in the Bay…read moreArea. Fantastic service, immaculate vibes, and amazing food. I came fresh from church on a Sunday and had my fill! Will definitely be coming back!!

There's a special flavor when your mom or grandma cooks something. I saw some IG reel that tried to…read moreattribute it to mom's bacteria on her hand that transferes to her cooking, but I think it's something else... Love! And of course all of the years of cooking expertise that she has! This Ethiopian restaurant has that flavor, and it's definitely from the women that run it!! The food is incredible! So fresh and flavorful! Everything is vegan! The injera is gluten free! The vibe is sweet, and they have dishes I've never seen at any other restaurant, like azifa, green lentils with jalapeño and garlic! Delicious! Don't miss this gem!

2.6 mi•Grand Lake, Lower Hills

Inside

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What's left of some of the BEST misir wot I've ever had!

Cafe Romanat

4.4(473 reviews)

Go for the food and service, not the ambiance. The food was…read moreamazing. I'm not an expert on Ethiopian cuisine, but I enjoy it and would not hesitate to go back to Romanat. In fact, it would be at the top of my list if I was hungry for Ethiopian. Service was friendly and attentive. Helped guide us to a platter for our small group and it was the perfect choice. It's not a beautiful restaurant, but the food is the star and the reason to go.

So this place is Ethiopian cuisine. Not many of those around these days. I've only been to the one…read moreother one before this one. But it's got all the flavors and bread that I had at this other place that belonged to the Queen of Sheba. I think the food was great. That 'bread' was sour and also tasted as expected, which was yummy. All the meats which were chicken and beef were very tasty. And so were the veggie option which was made out of eggplant. This eggplant was not oily but still tasted very good and not strongly bitter. Service was very nice and friendly. They gave us an extra samosa bc they wanted everyone to have a piece. And the place is very cozy and well decorated. We had a party of 9 and they fitted us. Prolly bc we reserved ahead of time. If you want this type of food, I'd would recommend it. Until I find something Mediterranean or more similar and better.

Wall decor

Combination plate with chicken and vegetables.

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Ethiopian beer

Cafe Dareye

4.6(177 reviews)

2.2 mi

•$

They recently changed ownership. We used to go all the time because the food was so good but you…read morewould never know if they were opened. But after the change, the food and service is even better. Only one Ethiopian lady, makes the food when you order. They do sell green coffee beans which is good for those that roast their own coffee as well as some other items. Same small space but added a bit more tables so you can eat in the store vs before it was mostly a to go place. Go and support this local business with amazing Ethiopian food. Authentic Ethiopian food, they only have coffee and a large or small veggie combo. You finish feeling satisfied

Very delicious and friendly service! Got the full veggie combo with the beef special and everything…read morewas great! Highly recommend.

Spices and other dry goods

Full Veggie Combo with the beef special

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Admas

4.4(86 reviews)

3.4 mi•East Oakland

My experience at Admas never fails to amaze me. Even though it was my second visit, it felt just as…read moreexciting as the first. From the moment I walked in, I was welcomed with amazing service that made the entire experience even better. The first time I visited, I tried the veggie combo and loved how flavorful and well-prepared everything was. This time I decided to try the veggie meat combo, and somehow it was even better. One thing I really appreciate about Admas is the variety of options they offer--whether you're a meat lover or vegetarian/vegan, there's something for everyone. Beyond the food, the restaurant itself is very clean, spacious, and family-friendly. It's the perfect place for both small dinners and larger groups. I'll definitely be coming back again soon!

First off, I ordered for delivery…read more I love Ethiopian and Eritrean food, so I was excited to see this spot finally open for deliveries in my neighborhood! I think I've eaten at the majority of Ethiopian restaurants in Oakland, Berkeley, and San Francisco, so I'm a fan. Sadly, I was NOT a fan of this spot. :( (For context, I tried to go back to the delivery app to give a review, but the window for leaving a review had closed.) I looked over the menu and I was suspicious that there was no standard Doro Wot for delivery, but, whatevs --sometimes restaurants leave off certain items on delivery apps. I got the Chicken Tibs and Beef Tibs. The beef was spiced, but the chicken tasted bland and watery. Both seemed to be missing salt. The beef tibs was tougher than I'm used to. Maybe it was an off day. The Yemisir Wot (stewed red lentils) was flavorful. The vegetarian combo was a complete miss for the price and the portions were super small. The Tikil Gomen (cabbage, carrots, potatoes) looked like one tablespoon had been scooped out and put on the injera. It came with Yemisir Wot, Yekik Alicha (yellow spiced lentils), beets(???), Gomen (collards), and green salad (though I don't remember getting the green salad in my combo). The Gomen (collards) were super bland and tasted like reheated frozen collards. My last issue is that the a-la-carte items are photographed with a small salad and injera, pretty standard (see attached image from site). Unfortunately, the a-la-carte options came singularly in a container with a side of injera. Bummer. If I hadn't included the vegetarian combo, I probably would've been even more upset. What I did like: --- - The Tikil Gomen and Yemisir Wot were well spiced and tasty. - Plenty of injera, almost too many. I think my biggest issue is that given the portion size, most items are between $16 - $24, so if you're looking to have a rounded meal (injera, vegetables, meat), you're going to have to order multiple items and that adds up fast; it will be cheaper if you just eat in or call them and order for pick-up. (I'm also kind of bummed because I was rooting for them since they are in the space where Casa Vallarta used to be.) If you plan to go, I'd suggest sticking to the vegetarian options.

0.7 mi•Temescal, North Oakland, Rockridge

Dining room area. We forgot to take a picture of the food. Ate it too fast.

Gored gored, disappointing chicken doro wot, vegetable combo, & lamb tibs

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Asmara Restaurant

4.3(634 reviews)

Vegan friendly

Gluten-free friendly

The guys at Jerusalem Coffee recommended for my friends & I to walk over to Asmara for dinner when…read moreI said I have not had Eritrean food before. They said Eritrean is very similar to Ethiopian food so we finished our beverages & headed down Telegraph to Asmara. We were delighted when we were told to wait at the bar next door until they have a large table for our group. I asked the server to bring us their popular dishes, enough to feed 7 adults and she told me not to worry, that she would take care of it. She brought out the Meat Combo and the Beef/chicken/lamb tibs along with platter of veggies and eggplant. She gave us enough injera to keep us munching away. The food and service were Fabulous so naturally we had a great evening.

$7 Asmara Lager (Eritrean): refreshing, slightly bitter, fruity, malty…read more $18 Vegi Combo: good! Can eat again but for me, it's not my favorite way to eat vegan.

Lamb tibs non spicy

Keywatt (beef stew)

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Zilzil Tibs

Cafe Colucci

4.2(1.4k reviews)

1.0 mi•North Oakland

So many vibes. I've been here but it's been a long time. In fact it was in their old location. Met…read moreup with some friends. They are vegetarian and we eat meat. So 3 of us ordered 2 meat dishes and they 3, ordered vegetarian dishes. We also ordered samoses (2 orders) and 2 lattes, and 2 baklava. Oh, they also ordered the stuffed jalapeño dish, which surprise was hot. All the food was delicious, even the two teenagers with us liked the food. It's got a good vibe inside and despite there being a pretty constant line we were seated within 15 mins. I would absolutely go back. Also - order the coffee, was hit with wonderful flavors served in this awesome ceramic mug.

My first time trying Ethiopian food and I LOVED IT!!…read more The dishes are FULL of flavor! This family run cafe has been serving up East African cuisine in Oakland since 1991! Each dish was loaded with spices and I'm going to say it again, soooo much flavor. To be honest, we had no idea what to order or where to even start, so we got the sampler that our server recommended and it was soooo good. It was also a fun experience because we got to eat with our hands lol. If you're like us and completely clueless, go with the meat sampler because for $23, you get a HUGE portion and then can figure out which items are your favorites for next time. What we ordered: Meat Sampler ($23) * Doro Wot - spicy, slow simmered chicken stew * Doro Alicha - chicken stew in turmeric-based sauce * Sega Alicha - spicy beef stew * Minchet Wot - minced beef stew * Gomen - stewed collard greens We also got their Sambussas (half lentil and half beef), which were similar to samosas. Both their mocktails and cocktails were really well made too. I loved how they incorporated spices into the drink too, which was pretty unique. So if you're looking for a fun date night or just to try something new, definitely bookmark this place!

0.3 mi•Rockridge, North Oakland

The outdoor table decorated for a private party

Vegan Combination Platter (VG) & Meat Combination Platter

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Tej and a lemonade mocktail

Addis Ethiopian Restaurant

4.2(749 reviews)

Love this spot the people are super friendly and have little holiday events. Kitfo and Chicken tibs…read morewith veggie platter is our go to. Have been eating here for 7 years and it's consistently tasty. Honey wine and their teas are also great.

Addis Ethiopian Restaurant was such a great experience. The food was rich in flavor, fresh, and…read moresuper comforting you can really taste the quality and seasonings in every bite. Everything paired perfectly with the injera, and the portions were filling and worth it. The service was also friendly and welcoming, which made the experience even better. If you're craving Ethiopian food or want to try something new, Addis is definitely a spot I'd recommend. I'll be back fr fr

Inside of the restaurant

Addis Combination (Serves 2)

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Parking lot

Zara Restaurant

4.2(26 reviews)

3.1 mi•Old Oakland

Service was quick. Food was flavorful. Restaurant was quiet…read more We had samosas , Full and vegetarian combination. All were good. There was plenty of food. Lots of vegetarian and vegan options.

First time trying Ethiopian/Eritrean cuisine and it was delicious. I really appreciated the staff…read morefor being patient with us and explaining the dishes we had questions on. The portion size is like having a feast - definitely perfect for sharing. The injerito was a great appetizer, love the silky and soft texture of the injera. I ordered the House Special Sampler which was a great option for me because I wanted to try as many dishes as I could. From the choices of meat, the beef was my favorite. I ate it with the rice from the "Lamb with Rice" dish - very perfect pairing. The rice and beef were packed with so much flavor - every bite was a sensation. If you're looking for a great Ethiopian/Eritrean cuisine, I highly suggest this place!