Habesha Ethiopian Restaurant

I still don't have the technique of ordering down. I always default to ordering a huge platter that we can't finish. As with big variety platters, there are a few things we like and a few that are meh.

Even I love my veggies, I thought veggies were a bit bland, if not more difficult to pick up. We had some apps to keep us from gnawing on the table, but they weren't extraordinary either.

The service was not as slow as others have noted and the restaurant actually was pretty busy by the time we left.

This place deserves full credit for everything they do. They're really trying to make a nice Ethiopian place with an attractive interior and a nice bar, and they fully succeed. Great furniture, appointments, lighting, and bar structure--it's all gorgeous. Especially at night, you feel warm, welcomed, comfortable, and even a bit stylish eating here. There's a nice murmur of conversation, but, even when it's packed, it's pleasant, not harsh or loud. I haven't been to every Ethiopian place in town, but it's easily the nicest looking of the ones I have visited. And by that I mean it's a one horse race.

They even have a wine list. Not a long or interesting one, but it's there. They have a few beers on tap, too--cool! Plus a full array of bottles. They're clearly not selling tap beer too quickly; if the kegs were turning over faster, my Mac n Jack's would have been bubblier. Not a beer I really seek out, though it's a great beer--you can get it anywhere. Which means some places that don't focus on beer occasionally get stuck sitting on rather stale kegs, like that one was. No big deal, not a ding for them. If I had a dollar for every stale pint I've ordered, I'd drink single malt all the time.

On to the most important part, the food. The presentation was eminently familiar to people who have visited other Ethiopian places--big platter, injera under, mounds of this and that. All well made. Some really yummy vegetarian options. Good lamb and beef dishes. The depth and intensity of flavor was just so-so, but the quality of flavor and ingredients was very good. Other than one chewy mouthful of the lamb, it was essentially perfect.

Bottom line, this is a great place to use to introduce people to Ethiopian food. Pleasant, polished, even a bit chic. Milder, more approachable flavors in the same dishes other places serve. If you, or the people you are introducing to the food, vibe off the kitchen here, check out Tagla for bolder flavor in a more casual, homey environment.

The old joke about Ethiopian dining ("an empty plate?"), really doesn't apply here.

It's a little hard to tell from the sidewalk, but the inside is spacious and stylish: a fairly dark interior, mostly a mixture of brick and dark wood, but comes across as what I would call subdued ornate. There are two areas of tables and a bar on your right. A mixture of wines are in place on the back wall.

I came through here as part of a happy hour and they have all their appetizers for $3 which is a great deal. So I tried the Ethiopian sweet wine and separately the Sega Sambusa and the Bati Tibs.

My favorite was the Sega Sambusa: a crisp outer roll with flavored meat stuffing the appetizer. And by stuffing, I mean completely full. The dish is slightly spicy (there was some garlic and onion flavor....cumin also?), but I certainly wouldn't call this hot.

The Bati Tibs were nice; translated this probably is defined best as "strings of beef with side salad". I'm not a fan of sweet wines (my friend ordered it), but for the genre this was not a bad choice.

Overall this was a nice happy hour special with the best surprise.....a total bill less than $10. Go try it.

The bread is very important in an ethiopian restaurant, as it is the main staple of your meal. It comes with bread to scoop of your food, and it comes served on a plate of bread.

The bread at Habesha... not up to par. A bit too much on the soggy side, and leaves this weird after taste.

The meats/veggies/and sides are decent and pretty savory. Quite different from one another.. but the bread just takes it all down :(

Why are the reviews so high? probably because its "different" and its in "downtown". meh. i've had better ethiopian food, with not so soggy blegh bread.

I was very interested in coming here bc of never trying Ethiopian cuisine before and was not overly impressed. At first there was so much potential, friendly greeting, very cool and attractive restaurant, smart and diverse crowd.

We ordered the sambusa, a spiced bread appetizer... green chicken, lamb Wot... I have to say, the spongy bread that came with my meal was NOT my cup of tea... it was cold and i didnt care for the foamy dry texture. The green chicken wasnt bad, it came on a HUGE plate and the dishes were placed together with a small salad and feta cheese. I ate my meal with the appetizer bread instead which reallly was the spongy bread only fried and spiced. Overall the flavors were a bit over powering, although I love the idea of no utensils which make it fun. Might be offputting for some.

What the biggest issue here was it was severely understaffed. The restaurant was too busy for only 2 waitresses/hosts. I had to walk over 3 times to get the check. Its not their fault more managements. They were very sweet but just unable to be attentive to all their patrons.

Also, for those with a sweet tooth, they dont have desserts here but the food is soooo filling likely thats why.

First, an admission: My rating for Habesha Ethiopian is largely influenced by a big dose of "I've had better in San Francisco..." So without further ado, a snotty-butt-head-from-the-Bay Area's review of Habesha:

The food we ordered was fair (Kitfo, Yebeg Wot)--it generally tasted good but was timid on the spices. The Kitfo, finely chopped rare beef seasoned with mitmita with clarified butter and cottage cheese, particularly lacked the bright punchy flavor that it needed and the meat was quite grisly (which is rather unpleasant to eat).

The portions are extremely generous, and you'll likely leave with a big box of leftovers that you'll probably not want to eat the next day (soggy, grease-soaked injera....mmmm).

The atmosphere of the restaurant is rather charming with its brick interior and cozy lighting. The service was fair, nothing good nor bad stood out.

If we return to Seattle and happen to have a hankering for Ethiopian food, we'll likely check out other restaurants before returning to Habesha.

Best Ethiopian food I've had! And I've been around..

I came with my family using a Groupon for a dinner for 4 - I don't really know if I'd come back very often because the prices are a bit high. But everything we ate was just so yummy! We started with samosas and filled injera (with butter, mostly..but it was so good). And we had a combo platter for main. There wasn't a single wot that I didn't enjoy and my family enjoyed everything too - it was their first time eating Ethiopian.

Food was well flavored and balanced. Nothing seemed too oily (except for the apps, which were fried. Fine.)

Ambiance was trendy, but a tad too dark for me. It was a bit hard to make out some of the foods as we lost daylight. Maybe it'd be a better place to come in for the longer summer days. Service was prompt enough, but a bit disinterested/distant.

Habesha has a great lunch buffet and delicious food.

Buffet is an odd concept for an Ethiopian restaurant, where the whole point of the meal is that it's communal. However, don't let that distract you from trying here! The buffet offers 6 entrees, plus cute rolled up injera. Most of the choices are meat based, so it may not be the best choice for vegetarians. It's a great place to duck into, grab a delicious quick bite for under $10, and be on your way. I've taken the bus from downtown, eaten, and gotten back to my office in an hour.

Tired of eating at dingy lil Ethiopian restaurants? Try Habesha, classy and stylish, while the prices remain the same! Service is great too. We had dinner here on New Year's Eve. Food was fantastic. We got the veggie combo that came with six sides and a salad, served on the Injera. It was delicious. Also, the appetizer kategna is to die for!
I have been to Tagla as well. My problem with Tagla is that they don't always have everything listed on their menu. Their veggie combo includes some spicy sauces, but when we went, they were out of those and the sambusas. Plus, you go all the way, and it turns out to be a bummer. I prefer Habesha because it is easily approachable, good food, good service and great ambiance!

Wow is this place good. It's not super cheap but a wonderful dining experience if you're an otherwise jaded American Diner. (oops, is that me?). The staff is helpful recommending things and they won't try to oversell you. At dinner at 5:30 on a Tuesday it was pretty empty. We had the Green Chicken, a lentil dish, Beef Tibs and the fish dish. Uniformly delicious - and all eaten with Injera, the flat bread of Ethiopia. No need for forks, knives or spoons. They have a nice on-tap beer selection and even Ethiopian bottled beers. Some in our party had wine, but I didn't try it.
It was a completely wonderful meal and I will definitely be back.