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Addis Ethiopian Restaurant

4 star rating
based on 57 reviews

Category: Ethiopian  [Edit]

Neighborhoods: North Oakland, Rockridge
6100 Telegraph Ave
(between 61st St & 62nd St)
Oakland, CA 94609
(510) 653-3456
  • Price Range: $$
  • Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
  • Parking: Private Lot
  • Attire: Casual
  • Good for Groups: Yes
  • Good for Kids: Yes
  • Takes Reservations: Yes
  • Delivers: No
  • Take-out: Yes
  • Waiter Service: Yes
  • Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
  • Outdoor Seating: Yes
  • Good for: Dinner, Lunch
  • Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
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Neighborhood: UC Campus Area

"While I was at Berkeley, I always went to the Blue Nile and I truly thought that was Ethiopian food.  It only took one time to Finfine to…" read more »

57 Reviews for Addis Ethiopian Restaurant

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Photo of James C.

Elite '08

30

95

James C.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
05/05/2008

We got 2 of the combo platters for the 7 of us and we enjoyed ourselves.  I really liked the curries and the veggies were a nice complement.  Get the honey wine too.

The only negative was that it took forever to get seated even though there were open tables.  The staff could be a friendlier.  

The food here was better than Razela's in SF though, and I could see myself coming back here.  Anyone know any better Ethiopian spots?

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33

103

Gina N.

San Leandro, CA

3 star rating
05/07/2008

My first experience at an ethiopian restaurant...I had high expectations bc my brother, who is a pretty darn picky eater, ranted and raved about this place. There were 4 of us, and we ordered the veggie combo platter & the  doro tibs. When you first look at our meal, you would think, this is not enough food to feed 4 grown adults...but we barely finished our meal. It's served family style in a huge round platter, and you eat with your hands, using the injera bread to scoop your dish with. The variety of spices used to cook with offers a unique flavor that i've never really tasted before.

Although I like the concept of using the injera bread to eat with, at times, i thought the sour aftertaste was a bit overbearing, and for whatever reason reminded me of expired milk, that psyched me out a bit. (I guess my palate has just been so accustomed to indian food, and their naan).

Overall, I enjoyed the unique dining experience, and would definately try it again.

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5

laura t.

Oakland, CA

4 star rating
05/01/2008

I've never had ethiopian food before but I was feeling adventurous so I decided to give it a go. I walked in and the place was pretty busy for being a random wednesday; so I ordered food out. The menu explains what the dishes are so no fear for us non-ethiopians. I ordered the kitfo with ayib and gomen. Which is beef mixed with cheese curd and collard greens. umm.....greens
the waitress asked "raw?" and I replied "sure."
Raw meat for dinner on a wednesday, awesome!

The waitress told me it would be a 20 minute wait, I waited for less than 10 minutes.
It came with a small side salad and extra spices.
It was wrapped in some sort of spongy flat bread almost like a tortilla and it was huge! I couldn't finish it all and saved some for the next night.
The taste was ok, nothing amazing but it was good. I added more spices cause I like my lips being on fire. I wouldn't order this dish again but I'll be back for something else.

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2

Mike S.

Sebastopol, CA

4 star rating
05/11/2008

Really good food for a great price.  4 of us left stuffed for about 65 bucks.  Service was a bit slow but not bad.

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1

25

Alice L.

Fremont, CA

4 star rating
03/23/2008

We decided to make a stop in Berkeley and was checking out nearby restaurant on our GPS and found Ethiopia Resturant on Telegraph in Berkeley but because the place was so dead and we never had Ethiopian food, we figure it must not be good so we ended up with Addis instead since the parking lot had many cars.

Again, this is was our first time having Ethiopian food and I mentioned it to our server, she wasn't helpful at all so we just randomly ordered their 3 meat combo (2 beef and 1 chicken) and a plate of spiced rubbed fried chicken breasts.

Being a food network addict and a love for anthony bourdain's no reservation, I knew we were about to eat with our hands so we quickly went to the bathroom (good thing it was clean) to wash our hands thoroughly.

When got there around 7:30 with only 4 tables occupied. It took us about 30 minutes to even get our food. WHAT A LONG WAIT!!!!???

Food:
The meat was mainly in a thick stew and you eat it with this sort of sourdough flatbread called injera. If you are a pork eater, you won't find it here since most Ethiopians are muslims or orthodox christians. The stew meat was okay. Almost reminds me of mexican stew meat. One beef had a lot of citrus taste to it. The other beef was more tomato based. The stew chicken was a bit more spicier and had more other interesting flavored to it. The fried chicken was a bit too dry but the spice rubbed tasted similar to the stewed chicken.

Price:
It was extremely cheap for 2 people that totals to $32, including tips (no alcohol). We couldn't even finish the food.

Ambiance:
Can't really say decor was nice since all they had were bamboo fences to separate each table and some curtains that I didn't find it nice looking.

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Photo of Ashley B.

Elite '08

20

66

Ashley B.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
03/14/2008

I am biased, since my first experience with Ethiopian food was at Addis with a group of some of my favorite people, and I am still new to Ethiopian cuisine, but I am now completely insane over Ethiopian food and kind of want to eat it for every meal, I mean not so much that I wish I lived in Ethiopia, necessarily, but so much that I am now exploring Oakland more almost based entirely on loving Addis so much and thereby wanting to find out what other wonderful reasons there are to go to Oakland!  Maybe even move there!  THIS PLACE IS DELICIOUS.

It's more atmospheric than a lot of similar places, which I am a big fan of, because atmosphere is key for me in a dining experience, and is generally missing in value-priced places.  The decor has big wicker things and even a little palm-frond gazebo in the corner, but somehow it all feels very cozy, charming and evocative, not over the top or gimmicky.  The eating-with-your-hands thing is really fun and not at all hard with the yummy, spongy injera bread.  For the price, especially, the experience is so warm, cozy and festive that each time I have been there I felt like I was having a nice, fun dinner out, for a quarter of the price of other places I might go for a similar sort of good time.

As for the food, the vegetarian dishes are the stars here - the meat is good, but it's the vegetarian dishes that shine.  Get the veggie platter for somewhere in the ballpark of $10.50.  It is enough food to stuff two people silly!  When I went with my boif we got the big combo for $20 which had 3 or 4 meat dishes (kind of like oilier curries) and 3 or 4 veggie and a green salad and even my meat-loving boif admitted that next time we could probably just get the veggie plate.  My favorite dish in the whole wide world now is Mesir Wot - lentils in oily, tasty, delicious berbere sauce.  The injera here is flavorful and spongy, almost like sourdough undercooked-pancakes (I mean that in a good way), they have the Ethiopian honey wine AND a sweet red wine called Axumite that is delicious.  

$10-$20 dollars is enough for two people to stuff themselves insanely and still have some to take home to your roommate or eat later.  And they are not stingy with their injera!  

If you're the kind of person who needs really professional super-attentive service, then you might knock a star down for that, but as for me, I think the servers are very pleasant and totally accommodating and capable, just don't be shy about your needs.  No need to be rude or snippy, just get their attention and let them know you want something else and they'll get it for you lickety split!  Why not settle in?  

My only complaint is that Addis is in Oakland!  And though Axum on Haight is really close to me and good, it's just not as awesome as Addis.  Guess I'm moving to the East Bay!

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Elite '08

109

295

Jen S.

Berkeley, CA

3 star rating
04/06/2008

As a party of 4, we came in at around 8pm and were promptly seated. I kinda like the atmosphere-- dim with a little African decor. I shared an Addis combination platter and asked for my injera to be warmed up. The waitress kind of looked at me funny but complied. The meat that came with the combo platter was gross. The meat and sauce sat below a few centimeters of oil (which I didn't find added any flavor) and was incredibly dry. One of them had a tiny chicken wing drumstick and a hard boiled egg. I found that kind of strange but my experience with Ethiopian food is really limited. The vegetarian dishes were, without question, the better option. I was a little bothered that the waitress talked YP out of ordering the wine he wanted. She said it was too dry. (We LIKE our wine dry!) The one she recommended instead wasn't good at all. I'm not sure if the one he originally chose would've been any better but it's probably better to be unhappy at our own accord. We never saw our waitress during the meal so we couldn't have communicated this. I would go back but I'm far from in love with Addis.

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Photo of Lynn L.

 

2

13

Lynn L.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
03/22/2008

I love this place.  I used to work on Telegraph and one day, a friend and I decided to try it out.  I fell in love.  I guess it's a good sign when there are Ethiopians eating there.  I truely believe this is the best Ethiopian place in the Bay Area.

I've brought friends and made them all addicts.  As I quote a friend, "I didn't know I didn't like Ethiopian food."  I have friends who will go on a mini car trip with me for Ethiopian food.

I eat the Ater Kik all the time, which is the split pea vegetarian option.  My friends are addicted to the Quanta Fir Fir, which is a spicy meat dish with torned up injera in it.

If I ever make a run to the East Bay, I always ask is anyone wants Addis' food.

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6

Jamie C.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
03/23/2008

I have been to several Ethiopian places in SF and none compare to Addis! Great food and good service. The way to tell it's a real hit is when you see so many of the same locals in there every time you go! I have been several times and I have made the trip for the Quanta Fir Fir alone...which the husband loves! The injera is lovely! Very soft, light and not too sour like I have had in other places. The vegetables are well seasoned and fresh. Almost every dish comes with a side salad with a tangy vinaigrette.  If you have never had Ethiopian make this a place to try first or if you had sworn it off due to bad experiences (like I had) give this one a try to see if it will redeem your sense of what Ethiopian food really is.

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48

Jeremy W.

Berkeley, CA

4 star rating
02/24/2008

I like the meat at Colucci better and, overall, it's almost as good as Colucci down the street, and I think the slightly cheaper prices at Addis make it more of a regular-stop place for me.

The reason it gets four stars is because Colucci's chicken dishes are superior to Addis'. However, given everything else, Addis is wonderous. The injera here gives Colucci's injera a run for its money. In fact, I'm down with sayin' that Addis has the best injera I've had.

Hit Addis up for the injera, and Colucci up for the meat. The veggie combo at both places rocks.

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Makinde P.

Oakland, CA

4 star rating
01/20/2008

The service here is like what you'd expect from an ethiopian restaurant - and 80% of the customers are ethiopian so I believe that alone to be a good reason to try the restaurant. I had their addis Tibs and while I thought the spice was amazing, the meat itself was too dry.  Most of the other meats and lambs are cooked in a sauce, but the addis tibs are only seasoned and grilled, I believe. You'll definately leave feeling stuffed!

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Jeanne F.

Oakland, CA

4 star rating
02/29/2008

ive already gone twice in 2 weeks, both times yummy. i love the smell of tea when you walk in, and i love the decor. i'll be bringing my folks in here :)

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Jay A.

Berkeley, CA

5 star rating
02/07/2008

This is the best Ethiopian place in the Bay Area. If you like highly spiced and authentic dishes, fresh injera and east African decor (with a clean modern touch), this is your place. While the ambiance may be not quite as refined as Cafe Colucci down the street, the food is fresh and alive with spices and the clientle much more ethnic. Great Ethiopian beer and wines as well.

Try the shuro wot, fillet of fish with yemessir, and the alicha denich. Pescatarian feast to die for!

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3

75

j s.

La Jolla, CA

4 star rating
02/23/2008

4.5 stars.  the injera is all tef, no wheat filler.  this is the real deal like that.  If you love ethiopian food then you'll love Addis.

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Moira N.

Berkeley, CA

4 star rating
10/07/2007

the interior is warm and feels comfortable- several groups eating here on a Thursday night. Our service was quick and friendly- thank goodness, because we remembered being ignored at Cafe Collucci a few months ago and didn't want another sour taste with our yummy Ethiopian food. Food very delicious and spicy, tons of injera was served and they have honey mead wine. good times!

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Elite '08

84

133

Tito Y.

Emeryville, CA

4 star rating
07/24/2007

Ethiopian Food is the undisputed apex for food affectionarios everywhere.  Noted as simply world's best in taste, texture and highly regarded that the kind of food preperation relates to the widest variety of planetary populace.  If maybe presentation might be as fine tuned as the French, these exotic cuisines would represent the intense populars of nomads.
We should  all be g.d. happy that Ethiopian foods are available in our areas because I swear, if you were in Montana or Idaho. forget it... You're having steak.

One other thing.. there is no reason why should ordering anything other than vegetarian be a given.   Addis.. is an amazing place.

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Photo of Julie L.

 

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19

Julie L.

Berkeley, CA

5 star rating
02/06/2008

This place is WONDERFUL!

Very reasonable price, the best Ethiopian food I've eaten (experience= Little Ethiopia in LA and some other places in Berk.), and just.. generally nice place.

I got the Addis Combo with 2 other friends - VERY good size (we were plenty full by the end) - I think the total wasn't even $20? Plus, there are vegetarian options - which I will definitely try NEXT time I go! :)

You know you're at an authentic/good Ethiopian place when you notice you're the only english speaking customer/ NON-Ethiopian in the room...

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8

nathan b.

Oakland, CA

5 star rating
10/30/2007

I love this place, It is by far the best Ethiopian restaurant on Telegraph. I order the Doro Tibs (chicken) with Yemesir Wot (red lentils). My favorite food. But I have to warn you, lentils have purines in them, sometimes people have an allergic reaction. They are great going into the body, but come next morning, you may find yourself sitting on the toilet and having a panic attack.

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Elite '08

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285

Jessica L.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
06/10/2007

Top notch, baby, top notch.  I was quite impressed.
I am constantly seeking delicious Ethiopian food, and after being thoroughly disappointed in the selections in San Francisco, have ventured over the bridge to check out what's available in the East Bay.  Well, in my mind, it's like crossing the Bay Bridge brings you to a land of authentic, quality Ethiopian restaraunts.  Totally worth the trip to this place, in particular.  
The waitstaff was super attentive and friendly.  They took the time to explain the dishes and the variety of spice options.  The vegetarian combo was very good, although the spicy pureed lentil dish was a bit bitter and acidic.  The lamb tibs were well seasoned and flavorful, if not a bit overcooked.  
Plus, I really like how they set up bamboo dividers that make each table a semi-private dining area.
I'll definitely return.

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4

Kara H.

Oakland, CA

4 star rating
11/05/2007

Mmmmm....
Great food (lots of vegetarian options), good service, nice atmosphere, good prices. Sometimes a little slow to bring the food (not terribly so), so if you're really hungry, order an appetizer (in that case, order fewer entrees because you'll leave super-stuffed). Definitely try the honey wine!

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Shirin S.

Berkeley, CA

5 star rating
05/03/2007

Incredible food and an incredible bargain.  There is a reason that any time you come in here, you will encounter groups of people that are speaking Amharic.

The only thing I have every gotten at Addis is the vegetarian combo, and I am normally the type of person that will try something new on a menu almost every time I go to a place.  At less than 10 bucks, the combo includes 4 different and tasty veggie dishes (my favorites being the lentils and the carrot/potato) and it's certainly enough food for two people.  Regardless of the number of people at the table,  entrees always come with endless and overflowing baskets of injera bread -- the Addis injera has somewhat more of a sourdough flavor than I have encountered at other ethiopian places.  I have also come to Addis with carnivores in the past, and have heard very positive things about both the lamb and chicken dishes (particularly the Tibs).

I used to be a regular at the Blue Nile (R.I.P.), but since I tried Addis, I can't imagine going anywhere else for my ethiopian cravings.

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Photo of amy t.

Elite '08

173

267

amy t.

Dublin, CA

5 star rating
04/06/2007

Blue Nile was my first and only experience with Ethiopian food until they closed and I was forced to try someplace new.  

Addis is AWESOME.  The service was amazing and the lady who was serving us was extremely helpful in helping us decide what to order.  We had a combination platter of some sort that had a huge variety of chicken and beef dishes.  *drool*....  They give you an overwhelmingly generous portion of injeri (sp?) to enjoy your food with and will give you more if you need it.  I was stuffed, but I couldn't stop picking at the carrots and potatoes and the other veggie dish we had....

I generally don't enjoy eating with my hands and was trying very hard to only use three fingers the entire meal.  At the time, I had pink and white gel nails and suffice it to say, at the end of the meal, I looked as if I were suffering from jaundice or some type of liver disease, my three nails were stained yellow....It washed off after several handwashings and a long hot shower, but be forewarned for all of you with gel or acrylic nails.... or even just a simple french mani.... your nails will be yellow when you're through with your meal....

The food was so good, though and worth the temporary yellow nails...

The restaurant is clean, albeit a bit dark, so it was diffcult to really see what exactly we were eating.... I can't wait to go back.

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10

Lei T.

Berkeley, CA

4 star rating
09/16/2007

This place has a really amazing green salad comes with most dishes. it has very fantastic sauce. I usually get the alicha denich, which is potatoes and carrots that are cooked really nicely. For meat, I only eat doro tibs. I've tried the sampler plate, which is a good thing for newbies to get because then you get to taste everything. The only thing bad is sometimes the alicha denich is undercooked, the potatoes are still hard on the inside, and the doro tibs are usually overcooked. But it's still really good most of the time. service is fast, although if you go in, and see that like 50% of the people don't have food, you might have to wait awhile.

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454

Rinky N.

Richmond, CA

3 star rating
05/12/2007

I was hoping to like this place more than we did.  We ordered two veggie combos.  They were decent enough but the potatoes and the yellow lentils seemed to be undercooked a little.

Maybe the meat dishes are tastier?
The portions were big and the prices reasonable.

Our server was very sweet, no complaints.

I liked the ambiance--maybe because were here when it was still daylight the room felt very sunny and welcoming.  I liked the fact that it seemed to be a neighborhood place where Ethiopians and other folks were enjoying themselves.  There were quite a few kids and they all seemed to be content too.

I'm not sure if we'd go back.  Our fav Ethiopian place is 2 blocks away.

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Dan W.

Oakland, CA

4 star rating
04/17/2007

I am not an Ethiopian cuisine expert. This marked my third ever time eating Ethiopian food. That said, it was very much as I remembered it. Tasty and filling. The restaurant doesn't look like much from the outside. In face, my friend said that she would never have considered going there to eat based on appearances. But once inside, it's a very nice and cozy environment. I had the Banatu, which made for an even more filling meal than usual, as it means that you get a double helping of Injera. My friend had the meat combination platter, which I sampled and quite enjoyed.

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5

115

Robert V.

Berkeley, CA

5 star rating
05/28/2007

I read about this place in some East Bay paper as being the best place to go for both vegetarians and carnivores. Being that my veggie gf and I always have problems choosing a restaurant I wanted to try this place.

We split a veggie/meat combo platter ($18.99).  The food was delicious and we had plenty of leftovers for lunch.

All the dishes hover around $10.

This is really an excellent place to go for a veggie/carnivorous group.

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Ella c.

Oakland, CA

4 star rating
11/30/2006

Ok, due to a couple bad experiences I had totally written off Ethiopian food as piles of refried beans served with thin slices of Tempurpedic memory foam.

However, after eating at Messob and now Addis, it's been firmly added to my ethnic repetoire!

The veggie injeri starter was totally redundant cause we got the vegetarian combo and it was the exact same thing but rolled up.  However, both were scrumptious but between the two of us we only ate half the food and we felt bad because the 80s taught us that Ethiopians are starving.

One star off for the hella slow service.

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Anita C.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
05/29/2007

Robert V. told me about this place. I went with him. Yep, I'm the veggie gf. The food was great. I inhaled it. Then rested and had my Honey Mead wine. I loved that it wasn't crazy crowded, but filled with people.

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Rose H.

Berkeley, CA

4 star rating
05/12/2007

I love this place.  I know there's better Ethiopian, but certainly not cheaper, and that's of utmost importance to me.  For some reason, I always have great conversations with whomever I'm with when I eat here, so that is also a big plus.

I always get the vegetarian combo when I come here, and it's usually too much to even split with another person.  It's super yummy, though sometimes not necessarily the freshest.  I could eat the split pea dish (not sure what it's called) day in and day out.  Plus, it's vegan.  

The service is good--the first time I came here, I waited longer than I'd have liked for a table, and sometimes the wait for food is unbearable, especially when others are eating fabulous Ethiopian food around me.  So yes.  Good place.  Not for everyone, not a great 1st date place, but so yum.  So so yum.

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Dawn M.

San Francisco, CA

3 star rating
09/26/2006

Hmm.  So this place has really good reviews from Yelpers I trust, so I'm bound to give it another shot.  However, with Cafe Colucci so close, it might be a while.

We got the veggie combos.  The food was obviously straight from the fridge and re-warmed, which would have been OK except it was lukewarm in most places and cold in some spots.  Not that appetizing.  But even given the poor temperature, the food was very tasty.

The portions are huge!  I can eat the hell out of some Ethiopian food.  This was the first time in the history of eating Ethiopian food that I left with enough leftovers for another meal.  Really.

The service was kinda weird.  They were attentive and nice at first, but after I asked for a box for the leftovers, it was over 15 minutes before we saw the server again.  I thought she must have heard 'Go away and never come back' instead."  Then we got a box, but it was another 10 minutes for the check.  And they were out of the famous vegan baklava that was the absolute tipping point between eating here and at Cafe Colucci again.

Ah, well.  This place has potential.  Maybe I caught it on an off day.

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Jeffrey R.

Berkeley, CA

3 star rating
03/24/2007

This place was so dark that I literally had to bust out my cell phone for light, to see the food I was eating.

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Jan C.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
11/19/2006

Love heading straight to Addis after work on Sundays. I love the toro and shrimp tidbits. Their vegetarian entrees are YUMMY too! They're really nice and everything we ordered was AMAZING. Even the baklava. Especially the baklava. Yes. Baklava.

Long live Addis Ethiopian Restaurant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Emily D.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
04/26/2007

My first 5 star rating!  

As several other reviewers mentioned the outside of the place is a bit run down, but the decor is tasteful; kudos to the decorator for making the thatched roof hut in the corner not look as goofy as it sounds.

I went to Addis with 4 other people, and we basically ordered every vegetarian item on the menu; everything was superb. You must have the honey wine; I was suspicious, but it proved a delicious accompaniment to all of the vegetarian 'dishes.' My friends each had a different type of Ethiopian beer, and they were all solid.

Addis is a great place to introduce Ethiopian food rookies to this wonderfully unique cuisine. Just be sure they are cool with 'family style dining' and eating with their hands; I can see how some would be turned off by this. You might also want to prepare them for the injera...my boyfriend HATES it, and compares it to eating  "a sour, soggy paper towel."

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Cyn W.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
10/02/2006

This is my favorite Ethiopian restaurant in the Bay Area.  That's right, I said it -- the whole Bay Area.

The vegetarian combo (esp the lentils) is delish.  The chicken is my favorite thing on the item though.  It's cooked in a mouth-watering sauce and the meat is tender and moist.  You know this place is authentic too, because every time I go at least four tables are filled with Ethiopian customers.... that's gotta be a good sign!  The inijera isn't too soft or too dry; it's a perfect consistency.  There is also very friendly (although not always the most timely) service.

Try the honey wine too..

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Laura V.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
02/23/2007

The East Bay has such better Ethiopian food than San Francisco! I'm so jealous. I can't stand Massawa and Axum. Bland, bland and more bland.

Anyways, on to Addis - I went here for dinner last night and YUM. I got the veggie combo and mmmm it was good. Although I enjoyed everything in it (4 different items) I feel so drawn to the spicy red lentils that I think I'd go for that alone next time. The bread was perfect and the Hakim Stout was a treat as always.

The service was quite horrible in that "I can't ever get the waitress to look at me" way. Realllly slow. Everyone was nice enough but DAMN it was hard getting our order taken, the bill, more water etc etc.

Anyways, all in all the decor was nice, I liked the privacy offered by the bamboo dividers... and the food was excellent.

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Adam S.

Oakland, CA

5 star rating
06/04/2007

Addis has quickly become one of my favorite neighborhood restaurants. The food is consistently excellent. We've been eating more vegetarian as we try to get a bit healthier, and Addis has truly tasty vegetarian food. That said, we occasionally break down and get a meat tibs or doro wat, which are spot on. Their injera is tasty--we could eat it by itself. The portions are quite generous. We've never left without a doggy bag, and we still usually pay $20 for the two of us.

Service is a little slow but that is part of the experience. This isn't a place for a quick bite and run. Take your time, soak it in, and drink some honey wine or coffee. The atmosphere is great. There are always big groups of Ethiopians and everyone is very warm.

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Marissa D.

Oakland, CA

4 star rating
02/20/2007

YUMMM. I would give it 5 stars, but the beef tibs were a little overcooked. But given that, I also neglected to specify to the waiter that I like my meat nearly raw. Still it was good. And the shrimp tibs to DIE for. I'm almost liking it better than Colucci, aside from the fact that Colucci is closer to my house by a few yards. Also, inside is bigger than Colucci yet somehow cozier. I ate myself into a coma.

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matthew t.

Oakland, CA

5 star rating
02/27/2006

Addis Ethiopian Restaurant serves the best Ethiopian food in the East Bay.  It's a great place to go with family and friends for lunch and dinner.  Everything is prepared fresh, and the service is friendly.  For those trying it for the first time I recommend bringing at least one friend and ordering a veggie combo with one meat dish.  Give yourself enough time to really experience the many flavors of this delicious food.  Oh, and don't forget to wash it all down with a bottle of Ethiopian honey wine, yum yum.

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Sharon B.

Oakland, CA

3 star rating
08/31/2006

Eh.  

The food was... fine. The atmosphere, okay.  Server was sweetly poor at her job, in a way that makes me feel guilty writing a negative review.  But really, Cafe Colluci is right down the street, and, unlike Collucci, the food at Addis isn't so intensely great that I get an urge to revisit them for breakfast the next day.  

Oh, and whatever you do, don't try the dry Ethiopian white wine, which smells and tastes of belly button funk.  I hate sweet wines, and I don't trust the word "dry" on an Ethiopian wine list.  But, being an adventurer, I asked about this one.  

Thankfully, our lovely server let me try it before I ordered a glass.   Except that after she delivered my horrifying little taste, she kind of forgot about us for the rest of the meal.  She was alone on the floor, so I feel like a bitch, bitching about her.  But, hey, I'll give 'em another shot - hopefully I just hit them on a bad night.

On the plus side, our bill was $10 cheaper here than at Collucci, for a similar-sized meal and drinks.

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Anna P.

Alameda, CA

5 star rating
08/07/2006

really really good... I don't go out to eat much, and I was definitely rather apprehensive about this place at first, but it is yummy.  With combination plates you are not stuck with a huge portion (which for me is important); and the honey wine is really good.

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