- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Addis Red Sea Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Ethiopian Restaurants Italian Ethiopian, Italian
1755 Massachusetts AveCambridge, MA 02138
Neighborhood: Porter Square
(617) 441-8727
- Nearest Transit:
-
Massachusetts Ave @ Forest St (77, 83, 96)
Massachusetts Ave @ Lancaster St (77, 96)
Massachusetts Ave Opp Garfield St (77, 96)
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 5 pm - 11 pm
Sat-Sun 12 pm - 11 pm
- Parking:
- Street
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
173 reviews for Addis Red Sea Restaurant
Review Highlights
-
"The honey wine is VERY sweet, but delicious." In 23 reviews -
"i tried the Doro Wot and it was delicious." In 14 reviews -
"...onions and peppers), zenge (exotic beef stew), salad (fresh..." In 3 reviews
Loading...
173 reviews in English
-
Review from selina k.
Randolph, MA
3/29/2012
This places ok. Went on weekend. We order the combo with meat and veggie. Second time trying Ethiopian food. Last time i try it was long time ago.
The waiter did seat us pretty fast due to there was not much people there .
there was three of us with my daughter and they only came with two water and we had to share the water with my daughter. the service was alright. -
Review from Dave G.
Belmont, MA
3/30/2012
Good food, bad service
The food was a less flavorful as compared to Asmara (Central Square), but my it was perfect for the group I was with, that didn't like the more traditionally flavored Ethiopian at Asmara. So while it wasn't quite was I pictured, it was certainly good, just not great.
The service was bad. Not rude, they just ignored us until they were ready. Two examples:
1. We sat at the bar while we were waiting for our friends, and the bartender couldn't make us a drink. She had to ask someone else...what she had to ask, we didn't wait for, we went outside.
2. 20 minutes after being seated, we didn't have a waitress or water or napkins. So I went to the hostess station and asked for a waitress; they said "we'll send her down." 15 minutes later she came by. -
Review from Catie S.
Newton, MA
3/28/2012
My take-away from visiting: I think I like Ethiopian food, but this restaurant is not the best example.
Waited forever to even be acknowledged at the front desk, and were barely addressed as humans. Staff had little to no personality, all around.
The small tables they sit you at are neat, because you're all huddled around a central, shared eating "pot" where the food is placed. Be warned everything is served family style and you DO eat with your hands with only a spongy bread to help you pick the food up.
Waitstaff and food both took FOREVER, and all-in-all we had a 3+ hour dining experience. This would have been alright if anyone ever checked on us, or refreshed our drinks but instead I think I asked for water approximately nine to ten times, and received it approximately ONCE. When i asked for napkins (I saw tables around us had some, and my hands were messy dangit) we received only two to share between the five of us.
Oh yes, and of the four appetizers we ordered the restaurant was out of two of them. We were informed when ordering, and selected others. Of the five entrees we ordered, the restaurant was out of another two of them. However, the waitress decided to replace these with whatever she felt like and only told us when she brought the mystery food to the table.
Food we DID eat was really good. But we found ourselves wanting a bit more meat/substance since two of our meat dishes were out, and replaced with veggies. Note: when you are out of a beef dish, do not replace it with cabbage without asking. That is NOT okay.
Additionally bathrooms are pretty dingy, which is unfortunate considering you really want to have clean hands to eat with. -
Review from Chelsea R.
Boston, MA
5/21/2012 1 photo
First off, I don't even like beef. I never crave a burger or a steak and red meat is generally my last choice, but since I've never tried steak tartare, I decided to give it a go. We also got the addis red sea combo for two, but can I just say that the steak tartare was DIVINE. I will be dreaming of it and will return solely for that dish. The seasoning, the oils, the amount...everything was just perfect. The addis red sea combo was nice too, but paled in comparison to the star of the night. I deducted a star because I think this place is overpriced without a groupon, but I will definitely be hitting this place up the very next time there's a deal.
-
Review from Nirmal G.
Natick, MA
4/20/2012
I am sitting in the restaurant typing a review while waiting for water. I might have to wait for another 45min before we get the injira while our wot entrees get cold. Then another 45min to get the bill. I have been to this place before and I still do like the food, but the service here is the worst ever. The waitresses were sitting at the bar and chatting away. We had to get the water jug ourselves, barge into the kitchen to get some food, put up with no trashcan in the restrooms, very loud music just above our ears, I need to sit and think for a while to see if anything worse is possible.
I will never come back here. -
Review from Dor Z.
2/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
Food. Amazing. I want to go to there.
The challenge with Addis Red Sea is that this place is damn slow. It's like the food is sitting there in the kitchen, refusing to come out like some teenager who locked themselves in their room out of spite. To be fair, I have zero clue clue about how to prepare any of these dishes, so I'm just complaining from a hungry-customer-sitting-there-smelling-delicious-f ood-it's-so-close-yet-so-far point of view. The upside? Every painstaking minute that you wait for your meal will be generously rewarded with olfactory and gustatory gaiety. When your order finally arrives, it gets devoured within minutes not solely out of hunger, but because it is so amazingly flavorful as well.
Don't come here on an overly empty stomach or with an empty wallet. Prepare yourself accordingly and you will have a bomb time. -
Review from Alana E.
Somerville, MA
3/17/2012
We waited for close to 10 min at the door before even being acknowledged and having our name taken. I asked how long the wait was and was told 10 minutes, which turned into 45 minutes. We contemplated just leaving after about 25, but at the point we already waited a while . The latter part of the wait we spent at the bar by request of the host due to lack of space with the host coming over and apologizing saying it would be 2 more minutes which meant 20 more. While at the bar they did not ask us if we wanted a drink(isn't that the point of a bar?)they did take out order, the pricing was higher than what seen on their online menu, not outrageous by any means but like the issue with waiting, did not appreciate the dishonesty.
We were finally seated and the food did arrive soon after. I'm a vegetarian and ordered a veggie combo plate for one, my boyfriend ordered a chicken dish.They serve the food on the bread, not sure what it's called. I understand the serving style to go with the authentic experience , but my food came out on the bread and placed on the table and the server just dumped by boyfriend''s food on the other side of the plate bread. I found this extremely rude , as a vegetarian I like my food better separated from meat dishes. My boyfriend noted his chicken was bland. I found the veggie food to be decent but could have had more flavors and not worth . Additionally 'I understand the authentic experience but having to eat so much bread to scoop up the food with made the dinner a lot heaver than I wanted it to be.
To add We did not receive Water until I glared for several minutes at the server who just standing around. Clearly would not recommend and how they get repeat customers is puzzling to me. -
Review from nicole b.
Boston, MA
4/17/2012
I have given this location a few opportunities... and the service is terrible. The staff hangs out around the bar area chatting and watching the small TV. They are very negligent and I had to flag down the waitress after 30 minutes of waiting to order. The food is wonderful, but if you can go to the Boston location then do so!
-
Review from J T.
Cambridge, MA
4/20/2012
Folks, this food is nothing like the real deal! Save yourself some time (and aggravation from the poor service) and try somewhere else.
Food was very bland, even the entrees that were marked as spicy. Shuro wot was really greasy. Biggest disappointment was the 100% white flour injera - you can't even get 100% teff when you ask.
Service was terrible - literally ignored us until they could get to us (avoiding eye contact and walking away). -
Review from Jason J.
1/25/2012
Whenever we have a friend in town for the first time, we usually bring them to Addis Red Sea one night. While the service has always left something to be desired, the food and atmosphere always make me want to come back. The entrees and apps seem to be a bit overpriced compared to other Ethiopian restaurants, but considering the location I am not surprised.
Dudes, take your ladies here on a date. They will think you're all worldly and whatnot. -
Review from Suzy Q.
San Francisco, CA
2/4/2012
I bought a Groupon for 4 and treated 3 of my friends to dinner here. The food was very good... although the portions were a bit on the small side. The service was excellent though. You could tell they are trying to better their service (they've probably read the older Yelp reviews). When we were leaving they thanked us for coming and asked us how the service had been. We said it was great, since really, it was.
Don't forget to try the honey wine. It's worth it. -
Review from Emily A.
Oakland, CA
1/21/2012
Probably the best Ethiopian in the Boston Area. The ambiance is very nice, which is unusual for Ethiopian restaurants. The food is really great too. Try the sambusas!
It is expensive though. For two, you likely won't leave without spending at least $40 without getting drinks. -
Review from Doug M.
Boston, MA
3/8/2012
It was the first time at the Cambridge restaurant, altho I've eaten at the Tremont St location a couple of times. My wife, daughter & I had a wonderful meal. we got the Veg Combo for two plus a dish: lentils, split peas, cabbage, mixed vegetables, collards & a great tomato salad. It could've been alittle spicer, but i was great & we ate just about every bite!
-
Review from Helen L.
Medford, MA
10/15/2011
(NOTE: This is a review for the Cambridge location, NOT the Boston location. Boston location gets 4 stars.)
The ladyfriend and I have been here before but last night's visit put us off. We got sambusas for appetizers, both vegetarian, and one of them turned out to be beef. Since neither of us is a vegetarian, this wasn't a problem, but still, it was a screwup that vegetarian patrons shouldn't have to encounter.
Food = pretty good, came out warm and seemed fresh enough. Ordered coffee and dessert. The baklava tasted ok but not very fresh. It was cold and a hint stale (probably from spending time in a fridge?). Fast forward 10 minutes later, after we ate dessert, the waitress came up and told us, "Sorry, but we've run out of coffee." ...Who runs out of coffee? Like, ever? And why didn't you know that before? In my apartment, we know IMMEDIATELY when we've run out of coffee, because we drink it every morning. At restaurants, people often order coffee.
Got the bill, paid it, and just as we were about to leave, the waitress came back and said she forgot to charge us for an entree. The ladyfriend said that's fine, and offered to give the waitress the credit card again. Waitress replied, "Can you give me cash?" Ladyfriend said she'd rather put it on the card again. Waitress repeated, "It's $11. Can you give me cash?"
...It's going to be a while before we go back to the Cambridge location. The food is good, but the bad service is a real turn off. It's worth the schlep to the South End. -
Review from Jeremy K.
Have you guys ever heard of a mesob before? I had not. Hell, I hadn't even ever had Ethiopian food up until I found my way going to Addis Red Sea earlier this week, a Groupon in hand. While having little idea of what to expect from the menu and experience, I was looking forward to something rather different from the norm.
And different it was.
First off, there's no silverware here. None. Instead patrons use their hands and this thin, stretchy bread to scoop and hold the bites of food together. Secondly, the tables aren't actually tables. Instead you'll be gathering around a Mesob, a tabletop woven from straw and which has a lid. It's sturdy but far from solid and they place your plated orders on top of it. There's also a tiny side table for everyone to put their drinks and whatever else on there. I had a Harar Ethiopian lager ($4.25) to wash things down. They had various other drinks available including a few other imported beers.
To start the meal off we decided to get an order of Dabo ($4.50), thinking that it would be an appetizer. It's actually just this Ethiopian bread which is made from semolina flour and cumin. It's tasty and we used it as our utensils to eat our entrees.
For the entre I had Gored Gored ($11) which is cubed beef cooked with a blend of berbere spices, onions, ginger root and warm herbal butter. It was almost like a stew but a bit dryer. It was pretty tasty and the herbs added a pretty good depth of flavor. Alongside my entree the restaurant provided some split pea dip and some lentils as well. Everything came at once and on a very large plate for us to dig into.
All in all Addis Red Sea provided a refreshing, exciting new take on a meal. It was an interesting experience in a pretty neat setting featuring dark woods, dim lighting and a few Ethiopian touches. The service was pretty friendly. The place is affordable and the quality of the food good although I could have used a few more spices in my meat. But that side, it was a very enjoyable meal.Listed in: Standout Experience
-
Review from Sidney L.
Boston, MA
9/30/2011
My friend and I came here, courtesy of a Groupon for two appetizers and two entrees. Once again, Boston butchers ethnic food.
1. The service was perplexing. The food came out slowly, and it was cold by the time it arrived. I had to ASK for wash towels, after seeing another table receive wash towels. The waitress seemed totally uninterested in our table or frankly, working here. I asked her for recommendations about vegetable entrees, and she stared at me blankly. And the water came in highball glasses at my table and regular glasses at the other table.
2. The sambusa (which is a samosa-like pastry) and the dibulbul tips (beef meatballs) were both very, very dry and rubbery. It tasted like it was made in the morning and sat around all day before our consumption.
3. When I think of Ethiopian food, I think of simple ingredients infused with a rich blend of spices. Unfortunately, the chicken and vegetables entrees that I ordered were incredibly bland and something that I could easily make at home. And again, it was cold, like straight-out-of-the-refrigerator cold. Yuck.
4. At other Ethiopian restaurants, you get to sample 5 or 6 different dishes on top of the sponge bread, and you get to enjoy mixing them together in different combinations with each bite. Here, each entree consisted of only one dish.
5. The ambience was also kind of bizarre. I could hear every single conversation in the room. This place needs some good music, to make this place more trendy. -
Review from Taylor N.
Salem, MA
2/26/2012
Went with a groupon. Unique experience, no silverware only lots and lots of injera to scoop your food. Great set-up to try many dishes and share on one large basket top. Credit card machine did not work so had to pay in cash - only down side.
-
Review from Jocy C.
Millbrae, CA
2/29/2012
Good ethiopian food. My favorite dish during the meal was the beef tibs. The lentils like samosas were good but nothing to rave about. The honey wine was definitely a huge disappointment especially compared to Asmara. The red "sweet" wine was definitely too bitter too. The meal was also relatively pricey - $40pp including tax and tip
-
Review from valerie d.
Cambridge, MA
1/23/2012
Literally every other table in there also used a groupon. I know because I'm nosy.
I'm not from Ethiopia, I'm from watertown, so I'm not sure if the food was comparatively good. But I know I liked it.
I'm surprised this place has bad reviews. It was definitely slow service, but nice and the food was effing delicious. It reminds me of Mi Tierra in waltham. It'll take you at least 90 minutes for a simple meal, but you'll leave happy. As long as you're mentally prepared. If you like your date, you should be fine. If not, get a new boyfriend.
Our groupon was for two entrees and two appetizers so I just picked random stuff since I had never tried any of this food before. The pepper dip, I forget what it was called, was amazing. I wanted to drink it. The beef was amazing and had a spice I didn't recognize at all, which I liked. Definitely had new stuff in my mouth. Some of the stuff we ordered said it would be spicy and it wasn't at all. Perfectly fine with me but some people get butthurt over under-spicing.
One thing I plan to do for next time, though, is smuggle in a spoon. You eat with the big bread basket thing they bring you and although its really light and spongey, the calories add up for no good reason. A spoon has no calories, provided you don't swallow it. I'm sure I could have asked for one.
The coffee was adorable and delicious. Supposedly Ethiopians do something different to their coffee? I don't know and don't feel like googling but it was good and the little pot and cup were so cute. -
Review from angie c.
Philadelphia, PA
3/5/2012
Warning- FRAUD FRAUD FRAUD and Eat at Your Own Risk:
1. The food is bland and overpriced considering the quality of the food they serve. It certainly lacks the spice factor and due to slow service, our food wasn't even warm
2. Service is absolutely terrible, we were waiting for 20 minutes for our bill and only after we asked for it twice!
3. It's also disconcerting to know that for a restaurant that prides itself on being all about family attempted to rip us off by charging a 20% tip on the credit card when we clearly provided the tip in cash. The receipt was clearly marked off as being "0.00" for tip since it was given in cash.
I don't think the place is worth 1 star- overall save your cash and go someplace else. Or if you are really desperate, go here but pay in cash. -
Review from Justin P.
Boston, MA
3/5/2012
Great food, a wonderful place to take a date. Service is not quite as good as the south end location, but still a very good experience.
-
Review from F. F.
Gilroy, CA
10/9/2011
3.5 stars
This was my first time experiencing Ethiopian food and I loved it! I loved their many spicy options: vegetables, chicken, beef, lentils, etc. The ambiance was also great and I loved their style of eating from that huge bowl area. My friends and I all filled up on their spongy bread to help with controlling the spiciness. The service was pretty ok but we did have to keep finding our server to help refill our water glasses. Other than that, twas a great experience. Oh and they take card :) -
Review from Eric M.
9/14/2011
Like any good restaurant that wants to advertise their Yelping prowess, Addis advertises their Yelp rating at the front door to exclaim, "4-star Establishment!" Unfortunately, the rating is dated from 2008 - which makes you a bit suspicious.
Sure enough, they're now at 3 stars in the current frame. However, I think they're still a 4-star joint for the following reasons - large portions, relatively inexpensive, nice ambience, and very polite and helpful servers.
If you come here, get ready for a flavor explosion of spices. Everything they serve is unlike anything you've had everywhere else. The spiced cottage cheese appetizer (yes, I know that's not the official name.....but I'm too lazy to find out the real one) was an amazing start to a great meal. I split a vegetarian combo (4 veggie dishes on one huge platter) with my significant other, and we didn't come close to finishing it. All the dishes had distinctly different spice combinations, yet fit together perfectly.
Definitely planning on coming here again. And hopefully Addis will get their deserved 4-star rating back so they can proudly display it as 2011, not 2008. -
Review from Gary G.
Cambridge, MA
8/10/2011
I came here with a group of five or six fellow students and my boss a few months ago, expecting a culinary adventure. Before coming, I had never eaten Ethiopian food, and so I didn't really know what to expect (and, frankly, I don't have a big frame of reference).
To put it simply, I vastly overestimated Addis. The food was cold and kind of bland -- even the spiciest things we ordered were disappointing. Most of the meat dishes were unpleasantly greasy. But the bread was fun, and I'm always open to a new culinary experience.
What I wasn't really open to was a waiting-around experience. We were tucked away in a cold, dank corner of the basement, and I think the waitress honestly forgot about us. She looked surprised to see us when she wandered downstairs (we were the only ones there), and quickly brought us water... after about a half an hour of us sitting around.
We went there for lunch on a slow day, but I would discourage anyone to go there for lunch. Since it was dead, one would expect prompt, helpful service, but that was completely absent. I think we arrived around 2:30 and didn't have everything wrapped up until after 4. It was massively disappointing.
I'm glad to have had the time to sit and chat with my coworkers/colleagues/I-don't-know-what-to-call-the m, but the wait was ridiculous. Unless you really want an Ethiopian food fix and don't want to leave mid-Cambridge, get on the T or take a drive to somewhere better.Listed in: Harvard Square Hotspots
-
Review from Karen B.
Somerville, MA
9/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
IT only gets some stars b/c the food is actually good. Otherwise thats it.
Im sure there will be many reviews that start this way:
My friends and I were lured in by a recent Groupon to this place. The service was pretty negligent, the server was unable to answer questions about the items on the menu, two of my friends ordered coffee and after about 20mins, it took reminding before they brought it. We then were completely forgotten by our server, we had to ask several people for the check before we finally got it.
Perhaps they were unprepared for the effects of Groupon. The food was very good, family style where sharing is expected, and I love eating with my hands :) However I wonder if the service at the location in the south end is better??
If you got this groupon, I would prob go there. Either way get at least a glass of the honey wine. Delicious. -
Review from Meredith L.
Somerville, MA
9/27/2011
The food here is SO good!! Delicious spongy bread (how do they make it?!), delicately spicy entrees, and a laid-back attitude. Sure, the service is slow, but they don't rush you to hurry up, order, eat, pay, leave - which I prefer. It's easy enough to get the server's attention if you need to.
This is a place I like to take out of town friends to for a unique experience. Where else do you eat with your hands, using bread as your eating utensils? -
Review from Brian G.
5/24/2011
The first thing you're going to notice about this place is that it smells great. I can't stress that enough and it's what I remember most after leaving. I'd never had Ethiopian food and it was really interesting and kind of fun to eat of the giant bread plate that it was served on. The atmosphere at this place is OK but the staff and food made up for it. I think they did the best they could be it isn't the most well set up place I've been to.
I don't recall the names of the dishes I had but it we split 4 or 5 vegetarian and fish dishes. The portions were a little on the small side but they weren't overly expensive and they were really tasty. The use of different spices in all the dishes was really something that I enjoyed. They were each really well seasoned with a wide variety of options that all seemed to be cooked well. I'm hoping to go back here soon to try some of the meat dishes and hopefully remember what I ordered.
The Honey wine was worth trying as well though I wouldn't drink it regularly. -
Review from Sara S.
North Andover, MA
3/27/2011
We've been coming to Addis for the past year or so, but after our experience tonight, I seriously doubt we'll go back. Full disclosure: we had a Groupon, which we presented (as instructed) when we were seated. Maybe our experience had something to do with the fact that we had a Groupon, but if so, that's really bad business practice.
Anyway, the service was extremely slow. We ordered the cottage-cheese (ayib) appetizer, which took about 35 minutes to arrive, and it was another 20 minutes or so after we finished that before our entree (the Doro Wot combination with the Yesmir Wot; Butecha; and Atakilt side dishes) arrived.
The first time we came to Red Sea, we came with another couple and were able to split the ayib appetizer between the four of us. We order it every time we come, and we thought we noticed the portion sizes getting a little smaller each time. This time, there wasn't even enough injera for my husband and myself, so the portion sizes do seem to be getting a lot smaller for the same price.
The entree: The injera and the vegetables were both cold. Not room-temperature, but actually, just-out-of-the-refrigerator cold. We finally tracked down the waitress and she told us the injera was supposed to be cold (odd, since it's been warm every other time we've been), then grudgingly brought a new veggie dish, although this one consisted only of carrots and potatoes that were not seasoned at all and were just barely warm, so not much better than what originally came. Again, portion sizes were noticeably smaller than the last several times we'd been there.
The lentils (Yesmir Wot) were delicious, the only part of the meal that I thought was really good. My husband also asked for a refill on his water, which never arrived, and he had to run down the waitress in order to pay our bill when, 20 minutes after asking for the check, it still had not materialized.
I have to say, this is really disappointing. We've been to Red Sea probably five or six times over the last year, and we were really enjoying having such a conveniently-located option for what has usually been excellent Ethiopian food. However, I honestly don't think we'll be going back. -
Review from Marilyn C.
Cambridge, MA
6/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Gotta love having a Groupon and then feeling like even without the Groupon it would have been a good deal and a nice experience.
Went here a little while back. Loved that the atmosphere offers something different and unique. The food was good, not super fantastic, but good. The way I ordered I got to try a main meat entree and 3 veggie sides. I liked being able to try a lot of different things.
I found the service to be spot on - always had water and didn't feel like I waited long for anything. We even ordered a beer in a smaller size and when they only had the larger one they gave that to us for the small size price. -
Review from Tori G.
Somerville, MA
8/21/2011
I'd been craving Ethiopian food, and since I'd walked past here multiple times when there was a line out the door, I had high hopes for deliciousness.
The interior is a little kitschy to my taste, though I could certainly excuse that if the food was good, which it wasn't. We got a vegetarian sampler, which had tiny portions, and was consistently bland and oily. The most disappointing part was the injera. Injera should be sour and light, this was neither. I have a hard time believing it was made of teff at all.
Overall totally bland and boring at not worth the hype. -
Review from Flying Nunley M.
Boston, MA
2/25/2011
Right near Porter Square and very easy to get to without having to deal with parking on Mass Ave, this restaurant had good food, good service and fun style. This was my first time ever eating traditional Ethiopian food.
I loved the furniture, skylight ceiling, African artwork and the giant grass umbrella bar. The best part of my experience was the way the food was served on a plate of traditional Ethiopian bread. You eat the meal with your fingers! It's the kind of food that feels like home cooking and sticks to your ribs.
The only downside was the temperature of the place. It was a very windy, messy mix of sleet and snow outside and I felt chilly the entire meal. We sat upstairs. This space is small, seating about 25-30 patrons. Every time the door opened the little heat there was, got swept out the door.
I plan to go back and share the very social eating experience with all my friends. The food is good, prices are fair and you can never say no to a place that tastes like Mom's cooking. -
Review from Nadia A.
Brookline, MA
3/28/2011
I've been to this establishment more then 6 times in the past year due to its unique flavor and style.
The service is very slow and inattentive. If you ever need a refill on your water, you often have to flag down your server. They also take a long time to bring you your ordered food (I've had wait times as long as an hour). The process of going through checkout is also tedious. This past visit it took nearly 30 minutes for someone to pick up our check and cards.
The seating is very unique and very close (especially on the top floor). I would not recommend this place if you plan on having private conversations or want to be close to your date. Try to be seated on the lower level if possible, as the noise level is usually quieter and the seating more spread out.
All of that being said, the food is usually very delicious (this past visit the food was rather bland). The vegetarian combination is delicious. The kinche is amazing. The Doro Wot is also very good, and is generally a crowd favorite. The honey wine is VERY sweet, but delicious.
I'd definitely recommend giving this place a try, but give yourself at least 2 hours to get in and out and prepare to be patient.
Positives: Delicious food, great cultural experience/atmosphere
Negatives: Negligent service staff, long wait time for food and check -
Review from Steph O.
Providence, RI
8/8/2011
The injera was pale yellow and did not taste right--not sour, and no taste of teff. Then I noticed that the waitresses were eating off a plate of injera at the bar, and when I got up to use the restroom, I could see that it looked like normal injera (that is, like what I've had in DC). I guess I should have asked for gluten-free injera--I've heard about Ethiopian restaurants that use wheat, barley, or corn in their injera.
I had the veggie combo--lentils, cabbage, split peas, and collard greens. The food was not hot enough (in terms of temperature), and not flavorful enough (in terms of spices). To be fair, I was sharing with someone who cannot handle spicy food, I didn't order any of the veggie dishes marked spicy. My other friend liked her doro wat and sides.
Not sure I'd go back. -
Review from Reid F.
Framingham, MA
5/19/2011
I don't know about some of the other reviewers' experiences, but ours was wonderful from start to finish. The food was excellent--we had the sampler, that included two chicken dishes, a beef dish, and a beef stew, as well as the marvelous bread that is used in lieu of silverware.
Our service was excellent and prompt...in fact, we were in and out much faster than most restaurants, which was what we wanted because we had to be somewhere afterward.
I will return to Addis, hopefully on many occasions. -
Review from Andrew R.
Cambridge, MA
10/5/2011
You know, the food here was quite food, but the service was awful.
-
Review from Calli C.
11/15/2010
Feeling lazy on a Sunday night, my boyfriend and I headed out for dinner. Addis Red Sea has always been a favorite restaurant of mine - eating with your hands is always a plus! - but we had only been to the South End one. When we moved to Somerville awhile ago, I realized that another Addis Red Sea was only minutes away, and only now were we getting around to trying it. It has the same general vibe of the Tremont venue: dark wood, soft lighting, Ethiopian basket-chairs to sit in, but the room is airy with high ceilings, with additional dining down below.
There were several large parties already there, but we were able to be immediately seated at a table for two. We decided on the Addis Red Sea special combo, which has doro wot (chicken in red pepper sauce, garlic, ginger), doro alcha (chicken in butter and onion sauce), lega tibs (beef with onions and peppers), zenge (exotic beef stew), salad (fresh tomatoes, onions, and cilantro), and gomen wot (seasoned collard greens). We also got a serving of the kitfo, which is like a seasoned beef tartare with a kick of spice. I had a glass of gouder, an Ethiopian dry red wine, and he had an Ethiopian beer; both were tasty and affordable.
We didn't have to wait long for our food, which was served on the typical platter of injera. Everything was warm and flavorful, with my favorites being the doro wot and the zenge. The kitfo was really rich and creamy, the way you expect tartare to be, but it had a little too much spice for me. Pete loved it, of course. I only wish we had had more of the crisp fresh salad to keep our palates clean so we could enjoy the diverse flavors more. It was really more than enough food for the both of us, and as always, incredibly affordable.
However, the one downside was that the service was lacking. We had to go out of our way to get the server's attention to bring the check, and when she brought it, she hadn't charged us our drinks. Though the devil told me to let it go, I wasn't about to bring down some bad karma so we had to get her attention - again - to re-print the check. All in all, a great place for a satisfying meal. -
Review from Nat C.
Quincy, MA
9/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
service=slow (and my party of 3 was the only one there)
not having change for my bill and staring at me for 5 wistful minutes thinking smaller bills will appear=just plain stupid
hair in my food=not good
burnt food=also not good
having 25% gratuity automatically added to bill=ensures I'll never be back -
Review from Sudesna R.
Boston, MA
9/28/2011
I really like Ethiopian food and was amazed at how similar it was to Indian. We have been here a few times may be 4-5 yrs back and thought the food and place were good. So when we had the Groupon offer- we jumped at it and were delighted to go back and try an old favorite! Now the Groupon was for Sunday to Thursday....not a good idea. Anyway last night we decided to do it - and so did many many many other Groupon holders!! Apparently they sold over thousands of the offer which has led to an exodus of weekday Groupon holder diners, which among other things has led to long waiting times, smaller portions, no wash cloth, shortage of glasses and choas all-at-once!! That being a one time fiasco overall:
1. Quality of food has gone down- more like way way down.
2. Not many options on the menu and no helpful suggestions.
3. Somehow I did not like the flavors as much as I did the last time.....may be it was my off day! BTW I have had Ethiopian in Atlanta and it was absolutely delightful.
4. Servers had no clue how to manage the situation.
So I wouldn't go there again. -
Review from Ana T.
Middlesex, MA
3/18/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I have never tried Ethiopian Food but I definitely would love to have it again and especially at Addis for the reasons below:
1. Great Staff, friendly and very helpful with annswering questions about the food.
2. very authentic, at least I was told so by my friend cause it was my first time having Ethiopian food.
3. Great setting, big bowl in the middle and they have this card in the middle that says what the bowl is called, in a way that the bowl is introducing itself to you. Very cute!
4. GREAT WINE... i forget the name but its a white sweet one and it's Ethiopian definite must try. I think there is honey in it.
5. Food was just amazing. I can't really remember the names but to eat at a place like this you have not be afraid to try everything, and you won't be disappointed.
6. reasonable prices.
Definitely will go back again. -
Review from Scratchie S.
Arlington, MA
11/13/2011
I've been going to the South End location of Addis since the late 80s. This is my second trip to the Cambridge location but I'm in no hurry to go back.
First off, the service was horrible (as others have noted in their reviews). It was Saturday night, but the place certainly appeared to be well-staffed. The restaurant was busy, but not overly so (there were empty tables throughout the night).
When I went to the men's room, I saw plenty of staff in the main dining room (EDIT: I almost tripped over a carpet sweeper while trying to navigate the narrow passage to the mens room!), but the service in the basement dining room was very slow. A party behind us actually had to flag down some random employee on her way out of the kitchen to ask her when they could place their order.
Our service was slow, and, as others have mentioned, inattentive. After a long wait after placing our orders, our waitress first brought out a couple of our dishes and placed them on the injera. Then it was another five minutes or so before she actually brought us any injera to eat with, and the rest of our food. She also never brought one of our vegetable dishes, but when she disappeared, she didn't return again until we were almost finished eating and there was no point in mentioning it by then (we figured she had forgotten to include it in our order... see below!).
While I don't eat Ethiopian food as much as I used to when I worked in the South End, the food seemed more bland than I remember it. In particular, one of the Wot dishes tasted like commercial spaghetti sauce that had not been spiced up enough.
Finally, the waitress never brought one of our vegetable dishes. It took her so long to return to our table that we were full by then, and didn't ask her about it (we didn't want to wait another half hour for it to come out of the kitchen, either). When the bill came, I had to argue with the waitress about whether we had received it, to the point where I had to ask for a menu to point out that none of the items mentioned in that entree's description (green beans, carrots, potatoes) had ever been served to us. The waitress was combative and seemed highly annoyed by this, rather than apologetic.
So, in conclusion, I won't be in any hurry to return to this place.
EDIT: PS: They apparently have a bar but no bartender. So I guess if you want a drink that your waitress doesn't know how to mix, you're out of luck (as we were).
