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- Hours:
Mon-Sat 10 am - 9 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
About This Business:
Organic groceries, snacks, sundries, fresh produce, tobacco products, beverages, beer, sandwiches and salads
29 reviews for African Market & Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"My husband and I ordered the ultimate combo and ate family..." In 3 reviews -
"...from 10-12 different dishes all served up on Injera bread." In 4 reviews -
"This place is one the best eats places in SLC." In 3 reviews
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29 reviews in English
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Review from Harsha R.
I've been here several times now and I've always been happy with my food. Lentils, cabbage, potatoes and beets (*) - all taste wonderful and go perfectly well with their soft and spongy injera. I had their sambusa for the first time today and it was delicious. In my book, African Market has done more than enough to earn its fifth star.
* I like beets.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/21/2010
I was thrilled to discover (with some help from Yelp) a place that serves Ethiopian food in Salt… Read more »
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Review from Jennifer N.
San Francisco, CA
1/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
What a relief to find this place after a weekend of pretty mediocre food in Park City. I had my doubts though being that we were in Utah and the only remotely African people I saw anywhere were all at the screening of Spike Lee's new movie.
Walked into the most sweetly decorated place (completely empty though, it was 10:30 in the morning). We weren't really hungry yet, but needed to kill some time before catching our flight. Luckily, we were greeted by the most charming conversationalist (he was a friend of the owners and visiting them that morning) and spent a good 1/2 hour chatting about everything.
Thanks to aroma of all the spices and goodness, our appetite heated up pretty quick. I really wanted to try their kitfo (everyone in the restaurant was surprised that we even knew what it was) but alas they didn't have any that day. We did try their vegetarian combo dish, very delicious, nice variety. We also got the fitfit which was super good and spiced! They use a sauce made with a kind of beef jerky and mix in injera, yummy!
We brought the leftovers with us to eat at our layover in Phoenix. The whole section of Gate C3 smelled like African spices and it was awesome. -
Review from Sarah C.
Salt Lake City, UT
11/26/2011
I have only had Ethiopian food once before, and that was many moons ago, so I cannot attest to the authenticity - but I can attest to its tastiness. We ordered a large family-style platter to share, and while I had no idea what most of it was, I like everything there. I would definitely suggest this to any new-experience seekers out there. I had a blast, and will definitely be going back.
The service was friendly, but there is a language barrier. This doesn't bother me, but don't go there expecting super-professional service. This is more of a laid-back family environment, so you're better off rolling with it.
Tip: Don't miss the tea. It's somewhat like Arabian tea (add lots of sugar!) but spicier, and really adds a lot to the meal. -
Review from Travis I.
Salt Lake City, UT
4/19/2012
Note: This was my first experience with African/Ethiopian food so I have no point of comparison with places.
I got the ultimate combo, a good way to experience everything on the menu. It was flavorful and unique. I really enjoyed most of it but some of the textures aren't particularly appetizing. -
Review from Ben And Becky Z.
Layton, UT
4/5/2012
Alright. This was my first and last time. You eat with your hands and its served family style so make sure you know who youre eating with. I would say pass on this place with so many other (better) places close by.
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Review from Darcy G.
9/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
I love this restaurant. I've been going here at least once a month for the entire time I've lived in Utah. It's not the Ethiopian you'll find in larger cities (I'm thinking specifically--and hungrily--about Meskerem in Washington, D.C.), but it's very, very good.
The restaurant is huge, with two levels that are almost always empty. I've never seen more than two or three other people here in all my visits (although I'm told it gets full late at night, mostly due to the nearby African immigrant population). The two women who run the place are always friendly and helpful, but never hover as you eat. Occasionally, you'll need to go find them to get a refilled water or soda, but I've always been happy with the service overall.
The menu is short and sweet, with only a few options available. We usually get the combination platter, which has two different beef dishes and usually five or six vegetarian sides (approx. $13). When we go with groups, we add the chicken dish (approx. $10). The beef dishes are hot and spicy and have a very different flavor than any other type of food I've found in SLC. The chicken dish--a spicy stew served with hard boiled eggs--contains only two or three chicken legs, but the stew is so delicious that you'll want to sop it all up with the included injera. The injera, btw (which, for those new to Ethiopian food, is the bread you use to scoop up the food with your hands), is delicious--perfectly spongy with just the right amount of the trademark vinegary flavor that makes injera so unique.
Ethiopian food is not for everyone; a year ago I took a group of six, and two of the group hated it. (That said, those two have very non-adventurous palates, and generally prefer only standard "American" dishes.) My father took three visits before he finally conceded he liked it, yet the rest of my family--including the young nephews--took to it immediately. So taking people there can be hit-or-miss. But if you like good spicy comfort food with a twist, then this restaurant is definitely worth your time.Listed in: My favorite SLC eats
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Review from Jay S.
West Jordan, UT
4/5/2012
I found this place on yelp - I went for lunch and tried the sample platter, ( they called it something else ) it was very good, it was truely a different experience, every item on the plate was wonderful, the help was very pleasant, I can't believe after being in business for 8 years that place wasn't packed during lunch. I think the location is the problem, I had driven by many times and never knew it even existed. I will be going back regularly now...
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Review from Matthew Z.
Salt Lake City, UT
7/19/2011
This is really amazing Ethiopian food. The service is excellent, the prices are low, and the food is really satisfying. It's not a high end fancy restaurant- it's more of a hole in the wall. For what it is, it's excellent! But clearly, it's not fair to compare this place to a high end restaurant in New York. Again, it may be less fancy, but you'll spend less too.
I got the Vegetarian dinner for two, It only cost $14. It's also a bit of a convenience market, so I got a big carton of homemade cookies to go for $5, which are very delicious and have lasted me more than a week. I'm going back, probably tonight! -
Review from Sam V.
4/24/2011
It was about a year ago after I had come back from my Spring Break trip in Seattle, having thoroughly been disappointed by my mediocre Ethiopian dining experience that one of my new good friends had mentioned that Salt Lake had an Ethiopian place. My first thoughts... "You're kidding me! I would definitely know if there was an Ethiopian place!"
Well, I suppose I can't always be right. And this is something I'm very glad to be wrong about.
After google-ing "ethiopian restaurant salt lake utah," I found African Market & Restaurant, which I kept on assuming was just the search suggestion because I thought there would be a more creative name. Well, despite the generic name, I still find myself quite satisfied with this place.
Normally, I just order the Ultimate Combination Plate, because I find that I enjoy all of the flavors anyways, and it's good to get a little bit of everything when you are looking to try out a new place. My favorites in the combo plate are the beef stew and the potatoes, I can't remember the names of them at the top of my head, but I was very happy with my choice. The only part of my meal that I get there that I'm not very fond of are the collard greens, and that might be because I have far too high of expectations for them. But nevertheless, they are always too bitter when I go, and I've learned to just eat around them. But definitely always try a bite of them just in case they do turn out the way they are supposed to!
Oh, useful tidbit: for those with a normal sized appetite, the serving suggestions on the combination plates should always be doubled (i.e. Ultimate Combination Plate for 1, really feeds two people).Listed in: What?! You eat something…
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Review from K P.
Boston, MA
5/8/2011
We're big fans of Ethiopian food and were thrilled to find a well-reviewed place in Salt Lake City. After our visit, we were a little less thrilled. The menu, which isn't available online (at least at the time of our visit), is more limited than many Ethiopian restaurants and priced somewhat differently. I'm used to Ethiopian food being served family-style; two of us will usually order two items and split them. African Market, however, prices dishes for one person. Very little on the (limited) menu appealed to us and we ended up ordering only one dish and splitting it: it was very, very good.
If you live in Salt Lake City and want to try Ethiopian food, I highly recommend this place: relatively good with authentic presentation and good injera. If you're visiting, however, and have eaten Ethiopian in other major cities, African Market isn't worth your time. -
Review from Camille C.
Salt Lake City, UT
2/3/2012
When a coworker of mine suggested we go for Ethiopian food for lunch, I thought why not... I have never tried Ethiopian food, but was game for something new... and I am so glad I went. When you walk in the door the smell of the different spices is well, intoxicating, so welcoming and exotic. The decor was simple, clean and looks like it has recently been remodeled. I had no idea what to order neither did most of my coworkers so we just tried the ultimate combo. It was served on a huge plate with this spongy/pancake like bread that you use to scoop up the food with instead of utensils. I couldn't even tell you the names of the items we ate, but it was so darn good, and the bread stuff was so light and fluffy I could have just ate that alone. I had no expectations for this place and was really surprised at how delicious everything was. I will definitely be back. My only complaints are that the service is really, really slow..and when I ordered a Diet Coke, it came in a can that turned out to be caffeine free Diet Coke, apparently they do not serve regular Diet Coke...so I ended up at the 7-11 after the lunch.. but even despite that, I am giving it 5 stars.. if you are up for a wonderfully delicious food adventure... I would stop on in at the African Market & Restaurant. Not only is it great food, it's also fairly inexpensive for what you get... a real bang for your buck type of place! Go ahead, try it!
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Review from Ameilia Q.
Salt Lake City, UT
3/16/2011
This place is great and I am so happy that a place like this is in Utah.
Make sure that you understand that the restaurant serves traditional Ethiopian food in a traditional manner - meaning no silverware and just with the spongy bread. Some of my companions were really quite rude and taken aback by this but I thought it was great... I just need better and more open minded friends :) -
Review from Jacqueline M.
Draper, UT
9/15/2011
I love this place. I'm from San Francisco and one of the hardest adjustments I had to make was the small selection of truly wonderful ethnic cuisines. Ethiopian food is one of my favorites and I was ecstatic when a friend told me about this place. When I walked in and was hit by all those familiar delicious spices I almost cried. My husband and I ordered the ultimate combo and ate family style as I recommend everybody should. While I agree with my husband that it is not the same as the places in San Francisco, I refuse to give this place less than 5 stars. It is the best Ethiopian food out here and it is excellent. I love it, love it, love it.
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Review from Eve L.
8/2/2010 1 Check-in Here
Having never had Ethiopian food, I had no idea what to expect. My husband and I were recently introduced to Sudanese food at this years Living Traditions Festival and we've since been fascinated with trying out other African region's cuisine.
As Harsha reviewed before me, the most unique aspect of Ethiopian food is eating with your hands. More specifically, eating with your hands by scooping up your food with Budenaa, an East African style flat bread. It's a bit spongy and sour, and I ended up using it mostly as a scoop and did not eat much of it. It's also very filling, so a little will go a long way.
We ordered the Ultimate Combo, and I cannot even begin to tell you all of what it came with, but I can assure you it was wonderful. There were curries, lentils, collard greens, some type of wonderfully spicy beef dish, and pure heaven all served up on that Budenaa.
We will return again, and next time pay more attention to the dish names. I recommend this place to any one craving Ethiopian food or just something different. I think if you like Indian food, you would also like this, as the flavors are very similar (in my opinion). -
Review from Jen A.
Union City, CA
8/26/2011
I like this place. I was a little caught off guard by the building though.. The place looks like a Good Guys or car dealership from the outside. But on to more important stuff..the food was delicious and CHEAP. We went for the "Ultimate Combo Plate" which came with a little bit of everything. I was really hoping to see kikalicha (split peas in turmeric), but I didn't find it unless it was there and I didn't know it. Also the gomen was made w/ spinach instead of collard greens which weren't quite as good. The meat dish that came w/ the combo was tasty and flavorful, but not as good as any of the tibs dishes I'm used to (I wanted more of the berbere flavor). The injera was nice and perfectly sour, perfect texture, went well with the meal. Overall, everything was delicious though. The waitress/proprietress was sweet and incredibly friendly. We'll definitely come back to this place.
Unfortunately, I need to qualify those 4 stars. I live in the sf bay area where I'm spoiled by the plethora of Ethiopian restaurants in the Berkeley/Oakland area - the standards by which this establishment unfortunately falls short (I'm looking at you Cafe Colucci!). In SLC however, this restaurant is a welcome respite where options for diverse ethnic cuisine are pretty limited. -
Review from Ryan K.
7/18/2010 4 photos
This was my first introduction to Ethiopian food, and it was a good one! They serve the majority of their meals on pancake-like bread that tastes a lot like sourdough. My suggestion: if this is your first time eating Ethiopian, you won't have any idea what you're ordering or what is good, so just go with the server's recommendation.
My favorite part of the meal was the cabbage. Lentils were very good as well.Listed in: Beauty is on the inside, but…
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Review from Julie B.
Salt Lake City, UT
10/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
Loved the food. We got the vegetarian combo for takeout and all the dishes were delicious. The website listed is wrong. Try http://www.africanrest... for the hours and menu.
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Review from Russell M.
Salt Lake City, UT
12/2/2010 1 Check-in Here
Totally love this restaurant. Ethiopian food is amazing. Love the spongy, sourdough bread called either injeera or budena- depends on where you go. Love the stews made of lentils, cabbage, beets, potatoes, etc. The spices and flavors are unique and delicious. Very, very vegetarian friendly. If you're in Salt Lake and looking for something truly unique and wonderful, come eat at African Restaurant.
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Review from Alec T.
Centerville, UT
1/13/2010
This place is great. Check it out. I have had Ethiopian in L.A. and D.C. and this is just as good and far less expensive.
Go for the Ultimate combo, you won't be disappointed.
I went with a bunch of people who are pretty picky eaters and they all enjoyed it.
The service is excellent, even though it's only one person cooking and serving.
Highly recommended! -
Review from Bert A.
Salt Lake City, UT
3/22/2011
This place is one the best eats places in SLC. Eating here is a very tactile experience meaning you eat with our hands. There are anywhere from 10-12 different dishes all served up on Injera bread. Toppings (I call them toppings because the the serving looks like pizza) choices include a couple of different kinds of Wat (Stew), lots of dishes with lentils, and other vegetarian dishes. You will be tasting the food for a long time after eating it and trust me that is a GOOD thing. I don't know that I've ever experience food with so many intense flavors. A downside for some will be that your fingers will smell like your lunch/dinner for a very long time afterward even after washing them, but that's an upside for me. This place is a real gem for SLC. Just go. I really should give it a full 5 stars but having not eaten ethiopian food anyplace else I don't know how it compares.
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Review from Ernest W.
Salt Lake City, UT
1/24/2012
Hmmm...I guess I decided to come to this place because of all the positive reviews on Yelp (and the fact it was close to work). True to word, they were difficult to find. True to word, they were located in a weird looking building that you would have thought should have been used for something else. True to word, there is somewhat of a language problem, and because of this, the owners might not seem all too friendly. But when I opened up the box at my office for lunch, boy did it smell good! And it surely tasted good too! Certainly on par with restaurants back in Little Ethiopia in LA or DC. Plus the price was REALLY really good. With the combo consisting of beef, lentil, and vegetables, all for less than 8 bucks, I'd say it was a BARGAIN! Certainly couldn't get that anywhere else! Plus, I SOOO missed the practice of stuffing stuff in the injera and eating it with your hands! Um Um YUM! Love it!
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Review from Monica T.
5/30/2008 1 Check-in Here
Having only had African food once before, I don't know much about how it's supposed to be. However, I must say that I thought the food here was absolutely delicious. You walk up to the counter to order and grab your own drinks, but they bring the food out to you and check on you to see if everything is okay. The servers were friendly and attentive, and the interior of the place is very well done. Prices are reasonable as well. I will definitely be going back.
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Review from edie T.
Salt Lake City, UT
11/7/2010
My friend Danny and I ate here. We both liked it and loved the service. I liked the vegetarian dishes and he liked the meat dishes. But the bread is NOT a tortilla
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Review from Nathan B.
Salt Lake City, UT
8/6/2010
Very different from anything I've eaten before. We ordered the ultimate combo plate for two people, and it was more than enough food. I don't really know how to describe the flavors, except to recommend that you try it yourself. The service was very friendly and we enjoyed our experience all around.
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Review from Stephen S.
Bountiful, UT
7/23/2007 1 Check-in Here
I believe this may be the only place to get Ethiopian food in Utah, unless you make it yourself (and I certainly haven't mastered that). The place is more of a market than restaurant, but there is a large seating area upstairs. The food is good. It is definitely a good place to go when you want something unique in the area.
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Review from Kelly P.
Salt Lake City, UT
1/8/2009 1 photo
I didn't know that Salt Lake actually had an Ethiopian restaurant. I often eat at Ethiopian places when I travel out of the city, so it's a real treat to find this here. The previous owners served a different African cuisine that was OK, but this stuff is delicious. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes Ethiopian or otherwise wants to try something new.
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Review from Jane H.
Salt Lake City, UT
5/20/2011
Fun & different.
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Review from Kem M.
Holladay, UT
3/16/2009
Went here at the beginning of february -- the food was excellent -- only real problem is that the upstairs was pretty cold. It was a very cold day, and we got there shortly after the place opened, so perhaps it is more warm later (or not in the middle of winter). Have been back there a couple more times since -- not had any issues with the heating, and the food has been consistently excellent.
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Review from C P.
Draper, UT
9/27/2010
First time having Ethiopian food and it was a great! The food was good, the dining area was nice and the staff is incredible. The whole package was great, we left thinking 'who could we bring back with us?' As the meal went on the Budenaa got a little sour for my taste but everything else was great. The meal for two left plenty to take home.
