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Mon-Sun. 4:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
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I have eaten at both locations of Dahlak restaurant since moving from Chicago 5 years ago. I still believe this is Philadelphia's best Ethiopian restaurant.
Although I like the Germantown location, the University City location is cozier and has a nice ambience to it. I love all the African artwork and artifacts around the restaurant.
My friend and I arrived for an early dinner on Saturday Night and were seated immediately. We both ordered Meat Platter which is a GREAT deal for $14. My friend also got the Sambussa for an appetizer. Our meal tasted divine. If you run out of Injera bread, our waitress gladly brings a couple more pieces.
This place gets crowded, so, my advice is go earlier.
I've only eaten here once, but I enjoyed myself. I live in the neighborhood, and I had heard that this place was a great one to get a drink. My bf and I came in and shared an entree. It was very tasty and not too expensive- at least for sharing. However, it wasn't too filling and we probably could have each finished an entree. For the type of food that it is and how (not) filling it is, then it is kind of pricey. Does that make sense?
It was raining really hard when we ate there, so I was disappointed that we couldn't sit on the patio. Plus, they had no draft beer- wtf? But they did have Hoegaarden, so I can't complain. We had quite a few beers, however, so it's too bad we couldn't have just gotten a pitcher of beer- would have saved us quite a bit of cash.
Overall, a great place to go for a quick bite in the neighborhood. If I had to hop on a train to get here, then I probably wouldn't go out of my way.
My first experience eating Ethiopian cuisine can be summed up with one word...
Whatever.
I was all sorts of excited to go to this restaurant... Well, I was mostly excited just to try Ethiopian/Eritrean for the first time, so any place would have aroused similar anticipation. That said, maybe it's my fault for getting too worked up beforehand, but I was let down by this experience...
I had hoped to be sweating from the berbere, but the only reason I was sweating during our meal was because the A/C--located directly above our heads--kept sputtering but never starting. Seriously, this was one of the hottest restaurants I'd ever eaten in, which made for a lovely experience in the bathroom: Felt like a steam room, smelled like a toilet.
The food was certainly tasty but it didn't pack the punch I was expecting. For meats we ordered lamb with berbere sauce and beef with onions, peppers, and tomatoes. Both were pleasing, but both failed to wow me... I had devoted considerable energy to mentally preparing myself for that spicy lamb and, unfortunately, it wasn't spicy at all.
On the vegetable front, we picked chickpeas and lentils... The chickpeas were watery and flavorless, while the lentils were more gratifying: They had a good amount of texture and an interesting flavor.
All said, I'm glad to put a new notch on my belt after trying Ethiopian food for the first time, but I can't say it was everything it's cracked up to be. The flavors and spices at Dahlak didn't blow me away, and I expected them to... I'm not ready to write off all Ethiopian food, though. I definitely want to hit up the other joints Philly has to offer, and perhaps even return to Dahlak... You know, I hear they have a great bar in the back.
Skip the restaurant. The bar is alright. They used to have pitchers but now they don't. The outside seating is nice when it is warm outside.
The food should be skipped entirely. VERY overpriced for the portion size and the quality is poor. There are 2 other ethiopian restaurants within a mile that are the same price for twice the portion size and better food. They seem to be more concerned with profit than making a decent meal.
An okay bar with an okay beer selection.
As you all know, one of my mini-informal goals for this year is to eat through all the Ethiopian restaurants in Philly. I am completely addicted! I have eaten at Abyssinia quite a few times, and could not bring myself to go anywhere else. I just did not believe that it was possible for there to be such heavenly food elsewhere, and was afraid to be proved right. But for the last few seasons, I looked for opportunities to be less entrenched in my mindset.
The first opportunity came when I picked up my mom from the airport. It was around 1:30pm on a Wednesday when we found Dahlak's and parked the car, only to be shocked by the fact that the door wouldn't open. It was closed!?!?!?!?!
A friend and I met up for dinner, and he very generously agreed to try Ethiopian food. I was stoked to get to try to hit up Dahlak again. This was especially true since we (really I) picked Dahlak's which is probably the other "big" Ethiopian restaurant besides Abyssinia. Upon arrival, I started sizing everything up. The place was probably decades younger than Abyssinia, and it was decorated much more nicely. The waiter was friendly, and the service was a few notches faster than Abyssinia. For the first time, I sat at the traditional straw woven Ethiopian table. The ottomans were cute. There was mood lighting in several colors, and even a wooden floored area that could theoretically be turned into a dance floor.
The possibilities ran through my mind. I felt myself starting to unwind from the day and start to just soak in the atmosphere. After some time, our food finally came. I deliberately ordered a variety platter with some items similar to what I usually order at Abyssinia. Must purport with the scientific methods! I noticed that they put my friend's order on the same plate as mine, with a stream of lentil stew running down the middle as the demarcation line. I eagerly took my first bite. EGADS!!!!!! UGH!!!! Disappointment. The food was acceptable, but really bland. At Abyssinia, one generally wonders how many hours the food stewed in the spices for. The food at Dahlak's by comparison was barely seasoned on its way to the table.
Even the sourdough bread was less sour and flavorful than Abyssinia's. So, what is a girl supposed to do in the face of such insurmountable disappointment? Well, if you are me, then there is only one thing to do! Wolf down the food, pay the check, and get the heck down the street to Abyssinia's! Yup, I washed down my horrible disappointment with more Ethiopian food. Mmmmm I had 2 dinners that night.
A few related notes, the portions at Abyssinia are over 2x more, and the prices are cheaper. Abyssinia = 11, Dahlak's = 15. I ordered the lamb at Dahlak's and aparently there was only one piece of lamb in my order. I say aparently because I did not eat any, however, my friend informs me that he had a piece. Yes, I am still a little bitter. Hahaha
This is a reasonable place. However, I still cannot get over Zemams in Tucson Arizona. None of the Ethiopian places in Philadelphia match up to it. If you are ever in that part of the country make sure you go there. Ok, now back to Dahlak! The food here isn't bad. Injeras were fresh and flavorful. However, the preparations aren't all equally good. Try ordering something which has berbere sauce in it.
The servers were very polite and the food does take a bit of time to come in. One of the reviewers mentioned the lack of air-conditioning. Well he was right, it did feel a bit uncomfortable.
Went here for my second time last week. The first time I went the food was absolutely amazing. I went with my friend who was pretty familiar with Ethiopian food and made awesome recommendations. The second time I went I was the only one who had any experience in eating Ethiopian cuisine and the food was not a good, but good none the less. The salads were delicious both the tomatoe, potatoe and house salad were all great and full of yummy flavor. The entrees while they were good, they were a let down after enjoying such delicious salads before hand. I dont remember the the names specifically of the dished but I had a chicken garlic and spinach dish. They should have called it a spinach dish accented with chicken because that was mostly what it was. Good, but way too much spinach. The same went for my friend, she ordered a spicy shrimp dish with a red sauce but the dish was mostly red sauce sprinkled with a few shrimp.
All in all I would recommend this place especially any of their vegetarian entrees. Try to go with someone who knows the menu a little bit or be prepared for a little trial and error.
Great place for groups of friends to eat and share food together.
This spot is the sh*t. A very low key hang out that has been around for years and still maintains its quality and relative anonymity, safe and isolated. The food is solid, the room is cool, and the people are pure West Philly random.
West Philly has, and will always be, my favorite section of the city. from Parkside to U City to the blocks on Baltimore and even up at 52nd and Market. And the simple reason is...
West Philly has the coolest and realist people that you are ever going to find in the city. Far away from the Old City, No Libs, and now South Philly rotating "Cool" scene neighborhoods, this area always has had its artists and regulars. Familiar faces and places that I can visit after years of being away and still find a home.
Dahlak is one of those spots that will always be here and always be cool. Thanks for sticking around!!!
You know when you reach that point where you're SO SO hungry that basically anything you eat tastes absolutely amazing?
That was not the case with Dahlak. Arrived here hungry and ready to eat... but had play the waiting game. Waited to get our drinks, waited for our server to take our orders... waited for the food.... it was a neverending wait period.
Waited and waited and waited... As one table finished their meal, another tabIe would finally received their meal. I would understand if the restaurant was crowded, but it was only 4 tables! 4!!!!!! So the whole time you're waiting, you can't help but stare at the ONE table that is eating... all annoyed and salivating. By the time my food came out, I wasn't even hungry anymore. I was beyond that point but decided to eat the food anyways. So how was the food itself? Ummm, not worth the wait that's for sure!
Ahk, never again.
I love going to pubs in the neighborhood. Dahlak recently made the list of one such pub that I really like. You have to walk round to the back of the restaurant. The decor is dated and the service is painfully slow but the crowd is what makes it great. And it's your usual west philly mix of everyone dancing to whatever is on the juke box. I guess I can't explain why I like it here so much, you just have to go to see what it is.
PS: I haven't eaten here. Didn't get round to it because the service was just so slow that i left.
I have finally found reason to travel to West Philly. This may be my favorite new bar in the world. I so look forward to every Wednesday night this summer--packing a cooler with friends, watching our friend Kurt's baseball game until the lights turn off at midnight, then heading to Dahlak for cocktails and beers until their lights turn off.
The best Ethiopian restaurant in the area. No question.
The only reason that this place gets three stars is because I've been whiling away the early summer evening on their back patio for years, and the people who run it are chill. The food, eh.
. While the food is perfectly satisfactory, they don't have a single spicy dish featured (and the spice sauce you can ask for on the side" doesn't add much kick) and they leave out my favorite dish - the green lentils with jalapeno. Also, at about $15, the vegetarian platter costs more than others in the neighborhood. I say this with love and full support of my community businesses, but with so many Ethiopian restaurants in West Philadelphia, Dhalak either needs to step-up the flavors, or lower the price of their platters.
Ah Dahlak,
Good food. Actually its pretty great. It's a great place to take an out-of-towner especially if they haven't had Ethiopian before. I've never had to know what I want, and I've always gotten delicious food. Just tell the server you want a platter with some of the good stuff on it and seriously she'll bring out a big ol' platter for you and your peoples to enjoy.
The Bar kind of sucks. I like it okay in the summer, but in the winter I'd rather drink elsewhere. The crowd at the bar isn't the friendliest if you're not a regular and there is often this woman in there who gets really plowed and is loud and unruly. I've stopped going to the bar unless its summer. Some of my favorite memories are sitting out back, drinking cheap beer, and snacking on some appetizers.
The dinning area is quaint and I really like it. The bar area is a bit trarshed the way a dive bar should be, and the back yard could use an upgrade, but hey, that would change the ol' beater bar dynamic.
3 stars for food
3.5 stars for summer ambiance
2 stars for the back bar
I'll throw another star at the servers and bar tenders, they are always really nice.
3 stars over all. And I'm still bringing my out-of-towners because I think everyone needs to try the food. Its fun.
I haven't really tried their food, but I love meeting friends at Dahlak for a drink. It's a great hang out place, especially outside in the back, and I've had a great time every single time I've gone. The waitstaff is incredibly nice, and the drink prices are reasonable. And I have to agree that you get a nice mix of West Philly people there.
I can't really comment on the food because I've only had the samosas, which were good, but kind of lukewarm. One of these says, I plan to eat there, but in the meantime, I'm having a blast hanging out there on any given nice summer night.
For my first time eating Ethiopian food, I found this experience very enjoyable.
We ordered two combo platters so we could try a little bit of everything. It was much more food than two people needed, but perfect for a first time visit. The prices are incredibly reasonable too.
The staff is very helpful and the food was great. Full bar available, but no Ethiopian beverage choices.
Come early, this place gets packed.
Why is Ethiopian food so expensive, and why does it always take so long?
Seriously.
I mean, the food is good. Amazing. Delicious, veg friendly, and perfect for a cold day. But $12 for some lentil stew? I guess I just don't get it.
We got a table at about 7pm on a Saturday no problem but the service was molasses slow, the sambussas were just plain terrible (frozen and rewarmed, possibly?) and though the food was delicious, we ran out of injeera and had to wait a good 5-10 minutes before we could flag down a server to get us more.
I would give the restaurant 5 stars but the bar 2 stars.
The bar: they only play music when you put money in the electronic jukebox. How can you have a bar with no background music? The inside is small. The outside is bigger but is next to a parking lot. Also, I was charged different amounts for the same drinks in the same hour. Not sure what that's about.
The restaurant: This is the best place to eat in the area. There are plenty of vegetarian/vegan options. The prices are more than reasonable. The menu is huge. Service is faster when it's less busy (go before 6:30). The atmosphere is a litle cheesy but interesting. You have to sit on the chairs that are almost on the ground. The wait staff isn't that friendly, but are nice. I would highly recommend eating here.
The food here is OK. There's definitely better Ethiopian/Eritrean in the neighborhood.
If you're looking for a good bar, though, this is a place to keep in mind. Drinks are cheap, the atmosphere is a little dive-y, and the characters are sometimes pretty entertaining. If you smoke, or just like hanging outside, there's a good sized patio. It's my go-to spot when I want to drink locally.
Dahlak remains my first and so far, my only Eritrean food experience. For whatever reason, I haven't been to Abyssinia or the umpteen other places in town. That's ok, I like Dahlak. The food here is great, and quite affordable. You order a bunch of random stuff and it all comes out on a big flat basket thingy lying on top of injera bread. It's this spongy crepe-like bread that you rip off little pieces of and scoop up bits of the main dish with. It's delish is all. Trust me. Don't plan on eating quickly here, as service is slow. And I mean slow. Especially if you're with a big party, you will wait and wait and wait. So order your drinks and get to talking, cuz your food ain't coming out in a jiffy.
The best thing about Dahlak though, aside from the food, is the little bar out back. Tucked behind this restaurant is the randomest little hole of a bar with a crazy jukebox, and even crazier characters. They don't have beers on draught here, it's all bottles and cans, but also cheap. There's also a ghetto ass outdoor dining/bar area out back, so when it's nice out, you can chill with your West Philly homies and enjoy a cold brew and some Eritrean cuisine. I like this place. I didn't even mind when I was here one night and the owner held my coat hostage until I would play something on their piano. Good thing I can half-ass my way around a piano. It was cold out.
I must confess, I don't eat here much. But I love drinking here. This part of town is saturated with Ethiopian and Eritean joints. So I couldn't really tell which one is better foodwise. So just know if you plan on dining at either one the many West Philly Ethiopian and Eritrean spots, be prepared for slow service, filling food and an interesting experience. Look for Dahalk owner immortalized on the mural in the parking lot.
Now the bar is another story, stocked with Yards and all the good stuff, the bar features an outside seating that makes a great happy hour spot in the summers. Great people watching too.
Dahlak: A review in haiku
Patio chillin',
Outdoors on a summer's eve,
What could be better?
I know! Perhaps if
Your bathrooms were easy to find
And not so filthy.
Labyrinthine walls
made of mirrors confuse me
And the jukebox!: lame.
Sketchy men inside
Leer and try to grope, so I
sit out with hipsters
Under surreal lights,
A thousand conversations
And plenty to watch. :)
When some friends suggested that we go eat Ethiopian food, I presumed this meant we would be eating sand and sun-bleached animal bones. While the food here was okay, the bathroom was a completely different story. I took one look into the women's bathroom ("oh sorry, the men's bathroom is closed, but you can use the women's") and conceded that I would probably be leaving with at least 2-3 types of communicable diseases (dengue fever and scabies came to mind).
Bring your own hand sanitizer and encourage everyone in your party to use it. I'll gladly accept your taunts that I'm a germ phobe, but I'll be the one laughing when you unknowingly contract legionellosis from the guy who you didn't know well because he was your friend's friend.
I went to Dahlak (named after an Archipelago off Eritrea's main land - don't ask me how I know that...) the other night after listening to Archbishop Desmond Tutu speak at St. Joseph's University. We found parking along the street and I was stoked to see that Dahlak was actually just a couple of doors down from Fu-Wah (which I haven't made it to yet, but because of the reviews can't wait to try their tofu bahn mi). We walked in to a very dim restaurant that was divided into three rooms. The first room you walk into is the "Americanized" dining room, right next to this dining room is the "Eritreanized" dining area, the walk back down a hallway and that's where you will find the bar.
We decided to sit in the "Eritreanized" room where the tables and stools were made of thick woven straw (?). There were about seven tables or so when we sat down and considering that it was a Sunday night, I saw it as a good sign.
There were little wooden tables that drinks are placed on next to your stool. My boyfriend and I decided to order the Bozena (my pick...Choice lean beef simmered with chickpeas cooked with garlic and special sauce) and the Chicken Watt (my boyfriend's..Chicken in berbere sauce). The order came on what I can best describe as a huge pizza plate with the two orders just kind of poured onto the plate. The order of course came with the spongy like bread, kinda like the naan you would find at an Indian restaurant, but with a spongier texture that is kind of hard to pick the food/sauce up with.
Everything was absolutely delicious! Each one of our orders came out to about $10.50 - $11.50 each and we decided that because it was kinda spicy, we would get beers to cut the spiciness. They had an awesome selection of beer! I ordered a lager ($3.50) and my boyfriend ordered the Golden Monkey ($5).
On the front cover of the menu it said that Eritrean cuisine is to be enjoyed by having others feed you. Well, I thought that this was a grand (and romantic) idea, um, but when I saw the food, I definitely thought differently. There was no way I could have fed my boyfriend the spongy bread with the various food/sauce inside. Haha, it would have been a disaster with Khakis and all.
The service was so fast! Um, well, maybe because we were also the last customers to come in (we got there around 8:30 pm). Anyways, the food was so great that my boyfriend and I sat in silence as we pretty much inhaled the entire dish. It was nice to sit and relax with our beers afterwards too.
Definitely affordable and very filling! The bill came out to about $33.00.
I did ask for more hot sauce though, and they gave me this paste that was very curious. If anyone knows what the paste is, drop me a line...I can't really describe it, but would be interested to know what spices were in it.
NOT recommended for a first date, well, unless your date knows how to have fun with food! It may be a little confusing to people that may have never had Eritrean/Ethiopian cuisine. The bread isn't as solid as naan, so it's hard to pick stuff up. If your date happens to love this type of food though, it is definitely a great place to hold conversations and the lighting is quite romantic.
I got this craving for Ethiopian food late on a Friday night. We googled ethiopian restautants in the area and found Dhalak. Although it is an Eritrean joint, the food was extremely similar to Ethiopian. I could not tell the difference but I am sure there is.
It was quite late and we were probably the last people to arrive, the service was slightly slow but we were treated nicely and the food was excellent.
I ordered the yedoro wat and my wife ordered the yedoro tibs. Excellent choices in my mind, I will definitely go back for more.
So good! Family style and way more filling than you'd expect, Eritrean food will have you leaving happily fed. We tried the beets, vegetarian tibs (spicy!) and yedoro okra. Was surprised that the injera was cold, but I don't eat Eritrean often enough to know if this is normal (?).
I'm not usually one to complain about slow service, but we went on a wednesday night at 7pm, with one other party there, and it took FOREVER to place our order. Friendly service, but sloooooow.
The bathrooms need some TLC (toilet paper, lightbulbs and cleaning)!!
All things considered, it's quite good food. Just bring your hand sanitizer!
Back behind this place is a wonderful little place to have a relaxing night with a beer. I've never eaten here but I've had a few great beers out back. I like this place on a warm summer night.
I really do prefer the ambiance of Dahlak's restaurant over the bar (at least in the winter). But it is a great spot to to take in some cool regulars and have some colorful conversations.
The bar is even better during the spring and summer time, because that's when the outdoor area really shines. it's the best place to order a drink, lounge around, and take in some beautiful weather.
I prefer Fiume just because I love the pool tables, and the Bluegrass night is one of the best things ever. I also think it has a better beer selection and tend to prefer their bartenders. But in West Philly you usually like one or the other best. But you manage to find a great time regardless.
I went to Dahlak for dinner at around 5:30 pm on Friday... very un-crowded. The "Eritrean-style" dining room was nice to sit in and the atmosphere was relaxed. My friend and I got a lentil dish and chickpea dish... my chickpeas were this kind of bland paste that wasn't all that good, but my friend's lentils were much better. The bread was good, it was spongy and kind of sourdough-y. Our waitress was friendly and serviceable.
A good, cheap, casual dinner spot, although next time I'd like to try a meat dish.
A friend took me here a few months ago and it was late but after we passed all these shady people we walked up to this place and it looked dark and closed like nobody was in it. We walked down this long hallway into the back of the bar and they had a sneaky bar in the back with jukebox and patio. I didn't eat there so I can't say about the food but the bar was pretty cool.
Love this food but it doesn't love me! They opened another one on Germantown Ave that also has Indian food.
My fav is the Yebeg Key Watt Succulent lamb meat cooked in berbere sauce. I'll just take a charcoal pill before I go.. :)
This place is good, not great. I don't entirely understand why everyone says it is THE place in philadelphia for great food, but it's definitely worth going to. If you like Ethiopian or want to try it this is a good place.
If I were to judge Dahlak on its potato salad alone, it would be five stars, all the way, forever. And I feel like forever should be in all caps, there. However, I have to judge it also on its service and prices and this is where things go South. And not in a fun Dukes-of-Hazzard way.
Okay. I'm not supposed to say this, but it has to be said, so I'm just gonna put it out there. It seems like anyone who expresses dissatisfaction with Dahlak gets rebuffed with the dead community leader card. I'm not disputing that Solomon Amare was a wonderful man or that a family business needs leeway to regain its footing after its owner passes. However, it's been three years. You can't play this card forever to cover what has devolved into, at best, mediocrity.
Most of the food I've tried is good. Great? Every now and again. In the past, I mostly have depended on Dahlak for takeout. I want to believe that they are cooking everything (and I mean everything- is anything prepped?) from scratch, because I have waited at least thirty minutes before I walk to the restaurant and inevitably end up waiting another 20-30 minutes while sitting in the restaurant as they continue to prepare the food I've ordered. The restaurant itself is charming, in a dingy sort of way. I've never decided whether the dim lighting was romantic or creepy. But there are the fun little woven tables and the "ethnic" art. There are also "normal" tables for the more conventional. The last few times I've gone in during the evening, the dining room has been empty, save maybe one other table. Why is it taking so long to make my food?
But for good food, I will wait. Unfortunately, it has become hit and miss. The portions seem to be shrinking. The prices seem to be rising. I fail to understand, even with rising global food prices, how a scoop of lentils can have such a mark-up. And I could probably even let all of this go- the smaller portions, the overpricing, the wait, the wait, my god, the wait. But the last few times, I get home to unpack my food and lo and behold- parts of my *&%$# order are missing. I pay for two portions of potato salad. I get one. I order two sambussas. Nowhere to be found. Apparently, Dahlak is dealing in magic, because the food I pay them for is repeatedly involved in a disappearing act. Of course, it's late, I'm tired, I've waited an hour to get my food and now I'm home. I decide to "eat" the wasted dollars of my already (what I feel is, due to the portions and the wait) overpriced meal and never return.
And it's sad. Because I like Dahlak. The people are nice enough (if distant). The food can be good. It fills out the block nicely. I don't want to walk to 45th Street... But playing with my money is like playing with my emotions, so no more Dahlak for me.
If nothing else good came out of this, I taught myself how to make Ethiopian potato salad. . .
I'm much more partial to Dahlak's bar than Fiume - more room to actually move, cozy seats, and best of all, the awesome outdoor patio in warmer months.
If you live in the neighborhood (and in my case, also work in the neighborhood), it's likely you'll run into people you know, or the crazy old guy rambling at the end of the bar. It's not necessarily a bar worth traveling to if you live elsewhere, but it's a great place to stop in after eating at the restaurant, a nightcap, or general hanging out. A perfect West Philly bar, indeed.
Dahlak is the Grand Dame of Ethiopian restaurants in Philly. Probably the first and still defending champ though Kaffe Crossing's food is very good, the combination of excellent food and dim and authentic, I think, ambiance at Dahlak is mesmerizing. It is friendly and inviting with a mix of protective neighborhood residents and respectful suburbanites. And you can't beat the prices.
To set the record straight, Dahlak is an Eritrean restaurant, Eritrea being an independent country (as of 1991) just north of Ethiopia. That said, Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisines are near indecipherable to Western taste buds, given the shared history of the two countries.
So. I like this restaurant a lot, even though it's set in a dark, depressing part of town, which, fortunately, is only a few steps from a trolley stop. Some come out for the novelty of eating with their hands and sitting at low-lying tables; I come for the incredible tsebhis with their hold-nothing-back spices.
Also, I tend to judge restaurants a lot by their breads; I don't know why, but I think a great tasting, great textured bread change a meal much more than even the proteins. The injera at Dahlak dominates in that category. The wait staff will bring you as much you need (and I need a lot to scoop up all those sauces), but there is nothing like those glorious pieces at the bottom of every dish, which have been sitting there for the entire meal, sopping up all those glorious berbere-infused juices. Man can live on bread products alone, I believe (sans forks and knives). But man is better off with stuff to top it with.
not much more can be said after Emily's epic haiku verse review but i'll try anyway.
the back patio was perfect for a couple of beers and smokes on a sweaty summer night. cheap well drinks, cute friendly bartender and cool people watching add to the pleasant vibe.
I didn't get to eat here, I only drank at the bar in the back. It was crowded and the bartender was a little slow. They did have a pretty good beer selection. The group of people I was meeting had managed to grab a table out back, which is ideal for larger groups. Being outside was nice on a hot summer night. It was an ok experience, I think I want to eat there though.
Guess what, people of West Philly? Dahlak sucks! This is yet another wildly overrated yet inexplicably beloved West Philly bar/restaurant! The only thing to say for it is that it has outdoor seating in the summer. I plan to drink in my back yard rather than come here, however.
First of all, the food is just passable. While some say it's better at Dahlak than at Abyssinia, I really couldn't tell much difference. Both offer horrifically expensive versions of this lovely culture's cuisine. And the hipsters really sweat the bar. I can't imagine why. Standard bar offerings at jacked up prices. Totally sweet, right? Nope.
Hands on the floor, the best bar in West Phila.
This bar is a church, and its where i go when i need to pray.
Though, if you don't live in walking distance, just stop reading. You don't want to come here, and you'll only get angry when you show up. If you live in west philly and you've been here, you know what im talking about.
So, bascially this is an insiders reveiw for anyone living in west philly who doesnt know about the bar - or - someone planning on moving here.
The inside of the place is pretty tight, and when its packed, you feel it.
The outside is basically just a bunch of patio furniture strewn about this way and that.
They're always out of they're good beer, and the bartenders can't hook you up with booze because they use an ez-bar system that pours out exact drinks mL wise.
Also, half the older regulars are half crazy, and if you get locked into a conversation with them your nights over.
After you go a few times, you'll start to get it... need it. Its the kinda place that makes you happy to live where you live.
Neighborhood: Cedar Park
Category: Ethiopian
Neighborhood: University City
Category: Ethiopian
Philadelphia, PA
Category: Ethiopian
Neighborhood: University City
Category: Ethiopian
Neighborhood: Angora
Category: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
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