- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Muzita Abyssinian Bistro
Categories: Restaurants Ethiopian Restaurants Vegan Restaurants Vegetarian Ethiopian, Vegan, Vegetarian [Edit]
4651 Park Blvd(between Madison Ave & Spalding Pl)
San Diego, CA 92116
Neighborhood: University Heights
(619) 546-7900
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 5 pm - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 2 pm
Fri-Sat 3 pm - 11 pm
Sun 3 pm - 9 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
532 reviews for Muzita Abyssinian Bistro
Review Highlights
"And of course I can't forget the honey wine."
(in 128 reviews)
"We had the kantisha, siga, and beggie kilwa."
(in 95 reviews)
"Both good with the Injera - very simple yet flavorful."
(in 133 reviews)
Loading...
532 reviews in English
-
Review from Brittany G.
San Diego, CA
2/5/2012 2 Check-ins Here
This is my favorite restaurant In California and that's saying A LOT coming from a resident of California for 20 out of 20 years of life.
I have fallen in love with a restaurant and I'm not entirely sure I will ever again.
I have found my true love.
I came here twice in the past 4 days and I am tempted to go back again tomorrow. Part of my reasoning is the dish I order is enough food for TWO dinners. So I eat dinner one night and take the rest home for the next day. This is making the $12 dollar dish a $6 a night meal. I cant even fathom how extraordinary the food is. I WILL go into details and provide details at a later date but i wanted to at least post a quick message for now so people would know how good this bistro is.
Thank you to the Muzita family and all chefs and cooks involved in the creation of this food and menu. It is truly a diamond in the mud compared to a lot of California restaurants.
I can literally taste the love that goes into this food and it is without a single doubt worth every single cent.Listed in: Dinner
-
Review from Stella W.
San Diego, CA
2/5/2012
I don't even know.
I'm Indonesian so I love eating with my hands, so I have no complaints on the method of eating. I love vegetarian dishes and all things flatbread-like. I also don't mind paying more for fresh, well-prepared food. But for some reason, this restaurant just didn't click with me. Everyone else's reviews kept saying how huge the entrees were, but our group ordered 4 entrees and I don't know if trying to fit 4 entrees on 1 platter shrunk the portion size, but we weren't full at all after our meal.
The calamari appetizer was just typical breaded calamari. You can get the same dish of the same quality at Tapioca Express and it's nothing special. The fried okra was one of this restaurant's specialties and I think that it was once again, AVERAGE. Breaded and fried with a mild flavor.
The beggie kilwa (lamb) was not tender. The ono fish was fresh and it was quite good, however. But still nothing that stands out. Chickpeas were average... but they're just chickpeas. I don't know how you can mess up cooking chickpeas. Collard greens were good. Everything here was just merely average, but all I could remember was the $120 bill for 2 appetizers and 4 entrees and a dissatisfied feeling.
I can't help but feel like the environment of this restaurant is trying way too hard to create a romantic, "ethnic" setting whereas the food that we're eating should be inexpensive, hearty, wholesome family-style food. The approach to this cuisine is all wrong with this restaurant. Next time I go out for Ethiopian food it definitely NOT be here. -
Review from Brian G.
San Diego, CA
1/28/2012
Absolutely amazing Ethiopian food. Delicious.
And you get to eat with your hands! When was the last time you dug into a giant platter of food with your bare hands??? 5? 6? You probably got yelled at for it too.
Now, as an adult, at this restaurant, you get to use your fingers to pick up the food, and place into your mouth, and people treat you as the cosmopolitan, open-minded foodie that you are - when, in fact, you're just trying to relive your childhood.
The portions are enormous. My wife and I could have ordered one entree and shared it, and we would have been just fine, but instead our eyes were bigger than our stomachs - the good news is we have a lot of delicious leftovers. -
Review from Grace M.
San Diego, CA
My second visit occurred recently and I dined with my two friends that had never eaten Ethiopian food. Meagan was our server and she did a great job explaining what each dish was, how spicy they were, and which paired nicely. My friends LOVED the food, and two dishes with two sides proved to be very filling for three people. Also, our bill was $32, which is incredible because we had so much food!
This place is great for a date or just for fun. The decor is cute and it gives off a calm, relaxing ambiance while you dine. Thanks Meagan, you were a great host and server for my party!1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
12/6/2011
The food is awesome and it's so fun to eat with your hands! Be specific about how spicy you like it… Read more »
-
-
Review from L. L.
San Diego, CA
2/8/2012
I went here for the first time maybe 3 months ago, and have been back three times since then. Each experience has been wonderful. Beautiful ambience, outside porch seating with heat lamps and friendly service from their staff. The owner came out each time to greet us and make sure we were enjoying our time. The food is great, you eat with your hands, a lot of the items are naturally vegetarian but they have plenty of meat options as well.. I am looking forward to coming back!
-
Review from Peggy A.
San Diego, CA
1/28/2012 1 photo
Dining at Muzita Abyssinian Bistro was such an incredible experience. If you are looking to dabble in some culture, try some unique cuisines, and dine in a trendy yet cozy setting, this is the place to be.
The restaurant is in University Heights, and it looks like the establishment is a converted house from the 1930s or 1940s. The place is quite small and a little cramped, but it does feel homey. Please be sure to make reservations, especially if you plan to dine on a weekend night. There are not that many tables, and people seem to love this place. Also, only street parking is available, so you may have to get creative.
There are meat and vegan dishes on the menu, and I chose to go with the Beggie Kilwa (Sautéed New Zealand Leg Of Lamb). Entrees come with salad, a side, and either steamed rice or injera bread. Of course, I went for the traditional injera bread! Injera bread is a savory, spongy, crepe-like bread used to sop up/pick up your food. Be prepared to eat with your hands. I'm sure you could request utensils, but for goodness sake, just try eating with your hands like the Ethiopians for the full effect. The lamb was decently seasoned, with just a hint of gaminess. The flavors were not out-of-this world, but I still enjoyed my meal. Also, be sure to try the Hakim Stout beer. It was very tasty!
Overall, I found my experience at Muzita to be very educating and delightful. This is a place I would definitely recommend everyone try at least one. -
Review from Sarah M.
Port Hueneme, CA
2/8/2012
Dinner was nice, but I have zero desire to return to this place. None of the dishes stood out as anything special.
-
Review from T T.
San Diego, CA
2/7/2012
I love Ethiopian food & unfortunately there aren't a lot of choices in SD for it. Having said that, this is prob my favorite spot to go for it, in SD. It feels more like you're coming over to a friend's house to eat more than dining at a restaurant, bc of the setting & the friendly service that you get here. The food is pretty good & there are plenty of meat/vegetarian option to please every palette.
-
Review from Renee M.
San Diego, CA
1/26/2012
I have now been to Muzita twice! I am on yelp but this is honesty the first time I have felt the urge to post a review. I love this place! The staff is extremely knowledgeable and accommodating!
Last night Scott was our server! So nice, informative, and gave us the best suggestions. I am Vegan and my date decided to be last night just for me and the food was incredible. Just the right amount of spice and perfect amount of food (which was suggested by our server)
Also, the owner stopped by our table as he did the time I visited before and was so nice and informative as well!
I can't say enough about how much I love the food and experience at this amazing restaurant! -
Review from Young C.
San Diego, CA
1/22/2012
I came here with a few of my friends as an impromptu location for a semi-late dinner. For first impressions, I was quite afraid of eating here: the neighborhood feels quite "not safe". There wasn't any dedicated parking so finding street parking was quite a trip. When we finally got to the restaurant, it seems like a small house with no room. HOWEVER, don't let looks fool you. The inside of Muzita is quite nice: the atmosphere is quite boisterous, the waiters/waitresses are very active and friendly (commonly making small talk with people), and sometimes the manager (or what seems as such) engages with the customers making sure everything is good. Our service was amazing.
That being said, let me get in to the food. We didn't know what to really order so by request of our waitress, we ordered a large variety of their most popular dishes. The food experience is quite different than any other place. Everything is eat-with-hands with special Ethiopian wraps, using the entree as a sort of filler.
The food itself, I didn't quite enjoy. It seemed very bland, and the proportions weren't big enough for what it was. I only enjoyed one of our entrees; the chicken special only available on weekends. Everything else seemed very one-dimensional.
Overall, I give it 3 stars because of the great service and mediocre food. -
Review from lauren c.
San Diego, CA
1/21/2012
If I could give this place 4 1/2 stars, I would.
The good:
Good wine/cocktail list
Great waiter
Lots of menu choices
Good lighting
Eating with your hands- yeah!
*Dorho (seared chicken with serrano pepper-don't pass it up!)
*Timtimo (the lentil side dish-very tasty)
*Injera (the spongy bread/pancake had a lovely consistency and was fun to eat with)
*The okra appetizer (I usually hate okra, but how can you hate something when it's deep fried and arranged like a Jenga game?)
The lukewarm:
*Beet salad-meh, beets were a little undercooked and it was a little too lemony
*Kantisha kilwa (button mushroom entree). It wa pretty good, but paled in comparison to the dohro.
*The collard green side dish.
The not-so-good:
Depending on which table you get, you may feel very cramped. You could fit about 3 nickels between our table and the table next to us. It made for some good easedropping, but takes away the "romantic atmosphere" that everyone is talking about.
All in all, I would definiely go again. Would order less food (it's so filling!) and ask for a more private table. -
Review from Natasha P.
Chatsworth, CA
1/26/2012 Seated via OpenTable
In the words of a foodie, "nom nom, nom nom nom"
Great service, great food, great [honey] wine, great ambiance, great big belly full of happiness! The vegetarian options are phenomenal and i hear the meat entre's are damn good as well. The prices are phenomenal for the quality of food you are getting and you eat with your hands (so make sure you cut your nails ha ha)! The restaurant is also located right across the street from a string of cute little bars, which makes it the perfect weekend spot! Ethiopian food doesn't get much better than this! -
Review from Christine W.
San Diego, CA
1/12/2012
I've been to Muzita's five times now and tried just about everything on their menu. I absolutely love this place; I would argue that this is one of the best restaurants in all of San Diego. Everything is made fresh, and you can taste it. The food is delicious, the environment is cozy and romantic, and the experience is authentic and unique.
My two favorites are the Beggie Kilwa (lamb) and the Ono Tsebhi (fish with spaghetti squash). For the sides, I like the collard greens and the stewed vegetables. Combined together with "Mess" (honey wine), it's a gastronomical party that you won't soon forget.
The lamb is perfectly tender every time, and the flavor profile is amazing. I usually don't like lamb dishes, but this one stands out as magical. It has the perfect combination of savory, salty, spicy, and yumm!
The Ono is a new favorite of mine - I tried it for the first time on New Year's Day. You get a good chunk of juicy ono (fish) meat resting on top of the most delicious non-pasta spaghetti and tomato sauce. They make "noodles" out of spaghetti squash, which has a delightful umami flavor that pairs perfectly with the delectable spaghetti sauce they make from scratch.
Dinner is served family-style on a big round plate of injera bread. They give you extra injera on the side to wrap your food in, and they're always generous about giving you more of it. You use your hands to eat instead of a fork -and there's something uniquely satisfying about eating with all of your senses, including touch!
My favorite dessert at Muzita's is the Kahlua cake. The layers of chocolate are moist, decadent, and perfectly sweet. Paired with honey wine, you can't go wrong. The Pot de Crème and Tiramisu are also very delicious. I have plans to go back just for dessert and honey wine.
If you're looking for a romantic restaurant, this is the place. If you're looking for a fun, hip place to hang out with friends, this is the place. If you just want to eat good food, this is the place. Heck, I even saw them host a small wedding reception the last time I was there!
Friendly staff, great service, excellent food, unique experience. Muzita's all the way! -
Review from Sang P.
1/8/2012
I didn't know what to expect at all. But when I read the menu, everything sounded amazing. Sat indoors with a group of 7 people, which they accommodated very well.
We ordered everything on the meat section except the seafood, and boy oh boy what a great choice we made! They gave us 2 platters of the same thing and it was amazing! Using the spongy "injera" and dipping that with meat and flavorful sauce was a unique experience for me. It reminded me of pita+hummus but not really.
Anyway, I definitely recommend the weekend special chicken - it was the highlight of the platter. Deep flavors that you usually don't experience normally in Western cuisine.
Service was amazing - the owner also oversaw us but our waitress was very attentive too. Great place!
Minus star for mixing up our reservation time..but that wasn't that big of a deal..it was just a bit cold when we had to wait the extra 15-minutes. Otherwise, would definitely recommend! -
Review from Brittany P.
Little Italy, San Diego, CA
1/6/2012
This place was packed and yet it felt like we were the only people there. It is set up very intimately for your dining experience. A group of 5, we did not make reservations, even though you are suppose to. We were very lucky to get a table.
Awesome selections of beers and wines. Definitely follow the waiters tips for party sizes. We had 2 apps and 3 entrees. It was perfect (and DELICIOUS). We all thought it wouldn't be enough and then we found ourselves not capable of finishing the meal.
Our service was fantastic. I honestly thought the kind of friendly, hospitable service we received was dead. Never been more happy to be wrong. The Mead aka Honey wine was brought to our table and we all enjoyed the evening very much.
It was fun, intimate, delicious, friendly, and completely full of exotic surprises. The intense new flavors and excitement of eating with your fingers is a great way to bond!
PS_ YOU DO NOT SIT ON THE FLOOR. Some images are inaccurate. -
Review from Hanika F.
Palmdale, CA
12/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Wow this place is full of amazing things to eat and drink!!! Have never had Ethiopian food but out waitress was super informative in explaining the food.
We tried the Sambusas, we had each flavor but the Veggie were the best! These are a MUST have!!! They are so delicious that not trying them is doing your self an injustice!
There were 4 of us so we all ordered something different so we could try each others food. We had the Shiro, ground chickpeas with spices, this is a little hummus like but the flavor is amazing! I absolutely recommend this dish!
We also had Siga Kilwa, a beef dish which was so tender and tasy! The sauce was great especially to go along with the Injera. We also got a lamb dish and a prawn wrap dish. We didnt have anything we didnt like! These dishes were all wonderful and perfect for sharing with each other.
The atmosphere is also very nice! You can sit inside or outside, the service is super friendly! They even gave us a little shot of their honey wine which was a perfect ending to our lunch!
This place is great for vegetarians and their meat loving friends, in fact this place is perfect for anyone looking to try something new and something that will make your taste buds go WOW that was GREAT! Cant wait to go back to San Diego and go back! -
Review from Jaime S.
San Diego, CA
1/31/2012
Been here multiple times and never disappointed! The marinated beef, prawns, spinach, roasted vegetables and salad with the injera bread is just out of this world with flavor!
-
Review from Tim D.
San Diego, CA
1/12/2012
My girlfriend and I were looking for a good Ethiopian restaurant and after talking with friends and browsing Yelp, found this place.
Wow.
Simply wow.
The food was incredible. We had no idea what to order so we looked at pictures on Yelp and asked the waitress for recommendations, and ended up ordering the beef and ground chickpeas (don't remember the actual names), and they were outstanding.
The decor is beautiful (we went at night) and the staff is very friendly. If you go on a Fri/Sat night I would recommend reservations, especially if you have more than 2 people. Inside is small but there is some outdoor seating as well.
Overall HIGHLY recommended! Loved it! -
Review from Alice T.
12/18/2011
My friends found this place, and it's the cutest little restaurant in University Heights! They are all about service and since most people have never had Ethiopian (including myself), they do a great job of explaining the cuisine and what and how to order. With three people, we ended up getting the prawns, berbere beef, and lamb kilwa along with the lentils, veggies, and collard greens sides that come with the meal.
The food comes out on a round tray with side, entree, side, entree, side, entree and salad in the middle. You get three injeras (bread that tastes like pancake). I loved the sauce of the prawns (more creamy tomato-based) and all the sides. All three sides were delicious- the spicy red lentils (lentils always are), the veggies (cooked in a similar flavor as the prawn sauce), and the braised collard greens (collard greens are usually so bitter, but the fact that it's braised makes it so tasty). While the flavors of the berbere beef and lamb kilwa were really good (slightly spicy, but not too bad), the meat just wasn't super tender. It was a little more on the tough side. I came on a second visit, and the meat was still not very tender. But I really like this place- it's always great to try new cuisine!
Be sure to make reservations. The restaurant is small, so it gets packed. -
Review from Spencer W.
Laguna Beach, CA
1/25/2012
Great experience. Food will take some getting used to, but that's my issue. Definitely worth your time and dollars.
-
Review from Francis P.
San Diego, CA
12/20/2011
Been there twice now. I was a fan the first time, the second time just solidified it. The wine they serve with dinner was excellent. The dishes are excellent, the service puts this place over the top. However, the only thing that keeps this place from being 5 stars, at least for me is the cramped quarters. This is a small place. If you're a bigger guy you will bump into folks around you. After my friend and I were able to squeeze into a corner it was so bad. A plus was we got a close up view of what everyone was having. I have to admit a lot of it looked exceptional.
If you are shy about eating with your hands they do provide utensils. But when in Rome...I mean Ethiopia do as the locals do.
1st time I got the lamp (Great), second time I got the beef (good). The have an irrational hatred of collard greens, so when I saw them on the menu I refused to eat them. The waiter brought out a side of it so my friend could sample it since I refused. She then brow beat me into trying it. I got over my hatred then and there. -
Review from Kristen S.
San Diego, CA
12/2/2011
The food here is not only delicious, but it is fun to eat. I highly recommend ordering your food with injera, which is a type of flatbread. Your food comes served on top of it and you rip the bread and use it to grab your food. No utensils needed. I ordered the Shiro, which is a vegetarian dish made from chickpeas. It was delicious. My boyfriend ordered the lamb, which he loved. Hamli, a spinach and greens dish, was delcious. As an appetizer he had the sambusas. I really liked that they have 3 different kinds and serve them cut in half, perfect for 2 people. The owner was super nice and gave us a brief history lesson on the cuisine and region, as we were kind of ignorant on the topic. We will definitely be frequenting this restaurant.
Pros:
interesting/different presentation of food (injera)
delicious buttery sambusas
friendly and knowledgeable staff
great atmosphere (romantic, yet also good for groups)
great location in a fun part of town with other things to do nearby (Small Bar, Bourbon St Bar, etc)
specialty cocktails
good street parking -
Review from Chris A.
San Diego, CA
11/21/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Amazing, amazing food. Fantastic service. I was seriously so satisfied after eating here.
Beet salad - pretty good, nothing to write home about.
Ono - UNF. THIS WAS PHENOMENAL. Full of flavor, fish was cooked perfectly - I could eat this all day, errday.
Lamb - Also VERY good. It's got a little kick to it - super tasty. Lamb wasn't as tender as I would have liked, but it tasted good enough that I didn't really care.
Stewed vegetables (comes as a side) - Really really delicious. I'm getting repetitive here aren't I?
Lentils (side) - Again... really kind of amazing.
And you sop it all up with their Injera. Waiter brought us more without us even asking. GO HERE. Lives up to the hype. -
Review from Jade K.
San Diego, CA
11/6/2011
A little pricey but definitely worth the dining experience (eating with your hands - no utensils!). I came here twice, once with a close friend and another with my parents whom usually never eat outside of Asian foods! (I had much to prove) We went 30 minutes before their approximate closing time but they were nice about it and afterwards, the area is pretty popping during the late hours so you won't feel like you are walking out of the restaurant into a deserted empty street.
We ordered the Tsebhi Dorho with the soft boiled free range egg and the weekend special of Chicken Kilwa. The Okra Appetizer (Teffa) is definite thing to get. Sauteed vegetables and lentils with our major dishes - mmm!
The salad was a little sour, a little too much vinegar for me - but of course the Injera was bomb!! It's a cozy intimate place and the staff is super nice and welcoming for any questions or answers about how they make the food. The food is served with the mombobi (basket tops) and I learned that they are often used for coffee ceremonies and popcorn!
Beyon, my waitress found out that it was my mom's birthday and they nicely put a candle on our delicious tiramisu (they gave us a fork for this).
& then we toasted with a few glasses of yummy honey wine!
Parking can be a hassle in this area, but you can be lucky! -
Review from Athena P.
San Diego, CA
2/1/2012
Amazing food and excellent atmosphere! Before I ate here I didn't think I liked Ethiopian food. The spicy shrimp dish is consistently amazing. The servers are also very friendly. Overall, a wonderful dining experience.
-
Review from Kendall C.
San Diego, CA
11/6/2011 Seated via OpenTable
I had a craving for something different, so a couple of friends and myself made it out to this place on a Friday night to check out the food.
The owner and waiters were very friendly and helpful, even though the restaurant was crowded. It's a relatively small and cozy environment, which is conducive to discussion.
The food itself consists of lots of the Ethiopian bread, which is a thin spongy sour bread. It absorbs the different sauces of the dishes, you use the bread to eat with your hands. No utensils allowed! It's a good place to go with a few friends, as the food is made for sharing. -
Review from Jay A.
San Diego, CA
12/12/2011
Walked in and was immediately greeted by the owner. He took the time to explain what the food was, the culture behind it, and how to eat it. It was my first time eating Ethiopian food and he was nice enough to bring out a few samples so that we could get a taste prior to committing to a meal.
The food is amazing and full of rich multilayered flavors. It was a step aside from the norm not having utensils, but the injera was decidedly wonderful and eating with my hands simplified things.
This Bistro is a quaint step aside from the norm and is a perfect retreat for an intimate meal. -
Review from Ryohei K.
San Diego, CA
11/13/2011 Seated via OpenTable
I've been slacking off on finishing reviews and this place is one of them (a draft was made on June 2011. hehehe...)
It's a very nice place to be for a date night. Cramped yet cozy (meaning you get to sit close to the date) and dishes are very interesting. Vegetarian friendly which is always nice. Fried Okra is definitely my favorite. Honey wine is great. Not too sweet and not too liquor-ly, but still got a sneaky side affect of "oh crap, how did I get buzzed?" factor.
Reservation is a must and parking can be tough to find, so be ready to park a little far and walk. Cost wise, I feel they are fair for experience/food.
Be adventurous; don't ask for a knife/fork and eat with your hand! :) -
Review from My T.
11/5/2011
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! So good, I had to let out a scream! I never had Abyssinian food before, and Muzita's Bistro made my first experience absolutely the best it could ever have been! I went here with my best friend for my birthday!
The service was great!
THE FOOD, OH THE FOOD was seriously, ahhhhhhh!!!! Yes, so, freaking, fracking, GOOD!
We ordered the seared ono and the sauteed all natural grass-fed Brandt beef with lentils for the side. Yes, yes ,you get the point, the food is fantastic! So come here and try it out, you will not be disappointed! -
Review from Kelsey L.
Irvine, CA
1/5/2012
Had a really lovely dinner here. I highly appreciate the clear vegetarian/vegan labeling, and my husband appreciated the non-veg options. I cannot remember the names of the dishes, but I had a vegan spinach dish with, of course, injeera (yum... we've tried and failed to make our own). Very nicely spiced, not overcooked. I also ordered a chickpea dish which arrived a bit late - we were so full that we were happy to just have that packed up for later anyway and the waiter was very apologetic about the delay, giving us some extra injeera and spinach for our to-go box, so I consider that fully remedied. The atmosphere is laid back, cozy - a nice place for a date or casual night out. We also had beers the waiter recommended and his recommendation/descriptions were definitely spot-on. I'd happy visit here again.
-
Review from Chris T.
Vista, CA
11/15/2011 7 Check-ins Here
Wicked delicious. My Girlfriend wanted us to come here so bad so I made sure I wasn't too hungry. I was flat out wrong and it's always good to try new things!
We have been there three times now and it's awesome! Make sure to share the plate between two of you. -
Review from hothead p.
La Jolla, CA
1/29/2012
Really excellent place! The best ethiopian in town. Warning: the food is really spicy (hot).
-
Review from Ryan B.
Oceanside, CA
11/11/2011
Not something I would eat every week or month but something like this is a must to break out of your usual dining routine every now and then. Leave any inhibitions at the door, there is no silverware period. All food is to be eaten with your hands, be it rice, stew, or meat.
The food is quite good, the beef and lamb are flavorful and just a bit spicy. I recommend the Hakim beer, not one of my all time favorites but refreshing still. Service is quite good and atmosphere is intimate. The place used to be a house, it's way too small but you have to put up with the quirks to get the charm. -
Review from Liting D.
Stanford, CA
1/2/2012 Seated via OpenTable
The restaurant owner is very nice and outgoing! food is great. the environment is good.
-
Review from Sam W.
Fontana, CA
10/7/2011
I've promised the manager Michael that I will write this review for a while now.
First, the service. It is AWESOME. I usually don't care much for service as long as they don't suck too much, since I am Chinese and we care about the food way more than service in our community. But this place's service deserves a mention.
The manager's name is Michael, and he has got to be 1 of the top service oriented managers I've ever met. First time I went there, it was not busy so he took his time to explain and chat with us about the place, the food, the honeywine (this is how I found out that it is home brewed). We didn't really ask him, he just volunteered, it makes the food that much better now that we know something about it. The waiter was attentive and nice. Then the cook came out (actually he claims its all his mother's work) and that just sealed the deal for me.
Everyone gives off a really warm and welcoming type of friendly, not that chain restaurants type of "I smile because I have to" type of friendly. I know you know what I mean.
The food. HONEY WINE, must have. It was so good I bought a bottle to go for my gf to try (it was 30 something). Also, I don't know if anyone else noticed this but the honey wine's taste changes subtly before and after you eat the food, its very unique and awesome. Every food I've tried has been really good. Unfortunately, I always gone with a whole bunch of people and the food comes out on a big combined platter, and I always forget which is which, because they are all equally delicious. So I can't really tell you which one specially to try but the general guideline is...you can't go wrong with the menu lol.
Its a bit expensive, so I save it for treats here and there. Also, when you order hot, I can tell it's not typical "American" hot, its "Immigrant" hot hahah, its perfect for me, but if you think "American" hot is perfect for you, get medium hot. -
Review from Lisa N.
El Cajon, CA
Updated - 12/27/2011
I wanted to write a follow up to this review that is a little overdue. The owner Abel reached out to me based on my review and really was hurt that I did not have the best experience. Based on our conversation I feel that we must have just been there on an off night. I have yet to be back in but feel that this place is worth another try.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
7/15/2011
I have been hearing a lot of great things about this restaurant including here on Yelp. Considering… Read more »
-
-
Review from Lauren P.
San Diego, CA
11/7/2011
Having never eaten Ethiopian food, my boyfriend brought me here one week-night. We had tried to come once before, but was packed. Fortunately, we were able to get in and seated very quickly!
It did take a minute or two to get anyone to take our drink order, but once we were greeted, service was ok.
The atmosphere is very quant and quiet, and they have patio-seating available.
I absolutely love the food! The food was spicy and delicious. We tried to the chicken, lamb, lentils, and vegetables. My favorite was the lentils and chicken. Even our cocktails were delicious!
Definitely would recommend anyone here, and will be back soon! -
Review from Lia P.
San Diego, CA
10/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
The ambiance of this place is sooo amazing. It's cozy and warm and the food is delicious! I love everything about this place (except maybe that it's a little pricey), but, for an intimate evening with friends or a date, it's just great.
I had never tried Ethipean food and I fell in love with it. If you haven't yet, do it, it's fun and delicious. If you like it but haven't been here, what are you waiting for?
One of my favorite restaurants in town. -
Review from Alice W.
San Diego, CA
1/27/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Went for the first time last weekend. Parking was kind of hard to find, but the staff was very friendly and helpful. This was my first time trying Ethiopian food! I was very excited. We ordered a beef and a chicken dish as suggested. The chicken was great, but the beef was too salty - mostly sauce. Same for the collard greens, too salty. I ended up eating a lot of the bread to compensate for the salt. The stewed mixed vegetables and the salad were great. Overall not worth $18. I wouldn't come back.
-
Review from David C.
My step-mom wanted eclectic and Muzita definitely delivered. It is quite a culture shock for Americans to eat with their hands. The menu does a good job of describing the menu for rookies. Thank goodness for the injera which is a crepe like bread that you use to pick up the food! We had the Beggie and Siga Kilwa. All of the entrees seemed to come with a small salad. Dinner time is different than lunch as things are served more family style. The service was awesome as the waiter sat down with us and explained some of the Ethiopian culture. Friday for lunch it was very easy to get a table but I think it gets much busier for dinner. University Heights is an awesome place for diversity and Muzita fits right in as one of your best choices around.
