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Mon-Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Mon-Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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You have to like eating with your hands to enjoy the fun of Ethiopian food. They serve absolutely delicious stewed meats and veggies on a platter family style and your utensil is the cup of your hand and the special sour naanish like bread. All the dishes we tried were excellent. Try the sweet wine as well to help with the spiciness of the dishes.
Though the weather was a bit cold, but when it's warm, be sure to sit outside on the back patio overlooking the creek. With the lights at nice it's a lovely spot.
People thought this was:
This is the best Ethiopian food I've had in Colorado. My husband and I come here on a regular basis for dinner with friends. It's a favorite stop for taking people visiting from out of town, they always have a great time there. We found out the best technique is to go in groups and do approximately 1 combination dish for every 1.5 people. We had a group of six and ordered 4 entrees and left the plate completely clean and everyone was pleasantly full. The food is always terrific. All of the vegetables are fresh and well seasoned and the meats are tender and not overwhelmed by the curry sauces. The beet and carrot salad included with the combos is cold and refreshing.
The number one thing that blows me away is actually their lemonade. The flavor is smooth, not too tart and not too sugary. I would love to know how they make it. There is evidence of cloves and cinnamon and possibly cardamom in the flavor but beyond that I cannot imagine how it's done. Their beer and alcoholic drink selection is excellent as well.
I took a leap and tried their lunch buffet one day and found it to be exceptional. The food quality is not compromised for this like many other restaurants that feature a lunch buffet, and the self-serve is a big plus if you don't have much time but don't want fast food.
My only complaint is that the service always seems overwhelmed. I've gone during different times of the day and it always takes longer than it should to get drinks, have our order taken, and get more injera bread. However, it is all well worth the waiting!
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Ras Kassas is awesome. Totally unique food, a variety of new tastes, some spice, and this place even helped me pass on a dull potential girlfriend who didn't like anything interesting food wise.
Love eating with the sponge bread and going with a group so I can taste all of the dishes family style.
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Wow! What incredible food! Nice people, slow service, but hey it's ethiopian...so plan ahead. Great fresh drinks, and yeah again AMAZING food!
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We went on a Sunday morning after seeing that the restaurant is opened for weekend brunches. It was closed!!! We called the restaurant and even that very silly sounding lady's voice message told it was opened on Sundays.. But it was closed alright..
We tried on a thursday evening and it was opened at that time. We were a bunch of four and we did not have much options to order from the menu. Basically we order just the side dishes and the 'injira' (a pancake kinda thing) comes unlimited. All of our four dishes came in a big plate. Yep, no separate plates. And we had to eat with our hands. The service was very friendly and the food was great. But the cost per person was too much for that kinda food. But worth trying it once.
I have been in this restaurant last weekend.The service is so slow,waiters smell so bad.I need my mony back.
This is one of my favorite restaurants in Boulder - I think because it is reminds me of a lot of my favorite places in San Francisco. I like my restaurants with a little bit of a funky charm. Sure, Pearl St is nice. Maybe too nice. Sometimes I feel like it's so sterile. Like a strange white-washed adult disney land.
Ras Kassa is off the beaten path and a little bit patched together. The people who work there are so friendly. I think it's a great place to take a date. I also had my birthday party there with 8 people. They couldn't have been nicer. I might be a bit of a masochist but I love it when the wait staff hand feeds people who have never eaten there before. Sure it's pricier than a comparable place you'd find in a big city, but that's kind of standard for Boulder. Try the lunch buffet to get a good sampling of what they have there at a cheaper price tag.
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The food was okay, not spectacular. We got the lunch buffet and was amazed that it was $15 each!! Yeah, won't be going back...
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My favorite restaurant in Boulder. Not for every day, but for a great evening out with a cultural flair. I recommend the veggie combo platter rather than trying to pick and entree..sampling the different foods is part of the fun. GREAT place for a date.
I loved it here! The waitress was so adorable and friendly. The food was good and came quickly. We ordered a meat and a vegetarian dish. Between 3 people we still had lots of leftovers. The atmosphere is really nice too. We sat outside on the patio by the creek and it was nice and shady. The food wasn't too expensive, it's about medium rate. Regardless it's a great experience, especially for first timers!
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I had heard my husband rave about how great this place was when he used to eat here as a grad student. I was skeptical, especially since the food has tasted consistently similar at every Ethiopian place we've eaten in the Bay Area. When he finally took me to Boulder, we had to make a stop here so I could try for myself. Needless to say, it was THE BEST Ethiopian food I've ever had. Each morsel was so tasty and juicy. I had the spicy vegetarian combo platter, which was absolutely delectable. The salad was so fresh and crispy, with the vegetables marinated to perfection....mm mm mm!
Being a vegetarian and having tasted the vegetarian combo platter at a lot of Ethiopian restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area, I would rate all of them as average and Ras Kassa as above average, since I now know what that tastes like! For a while I thought veggie Ethiopian food couldn't get any better! Thank god I was wrong :-)
The best Ethiopian Restaurant in Colorado! I've been back again and again and have never been disappointed. The food is full of flavor!! Our favorites on the menu are the Addis Beef and the Lamb Stew. Absolutely delicious!
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Yum!
This place was suggested to me by a friend who lives in Boulder, so after a day spent visiting Rocky Mountain National Forest we swung through Boulder and stopped here for dinner.
It was not even close to my first ethiopian experience but it was my boyfriends first and I did not tell him what to expect as I wanted it to be a surprise for him. So of course, the owner came out with our food and gave him the traditional first bite. This is called Gursah and it is the Ethiopian way of welcoming you, I know it seems weird and maybe a little gross to a lot of us Americans but I've always found it sweet and refreshing.
We ordered WAY too much food, as we got the feast, with both meat and vegetarian entrees, it came with appetizers drinks and dessert. I tried an ethiopian beer with my dinner and my boyfriend got a mango cocktail, both were really delicious and paired perfectly with our meal.
The food itself was fantastic, there was not a single dud on the (MASSIVE) platter. The injera came fast and freely as we needed it, dessert was delicious, definitely not the pre-made ice cream someone else got. We had a selection of mango cheesecake and coconut icecream, both of which were fantastic.
Had we not found Queen of Sheba in Denver the very next week, we would be driving up to Boulder on a very very regular basis to eat at Ras Kassas. As it is, we will make it a point to eat there whenever we can.
People thought this was:
I will never take a date here.
This has nothing to do with the food. Everything was amazing. The flavor had the perfect amount of subtleties and spices to satisfy even the most particular food critic.
And it has nothing to do with the atmosphere. It was friendly and fun - with the owner coming over to greet us and even showing my friend "how to eat" by picking up his food and shoving it into his mouth. It was wonderful and refreshing to get that kind of experience.
No - my desire to never take a date here has to do with one thing and one thing only: I am a sloppy bitch. Seriously, at one point I felt like I had more food on the table than I did in my mouth. All those years of learning to not eat with my hands came back to blast me - as I fumbled and stumbled my way through the meal. My friend? He just ate all nice and neatly like he's been doing it for years. So, while the food is great, I might have to save this place until after the girl is already in love with me. Otherwise, it might be a rude awakening for her....
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I love Ethiopian food. There used to be a little place in my neighborhood in San Francisco that was $4.95 a person for the veggie plate. Lots of variety, amazing, tasty, warming food, and plenty of money left over for honey wine. I've been to multiple other, similar places in NYC, Portland OR, Denver and San Francisco.
Ras Kassa's is, unfortunately, nothing like this. I found it pricey for Ethiopian. The food was ok but never as flavorful as the many other spots I've been to. The service was spotty, and the wait too long. I wish we had some down-home Ethiopian in Boulder. I'll keep waiting. Meanwhile, Queen of Sheba in Denver? Yum.
Get ready to eat like a toddler.
Food: For those who have never had Ethiopian food before, I'll provide a brief summary. Your food is served on a large plate, artfully arranged on a large piece of sourdough flatbread called injera. You're also given additional pieces of injera which you use to scoop up the food for hand to mouth consumption. My coworker and I ordered the combination platter with spicy chicken and veggies (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). The first thing I noticed was the rolls of injera lining the plate. That was a nice touch considering all the ripping you have to do before each bite. I've been to a place where you're given pancake-style injera, and it takes forever to rip an adequately sized square. If you ask for more injera, they'll give you a heaping basket of more injera rolls. Win!!! The chicken was absolutely mouthwateringly tender, but you only receive one microscopic drumstick per person. They also serve a whole hard-boiled egg, collard greens, chickpeas, beets, and other veggies, each with a very distinct taste.
Service: If you've never had Ethiopian, a server will come out and demonstrate proper scooping technique. Other than that, our service was fair.
Atmosphere: There are several irritating aspects to this place. First off, the music is super loud and the CD player seems to skip frequently. Secondly, the bright track lighting aims straight at certain tables, blinding customers. We saw a group switch tables because of this. Despite the annoyances, the interior is pretty fun with paintings for sale on the brightly colored walls. You can even get comfy at some of the low tables in the center of the room.
Synopsis: Not my favorite Ethiopian, but for those seeking something different in Boulder cuisine, I'd spring for this.
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Scrumptious! We were starving after spending the day hiking in the Rockies, and scarfed down our food with our hands. This is a great find in Boulder.
I was a little turned off by the outside, but the inside is nicely decorated African-themed and full of happy diners. If you don't want to sit on low cushions while eating off a hand-woven basket with a circular glass tabletop, then you can choose to sit at regular tables on the relaxing back patio.
Our server was very kind. She brought over more bread with just a wave of my hand. Also, since it's been a while since I've had Ethiopian, I let her show me how to tear off a piece of the spongy bread, scoop up the veggies, and feed me my first bite. It sounds embarrassing, but it really wasn't!
People thought this was:
This place was great. It was the best meal of our trip to Boulder/Golden/Denver.
We had the vegetarian combinations and we were amazingly starving. We truly inhaled this food in just a few minutes. It is fun sitting on the stools and the low tables.
The service was very attentive and helpful. A real gem in Boulder. I wish I had an Ethiopian place of this caliber in California. The vibrant colors of the different dishes is really what puts this place in a different league with other Ethiopian restaurants I have been to. The food was sexy.
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Visiting from Austin,TX. Best meal of our 7 day trip. My wife planned a light hike through Chautauqau park before lunch. More like a death march to me. Julie Andrews can kiss my hiney, that walking up the scenic meadow at a constant 30 degree grade just about killed me. Anyway, after all that walking around, we made it to Ras Kassa's for their lunch buffet. The buffet line looked a little dubious until we started opening up the chafing dishes. Heaven, pure heaven. Curried Lamb, Chicken legs with eggs in some incredible sauce, the sweet potatoes dish, etc..etc...All good, all perfect, all reasonable priced. We sat outside on the patio deck with a bubbling brook washing downstream
Where to get a taste of Ethiopia in Boulder? Apparently in a dilapidated strip mall across from some car dealerships on 30th Street. Just around the block from a hub of activity (Whole Foods, Pearl Street, the new, may-actually-be-built-by-2500 RTD Transit Village), Ras Kassa's is a world away from typical Boulder cuisine.
Maybe it's my Italian heritage coming out, but I love a restaurant where bread is a utensil! Talk to me. My girlfriend just came back from NYC raving about an Ethiopian place she ate at. I may never make it out there, but I will make it back to Ras Kassa's.
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What a great overall restaurant. Wonderful ambiance. We had a group of five there and had a spectacular time. The food was flavorful and well presented(see photo). It went great with bottles of honey wine. Plus, everyone knows that food you eat with your hands tastes better!
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The food was good as always, but I was annoyed with both the waitstaff and the music.
The waitstaff kept looking at us like we had lobsters crawling out of our ears. And not only did the girl use her grubby hands to feed one of our guests, when she brought us more bread she used her hands and dumped more onto the plate. No smile from anyone the whole time.
The music, it's not even the music that bothered me. It was the volume. Out of our whole party, I was lucky to catch 30% of the conversation, and could only really hear the person sitting next to me. My left ear was ringing when we left.
I like the food enough but why would I go back?
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This is the best Ethiopian restaurant I have been to, even living in Seattle where a huge community resides. Now I didn't order a lot of different dishes, but I always stuck with the mushrooms and they were amazing! The patio is the way to go and those complaining of the plastic chairs needs to chill out...its Boulder folks...you can't get a better spot on Boulder creek! Their mead is fantastic and you must order some and I find their injera just perfect...spongey and sour at the same time!
I loved going to this place on a beautiful Boulder evening and would recommend this as a romantic spot for young lovers....Sigh.
The outside patio by the river is very nice. We had a group of about 8 and ordered a sample platter. They were out of some of the choices which was fustrating. Service was slow so don't go starving. Note it's not in downtown Boulder (Pearl) but about a 5 minute drive. It's traditional Ethiopian with the sponge bread and spicey food. It was great once it arrived!
I agree with Dustin. I have lived here 12 years and used to go to Ras when it was joined to a little liquor store on hwy 93 and we had to wait in our cars during the winter because there was no where to stand/sit in the restaurant.
This place used to be fabulous! The owner took so much pride in the food and the service. I brought everyone I knew there and talked constantly about it.
All of that has passed.
I believe in a three strikes your out rule... 1st time, could have just been a bad day etc, 2nd time - well hopefully its not a pattern, 3rd time, I won't go back nor will I refer anyone.
I actually gave this place four times through last fall and late winter... because I loved it so much.
But alas, the service is THAT BAD, the food that bland, the drinks are horrendous unless you drink wine or beer, and the atmosphere has lost its luster.
I breaks my heart.
It is clear the owner has stepped back and the new regime has dropped the ball.
If you are lucky and the owner is around (usually on Fri. or Sat), the staff is rested and the cook is on... you will have a fabulous dinner.
Otherwise - spend your money elsewhere.
:(
People thought this was:
What a refreshing change from the typical restaurant! Eat with your hands and don't have a clue what you are eating. I also just discovered it has a very cool lunch buffet with seating creek side outside! The owner is a very sweet lady.
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Okay, so, technically I have never been here. But...shhhhhh...no matter, for I have certainly experienced the delicate delicacies and delicious dips. Mmmmm, salmon. Fabulous! And how do I know?
Because, during the bi-annual pledge drive, Radio1190 always orders a little Ras Kassa to keep the volunteers happy (and healthy). And boy does it work. They keep coming back, year after year. And you most certainly will to, after you experience the extreme pleasure and indulgence that is Ras Kassa.
"IIIII'm back!!!!"
-coughs....clears throat-
Right, let's get to it, shall we.
A restaurant in Boulder that I've never tried AND it is number one on Yelp?! Woah...I got to check this dig out. And so I did tonight...but unfortunately for me, everyone else is freebasing crack and therefore doesn't have a solid grasp on reality: "Woo! It's ethnic!? 5's all around!!!"
Seriously, I don't care if the food is Ethiopian: you got to call a spade, a spade.
Here's the real-deal yo:
So we arrived and were promptly seated outside near some disgruntled customers. The outdoor seating was quite nice - well at least parts of it were: sitting right next to one of the offshoots of the Boulder Creek was pretty cool; the shitty plastic lawn chairs and cheap wobbly tables were not so much. The location wasn't great (there was one of those seedy Asian massage parlors behind the place. Yes...that kind. Further, being directly on 30th, the traffic noise was pretty loud the entire time). The disgruntled customers had been waiting for awhile for service it looked like. Even so, we sat down, scanned the menu, decided to go big-style and ordered the vegetarian feast for 2 + 2 glasses of mead, all before the other people outside (who had been sitting there for awhile it looked like) got to order. The meals were about $12-15 a plate, so the $50 step up for a feast for two including mead and dessert wasn't too extreme.
Still, for $50, I expect fire works, or at least a delightful dining experience. What we got instead was cramped and uncomfortable outdoor seating and a huge check for some of the most bland and mediocre food I've had in a long loooooooooooooong time.
Here's what our feast consisted of: various types of lentils, all of which tasted bland, some sweet potatoes which were ok, some beats which were ok, regular and unseasoned potatoes, collard greens, some diced carrots, and various other vegetables of sorts which tasted bland and were so unmemorable, I can't even recall what they were. Now, with Ethiopian food, you don't have silverware; instead, you get some tasteless airy bread which you scoop everything up with. Thus, you have tasteless bread scooping up bland lentils...all for $25 a pop before tax and tip.
Seriously, the meal was exceedingly unimpressive. It's like if I decided to cook, so I get some frozen veggies, put them in a pot, boil them, and then once they were well cooked, instead of seasoning them or using silverware, I would take some Wonder Bread and scoop it all up. I'm not exaggerating.
The dessert we got was also unimpressive: plain vanilla ice cream, you could tell it was the cheapest kind you can buy at Safeway.
And while our service was decent, you could tell other people were not impressed. The table to my right consisted of an entire Indian family. When their communal meal on a plate came, they appeared confused, since there was no silverware around. So what the waitress did was scoop up a big old thing of lentils with that tasteless bread and then shoved it into the grandma's mouth. The waitress then left, and the grandma promptly started choking and coughing up the big mass.
Seriously, who does that?
I'm severely disappointed Yelpers that you made me spend 4 hours of wages on a sub-par dining experience. We can do better team!
People thought this was:
I love this restaurant. I come here a lot, even if memories of my ex haunt me (this was where he proposed to me). The food is so good, I don't care if it breaks my heart everytime.
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yummy yummy yummy...! I love eating with my hands. I wish I would have tried the special frankensense coffee, but they make a big deal about ordering it in advance. I LOVED the spicy veggie combination, but it is a bit like eating baby food with a sponge.
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My husband and I visited this restaurant recently, and I can't say enough good things about the food! The meals are large (two of their entres will more than feed two people) and reasonably priced. I loved the beautiful Ethopian tables and decor. Don't let the outside of the restaurant fool you, the inside is warm and cozy. Do keep in mind that this restaurant has sort of a "community" feel because the tables are close together, so you hear every word the people at the next table say. If you're looking for a place to share a private meal, then this may not be the place for you. However, if you're looking for ridiculously good food and a great local restaurant in Boulder, then this is a great bet. They even have great selections for vegans and vegetarians.
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Ras Kassa's is one of my favorite restaurants in Boulder. Yeah, your back will be sore after a while but it is worth it. I agree with the reviewer about the outside looking lame but the inside is really really cool. If it's your first time eating Ethopian you may be fed your first bite by the hostess and owner of Ras Kassa's, hilarious. There is also a cool patio out back on the creek that is nice in the summer.
People thought this was:
Great food. Not too expensive. Friendly service. No utensils. Uncomfortable seating.
YUM! Sooooo good. I had the spicy chicken stew with mango salsa! It was yummy and I couldn't get enough of it. This restaurant gets really busy here on a Saturday night, so don't expect the servers to be timely with your bill if you're in a rush to run around the corner to Studio B Yoga to join a Zikr in progress like I was... I was so full of goodness from Ras Kassa's that I was able to dance and sing far into the night with no waning of my energy. Thanks Ras Kassa's! I'm glad that we went off the beaten path (downtown) of Boulder cuisine in order to find a gem like you!
Such a gem on the outskirts of Boulder! Now don't go expecting a "fine" dining experience. It is what it is, and it's what I want when I crave Ethiopian. If I'm going to be digging in and eating with my hands, I want to sit close to the ground with those basket style tables! The service can be slow, but the waitstaff is friendly, so grab a beer or some Honey Wine and just hang out and have a good time. If it's a nice night- sit outside by the creek for sure. Now, it can be a bit pricey if you have a hefty appetite, but just nab the deal in one of the local papers and you will be set to go!
my first trip to ras kassa's i was hand fed by one of the cutest waiters ever and the experience got better once i actually noticed the food in my mouth. you can get all sorts of stuff to eat here. i remember the baskets i ordered having delicious greens, meat, hard boiled eggs and the most delicious flat-bread to scoop everything up with! one of my favorite restaurants ever. the atmosphere is warm and cozy but the chairs can get uncomfortable. this is not a place to go to share a meal with people who you don't trust the cleanliness of their hands as it's customary to share orders and forks are given only if requested. there used to be a $.10 fork rental fee but last i was there it seems they got rid of that policy.
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i used to say i liked this place just because it made me feel culturally progressive. but now that i've actually set foot in the joint and sampled some of their tasty creations, i can honestly say it is great.
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i really like this place, ethnic or no. its just fun and interesting!
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really good , hip place. the place is always a hive of activity. it makes me wonder though if people are really coming in here for the food or just because it's "ethiopian." don't be surprised if you find some "culturally progressive" folk with full plates.
People thought this was:
I thought the food was ok, but not spectacular. The thing I didn't like is that you tend to eat a lot of the bread/pancake side since this is the way you grab your food. The seating was also uncomfortable.
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