I had good memories of the Ethiopian restaurant Addis Zemen in Clifton, but they closed some  some years ago, so I was eager to try this new place.  I arrived about 5:30 on a Saturday.  There was one group of about a dozen people, half adults and half young children, no other customers.  Since no one came out to seat me, I just picked a table for myself.  After 15 minutes with no one coming out to give me a menu or offering to bring me a drink, I just got up and left.  To be clear, it's not just that no one waited on ME, no staff appeared during the entire 15 minutes.
Review Source:This was my first time trying Ethopian food and it was not what I expected. It was just different and I can say that in a positive manner. If you're looking for something atypical and away from the horde of Mediterranean, Thai, and Indian abdundance in Cincinnati, I would travel to the west side for a hearty, unique taste experience.
Our server was really sweet in trying to explain and differentiate the entrees for us, but I would say just pick different meat dishes (if you're a meat eater) and try 'em all with your table. There are subtle differences in flavor, but what do I know?
The owner reached out to us, and he was super friendly and well-versed about the (lack of) diversity in this city, and therefore his struggles about opening an authentic restaurant here.
I can't remember but I think prices were around $8-$10.
I would recommend checking it out and trying it yerself~
Place was as good as the reviews. Adventure in eating for sure but the calm atmosphere and friendly family make it a nice quiet place for a date or a casual dinner. The flavors were similar to Indian food but about half the price. The bread and cheese that comes with the platters make delicious additions to the HUGE portion sizes. Hurry up and get here before everyone else finds out about it and it ends up packed!
Review Source:Excellent food and huge portions! Very casual environments. Lots of little kids running around when we were there and football game was on tv (no music). We ordered the traditional coffee, which was really good but took a long time for the server to make. She lit incense for the coffee; the smoke soon filled up the little dining room, but we went with it. Probably wouldn't order that again. The food is the thing.
Review Source:Great, new addition for the west side of Cincinnati! I had only had Ethiopian food one time prior to my visit, and this was in the Little Ethiopia neighborhood of Los Angeles. My experience at Habesha was better!
My friend had been driving by Habesha for awhile and suggested that we visit. We went on a weeknight with a group of four. We ordered the vegetarian platter and the awaze tibs of chicken and beef. It all came out on a big silver platter and we were given a lot a injera (injera is the sourdoughy, cream of wheaty bread used as a food delivery device, in place of utensils, though they do give them to you, luckily!).
The food was very good. A lot of different things came with the vegetarian platter, including home made cheese and pickled vegetables. It was definitely an adventure in eating, but there was nothing I wouldn't eat again. The service was also great, and the family was very nice.
I highly recommend this restaurant. Historically, ethnic restaurants have taken a little bit of time to get off the ground on the West Side, but once they get a following, they get a lot of repeat customers. I very much hope this becomes a reality for Habesha and I will be back for sure.
This may be my favorite restaurant on the Westside.
That's right you may find this a tad surprising, but there's an Ethiopian restaurant on the west side of Cincinnati & it is delicious. The injera is tangy, the kifto spicy & the lentils are rich and cooked perfectly. They do traditional Ethiopian coffee service (always a treat), but better than that & better than the food are the people who own the business. They're nice, happy to help you figure out what you might like to eat, and they enjoy having kids around.
Do yourself and the whole Westside a favor: go to Habesha at least once a month - these are the kinds of restaurants we need on my side of town.
Oh yeah, and they have breakfast. :)
I had never had Ethiopian before so I pleasantly surprised to find the menu very accessible. Everything tasted really fresh. 5 of us met for dinner that night and we had plenty to eat with 3 shared entrees. By ordering the veggie platter and a chicken and beef option we ended up with a huge tray of injera topped with garlicky split peas, mashed red lentils, steamed green beans, curried cabbage & potatoes, three mini salads, homemade cheese (sort of like a crumbly feta), and then large servings of the beef and then chicken both chopped and cooked with peppers and onions. Service was extremely friendly and attentive - the owner took time to explain each of the dishes and to make sure it was okay for everything to be served together before the trays came out. If you're looking for a meal that's more of an experience, I'd definitely try out Habesha.
Review Source:Let me start out by saying I love Ethiopian food. Â I had been going past this place for a while and didn't even know it was here so imagine my surprise when my cousin told me there was an Ethiopian restaurant nearby. I said on the West side? Yes!
The environment looks like a cafe. They have authentic artwork from Ethiopia on the walls, and African music television on. There is a small platform in the corner where the coffee ceremony is performed. The coffee is worth the trip alone. They roast the beans, grind them and then prepare the coffee right there while you wait. The beans come from Ethiopia also.
Now the food.. For anyone who doesn't know the food is served on a platter on top of a flat bread called Inerja. You tear the bread off in pieces and scoop the food up with the bread, yes that's right you eat with your hands. A side note if you have celiacs disease the bread is gluten free so you too can enjoy this delicious food!
The owner is very friendly and he will answer any questions you have about the food and even tell you the history of his people and the traditions of their food. Each order gives you a lot of food, usually too much for one person. It's not on the menu but they will make you a sampler platter if you ask. Then everyone can share. Â This is my new favorite place to go!
Wonderful flavor, friendly staff, good prices.
There are spicy (flavorful) and spicy (hot) options on the menu. If you're not familiar with Ethiopian food, they'll explain the options and help you decide.
Definitely something different on the west side, and worth a visit. We will certainly be back!
I've been driving by Habesha for about a month now, waiting for a chance to get it and check it out. Â Finally everything lined up and I was able to do so.
Habesha is located in a little strip of stores sandwiched between Penn Station and Custom-PC. Â The plain exterior hides a warmly decorated interior, and as you open the door the scents wrap themselves around your nostrils and pull you in. Â On this night I was one of the few people in there, and I was promptly greeted and seated at one of the dozen tables. Â The tables are all 4-tops, and they can be easily moved to accommodate larger groups.
As a looked over the menu, the owner appeared beside me and asked if I had any questions. Â I told him this was my first time at this type of restaurant, and asked about the menu items. Â I said I would like to try the kitfo, which according to the menu is "Minced meat seasoned with herbed butter and hot red pepper (mitmita) served with special seasoned cheese. Â He said that I might not like that because of the spices and said I should try the awaze tibs, which is "Spiced cubes of selected lean beef sauteed with onions, garlic, green pepper, and awaze, a specially spiced red pepper". Â Being he's the expert I went with his suggestion, and he said he'd bring me a small side of the kitfo to sample. Â
My meal arrived quickly, served on a large piece of injera, the spongy, slightly sour-tasting traditional Ethiopian bread, along with a small salad and a basket of smaller pieces of injera. Â The waitress told me that I was to use the injera to scoop the food, there are no forks. Â I tore a piece of injera off and dug in to the awaze tibs.
Flavor explosion!
It was very good! Â A little garlicky, a little spicy heat, a bite from the onion, and the beef very tender. Â Fantastic blending of flavor. Â I took a scoop of the kitfo next and bam! Â Even better than the the awaze tib, a stronger heat but not overwhelming and nice smoothness from the butter. Â The cheese (ayib) was very soft with a mild flavor, something like a ricotta, and it went well with both dishes. Â The salad was dressed with a light oil and added a nice contrast to the spice of the meats.
I was not able to finish all of this, the portions are fairly large and the injera filling. Â I had water to drink as I wanted to enjoy the flavor of the food, but next time I go back I am going to try the ginger tea. Â And definitely the coffee, since coffee was born in Ethiopia.
I hope this little place does well. Â Finding something other than chili or burgers on the west side is rare. Â I encourage you to try it and spread the word.
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