Addis Ethiopian Restaurant

I came to Addis Ethiopian Restaurant recently and had a pretty good experience overall, though it wasn’t the greatest Ethiopian food I’ve ever had. The seating is mostly normal tables and chairs, though there is a couch and some traditional seating areas against one wall. The service is good, and they try to take care of you and ensure you’re enjoying your experience. I ordered Doro Wot (stewed chicken), Yebeg Wat (stewed lamb), Gomen (collard greens), and Fosolla with carrot (carrot and string beans). While the spices and flavors were on point for everything, the chicken and lamb were a little overcooked, making the meat a bit tough. The Fosolla was really good, and the Gomen was cooked perfectly (even though it slightly lacked flavor). For drinks we had green tea and herbal tea, both of which were Ethiopian brands. They also serve Ethiopian beer here, and have traditional coffee ceremonies you can RSVP for. Overall, it’s super authentic, I only wish the meat and collard greens were prepared a bit better.

Stopped by here for lunch and enjoyed every bite! This place will be my new go to ethiopian place in San Diego due to the freshness of the meat/veggies and wonderful service. Great atmosphere and kind owners. Meat combo portion was perfect for one person. Would recommend getting both veggie and meat platter for a larger group of 2 or more.

This hidden gem is DIVINE for Ethiopian food. Portions are perfect and the LAMB is phenomenal. Highly recommend if you like this food. The owners are sooooo lovely but be sure the food is cooked fresh so it could take like 30 mins so sit back and relax.

This is the best food in San Diego! Hands down. Just ate here with my husband and we will be coming back for sure! For first time, please try both the veggie and meat combo! The owners are amazing. They answered my questions and had great sense of humor, and the place is really clean. The food made me incredibly happy, I will recommend this place to anyone who would listen!

Food was full of flavor. I tried the meat combo which came with an assortment of very well seasoned meat dishes/stews and a side of injera. My only complaint is that the food was a little too salty, and I feel like I have a high tolerance for salt.

If your wanting the cleanest tasting injera in San Diego that isnt loaded in canola oil then keep reading… this place is clean. Ample seating. Staff is attentive yet they let you eat in peace. Food is soooo tasty. 4th time here. The portion size is great. Roughly $17 for the veggie platter. Flavors are sooo rich. Bathroom is clean and parking is out back or on the street. Did I mention, the feeling of eating with your hands and licking the seasoning off your fingers taste sooo good (given that you have washed your hands👀). Overall, love this place hence why I keep finding my car in the parking lot.

This definitely feels family run, and has a homey vibe. I might not go if I were in a rush, but saying that the service was good and friendly. Everyone in my party really enjoyed the food, and we were pleased at the great selection of vegan options. We'll definitely be back.

One of my favorite parts of San Diego. I’ve brought many friends over the years and the owners always treat us like family. The food is absolutely delicious and nutritious as well. Come here for an authentic Ethiopian meal. Next door is their grocery store where you can buy injera and other staples. Pictured is their vegetarian platter with shiro on the side.

Easily the best Ethiopian food I've had in San Diego! Highlights: 1.) Sambusas- flaky, almost buttery layers of dough with a spiced lentil filling. Comes with a (not too) spicy red dipping sauce that really compliments it. 2) Veggie combo with injera- their injera is light and fluffy, and goes perfectly with the veggie dishes. My favorite was the YeAter Kik Alicha Wot (im pretty sure its split yellow peas). Full of flavor, reminds me of southern dishes I grew up eating. 3) Hot tea- I honestly dont know the name, but if you ask for their hot tea served over a flame (to keep it warm), they'll know what you mean. Ive had it twice and its the best tea I've ever had. Its spicy, gingery, and goes really well with their dishes. 4) The service- the staff is always kind and helpful, and theres a laid-back vibe that makes you want to spend your afternoon there. Its a great place to go and kick back. 10/10 would recommend!

Disappointing - here's why. I've eaten at dozens of Ethiopian restaurants in Manhattan, DC, Dallas, Buckhead, Austin and so on. I've had it enough to know a bit. This is in the middle of that pack on food, bottom on service. Yegeb Tibs were salty and chewy, Dero Wot ok but not much flavor. Tekil Gomen not flavorful. Went on a Sunday - first table yet service was poor. Guy at counter ignored us until we asked for him to take our order. Even with another table, he stood at counter. C'mon. No reason to try again.

I've been wanting to try Ethiopian food for years! We finally got a chance to head down and try Addis out. I was a bit nervous because didn't know what to order (as mentioned, I've never tried Ethiopian food before) however I quickly found the veggie combo which had a sampler of items Misir wot, YeAter Kik Alicha Wot, Selata, Gomen, Teikil Gomen. I'm not vegetarian but to tend to eat dishes with little to no meat. My husband had the Yebeg Tibs which consiste of lamb sautéed with onion, garlic and a special blend of spices. Everything was delicious! My favorites were Misir wot which is a stew consisting of spiced whole red lentils simmered with a spicy sauce and YeAter Kik Alicha Wot which is a Yellow split pea stew with onion, garlic, ginger root, turmeric and curry spices. Everything else was very tasty as well but these two really stood out to be. The staff is friendly and happy to make recommendations. I can't wait to return and try Dero Wot. Ethiopia's national dish :)

This food! People it is delicious. The Doro wut, Awaze tibs, and kitfo were equally delicious!! I imagine they marinate these meals for days okkaaayyy, each bite is full of flavor. And the kindness, I just adored our host. A++ for the ambiance as well. I can't wait to come back. You're welcome.. oh and they have honey wine yall

My husband and I did the coffee experience here and it was really cool. We got to hear about the coffee tradition and ritual in Ethiopia and try authentic Ethiopian coffee brewed three different times. Each brew was good in its own way and very distinct from each other. The person brewing the coffee was super friendly and answered all of our questions and let our little one roam around while we tried the coffee. They had popcorn and bread to eat with the coffee but I was so full from lunch the coffee was all I needed. I will definitely come back to try the food and bring some friends with us to try the coffee experience.

Great experience all around. We got the veggie and meat samplers (2 people) and some honey wine and all of it was really good. Staff were friendly and it had a good atmosphere.

It's nice to try a new place, we normally go to Muzita. The family is super friendly and accommodating to the kiddos with the level of spices. We called ahead of time for a party of 9 but the restaurant was not busy on Sunday morning, just a few locals having their coffee and breakfast, there were lots of available seatings. Got the recommended veggie and meat combo, added the National chicken dish, string beans and sambusa. Thank goodness for the lot parking behind the restaurant and drop by the little grocery store next door to get some goodies home.

Delicious meal, kind service. Simple and warm ambiance. We had the veggie sampler, which was great!

cozy little place around , recommended by a friend, not crowded and perfect to hang out with a large crowd and Family size sharing concept Food was average and decent portion size . One time visit to taste something different

really delicious and authentic ethiopian family-owned restaurant! i was surprised it was not more busy - my friend and i were almost the only customers on a tuesday night. the interior is nicely decorated and the staff was very friendly and hospitable. i wish the meat combo had a bit more food, but everything was incredibly yummy. we also tried to order the sambusas but they were unfortunately out. i would highly recommend!

We were warmly welcomed in. It was our first time at Addis Everything was served beautifully and the flavors were outstanding and complex. We were more than pleased. They had beets, fresh beets that were amazing. Don't hesitate. Go! It's wonderful

Addis is my favorite Ethipoian restaurant in San Diego. The team here is wonderful, I feel like I am at home, the food is consistently good and the servings ample. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and beverages that include beer, wine, honey wine, Ethiopian coffee and tea, juice, butter milk and more. My go-to order is to start with a sambusa (the red sauce served with it can be quite spicy and bursting with flavor), which is packed with dry lentils and spiced perfectly. I like to either get the vegetarian combo and add Derek tibs or, if I am with others, get the vegetarian and meat combo together. I've heard people say they prefer Awash, but I find that Awash is a bit slow in comparison and the food doesn't have the smooth flavor I enjoy at Addis. Here, the food is perfectly seasoned and spice. I've never had a bad or off dish or meal. One of my absolute favorite dishes is Doro Wat. Once, they were out when I placed the order. Chef Alemtsehay told me to be patient, that she would make the dish just for me. How kind! And, of course, it was absolutely delicious with a perfect egg on top. There is street parking out front, and a private lot in the back. There is also a market next door to the restaurant, which sells all sorts of food items and textiles, including berbere and injera already made. So, yes, a San Diego favorite. I always love to see Chef Alemtsehay and Fekadu. They know what I like without me asking. The service is so loving and attentive. I feel right at home.

I want to say that this place was totally wonderful. The food was fresh and beautifully served. The customer service was excellent as well. It shows that the owners are putting in effort to provide a pleasant dining experience and I really appreciated that. Don't miss out on the coffee experience! Not only was it absolutely delicious, but the presentation made it a really memorable experience. Well done!

We have eaten at this restaurant many times, as well as several other Ethiopian restaurants in the area. We love it Ethiopian food! It's been a while since we have been back to Addis (except we did recently go to their nice coffee ceremony - $9 on Saturday mornings) Sadly, when we went last night and shared our food on the family style serving tray, there was not nearly as much food as usual and we went away a bit hungry. Usually, we are absolutely stuffed! Still, the food was amazing as usual. We love the meat and the veggie combo meals -and their injera is fresh and delicious.

I got the Awaze Tibs and it was amazing, just enough spice and packed with flavor! It comes with a side salad that is just as great! Everyone who works here is so delightful. Love this place :)

Food: We ordered the meat and veggie combo. The meat combo was okay as the meat was a bit chewy, as well as needing more seasoning if you did not eat it with the injera (Ethiopian flatbread). The injera was so soft and fluffy, which definitely made the meat combo taste a lot better! The veggie combo had amazing flavors- definitely a must get. Service: Staff was very attentive and polite, although it did take time for your food to get to your table as it seemed that there was only one cook in the kitchen. Ambiance: Restaurant was spacious and even had authentic Ethiopian mesob tables so people could gather around and eat family style, making it a unique experience.

We were recommended yo ask for the sample of the meat dishes and vegan ones, and probably we should order those, the flavor were okay, the meats seemed like they were cooked a few days before, they were dry and flavorless. Maybe we we ordered something else probably was better on flavor and presentation

Food was excellent--ambience was great as well. Attentive service, definitely will be in rotation any time I'm in San Diego!

Food: vegetarian friendly Sanbusas - a nice appetizer with a good red sauce On our platter we got 4 different veg dishes. #17 fosolia with carrot - it was subpar, not much flavor like I'm used to #19 misir wot - flavor was good, #20 Yeater kik alicha wot - tasty #23 tekil gomen - just alright The injera (the bread it comes with) was good. Overall the food was just alright, but I would try another Ethiopian place before I returned. However, this was a decent introduction to Ethiopian food. Also, it was very warm inside the restaurant. And they were slow at giving us refills.

I love Ethiopian food and decided to stop for dinner at Addis on the way home returning from Mexico via CBX. I know that Ethiopian restaurants down in San Diego tend to offer dulet (my favorite Ethiopian dish) more so compared to the restaurants in my area, yet I still called ahead to make sure they had it available for dinner since it is listed under breakfast on the menu. There is a small parking lot behind the restaurant in case you cannot find street parking. The interior is spacious with some traditional seats off to one side and regular tables/chairs on the other. Service was friendly, but a bit slow (it took quite some time to flag someone down to order and again to ask for a box for leftovers). We were checked on periodically throughout the meal though. The menu is standard and actually quite competitively priced. We ordered the meat combo, veggie combo, and dulet, all of which were very tasty. Injera came cut into smaller rolls. Overall, a solid Ethiopian establishment! We also checked out the related Ethiopian market next door, which had a few food items but mostly sold objects.

I loved this mom and pops restaurant, I have a special diet and when I phoned the place, the owner answered; told me that if I wanted a special meal cooked a certain way to give him a few days ahead of time and he would make sure to prepare it! Talk about respecting people's needs! Food was delicious and ambience was very authentic. Recommend on all aspects!

What a great experience. We got two veggie plates and a pot of the Ethiopian coffee. It was a wait, but definitely worth it.

They were late to opening by 40 minutes. I would call ahead to make sure they're opened before going. Food was ok but blander than it looks, it was very fun to eat with hands. It may have been that we ordered a vegetarian meal. We did have to request more injera. Honey wine is served on a cute glass bottle. There are two bathrooms, check carefully to make sure you enter the correct one. Their signs are unique. There is a private parking lot in the back, but there is also plenty of street parking.

I did the coffee ceremony and it was really nice. They are very sweet people and the Ceremony was nice.

Still 5 stars!! The quality and flavors of the food plus amazing customer service will keep me coming back. I've been a fan for years and wanted to update my review. Last night I ordered: 7, 9, 19, 23 and 24. All were so delicious! My favorite was #9, lamb stew. I could eat this food daily. The injera is very good and more provided as needed. There are bathrooms to wash your hands before eating. You can get messy if you really really try but using the injera allows you to pick up food with ease. I highly recommend everyone go try it out! This is such a wonderful restaurant to eat for datenight, family meal or even alone. The atmosphere is inviting and prices are extremely fair. Takeout available !

The food was hearty & delicious, and the service was warm! My young child was curious about some of the items and setup at the restaurant. When the owner saw me telling my child to not touch anything, he quietly let me know that it was okay, that she could explore and that I could sit back & relax.

Came here on a cold rainy day and boy did that delicious Ethiopian tea warm my body up! I ordered the vegan combination plate and it was incredible! Definitely could be split into two meals even though it doesn't seem like a lot at first! The veggie sambusas were filled with savory lentils, flaky and also delicious. My friend ordered the meat combo and as it was her very first time trying Ethiopian food she was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed it! The service was incredibly hospitable with the nicest people running the place. Very diverse clientele which we love to see. Though the ambiance is humble I prefer these neighborhood joint feels to the stuffy over decorated places.

Came here with my girlfriend for the coffee ceremony and to grab some lunch. It was absolutely amazing both food and service wise, the owners were very nice and super happy to talk about the coffee process. It was also really fun to watch the coffee beans get cooked, ground up, and brewed right in front of you while you're chatting with the owner and the other people doing the experience. The food as well is to die for, the coffee was served with fresh rye bread and popcorn, both of which I could not get enough of and the meat combo is an excellent choice to order. Highly recommend coming here and I will definitely be coming back

Great food at a great value. Came in for lunch and it was a great decision! Highly recommend.

We got the Dero Wot and the Dero Tibs. Delicious! I'm in love and it is so good for the price! Heads up, you do eat with your hands, it is definitely worth it! The music is a vibe and the server is really funny and has an amazing energy

I was searching for a place that served Ethiopian cuisine to host a group dinner, and this spot showed up with the highest average ranking. I decided to come by myself to check out the setup and taste a menu item. Addis Restaurant has been open for a few years now, but at the time of my visit, the signs hanging outside the building still indicated a 'grand opening'. There is a dedicated private parking lot behind the structure of the restaurant and grocery market which is a big bonus. You can enter the building from either the back or the front. When you walk into the dining room, it's a large space with a combination of traditional dining tables and some seating that resembled how they serve meals in East Africa. I sat at a regular table and looked over their one-page menu that had breakfast, lunch and dinner offerings. The Awaze Tibs seemed to be a popular choice from what I had read so I ordered that with mild spiciness. The dish consisted of chunks of beef seasoned with special awaze, spices, onions, and garlic. A small side salad also came on the plate along with three rolls of injera. The seasoning was good, but the meat was on the dry side. The prices were very affordable, probably some of the cheapest I have seen for Ethiopian food in SD. I really liked the décor of the dining area too. When I come back for a visit with my group, I think I will try a dish with chicken instead of beef. Overall, I rated my dining experience between 3.5 and 4 stars.

Caution: literally addictive! I've been a patron for many years but moved a couple blocks away and my housemate and I eat there weekly, if not more, ha! Pretty sure we've even gone three days in a row. So so yummy, beautiful presentation, and the friendliest kindest service you could imagine. If you haven't been here, go now! They also are aware of Service Dog ADA regulations. For me, that is massive!!! They're the greatest!

Went for a coffee ceremony upon Eventbrite. The coffee event was supposed to start at 10am. We arrived early. Doors were locked. There was no one inside, and the event did not start on time. I had to inquire around and the doors finally opened AFTER 10:15. I requested a refund to which someone said he would refund me. It has NOT been refunded. While I do have Video proof of this event, I am still awaiting for the refund to be credited back to me. This is an absolute red flag with zero care for a customer that paid ahead of time. I DO NOT RECOMMEND this place for anyone, and I will absolutely be telling people to steer clear from this place. Please find a different place to try coffee. San Diego has so many coffee places that are worth it, and if I could give this place Zero stars, I would. To sum it off, it is much better to go to a place like Communal , where the atmosphere is upbeat, outgoing, with delicious food there. Go anywhere else, just not here at Addis.

Our First Ethiopian cuisine experience . Very tasty and enjoyable . Very relaxed atmosphere rare to find these days . It was wonderful to explore a new cuisines . It was different to eat with with out utensils. Lots of fun to share a customary platter of Ethiopian cuisine. Also ordered a Ethiopian beer was excellent . I assume one of the ladies that served us may have been the owner? Came out with a pot of roasted coffee beans at which we order some coffee and that also was excellent. Will return to try other tasty delights . We are happy to experience a new cuisine and culture.

Was craving something different and haven't had Ethiopian cuisine in a while and this place seemed to have the highest reviews in the area I was near. Service was a bit slow but once the food came out it was well worth the wait. Next time I will get the combo combo with the vegetarian and meat on the same large plate can't seem to find the name on the menu. For sure will be back when near this part of the city.

Great service and the food was awesome!! Can't wait to try their coffee ceremony on Saturday sometime

I can't recommend this place highly enough! The food is SO good. I ordered one sambusa, but after I tasted the perfectly balanced spices and the light crunch of the pastry, I had to order another one. My friend and I shared the vegetarian combo and the portion was perfect. My favorite items in the combo were the lentils and the potatoes. The staff was wonderful. Every person we interacted with was kind, patient, and helpful. The restaurant is beautiful and reflective of Ethiopian culture. The one disappointment was that we went on a hot day and the inside of the restaurant was extremely hot too. I was uncomfortable, but the food was so good that I honestly feel like it was worth it.

Service is attentive, polite, helpful. Restaurant is super clean and very inviting. I drove by another restaurant and it looked so dark from the outside Decor is so authentic and beautiful. But, the food...that's what drove me here to leave a review. I almost cried as I ate it. The quality of the food preparation is superb. The flavors are amazing. The lady who cooks KNOWS what she is doing. Ive had Ethiopian food several times before and have ALWAYS enjoyed it-but this...this was hands down the best I've ever eaten. I had the veggie combo with a side of lamb. The lentils and the yellow peas were so spectacularly flavorful. The salad had a light vinegary dressing that was delicious. AND THE LAMB with the rosemary...omg Soooooo good.

I am always excited to try new things and new foods. Once I found this business in the area with good reviews I decided to give it a shot! I've tried Ethiopian food before and remembered the experience of just using your hands, so I was interested in remembering how to eat this amazing food. Parking was easy since there is parking in the back of the business and also on the street. Once you arrive inside the atmosphere is beautiful! The various colors and the culture they set inside the restaurant is so intriguing! Once I was seated the host was very nice and helpful with the menu. I ended up ordering the Awaze Tibs, which was meat chunks with salad. Once the food arrived, the presentation was great and the taste was just as good. It took a little getting used to using the sponge bread they make, but I got the hang of it. Over all it was tasty and the experience was good!

Our experience here at Addis was wonderful. The lady that served us was warm and friendly, and the food was nothing short of spectacular. We arrived on a late Sunday afternoon to a restaurant that wasn't too full which meant that we were accommodated rather quickly. It was our first time trying Ethiopian food so the flavor profile of the food was completely new; the spices used were excellent and the dishes were complementary to each other. We ordered sambusas for our starter, and the meat and veggie combos for our main course. Each dish in each of the combos were so good that we managed to get ourselves full within 10 minutes. I highly recommend coming here (there is plenty of parking in the back of the building) if you want are looking to try something new.

Good tasting food that's different. African traditional hospitality. Nicely decorated in a traditional Ethiopian decor. Recommended!

I love Ethiopian food and culture. First time at this place, it was fairly crowded and only 1 gentleman taking orders so service wasn't soo fast. Food was great, people were nice. I've been to many Ethiopian restaurants around here and they all are fairly cost efficient. I feel like servings here were smaller than Red Sea and other places but good none the less.

Ordered takeaway for dinner. Ordered 4 things, the veggie combo, dero wot, yeshiro wot and yebeg tibs. The meat dishes were pretty good, they were both yummy. However, the only complaints would be that the meat was a bit tough and that there wasn't that much meat in the portion. However, the two veggie dishes: yeshiro wot and the veggie combo were to die for. I could have just gotten those and been satisfied. The veggie combo was definitely the best thing that I ate. The variety you get combined with the significantly different flavors made that dish a winner. I would highly recommend anybody to get the veggie combo if they go to Addis. That'll be my order the next time I go. Injera was soft, pillowy, slightly tart and plentifully given. Dero Wot: 7.5/10 Yebeg Tibs: 7/10 Yeshiro wot: 9.5/10 veggie combo: 11/10 If you're in the North park area (or even farther), give this place a shot.

I wanted to try Ethiopian cuisine in SD, and I was so lucky to have come across Addis Restaurant after Yelp searching! With beautiful traditional East African interior and fixtures, I was mesmerized as soon as I stepped in. The staff were all so kind to us, and the prices were super affordable too! Ended up ordering the Awaze Tibs; it was a colorful dish with injera (delicious Ethiopian spongy flatbread), juicy seasoned beef and various sides of veggies. The flavors were so rich, deep and meshed together perfectly. I cannot WAIT to come back and try other dishes, I highly recommend it to all locals and tourists alike!

THIS PLACE IS AMAZING! I got the vegetarian combo, and my husband got the meat combo. Both were fantastic and we will probably get the same exact thing next time. I got a little Ethiopian wine which was good. The service was great and I HIGHLY recommend this place to anyone!

Average tasting Ethiopian food. Nice server. Food came pretty quickly because we were the only ones in there.

A great place for a new twist on flavor. There isn't much African, Ethiopian food that we've seen around. This place is a good stop, not crowded at. There is about 3 staff at the time so it may seem a but slow. The food was pretty good but it seem like a most of the food was on the colder side besides the #18 which was in the pot. It was a good try.

My favorite restaurant in SD! I have been coming here for years and the food is sooooo good. The people are very nice as well. The meat combo and veggie combo is so delicious as well as the doro wot. Try their coffee in the jebena if you get the chance as well.

Empty on a Saturday night, there was another couple eating on one side of the restaurant, but we didn't mind having the whole place to ourselves it felt like. Lots of comfy couch-like areas to sit in, it feels like a living room than a stuffy restaurant which we appreciated. We ordered the veggie combo, meat #6 with beef and meat #11 the collard greens with the lamb. It was delicious and beautifully plated - I uploaded a photo of all the items we ordered on one big plate for two to share. In general, we love Ethiopian food but haven't explored this restaurant. I think the portions here was on the smaller side because we finished everything quickly and was still hungry. We could've ordered more if we had known the veggie portions were on the smaller side. We are two petite women so I think each combo is meant per person. The bill came to be almost $60 for two, without any drinks, so it's a solid $$ place that is tasty and not too crowded on the weekends. I had to subtract one star for two reasons: 1. The bathroom could be cleaner, the soap was running low, and I wish they had paper towels to dry our hands with. Being that this place encourages eating with your hands, there could be more emphasis on cleanliness. 2. I saw a big box of canola oil by the kitchen door. I know that most ethnic restaurants uses this type of oil, but I'm sensitive to it and immediately felt lethargic and inflammatory symptoms in my head, neck and throat after eating. This is something I'll turn a blind eye to and just hope for the best whenever I eat out but seeing the box and still having a headache hours after eating makes me not want to come back here. All in all, if you're not a germaphobe or health freak like me I think you will enjoy this restaurant immensely. Give it a try and definitely order the combo per person because portions tend to run small.