Aksum

Went for brunch. There are lots of similar options nearby. The restaurant was pretty much near capacity and they had three servers. Thankfully it's a small place so the food when it eventually came was to temperature, of decent proportions and tasty. You get the impression that everythung that should make Aksum stand out was purchased and not made there. The hummus tasted like Sabra's, the pita bread could have been from anywhere and the grape leaves were just okay. The other breakfast items were quite tasty and freshly made. I'm not sure if it's BYOB but the drinks would have been helped by alcohol. The menu said maple syrup and we got maple flavoured commercial stuff. The server wasn't sure but eventually fessed up. I have no issues with the lentils. Maybe not brunch. It could be better with more staff in better weather or a seasonal menu or fresher Mediterranean fare.

We called 15 minutes before closing & the owner said no worries, come we’ll wait for you. Food was really good. Lebanese chicken was seasoned really well. Mashed potatoes were good. Green beans were good. Everything was good man. Good establishment. Owner was cool. Keep it up!

I didn’t realize how many great Mediterranean options there are in Cedar Park, and to my delight Aksum is another great spot. It is a very tight restaurant with a very hipster vibe I must say. I ordered the Moroccan Chicken & Waffles for a birthday brunch and the food did not disappoint. The chicken was very hot and juicy, and the waffles had a great crunch. I was a bit sad however when they served me chicken breast tenders, and not fried chicken with bone-in. Overall, it is a very friendly place that is great for brunch.

Service was so so, but chicken over rice was delicious, it is kind of mix Mediterranean food, with hummus, samosa and. I do like their platter, but tables are too close to each other, and outside seemed nice.

Excellent customer service, delicious is an unauthorized; the presentation and tsste/flavors in each dish was phenomenal. The vibe & atmosphere was extremely relaxing, inviting; hard to leave

Overall great little restaurant. Service was good. Prices are good as well. Food, oh thy food was amazing. Every dish was made with love. Entrées will not immediately come out; gave them some time. Trust me, you will be satisfied. I wish I had met the chef. It is BYOB. The place is small so make your reservation ahead of time just to be on the safe side. Music selection was on point and the decor is simple yet nicely done. We went for a very late dinner on a Saturday night. We were not rushed. The ambiance was enjoyable and calm. Perfect for date night. If you're in the Philly area, especially in the University area, you must check this place out. I highly recommend this spot, especially if you're a foodie like me. Bon Appétit!

This happy hour was amazing! We had best service from Sheena she went way above and beyond. The bartender her drinks were so perfect. The food was wonderful the chicken wings were fried to perfection. I love the vibe of this place and I love that it's Black owned I love to support my people.

We were so excited to eat here because of how unique the breakfast sounded! We had the chicken and waffles, and the Moroccan breakfast, and we also had a bowl of crab soup. WE COULD NOT GET ENOUGH OF THAT SOUP and it was the best soup I have probably ever had. Having said that, I was let down by the Moroccan dish because they did not seem to drain the ground beef so there was beef oil everywhere and it soaked into my potatoes. The potatoes and the beef also did not seem to have any salt, although it definitely had some other spices to it. The chicken and waffle was spicy and delicious with a layer of crispiness that you don’t see in many places. The one thing that let us down was the service; you can tell that it was busy but they did not seem to have a system down in place and you can feel the hectic and chaotic environment. The way that the tables were laid out was also odd and it made it difficult to enter and to exit. Overall: some dishes were great and others not-so-much, and they need to work on the service and the layout.

Highlight: Lamb Burger & Late happy hour!! Happy hour Tues-Friday, 5-8pm Also the bartender had a heavy hand- the Jolly Rancher and Starburst Cocktails are a definite! They have plenty of outdoor seating (dog friendly) Staff was very nice and attentive. We got Samosas, Lebanese Chicken, and Lamb Burger. The Samosas have a kick in it and has corn & beans, which make jt different from Indian Samosas. Lamb Burger was really tender and topped with a bell pepper- a really interesting concept. It was served on a garlic toasted bun. Lebanese Chicken was nicely seasoned and the mashed potatoes was honestly the best part. Must check out this place! Anything on Baltimore Ave is a great gem.

The ambiance was nice and the food was good. I used to go more frequently but the last time I was in the staff was unprofessional. They talked very loud and I could here them from across the room. It wasn't a terrific vibe to set when you're trying to have a date night. Otherwise, things went smoothly every other time I've been there.

I dined here multiple times several years ago and had a great experience each time that I came so based on my previous experiences I decided to return to have Mother's Day brunch with my grandmother. I was able to make reservations on Yelp which was convenient, quick and easy; I received text and email reminders which were helpful also. When we arrived we were greeted by a woman who I thought I was the hostess only (I later learned that she was waitressing also) - anyhow, this woman pointed me to another woman who turned out to be my waitress. She then pointed us to a table, where we sat for a few mins before our orders were taken. I'm not sure if we were extra hungry or if service was slow but it felt like our food took forever to come out. But, while we were waiting I ordered hot tea and my grandmother ordered hot coffee - this definitely did take long to come out. I was disappointed that our drinks were brought to us without spoons... Finally our food came out and it was delicious - my grandmother and I ordered the Moroccan Chicken and Waffles and my hubby and brother ordered the Blueberry Lemon Pancakes; my hubby also ordered the House Potatoes and they were soooo appetizing... We all cleaned our plates. And before we left, someone came in with Banana Pudding for the female guests dining that day - I didn't eat it until much later but it was GOOD! I only rated 3 stars because of how long the wait was for food and the service was just OK... When my grandmother and I needed spoons, we didn't see our waitress so I attempted to get the attention of the other waitress (who I thought was a hostess) and she looked me in my face and then proceeded to do something else - I didn't understand that; it wouldn't been more reasonable for her to tell me "one moment" or "let me get your waitress/server"... Again, I am all about service... Another plus also I was the chef coming out to our table to check in on our satisfaction of the food. I'm sure I'll be back; I hope the service is better the next time.

Still a solid place for brunch in West. It's quiet, friendly, byo and serves a nice variety for brunch. I got the chicken and waffles and the chicken was juicy and tender and the waffles were fluffy and buttery. I like the ease of this place. It has a very nice vibe. However, just a personal opinion, but the atmosphere would be on a sweeter level if there were nice music playing (one night, long ago, when dining here, I remember such a lovely jazz play list that floated through the dining room) that filled the restaurant with sweet sounds instead of the large, looming TV that was playing sports. This seems like an odd choice to me as a place that has such somewhat elevated choices on their menu shouldn't be giving out "sports bar vibes". However, if you are ok with that, it's still a nice place for a tasty brunch.

Really fun! Nice staff, friendly service and excellent variety of happy hour specials! They've outside seating, the lemon drops were fantastic, and we both enjoyed the jerk chicken quesadillas. Go there you'll have fun!

Came here with a group of 7 for a Sunday birthday brunch celebration and the restaurant was pretty empty. Where do I begin? First, with the positive. The servers were nice and accommodating. I truly believe they did their best. Our food took EXTREMELY long to come out. That was not the bad part. Not only did it take forever -- our food came to the table a bit cold. *Big Sigh*. I ordered the Moroccan chicken & waffles. My thoughts: All chicken and waffles are not created equal. The crispy part of the chicken fell off when you cut into it and the meat was hardly seasoned. The waffles were dry. One of the guest from the brunch asked for butter and the server stated that they ran out. The restaurant is BYOB and I'm happy we brought champagne for this hot mess! I loved that it was a lovely summer day and Aksum had the windows opened. It felt like you were outside but really we were inside! They also have seating outside. From other reviews, it seemed that the restaurant use to be good and has fallen off. Not sure.

Stopped for an impromptu brunch with a friend & we were pleasantly surprised at this BYOB restaurant. For starters we had the vegetable samosas & roasted Brussels sprouts. OMG, the vegetable samosa was soooo good. You get two for $10. They were very filling. The filling was well seasoned & the tzatziki sauce along with the somosa was great, such a flaky crust on the outside, yummy. This would be great with a glass of wine. I'd get that again for sure. The brussel sprouts were good as well, roasted and toasted with feta cheese and balsamic vinegar over them. Loved them. I think a little less balsamic would make it more balanced but I'd order it again nonetheless. Entree's- I had the Moroccan Spicy Shrimp over gluten free pasta with spinach, olives & tomatoes. Well put together, very tasty. It was on the sweeter side and no spice. Next time I'll ask for a little more heat in mine. My dining mate had the creamiest grits and spicy shrimp. They were delicious, again not spicy but was well seasoned. Nothing was bland. At the end of our meal we both wanted to go into a food coma. We enjoyed every bite and will be back with a larger group. We will definitely remember to bring several bottles of wine to accompany this great meal. Can't forget the nice wait staff & Chef Carlos came out multiple times to check to see that the food was good and that everyone was happy. I'll definitely back!

I celebrated my birthday at Aksum with family. There were seven of us, including one child. We had great service and everyone left happy with their meal. We started things off sharing a couple of appetizers. We shared the mussels and the crispy brussel sprouts. I'm not exactly a fan of vegetables, but the brussel sprouts were cooked with bacon and cheese so it was as good as brussel sprouts are gonna get. The mussels were large and tasty, in a white wine sauce. It came with pita bread to sop up the extra sauce, which was a nice touch. I ended up choosing the lamb chops for an entree as did half of our party. It was served with mashed potatoes and spinach. It was a scrumptious meal! Everything was cooked perfectly. The lamb was just a bit fattier on the ends than I would have preferred. Other members of the table had the lamb burger or the lemon caper chicken and I heard no complaints. The kid's chicken linguine was also a hit. It was strange that they don't serve soda, but a sweet raspberry lemonade made up for that. I am "West Philadelpha born and raised", so I'm glad I was able to venture away from my normal Center City restaurant routine to enjoy a nice birthday meal in West Philly at Aksum.

Food was decent after my family and I were really starving after a photoshoot! I got the smoked salmon Benedict but unfortunately it was cooked salmon instead of smoked/lox style and I didn't prefer to eat it in that way. Potatoes were great and their falafel platter was also very good. My mom got their omelette but the bacon as a side was not cooked crispy. My sister really enjoyed their spicy shrimp and grits but be warned they definitely have a kick to it. No AC but we went when there was not a lot of people so it was not bad. Overall I think they were a little overpriced for the quality of food that was offered and I don't think I'd return - but I'm happy to support a black business when I can.

The drinks were wayyyy too sweet. It took over an hr to get our food. Then we are told there is no brunch menu. I'm getting tired of being treated sub par by these restaurants.. our food came out on paper plates and then was given plastic utensils WTF. This place is a big fat NO. .

Hey fellow yelpers. I made a reservation on a Tuesday for happy hour. Well when I arrived whole place was empty. Literally. We are the only ones in here. Anywho. We came for happy hour. When I arrive the bartender tells me it's no mixed drinks. Ok so why are you advertising mixed drinks??? So I order my drinks. We had to tell the bartender how to make them #1. Ok then we go to order after sitting for almost a hour and he tells me there's no food available but wings, chicken wrap and falafel. Are you serious dude???? He could have been told me this when I walked in. I asked how come this wasn't communicated when I arrived. He says oh I forgot. I said well if you would have told me there's no food and no mixed drinks I definitely would have went elsewhere. Bad business and the owner was sitting there the whole time

I've been to Aksum once before a few years back and remembered it being good and black owned. I love supporting black businesses. I recently dined here for brunch (during covid) and it wasn't the best experience. The neighborhood is very diverse, artsy and earthy. Super chill. The water is so bad. They should consider providing filtered water. Our order came out incorrect. So my partner received his food and I had to wait, while he ate, for my food to arrive. I almost just canceled it all together. To compensate for the error, they gave us the incorrect dish on the house. It was the spicy Moroccan shrimp. He ordered the shrimp fried rice. I ordered the shrimp and grits. Nothing was good.

Nice chill spot with indoor/outdoor dining . Hookah and good music ! I will definitely come back the service was really good !

I loved my sangria iced tea but was a little underwhelmed by my Monte Cristo. For one thing, it and the potatoes I got as a side were just warm, neither was as hot as I would have liked. Considering I was starving, I let that slide. The potatoes themselves were nothing really special. Our waitress was nice. She was new and let us know that. I think she did a decent job, considering that fact. An order appeared to have been missed but she was quick on realizing that and came back not much later with a hot breakfast for my friend. I would give this place a second chance to give a fair judgement.

Solid restaurant. Aksum Cafe is categorized as a Mediterranean restaurant but most of its menu items look like standard American cuisine with creative, Mediterranean flavors. I got the Moroccan Spicy Shrimp. It had a nice kick to it and was the perfect amount of food. For dessert, the restaurant generously comped us with Oreo cookies beignets. Soooo good! I'm still daydreaming about them, and the thought of driving to South Philly just for the beignets crosses my mind at least once a week. I went for dinner but the brunch menu looks really good. Will definitely return!

Very good food, great customer service as well! I just recommend you make reservations ahead. They get busy quickly

Aksum's moroccan chicken and waffles is the dish to get when you're here. The fried chicken was tender and juicy and the waffles were delicious. This place is a little overpriced and expect to spend around $15 for a dish. The place is fairly small and cramped and it usually fills up quickly. I went on a Sunday for brunch with one other person and had to wait 10 minutes for a table. The servers are generally nice and friendly, but it is slow and disorganized. It took some time for my table to get our silverware and water. I also saw some customers who were waiting for a table leave because they were being unattended to. I enjoyed my lunch but the service could be improved.

I couldn't do 5 stars because I prefer my lamb medium rare and it was medium well at the least. Fight me. I ordered the lamb chops which were good sized. I didn't even use whatever the accompanying sauces were. I also grabbed some hummus. That wasn't anything special but their pita was tasty. Even though I ordered to go, I was able to take in the ambience for a bit while I waited for my food. They are busy so there is no such thing as just walking in and being seated. MAKE RESERVATIONS. I saw quite a few people be turned away.

My wonderful son brought me here for my birthday. It was April and the weather was perfect to sit by the window and people watch. I ordered the Moroccan eggs and it was so delicious. I was never interested in burgers with egg, beef with egg seems like a weird combination. Well people it is not. The spiced beef, potatoes and fried egg was such a great combo. I'm definitely looking forward to going back for the great food, ambiance and staff!

I was recommended this place today and the recommendation was that it was a good place & the chicken and waffles wouldn't disappoint. Today's experience was all of the opposite. I reserved table for 3. It was not packed at all so we were seated as soon as we arrived. When we were sat, the waiter said they'd be back with water, etc. It took 10 minutes to receive water. Then, we asked for menus and he went in to do other things so I had to get up and ask for menus. Finally got menus and silverware. We sat with our water another 10+ minutes and no one asked our order. The table that was already seated before we got there hadn't even gotten their orders taken. So they eventually had to ask to have their order taken. Another person came out to take their orders and then to us and apologized that the man had not come back. While she was taking our order, he came out and she let him finish getting our order. He was very polite so we tried to excuse the wait. Our order: coffee, 2 orders chicken & waffle, 1 Mediterranean eggs (spicy ground beef, 3 eggs& potatoes). Coffee took 15 min to come that we forgot it was even ordered. Then, We just let time pass & pass & pass. Kept being told food was coming. Noticed that a party that came way after us was inside eating. Then finally our food came. First time, brought someone else's food to the table. The chicken & waffles: ‍. The waffles were COLD and tough upon arrival. The chicken was unseasoned period. Not just a little, there was no salt or pepper even added. The breading just fell off when you cut it and it had no added seasoning either. We had already waited about 40 min for it so we just asked for hot sauce & syrup. You'd think they'd bring it right out, nope. Had to go in and say hey can you bring the syrup and hot sauce. Sad to say that the syrup and hot sauce couldn't cover the unseasoned chicken. So I literally left 2 out of 3 pieces of chicken and 2 waffles out of 4 uneaten. And for $15 I was pissed. No need to ask to make something else Bc you just cannot mess up chicken and waffles like that. The Mediterranean eggs & spicy ground beef: so since my food was the worst, my friend allowed me to eat what she didn't. This was good for the most part and I wished I'd just gotten it. Ground beef was actually seasoned. The sad part came with the potatoes as they weren't fully cooked. They were hard in the middle which is why they sat uneaten. Service here today was horrible and the food was not good. I watched the two tables outside have to go in asking for things constantly that weren't being brought out. Then they must've run out of everything because one of the workers had to keep running to the store for things. So sad because I left hungry and could've spent money elsewhere. You can't have poor service and bland food. Especially a Mediterranean spot; flavor is key!

* Dinner Review* Byob no corkage fee is a plus! Aksum has won my heart into a regular dinner rotation for date night for sure, and has made my top 5 list of favorite restaurants in West Philly ( Dock street, 48th street Grille, Bookers and Marigold) being my others. Service was great -- I didn't catch her name but she was friendly, funny -- very personable and has a lovely bubbly personality and smile, which goes a long way in the service industry. She also knew the menu very well and gave great recommendations as it was our first time dining here. Price/value/food also great -- for a dinner for 2 with an appetizer, two entrees and one dessert to share it came to $54 pre-tip which I consider very fair, especially since it's BYOB it totally elevates the experience being able to drink a bottle of wine with your dinner. We started with the hummus, appetizer priced at $6 and it was delicious we gobbled it all up, presentation was quite nice as well ( see pictures). I was a fan of my entree, pretty fair price for both my sea bass and his shrimp at $19 a piece and the portions were good enough to fill us. One thing to note is that this is pan fried mediterranean sea bass -- so do not expect that buttery often miso glazed Chilean sea Bass, they're different. It was fried well, crispy skin and flakey fish. The fish and rice were a little lacking seasoning/ salt, but overall I still liked it a lot and it tasted healthier so I have no complaints on that front. We ended our date night with the oreo beignets which were delicious, pretty much fried oreos with ice cream, what can go wrong? Nothing I tell you, nothing ( except diabetes..) but it was delicious! Had a wonderful date night, I will be back to try that shrimp + chicken or that honey glazed salmon asap! So excited to have a new favorite in the neighborhood.

Beautiful platters with special holiday menus that will knock your socks off. Brunch in Philadelphia is a serious occasion, so any weekends or holidays, try to get a reservation. They do hold tables for reservations. From the scrambled eggs to the chicken and waffles, to the potatoes and veggies, each meal is really well paired and reasonably priced for the quality, it seems. My go-to is the chicken and waffles, but I hear they have vegan, gluten free scrapple as well that I have to try soon. They gave so many vegetarian and vegan friendly options with everything well marked on the menu. The place looks professional in a nice corner spot, with big windows and good lighting. Plus it's BYOB, so if you'd like a group event or a romantic night for two, save some money and get together with your own favorite wines.

This place seemed promising but honestly, it was just not it. We should've known when the place was empty on a Friday night. When we got there, we were a bit lost and didn't know who the server was. The server was sitting down on his phone and he barely knew any questions we asked him about the menu. Red flag. We got seated outside and the atmosphere was nice. I got a complementary glass of wine, someone came out with some candles for us and it felt a bit better. We didn't want to judge the place before we got our food. Well low and behold our food came out. I got 6 Aksum wings, and samosas - 2 simple things no one should ever mess up, right? Well I was wrong. The wings tasted very odd - did not know what taste they were trying to go for. The samosas were big, greasy and doughy. My boyfriend got the Lemon Caper chicken meal which came with mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach. The chicken was alright, and the spinach was good... but the mashed potatoes tasted like they have been frozen for a few weeks and thawed out and microwaved -- kind of like old meal prep food. Yuck!!!! I can cook better food than that at home. So disappointing because we wanted to support a black owned business, but unfortunately they did not deliver. Service was terrible and so was the food. They have so much potential and I hope they get it together soon. **Unfortunately I did not take pictures because the food was not picture worthy**

Moroccan Spicy shrimp was delicious! Lebanese chicken was juicy and spicy. If you don't like Brussel sprout try them here you love them.

I've been to Aksum quite a few times & the menu has changed since my last review. We usually come for Brunch; most of the food is solid at least, plus there are some dishes that I especially like. Food summary (I use ^ to indicate a half-star and * for a full star. So, ***^ means 3.5 stars): ****^ Crispy Brussels sprouts with bacon & cheese are delicious! They're tossed in a sweet balsamic reduction so it's sweet and savory, with crispy outer leaves & tasty inner leaves. This is my fave dish at Aksum **** Green eggs and ham: Interesting dish with eggs cooked in fresh, fragrant basil. **** Lamb burger was tasty, but the potatoes were a bit mealy and dried out. *** Beet salad was all right, nothing special *** Med East platter included different items that were all fine, nothing special *** Apricot creme Stuffed French toast: Solid, though not as crispy on the edges as I'd like **^ to ****^ Spiced shrimp & grits: Grits are good. Shrimp is sometimes cooked perfectly & succulent, and overcooked at other times. Ranges from 2.5 - 4.5 stars depending on the day. ** House Potatoes often seem dried out, shriveled, mealy in texture & like they've been sitting around, rather than freshly cooked. Dinner entrees: ***^ Rib eye was a large, thick steak. We asked for it to be cooked Rare. Part of the steak was cooked at Med Rare, which is reasonably close, but the other part was rather overcooked (Medium/Medium Well). Fingerling potatoes were good. ***^ Roasted Lamb Chops were also overcooked. We asked for Rare. One chop was MR, the other was Medium. The garlic mashed potatoes were good. ** Aksumite vegetable tagine: This dish was not very flavourful ** Moroccan Spicy Shrimp with linguine: Shrimp was overcooked. This dish was bland & uninspired, not tasty. Service can be uneven, though servers themselves are generally nice & friendly. Service hiccups include not bringing appetizers out until after we were almost finished eating our mains & not bringing coffee that's ordered. A couple times, staff took away our sharing plates when we were still waiting for food. Ambience is good. It's a nice place to sit & eat brunch. At dinnertime, the restaurant is dimly lit and has a romantic comfortable feel.

HIGHLY recommend Aksum for a unique and tasty brunch!! I got the Green Eggs and Ham and it was delicious, not to mention plated beautifully. Also, the servers were kind enough to replace the meat in the dish with breakfast potatoes since I'm vegetarian, which I appreciate. The restaurant has a homey and cozy feel without trying too hard with the decor/ambiance. All of my friends were very satisfied after our meal here. Do make a reservation as it's packed on weekends!

2/10/19 update I gave this place another chance...unfortunately, I left deciding to never back again. I ordered the usual chicken and waffles - the waffles were soft as if it wasn't fully cooked. The breading off of the chicken was falling off the chicken before I even touched it. I asked for another waffle that was fully cooked but by the time I got new waffles, I finished my chicken, and the new waffle wasn't that much any better. When receiving the check, the chicken and waffles wasn't discounted or taken off. Really disappointed. It used to be a great spot on west Philly. Gave this place another chance....but now I won't be coming back

I will never go back. There was no air conditioning just a bunch of random fans everywhere. The "Morrocan" chicken and waffles was one very thin fried chicken breast with no seasoning and four cold doughy waffles. I paid $26 for bottomless Mimosa's and it was basically 80% orange juice and 20% bubbly me and my friend only received one carafe and were charged $52. I asked for a glass of champagne and it was completely flat. The service was mediocre.

Quick update to my review from 2 years ago, to reflect how Aksum is doing in these pandemic times in which we're living. When I went tonget takeout last week, indoor dining was still allowed, and Aksum was doing a bit of an indoor-outdoor hybrid by having the French doors wide open to the sidewalk. There was only one occupied table when I stopped in, and one other person waiting for food pickup. This time I decided to try a seafood dish, and the sauteed shrimp over stir-fried rice was pretty good. The spring vegetables with gnocchi that my partner got definitely wasn't though - I tasted the sauce and it was a bizarrely sweet creamy mess. It made me think of what you'd get if you combined Russian and ranch salad dressings. Of course, who gets vegetarian gnocchi from a Mediterranean restaurant that is oriented toward north African coooing??? Well, anyway, as I saw last time, this restaurant has vegetarian options, but with this kind of cuisine, it's really the seafood and meat dishes that will be thr standouts.

We walked in at about 1pm on a Saturday. And, save for two people that were clearly done eating, the place was completely empty. However, the server insisted that they were fully booked and could not accommodate any walk-ins. Did I mention the place was completely empty? No one at the bar, no one outside... No. One. In the 15 minutes that we waited for a ride to go somewhere else, a whole two people came to sit down. If you don't want to serve us, just say so. Don't give me some cock and bull story about being so booked that you can't accommodate a party of 2 in a completely empty restaurant.

It was a really cute place. The atmosphere was very nice and chill. Really romantic for date night. The spicy shrimp pasta was incredible. I hate when restaurants give an enormous amount of pasta. The pasta was just enough with lots of shrimp and these amazing sun dried tomatoes. Staff wore masks so that was great to see. The staff was also extremely friendly.

Tasteful food for a small cafe. Quite ambience, ideal for a relaxing brunch/lunch. There are no many tables, but it is not located on a very moved area.

The meal I had a Aksum was ok but nothing special. I ordered the Burger and it honestly tasted like a patty that was heavily doused with salt and pepper, no defining taste to it. Also had the spicy shrimp which was good and spicy. One tip the restaurant is BYOB like many other restaurants in Philadelphia!!

Enjoyable. Not cheap for dinner but quality food and friendly service. A recent visit to this casual but nice Mediterranean byob with my father left me wanting to come back. Staff was attentive from the moment we entered. We had a reservation. It was not too full when we got there but at 6 pm on a Saturday, it was a little early. The place did fill up by the time we left, so you definitely want to reserve a table to be safe. The place is small enough that there are no bad seats but we were given a nice window seat which would allow for people watching if that pleased us. The menus were printed on paper, whose wrinkles revealed the casual side of the place. But this was the last "sloppy" thing we saw. I started with the Fattush salad which was a tasty mix. I personally don't like much vinegar, and the dressing did have plenty but it worked. Dad started with the spiced crab bisque which had a little bit more kick than expected but was tasty once he was used to it. Many restaurants offer breadsticks before and between courses. The Mediterranean feel of this place was displayed by the twist shown here: long thin toasted pita chips, served in a champagne flute, with a dish of herbed oil in which to dip them. For an entree, I had the lamb chops, roasted and served over purple mashed potatoes with garlic spinach. The spinach was tasty, and the potatoes were good as well. The lamb was delicious, cooked perfectly. Tender and full of flavor, there was a little bit of crisp in the outside, which was to be expected as they were grilled, but the meat was perfectly tender on the inside. It was also presented beautifully. Dad ordered the special: a red snapper served over black rice. It was presented nicely and he said tasted even better. My only complaint is that the prices were a little high, for the quantity served: $24 and the lamb chops (2 in the order) were on the small side. Again this isn't unreasonable, especially in the city, but it definitely isn't a value. Good food, however, is often worth the high price. While the whole order (about $100, including tip, for for 2 courses each, a pair of iced teas and one post dinner coffee) wasn't cheap, it is comparable to other similar restaurants in the area. So it wasn't overpriced either. I will definitely come back.

Haven't been here in about 4 years since my boyfriend lived in west Philly. Decided to come back since we used to love it so much and it really disappointed. It's no longer a byob, the menu is incredibly small, the ambience is awkward, and it was wayyyyy overpriced to boot. Won't be returning

Okay but a little pricey. Got some strawberries that weren't good anymore and the portion of chicken was a little small. My green egg sandwich was just ok.

Came here with a few friends for brunch. The ambience and menu are impressive. The server we had was a little slow even though it was not peak time. There was a moment of confusion when we were asked to move tables but just sat there waiting for someone to move us. Nobody came for about 15 minutes so the server was delayed in taking our order. Aksum has vegan options but they are less than impressive. Do not make the mistake of ordering the chocolate vegan, gluten-free dessert. It tasted like prunes covered in sawdust. I also got a vegan mushroom dish that looked like meatloaf in appearance. It was relatively bland so I accidentally added too much hot sauce to compensate and ended up feeling sick the rest of the day. Service is overall good and the place is beautiful. I would personally work on the flavors for vegan options.

This was my first time going there today. The food was really really good, the server was just so sweet and professional and the owner came out to speak with us and he was also very sweet. We couldn't decide what we wanted because everything just sounds so good, so I definitely will be back to try more dishes. The curry tofu was really good. It could've been a lot more spicy, but I don't think it was meant to be a spicy dish, so I'm not complaining - just my intake.

The food is AMAZING!! However, the Startender Tru made THEE BEST DRINKS. I highly recommend

Aksum is one of my favorite brunch spots in Philly. In particular, the Moroccan chicken and waffles are great! My only qualm with Aksum is that brunch is only available on the weekend. Their dinner menu is not as great as the brunch, so I just wish they had brunch on weekdays as well.

I paid and tipped because I assume what I experienced was due to the challenges of COVID. We were the only ones there so the environment was very chill and waitress was extremely nice. Great menu options. I was there for a going away dinner and decided to celebrate by eating chicken after being vegetarian for quite some time. So, perhaps this was divine intervention telling me I should be ashamed of myself. There is no way that the food I was served was fresh. I ordered Moroccan Chicken and Waffles with a side of home fries/potatoes. I didn't smell the familiar smells of a kitchen after our order was placed. My food was...almost warm...existing on that border where it's not quite lukewarm but also not cold. The dish is battered and fried. Freshly friend food has a crisp to it, this did not. The chicken had the discoloration of friend chicken that has been cooked and refrigerated for more than a day. The waffles, potatoes, and chicken all tasted as if they had been pre-cooked, refrigerated, and slightly warmer prior to serving. As I said before I probably should've gotten the tofu scramble and would've received a fresh meal. Hopefully, this experience was due to the low guest volume caused by COVID , because the menu seems to have great potential. However I paid a quite a bit for microwaved food.

I visited Aksum for my birthday dinner with friends after it was recommended to me by a Yelper on Yelp Talk.. (very "yelpy" right? RIGHT!). It's in a good location and BYOB what more could a girl ask for? Oh plus, they had reservations for the date and time I needed. Aksum is a pretty small restaurant, think cafe but with dinner. It was intimate, like romantic intimate and dimly lit. We were a party of four that was supposed to be a party of four and 2 members of our party were about 15 minutes late, but we weren't rushed to order and were seated right away. Since it was cold out, there are heavy drapes around the door area so that when someone comes in you don't freeze, we were seated near the door but still felt the breeze, so just keep that in mind, you may want to sit in the back if possible. The service was great. The waitress was attentive, suggestive but not pushy. It wasn't terribly busy, but it was full, and we still can't complain about the service. Food was well... different for me but GOOD! I'm an American girl all around, chicken fingers, steak, burgers, etc. I ventured out eating here and although I wasn't disappointed, I wasn't terribly impressed. The menu is diverse enough that even with my picky eating tendencies, I found several entrees I wanted to try. They also have vegetarian, vegan and Gluten Free options, so it's something for everyone. I had the lamb chops which were scrumptious, but a little spicy for my taste. For an appetizer we had the hummus, which I have never tried (I know right), and it was really really really good. I don't want to comment on the food too much because as I said, like Estelle, I'm an American foodie girl, with a side of Italian and besides a little Chinese, my palate doesn't venture out much. I will say it was good, it was fresh and it was filling. I would recommend Aksum to a small or large party. You can go there for a romantic dinner or dinner with the girls. Keep in mind parking is on the street but there are no meters. This will probably be my go to BYOB and I can't wait to go back.

I really don't like giving this place 2 stars, but it truly was a 2star brunch meal. Let me tell you why: Service-not bad but not wonderful (3stars) Food- Appetizers: Crab fritters, all fritter literally almost zero crab. Fried Calamari- was ok, pretty bland same for marinara side sauce Main course: Lamb chops and eggs special- the lamb chops were good, best item out of everything but at $18 the sides should have been better and it should come with some type of bread. Shrimp and grits- wow so disappointing, very small portion size and seriously lacking flavor. Ambiance is nice and it BYOB, but for the price we could have had a far better brunch!

First time visiting Philly and my GF picked this spot out in advance, as one of the places we'd go to for dinner. We were NOT disappointed! Let me first start off by saying the employee who worked there did an amazing job. She was the hostess and server and answered the phone whenever it rang. All while maintaining about 7 tables at once. Very polite. Soft spoke. And patient. Kudos to her. We started off with the spiced crab bisque. This soup was amazing, but emphasis on the "spiced" because it damn sure is a kicker!! Our nose were burning and so were our mouths. But not enough for us to stop eating it. For the main course, I had the Lebanese chicken and shrimp with artichoke. And my GF had the lamb chops. Both were served with asparagus and killer mashed potatoes . Both dishes were served hot and fresh and well seasoned. Of course she couldn't keep her fork out of my dish happens every time we eat . The lamb chops were tender and cooked to perfection. This would definitely be a places we'd dine at again. Oh, and it's BYOB. Which is even better!

This place is amazing!!! The almond-crusted french toast = OMG. It was not too buttery or too sweet (I normally don't like french toast much because it always tastes so buttery inside and the texture was just too soft for me). But THIS french toast, wow... The whipped cream was really thick and fresh. My sister thinks this was the best french toast she's ever had, even better than Sabrina's! The shrimps and grits dish was great too. I really liked the shrimp, and the grits was pretty good. The brussels sprouts were pretty good too but a bit sweeter than I would've liked (what with figs and candied walnuts). It was a tapas dish but was quite big, basically like an entree. This was a great, very filling brunch. We were already full after the french toast and the shrimps and grits. We probably shouldn't have gotten the brussels sprouts, but everything was delicious here. There weren't many people (I don't think it's as well-known as other brunch places, and it isn't near bakeries/cafes, like brunch places in Center City, so it was a bit too isolated for people, but I like how it's not crowded here. Kind of like a hidden gem). The house interior was really nice, clean, and spacious but also cozy. Good for romantic dates too.

I was visiting for the weekend and this place was talked up a lot. We went for brunch.. I had the lemon blueberry pancakes and they were delicious! It wasn't as nice as it was hyped up to be vibe wise. I also tried the chicken and waffles that someone else ordered and it was pretty good. The service was eh....a little slow. Overall a good experience though.

I've seen this restaurant on 6 ABC, Fox Philadelphia and Philadelphia magazine its about 5 miles away in Philadelphia just outside of Delaware County. Well worth the trip, it lives up to the hype in every way. I arrived approximately 20 minutes early for my reservation because I believed I would have a difficult time after a snowstorm locating parking. It was a little difficult but not the worst experience. The parking difficulties were soon made up by the food and service that I received. I was immediately seated with a nice window view. You could see the beautiful snow outside and people walking by. It was still only slightly white but a beautiful winter sight. The interior of this place is very modern chic, leather and dark wood. It's small but it could accommodate several parties easily and comfortably. The menu had a variety of items that could satisfy different taste. Those with health issues, everything is clearly labeled especially if you have any type of allergies. As I looked over the menu I kept coming across what I thought I would order but the more I read the more my mind changed. Then comes my server who goes over the specials and that just clears the board all over again. I went with the special duck and waffles similar to chicken and waffles but not really! Everything tasted delicious it was a beautiful presentation, ample portions and the right price. I also had a fragrant and lovely loose tea, lemon and lavender it was absolutely delicious. The duck was cooked perfectly not st all greasy and it was thoroughly cooked but still moist. I was served a firm but not over cooked waffle with 3 different delicious jams surrounding the plate along with two nice thick slices of bacon. To top off everything a wonderful maple syrup that had a hint of vanilla. My server was attentive without the overly aggressive. I really enjoyed the atmosphere during my experience. I'm making another reservation after I finish this review. See you there!

We went to dinner at Aksum last night and wow it was terrible and wildly overpriced. The food, which in the past I remember as very different, was just weird tasting. I'm not surprised that I woke up this morning with a terrible stomach ache. I'm pretty sure I have food poisoning. They were also under staffed. We were waited on by a young man who did not pay any attention to us. We asked for our check multiple times over the 25 minutes it took for him to come over. This used to be a cute place with good food but now it is loud and bad bar food. Not surprising our bill was astronomical for what we ordered (and not the prices quoted on the menu). Just a terrible experience.

4-stars. This was my second time at Askum. My first visit was exceptional! Service was good, great quality food.. Overall an amazing experience. Location: It is situated on Baltimore Ave. in West Philadelphia. This area is known to have great restaurants. Parking can be a problem depending on the time you visit, but it's never impossible to find something within a few blocks. Setting/ Decor: It is a pretty small restaurant which means there is usually a wait. Beautifully decorated and has an intimate feel to it. During warmer days they open up their windows. This not only allows for more sunlight, but gives you an indoor patio vibe. Food & Service: Service is decent. Food is usually a hit (So I've been told and it was during my first visit). However, today I was not impressed. I was craving Chicken and Waffles so decided to give Askum a second visit since they are known for this. The food tasted great, but the experience did not compare to the first time. It was just something off about the chicken and the waffles seemed a little cold. I still enjoyed majority of my meal. Would recommend for a brunch party and or a romantic date. I haven't been here for dinner. This review is strictly in reference to their brunch.