Asmara

I tried this place out with my brother. We ordered the Sega Bebaynatu-Meat Combination. The server asked us “for two people?” And we said yes because we were going to split the plate. After we got the bill, they charged us for two plates. When we asked, she said it’s because we said it was for 2 people. I didn’t expect that our answer would translate to creating portions and plates for each person, because it came on just one big plate. I feel like when servers ask “for two people”, it means to split up the food between two of us, not to charge twice. In that case, I would’ve just ordered for the same plate twice! Like “can we have TWO sega…” Also, the desert options were available through a verbal menu only, so the price was transparent there either. We didn’t find out the price of everything, including dessert, until we got the bill. I ended up paying double than I was expecting and I just wish things were better communicated. For example, after we confirmed that yes, the dish we ordered is for the two of us to share, that they would reaffirm that they were going to charge us for two plates.

Very friendly service and excellent food! We liked how relaxed the atmosphere was (I always appreciate when restaurants keep the music quiet enough for conversation). I recommend the traditional seating!

Everything was absolutely delicious, the fish and shrimp were big hits with our family, no food was left! The service was very friendly and food came out relatively fast considering how busy it was.

Just wonderful all around! Friendly and helpful service, delicious food (similar to Ethiopian), and warm atmosphere. I’ve eaten in many Eritrean (and Ethiopian) restaurants, but never had the option for seating traditional style (around a basket filled with injera and dishes with small tables to the side for drinks) or western seating (at a flat table). Delicious, Italian-style desserts. I would definitely return!

Amazing, amazing! The food is delicious and the arrangement of the food is appealing, especially on the traditional Eritrean stool/table. The ambience is so beautifully Eritrean. It's homey: the curtains, the art, the flowers hanging from the roof, everything. The service was excellent, kind. I'd recommend going here for a date, especially in the evenings when the lighting is dim yet sufficient. It creates an intimate environment that feels romantic.

The food was delicious, the server was welcoming and fun to talk with, the service was prompt, and there was an overall relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. I especially loved the spicy sauce and lentils, homemade honey wine, and spiced tea. It was so worth the trip!

Me and my girlfriend went to Asmara for a date night a couple weekends ago. We had never tried Eritrean food before, but it was close to the Havana dance club we were going to so it peaked our interest. I started off with their tea which was so woody, sweet, smooth and a great way to start the meal. I ordered the Derho Fitfit (spicy chicken over injera) and my girlfriend ordered the Alitcha Begeeh (mild lamb over injera.) The meal came fairly quickly, on a table with a basket on it and it was a new experience eating this way. Atop a handful of injera (a spongy flatbread made of teff flour,) our meals were separated by a really nice Mediterranean style salad. We were told we eat this with our hands (no problem for us) and we started off. The salad was very familiar with a nice light dressing that soaked into the injera nicely. The Derho Fitfit was really interesting, the flavor was spicy and sour and it was very tender. It was not a flavor I was used to but that made the experience even better. The spice level was just below too much (our server even checked in to make sure it wasn't too spicy.) While the sourness was just an unexpected but welcome addition. The Alitcha Begeeh was our favorite of the two but the contrast between the two may have made the meal better. It was a much more mild flavor that was familiar but still exotic. The lamb was tender and the sauce was hearty, also the potatoes and carrots included with it made it in between a light lamb curry and a stew. The injera was the vehicle for all this food and I will say it was a new experience. Its akin to tortillas as far as it's function but it's spongy and kind of like a wheat bread flavor. It wasn't the star of the show but an excellent vehicle. Then we ended the meal with a pistachio gelato and a coffee. This was such a great choice, the gelato was so creamy and the flavor was amazing with real pistachio and chocolate throughout, it capped off the meal perfectly cooling off the spiciness from the Derho Fitfit. My girlfriend said the coffee was very strong and the flavor completely unique to any coffee she tried before but was a great contrast to the gelato. Our server was very nice and asked us questions about our meal. She was very helpful guiding us through the experience and including information to help elevate our meal. Walking in this restaurant was clearly not like many we've been to before, the tables were very small and there was food on baskets and there was an Eritrean music video playing but by the end we were very comfortable and felt like the meal was more than just the food.

The atmosphere inside the place is so nice. Everything is freshly cooked and comes out of the kitchen packed with flavor. I had the meat combination, the stuffed bell pepper, and the ajibo berbere - they were so good. The sweet honey wine was a worthy addition. The server was so nice, helpful, and entertaining. Very enjoyable experience.

We've eaten here numerous times, but not recently. In general, we weren't wowed by the food, although everything was definitely tasty. The portion sizes were good, and the presentation was superb. What wasn't so good: There were two of us, and as others have noted, if two people don't want to sit at a "traditional" table (hunched over a small table), you're relegated to either a table right by the door, right by the bathroom and coatrack, or inches from a giant screen TV. We chose the bathroom/TV, and subjected to an endless parade of people squeezing by our table all night. (And eating hunched over isn't very survivable for me.) What was A+: the waiter was wonderful - She was friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. If it weren't for her, I would have given three stars. What we disagreed about: I asked for cutlery. The waiter balked, and told me to try eating with my hands, Ethiopian style. I thought she was shaming me into eating with my hands, my partner thought she was being perfectly nice about it. In any case, I think when you ask a waitperson for cutlery, just bring it. Afterwards, you can feel free to mention the traditional hands-method.

Came back give Asmara another chance! We ordered a combo and the lamb. Pretty tasty, much better than I remembered. We also had the honey wine. From eating injera at other restaurants I'll say that the bread was not great, but aside from that the food was good. Service was a bit strange. Our waitress forgot to charge us for the honey wine and asked us to pay for it in her tip instead of correcting the receipt. Normally anywhere else the receipt is corrected but she didn't rerun it (that's what we asked for). Aside from that we had a good time.

The injera here is way too sour. It almost tastes like it was soaked in vinegar. The other dishes were alright but the sourness overpowered everything else. Honey wine is decent and not too sweet. If they fix the injera, this would be much better

I can't believe I've worked in Central/Kendall for two years and only recently tried Asmara! We ordered the Vegetarian combo and a super delicious lamb dish. It's communal style and you eat with your hands, as pointed out by our hilarious server who was absolutely not here for anyone to eat using a spoon. The homemade honey wine was delicious and so unique! The simplest was to summarize the meal is excellent. Fantastic. Delicious. And it sort of felt like we were in someone's living room. It was quite busy in there for dinner, and I'm glad we got in when we did. There was a line going outside the door for most of our meal (which was slightly a struggle because the folks in line wouldn't close the door and it was cold!). I'll definitely be back here!

Amazing as always! The honey wine was stronger, more dry, and less sweet this time but still delicious. The Begeeh Mloukhiya was seasoned well and very spicy and flavorful. The Zighny Fitfit was pretty unique with sauce soaked injera and beef pieces. The timtimo went perfectly with the meals and salad.

This is probably the best Ethiopian I've had in Cambridge. If you're dining in, it's not a family friendly spot as the restaurant is intimate and is best suited for groups of 2-4 (also no high chair available). Nevertheless, our waitress was polite, friendly, and attentive which was much appreciated. The injera was generously portioned, fresh, and perfectly tangy. We ordered 2 veggie combos and 2 mixed combos for 4 people, which was way too much food and we ended up with enough leftovers for 2 more meals (would order 3 combos amongst 4 people next time). The house salad in the middle was surprisingly tasty and refreshing against the heavier combo options set at the edges of the platters. The meats were all fairly tender and well spiced. The lentil dishes were quite delicious, too. There's a mix of spicy and non-spicy in each of the combos and things cannot be made non-spicy. Overall, I thought it was a decent deal for the quantity and quality of food received for the price paid and would return.

I rarely feel like I truly love a meal out in Boston, but this really hit the spot. I've only had Ethiopian a handful of times before, but never anywhere near this good. If you like your food flavorful, if you need a good veggie option, if you want a good hearty meal, or if you just want to try a new cuisine, I'd highly recommend. Besides the food, the presentation for the combos is also unique--shared platters for the table, sized and priced by the number of diners, creating a communal dining experience. This also allows you to try many dishes even with a small number of diners, which I personally really enjoy. They also serve up extra injera on the side, so you'll certainly be quite full. If you haven't eaten this cuisine before, it's eaten with your hands, so be ready for that. Note, despite the "spicy" designation on the menu, our food didn't seem it at all, so if you really want that fire I'd recommend requesting extra spicy.

Excellent choice for groups! Good choice for when you're craving flavor, spices, and something different from your norm. The veggie and meat combos provide a little something for everyone and is very communal. Note - if you order the meat or veggie combos they serve it on one platter and proportion it to the number of people at your table. Got the chicken wings and stuffed tomatos for appetizers, which were also good. Their injera had fewer holes (and tinier holes) than injera I've had before and was also more on the sour side. One particularly annoying thing was despite there being many empty tables during Tuesday dinner at 6pm, the server would not let our table sit until all of our party was here. We were on a time crunch so it would have been nice to get our table started and put in our order. There also seemed to be only one server, which somewhat slowed service down but not too much. Street parking on Mass Ave which can be annoying to find with traffic.

I'm not super familiar with Ethiopian food but I enjoyed Asmara! Lots of stuff I had never tried before but it was incredibly filling and satisfying. What's not to love with heavily spiced meat wrapped in bread? Be warned that it gets messy! Very intimate ambiance. Service was pretty slow. We got the combo to try lots of things and there was pretty big variance--the veggies actually ended up our favorites!

Been 2yrs+ since my last review, and Asmara remains one of my FAV spots in Cambridge, let alone the greater Boston area. The meat & veggie platter would be my death row meal. Literally perfect combo of carbs & protein & fats & veggies.

Overall its a nice place to go. Very competitive and small restaurant since we waited for like an hr (tbf it was a weekend evening). The spinach dish was really good, and so were the meat combos. I dont think the veggie combos were outstanding by themselves but they taste good with the meat. The bread that comes with is a nice texture and soft, but it is notably sour. Our server was very nice.

This spot feels like a hole-in-the-wall. I'm not sure if they take reservations but the line could get a bit long during dinner. There was only one server when we came on a weekday evening-- service was slow because the server was so busy. We started with their homemade mes honey wine ($8.75), mango juice ($6.25), and the spinach with ricotta appetizer ($9.95). The wine was super sweet and fragrant with honey flavor. The appetizer was creamy with a nice peppery flavor to it (we should have asked for more bread though). However, I wasn't a big fan of the mango juice. It tasted like blended unripe mangoes, so it was tart, very fibrous, and lacked mango flavor. I was expecting something sweeter and more mango-ey when I ordered it. Maybe it would be better when mangoes are in season? We split one portion of the sega bebaynatu meat combination ($19.95) and asked for extra injera. The amount of food was perfect for two of us. Each meat item (chicken, beef, lamb) had its own unique flavor profile and the lentils were super savory, too. While the meat combination features a lot of their meat dishes, I HAVE to give a shout-out to the house salad. It had tomatoes, cheese, spring mix, spicy peppers, onions, and a lemony dressing. All the flavors blended together so well! A lot of Ethiopian places I've tried in Boston aren't very spicy. I wouldn't say that the food here is spicy but it does deliver more of a kick than the spots I've tried. I'm sooooooo close to giving this spot 5 stars, but I am still scarred from the mango juice.

I visited Asmara as my first time trying Ethiopian/Eritrean cuisine. The food ended up being delicious and the experience was very unique. The ambiance is pretty casual, and you come in and wait in line until your part can be seated. My party and I ordered the meat combo and the veggie combo so we could try a bunch of things. It was totally the best move because we got to try so many amazing things. Eating with your hands and the injera bread was a little weird at first but after a minute I was loving the experience! I would definitely come back here as it was all so flavorful and different than most things around here. I definitely recommend visiting!

Asmara has been our go-to place as long as we have lived in the area, over ten years. The food and drink are delightful and the experience at the Eritrean restaurant in Central Square is warm and welcoming. Sara always greets us like we are old friends. She handles the flow of customers, acknowledging everyone's' wishes. The tables and chairs and decor are cheerful and fun. we choose the combos, particularly the vegetarian ones. Central Square is lucky to host Asmara.

Ate dinner here on a Friday night 2 weeks back. We thankfully got the table right away, but it really picked up shortly after and there was quite a bit of a wait. The server was very nice and helpful. She was the only server there and in my opinion, she did a fantastic job. I did not see her getting any order wrong and she was so polite to every single diner. The place is simple yet cozy, perfect for a casual dinner or date nights. The night we were there, the AC was blasting and it was too cold the 2 hours we were there, we were super uncomfortable. So I highly recommend getting a light jacket. We requested for the AC to be turned down, but nothing was done about it. The wait time was ridiculous. Not sure what was going on in the kitchen, but our appetizer took about 35 minutes and the main about 1hr 15 mins. Couple that with 2 hungry tummies and a ridiculously cold restaurant, I can definitely say it was a bit of a torture. Coming to the food, we ordered Spinach with Ricotta appetizer that came with the spicy sauce and was that GOOD!!! We in-fact liked it better than the main meal. The injera was soft and warm and my mouth is watering just thinking about this dish. For mains, we really wanted Doro-Wot but they did not have my favorite dish. We were told that Tsehbhi Derho Chicken was very similar to Doro Wot. Bad news- it was no where close in taste, texture or flavor. Tsehbhi Derho sauce did not have the same flavor punch as that of Doto Wot. The veggies were great however. We loved most of them! The presentation has been the worst compared to all the other restaurants we have been to (check the photo). All the dishes were plopped next to each other and it all felt like a mish-mash of flavors by the time it got to us. We had been so excited to try the food here, but given our experience I do not think we will be back anytime soon.

Glad we finally got a chance to check this spot out! The combination platters were tasty (though not spicy, as advertised). We ordered 1 portion of the Ahimilti Bebaynetu (Vegetarian Combination) and 1 portion of the Sega Bebaynetu (Meat Combination) for a party of 2; all of the food is brought out on a single platter, arranged beautifully atop a large piece of Injera. There's also Injera on a small plate on the side. The cuisine is typically enjoyed with your hands, so they don't offer any utensils. Expect the restaurant overall to be packed in pretty tightly as well. The staff is pretty limited (we only saw 1 person working) so service is not extremely quick, though she is very nice. Also note that you need a physical card to pay, not Apple/Google/Samsung Pay.

this march I was able to experience Ethiopian food after many years! This spot is located on central square and was a different experience for our group of 5! We ordered the entire vegetarian menu (5 or so dishes) for us to share. The flavors were very similar to Indian cuisine just milder. The cool part was the experience of everyone sharing and eating from the same plate using your hands instead of utensils!

So delicious and great service. A restaurant that strongly preserves its authenticity, Love it . Highly recommend.

Love Ethiopian/Eritrean food in general, but the food and service and environment at Asmara make the experience even more homey and comfortable than the food already is. We loved everything in the veggie sampler, and things were portioned generously for two people. There's always a line, so come in early! My favorite was the cabbage and the timtimo, but honestly we devoured all of them and even took home our extra injera. Staff were super nice and happy to explain how to eat the food to newcomers.

Such a great restaurant for authentic Ethiopian food. Never a disappointment! 35years of serving delicious food to those who visit Central Square!

Don't go here if you have small children. The booster seat they gave us for my 1 year old was extremely dirty and the strap was broken. Then the waitress made us sit near the bathroom where there was barely enough room for people to get by. My husband had to keep scooting his chair in so people could get by. We brought this to the waitresses' attention and asked to move. She was adamant that we could not switch tables because we were a party of 3 and not 4. There were several tables open but she kept insisting that they get busy and need the tables. We didn't even order food because we were so uncomfortable. Never going back there again.

I've eaten a ton of Ethiopian food. Back home, we had one downtown that I went to so frequently, I didn't even have to order, they just knew what I wanted as soon as I walked in. While living on Oahu island in Hawaii, I brought a ton of friends to a local Ethiopian place, and everyone loved it. While in the New England area, I started to love Lucy Ethiopian, but I branched out and found this place on one day I had while in the MA area. When I arrived, I wasn't sure that they were even open, but I went inside anyway. I was greeted by both a male and female server, and told I could sit wherever I liked. I picked a spot by the wall and started in at the menu. I was surprised at how limited the menu was, but I already knew what I wanted to order before I even sat down. I started with an order of the spiced tea, and ordered the vegetarian combo with an additional side of injira. During the time I was there there was only one other table occupied, which I thought was interesting given the location being such a hub of food and it being prime lunchtime. The tea, when it arrived, was incredibly over-steeped to the point of it being so bitter that I couldn't drink it. It smelled good though, and I gave it a few separate tries but ended up leaving it on the table. When the meal arrived, I was impressed with the beautiful color of the items, and the various textures. The flavors however were somewhat muddled, and two of the mostly veggie items were so watery, it was an overall odd and soggy texture. Compared to Lucy's, I feel like this missed the mark. The prices were good however, and the service was quick and friendly, and the restaurant was clean and easy to find. I make ethiopian lentils at home and I know how complex it is to make all the spices line up and keep it spicy but not critically so. Overall, I'm interested in giving them another try and see if I hit them on an off day, but given the experience I had at this time, I'd rather return to Lucy's.

The food was fine. It took forever which makes me think that the food for the dining room was being given to take-away customers. There is no reason that meat stews and lentil curries were not ready before dinner service. The service was the main driver of the 1 star. On a Saturday night, plan to be busy so have more than the one front of house person. We sat down and it took 20-30 min to order our drinks and then we ordered our food at the same time and that did not come for over an hour. If I had cash, I would have dropped the 20 on the table for the wine and beer and left. We were surprised they did not even come to ask about drinks, which are pure margin. My wife desperately ordered a 2nd glass of wine when the food came after 90 minutes because we thought we were never going to see her again. Asmara has converted us back to carrying cash around to escape these types of situations.

Amazing food! I love the Injara bread and the taste of the meat and veggie sampler. This cozy place makes a great date night if you and your date like ethnic food

Amazing food. Really cool to see an ethiopian and Eritrean place in Boston. It's one of the best ones I've had too! Definitely get the tibs it is a must have. We got the veggie combo, meat combo, and the tibs and everything we ate was really good. The only one qualm I had was that they didn't take us until we had all 5 people (even when had 4 out of the 5). This would be reasonable if they were going to seat us at a bigger table because of it but when the fifth person arrived they just seated us at a 4 person table and pulled a chair. Again, not a huge deal and not gonna affect the rating since the food was good but it was just a little unnecessary since the restaurant wasn't that busy at that time..

Decent ethiopian food. But the waitress we got was little rude when we were asking about questions about the good.

I met up with a friend here for dinner on a weekday. Even though Asmara has been around for awhile I only recently found out about it. My friend is vegetarian so an Ethopian place is a good choice while still offering options for us meat eaters. It's a very casual place with friendly staff. We sat in lounge chairs and shared a few small tables. My friend got a lentil-based vegetarian dish while I ordered beef tibs. The tibs had good flavor with tender beef. Asmara is conveniently located in Central Square, about a block away from the Red line.

I have been coming to this place for the past few years and the food is always great and the service is always personal. It is a quaint and peaceful environment inside which makes the experience even better. Hopefully they will be able to go back to regular hours soon. That way I can swing by and pick up lunch when I'm in the area!

The sheer arrogance of the server should actually give this place a 1. We were a party of 5 , 4 reached early. She refused to seat us till the 5th person came . She seated on the same table for 4 and simply added the 5th chair. If we were not famished wr would have walked out right there . Then the service also was OK at best. She was catty in her responses to questions on what do you recommend etc ? Never going there again.

The food itself is awesome which is why this is a 2 star review and not 1. We were seated at 6:15. Our food came out at 7:30. In between we joked about going to the 7-11 and getting a snack. This was a Saturday, which I assume they know is a busy day - all food was being provided to takeout orders, which also snaked out the front door. Also, the bathrooms were in such bad shape the women were using the mens bathroom by the time we left. They converted me to carrying cash and disposable plastic gloves for hygiene reasons. I wish we had just found the waitress and paid for our drinks and left. I chose Asmara over other restaurants due to the high ratings on Yelp and now I feel duped. We spent $80 to risk Covid and RSV and stay hungry for well over an hour. Buyer beware.

The quality of this Ethiopian food is outstanding. It's authentic and full of flavor. Options for spicy or mild are available. I've lived in Africa and Ethiopian food was my absolute favorite- this tasted just like it did in Africa. The service felt like being a part of a local neighborhood gem. Highly recommend!!!

My boyfriend and I were staying in Cambridge for a weekend and decided to check out Asmara for takeout. I ordered the Tikil Gomen (Cabbage, carrots, and potatos) and he ordered the Sega Bebaynetu (Meat combo). They both came with generous amounts of injera (2 large pieces per portion), and were enough to feed us for two meals! When we got to the restaurant to pick up our food, it took quite awhile to get the attention of someone (around 20 minutes)- but this is understandable given the restaurant was packed and it seemed there were only 2 people working the dining room. The food itself was good- flavorful and great portions.

Small, friendly place that's been here for years l. As good of Ethiopian food as I've had. Served at both traditional and modern style tables. Somewhat less spicy than some. Homemade honey wine (mes) was very good. Close to the Central Square T stop in Cambridge. I'll come again when I'm in town!

My 1st time in this lovely and traditional Eritrean and Ethiopian resturant in Cambridge. Local Beer and Honey wine my favorite drinks. The staff is very kind and nice. Main courses is one of the best Ethiopian food I've tried before. The last part is pistachio ice cream. Everything here is perfect. Highly recommended.

Great service, our server was pleasant and she took an effort to explain what's in the plate. Their honey wine is great! Combo meal for 2 was more than enough to feed us both to the fullest.

Food was good, portion size was on the smaller end. Ambiance was lovely though I wish we were able to eat at a higher table. Wasn't able to get a fork (waitress refused) when I asked for one...

I am so glad I ended up going to this restaurant to try their food after hearing great things online and through friends. The entire experience was phenomenal. My friend and I ordered many apps and entrees and the food was delicious. I have only had Ethiopian food twice before and I must say this place knocks it out of the park with food and service. The place has Covid restrictions in place.

This restaurant is a bit overpriced... everything is very satisfactory, though! The waitstaff are very helpful for newcomers in figuring out the menu and knowing what to order. Service in general was good and fast. The seating is traditional style with baskets or at a table. We sat traditional style, and it was very nice. My party of 3 ordered one of each basic meat, the lamb, beef, and poultry. All very tasty! I liked the lamb the most. Okay, so my one complaint is that the bread (the dough) is really, really sour. By the end, I couldn't handle the sourness anymore. I've had Ethiopian food in the past, and the sourness level is tolerable. Other than that... I think the food was good!

We chose Eritrean because it's impossible to get in Vermont, where we're from. It was amazing. We had a combination plate so we could try as many things as possible. So good! And the service was also excellent. Very charming and pleasant. The food came quickly. We chose a traditional "table", but they have regular tables too. Definitely will be back the next time we're in Cambridge.

1. they don't take reservations. for a sat night, come before 7pm if you don't wanna wait for a table. 2. they don't have utensils, apparently for authentic dining experience, you will have to eat with your hands... use the bread to wrap the meat or veggies and then eat them all. 3. pretty authentic, it was fun to try something new and different, but i'm not a fan of the sour taste in the bread... we ordered the meat combo plate, so it's $23 ish per person. so they put everything in the basket and brought to the whole table to try. Nice experience, but i don't think i will come back...

Came here on a Monday at 7:30 PM and was seated immediately. Ordered the combination meat platter as well as the honey wine, all of which was amazing. Also recommend the Kitfo (raw beef), which is one of my favorite items. All of the food is generously portioned, so ordering enough for four people was more than enough for our party of four that eats a lot. Will definitely be coming back.

Sooo good! We got Sega Bebaynetu and Ahimilti Bebaynetu for takeout (during COVID19 stay at home orders) to have a taste of everything. The flavors and spices were perfectly balanced. It's one of those meals where even when you're getting too full you can't stop taking another bite. Portions were generous with plenty of injera. Can't wait to dine-in when it's safe to!

A great experience!!! The meat sampler is a good choice to try different things. Everything was fresh and delicious. I recommend the homemade honey wine - not too sweet. Service was friendly and quick.

My fiancé and I went here for dinner tonight and it was amazing!!! We shared the veg combination - Alitcha Ahmilti and the Kitfo. Served over large pieces of injera. We took one bite and both looked at each other and said that we already can't wait to go back. The food was just so flavorful, and just felt good to eat. I even ordered extra food to go, just to have! You also need to try their house made honey wine. The most important thing though was the server. She was a freaking rockstar. She was working the floor by herself - was funny, personable and smart. I overheard her interacting with other tables, chatting w guests, joking with lil babies and just amazing at her job - which is not an easy job. Being a server is hard. One has to be an extremely smart, thrive off of multitasking and thoughtful. 100% to her.

Great food. Great service. Above average atmosphere. We ordered both combos, which I recommend.

The food is expensive, but has very good flavor; I've tried the meat combination and vegetarian combination entrees multiple times. They have traditional mesop seating, as well as normal tables and chairs. They also have music and a TV showing traditional dancing on a loop. The reason for the 3 stars however is that I don't think the restaurant is honest when more than 1 person goes and eats there. I took friends on several occasions and when we ordered more than 1 of the same combination entrees, the amount of food we got was clearly the portion for only 1; they bring it to you on one tray and say it's for two when it clearly looks like very little food. When we questioned the waitress, she stated that the portion was correct. The first time this happened I thought they were having an off night. When it happened multiple times, I was saddened by the waitress's constant dishonesty. I had been eating at this place for 2 years, so I know what a portion for one looks like. I've stopped encouraging friends to go here.

Absolutely one of the most delicious and unique restaurant/food experiences in Boston! The owner -staff are gracious and kind! Eat traditional style and have Honey Wine! GO!!!

Awesome place, beautiful ambience, polite waitress. She was sweet to give clear suggestions about the food. Traditional way of serving.

I had a great first experience at Asmara. My parents, two friends, and I were all new to Ethiopian food, and the waitress patiently helped each of us figure out what we'd like best. When she brought out the food not long after, she poured our individual entrees onto one huge central injera platter, explaining that it is a communal eating experience as we could easily pick at our neighbors' dishes as well. We had informed the waitress that my dad has Celiac disease, and he was served on a separate plate with gluten-free injera. The food was delicious. I was very pleased with the spice and tenderness of my Begeeh Mloukhiya, lamb mixed with high fiber jute plant (which I did not really notice) and curried with a thick red pepper sauce. I'd describe injera's flavor as a whole-grain sourdough, and the consistency is chewy and moist but still firm enough to tear up and use to scoop up the rest of the meal. The salad was simple--greens, tomatoes, and feta dressed with olive oil--and paired well with all the strong flavors of the entrees. We also tried their honey wine, which was quite tasty and refreshing. I was quite satisfied with my portion, although my mom, who ordered the meat combination, actually felt she could have enjoyed a bit more. There was plenty of salad and injera for the four of us. I will definitely visit Asmara again!