Asmara Restaurant

First time trying Eritrean/ Ethiopian food and really had a great experience here. Came right around early dinner and found the restaurant not too packed. Service was friendly and welcoming, and the facilities were nice. Tried what may have been most traditional- honey wine, spiced tea. We also ate the meat combo (which was great since we weren't exactly sure what we wanted) and the beef tar tar which impressed us a lot! Overall, it was really fun to just get in there and scarf it all down. I found the lamb and tar tar to be exceptional. The beef had an excellent "stew" savory taste to its finished and I only found it a bit challenging to enjoy the chicken with injera since the chicken was on the bone (which I like, but not experienced enough to take advantage of it). We ate so much food and the price/ quality was wonderful. Great eating experience and looking forward to my next!

It was quiet when we came, with a little bit of construction going on but that doesn’t really bother us. The restaurant setup was nice, everybody has their own space and there’s a little traditional setup where you can sit and feel like you’re somewhere else. So cute. I’ve only had ethiophian food once before this, and it wasn’t great experience so I decided to give it another try. I can safely say that Asmara restaurant deliver perfectly. The spices are on point, the meat is tender, and injera has perfect fluffiness that you can use to pick up the food. I like the beef and lamb better than chicken, and the beef was perfectly spicy, I love it!

Good Ethiopian and service. I would prefer the enjira to not be cold. The owner is quite friendly and nice.

Asmara is a staple of the neighborhood. The service is always sweet and earnest, the food arrives on time and is tasty. I don’t like that the injera is served cold- and the entrees are quite plain. We had the Chefs special - gored gored and it was delicious, if a bit fatty. We had a side of greens which was fine, and a delicious ginger beer. The restaurant is large and a bit stark, the delightful service makes up for it all.

In town from Chicago and DC ( me and my sister) and the food is amazing! Everything was delicious and I love that this looks and feels like a family run spot and incredibly welcoming! Being from DC we know Eritrean and Ethiopian food and I cannot say enough about the food and the atmosphere- please please don’t miss this place. It was delicious all around!

The food is good, definitely one of the better Ethiopian restaurants in Oakland. Unfortunately our experience was horrendous. We were seated while the restaurant was a quarter of the max capacity, and all of the other customers had already been served their food. Three waitresses passed by us for 20 minutes before we had to wave them down to get served, and were told "it's busy"; fair enough, I should have done it earlier. She left into the kitchen to place the order and we waited. In the span of 40 minutes, 5 different groups of guests had entered, been seated, orders placed, and food served while we waited for our two regular dishes. It was clear that our order was never placed, and I had to wave down the waitress to confirm this. She came back from the kitchen and said "it's almost ready". 10 minutes later our food arrived, and the comment we received was "sorry, it's busy." I am not blind to the myriad of other customers who entered after us to see that the order was forgotten, so not owning up to the mistake was disappointing.

I LOVE THIS PLACE! Seriously. The atmosphere is inviting and the service is top-notch. My mother and I ordered in a same plate lamb and a vegetarian dish. Came out in less than 5 minutes. The music is cool and modern. Definitely recommend 👌🏾. Watch out if you have a small stomach, the food is definitely gonna fill you up!

Once a restaurant, now just a Food Shop. We were five and wanted three veggie dishes, then to add more. The owner demanded minimum four dishes ordered at once—more bouncer than host. All four came on one plate—economy of scale at its best. The experience deserved better.

Beautiful restaurant with delicious Ethiopian food! Service was welcoming and the owner stopped by to chat. Asmara has been in the neighborhood for 40 years! Lunch was delicious and I loved all the flavors in the veggie combo and the chicken tibs. The injera was slightly sour and was perfect with the food. Can't wait to come back and try more dishes.

I came in on a Sunday night for a post concert meal and was thoroughly impressed! I walked into a packed restaurant and was seated promptly. I ordered the meat combination platter and a tea. Absolutely delicious. Some of the best Ethiopian food I've had. I will definitely be back to try other dishes on the menu. Price: $27

The food and service here were amazing! Our waiter was super friendly and gave us great recommendations! We got the chicken and fish ribs and subbed in the typical salad and potatoes for the red lentils and mustard greens. The red lentils might've been my favorite dish. It was flavorful and delicious and nicely spiced. The mustard greens were super delicious too! The fish tibs were really succulent and tender and the onion and garlic sauce was really tasty. The chicken tibs were really yummy too, we just wished it was slightly less oily but overall the flavor was incredible! Everything was served with injera and it was tangy and yummy! I just wished the injera was served a little warmer. Loved our experience and would come back to try more!

This is my favorite places when I visit the Bay Area . The ambience is great for dates. When u walk into Asmara the staff greets you and there very friendly, the wall are filled with decor walls ,tables are filled with Ethiopian pictures, rugs, and blankets, it's really beautiful. The menu has an assortment of Ethiopian and rich dishes. That are very authentic full of flavor. Trust me, you won't go wrong with Anything on the menu and the best part about it. It's fairly inexpensive although all the prices everywhere have gone up. this place is still within a modest diners budget. An Ethiopia and Eritrea is a custom that one eats with his hands so you may have to ask for and utensils you're gonna love it.

OH MY GOD! This place is better than 5 stars. I went in for lunch as I was working near by. It was nice and cool in there with a great atmosphere. I sat by the owner and she gave me some recommendations and I order the combo plate. When it arrived I started to taste everything individually. It came with goat, chicken, beef, fermented bread, salad, carrots & potatoes. Chicken was a bone in leg with a rich spicy curry. 11/10 Goat was mild is spice and spices, in my opinion fell short in flavor only in comparison to beef and chicken. 7/10 BEEF omg the beef. By far the best thing I had here. Its flavor and quality of meat was amazing. Rich in flavor yet creamy. 12/10 Carrots and potatoes helped break up the flors of the curies and had a solid veggie flavor. 8/10 Salad had a nice garlic and creamy flavor. 10/10 Lastly and in opinion least the bread. The bread is sponge like with a fermented and wasn't my favorite but just because it wasn't for me doesn't mean it won't be for you. The owner Okba was a kind lady and if the quality and flavor of the food is not enough to convince you the customer service from her is enough to come by. I give this place an 11/10 and highly recommend.

Heard amazing reviews about Asmara and I understand now! We got the veggie and meat platters which were both delicious. Beautifully decorated and our server was very sweet.

I'm a big fan of Asmara. I'd guess I've been 6-8 times, maybe more. It's the only Ethiopian/Eritrean place I've ever eaten, so I have nothing to compare it to. I live over the hills in Diablo Valley, or I'd go more often. When people tell me they're visiting SF Bay or open to trying something new, it's my first recommendation. I took a newbie for lunch about 10 days ago. I love the fish tibs, he wanted chicken. We both love vegetables, and when we noticed eggplant on the menu, we decided to split three lunches between the two of us. I ask for a special substitution .. instead of three side portions of potatoes and carrots, could we get some red & yellow lentils. The answer was yes. When the food arrived we had fish, chicken and mushrooms. We asked why mushrooms, where's our eggplant? They immediately said they made a mistake, and brought us a plate of eggplant. So two people bought three meals and were served four! And, if you're a fan of mushrooms, wow, are they great!. We had the three we ordered served on one shared platter. My friend loved all of the food, but tired of the injera, and we switched to forks... only to not fill up as fast. Great meal. I need to stop in more often. My challenge is that I want to try different things.

Went to Asmara yesterday with a buddy and ended up getting a medley of dishes. We went with the veggie sampler, fish tibs, and mushrooms. The food had solid spices and our final plate ended up being very bountiful. Their injera was also soft with a good texture. The servers regularly came by to check on us and top off our injera plate. The vibe in there is cozy. I went on a Friday evening and it was the busiest I had ever seen them. I'd recommend checking them out if you're in the area and looking for Ethiopian food!

I don't usually crave Ethiopian food but I'm glad my friends suggested this place for our get-together because it was phenomenal! Rating Breakdown: 2/2 Stars for Taste -- We ordered the veggie and meat sampler to try a little bit of everything, as well as the gored gored (rare beef), assa tibs (catfish), and lega tibs (beef). My favorite dish was the catfish, which I've never seen at an Ethiopian restaurant before. It was so succulent and well seasoned, I could have just eaten that and been a happy camper. The lega tibs was a close second, the beef was very tender and juicy, the jalapenos were more aromatic than spicy. I could only nibble the gored gored (pregnant) but I can't wait until I pop these babies out so I can eat more of it. The veggie and meat samplers were good but honestly they all blended together in my mind and nothing in particular stood out. We had a carafe of honey wine for the table which my husband really enjoyed. 1/1 Stars for Value -- Each entree was about $20 and they do not skimp on portion size. Ordering 1 entree per person is probably enough, but you can't go wrong with ordering party size +1. I only wish the injera was unlimited because it did feel like we had to ration them a little bit even though one of our party ordered rice. 1/1 Stars for Customer Service -- We made reservations because we were a party of 6 but I think we could have gotten by without on a Tuesday night. The servers were super nice and helpful with their recommendations. The food can be served family style on a giant platter. They even helped rearrange our tables/seating so that we could gather around and reach the platter. The food did take a little while to come out but I think it's because the restaurant filled up all at once so they had a bit of a backlog. Bonus star because I'll definitely be back for the catfish. Also, I need to come back postpartum so I can enjoy the full experience!

It was quiet when we came, with a little bit of construction going on but that doesn't really bother us. The restaurant setup was nice, everybody has their own space and there's a little traditional setup where you can sit and feel like you're somewhere else. So cute. I've only had ethiophian food once before this, and it wasn't great experience so I decided to give it another try. I can safely say that Asmara restaurant deliver perfectly. The spices are on point, the meat is tender, and injera has perfect fluffiness that you can use to pick up the food. I like the beef and lamb better than chicken, and the beef was perfectly spicy, I love it!

I had a very unpleasant experience. I told the waitresses that an old man stared at me in a sexual manner my whole time dinning even after i moved. They totally disregarded my distress and kept asking if i was ok....obviously not...i told them no i not.. I kept saying no and told them why and they didnt address him at all ... Ruined my whole experience. I told them and they did not care one bit.

Absolutely delicious veg and meat combos in this family-run restaurant with a Doro Wat that was rich and smoky, reminiscent of the best mole I ever had. The eggplant was also flavorful, firm, and satisfying. Of course, the honey wine was the perfect complement to the injera that sopped up all the seasonings and juices. Wonderfully kind servers; can't wait for our next visit

We ate there for lunch today. We had the vegetable and the meat combos! Absolutely delicious! The best Ethiopian/Eritrean food I have ever had! The service was great and ambiance very nice w/ artwork.

Very friendly service, food was amazing esp for my first time. Flavorful and unique. Def good location for a date evening, dimmed lights.

I've been back a few times and have decided Asmara is the best Ethiopian spot in Oakland! I've been to a few other well-regarded spots, but the flavors, quality, portions, and service are better at Asmara. You must get the catfish- it's so good!! 3 of us killed 4 dishes. But we eat a lot...

The streak of great food and service continues. This is our go to place for Ethiopian in the Oakland Berkeley area. You can tell it's authentic and delicious because most of the customers were Ethiopian. This time around we ordered: - two plates of doro wot -- amazing and deep flavors each of which comes with two drumsticks and an egg. - cat fish -- simply outstanding and not typical of many Ethiopian restaurants. - Yebeg Aliciha -- mild curried lamb. Very mild but delicious nonetheless. - Veggie combo with an extra misirwet (red lentils). All of the veggies were excellent. - lega tibs, beef tibs with jalapeños and onions. It was very mild, but still quite tasty. - gored gored (almost raw beef). It was very soft and tender and extremely tasty.

I have been going (with family and friends) to Asmara for more than 4 years. This last time, things have changed. A) The amount of food was SO little, and the amount of salad (to fill the plate) was too much. B) The lady (attractive as she was) was not knowledgeable regarding the menu. I was disappointed.

Ever since Assab closed in San Francisco I've been looking for a place with comparable shiro and I've found it here. So so good.

Incredible food, service, and ambience. The food is so delicious with the injara. You can't go wrong with any of the vegetable items including mushrooms, shiro (chickpeas), mustard greens, and the fish and chicken are also amazing. Even the steamed carrots and potatoes pack a lot of flavor. I really enjoyed the soothing Ethiopian spiced tea. The decor is lovely and really reflects a beautifully rich heritage. An amazing dining experience. Highly recommend!

This was my first time having this cuisine. The flavors were really delicious. Bread was truly tasty and there were ample amounts of it all. Service was friendly and fast. We had the meat combination and yellow lentils. All very yummy!

Really cute restaurant with fast service and food. Tasty and authentic, this place has been around for decades and for a good reason. Of course the prices have gone up too, but that's everywhere. $70 for the vegetarian plate, lamb, and catfish. Choice of mild, spicy, or extra spicy. Everything served with plenty of injera.

Incredible food, wonderful staff, lovely vibe, very affordable. Definitely a must go!

In the traditional meat combination, the lamb is very good. The food is super flavorful. It was mostly too spicy for me though, but the lamb and beef in the meat combo was not spicy.

I've gone here for years. Order the same thing. And nothing ever disappoints. I order the spicy lang with an extra egg and salad. It's always good. The service is always great. It's always clean and I always miss it because i don't live close by.

Me and my Fiance frequent this Ethiopian Cuisine, we both enjoy the Fish Tibs, The Amazing Honey wine and of course the back lava and Ginger Tea or Coffee for Desert, its amazing a Piece of Heaven on eart, they've also most recently added a Bar & Restaurant next door, where you can enjoy Sports Games $ Eat and be entertained on the outside Patio. The Service and Food are Wonderful.....

Been coming here since I was born. My family has been coming here since before my parents had me. Needless to say, it's almost like home and the food tastes just like that. Home. Won't go to any other Ethiopian restaurant because it just doesn't taste the same. The owners are sweet and family orientated. They always take care of their customers. The room feels like I've teleported to East Africa. Really intimate and relaxing. I will always recommend Asmara

I've been dying to try all of the bay area's best Ethiopian/Eritrean spots. An Eritrean friend of ours said that we had to try Asmara because it's her favorite restaurant. Say less. Next thing that you know, my fiancée and I are trekking to Oakland to get the goods from Asmara. Eager, excited, and starving. Wow. What a phenomenal meal. We ordered the Doro Tibsy, Lega Tibs, and Tikil Gomen. My taste buds lit up and started jiving with every bite. The array of authentic, diverse, bold and succulent flavors made me completely forget where I was. The only thing that mattered in that moment was the next satisfying bite that I was ready to take. I'm pretty sure that my fiancée and I said nothing to one another until our plate was decimated. I guess that's the power of an Asmara meal. And as an added bonus, the service was so quick! Im pretty impatient and irritable when I'm hungry (hangry), so I was so happy be served quickly. So to tie a bow around this review, I ABSOLUTELY recommend Asmara. 5/5 stars.

The lamb tibs was to die for - so well seasoned and flavorful. Service was friendly and and welcoming. We didn't feel rushed despite us being seated less than an hour before close. I don't often crave Ethiopian but I am already craving the lamb again. They have gf injera as well.

My favorite Ethiopian restaurant in Berkeley. We go here every few months when craving for an Ethiopian food. We like the food and its ambiance. The service is pretty quick. I love their honey wine after a great meal. Enjoy!

Was going to Temescal today and we picked out Asmara based on Yelp reviews. That was a great steer because Asmara was EXCELLENT! I had the Zilzil tibs which is my favorite thing I have ever had in an Ethiopian restaurant. Steak and onions are already one of my favorites in any cuisine, and that buttery sauce was more complementary and less overpowering than the meat at many places. And those jalapenos are really more like spicy green bell peppers... so nice. My wife had the vegetarian combo and also enjoyed it quite a bit. The owner came by to check on us and said that the photo of the beautiful woman in the back was his wife and the chef! They've been there for 38 years... hope the newer clientele in Temescal continue to come. Nice big TVs had the 49ers game playing on the bar side.

Have enjoyed Asmara for many years. Nice vibe and the food is very tasty. The interior has a vibrant atmosphere with pictures and seating style. Their tea is one of my favs plus the honey wine. I strongly recommend you trying out this restaurant and see for yourself.

Very good food! We (two people) had the beef and lamb tibs with the vegetable combo. It was a pretty good amount of food but all super-flavorful. I especially enjoyed the different lentil / spice combinations in the veggie combo. It can be a little loud so we asked to move out of the middle section to a booth and the server was happy to move us. Still, 5 stars because the food was fantastic! Last note, you have to ask for forks if you need them but they're readily available.

Friendly and great service at this spot. It's a small place right off of a busy street in the Temescal area. We ordered the veggie combo and the shiro. The veggie combo was very filling - this easily serves 2 people. I liked the Temtmo/Yemsir Watt. The shiro is served in a pot on the side and is sizzling hot - I felt that the Shiro was a little pricey for the portion that was provided. Overall, a good spot to try out Ethiopian food and good ambience.

Food is excellent, service is good, ambiance is traditional. I can't wait to go back.

This place is amazing! It was my first Ethiopian cuisine experience and it was the best one I could've imagined. Our party of 3 came in on a Saturday evening and got seated immediately. We ordered the shiro and derek tips. Both were SO GOOD! The shiro was so thick and creamy; it was delicious. Derek tips was the best lamb I've ever had. Something about the way this lamb was cut and cooked was so tender and tasty. I also loved how it came with onions, jalapeños and tomatoes!! The sauté was just perfection. We also got extra injera to eat with it all. It's spongey greatness! It was also awesome how the other half of the restaurant was a bar! We went after our meal. It had a ton of people and we were treated so well there. Great vibes all around. We'll definitely be back!

Go else where it gone downhill and is a ripe off for the prices. I was so embarrassed I took a vegan friend here for dinner and was shocked for 2 reasons 1. The selection is very limited for vegetables dishes that come with each meal . 2. The portions were shockingly small the were appetizer size main dishes and tiny potatoes were uncooked and it's not cheap. You get 1 table spoon of vegetables for $20-23.00 I was shocked how they have gone downhill as a restaurant. The service was poor as well. I won't be returning as there are several Ethiopian restaurants in berkeley on telegraph ave and Oakland that are 10x better and you get your moneys worth with good service.

First time for an Ethiopian restaurant and did not disappoint. Great food and very friendly staff!

Delicious food, friendly service Asmara is a great place to get your Ethiopian/Eritrean food craving satisfied. I tried the veggie and meat combo and every item was delicious and distinct. Thinking about my dinner here is making me hungry. Come with friends or on a date for a fun, shared meal. Definitely worth a visit.

Amazing Ethiopian in Oakland! Always happy when we have a good excuse to be on this side of the bay. We always order the same things: kitfo (raw, of course), shiro (chickpea) & gomen (mustard greens). Best Ethiopian in the East Bay, as far as I'm concerned. Sorry for no pic, I get too excited when the food arrives and forget to take one. Lovely restaurant with friendly staff and great ambience. We'll be back soon!

This restaurant is a must eat stop every time I'm in the Town!!! I get the Assa (Fish) tibs and veggie combo. Best fish tibs I have had in the USA. I have tried the food all over the country and I prefer this magnificent restaurant! Service is excellent and the ambience is excellent.

I ring Eritrean and growing up on this cuisine it's hard for me to find a restaurant that tastes like grandmas. Out of all the places I been to in the bay, specifically Oakland, Asmara is truly the most authentic. The injera is perfect every time and they have the Teff version upon request for my gluten-free folks out there. Vegan? No problem! There are many vegan options in Eritrean/Ethiopian cuisine (during Tsom/fasting time the orthodox Christian's eat no animal products). However for my meat lovers the chicken in the doro wat is amazing! the kitfo is fantastic and for my vegetarians I highly recommend my favorite, Shiro! It is even served in a mini clay pot (tsah'li) which is traditionally used to make it back home (holds flavor the more you use it kind of like a cast iron pot does). For one-on-ones or group events always eat family style to get the full experience. Next door is a bar too so you can eat and have a drink or hop over next door after to continue your plans. The staff and owners are always friendly, definitely home away from home. They also have take out! For people who are too shy to eat with their hands in public.

My favorite Thing about Ethiopian restaurants is how much food they give you. This was my first time trying this place and I am very satisfied from the customer service to the flavor of the food. There is no parking in the front of the place so I had to park across the street in the plaza which wasn't too bad there were a lot of open spots and normally there isn't. When I walked in I was greeted immediately, very sweet and very good customer service, he then handed me a menu and I looked it over and placed my order. I got the doro wat , which is a piece of chicken and some red sauce and an egg, it came with veggies and salad. I was in a rush so I was very pleased that the food came out within 10 minutes. I went on a weekday in the afternoon and the place wasn't crowded at all a quick in and out. I was happy because I drove 20 minutes away and when I got home it was still hot and fresh. I am adding this place to my list of Ethiopian restaurants.

Great flavoring & preparation for both the meat & vegetable combinations. It was a hit with our 12- & 14-year olds and we'll be back!

Super large portions and a unique serving style. They serve unrolled injera for eating your food, which I wasn't a huge fan of but it was still usable. Service was polite if a tad slow. Ambiance was rustic, with normal sit down tables, bathrooms were clean and well maintained. They have local IPA on draft which was nice. I really enjoyed their collard greens and really loved the way they serve the dish with some yogurt and salad throughout the platter. The lamb tibs were also very good. Less amazing was the eggplant tibs, which was good but not amazing. The chickpeas were pretty bland, so I wouldn't order them again. Again, the portions were huge, definitely worth the price and overall the platter very tasty.

I have been a long time Asmara fan and have eaten there many times. I haven't been in the area for awhile and decided to order delivery tonight. Unfortunately, the lamb was dry and unseasoned. Not a spice to be tasted. The veggie combo is different than it used to be, and the quality has gone down significantly. Unseasoned, bland, and unappetizing. I don't know what happened, but this restaurant really took a nose dive.

I loved this place. The staff were really friendly and the food was delicious. The atmosphere was nice, chill and low-key. I would recommend checking it out, plus it's in a cool part of Oakland.

I like to try new cuisines, so I tried Eritrean food at Asmara and the chicken drumstick curry called Doro watt and the curry was delicious with rich flavors! Pros: good meat options and rich flavors in curry Cons: most of the veggie options were bland, a bit on the more expensive side Ambiance: 3.5 Taste: 4.5 Value: 4 Service: 3.5

The servers were incredibly nice and consistently checked up on us. I ordered the meat combination, and the food was wonderful and was full of unique spices. I was able to share a nice meal with my good friends. There was even a lamp at every table that turned different colors to really help set the mood.

Food is always amazing customer service is always top tier! Meets the vibe check definitely a place you will visit frequently!