Axum Restaurant

We came in about 1:45PM. We were the only ones in the restaurant when we came in. We were going to order the meat combo but we were told by the server that the combo is made fresh Sunday and Monday and was 24 hours old if we ordered it today (Tuesday.) He said we could get fresher food by ordering the beef Tibs, which we did. We also got the vegetable combo which he said was made fresh every day. The good was all very flavorful. It was simply delicious! They brought out way more than enough bread, which is rare in my experience at other Ethiopian restaurants. Service was very attentive and friendly. We couldn't have asked for anything more. The only thing I didn't like is that water is $1 a bottle and served in a glass. I like free water, but that's okay. I look forward to coming back here again!

Honestly the food is beyond amazing. I ordered the vegetable combo and it did take a bit to come back to the table but to me that means they were either making the Injera or they were cooking my food. The waitress was very nice and I believe the owner was also there. When my food arrived he came over to show me how the food is eaten in case it was my first time. Idea for a date night but not the first date. Two thumbs up

Simply amazing. So many terrible places in the area, this is epic. And live music on Wednesday nights.

Food was amazing! Our teenagers have never eaten Ethiopian food before and they were patient and seemed eager to show them how to eat the meal. It took a while for the food to come out, but it was worth it. We all said it was the best meal we've eaten in ages. The portions are large and we left with enough food for another meal or two.

One the best Ethiopian restaurants we have been to in many cities in the US. Great food, clean interior, very nice hosts, plenty of parking space. Go there and you will not be disappointed. Highly recommended!

First time experiencing Ethiopian food.... one word...... LOVED! We had the Veggie Combo and Awaze Tibs (beef tips) were amazing!!! The manager Tadesse and Sarah (chef) were friendly.... came out to check on you.... very pleasing experience! Will definitely be back!

Ok, so the food was great, service was great. However, hygiene can definitely be improved. I sat at the bar to have my meal, and during the course of about 30 min, I saw 3 rats scurrying back and forth the floor behind the bar. Not cool

So I am a big fan of ethopian meats and so each city I visit I chance to go to at least one Ethopian Resturant in each. So to rate this fairly I will compare it only to Ethopian Resturants. Service - Amazing, the owner and host gave us great service. I was even able to take the paste and spice home as a souvenier with me (took it for my Rastaman friend). 5 out of 5 Price - We had the lamb and Beef which was very filling and since the meats are my favorite I found them plentiful and so great value. 5 out of 5 Food - Great Value, great tasting. Great Spice. The lamb was a bit fatty so I prefered the beef. The bread I like if its more bitter. Good portions. 5 out of 5 Decore - I been to more athenitc or decorated ethoipain restaurants so this one lacks it. Its more standard returant that offer ethopian food. Lots of ethopians dinning there but not necessary featuring an ethopian authetic decor. This is where they have room to imporve on. 3 out if 5 All in all I go again and again.

Don't come on Sunday drive all the way there and it was close. It's says on line open and on the door they have open 7 days a week it's a lie so inconvenient

The food was bland. Where were the Ethiopian spices? It was extremely disappointing. Good injera but ice cold from the refrigerator. We got a mixed meat and vegetable platter. The order was entirely wrong and took 30 minutes despite only one other table of two in the restaurant. The service was apologetic but the food was not worth the effort of getting there.

Axum was my first time eating Ethiopian food. It definitely is on one of the sketchiest corners of Las Vegas, but I didn't feel unsafe inside or outside the restaurant. When we walked in we waited for a table but two men at the bar told us to sit anywhere we wanted. There was one other group seated when we got there, and throughout our meal a number of other groups came and went. Everyone seems to know each other and visit the other tables to say hello or goodbye, so this is definitely a locals spot. As another reviewer mentioned, the entire clientele seems to consist of Ethiopian men, mostly drinking beers and having fun catching up. Although I'm sure the waitress knew we'd never been there before, she didn't give any intro or ask if we had any questions. That's okay, thanks Yelp for giving me a brief intro on what to expect here! They didn't have any Ethiopian beer despite it being on the menu, so we settled for Newcastle (all bottles). We ordered the vegetarian combo and tibs wot. We were also served two baskets of injera aside from the injera the meal is set on. The pictures really don't do these dishes justice: they are humongous! I know you wouldn't think that a few mounds of lentils on a plate of bread would fill you up but it does. The plates have to be 12-15" in diameter and we could barely fit two of them front to back on the table. The tibs wot was delicious. It was slightly spicy and the meat was similar to a stew meat with a hearty sauce, not too soupy. We ate all of this dish. The vegetarian combo was also really good and I wish I knew what all of the dishes were. I'd say my favorites were the red lentils and the other red colored dish followed by the yellow (potatoes I think?), the green lentils, and the collard greens last. There's also a salad in the middle with hot peppers that added a nice kick. I wish we could have finished it all because I felt bad for leaving food, though the waitress did offer a to-go box which we accepted. We finished the meal with Ethiopian coffee which, for $1.50 is making me wish Axum opened earlier in the morning. Overall I really enjoyed the experience and I have to say Ethiopian food is now one of my favorite cuisines. The closest comparison I can make is to Indian food in terms of the depth of spices. My only reason for the 4 stars instead of 5 is that I now see Axum has been on Dirty Dining twice in the last year (most recently in January) and that makes me pretty squeamish. I may wait a little longer to return and explore the west side Ethiopian restaurants but I'm hoping they can keep everything under control and I will gladly return.

Decent Food. Bad Neighborhood. (Star rating based on restaurant, not location). The food was decent, especially for my friend's first time eating Ethiopian food. One of the lentil dishes was slightly under cooked, but everything was delicious. The service was good. The owner wasn't there when we arrived, but was there as we were finishing and was extremely hospitable and welcoming. Rating not dependent on location, but if you are visiting, you should know this info. Our major issue was the location. Our taxi driver questioned why we would ever want to go there, we should have inquired further. We had great difficulty getting an Uber or taxi back to our hotel. A female Uber driver canceled our pickup because she wouldn't drive into the area. We felt safe & secure early in the evening, but we would not have later.

We came in mid-day and we're waited on by two people. Both were incredibly attentive. The cook recommended the spicy beef stew, so we got that work a veg platter. The stew was spicy and flavorful, with so many flavors melding together... It was pretty amazing. The veg platter was good with an array of veggies and flavors. We were given extra bread before we needed it and didn't have to ask for anything. Refills, extra ice, extra bread.... All brought as we were running low, but we never ran out. Great food & excellent staff. I highly recommend this place!

Prior to going vegan, I had never really tried other cuisines. I was afraid of the unknown but I soon realized that this fear came from my own mind. As a relatively new Vegan (7 months feels like forever) and a new resident of Las Vegas we have been all over the city eating foods from all cuisines that provide vegan options. My girlfriend found Axum and I have to say this place blew our minds. The veggie plate was huge and fulfilling, with lentils red and green, corns, beans etc...Axum knows how to put it all together. I'm the food didn't take too long to prepare and the environment was that of a family environment and they welcomed you as their own. Although they are located in a part of town that isnt very aesthetically pleasing, they still manage to be awesome hosts and provide excellent food. Their customer service is what made this place our one and only Ethiopian food home for us. The ONLY reason this place gets four stars is the area that it is located in. I wouldn't want my girlfriend and her friends to go there alone as the establishment in itself is nice, but outside of their doors is the REAL world as it exists in its unforgiving littered streets of the lost of Las Vegas. Other than that.....we have been there about three times and it's not close to where we live but the journey is worth every mouthful. Enjoy!

This was probably the most awkward dining experience I have had in Vegas. A coworker suggested it for lunch, and I should have done my research (Merkato across the street has 18 reviews; Axum had 1)... We get there, the open sign is off. Someone let us in anyway. A few patrons smoking at the bar. Even weirder, the lights in the restaurant were off. I am convinced they were not really open and just had friends in smoking....seriously. The tables were not really ready for meal service. The nice lady behind the bar is also the waitress, and she hands us menus. They do not serve tap water here, so we got bottles. The menu only has maybe 8 things on it, I am not sure if it was just lunch or not. I decide on a chicken dish - she says they are out. So I order 1 beef and my coworker orders 1 lamb. She asked if we want 2? She did not really understand or speak English except for "thank you." I was not sure if she meant 2 each or what, but when the food came, I realized she meant we could have split one. Each plate was massive, and had the flat, soft bread on the bottom. Mine had a salad, a paste, and then she poured my meat dish on it and provided a side of bread. My friend had the lamb in the same set up but with some mashed yellow lentils. The meat and sauce itself was good and had a nice spice, and the salad was fresh with chillies too, but the paste is what killed me. I dipped some bread (this is all eat-by-hand, no utensils here), and it tasted like toxic ground coffee....I thought I was poisoned. It was horrible. I covered it with some extra bread and just ate a little more beef, but then a giant flying bug landed on the table and I lost my appetite. Plus I was still eating in the dark and dipping my hands in an oily beef dish. Honestly I think I am turned off from trying any Ethiopian restaurant now, and I would never go here again. My friend felt bad and paid for me and took my leftovers. I am fairly adventurous but I prefer to eat in restaurants that are open for business, have the lights on, and have someone who can explain in my language what the food is about so I can order correctly and know what I am eating.

It was alright. The ambiance is poor, the food was alright at best. We got the vegetable plate and was unfortunately not terribly impressed. I'm used to Ethiopian food having much more flavor, unfortunately, it was lacking in the flavor department. I doubt I would return here. Also, the area isn't the best. Food prices are reasonable.

Another Meet-up of Poly's Adventures in Dining. About 70 people at the event. You know you ain't eating at a normal place when the first thing they give you when you walk in is a few shots from a hand sanitizer container ! The meal is basically served on a platter - there are about 5 different "stews" made with different meats ( lamb, chicken, pork beef ) small salads, lentils and a basket of rolled up geez, i guess we'll call them pancake/ crepes that you use to scoop up the plattered stews. prior to the platter, they serve you an appetizer that after taking a bite i forgot how to breathe for about 3 seconds - it was a chili filled with lord knows what - one bite and my mouth and throat went numb from the heat !! a gallon water later - i survived ! i even tried one of the stews that was actually raw lamb - called gored or goret - it was a little too chewy for me, but not bad and my stomach survived that experience. The meal ended with a ceremony prior to serving a very, very, very strong coffee - a little sugar and it was ok by me. A nice change of pace. the owner and staff are very accommodating and very receptive to sharing the culture and food of Ethiopia.

This place was a regular place for my boyfriend and I until, #1 their hours are completely incorrect. They really aren't open late so don't even try, (we wasted our gas to go there when they were supposed to be open, and of course they weren't)#2 the last time we were there they serve us some old and stale injera, they continued to tell us it was fresh and clearly it wasn't. None of the waitresses understand proper English. They don't appreciate customer loyalty. I won't be back. There are way better places in town to go to.

I was so impressed!! I started with a cup of coffee, of course. Ethiopian coffee is some of the best in the world and it was great. We ordered from the lunch menu, which I thought was pretty extensive. There were at least 25-30 different things to choose from. Ethiopian food is served without silverware, and you pick it up with injera (a wonderful spongy flat bread). It was a fabulous meal We had a platter selection with two types of lentils, salads, cooked greens and a beef and green pepper dish. All of which was wonderful. The flavors are so dynamic. The person who waited on us also cooked our meal. We found her to be helpful and kind, and efficient.

This place is the best! My favorite are the samosas but their entire menu is great. On top of their great food, they also have the best customer service and affordable dining cost. We will definitely be back here again... and again. :)

Axum happened to be my first real experience with Ethiopian food (previously I had it while going to school at an ethnic potluck dinner). I went here with a group of 8 - 10 people, one of which loved the place and was actually the one to suggest we go. When I walked it I immediately noticed that there was group of I am guessing Ethiopians sitting around the bar and no one else. The place did not look very prepared for serving restaurant patrons. So the menus come out and I guess since he had suggested the restaurant he decided to order for everyone, since he was familiar with the cuisine. I'm a little miffed at this point, but don't care enough to make a big deal about it. At least they ordered some vegetarian food. So when the food comes out, they have these huge platters with injera, the traditional Ethiopian bread, on the bottom and the food on top. I enjoyed the experience of eating with my hands and sharing, but the food was not that great and the atmosphere totally sucked. When we had finished our meal, the waitress mentioned that the restaurant was under new management and handed us some business cards. I'm guessing the change of management could account for the discrepancy between Keith A's review and mine. Either that or I'm just a picky asshole. It's probably the later.

We eat Ethiopian food a lot, We always enjoy coming here for a great meal. We always get Doro Wat, Kitfu, Vegetarian combo & Zil Zil tibs. Everything is always prepared with love and tastes great.

Food was amazing. I really liked it. I had the veggie platter . It was lunch time, the cook apparently had to stop at the store so I waited over 1/2 hour. I'm thinking that next time I will check and make sure that they have the cook there and ready before I try to order. They do give you a bottle of water without asking if you wanted or not, and of course it comes with a dollar price tag on it. So it was a little bit of a mess, and considering I had to wait so long for my food , I really don't think they should've charged me for the water. Just my opinion . But the food was good so I'll probably go back.

Their hours online show open til 4am. The sign on the door says 2am. We showed up for dinner at 9pm. The open sign was on. We were greeted at the door and told they were closed, with no explanation why. There were other patrons eating. We were a business couple, not drinking, arrived politely by uber. No reason to not serve us. Will not be back.

I really enjoyed Ethiopian food when I lived in Denver, so decided to give Axum a try on a recent trip to Vegas. A group of 4 friends shared one meat sampler platter and 2 veggie sampler platters. All of the food was served on one giant, Injera lined platter and we were given baskets of rolled up Injera to eat it with. I can't remember all that was included, but there was kitfo (cooked, not raw) and several lamb and beef stews with different sauces, a few lentil dishes, cooked greens, cooked vegetables and a white cheese similar to queso fresco. Everything was bursting with wonderful flavor and we were absolutely stuffed when finished. The service was excellent and our waiter (possibly the owner) and a waitress chatted with us and made sure that we were enjoying the meal. Afterward they brought out a big platter of popcorn with sugar and some small caramel candies. They also brought out some very strong coffee served in tiny cups. If you are looking to experience an "adventure in eating" vs a boring Vegas buffet full of everyday American food, give Axum a try.

Ethiopian food is my favorite & I was so stoked to find a spot in Vegas. Axum's veggie combo held up against some of Oakland's top contenders- And trust me, Oakland probably has some of the best Ethiopian & Eritrean cuisine in the entire country, better than LA & NYC for sure! What I liked about this place was not only the super friendly service-our waitress was awesome, the chef & the owner both came to our table separately to say hello & see how we were enjoying our food, it felt good. Even the salad on the platter was perfectly dressed and fresh, not soggy or watery. Everything they served us was unique in flavor & the okra alicha was a real treat, being a departure from the standard selection generally offered on a veg combo. Some places will try to pass off 4 scoops of the same stew using different colored legumes, not here dear reader!! The gomen was also perfectly cooked & delicious. My partner & I really loved this spot. The atmosphere in the bar was chill while the restaurant had a fun family vibe. I would absolutely return to Axum!

Great food at an excellent price with generous portions. It is a bit of a hole in the wall so the ambiance may not be right for everyone, but the owners are very nice and the experience is authentic and familial.

My partner and I stumbled upon this spot in the very last hours of a whirlwind weekend in Vegas. We were looking for a quick and delicious meal before we made our way to the airport and Axum just happened to be the closest restaurant to the bar we were at - and we are so glad it was! After three days of hotel buffets and bar food, the feast at Axum was a perfect note on which to end the trip. We walked in to a room shrouded in the heady scent of incense and coffee beans - they had just performed a traditional coffee ceremony - perhaps a daily ritual. It was early still and we were the first patrons of the evening. There were a number of round tables and chairs arranged about the fairly large space that gave the sense of doubling as a spot for community where the furniture could be easily stacked away to accommodate large gatherings. To say that the staff was friendly would be an understatement. The effusive waitress brought us our menus and bottled waters and took great care to explain the menu to us. We weren't super hungry so decided to get the fitfit and a meat sampler platter to share - and oh boy, the portions could have fed an entire family. The fitfit - warm injera bread with a veggie medley was delicious. The sampler platter came with a basket of injera and a variety of spiced lamb and chicken dishes and veggies including beans and greens - all wonderfully flavored and lip-smacking. The food was spicy, just the way we like it. We ate with our hands, which was the perfect way to enjoy the feast before us. Living in New York, I was definitely familiar with Ethiopian cuisine but there were some flavors on my plate that I had never experienced earlier. In general the ambience and flavors had a certain authenticity to them. And for the amount of food we were served, it was a real steal. For anyone with an adventurous spirit looking for a unique dining experience in Vegas among a sea of generic joints, this is definitely a place worth checking out. Additionally, you would be supporting what seems to be a business that is owned and operated by immigrants, people of color and members of a vibrant community - one that provides for a great cultural experience. In brief: Axum - two enthusiastic thumbs up!

This is the best most authentic Ethiopian place in town. Please do yourself a favor and try the veggie combo and meat combo, you won't be disappointed, it will be amazing. I've tried every place in town and they are the best! Take it from someone who loves food from everywhere around the world.