Blue Nile Ethiopian Restaurant

Always worth the yearly pilgrimage. I make it a point to come to Blue Nile about once a year, and every time, it reminds me why it’s such a gem. The vegetarian platter is consistently phenomenal—vibrant, flavorful, and deeply satisfying. It’s the kind of meal that feels both comforting and celebratory. The staff strike the perfect balance: warm, attentive, and present without hovering. Whether it's your first time or your fiftieth, you’ll feel genuinely welcomed. If you’re looking for a place that never misses—this is it. Strongly recommend.

This was my second visit to Blue Nile Restaurant in Ann Arbor, Michigan, an Ethiopian eatery. I love it because they offer gluten-free bread made from teff flour. The all-you-can-eat vegetarian feast and the spiced Ethiopian tea, which is naturally sweet, are both delightful. The ambiance is inviting, and the decor transports you beyond the U.S. The staff frequently checks in to see if you need more food. The dishes are flavorful and satisfying without feeling heavy afterward. I also enjoy eating with my fingers and the bread, and the communal vibe reminds me of home in the Philippines. I’d rate this place a 10 out of 10 for its food taste and ambiance. However, there is a $3 charge each time you order more gluten-free bread.

This was my first time tasting Ethiopian food and Blue Nile didn’t disappoint! I got the vegetarian platter and thought all of the lentils were delicious and warm. It was fun, but a bit messy, to use the injera to pick up the lentils. The chicken doro wat was extremely tender and falling off the bone, and had an amazing sauce. The waiters bring you a hot wet towel to wipe your hands with before and after eating and are very nice. You have to pay an extra fee for teff flour injera instead of wheat flour, which I didn’t do but I’m curious of how it tastes different.

Wow, what a great restaurant! Tried it for the first time yesterday and I’ll most assuredly be back. I ordered the spicy chicken with the vegetarian feast. (With the veg feast being all you can eat, the chicken is optional/a delicacy). Everything was cooked to perfection and the staff members were all very attentive. Great view of downtown Ann Arbor too. Loved it. A+ all the way!

Guilt free dinner it was!!! The vegetarian feast was hearty delicious with chicken, mutton and beef sides. Well attended thoughtful service!! The Ethiopian spice tea is a must try, it’s sweetened with cinnamon!!!! Here we get to choose desserts from a tray!! Which is always the best part of dinning in. We tried the bread pudding and lemon sorbet, both were delicious!! A great place for a group to share from a plate!!

Ok, injera bread is full teff. They brought out something else. And the second attempt it wasn't full on teff injera. The food needs more spices in general but at least was healthy and filling. Everything seemed to be dialed down almost as if the food itself didn't want to offend anyone by being too spicy. And I'm not a fan of spice. And the prices are just a little high. 21 for veg only and then another 10 to 20 for meat? I can't go back. Staff were friendly but I don't know, it would be nice if the non Ethiopian staff would show an interest in being more down to earth. Please offer a more robust version like your sister site in Ferndale.

I like how standardized the menu is for both drinks and food! Got to try come really different flavors of warm alcoholic beverages and different styles of serving. Definitely worth a experience. We ordered vegetable fiesta with Doro wat curry.

First time at an Ethiopian restaurant but it was an interesting experience. We went in for restaurant week and ordered the "blue Nile feast". The food was good, but rather than the entire spread I think next time is order a few of my preferred dishes. We got the bread pudding and brownie for dessert. Maybe it wasn't the smartest choice but the brownie was so dry and not good while the bread pudding was much better. The drinks were a nice touch but rather expensive. The service was lacking. I drink a lot of water and during the main course they did not stop once (~30 minutes).

Stop whatever it is you are doing and go to blue Nile right now. If you have not been to this restaurant I feel sorry for you and your tastebuds. I have frequented this establishment for almost my entire life. Birthdays, graduation, happy days, sad days all spent here. The spicy peas are what you get when you take a pea and throw into the air and an angel catches it and gently hands it back to you. If I had a Time Machine I would go back and simply experience this dish for the first time again. If I could choose between a billion dollars or the recipe for the spicy peas I would choose a billion dollars and then spend about $10 million of those dollars to buy the recipe and keep the rest. It's truly hard to describe how transcendent this dish is. Truly the best restaurant on the planet.

Great food, great service, great ambiance. Had a great meal here with my family and we are looking forward to returning soon. Great vegan food!

Really delicious food and friendly wait staff. Veggie feast was super well seasoned. I'll definitely come back.

We ordered the overpriced veg meal with all you can eat. There was nothing we ate that tasted good or even resembled Ethiopian flavors. It's truly an abominations! Vegan but awful. Bread not sour.

I worked at Blue Nile while attending U of M in the late 1990s and ate countless meals there then. The owners Habte and Alma were always so lovely to me. I've lived in New York for 25 years since and have eaten at several renowned Ethiopian restaurants in cities across the US, but none compare to Blue Nile. Blue Nile recipes are perfect from the injera bread to every single dish on the menu, it's truly the best. I've craved a Blue Nile meal for years and had it on my bucket list to come back to Ann Arbor just to eat an Ethiopian feast again. I finally got a chance this past weekend. As soon as I walked in the door the aroma (and nostalgia) hit me. Everything tasted exactly as I remembered after all these years. They've expanded the restaurant but it still retains the same style as it did when I worked there. The staff is friendly and attentive. It's a great value (in my opinion, they should raise their prices). I was sad not to be able to buy tea by the jar anymore, so I drank several refills to savor it. Blue Nile is a treasure and I hope it continues to thrive.

Our friends who live in Ann Arbor took us to The Blue Nile recently while we were in town. It was Nate's first time trying Ethiopian food, which was exciting to share with him. The vibe inside was cozy and dimly lit, and I think it would make a great date spot. You can make a reservation on their website, but we didn't end up needing one on a Sunday evening. We found street parking nearby, but there are garages around that you can park in as well. The best way to go in my opinion is to get the all you can eat vegetarian platter. For $20 per person, you get generous portions of each of the vegetarian dishes, and they will refill whatever ones you want any time. You can also add their meat dishes for an additional cost - we got each of the meat dishes, including chicken, beef, and lamb. Blue Nile has a full bar, which is pretty unique for this type of restaurant. I opted for the spiced Ethiopian tea, which is a warming blend of spices and is perfect for a chilly fall day. The meal begins with a hot towel to clean your hands, as the food is all eaten without silverware. The dishes are served with injera, a spongy fermented flatbread that also serves as a utensil to scoop the dishes up. I've had better injera before, but it definitely did the trick for this meal. I really enjoyed all the different dishes, but my favorites were the red lentils, spicy beef, and lamb. Everything was super flavorful and the meat was so tender. The chicken fell right off the bone. I like that they had the option of meat dishes, as the other Ethiopian restaurants I've visited usually are completely vegetarian or vegan. Service was attentive and friendly and we were completely stuffed after this meal. I'd visit again for more tasty food and hot tea!

I have had the Blue Nile on my list of places to try for some time, and I was finally able to make it! It did not disappoint. We ordered the vegetarian feast, which is $19.99 per person. The veggies are all you can eat. We also added a la carte beef and spicy chicken. Unfortunately, I did not write down the accurate names. The beef was the star of the show. It was spicy, earthy, and delicious. My favorite out of the veggies were the cabbage and collard greens. The bread given to eat the food was light and spongy but very filling. It almost made me wish for a fork because I was so full from using the bread. The customer service was excellent, and I loved the beautiful details of the restaurant like the hand towels provided to clean your hands and even the beautiful wood decor of the restaurant.

Interesting place, food was good and staff were great. I recommend trying this place, you will enjoy the experience.

We went to The Blue Nile with the hopes of finding an Ethiopian restaurant similar to our favorite in Chicago, The Blue Nile did not disappoint, but the menu structure was unclear to us before dining. You essentially HAVE to get the all you can eat vegetarian meal, then add on any meats or extras. That's about $20 per person for veggie dishes. The portion sizes are generous - my husband and I had a hard time fully finishing just our first plate. I understand why they have this policy, but the no leftovers rule was a bummer. It ultimately felt like we didn't get that much food for what we paid, just due to the limitations of our stomachs that night. On the bright side, the food was amazing. Everything was unique and flavorful; we actually liked it better than our Chicago spot. I would still come here again, just better prepared with an empty stomach and AYCE expectations. This is also a great spot to take any visiting vegetarian friends.

I was really excited and looking forward to experience Ethiopian food for the first time. I'm originally from Chicago but am visiting Ann Arbor with my best friend whom has dined here before. The prices here aren't not cheap. It's more like $$$. We ordered the Veggie Platter which is $19.95/pp which is AYCE. The server will come ask if you would like a refill on any of the veggies entrees. However, the meat is not part of the AYCE option. Meat dishes are ordered a la carte and range like $7-8 depending on chicken or beef. The lamb however is $16.95. The spiced tea is also very good $3.95. It comes with Injera (Ethiopian bread) that is very spongy in texture. The way to eat the food is to rip off a piece of the Injera and use it to scoop up the entrees using your fingers. I'm sure you can ask for utensils but don't expect them to be at your table. The Injera is nothing like a naan that is more "bready". It's very hard to describe and it's not at all flavorful, but super filling. The flavors are savory and they have a kick. However, I found the taste to not be rich enough to my liking. I prefer Indian food that packs a punch with all the spicy yet has some richness to the entrees. Here I didn't sense that but did sense a lot of spices throughout the dishes. The restaurant decor is beautiful. I gave it 4 stars only because our server wasn't that attentive and failed to refill our tea and water when we requested a few times.

I'm a huge fan of Ethiopian food and try it out in different places I travel. Unfortunately the food here is subpar and I wouldn't recommend it at all.

http://www.bluenilemi.com/ ten out of ten! i have been wanting to experience ethiopian food for quite some time now. i am so glad i went. the restaurant itself felt very authentic and the staff was very attentive and kind. we opted for the endless vegetarian platter. website link above for descriptions. it was the perfect amount of food that made you feel satisfied and not overly full. next time you're in A2, check them out!

Don't listen to what anyone says, this place is amazing. I have been here four times in my life and each time was delicious. I love the vegetarian feast, I could eat it all day long. Spicy lentils are the best. The first time I went here, my cousin's glass of water exploded. She was fine. The second time, they wouldn't let me take my leftovers home but that's okay. The third time, I took like six friends and didn't realize they'd each have to pay $20. Oh well. The fourth time, I went on a double date wherein I asked my friends not to do PDA beforehand. They said this place was mid. Then one of the waiters came up with dessert and I asked if we had to pay for it. He paused, still smiling and said yes. I declined the dessert.

My husband and I have eaten Ethiopian food across many states and countries over the past 29 years. It's by far my favorite cuisine, to the point where, during COVID, we even Zoomed with a couple from Ethiopia to learn to make mother for Injera and regularly made our own dishes. This restaurant was by far the most disappointing experience of my life, for reasons that went well beyond the food, but I'll start there. Considering the food is vegan friendly, it was well-seasoned, a bit salty, but that would be fine. The Injera--even if using "white" teff--was the worst I've ever had. A good injera can take weeks to make, and even then it's tricky to get right. Definitely requires a heck of a lot of respect, love, and patience when making it. But this injera was beyond bad--it barely had any bubbles or "sponge" to it. It broke apart when folded, and was as thin as thin could be, almost like a crepe without the taste. There was absolutely no care put into the making of it, and that showed in both the texture and flavor (also non-existent). The food came out almost immediately, which is testimony to the "conveyor belt" mentality this restaurant seems to embrace, churning out the same plate over and over of "all you can eat" veggie dishes. But the worst of all is how this restaurant works its menu. The meat options are less than ANY Ethiopian restaurant that we've been to, and include only four very basic dishes. This restaurant advertises "All you can eat" vegetable dishes, which is a joke and the only time I've ever seen this, at any Ethiopian restaurant we've visited over the years. It's ridiculous because it treats the food as if it's buffet style or something--this when I can't imagine that 2-4+ people would EVER order "more veggies" given how filling even one plate of Ethiopian food is. (Even dining with four people, I don't think we've ever NOT had leftovers with just one basic plate, historically speaking.) For this "all you can eat" veggie dish, they charge $21+ per person, plus weirdly extra for the Timatim salad which is a basic standard on a veggie plate in pretty much every place we've eaten. Meats are "sides" and extra. Fine, we said. Fine. My husband and I didn't ask for any more "all you can eat" veggie dishes. We did ask for more injera given that we barely got any to begin with. Then after asking for more once, we did what everyone should do--we started to also use the injera that is served as the "plate" under the food (FYI that's usually the best eats! Soaks up all the good flavor). You can imagine our surprise then when, as usual, I "wrapped up" my plate of leftovers to take home. (Side note, the injera did not "wrap" up, given how breakable it is--again a first.) When I asked for a take away box, a woman (the owner?) explained that they don't allow you to take home your leftovers. Aside from the issue of WASTE (I sincerely hope they compost), this is antithetical--completely so--to a culture and cuisine that values community and sharing, not to mention NOT wasting the precious commodity that is food, in general. When I asked why, it seemed to boil down to this "all you can eat" issue--I assume because they don't want people to over-order (which again, we did NOT do at all) and therefore haul away with "extras". Again, the model itself is ABSURD in the first place with this cuisine, and I strongly suggest the restaurant reconsider its menu and "strategy" for delivering their food. (And for God's sake, please show some genuine respect when making the MOTHER of all holy breads, injera.) We ended up having to leave our leftovers at the table. When I asked if it was somehow better to THROW OUT food rather than let costumers who love food take theirs home and actually eat it and NOT waste it, she just sort of shrugged. Another day, another dollar I guess. Again...this is so antithetical to a culture that values both food and warm hospitality and a "waste not" mentality. I am not lying when I say that this experience actually made me cry, I found it so upsetting. I have never--never ever before this--left an Ethiopian restaurant with such a bad taste in my mouth and sadness in my heart. I have before this always left with a sense of fullness, love, and gratitude that this culture and cuisine exists. For this experience we paid over $100 (a beer and two Tej included) when all was said and done. For a party of two. $25 of it was gifted to the always wide-mouthed dumpster.

This is the best Ethiopian restaurant in Michigan. They used to have an all you can eat meat platter but have gotten rid of it. Nevertheless, the food is excellent and very flavorful. I love the Doro Wot and Dibs.

Went here after wandering around a bit in Ann Arbor. We sat outside and it was the perfect night for it. Staff was out immediately to get order. Staff roamed around and refilled the bread, water, and if you wanted- vegetables. The sad thing is you cannot just get a vegetable dish alone- you have to get the feast. It's $18.95 per person. It is "all you care to eat" and it's still not necessarily what you might want. It does come out fast! We did have to "find" original staff who took out order to get the check. That did take a minute... Food was excellent though and enjoyable- just a lot more than intended. One round can feed two hungry folks easily.

The food never disappoints! We all ordered the vegetarian platter and added a meat: lamb and spicy chicken. It was great for our group because we could get more of whatever we ate most of and we did that a few times. Each side tasted fresh and different- no flavors were muddled so it was great to have the variety. The meats were also so different and rich. It was slightly messy to eat with our hands but then we used the bread to touch the meat and it helped soak up the sauces and keep our fingers more clean. The tea and coffee was great at the end. I'd maybe skip on the desserts. While they were Ok, I don't think they're freshly made so save that dessert for another place in AA. I like that you can sit outside as well but we enjoyed inside to ourselves with our small group. Friendly service. Can't wait to go back!

I haven't had Ethiopian since the pandemic started last year. The Blue Nile in Ferndale is still sadly closed for dine-in and is only available for carry out, but it's pricey to get carry out items and only be capped at 1 serving for the two of us. Guess we will be going to AA whenever we want Ethiopian food then. It's busy in here. Parking was fun. They don't have their own parking lot like the one in Ferndale. They are busy with orders that no one is seating folks. Doesn't appear to be at 25% capacity, we only see 2 booths that are not seated. They do have these isolated rooms to the side, those look ideal here. Their vegetarian feast is $1 more than the one in Ferndale. Ok. We did get seated but no one has come to get our order for a bit. Service is nowhere the same as the one in Ferndale, not by a mile. Luckily we are seated by the window and away from everyone else and only the waiter would walk to our table. We have been sitting with our menus for a food 5-7 minutes, still no one. 10 minutes later I see the owner or manager grab two glasses and fill it with water. We finally got water after 10 minutes, still haven't been able to put in our order yet. Took us 15 minutes to get our order in, finally. If they are going to be at 65-75% capacity, which isn't allowed at the moment, they need to make sure they have the staffing to cover all of the guests in a timely manner. Social distancing doesn't seem to be enforced either here. We ordered two vegetarian feast, added the timatim salad, dorot wat (spicy chicken) too, no injera. We got our food in less than 5 minutes, no hot towel. No way to eat our food wince we have no injera and no silverware yet. The salad is bland and lame, not enough dressing and not enough lemon in the dressing either. The yellow and green lentils are my least favorite. The green lentil is warm here and tastes different from what I was expecting. We scarfed down the first round, it will likely take a while to get a second round of food then. We even pushed our platter to the end of the table to make it visible, nothing yet. It will be breakfast by the time we get round two. The portions here for two are smaller than at the other location too. Also we were done with our veggie platter and our chicken hasn't come out yet at all. We finally had a waiter take our platter and he was going to check on our chicken and grab us another platter as well. The waiter asked what chicken we ordered, he went to check grab it. Round two down. Chicken is tasty, flavorful, messy. My husband thinks we should try to get to 4 or 5 rounds. He is assuming it costs around $1 a dish for the restaurant. The 3rd round went down a bit slower than the first two. I am done. My husband wants to go for round 4 to break his record. Round 4 with two servings of the red lentil and the split peas. 27 dishes counting the chicken and the salad too. So stuffed. Our 3rd or 4th waiter that dealt with us was more attentive than the first 3. John's name was on our bill, but I don't know which of the waiters that was. An hour dinner turned into a bit short of 2 hours tonight. We received our bill soon enough. Food was all good, service was subpar.

I'm an Ethiopian food connoisseur. The food here was fresh, and it was served quickly, but it was a bit bland spice-wise. It was still delicious, though, and authentic. The ambiance was great. There was Ethiopian art on the walls. There's even a private room for large parties. We didn't have a reservation but were still seated right away. The location is great. It's in a safe area, close to campus and about a block from a parking garage.

This was our first time here. It was ok. The food was fair (not great, not bad). Service was fair. It was just ok. I enjoyed the experience but we wouldn't come back. Chicken was overcooked, greasy, and just tasted like oiled/buttered/over boiled chicken legs. Vegetarian tray was ok but just ok.

Great food! We had never tried Ethiopian food before, but we really enjoyed it. It was nice that the vegetarian feast allowed us to try so many dishes. If you like Indian food, you will likely like this because we thought a few of the dishes had a similar curry taste to Indian. Highly recommend!

Decided to check this place out on a Saturday night with a group of 6. After a bit of waiting as the restaurant was full, we all were seated around a little circular stand in the front. At first, I wondered how we would be able to eat, but I later learned they put our food on the stand and it worked out just fine. Everyone in my group ordered the "all you can eat" feast for dinner. A large round platter of injera piled high with vegetarian and meat dishes was brought out and we had to eat it by using the injera bread to pick it up; no utensils provided. Thankfully, we were provided with towels to wash our hands before and after eating. However, I found it difficult to eat the chicken with no utensils. Our injera bread was cold, and I did not particularly like the taste of it. It had a bit of a sour tang, but I had to eat it in order to pick up the food. The food was very different than anything I've had before. My favorites were the spicy lentils, potatoes, chicken and beef dishes. However, I wish I didn't have to eat them all with the injera. The flavors were overall not my favorite thing ever, and I probably wouldn't want to come back. Some of my friends enjoyed the flavors much more than I did. The price was much higher than expected! We each paid $21 dollars for the feast, so the total bill was well over $100! All we ate is what's in the picture, and the price seems hefty for the amount of food, most of which was stews and lentils with very little meat.

I really like the food at this restaurant but I want to leave a review of my experience in the hope that they can improve the negative for other guests. I made a reservation on their website two weeks ago for Friday, November 2nd, at 6:30 pm. I stated on the online reservation that it was for my birthday and that we would like a booth. When we arrived, they had no record of our reservation. I had a confirmation email from the restaurant and the location was correct, we double checked just in case. The restaurant was packed, as expected on a Friday evening, there were no booths available and we ended up seated in the back at a very small cafe style table for two. We then waited, no joke, for 20 minutes to hear from our waiter. Finally we got our drink order in and he took our dinner order as well at the same time. We ordered the meat Ethiopian feast but they only brought out the vegetable dishes. We had finished the entire tray by the time the meat was brought out. Another 20 minutes. There was also a point where we ran out of bread and sat staring at the food waiting for them to come back around. Then, they brought the bill and my husband asked about the birthday discount. The man who brought the bill was not our waiter. He asked for my ID and then started at it for a long time, then asked me the date twice, and then said sorry, he couldn't do it. I had to show him the date on my phone and the matching date of birth on my phone in order to convince him, which was really embarrassing. :( It made me feel like he thought we were cheap, or trying to cheat them out of money. We still tipped well, and on the total bill before the applied discount. So overall, I really enjoyed the food itself, and our drinks were good too. But what was supposed to be a planned date night out with my husband, enjoying the live music and celebrating my birthday, was awkward, uncomfortable, and kind of embarrassing. I'm sure they were having an off day. But it was weird enough that my husband feels like he wouldn't go back. I probably would, but I don't know. Food was good, service center was iffy.

We have been coming to Blue Nile locations for decades and we finally brought the kids. They loved it! They haven't eaten this many vegetables in a long time. Everything was so nicely spiced and flavorful. They even enjoyed the spicier options. The chicken meat was tender and falling off the bone. The beef was saucy and zingy. They offer an iced version of their Ethiopian tea. It was so lovely I had three glasses of it on such a hot summer day. The bread is spongy and delicious. The service was great. The staff is very friendly. They were very generous with their bread and refills. The price is pretty decent for an all you can eat option. This location still offers all you can eat meat whereas another location has you pay separate for each portion of meat but is a similar base price. I hope this location continues to be a great value especially since the kiddos loved it and want to come back. I didn't have the honey wine this time, but it's well worth trying a glass. It's typically delicious. The desserts also look good, but we were stuffed. The salad looks nice as well, something to try in the future.

Such a neat little place! The food is great, the service is thoughtful and it's a bit of an experience with the traditional Ethiopian service style. The spiced tea is amazing. And the prices reasonable. We will definitely be back.

Good food, good service! Our entire table did the all you can eat vegetarian feast and the injera and refills on our favorite dishes kept going! Nothing is too spicy in my opinion (if you can handle Taco Bell hot sauce, you'll be fine) but you'll just keep eating and eating until you hit a veggie wall!

If you go here, the thing to get is definitely the vegetarian feast. That's their specialty for a reason. You can add meat on the side of that, but to be honest the chicken my party ordered was not great. Service was not that good while we were waiting to order and waiting for our food, but once the food arrived the service improved substantially. The servers were ready and waiting to replace the various all-you-can-eat vegetarian entrées as we gobbled them up. Glad I went, as I had never tried Ethiopian cuisine; that being said, I will not be returning to this restaurant.

I've been to both Blue Nile locations before (Ann Arbor and Royal Oak) and always had a fantastic meal. It's such a unique experience and the food is always consistently very good. We most recently ordered carry-out since we're staying home due to Covid-19, and while it wasn't the same as eating in the restaurant with their delicious teas and cocktails available, the food was just as good. We ordered: Yellow peas Spicy chicken Mild chicken Cabbage Collard greens Red lentils Each portion was super generous and we had leftovers with the two of us eating. They also provided a massive stack of their delicious, spongey bread. It was ready in under 20 minutes and we had a quick, safe transaction picking up the food inside. I've never had Ethiopian food outside of the two Blue Nile locations, but I can confidently say I'm a big fan of the food and the experience. I look forward to dining there in person again when I'm more comfortable dining out, and when I can get a cocktail and enjoy their always-friendly service and fun atmosphere.

Great experience! The servers were very helpful and the food was delicious. I believe their menu is very straight forward because of COVID. Our table of 4 all had the vegetarian feast which is all unlimited. Despite being stuffed, we forced ourselves to get seconds of 3 of the vegetable options so we could really take in all the flavors! Would recommend this spot to anyone looking to try something different than your typical Americanized options.

Family/sharing style, all-you-care-to-eat Ethiopian food in downtown Ann Arbor! Interesting and unique dining experience compared to most places around town. Somewhere between casual (you eat with your hands mostly) and fancy (nice table cloths, decor, dim lighting, etc.). You choose between a vegetarian plate and a omnivore plate (same as vegetarian plus some meat dishes). The plate comes with small portions of several dishes that you eat in pouches of soft flat bread (see picture!). The dishes are a combination of lentils, greens, potatoes, cabbage, bean paste, and chicken/beef for meat plate (lamb is extra, I didn't try it). All dishes were tasty! Everyone has a different favorite but you get free refills on all of them so no one goes hungry. Bring your appetite! The place is off the main drag in town so not too crowded usually. Worth a trip!

Everything about Blue Nile is wonderful. The red lentils are fantastic, the tea is warm deliciousness and the service is always attentive without being over bearing.

If you've never tried Ethiopian food blue nile will not disappoint! Basically how you order is you get the all you can eat vegetable platter then you pick your meats. We got them all and while they're all wonderful the spicy beef and lamb are my favorite. You're meant to eat your food by picking it up with traditional bread but they do have forks upon request. Everything is seasoned so beautifully and the staff is very helpful if you've never been here before. Definitely end with the tea and bread pudding. It's heaven.

This place has been on my list for years and finally gave it a try last night! We got the all you care to eat vegetarian feast and added the doro wat a la carte. The chicken (doro wat) were fall-off-the-bone delicious drumsticks, and we even used the sauce for extra dipping afterwards. The injera (bread) was so spongey and delicious! I really enjoyed the experience of using your hands to scoop the dips up, however it can be a little messy and you have to hunch over a lot (so go with people you're comfortable with). From the dark green on the platter going clockwise (pretty sure we have this correct) it was the collard greens, spicy lentils (yemisir kik wat), cabbage, cabbage, regular lentils, roasted vegetables, spicy yellow peas, and regular yellow peas (kik alecha). We didn't really like the collard greens or cabbage, but to be fair we are not a big fan of these in general. The roasted vegetables tasted fine, but they were not exciting and a little hard to scoop up with the bread. The regular lentils had a good taste to them, but they had a bit more of a crunch to them which we didn't enjoy as much. The spicy peas, the spicy lentils, and the yellow peas were all delicious!! We went to the restaurant very hungry because it was all you can eat, but we couldn't even finish the platter we were given! Our bread got refilled a few times. $20 per person is not a bad deal. The service was polite and very speedy. My only caveat is the few dishes we didn't love and the food we couldnt finish, we were not allowed to take leftovers. We understand this is probably to prevent people from taking advantage of the AYCE but it felt wasteful to us, especially as people who really try to prevent food waste. Overall a great dining experience! Will be returning!

I really wish I had better things to say about Blue Nile, but I was overwhelmingly not impressed. The way the menu is set up, you have to pay $20/person to have any sort of vegetable, since you can only order the Vegetarian feast and not separate vegetable dishes a la carte. I just felt like I didn't get much for that price. I wish they had some sort of dish that combined the meat & veggies and was more affordable. The vegetables were good, but not out of this world. The meat was okay too, but nothing special. I'm not sure I would be back, but I'm happy I had a chance to experience Ethiopian food.

One of the best Ethiopian places I've been too. They have great service when dining in. You get a warm towel to wash your hands before and an even warmer towel after. If you've never had Ethiopian food be prepared to use your hands. They provide silverware if you prefer, but it's definitely a better experience using your hands. I ordered the beef with cabbage and spicy split yellow peas. The beef was cubed and tender. It had a hint of spiciness maybe a 2/10 spice level. The spicy yellow peas had more of a kick 4/10, but still not overtly spicy. The cabbage had great flavor to it! It was savory and tender as well. The only slight downside is the injera was did not have the sour taste that it originally has. Typically, injera is a blueish/purple color with a sour taste. I feel it adds another level to the flavors of the meat and veggies. However, if you're not a fan of sourness then you would enjoy the injera they have. I did, i would just prefer to have the sour taste. I came and ordered a lunch platter, but you can still order the all you can eat platter during lunch as well. They also refill your injera if you run out.

This place has been here since my dad was a student here in the 90s. He loved it so decided to take me here when I became a student at Michigan a few years ago. The food is delicious. It's a bit expensive but given the quality of the food and the fact that it's Ann Arbor I think it's worth it. We always get the vegetarian feast which is really good. We get to sample a lot of the dishes at once. The tea is also a must.

This has been a favorite of mine since undergrad in 1990! Everything is outstanding, including the honey wine and spiced teas. It is similar to eating South Indian curries with dosa, which is nostalgic for me. The spicing is slightly different, and the injera is made with teff. Eating with your hands is also a very unique and sensual experience, for those of you who have not yet tried it. You must try this! It is unlike anything else and worth the trip out!

I'm new to Ethiopian food, but definitely coming back. Enjoyed a delicious, affordable and very filling lunch here! My friend and I got two dishes to share, but really it was like trying 6 different things at once. I love their lunch plates with sides. A friend familiar with Ethiopian food introduced me to the basics - towels for hands at start and end as we use our hands to eat here. Tear off a little of the dough rolls served (injera bread), and use it to pick up the various sides! Dish 1: Zilzil wat (beef) with two vegetable sides (yemisir kik wat / red lentils; and tekil gomen / simmered cabbage) Dish 2: awaze ahi tuna served with yellow rice and mixed vegetables. Everything was delicious and highly recommended, especially the beef and red lentils! Service was also extremely good.

This was my first time at Blue Nile and I wasn't disappointed. While it certainly doesn't compare to Ethiopian restaurants in D.C., which has a sizable Ethiopian population, it certainly does the job of satisfying my longstanding craving since moving here two years ago. We got the Doro Wat and Doro Alecha accompanied by tekil gomen, defen yemisir alecha, gomen, and (I think) the metin shiro wat. My favorites were the doro alecha and the metin shiro wat. The gomen was also good, though mainly because it reminded me of a dish I had as a kid. All this was plenty for two, coming out to less than $15 per person. Service was friendly, though somewhat slow. Great place for your quick, cheap Ethiopian fix. Would come again.

Met up with a couple of friends for lunch and decided on this place. This was my first time trying Ethiopian food. I have to say it wasn't bad at all. I enjoyed the service from the time I walked through the door until the time I left. The place is nice, clean, and looks authentic on the inside. Before you eat they bring you a nice warm towel for your hands, and after your meal they bring you another warm towel. I thought that was great! They earned brownie points with me for that. I ordered the doro wat, which is a chicken dish. The waitress messed up my order, but she was able to correct the mistake. So, I was able to try to separate dishes. It was like a 2 for 1. The waitress was amazing and very pleasant so I have no complaints. I would definitely go again for something different other than the everyday average food.

Went here with a pal for lunch. It was dark in the restaurant but it seemed to fit the environment and ambiance of the place. It was my first time trying Ethiopian food so I didn't know what to expect. The servers were all very kind. They give you hot towels for your hands which were nice. We ordered the all you can eat Ethiopian plate which was $20 a person. The price is expensive - I must say - but it was worth trying it just for the first time. We only loved the chicken and beef food items and the veggie foods were practically untouched. Next time I'm here, I'll order an actual dish that's not a variety. Overall, I'll be back if ever in need of nicely spiced food with the soft bread they provide.

The Blue Nile continues to be one of my all-time favorite restaurants. The Vegetarian Feast is a great sampler choice. My three most cherished veggies are the collard greens, the cabbage and the puréed chickpeas. The collard greens are very unique--never experienced them this way and it really got me to enjoy them. The cabbage also have a wonderful flavor. The chickpeas are made spicy with berbere sauce. I just can't get enough of it. The injira bread makes for a great alternative to utensils. The spicy beef, spicy lamb, and mild chicken sides really round things out for us meat lovers. I enjoyed the Ethiopian tea very much with its naturally sweet flavor (and it is hard to purchase anywhere). Highly recommend this restaurant. Super fast service too.

If you're looking for a cool new place to try out around campus that isn't Asian food or burgers, you should check this place out. Authentic Ethiopian food and a homey atmosphere, the Blue Nile is a restaurant I'd def come back to. My friend brought me here to try out there all you can eat "feast". I originally thought it was a buffet, but it's more like they bring out this huge platter of different sauces and meats along with a basket of rolls that you tear off from and eat the sauces/meats with. The service is so great and the workers are kind. They bring you warm towels to clean your hands with before you dig into the feast, and you're encouraged to eat with your hands to really get the authentic eating experience. And they come by often to check if you need more of anything on your platter. Then after you're finished, they bring you another new warm towel. It was a fun lunch and I can't wait to go again when I have a chance!

I find myself coming here a lot, even though it's not very close to my house. This is a real family owned place and the owners and waitstaff recognize me whenever I come in. It truly makes me feel welcome. I usually order the Ethiopian Feast and add the Zilzil Wat which is spicy beef with seasoned butter. Everything is always delicious and I especially love the spicy items. Their Ethiopian tea is excellent and also sugar free. Of all the restaurants I go to, this place is the one I missed the most during Whitmer's shutdowns. I'm so glad they survived and were able to reopen their dining room. I like being able to support small businesses. I just had dinner there and they seemed to have a decent crowd tonight, so I hope business is good for them once again.

I'll admit I was incredibly suspicious when I was brought to the Blue Nile, but they made a believer out of me. All you can eat lentil dishes plus a chicken dish that just absolutely melts in your mouth made me look for any excuse to show this place off to people.

This restaurant has a real management problem. To begin, they do not employ a hostess, so expect to just stand in front until someone comes to seat you. We had a group of 4 people behind us waiting for 10 minutes of no acknowledgement whatsoever and then walking out the door. We were then seated and it was another 10 minutes before a waitress came over. After we ordered, the food was slow. All told we waited 45 minutes before any food was brought to the table. This may be authentic Ethiopian, but they are in America. You should not have to ask for dining utensils or plates as we and tables near us did. Maybe in Ethiopia you eat with your hands from a common aluminum tray, but not here and not in the Covid era. The vegetarian feast was the kind of side dishes you get for free in a lot of restaurants, cabbage and cold potatoes. The main dishes are tasty, but thats the best I can say about the experience. The service was very slow even after we were served.

The food is really good! The all you can eat feast is of great value and it's totally worth the money. I can't really comment on the authenticity of the taste, but it sure is delicious! There are two types of feasts including a vegetarian option. And everything in the restaurant is lactose free, gluten free and nut free. My favorite is the cabbage! The chicken drumsticks come in two delicious flavors and both taste pretty amazing! I also love the spicy pea stew and the lentil stews. There normally isn't a line so no wait time, which is a plus. The service is pretty quick. They do not give you eating utensils since the original way of eating is to use the white bread and your hands. You can ask for utensils and plates if you'd like though. You will also have to ask the server for refills whenever you want, for unlimited times. The drinks here are pretty pricey so we never really order the drinks. Just come here for the food and you'll not be disappointed!

I'd never eaten Ethiopian food before. It was delightful and I can't wait to go back. The staff was very friendly and helpful in explaining what the food was an offering recommendations. We tried both the vegetarian and meat feast so we got to sample a little bit of everything. Also, the spiced tea is fantastic and we bought some to take home with us.

Observing Covid safety well! This is my mother and I's favorite night out. We share the vegetarian feast and always end up asking ourselves why we dont come here more!