Blue Nile

"Ethiopian cuisine is showcased in fine fashion at this neighborhood gem located in a quiet pocket of Upper Kirby. Warm your tummy up with the spiced red lentil stew. Then, try the kitfo, a traditional dish made with minced beef, or the doro wot, a saucy platter of slow-cooked chicken bursting with intense flavor." - Brittany Britto Garley

"The Ethiopian restaurant Blue Nile has the yabeg key wot harissa-spiced lamb you’re looking for, along with endless injera bread and spicy lentils. Decked out with high, timber-lofted ceilings, flowing white curtains, and colorful grass baskets, Blue Nile feels like an oasis nestled in the River Oaks neighborhood. The best move is to order sampler plates, especially the vegetable-focused one with spicy and savory stewed lentils and tangy greens. Go here with a big group of friends so you can try nearly everything. " - gianni greene, chelsea thomas

"The Ethiopian restaurant Blue Nile in River Oaks resembles a hall, filled with billowy white curtains and mesob sweetgrass baskets. It's the kind of low-key place where your hands can softly graze past each other’s while reaching for another piece of injera to scoop up the smoky, spicy yemissir wot lentils the onion-sweet kik alicha. The tender berbere-spiced lamb makes you wonder why you’d ever eat anywhere or anything else." - gianni greene, chelsea thomas

"Ethiopian food is about sharing, family, and community, and at Blue Nile, one of Houston’s oldest Ethiopian restaurants, diners can bond over flavorful stews, stir-fries, and vegetable dishes, all eaten by hand with injera, a sourdough flatbread." - Minh Truong, Brittany Britto Garley

"At the Ethiopian restaurant Blue Nile in River Oaks, every bite is spicy, savory, and aromatic. Yebeg key wot’s tender harissa-spiced lamb has a building, sweet flavor that keeps you wanting more. The stewed lentils are soft and melt into the spongy injera bread. Forget about the hassle of silverware and stare deeply into someone’s eyes as your hands touch while scooping up yemissir wot surrounded by grass baskets and flowing white curtains. photo credit: Quit Nguyen" - Chelsea Thomas