Fasika Cafe

We attended the Malcom X 100th Birthday Read a Thon and stopped in for our first experience with Ethiopian cuisine. The setting is unassuming. Everyone inside was speaking another language, perhaps Aharmic? Some were sipping coffee that was served in lovely pottery. We ordered Sambusas, some veggie dishes and a chicken dish. Food is prepared to order so sit back and enjoy the wait. Food arrived hot and was tasty. We loved the chickpea sauce the best and the Samusas. The hot ginger tea was divine. Everyone was super friendly.

The vegetarian combo was delicious, especially the shiro, gomen, and misir wat. The injera was perfect. We also had the foul (ful) with soft warm bread. Very good!

Review of an Ethiopian Restaurant I recently had the pleasure of dining at this amazing Ethiopian restaurant, and I must say, the experience was absolutely wonderful! The food was incredibly delicious, full of rich flavors and authentic spices that made every bite enjoyable. The variety of dishes was impressive, and everything was cooked to perfection. Not only was the food outstanding, but the service was also exceptional. The staff was friendly, welcoming, and very attentive, making sure we had everything we needed throughout our meal. The waitresses were especially kind and professional, adding to the warm and inviting atmosphere of the restaurant. And enjoying Ethiopian music 🇪🇹 Overall, this was one of the best dining experiences I’ve had. If you’re looking for delicious Ethiopian food and top-notch service, I highly recommend this place!

Fasika Cafe in Roxbury is a true gem for authentic Ethiopian cuisine, and their tsom firfir is a standout dish that keeps me coming back. Made with pieces of injera soaked in a richly spiced sauce, the dish is completely plant-based but still incredibly hearty and satisfying. It’s well-seasoned with just the right kick—bold, comforting, and deeply flavorful without being overwhelming. The portion is generous, making it a perfect option for a filling lunch or dinner, especially during fasting seasons or for anyone looking for a meat-free meal that doesn’t skimp on taste. Fasika captures the soul of Ethiopian cooking with warmth and tradition in every bite, and the tsom firfir is a beautiful example of that.

Disclaimer: be prepared for slow service. The lady in charge was so nice! The vegetarian combo was great and she picked the veggies for me. The collard greens were especially good. The ethiopian coffee was delicious too with milk and sugar, but I'm not usually a coffee person so take my opinion with a grain of salt. Lots of local patrons and the lady spoke with all of them, very homey atmosphere.

I will come here again and again and again. The atmosphere and staff are both so welcoming and warm. The food was so delicious and flavorful. Fasika has the best Ethiopian food in Boston and they never disappoint. I would recommend Fasika to all.

This was my first Ethiopian restaurant so I wasn’t sure what to expect but this place blew me away. The group that I went with had a variety of dishes that all looked and smelled delicious but most got the combo for one. It consisted of injera bread with a bunch of side dishes on top. The flavors were amazing and the portion was well worth the price. Eating with your hands makes the meal more enjoyable and unique. The place is a little cramped inside but has an outdoor seating for those that prefer that!

After a good meal, Marshall was on his James Brown. My veg plate was so satisfying. Antie was very very friendly. 😊 She gave us 10 minutes extra time to eat our dinner. They close at 8 p.m so make sure you get there on time!

so cozy and cute. amazing Ethiopian food. i looooove injera because i can only eat gluten in small increments and its so hard to get a yummy bread without repetition. i highly recommend this shop. the lamb was so tender. the host was very sweet and welcoming, and patient with my friend who had never been to nubian square. will be back.

Food is always amazing. Great service and accommodating. I would certainly recommend paying them a visit.

First time ever trying Ethiopian food and it was DELICIOUS. My friend and I ordered chicken and the 4 veggie plate. It was more than enough for both of us and we got to take the leftovers home! It's a small cafe, but the service is quick and friendly. I would definitely come back and I highly recommend!

Excellent Ethiopian food in a small clean, casual cafe. Great service and careful attention to spice preferences. Fabulous injera too!

The coffee was amazing and the service was even better! They made the coffee special for us and made us feel so at home. Would highly recommend!

I only had a chance to try the Ethiopian coffee, but it was delicious with a hint of cinnamon. I recognized the owner immediately upon walking in as she has owned the original Fasika Restaurant in Somerville for what seems like decades and I have visited her other restaurant many times over the years. This is a small shop with a handful of tables. If I am back in the area, I will definitely try their food as Ethiopian is one of my favorite cuisines. I don't expect I would leave disappointed given their Somerville location is one of my favorites.

Yebeg tibs is DELICIOUS, portions are good, prices are fair. They always include a veggie side with the meat entrees. We love Fasika Cafe!

We all agree the food here tastes great, spicy and with lots of flavor. However, we are almost certain that this is what gave several of us living together severe food poisoning as 1) it was the only place any of us ate out at in the recently, 2) the person that ate the leftovers brought home a few hours later got symptoms several hours after the first, 3) the one person living with us that didn't eat any never got sick. Although it tastes good, I would never come here again.

Ordered from here on DoorDash - great flavors, everything was perfectly seasoned and cooked. They really load up on the injera compared to other places - which ain't a bad thing! It's one of the better places for Ethiopian/Eritrean in Boston. I'll be looking forward to dining-in when we're all inoculated.

This is my second time coming here, great food and flavors. Didn't know what any of the dishes were but I just tried some stuff and it was delicious. Vibes were nice too, cute cafe with great staff.

Disclaimer: based off an Uber Eats order. I'll also add, when I order off Uber Eats, I expect that food won't be straight off the grill/out of the pot, etc. As such, I'm a little more forgiving. Nonetheless, when it came to the Kitfo, it was inedible to the point I threw $20 bucks into the trash. I was unable to have more than a couple fork-fulls, and thinking about it makes my stomach churn. The small fix of greens attempts to offer at least a little redemption, but in the grand scheme of things, it is not enough. In comparison with everything else, they had a lighter, slightly fresher flavor. The kitfo itself was contained within a bread-based wrappage of sorts. At first I thought it was sourdough based, then the sourness hit me. If it was a little acidic, I would be a bit more forgiving... though it ended up being inedible. Then there was the Kitfo... "Lean beef in seasoned butter and spices" is a a gross overstatement of what this is. If you had presented me with this. and said "what do you think this is?" beef, butter, and spices is not what comes to mind. The kitfo resembled an unknown goop that was drowning in a sauce that overwhelmed any other flavors or textures within. I have a hard time describing the flavor otherwise. There's always a line between how much to Americanize a dish from abroad. I always say "make it approachable", having something I could not eat is the furthest thing from. I do want to try some other offerings, so I may be back, I'll just be sure to stay away from the kitfo.

I love Ethiopian food. My wife and I ordered from here twice in the past week. The greens are delicious. The veggie lentil dishes were acceptable. But BEWARE of meat dishes. Specifically the goat. We both had upset stomaches , not food poisoning per we, but nine has been gassy for days. The first time my wife only ate the veggie dishes and was fine. The second we ordered for a house Prty and both of us ate meat and both of our stomaches were upset. I suspect the meat is sitting and/or being reheated from too far in the past. To business owner. Please review your meat food handling processes and update them before someone really gets sick.

Delicious food. Authentic flavors. Fresh injera. Totally worth the trip. The owner was kind to me and my 3 teens arriving for for a full dinner 30 minutes before closing.

Legit Ethiopian / Habasha spot, best we've been to in Boston so far. Recommend the Cafe Special, Gored gored, and the veggie combo (that should be enough for 2-4 people, scale up as needed). Flavorful and their hot sauce is on point if you're looking for added kick. Context: I've lived in East Africa and this is some of the better Ethiopian / habasha cuisine I've had in the US. Have been here 3 times, pretty consistent, food is quick but have never been here when its busy. Coffee is good as well. Seating is comfortable for small groups (2-6 people), don't think it makes sense for larger groups than that.

Entered this place on a whim and was not disappointed. Ethiopian vibes all throughout. I did not go through the menu and opted to look via Grubhub listing. Thankful for the calm vibes, I settled on a side salad and a pie of baklava. While sitting plenty of takeout delivery picks up which let me know there's something more to this place.

OMG! I've enjoyed Ethiopian for decades. This was our favorite!!! The food was SOOO delicious! My kids had never had Ethiopian cuisine, and LOVED it! I cannot articulate how beautifully the food was prepared! Please, don't waste your time going anywhere else! This is IT!!! And they have Dulet!!!!! Rating: 100/10!!! It's clear the meals are prepared with love! Thank you Fasika Cafe!!!

Awesome- love Ethiopian and the yemsr wot, kik alicha - well, all of it was good - will definitely come back when in Boston.

Ordered delivery from here and the food came super fast! I had the five vegetarian combo which had different delicious vegetable dishes. I really liked the collard greens and the spicy red lentils which were well seasoned and bursting with flavor. There was also plenty of delicious injera (flatbread) to scoop everything up. Definitely going to order from here again when I can!

The meat veggies and bread is really tasty. I love spicy food so this was great. I can't wait to try something else.

Read about Fasika opening a 2nd location in Dudley Square in the Bay State Banner, but saw it didn't have any online footprint yet. There is a Somerville location that I've never been too. 1. I'm in Dudley 3-4 times a week 2. I love Ethiopian food I was in the neighborhood and walked by (Roxbury Street addresses are weird; this place is basically on the corner of Malcolm X and Shawmut). I peaked in the window to see if there were any hours or info posted and a woman waved me inside. I ended up getting dinner for two to take home, but it's definitely a dine-in space. While I waited, I had some great tea and enjoyed conversation with a few strangers. Storefront is easy to miss and is on one of the quieter blocks as far as Dudley Sq. goes. Hope this place does great! First meal was delicious. Here's that article: http://baystatebanner.com/news/2018/mar/28/new-ethiopian-cafe-opens/

As a Eritrean American , who came to the states in early eighties, when literally zero Habesha restaurants existed. Now you have Eritrean & Ethiopian restaurants practically at every corner in Boston ..Yes Sir!! I was very excited to frequent This establishment. There were s bunch of Eritreans , customers that is and the workers.well much love!.. The service was somewhat slow, but my waitress was hospitable. I parked across the street..in a secure parking lot 2 hour limit (Free).. can't go wrong there... I ordered lega tibs(lamb)..but came with no side veggies..which was very disappointing. It came with lentil (very little)and the lamb was over cooked and very watery..injera was scarce..only received half of injera....could've used more. Overall.. the folks there were very nice.. I will surely re visit this establishment and would highly recommend it to my friends & family. -Samson Oh, they don't accept American Express

A hidden gem! Located in Roxbury very near the Dudley station. We stumbled here by accident. You order at the counter, and it's a small cafe so pretty limited seating. We opted for the 5 veggie dish and the lamb placed on injera bread. They also gave us extra injera bread too. The food was plenty for us and absolutely delicious. They didn't have all the veggie options which was a bummer since I wanted to try something else, but what they had available was so delicious regardless. 10/10 recommend finding this gym and trying it out for yourself!

Love this little hole in the wall. I'm a big fan of Ethiopian food, and this is definitely the best place we've found in Boston so far. I bring my wife here when she's grumpy, and then we walk out happy. Love the fact that they have fresh jalapeños, which is always a nice touch. The name is a bit misleading... they have a full dinner menu, not just a little cafe.

I love their food. It's one of my favorite take out places. I would highly recommend Fasika Cafe.

Delicious authentic Ethiopian food. Generous portions with plenty of flavor. Great service. Betam Amesengalou.

Soooo delicious. We got it for takeout so can't speak to the ambiance inside but the food was amazing.

Good food, friendly service. Tofu tibs were great. Meat was decent. One star off because they messed up the pickup order and swapped out a dish with another one I didn't order. Will give them the benefit of doubt and try again.

Ordered their a 3 vegetable combo, but the driver delivered the wrong order....so I got 3 vegetable dishes and a beef dish. All delicious it's now my go to for Ethiopian cuisine

great, small cafe with incredible food and service! The staff were incredibly generous and welcoming. The food was even better!

My favorite restaurant in Boston. Amazing Ethiopian food; healthy, nourishing, and warmth for the soul. Friendly and fast service. Lots of combinations and flavor options, from savory to sweet to spicy. Veggies are always fresh and delicious! A1 restaurant.

So happy we noticed this location opened. Definitely some of the best Ethiopian food in Boston. So happy that it is closer by. Check it out, you won't be sorry.

Soooooo good! Portions are big, and delicious. The tofu in particular was incredibly good- I don't know what godly spices they put in it, but it's amazing. Highly recommend! Vegetarian friendly!

Amazing food for a great price. Friendly staff. Really good Ethiopian food. Ive tried many in the area and Fasika is by far one of the best!

We got everything delivered, and didn't eat-in, so I can't judge the restaurant space, only the food. If you're new to Ethiopian food, try the vegetarian dishes (the spice palate is different than Indian cuisine but still familiar). My husband is South Asian and wanted to try Ethiopian food for the first time. I ordered the beef cooked on the grill with peppers and onions, and then injera bread (almost like a dosa, but with an earthy, sourdough taste to it). The portions were large, and everything was extremely fresh. There was enough injera for two days, and the vegetables and legumes were spicy but not salty. Will definitely order from this place again.

Awesome new place in Boston area serving healthy Ethiopian food. The owner makes everyone feel at home.

My first Ethiopian food experience. I LOVE IT. Asked what I could have that was gluten free - and most things can be accommodating. The lady working was very kind, and offered to put my food over rice instead of the bread. She offered that if you let her know ahead of time she can make a gluten free bread!! Will definitely come back!! :D

excellent vegetarian dishes recommend the cabbage very tasty in combination with the injera.

I FINALLY found great Ethiopian in Boston! Coming from Toronto where we have a massive Ethiopian community and amazing food, it's been so hard in Boston; everything has been mediocre and really lacking flavor. This food is VERY good, authentic and clearly made with love. Really highly recommend! Can't wait to go to eat in the resto (I got delivery - fast and generous portions too!)

Delicious food! Kind staff. Would definitely return. Take out went smoothly. We ordered a fish dish, chicken, and a veggie combo. Plenty of injera, too!

I've been to over a dozen Ethiopian restaurants and the food at this one was my least favorite. Seeing as the other reviewers so far have given 5-stars, I wonder if I just got unlucky. We ordered the veg+meat combo for two. I prefer sour injera, but they overdid the fermentation/vinegar with this batch, causing the sourness to mask the flavor of the dishes. The vegetarian dishes, with the exception of the red lentils, were bland. The two meat dishes were very hot (in the capsaicin sense), perhaps excessively so, but lacking in flavor.

Very good service. Clean and nice atmosphere. Great food. Friendly people. Ordered 30 minutes before close. Didn't rush me at all as they were closing. Good portions.

My husband and I have been living in the neighborhood for about 9 months and I just noticed this place. We decided to give it a try and we were not disappointed! I've been to a couple of other Ethiopian restaurants in Boston and this one now tops my list. We got a combo plate for 2 with meat and veggies and everything was super flavorful and cooked perfectly. The service was outstanding and we cleared our plate despite the generous portions. I'm so excited to have finally found some healthy restaurant food in our neighborhood and we will definitely be back!!

First off, I'm a fan of Ethiopian cuisine. Yesterday, my niece bought dinner for us from this establishment and an hour later upon consuming, I had food poison. It's crazy! I wanted to support small businesses through this pandemic and they repay by serving spoiled food. Never again!!! Lusy on Mass Ave or drive up North for authentic Eritrean food.

This place is a dive. But the food is authentic and phenomenal! The injera is soft and moist. Highly recommend this for Ethiopian and Eritrean food!! Service is family friendly but you can be shy to ask for what you need.

Traditional menu oF Ethiopian food reasonably priced. I'm a vegetarian & Ethiopian vegetarian presents some of the tastiest option. Pleasant staff basic but pleasant decor, they also have bar.

Just ate there. You wouldn't know how great this place is if you just walked by. They have a great larger restaurant in Somerville, and the food at this smaller establishment is just as good. Try the beef and lamp tibs!

Love this place. Great, high-quality Ethiopian food. Amazing coffee and baklava too. Owner studied in culinary school in Switzerland and the attention to detail really shows. Definitely planning to come back again.

Ordered for delivery through DoorDash and had a great experience! I ordered the vegetable combo and an Ethiopian salad. I was very happy with the taste and quality of both. I'm glad this is nearby and I will certainly be eating there again.