Goorsha

The portions are incredibly small for what you pay. Ordered Doro Wat, and it came with a singular chicken leg, one boiled egg, and the rest in sauce. With tax and tip it comes out to well over $25 per person. Imagine eating one chicken leg and one egg when you order an entree for dinner. Vegan entrees were a little better, but still the main dish to injera ratio is way skewed to just eating bread to fill up. Don’t even get apps, literally one bite for $10. The food tastes great. Every bite is delicious. But I can’t stress how terrible the portion sizes are at this place for what you pay. Service is slow as well, no one came to check in on the diners, they clearly have their favorite customers. No water refills. Other tables have to ask for refills. Had to ask the servers for a check. Overall one of the lackluster Ethiopian restaurants I’ve been to. This place is way overhyped on Eater and other restaurant guides online. Only saving grace is that they’re the only Ethiopian joint in the area.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Goorsha is a gem in Durham for Ethiopian cuisine! The ambiance is modern yet cozy, and the staff were super friendly and attentive throughout our meal. We ordered the Goorsha Signature Combo, and it was delicious—rich flavors, perfectly spiced stews, and soft, tangy injera that tied it all together. The lentils and shiro really stood out, and the portion sizes were generous. The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is that service was a bit on the slow side, especially for drinks, but the food made up for it. Great spot whether you’re new to Ethiopian food or a longtime fan. Will definitely be back!

Great food. Mango Frescas are so good. The Kasheka is a must have. It's delicious. I had the Zilzil Alecha and it was very flavorful. I enjoyed it a lot. My friend got the Doro Tibs, which is also good. That dish is spicy. The Beet salad for our side was good as well.

It’s an amazing feeling when you come in a place for the first time and being embraced like you been here a thousand times before. They are welcoming, the menu has many options, reasonably priced and they are very attentive. Had a goof conversation with the waiter he brought me back to Africa by trying some authentic African cuisine. I enjoyed the experience and would definitely come back

I gave a three star because I have enjoyed this establishment for quite some time. The staff is engaging and congenial. However, the last several time I ordered takeout meals after 5pm and paid dinner prices but to my dismay, when I got home, each time I found lunch portions. As of now I will be adventuring to other establishments of this cuisine.

We had a table of four and wanted to order a bunch of things, easily accomplished with the large plate that is not advertised. Everything was delicious and we're so glad we shared!

Been meaning to come to this place for a decade but I finally made it!!!! It's really good! Personally I prefer the vegetarian option where you can choose 3 different stuff. Though the wrap is thinner than I am usually used to. Definitely get the Sambusa!!! Overall, still recommended!

The food was delicious and my friends and I met the owner and chatted for a bit, learning more about the food and the benefits it has on our body. The staff was nice and the location was an intimate size, which was perfect! I really enjoyed the Ethiopian music that was lightly playing in the background too. I would definitely recommend this place to others.

My first time trying Ethiopian and it did not disappoint. For a city, there is weirdly a lot of parking (street or lot) around the restaurant which is nice. They have both indoor and outdoor seating. We made a reservation for 6pm and were glad we did as it picked up even on a weekday right around then! The waitresses were very helpful in recommending dishes. We went with several of the beef, lamb, and chicken options, as well as a few different lentil sizes. Everything comes out served on the traditional Ethiopian bread and it was delectable. The varying spices and traditional flavors were delicious. I enjoy spice so I had a great time, it was definitely on the hotter side but they will recommend specific dishes if you're not a spice lover.

Atmosphere: Goorsha is a friendly Ethiopian restaurant, with warm and colorful decor. Service: Our server was kind, and the food came out at a reasonable time. Food: We tried their Awaze Tibs Beef. The beef was a bit tough and more reminiscent of a plain fajita than the tender and flavorful dish it was supposed to be. The injera was spongy and nicely fermented, but we wish that the meat we scooped lived up to that level of flavor. Overall: We're glad to have given Goorsha a try, but our meal wasn't as memorable as we had hoped for (especially given the hype around Goorsha). Maybe we'll come back in the future to try some of their other menu offerings!

This was our very first visit to Goorsha and Ethiopian cuisine. There were four in our party. The food was intensely flavored and two in my party felt the food to be too spicy to racy at all. We split two appetizers and three entrees (1 beef, 1 chicken and a vegetarian sampler). I really enjoyed the appetizer, the beef and the vegetarian sampler. My daughter liked the beef and loved the vegetarian sampler. Or server was acceptable. We asked for guidance on selecting the entrees. She either didn't understand our questions or spoke little English. She managed eight tables by herself so she may have just been over worked. I graded this dining as four stars because of its unique cuisine and the food being well presented for all to reach and share.

I recently dined here and had an outstanding experience! The service was friendly. The food was absolutely delicious! The injera was perfect and served as the perfect base for the flavorful dish I tried. The portions were generous, and everything tasted so fresh. If you're looking to try Ethiopian food or just want a meal that's full of rich flavors and great service, I highly recommend Goorsha. I can't wait to return and explore more of their menu!

I tried the Ethopian Coffee, it was a black Coffee strong, aromatic, flavorful. For were main meal we got, a vegan plate with 3 différents sauces made with lentils, chickpea and yellow split peas served with beet salad and injera. Everything was spicy and delicious. The place is located next to Brighleaf Square, the ambiance was not really busy on Monday night. Don't let that stop you. It's not very common to find an Ethiopian restaurant in North Carolina so it is a great place to try.

I had never experienced Ethiopian food before so I was very excited to try this spot. I don't do spicy food very well so the server helped me pick something that I would like and I loved my dish. Many of the dishes my friends got were very spicy, so be cautious if you don't want a spicy dish. The food was so flavorful & I would highly recommend Trying Goorsha is a great way to explore new foods and mix things up!

This place is so tasty and has REAL FOOD. Their lunchtime game is awesome. There's a lunchtime bowl option with injera, two veggies and a protein. I had turmeric beef, beet salad, potatoes and cabbage and red lentils. I feel full, nourished and happy. Service was friendly and attentive.

This place is amazing! We went after after a strenuous hike and were famished when we got here. We reached reached at 12:30 pm on a Saturday, so the restaurant was a bit empty so we got very prompt and personalized service. We sat outside, it was a bit chilly but we enjoyed it nonetheless. The server who took our order did a very good job of explaining the menu items to us and explaining any queries we had. When the menu is short and sweet like Goorsha has, you can be rest assured that the food will be good. And that is exactly what we got. We ordered the vegetarian plate metin shiro, kek alecha and fosolia. By the end of it we were licking our fingers and wanted so much more! While we were heading out we saw there special tea service on a different table and will definitely be back for it and other menu items!

Super racist. Maybe be more inclusive. I was yelled at by a bunch of people because I wasn't their race. I lived in Los Angeles for over 10 years and ate at so many places. I have never experienced this level of in your face racism. The fact that the owners could see that I was being harassed by their customers and did nothing to stop it means I have no respect for them. They will never get another penny from me and I hope they go out of business

My first time trying Ethiopian food so I have no clue how to review it (had a great time eating but i couldn't tell you how it compares to other Ethiopian restaurants). Walked in around 8p on a Thursday night and was seated immediately for a table for 2. Started with the Sambusa- a MUST. I was afraid it would be spicy given the jalapeños, but it wasn't too much (I cant do spicy and I would eat this again and again). My friend and I split the Doro Wat and the Zilzil Key Wot, and got sides of the beet root salad and Azifa. I personally liked the beet root salad and doro wat the best.

If you enjoy exploring food experiences that are different from your daily fare, then this is place is a must for you! Fantastic award winning food that is full of flavor. This is one of the highly rated restaurants in Durham and provides an ethnic experience from Ethiopia. INSTRUCTIONS: Forget the silverware. You use your hands. Rip off a piece of the Injera and pick up some food and place it all in your mouth. Injera is a sour fermented pancake-like flatbread with a slightly spongy texture. It's best to order family style where everyone shares the different dishes instead of ordering one for each person. Pretty much everything has jalapeno peppers but heat level varies. Ask waiter to be sure you are ordering something in the spice range you are looking for. SAMBUSA - We will order this appetizer on every return visit. So good! Crispy pastry stuffed with lentils, onions, garlic, and jalapeños. Served with Deko sauce. The Jalapenos provided flavor but these were not super spicy. ZILZIL KEY WOT This was our favorite entree. Strips of savory beef stewed with berbere, garlic, onions, cardamom and ginger. The beef was super tender and was very flavorful. Spice level was medium and it did build as you ate more. ZILZIL ALECHA This was delicious. Strips of savory beef stew seasoned with turmeric, garlic, onions and ginger. Again, the beef was super tender. Spice level was low.

I'm happy I get to taste Ethiopian cuisine with two of my friends last night. The food was excellent and the atmosphere was delightful. My Kashka appetizer was done like how I remember a similar Ethiopian dish being made for a cultural event at my school. My Awaze Tibs dinner was well-crafted. The rolls of Injera (fermented sourdough flatbread) have an interesting taste, something I can't put into words but it complements the food well. Tear off some with your hands and scoop some of the food with it. The combined taste is a wonderful blend of exotic flavors. I recommend Goorsha if you're looking for food outside the norm. They had Fullsteam beers on tap when I went. They're a local brewery out in RTP. Here's to loving local.

Delicious food! The servers were so kind and accommodating! Wonderful family owned and operated spot.

Finally! A chance to try out Ethiopian food. In the states! I have had it before and loved it in Europe. When you google best restaurants in the area in Durham, this one pops up. So glad we went. Excellent food, great service, super friendly. Great varied menu, lots for meat eaters and veggies. Lots of vegan. I'll be honest some of the sauces and ingredients we had to google as I'd never heard of them. Every single thing we ordered was so good. Drinks, we had sinig ginger, delish! Muddled ginger and jalapeño, tequila and pineapple juice with something called mitmita , labeled spicy! The Bijou was your classic, gin, vermouth, green chartreuse and orange bitters. Excellent drinks, the sinig was so unique. First up we had the Sambusa, a take on the Indian samosa. Stuffed with lentils, onions, garlic and jalapeño, served with this amazing Deko sauce, basically jalapeño paste. Loved these, served hot and crispy, very tasty, with the paste, these were amazing. On the table we had the Kekal, a lamb loin soup, with lots of spices, served mild or spicy. Very tasty again, great flavor. We had it made extra spicy! Entrees we had Awaze tibs , lamb sautéed in onions, garlic, tomatoes and jalapeños with awaze , a chili pepper sauce. Very good tender lamb, spicy, served on top of the Injera bread. The bread itself is different, more a flatbread, but a little sour, but very tasty and unusual texture. Great with the meat . I had the Doro tibs, similar to the lamb, in the way it's cooked, but with chicken. Again very spicy and so much good flavor. I love this Injera bread. Also has the vegan entree, where you pick 3 served with the bread. We had the chickpea purée like hummus, the Misir Alecha , red lentil with spices and the Fosolia, green beans and carrots mixed in a tomato sauce with onions, peppers and spices. All of them with the bread were amazingly good. This food is super filling and hearty. So great to eat something unusual and kinda unknown, every time they came out with a dish it was kinda like a surprise. I will most definitely be eating Ethiopian again wherever I find it, hopefully it's as good as this. Oh also great prices !

It was my first time trying Ethiopian food. The scenery and decorations portrayed culture and made the experience authentic. The service was a bit slow especially since there were only two people taking orders inside and outside. It took the waitress and while to come to take our order but other than that is overall a great restaurant for a chill date night.

This was my first time trying Ethiopian cuisine. I enjoyed the experience and would certainly return for the Kekel soup. I will say the entree I had was not very exciting for my taste buds, but I thoroughly enjoyed the flavorful Kekel soup and the tender lamb loin chop served in it. I would say 2-3 bowls of this would be more than enough to satisfy me on my hungriest day! The Sinig Ginger cocktail was very tasty. I enjoyed the jalapeño and would even welcome a tad more spice.

This was my second time ever eating Ethiopian food ever and first time eating it in a restaurant and I was blown away. I felt like all the flavors and spices were unique and definitely took my palette on a culinary ride! Can't wait to go back and try more food. First, the lamb was sooooo tender. The chicken bbq sauce was absolutely out of this world. I really loved all the veggie dishes, especially the carrot and peas and chickpeas (metin shiro). The only veggie I didn't care for was the cold green lentils. One minus for me is the injera was a bit too sour for my taste. If they could ferment it just a tad less, I think this whole meal would gain another star. Taste: 4/5 Presentation: 3.5/5 Recommend to a friend?: Yes Consistent: 1st time Cost: $ Parking: parked in the lot to the right of the restaurant. You have to be patient because there's not that many spaces and patrons from Jeni's and Goorsha all park here.

Second visit to Goorsha, this time to eat Lunch. Food tasted amazing. Great service. I think this is my go to place in Duram NC.

First time trying Ethiopian food and it was amazing! My favorites were the yemisir kik (red lentils) and doro wot (chicken)- both stewed in a wonderful berbere sauce. 10/10 would recommend Goorsha!

Goorsha was a delicious and beautiful experience! My friends and I were deciding on a place to eat in downtown Durham and noticed the Goorsha took online reservations through Resy. That made the choice easy for us, plus we were in the mood for Ethiopian food. They have both indoor and outdoor dining. I shared the Vegetable Combo, where you get to choose three of their vegan entrees. All the combos were served with two side dishes as well. For the entree samplers, we picked: Tekil Gomen - Fresh cabbage, carrots, and potatoes sautéed with turmeric, onions, garlic, and garnished with sliced jalapeños Fosolia - Green beans and carrots mixed with a rich tomato sauce sautéed in onions, jalapeños and herbs Yemisir Kik - Red lentils stewed in berbere, onions, ginger and garlic For the sides, we chose: Dinech Salad - Cubed potatoes with fresh jalapeño peppers, tomatoes and onions tossed in a spicy dressing Timatim Fitfit - Fresh diced tomatoes seasoned with onions and jalapeños mixed with small pieces of injera The plating was gorgeous and portions were massive! My boyfriend and I thought the two of us could split the Vegetable Combo and finish the meal entirely, but we ended up having leftovers. My favorites were the Fosolia and the Yemisir. Definitely recommended!

Ethiopian food is something that I always wanted to try! So glad we decided to stop here for my first time experience. The restaurant is fairly cute. Lots of parking spots. Restaurant is small but has outdoor dining area too. We tried the appetizer and the main dish awaze Tibs. It was shared among 4 of us. We only did 2 main dishes, but four 4 of us ( little girls) it was definitely enough. The lamb was amazing, although it was not juicy, it definitely had a lot of spices. I absolutely love this place and the food. Will come back soon!

I was there last week with my vegan family. They liked their food. My beef dish was just OK and very stingy with the beef. (I do like Ethiopian food.) The service was slow due to understaffing and the table had not been wiped. Very mixed marks in my book.

Goorsha in Durham is delicious! The only tiff I have is that the menu doesn't automatically make it family style, but they will do it if you request. I got to meet the owner when I came with my family and he is literally SO NICE. Please go support them!

I'd been wanting to try Ethiopian food for a while now and finally got a chance to try it at Goorsha. It wasn't what I was expecting though. I thought it would be a lot more flavorful than it was. This is what we got: 1) Sambusa which was filled with lentils. It was crispy on the outside and the stuffing was seasoned. 2) Lamb Awaze Tibs : I has high hopes for this dish but was disappointed with the level of seasoning in it. It was a bit on the bland side. 3) Vegan plate: Don't remember the name of the dishes we got. This was decent. Probably won't go back here again just because I realized that Ethiopian food is not for my taste palette

Returned to Durham for a work trip and had a nice trip down memory lane. I've done some birthday dinners here which were really fun since this is mostly a share your plate type experience. Food here can be a little spicy, so come prepared for that. I enjoy their vegan options, like the kik alecha and the tekil gomen. Those are my go-to's. It looks like they stopped tapping Ethiopian beers, which is a bummer. I still had an enjoyable meal here. I've been about 3 times

This is my first experience with Ethiopian food and I definitely look forward to trying more of their cuisine. I must say I wasn't particularly a fan of Injera, but I think I'd still try eating it again. I ordered the Doro Wot w/ a side of Azifa, as recommended by my friend and it was phenomenal. So much flavor and just the right amount of heat/spiciness. I think I'll try a beef dish if I get a chance to try another Ethiopian restaurant.

Great food, service and the food did not take long. The food was delicious. Everything tasted fresh. I recommend the fried cheesecake as well.

Special shout out to the tikil gomen and the AMAZING server who came out to the parking lot to hand-deliver me my take-out meal. That was extremely nice of her and a good indication of the service at Goorsha. Oh, and I must mention the patio. A nice complement to a sunny spring day. Goorsha is the Ethiopian I've have in Durham, NC by far. I will be back for more!

A small group of friends and I stopped by Goorsha last week to grab dinner after work. It was my first time trying Ethiopian food and I wasn't disappointed! Between the four of us, we ordered three entrees. The staff went to the trouble of putting them all on one big plate so we could enjoy them family-style. The spongy bread that came with each dish had a hint of tanginess to it, and was so light I could probably eat tons before feeling full. The shrimp dish was unanimously voted the favorite of the bunch. Goorsha is also conveniently located near Jeni's- need I say more?

We've been here a few times in the past but not since COVID. We returned recently on a Sunday evening with a discount from a local organization. Even on a Sunday, they were packed indoors and outdoors. This is clearly a family-run operation, and even though they were short-staffed (one of their staff didn't show up for work), they were extremely polite and apologetic. We enjoyed the sambusa appetizers, my wife had the vegan entree sampler, and I enjoyed the shrimp awaze with lentil salad. All of the dishes were delicious and well-spiced. If you've never tried Ethiopian food but enjoy interesting spices and cuisine, give them a try.

Goorsha was great, one of the restaurants that makes me feel happy about recently moving into an adjacent neighborhood. Ethiopian is one of those cuisines I usually feel moderate-to-positive about but am rarely blown away by. Goorsha was the exception. I usually get the vegetarian combo at most Ethiopian places and I got it here, too - and was pleasantly surprised to find that all of the lentil-centered stews had their own distinct flavor and feel. One of them had that slow burn spice that was so slow I couldn't tell which one it came from! It's possible it even came from the green bean/carrot salad, which tasted fresh and airy, but could have been hiding some jalapeños. My partner ordered the zilzil key wot, berbere-seasoned beef stew, which was also amazing. Not a hint of toughness and a nuanced enough flavor that I didn't get sick of it when taking multiple bites in a row (weird compliment, I know, but I get that with most meat dishes). Two entrees were enough to feed us for two meals, and not just because of the insane amounts of injera that come with it.

Amazing injera and doro what This restaurant atmosphere was great, everyone seemed to love the food and who does not love to eat with their fingers; it literally makes food taste that much better.

Maybe it was an off day. They were inattentive, the tables and menus were dirty, sticky with visible stains. The food tasted fine, and I really want them to support them - such a great part of the diversity of foods in Durham. But at the current state, the food is not good enough to offset these other issues. The bathroom was also dirty and towels and TP were not refilled. Since it was a group of us, it would have awkward to just leave. But we wanted to and I can't say the last time I ever felt this way. Big disappointment.

Amazing atmosphere on the patio, and a really beautiful location in Durham! Food was served so quick and it was delicious. Overall a great experience for a dinner out!

Was highly recommended by a friend. Very cute restaurant nested in Durham. Large booths inside and so much seating outside. It was my first time so I didn't know all the names of the dishes but then descriptions were great. The app was fried to perfection and the entrees were great portions. I even enjoyed the lentils and I hate lentils. I would recommend.

My boyfriend is from out of town and makes an effort to come to this restaurant every time he is here. It's THAT good. We've tried many of their items, and it never ceases to impress us. Everything is well seasoned and incredibly flavorful. You really cannot go wrong with anything on the menu. We will be returning many times.

The food was gross and sour!!!! How can bread be sour!! It was just really sour food and a huge disappointment.

This was a perfect place for family dinner since some members of my family are vegan. When we were seated the waiter explained the menu and described a little bit of Ethiopian culture. I really appreciated the cultural aspect presented to us. Being vegetarian I actually let the waiter pick the options on my veggie plate. Everything he chose was excellent, with no complaints from anybody at our table. This will enter my restaurant rotation.

Soup was good Entree the meat part was good but I do not like their traditional Ethiopian bread/wrap roll. I could not eat any of it. Alcoholic drink was VERY good Excellent customer service from my waitress. She was very polite and attentive. Thank you.

This was my first time at Goorsha, and I was quite impressed. We got seated pretty quickly considering how busy they were. The waitress was very kind and helpful when we had questions about the menu. The appetizer (Sambusa) was delicious and came out quickly. The entrees did take some time to come out, but it was delicious. My only negative point was that the food was a little lemon-y for my liking. We still enjoyed it all very much. The location was also great being in the bright leaf area of downtown Durham; there was live music at one of the bars nearby that made sitting outdoors enjoyable. I highly recommend Goorsha, and am looking forward to coming back!

Loved Goorsha and can't wait to go back the next time I'm in town. The Zilzil Alecha was outstanding and worth a trip on its own. I just might be ordering two if I'm hungry enough. Note the lentils have chopped peppers in them that you might not get in the first couple bites but you will find later. The spice was fine for me, but one of my party members bit off a little more than they could chew and started having a hard time. The waiter was quick to jump in and provided a drink that set things straight in a snap.

Firstly, the service was not impressive. We had to wait a good amount of time before the server came to our table for our order. We ordered the Doro wot, what was given was a small chicken leg and an egg with a huge amount of gravy. With that being said, the sauce was flavorful but the chicken was completely dry and had the taste of day old chicken. We also ordered the zilzil ribs and that was fine but the meat was tough. Will never come back here.

My first experience with Ethiopian food and thoroughly enjoyed it. Food flavor is diverse and reasonably priced.

Came on a weekend for dinner. Because of its location, parking should be decently easy to find nearby. It's a small restaurant with about 15 small tables that can fit 2-4 people each. On this particular evening they had live music in the background. I came with a party of 5. We ordered 1 Awaze Tibs, 1 Doro Wot and 1 vegetarian selection of tekil Gomen, Gomen and Shiro. For dessert, we got the Apple samosa. Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 4.5/5 (The place felt a little bit tight by overall it had a great ambiance) Food: 5/5 (The food was absolutely delicious and the injera was perfect. My favorite was the shiro and doro wot) Price: 5/5 For Ethiopian food, it was worth it. Overall, it was delicious and I'll definitely be back again.

Been a long time since having some great African food...!!!!!! Love the lentils and chicken!

We had Goorsha delivered to our neighborhood through Durham Delivers (which is amazing in & of itself). We'd eaten at Goorsha once in Before Times, and it was very good - but this was amazing. Awaze Tibs Lamb served on top of injera - spicy with bits of jalapeño. The lamb wasn't quite tender - but it had probably been cooked at least an hour before i started eating it. Nicely spiced. Kik Alecha (red lentils) Somewhat sweet? Or maybe just the contrast to the awaze tibs. I could have eaten this as my whole meal. Timatim Fit Fit - a sort of injera salad with tomatoes and bits of jalapeño. Spouse got: Zilbo (pork with collards), which he scarfed down. He also got Fosolia (carrots & green beans) which had great flavor, and Sinig Karya (stuffed jalapeño) which I didn't get to try. I worried about how they'd serve it as takeout - the main dish was served on injera and there was plenty of extra injera (we ordered a separate serving of injera, but we probably would have had enough even if we hadn't). I'm glad it was served that way, because it enabled the injera to be infused with the flavor of the dish. We are going to go again - as soon as we are vaccinated!

The food was fantastic, environment very comfortable, service attentive, and value great

We loved our lunch on the beautiful patio today! The tables are well-spaced and the patio is out front, so you have a great opportunity to people watch on Main Street. They even have a hand-washing station. Our server was very kind and friendly and let me order my lunch from their sister restaurant, GoJo, which is just behind Goorsha. She let me get my side from Goorsha, so I ordered the dinech salad--finely-chopped potatoes in a very-spicy vinaigrette--delicious! My friend ordered the Awaze Tibs with beef. He loves spicy food, and said it was perfect. He also liked the dinech salad and the sinig karya--a jalapeno stuffed with tomatoes and onions. Parking in the adjacent lot is free on the weekends, and it's directly across the street from Brightleaf Square. If you like coffee and sandwiches, be sure to check out GoJo, too!

This was delicious! I got the zilzil tibs and it was well seasoned! I highly recommend going here for authentic Ethiopian food!