Habesha Restaurant

It’s delicious, though you may need a little patience since it often takes some time to prepare. I suspect that’s simply characteristic of Ethiopian cuisine as a whole. Also unfortunately you’ll have to make sure your bill matches what you ordered. A shame considering the food was tasty.

This was my first time eating Ethiopian food and I am incredibly impressed. Such friendly service, food was super fresh (you can taste that they use good ingredients) and very tasty! The portion was also perfect size (if you arrive very hungry, for me otherwise almost too big!) :)

Don't let the outside deceive you. This is a beautiful gem. The food was amazing. The atmosphere fantastic and the service super friendly. Ethiopian food is amazing.

I've always wanted to come to this restaurant and it did not disappoint. The ambience was very relaxing and friendly. I really liked the decor and most importantly, the food was fantastic. The only downside was that there are only two servers and so service is very slow. Also, it appears as though they don't have a bartender and the drinks we got took a very long time and they were not good. We had to send one back. I would come here next time for the food and skip ordering drinks. If they hired a bartender and more servers, it would elevate the experience ten fold.

We always detour to pick up food here on our way home from Logan to Vermont. It’s always fresh and beautifully spiced and compares well with top rated dc Ethiopian restaurants. It looks like the spot that taxi drivers choose which is always a great sign.

As a recent transplant from DC, where you can find some of the best Ethiopian food in the country, I was trying not to set my hopes too high on Habesha, but was nevertheless disappointed. The katenga was thrown together with no real presentation or care. This dish seems like something they do not make often and did not put much effort into last night: just injera with a thin smear of oil and spice. The injera was not even properly soaked or infused the way katenga should be — just a dry, grainy base with a light topping. The “tegabino” shiro tasted exactly like a regular shiro (also listed on the menu) just priced higher. I was missing the rich, caramelized flavors of tegabino and it genuinely felt like the restaurant is making the same dish and selling it under two different names, with one pricier option. Or maybe, as this was a takeout order, they elected to send along the cheaper, simpler option. The cheese with collard greens (ayib be gomen) came out wrong and was only cheese — no collards. Usually, when I order this dish elsewhere, you’re looking at something like a 1:1 ratio of collards and cheese. The salad was especially frustrating for the price. The dish was slapped together: huge chunks of tomato, jalapeño, onion, and lettuce that I had to cut myself. Normally, these ingredients would be diced, but they were all large sections with minimal preparation. The dressing was a generic vinaigrette with nothing distinctive to it. At $9, it was essentially half a tomato, a handful of lettuce, half a jalapeño, a quarter of an onion, and basic dressing…not REMOTELY worth the cost. Oh, and it doesn’t come with injera in case you were excusing the price for that. However, had the salad come with injera, I wouldn’t have even been that thrilled because the injera I did get was noticeably grainy and not very pleasant. I typically enjoy a darker injera like what this one appeared to be, but it wasn't good. I’m not sure if they make their own injera, but maybe a finer teff flour would be warranted. Overall, Habesha felt like a place cutting corners in preparation and quality while charging full prices. Based on my experience, I would not recommend it to anyone who likes Ethiopian food. I hope the high review of a 4.3 I’m seeing right now isn’t reflective of there simply being a paucity of good Ethiopian in the area, but I fear that might be the case. Resisting giving 2-stars because Boston needs to be supporting its Black-owned businesses right now, but Habesha needs to get its act together before I'd consider giving it my business again.

Unbelievably slow, poor service and borderline inedible beef The low-lights: -we were the first table to sit down, a table of six So the restaurant was completely empty aside from us. It took 30 minutes for the waitress to come over and take our drink order. -immediately after getting our drinks we put in our food order in our food took almost 50 minutes to arrive. We ordered six different dishes nothing off menu, very straightforward. -I noticed that they were fulfilling GrubHub and Uber eats orders left and right, they were coming in and out consistently for that almost hour before our food came out. -The owner, or someone in charge was sitting at the bar the entire time drinking beer, laughing it up with other people and offered no help or intervention. We almost got up to leave, but literally a minute later our food came out. - I ordered a beef dish that was honestly made up mostly of grizzle and tasted like I was chewing on rubber bands. -I normally don’t leave a review like this, but this was honestly one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had dining in Boston. It took so long despite the restaurant was not even remotely busy, and the food was subpar.

Delicious Ethiopian cuisine . The service was quick, the music was good and the whole experience was nice. The chicken and vegetarian options were great and the spicy tea was refreshing. Anjira were soft and went well with the gravy . There is a parking lot near the restaurant

I consider this my goto Ethiopian restaurant in the area, even though it is a bit of a drive from my place. It's totally worth it. It was busy when we went there. They have a good clientele. The ambiance and the service were also quite good. The highlight, of course, was the food. I am a fan of Ethiopian vegetable preparations. The injera was soft and spongy. The vegetables were hot, well seasoned and cooked to perfection. I couldn't get enough of the yellow peas and the lentils. The flavors were vibrant. The highlight for me was the whole fried tilapia. It was well seasoned and fried to perfection. The awaze tibs was also aromatic and perfectly seasoned. All in all, if you are craving Ethiopian food, this is the place to go.

It's crazy that the first time I tried this local favorite is after I moved to the south! My husband has been wanting to try Ethiopian food. Lucky for him, my hometown is a food hub with several great options. We came to Habesha on a Sunday at 12:15ish, right at the time they opened. Our food didn't come out for about 45 minutes, but we received our veggie Sambusa, honey wine, and beer came out beforehand, giving us something to munch and drink in the meantime. Sambusa's are small, we split it, but wish we got two! The beef tibs were delicious! Definitely an option if you're not adventurous with your food. But I highly recommend getting the habesha special and beef tibs to get the full taste and flavor of this cuisine. The beef tibs fed us both, we felt very satisfied. My husband had a flight to catch so it was perfectly portioned, but our next visit to town will definitely include the habesha special AND tibs. Do yourself a favor and pop by. This is probably the best Ethiopian food I've had ever.

Have eaten Ethiopian food a couple of times before, and glad to get it again. My partner and I shared the habesha special and beret metad tibs - TASTE: 4/5 - enjoyed the special's assortment of peas, lentils, spinach, cabbage, and potatoes, plus the lamb tibs TEXTURE: 4/5 - loved the spongy texture of the injera flatbread, perfect to pick up all of the food PRICE: 4/5 - total came to $53 SERVING SIZE: 4/5 - asked our waitress if our order would be enough, and it did indeed satisfy us for lunch, though wish we got slightly bigger portions of each topping on the injera SERVICE: 4/5 - walked in at noon on a Sunday. Took a few minutes to get seated, but the staff was warm and welcoming. Food came out 20min after ordering ATMOSPHERE: 4/5 - dated and dark space but filled w Ethiopian decor and music PARKING: 4/5 - got a free street spot on Main St

I was so excited to come here! Having seen good reviews online, however, service and the wait time is the reason why I will not be returning here unfortunately. When walking in, it was fairly quiet on a Friday night, however got slightly busier as the night went on. When we were seated, there was only one other table that was wrapping up their meal so we were the only other table. However, tell me why it took them an HOUR/HOUR AND A HALF to get our food out?!? Which is pretty insane considering there were only 2 take-out orders that went out at that time. We felt pretty neglected as a table and had to constantly walk up to the counter to get some sort of service from the waitstaff. I've had good Ethiopian food and this place is fine, however, this service definitely does not make up for it. However, I can admit that the price is good for the quantity of the food. The menu is also misleading. On the menu, it lists sambusa as $4.99 when we went. However, tell me why it only came with ONE sambusa as an appetizer. We were expecting 2 at minimum for this price!! Considering it is listed as an appetizer and not as a side, guests are expecting to order 1 appetizer to share as a table, and unfortunately we just had to cut the 1 sambusa in half to share with my friend which felt pretty pathetic. And for our main course my friend and I shared the Habesha Special, however on the menu it was also misleading because it said "cooked beef and chicken with egg." The lady said it was just chicken with egg which we thought was strange considering beef was still mentioned on the menu and there was no price differential for this issue. And when the chicken came, this dish was clearly big enough to share with 2 people and it was just 1 small chicken drumstick, which again, we awkwardly shared that between 2 people. Overall we were both very upset by the time the meal ended considering we have been sitting here for 2 hours with very poor service and communication. We will not be coming back here at all. What We Ordered: --1 Sambusa with Meat --Habesha Special

Authentic Ethiopian food. Habesha special was good sized portion, but much of it was not warm when it was served. Awaze tibs were really great, such good flavor. Server was nice and helpful when we had questions about the menu.

This place is amazing!! So glad to have gotten a chance to grab dinner in this cozy spot in Malden. We split the veggie combo + gored gored and everything was so flavorful and delicious. Highly recommend trying the veggie sambusa and spiced tea to start as well. Can't wait to come back again!

Do not come here!! Terrible customer service. I ordered from their website that led me to Grabull.com. I arrived approximately 35 minutes later, which was the time the website said my food would be ready. When I arrived. The woman at the front said they did not receive my order and was pretty much trying to send me on my way. I showed her the confirmation email for my order, the time I ordered it, along with, the charge from that website on my pending credit card charges. As I was trying to have a conversation with her about this, she kept walking away and tending to others, while I was mid sentence. She refused to offer a a solution. I would have even paid for the order again and try to get a refund from the website, but she barely wanted to look at me or speak to me. I walked away without receiving my order. Absolutely ridiculous.

Amazing!! Love the Habesha platter which comes with an assortment of veggies and chicken/egg with injera. The Habesha platter is 20 bucks which is so affordable! The platter can fill 2 people's stomachs to the brim or comfortably fill 3 people's stomachs. Ethiopian food is meant to be eaten with your hands so don't be afraid to dig in! Ambience is great with a very homey feel. There is also a full bar here. Overall very satisfied and already can't wait to come back here!

Came here craving Ethiopian I used to get in upstate NY. Dark ambience and incense smell when you walk in. Food was brought out so fast!! Kind server! But my food was not warm. I'm used to injera being warm and ours was cold. Potatoes were hard and green beans had really tough part inside. The lentils were warm but as they cooled fast and injera was cold- took it to go. Ok meal, could be better!

Delicious Ethiopian food! Really great value, friendly staff and I love to see a place like this super busy on a Friday night. I had tons of leftover food and really loved the vibe of the place. Highly recommend trying!

Superb Ethiopian food at reasonable prices. For 3 people, we ordered 2 habesha specials (injera bread with a bunch of stuff on top) and a portion of the crispy dried beef, served on a sizzling hot plate. The beef was delicious and cruchy and well seasoned, and it was very fun constructing the perfect bite using some injera bread and the assorted sides they have on top of it. The sauces were terrific and prepare to get your hands dirty! We were completely stuffed afterwards and paid about $20 per person before tip.

First time at an Ethiopian restaurant - come right in here and you're greeted with friendly waitstaff before being seated at a table where you can take in the interior of reds, tans and whites accompanied by walls adorned with photos of the culture and a specific corner area dedicated to their embroidery. As with any restaurant of a different culture (just like when traveling overseas), I would always sample their beer offering and this time it was a lager that was pretty standard and worked well with the food we ordered. When the sambusas arrived (we couldn't tell the size upon ordering but were fairly sizable once on the table) which weren't hot to the touch but when bit into, the interior emitted sufficient steam. Very flaky, like phyllo dough. The vegetarian version with lentils, onions and a bit of heat brought about a firm gritty texture but not too much lingering flavor. After a chomp of the meat version, we all agreed it was more flavorful and imparted a well-roundedness in terms of meat juice, fat and heat. Next came the Habesha special (which was vegetable-oriented with split peas, cabbage, spinach, potatoes) with the Yebeg Alecha (lamb simmered in sauces) and Doro Wot (chicken) atop the Injera bread. Would have to say that the Injera bread was nothing we've ever experienced in terms of texture, softness and sponginess and was a welcoming vessel to soak in all the flavors from each of the combinations. Definitely enjoyed the Yebeg Alecha, which had lamb meat with a ton of minced cooked-down garlic and the Doro Wot with chicken in a spicier red preparation. The vegetables presented somewhat of a palate cleanser in their own regard but also gave out their own flavors. Rolled-up Injera bread encircled everything and there's definitely a technique to split them with one hand to allow for proper and firm encapsulation of whatever you're going after, whether meat or veggies or a combination of both. Plenty of street parking outside when arriving earlier in the evening. Check out this place if you've never had Ethiopian cuisine!

came here for an early dinner last night(saturday) around 4:30pm. there was only one other table at this time. it was smoky in the dining area from the incense. we ordered the habesha special and the fried whole tilapia fish. the server asked what we like to drink and we both said water. two bottled poland spring water was brought to us. later we found that these costed $2.35 each on the bill. i didn't like this, it felt like i got scammed. it felt dirty. i mean, 99.9% of the time when i say i want water, i'm brought tap water that is free. if i have to pay for water, it's usually mentioned to me. servers usually say tap or bottle? from the time of order to the time the habesha special came out was 45 minutes. an additional 15 minutes for the fish to arrive at our table. the habesha special had a leg of chicken, which could've used a little more cooking time. i had a hard time getting the meat off the bone. the sauce that was with the chicken was probably my favorite of all the dishes served on the injera. the rest of the dishes on the plate were flavorful in their own way, all were delicious. the fish came out crispy and straight out of the fryer. the inside of the fish was well seasoned, the outside of the fish could've used a little more. parking is street

Habesha is one of my absolute favorite take-out spots in the Malden area - it is my go-to place to get food from when I need a little treat or pick-me-up. Since I'm indecisive, I usually end up going with the Habesha Special Combo, which comes with the perfect variety of veggie and meat dishes (and a boiled egg on top, my favorite part). The injera here is SO good, and I love that they give you plenty of it (I feel like I always have some leftover!). The size of the combo is large enough that I can usually get two very filling meals out of it. The chicken doro wot is my favorite part of the combo (the sauce is so unique and flavorful), but honestly everything is delicious... and I love that I can dig into the meal without the need for dirtying any silverware (at least for the most part). Sometimes I'll add on one of the veggie sambusas (lentils, onion, & jalapeno) as an appetizer, which always has the perfect amount of spice... and it serves the purpose of continuing to fill me up on delicious food, way past the point where I should stop eating. I really want to come by in person as well, as the presentation of the dishes from the pictures I've seen looks really great. In the meantime though, I will be continuing to hit this place up for takeout every chance I get.

First experience at an Ethiopian restaurant and this is the spot! Such delicious food and an even more incredible staff. Highly recommend.

Where do I begin i love this place! Not only do I love the food but the portions are huge and the staff is friendly! Service can be a little slower at times but it's definitely a family owned spot so I understand especially when it gets busy! I love the Doro Wat and the Habesha special (you can try a little bit of everything)! This is one of my favorite spots in the Boston area and definitely the best Ethiopian food spot around

Looove this restaurant! If you come by you're really in for a treat! Got the Habesha Special (vegetarian) no utensils! Make sure you've washed your hands before coming. You grab food "wat" with the "injera" or pancake-like dough underneath. It's a lot of food, she was suggesting two but one was plenty for two people! Surprisingly the bar was opened, but tables were spread far apart- I didn't feel unsafe

Our friend recommended meeting here! Very low key but worth going! I was impressed with our meal.

An excellent, balanced meal. Highly recommend a side of the Habesha Salad. Great service and a delicious experience.

Delicious and affordable Ethiopian food. We really enjoyed our meal here---the injeera was fresh and plentiful, and the different dishes we ordered (Doro Watt, Lega Tibbs, and other staples) were distinct and tasty. We also tried one of their fish dishes, and we were pleasantly surprised to receive a whole cooked fish. This restaurant really checks all my boxes---great service, fair pricing, good food, decent portions---and so I see myself coming here regularly in the future.

Delicious food. Warm, spicy , comforting, healthy, and fun. Using the tangy, springy Injera to scoop up mouthfuls of lovingly spiced lentils, split peas, cabbage, carrots, and salad is so satisfying. The Veggie Sambusas are a crispy triangle treat. We usually order mostly vegan(although we will get the Shiro with butter) and each iteration of lentil is unique and delicious and a completely different experience from the next. Top 5 restaurant in the area, easy. The food can take a little more time than you might expect (not long enough to ding them a star, however) but the staff is warm and the wait is worth it.

I love love love this place. The ambience is so cozy, some amazing Ethiopian music is always on! I love the staff - specially the smart cookie from harvard law . I love the Tej (Ethiopian Wine) must must try. A friend from Houston introduced me to this place and now i am hooked. You have to definitely visit this spot. The fish, vegetables, samosas, ground beef kifto is so delicious. Do try the Tej and ask for spicy powder!! Its the go to hangout spot for a lot of Ethiopian community! Anyone who has been here will agree and keep coming back. Its a gem..

Sat down, nice and cozy. Unique atmosphere that is very welcoming. Very nicely greeted and was given a menu. Got a couple samosas that tasted incredible. Especially if you ask for a side of sauce. Little spicy but perfect combo.

Wanted to try something new so we went over to Habesha to try some Ethiopian food! This place is decorated with tons of Ethiopian decor, but don't expect anything fancy. All the attention should be spent on the food! We ordered the Habesha Special and veggie and meat sambusas. The sambusas were pretty large and by far, the meat one was my favorite. It had much more spices than the veggie one. However, they were almost a bit too oily for my taste. We then got the habesha special which was an injera plate with meat, veggies, and sauces. The beef was pretty flavorful, but we only got a tiny chicken drumstick. The injera itself was nice and spongy. It can definitely fill up 3+ people when shared. The service wasn't as bad as other reviews say. The waitress was super nice and we didn't wait too long for our food to come out. Pretty affordable and good food!

This is a taste of unique and flavorful color and character. As an American, our food gets so boring and bland. The Ethiopian dishes here spiced up my bland life and brought hope back into my bones.

I took my fiancé and picky eating friends to Habesha and this food made believers out of them all! The food is so incredibly delicious for very reasonable prices and it is a very warm, welcoming environment. 15/10 would recommend and can't wait to go back and try more of their options!

The service was excellent and the food was delicious... the sambosas and lamb tibs were outstanding! We very much enjoyed the honey wine but it would have been even better if it were served chilled. The ambiance left much to be desired. The other three Ethiopian restaurants I've experienced (two others in Boston, one in Tampa, FL) had very nice ambiance. It's definitely a factor when considering a low key delicious place for date night or to bring out of town guests to experience this delightful cuisine. If the place was spruced up a bit it would definitely be deserving of five stars.

For some reason I have not been able to find an Ethiopian restaurant with great service. This place is no different. The service is not bad but it's not great either. Server never refilled our water yet I noticed she continuously replaced the water at other tables. Maybe it's because it was our first visit and she seemed to know the other customers. They were out of every beer besides their version of bud light. Here we go: The sambusa are really good. Very flavorful and an appropriate size. I ordered it with a side of Awaze sauce that the server never brought to the table. We tried to hold out and get her attention but was unsuccessful. We had to eat them before they got cold so no sauce for me. We had a group of 4 and ordered two Habesha specials and two meats so we could sample the sides. It all came on one platter and we shared it. The food was decent and satisfied my Ethiopian cravings. My friends thought the food was just ok. I will try some other entrees on my next visit. Hopefully the service is better and I can add another star to this review. Happy Hunting Yelpers!!!

This place was okish The ambience and the restaurant looks a bit too old. The food looked and tasted stale. I only tried vegetarian items here but everything just tasted super stale.

The food was mid. My partner enjoyed their veggie combo with tilapia. I ordered the doro wat and received one piece of chicken. It also tasted bitter and was cold.

Stopped by after getting a recommendation from a friend and it was so great! The staff was so friendly. My friend recommended the habesha special, berte metade and quanta fir fir (we will try this one next time). The habesha special was great and can definitely feed 2-4 people. It was also practically empty at 12pm on a Saturday which was surprising but I guess a good time to stop by. Make sure to wash your hands well before eating.

Food- 4/5 Service- 5/5 Wait time- 1/5 Ambience- 2/5 Food was good and staff was very courteous. Wait time for the food is very long. Rest assured that food we got was fresh and sumptuous. Overlooking the negative parameters, I may visit this place again for food when I have a lot of time.

5/5 My favorite Ethiopian restaurant in the Boston area. The place looks really dingy when you first walk in. The lighting is very dark and not in a good way. The tablecloths are old and some have small stains. But, I care about the food not the ambience! The food is amazing. My favorite meat options here are the regular lamb tibs and the grilled lamb tibs. The portions are good for the price as well. Whenever someone in the Boston area tells me that they've tried Ethiopian food and they don't really like it, I ask them where they have been and tell them they should try this place instead before making a final judgment on whether they like Ethiopian food or not. I've tried 3 other places in the Boston area and none of them are anywhere near as good.

Food was delicious and had a very home-made feel to it. I especially loooved the Habesha Special. The prices are so affordable as well. Especially for the quantity (and quality) of food that they give. I ordered takeout (due to covid) but someday I'd like to eat in the restaurant in person. The people were super attentive and friendly, and they had my order prepared right on time. Eat here and support this lovely business!

My favorite Ethiopian restaurant in the Boston area. Delicious, authentic food. Nice atmosphere.

On our way to Logan airport from the Hartford, CT area we had some time to kill and I wanted some Ethiopian food as this is one my my top cuisines. After perusing the menus and Yelp reviews, I picked Fasika. However, they don't open til 1400h on weekends and I was starving. So I looked further and ran across Habesha. It had an outstanding review by an Ethiopian. I was a little weary thinking it might be a "fake" review, but we tried it anyway. Both Jack & I loved the food. We had our usual Kitfo but chose the version with fresh onions and jalapenos. It was nicely spiced and cooked (not) correctly. The veggie combo had delicious gomen, shiro wot, misir wat, fasolia, kik alitcha, and atkilt wot. The veggies were not at all bland. The injera was perfect. Service was the usual: pleasant, quiet, reserved. Yes, the food takes quite a while to come out. They make much of it fresh. Eating is a social experience. This is not fast food. I was a little disappointed that they had none of their listed Ethiopian beers. No Harar, no Meta, no Hakim. But they had Corona and Heineken. There were a few other anomalies such as asking if we wanted the kitfo "well done". (If you have ever seen this, it is absolutely disgustingly gross!) Also they wanted to give us individual plates. I had no idea what to do with them, so we just gave them back. But the food was really good. It measures up to some of the good one in the SF Bay Area, DC, and New York.

I won't pretend to be an expert on Ethiopian food, only having tried it once before, but this place is really solid. It came highly recommended to us, so we were excited to meet our friends here for an Ethiopian feast about 6 months ago. We started with honey wine for the table (definitely for people with a sweet tooth! My husband was not so much a fan), and we split a Habesha special along with two of the meat dishes (sorry, I can't remember which ones). It ended up being just enough food for 4 hungry people. The Habesha special was great, as it was basically a sampler platter of a bunch of different vegetarian dishes. I particularly loved the cabbage, which was sweet, mildly spiced, and addictive, and the lentils which were so flavorful. All of the meat dishes were excellent as well. The injera was light, spongey, and not too sour. We felt like we could keep eating and eating and were surprised when we completely cleaned our plate. The total bill was more than reasonable for four. While the ambiance is nothing to write home about, it feels authentic, and the food speaks for itself.

Restaurant was renovated since the last time I was here. Food just as good as I remember but I am deducting a star because the waitress was having a bad day and didn't seem to want to be there. Also, with the renovation, they've added too many tables. Both of my legs got hit by people moving around chairs to try and make room. Towards the end of our meal, a few guys started to combine tables without help from the staff. That was the second time someone banged my leg. Then someone went to stand up and hardly had any room so his chair banged our table so hard, the table shook. The last 45 or so minutes we were there, there wasn't a table to be had and it became incredibly loud and hot enough that I was sweating.

The food was good and quantity was great for 2 people. Have the Amber and St George beer with food

When I had friends who lived a short distance from Habesha, we came here regularly and enjoyed it very much. Last night, I returned for the first time in 6 years, and I am pleased that very little has changed. One thing new to me was the large TV on one wall which constantly played very upbeat African or Ethiopian music videos. The other was that I believe they food is even better now. We stuck close to our usual routine for dinner, which included a vegetable platter and some type of meat, which tonight was the marinated beef. Instead of my usual Meta beer, a dining companion said I we should try the honey wine because of other very positive comments. As much as I like Meta beer, it will be tough drinking anything other than their honey wine now. It's served chilled and is a refreshing start to your meal, with a second glass to accompany your dinner. Service is always friendly here, and the ingredients are quite fresh. I remember years ago Habesha was featured in a local dining magazine or newspaper and it talked about the emphasis the owner/chef put into the ingredients. Our meal came with a generous amount of injera as well. It's nice to know you don't have to drive all the way into Boston for excellent Ethiopian food.

Amazing food and wonderful service. From start to finish it was superb!! If you want excellent Ethiopian food and coffee, this is the place.

Got take away from here and was not let down. The mixed veggie platter had so many good things its hard to pick a favorite because if you do think you have, you quickly go 'oh but i want this one too'. The bread was also great and I love how they pack it up (with everything piled on top of the bread). Can't fault anything here.

Very authentic. Full of spice, but not too spicy. Spice heads need to really push to get the level you are looking for. Good experience into the Ethiopian community.

Interesting vibe with TV constantly playing Ethiopian music videos. Great and flavorful foods. Large portions. Reasonable price. Injera tastes really good. Server is not attentive. Long wait for foods. Don't expect high end restaurant ambiance. Overall

With full awareness of how this sounds coming out of a middle-class white guy, I think I have a good sense for Ethiopian food. I hounded Shaw in DC, trucked through mid-Wilshire in LA and even got lost in South Orange. All driven by a need to sweep up vast quantities of oily, spicy wat in fat pillows of injera. And Boston, for all its neighborhood variety, doesn't really have a rep for cuisine. So consider my shock when I found a 5-star Ethiopian place in Malden of all places. I was skeptical, to be sure. But all that skepticism took was a bite of one of Habesha's many offerings and I was converted. Habesha is awesome. If white hipster taste is anything to go by (and let's be honest, you're on Yelp, thats what you're getting), it's up there with the best on either coast. Grab yourself a big veggie sampler (Habesha Special $14), one or two tibs (lamb or beef or both, go nuts) and 3 friends (you'll need them) and go to town. It all comes out to be so cheap and so good you almost forget you're in Boston-area. Go here immediately.

Let me start by saying I have absolutely no idea what I ate but it was amazing taste wise. We ordered their special. Which came on a huge platter with piles of different vegetable dishes on top of the bread light product. In addition to that, ordered some meat dish that was flavorful with onions and tomatoes and garlic flavoring as well as one that was chicken which came with a hard-boiled egg. It looks amazing, I just wish I knew what it was. I saw the names on the menu and would definitely order it again. Get there early though, it filled up by about 630

[3.78/5] An Uber conversation brought me here. What started off as the usual Uber ride turned into a discussion of the best places for Ethiopian cuisine in the Boston area. The driver was from Ethiopia and he revealed, I mean mentioned (:P), Habesha along with Addis Red Sea and Shegar Cafe. Now if you know anything about me, then you will know this means I need to go on a mini Ethiopian restaurant tour. First stop, Habesha. Review #053 Restaurant Type: Casual Dining. Full Service Restaurant. Food (65%) Taste to price 4/5 Quality to price 4/5 Portion to price 4/5 Average = 4 Service (20%) Friendliness 3/5 Promptness 3.5/5 Average = 3.25 Cleanliness (15%) Bathroom 3.5/5 Dining area 3.5/5 Kitchen area 3.5/5 Average = 3.5 Overall Score = [F(.65)]+[S(.20)]+C(.15)] = [2.6]+[0.65]+[0.53] = 3.78 The Pluses... + I enjoyed the presence of the owner. He came to our table and asked us how the food was and whether we needed anything. Much appreciated! + We ordered the HABESHA SPECIAL and the GORED GORED. + The HABESHA SPECIAL was cooked to my liking, lots of flavor and spices which were so comforting and earthy. INJERA was warm too! + As for the GORED GORED, that was my daredevil move of the day, as (1) it was my first time having it and (2) it's raw! I'm usually hesitant and finicky when it comes to the unfamiliar and raw, but this one here turned out to be a great decision. Think of a spiced up beef tartare. Lots of turmeric, spice lovers rejoice! + They have Ethiopian Beers and HONEY WINE (TEJ)! + When I go to an ethnic restaurant, I always enjoy and desire to learn more about the culture and traditions. For that reason, I liked that the wait staff had on traditional clothing and the TV blasting Ethiopian music videos. The Negs... - As others mentioned, the wait staff appeared a little disinterested. Service was not slow by any means, but some enthusiasm and a smile could go a long way. - Menu could have been written clearer. For instance, some of the entrees were for two people. Some language denoting this and pictures would help a lot. - This is minor, but I wished there were more traditional themes and decor throughout the restaurant. In Conclusion... I haven't been to many Ethiopian restaurants, but I can say I've ventured enough to call myself a fan of Ethiopian Cuisine and this is prior to my food tour. The uniques use of spices and food prep always brings me back to the Ethiopian restaurants. Habesha delivers in the food and did not disappoint one bit. Come here for the food. However, if you want ambiance, a place to feel like you've escaped to Addis Ababa for a split second, there are better options... #ChowYouLater **If you enjoyed my review and need help with the Boston area, follow or add me as a friend. I have tons of reviews like this.

I'm a newbie to Ethiopian food, but was brought by a friend from Ethiopia who says it's the best in Boston as far as restaurants go. I give the food a 10/10 for flavor, amount, and price. The service is good but they WILL keep you waiting for your food to come out, your check, and anything you may need a waiter for so don't come to habesha if you plan on having a quick meal. It's so cheap for the insane amount of food you get and delicous!!!

Awesome flavorful spot with a variety of foods. Though I absolutely love hot spicy food, most of the foods here are extremely spicy. Often times I've requested zero spice or no jalapeños but because of the communication, doesn't seem to come across. The salad is BEYOND delish, for the garlic lovers. Interestingly enough, when you ask for a salad to begin, they omit the side salad that usually accompanies the meal with the injera. Truly, my fav Ethiopian restaurant. Tables are quite tiny, but the space is small, so understandable.