Lucy Ethiopian Cafe

Really enjoyed coming here. Portion sizes are average (not especially large) considering the prices. I really liked the vegetable options, and the lamb was good, better than the beef imo. Service was fine, ordering was easy through the QR codes, though you can also order up front.

This place looks very unassuming from the outside, but has a cozy area in the back inside. The flavors are delicious and the teas are a must -- either the regular or the peanut one. A very solid spot for small groups going to the Symphony. Food-wise, I'd say their lamb combo for two is a good start.

Pros: Food tasted good and fresh. I also liked that you order through a QR code. Cons: Portion sizes are definitely way too small for the cost. It’s actually frustrating thinking about how cheap lentils and that kind of thing are and then looking at the tiny portion. We paid $50 for a shared plate, it could’ve at least been filled full.

Great Ethiopean food, prices reasonable. Try the Peanut Tea !! Portions are large. We had a meal for free and didn't finish it. Extra bread available.

Delicious food and super thoughtful staff - we had a vegetarian combo for two and lamb combo for two which was more than enough for the four adults eating. Everything is so tasty as well as beautifully presented. I highly recommend eating here!

What a delicious restaurant! We were craving Ethiopian food on a rainy day and found this place. Everything was absolutely delicious. The peanut tea was fabulous - we’d never had it before but will definitely get it again! Milky and nutty and sweet - so good! We got one lamb combo and one chicken combo, both were excellent. The lentils, split peas, and potatoes+carrots were particularly good. We also got Injera with split pea curry appetizer, which was so good. The Injera is so soft and light here, definitely the best I’ve ever had. Highly recommend!!

Superb Ethiopian food and drinks at this cafe. Recommend the combo meals and flaxseed drink.

Food is great but it has a self-serve vibe. You have to order at the front and they bring food. Food and drinks come out in a haphazard way. But the food was pretty good, satisfies the craving. Injera is good but less fermented tasting than st other places.

I love Ethiopian food and we definitely got our fix here! It's a simple place, order at the counter and find a seat. There are not many tables but we were able to find one. There were three of us and we got the veggie combo for three plus lamb. It was huge and we took a lot home. I loved the ability to get the combo because I love all the vegetarian dishes and it was hard to choose just one. Service was friendly and we were among the last to leave. Parking was a little challenging but we wound up using the symphony hall garage across the street.

Great authentic flavors. However, it is priced a bit high compared to other restaurants serving similar fare. I ordered the single combo with choice of two sides and meat. I ordered the douro wat which had great robust berbere seasoning with caramelized onions but only ONE drum stick. Also not a fan of the presentation. For two person combo I am guessing is probably more of a traditional serving where food is laid on top of the injera. I definitely wanted more injera to pick up the amazing sauce. Food won't disappoint and break the bank but wanted more for the price. Close to transportation and the symphony hall.

We've been wanting to try this spot for a long time since there aren't many Ethiopian spots in Boston and it was super yummy! We ordered the Single Lamb combo (medium spicy) to share and were given the option of 2 sides. We picked the potatoes and pureed split peas and surprisingly we loved the split peas! The puréed texture was great for dipping the injera since it soaked up all the sauce. The lamb was also flavored well and had spices dancing in my mouth. Considering we weren't super hungry, for 2 we just ordered this one dish then ordered an additional side of injera to share and that was the perfect amount. Although it was a little pricey at $25 for a single portion of lamb combo, it was worth it. The food came out quickly and the restaurant was decently empty mid afternoon on a Saturday so we had the option to sit wherever we liked. What we ordered: - Combo 1 Lamb Medium Spicy w/potatoes and split peas

A little out of the way place after the theater. Delicious chicken combo, chick pea, cabbage, lentils and all with a great spice. For sure transported to a cool little cafe.

I think this is a good starter for those unfamiliar with Ethiopian food but ultimately there's definitely better places. They have a good menu and portions but the flavors and spices are more muted than I'm used to.

Wow, for my first time having Ethiopian food, I didn't know what to expect. I always passed by Lucy while walking around Northeastern, and it always looked so unsuspecting, but boy does this place pack a flavorful punch! The beef tibs were sooo flavorful and tender - definitely my favorite thing on the plate but I love meat so that is to be expected. The side dishes as well were very good, but my favorite was the split peas. It was really fun to eat the dishes by tearing off the bread. It wasn't crowded when I went for an early dinner, and the food took a little bit to come out, but not too long. Although it is a little pricy, I would for sure come back here as the food is really delicious and unique for the area. I would love to try their other side dishes and meats!

An absolutely delicious no-frills Ethiopian restaurant! I'd recommend going at non-peak hours and ordering less than the menu suggests (ie. the combo for 2 easily serves 3) Pros + Delicious food and huge portions + So many vegetarian options + Very reasonably priced Cons - Can get quite crowded at peak hours, would recommend showing up early

Food is always great. Excellent service. This place is always clean. Decorative wall art

Food is great. The injera is the perfect level of sour. For the meat, we got Kega (beef) Tibs. Really rich flavor and tender meat. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. For the veggies, we got: Gomen (collard greens) Miser Wot (red lentil stew) Dinch Wot (potatoes+carrots) Tikle Gomen (cabbage+carrots+green beans) It was all very rich and delicious. Also very filling!

Food here is excellent and great service to match! It's not easy finding parking, but a little walk ain't never hurt nobody. I'll park a couple blocks down and make my way. The place has few seating, but I've never seen it jam packed. There's cool wall art and a nice handwritten menu. I honestly can't tell you the names of the dishes that we order, but the veggies are what I love the most. The greens, cabbage and carrots. A little potato. So delicious. I do remember the "telba" shake with flaxseed and it's soooo good!! This is hands down, one of my favorite places to eat in Boston.

The cover photo for this place is spot on (exactly what a combo dish looks like)! This is a smaller restaurant, right by Northeastern (and a dozen other notable landmarks). It was a rough start, as we were a large party that had made reservations a week in advance, and called the day before to confirm with management. When we showed up, they had no reservation, and were not staffed for a party of 16 ppl. The young staff did a phenomenal job, many accolades to them, this was a failure of management. They did the best they could, shuffling around tables, squeezing us into space that didn't reasonably accommodate 16 ppl. Despite not expecting us, the staff did great. Food came out much faster than I would've expected, and the accuracy of orders was spot on. A few ppl mentioned a bit of lack of flavor (only spice-level). I would say that $50 for a combo-3 was a little pricey for what you got, but wasn't completely unreasonable. I would recommend this place for take-out, or as a nice place to stop for lunch. I really do want to re-emphasize how great the staff was, considering the circumstances. My 3-stars review really reflects the issue with making & reconfirming a reservation, to have it not pan out.

The food was very delicious however the chicken combo meal for two people came with one drumstick of chicken, that's all! We kind of couldn't believe it. Two people having to share one chicken drumstick is just not right. When you consider that we paid $40, it's a big ripoff. It's a shame because the food was very tasty but we won't be returning.

It was 5 of us visiting Boston, and wanted to try something new. It was a nice and quiet atmosphere, we went there for lunch. The food was ok, I was not a fan of bread, but it's a specific taste that some people love. My friends liked it and we did eat everything . Service was nice I recommend to try something new, and you will decide if it's for you or not.

very nice simple spot, nothing fancy, but very interesting and GOOD food...it's catercorner from Symphony Hall, wish I'd known about it years ago! Not for dates unless they are a little adventuresome and don't need any frills... Try the peanut tea, and barley drink...surprising and good! It's a great find for me! Very nice staff who are happy to see you!

Highly recommend this cozy, convenient location at Symphony. The service here is mostly self-service as it seems to be a small business owned and run by few people, but our order came out in time. We ordered, like many others have recommended for this restaurant, the Lega Tibs and Addis Combo. The food arrived at the same time and it was so fun to alternate around the different flavors, dipping the food using Injera (the rolled flatbread-looking, made out of teff flour). Injera has a soft, sponge texture that actually filled me up surprisingly. None of the dish were too salty or blend, We ordered some drinks (the traditional tea, I forgot the name, and some mango drink which was nothing too special). Given the price this place offers, I think this was a great find. Highly recommend Bostonians or visitors to try out here especially if you don't know much about Ethiopian food. I cannot imagine leaving this place dissatisfied.

Came here for dinner. There was only one server. It's order yourself on the phone. We got the combo for 3 with lamb. Unfortunately it took over 30min to get the food. It came out on a typical steel plate. There were 6 different veggie dishes and the lamb in the middle. The veggie dishes were ok, very mildly spiced, borderline bland. The lamb was good, it was seasoned with black pepper and salt, but the meat was fresh and tasty. Overall ok place if you're not hungry.

Came for the first time on a Thursday evening with a friend after wanting to try this cafe for the longest time and I really enjoyed it! I had never tried Ethiopian food before so I had no expectations, but I already knew that you're supposed to eat with your hands. My friend had grabbed us a table, and I'm glad he did because it got pretty busy and I noticed people eyeing the tables to see if we'd be done soon. We ordered via QR code at our table, but you can also order at the counter. There was only one server, who was also taking orders at the counter, so I'd recommend ordering on your phone. I got the Doro Wot Combo for 1, with Split Peas and Spinach with Potato as my sides. It also came with Injera, which is what I used to scoop up my food. It was a hefty meal and I ended up with leftovers for lunch the next day, while my friend ordered extra Injera and ate his whole meal. I would definitely come back again! I'd love to try more of their menu, and I definitely got my money's worth.

This was the best Ethiopian food I've had in Boston. Going at a non-peak time makes the experience even better because it's quiet. The service is great and I would go back if it wasn't so far away from me. Great environment all around.

Great ethiopian food, friendly staff, prices are just fine. Straightforward cafe vibe. Really enjoyed the lamb (medium spice) and the gomen.

We had dinner from Lucy (delivery) last week and it was really delicious. The food came quickly, was piping hot, and while some dishes could use seasoning, everything was overall pretty good. I had a vegetarian/vegan combo and loved it...my only suggestion is to serve the same amount of each of the 3 items. My husband and daughter had chicken and lamb and had no complaints. We'll definitely return!

Went a few years back and was great. That has changed. Order the combo for 2, really underwhelming. If you go, just get the combo for 1, it's the exact same amount of food as the combo for 2, at half the price. Some of the food was cold in spots, maybe they put into the microwave? The food is just OK, definitely not worth the price, many better options nearby. I won't be back

Was feeling for ethiopian food and decided to do delivery from Lucy Ethiopian Cafe. Did not disappoint! I got the Lamb Combo for 2 which comes with a platter of lamb as well as your choice of 4 veggies. We decided on the tikil gomen (cabbage and carrots), gomen (collard greens), miser wot (red lentils), and dinch wot (potatoes and carrots). I'm usually more of a fan of veggies when I go for ethiopian food, but the best part of our meal was definitely the lamb. It was extremely flavorful, tender, and filling! If I were to order again, I would go for 2 of the lamb dishes instead. The veggies were average, in my opinion. The red lentils were great, but I thought the collard greens were under seasoned and the carrots were not as cooked through as I would have liked. Nevertheless, I left satisfied and had enough for a meal the next day!

Great food, had one of the sampler platters. This way you get to try a lot of dishes. It is not spicy unless you ask for it that way, just super flavorful. You order at counter and they bring the food. I love Ethiopian food and now I love Lucy's.

Not particularly flavorful which was disappointing in an Ethiopian spot. The staff was very nice but slow food delivery even with just a few customers in the restaurant.

Nice Ethiopian place by the Symphony hall. There were few people dining at lunch. Got the combo for 1 with lamb, red lentils and spinach and potato. Flavors and spice levels were great, and I loved everything on that plate. My meal came up to 30$, seemed bit pricey maybe. Overall good experience.

Food was incredible, the man who served us was very knowledgeable and kind. Peanut tea is to die for!

Entering Lucy Ethiopian cafe and restaurant, The warm decor and the aroma of spice greeted me. All travelers to Boston, who find themselves in South End during the winter should come here. The music is worth the listen, especially as it comes from the region; and I recommend the traditional tea while you enjoy the music. The tea is filled with spice, including cardamom. For the main dish, I had Miser Besga, lean beef and collards greens slowly simmered in a sauce with a side of red lentils cooked in a spicy sauce. The most memorable part of this delicious dish was the rolled up pita bread which is used to gather up the food. This is necessary for when you eat with your hands. The serving staff were very kind in answering my questions about the food. This place also offers a takeaway option. However, I prefer to go out to the restaurant to eat, especially if you are traveling.

A laid-back spot with good homemade Ethiopian food. The ambience is very homey, much like the food that they serve. Good price and good portion. The Combo for One allows for variety as you get one main and 2 veggie sides. I really enjoyed the Chicken Doro Wot. The slight spicy aftertaste was nice. The Spinach and Potatoes and Chicken Pea Stew were also fresh and tasty; great additions to the meal. Everything went well with the fresh injera bread.

Lucy's is a go-to for Ethiopian food! It has great portions and fair prices. All the hosts are sweet and respectful. The restaurant itself is very nicely decorated.

Not a fancy place but authentic Ethiopian and very friendly staff. Well worth stopping in for lunch or dinner. Note that you will eat with your hands (and the Ethiopian bread).

Unassuming little restaurant with excellent service and delicious food. We enjoyed the veggie combo for two. Great sampling of all vegan options which we full of flavor. Staff was happy to give us extra injera so as not to waste one yummy bite. Plenty of street parking nearby. We'll be back!

Just got our order without injera! Called and told you have to pay for it. What a joke! Go elsewhere. Worth paying for Blue Nile.

Bring on the spice and everything nice! Had a great lunch here sharing a combo for two. Ethiopian flavors and textures were on point. Service was friendly and easy to find and get to.

Was in Bean town visiting relatives..stopped by Lucy's for some Ethiopian food for lunch...finding parking was a challenge..There were only maybe two patrons when I walked in. One server , maybe old enough to be a high school student. Ordered Beef tibs.. asked for wine.. they don't serve alcohol.. ordered a soda.. food arrived pretty fast which let me know.. it was most likely warmed up and not fresh. Let's talk about the sodium.. was hella salty..only came with 4-5 tiny rolled up injera..disappointed. Normally you would get one large injera spread out on the plate and rolled up injeras.. It was tasty minus the salt. One thing I would be very critical of is the service from the waiter.. noticed a bit of a pressure in forcing tips from customers.. not a good look. Insisted on repeated request for cash on a side for tip?

The food was phenomenal, the service was excellent, and they're very accommodating to dietary restrictions. The spice was just right, and the dish with a beef and lentils was exceptional. Especially for the price and the location very much worth it.

Loved this little gem found right next to the BSO! If you're looking for good, authentic Ethiopian food, Lucy's is your place. It's best for a group so make sure to bring some friends along. We got the combo for 3 with all their veggies of the day plus beef. The beef was so tender and flavorful, I highly recommend it. You'll probably need extra injera as well. Unfortunately it's not free but it's only $2 additional. I also loved the assortment of veggies, especially the lentil dish. The workers are also so friendly and helpful! I'll definitely be bringing more friends to this place in the future

Very average tasting food Think they just reheat stuff seeing the day Would definitely not return High rating they have does not fit

Lucy's Ethiopian Cafe was a good experience to try! I went with a friend and got the Combo for 2. It was $40-$50, so I was expecting something really amazing, but it was okay. All of the veggie sides were bland and mushy minus the spicy sauce, which I really enjoyed. The lamb was also just okay, nothing special. My friend and I weren't able to finish everything, and by the end all that remained was the soggy veggies and bread so we called it a day. Overall it was fun to try but I probably wouldn't come here again unless it was to try something drastically different.

It's hard to find good Ethiopian food around Boston, but Lucy Ethiopian Cafe was a definite hit! Parking is probably a bear as it's on Mass Ave, but the T is very close-by and it's quite bikeable. Ambiance is casual and it's counter-service with entree delivery to the table. For 4 hungry adults we ordered a veggie combo for 3 and an order of lamb tibs. They let you customize the spice levels of each item which is really nice. We initially thought this wouldn't be enough food but ended up having enough leftovers for another meal for 2 people! The veggie combo was perfect- lots of variety of both lentil-based and greens-based items and the lamb tibs were super flavorful and tender. Each platter came on a very large piece of injera along with several rolls of injera, but we still ended up kind of running out of injera at the end of the meal so I'd recommend ordering an additional side of injera to go with this much food (wish they'd give more injera though). The service was really friendly and fast and I thought the pricing was very reasonable for Ethiopian food in Boston. Overall I would definitely order takeout and return here.

Trypophobes beware! The injera has a bunch of bubbly holes, but the bubbles also help it soak up all the yummy sauces. I ordered the combo for two, which came with beef chunks and 4 veggies. I tried the miser wot (red lentils), spinach, shiro wot (chickpeas), and dinch wot (potatoes and carrots). I loved how each vegetable dish had its own flavor profile. I asked for the dish to be spicy, but it didn't end up being very spicy. For $32 I felt that the combo was a lot of food. The food came in two containers (one big container for the veggies, one half container for the meat), and each container had its own big sheet of injera along with one extra roll. For two people we were stuffed and I think this could easily be shared among 3 people. This is a great option for takeout because they pack the containers so well! The injera ends up sitting underneath the veggies and meat so it absorbs all the great flavors. I was worried that the veggies would get mixed up but they held up well.

When I lived in the South End, I loved frequenting Lucy. ALL of the food is delicious, the staff is friendly, and that peanut tea?!! It's like drinking liquid peanut butter (in the best possible way). Since moving to Brighton, I haven't been able to stop by, but I was really craving it the other night and not fully comfortable going to restaurants in COVID. Fortunately, they deliver! And while I was concerned that the food wouldn't hold well in the ride over (would there be soggy injera?!), it was great! When I opened the boxes, it was still steaming. So if you're craving Ethiopian food for takeout, I wholeheartedly recommend Lucy!

Very cozy ambiance and friendly service. The food was very tasty however the potatoes were pretty hard and not fully cooked.

It's a nice place for a take away dinner, the The food is delicious and tasty. It's good for vegetarians too.

Food was so yum!!! We ordered the beef and lamb tibs. I love the Ethopian flavors and it really hit the spot. We ordered the medium spicy which had a lit kick but not too bad. The watress' English wasnt too good but that just added to the authentic feel hahaha

Our first time eating here was in 2015 when we were stationed in Connecticut. We made a trip to Boston to check out the aquarium and some breweries, and stopped here for lunch. That meal was very good, with super fast service, punchy, flavorful food, and really decadent drinks. Once we got orders back to New England, we made another trip to Boston and made sure we could revisit Lucy's. While we were gone between visits, we were stationed in Hawaii and had truly superb Ethiopian food in Honolulu, which spoiled us. On arrival to the restaurant, we knew something was different. The music had changed, the food tasted a lot more bland, and despite being only one of two couples in the whole restaurant, the service was poor. We ordered the exact same thing we had back in 2015 to try and compare, but felt honestly pretty disappointed in how flavorless the lentils were, how soggy the teff pancake was, and how bland the telba flax drink was compared to last time. It's sad because their food really was so good, I wonder what happened...

Walking in, it feels very spacious and I love the decor. The lady behind the register was pretty nice as well. One thing to note is that you pay upfront before you sit down. We ordered the lamb combo for 2 for $40, which was a bit on the pricier end. It comes with 4 veggies, for which we chose Gomen (collard greens), Shiro Wot (chickpea soup), Miser Wot (red lentil stew -- spicy), and Kim Alecha (yellow split peas). The veggies and the lab were presented on top of Injera, which was this fermented spongey texture, perfect for absorbing food, and served on a gebeta, a large circular, usually metal platter. Overall, we chose medium spicy but it wasn't spicy at all, so it might be best to order a higher level of spiciness if you have a spice tolerance. The following rating should be taken with a grain of salt because this is my first time having Ethiopian food, so I had no baseline Lamb (5/5) -- Best tasting lamb, soft and full of flavor with an amazing sauce. The injera underneath that was a delight to eat. Gomen (4/5) -- Pretty good. I don't think I like collard greens that much though. Shiro Wot (3.5/5) -- Pretty soupy, as the name says. Not much flavor except the fact that it is supposed to b spicy. Miser Wot (4/5) -- love it. chunkier and great tasting flavor. Kim Alecha (2.5/5) -- It's alright, -1 for being room temperature. For combo platters like these, here is the tradition from migrationology.com: "To begin eating, first tear off a bite-sized piece of injera with your right hand. Then use it to scoop up, and pick up a bite of your choice of whatever you have on your platter. As you begin to eat your dishes, you can begin to eat the foundation piece of injera at the bottom, and I think it's the best part of the meal because it's had time to soak up all the wonderful flavors of the dishes. No utensils are needed, you eat with your hands, while sharing a single platter of food with everyone you eat with." It was definitely really nice to eat with my hands in a community setting, I need to get used to getting my hands dirty

Great food and kind staff! I love all of their vegan items - 10/10 will be back again

Love Lucy's for lunch - my go to is the green combo, staff is friendly and the stews are perfect on at chilly day.

Such an unassuming storefront holds a delicious Ethiopian meal. We had the lamb for two. Loved the peanut tea and the Besso shake.! And don't miss the Ethiopian language lessons on the wall.