Red Sea Ethiopian Restaurant

Very nice food. Old style, original Ethiopian environment. Feels like home, best African restaurant in San Diego.

Say it with me DEL-LISH-OUS I have frequent this authentic Ethiopian Restaurant during the past few years of living in San Diego, and I still can't get enough!. Food quality, presentation and of course the most important, TASTE! The owners are truly blessings to the community. Upon entry, the restaurant has a museum like feel, highlighting great Ethiopians and art from the culture I HIGHLY RECOMMEND stopping by for a taste for any occasion! Ask for the Honey wine!

So delicious! We had the Yedero Tibs and the veggie special which came with 7 types of veggies. We also got a sambussa as an appetizer which was super crispy. It was a great way to try a variety of flavors. We’re excited to come back again!

I was hesitant about writing a review bc I wanted to gate keep this restaurant for myself but this is a small, family owned business. This will be my go-to restaurant for Ethiopian cuisine in the SD area. The depth of flavor and spices along with the portion size and price is unbeatable. The service was a highlight and I saw that the waitress happily answered a lot of cultural questions for the other customers too.

I had a lovely experience dining here. The food was delicious, they accommodated my gf request, the service was amazing, and the atmosphere was adorable. The food was flavored and spiced perfectly. I will definitely be coming back!! The owners were so sweet and down to earth. You can tell how much love and care they put into their food. Parking in the area was easy. It was very reasonably priced as well :)

In town for a brief visit. Found Red Sea after a Google search for highly rated inexpensive places open for lunch. It also happens to be only a couple minutes away from our AirBnb. So glad we tried it! Food was extremely delicious & flavorful, portions were very generous and pricing was reasonable. We had the sambusa, yebeg siga wot, yedero tibs, and Tej wine. Didn't know there was parking in the back, but fortunately found street parking nearby. Inside wasn't fancy, but clean with comfortable chairs. There was nice music playing in the background, but couldn't hear it too well because of the news show on the TV that was on at the same time. Didn't think to ask if they would turn it down a bit so we could enjoy the tunes. Pleasant, attentive service that wasn't too overbearing. Overall a good experience and I recommend Red Sea.

Excellent food! Between my friend and myself, we ordered the meat & veggie combos. The spices were just right and the injera was well made. Highly recommend!

My husband and I had the best Sunday brunch at Red Sea. Everything was absolutely tasty. From the appetizers to our dessert! The waitress we had was absolutely so helpful on our questions and warm hearted. We will most DEFF be back!!

This place is so good, I had to come back to try it again! This time I got the Dulet Wot, which comes with beef, tripe and liver! It was very well seasoned and comes with a generous portion of injera and salad. The restaurant was not busy at all on a Saturday evening we were quickly seated and served. It does get pretty hot in the building as they don't have AC, but they do have fans and the food is well worth it.

We have been coming here for a few years now and we always have a great time. We love the homey feeling of the restaurant and the kind and friendly staff. They always remembers us. :) For an appetizer, I would recommend the sambussas! For entrees, we order the vegetarian combo and special shiro and it is enough for two adults and two kids (our kids love the food as well). They are always generous with their injera. The Ethiopian coffee is great as well and the baklava is really good! Would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for tasty food, a fun atmosphere, or who wants to support a local business.

For dinner time on a Thursday night, the restaurant was fairly empty but that did not mean that the food was absolutely delicious. This was my first time having Ethiopian food and we got both combinations to try as much as we could. Every single item was flavorful and perfectly spiced, paired with the injera, it was a great dinner. Both combos totaled up to around 40 dollars without tip and we both left extremely satisfied. Keep in mind that there isnt much parking but there are a couple plaza lots and street parking if youre lucky.

Truly authentic and delicious without any pretension. You'll even get some history and food 411 while waiting (it's at your table). This is one of those spots you stumble upon if you're lucky or through in your search. The spice levels are on point and this restaurant adds their own flair but stays true to the traditional flavors. The ambiance is so comfortable and the service is great, too!

Been to Red Sea several times now. And every time was a good experience. Portions are generous, flavorful, and served quickly. I also like their cozy interior, too.

I saw the restaurant as I was driving by. I'm glad I stopped because the food was delicious. I'll come back every time I'm in San Diego. Everyone's friendly, great service, and great food.

It can be So hard to find Dulet (Ethiopian lamb dish with liver, tripe and spices) These guys execute it to absolute perfection. Super friendly service in a spacious space.

A charming place, Red Sea has to be the most DELICIOUS Ethiopian food I've tried! I've been to a couple places, but I still find myself driving 20 mins to satisfy my craving. The number 11 and 17 combo are the ones that I always find myself going to, and their Injera always comes out fresh and warm. I can't recommend this place enough!

Another great meal at Red Sea. I decided to have a little bit of everything that I enjoy today. The customer service was great as usual. We did not wait long to be greeted and for our order to be taken. I noticed the new and improved decor. The updated seating was quite comfortable and I enjoyed the music playing. I will be coming back soon.

Very nice interior, fast service, and great food. The prices were great for the serving size, it could feed 2 people comfortably

This place is so unique and authentic, you can tell as soon as you walk in. Family owned and you feel the hospitality with the great service. Food was amazing and there were many vegan friendly options as well which was great. Reasonably priced too, will definitely come back

Delicious! We got the veggie combo and everything was super tasty. Very authentic and great service!

This is my ALL TIME favorite Ethiopian restaurant. Ethiopian food is one of my favorites and I enjoy the alwaze ribs and the yebere siga wot every time. The anjero is the perfect balance of just the right amount of sour to complement the food so well. The restaurant itself is cozy and they have a sitting area to enjoy Ethiopian coffee. When you dine in they provide the food in a family style shareable way. The service is great for a quick order and pick up and even dining in.

Tried Ethopian cuisine for the first time! The waitress was super accommodating to this first timer. Answering questions. Pointing out options for this Hot-Spicy adverse palate. The food was SO GOOD! I feel incredibly full. The atmosphere was chill. Smells of incense. I wish I wouldve taken photos of the space. I felt transported to a different world for leisurely meal. I recommend and want to bookmark to come back !

Best ethiopian food locally, ai order the #11 combination and it's so good. I recommend if you like spicy foods.

We were looking for Ethiopian food and knew there was a lot in City Heights! In general, the area around this place can be difficult to find parking, even with a small parking lot behind the restaurant... We decided to try this one and the service was fast. We were seated very quickly and our orders were taken promptly. We ordered the gored gored which is an almost seasoned raw beef and then the lamb specialty, which I've forgotten the name of but it was also delicious. Both were not incredibly fatty, they were quite lean, but so tender! I think the next time, we'll be ordering some vegetarian dishes, too. For those who have not tried Ethiopian food, these in particular have a tangy taste and some of it is spicy. You'll also be eating without utensils, simply picking up the food with the pancakes! The restaurant itself is very hole in the wall, nothing fancy, but I found it quaint. Along the walls are portraits and paintings relevant to their culture and there's also decor to match, too.

This was the first time I tried Ethiopian food and I absolutely enjoyed it. The restaurant has a welcoming home vibe as if you were going to your grandma's house to eat or something. Lol. I loved the decor as well. We sat ourselves down and our server came within minutes to take our order. My husband and I ordered the tibs because I don't really do spicy and the server suggested it. She put it all on one plate-family style and we tore it up! There was salad in the middle, some sauce on the side and the meat on each side of the salad. It was juicy, flavorful and a good type of full, like a healthy full of that makes sense! Lol. They also give you this unleavened bread and you pretty much use that to eat your meat and salad. No utensils, you eat with your hands. Lastly, we did the traditional Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony and it was real cool to watch. The coffee is so strong, it had me up till 1am! I want to come again and order something different next time. If I were you, I would give it a try!

Really and truly this restaurant is a gem. The food was amazing, the service from our server, Yeti, was phenomenal, and she gave us excellent recommendations (personally the Sambussa was a crowd favorite for my husband and I). If you are in San Diego, don't miss out on having some traditional Ethiopian food and a wonderful experience.

Everything was delicious and the server was so nice! The decor is very representative of Ethiopian culture and has a comfy and quaint atmosphere. Their portions are huge but they swear everything is portioned for 1 person. My party of 3 enjoyed every bite and still had leftovers because we were ridiculously full. The only negative parts of the experience were that they burned incense that had a strong smell and had a single bathroom so the wait time to use it was long at times. I would definitely come back for a to-go order or to try the coffee ceremony.

My friends insisted we come here together and I am so glad they did. We had a wonderful night together and the food was just incredible. The service was, too. We talked about the origins of coffee with our server. She roasted the best coffee for us, too. Fantastic place. I highly recommend it!

The food is delicious and served so beautifully! I love the decor and overall vibe of the restaurant. It is very cozy and cute with lots of informative pictures and notes. It's very nostalgic for me personally. The service was wonderful. The owners are kind and very welcoming. I am a regular and I recommend the place to whoever I can!

The food was fragrant and flavorful! So much fun diving into another culture and their way of dining. The decor was fun and I loved the Ethiopian music they were playing. Servers friendly and patient. Would highly recommend and can't wait to go again.

Our Family has been coming to the Red Sea Restaurant for the past 10-15 years! We really enjoy their delicious cuisine, full of flavorful spices and Excellent Customer Service! Shimé and Yeti are very customer oriented and strive to make your dining experience memorable. For Vegans or Vegetarians, their Veggie combination is to die for. It's one of their best selling dish & most people love the 6-7 different veggie dishes that come as a combo. You can order it family style where everybody eats together as a family on a big platter or served individually on your plate! Your choice! But for the rest of us "Carnivores", their Special Kitfo, Sautéed Doro Wot, Zilzil Tibs & Gored Gored are at the very top of our list. After devouring the delish food, gulped down with a couple of cold Ethiopian beers, we always look forward to their Beautiful Traditional Coffee Ceremony (if requested) and drink their strong, freshly roasted Ethiopian Coffee that will leave you delighted beyond compare! This Restaurant is a MUST TRY, we guarantee you will be coming back for more!!!!! PS. Dont forget to try their honey-wine if you have a designated driver.. coz it will leave you Buzzin' & Tinglin' in the right places!

Ohhh yeah. Great ethiopian food, strongly recommend the lentils! Definitely worth coming in and getting some grub!

Beautiful place, the service was so friendly and helpful. The decor with the Ethiopian baskets is lovely and transporting. But now to the food. It was amazing. We got the Injera (it was perfect) with Yedero Wot, Tibs, Shifinfin and Split Pea Alicha. All perfectly apiced and flavourful. We chose one spicy and the rest milder. All were great. If you've never had Ethiopian food, Injera is a spongy fermented flat bread, and the spiced meats and vegetables sit on top of it. The toppings are scooped up with the bread. I highly recommend going here to try it. Our 10 year olds loved it and also loved the ambience. They keep bugging us to go.

We came back here after 7 years. Food is as flavorful and delicious as it was. We were glad that this restaurant is doing well and still in business. Come and enjoy special food. You will need to eat without utensils. Enjoy the experience!

I visited this place on my last trip to San Diego. Let me tell you, I loved it that I had to comeback to eat here again. I could not say I went back and not stop by. The food and service is great. The ambiance is casual and the value is perfect. I have told everyone I know that is visiting the area yo stop by this hidden gem. Is worth a visit.

Absolutely delicious Ethiopian food! Friendly service, traditional Ethiopian art, great ambiance and posters with a large variety to choose from! I would definitely recommend a combined #11 and #17 combination plate with injera bread! 10/10 would recommend

Got the #11 and the #17 combo platters -- both were very flavorful and delicious! Service was attentive and warm :) It had been years since I had Ethiopian food and now I know where to go! Ambiance was super cozy decked out in posters about Ethiopia, and enjoyed reading about the country from the information set at the table. I will be back to try their sambussas.

So here we are over 13 years later since my last review, and what can I say.... Still my favorite joint for Ethiopian. The staff is still friendly, the food is still amazing, and I still leave fat and happy (even though I eat a little less these days). I love how they still play Ethiopian music videos. At least I think they're Ethiopian and that they still bring out the beans sizzling for the Coffee Ceremony. What has changed? Well, we're advanced Ethiopian eaters and don't only have the Tibs or combination. Still stick to the veggie combo, cause mom said to eat your vegetables, but are now onto the Kitfo and Gored Gored (barely cooked) because meat and meat juice is delicious. Calm your dirty mind and toughen up your belly. They taste amazing. Give Red Sea a shot. You'll be happy.

This restaurant is really a hidden gem. The employees are so kind and friendly and their food is absolutely delicious. I've tried all of their vegetarian options at this point and they've so been amazing every time. My non vegetarian friends have also loved the meat dishes as well. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone considering it.

I went last night with a couple of friends and it was so delicious! The restaurant is cozy and has traditional decor. We got combination meats and veggie combo and added Kitfo and shiro. We got an order of sambusas and they were so warm, crispy, and fresh! They were also very big, bigger than other sambusas I've had at other places. We also got the honey wine that was really good. The food was great, the kitfo was really good and buttery melting in your mouth. I will definitely be back again!

Best Ethiopian food I've ever had, the decor is very pleasing too. The lady that served us was very polite as well! I have been to multiple places across California and this has been the best one.

I have never eaten Ethiopian food before and it was suggested to me by a parking attendant at the San Diego airport. I must say it was pretty good I got the combination plate which came with regular beef, spicy beef and spicy chicken with salad and bread (I forgot the name of what it's actually called). This hospitality was amazing and welcoming. I certainly enjoyed the food and it was really different for me. The spicy beef didn't have enough beef which is why it got a 4 star rating because it was just 1-2 pcs and the rest was gravy. The regular beef had plenty so that was awesome and it was only 1 pc of chicken and didn't seem to have much flavor. The salad was perfect and I noticed because of all the gravy the bread got soggy quickly. I would certainly suggest giving it a try. Check out my Instagram for more food reviews in different areas. Instagram.com/therealfoodaddicts954

First time having Ethiopian food and it was really good. I would recommend this place if you never tried Ethiopian food. Service was wonderful the lady made sure that we were taking care of. The restaurant makes you feel at home. Nice spot to eat and enjoy each other's company. Definitely coming back!

When you enter Red Sea Ethiopian Restaurant, it was as if you had walked into a comfortable carpeted lounge at someone's house. You may seat yourself at any of the approximately ten tables they have. The menu was split into four main sections: appetizers, entrées, vegetarian entrées and house specialties. What caught my eye was the combination plate which consisted of tibs (pan roasted strips of beef simmered in spices and a berbere sauce), yebere siga wot (spicy beef stewed in spices and a red pepper sauce), and yedero wot (two chicken wings stewed in spices and the same red pepper sauce). The spice level was described by the waitress as medium, but it was a little less than that for my taste buds. The plate was served with a small fresh salad on top of a large piece of injera. A basket with about five more pieces of injera was provided to help sop up all the saucy goodness. My favorite was the tibs mainly because the pieces of meat were larger so I could place it inside the injera, fold it up, and eat it like a beef fajita. This restaurant does take reservations so I will be returning in the future with a large group to enjoy their yummy Ethiopian cuisine.

This place was amazing. Our server was very noce and fun and the food was fantastic. The coffee is delicious and strong x

Good quality food and generous for the price. Lovely hospitality. We ordered 3 dishes for 2 of us and had sufficient leftovers for a 2nd dinner. Not fancy but very comfortable ambiance.

You must try this restaurant!!! Ethiopian food is my all-time favorite food in the world! The spices, aromas, and flavors are exquisite! The salad here is always fresh and the food is so delicious and nutritious. I highly recommend the veggie combo, you get to taste all of the different types of delicious stews. They are always so warm, inviting and hospitable. You feel like you are at home with family. I could eat here everyday! Definitely come support this local gem, it's a wonderful family owned business!

Always busy with people of different backgrounds! This restaurant is a guaranteed great experience. The warm atmosphere, and rich aroma of authentic Ethiopian spices, immediately makes me feel welcomed and comfortable. The go to order is the vegetable combo. This place is perfect for vegans and vegetarians! The injera is perfectly tangy and spongy and they give plenty. The portions are good! The staff are attentive and polite. They are so kind and always have smiles on their faces. I highly recommend Red Sea to anyone seeking a genuine taste of Ethiopia and a welcoming dining environment.

Excellent, authentic food. Great, friendly service. All the other customers were speaking Amharic. I always figure, if the food reminds someone of home, that's a good sign. Try the sambusa with awaze. Neti (owner) makes it herself It was so good! Ambiance was comfortable and homey. I felt more like I was visiting someone's house for dinner.

This hole in the wall is fantastic. Great prices and delicious food. The restaurant is older, but charming. Plus the service was friendly and helpul. Everything on the menu is tasty and flavourful, inclusing their honey wine!

7 years now and still tastes amazing, I love the vegetarian combo. Highly recommend Timatim Salad (tomato, jalapeños, spices, etc...) and the huge lentil sambusa, freshly baked on site.

Food was delicious especially the number 2, the lamb with onions was incredible definitely one to try, the place was very well put together and the lady was really helpful .

This is THE MOST delicious food on the planet!! It is made with love and you can taste it in each bite!!! Please come and try! soo flavorful and delicious!! The coffee and dessert is amazing too. Staff are friendly and serve their customers with care!

Excellent friendly service and delicious filling food. Two of us ordered both the veggie combo and meat combo. They were both great! Thanks!!

Absolutely delicious food, incredibly hospitable staff. I highly recommend and if you're unfamiliar with the type of food, they have great suggestions!

Tried this restaurant with a friend and went back witih my son to have dinner. Everything we tried tasted so good and I would highly recommend asking the server what she likes. She was very friendly and prompt and willing to help make decision based on what you wanted.

I loved this place. The food was amazing and the staff was great. It was our first time and that made sure we were comfortable. I hope to be back real soon. Thanks Red Sea.