Try Me Ethiopian Cuisine

We got the vegetarian dinner for two and it was very good! Each dish had delicious, unique flavors. We were impressed by the generous portions and amazing variety of foods on the platter. We will definitely come back!

Outstanding food and value. My partner's son, who is clinically underweight and does not eat much, ate more than he normally does in perhaps 3 days. I have never seen him enjoying food this much. And the food is truly outstanding. I will certainly come again when I am in the area! The restaurant and bathroom are both very clean, the owner is really friendly and fun to chat with should you wish to.

What an amazing find! Really delicious, authentic Ethiopian food. Well worth the drive here. Every dish in our meal, which we shared family style, was delicious and became a sumptuous feast. Generous portions and the leftovers also tasted great the next day. We will definitely come here again.

The food is phenomenal. The music is great. The atmosphere feels half home kitchen, half neighborhood hangout. Highly, highly recommend eating here or getting take out. And get extra injera!

Our 1st time at this restaurant, and the first time eating Ethiopian food. Service was good, I asked for advice because I had never tried any of it. We tried three dishes family style. This is our new favorite restaurant. The food is delicious!

This is hands down the best Ethiopian food in Portland. The owners are so talented in the kitchen and their food is beyond amazing. The kitfo is my favorite and is always so full of flavor. I’m leaving Portland for Chicago and I will definitely miss this restaurant.

A small place in a strip mall with big flavor. We tried two dishes and they were both outstanding. There was a bit of heat in the dishes but nothing I couldn't handle. I would go again for sure!

I have to agree with some of the other reviews, the spices are amazing, without being overpowering. The injera was perfect for holding big bites of delicious lentils. I had the Bayayenetu (vegetarian combination) and it will last me at least two meals. It’s hardy, and healthy, and I will definitely be eating here often.

Fantastic stuff. I got the siga wat, very tasty. Could have been spicier for me but there was plenty of berbere powder on the table for me to help myself. I wish it had been served on injera, but the injera I had to eat with was incredible. Perfect sourdough flavor and delightful texture. The portion size seemed a little small to me at first, but once I had finished eating I was the perfect amount of full. Highly recommend.

Some of the best Ethiopian food I've had! Both of our dishes were delicious and prepared fresh. The bread that they make to pick up your food with is the best part of the meal. Service was quick and efficient. The decor was not much, who cares, we were there for the food. A little expensive, but what isn't, it ain't BurgerKing. Probably will go back and try the goat. All in all, a good experience.

Amazing traditional Ethiopian food. Yemetin shero wat is the vegetarian combo dish that has a little bit of everything. Two kinds of lentils, steamed beets, carrots, potatoes, a delightful collard greens(?) dish. Of course served with injira bread. And you must try the homemade tej. They have at least four Ethiopian bottles beers. Fresh, not oily, salted heavily, but all balances out with the tang of the injira and pickled onions. Lovely smiling proprieter runs it all

This phenomenal restaurant is hidden away in a Gresham strip mall. Don't let that scare you away. The interior is very cozy and the food is incredible. The tej (honey wine) is made in house and is served in a traditional berele, which you can see represented in many of the traditional Ethiopian paintings that adorn the walls. Trust the name of the restaurant: this is a restaurant you should try!

This restaurant might be good for people trying Ethiopian food for the first time who don't like spicy food and who seek an informal strip mall restaurant atmosphere with plenty of free parking. The food is not spicy, though it is salted. They have a nice sprinkle-on red pepper powder by the table to add hot spice. The pluses in the lamb berbere were it was diced to about 1/2" inch and tender, and without spices it is possible to taste the difference between green and yellow lentils in the vegie combo. I have been experimenting with my own berbere, and this one lacks flavor of spices such as cinnamon, coriander, ginger, and cloves. Their injira was strongly on the vinegar side but lacked the dark teff bitterness of some other injira. Their pricing is moderate for the dishes when considering ordering multiple menu items to make what would be a full meal at other local Ethiopian restaurants. Staff was fine. This is the other beginner SE Portland Ethiopian restaurant you can bring elderly relatives or people from the Midwest to, without Ethiopian restaurant experience.

Unassuming exterior ( I mean, Gresham strip mall eh) with thoughtfully prepared food that tastes like it was prepared with care for friends or family. Try the lamb if you're a carnivore. The chef makes you feel welcomed and treats you like guests in their home (a cozy home that someone takes deserved pride in and enjoys the ambiance of, which is passed onto guests)

It was a delicious dining experience. Located in a rather empty strip mall in Gresham, there is a Petsmart and Dick's Sporting Goods nearby. We decided to try the Ethiopian beer, pretty good! We ordered the Meat and Veggie Combo. It was very tasty. Having had this dish one time before at another restaurant, I'd say it was a much better flavor experience here. Everything tasted fresh and flavorful and the spices were just hot enough for me. I like things on the milder side of spice. We also ordered the Doro Wat to go. It is a chicken stew containing chicken legs with the bone, (skin removed) in a red pepper stew, served with a hard boiled egg and a side of cottage cheese that is different than I've ever tried. It's more like the texture of feta cheese. Also served with a generous portion of injera (tef) bread. It was a satisfying meal to be sure.

I don't wanna quite give this a four-star, but I believe it doesn't deserve a three star either because really and truly I'm sure this is amazing five-star food for a lot of people, but just isn't what I was hoping for. Now I have walked by this place 100 times it's been open. This is in my neighborhood and this is a shopping center that we go to often. Though it never is super busy it also is never ddead and that's says a lot for a restaurant in the area. Now I'm a huge Indian food fan and looking in and at a lot of the photos and dishes while walking by I was really hoping for an Indian style food I know that is judging a book by its cover, but it really is where I was expecting it to be you had a bread similar to naan and many dishes that look very close to Indian. Anyhow I didn't order, but I definitely tasted most of the items that were on the plate served on top of their bread, but the whole time I was eating it I was thinking it wasn't as good as the Indian equivalent, whether be the lentils or other legumes. the spice and flavor depth wasn't quite there either and I left feeling hungry rather than overly stuffed. Maybe it's my thirst for American portions or maybe I over eat with the large size meals of Indian the spice and flavor depth wasn't quite there either and I left feeling hungry rather than overly stuffed. Maybe it's my thirst for American portions or maybe I over eat with the large size meals of Indian food. I wouldn't let this preview discourage you from going. If this is something do you want to try because I don't regret that but I will say this didn't scratch the itch was hoping for.

Small neighborhood restaurant with generous combos-- both meat and vegetarian. Not fancy but good and plentiful..

Fantastic food! Cozy and authentic ambiance. Even though it's small the owners respect your space and you don't feel crowded. And let me just say again, the food is fantastic! And that's ultimately what really matters. I highly recommend this restaurant.

This restaurant is fantastic for delicious and well priced Ethiopian fare. The sourdough injera is so complimentary and the honey wine is awesome. Each dish is so tasty and the spices and flavors are perfect for the food. We went here our first time on Valentines Day a few years ago and we're definitely a big fan of their work. The owners are very kind and take great care with their work. Best Ethiopian in Portland thus far.

I really wanted to like Try Me Ethiopian. I love Ethiopian food and this is the newest one on the East Side, close to where I live. I carried out their veggie combo and both of their lamb dishes. But the food was mediocre at best. It tasted like they aren't using the spiced butter (niter kebbeh) at all, or if they are, it's a very poor version. No complexity of spice flavors--the hot-and-spicy stuff was just hot, no spice melding, and the rest was bland. The lamb meat was so generic I couldn't tell it from pork or beef. ALSO, having carried out from many Ethiopian restaurants in several cities, this is the FIRST and WORST time anyone has packed to-go food so poorly. Usually, and logically, they will place a piece of injera (spongy flatbread) UNDER the food in the to-go box. Ethiopian stews and curries are always served with, and on top of, injera, which absorbs their sauces. This keeps the soupy sauces under control and keeps different stews somewhat separate even if they are part of one dish, like a veggie combo. Instead, for their veggie combo, Try Me put all six veggie dishes into one flat box WITHOUT injera. I only discovered this when the box began to spill as I loaded it into my car. I opened the flat styro container and found it full to the brim with soup! A good amount of each dish, but all ladled into one box and full almost past the top. Absolutely guaranteed to spill and fail under normal handling. All the injera was in a separate flat container. The two lamb dishes were better packed, each in its own container. But, as I mentioned above, the flavors were either bland or harshly-hot, and unmelded. The lamb with peppers especially showed that it had not been allowed to stew long enough to mellow and blend the flavors. I know that Ethiopian food can vary a lot based on who is cooking on a given day. I -may- give Try Me one more try, because I truly love classic Ethiopian food. But based on my first experience, I am not hopeful.

The music was terrific, a mix of Ethiopian traditional and more approachable (for me) jazz. The couple running the place were laid-back and genuinely glad that we liked their food. The service was inobtrusive and yet attentive. The food was every bit as wonderful as my memory of my first-ever Ethiopian meal (Blue Nile, Berkeley, 1985). Unlike the last place whose injera we tried, Try Me! has a light, savory, nuanced touch with the seasonings. The tender, tender greens! The lentils! The beef! We tasted every ingredient. Among cooks, it is high praise to say another's food is "clean." This place is that, and so much more. The illustrations on the walls made me wish I read Amharic. Greshamites! Seek this place out!

Try them!!! That's all I can say. If you've ever been on the fence about Ethiopian food and are holding out for some reason, this place is absolutely phenomenal. Plenty of options and the injera is delicious.

I really hope this location stays around for a while because they're so damn unique. I'm also appreciative of restaurants who state which items are vegetarian & vegan right on the menu. The knowledgable staff here help further fine tune what you might order if you are the enlightened type who trys to avoid consuming animal products. They are awarded stars here as such: 1. Ambiance: It's comfortable and they there's wonderful Ethiopian decorations 2. Food: the stews are all very flavorful. Their spicy hot powder, available by request, is just what you'd need to bring the heat up a notch 3. 'Try Me' is Vegetarian & Vegan friendly. They know their ingredients so they can advise which dishes will suit those with self imposed dietary restrictions. WHAT TO ORDER?: Get the veg sampler platter combo‼. The injera bread is made with teff only which means it's gluten free. Gresham is lucky to have such an amazing East African option. Good stuff!

The most wholesome food in Gresham. As I ate, I could feel the soul & love that is put into the food. So satisfying. Feels like a warm hug for my belly. This is the kind of restaurant I enjoy giving my money to.

The food here is so good! Everyone in Gresham needs to try the Doro Wat. I've never had Ethiopian food but I'm so glad we came here. It's our new favorite restaurant in Gresham!

Not gonna lie, the name of the restaurant is a bit generic, but I'm glad we decided to "try" this place! My handsome wilderness explorer suggested this place for a late lunch before heading to Mt. Hood for our afternoon hikey hike. I've only tried Ethiopian cuisine once before and quite a while ago, and was not impressed, so I came here with low expectations. I was pleasantly surprised with how delicious the food is here, so let me count the ways. We ordered the lamb lover's combo and the doro tibs to share. The portions are very generous and we struggled to finish the dish. Although I prefer thinner and drier breads with sauce-heavy dishes (e.g. lavash bread or Indian roti), the injera bread went well with the lamb dishes. The lamb was perfectly seasoned and the sauces were quite flavorful without being too salty or too sweet. I preferred the lamb over the chicken, although both were pretty tasty. The chicken was definitely the healthier option, and we were super stuffed by the time we finished dining here. The injera bread has a slight sour taste to it, reminiscent of sourdough, except the bread is very soft and sponge-like. Overall, I highly recommend this place for a quick yet tasty lunch before a long hike! Next time, we'll probably just order a combo to share since the portions are generous.

Great find here in Gresham, so glad we went. We had the combo meat/veg platter. There's home made Berbere spice on each table, amazing and hot! Authentic beers and honey wine. We atre definitely going back to sample other dishes. Only ethiopian restaurant here in Gresham, we need to support them!

When your in the mood to try something new . I recommend for sure ! Atleast once . Although I prob won't be eating this again ....but I can say I did once ! You should too! Be courageous and try something outside of your confort range and you may find yourself pleased and suprised ! Enjoy cheers all !!!

It's definitely not a fancy restaurant, but the food is delicious and very reasonably priced. I would recommend stopping in and trying it.

This is my first Yelp review, because this little gem of a restaurant deserves it. I wanted to try Ethiopian food for more than 20 years but somehow never did. I thought I'd give this place a shot. We ordered the Siga Wat (beef stew) and the Meat & Veggie Combination. It was presented very beautifully and was delicious. I especially loved the lentils and the cabbage and carrots. The injera is probably an acquired taste, but I'm glad to now be able to say I've tried it. The man & woman working there were very friendly and I loved the Ethiopian artwork on the walls. It seemed like a popular place. All in all, a great experience.

Just a little hole in a strip mall, but it packs a big punch. The flavors were fantastic. The portion was on the small side, but I found it satisfying. If you work nearby, this place can definitely accommodate your 30-minute lunch break. I will definitely be back!

This place feels like a cozy family resturant. The fragrance of the spices floats in the air that hints at whats to come. The food is served in Authentic Ethiopian style on injera (an Ethiopian Bread that's used as plate and utensils) with the Beef Combo featuring the Siga Tibs and Siga Wat. The food was filled with flavor and felt like a home cooked meal. We'll be back with friends

I enjoyed the Siga Wat (Beef Stew) the most. Very tender and spiced great. All of the food was enjoyable. Unlike others I didn't feel it was over priced. Felt like I got my money's worth. It was a new experience that I would encourage others to try out. Although I do not think it would be in my rotation of places to eat out, if you haven't been I highly recommend this place to try. The customer service was not what you would expect from a traditional American dining establishment. There was very little explanation or help in ordering. If you do your research beforehand you can order. But if you are walking in cold, you will be frustrated or lost. It could be cultural, I just don't know. I recommend this place if you haven't eaten Ethiopian.

OMG .. The best Ethiopian food I've had in Portland. We are used the great Ethiopian food in the D.C. area and had been disappointed until we tried Try Me Ethiopian Cuisine today. They make their own injera too and it's the real deal, with the lovely taste of fermented Teff. We live in Portland but will be going to Gresham just to eat here. Great service, friendly people, nothing fancy about the decor.

Let's just say I'm not leaving Gresham as often as I do during the week. My lunch was so delicious today... I'm in heaven. My food had mild spices or should I say flavors. So close to home cooking and my mom was a very good cook. I wouldn't describe the flavors as ethnic or spicy in any way. Just scrumptious! This is a beautiful small restaurant with plenty of seating. The bathroom is beautiful and clean. And this restaurant is air conditioned! My female host/server was calm, friendly and the food came out in about 10 minutes. I couldn't finish it though...I'm bringing half of my dish home to enjoy later. I'll bring friends and Humam T. with me in a few days too!

I'd describe the meal as rustic, hearty, fun to eat, and FLAVORFUL. We were excited to find Ethiopian food in Gresham, and ordered the meat and veggie combo via Postmates. Everything was great. The beef dishes were the highlight- both were fork tender, and the lentils and veggies were good sides. The meal also comes with a few pieces of warm injera bread, which doubles as a tasty edible utensil, making shoveling the deliciousness into your gullet even more enjoyable. I'll order again. Looking forward to dining in once COVID-19 settles.

Top notch Ethiopian food in a surprising location. I wouldn't expect anything this tasty in a Gresham Strip mall but hey, it's really good! I've been back several times and continue to be deliciously surprised.

It has been just shy of 2 years since we found this little place. We were in the area and decided to stop in again ... and I'm sure glad we did. Of course the family that owns the business is friendly and fun. The owner is very informative about his menu if you are unsure of what to have. This time we ordered the Lamb Lovers Combo plate. The red sauced dish was my favorite, it has a wonderful flavor with just a hint of zing. I'm a spice wimp, and it made my lips tingle a bit, but the flavor was so good I didn't even care. I ordered Tej (Ethopian Honey Wine) to drink and discovered that it is made in house from a family recipe. It has such a light flavor and not super sweet. I liked it so much I bought a bottle to take home. Once again the shining star of the dish is the homemade injera bread. It has such a wonderful tart flavor that enhances the whole dish. If you're looking for something new and interesting, I strongly and highly recommend a visit to this place.

Mr. Fitz, is the cook and proprietor of this excellent restaurant. The food is so so good- fresh and perfectly seasoned and cooked. The portions are generous and delicious as well as healthy. I love this restaurant.

Delicious/slightly spicy vegetarian dish. Friendly service but they do use styrofoam for take out.

I love Ethiopian food and was surprised to find an Ethiopian restaurant in Gresham. I stopped in for a late lunch after running errands. The vegetarian options seemed limited compared to other Ethiopian restaurants, but the veggie combo did not disappoint! A great variety of pulses and vegetables. Well seasoned. Not too spicy. I'm not giving it 5 stars for a few reasons: Lack of cozy atmosphere. You're in a strip mall store front and it feels like it. Also a lack of welcoming/caretaking customer service. It's unclear from the restaurant whether you order at the counter (you don't for dine-in) and how to pay (pay at the counter even if you dine in). Nonetheless I'll be back!

The food was amazing. We got the veggie combo platter and ginger tea. The owner/cook made sure we were happy with our meal. Simple atmosphere. Highly recommend!

The food was incredible! We ordered the lamb and beef dishes which came with the flat bread that tastes very sourdoughy (delicious). My kids loved it and my husband and I did too. The lady that served us was kind and sweet! The service was great! It was truly incredible. The spices they use make the dishes incredible. The atmosphere is relaxed and family friendly! You eat the food with your hands by using the bread as a scoop and both of my kids really loved that! We'll for sure be back!

Delicious basic menu, house made honey wine. Flavorful goodness in each bite. Staff is super friendly.

Sorry "Try Me", but I have had a great deal of Ethiopian food; in fact, I have made great Ethiopian food myself. But I cannot recommend this place, no matter how badly I want there to be a good Ethiopian place closer to where we live. The 3 dishes we ordered -- 2 Ye Beg Tibs, and 1 Siga Wat -- were just not that flavorful at all and had very little sauce. And Ethiopian food is typically very flavorful with a good amount of sauce. I may try a second time by myself in the future out of sheer hope.

Okay. NOT in our comfort zone really. The flat spongy bread not to OUR taste...which isn't to say it's not good. One dish served on a cold plate though food was hot....the other better...we shared 2 dishes for lunch. 1st attempt at Ethiopian cuisine .......okay + "plus" and 4 stars because staff were lovely and restaurant spotless and tidy. Parking easy. Recommended

Wonderful people who welcome you as of to their own home! To top it off, the most amazing Ethiopian food!!! Update! Glad open for pick up or delivery! Still the best place in town! Miss seeing these lovely folks though.

Just ate hear and am happy to report that the veggie combo that I and my wife had was great. It had 6 different items with the largest portions I've seen at an Ethiopian restaurant. Will be definitely coming back many more times to try some of their meat dishes

Haven't ever actually been to the restaraunt but have had their food delivered. It's fabulous & I actually felt healthier after eating. The bread is amazingly perfect with all of the different dishes we have tried.

After discussing what we were going to have for dinner and not coming up with anything exciting, my husband showed me this restaurant on yelp. We were so excited that the place we have been waiting for was open. We walked up and saw the open sign and then we saw the Grand Opening flyers in the door. It was the restaurants very first day and we were a bit nervous when we walked in because of all of the people whirling around us, but immediately we were welcomed to sit anywhere we wanted. After ordering my vegetarian dish Misr Wat and my husband his beef dish Siga Tips, we spoke to the owners briefly and relayed how excited we were to be their on their opening day. The server brought us our food and it was heavenly. The flavors and aromas were so delectable. Please be aware that if you want silverware you must ask for it as they are not traditionally used in Ethiopian cuisine - My husband has never eaten with his hands before but once he got the hang of it he was happy. We will definitely be back again.

We were so excited to try Try Me! today and it did not disappoint! Just walking in the door, encountering the delicious smells, made our tummies rumble. The owners are so gracious -- and the food! The food! Perfectly spiced, beautifully plated, crafted with wholesome ingredients. So scrumptious. A bonus is the 100 percent teff ingera! I love the flavor and it's a necessity for me because of Celiac. It's been 8 hours and I still feel fine. Try it! You will be thankful that you did.

Update: we continue to frequent this restaurant and love it so much. Tonight we got the raw kitfo and veggie lovers combo and it was so so delicious. I love how friendly the owners are and how accommodating they are. Please try it out! My partner and I were so excited to hear about an Ethiopian place opening in our neck of the woods! We tried it out tonight for our anniversary dinner and it exceeded our expectations! Every dish was delicious, the staff was very friendly and the location is convenient. We got the veggie combo and the beef combo to share. I loved everything, but my favorite were the beef dishes. I can't wait to go back early and often. We moved to this neighborhood last year from NE PDX, and had loved some of the Ethiopian restaurants in that neighborhood (Queen of Sheba, Gojo, Sengatera etc) and Try Me is just as good if not better. If you are picky about injera, you will not be disappointed.

We tried it! Very tasty. We got the Miser Wat vegetarian dish. The yellow lentils (YeKik Alicha) and vegetables (Atikelt Wat) were very, very good. We just got takeout and the one order was plenty to feed two. The Injara bread was fresh and had great flavor. Prices were reasonable. The women in the restaurant were very friendly. It is a small restaurant with just a few tables, and I was the only person there (they just opened).

The best vegetarian plate we've had on the east side so far. Lentils were perfect and the portions were huge!

Before today I have been to that restaurant several times and I absolutely loved it. Today though I was lazy and I ordered GrubHub anime the order of the lamb combination which is what I always order. Just look at the photos I put that in that after I took the photos in a measuring cup and it was less than a half a cup of food for $14 with one enjery bread cut in half and rolled up like two. I will never ever go back to that restaurant and they should know my face just not my name complete jerks rip-off rip-off rip-off. That plate is a teeny teeny plate that's not one of those big ones

If you've never tried Ethiopian before, you should. If you like Thai and Indian, this flavor profile will be for you. Bring some company, try the meat and veggie combo, and enjoy. Spiced tea is amazing, as always. Be prepared to eat with your hands (scooping up your food with kind-of a sourdough pancake). The food and experience are totally worth it. Beef tibs, doro wat, and shiro wat are my personal favorites.

Absolutely amazing. I recommend this place to everyone. I had the lamb, it was great. The bread is also unique and amazing!!