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Ethiopian House Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Ethiopian Ethiopian [Edit]
4 Irwin AveToronto, ON M4Y 1K9
Neighbourhood: Downtown Core
(416) 923-5438
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 12 pm - 12 am
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
56 reviews for Ethiopian House Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"The pan fried beef sauteed with onions, garlic and awaze." In 2 reviews -
"The Injera was very tasty and not bitter at all." In 5 reviews -
"The vegetarian dishes were mild, and were straight out of..." In 3 reviews
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56 reviews in English
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Review from Cassiopeia B.
Toronto, ON
3/19/2012
Ethiopian House was my first Ethiopian restaurant, and I keep coming back because it is my favourite. I work only 10 minutes away so I can often be seen here, usually reading a book.
I am a buffet, little-bit-of-everything kind of person, so I always get the Vegetarian Bayaaynatu, which includes 8 dishes. They are very consistent and always delicious. The injara bread is mildly sour and a perfect complement.
I have never experienced the poor service that some other Yelpers have described. The servers I encounter are always friendly and chatty, and my food arrives in a timely manner (that is to say, around 10-15 minutes after ordering. I will never understand why so many Torontonians believe food should be served 5 minutes after ordering!)
The decor is unique and includes a ceiling decorated with what I'm pretty sure is a variety of furs. Definitely worth checking out!Listed in: Lunch around Yonge and…
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Review from Vikas I.
Pickering, ON
4/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
I have had Ethiopian food at many different restaurants around Canada, and although they had a great selection and the service was great, the food could've been better.
There is a lot of seating available if the bottom floor gets busy they have a whole other floor upstairs.
I love Ethiopian bread and their bread had the perfect consistency, the thing that threw all of us off was the fact that the bread was cold, I've only ever been served ingera bread warm before.
The food wasn't spicy at all we ordered the vegetarian platter lunch special and it almost seemed bland to me, all other Ethiopian restaurants I have been to seemed to have much spicier and more flavourful food.
There are a lot of options here for vegans and vegetarians, if my memory serves me correctly they had 9 options for vegetarians/vegans. -
Review from Dan D.
Toronto, ON
1/23/2012
Came by here tonight for some impromptu Ethiopian. I've been to a few others in the city and can say that while the service is endearing at Ethopian House, the food is unremarkable, especially for the price. As per usual, the food is to be shared and my friend and I split the vegetable combo platter on injera and a order of tibs.
The veggies consisted of a iceberg lettuce salad with a lime vinaigrette centred on the injera, which while usual, definitely cut the richness of the lentil and spinach items. The vegetarian items were alright, no real complaints here.
Off to the side of the injera was a very modest serving of tibs, which considering the lack of flavour, was quite disappointing. Tibs are what I look forward to most often: tender seasoned chunks of beef cooked in awaze. Ethiopian House's offering was flavorless and slightly overdone, and the only redeeming instant was the section of injera soaked in the sauce.
In all, I would look elsewhere in the city unless you really don't want to trek a little bit west. If Ethiopian house improved their execution and maintained their standard of service, I would certainly return. -
Review from Ben S.
4/2/2012
I love Ethiopian food, but right now I'm not loving it in Toronto. This is the third attempt to find decent Ethiopian food in the city and it is definitely the third failure. We ordered on vegetarian combo and one meat combo (which had kitfo, raw of course, and tibs). The kitfo was ok, and probably the highlight of the meal, though it was a bit gritty. The tibs were tough and not very flavorful. The vegetables were mostly on the bland side and uninspired. What really took this from dissapointing to I'm not going to be back here land was the injera, which was both cold and kind fo clammy feeling. It was definitely an unappetizing texture and we both commented that we didn't want to hold it in our hands. Service was friendly, and quick. We were revenously hungry and cleaned our plates. Portions were definitely on the small size.
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Review from Melissa A.
Toronto, ON
3/31/2012
I love this place. The food is amazing, the service is friendly & the price is great-especially the lunch specials.
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Review from Good T.
Toronto, ON
1/2/2012
Yelp should allow me to give 3.75 stars which this place deserves.
Blasphemously, I am gonna say that I loved the food at Ethiopian House waaay more than the original Ethiopian food, which I have had a surfeit of.
Now some points to back up aforementioned statement:
1)The injera (sourdough pancake) is not 1/10th as sour as what Ethiopians eat at home. The injera at Ethiopian House is tasteless, which trust me is a good thing, cuz you don't want to be puckering up after every bite.
2) The food isn't half as oily as what Ethiopian people eat at home
3) They cook their meats more; ergo more tender
Now for my overall experience: we went as a large group, and ordered two vegetarian platters and one meat platter. The vegetarian platter has a smattering of yellow lentils, cabbage, spinach, potates and carrots; none of which were spicy. I had something very interesting: jalapeno peppers filled with salsa of some sort: I loved it!
The meat platters came with tibs (sauteed cubes of beef), kitfo (minced beef), mixed cheeses and something else I forget. All the meat was very well done and flavored.
Even though the 10 of us gorged on the food, we had about 50 lbs of delicious leftovers. If only we could make stock out of it!
Overall, I really enjoyed the meal even though I was very trepidatious at first. The service was a tad slow, but given all the conversation no one minded. The interiors are a bit tacky, but that's a meh point.
I am going back fo shizzles! -
Review from Donna R.
Scarborough, ON
11/2/2011
The first time I ever tried Ethiopian food was from here and I have loyally been back many times since.
SERVICE: Always friendly but it may take a while to get food. I think this has to do with the preparation as everything is always so fresh.
ATMOSPHERE: Relatively quiet on weekdays but a bit busy on weekends. The decor is very authentic and even has some naked boobies hanging around on the wall...if you're interested.
FOOD: Love it!! I always get the meat combo on Injera. The meat is super flavorful and when the sauce soaks into the bread...ohh my!! Also I love eating with my hands and enjoyed the Ethiopian beer that they had available. Ive always wanted to try their coffee that comes with popcorn but I'm always so full after my meal.
Overall, interesting experience and well worth the money. -
Review from Laurie G.
North York, ON
3/5/2012
Wonderful experience. We ordered 2 portions of meat and veggies, which was MORE than enough for two. The only thing I hope they would do in the future is label each dish so I would know what I'm tasting because they kind of tasted the same and I was unaware what I was consuming. We ordered the coffee to try and it came in a nice presentation.
Now that I've tasted the food I might come here for take-out in the future. -
Review from Ken S.
Mississauga, ON
7/14/2011
Ethiopia House Refused To Give Me Forks or Spoons...and I loved it. What good food here and you get to eat with your hands. Ethiopian food is diverse, extremely satisfying and good for you. Food is usually served family style with one large dish shared amongst the group.
Food is served with Injera, which is a large sourdough flatbread. It is like a spongy roti with little to no flavour. It is however a perfect vessel for scooping up food and its sauces. The spongy pockets of goodness that suck up all the flavours of the sauces? See them? They are awesome.
I enjoyed two Ethiopian beers that were surprisingly good. The stout was not really a stout I think but more of a Dark Ale and I loved it. It is called Hakim Stout but I will have to ask Hakim what it really is if I am ever in Ethiopia.
The perfect meal. Ok so we have bevy of delights here. On your left is yellow chickpeas and red lentils in 2 different sauces. They reminded me of eating Dhal with roti. On the bottom is Tikil Gomon (carrot and Cabbage), Atakelt Wot (String Beans and Potatoes) and collard greens. The vegetables were perfectly cooked and spiced right. Middle right is Kifto Beef ceviche and top right is Kibs (marinated beef done medium). The Kifto was like a fine grind ground beef but packed with flavours of tomato and chilie. The Tibs were tender and might as well of been stewed it had so much flavour.
They also add a simple salad in the middle and cottage cheese. You take the injera, pick up the meat, then the cottage cheese, dip it in the pepper spice mix and enjoy. The cottage cheese was similar to unsalted feta and very dry.
The interior of the restaurant has a strong incense smell and a colorful decor. We ate on the patio cause it was shaded and beautiful outside.
After we finished our meal the group beside us also finished their meal and the server brought out a pan called a that had been roasting beans for Ethiopian coffee. She waved the smoking pot around the table for all to smell. This is a tradition to allow the patrons to sample the coffee scent and the coffee ceremony is worth it. The smell was intoxicating and I had to try it. It was $13 for 1 to 6 people and takes at least 30 minutes to make, so order it before your meal. I asked the group beside us if we could join their coffee order and share the cost. Of course they agreed, we are in Toronto.
So, on the spot roasted coffee served in a Jebna or clay pot. Really cool stuff and so aromatic. Coffee is served with snacks and in this case popcorn. I think the snacks are to support the conversation while you enjoy your coffee. There is also incense burnt while you drink.
Coffee is served plain, with sugar or clarified butter. I tried all 3 and prefer it plain. The butter I just don't get and the sugar actually made the coffee bitter. The coffee was very strong, aromatic, -
Review from Jennifer L.
Toronto, ON
11/29/2011
This was my second time eating Ethiopian food and my friend recommended this place. We shared three main dishes amongst the three of us.
I enjoyed having a taste of all the food but I felt that I was mostly filled up on oil and not substance. Also there wasn't much difference between the dishes; a few stood out though it got tiring at the end. I did enjoy the bread though; it was nice and moist with a little bit of sour taste. (like sourdough bread?)
Service wasn't very good as we waited a long time for water, ordering and the bill. The tablecloths are also pretty gross since there's leftover food other people spilled all over it.
It was a good experience for trying new foods but I'd rather go somewhere else to fill up and leave a smaller dent in my wallet. -
Review from Cindy H.
10/13/2011
We had heard many great things about Ethiopian and I was excited to try some new flavours.
I reserved seating for our group of 6 at the Ethiopian House. For our table, we shared 2 platters of the Bayaaynatu, ($13) - one vegetarian, one meat. The meat had pan-fried beef and steak with a pepper topping. We used our hands to dip the Injera (spongy-bread) into the curries/sauces. A really fun experience for all of us first-timers.
Unfortunately, the flavours were not overly impressive. I thought they would be more powerful. Service was quite slow, as well. Several times we had to ask for water refills, extra napkins, and for our bill.
Overall, I had much higher expectations for my first time Ethiopian meal but would be willing to try again. -
Review from Reynold P.
Toronto, ON
10/16/2011
Ethiopian house was quite an experience. I didn't know what to expect when my friend suggested we try it for lunch. I'm always up for trying new types of food so I couldn't say no but I did have some reservations.
The restaurant is quite small, only enough space for a few tables. It's cozy and a bit squishy. The service was a tad slow as well when I arrived. It was mostly full and as I recall, passing by on occasion, this was common.
The food was unique. My party ordered a platter of I-don't-know or remember. Basically a very large crepe the size of an X-large pizza. On top they place the condiments of your choice: beef tartar, sautéed greens, pickled veg, and other meat mixtures. We ate with our hands of course.
I thought the food was prepared well but just not to my taste or preference. I don't like moist or wet crepes. I'm uncomfortable grabbing my food that way with my hands. The flavours were good but I found others to be unusual.
Overall if you like different and new foods this is the place for you. I'm just unaccustomed to eating moist or wet food with my hands. -
Review from Yvonne T.
Yelp continues to both challenge and tantalize my taste buds. Ethiopian cuisine was uncharted territory for me, but I am always up for an adventure! Even though some firsts are forgettable, it never stops me... You gotta try everything once right? Okay, maybe not everything.
My only preconception of Ethiopian food is that it is random piles of "mush," you eat with your hands and you must try Ethiopian coffee. Nothing exciting like "its pan-seared and then served with a balsamic jus" lol. So I was going in totally blind and relying on pure fate. That and I was pretty hungry, so anything would've been satisfying.
Whenever I dine out, I usually take it upon myself to take responsibility in ordering. But tonight, my fate would rest in someone else's trusty hands of fellow Elite Karl R. And I am happy to say that I was NOT disappointed.
We ordered the Vegetarian Bayaaynatu which came with 8 different veggie components and is served with Injera. Injera has a crêpe-like consistency, but tastes like sourdough bread. Due to its flimsy texture, it makes scooping up the various sauces/stews difficult. And for a klutz like me, I'm sure it made for a very entertaining show.
Misir Wot (Lentil Stew in berbere sauce)
Sherro Wot (Highly-seasoned chick peas (powder) in berbere sauce)
Tikil Goman (Cabbage, carrots, potatoes, cooked in turmeric sauce)
Goman Wot (Kale or collard greens in mild sauce)
Yekik Alicha (Yellow split peas in mild turmeric sauce)
Kik Wot (Split peas stew in berbere sauce)
Misir Alicha (Split lentil stew in thick mild sauce with seasoning)
Atakelt Wot (Mixed vegetables - string beans, carrots, potatoes - cooked in tomato sauce)
Every component of the platter was well-seasoned, rich in flavour, and fragrant in spices. I do not mean that it was spicy, because I did not find any of it to be spicy (e.g. hot). It was surprisingly filling.
I would probably not recommend coming here on a date (at least not a first date if you're still trying to convince or in my case, fool the other party into thinking you are a classy lady, lol). This is a "get down and dirty" dining experience as you will get food all over your hands. But luckily there are wet naps at your disposal.
I did not like our server as when we had reminded her we asked for a second helping of Injera she gave us a dirty look, and that was just not cool. I should be shooting HER the dirty look... she made us ask twice for something. If I were footing the bill I definitely would not have given her a generous tip.
Unfortunately, because we had had coffee at a nearby Starbucks prior to, I had to pass on ordering coffee. After all, it was a work night, and already closing in on 9PM, and I do need my rest! -
Review from Char C.
Toronto, ON
5/22/2011
I'm eating here right now. Let me tell you all I have an OCD with getting my hands dirty when eating I've thrown out burgers and crepes just because it dripped! But... this food was so good I actually got my hands dirty!! I even ate the food without the bread... Just with my hands!!! Ahhh fear conquered? No way my napkins are a mess!!!
The ground beef I had was a little spicy and for two people I'm walking out semi full that's why they lost a star. However, wanda's waffle is right across the street so maybe not too bad!!
Anyways service is good very fast and honest! Food is good, so good I'd come back.I ordered the special I attached a picture sorry I started eating before I thought of my fellow yelpers!
Total: 30.49! Not bad -
Review from Melanie C.
Oakville, ON
2/24/2011
We had visitors from outta town who wanted to see the various ethnic communities Toronto has to offer, as well as try some ethnic foods. I had not yet tried Ethiopian food and was pleased when Ethiopian House Restaurant was willing to take a reservation for our group on a Saturday night. (I was turned down by several other restaurants.)
We had no idea what we were doing, so we asked the waitress for suggestions and she just brought us a bit of everything! The appetizers were not well-received by our group. Firstly, they are served cold, which was kind of different. I really enjoyed the chickpea dish and the injera dish was also interesting. Very different in flavour, and kind of refreshing with it being cold.
Our main dishes came on gigantic platters. We were able to try some of the vegetarian options, the chicken and the beef. Being our first experience with Ethiopian food, we all appreciated the opportunity to try a little bit of everything. Lots of interesting flavours and textures and the injera (bread) fills you up quickly. The large platters were excellent for sharing in a group. I'm not sure what or how I would order if I dined alone, as I liked everything offered.
Service was a little off. It was very difficult to get our waitress' attention, and when we did it was very difficult to communicate what we wanted. She was friendly enough most of the time, but I thought it was kind of rude when she asked if she could take our coffee cups away because she needed them for another table.
There's an entire page in the menu dedicated to the Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony. Perhaps I expected more than a simple pouring of coffee into shot-glass sized cups. Or perhaps I failed to recognize that burning incense and serving popcorn made up the ceremony. The popcorn was slightly.. I wish more was explained to us (rather than us coming up with our own stories) but it was a cool experience.
Interesting décor - lots of cool photos on their walls. The walls are painted in bright (semi-tacky) colours. Only 2 washrooms (1 for men and 1 for women) here and it's awkward to stand around the area to wait your turn. There has to be a better way.
They also need to improve their payment system. I had to go downstairs to pay with my credit card, where used my chip card and entered my PIN but still had to sign a visa slip too? There were a few people ahead of me in the payment line and, again, it was awkward waiting there, around the front door. There has to be a better way.
I'm glad I finally tried Ethiopian food, but I won't be hurrying back. -
Review from Mauricio A.
Toronto, ON
6/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Man, I have such a love/hate relationship with this place. I am not going to discuss the food because honestly it all tastes good and other yelpers have gone into far more detail.
First and foremost, let me share that I like Ethiopian food. I think it's tasty and I like the idea of the communal sharing of the food as I find it quite natural. Definitely not the type of cuisine for germophobes, that's for sure. But delicious nevertheless.
Now, I think this is a great starter place for those who have never tried Ethiopian food but for better food just Google "Ethiopian restaurant Bloor West," and you will find some great little places around Ossington or Lansdowne like Lalibela or Nazareth.
So what is wrong with this place? If their food is not bad, then what is it? It's their bloody service. They are horrible. I don't want to sound like I am generalizing, but I will. The women at this place provide horrible service. They are inattentive, nonchalant, for most of them is NOT a language barrier so I have come to think that for all intensive purposes, they just hate their jobs. Seriously I have been going there for 8 years on and off (you can't beat the location as it was 6 minutes away from my place on foot, damn it!) and their bad service is completely consistent. They ARE bad.
Having said that, if you still want to go to this place, then I suggest you do what I do, only go during the summer months, as for some reason the patios are generally served mostly by the men. Who in huge contrast are chatty, friendly and far more laid-back. Trust me, I have been here long enough to discard any notion that it was just an isolated experience. And I have gone there sporadically enough that it is not because of *me,* personally. It's like the more you go there, the worse they treat you. Instead of the other way around. Ha!
By the way, their coffee, or for that matter the Ethiopian coffee is delicious and worth the $12ish, just remember to order it at the beginning of the meal as it takes about 30min. to make. Also make sure you get some unsalted popcorn with it, because they might forget. Is that part of the ceremony? Actually, it is.
The decor is not bad, with a very Ethiopian, low-key vibe and their 1/2 litters of wine are cheap, really cheap. Which makes it an okay place to hang out just at the patio if it is too hot to eat during the summer.
So this is not a bad place, however it is sadly brought down by their really, really bad service. Which to me was a mixed blessing, as I discovered a bunch of marginally better choices food-wise and worlds-better service-wise on Bloor West.Listed in: My Reviews
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Review from Genevieve L.
Ottawa, ON
2/20/2011
In short, the food was pretty good, but the service wasn't great. It was worth trying, but I don't think I'll be going back any time soon.
MUST TRY WHEN THERE: Ethiopian Tea Ceremony
Warning: it comes with some pretty strong incense. After a while, the whole floor filled with smoke and there didn't seem to be any ventilation.
The tea was different in flavour and was very strong. I enjoyed the coffee quite a bit.
At first it seems kind of weird that there's popcorn served with it, but it actually goes really well with the Ethiopian coffee.
FOOD:
I liked the vegetarian items that they had; they were quite tasty. Even my husband, who is NOT a fan of vegetables, liked the vegetarian parts of the meal. And the presentation is beautiful.
I wasn't sure what to expect from the injero. So here's my take on injero, it is kind of like a mix between a pita and naan but with the consistency and texture of a pancake. It was pretty good, but I can't eat too much of it.
Overall, it was pretty good, but not something I would crave. I found that after a while, it all tasted the same.
SERVICE:
Maybe because it was a Saturday night, the service was pretty bad. I'm not sure if she understood English... we asked for side plates, and they never came. We asked for one plate per person, and she brought one plate... so we gave up on asking for plates. Normally I don't mind having to ask a few times, but I just felt like it was reallllllly hard to communicate with the server other than putting in an order.
The server kept filling up the water glasses of 2 out of 7 people in our party and then took the pitcher away and didn't bring it back. We asked for more water, and we saw the pitcher get filled, but then it just sat on the counter. Eventually one of the people from my table got up and got it themself.
So overall, I was not impressed with the service at all. Nothing was really explained; it was our first time trying Ethiopian food so we wanted to get clarification on what some of the items were, but wasn't really told anything except that one of them was beef and the other chicken. -
Review from Eunhye L.
Montréal, QC
9/2/2011
It was first time I try Ethiopian and I'd love to try them again.
I loved the african beer. -
Review from Julian R.
9/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Excellent food!! Service was kind of slow but very nice people. Had the ethiopian beer and it was okay.
Eating food with your hands was never better than in this place. Would go again the next time I am in Toronto. -
Review from Jessica L.
10/17/2010
Delicious food in a cute little house. For our last Canadian meal, my friend and I wandered up Younge street to find this gem. We were pleased to find lunch specials. I was disappointed, however, to see that they didn't serve lamb, which is one of my favorite things to have at an Ethiopian restaurant.
We had the vegetarian plate and it was excellent. Everything was super flavorful and there were at least 6 different dishes.
The only drawback was the service. The waitress appeared annoyed at our presence and she disappeared for long periods of time.
But, overall, not a bad way to leave Canadia. -
Review from Tong J.
I love eating with my hands. It is such a sensual way to enjoy an exotic meal. I appreciate that the Ethiopian House restaurant encourages customers to use their hands for the full experience.
The menu was extensive with a great selection for vegetarians. I went with my gut and ordered Tibs. The pan fried beef sauteed with onions, garlic and awaze. It was finger-licking good. Normally, I don't like injera, but it was the perfect compliment to Tibs. Especially the part that was completely soaked with all the spicy juices.
Not familiar with words like awaze or berbere? No sweat. Look for "Do you know what it means?" on the menu. I found the information very useful.
The cultural ambiance, the attentive service and the food -- everything was fantastic! -
Review from Michelle S.
4/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
After a week of planting daily subliminal and obvious messages to my sister about my desire to have Ethiopian, we finally went to Ethiopian House on our last night in TO. We had spent the evening at ROM and were in the general area of Bloor and Yonge. Besides, you can't really go have pub food after exploring all those great cultures and artifacts, can you? :-) First thing - I really liked their injera because it didn't have the usual sour taste. I won't typically eat a lot of the injera and prefer using a fork. I don't like the extra carbs and besides, I'm really there for the flavor of the berbere in the doro wat and tibs awaze. In fact I could just spoon it up and eat it like soup if that weren't considered completely obnoxious.
Made a new discovery - I saw our server bring two sauces to a table next us: one green, one red. I never knew they had condiments!! I'm all about condiments. The red is a chili pepper sauce and the green is jalepeno/garlic typce sauce. I'm going to have to ask for these at my 'go-to' places back home. The level of spiciness at Ethiopian House is quite mild. So the sauces would have been great. I usually like to get a little bead of sweat going. But not tonight and not even after we each ate a whole stuffed (raw) jalepeno. Maybe they have a lot of gringos that come in and they try to keep it on the safe side. But the beef tibs awaze were nice and tender and the doro wat melted in your mouth! My experience in LA's Little Ethiopia on Fairfax, is that the beef is hit and miss. Too often I experience substandard beef quality - tough and dry. Yuck.
I want to add, the serivce was very friendly and relaxed. And, when I say relaxed, you regular Ethiopianphiles know what I mean. If you don't, my advice to you is that you should not be in a hurry. Be prepared to linger.... But hey, if I wanted to be rushed cuz the place wants to turn over tables, I'd go to freakin' Cheesecake Factory - home of the 1,500 calorie salad. -
Review from Chad M.
What is it about Ethiopian food that takes so damn long? We waited an ungodly amount of time for our food, then another eternity waiting for the coffee presentation at the end.
I'm happy to report that if you have the time, the food is spectacular and worth the wait.
The Injera was very tasty and not bitter at all. I have no idea what all that other crap (you can't help but make the comparison) is, but it's damn good as well.
I'd give this place 3 stars for slow service and the weird incense but most of the other decent Ethiopian places I've patronized were also really slow.
I've never gone out of my way for Ethiopian, but if I somehow get the urge again this place will definitely be on my list. -
Review from Anni L.
11/1/2010
This is one of my favorite places downtown for Ethiopian food. I've been there three times for dinner and I highly recommend it.
Definitely go for the dishes to share that allows you to sample the variety of the vegetarian and meat dishes that are on the menu.
I love the pancake like bread that you eat the food with. Just make sure you wash your hands before you start eating since there are no utensils.
The ambiance is a low key casual type of restaurant and the prices are reasonable (around $50-$60 for a meal for 3). If you want high end fine dining, this isn't the right place for you.
I don't recall having any problems with the service.
Overall, I think this is a good restaurant for ethiopian food. The only other place i have tried is the Blue Nile in Montreal and it is equally as good. -
Review from jaspal s.
Toronto, ON
11/2/2010
Stumbled upon this place about a year ago with a friend of ours. Started eating once a month there. It has now got to a point where in this has become one of the must-try spots for anyone coming to meet us from outside.
If you are up for something spicy then do try the Senig Karia - Its worth it.
The coffee is amazing. Love the whole act. -
Review from Angela L.
10/4/2010
Despite how squishy this little dining room can get, the cheerily colourful decor and the flavourful finger fare is well worth a visit. The service is pleasant and as long as a carafe of house wine arrives immediately, the wait for the food is hardly noticeable.
Sharing is caring and there's no better way to get a taste of everything than to split a huge platter of vegetarian bayaaynatu which includes eight delightful samples of everything that's on the veg menu and is served with loads of moist and spongey injera. While the dishes are spiced well enough on their own, the two chili dips provided add a nice kick too. -
Review from Eric L.
7/24/2010 1 Check-in Here
This was my first time eating Ethiopian food. It was quite the experience. For those who haven't been there before, you are served a platter of curries and veggies, then you eat them using this rubbery type of bread as utensils.
It sounds weird, but if you are looking for something new, I definitely recommend it.
3 stars because the service was kind of slow (we did show up with 15 people, but the place wasn't packed). -
Review from Gary E.
Toronto, ON
5/6/2009 ROTD 5/11/2009
When someone describes the premise behind Ethiopian food, I'll admit it's a tough sell. Cold squishy flat bread you use to scoop up lentils - but I gotta tell you, it's amazing.
I was there for my second time last week and was yet again impressed with the great food, fragrant aromas and rich atmosphere. The food is packed with unique flavours and from minute you walk in you really feel like your experiencing something totally different, but never in a forced or touristy way.
The two standouts on the menu for me are the Tibs (beef cooked in chillies and spices) and the coffee - If you're a fan of dark roast, you absolutely must try theirs. You'll need to order it at the start of your meal as it takes about 30 minutes for them to roast the beans (can you say fresh?).
It's a small place, with an extremely laid-back atmosphere, so if you're in a rush or expecting a waiter to dote on you, chances are you'll be disappointed. On the other hand, if you're looking for a full dining experience and want to soak it all up, this is your place. -
Review from Dave O.
Toronto, ON
1/14/2010
I've only been to a few Ethiopian restaurants, and this is my first in Toronto. I've always adored the cuisine, spicy dishes all centered around the unique injera bread. The communal aspects of the Ethiopian dining experience bring people together and make the food the center of attention.
I was not disappointed by anything at the Ethiopian House, aside from a lack of tej, which is a legal issue with the LCBO (sigh), so you can't get it anywhere, but there are recipes! :D Tej is an amazing hopped mead that is the perfect match of sweet and bitter with loads of alcohol that you can't even taste, the ideal compliment to the deep, earthy flavours in the food.
Remodeled from a lovely old house, the tables are a bit tight, but it felt as warm and inviting as the luxurious aromas from the kitchen. I was impressed at how well our waitress was handling the whole restaurant by herself, including mending a skipping CD so we didn't feel like it was a Nobukazu Takemura concert (I like Nobukazu btw ;).
The beef tibs was amazing; spicy and robust, the tartar kitfo was subtle yet sublime. All of the vegetarian options were delicious, the split red and yellow lentils, the collard greens, a bean dish which I hadn't tried before and lots more. I suggest getting the mixer plates, everything is good and you get the full spectrum of the cuisine. Some may balk at the spicy raw steak tartar, but it's a truly classic Ethiopian dish, and I promise it won't kill you.
The coffee seemed to be taking a while after the meal was done, and they say that it takes 30-45 minutes to properly prepare Ethiopian coffee. It's a very involved process of roasting and crushing beans by hand and it results in some really nice coffee, which is similar to Armenian and Hungarian coffee traditions but not as strong.
All of this wonderful food, and it was plenty for everyone, was had for $20 a person minus drinks. A fantastic deal for some really quality food. I will certainly try other Ethiopian places in Toronto, but I wouldn't hesitate to come back here anytime. -
Review from Neil T.
Toronto, ON
7/24/2010
3.5 Stars for me. I ate here years ago once for lunch, and it really turned me off of Ethiopian food. I swore off of it. Maybe it was the injera, the soggy sponge.
The CMYE event tonight, originally scheduled for Okonomi House, brought us to Ethiopian House by accident. And I've had a change of heart. I can't say too many bad things about the food anymore, even the injera was manageable. That being said, I had consumed about 86 calories the prior 24 hours, so that is another consideration of why I now find this place so desirable.
I'm definitely going back here, but will pass on the coffee -- I can't wait two hours for a shot of espresso, thanks. -
Review from Lauren M.
7/24/2010 3 Check-ins Here
Not bad (but I still much prefer Nazareth for Ethiopian).
The food took agggeeessss to come out. I get cranky when the food takes a long time. I've tried 4 Ethiopian places in the city and they all take a long time though, not sure if it's the cooking process or what. But this place was the slowest of the slow.
But hey, they did take our party of 15 people at 730pm on a Friday night with no reservation. Props to them.
Food was pretty good, we had some kind of assorted platter with nearly everything on the menu, half veg and half meat options. I"m a hardcore meat eater but with ethiopian food I always prefer the vegetarian dishes better (various lentils, stewed yams, sauteed cabbage, etc)
Decor was somewhat unusual :) Lots of boobies and stuff -
Review from Min Min T.
Scarborough, ON
4/8/2009
This narrow two-storey building near Welsley Station has a wonderful atmosphere, complimented by the aroma of freshly-ground coffee and the warm smiles of the friendly staff. Over the years, I've brought friends and family, including my mother and my entire ESL class (on separate occasions) here for their first experience with Ethiopian food; rarely does one leave disappointed. Make note that this place gets busy at night on the weekends.
I've been here nearly twenty times now; the food remains consistently good and the lingering smell of spices on my hand leaves me salivating long after I've left the restaurant! The cold appetizers, despite their petite size, are tasty and worth a try. At $8, the vegetarian lunch special is the best bang for your buck, while dinner will run you approximately $12.50 a head. The sherro wot and kiki wot - both in berebere sauce - are my favourites, but order the vegetarian bayaaynatu (mixed platter) if you want to try everything. One large platter here will easily satiate three people or two with a ravenous appetite.Listed in: Herbivore Heaven
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Review from Angel Z.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 11/23/2010
I have been a fan of this restaurant for many years but lately my experiences have been becoming more and more sad. After the most recent occasion I may not return again.
FOOD
I usually have to wait 35 to 45 minutes for an order here whether they are busy or empty and have never complained about it because the taste was good. This time we were served in under ten minutes and with good reason. The food was obviously leftovers which had been microwaved for us. It wasn't even hot.
The Goren Be Sega which is supposed to be a buttery beef dish with collard greens had exactly 5 pieces of beef, less than 1cm cubed, and the collard greens were limp. There was no detectable butter flavor.
The Ethiopean tea that was served had barely detectable flavor and no cardamon cinnamon or clove pieces, just a sort of strange powder. Again, scraping the barrel.
SERVICE
The service has always been a little strange here but I accepted it due to the excellent food. We were a table of 2 which grew to a table of 3 before any food or drinks had arrived. We requested to move to a larger table near by and were denied. There was only one other occupied table in the whole place! and it was late enough that no new tables of people were likely to arrive. After the food was served we were so crowded with plate and cups and saucers that my friend had to place one of her drinks on the next table anyway. The waitress frowned.
The waitress also frowned and condescended to us when we asked for more injera. I had my payment on the table for twenty minutes without anyone coming to get it and I had to go to the kitchen alcove in order to summon someone to take my money.
I am willing to put up with a lot for great food but now there is neither good food or even passable service. So sad.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/17/2010
The food is very tasty, which is the most important thing after all. I have been to half a dozen… Read more »
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Review from WaYnE c.
Maple, ON
7/24/2010 3 photos
I'm actually having some difficulty WRAPPING my head around what to rate this place. Wrapping my Vege Mash and Meat with Injera was a bit easier but I think both Eric L and I were a little hesitant to just dig in since we're both Ethiopian food rookies.
The meal and coffee took as long as a TRIP to Ethiopia itself and I've never even been anywhere close before but can't be any less than an hour. The food platter individual items itself is what I don't understand because it seems to be that they taste like they were right off a warming-tray of some sort but maybe there is an Ethiopian preparation method I'm idiotic about.
I have to self admit that I'm open to eat anything edible out there. I'm pretty glad of that so that I can have this experience where I'm literally without a knife & fork in a classy Ethiopian themed restaurant. The lighting was a fitting for the INCENSE provided to give some stress relaxation. The incense might be a bit strong for some or they might even think that's the coffee smell. :)
I was unaware of the Ethiopian photos on the wall of Ethiopian ladies showing their NAKED breast which is a tradtional dress fashion as a guess. Now I know Danielle P. has a good eye for these things, I wonder if Chris P. knows though?!?
2.0 for Food/Service
4.0 for Decor/Experience
3.0 A-OKListed in: Middle East Scoops, African Continent
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Review from Magdalena R.
Toronto, ON
1/27/2010
I absolutely love the food at this place. The best Ethiopian food I've ever had. I'm serious, it's awesome!
The only down side is that if you are planning on going on the weekend, you really really need to make reservations or you may be waiting a while. The place is packed; rightfully so. -
Review from Stephanie C.
Toronto, ON
7/28/2010
In a way, I'm happy that the UYE Okomoni House ended up not working out because I haven't had Ethiopian in a while.
This resto broke my cherry concerning Ethiopian food a few years ago and I haven't looked back since. I love the variety of dishes you get with one platter, ranging from mild to spicy, and all to be wrapped up in spongy goodness.
With all of the reviews previously written about this place, it's difficult for me to write something new. I do agree that it took a long time for our food to arrive, even though two factors played into the slow service such as 1) our group was 14 people, and 2) it was a busy Saturday* night. But the coffee took forever that I was wondering if we had ordered it at the beginning or not.
The one thing I did learn that night was to ask the chef to pick out the dishes for us. I thought we had to stick to the menu but I guess this way we get sample what the chef likes the best. Thanks to Susan C who initially suggested it; I'll keep this in mind for future visits.
My only complaint of the night was the AC. It blasted on me throughout the evening, which made my experience uncomfortable. While I would have liked to have imagined me sitting in Addis Ababa instead of Antarctica, perhaps I would suggest the fine folks at Ethiopian House to turn the AC one or two degrees lower.
This dinner only confirms that I must enjoy more Ethiopian food more often.
3.5 stars for my overall experience.
*Edited: it was Friday night, not Saturday. -
Review from Vanessa G.
Toronto, ON
9/21/2008
If you've never had Ethiopian food before, its definitely worth trying. And Ethiopian House is a great place to do it.
The place is a converted house locate on Irwin just south of Bloor of Yonge. The decor is very authentic - lots of nic naks and wall hangings. We sat upstairs next to big windows over looking the street. Our waitress was very nice and recommend that we order two huge plates of veggie and meat dishes. The cool thing about Ethiopian food is that they're no utensils - you eat your food by picking it up with this very tasty soft doughy bread-like thing. You make little packages with your food and pop it in your mouth - it's very tasty and requires little clean up.
The food itself was really good, if not a big too spicy. The meat dish was delicious, tender and juicy and the sauce was very tasty. The veggie dishes were hard to decipher because most of them were all mashed up but they were also very delicious. It was unlike any other food I'd ever tasted (although in some ways, similar to to Indian curry) but I would definitely recommend trying it.
If you aren't sure what to get, just ask your server. They were very knowledgeable and our food was really tasty. -
Review from Rj P.
1/5/2010
Ethiopian House is a reasonably good Ethiopian restaurant.
Ethiopian food is one of those things that you either love or don't care for at all. Ethiopian House's menu provides a good intro into the food but it is nowhere near as extensive or authentic (so I hear) as some of the other Ethiopian establishments in the city.
If you're in the area and crave Ethiopian it is a good choice. If you're willing to travel a little there are others that are worth exploring. -
Review from Rick Y.
Toronto, ON
1/14/2010
Very nice Ethiopian dinner there tonight with a bunch of Yelpers. (Thanks Kat for arranging).
The meal was very enjoyable. The wait between ordering and food arrival, just about right (and pretty much what I expect for good Ethiopian food). The food, unlike some other Ethiopian places, was not drowning in liquid, but just moist enough to be flavourful.
We had a minor ordering glitch that had 2 people waiting longer than acceptable, but I think it was as much our ordering glitch as theirs. (maybe more us, than them). ;) -
Review from Jennifer M.
Toronto, ON
8/12/2010 12 Check-ins Here
I love Ethiopian food, and have sampled Ethiopian restaurants all over the city. Whereas, I still think that *perhaps* Lalibela (West) is the best - Ethiopian House comes in close second. It is not as cheap as Nazarath, or as authentic as Dukem, but it has nice enough atmosphere and its a fun place to have dinner with a friend or lunch with coworkers.
I have to give this place a rating because it is close to my office, and we come here for lunch on occasion. And even though it is slow, we are still in and fed and out in an hour. The lunch specials are fantastic and great value for Y&B office workers. Veggie is in the $7-8 range and filling.
I judge all Ethiopian on the quality of their Mesir Wat (my favorite dish) and here it doesn't disappoint. They take plastic, but I suggest to bring cash if you want to be back at your desk within the hour.
