Presentation on Map Reviews Nearby

Enssaro Ethiopian Restaurant in Oakland

4.5 (199) 357-A Grand Ave, Oakland, CA 94610, United States

Categories

Ethiopian restaurant
African restaurant
East African restaurant
Gluten-free restaurant
Restaurant
Vegan restaurant
Vegetarian restaurant

Location on the map

Oakland, Alameda County, California, US

Phone: +1 510-238-9050
Site: http://enssarooakland.com/

Opening hours

Monday:11:30 AM–10 PM
Tuesday:Closed
Wednesday:11:30 AM–10 PM
Thursday:11:30 AM–10 PM
Friday:11:30 AM–11 PM
Saturday:11:30 AM–11 PM
Sunday:11:30 AM–10 PM

Edit info

Total reviews rating 4.5

199 Reviews for Enssaro Ethiopian Restaurant 2024:

Review №1

2023-08-21 22:06:35

Delicious food with outstanding service. Our party of three visited on a Sunday afternoon and shared their meat sampler. We also ordered their Ethiopian Nachos and an order of meat sambusas.Enssaro did not disappoint!

Review №2

2023-07-04 16:24:41

I wish I could experience coming here for the first time again! Great Ethiopian place that’s good for friend groups, family, dates, etc.You’ll order from a QR code on your table so make sure you have a charged phone on hand. I’d recommend getting a sampler platter if this is your first time trying Ethiopian so you get a little bit of everything.

Review №3

2023-10-15 04:41:14

Really great place to get a meal especially if you have not had African or Ethiopian 🇪🇹 food before! Get some honey wine, Ethiopian tea or coffee as well ☕️

Review №4

2023-12-04 00:44:48

This is my all time favorite Ethiopian food restaurant hands down. Whenever I’m hungry and I want Ethiopian food I go here. They always take care of me and show love. That honey wine is on point.

Review №5

2023-11-27 02:54:29

The food was great! We got the meat and veggie samplers and a beef appetizer. The decor was simple but interesting with authentic Ethiopian art and artifacts. There was plenty of food for two people, plus leftovers.

Review №6

2023-12-05 06:42:09

It was my first time ever going there today, and the food is BOMB! And affordable. I highly recommend.I had got two lunch plates for 22 dollars.Me and my boyfriend loved the food, go try it out promise you won’t be disappointed.

Review №7

2023-10-06 23:32:32

$80 for 2 people. The food was not good at ALL. It seemed fresh, and a lot of effort was put into it, but maybe I dont personally enjoy Ethiopian food (first-time trying), or maybe its an acquired taste? Idk, but I tried all the meat, and not ONE was edible...the flavors and/or spices were so off-putting. Even my husband who eats almost EVERY food could NOT eat it. Also, the rolled up pancake textured bread we were supposed to eat with the meats was even worse. It tasted like it had too much yeast in it. I wouldve preferred literally any bread or heck a hotdog bread wouldve tasted better. They clearly have a small niche of clients that enjoy their food, so to each their own, but anyone that enjoys Middle Eastern spices would probably be thrown off by this food style.The lady who took our order was kind, so there are 2 stars for that, but the guy with dreads was annoying. Here, we are paying almost $100 to support a local business for MEDIOCRE food, and he has the audacity to tell us he already poured the drinks into cups when we said we actually wanted canned drinks. I dont care if youre poured soda into a cup. Maybe double-check what the customers ordered? After covid, this is not an unreasonable request. We always tip 20% or more, but this time we didnt. Food took a while to make, and we usually dont mind waiting, but because it was so inedible, it was disappointing.First and last time trying Ethiopian food. I guess its an aquired taste Im ok with never having. I wish the business luck though.

Review №8

2022-07-02 04:33:30

Really good Ethiopian food in Oakland downtown! Very neat and their veggie sampler was top notch. Good quantity for the money and nice ambience. Like other Ethiopian places, it’s also on the expensive side, but I would give it for the taste and service. Must try their Sambusa!P.S: Parking needs to be done near Lake Merritt and walk your way up here.

Review №9

2023-05-13 18:29:49

We went for dinner with a fairly large group. Inside had warm dimmed lights and faintly smelled of incense. The server was very kind and answered questions we had about the menu. Even with our groups various dietary restrictions, we all found something we could eat that did not sacrifice flavor or experience! So delicious and filling! No one left hungry and we had leftovers for breakfast, too. Will definitely visit again!

Review №10

2023-10-30 19:01:44

This is my favorite Ethiopian food spot in town! I’ve been a number of times and all the staff are lovely. Food is amazing. Maybe I am biased because I only know Ethiopian cuisine in the Bay Area, but I think this one is the best. I personally love all the veggie combos as well as sambosas and the Ethiopian nachos! Their key lime pie for dessert is the little treat you didn’t know you needed, if you saved room! Recently, I had a large and last minute birthday dinner here and the staff were so eager to make sure I had a great time were super accommodating bc and helped me celebrate. I had so much fun and I’m looking forward to my continued usual visits to this restaurant!

Review №11

2022-05-16 22:32:19

If you are an Ethiopian cuisine lover, please make an effort to visit this place. Possibly one of the best authentic Ethiopian food that Ive had. Their spices and flavors are just right and bring a burst of flavors to your pallet. Their fish tibs is one of the best items in a the menu. The location is a plus, where you can stroll around the lake after the food. Its a must-visit place, and they are priced moderately.

Review №12

2022-06-09 16:53:51

One of the best Ethiopian places in the bay area. I drove all the way from Sunnyvale to go eat there and definitely not disappointed at all. Their Ethiopian nachos with that salsa was 100/100. Thats definitely my personal favorite.

Review №13

2022-04-21 22:29:46

Favorite restaurant in the neighborhood! I usually get the veggie platter & Ethiopian Nachos; both are vegan. They have a large selection of drinks. I enjoy the Ashlei’s Ethiopian iced tea. The nachos are the hot item here in my opinion, they’re fire! The flavors of the salsa pairs really well with the hummus and chips, and it’s all house made! A truly unique and incredible dish, don’t sleep! 🔥

Review №14

2023-12-02 02:51:24

Enssaro is a one of my most frequented neighborhood eateries. The food is always delicious, the atmosphere is cozy, and the service is attentive.I highly recommend: bere alicha (beef curry stew), the hummus platter, and try both variations of the injera. If available, grab a slice of the chocolate mousse cake. 😋

Review №15

2023-07-19 01:59:48

I recently dined at Enssaro Ethiopian Restaurant, and I must say, it was an incredible experience. As someone who had never tried Ethiopian cuisine before, I was pleasantly surprised by the amazing flavors and unique dining style.One aspect that stood out to me was the variety of options available, especially for vegetarians. It offers an extensive selection of vegetarian dishes, ensuring that everyone can find something to suit their taste. The veggie platter I ordered was a colorful assortment of lentils, greens, and other vegetables, all expertly seasoned and cooked to perfection.

Review №16

2021-10-02 19:14:01

Enssaro has quality Ethiopian food at a decent price and great service. Came here with a friend on a Saturday night where it wasnt too crowded and it was pretty quick to get our order. I got the vegetarian platter to share + the Ethiopian iced coffee. The plate is huge and comes with generous portions of the bread and curries and can be shared. The iced coffee had just the right amount of sweetness. Ill have to try some of their specialty drinks the next time Im in town.

Review №17

2021-10-04 23:41:27

Amazing food. Never had anything like it. The seasoning on the dishes + Injira together work so well. I dont even like lintels and i ate the whole plate of these Tibs. Food takes a bit longer to come out but absolute worth it. Clean plate medal

Review №18

2023-10-15 04:11:34

We got the Ethiopian nachos and the meat and veggie sampler for three. Every single thing was so tasty. We devoured the entire thing. We brought home the bread from the bottom of the plate. I cant wait to eat it tomorrow.We cant wait to come back!

Review №19

2022-06-05 04:41:30

Can I just say this was such a lovely find! Excellent service plus excellent food in a great location. Scanned the QR code for the menu and easily ordered the lamb tibs and meat combo that included chicken, lamb, and beef with a salad. When we asked the waiter if lentils were missing, he quickly sent over a side order even though we realized later it was not part of our order. Delicious, deelicous, deeelishus!!!

Review №20

2021-10-01 23:16:15

Casual Ethiopian dining experience. Cocktails are nice with a tall version for additional $5. Order online and delivered to the table. Beef Sambusa was crispy with hot stuffing. Meat sampler with Doro Wot, Ye Beg Wot, and Bere Alicha gave ample choices. ADDED lamb tibs and beef kitfo. Friendly server and covered patio made it convenient. Noisy neighborhood though. Recommended

Review №21

2023-08-16 19:50:43

The Enssaro offers the best Ethiopian food I ever had. It is fresh, tasty and delicious. The folks there are super friendly, its always a pleasure to dine there or take out their food for a nice meal at home.

Review №22

2023-11-20 16:09:00

Enssaro is a great establishment - whether I’m on a date, hanging out with friends, getting dinner with family, I think I would always enjoy Enssaro. The food is incredible and the friendly, relaxed atmosphere is perfect in my opinion. Looking forward to next time :)

Review №23

2019-05-21 18:29:40

This is my fav Ethiopian restaurant to go to. Everytime Im in the area I have to stop and send hubby to grab us so of this deliciousness. It stays busy so be prepared to wait. The atmosphere is chill everyone just enjoying each others company over good food and drinks.

Review №24

2023-09-02 19:40:41

Great service, great food! Definitely plan to go back.

Review №25

2022-03-22 15:12:08

Delicious Ethiopian food in a nice casual atmosphere. Whats not to like? You order and pay from your phone, and the food is brought out promptly. Had basketball on on the TV inside, always a plus.

Review №26

2022-01-01 05:34:07

Pretty chill vibe to the place with friendly folks and a full bar. Each table had a QR code that is used to also place the order aka no counter based order due to prevailing covid situation. Tried Ethiopian milk tea and espresso; pretty unique flavor to espresso (tasted bit of star anise flavor) and milk-tea had familiar taste of milk-tea from Indian subcontinent with cardamom base. Tried the Veggie Sampler and additional order of our usual fav Misir Wot. Great taste! Would definitely come again to try other options in the menu.

Review №27

2023-07-09 23:32:01

Food was okay, but the bad service drops the food quality, as you loose your appetite talking to managers who seem to feel like YOU owe THEM something for spending money at THEIR business and resent the fact that they have to actually serve your meal. Hilarious yet not funny at all. I don’t care who your chef is. Not worth going through your front staff. Never again

Review №28

2023-07-24 20:24:33

Wow. The lamb ribs will change your life. I wasnt ready for the greatness, lol.Came here for a family members bday and they accommodated our large group. It took a while for the food but maybe because of the size of our group. But man, once the food came out, it was AMAZING. Just want to give credit where its due. Try this place at least!!

Review №29

2023-09-23 01:26:39

Beef tibs, injera and cabbage side dish were my favorites. Very tasty. Better than I remembered at any Ethiopian restaurant in the Bay Area.

Review №30

2023-09-10 15:33:31

Our favorite local Ethiopian restaurant. Having tried most of them in the area, I still believe Ensarro has the best injera. They’re veggie sampler is typically my go to especially when I’m nursing a hangover or coming home from vacation after being away from Oakland too long. I love their meat sampler and shiro as well.

Review №31

2023-09-04 23:10:57

The staff and food at Enssaro are fantastic! If you’re not sure what to get, just ask. We were encouraged to try the variety meat and veggies which was perfect amount for two at lunch.

Review №32

2023-01-26 01:57:57

Food Medicine!I was slowly coming off a liquid diet due to a narly GI tract infection. I was despondent with all the conflicting information I found online about which foods were suitable. The brother I encountered at Enssaro consulted with me darn near like a PHARMACIST and helped me to select mild but favorable steamed veggies and plain rice. It was a DELICIOUS, nutritious and satisfying meal. I had to eat it in multiple small portion to avoid upset but it was well worth the slow go. The food helped to boost my moral. ALL NATURAL expertly prepared nutritious fare.Deep bow and gratitude.

Review №33

2023-10-17 02:23:17

Great food. Amazing atmosphere. Their shiro entre was one of the best meals Ive ever had!!

Review №34

2022-10-07 03:36:57

Celebrated my birthday here and had a great time!! The QR takes a little getting used to (particularly if your reception isnt great) but its so efficient. Our food and drinks flowed, with no one waiting too long. The masked staff were welcoming and didnt rush us to leave.The general vibe was very friendly. I can recommend the French 75, Ethiopian Hummus, veggie sampler and gluten free injera. Thank you Enssaro!

Review №35

2022-01-01 03:57:52

No Forks. All Flavor. Order the hummus starter and both the veggie and meat samplers, both were super yummy and came with amazing fermented spongy bread. 10/10

Review №36

2023-08-16 20:39:30

Food is to die for super good if you like Ethiopian food this is the place to go!! The services was great!! 10/10 most definitely coming back!

Review №37

2022-10-27 22:21:30

Delicious food (try the potato nachos appetizer and herbal chai tea, too). Friendly staff and gorgeous place. You order from a QR code at the table.

Review №38

2022-08-30 00:30:18

Best Ethiopian food in the Bay Area! The staff is great, the location is amazing, and the coffee is an all expense paid vacation to Ethiopia its self!

Review №39

2022-10-07 23:18:22

One of the best Ethiopian places I’ve eaten at in the US. Wonderful ambience, great cocktails, flavorful food. Highly recommend.

Review №40

2023-05-28 01:39:36

If you dine in don’t expect waiter service. It was very difficult to use their digital menu and there is no way to order without using your phone and pre paying using a credit card. Mangers did not care to help us order.

Review №41

2020-02-09 15:00:56

I had not tried Ethiopian food before so a little unsure what to order, but asked the bartender for suggestions as we waited for our table (10 minute wait on Saturday night). He kingly suggested choose one item from the stewed section, one item from the sauted section, and one from the veggie section for the three of us. Great idea, but we just did not know what to pick, so we got three different combo samplers. So the service was a little slower than typical, but I didnt really mind because the place just had a good vibe and gave us time for a good conversation (and fortunately we had snacked a little before arriving). Once the platter was served - Oh wow! Everything was delicious. Basically you tear a bit of flatbread and use it to pick up a mouthful of what you want to eat. It was so good we all over ate a little bit. A nice little walk along Lake Merritt after dinner made everything all right.

Review №42

2017-05-09 14:03:33

Tried this for the first time with my fam, not too fond of Ethiopian food it turns out, but they have great service, are very helpful, and know what to recommend, even if some in your party are vegetarian. They worked together to find something for my parents! If you want to try Ethiopian food, definitely recommend doing so here.

Review №43

2017-04-29 06:11:29

My first try of Ethiopian food and it was such a beautiful experience. Very similar to indian food with their pulses and veggies and the injera which was similar to the south indian dosa so it was easy for me to fall in love. I am a foodie and have just moved from 5 years living in India so Ethiopian food was on my list to try and i wasnt disappointed. My husband and I shared a non veg sampler (for him) and a veg sampler (for me). Oh my God!!! The good looked beautiful, so many veggies on my plate I was happy :) everything was served on a bed of injera and no cuttlery!!! HA! This was my first experience of having food with no cutlery whatsoever! A bit of injera and a bit of the veggies and I wiped out my plate!!! It was surprisingly light and so delicious. In love with Ethiopian food and Enssaro is amazing - waitresses are very friendly, there is a great vibe inside the restaurant and a lovely menu with great items to choose from. Everytime I walk by Enssaro I always turn my head to smell the amazing flavors in the air. Just beautiful food. If you havent tried you must NOW!!!

Review №44

2023-05-23 15:35:37

It’s been several years since I’ve moved out of Oakland, but one of my favorite places to eat had been Enssaro. That veggie platter!?! The Sambosas!? I live in North Carolina and I’ve been craving it for years now. Enssaro also has my favorite injera by far. It closed right before I moved out so I couldn’t enjoy that final meal. Well.. i finally found myself back in town and I had to make that stop. I was passing through but made it a point. STILL INCREDIBLE. It was so nostalgic, and my guy still remembered me. So happy I tapped in, and hope business picks back up. Apparently a lot of the regular customers moved out (like myself). But I have faith word will spread, and Enssaro will be back on top!

Review №45

2018-07-07 05:06:29

I found Enssaro on Yelp when searching for Ethiopian food in Oakland. As it had a solid 4 start rating with over 1200+ reviews so I decided to give it a try. It is located on Grand Ave where street parking is a perennial pain but I got lucky and found something just outside the restaurant. At around 9:30 pm the place was almost completely full which meat it was definitely popular. I got what I generally get at any new Ethiopian restaurant that I try namely the Meat sampler ($14.95) to-go, which as per their menu is a combination of Doro Wot (bone in chicken and boiled eggs simmered in Ethiopian red sauce), Ye Beg Wot (Lamb slowly simmered with berbere and a combination of spices) and Doro Alicha (Mild chicken stew seasoned with ginger, garlic and turmeric). After ordering it was a short 10-minute wait and I was on my way.I got a one decent sized container which meant that the injera was placed on top of the meat dishes meaning that by the time I got home it would absorb all the moisture for the stews and become nice baby food. I should have asked for it to be packed separately but the person taking my order was not the type that would appreciate special requests so I just let it pass. Note to self – order online next time and request that they injera be packed separately.Anyway, lets come to the food. As expected half the injera had to be thrown away but the other half was pretty good. The meat sampler had two chicken dishes and one lamb dish. I would have preferred if they would have given one chicken, beef and lamb dish respectively as is the case in other Ethiopian restaurants but the good news is that the taste of all the dishes was very good. They actually tasted like different stews and not like common base used across all the stews. Overall it was pretty good.Pricewise it was in exactly line with what you will pay at other Ethiopian restaurants in Oakland for the meat sampler. As already mentioned it does not have any beef dish in the sampler but I’ve found the taste of the dishes at Enssaro to be much better that the other two places that I’ve tried in Oakland (Asmara & Abesha). It’s a little rough around the edges so 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 is how I’d rate this place.

Review №46

2023-06-04 22:28:05

Amazingly good. Every bite of the veggie platter was wonderful. The front patio is dog-friendly, too!

Review №47

2023-08-12 22:49:12

I love the family style food servings! And the service is so friendly! Wonderful experience.

Review №48

2023-06-25 21:48:12

Delicious. Stopped in for a quick snack and drink and am refreshed.Personally, I do not like QR code ordering, but that didnt diminish how good the snack was.

Review №49

2023-05-23 03:48:59

Though I wish the lamb was halal, veggie options obviously are and they also have vegetarian Samosas and mushroom tibs. Can’t recommend it enough with the gluten free enjera (real teff enjera doesn’t have gluten).

Review №50

2019-11-10 06:25:48

Love the food here! On average Ive spent about $35 on myself! Love the Vegan platter had it to go several times and added meat on the side lamb, tilapia or chicken tibs!

Review №51

2023-04-14 13:43:42

Great food, service, and Ethiopian Wine!

Review №52

2021-12-19 14:14:06

Our food was fresh, hot, and flavorful. Our service was on point, we had the option of dining inside or outside, nice atmosphere

Review №53

2023-04-17 04:52:36

This place is often unbearably loud. A lot of people dont factor this in, but its worth noting if youre sensitive or want to have a quiet conversation: this is not the place to do it.The food is good though and the service is great.

Review №54

2022-05-02 00:58:12

I’m so happy that I was able to try this place! Today was my first time but it will not be my last! Very pleased with the service and the tasty food! Thank you!

Review №55

2023-07-06 02:45:23

I love their food is always so fresh-tasting I live in San Leandro but I will take a trip down to Grand ...for the best Ethiopian food

Review №56

2023-02-17 11:45:16

This food is so good and was enough for leftovers. All sorts of people from different walks of life gather here and that’s how imI knew I had to see what all the excitement was about. After a walk around the lake, I dined in at the Dog friendly outdoor patio I didn’t have any problems with my pitbull. you can order your services from the QR codes on the tables although the data collection is intrusive and overwhelming just to enjoy a meal. I do insist the managers learn from this to improve.

Review №57

2021-07-21 06:20:43

I enjoyed the fish tibs, veggie platter, samosas, and honey wine from Enssaro. Everything was delicious, flavorful, and perfect for sharing. I’ll be back the next time I’m in Oakland.

Review №58

2023-01-19 13:34:08

When I go to a restaurant and the food is ok it’s whatever. I’m hungry I get full and I forget all about it………. However, when the food is bad/over priced and the service is terrible I gotta let people know to not to waste their time here.Guy with the dreads I don’t know if your the owner or not but you need to fix your attitude. Welcome your guest and smile to create a positive atmosphere. This is a business be professional. Definitely not returning to this place.

Review №59

2023-01-02 02:01:40

I would definitely recommend coming back here. We ordered a sampler plate for three people with one of the members in our party being new to Ethiopian food. He absolutely fell in love with the flavors, which I did as well. I’ve had Ethiopian food on numerous occasions in a few different cities and restaurants and Enssaro is one that I think has became a new favorite with the quality in the food 🤤Our party did not have enough injera but that might be because we also ordered rice. Regardless, if you end up having leftovers from here, the food only gets better. I’m drooling just thinking about this place again as I’m writing this review!!

Review №60

2023-05-23 05:08:01

This spot has some interesting dishes, I enjoyed the Ethiopian nachos. Usually I get the veggie sampler. Really delicious food here.

Review №61

2023-01-27 23:56:08

Been coming here for years (used to be across the street), consistently excellent food and warm service. Always get the veggie sampler and/or Shiro (saucy goodness made from garbanzo powder). Also love the Doro wat (braised chicken with spices, hard boiled egg). The gomen (stewed collard greens) are excellent and comes with most platters. Makes a hearty and healthy lunch or dinner.

Review №62

2023-05-25 05:07:34

Great vegetarian Ethiopian platter. Good service and cozy atmosphere, although the music was a bit too loud for our taste.

Review №63

2018-04-04 12:52:54

Pretty decor and fresh and tasty food . I met a group there and found them eating a la American...individual plates with knives and forks. I had never eaten Ethiopian food that way and truly missed the communal experience. I ordered what turned out to be grilled chicken and onions with salad. it was tasty but a bad choice for Ethiopian cuisine. It needed a sauce like shiro but I had to buy another entree to get it. I believe it is a place that is catering to non Ethiopians and offering things they can relate to. So ask them for Ethiopians food that is set on a communal plate with Njera (traditional unleven bread). Way more enjoyable.

Review №64

2022-09-26 02:59:41

Warm and friendly staff. We enjoyed our sampler meat for two. The taste is authentic and the ambiance is a classic. Do visit this place and try their mouth watering Ethiopian food.

Review №65

2017-11-14 20:42:57

Awesome food and highly seasoned. Yummy! Small bar awesome drinks!

Review №66

2022-06-04 05:39:23

I love Ethiopian food and I love Enssaro and am so happy it is close to me. Consistently delicious, spiced beautifully, and crave-able. The only thing I sometimes wish was different is that the veggie plate had beets, like some places do, but it is all really good. I also really like their salad dressing.

Review №67

2023-04-30 16:52:00

I love the Gomen with Lamb, ata kilt, salad, and buticha. Once I start eating I can’t stop! It’s so good. It doesn’t take too long to get your food after you order and it’s consistent service

Review №68

2022-12-30 18:25:42

So good! Favorite ethiopian in lakeshore area. I usually get the veggie combo whenever I get ethiopian and every item in it was just delicious from this place. The coffee was also good (cardamom-y).They’ll also let you buy just injera to go ($1 each) if you want to pick up a few to have on hand. I like to wrap scrambled eggs in it for breakfast, and it keeps well for a few days.

Review №69

2022-04-25 08:51:14

Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. The food and service were beyond expectations. They were short staffed with a full house but our server never skipped a beat. We had everything we needed and then some. My sister loves this place and it was a perfect birthday dinner to celebrate her

Review №70

2022-10-17 01:47:05

One of our favorite spots. Slow build of heat. Always delicious. Get the tea!

Review №71

2023-06-17 00:42:12

Food is always delicious, service is excellent, Im so thankful to get to eat here.

Review №72

2023-04-02 23:01:46

Wonderful food, great homely vibe and fantastic service! They care for their customers! The spiced red lentils and lamb stew is to die for...love the injera bread!

Review №73

2023-04-07 22:17:17

Best Ethiopian food & greeted with a smile & True Loving Hospitality. ❤️

Review №74

2022-05-24 18:48:39

It was my first experience eating Ethiopian cuisine and it wont be the last! The food was delicious and the staff members were courteous and amicable! I really liked the lentil dish! I totally recommend it!

Review №75

2023-02-27 06:10:16

Such wonderful people… the food was delicious and aura was vibrant even while ordering inside to takeout. My experience was rather pleasant. I will come again 💚😊

Review №76

2022-07-24 23:59:09

Very good food. The service is amazing. Really friendly and quick! I would certainly come back again but its not my favorite Ethiopian. Would recommend the vegan plate.

Review №77

2023-02-03 06:14:49

Our party of 3 tried several dishes, including vegan. Everything was hot and delicious. Prices are reasonable. Relaxing atmosphere.

Review №78

2022-11-18 07:38:41

The second I stepped in the door, the aromas signaled what would become one of the greatest dinners of my life. If I was on death row, I would make a call to Enssaro without wasting a second. God bless this restaurant, God bless this food, and God bless Ethiopia.

Review №79

2022-11-06 23:24:45

Place is overrated for what it is worth it. A vegetarian combo costed $40 (before tip)Taste was average!Portion size small!Service slow!Having had food in the likes of Zeni in San Jose, Enssaro is a passable outing!

Review №80

2021-08-29 23:26:00

They put a lot of love into their food! Very detail-oriented to their food and drinks. You get more complex flavors as a result. Best iced tea Ive ever had - a must-order each time. Pretty interior. Saw a lot of families here. Nice patio. Appreciated the availability of gluten free injera and I have celiac and it was fine.

Review №81

2023-03-03 01:58:24

Always a must stop when in the area! Delicious 🤤

Review №82

2023-02-19 02:01:06

Really good Ethiopian food. The meats had a nice char and the bread wasnt too sour.Service was fast and friendly.

Review №83

2019-07-14 02:07:06

Service & Food is good. This place can get really busy. Especially cos its the only restaurant open late in this area. Plan accordingly

Review №84

2023-06-26 02:55:28

Consistently delicious. I do miss the timatim fitfit, but everything is always on point!Update: The timatim fitfit is back on the menu! Such a delicious dish.We generally order the meat and veggie sampler as well, and it always hits the spot!

Review №85

2022-01-02 22:11:32

Today is my birthday. We ordered veggie sambusas. They served us beef. I ate a whole one before realizing. I have been vegetarian for 11 years and vegan for 6 so it was pretty devastating. Additionally, since it’s been so long since I’ve had meat, I got a stomach ache.They were not particularly apologetic and even accused us of accidentally ordering the beef. (We ordered the veggie and I have the receipt to prove it). They didn’t even offer us the rest of our meal for free so we just asked for a refund and left quietly.

Review №86

2022-12-18 06:02:50

Decent Ethiopian food, but found it to be less well filled and varied in terms of items on the injera. However this type of cuisine has generally less variation and it is hard to say this one stands out from the others.

Review №87

2017-03-13 01:59:20

The food was great and delicious. Great service too! Try the honey wine too!

Review №88

2023-05-08 21:31:59

Great for meat eaters but vegans beware: ghee is used in the items that are labeled vegan. This is inexcusable. Its unclear if Enssaro has any truly vegan options to begin with. On their menu, they list items containing ghee as vegan and a dessert with honey as vegan. Multiple people in the local community have said that items labeled vegan were never actually vegan, and unfortunately, that seems to be my assessment as well after more times of trying to talk with the restaurant and get answers. If you ask staff if they have vegan options, they just made a joke about things having no flavor and wont answer clearly.

Review №89

2018-09-03 07:36:38

Meat sampler is pretty Good. dont come here for your first date. You use your hand to eat here and it is kind of messy if You are not used to it.

Review №90

2020-01-27 19:02:24

The food was good, but not amazing.The price was very reasonable. We did a 2-for $40 deal which included ample food and 2 drinks. Servers were friendly and service was solid.You definitely wont regret eating here, but there is better Ethiopian in the area...

Review №91

2023-11-17 20:02:30

I love da food fantastic customer service

Review №92

2022-02-20 02:13:50

One of a uniqe place I have been you have to use a Bare Code on the table to see the menu to order or go to the website. Excellent food a very good environment to spent to spent time. They have a very specialized tea and coffee ask for it. You can take the whole family to a very good fun.

Review №93

2020-05-13 10:18:50

I have had Ethiopian food in London, UK, New Jersey in US and California. So far enssaro has been the best experience. Eating here again after 3 years brought back all the tasty memories. There such a homely feel to this food, I feel satisfied after. Dont feel bloated or stuffed, neither feel the urge to have a desert. This food is tasty and cozy. The honey wine is all the sweetness I need with my meal. The service here is wonderful, smiling warm people. Will be going back soon to try the chicken on bone.

Review №94

2023-08-11 04:06:28

Best Ethiopian food I’ve had! Ever!

Review №95

2023-10-27 22:41:37

Meat sample is incredible

Review №96

2017-04-04 17:54:21

Excellent food, and they have gluten free bread available, which is a big thing for me! The only downsides are that they dont take reservations so the wait can be long, and the waitstaff arent super organized. The last time I was there we were finished for 20 minutes before we could get our check and pay. That being said, if you love Ethiopian and want some good, reasonably priced fair, this place is excellent.

Review №97

2019-10-15 19:55:13

Really loved the food here.This was my first time eating Ethiopian and it was crazy good, my friend and I got the platter deal which was $40 and amazing value for money.We got a nest and vegetable platter with loads of the pancake-esque bread and a cocktail each.Ill definitely be going back and would recommend people try his amazing cuisine

Review №98

2023-06-16 05:39:09

Best Ethiopian restaurants in Bay Area fresh food and great customer service

Review №99

2019-09-29 21:10:28

Our favorite. All the classic dishes. The best shuro in the bay area.

Review №100

2019-06-26 13:53:25

So this rating has nothing to do with the service, the food quality or the restaurant itself.My waiter was very helpful with telling me what I should try. Restaurant was clean and the food was fresh.So here’s the part we’re I say that I’m just a dumb white dude who obviously isn’t cultured enough to even know what Ethiopian food was.I went in with some sort of expectation or something but not sure what.The food just wasn’t for me, the flavors were there. Like the actual taste wasn’t bad at all and it was a dope experience eating with my fingers and I’ll always remember eating here.It’s just for the cost and what I received, I felt like it didn’t add up, that’s basically my big gripe.Now if you love Ethiopian food and it’s your jam then this is your spot!If you’re a dumb dumb like me who didn’t even know what Ethiopian food was exactly, look up some pics on google and make sure you know what your doing.In all I appreciate the food and service and I hope this place nothing but good luck!

Review №101

2021-10-21 05:43:35

The owner and people who work here are so nice.After getting takeout, my car died and they helped me find jumper equipment and made sure I got jumped okay. It was a cold and rainy day.And the food was delicious =) plus hot tea.Thank you!

Review №102

2021-09-28 18:25:40

This place is amazing ... They brew their own Ethiopian honey wine which is delicious and entire different flavor from European style mead. They have REAL injera 100% teff instead of mixed with wheat like most Ethiopian restaurants. The foods delicious. The vibe of the staff is great, beautiful people beautiful food, great aesthetic too I love it

Review №103

2021-09-07 05:39:19

Friendly, greedy and not accommodating.a) To go along with our $56 dinner for two, we asked instead of ice water, to have hot water. They charged $2 per cup of hot water. IMHO, thats just plain greedy. And, makes me wonder what else they may be skimping on?b) Im OK ordering our meal, thru their required QR code, assigned to the table. I can overlook the uncomfortableness of paying upfront, even though table service. But, they also require tipping upfront...which removes the incentive for good service. So, even though we upfront tipped 20%, our service was predictably poor.

Review №104

2023-01-07 18:52:17

Service was a slow and they were visibly understaffed. The quality has gone down significantly since the good days of 2014-2018. Not the same after the pandemic. Went there a month ago and it was a disappointing experience.

Review №105

2019-03-05 06:43:07

Oh, I love this place. I went two evenings in a row, and the staff had a little trouble delivering what we had ordered on the second evening. But the food: Oh the food! It is incredibly delicious, with rich spices and delicious sauces. And the atmosphere is fun too. It appears to be family run, and everybody is quite nice.

Review №106

2018-11-13 02:48:03

This is one of my favorite restaurants in the Bay area. If you havent tried Ethiopian food this is the place to go. All of their platters are served family style and they give you the special type of bread that you use to eat your food. I highly recommend there grilled chicken with bell peppers and the vegetarian assortment platter.Ive been here several times and I cant recommend this place more.

Review №107

2022-09-23 01:24:52

Moved away, visited for 2 days, had to make it to Enssaro. Incredibly good, rich with nutrition and flavor, thrilled they appear to be thriving, miss them terribly. Cannot be found in many places, what a gift!

Review №108

2012-08-10 14:13:13

This was my first experience of Ethiopian food. Amazing! The service was great, the atmosphere was wonderful, and the price affordable. I now consider this to be my favorite restaurant and will be back frequently. Oh, and if you like good coffee give yourself a treat and try theirs.

Review №109

2019-09-03 01:53:43

Glad theyve moved to a bigger space across the street. This is my favorite place for Ethiopian in the bay. The ingredients are fresh and cooked upon order. You cant go with the combo (veggie or meat) - and if there are two of you, best to just order both and be done. You wont regret it!Tip: Lunch is the best time to come. There will be a wait at dinner unless you show up early.

Review №110

2023-08-19 20:37:18

Great spot with friendly staff that cares about their food!

Review №111

2021-07-31 05:53:11

The service was horrible the lady at the counter was extremely rude her tone made me feel like I wasn’t welcomed into the restaurant. Not only that but the food tasted horrible I’ve had Ethiopian food that tasted amazing but this food was absolutely horrible I got food poisoning from it. I Do not recommend going here. I walked into the restaurant in my Arabic Clothing and the lady looked me up and down and laughed. You should never laugh at someone’s native clothing it is extremely rude and disrespectful.

Review №112

2019-08-28 21:04:51

Very filling and wonderful flavors. Cant go wrong with their Gluten Free injera! Resembles the taste of sourdough and pairs perfectly with the sweet spicy flavors. Large dining area, plenty of seating. Private. Comfortable. Relaxing.

Review №113

2022-08-16 00:59:12

Been dining here for over 10 years. Best Eithiopian cuisine around. The owner and staff are friendly and personable. Highly recommend.

Review №114

2019-07-29 20:08:40

We ordered the meat and veggies platter for three people. Everything was tasty, although nothing shined. There was not enough food for three people and we left a little hungry, even after eating all the injera served with the meal. Service was fine.

Review №115

2018-03-19 03:43:05

I will update this review based on how the food is, but my most recent experience was poor. I ordered via Grubhub and planned to enjoy a walk to pick it up. When I arrived, my order had not been received due to a tablet issue. Since I didnt bring my phone to show the order, I walked home to pick it up. When I returned (approx 35 minutes later) to present the order and wait for it inside, the person read it and appeared to still be confused. Then magically the order was there among others that were ready for pickup. There was no apology or helpful explanation, just a Things happen. remark when I inquired as to how that happened. I also didnt receive a call from the restaurant letting me know that the problem had been resolved and that the order was ready. My frustration is with the almost apathetic customer service I received and not with the technical issue itself. My only request is that there be a contingency plan - and a more empathetic customer service experience - for times when there are avoidable technical issues. Looking forward to enjoying the meal, and I will post an update!*Update: The food was outstanding and the portions generous, so Ive returned two stars.

Review №116

2017-12-22 23:36:28

Good food. But are very rude. Ive been going there for years, started when they were across the street. Now you tell the waitress clearly you dont want spicy food she repeats it back to you and still brings out spicy food. All the drinks are loaded with ice unless they give you a can or a bottled drink Its really The Young waitresses that are rude more so than the older ones especially the petite one with dyed hair, but as a whole the serving sizes have gotten smaller and they insist on a tip. Tonight is the last night that I will ever visit this establishment again!

Review №117

2021-09-27 14:41:32

Absolutely incredible! The food is enough to make you swoon. Injera (the bread) is fresh and makes all the dishes better. Highly recommend the Ata-Kilt Wot, its cabbage, potatoes, and carrots, but it is delicious. Ye Doro Tibs and the Bozena Shiro and Special Kitfo also come up as favorites. Its a lovely spot, good service, and most importantly, fantastic food.

Review №118

2020-02-21 00:12:34

Gluten free injera! awesome vegan options. delicious delicious delicious. very friendly people. excellent service. it was very busy and pretty loud when I was there-- surprising on a Wednesday evening. we didnt have to wait, and were welcomed to move to a quieter spot when one opened up.

Review №119

2014-06-23 18:16:00

Small, family owned restaurant with delicious authentic Ethiopian food. I always get the combo platter because everything they serve is so good. My sister is allergic to gluten so she loves that they have injera that is gluten free. What makes the food even better is that the family that owns this place is so sweet and personable. Def my favorite Ethiopian spot!

Review №120

2020-02-25 00:36:28

Best Ethiopian Ive ever eaten across the country! Gluten free injera was good and hard to find. Service can be slow, but its worth the wait. The Ethiopian iced tea is yummy.

Review №121

2023-06-30 02:39:45

Amazing food. Amazing service and a great atmosphere!!!

Review №122

2018-07-26 05:08:53

Good food but Ive had better. The customer service was the worst Ive ever experienced. My friends and I sat ourselves and waited 20 minutes before one of us asked one of the waiters to take our order. These waitresses had no etiquette whatsoever. We had to constantly ask for what we needed (napkins, utensils, bread, water). Initially, I doubted it was intentional but then noticed everyone else was being catered to and getting bread without even asking. I will not be returning here. To the staff: Please stop being disrespectful and rude to your customers.

Review №123

2017-12-16 17:32:12

Really tasty food and plenty of choice. The atmosphere is pretty casual and the staff are friendly. Service is quick. There are also a selection of Ethiopian wines and beers which are interesting to try with your meal.

Review №124

2017-12-02 03:36:22

Love this place. Best Ethiopian food in the bay!!! Be aware there is always a crowd at peak hrs so send a friend early to put name down. My favorites are the vegetarian platter and the meat sampler platter..

Review №125

2019-01-04 19:13:45

Terrible customer service. Made me feel like I wasn’t welcome. The cashier and waiter staring at me and not smiling, just made me feel uncomfortable. On top of that they served 7 people that came after me first. And the drink i paid $6 was 5 months expired! Cold food and very slimy. The table was sticky and smelled bad. Honestly the worst ive ever experience and super expensive!

Review №126

2022-06-19 00:35:47

The spices must be freshly ground because the flavors pop and linger. Their injera soaked in the juices of the veggie plate took me to the top. Highly recommend.

Review №127

2018-03-07 00:22:36

Wonderful Ethiopian food with a great vibe. Hopping at night with music and young trendy people. I like lunch best, on Tuesdays....I order the veggie platter for about $10....its incredible. They have indoor/outdoor/open air seating, too. Its a great place to eat with terrific service and a local community feel. Enssaro is of the cultural highlights of living in Oakland!

Review №128

2014-07-04 05:34:35

I have taken an Ethiopian cooking class and have been to many other restaurants but I cant even explain how much better this place is! Easily the best Ethiopian food I have ever had. Id say it is slightly spicier than it should be, but to me that made it even better.I recommend the tea also!

Review №129

2014-06-15 23:20:48

Theres no shortage of Ethiopian restaurants in the Bay Area; Ive tried no less than 10 myself and this one is, by far, my favorite. The atmosphere is cozy and inviting, yet you can always get a table with little or no wait. The food is incredible. My boyfriend and I always split the vegetarian and meat combo. For under $30 for the two of us we walk out very satisfied.

Review №130

2019-08-11 04:19:53

Excellent food and good service. The gluten-free food was perfect, and we didnt have any reaction from it. The injera was soft and just the right sour. My only complaint is my stomach hurts from eating too much, but thats my fault, not theirs.

Review №131

2017-06-24 00:25:55

Great traditional Ethiopian food. The wait can be a bit long, both for a table and once you are seated. The vegetarian combo is good, but if you order for two, you just get double of each side, not extra sides. The injira bread is sweet and tasty, and they will bring around more if you run out.

Review №132

2021-08-14 05:29:30

Always fresh and delicious. The have wonderful gluten free injera for your celiac friends. Great for many different types of dietary restrictions. The staff is really kind as well

Review №133

2021-08-11 21:35:20

Ensarro is a great place to have Ethiopian food with your friends or family. Good food and very friendly wait staff. I’m so glad and excited that they have decided to re-open. Oakland let’s go.

Review №134

2021-12-11 08:00:20

Friendly staff! Very tasty, yet be prepared for a super spicey experience! Wonderful to eat hearty wholesome food with your hands! Fun ambiance. Great for parties.

Review №135

2018-04-30 22:24:17

Best Ethiopian food so far, of the three places Ive tried. Always high quality (Ive been 4 or 5 times over the past 12 months), pretty good service, they kept us stocked with injera without ever having to ask, and good prices for what you get.

Review №136

2018-02-20 03:27:57

First time eating at an Ethiopian restaurant so I have nothing to compare to but the food was really good! I wish our waitress was more helpful in food selection when we told her we have no idea what to get. We went off the reviews online for the vegetarian sampler and it did not disappoint.

Review №137

2021-07-24 02:23:35

Love lobe this place. Best Ethiopian food in the east bay. So grateful that they are open. We miss it and can’t wait to frequent the place. Great customer service and family vibe.

Review №138

2022-10-05 06:20:09

Has been my familys go-to place for years when we visit. Very shareable, so flavorful, friendly to many diets, great staff.

Review №139

2021-07-12 06:29:08

💕💕💕 The BEST Ethiopian Cuisine in California!! I have visited every Ethiopian Restaurant in California and Ensarro is the BEST!!! Yes!! Every single Ethiopian restaurant in Cali!! This family owned restaurant serves authentic, high quality, and delicious food!! They provide amazing and fast service. I highly recommend when you visit Oakland, CA.Also, I cant wait till Ensarro sells their authentic vegan tasty salata dressing. Its outstanding!!!

Review №140

2018-01-07 02:15:11

The Ethiopian food here is delicious, well made, and very authentic. There is various vegetarian and vegan(!) items on the menu. I was surprised to see that gluten free injira, which means teff flour only, was an extra $1.. The kitchen is open, and seemed very clean. The service was a bit on the slower side- we came in the late afternoon in Saturday, there was only one waitress for the entire restaurant, which was clearly not enough. Nonetheless, she was doing her best, and was as efficient as one can possibly be..

Review №141

2015-01-14 05:37:56

Most wonderful Ethiopian food I could ever imagine! Everything we had was delicious but I highly recommend the sambusa and sampler platters. We had the vegetarian and meat varieties of both and it was all perfectly prepared. The honey wine was also delicious!

Review №142

2019-09-03 05:22:38

Great meal, so-so ambiance. Lentil sambusas were tasty with good hot sauce. Veg and meat combo platters to share, great mix of flavors. The lamb doro wot was the winner for me. The greens were great as well. Also the injeera was really good. But it was loud, and the table was sticky. One of the bathrooms is out of service. Etc. You get the picture.

Review №143

2018-11-07 23:12:44

I went to Enssaro Ethiopian Restaurant, to feed my hunger and to support a African buainess. However all I ordered was a salad with chicken and that took twenty to twenty five minutes and was luke warm. While I waited for the salad two gentlemen came and were able to get there food. This is a terrible experience, and I do not understand why it took so long. The restaurant was not packed and the waitress asked me, Are you still picking. Now I feel rushed, the place is empty.Thanks for the terrible experience.

Review №144

2015-02-12 23:45:05

I love everything about this tiny spot. Great food, awesome staff. and the Honey wine is the best Ive ever had. I have introduced many a friends to this little spot.

Review №145

2018-09-15 14:31:15

Ensarro is our favorite Oakland Ethiopian restaurant. They provide gluten free injera upon request. The food is always delicious, nice atmosphere, good service. My husband and I eat here regularly and its always a special treat.

Review №146

2018-02-20 02:35:00

Delicious food although I cant really say how authentic it is. We ordered the fish, meat and veggie sampler for a table of 4 and it was plenty of food. Got there around 8:30 on a Saturday night and were seated right away.

Review №147

2013-12-28 01:36:14

First time having Ethiopian food and I was a little apprehensive about the no silverware thing. Im the type of person who eats pizza and wings with a fork and knife so I dont have to get my hands messy.But I got over that as soon as the food was placed in front of me.We ordered the vegetarian and meat combo. I was pleasantly surprised!! I really enjoyed all the flavors of every dish and I thought the injera was pretty good as well. It might take some getting used to, but I ended up loving it!Come here if youre looking for something adventurous to eat!

Review №148

2012-09-26 23:34:34

Came in for lunch and ordered the meat combo and the veggie combo. For the price it was some of the most flavorful and satisfying food weve ever experienced. Dont forget the spiced tea. We left stuffed and cant wait to come back.

Review №149

2018-02-10 23:12:51

I enjoyed the combo plate that I had here but prices were on the higher end and the ervers seemed really pissed off. Also the mens bathroom was clearly out of order but nobody bothered putting up a sign. You can have a better Ethiopian restaurant experience at lots of places in Oakland.

Review №150

2016-09-23 02:01:09

This is one of my favorite Ethiopian places ever, and Ive been to many (all over the East Bay, DC, Boston, and L.A. areas). Ive tried just about everything here, and they are all perfectly cooked, extremely flavorful, and are consistently delicious.The food comes out family style on top of a large platter on injera, which is a semi sour Ethiopian spongey flatbread. The food is laid out on top and the injera soaks up the juices from the food. They give you extra injera, which you tear into little pieces to pick up your food with your hands. You can also ask for a fork if youre not adventurous, but what fun is that? When the food is gone, you eat the gooey slimy injera on the bottom and its deliciously flavored in the juices.My husband and I always order a vegetarian platter to share, with the vegetarian sambusos, but I have ordered the meat platter and other a la carte items to share with family when they visit. There is plenty of food, and you can always ask for extra injera, which is no extra charge.The honey wine is worth trying once. It is sweet but a true experience if you want something authentic.The service is attentive, but slow, which Ive found is typical of many Ethiopian places. Perhaps due to the time the food cooks, or the culture which values slowpaced and enjoyable dining experiences? In any case, its not too bad, and I never felt Ive had to wait too long.We often order takeout once a week, since the wait to eat is usually long. But with their larger location, it may not be a big of an issue.Overall, totally worth eating here. Come check it out, you wont be disappointed!

Review №151

2020-08-28 19:51:07

Its not so much that I didnt enjoy the food. What must have been the problem is that I dont enjoy Ethiopian food. I have been here twice, only eaten here once. The food, at least in my opinion didnt have much flavor at all. One time I was here, it was quite warm that day.

Review №152

2018-05-02 06:37:32

Food is expensive and portion size is relatively small. Taste of doro wot is very funny, tastes like berbere and water mixed together to frankly be honest. Our experience with waitresses were great though.

Review №153

2022-06-01 17:42:11

Great food, good prices and a fairly streamlined experience with the QR Code menu. Mixed drink wasnt very good but everything else was great.

Review №154

2015-01-19 02:30:29

The food here is detectable. My favorite dish is the veggie combo. The spices they use in their food is quite amazing. I am so glad that they have gluten free injera. Not every place has this that I have come by. Ill be back again!

Review №155

2023-04-16 20:29:49

Beautiful restaurant with a great selection of food, and great flavor. good service too.

Review №156

2019-03-05 02:10:18

We went for a Monday afternoon lunch, and the food was VERY tasty! We had small children and they accommodated us very well. Another major plus was the music being played by one of my favorite artist, Dawit Melesse 👌🏽👍🏽 Ill definitely be back!

Review №157

2019-03-28 18:02:36

I used to go here all of the time before they moved across they street. Once they did they lost flavor and service skills. ALSO there proces hiked, which is fine when you are getting the best flavors however its bland now. I paid $19.00 for two chicken legs with berbere sauce al la carte. As a human trying to support an African business because there arent many it would seem they would treat the patrons better.

Review №158

2019-06-28 06:46:25

I am unfamiliar with Ethiopian food, so I ordered the sampler. The taste and texture was strange to me as was the method of eating.The food was well prepared, I just probably need to develop a taste for it.

Review №159

2017-09-08 23:39:26

For my taste, their veggie combo is the best of all the Ethiopian restaurants in the Bay area and anywhere Ive tried outside the Bay area. Good service, friendly atmosphere, and even gluten-free injera (very hard to find).

Review №160

2019-01-11 22:42:14

The food was great, but the service was the worst Ive experienced here in the bay. They forgot our appetizers, no utensils or napkins, our food took 40 min to come out. We had to walk up to them 2x to have them process our check. They knew we were waiting by the door and kept us waiting to run our credit card.

Review №161

2023-05-29 21:15:23

Great Ethiopian food. One my favorite places in Oakland.

Review №162

2016-03-21 03:02:04

My wife and I decided to try Ethiopian food for the first time and Boy were we glad we did! We went to Enssaro on a Saturday night at about 9 and it was pretty packed. The service was great and we were taken care of very quickly. We asked for drink suggestions on the Ethiopian beer and were very pleased with the ones we received.The food here was amazing! We started with the Ye Siga Sambusa, these little fried treats were delicious and left us wanting more. For our mains we shared the Messer Wot and Ye Doro Tibs both served with lots of Injera bread. Family style with little extras that made this meal fun and delicious.We are only in town for a few days and are seriously considering going back before we leave. We would Highly Highly recommend this restaurant to anyone.

Review №163

2013-12-02 22:59:52

This was my first experience eating Ethiopian food and it will not be my last. Enssaro does a fantastic job at everything. The atmosphere was spot on, the service was excellent, the food was amazing, and it was such a great dinner.

Review №164

2015-11-04 04:40:48

Ive heard about the awesome Ethiopian choices in the East Bay, so my roommate took me to her favorite, Enssaro.I wasnt surprised by the wait, which actually wasnt long anyway (about 20 minutes around 8:00 during Oaklands First Fridays). We were greeted warmly as we were led to our table.I ordered the Ye Doro Tibs, which is diced chicken sautéed with garlic, jalapeños, and onions. The flavor was really good! The only thing I disliked was that many of the pieces of chicken had a chewy party to it.. I guess thats the tendon. I didnt enjoy biting on it, and it happened often. I also didnt like the yellow split peas. Its usually my favorite, but there was something different about the flavor. I guess Im not used to how Enssaro prepares it.We also ordered the lentil sambusas, and they were really delicious!Service was friendly, and we got our food fast despite a full house.

Review №165

2022-02-06 23:08:03

No wait, great service, and food arrived very quickly. Perfect spot to catch up with my friend who was visiting in town. Amazing flavors!

Review №166

2016-08-17 08:05:42

One of my favorite Ethiopian restaurants around. The food is always good, the atmosphere is modern and open. Plus, they have one of the best cups of coffee around.

Review №167

2017-02-27 15:44:54

We wanted spicy food but were disappointed. We thought the items all tasted like lemon, which made it pretty boring. The service was lacking. We received no napkins and no salad forks and it took a long time to get our check. For lunch the prices were definitely not reasonable.

Review №168

2016-11-08 17:50:13

Nightmare all around. Would not recommend anyone to come here alone. I was in line to be seated and the hostess walked right past me to seat the couple behind me. They told her I was in line before them. She asked me if I wanted to sit at a table. When I said yes, she told me I could only sit at the bar since I was alone. Why ask if I want to sit at a table then? This was odd because there were open tables all night.After about 15 minutes of waiting at the bar I grabbed a server and told them I had not been helped yet. A waitress came to take my order *note that there is apparently a language barrier here. I ordered a build your own sampler, but I misunderstood that you could not pick any meat to have a sampler combo with. The waitress brought me THREE ENTREES. Why would one person order three entrees!? It didnt stop there because she lied to her boss in front of me saying thats what I ordered, putting me in a very awkward and uncomfortable position. They ended up taking the food back and making me a sampler plate. I tipped about 35% becuase I felt bad, but their service needs some serious work.

Review №169

2017-01-08 07:55:36

Great place!!! Delicious gluten free, dairy free options and great prices.Our party of 6.5 walked in hungry. And left satisfied. Drinks & service are generous.

Review №170

2020-04-10 18:12:01

Enssaro has been the go-to Ethiopian spot near Lake Merritt for some time. They made the most of their new, larger location. What many dont know is that they produce their own tej and two types of injera. They also speak vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free. So you can bring anyone to the party. They also have a full bar. I especially like their Kitfo and Lamb Tibs, which comes with two tender and tasty rib chops on the mound of spicy lamb chunks. The house tej (Ethiopian honey wine) is a standout against the locally available bottled tej. Any main dish on a veg combo platter will stuff two or three folks. They have an enclosed patio that sits on Grand Ave so your party can get a little rowdy if they like, without disrupting the whole restaurant inside the doors.

Review №171

2016-01-17 08:08:18

Food was just average. Not a huge fan of their flat sourdough bread all you taste is the sour. You eat with your hands bit can ask for utensils. Service was subpar slow and restaurant was really loud. Everyone having a conversation had to yell.

Review №172

2014-08-07 20:15:44

My absolute favorite Ethiopian spot, and I am pretty discerning about my Ethiopian. Love the veggie combo with extra Buticha (hummus). So flavorful and delicious my husband who swore off Ethiopian food for ten years calls this his favorite restaurant!

Review №173

2018-10-16 07:00:38

Great food in a street-side restaurant, lovely decor as well.

Review №174

2022-06-10 17:20:10

Love this place! Shiro is so good here and the honey wine is delicious. Servers are always super friendly as well.

Review №175

2016-06-18 22:02:48

Ive never met an Ethiopian restaurant that I didnt enjoy. As always, I recommend the doro beg or beg tibs, because I really like lamb. Plus to this location is you can get meals individually, not family style and they have gluten-free injera for an extra $1.

Review №176

2022-10-03 19:15:37

Authentic feel & vibe; smells were wonderful. Lamb dish was very good. Would definitely recommend 👌🏾

Review №177

2018-08-03 02:53:24

This restaurant is right across lake Merritt. It looks a little dark inside if you are here for lunch. In my recent visit for the first time, it was a bit difficult to find parking in this location.Coming to the food, they have an amazing and delicious food. Sambusa was looking close to Samosa from India but did taste authentic. Atkilt wot (yellow vegetables) had a standard tasting. Mesir Wot (red lentil curry) was really delicious. Injera was tasty but a bit too sour compared to other places. It didn’t feel that fresh.

Review №178

2016-08-19 20:59:43

Amazing Ethiopian with great prices! We love the vegetable platter and meat platter. Only downside is that fountain drinks dont have free refills.

Review №179

2017-01-25 01:43:20

I get the veggie combo everytime and its always delicious. Service can be brusque when theyre busy (Thurs-Sat evenings mainly), but staff is all very nice once youve chatted them up a few times.

Review №180

2018-04-13 02:12:15

No gored gored (an Ethiopian staple) on the menu. Teff injera is delicious (the gluten free option). The kitfo is hit or miss as their meat is not always high-quality. Service is 2/5 stars, youll find yourself requesting simple things like water. The ambiance is relatively loud and can become quite crowded.

Review №181

2021-09-07 00:45:24

Unfortunately they may have been busier than usual, but my food at a table took almost half an hour to arrive. There is room for improvement in overall service, food quality and presentation for the price they charge.

Review №182

2013-04-25 14:47:38

Holy ethiopian food! finally was able to try this place with a few friends and it absolutely lived up to the hype!really didnt know much about ethiopian cuisine before trying this place but well definitely be back. the food was all extremely fresh and tremendously delicious...and...NO CUTLERY! my fav.the sambosa were amazing. i only tried the veggie but the carnivores at the table held the meat sambosa in equally high regard. for 4 of us, we shared 2 orders of sambosa, a salad (which was AMAZING and spicy) and the meat and veggie combination plate...and we were all stuffed. its deceptively filling because everything is eaten with their delicious spongey bread in lieu of forks...so definitely plan to go with people youre comfortable eating with your hands in front of (maybe not a first date...)so glad to have finally tried this place and even more glad its right in my neighborhood. oh oakland, why oh why are you so damn tasty!

Review №183

2021-08-09 08:02:37

The food is really good, but, their portions are smaller now. We had to get three plates for two people and at $16-17 each its quite an expensive meal.

Review №184

2021-11-23 07:48:38

The owner of this place (or the manager) is such an unprofessional individual. I was picking up an order And he made me wait for almost 20 minutes and after I asked for an update on my order he got upset and ended up saying he won’t give me any order and I got to go. So rude and unprofessional. I would prefer going anywhere else to eat but this place.

Review №185

2017-08-22 22:05:49

Best Ethiopian food in the area. Good portion sizes and flavorable. The service is quick so this is always a go to whenever i order from them for delivery.

Review №186

2019-09-04 20:04:15

I love Ensarro. Im vegan and Im always happy with the veggie combo plate. Their injera has the best flavor of any Ive tried. The veggie sambusa are a great snack if you like a little spiciness.

Review №187

2022-08-12 20:30:03

Best Ethiopian food in town. My favorite place & feels like driving there every other week at least

Review №188

2016-03-20 05:08:25

Owner is a little manSo I was with some birthday girls tonight. We decided to settle in on this restaurant because we heard good things and this place actually serves one of the birthday girls hometown food.While ordering...One of the girls claimed theyre a regular customer and the restaurant doesnt serve fresh vegetables in their dishes. The waitress clarified that they do serve fresh made vegetables that are prepared every morning. Waitress seemed slightly upset. Okay, a strike on our part.When eating...It took about 30-40 minutes for the food to be served. Our crowd really liked the family style dishes. Food was indeed delicious. This was going to be a five star review. Then we saw a bunch of waitresses and the owner, Telamune singing Happy Birthday Wishes to another table. So we were thinking, we should have that too since we have two birthday girls on our table right?Telamune...I happened to called the owner over (which I didnt realize at the time) and asked if we could have the same thing on our table. I asked if we could have some kind of dessert with the same blessings. He wanted to check the IDs of the birthday girls. I was thinking, Ok... we have a social owner here playing hard to get. He verified the IDs and said precisely, Birthdays means BIRTHDAYS. Its TODAY. So I waited a little bit thinking he was going to say something like, I was just kidding. Well have the cakes over in a bit. No, he went on with the definition of Birthdays. Also mentioned we only do this if the birthday was today. We had an awkward pause. Then I snapped on him and said, Enough, its too late now. Were not coming back.Two Star Review...So I was thinking Im going to leave two star at least because the food was geniunely very good. Up until I saw my check which I used my credit card on. Telamune HAD THE AUDACITY TO WRITE HIS OWN TIPS ON THE RECEIPT. Tip came out to be 20% which was something I was about to give anyways. Nope, that took the 1 star away. Telamune, you need to check the definition of tips. Hope youre reading this.Just FYI staff were all very professional. Were sorry about the fresh vegetable comment. Perhaps Telamune heard about that one and wanted to exercise his authority as the owner of the restaurant.

Review №189

2019-05-05 19:21:27

Ensarro was a disappointing experience. We ordered several vegetarian and meat dishes including: ye doro alicha, kik-alicha, shiro, ye beg tibs, ata-kilt, and special kitfo. Both the chicken in the ye doro alicha and the lamb in the ye beg tibs were uncomfortably dry. The lamb, cut in small slivers, was far from tender. Although spicy, it was oddly tasteless much like the other dishes. The special kitfo, which came mixed with the cheese, was dry, crumbly, and disappointingly bland. The ata-kilt is dull, almost as if if the cabbage and carrots were simply sauted/boiled and tossed together. However their 100% teff injera, which must be requested, is excellent. It is one of the best. While the service, unfortunately, nothing can compensate for the poor quality of the food. Alternatively, I would recommend Walia or Zenis in San Jose.

Review №190

2016-03-22 21:06:53

The food is here is really good, although it is a bit on the pricey side for the portion size you get. The atmosphere is really nice, but its always on the noisier side. Service can be a little slow, but theyre really friendly.

Review №191

2016-09-04 21:38:15

The food is delicious. Enjoyed the atmosphere and the servers/waitress were so patient and explained each ingredient and preparation of the food. Excellent, I definitely recommend this place!

Review №192

2021-08-30 18:10:33

Food was good and I dont really have a point of reference. We ordered several dishes.The service sort of sucked. I mean we didnt even get a water refill.

Review №193

2021-09-29 13:56:40

This place was utterly amazing, did not know what to expect doing in but not disappointed what so ever, the food was very flavorful and just amazing. The key lime pie was to cry for really really great food.

Review №194

2019-12-17 19:20:35

My first experience was slow service. But the food was good and I gave them a second chance. The service was much faster and the food continues to be great. Beautiful decor as well.

Review №195

2016-02-05 13:51:07

Its Ehtiopian: you dare a large plate : food is veggies, beans, salad, (& meats if you like) with a crêpe like bread to use as you eating utensil. I would suggest you pair your meal with a Chocolate Porter beer. Very yummy. Lunch crowd is more low key. Dinner & weekends is busy and louder. Servers are very cool and nice. I also enjoy the Oakland people watching during the lunch or early afternoon weekday time. Awesome place to eat. Now one of my favorites!

Review №196

2022-06-24 23:15:36

Food was great. A bit expensive but seriously delicious. Ill definitely eat there again.

Review №197

2019-02-23 19:34:39

Ive been coming here for almost 10 years, and it is as good as the first day. Superb food and service, and incredible consistency. One of my favorites spots in the Bay area.

Review №198

2015-02-01 18:59:47

Small restaurant so if you plan on eating dinner there get there early cause a crowd will develop. Aside from that the food was extremely good the smell alone will have your tastebuds tingling. Great eating and good pricing

Review №199

2014-10-09 04:09:14

Best Ethiopian food in Oakland. Just get a bunch of orders of the vegeterian combo (Yetsome Beyaynetu). Its got all the good stuff and its all delicious. Skip the sweet wine. You might like it but the flies like it more. Order a dark beer with your food. Perfect combo.