Abyssinian Kitchen

I loved this place. It smelled so good and the atmosphere was really pleasant as it is in an older home. The food came quickly. I just wish it weren’t so far away. I would definitely recommend. We had the vegan dish and every single thing on it was so full of flavor.

Excellent ethiopian place down on Clinton. Had the Kilwa beggie which is cubes of lamb in tasty berbere sauce, which was excellent. My friend got a lentil curry the Misir Wot which was amazing as well. The owner is very friendly and explains the dishes well. Great addition to the portland ethiopian dining scene.

I’m so happy to have this place in our neighborhood!
The food was all delicious. Such a fun experience to order family style & eat with the injera!
This place will definitely go in our favorite restaurant rotation!
The spicy stuff is not too spicy in my opinion, but rather complex & delicious!
Definitely you should try it!

My husband and I enjoyed a delicious dinner at Abyssinian Kitchen on Thurday, January 21.
I ordered the Beyaynetu (vegetarian plate) and he ordered the Kilwa Beggie (lamb). Both were fresh, flavorful and served graciously by Elsa, who took the time to answer all our questions about the ingredients and preparation of the interesting dishes on the menu. It does take a little time to prepare this wonderful food, which for us presented a welcome opportunity to relax at the end of a long day and enjoy a glass of wine while catching up on each other’s day. (Yes; the lovely music was soft enough so we could hear one another.)

EXCELLENT food! I haven’t been to a better Ethiopian place in the USA– I highly recommend it. The only drawback was the service– could be a little more attentive, but overall, just a great place to go and have dinner!

The first time I had Ethiopian food, I was in a Dutch speaking country so I had no idea what I was eating. When I decided to try Ethiopian food in the states, my husband and I found this little charmer. It’s in a house, but the restaurant has a small bar and plenty of seating. The ambience was very relaxing and nice for a date night.
The lady helped us with the menu since I had no idea what we wanted. She was nice and fantastic at her job.
The food was absolutely fantastic and my husband ordered a beer and loved that as well. We had the family style dinner with the red lentils, cheese, chicken, corn, injera (of course), and a vegetable and potato dish. If we visit Portland again, we would definitely come back here!

We stopped in for an afternoon appetizer to go! The Sambusas were great. Not very big compared to where we usually get them but big enough for an appetizer! The flavors were not lacking a bit and the service was superb. Very friendly and comfortable. This little gem was hiding in the middle of the cutest little neighborhood making it easily missed. The sample we got this afternoon of their food was enough for us to agree we want our valentines dinner to be there for sure! My only complaint was that they forgot to add the yummy sauces that go with them but the flavors of the Sambusas were so amazing that we really didn’t need the sauces anyways so I still have a 5 star review!

I loved it so much ! The red wine was awesome !! Perfect for my gluten free diet. The food was so clean, unique and tasty.

Incredibly authentic mouth watering Ethiopian cuisine. Some of the best we’ve ever had. And the owners have hearts of gold! Definitely try this place.

The food here is wonderful! We got the veggie combo platter and sambusas which were both delicious.
The service and speed leave something to be desired, however. While kind and polite, it took about 20 minutes to get a menu and an hour to get appetizers. Our hypothesis is that this was due to the fact that there were only two people working in the entire restaurant on a Saturday. Well be sticking to Queen of Sheba

Ate dinner there tonight and had the best lamb I’ve ever had in my life! It was mild, beautifully flavored. I couldn’t stop eating it. (Kilwa Beggie is the name of the dish). Also shared the Shiro and Hamli — roasted chickpeas with spices and kale. It was also exquisite. Drank the cardomon tea and the homemade ginger and lemonade. We said we’d go back there to try every dish they have.
The environment was also really beautiful and pleasant. It’s quite a find!

The misir wot was excellent
The potatoes need to be cooked a little more
The coffee was very good

The Family who opened and run this restaurant are amazing. I felt like we had a home cooked meal, I highly recommend coming here.

Delicious! The yellow lentils here are my favorite out of any Ethiopian place in town. We stopped by for lunch and ordered the sampler platter. Loved everything! Will definitely be back.

I can’t say enough about the food. My party of four ordered the lamb, short rib steak, steak, and the chickpea soup. It was served on a platter of bread and it was flavorful, spicy, and tasted so very fresh.
The operation is family owned, and you can taste the authenticity of the dishes prepared. Great experience, wonderful food, and will be back again.

I had the red lentil dish. The lentils weren’t hot enough and they appeared fairly congealed as if they were cooked far earlier in the day and left to sit. Atmosphere is great, as it’s a former house/​residence. Service quite good. I’ll give it one more try.

Ethically sourced meat, local produce, tasty food, friendly service, clean facilities.
A bit different from other Ethiopian food I’ve had; both the lamb and the beef short ribs arrived bone-​in. I liked the collards that came with the short ribs. The lamb dish was red, the beef was brown, the collards green, and the lentils yellow — that combination made a handsome platter. I definitely suggest getting 3 entrees, even if you only have 2 people, just for the variety.
There are three types of sambusa (fried triangle with fillings, like samosas in Indian cuisine) and I think you can get a combo order, one of each. The menu doesn’t mention that so we just got the lentils. The breading was perfect. The lentils could have used something to bind them together (mashed lentils, potato, sauce, whatever); you had to be careful not to spill them out as you eat them, but that was fine.
The injera (spongy bread) was really good. Perfect texture, a bit of tang, and they brought us plenty.
Small patio in front with maybe 3 tables.

We had the vegetable combo and the lamb. Everything was pretty good. Service was friendly! For being brand new, not to shabby.
The three stars was because I believe there is room for improvement. We will be back though in the future for a second go around.

The food here is excellent and can’t wait to eat here again. This is absolute favorite Ethiopian restaurant in Portland.

My husband and I seek out the best Ethiopian food wherever we go and this spot was on par with the best!
We made up our own sampler platter, which they graciously accommodated, and we stuffed ourselves beyond comfort (in the best way possible).
Great location, quiet and quaint, and the flavors were incredible. Healthy, vibrant and delicious, that’s everything I look for in a meal and this hit the sweet spot.
We will be back!