Gojo Ethiopian Restaurant

This place was RIDICULOUSLY good. We went with a group of 6 and were a bit dubious about the location and décor, but once we got over ourselves (the smells coming from the kitchen really helped with that) it was one of the best meals we have ever had.
TONS of beautiful injera came out, some rolled, some under the food, in traditional Etheopian fashion. No utensils here… you eat with your hands. As a result you may make a pig of yourself and over order, but with their bayenetu (vegan platter) coming in at $ 9, it’s not going to hurt. My friends also had a bottle of traditional honey wine with dinner, which was apparently delicious, but I don’t drink.
Our vegan dish had aterkik litcha (yellow peas in sauce) atkilt wot (cabbage, carrots, potatoes in a delicious sauce) hot gomen (collard green cooked to perfection with spices) as well as
misir wot (pureed red lentil in berbere sauce, spicy and delicious. There was also a hot beetroot and potato thing that was unbelievably tasty. We ordered one vegan platter, and it was a lot of food, but ended up ordering another because we are such sluts for ethnic food and couldn’t get enough.
The owner and his wife were adorable, hanging out at a table in the back and keeping an eye on everyone. Good, sweet service.
This place is a real find. We will be back often.

Great food, sweet staff. Slow service, so plan to take your time. We went with a big group and everyone loved it. I’ve not had enough Ethiopian to speak to its authenticity, but the food was delicious.

WOW! Amazing food, service, ambiance, and price. My family was completely blown away, and utterly satiated:)

Well I have never been to Ethiopia but visiting this restaurant will transport you there! The veggie combo was delicious and vegan. it comes with plenty of injera. The cabbage with carrots was my favorite. The food is vibrant with rich flavors and deep natural colors.

Best Ethiopian food in town! Nice people, great service, inexpensive, and delicious. What more could you ask for?

Order the Gomen, with lamb, the most succulent lamb I’ve ever had. and with the spinach and a bit of jalapeño and onion, to die for!!! …if you don’t eat meat or don’t like lamb, the veggie combo is ridiculously wonderful as well!

Very welcoming service! The food is authentic and very delicious! I will be back. I enjoyed the vegan sampler with my BestFriend while I was visiting Portland. The food came out quicker than I expected which is always a plus.

Don’t let the understated façade fool you. Inside is cute and cozy but the best part is the super tasty food and friendly service. Yummy!

Have been going there for over 2 years, tried other Ethiopian restaurants in Portland, but always come back to Gojo. Definitely the best! Got all my friends addicted and this might be our favorite restaurant in Portland period.

This place is fantastic. My favorite Ethiopian place of any I’ve ever been to. It doesn’t look like much, but the food is awesome and the owners are incredibly nice. I love the key wot beef, and we always get a veggie platter. I would seriously eat here every day of my life.

One of the best Ethiopian places in Portland. Their veggie combo is quite filling and tastes really good. Its a small place and the server was pretty friendly with us. Will definitely be visiting this place again.

Sweet and homely place with lovely food. They had a good combination of spicy and mild traditional Ethiopian curries in the vegetarian platter. The menu is pretty basic and simple. We all liked the beans and carrot preparation the best, different from the other Ethiopian restaurants we’ve dined in. We were a big group of 11 people and the service was quick and friendly. Their cinnamon tea was well brewed and refreshing. Overall a pleasant experience.

The atmosphere is quaint, this is a no utensils allowed restaurant, which made it fun! The sauces were good but all the meats we tried were over cooked.

Freindly little storefront restaurant, with a simple décor. The menu offered only entrees, no soups, salads or appetizers. The injira was smooth and flavorful, service was good, prices reasonable and food excellent. We especially enjoyed the key wot beef, warm with spices and just the right kind of oily to soak the bread. Yum!

Upon considering relocation up to Portland, my husband and I needed to find an Ethiopian restaurant that is comparable to the variety we have in Berkeley. Gojo did not disappoint. Portions were generous, though they don’t include any sides at all with the main meat dishes. We are used to a little salad and maybe a little collard greens or chickpeas. Prices are very reasonable. Injera was fresh, spongy, and tart. Our leftovers were still delicious two days later.

Hopefully more reviews will bring more people in. We were the only ones twice! That usually scares me away. :-) Had the veggie combo twice and both times all selections were excellent. I haven’t inquired if the injera is truly gluten free but you can also request rice instead. It’s close to home and price reasonable, staff is friendly!

Loved the veggie combo and lamb tibs. Nice atmosphere with friendly staff and traditional music.

This is hands down my favorite Ethiopian in Portland. Not salty and great spice. Prices have gone up but still reasonable and portions are generous.
It’s right across from the Eritrean community center… you know it has to be good!!! Live this place. The Ethiopian music videos are top.

We came to this restaurant after convincing my boyfriend that Ethiopian food was so freaking good and would’ve blown his mind away but I am about to say that I failed on this one. We went to check out the place and I must say that it was very charming and had kept the Ethiopian feel – from food to the chairs. I had explained to the owner that I had Ethiopian food in the last and I appreciate great authentic cooking. When we received the food, I was blankly staring at the portions of the Doro Wat (the spicy chicken).
It was tiny. Like a fossilized piece of chicken leg. I had the chicken shredded before and it was not coming with the egg not too hard boiled, but not so fresh egg. And the sauce didn’t have any character. The injera was the
only good thing on it. My boyfriend couldn’t eat another bite and we paid for the food and tipped the server accordingly. It was not a great experience for us in dinnertime, but we may probably come back in the future.

I just moved my business to the neighborhood and am still scoping out all the best lunchtime spots. In my search I came across Gojo. Granted, I am a huge fan of Ethiopian food, but even I was surprised at how much I liked this place!
The shop was neat, clean, and well decorated. The husband and wife team were great. Even making small talk about where I got my shoes (super cute)!
I ordered the vegetarian combo platter — and quite a lot of food came with it! Not only were there 7 dish samples to try, but 2 additional injera. Out of everything on the plate I think I loved the spinach dish the best and the green lentil dish the least (a bit dry), but everything was delicious.
I will definitely be back!