Fasika Ethiopian Restaurant

Simply delicious. My partner and I almost always get the Lamb Key Wot – love the berbere sauce (it’s this red spicy sauce). The salad is lovely as well. And of course, the injera… yum. :) We come here once in a while and are never disappointed.

Worst servers ever and their kitchen door opened I looked in there was meat siting on counters, garbage everywhere and the people making the food did not even have a hair net yuck
NEVER GOING BACK AGAIN

The food at Fasika is incredible. We’ve been there a number of times and occasionally the staff has been a little slow but we’ve never had a bad time. We always make it a point to bring visitors here.

The service is bad. Downright rude at times. But just know that going in. Some places you can forgive rude service when you know that the food is great. And the food here is great. So great that I’m still giving it five stars, because this place opened my eyes to a world of flavor.

That moment when a restaurant just nails it. Extremely tender lamb combo (lamb key wot, lamb alicha wot, lamb tibs). Perfectly spiced salad. Flavorful Ethiopian coffee. Rivals any restaurant in Los Angeles’ Lil Ethiopia street.

YUM. My workout partner recommended Fasika for an evening get-​together around Christmas, and I’m glad I came! The vegetarian platter was amazing — every kind of dip, bean sauce, and vegetable you can think of, all on a giant platter over a huge piece of soft, tangy injera bread.
The sambusas were delicious, too — they are a favorite, although I prefer the Somali version, it’s hard to go wrong with deep-​fried meat and spices in a crispy, savory wrap.
The food is probably a little too spicy for my kids (for now — they are small) but when they’re older I’m looking forward to bringing the whole family!

This used to be my favorite place to get Ethiopian food. But in recent years, the quality of the food is egregiously inconsistent. So much so that I no longer go at all. When prices are as high as this, the food better be good EVERY time. It would be a stretch to say that even 50% of the time the food is as good as it once was. Demera several blocks down the street is much better. When Fasika is on point, it’s the BEST food though. REALLY disappointing.

I will not eat green eggs and lamb, I will not eat it… uh, Fasika.
A while back, my friends had the brilliant idea to try an exotic Ethiopian meal. We were so so so excited to try this. I’ve always wanted to, but just needed to find the best peeps that would willingly slob all over the same dish with me just using their hands. I was so excited that I watched a bunch of youtube videos beforehand on the proper way to share injera.
So Sam, Jenny and I pull up into the small parking lot (like 3 spaces). We were giddy even as we walked over lots of broken glass in the lot. We were seated immediately, but the service was not so accommodating — no information or even a smile was offered. And then I order the pinot grigio… and am eventually handed a glass of red wine. I blink a few times then politely start to say, «Pinot Grigio is white wine…» and the server just said «No.» and walked away. Whaaaat, hahaha.
Regardless, we happily awaited digging into «The Ultimate Combination» platter. Some of you may know, I am NOT a picky eater. Dear lord NOT at ALL. I am a fan of acidic and sour things, and I love sourdough, but I ended up finding the injera intolerable. It was just wayyy too sour. And the EGG. Guys, I also LOVE boiled eggs. I put them in all my sauces just cuz eggs are GOOD. But we cracked open this one and it just wafted out such a strong odor and the yolk was very much on the green side, that no one else at the table was willing to even try it. A couple of the veggie curries were good, but the salad was overdressed and wilted. We ended up paying and then getting food at The Nook.
Honestly, I would be down to try Ethiopian again. I’ve never not liked something so much, which makes me think something went wrong? Makes me think (or hope) this was just a bad case of preparation and service. And eggs.

Two Ethiopian friends separately said the same thing about Fasika — best Ethiopian food in the Twin Cities, but the servers are rude to other Ethiopians! Maybe that is the confidence of knowing those customers will put up with it for the great food?
I tried the vegetarian sampler the first time I went here, and since then I always get one of the two vegetarian lentil dishes. The portions are large — easily two servings.
Easily accessible via the green line, and I haven’t had trouble finding nearby street parking.

I really like this place. Not really a fancy but food is great. its my first time trying Ethiopian Restura. I liked it. I will returning soon with my friends. This food reminds me another dish which is called DOSA in our country (india).

After months of wanting to try this restaurant, I finally went there last Saturday. I arrived at the restaurant only to not be greeted and ignored for half an hour. I decided I no longer wanted to awkwardly stand by the door where some of their staff walked past me a few times, without a single hello. Overall It was an uncomfortable and degrading experience. I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone.

For Minnesota, I was pleasantly surprised that they would have decent Ethiopian food that would rival metro DC Ethiopian options… Well, thank goodness I didn’t feel too homesick while here at Fasika.
The location is easy for street parking, no lot. The menu is the typical — ummm… So just be wise and order yourself a platter!!! Oh… Veggie combo with 7 – 9 items, all of which are vegan? Ok. Avoiding injera bloat or gluten? Opt for rice. Eat, repeat, be fully satiated, take home leftovers in styrofoam container (bring your own container?), eat more the next day. Delicious.
The red berbere lentils could have more fire and less salt, but the flavor of the shiro wot: ooo yes… Just a tad too salty. The yellow split peas? Oh more please. Loved the gomen, but wish there were more to the serving of these collard greens. The cabbage gomen was good, too, and not too greasy or salty like many places will do. Yum. Not a fan of the beets with potatoes though… The brown lentils were tasty, a bit salty though. I was also not a fan of the black peppered salad… The green beans were tasty, but I wish there were more.
All in all, I was pleased with this place. Though the plastic coveted tables and a couple house flies I the air were not my favorite, the food was fresh and relatively healthful (not too greasy and salty). I would have no qualms eating here again. The price is pretty sweet, too!

Tibs. Vegetarian sampler. Tej. You need these in your life. Please, trust me. The portions are so large that two of us just ordered that, shared it, and we’re both stuffed with food left over. Try the tibs dry if you get something else; with sauce if you don’t.
The servers weren’t super friendly, but they were polite. They let us sit at the table chatting and cackling for two hours, even after the restaurant started getting busy. And the food was so good, I didn’t even care about the side eye I got from one of them when I interrupted her to ask for the check.
My friend tells me Sat nights are crazy busy, so unless you don’t mind a long wait, pick another night. But, I would wait for this…

Small, hole in the wall place. As soon as I walked in and smelled the homey aroma of spices I knew it was a good sign. I got the vegetarian platter which was absolutely delicious! The food gets 5 stars, the service however was terrible. Water glasses never refilled, and we were never checked on.
I would definitely go back to enjoy the food!

Came here for an early dinner and the place was 75% full. Most of the other tables got their food pretty quickly but ours (2 veggie samplers with fish) took a little bit longer.
The food was delicious and tasted very fresh. The spinach, cabbage, two types of lentils, green beans, red stuff in the middle were all very flavorful. Fish was fried which was pretty standard but the limes made it better.
Apart from the food, the restaurant itself is a little dingy and could use a little more upkeep. Waitress and staff were pretty cold and didn’t smile once. They seemed like they were bored and seemed agitated when we requested more water and injera.
While the food was tasty, I think it was a little over priced. Worth a visit if you’re a big fan of Ethiopian food just don’t expect great service ambiance.

For the last 15 minutes, people have been walking by, glaring at me, as I sit behind this CVS dumpster (about 20 ft away) silently eating (with my hands) my meal from Fasika, because they think that I’m homeless. Those people don’t know that this shit cost me $ 11 and that your supposed to eat Ethiopian food with your hands.

I can’t believe I’ve waited so long to try Ethiopian cuisine, and now I’m kicking myself for depriving my belly of the tastiness.
I had the Lamb Key Wot and my friend got the Lamb Alicha Wot. Both were awesome! They were both served with a salad and served with a lot of injera, which is an Ethiopian bread that’s like a sourdough, spongy, crêpe/​pancake-​like bread. Both of our dishes were very flavorful and surprisingly spicy. Not super spicy at all, but I wasn’t expecting it to have any spice.
Servings were huge. There was SO MUCH bread. You eat with your hands too which is cool, but I wasn’t in the mood so I asked for a fork. Don’t judge me.
I would totally go back again. Prices were good. Service was a touch slow, but I think it was busier than they expected on a Monday night.

So sad that some things change at this place.
1. No more tej. If you love the African wine as much as I do, they’re not selling it any more.
2. My guest and I became very ill after the last time we ate here. I’ve been told since that it was some form of food poisoning. Hoping this was just a fluke occurrence.
The people that work here are still great. I’m feeling very bummed.

I’m going to have to go ahead and give it a full 5 stars. Not only was the food amazing, service was great and they didn’t make me feel dumb for not knowing what to do.
I kept seeing all these beautiful photos of veggie sampler platters on injera breadso I decided I needed to try it for myself. The server also highly recommended it. I love stuff like this because I love being able to try a bunch of things without all the commitment. I was debating for a while, because I do love meat, but went with it, and I am so glad I did!
The food came out fast, and the server told me what each one was, and she told me how to eat it with the injera bread. She even said to not worry about getting messy, because it’s a messy dish and not to worry.
OH MY GOODNESS it was delicious! SO good! And it wasn’t overly messy eating it with the injera instead of silverware. I loved how they didn’t make me feel silly for not knowing what to do, but I suppose a lot of people come in like that. It is SO much food for the price too. I can’t wait to come back again and try the tibs!

I think it’s time to upgrade Fasika to five stars!
Three of us had a Valentine’s Day lunch. We timed it perfectly for lunch, before all of the dinner reservations started.
Three of us shared the Fasika Ultimate Combination, salad & rice, extra Injera Bread, Baklava, extra spicy beef (to go), and various beverages. We also got a bag of Ethiopian Coffee to go. As always, the food was awesome. And the service was great… despite being busy as hell and gearing up for a busy Valentine’s Day.
Thanks for another great experience!
–Daddy Maxx Retro

I had been talking to a friend about my craving for Ethiopian food since I moved to Minneapolis when they recommended I check out Fasika. I made a trip for dinner and a date on a Friday night and was surprised to see how packed the place was. We were seated right away but were able to snag one of the last tables which signaled to me it was a favorite local pick.
We ordered the Chicken Combo Platter and were shocked that it had at least 3 – 4 portions between 3 dishes. It came with a side salad, cottage cheese, and injera. My favorite was the chicken tibs which is my usual go to. My only wish was that the waitress provide us with extra injera on the side since we didn’t have enough for all three paltes. This would be a great dish for anyone new to the cuisine or looking to try a few plates at once.
We also ordered the Catfish & Rice dish that put us over the top after our platter. I had only previous had injera dishes prior to the fish but I loved the different use of spices and the freshness of the fish.
I will definitely return to check out more of their menu and the Ethiopian beer on their drinks menu.

This place just hit the trifecta of «stay away» — terrible service, average tasting food, and FLIES in the restaurant.
On the service, in short, we were ignored. We probably tried this restaurant at a bad time since this place seems to get good reviews (frankly that’s what motivated us to try it in the first place). We ate there yesterday, Aug 31^st and arrived at 7:36 PM. After seating us and taking our orders, fast forward 50 minutes after, no drinks, no food, and no one checked on us. Granted the place was full and we tried to get the attention of the other wait staff with no success but our own server didn’t even bring us our drinks. I was ready to walk out when my wife tapped the woman cleaning the table behind us to check if we can get our drinks and to give us an idea on when our food would come. It wasn’t until then that we got our drinks and I think that may have been the time they put in the order since it came 15 minutes after we spoke to that person.
Regarding the taste, I’ve tasted Ethiopian food in my business travels both in Dubai and in South Africa and this was at best average. The injera was disappointing, maybe we got a bad batch but it did not taste good at all so we focused on the meat and veggies which were good but not great.
What made us leave were the two flies that hit my daughter’s steak. That was just terrible and unappetizing. So I stood up, when to the counter and paid our bill. It was truly disappointing.
I had to wait 24 hrs to write this review to make sure it was objective and not just an emotional outburst. Unfortunately, after much reflection, it is still a 1 star for me and my family. My family even insisted that we give this place a one star. We have never given a one star but definitely this one deserves it.