Sishu | Kera — Restaurant in Addis Ababa

I recently went to this restaurant after seeing/hearing multiple positive reviews about it online. I was really excited to try the “best burger in town”. I ordered the BBQ Burger while my boyfriend ordered the Sishu one. The waitress informed us that they’re not serving their burgers with cheese on that specific day, cause they run out (I guess). We said it was fine because we went all the way there to try their burger but in retrospect it wasn’t a good decision on our part since the total price for a burger without cheese, a beef patty served with only BBQ sauce and onions (my order); a beef patty with lettuce and tomatoes (my boyfriend’s order) with a side of a single bottle of sprite amounted to a staggering 1,340 birr. My disappointment with this place didn’t end with just the overpriced burger though…my boyfriend brought me cheesecake from my favorite spot in a takeaway box, the waitress that gave us our bill saw it and said “this is fine for today I won’t ask you to pay but normally we charge people with an extra service charge for meals brought in takeaway box from another cafe/restaurant” I thought this was unbelievable. In conclusion I though the burger was mediocre and small, you can find a very similar burger at Hibir at a way...

Sishu Kera—it’s in a warehouse, which is cool if you’re into that industrial, “I’m too hip for a regular restaurant” vibe. Burgers? Decent. It’s one of my best friend’s go-to burger spots, but for me? Eh, it’s aight. Look, I’m a foodie. I could easily down two of these so-called “burgers” and still have room for dessert. They’re gourmet, sure, a real boujee burger situation.

Now, let’s talk about the real star here—the cheesy mayo sauce. Magical. Absolutely magical. Ask for it, dunk everything in it, and it might just redeem the whole experience. That said, I actually prefer their cheesesteak sandwich over the burgers, hands down. And for the health-conscious folks (or people who think fries aren’t a food group), you can swap the fries for a salad.

But let’s get real about the price. If you’re worried about it, this place probably isn’t for you. The vibe is decent—lots of foreigners hanging around, probably thanks to the AU nearby—but is it worth it? Meh. For my money, I’d take a Hibir burger any day of the week. My friends might disagree, but I’ll leave it up to you guys to decide. Just don’t expect me to glorify the place and hand my friend the dopamine...

Sishu is an excellent place to eat. The space and atmosphere of the converted warehouse is almost second to none in Addis and would hold its own in any major metropolitan area in a developed country. From the standards visible in the kitchen to the wait staff checking up on your meal, to the quality of preparation, one would be hard pressed to find better outside one of the luxury hotels.

Sishu's food is top rate as well, while options like bacon are missing, the burgers on offer are on par with those found in America. The fries are also very well made. House made ketchup and mustard round out the meal.

One aspect of the burger (and tuna salad sandwich for that matter) that may leave some feeling that something's missing is the exclusion of pickles. While the house made sauce on the burger does offer some tang, it could go further, with both options being improved by the addition of the provided mustard since, well, there are no pickles.

Nevertheless, Sishu is an amazing joint and deserves regular visits. While the resturant can be hard to locate, the mapping data is spot on and--if you follow the map--you should have no trouble finding this...