Altu's Ethiopian Cuisine — Restaurant in East Lansing

It’s always nice to inspire your taste buds with new flavors. At Altu’s I was able to do just that. Ethiopian food is usually hard to come by. But, when you do find a place, like Altu’s (name of the owner) it will really hit the spot with robust flavors and spiciness. I met a friend here and we decided to get a group feast with injerna. Injerna is the unique style of spongey flat bread, made from a teff flour sourdough and used to scoop the different stews and side dishes with your hands. We ordered the spicy beef, spicy lentils, mild split yellow peas, and spicy ground peas. The feast came with a side of the signature caramelized cabbage and tangy salad. The salad left more to be desired, as 1) the portion was small and 2) it was simply dressed iceberg lettuce, my least favorite type of lettuce in a salad. The cabbage, on the other hand had a nice buttery flavor and soft texture but, I wish there was more. They do offer it as a separate side but the day we went happened to be the day when their stock of cabbage and lamb was low and they weren’t allowing extra side orders. Unless having a rotating menu is what a restaurant is known for I do not believe that running out of ingredients or menu items is exemplary for a 5star rating. But, for Altu’s I’d let it slide since they embody that home style family kitchen feel. And after trying all the different dishes on the feast, I walked out satisfied. The spicy beef stew was my favorite, with tender chunks of sirloin beef in a flavorful spicy stew. The spicy ground peas was a blended concoction of chickpeas in the same spicy stew that the beef was in. The closest thing to compare the texture to is hummus but with a very different flavor profile. My next favorite, surprisingly turned out to be the yellow split peas. The texture was a bit gritty and the tanginess was foreign to me. But, after a few more bites I grew a taste for it. Finally, the spicy lentil stew, while I am calling it my least favorite, it is only because it had the most generic taste compared to the other dishes. Having had a lot of Arabic and Indian cuisines, the lentil stew didn’t seem to differentiate much. Nonetheless, the lentils were cooked well and the flavors matched that of the spicy beef (without the beef of course). I would highly recommend this place if you are looking to explore a unique African cuisine that will challenge your taste buds with new flavors in a family...

I LOVE Altu's! Even before I was vegan, this was a place that I loved to go eat at. The food is flavorful and warms the soul. They have TONS of options for vegans and vegetarians. The server told me all of the options in the vegetarian section of the menu are vegan except for the sambusas.

When I come for lunch, I like to get the lima bean lunch special and a smoothie. The smoothies are made without dairy, but they do have honey in them, so if you're vegan you'll have to ask them to omit it. For dinner I like to get the sample dinner platter, which is a combination of any four dishes. I think the spiciness of the hot dishes are perfect, but they have been a little too hot for my friends and family. While you cannot get an already spicy dish made more mild, you can order a mild dish and ask for them to add a little heat. I love the cooked greens, lentils, chickpeas, and lima beans. For lunch or dinner, I always prefer the injera bread (which is gluten free) to rice. It's fun to tear and scoop up your food! I think the portion sizes are good; you definitely get a lot of food!

They also serve alcohol, which is nice if you want to grab a drink with company. They also have great iced and hot spiced tea if you want a little pick-me-up. The atmosphere of the restaurant is nice, semi-quiet, and cozy. I've only had exceptional service here. The restaurant is small and can fill up quickly and there isn't a ton of parking out front. Overall, I love this place and love bringing guests here to eat some...

We recently discovered this incredible Ethiopian restaurant about an hour away from us, and it was well worth the trip. From the moment we walked in, we were welcomed with the warm scent of spices and the sound of beautiful music that instantly set a peaceful and inviting tone.

Our waitress greeted us with genuine kindness and professionalism. We let her know it was our first time trying Ethiopian cuisine, and she went above and beyond to guide us through the menu with thoughtful recommendations that made us feel completely at ease.

We started with the sora passion smoothie—it was refreshing and tasted like freshly blended fruit, absolutely delicious. The lentil sambusa was perfectly crispy and flavorful; the only thing that could’ve made it better would be a little sauce on the side for dipping.

For our main course, we ordered the feast platter at our waitress’s suggestion, and we’re so glad we did. The mild chicken with sauce was especially outstanding—tender, rich, and full of flavor. The rolled bread (injera) paired beautifully with every dish on the plate.

To top it all off, she offered us hot spiced tea at the end of our meal. The aroma alone was like wrapping yourself in a warm blanket on a chilly fall day with a candle burning nearby—comforting, cozy, and full of depth.

This restaurant exceeded all our expectations. The atmosphere, service, and food were all exceptional. We left feeling full, happy, and already planning our next visit....