Elsi Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar — Restaurant in Fairland

I really wanted to like this restaurant; I visited for the first time yesterday and my experience seemed very promising. The hostess greeted me at the front and directed me toward the menu. She also offered for me to have a seat. When I decided what I wanted, she directed me to the bar so I could order. This is where things start to go bad… one of the bartenders asked me if I was ready and I said yes; I also asked her if I could order food instead of drinks and she said yes.. she asked me what I wanted and I told her. She says okay, but never rang me up or put in the order… I watched her go back to tending the bar for 10 minutes, never once looking at me or coming back over to me to ring me up or give an update.. mind you, the bar was NOT that busy. Once she was finished, she came around the bar and talked to a coworker, so I thought she was giving her my order to put in. She then comes to me and asks would I like a drink. I responded “no, just the food” and she said okay. She then proceeded to go talk to the hostess at the front, talk to 2 more coworkers, and then goes back behind the bar and tends to it (what exactly idk bc again, it wasn’t that busy). Two other women come behind the bar and begin doing stuff as well; they ALL look at me and CLEARLY see I haven’t been waited on, but they look away and continue to do whatever the hell it is they were doing (this is when I went from annoyed to pissed off).. the icing on the cake was the manager looking me STRAIGHT in my face before walking to the back. That was my last straw. It’s sad that you all could serve your own people NO HESITATION, but when it came to me I was treated differently. I don’t think it was necessarily a “race” thing, but more so a cultural thing. Maybe it was unconscious, but it doesn’t matter because I won’t be coming back here. 0/10 DO...

I usually don't give bad reviews for services and love to support the locals. When I seen that this restaurant was going to be walking distance, from where I live, I was excited. I have been coming here for awhile and love the food but today, I was very disappointed. I ordered my food for take out (Awaze Tibs). I asked to not put a lot of juices. When I finally got my food, the juices was filled at the top. The server kindly took it back and drain some of it out. As I was waiting, a random employee came up to me with a hot pan of cooked coffee beans, that was smoking hot and waived the pan so close that, I had to tell her, what are you doing. She was trying to explain that the smell in the restaurant was that, but I never communicated to anyone that I had an issue with the smell. I said, do you normally come up to customer with a hot pan, without an invite. The lady who served me intervened and was like, that's part of the culture. I said, maybe the smell but not coming up to a customer with a hot pan of coffee beans and just waiving in my direction, like you want to burn me with it. At the end, I just couldn't believe of what I encountered and I really loved going there for the good food. After today's fiasco, I will not return. I kindly asked for a refund because I no longer had the desire to support such nonsense. The lady needs training on customer service skills. She needs to learn what not to do, especially not coming up to a customer with a hot pan. She could of had easily burnt me because she was that close. Although she apologized, I don't think I can bear seeing that lady again. It's almost felt like she was trying to antagonize me...

Elsi Ethiopian Restaurant has been a cherished dining spot for us, where we've felt welcomed and enjoyed the warm ambiance and delicious food. Over the months, we've frequented the restaurant 2-3 times a day, always feeling at home and appreciating the courteous staff.

However, our recent experience was disheartening. We have consistently sat by the VIP section without issues, but on our last visit, we were asked to move despite offering to pay any extra charges. The waiter initially couldn't provide a reason or a price, and after a brief consultation, she did not return with a resolution. We were left waiting and felt ignored.

Eventually, we were told it would cost $100 just to sit at our usual table, which seemed excessive, especially since the total for our meals was less than that. The sudden implementation of this charge without prior notice or clear communication felt unprofessional and unwelcoming.

We understand and respect the need for reservations or upcharges for VIP sections, but this should be communicated transparently. The handling of the situation left us feeling unwelcome in a place we once loved. Clearer communication and better customer service are essential.

While we still appreciate the restaurant, this experience has been a significant disappointment. We hope the management addresses these issues to ensure a better experience for all customers...