Blue Nile — Restaurant in Ferndale

This was my 2nd time and the rest of the group's first time in Ethiopian Restaurant. Have to say right away - the experience was not fully thought through by management. The food mostly was good, for people who are looking for traditional dining experience - this is not for you - so just skip the whole thing . FOr those of us who indulge in new culinary experiences this was a delight. Now onto service - it was non-existent in Ferndale location. The girl who served us was smiley but disappeared for ever in between short moments she came by the table to check if we are still alive or there. First thing that must be acknowledged by the waiter is whether it is our first time at the place. If so - waiter should literally show on her palm how to experience this, how the food is to be consumed as THERE ARE NO UTENSILS offered and most of the foods were pretty spicy so water should always be present in our glasses - where we got one 8oz glass per person when set at the table (by the way- if you are a party of 4 that's max size group they have a table for - if your group is bigger - you would have to sit at the traditional table which is half bent body - not for all). After asking multiple times for water refill- we never received it. Next chapter - THE WAIT - it was tremendously long, i should say around and hour for the mid sized dish with 7 veggie dishes cramped on it... So - DO NOT COME HUNGRY, be prepared to wait for the food for an hour or more. I heard people at the nearest tables literally grab a waiter passing by and tell them we are ready for food now - and then exclaiming that if they did not tell the waiter that - they would just be sitting there for ever unserved. I also noticed that other tables were offered a wet towel to wash their hands PRIOR to food consumption and our table was not offered that service. We did get the towels after service as your hands are dirty after using bread only to grab/eat food. THIS IS A UNIQUE experience and it must be guided that is why i re-iterate - IT IS A MUST for waiters to inquire if this is person's first time at the restaurant or not. Regarding silverware - THERE ARE NONE offered, believe me -we asked. Which i consider a missed opportunity and makes for negative experience as if you compare to even such deeply traditional places as hibachi grill - they do offer forks to those who ask. Lastly - do not bring your kids there - they will find nothing to eat unless used to eat traditional spicy foods that are no even great for most adults. AS a PS remark - i do consider the place overpriced. I certainly think we deserved to be served with a little...

I've eaten at Ethiopian restaurants around the USA where there are large Ethiopian communities (Denver, Washington, D.C., and Texas), so I was excited to see that the Detroit area has the Blue Nile restaurant. I was suspicious at first, given the small size of the Ethiopian community in Michigan, but I saw that there is an Ethiopian Orthodox church nearby in Ferndale, so I put the doubts out of my mind and decided to give Blue Nile a try.

The menu is extremely limited by comparison with other Ethiopian restaurants in the US. Standards like tibs, kitfo, and gored gored are nowhere to be found. The spices are incredibly subdued, and each dish is bland and nearly tasteless. Since all the dishes are cooked ahead of time, they cannot be adjusted to the tastes of customers acquainted with spicy food. I believe they decided to prepare the food this way in order to not alienate American customers who do not like spicy food.

Nearly every proper Ethiopian meal is served on injera, a sourdough flatbread traditionally made from teff flour. The injera at Blue Nile does not taste sour, and its coloring is off. Injera should be a rich tan to brown color, because teff is ground into flour from whole grains. The injera at Blue Nile is pale, sweetish, and lacks the flavor of teff. It is either made from wheat flour or a dilute mix of wheat flour and teff flour, perhaps to save costs since teff flour is more expensive.

The all-you-can-eat pricing model is an additional indignity. $17.50 per person for bland vegetarian dishes served on wheat injera is not a good value, and it is considerably more expensive than the prices at better Ethiopian restaurants in cities with higher overall costs of living, like Washington, D.C., and Dallas. In those cities, you can find both fancy Ethiopian restaurants and value-centered ones that are especially popular with cab drivers (just look for cabs parked outside).

Overall, the food at Blue Nile is less than mediocre but is priced in such a way that the owners must think it is on par with the hippest Ethiopian restaurants in Washington, D.C., or New York City.

As an aside, the men's bathroom is vile and is not in working condition. The flush handles on the urinals do not operate, so the owners have resorted to putting ice in the urinal basins as a means of counteracting the lack of a functional flush mechanism. At $17.50 per person for wheat flour and dried legumes, they should generate enough profit to have functional...

Favorite resturaunt and favorite food! It's an entirely different dining experience worth trying at least once! I have been an employee at the Ferndale location since March 2015 and working there is a family experience to say the least. The owners jump in to help out constantly. They are very passionate about good service. Seifu Lessanwork (one of the owners) used to be the Emporer of Ethiopia's Butler! If anyone knows Ethiopia, it's him! The owners are very understanding and want to make everyone happy. They are very accommodating to guests, especially when guests do not feel fulfilled, they will do anything to make them feel good walking out the door. My coworkers are all very kind individuals and we all try to help each other out and provide great service. I never tried Ethiopian before working there and now I have eaten it nearly everyday since March and take home carry outs on my days off! Do not fear the different dining experience, if you do not want to eat with your hands you can have plates and forks and sit in a booth. I would say 9/10 customers I have served have been very pleased with the experience and food. We have so many regulars that have been coming for 10 or 20+ years! And kids love it too! (kids are half price or free depending in the age :) It is higher in price but that is because we provide you with fresh cooked unique food and an experience outside of traditional American dining. It is worth every penny. The food is so healthy and delicious! I plan to work here for years to come and provide patrons with an unforgettable experience! It's in a great location too! Right on the 9 and Woodward strip in downtown Ferndale, there's so much to do! It's an eclectic little city with lots to offer culturally. :) Come see us and experience a little piece...