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Enssaro Ethiopian Restaurant

United States California OaklandEnssaro Ethiopian Restaurant

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Simple, cozy Ethiopian eatery serving a small menu of spicy specialties, plus tej, beer & wine.

Description

Simple, cozy Ethiopian eatery serving a small menu of spicy specialties, plus tej, beer & wine.

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I found Enssaro on Yelp when searching for Ethiopian food in Oakland. As it had a solid 4 start rating with over 1200+ reviews so I decided to give it a try. It is located on Grand Ave where street parking is a perennial pain but I got lucky and found something just outside the restaurant. At around 9:30 pm the place was almost completely full which meat it was definitely popular. I got what I generally get at any new Ethiopian restaurant that I try namely the Meat sampler ($14.95) to-go, which as per their menu is a combination of Doro Wot (bone in chicken and boiled eggs simmered in Ethiopian red sauce), Ye Beg Wot (Lamb slowly simmered with berbere and a combination of spices) and Doro Alicha (Mild chicken stew seasoned with ginger, garlic and turmeric). After ordering it was a short 10-minute wait and I was on my way. I got a one decent sized container which meant that the injera was placed on top of the meat dishes meaning that by the time I got home it would absorb all the moisture for the stews and become nice baby food. I should have asked for it to be packed separately but the person taking my order was not the type that would appreciate special requests so I just let it pass. Note to self – order online next time and request that they injera be packed separately. Anyway, lets come to the food. As expected half the injera had to be thrown away but the other half was pretty good. The meat sampler had two chicken dishes and one lamb dish. I would have preferred if they would have given one chicken, beef and lamb dish respectively as is the case in other Ethiopian restaurants but the good news is that the taste of all the dishes was very good. They actually tasted like different stews and not like common base used across all the stews. Overall it was pretty good. Pricewise it was in exactly line with what you will pay at other Ethiopian restaurants in Oakland for the meat sampler. As already mentioned it does not have any beef dish in the sampler but I’ve found the taste of the dishes at Enssaro to be much better that the other two places that I’ve tried in Oakland (Asmara & Abesha). It’s a little rough around the edges so 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 is how I’d rate this place.

Ahmad JethaAhmad Jetha

00

$80 for 2 people. The food was not good at ALL. It seemed fresh, and a lot of effort was put into it, but maybe I don't personally enjoy Ethiopian food (first-time trying), or maybe it's an acquired taste? Idk, but I tried all the meat, and not ONE was edible...the flavors and/or spices were so off-putting. Even my husband who eats almost EVERY food could NOT eat it. Also, the rolled up pancake textured bread we were supposed to eat with the meats was even worse. It tasted like it had too much yeast in it. I would've preferred literally any bread or heck a hotdog bread would've tasted better. They clearly have a small niche of clients that enjoy their food, so to each their own, but anyone that enjoys Middle Eastern spices would probably be thrown off by this food style. The lady who took our order was kind, so there are 2 stars for that, but the guy with dreads was annoying. Here, we are paying almost $100 to support a local business for MEDIOCRE food, and he has the audacity to tell us he already poured the drinks into cups when we said we actually wanted canned drinks. I dont care if you're poured soda into a cup. Maybe double-check what the customers ordered? After covid, this is not an unreasonable request. We always tip 20% or more, but this time we didn't. Food took a while to make, and we usually don't mind waiting, but because it was so inedible, it was disappointing. First and last time trying Ethiopian food. I guess its an aquired taste I'm ok with never having. I wish the business luck though.

Enoon EnoonEnoon Enoon

10

My first try of Ethiopian food and it was such a beautiful experience. Very similar to indian food with their pulses and veggies and the injera which was similar to the south indian dosa so it was easy for me to fall in love. I am a foodie and have just moved from 5 years living in India so Ethiopian food was on my list to try and i wasn't disappointed. My husband and I shared a non veg sampler (for him) and a veg sampler (for me). Oh my God!!! The good looked beautiful, so many veggies on my plate I was happy :) everything was served on a bed of injera and no cuttlery!!! HA! This was my first experience of having food with no cutlery whatsoever! A bit of injera and a bit of the veggies and I wiped out my plate!!! It was surprisingly light and so delicious. In love with Ethiopian food and Enssaro is amazing - waitresses are very friendly, there is a great vibe inside the restaurant and a lovely menu with great items to choose from. Everytime I walk by Enssaro I always turn my head to smell the amazing flavors in the air. Just beautiful food. If you haven't tried you must NOW!!!

Heliana ManoHeliana Mano

10

I had not tried Ethiopian food before so a little unsure what to order, but asked the bartender for suggestions as we waited for our table (10 minute wait on Saturday night). He kingly suggested choose one item from the stewed section, one item from the sauted section, and one from the veggie section for the three of us. Great idea, but we just did not know what to pick, so we got three different combo samplers. So the service was a little slower than typical, but I didn't really mind because the place just had a good vibe and gave us time for a good conversation (and fortunately we had snacked a little before arriving). Once the platter was served - Oh wow! Everything was delicious. Basically you tear a bit of flatbread and use it to pick up a mouthful of what you want to eat. It was so good we all over ate a little bit. A nice little walk along Lake Merritt after dinner made everything all right.

Chuck BairdChuck Baird

10

Pretty decor and fresh and tasty food . I met a group there and found them eating a la American...individual plates with knives and forks. I had never eaten Ethiopian food that way and truly missed the communal experience. I ordered what turned out to be grilled chicken and onions with salad. it was tasty but a bad choice for Ethiopian cuisine. It needed a sauce like shiro but I had to buy another entree to get it. I believe it is a place that is catering to non Ethiopians and offering things they can relate to. So ask them for Ethiopians food that is set on a communal plate with Njera (traditional unleven bread). Way more enjoyable.

Denise GordonDenise Gordon

00

Let's talk about customer service. The food is absolutely delicious but the one thing that really makes me happy about this restaurant is the customer service. They are so attentive, friendly, and helpful even when they are packed. I have yet to have an item off the menu that I didn't like. Would recommend until I'm blue in the face.

Denise WDenise W

00

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Overview

4.5

(488 reviews)$$

Phone

(510) 238-9050

Call

Website

enssarooakland.com

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