Buna Cafe Philly — Restaurant in Philadelphia

This place is a disgrace to Ethiopian food. Super small portions of food for the high price. Although the Doro Wot was delicous, it was smallest chicken I have ever seen and they gave only two pieces and one boiled egg. The meat combo plate (Siga Wot and Siga Alicha w/ two veggie sides) was very underwhelming. The meat portions were tiny and barely flavorful. The veggies were just ok. We did have an order of chicken and beef samosas. Those were good. Sad that the appetizers at a restaurant tastes much better than the entrees.

The customer service needs lots of work as well. Although this place is BYOB, our server wouldn't bring us cups until we ordered food. I guess she did us a favor by providing us with cups of water first. Our server brought our food out and we never saw her again. No other staff member checked on us either to see if we needed anything (and a few of them passed us as they were in and out of the restaurant). I was irritated and we were ready to leave. I went inside to pay the bill since no one came back to our table outside. Like we literally could have gotten up and went to our car and left. That's how ignored we felt. We did notice how the staff were being very attentive to other patrons inside the restaurant (Ethiopian as well and possibly family and/or friends).

An Ethiopian guy (seemingly the owner or manager) was behind the counter and I told him I wanted to pay the bill. He had the nerve to ask how was everything. I said it was ok. I paid in cash and didn't leave a tip.

That'll be the last time I go to this place as I do not recommend it whatsoever. I'm sure there are better Ethiopian spots in the...

Came here with The Missus (bless 'er) and The Kid recently, as The Missus (bless 'er) had a powerful lust for Ethiopian cuisine and Buna Cafe was getting some pretty rave reviews. We were one of five tables and the service for everyone was brutally slow. Now, I was a waiter for years in everything from truck stop diner to Michelin starred establishments, so I have a highly functional 'situational awareness' when it comes to service. The waiter and the runner (the two floor staff present) were extraordinarily pleasant, but that is a reasonable expectation. So, too, is a beverage that arrives in a 'timely' fashion. But (no exaggeration) ten-plus minutes to get a lemonade? Now, I will say that it was delicious and obviously made-to-order, but I did not know that when I ordered it. May have been a good idea to let me know so I could manage my expectations. The food was of average quality. The Combo plate was really meager and if we hadn't added and an extra meat to it, it would not have been nearly enough for three people to share. Again, it may be a good idea to explain that to a guest to manage the expectation. We would have ordered more when we saw the portion size, but it took soooo long to arrive that we all agreed just to eat and vamoose. This issue of speed of kitchen production and beverage arrival was not limited to us, as other tables around us were suffering the same fate- to the point it actually became a topic of conversation among three tables. For a leisurely meal, and you're not too hungry, then go....

As thus place opened up in the heart of the pandemic we were totally unaware of it. And it is literally around the corner from us next to Greensgrow. My wife and I, both many years in the restaurant industry, have been in West Philly 20+ years but can honestly say we just had the best Ethiopian meal to date. Everything was quite obviously freshly prepared. The manager (who's name I'm embarrassed to say I have forgotten) made excellent recommendations as well as being very kowledgeable about the food. What came out was an amazing array of the most wonderfully spiced assortment. The staff was so welcoming and pleasant.. What really topped it off was getting a chance to meet and thank the chef/owner and her husband. They have certainly reset the bar for Ethiopian food to a new high. I could highlight specific dishes but to be perfectly honest, just trust the managers...