Meskerem Ethiopian Restaurant — Restaurant in St. Louis

I have to say, the eating without utensils added a thrill to this dinner that I did not expect... It was the primordial look and tactile sense that reminded me of my childhood when I used to squeeze the tomatoes in the salad so they made juice in which to dunk my bread during lunch... no forks or knives... back in Bulgaria...I just remembered that this evening with a soft warmth of nostalgia that I don't usually associate with local restaurants :-)

I enjoyed the magical flavors of pastes, and curries, and meats, and veggies... Absolutely order the Azifa salad (a lentil paste of spices and potent mustard that will raise your eyebrows) and the Avocado salad, both served with a crape-like flat bred (soft and spongy), made with Teef, an indigenous Ethiopian grain that looks like ground Quinoa and is gluten free.

The Yebeg Alecha Wat ( the last lamb dish) was by far my favorite, although the Miser Alecha (the cooked lentils) and the Tikil Gomen ( the cabbage and potatoes) blossomed in my heart like old sleepy seeds of goodness, bursting out in all the rainbow colors of flavor, known and unknown, to provide the unattainable pleasure of something you could experience vividly, but can't touch!

We also had a taste of the Ethiopian honey wine (a new item on the menu, apparently), that was reminiscent of a Tawny Port but less sweet and less heavy. There were a few other wines, both red and white, that were not exotic, but pared very well with the food.

Overall, a good restaurant and will come back to taste more!

The service was very good. The waitress was accommodating, made suggestions, was very prompt and attentive. Shocked the place was not full, but then, it was a Wednesday. Obviously a great time for a big group to visit...

Truly one of my favorite restaurants in St. Louis. Great food for very reasonable prices, and the service is pretty quick.

If you have not had Ethiopian food before or can't choose which dish to order, I recommend the meat or vegetarian combos as they offer a wide variety to try. But I order the lamb tibs almost every time I go here or order through a delivery service. The lamb is so delicious and boldly flavored. It is served in a dish on top of the injera and then poured onto the injera at the table. I highly recommend spreading the lamb over as much of the injera as possible so the juices/fat from the lamb soaks in. Eating the injera imbued with the flavors of the lamb rivals eating the lamb itself.

Keep an open mind and use your hands to eat! It doesn't have to be messy if you pinch the food with injera served on the side. The injera may be an unfamiliar flavor/texture to some, but the tart, soft flatbread complements the flavors of the vegetables and meats so well and is what makes the food so addictive for me. And like I said, don't discard the injera on which your food is served! The two injera and your meat/vegetable dishes altogether is a lot of food, so you should have enough for leftovers...

Delicious beyond words but I'll make a strong effort just for you.

Meskerem is authentic Ethiopian cuisine in an authentic Ethiopian restaurant with authentic pleasant Ethiopian service with authentic Ethiopian decor. The food is ahhhhhhmazingly superb! I highly suggest the Special Chicken Tibs, cubes of tender chicken breast seasoned with mild garlic, fresh onions, green peppers and tomato. The dish is finished with a tasty Awaze sauce (berbere, honey wine, oil and water marinade). It also comes with 2 vegetables; I opted for lentils and cabbage (carrots are a bonus because they are cooked in with the cabbage). Finally, they provide plenty of injera; your fork. If you've never had injera think of it as a sourdough crepe.

You really can't go wrong; as they offer something everyone can enjoy from vegetarian to carnivore. There is room for large parties as well as intimate seating for dates, even a full bar for cocktail lovers.

My server was super sweet and made my experience a great pleasure. I am now a...