Theas Restaurant

I love eating at Ethiopian restaurants because they always have numerous vegan options. Theas offers the traditional Ethiopian dishes. I always get the mesir wat (spicy red lentils) with the injera of course. The food at Theas is as good as any other Ethiopian restaurant I have been to. The service was good but our food did take a while. The food was delicious though. Looking forward to going again soon.

So sad that they are now out of business. The food quality was very good. I am a discerning consumer or Ethiopian food as I have lived in two places (one was DC) where I had a lot of Ethiopian options. The only reason it is four stars is because service was very uneven… I think they did not check on the Theas side too often. I would often have to wait for a server or just walk around to locate one. (I had been there dozens of times.) PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE serve some of your Ethiopian dishes at your new place, The Yelling Goat? I know you have the Berbere wings already. Thank you!

It would be nice if their website, Facebook, or Unilocal didn’t inaccurately state they were open on Mondays. It would also be nice if the Medici House staff there apologized to you when you showed up to eat only to find Theas closed. Will be hard to psych myself up to go try again.

Good food… lousy service. The waitress was unfriendly and slow. Took forever to get served.

I was excited to learn that East Aurora had an Ethiopian restaurant. It’s conveniently located right on the main drag – and, unexpectedly – housed within a brew-​pub eatery. I ordered the vegetarian sampler for one. All of the food was tasty, although the varieties and portions seemed kind of small (compared to the same sampler at Lucy’s). Still, it’s great to have a vegan option in town – and the fact that you seemed to be able to order off either menu (pub or Ethiopian) would probably make it ideal for some groups.

The food was very good but the service was terrible.
It took over an hour to be seven and we went there at 1 PM
Many people moving quickly but no focus or direction
Beware of the $ 6 & $ 8 up charge on the meat and vegan sampler platter.
I love food Etheopin food, but will not go back here

I had never had Ethiopian food before, but the waitress took the time to explain the different options on the menu.
I ordered one of the stews. I was expecting something similar to lamb stew, sort of brothy with a large mix of vegetables, but what came out was more akin to a shepherd’s pie, in terms of less broth and more substance. It was delicious all the same, but unexpected. There was plenty of flavored beef on the dish, and I would strongly recommend getting the crêpe-​like bread because it complements the dish nicely.
Also, the cappuccino is very good.

Pretty good overall. Small menu but the food was good. Had the chickpea appetizer with the spicy beef stew. Very spicy and very good. Service was ok.

The food. The food is Theas’ saving grace through all of it’s shortcomings in other departments as a new restaurant.
Theas shares the same entrance as it’s Italian neighbor which can be quite confusing. It also does not have an official host (ess) station so upon arrival it can be quite confusing whether you should wait or seat yourself.
Theas definitely needs separation from Medici House.
The bartender asked which restaurant we were there to dine at before being seated which seamed a bit strange.
Though advertised on menu (and website) they said they did not have any Tusker (African) beer today-​which I may add is the only African beer on the menu.
We ordered the stuffed peppers which were 2 Jalapeños cut in half then filled with some sort of vegetable mix.
–the mix was bland and the peppers were very spicy (of coarse being J-​peppers)
I would have given the restaurant a lower rating due to these short comings if it weren’t for the entrée we ordered.
We ordered the Vegetarian sampler (just mention and they’ll make it vegan) which was absolutely delicious.
We picked out:
Collard greens– my gf absolutely loved
Potatoes– I thought tasted great
Beets– I love beets so this was an easy sell
Yellow and red lentils– Delicious
Green Beans– Were good
They gave plenty of the sourdough Ethiopian bread as well.
The vegetable sampler and vegan options pushed this to a 4.
We will definitely be back.

I was challenged to select the correct star rating for this restaurant. Here is my breakdown:
5 stars for food: So good! We have had Ethiopian before so we had an idea of what to expect. There are dedicated servers for Theas so they can really help you with choosing items, etc.
3 stars for service: Started out good with very knowledgeable server, then became slow as the restaurant started to get busy.
2 stars for décor: Theas shares restaurant space with Medici House. They actually also share a front door. There is a large bar area in the middle of the building when you walk in with some tables in the open area right. There is a large separate dining area to the left which is mostly Medici diners. To the right back corner is a separate walled off room typically for Theas diners. We sat here. The décor in this room was depressing and the poor lighting made it worse. There were candles on the tables, but none were lit. I don’t even know if I would return if I had to sit in this room again.
2 stars for confusion: Theas and Medici House are owned by the same people. There are 2 separate kitchens, one prepares the Ethiopian food of Theas and the other serves food prepared for Medici diners. However, if there is overflow from the Medici dining area, those diners will be seated in the depressing corner area. I saw some diners with pizza. So, if you have a mixed party of diners with children or others who do not want to eat Ethiopian, those people can order off the Medici menu. So, while we were enjoying our Ethiopian food, the family next to us was enjoying their pizza and pasta dishes. Strange
1 star for bathroom cleanliness (men and women) Gross!
The restaurant is on the corner of Riley and 20A/​Main St. To park here turn onto Riley. There is a large shared parking lot area behind the building. There is an alleyway that runs alongside Red’s Hot Dogs. This alleyway will take you to the front of Thea’s

Our waitress was Outstanding, informative about what we where trying which made our whole experience so much better We loved the wings and popcorn liked a few others and didn’t care for some but expected as much for such a different cuisine
So glad tried it we will be back!

Tasted authentically Ethiopian, better than the version cooked by natives running a Boston restaurant. Hard to believe the place is run by a Polish couple in East Aurora. The njira pancake is authentic, made by an Ethiopian family. The chef has the spicing down to an art form where you can taste the base item and the subtle flavorings. The veg items were delicious too. Filling and tasty. Good job!
The craft beers go perfectly with the food, and they have a huge selection.

We have been wanting to try Ethiopian food for a while and when we saw a coupon we decided to give it a try. We were greeted by a friendly and knowledgeable server. We had a wonderful appetizer, and shared a platter with different spicy delicious foods. We will definitely be back again!!!

I just had a very pleasant first experience at this restaurant. We went as a party of four with a coupon. My partner and I were both total newbs to Ethiopian so Thea’s was a good intro. Our waiter was soooo friendly and obviously enthusiastic about the food. He gave us the spiel on the food which was thorough and welcome to us. I ordered the vegetarian sampler and my partner ordered a regular entrée. The sampler was the better choice as it was a good introduction to the variety of flavors and was quite tasty. Ethiopian is unlike anything I’ve ever had before but in a good way. Thea’s has made me happy to try the cuisine again.
A down point is that the wine and beer list is HUUUUUUUUGE-​AH! As in you stare at it and your eyeballs spin because it’s an Excel spreadsheet. The up point is our waiter recommended a great beer, enough so that I wrote it down and plan on purchasing it for home!
Atmosphere is nice. It was bustling with the dinner rush when we were there. Props to the waiter for handling it smoothly when he was the only person on an keeping a good face.
Overall good experience, good food, good prices, GREAT service.

Good food, and very friendly waitress! A sample platter meal for two (3 meats, 3 veg and injera bread), water and two coffees came to $ 54 before tax.

I have been reluctant to write review about this place because I love it. I figured that something must be wrong. I have given it four tries and all have come back more than successful.
I knew about Theas restaurant via local publications. I had never been a fan of Tantalus — old restaurant which now houses Theas and Medici House — so I was kind of surprised to see that part of this eating establishment was turned into Ethiopian cuisine. For real. In East Aurora.
Maria B. and I met here for lunch to try out, well, whatever they had to offer. At this point I can only gush. The waitress was fantastic. Well versed in the spices, dishes, you name it. I enjoyed my lunch tremendously. Got a take out order for hubby — lamb shank. Something I am not really into cooking. Everything was delightful!
I have since ordered take out on numerous occasions. I don’t know where to start or finish because the Ethiopian aspect has been SUPERB!!! Beautiful in presentation and taste. Injera — wonderful. Tasting platters — don’t get me started. Lamb, again, is loved by Hub. Potato and collard patties are to die for. ETHIOPIAN VEGGIE/​BEEF soup? Well, I’ve never had anything as good as this. Honestly, the spices make me silly with their heat and sweet. Beautiful.
My daughter told me she won’t eat Ethiopian. I won’t get into the whole issue about how can you say that if you have never tasted the product. Be that as it may, when I call Theas to order take out, I can also from Medici House for my difficult child. Theas is great about combining both menu’s for take out. No issues at all. One call does all.
What irritates me most– my daughter has eaten most of my «veggie» components along with my injera. She stopped at the potato/​collard patties — or she would have been forcibly stopped.
This place is exceptional. I will stop here.

Groupons really do get you to try new places. My visit to Theas proves that again.
I saw the Groupon come across my screen and I thought I’ll pick one up and go spend some time in East Aurora. I don’t mind having a reason to go to EA, gives me a chance to stop by Elm Street and pick up some bread, which is always appreciated in my house. And of course, I enjoy Ethiopian food. A lot.
But then I thought, who will come with me for this. Ethiopian is more fun with others. It just is. Eating with your hands, the big serving platter etc. Makes for a shared experience. I reached out to fellow Unilocaler Julie C to see if she wanted to go. I had wanted to meet her and this seemed like a great chance. She was game.
A little context — Ethiopians often fast, and have a high number of vegetarians as well, so they are good with vege and vegan foods. Fasting there does not always mean abstinence from food, it often means abstaining from animal products, so many Ethiopians, even if not vegetarian, eat vegan a few days a week and all of Lent. Those strictly religious may be fasting 250 days a year. That’s a lot of vegan food being prepared. They know how to do it.
We arrived separately of course, but both had trouble finding it. Its on the corner (one in actually) of Main and Elm, but the signage is not great. I realized it was next to Medicis (the actual corner), actually they share a door. I went in. There is a lovely large long bar to sit at and wait, or I suppose have a drink or two if so inclined. The tables inside are well spaced and you wont be on top of each other. However, there’s not a lot to absorb sound here, so it is a little loud and conversations do carry. Worked for us as it was not busy, but it might be difficult around happy hour, I’m not sure. They do have their own door as well, also on Main street, 20 yards down.
I was a little early and was given a small bag of «popcorn» which had some spice kick to it, very nice. I should have asked for a bag to go.
We sat at a table and met Deb, (I think) our waitress. Shes a great waitress. The kind that don’t rush you, answer questions, smile, and are generally happy to be there (or acting it anyway).
Julie and I ordered a platter to share. The meat and vege one. Its not cheap, but it feeds two easily. With room to spare. This option gets you three vege choices and three meat ones. We had the lentils, beans, 1 spicy chicken, 1 spicy beef and 1 mild beef I think. One other vege that im forgetting (it was, however, not the beet option). Overall you have perhaps 6 veges to choose three from and 3 chicken and 3 beef to choose from. For extra you can add lamb or shrimp options. Its traditional to alternate the vege and meat dishes on the platter. Our beans were very nicely done, but the most difficult thing to eat on the platter, long and this, harder to scoop up with the injera. The lentils were easy to scoop and tasted great, especially after a meat bite. The spicy chicken and beef were my favs, both well seasoned and rich flavors.
I found the portion size generous and well laid out. none of the food mixed unless you wanted it to. There was the traditional cheese in the middle. and a spicy sauce as well, just in case you needed it. The food was nicely flavored. Its also filling. We left some on the plate, and could have had it wrapped, but both of us decided against that.
Even though its typical to eat Ethiopian with your hands, she gave us forks «just in case». We used them a little. Useful. They also served the injera («bread») under the platter of course but also rolled up around the plate, super useful, have to say. Ive never seen a place do that before, and I liked it.
We each ordered something to go as well. I picked a «rice bowl», which comes with either black, red or a mix of rice and a meat topping. We had spicy chicken. This dish was a big hit in the house. Spicy yes, nice rice combo, yes, well packed and easy to transport, yes. Id pick that up again without hesitation. IM not sure what Julie picked up to take home, or how it was, her review will have to cover that.
If you like Ethiopian and are free at lunchtime, I’d stop by here.
Reading some of the reviews from others, if you are not familiar with Ethiopian, you may want to order something smaller than a platter to get a taste of what is coming next. That way you wont be stuck with a platter if you don’t like the underlying spice combinations. Berber is a combo of chili pepper and other spices and is often found in Ethiopian dishes. And the coffee is made differently and may surprise you as well.
Parking here is a hit or miss thing I guess. I found a spot for 2 hours on the street, but it was the only one I saw. Could be there are lots around back, I did not see them.

I was excited for Theas, as I’m always up for a new adventure (especially in the Southtowns area). We had bad experiences at Medici House so I wasn’t interested in going back there, so we chose Theas. It wasn’t immediately apparent to me that Theas is STILL Medici House, which is my mistake I suppose.
The waitress was ok — she knew a lot about the menu, but I didn’t enjoy my food at all and all she had to say about it was «Oh, I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy it.» There was one dish I did like on the sampler, but she didn’t offer to get me more of that in lieu of the others.
For the price, I was very unimpressed with what we got. We ordered 2 appetizers — some samosa-​like lentil cakes and an avocado salad. The ‘samosas’ were cold in the middle, yet overall quite tasty. Salad was ok but nothing to write home about. The portions that we got for $ 8 each was really quite skimpy, and I’m someone who will definitely go out and buy small plates — i.e. not someone who needs a huge serving.
Overall, we got the meat and veggie sampler, 2 apps, and water — with tip that came to ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS. I was angry walking out because the food was so ‘meh’ and we had spent that much. I could go to Vera Pizzeria and spend $ 100 (including a super awesome tip) and have an experience a million times better. They are plagued with Medici House’s kitchen — things are overall underseasoned and curiously misguided (put a veggie dish in between two ‘stewy’ meat dishes… wtf?). If I just didn’t like the food that would be one thing, but this was an overly expensive foray into trying something new. I would like to hear from others who have been to both Theas and other Ethiopian restaurants to see if this is indeed true Ethopian cuisine.
To me, it seems the owners of Tantalus/​Medici House/​Theas are just too broad and need to focus on what they do well instead of always trying to do the next big thing.

I had never tried Ethiopian food before, but I was not disappointed with Theas. I had the vegetarian sampler (vegan style) and it was delicious. Apparently the chef’s wife is vegan, so he had no problems fixing it for me. I couldn’t finish it, so I got the rest to-​go. My mom and sister both enjoyed their meat dishes.
Our server was attentive, but we were one of two tables in the restaurant. She was very nice, as well.
If I lived in this area, I would return.

When you walk into the restaurant there is no greeter so it leaves one confused as Thea’s is one half of Medici House. The bartender then told us to take at a table and our server would be over.
Huge beer list if that is your thing and server was very knowledgable about the menu. If you have never had Ethopian this is very helpful.
We choose the single tasting platter which was a great way to try everything. I highly recommend. Substitutions would have been nice in case you wanted to try something else. I would have even paid extra
Overall this was a nice place with good food and a great experience.
Strange with no forks on the table but when in Theas use your fingers. Be prepared parents. Kids will want to then use there fingers everywhere.