Habesha Restaurant

Food was authentic and tasty. The atmosphere is relaxing and its never crowded. The owner Mike really takes care of you and explains Ethiopian culture and cuisine. The food is also unique and much different the other types of food you would normally find in Sacramento.

Groupon users beware! We really had to push to get them to take this! They finally did, but they tried to get us not to.
Food wasn’t terrible, but I wasn’t impressed in the slightest.
Service is really bad and ambience is weird. The bathrooms are really gross and I don’t even want to know what the kitchen looks like.
I will not be going back.

Just as other Groupon’ers have voiced, the owners is extremely rude and treats you like crap. He put a vegetarian dish on the same plate as a lamb dish, and they were right next to eachother with the grease from the lamb contaminating the veggie order. He refused to plate them separately. It was way too spicy even though we ordered mild. My friend liked the lamb, though. Won’t ever be back. How does the owner expect to stay in business when he has absolutely no concept of customer service?

You don’t go out for dinner to be scolded for using Groupon. Last time when we went, Mike served just 1 plate for 3 ppl. This time we were 4 and asked him to serve in individual plate. He said NOPE, its my way and I will not serve you in separate plates. He waited as if he wanted us to leave. Since I have bought the Groupon a week before (one can’t cancel the groupon after 3 days), I could not leave. Else, we would have definitely left. Never ever going back there.
It doesn’t matter how the food was, when you are treated that bad especially when you convinced 3 people to join you for the treat.

If I could give this place a zero I definitely would. But where do I start? I had a Groupon and decided to use it since I’ve never tried Ethiopian food before. I walked in and it seemed alright, very small and quaint. The owner greeted me and showed me to my seat, and I told him it was my first time here but he didn’t even recommend anything to me, but I shouldn’t have expected that since he didn’t come off as friendly anyways. I ordered the meat samosas and they were okay, then I got the kulwa, but it was not what I expected. It was cold and full of oil. My fingers were covered in grease! BUT THE WORST THING THAT HAPPENED THAT MADE ME GET UP AND LEAVE was when a group of special needs guys came in to eat and the owner refused them service because one of them was «being loud». None of the other customers complained, it was just from the moment that group stepped in he didn’t wanna serve them at all. I was extremely appalled and that crossed the line for me. I got up and left and I will NEVER go back to that place ever again.

This place is great! I wanted to try something new, and this was definitely a great experience. Staff was very friendly as soon as I walked in. Being new to this cuisine, I asked what would be best. The gentleman (who I suspect to be the owner) recommended the Chicken Tibs. He said it would be perfect for an authentic taste of Ethiopian food.
I sat on the patio, which was very peaceful. Once my food came I was so excited! The presentation was beautiful. The gentleman explained what I had before me.
Needless to say, his recommendation was perfect. I absolutely loved the flavor and spice level. It was a well sized portion, and even though I wanted to, I couldn’t finish it all.
I will definitely be coming back!

Ordered food for take out tonight. Once I arrived to pick up, I was told my groupon wasn’t valid for my order. He told us it was because we didn’t call him directly to order, we ordered through Unilocal (which is linked to eat 24) & selected cash as the option for check out because there was no option to pay with groupon (duh) and there would be a remaining balance we would’ve liked to pay in cash. Mind you, this wouldn’t have been a big deal and I would’ve been willing to just pay without the groupon had he not been so rude! His whole attitude as soon as we mentioned the groupon was horrible. We ended up having to pay cash for the order… Wasted my time and money purchasing the groupon. I was really hoping that when I got home, the food would at least be worth it… Aaaaand I was wrong. Gross man. The greens were MUSH… With old potatoes in them… Everything was so far from being fresh. It’s like they took a can of glory, reheated it for the 8^th time & threw it in top of some old injera. The awaze tibbs was tough as hell and tasted like fajita mix… Yeah… Definitely not the yum I was praying for. I’ll stick to what I know from now on… You want great Ethiopian? Abyssinia … Not to far from this location is AMAZING. Or head down to Queen Sheba off Broadway, they have live poetry and/​or music on Wednesdays. Save yourself! And your money…

If I could give it a ½ star I would! Don’t understand why some restaurants don’t listen to their customers and learn how to correctly take an order!!! I asked for a simply gyro pita with NO onions and TINY BIT of sauce… Paid the expensive to me $ 7.50, took it home and couldn’t believe what I found! A pita filled with more sauce and lettuce than gyros!!! Wtf??? Maybe I should of drew him a freakin picture! I will NEVER return and will let everyone know about this horrible place. He took my credit card and didn’t even say thank you after he swiped it. I guess that’s why this place is always empty! Should of known. To top it off, the gyros were COLD!!! Not even subway food is cold! Smh… It is very clean and gives you a welcoming feel, but too bad they don’t listen to you and are rude! It’s a shame, cause I was thinking of bringing in my entire family for dinner. Too bad for Mr Mike cause I know a lot of people that would of gone there of they would of gotten it right the first time.

One star for TERRIBLE customer service. My husband and & I are pretty regular customers. I’ve used Groupon in the past (when it’s available) & never had a problem. Today I was told to use the Groupon I could only order from the first page of the menu. I wanted a Gyro. It’s my favorite thing on the menu. Why all of a sudden the change in policy. When I asked where does it state the Groupon is for select items only, the owner said, «It should say it.» Well it doesn’t. You just want me to order more expensive items so my Groupon doesn’t cover my purchase. Definitely voiced my complaint to Groupon. If you think your business is loosing money participating in Groupon, then stop. It’s that simple. I’m a stickler for good customer service. It’s a shame because the wife makes really good food, but I will NEVER be back!

My husband and I came here for dinner the other night — with a groupon deal — and we were very happy to discover this place. I was a little dismayed when we first walked in because the front café-​style restaurant is very brightly lit. We later, however, discovered a very charming patio outside.) I ordered the Doro Tibs, which is a boneless chicken meal with peppers and onions, and it was delicious. My husband got the vegetarian combination platter, which we both enjoyed with lentils, potatoes, salad, mustard greens, etc. All very tasty — and we were provided with ample Injera bread.
Mike, the owner is quite nice — and an interesting fellow. Plus, apparently a big basketball fan, which is cool with us. He is not effusive — and some of the reviews seem to thing he is unfriendly — maybe because of this — but if you can get past his low-​key manner he’s really a nice person and a talented chef.
We live in Land Park — and we wish Habesha was closer, but it was well worth the trek out to the Arden area (on Fair Oaks Boulevard). Prices are reasonable — and we got plenty of food. I had chicken leftovers, which I had the next day. Such great flavors… To put it in perspective, I LIKE Queen of Sheeba — and I LOVE this place.
It was a bit slow the night we were there… and I kept thinking… people, you don’t know what you’re missing. This place is a real gem. We can’t wait to go back.

I ordered lunch to go (Somosa and lamb) and the Somosa was really good but the lamb was tough as leather. I know lamb as we eat it weekly in our cuisine and this was more on the side of goat meat. I mean I could not even enjoy the small boneless pieces. My third time here and lesson learned.

Mike is an incredible cook… He will of course accommodate any order u request but the best way to experience Habesha is to let Mike guide you through his menu to really customize ur experience. Meals are often served family style among friends and family to provide a truly authentic experience… it’s a must try!
Let him know if u are sensitive to spicy food he can make it at any level of spicy

What a nice experience.
This is our first time with food from this part of the world.
The owner was very nice and gracious. He was the only one manning the place (except for the kitchen) but he managed to get our order to us right away.
We ordered the variety plate so we can get a sampling of various dishes. The taste was great, especially a dish of ground yellow lentils which we though was squash because it tasted and looked similar.
The meats were a bit tough, but tasted very good.
The bread was quite out of the ordinary — very thin, soft, airy bread which was slightly sour. We had never had anything similar to it.
We will be back to try more dishes!

Congratulations!
This post is not for the most, but those that are bold & willing to step out their comfort zone, than I strongly suggest you follow your eyes and check out this post. Most of the other posts dropped their 2 cents, but missed a grand opportunity that they can most definitely give a 2^nd shot like Marvel did for Iron Man because just like Michael Jordan did for Space Jam & the Bulls, my host & owner Mike with Habesha Restaurant did for my Sunday dinner like Big Mama in Soul Food, but Mike is the pops if they cast the role back in the Horn of Africa.
After reading virtually all of the reviews from other Unilocal users, I noticed a pattern of individuals feeling as though the service dropped the ball by being «rude» and only having one person working in the establishment, but despite all of these aspects, my girlfriend experienced a great time by getting to know the owner as he prepared out food freshly and made some extremely delicious drinks of shakes and teas.
My girl read virtually 100% of the reviews during our four hour trek back from the Hot August Nights event up in the Biggest Little City of Reno, so we weighted the statistical data from all the reviews and developed a list of the top two spots within the next 40 miles and came across Queen and pulled up to a makeshift sign declaring a family emergency shut down, so we called the the silver medal winner potential, and she inquired when the phone was answered by a real person. The voice on the other line responded, «The food is delicious, yes we’re open 7/365!“As a result, we plugged in the GPS coordinates, and took a trip down the blocks listening to Rhema Soul — Soul Beautiful, as we pulled up to the front door, the place looked packed from the outside since it’s super close to a next door business hair salon, but parking was simple.
We said we hope the wait is not long because some spots take over 2 hours wait time to get a table on a day & time like this, so I walked and opened the door for my girl, and she asked the gentleman behind the counter, «A table for two please?» He said in a funny manner, «Well you gotta pick a table,» in a stern tone like a father like figure. She knows what to order for me since she loves Habesha cuisine, so as we asked for some water since it’s a drought, and many restaurants reserve water for those who special request since most do not drink water when ordering pop or other beverages. When I took my 1^st sip of the cool water, it was like drinking water fresh from the caps of water from the coldest Iceland glacier, but that is just my 2 cents. After that the food was simply amazing, but the feel is like stepping into my family’s house if I were to marry into that family and come over for Sunday dinner, so you can watch whatever you want on the widescreen HD tele which is perfect for games which are on during Sundays. Also he even impressed my girl with some new beats, and she was stunned that she had not heard the song, but knew the voice was really familiar to one of her favorite artists.
I even ordered a strawberry shake, and it was better than Shake Shack in NYC and Super Duper in Cali combined because the main ingredient that the whole meal was prepared with is love when we got to know a lot of him and his family since we just traveled a long drive from up north. If you have the idea that you want to have great quality service and rapid fresh food prepared than you must hit up your local In & Out, but if you want to take a step into the Horn of Africa without spending the almost $ 2K on a flight, than come check out this place, but keep in mind this is suppose to be a four hour long dinner like Soul Food since we ended up being the only couple to show up this time and had an amazing Sunday Dinner.
I strongly recommend that one would have an open mind to put one’s typical expectations of having your food delivered out within a quick time when the culture of the food is suppose to savor the moment despite how long the food takes. Keep in mind, also, the coffee ceremony occurs on a higher frequency than the number of cash registers opening & closing all over when each coffee drink is sold, so please do yourself a favor and when you go call in ahead & make a reservation for the coffee ceremony that takes a few hours just to roast the coffee beans on the spot before grinding & brewing.
Like I said this spot ain’t your typical In & Out!
Check it out for your own time and see for yourself that the food is good since it’s open 7 days a week which is amazing to be a one man show!

Two stars for food. Service was terrible. There were only two guys there and no customers. The owner was rude and basically asked if we had Groupon in a terse tone of voice and then proceeded to tell us we could only order certain items off of the menu. We ordered and it came quick, however, we were newbies and asked for forks, unaware you are the food with the wraps. He kind of laughed condescendingly and made a comment that we couldn’t eat with our hands as it’s eaten that way. Then proceeded to say we had to ask for forks. To top that off, all they had was paper napkins and the food dropped on my very white dress. I ended up having to scrub it all off in the bathroom. When I got back with a soaked dress, I scooted in so the table cloth was over my dress. The guy happened to come by and rudely indicate my covered dress and said «do you mind?» And then said he would get me another napkin that obviously poorly covered my lap. They really should have cloth napkins if they’re that anal about getting their cloths dirty. After that, I couldn’t wait to leave. Food was good but it was a waste of a 20 minute drive. They were also out of some items on the menu. $ 12 plates of food with plastic forks, paper napkins, bad service=no bueno. Towards the end, a loud and boisterous friend of theirs walks in and the three of them sit there talking loudly the whole time.

To date, I haven’t rewarded many establishments 5-​stars but Habesha earns the mark with ease. While the grading of an establishment should take all of its qualities into account, my awarding admittedly has more to do with the food quality than anything else.
The non-​chain establishment itself offers free WiFi, outside seating, and a small area to buy spices and other ingredients, including injera (should you want to cook something on your own).
I’m relatively new to Ethiopian food, and have only been to a couple of such restaurants but this place is my favorite. The owner is quite nice and it’s typically only him cooking and operating the place, which adds to the idea that there is extra care and a personable touch added to the place.
I’ve eaten several different dishes and they’ve all been incredibly delicious. You can specify how spicy you want your dish and the owner will customize it to your liking. I don’t recall the names of the previous dishes I had but I recently had the Birsin/​misir, a vegetarian stew of sorts, and similar to everything else here, the taste was amazing. I actually have not come across anything I didn’t like yet and that’s quite an endorsement. I never imagined liking Ethiopian food but now that I’ve tried it, I highly recommend you take the plunge if you’re new to it or try Habesha specifically for those who already enjoy Ethiopian food.
Of note, the gyro here tasted good but had far too much lettuce (it was like a giant salad). Granted, the gyro isn’t inherently Ethiopian.
My friend ordered tea with mint and I watched the owner go outside to where he grows mint and clip the leaves off. Wonderful! Atmosphere is nice, with décor specific to Ethiopian culture and feel free to either quietly eat or start up a conversation about food or social issues with the owner as he is more than happy to get acquainted. Highly recommended!

The food was awesome! The portions were huge. Service is a little slow but it’s a mom and pop place so I don’t mind.
We had the «timatim firfir/​silsy fitfit» and «derho kulwa/​doro tibs» both were great.

I really, really love this place. I am Habesha, and this is my GO TO spot in Sacramento whenever I miss home. Mike, the guy who runs the place, is so nice, and he and his team really do make excellent food. The sambusas are a little spicy, so be careful. Also, don’t come here when you are in a rush, the food is authentic so it takes a minute to prepare and present. Whether they are full or empty, it’s gonna take some time, so make sure you have a minute. Totally worth the wait.
Love this place!

I want to start off by saying, this is the first Ethiopian place I’ve tried.
There was only 1 person working there. We spent half the time without any water, I believe we sat there for about 30 minutes, not once did he even offer or give any. We had to actually get up and ask for it. Some of the other customers were complaining about lack of service.
The food was good, we split the Meat & Veggies Family Special and had quite a bit of leftovers that we took home. I loved the amount of spice that it had. But I can honestly say the service really makes me not want to ever go back there.

The first time I ever tried Ethiopian food (Little Ethiopia in Los Angeles), it made me feel so sick that I didn’t eat it again for years.
Then, I had some good experiences in Seattle that restored my faith.
But then… I went to Habesha.
Located in a strip mall, I was willing to give the place a chance because sometimes those are the locations of the best holes in the wall. My friend and I split a vegetable and meat combination, which was indeed large, but we were left guessing what was what. Everything tasted okay, but it was a bit disarming to know what the hell it was we were putting in our mouths. Everything was super spicy (hot), too.
Service is so bad. There was only one man here, and we were abandoned after receiving our food. We actually got up from our table to get the water pitcher ourselves. And we had to get up from our table to ask for more injera.
My friend and I both felt sick later. Unfortunately, this is going to cause a food aversion in me for awhile… again.