Taste of Ethiopia

Located at 106 N. Westgate Drive off of W. Market Street in Greensboro, Taste of Ethiopia offers authentic Ethiopian cuisine. The establishment specializes in vegetarian dishes, but lamb, beef, and chicken dishes are available as well as are beer and wine.

Despite Greensboro’s considerable culinary diversity, area residents in search of Ethiopian have had no recourse but to trek out to the Triangle until now. For that reason alone, Taste of Ethiopia is a welcome addition. But make no mistake: this new restaurant’s appeal extends far beyond novelty.

For the uninitiated, Ethiopian cuisine can be daunting. Instead of using silverware, diners are given rolls of spongy injera bread to sop up meats, vegetables, and sauces. Get beyond that, however, and you’re likely to encounter some similarities to certain types of Indian cooking: both are sauce and seasoning heavy and feature lentils prominently.

Having had – and enjoyed – Ethiopian once before, I found that a Taste of Ethiopia did not disappoint but did offer a few quirks and surprises. My companion and I split a $30 dinner combination for two that included lamb tibs (cubed, spiced, and sautéed), beef wot (cubed, sauced, and marinated), and doro wot (marinated and sautéed chicken legs) as well as several vegetable (lentils, peas, collards, etc.) offerings. All of the dishes were well-seasoned though not as spicy as expected. The lamb, beef, and yellow peas were standouts; the chicken was succulent, but not something I would order on its own. The accompanying injera was also served lukewarm, a strange decision until you realize that hungry patrons may not relish waiting for their edible silverware to cool.

A family-owned establishment, Taste of Ethiopia offers an atmosphere that is bright, clean, and (occasionally distracting music aside) quiet and a staff that is friendly, attentive, and unfailingly polite. Portions are generous for the pricetag: entrees run from $10.50 for vegetarian dishes up to $13 for lamb, and our combination dinner could have easily fed one more.

If there is one drawback to eating Ethiopian (here or elsewhere) it is that it can take some time to get through a meal. But if the craving for something different strikes you and your hunger does not overwhelm your patience, Taste of Ethiopia certainly merits your consideration.

8.25/10