Addis Restaurant

I already knew I liked Ethiopian food and had one mediocre experience in Central Ohio at a place I won’t mention. I then decided to search Unilocal and Addis came up so I gave it a shot. I asked a friend to come with me and it was awesome; the quality of the food, portion size, variety of options, casual yet culturally immersive atmosphere, and the friendliness of the owner, Nimhan. The only thing holding them back from a 5 star review is the fact they don’t yet serve Ye Beg Wot (Lamb) but the only reason is because he’s still looking for a reliable source for fresh lamb, not frozen, which is the perfect reason. Bottom line, We loved it and can’t wait to go back!

Awesome! The way Ethiopian/​Eritrean is supposed to be. At least this is the view of a local Anglo.

This place was top notch. The set up and décor is nothing to write home about but it is more
Than made up for by the food. We got the veggie platter and a chicken dish. Both were out of this world and bursting with flavor. The staff was incredibly friendly and happy to make suggestions and discuss the food. I will happily go back to this place in the near future.
*edit* to top it all off, it was extremely well priced. :)

Small hole in the wall restaurant but the food was great and you definitely get a lot of food for the money. We ordered tibs and vegetarian combo. Mango juice was a great idea to have around for some of the spicier food.

Very good food and service! The gentleman who owns the restaurant is always smiling and the food comes quickly, piping hot! It is super good. The restaurant is simple from the outside, but nicely decorated inside. Give it a try!

Wow, wow, and wow! An authentic Ethiopian restaurant in Columbus, OH!
Thanks to other reviews on Unilocal,we tried this restaurant today and were delightfully surprised. This is a hole in the wall on Cleveland avenue but the food is amazing. The injera is perfect and the Berbere sauce is to die for.
Dishes are served on a traditional Ethiopian platter so that everyone can share, not unlike other Ethiopian places in the Columbus area. What sets it apart, however, is the freshness and quality of the spices.
We ordered the Mahbarabi (the tips with lots of veggies), the zillzill tibs, the doro wat (chicken in Berbere sauce) and they came with lots of different types of vegetables, lentils, and a very fresh and firm cottage cheese. We washed it down with a mango juice which was quite a refreshing accompaniment to the spice in the food. All of this came to only $ 40 and change.
The owner (who also serves us the food) was very friendly and funny! The variety on the menu is not expansive but the quality is superb — on par with some of the best in New York and Washington DC. Don’t be dissuaded by the looks from the outside and give it a try! If you enjoy great food, and are adventurous this is well worth a visit!

Ordered zil zil tibs In lieu of goden tibs. Swapped Injera for dinner rolls and the meal comes with a fresh garden salad with a light dressing (maybe Italian).
The positives: Even considering the fact I eliminated Injera from my order which is very filling, this is still easily a large dish. Even if it won’t be split in half, u will probably feel full after downing ²⁄₃ of it (not so large that a large apetite can’t finish it, but enough to split between 2 people or save some for later).
The meat is seasoned quite nicely. I did taste some soy sauce in it which im not too fond of but overall tasted nice. Not too salty but very flavorful.
The salad was delicious as well but not special.
The bebere sauce was delicious n the saving grace of the meal for me.
The con’s: I really wanted to love this meal as much as the other reviewers loved theirs. I’m really hoping I got them on a bad night. My meat was really really tough. I got about ¹⁄₃ through my meal and thought to myself, my jaws need a break. Very disappointing the cut of the meat isn’t even a typically tough cut so it just wasn’t cooked right.
Also, I was let down by the heat level. I’d expect traditionally for the meal to be hotter. However this is something that can easily be fixed by requesting extra spicy on my next order.
I will definitely give this place another try because Im hoping this was a one off. Will also recommend u let them know ur spice level as their default is about ²⁄₁₀. (The bebere sauce though is prob 6 or ⁷⁄₁₀)

Best Ethiopian food I’ve had in Columbus so far. It’s hard to compare any restaurant to home cooked ‘wot’ that my mom made, but, Addis certainly hits the spot. The service was amazing as well (I’m usually prepared to wait a good 40 mins for my food when I get Ethiopian) but this was fast service and the owner who served us was so pleasant, I practically begged him to open a second location in Cleveland. Definitely, going back when in Columbus!

This is the best restaurant in Columbus. Food, service, price, and atmosphere are perfect. If you think you’ve had great Ethiopian elsewhere, think again. Addis has got them all beat, hands down.

This is a hidden gem in the heart of Columbus. I highly recommend this to anyone looking to try something new. Excellent food, great service, clean facilities, and the food came out pretty fast.
I had the mahbarawi and the zillzill tibs dishes with my father and brother. The food was spicy (just the way we like it), the beef and chicken were both tender and juicy and had excellent robust flavors. The ingera was fresh and delicious. Finally, the mango juice was delicious.
Try this place!

Amazing food! My wife ordered the Fir Fir and mango drink. I ordered the Zill Zill Tibs and Ethiopian coffee. We bother ordered extra spicy. Everything came out fresh, hot and flavorful. The portions were good sized. Server was friendly and courteous. We definitely plan on going back soon!

Even better than Lalibela.
THE FOOD
Mostly better than Lalibela. I had the vegetarian platter and my son had the Beef Tibs. We both think this is even better than Lalibela, and that is already pretty awesome.
THE ATMOSPHERE
Very clean and tasteful, if simple décor.
THE SERVICE
Very very friendly, efficient and courteous.

When was the last time you were so happy, that tears came down your eyes? Wedding? Winning something you didn’t expect? Well tasting the Mahbarawi is the first time that I cried from food being that good. I generally don’t trust restaurants that only have five reviews, where all five are four or five stars, and most of them come from reviewers with little to no reviews. Well, I’m glad that I took the risk. For less than $ 20 I enjoyed one of the best meals of my life, with a lovely cup of tea, and service as good as one could hope for. They customized the spice level for me, and the cabbage, potatoes, beets, lentils, and greens perfectly balanced the spiciness of the meat. The flavors, the texture, the presentation, were all a symphony to the senses. If I lived in the area, I would eat here at least once a week. It’s a true testament to Unilocal that I found this establishment, as it’s such a tiny, non-​descript building, that I would have driven right by it.

This was my first time eating Ethiopian food and it will not be my last, especially at Addis. Addis is authentic — so much so that they spices and even the Injera (bread) are shipped straight from Ethiopia! The staff was super friendly and passionate about the food. Our server even brought out coffee and tea (also straight from Ethiopia) so we could taste. Three of us split the Mahbarawi, ZillZill Tibs, and the veggie lovers platter and could not finish. I very highly recommend Addis.

After the Blue Nile closed down I was looking for alternatives. I like this place more! The veggie platter can feed 2 and it is 10 bucks. And the quality makes it worth twice that! Their saffron rice has more spices than the rice you are used to but it is amazing! ZillZill Chicken is the dish the rice came with.

First time ever trying out Ethiopian food and I’m kinda excited about it. The place is small & could be in what some would call a questionable area, not that I care! Place is nice :-)
I ordered the Mahbarawi, it’s a lot of food for one. Dude here is super cool and he is really patient with me.
OMG, you must try the half mango and half guava drink, it is amazing mixed up! I’m gonna tell him to put it on the menu.
So the here is food is really delicious, so many flavor’s in every bite, I love this. I thought the meat is a little tough like flat iron steak but the spicy flavors make up for it, If you like Indian food, you’ll just love this.
FYI: unroll the bread and pinch the food as you scoop it up, I misunderstood the assignment and asked for a fork, lol

First time trying Ethiopian food and it was delicious! Definitely recommend the veggie platter!

Really food. The servers were all so friendly. I’ve never tried Ethiopian food until today and it was amazing. They were really friendly in explaining what I was eating and overall loved the environment.
If you are looking for a delicious place to eat that is very authentic, definitely come try it here.

Addis is hidden and easily missed if you’re not focused on finding it while driving. Parking is a small row in front of the place but it’s free though. It’s a small, nice restaurant with a family vibe to it. The employees are very welcoming and eager to have a nice plate filled with food in front of you.
As for the food, the food is well prepared and made quick without losing quality. Depending on how spicy you like your food they can adjust the dishes. You get a good amount of food for the price. If you were a fan of Blue Nile, then this is a reasonable replacement if you’re into Ethiopian cuisine. Make sure to bring a nice group of friends since the meals are on giant plants, it’s a family style type of experience.
Make sure to try the doro wat, it is delicious!