Aberus Ethiopian Restaurant

We ate here because of all the amazing reviews but maybe we came here on a bad day. The establishment was great but the food was not so great. Even the injera was lacking. It was dry. I probably wouldn’t give it another shot although I had high hopes because I sure do miss Dalo’s Kitchen on Williams.

I’m always on the hunt for the African diaspora food experience.
That includes Ethiopian, Eritrean, Djibouti, Somali. I’m no expert on the differences, I just know what I like!
Aberus is a clean, bright family operation. The family is warm, friendly and all around great.
I had the Aberus combination. The food is not oily and heavy.
But I would have to report that the flavors are bland, surprising from my other Portland Ethiopian restaurants. My other bring your Midwest mother to Ethiopia Portland spot in SE is more flavorful.
So I am adding this restaurant to my bland list. That is not a bad thing, or disrespectful, it is merely to set your expectations. And you can bring your grandmother from the Midwest without tastebud flavor challenges.

Nice and cozy Ethiopian place. It’s a family run place. Clean and bright interiors, good quality and delicious food. The host was warm and service was good.
It has limited vegetarian varieties but if you love Ethiopian it’s one of the best in town. I liked their injera it was not very fermented. Service took some more than expected time but everything tasted fresh. I had a toddler who was sleepy so wished my food had come faster.
There are other Ethiopian places that offer more vegetarian varieties and appetizers like spicy lentil and vegetables filled samosas served with chutney dips. I hope they add some more varieties or add some vegetarian specials to the menu.
For service ⁴⁄₅ *
For vegetarian food 4/​5*
Ambience 4/​5*
I have heard good reviews for their meat varieties. I will visit this place again if I am in the vicinity and craving Ethiopian food.

The finest Ethiopian food we’ve had in Portland… over 40 years. Delicious, fresh, well-​seasoned, not too spicy, very flavorful. This is a hidden gem.

Excellent! The gomen is especially good, though I wish they offered a vegetarian version on their menu. The missir-​wot (red lentils) was the best I’ve had and the doro-​wot was great too. I got this all in the Aberus Combination, but next time, I think I’ll order vegetarian and a meat dish separately if I’m feelin’ like a carnivore.

This is the best Ethiopian food in Portland! The flavor of the lentils has hints of cinnamon and chocolate. It’s the kind of dish that you will be thinking about for days. The fitfit dish it was tangy and had a perfect umami flavor. The injera was moist and fluffy.

Nice people, tasty food, decent portions, reasonable prices. Not fancy by any means, but the parking isn’t awful, and they get you right in and out. We shared a low-​buck vegetarian sampler, and the lady was even nice enough to offer us extra injera (bread) at no extra cost. You can’t beat that, can you?

I don’t rate service, ambiance, cleanliness and wait times; they are too variable. I can put up with anything if the food is good. It is all about the food– that’s it. All of my ratings are based on vegan options only.
Notes: Couldn’t tell you what I ate, but it was really yummy!

Excellent Ethiopian place out on the NE. 4.5 stars for sure. I got the Aberus platter and the Doro-​wat and Kerry wot and Alicha were out of this world good. Also tried Ethiopian honey wine, very very sweet but delicious still the same. The veggie options in the platter were excellent too.

This review is from our first time here. We arrived on a Sunday, late afternoon/​early evening. Aberus is located is a very small shopping plaza with a few other mom and pop type businesses. There is limited parking. The restaurant itself is a barebones no frills start up. Hosts florescent lighting and old white tile flooring. This tiny café prob only seats about 50 people. When we entered we seated ourselves because there was no front house person. Across the room there was a family of 9 with toddlers discovering their voices for the first time and then a table of three behind us. By the time we left, closer to around 7P the place was almost at maximum capacity. Full of confused looking young/​mid-​life upwardly mobile professional couples.
The menu is not that extensive. They have about 15 – 20 choices. They do have vegetarian options. My husband is a veg so this makes him happy.
They do sell wine and beer.
One thing to take note of is that you need to be chill and not in a hurry when you visit Aberus. The friendly owners are working at a speed and agility indigenous to their postal zip/​dial
+ 251 ET code. Not that of hurried american upwardly mobile professionals. So it is not uncommon for those visiting Aberus to wait 20 – 30 min for their meals, have to ask for napkins, more water, and ask for the bill at the end of the meal. There were only 2 people working that we could see, and they were doing everything.
Also take note, in a country where utensils are scarce/​not used, injera bread is not only your dinner plate, it’s also your knife, fork, spoon and sometimes napkin. They did not offer eating utensils. We used our hands. We did not see anyone else using them either. In the future, this restaurant as a suggestion may offer utensils to confused newcomers and wet naps before and after the meal.
We each got a combo plate. All of the food was well seasoned and prepared.
The meat combo was spicy and good. I like it well seasoned and spicy. Other visitors may prefer to ask for mild. The vegetarian combo was not spicy but well seasoned/​not bland.
Once this place is here for awhile and the clientele con’t to grow, some suggested improvements would be; update the dining area just a little to make it more warm and friendly, but also give the bathrooms some TLC as well. They may also choose to hire/​bring in a front house person for safety and to greet people, seat them, keep their waters/​beverages filled and run the cash register/​process the bills/​checks. This would help while the ladies in back are very busy crafting their magic bread.
All in all, we liked the well spiced cuisine here very much and yes we would return.

Aberus is a fairly newer establishment and I was skeptical that it’s just another Ethiopian restaurant on Killingsworth. When we parked and got out of the car, we almost got lured in by the smell of coming from Crown Q Market & BBQ but resisted since we were in the mood for Ethiopian food. Figured, if it wasn’t good then we could go across the street.
It’s a small commercial space, maybe a Quiznos before or something that had a food bar of some sort due to the position of the overhear light fixtures. A little confused if we ordered at the counter or seat ourselves. At first, I thought the only options were the pictures posted above the counter area. The OCD in me did not like the 90-​degree rotated pictures even though it looked tasty. By that point, a motherly looking Ethiopian lady came out and asked if we were dining in or ordering to go. She brought out some menus and sat us at a table.
Service was amazing. I swear, Ethiopian women are so incredibly hospitable, it always feels like you are in someone’s home. She grabbed our drinks and brought out a jug of ice-​cold water, love that I didn’t have to ask for ice or wait for refills. We typically get greedy at Ethiopian restaurant, for two people we ordered the Doro-​wot, Lamb Awaze Tibs, and Vegetable Combination. Presentation was beautiful. The Doro-​wot was on point! So good. I asked for spices and she brought me the Berbere sauce, that’s exactly what I wanted and not all places does that – most of the time, they bring a dry spice but I want the liquid stuff. My only nit-​picky thing is that the tibs was a little dry, too overcooked. We made a huge dent in it and when we went up to pay, she asked if we need a box. I said no and she asked if everything was okay. Everything was delicious! She was shocked that we ate all that food. All that was left was some lettuce and soggy Injera, which is the best part but we were way too full.
I think I found a new favourite Ethiopian restaurant. I’ll be returning some time soon, probably even next week. Quick service and satisfying food. I hope Aberus stays in business for a long time.

What more can say that hasn’t already. They do it right. The food is prepared correctly and deliciously. Be sure to bring friend and get your dishes to share on a family sized platter.
Just. Yum.

Went to NE PDX to visit another Ethiopian restaurant which just so happened to be closed. I googled what was around us and found Aberus with great reviews here on Unilocal.Best accidental idea ever ;) The ladies in the kitchen were amazing, they were patient with myself and my family (there were 7 of us total) as we were first timers and had no idea how to begin eating the delicious food they placed before us. Definitely going back again!

We used to go to Jarra’s every time we came to town, and have tried a few of the other Ethiopian restaurants over the years but none were worth going back. A Unilocal search yielded Aberus and we decided to give it a try. This place is a hidden gem. Tucked in a mini-​mall on NE Killingsworth, the place is very clean, but with minimal décor. The service is friendly and warm, but you may have to wait sometimes as there is only one waitress. The food is delicious. Full of flavor and cooked perfectly. The injera is so good, you have to resist eating too much and filling up too quickly! We ordered a combo platter that gave you small portions of 9 different meals. It would easily have fed us both, but the hubby also got a separate order of the Doro Wat, which we ended up taking most of home with us.
The place wasn’t very busy, which is a shame because the food is five stars and beyond. Do yourself a favor and check Aberus out — you won’t be disappointed!

Yep, yep, yep… This is the joint for sure! ! !
I know that everyone thinks they know Ethiopian food but I promise you this is one area I am an expertise. The reason being is that I actually know how to cook the food better than most restaurants in Portland! I was immersed in this ancient culture by marriage and understands how deep their food traditions run and not everyone knows how to burn the Berbere pepper, make the ibe cheese or to wash the chicken with salt and lemon before you cook.
This place is phenomenal and I will say it over and over again. You must try their food, forget about the other spots you are all use to in Ptown. I guarantee this place has got them beat hands down …
Tonight we had the Kay wot and it was so flavorful and didn’t leave a burning belching sensation in my gut (that’s how you can’t tell if they cooked the pepper long enough) and then the lamb tips are off the chain. Cooked to perfection I tell you.
Now they do not have gluten free injera «yet» but is coming soon. I told them it will inhabit what they all ready have going on!
Yummmmm

Some of the best beef I’ve had at Ethiopian places. Both beef dishes had very different flavors. The chicken was falling-​off-​the-​bone well cooked. Tried Ethiopian wine for the first time. Inter sting to say the least. Tastes a lot like grape juice (the non-​fermented kind). Will definitely try again.

Best Ethiopian I’ve had in Portland. Tender, mildly sour injera, good selection of meat and vegan dishes.
I’m fond of the Misir and Kikalicha Wot. Yum!
Don’t go if you require lightning fast American style table service, this is more like hanging out at your Ethiopian friend’s house.

As good as it gets!!! Loved the food and the women who sold me my meal. They took the time to explain the basket table and how they would normally serve the food on this in their country. Also told me when you say Doro-​wot it is pronounced «ot» not what. I appreciate being competent in the cultural dishes I enjoy as much as I appreciate their deliciousness. :)
I wasn’t expecting to spend as much as I did but the food was as high quality as the other places in town. Dishes were priced between $ 9 – 16 and the food amount was substantial enough to warrant the price. I got at least two meals out of one $ 13 dish. And it was yummy!
Will be returning to this establishment often.

Came by yesterday and I gotta say, every bite reminds of my mother’s cooking.

Word appears to be getting out that this is the best Ethiopian food in town. We vectored in friends who have been to almost all of the Ethiopian places in town (and beyond) they drove across town and declared it the best they’ve had. I’ll be bummed when we have to wait in line someday soon.
We order Aberus and Vegetable combinations together. What a meal. The St George lager from Adis Abiba is a nice pairing. Our son who loves mac and cheese balked and we laughed and laughed. .. more for us.
Family owned and operated. We have never not seen the owner’s daughters holding down a table, doing their homework.