Zemam's Ethiopian Cuisine

We had to listen to the worst conversation from a couple at the next table and the food was blah. Not a good value for the money and their new setup is a bit confusing. The waiter was so distracted by the other couple our check never came. He let the other patron open a bottle of champagne that wasn’t solely for the table. We had to ask at the hostess stand for our check and a to go box.

Lamb wat is super,!

I love everything about this place!!!! The family is so amazing and loving.

First time eating Ethiopian food. We order the
Meat and Veggie sampler plater. The food was delicious and service was great.

Wonderful family-owned restaurant over several decades. Fresh, flavorful

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I haven’t been to Zemam’s in years and was really looking forward to going post-remodel. The food was as excellent as I remembered, but I was honestly taken aback by how poor the service was, as I always remember being treated warmly and attentively in the past.
This time, we waited quite a while before a server shoved water glasses on our table, said nothing, then disappeared. Some time later, another server took our order. It’s possible they were really busy but no human being offered a single courtesy, hello, or gave any information about the menu or the food. Our water glasses were empty the entire time, and we were never offered a refill of the tej (which was delicious, but $10 a glass seems a bit high).
When we got tired of being ignored and decided to leave, we had to flag down the first server to ask for our other server and he informed us she had left for the night. I honestly can’t think of another restaurant where this has happened where that wasn’t communicated before they left… well, suddenly this other person who had barely interacted with us was giving us our check (had to ask him twice for boxes). We did not feel justified in tipping over 12% for the nothing service we had, and this man had the audacity to look at our check and scoff at us, when he literally did the bare minimum and was receiving such.

Also the redesign, while lovely, is incredibly complicated and impossible to navigate. We literally got lost coming in and leaving the restaurant, and had no idea where to park. Somebody had to tell us how to get inside the restaurant because we couldn’t figure out the ridiculous system of arrows and signs.

I am seriously so disappointed and baffled by all the perfect reviews. Not going back.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 5

Service: 1

I've been to their other locations but since this is a new one, new review!

Great food, gluten free injera is quite good aswell, just make sure to ask ahead for it!! Great food, pretty good size inside aswell!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Excellent food friendly and attentive staff. Eating out in the covered patio is nice because there is space for little kids to explore without wandering off into traffic. A real Tucson gem.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Spinach Wat, Doro Wat, Mixed Meat and Veggie Sampler

My favorite restaurant in town. So delicious! I would eat here every day.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: 3 Meats and 3 Veggies Sampler

Great Ethiopian food.Very friendly staff.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Ethiopian Sampler Platter

I’ve been here once a week for two months straight, I can’t get enough of this place. It’s so cozy, affordable and delicious. The mincheta bish is my absolute favorite!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Wow! Food and tea is awesome! Must try this place! Service was slow and seemed confused, but we still had an amazing time.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 3

Great food! Ethiopian is always a favorite.

Vegetarian options: Wonderfully spicy!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Ethiopian Sampler Platter, Gomen Alicha, Shiro, All Veggie Sampler

We made a point of dining at Zemam's during our one-night stay in Tucson. Great decision! There are nine different veggie/vegan options to try; somehow the two of us narrowed it down to six and were thrilled with the varied tastes and textures. Some dishes were tongue-tingling with spices (the chef doesn't shy away from these), and others were milder yet somehow full of intriguing flavor. All of it tasted fresh and was brought quickly by our very pleasant server. A Dragoon lager was the perfect accompaniment. We're from D.C., which is famous for its expat Ethiopian community and numerous restaurants, but Zemam's certainly matched our highest hopes. Charming, bright decor, too. Next time we'll try the next-door bar and/or the coffeehouse in this little complex. Updated from previous review on 2024-11-19

Really good food!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5