Ethiopian Restaurants near Culver City, CA

“Great place to hear live jazz. Food is great and a really nice vibe to boot! Highly recommend!“

“We stopped here between Universal Studios & LAX after finding them via a Google restaurant search. The food was delicious. Large portions & big mugs of cold beer to tame the spices. We loved the friendly & casual vibe. My silly kid enjoyed being creative with the injera bread & what kid doesn't love the opportunity to eat with their hands... on purpose!“

“FINALLY! An ethiopian restaurant in Los Angeles that serves DELICIOUS, FLAVORFUL, and hearty ethiopian food. Ethiopian food is one of my favorite foods, so it’s no joke when it comes to finding the best spots.

Everytime I live in a new city I search for the best spot - before in Phoenix, First Cup was my go to, and ever since I moved to LA, I could not find a spot. I tried Lalibela, Merkato, both were meh. Not terrible, but I wouldn’t go back, it just didn’t hit the spot and the flavors were not there. Not enough flavor, spices, sauces, not big on the portions either!

Finally, I found Emma Habesh - so flavorful and full of spices. It tasted like what I knew, so familiar, so delicious and each dish full of it’s own flavors. The gomen, yetibs firfir and kik alicha were all so good. But then they either closed or reduced their hours significantly (I’m not sure, every time I try to order whether it’s online or calling, I was unable to), so I went looking for another spot.

Ethio was close to me, but man their prices are at least double every other spot we’ve been to. And their portions are not a lot. When I dined in, the portions were SMALL. And when I ordered to go, it seemed like a lot more, but still not anything crazy. And not everything hit the spot. Their gomen is actually kale, which is much different than the traditional gomen you get at restaurants. I will say their awaze tibs were super delicious. But their gomen just didn’t taste the same, same with their shiro wot. It didn’t have enough flavor and didn’t taste like the traditional shiro wot.

So finally, FINALLY, I decided to venture out yet again to search for a new spot. And I cannot tell you how HAPPY I am. First cup still has my heart, but I can confidently say I’ve found my new to-go spot. Everything and I mean EVERYTHING, is so so delicious. It’s what I know and love, the awaze tibs firfir, veggie combo with fish, everything was so so good. (Actually one thing that I’ve never had before was this horseradish tasting sauce, it wasn’t bad I kinda liked it, but it was new to me).

They are also very generous with their portions and you cannot beat the prices at other places. Don’t get me wrong, I love the food for the food not for the prices, that’s just a huge bonus. I’ve had ethiopian food in almost every city I’ve lived in, and this along with First Cup are my top places so far.
I know Little Ethiopia has many restaurants lined up, but this is one you MUST visit for some down to earth real good cookin ethiopian food, MMM!!!
I will be back!“

“Absolutely delicious. Good portions and variety. Such a great experience.“

“Great vegan Ethiopian! Love the coffee!!“

“Great injera w real teff but you have order early / by noon for pick up. They offer fresh Jebena buna , they don't switch up the beans on you like other places would to speed up the service. Reasonable prices for lentils and other groceries“

“First time at this place and the food and service were excellent.“

“A friend recommended Meals by Genet and the experience was even better than they said! The food was absolutely incredible - the kind of meal you can’t explain to someone, they just have to try it for themselves. Chef Genet said hello to almost every table there. And our servers were outstanding!“

“Delicious food and great service“

“So happy I rediscovered Paradocs (thanks to Starbucks being closed one day!). I went once to Paradocs early pandemic and the drip coffee wasn’t for me so I didn’t go back for a while. I’m so glad I did because when I did, I found “my” go to Paradocs drink - an americano with steamed milk! Now I go all the time! I’m happy to support an independent business. One guy, Taka, owns and operates it himself. He has it nailed down. I look forward to when indoor dining opens and we can sit inside on the cute vintage chairs. (I should note there are a couple tables on the sidewalk that are great. Thankful to the city or county for loosening sidewalk dining restrictions. Hope that stays.)“

“Delicious food and prompt service“

“I love meeting new people and trying new food. Ethiopian food here is hearty, homey, and delicious. You have to love their culture to come and chat with them and get good service. It was so delicious. I got the veggie and meat combo. Leftovers are so delicious still.“