Nile Ethiopian Restaurant

This place was amazing I can't wait to return it was my first time visiting after the reading such great reviews on yelp. The collard greens are one of my all-time favorites. The staff was welcoming and friendly. They were also happy to give suggestions for the first time customers. The honey wine was delicious

Wow... This place is amazing! The food was delicious, I have absolutely no complaints. They provide you with a large variety of food. The restaurant itself is beautiful with the decor. They also have televisions playing cultural music. We got the vegetarian platter (for one) and it was actually enough food for two people. Someone in our party has a gluten allergy so we called ahead 45 minutes to request gluten free Injera. It was soooo good, those who had regular Injera preferred the gluten free! We also ordered an additional platter of Red Lentil/Misir Wat since it's our favorite. It's an amazing hidden gem on International Drive and we definitely will be returning and hope you'll give it a try too!

We stopped at Nile Ethiopian Restaurant on a Saturday evening.It is located at a strip mall next to a hookah bar.The inside of the restaurant is beautifully decorated in Ethiopian style,the outside is basic.We set outside.From there you get a view of the volcano at Volcano Bay and you'll see a few of the tall riders from across the street.They redoing a hotel at the other side of the parking lot-what will be nice when it's done. Service was great,a bit slow as around 8pm a ton of people came for dinner.Inside most of the tables were full.We were the only one to sit outside. I wanted to try out Ethiopian food for years,and finally I got a chance! The food was delicious! Interestingly by Ethiopian costumes you have to eat with your hand,which was a bit unusual,but we both get the hang of it.It was fun! My husband tried two of the Ethiopian beers,he liked it,I had a bud light:) They also serve vine. We had a nice dinner here.I'm glad we get a chance to try Ethiopian food! If you are an adventurous eater this restaurant is for you!!!!

Nile Ethiopian Restaurant is located in a small plaza, next door to a hooka lounge. This restaurant has outdoor seating and plenty of parking in the lot. This past Monday, my husband and I decided to have a late dinner here a little after 8:30 pm. When we entered the restaurant, we were greeted by a sever and was seated at a small 2 person table, with menus in hand. After browsing the menu, we ended up ordering: Chef's Special Combination, $29.99 prior to tax ($31.86 after tax, prior to tip). This entree comes with chicken dora wat (similar to curry, is a very spiced dish but not really spicy), doro alicha (chicken with onions and spices), beef alichn, beef tibs (one of my favorites and classics, this is a seasoned beef), cabbage, collard greens, lentils and split pea that is served on top of injera bread. We also each had a very small portion of side salad served on this injera bread too.. You are given addition injera bread with your meal and can ask for more (at no extra charge). I really loved all of the little dishes that our entree came with, especially the beef tips, lentils and split pea. But truly everything was perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned. I am no stranger to Ethiopian food, but if you are new to this culinary find, this cultural style of eating typically is served family style in which you eat with your hands. So after you look through the menu here, be sure to head to the restroom to wash your hands. Injera is a spongy bread that is used to pick up the different offerings of entrees (such as the ones I mentioned above that came with our order) and consumed together (but dont' worry, this place does have spoons/ forks if you really need them). The different dishes that came with our entree served on that large injera bread is the best because it soaked up all the flavors and sauces of those dishes. The combination entree that we ordered is definitely more than enough for two people. We even had some leftovers for the next day. Believe me, you will get full. According to our server, she told us that the owners are from Washington DC (thus you may see some of the Red Skins Football team memorabilia around the restaurant), which is the largest area of Ethiopians living in the US (be sure to try some amazing Ethiopian food if you find yourself out there). They eventually moved out to Orlando and decided to open this restaurant (which is nice since Florida has very few Ethiopian restaurants). I liked that our server did check up on us and some of the other patrons during our dining experience a few times. She did refill our water and also gave us a refill of injera bread. I also liked how she was easy to talk to and never made us feel rushed during our meal. If I was living in Orlando, I would definitely be a regular here.

AMAZING!! I visited Ethiopia for a research trip in college and this place brought back so many awesome memories for me. The walls were packed with photographs and decorations and they had these coffee booths with the traditional table with stools around it. I absolutely loved it. The honey wine was awesome and I loved trying the beers that I enjoyed so much over there. I ordered the chef's combination for two with my bf and it was SUPER filling and awesome. The meat was just as good as I remembered and the variety was wonderful. I'll make sure to try the coffee the next time I was there!

If you have the chance to try Ethiopian food, do it. We just went to Nile restaurant in Orlando and it was absolutely amazing. What you’re seeing is a combination plate for two people. There were red lentils, yellow split peas, two stewed beef dishes, two stewed chicken dishes, collard greens and a stewed cabbage dish along with salad. And you eat everything with the flatbread seen in the basket called injera. I loved this experience so much. As you can see we both loved it. Oddly enough my favorite is the yellow dish - the split peas.

If you have the chance to try Ethiopian food, do it. We just went to Nile restaurant in Orlando and it was absolutely amazing. What you're seeing is a combination plate for two people. There were red lentils, yellow split peas, two stewed beef dishes, two stewed chicken dishes, collard greens and a stewed cabbage dish along with salad. And you eat everything with the flatbread seen in the basket called injera. I loved this experience so much. As you can see we both loved it. Oddly enough my favorite is the yellow dish - the split peas.

Fantastic food, absolutely delicious flavours. As I'm vegan, we had the vegetarian sharing dish (all their vegetarian dishes are vegan) - it was amazing! If we ever come back to Orlando, we'll definitely be eating here again. The lady serving us was really lovely and advised us on the foods we might enjoy, and how to use the 'bread' to eat with. It was all soooooo good and tasty!

(3/22/2019) Missed being able to get meals on injera from around the corner in the mom and pop places in Little Ethiopia in Baltimore. Had a hankering and an adventurous friend and I came to Nile for an early dinner on a Friday night. It wasn't yet too weekend crazy on I-drive. Where the place is located, it seemed full of tourists and newbs on a food adventure (there was a lot of 'splaining going on). My friend is vegan, and so got the Nile Vegetarian Combo. I really love the sweet collards and buttery, tender cabbage, and the stewed chicken (Doro Wat) and Beef Tibs and the only combo with all the meats and vegetables and lentils was the Chef's Special Combo for two. It doesn't look like a lot when they bring it, but certainly was quite filling and yes, it's for two, especially when you scoop everything with pieces of puffy, tangy, spongy injera. We did start with the Sambusas, vegetarian deep-fried pastry (much like a spring roll wrapper) triangles filled with lentils and peas seasoned with a slightly spicy yellow curry. Service is family-style, not quite professional or efficient, pacing is slow, the food is delicious though, and eating with your hands is always fun (and socially acceptable here).

Great service and delicious food!

Nile offers a unique dining option to the Orlando area! I really enjoyed my visit here from our lovely server to our delicious dinner. I ordered sambusas & the combo platter to share. For drinks we got honey wine and a lager type beer. The honey wine was served room tempature and in a goblet glass. The wine had a sweet taste, but not as overpowering as some moscatos. The sambusas were lentils with spices deep fried in a crispy shell. The shell reminded me of spring roll wrappers. For dinner, the combo plate was fun as you got to try the different types of meat and vegetables. It was awesome mixing & matching the different flavors together to get that delicious bite! Don't be fooled by the fluffiness of the injera as it will fill you up quick! Another awesome plate was the beef zilzil. It was strips of beef with onions that was presented on a sizzling plate. The sauce used for the beef kind of tasted like a soy sauce base. Oh, order the coffee if you like coffee as it's an experience from the initial presentation to the burning of incense for blessings! As dinner wrapped up, we couldn't believe how full we were for such a reasonably priced meal! Nile is truly a must for those who want to try something different, but very delicious.

By far this hidden jewel in Orlando has perfectly authentic Ethiopian cuisine and atmosphere. The wait staff are attired in national dresses and are absolutely the most friendly you’ll find anywhere. Our waitress took a genuine interest in us, from conversations to recommendations to checking back to make sure we were very well taken care of and pleased. She was very motherly and caring and clearly proud of their food. If you enjoy exotic experiences you MUST try Nile.

My family of four with a 9 and 11 year old loved this place. My kids first time eating Ethiopian food, they loved eating with their hands(the food is eaten with torn pieces of bread instead of a fork). I had a separate vegetarian plate and it was delicious. My family loved the chefs platter with meat and vegetable items. Very reasonable prices. The server was very friendly and helpful. Highly, highly recommended for a change from the typical chain restaurants.

Visiting the area. Ethiopian food is my favorite. The food was excellent. Kitfo, Zizil and Doro Wat were delicious. Very nice atmosphere and waitress was very friendly. We had a great family experience.

This is my favorite Ethiopian spot in Orlando. I love the food, the ambiance and the staff.

Fun experience - good food - totally worth a visit!

A true hidden gem on a busy touristy chain restaurant laden strip of Orlando! Once you step inside, you realize majority of the diners are the locals here and the hustle and bustle of Mickey pandemonium goes to the waste side. Started the evening with some refreshing Ethiopian lagers and the appetizer sampler. Their lentil sambusa by far is the best I've tasted here in the states: the lentils cooked in syosset aromatic spices and cooked down to the right point of where they are creamy but structurally still in tact enveloped in a delicious puff dough. Move onto their abundant and chef signature sampler for two where we had a lovely variety of beef, chicken tibs and sauteed veggies and added a spicy beef tartare and a stewed lamb as well. We chose to sit at one of their traditional seating "booths" and it was a really cozy and intimate setting and like having our own personal space in a sense! Ended the evening with delicious Ethiopian coffee and the baklava would have been awesome if it wasn't nuked in the microwave before it was served. So looking forward to getting back here.

Delicious food and wonderful staff! A real gem nestled in amongst so many average chain restaurants. Ask for the honey wine. It's fabulous.

Authentic soul food. Very similar to our southern soul food, without the heavy fried items. We frequent this restaurant while on vacation in Orlando, FL.. . Our biblical Israelite menu is there. Amos 9:7 You are like the Ethiopians to ME, Children of Israel.. Taste authentic biblical food... back in Orlando Feb 2019. Same great reviews from us.. Will be back again...

My husband and I ordered the chef's platter for two, and managed to eat almost the entire thing. Our friend ordered the vegetarian combination for one and loved it. We also enjoyed the Cabernet and a corona with lime. The interior was super pleasant and the service was perfect. We're fat and happy after our dinner, and we will be back. Delicious!