Asmara

739 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge
(617) 864-7447

Recent Reviews

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Aaron Lucci

Great vegetarian options, and excellent friendly service. No silverware (you can ask for some). The combo plates are served with bread in the bottom and you eat with you hands, very cool. The Honey wine is also a must!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Vegetable Combination

Sufian

I got the Begeeh Mloukhiyah and my friends got the Sega Bebaynatu-Meat Combination. I found the portion size for the Begeeh Mloukhiyah to be quite small, especially for the price. The flavor of the Mloukhiyah was quite good. If the portion size was larger I would return. As far as the meat combo, the portion seemed much larger even though we only got 1 order of it. However, the meat was very dry and was quite disappointing because I think the potential was there flavor wise. We also had to order more injera with the food, and it is $3 for each extra piece which seems like a rip off. Unfortunately, I don’t think I will be returning here unless significant changes are made. If you do pay them a visit, I would still recommend the Mloukhiyah just for the flavor and the fact that you probably won’t be able to find this kind of food elsewhere!

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 2

Service: 3

Emilio Garcia

The food is good, I would recommend going to try something different, I think the prices are a bit high for what you get, and they need to work on their service

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 3

Karthik C. S.

I was very disappointed with the injera made from white teff flour; it was the driest injera I have had in my life. You might consider switching to brown teff flour and refining the technique, which could add more flavor to the injera and help compensate for the lack of flavor in the lentil-based dishes. The vegetarian dishes were either bland or merely hot, lacking depth of flavor. Regrettably, this was the worst experience I have had with Ethiopian/Eritrean food, and I have been eating it regularly for years in and around New York, Paris, and London.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 1

Service: 4

Tilak Sharma

Food isn’t as good as other Ethiopian/Eritrean options in the Boston area.
Staff is nice enough but payment options are limited. Seating area is a bit dusty.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 3

A S

Used to be great but now the injera they serve by default is no longer authentic - it is rice based and they charge you extra for real injera. Also very dirty inside seems like rarely cleaned.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 2

Service: 2

Edt Det

Warm intimate environment, authentic Eritrean food, and fantastic hospitality.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Injera, Vegetable Combination, Mango Juice, Sega Bebaynatu-Meat Combination, Ahimilti Bebaynetu, Mango, House Salad

abhishek raja

The atmosphere was friendly and welcoming, and I really liked the traditional Ethiopian-style tables—they added a nice touch. There was only one server, but service was still prompt and attentive.

We ordered the vegetarian combo, but unfortunately, the injera was extremely sour—so much so that it overpowered all the other flavors. We couldn’t get through the dish, which was disappointing given the $75 price for three people. I’ve had Ethiopian food many times before, and am quite familiar with the tang from the fermentation but this was unusually sour.

I mentioned it politely to the server, but the response was simply, “That’s how the chef likes it.” Fair enough i guess, but it didn’t feel like feedback was welcome. Nice vibe overall, but I probably wouldn’t come back based on the food experience.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 4

Kyla Wesley

We loved eating here !! The staff is so welcoming and answers any questions you may have if you’re new to the cuisine. Great place for group dinners but wished it didn’t close as early as it did! We cannot wait to go back again and wish it wasn’t so far from where we live.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Rachel Cosgrove

The food was delicious, the server was welcoming and fun to talk with, the service was prompt, and there was an overall relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. I especially loved the spicy sauce and lentils, homemade honey wine, and spiced tea. It was so worth the trip!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Tiferet Berenbaum

I had a great time here! The food was delicious, the service was top notch and it was a very authentic experience!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Vegetable Combination

Jessica Chook

I tried this place out with my brother. We ordered the Sega Bebaynatu-Meat Combination. The server asked us “for two people?” And we said yes because we were going to split the plate. After we got the bill, they charged us for two plates. When we asked, she said it’s because we said it was for 2 people. I didn’t expect that our answer would translate to creating portions and plates for each person, because it came on just one big plate. I feel like when servers ask “for two people”, it means to split up the food between two of us, not to charge twice. In that case, I would’ve just ordered for the same plate twice! Like “can we have TWO sega…” Also, the desert options were available through a verbal menu only, so the price was transparent there either. We didn’t find out the price of everything, including dessert, until we got the bill. I ended up paying double than I was expecting and I just wish things were better communicated. For example, after we confirmed that yes, the dish we ordered is for the two of us to share, that they would reaffirm that they were going to charge us for two plates.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 4

Recommended dishes: Sega Bebaynatu-Meat Combination

Eamon Donovan

My first time here! The staff is so friendly! Wow the food is amazing. Probably the best dish I’ve had all year! I’ll definitely be back.

Food: 5

Service: 5

Raymond Pottebaum

I came in to simply pick up a mobile order that was already marked as ready on the app. When I politely asked for it, the server responded with immediate hostility and deliberately delayed giving it to me. It was an uncomfortable and unnecessary experience. I hope this feedback helps improve customer service moving forward.

Atmosphere: 1

Service: 1

Ann S

Very friendly service and excellent food! We liked how relaxed the atmosphere was (I always appreciate when restaurants keep the music quiet enough for conversation). I recommend the traditional seating!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Injera, Vegetable Combination

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