Blue Nile Cafe

It was very good. You eat with your hands. The sour bread is so good.
The platter is the way to go. You get all the veggie dishes and 2-3 of the meat dishes.
It can feed 3-4 easily.
The flavors were poppin!
I’m definitely going back soon.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

We have ordered takeout from Blue Nile several times but this was our first time dining in. All the better an experience! We got the combo platter and that appears to be the most commonly ordered item, with good reason. It says it serves two and that's true if both diners are very hungry. It would easily feed three. The variety of items is very welcome and all of it was expertly prepared and flavored.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Yebeg Watt Alicha, Baklava, Sampler Platter

Hate it they took down the buffet bring it back Covid already ended

If you like fermented food, I highly recommend having a meal here! Their Vegetarian sampler platter is huge and very filling with potato, lentil, and chickpea dishes, and you get to enjoy eating with your hands as you scoop up the various dishes with the injera (teff flatbread). It's a great day when you don't feel bloated or ill after eating out in this country!

The injera flatbread is soft, chewy, has many small bubbles, and is quite tart from the fermentation of the teff flour. They did seemed to be more sour and saltier than when I came a year or two ago. They also have a brown teff injera option for those who want it gluten free.

Gomen, their collard green dish, and fosolia, their green bean dish, had some hard fibers from not preparing them properly, but overall it was an enjoyable experience. My favorite vegetarian dishes were Atikeltt (cabbage and potato), Shimbera watt (chickpeas and green peas), and Inguday watt (mushrooms and onions). None of the dishes stood out to me as being particularly strong in spices, so the flavors tended to blend from one dish to the next, especially when eaten with the sour and salty injera.

Since this meal uses your hands to scoop up the dishes with the injera, and no wet towels are given to wipe off your hands prior to eating, I recommend using the restrooms in the center of the building to wash hands, heading left from the east door of the restaurant, and using the handicap push button to open the restroom door when coming out to avoid touching it directly.

The last time I came here, their Ethiopian coffee tasted like it was made from a strong dose of instant coffee crystals, so I wouldn't recommend getting it unless they show that they brew actual coffee beans. I had their homemade mead at that time which was lightly fermented and still quite sweet, but I don't remember seeing it on the menu this time. I saw instead they now serve chai.

If you want to take advantage of their lower price options, I recommend coming between 11-3pm during their lunch buffet and lunch pricing. I thought their lunch pricing continued in until 4pm, so I was surprised to see that the bill came out to be $5 more than expected. Will now know for next time!

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 4

Service: 3

The food is so terrible please don’t represent Ethiopia food lik this .the enjera is not enjera it’s pancake..shame on you guys ..I hate it ..it doesn’t represent Ethiopia at all please don’t go.

Amazing!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We ordered the sampler platter it was huge. It was suppose to serve two but we got five full servings out of it.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Sampler Platter

Absolutely delicious Ethiopian cuisine with many vegan options. The spiced iced tea was a delight as well. Friendly and speedy service.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I took my girl here on a first date and let's just say the night ended on a very high note (only the real ones will know what I mean by this LOL). For real though, the food is delicious, the service was great, and the atmosphere was very unique. It's in a fun part of town and I've gone back a bunch of times. This price is a little on the higher side but it's worth it if you love Ethiopian food. This place claps

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Delicious vegan and gluten free choices. We had the sampler.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 5

Service: 5

*UNHYGIENIC, USED ZYN POUCH FOUND IN MY WATER* Would not recommend this place in the slightest. The food was alright, but to my horror, there was a slimy zyn pouch (nicotine pouch) at the bottom of my glass of water. I thought maybe it was a napkin until I fished it out. It smelled like mint and everything. I don’t know what kind of establishment they’re running, but this is DISGUSTING. To add insult to injury, the manager tried to imply that maybe it was mine. I’ve never owned a nicotine product in my life. I cannot stress how much you shouldn’t come here if you value cleanliness. Very disappointing.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Jennifer is literally the best bartender ever!!

We have been going to this place since it opened. Ethiopian food in general was excellent, and this place has a pretty good job with representing the cuisine. Perhaps it was better 20 years ago… Now, the menu is small, so one does not really get an idea of the breadth of this fascinating cuisine. But all in all, a solid restaurant. And we keep going back.

Not authentic. I can put some berbere into some chicken and call it doro wat.

Excellent food and service. The owners are very kind, I would definitely go back. A few times...