Really cute restaurant with fast service and food. Tasty and authentic, this place has been around for decades and for a good reason. Of course the prices have gone up too, but that's everywhere. $70 for the vegetarian plate, lamb, and catfish. Choice of mild, spicy, or extra spicy. Everything served with plenty of injera.
Tenzin Jamtsho
Rude staff. Ended up going to Desi Dhaba nearby, where the staff treated our group much better.
Service: 1
Bereket G.
Their food is good. They are always consistent, and nice to my family.We go there regularly and the bar is always high and still our experience is met.
Raheil D.
As a proud Habesha, I can confidently say that Asmara Restaurant offers the best Eritrean/Ethiopian food in Oakland! I've tried numerous spots around the area, but Asmara stands out as the ultimate choice. The food is consistently delicious and fresh, and the service is exceptional. As someone who grew up enjoying this cuisine and has even attempted to cook it at home (with mixed results!), I can confidently say that Asmara is the only place I trust to satisfy my craving for authentic flavors. Do yourself a favor and give them a try - your taste buds will thank you!
Eva L.
Great Ethiopian food!!!! We got the vegetarian combo and the lamb curry - sooooo good. Came with lots of extra injera and potatoes. Flavors were on point and I couldn't stop eating. Honey wine was also really good and a fun treat! Beautiful interior and really friendly service. Will definitely be back!
Katie Y.
I've been back a few times and have decided Asmara is the best Ethiopian spot in Oakland! I've been to a few other well-regarded spots, but the flavors, quality, portions, and service are better at Asmara. You must get the catfish- it's so good!! 3 of us killed 4 dishes. But we eat a lot...
Jason M.
Super large portions and a unique serving style. They serve unrolled injera for eating your food, which I wasn't a huge fan of but it was still usable. Service was polite if a tad slow. Ambiance was rustic, with normal sit down tables, bathrooms were clean and well maintained. They have local IPA on draft which was nice. I really enjoyed their collard greens and really loved the way they serve the dish with some yogurt and salad throughout the platter. The lamb tibs were also very good. Less amazing was the eggplant tibs, which was good but not amazing. The chickpeas were pretty bland, so I wouldn't order them again. Again, the portions were huge, definitely worth the price and overall the platter very tasty.
Inpu K.
This restaurant is a must eat stop every time I'm in the Town!!! I get the Assa (Fish) tibs and veggie combo. Best fish tibs I have had in the USA. I have tried the food all over the country and I prefer this magnificent restaurant! Service is excellent and the ambience is excellent.
Ek K.
This is my favorite Ethiopian restaurant hands down! The veggie combo is my go to whenever I'm craving some comfort food. I can't comment on the other dishes because I've never tried them - I can't stop ordering the veggie combo which is perfection in my book. My mouth is watering while I'm writing this!
Ness S.
The streak of great food and service continues. This is our go to place for Ethiopian in the Oakland Berkeley area. You can tell it's authentic and delicious because most of the customers were Ethiopian. This time around we ordered: - two plates of doro wot -- amazing and deep flavors each of which comes with two drumsticks and an egg. - cat fish -- simply outstanding and not typical of many Ethiopian restaurants. - Yebeg Aliciha -- mild curried lamb. Very mild but delicious nonetheless. - Veggie combo with an extra misirwet (red lentils). All of the veggies were excellent. - lega tibs, beef tibs with jalapeños and onions. It was very mild, but still quite tasty. - gored gored (almost raw beef). It was very soft and tender and extremely tasty.
I've been coming here since I was a little girl. I absolutely love it here. The food is unmatched. Absolutely delicious. Full of flavor. I have never had a bad experience or issue with my service or meal. It's always clean, and one of my favorite restaurants of all time. I drive over an hour for this place. And it's worth it every single time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Veggie Combo, Combo, Combination, Vegetarian Combination, Family Style for 4 People Lamb Chicken Beef Three Different Lentils and Salad, Injera
Liyah Tyohannes
The food is amazing, I tried both the veggie and meaty dishes and both tasted great. The owner is a great guy, definitely recommend this place!
So delicious. The food was so flavorful. The setting was nice and comfortable. Would definitely come again and would really recommend
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Luel Chekol
Bussin food the fam loved
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
K. L.
This used to be my favorite Ethiopian restaurant for 17 years. On my latest visit, I was so disappointed that Asmara went the same route as many other unsuccessful restaurants. Their food quality deteriorated. For a very very long time, their food quality stayed consistent and they offered many delicious dishes. But now the entrees are not recognizable. The lightly spiced potatoes and carrots, salad and lentils that come with the main entrees that made their dishes so delightful are gone. Instead they put this disgusting, watery cole-slaw like thing that low-end BBQ joints give you, The main item, cat fish in this instance, is also not recognizable from its previous incarnation. WTH? The price went from ~$13-$16 to $23.99, and it is not even close to the dishes they used to make. Did they change management and/or chef? The staff is still nice and friendly, but for a restaurant, food IS THE MOST IMPORTANT thing! I am not going back.
Really cute restaurant with fast service and food. Tasty and authentic, this place has been around for decades and for a good reason. Of course the prices have gone up too, but that's everywhere. $70 for the vegetarian plate, lamb, and catfish. Choice of mild, spicy, or extra spicy. Everything served with plenty of injera.
Rude staff. Ended up going to Desi Dhaba nearby, where the staff treated our group much better.
Service: 1
Their food is good. They are always consistent, and nice to my family.We go there regularly and the bar is always high and still our experience is met.
As a proud Habesha, I can confidently say that Asmara Restaurant offers the best Eritrean/Ethiopian food in Oakland! I've tried numerous spots around the area, but Asmara stands out as the ultimate choice. The food is consistently delicious and fresh, and the service is exceptional. As someone who grew up enjoying this cuisine and has even attempted to cook it at home (with mixed results!), I can confidently say that Asmara is the only place I trust to satisfy my craving for authentic flavors. Do yourself a favor and give them a try - your taste buds will thank you!
Great Ethiopian food!!!! We got the vegetarian combo and the lamb curry - sooooo good. Came with lots of extra injera and potatoes. Flavors were on point and I couldn't stop eating. Honey wine was also really good and a fun treat! Beautiful interior and really friendly service. Will definitely be back!
I've been back a few times and have decided Asmara is the best Ethiopian spot in Oakland! I've been to a few other well-regarded spots, but the flavors, quality, portions, and service are better at Asmara. You must get the catfish- it's so good!! 3 of us killed 4 dishes. But we eat a lot...
Super large portions and a unique serving style. They serve unrolled injera for eating your food, which I wasn't a huge fan of but it was still usable. Service was polite if a tad slow. Ambiance was rustic, with normal sit down tables, bathrooms were clean and well maintained. They have local IPA on draft which was nice. I really enjoyed their collard greens and really loved the way they serve the dish with some yogurt and salad throughout the platter. The lamb tibs were also very good. Less amazing was the eggplant tibs, which was good but not amazing. The chickpeas were pretty bland, so I wouldn't order them again. Again, the portions were huge, definitely worth the price and overall the platter very tasty.
This restaurant is a must eat stop every time I'm in the Town!!! I get the Assa (Fish) tibs and veggie combo. Best fish tibs I have had in the USA. I have tried the food all over the country and I prefer this magnificent restaurant! Service is excellent and the ambience is excellent.
This is my favorite Ethiopian restaurant hands down! The veggie combo is my go to whenever I'm craving some comfort food. I can't comment on the other dishes because I've never tried them - I can't stop ordering the veggie combo which is perfection in my book. My mouth is watering while I'm writing this!
The streak of great food and service continues. This is our go to place for Ethiopian in the Oakland Berkeley area. You can tell it's authentic and delicious because most of the customers were Ethiopian. This time around we ordered: - two plates of doro wot -- amazing and deep flavors each of which comes with two drumsticks and an egg. - cat fish -- simply outstanding and not typical of many Ethiopian restaurants. - Yebeg Aliciha -- mild curried lamb. Very mild but delicious nonetheless. - Veggie combo with an extra misirwet (red lentils). All of the veggies were excellent. - lega tibs, beef tibs with jalapeños and onions. It was very mild, but still quite tasty. - gored gored (almost raw beef). It was very soft and tender and extremely tasty.
Restaurantji Recommends
I've been coming here since I was a little girl. I absolutely love it here. The food is unmatched. Absolutely delicious. Full of flavor. I have never had a bad experience or issue with my service or meal. It's always clean, and one of my favorite restaurants of all time. I drive over an hour for this place. And it's worth it every single time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Veggie Combo, Combo, Combination, Vegetarian Combination, Family Style for 4 People Lamb Chicken Beef Three Different Lentils and Salad, Injera
The food is amazing, I tried both the veggie and meaty dishes and both tasted great. The owner is a great guy, definitely recommend this place!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ye-Beg Alicha Lamb, Shiro, Veggie Combo, Combo, Combination, Injera
So delicious. The food was so flavorful. The setting was nice and comfortable. Would definitely come again and would really recommend
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bussin food the fam loved
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This used to be my favorite Ethiopian restaurant for 17 years. On my latest visit, I was so disappointed that Asmara went the same route as many other unsuccessful restaurants. Their food quality deteriorated. For a very very long time, their food quality stayed consistent and they offered many delicious dishes. But now the entrees are not recognizable. The lightly spiced potatoes and carrots, salad and lentils that come with the main entrees that made their dishes so delightful are gone. Instead they put this disgusting, watery cole-slaw like thing that low-end BBQ joints give you, The main item, cat fish in this instance, is also not recognizable from its previous incarnation. WTH? The price went from ~$13-$16 to $23.99, and it is not even close to the dishes they used to make. Did they change management and/or chef? The staff is still nice and friendly, but for a restaurant, food IS THE MOST IMPORTANT thing! I am not going back.