How is Abyssinia Restaurant restaurant rated?

Name: Abyssinia Restaurant
Address: 1657 Mount Hope Ave, Rochester, NY, United States, 14620
Telephone: (585) 262-3910
Price range: $30 and under
Rating: 4.4

Abyssinia Restaurant

4.4

58 Reviews

$30 and under

Ethiopian

Top tags:

Since 2000, Abyssinia has offered the people of Rochester traditional Ethiopian food brought from the motherland by Ethiopian natives Aster Mengsha and Daniel Tekilu.

The Ethiopian food served at Abyssinia comes from recipes tracing back millennia. The ingredients and spices that make up these recipes either originated in Ethiopia or were brought there through trade over the Red Sea. These recipes were passed down from king to king and generation to generation and are now available to our customers.

Come to Abyssinia and taste Ethiopia's history and culture in one meal.

Not bookable

This restaurant is temporarily offline. Please contact the restaurant directly or check back shortly for availability.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Cuisines
Ethiopian, African, Vegetarian / Vegan
Hours of Operation
Mon–Thu, Sun 12:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 12:00 pm–10:00 pm
Phone number
(585) 262-3910
Website
http://www.abyssiniarochester.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Dress Code
Casual Dress

Location
1657 Mount Hope Ave, Rochester, NY 14620
Neighbourhood
Rochester
Parking Details
Public Lot
Additional
Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Liquor, Counter Seating, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Wine

Doro We'tUS$11.25
Chicken cooked and perfectly simmered and seasoned in a very flavorful berbera sauce. Served with a hard-boiled egg.
Doro AlichaUS$11.25
A mild curried chicken cooked with turmeric and onions. Served with a hard-boiled egg.
Doro FitfitUS$11.75
Doro We't or Doro Alicha mixed with injera and a hard boiled egg.

Lamb

Yebeg We't (Key We't)US$14.25
Fresh and tender lamb cooked in a very flavorful berbera sauce.
Yebeg AlichaUS$14.25
Fresh and tender lamb in a mild sauce of turmeric, onions and garlic.
Fitfit (Alicha or Key)US$14.50
Your choice of Yebeg Alicha or Key We't mixed with injera.
Yebeg TibsUS$15.75
Chunks of lamb, sautéed in onions, and garlic and garnished with green peppers.
Yebeg Cha ChaUS$16.95
Tender pieces of lamb seasoned to perfection with sautéed onions, garlic and vegetables, sizzling on a clay chafing dish.

Beef

Lega TibsUS$12.75
Chunks of beef sautéed with seasoned butter and garnished with onions and peppers.
Special TibsUS$12.75
Strips of beef sautéed with seasoned butter, garlic fresh tomato, Mitmita (spicy chili powder), green peppers and onions.
KitfoUS$12.75
Uncooked minced meat seasoned with herbed butter and Mitmita (spicy chili powder). Can also be served partially or fully cooked.
Dulete KitfoUS$13.00
Our Kitfo dish with the added flavor of garlic and jalapeno pepper. Can also be served partially or fully cooked.
Gored GoredUS$12.75
Chunks of uncooked fresh beef seasoned with special butter, Mitmita (spicy chili powder) and peppers. Can also be served partially or fully cooked.
Cha ChaUS$14.75
Tender pieces of beef seasoned to perfection with sautéed onions and vegetables, sizzling on a clay chafing dish.
Tibs We'tUS$11.75
Chunks of beef, sautéed and then cooked with onions, garlic and a very flavor berbera sauce.
Tibs AlichaUS$11.75
Chunks of beef, sautéed and then cooked with turmeric, onions and garlic.
Tibs FitfitUS$12.00
Tibs We't mixed with injera.
ShifinfinUS$12.00
A combination of Doro We't and Tibs We't mixed with injera.

Vegetarian/Vegan

Shiro We'tUS$11.00
Powdered split peas cooked with garlic and a very flavorful berbera sauce.
Bozena Shiro We'tUS$13.00
A smoother take on Shiro We't, cooked with onions, tomatoes, powdered split peas and spices imported from Ethiopia. Cooked and served in a traditional clay we't pot. Specialty order, cannot be included in Beyaynetu.
Tikil GomenUS$11.00
Cabbage cooked with onions and garlic.
Yatakilt We'tUS$11.00
Fresh carrots, potatoes, and string beans cooked with turmeric.
Mesir We'tUS$11.00
Split lentils cooked with onions, garlic and a very flavorful berbera sauce.
Mesir AlichaUS$11.00
Split lentils cooked in a mild sauce of turmeric, onions and garlic.
Kik AlichaUS$11.00
Yellow split peas cooked in a mild sauce of turmeric, onions and garlic.
GomenUS$11.00
Your choice of collard greens or spinach sautéed with onions.
Timatim SalatUS$9.50
A tomato salad with onions and green peppers mixed together with a lemon, salt and oil dressing.
Timatim FitfitUS$9.55
Timatim Salata mixed with injera.
BeyaynetuUS$12.00
Abyssinia's vegetable combination, with your choice of five of the vegetarian dishes.

Combination Specials

Traditionally, Ethiopian meals are not served in courses. Most of the time, all members of a family eat from one tray. Therefore we offer Abyssinia specials according to the number of people.

Abyssinia Special I: Doro We't, Yebeg We't, Tibs Alicha, Gomen
- Dinner for OneUS$12.00
- Dinner for TwoUS$22.95
- Dinner for ThreeUS$32.75
- Dinner for FourUS$43.50
Abyssinia Special II: Doro Alicha, Tibs We't, Yatakilt We't, Tikil Gomen
- Dinner for OneUS$12.50
- Dinner for TwoUS$23.75
- Dinner for ThreeUS$34.75
- Dinner for FourUS$43.50
Abyssinia Special III: Doro We't, Kitfo, Yebeg Alicha, Timatim Salata
- Dinner for OneUS$14.00
- Dinner for TwoUS$26.75
- Dinner for ThreeUS$34.50
- Dinner for FourUS$45.25

What 58 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.4

4.4 based on recent ratings

4.6Food
4.2Service
4.2Ambience
4.5Value

Noise • Moderate

Sort by

JL
JuliaL
New York Area
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on May 15, 2023
overall4food5service4ambience3
The restaurant has a modest appearance, being in a small shopping center, but the food is delicious and the service is warm and friendly. A real find.
m
mdmary
Seattle
4 reviews
vip
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on May 13, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
This restaurant is a Rochester gem! Wonderful food and great and friendly service.
SK
ShyK
San Diego
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on April 21, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Always perfect. Food, service, ambience, consistency.
LC
LCsabresfan
New York Area
9 reviews
5.0
9 reviews
Dined on March 16, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience4
Great food and great service! Not the fanciest place but very comfortable and clean.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Memphis
6 reviews
4.0
6 reviews
Dined on March 4, 2023
overall4food4service5ambience4
Service was great even tho they were a server short. Food was good and meat portions were big. The veggie portions, however, were tiny and we definitely wish there had been more veggies.
M
Marianne
New York Area
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 16, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Amazing food, extra nice and friendly people and ambience.
SK
StephanK
New York Area
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on October 29, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
We really enjoyed our first visit to Abyssinia. The place had a warm, comfortable feel to it - relaxed and laid back. The food was totally authentic and outstanding!! - we had one of the mixed specials and loved everything. Exactly what we had hoped to experience, and we will definitely be back again.
M
Melissa
Washington DC
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on October 18, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Wonderful!
OT
OpenTable Diner
New York Area
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on September 6, 2022
overall5food5service3ambience2
It was sooo good!
OT
OpenTable Diner
New York Area
18 reviews
4.0
18 reviews
Dined on July 3, 2022
overall4food4service5ambience3
Food was tasty using uniquely African flavors. Served in a manner to be eaten by hand using Ethiopian bread to pick up. The sampler meals are perfect for family style sharing. Enjoyed the experience.
DJ
DawnJ
Atlanta Metro
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on June 26, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Delicious food and friendly service. We had the combo meal for three. The portion size was large. Enjoyed our dinner.
TJ
TJoP
New York Area
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 21, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
The food was absolutely delicious! Would highly recommend.
YD
YasminD
Chicago
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on April 17, 2022
overall5food5service3ambience3
Nice family ambiance. Slow service, but authentic. Would go again
OT
OpenTable Diner
New York Area
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on April 8, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Food is excellent! Wonderful as always
OT
OpenTable Diner
Chicago
6 reviews
vip
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on March 28, 2022
overall5food5service4ambience3
The meal was wonderful. The food was great.
KW
KrisW
New York Area
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on March 26, 2022
overall3food4service3ambience3
Food is excellent. Service is some what slow. Water not refilled.
K
Kate
New York Area
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on March 5, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
The food was absolutely amazing. We made reservations and we were seated immediately. They were very short staffed - but handled it with grace and fortitude. Again, the food. This was my first time here and I was blown away. Ethiopian food is one of my faves and I was thrilled.
AS
AnnS
New York Area
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on March 1, 2022
overall4food5service5ambience4
We went on the Tuesday so it was quiet. The food was delicious. The staff very kind and helpful to help us choose our meals. One vegan, one omnivore with little experience at Ethiopian dining. We loved it.
KB
KyleB
New York Area
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on February 25, 2022
overall4food4service3ambience2
My husband and I had never experienced Ethiopian food so have nothing to compare it to. The restaurant is in a small plaza an has no real ambiance. We were seated by a woman who seemed bored with her job. After reviewing the menu and having some of our questions answered we order our meal. My husband ordered a beef dish, (Tibs Aticha) seasoned with onions, turmeric and garlic. He enjoyed the dish though wished it had been a bigger serving. I choose the (Beyaynetu) that is a combination of 5 different vegetarian dishes. The lentils with onions and garlic were in a very flavorful sauce that was delicious. I had never had split peas other than as a soup but the split peas with onions, garlic and Ethiopian spices was a great dish with a little kick. All the vegetarian dishes were delicious. When our dishes were brought to the table we informed our server that we had no utensils. We were told that the Ethiopian flat bread (Injera) was used to sop up an pick up the food. We both attempted to do this but ended up using the forks they provided. The Injera has an almost spongy like appearance and texture which is nothing like I have ever had before. My husband did not eat his, I did but could have done without it. If you like strong coffee you will like the Ethiopian coffee, I did. Overall it was a good experience and both agreed the food was very good. We will return to try other dishes.
PT
PaulT
New York Area
4 reviews
4.0
4 reviews
Dined on December 11, 2021
overall4food4service4ambience4
Very unique cuisine. I had never dined on Ethiopian food before. Very good, spicy if you choose.
S
Steve
Salt Lake City
69 reviews
vip
5.0
69 reviews
Dined on December 4, 2021
overall5food5service5ambience3
Excellent food in a very low key location
J
Jessep
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on October 28, 2021
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great food to represent their culture. Fun experience and dictation food.
S
Scott
Western NC
7 reviews
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on October 16, 2021
overall5food5service5ambience4
Really good food appreciated the service a lot of value
F
Fred
New York Area
170 reviews
vip
4.0
170 reviews
Dined on October 10, 2021
overall4food5service4ambience3
Different food from everyday dining. Vegetables are outstanding having great depth of flavor. Nice people serving, will go back, loved it
OT
OpenTable Diner
New York Area
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on October 10, 2021
overall5food5service5ambience5
The food was incredible!
c
chifoodie
Chicago
43 reviews
vip
5.0
43 reviews
Dined on September 26, 2021
overall5food5service5ambience5
What a pleasure to find this superb restaurant in an unassuming strip mall! The food is fresh, perfectly seasoned, and absolutely delicious, and the service attentive and considerate. Ethiopian food is the BEST—please open a branch in Chicago!
D
Denisa
New York Area
9 reviews
5.0
9 reviews
Dined on August 13, 2021
overall5food5service5ambience3
I met a friend for dinner and it was our good fortune to find such a vast menu full of healthy choices. We actually shared the vegetable platter and it was plenty for us both. The combination of eight vegetable dishes, each with their different seasonings atop a piece of their homemade “bread”, was an unexpected surprise. We sampled the Ethiopian beer (delicious and strong) and the wine and left happily satisfied. Will definitely return again!
OT
OpenTable Diner
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on April 25, 2021
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great birthday dinner!
BE
BrianE
New York Area
6 reviews
4.0
6 reviews
Dined on April 11, 2021
overall4food4service4ambience3
Food was very tasty. Would happily recommend to first timers and those knowledgeable of Ethiopian cuisine. Service was pleasant and caring. Overall, a very good restaurant.
A
Allison
Atlanta Metro
2 reviews
vip
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on March 13, 2021
overall5food5service5ambience5
this is the best way to eat your vegetables. EVER. I feel like the food slow cooks for hours. The flavor is immense. There is nothing I have tried there that I have not enjoyed. Combination platter is a must. #vegetariandreams!
VE
ValerieE
New York Area
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 21, 2021
overall5food5service5ambience5
The best that Central Ny has to offer! EXCELLENT!
MM
MMBB
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 17, 2021
overall5food5service5ambience5
Good food + Good service + Fair Price = Great Experience
OT
OpenTable Diner
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on March 13, 2020
overall5food5service5ambience5
They make the best Ethiopian food! The injera is awesome. It is not a fancy place, but it is very comfortable. It is family run and the owners are very nice and helpful and the cost is very reasonable.
OT
OpenTable Diner
New York Area
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on February 15, 2020
overall3food4service2ambience3
Food was excellent but they only had one waiter on staff for my 8pm reservation. Very polite but service was extremely slow for a Valentines/Friday night out with the restaurant half full. Not sure how many were on staff in the kitchen but food took way too long to arrive as well. However, the food quality is excellent and of great value.
CS
CindyS
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on September 18, 2019
overall4food5service3ambience4
The food is really good and the staff are friendly. But even though the place was only 1/3 full because it was early the food service was incredibly slow. There seemed to be only one person serving tables so I can't imagine going later in the evening.
OT
OpenTable Diner
New York Area
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on September 14, 2019
overall4food4service4ambience4
I went with a friend. We go to different types of restaurants just to try new things. I really enjoyed the food. It was delicious and the price was very good. Not sure using flatbread for a utensil is good for Diabetics but it was really good food. I will definitely go again
JL
JamesL
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on September 6, 2019
overall4food4service5ambience4
This modest eatery was a delight: the food was exceptionally delicious, the staff very courteous and helpful and the value superior. This is not a fancy place - and that is part of its charm. Expect a great meal at a reasonable price prepared by experts who know and love Ethiopian cuisine.
OT
OpenTable Diner
New York Area
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on August 15, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
It was great!
PG
PaulG
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on August 13, 2019
overall4food5service3ambience4
The food seems to be very good - I qualify because I have very little experience with Ethiopian food, I enjoyed the meal, had the lamb dish. It is challenging eating with right hand and no flatware, just the injera bread to transport food to mouth. Service was very slow again not sure if this is to be expected but an hour wait for the meal did seem excessive. If inclined to have a new experience and willing to accept slow service would highly recommend. Friend who had wine were not thrilled with the wine. I had an Ethiopian beer which was enjoyable.
AM
AltheaM
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on August 13, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
I had never experienced Ethiopian food before. I was delighted with the flavors and aromas. Food was delicious and plentiful. Service was attentive and the environment very calm and intimate.

FAQs

Abyssinia Restaurant is rated 4.4 stars by 58 OpenTable diners.

Not bookable

This restaurant is temporarily offline. Please contact the restaurant directly or check back shortly for availability.

1657 Mount Hope Ave, Rochester, NY 14620

Additional information

Neighbourhood
Rochester
Hours of Operation
Mon–Thu, Sun 12:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 12:00 pm–10:00 pm
Cuisines
Ethiopian, African, Vegetarian / Vegan
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress Code
Casual Dress
Parking Details
Public Lot
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Additional
Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Liquor, Counter Seating, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Wine

Website
http://www.abyssiniarochester.com/
Phone number
(585) 262-3910

Abyssinia Restaurant

Not bookable

Additional information

Appetizers

Tomato SaladUS$6.50

Tomato FitfitUS$6.75

Entrées

Chicken

Doro We'tUS$11.25

Doro AlichaUS$11.25

Doro FitfitUS$11.75

Lamb

Yebeg We't (Key We't)US$14.25

Yebeg AlichaUS$14.25

Fitfit (Alicha or Key)US$14.50

Yebeg TibsUS$15.75

Yebeg Cha ChaUS$16.95

Beef

Lega TibsUS$12.75

Special TibsUS$12.75

KitfoUS$12.75

Dulete KitfoUS$13.00

Gored GoredUS$12.75

Cha ChaUS$14.75

Tibs We'tUS$11.75

Tibs AlichaUS$11.75

Tibs FitfitUS$12.00

ShifinfinUS$12.00

Vegetarian/Vegan

Shiro We'tUS$11.00

Bozena Shiro We'tUS$13.00

Tikil GomenUS$11.00

Yatakilt We'tUS$11.00

Mesir We'tUS$11.00

Mesir AlichaUS$11.00

Kik AlichaUS$11.00

GomenUS$11.00

Timatim SalatUS$9.50

Timatim FitfitUS$9.55

BeyaynetuUS$12.00

Combination Specials

Abyssinia Special I: Doro We't, Yebeg We't, Tibs Alicha, Gomen

Abyssinia Special II: Doro Alicha, Tibs We't, Yatakilt We't, Tikil Gomen

Abyssinia Special III: Doro We't, Kitfo, Yebeg Alicha, Timatim Salata

Overall ratings and reviews

Sort by

FAQs

How is Abyssinia Restaurant restaurant rated?

Not bookable

Additional information