Addis Red Sea

I usually don’t experiment. I stick with Italian or Chinese usually. I was in Boston for a weekend and my wife convinced me to try to branch out, so we tried Addis red Sea because we heard it was good. I let my wife order because I know nothing about Ethiopian food and it was out of this world! The food was absolutely wonderful. I had no idea what exactly I was eating but it was so great! The steak tartar, Kitfo was amazing. All their food is very diverse and if you're thinking about trying Ethiopian, try Addis Red Sea! I really fell in love! more

Huge Addis fan here. I have only been to 3 different Ethiopian restaurants, but this is my favorite so far, and I prefer it to most other local restaurants. The food is great, there are plenty of options for both meat-eaters and vegetarians, the staff are very friendly, and the atmosphere is very inviting. I would highly recommend ordering a combo, and while I'm partial to the asa wat (fish) or doro wat (chicken) as the entree part of my combo, I usually randomly select the vegetarian sides to round out the combo--most of them are great! The spicy food is in fact spicy, so if you choose any of those options, make sure to get one or two blander sides as well. I always have some mango juice and save some for the end to help put out the fire. Again, by me, the restaurant is highly recommended. more

While the ambiance was nice and service perfectly adequate, this was by far and away the most bland Ethiopian food I've ever had. Plus, I've never had injera that actually stuck to my fingers before. Wouldn't recommend it. Pros: Nice ambiance Cons: Parking, lack of spices/flavor. more

it's fun to be able to eat with your hands, like ethiopians do. but like my friend's friend said, one might feel bad eating ethiopian food knowing that most ethiopians these days don't have this much food to eat--w/ or w/o their hands.\r \r food is mostly spicy, w/the usual ingredients (beef, lamb, chicken). the non-spicy lamb was the best out of all that we ordered. the raw beef dish didn't look raw at all, it was quite spicy instead.\r \r the (unlimited) bread that comes w/the meal tastes good itself. but make sure you get a good size so that you can grab the food that's less than solid.\r \r spices aside, the food isn't that much different from what we eat everyday (at least from an asian standpoint), but the procedure is what makes it unique. it's worth a try.\r :) \r Pros: something different (ethnic dining) Cons: parking more

The food is great if you're open to ethnic foods. It's a great place to go with friends because the way the food is served, it's easy to try other peoples and it's fun. Good atmosphere more

I live in Rhode Island and drove all the way to Boston for some Ethiopian food. I've had lots of Ethiopian food in the past and this is by far the worst I've ever had. The chicken tips tasted like plain, boiled chicken. No spices at all. And all the vegeterian dishes including the injera were completely plain. There seemed like there wasn't even any salt added. Not spicy, not flavorfull, didn't taste like anything. A complete disappointment. Don't go there. So far, the best Ethiopian I know of is in NYC - Queen of Sheba and Xoma. Pros: Good ambiance. Cons: Terrible Food. Very difficult to find parking. more

The cottage-cheese like appetizer was AMAZING! It's definitely a must have. However, unlike other Ethiopian restaurants, their bread-wrap is served cold rather than tepid. It's okay but I prefer them to be warm. The collard greens dish is my favorite. Great price for the quality and quantity. Service is good but can get slow when the place gets crowded. Pros: Great price and great food Cons: Make reservations or else long wait. more

I had made a reservation for 10 at 7:00PM for a friend's birthday dinner. 8 of us arrived at around 6:55 and asked if we could be seated. They said they would only seat when the full party has arrived, which I guess is understandable. I fear that the other two would be late so I asked them how long they would hold the table for, and the host replied that they had to be there in 5 minutes! Most places hold reservations for at least 10-15 minutes. What kind of restaurant business actually expects their customers to actually arrive on time especially large parties? \r \r Later as we were ordering, I wanted to order an appetizer instead of a meal since there were so many of us we could all just share and try different things on the menu. They told me they would charge me an extra $7 for sharing. \r \r We brought a cake for her from Konditor Meister and it turns out that they don't accept cakes. They say that they actually sell cakes there so they don't allow cakes from outside. I was unaware of this so it was my fault. I asked them if they could just store it in the fridge for us until we finished eating and we will take it back. We left the restaurant, feeling unsatisfied with the food, and when we opened the box with the cake in it, we found our cake broken in half. It looked like it was dropped and they didn't even inform us. \r \r I had a horrible time, their service was unbelievably bad. The only good thing about it was that it was an interesting atmosphere and novel experience. Pros: Ambience Cons: Service more

Good location. Slow service. Weird rules.\r We (16 people, many international) were there Nov. 18 (2007). We made a reservation for 9:30 PM. They let us in at 9:55 PM (I can understand 5-10 min delay, but 25 mins. OMG.. what is the point of making a reservation?) They served our food at 10:50 PM and they said they are going to close in 10 minutes!!!\r One of our friends said he didn't want to eat, he just wanted to drink beer. They said ""NO, you can't.. otherwise we will charge you $7 for taking a seat""...\r I chose #11, which was OK. But most of the people complained that their meat was too cooked or too dry.\r As a result, that was an interesting experience but I won't go back to that restaurant again..\r \r \r Pros: Good location, Brand new menu Cons: Slow service, weird rules more

Had reservations for a table of 8 @ 7:30. Wasn't seated until 8. Drink orders were taken at 8:20. Drinks arrived at 8:35. Food order not taken until 9:05. At this point, we spoke to the hostess to inform her of the exorbitantly slow service that we were receiving, to which we received a reply of ""you haven't been here for an hour"" in a rude voice. In any case, food finally arrives at 9:45. This is unacceptable. If not for the service, the experience would have been a nice one. The food was good and the atmosphere was relaxing. However, I wouldn't recommend coming here for if you're very hungry and not in the mood to deal with attitude from the staff. more

I've had Ethiopian in other restaurants, and it's always been my favorite no matter where I am, but nobody tops Addis red sea for me. The place is beautiful, they really immerse you in the experience. Low stools, woven tables, candlelight...(Awesome for romantic evenings, especially for the adventurous foodie!) A note to the squeamish...yes, you eat with your hands, and yes, everyone eats off the same plate, but that's part of the experience! There's really an emphasis on dining being an intimate experience you enjoy with friends, not a quick in and out with your waiter breathing down your neck like in some American chain restaurants. The wait staff are always prompt with orders, even on busy nights, and your water glass is never empty, but after that they leave you the hell alone --and I love that. This has quickly become my fall back place for a romantic evening with my BF because we both know we'll always have a wonderful, romantic night.\r \r PS--oh, and show up hungry, because you will always leave stuffed, no matter what! Pros: Food, service, aesthetic...oh, and try the honey wine, it really compliments the food! Cons: um...does being too full count as a con? more

Honey wine. more

Honey wine. more

Maybe it was because it was my first time trying Ethiopian cuisine but nothing really stood out for me. I guess I could give it another go and re-rate my experience. Pros: Ambience Cons: Parking more

I had heard from several people about Addis and the unique dining experience there, so my gf and one of our favorite other couples decided to give it a try. Not only did we have a fun evening, we've been looking forward to our next trip there. The Setting: Simple, basement-oriented restaurant. Some African art adorns the walls, but nothing fancy, just simple decor. The Service: Not very communicative, but the staff are Ethiopian and thus not native American-English speakers. Food did come out prompty and correctly. Also great that we were able to get right in for a table (we did go on a Sunday night). The Food: Here's the best part. All the food came out on a big platter that everyone shared and ate off. It was fun to dip into the food with your hands and sponge-like bread. The food itself is very simple, but good, consisting of paste-like items or potate based foods. Very similar to Indian (but not spicy), or Greek. Everyone enjoyed the experience, and we tried quite a few of their vegetarian offerings. Overall: A unique dining experience for open-minded people, and great for a group setting. Pros: The unique hands-on dining, good flavors, exotic experience Cons: Wait staff communication-limited, not for the un-adventurous more

This place had great ethiopian food and its not hard to see why this place gets so easily packed. I arrived on a Wednesday night at 9 pm and was seated in short as the restaurant seemed mostly half empty...15 minutes later it was packed....it was a great place for 2-4 people...great to have a romantic date....it was a great experience overall and the only unfortunate part was that they ran out of their ethiopian wine which i was looking forward to trying...i am already suggesting it to my friends and family as a must try! more

If you want Ethiopian food, this is the only place worth going to in Boston/Cambridge. Great for vegatarians or meat lovers, the food and great and the service attentive. If you have never tried Ethiopian, then you should go here immediately and give it a try. You won't regret it. Pros: Best Ethiopian in Greater Boston. Cons: Crowded on weekends. more

I've been to Addis twice in the past month and have enjoyed the great food, atmosphere and waitstaff more and more. The concept of eating with one's hands at first can be a turn-off but it ends up adding to the experience. Both the meat and vegetarians dishes are very tasty and the experience as a whole was thrilling. Try to go sometime during the week- Friday and Saturday nights tend to have a good 45 minute wait. more

So, I read all the reviews about the service being slow, and I have to say that i didn't notice at all. This is the type of place where you go to eat, and you want to have some wine and chat and when the food comes it comes...My recommendation for women would be do not wear low cut pants, because you are going to be sitting on a stool most likely. The food is great and the bread is really nice. I don't think each person needs to order something, we all shared...so if there were a group of you i would estimate 4 dishes for every 5 people. Happy eating! Pros: Good food, different atmosphere Cons: seating more

We have been to Addis Red Sea about four times and each time hoped that the service would improve. The food is ok, but the service is truly awful. They are extremely slow, dont respond well to questions or requests and dont help explain the food, which is pretty exotic. It is quite dark in the restaurant and there are steep stairs to get to the restrooms. We are so disappointed and tired with the service we will not be returning. There are other ethnic restaurants in the area that are much, much better. Pros: only one of two Ethiopian restaurants in the Boston area Cons: poor service, no parking more