Enjoni Cafe

My friends and I had wanted to try Ethiopean food for a while, and we stumbled upon E'Njoni Cafe because it had the best reviews. What a LUCKY day! \r We came in just as they opened and were wonderfully greeted and sat down. Apparently on Sundays they have an ""all you can eat"" buffet, so you can sample almost everything on the menu. We couldn't turn down that kind of deal! \r The food was amazing! The curry chicken and curry vegetables were my favorite. Everything smelled delicious and tasted just as good. \r The owner really takes pride in his business and being environmentally, vegan, and vegetarian friendly. It's a great local family owned place. =) \r I couldn't be happier with our experience and will definitely make more frequent stops here! Pros: Delicious food, buffet on sunday, reasonably priced Cons: Nothing! more

There are several reasons this restaurant pulls us back on a nearly weekly basis. The owners are exceptionally nice and welcoming and the food is fantastic. My vegan friend and I often share the 5 item vegetable combination. Relatively spicy so be sure to ask for mild if you don't want a lot of heat. All the items in the combo are terrific and even better if you use the injera and mix them together. The beet stew is somewhat sweet and makes a great compliment to the other spicy items. My partner almost always orders the Shiro mis Dorho - chicken in chickpea sauce. The flavor is amazing. It's always a tough choice for me between that and the vegetarian combo. I've also ordered the Lamb Tibs, again really great flavor although the lamb was a touch tougher than I expected but still so good I couldn't stop eating it. Another dish we've had is the Sega Tibs and again, equally as good. One other item that shouldn't be missed is the Shahi tea - an African spiced tea. E'Njoni is such an inviting, warm restaurant. Even though the service can be a touch slow sometimes, you never really notice because a pot of nice hot tea and the atmosphere here make it a great place to spend the evening. Pros: Vegan/Gluten Free Friendly, Shiro mis Dorho-YUM more

We had a great time here. We didn't know they were going to have a buffet, but we're so glad they did. We got to try a lot of the food on the menu all at once and it was great. The spicy dishes were definitely spicy which we loved. Everything was full of flavor. I'm looking forward to going back soon! Pros: great food, price, atmosphere, sunday buffet, spicy! more

I am outraged that the only Ethiopian restaurant reviewed by Portland Monthly was Queen of Sheba! That being said, I quite liked Sheba UNTIL my girlfriend and I explored this joint. There is no comparison; Enjoni is a solid notch above Sheba in every way. Although we only sampled a touch of the menu, everything was excellent. \r \r We started with a fantastic dish that I've never heard of called fuul. Similar in many ways to a wonderful chili, it was a chunky, stewlike brew of fava beans with dollops of condiments strategically positioned aroud the perimeter of the bowl. The accents of jalepeno, diced onion, chopped tomato, and feta cheese with a drizzle of olive oil gave plenty of accent to the dish, and a basket of pita-like wedges made perfects scoops. \r \r Next was the vegetarian sampler, which was the standard mounds of Afriacan goodness strewn atop injera. First, the injera was gorgeous and pefect in every way. As we finished off the cooked greens (hamli) and curried cabbage (alicha) the surface of the sour pancake practically glistened!\r \r Ahh, and then there was the beet pesto (key-sir wot)...it brings a tear to my eye just thinking that I mgiht not be able to indulge is such bliss until I can get back up to this NoPo spot. Seriously, this particular dish was so unique and sweet and perfect that anyone that steps foot inside Enjoni MUST be sure to try it!!\r \r I could go on, but suffice it to say this surely must be the best Ethiopian food in town. The owners were very friendly and outgoing, the decor is colorful, clean and well chosen, and every single thing we stuffed into our faces was well spiced, flavorful, perfectly cooked (a rarity!) and worth every penny charged...including the baklava we took with us for our late night snack. \r \r Support this establishment! They are good people who know what they're doing. You won't be disappointed! Pros: Quality of food, freindliness, decor, price, variety, and on Cons: Not a thing! more

Enjoni is one of those special places. You're greeted with a warm smile and seated promptly. The owner and/or other family members provide excellent customer service the minute you walk in the door, which is definitely lacking in this city. The food is consistently tasty, warm, and reasonably priced. This hidden gem is waiting to be discovered. Great place to enjoy a meal. Pros: Best Ethiopian food in town, hands down more

We were looking for a different dining experience and we found a warm hospitable welcome at this delightful cafe on N. Killingsworth, not far from PCC Cascade. We ate family style, using our fingers. The lamb was spicy and tender. The vegetable assortment was a wonderful array of different flavors and textures. It was all good and very filling. We will go to Enjoni again! more

We love Ethiopian food, and this was the best we've had anywhere. We ordered the vegetable platter, shiro, rice, and baba ghanouj. The ingredients were fresh, dishes were beautifully seasoned, and portion sizes ample. Service was fabulous--the owners saw to our every need, and the injera was replenished without asking. We were too full to order dessert, but next time we'll make sure we have room for the beautiful desserts in the front case. This is our new favorite place to eat in Portland! Pros: delicious food with fresh ingredients, number of vegetarian options, excellent service Cons: none! more

My husband and I went into E'njoni last night for an early dinner...it was wonderful! The proprietor seated us herself immediately and was very personable. The restaurant itself was very clean and done in beautiful earthtones with African artwork on the walls. We were a little early for the dinner crowd (arrived around 5pm) and initially had the place to ourselves. This was nice since we have a very rambunctious 3 year old. The owner brought us a couple of children's books to help occupy him.\r \r Okay, the food...Can you say yummy! This was our second time at an Ethiopian restaurant and this restaurant is best by far. My husband had dahir hamil (chicken with spinach) and I had a shiro dish of chicken cooked in a chickpea sauce. They came on a large family-style platter with a lentil salad and a couple vegetable dishes (spiced cabbage & spiced potatoes.) Everything was absolutely delicious--perfectly cooked and perfectly spiced. It is good to remember when you are ordering that many Ethiopian dishes tend to be spicy! When we ordered we were asked our preference (mild, medium or hot) and the dishes were prepared as we asked. If you have not been to an Ethiopian restaurant before it is good to know that you eat with your hands using the injera (traditional pancake-like flatbread) to scoop up your food. They also have a wonderful glass case stuffed with fancy desserts (tiramisu, amaretto torte, etc) that are quite tasty. Really, we had to sample at least one of them! My son had the hummus platter and was quite happy with it (also had to sample, also tasty.)\r \r All in all this restaurant met all the marks for us: great food, reasonable prices, personable service, and great atmosphere. Check it out. They have a traditional Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony on Saturday and Sunday between 4-6pm(? double check times before going) Pros: Great injera, well spiced dishes. more

My sister had eaten at Enjoni once before (though she and her friend were the only customers in the cafe at the time) and recommended we go there for dinner. We were wonderfully greeted at entry by a woman I believe was one of the owners and it took about 10 minutes to get seated. During that time, another couple was seated before us. There was one waitress working with the person who greeted us helping out. We waited about 15 minutes before the waitress came and took our order, the other couple who sat before us had to track the waitress down to get their order taken after about 25 minutes of sitting at their table. It took an additional 45 (YES 45) minutes just to get our drinks served to us after asking the waitress 3 different times, and it wasn't anything complex, just some tea and a coke. We ordered hummus and that came before the drinks, it was delicious. We were offered more pita bread but then the waitress ended up bringing it to another table. Staff was incredibly disorganized, jumping from one table to the next with no consistency. Rather than serving current customers, it seemed the waitress' priority was to bus empty tables. When our entrees finally arrived 1.5 hrs later, most of them were quite tasty although I ordered the lamb tibs mild and it was incredibly spicy. It was also overcooked, tough and had bone fragments/cartilage in it. My sister, a vegetarian, loved the beets but her food was also too spicy for her. We were all incredibly frustrated with the service and questioned if we should leave many times. Also, in the menu the hummus stated it was 4.95 but we were charged 7.95 for it, we didn't dispute because we wanted to get out of there ASAP. Enjoni would really benefit from hiring a busperson or additional server, more front-of-house help was definitely needed. Also, the same song was looping over and over the entire time we were there. Variety in music would have been nice. Very disappointing, given the great reviews. We wont eat here again Pros: Nice restaurant decor, friendly greeting upon entry, good pita and hummus Cons: Service, organization, quality of meat, song repeating itself more

First time eating Ethiopian, and I must admit my girlfriend and I were very happy patrons. We have lamb zigni and vegetable combination. We could easily tell everything was prepared without cutting corners. \r \r I also appreciate owner's hospitality. It made the dining experience even more pleasant. \r \r Lastly, meta lager is something you should try if you like honey... Pros: Fresh food, great service, cute interior more

What an amazing experience. The food is the finest example of Ethiopian food anywhere in Portland, and maybe on the entire west coat. The family that owns and and operates this establishment truly cares about your experience, and takes great pride in your happiness. You have to eat here if your passionate about great food. Pros: The food is to die for. Cons: Only open until 9pm, and more food than you can eat. more

I used to frequent an amazing Ethiopian restaurant while living in Boston for a few years. I didn't think I would ever find Ethiopian cuisine that could live up to the quality of this restaurant called Addis Red Sea until I found Enjoni. I was casually searching for somewhere to eat dinner on Citysearch and discovered the rave reviews on this new restaurant. I had never tried any African restaurants in Portland and I decided to give Enjoni a shot. We were greeted kindly by the woman and gentleman, who own the restaurant and were promptly seated. I am no expert in Ethopian cuisine, so our server answered our questions and delivered fantastic suggestions. We dined on a vegetable platter with 6 or 7 different mouth-watering items. I particularly enjoyed two seasonal items, which were the beet stew and a squash dish. I also ordered an incredible lamb stew that went delightfully with the bottomless injera bread. The lamb was prepared perfectly; it was spiced beautifully and was so tender that it came right off of the bone. For wine, the owner suggested an extremely unique Ethopian red which was phenomenal. I cannot say enough about how amazing this dining experience was. The owners were so friendly and the food and wine were something else. Thanks for bringing delicious Ethopian cuisine to Portland! Pros: Everything! Cons: Nothing! more

Seriously! The atmosphere is just wonderful. The art on the walls is beautiful. The service is above and beyond....And family friendly :) Even when my two year old was running around and not wanting to sit still, I didnt feel pressured to make him ""sit still and shut up"" (you know how some restaurants are???) And the food does taste really fresh...Almost like you can taste the love that went into making it ;) lol.... And i too would eat it every day if i could..but i don't live in Portland.................... more

I had never had Ethiopian food before, and frankly was a little shocked at how much I loved it! The restaurant is clean and classy with an ethnic flare decoration-wise, with a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. The service was great -- our waitress was accomodating and very helpful in recommending dishes, and the owners/chefs came out to personally greet and talk to us about how we heard about the restaurant (the majority of all their business comes from word-of-mouth!) and how we liked it; everyone is so friendly and welcoming. As for the food, it was very authentic and completely delicious. We had the Fuul appetizer (fava beans with onions, jalapeno, tomatoes, and (feta?) cheese on top), served with warm bread and olive oil -- I'm not even a fan of beans, but this was wonderful! In addition, we tried a dish each of one of the choices of chicken, lamb, and vegetarian entrees (mushroom with special herbs and spices), and it was all amazing. They each come in individual dishes, then are placed next to each other on a giant platter on top of injera (a special bread). You eat with your fingers, with the help of more pieces of injera, which was very tasty on its own. They cook everything to your taste, and ours was a bit spicy -- just the way we like it! We also tried their African spiced hot tea, which was also great. Overall, we loved it, and will definitely be back! If you like authentic Ethiopian food or are willing to try something new and different, I highly recommend E'Njoni Cafe! Pros: Wonderful, authentic African/Mediterranean food at reasonable prices; outstanding service Cons: Nothing! more

I wrote a glowing review of this place - the amazing food, the welcoming owner, the gracious service - and it disappeared! Why? Pros: Great food and service Cons: They remove good reviews?????? more

absolutely awesome.......the fuul was incredible...the service flawless....will return asap to delve deeper into the extensive menu..cant wait Pros: awesome service more

My kind of restaurant, some tables, nice people, good food. \r \r The real deal, this restaurant does`nt need any ethnic statues, waiters wearing ornate costumes or a live lion chained to the back wall to convince you that you are eating authentic east african dishes. \r \r I think its a family run restaurant, or at least it feels like it. The food was how I imagine Ethiopian home cooking and for a second I imagined the chef being an old Ethiopian lady.\r \r Understated and quality, I`m looking forward to going again.\r \r \r more

I was very impressed of the great quality of service i got from this place. I really enjoyed the food together with a friendly and professional service. This is a great place to dine. I am so glad that i went there and i certainly would go there again!!! Pros: clean and very friendly atmosphere with great food, coffee and dessert more

We had a wonderful vegetarian lunch! Everything was great, but the beets stand out as particularly tastey...and the curried mushrooms. And the lentils. Gosh, it was all wonderful. I'd go back in a second, and highly recommend Enjoni. I'd eat this way every day if I could... :-) more

We love this place. We happened upon it one night, when Harold's next door once again was ""out"" of BBQ. (that is another story, no wonder he is gone now)\r We love Ethiopian food and have missed it since moving from Bay Area a few years ago. Have tried a few places in Portland and for reasons that escape us they have all had horrible food, horrible service and frankly been a bit scary to eat it in.\r \r Enjoni is fantastic. Great atmosphere in the dining area, wonderful service by the owner, she is terribly friendly and makes you feel at home. We look forward to when they can get a license to make and serve their honey wine. The food is really good, the last time we were there we got the curry tibs and a vegetable tray to share, with plenty of injera, very good. The african spice tea completed the meal.\r We recommend this place wholeheartedly. more