Darwin Burns
This used to be a weekly regular stop 15 years ago when I worked across the street.
Returning for the first time in ages it has changed little. Still the same great portions and value for your money, and still the same (but aging) sweet owner and wife who staff the place. The lighting and bathrooms do need some attention, but again, that's not easy given their age.
I feel safe introducing it to others. And if you can't eat with your hands, just don't bother visiting.
Chaz z
We have never had Ethiopian food before and had walked past the restaurant many times so we eventually decided to try it out.
We got a platter to share with a few different types of curries; some with meat and some vegetarian, but all very a similar consistency to canned beans and the meat was chewy and low quality. Everything came on top of this spongy Ethiopian flat bread called injera. It tasted terrible and sour, with the consistency of a soggy yoga mat and the worst part was this was what you are supposed to eat the curries with. There were no utensils at the table.
The entire restaurant is in very rough condition, from the sketchy patio to the very outdated strange interior and dirty bathroom.
Maria M
We love having Horn of Africa in the neighbourhood! We bring our casserole dish to bypass the disposable containers and they give us a delicious, plentiful order to go - we get the vegetarian platter every time and after several months, we still enjoy it immensely. Definitely recommend this restaurant - the staff and chef are friendly, the lentils and cooked veggies are flavourful, and the salad that comes with it is always fresh with a yummy, light dressing. Also, you can't beat the price for the portions you get.
Perline de Voyer
We took a vegetarian plate. They say it's the best vegetarian plate in town, so my expectations were hight but they didnt exactly hit them. It's interesting to eat with your hands like in Ethiopia and the Ingera, the bread you eat with, is really good. The corn and lentils missed seasoning, but the third was really spicy. Overall it's a great experience.
Jeffrey Dusome
This was my first experience with Ethiopian food, but it was quite the good one. Food is so well priced, was cooked relatively quickly, but there was a bit of a culture shock; I am accustomed to waiting at the front for a seat, but it seems as if you are meant to just go in and sit down.
Aside from that, no complaints. If only I lived closer, I'd be there 5 times a week for takeout.
Hanna G
An amazing place, me and my friends go here often. The food is delicious and flavourful. I would recommend the Abyssinian or vegetarian platter. That way you get taste of a wide variety of famous Ethiopian dishes. Decently priced for its portion too. Good service :)
A T
Always my favourite Ethiopian place to go to. I like showing this place to friends and family; everyone always loves it. Food is delicious, huge portions, fast service and great prices on food and drink. The staff here are amazing! I don't live downtown anymore but I will still make the trip out there just for it.
PrimeLite 2
Went back for the first time in several years. The room could do with some renovations and better lighting. It was extremely cold. The food was more spicy but somehow less flavorful than I remembered. Still the portions are generous and service was great, like I remembered. Will probably go back.
Philly D
This place was so OG, I ordered the food mid afternoon and when I showed up to pick up its like they hadn't even heard of this order. (the phone call was a little weird) I made yams into yamonade ordered a 5 dollar Heineken and chilled on the patio. Cook gave me a smoke. Food was out of control. <br/><br/><br/>Will go back, and not just for the ambiance.<br/><br/>
GoodFood
Delicious, cheap, and great for sharing! <br/>Service has always been pleasant and the food always arrives in a timely fashion. <br/><br/>This place is a must - see if you're a student looking for a cheap meal out with friends.
Elizabeth
The inside of this restaurant looks like someone's home which makes me miss the more elaborate decor of the East African Restaurant nearby that is sadly closed. I always order the vegetarian platter which for less than ten bucks provides a great variety of spicy chickpea, lentil and veggie based dishes to scoop up with lots of soft tangy injera. I have often stained my nails yellow tucking into cabbage and thank goodness for the vinaigrette coated salad in the centre to help you cool off between spicy bites!
Luke MacKinnon
Hornography. I used to live near this place so I went a few times. On my first visit, when I placed my order the waiter shook his head like I did something wrong. I was like, "uhhh...?", he said, "It is too much food." OH PLEASE, he clearly underestimated my eating power and my godlike metabolism. Bring out that 12" plate, line that up with that wet pancake injera stuff, different coloured sauces please. Don't forget the egg that has been boiled for 45 minutes! Red mystery sauce OM NOM NOM, Yellow mystery sauce OM NOM NOM, Green mystery sauce OM NOM NOM... and repeat<br/>Haha, all jokes aside, tasty food good value arrive hungry!
Blinkingbison
Consistently delicious food and friendly service.. This restaurant is a local favourite and always a treat. Among all the dishes, the vegetarian platter served with injera is my favourite. Even paired with the house red wine, it is a meal is of excellent value. The only downside of this restaurant is the bathroom, which is sparse and always slightly unclean. However, if you can put that aside (and I do) then the experience feels like eating at a close friend's house -- highly recommended!
Kate Tara
Good Vegetarian Option. My first visit was a good one! We ordered the vegetarian platter and it was a generous serving for two. The service was very casual but good. We will returning to this restaurant soon!
FoodAficionado
Best Ethiopian food in Ottawa!. Food for the adventurous type... may not look pretty but the flavour profiles are spot on. Slower service but the food is worth it. I recommend their platters for groups of 3+ for sharing!
Missshannon
Yuck bad Ethiopian - worst ive had. Went here and ordered the veggie combo and an additional side of Misir Wat / Yemisir Wat (red lentils w/ berbere spice) misir wat is my favourite dish and I had to throw out and the veggie combo out. All of the food in the veggie combo and misir wat was waay too salty and I usually like salt. The food also seemed like it was missing a spice. The misir wat did have a lot of spice but it wasn't the right spices gross. This is the first time I've ever had to throw ethiopian food out and I've probably eaten at over 10 different ethiopian restaurants. Not recommended go to Habesha its better even though its more pricey.<br/><br/>Also I specifically asked them if the green lentils were in the veggie combo they said no and they were... Really bad...
Maxima Dalton
More. Try the platter for four... awesome food!
Jen Scharf
Chill the f**k out. I guarantee you there are loads of yaks on this site whinging about the slow service but seriously: deal with it. It's the ch-ch-cheapest food/wine you can get, not to mention it's healthy and delicious!! I always get the vegetarian platter. I am pretty sure it's vegan too.
Pam T
Authentic and Exotic Food with Bad Service. I went here on Friday night with a three friends. The restaurant was very busy, so I would recommend making a reservation as the restaurant is not that big. We decided on this restaurant as we all wanted to try something exotic and different, and that’s defiantly what we got! We ordered the Abyssinian platter for four people, which we would all recommend as it has a variety of dishes on it so it allowed you to try experience many different flavours. We all loved the night! However, there are a few things you need to be prepared for before you go: the service is dreadfully slow, as there was one server for the entire restaurant! The tables are close together, it’s loud and you eat with your hands, which we actually quite enjoyed and thought it added to the experience! But if you’re not interested in that, do not go as they do not have utensils. Overall, this restaurant had very good exotic and authentic food which if that is what you are looking for I would defiantly recommend it. But if you are looking for fancy place with prompt service and a quiet atmosphere, DO NOT GO!
Ashley
This place is absolutely amazing!!! The food is to die for and a complete steal for the prices the dishes go for! Service is finicky, but atmosphere and food make up for it!
William Seward
What is Ethiopian food?. Ethiopian food? Sure, I'll try it. I went into the restaurant and ordered a spicy meat dish. I guess I was expecting something maybe similar to middle eastern or Indian food. The waitress came over with this huge plate that had this unique, porous, home-made bread. Sitting on top of the bread was a plate of meat. She flipped the plate of meat upsidedown onto the bread and walked off. I had no utensils. What the hell?<br/><br/>I googled "How to Eat Ethiopian Food" and found out this was normal. You use the bread to scoop or swab up the toppings. Phew.<br/><br/>The food was tasty, the meat was strong and well-seasoned, but had a sort of paste-like texture. I understand this is the way that the meat is supposed to be prepared, and it wasn't unpleasant or anything, just warning you in advance. The bread... really more like halfway between a pancake and bread, I really can't describe it fully... was tasty too. The portion size was good. If I had one bad word to say, it'd be that the dish was pretty plain, since it was just the bread and the meat and the meat's texture was what it was.<br/><br/>The meal was cheap, maybe 7 or 8 dollars, and filling. I'd definitely recommend you try it out at least once.
MrsFoodie
So so good. My boyfriend and I shared the Abyssinian platter as recommended by other reviewers and it was ridiculously good. Huge portion! You get to try out a few different dishes and each was great. I'd highly recommend.
Jabber Wock
Avoid! Walk 20 steps to East African.. First of all, what the hell is the Urbanspoon population thinking? 81%?<br/><br/>Absolutely abysmal service, it took over 50 minutes for our simple combination platter to arrive. This was after a 15 minutes wait for water and our order to be taken. No apologies, no nothing, from a waitress casually sauntering around the restaurant (which was not even busy). Moreover, our food arrived COLD! All the vegetarian portions of the platter were rather revolting. Slightly less expensive than "East African" down the street, but worse in every conceivable fashion. AVOID AT ALL COSTS. This is NOT good Ethiopian. Also hideous, circa 1980s Soviet-style decor.
Erin C
I love the food here. The bathrooms could do with a Reno but you can't. Eat the price!
M. Guo
The food was filling and tasty, but doesn't even come close to some of te Ethiopian food I've had in other cities. The waitress is very nice, but slow or forgetful when it comes things like refilling water after you've asked or giving separate bills.
Bradford Duplisea
Best Ethiopian Food in Ottawa. If you love Ethiopian food like I do - don't go anywhere but The Horn of Africa. It is awesome. Be sure to try the Abyssinian platter. While I am not a vegetarian - I can report that my vegetarian friends LOVE this place too. The Horn of Africa is highly recommended.
Jeff Thornton
Fantastic food! Great spices.. Not usual looking food, so be prepared for a surprise. Not many places you're SUPPOSED to eat with your hands! Hint: try not to drink too much during dinner or the bread will swell afteward and could be uncomfortable.
Torontonian In Ottawa
We’ve been going to Horn of Africa since I arrived from Toronto, and it is every bit as good as any Ethiopian restaurant there. A word to the wise: you must like spicy food and have the digestive system for it. And the injera – a yeast risen flatbread – is not for everyone (if you don’t like it, we’ll happily eat yours).<br/>
TheFoodnatic
On a whim last night I decided it was time to go out for dinner somewhere. In retrospect, I can't tell you where this decision really came from. But since I was picking up my Mister from work I figured we'd hit somewhere downtown. I wanted to try something I had never had before, that was going to be difficult. I scanned through my "to eat list" and stopped when I hit the "African" category. I've never been to Africa... Why not? We weren't too far from Horn of Africa and it was only 4:15. With downtown traffic I figured we'd roll in just before the dinner hour began when things get too busy for me to take pictures and then I'd really have time to read the menu. We weren't even out of the car for 2 minutes and the Sprout was "acting up". I knew dinner was going to be a crime scene... *sigh* I didn't want to fumble around too long looking at the menu because our son was ALREADY getting testy. I asked our hostess what she would recommend to someone that has never tried Ethiopian food befo
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