Homemade food that is really good. Saba is a great host, but be prepared to wait a while for your food. This isn’t a place one should visit if in a hurry.
Absolutely delicious food but it takes a while to come out. Be patient, it’s worth the wait. If you aren’t patient, order ahead and pick it up.
Ridiculously good. Went with a group of people and got our food family style. Nothing was beyond a medium heat which was perfect for our group. Absolutely going to go again!!
I had the pleasure to dine at Saba's for the first time. The food was delicious. Decor wasn't the greatest but that doesn't matter with such incredible food. I love the lentil dish, spicy chicken and spicy beef. And the injera!
YUM! I didn't even know we had a place like this in Saskatoon. I recently started eating vegetarian and I remembered an Ethiopian restaurant I used to go to in Winnipeg with my vegetarian friends there. Looked for one in Saskatoon and this is what I found. Checked it out last night and it was soo delicious. I had the vegetarian platter and every single item was fantastic.
The injera was light and fluffy, perfectly made. I was served the Hamli (collared greens), Alcha (mixed veg), Alcha Birsen (yellow split peas), and Sebhi Shiro (chickpeas). None of them were too spicy, but they all had enough bite to keep you interested. They complimented each other very nicely. I'll definitely be coming back!
Six of us gave Saba a try this evening. I must say, we were all pleasantly surprised! The décor is nice except for the area toward the back of the dining area but the owner and the food made up for it. With this being our first time there, the owner suggested the combination meat and veggie platter. She was right, it was definitely a great choice. We got to try several of the dishes so that was great. The food was really, really good! Some of the dishes were spicy but not so spicy that you couldn't eat them. For us, they were just right! Very unique way to eat too. No utensils! Having authentic African coffee following our meal was nice. They only do the coffee on Sunday's as it is quite the process they go through to make it. Very interesting evening. Looking forward to going back again.
Wow! Amazing food, wonderful atmosphere, and extremely friendly staff! The vegetarian combo platter was amazing and very filing. It was nice to be able to try a little bit of everything off of menu. So good that I had too to take some injera home with me! As well, the coffee was one of the best I've ever had! Would definitely recommend to everyone, and will definitely be back here soon!
Delicious food. Surprisingly filling. Very nice owner served and cooked for our family and was very kind to our child. Reasonably priced.
My spouse and I finally made it in tonight. We arrived at 5:00. The lights were on but no one was there. We peeked in and a friendly man assuming the owner greeted us warmly, telling us to sit wherever we like. After waiting a few minutes he brought us water and took our drink order. We had never tried African food before so were unsure. We ordered the meat combination and chicken dish. It took about 20 min to half an hour to get our food. The chicken was nicely spiced. The beef tender and flavorful. There were lentils and another side unrecognizable except for a piece of potato in it, I must say it was tasty as well. All in all we were pleased with our meal. But eating with our hands was a new adventure.The decor could use some work but we will definitely return.
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Friendly and delicious. We had a great experience at Saba's last night. From reading the other reviews, we expected the food to be good but the decor and location to leave something to be desired. Well, the location -- it's true. The restaurant is in a not tip-top strip mall, but don't let that deter you. The interior of the restaurant is nice enough, not fancy, but fine. Working that day were the family's mother, the daughter (as waitress), and the son, who was not really working but was there and chatted with us when we arrived, making us feel very "at home" and welcome. The family's warmth was a big bonus to us, as we're traveling and have a baby, which not all restaurants would be excited about. We got a high chair, they heated up our baby's food (which we brought), and we got the vegetarian meal and it was DELICIOUS. Another table of two were in the restaurant when we were, plus a man eating alone and family of five. Everyone seemed to enjoy their experience. We did. So, don't let other reviewers' reports of the location and the service deter you. We loved the food (while the portion might have been on the small side, it was delicious) and the proprietors were nice. All in all, it was among the best African food we've had in our many visits to African restaurants on our travels in the U.S. and Canada.
This place is awesome, don't know how people can not like it. Service was good, got mine in 20 min and the food was great. The hot sauce they use on the meat was fantastic. Coming back for more.
I love it! The meat combo... Amazing. A hidden gem in Saskatoon.
Ultimate Saskatoon dining experience. Saba is, to my mind and palette, unquestionably the best and last place you will ever eat in Saskatoon.
It will redefine your concept of flavour.
Lately the eponymous proprietor has been absent, at least in the evenings, and her nephew has been holding things together -- very poorly, to be honest. But it's still worth the bad service to get the amazing food.
When things are back to status quo, expect the city's finest and friendliest service on top of a healthy and mind-blowingly delicious meal.
I like it.. I think if I ever went to Africa, this would be exactly it. Yes, there's kids.. the server was a bit untrained.. the decor is sort of thrown together but the food is very different. We had the meat tray and it tasted great. The coffee (African espresso??) was really, really good. We'll be back.
My kids loved the chicken (mild) and we were lucky tonight because they were making their famous coffee! Dining here is an experience. We also saved 15% on the bill using the OfferMe app! We would recommend making a reservation and if the bread is too heavy for you just ask for rice!
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A unique experience in Saskatoon. Just for anyone who is wondering Saba is not a regular restaurant. It is a cultural experience that happens to take the form of a restaurant.
I was invited to a friend's birthday here and this is where they wanted to go. It was a Sunday night so they had their special coffee on. I love trying different coffees, so I had some. WOW, unique. I have never had coffee like that before. Very earthy but not in a bad way and tons of flavours I never experienced before.
We ordered lots of food (there were six of us there) both of the meat and vegetarian menus. We also ordered extra of the Injera bread for grabbing and dipping. Yes, you eat with your hands (well right hand actually) which I found fun as we were all grabbing at our favourites with the Injera bread. Maybe it was because the birthday person had been there before but I felt we all got enough food to eat. I didn't leave there hungry, nor did anyone else that was apart of the table. The food was also full of flavours I had never experienced before and I thought everything was well spiced.
Service was alright. It is a little slower than some restaurants that I have been to but then again I do view this as a culture experience. Something that isn't meant to be rushed, but understood and appreciated. Water was brought to us semi-regularly and we only had to ask once for more drinks. The coffee they make takes a bit of time to make so we were often waiting for that as well. Which is fine.
Again, I did have the advantage of going with someone that had been here before. I do recommend that you order at least three different platters as the platters are not meant to be a single meal per person but to be shared. I think we ordered six or so and that seemed to be enough. Also remember that everything they make is being made to order, so it does take time. I don't recommend going here if you do have other plans that evening, seeing a movie, etc. But it is a great, place to go if you want to try some food with great flavour and experience something that most have never experienced before.
Good Ethiopian food. Good food. It's true that service is slow. Perhaps a bit pricy, but since its the only choice for Ethiopian in Saskatoon, I can't complain too much.
Delicious!. What a welcome change. I really did not know what to expect inspite of reading reviews and hearing from a friend how tasty the food is here. I love trying new foods, ethnic foods so I was on board.
It's a small place with simple decor - basic tables and chairs and African items displayed sort of haphazardly. It felt cultural and added to the experience.
Not knowing what to chose (and not wanting to choose just 1 item!), 3 of us ordered the Meat Combination and 1 of us the Vegetarian Combination. We were all impressed! (3 adults and 1 teen) And it's so fun and easy to eat... with your fingers and using the Injera as a "scoop". SO good!
It's family run which I appreciate and the staff were helpful and prompt. I'll be back to enjoy from time to time.
YEP, great food here folks!. The food was scrumptious, to put it mildly. Staff were friendly and very accommodating as well. As far as I can tell they offer vegetarian friendly dishes as well as meaty dishes, so everyone is welcomed here! If you haven't tried this restaurant I recommend that you do, it will blow you away! Prices were really reasonable for massive amounts of food as well. Be prepared to get your hands dirty though.
Fun and different for Saskatoon. Went here for a work function in the evening, and just had a buffet style meal at the table, which was very enjoyable. I loved the eat-with-your-hands approach, and really think I would not have enjoyed it as much with a fork or spoon. I guess my only complaints would be that I am used to more salt and spice, but I get that this is not necessarily representative of African cuisine, so I won't complain. Generally, this is like an alternative version of Indian food for all you who are unfamiliar and wondering. This restaurant is also one of the better choices for a vegetarian diet, and is probably quite healthy no matter which diet you favour. Decor was adequately simply, can't comment on price, but would easily recommend to friends who are adventurous. Judging by the ratings, it seems to be well received, but if you are a food/palate 'baby' then perhaps you better skip this one.
Went there with a group of friends recently - fantastic !!!
Wonderfully unique dining experience For Canadian flatlanders, and the food we had was superb (meat platter, spicy chicken, mixed veggies). Great friendly service and atmosphere. We will be back
Some Guy. Food was unique for Saskatoon and delicious. I like my Ethiopian/Eritrian food a lot spicier personally, but I can understand why they would tone it back for the Saskatoon palate. Definately go and try this place!
Fantastic. Everything about this restaurant was great - the food, the service, the ambiance, all second-to-none.
We didn't want to leave.
Awesome!
Wonderfully authentic. Saba's meals are healthy, authentic, and delicious. It is a cultural experience, so treat it as one. Don't expect your typical burger and fries, rather - enjoy the delicious spices, flavors, and experience of eating as the Eritreans do. Have a chat with the lovely owners - they have many interesting stories to share. Highly recommended.
Surprisingly delightful. Not only is the couple that runs this cafe super cute they also make a delicious meal. Meals are relatively inexpensive.
Great Family Restaurant. We had a very enjoyable meal with tones of personality. The meat combo was very good and eating with our hands was a bit of an adventure, not something you get to do everyday. Very much enjoyed it and will return.
Thanks!
Tasty food, nice experience. Food is tasty, and it is nice to eat in a traditional way.
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Tasty, messy, finger food!. 09/25/10 Update: Both the vegetarian and meat platters have increased in price from $14 to $15. As well, the portion sizes have decreased very slightly.
Came here tonight with a party of 6, and we all pretty much ordered the Meat Combination ($14), which one can see in the photo. We placed our order at 5:20pm, the plate of injera came at 5:50pm and the main platter came at 6:03pm. I cannot say that I was impressed by the wait, but I will tell you that was the only negative facet of tonight's meal.
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Atmosphere:
The small restaurant is nicely decorated with many African objects. I felt comfortable, but cold because we were sitting right beside the front door. Thankfully one of the servers, who may have been the owner, came back with a heat lamp and placed it by our table, which made a world of difference.
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Food:
Just to bring a newcomer up to par: you are supposed to eat the food with your hands - or "hand" as I was informed by one of my more experienced guests - by using the injera (resembles a thin, sour dough pancake) as a scoop to grab one of the many flavors on the platter, and as politely as possible, shove it in your mouth! Okay, it was only me that made a mess of the situation.
Every flavor was this: decisively different, yet equally delicious. As previously noted, having just a small plate of the vegetable portion could easily fill somebody up. What tasted like a chickpea mash was not my favorite of the bunch, but it still tasted good and provided a thicker texture than any of the other "sauces".
What surprised me the most was that none of the sauces were swimming in oil - with the exception of the chicken, which had a little oil soaking into the injera it was sitting on. In my past experience at a restaurant like this in Regina, every curry or sauce was swimming in oil and I vowed to return as sparingly as possible. But Saba's is just perfect. Great tastes all around.
The proportion was enough to make all of us full! I give them credit, because filling the stomachs of 6 hungry university kids is not an easy task.
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Service:
It was only okay. We started with a huge jug of water but they never came back to refill it. As I said before, the wait was simply too long, but we realized afterwards that most of the workers began trickling in at around 6, and all of a sudden the food was coming out as fast as the orders were going in.
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Washroom:
I'll be honest, the washrooms located in the "cave" are starting to fall apart. Probably should get that looked at sometime soon.
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Overall:
I really like this place. The finger food method may not be for all, but I'm sure they have metal utensils somewhere. We were lucky enough to watch the traditional coffee being made - from scratch - at a neighboring table, which was exciting. You get a LOT of food for $14 per person! My advice is to came between 5:30 and 6, when most of the staff have arrived but before too many of the tables have filled up!
Great Food!. The food here is wonderful. I can not say enough about its quality, taste and one-of-a-kindness (to Saskatoon at least). Their vegetarian platter actually leaves you feeling full, which is rare in a restaurant menu option. The meat dishes are exquisitely spiced as well, and almost leave me too full. The atmosphere does leave something to be desired, but if all else fails, get take out! If you enjoy Eritrean food, it is worth it. Often Saba herself will come out to make sure you are enjoying your experience. A favourite.
All in all, Saba’s is a great little hidden gem. I look forward to going again and trying some other items off the menu.
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