Zeni Ethiopian Restaurant: A Culinary Journey Through Ethiopia

Edit: Guess who came back again??? lol we love this place — I’ve come here with my partner and others several times since my first review and I’ve gotten used to the food and it’s great every time. Also consistent. So raising the review here. I can’t seem to figure out what each item is called but I like the sweetish green lamb/beef dish and some of the vegetable ones. The others i have come here with also say that the food is great. — First time having Ethiopian food, I wasn’t sure what to expect but have been told it’s pretty hit or miss for most people. Restaurant was super busy around dinner time. The bread used for the side dishes is spongey and sour. It was a pretty unique for me, especially considering l have a sweet tooth. We put meats and side dishes in the bread and ate it that way. Definitely interesting trying the flavors of the bread alone and the side dishes alone. There isn’t any table ware as far as I know, but after a while the bread was pretty overpowering for me. Overall, quite tasty and very filling. Looking forward to coming back here again.

Amazing spot, will definitely be going back! 10/10 Food was amazing. We ordered the Vegetarian Combo. Comes with a giant Injera and on top you have beets, split peas, collared greens, potatoes/cabbage salad, red/yellow lentils. Side of 4 smaller injera. I asked for a side of hot sauce/powder. The spiced Ethiopian tea was a great add as well. Plenty of tables inside. I’m sure if you have a large party they can accommodate. I’d suggest giving them a call if you’re a party of 5 or more. There is a restroom in the back with a separate hand washing station. Great decoration around the establishment with nice music for a relaxing atmosphere. The staff were super helpful and friendly. They answered my questions about how the food would be prepared, presented and if it would be enough for two people. There are other business in the complex. Nail salon, barbershop, convenience store…etc.

Highly recommend this place. This may look like ‘a hole in the wall’, but once you are there, it will provide you fabulous dining experience Ethiopian way, beginning with a warm welcome. To fully enjoy this experience, highly recommend eating with your hands, although it is not a requirement there. We (3) enjoyed our late Sunday lunch here. Helen welcomed us. We were new to Ethiopian dining, so asked her to help us order. We ordered Meat Combo (Minced beef, Lamb stew, Chicken stew), a Beef sizzler and red lentils stew. Food arrived quickly— a large round steel plate with a thin fluffy pancake-like bread (Injera). Injera tastes a bit sour, appears light, but is deceptively heavy. They served various items ordered in small portions along the periphery of the plate on the Injera. Additional rolls of Injera were provided (and replenished as needed). Greek style salad was served at center and Ethiopian fresh cheese (like crumbled Feta, but not sour) on the side. We enjoyed eating with our hands—sanitize them first. The meat stews were absolutely delicious, but beef sizzler with caramelized onions was our favorite. They serve good portions. Needless to say, we had to box the leftovers . We will explore other Ethiopian restaurants, but will definitely visit Zeni again. Thanks Helen for a great experience.

We thoroughly enjoyed the vegetarian combo. It comfortably serves two people, although we did add a side of Injera.

I visit Zeni regularly for their authentic Ethiopian food. Usually I order the veg or meat combo and lamb and that easily feeds a group of 3-4 people. The food tastes consistently fresh and flavorful and I love to bring friends here for the family-style dining experience. Occasionally I'll encounter a wait during peak hours, but it's never been longer than 15 minutes.

Our first experience with Ethiopian food. We had no expectations but full of curiosity We ordered Vegetarian Combo and stir fry beef. The Vegetarian Combo was excellent with various lentils with different spices. The beef was rather tough and hard to chew, but it had a good flavor. Next time we'll try chicken.

There are very few ethiopian restaurants in bay area and this place is the only one that stands out. They have a whole vegetarian friendly menu options. The food was flavorful, perfectly spiced. Went with family for very late lunch and there was no line, got the table and service was fast.

My first experience eating Ethiopian food. Good service, the food was flavorful. I couldn't rate it 5 stars because I don't have anything to compare it to. Nice cozy spot. The appetizer was delicious and flaky. The food was hot and fresh we had some sort of ground beef and a chopped beef along with some chicken all were good. We also had greens which were just ok to me. . I'll come back. Many more options i want to try.