Emanu

My wife and I ate here recently and I will start with the food (i.e. flavors) are spectacular and the food was very fresh. We had one lamb, one chicken and one vegetarian entrée. Did I mention the flavors are amazing. Two things that kept this from being a 4 star review are the service. The service was extremely friendly, but it is slow. We were fortunate as they were not busy when we got there. When we were leaving a large party came in. I can’t imagine coming in after that party. Second, you don’t get a lot of food. We ordered three entrees and thought we would be taking food home. While we were full, we would have left hungry if we would have only ordered two. Interesting place to visit once.

I love everything about this place, all except for the wait and price Each time I’ve sat inside, the restaurant was empty and the wait was often over an hour. It’s very disappointing because the food is spectacular! My favorite is the veggie combo! Even though Emanu is a 5 minute drive, I always have to contemplate taking the 15 minute drive to elephant walk instead because they are much faster. I have placed pickup orders at Emanu, but they still use old fashion styrofoam to-​go boxes that are very terrible for the environment. I want to love this place so badly, however for me it’s just not worth the wait or price.

The food was delicious but the serving size was small.

I am by no means a vegetarian but the veggie combo platter was amazing! It comes out family style and you are given a spongy bread to eat with or you can opt out of that and use boring silverware.
Food: ⁴⁄₅ — I’ve tried the chicken, veggie combo, and some appetizers so far. All were fantastic, but the veggie combo is actually my favorite.
Atmosphere: ³⁄₅ — nothing negative, but there is also nothing that will blow your mind. But let’s be real, if the food is good who cares?
Service: ⁵⁄₅ — Great owners that truly care about this business and their customers!
If you like venturing away from chicken tenders and fries… You have to give this place a shot!

Emanu’s food was excellent, and it was a welcome change to have Ethiopian food instead of my usual rotation. Even my husband, who usually is a semi-​picky eater, LOVED Emanu’s food. He kept gushing about how surprised he was that he liked it, and that it was SOOO GOOD.
If this is your first time here, I would recommend coming with a group and ordering family style (that’s what we did). We got the meat combo and the kitfo (we requested they serve half of the steak was tartar and the other half cooked, which they very nicely did for us) for three people. It was perfect! The meat combo had steak and chicken plus three vegetable sides, all served on a huge piece of injera (Ethiopian flatbread, tastes like sour dough but the texture is spongey) that soaks up all the juices. I think the kitfo tartar was my favorite thing I ate that night… It was a little spicy, but not overwhelming, and the tartar was incredibly tender. I also really enjoyed the cabbage and the rest of the veggies. We were left feeling stuffed and very satisfied.
My only complaint was the service, which was incredibly slow. Other reviewers have said the same thing… They came out often with water, which was nice because some of the food was a little spicy. But it took a while to get our food and our check. I think you should come here if you’re not in a rush and have a couple hours to spend on dinner with your friends.
We were so hungry when our food came out that we ate super fast and I didn’t get a picture of it! That’s a first for me. haha
Overall, a great dining experience, and I know my husband will be begging to come back soon!

I really enjoyed the veggie combo. It came with cabbage, carrots, string beans, yellow and brown lentils, and collard greens. The food was fresh and tasty. the environment is cozy and small. There is a bar with wine and beer.

Don’t come here looking for brunch or breakfast food unless you want an Ethiopian coffee. In my opinion Ethiopian and Turkish coffees reign supreme. This place serves food-​food… as in meat and bread, veggies and grains. They are considerate and give you silverware but it is fully expected that you eat the meals served here with your hands.
1^st impression: the cleanest, most organized African restaurant I have ever been to. They have been here for about 8 years. They don’t have a parking lot so you have to park on the street and pay the meter. Good news: you get 30 minutes for 25 cents and the establishment gave me the coins to pay the meter! That’s a first for me and it made me feel appreciated and like they wanted my business. The lady and the gentleman were very gracious and welcoming. There are tons of Ethiopian and Eritrean paraphernalia in this place that adds to the legitimacy of the venue. I had a lamb dish that came with the best Injera I have ever had. I discovered it’s all made in house. It’s sponge like by thin like a crêpe and not over cooked. My meal came with cabbage and they threw in some greens just because. The experience got better and better. Had a conversation with the proprietor and got a lead on other Ethiopian spots. Had the coffee after the meal and wanted to take a nap but… there’s no rest for the fully nourished!

We live right down the street! What an awesome place. Order dinner from there all the time

What a gem of a place in amazing Pleasant Ridge! If you haven’t been to «The Ridge» before, I suggest you come check it out! With all the new restaurants and bars opening in the area, it’s really becoming the next Oakley/​Hyde Park/​OTR!

I’m always up for a new food experience. We went with a group of people — so, our food was a sampler platter (divided between ⁴⁄₅ people). Consisted of lamb, chicken, veggies, lentils and greens. The lamb had a good sauce on it — everything else was just okay.
The bread was interesting — kind of had a sour taste to it. It was fun being able to use my fingers to eat! Definitely made our experience rustic and authentic.
The coffee was nice and strong — but teeny. I felt like they were being stingy with the portions — don’t know that they anticipated such a large group (even though we called ahead) on a Friday night. We were only 1 of 3 tables in there.
The food was just okay, to me — it was kind of pricey for what it was, too. I won’t have to go back.

The parking situation seems really odd. There is a parking lot attached to it but unless I’m wrong it looked like all of the parking was dedicated to a neighboring business. Basically you have to park on a side street a short distance away which just seems odd since it’s not a bustling metropolis in this part of town.
We get nervous when there’s not anybody in the restaurant and will turn around and go somewhere else if that appears to be the case when we approach the doors. It appeared to be a completely empty restaurant and the room we could see from the entrance looked very bare bones. On this rare occasion we went in anyways. Well they actually had 4 – 5 tables of customers but every single group was sat in the far room (including us). So nobody was sat in the bar area. So if you approach from the entrance side it looks like nobody is in the restaurant! Not sure why they were doing that.
The service was great and they were very helpful in telling us about the food and helping us order something. I had never had Ethiopian food (the reason for going) so it was interesting to try. It’s kind of like Indian food and the bread isn’t quite like any other breads. I would say it’s really close to a pancake but less sweet. Very spongey.
The food was good. Some of the items weren’t as good as others but nothing was bad. The flavors weren’t too extreme. We left saying the meal was pretty good but the wife and I both admitted to each other that we’d probably never be back. Not because anything was bad but just because weren’t really excited about anything we had.

Just. Plain. Amazing. We had never tried Ethiopian food before, and weren’t sure what to expect. What we got was friendly service and an absolutely delicious meal. We got the veggie mix (lentils, cabbage, collards, green beans and carrots) and lamb in red chili sauce. Everything was extremely tasty and we will certainly be back often!

Me and two other friends shared a veggie platter (I forget the name but it was the last one listed), very good! It was enough for the three of us but we weren’t very hungry so I would recommend ordering maybe an appetizer to start.
Very good price ($ 13 entrée), especially since the three of us split one entrée. Would definitely recommend to anyone who hasn’t had Ethiopian food!
Only downside: service was slow, yet it did not ruin the night, it was fine.

I have not ever eaten Ethiopian food before, but after being inspired by reading a book set in that country, my book group decided to eat lunch here on a Saturday. By the way, the book was a moving memoir called «The Hospital by the River; a story of Hope».
The server was a very pleasant younger man who was the son of the chef. We got to meet the nice lady chef who cooked our food after she learned of why we were there.
The food was all very tasty, and my group of 6 all ordered different entrees, and both of the appetizers. A few of the entrees are on the spicy side; just ask the server which ones. I really enjoyed the vegetarian #12 that I ordered.
The restaurant was very attractive and clean, as was the classy and clean restroom.
My group was the only customers, so our food came out to us in perfect timing, just as we were finished discussing the book. I hope that they are busier at other times; we were there at 1:00pm so maybe we missed the main lunch time. I would hate to see them have to close for lack of customers. We will return!

Very happy with the food here. For a first experience one should not be weary. I would like a meat and veggie lunch combo but the veggie combo alone was more than filling.
Great staff and unlike most Ethiopian places ive been, it is very clean and well maintained.

Deliiciousness all over. Wanted to try a different type of food and came across Emanú. So happy w the the results!
Had the beef samosas and were very savory. Shared both a beef & lamb entrée– amazing flavors w lean meat. To finalize, went for their seasonal goat cheese/​honey cheesecake– perfect ending. Definitely go to Emanu and share entrees. Service was attentive and nice.

When my husband and I go here, we always get the same thing. An order of the sambussas, the spicy lamb (beg wat) and the veggie combo. I used to always try to eat only with my hands using the injera bread as a tool to pick up the food. But recently I have embraced the fork and found that it gives me much more control. Better yet, the fork allows me to easily eat «the plate» (the injera on which the food is served). The plate soaks up all the yummy juices and flavors of the food like a sponge. It’s delicious. I hope that eating the plate is not considered to be bad etiquette in the Ethiopian culture. So far none of the owners or other diners have scolded me or given me dirty looks.
This particular combination is the perfect amount of food for the two of us. The only problem is that when we clean (and eat) our plates, there is simply no room for their cheesecake — a specialty of the house. Even if you are too full for dessert after your dinner, be sure to get a slice to go. They make it with GOAT CHEESE and I think maybe a little cream cheese, too. I have tried (unsuccessfully) to copy it at home but didn’t even come close. It’s absolutely sublime.
My only complaint is that sometimes there is an unexplained lag at some point during the dining service. One night it will take an unusually long time for someone to take our order. Another time it will be a longer than normal wait for the food. And next time we wait and wait for the check. As long as we are in no big hurry, it’s fine. And now that we’ve come to expect a more leisurely dining pace, we are mindful and patient. What the owners may lack in speediness they more than make up for in warmth and kindness.

I’ve been meaning to try this place for a while, and I’m not sure why it took me so long, but I’m so glad we finally made the trip. I’ve always enjoyed Ethiopian food in the past, and there aren’t too many choices in Cincinnati, but this would be a great choice to try! I got the Zignie and the veggies with collard greens/​cabbage, as well as sambussa appetizer, and everything was delicious! Of course you have to eat family style and with your hands. I loved the flavors. Service was excellent, portions were decent. The restaurant is very clean. Overall, it was a very enjoyable experience and I look forward to going back.

After years of driving past Emanu and hearing how great it is, I was so glad to finally make it in on a Friday night. The restaurant was pretty much empty at 5PM and quickly began filling up. Service was a little slow, but we found out that they were short-​staffed– Ethiopian food is pretty low maintenance for service, so it wasn’t a big problem.
We ordered the sambussa appetizer and the big combination plate to try a little bit of everything. The sambussas were great, although I wish there had been more. The combination plate was a great idea for getting familiar with Emanu’s food and helped me figure out what I’ll order next time (zignie)! We will definitely be back!

*sigh*
I really didn’t want to write this review. I’ve never had Ethiopian food before, and until today it remained one of my undiscovered culinary frontiers. But the idea of spicy, sizzling lamb? Served on a giant plate of bread? Oh, man… the temptation was right there. However, with no Ethiopian restaurants in the Dayton area, it took a trip for us down to Cincy to try out some authentic African cuisine.
When we arrived, Emanu seemed like a pleasant enough restaurant. It was clean, decorated with tourism posters from Ethiopia and Eritrea. Despite arriving right at lunch hour, the restaurant was near-​deserted, with only one other couple seated in the dining room. The wine list and menu were neat and comprehensive, but pretty much everything went downhill from there.
The waiter, an elderly fellow, brought us water, but never actually bothered to take any drink orders or the like. Rather, he seemed more concerned with the two children (maybe around 4 – 6 years old, each) running around the bar area barefoot. We sat for several minutes before we were finally able to place our orders… even then, we were never asked if we’d like drinks of any sort.
Jules and I decided to share two entrees: Tsebhi Beghie (Beg Watt), a spicy lamb dish in a red pepper sauce, and Kilwa Derho (Doro-​Tibs), chicken legs served on the bone in an onion and green pepper sauce. These came served on on the ubiquitous Injera bread which covered a large platter, but also in three rolls on a side plate.
Note here that we also ordered the Beef Sambussa as an appetizer. I’d love to tell you how it was – it never arrived. In fact, it appeared on our bill, and we had to complain to another waiter (who arrived while we were eating) to have the charge removed.
The food overall? I was decidedly unimpressed. The lamb dish was the best of what we had, with a tangy flavor that reminded me somewhat of an Indian vindaloo sauce. The chicken legs, however? Bland as bland could be. The sections covered with the pepper sauce tasted of bell pepper, but the flesh of the chicken itself tasted just of boiled chicken. Bleh. And the injera? Unimpressive. I’m not sure what I was expecting – perhaps something like naan, roti, or pita bread – but the injera was bland and fell apart beneath the weight of the saucy lamb. I understand that injera is supposed to be more like a ‘sourdough pancake’, but it just wasn’t to my taste.
Now, if all this wasn’t enough? As soon as our food arrived, one of those two kids started screaming. No, not just crying. *Screaming*. For twenty minutes, through the entirety of our meal, this went on, with any possibility of conversation or ambient sound drowned out by the sobs and screams of an angry 5 year old girl. So much for ambiance. Further, our waiter never emerged once to check on us, outside of bringing our food.
Even despite this experience, I’m not turned off of Ethiopian food entirely. Lots of people love it and I’m sure that, in a different circumstance or restaurant, I’d be a bigger fan.
As for Emanu? I will never be back. Between the bland food, the poor service. and the screaming barefoot children sprinting around the restaurant, there’s no reason to go to this place. Save your money and find somewhere else to get your spicy fix.