Asmara Restaurant

At first I didn’t like the atmosphere but when I got my food it was amazing and I would definitely go again. The salad was the most amazing part of it!

Pleasantly surprised with how delicious the meal was. Very attentive staff as well.

This was super delicious. Thanks for the great experience of authentic Ethiopian food for our first time.

Not for nothing but I seriously love this place. Forget the big trendy crowded and I’m sorry places. If you are a lover of amazing home made food like to be taken care of like you were at your favorite aunts house and feel super wellcome. COME HERE IT’S A HIDDEN GEM IN VEGAS.

I’m a skeptic of ethnic food but after coming here I am a regular. The food is amazing and the owner Ermias is over the top in service. You will leave here feeling well taken care of. Come here to socialize, eat and drink.

Delicious. Affordable. Comfortable. Clean. Doesn’t get much better. The staff is friendly and gracious. The meat dishes had very high quality beef. Vegetarian dishes were subtle. The shiro was the best I’ve ever tasted. This restaurant, located in a simple area, is now number one on my list of restaurants to revisit in Las Vegas– you will not be disappointed by this gem of an Ethiopian restaurant!

I ordered what is in the very first picture posted — I believe it is named Tibs and it was served with injera. It was very flavorful and filling. The hot coals beneath kept the meat nice and hot.

Well have always wanted to try Ethiopian food so we gave it a try. Hmmm all I can say is very different. I knew going in it was going to be spicy and even though we said not to spicy boy was it. Place is more of a bar than restaurant but no biggie with that. When we arrived we were only ones there but yet still felt very out of place. Thought they might help us but nope we were on our own to order. 3 dishes and all 3 very interesting. Well have now checked it off my culinary list.

****I meant to write this back in January, as we visited this restaurant for my birthday on Jan 2. And I have not had a chance until now***
Ethiopian food is comfort food. Good, deliciously nourishing, and meant to be shared with family and friends. We had been to this spot a few times back when it was the Blue Nile, and were unaware it had changed hands. Didn’t matter, the food was even better than before. Nice, lean meats, not all fatty and/​or greasy. It was tasty, to perfection. The service was wonderful and a nice young man (whose name, alas, eludes me at this time) was most helpful in recommending dishes to us (we were going to get the kitfo, cooked, but he recommended another dish to us, and I am so glad we took him up on his suggestion, it was delicious. (came in a large soup bowl, with the flame underneath, again, been a while, so I forget the name of the dish! So sad!!) But everything was so fresh (the veggies/​salad) and the meats so flavorful and lean. It was a real treat. The whole time, I kept saying «I am so happy right now… I am SO HAPPY !!!»
Asmara is located in a very unassuming location on Desert Inn Road. Don’t let it fool you, because it is a warm, inviting atmosphere on the inside. They also do hookah there, have a little lounge area to sit in, and sometimes, music/​DJs. I was extra stoked because they were playing a lot of fun 80s music whilst we were there.
If I were to «complain» about anything (and I am not, not at all, hence the five stars) I would say that, when the new owner gets a chance, maybe do some fun things with the interior/​décor, just to give one a feeling of being on a vacation or far away, to add to the ambiance. But otherwise, a most delightful place and we plan on going again and again.
To the young man who helped us, and whose name I so callously do not remember… thank you so much! For the good food, and the good service, etc. We will be back again soon!

Food was delicious and satisfying. We ordered the meat and vegetarian platters, which were about twice as much as the two of us could finish. The highlight was the creamed spinach. Food deserves 5 stars. The atmosphere is friendly but could use better ventilation due to the hookah use and a little more decoration wouldn’t hurt.

I came from Chicago and I visit this restaurant we order awaze tibsi and shekla Eritrean food very testy if you need Eritrean food I recommend this place!

This food is exceptional. I can’t believe how good Ethiopian/​Eritrean food can be full of flavor.

New ownership, new vibe, same wonderful food.
Now a hookah lounge. Serving the same great Ethiopian food. And alcohol. I think I need to start over and tell this story the way it deserves. Read on.
Once upon a time, Blue Nile Ethiopian Cuisine was put up for sale and bought out by a new owner. His name is Ermais (AIR-​May, I think). Now Ermais is somewhat of a young sprout, and if Ethiopian culture had such a thing as a yuppie or a hipster, Ermais would probably be defined in such a way… but Ermais is a considerate and interesting guy with entrepreneurship and kindness as his character notes. He brought into the business several of his most-​dependable friends to help out.
So, a little while ago, Ermais opened Asmara Restaurant then, invested in a hookah and some lounge furniture, set up a great sound system to play authentic music from the old country, and has been serving all the great delicacies you might be familiar with: Kitfo, Meat Combo, Veggie Combo, Awazi Tibs, and more. And the luscious injera. (Pro Tip #1: when using injera as it is intended… to scoop food into your mouth… only bite into the injera every third or fourth scoop… otherwise you will consume so much wonderful injera you won’t be able to finish your incredibly flavorful meal). And the food is fantastic!
Call for reservations so that Ermais is expecting you. I showed up unannounced but was welcomed like I was family anyway. Maybe you mention to Ermais you saw my review and show it to him as an introduction. Definitely consider enquiring about their catering/​large group/​buffet experience.
(Pro Tip #2: After dinner, ask for a cup of hot tea and a shot of Jack Daniels neat… as in no ice … The tea will be served with sugar and the like. Add a very small amount of sugar, and combine the whiskey with the tea. It helps when you do not follow Pro Tip #1. This is called the «Christopher G. Tea» and you heard it here first!)
This business rates 5-​stars because:
) Independent restaurateur
) Good vibe with the hookah
) Great Ethiopian Food
) Great service
This place is in a very obscure location. Use GPS or similar app. This place is not like anything you have ever experienced. Ever. Rate accordingly: Asmara is unique.

This is our second time eating here. Hermes opened the door for us. They prepared all the dishes we requested and even filled up our favorites a second time. Very interesting life stories from the owner who joined us at our table. Come eat here, the food is delicious.

They have changed ownership and while still ok it is no where near as good as it used to be. They are still very nice but the food was not as good as it used to be. I now go back to a different Ethiopian restaurant as they have improved.

We love Ethiopian food and will always order the Kitfo. We ordered it medium cooked and medium spice. The spice level was perfect and it actually cam out more cooked than expected. Regardless the kitfo was decent. It also came with cheese and collard greens as we requested. U was fine with the collard greens buy my didn’t care for it.
We opted to have water to drink and when it came to us there were particles floating in our water. We ended up buying bottled water.
The atmosphere was okay, a little dim with American music playing in the background. It looked like they installed some new booths so it looked a little crowded with the furniture.

Excellent food. I mean really really good. Service was great too. Order the veggie and meat combos and you are all set for 4. You’ll be stuffed and the bill will be less than $ 25 total.

This was formerly The Blue Nile. They have a new owner now and the food is no different than it was before, it is still very delicious!
The place is redecorated but still looks nice and the new staff is very friendly! The new owner is a nice guy who appreciates his guests!

We had a vegetarian and a meat combination platter and both were delicious. The proprietor and waitress were gracious and helpful with identifying our favorite items.

Best ethiopian food I’ve had in Vegas yet. The food has the perfect amount of spice and more love and quality ingredients put into the curries than other places I have tried. The staff is friendly and keeps the injera coming. You can get a meat and vegetarian combo platter that easily feeds 3 really hungery ppl and the price is insanely reasonable. The name of place is no longer blue nile so don’t miss it on the corner of the plaza.

New owner and new name, but this place is amazing. I’ve been to a dozen Ethiopian restaurants in a number of cities and this one’s the best I’ve been to and one of the cheapest. The New owner is incredibly friendly. I can’t recommend this place strongly enough.

I don’t have a lot of experience with Ethiopian food, but everything I have eaten here is delicious. The people that work here are incredibly helpful to new customers and service is really friendly and fast. As I said in the first sentence, the food is also delicious. All of the meats are cooked perfectly and the seasonings are out of this world. I would recommend one of the sampler platters for first-​timers. It’s the most bang for your buck and let’s you try five different dishes. It’s hard to pick a favorite though. One trip wasn’t enough for me, I had to go back so I could try more things.

Ok so new owner and way bigger portions. Me and my wife absolutely love this place, they are always so nice, and the food is sooo bomb… We were worried when we saw the name change on the building, but were relieved when we called and they confirmed it was the same food… If you want an Ethiopian dinner at an affordable price then check this place out. It’s way better then Abssynia next to the new Orleans… We don’t get descriminated against like that other craps hole. Worth your hard earned $$

After moving to this side of town finding all new favorites is a task.
We came here on a craving night and it was so good we ordered our normal Kitfo (
) we order it rare in american terms it is rare very very rare. I have eaten it many many times and I like it. We order and inform our server we have been here and are aware of what rare means, he says ok and goes about his business.
Our food arrives then sauces, the bread, the lamb and the salad the Kitfo it was a little over cooked but I think it was my fault, I need to reassure that I am well versed in the food and yes I like it raw order it rare and the seasons will make it amazing.
so another good experience and I will be back.

Unilocal 365 CHALLENGE 2014−(155÷365) «Hand Job»
I am no expert on Ethiopian Cuisine, but when the chance arrived to meet up with The D’s (David and Debbie) who have dined here on more than one occasion, I decided to give it another go. David’s sister and her husband also joined us, so with our party of 5, the best thing to do with their 13 item menu was go with the meat sampler and the vegetarian sampler so we could try a variety of things. We also got one of their Tibs offerings as well.
We also tried an Ethiopian beer which was pretty good, and I guess Ethiopians take their coffee seriously as we were sat next to the area where the coffee ceremony takes place which would have been interesting to see, but we were the only diners and we came for the food, not the coffee. I love the opportunity to be able to eat with your hands and this is one of the few places in town where your hands are the silverware.
Our meal arrives on a huge silver platter and our waiter also disperses the Tibs in small piles onto the platter so that it is accessible to everyone. The smell of the Injera reminded me right away of San Francisco Sourdough and it also does have a slight tang to it due to the fermentation process the Injera batter goes through before being steamed. I loved the flavors of each item I sampled,(Lentils, Collard Greens, Green Beans, Lamb, a Beef Jerky type item, a smoked meat one, etc.) but my favorites were the Lamb, Tibs, and Spicy Lentils. The salad was nothing special with Italian dressing on top, and the cheese looked like Feta, but tasted more like a Queso Fresco. The prices here are very cheap too. Came out to $ 10/​person, tip included. Can’t wait to come back! ALOHA!!!
Shaka Meter: \uuu/​\uuu/​\uuu/​\uuu/​4

This is an update to the review I posted over a year ago, and I’m sorry to say that this has to be — by far — the worst meal we’ve had in the 10 years we’ve been in Vegas.
Last time we ordered combos, and that seems to have made the difference. This time, not so hungry after snacking at an earlier function, we decided to go the individual dish route.
The same 13 choices are on the menu. Except for one lamb, one fish (which I’d be afraid to try here) and a vegetable combo, the rest are beef, beef, and more beef. The veggie might have been an option, but not after two of them were listed as collard greens and cabbage. Not exciting at all.
I wanted a glass of honey wine, which I had tasted a few years earlier at a different Ethiopian restaurant. It’s a strange wine, but I’ve got strange tastes. Almost verbatim, the owner repeated the same line as last time, about the wine coming from L.A. and they didn’t get the shipment. Coincidence? Maybe. But I don’t think so. He didn’t suggest anything else, and I didn’t ask. I was already feeling the downer vibe, and stuck with water.
I started to order the dry-​sauteed beef, but he said it might be a little dry and chewy, so we switched to two others. They seemed to be variations of the same dish. One had some tomatoes added to the jalapeños and onions, and was in tiny pieces. The other had longer strips that were way too long to eat comfortably, and also had the jalapeños and onion, but no tomatoes. Both dishes were poured into a large tray lined with the injera bread, and the tray had a tiny serving of salad — two tablespoons if I’m being generous — for each of us.
The small beef dice had no flavor whatsoever. The long strips had a little more flavor, though not much. Both were improved by the vinegar in the injera. But they were both tough as nails. When the owner came over to ask how things were going, I told him that the beef was tough. He paused a couple of seconds, said «Okay,» and walked away. The salad didn’t taste fresh and had some brown pieces.
The only other customers were a table of four with a baby who didn’t stop shrieking the whole time. But they provided some much-​needed entertainment: the kid sat on the mother’s lap and kept yanking at the strings of beads that were the front window curtain. Each time she pulled, the rod arced downward, and the mom never attempted to stop her. This being Vegas, I made book with Herb about how long it would take before the whole curtain came crashing down. Neither of us won, because thankfully they left halfway through our meal. Then the music was cranked up a little. I love Arabic music with a beat, ’cause I can belly dance in my seat. But this stuff was some awful male singer wailing, and it was unbearable.
The only thing good that I can say is that at least it’s cheap. Each of our beef dishes was 9.99. But since it comes only with the anemic little bit of salad, and the beef obviously wasn’t filet mignon, it wasn’t worth even that much. I can’t even say «stick with the chicken,» because there was none.

I love Ethiopian food, but keep going to the same place and get the same thing. This time, I wanted to break the cycle and try something new.
Outside it doesnt seem like much, but inside is comfy and decorated with Ethiopian items and pictures on the walls.
The BF and I shared the meat combo which comes with 2 types of beef dishes, 2 types of lamb dishes, some salad and some crumbly cheese. There was a sauteed beef with jalapenos, tomatoes and onions and the flavor was good, but it was tough. A ground beef dish that was alright. The lamb dishes were better in terms of it being more tender, both stews were decent and they gave us a bit more of one of them.
While we were full, I feel the portions here seem a bit smaller than other places I’ve tried. The seasoning was good, if only it were all tender.
The guy that took our order was nice enough.
I think it’s probably a decent place, but maybe not beef dishes. Next time, I will probably get my usual — a vegetarian combination.

Excellent
Service impeccable
Food cheap et bon

I crave Ethiopian food. I crave the spice factor, the flavors that only Ethiopian food can give. And this week I gave into that craving.
We’ve tried quite a few Ethiopian restaurants in Vegas, and decided to try a new one this time — Blue Nile.
We arrived on a Wednesday evening and the restaurant was empty. We weren’t deterred because most Ethiopian restaurants are always empty when we choose to dine. It’s the timing!
You definitely have to pay attention when you’re looking for this restaurant. The outside is nothing to rave about, but it’s surprisingly nice inside. We had our choice of tables and the waiter asked if we were okay with the basketball game on. We were and once he realized that the Husband was paying attention to the game, he asked if we wanted to move closer to the TV. We declined but appreciated his offer. (Note: No language barriers here!)
We now know what we want these days without needing to look at the menu. Their menu is pretty short — only 13 items on there!
We chose the Vegetarian Combo «A combination dish of pureed split lentil cooked with onion and hot pepper in zesty spicy sauce, green pepper, collared green sauteed with garlic and cooked cured cabbage, potato, and carrots.» ($ 9.99) and Kitfo «Lean red chopped beef minced, blended and delicately seasoned in hot spice… raw, medium, or well-​done.» ($ 10.99).
The Vegetarian Combo arrived first and we were starving, so we just dove right in. We couldn’t wait for the Kitfo to arrive although it did shortly after. (It did seem like we had to wait a little longer than usual for our food… not sure if it’s because we were famished or it actually took longer.) The Husband commented that it looked like we got less food in the combo than other places and looking back at some of the other places we’ve eaten, I do have to agree. However, the amount of kitfo we got was quite generous. We had leftovers!
The waiter explained everything we got — which was actually Yellow Lentils, Chickpeas, Collared Greens, Red Lentils, Fresh Salad, Cured Cabbage, and String Beans. (No potato or carrots as mentioned in the menu description.) Each item was good, but I do believe that the lentils have been a bit more flavorful at other places. The kitfo was super flavorful though! We did ask for it to be medium and it was more medium rare, which we still ate. It also came with a homemade spinach and cheese concoction to help with the heat. I didn’t really notice that much heat coming from any of the food, except when we chose to add the much needed hot red pepper seasoning.
We needed more water and injera bread, and did have to wait to be noticed first about needing those as opposed to it arriving before we were out.
Overall, it was good. There were some things better here than others and vice versa, but we’d come back. We usually never have leftovers, so that was a first. I think I might be craving it again next week… where to next?
3.5 stars.