Enssaro

I have had my share of Ethiopian food so I believe this food was very average, the mustard greens were undercooked with the stems still in it. That is not acceptable when you are eating with your hands and can’t really cut anything. The seasoning on the chicken was delish. I think it needed a bit more salt but maybe not. Too noisy inside, they should decide… dining experience or noisy bar scene. You can’t hold a conversation the television, and the bar is so loud. Also the staff seem slow, but they are attentive.

Loved this place! Tasty and authentic Ethiopian cuisine. We tried the veggie platter with fish and it was more than enough for
two pEople and really good too. Definetly check this place out if you are in the area. This is a great location and we wouldcome back another time for sure!

I really wanted to give this review 5 stars. Honestly, I did. However, what transpired left me upset, if not a little angry overall, especially considering the circumstances leading up to it. Let me explain:
Last night, I was thinking to myself, «I want Enssaro for lunch tomorrow.» So, I went online, and lo and behold, Eat24 (which is either Unilocal-​owned or at least affiliated) allowed me to place an order for pickup for the next day, at a specific time. GREAT!
I had a class of rowdy 5^th-​graders (the GOOD kind of rowdy — energetic and engaging, absorbing lessons like sponges and wanting MORE) and only had 30 minutes for lunch, so I figured I’d just schedule the pickup for 11:40am, giving me plenty of time for the 10-​minute walk, grab it (already paid for with tip and everything) and head back down, then enjoy 10 minutes of calm, meditative, culinary bliss with some doro wot, ye sega wot, and gommen besega, fresh injera, and a small salad, right?
I was called within moments after placing the order last night, and was asked if I was picking that up that night. I explained it was actually for 11:40am the next day. I was told, «Huh…I didn’t know they did that! All right, then — we’ll see you at 11:40 tomorrow!»
ARROOOOGA! RED FLAG! ARROOOOGA! RED FLAG!
But…hey…let’s be optimistic…(spoiler alert: big mistake on my part!)
Well, my class ran over a bit, so I showed up at 11:45, was asked about my order, and waited.
And waited…
AND WAITED???
15 minutes went by, 20, THIRTY MINUTES LATER… and I was asked about my order AGAIN…
I was given an excuse that they were short-​staffed, yet I watched as two businessmen were served with four separate orders to go, two seated groups were served… one of them twice… and a tired-​looking Asian woman in front of me was served before I FINALLY received my meal… a meal which I had ordered the night before, with a specific time for pickup, while the seated groups had come in after the Asian woman who had placed her order at the counter and the two businessmen had called theirs in that day…
*pssssttt!* It’s called prioritizing… but hey, what do I know? I’ve never worked in a restaurant in my entire life, right? (*cough* former sous chef in an Italian restaurant *cough*)
Had my meal not already been paid for, I would have said, «Screw it» and left. At the least, I would have reduced the tip from the 20% that I graciously gave (after all, I LOVE THEIR FOOD!)…
I have been a customer on and off for about seven years now, and the food has never disappointed me. My wife turned me on to this restaurant. I had never had Ethiopian food before, and ever since, it’s always been a wonderful pleasure… and now, finally back in the «old neighborhood» after she passed away, it’s been a fond remembrance of our wonderful times in that first cramped, darkened, wonderful hole-​in-​the-​wall.
I mean, hell, I’ve come to EXPECT their notoriously (at times painfully) slow service as the food is always prepared fresh; however, considering that I had ordered (and paid) the night before, with a specific pick-​up time specified, and to have it finally get to me NOT at 11:40am, but at 12:10pm? While so many others received theirs ahead of mine?
…hence, my removing two of the stars. As Unilocal doesn’t have half-​star ratings, it would have been 2 ½, but removing a third star would leave it feeling… wrong. After all, their food IS good. It’s just their service that needs work.
A lot of work.
I mean, it always has been slow, but today was just… unacceptable. I’ve worked in restaurants from the aforementioned Italian to Mediterranean to delicatessens specializing primarily in corporate catering, and you do NOT shove a pre-​order aside to serve a walk-​in.
Ever.
That being said… I didn’t get to eat it as I had planned. Rather, I wound up having to take it home with me, where I gobbled some of it far too quickly, not even REMOTELY relaxing and enjoying it as I had wanted, shoveling it into me as fast as I could since I was VERY hungry and my blood sugar levels were almost DANGEROUSLY low by that time… and now, here I sit, writing this review… with heartburn. Oh, joy.
So, in closing, I would just like to say… thank you, Enssaro, for ruining my lunch — a lunch I ordered 15 HOURS in advance.

Want to be adventurous and try something «new”/not traditional to modern American cuisine? As a first-​time Ethiopian food eater, Ethiopian food crosses the line between Indian spices and dips fused with African meats and vegetables.
Perfect place to take a date, grub with a friend and indulge in some of Oakland’s fine, very authentic, local-​feeling eateries. Enssaro is located around Lake Merritt and pleased my friend and I just fine.
We decided on their staple half meat & veggie sampler. It was a perfect «go around» circular platter, served with a bed of fresh sourdough-​like spongey rolls to dip and grab and eat with your hands the flurry of lentils, beans, chicken, beef, greens and salad… Some of the dips didn’t impress me. The heavier, bolder spiced meats were fine for those loving those heavier flavors. I preferred the soft, pleasant lentil mash and greens. A definite kind of eatery to keep you interested.
Vibe is very «underground,» almost divey but clean and well kept. Tables fairly private though I went on a packed Saturday night with a wait list outside. Families and friends dining all around. (I think the two dudes beside us were amazed at my friend’s «screaming”/loud talking voice.) I had also heard great things of their honey wine, but just decided on their cinnamon black tea to chill out with, but didn’t impress (tasted like a basic black ginger tea).
Food was great though! It’s good for what it is and this place seems to do it right. (Definitely had more rolls than we needed, which the lady took away before we could save them… But the platter itself was already on a huge roll, which I loved!) I probably wouldn’t dine here all the time, but it’s a nice place to try and experiment with Ethiopian cuisine. The workers are generally very nice and courteous and are probably very used to treating new-​timers/​those unfamiliar to Ethiopian cuisine, as this place packs in the diversity. Satisfying eats, though!

Throw down your knives and forks and embrace our Injera overlords. A light, fluffy crêpe like flatbread that my daughter called cake, my wife called a pancake and I was too busy to name things as my mouth was full.
The food is served family style on a big platter in the middle of the table with a big bowl of accompanying Injera. If you didn’t have enough Injera don’t worry, the food is also _​served_​on one.
We visited on a Sunday afternoon between what should be lunch and dinner and it was still busy. There were still plenty of tables though, it is a fairly large space. The food was very good, we went for a mixed sampler with basically picking what we thought would be our favorites from the available sample dishes. We also got a Ye Assa Tibs which was also great.
Overall, really delicious food with a relaxed and stress free environment.

Heaven on earth! We got the meat and veggie sampler platters with the cinnamon hot tea and it was great! Very chill ambiance and great customer service from the staff. Will definitely be back and most likely order the same exact combo!

Wow oh wow! The last time I went to Enssaro, they had like 8 tables (not sure), but there’s so much space at their new location across the street. The food is still great I think they may be slightly understaffed, because it was hard to get the servers’ attention while seated in their outdoor area.
Food: Before I begin, I’d like to say I’ve only had Ethiopian food in 2 places. Once, at a potluck and every other time at Enssaro. I don’t know other places, so I can’t compare. As for food at Enssaro, I love it. I don’t even like lamb, but the way they season and spice their food, it’s like magic. I ordered the Meat sampler platter the last time here, and it was hot and tender and aaaaaaaamazing. If you need food that pops woth flavor, look no further. It’s almost like Indian food, but it is definitely distinct in the flavors. The injera is to ethiopian food what naan is to Indian food. It’s taste is like a sourdough but texture like a thin pancake. +2/​2
Service: it’s not bad, but it’s not great. I don’t think this is the fault of the servers but rather the amount amount of space they have to cover per person. It was hard to get their attention, but we could see them helping lots of the indoor seated diners. Other than that, they were nice. +0.5/1 star.
Ambiance/​décor: it’s definitely a step up from their last location. There is outdoor and indoor seating and the lighting is dim. It’s a nice feel. +1/​1 star.
Would I come back? It was on my list of restaurants for my east bay trip from socal. It’s worth it. +1/​1 star.
Total: 4.5 stars. If Unilocal gave me the option of half stars, it’d get 4.5, but it was not a 5 star dining experience.

I am honored to pen Enssaro’s 1000’th review.
I’ve come here with friends many times, but I also come here 1−2x a week for takeout. The food is great and service is friendly. I usually build my own mixed combo. Right now my go to combo is the lamb, the chicken, and the yellow pigeon peas. One combo order is enough for two of us to end up totally stuffed. They opened up at the new location across the street somewhat recently. It’s really nice and feels a lot more spacious. Best of all, more people can dine in at once.
Closed on Tuesdays. If you want Ethiopian on a Tuesday, head on over to Asmara.

«Owner is a little man»
So I was with some birthday girls tonight. We decided to settle in on this restaurant because we heard good things and this place actually serves one of the birthday girl’s hometown food.
While ordering…
One of the girls claimed they’re a regular customer and the restaurant doesn’t serve fresh vegetables in their dishes. The waitress clarified that they do serve fresh made vegetables that are prepared every morning. Waitress seemed slightly upset. Okay, a strike on our part.
When eating…
It took about 30 – 40 minutes for the food to be served. Our crowd really liked the family style dishes. Food was indeed delicious. Waitress came by and asked if the vegetables were fresh. We said, «Yes, and food was delicious!» This was going to be a five star review. Then we saw a bunch of waitresses and the owner, Telamune singing «Happy Birthday» wishes to another table. So we were thinking, we should have that too since we have two birthday girls on our table right?
Telamune…
I happened to called the owner over (which I didn’t realize at the time) and asked if we could have the same thing on our table. I asked if we could have some kind of dessert with the same blessings. He wanted to check the IDs of the birthday girls. I was thinking, «Ok… we have a social owner here playing hard to get». He verified the IDs and said precisely, «Birthdays means BIRTHDAYS. It’s TODAY.» So I waited a little bit thinking he was going to say something like, «I was just kidding. We’ll have the cakes over in a bit.» No, he went on with the definition of «Birthdays». Also mentioned we only do this if the birthday was today. We had an awkward pause. Then I snapped on him and said, «Enough, it’s too late now. We’re not coming back.»
Two Star Review…
So I was thinking I’m going to leave two star at least because the food was geniunely very good. Up until I saw my check which I used my credit card on. Telamune HAD THE AUDACITY TO WRITE HIS OWN TIPS ON THE RECEIPT. Tip came out to be 20% which was something I was about to give anyways. Nope, that took the 1 star away. Telamune, you need to check the definition of «tips». Hope you’re reading this.
Just FYI staff were all very professional. We’re sorry about the fresh vegetable comment. Perhaps Telamune heard about that one and wanted to «exercise» his authority as the owner of the restaurant.

I took my team here for lunch, and everyone enjoyed the food! Considering how tasty and well-​seasoned the food was, I’m not sure how «healthy» it was but it sure was delicious!
Unless you specify otherwise, entrees are served together on a large communal plate with a side basket of good Injera bread.
Butacha (Ethiopian hummus): this was a revelation to me! It looked like, and had the consistency of, thick potato salad and had a great, spicy kick which went great with the Injera bread.
Ye Messer Sambusa (Ethiopian vegetarian samosas): tasty, but forgettable compared to the butacha.
Shiro (seasoned chickpea flour with Ethiopian spices, ginger, and garlic): not the most appetizing looking of dishes but very tasty with deep layers of flavor!
Ye Tsome Bayaynetu (vegetarian sampler): I enjoyed the Messer Wot (red lentils; nice, mild heat) the most, while the Kik Alicha (yellow pigeon peas) seemed forgettable in the midst of so many flavorful dishes.
Ye Feseg Bayaynetu (meat sampler): I was fasting from meat that day so can’t comment, but the rest of the team seemed to really enjoy the Ye Beg Wot (lamb).
I like their spacious, new location (just across the street from their former address) and while service is friendly enough, they seem understaffed; Enssaro gets really busy during lunch hours so you may need to remind your server several times to refill your water or Injera. Also, be warned that it takes a long time for entrees to come out!

Two words: «Veggie Combo»
The «Veggie Combo» is vegan heaven! Fresh, flavorful, & comes piping hot. Enssaro is one of the best Ethiopian restaurants in Oakland & has efficient service.
Only complaint was the music in the restaurant was a little on the loud side.

Yuck… I bought a bottle of the wine to go, and it tasted like chemicals. I had my roommate sample it and he thought it smelled and tasted like a cleaning product or gasoline. What the heck?
The food was just okay, too. Gristly meat… not good. How are you supposed to get around gristle and bone while you eat with your hands and with bread? I didn’t enjoy it. The flavors were there, but it was low quality meat, so not enjoyable. I’d love to have a good option for goat in my neighborhood, but no such luck.

Great service. Great crowd. Great atmosphere. & the best part? Outstanding food!
The reviews do not lie and this is the most popular Ethiopian restaurant in Oakland for a reason. It gets extremely crowded during lunch and the prices used to be cheaper, but for the quality, you won’t mind paying that extra $ 2.
Definitely a great place to bring a group of friends to or just pick up some food to-​go and bring it home. Will be coming here for all my Ethiopian cravings.

This used to be the location of Enssaro proper, the superb Ethiopian restaurant that has moved across the street into a less cramped situation. The owners kept the old place and have turned it into a coffee and tea shop!
Right now they’ve just got your standard drinks – cappuccino, espresso, hot chocolate, et al. Signs on the door and counter say they serve Sightglass coffee. I very much enjoyed my latte and chocolate chip + sea salt cookie. Seems like a great place to get work done (there is wifi) or just meet up with a friend.
I almost missed it from the outside. The interior has more of an elegant/​minimalistic feel (lots of grays and nice wood floors) than a bohemian or hole-​in-​the-​wall one, but it also doesn’t go overboard (ever feel nervous at one of Blue Bottle’s locations and not know why?). They’ve made a space that’s cool and comfy.

A friend and I came to the new location on a rainy day and we had been wanting to check it out for some time since they moved across the street from the old location. We saw our friend Solomon, who we have known since the Addis Habana studio was next door to the old location. Ensarro is a family owned business and I am delighted that they have expanded and moved to a bigger, more spacious location in the same area! For our first time, we ordered the appetizer plate for a light meal made of hummus, salad, fries, sambusas and injera! It was delish and we hope to come back here again soon.

This is really not the best Ethiopian. We drove all the way from sanjose, but we are totally disappointed. we ordered for non veg n veg, but they mix it and give it in single plate… This really pissed off us. The injiras are very sour in taste, we hardly could eat it and we ended up eating only 2 piece of. Please do try zenis and walli…

Excellent spectacularly good food. Only taking off a star as the service is really slow. Might be they are always crazy busy though. I’ve never managed to go when it wasn’t.
The new place is really nice, though the bar is unfortunately uncomfortable. It needs to be deeper so your knees have somewhere to go.
Still. Lots more tables fit and it’s nice and cheerfully decorated. And they are really nice.

Legit now they add a breakfast!!! Could anything get any better? The egg sandwich they got me was on point! Cooked to perfection and test was awesome…

This is one of the best Ethiopian restaurants in Oakland. The food is great! Try the fish if you get the sampler platter, it is delicious! The veggie sambusas are better than the beef sambusas (and I’m a meat lover)! If you’re new to eating Ethiopian food, then you should have a sprite or sparkling water with your food to make sure your stomach is settled after your meal.
The atmosphere is busy and trendy. This is definitely a well-​known spot that is frequented by locals.

Yaye!!! Enssaro has added espresso to their menu. Love it. Great spot to get work done. Can’t get any better. Quality drinks and wonderful attentive staff. These people are awesome.
I defiantly be a regular.

What an amazing place, our last visit to an Ethiopian restaurant date back to almost 2yrs. I remember our experience was so bad in a restaurant in Houston that we put off going to Ethiopian place again but after coming back to California I remembered good old times I had years ago…
We were really hungry after a light stroll in the park we decided to eat. I knew Oakland has some of the best Ethiopian restaurants (in my experience anyway) in bay area. So we decided to check out a place nearby and voila Ennsaro…(Thank you Unilocal)
We went there on a sunny afternoon (presidents day), the ambiance was loud yet peaceful, our waitress was polite & friendly while greeting us and taking our order. Pretty soon we were serenading out tastebuds in some finger licking good food…
We ordered Ye Tsome Bayaynetu (Veggie sampler), Shiro (my fav) and Ye Messer Sambusa. We loved almost everything that was served except the Sambusa that was too oily and a bit burnt.
The injera that was server to us was warm tender with a hint of just right bitterness binding everything together melting in your mouth… Best of all my kid did not complain while eating she ate good no complaints…
If I could I would give them 4.5 Stars, I’m taking off 0.5 star for burnt Sambusa…
Ok I Completely recommend this place… we will visit sooon

This is a family run business and amazing food. I can’t believe I lived in Oakland for so long and never ate here until I opened the business next-​door.
****If you ride a bike you can come valet park your bike at OAkland SPOKES across the street for free!****

Service is awesome. its Avery busy busy place. But table wait was only 20 min. for party of seven.
Got a variety of dishes some meat, some veggie. Injera was pungent, warm and spongy. The variety was a decent recommendation so we can hone in on choices next time.
Wait staff friendly and fairly attentive considering the number of tables. We sat in back by kitchen and bar. That made it not as noisy.
Apparently this is a bigger place than original across the street. However, it’s still in Oakland and those of you who venture over from Marin or Russian Hill, may be a little nervous with the surrounding businesses. Ergo likely not all that willing to venture forth to taste this fine cuisine. Rather a shame. This appears from all accounts to be the REAL Deal.
What’s even better 7 of us ate with tea, a few Ethiopian coffees, sodas, ginger beers etc for a whopping 65 bucks with tip!
Now that is a happy meal! Eat your heart out Mac-​E –D’s

There is a serious — and inexplicable — lack of Ethiopian restaurants in the Bay Area, so my husband and I try to hit them on our way to or from other areas. We stopped here with the kids for a dinner on our way home from Napa.
First off, go over to the kitchen area to get seated. Second, be prepared to wait. This place is (deservedly) popular.
We ordered the hummus appetizer, which was incredible. What is in that stuff that makes it so creamy? Seriously, if you are reading this and know, tell me. Is it extra garlic? So good!
I got the only dish on the menu that said it could be made vegan. My husband got a lamb wot of some kind. All the food is very similar, curries and what not. This is not to say it is in any way boring or one-​note, which is most definitely not. It’s just hard to remember specifics. We enjoyed all of the food immensely. Even the kids did! I thought they’d be turned off by the sourness of the injera, but nope, they devoured it.
If you have the chance to eat here, I highly recommend it. And please, help me out and determine what is the magic in their hummus.

My husband and I tried out them out for the first time this wk and they were great. Normally, there is a long line for the wait list and we usually don’t have the patience to wait. Fortunately for us we can right before the bigger crowd. We went around 6 pm on a Friday night and had about a 15 minute wait.
We ate in their no location which is located right across the street from the old one. From what I understand it’s twice as big which may account for why the wait was not as long.
The food was great. Service was good. Place was packed. But their ice mocha was bleh. Ethiopian food is not known for iced mochas so hopefully this comment doesn’t hinder you from trying this place out if you haven’t. This is more so a suggestion to save your money and pass on their iced mocha.
The place is very loud so it might not be a great place to go for a first date or if you are trying to catch up and hear a conversation.

This place was delicious! We tried many options of the food. Injera was awesome and was surely replenished when needed. We tried the vegetarian sampler, messer wot, kitfo, ye beg wot, and ye doro alicha.
We had a combination of veggies and lamb, some minced meat, and 5 dishes was surely enough for 6 people (too much!!). I’d suggest getting 4 or so. Some favorites were the lentils, the cabbage salad, and the lamb were yummy. The venue and setting were very modern as well. I’ve been to other Ethiopian restaurants which have a more cultural/​traditional feel so this was a bit different but still nice. I would definitely suggest getting the veggie platter which includes gommen as well (sauteed greens).
Fun place for a group!

SETTING:
Nice venue. Almost border-​line romantic vibe. It would be a great dinner date spot if you want to change it up. But… it gets messy, so don’t do that unless you both are past the nervousness phase. Good for small groups. Also, you come out of it with improved teamwork abilities, enhanced fine-​motor skills, organization, etc. Dinner AND a resume builder! Confused? Read on.
FOOD:
Let me preface this by saying this was my very first time eating Ethiopian food. For some reason, Ethiopian food has this magical aura around it. Possibly because many have heard of it, but not all have tried it… or even know much about this cuisine.
The one theme that everyone is intrigued with is the fact that you use your hands to take some «bread» that is sourdough-​tasting, with a rubbery texture, and has lots of holes (good thing we’re not playing charades for the word «injera» or you would never guess it). Then you use the injera to pick up bits of the food that is very saucy and ground into small sizes. No, you can’t wrap the food in it like a burrito or taco. The key is to only take a small piece of injera. The smaller the piece, the less messy you eat. I learned this the hard way – my napkin was by far the messiest until I caught on.
A group of 6 of us went and we picked 4 – 5 items. The items were presented on a very large platter in the middle of the table, and the injera in smaller plates placed around it. Teamwork was required to turn the platter around and pass the injera. We all bonded over how delicious and fun our dinner adventure was.
SERVICE:
The food is difficult to describe until you eat it and see it for yourself, so the waitress wasn’t super helpful. I mean, it’s like the story about the blind men describing what an elephant looks like. Service was fast and attentive.
IMPRESSIONS:
I’m still not very well versed in the food yet, but honestly everything tasted amazing. I think this is a great place to go with a few friends that you are close with because things will get messy and dicey. Also, don’t wear white if you’re a messy eater. Ensarro is much more than just dinner, it’s an adventure that you will want experience again and again!

i LOVE this restaurant. the food is delicious, it’s perfectly spiced, they make their own injera and they have a gluten free injera option. i also like their spicy tea (hot or cold.)
i like to get a vegetarian and a meet combo but you need 2 people for that. it’s way too much for one, although it’s still DELICIOUS as left overs.
this place is pretty popular so it’s better to go on off hours if you can swing it. and it’s true, it gets crowded, the tables are a little close together but so what. the food’s amazing, the service is great and the prices are reasonable.

As good as my mamas. Is so far the best Ethiopian/​Eritrean restaurant I’ve ever had. Great atmosphere, service and food!
You won’t be disappointed

I don’t understand why Enssaro is so popular, because their food is really disappointing. I always get the vegetarian combo as my litmus test of a new Ethiopian restaurant, and there was nothing on Enssaro’s vegetarian combo that I liked: their cabbage & potato dish was bland and greasy, and their different bean dishes were blah. We also got a meat dish, I don’t remember which one and it was similarly unimpressive.
I love Ethiopian food, and this place is right around the corner from my house, with really nice outdoor seating, so I wish the food were better. Instead, I’ll still drive all the way to Café Colucci when I want Ethiopian.

For those of you who have Trypophobia, the Enssaro may freak you out.
Price: We got one choose your own sampler ($ 16ish) and it was enough for both of us as we came in not too hungry.
Parking: STREET
Food:
The sampler filled us up fast because this place does not skimp on the injera. We asked for Teff (+$ 2ish) Injera because it was recommended by other Unilocalers. It turned out to be like a sour spongy bread.
The items on the platter we chose were:
Lentils, chicken on bone, and chicken not on bone.
Overall, they were tasty, different, but very oily. I would probably stick with the veggies next time as that was the most tasty plate.
Notes: Clean environment. Single restrooms, one women one men.

Best Ethiopin food I have ever had. Cozy ambiance with a great view of the lake and excellent customer service. I LOVE the family style patter and the flavors in each dish. Definitely a place to visit while by the lake

Vegetarian combo, beef tibs, and their special kitfo are all on point! If you are not familiar with Ethiopian dishes, here’s a brief rundown. Ethiopian food is served family style and the dishes are all put on one big plate. You use the injera (sour spongey bread) to scoop up each delicious morsel of food. The vegetarian combo is composed of simmered lentils, greens and chickpeas. The beef tibs are cubes of beef sautéed in onions, garlic and Ethiopian spices. The special kitfo is their version of beef tartare with minced kale and Ethiopian cheese. They are all served side by side in mounds atop a layer of injera.
I appreciate the fact that their injera is not as sour compared to other Ethiopian places I’ve been to.
Love the brand new location. It is just across the street from the old one but it’s bigger and more updated! I just wish that their service is a little better. I’m not going to go into specifics, but a little more attention to the patrons would go a long way! :-)

The food is DELICIOUS!
We ordered the vegetarian platter, goat and chicken tibbs. All dishes were FANTASTIC!
The hospitality is a bit ‘dry’ so I had to account for that in rating but the quality and taste make up for it all.
Best Place out there if you want authentic taste and deliciousness!

I ate Ethiopian for the FIRST TIME the other night!
Highlights: the sambusas! Holy cow, those things are so good! Flaky, tender phyllo dough with hot, flavorful lentils inside. Get those! I could have maybe ate those for my meal alone.
The honey wine and injera are delicious — the sweetness of the wine pairs well with the sourness of the bread. Enssaro offers awesome combination plates if you’re new to the cuisine and want to experience a bunch of different dishes. The Ye Beg Wot (lamb slowly simmered with berbere and spices) was my favorite of the night.
You can come here with a friend and have a feast of a dinner with leftovers to spare for a pretty reasonable price. Staff are attentive and friendly. It gets pretty crowded in here, but if you come during warmer months, their outdoor patio area looks super nice.
I wouldn’t recommend Ethiopian for a date though… try eating a salad with your hands while still looking poised. Nope.

My mother introduced me to this place about 4 years ago and I have held it as my favorite Ethiopian restaurant ever since. I’ve experienced taking items to-​go and have also ate in the restaurant. I even chose this restaurant to celebrate my college graduation and that was back when the location was smaller.
I’m addicted to the Ye Doro Tibs (chicken) with red lentils and a salad. This is a no brainer choice. It comes with a little kick of spiciness but I believe you can also order it mild (but who would do that?). I also really enjoy a lot of their lamb dishes and got the meat and vegetarian samosas. Trust me on this one. The food is always bomb and a good place to bring others who have also ways wanted to try Ethiopian food.
They have recently moved across the street to a much larger location (moving on up!). And the new place still gets packed… such an accomplishment!

The well loved Enssaro Ethiopian Restaurant has moved across the Street — 357a Grand — to a much larger space. There’s open air seating and more than double the tables space inside. The larger kitchens with more staff, means that the orders will be arriving faster than ever.
It’s a great place to catch a dinner and walk through Lake Merritt’s park.
The larger bar has several beers and cider on tap. There’s plenty of room to hang out and just have a couple pints.

My friend has had this craving for a week now, so we decided to eat here, it was a first for me and a first for Ethiopian food for another friend…
We ordered chicken, beef and veggie plus their samosa style veggies n beef, sorry can’t remember the names of the stuff…
Everything was good, but the beef was very tough… Beef had too much thistle which made it hard to chew… chicken was very tender… veggies were off the hook… we ate pretty much most of it…
This was my first birthday dinner, thanks so much

I really like Ethiopian food and I’ve been dabbling in the Oakland scene, which is a plenty. With these great reviews, I hate going against the herd, however I felt that Ensarro’s fare was a tad bit bland compared to other restaurants I’ve tried. Where that spice, yo!
I went halfsies on a meat and veggie sampler and everything tasted the same. It was all still good, don’t get me wrong, but not a lot of distinct, robust flavor. The lentils melded into the chickpeas, that melded into the collard greens, that melded into the stewed beef, that melded into the chicken. I know they all share a plate, but it all just tasted like the same mush. At the end, the the only taste coming thru was that tart injera. (Never a bad thing).
I do like this joint, don’t get me wrong. The reggae going on, the casual vibe, the reasonable prices. It’s definitely a solid option in the area especially when dining with the veg and vegan heads.
Ultimately, I’ve had better in Oakland and I probably won’t seek it out again, unless I was in the ‘hood.

Ethiopian food is one of my favorite types of cuisine, so I was super enthusiastic to finally be sampling the veggie combo platter at Enssaro. First impression: it’s a tiny little restaurant, almost a café. The lighting is quite dark with an almost nightclub-​y feel (trying to be sexy, perhaps?). It kind of reminds me of Radio, a bar in Oakland. The dim lighting made it a little difficult to take a great photo for the various social media platforms we all participate in.
I loved the taste the red lentils, and the greens were cooked beautifully, so they weren’t too soggy or mushy. Everything was seasoned well. I loved the chili sauce that was served alongside the veggie sambusa appetizer, but my friends found it to be too hot for their more delicate palates. I think it has just the right kick if you are a spice nerd like me.
All of the veggie items were flavorful, with the lentils being a clear favorite. We ordered two of the vegetarian combo plates and that was more than enough food for the three of us, especially with all of the injera. Bread as utensils? Genius! I’m sure the dishwasher appreciates not having to wash as many items, as separate plates and silverware aren’t really necessary.
I left feeling like there was a food baby chillin’ over the edge of my jeans. Next time, I’ll definitely wear an elastic waistband for optimal post-​dining comfort.

I stop in here at least once every time I’m in Oakland, which is now going to average, maybe 4x a year. It’s a requirement. I wish we had an Enssaro here… but such is the foodie life, lusting for what is elsewhere… lots of things are elsewhere…
Enssaro makes good quality, standard Ethiopian dishes. I’ve had some that are super sub-​par, mushy indistinguishable blobs and some super fancified. This is neither. It’s just perfect, home style food, at a restaurant. Let’s just say, this would be a great place to take someone for their first experience with Ethiopian cuisine. They do a great job with the moisture level on the dishes, making them easy to grab and the spice level is enough to be interesting, but not to burn anyone out.
That said, I get the Vegetarian Sampler. The Messer Wot is probably the best red lentil dish I’ve ever had. I usually ask for double, shunning the Kik Alicha (the yellow beans). The salad and cabbage and carrots add balance to the spicy lentils. It’s a good portion for your money and if you are conservative with the injera, also for your belly. There are times when I’m better at this than others! And… they keep you loaded with injera, so be careful.
Can’t wait to see the new digs!

Pros: the food is really amazing! We got the meat sampler and veggie sampler which comes with injera and it was more than enough food! The taste of each item was savory and delicious! Did a pairing with honey wine (which taste like ice wine with a wheat beer-​like after taste)… Super sweet so one glass for the two of us was perfect. The ambience is on the darker side so it gives it a little romantic feel.
Cons: like most popular restaurants, you may have expect a wait. Coupled with a tiny restaurant, tables are pretty cramped but not unpleasant. Service can be a bit slower since they stuff a lot of people in there!
Overall: yes yes yes. Definitely check it out! It has an authentic feel and taste worth coming and waiting if needed :)

Just got back from an awesome dinner here. Was craving some Ethiopian food. Zeni seemed too far and was not ready for the long waits, so decided to try a new place at Oakland.
We had the Ethiopian tea (shai), beef sambusa, veggie sampler plate, and ye doro tibs. Everything was amazing! I especially loved the sambusa and tibs. The miser wot in the sampler was the best. I wasn’t a fan of the atakilt– the veggies were a bit hard and less on spice.
Sizing is huge. The sambusa was 4 good sized portions. Enjoyed every one of them!
Best part– the meat is halal (verbal confirmation from the staff). I am definitely coming back.

I love Ethiopian food.
Enssaro is a small restaurant on Grand with amazing food. For those who have gluten issues, this place offers gluten free injera also!
We ended up ordering the veggie and meat combo. This came with two chicken entrees, one lamb, two different types of lentils, greens, potatoes, and salad. I was a huge fan of the meat entrees. Seasoning was spot on. As far as the veggies, I never really was a lentil fan so I can’t hold anything against them for not liking it. The other veggies were good though especially the greens.
The honey wine was excellent… not too sweet.
Service was also good. We almost ran out of injera and our server immediately replaced our basket with a couple more. Awesome.
Street parking only. Super close to the lake to walk off your food coma. Great spot.