Meda Ethiopian Bar and Restaurant

Updating to 3 stars as Abyssinia is now open and I find their food more flavourful.
Abyssinia’s space is also cleaner and decorated.

Red means spicy, yellow means not-​so-​spicy.
We went here after a review in the City newspaper. We had absolutely no idea what to expect. I briefly read up on some reviews of other Ethiopian food places outside of Rochester and learned some of the common words in the menu, etc. I also reviewed some of the customs, so I knew I wouldn’t horribly offend anyone there.
This place is no frills. You get a table, a chair and a polite waiter or waitress. When we were there we didn’t have the choice of drink, we were offered water. When we asked about something else to drink we were told they would go across the street to the store to buy something if we wanted it.
Our order was put into a half door, and moments later a little, elderly woman appears in the window to collect the tickets. She works very swiftly inside the kitchen, and when she is ready she dings a bell then stands waiting patiently at the door with a tray of goodness in hand.
This is the most delicious food I have tried of any culture. It is subtle and delicate when it comes to the meat flavoring. I prefer the vegetarian dishes from here, they are just simple and so satisfying, and I believe the vegetarian dishes are more boldly flavored.
Oh, this food isn’t eaten with utensils. It’s all eaten with this very thin, spongy pancake and your fingers. Eat it all at the restaurant, because the pancake-​thingy doesn’t reheat well.
You need to try this, even if it isn’t your type of food in the end you will be a better person for having tried it once.
YOU NEED A RESERVATION!!!

It took 1.45 hours for the food to come out, but it was so worth it! The lamb on the meat platter was SO good.
Will come back, but maybe will bring a bottle of wine while waiting.

I don’t know what happened!
I went back here with a vegan friend who was visiting… we went in about 12pm on a Sunday. No lights were on in the restaurant. Two men were sitting in a corner… not talking but just staring at us. We felt pretty uncomfortable. On top of that, a lingering rotten smell permeated the room. We sat down anyway.
Five minutes later, no one had some to help us. My friend went to the bathroom, which smelled unclean.
We then decided to leave.
Sad.
Just to make sure I wasn’t crazy, I made sure the OPEN sign was on. Yep. It was.
When I went a few months ago, I thought they had some finishing touches to update but it seems as though nothing has happened.

First Ethiopian experience in Rochester, second in my life. I am a fan of Meda’s food offerings and prices. My sister and I settled on the veggie combo for two, just $ 17.99. There are no special drink offerings (just soda), but you can bring your own bottle of wine.
Let me take a step back. Walking into the restaurant was a bit disheartening. I was hoping for more atmosphere. This place has next to none. The restaurant is pretty bare with simple tables and chairs. There was very little lighting and it smelled of cleaning products.
All of the food appears from a curtained window in the dining room. Strange, but ok.
I started to feel better when food began to arrive at other tables, filling the restaurant with savory aromas. When our food arrived, I tore off some injera and dug in.
Lentils, potatoes, cabbage, spinach… I tasted everything separately at first and then began combining flavors. We made a significant dent in the dish but could not finish. We didn’t even get to the injera that covered the bottom of our plate.
I’d like to do Ethiopian again, but will probably try out a different restaurant for a better overall dining experience.

I hate to do this but I have to change my review. The portions have gotten increasingly smaller. The last time I went I ordered the usual… the vegetarian combo and what came out was not what I was used to. The greens were missing, no one mentioned that it had changed or that they were out. There were multiple dollops of the same dishes on the platter– like if they just gave us a few things but put them in multiple piles it would seem like a variety. The presentation was lacking a lot compared to previous visits and there definitely was not the friendly service that existed when the restaurant first opened. Really disappointed that this was not like it was when originally opened.

My first Ethiopian Experience. Absolutely phenomonal. The flavors and the spices were so unique and delicious they definitely will have me coming back for some more. and more… and more. My boyfriend and I ordered the sample platter for two which was around $ 17 – 18. Believe me – you get plenty of food!!! A little sad I couldn’t enjoy a glass of wine or a beer with meal as it would be a perfect paring however, I hear you can bring your own bottle of wine. Which is AMAZING!
Above all else, the owner is just a really neat man. Gracious and kind. THERE IS PLENTY of parking which is alway worries me eating in the University/​Park Ave area.
I wish I could give over 5 stars!

We just moved to Rochester and were desperately missing all the wonderful and various ethic flavors the restaurants in our native Portland, Oregon provided. I needed some Ethiopian. I needed it real bad. And I found it. And thank the heavens, it was good.
The two of us shared the Meda Special Combo for two. It was only 17.99! A natural skeptic about any ethnic restaurant competing with my previous foodie experience, when the food came out quickly I was worried (in my past, Ethiopian restaurants can take up to an hour to serve). The various dishes were served beautifully on a large shared plate of injera. The injera (large spongy bread shaped like a pancake used along with fingers as your silverware and all-​important vehicle to soak up the saucy flavors) was perfect and ample.
The flavors were spot on. I loved every bite. It was affordable, the service was attentive… We will be back. It did not get five stars because even thought the flavors were awesome and got me my Ethiopian fix, it was simply not spicy enough. I like my Ethiopian to punch me in the face. This was more like a head tap. But definitively worth anyone’s time.

I was a big fan of Abyssinia’s for years but they’ve been gone for months. Meda was fantastic and I feel even better than Abyssinia’s! The injera was nice and springy and the Meda Combo plate for two was perfect for my wife and I — she can’t stop talking about it!

Great Food for a Great Price!!! Really easy to get to (inner loop to University) and there is plenty of parking right behind the restaurant. My wife and I discovered Meda last month and have been back several times. They don’t mind people bringing their own wine /​beer (as they do not yet have their liquor licence). We agree with a prior post — they serve the injera cold, I’ve been to several other places and it has always been served warm. No biggie, just ask them to warm it up when you order.
I also agree Abyssinia injera was thicker, but I actually prefer the thinner style that Meda makes. (not quite as filling, and I have a bad habit of trying to eat it all).
All in all, we both enjoy having a fun and easy meal there.

First they said we don’t need reservations and we get there and they try to seat us at a not so great place coz most of the good seats were reserved. Well after a little bit of discussion they gave us a decent place to sit.
But the food was underwhelming ! The flavors were not great, the bread was too thin and cold. Abyssinia was far far better. The food arrived cold !! When we complained they said its served like that. not hot. what? Abyssinia food was always nice hot! As for taste it was just ok.
I would NOT recommend going here !

Meda successfully fills the void left by Abyssinia, serving up fine Ethiopian food (as far as I can tell) at very reasonable prices. I was pleased to see that Meda offers a combination platter, which is a perfect way to try a little bit of everything when you can’t convince 5 or 6 open minded friends to join you.
Admittedly, my basis of comparison is very limited when it comes to Ethiopian (Abyssinia and Lilu Café), but I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. Our combo platter consisted of tibs, gored gored (I think), lentils, greens, potatoes and a green salad. The lentils, meat and veg were all well cooked, packing a ton of flavor, and the injera was light and spongy, perfect for soaking up all the delicious sauce.
I would strongly recommend diving into the injera that lines the platter which has absorbed all the awesomeness. I would also recommend wearing a shirt made out of napkins, or failing that, dining with someone wearing dark colored pants. I would not recommend touching your eyes or your genitals, however, until your hands have been thoroughly washed. That’s just good advice in general. I’m kinda surprised you didn’t know that.

Went to MEDA for the first time a couple weeks ago, was greeted by the owner who was as gracious as could be and who took the time to talk to us about his culture/​background/​food he is in the process of obtaining his beer/​wine license and allows you to bring your drink of choice with NO CORKAGE FEE! The food was unlike anything ive ever had and was delicious. A must try.

Came here on Thursday night for dinner. Meda is located on the corner of University and Union Street, across the street from Thai Lao. There is free parking on the side of the building, off University.
Ordered the vegetarian combo for two. The dish is served on a round pan, with a sourdough-​tasting bread covering the pan, called «injera.» There are no utensils with this dish, and it is eaten by using the injera to dip and coat the various dishes on top of it. These various dishes include a collard-​blend, beets, broiled potatoes, some type of lentil stew, and another bean-​tasting spicy stew, among other things. There is definitely a huge variety of foods to eat from and each seemed to have a separate spice it is cooked with. The portion size is more than plentiful for two people to share.
The prices are reasonable, as our combo for two was only about fifteen dollars. Overall, I was going to give Meda four stars but the service was a little slow, the bathrooms are gross and the dining area is quite cold. But the food makes up for this and Meda is a welcome replacement for the now-​defunct Abyssinia.

Delicious! My tastebuds must have been screaming for Ethiopian because I was lucky enough to find this place during their grand opening. I prefer Meda over Abyssinia. The special combo is a beast! You could easily feed 3 – 4 people with that platter. It’s a great dish if you’re like me and want to try it all, but not sure what to order. If you’re a newbie to Ethiopian dining, it’s family style and customary to eat with your hands. Finger food? Not quite. Use the injera bread as a food scooper and dig in!
Happy eating!

The food was good. However I have a few words of advice for the owner/​chef.
Injera was out of the fridge. Not good. Perhaps Daniel at the former Abyssinia spoilt us with his warm and moist flatbread.
It is difficult to share portions containing one chicken drumstick or one lamb shank. Though I realize that is not the authentic Ethiopian way I also realize we are in Rochester NY. I expect authenticity in flavor but not necessarily in presentation. After all a restaurant is not a theme park.
I wish them well. I also suggest some thinking about the items I mention. We might return.

I too have been craving Ethiopian food since Abyssinia closed. And, we were not disappointed. We had a lamb dish and gored gored, a beef dish that we had as it is traditionally served, raw, although they also will apparently cook it here. Both dishes were good (and, like at Abyssinia, the portion size for the gored gored is probably enough for your weekly requirement of iron).
I would not say the food was better than Abyssinia, but it was just about as good… and the service was quicker than Abyssinia’s was. I look forward to going back again.

Damn, that was good. Meda is better than was Abyssinia — and I really enjoyed Abyssinia! Sparse décor for sure. We’re talking warehouse-​like sparse. And no liquor license. And quite drafty by the windows.
But nothing marred my uninterrupted joy when the vegetarian combo was presented and I devoured the mouth-​watering offerings of garlicky collards, pomegranate seed-​bearing lentils, slightly sweet potatoes and curried carrots. My only quibble is that the injera was not warm.
For some curmudgeonly reason, I always feel more satisfied when I’ve spent money on food I can’t replicate at home. And I really have no idea how I’d go about preparing injeras and Ethiopian-​spiced legumes in my kitchen, so I felt quite proud after we slapped down $ 20 and departed with cold feet and warm bellies.
«To be honest, I’m surprised that it was so much better than I expected it to be,» said my husband as we tiptoed on the icy parking lot to the car. I guess that means he will let me drag him back!

I was super sad when Abyssinia closed, but I’m so happy that Meda opened! And you know what, it’s even better than Abyssinia was.
I shared the vegetarian combo for two and it was awesome! The combo platter for two was enough for four and it had at least 6 different items (I think even more than were actually listed on the menu). My one disappointment with Abyssinia was that the food was always really oily — not so here. The collard greens were wonderfully garlicky and the injera was perfectly springy. The side salad that came with the combo was a nice palate refresher between bites. Service was really quick and friendly. Oh, and did I mention the whole meal was only $ 14? For two people! I wouldn’t be surprised if the prices went up because it is so cheap! A fast-​foot meal would cost more…
My only quibbles are that the ambiance is quite stark and they do not have a liquor license yet, so no Ethiopian beer or honey wine yet.
So glad we have a wonderfully delicious Ethiopian restaurant in Rochester again!

Tried this restaurant on day 3 of their opening. We needed the Ethiopian uisine fix since Abyssinia closed earlier this year.
We were greeted by the owner who was very polite and gracious. We ordered the vegetarian combo for two. Our food was delicious, hearty & very tasty. The helping was large but we were hungry so we pretty much wiped the plate clean.
We only paid $ 14.99 for the combo plus tax & tip. I can’t wait to go back and enjoy this with the rest of our friends. The restaurant is still waiting for their liquor license.