Adama Restaurant

A no-nonsense Ethiopian restaurant in Columbia Heights, near Minneapolis border. Service was minimal the night we visited. I ordered the vegetarian combo and it was lovely to look at and super tasty. My companion ordered a meat dish- I did not get the name. She really enjoyed the seasoning but the meat was mixed with injera- almost too much, because it was also sitting on top of injera and has injera on side. If you are in this part of the Twin Cities, I would highly recommend this for getting your Ethiopian fix. As a Saint Paulite, however, we have so many outstanding Ethiopian restaurants I am not sure I would make the trip.

Food was flavorful but not as good as other Ethiopian restaurants in the area. Service was lacking a bit, ordered samosas but didn't come with chutney as shown and when asked they said they don't have it. I will try it one more time at different time of the day to see if things are different.

Tasty Ethiopian in NE Minneapolis. One of the few with a meat combo option. Benign neglect best describes the service, and the interior reminded us of a 1980s banquet hall. Unusual to say the least.

I got carry out as I live up the street and I am an enthusiast for Ethiopian food. The food was over cooked and honestly hands down some of the worst Ethiopian food I have ever had. The meat was so over cooked and chewy the potatoes were not cooked all the way through the lentils which are my favorite dish are mediocre at best. There are so many better options this business needs to stop cooking this is unacceptable.

I always go for Somali or Ethiopian when in the twin cities, since it's one of the best places to get it. I chose 12. Beyaynete because I've been trying to eat healthier, and I've been trying not to spend a fortune. This restaurant had ample, free parking in the large lot behind and the street parking in front. Service was friendly and pleasant. Food was beautiful and delicious, with very generous portions. I was excited that they sell injera for $8/bag, and bought a bag as well. I added one of the injeras to the leftovers, for lunch for the next day. Still tasted amazing.

I am going to disregard the last time that I visited, because it was a lackluster visit, and yet singular in its horrid service in comparison to the numerous other times I have dined or received take out here. So I will quickly start with the negative. The "server" was some male, who I had not seen before, and I had come here regularly since I lived not 2 miles away and loved their food, who was more interested in looking at his phone than doing anything else other than placing the soles of his feet against the ground. It took 10 minutes to get water, 20 for putting in an order, and the last dish arrived about 40 minutes after my meager party of 4 had sat down. Now. I usually do not try to judge harshly, and yet, we were the only ones in the restaurant and there were few takeout orders. So this made me upset. Booo Hissss!Aside from that...sad, unpleasant experience.... (shake yourself like an etch a sketch, and read on for why you MUST come here if you like Ethiopian...) Adama is a gem and jewel of Ethiopian/Eritrean food west and north of Minneapolis. Yes, you have your other restaurants on University Ave in St. Paul, and the hard-to-find-parking spots in Minneapolis, and yet this place is a stone's throw away from downtown Minneapolis on Central Ave just 3-4 miles north. AND there is a private off-street lot behind the establishment. The sign may not be obvious, and the snow may conceal obvious entrance to the parking lot in the heart of winter, and yet I say, it is there! If you are craving a veggie combo, a good doro wot, tibs, key misor wot, and several platters with combos of everything. I have always ordered the doro wot, which comes with a boiled egg and chicken drummy, and an aromatic, spicy but not burn your palette off hot, complex, flavorful and unctuous stew-sauce of a wonderful beriberi and other spices. There is a variety of beef tibs of a myriad of cooking types from rare to medium. I will say that the male server that I mentioned earlier was knowledgable about the different types of beef dishes available, and the final dish was beyond satisfactory. The portions are generous, with plenty of injera. Veggie platter's beets, stewed yellow-eyed peas and...lentils and........oh, it was good. Always consistent and delicious, whether takeout or dine in. There is also a limited store of teas, spices, herbs, and bakery items. Many individuals came in to order injera from the bakery in takeout form. It was obvious that this was a staple for families that cooked and ate Ethiopian food in home. It makes me, as a hobby cook and fellow foodie, want to learn how to cook these types of dishes!!! And isn't that what food is for, to feed, yes, and also share the cultures of other communities!If you don't want to deal with the parking headache of Minneapolis downtown or St. Paul's university avenue, or that Columbia Heights is more convenient for you, check out Adama. If you are craving Ethiopian flavors of a good quality, stop by or order from Adama.

It probably won't look open but go in anyway! The service is friendly and helpful. The food is exquisite. The prices are very reasonable. I think the fact that many people come in for carry out is a testament to the quality and reputation. You can also get injera and ingredients to go as it is also a small bakery and store in the front. My one complaint is that the music is painfully loud. It almost gives you the impression that they don't want dine-in customers.

I'll admit- this is my first time knowingly eating Ethiopian food. And I liked it! My daughter and I originally Was in search for Indian food and being that it was Black Friday, not a lot was open in the area. After the king at some pictures for this place and seeing that one of the dishes looked like it was curry, we decided to be adventurous and try it. Here I thought I was going to be walking into a little tiny hole in the wall size place but was blown away with how much they have for seating! It's quite large inside with 3 different dinning room areas. We were the only patrons there but a lot of people kept coming in to buy things off of the table by the register- I noticed the big round breads were particularly popular.The waitress seemed a bit slow and not too thrilled about serving us. But was nice at the end when I let her know I'd like to add photos for Yelp and asked if she would explain share some of the things they have for sale there. It's predominately a restaurant but they also have spices, lentils, fresh made bread and even frankincense resin for sale.I ordered #26 Alecha Wot. And ate every last bit of it. It comes with rolled up spongy consistency like "bread". (I didn't catch what she said it was called). It was delicious. My 16 year old orders #22 Quanta firfir. It was noted as spicy- and it did have a decent amount of heat but was tolerable. (I'm a bit wimpy when it comes to hot spices). It was heavy on the Berber spice flavor.It was also served with some of that spongy rolled up flatbread as well as having some chopped up and added to the dish. She did not care for the dish that much but she had a cold so that may have played a part in her lack of enjoyment. The witness also let me know they serve coffee on Sundays from 5-6pm when I asked about the pottery and special seating at the front of the restaurant. She didn't elaborate beyond that but I'm guessing it's a special or traditional type of thing for their culture. It would be cool to experience it but from the looks and vibe I kept feeling from all the customers that came in and even the staff, I might end up feeling out of place or not so welcome to their community of it was a traditional Ethiopian affair. Regardless though, I really look forward to going back again for the food.

Can not say anything good whatsoever. Not clean. Understaffed. Did not enjoy food compared to many other Ethiopian meals at numerous other places. AVOID.

We came in at a quiet night... most of the business was carry out, but we enjoyed our meal a great deal. The lamb tibs were perfect and the vegetable sampler was amazing. Service was fast and friendly; no trouble finding street parking. Can't wait to come back.