Muzita Abyssinian Bistro

Another great time at this place! Made a reservation for Monday night at 6:45pm and they were able to seat us early. Ordered the pan fried mushrooms, shiro+kantisha, and a side of stewed vegetables. We ordered everything in mild spice, just a little kick. Everything came pretty quickly to the table. The pan fried mushrooms did it again! The chunky mushrooms had a thick meaty texture, flavorful seasoning, and also came with bits of fried injera which tasted almost like bacon! We also destroyed the shiro (red lentils). I really liked the texture of the lentils. Everything else was just as delicious and we had extra food for lunch the next day.The lighting and mood was ambiant. Very nice date night location. Has indoor and outdoor seating.The wait staff was very knowledgeable in terms of how the food is made, what it's made with, and relative spice levels. My plant-based whole-grain oriented MIL loved it so much she asked for a menu to keep. The waiter even circled all the items we ordered and marked which dishes are/are not spicy-adjustable. Prices were reasonable. Just yum yum!!

Muzita serves up Ethiopian&Eritrean (Abyssinian) cuisine and I've had it on my radar after first passing through University Heights. It feels like you're stepping into someone's house and there's both indoor and outdoor seating. We sat out on the front area which was great. They don't make a disclaimer or even address the fact that there are no/limited utensils and that you are encouraged to eat with your hands which I knew beforehand, but I think in general it would be nice for it to be called out. Our server was friendly and attentive the entire meal. We started with the Sambusas which came with 3 different fillings. The best one was the lentils, followed by the collared greens, and then the chicken. The breading seemed like it wasn't freshly made to order but it was still good and flaky. For the mains, we ordered the Kantisha Kilwa and the Shiro+Siga. The beef (siga) comes in a separate pot of spices and sauce (forgot to take a picture) but all the rest is put on a large plate on a bed of injera which is the flatbread. They give generous of amounts of injera and our waiter even brought out more during the meal. The beef was really good! Tender and the flavor was really great! The Timtimo (red lentils) were super delicious as well as the Caulo (green cabbage) sides. The Kantisha Kilwa was a huge medley of vegetables which were also very nice and had tons of flavor. However the one downside was the injera. I've never had this before but it didn't have much flavor to it and even though you eat it alongside everything else, it just felt like it wasn't adding much to the overall flavors of the meal. It's spongey and fun to eat, but altogether I do feel that I would've enjoyed the meal with rice or some other carb instead.

Earthy feeling place with a cuisine you don't normally find. I think they were a little short staffed, which is why service is slow. There is both indoor and outdoor seating. Did not see any heat lamps (was a bit chilly). The food itself was fresh but on the salty side, perhaps because the injera bread has a milder flavor? They also did not serve utensils, and I had to explicitly ask for some. Again, I assume this is because the food is traditionally eaten with your hands and the injera. I got the sagi which was a good sized portion.

Lovely service, great personal experience. Food wasn't as flavorful/ spicy as I have had before with Ethiopian food. Very healthy feeling food and authentic but not as amazing as I would have thought. Definitely worth a stop by though!

It's a cute little bungalow restaurant. Business seemed a bit slow Thursday evening as one or two other parties were there when we went. If you're a planner, they do offer reservations through Yelp. Parking is horrendous; it took a good 25 minutes to find street parking two blocks away. But my god, the food is excellent. - Pan Roasted Mushrooms | Comes with injera (Ethiopian flatbread). And while the roasted mushrooms were tender and quite tasty, the injera did it for me. Loved the sourdough flavors while texturally resembling a fluffy pancake. I kept looking around and thinking, what else can I roll into the injera? So. Addicting. - Sambusas | Similar to an empanada, these pastries are stuffed with vegetables and are rich in flavors. - Shiro + Beggie | A big ass circular pan with delicious cubed leg of lamb, salad, vegetable mixture, and awaze sauce. It all sits on injera and rolled injeras surround the pan edge. A bowl of shiro (stew) comes with this dish. The textures and spicy flavors combined make for a unique experience. And yes, tear off a piece of injera to pick up your food with it. Don't pass it up! It's worth trying. - Mango Martini | A specialty cocktail made up of soju vodka and mango puree. It was sweet and balanced our entree perfectly. I so want to go back soon. This is my first time trying Ethiopian cuisine and I. Am. In. Love.

I recommended to my family to try it out when they were visiting town and I'll have to agree with them that it was disappointing. Idk what happened but the bread was awfully salty that night and the meat portion size shrank significantly. It was never a lot to begin with I should say but I agree that they need to up the meat size portion. Especially that's what we're paying for. Unfortunately it's the first and last time for them. Not sure if I want to give it another chance again after being told the same thing by multiple family members and friends. I felt bad cause I hype this place up a lot when I used to go quite a while back. Service and ambiance has always been good. My recommendation would be to increase meat portion.

I ordered to go Beggie Kilwa. I only ate 1/2 and was full. It's a lot of food.The lamb was very flavorful. I ordered mild and you could taste the spice but it isn't hot. I just wish the meat was a little more tender.I got the lentils for my side and it was delicious. Even the side salad was good!I do like that they offer gluten free injera on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.Parking in this area can be hard so give yourself some extra time. Also it is next to Plumeria just on the other side of the alley ( my gps was trying to direct me to the alley)

We have been coming here since they opened. The owner, Abel, is the sweetest kindest man you will ever meet. The service is always friendly and prompt. The restaurant is small so definitely make a reservation. It's a bit like eating in someone's home. There are a few pet friendly outdoor tables as well as some indoor.The food is so yummy. Best part is you get to eat with your hands. If you don't like sharing a meal this is not the place for you. We always order the crispy injera with spicy lentils along with the begi and siga kilwa. It's like a delicious stir fry and comes with a yummy salad and a side of your choice. I recommend the lentils! Their chocolate pot du crème is also fabulous!!

Delicious food and great service, will definitely come back!Street parking in this area can be tough so if you have a reservation or are meeting friends just give yourself enough time to find parking ;).

Loved our communal meal and the service was fantastic. Vegetarian options were available so we ordered 3 vegetarian and 2-3 meat options, I think. Most were too spicy for me but I have a super sensitive palette. Everyone enjoyed the experience! Seating was quite cozy/snug and it was very warm inside, but the space is lovely.