Reviews Altu's Ethiopian Cuisine

This is such a lovely establishment and the workers here are just as lovely and informative. This was my first time trying Ethiopian food and I was not let down with a happy belly. Everything felt so authentic and was rich in flavors. If you don’t know what to try then please ask the staff, they will be more than happy to give you any information you may acquire as well as suggestions. Because I myself didn’t know what I was doing, but was excited none the less. They do have your standard appetizers and entrees on their menu but also serve combinations and courses (“feasts”), that you can share with a larger group which was what I went with, with a friend. The feasts are good and the options are big, they are meat and vegetarian friendly. I like ordering the feasts that comes with a bunch of injera which you could rip off and grab whatever options you chose for your feast such as beef, chicken, lima beans etc. There is a small lot in the area and I’ve never had problems with finding somewhere to park. Everything is easy access and great food. Don’t be afraid to try something new if you haven’t already, come in!

I thought this place was amazing from start to finish. The only thing I'd want more about this restaurant is more sides and more sauces. It's lacking in those. Other than that, I love the culture, ambiance, food and take on authenticity. I ordered chicken off the bone platter. The meat was very tender and it had a lot of flavor!! I'll stop typing and let my pictures do the rest of talking...

They're busy on a Friday night, and rightfully so! Staff was friendly, ambiance is nice, but the food was great! I had the spicy chicken breast stew, and it had a great kick to it... It's ok to eat with your hands. ;) Definitely coming back. :)

2022-02-11 1401 local time Visited here for first time today. This place was recommended to me by 3 people in my food circles. We came here for a quick lunch visit. I had the spicy ground beef and peas, spicy beef stew, spicy chicken stew (drumstick), spicy ground peas, rice, and injera. Firstly the overall spice of the meal was top notch. The 'spice' itself was hot enough to cause happiness but not make me lose my breath. The flavor of the spicy peas was almost perfect. The sauce complimented the rice perfectly. The beef and chicken stews were moist, flavorful, and filling. The injera was soft and soaked up the juices from the meats and sauces quite well. It was quite spongy as expected. The sambusas were packed to the brim with lentils and flavor. The outside was perfectly crisp and crunchy. The 'salad' was kind of silly. It was literally 5 pieces of lettuce and 2 quarters of tomatoe. The dressing was quite awesome however. The acid lemon flavor made me use it on some of the rice and it was quite tasty. I recommend this place.

This time we chose take out. We ordered inside though, great help while we placed our order. Food was prepared in less time than we were told and it smelled great on our drive home. We live and hour away and make the drive just to eat this food. It is wonderful.

First time having Ethiopian. Asked the waiter for recommendations and followed them. Food was phenomenal, not a flavor profile I’m used to. Not from here, but this place has motivated me to find Ethiopian places in my city. Eating with just the Injera bread and no utensils was enjoyable. The Sambusa had no business tasting that good. Will definitely come back when I’m back in the area.

Best restaurant in the area that has vegetarian options (as well as meat)! Unique food that you won’t find anywhere else around here, unless you head towards Detroit or Ann Arbor. I always get the vegetarian options. The vegetarian dinner combo is around $14 and you get to choose 4 options from the vegetarian section. I usually get the Mild Lima Beans, Garlic lentils, split peas, and spicy ground peas and collard greens. 🫘 I used to come here often while I was in college at MSU. Graduated in 2010 and haven’t been back until now (2022). Altu’s underwent a major renovation! It looks amazing and has more space to seat people.

It’s always nice to inspire your taste buds with new flavors. At Altu’s I was able to do just that. Ethiopian food is usually hard to come by. But, when you do find a place, like Altu’s (name of the owner) it will really hit the spot with robust flavors and spiciness. I met a friend here and we decided to get a group feast with injerna. Injerna is the unique style of spongey flat bread, made from a teff flour sourdough and used to scoop the different stews and side dishes with your hands. We ordered the spicy beef, spicy lentils, mild split yellow peas, and spicy ground peas. The feast came with a side of the signature caramelized cabbage and tangy salad. The salad left more to be desired, as 1) the portion was small and 2) it was simply dressed iceberg lettuce, my least favorite type of lettuce in a salad. The cabbage, on the other hand had a nice buttery flavor and soft texture but, I wish there was more. They do offer it as a separate side but the day we went happened to be the day when their stock of cabbage and lamb was low and they weren’t allowing extra side orders. Unless having a rotating menu is what a restaurant is known for I do not believe that running out of ingredients or menu items is exemplary for a 5star rating. But, for Altu’s I’d let it slide since they embody that home style family kitchen feel. And after trying all the different dishes on the feast, I walked out satisfied. The spicy beef stew was my favorite, with tender chunks of sirloin beef in a flavorful spicy stew. The spicy ground peas was a blended concoction of chickpeas in the same spicy stew that the beef was in. The closest thing to compare the texture to is hummus but with a very different flavor profile. My next favorite, surprisingly turned out to be the yellow split peas. The texture was a bit gritty and the tanginess was foreign to me. But, after a few more bites I grew a taste for it. Finally, the spicy lentil stew, while I am calling it my least favorite, it is only because it had the most generic taste compared to the other dishes. Having had a lot of Arabic and Indian cuisines, the lentil stew didn’t seem to differentiate much. Nonetheless, the lentils were cooked well and the flavors matched that of the spicy beef (without the beef of course). I would highly recommend this place if you are looking to explore a unique African cuisine that will challenge your taste buds with new flavors in a family style setting.

The last time I had Ethiopian food was 2 years ago at a place in D.C. and I fell in love with the flavors and experience. Today, I made the split decision to order take-out from Altu's and it was possibly the best lunch I have had in years. I'm a foodie but I most often cook for myself, so I do not like ordering or eating out much, but Altu's has got me wanting to come back every week. In photo: beef with mixed veggies, cabbage, and injera.