Hawi Ethiopian Restaurant

This is my favorite restaurant in Ithaca. I find that the food can vary in flavor from visit to visit, but it's always good. Some days it's the best thing I've had in my life. I'm not vegetarian, but the veggie combo is the way to go! Sooo yummy. Sometimes it can be a long wait to get food, so go with some good friends and enjoy!

Hawi, the Ethiopian restaurant in Ithaca, offers a distinctive African culinary experience. As someone with an Asian palate, it took me a bit of adjustment to acclimate to the flavors, but overall, the food was good. It's just a matter of getting used to the different taste profiles. Worth trying for those looking to expand their culinary horizons!

The food is amazing and our waiter, Leland was incredible and made us really comfortable. Highly recommend the place. We came because they advertised their lamb is halal but I'd argue the vegetable combo and ESPECIALLY the mushroom tibs are the real highlight. Great for groups because it's served in a giant dish and you can all jump in together tearing at the injera and scooping up the food.

The food was delicious and there was plenty of it. The atmosphere was nothing special, and as others have remarked, the service was not particularly quick. On the other hand, the servers themselves were perfectly nice people; if you are not in a hurry and have some patience, the result is very much worth it. I have waited much longer for much less. I will also second the suggestion that you make a reservation if you are eating around 6pm. The restaurant filled up pretty quickly and did not clear out with the same celerity.

I love the food here, very tasty and unique. When i am in town, it is a must go place. I don't have any dietary restrictions and perfer meat. they are halal friendly and vegetarian friendly so i can enjoy the food here with my friends who do. The service is always very friendly as well. I tried their coffee during a visit. It is very strong and tastes very decent, and it is served in a traditional set (see the picture). The only downside is parking. So, if you are unfamiliar with the area, it is a pain.

Firstly, I highly recommend that anyone who wants to come here make a reservation as you're probably not getting in (at least friday or saturday night). They ran out of chairs for my table so I had to use a fold out chair, which was interesting but didn't really bug me. My party ordered the special, which included a ground beef like item, a chicken item, and I believe another lamb entree. It was enormous and more than enough food for everyone I came with. There is also unlimited bread, which is awesome. The food, however, did take quite a while to come out. Pricing came out to almost $25/person after tip, which is alright. I definitely had a good time and would come back!