Habiba’s Syracuse

I've wanted to try Ethiopian food for a while now. While staying in downtown Syracuse on business, I saw that Habiba's was closeby so I decided to give it a try. Street parking along the main road was easy. There are tons od active parking meters in effect until 6pm. After that, parking there is free. I parked about half a block away. The storefront is very plain and somewhat dark...it wasn't immediately obvious that the place was open. I walked into a lovely greeting by the staff. It was practically empty, but I went at around 6:15 pm and I believe they close at 7 pm, so that may be expected. The decor was lovely. The space was also very neat and clean with lots of tables, chairs and bench seating. Not knowing what to order, the lovely server was able to suggest one of the platters which had a sampling of a few items. (About $18 for a sampler of 2 meats, 3 vegetables and injera.) The food came out in about 15 minutes. While I liked some items, more than others, I understood that my palate was not acustomed to the spices they used. I did like the heat of the food, I didn't immediate love one of the main spices, which was present in all three vegetable dishes. As with many things...I figured this was an acquired taste. Overall I had a great experience at Habiba's. I hope to return and try some other items. The staff was very nice, patient and helpful.

One of my favorite places! My friends and i love coming here especially for their injera bread and some combo plates. We'll never get tired of the food here. Superb!