Hawi Ethiopian Cuisine

We have eaten at many Ethiopian restaurants before and normally greatly enjoy the cuisine. The food at Hawi was by far the least tasty we have had. It wasn't terrible but it wasn't good. We shared the vegetarian combo which is comprised of seven dishes none of which we enjoyed. Also, the injera there was different than the other Ethiopian restaurants. It was much stickier than the others. On the positive side, the service provided by the young waitress was excellent and it was good to have vegetarian food.

This place is nothing out of the extraordinary. It was our first time here. We arrived and were told it would be a 20 minute wait. Fair enough. We were seated within the estimated time bit it took over 15 minutes to get water. A few minutes later the waiter came by to take our order. The food took about 30 minutes to be served. We had to flag the waiter down for utensils, napkins and more water. We were never checked on. The food was not bad. It was actually good. Hopefully this was just a one time thing. Moreover, and the main reason for my 3 star review, is twofold and directly related to our waiter. First we had to listen to the unsolicited, unwelcome political diatribe from the waiter. I’m not here for the left, right or any place in between. I just want to experience a good meal. Secondly, the waiter had a very condescending attitude. I’m hoping someone from management reads this and addresses the issue.

Always a delicious and filling meal at Hawi. Besides the special combo pictured, we had the tamatim salad, which was beautifully seasoned and spicy, as well as the mint lemonade which was so refreshing. We try to hit up this spot every time we're in Ithaca.

Great Ethiopian food with large portions. Good for groups of people. The platter was amazing, and gives you the opportunity to try multiple items. Highly recommended!Dine in: YesOutdoor seating: NoTakeout: Yes

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!

Came in last night and had a reservation for my friends birthday dinner. Pros: The food was spectacular. Among the best Ethiopian food we've had. Got the four person meat combo, and it was just the right amount of food for the four of us. Not a single thing on the plate was bad. We were impressed. Food gets 5 stars! Cons: The service was the worst I've ever had. The entire dining experience took two hours because the wait staff did not pay attention to us at all. Every time we needed more bread, water, the check, anything we had to flag them down or sometimes get up from the table to find someone to help us. I did not have time to be eating dinner for two entire hours, and the restaurant was not that busy either. Service gets 1 star. We will probably be back because the food was that good, but we will likely set aside a lot of time for the experience. Would come more often if I could believe that we could have a dining experience under an hour.

Ethiopinan food was excellent and portions were quite big. I liked the idea of not using cutlery but instead special kind of pancakes. There is also an intetesting variety of beverages exercises with Etiopia. The atmosferę was casual and land back. I highly recommended this restaurant.

Their Mint Lemonade is to die for! We stopped in to try something "different" and they did not disappoint. The spices used in their cooking are so flavorful and appropriate for the dishes. Portions are large and the restaurant atmosphere is very calming and low-key. We WILL be back!

The food is amazing but man the service sucks. Best Ethiopian I've ever had though.Food: 5/5

The food was delicious and the ambiance was cute and cozy. However, the restaurant was understaffed when I visited, so service was very slow. Also a lot of food ran out so we couldn't order them even though it was only 7:30 pm. Not a lot of seats so reservations are highly recommended. Would go back to give it another try though.Food: 4/5