About Taste of Ethiopia

Taste of Ethiopia opened in 2005 in Southfield, Michigan, and has been a family-run home for Ethiopian cuisine in Metro Detroit ever since. The restaurant is owned and operated by Meski and Kassa, who grew up cooking and eating this food in Addis Ababa before bringing it to the Detroit area more than two decades ago.

The kitchen is women-led, the staff is small, and most of what arrives at your table comes from recipes that have been in the family for generations. Spice blends are mixed in-house. Injera is fermented over several days. The wat — the thick, deeply spiced stews that anchor an Ethiopian table — are simmered for hours.

What We're About

Ethiopian food is one of the great communal cuisines: every meal is built around shared platters, no utensils, and conversations that last as long as the food does. We've kept the table that way. Come with friends, come with family, come hungry. Plan to stay a while.

Why Southfield

Metro Detroit has a strong Ethiopian and East African community, and we've been part of it for two decades. Our neighbors come from across the diaspora, but so do diners from Ann Arbor, Birmingham, Royal Oak, and Detroit proper — drawn by the food and, often, the coffee ceremony. More on the coffee ceremony

Authentic, with a Modern Welcome

"Authentic" is a much-abused word. For us, it means our berbere is the berbere our grandmothers made; our injera comes from teff fermented in the traditional way; and our doro wat takes the eight hours it has always taken. The welcome, though, is modern: vegan and celiac diners are at home here, and we'll happily walk you through the menu if it's your first time.

Press & Recognition

Featured in Visit Detroit's roundup of the city's top Ethiopian restaurants, where they noted: "Owners Meski and Kassa serve up delicious, authentic Ethiopian food as well as host events for their local community." We're proud to be one of the longest-running Ethiopian restaurants in Metro Detroit.

Visit Us

We're at 28639 Northwestern Highway in Southfield, just south of 12 Mile Road. Open Monday through Saturday — closed Sundays. Directions and parking