Enssaro - Oakland

There is a wide variety of options available at this Ethiopian restaurant. I particularly enjoy the unique Ethiopian spices, which are subtly used to enhance the flavors without being too overwhelming. With so many choices, I decided to try the veggie sampler and I'm glad I did.

I don 't eat here anymore but it 's unclear if Enssaro ever had many vegan options to begin with. On their menu, they list items containing ghee as vegan and a dessert with honey as vegan . Multiple people in the local community have said that items labeled vegan were never actually vegan, and unfortunately, that seems to be my assessment as well after more times of trying to talk with the restaurant and get answers. If you ask staff if they have vegan options, they just made a joke about things having no flavor and won 't answer clearly. Updated from previous review on 2023-05-08

Got the veggie sambusa and veggie sampler. The sambusa and mild split peas were my favorites. Staff was very attentive (sat me right away, replaced napkins without asking, immediately available when I asked for to-go box). With the QR code order/pay system, I never had to wait for anything except for when the food was being prepared (which took maybe 10-15 min for appetizer and 5-10 additional min for entre). Didn 't get the vegan dessert, but note that it has honey almond granola which makes me question if it 's vegan.

I really enjoy getting the vegan combo and splitting it with my partner! The vegan dessert is also fantastic! Just remember, Ethiopian food is meant to be shared, so when dining in, all your dishes will be placed on one plate. This includes any non-vegan dishes ordered by others in your group! The portions of injera are also on the smaller side, so it's a good idea to order an extra portion for each meal.

Despite the mix-up, the restaurant was not very apologetic and even suggested that we accidentally ordered the beef. However, we had ordered the veggie option as evidenced by the receipt. Disappointed by their response, we decided to ask for a refund rather than receive the rest of our meal for free. In the end, we left quietly without finishing our meal.