Ethiopian cooking runs deep and honest across Minneapolis, from Cedar-Riverside dining rooms to carryout counters built for a weeknight order. This lineup covers doro wat, shiro, and misir wat done well, plus one diner counter nearby for a plain breakfast plate.
№ 01
The Red Sea Ethiopian Restaurant
$$
320 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55454 · +16123331644
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The combination platter is the move here, a shared meat spread piled onto injera with rolls on the side for anyone new to the format. Chicken tibs and doro wat anchor the menu, and portions run large enough that groups order one platter for the table. The room has a bar and outdoor seating, and service stays attentive even at full tables.
What to orderchicken tibs, doro wat, injera
№ 02
Mesob Ethiopian Restaurant
$$
3915 Hiawatha Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55422 · +16128395868
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Collards come out exceptional here, a standout in a vegetarian sampler that also carries shiro and doro wat at a low price point. Takeout moves fast, often ready within minutes of ordering, and portions run generous for the cost. The room is small and unfussy, built for a quick pickup or a simple sit-down dinner rather than a long visit.
What to ordercollards, doro wat, shiro
№ 03
Dilla Ethiopian restaurant
$$
1813 Riverside Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55454 · +16123322898
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Doro wat and misir wat arrive well spiced and generously portioned, served over injera in a small room built for regulars rather than spectacle. Servers work with diners who want a mixed vegetarian and meat combo even when the menu does not spell one out. It reads as a solid entry point for anyone trying Ethiopian food for the first time in the Twin Cities.
What to orderinjera, doro wat, misir wat
№ 04
Meseret Ethiopian Restaurant
3867 Minnehaha Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55406 · +16123544419
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The veggie combo and misir wat draw repeat visits from diners who rate this among the stronger Ethiopian kitchens in the city, though the record shows the kitchen can slow down at busy times. Doro wat rounds out the menu alongside the vegetarian plate. Worth ordering ahead or building in extra time, since pickup speed is the one inconsistent part of the experience.
What to orderveggie combo, doro wat, misir wat
№ 05
Lucy's Market & Carry-Out (Ethiopian Restaurant)
$$
3749 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407 · +16128863748
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Shiro wot is the order to lead with, paired often with doro wot or the veggie sampler for a table that wants both meat and vegetarian dishes. The market side of the business runs injera-making instruction alongside the carryout counter, a rare pairing in the city. Regulars return specifically for the shiro, calling it the most consistent dish on a menu that rarely misses.
What to ordershiro wot, doro wot, veggie sampler
№ 06
West Bank Diner
$
324 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55454 · +16123332211
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Eggs, pancakes, and hash browns make up a straightforward counter-service breakfast near the Ethiopian corridor, useful for a fast meal before or after exploring Cedar-Riverside. It runs cheap and quick, geared toward diners who want a plain plate without ceremony. Service consistency has been an issue by account, so it works best treated as a fast, low-cost stop rather than a destination meal.
What to ordereggs, pancakes, hash browns
Frequently asked
What is the best Ethiopian restaurant near me in Minneapolis?
It depends on the neighborhood. Cedar-Riverside holds several strong options including The Red Sea and Dilla, while Mesob and Lucy's Market work well for takeout-focused visits elsewhere in the city. Each entry here was chosen using the Insider Score, which weighs the volume and content of the public review record. No restaurant pays to be listed.
What dishes should a first-time Ethiopian diner order?
Doro wat, a spiced chicken stew, and misir wat, a red lentil dish, are common starting points, both served over injera, a spongy flatbread used to scoop the food. A vegetarian combo plate is a low-risk way to sample several dishes at once, and most of the rooms on this list serve one.
Do these restaurants take reservations?
Most of these are casual, walk-in-friendly rooms rather than reservation-driven dining rooms. Larger groups visiting The Red Sea or Dilla should still call ahead, since shared platters and group seating can fill up on weekend nights.
How is the Insider Score for this guide calculated?
The Insider Score reflects the volume, consistency, and content of public reviews for each restaurant, not payment or advertising. No restaurant on this list paid for placement or ranking; the order reflects what the review record actually shows about food quality and consistency.
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The data first, then the verdict
We start with the review record, not a press release. Every room here is a real kitchen with a strong rating across a meaningful number of reviews, ranked on our 10-point Insider Score. We weight consistency over time and the rooms locals return to, not the ones tourists pass through once. The list updates as the data does. How we work →
Hodan Abdi
Staff Writer · Top of Minneapolis
Hodan Abdi is a Staff Writer at Top of Minneapolis. Raised in Cedar-Riverside two floors above the Somali mall her aunt worked in, she now lives in Eagan and covers the whole metro ring. She writes the guides, sweeps the suburbs, and covers the Somali and East African tables as the beat she knows best.
