09/11/08

Best Ethiopian food in Univercity city

by Habeshagirl

Everytime I eat at Dahlak it remind me of the time I spent in Africa. The art work of the beautifull african men and women, remind me of my next door neighbors back home. The smell of the "tibs" cooking in the kitchen reminds me of when my mother prepared it for me. The setting and the atmosphere, inside the restaurant and out in the patio, reminds me of the small town I lived in back home. So, for me when I come to Dahlak, im not only coming for the authentic Ethiopian/Eritrean cuisine, Im coming to get a little taste of how I lived both in Ethiopia and Eritrea. Im coming for the friendly service that I usually dont get anywhere else in the city. And I also come for the Doro tibs, with salad, and greens on the side, and to top it off you must have the Ethiopian tea after your meel. Best nights to go for me are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I usually get there early to snag me up a table outside and enjoy my meal back home style.

• Pros: prices, culture, service,food, parking,family friendly
• Cons: none

03/29/08

Nice try, but eh eh

by thebestcriticonearth

One word: yuck! I was minimally hopeful that there would be a good marriage between Eritrean and Indian food. All hopes were shot. We ordered from the Eritrean section of the menu, and we had to force ourselves through the meal. The food was awful: the chicken dish tasted more like Campbell's chunky marinara; the injera tasted like a lightly used kitchen sponge; the yellow lentils tasted like the cooks ran out of ingredients. The service was equally terrible. The male server was racing around but only spinning his wheels. The female Eritrean server/host was better. Overall the service was inefficient and unfriendly. I would not recommend this restaurant to an enemy and the two stars is quite generous.

• Pros: The decor was colorful and beautiful
• Cons: The food and service were poor

03/12/08

a little overrated

by moniq68

people have always raved about how good the food is here, but i was quite disappointed. having tried many other ethiopian restaurants in other cities, the food at dahlak was a little bit blander. also, the lentils were undercooked on my last trip, and my boyfriend saw an insect (i'm apparently not allowed to use the word on this site, but you can guess) run under the table (yikes!). i guess if there aren't other options, it's okay, but i don't think it's worth the hype.

11/25/06

Fantastic

by samiammam

Dalak is superb. Unlike another reviewer, I have never had a problem with no soap in the bathroom and I can't imagine the staff laughing at such a request. The food is excellent, although Ethiopian/Eritrean cuisine may not be to everyone's liking. The staff is courteous.

11/20/06

Wonderful Ethopian food

by trishbiedron

Dahlak is a famous Ethopian restaurant in West Philly. It has earned it's reputation with hearty meals at great prices, in a great atmosphere.

• Pros: Delish!
• Cons: Somewhat small

11/14/06

A Truly Wonderful Experience

by dineme

I took my fiancee to Dahlak on the recommendations of some friends, and think that maybe I need to send them Thank you cards. The entire evening was absolutely wonderful; from the wonderfully flavored and prepared dishes,( of which we tried as many as we could) to the friendly, most accomodating service, to the cultural experience, I have found one of my new favorite restaurants. I would highly suggest that anyone who enjoys dining out should try this restaurant. Bravo!

• Pros: Food, atmosphere, service
• Cons: none

08/02/06

ok food, small portions and no soap in the restrooms

by rkp2006

Went with a couple of friends, the place is ok and in a bad part of town. The food was ok too... was not too impressed with the bread. One of my lady friends used the restroom and there was no soap.... and when she asked the hostess for soap, they were laughing at her. I wonder ihow the chef uses soaps to wash their hands????? Not recommended.

• Pros: Different kind of food
• Cons: Bad area, bad food, no soap in restrooms

Carnivores and vegetarians abandon utensils to sponge up every last morsel at this African eatery.

by Contributor

In Short
To the sound of Ethiopian music, guests are directed to tables and chairs or short, vinyl stools surrounding a circular, sunken table. The latter is the traditional African setting made to accommodate multiple diners sharing communal food. In place of utensils, customers use Injera, a spongy pancake, to pick up pieces of shredded lamb, chicken or beef cooked with ground chick peas, green beans, peppers and eggplant.