blue nile ethiopian restaurant

one of my favourites. we have visited the blue nile 4 times now and the quality of the food is always great. i used to live with three ethiopian's, during my university days in london, who after trips home would cook for me using their freshly imported spices and foods. i must say the blue nile has managed to meet my expectations and their food is as good as my friends noel, effrem and alex were able to serve me. if your looking for a culinary adventure you will not be disappointed.

lots of atmosphere, good food

ethiopian food can be really good and anyone interested in culinary experiences should try it. the kitchen is very distinctive, unique, and full of flavour. it is healthy as well, and nutritious. the blue nile restaurant is fun. it has the aroma of freshly burnt coffee beans, blended with the delicious smells coming from the food. i have tried different ethiopian restaurants (in ethiopia, europa and the us) and this one serves really good food.

the blue nile restaurant is a hidden gem and totally worth finding. the venue is family owned and you really feel appreciated as a diner by the owners and the servers alike. the food is scrumptious and always served family style. if you are a daring diner try anything on the menu even it it's unfamiliar to your palate. all of the dishes are served in generous portions and flavorful i have dined at the blue nile on multiple occasions and have never been disappointed. give this restaurant a try. the menu is reasonably priced and the milieu is definitely unique. a hearty thumbs up.

awesome.... just, awesome. get you some awaze tibs and some tej and you shall dine like the kings of old. seriously, go here. now. why are you still reading this?

great, interesting food. shared #40 with a friend and it was the perfect amount of food (even though the waiter was skeptical). the "bread" they provide is what you use to eat the food. it is similar to a crepe with a citrusy taste. was a bit expensive for lunch though and you have to watch out for your ticket already including a 20% tip on parties of 6 or more since the receipts aren't itemized. overall, would recommend!

lovely ambiance. good food. nice portion sizes. friendly staff.

my first experience with ethiopian food was good! red lentil dish was yummy. combined with injera we really didn't need anything else. if you are a first timer, do not order no. 5 on the menu. you may not enjoy it much (this was a helpful tip from the server).

will go back when i am in houston again 😊

p.s. if the management could try to change the incense used in the restaurant it'd be wonderful! the one they use (i guess it is traditional; maybe i am wrong) is very strong. so it might make you feel a bit queasy. i carried a perfumed towelette to keep my nose confused! ;)

food is not as good as it used to be. blue nile set up is good and they have good customer service but the food and the price is ridiculous. i am ethiopian, i have eaten in blue nile while back several times and the quality of the food actually have gotten much worst than it used to be i will say may be from 4-6yrs ago. for those who are not ethiopian/eritreans it's hard to know if this is the best food unless you have tried the food somewhere else to base on the differences. i was so disappointed last night - the injera which is the flat bread you eat the food with was at least a couple of days old, the food was cold and not as tasty as it used to be.

i have had ethiopian food in ethiopia, london, paris, amsterdam, washington dc, atlanta and houston. this has been at restaurants and at people's homes. based on those experiences i would rate blue nile as a c- . why? the beg kay wot (lamb stew) tasted as if the sauce was quickly cooked. good sauce means the spice has cooked a long time and you dont detect the individual grains in your mouth. the miser wot was made with large lentils not small ones and for me the small is what i want. no one came to refill my water. to their credit they did not charge me for the miser or shiro, as they saw i ate only a tiny bit. the injera was excellent. prices are higher than what i have seen elsewhere but no one forces you to buy. place is nice and clean. for a novice it is a decent intro, but for me unless the taste is more to my liking, i will seek out other places. other may and do love it, it just depends on your taste buds and prior experiences.

traditional ethiopian restaurant. felt like, i think , a traditional ethiopian restaurant would look like. the restaurant is empty except for a couple of people in a very large table in the middle of the restaurant and me. a family reunion of sorts, all anglo parents with children of african descent. as time passed, more and more people gathered until the table was full. they were talking about the words the kids use and the meaning and translation to english which i found fascinating. they all seemed to be having a wonderful time.
i asked my waitress from el salvador, for a recommendation, but i do not follow her advice. i feel compelled to order the dulet a spicy mixture of tripe, liver, beef, and peppers with injera and can be ordered raw. i am quite adventurous, but have mine cooked. ordered honey wine to drink. i've had this before but not sure where. then it hits me, it's fermented honey. i bought some a while back but was unable to use it for anything and ended up throwing it away, if only i'd known about honey wine. when you order honey wine keep an open mind and remember you're trying to get a feel for ethiopian food. it's an acquired taste but i really like it. the food came neatly presented. basket with two rolls of injira bread (looks like dark pancakes) and a plate with a open injira with collard greens on one corner and next to it chili sauce. on a bowl the dulet minced pieces of good, wholesome protein. the procedure is you spoon some dulet on the injira and you then rip a piece of it and use it as a spoon. i could write another 20 lines on the subject. just go to this restaurant and experience it for yourself. the service was great, the food was awesome and one word of advice the chili is hot hot hot. i was sweating and loving every minute fo it. why do you think they have the honey wine??? yeap , to quench that fire.

good combinations. my husband and i celebrated our anniversary several days ago and enjoyed our meal at blue nile. having recently moved to texas, our previous favorite ethiopian restaurant was in nashville. we noticed the price to be significantly higher than what we were accustomed to in nashville. we ordered a combination with vegetarian and a meat option. we chose to sit in a somewhat secluded area, thinking it might be 'nice,' but later realized, as they were busy we should have sat with the rest of the guest in the larger open section. still, we received good service and the food was excellent.

click here for a virtual tour of the blue nile ethiopian restaurant

great atmosphere- but not authentic- bad service. blue nile is one of the oldest ethiopian restaurants in houston. as an ethiopian who does not cook at home- i used to go to blue nile quite a lot until a series of unfortunate events occured. my friends experience was the worst- after they were served food that was sub par my friends wanted to let the owner know that the food was not upto its usual standards at which point the owner snaps at them and asks them to leave if they dont like the food!!!!! can u imagine?? they politely walked out vowing never to return again. i heard three other similar incidents with the owner which is why im here to warn you not to complain about the food!!! a better alternative is the new ethiopian restaurant on bellaire and chimney rock called "sheger restaurant" its much more authentic and the owners are very nice and attentive only negative is the ambiance is not as nice as blue nile.

amazing food, authentic atmosphere. this is currently the only restaurant in houston that serves exclusively authentic ethiopian food.

great atmosphere, it feels and smells like being in africa.
slow but very kind waitresses.

the vegetarian sampler is awesome - and i eat meat, but nothing beats this sampler platter! they tend to overcook their meat in all ethiopian cuisine, so you are better off going vegetarian - you won't miss the meat with their flavor!
it tastes similarly spiced to indian food, although not as spicy and much more delicious and unique!

delicious. i dragged someone from work to try this place and it was really good. we had a vegetarian sampler and a spicy beef dish. everything was really good and fun to eat with the bread.

great food. blue nile has amazing food, the best ethiopian food in the city. the spices they use are fantastic - i personally like their beef special that they offer b/c it's very spicy and has a lot of flavor. if you've never had ethiopian food, you should definitely venture out to this amazing place!!!!! the owner, tina, is wonderful as well!