Fassil Ethiopian Restaurant

Nice ethiopian restaurant. Server was helpful explaining how to eat the food (with your hands). Also had a nice coffee too.

I don’t know anything about Ethiopian food so this was definitely a different kind of experience for me. It was recommended by someone that my friend knew who was born and raised in Ethiopia, so I guess Fassil is the more authentic places you can find in this city.
Ordered 3 dishes for 2 people although 2 dishes were probably enough. We ordered a yeberie and doro tibs, which are respectively beef and chicken that seemed to have been stir-​fried with spices and vegetables. I can’t remember the name of the 3^rd dish that we ordered but it had cubed rare beef with a unique spice, which turned out to be my favorite dish out of the three, despite several warnings from our server as he was worried we wouldn’t enjoy it. I loved the injera as it was soft, sour, and spongy.
I thought the rare beef cubes could’ve been cut into smaller chunks. I was worried that I was gonna choke on the cubes but the spice was enjoyable. I thought the tibs were good but I was hoping they were more spicy or flavorful to stand out a little more. I enjoyed the experience and wouldn’t mind coming back here to try other items on the menu.

What a treasure in Forest Lawn. I’ve been a few times and you feel like you are at their house enjoying their home cooked food. There’s something so appealing about eating with your hands. The veggies are as delicious as the meat dishes. I can’t say enough about the hospitality of this charming restaurant. Will be back for sure!

Best Ethiopian cuisine in Calgary. Great service and very unassuming location. Love the atmosphere, very welcoming!

Was very impressed with the food and the advice from the waiter. The meal was a fun experience and most delicious.
Also loved the fact that there was no pressure to get us out of there. The waiter did a great job and never hounded our table and as a result had a wonderful meal and visit.
Check this place out!

This small restaurant is unassuming verging on plain. The place isn’t about fanfare or fancy napkins. What is just good Ethiopian food. Much of the food is toned down for North American palates but the owners will happily make food that reminds you of a warm, smoky evening meal in Addis Ababa.
Order the mixed vegetable dish which consists of gommen wet (kale stew), misir wet (spiced lentil stew), shiro wet (roasted, spiced chick-​pea stew), Yekik Alicha Wet (split pea stew) and Dinnich wet (potato stew) served on a round of Injera (a sourdough made from teff and other flours). Add a meat entrée to it for the best experience — their Ye Doro Wet (Chicken stew) is fantastic in the middle of the vegetarian tray.
Your fingers are your eating tools where you take small pieces of Injera and pinch food off the tray using the injera and pop it into your mouth. And remember, In Ethiopia you don’t lick your fingers until you are done eating!

If you enjoy trying exotic things, this place is a good fit: no silverware, you have to take the food with your hands. And the bread has to be taken in certain way. The waiter will explain you. The food is very tasty; if you don’t like hot spicy, you will not enjoy, as even the mild food is spicy. But in general it was a good experience, as it is something that is not available everywhere and is very different… I think this African food was good …

Just to mention first of, this restaurant does not serve appetizers or dessert and after savouring each bite of our main course, I think I understand why — we were stuffed & had no more room!
Since there was a large selection of items on the menu, we asked our server what they recommended and were advised to split the area on the large (single) plate with various vegetables & protein, to which we thought was a great suggestion. As it turned out, the large plate we ordered was the perfect size for the four of us to share.
It was interesting to note that our server seemed to know that deep down, we were all wanting to have an authentic Ethiopian experience, and shared with us that since we wouldn’t be using utensils, we had to use the crêpe to eat. He then visually simulated how we should tear off a piece of the crêpe so that it was the length & size of two to three of your fingers combined, as this would allow you to grab a little bit of either vegetables or meat.
For the veggies, we had what I believe the restaurant calls the «vegetarian combination», which consists of four groups: boiled spinach; potatoes with carrots & cabbage; split lentils and fourthly ground chick peas with green chilies; while for the protein we selected beef, chicken & fish.
Of all the protein served, the chicken had a pleasant spicy richness to it & was perfect for our taste buds. To my recollection I believe we all found the fish (I think it was Basa) was very well seasoned & super tasty. What my palette & I most appreciated was the variety of seasonings on the items because they truly complimented one another. For example, the delicious saltiness of the fish was offset by the simplicity of the spinach, while the spice of the chicken was offset by the savory blandness of the potato/​cabbage.
It very nice to discover that the portion of each item served was a modest size (about the size of a small fist) but it was perfectly paired with a soft, crêpe-​like, ‘bread’ the restaurant serves alongside platters like ours.
It was also interesting to see that when the main plate came out, all of the veggies & meat had been placed on a very large flat crêpe
In addition to the crêpe on the platter, we also received a side of crepes which we all shared & whittled down in size as we enjoyed the meat & veggies
Similar to a chilli in a bread bowl, we ended up finishing virtually all of the platter crêpe and the food resting on it as it was so good!
Overall, the food we ordered was delicious & in my opinion very original, refreshing & unique. One thing to note, they do take their time when it comes to getting your the food out to the table. So if you are short on time we wouldn’t recommend going there. When going there you should have nothing else planned for the night or at least have a flexible schedule.
We were able to stay under budget — it was about $ 13.90/per person or about $ 27.80 per couple (GST included, gratuities nor drinks incl.)
That’s pretty good in our books.

Probably the best Ethiopian food in Calgary and top 3 in Western Canada. The owner is very friendly. The serving size is quite big with a fair price. Great value. They lose 1 star because when you order take out it takes at least 1.5 hours. When it is busy in the restaurant, it can take at least 45 mins. Aside from the elder male owner, the rest of the staff are rude and condescending. With all that being said, we still go back.

I blame myself for not finding this place sooner. Everything about this place is authentic, the food is delicious and cheap!
It’s a good idea to share food here so you can get to taste the many different menu items if you’re new to Ethiopian food. They have raw meat on the menu as well (Kitfo and Gored gored) which are not for everybody! The staff is very friendly and they take the time to explain the menu to you.

3.5 stars. Not the best Ethiopian food I’ve ever had (Meskel in Seattle truly has my heart here), but the best I’ve had in Calgary, and it’s actually very, very good. Sparse inside and out, but what the restaurant lacks in décor it makes up for in deliciousness. I ordered the veggie combo, and though the flavors were all there it was evident that it had been waiting while meatier things were being prepared as it arrived a little cold. That did not stop me from devouring pretty much the entire thing. On my own. Which, if you’ve ever had Ethiopian before, you know is a great (gross) feat. My fellow diners were quite impressed with their selections.

The place doesn’t look like much on the inside. It’s a resto that interior decorators forgot. Hell, the owners look more stunned than I do everytime I dine there. But damn, they really honestly make some of the best ethiopian stews I’ve ever had in this city.
THey know how to make the Keye Wot (basically steak tartare) well, and the chicken and vegetarian dishes are masterfully done. Served in the classic way, no cutlery, and only the pancake like bread to scoop and eat the stews with, it’s a wonderful place to be to explore ethiopian cuisine. Well worth the time and trouble to get there.

The moment I leave this place, I already crave more! I LOVE everything here. The vegetarian sampler is a MUST-​HAVE. If you are scared of uncooked beef, the Doro Wot is a very safe and delicious option. For the more adventurous the Keye Wot is amazing (it’s raw cubed beef). No cutlery, just your hands. Use the enjera bread (it’s like a wheat pancake with a slightly sour taste) to dip and pick everything up, then stuff it in your mouth.
I believe that it’s small and family owned. I haven’t had a chance to talk to the owner (I think she’s the owner) because she’s always busy. Once, she was the only staff working (manning the kitchen, front door, serving, and cleaning). So… come and expect to take your time and relax, but it’s an awesome experience.
You have to try the mango juice, it’s extremely good here and then it’s nice to finish with the spiced tea :) I will keep on coming back… and the price is unbeatable… you can have a full meal for under $ 10 if you’re sharing, with all natural and delicious ingredients. You can taste the goodness of the ingredients, honestly. Love it!
It can be a bit chilly in here. Bring a jacket!

This is my favourite Ethiopian restaurant in town. The dining experience makes up for the simple ambiance and I’ve never been dissapointed with the quality.
If you love fish, make sure to order THE fish and it may too become your favourite.
Good for both an intimate date, but best for a group sharing a meal. I recomend the mango drink and I unerstand they will soon serve mead.

Our Ethiopian selection in Calgary, although thin, is pretty solid. The best of those options though is Fassil. Ive been going to Fassil steadily for 3 years and have had the exact same experience each time.
The parking is weak and the trolling hookers after dark are enough to make one lose one’s appetite.
with that said…
Forest Lawn is THE SPOT to go for food selection.
You dont go to Fassil for the speed in which they’re gonna serve you. I mean, maybe we all need to learn to take life a little bit slower anyways. Take a breath… have an Ethiopian beer and have some good conversation while some funky East African tracks bump in the backround.
The food is great and as anybody who has eaten Eritrean/​Ethiopian before knows… can get messy. Its fun, Go on a first date here. In fact go on a 50^th date here. With all the leftover injera you should make some peanut butter and banana sandwiches the next day.
Also, the people (family?) who run it are always very friendly and accommodating
The espresso is great too.
4 Mulatu Astatke’s out of 5

I have tried three Ethiopian restaurants in Calgary, and I have to say that Fassil is the one I would recommend others visit. It strikes the best balance of food quality, price and cleanliness (all of which can be issues at other restaurants, though none of which stand out as spectacular here). My dish of choice is the vegetarian combination, which includes some interesting stewed lentils and stewed vegetables atop a big piece of injera (spongy, crêpe-​like bread). I last went in late 2009 and I believe the vegetarian combination was priced at $ 12 or $ 13. If more than one person orders the dish you’ll get double portions atop the injera, with an extra piece of injera on the side. Scoop up the toppings with the injera and enjoy! The atmosphere is pleasant, if a bit nondescript, and the service was acceptably attentive and timely. Frankly, I believe it is your safest choice for Ethiopian in Calgary.

I decided to venture out one day from the office and try some exotic food, there are many options in my working area, Filipina, Peruvian, good East Indian but today I decide on Ethiopian.
There was a little restaurant across the street about 5 metres by 10 metres and there seemed to be around a dozen of Ethiopian customers inside so I decided to give it a try.
I had some wat stew meat, some injera which was extremely delicious and a coke. My bill came to around 6 dollars. How impressive for a new culinary sensation.
At the next table there were 6 people sitting around a big tray of what looked like ground meat and they were engrossed in lively conversation. They each tore off pieces from one very large injera and dipped it in the meat serving in the middle using the injera bread like a taco.
If I do return I would like to try this dish, I think it was around 12 dollars, so I will update this review when I get a chance, all in all, good service, quick, cheap and delicious.

If you’ve never had Ethiopian before and you’re a fan of trying new foods, I would definitely recommend that you give Fassil a visit. Located on the east side of 17^th Ave, it’s not exactly the most convenient eatery to patronize. However, when you consider that it is one of only three such restaurants in the city, I would say that it’s well worth the drive. Small, and generally nondescript, the building itself isn’t terribly impressive, and from what I can recall, the décor was sparse. The space was open and clean, but a little barren, and the service was only fair (and sometimes a bit lacking). In general, there’s nothing to really set this restaurant apart aside from its menu, and that’s why it only rates three stars. Still, I would have to say that this was probably one of the most interesting culinary experiences that I have ever had.
Admittedly, I am still undecided on the food. For one, I had never been exposed to Ethiopian cuisine before Fassil, so I don’t really have a standard of comparison. On top of that, the fare is also very different from anything I’ve had before, and I’ve yet to come to a decided opinion. Ethiopian meals consist of savory meat and vegetable dishes that are served on a large, flat sourdough pancake — a form of bread called injera. Instead of eating with utensils, diners tear off sections of injera and proceed to roll (or scoop, if you’re amateurs) the main course into the bread; and therein lies the dilemma. The Wat (stew) is straight up delicious — the meat is tender, the vegetables well cooked, and the sauce flavourful (ranging from mild to very spicy) — but I find injera appalling. This flat bread is spongy, moist, and incredibly sour; and because it’s served as both dish and spoon you can’t escape it. Also, as you are eating with your hands and Wat can be runny, you are likely to end up making a mess.
If there was some way for me to bypass the whole injera business, then I would for sure head back to Fassil whenever I’m craving something different. As it is, I can only encourage you to go and try something new; maybe you’ll have more of a taste for it!
If you’re interested in finding out more information on Ethiopian cuisine, check out:
; it’s even got some recipes up for you to make at home.

As in most Ethiopian restaurants Fassil presents their food so that it is meant to be shared. You have a large plate with their bread (injera) and the dishes you ordered all together on top of the bread on a platter. You are served injera on the side, and use it to scoop your food into your mouth, as no forks are really used.
The food here is delicious, and consistently well prepared. They have a varied menu, but I suggest getting the vegetarian combo no matter what. Who knew lentils could taste so good!
The only con is, sometimes it can take up to 40 minutes to get your food, and the service is slow. I recommend going here early, at around 6pm on weekedays to get your food within 20 minutes.