Marathon Ethiopian Restaurant

Like most people who come here, it was my first time ever eating Ethiopian food! The bread — Injera — is a very fluffy pancake that tastes like sourdough. Of the four vegetable curry/​dish things I got in the combo my favourites were the split peas and red lentils. The green lentil dish was cold, which I wasn’t expecting and wasn’t the best in my opinion (although still relatively tasty!). I would say overall it’s not very similar to Indian food (the closest comparison I can make); it’s generally more sour (I think?) in flavour profile. It’s fun eating with the Injera too! Overall, Marathon is definitely worth checking out!

I stopped going to Marathon several years ago due to the quality of the food but decided to give it a try again tonight and have been most pleasantly surprised. The injera was really fresh and Doro wat was available and perfectly cooked. The lentil wats were great. I got a huge amount of food for the $ 20 takeout dish. If you don’t like your food mixed you may want to ask them if it is take out to put it in separate containers as they put all of the sauces and one container they tend to run together. That doesn’t bother me but I could see how it might bother some people. All in all, a great experience at marathon and I will be going back frequently after this.

I’ve eaten at Marathon twice, once several years ago when I was a bit underwhelmed, and just yesterday via takeout. We shared the vegetarian platter for 2 both times. As is standard in Ethiopian restaurants, the platter for 2 is served on one communal platter, on top of injera (Ethiopian bread) so I was curious to see what they would do for takeout.
I was sadly disappointed. The meal came in 2 flimsy aluminum containers, with 4 dishes just slopped together. 3 of the 4 were quite runny, which would usually be sopped up by the injera underneath, but this was a real jumbled mess. It definitely was far more mixed together than the usual presentation of the food touching the next dish on top of the injera. It was hard to determine the true taste of each dish because most of the food was blended with its neighbours. The dishes either needed to be shipped in 4 separate smaller containers, or they need serving containers with dividers.
Also, each order had the same 4 items, so we did not get the wider range of dishes offered when you eat in, and there was no salad. (Generally, a lack of green salad would not be a big problem for me — I am one of those really bad vegetarians who isn’t a big salad fan — but the hot pepper vinaigrette usually is delicious)
Their berbere wat was the star of the meal (as most are — hard to screw up that spice!), the yellow split peas a bit boring, the greens better than average, and the cabbage/​potato/​carrot dish was bland (other than the flavours of the 3 other dishes mixing in, that is). The injera was fresh, at least. Not worth my money, though, considering the way the meal was served.
Still hoping to have great Ethiopian food in Calgary again some day; how I wish the Queen of Sheba was still open!

Great food! First time eating Ethiopian for myself and girlfriend. We were very impressed. The owner was friendly and helpful in giving us an education on Ethiopian cuisine. I would say trust most of the Unilocalers on this one. It’s worth the try, if you’ve never had or have a craving for this style of food.
We ordered the combo for 2. Very happy with the quality and quantity. We left full for sure. Don’t make the mistake of filling up on the bread! Overall, we have no complaints here.
The only downside: In a pinch if you’re in a rush, this might not be the place for you. The food is not served quickly. If you have time to sit, talk or at least try to relate to the person (s) you’re with, then you’ll be fine. I don’t mind slow. I’d rather have great food than a rushed preparation and poor quality. Just some food for thought. Otherwise, I would have given these guys a full 5 stars. Heck, it’s really only worth half a star off for being slow!

I was debating whether or not to write a review about this place as I didn’t know how to word it because I didn’t want to be ‘mean’, but since eating there a few days ago I’ve been having daymares about it so I felt like I should. I don’t really have anything good to say about my experience except that the waiter was friendly. It was both my friend and I’s first time trying Ethiopian food. I’ve been wanting to try it for some time and the reviews convinced me but I’m not really sure what all the good reviews are about. Disappointing.
My friend and I decided to share so we ordered a chicken dish and a vegetarian dish, one with rice and the other with injera bread. Before going there I assumed the injera was supposed to be gluten-​free as it’s usually made with teff flour, which it is, but here it’s also mixed with rye flour. Good thing I asked the waiter ahead of time. So I only ate the rice with my meal and I don’t want to speak for my friend, but he didn’t seem that keen on the bread since he seemed to want more rice and still had quite a bit of bread left at the end of it. He’s much nicer than I am and more tolerant though, I think.
They waiter came out at least 10 minutes after we had ordered to tell us they were «out» of the first chicken dish we ordered??? The restaurant wasn’t even that busy and how do you not know you don’t have anymore when we ordered? Meanwhile, other people who came in after us, got their order, ate, and left before we even started eating. Sorry, I digress… anyway, the waiter suggested a different chicken dish but it had the same spices and sauce that the vegetarian dish we ordered and we wanted a different flavour to have a bit of variety especially since it was both our first time trying this type of food. Then he suggested another one on the menu that was made with beef but he said we could have it with chicken… sooo we know they had chicken, which is why I was so perplexed as to why we couldn’t have the original chicken dish we ordered. It’s just made with different spices. I even asked him (nicely, I might add) after he said they didn’t have the one we originally wanted if they couldn’t just make it? He said no. Ok… so we went with the second one he suggested.
Well, our food finally arrived… The vegetarian dish was decent. It was a spicy chickpea stew. The «chicken» on the other hand is what I had the problem with and can’t get out of my mind (as much as I want to). It makes me cringe when I think about it. It was very tough and hard to chew. I’ve never had chicken like that before, and I’m no gourmet chef but even I have never made chicken that bad. I didn’t even know it was possible. The flavour was not good either. The more I’ve thought about it since then I’m thinking that chicken had to have been pre-​made and re-​heated and possibly…*gasp*…microwaved. Ick! Really, how could it have that consistency and texture? Again, ick… yuck. eww! The salad that came with it was not what I was expecting in a simple salad. I was looking forward to at least eating that as I thought it might be a nice, refreshing balance to the spice of the rest of the meal. Not the case; that too was spicy so I didn’t finish eating that either. :(
A friend once told me that you should try everything twice, just in case I guess… but I just can’t…well, maybe a different Ethiopian restaurant… one that’s highly recommended by someone I trust… after I erase this experience from my memory. I won’t be back to Marathon anytime soon… or ever. And I won’t be recommending it to anyone either.
Sorry for the long review, but I felt like I needed to explain my reason for the low rating.

Food was authentic and interesting. However, took quite a while for the food to come out and it was quite expensive for what it was. We ordered beef, chicken, and two types of lentils for three adults and two kids. Food comes out in a large platter and everyone shares from it. It was surprisingly filling! We tried both their «bread» (a very vinegar-​y wrap) and their rice that typically come with the large main course. Wrap was too vinegar-​y for my taste so rice was better.

Such good food. If you haven’t tried Ethiopian food, you have to come here. It is soooo good. Familiar tastes. Rich flavours. All eaten with your hands and a flat bread called ingera. You will NOT be disappointed with the taste, quality, or quantity.

While visiting Calgary, I went with a Unilocal recommendation. So glad I did. What a great dinning experience. What impressed me the most, was the waiters attention. He carefully explained all dishes, and the complex flavors of all the spices used in the dishes. His picks were great. We tried the Sambusa, delightful. Try the Yetimatim Fitfit. Outstanding. We tried the Combo platter for 2 and brought home the left overs. All in all I highly recommend! Loved the service, the food and overall experience!

We shared an excellent vegetarian platter for two. The diversity in flavours was excellent and, unlike some other Ethiopian food we’ve tried elsewhere, it was not too salty. The restaurant was busy on a Saturday evening with the sun streaming through the windows — a nice atmosphere. Service was a little slow, but due to our arrival just after several other groups. Friendly staff. Highly recommended.

Great food! Expect a longer wait for the food, but it is well worth it!

The food is amazing! I dream about it!
Service is kind of terrible. They’re not very attentive, extremely slow, but always friendly.
Food takes a long time, but it’s so worth the wait. Bring snacks and toys for kids.
Still, this restaurant is one of the top ones for our ‘celebration dinners’.

My visit to Marathon Ethiopian was my first experience trying Ethiopian food.
I visited on a Wednesday evening at 6pm, about a half hour after the restaurant opened. The restaurant had no diners, only a single person waiting for take out. Normally, this would worry me, but I understand that it is the norm to eat later in the Kensington area.
I was visiting with my husband. Given that we wanted to try several items, we ordered the meat combination plate for two. There was a bit of a wait for the food, but the menu warned us that the food takes some time to prepare, so I was not bothered by the wait. Our server was prompt in bringing our drinks and letting us know that our food would be out soon.
The meat combination plate for two included a beef, lamb and chicken stew as well as two lentil stews and some veggies. More than enough Injira accompanied the stews. I found the meat stews very flavourful while the lentil stews I found a bit bland.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed sharing the platter and having several foods to try. By the time we left around 7pm, there were two other diners in the restaurant, so it was still quite quiet. We did have to wait for our bill to pay, so I would have preferred faster service at this point.

It’s a very nice restaurant, tucked away in the corner of the busy Kensington street (if you walk fast you’d miss it). The food is soooo delicious, and reasonably price (for Kinsington anyways). I and my friend got a platter for 2 and absolutely loved everything that was presented in that platter.
Lots of Vegetarian options too, and if you are into spicy hot sauce, this is the place to go.

The food here is good and is inexpensive. That’s about it.
The service is slow and it’s hard to get anyone’s attention. One time we waited 15 minutes to even see a server in the dining room. We hovered around the kitchen entrance to get someone’s attention but no one was there. Finally someone saw us looking into the kitchen and they said they’d get to us. Then we proceeded to wait another 10 minutes.
Not acceptable.

Lots of tastey Vegan options if you’re into that– and great prices! Super delicious! And that coffee– my new favorite!

The platter for 2 is enough for 3 people. It gives you a taste of chicken, lamb, ground beef and a variety of grains.
Super delicious!

The question about Marathon isn’t just «is it good» but «is it better than it’s half priced neighbour». As a blue nile girl myself, I’d probably say no.
The dining room is a lot nicer, with a laid back coffee house kind of vibe. The food is about the same favour wise, but in their defense you do get more variety (but the same quantity). The service is leagues better, but the food still takes quite a while to arrive (they just make a point of apologizing).
So overall, if you’re cool with a dive: go to blue nile and spend $ 20 on a vegan meal for two, if you want a nice date ambiance then hit up Marathon, but it will cost you (a still reasonable $ 40 for two).

Marathon ticks many of the boxes for a Calgarian on the lookout for an Ethiopian food experience: plenty of different meat and vegetarian stews available individually or as shareable platters, an abundance of injera (spongy flatbread) that makes utensils optional, a distinctive, spicy coffee ($ 3/​person) that follows dinner, and a sparsity of service that adds — not detracts — to the pleasant laid-​back atmosphere of the restaurant. And if that’s all you’re looking for, Marathon will not disappoint.
If you’re like me, however, and expect good, African flavour for your money, I suggest you look elsewhere. The stews — I had their staple beef, chicken, lamb, and chickpea stews — are all fairly uninteresting, many of them rich in the flavour of their tomato base and little else. If it hadn’t been for the somewhat smokey lamb, I’d liken the experience to eating pasta with tomato sauce at a cheap Italian chain restaurant. For what you are paying — e.g.: $ 18/​person if you do the dinner combo platter — the serving sizes are quite small and though the injera is plentiful, it is too bland to eat on its own.
It’s unfortunate because there are not many options for Ethiopian/​Eritrean food in the city. Perhaps the demand just isn’t there. But I can’t help but wonder if Marathon’s lack-​luster (and expensive!) execution of the genre may be partly to blame.

Finger food… done a whole other way! Imagine curries and meats and veggies on top of this sourdough pancake thing used to scoop it up. And so much food you’ll have trouble finishing it.
We ordered the platter for four. The food isn’t all that spicy, but is flavourful. It came out on this huge plate for us to share (they’ll do individual plates if you’re weird about eating from the same big one) with extra injera on the side (the sourdough pancake stuff). $ 18 a person. I’m imagining the IKEA commercial with the lady running down the road yelling, «Start the car!» It’s a steal. There was still some food left to take home.
Marathon’s easy to spot if you’re looking for it, but also easy to walk right by if you aren’t. The door’s kind of tucked away to the side. If you’ve never had Ethiopian food, Marathon is a good choice to experience it.

What a fabulous little find. I participated in my first ever Unilocal Supper Club here and despite having a darn head cold I enjoyed myself immensely. (Being a mom at home with kids all day doesn’t allow me much social interaction and so hanging with grown ups is such a treat these days!)
The group that assembled decided to share some Sambusa’s (vegetarian & meat) which are similar to Samosa’s and very flavourful. For our entrée we shared the House Specialty Combination Platter which consisted of beef, lamb, chicken and vegetarian stews. The platter that arrived was massive and delicious. I also enjoyed the scooping up the food with the Injera… what a fun way to eat!
Despite the head cold I was able to enjoy the different flavours this food had to offer. I highly recommend coming and trying this restaurant if you want something different and unique. It’s this kind of uniqueness in our city that makes Calgary so culturally alive and fun to live in!
It’s good to be a Foodie.