Zeni, San Jose CA

The experience was really a memorable one, specially when we were traveling and visiting friends in that locality.
As a vegetarian I found many options in a place that serves non vegetarian food.
It was delicious.
What we ate (injera) reminded me of our food back home in south of India called Dosa.

Went here for lunch.
The people here are welcoming and the restaurant has a cozy vibe to it.
The server helped decide what to order.
Ended up getting the Sambusa, Ye Doro Tibs and the Vegetarian combo.
The Sambusa had a tasty lentil stuffing with a hint of turmeric.
The Vegetarian combo is served on a large sharing style plate. The items are placed on top of a large Injera.
I really liked the Yemisir Wot (red lentils). Ended up ordering an extra side:)
The Injera's were very soft and yummy on its own.
For Ye Doro Tibs, I went with the sizzling option. The chicken is served on a sizzling plate with onions and jalapeños.
Also had to try a local (ish) beer which I really liked.

Overall I really liked the place and the food. Will definitely be back for some more:)
P. S: I have tried a couple of Ethiopian restaurants in the Bay area. So far this is the best one I have found.

The traditional seating is my favorite and the food reminds me of home. Try the honey wine because it's great. The staff is on point these ladies are the nicest. You pay premium but it is worth it. Due to the style of eating wash stations are available. They have a bar which helps with entertainment. Can get very busy during peak hours so make time wait for your table.

Delicious good and a really fun ethnic experience at a very affordable cost. The place doesn't look like much from the outside, but creates a very nice atmosphere inside.

Food was delicious and interesting. Service was a little underwhelming but still positive.

We visited this authentic Ethiopian restaurant and found that food was okish.
Wheatish pancake was served in a huge plate with multiple gravies. I felt that the Injura (pancake) was cold and sour. The side dishes were good.

I really like this Ethiopian restaurant, which has better service than the other one I have been to (the one with CEO’s name as dish name). The decorations are beautiful. The bathroom is super clean. The ambience is cozy. The food is of course delicious.

What is missing is the Ethiopian coffee and I have been here twice over the year and they do not have it both the time

Excellent Ethiopian food but be ready for long wait time and slow service even after seated. Closed on Mondays, they don't take reservations. Lot of vegetarian options.
Love the Sambusas and shiro wot.

Food - We felt the taste was average. Have had much more flavorful Ethiopian food earlier.

Service - For a Saturday afternoon, with not so full restaurant, the service was extremely slow. Took a loong time for the food to come out. The staff seemed busy with onione orders coming through and didn't check upon us much.

Ambience - The interiors of the restaurant gives a nice rustic feel

The Food
Part of me feels like I've been to the Zeni Ethiopian Restaurant a long time ago, but I am not sure. There are only a few Ethiopian restaurants in the area and this is one of the few. We ordered a few dishes to share, with one beef, one lamb, and one vegetarian. There was quite a bit of injera bread that came with the order, and we were pretty full after. The injera bread was fluffy and slightly sour, which was a nice contrast to the rich flavors of the dishes. Though I have no baseline on the authenticity of Ethiopian cuisine, I did enjoy the dishes.

The Miscellaneous
The restaurant is in a plaza and easy to spot. The interior has some quite unique decoration to provide the Ethiopia vibe. They have a bar area that's decorated as a hut, and Mesob Basket table seating, along with normal seating. The service and staff was friendly and good with no issues. They have a variety of meat dishes and vegetarian options to choose from on their menu. They were decent sized with reasonable prices. There was quite a variety of selection, so I am interested in coming back trying other menu items.

Very poor customer service. Such a rude waitress. Came to take order after 30 mins and was so rude when we asked a question. Just walked away saying I can’t take order

When I need an Ethiopian food fix, this is my go-to restaurant. This time, I brought 2 friends who had never eaten Ethiopian before. We ordered one Veg combo with one Meat combo to get a broad sampling. My friends LOVED the food, especially all the veggies, the rare Kitfo, and the Ye Beg Alitcha Wot. Excellent, as always!

One of the authentic Ethiopian food I have had. We had ordered:

1. Ethiopian spiced tea (would rate as Kashmiri kahva tea)
2. Shuro wot - item I loved
3. Yemisor wot - (part of vegetarian combo)

Injera is free for two times, and then at a minimal cost. It also has authentic seating area in the behind.

Never pick up the phone and when you go there to order, they are out of stuff. Last time which is my last time going there on a Saturday evening at 7pm to pick up food, which I called 10 times before to order ahead of time. The owner said we are closed and not taking any more orders. I understand you are busy but hire more ppl and close your doors if you are not taking customers. Horrible horrible service. Food is excellent but not worth my time.

I love Ethiopian food and order it quite a bit. However, the first time at Zeni restaurant. Not sure if this is just me, but I didn't like the taste of the vegetarian dishes here. Maybe it's the prep and spices they used? I couldn't finish most of them. Won't order from this restaurant again.
Also, their Injera bread is NOT gluten free that is supposed to be, traditionally.

Been going to this place for years. They have maintained the quality. I always get combination meat platter. Injera is always fresh and tasty. Love everything about this place.