Title: Dahlak Ethiopian
Author: GCS

Dahlak Ethiopian, Seattle WA, update dinner
(previous review appended below)
October 2010

In 2008 I enjoyed good meals at both Dahlak and Willie’s Taste of Soul BBQ, both in the Beacon Hill area south of downtown Seattle. I was all primed to take Carlos for some good BBQ at Willie’s, as it’s something we haven’t been able to find anywhere near home.

Sadly, my aunt and cousin informed us that Willie’s has gone seriously downhill, and since they were with me on my first visit there, I could trust their opinion. 

So it was back to Dahlak, my aunt being willing to try something a little different. Again, the assortments are the way to go. The servings are generous and the injera is very good. They serve a nice side dish of spicy hot sauce, probably harissa, which you can ask for if they don’t remember to bring it out with the food.

The real shocker was that the servings were the same size, yet the price was identical to what I paid in 2008 - $20/person. Hard to beat!

Carlos felt they were not quite as good as the original Asmara, but very close, and for the price, an amazing bargain.

Dahlak Ethiopian
2007 South State St., Seattle WA
(no website)
Review date:   October 2008

My brother James and I found Dahlak, an Eritrean bar/nightclub/restaurant, in the flatlands east of Beacon Hill. Starving, we stumbled in at 9p on a Friday, startling the few Ethiopians who were there. Clearly they don't see a lot of tourists, Japanese or otherwise, around this area. 

James got the meat assortment; I ordered the vegetable/meat assortment. The injera was good, the meats were excellent – but the vegetables were outstanding. I've never eaten better vegetarian, even in our fine East Bay Ethiopian restaurants. The collard greens, spicy okra, and red lentils with chile blew both of us away. 

The beef and lamb are better choices than the chicken, if you're after meat dishes. Not that the chicken wasn't good, but the former were just more savory. Spicing is aggressive – this isn't habanero hot, but it wasn't somewhere we could bring elderly relatives without a qualm unless absolutely sure they could take a chile hit.