Dahlak in Philadelphia - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Love this place!!! Their food is delicious and the ambience is even better outside on their patio.

I absolutely love the opportunities this venue provides for artists to perform and present their art to the community! However, the food is a major disappointment. I ordered wings and fries, and the fries were so hard I couldn't eat them. The wings came on a weird paper plate with only five wings, decorated in a funny way. I wish I had taken a photo! So, yeah, the food is a definite NO GO!

My first time here ,but had to wait till 9pm for wings ..it was worth it wing were very good and drinks good too ..service was great from all the bartenders on 7/14

Love Friday nights with the DJ, the staff is great, mix cultures enjoying great vibes.. I love Dahlak!! It’s apart of the community

You can't go wrong they have so many things on the menu you're going to get something that you didn't even know you wanted

A chaotic whirlwind of environments all packed into one building. Banging food, an endearingly crusty dive bar and patio, and frequent music. A West Philly staple.

dahlak tibs every time. love this place.

Food was bland, especially the okra. Service took a long time and made mistakes (we didn't get any of the appetizers). We were accosted by a homeless person in the restaurant.

Always a unique experience accompanied by a comfortable crowd.

Love this place honestly. Great bartenders, great place to swing by

Delicious Ethiopian cuisine. Everything was on point; food, service and atmosphere were all top notch. This establishment is a gem to be treasured. I’d recommend it for first time explorers of Ethiopian cuisine or experienced goers. I’d also recommend trying any of the teas; cold for a hot day and warm for a cold day.

Great events, good food and drink prices. Some nights are more fun than others, but I can say some of my best night's out have been here as far as music and dance floor.

Unique eating experience. Tried about 8 selections so far, and every one delicious.

Went for the bar & live music. First time hanging out in Philly & the vibe was great everyone was nice & just having a good time. Cheap drinks which is a plus

The food is AWESOME! And also reasonably priced. The atmosphere is very chill. I host karaoke there twice a month. Almost always get food & the food is delicious 😋

I use to go here for the music and enviornment. However, there has been 2 instances where I was charged for things I did not purchase..Most recently, they charged me for a total of 74 $ . adding on 48$ extra from my original purchase. If you leave a tab open or buying drinks be mindful about the reciept (the numbers you write on them, I believe the numbers were manipulated in the tip section because every original purchased showed on my bank statement at the time of purchase, YES I WATCH MY ACCOUNT WHILE I'M DRINKING. the next morning, they processed the tips I tipped 5 for each drink, which is 15$ ( 3 drinks) .. then later that morning they made a charged on my card 48$ extra? for what? be mindful buying drinks here, they are manipulating the numbers in the tip sections after you sign the receipt. I will be reporting to the BBB as well.

I ordered takeout very late.....I

awesome environment.. been back and tried new drinks. it was open mic night. and I finally had enough time to try the food. I had oven fried wings, rice and rasta pasta. so good!!

Great open mic night experience

Food is delicious. Kinda hard to get a drink when you're not a regular, though, which shouldn't be a thing. The rasta pasta is very good and not overseasoned like a lot of places. Only complaint is if they don't know or recognize you, good luck getting served.

They always have live music and the food & drinks are good. This place is a vibe they have hookah and it's a great price point. They also don't add gratuity to your bill & the bartenders are nice so they get tipped well at least by me

Pretty chilled place with open minded people from different cultures. What I mean is that no one that goes here seems stuck up or weird. It's a very nice setting. They food, outside seating, seating at the bar, karaoke, a dance floor, an inside dining area and prices are reasonable. Only thing I disliked at closing was the guy didn't tell us they were closing until we asked him why were he taking our chairs from our table while sitting outside but it wasn't a big deal. Just have to be verbal about what's going on, lol. Other than that, 5 stars. I can't rate the food because I didn't try it but I have heard their food is delicious.

Came for the first time after my event. It was a great place to unwind. I am going to be coming back regularly

I went here with my family and the food was amazing! As an Ethiopian the food is definitely worth eating if you are in the area and the lady who runs this restaurant is very friendly! Definitely a 5 star experience.

The people where nice friendly and it was a quiet place the daughter and mother were nice and welcoming and explained everything, for as a first time trying the cuisine I loved it💞

Didn’t get to try the food yet but the place and a the vibes was alllll thattt!!!!!

I encourage future guest to use cash. I went to close out my bill and was given the card of someone else. I informed the staff and they could not find my card, which was either stolen by staff or given to the wrong customer. I spent over 30 mins trying to figure it out as I had an early flight out the next am.

Me & my boyfriend went here for my birthday the atmosphere was very lively but we enjoyed the food and our server was a sweet heart. I would visit here again.

Delicious food, cozy atmosphere, and extremely kind staff

"I recently visited this restaurant and unfortunately had a very disappointing experience. I ordered a $15 meal that was supposed to come with meat, but was offered an upgrade to an $18 meal that came with vegetables as well. When I got home, I realized that I had only been given the vegetables and not the meat I had paid for. When I called the restaurant to let them know about the mistake, I was left on hold while management berated an employee about the error. Eventually, another employee came on the phone and offered to charge me the price of a 2 vegetable meal which was $15, instead of the $3 I paid to upgrade my meat meal to include vegetables. Literally spent all the money I would have paid for my meal, and walked out with veggie sides for the same price. When I asked for a full refund, he suggested I walk back to the restaurant (a 20 minute walk in the rain) to pick it up. Overall, I was very disappointed with the poor communication and lack of accountability from the staff. While the food itself was decent, the awful customer service, abusive management, and errors in my order left a bad taste in my mouth. Will be walking back in the the rain to return the order, lets see if they stick to it.

Dahlak is always a good space to visit. It can get pretty busy in the evenings but the staff works well. The drinks are regarded by many as "weak", but the prices are great and I like them. The hookah is definitely worth the price depending on who's making them. The staff can get temperamental but never rude. the live musical performances are great.

I went here for the first time & ordered Rasta pasta with chicken (which is an up charge) $18+ total. my food came out with no chicken… it was brung back to me in a few mins with what seemed like chicken steakums (thin sliced chicken) that you’d see on a chicken cheese steak… I tried not to further complain so I ate it. Overnight, I ended on the toilet & threw up in the am. I called & requested to advise a manager as well as request a refund & told it was no manager in for the entire day … it’s about 3 days later & no feedback/call back as I was promised.. guess I spent my time/money to be sick

The energy was great. Great music! Female DJ's tonight. Aura was great and the other young lady. I had an awesome time! Definitely judgement free zone to be comfortable, this is absolutely Thee Place To Be! Been before and loved the vibe tonight... Rated: AWESOME!!!

great place to chill with friends and family and the Buffalo wings variety are very delicious!

Never ate there but the vibes/energy/music is A1!

Dahlak is an excellent restaurant and bar! The Dahlak Tibs and Sambussa is the best! This is one of my favorite hang out spots!

The night I went there was a female DJ, very good. The ambiance and food was cool. I would go again.

The food is good and the staff is friendly. They give you plenty injera with your meal.**edit** been going here off and on for about 8 years getting take out. Today I got take out and the portions were disappointingly small and I didn't receive any napkins.

The things these folks can do with vegetables make vegetarianism seem attainable. The meat & cold salads are a waste of time - go with a friend, get the expanded vegetable combo, and marvel at their work. Vibe-wise, this place somehow manages to be a quiet dining room (front), a lively bar with cheap drinks (back) and a punk hookah lounge (way back). Something for the whole family.

Drinks are extremely watered down

I really enjoyed my experience, but it could have been better. Cocktail was delicious and hookah was set up perfectly. I loved that the air filtered nicely in the building so the hookah smoke wasn’t filling up the room. BUT while the food was delicious, portions were Very small. I wanted lamb, but they didn’t have any and apparently never do. Maybe take it off the menu? The music was good, but the DJ did have it shockingly loud for the first few songs. And service was slow for them to not have many customers in at that time.

Horrible the food was cold and we waited and hour for it

Used to be a better restaurant. Service wasn’t good and food is only ok now :(

Great place to hear live music from local artists

The dinner experience here was horrible. Don't go to this restaurant. It's not the same as it used to be. We didn't get half of what we ordered for 6 people!!! The waitress refused to check into it and charged us over $300!!!!! We had few drinks and were overcharged for what the menu said the prices were!!!!!! The food wasn't good like it used to be. Salad was very extra oily, lamb was basically slivers in a lot of sauce, chicken was tiny bitty little pieces , lentils were mush, beef was little specks, collard greens were good. We will never ever go back and everyone will know how awful it is there!!!!

The food was absolutely delicious. Packed with so much flavor. I am definitely coming back. I had the lentils, okra, and spicy beef and all three were amazing. The injira bread was spectacular. We came on a Friday night and there was karaoke and we all did a song. Overall a blast!

Love the vibe there it's nice outdoors sitting ,they have food and it's a platform for artists to preform their talent 👌 love it

Ran out of rice. Or refused to make more. How is that possible?

Unfortunately I have to echo some of the recent negative reviews. We got the veggie combo ($16) and it was ridiculously small, not even enough food for one person. The food itself was mediocre at best. Later we were told we should have ordered "for two" even though the server said nothing about that. They were out of the 2 beers I asked for. Everything is served on Styrofoam and plastic, a terrible waste of resources. The injera tasted old and stale. The bill was wrong when it came. The server LAID DOWN in the booth next to us and read a book while we were eating. (I wish I were joking.) We spoke to the chef, who didn't seem surprised at our dissatisfaction, and offered to discount our meal by ONE DOLLAR. Something is wrong here, and maybe it's best folks stop going here and Dahlak is put out of its misery. There are other good Ethiopian spots in West Philly, e.g. Abyssinia and Gojjo. Go there and avoid the disappointment and wasted money at Dahlak. One of the worst dining out experiences I've had in my life.

Cool spot food is good nice backyard seating the stand up comedy tho is horrible but the bands, djs and open mic nights are cool.

Highly highly disappointed. It takes a lot for my partner and I to feel ripped off, but last night that’s what happened. Extremely small portions sizes for the amount of money spent. In a portion of beef there was maybe 4 small beef tips. I originally ordered lamb which they said there was none left, which makes me think they were running low on beef for the night too. Still hungry after spending $60 worth of food. Will never go back.

What happened ? This used to be my favorite Ethiopian spot. The supply chain, inflation, gas prices - something is causing this place to offer 3 bites of food on rough, yellow injera with wine in plastic cups, half the menu missing, and no water. You can see the wine glasses through the kitchen door - but no, here's a plastic Dixie cup. Ordered the Yebeg wat, there were 3 bites of food. The rest was bones without any meat on them. The quality has fallen drastically as the prices have risen. Seriously disappointed. If this is not your first experience with Ethiopian food (or Dahlak ), you will be seriously let down. Be prepared to spend $16 on a tiny splatter of food on injera with the texture of a corn tortilla. Cheap beer though. They don't have that one, that one, all these, or that one. But your sixth choice, they have it, and it's $4. Good balance to the $16 entree that's sampler sized.

I was in a show there. It's an awesome performance venue. Wonderful owners and staff.

This was an adventure. There were plenty of vegetarian options which was great for my dining companion. Everything we ordered was delicious and flavorful. This was my first time with Eritrean food and tbh I had no idea what I was doing when I ordered (hence the adventure). In hindsight I should have swallowed my pride and asked questions bc I misread the menu and had food envy for what my dining companion ordered 😅. The food was low-key spicy so I interpreted it as having a "kick" while my companion said she was at her limit. TL;DR I would go again & I would recommend to others

Wanted to try Ethiopian cuisine for long time. Finally made it here. We ordered one non veg platter with doro okra, yebeg Kay wat, and kit allicha. We had requested to make the dishes spicy. The flavors are amazing. We ended up ordering Doro Okra and Yebeg Kay wat again. Portions are small but yummylacious. We also tried thier cocktails with shot of CBD oil. couldn't click pictures of the dishes because they were devoured. They also have live music!!!!

Not fancy, but a cool place. Most importantly the food was great and the drink specials were cool

They used to be my favorite restaurant for Ethiopian food but my last experience wasn't the best. The prices went up which is understandable however they also altered the menu to where the sides are now an extra cost when they once came with the meal. To add insult to injury, the portions were so small that I was still hungry when I used to have left overs. I'll have to rethink if I'm going back. Maybe this was a bad day.

My favorite Ethiopian restuarnt in Philly! I come here whenever I travel. Chill Vibes and tasty food Update 10 years later: Still fire 🔥🔥🔥

Unique spices, great food, friendly staff

Owner is very nice and friendly. Cares about safety of clientele

The food was amazing... excellent place. Large portions. Fairly priced. During lunchtime, the place was busy, but the food was delivered fairly quickly.

I've eaten at many Ethiopian and Eritrean restaurants & this is hands down the worst. Others have commented on how portion sizes are embarrassingly meager, and this was our experience as well. We ordered the traditional mesob for 2. It was barely enough for 1 person. The lamb (yebag wat) had -- I'm not kidding -- 3 edible bites of lamb. The rest was bones. Lots and lots of bones. There were maybe 2 or 3 tablespoons of pureed chickpeas (shiro wat), 1/4 cup of cubed chicken (yedoro tibs), a splodge of yellow lentils, and a few tablespoons of braised spinach. And lots and lots of injera, which tasted at least a day old. We were also served drinks out of tiny plastic cups. I paid $2 for a coke and wasn't even given the entire can. The restaurant is also quite dirty. Needless to say, we will not be back.

Food's good, but the portions were mad small for dine in. Service was good though.

cheap drinks, great cheap food (esp late night) but the complete lack of music was not great. they have jukebox but paying a dollar per song is….

The takeout is so bad I had to laugh. The portions were like a sample, it was comical. I can't believe I spent 40 dollars on this..

somehow, even though west philly is well known for being one of the city’s top music neighborhoods, this is basically the only real venue in the area, aside from the summer-only pentridge station? i know this is a house show neighborhood but it’s a little ridiculous to have basically one venue. so the service this place does for the neighborhood is vital

I am such a fan of this place. Pre pandemic I was a customer on a level that pay the mortgage around there. Post pandemic a couple times you could find me there drinking at 1 in the morning when everywhere else was closed. This is technically an "Ethiopian" bar. There are plenty of ethiopians and eritreans that hang here but overall it's a multinational scene that represents the best of what west philly has to offer. Also on any given night in the mix a bunch of white punk rockers too. People of all types really. LGBTQ friendly. Everyone gets along here. I will give a fair review and point out some areas of improvement this icon of an establishment should consider. The booze here is basically always good, fast, and strong with mixed drinks. Less expensive than other bars too. The hookah is top notch quality, but at times delivery to table has been slow. The food on the best days in the kitchen is really authentic and never fast. Since pandemic food isn't always consistent as far as quality- but consistent as far as time- this kitchen never was fast. Nevertheless- I'm giving a rare 5 stars. This is because of the people one can meet there, friends or lovers. I admit the kitchen isn't always consistent- on those nights I ordered a pizza frome somewhere else and sat in the back. The management didnt say a word, at other places they would kick me out.

This place is awesome. Very cool atmosphere, the server was very knowledgeable and outgoing, and of course the food was DELICIOUS. I was also very pleasantly surprised by the beer list, they had a pretty impressive selection.

Went there for a listening party, and the music, people and place were all amazing! Comfortable, with terrific ambiance. Can't wait til I can get back!

Amazing atmosphere! Great people to be around. Will be there again!

Dope place . I don’t drink so I had a few mocktails pretty good shoutout to the bartender

Incredible Ethiopian food, chill cocktails and a good, funky vibe in the back garden. What a great time !

This is one of my favorite spots. I usually come here for drinks in the backyard area but their food is really good too. The veg combo is my go-to. Food comes out very quickly.

Great vegetarian options, nice outdoor atmosphere

Good service. Good food. I will eat there again.

Great vibe very safe and clean .

The food was decent, but we picked a bad nite to go. They were severely understaffed. We had a long wait just to get fountain drinks and the table wiped off so we can seat ourselves. The woman at the counter was making drinks, taking orders, ringing people up and serving food. She was apologetic for this..buy still, most of the food was room temp when it came out and the cook mixed the "sides" into the main dish. For a party of six eating family style, the portions were modest to the point that we began to discuss where else we could get food from when we left. We asked if we could have some rice brought out, and was told that would usually be the case, but the cook didn't make any this particular night. I had the fish alicha which was really good (and the only thing that came out hot). My 12 year old son had the chicken cheesesteak, which was a bit spicy for him but was really tasty. We sat outside at the long table which was all scribble on, (reminiscent of a table at a public park), and not necessarily the ambiance we were going for. Maybe this was just an off evening for some reason.

Did my first open mic there. Great crowd and environment. It's a very relaxing vibe but still lively

This is a nice spot to visit where sitting outside and kicking back a bit is easy. The food is good and the drinks are not bad either.

Tried for the first time tonight. Friendly staff, and delicious food. Portion size was WAY smaller than expected for the price, especially in comparison to other local Ethiopian places. Also had to wait a little bit for our pickup order even though we arrived 10 mins after they said it would be ready (and this was not dinner rush hour). Bummed because the outside patio seems like it would be a great hangout in the summer.

Amazing food and super nice staff ...Also, loved the fact that all covid protocols were followed!

My food was delicious. I didn't order in advance and had to wait 15 minutes, but they have a nice outdoor dining garden. I think the portion was a little smaller for the price compared to other Ethiopian or Eritrean places in West Philly, but I wouldn't hesitate to go back. Note that they applied a 20% auto gratuity, even for my solo takeout order.

What is there not to love about Dahlak!! Oh man. The service is great, the food is incredible, and food/drinks/hookah are amazingly priced. I've been there twice now and will definitely continue to go back. I love getting a shareable platter because it just feels more authentic. The seasoning is on point for sure.

Considerably different service when traffic is high vs low

delicious, memorable food, fun, good service and value. a neighborhood staple.

The BEST place to chill at in west philly, you'll see true diversity here!

Absolutely love this place. First place I've had Ethiopian and it did not disappoint in the slightest. Delicious Chicken Dahlak thats just slightly spicy and has perfect flavor. The greens are perfectly cooked and seasoned and contrast the spicy flavor of the chicken.. Have already gone twice this month and after eating it earlier today, I can honestly say I can't wait to get it again.

Dahlak is an amazing restaurant ran by people of color that serves authentic African cuisine. After three years in Philly, it remains in my top five favorite places to eat here. I very highly recommend it.

great food, decent service. time it right out you’re going to be waiting forever or there during a party. go for bottled beers because they really measure out the mixed drinks—stingy.

Fav food and hookah spot in west Philly. Lots of cheap drinks

Fui con una amiga después de haber estado en el Teatro Curio; cada una pidió algo diferente; sin embargo, cual no sería nuestra sorpresa cuando vimos que ambos platos eran prácticamente iguales, la misma comida; lo único que los hacía diferentes eran los nombres y precios de cada uno (por desgracia no recuerdo esos detalles). Si bien es cierto que la comida tenía buen sabor, esto es todo lo que salió a relucir, nada más; podría haber sido algo hecho en mi propia cocina con facilidad y sencillez, punto.

It is an ok place to meet friends. The Service is not great and Hookah always going on so if I have allergies It's pretty unbearable.. Nice outside patio area.. thank you

gotta love their injera rolls !!

Looooveee itt!!! Great atmosphere

Slow tonight, everyone was tryna get somewhere that was showing the fight. Food was still really good tho..

Friendly service, free wifi, and delicious food.

Yummy east African cuisine great environment

My partner and I visited Dahlak for the first time on a Saturday night. I’m a Detroit native and she’s from North Carolina but we both were visiting from Durham, NC. We love how there was a place for everyone to be (either eating, dancing or sitting at the bar). The atmosphere was definitely a vibe and most of all liberating to see all black folks having a good time in this space. Keep up the good work! This is what black liberation looks like!

Nice place! Good food! Decent ppl!

So I have been to Dahlak several times and I can honestly say that  not only have I never had a bad experience but each visit seemed to bring something new to a comfortable welcoming environment. My first time ever going to Dahlak I did so on a whim, I happened to be in the area and wanted to try something new and different. Unassuming  from the exterior dahlek   provides a welcome departure  from the urban sprawl of city life. Upon entering the restaurant the interior decor is simple not over worked, but extremely effective at providing  a warm welcoming feel that transports you out of city life and into an eclectic safe space of diversity and inclusion centered around food, friends and music. To the general public the menu may seem a bit confusing but the staff is very friendly knowledgeable eager to explain and even happy to provide insights or suggestions. With three distinct areas each with its own atmosphere, Dahlak offers something for everyone. The main dining/hookah area is quiet enough to easily carry a conversation round a table. For those seeking a little fuller experience the second dinning area has a bar and a performance area that regularly features fresh local music artists. While the thi rd area has the feel of your local corner bar complete with large screen TVs usually showing sports and a music choice jukebox. The appeal of Dahlak is not just the food music or decor but also the patrons and atmosphere that has been nurtured and developed over Dahlak's 35+ year existence which embraces diversity and multiculturalism at its core. I highly recommend a visit to Dahlak to anyone and everyone, whether you are looking for good food, a new experience or even a place to call your second home. Prices are reasonable, food is excellent and atmosphere makes it a can't miss.