Walia Ethiopian Cuisine in San Jose - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

I had the veggie sampler kik,Atkilt and salad with lamb tibs, and everything was amazing! The lamb was so tender and flavorful, and the sauce made it even better. The staff was super friendly, and the owner is awesome! Definitely coming back!

Sigo is must-try for vegetarians

Great choice for Ethiopian food!!

Got the veggie sampler with lamb tibs, honey vine and beer. Honey wine and beer both were good! Veggie sampler was okayish. As an Indian, I did not find it exotic, it was pretty BASIC to me - lentils, fenugreek veggie, cabbage potato, 2 more dishes (I don’t know what was that) and lamb. But lamb quality was really good…had flavor. The Injera was okay (more like soft dosa). I did not like it much. Then they have this mandatory 20% service fee :/ Overall it costed me $67. Expensive and 5/10. Wanted to try Ethiopian cuisine, which is ✅ but won’t go again.

Food was amazing! The spicy chicken was our favorite with the lamb as a close second place. Will be coming here again when visiting.

Consistently good Ethiopian food.Takes a little bit of time to get your food.

Yes, Mark Zuckerberg went here in 2014. Is Walia now on his …anti-bucket list? It’s on mine!

Im not joking when I say I pooped blood after. This food was not good at all. I had to get up to ask for more water. Im sure they have better dishes, but the sampler was not good. Sorry guys but id give yall a . 0.5 if i could. Theres gotta be standards.

Enjoyed a delightful lunch last month 2 days in a row had the same wonderful kitfo special raw dish The greens couldn't be more perfect the beef couldn't be more fresh the balance of the butter and the spice couldn't be more sot on The injera (bread lake Part) was light fluffy fresh moist and the perfect amount of sourdough like taste. The fresh milk cheese was fluffy and moist Can't wait to go again

A hidden gem in San Jose. The food is so good. If you are adventurous, ask for the raw beef kitfo. It's good cooked too, you really can't go wrong here.

The restaurant offers a good variety of Ethiopian food but has fewer vegetarian and fish based dishes compared with other restaurants in the vicinity. However the food itself was delicious!! Needed to remind the waiter a few times for additional injera.

This is my absolute favorite restaurant in the South Bay, and even my son's favorite restaurant (and he's 7 1/2 years old! ). We love this place. If you're adventurous try the Kitfo medium or medium rare (or rare, for those of us who are very adventurous). The Veggie sampler is also fantastic.

The store is clean and friendly, but... lol Maybe it's because I'm Korean, but Ethiopian food isn't easy, so take it into consideration and give it a try... And instead of choosing a tip, a fixed 20% is displayed.

Delicious food and we used the leftovers for an amazing dinner!

I got the veggie sampler+lamb tibs. Lamb was tender, juicy, and flavorful. It's sauce enhanced its flavor, so it wasn't too gamey. I personally like my lentils a bit spicy. Still had good flavor. The rest of the veges are good but not extraordinary. Service is good. Self seating and food comes out fast.

Fantastic food and super friendly staff. Both the chicken and vegetarian options were delicious. Incredible texture and flavor on the injera bread.

Came here with 5 other friends and enjoyed the food a lot. We shared 2 family platters, which was plenty of food, and we even had a little bit leftover. Would come here again.

Food was fine but felt it was overpriced.

Amazing flavours, great portions

Smell bad in restaurant couldnt sit for 5 mins and left

Walah is my next door neighbor there Samosa is so good i recommend you guys they are better than nick the Greek and Armando’s And they serve HALAL too

Best Ethiopian restaurant in Bay Area probably. Here the vegetarian options are as delicious as their non vegetarian ones. Price is reasonable. It’s not a very big place and they only do walk-ins, no reservations. Definitely recommend. Lentil sambusa was good, but I wish they had chicken ones at the time we visited. The platter accommodates all spice levels. You may wanna check with the staff if you want to avoid any spicy ones. Mushroom dish aka ‘ingudai tibs’ stood out. Overall all the items were very flavorful. They keep the bread /injera coming- all you need is ask. Even the Ethiopian spiced tea was great. If you like dessert wines, you may want to try their honey wine. It was good too. It has GF and veg friendly options. Note: You will need to use your hands to eat and they give you wet paper towels in the end.

እግዚአብሀር ዪባርክህ igizī’ābihāri yībarikihi May God Bless You whoever is reading this.... Loved the Food and Welcoming. Peace and Blessings y'all. One

Great taste , good food, good service but felt little bit overpriced and mandatory 20% gratuity made it bit too more expensive than it should be.

I've been here several times and have never been disappointed by the quality of food and customer service. Great options for both vegetarians, and meat eaters. Even offer gluten free options. Parking can be tough sometimes but the struggle is well worth it. Joseph has been our waiter almost every time I come in and his energy level and kindness always keeps the vibe positive. Highly recommend!

I recently visited Walia Ethiopian Cuisine and was thoroughly impressed by the exceptional dining experience. The ambiance of the restaurant is warm and inviting, creating a perfect backdrop for an authentic Ethiopian meal. The menu offers a diverse range of traditional dishes, each bursting with unique flavors and spices. I highly recommend the Doro Wot – the chicken was tender, and the berbere sauce was a delightful mix of spicy and savory. The vegetarian platter is a must-try as well, offering a great variety of lentils and vegetables, perfect for sharing. What truly sets Walia apart is the hospitality. The staff was incredibly friendly and attentive, ensuring a pleasant and comfortable dining experience. They were also more than willing to explain the dishes and help with recommendations. The combination of delicious food, a cozy atmosphere, and excellent service makes Walia Ethiopian Cuisine a must-visit for anyone looking to explore Ethiopian cuisine. Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned fan of Ethiopian food, you’re in for a treat. Five stars for an unforgettable culinary journey!

Excellent and amazing dishes. The service was wonderful. This restaurant is a gem. They also are allergy-friendly.

Great vegetarian sampler. Mushroom TIBs are super yummy!

Used to love this place, always went out of my way to get it since I’m not from town but over the last year or two the quality has really dropped. The food is more oily and the flavors just don’t stand out as much. I was also really disappointed that they changed my favorite dish, the Doro Wot, from having chicken drumsticks that are tender and fully immersed in the flavor of the sauce, to just using super hard, chewy, cubes of chicken. I’ve had it multiple times since they switched over and the texture is super off-putting. I might still go back if I’m in the area but I’m going to be looking for another location to go to on a regular basis. Doing take out is still super prompt and easy.

Great lunch! Try the sampler plate.

The food's good! But 20% service charge is CRAZY and unexpected!

The food is quite good! But 20% SERVICE CHARGE is CRAZY (Quite unexpected!)

Charging 20% service fee without mentioning it in front and when deliver the tab to the table is very wrong. It's hard to understand the rationale behind that they keep doing this after earning all these one-star on these reviews.

This was the first time my husband and I had ethiopian food. The food was delicious! We had the veggies sampler with Lamb tibs for two. The waiter was very helpful in explaining the menu and what to expect with different dishes since it was our first time.

So delicious! Love the kitfo. Also props to the restaurant for having a fixed service charge and not have a field for extra tips on the credit card receipt. Every step towards getting rid of tipping culture helps. Parking can be a little rough, beware.

Great food. Diehard non-vegetarians, too, will be inclined towards their vegetarian preparations! We ordered the Larry Page family platter with extra dishes of Lamb and Chicken amongst 4 of us. We were full but wanted to eat more! The best thing is you don't feel the heaviness after eating! Quiet pleasant atmosphere. Prompt service.

Amazing food. Seriously the best Ethiopian food.

This place is run by arrogant and rude folks who've taken patronage for granted just coz back in the day they had received good reviews. But I warn you to go there at your own risk because you'll get NO SERVICE, the food quantities have been drastically cut and prices increased and at least the place is FILTHY on the verge of being unhygienic. We reached there on a Wednesday at 7:30p and there were only about 5 out of 15 tables occupied, so fairly light traffic which should have been good, except we waited almost 10 mins at the entrance before anyone even acknowledged us and got us seated on a uncleaned table which was cleaned only after we sat down. Then we waited for almost 35mins before I finally walked up to the back of the restaurant to place my order because NO ONE CAME to our table to had us the menu let alone take our food order. We waited another 15mins (so a total of 50mins) before finally a waiter was summoned to give us a glass of water!! When the food finally arrived the quantity had reduced dramatically from the last time I'd been here appox 4 yrs back and it was meh.....! By this time we had given up expecting any visit by the waiter to see if we wanted more injera or water to to expect a bill. So I walked up to the back and paid for the food only to see that a 20% SERVICE FEE was already added to the bill. It was almost 9:15p and many of the tables still had dirty dishes that had been sitting there since we'd walked in almost 75mins back. See the pictures for yourself! What a con!!! They have the gumption to charge 20% service fee for being rude, unfriendly and disgusting!! NEVER EVER going there again esp. since there are plenty of decent Ethiopian/Eritrean restaurants in and around this place.

I remember coming to Walia the first day it opened over a decade ago. Never understood why there were so many Ethiopian restaurants clustered near the Burbank Neighborhood. Ive enjoyed trying them all and would recommend any of them. But Walia is by far the best of them all. As good as Zenis but with more elbow room.

First time trying ethiopian, was a wonderful experience. Always good experiencing new cultures and new foods. Glad to have experienced this place while visiting the area

Ordered a large catering order through ezcater and food was delivered on time in catering trays. Food was very delicious and everyone in the office loved it especially trying Ethiopian for the first time. Ingera was fluffy and mild. Curries and others had a ton of delicious umami flavor.

We, which included three generations, were there for some Ethiopian food which I was missing post COVID 19. Of course, I and my wife had my favourite Njera with a Shiro Wot as an add on while the non vegetarians in the group opted for other Ethiopian delicacies. The food was just like what I had at Addis Ababa or Adama in Ethiopia. The restaurant is a bit crowded and that could be considered a limitation. Same with the parking space outside. The wait staff was stunned by my thanking her in Amharic. It was an unexpected surprise for her.

Yum! Ethiopian food: so many options and various levels of spice. Family owned and operated with a welcoming team that will explain the menu if you are new at ordering or looking for your favorite dishes. Cool feature of ordering via text! Great for take out or to enjoy inside the restaurant. Traditional coffee ceremony also available!

Got the vegetarian combo for two and it was great! Delicious food and good customer service.

ordered take out and honestly I wasn’t impressed. Overall, I noticed the food had an odd, dominant taste, unlike my previous experience that was a lot better. Also, the texture and the taste of the bread was to be desired. Pretty disappointed!

I’ve always doordashed from here but went with a group of friends the other day. The good was good and came quickly. We came closer to closing time and we’re the only ones in the restaurant. You can easily order from a QR code on the table and it makes paying for separate tabs easily if splitting the bill with friends, super convenient. I highly recommend the veggie platter, cabbage was my favorite.

Had the vegetarian sampler for 2, with mushroom. Sorely disappointing. For $32 (before the 20% service charge) what was served was bland and meager in portion. I know inflation is high but come on, this seemed like being taken advantage of. Mushroom esp was floating in oil. Won’t be visiting again. I have had Ethiopian food before and I know there are better restaurants in the bay area.

Food was good, but service was bad. It took a while for food to arrive. Server was rude and didn’t even speak a word. There is a 20% tip included.

Liked the food but not so pocket friendly

I came there with high hopes ordered by food and that's when things started going downhill. Their coffee was unavailable, many wats were unavailable. Thankfully they had the platter which we ordered along with misir wat. Very tasty food. I would definitely come back here but I hope they have their options available if it is on the menu. It's great for vegetarians, so many tasty options are available. Definitely recommend Ethiopian coffee if you are a coffee lover.

Walia has been our go to place for Ethiopian in the South Bay for few years now. Friendly atmosphere, good service and awesome food always. Today again, the food was outstanding in every way, succulent kewty chicken pieces cooked to perfection in the doro wot sauce, tangy and porous injera that soaks the flavors of the veggies and lentils..yum..looking forward to another visit soon

I love this place. The food has always been great. The service is quick and the folks are friendly. The KEWTY doro which has replaced the doro wot with a chicken drumstick is awesome!

Almost every dish contains 1/4 cup of oil. It's no healthier than eating a whole plate of fries, and perhaps worse. Some of the flavors are good but I wonder if they can make it as good without emptying bottles of oil into the food. If you go here, use the injira bread to blot out the oil. For samplers, you can immediately see how much oil the injira soaks up. Imagine all that oil inside your body. For each dish I got to go, I poured out a quarter cup of oil per dish. Hope they change this practice. I'm sure the chefs are talented and can make it tasty without adding so much oil. I think they do that to reduce the cooking time as well. Unhealthy shortcuts. Also, the injira bread they sent me was very stale. Even if they made it freshly, I'm guessing the batter might have gone bad. Will find a different Ethiopian place. This place has consistently been getting worse. Sad.

Very good food, full of flavor and rather on a spicy side. We especially enjoyed samosas, they were crunchy and not too greasy.

Food was delicious and service was fantastic.

Best Ethiopian food in San Jose♡

Food was amazing. Would definitely recommend it. The service and experience is very automated through an app, but it didn't take away from the food.

I've been a fan of Ethiopian food for years. I've tried restaurants in LA and Oakland, and this place really hit the spot and satisfied my cravings. It looked a little empty when I came in but filled up with customers pretty quickly.

Wonderful atmosphere, food was delicious!

We had taken family to the restaurant and the vegetarian food was simple, homely, and not oily. There was a generous amount of Injera provided and the dishes were soft on the stomach!

We came here for lunch. They provided less services than McDonald’s, but they still charged mandatory 20% service fee/tips for our party of 2. They should think about how to improve their service quality instead of charging mandatory tips. There’re many good African restaurants in South Bay, so we won’t come here again!

This is my third visit to this place. I tried veggie sampler + chicken tibs. Chicken tibs is really juicy and delicious. Injera rolls are fluffy and fresh. They would be awesome if they are warm/hot. Must try. ! For a beginner, I would suggest not to taste Injera roll directly, instead grab a piece with loads of curry. You will definitely like it !

Update (GrubHub): Entrees don't come with injera. What? NO. It's like having spaghetti without the pasta. 🤦🤦‍♀️🤦‍♂️ Be warned: order some on the side. Average Ethiopian food. There's a restroom in the rear to wash your hands before you eat.

The Larry page combo. I thought it would be more for 90$

Easiest way to order food ever. Our vegetarian sampler was delicious and high quality. The one server in the dining area was very sweet. Clean establishment. Not too expensive. Highly recommended.

Even though food was good, they charged mandatory 20% service charge for a party of 2. I am happy to pass the tip voluntarily but disliked the experience of forcing it. They never mentioned about it before ordering. Unpleasant experience.

Food is great. Service was pleasant, with attentive refills to the injera. There were many veggie friendly options. We were charged a 20% service fee despite only being a party of three, which I didn't see mentioned anywhere. Considering you scan a QR code and order+pay from your phone, not from a waiter, this seemed pretty high.

Beware they charge a fixed 20% tip and 5% surcharge fee to your bill. I would like to pay 20% if this place offers service that’s worthy. But only an awkward server, slow service and no tableware. The location is very discomfortable. Not recommend for dine in. You have Hustler store right next door, a Dollar Tree,7-11, and lots of homeless people around.

Food was okay. Service is not great. Even for a party of 4, they added 20% service charge and 4.65% small business fee. Regular taxes are included as usual.

Excellent food and service! Will come back for sure :)

My favorite Ethiopian restaurant in the area. Delicious.

Really liked the place and their food! I think Injera was perfectly baked and didn't feel too soury which is a common issue. Definitely recommend!

Very flavorful and traditional Ethiopian food. The mushroom tibs blew my mind, they were super delicious!!!

Ate at this place last night for the first time. Grabbed takeout so I'll speak on the food alone which almost left me speechless. So much flavor, presentation even in Togo containers was far above average. I definitely recommend this place. I will say this, if you don't like spice be weary of what you order it can get a little spicy for those with a weak pallette and I say this because it was to spicy for the wife haha. Still a a+.

Good food but definitely not the best Ethiopian food I’ve had. The prices are competitive with the rest of the restaurants in San Jose though.

The insides of the restaurant is really good and feels authentic. Loved the veggie sampler and chicken tibs. Opted for juicy and it was delicious. I was sad that they were out of stock with honey wine as that's always been my regular order when in Ethiopian restaurant. Food was delicious and I will give it a 5/5. Please be aware the surroundings is a bit sketchy. The only thing I didn't like is that when we sat at the table ... firstly it wasn't clean and no one came and offered to clean it for us. Today was probably just a busy day but this was also my first time. I would definitely go back here.

My dad and I get the veggie combo frequently for takeout. It's so good every time! It's my only exposure to Ethiopian food so eating the injera took a bit of getting used to it but it's delicious. Never eaten anything else from this restaurant but I bet it's all good

The food was delicious! I came with the friend and we ordered the veggie sampler for two with beef tibs. All of the flavors were great and paired wonderfully with the injera. Service was friendly as well.

Don’t go there! You’ll be taken advantage of. The food doesn’t taste good. Ordered red wine, dirty glass you could view dirty fingerprints thru it. Didn’t touch it at all. Paid, left but nobody asked me why I didn’t touch the wine. Nobody cares. Find another Ethiopian restaurant with high standard with fair prices.

Noticed various added fees on the receipt. Foods are decent but a little pricy

Food was good. Just not a lot to get excited about from the entire experience.

It was an average place in term of ambience. The owner/ staffs are helpful, one of them explained about the cuisine and dishes when I told them that this was my first visit to an Ethiopian restaurant. We ordered two platters with multiple items. The lamb was exceptionally good. The taste is close to Indian mutton curry. The location is good, the restaurant can accommodate about 30 people. There are ample parking spots neearby.

I tried a few Ethiopian restaurants in San Jose, and I think Walia is the best! I will come back with a bigger group to try more menu!

We love this restaurant. This is our go-to Ethiopian restaurant in the south bay. We've tried most of the others, but my wife, kids an I think this is the best one. Their food and service is consistently on point. They even offer gluten-free injera for my wife.

Best Ethiopian in the area! We have tried every Ethiopuan restaurant in San jose and this is by far the best. Good and quick service, clean, and delicious!

This place is a legit Ethiopian place with music that almost transports you to Ethiopia. We tried the lentil sambussa chechebsa and the Veggie combo. The lentil sambussa was very tasty and each plate has 4 sambussas which serves two very easily. The veggie combo can easily serve a family of 4-5 people.

Very friendly and excellent food.

Friendly staff, I've always liked the food, not too hard to get a reservation. A little weird that you have to use your phone to order at your table, with a waiter right there, but whatever. I didn't realize it right away, so we were sitting there wondering when someone would take our order! Web page was reasonable to order from (we get the veggie plate) and there wasn't much delay in the food coming to us.

Awsome food...The food is super fresh,yummy and piping hot... everytime I visit the states i make sure never to miss Ethiopian cuisine...this is the best place if you looking for such cuisine.. sorry I forgot to click pictures of the food. The food was so mouth drooling that we literally hogged as soon as the food was served. Thank you for the awsome food. Will visit again with my family

Much similar to Indian curry. We felt like Injera was a little too sour but overall we liked everything. We loved the grilled lamb tibs and doro wot

Good food. Service has a few issues with ordering. Charges corking fee, even for birthday wine

Delicious. Very clean restaurant. If you like it hot, make sure they know. Seems like the default is to make it mild, compared to other Ethiopian restaurants.

Veggie combo + mushroom tibs. Delicious

Love Love Love this place especially that tall handsome slim young man named Matthew 🤗. Best employee ever ❤️.

3.5 - the veggie platter was a bit salty than usual and the injera tasted a bit off. However, the food hit the spot.

Good Injera with flavorful sides. Had a satiating lunch!

I think Walia has some of the best Ethiopian food around SJ. The tibs were excellent and juicy. Injera bread is fresh and light. The service was really good too. Would definitely go back with a bigger group to try more of their menu.

Good food and service.. We had the samosa and veggie platter.. not sure why they have a 15% service charge though

I can not say enough good things about Walia. I've been eating there for years, and have tried most everything on the menu. It's all incredibly good, very high quality, fresh, and made by the most lovely people you will ever meet. I've continued to order from them as take out and delivery throughout the pandemic, and they have never disappointed. I adore them.

Food was really good, great portion size and good service. Had: Lentil sambusa 5/5 Chicken tibs 5/5 Quanta firfir (beef jerky) 5/5