Red Sea Ethiopian Restaurant

4717 University Ave, San Diego, CA

★★★★★4.6(543 Google reviews)

Crema's Take

“This beloved San Diego institution has been earning fierce loyalty for years with authentic Ethiopian cuisine that tastes like home—their traditional honey wine is a must-try, and the vegetarian spreads give you a real reason to linger over shared platters. Owners Shimmy and Eden have created a genuinely welcoming space where you feel like family, whether you're making a weekend pilgrimage for their lamb stew or discovering Ethiopian culture for the first time. The care in every dish and every interaction keeps people coming back, making this the kind of place where "excellent service" gets consistently underscored in reviews as almost secondary to the soul of the food itself.”

What to expect

Family friendlyMeetingsSlow sitSpecialty drinksTraditional drinks

Google Reviews

Brian Nichols
★★★★★2 months ago

I love The Red Sea!! I've been coming here for many many years. Hands down one of the best restaurants in the area. Wonderful comfort food, full of flavor and always fresh and hearty. Plus the owners are awesome. They also have solid vegetarian options, so there's something for everyone. Great place, highly recommend, five stars always!

Josh Jacobson
★★★★★2 months ago

Absolutely amazing experience. Shimmy and Eden have a very welcoming restaurant. I originally came here for a school project about different cultures: Shimmy walked me around and showed me different cultural items and explained their meanings. The food was delicious, fresh, and enjoyable. The restaurant itself is clean, comfortable, and feels like home. I go here whenever I can now. They are very community oriented people: this isn’t just a restaurant, it’s a gathering place. They do everything they can to keep their prices affordable, and give us a great experience. See you soon Shimmy and Eden!

Drake
★★★★★3 months ago

I’ve been a customer at red sea Ethiopian since October of last year and I make the weekend trip because it’s worth it. The service is amazing. The food is incredibly delicious. You can tell it’s prepared the right way and everything is very good. The hospitality is better than anywhere and it’s definitely worth the trip. Don’t forget to bring your friends and family. 10/10

Hani Harieg
★★★★★3 months ago

The best Ethiopian food, excellent vegetarian options. The service is more than 5 stars. Try their traditional Honey Wine, a must. Vegi Combo gives you the opportunity to try 4 of their top vegetarian dishes on one plate. Also for carnivores they have a meat combo. Family owned (Husband & Wife) you will always see one or both working.

Nezar Ilaian
★★★★★3 months ago

Absolutely unbelievably DELICIOUS! The best Ethiopian food I have ever had! I cant believe i have been to this place before. I got the lamb stew and vegetable combo dishes and they were both Absolutely fantastic. Incredible flavors, the lamb was super tender and the variety, textures and flavors were just incredible. This place is an absolute must try! BRAVO!!!

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