Abay Ethiopian Cuisine

10/19/09

Adequate Ethiopian

by teresewallace at Citysearch

We recently moved to Pittsburgh from the west coast, where they are many Ethiopian restaurants to choose from, which was lucky for us since Ethiopian is one of our favrotie cuisines. Unfortunately, Abay did not serve much that resembles true Ethiopian cuisine. None of the dishes were bad, but not were particularly good either. The greens tasted as if they had been prepared with Mexican chili powder. Most of the flavors were flat, and lacked the vibrance found with berbere. Portions were at best half the size of portions found at other Ethiopian restaurants. (One injera for a table fo four). A disservice to Pittsburgh..

• Pros: Atmosphere
• Cons: Not authentic Ethiopian food, portion size

02/16/09

Exotic, Savory Fare!

by PittsburghFoodie at Citysearch

Abay was our family's first introduction to Ethiopian food and we are now hooked! Our favorites are the spicy chicken and spicy bean dishes...but honestly, I'm not sure you could go wrong here. All dishes are served with traditional ethiopian bread (like a pancake), which is delicious. Just roll up your food in the pancake and enjoy--no utensils required! The food is spicy so be careful if you're sensitive to that but I'm sure they can adjust accordingly. It's great to eat it or take out--we love Abay!

07/11/08

very very good

by bardotmoderne at Citysearch

Abay reminds me of my great-grandmother's cooking. I love it so much. This town has a real treasure to have Abay.

• Pros: cozey, friendly delicious
• Cons: none

05/09/08

Best Ethiopian Restaruant Hands Down!

by quietriot10 at Citysearch

Okay, first I need to say that I live in the D.C. metropolitan area where there are so many Ethiopian restaurants you could eat at a different place daily and not get to them all in a month. The previous diner that went to Abay must not know Ethiopian cuisine like he or she thinks. The food at Abay is delicious. The atmosphere is very calming and you want to just sit there and hangout and eat all night. The various spices that they use in their food make you feel like you are back in the "Ethiopian Motherland". Even though I live in the D.C. area, I would rate Abay #1 in my book for Ethiopian restaurants . The food, cool atmosphere, and outstanding servers make the experience superb. I will continue to drive 5 hours one way almost every other month to get my Ethiopian cravings met at Abay. I have also tried Tana and it can't compare in authenticity, taste, and service like you get at Abay!

• Pros: Portion Size
• Cons: None

04/15/08

Disapointed for lack of authenticity :-(

by lady412 at Citysearch

Why do these reviewers perpetuate false raves of authenticity in Abay? Being a lover of Ethiopian food, i was disappointed to find Abay lacking in taste, portions, price, service, and authenticity in general. I went there because Pittsburghers raved about the food (which just proves they don't know better). I can honestly say that i gave it a shot, after dining there 3 times. After doing my research, i found that the place WAS authentic when they first opened but the cooks have traded hands since. Abay is not bad food, rather, a disappointment if you know Ethiopian cuisine. FORTUNATELY.... Tana comes as a second Ethiopian restaurant to the burgh, and this is not Abay's little sister folks. TANA is the real mamma. The address is 5929 Baum Blvd and it comes recommended from true Ethiopian food enthusiasts. if you like Abay, you'll love Tana.

• Pros: BYOB (but a 3-4$ corking fee, per state laws)
• Cons: overrated by Pittsburghers