13 Months of Sunshine (and an Awesome Lunch Buffet) at Abyssinia

13 Months of Sunshine (and an Awesome Lunch Buffet) at Abyssinia

It's a general Memphis rule that some of the best food in town is found in the most unlikely places. We like our tacos from shopping centers, our burgers from dive bars and our sushi from gas stations.

Abyssinia is no exception. It's by far my favorite African restaurant in town, and it's located on the first floor of an older, nondescript office building on Poplar. And the food is amazing.

Abyssinia Lunch Buffet takings, Memphis, Tenn.

Abyssinia primarily serves Ethiopian food, a genre that the menu happily declares "the other good food!" Most of the dishes are big gumbo-like piles of meat and vegetables and spices with sides of turnip greens, potatoes or lentils.  I thought I hated cottage cheese until I tried the homemade kind that's served at Abyssinia.

The food also comes with a plate of spongy, flat bread that's used as an eating utensil. It's simple: tear a piece of bread, use it to scoop up some food, put it in your mouth. Forks are available on request, but they don't taste nearly as good as the bread.

If you're new to Ethiopian cuisine, start with the chicken or beef stew. It's moderately spicy, fairly easy to eat and simple. There are more exotic things on the menu for the adventurous (like the Gored Gored and the Salmon Kitfo).

During the week, they have a good, moderately priced lunch buffet. It's all-you-can-eat, but know that this food is ridiculously filling (especially when you add glasses of water to it).

Go There:

Abyssinia

2600 Poplar Avenue
Memphis, TN 38112-3835
(901) 321-0082

Abyssinia Ethiopian on Urbanspoon

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Zach
The flat bread is called injera and is made from teff, a purplish mustard seed-sized grain. It is probably the single most nutritious grain on the planet. The stuff is seriously amazing for you. Injera isn't cooked, per say. The teff is ground and mixed with water, then laid out in flat pancakes. The water evaporates and the bread rises. Also, you can feed 15ish people a good, massive meal here for about $100 after tip and drinks. Best Christmas present I ever gave my friends!
August 26, 2010 10:15am