Ethiopian Restaurants in Memphis

June 15, 2026

Memphis has a small but durable set of Ethiopian restaurants, anchored by kitchens that have served the city for years and newer spots that grew out of African groceries on Summer Avenue and Macon Road. Memphis is Tennessee’s second-largest city, with a population of roughly 618,980 as of 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau), and its East African community, though smaller than Nashville’s, has been large enough to keep authentic Ethiopian cooking on the map. These restaurants share a defining format: richly spiced stews and sauteed meats served over injera, the spongy fermented flatbread that doubles as both plate and utensil, usually from a communal tray meant for the table to share.

The dishes follow a familiar Ethiopian vocabulary. Doro wat, a slow-simmered chicken stew built on the berbere spice blend and finished with a hard-boiled egg, is a centerpiece, while tibs covers cubes of beef, lamb, or goat sauteed with onion and peppers. Kitfo is minced beef seasoned with spiced butter and mitmita, often served with cottage cheese and greens, and shiro and misir are smooth chickpea and lentil preparations. Vegetarian and vegan eating is well represented because the Ethiopian Orthodox fasting tradition excludes animal products on many days, so combination platters of lentils, split peas, cabbage, collard greens, and salads are standard. Several Memphis Ethiopian businesses pair the restaurant with a small grocery, which is common where the cuisine relies on hard-to-source spices, teff flour, and imported staples.

Ethiopian restaurants in Memphis operate within the standard Tennessee food-service framework. Each must hold a food-service establishment permit and pass routine inspections, administered locally through the Shelby County Health Department under state food-safety rules. Prepared meals, whether eaten in or taken out, are taxed at the full combined sales tax rate, which in Shelby County reaches 9.75% (the 7% state rate plus the local option). A restaurant that serves beer, wine, or spirits also needs the appropriate permit from the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC); at least one Memphis Ethiopian spot operates as a full restaurant and bar with Ethiopian beers and wines, while others keep things simple with food and coffee only.

The Ethiopian coffee ceremony, in which green beans are roasted, ground, and brewed in a clay jebena and served in small cups over several rounds, is offered at some Memphis kitchens as a gesture of hospitality. Diners new to the cuisine can ask staff to build a mixed platter and explain spice levels and fasting-friendly options. As with any purchase in the state, complaints about billing or service can be directed to the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs, which enforces the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104). The three restaurants below are established Memphis-area operations with verified locations and menus.

Top Ethiopian Restaurant Providers in Memphis

1. Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant

Address: 2600 Poplar Avenue, Suite 115, Memphis, TN 38112
Phone: (901) 321-0082
Website: https://abyssiniamemphis.com
Services: dine-in, takeout, lunch buffet, doro wat, beef and lamb tibs, kitfo, vegetarian and vegan platters, injera, Yetsome Beyaynetu vegetarian combination, BYOB
Description: Abyssinia is a family-run Ethiopian restaurant on Poplar Avenue that has served Memphis since 2000, making it one of the longest-operating Ethiopian kitchens in the city. The family has kept the same recipes over the years, with spice blends made by hand and injera fermented in house, and the doro wat is simmered for hours in the traditional style. The menu features vegetarian combinations such as Yetsome Beyaynetu along with beef tibs and other meat dishes, all served on the restaurant’s signature injera, which diners eat with their hands. The restaurant offers table service and takeout, runs a lunch buffet into the early afternoon, and operates BYOB, so guests can bring their own beverages.

2. Mammy’s Dish Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar

Address: 6349 Summer Avenue, Suite 102, Memphis, TN 38134
Phone: (901) 246-9586
Website: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mammy-s-dish-ethiopian-restaurant-and-bar-bartlett
Services: dine-in, takeout, delivery, full bar, doro wat, derek tibs, kitfo, kikil, vegetarian platters, injera, Ethiopian beer and wine
Description: Mammy’s Dish is an Ethiopian restaurant and bar on Summer Avenue in northeast Memphis, owned by Tiru Birhane, who also operated the African grocery that previously occupied the location before it transitioned into a full restaurant and bar. The menu serves traditional dishes over injera, the sourdough-style flatbread, and includes derek tibs (fried beef tibs), kitfo (Ethiopian beef tartare), and kikil (a beef, lamb, or goat soup), alongside vegetarian options. Unlike the city’s BYOB Ethiopian spots, Mammy’s Dish holds a bar license and offers a selection of Ethiopian beers and wines, so guests can pair their meal on site. The restaurant keeps broad hours through the week and a shorter Sunday schedule.

3. Sheger Ethiopian Restaurant and Grocery

Address: 6195 Macon Road, Memphis, TN 38134
Phone: (901) 552-3136
Website: https://shegerethiopianrestaurant.com
Services: dine-in, takeout, catering, Saturday lunch buffet, doro wat, kitfo, fish kitfo, tibs, veggie combination, injera, Ethiopian coffee ceremony, attached grocery
Description: Sheger is an Ethiopian restaurant and grocery on Macon Road in east Memphis, combining a sit-down kitchen with a small store stocking Ethiopian staples. The menu runs through traditional dishes including doro wat, kitfo and a fish kitfo variation, several tibs preparations, and a veggie combination of cabbage, greens, green beans, lentils, and rice, all served on injera. Sheger offers a Saturday lunch buffet, handles catering and large-party bookings, and can arrange an Ethiopian coffee ceremony on request. The attached grocery makes it a practical stop for home cooks looking for teff, berbere, and other ingredients alongside a prepared meal.

Frequently Asked Questions About Ethiopian Restaurants in Memphis

Q: How many Ethiopian restaurants does Memphis have?

Memphis supports several Ethiopian restaurants, concentrated on the Poplar Avenue, Summer Avenue, and Macon Road corridors. The count is smaller than Nashville’s larger cluster, but Memphis has long-running options such as Abyssinia, which has operated since 2000, along with newer restaurants that grew out of African groceries in the city.

Q: How much is sales tax on a meal at a Memphis Ethiopian restaurant?

Prepared food in Memphis is taxed at the full combined sales tax rate of 9.75% in Shelby County, which is the 7% state rate plus the local option tax. This rate applies to dine-in meals and takeout orders alike, so it appears on checks regardless of how the food is served.

Q: Can I order vegetarian or vegan at a Memphis Ethiopian restaurant?

Yes. Ethiopian cuisine is among the most vegetarian- and vegan-friendly cuisines, in part because the Ethiopian Orthodox fasting calendar excludes animal products on many days. Memphis Ethiopian restaurants commonly offer all-vegetable combination platters built on lentils, split peas, cabbage, collard greens, and salads, and diners can ask for a fasting-style platter with no meat or dairy.

Q: What permits does an Ethiopian restaurant in Memphis need?

A Memphis Ethiopian restaurant must hold a food-service establishment permit and pass routine inspections through the Shelby County Health Department under Tennessee food-safety rules. If it serves alcohol, it also needs the appropriate permit from the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission. Some Memphis Ethiopian spots operate as full restaurants and bars, while others serve only food and coffee.

Q: What is injera and how do you eat an Ethiopian meal?

Injera is a soft, slightly sour flatbread fermented from teff flour that serves as both the plate and the utensil. Stews and sauteed dishes are arranged on a large round of injera, and diners tear off pieces of extra injera to scoop up the food by hand, often sharing from a single communal tray placed in the middle of the table.

Q: Do any Memphis Ethiopian restaurants also sell groceries?

Yes. Some Memphis Ethiopian businesses, such as Sheger, pair the restaurant with a small grocery. This is common with Ethiopian cuisine because it relies on specialty items like teff flour, berbere spice blends, and imported staples that are not always easy to find, so an attached store lets home cooks pick up ingredients along with a prepared meal.