If you have an insatiable appetite for Ethiopian food or even a slight curiosity to try it, Axum Cafe will satisfy your taste buds. With a moderate amount of authentic Ethiopian spices, these select cuts of meat, seafood, and vegetarian dishes are worth the twenty dollar bill. This small restaurant located on lower Haight street draws in older and younger crowds who share an appreciation for the exceptional cuisine.
Unlike many places where the menu is full of options, leaving you distraught in deciding what to order, Axum provides a brief, yet concise description of each meat and vegetarian entrée. The level of spice is comprehensive and the cuts of beef, marinated chicken, lamb, fish, shrimp, and assorted veggies are explained adequately. No forks are needed here, as it is custom to eat the dish with injera, a sour, sponge-like bread. Ask for a fork? You might get some stares.
Don’t expect extraordinary service, the one server responsible for every customer did not seem to be interested in wowing anyone with assistance. Though he was attentive enough to refill water, he failed to the mention the ample list of drinks offered. The menu provides white and red wines, beer, tea, coffee, soft drinks, juices, and milk which are helpful in taming the spicy food, but you have to find that out for yourself.
With dim lighting and low music, Axum Cafe is not a place where you have to scream over the noise to hear your neighbor, the setting is rather intimate. While waiting for your food, one can’t help but notice the tasteful décor. Above each table that seats four, hang traditionally decorated Ethiopian chandeliers with a red fringe. The surrounding walls are painted yellow and are decorated with several paintings. Above the bar, hangs a clock and a traditional Ethiopian fly swatter made of horsetail. The only sign of technology here is the small plasma that hangs from the corner, otherwise the restaurant maintains its festive appearance.
The cooked-to-perfection food is served on a large platter in the center of the table family style, so it is wise to order two or more entrees. The first bite leaves you believing you may want to order more, but the combination of the injera and meat and/or veggies will fill a hungry stomach. Taking a drink between bites, of something besides water, is suggested for those who do not fancy spice. You may find silence as those engorged in eating cannot stop for conversation. As a connoisseur of traditional Ethiopian and Eritrean food, I must say that I am impressed.
Surrounded in a hub of restaurants on one of San Francisco’s busiest streets, laid back, Axum Café is not to be overlooked. The restaurant’s name stems from the Axumite Empire in one of Ethiopia’s most ancient cities and is significant for the early foundations of the Orthodox Church. If you are unsure of what Axum looks like there are an array of pictures around the restaurant, and one even sits on the window sill for curious passerby’s.
Overall, the quality of food is superb. The menu offers a wide variety of options for meat lovers and vegetarians. The drink list provides both Ethiopian and American beverages to quench the average thirst or to conquer a spicy dish. The service is okay, perhaps another visit may persuade a change of opinion.
My rating:
Food: *****
Overall: ****
Axum Cafe
698 Haight Street (at Pierce)
San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 252-7912
Open Monday through Friday: 5:30pm-10:00pm
Saturday and Sunday: 12:30pm-10:00pm
Accepts Visa, MasterCard, and Discover
Price: $15-$20
(Restroom available)
Rating:
None, horrendous, bad, satisfactory, great, exceptional
-,*, **, ***, ****, *****
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