MY EXPERIENCE: While in New York City, I decided that I wanted to introduce my friend Wesley to the Ethiopian food experience. Ever since my first time trying this cuisine in Atlanta, Georgia - I have done nothing but speak highly of the cuisine... so why not share with a fellow foodie?
I tried Ethiopian food for the first time roughly 3 years ago in this small restaurant not too far from the ATL airport. They spoiled me. I was expecting the same experience for Wesley...
This was not the case at MESKEREM.
Earlier in the week while walking around I stumbled upon the place - hidden on a side street... nothing really fancy. But I never judge a restaurant by its "hidden" factor - after all sometimes those are the best finds!
I talked up finding a little "hole in the wall" place to Wesley, and pumped up the idea of trying it. I just knew this was going to be good.
Boy, was Wesley (who has never had Ethiopian food ) in for an experience... unfortunately, it was not a great one.
We entered into a crowded restaurant... One would think this is a good sign! (Sadly, it turns out it was a sign that these people were probably there for the first time, or had crack-smoked every last tastebud away in their mouth)
We were not greeted... (but hey, they were busy right, I can wait until we are seated and eye-contact can be made)
We were seated... (nope, no greeting)
Handed menus... (still, not a word)
So instead of the person working in the restaurant who is most familiar with the food...I explained the foods (that I knew) to my friend.
The server came over... (will we finally be greeted?)
...we were asked if we wanted a drink... (NOPE...still no hello...welcome...how are you, or even ጤና ይስጥልኝ <hello in amharic>).
Wesley ordered a red wine, and I ordered a honey wine. (sometimes I am a fan of honey wines with heavily spiced foods).
We decided we were going to get 2 combos so we could experience a combination of both the vegetarian cuisines and the meat cuisines.
The meat combos should really be considered beef combo - there was no other meats showcased in the combo. Which is sad because the time I tasted how Ethiopians do chicken sold me on the food!
When the server came, (please note I keep using the term server because there was never a mention of name... come to think of it for all I know this person might not have even been a server... just some random person that decided to seat people... it is NYC after all) there was no suggestions made, no inquiry if we had any questions (I mean hello, we are 2 white guys sitting in a restaurant of a cuisine that is not readily available...or popular... in most parts of the country/world)... and still.... NO GREETING.
The wine comes out.
....to the WRONG table.
The wine is passed back and forth by about 4 people at the table... "not mine...not mine."
The lady yells something to the guy (these people being from the restaurant, not the customers) and points at our table. So the guy walks over and takes the wine from their table, and brings it to ours.
Do you think we got a, "Sorry."
Nahhhh!!!
How about, "Would you like a new glass considering there were several people at the other table who have handled your wine - and I do not know if anyone drank from it."
Hell, we didn't even get a hello, what makes you think they would have had the class enough to say that?
But hey, I got my wine so I should just drink it and be happy. I am after all trying to show Wesley that the Ethiopian Food Experience is fun... right?
The food comes out and is thrown on the table.
Perhaps I am exaggerating (slightly) on the "thrown" part, but by this point it might as well have been, because I was feeling more like a nuisance than a customer.
The next I saw of the server (or the lady) was when the check was put on the table.
"Oh... ok, sure... the food tasted
We paid and when we got up....
Just as there was no greeting... there was no thanks...
THE RATING
PEOPLE: If I compared them with my experience of Ethiopian hospitality... the people working here simply do not give a shit. They have a packed restaurant - so you are nothing but another dollar for them. They had the enthusiasm of a dead squirrel. They should learn what a simple greeting can do!!!
ATMOSPHERE: I believe walking through TSA at the airport in Romania right after the fall of communism was more welcoming. One would think that the narrow "intimate" setting the restaurant has would be intimate. Instead, it was more like an inmate setting. The table my friend and I had was right in the pathway between the bar, the restroom and another table, so it was not uncommon to catch a random elbow, or even a chair in the side being carried by the owner/worker like Wesley experienced. The overall cost... normally I would say it would be ok... but for my experience, if given the choice to spend my money there again or buy a hobo a new pickle jar to piss in... let's just say somebody under a bridge is going to have one fine renovation !!!
This place gets a 3 FORK NOs!
Did I enjoy my experience - FORK no!
Would I eat there again- FORK no!
Would I recommend this place to others - FORK no!
Ethiopian food is incredible. It is simple, full of spice, full of different textures... I highly recommend if you have not had it you try it...just please do not try it here!
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