Red Sea

Good quality food. Generous portions. Very reasonable prices. Really really nice people. Will order here again.

Very authentic food very well made good menu variety served individual or family style. Can order spicy or mild good for vegetarian full bar beer wine

Consistently delicious authentic dishes and great customer service. Good portions, fairly priced and not too oily...

Shared the red sea combo and tej between two and it was super filling and delicious!!! Such a great place! Highly recommended.

Delicious Authentic food at reasonable prices. Red Sea provides a cozy comfortable family environment ( hint the bars next door).

More of a bar than a restaurant, at least on a Thursday. Food was good, quick, and hot. Staff was friendly.

Very friendly staff. Nice restaurant decor. The food was really good! Especially the vegetarian plate.

Great place to eat and dine

Great old-school Eritrean and Ethiopian, served in a quiet gimlet environment great for romantic evenings. NOTE: They stay open on Monday evenings, on which most Ethiopian and Eritrean restaurants are closed

Arguably the best Ethiopian food in Oakland. The food is fresh, delicious and consistently good, and the people are incredibly nice.

Wow, we had great time at red sea. We enjoyed the food and the service was great. i will be back definitely.

Really good food and friendly service. To try variety of dishes order Red Sea Combination or Vegetarian Combination

I have been to countless Eritrean/Ethiopian restaurants throughout the Bay Area and in CA period. No place compares. All others should truly be ashamed of what they serve as "traditional" OR "tasty." I kid you not, this is as good as it gets. Best food ever! Huge portions, great ppl, great service. They are always friendly. I meet ppl from all walks of life whenever I'm here.

The food is delicious. I dont have alot of experience with Ethiopian food but this is by far the best I've had. My favorite is the lamb options! Doesn't matter what you get.

This is the best East African food I have ever had. very friendly authentic vibe, warning the honey wine is so good and it will creep up on you... when im in the mood for a taste of Eritrean I come here. Salute

It is the best habesha restaurant in the east bay. If you are looking for eritrean/Ethiopian cousin Red is the best place for you. The food quality, the full bar and excellent customer service. What else can you ask for. Please check them out.

I loved the food. Next time I will ask them to cook it straight original style like the chef would prefer it, they admitted they toned down the spice level since we came in with kids. Very good flavor nonetheless. Strongly reccommend this place above all the other ethiopian/eritrean restaurants in SF/Oakland/Berkeley. We have tried a bunch. We really tend to like eating in ethiopian restaurants that have more pungent and strong flavors, not mild and overly sweet to meet the Americanized expectations (like fusion style). Vast majority of them tend to really tone down their flavor to be more like fusion style and they turns out very boring to us. This place is a gem ! Finally after all this time found a good one, Red Sea is great.!

First time eating ethiopian food, all i can say is was one of the best foods i have ever tried, the owner was courteous, respectful and quick to respond, i am glad i stopped to eat in this amazing place and will sure go again! I highly recommend this place.

It was our first time to eat at Red Sea. The food was cooked to perfection with more than enough portions served on time with an exemplary customer service. Going back to Red Sea would be with no hesitation.

Pleasant environment. Variety of Ethiopian food choices both for vegetarian and non-vegeterian.

Red Sea is my *favorite* Ethiopian spot in the Temescal. Everything is perfectly spiced, the portions generous and the staff super friendly. The Veggie Combo is to die for, & if you like your injera a little sour, this is the spot. Also, it's pretty dang easy to park in the street, big bonus.

This food tasted like family. Like the workings of a grandmother's hands. You'll remember why we are all here together if you get the veggie combo.

Best Ethiopian restaurant I've been to in the Bay Area. I would recommend the Red Sea special 2. It's a small establishment, but very good food.

They were cool, and let us watch the Warriors game while they brought us delicious food at the bar. 10/10, would give them 5 stars again.

Get the kitfo! The people are friendly and the food is definitely generous. When I am near. I am near I make it a point to pick up. They are very accommodating too.

I haven't eaten with my bare hands before and loved the experience! Great food, Great service Will be back for sure!! :)

Food was delicious. All you can eat African buffet for $6.99. Amazing food and friendly staff. Will recommend and return for sure.

Red sea restaurant is my favorite I love it whenever I have an event, I want many times and alway my guests are happy enough. Thank you for the owner Mr.Iyassu for making a delicious flavor and wonderful services Maekele Embaye

The food here is fantastic. The service was good. Didn't love the outdoor seating

got takeout and i really enjoy this spot. has a really classic and comforting local vibe, very much a community spot. the portions are big, the price is really reasonable and they give ample injera (which is so important!!) I got the veggie platter + kitfo, both were delicious and well seasoned, really reminded me of home. can't wait to come back and try the meat platter. currently my fave Eritrean spot in Oakland!

Authentic Eritrean/Ethiopian cuisine. The food is delicious and great service. You have a choice of the patio area, the restaurant, and the bar area. Overall the best Eritrean/Ethiopian food in the Bay Area.

Did carry out from here for four people. They have a very good selection of dishes, with a lot more variety than I’m used to in Ethiopian food. We ended up ordering all vegetarian dishes to share, and it was quite tasty. Would recommend the veggie combo for sure. I’m excited to come back and try many of their meat dishes. The owner was super awesome and threw in a few drinks for us for our order.

Best Ethiopian food around. The food and service is amazing, got the veggie and the Red Sea combo had the best birthday dinner we have had in years 10/10 would recommend!

The service was amazing. I didn’t have to wait too long for my food to come. The atmosphere was very calming, and the artwork on the walls was very beautiful. The food tasted amazing, and the pricing was reasonable. Would recommend coming here!

What can I say... hands down this place, food and service is AMAZING!!! The food here is SO good!!! The platter is to die for and you will leave full ! I'm excited whenever I come here to eat!!

The food took a bit to come out, but what came out finally was AMAZING. Do not miss this place. We came at night, and all the tables were full but they made an extra place for us. We've eaten at a few Ethiopian places now and this is the top of the list for me. I don't think anything was pre-prepared and heated, I think they made it all fresh (which took time). Don't miss. Really nice people too.

Great buffet options, dishes taste so good, cheap price. Owner really nice guy as well. Only issue would be that waitresses never refill your water. Otherwise, perfect lunch option of you're in the area.

Great Food. Veggie combo was excellent. The lamb was delicious. The Service was amazing(Thank u Sara) Family Owned & Managed. Excellent Service. The Best Food In Oakland.

This Ethiopian joint is the bomb the cuisine is supreme the drinks are delicious. The service is friendly, Red Sea food and service is friendly and delicious. I was surprised but truly satisfied to say Red Sea stands Head and shoulders above other Ethiopian / Eritrean cuisine within that vicinity, point blank. Everybody anybody do yourself a favor and take a vacation to Red Sea and enjoy

Oh my goodness the food is amazing! Even if we weren't staying the weekend here it would be totally worth the trip from the Central Valley just to eat at this restaurant. Super reasonable prices and the staff is great. For sure coming back!

*sigh* I wish I lived in Oakland. The food here is so good it makes me want to sell my house and move to Oakland. Just kidding. But I do wish it wasn't so far. I only get to go if I'm in the area visiting family. The food is excellent and so is the service.

Had a delicious meal here - the service was very friendly and all the dishes we got were great! Definitely will be coming back

Eiiiiiiiiii Red Red Red Sea ahhhhhhhhh!! Who's hands filled with so much love. Make delicious food like this. Nooooo if they are saying you are the best in Bay Area is ture. My heart is so happy all these different flavors. Yet come together in your mouth and tast so so good. This my second time I ate hear and still good. Lots of food and price a little high but where can you find food like this. The price i paid I brought food elsewhere and was so disgusting. I was so mad I cried!! But you ooooooooooo the price for such a treat fit for Nobals worth it. Keep good work and dont change. Mwaaaaaa a happy tummy is a happy human.

Generous portions, amazing service, even better food. I came in and my phone, my only method of payment, didn't work. They comped me the meal - which was AMAZING by the way (seriously) - and said they hope to see me again. No doubt about it.

This was the most authentic Eritrean/Ethiopian meal I’ve had in the Bay Area. It’s obvious that they used authentic spices and high quality ingredients to create a flavor profile that tasted just like home. The customer service was excellent and the owner Eyassu was so kind and took good care of us.

When I lived on Oakland almost 20 years ago, I used to eat at Red Sea all the time and I loved the food back then. I happened to be in Oakland today and had a craving for some authentic Ethiopian food (there are no Ethiopian restaurants where I live now 😞) and I was happily surprised to find that the Red Sea was still there. We quickly found a park and with excitement made our way over to the restaurant. We were promptly seated and the waitress wasted no time getting us menus and glasses of water. We decided on a vegetarian family platter and I'll tell you what...the food was just as yummy as I remembered it to be 20 years ago. I was in heaven. I'll have to come up with another reason to visit Oakland very soon😉

The service was amazing. I didn’t have to wait too long for my food to come and the artwork on the walls was very beautiful Would recommend coming here

I had the pleasure of trying this fish and vegetable dish served on injera, and it was absolutely delicious! The fish was tender and flavorful, cooked perfectly with a blend of sautéed greens, onions, and herbs. The vegetables added a fresh and savory balance, while the injera soaked up all the rich juices, enhancing every bite.

I took my friend here who had never tried Ethiopian food before. I'm glad I did. I had never been to this restaurant before. It is some of the best Ethiopian food I have eaten. The injera was perfect. The lamb I had was tender and perfectly seasoned. My friend had the fish with spinach and I had the Red Sea Combo Platters. We ate family style. I like how the dining room side is separate from the bar side. It gives the restaurant two different vibes.

incredible food! definitely recommend the house combo. certainly enough for 3-4 people. excellent service, food arrived fast, and they had both indoor and outdoor dining.

Haben Abrham

The service was amazing. I didn’t have to wait too long for my food to come and the artwork on the walls was very beautiful Would recommend coming here

Guta Tech

I had the pleasure of trying this fish and vegetable dish served on injera, and it was absolutely delicious! The fish was tender and flavorful, cooked perfectly with a blend of sautéed greens, onions, and herbs. The vegetables added a fresh and savory balance, while the injera soaked up all the rich juices, enhancing every bite.

Michael Wilt

I took my friend here who had never tried Ethiopian food before. I'm glad I did. I had never been to this restaurant before. It is some of the best Ethiopian food I have eaten. The injera was perfect. The lamb I had was tender and perfectly seasoned. My friend had the fish with spinach and I had the Red Sea Combo Platters. We ate family style. I like how the dining room side is separate from the bar side. It gives the restaurant two different vibes.

J A

incredible food! definitely recommend the house combo. certainly enough for 3-4 people. excellent service, food arrived fast, and they had both indoor and outdoor dining.

I just love it here. Yummy food, the njera is just soft and fluffy and sour enough and BIG! spicy dishes but not overwhelming. Super tasty. I've traveled extensively there and i gotta say that this is as good as it gets pretty much!!!

This was always one of my favorite Ethiopian restaurants in Temescal when I lived down the street. After moving back to the Midwest where it's impossible to find Ethiopian/Eritrean cuisine everywhere this was one of my first stops when I returned for a visit. So happy to see the quality is just as good as I remember. Kitfo and shiro and the shrimp alichea are some of the best you're going to find.

Plays the same strange songs over and over but they become a vibe after a while and the food is amazing. The staff kinda wander in and out from the restaurant area but are very friendly.

Nice place to have a drink with friends or a wholesome dinner. Picked up the combination vegetarian dinner, the spices, textures, fresh vegetables, leafy greens, beans, corn, okra were on point! Delicious and satisfying vegetarian meal.

The best Tibs in the bay area period. It's better than most Ethiopian restaurants in Ethiopia. Highly recommend it.

The best Ethiopian tibs and kitfo in the Bay Area. They have fresh meat and friendly staff. Order ahead if u are in a hurry.

I came in on New Year's Day and honestly the spicy pepper gomen is the best gomen I have ever tasted!

Friday beef(leega tibsi) is fresh& delicious. The overall service ok

This is my favorite Ethiopian/Eritrean restaurant of all time. The food is fantastic. There are great options for vegetarians. I like it spicy and my wife likes it mild and they satisfy us both. If you are not sure what to order, just discuss the menu and options with the server. The service here is exceptionally gracious and personal. The restaurant is comfy not fancy and you can dress any way you want. I highly recommend.

Got kitfo from here. No complaints, great kitfo, better than many I've had.

tecle gebremariam

Friday beef(leega tibsi) is fresh& delicious. The overall service ok

Monique Lee

I came in on New Year's Day and honestly the spicy pepper gomen is the best gomen I have ever tasted!

Jeff Little

This was always one of my favorite Ethiopian restaurants in Temescal when I lived down the street. After moving back to the Midwest where it's impossible to find Ethiopian/Eritrean cuisine everywhere this was one of my first stops when I returned for a visit. So happy to see the quality is just as good as I remember. Kitfo and shiro and the shrimp alichea are some of the best you're going to find.

Erw Business

Nice place to have a drink with friends or a wholesome dinner. Picked up the combination vegetarian dinner, the spices, textures, fresh vegetables, leafy greens, beans, corn, okra were on point! Delicious and satisfying vegetarian meal.

Maekele Asmellash

Authentic Eritrean/Ethiopian cuisine. The food is delicious and great service. You have a choice of the patio area, the restaurant, and the bar area. Overall the best Eritrean/Ethiopian food in the Bay Area.

Gordon Weiss

This is my favorite Ethiopian/Eritrean restaurant of all time. The food is fantastic. There are great options for vegetarians. I like it spicy and my wife likes it mild and they satisfy us both. If you are not sure what to order, just discuss the menu and options with the server. The service here is exceptionally gracious and personal. The restaurant is comfy not fancy and you can dress any way you want. I highly recommend.

Maria-Giuliana Latini

I just love it here. Yummy food, the njera is just soft and fluffy and sour enough and BIG! spicy dishes but not overwhelming. Super tasty. I've traveled extensively there and i gotta say that this is as good as it gets pretty much!!!

ezra

got takeout and i really enjoy this spot. has a really classic and comforting local vibe, very much a community spot. the portions are big, the price is really reasonable and they give ample injera (which is so important!!) I got the veggie platter + kitfo, both were delicious and well seasoned, really reminded me of home. can't wait to come back and try the meat platter. currently my fave Eritrean spot in Oakland!

David Kanter

Did carry out from here for four people. They have a very good selection of dishes, with a lot more variety than I’m used to in Ethiopian food. We ended up ordering all vegetarian dishes to share, and it was quite tasty. Would recommend the veggie combo for sure. I’m excited to come back and try many of their meat dishes. The owner was super awesome and threw in a few drinks for us for our order.

Super slow service. Amazing food and chai.

I like the lunch buffet a lot. Good price, great veg and great non-veg options. Lunch is rather casual, dinner a little nicer.

Tasty, big portions, amiable service. Good place to go for decent Ethiopian food

Delicious! But WAY over priced for what you get. The BEST perk is earning airline miles for my mileage plus account! Food's very good though!

This is by far my favorite Eritrean or Ethiopian restaurant. Their food has more of a home-cooked feeling. I have at times caught a glimpse of the cooks in the kitchen and they look like Ethiopian grandmothers, so perhaps there is just love put into the food. Some of my favorite dishes are the Red Sea combo or the vegetarian combination. It is also the only Ethiopian or Eritrean restaurant, I know of, that actually has a selection of seafood dishes, and if I'm remembering correctly they have one tilapia dish & two shrimp dishes. My favorite part about this restaurant, would have to be the weekday buffet, which is incredibly deliscious and nutritious. It costs only $7.99.

The food was interesting way short on staff took forever to get any food drinks anything of sort my appetizer ended up showing up at the end of the mail I got the hummus dip but it was really good

Great Eritrean & Ethiopian cuisine. Excellent lunch buffet for your dollar with numerous vegan and meat dishes. All you can eat for under $10 and a complementary free bottled water.

Loved it. Only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because I reserve that for the incredible, and this was just excellent in all regards. I've never had better at this cuisine.

generous portions of delicious Ethiopian food. Try the $50 house combo for a large meal easily shareable by 3-4 people for a solid deal. Service was fast, kind and helpful.

We ordered a combo for three and it was delicious! You also don't see shrimps often in the Ethiopian menu but they were a very tasty addition.

Kitfo was amazing! Reasonably priced authentic home cooked Ethiopian cuisine. Staff was great also

Ashley Dias

Kitfo was amazing! Reasonably priced authentic home cooked Ethiopian cuisine. Staff was great also

Got there at 1:50 pm, thinking on the buffet, wish the lady would it told me buffet over at 2 eat leftovers one time just rice and potatoes and she didnt even say if i want to drink something .. been there before but they can definitely improve the service

Too much voices at the restaurant, I can’t have a serious conversation and lunch over there. But the food is great. Thanks

Food was meh. It leaked. The bread was amazing tho. But honestly I would not come back. It also took forever

Injera was not fresh. Some food too oily but a good deal for $8 all-you-can eat. Great and friendly service.

Super oily and almost zero meat in the meat combo dish but tasty. Place is underwhelming mostly Eritrean local guys to go place. It made me feel like I was not in California for a moment which is actually great

For a place that's been around for 45 years I figured they had nailed down the food (at least). The menu was filled with typos and the ordering site had its sambusa information mixed up. The dive-y atmosphere seems to work for the folks who were hanging out in the (loud) bar that led to the dining room. But the music poured into the room and collided with the atmospheric (random) music. I was intrigued and pleasantly surprised by the salad with injeera in it along with mayo pesto dressing. That was good and perhaps the highlight of the meal, though biting into jalapenos and raw onions somewhat made it unsettling. We got the vegetarian sampler and the shiro. The discordant artwork on the walls and the lack of detail was reflected in the plate too. The potatoes and carrot pieces were too big and underwhelming. The shiro took a while to grow on me, but it definitely has a lot to address. The shining jewel was the okra in tomato sauce. If only the pigeon peas and red lentils were as flavored this would have been a good experience. The collard greens, as is the case in all Ethiopian restaurants, was forgettable.

Ashwin Mudigonda

For a place that's been around for 45 years I figured they had nailed down the food (at least). The menu was filled with typos and the ordering site had its sambusa information mixed up. The dive-y atmosphere seems to work for the folks who were hanging out in the (loud) bar that led to the dining room. But the music poured into the room and collided with the atmospheric (random) music. I was intrigued and pleasantly surprised by the salad with injeera in it along with mayo pesto dressing. That was good and perhaps the highlight of the meal, though biting into jalapenos and raw onions somewhat made it unsettling. We got the vegetarian sampler and the shiro. The discordant artwork on the walls and the lack of detail was reflected in the plate too. The potatoes and carrot pieces were too big and underwhelming. The shiro took a while to grow on me, but it definitely has a lot to address. The shining jewel was the okra in tomato sauce. If only the pigeon peas and red lentils were as flavored this would have been a good experience. The collard greens, as is the case in all Ethiopian restaurants, was forgettable.

I’d consider getting the okra dish again for takeout only. I don’t think I’d dine here again. The place was half bar half restaurant but the music in each poured into both spaces and clashed. Everything seemed very worn and dated, and like it hasn’t been thought about in years. We had the vegetarian combo and the bismiya (okra) dish. the food was fine enough, some items were underwhelming. the only thing worth mentioning was the okra dish- that we thoroughly enjoyed.

Sofia Aluma

I’d consider getting the okra dish again for takeout only. I don’t think I’d dine here again. The place was half bar half restaurant but the music in each poured into both spaces and clashed. Everything seemed very worn and dated, and like it hasn’t been thought about in years. We had the vegetarian combo and the bismiya (okra) dish. the food was fine enough, some items were underwhelming. the only thing worth mentioning was the okra dish- that we thoroughly enjoyed.

I ordered spinach, but it was collard greens; no one answers the phone; the phone mailbox is always full. I tried an online order and my $15.95 order had $163. in tax and no way to cancel it. Very disappointing. 🙁

They packed my flat bread, in a small clear GARBAGE bag instead of using foil or wax paper. Do not eat here. Red Grease all over inside the bag. Open over your sink because likely, it's poorly packed. They do not care. I wish I can attach a photo. I'm not lieing. Do not eat here.

I don't eat anything hot or spicy, my mouth numbs and I don't feel any taste. I spent the day with my mouth and stomach burning a lot. If vice likes to try the food from hell, there's the food and the place, I'll never eat this cuisine again.

JOÃO GILBERTO no mundo

I don't eat anything hot or spicy, my mouth numbs and I don't feel any taste. I spent the day with my mouth and stomach burning a lot. If vice likes to try the food from hell, there's the food and the place, I'll never eat this cuisine again.

Not the lady at the counters fault cos she’s obviously the only one there and way overworked. As a result of this the food was cold and took a fair amount of time. Portions weren’t that big either compared to other Ethiopian places in the area. Would skip.

Shrinkflation at it's worst. I ordered the meat combo for $20+ dollars and literally got about 2 oz of meat. I brought it home hoping for a meal for me and my partner, but ended up throwing in a can of lentils, a can of potatoes and 4 more ounces of seasoned chicken breast. I don't think I'll be ordering this again unless they make it like they used to. Btw, one of the dishes had only one bone with barely any meat on it.

C B

Shrinkflation at it's worst. I ordered the meat combo for $20+ dollars and literally got about 2 oz of meat. I brought it home hoping for a meal for me and my partner, but ended up throwing in a can of lentils, a can of potatoes and 4 more ounces of seasoned chicken breast. I don't think I'll be ordering this again unless they make it like they used to. Btw, one of the dishes had only one bone with barely any meat on it.

Shafia Adil

Not the lady at the counters fault cos she’s obviously the only one there and way overworked. As a result of this the food was cold and took a fair amount of time. Portions weren’t that big either compared to other Ethiopian places in the area. Would skip.

The worst restaurant I have ever been very dirty and slow service we waited for our order for about 58min and we haven’t got the food we ordered.

Long time to deliver the food, only one waiter serving the restaurant and bar… very poor service

Four people arrived after me. They got their food while I waited patiently. Sad how we treat our own kind. Once again disappointed! Never again!!!!

The food took forever and was cold. The portions were small. The service was awful. It was expensive. The live music should have been in the adjoining bar because it was way too loud for the small dinning room.

Went here to dine in. There was no one there. My friend & I still at the door waiting for a few minutes before seating ourselves. The waitress bought 2 menus & we didn't see her again. We left & drove a few minutes to Asmarra. We got better service there.

Terrible customer service. The staff were rude and careless the whole time. Food was okay but I will not be coming back unless they fix their attitude. Very disappointed.

Our food had a legit stone in it for which when told, server took no responsibility and just 🤷🏽‍♀️. To top it off, we felt super uncomfortable and farty the whole night.

Cinnamin Collins

Went here to dine in. There was no one there. My friend & I still at the door waiting for a few minutes before seating ourselves. The waitress bought 2 menus & we didn't see her again. We left & drove a few minutes to Asmarra. We got better service there.