Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant

The food was great! Flavorful, large portions, great variety in the vegan special. The service was stellar as well. Our server was attentive without breathing down our backs, presented the platter, then plated it for us going over what was what. The ambiance was great, cool air conditioned dinning area, clean and calming environment. Not a single thing bad about this experience and dinner here.

They have a dedicated vegan menu, and I tried their vegan special. The food is good, the people are nice and i recommend it

This place is an absolute joy. The vibe is amazing there was such a lovely aroma and nice music and beautiful, interesting artwork and stunning artisan furniture in one section. The food is incredible — so flavorful and nurturing. Me and my husband shared a vegan veggie special platter (x2) and we were both STUFFED and had a whole meal’s worth of food for leftovers. The service is also amazing — our server was so kind and friendly. I absolutely loved sitting there enjoying the ambiance and there are two big screens with nature scenery and animal videos, which I also appreciated. The restaurant is spacious and fresh, with plenty of street parking on university. I’ve tried a ton of the Ethiopian spots in town and this is our new spot for sure 💜✨

Amazing food, staff and environment. Highly recommend.

Aishwarya Singh

I highly highly recommend this place. Not only the food but the people are beautiful. Will make you feel a part of their family. We told them that a few of us are having Ethiopian for the first time and they made sure it’s a great experience. We ordered a Vegan special platter and got to try a bit of everything. One vegan special is sufficient for two people. My friends also got the Ethiopian Tej (honey wine). It was too strong for me but they absolutely loved it.

Adriana LaCorte Maher

My daughter and I wanted to try Ethiopian food and we were not disappointed. The cafe is neat with lovely and unique decor, the menu is extensive and reasonably priced and the food was very good. We shared the vegan sampler plate and it was more than enough for us both. The service was fast, and the server took the time to explain the food and answer our questions about the process of making the injera. It was a lovely cultural experience that I would gladly repeat.

Brenda Gross

This is my go-to Ethiopian spot in San Diego! I usually get the vegan special and add another veggie or meat dish. It’s always delicious! The vegan special has 8 good dishes. I also appreciate that I can eat a lot and still feel great afterward, not heavy or sluggish. There’s street parking in the front of the restaurant or the side street. I like to park in the back lot and then enter through the back entrance. Just a heads-up, they serve tap water for free or you can buy bottled water.

Joe Kennedy

Ethiopian decor, very unique. Meals served on large, round, thin bread plates with rolled bread that were in place of forks. Very similar Middle Eastern/ Arabian style. The place was very clean and the service was very good. They roasted the coffee beans when we ordered and it was delicious. Great place to go if you are looking for a different experience. Parking is on the street so it can be unpredictable.

L S

Have been wanting to come here for a while and finally stopped in this week. Had a wonderful dinner here with friends. We'll definitely be back. Enjoyed the vegan special and the awaze tibs. Everything was flavorful and filling and served in generous portions. Real family vibe and friendly service. Keep san diego local businesses running strong! You can choose to have individual plates for each person or have a large shared plate for everyone to eat off of together. Do what's most comfortable for your group! I loved sharing a plate and our group had fun fighting for our favorite dishes. Shared plate came with plenty of intjera (Ethiopian flat bread, very similar to dosa) you can ask for more injera if you need more! Use the the injera to scoop up food! Yummy

LULU LIVE Art

Very delicious restaurants that have vegan options. We ordered vegan platter plus a beef stew. They are so yummy! I enjoyed the all the flavors. The injera bread is amazing as well. The space is open and clean. The service is fast and friendly. I would recommend this place for sure.

Patrick Mazzuca

Wow. Just wow! Fantastic lunch. Owner is absolutely delightful and the food really perfect. This food was so fresh, clean- we are vegan and this hit the spot! If you love spices and flavor run to Lucy’s- it is that good!!

Sesy E

Delicious food! My first time here and I’ll be sure to return. Staff was friendly and gave me some wonderful recommendations. We started with the house salad and sambusa try both the potato and lentil! So so good! We were a party or two and ordered the meat combo! Plenty of food more than enough for two! I tried the Ethiopian honey wine, it was also good not too sweet. Beautiful decor and music. Thank you!

Lindsay

Ordered the vegan special with zilzil tibs, the food was delicious and more than enough for two people. Our server was very kind and the environment felt relaxed.

Chandra

They have a dedicated vegan menu, and I tried their vegan special. The food is good, the people are nice and i recommend it

Klint Johnson

Truly the most friendly staff at a restaurant you’ll find in San Diego area. The food was delicious! Amazing flavor, spiced just right. Served in the Ethiopian style. We cleaned our plates. So they asked if we wanted more, on the house. I’ve never had that happen before. The place was a bit dimly lit. The neighborhood is a bit congested and run down. We will be back for more.

Evan Burke

The food was great! Flavorful, large portions, great variety in the vegan special. The service was stellar as well. Our server was attentive without breathing down our backs, presented the platter, then plated it for us going over what was what. The ambiance was great, cool air conditioned dinning area, clean and calming environment. Not a single thing bad about this experience and dinner here.

Gina Marie

This place is an absolute joy. The vibe is amazing there was such a lovely aroma and nice music and beautiful, interesting artwork and stunning artisan furniture in one section. The food is incredible — so flavorful and nurturing. Me and my husband shared a vegan veggie special platter (x2) and we were both STUFFED and had a whole meal’s worth of food for leftovers. The service is also amazing — our server was so kind and friendly. I absolutely loved sitting there enjoying the ambiance and there are two big screens with nature scenery and animal videos, which I also appreciated. The restaurant is spacious and fresh, with plenty of street parking on university. I’ve tried a ton of the Ethiopian spots in town and this is our new spot for sure 💜✨

The food was really good here, super flavorful and fresh. We ordered the vegan platter with a side of one of the beef stews. The restaurant itself was very clean (including the bathrooms) and had a nice vibe and welcoming atmosphere and the server we had was friendly. We will definitely come back.

This is one of our new favorite Ethiopian places. The food was perfectly seasoned, full of flavor, and well portioned. The food was so good we were virtually done eating when we realized we hadn't taken photos. It's a great neighborhood spot with good people and good vibes. We can't wait to go back and bring some friends.

The food here is top notch. We reserved this on Christmas eve and the owner was kind enough to keep it open even though we were the only party to reserve for dinner that night. The food felt very fresh and definitely a good place to try out Ethiopian food here in San Diego. The staff here are friendly and the service is great. Overall this place deserves more love than what it has now.

Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant was amazing! The food was rich, flavorful, and perfectly spiced — every bite felt authentic. The injera was so soft and fresh, and the portions were generous too! The staff were kind and welcoming, which made the experience even better. Definitely one of the best Ethiopian spots I’ve tried in San Diego. I can’t wait to go back!

Teja Kiran Chunduri

The food here is top notch. We reserved this on Christmas eve and the owner was kind enough to keep it open even though we were the only party to reserve for dinner that night. The food felt very fresh and definitely a good place to try out Ethiopian food here in San Diego. The staff here are friendly and the service is great. Overall this place deserves more love than what it has now.

Matthew Olszewski

This is one of our new favorite Ethiopian places. The food was perfectly seasoned, full of flavor, and well portioned. The food was so good we were virtually done eating when we realized we hadn't taken photos. It's a great neighborhood spot with good people and good vibes. We can't wait to go back and bring some friends.

Emjei Mihich

Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant was amazing! The food was rich, flavorful, and perfectly spiced — every bite felt authentic. The injera was so soft and fresh, and the portions were generous too! The staff were kind and welcoming, which made the experience even better. Definitely one of the best Ethiopian spots I’ve tried in San Diego. I can’t wait to go back!

Harry Banks

At Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant, you're welcomed into a warm and inviting atmosphere that enhances every meal. The ginger tea is refreshing, and the Ethiopian coffee is a must-try. The food here is truly delicious, making it an experience worth savoring.

Moe Scott

I should have taken a picture before I dug in. I always thought I didn’t like Ethiopian food until now. I ordered vegan platter on DoorDash and I was pleasantly surprised! The food was so delicious even the spongy bread which prior trying in the east coast I hated it. Now fast forward today I was near the restaurant and ordered the same special vegan platter and once I got home I dug in and it’s even better than the first time! So flavorful and fresh! Big portions! I love this place! It’s perfect! If you haven’t tried vegan Ethiopian food this is the place to go! 10 out of 10! 5 stars! ⭐️

I was recommended this restaurant as the best Ethiopian food in San Diego so of course I had to check it out. Four of us had lunch here. There is a small parking lot behind the restaurant and lots of 2 hr street parking spaces. We ordered the potato and lentil Sambusas. So tasty and had a kick to them. For lunch we ordered the big vegan platter and the meat combo. It was a lot of food but so nice to be able to try all the different dishes. My favorite was the beef with berbere dish. The injera was so spongey and light. We also tried the honey wine too. It wasn't as sweet as other honey wines so I actually like theirs more. Service was excellent. We were the only ones there when they opened at noon. This was on a weekday. Another party came later. Hope more people will come because food was excellent and service was great too.

Sharon B

I was recommended this restaurant as the best Ethiopian food in San Diego so of course I had to check it out. Four of us had lunch here. There is a small parking lot behind the restaurant and lots of 2 hr street parking spaces. We ordered the potato and lentil Sambusas. So tasty and had a kick to them. For lunch we ordered the big vegan platter and the meat combo. It was a lot of food but so nice to be able to try all the different dishes. My favorite was the beef with berbere dish. The injera was so spongey and light. We also tried the honey wine too. It wasn't as sweet as other honey wines so I actually like theirs more. Service was excellent. We were the only ones there when they opened at noon. This was on a weekday. Another party came later. Hope more people will come because food was excellent and service was great too.

I ordered take out so did not rate atmosphere. I love Ethiopian food generally. I was disappointed in both the flavors of the meat and the vegetables. My vegetable platter did not come with collard greens as was stated in the order. The beef for the tibs was tough and chewy. The injera was fine. Overall I was disappointed. Was it edible? yes. Is it great Ethiopian food? No.

Kelly Swords

I ordered take out so did not rate atmosphere. I love Ethiopian food generally. I was disappointed in both the flavors of the meat and the vegetables. My vegetable platter did not come with collard greens as was stated in the order. The beef for the tibs was tough and chewy. The injera was fine. Overall I was disappointed. Was it edible? yes. Is it great Ethiopian food? No.