Gojjo Bar & Restaurant
4540 Baltimore Ave, Philadelphia, PA, 19143
Gojjo Bar & Restaurant Menu
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Address :
4540 Baltimore Ave
Philadelphia, PA, 19143 - Phone (215) 386-1444
- Website https://www.gojjos.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :10:00 am - 2:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner, Late Night
Parking : Street
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Music : DJ, Live, Juke Box
Good For Dancing : No
Alcohol : Full Bar
Happy Hour : No
Best Nights : Tue, Thu, Sat
Coat Check : No
Smoking : Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
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Bob M.
Only went here once so far, but I did like the decor inside. The doro wat was pretty good with a good amount of spice to it. The injera was slightly different, a little less pugent than I'm used to getting at Queen of Sheba, not in a bad way. Service was pretty quick, prices are good. Not exactly the best selection of beers on tap, mostly just the big major brands and Yuengling, if that counts. Bar area is pretty small & compact, it looks bigger from the outside. I didn't ask about bottles. I'll try this again next time I'm in the mood for Ethiopian and see.
(3)Jonny R.
$11 pitcher of Victory's pale ale. Sweet. Only one bartender serving entire restaurant, but it was empty and we were in the back--I needed to go up front to the bar to get it. I didn't mind, the bartender was nice. We were clearly there in hours that weren't very busy, with the nightlight getting started later on complete with a DJ. Didn't try food.
(3)Erin G.
Eh. This is a pretty ok place. The people who own it are nice, and I love the new garden addition that they added last summer - definitely makes it more of a destination in the summer. The beer list is pretty blah, though, and the food is only ok, vegetarian-wise. Gojjo has been good to me, though, in years when I didn't have a tv - I've watched many a presidential debate on their HUGE upstairs bar tv.
(3)Chris M.
Get a samosa! They are hand made and amazing. If I had my way, I would have five for dinner every night, they are that good! Love the lamb tibs...get them spicy, out of this world. Service is spotty at times but it is such a small place that gets so packed, you could imagine not seeing your server for a while. Drinks are spot on, with the liquor control system. And there are your typical beers on tap, but many more in bottles. We come here often on Friday nights to dance and early Saturday nights to get dinner and a few drinks. Very different crowds each night. Large groups, small intimate gatherings, Gojjo works for everyone!
(5)Rachel L.
I'm sorry. As a stand - alone restaurant/bar this might be a pretty good place, but when it exists in a neighborhood with two other ethiopian food/bar combos, it should be stepping things up a bit more. Gojjo just doesnt stand up to the competition. Dalak has better ambience and wonderfully friendly staff, and the paradise in the back and outside is a better stocked bar, with the added bonus of outdoor seating. Abyssinia has much better food with the best bar in west philly sitting on top of it. Go here and try it to make your choice, but in my humble opinion, Gojjo doesnt hold a candle to the other two west philly ethiopian institutions.
(3)Michael D.
Nothing wrong here but it doesn't blow me away. If you're in the mood for ethiopian served family style that's what they bring to the table (literally). The atmosphere is somewhat better than abyssinia.
(3)Secret V.
Gojjo's food has shifted around a lot over the years, and now I'm happy to say that it's pretty tasty. The veggie combo was the best deal on Baltimore Ave, but the price has climbed from$8 to $11 to $14. Other drawbacks: 1) Sportsbar vibe, but this can be averted by sitting out back or upstairs; 2) Overworked waitstaff who have to do double duty as bartenders (or is that the other way round?) Your best bet: Order takeout AND leave a little tip to compensate for mediocre working conditions. Bon appetite.
(3)J P.
you still get 3 stars because your bar has no particular "vibe" at all but damn, that Ethiopian cheese steak is dope. And the new bar tender is dope too.
(3)m. roy b.
I am basing my review on pretty much one thing. Their Ethiopian Cheesesteak !!! Screw Glenn Macnow and his stupid best cheesesteak contest in philadelphia. This is definitely one of the best sandwiches in town. Basically beef tibs on bread with cheese. Make sure you get Let and Tomato with it. They have a cool music series on sunday nights and the "game" is always on. A lot of futbol on as well. Don't forget the try the fries.
(5)Jeff B.
Hands down serves the best off-shoot of the city's most popular culinary delicacy - - the Ethopian Cheesesteak! Makes me drool just typing it. Get one, feel the spicy kick and dab your sweaty brow with a napkin. Mmm mmm
(4)Won S.
the beer selection, is just pitiful. They have heineken, Yuengling Porter, and I forget what else. But the food. MMMM. I think the food is better than Dahlak, and quicker. I don't have to waste an entire night waiting two to three hours for food that is bland at best. I wold rather sit at the bar and enjoy spicy buttered raw meat. MMM. Their dishes are well spiced. Not the best ethipoian I have had, there was a place in NY that was Good, with great sour Injera. But Gojjo comes close. Their food has a kick to it, if it says its got a kick to it. And the people that go their are from the neighborhood so it's nice. I see people I take the trolley with eating there and its good to see the neighborhood connection. Dahlek is just too bland and flavorless, but Gojjo doesn't go stingy with the spice. If I have a problem with the beer list, I call ahead to carry out, and drink better beer while I eat at home. If I am in a Yeungling mood, I'll go to Gojjo. I still enjoy the food, but I must admit, better beer selection would get them to maybe 3 and a half stars.
(3)Nina J.
On another note..If you are looking for a really sweet outdoor dining area, Gojjo is awesome! They've got the back upstairs deck + the lower outdoor seating area. Plus, it's never extremely busy, so you're sure to get a table out back. It's really chill and I really like how they decorated everything out back..totally beats the crowded concrete slab outside of dahlak (although I still go there sometimes..lol)
(5)Omar E.
Dahlak is better atmosphere and food in my opinion, but Gojo's bar, as noted by Nina, is big and nice. Plus, Gojo has the upstairs going for it-- where there's a pool table and a big-screen TV for sporting events. Me and a few other Boston expats watched the 2004 ALCS here, when the Sox came back from 3 games down to win it and make history. After game 7, I ordered a bottle of champagne to celebrate, and the owner gave us a second bottle on the house-- that 's service. So even though I prefer Dahlak, Gojjo is a great place to visit too-- despite the fact they go through barstaff like a cop goes through donuts. Check it out.
(4)Jing G.
Not experienced in Ethiopian food, I've only had it one other time when I was in college. Nice waitress/bartender (there was only 1 person working besides the kitchen staff) who was friendly. The food - REALLY SPICY! Maybe I'm not used to it but my vegetarian shiro was sooooo spicy (and salty) and the boyfriend's gored gored was too! The waitress laughed and said it wasn't spicy though... O_o Decent selection of beers (she told us they used to carry Ethiopian beers, but not anymore), worth the experience. I'm not sure Ethiopian is quite my thing, but it wasn't bad, either.
(3)Norrie R.
Like one of the other yelp reviewers, I am also an ex-employee of Gojjo and I shared a similar experience working here. There are certainly great things about this place (a lively weekend crowd w/ music & dancing) but I think people should be aware of the demeaning, dishonest and racist people who run this place. Let me just say that most people would be shocked by the way the owners treat their staff and by their ignorance towards pretty much anyone, including blacks, Latinos and Arabs. First, the owner (specifically the wife) was a boss from HELL. Her behavior towards me and other employees was extremely demeaning-she worked me like a dog while constantly talking down to me. She also collected 10% of all the bartender's tips nightly to "give to the cook." Turns out the cook-who could only converse with me since I speak Spanish-never received a dime from those tips. Second, I can't tell you how many racist comments I endured working here. The wife insisted I was Hispanic even though I explained to her I just speak Spanish, and she flat out told me she wouldn't have hired me as a bartender if she "knew I was Hispanic." I've heard her refer to Arabs in the neighborhood as "terrorists," and she constantly down-talked African-Americans as no-good and lazy. Needless to say I didn't stay at Gojjo for more than a few months, in fact I left her one night with no notice and she had to cover the bar herself (which I know is wrong, but it felt oh-so-good). Working here was truly a nightmare. Oh, and by the way, all the food there is prepared ahead of time at her house and micro-waved at the restaurant :)
(1)Ash A.
I come here mainly for the dancing and to get Tusker beer. It's a good place to meet up with friends and dance after going to Noche or other clubs in Center City where they play that whack ass pop music of today. Always guaranteed a great time for me and my boyfriend!
(5)Centsster K.
I echo some of the reviews, and especially about the cheesesteak. I wasn't that impressed with the Ethiopean dishes although I didn't think they were bad. One day, I tried their cheesesteak. And I can't seem to get it out of my mind. Something addictive is in there (the Ethiopean sauce that's spicy in a not-tobasco sauce-like way). There's nothing that's distinctive about it as a cheesesteak (no fancy vegetables or anything), but it's that sauce they use while cooking the meat. Worth trying out. As a bar, I really do find it quite comfortable. Laid-back although it's not a dive.
(4)Bess W.
I'm liking the bar in this place-- fun, usually pretty crowded w/ the neighborhood's ethnic mix. They have a pretty decent beer selection (nothing super unexpected, but a lot of choices). The food is fine but not as good as Dahlak, down the street, in my opinion.
(4)steven e.
Stylee bar
(4)Mato K.
I've had better Kitfo, Doro Wat. Was expecting better from the reviews. It's a bar and popular on some nights
(3)Brendan K.
Try the ethiopian cheesesteak. There is high turnaround with the bartenders here, so there will often be a young lady learning her way around the bar if you stop in. It's a good place to watch a game, although they never have specials of any kind and most if not all of the liquor is measured out with an electronic device the bartenders place over the top of the bottle. I've been coming here for a long time, since before I was legally allowed to drink, and when they still had a pool table upstairs. It's an OK place, but if you have the option there are better places for ethiopian food in the neighborhood.
(3)Joseph G.
I am not a fan of eating with my hands, but the food was pretty decent. There may be better Ethiopian restaurants around... Samosas are delicious!
(2)Loren H.
I ate here once, before I was adventurous enough to try Ethiopian food. I made the mistake of getting a pita, yeckkk, to say the least. But I've heard the Ethiopian food is pretty good (stress ethiopian not middle-eastern), about as good at Dahlak down the block but not even within shouting range of Abyssinia's. If you can't tell I never eat here. The drinks are cheap, the area in the back becomes a nice little dance floor on the weekends, there are 2 big tv's to watch the games, and did I mention the drinks are cheap? Just don't order a long island iced-tea, it's made from a mix (yecckk, and they aren't even hard to make)
(3)Bill M.
And so my West Philly Ethiopian restaurant hopping is complete (at least until something points me towards another direction). I saved Gojjo for last because some of the food write ups were freaking me out to the point that I felt it would be best to savor the better before taking the plunge. But most of that was unnecessary since it turned out to be pretty flipping sweet. As a whole Gojjo was probably fifth as far as the food chain goes. But my rice platter with lamb, peppers, cabbage, and onions was still pretty damn fantastic. The tea hit the spot even if it was predominately Lipton (not dissing the bags, just comparing them to the tea that places like Dahlak and Blue Nile Falls hooks up). But what won me over with Gojjo over any of the other Ethiopian haunts was overall atmosphere. It had two floors of fun with a great downstairs bar, a good spot to eat in that hooked up plenty of artwork, and a chill room with a pool table. I also got down with the chill music and well rounded beer selection. So it's fair to say that with the exception of Dahlak during Spring/Summer (back courtyard party!), Gojjo is the the Ethiopian Restaurant I'd consider going to just to chill in the bar (I consider Fiume a separate entity all together). Especially since it had some chill people working there.
(4)Jessica S.
Drinks are small but I like to dance and I like it do it in low-pressure environments very close to my apartment. On Friday evenings I gorge myself and get wine-wasted on my own wine at Ethio Cafe then stumble down to Gojjo for some soukous, reggae and other trans-Atlantic musics. It works for me...
(3)Ruth Y.
As I walked in, I noticed a vibrant (read LOUD) bar scene. I watched with devouring (pun intended) eyes and salivating mouth as a huge plate of Ethiopian food was carried past me at the bar and up a set of stairs behind me. My friend and I inquired and found out that we could eat either downstairs at the tables set up in a room just past the bar or upstairs. We chose to venture upstairs. Upstairs there were 3 rooms: 1 with a pool table set up (we saw some Ethiopian? men playing bocci), 1 with a bar and about 7 tables and 1 in the back with 2 tall tables and bar stools. This last room had a patio door that led out onto a porch with more tables. We decided to sit in the room with the 7 tables (too much PDAs coming from the couple sitting in the last room - yuck! ). The bar was empty and the room very quiet. The track lighting and lighting fixtures in all the rooms were different and interesting. The walls all look freshly painted with delightful pastel/citrus colors; one wall had a mural on it. There were also 2 huge LCD tvs playing sports (for you ladies that have to convince your guy to try Ethiopian). The service was slow; all part of the Ethiopian trend. But our waiter (possible proprietor?) was very friendly. We ordered a combination platter for 2. When the platter came, I was amazed. These platters just keep getting bigger and bigger! There was a good amount more food than at Kaffa's. We tasted the food mmmm! The food was quite good, but a bit oversalted. But the food really was not bad at all. The most amazing part of the food was the injera though. This injera (maybe Kaffa's disappointment was just too much for me) was perfect in consistency! It was thick and perfectly spongy! Still not completely sour enough for my taste. There seemed to be a spice that they threw into the injera that gave it a unique flavor that no one else's injera had, but it left a sandy feeling in your mouth afterwards (no doubt the ground up spice in question). I did not mind the extra flavor, but was not sure it outweighed my personal distaste (why yes, I am punny today) for the texture.
(3)Erin G.
Eh. This is a pretty ok place. The people who own it are nice, and I love the new garden addition that they added last summer - definitely makes it more of a destination in the summer. The beer list is pretty blah, though, and the food is only ok, vegetarian-wise. Gojjo has been good to me, though, in years when I didn't have a tv - I've watched many a presidential debate on their HUGE upstairs bar tv.
(3)J P.
you still get 3 stars because your bar has no particular "vibe" at all but damn, that Ethiopian cheese steak is dope. And the new bar tender is dope too.
(3)John P.
Me and my girlfriend went here the other night to see my friends band play. Apparently every Sunday night they have jazz bands play here. Pretty Cool. The bands play upstairs right next to the room where they have that Billiard type game where they knock over those little tiny pins(if anybody know what I am talking about). Before we saw any bands we ate in the back room downstairs. I forgot what it was that we got, but my girlfriend got something vegetarian, and I had something with meat cubes and finely chopped collard greens. The doughy spongy bread like stuff that they had was not as sour as I have had it at other places. I kinda enjoy the dough less sour. The ice tea was tasty as well. The meal was A-OK in my book. Nice and filling. I will definitely go back here.
(4)Dipz C.
Went there with a group of friends after a long night of partying for some after partying. This is one of the place which is open till well after 3 am and that is what we were looking for. After downing ourselves in one bottle of tequila we wanted to dance our hearts out. So I am not writing about the food or drinks. The place was small, crowded and guys looking for girls to booty grind with. The music was amazing, great beats, great energy. I did get a beer and half there which did not take too long to come. The only horrible thing which happened to my friend : they charge $1.50 for a glass of tap water !! Ridiculous. Great memories, great night ... if you know what I mean ;)
(4)Bess W.
I'm liking the bar in this place-- fun, usually pretty crowded w/ the neighborhood's ethnic mix. They have a pretty decent beer selection (nothing super unexpected, but a lot of choices). The food is fine but not as good as Dahlak, down the street, in my opinion.
(4)steven e.
Stylee bar
(4)Marie R.
My first Ethiopian dining experience was at Gojjo. Some late night food was necessary and I am always willing to try something delicious and new. I tried the spicy beef and chicken w/ veggies. I will have to say that i like my veggies FRESH and these were not.....which sucks......but overall, it wasnt a bad dining experience...but i know there is a lot better. They have a full bar, accept credit cards, and friendly staff. PS Big screen @ downstairs bar
(3)Loren H.
I ate here once, before I was adventurous enough to try Ethiopian food. I made the mistake of getting a pita, yeckkk, to say the least. But I've heard the Ethiopian food is pretty good (stress ethiopian not middle-eastern), about as good at Dahlak down the block but not even within shouting range of Abyssinia's. If you can't tell I never eat here. The drinks are cheap, the area in the back becomes a nice little dance floor on the weekends, there are 2 big tv's to watch the games, and did I mention the drinks are cheap? Just don't order a long island iced-tea, it's made from a mix (yecckk, and they aren't even hard to make)
(3)Joseph G.
I am not a fan of eating with my hands, but the food was pretty decent. There may be better Ethiopian restaurants around... Samosas are delicious!
(2)Jing G.
Not experienced in Ethiopian food, I've only had it one other time when I was in college. Nice waitress/bartender (there was only 1 person working besides the kitchen staff) who was friendly. The food - REALLY SPICY! Maybe I'm not used to it but my vegetarian shiro was sooooo spicy (and salty) and the boyfriend's gored gored was too! The waitress laughed and said it wasn't spicy though... O_o Decent selection of beers (she told us they used to carry Ethiopian beers, but not anymore), worth the experience. I'm not sure Ethiopian is quite my thing, but it wasn't bad, either.
(3)R B.
Yuck. I gave them 3 visits of failing before writing this review. Tonight I got the Vegetarian Platter with very dry, stale injera & although there were supposed to be a variety of items, over half of it was lentils. Three types of lentils is hardly a vegetable combo platter. Takeout is always twice as long as they say it will be & eating there takes a lifetime. They are not sure if they are a bar or a restaurant so just don't put enough energy into either.
(1)Chris M.
Get a samosa! They are hand made and amazing. If I had my way, I would have five for dinner every night, they are that good! Love the lamb tibs...get them spicy, out of this world. Service is spotty at times but it is such a small place that gets so packed, you could imagine not seeing your server for a while. Drinks are spot on, with the liquor control system. And there are your typical beers on tap, but many more in bottles. We come here often on Friday nights to dance and early Saturday nights to get dinner and a few drinks. Very different crowds each night. Large groups, small intimate gatherings, Gojjo works for everyone!
(5)Rachel L.
I'm sorry. As a stand - alone restaurant/bar this might be a pretty good place, but when it exists in a neighborhood with two other ethiopian food/bar combos, it should be stepping things up a bit more. Gojjo just doesnt stand up to the competition. Dalak has better ambience and wonderfully friendly staff, and the paradise in the back and outside is a better stocked bar, with the added bonus of outdoor seating. Abyssinia has much better food with the best bar in west philly sitting on top of it. Go here and try it to make your choice, but in my humble opinion, Gojjo doesnt hold a candle to the other two west philly ethiopian institutions.
(3)Michael D.
Nothing wrong here but it doesn't blow me away. If you're in the mood for ethiopian served family style that's what they bring to the table (literally). The atmosphere is somewhat better than abyssinia.
(3)Secret V.
Gojjo's food has shifted around a lot over the years, and now I'm happy to say that it's pretty tasty. The veggie combo was the best deal on Baltimore Ave, but the price has climbed from$8 to $11 to $14. Other drawbacks: 1) Sportsbar vibe, but this can be averted by sitting out back or upstairs; 2) Overworked waitstaff who have to do double duty as bartenders (or is that the other way round?) Your best bet: Order takeout AND leave a little tip to compensate for mediocre working conditions. Bon appetite.
(3)John P.
Me and my girlfriend went here the other night to see my friends band play. Apparently every Sunday night they have jazz bands play here. Pretty Cool. The bands play upstairs right next to the room where they have that Billiard type game where they knock over those little tiny pins(if anybody know what I am talking about). Before we saw any bands we ate in the back room downstairs. I forgot what it was that we got, but my girlfriend got something vegetarian, and I had something with meat cubes and finely chopped collard greens. The doughy spongy bread like stuff that they had was not as sour as I have had it at other places. I kinda enjoy the dough less sour. The ice tea was tasty as well. The meal was A-OK in my book. Nice and filling. I will definitely go back here.
(4)Won S.
the beer selection, is just pitiful. They have heineken, Yuengling Porter, and I forget what else. But the food. MMMM. I think the food is better than Dahlak, and quicker. I don't have to waste an entire night waiting two to three hours for food that is bland at best. I wold rather sit at the bar and enjoy spicy buttered raw meat. MMM. Their dishes are well spiced. Not the best ethipoian I have had, there was a place in NY that was Good, with great sour Injera. But Gojjo comes close. Their food has a kick to it, if it says its got a kick to it. And the people that go their are from the neighborhood so it's nice. I see people I take the trolley with eating there and its good to see the neighborhood connection. Dahlek is just too bland and flavorless, but Gojjo doesn't go stingy with the spice. If I have a problem with the beer list, I call ahead to carry out, and drink better beer while I eat at home. If I am in a Yeungling mood, I'll go to Gojjo. I still enjoy the food, but I must admit, better beer selection would get them to maybe 3 and a half stars.
(3)Nina J.
On another note..If you are looking for a really sweet outdoor dining area, Gojjo is awesome! They've got the back upstairs deck + the lower outdoor seating area. Plus, it's never extremely busy, so you're sure to get a table out back. It's really chill and I really like how they decorated everything out back..totally beats the crowded concrete slab outside of dahlak (although I still go there sometimes..lol)
(5)Omar E.
Dahlak is better atmosphere and food in my opinion, but Gojo's bar, as noted by Nina, is big and nice. Plus, Gojo has the upstairs going for it-- where there's a pool table and a big-screen TV for sporting events. Me and a few other Boston expats watched the 2004 ALCS here, when the Sox came back from 3 games down to win it and make history. After game 7, I ordered a bottle of champagne to celebrate, and the owner gave us a second bottle on the house-- that 's service. So even though I prefer Dahlak, Gojjo is a great place to visit too-- despite the fact they go through barstaff like a cop goes through donuts. Check it out.
(4)Dipz C.
Went there with a group of friends after a long night of partying for some after partying. This is one of the place which is open till well after 3 am and that is what we were looking for. After downing ourselves in one bottle of tequila we wanted to dance our hearts out. So I am not writing about the food or drinks. The place was small, crowded and guys looking for girls to booty grind with. The music was amazing, great beats, great energy. I did get a beer and half there which did not take too long to come. The only horrible thing which happened to my friend : they charge $1.50 for a glass of tap water !! Ridiculous. Great memories, great night ... if you know what I mean ;)
(4)m. roy b.
I am basing my review on pretty much one thing. Their Ethiopian Cheesesteak !!! Screw Glenn Macnow and his stupid best cheesesteak contest in philadelphia. This is definitely one of the best sandwiches in town. Basically beef tibs on bread with cheese. Make sure you get Let and Tomato with it. They have a cool music series on sunday nights and the "game" is always on. A lot of futbol on as well. Don't forget the try the fries.
(5)Jeff B.
Hands down serves the best off-shoot of the city's most popular culinary delicacy - - the Ethopian Cheesesteak! Makes me drool just typing it. Get one, feel the spicy kick and dab your sweaty brow with a napkin. Mmm mmm
(4)Centsster K.
I echo some of the reviews, and especially about the cheesesteak. I wasn't that impressed with the Ethiopean dishes although I didn't think they were bad. One day, I tried their cheesesteak. And I can't seem to get it out of my mind. Something addictive is in there (the Ethiopean sauce that's spicy in a not-tobasco sauce-like way). There's nothing that's distinctive about it as a cheesesteak (no fancy vegetables or anything), but it's that sauce they use while cooking the meat. Worth trying out. As a bar, I really do find it quite comfortable. Laid-back although it's not a dive.
(4)Vera G.
First time here. Loved the Ethiopian vegetarian platter!! Service was great!! Different cuisine. Never ate with my fingers that way. A treat!!
(4)Randy O.
I came here on a Saturday afternoon to try the famed Ethiopian cheesesteak. The cheesesteak was a unique treat, but hardly worth the price. The fact that they put "comes with fries" on their menu is laughable: there were maybe 10 small fries included with the cheesesteak. The cheesesteak might have been a decent value if it included more fries, but I was disappointed to spend $10 and still leave hungry. In all, I would still come here to try their unique house dishes, but I don't see myself coming back regularly because of the poor value.
(3)Jay W.
As a restaurant, Gojjo is pretty good. Lentil soup had a good flavor to it, but I wish that it had more lentils in it. Kachumbari (Tomato Salad) was very tasty, a lot of flavor in what looked like a fairly simple dish. Tomato, peppers, onion, and some vinegar. The Gojjo Special Tibs (Spicy) was a bit smaller than I am used to, I would recommend getting an extra side or two of vegetables. The flavor was very good, spiced beef with peppers and onions, the spinach that went with the meat was well seasoned. Again, I would have liked some more vegetables, but the dish was otherwise very good. Served with injera (spongy rolled bread). Spilt Lentil (Spicy) this was excellent. The flavor with the lentils was terrific, the lentils were thick with a flavorful sauce that paired very well with the injera. Service was pretty slow. It didn't seem like they had enough staff for the crowd that was there. Outdoor seating is terrific, and I would recommend if you want to get away from the loud bar.
(3)Ari B.
Gojjo is only the second Ethiopian restaurant I've tried in West Philly. Because a group of friends and I went early on a weekday evening, the restaurant was quite empty when we arrived. Even when it's full though I'm sure it's quite accommodating (in good weather) because there is ample outdoor seating upstairs and in the backyard. The only thing to keep in mind if you choose the outdoor seating option is the mosquitos, as there is plenty of greenery around. The food we ordered (Korniece and Vegetable platter) was on par with what I've had at Ethio cafe, although I'd say the presentation was a notch better.
(3)John L.
Great if you wanna wait an hour and ten minutes for your food, which is unseasoned and cold.
(2)Daryll M.
Good food for the price. Fast and tasty. Took one star off for the fact that they double charged me once and refused to fix it, until I brought Bank of America into the situation. The girl at the counter didn't void the transaction properly. Also, not my favorite injera. I prefer injera with more of a tang to it.
(4)Mark H.
I love Ethiopian food! The idea of it just makes me feel special and eclectic! The bread is very distinctive,and has an usual texture, which goes well with the hearty vegetables chicken dishes. Gojo is awesome! It has a nice ambiance and I think they expanded, so you can sit outside and eat in the warmth of a summer evening. Bonus! The beer is always cold and the service is always attentive. I don't share some of the criticisms about the service and the demeanor of the waitstaff. Andrea, who is the hostess and server is awesome and very warm. I can understand how some would find the service problematic and the attitudes of some the staff to be off-putting, this may be attributable to dinner and happy hour rush periods. But overall, this place is good! Not as expensive as if we're somewhere like Center City.
(4)Nijmie D.
Gojjo's is a reliable neighborhood bar. Their Ethiopian/Eritrean food is good, if a bit pricey. Avoid getting fries, wings, and other American food. Literally 10 fries in the order, totally ridiculous portion. Their Ethiopian cheesesteak is a must-try, however!
(3)Janene B.
The management of this establishment don't respect women and the autonomy of their bodies. A group of friends of mine were celebrating a birthday party on the upstairs level of this bar, and since there was no bartender upstairs we had to go downstairs to buy drinks. A very intoxicated man made unwanted advances to a friend of mine and touched her multiple times. She told him she wasn't interested and to stop touching her and told the management about the situation. The management did not immediately kick this man out of the bar and a fight almost ensued as a result. Why he wasn't kicked out I do not understand. Never in my life have I heard of bar management "trying" to kick someone out or "working on" kicking an offending or highly intoxicated patron out of a bar. That is code for "we don't really care that he's done this to you, but we're trying to save face". That's what was told to us when we asked why he was still sitting at the bar, trying to order drinks. I will never be returning to this establishment, and I'm going to tell anyone and everyone I can never to return as well. There are other Ethiopian restaurants with bars in the neighborhood where you can be more certain that if you are touched inappropriately by a stranger, the management will act accordingly.
(1)Edward M.
Gojjo has been my favorite West Philly Ethiopian restaurant for several years now. They have a fine selection of traditional dishes -- even fish dishes -- served with good injera (the fish dish was, however, a bit bland, which I suppose I should have remedied with a side of hot sauce, which they do provide upon request). In addition to traditional Ethiopian dishes, they have Ethiopian (i.e., berbere-spice infused) takes on Philly's classic cheesesteak (both beef and chicken versions are available). I've only tried the chicken version, and it was very good. They might even have regular pub fare, but I never bothered looking at that part of the menu. To help you wash down the delicious and filling food, Gojjo has a very good selection of beers -- including some tasty and very-hard-to-find Ethiopian brews (by hard to find I mean I've never seen them at any beer distributor or bottle shop). Service is ... laid back, so don't show up ravenous and cranky; it will go (and perhaps end) poorly. The prices are in line with, and generally a bit less expensive than, average for Philly's Ethiopian restaurants. There are lots of seating options. When the weather is nice, there is a lovely back yard with both ground-level seating and a second floor deck (though the outdoor furniture is mostly kinda flimsy plastic). Inside, there is bar seating and tables on both the first and second floors. The upstairs tends to be closed on slow nights. On some nights they have a DJ that plays ridiculously loud music on the first floor. Your eardrums will rightly hate you if you expose them to it (until they implode, that is, which they might; I didn't try to find out).
(4)India N.
I like this place and the atmosphere. I even like the fact that they literally kick you out at closing. I will come back since it's around the corner. Be aware of Moroccan men who will sneak kiss you!!! He got me!
(4)Abe A.
The ownership is a disaster. I saw the owner ask a patron to leave simply because he claimed he did not like the way the patron looked at him!! Yes, it's an Ethiopian ownership and the owner is Ethiopian, but in the US this is no run a business! Yikes!
(1)Kyle D.
I recently ate at Gojjo for the first time and really enjoyed it. I went with some friends who had eaten there before, but it was my first time eating Ethiopian food. I got the sampler dish and split it with my girlfriend. For $20 we stuffed ourselves with a chicken leg, a lamb dish, a beef dish, another chicken dish, spicy lentils, and of course, njera bread. Great food and I loved the patio area. Looking forward to going back.
(5)Cherie C.
The lamb stew was tasty, but it was downhill from there. The injera seems to have less teff than at other restaurants. At least, I think that's why it lacks the 'sour' kick that I enjoy so much in other injera. This injera was bland. Worst of all, some of the veggies in my veggie platter were CANNED! The string beans were definitely not fresh, and in the center of my injera was a pile of mixed vegetables (like the nasty can of Veg-all that I keep in my emergency kit next to bandages and candles). I was really upset by that, especially since the samosa appetizers seemed fresh and tasted good. Other veggie items like shiro peas were okay, but after the two canned items I was suspicious. Were those collards fresh or frozen chipped collards? Whom can I trust. I will say that the servers were enthusiastic and very sweet. We were served quickly and they were attentive. The restaurant is nice, clean, and has a good bar. But without good food, none of that matters to me. I'll stick to Almaz Cafe for good Ethiopian food.
(2)Antoni T.
Best cheesesteak in Philly! I won't say it's the best Ethiopian though. I give 5 stars strictly for the Ethiopian Cheesesteak and the cheap drinks. Check out my full review below! :) goodyummyeats.wordpress.…
(5)Tim W.
I know nothing about Ethiopian food. I actually know so little that the only reason I knew how to eat my meal was because someone else was eating the same (or a similar) thing before my plate came to me. It may sound ridiculous but when I looked at the menu I felt some anxiety. The food wasn't great, and I couldn't even tell you what I ordered. It was good enough that I'd like to check out some more Ethiopian food in the future (especially since I know how to eat it now).
(3)Bonnie J.
My BF and I shared a combination platter which included doro wot (chicken stew), yebeg wot (lamb stew), and alitcha (mild lamb stew). The platter was the perfect size for 2 people and I would definitely recommend it for any other newbies to Ethiopian food. The real winner for me was the chicken stew. The chicken was so flavorful, tender, juicy, and steaming hot. The full size chicken stew came with a hard boiled egg, I will definitely be getting that next time. The only item I wasn't too keen on was the injera, which is a flat pancake like bread used to pick up the food. It had a strange after taste that kept on building as I ate it. Also worth mentioning were the really cheap craft beer prices. We split a pitcher of an IPA which was a whopping $12. We definitely want to try this place again, probably for take out, and just eat it with regular pita. Is that cheating?
(4)Peter D.
This review is only in regards to it as a drinking establishment. It is interesting to see the cultures clash of the young, White crowd mixed with a moderately 30-60 crowd of Ethiopian men. It is a funny dynamic but totally embraced at this Baltimore Ave. joint. I didn't have any of the Ethiopian fare but I am told by many of the locals that it is a rather good palate (I'll stick to Abysinnia for now). The selection of beers is not plenty but it was enough for our Super Bowl Sunday where they had plenty of TV's and a very laid back duo of bartenders who served us throughout the evening. I would come back only for a cheap nightcap in West Philly but it wouldn't be a go-to for me. Heads up, Cash Only
(3)Shannon M.
I really wanted the Gojjo to be great. I want every restaurant in my neighborhood to be great but Gojjo especially because I need a great Ethiopian restaurant within walking distance. Unfortunately, I think I set my hopes to high. Gojjo is probably great for catching a beer and a snack during happy hour but isn't the best for an actual sit-down meal. My friend and I ordered the same thing (boring I know): a lentil samosa and the special lamb tibs spicy. The injera was great and the food was okay but it wasn't that special. I think I just have a really high expectation for Ethiopian food since I was a bit disappointed by Dahlak as well. Overall the meal was fine but just very basic. Our total meal + a drink each was about $40. I recommend checking the bar out during happy hour and maybe ordering something at the bar. I'll be back but not for a sit-down dinner.
(3)Kristin C.
Gojjo is the definitive West Philly Mix of neighborhood bar and cultural flare. I haven't had the tibs, but the Ethiopian Cheeseteak is freaking delicious. They basically use higher grade beef than your typical cheesesteak, throw on Ethiopian spices and cheese and serve. Not too greasy and exceptionally tasty, great sized roll. Good TV's, can usually grab a spot at the bar, and good beats after 10 if you feel like dancing! The Ethiopian Cheesesteak itself makes it a destination if you're in the Baltimore neck of the woods. 2 thumbs up!
(4)E T.
Don't go near this place with a ten foot pole. Bad service aside, I'd add some health concerns and bigoted viewpoints of owners on the list of why not to frequent this place. As noted in other reviews this place is a revolving door of bartenders/servers. This means a lot of time the servers aren't familiar with what's on the menu and don't know how to mix basic drinks. They are often overworked and service can be very slow as they have the job of being a bartender, server, food runner, host, busser and stocker all in one and often I've noticed they only have one person on staff to fill all these positions for the entire restaurant yet the owner is sitting at the bar doing nothing. A few things to consider before going here - -Because they use automatic pourers and the bottles are always open and exposed to the air FRUIT FLIES GET IN THE LIQUOR - they then STRAIN the liquor, remove the flies, and return the same liquor to the bottles. Often they don't get around to it and people wind up with flies in their drinks. I have gotten drinks with flies in them here. It's no wonder the health department recently shut them down for a few days. -I ordered a magic hat vinyl spring seasonal. It was seasonal all right - FROM LAST YEAR'S SEASON!!!! I told the bartender it was expired by a year and she told me they do that cause usually no one notices and they can save money. The owners routinely make a variety of bigoted comments - from specifically telling bartenders they're too fat and need to lose weight, to saying that transgender people are "wrong" and making threats of violence against them. They have said prejudiced comments about american black people. They have also endorsed the mass murder of jews. I have heard them say each one of these things but cannot post the actual quotes due to yelp's rules on hate speech. Enchanted yet? After all these experiences I gave up. Gojjo's is no longer getting my business. Their bathrooms are disgusting. Their food isn't that great (Check out Abysinia instead). There are other ethiopian bars with outdoor seating in the summer (Dahlak). They do have dancing on the weekends - but you're out of luck if you don't want a bunch of skeezy dudes groping you/grinding up on you and good luck on the 20+ min wait to get a drink on fri and sat! All in all, I'd say your money and time would be better spent somewhere else.
(1)Pablo A.
Ethiopian cheesesteak. And the back patio is nice too. But really, the cheesesteak is truly unique. I will miss it when I leave Philly.
(4)Marisa F.
The food here is wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. The service is not so wonderful. The waiters are so friendly, but are prone to forgetting about you. I had to go to the bar twice to ask for menus. But the food is just so good that I can forgive waiting forever (about 45 minutes for just the samosa appetizers). I recommend the gored gored medium rare. I have eaten here quite a few times and it continues to be my favorite. Make sure that you try the baklava. It is literally the best that I have ever had. They also have good beer on tap and a really cute outdoor area. So come for the amazing food, but be prepared for iffy service--it is worth it, I promise!
(4)Cherie C.
The lamb stew was tasty, but it was downhill from there. The injera seems to have less teff than at other restaurants. At least, I think that's why it lacks the 'sour' kick that I enjoy so much in other injera. This injera was bland. Worst of all, some of the veggies in my veggie platter were CANNED! The string beans were definitely not fresh, and in the center of my injera was a pile of mixed vegetables (like the nasty can of Veg-all that I keep in my emergency kit next to bandages and candles). I was really upset by that, especially since the samosa appetizers seemed fresh and tasted good. Other veggie items like shiro peas were okay, but after the two canned items I was suspicious. Were those collards fresh or frozen chipped collards? Whom can I trust. I will say that the servers were enthusiastic and very sweet. We were served quickly and they were attentive. The restaurant is nice, clean, and has a good bar. But without good food, none of that matters to me. I'll stick to Almaz Cafe for good Ethiopian food.
(2)Norrie R.
Like one of the other yelp reviewers, I am also an ex-employee of Gojjo and I shared a similar experience working here. There are certainly great things about this place (a lively weekend crowd w/ music & dancing) but I think people should be aware of the demeaning, dishonest and racist people who run this place. Let me just say that most people would be shocked by the way the owners treat their staff and by their ignorance towards pretty much anyone, including blacks, Latinos and Arabs. First, the owner (specifically the wife) was a boss from HELL. Her behavior towards me and other employees was extremely demeaning-she worked me like a dog while constantly talking down to me. She also collected 10% of all the bartender's tips nightly to "give to the cook." Turns out the cook-who could only converse with me since I speak Spanish-never received a dime from those tips. Second, I can't tell you how many racist comments I endured working here. The wife insisted I was Hispanic even though I explained to her I just speak Spanish, and she flat out told me she wouldn't have hired me as a bartender if she "knew I was Hispanic." I've heard her refer to Arabs in the neighborhood as "terrorists," and she constantly down-talked African-Americans as no-good and lazy. Needless to say I didn't stay at Gojjo for more than a few months, in fact I left her one night with no notice and she had to cover the bar herself (which I know is wrong, but it felt oh-so-good). Working here was truly a nightmare. Oh, and by the way, all the food there is prepared ahead of time at her house and micro-waved at the restaurant :)
(1)Mato K.
I've had better Kitfo, Doro Wat. Was expecting better from the reviews. It's a bar and popular on some nights
(3)Ash A.
I come here mainly for the dancing and to get Tusker beer. It's a good place to meet up with friends and dance after going to Noche or other clubs in Center City where they play that whack ass pop music of today. Always guaranteed a great time for me and my boyfriend!
(5)Brendan K.
Try the ethiopian cheesesteak. There is high turnaround with the bartenders here, so there will often be a young lady learning her way around the bar if you stop in. It's a good place to watch a game, although they never have specials of any kind and most if not all of the liquor is measured out with an electronic device the bartenders place over the top of the bottle. I've been coming here for a long time, since before I was legally allowed to drink, and when they still had a pool table upstairs. It's an OK place, but if you have the option there are better places for ethiopian food in the neighborhood.
(3)John L.
Great if you wanna wait an hour and ten minutes for your food, which is unseasoned and cold.
(2)Daryll M.
Good food for the price. Fast and tasty. Took one star off for the fact that they double charged me once and refused to fix it, until I brought Bank of America into the situation. The girl at the counter didn't void the transaction properly. Also, not my favorite injera. I prefer injera with more of a tang to it.
(4)Adrienne G.
The owners do not know how to effectively run a business. They treat their staff like ABSOLUTE crap. It's horrifying.
(1)Rachel C.
Tasty tasty Ethiopian food in West Philadelphia. Reasonably priced, but still on the higher end if you're on a budget, but it's absolutely worth it. It's a great place to watch a soccer game while eating some delicious ethnic food. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't had Ethopian food yet!
(4)Kate G.
I am obsessed with this place and the beautiful curtains upstairs. Its such a fun combo of bar + restaurant! I really like the brightly lit room upstairs. It's the perfect place to get a great look at your dining partner. I guess if you want DINNER, go to Dahlak. If you want only a bar, go to Queen of Sheeba. If you want BOTH, go to Gojjo! I usually get the shared crazy platter for two people and share with some friends! the cabbage is AMAZING!
(5)Vera G.
First time here. Loved the Ethiopian vegetarian platter!! Service was great!! Different cuisine. Never ate with my fingers that way. A treat!!
(4)Randy O.
I came here on a Saturday afternoon to try the famed Ethiopian cheesesteak. The cheesesteak was a unique treat, but hardly worth the price. The fact that they put "comes with fries" on their menu is laughable: there were maybe 10 small fries included with the cheesesteak. The cheesesteak might have been a decent value if it included more fries, but I was disappointed to spend $10 and still leave hungry. In all, I would still come here to try their unique house dishes, but I don't see myself coming back regularly because of the poor value.
(3)Jay W.
As a restaurant, Gojjo is pretty good. Lentil soup had a good flavor to it, but I wish that it had more lentils in it. Kachumbari (Tomato Salad) was very tasty, a lot of flavor in what looked like a fairly simple dish. Tomato, peppers, onion, and some vinegar. The Gojjo Special Tibs (Spicy) was a bit smaller than I am used to, I would recommend getting an extra side or two of vegetables. The flavor was very good, spiced beef with peppers and onions, the spinach that went with the meat was well seasoned. Again, I would have liked some more vegetables, but the dish was otherwise very good. Served with injera (spongy rolled bread). Spilt Lentil (Spicy) this was excellent. The flavor with the lentils was terrific, the lentils were thick with a flavorful sauce that paired very well with the injera. Service was pretty slow. It didn't seem like they had enough staff for the crowd that was there. Outdoor seating is terrific, and I would recommend if you want to get away from the loud bar.
(3)Ari B.
Gojjo is only the second Ethiopian restaurant I've tried in West Philly. Because a group of friends and I went early on a weekday evening, the restaurant was quite empty when we arrived. Even when it's full though I'm sure it's quite accommodating (in good weather) because there is ample outdoor seating upstairs and in the backyard. The only thing to keep in mind if you choose the outdoor seating option is the mosquitos, as there is plenty of greenery around. The food we ordered (Korniece and Vegetable platter) was on par with what I've had at Ethio cafe, although I'd say the presentation was a notch better.
(3)Mark H.
I love Ethiopian food! The idea of it just makes me feel special and eclectic! The bread is very distinctive,and has an usual texture, which goes well with the hearty vegetables chicken dishes. Gojo is awesome! It has a nice ambiance and I think they expanded, so you can sit outside and eat in the warmth of a summer evening. Bonus! The beer is always cold and the service is always attentive. I don't share some of the criticisms about the service and the demeanor of the waitstaff. Andrea, who is the hostess and server is awesome and very warm. I can understand how some would find the service problematic and the attitudes of some the staff to be off-putting, this may be attributable to dinner and happy hour rush periods. But overall, this place is good! Not as expensive as if we're somewhere like Center City.
(4)Marisa F.
The food here is wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. The service is not so wonderful. The waiters are so friendly, but are prone to forgetting about you. I had to go to the bar twice to ask for menus. But the food is just so good that I can forgive waiting forever (about 45 minutes for just the samosa appetizers). I recommend the gored gored medium rare. I have eaten here quite a few times and it continues to be my favorite. Make sure that you try the baklava. It is literally the best that I have ever had. They also have good beer on tap and a really cute outdoor area. So come for the amazing food, but be prepared for iffy service--it is worth it, I promise!
(4)Nijmie D.
Gojjo's is a reliable neighborhood bar. Their Ethiopian/Eritrean food is good, if a bit pricey. Avoid getting fries, wings, and other American food. Literally 10 fries in the order, totally ridiculous portion. Their Ethiopian cheesesteak is a must-try, however!
(3)Janene B.
The management of this establishment don't respect women and the autonomy of their bodies. A group of friends of mine were celebrating a birthday party on the upstairs level of this bar, and since there was no bartender upstairs we had to go downstairs to buy drinks. A very intoxicated man made unwanted advances to a friend of mine and touched her multiple times. She told him she wasn't interested and to stop touching her and told the management about the situation. The management did not immediately kick this man out of the bar and a fight almost ensued as a result. Why he wasn't kicked out I do not understand. Never in my life have I heard of bar management "trying" to kick someone out or "working on" kicking an offending or highly intoxicated patron out of a bar. That is code for "we don't really care that he's done this to you, but we're trying to save face". That's what was told to us when we asked why he was still sitting at the bar, trying to order drinks. I will never be returning to this establishment, and I'm going to tell anyone and everyone I can never to return as well. There are other Ethiopian restaurants with bars in the neighborhood where you can be more certain that if you are touched inappropriately by a stranger, the management will act accordingly.
(1)Edward M.
Gojjo has been my favorite West Philly Ethiopian restaurant for several years now. They have a fine selection of traditional dishes -- even fish dishes -- served with good injera (the fish dish was, however, a bit bland, which I suppose I should have remedied with a side of hot sauce, which they do provide upon request). In addition to traditional Ethiopian dishes, they have Ethiopian (i.e., berbere-spice infused) takes on Philly's classic cheesesteak (both beef and chicken versions are available). I've only tried the chicken version, and it was very good. They might even have regular pub fare, but I never bothered looking at that part of the menu. To help you wash down the delicious and filling food, Gojjo has a very good selection of beers -- including some tasty and very-hard-to-find Ethiopian brews (by hard to find I mean I've never seen them at any beer distributor or bottle shop). Service is ... laid back, so don't show up ravenous and cranky; it will go (and perhaps end) poorly. The prices are in line with, and generally a bit less expensive than, average for Philly's Ethiopian restaurants. There are lots of seating options. When the weather is nice, there is a lovely back yard with both ground-level seating and a second floor deck (though the outdoor furniture is mostly kinda flimsy plastic). Inside, there is bar seating and tables on both the first and second floors. The upstairs tends to be closed on slow nights. On some nights they have a DJ that plays ridiculously loud music on the first floor. Your eardrums will rightly hate you if you expose them to it (until they implode, that is, which they might; I didn't try to find out).
(4)India N.
I like this place and the atmosphere. I even like the fact that they literally kick you out at closing. I will come back since it's around the corner. Be aware of Moroccan men who will sneak kiss you!!! He got me!
(4)Abe A.
The ownership is a disaster. I saw the owner ask a patron to leave simply because he claimed he did not like the way the patron looked at him!! Yes, it's an Ethiopian ownership and the owner is Ethiopian, but in the US this is no run a business! Yikes!
(1)Jonny R.
$11 pitcher of Victory's pale ale. Sweet. Only one bartender serving entire restaurant, but it was empty and we were in the back--I needed to go up front to the bar to get it. I didn't mind, the bartender was nice. We were clearly there in hours that weren't very busy, with the nightlight getting started later on complete with a DJ. Didn't try food.
(3)Bob M.
Only went here once so far, but I did like the decor inside. The doro wat was pretty good with a good amount of spice to it. The injera was slightly different, a little less pugent than I'm used to getting at Queen of Sheba, not in a bad way. Service was pretty quick, prices are good. Not exactly the best selection of beers on tap, mostly just the big major brands and Yuengling, if that counts. Bar area is pretty small & compact, it looks bigger from the outside. I didn't ask about bottles. I'll try this again next time I'm in the mood for Ethiopian and see.
(3)Anisha C.
I have been to this place for a number of different occasions - dinner with a friend, grabbing a beer after work, general Sunday bar hangout to watch some sporting event or another. On all occasions, I have had a great time! From the outside, it looks like a small local bar, but upon entering and a bit of exploration, you see there is a large garden in the back space with TV set up, and a second floor space with pool table, and large outdoor patio with tables! Every time I have been there has been off-peak times where there was only a few patrons in the space, so service has been attentive and fast. The vegetarian platter that I had last night, along with a salad, was exactly what I was looking for. Great portion for one, along with a few left overs to take home, and the spiciness and flavors all matched very well. I'll definitely be coming back during the summer season!
(4)Patrice B.
My local 'hood bar and I couldn't be happier. This doesn't feel like a bar in Philly or even America. I feel like this is a great bar in a cool town outside of a big city in another country like Argentina. Such a diverse crowd of people, no pretentious hipsters, great food, great prices, and such a fun place go wild on the dance floor! No judgement there! One of my favorite places in Philly. Nothing fancy just all good atmosphere and people.
(4)Adrienne G.
The owners do not know how to effectively run a business. They treat their staff like ABSOLUTE crap. It's horrifying.
(1)Rachel C.
Tasty tasty Ethiopian food in West Philadelphia. Reasonably priced, but still on the higher end if you're on a budget, but it's absolutely worth it. It's a great place to watch a soccer game while eating some delicious ethnic food. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't had Ethopian food yet!
(4)Antoni T.
Best cheesesteak in Philly! I won't say it's the best Ethiopian though. I give 5 stars strictly for the Ethiopian Cheesesteak and the cheap drinks. Check out my full review below! :) goodyummyeats.wordpress.…
(5)Tim W.
I know nothing about Ethiopian food. I actually know so little that the only reason I knew how to eat my meal was because someone else was eating the same (or a similar) thing before my plate came to me. It may sound ridiculous but when I looked at the menu I felt some anxiety. The food wasn't great, and I couldn't even tell you what I ordered. It was good enough that I'd like to check out some more Ethiopian food in the future (especially since I know how to eat it now).
(3)Bonnie J.
My BF and I shared a combination platter which included doro wot (chicken stew), yebeg wot (lamb stew), and alitcha (mild lamb stew). The platter was the perfect size for 2 people and I would definitely recommend it for any other newbies to Ethiopian food. The real winner for me was the chicken stew. The chicken was so flavorful, tender, juicy, and steaming hot. The full size chicken stew came with a hard boiled egg, I will definitely be getting that next time. The only item I wasn't too keen on was the injera, which is a flat pancake like bread used to pick up the food. It had a strange after taste that kept on building as I ate it. Also worth mentioning were the really cheap craft beer prices. We split a pitcher of an IPA which was a whopping $12. We definitely want to try this place again, probably for take out, and just eat it with regular pita. Is that cheating?
(4)Peter D.
This review is only in regards to it as a drinking establishment. It is interesting to see the cultures clash of the young, White crowd mixed with a moderately 30-60 crowd of Ethiopian men. It is a funny dynamic but totally embraced at this Baltimore Ave. joint. I didn't have any of the Ethiopian fare but I am told by many of the locals that it is a rather good palate (I'll stick to Abysinnia for now). The selection of beers is not plenty but it was enough for our Super Bowl Sunday where they had plenty of TV's and a very laid back duo of bartenders who served us throughout the evening. I would come back only for a cheap nightcap in West Philly but it wouldn't be a go-to for me. Heads up, Cash Only
(3)Shannon M.
I really wanted the Gojjo to be great. I want every restaurant in my neighborhood to be great but Gojjo especially because I need a great Ethiopian restaurant within walking distance. Unfortunately, I think I set my hopes to high. Gojjo is probably great for catching a beer and a snack during happy hour but isn't the best for an actual sit-down meal. My friend and I ordered the same thing (boring I know): a lentil samosa and the special lamb tibs spicy. The injera was great and the food was okay but it wasn't that special. I think I just have a really high expectation for Ethiopian food since I was a bit disappointed by Dahlak as well. Overall the meal was fine but just very basic. Our total meal + a drink each was about $40. I recommend checking the bar out during happy hour and maybe ordering something at the bar. I'll be back but not for a sit-down dinner.
(3)Christine B.
First let's just say this place is probably more of a 3.5... We went on a Friday night for dinner. We did not order any mixed drinks so I can't speak as to Gojjo's capabilities there. We had a very friendly server who was happy to make recommendations and was nothing but delightful. The food was good, but not great. I went with two other people and we had the "Special" lamb tibs, the spicy fish tibs, and the veggie combo. The veggie combo is the only one I would likely order again. The lamb tibs were good but the flavor of the lamb didn't blow me away. One of my friends noted that she much preferred the regular lamb tibs to the special, so I would give that a go. The fish tibs however were a no go. It wasn't that the fish was bad, per se, but it was tilapia and had slightly bitter edge. The injera was good and the veggies delicious, but I will have to try the other places around the area to see if anything blows my mind.
(3)Anthony W.
People have said some terrible things about this place so I wasn't sure I wanted to come back. I just know the last time I was here it wasn't that bad. So a friend of mine wanted to come out to west philly (my neck of the woods) for some Ethiopian food. I did want to get back to Gojjo so this was plan A. I read the up to date reviews to see if I could talk myself out of it. Eh, it didn't happen. I really wanted to check out the "secret garden." That was the main thing so we went. No "secret garden" for us. It was a little more than hot out. So what was different this time around? We received a particularly warm greeting. Honestly, they were really cold my first time in. So anyway, I wanted to sit upstairs then... if not outside, but they say that upstairs is for events only now. Okay, to the dining room then. I got some lamb tibs and curly fries and they had a mojito on the menu so I went for it. (Last time there was no drink menu). This time there's no happy hour. Eh. Our server said they didn't have the ingredients for it, but that the bartender could recommend something. I said to my friend, that I really had a taste for a caipirinha (and I always do) and that there's no way they would have these here. So the bartender (an attractive Ethiopian girl) comes out and we were mystified. It took all evening for me to figure it out. She had a glow in the dark shirt on that kept snatching our attention. So she says about mojitos, "It's not an Ethiopian drink so the stuff goes to waste, but I could make you a caipirinha if you've heard of it." WHAT!? You mean I have to settle for exactly what I want? Sold. It wasn't EXACTLY a caipirinha (had lemons vs limes), but it was good and it was close. The cachaça is what mattered. To the food! Err... my tibs came with 1 vegetable... a vegetable I hate (cabbage)! My friend had shrimp or something and GREENS. He's mostly vegetarian so we swapped them. That problem was solved. I feel like I got taken for a ride on the curly fries. I got just a few for $4. Anywhere else you can get a personal pan of them with cheese for that much. Lesson learned. The tibs themselves were pretty good, but a little chewy. I still haven't had the really tender tibs I've been imagining. We even got a basket with 3 extra injera in it. And it wasn't tart at all. So to weigh this place against the only other Ethiopan food I've had (Kaffa)... Gojjo's injera is better. At Kaffa you get more meal for your money (several vegetables vs 1 for almost the same price). We were told that the other vegetables were a different up-sell on the menu. I must have zoned out when she said that because I was shocked. Overall, it was a cool evening for catching up with a good friend. He was definitely impressed. So next time, I'm going for the Ethio-cheesesteak. PRO-TIP: There may be truth to the high turnover. Our waitress said she had been there for only a week. She was good though. I hope they don't break her spirit.
(4)Jose A.
I was here with a running/drinking club, on-on ( bfm.phillyhash.com ), and we had some beers, and some food which were all pretty good. I had the ethipoian cheese steak, which was a spicer ethopian version of our hometown sandwich, most definetly worth trying... If I were to rate this place on food alone it would be a four star spot, but considering the not so great service, and the not so great beer selection it gets a 3 star rating, food was awesome though, keep on rock'n it Gojjo...
(3)Michelle H.
Oh Gojjo...it has been a long standing relationship, but one that just didn't work out in the end. First, I will say that I do/did like the food very much. I have no complaints about that. The service was always slow, sometimes to the point of waiting an hour before getting a meal, but even that I forgave in the spirit of its ethiopian and it runs on a different time frame, plus I am not usually in a rush when I go out to dinner. However, in an attempt to get moved to the top of the list service wise, I started to tip 30%, hoping that it would aid me in my cause. No such luck. Not because the server didn't care, but because although we went there about every 3 weeks, you very rarely saw the same server. There were a couple of nice ones that I saw for about 3 months, but they never lasted. I figured, that it was probably that no one tipped them, or it was a management issue. However, my tolerance came to an end this evening, a Monday night of all nights. There were 2 people in the dining room (me and my husband) and about 3 people in the bar. The single "gentleman" was yelling ridiculously loudly at the t.v. as the bartender continued to serve him. I asked the bartender to ask the man if he could be a little quieter. She told the loser penn grad drunk that some of the other patrons had asked him to keep it down, which of course narrowed it down to the two of us. He then, because he was drunk, very loudly began to yell and scream about how he could do anything he wanted and that if anyone had a problem and started yelling "fuck them" right at us. My husband got angry and went up to address him. I told the bartender she needed to stop serving him because he was very drunk and that if she didn't I would call the police since I didn't want a fight between the guy and my husband. They said, no, don't do that. The female owner went back into the kitchen to hide, the bartender tried to make peace, and the drunken patron was allowed to remain. He then began leveling ethnic slurs against my husband because he has an accent and deliberately provoking him. The bartender proceeded to serve him another beer, which was beyond belief. I went back into their kitchen, told the owner that she needed to deal with this problem, and she said, my husband is coming. The kid was allowed to finish drinking his beer and the owner never came back to say a word, offer an apology or anything. We had been going to their place for 5 years, have been very visible and loyal customers, and not a word from either owner. On my way out, I told the female owner that they should have done something if they wanted to retain our business, and she said, "I sent the bartender to apologize" Really? Wow. I'm not going back there and I'm sorry because the food was good, the garden was nice, but their level of proprietorship and customer service was beyond lacking. Bye Bye Gojjo...hello Dahlak
(1)Jenn G.
Although Gojjo is higher priced than some Ethiopian in West Philly, it has more flavor. I came here with a group of 5 and we order a bunch of random dishes. Everything was to a nice spice level. It gave a nice burn without overpowering your taste buds. Their injera is a bit stiffer than other places, but it helps when you are picking up the food. The service is a bit slow, but they make up for time in flavor.
(4)Daniel H.
I figured I'd review since there are a lot of people talking about one experience. I've been to Gojjo more than a few times and like most about it but don't like other parts. I'm disgusted about the apparent consensus that the owners are racially prejudice and/or bigoted. I haven't seen it and have had more than a few conversations with both the wife and husband, but maybe that's just my experience with it. I do know that they go through bartenders fast and every one I've talked to says that they get hit on a lot and more aggressively than other places. To me, the food is the best in West Philly. I like Kaffa and Abyssinia (I dislike Dhalak's food) but the food at Gojjo seems better prepared and their injera has more teff in it than most, though they don't make the injera themselves. I think Kaffa's is from the same place. The food is spicy and sometimes very spicy (which I want), but there is also a better depth of flavor than Abyssinia and a better menu than Kaffa. The problem with the menu is that people keep going to Gojjo and they have raised the prices 2-3 times in the past few years, along with decreasing the portion sizes it seems. It used to be $8 for a full belly and now it's about $15. It is important to stay on the Ethiopian/Eritrean food though as anything else could be a disaster. My sister went there and ordered a gyro even after I tried to talk her out of it. What came out was cold and looked like it had been found in the couch cushions. I've heard that their Ethiopian Philly steak is actually good. But WTF? you don't go to an Italian joint to get ribs. I'm thinking that they use MSG in their spice mixes though because I can't get my attempts to turn out the same (and the spice powder is glittery like MSG). The beer garden is a lovely place to hang with friends and a pitcher. Much nicer than Dhalak, but just without as many of your friends stopping by so make sure you text people to let them know to look for you out there, rather than just notice you under the Christmas lights at Dhalak while walking back from Vietnam. The bar selection is just fine with another bar upstairs sometimes having another 4 beers on tap. Prices are fair and there is usually a seat free until later in the evening. At night the place gets really loud Thurs-Sat for dancing, but if you are upstairs or outside you can still eat and talk. I've almost never had to wait long for an order to be taken or served, but if you come while they are busy or with more than 4 people it does take a lot longer (turns in the microwave?). My suggestion is to sit out back, order a pitcher and another when your food comes. Problem solved. And, it's the only place in town where I know to play table bocce, which is an amazingly fun game that is as skillful as pool but doesn't require 6 ft. behind you or years of practice.
(4)Santasangre C.
I really wanted this to be my go-to for neighborhood bar hanging & sports game watching, but no. No go Gojjo. The bathrooms are indeed disgusting, the food is not that great (and I love Ethiopian food), service is slow because server/bartender/busser/runner (they do everything) turnover is high, and the owners are homophobic and racist. Too bad.
(1)E T.
Don't go near this place with a ten foot pole. Bad service aside, I'd add some health concerns and bigoted viewpoints of owners on the list of why not to frequent this place. As noted in other reviews this place is a revolving door of bartenders/servers. This means a lot of time the servers aren't familiar with what's on the menu and don't know how to mix basic drinks. They are often overworked and service can be very slow as they have the job of being a bartender, server, food runner, host, busser and stocker all in one and often I've noticed they only have one person on staff to fill all these positions for the entire restaurant yet the owner is sitting at the bar doing nothing. A few things to consider before going here - -Because they use automatic pourers and the bottles are always open and exposed to the air FRUIT FLIES GET IN THE LIQUOR - they then STRAIN the liquor, remove the flies, and return the same liquor to the bottles. Often they don't get around to it and people wind up with flies in their drinks. I have gotten drinks with flies in them here. It's no wonder the health department recently shut them down for a few days. -I ordered a magic hat vinyl spring seasonal. It was seasonal all right - FROM LAST YEAR'S SEASON!!!! I told the bartender it was expired by a year and she told me they do that cause usually no one notices and they can save money. The owners routinely make a variety of bigoted comments - from specifically telling bartenders they're too fat and need to lose weight, to saying that transgender people are "wrong" and making threats of violence against them. They have said prejudiced comments about american black people. They have also endorsed the mass murder of jews. I have heard them say each one of these things but cannot post the actual quotes due to yelp's rules on hate speech. Enchanted yet? After all these experiences I gave up. Gojjo's is no longer getting my business. Their bathrooms are disgusting. Their food isn't that great (Check out Abysinia instead). There are other ethiopian bars with outdoor seating in the summer (Dahlak). They do have dancing on the weekends - but you're out of luck if you don't want a bunch of skeezy dudes groping you/grinding up on you and good luck on the 20+ min wait to get a drink on fri and sat! All in all, I'd say your money and time would be better spent somewhere else.
(1)Pablo A.
Ethiopian cheesesteak. And the back patio is nice too. But really, the cheesesteak is truly unique. I will miss it when I leave Philly.
(4)Alex Z.
This place is interesting in that it seems to focus more on the bar element than the restaurant, yet it serves outstanding Ethiopian food. I came here with a large group of people and we ordered a bunch of food and all of it was outstanding. There's not a huge amount of space, we sat upstairs and had to rearrange tables a bit, but it worked well. Service was minimal (but good!). The place was a bit chaotic, but the people were so nice, the food was so good, and it came out in a reasonable amount of time, so our experience. Plus, there was live bluegrass, and the group was really good! We were here on a wednesday night. I really liked the vibe in here...maybe it was just the particular night we were here, but the people hanging around here seemed really nice, and the place had a really chill vibe. I would really recommend this place, both for food, and as a bar.
(5)Gada D.
Gave it one more shot. Same deal. I got off th 34 to have a post-work cocktail and dinner. My friend who I was meeting was already there waiting. I ordered my drink and saw they're still measured (like many of the Ethiopian places in the neighborhood) and when i say measured I mean smaaaaall. OK, I can work with that. Speaking of measured drinks: What's up with this Philly? You know, the black dohicky attached to a nozzle (or something) and placed over the bottle? I noticed the back room was cleared out for dancing. It was still fairly early so I did not think the dancing would start until much later. About five minutes later the disco lights came on and...BOOM BOOM BOOM! The music was turned on and up and up and up. Instead of ordering dinner as we'd planned to do, we left. There was no way either of us were going to sit, chat and try to eat a meal while having extremely loud music pounding at the volume of eleventymillion. Music? Great. Higher volume music? I'm OK with that too! This, however was almost deafening and my friend and I had to yell at each other to hear each other. As we were leaving a gentleman who was perched at the end of the bar closest to the door gave me total stink eye. I've seen him there almost every time I've gone but had never spoken to him so I'm not sure what that was about. My friend informed me he's the owner. Oooooo kay then.
(1)Sarah Q.
Not my favorite Ethiopian restaurant in the area (I'm partial to Kaffa Crossing), but very different atmosphere than most. Super cheap pitchers, lots of loud music, and great service, even on a packed Friday night. My date really enjoyed the Ethiopian cheese steak - I thought the veggie platter was pretty good, but not spectacular. I hear it's a good place to dance, but I've never stayed long enough to check it out.
(3)Kristin C.
Gojjo is the definitive West Philly Mix of neighborhood bar and cultural flare. I haven't had the tibs, but the Ethiopian Cheeseteak is freaking delicious. They basically use higher grade beef than your typical cheesesteak, throw on Ethiopian spices and cheese and serve. Not too greasy and exceptionally tasty, great sized roll. Good TV's, can usually grab a spot at the bar, and good beats after 10 if you feel like dancing! The Ethiopian Cheesesteak itself makes it a destination if you're in the Baltimore neck of the woods. 2 thumbs up!
(4)Anisha C.
I have been to this place for a number of different occasions - dinner with a friend, grabbing a beer after work, general Sunday bar hangout to watch some sporting event or another. On all occasions, I have had a great time! From the outside, it looks like a small local bar, but upon entering and a bit of exploration, you see there is a large garden in the back space with TV set up, and a second floor space with pool table, and large outdoor patio with tables! Every time I have been there has been off-peak times where there was only a few patrons in the space, so service has been attentive and fast. The vegetarian platter that I had last night, along with a salad, was exactly what I was looking for. Great portion for one, along with a few left overs to take home, and the spiciness and flavors all matched very well. I'll definitely be coming back during the summer season!
(4)Patrice B.
My local 'hood bar and I couldn't be happier. This doesn't feel like a bar in Philly or even America. I feel like this is a great bar in a cool town outside of a big city in another country like Argentina. Such a diverse crowd of people, no pretentious hipsters, great food, great prices, and such a fun place go wild on the dance floor! No judgement there! One of my favorite places in Philly. Nothing fancy just all good atmosphere and people.
(4)Jose A.
I was here with a running/drinking club, on-on ( bfm.phillyhash.com ), and we had some beers, and some food which were all pretty good. I had the ethipoian cheese steak, which was a spicer ethopian version of our hometown sandwich, most definetly worth trying... If I were to rate this place on food alone it would be a four star spot, but considering the not so great service, and the not so great beer selection it gets a 3 star rating, food was awesome though, keep on rock'n it Gojjo...
(3)Anthony W.
People have said some terrible things about this place so I wasn't sure I wanted to come back. I just know the last time I was here it wasn't that bad. So a friend of mine wanted to come out to west philly (my neck of the woods) for some Ethiopian food. I did want to get back to Gojjo so this was plan A. I read the up to date reviews to see if I could talk myself out of it. Eh, it didn't happen. I really wanted to check out the "secret garden." That was the main thing so we went. No "secret garden" for us. It was a little more than hot out. So what was different this time around? We received a particularly warm greeting. Honestly, they were really cold my first time in. So anyway, I wanted to sit upstairs then... if not outside, but they say that upstairs is for events only now. Okay, to the dining room then. I got some lamb tibs and curly fries and they had a mojito on the menu so I went for it. (Last time there was no drink menu). This time there's no happy hour. Eh. Our server said they didn't have the ingredients for it, but that the bartender could recommend something. I said to my friend, that I really had a taste for a caipirinha (and I always do) and that there's no way they would have these here. So the bartender (an attractive Ethiopian girl) comes out and we were mystified. It took all evening for me to figure it out. She had a glow in the dark shirt on that kept snatching our attention. So she says about mojitos, "It's not an Ethiopian drink so the stuff goes to waste, but I could make you a caipirinha if you've heard of it." WHAT!? You mean I have to settle for exactly what I want? Sold. It wasn't EXACTLY a caipirinha (had lemons vs limes), but it was good and it was close. The cachaça is what mattered. To the food! Err... my tibs came with 1 vegetable... a vegetable I hate (cabbage)! My friend had shrimp or something and GREENS. He's mostly vegetarian so we swapped them. That problem was solved. I feel like I got taken for a ride on the curly fries. I got just a few for $4. Anywhere else you can get a personal pan of them with cheese for that much. Lesson learned. The tibs themselves were pretty good, but a little chewy. I still haven't had the really tender tibs I've been imagining. We even got a basket with 3 extra injera in it. And it wasn't tart at all. So to weigh this place against the only other Ethiopan food I've had (Kaffa)... Gojjo's injera is better. At Kaffa you get more meal for your money (several vegetables vs 1 for almost the same price). We were told that the other vegetables were a different up-sell on the menu. I must have zoned out when she said that because I was shocked. Overall, it was a cool evening for catching up with a good friend. He was definitely impressed. So next time, I'm going for the Ethio-cheesesteak. PRO-TIP: There may be truth to the high turnover. Our waitress said she had been there for only a week. She was good though. I hope they don't break her spirit.
(4)Sarah Q.
Not my favorite Ethiopian restaurant in the area (I'm partial to Kaffa Crossing), but very different atmosphere than most. Super cheap pitchers, lots of loud music, and great service, even on a packed Friday night. My date really enjoyed the Ethiopian cheese steak - I thought the veggie platter was pretty good, but not spectacular. I hear it's a good place to dance, but I've never stayed long enough to check it out.
(3)Michelle H.
Oh Gojjo...it has been a long standing relationship, but one that just didn't work out in the end. First, I will say that I do/did like the food very much. I have no complaints about that. The service was always slow, sometimes to the point of waiting an hour before getting a meal, but even that I forgave in the spirit of its ethiopian and it runs on a different time frame, plus I am not usually in a rush when I go out to dinner. However, in an attempt to get moved to the top of the list service wise, I started to tip 30%, hoping that it would aid me in my cause. No such luck. Not because the server didn't care, but because although we went there about every 3 weeks, you very rarely saw the same server. There were a couple of nice ones that I saw for about 3 months, but they never lasted. I figured, that it was probably that no one tipped them, or it was a management issue. However, my tolerance came to an end this evening, a Monday night of all nights. There were 2 people in the dining room (me and my husband) and about 3 people in the bar. The single "gentleman" was yelling ridiculously loudly at the t.v. as the bartender continued to serve him. I asked the bartender to ask the man if he could be a little quieter. She told the loser penn grad drunk that some of the other patrons had asked him to keep it down, which of course narrowed it down to the two of us. He then, because he was drunk, very loudly began to yell and scream about how he could do anything he wanted and that if anyone had a problem and started yelling "fuck them" right at us. My husband got angry and went up to address him. I told the bartender she needed to stop serving him because he was very drunk and that if she didn't I would call the police since I didn't want a fight between the guy and my husband. They said, no, don't do that. The female owner went back into the kitchen to hide, the bartender tried to make peace, and the drunken patron was allowed to remain. He then began leveling ethnic slurs against my husband because he has an accent and deliberately provoking him. The bartender proceeded to serve him another beer, which was beyond belief. I went back into their kitchen, told the owner that she needed to deal with this problem, and she said, my husband is coming. The kid was allowed to finish drinking his beer and the owner never came back to say a word, offer an apology or anything. We had been going to their place for 5 years, have been very visible and loyal customers, and not a word from either owner. On my way out, I told the female owner that they should have done something if they wanted to retain our business, and she said, "I sent the bartender to apologize" Really? Wow. I'm not going back there and I'm sorry because the food was good, the garden was nice, but their level of proprietorship and customer service was beyond lacking. Bye Bye Gojjo...hello Dahlak
(1)Jenn G.
Although Gojjo is higher priced than some Ethiopian in West Philly, it has more flavor. I came here with a group of 5 and we order a bunch of random dishes. Everything was to a nice spice level. It gave a nice burn without overpowering your taste buds. Their injera is a bit stiffer than other places, but it helps when you are picking up the food. The service is a bit slow, but they make up for time in flavor.
(4)Daniel H.
I figured I'd review since there are a lot of people talking about one experience. I've been to Gojjo more than a few times and like most about it but don't like other parts. I'm disgusted about the apparent consensus that the owners are racially prejudice and/or bigoted. I haven't seen it and have had more than a few conversations with both the wife and husband, but maybe that's just my experience with it. I do know that they go through bartenders fast and every one I've talked to says that they get hit on a lot and more aggressively than other places. To me, the food is the best in West Philly. I like Kaffa and Abyssinia (I dislike Dhalak's food) but the food at Gojjo seems better prepared and their injera has more teff in it than most, though they don't make the injera themselves. I think Kaffa's is from the same place. The food is spicy and sometimes very spicy (which I want), but there is also a better depth of flavor than Abyssinia and a better menu than Kaffa. The problem with the menu is that people keep going to Gojjo and they have raised the prices 2-3 times in the past few years, along with decreasing the portion sizes it seems. It used to be $8 for a full belly and now it's about $15. It is important to stay on the Ethiopian/Eritrean food though as anything else could be a disaster. My sister went there and ordered a gyro even after I tried to talk her out of it. What came out was cold and looked like it had been found in the couch cushions. I've heard that their Ethiopian Philly steak is actually good. But WTF? you don't go to an Italian joint to get ribs. I'm thinking that they use MSG in their spice mixes though because I can't get my attempts to turn out the same (and the spice powder is glittery like MSG). The beer garden is a lovely place to hang with friends and a pitcher. Much nicer than Dhalak, but just without as many of your friends stopping by so make sure you text people to let them know to look for you out there, rather than just notice you under the Christmas lights at Dhalak while walking back from Vietnam. The bar selection is just fine with another bar upstairs sometimes having another 4 beers on tap. Prices are fair and there is usually a seat free until later in the evening. At night the place gets really loud Thurs-Sat for dancing, but if you are upstairs or outside you can still eat and talk. I've almost never had to wait long for an order to be taken or served, but if you come while they are busy or with more than 4 people it does take a lot longer (turns in the microwave?). My suggestion is to sit out back, order a pitcher and another when your food comes. Problem solved. And, it's the only place in town where I know to play table bocce, which is an amazingly fun game that is as skillful as pool but doesn't require 6 ft. behind you or years of practice.
(4)Alex Z.
This place is interesting in that it seems to focus more on the bar element than the restaurant, yet it serves outstanding Ethiopian food. I came here with a large group of people and we ordered a bunch of food and all of it was outstanding. There's not a huge amount of space, we sat upstairs and had to rearrange tables a bit, but it worked well. Service was minimal (but good!). The place was a bit chaotic, but the people were so nice, the food was so good, and it came out in a reasonable amount of time, so our experience. Plus, there was live bluegrass, and the group was really good! We were here on a wednesday night. I really liked the vibe in here...maybe it was just the particular night we were here, but the people hanging around here seemed really nice, and the place had a really chill vibe. I would really recommend this place, both for food, and as a bar.
(5)Christine B.
First let's just say this place is probably more of a 3.5... We went on a Friday night for dinner. We did not order any mixed drinks so I can't speak as to Gojjo's capabilities there. We had a very friendly server who was happy to make recommendations and was nothing but delightful. The food was good, but not great. I went with two other people and we had the "Special" lamb tibs, the spicy fish tibs, and the veggie combo. The veggie combo is the only one I would likely order again. The lamb tibs were good but the flavor of the lamb didn't blow me away. One of my friends noted that she much preferred the regular lamb tibs to the special, so I would give that a go. The fish tibs however were a no go. It wasn't that the fish was bad, per se, but it was tilapia and had slightly bitter edge. The injera was good and the veggies delicious, but I will have to try the other places around the area to see if anything blows my mind.
(3)Kate G.
I am obsessed with this place and the beautiful curtains upstairs. Its such a fun combo of bar + restaurant! I really like the brightly lit room upstairs. It's the perfect place to get a great look at your dining partner. I guess if you want DINNER, go to Dahlak. If you want only a bar, go to Queen of Sheeba. If you want BOTH, go to Gojjo! I usually get the shared crazy platter for two people and share with some friends! the cabbage is AMAZING!
(5)Santasangre C.
I really wanted this to be my go-to for neighborhood bar hanging & sports game watching, but no. No go Gojjo. The bathrooms are indeed disgusting, the food is not that great (and I love Ethiopian food), service is slow because server/bartender/busser/runner (they do everything) turnover is high, and the owners are homophobic and racist. Too bad.
(1)Gada D.
Gave it one more shot. Same deal. I got off th 34 to have a post-work cocktail and dinner. My friend who I was meeting was already there waiting. I ordered my drink and saw they're still measured (like many of the Ethiopian places in the neighborhood) and when i say measured I mean smaaaaall. OK, I can work with that. Speaking of measured drinks: What's up with this Philly? You know, the black dohicky attached to a nozzle (or something) and placed over the bottle? I noticed the back room was cleared out for dancing. It was still fairly early so I did not think the dancing would start until much later. About five minutes later the disco lights came on and...BOOM BOOM BOOM! The music was turned on and up and up and up. Instead of ordering dinner as we'd planned to do, we left. There was no way either of us were going to sit, chat and try to eat a meal while having extremely loud music pounding at the volume of eleventymillion. Music? Great. Higher volume music? I'm OK with that too! This, however was almost deafening and my friend and I had to yell at each other to hear each other. As we were leaving a gentleman who was perched at the end of the bar closest to the door gave me total stink eye. I've seen him there almost every time I've gone but had never spoken to him so I'm not sure what that was about. My friend informed me he's the owner. Oooooo kay then.
(1)Kyle D.
I recently ate at Gojjo for the first time and really enjoyed it. I went with some friends who had eaten there before, but it was my first time eating Ethiopian food. I got the sampler dish and split it with my girlfriend. For $20 we stuffed ourselves with a chicken leg, a lamb dish, a beef dish, another chicken dish, spicy lentils, and of course, njera bread. Great food and I loved the patio area. Looking forward to going back.
(5)Bill M.
And so my West Philly Ethiopian restaurant hopping is complete (at least until something points me towards another direction). I saved Gojjo for last because some of the food write ups were freaking me out to the point that I felt it would be best to savor the better before taking the plunge. But most of that was unnecessary since it turned out to be pretty flipping sweet. As a whole Gojjo was probably fifth as far as the food chain goes. But my rice platter with lamb, peppers, cabbage, and onions was still pretty damn fantastic. The tea hit the spot even if it was predominately Lipton (not dissing the bags, just comparing them to the tea that places like Dahlak and Blue Nile Falls hooks up). But what won me over with Gojjo over any of the other Ethiopian haunts was overall atmosphere. It had two floors of fun with a great downstairs bar, a good spot to eat in that hooked up plenty of artwork, and a chill room with a pool table. I also got down with the chill music and well rounded beer selection. So it's fair to say that with the exception of Dahlak during Spring/Summer (back courtyard party!), Gojjo is the the Ethiopian Restaurant I'd consider going to just to chill in the bar (I consider Fiume a separate entity all together). Especially since it had some chill people working there.
(4)Jessica S.
Drinks are small but I like to dance and I like it do it in low-pressure environments very close to my apartment. On Friday evenings I gorge myself and get wine-wasted on my own wine at Ethio Cafe then stumble down to Gojjo for some soukous, reggae and other trans-Atlantic musics. It works for me...
(3)Marie R.
My first Ethiopian dining experience was at Gojjo. Some late night food was necessary and I am always willing to try something delicious and new. I tried the spicy beef and chicken w/ veggies. I will have to say that i like my veggies FRESH and these were not.....which sucks......but overall, it wasnt a bad dining experience...but i know there is a lot better. They have a full bar, accept credit cards, and friendly staff. PS Big screen @ downstairs bar
(3)R B.
Yuck. I gave them 3 visits of failing before writing this review. Tonight I got the Vegetarian Platter with very dry, stale injera & although there were supposed to be a variety of items, over half of it was lentils. Three types of lentils is hardly a vegetable combo platter. Takeout is always twice as long as they say it will be & eating there takes a lifetime. They are not sure if they are a bar or a restaurant so just don't put enough energy into either.
(1)Deann M.
Walking in to the place you wouldn't think it was a restaurant, an old looking building with a wooden bar taking up most of the room. Upstairs or behind the bar there is seating for the restaurant. I ordered the Tibs and my friend ordered the Lamb stew. Tibs are just a saute of meat with chunks of bell pepper, onion, and collard greens. There was also a bed of cabbage, carrots, and other veggies with a slight hint of butter, cooked perfectly. It came on an enormous plate with an even larger piece of injera bread on top. We also got a basket of injera which was more than enough food for two. The food was awesome, I only deduct a star for the ambience, it seemed like two different worlds with the college kids getting drunk in the next room, however that's to be expected in West Philly.
(4)Catherine K.
Picked up ethiopian cheese steaks here because I was told they were amazing....and they definitely lived up to the hype. While they were a tad on the salty side, they were mouth wateringly delicious. I ate the entire thing and I'm just a small 5 foot asian girl. :) My only compliant is that we live far away from it...but that's not the restaurant/bar's fault!
(4)Kyle B.
I've never ordered food from Gojjo, but have spent a bit of time at the bar. While it is a great spot to hang out, there really is nothing special about the place. The crowd and bartenders are usually very friendly, making this place a good one to go to settle up to the bar for a bit. They have a good selection of interesting Ethiopian beers, but the rest of the selection is a bit overpriced, charging $5 for a pint of Lager. Gojjo gets my repeat business mainly because it's the closest bar to my apartment, and as far as that goes, you could do a lot worse.
(3)Deann M.
Walking in to the place you wouldn't think it was a restaurant, an old looking building with a wooden bar taking up most of the room. Upstairs or behind the bar there is seating for the restaurant. I ordered the Tibs and my friend ordered the Lamb stew. Tibs are just a saute of meat with chunks of bell pepper, onion, and collard greens. There was also a bed of cabbage, carrots, and other veggies with a slight hint of butter, cooked perfectly. It came on an enormous plate with an even larger piece of injera bread on top. We also got a basket of injera which was more than enough food for two. The food was awesome, I only deduct a star for the ambience, it seemed like two different worlds with the college kids getting drunk in the next room, however that's to be expected in West Philly.
(4)Catherine K.
Picked up ethiopian cheese steaks here because I was told they were amazing....and they definitely lived up to the hype. While they were a tad on the salty side, they were mouth wateringly delicious. I ate the entire thing and I'm just a small 5 foot asian girl. :) My only compliant is that we live far away from it...but that's not the restaurant/bar's fault!
(4)Kyle B.
I've never ordered food from Gojjo, but have spent a bit of time at the bar. While it is a great spot to hang out, there really is nothing special about the place. The crowd and bartenders are usually very friendly, making this place a good one to go to settle up to the bar for a bit. They have a good selection of interesting Ethiopian beers, but the rest of the selection is a bit overpriced, charging $5 for a pint of Lager. Gojjo gets my repeat business mainly because it's the closest bar to my apartment, and as far as that goes, you could do a lot worse.
(3)Jason W.
Food was decent. Service was slow, but friendly. Definitely get the sense that there are varying philosophies about how the place should be run. We sat out back on the patio, which was nice and quiet. The place has its challenges, but also is what makes it charming. Would consider going back, but probably for take out.
(3)Jason W.
Food was decent. Service was slow, but friendly. Definitely get the sense that there are varying philosophies about how the place should be run. We sat out back on the patio, which was nice and quiet. The place has its challenges, but also is what makes it charming. Would consider going back, but probably for take out.
(3)Ruth Y.
As I walked in, I noticed a vibrant (read LOUD) bar scene. I watched with devouring (pun intended) eyes and salivating mouth as a huge plate of Ethiopian food was carried past me at the bar and up a set of stairs behind me. My friend and I inquired and found out that we could eat either downstairs at the tables set up in a room just past the bar or upstairs. We chose to venture upstairs. Upstairs there were 3 rooms: 1 with a pool table set up (we saw some Ethiopian? men playing bocci), 1 with a bar and about 7 tables and 1 in the back with 2 tall tables and bar stools. This last room had a patio door that led out onto a porch with more tables. We decided to sit in the room with the 7 tables (too much PDAs coming from the couple sitting in the last room - yuck! ). The bar was empty and the room very quiet. The track lighting and lighting fixtures in all the rooms were different and interesting. The walls all look freshly painted with delightful pastel/citrus colors; one wall had a mural on it. There were also 2 huge LCD tvs playing sports (for you ladies that have to convince your guy to try Ethiopian). The service was slow; all part of the Ethiopian trend. But our waiter (possible proprietor?) was very friendly. We ordered a combination platter for 2. When the platter came, I was amazed. These platters just keep getting bigger and bigger! There was a good amount more food than at Kaffa's. We tasted the food mmmm! The food was quite good, but a bit oversalted. But the food really was not bad at all. The most amazing part of the food was the injera though. This injera (maybe Kaffa's disappointment was just too much for me) was perfect in consistency! It was thick and perfectly spongy! Still not completely sour enough for my taste. There seemed to be a spice that they threw into the injera that gave it a unique flavor that no one else's injera had, but it left a sandy feeling in your mouth afterwards (no doubt the ground up spice in question). I did not mind the extra flavor, but was not sure it outweighed my personal distaste (why yes, I am punny today) for the texture.
(3)Ruth Y.
As I walked in, I noticed a vibrant (read LOUD) bar scene. I watched with devouring (pun intended) eyes and salivating mouth as a huge plate of Ethiopian food was carried past me at the bar and up a set of stairs behind me. My friend and I inquired and found out that we could eat either downstairs at the tables set up in a room just past the bar or upstairs. We chose to venture upstairs. Upstairs there were 3 rooms: 1 with a pool table set up (we saw some Ethiopian? men playing bocci), 1 with a bar and about 7 tables and 1 in the back with 2 tall tables and bar stools. This last room had a patio door that led out onto a porch with more tables. We decided to sit in the room with the 7 tables (too much PDAs coming from the couple sitting in the last room - yuck! ). The bar was empty and the room very quiet. The track lighting and lighting fixtures in all the rooms were different and interesting. The walls all look freshly painted with delightful pastel/citrus colors; one wall had a mural on it. There were also 2 huge LCD tvs playing sports (for you ladies that have to convince your guy to try Ethiopian). The service was slow; all part of the Ethiopian trend. But our waiter (possible proprietor?) was very friendly. We ordered a combination platter for 2. When the platter came, I was amazed. These platters just keep getting bigger and bigger! There was a good amount more food than at Kaffa's. We tasted the food mmmm! The food was quite good, but a bit oversalted. But the food really was not bad at all. The most amazing part of the food was the injera though. This injera (maybe Kaffa's disappointment was just too much for me) was perfect in consistency! It was thick and perfectly spongy! Still not completely sour enough for my taste. There seemed to be a spice that they threw into the injera that gave it a unique flavor that no one else's injera had, but it left a sandy feeling in your mouth afterwards (no doubt the ground up spice in question). I did not mind the extra flavor, but was not sure it outweighed my personal distaste (why yes, I am punny today) for the texture.
(3)Erin G.
Eh. This is a pretty ok place. The people who own it are nice, and I love the new garden addition that they added last summer - definitely makes it more of a destination in the summer. The beer list is pretty blah, though, and the food is only ok, vegetarian-wise. Gojjo has been good to me, though, in years when I didn't have a tv - I've watched many a presidential debate on their HUGE upstairs bar tv.
(3)J P.
you still get 3 stars because your bar has no particular "vibe" at all but damn, that Ethiopian cheese steak is dope. And the new bar tender is dope too.
(3)John P.
Me and my girlfriend went here the other night to see my friends band play. Apparently every Sunday night they have jazz bands play here. Pretty Cool. The bands play upstairs right next to the room where they have that Billiard type game where they knock over those little tiny pins(if anybody know what I am talking about). Before we saw any bands we ate in the back room downstairs. I forgot what it was that we got, but my girlfriend got something vegetarian, and I had something with meat cubes and finely chopped collard greens. The doughy spongy bread like stuff that they had was not as sour as I have had it at other places. I kinda enjoy the dough less sour. The ice tea was tasty as well. The meal was A-OK in my book. Nice and filling. I will definitely go back here.
(4)Bess W.
I'm liking the bar in this place-- fun, usually pretty crowded w/ the neighborhood's ethnic mix. They have a pretty decent beer selection (nothing super unexpected, but a lot of choices). The food is fine but not as good as Dahlak, down the street, in my opinion.
(4)steven e.
Stylee bar
(4)Rachel L.
I'm sorry. As a stand - alone restaurant/bar this might be a pretty good place, but when it exists in a neighborhood with two other ethiopian food/bar combos, it should be stepping things up a bit more. Gojjo just doesnt stand up to the competition. Dalak has better ambience and wonderfully friendly staff, and the paradise in the back and outside is a better stocked bar, with the added bonus of outdoor seating. Abyssinia has much better food with the best bar in west philly sitting on top of it. Go here and try it to make your choice, but in my humble opinion, Gojjo doesnt hold a candle to the other two west philly ethiopian institutions.
(3)Michael D.
Nothing wrong here but it doesn't blow me away. If you're in the mood for ethiopian served family style that's what they bring to the table (literally). The atmosphere is somewhat better than abyssinia.
(3)Secret V.
Gojjo's food has shifted around a lot over the years, and now I'm happy to say that it's pretty tasty. The veggie combo was the best deal on Baltimore Ave, but the price has climbed from$8 to $11 to $14. Other drawbacks: 1) Sportsbar vibe, but this can be averted by sitting out back or upstairs; 2) Overworked waitstaff who have to do double duty as bartenders (or is that the other way round?) Your best bet: Order takeout AND leave a little tip to compensate for mediocre working conditions. Bon appetite.
(3)Centsster K.
I echo some of the reviews, and especially about the cheesesteak. I wasn't that impressed with the Ethiopean dishes although I didn't think they were bad. One day, I tried their cheesesteak. And I can't seem to get it out of my mind. Something addictive is in there (the Ethiopean sauce that's spicy in a not-tobasco sauce-like way). There's nothing that's distinctive about it as a cheesesteak (no fancy vegetables or anything), but it's that sauce they use while cooking the meat. Worth trying out. As a bar, I really do find it quite comfortable. Laid-back although it's not a dive.
(4)m. roy b.
I am basing my review on pretty much one thing. Their Ethiopian Cheesesteak !!! Screw Glenn Macnow and his stupid best cheesesteak contest in philadelphia. This is definitely one of the best sandwiches in town. Basically beef tibs on bread with cheese. Make sure you get Let and Tomato with it. They have a cool music series on sunday nights and the "game" is always on. A lot of futbol on as well. Don't forget the try the fries.
(5)Jeff B.
Hands down serves the best off-shoot of the city's most popular culinary delicacy - - the Ethopian Cheesesteak! Makes me drool just typing it. Get one, feel the spicy kick and dab your sweaty brow with a napkin. Mmm mmm
(4)Joseph G.
I am not a fan of eating with my hands, but the food was pretty decent. There may be better Ethiopian restaurants around... Samosas are delicious!
(2)Jing G.
Not experienced in Ethiopian food, I've only had it one other time when I was in college. Nice waitress/bartender (there was only 1 person working besides the kitchen staff) who was friendly. The food - REALLY SPICY! Maybe I'm not used to it but my vegetarian shiro was sooooo spicy (and salty) and the boyfriend's gored gored was too! The waitress laughed and said it wasn't spicy though... O_o Decent selection of beers (she told us they used to carry Ethiopian beers, but not anymore), worth the experience. I'm not sure Ethiopian is quite my thing, but it wasn't bad, either.
(3)Bill M.
And so my West Philly Ethiopian restaurant hopping is complete (at least until something points me towards another direction). I saved Gojjo for last because some of the food write ups were freaking me out to the point that I felt it would be best to savor the better before taking the plunge. But most of that was unnecessary since it turned out to be pretty flipping sweet. As a whole Gojjo was probably fifth as far as the food chain goes. But my rice platter with lamb, peppers, cabbage, and onions was still pretty damn fantastic. The tea hit the spot even if it was predominately Lipton (not dissing the bags, just comparing them to the tea that places like Dahlak and Blue Nile Falls hooks up). But what won me over with Gojjo over any of the other Ethiopian haunts was overall atmosphere. It had two floors of fun with a great downstairs bar, a good spot to eat in that hooked up plenty of artwork, and a chill room with a pool table. I also got down with the chill music and well rounded beer selection. So it's fair to say that with the exception of Dahlak during Spring/Summer (back courtyard party!), Gojjo is the the Ethiopian Restaurant I'd consider going to just to chill in the bar (I consider Fiume a separate entity all together). Especially since it had some chill people working there.
(4)Jessica S.
Drinks are small but I like to dance and I like it do it in low-pressure environments very close to my apartment. On Friday evenings I gorge myself and get wine-wasted on my own wine at Ethio Cafe then stumble down to Gojjo for some soukous, reggae and other trans-Atlantic musics. It works for me...
(3)Loren H.
I ate here once, before I was adventurous enough to try Ethiopian food. I made the mistake of getting a pita, yeckkk, to say the least. But I've heard the Ethiopian food is pretty good (stress ethiopian not middle-eastern), about as good at Dahlak down the block but not even within shouting range of Abyssinia's. If you can't tell I never eat here. The drinks are cheap, the area in the back becomes a nice little dance floor on the weekends, there are 2 big tv's to watch the games, and did I mention the drinks are cheap? Just don't order a long island iced-tea, it's made from a mix (yecckk, and they aren't even hard to make)
(3)Marie R.
My first Ethiopian dining experience was at Gojjo. Some late night food was necessary and I am always willing to try something delicious and new. I tried the spicy beef and chicken w/ veggies. I will have to say that i like my veggies FRESH and these were not.....which sucks......but overall, it wasnt a bad dining experience...but i know there is a lot better. They have a full bar, accept credit cards, and friendly staff. PS Big screen @ downstairs bar
(3)R B.
Yuck. I gave them 3 visits of failing before writing this review. Tonight I got the Vegetarian Platter with very dry, stale injera & although there were supposed to be a variety of items, over half of it was lentils. Three types of lentils is hardly a vegetable combo platter. Takeout is always twice as long as they say it will be & eating there takes a lifetime. They are not sure if they are a bar or a restaurant so just don't put enough energy into either.
(1)Deann M.
Walking in to the place you wouldn't think it was a restaurant, an old looking building with a wooden bar taking up most of the room. Upstairs or behind the bar there is seating for the restaurant. I ordered the Tibs and my friend ordered the Lamb stew. Tibs are just a saute of meat with chunks of bell pepper, onion, and collard greens. There was also a bed of cabbage, carrots, and other veggies with a slight hint of butter, cooked perfectly. It came on an enormous plate with an even larger piece of injera bread on top. We also got a basket of injera which was more than enough food for two. The food was awesome, I only deduct a star for the ambience, it seemed like two different worlds with the college kids getting drunk in the next room, however that's to be expected in West Philly.
(4)Catherine K.
Picked up ethiopian cheese steaks here because I was told they were amazing....and they definitely lived up to the hype. While they were a tad on the salty side, they were mouth wateringly delicious. I ate the entire thing and I'm just a small 5 foot asian girl. :) My only compliant is that we live far away from it...but that's not the restaurant/bar's fault!
(4)Kyle B.
I've never ordered food from Gojjo, but have spent a bit of time at the bar. While it is a great spot to hang out, there really is nothing special about the place. The crowd and bartenders are usually very friendly, making this place a good one to go to settle up to the bar for a bit. They have a good selection of interesting Ethiopian beers, but the rest of the selection is a bit overpriced, charging $5 for a pint of Lager. Gojjo gets my repeat business mainly because it's the closest bar to my apartment, and as far as that goes, you could do a lot worse.
(3)Jason W.
Food was decent. Service was slow, but friendly. Definitely get the sense that there are varying philosophies about how the place should be run. We sat out back on the patio, which was nice and quiet. The place has its challenges, but also is what makes it charming. Would consider going back, but probably for take out.
(3)Chris M.
Get a samosa! They are hand made and amazing. If I had my way, I would have five for dinner every night, they are that good! Love the lamb tibs...get them spicy, out of this world. Service is spotty at times but it is such a small place that gets so packed, you could imagine not seeing your server for a while. Drinks are spot on, with the liquor control system. And there are your typical beers on tap, but many more in bottles. We come here often on Friday nights to dance and early Saturday nights to get dinner and a few drinks. Very different crowds each night. Large groups, small intimate gatherings, Gojjo works for everyone!
(5)Won S.
the beer selection, is just pitiful. They have heineken, Yuengling Porter, and I forget what else. But the food. MMMM. I think the food is better than Dahlak, and quicker. I don't have to waste an entire night waiting two to three hours for food that is bland at best. I wold rather sit at the bar and enjoy spicy buttered raw meat. MMM. Their dishes are well spiced. Not the best ethipoian I have had, there was a place in NY that was Good, with great sour Injera. But Gojjo comes close. Their food has a kick to it, if it says its got a kick to it. And the people that go their are from the neighborhood so it's nice. I see people I take the trolley with eating there and its good to see the neighborhood connection. Dahlek is just too bland and flavorless, but Gojjo doesn't go stingy with the spice. If I have a problem with the beer list, I call ahead to carry out, and drink better beer while I eat at home. If I am in a Yeungling mood, I'll go to Gojjo. I still enjoy the food, but I must admit, better beer selection would get them to maybe 3 and a half stars.
(3)Nina J.
On another note..If you are looking for a really sweet outdoor dining area, Gojjo is awesome! They've got the back upstairs deck + the lower outdoor seating area. Plus, it's never extremely busy, so you're sure to get a table out back. It's really chill and I really like how they decorated everything out back..totally beats the crowded concrete slab outside of dahlak (although I still go there sometimes..lol)
(5)John L.
Great if you wanna wait an hour and ten minutes for your food, which is unseasoned and cold.
(2)Daryll M.
Good food for the price. Fast and tasty. Took one star off for the fact that they double charged me once and refused to fix it, until I brought Bank of America into the situation. The girl at the counter didn't void the transaction properly. Also, not my favorite injera. I prefer injera with more of a tang to it.
(4)Vera G.
First time here. Loved the Ethiopian vegetarian platter!! Service was great!! Different cuisine. Never ate with my fingers that way. A treat!!
(4)Randy O.
I came here on a Saturday afternoon to try the famed Ethiopian cheesesteak. The cheesesteak was a unique treat, but hardly worth the price. The fact that they put "comes with fries" on their menu is laughable: there were maybe 10 small fries included with the cheesesteak. The cheesesteak might have been a decent value if it included more fries, but I was disappointed to spend $10 and still leave hungry. In all, I would still come here to try their unique house dishes, but I don't see myself coming back regularly because of the poor value.
(3)Jay W.
As a restaurant, Gojjo is pretty good. Lentil soup had a good flavor to it, but I wish that it had more lentils in it. Kachumbari (Tomato Salad) was very tasty, a lot of flavor in what looked like a fairly simple dish. Tomato, peppers, onion, and some vinegar. The Gojjo Special Tibs (Spicy) was a bit smaller than I am used to, I would recommend getting an extra side or two of vegetables. The flavor was very good, spiced beef with peppers and onions, the spinach that went with the meat was well seasoned. Again, I would have liked some more vegetables, but the dish was otherwise very good. Served with injera (spongy rolled bread). Spilt Lentil (Spicy) this was excellent. The flavor with the lentils was terrific, the lentils were thick with a flavorful sauce that paired very well with the injera. Service was pretty slow. It didn't seem like they had enough staff for the crowd that was there. Outdoor seating is terrific, and I would recommend if you want to get away from the loud bar.
(3)Ari B.
Gojjo is only the second Ethiopian restaurant I've tried in West Philly. Because a group of friends and I went early on a weekday evening, the restaurant was quite empty when we arrived. Even when it's full though I'm sure it's quite accommodating (in good weather) because there is ample outdoor seating upstairs and in the backyard. The only thing to keep in mind if you choose the outdoor seating option is the mosquitos, as there is plenty of greenery around. The food we ordered (Korniece and Vegetable platter) was on par with what I've had at Ethio cafe, although I'd say the presentation was a notch better.
(3)Mark H.
I love Ethiopian food! The idea of it just makes me feel special and eclectic! The bread is very distinctive,and has an usual texture, which goes well with the hearty vegetables chicken dishes. Gojo is awesome! It has a nice ambiance and I think they expanded, so you can sit outside and eat in the warmth of a summer evening. Bonus! The beer is always cold and the service is always attentive. I don't share some of the criticisms about the service and the demeanor of the waitstaff. Andrea, who is the hostess and server is awesome and very warm. I can understand how some would find the service problematic and the attitudes of some the staff to be off-putting, this may be attributable to dinner and happy hour rush periods. But overall, this place is good! Not as expensive as if we're somewhere like Center City.
(4)Marisa F.
The food here is wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. The service is not so wonderful. The waiters are so friendly, but are prone to forgetting about you. I had to go to the bar twice to ask for menus. But the food is just so good that I can forgive waiting forever (about 45 minutes for just the samosa appetizers). I recommend the gored gored medium rare. I have eaten here quite a few times and it continues to be my favorite. Make sure that you try the baklava. It is literally the best that I have ever had. They also have good beer on tap and a really cute outdoor area. So come for the amazing food, but be prepared for iffy service--it is worth it, I promise!
(4)Nijmie D.
Gojjo's is a reliable neighborhood bar. Their Ethiopian/Eritrean food is good, if a bit pricey. Avoid getting fries, wings, and other American food. Literally 10 fries in the order, totally ridiculous portion. Their Ethiopian cheesesteak is a must-try, however!
(3)Janene B.
The management of this establishment don't respect women and the autonomy of their bodies. A group of friends of mine were celebrating a birthday party on the upstairs level of this bar, and since there was no bartender upstairs we had to go downstairs to buy drinks. A very intoxicated man made unwanted advances to a friend of mine and touched her multiple times. She told him she wasn't interested and to stop touching her and told the management about the situation. The management did not immediately kick this man out of the bar and a fight almost ensued as a result. Why he wasn't kicked out I do not understand. Never in my life have I heard of bar management "trying" to kick someone out or "working on" kicking an offending or highly intoxicated patron out of a bar. That is code for "we don't really care that he's done this to you, but we're trying to save face". That's what was told to us when we asked why he was still sitting at the bar, trying to order drinks. I will never be returning to this establishment, and I'm going to tell anyone and everyone I can never to return as well. There are other Ethiopian restaurants with bars in the neighborhood where you can be more certain that if you are touched inappropriately by a stranger, the management will act accordingly.
(1)Edward M.
Gojjo has been my favorite West Philly Ethiopian restaurant for several years now. They have a fine selection of traditional dishes -- even fish dishes -- served with good injera (the fish dish was, however, a bit bland, which I suppose I should have remedied with a side of hot sauce, which they do provide upon request). In addition to traditional Ethiopian dishes, they have Ethiopian (i.e., berbere-spice infused) takes on Philly's classic cheesesteak (both beef and chicken versions are available). I've only tried the chicken version, and it was very good. They might even have regular pub fare, but I never bothered looking at that part of the menu. To help you wash down the delicious and filling food, Gojjo has a very good selection of beers -- including some tasty and very-hard-to-find Ethiopian brews (by hard to find I mean I've never seen them at any beer distributor or bottle shop). Service is ... laid back, so don't show up ravenous and cranky; it will go (and perhaps end) poorly. The prices are in line with, and generally a bit less expensive than, average for Philly's Ethiopian restaurants. There are lots of seating options. When the weather is nice, there is a lovely back yard with both ground-level seating and a second floor deck (though the outdoor furniture is mostly kinda flimsy plastic). Inside, there is bar seating and tables on both the first and second floors. The upstairs tends to be closed on slow nights. On some nights they have a DJ that plays ridiculously loud music on the first floor. Your eardrums will rightly hate you if you expose them to it (until they implode, that is, which they might; I didn't try to find out).
(4)India N.
I like this place and the atmosphere. I even like the fact that they literally kick you out at closing. I will come back since it's around the corner. Be aware of Moroccan men who will sneak kiss you!!! He got me!
(4)Abe A.
The ownership is a disaster. I saw the owner ask a patron to leave simply because he claimed he did not like the way the patron looked at him!! Yes, it's an Ethiopian ownership and the owner is Ethiopian, but in the US this is no run a business! Yikes!
(1)Jonny R.
$11 pitcher of Victory's pale ale. Sweet. Only one bartender serving entire restaurant, but it was empty and we were in the back--I needed to go up front to the bar to get it. I didn't mind, the bartender was nice. We were clearly there in hours that weren't very busy, with the nightlight getting started later on complete with a DJ. Didn't try food.
(3)Bob M.
Only went here once so far, but I did like the decor inside. The doro wat was pretty good with a good amount of spice to it. The injera was slightly different, a little less pugent than I'm used to getting at Queen of Sheba, not in a bad way. Service was pretty quick, prices are good. Not exactly the best selection of beers on tap, mostly just the big major brands and Yuengling, if that counts. Bar area is pretty small & compact, it looks bigger from the outside. I didn't ask about bottles. I'll try this again next time I'm in the mood for Ethiopian and see.
(3)Anisha C.
I have been to this place for a number of different occasions - dinner with a friend, grabbing a beer after work, general Sunday bar hangout to watch some sporting event or another. On all occasions, I have had a great time! From the outside, it looks like a small local bar, but upon entering and a bit of exploration, you see there is a large garden in the back space with TV set up, and a second floor space with pool table, and large outdoor patio with tables! Every time I have been there has been off-peak times where there was only a few patrons in the space, so service has been attentive and fast. The vegetarian platter that I had last night, along with a salad, was exactly what I was looking for. Great portion for one, along with a few left overs to take home, and the spiciness and flavors all matched very well. I'll definitely be coming back during the summer season!
(4)Patrice B.
My local 'hood bar and I couldn't be happier. This doesn't feel like a bar in Philly or even America. I feel like this is a great bar in a cool town outside of a big city in another country like Argentina. Such a diverse crowd of people, no pretentious hipsters, great food, great prices, and such a fun place go wild on the dance floor! No judgement there! One of my favorite places in Philly. Nothing fancy just all good atmosphere and people.
(4)Adrienne G.
The owners do not know how to effectively run a business. They treat their staff like ABSOLUTE crap. It's horrifying.
(1)Rachel C.
Tasty tasty Ethiopian food in West Philadelphia. Reasonably priced, but still on the higher end if you're on a budget, but it's absolutely worth it. It's a great place to watch a soccer game while eating some delicious ethnic food. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't had Ethopian food yet!
(4)Antoni T.
Best cheesesteak in Philly! I won't say it's the best Ethiopian though. I give 5 stars strictly for the Ethiopian Cheesesteak and the cheap drinks. Check out my full review below! :) goodyummyeats.wordpress.…
(5)Tim W.
I know nothing about Ethiopian food. I actually know so little that the only reason I knew how to eat my meal was because someone else was eating the same (or a similar) thing before my plate came to me. It may sound ridiculous but when I looked at the menu I felt some anxiety. The food wasn't great, and I couldn't even tell you what I ordered. It was good enough that I'd like to check out some more Ethiopian food in the future (especially since I know how to eat it now).
(3)Bonnie J.
My BF and I shared a combination platter which included doro wot (chicken stew), yebeg wot (lamb stew), and alitcha (mild lamb stew). The platter was the perfect size for 2 people and I would definitely recommend it for any other newbies to Ethiopian food. The real winner for me was the chicken stew. The chicken was so flavorful, tender, juicy, and steaming hot. The full size chicken stew came with a hard boiled egg, I will definitely be getting that next time. The only item I wasn't too keen on was the injera, which is a flat pancake like bread used to pick up the food. It had a strange after taste that kept on building as I ate it. Also worth mentioning were the really cheap craft beer prices. We split a pitcher of an IPA which was a whopping $12. We definitely want to try this place again, probably for take out, and just eat it with regular pita. Is that cheating?
(4)Peter D.
This review is only in regards to it as a drinking establishment. It is interesting to see the cultures clash of the young, White crowd mixed with a moderately 30-60 crowd of Ethiopian men. It is a funny dynamic but totally embraced at this Baltimore Ave. joint. I didn't have any of the Ethiopian fare but I am told by many of the locals that it is a rather good palate (I'll stick to Abysinnia for now). The selection of beers is not plenty but it was enough for our Super Bowl Sunday where they had plenty of TV's and a very laid back duo of bartenders who served us throughout the evening. I would come back only for a cheap nightcap in West Philly but it wouldn't be a go-to for me. Heads up, Cash Only
(3)Shannon M.
I really wanted the Gojjo to be great. I want every restaurant in my neighborhood to be great but Gojjo especially because I need a great Ethiopian restaurant within walking distance. Unfortunately, I think I set my hopes to high. Gojjo is probably great for catching a beer and a snack during happy hour but isn't the best for an actual sit-down meal. My friend and I ordered the same thing (boring I know): a lentil samosa and the special lamb tibs spicy. The injera was great and the food was okay but it wasn't that special. I think I just have a really high expectation for Ethiopian food since I was a bit disappointed by Dahlak as well. Overall the meal was fine but just very basic. Our total meal + a drink each was about $40. I recommend checking the bar out during happy hour and maybe ordering something at the bar. I'll be back but not for a sit-down dinner.
(3)Jose A.
I was here with a running/drinking club, on-on ( bfm.phillyhash.com ), and we had some beers, and some food which were all pretty good. I had the ethipoian cheese steak, which was a spicer ethopian version of our hometown sandwich, most definetly worth trying... If I were to rate this place on food alone it would be a four star spot, but considering the not so great service, and the not so great beer selection it gets a 3 star rating, food was awesome though, keep on rock'n it Gojjo...
(3)Anthony W.
People have said some terrible things about this place so I wasn't sure I wanted to come back. I just know the last time I was here it wasn't that bad. So a friend of mine wanted to come out to west philly (my neck of the woods) for some Ethiopian food. I did want to get back to Gojjo so this was plan A. I read the up to date reviews to see if I could talk myself out of it. Eh, it didn't happen. I really wanted to check out the "secret garden." That was the main thing so we went. No "secret garden" for us. It was a little more than hot out. So what was different this time around? We received a particularly warm greeting. Honestly, they were really cold my first time in. So anyway, I wanted to sit upstairs then... if not outside, but they say that upstairs is for events only now. Okay, to the dining room then. I got some lamb tibs and curly fries and they had a mojito on the menu so I went for it. (Last time there was no drink menu). This time there's no happy hour. Eh. Our server said they didn't have the ingredients for it, but that the bartender could recommend something. I said to my friend, that I really had a taste for a caipirinha (and I always do) and that there's no way they would have these here. So the bartender (an attractive Ethiopian girl) comes out and we were mystified. It took all evening for me to figure it out. She had a glow in the dark shirt on that kept snatching our attention. So she says about mojitos, "It's not an Ethiopian drink so the stuff goes to waste, but I could make you a caipirinha if you've heard of it." WHAT!? You mean I have to settle for exactly what I want? Sold. It wasn't EXACTLY a caipirinha (had lemons vs limes), but it was good and it was close. The cachaça is what mattered. To the food! Err... my tibs came with 1 vegetable... a vegetable I hate (cabbage)! My friend had shrimp or something and GREENS. He's mostly vegetarian so we swapped them. That problem was solved. I feel like I got taken for a ride on the curly fries. I got just a few for $4. Anywhere else you can get a personal pan of them with cheese for that much. Lesson learned. The tibs themselves were pretty good, but a little chewy. I still haven't had the really tender tibs I've been imagining. We even got a basket with 3 extra injera in it. And it wasn't tart at all. So to weigh this place against the only other Ethiopan food I've had (Kaffa)... Gojjo's injera is better. At Kaffa you get more meal for your money (several vegetables vs 1 for almost the same price). We were told that the other vegetables were a different up-sell on the menu. I must have zoned out when she said that because I was shocked. Overall, it was a cool evening for catching up with a good friend. He was definitely impressed. So next time, I'm going for the Ethio-cheesesteak. PRO-TIP: There may be truth to the high turnover. Our waitress said she had been there for only a week. She was good though. I hope they don't break her spirit.
(4)Sarah Q.
Not my favorite Ethiopian restaurant in the area (I'm partial to Kaffa Crossing), but very different atmosphere than most. Super cheap pitchers, lots of loud music, and great service, even on a packed Friday night. My date really enjoyed the Ethiopian cheese steak - I thought the veggie platter was pretty good, but not spectacular. I hear it's a good place to dance, but I've never stayed long enough to check it out.
(3)Michelle H.
Oh Gojjo...it has been a long standing relationship, but one that just didn't work out in the end. First, I will say that I do/did like the food very much. I have no complaints about that. The service was always slow, sometimes to the point of waiting an hour before getting a meal, but even that I forgave in the spirit of its ethiopian and it runs on a different time frame, plus I am not usually in a rush when I go out to dinner. However, in an attempt to get moved to the top of the list service wise, I started to tip 30%, hoping that it would aid me in my cause. No such luck. Not because the server didn't care, but because although we went there about every 3 weeks, you very rarely saw the same server. There were a couple of nice ones that I saw for about 3 months, but they never lasted. I figured, that it was probably that no one tipped them, or it was a management issue. However, my tolerance came to an end this evening, a Monday night of all nights. There were 2 people in the dining room (me and my husband) and about 3 people in the bar. The single "gentleman" was yelling ridiculously loudly at the t.v. as the bartender continued to serve him. I asked the bartender to ask the man if he could be a little quieter. She told the loser penn grad drunk that some of the other patrons had asked him to keep it down, which of course narrowed it down to the two of us. He then, because he was drunk, very loudly began to yell and scream about how he could do anything he wanted and that if anyone had a problem and started yelling "fuck them" right at us. My husband got angry and went up to address him. I told the bartender she needed to stop serving him because he was very drunk and that if she didn't I would call the police since I didn't want a fight between the guy and my husband. They said, no, don't do that. The female owner went back into the kitchen to hide, the bartender tried to make peace, and the drunken patron was allowed to remain. He then began leveling ethnic slurs against my husband because he has an accent and deliberately provoking him. The bartender proceeded to serve him another beer, which was beyond belief. I went back into their kitchen, told the owner that she needed to deal with this problem, and she said, my husband is coming. The kid was allowed to finish drinking his beer and the owner never came back to say a word, offer an apology or anything. We had been going to their place for 5 years, have been very visible and loyal customers, and not a word from either owner. On my way out, I told the female owner that they should have done something if they wanted to retain our business, and she said, "I sent the bartender to apologize" Really? Wow. I'm not going back there and I'm sorry because the food was good, the garden was nice, but their level of proprietorship and customer service was beyond lacking. Bye Bye Gojjo...hello Dahlak
(1)Jenn G.
Although Gojjo is higher priced than some Ethiopian in West Philly, it has more flavor. I came here with a group of 5 and we order a bunch of random dishes. Everything was to a nice spice level. It gave a nice burn without overpowering your taste buds. Their injera is a bit stiffer than other places, but it helps when you are picking up the food. The service is a bit slow, but they make up for time in flavor.
(4)Daniel H.
I figured I'd review since there are a lot of people talking about one experience. I've been to Gojjo more than a few times and like most about it but don't like other parts. I'm disgusted about the apparent consensus that the owners are racially prejudice and/or bigoted. I haven't seen it and have had more than a few conversations with both the wife and husband, but maybe that's just my experience with it. I do know that they go through bartenders fast and every one I've talked to says that they get hit on a lot and more aggressively than other places. To me, the food is the best in West Philly. I like Kaffa and Abyssinia (I dislike Dhalak's food) but the food at Gojjo seems better prepared and their injera has more teff in it than most, though they don't make the injera themselves. I think Kaffa's is from the same place. The food is spicy and sometimes very spicy (which I want), but there is also a better depth of flavor than Abyssinia and a better menu than Kaffa. The problem with the menu is that people keep going to Gojjo and they have raised the prices 2-3 times in the past few years, along with decreasing the portion sizes it seems. It used to be $8 for a full belly and now it's about $15. It is important to stay on the Ethiopian/Eritrean food though as anything else could be a disaster. My sister went there and ordered a gyro even after I tried to talk her out of it. What came out was cold and looked like it had been found in the couch cushions. I've heard that their Ethiopian Philly steak is actually good. But WTF? you don't go to an Italian joint to get ribs. I'm thinking that they use MSG in their spice mixes though because I can't get my attempts to turn out the same (and the spice powder is glittery like MSG). The beer garden is a lovely place to hang with friends and a pitcher. Much nicer than Dhalak, but just without as many of your friends stopping by so make sure you text people to let them know to look for you out there, rather than just notice you under the Christmas lights at Dhalak while walking back from Vietnam. The bar selection is just fine with another bar upstairs sometimes having another 4 beers on tap. Prices are fair and there is usually a seat free until later in the evening. At night the place gets really loud Thurs-Sat for dancing, but if you are upstairs or outside you can still eat and talk. I've almost never had to wait long for an order to be taken or served, but if you come while they are busy or with more than 4 people it does take a lot longer (turns in the microwave?). My suggestion is to sit out back, order a pitcher and another when your food comes. Problem solved. And, it's the only place in town where I know to play table bocce, which is an amazingly fun game that is as skillful as pool but doesn't require 6 ft. behind you or years of practice.
(4)Kristin C.
Gojjo is the definitive West Philly Mix of neighborhood bar and cultural flare. I haven't had the tibs, but the Ethiopian Cheeseteak is freaking delicious. They basically use higher grade beef than your typical cheesesteak, throw on Ethiopian spices and cheese and serve. Not too greasy and exceptionally tasty, great sized roll. Good TV's, can usually grab a spot at the bar, and good beats after 10 if you feel like dancing! The Ethiopian Cheesesteak itself makes it a destination if you're in the Baltimore neck of the woods. 2 thumbs up!
(4)E T.
Don't go near this place with a ten foot pole. Bad service aside, I'd add some health concerns and bigoted viewpoints of owners on the list of why not to frequent this place. As noted in other reviews this place is a revolving door of bartenders/servers. This means a lot of time the servers aren't familiar with what's on the menu and don't know how to mix basic drinks. They are often overworked and service can be very slow as they have the job of being a bartender, server, food runner, host, busser and stocker all in one and often I've noticed they only have one person on staff to fill all these positions for the entire restaurant yet the owner is sitting at the bar doing nothing. A few things to consider before going here - -Because they use automatic pourers and the bottles are always open and exposed to the air FRUIT FLIES GET IN THE LIQUOR - they then STRAIN the liquor, remove the flies, and return the same liquor to the bottles. Often they don't get around to it and people wind up with flies in their drinks. I have gotten drinks with flies in them here. It's no wonder the health department recently shut them down for a few days. -I ordered a magic hat vinyl spring seasonal. It was seasonal all right - FROM LAST YEAR'S SEASON!!!! I told the bartender it was expired by a year and she told me they do that cause usually no one notices and they can save money. The owners routinely make a variety of bigoted comments - from specifically telling bartenders they're too fat and need to lose weight, to saying that transgender people are "wrong" and making threats of violence against them. They have said prejudiced comments about american black people. They have also endorsed the mass murder of jews. I have heard them say each one of these things but cannot post the actual quotes due to yelp's rules on hate speech. Enchanted yet? After all these experiences I gave up. Gojjo's is no longer getting my business. Their bathrooms are disgusting. Their food isn't that great (Check out Abysinia instead). There are other ethiopian bars with outdoor seating in the summer (Dahlak). They do have dancing on the weekends - but you're out of luck if you don't want a bunch of skeezy dudes groping you/grinding up on you and good luck on the 20+ min wait to get a drink on fri and sat! All in all, I'd say your money and time would be better spent somewhere else.
(1)Pablo A.
Ethiopian cheesesteak. And the back patio is nice too. But really, the cheesesteak is truly unique. I will miss it when I leave Philly.
(4)Alex Z.
This place is interesting in that it seems to focus more on the bar element than the restaurant, yet it serves outstanding Ethiopian food. I came here with a large group of people and we ordered a bunch of food and all of it was outstanding. There's not a huge amount of space, we sat upstairs and had to rearrange tables a bit, but it worked well. Service was minimal (but good!). The place was a bit chaotic, but the people were so nice, the food was so good, and it came out in a reasonable amount of time, so our experience. Plus, there was live bluegrass, and the group was really good! We were here on a wednesday night. I really liked the vibe in here...maybe it was just the particular night we were here, but the people hanging around here seemed really nice, and the place had a really chill vibe. I would really recommend this place, both for food, and as a bar.
(5)Christine B.
First let's just say this place is probably more of a 3.5... We went on a Friday night for dinner. We did not order any mixed drinks so I can't speak as to Gojjo's capabilities there. We had a very friendly server who was happy to make recommendations and was nothing but delightful. The food was good, but not great. I went with two other people and we had the "Special" lamb tibs, the spicy fish tibs, and the veggie combo. The veggie combo is the only one I would likely order again. The lamb tibs were good but the flavor of the lamb didn't blow me away. One of my friends noted that she much preferred the regular lamb tibs to the special, so I would give that a go. The fish tibs however were a no go. It wasn't that the fish was bad, per se, but it was tilapia and had slightly bitter edge. The injera was good and the veggies delicious, but I will have to try the other places around the area to see if anything blows my mind.
(3)Kate G.
I am obsessed with this place and the beautiful curtains upstairs. Its such a fun combo of bar + restaurant! I really like the brightly lit room upstairs. It's the perfect place to get a great look at your dining partner. I guess if you want DINNER, go to Dahlak. If you want only a bar, go to Queen of Sheeba. If you want BOTH, go to Gojjo! I usually get the shared crazy platter for two people and share with some friends! the cabbage is AMAZING!
(5)Santasangre C.
I really wanted this to be my go-to for neighborhood bar hanging & sports game watching, but no. No go Gojjo. The bathrooms are indeed disgusting, the food is not that great (and I love Ethiopian food), service is slow because server/bartender/busser/runner (they do everything) turnover is high, and the owners are homophobic and racist. Too bad.
(1)Gada D.
Gave it one more shot. Same deal. I got off th 34 to have a post-work cocktail and dinner. My friend who I was meeting was already there waiting. I ordered my drink and saw they're still measured (like many of the Ethiopian places in the neighborhood) and when i say measured I mean smaaaaall. OK, I can work with that. Speaking of measured drinks: What's up with this Philly? You know, the black dohicky attached to a nozzle (or something) and placed over the bottle? I noticed the back room was cleared out for dancing. It was still fairly early so I did not think the dancing would start until much later. About five minutes later the disco lights came on and...BOOM BOOM BOOM! The music was turned on and up and up and up. Instead of ordering dinner as we'd planned to do, we left. There was no way either of us were going to sit, chat and try to eat a meal while having extremely loud music pounding at the volume of eleventymillion. Music? Great. Higher volume music? I'm OK with that too! This, however was almost deafening and my friend and I had to yell at each other to hear each other. As we were leaving a gentleman who was perched at the end of the bar closest to the door gave me total stink eye. I've seen him there almost every time I've gone but had never spoken to him so I'm not sure what that was about. My friend informed me he's the owner. Oooooo kay then.
(1)Kyle D.
I recently ate at Gojjo for the first time and really enjoyed it. I went with some friends who had eaten there before, but it was my first time eating Ethiopian food. I got the sampler dish and split it with my girlfriend. For $20 we stuffed ourselves with a chicken leg, a lamb dish, a beef dish, another chicken dish, spicy lentils, and of course, njera bread. Great food and I loved the patio area. Looking forward to going back.
(5)Cherie C.
The lamb stew was tasty, but it was downhill from there. The injera seems to have less teff than at other restaurants. At least, I think that's why it lacks the 'sour' kick that I enjoy so much in other injera. This injera was bland. Worst of all, some of the veggies in my veggie platter were CANNED! The string beans were definitely not fresh, and in the center of my injera was a pile of mixed vegetables (like the nasty can of Veg-all that I keep in my emergency kit next to bandages and candles). I was really upset by that, especially since the samosa appetizers seemed fresh and tasted good. Other veggie items like shiro peas were okay, but after the two canned items I was suspicious. Were those collards fresh or frozen chipped collards? Whom can I trust. I will say that the servers were enthusiastic and very sweet. We were served quickly and they were attentive. The restaurant is nice, clean, and has a good bar. But without good food, none of that matters to me. I'll stick to Almaz Cafe for good Ethiopian food.
(2)Norrie R.
Like one of the other yelp reviewers, I am also an ex-employee of Gojjo and I shared a similar experience working here. There are certainly great things about this place (a lively weekend crowd w/ music & dancing) but I think people should be aware of the demeaning, dishonest and racist people who run this place. Let me just say that most people would be shocked by the way the owners treat their staff and by their ignorance towards pretty much anyone, including blacks, Latinos and Arabs. First, the owner (specifically the wife) was a boss from HELL. Her behavior towards me and other employees was extremely demeaning-she worked me like a dog while constantly talking down to me. She also collected 10% of all the bartender's tips nightly to "give to the cook." Turns out the cook-who could only converse with me since I speak Spanish-never received a dime from those tips. Second, I can't tell you how many racist comments I endured working here. The wife insisted I was Hispanic even though I explained to her I just speak Spanish, and she flat out told me she wouldn't have hired me as a bartender if she "knew I was Hispanic." I've heard her refer to Arabs in the neighborhood as "terrorists," and she constantly down-talked African-Americans as no-good and lazy. Needless to say I didn't stay at Gojjo for more than a few months, in fact I left her one night with no notice and she had to cover the bar herself (which I know is wrong, but it felt oh-so-good). Working here was truly a nightmare. Oh, and by the way, all the food there is prepared ahead of time at her house and micro-waved at the restaurant :)
(1)Mato K.
I've had better Kitfo, Doro Wat. Was expecting better from the reviews. It's a bar and popular on some nights
(3)Ash A.
I come here mainly for the dancing and to get Tusker beer. It's a good place to meet up with friends and dance after going to Noche or other clubs in Center City where they play that whack ass pop music of today. Always guaranteed a great time for me and my boyfriend!
(5)Brendan K.
Try the ethiopian cheesesteak. There is high turnaround with the bartenders here, so there will often be a young lady learning her way around the bar if you stop in. It's a good place to watch a game, although they never have specials of any kind and most if not all of the liquor is measured out with an electronic device the bartenders place over the top of the bottle. I've been coming here for a long time, since before I was legally allowed to drink, and when they still had a pool table upstairs. It's an OK place, but if you have the option there are better places for ethiopian food in the neighborhood.
(3)Omar E.
Dahlak is better atmosphere and food in my opinion, but Gojo's bar, as noted by Nina, is big and nice. Plus, Gojo has the upstairs going for it-- where there's a pool table and a big-screen TV for sporting events. Me and a few other Boston expats watched the 2004 ALCS here, when the Sox came back from 3 games down to win it and make history. After game 7, I ordered a bottle of champagne to celebrate, and the owner gave us a second bottle on the house-- that 's service. So even though I prefer Dahlak, Gojjo is a great place to visit too-- despite the fact they go through barstaff like a cop goes through donuts. Check it out.
(4)Dipz C.
Went there with a group of friends after a long night of partying for some after partying. This is one of the place which is open till well after 3 am and that is what we were looking for. After downing ourselves in one bottle of tequila we wanted to dance our hearts out. So I am not writing about the food or drinks. The place was small, crowded and guys looking for girls to booty grind with. The music was amazing, great beats, great energy. I did get a beer and half there which did not take too long to come. The only horrible thing which happened to my friend : they charge $1.50 for a glass of tap water !! Ridiculous. Great memories, great night ... if you know what I mean ;)
(4)