A Tale of Two Ethiopian Restaurants: Nazareth vs Queen of Sheba

I’ve now been able to try out 3 of the Ethiopian restaurants around Toronto, and I can say unequivocally that Nazareth is the best one. I’ve tried Nazareth, Queen of Sheba, and Ethiopian House. Queen of Sheba and Nazareth are on Bloor, east of Dufferin. I got the two of these mixed up, which is why I now know I’ll never forget which is the better of the two. Ethiopian House is just off Yonge, north of College.

Nazareth was the first place I’d tried, and based on some rather extensive online research, was the place that people seemed to think was the best Ethiopian joint in Toronto. A month or two later, I tried Ethiopian House. It was enjoyable, but the portions were smaller and weren’t as tasty. Plus, Nazareth has better atmosphere. Yet, it was just this past weekend that I ended up trying Queen of Sheba purely by accident.

You see, my friend and I intended to go to “the Ethiopian place on Bloor”. I searched online and quickly came across the name “Queen of Sheba”. I instantly recognized the name and figured that must be it. So, off we went and got off at Dufferin station. We walked east on Bloor and came across Queen of Sheba. Hmm.. it looks different. They must have renovated, I thought. However, it wasn’t until after we sat down that all of a sudden it dawned on me: this is the competitor that isn’t as good! Oh well. Might as well try it and see if what other folks said online is true.

I must now join the others whom I had read online and voice my opinion: Nazareth is head and shoulders better than Queen of Sheba. Nazareth is a cozy little joint with about 6 tables, excellent food, cheerful service from the lady who runs the joint, and pretty large portions. Queen of Sheba, by contrast, is a dingy joint, with food that isn’t as tasty, with service with a scowl, and smaller portions. Really, I can’t think of any reason why anyone would knowingly choose Queen of Sheba over Nazareth.

Ethiopian food is eaten with your hands. You take a piece of injera sourdough flatbread and pick up a bit of meat or veggie. If you’re like me, greedy to try as much variety as possible, it’s a good idea to order some beef, some lamb, some chicken, and some veggie assortments. Beer goes well with the food as it is a little spicy.

If you’re in the mood for Ethiopian, trek out west to Dufferin station and walk east. If you see Queen of Sheba, keep on walking – Nazareth is just another few minutes away to the east.

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categories Tastes & Experiences | 2010/06/28

2 Comments to “A Tale of Two Ethiopian Restaurants: Nazareth vs Queen of Sheba”

  1. By Cliff, 2010/06/28 @ 10:53 pm

    Which one did we went to last time..

    It might help if you put like three points for Pro and Con for each restaurant..

    Also…create a category call Restaurant reviews, an image if possible and the store location…:D (SEO!!)

  2. By Leonard Chu, 2010/06/29 @ 8:58 am

    Yeah, Nazareth is the one we went to. Pros and cons for each restaurant… ok.

    Ethiopia House (4 Irwin Avenue)
    Pros:
    1. Convenient location – it’s just a bit below Bloor on Yonge, so if you’re downtown or heading downtown for a night of fun, it’s a very handy location. For me, my office is a 3 minute walk away so it’s doubly convenient for me.
    2. Busy – which means the food will be fresh. A busy restaurant is always a good sign in terms of freshness ;)
    3. Good food – it tastes pretty good and it’s enjoyable
    4. Comfortable environment – you could take a date here, or even future in-laws, and not feel at all self-conscious about it.

    Cons:
    1. Tight space – it gets really tight in there. Not a problem if you’re going for a group of 2, but if you’ve got anything more than a group of 4 to a table, it’s gonna be tough to fit everyone in.

    Queen of Sheba (1051 Bloor Street West)
    Pros:
    1. Close to Nazareth – which means people may be caught unawares and end up in Queen of Sheba instead
    2. More memorable name than Nazareth – which means people may be caught unawares and end up in Queen of Sheba instead
    3. Roomy dining room – you could fit a party of 60 in there no problems.

    Cons:
    1. Service with a scowl – perhaps some people like this and find it charming, but if you don’t, it’s a bit offputting
    2. Dingy environment – there’s no atmoshere in here at all, and it feels like you’re eating in a large back-room. Oh wait, we are.
    3. Smallish portions – the portions are a smaller than at Nazareth or at Ethiopia House

    Nazareth (969 Bloor Street West)
    Pros:
    1. Atmosphere – very nice decor, very cozy; good for going out with good friends or a date, but no, not so much with future in-laws ;)
    2. Food – very tasty food, very good portions, served by someone who seems friendly & happy to be there
    3. Roast coffee – they do an Ethiopian roast coffee as a dessert option that smells wonderful
    4. Cheap beer – something like $3 per beer, just a little less than Queen of Sheba if I remember correctly

    Cons:
    1. Hard to remember name – not as easy to remember as Queen of Sheba since my brain doesn’t link “ethiopian” with “area where Jesus was born”
    2. A little out west – it’s not a handy location unless you happen to live out west, but thankfully it’s reasonably close to the subway station
    3. Small dining room – not tight like Ethiopian House, but you can only seat about 15 people in there, and I’m told there’s often a line outside the restaurant in summertime