Habiba's Ethiopian Kitchen: A Taste of Ethiopia in Syracuse

Nov 06, 2025 0

Welcome to Habiba's Ethiopian Kitchen, a culinary gem nestled in Syracuse, NY at 484 S Salina St. Known for its rich flavors and welcoming atmosphere, Habiba's menu brings the essence of Ethiopian cuisine to life. Whether you’re a seasoned Ethiopian food lover or a curious newcomer, Habiba's promises a culinary experience that will leave your taste buds dancing for joy.

The restaurant is lined with Ethiopian artwork, jebenas, and mesob woven baskets that, in addition to the food, gave a taste of the culture.

The Story Behind Habiba's

My name is Habiba Boru, it means the beloved one, and I am an Ethiopian Chef who has found a home and a community in Syracuse. At 4 years old, my family left Ethiopia due to war. Me and my siblings were separated and suddenly I became an only child. I learned adult responsibilities at an early age, care-taking for seniors and children in one of the largest refugee camps in Kenya for 10 years. In camp, I watched my mother cook to support our family. She inspired me the way young girls are inspired by heroines. Her cooking created joy, laughter, community and opportunities.

I remember being 7 years old and showing my mother that I could cook alongside her. I absolutely loved cooking injera and misir. The reason being that my parents didn’t have enough money to buy us meat everyday so my mother would make the best lentils in the world. I could eat her lentils for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! She made it with so much love that I’m reminded of her each time I eat lentils hence they’ve become a signature dish. My mother is an angel and even now she is my best friend. No matter the distance, our experiences together have brought us to this day.

A Culinary Experience

The first time I had the opportunity to enjoy Habiba’s Ethiopian food was through My Luck Tummy. Those who are not familiar, My Lucky Tummy is a pop-up food court that hosts Refugees and New Americans in Syracuse as guest chefs, bringing more flavor to the area’s melting pot of cultures. Syracuse was missing an Ethiopian restaurant; a cuisine that naturally has ample vegan options. In October of last year, Chef Habiba Boru solved that problem with the opening of Habiba’s Ethiopian Kitchen at 656 North Salina St.

Guests rave about the nourishing quality of the food and the warm hospitality from the staff, creating a true sense of community.

How to make injera starter/ersho naturally without yeast

Exploring the Menu

From hearty entrées like the Siga Wot, a slow-cooked beef stew bursting with berbere spice, to the tempting Doro Tibs, seasoned chicken sautéed with fresh herbs, every dish offers an explosion of flavor. The injera, a spongy staple, serves as the perfect accompaniment to each dish, making every meal a delight.

Vegetarian Delights: The Beyaynetu Special

Vegetarian options are equally divine, highlighted by the Beyaynetu plates, perfect for sharing traditons and tastes. The Beyaynetu Special consists of all 6 items from the Vegetarian menu. If you’re not a fan of a specific item, they are willing to substitute it with double of something you do like. The entrees come with injera, but can be substituted for rice. If you’re gluten free, you can call during their open hours the day before you’re planning to visit and request GF injera for the next day!

Here's a breakdown of what you might find in a Beyaynetu Special:

Sambusa: A savory pastry filled with spices, corn, green beans, carrots, peas, onion, and what appeared to be lima beans. It’s fried to have a crispy outer shell and you get one per order. There’s a lightly understated sweet and sour thing going on with the seasoning. It was on the oily side.
Shiro Wot: Very spicy for the average palate. This ground chickpea ‘stew’ is smooth and has a plain initial flavor until it hits the further back of your tongue where the spice kicks in.
Misir Wot: Less spicy than the shiro wot, but still spicy for the average palate. Also less textured than misir wot I’ve had in the past.
Gomen: Flavorful, but not overpowering or spicy. The dish was mostly cabbage with some carrot. It says it comes with potato mixed in, but I didn’t get any potato with mine.
Fasolia: Again, this dish was flavorful and not spicy. It was one of Amy’s top two.
Atakilt Wot: This has a more ‘natural’ taste. The flavor is subtle and not salty. Sometimes dishes like this can come off as oily, but this one wasn’t. It had a consistency that I’m used to, but I think I was looking for a little more flavor from this one.
Beets: At first taste, it had the sweetness you would expect from beets with savory undertones. After eating a little and revisiting it, I was able to taste the garlic and onion. The beets were also minced, which I’m not used to as many places I’ve been have large chunks of beets, but I liked it minced!

Many dishes are flavored with berbere. This is a spice mix typically consisting of chili peppers, garlic, ginger, basil, cardamom, rue, ajwain or radhuni, cumin, and fenugreek.

Read also: Authentic Ethiopian Cuisine

Additional Information

If you’re trying to be zero waste, note the takeout containers are Styrofoam so bring your own.
The bathrooms are down a set of stairs, which wouldn’t work if you have a wheelchair.
When the place is busy they might be overwhelmed. If you’re one of those people who’s real picky about service, stop by when it’s not a meal rush.

Chef Habiba herself made sure to check in with all remaining guests to see how they were enjoying their meal and apologized for any delay in serving the food. We didn’t feel rushed to leave and everyone was very helpful and nice.

We all felt full, but not overly stuffed to the point of discomfort. We also felt like we had a relatively healthy meal. Definitely got our money’s worth.