Wass

This is an interesting place. When you walk in, you’d almost think that someone has set up a restaurant in their basement. The rooms are dimly lit with what looks like pastel patio lights, and it’s a bit chilly.
The restaurant was not crowded, nor was it empty — there were several couples at other tables. We were seated right away.
We ordered the Vegetarian Combo plate, which is tasty piles of food set on top of a flat, spongy «pancake» bread called injera, and accompanied by two rolled up injeras with which you are to scoop your food.
The little piles of food were presented well: chopped cabbage and a couple of different types of spiced lentils, as well as some collard greens and other veggies. Some of them are a bit bland; others are quite spicy. But you can mix them up and it’s a good tasty meal.
We also had a bowl of Shiro Wat, which had an odd spiced flavor that I didn’t much care for. Still, it was nice to try some dishes that were different from the usual pizza-​burger-​wings fare.
We certainly had more than enough food. The portions are good, and the service is attentive.
I would have rated it better, but for three things: the restaurant was chilly, the plastic-​coated menu pages were sticky; and the state of the bathrooms is simply atrocious.

I had no idea what to expect going into this restaurant but I was so impressed! Great food — large portions for a good price. Our server was really sweet too. Can’t wait to go back!

The food here is very tasty but the quality is lacking. The staff is very friendly and there is plenty of seating. The high chair for the baby was absolutely disgusting, however, I did manage to clean it up with a bunch of wipes.

The lady was very nice to accommodate me and my friend even though they were about to close. Probably only Ethiopian in Hamilton.

Super friendly staff and delicious food!!!
You eat with you hands and each bite is just finger licking good!
The quality of food is definitely high and you can taste the fresh ingredients used for each dish.
Décor is simple and clean.
Love this place! Highly recommend it.

Excellent food! I had the WASS special with the vegetarian combo shared between two. Both me and my companion left full with happy tummies.
No visa accepted:(. Cash and debit only

Foods tasty and healthy!
vegetarian options! Bonus :)
I always oder the vegetarian combo plate with extra injera. Potions are large and I often bring some home. I love the red lentils. I usually ask for them to replace the yellow lentils on the veg dish with double red lentils. They are so accommodating. Food I feel is made with love.
Once in awhile they forget but that’s ok.

Went with my wife. It was our first Ethiopian cuisine experience and we both found it very enjoyable. We ordered the Wass Special with Veggie combo. It was more than enough for the 2 of us. The lamb was a little overcooked for our taste but it was good none the less. Service was pleasant and attentive.

While Wass doesn’t look like much from the outside, the food keeps me coming back.
If you have never had Ethiopian before, try a sample plate. You’ll get a massive injera (a semi-​bitter sourdough crêpe) covered in all sots of different meats, vegetables, even some cheese. You’ll get an additional plate of injera to use as utensils — you use the bread to scoop up mouthfulls of food. The best part? When you think it’s all done, you get to eat the flavour-​infused injera that the food was sitting on… incredible!
If you have time, try the coffee ceremony.
At some point you should also try the Tej, Ethiopian wine made from twigs and honey. If I could find it at the Hamilton LCBO, I’d keep a bottle in the house!
5 Stars!

We visit frequently. Very good value. Their vegetarian and combo options have been more satisfying than single dishes. Excellent coffee, but few dessert options. Service is usually good, but can be inconsistent when business is quiet.

First time taking a bite of African food! I only know about this country’s food is good coffee. But when I have the meat combo here! Tasty! The lamp stew is very tender and juicy. Lunch special only 7.55. Love the service and African music here.

Just delicious! First time eating Ethiopian and i loved it! I got the Vegetarian Combo, very very filling but great.
Definitely don’t judge it by the outward appearance, give it a try. 2 thumbs up.

Yummy vegetarian combo plate with a couple of items I hadn’t seen in the States, and excellent Ethiopian coffee.

I really wanted to like this place, as I visit Hamilton 1 – 2 times per week and I haven’t found another Ethiopian restaurant so far, but likely won’t go back anytime soon.
Unfortunately the owner refused to serve my kitfo raw, even though I explained to him that I have enough experience with the Ethiopian cuisine to know what I’m ordering, and that I love raw meat. He insisted that he, as an Ethipian, is fine with eating his meat raw, but non-​Ethiopians cannot take it.
Sorry but you are wrong mister.
I always eat my kitfo raw and enjoy every bite. I tried to explain myself in a clear and polite matter. I even went on to explain that Asian (yes I am Asian) cuisine has raw beef, raw chicken, raw liver, etc. dishes. He either didn’t understand or didn’t believe me. After a long conversation I compromised for «lightly seared», and he assured that he will serve the meat rare to medium rare, but my kitfo came well done.
I wish the owners of Wass and Nazareth (in Toronto) understand that there are non-​Ethiopian raw meat lovers out there.

Came here for my first Ethiopian experience courtesy of my awesome cousin! The owner is a major part of the daily operations and makes every finer feel welcome. Major stars right there!
The food itself was great at the time and since trying other places, I must say that it is definitely one of the better places with a great spice mix.

The key here is to not judge the book by its cover, or more aptly: do not judge the restaurant by its façade. We decided to give Wass Ethiopian Restaurant a try based entirely on internet reviews. When we drove by, scouting for a parking spot, we almost decided not to go because from the outside it looked a little sketchy… I am VERY glad we shook off our misgivings and gave the place a chance.
The food and service is spectacular. Delicious doesn’t begin to describe the flavors and experience… I wish I could remember our server’s name — she was really great; super friendly and helpful as my wife and I stumbled through our first experience with an Ethiopian menu. I remember the bill saying «Amber» but that Amber wasn’t our server (I just want to give credit where credit is due!). The room itself, is, although subterranean and somewhat sparse, it is charming and leaves nothing to really be desired.
We had the big Vegetarian Platter with Lamb stew — our server GAVE us a small snippet of the chicken stew too, just to sample. There wasn’t one disappointing mouthful throughout the night. Absolutely amazing.
Eating with our hands was fine, so long as we kept using the crêpe-​like soft sour bread as a make-​shift utensil (a sort of scoop, pinch, and shovel manuevre). When my wife said she’d had enough bread, she asked for a fork and received one without delay or hassle. Utensils are available if you want them — no sweat.
The Ethiopian Dark Ale was easily one of the best beers I’ve ever had. I will ALWAYS choose it over Rickard’s Red or Newcastle wherever possible. A truly excellent beer.
My wife had the sweet dry honey wine. She enjoyed it, though not to my liking. The server recommended it as a good accompaniment to the spicy menu.
The Ethiopian coffee to round out the meal was, again, very excellent. Strong without being bitter — I may even go as far as to say it was refreshing!
I look forward to going back again and again.

Long time Unilocaler, but this is my first review. I just had to share what an awesome experience my husband and I had at Wass!
It’s a beautiful restaurant but we ate outside on the patio. Wass (the owner) was very kind and explained the menu as we had never had Ethiopian food before. We ordered two main courses and Wass insisted he would add a few different types of meat to the sauces so we could try as much as possible. Then when another table ordered a different menu item he brought some over on a plate for us to try. Everything was great!
We also ordered the honey wine and both types of Ethiopian beers and they were fantastic.
Overall the experience was great and the food was some of the best I’ve had in a long time.
Don’t be afraid to enjoy something new and to eat with your hands!!!

A great new experience overall. This was our first time eating Ethiopian food, and we ordered the vegetarian combo and the Wass special. The vegetarian combo was really great in terms of flavour and variety (beets, cabbage, lentils, split peas, kale). Very healthy. The Wass special consisted of beef, onions, and red peppers on a hot plate. No complaints about service either.
I don’t know how authentic Wass actually is in terms of Ethiopian food, but this was a really enjoyable dinner. The injera which we used to eat most of our food was a bit much for me after a while (sour isn’t a flavour I particularly enjoy), but I’m glad it wasn’t fried and oily, as it was reminiscent of Indian roti for me.
Highly recommend this place for a new culinary experience!

It was a bit late in the evening, say around 10pm when we finally got to Wass to eat. Previously, we’d been sitting at a patio all afternoon getting loaded on empty stomachs. Needless to say, we were HUNGRY.
At 10pm, the buffet opened and a DJ started playing in the back room. I quickly paid my way into the buffet and started loading up my plate. As I loaded up, Wass himself (the owner) explained to me that his methods of cooking with minimal exposure to low heat in order to keep the nutrients in and keep it crispy. They certainly were crispy and very tasty!
Nothing was overly spicy, and everything tasted fresh and delicious.
After my second round at the buffet within an 8 minute span, my stomach started to hurt. It wasn’t the food. It was how fast I ate it. Recall, I was drinking on an empty stomach all day.
After a quick cigarette, my friends and I came back inside to watch and listen to the DJ. He was spinning some great old motown and jazz, and pretty soon everyone was dancing.
Except me.
My stomach was so bloody full and I was getting so tired, that I had to go home and sleep it off. Next time I go, I will have to pace myself.

awesome place — been just once for lunch but I’ll give it full points for that. I was addicted to Ethiopian in Toronto so this place opening up is a boon. A real boon.
For lunch we had the veg and meat specials, $ 8 a piece and lots of food. The injera is home-​made, which you can’t say for most places in TO. Had lamb and chicken dishes, plus cabbage, lentils, salad, collard greens, cottage cheese, and beets. The veggie dishes were fresh and the meats nicely stewed and spiced. Lunch for two, $ 20 including tip! The setting is okay, downstairs with a bar and a cozy alcove.