• 3
• Mixed Feelings

The way a restaurant's menu is laid out always makes a big first impression. It tells me whether, as a vegan, I'm going to be treated with respect and my dietary choices held in proper regard. Are the vegetarian and vegan items specially marked? Where are they placed on the menu? Are the veg items on top of the menu or tucked below as an afterthought? Ras Dashen had the vegan items specially marked on the menu...fantastic. It had the veggie items listed before the meat items...top notch. The problem is all the veg items are listed as "sides". The beef and lamb dishes are listed as full-out "entrees". So if you order a Meat Combo you choose your entrees and 3 sides (the veggie dishes). For the Vegetarian Combo you choose 5 sides. I am sick of being downgraded to a side dish! To anyone with an ounce of compassion and notion of proper healthy eating, vegetables are a main dish. Instead of "sides", call them "Veggie Dishes" and your whole menu will make sense. I liked the "come as you are" casual atmosphere. Beautiful flowers made the outdoor tables tempting. Wait staff was friendly and we were well attended to though service was a bit on the slow side. This restaurant has the best injera bread of any Ethiopian restaurant I've been to. I highly recommend the Tikil Gomen Alicha (choice #5) which is cabbage, potato and carrot stew and the Misser Wat (#10) which is pureed red lentils in a spicy berbere sauce.