“I love this place. Great food and wait staff. Their lunch buffet is delicious and the patio is great on summer days! Highly recommend.” ~ Hayley, Yelp, 5 stars (May 2017)
“Been on my list for a long time to try. Stopped in, and sat outside on the lovely patio. Great views of downtown skyline, can watch the Streetcar go by. Service was wonderful, she asked if I had a Groupon, which gave me time to download one. 🙂 We each had a glass of wine we had not tried before, both from South Africa. We tried the sampler, which came with multiple veggie options, as well as lamb, chicken, and beef chili. Great way to try a bunch of dishes. I was a fan of the lamb, the chicken, and the red lentils. I loved the teff bread, especially since its naturally gluten free. Our meal was brought out extremely quickly, were brought extra bread, and warm towels after the meal. I will be back, and will order it spicier, and I want to try their sambusas.”
~ Cindy, Yelp, 4 stars (May 2017)
“Blue Nile has so many delicious options for vegan, and the best part is that they understand what it means to be vegan. Lots of other places have vegan options, but the staff is not knowledgeable on what is vegan and what is not. The food is delicious, great prices, amazing staff, and I always leave satisfied. This is a favorite spot for my boyfriend and me when he visits me in KC.”
~ Alyssa, Yelp, 5 stars (April 2017)
“Had the buffet and it was fantastic. I love great customer service and the staff did not disappoint. Will be back to enjoy again and again.”
~ Tasha, Yelp, 5 stars (April 2017)
“This place is GREAT! The buffet was beyond our expectations! The food was hot and fresh! Our server Micah was super friendly and accommodating even though it is a buffet!!!! Cheers!”
~ Grace, Yelp, 5 stars (April 2017)
“Their lunch buffet will be my un-doing. Prices are good, location is excellent, and the service is friendly. “
~ C.K., Facebook, 5 stars (April 2017)
“We have been going to this restaurant off and on for more than 20 years now. It has, I believe, settled into a very nice groove, in which it is established but still vibrant, And still creative with the food. We went back after maybe six months of not going, just because we were busy, and were very pleasantly treated to a wonderful meal. We shared a combo platter for two, and the taste was excellent. Perhaps the quantity of meat was a little small, but the lamb in particular was excellent. The service was friendly, knowledgeable, and spot on… Congratulations!”
~ T., Trip Advisor, 5 stars (April 2017)
“Great service and wonderful lunch buffet allowing you to sample many different dishes and African cuisine.”
~ Mark P., Facebook, 5 stars (April 2017)
“I have to say that despite my incredibly picky nature when it comes to food, this place had incredible food. The service was outstanding, friendly and timely. I highly recommend this place to anyone wanting great food at a reasonable price while having something that breaks the mold of the “same old thing.””
~ Jeff, Facebook, 5 stars (April 2017)
“ALWAYS delicious! We go every time we are in KC! In fact, we go to KC just to eat there!”
~ Laura, Facebook, 5 stars (March 2017)
“So I’ve never had Ethiopian food before. I’ve always been interested in trying it and today became that day. I will admit I did some studying on wikipedia before hand so see what I was getting in to.
I chose Blue Nile Cafe because of it’s proximity to the KC Street Car line. I work downtown so being able to hop the Street Car and get somewhere quickly for lunch is important. Secondly I noted that Blue Nile has a reasonably priced lunch buffet. This sounded perfect for someone like me that was going to be jumping in with both feet.
Upon arriving I was quickly greeted and immediately sat. My hostess told me where the buffet was and to go up when I was ready. Well I was ready. I walked up and noted that I was going to have about 8-10 choices, along with a few soups. I decided I would attempt to try as much as I could until I was full (looks like I’m eating salad for dinner!).
I started off with a plate of Doro Watt (this wound up being my favorite), some Yekik Watt, and some sour, cabbage dish whose name eludes me. I was blown away. The spices were rich and offered the heat I was looking for. The textures and flavors were absolutely delicious. I struck up a conversation with an employee named Roe/Ro sp?. He was super kind and was interested in my tattoos. So we discussed them for a bit and I was impressed at his knowledge as to who the various comic characters on my sleeve were.
I went up for another round, this time going for some Misir Watt, Gomen, and another dish I can’t recall, as well as a delicious butternut squash and lentil soup. Again the food was delicious (though my first plate was still my favorite). I polished it off with a couple glasses of water and was too full to enjoy the rice pudding (something I absolutely love) that was offered to me.
In the end I walked out only $12 lighter, a few lbs heavier, and much happier. Blue Nile has earned a repeat customer out of me and I highly recommend you visit if you are in the River Market area.
Thanks for the wonderful experience Blue Nile!”
~ Brian, Yelp, 5 stars (March 2017)
“My friend and I shared the vegetarian platter for 2 and a bottle of wine. Our bill was $35.00. Talk about a deal! the food was lovely and we ate with our hands, when in Rome!”
~ Trip Advisor, 5 stars (March 2017)
“Absolutely amazing! Awesome food, great staff, good wine selection. We will be back as soon as possible!!”
~ Caleb, Facebook, 5 stars (February 2017)
“Is beautiful place to eat and the music is great I love African restaurants…”
~ Martha, Facebook, 5 stars (February 2017)
“The food was delicious! While we waited for our dinner we watched our vacuum pot of tea brew on our table. I would recommend the Blue Nile Cafe to all my friends.”
~ Sam, Facebook, 5 stars (February 2017)
“Very good Ethiopian food in a excellent location. The River Market is rich with interesting restaurants. I have yet to master the parking but expect to visit time and time again. The lunch buffet is an excellent option take-in or take-out. The staff are cordial. The food is high quality.”
~ Trip Advisor, 5 stars (February 2017)
“I am a regular customer at this Ethiopian restaurant. Today I got kitfo with veggies and honey wine. Kitfo is raw beef with spices and I have to be well acquainted with the restaurant to order. It is absolutely delicious! It was served with lentils and greens. I love honey wine which is sweet like a moscato. I also recommend the lamb tibs. “
~ Terri, Trip Advisor, 5 stars (February 2017)
“In KC for a business trip. My coworker had never eaten Ethiopian before but I have and my favorite place is top notch so Blue Nile was to be measured to a pretty high bar. They did not disappoint either my friend, who didn’t know what to expect, or me (who had high hopes)! The food was excellent, the restaurant was clean, comfortable (it was 5F outside!), and tastefully appointed. The waiter was first-rate, friendly, and knowledgeable. If I ever find myself in KC again, I’m definitely going back to Blue Nile. “
~ GP, Trip Advisor, 5 stars (January 2017)
“I loved the great food and the great service. Any time I’m in town (my wife and I live in Long Beach, CA), I’ll be sitting down to eat at the Blue Nile. The place is comfortable and they serve the “original soul food” – that’s what my bro in law calls it. And I agree.”
~ Bert, Facebook, 5 stars (December 2016)
“It was our first visit for our group but won’t be our last. Great food and friendly staff! What more could you ask for!”
~ Diane, Facebook, 5 stars (December 2016)
“Amazing food, great place for gluten free people or vegans. Staff extremely friendly and engaging.”
~ Holly, Facebook, 5 stars (December 2016)