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FISHERS, Ind. — Tucked away in a small strip mall in the Geist area of Fishers, St. Yared has been bringing traditional Ethiopian cuisine to Hoosiers since 2013 here at their location at 11210 Fall Creek Road.

Since then, their food, atmosphere, and family-like customer service has earned them a spot on Yelp’s 2017 list of the Top 50 Places to Eat in Indiana.

“When guests come here, not only are they going to have something that is like no other, but also they dine like [they are in] our home,” says owner Haile Abebe.

For Haile and his wife Etenesh, food has a much greater purpose than just flavor.

“Food in a restaurant should not be just to the tongue. But to the ear, to the eye, to the spirit to the soul,” he says.

Photo gallery from Yelp

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When you eat here, he promises your experience will feel like you are dining in their home. Except here, rather than a traditional table, you can sit at a mesob and enjoy a platter of meat-based or vegan dishes.

“There are meat-based such as chicken door alicha, doro wot… wot means spicy. No Ethiopian food is without spices,” says Abebe. “For Ethiopians, spice has a religious meaning. We believe that spice, just like music, can inspire.”

All of their spices are made by his sister and mother-in-law back in Ethiopia and shipped here to Fishers each month. Then, when it comes to eating, forget the utensils and use your hands.

“We instruct them how to eat it. How to unwind the injera, tear about that big, and use that one to scoop. First we advise them to try each, and then make their own spices, create their own taste, and sometimes I would say dazzle your spouse,” he says.

In Ethiopian culture, he explains, nothing has greater meaning than feeding one another.

Four Things You Need to Know:

  • 1:  They open at 6 a.m. and also offer breakfast as well as Ethiopian coffee and teas (which are also available for purchase by the bag).
  • 2: Yelpers suggest checking out the daily specials on their website for half price deals, complimentary honey wine, and $2 off select dishes.
  • 3: Tucked away in the small strip mall on Fall Creek Road, St Yared Ethiopian Restaurant opened its doors in 2013 by owners Etenesh and Haile Abebe, hoping to share their native Ethiopian food and culture with Hoosiers.
  • 4: The spice used in all of St Yared’s dishes is actually made by Etenesh’s mother and sisters in Ethiopia who then send batches to Fishers each month.

“In Ethiopia, the ultimate way to say ‘I love you’ is, and how grateful I am to you, is feeding the wife or wife feeding the husband,” Abebe says.

But according to Yelp Indy’s Brittany Smith, St. Yared has more than just great lunch and dinner options. They also serve breakfast and, of course, Ethiopian coffee and teas.

“A lot of businesses like this you wouldn’t expect to find breakfast options, but here they are opening at 6am,” Smith says. “So you can get your coffee, have something to eat, and you can also come back at lunch and dinner time and they have a bar space and great rooms for bigger groups as well.”

You can check out St. Yared on Yelp or on their website for more information. You can also connect with them via Facebook.

While you’re in the area, check out these nearby Yelp favorites: