One of the restaurants I LOVED here in New Orleans is Addis Nola. It’s classic Ethiopian food, eaten without utensils and instead with Injera: a type of bread made from teff flour. Usually, Injera has barley in it, but at Addis it was 100% gluten free. I LOVED my meal.
I ate at Addis this semester during parents weekend, it it was the perfect hearty and filling meal I was looking for. It perfectly contrasted the unsatisfying meals I have available to me in the dining hall here. Overall, this food really hit the spot, and I’m happy I was able to support such an an amazing restaurant that not only has a ton of gluten free options, but a staff that is knowledgable about Celiac.
the art on the wall as you walk in to Addis Nola 
I did some research about what makes Addis a New Orleanian restaurant, because at first glance it just seems like an Ethiopian restaurant that happens to be in New Orleans, but in reality it is so much more. I learned from the restaurant’s website (linked here so y’all can check it out if you are from NOLA or ever in the area) that it’s one of 2 Ethiopian restaurants in the entire state of Louisiana. To me, thats part of what makes it a New Orleanian restaurant, because the food scene in the city is so much larger and more diverse that the rest of the state. It makes sense that one of the two classic Ethiopian restaurants in the state would be located in a place that cares so deeply about food.The restaurant was created to combine classic Ethiopian foods to a new area (New Orleans) and bring new flavors and new culture to NOLA. I was surprised to learn just how connected Addis Nola is to the greater city of New Orleans, because they don’t really market themselves as a New Orleanian restaurant from the consumer’s perspective. The name of the restaurant is heavily inspired by the name for the capital of Ethiopia: Addis Ababa. Addis translates, in Ethiopian, to new. The name of the restaurant connects to its mission of spreading flavors and culture to a new city, as Addis Nola means “New Nola.”
The food isn’t classic New Orleans food. It isn’t creole or cajun. It didn’t originate in the south of the United States or somewhere in Louisiana, but the mission of the restaurant makes it classically “New Orleanian”.
NOW for the part y’all are waiting for- the food.
EVERYTHING, and I mean everything, on Addis’s menu is gluten free, except the sambusa. The options on the menu are overwhelming, but with the help of a very kind waiter- this is what me, my mom, and my dad ordered for the first night of parents weekend.
We stated off with a new appetizer that isn’t on the menu yet. The waiter described it to us as a kind of Ethiopian guacamole. It was AMAZING. Instead of chips, we got crispy strips of injera to scoop up some of the freshest tasting avocado dip I have ever tasted. It was amazing.
For the entree, we ordered the red lentils, the shiro (stewed chickpeas) and the chicken with spinach tibs. It came with some sides, and a ton of injera to eat it with.
My experience at Addis was really special, and I’m happy they are on UberEats!