Massawa: $8 Drinks Every Day at an Eritrean and Ethiopian Original
Massawa has a happy hour every day: $8 draft beer, wines and cocktails, Monday to Friday 3–7pm and Saturday and Sunday 3–6pm. It’s at 1239 Amsterdam Ave in Morningside Heights, at 121st St, in a restaurant that has been serving Eritrean and Ethiopian food since 1988.
The verdict: a flat $8 across beer, wine and cocktails is an easy deal to like, and it runs seven days. The pairing is the point: the menu is built for sharing, with big platters served on injera. The catches: the restaurant doesn’t say which draft beers, wines or cocktails the $8 covers, and the menu notes a $25 minimum expenditure per guest for dine-in, so plan on eating.
The Happy Hour
- Monday to Friday: 3–7pm
- Saturday and Sunday: 3–6pm
- The deal: $8 draft beer, wines and cocktails
What to Eat
Massawa is known for vegan and vegetarian dishes. Vegan entrees run $21.50–$22.70 (shiro, timtimo, alitcha, birsin, cablo, tsebhi hamli), the vegan sampler is $26 and the vegan sampler for two is $48. Beef tebsi is $27, lamb tsebhi beghe $28.50 and chicken tebsi derho $26. Starters are sambusas at $9.70 and ful at $14.10. Dishes can be made to your spice level, and the restaurant also pours honey wine (tej), an Eritrean beer and Ethiopian coffee (buun).
The Room
Massawa describes itself as the oldest Eritrean and Ethiopian restaurant in the city, with dishes served on large platters and eaten with injera. It’s open Monday to Friday 10:30am–10pm and Saturday and Sunday 11am–10pm, takes private parties and does catering. The closest trains are 116 St-Columbia University (1) and 125 St (A/B/C/D).
Who Massawa Is For
| Occasion | Why It Works |
|---|---|
| A weekend drink that starts at 3pm | $8 drinks Sat–Sun 3–6pm |
| A vegan or vegetarian dinner | Vegan entrees from $21.50 and a sampler for two at $48 |
| A group sharing platters | Dishes are served family-style on injera |
See the full Morningside Heights happy hour guide. For other places in this cuisine, see the best Ethiopian restaurants in NYC, or Saturday happy hours for more weekend deals.