Meda Ethiopian Bar and Restaurant, Rochester

The green, red, and yellow sign perched above the corner of University Avenue and North Union definitively marks the spot of Meda Ethiopian Bar and Restaurant, where passersby can venture in for dishes that are just as colorful as its marker. Within, gleaming wood stretches out along a lengthy bar and extends up the brick walls to form a thick, angular archway. The restaurant's spacious setup—characterized by high ceilings—quickly cedes attention to its traditional Ethiopian dishes. The chefs sizzle up tender morsels of meat including yebeg tibs—cubed lamb simmered in a blend of berbere and onions, ginger roots, and warm herbal butter—and vegetable-centered spreads such as split lentils and ground chickpeas.