Great experience dining at Buraka! I had heard good things from friends about this restaurant and it did not disappoint. We went at 2:30 on a Tuesday afternoon, so it was pretty empty but the service was still great. There is ample street parking outside as with most of Willy Street. Upon walking inside, I was surprised at how much space was inside - there was bar seating and an entire back room. Everything was very new and clean, and our waitress was very friendly. Also, the awesome reggae music gave the place a very casual atmosphere.
My friend and I both ordered the combination lunch with Dorowot and Begwot served on a plate of rice. It came with a lentil salad and a dollop of sour cream on the side. The food came out very fast and was a comfortable serving size. Everything in the meal went extremely well together - the Dorowot was a very comforting and rich stew, and the lamb in the Begot was cooked tenderly. I was surprised at the lentils because I didn't realize they would be a cold salad instead of hot lentils, but it was a nice contrast. Both were very very mildly spicy but not anything too intense!
Overall, really tasty food but lost a star because there was nothing that was extremely out of the ordinary. Really happy to see this Ethiopian restaurant in Madison and would definitely recommend for people in the area to try out! The menu also has nice history of Ethiopian food and the restaurant to help give the food a historical context, which I always feels contributes to the dining experience. Would love to return another time!
Food: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Atmosphere: 9/10
Prices: $-$$