It's nice to have a choice in Ethiopian restaurants here in Cleveland. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. Zoma has a larger selection of entree choices. I enjoyed the tea as well as the mild chicken stew. I ordered the yellow split peas as my side and an extra side of the cabbage. The mild chicken stew was delicious. I loved the flavor. A friend ordered the vegetarian combo with all six entrees and I was able to try some of them. I enjoyed the collard greens a lot and the beans and carrots had a nice flavor as well. Although Zoma has a wider selection of tibs (which is my favorite) they don't offer mushroom or shrimp tibs. And I am addicted to Empress Taytu's tikil gomen, which Zoma does not have. It will be nice to go to both places.
We were a table of 10 on a bitterly cold Wednesday night. Everyone enjoyed their meals a lot. The service could still use a little polishing (and they could use more credit card folders), but they just opened. I try to give restaurants about a month to smooth things out. I was so excited about this place that I couldn't wait a month. In the end the only thing that matters is the food, which was great. If you enjoy lingering over dinner you'll enjoy yourself. Be sure to allow yourself a couple hours on the meter or park for free on Meadowbrook.