Industry Cafe & Jazz is an Eritrean and Ethiopian cuisine restaurant in Culver City that truly lives up to its name, offering live jazz music Wednesday through Sunday weekly. Having opened in 2006 Industry is approaching its 20th year in the same location. Run by two brothers who have a strong love of music and authentic Eritrean, Ethiopian and soul food. The atmosphere is warm and friendly with generous portions meant to be shared.
We ordered a variety platter of delicately cooked and wonderfully spiced lamb and chicken dishes prepared in authentic sauces. The platter also included lentils and cooked greens. Ethiopian bread is extremely thin and light similar to crepe. You rip a piece of the bread, cup it in your fingers and scoop up some wonderfully flavorful spiced meats. Industry Cafe and Jazz is a perfect place for a birthday party or couples out on the town or just a family dinner where you’re open to experiencing new cuisine from an exotic faraway destination. There is something very warm and friendly when your dinner is accompanied by a live jazz band.
A majority of the food on the menu is brought to life by the spices that are imported directly from Ethiopia. The red pepper combination of spices includes onion, garlic, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, cumin and more. The menu does have a number of classic Ethiopian and Eritrean dishes, highlighted by the Doro Wat. This is an incredibly tender spiced drumstick that is served in a flavorful stew that is served with hard boiled eggs and injera bread. Industry Cafe highlights their berbere sauce, a sauce that is created with a plethora of Ethiopian spices. That sauce can be paired with chicken, beef, lamb, or salmon tibs. If you are a connoisseur of fish, one of the highlights of the menu is the trout, which has the entire fish served to you lightly fried on a bed of injera bread.
One of the highlights of the menu, and it might be a little unexpected is the spaghetti. Eritrea was colonized by Italy and this is how pasta and other Italian dishes became to prominent and perfected. Industry Cafe makes their bolognese sauce and a mixed roast veggie tomato sauce both from scratch and are rich and deep in flavor, so much so that it would make any Italian joyful to eat.
To give you a little more of an Ethiopian flavor to your experience, Industry Cafe serves up daily roasted Ethiopian coffee and iced tea. They also have an assortment of Ethiopian beer and if you catch them on the right night, make sure to ask for the homemade honey wine. This is made in-house and very time-consuming so it is done in very small batches, but worth asking for.
Industry Cafe & Jazz is nothing short of extraordinary in every possible way. This hidden gem combines the best of both worlds – delicious food and soul-stirring music – to create an unforgettable dining experience. Whether you’re a foodie, a music lover, or simply looking for a place to unwind, Industry Cafe & Jazz is sure to hit all the right notes.
Industry Cafe & Jazz is located at: 6039 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232
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