Eating Ethiopian and Eritrean Mannaweenta brings East African cuisine to Athens

Ellie Pool

Someone looking at the small Ethiopian and Eritrean restaurant nestled on the east side of Athens would never know that it came to the owner in a dream. Haregu Bahtu made her dream a reality when she opened Mannaweenta. Bahtu is the chef and owner of the restaurant, which is tucked into the corner of a strip on Gaines School Road.

Bahtu is originally from Eritrea, a small country in Eastern Africa just north of Ethiopia, but eventually left her home to move to Atlanta. In 1995, she moved northeast to Athens because she wanted to live in a quieter community. She found Athens to be a nice place to raise her four kids, one of which the restaurant is named after.

Mannaweenta is sandwiched between Orient Mart and Quality Dry Cleaners on the east side of Athens. While the outside of the restaurant appears small, the inside is bursting with character and culture with walls covered in Ethiopian and Eritrean artwork.

There are also awards on display, including five consecutive years of winning “Favorite International Restaurant” from Flagpole Magazine starting in 2018.

Mannaweenta became a vision for Bahtu in March of 2014 after she had a dream. In the dream, a man asked her what her vision was, and she said she dreamt of a restaurant. Bahtu realized this vision was from God, according to the restaurant’s website.

“Sometimes when you’re young, you wish you had a restaurant or something, but things didn’t happen that way. One time it just came to me, like a dream,” Bahtu said. “A man was asking me ‘What is your dream? What is your goal?’ But at that point of my life, I was like, ‘I can’t do nothing, I don’t have nothing,’ kind of a discouraging time in life.”

Bahtu took classes at the Goodwill Business Center to transform her dream into a reality.

“The teachers were talking about money, but I was talking about my dream,” Bahtu said.

After completing her business classes, Bahtu sold food at the West Broad Farmers Market. This was well received by customers, and she began getting asked when her restaurant was opening. This was very encouraging, so she began looking for a space to open a restaurant.

In August of 2015, Mannaweenta opened.

The business was doing well until the COVID-19 pandemic. Bahtu kept the restaurant open by serving carry-out food with herself as the only employee for months.

Since the pandemic, Bahtu said she has been seeing fewer new customers but still has regular customers who come in.

Bahtu said she feels very supported by the Athens community and her regulars.

“Without them, you know, I cannot stand. I cannot stay open. Athens is a very nice community to me,” Bahtu said.

Bahtu has been cooking her whole life and is still learning as she goes.

“My mom, she didn’t have education, but she knows her food. She knows what to season and how to season,” Bahtu said. “But here, I do research. ‘What am I feeding people?’ You know, I look at it. Everything I put in the food has something for our health. This is the right thing to do, and it’s good for the people.”

Mannaweenta’s menu offers meat and vegetable plates, available in sizes small or large. The meat plates come with two sides of vegetables and the option to add an extra portion of meat for $4.

The meat selections include chicken, lamb, prime beef and tilapia, which is only available on Tuesdays. All of the vegetable dishes are vegan and include lentils, split peas, collard greens, okra and chickpeas.

Mannaweenta also serves lentil soup and a variety of salads. It is an affordable dining option, with plate prices ranging from $7-13.75.

It also has gluten free options, making this a restaurant for everyone. Spice levels can be altered on dishes as well to fit personal preferences.

“Nowadays, people are very conscious about their health,” Bahtu said. “This is a restaurant for their health. It’s healthy food, vegetarian, vegan, even the meat is healthy for them because I take all the fats out. I prepare it like I will prepare it for my kids.”

Some of the specialty menu items include injera and berbere. Injera is a thin flatbread made with a mixture of teff flour, a staple grain from Ethiopia. Berbere is a spice blend. Ethiopian iced tea and coffee are also available.

“I’m here. I’m cooking … And I just want people to come and taste it,” Bahtu said.

Valentines Skate Night: Join WUOG 90.5 FM, the UGA student radio station, for a night of romantic skating.

When: 7-9 p.m.

Where: Athens Skate Inn

Price: $6/free for first 200 students

Historic Athens Mardi Gras Masquerade:

The fifth annual masquerade and block party will celebrate historic businesses and feature a court crowning, costume masquerade, bestdressed competition and cocktail experience add-on.

Theatre Department’s “The Wolves”: This student production of Sarah DeLappe’s coming-of-age play follows a girls’ high school soccer team as they grapple with life’s unanswered questions.

2:30 p.m. on 2.26 Where: UGA Cellar Theatre Price: $12-16