The Airplane Restaurant in Ethiopia
Christy and I have eaten at some unique places over the years. Like The Parson’s Table in Jonesborough, Tennesse – an old church building that was converted into a fancy shmancy restaurant (now it’s a special events facility). There’s St. Joseph’s Brewery in Indianapolis, another old church facility that was converted into a microbrewery not too long ago. We tried the poutine.
It was delicious.
We’ve also eaten at The Log Inn in Haubstadt, Indiana. Abraham Lincoln visited there in 1844. Can’t say that about too many places. Right?
And there’s Bowen’s Island. That was an experience unlike any other.
We’ve also been to chain restaurants like the Hard Rock Cafe, T-Rex Cafe, and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. We’ve had fresh seafood on the beach and Chinese food in New York City’s Chinatown. We’ve had real Southern barbecue in the South and Navajo Tacos in Gallup, New Mexico. And, of course, we’ve had authentic Ethiopian cuisine at a cultural-themed Ethiopian restaurant.
We’ve been to some pretty interesting and memorable places.
But I don’t think I’ve ever been to a restaurant that has an airplane sitting in the middle of it. At least, I hadn’t been until we visited Ethiopia’s Airplane Restaurant. Located about 10 miles outside of Addis, this restaurant is not what you’d expect in the outskirts of town. On the way from Addis to the Lion Preserve, you see souk upon souk upon souk and then all of a sudden there’s this giant airplane towering over you. It’s like it just fell out of the sky right onto the side of the road going through the town of Burayu.
And there it is. In all of its glory. A retired Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737. Obviously, it’s been stripped of its engines. The inside has been refurbished so you can eat dinner inside the plane. An interesting concept, for sure.
Especially in the middle of a town like Burayu.
Since it costs extra to eat inside and the weather was perfect, we chose to eat outside by the fountain with fish in it. Kids were playing, friends and families were laughing. It was a great atmosphere. We had fun hanging out and listening to our missionary friends talk to Weldu in Amharic.
Then the food came.
They apparently serve other dishes here, too. You have to happen to be there when they happen to have those other dishes, though. But that’s OK. Because I love beef tibs. Especially shekla tibs, which is what we had. And I loved every bite (sans peppers). We shared three of the clay pots and downed all of them.
It was definitely one of the most memorable dining experiences I’ve had in a long time.
What’s the most unusual restaurant you’ve visited?
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