Lucy East African Cuisine

Much like its namesake (a 3.2 million-year-old ''australopithecus'' discovered in 1974 in [[Ethiopia]], at that time the most complete specimen of a prehistoric human ancestor ever found), Lucy is a pioneer — local foodies' prayers were answered in early 2012 when Abba Biyan and Naima Tesfu established Buffalo's first Ethiopian restaurant, serving a cuisine whose absence on the Niagara Frontier had long been noted. It was worth the wait: though several more places have since opened their doors, Lucy still lays a strong claim to be the best Ethiopian restaurant you can get in Buffalo. They moved in 2016 from their original digs on the corner of Grant and Amherst Streets to a new home overlooking beautiful Riverside Park. Visitors are quick to forgive the crowded dining room, no-frills decor, and sometimes inattentive service (an inevitable side effect of this tiny place's popularity) to feast on huge portions of traditional dishes such as ''doro watt'', ''tibs'' and ''sambusa'' that come packed with flavor, perfectly spiced, and served with plenty of injera — a flat, spongy bread used in place of silverware to scoop the food into one's mouth. Many options are available for vegetarians and vegans, and unique among its competitors, a full slate of Ethiopian breakfast options are offered (go for the $9.99 "Lucy Special" for a sampler of four breakfast items of your choice). Wash it all down with some of the most delicious sweet chai Buffalo has to offer, but perhaps more interestingly, on Saturday evenings from 3PM-7PM a free traditional coffee ceremony is held.