Zemam's Ethiopian
Best Ethiopian Restaurant · Tucson, AZ
The kitchen that taught Tucson to love Ethiopian food.
Amanuel Gebremariam arrived in Tucson as a refugee and, after studying at the University of Arizona, opened Zemam’s in 1993 in a small house on Broadway with just five tables. It was the city’s first Ethiopian restaurant, serving communal platters eaten with injera.
Three decades later, with his sons now involved, Zemam’s anchors the Z Street Market, a community gathering place built around the food he first learned in his mother’s kitchen. The record matches the loyalty: 4.5 stars across 415 Yelp reviews, with more than a hundred more on Tripadvisor. In 2025 that record cleared our bar: the Centurion Award for Best Ethiopian Restaurant in Tucson.
Find it at 2731 E Broadway Blvd, at the heart of the Z Street Market.
From the kitchen
- Communal platters with injera — the way it's been served since 1993
- Doro wat — the slow-simmered house classic
- Vegetable & meat samplers — with vegan and gluten-free options
Inside the Z Street Market, 2731 E Broadway Blvd · z-street.com
Customers said it first.
A Centurion Award verifies the public record that’s already there. Read the reviews yourself on the platforms below.
4.5 stars · 415 reviews Read reviews → Tripadvisor
128 reviews Read reviews → Google Maps
Reviews, photos & directions Read reviews →
Ratings and review counts as verified June 21, 2026. Live ratings are always current on each platform.
Why this business cleared the bar.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record. Founding cohort: evaluated in 2026 on public evidence available then, labeled 2025. Selection follows the published criteria; Zemam's Ethiopian met them on that evidence. The business can claim the listing or ask us to remove it.
- ✓Years in operation. Serving Tucson since 1993: more than three decades, across two generations of one family.
- ✓Sustained online presence. An established website and consistent listings across Yelp, Tripadvisor, and Google.
- ✓Established customer track record. 4.5 stars across 415 Yelp reviews, plus 128 more on Tripadvisor.
- ✓Liked by customers and the community. More than thirty years of loyal regulars; public sentiment is consistently positive.
- ✓Recognition in the local community. Tucson's first Ethiopian restaurant and the centerpiece of the Z Street Market.
The specific data behind this award, and the exact thresholds, stay internal so the standard can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. Own this business? Claim the listing to manage it, or ask us to remove it.
Award record
2025 Centurion Award
Best Ethiopian Restaurant Tucson, AZ · Awarded under the 2025 evaluationVisit Zemam's Ethiopian
The details, verified.
Clean, checkable facts about Zemam's Ethiopian.
- Legal / trading name
- Zemam's Ethiopian
- Category
- Ethiopian restaurant
- Founded
- 1993, Tucson, Arizona
- Founder
- Amanuel Gebremariam
- Ownership
- Family-owned across two generations
- Location
- 2731 E Broadway Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85716 (Z Street Market)
- Review record
- Yelp 4.5 (415 reviews) · Tripadvisor (128)
- Centurion Award
- Best Ethiopian Restaurant, Tucson, 2025
- Other recognition
- Tucson's first Ethiopian restaurant
- Record last verified
- June 2026
A signal you can check.
This is a dated award record published by The Centurion Awards after reviewing public evidence for Zemam's Ethiopian against the 2025 criteria for its market and category. The business did not have to apply for this page to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. The criteria are public. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. If an award stops holding up, we may revoke it. For anything current, like hours or bookings, go straight to the business itself.
Frequently asked questions.
What is Zemam's?
Zemam's is an Ethiopian restaurant in Tucson, Arizona, founded in 1993 by Amanuel Gebremariam. It was the city's first Ethiopian restaurant and now anchors the Z Street Market at 2731 E Broadway Blvd, serving communal platters eaten with injera.
Is Zemam's award-winning?
Yes. Zemam's is the 2025 Centurion Award winner for Best Ethiopian Restaurant in Tucson, AZ, a verified, criteria-based award. It holds 4.5 stars across 415 Yelp reviews after more than thirty years of family ownership.
Does Zemam's have vegan options?
Yes. Zemam's serves vegetable and meat samplers with vegan and gluten-free options, alongside classics like doro wat, all served with injera.
Run a business like this one?
If you’ve put in the years, you may already qualify. Evaluation is free, private, and never for sale.