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
Every award, on the record.
Each Centurion Award is its own dated annual record, and staying current means clearing the bar again each new year. Open a year for the full citation and verification details.
2025 Centurion Award
Best Ethiopian Restaurant Tucson, AZ · Awarded under the 2025 evaluation View the 2025 award →Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. Selection is by published criteria, never for sale.
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This page is the standing record for Zemam's Ethiopian (2025). It was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. For hours, bookings, and live reviews, go straight to the business itself.
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.
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