People eat three times a day to prevent mouthy mouths from brashly blurting out their distaste for the rest of the digestive system. Today's Groupon prevents inner-system quarreling by subduing chatty cheeks with Ethiopian eats: for $9, you get $18 worth of authentic Ethiopian fare at GoJo Ethiopian Cuisine, located in Eastown. This Groupon is valid for dine-in only, and may not be used toward purchases of loose-leaf spiced tea. It is not valid with other offers, including the restaurant's buffet special.

GoJo heaps full-service Ethiopian eats on unsuspecting Grand Rapids residents with a menu of flavorful, family-style plates, including savory watt (stews) and sides, such as misir, or lentils ($3); gomen, or collard greens ($3); and atkilt alicha, feastfully fusing cabbage, potatoes, green peppers, and spices ($3). Herbivores can sup a sturdy assemblage of veggie-packed fare, such as the Mini Vegetarian Combo ($7.95), with lentil-based misir watt, atkilt alicha, and gomen, while meat lovers can rip into a Siga Watt Combo ($8.35), boasting spiced beef with choice of two vegetable sides. Satisfy all three of your stomachs, or split sustenance with your twin sisters, with the decadent Yebeg Tibs Super Family Combo ($36.99)—succulent cuts of lamb sautéed in spices and accessorized with stylish scoops of atkilt alicha, misir, gomen, Ethiopian salad, and ayib, a spiced cottage cheese. For a romantic meal-ender, diners can dig into GoJo's popular sweet potato pie (whole or mini-pies available only by pre-order), letting it whisper sweet nothings to taste buds.

Traditional Ethiopian culture views the sharing of meals as integral to fostering a sense of brotherhood and loyalty, so each table eats from the same plate, scooping up delectable edibles with injera, an Ethiopian flatbread known for its nutritional value and the jealousy it stirs up in forks and knives. Tongue-traverse the world's 27th-largest country with a meal at GoJo.

GoJo is open Tuesday through Saturday for lunch (11:30 a.m.–2 p.m.) and dinner (5 p.m.–9 p.m.).

Reviews

Midwest Living placed GoJo Ethiopian Cuisine on its 60 Restaurants Worth The Trip list, and both the Grand Rapids Press and My Hotel Life recommend it:

• I must say that the Gomen was the best collared green dish that I've tasted. I also enjoyed the siga watt which resembled a Bolognese ragu. But it was the curry rice with shredded chicken that really made my dining experience worthwhile. – George Aquino, My Hotel Life
• If finding new tastes off the beaten path is your thing, you'll get a kick out of going to GoJo. – Grand Rapids Press