Makina, the bright yellow food truck that turned into a citywide crush, has settled into a full-service home on Skillman Avenue in Sunnyside. The compact dining room, roughly 36 seats, pairs subtle Art Deco touches with a menu that puts berbere, mitmita and other Habesha staples squarely in the spotlight. Owner Eden Gebre Egziabher, who launched the truck in 2017, had long talked about finding a permanent Queens address, and this spot delivers Eritrean- and Ethiopian-rooted cooking to a borough that has had relatively few sit-down options. The restaurant opened earlier this year and is already drawing neighborhood attention for its spiced stews and shareable plates.
Menu highlights
Makina’s menu leans hard into slow-cooked comfort and bolder, raw preparations. A 12-hour berbere doro wat sits alongside kitfo seasoned with mitmita, while a traditionally offal-heavy dulet is reworked with mushrooms to make it more accessible without losing its punch. There is also cotoletta Asmara, a berbere-panko breaded skirt steak, plus fish tsebhi and berbere-grilled prawns that stretch the offerings beyond the usual greatest hits. As reported by Grub Street, many dishes land at the table family-style, so each plate can stand on its own or be mixed into a larger spread.
From truck to storefront
Gebre Egziabher, born in Eritrea and raised in Addis Ababa, first built a following with Makina’s canary-yellow truck before branching into a Governors Island outpost and, eventually, the Sunnyside restaurant. According to the restaurant’s website, the brick-and-mortar at 46-11 Skillman Ave is the result of a years-long process of wrangling permits, installing a full kitchen and scaling up a to-go operation. The permanent space also gave Makina room to roll out a cocktail program and bring in beers tied to Eritrean brewing traditions.
Room, vibe and reviews
Inside, a blush-pink dining room nods to Asmara’s Art Deco architecture, with seating for about 36 that keeps the space intentionally intimate, according to Grub Street. Reviews from outlets like The Infatuation have praised how the kitchen balances big, fragrant spices with preparations that feel approachable for diners less familiar with Habesha heat. Service is geared around dinner, and reservations help the small room play more like a neighborhood nightspot than a busy takeout counter.
What Makina Means For Queens
Queens is known for covering the globe in food, but full-service Eritrean-Ethiopian restaurants have been relatively rare, sending many locals borough-to-borough when cravings hit. Local reporting has followed Makina’s long path from truck to storefront and the excitement around finally having a permanent Habesha option in the neighborhood, with QNS documenting early plans and Eater slotting the venue and menu into roundups of recent borough openings. For Sunnyside diners, Makina effectively moves a once-commute-only cuisine into the regular neighborhood rotation.
Practical details
Makina’s website lists hours, contact details and the two locations the brand operates. The team runs a separate pickup and to-go kitchen in the neighborhood while the original truck focuses on seasonal events. Per Makina Cafe, the brick-and-mortar operates on select evenings and weekend afternoons, with reservations available through Resy. The restaurant’s address is 46-11 Skillman Ave, and the associated pickup kitchen sits at 45-14 48th Ave in Sunnyside.
For Sunnyside locals, Makina offers a closer way to dive into Habesha cooking, from injera and shiro to a fiery kitfo, without plotting a cross-borough trip. Outdoor tables are expected to be added in August, and the mix of familiar and lesser-seen dishes makes it a low-pressure entry point for anyone curious about Eritrean and Ethiopian flavors. Expect a neighborhood crowd and a menu built to be shared, one bowl of spiced stew at a time.
