This is the best food I have had since moving to Bellingham! Absolutely delicious spiced meats, lentils, and vegetables. I will be returning for more! read more

I had a half serving of Alicha Wat (lamb stew) with a side of Key Sir Alicha (typically beets and potatoes, but only beets here, which I actually prefer). My husband had a full serving of Yekik Wat (yellow split peas in turmeric and other spices), also with a side of the beets. The Injera was a disappointment. It lacked the strong, tangy flavor we're used to in Injera. I see now the menu offers both "regular or gluten free". Since traditional Injera is made with 100% Teff, which is naturally gluten free, we must have gotten the wrong variety. We should have read the menu more carefully, or perhaps should have been asked. We prefer to get a bigger variety in our meals, so we would've liked a "sampler" option with 4 or 5 different varieties. The way the menu is structured, the only viable alternative might've been an order of 5 side dishes, but then you might also need a separate order for Injera. Service was pleasant, helpful, and our food arrived quickly (within 5 minutes of ordering). We both enjoyed our meals, and would certainly eat here again, despite the lack of a "perfect" entrée selection. read more

Ambo Ethiopian Cuisine - Full serving of Yekik Wat, plus a side of beets (Key Sir Alicha). - Ethiopian Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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We really enjoyed this place. Just a little hole in the wall with a cozy atmosphere. The chef was sweet and friendly. We ordered a combo with the chicken and the red lentils and a side of cabbage and kale. It was an enjoyable experience. read more

Ambo Ethiopian Cuisine - Chicken, red lentils, cabbage and kale. - Ethiopian Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Best restaurant in town hands down. We love coming here! service is always great and the food is even better!

One of those places where I'll order enough food for 3 people but it's really all for me .

Arriving at Ambo Ethiopian Cuisine on North State Street in Bellingham on Wednesday 25 October 2023 a few minutes before it opened, I stood outside reading the menu posted on the window. A worker promptly unlocked the door when it was time to open. After settling on a half order of alicha wat (lamb stew) with a side of cabbage stew, I went inside and placed my order at the counter. A worker warm in demeanor took my order and helped me with my payment. I decided to dine in-restaurant, sitting at a small table near the entrance/exit so I could see out of the window as I dined. The food was served a few minutes later, steaming hot. The two stews were atop injera on a large serving plate. The worker brought me utensils and water as part of my meal/dining experience too. She was kind in our interactions. Interior decor was festive and contributed positively to the dining experience without being too much. The food was delicious. For the alicha wat, the lamb chunks were tender along with the rest of the stew components. The injera had its distinct flavor, which registers as a little sour per my palate, and was soft and springy. For the cabbage stew, the cabbage was flavorful and the hearts of the leaves were tender while retaining their vein rigidity/shape. As a cabbage lover I was very pleased. I enjoyed everything. read more

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Service here is great, very friendly person who took our order. For food: I do wish they'd have a combo platter! I think this is the first place we'd encountered that only offered full/half dishes without an option for an all veggie combo platter. Not quite as much food as other spots around South Seattle, but thankful to have a veggie option spot up here. Green lentils- Heavier in spices. Yellow lentils- Mild, comforting. Red lentils- More of a sour profile. Potatoes and Carrots- Classic stew not much other flavors Cabbage- this was recommended, and a nice addition. Injera- tasted a bit different than I'm used to, a bit less fermented and possibly less teff flour. read more

The food is consistently delicious. We've been eating Ambo for 8 years and just love it. The owner is the chef. Everyone we've introduced to her food are repeat customers now. For those gluten-free folks, she has gluten-free injera. Just writing this review is making me crave it! read more

Very small family owned business and space is small, so I think it is more of a delivery business the food was amazing! Really delicious! We were up moving our son out of the dorms for the year and he picked it. I am so pleased with his pick! I had a half order and it was plenty. Very satisfied with a half order, red lentils are just, delicious, my husband had yellow lentils and my son had a fill order of the lamb stew and had leftovers which is good for a college student! Counter service and small with little seating. If you have a place to take out I would recommend doing that! By the time we left it was packed! read more

Wow! First, it's tiny, so get there early if you want a table. The staff is friendly and helpful if you are a first timer. The Ethiopian food, is fantastic. So much favor and generous proportions. This place is a hidden gem, don't miss out! Also great for vegans, tons of options. read more

The food at this place is so delicious. Great and amazing Ethiopian food. Bellingham is so lucky to have such great food. Really good service and a cute little space to eat the amazing food. read more

I have been here twice and can't wait to go again. Every single thing I've had has tasted amazing- particularly the red lentil dish, the beets and kale (sides). I'm so glad I found this treasure! And very friendly service as well! read more

We got a chicken doro wat, green lentils, yellow lentils, red lentils, potatoes & carrot stew, cabbage stew, home made cottage cheese and the jalapeno spicy sauce. Everything was perfectly made and the hostess was very kind. The ambiance was very welcoming too. read more

I would eat here every other day. The good is so good, fresh, tasty, healthy, fast, and did I say good!?! Very friendly and welcoming. No frills, straight to the point home-made delicious food. A must have! read more

Ambo Ethiopian Cuisine - A mix of items - Ethiopian Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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Great food and friendly service! Love the vegetarian choices! And i like the family business.

Decent Ethiopian food with plenty of vegetarian options, but far from top-tier Ethiopian, at least as far as the comparables I'm using. I stopped in for dinner on a Wed evening. They have 2 veggie mains: a lentil and split pea dish, each coming with a choice of side. I asked if they had any combo options, and they said they could do half-and-half of the veggie mains. I got a full-order with kale and potatoes/carrots (1 side is included, subsequent sides cost more). Total was $17.95 after tax and before tip. The food came out in 5-6 minutes. The portion was humongous, coming with a ridiculous amount of peas and lentils, as well as plenty of each side. The mains were solid, though simple and one-dimensional, over-salted and lacking depth. Same deal with the sides. Pleasant enough but nothing special. Not especially going out of your way for but pleasant enough. read more

Ambo Ethiopian Cuisine - Lentils, split peas, kale and potatoes/carrots - Ethiopian Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

The flavor of the food is unlike anything I've ever had before, almost like a spaghetti sauce with more spices covering what looks like a crepe and some chicken on the bone. Service was great the staff was super helpful and kind, fast service, big portions and didn't break the bank. The ambiance is authentic to Ethiopia with the decor matching the theme or the restaurant. read more

Ambo Ethiopian Cuisine - The chicken stew dish with a side of carrots and potato stew. - Ethiopian Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

I'd been dying to try Ethiopian cuisine for as long as I can remember, and was heartbroken when I saw that Ambo had closed. Then, I was really excited when I saw that it had reopened in a more permanent location. My Ethiopian food journey could finally begin! I walked in on a Monday afternoon and the woman at the counter help me choose my meal. because I had never had Ethiopian food before, she offered to do a split dish of doro wat and alicha wat (chicken stew and lamb stew). Why side with the potato and carrot stew, which seemed fairly undventurous, but I didn't want to go too crazy. If you have trypophobia (fear of holes) injera bread will be tough for you. It's not something I usually suffer from, but all the little holes even kind of got to me a little bit. The only thing I can tell you is to power through, because the flavor is totally it's worth it. It's slightly reminiscent of sourdough, and you use your hands to rip it apart and shovel food on your mouth like a pita or naan. The sauces were "spice-ful"... Not capsacin spicy, but full of spices, and thankfully you are permitted to lick the sauce off your fingers without funny looks! Such a delicious little gem, and I hope they'll expand the menu in the future. For now, I'm happy to go back with whoever wants to go with me :) read more

Ambo Ethiopian Cuisine - Doro wat, alicha wat, potato and carrot stew, and injera bread. - Ethiopian Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Wow wow wow wow! Yum yum yum yum!! Extra extra tasty Ethiopian food. They have vegan and gluten free options. They have chicken and lamb. They have kale. The food is super extra tasty good. Staff are friendly. Prices are reasonable. They take Apple Pay. The best Ethiopian food I've had. Everyone should eat here. read more

Cure any negativity with this comforting food, excellent customer service, homey atmosphere and ambiance! Double points for being all plant based and being an explosion of flavor! read more

Ambo Ethiopian Cuisine - Yellow split pea stew, red lentils and melt in your mouth spinach side dish served on a chewy yet delicious blanket of injera bread! - Ethiopian Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Excellent cuisine, fun eating with your hands and a feast! Warm and friendly services. Highly recommend and will definitely dine here again! read more

Ambo Ethiopian Cuisine - (Top - clockwise) Beef Tibs, Potatoes and carrots stew, Lamb (Alicha) curry, cabbage stew, Yellow lentils-peas stew with turmeric - Ethiopian Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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Mulu's food is the BEST and she's so sweet as is her daughter who helps mom! I miss the Ethiopian food in LA and this was such a welcome addition to Bellingham. I live in Anacortes, so I'm hoping I see her dishes at the farmers market there in the future. I'm so appreciative of exquisite vegan cuisine. *I had written this review when she was in the public market but looks like she has a new yelp listing. I'm so happy she has her own space again. Every time I need to drive to bellingham I ALWAYS order to go. read more

Ambo Ethiopian Cuisine - Vegan platter. Injera, kale, brown and yellow lentils, potato/ carrots and cabbage. Sooo delicious. - Ethiopian Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Grateful to have an Ethiopian place in town. We tried 3 full size orders and one side. Flavors are tame compared to the Ethiopian food in South Seattle where there is a large Ethiopian population. But we attribute that to them trying to cater to a homogeneous town and we run into this at most places in Bellingham where if they were catering to their actual ethnic group spices would be more robust. Its still good and we'll go back. Wish they had an option to "prepare it like we're from there" (we asked). It also would be nice if the injera was served warm and one per order for eating with as the South Seattle restaurants serve. If you're eating the traditional way using injera and your hands instead of flatware, we should have received 3 injera for scooping food for our party of 3 and order of 3 large meals, but we only received 2 because one was on the bottom of the food? Compared to the places we used to go to that always gave you one to eat with in addition to the one on the bottom per order. Again though, its probably just because they are not catering to an Ethiopian population like we're used to in South Seattle and we were the only people in a full restaurant not using forks. But nevertheless we just love any access to non-American food in Bellingham and did enjoy our meal. friendly staff and cute little space that did remind of us the places we're used to. If there was an option for "make it like I'm from there" it would be 5 stars for us. read more

The food is consistently delicious since they were located in the public market. I'm a vegetarian and can choose between 2 main dishes and several sides. I moved out of Bellingham, but always make it a point to stop here for take-out if I am downtown and they are open. I hope this place sticks around forever. read more

I was in town for a 5 day class. Ate here 2 days. Wish I ate here more. The food was delicious and so nurturing. The owner was such a sweetheart too. One can taste her love in her cooking. I can not recommend enough!!! read more

This small Cafe is truly a gem! The menu is very small; however, it serves carnivores, vegans. Vegetarians, those who are gluten-free, and those who are hungry! The proprietress is very friendly and willing to fully explain the food. Service is exemplary, and prices are very reasonable. The food is fantastic with a beer, which is also very reasonable. read more

BEST FOOD IN BELLINGHAM!!! The women who owns the store is so sweet and the food is some of the best you can get for a great price (not to mention the portions sizes are great for sharing) staff is always great and the place itself is adorable(wonderful ambiance), the chef always remembers my order. Love this place, if your in Bellingham make sure to give it a try! read more

Great little restaurant. The food was simple but delicious, and reasonable priced. I like ordering a full plate and sharing with one or two others. I would definitely come here again. read more

We were in Bellingham for the night. Ambo Ethiopian food was delicious. Enjoyed every dish.

Small, humble Ethiopian restaurant. Appears to be family owned and employees are always very kind. The selection is relatively small but very delicious. This is my favorite spot to introduce new cuisine to friends. I come here whenever I'm in Bellingham and order a little bit of everything. Thanks friends! read more

I love the food. The ambience Is reminiscent Of a corner convenience store in the South American village. (Cement floor. Overly loud almost empty refrigerator.) If you aren't looking to impress the date, give it a try. I will be back. read more

Small place with a limited menu. Excellent flavor. Good options for vegetarians. We ended up ordering nearly every curry separately as a bowl, after initially ordering the combos. Yummy! read more

Best meal I have had all year. The service was also excellent, especially considering that our group had lots of different tastes.

I seriously LOVE Ethiopian food and was so sad that there weren't any in Bellingham when I moved here from South Seattle (where there are as many as there are coffee shops). I am super excited that Ambo has opened and I had my first meal there tonight and it was delicious! The only reason I gave 4 and not 5 stars is that they don't have kitfo yet... I'm hoping that if they stay busy enough they will be able to expand their menu! Please go eat there and help this restaurant stay alive in Bellingham!! read more

Seriously amazing Ethiopian food! Super flavorful, very generous portions, satisfying yet healthy cuisine. One of our favorite restaurants in Bellingham. For dine in, it does get kind of awkward if there's only one other table and they are loud haha. Some chill music may help that? read more

it's okay. i think it's the only option in bellingham so if you've never tried ethiopian it's worth a shot. the staff are nice, nothing stood out too much. food is all kind of the same flavor though. price is meh for the amount but i suppose it's fine. read more

We wanted to lick the plate, but we have some shame left. Delicious, family-operated small restaurant. Keeping it to the basics and fantastic. We will be back and with family and friends. Thank you! read more

Good food and perfect half portion size for one person! The waitress was super friendly and service was quick.

Looking for something new.... This is the place for you! Flavorful food with fun bread to use as spoons. Pick your combination and enjoy. We tried two of the four options and we will be back to try the other two. read more

Delicious food. One of my new favorite places to eat. The menu is small so it is easy to choose and you really can't go wrong. The chicken falls apart and melts in your mouth and the hot sauce is probably my favorite part! read more