I have been coming here for over 10 years! I partially grew up in this restaurant it feels like. This is a family run restaurant that is a hidden gem in seattle, I've taken people here countless times, and EVERY SINGLE PERSON has become hooked, made it a regular spot for themselves, or asks me to take them back. I have friends from out of state who message me telling me they crave this place! I get the ful, qatenqa, and a mango juice. Usually I'll take it to go, but I've never regretted eating inside! As I said, this is a small business family-owned restaurant with REAL food. If you want food at artificial speeds, or artificial service, grow up, or go get fast food somewhere! Personally, I think the love and time they pour into this food is what makes it The Best! read more

Cafe Selam - Ful and mango juice - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Overall a good place to get Ethiopian food. I think the portion size was generous and you get lots of tasty ingera. I almost walked right by the restaurant because the sign was covered so keep an eye out! They're pretty quick with the order. It's a very "no frills" location if you're looking for a spot to eat. read more

If you haven't had Ethiopian food, this is the place to try it. I randomly had it at a work event, and absolutely had to introduce it to my partner. This place is not glamorous by any means, but they make up for it in the quality and flavors of the food. I will absolutely be back, even if it means driving 30 minutes. Dining in is an experience because the plate is HUGE and really beautifully laid out. Hopefully you're okay eating with your hands, because there aren't any utensils given. You eat with pieces of the injera on your plate. Injera is naturally gluten free, and incredibly healthy - with only 2 ingredients. Water, and fermented teff. It's so delicious, I could eat it every day. The staff was great. The food to die for. The ambiance lacks, but if that's what you're looking for, grab takeout instead and head to a park. You will not regret trying this place. read more

Cafe Selam - Chicken Doro Wat - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Extremely delicious. Hands down the best fül in the states. Try and name a better place, I'll wait.

I've been here twice, once for dinner with a friend and another for brunch. Both times did not disappoint! Dive-y atmosphere, but excellent Ethiopian food. For dinner, I've had both veg and meat combos - aligns with my expectations of prior delicious experiences with Ethiopian cuisine. But I think it was the brunch that really knocked it out of the park for me. The ful medames (fava beans swimming in a brilliant red hue of oil and other toppings), paired with the complimentary basket of steaming, ethereally fluffy bread with a crispy/crusty exterior, is fantastic. I'm not a brunch person and try to avoid tired, overwrought options in your typical brunch place. And I'm not saying they have comprehensive brunch options, although I need to try the Ethiopian coffee experience they supposedly have here too. But what a relaxing way to start off a weekend morning, outside and sharing a plate of the ful medames. It's savory, seems healthy-ish, and packed with flavor and goodness. Definitely get this if you're visiting for breakfast. read more

I have been to several Ethiopian restaurants around Seattle, and this restaurant had the best injera! The food was incredibly flavorful and rich. read more

Cafe Selam - Vegetarian combo - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

If you aren't a horrible person with no taste you will love it here. I have been craving Ethiopian food all month and this place really hit the spot. Three of us ate everything in the first image +half of the second plate. I would highly recommend ordering more than you can eat because you won't have food this good at home and future you will thank you. Service: As soon as we walked through the door we were greeted by a cheerful hostess. It was nice and warm in the room and smelled good because the had an incense burning. Our waiter recommended the meat combo and the veggie combo and it was easily a 10/10. Food: How can you even explain how good it is. I love the variety of the different stews and how they blend together. The injera has a really nice sour tang that pulls everything together. I highly recommend getting both combos, because the meat tastes a lot better when you have it paired with the spinach dish. My only warning is some of the dishes can be a little spicy, but it's not too much. If you have concerns I would ask the workers about less spicy dishes. read more

Cafe Selam - Veggie and meat combo - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

Very unfortunate when your good food is accompanied with subpar customer service. Lady taking the orders got my order wrong, and had the nerve to get upset with me about it. Saying they don't have the item I ordered, but didn't say anything when she took it down on the phone. This is also one of these places that tell you the food will be ready in X minutes, but have you waiting an additional 20+ minutes. Sketchy bill practices, no itemized bill, we as the customer are just expected to tally up the bill+tax ourselves every time I suppose or just trust what they ring up for you. Since they can't get their orders right, makes me think they won't get the bill right either. read more

First time having Ethiopian food and I'm so happy I had it here! I came with 2 other friends on a Sunday afternoon and we were famished. We ordered the meat and vegetarian combo, but we're given a double vegetarian combo. Since we were so hungry, we scarfed down the vegetarian combo and by the time we finished the meat combo wasn't at our table yet. I asked the waitress and she thought we wanted 2 orders of the vegetarian combo. She asked if we still wanted the meat combo and we said yes and it came out a couple minutes later. Besides the mixup, the food was fantastic! My favorite was definitely the vegetarian combo, simply because of the variety of flavors. Will definitely be coming back to try everything else on the menu! read more

Cafe Selam - Meat combination - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

It might not look like much when you first arrive, but don't let looks fool you. We seated ourselves and were eventually greeted by the server who was patient in answering our questions. The best thing about Ethiopian food is that it's made to share with others. For a party of 3, we ordered a Meat Combo and a Veggie Combo with an extra side of Injera bread for the table. The food was soooooo good. I highly recommend getting the combos as it's a good way to try many of their dishes in one sitting. Fun fact that I learnt from the server - instead of dessert, Ethiopians tend to drink coffee. read more

Cafe Selam - Meat Combination - Lamb, Beef, Chicken, Potato, Salad, Serrano Chile Paste and Iyb (Ethiopian cheese) - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I truly wanted to give this place 4-5 stars but the actual establishment is a complete dump for lack of better word. Maybe I'm also just too boujie, which could also be the case. Food gets 5 stars... it's absolutely delicious The actual ambiance and decor of restaurant gets 2 at best. I was already apprehensive to trying Ethiopian food as I'm not big on touching my food... I know weird right. Plus the food just looks like mush & we eat with our eyes and no photos I've seen of Ethiopian food looked good/ appetizing. So that added with the cheap tables & plastic chairs outside, dead plants on the patio with weeds everywhere, plus a very old, very unkept inside, I was not excited about this meal. Thankfully the delicious food made up for a decor/ vibe that made me very uncomfortable. I inhaled the food. The vegetarian combo is enough for 2 small humans. Long story short, don't go on a date here. You will win zero points with your date. Order this meal to go or delivery. read more

Cafe Selam - Vegetarian Combo - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I strongly suggest you try the breakfast item: foul & fir fir It was surprisingly delicious and full of flavor (vegan) served with French bread. read more

Cafe Selam - Foul - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

Came here for a team lunch. And shared a bunch of meat and veggie combos. I've never had Ethiopian food specifically and went in without any expectations. Super blown away by the bread/naan looking thing (excuse me for being uncultured). It had a slight sourdough-y smell and was light, airy and a bit spongy. You use this to scoop up the food from combos with your fingers. And the food is finger-licking good. It was surprising how all the different meat options and lentil options had super different flavors. I couldn't really put my finger on what made it so good, and perhaps that's the addicting part, you keep scooping more into you gullet so that you can figure out how it tastes so good. Some of them have a little kick to it but nothing a side order of yogurt cannot fix. On each of the combo plates, there is a small dollap of yellow goop that they give you. This stuff is pure flavor gold. Garlicky, spicy and just super super savory. The nice thing about the bread thingy is that it's so light, you don't have to worry about filling up on it (through scooping) before you have finished your food! Can't recommend this place enough if you are in the neighborhood for something different. But slight PSA. If you sit outside on the right side (when facing the restaurant) beware of crows sitting on the electric line right above. Damn crow (actually two) pooped while he was up there and almost spoiled our food! The trick is to yell "what the hell!" Loudly and they will leave. #yourewelcome Protip: I would say 2 people can get one meat and one veggie combo to share to get a sampling of all they can offer. read more

See all

Food is good. Depending on the day of the week the food can be prepared different everytime (lunch/dinner food) Breakfast is consistently good! I get the foul, special tibs (awaze), veggie plate is also hit or miss. Service is always great so I keep returning. My last visit there were an alarming amount of Ants on the table I didn't notice until my date had killed 2-3 within 15 mins A bigger location would do them well! read more

Ordered to-go on a Friday afternoon. We got the beef tibs spicy and veggie combo. I forgot to get a photo but there was so much food and everything was delicious! When I arrived to the restaurant to pickup I was about 5 mins early. The employees were so kind. They offered me tea and water while I waited. I felt very lucky cause parking can be tricky in the area. They gave us so much injera! I'm excited to eat left overs. The tibs was spicy and flavorful as well as the cabbage and potatoes coming as a second favorite. Will definitely have to order here again soon! If you're looking for really great injera you have to check this spot out. read more

Oh lord is this place good! The usual: beef tibs and a full plate of the spinach! Good portions with good prices but they can be slow so we always call ahead with ample time to pickup the order. read more

I loved the food. I came here on a Sunday night with friends who get take out from here all the time. The restaurant was empty and the owners were chatty and friendly. After we ate they even gave us a sample of more food. Very fun experience! read more

This place just looks like a house from the outside, and I almost walked right by it! The restaurant itself looks like a converted front of a house, and has seating for maybe 20 inside and 10 outside. We got a table for 4 inside and were greeted immediately. We ordered two meat combination platters, a special beef tibs, a veggie combo platter, and some urgo. The food was all delicious and came with lots of injera. I was a big fan of the special beef tibs. The rest of the meat and veggie combo platters were all very tasty. We finished all our food pretty quickly as we were very hungry. The portions were definitely not as big as other Ethiopian restaurants I've been to. The food was good, but I'll likely be trying a few other Ethiopian places in the area before I return here. read more

Cafe Selam - Special beef tibs - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

We were here for dinner on Saturday. We went for dinner at 5:30 so that we can enjoy the food at the restaurant before it is filled with more people. We got the chicken dish at it was really good. Ratings: Chicken dish - 5/5 Price - 5/5 I deducted 1 star because the server was not covering her nose. Everyone should know how to wear a mask for each others safety. read more

Cafe Selam offers some of the best Ethiopian food in Seattle. I had never been here for breakfast before, but I absolutely loved the phul for breakfast. A perfect blend of spices with a hefty portion of bread. I've had the veggie combo before, which is also commendable, but the phul is unique and better than most other places. An added bonus: it's also a tad less crowded at breakfast! read more

Cafe Selam - Veggie combo - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

I was heading to Ethiopian restaurant but when I was driving by, me and my sister decided to try this place so we turned our car. They don't have parking lot around so you have to find street parking near neighborhood area. While we deciding what to eat, they brought us water to drink but I had to spit it out right away. The water taste like strong dish soap and I couldn't take it. So we ordered Ethiopian beer to try out and I didn't like it so much. It was not carbonated as I expected. I ordered meat combination and veggie combination. It came out on one Injera with extra 3 injera on the side. Food here was amazingly good. I really enjoyed it. All different small sides on Injera taste different and I loved the sourness of Injera. read more

I've always been intrigued by Ethiopian cuisine for its bold flavors, colorful dishes and the unique dining experience of eating without utensils! A large majority of Seattle's Ethiopian restaurants are rated at least four stars on Yelp and I'm glad to say that this restaurant is well-deserving of the praise. Café Selam is a humble independent restaurant in a primarily residential area. Both the exterior and interior appear dated, but I admired the homey vibe of what I assume is a family-run establishment. There are a few parking spots in front of the building which were occupied when we arrived for a late lunch around 2:00P, so we resorted to side-street parking about one block away. After being seated, we started off with a cup of their comforting spiced black tea ($2), perfect for a chilly day. Looking to sample as much as possible, my friend and I ordered one Meat Combination ($18) and one Vegetable Combination ($16) to share. I completely underestimated the serving sizes as each Combination could reasonably feed two people on its own. Luckily, our waitress didn't judge and within 10 minutes brought us our plates. They both resembled a lovely artist's palette of delicious goodness. The Vegetable Combination plate included a scoop each of their six vegetarian dishes. I really enjoyed their red beans and two types of lentils which were well-seasoned with a complex spice blend. I could taste notes of cardamom, nutmeg and pepper. Along with this was their cabbage, potatoes and carrots seasoned with ginger and turmeric, plus a serving of cooked spinach. I found these to be okay, but I can't say that cabbage and spinach are my first choice of veggies to begin with. On the side, there was a small amount of green chile paste consisting of jalapeno and cilantro. Caution! The tiniest dab packs more than just a kick or punch; this is seriously one of the spiciest things I've eaten. (But that didn't stop me.) While the Vegetable Combination was tasty, my pick is the Meat Combination, which included two meats, a small serving of Ethiopian cheese, and a couple of vegetable sides. The menu does not specify the specific meat dishes on the plate, but I believe it was the Special Beef Tibs and Qey Wot ("slow-simmered tender lamb in a spicy savory Berbere sauce"). I could eat the Beef Tibs all day long; the meat was cooked to perfection, deliciously balanced with flavors of peppers, onions and garlic. I also enjoyed the lamb, which had a touch of tang and just the right amount of heat. Two extra pieces of light airy injera were included in our order. I was surprised by it's sourdough-like flavor, but loved how it absorbed the stews and sauces like a sponge. Each of us ate one injera and still had a whole one left on our plate along with the remainder of our combination plates to take as leftovers. At that point we realized we ordered enough food to feed a small family. No complaints about service! The staff was friendly, plus our tea and entrees were served relatively quickly with a smile. Although this was my first experience with Ethiopian food, it truly tasted like it was prepared with care and possibly stemmed from traditional family recipes. Plus, a few customers appeared to be regulars which is always a promising sign. I'm already looking forward to my next taste of those Beef Tibs! read more

See all

great costumer service and excellent music! The food is absolutely amazing, my mother and I take trips up to seattle which is about an hour and a half drive from where we live, just to get some of this food. We've been coming here for about 8 years and this place still never disappoints! read more

Cafe Selam - Beef ribs & kitfo - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The doro wat was excellent, just the right amount of spice and it was fresh. Only thing is I would have like 2 eggs instead of one. I also love the fact that they serve veggies with their meat dishes. Customer service was great! Definitely a gem and wish I would have known about this place sooner read more

What a pleasant first experience trying Ethiopian food. The plates are honestly the best way to share food between friends and get you full more quickly than you would think. I love the different aspects of flavor and texture on the plate. The spicy relish compliments the salty meats which is cut by the cheese and pickled vegetables and accompanied by the salad which adds a bit a freshness. They've really covered all their bases here and the flavors just work together sooo well. Our server was so sweet and food came out fast, I can't complain. We would recommend! read more

Cafe Selam - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

If you are into Ethiopian food, you have to try this place at least once - for breakfast. Actually, for lunch, supper and dinner for that matter. The price is cheaper than others but as far as taste, I don't think anyone can compete their authentic Ethiopian breakfast. The service is impeccable but you will need to have patience, it's always packed for breakfast. I usually order to go rather than eat there because I don't like to waiting. The server, I think his name is "Mike" was awesome. He was attentive, alert, and went above and beyond even with a packed house and chaotic orders. The place is clean and my only suggestion is that they make this place bigger if they can, open up another location and market it well, but hey if it ain't broke then don't fix it I guess. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed! The read more

See all

Kind staff, cozy space, and delicious food. The meat was tender and everything tasted so fresh and flavorful.

Fantastic shared items. Great for groups! This is a place to come and take your time. Friendly and approachable service.

Incredibly small portions, smaller than the platters pictured in these reviews. I'm not sure if it's because they were busy so maybe running low on food. We ordered a meat platter and a veg platter. The waitress (who was very nice) brought out one platter with teeny tiny mounds of food. There were two different kinds of meat in the middle, surrounded by maybe 1/4 cup scoops of the sides. We were waiting for the 2nd platter to come out but when we asked she said that was everything. Less food than what you would get at other spots for one order. Really really disappointing and I was starving. read more

My friend has been telling me about how Seattle has some of the best Ethiopian restaurants in the states so when she finally visited me, naturally we had to eat at one. The restaurant is very small but since we went on a Sunday, we didn't have to wait to be seated a table. Our server was nice and we didn't have to wait too long either to get our food. The vegetarian platter was great and we had plenty of injera leftover (my biggest pet peeve is when a restaurant gives you very little and you have to pay for additional injera). Loved that they also didn't charge extra for the mitmita. My only feedback is that I wish the portions were a bit larger. I felt like we ran out of the lentils and other sides fairly quickly, which resulted in more injera left behind than I would've liked. read more

Cafe Selam - Vegetarian platter - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Let me start off by stating that this is more of a 4.5 star review, which makes me sad because I wish my review could truly reflect that! Nevertheless, I'm a big fan. Cafe Selam came recommended by a few friends who guaranteed me that this place would meet the Golden Rules of a great foodie adventure: - Delicious tasting food (with actual flavor!!!) - Big portions large enough to share family style with friends - A desire to come back over and over even though it might seem unhealthy but totally worth it ;-) The portions are definitely generous, a group of four of us shared the meat combination and it was more than enough food for all of us. This was my first time trying many of the items that came in the dish, and I was thoroughly impressed with the mix of flavors in everything! Some of the items were a bit spicy, so a word of caution to those who don't like to suffer too much with spicy foods! The only reason for the .5 deduction is the slow service -- our server was very sweet and friendly, but service was a bit lackluster in terms of checking in on us for more water, the actual time the food took to come out, and the whole cashing out process was a bit confusing as we had to figure out where to pay by ourselves. Regardless, I enjoyed my foodie experience at Cafe Selam and will definitely be back to try more of their delicious options! read more

Cafe Selam - Meat combination dish - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Absolutely amazing food and really great service! Been eating Ethiopian food my entire life and I have to say this is one of the best Ethiopian food I ever had! If you're looking to eat authentic Ethiopian food in Seattle this is it! read more

They have the best Ful that you will find anywhere. This is the one restaurant that whenever we have returning guests,... they will ask about going here. read more

WORST SERVICE EVER!! We walked in and no one else was there yet but weren't acknowledged AT as they walked around us. I asked if they were open and if we could sit down. When they finally noticed that I was waving to order the wOman came and didn't even listen to our order!! we both ordered lamb, they brought us beef with substitutes that we were not asked. When I asked the woman "Isn't spinach supposed to come with this?" she replied "I don't know!". Had to ask and it get up a find someone for everything we needed! I will never bring anyone else here. It was a TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE read more

Came in for a late lunch and was greeted with great service. We ordered a Meat and Vegetable Combination. Everything came out promptly and the food was superb. Injera was soft and and slightly chewy, there was a lot of variety with different spice levels which catered to everyone's palate. My friend and I had plenty leftover to take home and was still delicious the following day. read more

Cafe Selam - Meat & Vegetable Combo - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Do not let first impressions affect your impressions of this tine restaurant. My Fiancee's family has always enjoyed Ethiopian food and they were excited to show me this amazing cuisine. Since then we have been back multiple times and is a must-stop on our way through Seattle. The restaurant itself may appear worn down, but it fits the general laid-back atmosphere. the staff are always friendly and laughing and may even be playing Ethiopian music if you go late enough in the night. The food is very family-friendly and is typically ordered to be shared. Injera is the Ethiopian bread which acts as both a utensil as well as a vessel in which to carry the beautifully cooked meats and vegetables. I personally enjoy the spice of the food but be wary on some of the sides that are served on the bread. read more

Cafe Selam - Lamb Tibs and injera - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Food incredible! never had Ethiopian food before, very nice staff showed me how to eat very nice and polite, clean, great food I had "meat combination" read more

This was my first time eating Ethiopian food and I really enjoyed it! The place was a little hard to find at first because it's a very small restaurant behind a white fence. The inside is nothing fancy, quite hole in the wall but the quality of the food is great! I got the meat combination to share with a friend and the portion size was perfect for the two of us. The price was affordable and the service was great. read more

Cafe Selam - Meat combination - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This is a hidden gem indeed! First of all we ended up at the dummy it's center next door and had to go around a few times to find this place. But once located, we had an amazing experience. There is street parking, so drive a few blocks around and you'll be able to find a spot. We ordered the injera appetizer with butter and berber, highly recommend it if you are looking for vegetarian apps. The vegetarian combo was amazing and the quantity was enough for 2 of us to share. The combo plate portions are definitely large, so do consider sharing if you are comfortable. We asked for a spice powder on the side, and the server got us a spicy salty spice mix, which elevated the flavors to another level. Do recommend that if you like spicy food. All in all, it was an absolutely pleasant and joyful experience. I'd definitely go back here with a group to enjoy the food! read more

This place was so amazing. Great service! My boyfriend and I did the Meat & Veggie Combination plates together. Absolutely amazing. Highly recommend! You won't be disappointed! (: read more

Cafe Selam - Meat & Veggie Combos - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington