I really craved Ethiopian food while I was living abroad so I was eager to get my hands on some when visiting my family. I had the veggie combo and really enjoyed the different dishes. I especially liked the two lentil dishes, the cabbage, and the spinach. The salad seemed unnecessary at first but ended up being a nice, refreshing compliment to the hot dishes. read more

Solid 4 stars! Good hole in the wall restaurant. Service was friendly. Food was good but not great - have tried many Ethiopian across many cities. The vegetarian combo was excellent - We would go back just for that. Loved the lentil dishes. The spicy green sauce was excellent as well. The meat combo was beef and lamb, wish chicken was offered. It was too meat heavy! Neither stood out to us. read more

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

First time (finally) trying Ethiopian food and we're already hooked. To get a full & fair sampling, we had to try as much as we could at once - so, my partner went with the meat combo, while I stuck with vegetarian (vegan, technically!). I'd have to say, I won ;) while the meat dishes were pretty tasty, the veggie options were DELICIOUS. My favorites had to be the shiro wat and the spinach. Injera was also abundant, which I appreciated - absolutely no worries about running out of bread here - and it soaks up all the flavors so nicely (in addition to having such a mouthwatering fermented taste). My only complaint is that service was a bit slow, but everyone was so welcoming and the food was so good, that it's not a huge deal. Highly recommend! read more

My favorite place i go here once a week to get the veggie combo, the people are very nice and the services is always fast

A lil mom and pop shop with great customer service. We came around 7:30pm and there were one group sitting inside. It was my first time having Ethiopian food and my friend recommmended this place. They were out of the beef and chicken that day due to a big party earlier that day so we got the meat combo, beef tibs, and the spinach. I have no baseline for Ethiopian food but I think everything tasted great. I was not prepared for how spicy the chilli paste was. The beef tibs was one of my faves along with the cabbage in the combo. The bread was sour, soft, and warm. Very nice service and food came quick, will recommend. read more

The restaurant itself isn't much to look at, but the food is good! I ordered the veggie combo plate and beef tibs. Would recommend!

I came here with a group of 11 and everyone was served more food than they could eat. The restaurant brought out special gluten free dishes for those who requested it. The proprietor was extremely helpful and attentive and we all had a wonderful meal. read more

I love that this place has a gluten free injera option. The food is delicious and the gluten free unheralded makes it easy for me to share with all my friends instead of having to have a separate dish to the side. read more

Everyone else in the place looked Ethiopian, which probably says a lot about the food. Service was very friendly. For us, the food seemed under spiced in general. Ethiopian happens to be one of our favorite ethnic cuisines and we've eaten a lot of it over the years. This was very mild for Ethiopian. We did ask for the beef dish (ordered for our kids) to be made mild and maybe this translated over into everything else. In any case we were a bit disappointed by the flavors. In terms of price, the combos are worth the money but the single entrees don't seem to be. The beef tibs was more expensive than the vegetarian combo for what seemed far less food. We should have ordered one veggie combo for us and one meat combo for the kids. The coffee and tea were good. Decent Ethiopian food but not the best in my experience. read more

Cafe Selam - The mural inside - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Discover the amazing flavors of Ethiopia! This is a MUST-go-to place when visiting Seattle. This cozy restaurant always makes me feel welcome! The food is always fantastic and no matter what I order I am always delighted with my meal! Servers are also great and always efficient, happy, and polite. With hospitable hosts, delicious dishes, and beautiful presentation, I highly recommend it to everyone! I plan to come back here again and again. read more

First time Ethiopian food experience here! So...Cafe Selam took my Ethiopian food virginity. Holy shit, it's incredibly good, better than expected. I was doing research on the internet before hand to make sure I somewhat knew what I was getting myself into and was so excited to finally try a new culture. We had to go the the CD to try it ourselves. I recommend getting either of the combos so you get a variety of taste. You can choose the meat combo that comes with veggie sides or veggie combo that has a lot of the vegetarian dishes on it and honestly it's so flavorful, you won't feel like you're missing out on meat. All the sides comes on a giant piece of Injera(sourdough sponge bread), there's also a few pieces of Injera on the side that you use to scoop the food with. Yes, you will eat with your hands. Yes, it's so good, you'll be licking your fingers asking for more. Everything was so perfectly seasoned, the sourdough bread adds a nice touch to flavors. It's like an explosion happening in your mouth. Like somebody lit up some fireworks and it's exploding in all direction, I love spicy food and this is just the right amount where it's a little kick, but not too much that all you can taste are peppers. There's no parking, but a lot of close by street parking. It almost looks like a little house so pay attention to not pass by it. Tell me about your experience if you've been here or is going to after reading this review:) read more

Some of the best Ethiopian food in town. If I could give them 10 stars I would. Veggie combo , shiro is on point and the firfir is absolutely amazing. I recommend this place to everyone, bring your friends and family to try it out. they are also very kind. read more

We had meat combo. It had beef, lamb and vegetable. It was very tasty. Comparing to another Ethiopian Restuarant we went last time, they gave less meats. The taste was similar but a little bit spicief. read more

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

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I had a solo dinner this evening at Cafe Selam. I ordered the Kitfa and apparently got the last one they had for the day. I overheard two other people ordering the kitfa after me and being told they were all out. It was delicious and I really enjoyed how it was seasoned. I look forward to returning again soon, ideally with company as the portions are large but I will definitely enjoy my leftovers tomorrow! read more

Cafe Selam - Kitfa served on Injera - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Tasty Ethiopian food! Got the meat combo, serves 2-3 people. Many textures all great together. Small but cozy place in Central District. Parking: free street parking along the curb and across the street. Customer service: the people who brought me food were very nice and frequently checked up to see if I was doing okay. read more

Cafe Selam - Meat combo. Serves 2-3 people based on hunger. - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Got takeout from Cafe Selam for the first time and it's my new favorite Ethiopian spot! The food is absolutely amazing. Key wot (lamb stew) is one of my favorite dishes and it was hands down the best I've ever tried. It had great depth of flavor, and the lamb was perfectly tender. The beef tibs were also really nice. I sometimes find beef tibs to be a little tough or chewy, but this had both good flavor and texture. I got the meat combination and a side of yellow lentils, and it was enough for my husband and I to stuff ourselves and still have leftovers. I literally dreamt about the food that night and woke up wanting it for breakfast! I'm looking forward to trying the rest of their veggie dishes, and also the foul for breakfast/brunch. The meal was packaged nicely and the combo came with one injera on the bottom plus one extra, which was the perfect amount for us. I went during Covid phase 2, and everyone was wearing masks and there was also a plexiglass wall along the area where you place your order. They do have a few tables out front, although I didn't ask if they are serving people there. Its about an hour round trip drive for me to get takeout here. SO WORTH IT, its that good. I plan to be a frequent customer! read more

Stopped here for lunch and it was really crowded. It's a tiny mom and pop shop so expectations were high. Unfortunately the food was very disappointing. Very small limited portions of the veggies in the veggie combo; not even enough for the injera. Also, there's literally no service. We asked for some water and napkins even before the food came but they never brought any out. Mediocre food, small portions for the price, poor service; a perfect combination for a terrible meal. No thanks. I'll pass. read more

Wow. We were craving good Ethiopian food and this place was right on the money! We ordered the large vegetarian plate and shared. So delicious! They also have gluten free injera made from teff and it was fabulous! I'd highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Cafe Selam - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

this is my favorite spot. been coming here since i was 12. the veggie combo is my favorite and it comes with so much variety. by far the best ethiopian restaurant. service is hit or miss,,, more often a miss. but the food makes it worth it. this restaurant isn't all that glamorous but it's got amazing food so it really doesn't matter . i like to eat outside in the summer, really nice. read more

I got takeout from Cafe Selma while in Seattle for an appointment. This place was recommended by a good friend of mine that grew up in Ethiopia. He said the food was legit and he wasn't wrong. I was a little worried that the food wouldn't travel well as I still had to drive home, but to my surprise the food was still hot and tasty once I got home to Bellevue. Once Covid is over, I hope to eat within the establishment and really explore other parts of their menu. The staff at the restaurant were all very nice and patiently answered by many questions regarding the food. Their recommendations were spot on and I can't wait to try more items. read more

This modest looking place welcomes you with a fine food aroma that will kick in your appetite right away. The owners are humble and friendly. Not a fancy place, just another corner street restaurant but the soft lights are very pleasant and soothing. Don't miss the tea. It's aromatic, flavorful and yet mild. I enjoyed sipping it while waiting for the food. We ordered meat combo and the tilapia. The portions were huge enough for 3 of us. The lentil was mild and well cooked, spices infused smoothly all over. The meats, both lamb and beef were succulent, tender and I could tell that they slow cooked it and not rushed it to the finish line. Spices were well balanced. Now, if you like it spicy they give a spoon full of jalapeños crushed in form of chutney and it gives that amazing kick each time you put in your mouth. They also had some cheese which I feel was very close to paneer. And then the fish was super smooth and tasted fresh. I found it a bit oily but I think the oil would have come out of the fish and onion that it was cooked in. I totally loved it. Going there again - sooooon !!! read more

I have been to several Ethiopian restaurants, and this is probably the best one I've ever been to. We shared the meat and veggie combos and it was enough to share between three people, and have us all stuffed! Each item was so flavorful and a perfect consistency. Pretty spicy, but the food is organized by spice on the injera, so you can avoid the spice if you're not a spice person. The injera was amazing too. Plus the staff are so kind and genuine. I keep asking my friends when we can go back! read more

Cafe Selam - "When bae looks at you like how she looks at her Ethiopian food" This is the meat and veggie combo. So delicious!! - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Average food , comparable with other restaurants in the area, but extremely slow service. Took over an hour to get our food since the place is understaffed. read more

My favorite Ethiopian restaurant is back home in San Jose, but I was craving it while in Seattle so gave this place a try. Ketfo $14.50: It was good enough to satisfy my craving, but was missing the slight kick in spice I get at home. Maybe it's possible to get it spicier upon request. I do prefer ketfo cooked rather than the traditional way of raw, so the seasoning may be different because of that. I was ready to order a side of cheese but this actually comes with it already. Shiro wat $9: This was good and it would contrast well with a spicier ketfo. Urgo $3.50: I've never ordered yogurt at an Ethiopian place before and was curious. I thought it'd have more spices mixed in but it was pretty plain. I wasn't sure if it was just for eating with the spoon or to dip injera, so I did both. I'd pass on this next time as it didn't really add much to the meal. I liked that they gave us enough injera to start that we didn't have to ask for more. It was a Tuesday night and only one man taking care of the front, but he did a great job attending to all the tables. Prices were reasonable as well, so it's definitely worth checking out! read more

Cafe Selam - Shiro wat $9 - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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This is exactly the sort of place that separates food-lovers from restaurant-goers. If a place is big and bright and fancy and well-known, lots of folks truck in to check it out, and might find some great food there. Having an expensive dining room is not the opposite of having a talented kitchen staff. On the other hand there are places like Selam--the building is modest, and the neighboring businesses are modest as well. You pass a little picket fence with a few patio tables and chairs. It's an old house, and the former living room is now the restaurant's dining room. All of the tables and chairs are affordable things; the chairs are just like what we had in the basement when I was in college, actually. This really isn't the sort of place where people come to see and be seen--there's no water view, none of the latest cocktails, none of that. What they do have is amazing food, albeit on a brief menu. There's a reason why Selam has been at the top of Ethiopian search results on Yelp for so long. The flavors here are incredible. Presentation is about the same as all the other great Ethiopian places in town--big old disc of injera on a lightweight metal platter. Dollops of meat and veg dishes from side to side to side. This much never varies. All the other great spots in town serve up a variety of dishes with intensely deep and complex flavors--the spice bill in Ethiopian dishes makes it hard to serve bland food. Your average American eats very few of these spices on a regular basis, so you don't take them for granted, and you don't go blind to them (like, say, with our desserts--we often don't realize how sweet our desserts taste to others). We notice how profound the flavors are in Ethiopian cooking, always. At Selam, though, there's clarity and explosiveness to the flavors that other places just don't seem to equal. Nothing here tastes radically different from other spots, but each dish showcases a specific note or two and highlights it; then you notice something else elsewhere on the plate. I wish I could offer more specific examples, but the overall effect is pronounced. The veggie and meat combos together totalled about 7-8 main dishes ($28). Lamb, beef, yellow peas, lentils--most of the usual suspects. Some were earthier, some spicier, some going in other directions. The white cheese you always see was decidedly different here: tangier, and chewier, it added a real counterpoint, especially when added to a bite of the meat dishes. The iceberg mix salad (why is this always present?) was the usual, but the dressing was less like bottled Italian (which never makes much sense, anyway) and more like nicely-seasoned olive oil. If this place was packed, it'd be tough to cram in to a table. Everything's so small, and so close together. The bathroom is ridiculously tiny--I seriously thought the door might damage the vanity if I closed it. You walk past the main storage shelving to get to the bathroom. But the homey, friendly feel here simply cannot be beat. The owner's daughter waited on us, cracking jokes and laughing the whole time, and hugged us when we left, making sure we told her our names. You really feel like you're someone's guest here, rather than their customer. There are clearly lots of folks eating here who grew up eating this food, too, and they also seem to feel like they've found a bit of a second home. This is not only the best Ethiopian food I've had in ages, but it's one of the very best new-to-me restaurants I've hit in quite a while, and I can't wait to come back. I just wish I lived closer. read more

Homemade. Family owned. Best Ethiopian in town. Lovely place. Great service. Nice and clean. My family had this cuisine for the 1st time and they totally loved it. read more

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

I've been here a couple of times and got the meat combo every time. There's only two different kinds of meat and some veggie things on the side, but everything is super flavorful and tastes great. read more

Really filling vegetarian plate, lots of favorites + the curry in the middle was great. Also tried the mango juice which was super refreshing! read more

If this is your first time getting Ethiopian, I'd highly recommend getting one of the two sampler plates (in our case we did both)! The Golden lentils surprisingly packed the most flavor in my opinion, I wish I would've got more. Very subtle, warming spices. Caution yourself with the dallop of green dip (in the bottom right of photo)-- the spice is no joke. Amazing flavor overall! We were stuffed after eating only 1/2 of the food pictured and took the rest to go. read more

Cafe Selam - Meat combo & Veggie combo together on one plate. - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Café Selam is a hidden gem in central district. This is my first time trying Ethiopian food, and I had a fantastic experience in this dimly lit, grungy resto with some ethnic music which made for a very unique ambiance. We ordered two meat platters to share among a party of 4. This meal consisting of injera and several kinds of wat (stew) was hugely satisfying. Injera is a type of bread made of teff flour - it had a lot of..large holes that might remind you of the inside of a mushroom, and had a sourdough taste except it's 100 times softer. You are supposed to pick up the bits of entrée with the injera, and we liked the sega wat (lamb stew) so much that we made an extra order. The injera that enveloped all the entrees tasted even better as it soaked up all the flavours of the sides. I wish I could describe to you all the different things in the platter, but you just gotta go try it for yourself because I wasn't sure what half of them were. Oh, and the mango juice there is pretty dope too. Way too delicious for how much it is, 10/10. read more

Cafe Selam - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Fast fresh and delicious! Went for my brother's birthday dinner it was super fun amazing people and amazing food. Their mango drink is so good, amazing portions for family or just for 2. read more

This place is my go-to for Habesha (Eritrea & Ethiopia) breakfast in Seattle. We ordered ful, frittata and quanta fir fir. This place was pretty packed when we came in. The service is not fast so be prepared to be waiting a while. The staff are super sweet and will cater to any of your questions. Ordering tea is a must to end all meals! read more

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Oh my goodness, this place is so good. Authentic, delicious, healthy vegetarian/vegan friendly food. They also offer gluten-free injera (the staple Ethiopian flatbread.) The women working there are so friendly too. I highly recommend the vegetarian platter if you're torn on which dish to try, and one order is definitely enough for two meals. I only found this place recently but I'm sure I will be returning regularly! read more

Ok, don't let the (lack of) curb appeal deter you. We had the vegetarian combo, beef ribs and chicken special (Doro Wat). I suggest the vegetarian because there's so many distinct flavors to try. Hands down, homiest, kindest service we received in a long, long time. We (three in our group) left a great tip so it was ~$55 altogether, and worth it. The server chatted with us, offered a couple of us beer if we wanted to try ( comped!). A group behind us also got vegetarian combos without opening the menus, and I agree...look no further, order it! Also, the server told us breakfast is great (her fave) so we will be back for that. Highly suggest! Get a beer and tuck in! read more

Cafe Selam - Get this beer and the vegetarian combo! Hand to God! - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

My wife suggested we try this place since she had tried Ethiopian food once before and liked it. I really enjoyed it for my first time. They do take out and have a couple of tables inside and some outside for dining in. We shared the meat combination that comes with a side of Injera bread. It was so good! We started eating right away so we forgot to take pictures. The dish came on a large circular tray with the beef, lamb, veggies, and cheese on top of Injera bread. Will definitely try it again. read more

Love the portion and service. We ordered beef tibs, lamb tibs, and a fish dish. The fish was too spicy for me, but the other two meats were great. If you don't want your dishes to be spicy at all, make sure to mention you do not want any jalapeño in your dishes since they seem to use that as embellishment and do not understand that any sprinkle of jalapeño can be too spicy for someone who cannot take any heat. The restaurant is not fancy, but it has everything a customer would need -- table, chair, water, napkins, and even a bathroom, and the staff is friendly! read more

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Food was out of the world. My kids have been asking to go back to this restaurant. I wish they had some appetizers for vegetarians. In terms of interiors, it's very basic. Some Ethiopian art on walls would be great. read more

The Ful. Have the Ful. One of my all-time favorite meals that has never tasted as good as it does here.

Best Ethiopian food I've ever had. They even have some non-spicy options (unbelievable!!) My parents loved it and they can't have anything spicy. My boyfriend also loves it, and he gets the very spicy vegetarian combos. I get the yellow lentils and they aren't spicy. The staff has always been kind to us. Sometimes there is a long wait but it's worth it. I love the outdoor seating. read more

I love Ethiopian food, and I have eaten a lot of it in the U.S. and in Ethiopia (American born in Addis). This is not where you want to go to be introduced to Ethiopian food and culture. The waitress was indifferent to put it nicely. Service was ridiculously slow (so embarrassed since I brought guests). The price was exorbitant. Please don't waste your time. Try Jebena Cafe - much, much nicer people there and the food is great. read more