Never having eaten Ethiopian food, I ordered the "mahberawi veggie combo with Awaze". I did Google to figure out what I might like. It was very, very good. Spicy lentils, other veggies & tiny pieces of beef in a tasty sauce. You break off a piece of the bread & scoop up your food on the bread. A very different experience but that's what life is about, experiences! I definitely would go again. read more

First Cup Ethiopian Resturant - Veggie combo with Awaze - Ethiopian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

We love Ethiopian food and this place does it VERY well. Doesn't look like much from the outside, wasn't busy, and not a great neighborhood, but this food was GOOD! The staff were very nice and attentive. The platter we had in the photo was plenty of food for two and we had left over quite a bit. Will definitely come back here for our Ethiopian food craving, highly recommend. read more

First Cup Ethiopian Resturant - Kitfo, tibs and lentils, served on/ with injera. - Ethiopian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

I always order the vegetarian sampler. They give you enough food for at least two meals. The food is always delicious, healthy, and flavorful. The staff are super friendly and I would definitely recommend this place! read more

FOOD/COFFEE: 5/5 VIBES: 4/5 SERVICE: 4/5 VALUE: 5/5 I don't think I'd order my exact entree again, but I really enjoyed myself here. The overall value is very impressive. The portion of the entree was huge, and, tbh, I enjoyed it even more as a leftover-for-breakfast. The samusa was great! I got the chicken one, which was a little dry, but still delicious - I ate the entire thing. The cappuccino was delicious and a great value. The overall vibe/aesthetic was cute for what it was: kind of a dressy hole-in-the-wall. I would definitely come back and try other entrees - probably ask for their rec this time around. read more

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Food is great here and the owners are amazing . Been going here for years and prices and food are always consistent. read more

First Cup Ethiopian Resturant - Ethiopian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

The food is scrumptuous - and addictive! Mebrat is the chef - she will stop by your table and greet you, if you ask. Her husband, Tamirat, is often the maitre d' - you will love their gracious hospitality! The service is attentive, prompt and courteous; the atmosphere takes you right back to Ethiopia. This jewel in the desert is camouflaged in a non-descript strip mall - you could seriously miss it unless you're intentional. Not surprisingly, they just expanded, giving an inviting upgrade to their interior ambiance, and doubling their seating capacity. I make up excuses to stop by - for tea, coffee or a meal, and am always glad I did!! Love this place!! read more

Amazing FOOD! My husband is Ethiopian and we have tried almost all the places in AZ and this is by far the BEST! The food always hits the same and the customer service is amazing they are the nicest! Also me not knowing the menu and when I go by myself - they are very helpful with explaining what the dishes are! The ambiance of the restaurant is very welcoming and it feels almost family oriented like when grandma wants to keep feeding you lol read more

First Cup Ethiopian Resturant - Beyinatu Awaze Tibs Quanta firfir Injera - Ethiopian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Really delicious authentic food. I love Ethiopian food but hadn't had it in a really long time, so I was excited to come here today! My order was ready quickly, I got there in about 10 minutes and it was ready! I got a lentil sambusa and veggie plate. The lentil sambusa was really good. Very flavorful and a good mix of textures. The veggie plate was super flavorful too and a good variety of things to try on the plate. Huge portions, I have plenty left over. Would definitely recommend if you like Ethiopian! read more

First Cup Ethiopian Resturant - Veggie plate - Ethiopian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Great food friendly staff and not the best location which makes it even better experience! It's close so we eat there all the time. YUM

Top-quality Ethiopian food with plenty of vegetarian/vegan options. We each ordered a veggie combo ($15) to go for lunch and our order was ready shortly after we showed up. You get a nice array of different dishes (misir wot, gomen, shiro, green beans+carrots, cabbage), with a generous helping of injera to scoop it up. Everything was really nice flavoured, with the stand-outs being the misir wot and shiro -- in fact, the creamy shiro was among the best I've ever had. Really tasty stuff. The guy who took my order and who dealt with me for pick-up was super friendly. Really great spot overall for Ethiopian. Highly recommended. read more

First Cup Ethiopian Resturant - Veggie combo (vegan) - Ethiopian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

The food at First Cup is delicious. I'll usually order their meat entrees such as quanta fir fir, awaze tibs, or derek tibs and am never disappointed with the quality of the meals. As an added bonus, this restaurant also sells injera in bulk if you're seeking to take some home for other meals you might make or eat with it. read more

First Cup Ethiopian Resturant - Awaze Tibs with a bottle of San Pellegrino sparkling water. - Ethiopian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

The food was very authentic, fresh and tasty. I liked the mashed chick pea dish (I forget the name) but it was very flavorful. The injera bread was spongy and sour, very delicious. I'm glad we tried this place! Support local business! read more

First Cup Ethiopian Resturant - Veg platter and a beef stew with jalapeños. Very good - Ethiopian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

I recently got back from Ethiopia, and was excited to show my boyfriend the food I had over there. I found this restaurant, and went with him. It was so yummy and authentic. Just what I was looking for! We are both vegan and got the veggie combo with extra shiro. It's delicious. If you have not tried Ethiopian food, you are missing out. It's so flavorful! It's good and you eat with your hands, and it's meant to be shared. We will definitely be back! They also do traditional coffee there as well for three people or more. Coffee was found in Ethiopia so you know it's strong and delicious. I do hope they add a vegan creamer like almond milk for it soon! The owner was incredibly nice and helpful as well. read more

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Hands down the best Ethiopian food I have ever eaten!! Such a gem it is so close to where I live the cute little shop has a few tables and amazing service! It's owned by a husband and wife! Honestly love this place and even my sister stops by from California just to eat here, trust me when I say go and enjoy this! read more

Excellent food, service, and atmosphere. I would definitely come again, just not with my 5 year old who only likes hot dogs and potato chips. Poor thing doesn't know what he's missing. read more

First Cup is a small neighborhood type restaurant. The food here is amazing. The service was fast. We brought teenagers who have never had Ethiopian food and they loved it too. We will definitely come again. read more

Decent enough food. I ordered the vegetarian combo, and it was pretty good. However, none of the lentils were cooked enough. That's pretty much amateur hour, not ensuring the pulses are cooked to tender. Flavor-wise, it was pretty good but not the best Ethiopian food I've had. If you get this, it will be good enough but not great . read more

Really really, REALLY good. The coffee is fantastic, the Doro Wat was so flavorful. Their injera is also delicious. This is hands down my favorite Ethiopian restaurant. Oh yeah, the Sambusas are also very good, packed with filling and flavor. They are also very very nice here. read more

My friend introduced to me to First Cup not too long ago and I'm glad he did. As an Ethiopian myself, I'm always wondering how great each restaurant is in the Valley. As far as Ethiopian restaurants go, First Cup definitely ranks as one of the best. Ethiopian food is meant to be shared and ate together. As such, my two friends and I got a huge plate of food with three different entrees. From the menu, we had Kikllile, Quanta firfir, and Dulet. Each had its unique flavor to it that will not disappoint. Being that it's customary to eat with your hands, Ethiopian food might not appeal to some but once you can get accustomed to it, you will open your taste buds to wonderful food. First Cup is an incredible restaurant and easily worth a visit. read more

First Cup Ethiopian Resturant - Kikllile, Quanta firfir, Dulet - Ethiopian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Wonderful family joint. The Veggie combo with the beef ribs is a great dish if you're new to Ethiopian. Very

If you're looking for great Ethiopian food, with even better customer service look no further! First Cup is eating with family, and always a warm and friendly experience. From there attention to detail, to the owners kind demeanor, you will have a delicious meal with a home cooked style meal. Keep up the great work First Cup! read more

First Cup Ethiopian Resturant - Great relaxing atmosphere. - Ethiopian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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I've never had Ethiopian food before and this year I wanted to go out of my comfort zone . I've been trying the whole vegan/ vegetarian thing so I went with the veggie combo. I didn't know what to expect. The first bite of the injera ( which I've never had ) it just wasn't a vibe for me cold and soggy . It was salty and sour I didn't enjoy it and the beets which I've never had were not good . The lentil dish was like i was chewing on seeds and one of the samples was like one potato and one piece of cabbage not sure what that was . But all in all the food just simply wasn't for me . read more

Yes. This is the place. Great food. Friendly service. How about this? How about a place that takes sincere pride in their establishment and walks the talk? At a time when we all talk about supporting small businesses in our community, why wouldn't you be all about First Cup? Their food is good. The service is good. The place is comfortable and clean. This place is an absolute ten. No debate. read more

Decent food, can't say anything bad about this place. It will cure your Ethiopian needs.

Delicious, pure, clean healthy food. Great service too. Will definitely be coming back! read more

First Cup Ethiopian Resturant - Ethiopian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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I've been wanting to try authentic Ethiopian food and searched the valley for a place to try. I'm glad we tried this place. From the customer service from Hannah and her partner made the whole experience. We mentioned that we would want to try different dishes since this was our first time trying Ethiopian cuisine. We opted for the vegetables combination, beef stew, and the sambusa filled with lentils. Everything was flavorful including the filling of the sambusa. The shiro wat was my favorite with the ingera ( bread) along with the cabbage. The ingera was light and fluffy with a hint of sourness. We will be back again to try other dishes. My husband killed everything, he liked it a lot. read more

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Very polite people, friendly and ambience was smooth music. Clean restaurant and food was delicious.

Awesome and delicious food, pretty good customer service. Courteous and friendly personnel

amazing food, coffee and service! Loved this place so much, was my first time having Ethiopian food and the people in here were nice enough to teach me how instead of judging me. I bring people here every time I have visitors! read more

I am so impressed with the delicious food and the kind service this place has. Although it is small and easy to miss driving past the small shops it is in, this is a hidden gem and priced very well too! Growing up in parts of Africa, I can tell you this is very authentic and will not disappoint. The owner is very humble and gracious as well. Come check it out- you will be addicted like I am now! read more

First Cup Ethiopian Resturant - Injera, beef Awaze - Ethiopian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

The veggie platter is the best here, and also don't forget to try their lentil sambusas. The service is consistently good, and you never wait too long for your food. They are always so welcoming here, and they can accommodate large parties. The shero is 5 stars, I love this place. Try it already! read more

Amazing food and the coffee is mind blowing! Don't let the lack of curb appeal fool you. Truly a hidden gem. My spouse and I went here for dinner recently with a friend of ours. None of us had tried Ethiopian before but we were up for a culinary adventure. We shared two entrees between the three of us and the samosas. Plenty of great veggies done all kinds of ways and two different types of meat. We let the waitress pick for us and it was a feast! We will going back soon!!!! read more

One of the best Ethiopian restaurants I have ever had. The service was great along with flavorful dishes and good quality too. The resultant was well decorated. I recommend starting with the sambusa and tying your favorite dishes from there. Overall a great experience and would definitely recommend to anyone who craves Ethiopian. read more

Great food and service! Loved the coffee and lamb would definitely recommend trying this place out! read more

Best Ethiopian I've had in Phoenix. Maybe ever. I got the veggie combo. Weighed like 5 pounds. We are for days!

As a adventurous food eater, I had to try this place for my first time eating Ethiopian cuisine. I tried the veggie combo with awaze (seasoned cubed beef with onions and jalapeños) me it was delicious! The combo came with different sides of yummy veggies (a chickpea purée, cabbage/carrot/potato, collard greens, green beans and carrots, lentils, yellow split peas). The dish was served on injera which is not like anything else I've tried but I would describe it as an addictive sour dough sponge crepe. Please give this place business! The couple who owns it are so nice. read more

First Cup Ethiopian Resturant - Veggie combo and spicy beef - Ethiopian Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Amazing authentic Ethiopian cuisine with pleasurable spices and phenomenal aroma. Wonderful service. Not only will you feel great knowing you just sent your taste buds on a ride, but by supporting this establishment your eating local and supporting a family establishment. I will definitely be coming back read more

Absolutely good food and great service!. It is authentically amazing! My niece is Ethiopian and it is just like home cooked!

I LOVE this place! I accidentally found this place and love it. I asked and the owner spent quite a few minutes explaining the cuisine and coffee and I needed a coffee and now I have a place ON THE WAY TO WORK where I can get a fantastic cup of coffee for just a few dollars. Yeah, I know I can save some $$'s by making it at home but ... SHUT UP! Life is for the living and after this great cup of strong and delicious coffee (BTW, If you normally like cream & sugar, taste it without first, you will NOT need those silly distractions.) THIS is what coffee should taste like ... strong and sweet (w/o sugar) and strong and bitter and strong and strong. We had a taste of the bread and I love the authentic sour dough brightness and hope to experience the whole meal soon. (Had to go as we just got papusas next door) But, it's strong coffee and it's on the way to work and it's so much better than the chains ... and yeah, I'm including Dutch bros AND Dunkin in that. (not going to bring up the national chain that screwed me out of my gift card dollars!) but it rhymes with starbucks and they pissed me off. I hope you open early and I'll need more soon. read more

We enjoyed a selection of foods shared between the four of us. These were very tasty and presented nicely on a large platter.