Fantastic food and incredibly welcoming. Ordered the Jebena, combo, 4 samosas and the lamb tibs for 4 people and was a enormous amount of delicious food for 4 people. Such a great (and affordable) dinner! read more

Jebena Cafe - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The most important question I ask myself when rating a restaurant is "how often do I want to come back here?" And for this restaurant, it's pretty much all the time. The flavors are vibrant and unique, the portions are large and satisfying, the prices are fairly low ($23 for the large combo plate!) and the service is always warm, friendly, and very comfortable. I've tried all the Ethiopian places around the block and I come here the most. I think ahadu next door has stronger beef dishes (figures, they also claim to be a butchery) but the prices relative to portions are so much higher it's pretty hard to justify going there when there's guaranteed satisfaction at a great value right here. read more

Jebena cafe is the best Ethiopian food I've had in Seattle!! Everything is soooo delicious and well-seasoned. I ordered the veggie combo, meat combo #1, and the green chicken. It's really hard to choose what was my favorite because they were all great, but the yellow & red lentils are superb. I'm definitely coming back for more!! The woman in the cafe today was sooo friendly and kind! It brought a smile to my face. read more

Jebena Cafe - Green chicken with yellow lentils! Soo delicious! - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Multiple items ordered: Veggie Combo: Since my last review, the Jebena Veggie combo IMPROVED to 2.5/5 or maybe 3/5 since last year. Flavors were now more-typical for an Ethiopian veggie combo but still had their own recipe-flavor. AND, importantly, the weird flavor from the time before was completely gone. We got a total of 6 or 7 items. The red lentils were probably the best. The "chick pea shiro wot" (if that is correct), also red, was typical, and okay. The yellow beans, like most restaurants, lacked flavor, as did the greens. A usual favorite is the white cabbage with potatoes; but this lacked the usually delicious flavor, and was quite bland. I think there were two potatoes in it. The salad at the center was fine: It was mixed greens with onions, and, usually, jalapeños. While other restaurants typically serve it with a typical vinegar and oil dressing, this had more of a vinaigrette that was kindly not sour like the others but lacking in flavor. One can order without certain things added, but do not expect it to be completely lacking in those things you ask to not be added. We ordered at Jebena because though I drove there to go to Ahadu (my current favorite), which is almost next door, Ahadu was closed; although their sign in the window said that they should have been open that day. This time, we ordered additional dishes at Jebena (apparently under the same management as last review). These, combined with the improved combo have improved the overall rating this time. Overall, the food was fairly bland; and they do not have anything on the table in the way of condiments to improve or even change the flavor, except a bottle of sugar. Samosas (appetizers) perhaps aka as or similar to sambusas were good, especially the flavors of the corners; but the stuffing needed more flavor: It was pretty bland. And they did not offer or come with any kind of dipping sauce or "chutney". They were Mild. Qatena (appetizer): Bland. Unsalted butter. $5 for "bread". Mild, not very spicy. Tilapia: The "pan-fried" Tilapia, a fish that is milder than Cod, was okay. If I had to offer an improvement suggestion, I'd say a pinch less finely-ground black pepper (or leave it the same), but add just a pinch or two more salt. It said pan-fried, but I had had this from other restaurants which served it more like deep-fried which I was guessing would be the case here; and I was right: This was more like deep-fried than pan-fried. The flavoring was Mild. Scrambled eggs with "salsa" were tasty. We ordered it Mild. My friend thought that it had too much salt. If I agreed, I would say that it was just a pinch or two too much, and was almost just right. It came with two (perhaps because there were two of us) toasted/heated French bread rolls, which were my friend's favorite part of the meal--if that tells you anything! Service: The service was timely and attentive, even when it started to get a little busy; although, as before, the owner/manager was not very friendly if there was even a hint of a lack of pleasure on our part. When paying with a credit card, the owner/manager would not give a credit card receipt! and instead said the itemized receipt would have to do. I don't know what kind of policy that is, or if it was too much time to print a copy; but she said we could "take a picture" of the receipt. I might be back, if only for the pricy scrambled eggs and salsa, with the toasted bread, and to pick up some veggie samosas/sambusas (if they might survive a trip of driving) and add some dips at home. My favorite Ethiopian restaurants closed down - after a death, and the pandemic, and construction - and I wish I had more-recent tastebuds to recommend additional places. When we can afford the time, etc., I want to come to Ahadu again. And I might even give Enat, a block away, another try. Enat's was always my least-favorite veggie combo until the last time I had it (about a year or so ago), when it moved to the middle of the pack; same with Meskel (several years ago). My favorite greens in any combo were spinach or some combination of spinach and other greens, flavored just right; but that restaurant is also no more. Almost every combo with greens, it's pretty bland, or too salty or something. This should be something easy to get right, but none I have had have done so in many years. My favorite ITEM in ANY veggie combo was the well-cooked green beans; I mean, seriously, this was one of the best-tasting things I ever ate, period. The couple of restaurants that had it are now closed down. As the Eritrean/Ethiopian Veggie Combo USED to be one of my favorite things to eat, I'd love to NOW find *any* restaurant that can take the care and time (and tasting) to get this right, because like a lot of other restaurants, it just seems as if Veggie-anything is considered less important than their other items; and this should just not be the case. read more

Had a wonderful experience. Food was fabulous,and loved supporting local,female owned business. We ordered the veggie combo, with lamb tips and Doro wat. Lamb was tender, Doro wat was lovely, not too spicy, and the owner was very generous on providing extra injera. Samosa was nice and hot, made to order, with a spicy jalapeño dip. Reasonably priced, and great atmosphere. Thank you for making my sister's first ethiopian experience a lovely one! read more

Jebena Cafe - Veggie combo with lamb tips in middle.injera on side! - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Plenty of food. Great service. The flavor was very good, not great, yet I am spoiled by the DC Ethiopian restaurants.

The owner is awesome. She truly enjoys serving food. When we get meat combination since we don't eat beef she provides alternatives with other lamb or chicken options which most other Ethiopian places don't. I really appreciate that. I keep coming here after trying other places. read more

This restaurant was a very fun and delicious experience! The woman who waited on us was just lovely, so warm, happy and helpful. We decided on the combo plate, I can't remember the name of the dish but it offered a sampling of their best selling items. The flavors were so bright, fresh and amazing and I enjoyed everything I tried. The restaurant is very relaxed but clean and comfortable. I highly recommend!! read more

Jebena Cafe - Combination plate - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The lady is really nice and she accommodates for vegan diet without being frustrated. And the food is 10/10

4--including 1 vegan--of us had lunch. SERVICE: 4.5. So happy it made us feel happy. AMBIANCE: 4.0. Cute, warm interior. FOOD: 4.0 - Samosas: 4.0 For main we shared the following combination dishes. We were sated and had leftovers to take out: - Vegetarian combination: 4.5 - Jebena combination: 4.0 - Baklava: 4.0 read more

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I've been hooked on Ethiopian food lately, so drove to this side of town all the way from Bellevue to try this place thanks to the many recommendations from my Yelp friends:) We ordered the #1 meat combo, it's enough for 2 people to be full, but I think I'll try the #2 meat combo next time since you get an extra meat entree for $1 more. So I'm new to Ethiopian and from what I've learn, you ripe the sponge bread and scoop up the food with your hand. It's quite the experience, but it's great. It's a very communal group activity so I enjoy the social aspect of it on top of delicious food. This is a small restaurant where it seems like there's a lot of regulars that come by seeing how the owner remembers everybody and is very personable with each guest. I'm glad to have found this spot. Tell me about your experience if you've been here or is going to after reading this review:) read more

Jebena Cafe - #1 meat combo. Love, @eatoutthao - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Best Ethiopian food I've had in a while, and everyone is so nice! The food is fresh and they even make the cheese that morning! I'm definitely coming back here read more

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Excellent!! Best Ethiopian food in Seattle, we've tried over 5. Great service, friendly, delicious. read more

Jebena Cafe - Jebena special combination - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

My husband took me out on my birthday and i must say what a friendly customer service. One of the must try Ethiopian restaurants at a reasonable price. We tried the Jebena Combination and it's really a lot for 2 people. I felt the spinach veggie mix in the combo tasted better than the protein. Overall, it's bit similar to South Indian food. Quite Neighborhood. The location is bit far from the main road but no issues if you have your vehicle. read more

Jebena Cafe - Jebena Combination - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Wow! The food was amazing and spicy in just the right amount. I got really lucky, normally you have to give 24hr notice for gluten free bread, but they had already made some the day of my visit. As the sign says, "God is good"! I had tried Ethiopian food before and not been impressed at all, but Jebena's has completely changed my mind! So very good. Totally recommend them! read more

Solid Ethiopian food. Service is extremely friendly and welcoming. Located in the north part of Seattle in a small cluster of Ethiopian businesses (three restaurants and two markets that we saw). For some reason, all the non-Ethiopian people were at this restaurant. Not sure why except that it is well yelped and seems to have been around longer. After lunch, we walked by the restaurant next door and it was packed with Ethiopians. Will have to try that place next time for sure. The market next door had huge packs of injera bread. We were really tempted, but we have a hard time eating that much injera before it dries out too much (it does rehydrate really well). Jebena Cafe has a nice, bright, clean interior. Service was slow, but I've always had that experience at Ethiopian places. We ordered the veggie combo and Beef tibs (mild) for the kids. Food was flavorful, if a bit on the milder side (for Ethiopian). But it definitely satisfied. We usually come home with lots of leftovers, but didn't this time around. I don't think it was because of small portions either. We've definitely been to Ethiopian places that served more for less, but the prices and portion sizes here are reasonable. I highly recommend the coffee. It is house roasted Ethiopian coffee. Very, very good. read more

Jebena Cafe - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Yum yum in my tum. Highly recommended!! I really enjoyed the homemade cheese - one of my favorites in fact. I also really like the lamb dish which si the dark brown one. Very good!! read more

Jebena Cafe - Meat combo!!! - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Great Food Comes Great Service 5/5 First time trying a Jebena Cafe & I can honestly say that everything was divine so many amazing flavors read more

Such a fun experience checking out Jebena Cafe! Martha was so sweet and helped us through the menu, regularly checking to ensure we were enjoying ourselves. The food was DELICIOUS and clearly made with love. Don't go anywhere until you've eaten here! Belly full, heart fuller. read more

Every time we go to Ethiopian food we're always happy with the choice. This experience was even better than expected! The truly perfect combination of service, food and ambiance left us with what was one of our best culinary experiences in recent memory. Martha, the owner, immigrated from Addis and is a quintessential Ethiopian women- warm, genuine, friendly, and just plain lovely! She's the sort of person who chats with you for two minutes and you feel like she's your aunt. We all, including our two kids, gave her hugs before we left - the same way you do when you go to a friends house in Ethiopia! This is food that meant to share and is eaten with injera - a spongy fermented bread (thing sourdough pancake). Small pieces are torn off and used to serve yourself. It's amazing! A sign of friendship is called a "Gursha" and involves serving a bite to your friend. If food brings people together, feeding each other keeps them together! The food here was over the top good! Ethiopian never disappoints, but this took it to a new level. Between 8 of us, 4 kids and 4 adults, we split a Jebena platter (Perfect for anyone who loves or has never tried Ethiopian) that included Kitfo, Fir for, Doro wat, beef tibs and veggies. Everything on the platter was amazing! Other bites included lamb tibs, Bamiya (GET THIS!) and Qateqna for an appetizer. The doro wat (chicken stew with beriberi) was perfect- they usually cook it for like 2 days and they stuff is just heavenly! The tibs here are prepared differently than we've had before but were excellent. Simmered in sauce, onions, garlic and jalapeños- very nicely seasoned and just plain delicious! The Qateqna was a crisped injera with buttery beriberi spread- just enough kick and really nice flavor! The Bamiya was the show stopper. Fact: This was the best dish we've had in years. It was marinated beef, onions, garlic, okra and some amazing sauce. It was everything we love about Ethiopian food plus a little something extra. This was the sort of dish you chew longer and hope you're tasting for the rest of the evening! The ambience here is lovely as well. Small place with simple decor and a huge jebena on the wall. This was our favorite Ethiopian place that we've ever been to and one of the favorite overall restaurants we've been to in the past couple years. You owe it to yourself to check this place out! We're already planning our next trip back! read more

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I am not well versed in Ethiopian food, and have only had it once (the flavors blew my mind), so thought of trying again. Glad I found this place for my second try. I immediately felt like I was at home because of the owners. They were so nice and welcoming. Then the food, wow. I got the combo meat plate and Doro Wat. Everything was soo flavorful. I will definitely be coming back. read more

Jebena Cafe - Meat Combo Platter. - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

HOLY SMOKES this place is good. I've never had Ethiopian before but i've been back 3 times now... the food is INCREDIBLE and the woman running the restaurant may be the nicest person I've ever met! She talked us through the menu and helped explain what a few things are and it was clear they put a ton of time and effort into making good food. If you've been debating coming to this place - just go, you will be impressed. read more

We started with an appetizer I'd never tried called qateqna which consisted of spicy butter and berbere brushed on crunchy injera. Sounds amazing, right? Unfortunately though it was interesting it was much too oily. I wouldn't get it again. The best part of Meat Combo 2 was the lamb (their qey wot) and I'm not even a lamb fan. I wasn't big on their (cooked) beef kitfo and the accompanying farmer cheese was bland. The beef tibs were only okay. As for the veggie combo, the best part was the cabbage and the yellow lentils. The spinach was pretty good. I wasn't into the shiro but I'm not a big fan of this dish anyway. I didn't care for the red lentils. They were a bit tart. Usually I get them and they're spicy and thick. Not here. The server was nice but it took some time to get a check and to pay. Overall, this place which was rated as one of the top Ethiopian restaurants in Seattle was very disappointing. It is eclipsed by some of the places I've eaten at in the San Jose area, including Zeni and Walia. Kathy's Ethiopian Rankings 1)Zeni, San Jose 2)Blue Nile, Berkeley (closed) 3)Walia, San Jose 4)Abyssinia, Oakland (closed) 5)Finfine, Berkeley 6)Café Colucci, Oakland 7)Rehoboth, San Jose 8)Addis, Oakland 9) Mudai, San Jose 10)JEBENA CAFE, SEATTLE 11)Ethiopia, Berkeley 12)Red Sea, Oakland 13)Asmara, Oakland read more

Delicious food- gracious service- easy parking- this is a wonderful neighborhood find!!

OMG! I am not sure which was better! Food or service? The vegan food (combination platter) was amazing! Great presentation and absolutely delicious! The vegan version of Qatena was a bit spicy, yet not too spicy! Yummmmm!!! The service, by Martha, was the best ever! Felt like I was back in my mother's kitchen! True caring! My friend who joined me said that you could tell that the food was made in the kitchen with love! I agree!!! Will I be back? Yes! You bet I will be!!!! read more

The food was some of the best Ethiopian food that I have ever had! Not to mention the customer service was outstanding! There are some other Ethiopian places that are in close proximity to Jebena but you should pick this one! read more

It was my first time trying Ethiopian food. One of my friends suggested this place and OMG i loved it. My favorite was chicken. So juicy and flavorful. The owner is also a lovely lady and the vibe of the cafe is very homey. This is definitely going to be one of my go to places for food in Seattle read more

Jebena Cafe - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Ordered take out and I was super pleased with the food here. The injera is soft and spongey and light. It soaks up the food and flavors of the delicious lentils. We got all vegetarian dishes and they were wonderful: lots of spices although not a lot of spice/heat. I was a little wary of ordering take out because injera bread is best when its so fresh its still steaming. I thought it would be cold and soggy by the time we got it home. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it still had the right texture and flavor. They wrapped our whole meal in injera, so the entrees inside stayed hot too. Overall, a great option for take out, although when we can all dine in again I'll be excited to have the traditional option of super fresh injera. read more

It's been a little while since I went here. But thought I should give a review because food is really good. And owner is friendly. We like the qatena (appetizer) and Doro wot. Ethiopian coffee is also good. read more

Our go to Ethiopian place these days. They have gluten free injera bread as well (you have to call in a day before to make sure they have it though). Nice grocery shop next door as well. read more

Amazing Ethiopian Food in Seattle! This is probably my third time visiting various Ethiopian cuisines in Seattle, and Jebena Cafe is by far my favorite! I lived in Washington DC for 3 months and endlessly ate Ethiopian food, so when my foodie friends wanted to head to Jebena Cafe, I jumped at the opportunity. We were a group of 5 people, and snagged a table pretty easily. Per the owners recommendation, we got the Qateqna to start, as an appetizer. It is just crispy injera that is a little spicy and very decadent. The 5 of us ended up getting the jebena combo (serves 3) and veggie combo. That was the perfect amount of food for us! We eat got our own plate and a big piece of injera each. Most of it was communal eating, which I love to do, but if you don't love it, they give you small plates to scoop food onto your plate. Overall, so so satisfying! Our total for the bill for 5 people was around $40, excluding tip. Such a steal! I will definitely be back. Just be aware, the location is in a little bit of an unusual part of North Seattle, but don't like the exterior fool you, the food was ridiculously delicious and what seems to be the owners are so sweet! read more

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Excellent food and super kind, caring service. We love the vegetarian combo and raw gored gored (you gotta try it).

Great place for a meal or a quick snack! Marta (or martha) greeted me and was so kind!! She told me she was vegetarian, too :) I ordered a coffee, a couple samosas and qatena (both can be vegan) and it was perfect for lunch (AND only $14!). She even added a side of the spinach because she wanted me to try it, and I was so grateful she did because it was amazing. Everything I had was so delicious and the coffee was very rich in flavor. I could hear singing while I waited for my food, which I know they prepared freshly by hand, and with love. It made the atmosphere warm and inviting. I don't usually leave reviews but I felt I had to share my great experience here. 10/10 would recommend to anyone!! read more

Hidden away amongst a Laundromat and other little stores, this place is sort of a hole in a wall. It's not a huge restaurant but it's small, cozy and intimate for small groups of friends, dates, and families to eat at. If you haven't eaten Ethiopian food before, this is a great place to try it. First of all, I have never tried Ethiopian food.....So looking at the menu was a bit overwhelming when I couldn't pronounce half the words or know what the food item was. Thanks to the yummy pictures from yelp and the recommendations from the wait staff, my friend and I decided to split an order of meat combo #2, Ethiopian style latte and an appetizer. Man....if one needs a nice kick in a latte, I highly recommend trying an Ethiopian style latte. The aroma of the drink is sweet and texture of the latte is strong and flavorful. You don't taste too much of the milk but you can definitely taste the yummy coffee beans and such. As for the appetizer, this was a pretty unique dish! Chewy with a slight crunch, this appetizer was light and delicious. At first bite, the taste may seem bland but wow, the aftertaste has a nice light spicy zing to it. Word of caution, don't let the small portions you see on the combo platter fool you! My friend and I couldn't finish the entire thing. The meal in itself, was very rich and filling. The lamb and pork = absolute deliciousness. Tender, savory, and moist, the meat itself could make one drool over it. Combo in with the lentil and other veggie sides and boom, you have one solid meal with everything in it. For this dish, no utensils are provided. Instead, you would use this pancake sponge like feel wrap to scoop the food up and eat! The wrap itself is soft and squishy, which makes it easy to scoop food into it and such. Overall, I love this place. Super friendly staff, warm atmosphere, and parking wasn't too bad at all. Got a growling tummy? Get your appetite sated here. Definitely will come back to try other dishes soon =] read more

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Amazing Ethiopian place north of downtown Seattle. The authenticity hits you in the face when you see shops on either side of it!! The servers are very friendly, definitely take their advice when ordering food, we were nearly going to order way too much for a group of four. We stopped here after three days of hiking in the North Cascades and were pretty ravenous. The injeera is awesome, melt in your mouth stuff. We also got the appetizer, Qateqna, which is amazing!. For the main course we got the Doro Wat, Meat Combination 2, and Veggie Platter.. so much yummy goodness it was! Definitely worth a stop if you're in the Seattle neighborhood. read more

Jebena Cafe - The meat platter the veggie platter and dorewet (chicken) - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Ethiopian food very much is a 'thing' in Seattle. Most of them generally seem to be in the area south of Downtown, but up north, this little spot called Jebena Cafe has it down. It's not fancy by any means; instead, it's homely and humble. It's found in the same tiny strip mall as another Ethiopian restaurant and a laundromat- this is basically a hole-in-wall spot. Inside, you'll see mainly booth seating and the limey olive green wall colors stick out but make for a more eclectic mood, I guess. The cooking is superb- vibrant colors and spices all decked out nicely over the injera. The spices all come together to make for some complex flavors. The #17 Jebena combination is a good platter to try out a bit of this and that. It's got beef tips, chicken, and a few other smaller stewed items and vegetables. Also, the cheese is house-made and good. The lady, who I assume to also be the owner, is very friendly. She explained what each item on the platter was, and also checked back to make sure everything was on point. read more

Jebena Cafe - Yasa Tibs... fish - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Amazing food and super good service! Very accommodating for my friend's allergy. Highly recommend.

DELICIOUS. This place is amazing every time, I have gotten take out during Covid and everything is still fresh and well packaged. The injera here is the best injera I've tried. This is the only place where the combination comes with a chicken drumstick. The Jebena combo is perfect if you want to share with 1-2 people. read more

Our favorite takeout in Seattle. We moved from San Francisco and have been disappointed with the takeout options until Jebena Cafe. Ordered the vegetarian combo and samosas and was extremely impressed with the flavor of all the food. Reasonable prices and extremely flavorable food! read more

First off, thanks to Melody P! I wouldn't have tried this place without her great review. Anyway, this place has a lot going for it. The owner is really nice, the beef dishes on the meat combo are spectacular, and the spinach is a must try. Add to that the fresh cheese, and you have a winning combination. The only drawback is the injera is cut with wheat. She will make it without (i.e.gluten free) if you call her in advance, but we never think that far ahead. It is much better without wheat. All in all, I highly recommend this place. read more

Jebena Cafe - Meat combo #1 - Ethiopian Near Me - Seattle, Washington