Cute family owned small restaurant. Very nice injera bread. We ordered Special Tibbs which were ok. We've had this at other Ethiopian restaurants where they used seasoned butter that made it very rich & delicious. Sadly that was missing here. Edible but nothing to write home about The traditional coffee was incredible though !!!! Rich, aromatic & served on a traditional pot with a tiny cup it was everything you could ask for !!! Marvelous ! I'd go back just for their coffee. Loved it. read more

very small and kinda hidden in plain sight joint by the food lion. they have a kid's menu and TONS of vegetarian options. the kid's stuff is rice and chicken tenders. NICE. can't get over how HUGE the portion was. I took it home don't expect some silverware. no. USE THAT BREAD. also, if you're into finding fellow hipsters, this is where you're going to find them. they take credit cards and it's very busy so get here early! read more

Mesob Cafe - Tibs - Ethiopian Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

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You have to specifically search for Ethiopian food if you don't know about it because it's a very modest location, but the atmosphere and the food is authentic and amazing. Will definitely go back and will definitely recommend. You won't be disappointed. Also, don't skip the black tea, it's so good! read more

Mesob Cafe - Ethiopian Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

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I never had Ethiopian food until trying this restaurant but I now consider Ethiopian food to be a favorite of mine. For 5 people sharing we ordered two lamb tibs (one spicy and one regular), the kitfo (cooked rare), and several sides. For sides, the mesir wot is the best, but you can't go wrong with any of them. Our large plate came with extra injera on the side, which you use to pick up the food. We ended up needing to order another injera and it came out within 30 seconds! It was plenty of food to make everyone feel really full. After splitting the bill with tax and tip each person paid $11. Everything we ordered was so yummy, and it's not heavy like Indian food so you can eat a lot and not feel sick when you get full. I definitely recommend everyone to try this place! read more

Mesob Cafe - Kitfo in the middle, Mesob Special Tibs, Mesir Wot, Shiro Wot, Cabbage and Carrots - Ethiopian Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

Best Ethiopian food in the 757. Nice atmosphere and charming staff, Mesob cafe is the place to go and try Ethiopian/Eritrean food. It is a different eating experience and the cuisine isn't comparable to other cultures. I myself am Ethiopian and this is where I go to introduce my friends to my culture and they always love it and go for more. Mesob is definitely worth a try. read more

Mesob Cafe - Siga wot and Beef Tibs with sides of salad, cabbage and carrots, and Mesir Wot - Ethiopian Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

Food was good, but they were out of several items. Service was okay. We will look elsewhere for Ethiopian food.

The picture speaks for itself. The food was a blessing to my soul. Plus, they sell green beans!! read more

Mesob Cafe - Vegetarian - Ethiopian Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

Every time I've been here for lunch, I have been impressed with the service and food. The decor is simple and nice. It's a relaxing atmosphere, like being in a small cafe. This time I'm here with family for dinner. Ordered the Mesob Special Tibs mild lamb. So I'm looking forward to it. Their iced tea is delicious and has a hint of cardamom. It is refreshing on a hot summer day. Their tiramisu is absolutely delicious! It's nice to try an Ethiopian restaurant because it offers some thing unique in the way of culinary fare other than the standard restaurants, which can get a bit boring. So try this place out and your tastebuds will thank you! read more

We ordered the #2 & #3 combination and the veggie combination with injera. We also ordered their tea and coffee. Everything tasted amazing! Their coffee was so smooth and not too bitter. We learned that they roast, grind, and brew their own Ethiopian coffee beans. The staff was so kind on top of everything. We definitely plan to come back! read more

Mesob Cafe - #2 & #3 combination and veggie combination - Ethiopian Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

Had heard about this restaurant and finally checked it out. The food and service was excellent

This place is pretty good, but could be better. I ordered take out and was disappointed that they didn't have any of the beef options available. The doro wat was great. I think the other one I got was siga wot, but with chicken since they were out of beef, which was ok but the meat was tough. The injera has some wheat added to it, which I was disappointed by because my husband with a gluten allergy couldn't try it. It's also unnecessary, just teff seems to taste great. Also, it lacked that slightly sourdough flavor that is so wonderful about injera--maybe they don't take the time to ferment it first? So that was disappointing. Overall, it hit the spot, but the flavors were somewhat subdued (need more spice) and bummed that the injera lacked its usual unique flavor. I'll try it again and hope they have beef available next time. Not sure there's even another option in the area for Ethiopian or Eritrean food... read more

Excellent service and the food is delicious.. I highly recommend this restaurant..very clean and relaxing atmosphere.

The food is great. I cannot stop coming to this restaurant. The food is so delicious. I love that atmosphere in the restaurant hopefully people up very friendly. So far the service that I received at this restaurant is great better than great I should say. read more

Food is great, especially the injera. Had the vegetarian combo and could barely finish it. Small cafe with a unique feel and great service. A must try! read more

I was looking for a vegan/ vegetarian restaurant to try and boy did I find one. It was a pleasant surprise, This Ethiopian Restaurant is so good. The salad is delicious, crisp and flavorful. The staff is so nice. We ordered the lentils, bread, collard greens and a few other items. It was so good and we ate in the Ethiopian custom way.... all the food on one platter and you eat this your fingers with the bread. It was fun. Just make sure your paws are clean. LOL!!! I'm from Birmingham Alabama and I grew up eating collards and cornbread with my fingers so I jumped right in. If you are in the area, stop by with clean paws and dig in! read more

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Fantastic food! Awesome owner, so personable and genuine. A small mom restaurant with a bold taste.

Excellent food. I want to give five stars, but they are so bad at business. You can't plan anything with this restaurant, because they are often not open. You could call ahead to check, but they often don't answer the phone even when they are open. This means you can't reliably call ahead for a to-go order. Basically you have to drive over there and cross your fingers that they're open. If they can make enough money operating like this then good luck to them. I love the food and would eat there once a week if it weren't such a hassle. read more

This was an experience. Never had Ethiopian food before. When you arrive you can sets yourself. The place is small. It was run by one older women up front. Be patient as the women takes orders to not overwhelm the kitchen. This is like a shared meal and I mention that as another customer seemed to be on a date and had a mini meltdown that she had to share. It comes out as one big platter. I enjoyed it all and I didnt think I would. I ordered a sweet tea and it taste almost like a turmeric sweet tea. It was good but not what I had expected. We ordered number 5 and it comes with sides. The lentils i would've liked more flavor but everything was good and it was a fun experience. Your fingers will smell for a while or at least mine did. I would recommend this place. read more

The one thing I can honestly say I miss about Northern Virginia is the amount of Ethiopian restaurants in the area. Mesob Cafe shares the richness of Ethiopian cuisine with Hampton Roads. The quaint restaurant is not ideal for large parties (10+)but provides a great intimate setting for sharing a great meal. On top of the flavorful dishes utilizing various spices (berbere is my favorite spice ) they have numerous vegan dishes to choose from. The authenticity of Mesob takes your taste buds on a journey and you're always glad you came. read more

The food here is fantastic. Best meal I have eaten out in Hampton Roads. Meat and vegan options. The restaurant doesn't look like much on entering - but don't judge a book by its cover - this place is legit. read more

My favorite Ethiopian cuisine in Hampton Roads. Great customer service. The ladies are so sweet. If you're looking for some tasty food and/or a soulful vegetarian plate, I highly recommend! read more

I love this place and feel compelled to vote 5 stars to help them but it is seriously lacking in customer service. They often don't answer the phone. We went recently on a day and time they were supposed to be open and they were closed. It's small and family run and it seems they open and close randomly. I find this very frustrating as I don't live close by but love Ethiopian food. I can't commit to a 20 min drive to go to a place that will be closed when I get there. And I don't feel like calling ahead every time if they even answer the phone. The food is great. Super nice people. But need to consistenly honor their hours or have a wesbite/Twitter or something where they update with any closings or changes. read more

I love love love this spot. It may be a small establishment but it's coziness only lends to the authenticity of the food. Literally every single thing on the menu is phenomenal. You can do take out or eat in. Order everything! It will not disappoint you. read more

Based on the reviews we came to celebrate a birthday and we're VERY excited. However we arrived at 530pm on Tuesday and the establishment was closed. Hours should be updated. read more

I've never had Ethiopian food, and this was definitely a great place to get an introduction. The restaurant is small, clean, casual and quaint. The type of environment where you can be comfortable, but not want to carry on a conversation you wouldn't want any one else to hear. It may have 8 small tables, closely tucked together lining the walls of a small space on the quiet end of a strip mall. Parking is plentiful (again - its in a strip mall). The Hostess is also the server and she is very nice and welcoming. She answered my wife's questions and explained the menu for her so she can choose her food. The lemonade was sweet fresh and definitely home made, we ate family style with both entrees coming on one platter. It was delicious! The flavors were bold and upfront. There's was no bland food anywhere. Even the salad greens and vegetables were seasoned and flavorful. The spice is in full effect in everything we ordered so if youre not into spicy food you need to ask for mild. The food was served with Injera, which is an Ethiopian flat bread. It's unlike any other flatbread I've ever had. It's soft, spongy like angel food cake but thin. It's got a tangy flavor to it, like really really good sourdough. The entrees (Doro Wot & Siga Wot) are both stews, one chicken and one beef respectively, and they're eaten by sopping them up with the bread. I'm more of a knife and fork kind of guy unless I'm eating something made for handling like pizza or burritos- but I chose to do it the authentic way. The portions are small so if you're a big man like me you can order extra injera or more than one entree because this is not a place with typical American size portions. But quality always trumps quantity for me so it's definitely a place we'll be back to! read more

Mesob Cafe - Doro Wot- spicy chicken stew w egg Siga Wot - spicy beef stew; side salad greens,veggies, lentils two ways Injera bread on the other plate. - Ethiopian Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

OK, this was a fantastic surprise to find in an unlikely spot. First of all, to find it, it's in the Kempsville Plaza SC on Princess Anne, not too far from Witchduck. There's a Food Lion there, but its not in the strip, but in a building in the parking lot that faces the main strip. It is a cozy little place, with less than 10 tables, but with great food. When we walked in, there was a lady toasting spices on a burner, that made the place smell wonderful. Upon being seated, we were offered some bunna, which is a wonderful Ethiopian coffee. It had the consistency of good espresso, but with a unique, rich flavor. For less than $3 each, she gave us a rustic pot of the coffee, which easily had 6-8 espresso-sized cups in it. For the meal, we shared a variety of items, that were all excellent. If you're not familiar with Ethiopian food, it is served on a bed of spongy, injera bread. You are served addition bread to essentially use as a utensil to eat. The bread is made from a grain called teff, and has a good, grainy flavor while retaining lightness due to the spongy nature of it. The flavors of Ethiopian food are truly unique, but if you need a frame of reference, it lies somewhere between Middle Eastern/Arabic and South Indian. It can be wonderfully spicy, with plenty of garlic, tomatoes, and onion in the various stews and sautes. We had the Lamb Mesob special tibs, which we ordered medium spicy. It was really flavorful and balanced, cooked with onions, tomatoes, jalapeno, and roesemary. We also had the baked tilapia, which was moist and perfectly cooked. It also was in an onion, garlic, and tomato-based sauce, but without the peppers. Our server picked a variety of veggies to go with the proteins, and they were all excellent. I particualy liked the fasochat and carrots, which was green beans and carrots in the basic onion, garlic sauce. It was really flavorful. The kik alicha was also really nice; split peas in a spicy mash that has the consistency of hummus, but with a richer flavor. I could easily see making a meal of the veggies alone, they were that good. So glad to finally have an Ethiopian restaurant in Hampton Roads. Feel in love with it in Washington many years back, and this has been the one gaping hole in the local culinary scene until now. I wish I'd tried it sooner, hesitated only because there had been a mediocre Ethiopian place in the same spot (A&N) a couple of years back. Either it was sold, or the owners re-branded after figuring the business out better. We will defiantly be back; this is a hidden gem worth seeking out! read more

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We had the vegetarian plate. The food was delicious and the service was very personable. Clean and quaint with a nice personal touch. We will come back again next time we are in Virginia Beach. Their coffee was great. read more

Mesob Cafe - Ethiopian Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

Serious Adventures Only: This unassuming restaurant is located in a small office building in a Kempsville Shopping center. The food far exceeded our expectations. I must caveat we have never eaten Ethiopian food before. However, after dinning at Mesob the bar is set very high. For other first timers, I offer a few insights to better prepare you. The dishes are a combination of vegetables around a spicy meat stew. You will enjoy Eastern spices such as chilis, cardamom, and cloves. The dishes are eaten with no silverware. You use your hands or "Injera" (spongy, soft flatbread) to scoop up your food. They also offer a traditional Ethiopian Coffee experience that we did not try but will be return for. read more

Today was our first time having Ethiopian food, which I've been wanting to try for a long time. We loved our experience! The food was so tasty. We ordered a lot of the spicy dishes and they were packed with flavor. I am excited to come back to try a couple other dishes. read more

Mesob Cafe - Ethiopian Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

Eating here was one heck of an experience! I have no knowledge of typical ingredients or flavor profiles of Ethiopian food, and I'm really blessed to have had the chance to check Mesob out. So what you do is choose your entrées (huge vegetable selection) and they bring it to you on a bed of injera or rice, but I suggest injera because it's a traditional flatbread in Ethiopia. They will also bring extra for you on the side. The injera is thin and airy, fairly tasteless and great texture. You'll use the injera as your utensil; scoop up your entrées and eat it up! The vegetables are massively flavorful! A lot of spices go into them. Each item I tried was incredible, and I really couldn't get enough. The tray we ordered was very large for two people, yet I wanted more. If you like spicy, they certainly had some spicy items on the menu, and the spiciness did not at all compromise the taste. I would love it if more people stopped by here for a try, it was a really enjoyable meal! read more

Mesob Cafe - Ethiopian Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

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Went back for lunch yesterday and still no odd smells at all. The staff was in the restaurant who was very friendly and happy. I ordered the lamb bits to go as I couldn't stick around this time. Next time, I hope to get the sweet tea and stay to dine in. Please keep up the great quality of food guys and the amazing smells that come from your kitchen. I will keep coming back! read more

So delicious! This is the best Ethiopian food I've had in Virginia. Great prices for good portion sizes and the service was excellent.

I've been craving Ethiopian for a while. It's by far my favorite type of food. Having recently moved from the Midwest where there were hardly any African restaurants I am so happy to be back where there are options. Mesob did not disappoint!!!! It's a tiny, unassuming spot, but the food is spot on! The spicy lentils and lamb were my favorite and the njera was perfection. I also had a Shai tea for the first time and it was delightful (I'll be having that again ). The place was packed when we went on a Saturday around 2. I wish I lived closer--this would be a regular spot for take out and dining in! read more

Mesob Cafe - Ethiopian Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

Delicious Ethiopian food with great prices and portions. Service was fast and friendly.

Delightful cuisine and a steller review long overdue! It was a slight challenge to locate their place, (GPS and all) but, the whole-in-the-wall facade is the perfect front for this particular restaurant. It felt as though I was a truly cool person to have found it at all. Their menu items don't appear to be anything extraordinary, BUT, suffice it to say that they made something as basic as green beans, for example, the most delectable food I've had so far in my lifetime. I felt cheated that I'd lived this long, in fact, eating ordinary green beans when I could have had them prepared as Mesob had done. Now, please know that this perfection extends to everything on their menu--not just green beans. read more

I ordered two DELICIOUS meals to go last night. Can't wait to come back!! A new favorite local spot!!

This was my first experience with Ethiopian food. We were looking for something unique that offered vegan options while in the Va Beach area. I ordered a vegetable dish - Beyanetu My choice had 4 different vegetables along with the injera. The collards were the best I've ever tasted. Everything was flavorful and beautifully displayed. I wanted to order the coffee which smelled lovely but was too full. I will definitely make this a regular stop when in the area. read more

Mesob Cafe - Beyanetu - Ethiopian Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

I've only been to two Ethiopian restaurants in my life and Mesob Cafe is the only one I have found locally. It used to be called A&N Cafe I'm not sure if they just changed name or if it's under new management. This is a hidden gem in Virginia Beach. It's very small but it's never packed. I always see the same women there I'm not sure if she's the cook or owner maybe both but she's super nice and attentive. She seems to take care of the customers, handle payments, and prep/server food. So she gets five stars on her own. Either way the first time I tried I'll be honest it I didn't really like the injera bread that comes with it but I think it was because it was different and nothing like I ever had. I absolutely love it now. There are no utensils because you use the injera bread to scoop up the food. I hear it looks like baby food but it tastes amazing. My favorite is the siga wot. I always get the side of lentils (mesir wat) usually greens (gomen). I sometimes do take out and it's so much food when you incorporate the bread and fairly priced. If you haven't been I highly recommend it. It is different than what most are used to but I think almost anyone can enjoy great food from different cultures. read more

Mesob Cafe - I had the Siga Wot soooo good. My friend had the Kitfo. We shared the gomen and mesir wot as sides - Ethiopian Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

How can you not be happy not using utensils? First time eating Ethiopian food and it was fantastic AND fun. My server was pleasant and walked me through the options, I elected for a the Lamb tips, because I love lamb! I went with the medium spice level. If you have ANY tolerance for spicy food, this is a good starting point, I was personally a little let down, I wish I had gone hotter! Dish was served with two veggies including a cooked cabage/carrot dish that was the closest thing I've ever had to compare to my grandfathers Pennsylvania Dutch version. Delish. The dish is served with a sponge like sourdough flat bread called Injera. You get plenty, plus the plate is lined with it. So when I ran out, I dove into my plate stocks. You basically make injera hotpockets with every bite. The restaurant was a little Spartan, posters tacked to the walls and bright posters under the glass table mats. Overall the meal was good, and the experience was great. A & N is definitely worth your time. read more

Mesob Cafe - Love their vegetarian options!! - Ethiopian Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

We were in the mood of something new and spicy and I discovered this little place on Yelp. I liked my meal but it could have used some more salad, i got not more than a table spoon of it. The kitfo is just a little bowl of meat for 14.99 and it doesn't come with anything else. I also liked their traditional coffee. I'm going to give 4 stars as i try to encourage small family businesses but they could do better portion wise and service wise. Our waitress didn't offer water and didn't bring forks when the meal arrived. Probably you eat it with your hands with their traditional bread but she could have just directly bring 2 forks. Very non comunicative. read more

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