I came here with a group of foodies that try different culture foods every so often. Café Lalibela…read moreis a family-owned Ethiopian restaurant that has a long history here in the Valley going back to the 90s. I have dined here on a few occasions over the years. I love traveling to Africa and have visited a number of times. But have not made my way over to Ethiopia yet. Café Lalibela serves authentic Ethiopian cuisine with recipes that have been passed down through generation. The family that owns this place are passionate about sharing their culture. One of the family members came out and greeted our table. She shared a little bit about the history of Café Lalibela and how they made their way to Tempe. The staff also described the food that we were about to eat as they brought it out. We ordered a couple of platters and enjoyed eating it communally. The menu consists Ethiopian favorites like Doro Wat, Tibs, Kitfo and a variety of vegan and gluten-free dishes. I am a big lentil fan and love that lentils are a big part of Ethiopian cuisine. I had the Lalibela Deluxe platter in front of me most of the evening and enjoyed the flavors and spices of each of the items. Ethiopian food is so vibrant and colorful. If you have never tried, they do not use silverware to pick up their food. Food is eaten with Injera - a spongy pancake-like flatbread that you use to scoop up your food. Café Lalibela has beautiful African décor all around the restaurant. They have a small shop in the front that sells gifts, food items, tea and coffee. I bought a bag of coffee beans to take home.

Wanted to try out Ethiopian food so my friend chose this place…read more We got a platter where we could try a few meats and what not. Food was good, but meats were really over cooked. Flavor was alright, I guess not too sure what to have expected. One of the meats that were given to us, which happened to be my favorite, there was literally maybe three pieces to it, then the rest had a bit more. Ended up just letting my friend eat the whole thing since there wasn't as much protein as we thought there was going to be. The meal was suppose to feed two I believe. The appetizer we got was probably the best thing we ordered in my opinion.

Never disappoints! I had a craving and took my friend here for pepper soup. The food is consistent…read morethe service is good. I recently went to Africa for the first time in my life. After the 20 hours of traveling, I came straight to this restaurant I had to keep the moment going by getting my pepper soup with goat meat and my fufu. I love this place!!!!!

Why isn't this cuisine more popular?! Seriously, I don't think we would ever have gone if my…read moredaughter hadn't sent me trending TikTok's of people eating Egusi and Fufu. So glad we did! The spices and "soups" (more like stews) are exotic, similar to Indian food in presentation, but very different in how the meats are prepared. Traditionally, you eat the soups with fufu. I would describe fufu like a thick, glutinous, fairly bland, root paste used as the delivery vehicle for the soup to your face instead of a fork or spoon. No utensils! Fingers only and it makes the experience even more fun. The fufu pairs perfectly with the soups and is very filling. One entree easily makes for leftovers. I believe the African goddess that cooked and delivered the food to our table is the owner. She knew it was our first time and you could feel her care in the preparation and her joy in explaining the best way to eat. The dining area has about a dozen standard diner style tables and there is a sink IN the corner of the dining room to conveniently wash your hands, before and after eating. This no frills, locally owned treasure is a must try. If you are intimidated by new cuisines eaten in untraditional ways, look up "Egusi and Fufu" on your favorite social streaming app to learn everything you need to know. You will walk in with confidence. Regardless, the fine folks working here are also kind and eager to help and make recommendations. I'm posting with updated menu photos (Nov 2025). Prices seem to range $20-$25 per soup including the fufu. We had the Egusi and the Cassava Leaf soups. Both fresh, amazing and in my opinion a good value.

It was my first time ever coming to this restaurant. The people were amazing very welcoming and the…read morefood was a 10 out of 10. They have perfect lighting in there and great seats. All around an amazing visit and I will bring my family back here in the future.

If you are looking for vibes, look no further! This Nigerian cuisine inspired gem is located in the…read morePark Central plaza in Midtown Phoenix, and is easy to find. Depending on time of day, parking is ample. You are met by a walk up patio with plenty of varied seating. Modern African theme and decor throughout. As you walk in, you receive a warm welcome. Full service ordering and an overall laid back, take your time atmosphere. Staff is always nice and helpful when explaining menu offerings if you're not sure what you want. Although menu is self explanatory. Vegetarian options available for most main dishes. The Sabolo drink is refreshing and a must try item. Full bar available. Great music and live events

Latha is such a beautiful restaurant! From the moment you walk in, you're surrounded by gorgeous…read moredécor and a warm, welcoming atmosphere that truly celebrates African culture. The space has a classy, mid-upscale vibe definitely giving "bougie" in the best way while still feeling comfortable and inviting. We visited on a Saturday, and the live music was phenomenal. The musicians played a great mix of current songs, which created an amazing atmosphere throughout the restaurant. The staff greeted us warmly and made us feel right at home. I also loved the thoughtful touch of offering personal handheld fans to guests if they got warm. The bar was another standout. I really appreciated that the cocktails are crafted using African or Black-owned liquors, making the drink menu feel unique and intentional. If you don't drink alcohol, they also have a wonderful selection of mocktails and natural teas, so there are plenty of options for everyone. The food took a little longer than expected to come out, but nothing unreasonable. The portions are generous, and the prices are fair for the quality and amount of food you receive. We ordered the oxtails, jollof rice, broccoli, peri-peri chicken, and pineapple chicken. Everything was delicious, especially the oxtails and jollof rice. My only recommendation is to be prepared if you're not a fan of spicy food the piri piri chicken definitely has some heat. Since they don't offer ranch or similar cooling sauces, just keep that in mind when ordering. Overall, Latha offers more than just great food it's a full experience. Between the beautiful atmosphere, live music, welcoming hospitality, thoughtfully curated drinks, and flavorful African cuisine, it's a restaurant I would absolutely recommend. I can't wait to come back and try more from the menu!

Ambiance 10 Cocktail flight 10…read moreFood perfect 10 The shrimp,steak, goat cheese, pound cake , watermelon salad were amazing.

Been looking for an Ethiopian spot closer to me for a while, and today I was really craving some…read moreinjera so I made an order off Doordash and I am soooo impressed! First off, the VALUE! Wow! For $17 I got the vegan combo plate and it came with 2 sides -- I opted for the mesir wat (spicy lentils) and gomen (collard greens). The mesir wat and gomen came beautifully wrapped in an injera, with a salad on the top and two very large rolled up injeras. This combo would be more than enough for two people to share. I ordered right as they opened and my order came fairly quickly (~40 mins), so I was really happy with that as well. The mesir wat was seasoned spectacularly! Just enough heat that pairs with the savory flavor. The gomen also was deliciously garlicky, all coming together so harmoniously with the sourness of the injera. I was worried that ordering it for delivery would affect the experience, but everything came nice and warm and it was so great to have this meal at home. I definitely will need to come in next time, with friends for sure, I could not finish this combo on my own.

This. Place. Slaps. I was having a bad day and then I came…read morehere. My belly is full, my spirit is lifted. This food is a gift from God working through these people and their culture.

We really liked this place! First time trying this type of cuisine and we couldn't have chosen a…read morebetter place. From the music to the food - will be back!

Thought I'd give Nigerian food a try last week. It's…read moreunfortunate (I do hate giving bad reviews on small business) but TBH, If the food cost half this much, I still would not return. Unbelievably overpriced for what you get. $25 for one piece of dry meat and a side of ??? I know gold prices are high, but This is not gold...it's food. It's one thing to have confidence in what you serve but they seem more concerned about $$$ than quality ...and definitely NOT concerned with quantity! Too many great restaurants that don't gouge you. I'll spend my hard earned money elsewhere. Sorry. PS...pro tip: lower your prices. It can't cost this much to serve beans and rice.

Great Somali/east African food at a good price. Seems like they've been here for a while, for good…read morereason. Shares private parking in a strip mall; we had no issue finding a spot. Place was kind of empty on a weekday night but that didn't bother me. Lamb Shank - came with giant piece of lamb, bone in, rice, and a side salad. Everything was delicious and seasoned well. I was recommended to order this and now I'm recommending other people to order it lol. Beef Sukhaar - Well seasoned beef sukhaar with a salad on rice. This/the chicken sukhaar is perfect for a rice plate that you might want to have as lunch the next day. Sambusa - Comes with 2 nice and crispy large sambusas. Wish the filling was seasoned more but still good Portions are generous and food is delicious. This was a first time trying Somali food for us. They didn't have their special hilib (goat meat) when we visited - I'd love to be back to try that :)

Amazing food. Ambience leaves a bit to be desired but the chicken kabob is too good not to come…read moreback. The rice is addicting. Pretty reasonably priced too

The food was excellent! The lady I assume was the owner described each dish and even told us how…read morethe dishes are made. Definitely planning to go back next time I'm in Phoenix.

Last time I checked this place had an infestation problem. Roaches were scurrying across the floor…read moreand I just can't trust this place no matter how good the food looks