I think I have been to Cafe Lalibela before, but it would've been over 10 years ago. I really don't…read moreremember my experience then, but that would've been my first time having Ethiopian food. This recent visit was my third time having Ethiopian food, and I went in with an open mind. I remembered the last time I had Ethiopian food, I didn't really enjoy it. You have the option of choosing from their platters, or you can build your own. I created my own platter - I got the lamb dish (#5), the chicken dish (#3), and lentils (#9). These 3 dishes came on injera, which is a sour, fermented flatbread. It is basically a plate for the food, but you also use it to scoop up the meat/lentils to eat. My order also came with several more pieces of injera. The injera "plate" got soggy from the meat and lentils, so it was harder to use it to grab the fillings because it just kept falling apart. The chicken wasn't that great, so I wouldn't order that again, but the lamb dish and the lentils were sooo good. I had enough leftover for a second meal. I'm glad I gave Ethiopian food another chance! Next time, I would probably get the beef, lamb, and lentils.

Hearty ethiopian food in a casual atmosphere…read more We arrived on a Sunday afternoon and it was busier than we've seen before; they had their monthly Sunday vegan buffet going ($25) that offered some items not on their usual menu and looked tasty. We ended up getting platters off the menu instead, mostly ordering vegetarian. (But if you're hungry or want more food, the buffet is a good option.) The green beans and the collards are a solid combination because of the difference in texture and spice. Cabbage, fish and beef were also good. Everything came either on a bed of injeera (soft) or rice, or a combination. On weekdays they have lunch specials which are the best deals and very good and inevitably you'll have leftovers to enjoy later. Service has been better and more attentive in the past but it was busier than usual too. The actual decor and location is a bit dated but you probably wouldn't come here for the atmosphere. They also sell their coffee and other small things to go. I don't have ethiopian that often so this was a treat. Shared parking lot with other businesses.

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.

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

The food is absolutely amazing. Excellent and flavorful. If you can't handle the "spiciness" of…read moreketchup, this might not be for you. But if you put Sriracha on Everything, then this is the place for you. I ordered the spicy goat pepper soup with the fufu and it was heavenly. My only complaint was the portion sizes. All of the portion sizes are very small for the amount money you pay, thus the 3 star rating. The delicious of the food added the additional star which is why ultimately decided on a 4. My friends all got the lunch specials and they weren't happy with the quantity. I ordered my husband the beef "patties" to go, only to discover it was only a singular "patty" for $6. And if you have a party of 5 people and or more, they automatically add a gratuity to your bill. The restaurant is small on the inside but has a nice front patio outside which was shaded. On a nice night, it'd be romantic to sit out there. Overall, I'll be back to this place. But be prepared to order double portions per person, so you'd spend about $40/person before tips and taxes.

I really wanted to give this place 4.5 stars, but Yelp can be ass…read more This restaurant absolutely nails the things that are hard to teach: hospitality, atmosphere, and making guests feel welcome. From the moment you walk in, it feels less like a restaurant and more like you've been invited into someone's home for dinner. The cocktail program deserves its own shoutout. Every drink was thoughtfully crafted and easily some of the best cocktails I've had in the area. The service was warm, attentive, and genuine without ever feeling forced. As for the food, everything we ordered was excellent. The standout dishes for us were the goat cheese appetizer, the oxtail entrée, and the pound cake dessert. There wasn't a single dish that made us think, "we shouldn't have ordered that." At the end of the day, plenty of restaurants have good food. What sets this place apart is the overall experience. Great food, great drinks, great people, and an atmosphere that makes you want to stay longer than you planned. We'll definitely be back.

We ordered two appetizers: whipped goat cheese (with black garlic honey, radishes, sumac, and…read morechapati) and the griot wings (tamarind-glazed, which is the spiciest option), along with two entrees: the lamb griot (served with couscous and sweet plantains) and the oxtail barbacoa (served over their version of mac and cheese). Starting with the appetizers, I'd say these two were my favorites of the night. The chicken wings (5 pieces) were tender and flavorful, featuring a very unique spice blend. The whipped goat cheese wasn't overly gamey, it was perfectly creamy and paired well with the black garlic honey, which tasted a lot like fig jam. The homemade chapati was great too. However, the ratio of cheese to bread was a bit off. We heard a server asking the next table if they wanted more chapati, so we assumed an extra piece was complimentary. We later found out we were charged $6 for it, which was a bit of a surprise tho. As for the entrees, the oxtail barbacoa was the biggest oxtail I've ever seen. It was packed with tender meat and rich gelatin, and the radiatori pasta with gouda was wonderfully creamy and delicious. The lamb griot was a unique dish I hadn't tried before, while the portion of lamb wasn't huge, it was very good. The plantains were amazing and slightly sweet, making the whole dish incredibly flavorful. Overall, it was a really cool experience. The food is highly seasoned and flavorful without being overly salty like most restaurants, though it is definitely on the pricier side. Our server was very busy that night, so checking out took quite a bit of time. The atmosphere is awesome with great decor, merchs, and live performances. ps. The chairs are incredibly hard and uncomfortable, I couldn't sit in them for too long lol

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.

All three stars go to food quality, the food is great here. We eat vegan with gluten free injera…read moreand it's fantastic food. If you have 2 hours to spare on a dinner, consider coming. But don't come thirsty or hungry lol Jeez . I've been here 2 times. They are incapable of even bringing a glass of water. The first time I ordered a drink from the bar and over the course of 50 minutes we asked about it 3 times. It came after the food. The second time tit was an empty restaurant. We got no water, no silverware. The food shows up after an hour and we have nothing. Something is VERY wrong with the service here and unfortunately we won't be back.

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

This place is medicine for the body and the soul! I loved their food, their service, their people,…read moretheir coffee, their space. I honestly never understood how in the world it was even empty. It is one of the best plates of food I've had since I've been in Phoenix. Totally worth it!!!

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