I came here with a group of foodies that like to try different culture foods every so often. Café…read moreLalibela is 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. I haven't made it 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 of 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 ended up buying 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.

I don't even know where to start to but just let me rant. I found out about this place from…read morewatching a tiktok video of another person coming in and enjoying this food. I wanted to give it a try and before I even pulled up into the parking spot, I knew it was gonna be delicious. I walked in and greeted such a lovely and welcoming lady, I should've asked her name but I will be back so I'll get it next time. Beautiful, and very clean seating area as well as a convenient kiosk to order your food! Anyways, I ordered the palm butter soup with fufu and brought it on home. I couldn't wait to dig in and may I say this is so DAMN delicious!!! I enjoyed every single bite and had enough for some rice with the leftover stew. So much flavor and the fufu was amazing too! I am so satisfied and WILL be back for more! I need to try at least everything on the menu once. Thank you!!

I can't express in words how good the food is. If you're thinking of trying african food this is…read morethe place to go.

What a great find?! I knew I liked plaintains but the kelewele spices elevated them to a whole new…read morelevel. The "I Love Spinach" entree with chicken was delicious, as I could honestly eat that spinach every day. Lastly, the jollof rice was beautifully prepared and plated. I will definitely be ordering again.

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.

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!

Brunch Review: Parking is tricky, so give yourself some extra time to find a spot. But we came for…read moreSunday brunch and on Sundays you can park in the Pizzaria Bianco parking lot. We had a reservation for a party of seven, and was seated right away in a quaint, well appointed dining room but the music was very loud -- more "nightclub" than leisurely brunch. The service was attentive without being overbearing, although the wait time between dishes and overall pace left a little to be desired. We started with cocktails, and while everyone agreed they were high quality and thoughtfully made, they were also across-the-board too sweet for our tastes. The Kahawa-tini (emphasis on the "tini" as in teeny-tiny) drank like an espresso martini, the Spice African Coffee was better, but the Black Star was definitely worth the price if you like a boozy cocktail -- bold, strong, and unique. The Watermelon Margarita was bold and vibrant. The Passion Fruit Punch was very passion-fruit-forward, while the Hibiscus Batida was creamy, coconutty, and almost dessert-like. Good (not great) cocktails, very aesthetic, just a little heavy-handed with the sweetness. The food was where Latha really won us over. We started with the whipped goat cheese with tamarind - it was light, tangy, and packed with flavor, especially paired with the warm chapati. They do charge for extra, beware. Of the main dishes, the standout was the oxtail shakshuka -- easily the table favorite and, in my opinion, the most flavorful dish of the brunch. The oxtail was rich and savory, and the criollo brought an incredibly aromatic depth to the dish. If you come for brunch, order it. The shrimp and grits were tasty, although the "grits" were definitely not what a traditional Southern version, it was more like overcooked rice. That said, the shrimp and accompanying flavors were savory and aromatic enough that the dish still worked. The watermelon salad with whipped feta was a generous portion and made for a nice palate cleanser. It was refreshing and pleasant, but it didn't offer a wildly unique take over a typical watermelon salad. The wings provided the most entertaining moment of the meal. Our server went way out of his way to warn our table about the insane heat of the Caribbean honey hot wings -- repeatedly -- stopping short of making us sign a liability waiver before ordering them. So naturally, we were expecting some serious face-melting heat. However, once they arrived the expectation didn't match the reality. The server waaaay over-hyped the spice level - maybe they've gotten complaints before but all of us agreed, they weren't deserving of such a warning. That said, the wings themselves were juicy and flavorful. You get 5 per order. I might as well mention the smoked salmon eggah, though I almost forgot about it. Definitely the least exciting dish of the table, though the server said it was a personal favorite of his. The salmon itself was nice, but the egg was spongy, the Gouda wasn't melted, and the overall dish just didn't have much going on flavor-wise. It was fine -- just not memorable. Overall: Latha knows how to build bold, interesting flavors. The food was a solid 4/5, with the oxtail shakshuka being the clear star. The cocktails were well-crafted but overly sweet, and the loud music, tricky parking, and slower service kept the overall experience closer to a 3/5 for us. Would I go back for brunch? Probably not. But would I go back for dinner? Absolutely. There was enough depth and creativity in the flavors that our whole table agreed Latha is worth another visit -- just maybe when we're looking for dinner rather than a relaxing Sunday brunch.

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.

Craving Injeera? If you are in Central Phoenix, try Authentic EthioAfrican. We got the 2 vegetable…read moreand 2 meat sampler. We definitely had more than enough food to fill our stomachs. I loved the subtle flavors of the chickpea dish. The red lentils were spicier than I expected but a good contrast to the chickpeas. I loved the collards with beef and also the beef and potatoes. I look forward to coming back.

Great food, good service, the overall experience was very pleasant and I enjoyed my food…read more Expensive

I ordered the Ayamase with white rice, but I was disappointed that there was no meat in the…read morestew--just ponmo and one egg. For the price I paid, I expected the meal to include at least some meat or beef.

Wow--just wow! Hands down, this is the freshest and most authentic Nigerian food in AZ. One bite of…read morethe Egusi and Fufu instantly transported me back to eating meals with my childhood neighbors. The portions were generous. Even the Fufu, which was large enough to enjoy again with leftovers! No lumps either The Egusi stew was rich and flavorful. I would've loved a bit more goat meat, but it still hit the spot. The curry beef patty? Absolutely loaded with flavor & meat. Had me wishing I bought two! A little Expensive, but Everything was well worth the price. Also, a special thank you for cooking the meat in the stew I ordered. Every other place just tops it with goat meat in red stew, but this was the real deal. I'm already thinking of ordering some Efo Riro today! Add puff puff to the menu & I'll just started ordering pans as "meal prep"

I ordered EdikaiKong soup with fufu, and it's a big portion of food. The soup was really good and…read morefilled with spices - definitely reminded me of home. This is a pick-up/delivery food spot, but there are seatings if you want to dine in. Also, the pick-up time was quick and the service was easy to navigate as well.

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

Abyssinia is an absolute Phoenix gem! The Signature platter was a generous feast of tender meats,…read morelentils, greens, vegetables, house-made cheese, and fresh injera, while the sizzling Fim Tibs was exceptionally flavorful. The traditional coffee ceremony--complete with glowing coals, fragrant incense, and beautifully served Ethiopian coffee--made the evening truly unforgettable. Authentic food, warm hospitality, pleasant attentive service, excellent value, and a wonderfully rich cultural experience. We cannot wait to return!

Great food and service, will definitely come again. Amazing hidden spot! Loved the ambiance and…read moreindoor decor

I absolutely love this place. Stopped in again this time for the spicy lentils so didn't disappoint…read morewas delicious

This was my first time trying this kind of food and i'm glad i tried it. The food was good…read more Here is the good and bad: This restaurant is in a bad part of town, and not pretty from the entrance. the inside isn't much better. when we entered there was no one there. The TV was on loud with a soccer game on. A man came out and sat us. we the meat sambusas. They were very good. The gentleman that served us was very nice. They sell water, you cannot get a glass.. only bottles. The prices of the food seemed reasonable. I got the Awaze Tibs(seasoned beef dish). this was very good. It came with the authentic Injera. (gluten free fermented bread) it has a spongy texture, a very sour dough like flavor. My daughter got the Alicia Wot (seasoned lamb dish). It was also very good. My problem lies with the service mostly. All the men that worked there, sat in the room with the TV, area watching the soccer game including our server. We sat there forever to get the door and then I had to go wake him for our bill. He didn't offer an itemized bill, just gave me the amount. I had to ask for an itemized bill. I'm not a fan of a restaurant that doesn't want to do their job. I will return and try more of the food, but i'm gonna have to figure out how to deal with the service.