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 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.

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!!!!!

A referral brought me to their very cool website. Their menu brought me to the restaurant at…read moreopening. I love all food ethnicities, now I can add west Africa! I ordered the popular 'I Love Spinach' and was not disappointed. This might be the tastiest food I have had in a very long time. It was served fresh, hot and slightly spicey. The fried plantains were almost like having dessert on the same plate. I could not have asked for better. Great service as I was the only one there during the first hour to sit and savor. I did see about 10 people pick up orders to go. Bonus that the owners are from Ghana. The ambiance had me feeling that I was in Africa. When I return or order take out, I want to check out The West Hut, West Style Sobolo and Okra Go Follow.

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.

Lovely thoughtful greeting & service. Watermelon salad &…read moregoat cheese a huge hit. We shared the black cod which was divine and beautifully prepared. The converted house made each room cozy and charming. Our only challenge was the noise factor - not sure what can be done to address it. A full house with joyful guests is a wonderful thing to see.

I'm a little torn over Latha. It wasn't horrible, but there were a couple missteps during my visit…read more First things first. I made a reservation for a Saturday evening for the outdoor music performance. When I arrived, I was seated inside the restaurant. It was probably my mistake for not correcting them, but I thought it was odd that they specifically have you make reservations for the outdoor tables where the performance would be but not sit you there. I ordered a cocktail and got the Chef's Journey which is a pre-fixe 3-course menu. You get to choose an appetizer and an entree. For dessert, you automatically get the pound cake. For my appetizer, I went with the salad. It consisted of hearts of palm, strawberries, cashews, and honey over greens. For my entree, I went with the Dayboat Moqueca which consisted of fish (salmon) over rice grits with broccolini and pickled onions. When it was time for dessert, I was asked what I wanted for dessert. I was confused about why they were asking because I thought there was only one option, but the server made it seem like I had a choice despite me ordering the Chef's Journey. Due to that, I ordered the dessert option that didn't come with the pre-fixe menu. Luckily, the check was brought to me before I got dessert because I was charged for that dessert and had to clear it up. Needless to say, I ended up with the pound cake that I originally was supposed to get. With that being said, I enjoyed my food and the staff were nice. I liked the overall vibe of the restaurant. There were just some hiccups in the experience. When I go back to Phoenix, I would return and give it another shot.

Amazing experience! The atmosphere of the restaurant was very nice and was full of cultural art…read more This would make a nice date night spot. We ordered lentil sambusas as an appetizer, and it was well-cooked, crisp, and delicious. For the entree, we ordered the two veggie and two meat platter for two people. It was so much food that it gave us leftovers for two more meals. We usually eat a lot but this was amazing value for the price. Additionally, the food came out fast and the workers were very nice and answered our questions about the menu. Definitely would come back again!

HUGE portions!!! I got the 4 vegan entree with bread and a salad and I could barely lift the to-go…read morecontainer out the door! Not only were the portions huge, but they were also flavorful and unique. My personal favorites were the chickpeas and lentils. I will definitely be 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.

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.

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"

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

Delicious food and our amazing servicer Azi helped us pick out what we wanted to eat and drink!…read moreDefinitely would go back and wound recommend to friends! Stop by if you are in the valley!

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!

Service was fast and amazing. They have great food here I give this place at five star…read more amazing just beautiful food:) I love it I recommend this to everyone can come and check it out soon :)

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.