Best Ethiopian food in town! The food is delicious, the people are lovely, the service is fast, and…read moresuper reasonably priced. We got a meat combo and a veggie combo for four people, and I haven't stopped thinking about it since. One of the best meals I've had in years. If you are looking for a relaxed date night, do yourselves a favor: go see a movie at the Beacon Cinema, then walk two doors down to Alem and eat a great meal.

I went here as I was intrigued by this place from Plate of Nations - $30 for a special combo which…read moreis more than enough for 2 people. We had leftovers after being super stuffed from the dish. We also got an imported beer from Eritrea. You can't really beat these prices, even at a few top rated Ethiopian restaurants in the area. Injera seems to be unlimited - they proactively refill once they see you are running low. Even the takeout they gave an extra piece of injera! The waiter checked up on us a few times to ensure we had everything we need. Definitely don't overlook this place - very local feel, and there's a bit of language barrier too just fyi, but it's all part of a great holistic experience that is easy to pass by in the busy Rainier Ave S.

I phone ordered a vegetarian combo, which was a sampler platter of sorts, served with the tangy…read moreinjera. Everything was delicious and seemingly authentic. I ordered my food to go, they were careful to separate the injera so that it wasn't soggy prior to me getting to my destination with it. Others were dining in when I arrived and the whole place smelled like warm Ethiopian spices. Staff was friendly, fast, made small talk even though I was in and out quickly I still felt appreciated. Delightful. Will go back. Side note; they are open super late.

Tasty no frills Ethiopian spot. We stopped by on a Sunday evening and got seated right away. The…read moreservice was very quick and helpful. We got the lamb and beef combos to share amongst 5 people and it was plenty. We even had some to go. Very flavorful meats- the lamb was nice and fragrant with all the spices. I'd recommend that one! Good spot in Seattle if you're craving seattle. There was a strong scent in the air not sure what it was but we got used to it quickly. Very reasonably priced as well. I recommend!

Delicious food!…read more Came on a Sunday around 11:15am. We easily found parking on the street. This spot is really cute with indoor seating. Service was friendly! We got the vegetarian platter for 2 and it was very filling! All of the dishes were flavorful and very tasty and the injera bread was really tasty! Prices are reasonable!

I was in the neighborhood when I was feeling hungry, and I began searching for an Ethiopian…read morerestaurant as there are more of them closer you get to Seattle. I found this place which was a five minute walk from the coffee shop. I was at and it was advertised as an air tree and restaurant. I knew Eritrea was part of Ethiopia in the past, but I did not think the food would be different. I took a look at the menu, the food was pretty much the same if I'm not mistaken with maybe a few differences, which I could not recall. Service was a little bit slow, bI was there in the late afternoon on a Tuesday and there was not anyone else there. It was hot in the restaurant. Quickly decided what I wanted to eat, but I ended up waiting a while for my order to be taken. If it wasn't for the person who called on the phone, we may have waited another five minutes. Prices are pretty typical , maybe slightly less than I thought. I tried ordering the special kitfo, but they were out. Ordered the awaze tibs ($20) which was not bad. I think the food here is not the best Ethiopian food I have had, but it is not bad either. Definitely give it a try.

My girlfriend and I had a fantastic experience here today. It was her first time trying Ethiopian…read moreand my second time, first time in years. The food was fantastic. It's such a unique eating experience both with the flavors and physically eating with your hands. The owner does it all here, from waiting to cooking to serving. And she is a gem of a person. So kind and attentive and her cooking of course is top-notch. We had a long conversation with her after our meal about the state of the world. She mentioned she is looking to sell the building soon, so Meskel may not be around for much longer. What a shame that would be. If you've been on the fence about trying it, let this be your sign to go and support this phenomenal business.

Was craving some Ethiopian food in Seattle, and Meskel popped up as an interesting place to try -…read morerecommended by the local community as the restaurant has been around for a long time, like 30+ years long. We went on a Saturday around 7pm and were able to get a table quickly. The parking situation is a bit tricky as from our visit, we were only able to find neighborhood streetside parking on a narrow street that made maneuvering difficult. As for the restaurant, it wasn't too busy when we went - maybe about 2 other parties at the time. The restaurant itself felt very cozy and homey, as you could see from the other interior photos. Service is alright - we seated ourselves and called for the auntie who owned the restaurant to get our order in. We got our food in about 10 minutes, pretty fast considering it was basically only people manning the restaurant. We got the vegetable platter with Yegee Tibs in the middle, which came to about $50. This platter is generous in terms of food, with excellent variety, which I love about Ethiopian food. This was more than enough food to fill us up with leftovers for about one more meal. As for the ingredients on the platter, I thought the injera was delicious - yeasty and robust enough to hold any of the entrees. All of the vegetables on the platter were soft, but had good integrity - it wasn't mushy and was seasoned nicely. The Yegee Tibs was scrumptious, nicely seasoned lamb with a savory aftertaste. This, combined with the vegetable sides was divine. Unfortunately, we wanted to order the Quanta Firfir, but they were out when we went - we definitely will pay Meskel another visit to give that dish a try! (4.5 stars)

Unassuming exterior and lack luster decorations aside, this restaurant knows how to deliver on…read moreflavor and portion size. Full of flavor, we need to order one more injera which is used to scoop up the meal and eat family style. The okra and lentils shine and the chicken is seasoned nicely. Parking is right outside of the restaurant. This is our second time, and we're ordering the same items off of their menu. Friendly staff too, and the food comes out quickly as there doesn't seem to be a time where they are very busy which is a shame.

We love going here for their vegetable combo. It feeds my 2 kids and me for a great price!…read more They have recently updated their food so the injera is always gluten free, and the vegis are all vegan. Their food has been amazing everytime we've gone, and service has been friendly.

Safari Njema is an awesome spot in Columbia City that produced the most memorable meal that I've…read morehad in recent memory. The restaurant is a short walk from the lightrail station, tucked into a small row of restaurants just off the main drag. What I'd recommend you do is to either come at a very off-peak hour, or call ahead and place your order when you're on your way in. This is very much one woman's passion project, and so there is pretty much one woman cooking in the kitchen at any given time, even when it is busy. So, if you just roll up at peak dining hours, you will end up waiting quite a while for your food. It just is what it is. I don't have much patience for waiting, and I am supremely prone to hanger, so why then do I still really like this place? Because all that passion and love that she puts into her cooking -- you can taste it. It's been weeks since my visit and I am still daydreaming about the meal I had there -- a whole fried fish which was reduced to a pile of sucked-clean bones by the time I finished with it, the silkiest collards I've ever had, and the mountain of savory rice, all sprinkled with the tangy, mouth-watering house made hot sauce. I don't know what she seasons that fish with but I licked it off my fingers shamelessly. I visited with a friend who is a regular there, and so I got to visit the kitchen and chat with the owner after our meal. You can tell how much she cares about using food to bring people happiness and show people how good Kenyan food is.

One of my favorite meals of the year!…read more My partner and I wanted to try something we haven't before and we were lucky enough to be in south Seattle where we don't get to visit often. We decided on trying Kenyan food which we had never tried before. We were really glad we made this stop! Before getting there we were really set on the Samaki and we decided on getting it wet fried when we realized that was an option. The service was incredibly kind and we could tell that each dish was made to order with care. The samaki came with two sides and it was completely shareable which made it very affordable too. We were really happy we got the wet fry option because The curry that it came with was amazing. We were so happy with all the rich and colorful flavors. The restaurant itself is pretty small but offers a good number a seats. We will happily be back soon.

As soon as we walked in, I knew the food was going to be extraordinary. The smell of the spices was…read morepotent, even over the incense and coffee. My husband and I had never had Ethiopian food before, which we were upfront about, and our server was very polite about giving us etiquette tips! They didn't rush us at all, even though we were there close to closing.

My Cousins friend recommended this Ethiopian Restaurant so we decided to give it a try…read more Parking is not so good, very small lot right in front of the Restaurant. You can park along Cherry street. The Waitress asked us to seat ourselves. After seating ourselves we waited about 10 minutes before she made eye contact with my Cousin and brought is Water and or Menus. The Waitress seemed to be involved with the Customers who were seated in the Bar Area. Right when we were getting ready to leave the Owner and Chef Daniel came and greeted us and took our orders. I ordered the Chiken Stew/ Doro Wot 10/10 My Cousin ordered the Cubed Chicken with Spinach 10/10 I asked Daniel if my meal was Spicy and he stated it wasn't. It was to me and he actually came back to check on me and asked if it were Spicy to me and when I said yes he offered to bring me something to cut the Spice. He brought me a plate of mashed Chickpeas with Cubes Chicken and Spinach and to my surprise it helped and it was Delicious. It comes with the Teff Injera Daniel was very Gracious and took over where the Waitress failed. The Restaurant is very inviting and I believe they play live music there was a small stage. I will Definitely return to this Diamond in the Ruff

There are so many great Ethiopian restaurants in the area, but Kebesha has the hands down best…read morefood. I order the vegetarian combo which is a HUGE portion, enough for two meals, and everything is always fresh and perfectly seasoned. The Yemiser Wot is my favorite, so rich and spicy. My husband gets a meat dish and grazes on my vegetables and we STILL have two more meals for day-after lunch. The space is clean and the service is so lovely and sweet. We will return again and again.

We came as a group of five and were surprised to find the restaurant completely empty during…read moretypical dinner hours. It might be the location, but honestly the food deserves way more customers, everything was fantastic. We ordered the Meat Combo, which came with Kitfo and Ayeb, Key Wot, Alicha Wot, and Gomen Besiga. The Kitfo, an Ethiopian-style steak tartare seasoned with coriander, mitmita (hot chili powder), and herbed butter, was incredibly flavorful. Most of the meats leaned on the spicy side, but when you mixed them with the veggies and injera, everything balanced out perfectly. My favorite was the Key Wot, a spicy stew of slow-cooked beef with onions, garlic, cardamom (korerima), berbere, and Ethiopian herbal butter. My second favorite was the Gomen Besiga, made with boiled beef cubes flavored with spices, onions, and garlic. The texture was surprisingly tender, almost like fish. We also got the House Combo, which includes a mix of meats and vegetables. It only comes with two meats, but it's a great option for first-timers because you get to try a wider variety of flavors. The waitress was very helpful and thoughtful, taking the time to explain each dish to us. And bonus, they have some parking available, which is super convenient. Overall, the food was amazing, and I really hope more people discover this local gem.