4. Restaurants

Queen Sheba

916 E John St, Seattle, WA, 98102
  • (206) 322-0852
  • Store is closed

Queen Sheba Menu

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant menu details.

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant blood pressure menu details.

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant cholesterol menu details.

  • Xiaolei L.

    Good food and environment. The place is sorta small, maybe 10-15 tables? But it's clean and cozy. At dinner time, you probably have to wait a few minutes before sitting down. Food is excellent. As others have noted, you use your hands. You wrap injera (bread, think super-thin pancakes) around various kinds of meat. They have beef, lamb, fish, etc. Hakim Stout (aka Harar Stout) is pretty good Ethopian beer, too. If you like to share your food with others, this place is definitely for you. Food is served on a giant pan with everyone's stuff in it. So you can easily grab others'. Only negative thing I feel is the slowness of service sometimes. Takes a while for them to bring out the food, even though it feels like the stuff's pretty easy to cook. Maybe that's just me...

    (4)

  • Bryan K.

    Any chance I get to eat with my hands and have it be socially acceptable, I'm down. Regardless, I still managed to eat like a total slob, spilling meat and mashed lentils(at least that's what I think they were) all over myself and the table in the general vicinity of my mouth, but you'll hear no apologies from this guy. I had a smile on my face all the while. I loved every bite. I actually found myself day dreaming about it today, wishing I had just one more bite of that delicious Talapia seasoned to perfection. Also, I love places where the food is served on one platter for you and your dinner companion to share. It makes me feel like we both had an equal hand in eating the food before us, even though we both know I had more than my fair share of the food. Oh well, out of sight, out of mind. That being said, I love this place, and it won't be too soon that I am back stuffing my crepe with small piles of undetermined mashed substances.

    (4)

  • John E.

    YUM! I live in the CD, home to many walkable Ethiopian eateries...Why go to Cap Hill? Well, this one is way up there in taste, service, and portions. The veg platter here is good; I recommend extra greens ($2) so you don't have to fight over them. Man...this cuisine can be so unkind later in the night that I am not sure I'd make it a date destination. Your mileage may vary, and it *is* worth it.

    (4)

  • June N.

    My 2nd Ethiopian excursion. So between here and Kokeb, the differences lie in the Injera. They only serve the grey sourdough type here whereas Kokeb served both the sourdough and the wonderbread type. Also I felt that the spices here were more pronounced than at Kokeb. I've yet to taste the "fire" that I keep hearing about with Ethiopian food, but the chicken pieces?? I'm not even sure what it was in the red sauce was awesome. If it was spicier I would have only ordered that. The lamb or beef or whatever it was seemed a bit on the bland side. The dish with the chicken leg and the hard boiled egg felt bland as well. That said, I'm a fan of Ethiopian food and the fare here was just as good in it's own way as the other place I tried. I left oh so full and had the "breath" for the rest of the night. haha. You know what I'm talking about ... Parking kind of sucked and the people that kept opening the door and not shutting it kind of got on my nerves (cold and windy day) but overall I had a good meal and thought the food was great.

    (4)

  • Jasmine M.

    Came here with a friend. Split the veggie combo which was totally enough for the both of us. SO FULL! We each got a fruit juice soooo yummy! When we got the bill, all in all with tip UNDER 25 BUCKS! I am sooo down with the place!! Plus it's just sooo cute!

    (4)

  • Eri K.

    Ethiopian and Japanese are my favorite genres of food. Living in a city with very little selection (i.e. NOT Seattle), it is so refreshing to find delicious variety when I visit Seattle. Queen Sheba provides very good food made from quality recipes. I especially loved the veg combo and their ginger tea. If you like milk, definitely order a chai tea - one of the best I have had in Seattle! Unfortunately, they sometimes do not stock enough Ethiopian beer and wine but hopefully it will be available to you when you go. Though I have had better Ethiopian, this is a great place to enjoy a nice meal and a perfect location to begin sampling Ethiopian food if you have not had the pleasure of trying it yet.

    (3)

  • Shella B.

    For a group of four that is very hungry and would rather sit around and enjoy each others company than pour over a menu to decide what to order, Ethiopian is always a safe bet. Here, a quick glance at the menu and we decided on both the veggie and meat samplers, a bottle of wine, and an appetizer of these crafty little injara rolls (like those sliced wrap spirals that you get at work parties, but Ethiopian style). The service was a little slow, but we didn't feel pressured to eat quickly, and ended up spending a few hours eating drinking and chatting, which is really how Ethiopian and Queen Sheba should be done. I should have paid more attention to the food, but we were so hungry and already a couple of bottles of wine in by the time the food arrived, that it seemed to just disappear. I do remember a dark sauced lamb dish that was rich and delicious, and the greens were perfectly cooked. I was very happy with the food, and at the end we were all stuffed and happy, especially when the bill came and we came out under $20 each, wine included. Genius.

    (4)

  • Sam T.

    Matthew K knows what he's talking about. i second everything he says. if you've ever had decent Ethiopian food you should never step foot into this place because you'll wish you didn't waste your money. If you've never tried Ethiopian food you should never step foot into this place because you'll never want to try it again. we ordered the vegetable platter which was overpriced and bland. there were three or four small dollops of lentils that all tasted the same and some mixed greens that looked and tasted as if they were 10 days old. we also ordered the spicy lamb which was some of the chewiest meat I've ever had. it was like beef jerky. the service was mediocre and the cost was definitely not worth it. i would recommend going to the Ethiopian spots on 29th and Cherry. The food at those restaurants is fresh, tasty and totally worth the trek and cost.

    (1)

  • zubin l.

    Had dinner last night and one of the best food I ever had. Tried their spicy chicken and Lamb tibs and just couldnt stop myself from foxing it. There is something very earthy about eating with your hands but a great experience nevertheless. Not very pricey. They have 3 Ethiopian beers as well as one non-alcoholic too. Not bad either. Might go again this week.

    (5)

  • Dan L.

    Finally, I don't get looked down on when I am stuffing my face without using utensils! This food was very good. It was fresh and we had plenty of it. Service was so/so considering we were one of only 2 groups eating there. I was often left staring at an empty water glass with my mouth on fiyah! They would have gotten 4 stars if we had a better waitress. It's true rating from me would probably be 3.5 stars.

    (3)

  • Picky P.

    I have to admit this is the only Ethiopian place I have been to in Seattle - and my other experience was repeated visits to an upscale Ethiopian place in Georgetown, Washington DC. So I'm hardly an expert on how to gauge relative quality...I only know what I like. However, my brother just got back from nearly a month in Ethiopia and he gave this place the thumbs up. I certainly agree! I love how the food is served on injera and also eaten with injera. My brother informed me that in Ethiopia, one never uses their left hand at table, so I practiced tearing off the bread and scooping food using my right hand only. I had a lamb dish, and he ordered assorted vegetarian items. They ranged from decent to really yummy! I also tried an Ethiopian wine, with was decent with a slight resinous aftertaste. The space is attractive and comfortable - in a vintage house on John St just off Broadway, with dark wood paneling and crown molding, and a delicious spicy smell. The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. The service is likewise friendly, but understaffed to say the least. We had to wait a long time for someone to take our order, and then even longer before we even got our drinks. My brother remarked - "Ah, I see the service is authentic as well."

    (4)

  • Peter A.

    Of the six or seven Ethiopian places I've been to on Capitol Hill and in the Central District, this had the blandest dishes and the driest injira. Luckily, the experience here is buoyed by good atmosphere and decor. It's also closer to many of my friends.

    (3)

  • Matt W.

    If you've got a big appetite and want tasty tasty food to fill you up, check out Queen Sheba. Get the Veggie Roll appetizer. It is the veggie plate rolled into injira, and cut into bite size pieces. If you have a big crowd, get more than one plate, because they go fast. I'm amazed how much I like these even with their lack of meaty substance. The samplers are good, and have a variety of food to pick from. I don't know the difference between a wot and a tib, but everything in the sampler is tasty stuff, even the boiled egg covered in brown sauce. If you go during the day, make sure you have enough time for a nap after you go.

    (4)

  • Aaron F.

    It's rare that I walk away from a meal satisfied despite having little idea of what I just ate and sticky hands from eating with them. Queen sheba is the perfect place to go when you are looking for something different than the usual haunts. The interior is decorated in a way that makes you feel like you're eating in someone's dining room. The food is somewhat similar to Indian, though very different. Overall the meal is much lighter. The bread is required and not optional. The food is served on top of a layed out piece of bread, and you are given your own piece of bread. Prices are very reasonable with entrees under $10. I was in a group of 3. We ordered the meat combo ($20) and the vege combo ($10). They served them up together in a large dish; at first it didn't look like much food, but we were quickly stuffed. They serve beer and wine, with features from Ethiopia. Beers start at $3.50 with Ethopian beers at $4.50. I recommend trying the Harar. Enjoy!

    (4)

  • Kay G.

    Ah-mazing! I miss living nearby b/c I still crave their food! If you are dying to try some new/different cuisine- try it out. You won't regret it!~ Con: There is usually a line, so come ready to wait a bit or come during off-peak hours.

    (5)

  • Andy K.

    Yum; When you're tired of Indian and Thai but still want something distinctly non-American this is a great choice. I went with two others and got the veggie combo plus something with chicken. Everyone agreed that the veggie dishes were great and the chicken entirely unremarkable. Unfortunately the veggie combo isn't quite as large as I thought it would be from other reviews. It would be plenty for any sane person, and probably enough for two people if neither was very hungry. Next time I'll get one for myself; leftovers wouldn't be a bad thing. I won't ding it for the chicken, since everyone knows good veggie food is where it's at. But I would have liked things with just a bit more seasoning. Oh, and the feeling of injeera expanding in your stomach after you've finished eating... bliss :)

    (4)

  • Jacqueline L.

    I am not an expert on Ethiopian cuisine and cannot gauge for 'authenticity,' but Queen Sheba is my favorite Ethiopian place in Seattle. Unlike its neighbors, Sheba is clean. Since you eat with your hands, it's reassuring to eat in a sanitary-on-the-surface environment. The decor is cool and the ergonomics make it personal--in the evening, the dark lighting allows an aura of intimacy. I always order the vegetarian platter, which is served with every veggie dish on a bed of injera. Great use of spices, good temperature, fresh-tasting injera (I hate when it has a rubbery texture).

    (4)

  • Hanafi L.

    Can you say yummy? I needed Ethiopian close to the NW Film Forum. Yelp to the Rescue! Even got Rock Star parking right in front. BTW, the space behind the loading zone spot is a real parking space, since its an unused driveway. We had a lamb & a veggie platter and true to form, I don't remember the actual names of the items. I will tell you that it was ALL good. There was some very smooth orange stuff that we couldn't identify. We meant to ask what it was, but forgot in our rush to get to our 7PM film. We thought it tasted "wheaty", but really couldn't identify it. Sorry, you're just going to have to ask for the orange stuff that is the consistency of cream of wheat. Believe me, its worth the embarrassment. There was a cabbage thing that was terrific too. I have had larger portions elsewhere for equal or lesser prices, but this was right up there at the top of the tastiness scale. This place is definitely going on the "keepr list" and Yelp gets 4 stars too for helping me find it so quickly & easily.

    (4)

  • Terry W.

    I do enjoy going to Queen sheba, getting the veggie and meat sampler is a wonderful way to go if you are with a group of people. BUT I need to call these folks out on their wine. There is a table in the back corner of the restaurant next to their beverage station. I noticed that almost every bottle of wine they had was Charles Shaw merlot. This wine was not any where on their menu. While I was there, at the table next to us 3 of the 4 guests ordered wine, each one a different kind. I watched the waitress go back and pour all three glasses FROM THE SAME WINE BOTTLE! and yes it was Charles shaw merlot. Get the sampler platter, but skip the wine, unless you like paying 8$ for a glass of 2buckchuck.

    (3)

  • Mason M.

    Haven't been to a bunch of Ethiopian restaurants--so I don't have a lot to compare it to--but my taste buds were happy. The service--not so good. And I did get food poisoning the day after I ate here once....might have been a coincidence. Meh. I went back anyway. :) It was good!

    (4)

  • Katy H.

    Okay, so this is the only Ethiopian place I've eaten at ever. So take that as you may. I love the food here. Everything is good, especially if it has tibs in the name. Get a house tea while you're at it. The food gets 4 stars, but the service is slooooooow. Friendly, but slooooow.

    (3)

  • Vegan B.

    I had been recommending Queen Sheba to friends, but now I'm urging everyone to steer clear. Their customer service is atrocious. I have eaten (and gotten takeout) at Queen Sheba many times. When I called for takeout and arrived 35-45 minutes later the food was almost never ready, even though the woman on the phone told me 10-15 minutes. The last time I went to pick up food will be the last time I support Queen Sheba, however. I called ahead for takeout and arrived 45 minutes later. I walked in and asked for my order. The woman told me they were out of takeout boxes. My fiance explained the situation again to the woman and asked her where our order was. She was very rude and stated that she had no boxes. We asked her why she didn't tell us that on the phone and she said she didn't know then. However, this would have all been alright if she had just apologized. She was completely unapologetic. She actually got annoyed and mad at us. She didn't say, "I'm sorry" once. We had to drive the 35-45 minutes to get there and were going home empty-handed. So, in short, the food is good but the customer service is terrible. Don't support them. I urge you to find a better restaurant with people who actually care. Bye Queen Sheba.

    (1)

  • Jane B.

    Tastes just like the food my friend's mother, born and raised in Ethiopia, made us when we were growing up. Injera is to die for. Two people can split a combo plate and have plenty.

    (4)

  • Mike D.

    I've been wanting to eat at an Ethiopian restaurant for years, and excited by the Yelp reviews of Queen Sheba, we grabbed some friends and came in tonight. The service was good, the iced chai tea was good, the place seemed very clean, but nobody in the group liked the food. We ordered lamb, chicken, and two beef dishes. Everything was so bland (except for the fiery lentils in the middle of the huge bowl) that it was instantly forgettable. The beef strips with onion were like embalmed armadillo meat splashed with clarified butter; so tough and dry you couldn't get it down your gullet. We were expecting the food to be heavily spiced and full of flavor like the food at a good Indian restaurant, sadly that wasn't the case. If you're gonna eat with your hands, the food had damned well better be tasty! The real bummer is that give that this is the first time I've had Ethiopian food, I have no way to know whether or not this would be considered "good" Ethiopian food. But I guess I now frankly don't give a damn...

    (2)

  • James E.

    I've read debates on vegan discussion boards as to whether or not Ethiopian food is truly vegan. At best, Ethiopian food is made with clarified butter which keeps those of us with lactose allergies safe in Sweet Merciful Baby Jesus' arms. I've heard of Ethiopian restaurants using vegetable oils, but I've can't say Queen Sheba uses oil instead of clarified butter because I've never asked anyone. I should change that. I always order the veggie combo, and the greens alone are worth $10.95. I could do without the yellow lentils in the center, and would it really kill them to either increase the size of portions or reduce the size of the plate and injere? The proportions are a bit hard to gauge when it comes to value and good old-fashioned American frugal (read: CHEAP) traits. Also? I should not see baklava or tiramisu as dessert options in an Ethiopian restaurant. When the place is packed, put on your patience caps.

    (3)

  • Dawn A.

    We had driven by so often and talked about how we should go that it was finally time to try Queen Sheba out -- especially after I read about their moderate prices on yelp. :) We went early on a Friday night and didn't have a problem getting a table. It's too bad that the more traditional style tables are only reserved for larger groups (at the Ethiopian restaurant we used to go to in Boulder, everyone had one so I guess I was expecting it), but it's a neat little space anyway. We ordered both the meat and vegetarian samplers, after our friendly server told us that if we were hungry, we could handle it. (There were plenty of leftovers the next day, as it turns out). We liked everything enough to eat it and particularly enjoyed a few things -- problem is, we don't know what was what in order to inform our ordering next time. We also enjoyed the sweet Ethiopian honey wine, although it might have been even a little too sweet for my tastes - it was hard to finish. Overall, this place had good service, a fine atmosphere and pretty good food. The moderate prices make it more likely that we'll be back! :)

    (4)

  • Katie A.

    Hail to the Sheb! I've never had any other Ethiopian food so I have nothing to compare this place to, but I've gone many times and I've never been let down. It's takes a while for your food to make it to the table, but it's well worth the wait. Order either the Veggie Combo or the Meat Combo- serves 3 well, stuffs 2 to the gills. I also like the honey beer- oh yeah. it good. One drawback: that damn glass cleaner smell that graces the restaurant ALL THE TIME. They clean the tables- all of them- all the time- with this cleaner that makes the restaurant smell like you could perform surgery in the kitchen. One draw... forward? - that single wing in the meat combo. I fight for it everytime.. Oh, and don't get stuck with the egg. I give it two anjaras up! mmm.. anjara..

    (4)

  • Rick B.

    I have dined here several times over the last 8 years and would recommend it unhesitatingly. If you enjoy Ethiopian cuisine, the Queen Sheba should be high on your checkout list. The food is consistently good and the ambience is uniquely ethnic and comfortable. If you want to increase the spice octane level ask for some mita-mita powder (to be used like crushed red chlili pepper). And try the honey wine and the Ethiopian coffee to wash it all down. Bon apetit!

    (4)

  • Olisa E.

    for the GF folks they add wheat to their Injera

    (3)

  • Angie J.

    I really enjoy this restaurant. Your food is served on one platter for the table so you can try each other's food if you wish. I have never had a dish I didn't like, nor have I ever left hungry. You can order dinner & a beer for less than $20. My only complaint is that it's often packed after work and the service is a little slow but the food makes it worth it.

    (3)

  • Ashley B.

    Amazing Ethiopian food. I ordered the veggie platter and would get it again. The honey wine was extremely sweet but absolutely delicious. The next day, we found out that they overcharged our credit card by $10, despite our already generous tip, so make sure you save your receipts from this place and double check your billing statement later. We got a cozy table and pretty good service, so I'm going to chalk this one up to an honest math mistake (who am I to criticize people on their arithmetic skills, I mean really?) and give them the benefit of the doubt. The meal was just too good to let the error on the bill get in the way. I will be back, but I'll be sure they charge me correctly next time.

    (4)

  • SobeOne K.

    This has to be one of my favorite places to journey all the way to the wickeds of Seattle for amazing food! The staff are always friendly and I can actually relax and enjoy my meal without some waiter eyeing my time at the table. I thinks it's sexy to not use utensils but if youre not down with hand eating you shouldn't go. You're complaining will ruin someones nice dinner. Potentially mine. It's spicy and different so be be prepared! Not for the faint stomached.

    (5)

  • Josh B.

    Mmmmmm . . . Queen Sheba is very yummy. Order a bunch of dishes; they will all come out on a plate together and then you can all just attack them with your hands. It's messy. And you'd better be close friends! But the food is delicious and quite fairly priced. They've got a really tasty selection of juices like Guava, Mango, and Banana which are very refreshing and go great with the food. If there's a complaint about Queen Sheba, it's that there are VERY few employees. Service tends to be really slow, so I don't recommend this place if you are in a rush. It can also get really busy on Saturday nights; I recommend trying to go ata time when it's less busy; you'll get better service and a better seat!

    (4)

  • Ariel S.

    I have to admit that I had a bit of a bias against this place, preferring many of the Central District Ethiopian spots over something so close to Broadway. I don't know why I doubted it -- I must have walked passed this place for 10 years, and I finally ate there and found it absolutely tasty! We had the veggie combo, which was perfectly spiced and fabulous, the injera bread perfectly spongey and tangy delicious. One of my dates had a scrumptious candied ginger tea that complimented the meal perfect. I'll definitely be hitting this place up again!

    (4)

  • Paul S.

    There's something magical about this place - it's in my top five favorite Seattle restaurants and always will be. The family style sharing of food, the ambiance, Ethiopian beer, and the heavenly scent from the kitchen are all wonderful perks to the outstanding food and service. My favorite dishes are the lamb and the vegetarian sampler.

    (5)

  • Andrew T.

    I just ate here with my visiting parents and roommate here for the first time. The place had a nice atmosphere and was pretty busy for Monday evening. It was a little stuffy at first in our corner but after we had a waitress open a window, pleasant atmosphere. First complaint: Slow service. It took us quite some time to get our food after ordering, and if we ordered something that took extra long, the waitress didn't tell us. A group of three sitting closer to the middle of the restaurant got their food at least five minutes before us, even though they arrived after we ordered. Maybe we were just unlucky, but I was not impressed. I was also sitting with an empty water glass for some time. It seemed to get better after the place cleared out a bit; we got our check quickly enough. Main complaint: Bland food. I ordered Sheba's Spicy Chicken which was marked with two **s of spiciness, and we had a lamb, beef, and peas dish as well, none of which tasted very strong. I'd say the beef was the best of the four, although the cubes were a little tough. The onion in the lamb dish had an oddly sauerkraut-ish taste. The chicken was "fine". The peas were good, but had no texture. Given how many dishes were marked spicy, I was just expecting a more interesting meal. Beverage note: I ordered mango juice, but the glass was pretty small for $2.50. In retrospect I would have ordered the Ethiopian beer. My dining companions shared a taste and it was quite good (can't remember the names, but it was the second out of three options). The good: Ethiopian style eating is fun. All the dishes are served on a huge plate of injera (somewhere between bread and a pancake), and each person receives a large amount as well. It's easy to pick up food with it without getting fingers too dirty, and fun having everyone eat from the communal plate. The stuff itself has an interesting flavor westerners will probably not be used to, but it's definitely not bad. In summary: I might go here again if I was with a 4+ group or had visitors and wanted to have a fun and very social experience without paying too much attention to the food (and being willing to wait a while). If I could give this 2.5 stars, I would, but the service and taste was just not high enough quality to justify more.

    (2)

  • Tara C.

    Delicious food and Friendly service.

    (5)

  • Brian B.

    Awesome food. Service is OK.

    (4)

  • jez ..

    Not the best, but certainly not the worst. Service was great. Tables are a little cramped together which can be annoying. We shared a veggie combo plate and it was quite good, but I have had better. One dish was really spicey, which was awesome. Another was bland and reminded me of refried pinto beans. Injera was quite good. My suprise was the people in here. It was full of wine drinking professionals in suits and dresses. Kinda made me stop and think... where are we?! Mesob is more my style. I'll be back to Queen Sheba though, it's too close to my place to not come back, maybe on a week night...

    (4)

  • Alli J.

    I live in the Central District, and with so many Ethiopian digs in the neighborhood I waited a good long time to finally check this one out. We went here for a video wrap celebratory dinner and it was, well, adequate. I must add the disclaimer that I am a vegetarian, so I really only order the Veggie dishes- but I do have a fairly large base of comparison having lived in the C.D. for two years. I must say that Queen Sheba gets a perfect "eh." The ambiance was lovely- one of the nicer places for an Ethiopian dining experience. The waitress was nice though noticeably absent (we were there on a Thursday night- so it was busy but not packed) and the chai was tasty. The food though? It was fine- not too greasy, generous portions, but really, pretty bland. I suppose that's why some refer to this as the beginner's Ethiopian restaurant, but if you're like me you eat Ethiopian because of the unique spices and aromas. I thought everything pretty much tasted the same and there was only one dish on the plate that had any kick to it at all. I would say that this is a fine place to grab some Injera and lentils if you're on Broadway but for truly delicious Ethiopian, head SouthEast just a bit to Mesob or one of the plethora of other gems in the C.D.

    (3)

  • Jon G.

    Good enough if you're determined to stay on Capitol Hill but consider doing yourself a favor and visiting one of the Ethiopian/Eritrean places in the Central District. The veggie combinations here are pretty decent but the portions aren't very generous and the food is a little too oily. Can be mysteriously slow.

    (2)

  • Amanda D.

    I was a virgin until I came to Queen Sheba to get my Ethiopian fix. I've only tried one other Ethiopian place since, but I've been back, and I think it's delicious. Any time I can wrap a handful of delicious, spicy curry in a warm piece of bread I can consider myself quite satisfied. Both times I've gotten the mixed greens, I love the red lentils, and the spicy chicken dish is amazing as well. Considering other yelpers reviews, I'm excited to try other Ethiopian restaurants to compare. So far, so good.

    (4)

  • Dave G.

    I love this place dearly. I used to live up the street, and came here on a weekly basis. Delicious food. I like these dishes - Bamia Beef Kitfo (beef tartar, delicious) Green Chicken Doro Tibs (chicken) Yebeg Tibs (lamb) Veggie Combo The one downside is that the service is slow. I attribute this more to a cultural gap, as they don't want to rush people eating and in Ethiopia meals are longer and very social. The bathrooms could also use a cleaning / remodel.

    (4)

  • Jessica M.

    Three of us tucked into the double-order vegetarian combo like we hadn't seen food in days. The spongy, slightly-sour bread was right on, and each dish had nice flavor, though not as distinct as some past Ethiopian experiences. Inexpensive -- $10 per person. A solid meal I'll come back to. But can someone tell me why the ladies' room says "Martha!" on the door?

    (3)

  • Libby C.

    This is the only Ethiopian place I've ever been to, so I don't have a lot to draw from. But, this place is pretty damn amazing! If you haven't had Ethiopian before, the idea is that you don't use utensils. Instead, you scoop up your food with a spongey bread. I had the lamb with jalepenos and a veggie sampler. Delicious! PS-They are not BSing when they say something is "three stars spicy". Beware.

    (4)

  • Beth Ann H.

    I guess I'm glad I now know what Ethiopian cuisine is like, but I really didn't like it. The service was truly terrible- we actually had to grab someone 20 minutes after we were sat and ask for service, and this was after we waited for just as long to get a table without even having been acknowledged. We actually watched other people come in and get seated and drinks & appetizers brought to them before our drink order was even taken. Once we finally got service we waited forever for a lackluster salad (could it really take that long?), even longer for our food, which wound up being weird piles of food on an even weirder cold spongy crepe, and the whole thing reminded me ov the scene in the beginning of Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom where Indy, Willie & Short Round are in India eating off ov leaf plates. Not a fan. I guess the piles of meat were ok, but I think it was more that I was so hungry from the wait. I will say the honey wine was tasty, but not worth going back for. Don't expect to see me at Queen Sheba again at anytime soon.

    (1)

  • Ramon N.

    It is good to have an African restaurant right off Broadway but this is far from the best East African food you can find in Seattle. Too bland for my taste. Nice atmosphere, but if you want great full flavored food, look elsewhere.

    (2)

  • Chris C.

    A favorite of mine! The food is great, service always is too! The atmosphere is nice and the injera is always good! :) If you've never had Ethiopian food I highly recommend checking it out (and ordering the veggie combo!). If you like spicy, try 2 stars at most first. this place can be SPICY!! One thing I've heard from friends and experienced is sometimes there lentils (the yellow stuff ;) is not cooked enough. Everything else is great!

    (4)

  • Chani B.

    I'm not a big fan of Ethiopian food,but Ive eaten here with friends. Also I know this crazy story my friend told me about being trapped in here with a gun wielding crazy man,but that was in 97 or something.

    (2)

  • Sara E.

    I am an Ethiopian food freak, and this place is on my top 5. I used to live right down the street, which probably contributed to my Queen Sheba addiction - I had to go in there all the time, because it was the most convenient Ethiopian-food-fix. Still, their food is great. The gomen tibs is my favorite (I used to order it almost once a week. In fact, I ordered it so much, it got to be kind of embarassing). Yebeg kil kil is also good, as is any beef or lamb dish. Service is friendly, if a little slow or distracted. So friendly, in fact, that when they got a new cook who didn't make my food the way I liked it, the server remembered and asked the old cook to prepare my food each time I came in (the new cook has caught up though). Expect to wait for your food, sometimes as much as a half hour. But it'll be worth it. They have a full bar, but I've never seen anyone order a drink, and they don't have a bartender; an ex-boyfriend ordered a gin and tonic, and they brought him out a glass of gin and a can of 7-up. So, stick to the wine or beer. Try a glass of tej, Ethiopia's traditional sticky, golden honey wine, similar to mead.

    (4)

  • Jacob B.

    Queen Sheba was my first Ethiopian experience in Seattle (most of my Ethiopian exposure is from my time in Los Angeles). I found the food to be adequately Ethiopian but a bit bland. I did enjoy the atmosphere, but the service was a little slow. I also found the potatoes and cabbage a little under-cooked (the night I was there). My favorite Ethiopian food in Seattle (by leaps and bounds) is Cafe Soleil.

    (3)

  • Kristen W.

    Very good food. Slow service. Was excited about trying out the Ethiopian version of Mead except they were out of it for the day. It was 9 pm, possibly on Friday... I would recommend going as the food is delicious!

    (4)

  • Matt P.

    I have to admit that there's a very satisfying primitive pleasure of eating with your hands and that's how it goes at Queen Sheba. It is hard to separate the activity of eating Ethiopian food from the food itself, but I found myself thoroughly enjoying the experience, maybe too much... Queen Sheba has great food, moderate prices, friendly service, and no cutlery!

    (5)

  • Jami M.

    ok so i've never had ethiopian before but this was just amazing. i got the vegetarian rolls and shiro wot (vegetarian also). so so so freakin good - the only bad part was that i couldn't eat it all. i love eating with my fingers and the injera (the flat bread you eat with) is so good - like a thin pancake. i'm so glad i finally checked this place out.

    (5)

  • Sarah L.

    i agree with andy - yum. i don't have much of a reference point for ethiopian food, but thanks to queen sheba, my first experience with it was great. i even liked the greens, and i turn up my nose at even my grandmother's greens! next time you're looking for something new and different, try queen sheba. the combos are a great way to sample lots of new things.

    (4)

  • Lydia P.

    The first time I came here (New Year's Eve), the food was so delicious. I was a little concerned as my previous Ethiopian food experience left me with tastebuds afire, but I was glad I gave it another go. We had a very mild lamb dish, a couple of different lentil selections with varying degrees of spiciness, and just to be a little crazy... we threw Kitfo into the mix! The description on the menu says that it's spicy rare beef with butter... butter=good in my book. When we placed the order, the server asked if we'd ever had Kitfo before... when we said "no", she said that it was more raw than rare... did we still want it? Feeling adventurous, we said of course!!! Boy howdy, was it tasty!!!! It's very spicy, but is tempered nicely with a very mild and cooling farmer's cheese. And the injerra. (tangy/spongey flat bread kind of like a fermented crepe... used to scoop up your food instead of utensils).. A DELIGHT... I had to talk one of my dinner companions out of sneaking one home in her pocket as she was convinced that it would make a lovely and cooling face mask the next morning (ok... so we had a bit of wine too). I went again last night, and ordered the Kitfo so that my brother could try it. The portion was HUGE for two people... and that big of a pile of raw meat can be rather daunting, but it was as tasty as I remembered. I was a little disappointed with the vegetables this time around as we both felt they were a bit bland. The injerra as before, was beautiful. I'll definitely give it another go. The service is great and the prices are reasonable... I think the bland veg was just a fluke. :-)

    (3)

  • Bob L.

    Great food, excellent red wine. Get there a little early and take a while on the dish. If you wait the kitchen does get overrun and it can be a while. Great for 4-6 people to share middle platter. I am definately going back

    (5)

  • Tom S.

    This was my first experience with Ethiopian cuisine, so I can not give an accurate comparison with other Ethiopian restaurants. But I like this place! Food was great, the Gomen Tibs I ordered was just right on. My dinner companion had the veggie combo, which was wonderful also. Spice level was just right for me. And service was quite prompt.

    (4)

  • Sean F.

    OK, four stars, but I wanted to do four and a half. Where's the half stars, yelp? Anyway, good Ethiopian food. Great Ethiopian food. After having tried three others (four if you count Pan-African by Pike Place), I decided my review could be made, fairly and justly. The veggie platter is great, all the flavors are distinct, spiced well, and some are even kind of spicy, which I love. The other places I've been at, all residing down in the CD, haven't had the hotness that Sheba achieves. Each person gets their own basket of injera, so you are not reaching over your neighbor to get more. The platter is also perfectly sized. I come out beautifully full, with a nicely rounded belly. The honey wine was great, and though Sheba doesn't have the best wine prices (Mesob does) they are not the most expensive. Beyond that, the service is decent, not the best, but decent and warm, the crowd is mostly good, excepting certain groups that have a certain hostile, douchebag vibe, and the atmosphere was comfortable. Go here! Drink some wine, share some food, have fun again!

    (4)

  • Anne P.

    Queen Sheba is a safe bet for Ethiopian food. The injera is cooked well, and is so so delicious. I always get the veggie combo platter, which comes with a variety of yummy vegan options....and they are all great, particularly their shiro wot. They are seasoned well, with a few that are spicier, for those who like the heat. The Ethiopian Honey Wine (Mild is better than sweet) compliments the meal well. It is not overly sweet and syrupy...but simply delicious! It is light, with a hint of sweetness, and tastes like honey, without overdoing it. It reminds me of what nectar from a flower might taste like....and of spring time. Of course this is a place you'll want to go with close friends/date since you'll be sharing a big platter (as with any Ethiopian establishment). There is this great sense of sharing and intimacy that is created when eating good Ethiopian food. Eating with your hands and w/out silverware is also a fun change and works out great. Prices were very reasonable. After all of this praise, I feel it necessary to comment on the service. Just feel that they could be a bit more friendly and often very slow. On busier nights, they are definitely under staffed. But that's really a side note. On the whole, it was a very good experience. Go there, eat and make merry...you won't be disappointed!

    (4)

  • Sonia P.

    This was my first time trying Ethiopian food. We got the meat sampler and the veggie sampler. My boyfriend worked with an Ethiopian guy who spoiled him with more "authentic" dishes, but felt the Queen of Sheba was overall pretty good. He is a spice freak, so of course, nothing was spicy enough for him. I liked the veggie sampler better than the meat, because there was more variety in flavors and textures. I felt that some of the dishes were too similar to each other in flavor and appearance, but we did have about 10 different dishes on our super-size injera (flat bread). The location is great and the seating area is intimate, but not really romantic. Great option for Vegans. Super place for a big group to roll up their sleeves and try something new.

    (4)

  • J L.

    There are not a lot of Ethiopian choices in Seattle but Queen Sheba is pretty alright. It seems a lot of my fellow yelpers are complaining about the vegetable dishes... Well it is Ethiopian! Everyone knows they don't grow much in Ethiopia! Go for the Kei Wot and the Doro Tibs.

    (4)

  • Megan H.

    This is an old house converted to a restaurant in the heart of eccentric, colorful Capital Hill. I love ethnic foods because of the blends of exotic flavors and spices, so naturally I had to try this place. They had a nice selection for vegetarians which was key! I tried the Vegge combo, which was a little sample platter of several vegetarian dishes. Some of the dishes were somewhat bland, but there was this spicy cabbage thing that was fabulous. Next time I'll just get that, but the sample platter was a great place to start to decide which dish I'd like best. Each dish is served with a thin pancake like bread called Injarra (just like a crepe but not sweet), and you use that to scoop up and eat whatever entree you ordered. Prices were a bit steep, and I'm glad I tried it, but with so many ethnic cuisines in Cap Hill to choose from, I'd suggest going for moroccan or something else with a bit more flavor.

    (3)

  • Kimberly C.

    One word: Lackluster. It seemed to be a theme throughout the place. The service was lacking, to say it nicely. Kind of robotic and not caring much about what they were doing. Examples during the evening included only half of us being served silverware, and water refills subjective to whomever was assertive enough to hold their glass in the air, and lonnng lapses of time in between when we waited patiently to be brought what we requested. We had a Groupon for 4, which included 2 appetizers, 2 meat combos and 2 vegetarian combos and 4 desserts. We ordered one each of the two appetizers on the menu. served to us on the customary large platter with injera. The food "piles" had different flavors, but nothing screamed Ethiopia. The chicken in the one food pile was raw inside when we cut the meat off the bone. It went downhill from here. I tried to like the food but the raw potato in the next dish was not okay either. I've had much better okra and greens as well. It was all meh. Interesting for me, was the fact that one food pile tasted a little bit like stew and another food pile tasted a lot like chili Colorado. Really?! Not necessarily bespeaking the finer cultural flavor of Ethiopia in my opinion. The honey wine was super sweet and the table next to us agreed that the females seem to not care for it as I did not. But the guys all seemed to like it.

    (2)

  • Ashith P.

    The place is not much to look at but the food is great. We found it on yelp. We wanted to eat something different and what better than Ethopian. The meat was cooked well. The lamb was nice and soft. Overall the food was great and the whole family enjoyed it. Meat lovers enjoyed it and so did the veg's.

    (4)

  • Jam J.

    Good stuff. Got the veggie combo and the asa wot fish dish. I ordered both spicy and they had a nice spice level - not too hot, not too mild - and plenty of flavor. I liked the variety in the veggie combo, which came with greens, two different lentil dishes, okra, and a potato and cabbage dish. Each of them was tasty and had a distinct flavor and texture. My only quibble was that the fish and okra were a bit too oily for my taste. But that wouldn't stop me from ordering from Queen Sheba again. Next time, I'll probably get just the veggies, since they were delicious and plenty.

    (4)

  • Sammy S.

    First time eating Ethiopian food! Great experience. The staff were friendly and refilled water cups regularly. Looks a shabby on the outside but the inside is a total surprise, small but intimate and homey. Cheap if you split the food between one or two people. Also food portions are large so you can share with others. Desserts are delicious as well. Side note: you eat with your hands.

    (5)

  • P C.

    Wish there was a 3.5, but if forced to chose, would pick 4 over 5. I've been twice - and both times would compliment the service. Its not pretentious, simply, and down to earth. The food is tasty, not to-die for, but solid. And definitely echo other reviews, I'm a carnivore by nature, but both times have preferred the veggie options over the meat. First time, 3 of us each ordered a combo. Huge mistake, way too much food. Two combos is plenty for 3 people (I don't have a tiny appetite and was with a very hungry male, so when I say its plenty for 3, I'm not talking 3 tiny people portions) Second time was with the Amazon Local deal - what a great deal! Appetizers and dessert? I just wanted the veggie combo, all those other things were such nice surprises. Although I might be biased since I went on a Thur night, where there were no crowds or wait and I was getting my meal for such a discount. Also, took some out of town guests who enjoyed their meal - so I'm probably rating the overall experience, and less the food at this point. Bottom line - certainly worth checking out if you have never been.

    (4)

  • Kate S.

    This is a take-out review so I can't attest to customer service other than service was polite on the phone and when picking up my order. I ordered the Doro Wot, the Yebeg Wot and the Gomen to go. When I brought it home I was really satisfied with the amount of Injera and the Gomen was AMAZING. No seriously. AMAZING. Such good flavor and a really great amount for two people. However, my boyfriend and I (the only two people eating this take-out), were pretty dissatisfied with the amount of meat in both Wot dishes. I definitely had to pick around to find the lamb in my Yebeg Wot. Both were very small. We ate them both in a super-short amount of time and we are tiny people. I was still hungry:/ It was fun to try something new, especially since this place is only 5 blocks from my house, but I'll probably continue to go to Abay on 10th or Saba on 12th. I like the portions and the flavor better!

    (3)

  • Leia R.

    Non-vegetarian endorsing the vegetarian combo. We often share between the two of us and have yet to finish it. I love the lentils, corn, and cabbage. Delicious and highly recommend! Much better than the meat combos We also have tried the honey wine, and it is quite sweet. It's something to taste, however we never tried it again after our first attempt. To sum it up, order the veg combo. Prepare yourself if you decide to try the traditional honey wine. Relax and enjoy a wonderful meal.

    (4)

  • Seanessy G.

    Well, the group-on sure gets you a lot of food! A ridiculous amount of food in fact. So I guess that's good. But I was not totally thrilled by the food. We had meat and veggie combos - I did like the vegetarian dishes: okra and spinach. Lentil curry was okay. Not a big fan of the meat dishes. They need to warn you that the group-on is way too much for two people. Also, lousy dessert selection.

    (2)

  • Liz F.

    Although the outside looked sketchy, I had heard about this place through a friend when looking for Ethiopian food in the Seattle area. I would highly recommend this place. The food was wonderful, quality, and filling. Two of us shared two dinners and had more than enough. There was only one waitress, so we did not see her too much. Expect to seat yourself and find her when you are ready to pay. Overall, wonderful. Once you make it past the sketchy outside.

    (4)

  • Etta H.

    We were pretty disappointed to learn that our go-to Ethopian place (Habesha) had closed but I'd heard (from Queen Sheba's FB page) that the chefs from Habesha are working at Queen Sheba... so I was really eager to try it! Unfortunately I didn't feel like it was the same quality and the selections are much more limited. The staff is super sweet - and the ambiance is pretty great (I actually prefer it over Habesha's dark, romantic feel). It's light and open and even with the limited space it doesn't feel at all crowded but more like you're eating in someone's living room. My absolute favorite thing at Habesha was the spicy injera and was sad that it was missing from the QS menu. Overall, everything was OK - but I think I'll go and try some other Ethopian places around town before giving this place another go.

    (3)

  • nanu b.

    This was not my first time eating ethiopian food, a regular at Habesha, but since Habesha closed we had to find another place for our ethiopian food fix (same owner). Needless to say the food was as good as I had imagined. We had a groupon so the menu was kinda fixed- choose between a salad or rolls, veggie combo and meat combo plus 2 desserts. We chose the salad after reading not so good reviews of the lentil rolls. Salad was waay overdressed with briny dressing of vinegar, salt and some other spice. After 2 bites I was done. The main courses, however, were very appetizing-veggies had green beans, spinach and lentils done 2 ways, delish! Meat combo had doro wot with chicken, lamb, beef, all truly delicious. Served family style over injera bread I ate every last morsel on the plate. Desserts were an option between a slice of tiramisu or pudding, we chose tiramisu, was ok nothing spl to write about. Service was friendly albeit slow. I think there were only 2 waitresses for the entire restaurant which was full on a sat night. Overall I loved the food and cozy, home style ambience.

    (4)

  • Maren H.

    I wasn't even able to get food here. We came in, were seated...it took 10-20 minutes to get any attention, we went to order our first two items and they didn't have them (one chicken, one beef) so we got up and left. I hear the food is good but I'm in no hurry to be in this situation again.

    (2)

  • Wella A.

    We ordered the fish and the chicken along with the veggie options that came along on our injera. For two people, this was more than enough. Both were delicious and flavorful.

    (4)

  • Ram A.

    Their combos are really good & worth it. Its a fun place to have food if you like to share with people in your table & eat with your hands... The ambience is pretty cool, very casual & quite spacious...good for a chatty crowd. It is located conveniently next to I-5 & you can easily find parking.

    (4)

  • Adrianne J.

    I'm a big fan of Queen Sheba! Delish! Love the vegetarian plate, the spices are perfect, the portions are large, I can't say enough good things about them. I recommend the red lintels..yum.

    (4)

  • Tan Lo S.

    I honestly love love love African food!!!! I know that Eritrean food + Ethiopian food are very similar... so I will never refuse going out to eat at a restaurant that serves either or! I like this place. When I went it was super quiet and not busy. I forgot what we ordered... I just know there was 1 lamb dish, 1 beef (I think, or was it chicken?) and the chicken dish with the green veggies. I loved it all! Sooo good. The Enjera bread was so good too. We of course, ate with our right hand as it is cultural. The only thing I didn't like was the lentils in the middle ( I think it was lentils). Otherwise, they served all 3 dishes on sharing platter and we were all so full we could barely eat it all! we seriously had so much leftover. I like this place. Normal priced about $9-$11 I believe. I am hoping to try this other Eritrean place by my house soon. But I like this place. Good service and good food! Mm.

    (4)

  • Vignesh G.

    Taste was good. But the food quantity is less when compared to other Ethiopian restaurants. Also price is on the higher side for combo plates.

    (3)

  • Kerrie D.

    Food was delicious. We ate the veggie combo and it was more than enough food. Everything was very flavorful and well seasoned. The service was slow and the restaurant was very busy on a Saturday night at 8 pm. We had to wait a while to eat so if you're in a hurry, this is not the place. The staff was very friendly and doing their best though, so no real complaint. I've read some of the other reviews that say that the place needs some TLC and I can see this issue. However, I liked the atmosphere because it reminded me of the small hole-in-the-wall joints you run into traveling all over the world. I will be back!

    (4)

  • Fiona X.

    I got the Groupon here that got my friend and I an appetizer, veggie combo, meat combo, and TWO desserts. I've never had Ethiopian food before so I wasn't quite sure what to expect; The lentil roll appetizers were okay at best. The combos were a GREAT value, but I was a little surprised when my friend's veggie combo came on the same plate as my meat combo. She's a vegetarian so we had to pick around the plate a bit. But the food was amazing, and wayyyy too much for us to finish. Dessert was amazing. Small, but perfect, portions.

    (4)

  • Cherise F.

    I came here to finally use my Groupon. The $25 Groupon included an appetizer, two vegetarian combos, and two desserts. The choices for appetizer was salad or lentil rolls. We opted for the salad. The lettuce was crisp and the dressing was a simple oil and vinegar concoction. The vegetarian combo was pretty good. This was my first time eating Ethiopian food. The injera was good and delightfully sour. I loved the okra, cabbage, and lentil based dishes. The entrees didn't look like enough food at first glance but I was totally stuffed after my meal. (I'm told injera expands in your stomach?) The dessert choices were tiramisu or tapioca. We got one of each. The tiramisu was okay, sort of average like what you'd get at Safeway. The pudding was obviously from a can. I would have rather just skipped dessert. Service was friendly but a bit lacking. She took a bit long to take our order and our water glasses weren't refilled once during the meal. It didn't take a long time to get our meal, fortunately, and the restaurant wasn't busy. I told her I had a Groupon to use when we ordered and we didn't experience trouble redeeming it. When our bill came it was only for the $2 tax. Overall average experience.

    (3)

  • Michael N.

    Located within a couple minute's walk of my apartment, of course I'm going to frequent Queen Sheba! I quite enjoy bringing people visiting from out of town here. It always makes me sad how so few people have ever had Ethiopian food. I am *far* from a master of Ethiopian food. But I do know that the food here is inexpensive, filling, and tasty. As a vegetarian, my options here are somewhat limited. I always get the vegi platter and it is always tasty. Never have been a fan of the spinach based dish, however. Service tends to be very relaxed and friendly and food tends to come out before I expect it. Highly recommended.

    (5)

  • Julia C.

    I'm not going back PRIMARILY because of the poor service, but the food made me a bit sick too. First off, this was not a busy night. They didn't give some of our five-person group napkins, they forgot to provide water for one poor guy, and flat out forgot our drink orders (didn't even apologize). They ended up only filling waters once more throughout the night at the end when all glasses were empty from fighting off the spice of the food. We had to push two tables together to accommodate everybody, despite the wait staff just standing there watching, not offering to help in the slightest. Pretty much just careless service. My food, Chicken Wot, tasted yummy, except there was a small hunk of plastic in it. The food sent me to the bathroom within an hour, for another hour of stomach pain and, well, you know what. I'm typically good at handling spicy food and I managed to do fine living in India, so this has me suspecting that spice wasn't the culprit but rather undercooked chicken or something else unknown.

    (1)

  • Maria S.

    The food is delicious, don't get me wrong. Normally I would give 5 stars for delicious food like this, but I have to knock of one star because while it's pretty good, I want to order their combo platters to get a little bit of everything and it's a) a little pricey and b) some things are just not as good as others in my opinion. Overall, one meat combo and one veggie were too much for me and my partner (eats a LOT) to finish, but only barely. The servers are extremely nice here, though, so I will probably be going back the next time the mood for Ethiopian strikes and you probably should consider it too.

    (4)

  • Annie D.

    It's not an authentic Ethiopian restaurant. It's an Americanized Ethiopian restaurant situated on Capitol Hill that caters towards making non-Ethiopians of Capitol Hill feel like they are doing something "multicultural." I'm not Ethiopian myself, but I know authentic Ethiopian cuisine and this is not the best. I asked for my mesir wat to be very spicy, and it was not spicy at all. That's your first clue that it's not authentic. The menu range was very limited and I was surprised to learn that they don't even offer firfir, a famous Ethiopian dish which is typically served at all Ethiopian restaurants. They probably don't offer it because it's too Ethiopian for most of their patrons to handle. I also felt the berbere sauce used in my mesir wat was very bland. Tasted more like brown gravy. If you want real Ethiopian, just head down to any Ethiopian restaurant on Cherry St in Central District. I would particularly recommend Cafe Selam.

    (2)

  • Eben H.

    Had a completely bizarre service experience here... The first time we attempted to go, we showed up at approx 9:40pm and were turned away despite the fact that posted hours are 'Daily Until 10:30pm' and there were several tables seated. The second time we tried to get there a little earlier (9:30) and were seated, however a couple came in 5 minutes after us and were turned away (and then several more through the course of the next hour. Very awkward to witness as most of the people didn't take kindly to the news). We ordered a bottle of Pinot Grigio, and had a Groupon that was good for a Veggie Combo, Meat Combo, and two desserts (we ordered Tapioca and Tiramisu). Here's where the weirdness starts happening... The wine comes out (a twist off) and the waitress pours a sampling for me to test: It's pure water. I point this out to her and she quickly takes it away mumbling an apology. She comes back with (another twist off) and quickly pours two full glasses without offering a sample. Luckily this time it was actually wine, but upon closer inspection of the bottle it was a Chardonnay (completely not what we ordered). Based on this I am certain that they are refilling their bottles with bulk wine in the back. After enduring the slammed doors and grumbles of turned away diners (why??) and the water/wine fiasco, our food came - and I can honestly say it was DELICIOUS. A great variety of dishes, with the wonderful sour/spiced zing that you would expect from a Ethiopian place. The crazy bread that you eat with was awesome too (whatever it's called). To top off the bizarre night the waitress brought us two Baklava-esque desserts (completely not what we ordered) with no explanation. It was meh. In conclusion: 5 stars for the food, 1 star for service, get there early and skip dessert.

    (3)

  • Ann W.

    Summary: Queen Sheba - great location, decent service, slightly on the pricey side, but it does the job. Queen Sheba is located on Broadway and John - I never even noticed this place until I actually walked by it. It's in a great location and very close to all the good stuff on Broadway. The 4 of us ordered the meat combo (included chicken, beef, and lamb), and the veg combo (included cabbage, two types of lentils, and green beans), as recommended by the waitress. Each of us was more than full and enjoyed the meal. My favorite was the chicken, beef, cabbage, and green beans. I'm not a fan of lamb, and the lentils were pretty plain.The meat combo was $20 and the veg combo was $12. Not bad split among 4 people, but if buying individual dishes, there are other places that are less expensive (Saba in Central District). All in all, it wasn't magnificent, but I wouldn't object if someone wanted to go.

    (3)

  • May Y.

    I don't care if everyone says this is a starter place for ethiopian cuisine. If it is I'm glad I came here first. I've always been wary of trying new things but I'm going through this slight early-life crisis where I feel like I'm getting old despite only being 23 and I feel like my life is passing right before my very eyes so I need to try and do stuff before I hit the big dreaded 2-4. So my good dear friend suggested I try ethiopian. As I was saying before, I was definitely hesitant. A part of me has always had this curious urge to try it but fear has always gotten in the way because lets be honest here people; from the pictures put up and according to google images, the food looks like poop and vomit. I'm just not a big fan of food that looks like something my kid let out the toilet. But I told myself "May, you're getting old, you old geezer. Try it before you're all ugly and shit." So I did. And I'm in love. In fact I'm so much in love I think I am obsessed. I live in the Rainier valley and there are so many ethiopian places around me that I feel like I'm hearing voices. They're all calling out to me. Telling me to come try their food again. I can still taste the sourness of the injera bread, all the amazing spices in every bite that you take. My mouth is salivating just thinking about it...

    (4)

  • Ty G.

    I went here based on Katy H's review. Really enjoyed the food. Bamai beef and Lamb yebeg were delicious. The veggie dishes were okay but didn't blow me away. They only had one choice for beer so went for that. Didn't really have to wait (table for two, on a Friday night around 8) and the water and menus came quickly. I can see how some reviewers would get torqued about the service but being prepared that service was a pain point I took it in stride. The pace of the meal was comfortable and the atmosphere was cozy. I'd go back.

    (4)

  • Juli-ann W.

    Great food, although some of the items were very oily/greasy. (Had both a veggie and meat combo as well as a spicy chicken entree, which was my favorite.) The tea was delicious as well. The restaurant itself feels very run down, though, and the service? VERY slow. If I have time to spare, I'd eat here again.

    (3)

  • Erin S.

    This was our first time eating Ethiopian food and it turned us into instant fans! We had the meat combo and my husband had an Ethiopian beer that was very tasty. Service was good, and the flavors of every dish in the combo were so different and delicious. We will be back, for sure!

    (4)

  • Liberty G.

    Very sweet and friendly service for our large party and the food was unforgettable. I enjoyed every single portion that I tried, including the not Ethiopian tapioca pudding! I've had Ethiopian food before the Queen did not disappoint. Boo on the lack of better parking options, but that's not the Queen's fault.

    (5)

  • Susan N.

    I love me some Ethernopian food but this place just didn't cut it. My friend brought me here rather than the more Ethiopian area around Cherry St. He loves it here. Well, I hate to say I don't but I don't. We ordered the spicy chicken, which I had never seen before so it was kind of a novelty. We also ordered some lamb dish (I think tibs), and also had two kinds of lentils. The portions were humongous. Unfortunately, the quality didn't match the quantity. The lamb tibs, which are usually tender enough that you could probably split them apart easily with your injera, were a little bit tough to chew through. Both lentil dishes were good but slightly on the bland side. The spicy chicken really was the best part of the meal. As far as service, blech. I had ordered a spicy tea midway through the meal. The waitress didn't look or seem hurried in general. I waited and waited for my tea. 20 minutes later, when the meal was finished, I still didn't have it. She happened to pass by our table again as we were finishing up and said "Ooops, I forgot your tea." I told her to forget it. I don't want to get grey hairs waiting for that cup of tea she'd just forget again. I'd never come back here on my own free will. Between mediocre food and negligent service, I'll try my bets elsewhere.

    (2)

  • David M.

    We didn't experience the service issues that other reviewers have mentioned. Our meal was average for Ethiopian but a good introduction to the cuisine nonetheless (and I have eaten at many different Ethiopian restaurants). The lentils and cabbage salad stood out and my girlfriend loved the spinach.

    (3)

  • Clive P.

    I'd been here 3 or 4 times and always had great food and good service, tonight they went above and beyond as far as I'm concerned. My wife purchased the Groupon and so we were excited to go back at such a great price, though I feel like the prices are fair regardless. A few things about the place, 1: it could use a little TLC when it comes to it's physical appearance, if you're into frills, you aren't going to get them here. 2: Great location. 3: Pass on the wine. I haven't but still want to try the traditional Ethiopian honey wine, but as far as the other selections go, they aren't very good, I know wine, so just trust me here. We're talking $6-7 bottles of wine going for $7 a glass. Now, let me just say we didn't know exactly what the Groupon was going to get us in terms of entrees but we were blown away when they brought out the full combo platter, there were about 12-14 different selections laid about before us and it was absolutely delicious, which has always been my experience there in terms of food quality. What put it over the top was the way they treated our toddler. Without any request they brought out a separate plate for her with no spice whatsoever and they didn't charge us. It was a solid sized plate too. That doesn't happen very often folks. We were sure we could find something on the platter she'd like despite the spices, but they made life easy. For that we'll be back yet again. The service was very good, albeit we were there very early and the food was fantastic. Recommend without reservations.

    (4)

  • Phillip K.

    I had the vege combo and the doro wot. The doro wot was lukewarm, and came with a single, small chicken leg. Given that the doro wat alone cost $10, you would think that they could provide more generous portions. The portions on the vege combo were the smallest that had ever been served to me at an Ethiopian restaurant, and the injeera was really dry around the edges. Generally speaking, the food tasted alright, but it was not spectacular. I would really recommend going to another Ethiopian restaurant.

    (1)

  • Thai D.

    I've never had Ethiopian food before, and I gotta say, it was a nice surprise. I came here with two friends, and the food was great. We tried the Ethiopian beers, which were tasty as well. I love that they serve all your orders on one giant plate on the bread - community stule and I love that you're forced to eat this with your hands. The food does take it's sweet time to get to you, so hopefully you're a patient person. I'd come back, but never by myself. Sharing the giant plate is part of the fun of eating here.

    (4)

  • Arjai A.

    This is my favorite Ethiopian place ever. The service is usually super slow, but totally worth it. The food is amazing! Its run by 3 generations of women, a grandma, mom, and daughter, and together they form a mighty kitchen trio of greatness, weaving their history of food and family into delicious dishes for everyone to enjoy. My favorite: Yebeg Alicha, chucks of lamb simmered in a light butter herb sauce. Get the iced chai to go with your dinner; you'll need it to combat the spicy goodness of the Gomen Tibs, chicken in a spicy red sauce. Their vegan/vegetarian dishes are also worth having. I love their injera, too. The warm, spongy, yeasty flatbread-like goodness that accompanies each meal, for scooping up each bite and popping in your mouth. I wish I lived closer, so I could go there all the time! I'm even giving it 5 stars, even though I don't like the hand soap in the restrooms. Alright, I know I'm picky, but if one is eating with their hands, one should not wash them with scented soap prior to stuffing one's face. But that's just me; I'm sensitive to scents. But don't let that deter you from going! Just wash up prior to going in, in case you're crazy like me. ;)

    (5)

  • Angel I.

    I've been here twice now, both with large groups of friends because they swear by Ethiopian food. Although our large groups were able to all sit together in the back, we were extremely crammed. We still tipped 20% but I thought their service was just so-so. I have heard that other Ethiopian locations in the Central District are better. Perhaps I will give those a try because Queen Sheba has been my only experience to Ethiopian food. However, based on my experience here, my food experience was one of the worst. I can't tell if the food was bad, or if I just don't like Ethiopian. Anyway, myself and a few others did not feel good after our meals, so I'm not sure if it's my genetics that don't agree with Ethiopian food. I won't be eating here again.

    (1)

  • Michelle W.

    I had a groupon and decided to try the place out. The food was great and I enjoyed the honey wine but without the groupon the prices seem a little high.

    (4)

  • Tom W.

    Went there on a Groupon....I would never have found the place much less gone there other wise. Food was wonderful...the wait staff were very busy but not the greatest...had to wait 15 minutes from finishing main entree to getting the desert and the bill....but over all the first time in an Ethiopian Restaurant and would definately go back again....

    (4)

  • Jamie D.

    Meh, I've had better veggie combo dishes in Seattle. I went despite being warned how oily the food can be. Yellow lentils were quite hard. Okra had unexpected but pleasant smoky flavor. Warm lighting is nice for a date who's never eaten Ethiopian food.

    (2)

  • Eric R.

    The food was pretty good here, however, the longer wait time and the prices made this a three star establishment. The environment was nice, and it had a nice vibe about it. It did take quite a while to get our food though, and it wasn't very cheap. The food was decent when it came out, but I will probably try another Ethiopian place before coming back here.

    (3)

  • Carole F.

    I went for the first time to Queen Sheba with a Groupon. They opened later than their posted hours, so several of us were standing by the door waiting for them to open. The food was good, but not spectacular. The service was attentive and we received our food in a timely manner. They were out of many of the items that were on the menu - a beer that was recommended, salad (how do your run out of salad at a restaurant??), two out of three desserts. I would give it a higher rating if the food was better and the selection was better.

    (3)

  • Shelly D.

    This place has GREAT Ethiopian food! The staff is really nice and the whole place has a good vibe to it.

    (5)

  • Vaidy R.

    Been to this place 3 times now. Each progressively worse than the one before, with the last one being an epic disaster. Allow me to explain my latest experience, which was about a month ago (so I've clearly cooled down, attended anger management sessions, and learnt to cope with my issues), in detail - 1. We arrived there as a group of 5 at 7:15PM on a Friday evening. We were seated at 7:30PM (pretty cool!, especially given that it was a busy evening) - check! 2. Water was served at 8:15PM - served is an exaggeration. Poured & spilt-on is more accurate. Mind you, the retards that work here have very little in the form of hand eye coordination. Water was served (spilled) 8 times in all that evening and with each their aim got worse. How hard can it be? - aim at the open end of a glass and let fluid dynamics take over. But no. Strike one. 3. Order was taken at 8:30PM (1hr15mins after arrival). Strike two. 4. We had a groupon. Showed the 'active' groupon on the iPhone. Dr. Einstein (waitress) hit the 'use groupon' button, and told us that we were showing her a used groupon. 5 mins of explanation, white-board illustrations and we were back on-track. Strike three for letting half-wits take orders. 5. Order arrived at 9:30PM. Strike four. And order was wrong. Strike five. Replacement came at 9:50PM. So net wait time on food = 2hrs40mins since arrival. Hope you are keeping track of the strikes and adding-in your own. 6. Almost dead with hunger after the wait time. So, just about anything would taste good at this point. But, nevertheless, food was reasonable. Not 'blow-your-mind and make-you-forget-the-f$%ked-heads-that-man-the-­place' good. So, half-check! 7. At 9:55PM, expecting to run into more delays, we pre-emptively order dessert. At 10:10PM we got dessert. Again, we got the wrong order (good god you'll). Strike six. 8. At 10:15PM, I'd had enough. So, I went up to the lady at the front desk to complain. The younger bitch says this, and I kid you not -- 'Sir, you need to be patient. We are having a busy night'. Strike seven. 9. I approach the elder one, and she gives me a look of apology - but keeps walking in-and-out of kitchen while I am trying to convey my frustration. Strike eight. 10. I ask for manager's/owner's contact - and I am told he/she isn't in today, and I should just call the restaurant and get in touch with the manager. Strike nine. So, nine strikes, one-&-half-checks & 3+hrs of my life was lost on Queen Sheba. If you think this is a one-off experience, and its perhaps not so bad on other days - here's my take on it - the quality of your restaurant is gauged by how you are able to deal with your customers when it gets busy...not when you have 2 lame customers that you need to serve in 3hrs. This restaurant wins the gold prize in my book for being the all-time-worst. I wish I could send them an engraved prize for being this good at bad. If the restaurant staff or owner are reading this, please take a good look at my profile pic. You will not be seeing me there unless I get Alzheimer's and forget the lovely people who served me. - Vaidy

    (1)

  • Dave M.

    We visited Queen Sheba on Valentine's Day. The atmosphere is very nice and the service was OK. The unpleasant surprise was the portion size of the veggie combo platter...literally 1/2 (or less) the size of the other half-dozen Ethiopian restaurants in Seattle that we've frequented. The quality was OK (nothing spectacular), but the portion size was a big turn-off and made us think that they are way out-of-tune with the market. For great Ethiopian food in Seattle, there are several strong options. Our favorite is Ras Dashan on East Cherry...better quality than Queen Sheba and over twice the amount of food for the same price!

    (1)

  • Heather H.

    I feel this place has its good qualities and then some slightly missed steps. This all could have been due to random night we came in on, but I felt something was slightly lacking here. The food was super! You get one funky giant tray full of different aromatic foods. No forks here, this is traditional so you eat with the hands. I happen to be very familiar with this form of eating. No problem! Had the honey wine. Had to be the sweetest I had ever had. A good ending to the meal as a whole. I think this place has only one server. So that explains the lack of attention put on the customer. Once we entered, we kinda wandered a teeny bit before getting a table. They also seem to take a long while in getting you the check. I think I was about ready to jump up from my date and grab the check myself by the end. Good traditional food - go if you think your time allows for alot of waiting.

    (3)

  • Hagai K.

    Did not like the food. Service is good.

    (2)

  • Nancy F.

    This is the first Ethiopian restaurant I visited, and it made me an instant fan of the cuisine. Queen Sheba has been consistently great for the 7 years I've been going. The wait staff is usually minimal, but they do a good job nevertheless. I like both the vegetarian and meat combos, and I especially like their red lentils. The honey wine is a nice treat. I don't particularly care for the tapioca, but I'm usually way too full for dessert.

    (4)

  • Lee W.

    Grab a wad of injera, load wad with Ethiopian mystery food, stuff hole, repeat. This was my first experience with Ethiopian and it was epic! We did the veggie sampler tray and the meat sampler tray. The whole thing comes out on a a 4 foot round pallet with a bunch of different dishes dolloped around the edges. If you didn't know better you'd think a giant Bob Ross was coming to paint a tree with your food! The beef tibs were the highlight. Everything was loaded with flavor but the tibs were saucy, spicy and gosh darnit people liked it. Our waitress may have been new to the position, she seemed flabbergasted at times. Bringing too many beers and then charging us for the extra beer. Bringing extra injera upon request then forgetting to charge us for the extra injera. Ultimately Queen ShebaHawk is a four star establishment because the food was great and the price was very reasonable. $36 spent on an appetizer and the two sampler dishes and it fed six of us.

    (4)

  • Katy H.

    I've been here twice now and realized I've never written a review! Shame on me .. This restaurant was my first Ethiopian experience and I have to say I was quite pleased. The food is simple, tasty, and plentiful! I'm also a fan of eating with my hands. (As long as I get a napkin!) During my first visit I was in the company of my sister who is a vegetarian. We didn't try anything with meat but I enjoyed the food a lot. This second visit was the opposite and again, the food was great. I am actually not a fan of lamb and LOVED it here. So much that I'd order it again.. it was the best dish we picked out. (Can't recall the name of it...) I am also a fan of Chai tea and they serve it in a half litre carafe. YUM! It's clean, not too pricey, the location is easy to find, and the service is fast and friendly.

    (4)

  • Pretty S.

    A vegetarian delight!

    (5)

  • Amanda T.

    This was my first time eating Ethiopian food. We ordered the Meat Combo dish that came with 4 of their meat dishes in one. The first was Doro Wot which is chicken leg, this one was spicy but in a good way; the second Yebeg Alicha, this is Lamb; the third was Sega Tibs which is a beef with onions and tomatoes; and the fourth is Bozena Shiro which is also a beef dish, these were all served on one plate each in their own space atop Injera. In the center was a cabbage, carrot salad of sorts. The dish was served with Injera for each person to eat with as silverware is not provided. The food was fantastic, I ordered a glass of their Honey Wine which was also great, I'm not much of a wine person but this was sweet and very tasty. I highly recommend visitng, my only complaint is that the waitress never returned to refill my water. This was empty before she ever came with our food to begin with. I should have asked for a refill when she brought our dinner, not that I should have to ask in the first place. Aside from no refill on the water, the waitress was sweet; the place was clean and comfortable. The music was soothing and not too loud. Definitely visiting this place again.

    (4)

  • Calvin Y.

    I like Queen Sheba. But I don't LOVE Queen Sheba. The restaurant is easily found because it's right off Broadway on East John Street. And it's a house! Since we're not very good at making decisions - we decided to order the Veggie and Meat Sampler Plates. The two sampler plates were $10 and $20 respectively and it was plenty of food for three! The waitress we had was extremely nice and helpful. The meat is tremendously tender - especially the chicken in the doro wat. And I absolutely love their bread. It's just the right amount of sour. But the food is slightly bland especially the spinach in the veggie sampler. Unfortunately, the restaurant is really crowded... and HERE'S PROOF: rather than trying to make our own conversation, my friends and I couldn't help but eavesdrop on the table behind us. From the random pieces of information we obtained every now and then, we concluded the man did not look old enough to have a daughter in college. If you do decide to eat here, make sure you use your indoor voices -- otherwise you will be judged by your fellow restaurant patrons.

    (3)

  • Tanya P.

    Loved the vegetarian sampler!!! Service was great! My kids loved it, we will go back!

    (4)

  • Agnus R.

    Sharp little bones in my husbands food and big ones in his friends that cut their gums and made it so they couldn't early their food. We told the server and she just shrugged and walked away and didn't return until I got up and walked over to where she was sitting on the couch, talking to another girl and asks for my tab. I actually had to tap her on the shoulder because the first two times I said something, she completely ignored me. The time before that, they put my vegan food right next to their meatiness after I had said I would like a separate platter for the vegan food. The server said that she wouldn't charge me for a replacement, but she did anyway. I'd tolerated their overly greasy food and slow service in the past because I love Ethiopian food. But after the last TWO times have been so offensive, I've discovered some really excellent alternatives to this place.

    (1)

  • Marie B.

    The absolute most disgusting Ethiopian/Eritrean food I've ever eaten... and Ethiopian is by far my favorite! The veggie combo picture of mush below is exactly what our plate offered.... it took about 30 minutes for it to come out... I always order the veggie combo and it comes out beautiful elsewhere: full of many choices, fresh, and always with a salad. Here it was tablespoons of mush... so gross. It tasted bland... and had we not been starving and eaten it, it probably is the only place I would have sent the food back and left. When we went to pay, we saw our waitress sitting back near the kitchen eating a FEAST of about 10 different amazing looking dishes with all five or her Ethiopian friends... so I guess you have to be family to get good food and service here. Best Ethiopian: GOJO on 135th and Aurora Ave N

    (1)

  • Anna L.

    Hits the spot, every time. Friendly staff!

    (5)

  • Maureen M.

    Off the beaten path, this I'd a quaint authentic Ethiopian restaurant that has its charms. Good food, pretty good service, relaxed environment that could use a bit more pizzazz.

    (2)

  • Orkhan M.

    We come here once in a while and are always satisfied with the service and food. My favorite dish is the meat combo for two.

    (5)

  • Trista M.

    We had a sampler of the meat combo and veggie combo, VERY rich in flavors. You do not use forks. Your food is served with a plate of spongy bread that you grab your food with. Honey wine sampling was too sweet for my liking, so we went with the Porcupine African Wine, which was very tasty. Atmosphere as pleasant and service was good.

    (4)

  • Victoria T.

    The service was impeccable, friendly and prompt. The food was flavorful. The portions large. The atmosphere festive. Great family dining experience.

    (4)

  • Ashley T.

    Chicken tibs were nice, but the vegetarian combo was pretty bland compared to other Ethiopian restaurants in the area. Disappointing servings (not enough injera to finish the meal with, despite meager portions of the stews themselves) and quality of food for the price compared to other restaurants in the area. The ambience of the restaurant was nice, though.

    (2)

  • Eureeka S.

    I found this restaurant nestled in Capitol Hill, thanks to a local's recommendation. It was my first experience with Ethiopian cuisine, & I'm happy to say it was a positive one! I ordered the spicy chicken entree, which came with lentils on injera. For those unfamiliar with this style of dining, injera is a disc-shaped, spongy bread made of teff flour. It is used to grab the food on your plate (you won't find utensils here). Don't worry, it tastes far better than that explanation made it sound! The portions were filling & contained just the right amount of "zing." I heartily disagree with the complaints I've read about the lentils' lack of flavor...I love spice & thought absolutely everything on my plate was delicious. Service was attentive without being intrusive, which allowed me to take in the intimate lighting, flavorful food, good music & happy chatter. Wonderful ambience. I highly recommend Queen Sheba to fans of Ethiopian food or otherwise flavorful dishes. I can't wait to try more!

    (4)

  • P C.

    After being to other Ethiopian restaurants in Seattle, I would like to reduce 1 star for Queen Sheba. I have had a couple of bad experiences as well. Once I came in with friends visiting Seattle and they didn't have any Ethiopian beer or wine or Doro Wot. On a friday evening. WTF ? Another day I went there with my wife around 9:45 pm and they were already closed even though their website advertised to be open till 10:30 or 11:00 (dont remember exact time). Ofcourse we went to Saba and had some nice food :)

    (3)

  • James F.

    No idea if this is quality ethiopian food or not since it's the only time i've ever had it. But i thought the food was delicious. Huge portions and fun to go with a group because you can share their platters. The meat is perfectly seasoned. Don't get me wrong, i love meat but i wish it was a little more balanced with some veggies. everything was meat and carb based.

    (3)

  • Sabrina F.

    Worst Ethiopian restaurant ever. Anyone giving this place good reviews must not have had any sort of decent Ethiopian food before. Lamb stew was tasty, but the meat was tough. Injera was good, but dry on the edges. No fresh tomatoes or avocados, and lentil and stewed cabbage accompaniments were served in stingy portions - the meal was just very poorly balanced. Service was excruciatingly slow. I actually got up to get menus for our table because the waitress was busy chatting up her celly. Had to get up a second time at the end of the meal to ask for our check; this time, she was busy hanging out with a coworker in the lounge. She never checked in on us, other than to bring our order. Ladies at the next table also got up to find the waitress so that they could order drinks. And to top it all off? We were over charged for the meal. The waitress was busy with her friend (again), so I just deducted the discrepancy from her tip and noted the error on the itemized receipt.

    (1)

  • Christine S.

    My husband and I have split two orders of vegetarian combos many times. Actually, it seems that this is what people order, looking over at other tables. The price is reasonable for it, about $11 per serving and you can try a little of almost everything. The food is delicious, always. They are often short staffed, so I would not recommend this restaurant if you are looking for quick service. If you are looking to relax with friends, this is a great place.

    (4)

  • Brian R.

    I absolutely love Ethiopian food. I actually just came from Lancaster, PA, of all places, that had some great wat and the best Injera I've ever had. This place. Wow, not so much. The vege combo did not have one particularly delicious component to it; all the them were rather bland and lacking that kick that is so distinctive of Ethiopian. The injera also lacks the sourness that compliments the berbere and other spices typically used in Ethiopian cuisine. Never did I think I'd have bland Ethiopian! Perhaps the Kitfo or Tibs might be good but no way you'd wanna goorsha with any of the veggie dishes.

    (2)

  • Elaine L.

    Went here with my boyfriend, we bought a Groupon good for $50 worth of food. OMG this place was delish! This was both of our first time trying Ethiopian food and we loved it. For the $25 we spent there was so much food that we received. The staff was very friendly and answered all of our questions. They also had some really great beer. Will be going there again.

    (5)

  • Sean C.

    Once, I was a sheltered young suburbanite whose idea of "ethnic food" was Americanized Chinese food. My first exposure to the idea of an Ethiopian restaurant was someone telling me an extremely worn out joke that isn't funny enough to repeat, and then a serious endorsement and a basic explanation of injera, the traditional spongy bread that is used in the place of utensils. Many years later, after moving to the Seattle area, I noticed Queen Sheba across the street while going to Vivace with a friend and decided to try it out. Despite having about five different dining companions here over many dinner visits, what inevitably seems to happen is sharing the vegetarian sampler of five different dishes including tasty lentils and greens as well as the yebeg wat, a lamb dish in a reddish-brown sauce that is spicy to my taste but still edible for my companions. Another less food-related reason I find myself coming back here is that Queen Sheba works well as part of an affordable dinner date before catching a show or other main event on Capitol Hill. It's not ideal for a first date as concern with first impressions doesn't mix well with the inevitable mess of eating with injera, but it's good for a relaxed second or third date (and at least I would personally be wary of someone who, under no pressure, is too uptight to forego utensils.) My only negatives about this place are: - It gets a bit hot inside during the summer. - At peak dinner times on weekends there can be a bit of a wait (I've waited about 20 minutes for a table for 2 on more than one occasion on a Saturday night.) - Parking is the standard Capitol Hill street parking. My only usual regret after dinner at Queen Sheba is that I'm so full of good food that there's no way I can go to Dilettante afterward in the same evening for dessert. Try it, you are unlikely to be disappointed.

    (4)

  • Matthew K.

    (Imagine Cartman from South Park saying the following) ============================= Crap, Crappitiy, Crap, Crap, CRAP!! ============================= Good food here? Eek! Methinks not... I had the meat sampler platter and they might have gotten a good reivew... had the food been fresh, or had they at least heated it up to be warm, or had they cooked it to be tender, or had the meat been moist, or had they served it quickly, or had it not cost $20 per plate, or... I could go through at least 8 other reasons but frankly Id rather write a review for somewhere that doesn't suck! Avoid this place... I have spoken.

    (1)

  • Lisa B.

    I've only eaten at 3 Ethiopian restaurants, and each one has it's own uniqueness, so it's hard to rate these. I do get cravings for this food, and usually go to Zuma Grocery, but Zuma is really best for take-out. Queen Sheba is more of a place you'd like to stay to eat, and the staff there is welcoming. You can expect leftovers when eating Ethiopian food, and I love having something interesting to take to work for lunch the next day. Vegetarians will be happily sated, and the food is quite affordable. I plan to go back to this restaurant, although I'm still leaning toward Zuma as my favorite. However, I might need to sample a wider variety of Ethiopian restaurants to become a reliable reviewer.

    (4)

  • Jessica M.

    This Ethiopian place was somewhere between a Meh! I've experienced better and an A-OK restaurant for me. It wasn't so bad that I thought about asking for my money back but it didn't blow me away enough to recommend it to anyone. I shared a meat ($19.95) combo and a vegetarian ($10.95) combo with my husband. Both combos were served on the same platter. While the variety and amount of food in the combo was impressive, only a few dishes stood out as enjoyable and they were from the vegetarian choices. This was not the first time I have had Ethiopian food so I can say it was just OK. I was pleased that our group of seven was easily seated at 7pm on a Saturday night. The restaurant was somewhat empty so I was surprised that our drink refills took a long time and we rarely saw our server.

    (3)

  • Melissa J.

    I haven't written many (well any) reviews yet and I figured that now was a good time to start. Queen Sheba is my Ethiopian restaurant by choice. I have tried several others throughout the city and this one has really great flavors in comparison to the others that I have been to. The main reason I came on here is because I went again last night with the guy I am dating, generally it is just the two of us who go here, as it is a very small ( about 16 tables ) , the waitress is very friendly, and the atmosphere is always very inviting. Well last night was actually a bit of a different atmosphere, not that I minded very much. I noticed there was a Groupon out recently, and I am assuming a ton of people bought it because the place was packed. I have been here a number of times and I haven't ever seen it filled beyond 5 parties. They always only have one waitress on, which by no means is smart when you put out a Groupon to increase the amount of people coming in. I noticed two parties walk out while I was there, and I felt so bad for the waitress. I completely understand why they left, however she was the one doing drinks, taking orders, seating, cleaning, delivering food, etc. Again, I understand anyone's frustration with not being helped in a timely manner. You will be helped, just realize you have one waitress to 20 tables. I have never been a waitress, but I am pretty sure doing 20 tables by yourself, for everything, must be a lot. Also, I noticed someone else used the groupon and gave the place a one star. One of the things I noticed is that they complained about them being out of something. It happens at this place often - even when they aren't that busy, which is disappointing to anyone! I can imagine it will happen more since they are busy. Last night they were out of Bamia, and that is one of our favorite things on the menu. Just ask to do a replacement, we ended up getting Yebeg wot (we aren't vegetarians so we didn't mind adding a meat) and it was delicious. I do think they need to bring in extra help while the groupon is still out there, as I think they will be awfully busy for awhile. Just in case that doesn't happen, be prepared to have a slow BUT highly enjoyable mean. Order a bottle of honey wine to help you with your wait! I gave Queen Sheba a 5 because the food is amazing, the atmosphere is very nice and relaxing, and if you are nice to the waitress then she will be nice to you (kinda like the way it is at any restaurant I have been to) Enjoy!

    (5)

  • Jennifer C.

    Queen Sheba used to be one of my favorite restaurants. Favorite favorite, not just tops in the Ethiopian genre. It had been some time since my last visit, however, and given my fond memories I was surprised to see some of the negative reviews on Yelp. Unfortunately, after my Queen Sheba visit this evening I can understand the less-than-stellar grades. I could swear I remember the decor and lighting being more homey and inviting. For instance, I feel like their used to be vases on the tables or some kind of special touch to make them less stark. But now....bare tables abound. The service wasn't much warmer than the atmosphere; nobody was rude, but just not particularly cheery or attentive. Long waits to get the bill and to have our cards picked up. The food was the key disappointment, however. The lentil dishes were all runny and pretty much tasted the same. Good greens...the flavor of the cabbage and potatoes was good, but the potatoes hunks were so big they were downright unmanageable. Nice spice on the spicy chicken. The injera was okay, but I feel like I've had better. Does injera vary that much from place to place? Maybe not...maybe I just felt let down overall.

    (2)

  • Michelle F.

    This is a great little place that I would have never thought to try, but I'm glad I did. It's an older house that has been converted into a restaurant and the service is very good. The food is great and you always leave feeling full. I especially like that they note how spicy each dish is, and everything is separated on a big plate, so the spicy dishes don't mix with the no-so-spicy. It's fun to go with a larger group and have everyone share around the big plate of all different foods. Prices are reasonable and it's easy to get a table...except Friday or Saturday night, in which case, I'd make a reservation in advance.

    (5)

  • Kim C.

    O Queen Sheba~ Queen Sheba was my first (L)... Ethiopian experience, that is. My sister took me there the first time years ago when I was visiting Seattle from Oregon (Eugene). It is, like, the best way to get kids eat their veggies (coz I used to hate the texture and the noise of veggies, and in Ethiopian food, it's mostly mush. yay!). and I still recall my first thought, unfortunately ignorant, "they have food in Ethiopia?" YES THEY DO AND THEY ARE AWESOME. Meat combo and veggie combo are my favorite selections on the menu as I can get all the stuff I like and some variety. We tried steering away from combo once and ordered a couple of dishes not included in the combo's just to see how they taste; they tasted great, but I got bored quickly. Meat combo has always been big enough for sharing amonst 2, since injeras are bottomless. Veggie combo is less heavy (and half the price of meat combo) so solo is ok too. Try out their honey beer (Harar? Harrar? Harral?) - it's a lightly sweet refreshing beer. We typically go for dinner for 2 during the week and never had trouble with getting a table without reservation. Except that parking is a pain in the backside, so bus! bike! run! walk! if you have to.

    (4)

  • Frank A.

    I know you're excited because you think you discovered some new kind of food. You must feel like Christopher Colombus, or Capt. Kirk or something....Really though, know what food is supposed to taste like before you write a review of it...Sheba is just not that good when it comes to Ethiopian food, even for Seattle. The portion size is small, the food is bland, and the service is shit. Head down Cherry street if you want good ethiopian. There are about 6 different options, all of which are better.

    (1)

  • Lily H.

    Knocked off a star of my review because I brought my cousins here one evening at 10 p.m. only to be told that the kitchen was closed although everything about the business says they're open until 11 (including the sign outside).

    (3)

  • Sarah B.

    I guess this is the beginner Ethiopian restaurant. We wanted to try something different and this seemed like a great idea. Great atmosphere and beautiful objects to look at while you eat. Friendly wait staff that are willing to advise you through the menu. We ordered a sampler and it was plenty of food for two people. Great selections to try and the bread was so delicious. Topped it all off with an imported Ethiopian beer. Very sweet and satisfying. We went the whole course and ordered coffee and baklava. Both were a nice ending to a wonderful dining experience. They staff even let us finish up in peace before they closed. Very classy and a great place to have a full meal. Oh! And really affordable too.

    (5)

  • Paul F.

    This place makes me happy. It's too hot in the summer, but I don't let that take any points away because it's African food and AC might take away from it? I don't know. I'm probably irrational here, maybe the places further outside of yuppie capital hill are better, but they look all run down and proximity is important too.

    (5)

  • Kole M.

    The only thing I have ever eaten here is the Veggie platter. But DAMN!!! Mmmmm I am getting hungry just thinking about it. Plenty of Injera and decent size portions. You WILL get full even if sharing with a friend.

    (4)

  • Rany S.

    I really enjoyed this place. I've been a few times with different friends and we've always enjoyed our experience. The food has been great almost all times except for the last time I went where I didn't feel there was enough flavor. But that could've been just the night. We've ordered the spicy chicken, the veggie combo, the tilapia fish and lamb. I didn't try the lamb but heard it was good. The tilapia is OK but my favorite is definitely the spicy chicken. Eating the food is an experience in itself as you eat with your hands (which I'm used to since I'm Asian and grew up that way) using injera (a spongy type bread) to scoop up your food. I've always had good service everytime that I'm there and pretty speedy. I am anxious to try other Ethiopian places around but I definitely would recommend this place.

    (3)

  • V F.

    I went here with a group of friends, there were four of us. To start I called to make reservations, I was told it wasn't busy, but I made a reservation anyway. When we got there they tried to sit us in their back area that has two tall baskets that seem to serve as a "table". I had to ask several times for the table I called to reserve. We ordered two meat platters and two veggie combos. They brought out one platter for supposedly four entrees equating to $60 worth of food on one platter. Not feasible. One: my husband and I are vegetarian. Needless to say we were pissed at having to figure out what were should be avoiding with everything heaped together. I've eaten Ethiopian food in numerous times and have never seen this before. We were very disappointed by our experience. Not to mention they actually charged us a $5 fee that said for four. We will not be going back. The food is ok. It is however not worth the price by any stretch and there are far better places out there ie: Meskel is fantastic.

    (1)

  • Mr. Garret F.

    Though it's a bit cramped, Queen Sheeba is the best Ethiopian in Seattle. The plate sharing, no silverware family style dining is the best part. It's very romantic, and has a great beverage selection. Ethiopian beer is great! The vegetarian sampler is a must have and the lamb dishes are fantastic. All of the food is served on some of the most interesting bread I have ever had, which I can't get enough of.

    (5)

  • Nicola L.

    I love Queen Sheba. Go for good food and for a fun and different experience! Over the years I have basically tried a lot of their items: doro, gomen, yebeg tibs, spicy chicken, doro wot, spris and more. I was never disappointed and we always find a table when we go. Probably not the best wine selection but, after all, why did I order wine there? The place is very clean and the service is friendly and attentive.

    (5)

  • F D.

    My favorite Ethiopian place in Seattle. I always order a veggie platter and split it with my wife. Usually, we can't finish it.

    (5)

  • Fumi S.

    I love the bread (I don't know the name for it...you know the pancake-like fluffy one) and their vegetable dishes! Every time I go there, my tummy feels says "thank you"...I don't know what it is, but their food makes me feel comfortable. I might have been Ethiopian in my previous life??

    (5)

  • Laura B.

    If I were given a choice between Sheba and a burger joint, ok, you got me, Sheba would sound delish... however, if you told me that I could go to Saba, even if Sheba was right in front of my fasted-2-days face, I'd race off to Saba... the quality of the food I've had at Sheba just hasn't been there. The convenient location is good for their business, but I think they know they'll get the business whether they work really hard to do it all just right or whether they put twice the water in the sauce and add some bland starches to thicken it up and make it adhere... having made berbere and niter kibbeh, also having that John Lee Supertaster set of buds in my mouth, I can tell that there's some serious fufu going on here (that's like ... our mashed potato equivalent, but better except in sauces)... or maybe just potato starch... In any case, the food has been bland (it should be making me cry with joy and sinus tension!)... maybe because of the yuppies that live around there, the blander barely-warm flavor is what they want, but for me, it's a serious disappointment to pay more than their competitors (quite a bit more come to think of it) and get TINY portions by comparison... tiny portions of blandness... I want those hot lentils and collards and ... sigh... I'm not even sure they make their own bread--it's been dryer than anywhere else and lacks the "we caught all this bacteria and mold from the air you're breathing" freshness of other injera I've consumed (and I've had a lot of injera, almost all fresh from scratch from high quality teff flour)... If this was the only Ethiopian food I had ever had, I might be rating it higher, but it's not, so... yeah. The 2 star "meh" is as good as I can grant Sheeba, and one star is for honey wine that I enjoyed thoroughly (I was really thirsty, though, partly because my food was kinda dry given that it was supposed to be doused in lots of eating-this-is-awkward sauce!) Alas.... between the lack of spiciness, the small portions, and the slow and slower service... I think I'll just open a jumbo can of van camp's baked beans and toss cayenne pepper in it. I think I'd be better off. So would my wallet.

    (2)

  • Brent F.

    I like this place. The food is good and the atmosphere cozy and inviting. First time I did the sampler with lots of tasty (some meaty) stuff on a huge injera. Second time tried the Gomen (greens) and it was equally good. Yum.

    (3)

  • Sara B.

    I am not an Ethiopian food expert. But I thought the veggie combo was damn good, especially the cabbage (seriously, best cabbage I've ever had), and definitely enough for two people. When two friends and I wanted to share a veggie combo three ways with appetizers, the server gave us some guff about it. But we weren't super hungry, and it really was plenty of food for us. Plus everyone at the table had a beer with their meal. The up-sell was a little irritating. Other than that, service was decent-- not super slow like some reviewers mentioned-- and prices were reasonable. I didn't ever get a chance to examine the bill, so I'm not sure if the extra injera we all were handed (without asking for it) cost or not. No one I was with mentioned it, though plenty of other reviewers have. I liked the place, though, and I think it's worth a first-hand try to decide for yourself.

    (3)

  • Grace S.

    My favorite dishes here are the gomen platter (spinach) and the shiro. I can attest to the service sometimes being incredibly slow. We've waited an hour or more when the place was not near full. And waited for glasses to fill as well. We quit having them combine platters because we found that we were paying twice as much, but only getting 1/3 more food. We always get separate platters now because of this, even if its the same dish. The taste can be inconsistent from visit to visit as well. Not badly off, but it definitely can vary. Bring tupperware! It can be a lot of food - I can easily get several meals out of one platter. Despite the issues, we like the food and return periodically. Our other favorite is Meskel on Cherry and 26th.

    (4)

  • Robin N.

    Love, love, love, love, LOVE this place! A friend recommended it to my bf and I, and we've been hooked ever since! Great atmosphere and VERY kind servers. Plus, the iced chai tea is a huge glass and delicious! Great ethiopian food (the spices are perfectly used in the dishes) and if you enjoy middle eastern food and aren't afraid to eat with your hands, then you should give it a try! *****!

    (5)

  • Justin S.

    The smell is so good when you walk into this place and it's well decorated in African/Ethiopian decor. Excellent Ethiopian food. We got the vegetarian sampler. Each plop of Ethiopian goodness on top of delicious injera was incredible. Any place where you get a chance to eat with your hands is okay by me. I would recommend trying the honey wine which is good but beware, it's very strong. It may be too sweet for some.

    (5)

  • Mary Moon H.

    Oh my goodness! What is wrong with this place?! I've been here three times and each time I've had the worst service ever! They take at minimum and hour to get you your food and that's after the 20-30 minute wait to even give your order! Then if you're like me and my fiancé and would like to order (gasp) another glass of wine or beer, give yourself another 30 minutes to get the waiters attention and another 20 to actually get the glass. I honestly wish they'd get their wait service/cooks together because the food is delicious (hence the three visits) and the wait staff is in no way rude just slower than your grandma wading through a pool of pudding! You definitely need to give yourself 3 hours to spend at dinner, have no plans after, and have eaten a large filling meal right before you go to be able to over look the long wait and enjoy the food. I've never tried calling head for take out, but I fear I'd get the same experience and kick myself for yet again attempting this place. I think for now I'll go in search of a better alternative.

    (1)

  • Eric R.

    The food was excellent. I had Gomen (a green leafy vegetable thing) and Misser Wot (lentils in a spicy sauce). The service was fast and friendly. My table was tilted, so my water glass fell off of it. The restaurant is a converted house, which is kind of homey, but it needs a little work.

    (4)

  • Liz L.

    I loved Queen Sheba - had the veggie and meat combo, which was more than enough for me and 2 friends. Try their honey wine - it's sweet enough to stand on its own as a dessert. YUM! Service was great, and there was absolutely no wait when I went - this place is a gem.

    (5)

  • Traci R.

    This place is fantastic... just make sure you go at the right time. We went and luckily got the last table open for dinner and proceeded to watch the people after us continue to wait for a table through our entire meal. The food was fantastic, we got the vegetarian appetizer rolls which were great, between 4 of us we got one meat combo and one veggie combo and it was plenty. The spongy bread is amazing. Their honey wine was delicious. The service is pretty slow so go when you have a long time to spend there. The bill was very reasonable as well.

    (4)

  • Jeremy C.

    I had never had Ethiopian food and asked some of my food-snob-friends where to go and they consistently insisted that I not eat here (despite it's apparent popularity) because the food is allegedly bland. However, walking past it one day I couldn't resist going in because it smelled so good. I really enjoyed my dinner. The flavors of each dish were truly unique and it certainly wasn't underspiced (one of the dishes actually bordered on too much spice, in that it was very rich). I've since been to an additional Ethiopian restaraunt (Hidmo, which came highly recommended) and I think that the food is comparable. However, Queen Sheba is clearly targeting a diverse crowd who may not be familiar with Ethiopian food; their waitstaff went out of their way to introduce the dishes, spices and customs and the prices reflect their bid to target those interested specifically in "International Cuisine" - I suspect that the only affront to the "authenticity" of Queen Sheba is their acknowledgement of an audience beyond a local Ethiopian community. That said, if you are willing to pay a bit more for a cute environment and potentially a slightly more accessible location (Queen Sheba is right off Broadway) I think this restaurant is a fine example of local Ethiopian cuisine. However, if the understated simplicity of a local hole-in-the-wall is more your style you can save some money by traveling a couple miles south to Hidmo (or any of several other Ethiopian restaraunts in the CD) and you may enjoy some slight variations in menu and preparation.

    (4)

  • Sean C.

    Good food, good prices, friendly service. Recommend the vegetarian combo.

    (4)

  • Nicole K.

    Loads of vegetarian foods, great ambiance, and excellent service. I was taken here by my brother and his fiance, and I owe them one for introducing me to this place ( good family, you can stay). Definitely order the veggie sampler, but it really is only meant for one person.

    (4)

  • Anna A.

    If you are into checking new tastes from the world this place wont let you down. Its good. Its exciting and its cool. Try the Ethiopian beer or wine. The vege combo platter is so good. Go try it .Go!

    (4)

  • Susan M.

    While visiting Seattle from Boston my friend and I stopped a young couple on the street in the funky Capital Hill area. It turned out they moved out there from Norwood MA! Their faces lit up when asked where they love to eat. Did we like Ethiopian food? Queen Sheba was their favorite place. Neither of us had eaten Ethiopian food before so we hesitated then jumped in. It was a beautiful night out on their patio. We ordered one of the spicy white fish dishes and the veggie combo. What arrived was beautiful, so colorful and absolutely delicious. Something as simple as spinach was cooked to garlicky perfection, even the okra wasn't mushy. The fish had just the right kick and loaded with flavor. We couldn't stop eating everything on the plate and then the pancake underneath. Perhaps I will now be spoiled and not like any other Ethiopian restaurant? One note, on top of the great food was really good service. I didn't care for the wine I chose, it tasted sour to me and our lovely waitress took it off the bill. They didn't have to do that, I'm the one who chose it but they did. Thank you so much to the couple from Norwood we now love this place as much as you.

    (5)

  • Jan S.

    Great veggie combo plates with great taste and variety. Wash that down with some red house wine and you have a complete meal. :) The service was good, the atmosphere nice and the food was great. Can't wait to go again.

    (4)

  • Jenelle S.

    The food was delicious and the service was very fast, never had to ask for more water or wait longer than 10 minutes for our dinner. We got the meat combo which had a little bit of everything, I only wish they told us which one was which. Would recommend and go again!

    (5)

  • Trisha F.

    It is really too bad that I am rating Queen Sheba so low. It is near work, delivers through a variety of the third party services, and the food is great. When I spend $300 on dinner and I happily see that there is a 10% off the bill after check in, I'm really excited. I didn't expect the discount-- I picked this place because I knew the food was good. So when I ask the waitress two or three times about the discount and she says she will take care of it, I assume she does. Apparently at Queen Sheba they don't think this is a big deal. The bill was full price, even on itemized receipts after the main bill came. I understand not discounting alcohol or something, or even trying to tell me that the discount can't be used on a split ticket order, etc, but when you tell me you are honoring a discount YOU SET UP, please do that.

    (1)

  • Christina B.

    I like the location as well as the ambience. It's open and nice. Service was very prompt. The food was okay. I ordered the Doro (Chicken) Wot and my friend ordered Lamb Tibs. Both were good but not very flavorful. The Doro Wot is supposed to be spicy, but it barely had any heat (and I'm pretty wimpy when it comes to spicy food). The injera was nice though. The finishing touch, for me, was the lack of toilet paper in the women's bathroom. I had to use paper towels. Ugh. I was glad to try it because I've been curious for a while, but I probably won't be back, mostly because I know of other Ethiopian places that I like more.

    (3)

  • Gunjan M.

    Decent Ethiopian food with good injira appetizers. But coming from San Francisco this was no match for Zeni's Ethiopian cuisine.

    (3)

  • Anya G.

    Anya's Rating Summary: Food (3/5), Pricing (2/5), Service (4/5), Atmosphere (3/5) Food: Second time having Ethiopian and again, it didn't disappoint. I had a lamb dish called the Yebeg Tibs. It was presented nicely and had a nice flavor. Overall I would rate it 3/5 on the food. Pricing: Pricing was definitely more expensive than what you got. Total for just the lamb was $13.95 before taxes, which would be fine if the portion were a bit larger and it wasn't lunch time. Overall I would rate it 2/5 on pricing. Service: The waitress was great, attentive, and offered up suggestions that made it easier to order. The food was swiftly made and presented at my table in a very quick manner. Overall I would rate it 4/5 on service. Atmosphere: I went during lunch time, there was no one in the restaurant, but it has quite an open floor plan with an area offset from the rest of the restaurant that would be best suited for a date. Otherwise, the place is suited best for groups, bigger tables, shared plates, etc. Overall, I would rate it 3/5 on atmosphere.

    (3)

  • Madison G.

    Maybe I am just too loyal to my favorite Ethiopian restaurant that my mind and taste buds refuse to let me believe any other place is good. Well, don't get me wrong, it is good here. Very flavorsome, but not a whole lot is given to you. $27.99 seems a bit pricey for the amount you get in the meat combo. It says it feeds two, but I felt like my cousin and I were fighting over what was on the plate. Also, $2 for extra injera? This is the only place where I've seen that they charge extra, which seems a bit ridiculous since they give you only one to begin with. Service was okay, but out of every table in the restaurant, all were available because no one else was there except us, and she still sat us next to the stairs where my cousins chair was literally in the plant behind her, lol. It seemed odd they'd even put a plant there to begin with and then have the nerve to put us there when we were the only ones eating there.

    (3)

  • Vega S.

    I was in a group of eight people and had the chance to try one vegetarian platter and two non-vegetarian platters. The food was without a doubt the best Ethiopian I have had thus far in Seattle. Till date I haven't enjoyed Injera, a moist fermented bread which is a staple in Ethiopian food. Mostly because it is often far too sour. But the injera at Queen Sheba's was perfect. Not too tart and really delicious. The Misir and Shiro wat were my other two favorite dishes. Not too spicy but at the same time very flavorful. If you are vegetarian or vegan you will go nutty for this place. The customer service was 7/10. They are nice but somewhat disorganized in the back. Lot of fumbling around when we asked to split the check. But ultimately a good experience. And very affordable as Ethiopian food goes. I will recommend this place to friends and probably go back some time soon. FYI they do charge an uncorking fee of $6 if you order a bottle of wine. They will not tell you in advance.

    (5)

  • Linda T.

    This was my first Ethiopian food experience and I'm a huge fan of all the flavors. My friend and I ordered the veggie combo and a fish item, which was more than enough for the 2 of us. All of the dishes were so flavorful and delicious. There were 2 fish dishes to choose from, we went with the waitress' suggestion and it was my favorite dish. The fish was tender and flaky, perfectly cooked with tasty spices. Instead of utensils, they serve a type of flatbread (I don't know what it's called) to scoop up the food. The flatbread has a sour flavor to it that I wasn't a big fan of, best to take small bits of flatbread and do your best to scoop up lots of food, it's ok to get your fingers dirty. The flatbread also expands later and makes you feel excessively full. I also tried an Ethiopian beer (not the lagers) and it was pretty good. Thoroughly enjoyed my first experience and looking forward to more!

    (4)

  • John C.

    Came here because I hadn't tried Ethiopian food before. It didn't take long for me to realize that just about everything is eaten with the spongy bread.We had ordered extra bread so it made it easier for us to grab the meat with. The platter was delicious but with all the bread going into my stomach, it didn't take long for me to start feeling full. I think if I were to visit again, I'd try some of their other dishes that don't have the bread, especially if some of the dishes already come with it. Service was professional and I enjoyed the laid back atmosphere.

    (4)

  • Stanlo S.

    Great food! It's quite filling and has both a lot of meaty and veg* options which is pretty rad if you're grabbing a bite with a diverse group of friends. I recommend the veggie combo for vegetarians. It's pretty modest on the outside and sort of fancy looking inside. Dimly lit, chill atmosphere. Service has been pretty neutral for me, sort of quiet but friendly.

    (4)

  • Sydney G.

    Went here on a recommendation from a friend that this was the best place to eat in Seattle but this would not be the best for a long shot. Although the service was very good, this couldn't be my top location simply because of the food. It was just meh. We got the combination platter with various meats but the meat parts were surprisingly lacking in any spice. The vegetables areas were fantastic but the beef and chicken were lacking in comparison.

    (3)

  • Luwam A.

    Wonderfully decorated, felt like I was in a restaurant back in Addis, amazing food and friendly waitresses as well!

    (5)

  • Christina C.

    I used to live in Ethiopia and the food is quite comparable here. Service here is also as good as it gets! They were more than accomodating and I even got to order off the menu (tagabino, thick shiro wat, is my absolute favorite!) and they may even take traditional Ethiopian coffee orders a day in advance (Ethiopian coffee ceremonies include coffee beans roasting, popcorn, and all around, good vibes!). Come here, befriend Abi (the owner) and his sisters, and be prepared for impeccable service!

    (5)

  • Vivian S.

    WE HAVE A WINNER! I have been searching for an Ethiopian restaurant to rival Nyala in LA - and this is it! The search has ended, THIS is what Ethiopian food is supposed to be! Moist and flavorful without just being hot. Served with those wonderful veggie garnishes (sides?) that set off the flavor beautifully. And the restaurant itself is very nice! Homey yet upscale-ish. The wait staff is brilliant (but I notice this tends to be the case in all Ethiopian restaurants) - they hung out while I pigged on extra orders after they closed and were very encouraging - or maybe they figured out that I would keep buying the longer I stayed? LOL! No I'm serious they wouldn't let me leave. :) I have to admit, I made a pig of myself on Yebeg Tibs (yum!) and ordered some Yebeg Alicha to go too. And peeled the Injera off the plate and stuffed it into my to go box (what? Its the tastiest part! It soaks up all the sauce during the meal!) I cant say enough about this place, except see you there next weekend. They told me that on the weekends they open at 4pm. Perhaps I'll move in? BONUS: I got 10% off when I checked in on my Yelp phone app.

    (5)

  • jill g.

    I used to eat here often when I lived in Capitol Hill but moved away many years ago. Revisited after not coming here for years and was not disappointed. Service is quiet and lovely. Decor/space is simple and comfy enough. Prices are good, food is really good! Everything was good - doro tibs, doro wot, the beef (can't remember the name), and the red lentil dish was the best. I'd go back tomorrow if I could.

    (4)

  • J C.

    This used to be in our regular rotation, but for some reason we haven't been here in a while. Lots of new faces and the food is even more fantastic and flavorful than I remember. Takes a minute to remember how to eat with bread instead of silverware. And have a glass of the honey wine!

    (5)

  • Kari G.

    A suitable alternative to Habesha, a now-closed Ethiopian joint which used to be open in Denny triangle (and also used to be our favorite Ethiopian place). For starters, try the meat combo and veggie combo which will all be combined onto one delicious injera (spongy sourdough flatbread) plate. You! can! eat! the! plate!! It's more than enough for three people and we had plenty to take home/feed to Seattle's robust and colorful homeless population. Seating is comfortable, but a little cramped... the tables are possibly too close together when some dude sits down one table over and suddenly everyone at your table's boobs are resting on the tabletop. TMI... ... ...or is it? Let's give credit where credit is due: Service gets an A+ and also an A+ for a great selection of Ethiopian beers that can't be found anywhere else. Lighting is a little dark -- Keep this in mind if your date is hideous or on the rare sunny Seattle day when you want to dine and address your vitamin D deficiency simultaneously. Overall, there's something here for everyone -- even vegetarians!

    (4)

  • Aashish A.

    The food was really good. I didn't know about other chicken platters my friends were OK with it but I had a good one. Service was fine but I think they are running low on staff. Ambiance can be improved it gave me an old look. Pricing was good for the quantity they gave. Definitely it is not for the first timers. I suggest you can try at some other place if someone wants to try it out for first time.

    (3)

  • John M.

    Decent location and pretty good Ethiopian recipes. I would eat here again altho its yet to become a neighborhood favorite - mores just the more rare restaurant genre represented on the hill.

    (3)

  • Kathleen S.

    Great food- quick delivery! Highly recommended for authentic Ethiopian food in the city.

    (5)

  • Tony W.

    I can't say enough about this place! The atmosphere is great, the food is delicious, and the staff is Amazing!! My friends have been telling me about this place for months, and I believe I have found my new favorite dining place on the hill. Definitely will be coming back for more.

    (5)

  • Yeg M.

    Delicious authentic Ethiopia food and great ambiance! Last night we had veggie combination and doro wot ..it was amazing. Service was professional. Thank you

    (5)

  • Tyler P.

    We picked this place randomly out of Ethiopian places in Seattle. The final verdict is that it is good, but due to the proximity of other options I would try elsewhere. First, the prices they listed online were around $9 for the dish we wanted to order, and some of the other Ethiopian places were around $14. Well, once we arrived at Queen Sheba it turns out they are the same price as the other place. Atmosphere is dark, quiet, and chill. The food was good. The shiro was very thick (Togabino style, at least that is what we called it in Western Wollega, Ethiopia) and had a rich, dark, spicy flavor. If you prefer this style, this is the place for you! The Injera was good, thin and tangy. The lentils were well-seasoned and were the favorite of our dining party. The vegetables were seasoned well, but randomly included Okra. I had never had that before in Ethiopia or elsewhere in the USA! It was okay, but felt a little weird on an Ethiopian platter. In Seattle, you have so many other options, I would try elsewhere if possible. We were with some people who had never had Ethiopian before and I felt it was still a good experience for them, but would have preferred a better Shiro. It just wasn't the best, so I give it 3/5.

    (3)

  • Rod R.

    "Excellent environment, friendly service, great menu choices and really decent food and at affordable prices,I love the place and it's my favorite restaurant" will be back!!!

    (5)

  • Ninette C.

    Mandy S. and I came here to use my Groupon on a Tuesday evening. It wasn't very busy at 6:30 but quickly filled up at 7. We sat on the porch which was nice. This place is right off Broadway so it's nice that its close to a main street but a little bit quieter. For our appetizer, we got the veggie rolls upon recommendation of the waitress. She said it was a little different but it was honestly just the main food in a roll form so that was kind of lame. For entrees, we got 2 of the vegetarian combo. It came with a spinach dish, an okra dish, a potato dish, a chickpea dish and maybe another thing I don't remember. They didn't have as much variety as the other Ethiopian places I've been to. I always like the flavors but this could have used a little more kick. The bread was pretty good. She came to check on us once during entrees and determined we weren't ready for dessert. Not true. I tried to grab her but she disappeared for...about 30 minutes. I kid you not. I tried to flag her down so many times. We finally waited so long we decided to just take our dessert to go. My friend wanted the baklava but it was sold out so she had tiramisu and I had tapioca, both of which were decent. Overall, this place was ok. Ok food, bad service, nice atmosphere.

    (3)

  • Elizabeth T.

    This restaurant is the second Ethiopian restaurant I've been to. It came recommended to me by my friend who was born and raised in Ethiopia. It was just as delicious as he described. I came here with my husband and some friends on an awesome Groupon deal. I'd recommend getting the meat combo and veggie combo. It's really filling and you get to try everything on the menu. I like really enjoyed their chicken. It was so tender. It fell off the bone! It was so full of flavor. The lamb tips was amazing as well. The one contention I have about lamb is the game-y taste. With all the different spices the chefs use, it masks the game-y flavor. It absorbed all the deliciousness. It's a great place for vegetarians because of the different veggie dishes. This place is great for places as well. Ethiopian food, as I understand it, is a social event. Great atmosphere. Gets pretty crowded. Go early. This is nothing compared to Habesha Ethiopian Restaurant in Belltown, but it's a close runner up. I found my new Ethiopian restaurant to get my gursha fix.

    (4)

  • Dean M.

    I always order the Doro Tibs. The only complaint is when ordered to go, the chicken is soaking in the spicy sauce that is a little oily. Usually when we order it and eat it in the restaurant, the injera soaks up a lot of the oil, so what is left on top is a light sauce for the chicken. Therefore, I have to scoop it out of the to go container and strain it a bit. Other than that, it is a delicious meal. When my husband and I go together, we also have the veggie combo to balance out the meal.

    (4)

  • Katherine M.

    I used to love coming to Queen Sheba with friends for the (previously) delicious veggie combo - but after tonight's disappointing meal, I won't be coming back again. The food was way overpriced, under-seasoned, greasy, bland and totally disappointing - even the portions were smaller than previous visits. The prices seem to have gone up as well - the meal I had was only worth half of what I paid. I'd recommend checking out another Ethiopian place like Chef Cafe or Saba which aren't too far away.

    (1)

  • Aprameya R.

    Three point six eight stars for the food. It has never disappointed. Three stars because there is usually a very long line and the food takes a very long time getting to you. They seem unable to handle the crowd which causes service to lag which adds to the irritation. The ambience is pleasant enough - it is in Cap Hill so parking can be a challenge on a crowded evening - there's a park nearby that usually has free parking. The prices are reasonable in my opinion for the amount of food you can get.

    (3)

  • Jiayi L.

    Came here on a date-ish meet up. Staff is really friendly, but the food is not the most impressive Ethiopian. Ups: Great portion - the two of us got the veggie combo and felt pretty good afterwards House wine is a thumb up Good price Friendly stuff Ney-s: Slightly low key and dim environment. Do not recommend for first date ;p I was extremely impressed by the veggie combo, but would like to come back here again to try the meat combo.

    (3)

  • Gavin P.

    Who doesnt look eating with your hands? This fantastic Ethiopian restaurant has a very ethnic and authentic feel to it. I like how the eating areas are staged and separated so as to provide a more intimate feel to everyones table. I love the huge portions of food with soda bread to pick up each new flavor for tasting. This is a great place to take someone for a fun second date, watching each other try to be proper while you eat with your hands. This is a great place for trying something new and experiencing new healthy flavors. TIP: the sampler is enough for 2 or 3 people. just get the sample and nothing else. TIP: the soda bread expands in your stomach, a little bit goes a long way.

    (4)

  • Eddz G.

    BEWARE: I got my bank statement and discovered I got billed 3x the amount I authorized. How can they dare to rip people off that way? If they do that in your face, guess what goes on in the kitchen.

    (1)

  • rebecca d.

    This was my first time eating Ethiopian and I was not as immersed as I wanted to be. The flavors were good and I think that the preparation was good, but I wasn't wowed. I was a little frustrated because the waitress spoke exactly no english. I asked two question and she smile and said "I don't understand". The menu said that I could order some of the dishes less spicy but she said "it spicy" repeatedly, so...everything was too spicy for me. I would tell someone who asked that they should try it, but I likely won't go back.

    (3)

  • Jessica G.

    This place restored my faith in Ethiopian food. YUM! I had a really negative experience with Ethiopian food when I lived in Los Angeles, and I never quite recovered. It was super sad, too, considering I ate at what I thought was an authentic Ethiopian restaurant in Little Ethiopia. But no, it was not very good, and I felt super squeamish afterwards. So after many moons (okay, years), my friend finally got me to return. And he assured me that I would like it....that it wouldn't make me feel sick...and after a lot of convincing, I decided to give it a go. We split vegetarian and meat combination platters, and I have to say, it was really tasty. I mean, I was like DIGGING my hands in there to get more. I'm not even sure what was on that platter...various lentils, cooked cabbage, minced meat (spicy), chicken, and lamb...it was all delicious. It was served with injera, which was sour but really yummy. The consistency reminded me of a really thin pancake with airholes. The atmosphere was really inviting and cozy (but many hipsters abound). Definitely a great choice on a rainy, cold night. The service was great. I have no complaints...except maybe that it's a bit pricey? But I tend to find that's the case with a lot of ethnic food. There's only street parking, and it IS Capitol Hill, so you may need to walk a bit because of all the ridiculous permit postings and signs. But trust me, it's worth it. Thank you for restoring my faith, Queen Sheba. I will definitely be back.

    (4)

  • Lauren B.

    Why did I wait so long to try Queen Sheba?! Maybe because when I was 5 I was grossed out by Ethiopian bread at a restaurant my parents took me to. Man are kids dumb! Anyway, news flash: QS's Ethiopian-style sourdough bread is amazing! Also all of their food was incredible. My friends and I all got the vegetarian platters which were soo good, and paired excellently with the honey wine (tasted like very sweet mead). Fast, friendly, service, and do not be put off by the outside of the building, which doesn't look so hot, inside it has a very comfortable, nice, homey atmosphere. Can't wait to return!

    (5)

  • Greg G.

    We had the mixed meat and a vegi combo. Amazing flavors. Very authentic. Really, really like the food here.

    (5)

  • Tony L.

    If you go here, PREPARE TO BE CULTURED - Ethiopian FOOD style. Disclaimer: I am NOT Ethiopian, and if you eat here, you WILL NOT turn Ethiopian. But damn the food will make you think otherwise. (Maybe). The vibe in this restaurant is MELLOW CLASSY. Prices are VERY REASONABLE. Only around $10 per person. For Ethiopian food like dis? I can dig dat forever. Our waitress was super gracious and I loved her. First off, DITCH the freakin utensils. They won't give you any. You'll be eating with what you were given from the beginning, YO HANDZ Lesson 1: You can cup your hands, to resemble a spoon Lesson 2: Your fingers can act like forks, digging into dat food. Lesson 3: Please, PLEASE wash your hands before you eat. And don't touch any other part of yo body with yo hands while you eat. PURITY. Lesson 4: You can try using the edge of your hand like a knife, but dats DAMN DULL. Use yo fingernails to scrape SCRAPE Aight once ya learn how to eat FRIED CHICKEN STYLE, you'll get to da meal. Your food will be served on injera, which is basically like a flatbread with a SPONGY texture. It's very stretchy too, have fun with it. Tastes like sourdough. Now this is the best part. Dat sponge...SOAKS UP ERRYTHANG. The sauce dat your dish is swimming in goes into the flatbread, IMBUES it with PASSION, and once you eat it, yo taste buds go cray. Each person will also have their own injera, so you can pick up yo food with it. Da food we had was lamb and chicken, each swimming in their own SOWCES, spiced like a villain, with a side of some vegetables and potato swimming in SAUCE, and some sweet beans swimming in SAUCE. DID I MENTION THE SAUCE? Lesson 5: Dis place will give you anti-superpowers. After you done, yo stomach will thank you but your feet and legs won't. Good luck gettin anywhere. Lesson 6: Always, ALWAYS try new things. All in All, Queen Sheba, is a great place for first dates when you and your lover throw away your inhibitions about HOW YOU EAT. FEEL IT. GET DOWN AND DIRTY. with your food... 4 Simbas out of 5

    (4)

  • Nathan R.

    Absolutely terrible service. Ordered through Grub Hub and food never showed. Called the restaurant several times to track the order and they gave me the run around. After the third call they stopped answering the phone! I finally gave up two hours after my order and was stuck finding somewhere to eat at 10pm. Buyer beware!!!

    (1)

  • Liz K.

    I love it here. I always get the yebeg wot and the lentils are fantastic too. Their hot chai is delicious.

    (5)

  • Abhay S.

    We waited at the entrance for 10 min waiting to be seated. No one came to seat us. We left.

    (1)

  • Nick B.

    I will foreworn those about to read this that I was spoiled with excellent Ehtiopian food while living in DC. This restaurant was the worst Ethiopian food experience I've had. First off, part of the allure of eating Ethiopian food (or any ethnic food) is the sense that you are transported to that other world. While I'm not expecting a bison to walk by while I eat, I would like more than the usual Capitol Hill drunken vagrants shouting on the street. The food was incredibly greasy and not at all flavorful. The meat tasted like meat in gravy. There wasn't even a hint of exotic spices to be found. Finally, the service was obnoxiously deferential. Rather than assisting me in my menu choices they seemed completely peeved that I didn't know exactly what I wanted.

    (1)

  • Jane G.

    I had low expectations when we went decided to try this Ethiopian restaurant on Capitol Hill. I don't know if it was because I had already set the bar pretty low, but I was very impressed. We ordered the meat combo and the vege combo, and it was all beautifully presented on a large platter and delicious. I think if we'd only had the vegetables, I may have been disappointed, but the lamb in particular was great, and as a whole everything came together wonderfully. Good food and friendly service.

    (4)

  • Nicole E.

    I will preface this review by saying that I have never tried any other Ethiopian restaurant. Queen Sheba is the only place I've tried this cuisine. After looking at Yelp, there are a few places I'm dying to try to compare. That being said, with nothing to compare it to, I truly enjoy the food and atmosphere at Queen Sheba. I've been there at least 5 times and always order the veggie combo. To me, the food is perfectly spicy, warm, and plentiful. I've also tried the tilapia dish and that was excellent as well; tender, light, and well seasoned. I've tried a few of the Ethiopian wines, my favorite was the Goudar (red). I like the location, Capitol Hill, easy parking. It's set in what used to be a house. Small-ish inside with several small tables. It can be very warm in the summer. I've never made reservations and never had to wait to be seated, no matter what day/time (although I've never gone on a Saturday evening). The servers are soft-spoken and very sweet. Service can sometimes be a tad slow, but nothing too bad.

    (4)

  • John E.

    This poor review is due to some of the worst service I've ever had. I ordered the veggie combo for two, and two glasses of wine. For the next 50, (ALMOST AN HOUR) minutes, two waitresses tended to, and brought out food for 6 other tables that sat down after us. They walked by over and over not noticing nothing had been brought to us, and not even making eye contact or refilling our water. I asked after about 45 minutes where our wine was, and where our food was. 15 minutes later they brought out our wine, and brought us the WRONG FOOD - two meat dishes. Finally, after it had been almost an hour without having the dish we ordered, we received our food. Due to such atrocious service, I was expecting a compensation, like waiving the cost of our two small glasses of wine (as any other DECENT restaurant would do). However - nope, no compensation, nothing for waiting an hour for the wrong food. Never going back just due to bad business practices.

    (1)

  • Whitney F.

    The only good thing was the food. We went at about 7pm on a Saturday night. It looked like there was only one waitress working so service was incredibly slow. When my boyfriend and I ordered we were told that they were out of the beer he wanted and the dish I wanted, so we both had to make other selections. After we ordered we never received our appetizer or my drink, and didn't get any further interaction from the waitress. We had to wait forever for the check, and had to correct it so we weren't charged for the items that were never delivered. What redeemed the evening is that the food was delicious. We both really enjoyed our entrées, but would probably not dine in again at this restaurant.

    (2)

  • krisztina g.

    I was here a couple days ago with a friend and we ordered the vegetarian plate. It was really wonderful, the flavors were delicious and the portions were pretty good. I really liked the atmosphere, i felt like i wasn't in america. I really liked the wood paneling on the ceiling. As for the service, one of the ladies was really helpful and cheerful, but the other lady seemed like she didn't care about us at all which i found to be kind of rude. Overall i think the place is worth going to again.

    (4)

  • Kerry S.

    I normally don't bother writing reviews for places that are just "meh." What's the fun in writing, "It was ok."? That pretty much sums this place up for me, though. If you are in the area and jonesing for a veggie combo platter, then it does a reasonable job. If you were in a food court, it would seem tremendous, but I would never find myself craving it.

    (3)

  • Kira B.

    Another great dining experience at Queen Sheba in Capitol Hill. Dark inside this little house, friendly servers, great food. I dream about injera bread at times. Had the honey wine and it's fantastic.

    (5)

  • Christopher F.

    This place is wack. The food was somewhat flavorful (I have definitely had worse Ethiopian food) but it was poorly considered. The restaurant is dirty and ill arranged. Rarely have I had such poor service. Customers had to keep getting up to ask the waitress to stop talking to her coworker in order to place orders. Yikes. The bathrooms were clean which indicates good kitchen hygiene but that was the highlight. Oh wait, they did serve my diet coke in a half carafe with a straw. Classy. It seems like most of the good reviews for this place come from people who that have not had Ethiopian food before or have only had really bad food.

    (2)

  • r h.

    Food is pretty good, not spectacular. Got the veggie combo and it was more than enough. My dinner date got a lamb dish, and it was served in the middle of my veggies which horrified this veg-girl. But, I didn't specify that we needed 2 separate plates. Apparently I should have? The lamb had all kind of bones. Maybe it's supposed to, but some of them were very small. I scraped the lamb-contaminated veggies off to the side and ate the rest, which were tasty. Especially the cabbage and cauliflower dish, yum. We could have easily had another beer or two each but our waitress never came back to check on us. And there was a picture of Hitler decoupaged into our table which freaked me out. Overall, I'd go back for another chance. The food merits higher than the 2. I want to like them more than I actually do.

    (2)

  • Luna S.

    I love this place! The super cozy atmosphere is the perfect place to have a fascinating dinner conversation, and the food is super delicious...you'll probably spend half of the conversation talking about it. I rarely stray from the veggie combo platter, but I don't need to...it's amazeballs!

    (5)

  • Julien P.

    Where it all started... First exposed to Ethiopian food at this very location in the mid 90's, I've been a fan since. I can say I've even made a trip to DC specifically to try their said "best outside of Addis" stature. Injera. check Kitfo (raw, of course). check Doro Wot. check Again, maybe less than a 4 star since I've had better since, but for nostalgic and life-changing reasons, this place belongs with the best.

    (4)

  • Wesh W.

    I was OK with Queen Sheba, but the whole time I felt like I was cheating on Lalibela. Queen Sheba puts more 'hot' in their food than Lalibela (which I like), but: - Dish for dish, I like the flavor and consistency better at Lalibela - the beer (Mmmm Harar) is colder at Lalibela - you get more injera at Lalibela Admittedly I have a long-standing affinity for Lalibela, but these are important factors to me if I'm having Ethiopian, so my old standard wins on satisfaction. That said, the food at Queen Sheba was very good, and I'd totally go there again if in the area and jonesing.

    (3)

  • Chirayu D.

    Liked the food..Writing this review was long over due... definitely try the okra dish..would encourage the vegetarians to try this place!

    (4)

  • Jason P.

    Food is pretty good and its always a fun place (to eat with your hands). I've always gone when it is not busy, which makes for nice casual evening. I'm not sure how it compares to others.

    (2)

  • Linh H.

    I love coming here to share dishes with my friends. Because all of the entrees are placed on one single, central platter, we share family style. I enjoyed the Doro Wot (chicken) a lot. The lamb is not good here. I didn't like how it was flavored or the texture of the lamb. Just remember to be adventurous and open-minded. The food is overall great! By the way, the lock on the women's bathroom stall doesn't lock...or its primitive-ness was ironically too complicated for me to figure out. Beware of intruders while you're doing your business!

    (4)

  • Dave S.

    Worst experience would not go there. Bathroom was dirty and toilet was leaking on the floor. Ordered some wine when i sat down and it arrived after i was done with my meal. Lamb was over cooked and vegetables were bland un flavorful. Understaffed for a Saturday night. Food took an hour to arrive wasnt worth the wait. Ill try the other restraunt next time. My food tasted like it was frozen and reheated. Wrote message on there website have not received response. Seems like they just dont care.

    (1)

  • Kristina L.

    I've been here half a dozen times are so. There's better Ethio food to be had here in Seattle but this place is pretty decent. The chickpeas have always been a little bland. The injera has always been good though. Service is slow, but that can be expected. The bathrooms are sort of scary, I almost thought I was in tijauna. It gets pretty busy weekend nights. If you go Friday at 7:00 pm, expect a wait. When I've gone during weeknights, it hasn't been so busy.

    (3)

  • Ben D.

    Cute little house setting in Capitol Hill. I've only had the vegetarian stews here and found that, while good, they tended to all sort of taste the same. It was cheap -- you can share a combo between two people easily -- and it's nice that it is right in the heart of Cap Hill. The meat eaters with me complained that the meat was tough and chewy. The chai was not as tasty as I had hoped. The place is small and tightly packed, although I've never had to wait long here. The big selling point is the location. Otherwise, there is much better Ethiopian cuisine to be had in the city. If you order at a combo platter at other places, each stew will be a culinary experience in its own right, not just the same taste with different textures.

    (2)

  • Gordon N.

    Had the Vege Combo; Misser Wot, Shiro wot, green beans, Gomen & Kike, cabbage & potatoes. Interesting but not amazing food.

    (3)

  • Michelle Y.

    We had not ever eaten Ethiopian food before and were hoping for something more interesting. We ate the Meat Combo which has several different kinds of meat all arranged on a giant injera with "something" in the middle. It was generally very bland and inedible (left a bad taste in my mouth that I had to go eat ice cream to get rid of). The service was not very good - we were left alone and had to track the servers down ourselves whenever we wanted anything. I had to get up to go pay - they seemed to be all having a nice conversation in the back room amongst themselves - not very conducive to good customer service. Also - definitely too expensive for what we got.

    (1)

  • Aayu V.

    Yebec wot is awesome along with honey wine

    (4)

  • D.J. Y.

    Now this is what I call a serious food find. After a two time flop at DeAfric in Columbia City a friend from Eritrea told us about this place. We beat the dinner crowd and actually found a parking spot four spots away from the front door! Right across from Seattle U. this place is frequented by the college crowd, and I do mean CROWD, small in stature but nicely adorned interior adds to this atmosphere. Well minus the men's room. That's a funny story for another time, I hope they've properly shaded the window by now.... Food was served by friendly attentive servers, I think I drank enough water to float a boat, (Mental note, do not eat Ethiopian food in the middle of Summer.) kitchen was a bit slow to put out the food, I can't figure out why, but then again I've never cooked or prepared Ethiopian food, it must be very time consuming. Our friend from Eritrea was embarrassed about the long time it took to serve us, but for that wonderful meal, it was well worth the wait. For those who are newbies to unusual ethnic foods, please do some research before you go. I read other Yelp'ers review of this restaurant and found it quite ridiculous regarding their description of the food served. Do some research first then review a place, sheesh... And be prepared to eat with your hands! Minus 1 star for the lack of parking, and lack of AC!!

    (4)

  • Morgan S.

    A great little hole in the wall that's run by a great family. The service might be slow, but the food is so good you forget all about it as soon a you take your first bite. The meat combo with their iced chai is my personal favorite.

    (4)

  • Katie V.

    I absolutely love the food here! I actually crave it. I will say that the service leaves A LOT to be desired. The wait staff is usually slow and rude, but I overlook that because I think the food is just so good! Order the veggie combo and meat combo, and you can't go wrong. SO GOOD!!! The interior is pretty shotty, and the bathroom needs work. But I go there for the food, so I don't mind.

    (5)

  • Carrie L.

    If you like Ethiopian food, there are far better places than this in Seattle. Try Enat in Northgate or Habesha right down the hill. Decided to give it a try because I'd driven past this place so many times over the years. It was not good. The service was terrible (although I think this is partially a cultural thing, our server and presumably other employees were sitting around the back area chatting away while our drinks remained drunk), which is no biggie, but the place was dead, and it's not a big place as though it took ten minutes to cross with a pitcher of water. The food was meager and tasteless, and then they charged extra for injera that we didn't order but assumed was part of the deal. Boo. When Ethiopian is good, it is so so good, but when it's bad, it's probably from Queen Sheba.

    (1)

  • Neil D.

    The Scene is this... Burning incense, African music and fresh spices dance in the air, playing gently on the senses inside the unassuming dining room. It's all comfortably casual, from the hooded-sweater crowd to the service. Dinner is easy on the wallet and makes a great mid-week meal with friends. Make to sure ask for the check, or it might not arrive as desired. The Food is served family style, selected dollops arrive on a huge platter atop injera, a thin, spongy, sourdough pancake-like bread. With injera firmly in hand, simply reach and scoop what you can and toss it down the hatch. Most dishes are stew-like: tender lamb, chicken and beef come steeped in rich, smoky sauces, many with a spicy kick. Veggie dishes include lentils, collard greens and okra. The kifto (steak tartar) is soft, tender and tossed in mitmita (hot pepper powder) and the homemade cottage cheese is fresh and flavorful. Pretty much anything on the menu will fill you with delight so be daring and try something different!

    (4)

  • Jerry G.

    I normally don't write a review after going to a restaurant only once but then there is Queen Sheba. If you like Ethiopian food then there is nothing to complain about here. The staff are very friendly and the food is extraordinary. It has a nice romantic feel inside - Great place to dine with a lover.

    (4)

  • Deepak J.

    I went there for lunch and ordered the veggie combo and shared it with my wife. It was good, but not the best I've had. The real letdown was the service which was really slow even though there was just one other table that was occupied. I was not too happy when I found out in the end that I was charged for an extra Injera which I had not explicitly asked for, but was presumably provided because the two of us were sharing it.

    (2)

  • Me H.

    I may be a picky eater but I'm always up for trying something new. A friend and I try to meet one Sunday a month for dinner at a new/different restaurant and for November we picked Ethiopian food here a Queen Sheba. Neither one of us had tried it before and weren't really sure what to expect. Let's just say neither one of us were pleased and we soon realized Ethiopian food is NOT for us. I'm not sure what we ordered all I remember is it came out on a big plate and it all looked like baby food/poop/vomit not very appealing to our eyes oh and the sponge like bread I still can't figure that stuff out. Needless to say we hardly ate anything but had it boxed to go and left if for a hungry homeless person to find while we ventured down Broadway to find someplace else to eat. The low star rating is because I didn't like anything about the place, the smell, the food, the restrooms nothing, not even the Ethiopian beer I had. The plus was it was pretty cheap so it didn't set us back much.

    (2)

  • Julie B.

    Other reviewers have said the service is slow, but the secret to speed is arriving around 9:15 and having your server say the kitchen closes at 9:30. Then service picks up significantly. They couldn't wait to get us out the door. Apparently during the week the restaurant closes at 10, even though their hours say 11pm. The food was good, not great. I had the veggie combo - the red lentils and the spinach were the better of the piles. Gentleman Dining Companion had some sort of meat pile that was well spiced, and he was enamored of the pancake. Serving sizes are generous, and the spongy pancake fills you up quickly. An OK experience, but I won't be rushing back anytime soon.

    (2)

  • Ashley G.

    Greatest Ethiopian in Seattle! I give this 4 stars because as I said, this is the best in Seattle I've had, but not the best ever (that award goes to a little place in San Francisco next to USF). The service was great, the breads were tasty and the food was also great. The spices were interesting and had a little kick to them. Their chicken and lamb were awesome.

    (4)

  • Paul F.

    I've been here and Habesha and I was pretty happy with both. Service was friendly, but not like super on top of it. But they looked like they were having dinner too, which is cool and what I want so I had no problem with it. It's not an upperity all over you kind of place anyway. Which is good, because you eat Ethiopian with your hands. But if you're reading this, you probably already know that. I think the best thing we had was... a dish with talapia and onions and peppers. Unfortunately I sound ridiculous not knowing its name, but I just don't eat Ethiopian enough to remember it. My friend particularly liked the dish I picked out, the name I can't remember but it was right next to the ki ke on the menu. Below it I think. So try that. I'm sure you can't go wrong with what's right above it too, it's pretty much all good.

    (3)

  • Eric M.

    Although I live in a big city, it is often to find many ethnic foods. So, on a trip to Seattle, a decided to try Ethiopian food. We ordered an appetizer, the veggie roll. The taste was good, but as a roll, the injera is lacking in the necessary texture. However, the dinner made up for this. We order the veggie combo and the Tilapia. Tilapia was a very fish taste (odd for such a mild fish) that I enjoyed, but the rest of the table was unhappy with it. The lentils and cauliflower were good, but by far, my favorite are the greens and the okra. They had a nice spice and they complemented well with the spongy injera. I would enjoy trying some other Ethiopian restaurants in the future to compare them.

    (4)

  • Matt A.

    Strike two for Seattle Ethiopian restaurants.... Long Wait! to be seated! to get waited on! to get our food! there was 6 of us and we got 5 dishes because we were told that we would receive good portions... either they reduced our portions or other people only eat 5 ounces of food. off to dick's burgers for us...

    (3)

  • Minotaur N.

    So much yum-food for so little $. I'll be back Buurrrrp!

    (3)

  • T K.

    I admit to having little other Ethiopian experience to compare it to. I just go here when I want Ethiopian because it's closest. Also, Ethiopian is a bit different, if you don't like it, you aren't going to like it! That said, i always enjoy the food I have here. I appreciate the clear vegetarian options. The service has always been good to me. Extra star for Pink Guava Juice!

    (4)

  • Doug K.

    This place is great. I grew up in San Diego and the Ethiopian resturants there suck compared to this resturant. The food is always so good with so much flavor. I always get the veggie rolls and veggie combos. I am never disappointed by the food when I go there. Yes the service can be slow but the food makes up for this.

    (4)

Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.

Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.

Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :4:00 pm - 10:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : Yes
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Dinner
    Parking : Street, Private Lot
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : No
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Full Bar
    Outdoor Seating : Yes
    Wi-Fi : Free
    Has TV : No
    Dogs Allowed : No
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : No

Queen Sheba

Share with your social network

WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES

Looky Weed - Buy Marijuana Online

Looky Weed is here to help you navigate the maze of legalized marijuana. We provide you with a complete dispensary directory.

© 2024 Restaurant Listings. All rights reserved.