Mesob Ethiopian Restaurant

This is the best Ethiopian food not only in Seattle but compared to many other cities like Washington DC and New York. The business is not closed but just moved to a new location at 1221 S Main St, Seattle WA 98 144. It will be a shame if they have to close due to reduced business from moving. PLEASE GO THERE!

Same owner opened up a new restaurant! Go go it’s amazing and meets all the amazing reviews I heard about Mesob. Don’t miss it. 1221 S Main St Seattle 98 144. Delisciously amazing. Amazing service. Amazing food. We brought it home, are eating the left overs for breakfast, and my wife exclaimed — «Where’d you two get this! Let’s go there!»

Hole in the wall that has good food! How typical! :) get any dish, perfect for vegetarians and even meat lover’s won’t mind eating their meal without any meat! Love this place and crave it once in awhile! You can order the veggie platter and a meat dish if you must and don’t forget to try the samosas! Delicious!

We went to try Ethiopian food for first time, we were very hungry, Possitives: The apetizers were amazing, like five stars, and the waitress was very nice. Negatives: The place was completly empty and outdated, You supouse to eat with your fingers, but some people like us, we hated, they dont offer you fork and etc, no to mention that they just give you one napkin, the flour bread was DIGUSTING!, the meat was very chewy, I didnt like it at all, I will give a second chance eating Ethiopian food, but in other place for sure.

I see the DPD land use sign is up, and soon Mesob will be torn down to make way for 6 contemporary town homes that sprout like mushrooms after a rain in Seattle.
Probably a good think, Mesob has gotten a little worse for wear and I questioned the cleanliness of the place on my last few visits.

Hands down our favorite Ethiopian restaurant. We love the atmosphere and the food. The veggie combo will please even the most stubborn carnivores. The Tibs are excellent too. I hear a lot of complaints about the condition of the restaurant but it has never bothered me before. The restrooms might need a touch up but I don’t come here expecting someone to hand me soap and a towel.

The food here is five stars. Without a doubt. It is unfortunate that I have to give this three but I cannot honestly rate Mesob only on the basis of the food.
Sambussas: The first time I came across these, they are like Indian Samosas (mashed potatoes wrapped in maida [some kind of flour — this is the limit of my cookery knowledge] and deep fried) and have a lentil filling. Very interesting though I will never get these again.
The menu is fun to read — it is like someone went through great trouble to lavish some love on their favourite dishes while ignoring the ones they disliked.
The food, like I said, is superb. The Shiro Wot had this amazing texture and just melted leaving a slightly spicy aftertaste. The chicken-​wot was also good (I apologize I forget what the dish was called).
Now, let’s get to the business end of this review — the place itself is a hole in the wall. It’s cold inside. There’s a sitting area out front and another at the back where some gentlemen were playing cards. The light did not work and my friend was nervous, looking at me, her eyes saying silently, «Dumbass, why did you bring us here?»
The lady who served us was not very interested and I will admit that there was a slight barrier with regards to our accents and her accent. The service was also slow.
The food is very cheap though.
tl;dr: I do not know whether to recommend this place or not. It is worth going to for the food, but just for the food.

My girlfriend and I were in the area and in the mood for something new and different so we decided to try out Ethiopian. When we first walked in we were hit with extreme heat and humidity. It must have been at least 80 degrees.
A waitress finally ambled out after us standing around for a few minutes but she got us menus, wet naps, and water promptly. We decided on a chicken and a lamb dish (the two tibs options which are labeled as mild in a spiced butter sauce).
The food came out pretty quickly and after seeing our confused faces on how exactly to go about eating everything with no utensils (you are supposed to use your hands, hence the wet naps), the waitress promptly served us up and grabbed us some forks just in case.
The food itself had a lot of flavor and there was plenty of it. We still had a great deal of the sourdough flatbread left at the end of the meal and some of the meat and veggie dishes as well.
One minor inconvenience was that after offering her a card to pay she told us her credit card machine wasn’t working and we would have to use cash. Luckily we had some.
Overall, I’d probably give this place 3.5 stars if I could.

Food:
Was a bit cold. There was not much of it. The salad was amazing and so were samosas. We particularly, liked the veggie one.
Service: ok. Also, we had a google offer that no one knew about then the owner came in and said that they indeed honor the google offer but wouldn’t honor ours because it wasn’t printed out.
Atmosphere:
It was windowless and freezing! Also, we had a google offer that no one knew about then the owner came in and said that they indeed honor the google offer but wouldn’t honor ours because it wasn’t printed out.

The food was great and the service also. My gf loves Ethiopian food and says this was a 10. She had the honey red wine for a drink and I had the stout beer. The veggie and lamb plate were awesome!

The waitress was not very friendly and also pretty slow moving, but considering she was the only one there doing the cooking and serving, she did a fine job. The crowd rolled in much later around 9pm. It’s a hole in the wall kind of place, the ambiance was pretty weird with us as the only customers for a good half hour and no music or noise of any kind. That that’s easily fixed when the food came.
My boyfriend and I have tried several Ethiopian restaurants in Seattle and in this neighborhood, and this is our favorite. The food is more spiced and much more flavorful than other places, and it’s pretty fresh tasting too. We ordered Ketfo (raw beef cubes in spicy butter), Yedoro Tibes (chicken in spicy butter with bell pepper and onions), and some kind of lamb strips sauteed in butter. Yes, butter is awesome! And the usual dollops of vegetarian and meat things on a injery lined platter. The food makes me so happy!

I’ll admit that I’d never been to an Ethiopian restaurant before this one. With such limited exposure to Ethiopian cuisine, I didn’t really have a benchmark to compare this restaurant to. Thus, it was really more about trusting my instincts and seeing how I would like the restaurant while judging it by its own merits. I came here because I drive by what appears to be a little shack labeled «Mesob» almost every day, and my curiosity got the better of me. Now I won’t have to be curious anymore, and I know that future visits are in order.
The restaurant during my visit was filled with an exotic smell. It almost made me feel like I had stepped outside the United States for a moment. The room appeared empty, and after I asked whether anybody was there, the waitress came forward and led me to the back of the restaurant where there was a dining area and a full bar. How awesome! I’d give this place five stars for atmosphere alone, but that’s not even what impressed me the most.
The waitress was exceedingly friendly, and I even got the impression that it was a genuine display, rather than just her trying to be polite. Interestingly enough, she was the only one working there that I saw. Because I was really hungry, I ordered the complete Mesob Combo from the menu. I got a glass of water and a packet of hand sanitizing wipes with that. I’m pretty sure that more than 99% of restaurants in the world don’t have those, so this restaurant would get five stars for that little inclusion alone! Okay, not really, but it’s greatly appreciated and should happen at more restaurants.
While waiting, I stared at the television, mesmerized by the Chinese news and programs that were playing on it. It was the most unusual inclusion to an Ethiopian restaurant, and the waitress told me that she likes watching the shows and can kind of tell what’s going on by the action. It’s an interesting response, and I could tell the restaurant was growing on me even before the food arrived.
It took less than five minutes within my ordering for the food to come to the table. Yes, I timed it exactly with a stopwatch, and it’s not very often that restaurants bring me my food in less than five minutes. The dish was eye-​poppingly huge. Everything was beautifully arranged on the injera bread on the plate, and it was just a marvel to behold. Although it was probably prepared in advance, I liked how the food was still hot and even stayed that way by the time I took it home.
There were no eating utensils in sight, and even though the hand wipes were beginning to make me suspect that the food was meant to be eaten with bare hands, I asked for a fork. The waitress gave me one and told me that it’s finger food. Really, I didn’t know! I also learned that the second tray of injera bread was for scooping up the stews with. I have no idea what any of the stews were called or even what they were made of, but I enjoyed every bit of it. It was a delightful mix of salty, sour, and spicy. I’m rating from a Western point of view, and I still can’t think of the last time I had this much fun eating food.
The whole thing was only $ 13.75 after tax, and it was way too much for me to finish. Even after I took it home, I couldn’t finish it for lunch the next day. It seemed like an endless amount that never got smaller! My experience with Ethiopian food was amazing, and Wikipedia confirmed for me that this is truly what the real thing is like. There are lots of similar restaurants in Seattle, so my plan now is to try out more of them!

My husband and I both like Ethiopian food, and the place we usually go, we like the outdoor seating, but it was cold as hell so we decided to go to Mesob instead.
The waitress/​owner/​hostess was unfriendly as anything. We tried to talk to her but she wasn’t having it.
I will say that the injera was nice and sour, my spiced tea was delicious, and the flavour of most of our food was decent and good (if on the more-​mild-​than-​I-​am-​used-​to side). And you can’t beat the price for the amount of dinner you get.
But for me, that’s kind of where it ends. The sambusas — we ordered lentil, she brought us beef, and then didn’t correct the error and still charged us for the pricier beef ones — were so, so, SO oily/​greasy that it was a bit beyond reproach. I have nothing against oily food, but I feel like the oil must not have been hot enough for proper frying, because neither of us could believe how sodden they were. Dripping, leaking, pooling.
And I have to say — I won’t be back, and the main reason is the bathroom. For God’s sake, you’re a food establishment. If I’m EATING food that you’ve prepared, and I go to the bathroom only to find the floor covered in sodden mush of soaked paper towels, the toilet and toilet seat both broken, graffiti all over the place, and filth — like… actual physical dirt, smudges, handprints, grime — all over everything, you think that’s going to be an appetizing experience? Take a little pride in your business. That was really off-​putting. And whether it’s accurate and true or not — maybe your kitchen is spotless — but seeing that of course made me wonder if your food prep area is a swamp of pestilence, too. Bummer.

I love the food here but I am flabbergasted that they haven’t violated a health or safety code yet. I want to say again that I LOVE the food, but man, can someone take a mop or some CLR to the bathroom please? Or maybe reload the paper towels so I’m not forced to touch the knob, or anything else in that god-​forsaken bathroom.
And can someone please tell me why a waitress thinks it’s okay to give a toddler a full glass of adult sized water??? Because if you ask any parent, it is a 100% likelihood that the child will spill the full-​to-​the-​brim water all over themselves. Ugh! AND will someone please mop the floors! the walls! everything?!
The food’s good though but maybe take it to go because you will lose your apetite eating in.

I keep returning to this place for unknown reasons. Though their lentil sambusas beat the local competition, the veggie combo isn’t as good as everyone claims. Flaccid green beans and mushy carrots? Not as bad as the soggy flavorless greens.
The past two visits, my boyfriend ordered a Yemisser Wot (red lentils) and received a beef dish and a yellow split pea dish.
We’ll never return.

A friend and I tried Mesob because she lives nearby and was interested in having Ethiopian again after many years. I prefer to eat at Meskel or Habesha, but I’ve also tried Ras Dashen, Dahlak, Lalibela, and Altaye. Still, I was up for someplace new.
My favorite dish is raw kitfo, but I like gomen wat (greens), the lentil/​pea stews, and the tibs. I recommended the vegetarian combo for my friend, and kitfo for me.
The best parts were the greens and the potato/​carrot/​cabbage stew. We also loved our hot spicy tea, and the service was fine. Unfortunately, those were only the good parts.
The bad news:
It’s always disappointing when I have Ethiopian that falls short, but that might just be due to what I like. Even though I ordered raw kitfo, it came out lightly cooked and didn’t seem very fresh to me. I like kitfo that is uniformly minced, but not until it’s a paste, very lean, bright, and not drowning in butter.
The injera was somewhat cool and firm, as if it were sitting out too long. I asked for it to be warmed, but it came back not much better.
Most icky of all, the cheese was too sour and runny, sort of like a lemony cottage cheese a little past its prime. I prefer it closer to having a fresh buttermilk taste and a ricotta-​like texture.
I love Ethiopian food, and I usually don’t have trouble cleaning the plate or finishing the leftovers later in the evening. This is probably the first time I actually left food on the table. :*(

Seriously disappointing food, but the tiki bar in the back is beyond awesome.
If you’re looking for an option try Lalibela @ MLK & Cherry.

I went here with a friend a couple days ago for lunch. We were the only ones there but that isn’t unusual. We sat down and looked at the menu.. I ordered the veggie platter and my friend got some beef combo which looked good but i don’t eat beef. the veggie platter was good and everything but i really thought it would be more food. Don’t get me wrong i was definitely full but the last ethiopian place i went to gave us like 3X as much food for the same price and that was confusing. The last place we asked for 1.5 servings though so maybe that’s why.
good–
Good food
cheap
bad–
smaller portions

I love the veggie combo, and I’ve heard that the kitfo (raw beef) here is the best in Seattle.
The atmosphere is iffy at best, while the service is very nice, and the food tasty. Watch out for the multitude of hot peppers in the very yummy, lemony salad!
Also, don’t order a cocktail if you expect to get anything resembling what you’d get in any other bar. Otherwise, it’s fun!

Star Upgrade Alert!
Wrangled together another veteran and a few novices (including a couple Unilocalers) for an Ethiopian dinner. We had a great meal at Mesob! Everyone loved the food and five of us ate for $ 59 (before tip, but including a few beers). We started out with a couple appetizers: lentil filled fried things (samosas?) and a dish called something like Tomato Tomato. The tomato dish was deceptively simple (tomatoes, lemon juice, cilantro, onions, a couple more seasonings) and AMAZING! Like pico de gallo but better. I could have eaten a plate of the stuff. Then we ordered two Mesob combos (with meat) and one vege combo. The waitress was thoughtful and asked if we wanted the vegetarian dish separate from the meat combo. The food arrived and after figuring out how to share the one basket of injera* we all chowed down, and damn if we didn’t finish all the food! Everything was delicious and the many different items had distinct and unique flavors. I was afraid the novices wouldn’t be into it, but I think I made converts of my fellow diners.
Still not much in the way of ambiance (our favorite element was the compressed board dividers in the dining room) but really, you come here for the cheap, filling, yummy food. Well, we also found evidence that some people might come here for karaōke. Service was far from speedy, but there’s only one person working front of house, and one in the kitchen. Our waitress was low key, and patient when we took forever to split the bill. I’m glad I gave Mesob another chance, I’ll be back again for sure.
* I ate at Blue Nile recently and we each received a plate with a piece of injera. Also, Blue Nile’s injera was fluffier and paler than Mesob’s, but tasted about the same.