Queen of Sheba

Saturday night was our third time having dinner here, and as always, the meal was wonderful! Prior to seeing this restaurant on Groupon several months ago, we had absolutely no clue as to what Ethiopian cuisine was like, but wanted to try it out, especially with the online offer that day. Think we purchased two vouchers from Groupon for $ 15 each, though the value was actually for $ 30 apiece. Well, despite using both of our vouchers about one month apart, and just adding the price difference, we still decided to return this past weekend without any Groupon because we have really grown to love the place; everything from the food, service, and atmosphere. If you are not familiar with Ethiopian foods and want to sample a bit of it all, then the $ 9 Appetizer Platter for two and the $ 15pp Queens 8 Entrée Platter are a perfect combination. The Appetizer Platter consists of about four different starters, and the Queen’s 8 includes a selection of four veggies and four chicken/​meat dishes. On our first visit, we did take advantage of both the Appetizer Platter and the Queen’s 8 With Chicken, and pretty much enjoyed everything! However, since then, we have only ordered from the a la carte menu because at this point, we do have some real favorites that we instead prefer. The Ana-​babra starter is super tasty, with lots of bold flavors and spice, and costs just $ 3.50 per order. As for our meals, hands down, we definitely like the Chicken Dullet and the Chicken Tibs, and both of these are priced well at $ 13 each. Although the entrees have plenty of flavor, most are not spicy unless you request them to be.
The service has always been good, and the wait staff friendly and accommodating. The restaurant is situated in a small strip plaza, but the inside is warm and inviting, with both regular and traditional Ethiopian tables as well as artwork and pleasant music.
Be adventurous and make sure to visit Queen of Sheba.

Nice food, but not the best I’ve ever had in terms of Ethiopian cuisine. The flavors were nice, the bread just a bit too dry for me.
The placed was almost full of ppl which is a good sign. The service was nice. The ppl working here are very sweet bringing big smiles with them to each customer.

Excellent taste… loved it. chef cooks as per customers desire. «Must visit place in Tampa»

I really enjoyed the lunch buffet today at the Queen of Sheba. It’s a relatively unassuming place, but I thought the food was well prepared and very tasty. They had many vegan options such as curry-​like red lentils and yellow peas and other vegan options, as well. They also had one beef dish and two chicken dishes, along with the spongy bread, anjera, a mixed fresh salad/​relish type dish, hot pepper sauce and a couple of other delicious condiment type things that I’m not really sure what they were. Tasted great, though! The combination of spices used in their dishes is really bold and flavorful. The lunch buffet is served on Thursdays and Fridays only, and the wait staff is very friendly and helpful in explaining the different dishes. I will definitely be back!

This place was an experience! I love different ethic foods and really did enjoy this. My wife also had such a nice experience here. We had the Queens Platter which was great for only $ 15 /​person. Service was a little on the slow but oh well the food was good and the experience was great. Will check you guys out again in a few months.

Although I did not eat inside, I definitely want to after I picked up my food and saw how adorable the place is inside. Since I usually can’t pick what to have for dinner, I decided to go with the vegetable combination plate #8.
This combination plate included the Ye Misr Wot, Mushroom Wot, Shero, Ye Kik Alecha, Gomen, Atkilt Alecha, Tikil Gomen, and Keiy Sire. Everything was served on a large, airy, and poreus sourdough pancake. I personally didn’t mind the pancake but its strong flavor kept me from pairing it with the dishes after a while.
The Ye Misr Wot has a strong smoky flavor: the same thing goes for the Mushroom Wot, but in this dish the moisture-​content of the mushroom slightly mellows out the intensity of the spices. The Shero had little texture but compromised with flavor: it tasted smoky like the two dishes mentioned above, but it also had a very strong cumin flavor to me (which is not a part of the berbere spice mix that they use). To compare, the Ye Kik Alecha has a mild but very delicious flavor with a starchy consistency. The Gomen (collard greens), one of the mild vegetable dishes on their menu, tasted pleasant and light without the starchiness. The Atkilt Alecha was also very delicious and mild, and probably my favorite if it would come to ordering a single meal: since it has the different textures of the potato, bean, and carrot. If you are fine with having less vegetables on your plate (I like variety), you shouldn’t hestitate to order single meals of any vegetarian dish on the menu.
Okay, saying it’s my favorite might be a lie, because the Tikil Gomen has a very unique, mildly sweet taste that I just can’t put my finger on. However, it only gets its texture from carrots and cabbage, so personally I probably wouldn’t order it as a single meal unless I’d eat it over rice. Then finally, the Keiy Sire also has a very interesting flavor that I can’t explain very well. The sweetness of the beets is there, but it’s not overwhelming and it blends in nicely with the tomato sauce. Overall, I ordered the combo plate to nail down my favorite dishes, but I think I might keep ordering the combination plate since it includes many different textures and a good variety of flavors!

This place wasn’t like most Ethiopian places I have visited. When I walked in they looked at me like I was crazy. They seem a little racist and seem to give Caucasian people better service. I love Ethiopian food. My food came out fast. But they never came back to the table to check on me. I had to wave the sever down it was only two guest in the restaurant. I had to walk up and ask for the check. They were on the cell phones.

I have been here many times and this is one of my favorite places to eat in Tampa. Kitfo would be part of my last meal. The variety of the Queen’s Eight platter is amazing, and there isn’t anything I’ve eaten here that wasn’t delicious. They are accomodating with requests, and very friendly, and it’s a dining experience that’s hard to find elsewhere. It’s very vegetarian friendly as well, although it’s fabulous for omnivores like me.

This started out GREAT! The place smelled wonderful, and the food, Pretty darn tasty. The price was good, and food was plentiful and hot.
When we arrived there was one table of a mother and daughter, and our table. After we arrived another couple arrived. There was 1 waitress. While I can’t say it ever got truly busy, I can say that she never checked back with us after the initial «How’s everything?» never asked us if we wanted more water. After we were clearly finished with our food, she never came back to see if we needed boxes.
At this point 2 more groups came in, one group of 4 and one group of 5 and they sat at the back of the place, those seemed to take up her time. This was about 6:30. My friend and I were done by now, we were looking at our watches, commenting that it was relatively early. By 7pm, though we were still talking, the waitress still hadn’t checked on us, when we would try to get her attention, she never did seem to make eye contact with us, she simply ghosted to the back areas of the eatery.
At 7:15 we had to verbally signal her to get us boxes, and to ask for the check. She then didn’t remember them for another spate of time, we finally got out of the establishment at 7:44. The times are known because I made note. I would come back for the food, but the service was pitifully slow. Need more help in there.

I came here yesterday with a friend who raved about this restaurant and also knew I had asked about Ethiopian food before. I’ve always been curious but never had one remotely close to me. Boy did I luck up on my trip to Tampa! I had the Vegetarian Combo w/​#1 — #4. This was probably one the the best meals I’ve had in my life! The servers were very nice and attentive. I will definitely be coming back. I Also love that you eat with your hand. I really enjoyed myself! If you live in Tampa or Visiting you must check this place out. Glad Queen of Sheba was my first Ethiopian diner experience. I’m in love!

Still a solid option for Ethiopian, wish there were more choices in Tampa, this food is full of bold addictive flavors. Gotta knock it one star because the service has gone down.
The place is missing something, they now do buffet only on Thursday and Friday, we were the only ones in the restaurant and the place just felt dead. No real ambiance.

When I lived in Atlanta, ethiopian food was almost a weekly affair. Since I moved away, I have been trying to get my ethiopian fix and I have to say that Queen of Sheba does a pretty good job. We opted for the queens platter which is 4 veggies, 4 meats for $ 15 per person. You can also get it with all veggies. This was a great way to try different things, the wot (a stew made with chicken/​beef) being my favorite.
We got there right after opening so it was still a bit slow but they had a good amount of people coming in as we were on our way out. The baklava was a good way to end the night.

Love this place. I went with two of my friends, who are awesome people, but they don’t like to eat with their hands so they were turned off by it. I’m cool with eating with my hands. In fact, if the lady told me we eat by bringing our mouths to the plate, I would have done it cause it was good!!!
Also the owner fed me. Like she grabbed a piece of food, and stuck it in my mouth. Like a 4 year old. That hasn’t happened to me since i was 23. Amazing. That’s service. I felt like P. Diddy.

I have always wanted to try Ethiopian cuisine, and tonight it finally happened, my belly is happy!
This place is and the food is simply magical. It was 25 mile trip each way from where I live, was it worth it? Oh yea!

First timer here and came here for the experience of trying Ethiopian food for the first time. Came with a groupon and Service was good! Servers explained everything and walked us through what we were having as the dishes were served. (This was on a busy Friday night too!) I feel like the people who work here genuinely want to share their culture. I even overheard a server trying to teach a family some Ethiopian phrases. Family friendly. You can sit on a standard table or a more traditional Ethiopian setting.
We had the appetizer sampler and the 8 dish Queen of Sheba plate both of which allowed us to try a variety of food. I’d recommend this for a first timer. The 8 dish shared plate is $ 15 per person. For two people who got the 8 dish shared plate, an appetizer, and 2 Ethiopian honey teas, our bill was $ 50.
Overall, I had a great time just trying something new!

It was good, but I’ve had better.
I love Ethiopian food. I’ve eaten it in Ann Arbor, Orlando, and in Houston, but I’ve never tried it in Tampa. I have to say, even though this place isn’t bad, I would rank it last in all the places I’ve eaten.
My sister and I bought a groupon to try it out. We came exactly when it opened on Sunday at 4 p.m., because we missed lunch. We decided to have a Linner. Even though it was completely empty, by the time we left around 5 there were a couple other tables full. Seems like people come here for an early dinner.
They have the authentic low to the ground tables or you can sit at a regular American table. We opted for the American table. The place isn’t very large, but it doesn’t feel cramped.
We got the eight dish tasting. I don’t like spicy, but my sister does. They brought her the spice on the side. I ended up trying her spice thinking it might have added some of the flavor the dishes lacked, but it was too spicy for me. I found the dishes to be somewhat bland. I really enjoyed the chicken, but that was about it. I didn’t dislike any of the dishes, I just have had better. The portion size was good. We left stuffed.
Overall I thought the food was ok, but I can live without eating Ethiopian for a while.

Sometimes when there is only one restaurant of a cuisine you go there because it is the only one. That is not the case with Queen of Sheba. Queen of Sheba offers unique food that is well prepared in a nice setting. It is a good place to go for lunch although I hear that they will be closing for lunch except on Friday and Saturday starting in June. I have come to all of the reincarnations of this restaurant over the years and I think this is the best. I like the décor and sometimes if you get there early for lunch they have had incense burning which made the experience even more enjoyable. They are also open for dinner!
They offer a wide array of appetizers and some are exceptional. If you like spicy foods I would recommend the Singe Karya which is a stuffed jalapeño. It is not only spicy but has an excellent flavor that is not overwhelmed by the spiciness. The Fire Shrimp were also very good and spicy, but I prefer the stuffed jalapenos. The Ana-​Babro which has jalapenos and injera is also a good appetizer to try, but I prefer the Singe Karya. The Veggie Sambussa, is a good option if you are into fried foods. I also have tried the Buticha which is like a type of hummus made from chickpeas and the Azifah which is similar but made with lentils and mustard. Both were good when I had them last.
Whenever I come I always have a cup of their hot tea. It is done really well with a lot of great flavors in it and is a perfect accompaniment to your meal.
For people who have never eaten at an Ethiopian restaurant, one of the unique things is that you use your fingers and rip off pieces of a thin bread called injera and use it to scoop up your food. This way you have the taste of both in your mouth. I find the smell of injera a bit strange by itself, probably because it is fermented, but the taste is great. Injera is made with teff flour. Teff is a really tiny grain that can withstand a difficult climate and is common in Ethiopia and Eritrea.
I usually get the vegetarian, meat or mixed combo platter. I think it is a great way to experience a lot of the different foods. All of the food is served in the traditional way on a large bed of injera, the Ethiopian bread, in little saucy piles. It is important to remember that you do eat with the bread and scoop your food with it. They do offer utensils if you prefer, but it is good to give the traditional style of dining a chance. It is a nice change.
My favorite veggie dishes are; Ye Misr Wot (red lentils), Keiy Sire (beets), Ye Shimbra Asa Wot (spicy chickpeas) and the Mushroom Wot. I like the red lentils the best. My favorite meat dishes are Tibs Wot (beef and red peppers), Doro Wot (chicken in a stew with a hardboiled egg), Queens Beef Tibs (beef with jalepeno), Ye Beg Woti (lamb with berbere spice — I really like this one!) and Chicken Tibs (made with jalepenos)
I have never tried their seafood entrées but have had the shrimp appetizer.
I think this is a great restaurant to go to and try something different. Please give this place your patronage it would be sad to see it gone from the community.

Great atmosphere. Authentic and delicious Ethiopian food.
The injera was nice and thick, so scooping up the dishes was easy. We ordered the gored gored (my favorite Ethopian dish), the queens special kit fo (raw, but delicious), and two side orders of beets and red split peas.
Everything was exotic, expertly prepared and delicious.
The staff is so sweet, the portions are huge and the price is very reasonable. We’ll definitely be back.

First off, the smell is amazing when you first walk in the door. The staff is very friendly and always making sure that everything is okay. This food is traditionally eaten with your hands and the injeera bread. The time I was there, utensils were offered, though optional. It does take a bit of a wait for your food since everything is prepared from scratch. However, the wait is worth it. They also give you a choice of mild or spicy for all entrées. The food we had was absolutely amazing. I got the Queen’s tibs. They serve most of the entrées on a large shareable platter with Ethiopian style veggies. Everything was delicious!

Came here for a date night with another couple who was very curious about Ethiopian food. The cool thing about their cuisine is the concept of eating with your hands only. No utensils are used except your two hands, in which you use a spongy like rolled injira bread to scoop your meals from the plate.
The spices used here are very unique and almost reminded me of the spices used in indian restaurants, which creates some very interesting and unique tastes never before tasted in other dishes. There was some very interesting flavors and it is a nice place to try if you have never had Ethiopian cuisine before. When the food comes out it doesn’t look like it would have left us full but i believe it was the mixture with the ijira bread that left us leaving full!
To start our meal we ordered 2 portions of the appetizer for two which gave us a nice assortment of food to try from. The veggie & beef sambussa appetizer was by far the favorite of the table as it had a nice crisp and spice to it. For dinner we ordered the queens meal for 4 which had a nice combination of chicken, beef & lamb which ended up being more than enough for our table of 4. Kudos to the staff who were very nice and served us the food which came out very quickly.
If your truly looking for a new and unique dining experience, come here with a group of friends and enjoy Ethiopian food together!