Cafe Ibex

Comfortable, casual space. Attentive service. Amazing food at a reasonable price. What more is there to love? I will definitely be coming back.

Simply for the fact, that the wait time for my food was horrendous, and I truely did not appreciate how the salad amount that came with my order was insufficient. I have to SMH at this restaurant.
I’ve come here a couple of additional times in the past, and most of my experiences here, are fairly annoying i.e. The two previous couples that ordered after me, received their food prior to myself. Also, I was told to order the extra salad in the start of my other, not after I have received my food hahahahsh, smh.

This is the first time I’ve had Ethiopian food. It was really great! Thank you Unilocalers!
So if you are new to Ethiopian food like me, be prepared to use your fingers to eat, scooping the pieces of deliciousness into the yummy crêpe-​like bread. And don’t ask for rice. You will get a really weird look. Lastly, don’t order to go. The woman convinced me to eat here and I’m glad she did. The whole experience was beautiful, from the way the food was served to the music and smelling the incense.
I got the lamb combo. It was really super good. I don’t know which I liked more, the stew or the sautéed lamb. And the spinach and green bean dishes were so yummy.
Some Unilocalers complain of the lamb being spicy. I didn’t think it was. The green beans were. But totally delicious. I ate them all.
To be fair to the other things on my plate like the lentils and cabbage, I don’t eat that type of food so I can’t comment.
Overall it was awesome!!!
I’ll be back.

I like this place a lot. I work for an East African-​serving non profit and this is the place my co-​workers recommend. Service is not bad and the food is great. Definitely some of the best Ethiopoian I’ve had. They always have gluten free injera on hand, which is important for me. They also have a full bar! One combo dish is plenty for two people. I’ve been here with small groups, a big group, and my family — it was always nice.

I have tried many many Ethiopian places in the Seattle area. While none of them have been bad, they generally have the same menu options, with very little variation.
While Café Ibex does not have a huge menu, their dishes are amazing. I tried the spicy lamb cooked with Injera, as well as a crispier lamb dish. Before ordering the former, the waitress asked if I had had it before. She warned me that it was pretty spicy, and told me what it was –and she was correct, it was very spicy, but I loved it.
We got cottage cheese to compliment the dish, which made the spicier one bearable to my husband. He could take about three bites before he stopped eating it, but wanted to keep trying because the flavor was so good. Out of all the places I’ve been, I’ve never had anything like it, and will be returning for the sole purpose of being able to eat this dish again.
The crispy lamb dish was something I had never seen at an Ethiopian place before. Usually the meat is soaked in stew and served over injera. This dish was like that, but without the stew. It was nice to have the contrast between those two textures. This dish, like the other, was also flavored excellently.
I would recommend this place to anyone who loves Ethiopian food. This place just outshines the others.

First time trying Ethiopian food. Overall really good food. Platters are enough to share. We order 2 different one for 2 people and ended up taking home a lot! I enjoyed it gave a lot of the bread! Only thing I would change is the lighting. It was really dark but very intimate

A bit of a limited menu but everything I had was fresh and tasty.

We found the food acceptable. We ordered the two meat combo platters and at least three of the meat dishes were tasty. The rest were okay, but in no case was it anything special. Eating with the spongy bread is certainly novel from a US/​NW Euro perspective. On the whole, it was good, but not something about which I’ll become habituated.

My husband I were visiting Seattle and wanted to try Ibex, what can I say they exceeded my expectations! I myself an Ethiopian and a chef so I know what good Ethiopian food should taste like. The food was fresh, delicious, the bread unsurpassed. Masterful use of spices. We had the meat and vegetarian dishes platter was a delight. Keep it going, chef.

I’ve ate here twice now and would definitely recommend! This is my Ethiopian staple. Spices and flavored are plentiful, great staff and I love supporting local business.

It’s getting to where there are as many good Ethiopian places in this town as there are any other kind of place. Ibex is pretty close to the top of the heap, maybe right at the top. They have a nice dining room and the food is spectacular.
You’re over in the valley, on MLK, just starting to head back up the hill to get here. It’s off to the side of the light rail line, though we never heard a train once over the course of a leisurely lunch here.
There are no opulent Ethiopian places in this town as far as I know, but these guys do a credible job turning out a clean and nice dining room. There are maybe a dozen and a half tables with glass tops, a couple of flat screens, a separate bar with a big barback full of stock, and they have the whole thing wired for sound – maybe music, maybe a sporting event that’s on the TVs.
The staff are very quiet and unassuming, but they move quickly with waters and drinks and menus and the like. The menu here is pretty long, compared to what I can remember from previous Ethiopian encounters. There’s the full-​on sampler platter with tons of meats and veg on a huge round of injera, if you want to go whole hog. We did.
The injera here is springy and soft and perfect, though maybe a bit less sourdough-​y than some places offer it. The meats are tender and deeply flavorful, with great balance from different vegetables that range from earthy to bright. All the dishes here are incredibly appealing, and the lunch platter comes with dessert for two. We got slices of a baklava-​like pastry that was very good, vaguely reminiscent of quince in the flavor of the filling.
All told, an immensely filling meal for two ran a bit over $ 30, and I will most definitely be back repeatedly.

Pleasantly surprised by this out-​of-​the-​way place for dinner this week.
No sambusas to start, but at least they don’t try to pass off frozen goods as freshly made.
Got the Unilocal-​recommended veggie combo along with a spicy chicken with spinach. The veggies were a hit, especially the lentils, corn, and string beans. The chicken with spinach could have used a bit more kick, but I would still order it again and let them know to take it up a bit. Injera was among the best I have had, more crêpe-​like then some places that tend to be a bit thicker.
Beers are cheap: $ 3 gets you anything in the house, which is not many but good enough to pair with spicy food.
One server for the whole floor – including being the bartender and barback – is stretching her a bit thin. Adding someone on busy nights would be helpful.
Will return.

The food is good and portions are so big. I ordered a meat combo for $ 13.99. There were many kinds of meat and veggies. Three of us couldn’t even finish. The waitress was also friendly and helpful. I wouldn’t definitely bring my friends there again. Parking is a nit of a problems.

Been here about 3 or 4 times now! Super delicious! Food is hot, the injera has perfect taste! Ohhhh I love it, service is excellent! And they are always coming around the table making sure everything is good! We ordered a #8 and that’s plenty to share!

So yummy! I’m picky with my Ethiopian cuisine, and this place surpassed my expectations. The food came really quickly, and in general the service was great. The atmosphere feels authentic– tons of Ethiopians gathered there on the Friday we ate there. Check this place out if you’re a fan of Ethipian cuisine, or if you’re in the mood for some delish and unique spices and dishes. Also, be prepared to eat the traditional way– no silver wear, you grab your food with this thin sour-​dough-​ish crêpe-​like bread called injara. It’s made with a healthy grain that’s from Africa and it’s gluten free! Added bonus– it’s SO reasonably priced! My bf loved how cheap the beers were on top of everything. Moral of the story… Eat here!

Beautiful décor featuring a full bar. If you catch them during their traditional coffee ceremony, they will offer you so African espresso… soO yummy. Generous portions, great to share, great parking space and it’s right in the heart of Rainier Valley.

The food preparation is very good. I order to go often and they wrap the injera separate from the food inside of the to go container. The vegetable platter and meat combo are my favorites and I have yet to be disappointed in their service and qaulity. The freshness of the food and the flavors are incredible and the spices set everything off perfectly! Glad to be a repeat customer!

I absolutely ADORE Ethiopian food, so I was so excited to get invited to a birthday party at Café Ibex. We had a lot of Ethiopian cuisine newbies in our party, which made it more fun to share the experience.
I fell in love with their coffee — it is like a thicker, more mellow espresso shot. With cream and a little bit of Stevia I brought from home, it was heaven. Our friends also ordered a wonderful honey wine and let us each try a taste — that was some of the best wine I’ve ever had the pleasure of sipping. Sweet with a slightly woody undertone.
But, you didn’t come here to hear about the wine — I’m sure you want to know about the food. We ordered the chicken and beef combo plates, which were so amazing and flavorful. The injera is perfect — just the right texture and the perfect utensil for eating this amazing food.
I don’t get to this part of Seattle very often, but I think Ibex is totally worth the trip! I will definitely return.

Excellent meal. I ordered the vegetable combo and each item was flavorful and visually appealing. Very friendly staff. The owner came out more than once to chat with us. My carnivore friends equally sang the praises of the poor animals they ate.
They had a soccer game on the television that I asked them to turn down. They obliged, turned off the volume, and turned on some music.
One thing — the restroom decorations are bizarre.

Seriously? I drove past this place how many times and never knew what greatness lied within? Thank the Internet-​Gods for Unilocal!I would have never known.
I have now ate at about 5 – 6 Ethiopian restaurants in WA and this is definitely at a tie for 1^st place with another restaurant out North. Not sure which place I liked better, but I’ll most likely be going here a lot more since it’s so close to home.
My girlfriend and I came during the «Plate of Nations» week where there were meal deals from local restaurants around the same area, so we got a pretty good deal where it came with a lot of food on a huge platter. I couldn’t tell you what we ate exactly because it was a huge combo platter, but it was magnificent. Usually there’s certain items on the plate that I don’t care for, but literally EVERYTHING on the plate tasted amazing.
While eating, the owner came in and ended up introducing herself to us. She was very nice and made sure everything was to our liking. The service here was really great and the staff was friendly.
I plan on being a frequent eater here from now on, so plan on seeing me when you come try it for yourself. :)