Meskel Ethiopian Restaurant

My favorite food is Ethiopian and after trying all Ethiopian restaurants in Seattle, I have found Mezkel to be the best one. It’s obvious that the owner takes pride in her food and her restaurant. It’s the only Ethiopian place I frequent now. I highly recommend this place!

This is the restaurant by which I measure any other Ethiopian (or Eritrean) restaurant. The yardstick of restaurants if you will!
We were relatively new to Seattle in the 1990s. And some friends took us to this restaurant, then located right on Seattle U property. (For certain reasons, the restaurant has since went further up Cherry, a bit after 23^rd, but not quite up to MLK.) As soon as the hubs, the boys, and I tasted the food, we knew we had hit food heaven!
Granted, though we’ve been going here for over 20 years (!), we tend to order the veggie platter, lamb tibbs, and, sometimes, the Ethiopian tea. Mother’s had the kitfo (she loves raw beef!), though, and another friend ordered the doro wat. The bottom line is that every thing we have ever ordered is extremely delicious.
Belaynish, the owner, is the best cook. When she does not cook, however, the young man who does makes some pretty delicious dishes himself.
I’m not sure what happened with Tristita, but FYI, Meskel and most Ethiopian restaurants do NOT make their own injera. It’s a time consuming, pain staking process which is best left to those companies that only make injera. Given my patronage of Meskel and friends and relatives’ own intermittent need for gluten-​free injera, I’m frankly super surprised that this happened.
Bottom line: My whole family loves Meskel. Several friends love Meskel. I hope you do, too.

Gluten free folks, BEWARE. I ordered takeout from Meskel and specified that I wanted the gluten free injera (made with 100% teff, not teff + wheat as is usual). I double checked on the phone AND in person that it was indeed gluten free. I should have gone with my gut feeling — the injera didn’t look like the usual GF stuff which is darker brown, but I thought maybe they had their own special way of making it. Big mistake on my part. Now my gut feeling is – sick. Ugh… going to be dealing with this for a few days. I called the restaurant to tell them what happened and basically the woman started arguing with me about it so I tried to politely end the conversation and hung up. I am sure that the language barrier was partly to blame, but I won’t be going back.

This used to be our favorite Ethiopian restaurant. It’s really gone down hill. The veggie combo wasn’t as well flavored as it used to be. The lentils were half cooked. When we asked to share 1 order, they asked #2? as the veggie combo is item #2. We answered yes we want to share #2. Well at the end of the night our bill came for 2 orders. Discussing it between us, the server came over unsolicited and pointed to the menu and said, you wanted 2! It could have been an honest error, but the prepared defensiveness suggested it has happened before. Oh well, there goes $ 40 and the last time we ever eat here.

Outstanding Food, if you don’t know what to order just ask the owner. We’ve been coming here for over 10 years.

Most disgusting Ethiopian food! But in all fairness, I only tried one dish! Stay away from the cabbage! Yuck!

Reliably good food. Nice quiet setting. Never too crowded. We love coming here.

We live nearby and this is one of our go-​to spots for delicious food in a warm and friendly atmosphere. The veggie combo is tasty and plentiful. The lamb tibs (medium spice) are fresh and the perfect level of spice/​heat. Service is attentive and friendly. The woman who greets and serves is also very sweet with children. Our toddler loves her… and the food!

We found Meskel to be ok, it didn’t really stand out from many of the other Ethiopian restaurant’s on First Hill. The service was very slow even though there was only a couple other tables dining.

At 7:30 on a Wednesday, there was one other couple eating on the patio and we joined them outside. My wife and I shared the veggie platter with gluten free ingera. For $ 20 we were totally satisfied. The salad was fresh, there was a home made ricotta type cheese, three dals, greens and cabbage. Perfect amount for two people. Service was friendly and efficient. The patio was perfect for the 75 degree evening. We will be back.

It was by prompting of my new wife to go and have Ethiopian cuisine and we were just drawn to this place. We both love exploring hole in the wall places and this was absolutely wonderful! We will be back again and again! Wow! We stuffed ourselves with Doro Wot, red lentils and amazing injera. You gotta try this place and make it a place to frequent!

I’m not an expert but I love Ethiopian food and Meskel is always my go to when the craving kicks in. The fact that it’s in a house gives the authentic feeling right off the bat. The food is always well prepared and flavorful. I recommend the doro wat, beef tibs and veggie platter. We even asked for an extra egg in the doro what… Great call! Service was good — when we went the whole restaurant was packed and there was only one server. She did her best considering!

How I heard of this place: A dozen friends were gathering for a feast at Meskel and I was among those invited!
Type of cuisine: «Flavors burn a little brighter at Meskel, and the menu extends beyond the standard wots (stews rich in berbere, an Ethiopian chile-​based spice blend), tibbs (cubed-​meat sautes), and veggie combos – there always seems to be something special simmering in the kitchen. And here the injera isn’t just a floppy, edible utensil, but a lively flavor unto itself, lending a cool, pleasantly sour counterpoint to all the slow-​cooked stews.» (The Stranger)
Ambiance: A homey setting from the moment you walk up to the corner establishment, reminiscent of visiting a friend for an extraordinary meal. Outdoor patio seating for sunny and warmer days, brightly colored red interior with seating for small and large parties. The family friendly environment is palatable from the moment one sets foot in the doors, and is welcomed by Belaynesh Chera or other members of her family.
What I ordered: Shared plates all around, our table had one order of the Vegetable Combination ($ 15.99): red lentils cooked with spices, cabbage, carrot, potato, shero, greens and tomato fitfit, as well as the Yebeg Tibbs ($ 14.95): cubes of fresh lamb sautéed with onion and served with fresh salad. Not to mention, plenty of injara!
What I loved: The salad! Everything on our large plate was smashing, from the spicy to the mild, from the vegetables to the beans, but there was something about the lemony salad that truly stole the show.
Why I loved it: Simple, homey atmosphere enjoyed with friends and excellent food!
Cost: Average ($ 13 — $ 16 per shareable lunch entrée)

Came here on my visit to Seattle. I was craving REAL Ethiopian food. My aunt was at the Swedish hospital a few miles away. Went with my mom and cousin. It was super confusing just trying to find the door. It has a house vibe. Restaurant was empty, food was bland. Try elsewhere.

This might be the best Ethiopian place in town. The food is fantastic – tons of amazing flavors! Service is quick and friendly and they don’t pressure you to leave the minute you finish your food. It’s nice to feel relaxed and able to sit and chat after a large meal. The Vegetarian Combination is great and the Tibs Wat are fantastic. I can’t recommend this place enough! As others have noted it’s easy to miss the restaurant as it looks just like a house, and the entrance is on the side.

Meskel is my go to place for Ethiopian food. Their food is always amazing (I go here often and the quality is consistent), the hostess is a terrific person who always makes you feel welcome, and the building itself is always bright and is well decorated. The portions are large and I always have left overs to enjoy the next day.
One little tip is that the entrance is the side door so don’t be discouraged if you can’t find it at first.
Enjoy!

They now have a truck which is in Downtown Bellevue every Friday!
My first time trying it, I had to do the sampler (so I know what to do next time). Sampler is $ 12. Each of the other individual orders is $ 10.
Not sure how I feel about individual servings as I understand the fun of Ethiopian food to be eating in community (sharing bread). But the food is good… the curry is very flavourful, the stew as well and the tibs have just the right texture.
Comes with a salad on the side. See you next Friday!

I love this place. I order take out here so often I don’t have to finish placing my order, they can do if from the sound of my voice. The owners are pleasant, the service can be slow, but worth the wait and the atmosphere is friendly. I usually order the veggie combo for my kids, plus a side of spicy lentils, a side of gomen and an order of bozeno shiro. (I usually have to fend off my husband from devouring the last one by hissing and using a sharp fork). (I don’t really hiss).
In the summer you can sit outside, in the winter it is a haven of warmth with great food and a decent, well priced, wine collection. Yay! I’m a fan.

Been a while since I had Ethiopian food. Hats off to fellow Unilocalers for this tip.
The #13 (Yebeg Tibbs) was a server’s recommendation. Cubes of fresh lamb sauteed with onion, and a side salad. Our meals came with injera, the Ethiopian spongy flatbread with that sourdough taste.
Very flavorful and tender lamb. Admittedly, the meat was quite oily and the salad got drenched with Italian dressing. I can only assume they wanted to ensure the panda received extra fluff for his buck.
Other similar dishes to consider: #15 (Yebere Tibbs; using beef) and #16 (Doro Tibbs; using chicken).
Gotta take advantage when the weather is great and sit outside.
Good service. Overall, it’s a solid place to try.

What can I say about this little Ethiopian gem? Honestly, not enough!
I had been here before after it was recommended to me by an Ethiopian friend of mine. And I have to say that my second visit was just as good as my first.
When I walked in both times, my nose was seduced by the smoky scent of berberre and the tangy sourness of injera. The waitstaff (two women) were friendly and very attentive. My party the last time consisted of 5 and they easily made room for us. With orders of the vegetarian platter, doro wat, kitfo, extra ayib, yebeg alicha and addis tea; there was plenty of food for all of us. It was absolutely delicious. Where there is food this good and polite service such as is found here… I will be back.