Cafe Ibex

Food: Beef Combo: authentic flavor will definitely satisfy your craving! Perfect level of spice (if there was a star rating 0-5 I would give it a 3). Shareable plate for 2.Service: Friendly and attentive.Ambiance: Dim setting, music in the background (you can still enjoy conversations), wasn't busy (Saturday night,however, it does seem like they had lots of pick up orders)I'll be coming back for sure!!

I am not sure if I have ever had Ethiopian food before - but I think the $25 "combo plates" here are a great place to start! My friend, and I shared the "lamb combo" and were full with just that (that would not have been enough food for me and my husband, though). I was impressed with the tomato lamb curry in the middle of the platter, the lentils, and the vegetable purée. Unfortunately, I am not sure if I would order any of the other sides/mains again, but the price tag makes this restaurant a really fun option! Other reviewers described this as "the best with Ethiopian food in Seattle" so I considered giving this restaurant four stars, but realistically, the food was three stars for me.I do not consider service or ambience when I rate a restaurant, but I was surprised that I did not see any reviewers had mentioned that the restaurant feels like it is the parking lot of a small 7-Eleven (three or four parking spots) and while it is a short walk to/from the Mt Baker train station, it was my first time in the neighborhood, and I was surprised that there were few street lights and that I passed a lot of people smoking and/or camping on the sidewalks.

I came here on a Monday evening at around 7pm. I was able to be seated immediately and was able to choose my table which was nice! I got the beef combo which has a variety of beef and a lot of the vegetable options as well. This was easily split between me and another person so keep in mind the portion is large!Overall the food was delicious! The beef stew in the middle might have been my favorite of the beef options, and the split peas was probably my favorite of the veggies. They didn't hold back on the spice either! The minced beef and the lentils had the most kick and were very tasty as well. However everything was good! I'm excited to come here again!

Tried it again. It's been many years. This time we ordered to go. The prices (as is the case with everything) are much higher than they were and the portion sizes smaller. We ended up finishing everything within one meal when usually our order can last a couple of days. Pretty much felt the same way in terms of taste that I did previously. Not the tastiest Ethiopian food in the area, but it was still decent. This time around service was much better. The food came out quite quickly.

First Ethiopian cuisine experience!My high school bestie and I decided to get dinner here after dance one Thursday evening, and she was so excited to be a part of my first Ethiopian cuisine experience. She walked me through the menu and the best things to order:*ibex combo #3 - lamb combo ($20.95): this came with yebeg wet (lamb stew), yebeg tibs (stir fried lamb), yebeg alcha wet (lamb curry), and vegetables on injera (flatbread). The lamb wasn't gamey at all and full of flavor, and the veggies complemented the meat really well. I was intrigued by the spongey texture of the flatbread; it was a great medium to soak up the sauces from the lamb and veggies!*vegetable combo ($16.95): this came with misir wot (spicy lentil stew), shiro wot (grilled bean stew), gomen (greens), kike wot (split pea stew), cabbage, fosolia (green and yellow beans), and ibex salad on injera. The veggies were cooked really well, and were full of flavor.I really appreciate how hands on these Ethiopian dishes were, as you eat them by tearing off pieces of injera and placing the meats and veggies on them to shovel into your mouth. Customer service was next to none though lolBut! I am looking forward to trying more Ethiopian in the future :)

The vegetable combo was perfect to share with a friend. Delicious, healthy, vegetarian food, and such good value too. The seating was spacious and the interior was quiet, great for conversation. Service was quick, friendly, and accurate. It would be nice to have some more non-alcoholic choices for drinks.

Ambience 2/5 - The vibe is very EthiopianFood - 3/5 - Veg Combo and Chicken Combo. In my opinion, Veg was better than the chicken. Service 2.5/5 - The server was super friendly. However, service was very slow

Was craving Ethiopian food, pretty happy to have found this spot, it's next to the train station with a very small parking lot. The menu was kind of overwhelming, a lot of options, but the server kindly helped us select something by what I was describing to her. I recommend trying Ethiopian food for the new experience of eating with your hands, it's actually not that messy as one would expect since you're using a piece of sponge bread to scoop up the food items. Shoot, a fully loaded burger or sandwich can sometimes be messier. Tell me about your experience if you've been here or is going to after reading this review:)

I love Ethiopian food and have been looking for the best one in the area since moving to South Seattle 9 months ago. Finally got around to trying Cafe Ibex with my wife and loved it. We ordered the veggie combo and an entree order of key wot. Injera was soft and fresh. Veggie combo included 6 different sides, all of which included fresh ingredients and excellent flavor. Lentil dishes were well cooked (not undercooked like we found at some other places). Fasolia and cabbage dishes were spicier than we expected but still delicious. Key wot was very spicy and flavorful as expected. The restaurant exterior was nondescript but the inside was warm, clean, and welcoming. We were there for a 5pm dinner on a Saturday so had no problem getting seated immediately. Overall, the food was both fresh and delicious--the best I've found from Central to South Seattle--and service was great. It is now our new favorite.

We've been coming here for many years, and I'm finally leaving a review! I think this is one of the best Ethiopian spots in Seattle. We got the beef combo and it was plenty for two people. The women who work there are super nice, and I love how relaxing it always is in there. I definitely recommend!!!