Lalibela Ethiopia Restaurant

Delicious authentic Ethiopian food with exceptionally gracious service and reasonable prices. I had the vegan sampler platter. Already looking forward to my next visit!

My favorite Ethiopian place in Portland. I always bring friends here to eat the combo platter and we always end up with leftovers. The last two times I was here, I got the veggie combo platter which was amazing and had so many little sides to try. This time I got the family combo and added a lamb tibs, which was amazing and had a hint of rosemary flavor.My table always orders the lentil sambusa appetizer and it's pretty cool that they look like Indian samosas but use different ingredients and flavors and are super tasty.Every time I've gone a little after 12:00 and can get a table right away. I heard most people typically come in 2:00 p.m. and after for late lunch.Will definitely be back again!

Food was amazing, so good my husband and I finished the entire family combo platter. Highly recommend. The waitress was very sweet and attentive as well.

Amazing Ethiopian food! The flavors and spices were so rich and delicious, and the injera bread was perfect. Great service, too. Definitely coming back for more!

There are a healthy amount of Ethiopian restaurants in Portland, so when I say Lalibela is THE most authentic and delicious Ethiopian option in town, that just goes to show how much I recommend Lalibela. We have tried the combination/family platter, and I thoroughly enjoy everything - mostly the tibs (seasoned cubed beef), lentils, and kale. My absolute favorite dish, however, are Sambusas! Perfectly deep fried, and stuffed with flavorful and spiced lentils, I could eat these babies like candy. I LOVE Ethiopian coffee - it just might be my favorite coffee, ever - and in a coffee-obsessed town like Portland, that's no small feat. It's a whole ritual, from roasting the beans fresh over a fire, and serving it in beautiful ceremonial cups. Needless to say, I highly recommend trying the coffee. The owner Banchi is also so warm and welcoming, as are all the staff at Lalibela. Please give Lalibela a try whenever you're in NE Portland (it's off MLK) - or better yet, make a special trip to try this unique food - it's seriously such a rad experience.Ps. Plenty of street parking and lot parking at Cafe Olli next door. Also conveniently right next to the 6 bus stop.

As a lover of Ethiopian food, I seek out this cuisine wherever I can find it. Reviewing Yelp, my friends and I chose this one because it seemed most authentic in terms of menu. Also, namesakes in LA's Little Ethiopia and Frankfurt, Germany are my favorite ones there.The ambiance is little to talk about. Other than the delicious smell, it is divy with thick plastic table coverings and a few pictures on the wall. But then I don't come for atmosphere.The food was more of a "could've been better" (2 stars), but the waitress offered to make me a dish off-menu which would take 20 minutes. I agreed. Unfortunately, it never came, and we were there way longer than 20 min from ordering.The veggie dishes were rather dry in consistency and not as flavorful as I like. The beef tibs were dry and overcooked. The best dish was the tire kitfo which tasted lovely though lacking the usual accompaniment of ayib.I have not tried other Ethiopian places in Portland, so I cannot compare. If this were the only Ethiopian restaurant where I live, I would certainly return.

I cannot believe that I waited for a recommendation to try Lalibela!Though unassuming and quaint from the outside, your senses will turn on as soon as you enter the welcoming space. High ceilings, curated art, and minimal seating keep this space centered, with a lovely use of curtains that keep the kitchen connected to the guests.The staff are wonderful, and they will explain anything that you need to know. Since this was my first jaunt into Ethiopian, I surely had several questions. Thankfully, Lalibela has a few large shareable plates that express most of the items on the menu. If you are similar to me - get excited - since their menu is perfectly sized with curation that keeps the menu small and perfect. 10/10, guys!The flavors and aromas of our plates and from the kitchen make this a truly magical culinary experience. Your senses are going to be aware of everything, starting with the sour aromas of their house-made breads, all the way to the tingles from the spicy meats on your plate. You'll definitely want to order more of the bread since you'll find that you consume it very fast with all the complementary main dishes.I will surely be back, and I cannot wait to see what has changed or what new menu items there may be. Parking is quite ample nearby, with many free street parking spots available off the main street. It would be cute to sometime see a few patio tables on the tree-covered sidewalks, too.

The flavors are soooooo good here. We got the veggie combo with the mushroom tibs. Hot damn it was delicious!

Not much for ambience and the service was slow but otherwise it was solid, tasty Ethiopian food.

My love loves Ethiopian food. Since the demise of her fave E'Njoni, we've been on the lookout for a new place. Other local spots have been on the proverbial Goldilocks scale: too fancy, too little flavor, too snug. Lalibela may be the best fit possible. You know what you're getting: it's a big plate of injera and a round of lentils, cabbage, stewed meats, beets, and salad. The lentils are always my favorite part, and these were tasty. The restaurant reminded me of the restaurants in Little Ethiopia in Los Angeles. Service was a little spotty. The waiter popped up 3 times in about 3 minutes to ask if we wanted more injera, then disappeared completely and we had to disturb the chef for our bill.