Cafe Ibex

ONE OF THE BEST RESTAURANTS IN SEATTLE Order the lamb meat combo and veggie combo for a party of 4 (just trust me). It will be about $13 each before tip and the most delicious mix of diverse flavors and ingredients you’ve had in a minute. Your party will eat like kings on a budget. Hearty servings too. I’m shocked this place doesn’t have better business. Please bring your friends here. Trust this random stranger on the internet. Just maybe ask them to make it spicier because they might hold back on you lol. Thank you Cafe Ibex for making some of the most flavorful vegetarian food in the city! And impeccably marinated meats as well. They’re open late and sometimes start dancing too. They’re just a vibe for real!

Wife and I have tried Ethiopian food one other time, and it was great too, but the atmosphere here was incredible. They did everything possible to make this a legendary meal from every angle. The smells, the sights, the vibe and service,........and the food,........the best meal in months, period. Roasted coffee in a frying pan right in front of us and were burning the most aromatic resin or incense, just fantastic all around,...6 stars if I could!! Thanks for a great lunch Ibex Cafe!!

Wow! I stopped in for dinner with a friend and between the two of us we couldn't finish our very reasonably priced ($25), delicious combo platter. The food was amazing. We got the beef combo platter, and it had some flavors that I've never had at any other Ethiopian restaurant, and man, they were delicious. I'm actually getting hungry writing about it because they were so good. The veggies that were included were also delicious, so I'm pretty sure that if I got a veggie platter, I'd be just as delighted... But one platter was definitely enough 😅 Parking was easy and we were delighted by our conversations with the staff. I can't wait to go back! But we're going to have to bring more people because I want to try all the combos!

Two of us shared one plate of the beef combo (last item on the beef page), and it was delicious! We both couldn't finish the whole thing and took leftovers home! Excellent value for money, and it was delicious!!!

This wonderful gem of a restaurant will surprise you. Upon entering you are greeted by rich, earthy incense and a bright, golden-colored interior. It is far roomier than you would ever expect from the outside; in addition to the main dining room there was a much larger back area with a stage. They were easily able to accommodate our party of eight. The traditional food was delicious. Six of us ate family style sharing the chicken, lamb and the beef combos on one large injera covered platter. The flavors were all rich and savory and three combos were more than enough food for six people. Our servers were friendly and attentive and when it came time to pay the bill, they easily split it multiple ways. Check out Cafe Ibex, you'll be glad you did!

Raw not fully cooked food made me sick. Horrible customer service from male and female waitress. Interior of the restaurant is smelling so horrible the stench gave me headache and my clothes smelled so horrible, I had to go back home and change into clean clothes. Overall I don't recommend this restaurant. They are many better Ethiopian restaurant in Seattle area.

LOVED THIS PLACE!! First time at a Ethiopian restaurant and I can’t believe I’ve been missing this my entire life you get to eat with your fingers great bread amazing tasting food the spices were amazing the atmosphere was so warm and welcoming I got to witness my first Ethiopian wedding it was just an incredible experience I will be back I love it and I hope more people come and eat here.

I'm not super familiar with Ethiopian but I can say everything I tried was delicious and the staff was super nice. Be prepared to get a bit messy as you will be eating your food with your hands but it's so good. I convinced my mom it was like turning every bite into tiny African tacos

We've been coming here for years and it is consistently delicious!! High quality ingredients with friendly, quick service.

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!!

Ethiopian food is one of my favorite foods ever especially Tibs. I had ordered beef tibs and My food was lacking and all seasonings and spices. It was extremely bland and not enjoyable at all. I don't really recommend and i wouldn't come back.....

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.

Love this place!! Great food, good price, friendly staff, and always a dope soundtrack :)

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.

I love Ethiopian food and have tried it in many different cities. I ordered the veggie platter and was in disbelief at how terrible it smelled. Maybe it was just a bad batch, but I do not recommend this place.

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 lol But! 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 Ethiopian Food - 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:)

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!!!

One of my favvvvv Ethiopian joints in Seattle! They really have the best veggie combo, everything is sooo flavorful and I usually have enough to save for lunch the next day. It's about $20 too so not hella pricey for what it's worth. The injera is so soft and sour, I love it! I come here often for takeout and haven't eaten in but anytime I order food the servers are so kind so I bet it's really great to dine in.

Been here twice now, the service is consistently amazing, food is great and huge portion. I order their veggies and meat combo. I love the variety and enjoy the flavor so much! If you're looking to try some traditional food, I highly recommend them!

Cafe Ibex is my go to Ethiopian restaurant. Even though they're not nearby, the quality of their food is worth the added trip and so far they've been consistent with quality and quantity. The portions are generous (most of the time I have enough for another meal) and the price reasonable. However be mindful that (depending on your order) some items may spill over/spill out of the container if you're doing take out. My one suggestion would be some more options for appetizers. That being said, I love their vegetable combo, and the two pieces of injera are huge. If you're a fan of Ethiopian food or always wanted to try, Cafe Ibex is the way to go.

This is a great and affordable spot where you can try a lot of different things for a great price. We ordered their $35 Seattle Restaurant Week special for takeout and we were very happy with how everything tasted. We got three different meats: dried beef, doro wat (chicken in spicy sauce) and derek yebeg tibs (dried lamb). My favorite was definitely the lamb but I also liked the chicken a lot. It also came with several vegetables and lots of injera too. The food was very hearty and flavorful and it makes for a great winter takeout meal. What I really like is how many different flavor profiles you have when you get a variety like this. It also reheats very well if you have leftovers like we did. Also they separated the vegetables and meats into two different containers so if somebody is a vegetarian they would not have to worry about cross contamination with meat. I definitely recommend.

This is the best food ever. I'm very picky vegetarian who doesn't like spicy food and they accommodate me as well as my spice-loving family. I especially recommend the yellow split peas. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable and always available when you need something. The ambiance does leave a bit to be desired, the tables are covered in vinyl, but the food makes up for it. You should try the coffee- they roast their own beans!

I think this is only my second time having Ethiopian, my first time probably 10 yrs ago, overall I'd say it's what I remember and expect. Food is always quite tender, the signature sour bread, and the communal eating. Would say that sharing with a friend is definitely the way to go! Our group of 4 shared a veggie combo and a meat combo, and it was plenty! We left with full stomachs (but not too full for dessert!)

I love this place. I always come here when im in the mood for Injera. I usally get the Lamb tibs combo when I come and it never dissapoints. The owner is very friendly and makes this place a pleasure to come back.

The atmosphere was warm and welcoming. The staff was kind and was happy to answer any questions we had about the menu. This was definitely one of the best Ethiopian restaurants I've ever been to. The meat was tender and cooked well, veggies seasoned perfectly with the unique Ethiopian flavors you expect. I can't wait to go back!

I want to caveat my review by saying that I am a vegetarian and I've only done take-out from Cafe Ibex, and never done dine in. I LOVE their Veggie Combo. It's honestly 1.5-2 meals for a single individual. There's SO much food. And generous amounts of injera. Typically we use a delivery service like Doordash to order from here, but recently they seem to have lost their tie up with Doordash and are serviced on Uber Eats and GrubHub only. They recently changed their packaging to a different option which I believe results in a bit less food, but its still a lot. Takeout also means that during delivery, your separate dishes may combine with each other, but its not a deal breaker. Everything still has a distinct taste. Their veggie stews are SPICY, and not really served like "soups", which confused us at first but they were still amazing. PSA: If you're doing takeout and serving yourself at home on a plate... remember to put the veggies and lentils on TOP of the injera, so that the injera can absorb all the goodness/flavour for you to eat at the end.

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.

The building is old but don't let that frighten you. The staff is polite and helpful. Take out or eat in. We really enjoy their food. It's enough food for three very hungry people or a great meal for two with leftovers. We always get the lamb combo and beef stew. The beef stew adds a spicy sauce that helps make the leftovers great the next day. If I want more leftovers, we add the dry lamb or cabbage. Best tip ever from an Ethiopian friend: take the leftovers home. You can rip the leftover injera into smaller bits and mix in with the leftovers for your to-go box to soak up flavor overnight. Either heat up and eat the jumble the next day or add a fried egg on top to make it extra special. If you've never had injera, think of a pancake like softness and sponginess but the tanginess of a great sourdough. Yum!!!

5 stars for flavors and portion! love the bread. it wasn't as tart like most places. and surprisedly good with my ubereats order! def going to order again when i'm craving, i got the lamb combo. i especially love the greens and cabbage and their carrots has a crunch that i like

Has got to be one of my favorite places to get Ethiopian food. Everything is super flavorful and well seasoned. I am usually not a big fan of lamb, but the way they prepare it is amazing! Although take out is still pretty solid, I recommend making time to sit down at the restaurant to enjoy your food!

This hole in the wall place is one of those easily missed places if you're not really looking for it. For one, it's connected to this really sketchy grocery Mart and is facing interiorly. On the bright side, it's literally 5 minutes from the light rail and also have a parking lot. We came here for plate of nation and got the $30 meal which came with a few meat dishes, the veggie combo and dessert (baklava). The dish was humongous! You can easily feed 2-3 people with this dish. Everything on the plate was pretty good. All of the meat was tender and falling off the bones, the veggies was seasoned and cooked well. I love that some of the veggies has a spicy kick to it. The only thing was the injera bread was very thin, so it was crumbly and mushy after a little bit. Even though we got extra injera bread to use, it's not the typical. The people here is super nice, they were attentive, outgoing and very knowledgeable. Overall, a really good place to eat and a great deal for plate of nation!

The food and service here is amazing!!! We ordered the lamb combo and I can't tell you which dish was my favorite. The spices were just scrumptious. We split this one dish for both of us and we were uncomfortably full by the end. I wish I knew their secrets for how they make lamb so tender, lentils so flavorful, and veggies that make me realize I could almost go vegetarian! I wish we lived in Seattle, we would make this a regular spot to visit!

Horrible experience and service. Felt very unwelcomed. My Injera was cold. When told she immediately responded no it's not I just made it then offered to re heat it. Also my friend ordered meat only dish got 4/5 dishes when asked about the lamb was lied to that it was inside the injera Smh Extremely disappointed considering we eat here a lot. Definitely lost a customer

Stopped in for lunch and got the lamb combo plate. We've had Ethiopian before but Cafe Ibex is amazing! The price was good and one plate fed two of us. Highly recommend this spot

Stopped here for dinner a few nights ago. Got the chicken combo which is the veggie combo + a chicken curry and a dry chicken dish. There was a fair variety in the combo and 3 Injeras which was super filling for us. Excellent portion size indeed. The food itself was a solid okay. Nothing was bad but nothing was awesome either. The veggies were bland and lacked seasoning and the punch and aroma of spices. The chicken was insanely dry, the chicken curry contrastingly was really nice. There are other Ethiopian restaurants in Seattle that are tastier(although the good ones seem to keel closing down). Overall I think this is a solid place for a great value for money meal with good variety, just not a home run.

amazing food, atmosphere, service, thank you for having us. all the food looked amazing but we split an Ethiopian beer and the beef combo platter between two people and still had lunch leftovers. 10/10 .5 stars. a new favorite when we're in the Seattle area!

Cafe Ibex is a hidden gem! Find it on MLK where it intersects with Rainier Ave, just below the Mount Baker light rail stop. It has a small parking lot. There's a full bar, private room section, and the actual dining area. I see they're aiming for a more authentically intimate setting, with low lighting, candles, and African music playing. Still, a humble restaurant. Ethiopian food is one of my new jams. I've been to a quite a few in Seattle already, and here, the food is just amazing. I had the 'Meats Only' platter, which is all the meats over a platter of injera. The injera has a slightly sour taste, and an airy, spongey texture. The assortment of meats are a perfect sample platter for protein lovers. There's a lot of spice in the beef, and the stewed chicken is rich. Just let those flavors soak up in the injera and indulge. It's a hands-on meal, and your fingers might carry the scent of spices the next day. Server is apparently the owner, and is very friendly and cool. Pretty prompt with everything, and was very interested in what I thought of the food. Would definitely go back!

Ordered the beef combo but was bummed that it did not include beef tibs. When I asked if they could replace one of the meats with beef tibs or even order an extra side of just tibs, they said I had to order the full beef tibs platter. Food was a good portion and came out quick, but I wish they had more variety in the beef combo

I had never had Ethiopian cuisine before coming to Seattle. On day one, my roommate took me here, promising amazing food, and Cafe Ibex did not disappoint. The food was amazing, the atmosphere was great, and the staff was very friendly. Highly recommended.

Not a vegetarian myself but I get the vegetable combo at every Ethiopian restaurant I go to as I feel like it's a good way of measuring the standards. I feel like a lot of times such veggie combos can end up tasting a bit same-y, as in each individual dish kind of starts blending into the others flavor-wise, which isn't the worst thing in the world as the flavors are delicious, but still. Anyway, what we had here was very not same-y, each individual component had a unique and delicious flavor, and we destroyed the whole platter in record time. I was especially impressed by the cabbage and greens here, which usually are kind of sidekicks to the misir wat and others but here really shine.

Man! I'm so happy about what I just ate. I almost don't need to say anything more but I will. MAN, IM SO HAPPY ABOUT WHAT I JUST ATE, TWICE! I Ordered this at midnight last night....I blame Gus my inner fat kid alter ego, for this decision. Also, because, I thought today was my day off, only, turns out it wasn't. Didn't even matter though, cuz I'd happily choose four hours of sleep again, if it meant another day of eating this flirtatious smorgasbord! Oh wait?!...I did get a second date with this dinner! I had so much left overs, that my tired ass came home from work and filled my belly full a second time. Nothing left to be said. Just good feels all around, and my comma usage is atrocious (but that's irrelevant(ish). Mainly #iwin, ##youCouldToo, because they deliver with uber eats UNTILL 2 AM!!!! ###YoureWelcome. OH YEA, and If you're white and you've never had Ethiopian, and it kinda looks good but also you're scared. Just imagine a midwestern church potluck from the 80's (ya know, the ones with like 900 different casseroles). ONLY, it's An African church. THEY CAN COOK!!!! AND EREY BODY GETS LEFTOVERS! #weALLwin! Hope I dream about trying their Kitfa tonight!! Meanwhile Jeopardy plays in the background. "Let's go with, Enough left overs for three meals, for 200." "What is....Ethiopian breakfast scramble in the morning, Johnny. *Ding *Ding *Ding

AMAZING food and pleasant service - been back multiple times! Super convenient to Mt Baker Station!

Amazing food! We visit this place regularly and we are always treated like family. I love that this is a woman owned and operated business, and the food is the best I have tried! Our order is always the same: large platter with Fish Tibs, Chicken Tibs, and dry Lamb Tibs. Try it!!

There are so many Ethiopian restaurants near me that it is hard to choose. However I had heard there was a good one in Columbia city so decided to take a short drive down and it was worth it. The veggie platter was a feast for the eyes as well as for the tummy. Plus my friend ordered a tasty side dish. Coming back again for sure. And waitress was lovely.

Love, love, love their Veggie Combo... so this review is pretty much based solely on that. Delicious, great medley of flavors and spices, and portion size is large enough that I get two meals out of it every time! Service is quick and staff are super friendly. Definitely a great little neighborhood gem :) Last time I ordered, I was really glad to see that they changed up their packaging from foam to more environmentally friendly/recyclable options, too.

It's so hard to find a late night food spot in Seattle, especially one with good food, so I'm glad Cafe Ibex exists. We got the lamb combo and it was delicious, especially the yebeg tibs. I like that the injera here is a little more sour than other places. The plate had enough food for 3-4 individual meals, so my girlfriend and I got to take almost half of it home as leftovers. I agree with the other reviews that the food somehow tastes even better the next day when all the sauces get soaked into the injera.

We love good Ethiopian food- especially Kitfo tere. The Kitfo here is great. Doro wat is great. The veggies were all great. The green chicken was very good. Good injera. Highly recommend Cafe Ibex. We will eat here again regularly. We didn't know Seattle area had good Ethiopian food until now!

My new FAVE place in Seattle when I'm looking for some good Ethiopian food! You won't be disappointed Glad I came across this restaurant, me and my friends were just driving around trying to find a good place to get some Injera and I found this place on Yelp Sat in the bar got amazing service, ordered a few combos and just relaxed Prices weren't bad and portions were very large Definitely my new favorite place

Delicious food! I've never had Ethiopian food before so I didn't know what to expect. However, I loved every bite. The staff was friendly.

Oh my gosh, amazing!!! Came here a while back with a group of friends and we had the BEST time. Cafe Ibex is SO SPECIAL! The staff is kind and so great with recommendations! We were super hungry and didn't know what to order so they just assembled a bunch of platters of everything! And it was perfect! Everything was delightful. I especially loved the cabbage and beef dishes. Everything was well-seasoned and even the injera was on-point. I usually have only one injera, but I had at least two! And at the end of our FEAST, it came out to around $16 a person. Which is insane because we were all crazily stuffed and still had a bunch of food leftover. Cannot wait to come back!

I came here with my Aunt 2 weeks ago and enjoyed it so much that I decided to come back with my wife the following week. I got the Lamb combo which is definitely enough for 2 if you wanted to order just that and it was delish and filling! The ladies that work there are super friendly and it's a great atmosphere!

I'll keep this really simple. Cafe Ibex is our favorite restaurant in Seattle and the one we frequent the most. The quality is consistently high, the service is friendly and warm, and the food is what I imagine is delicious Ethiopian home cooking.

I would give this a half star but that is not an option. I went in last night with a dear friend of mine to enjoy some Ethiopian cuisine. We ordered the lamb combo with kitfo that came with sides. Our waitress was an older light skin women in her 40-50s. Before our food came out we requested for some mitmita and awasa on the side (hot sauce). I have eaten at plenty of East Africans restaurants and it has never been a problem requesting that. Once the food came out we noticed she didn't bring us the mitmita or awasa. We kindly asked again, she rolls her eyes in response and turns her back towards the kitchen. The waitress then returns and literally slammed the mitmita onto our plates. I was stunned and concerned because mitmita is a powdery substance and can easily be hazardous if it floats into ur eyes or you inhale it wrong. The waitress then disappears (while we still hadn't received the awasa) and only after returning the help the table besides us we were able to flag her down. I would understand if she were busy but we were the only people in the restaurant besides the table that had came in after us. Our lamb combo with kitfo had a small portion of cheese and salad that was not enough for 2 people. We requested for another order of cheese and salad. The waitress threw a fit and told us we weren't allowed to do that. If we wanted more cheese and salad we had to order a whole entire order of the same dish just to get more sides. I was stunned. Never have I ever heard of that, I assume this was an attempt to get more money out of us. After uncomfortably trying to explain that it made no sense having to order a whole entire meal again just for the sides we requested, she saw we weren't budging and finally caved into our request. Only after giving me a smug look and uttering "you know you have to pay for the extra sides right". YES lady we are well aware of that. At this point we tried to finish our food as quickly as we could and get out of there. This is by far the WORST service I have ever received. I typically do not write reviews however this service was unbelievable. I recognize that given this is a foreign restaurant that may get a lot of American clientele, I'd hate for any naive customers to be taken advantage of this sly waitresses attempt in swindling someone who didn't know any better.