Zagol Ethiopian Restaurant

This was my first time trying Ethiopian food, and I am so glad I came to Zagol. My friend’s family member, who is from Eritrea, told me I would love it and they were right. The place was cozy, the server was kind and welcoming, and the food was absolutely delicious. I do not remember the name of the dish, but it was full of flavor and beautifully presented. I loved learning to eat with my hands and sharing from the same plate. The injera bread was amazing, soft, and perfect for the experience. Zagol made my first time unforgettable. I will definitely come back every time I visit Seattle.

Zero star. This was one of the worst dining experiences I’ve ever had. First of all, we found a stone in our food — yes, an actual stone. But it gets worse. The waiter completely ignored us the entire time — not a single check-in, no apology, nothing. We sat there for 45 minutes waiting for food that showed up cold, stale, and clearly not fresh. The staff couldn’t care less, and the whole interaction felt like we were an inconvenience to them. No warmth, no accountability, just pure indifference. Absolutely disgraceful. Never, ever go to this place.

Extremely disappointing experience. The waiter barely acknowledged our table, no service, no water refills the entire time. After a 45-minute wait, we were served stale food. Worst part: I found a stone in my dish and nearly broke a tooth. Completely unacceptable. Will not be returning.

Great food and the sever was nice, I really liked their shiro the most, their misir wot was just okay but overall I loved the veggie combo.

Amazing food and lovely atmosphere. I ordered the veggie combo and was served such a delightful and beautiful platter with fresh injera. I would highly recommend this place and the staff are courteous too ☺️

We tried and enjoyed the meat combo plate and doro wat. Unfortunately, they were not serving Ethiopian coffee at the time.

I had come here to explore the Ethiopian cuisine and I have to say the experience was amazing. Based on the previous reviews here, I ordered the vegetarian combo and it exceeded my expectations. Its not any kind of fancy food, but simple food prepared well. The combo had around nine separate portions of lentils, beetroot, beans, cabbage preparations. This might sound so basic and a everyday home food, but you need to give it a shot. The bread was soft and flavorful. I also ordered the lamb tibbs and it was good, the meat was tender and well cooked. This was more than a sufficient for two people at a reasonable price of less than $50. The service was great too. The waitress did a very good job of quickly attending us and explaining the menu since this was my first time and also provided their recommendations. You will find plenty of vegetarian and vegan options on the menu. I liked how the payment was to be made using a QR code from your own phone. There is ample parking around in the residential area. The food has now encouraged me to try some other Ethiopian restaurants however will definitely be back here. My only disappointment was they do not have any desert option on the menu.

The food was excellent. Is by far the best Eritrean/Ethiopian food I had in Seattle area. However the restaurant was little bit disorganized, I had to walked back in to get my correct order. Overall, I highly recommend this restaurant they got delicious food. The service needs improvement.

My long-time go to for Ethiopian food in Seattle! Make sure to start with the traditional coffee service before you fall into the mesmerizing veggie combo.

I would say given this is my first experience at an Ethiopian restaurant I really liked it. Although the meat portions were really small given that we had three combos. The service was decent and the restaurant smelled like strong incense which at first was overpowering.

Save your time, dignity and go else where. This place has the worst service, take so much time and serve their friends first before anyone regardless of who came first. Too much nepotism! We waited whole hour without anyone coming to even ask for what drink we wanted!

I know you're supposed to eat Ethiopian food in person, and I have had that experience before multiple times, but I decided to get takeout. I thought that the Ethiopian food here was just OK and that there were better spots to be had in Seattle. The injera has a lot of normal flour mixed in, so it's not as sour as pure teff and in general, I found that the food to be pretty bland overall. I believe that the veggie combo was a bit more expensive than the regular zagol combo, which has meat, but I didn't find the portions of the veggie to be that much bigger so I definitely think that zagol combo is a better deal. I also think that the portions for Ethiopian food felt a little small so there's better Ethiopian in Seattle but they're also our worst spots as well so it's mid-tier for me.

Very good Ethiopian food! Nice little place with a chill and calm vibe! The Veggie combo platter is a winner, super Onolicious!!! I will definitely be back for more Ethiopian food!!!

Seattle's Ethiopian food scene does it again. My mom and I got the meat combo plus fish goulash. Everything was fresh and tasty so it was a perfect way to spend a Fri evening. The injera here is more mild, less sour, than the other places I visited. My personal preference is for a little more fermentation but I can see this as a less daunting introduction of injera to those who never tried it before. The fish goulash was jaw droppingly good. Huge chunks of fish that's crispy and saucy.

Good Ethiopian food. We got the meat combo which was more than enough for two. Spiced well and tasty. Surprised to see a dollar charge for each person's side of injera which in most places is included. It's not a big deal- just surprised. We went off hours and it was not busy but it's a large space and so ample seating available.

First time trying Ethiopian food and my friend recommended this was the best place to go! We got the veggie combo (lots of lentils and different types of salad) with the fish goulash (in the middle)! Everything was so yummy and flavorful! Ethiopian food is surprisingly similar to South Indian cuisine. The aroma of the restaurant from the coffee (i believe) was so soothing! The restaurant itself was very homey, plenty of seating and the service was exceptional! Very nice, accommodating and helpful! I definitely recommend checking out this restaurant!

The food is great and price is perfect!! I have gone here at least twice in a month. I get the meat plate with kitfo raw. Sooo good. Friendly service too. Love the new remodel so it felt nice when I picked my food up. My fave Ethiopian restaurant.

My family and I have eaten here twice and had great meals both times! During our last visit we ordered Doro Wat, Doro Tibis, and the veggie combo. The portions were huge with incredibly fresh ingredients and freshly prepared dishes. The use of spices with the chicken, beef, and vegetables was amazing, especially when eaten with the delicious, spongy Ethiopian bread. I also had a bottle of Ethiopian Harar beer with the meal. It has a light, crisp taste. The waitress who served us was very warm and friendly. The ambiance of the restaurant is very chilled and welcoming. When I'm up in Seattle this will be my go-to restaurant for Ethiopian food. (I'm attaching part of the menu so that you see the wonderful dishes that they offer.)

This was my first time having Ethiopian food and mmm it was delicious This local restaurant has great service and prices for the portion you get, and has super friendly vegetarian options. Zagol combo ($18) - this was a bang for your buck. The lentils were the best I've ever had! The cabbage was also a standout. The combination of everything w the slightly sour injira was perfect, it was overall flavortown on a plate Instagram - @joangela.eats

Excellent and fresh Ethiopian food. We've tried a few Ethiopian places in the neighborhood, and this one is the best. I'm now dreaming of when we can go back! We really like the meat combo and the veggie combo. The beef and lentils are fabulous, and the greens (I think they're collards?) and nice and garlicky.

They are the real deal I I've never been there in person I kind of don't like to be in public very often sometimes it's weird when fine dining is weird after covid especially if you're dating or something just depends on who you're rolling with I guess anyway their food is amazing and I have nothing but good things to say and they're always always on time if not early in my situation I appreciate that so much I tried to tip extra when I can I'm not very rich but if I am going to spend money on eating out or fine dining this to me is a form of fine dining because I really like the food all of the food for the most part but this is what I eat a majority of the time as I am a performer and health conscious I even learned some words and some language I hope I didn't get it wrong I'm trying guys one day at a time thank you you made healing from surgery better and made me remember some of the things that I love about this culture you are appreciated I also like their beef tips but I don't eat meat very often I try not to. So if you're a vegetarian is the perfect for you I don't know about vegans but I'm okay with it but then again I walk on the wild side.

Amazing Ethiopian food! Whenever I go to an Ethiopian restaurant, I order doro wot and a selection of vegetarian dishes. The doro wot at Zagol was addictive. It was so so tasty. The portions were sizable, especially for the price. We went on a Monday evening and the restaurant was about half-full. I hear they have great coffee and I can't wait to try it!

Really flavorful vegetarian combo! Loved everything. We also got Foul but it came with bread rolls. I didn't like the foul as much due to too much oil content. But my spouse liked it.

I've been trying the various Ethiopian restaurants in this area, and so far this is my favorite! The Zogal Combo is a great deal for two people, and the flavors are amazing! Just the right amount of spices! The meat was tender and delicious. The variety of veggies and lentils was great. The service was good and fairly fast at lunch. The only complaint is they were out of Ethiopian beer, but I didn't really need that anyway!

Delicious and fulfilling! Got the Zagol combo (which has veggies and a meat dish), honey wine (which was really sweet!), and the jebena coffee ceremony. Everything was a hit! - Server was kind even though we changed tables twice because of the sunlight - Large spacing and simple decorations - Quiet on a 2 PM Monday but still had some guests other than me and my roommate - We cleaned up the combo which was more than enough for 2 people - Coffee was really good!! We took some really nice photos

Fire Ethiopian with a really homey vibe. Service was excellent, the waitstaff were open to all our questions for a big group with some that hadn't tried Ethiopian before, and were very attentive to water and our needs. We got the Zagol Combo and it was a great variety.

Great quality Ethiopian food! We got the meat combo which was more than enough for two people. The food was fresh and tasty.

The food was so tasty and there were so many different options with the combo. The service was a little slow, but it was definitely worth the wait. They have a nice bar & restaurant area.

The dullet here is quite good and so is the shiro! The other vegetables on the veggie combo were just decent -- nothing to write home about. I'm only giving Zagol 4 stars because their injera was baaaaaad... there was no flavor in it!

I stumbled across Zagol while trying to find Ethiopian food for friends in town, and I was pleasantly surprised. Street parking down the street was easy to find, and there was no wait on a Saturday night. Zagol looks a little fancier than the other Ethiopian restaurants in the area, but prices are comparable and it is still a small family owned restaurant. My friends and I split the two meat dishes and a veggie dish for four people - all of the food was yummy and the portions were huge. The food was a bit spicier than expected and some of my friends had to keep asking for more water. Service was a little slow, but there seemed to only be one waiter working that night.

I am no Ethiopian food expert, but this was delicious and the portions were huge. I got the Zagol combo and wasn't anywhere near to finishing it. You get two injera to go with it. My friend got the veggie combo and there were more items on it than listed in the menu. They have gluten-free injera upon request and my vegan friend was very happy with her meal. Also, this place was way cheaper than the other Ethiopian restaurants that I've been to in Seattle. Parking was a tad annoying as most of the street parking was taken up. There was plenty of seating and no wait on a Wednesday night.

I got the Zagol Platter and coffee for to-go. There were two large injeras and the portions were huge. The plate is full of flavors and vibrant colors. I especially enjoyed the qey wot (beef) and kik wot (peas) which paired well with the injera. They have a wide range of vegetarian options as well. I am excited to visit this place in person and I'm especially looking forward to the authentic coffee ceremony!

100% recommend this place to everyone I know. It was my first time trying Ethiopian Food and ooohhh what a place to start. Service 9/10: Took about 15mins to take our order but the lady was amazing at suggesting what's good & what's the best. I like spicy food and she had the perfect combo to recommend. Food 10/10: I don't know how to describe how good the food was. The bread was fluffy and tangy, the vegetarian dishes were PACKED with flavor, the meats were tender, spicy & cooked to perfection. It was enough for two people to share but best believe I ate the whole combo by myself! Cleanliness 5/10. The restaurant was alright but the area where you wash your hands does need some tlc. 1000% recommend this place to anyone.

Out of rice at 5pm. Yes, you read that correctly. Out of rice. They offered spaghetti instead - lol!! No one else in the restaurant eating. The food was so-so and expensive for what you got. Not a place I would return.

*vegan review* Delicious Ethiopian food, one of my all-time favorite Ethiopian restaurants. Hubby and I always get the veggie combo for dinner and it's perfect. They also have my favorite ful so I love coming here for breakfast/brunch. They're a little more heavy-handed with spicy peppers (like jalapeños) than other Ethiopian places I've been to, which I love! But if you're very sensitive just be careful. Love this place!

i discovered ethiopian food this past year in washington DC and was craving it at home in the greater Seattle area. There aren't any Ethiopian places in Bellevue, so I knew I had to try it in Seattle. Cherry St in central district has many ethiopian restaurants, all relatively small. Facilities - from what i could tell, Zagol had a larger dining area and is pretty clean. It had nice lighting and plenty of space. It's not fine dining, but still homey. Parking was a bit limited since there's no lot, just some street side parking Service - Our server was incredibly friendly. We came in around 12pm for lunch on a Friday and ordered the Zagol combo and the doro wot. Our food came around 15 mins later (it wasn't too busy). Since my parents were Ethiopian food virgins, our server told us about the various ingredients, veggies, and meats and whether they were spicy or not. Food: when the Zagol Combo came out, my mouth dropped. There was a lot more ingredients than the combos I've had in DC. Three or four types of legumes, salad, beef, collard greens, potatoes, cheese, cabbage, and a bit of a spicy green paste that lowkey reminds me of wasabi. We each got an injera, which tasted delicious. It was fluffy and the perfect thickness. Since my parents aren't used to eating Ethiopian food, they asked for utensils, which were actually helpful to scoop the food onto the injera. My favorites were the red lentils and the potatoes. The doro wot was spicy and had a lot of stew/spices. it also came with a hard boiled egg. it was good, but not my favorite since i had a lot of the spice stew left over. the flavor was strong; i prefer the milder taste of the veggies. total after tax, before tip came down to about $38, which was incredible for a meal for 3 people. we cleared the combo platter and had about an entire injera and half of the doro wot left over. i highly recommend!

We had the veggie combo and St.George beer. The combo was very bland in flavor. But the Gomen Wot (collard greens) was good. This place is good for bringing a big group and vegetarian friends. Even though for my taste the flavor was lacking, the food was not oily or greasy so it felt very healthy. Be prepared to spend the night here because the service is very slow. They take their time and it's ok. My friends had the Zagol combo and the Qey Wot (beef stew) was delicious.

Okie my first time trying Ethiopian and Zagol was a great first choice. Went in there for a late dinner with 4 of my friends, the restaurant wasn't that crowded but a few families inside. Since it was our first time trying Ethiopian food we didn't know what to order or how to order wish the server was a bit more friendly with us without her AirPods. There were miscommunications and we didn't get a dish we were expecting but it was all good since the food tasted really good!! I have seen Injera but never tried it before so I was so excited for it. It's so good and pairs so well with the main dishes. What I love is they give us more than enough Injera. All the meat from the meat combo has distinct flavors and Tase really good with Injera and vegi sides. But the vegi combo is the winner!!!! That spice and flavor from vegi combo tasted wayyy better then meat. I am only getting vegi combo next time. The beer that our server recommended was not on the menu and it was very flavorful and light. I love it. It would have been a solid five stars if our server was a bit more friendlier.

Okay Ethiopian food. The info I want to share is that if you don't like spicy food, they don't accommodate. I asked for it to be as mild as possible, and one of the meat dishes was 3* spicy, and the another was 2* spicy. At the Ethiopian restaurant a block east, when I asked for not-spicy, they offered to substitute of a less spicy dish. The salad was overly salted and there was a limited amount of injera available. Our water glasses remained empty after the first fill, and although there were 3-4 servers working, they avoided eye-contact and did not check up on us. The bathroom was out of paper towels and the toilet paper was a loose roll on top of the tank. Overall, lacking hospitality and attention to detail.

I've been coming to Zagol since 2019. I love how they increased the size of their veggie platter. More options and good portion size for 2 people to share. Their enjera was a light color with good flavor but a bit dry on the ends. We ordered another piece to split. Their coffee ceremony was an absolute treat. The coffee was strong and flavorful it came with all the fixings and was presented beautifully.

One of the yummiest Ethiopian restaurants. I've lived in Seattle for almost 25 years so I've tried many. Zagol's ingredients and dishes are fresh and very tasty. They also provide gluten free injera if you ask and with no issues. I tasted honey wine for the first time, which I loved

So yummy. We ordered the veg platter and lamb. The service was friendly and fast. The place was popular on a Thursday night. Highly recommend

This is my go to place for an Ethiopian vegetarian combo. I usually have to buy two even though the portions are bountiful, because my kids dove in to my plate as well lol usually they go after the lentils and greens which are also my favorites as well! Highly recommended for the veggie combo, I have not had any of the other dishes. The service is friendly and the place is kept tidy. I will update with pics my next visit.

I have been coming to this place since the 90's when it was called Assimba. Same location similar menu, same hospitality, much better decro. My children and I love this place and we bring our friends and families here all the time. Yes, service is a slow, and limited beverage choices. But the food and hospitality are . They used to take personal checks if you didn't bring cash. I am glad they take credit cards now.

Amazing food. Super fresh, tasty and generous. We ordered one lamb and one veggie which was plenty for the two of us. Can't wait to return.

amazing delicious food yum yum yum!!! amazing delicious food yum yum yum!!! amazing delicious food yum yum yum!!! amazing delicious food yum yum yum!!! ethiopia forevrt

Came here after a change in dinner plans and I'm really glad that I did. For three people we ordered a meat combo and some extra lamb. Each dish on the plate was super flavorful and heavily seasoned. And the portions here are very generous. My favorite was the lamb, cabbage, and the green pepper sauce. Aside from the dishes on the plate you can mix for other flavor combos. Really great food and great value!

Went there again recently! Ordered the Zagol Combo and the Veggie Combo, delicious. Also asked for samosas which aren't on their menu and you know they were good when it felt like your mom made them.

This was an over-all disappointing experience for me and my friends. Let me list off the issues we had with our visit: 1- The costumer service was terrible. My friend asked for a straw and we waited 30 minutes before one of us got up and asked for one again. Our waitress was unfriendly and cold. 2- Around 30 minutes into our wait we asked for our sambusa and the waitress rudely said that it takes "a long time to make". Let me inform those of you reading that my friends are of eastern African descent and we are well aware of how long it takes to defrost premade sambusa and throw it in the fryer. As a matter of fact we witnessed them do just that nearly 40 minutes after we ordered our food. 3- The food finally came after nearly 45 minutes, our sambusa included. We were expecting the food to be out of this world for how long they took to prepare it, instead it was lukewarm (more on the cold side) and underwhelming. 4- We asked for 2 separate plates, one vegetarian and one meat. My friend is a vegetarian and they brought out the food on one plate, the meat and veges side by side and she had to eat around the meat. My other friend asked for no kifto and they put kifto on the plate. The only reason we didn't ask to return the food was because we were STARVING and had already waited nearly an hour. I suggest Zagol improve their costumer service skills and learn how to be prepared when costumers have special requests regarding their meals. Some people have allergies and dietary restrictions that most other places will accommodate. For all of the reasons above we will not be returning and will not recommend this place to anyone else.

Food was amazing and the accommodated more guests as we arrived late. The ambiance was amazing, the lighting and tables unique to Ethiopian food was great. I will definitely be coming back here, to share. We had some friend drive down from Squamish BC, and they thoroughly enjoyed the vegetarian options.

My husband and I love this place. We have eaten at most of the local Ethiopian spots and this one is our favorite. Our parents love it too. None of them had eaten Ethiopian food until we brought them here but now it's on their go-to list of local restaurants. There is so much to love about this place. The people who work here are all so warm and kind- there is a definite family feel. It's open all the time, the attitude is very relaxed, the food is excellent and you can get 2 people completely full for under 20 dollars. We are particularly fond of the veggie platter and chicken tibis. If you haven't eaten here, check it out! You won't regret it.

This location used to be Assimba, which closed and is now open as Zagol under new ownership (relatives of Assimba's owner, turns out) This review is for the Veggie Combo only (to-go order) So we rotate between the various Ethiopian restaurants in the area, and the veggie combo is out go to order that we get almost every time. The prices for veggie combos range from roughly $8-15, and typically spendier options correlate to better quality/flavor. DISH: Vegetarian Combo PRICE: At $14.99+tax, I was pretty disappointed in Zagol's veggie combo, with regard to both portion size and quality/flavor. PORTIONS: they were pretty small (see photo). Also, their Amazon delivery menu says that you get a salad with the veggie combo, but there was no salad in our order (to be clear, we ordered from the restaurant directly and not from Amazon, but the Amazon menu was linked from their website as the link to their menu, so it should be accurate) INJERA: Normally with veggie combos you get the base layer injera "plate" plus 2 more sheets of injera. This one came with only 1 additional injera. I also thought that the injera was on the dry side, and seemed to break apart easily rather than being soft and pliable (almost as if it had been left out, or was in the fridge). This may have been because it was a bit cold and not very hot. FOOD: I didn't think there was a lot of flavor overall, and was on the dry side. Quality wise it was comparable to cheaper places. At $15 I expected it to be much better. My boyfriend thought the food was good, however. I was pleasantly surprised by the potato chunks that were in the beet dish. These potato chunks were flavorful and unexpected. There was also a decent spicy kick to the spicy part. Anyway, I probably won't be coming back here for their veggie combo anytime soon because it was underwhelming for the price, but might try some other dishes in the future.

I've never had Ethiopian food before and I was pleasantly surprised. It would get 5 star if I didn't have to wait so long to order or get water.

Best Ethiopian restaurant in Seattle. The fist place I think of when someone asks me where to get some Ethiopian food is zagol and it's for a good reason. Most of the staff is friendly they get your food ready at a reasonable time unlike other Ethiopian restaurants.

Where should I start? I have a personal problem with eating and this place is perfect for my addiction... I have had many dishes at Zangol .... Meat combo, lamb tibs, dulet, veggie combo and kitfo I mean everything taste really GREAT also its tender ,flavorful spicy upon request. What more can you ask for? Service is very friendly & fast. This is a place where they go an extra mile to make sure you feel special. Let me not stop there! I always get the traditional Ethiopian coffee. A mini Coffee ceremony without the wait. I would recomened to (order traditional coffee when you place your food order) :) by the time you're done eating coffee comes with the clay pot and the mini cups.. The price is right.. Everything is right!

This was recommended to me and was very pleased with my experience! There are a lot of different Ethiopian food options around this corner too, so make sure to look at the one right next to the chicken and waffles place. Street parking is available. When we walked in, it was clearly obvious how popular this restaurant was for dinner. In the back there's a pool table, many laughs were heard upon arrival. Food-wise we got the seasonal samosas, which were lentils and deep fried to deliciousness. The meat combo and the turmeric chicken mix- can't recall the name but it was all so good and can't want to try the others. From what I can tell, Ethiopian food is best enjoyed shared with your group and the injera is your utensil when eating the entrees. Price-wise we paid $35 for all that food including tip, so it is definitely worth the try. Our server was very on top of our needs from the water and to how we were doing with our meal, cause clearly we were super newbs.

Loved the meal totally worth it .... One meat combo was enough for 2. The food was just the right amount of spicy