We were searching for an Ethiopian restaurant that balanced authentic cuisine with elevated surrounds to celebrate my vegetarian bestie's birthday; Mela fit that bill perfectly. Located in an eclectic restaurant center that is a reunion of Pangea. Mela is nestled between a community BBQ and a Chinese restaurant. Upon entry, you're greeted by wood grill aromas and a spacious interior with artwork as intricate as they are massive. If social distancing is your goal, Mela accommodates nicely. were The owner let us know he was the only one working that day and to please seat ourselves. Although he would be the only one working, including cooking and serving, the service did not suffer in the slightest. Big shout to him for being a one-man show. Starting with the Sambusa for the vegheads and the Kifto Wrap for the omnivores. I can't speak for the Sambusa, but the Kifto Wrap is out of this world. Crispy injera is a delight and the blend of salty, spicy, and greasy from the minced beef is seriously incredible. Unfortunately, the bar was set so highly from the Kifto Wrap it was going to be a hard act to follow regardless of what we ordered. That said, I believe the Beef Tibs would be disappointing regardless - overcooking a subprime cut is a dependable recipe for discontentment. However, our companions' entree of the vegetable combo was amazing - the veggies were definitely the main character of this adventure. read more

Mela Restaurant & Lounge - Kifto Wrap - Hookah Bars Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

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Very nice restaurant! Our waiter was super sweet and honestly the entire staff was. The restaurant owner came out to personally greet us and ask how our meal was and we met his wife as well (who he let us know does the cooking). It really showed how personable and humble they are which I thought was really sweet. We got sooo much food! Like the portion sizes are awesome I had plenty to take home. My friends and I got samosas to start as appetizers and then had a platter of chicken, vegetable and beef tibs with injera of course. The flavor of everything was amazing!! I went with my friend who is Ethiopian and she co-signed that this restaurant definitely serves great authentic food! The restaurant is decorated beautifully as well paying homage to the Habesha culture. The prices for everything was pretty good as well! We had Ethiopian coffee at the end which was strong and delicious lol exactly what I needed to finish up the rest of my day. Check this place out! read more

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Went today. 95% of my reviews are positive, this one - NEGATIVE! The service was nonexistent. The drink was the worst I've had in the city in two decades. The bartender was on her phone our entire visit. We had zero level of service, interaction and no pleasantries so with no service and no check we left $20 on the bar for our one drink and a water. The staff member followed us outside claiming we didn't pay. The drink was worth $7 at best and the bottled water $5. We left $20 on the bar YET the bartender chased us outside as if we were criminals. THAT HAS NEVER HAPPENED IN MY OVER 20 YEARS IN ATL. Don't bother with this place!! read more

My first introduction to Ethiopian food is at Mela's. And I am so glad. The food is absolutely delicious!! My daughter loved the injera. I had fish Tibbs, my husband my kids had the vegetarian platter. I absolutely loved everything. The injera will fill you up. The fish tibbs are everything!!! It's all very delicious! The service was great! We did takeout, and will be going back for more!!! read more

Mela Restaurant & Lounge - Hookah Bars Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

Beat food I have eating the fish is a must try with all the veggies highly recommend. read more

Mela Restaurant & Lounge - Fish with all 6 veggies and the MELI plate. With Ethiopian beer. - Hookah Bars Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

The food was cool, but I was charged to enter with no people. Service was cool, but was asked if we had a table like it was people there. Smh read more

My first visit at mela... the food was exceptionally delicious, fresh and seasoned to perfection. I ordered a Mela special pic below. The owners are kind and humble. One of the owners is also the chef & came out to greet me while I devoured my food. I definitely will be back I have been looking for a good Ethiopian spot that can consistently provide great service and food. read more

Mela Restaurant & Lounge - Mela Special with Ethiopian spice tea - Hookah Bars Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

This has become a go to recently for Ethiopian food. While the restaurant is open for dine in, we have only been getting takeout from there. Their super veggie combo is awesome, and I love how tart their injera is! I also love their kitfo wrap starter, which is very indulgent. The reason why I gave them 4 stars instead of 5 is because each time we've been in to pick up our takeout, we've noticed that not all of the employees are wearing masks. I can't tell if the kitchen staff are wearing masks or not but the folks up front go in and out of the kitchen and not all of them are wearing masks. The other thing is that each time we've been there to pick up our order, while the food is already ready to go, it's taken at least ten minutes to pay because some of the employees don't really know how to work the POS. In terms of the food, though, would highly recommend, and I think once COVID is less of a concern I'd be comfortable going to eat there but for now their less than ideal mask adherence wigs me out. read more

The two of us did a to go order. Decently priced and very delicious with moderate portions. Our favorite is ordering a meat dish and veggies so we get the best of everything. All I can say is I highly recommend the amaze sauce for the meat!! Everything was fresh and overall so good. read more

Mela Restaurant & Lounge - Awaze tibs, veggie combo, injerah - Hookah Bars Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

Delicious food, wonderful service. Highly recommend trying it out. Will def return. Such a treat. We also had the coffee ceremony and it was a great experience. So many good things to say about this restaurant: fun, tasty, delightful, nourishing, service oriented, personable owner and chef. It is a happy place, serving wonderful food. read more

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Highly recommend! Whether you enjoy Ethiopian food or have never tried it, you need to go to Mela Ethiopian Kitchen! You have to try the vegetarian combo, it is delicious. Amazing food and great service. Must try!!! read more

Mela Restaurant & Lounge - Timatim Fitfit - Hookah Bars Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

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This place was really yummy! I've lived in this area for years and never tried it. So one Saturday afternoon we decided to give this place a try. The sambusa was delicious! The chicken Tibs was also delicious. I would definitely come back here! read more

I don't usually leave yelps, however it's very unfair seeing the reviews compared to my experience. The customer service was very sweet and they catered to me upon my arrival. I'm not sure how long the food takes to prepare, however knowing that an Ethiopian restaurant is not like McDonald's, I ordered my food over the phone so it would be ready by the time I arrived. Not sure why people said the injera is unusually dark, the color was fine plus it tasted like the usual. FOOD WAS AMAZING!!! I ordered a veggie plate. Will be ordering here again :) read more

On my recent visit to Atlanta I was introduced to this amazing Ethiopian restaurant . My first experience ever : We started with the Injera very healthy bread soft Tasty a must try , then we moved to the main dish Mela special which I posted a pic for it . The owner who happens to be the chef came out and introduced her self what an amazing personality and the husband who is at front was very gracious and respectful. Love the food Loved the people who made the food . A definitely must try . read more

Mela Restaurant & Lounge - Mela Special !! Love it - Hookah Bars Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

Delicious! I tried the Veg Combo and Sambusa last night and both were just what I was craving. So happy to have discovered such a good Ethiopian restaurant so close. Looking forward to exploring the menu. The spices, textures and ingredients all work together for a heartwarming, wholesome, and mouthwatering experience. I called in my order and picked it up with no issues. read more

Loved it so much! I'm Ethiopian so i will let you know first hand the food is incredible. Came with my family and they were also impressed. The kitfo, shiro, gomen and derek tibs were AMAZING!! Not to mention the owner is such a sweet couple:) they gave us this beautiful buna (coffee) platter on the house! Food was fresh, service was amazing and the restaurant is so beautiful! You won't regret it!! read more

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Service and food is Stellar! I had the Awaze Tibs which were amazing, perfectly spicy and the portion was bigger than expected. My wife had the veggie combo and love it! The chef also happened to be out server, after speaking with her, it was a obvious she is deeply knowledgeable, loves what she does and creates amazing dishes. We'll be back soon! read more

Mela's is our new goto Ethiopian restaurant. It's a hike from our home in Woodstock Ga but well worth the hike. There are many delicious dishes to chose from on the menu and they are prepared beautifully. The restaurant is so fresh, clean and new. But it was the owner and staff who were so kind and inviting that has made this our favorite Ethiopian restaurant. They're so sweet and helpful and genuinely wanted us to have a good time . We'll be back before long for more delicious veggie plate :) read more

Mela Restaurant & Lounge - Hookah Bars Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

Great food and hip ambiance. We had the beef tibs and the veggie combo and everything was delicious! We will definitely be back.

Fantastic Ethiopian food. A bit more homestyle and less americanized than Desta (which I also adore, but it scratches a different itch.) Food is prepared with obvious care--little touches like caramelized tomatoes served with the dereke tibs are appreciated. Portion sizes are generous. Prices are a little higher than the median for Ethiopian food around the metro area; cf. spots like Embilta or Bahel, which cost a bit less for food of comparable quality. Still, Mela's atmosphere makes it worthwhile--very polished dining experience. Staff is warm and friendly, and the owner is often behind the bar--extremely nice guy, and apparently the recipes are his wife's originals. Highly recommended. Endnote: I saw another review complaining about "unusually dark injera." A darker color usually just means that the injera in question has a higher proportion of teff (as opposed to lighter injera, which tends to be 50/50 teff and wheat.) Full-teff injera tends to be a bit more sour, but this is often seen as a positive by aficionados of Ethiopian food, as it's more authentic. Desta, for instance, offers 100% teff injera at an extra charge vis-a-vis their usual injera. I don't know what blend Mela uses, but dark injera is not an indicator of bad quality, and anyone who says otherwise doesn't really know what they're talking about :). Harry Kloman's lovely book "Mesob across America" is an excellent resource for those who would like to learn more. read more

Food was amazing! The chef personally came and spoke to us, the waiters are so friendly! The atmosphere was so chic and well vented. I think this is the best ET Resturant in ATL, especially for dates and corporate functions! read more

Mela Restaurant & Lounge - Hookah Bars Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

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This place is a gem of a find. Comfortable environment with great artwork. Went with some girlfriends and we ordered the mela special with half order of veggies and it fed all 3 of us. This dish is absolutely amazing. If you like Ethiopian food, you will love Mela read more

I highly recommend Mela! Great food and service. I definitely recommend this over Desta Ethiopia.

First, I rarely give 5 star reviews. Second, I love Ethiopian food. (I used to have Ethiopian in laws.) Third, I rarely eat Ethiopian food this good. The only suggestion I might have based on my limited experience with this place is that the to-go veggie dish I ordered was not spicy enough. (I had to amend it with my personal berbere stash.) So if you like your food Ethiopian hot you might want to emphasize that preference when ordering. Fourth, this place is clean, friendly, and had nice art work. Can't wait to do a date night here. Second trip to this place was even more satisfying. Run, don't walk, to some of the best Ethiopian food you'll probably ever have. read more

Went on a Sunday afternoon and had kitfo roll for appetizer and veggie combo with tibs as an entree. The food was excellent, portions are large and everything came out quickly. They have 100% teff injera (reason why it is darker in color), unlike other Ethiopian restaurants where the injera is mostly white flour. Service was also great. Loved all the beautiful art pieces in the restaurant dipicting the culture. As an Ethiopian, I'm highly critical of the Ethip food I eat outside and this one delivered in every way. Highly recommend Mela for Ethiopian food lovers! read more

Mela Restaurant & Lounge - Kitfo (beef tartar with spices and butter) roll - - Hookah Bars Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

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This place is a hidden treasure. We ordered the Sambusa, the Vegetable Combo, and the Lega Tibs. It was all absolutely divine. We ordered it for take out and the food was ready in 20 minutes. It was packaged in a perfect way that allowed us to enjoy it as it would be served in the restaurant. 10/10 would eat here again! read more

Great new Ethiopian with great customer service. The food quality is excellent, the portions are generous and prices are very fair. Already been twice and will be visiting again. read more

Mela Restaurant & Lounge - Hookah Bars Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

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Authentic Ethiopian dishes spiced perfectly. The flavors are excellent. The service was impeccable! I definitely recommend this place for those with an experimental pallet! read more

Mela Restaurant & Lounge - Hookah Bars Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

We had the veggie combo (pretty much my standard order at an Ethiopian restaurant) and it was tasty for the most part. The bread is darker than I've seen before, but also good. The sambusas were outstanding. Service was very friendly and the food came out fast. The only drawback is that the room is quite loud. read more

Mela Restaurant & Lounge - The full veggie combo. - Hookah Bars Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

service is great. very nice and attentive servers. they did not have the chicken tibs when i went so i ordered the veggie combo platter and sambusa. like others say, the food takes a bit long to come out. however, it was all delicious. the interior is nice and comfortable. three huge gorgeous paintings on the wall. i give this place four stars. one less star because the food took so long. give this new business a try! read more

Mela Restaurant & Lounge - booth near the window - Hookah Bars Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

We had the Mela Special and the Veggie Combo (half order). The food was delicious and so flavorful! The service was very friendly, although the food took a little long to come out. But it was well worth the wait! The portions were extremely generous! We will definitely be back. read more

Food is good, but service is painfully slow. They didn't give us enough plates even though we asked for them. The only brought us 2 pieces of bread at a time (there were 6 of us), etc. read more

My wife and I actually came over to eat at another restaurant in the complex, but they were only offering takeout. I'm so glad they did, because caused us to give this little gem a try. We asked for the house specialty, and we were blown away. We try to be adventurous eaters and love to try all types of cultural foods. This did not disappoint. read more

taking time to write a review as I'm not sure why this place doesn't have thousands of reviews. This place is def a gem. The warmth of the lovely chef and other staff / owners made radiated even into their food. I come from New York where we have some great restaurants and this was on par with them. The portions are huge so come hungry! They also have a full bar FYI. Def give them a shot over the other popular local spot. I'll probably order from them at least monthly now read more

We had a great dinner at Mela! Delicious Ethiopian food - the four of us shared the full veggie platter and two meats and it was more than enough food! All of the options come with the housemate teff bread, which was soft and flavorful. Service was great and we felt so welcomed by the staff. Would highly recommend this place! read more

We purchased takeout through GrubHub during their hours of operation, got a confirmatory message that the order was ready, but found a locked empty restaurant. read more

The food here is amazing! The prices are fair and the family that owns it is extremely nice. It is a little annoying that community BBQ smoke smell wafts over into their space, but the flavors are totally worth it. If you can't take the smoky smell order to go. The Kitfo wrap is to die for!!! read more

Mela has very tasty food plus awesome service! Please go out and support this restaurant!

Amazing Ethiopian food! Quality injera and delicious, creative dishes (Mela Special). Love the comfortable environment and the hospitality. Looking forward to coming back! read more

Awful, gave me the wrong kind of sambusa,mushy greens,tibs that were all gristle, slow service, unusually dark injera....i mean what can i say. read more