Cancel

Open app

Search

Messob Ethiopian Restaurant

4.0 (1.2k reviews)
ModerateEthiopian, African
Open 11:00 am - 11:00 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

Waitlist - Messob Ethiopian Restaurant

Live Current wait: under 5 minutes

Messob Ethiopian Restaurant Reservations

Order Messob Ethiopian Restaurant Takeout or Delivery

Messob Ethiopian Restaurant Photos

MESSOB ETHIOPIAN RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Outdoor seating
Good for groups

More like Messob Ethiopian Restaurant

Recommended Reviews - Messob Ethiopian Restaurant

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Emily M.

My husband and I favorite Ethiopian restaurant (he's from Ethiopia). (So much so that we schlep from Canoga Park to Little Ethiopia for a fixing) Good food, well decorated, friendly staff Would suggest :)

Interior decor
Michelle B.

I came with a friend after seeing this among the top recommended Ethiopian restaurants in LA after missing Ethiopian food from my college town. The seating is exclusively indoors and there's quite a bit of it; we came by on a weekday for lunch and just walked in without a reservation but even on a random weekday lunch there were people inside so I imagine you'd need a dinner reservation here especially on the weekends. Metered parking is available on Fairfax and we were lucky to snag a spot without any trouble, however, during more busy times I can see this being an issue. There are side residential streets off Fairfax I would advise for this if you wanted to try for free parking, otherwise you'd be forced to use a paid parking lot (or alternatively the new Metro D line and walk over!). The only downside/upside depending how you look at it was that it took a bit of effort to summon a waitress again when we would run out of water or injera but this wasn't a huge problem. Super Messob Exclusive 5/5, SOOOOO delicious!! This was exactly what I was craving and man was I glad to have it! We were only 2 people and ate until we were stuffed AND had enough for both of us to take home 2 portions, making me think this is enough for 4 adults.

Delbar E.

I visited Messob Ethiopian Restaurant for the first time over the weekend to celebrate a friend's birthday. I've driven through the area before but had never actually stopped to explore, so this was a great introduction especially since it's my first Ethiopian restaurant in LA. The space itself feels like a small museum, filled with artwork and photos of historical figures and scenes from Ethiopia, which really adds to the experience. We were a fairly large group, and the staff was incredibly accommodating. The owner even took time to recommend dishes based on our party size. We ordered both the vegetarian and meat combination platters, along with traditional Ethiopian coffee. Everything was delicious, and the dining experience was genuinely fun and communal. The staff were kind, attentive, and welcoming throughout. The food was amazing, and the value is hard to beat. The coffee, though, might have been my favorite part. I'll definitely be back.

Sambussa
Ahmad A.

I have been coming here for over 10 Years. Service has always been ultra friendly with the staff being patient with answering all your questions. The food's quality is always great and the restaurants ambiance is great for a quiet dinner or a group dinner

Left side has the lamb, chicken and veggie and the right side has the beef, lamb and chicken combo in a bed of the Injera.
Rian C.

Food 9/10 This was my first time trying Ethiopian food and it did not disappoint. I had the combo with the chicken, beef and lamb and everything was cooked to perfection. All the meats were so tender. Service 9/10 The place was a little busy but the server was attentive and everything came out fast. Ambiance 9/10 Super cozy and homey.

Yummy food
Zynette C.

I love this place so much. Love the atmosphere kind people. Service was great. Food just so delicious!

Service was amazing! Place was very beautiful on the inside. The food was incredible and presentation was well done!

food was delicious and the service was incredible. The server helped us order as it was our first time and the recommendations were amazing.

Misir Wot
Kiki S.

Ethiopian food is one of my favorite cuisines, and this place never disappoints. The service is always great, and I usually order the Misir Wot or the vegetarian platter. This is also where I discovered honey wine, which I had never tried before visiting Ethiopian restaurants in LA. I make it a point to come here every time I visit LA and will definitely be back to try more dishes.

Aida M.

My families favorite spot! They are the best Ethiopian food in LA. The customer service is amazing and the food is truly so delicious and very authentic.

food
Kaitlin E.

Delicious food, we got the super messob exclusive and the vegetarian delight for one person portions each. The sambussa was great too.

1. Chicken, Doro Wot. Terrible. Mostly pancakes
Daniel B.

First and last time I eat Ethiopian food. About as bad as it gets. For $25 bucks, the Dorowat is mostly four or five of these Ethiopian thick/floppy honeycomb pin-holed like pancakes sauced up to the brim with an unpleasant sour/spicy taste. It's not the spice I can't handle, it's the nauseating sour spice pairing The chicken is scant -- two small drummies (wing style). To justify $25 for this is highway robbery. Literally, it's two casual bite-sized drummies with a bunch of bread. RIdiculous. The experience didn't quite bode well with my stomach. I felt quite sick immediately thereafter and had to soup up Tums and Pepto Bismol to aid in the digestive process. I got the feeling the meat was semi-rancid. Why else would they douse the drummies in a sour/spice deluge that is more than overkill? IDK?

One of the best dishes I have ever eaten

See all

27 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

15 days ago

The food was delicious, and the staff were incredibly friendly. I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a great dining experienc

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

24 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

14 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Shona B.
0
163
13

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Ahmad A.
27
98
117

22 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

12 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Rian C.
0
116
9

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

13 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

10 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

17 days ago

Loved the food! Had the combination plate. The people here are so friendly and accommodating. Will come back!

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 2
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

11 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 1

6 months ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 2
Love this 2
Oh no 0

10 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Love tasting new foods and this kind of cuisine really does it for me! Eating with the your hands is pretty cool!

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Fantastic food. Excellent service. We'll worth coming here to enjoy the cuisine. Good ambiance.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 months ago

I've been a regular for years. Love the honey wine. Highly recommend. Super messob exclusive and the sambusa. Must try.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

21 days ago

My first time having Ethiopian food and it was 10/10 !!!! Will definitely be back for the Tej

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Amazing food and service, love the interior and gluten free options. We went and were seated immediately, great portion and price.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

3 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

3 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 months ago

The best Ethiopian Food I've ever had. That's a long list too. Earlier in the evening is better when the food is fresh

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Page 1 of 31

Messob Ethiopian Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Messob Ethiopian Restaurant

Open for dine in?

Yes

Are they open Christmas 2019?

Are any of the items organic?

Not marked as such

Is this place good for large parties?

If you have a group larger than 8 I would call ahead in advance. They look to be able to accommodate a group of 20+

View All 9 Questions

Aunt Yvette’s Kitchen

Aunt Yvette’s Kitchen

4.8
(380 reviews)
10.8 mi

A meal with intention, respect to tradition, warmth and refinement and nothing unnecessary or…read moreextraneous!!! I am in love with this restaurant and I can't wait to go back. S/O and I shared the vegan combo and dereq tibs, a pitcher of their infused water, an Ethiopian cream coffee, and a glass of palm tree (their arnold palmer). The food was fantastic. I loved every bite we had, especially the gomen (braised greens), cabbage and carrot, and the kik alicha. The dereq tibs, though? That was AMAZING. Tender beef, sweet stewed onion, the perfect amount of spice from the serranos. I loved that the dish is accompanied by senafich (a spicy, horseradish-y mustard) and mitmita (a DELICIOUS chili powder that I want to put on everything lol). The beverages were delicious, I love an arnold palmer and this one is probably the best i've ever had with their spiced tea. Their coffee was decadent and strong and perfectly balanced. And the banana split! I am not usually one for dessert but I knew I needed to try this and I'm SO glad I did. A symphony of textures and complex flavors. We may or may not have used our fingers to get the last bits from the dish. The place itself is like a little oasis from the hustle and bustle of the strip mall outside. Vibey music, beautiful furniture and decor, and all attention paid to the little details. Can't wait for them to reopen so we can come back!! Parking - strip mall was crowded, but street parking wasn't too bad to find.

My first time having Ethiopian food, and it was fantastic!…read more We ordered the vegan combo, doro wat, and beef awaze tibs. The vegan combo came with a bunch of flavorful things like stewed red lentils, stewed yellow split peas, Ethiopian salad, et cetera. I'm not vegan, but I would have been more than satisfied with just the vegan combo as it was delicious and filling. The doro wat - spicy braised chicken with a hard-boiled egg - was tender and tasty. I thought the beef dish was even better. The beef pieces practically melted in my mouth. And everything went great with the injera, which had a spongy texture that I found absolutely pleasing. The service was also wonderful. Before our meal, our server performed a hand-washing ceremony with rose water. And after we finished eating, we were presented with wet towels to clean our hands. Throughout lunch, our server kept our glasses of water filled. This place is a small intimate spot with very few tables, so reservations are strongly recommended.

Photos
Elegant interior
Elegant interior
Banana split and berberae ice cream
Banana split and berberae ice cream
Ethiopian Tej (honey wine) to cheers @brunch

See all

Ethiopian Tej (honey wine) to cheers @brunch
Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant

4.6
(632 reviews)
0.0 mi
$$

Awesome awesome awesome. You don't usually have that reaction to dishes that consists of lots of…read morevegetables but the flavor is outstanding. The injera was that perfect sponginess with the right amount of sourness that paired extremely well with the beef tartare and all the greens and beans. Service was warm and welcoming. The space is honey and cozy. This is the closest I've found to the food I had in Africa.

Outstanding dining experience. Great fun, relaxed and cheerful setting, with wonderful food. On…read morethe times that I've eaten in Little Ethiopia, I've always enjoyed myself. Lalibela elevates things to another level, in my opinion. If you're coming from the north on Fairfax, it's the first restaurant on the West side of the road. I had never seen Lalibela before, and then after a brief search saw all the praise and love. It certainly looked nice. So, early evening on a Saturday, with Lalibela gradually filling up, we were seated. After perusing and strategizing (along with the help of our friendly Lalibela person), we ordered three things: Sambusa -- like a samosa but way more interesting. So, instead of the potatoes and peas, the sambusa had more seasonings and meat filling. One per order, and delicious. Veggie Utopia and Doro Wot -- The Veggie Utopia is one of the signature dishes, and will certainly look familiar to anyone who's ever had Ethiopian food. Several individual portions set on the perimeter of the giant platter sitting atop the injera (the flat spongey 'bread' that's both plate and utensil). Inside that sat the Doro Wot -- a chicken leg and potato in inside a 'stew' or 'wot'. The wot was dark and almost chocolatey, reminiscent of a good mole. The salad that comes with the Doro Wot was placed in the big circle. Two people (or more) could feast well on all this. They also serve beer and wine at Lalibela. Great experience. Awesome food. Lovely service.

Photos
Another Interior View
Another Interior View
Veggie sambussa
Veggie sambussa
Inside

See all

Inside
GS Cafe and Ethiopian Cuisine

GS Cafe and Ethiopian Cuisine

4.8
(742 reviews)
27.3 mi
$$

Been wanting to try Ethiopian food for the longest time and finally got the chance to! We ordered…read morethe beef and veggie combo platter. It says it feeds 2 people but honestly this could've easily fed 4 people. We had a good amount of leftovers. The beef and veggies on the platter were delicious! They were all well seasoned, flavorful and tender. The only thing my flavor palette couldn't get used to was the sourness of the injera. It's supposed to have a slightly sour flavor from the ingredients that it's made with. It's healthy though! Has a lot of probiotics and fiber. Service was excellent. He was kind and attentive. Our server was the only one working and all of the tables were full. The restaurant is a bit on the smaller end, with about 10-12 tables. It can get packed quickly since this place is popular. There is parking out front in a shared lot with other businesses. Would recommend if you've been curious about trying!

Absolutely amazing food. But I'll first note: if you're in a rush, this place might not be for you,…read moreespecially if they are busy. I believe it's a family business and there's one person in the kitchen and one person attending to all the tables. Props to them - it was a full house during dinner time and they were doing it all! Truly enjoyed the cozy family vibe of the restaurant. We got the veggie platter (all vegan) that was set for 2+ people. We got ambitious and thought we could finish it with 2 of us. We did it but are insanely full! It came with several rolls of injera and got some free extra injera. My favorites were the beets, and both dishes that had carrots. I've been to many Ethiopian places all over CA: Oakland, SLO, etc. but this place is by far one of the best and definitely the most affordable. I've never had free extra injera and the huge platter was $32.

Photos
Inside dining
Inside dining
Beef tartar
Beef tartar
Veggie platter

See all

Veggie platter
Merkato Ethiopian Restaurant & Market

Merkato Ethiopian Restaurant & Market

4.0
(874 reviews)
0.0 mi
$$

We have been going to Merkato for years and generally had only great experiences, but our latest…read morevisit this past weekend revealed that a lot has changed for the worse. We arrived around 6:45 on Saturday and didn't get our food until nearly 8:30 and had to manage a hungry four-year-old during this time. The restaurant was busy but there was only one server (more are definitely needed!) and most infuriating is that tables of Ethiopian diners would receive their food first despite arriving and ordering significantly after non-Ethiopian diners. If Merkato wants to discriminate against the non-Ethiopian diners who make up a core of their clientele, they should know we will gladly take our business to other restaurants on the block. Although the food was quite good when it finally did arrive, the service and the overall shabby condition that restaurant has deteriorated into over the years makes it unappealing to return to.

Ever ordered a fish & veggie combo and have a buncha veggies and injera leftover?? Me neither! I…read moreusually have to order an extra veggie combo for this to ever happen. A lot of places have me wondering why they'd include so little veggies for the size of this trout. (...I suppose a good tactic for making you order another entree). Well, this experience at Merkato was exceptional. Especially for the price. An enormous amount of food for two hungry people to share. Great flavors. More than adequate amount of pillowy delicious injera. We thoroughly enjoyed leftovers the next day. Would happily order again and recommend to others.

Photos
Merkato Ethiopian Restaurant & Market
Fresh & Tasty
Fresh & Tasty
Menu as of October 2025 (p. 3)

See all

Menu as of October 2025 (p. 3)
Rahel Ethiopian Vegan Cuisine

Rahel Ethiopian Vegan Cuisine

4.2
(713 reviews)
0.0 mi
$$

Absolutely incredible! The food was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully prepared. Every dish had its…read moreown unique spices and depth of flavor, especially the red lentils, collard greens, and the perfectly soft injera. You can really taste the love and care that goes into each bite. The staff was welcoming, attentive, and made us feel right at home from the moment we walked in. The atmosphere was cozy, relaxing, and a wonderful place to enjoy a meal with family or friends. Whether you're vegan or just love delicious food, this is a must-visit. I left feeling satisfied, nourished, and already looking forward to my next visit. Highly recommend!

We went for a friend's birthday and it was my first time trying Ethiopian cuisine. The place was…read morevery easy to find and Sundays street parking is free. However, it can be hard to get a parking spot since it is a busy street/area. They have live music when you walk in he's playing on your right hand side. They have a decent amount of sitting; however, if the group is larger than 6 I can see it being a bit cramped. Service was okay, they seem like they had once server. We did wait about 20-30min before they took over order. But no big deal, it is a small business. Onto the food! We got jack fruit appetizer which was pretty good no notes. My friend got strawberry mango juice he liked it. I also got the shay latte, you need to add some honey or else it doesn't taste like much, the tea in it was a bit weaker than I expected it to be. We also got the family special for 4 and vegan dulet. Vegan dulet was really good, the family special had these greens not sure what it was we think it was collard greens I didn't really like. However the rest of the items on there were very good imo. I think overall it was a good first time experience. But I have to say based on two others in our group it could be an acquired taste since they were not a big fan. Not to forget they have very yummy vegan cookies, make sure to have those!

Photos
April 3, 2026 | Decor | Inside | Friday |
April 3, 2026 | Decor | Inside | Friday |
April 3, 2026 | Vegan Platter | Shared | Friday |
April 3, 2026 | Vegan Platter | Shared | Friday |
Buffet set up!

See all

Buffet set up!

Messob Ethiopian Restaurant - ethiopian - Updated July 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...