Every single item I sampled here had so much flavour. It's insane how well seasoned everything was. The sampler options are the way to go. The best bites were the buticha and ye mist wot. It was enjoyable to lean into the culture and eat with the provided injera. It's a smaller restaurant with a small staff so service is slower than a standard restaurant. That being said, everyone was friendly and the food was delicious! I look forward to coming back and plan to add this to my list of places to take people visiting. read more

Queen of Sheba - Appetizer Sampler for Two - Ethiopian Near Me - Temple Terrace, Florida

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My favorite Ethiopian restaurant. Strangely enough the salad is my favorite thing that I get here. It's so fresh and tastes familiar. I love how it's served on a tray as traditional and your party picks from the offerings family style. The injera was very nice and went well with the various wots that we ordered. Many of the dishes are super spicy for American standards so get cold drinks. For those of us who are African or traditionally have spicy foods, it was fine. read more

Queen of Sheba - Ethiopian Near Me - Temple Terrace, Florida

Excellent Ethiopian cuisine--I got the Queen's platter I believe it was, which contained a beef dish, a chicken dish, plus several vegetable dishes and injera, the Ethiopian flatbread. Everything was delicious--the beef especially nice and tender. Based on the food itself, five stars. However, the service was really lackluster. I was by myself but still, if anything, I feel the waiter should have been a bit more talkative given all that but was barely bothered to smile or anything. No questions like "have you had Ethiopian food before?" or recommendations or such. The restaurant, while charming, was also a bit cramped and seemed like even given the tight space a bit better layout should have been possible. If the front of house staff could match the chef's own dedication, this could fully be a real winner. read more

Queen of Sheba - Queen's platter (smaller). - Ethiopian Near Me - Temple Terrace, Florida

I ordered food to go and the order was ready on time. Queens Lamb tips-- Spicy but not so spicy that it was overwhelming. Even through the spice, I could get a lot of good flavor of the very tender lamb. Beef Sambussa-- The outside was very crispy and the filling was well seasoned. read more

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The veggie sambussa was amazing: crispy, hot, savory, delicious The sampler was all good: the lentils spicy and flavorful, the collards savory and flavorful, the mushrooms spicy and savory, the potatoes and cabbage also delicious. The service was friendly, and the decor authentic and cozy. read more

Queen of Sheba - #8. Platter Vegetarian Combo - Ethiopian Near Me - Temple Terrace, Florida

This place was pretty busy on a Saturday night. The inside has limited seating so we were sat outside. My husband and I shared the sampler, which allowed us to try six difference foods. Everything was delicious! We were so full on this alone. read more

Queen of Sheba - Sampler - Ethiopian Near Me - Temple Terrace, Florida

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This is one of my favorite places for the business meetings. Great service, excellent prices, beautiful ambiance and most importantly delicious food! It's a little hidden gem. Don't miss it! And everyone at this restaurant is very very kind and friendly !! read more

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My first Ethiopian food experience was great! I loved the decor and the true feel of Ethiopia. The staff were nice, and attentive. This place tends to get busy, and the food is prepared carefully so you may experience a bit of a wait as I did. I had the vegetarian combination #6 platter mild. The food was very tasty and packed with flavor. I couldn't eat it all as it was very filling even with a dab of each. I also tried the Ethiopian team which was very warming. I enjoyed the flavors of cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves! I recommend this restaurant for those that want to have a taste of Ethiopia. read more

I have been looking forward to eating here and they didn't disappoint. Great food along with service always made for someplace to tray. Also, take you kids, all eat with you fingers. Take a bit of bread and scoop your food. It's not spicy but has a lot of flavor. Try the sampler plate. Plus if you want it spicy they will do that read more

Second visit was as great as the first. Their house tea is delicious. It's hard not to get the 6 platter and have your own little Ethiopian smorgasbord! We'll be driving down from north west Pasco more often for this place! read more

Queen of Sheba - Queen's 6 Platter - Ethiopian Near Me - Temple Terrace, Florida

My first Ethiopian food experience was at Queen of Sheba, and it did not disappoint! Located in a strip mall with plenty of parking. The restaurant only has a few tables, but there did appear to be some outdoor seating available as well. We all ordered the Queen's six platter, which came with a sample of 6 dishes including chicken, beef, and vegetarian, served with Injera for dipping. I surprisingly enjoyed every single dish, and the bread was soft and perfect for scooping up all of the various dishes. We all ordered water, but it came in bottles for an extra charge. Would recommend for anyone wanting to try Ethiopian food for the first time! read more

Queen of Sheba - Ethiopian Near Me - Temple Terrace, Florida

I am deeply disappointed by the unprofessional and aggressive tipping culture at this establishment. During our visit, the service was non-existent; I literally had to take the plates and napkins off the waiter's tray myself and set them on my table. To my shock, when we received the bill, the owner had already unilaterally added a mandatory tip percentage of her own choosing. Despite this forced fee being already included, when it came time to pay, I was demanded for another additional tip on top of it. This is completely out of hand, abusive, and flat-out illegal. Imposing a forced tip without consent and then aggressively cornering customers for a second tip is extortion, not hospitality. Tipping has completely lost its way when it becomes a mandatory tax and an excuse to harass guests. Incidents like this genuinely make people not want to go out to eat anymore. I will definitely not be back. read more

Lunch at "Queen of Sheba" Ethiopian Restaurant in Tampa. Good food, lovely, comfortable atmosphere, decor and ambiance. Friendly wait staff. read more

Cold food not for me , all on one plate plus overpriced when a person orders a plate don't put on all .

Nice ambiance when you walk in, cozy . Staff is friendly and helpful when trying to make a decision on what to get. I was amazed at how much flavor the food had and eating without a fork. lol .. my wife is hard to please because she's always picky, but she enjoyed herself as well and we'll be back soon with some nice pictures.. read more

Such an amazing gem in Tampa. It's an extremely comfortable spot to bring for any occasion with anyone. The food was absolutely immaculate. It was such an amazing experience to eat and enjoy ourselves and I will be back here at least once a month. Fantastic service, as if your at your own family members house! If you could make a top 10 list for Tampa eat spots this would definitely make it. read more

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So happy to see this restaurant flourish in temple terrace. My friends and i dined there recently and it's as good as i remember. The portion sizes of the platter was slightly smaller but we still left stuffed. Great service as always. Looking forward to our next visit read more

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Food was delicious - a nice warm level of spicy. We had the appetizer sampler which was a chickpea hummus, and some other kind of hummus with injera bread and a little salad and something like a Samosa that wasn't a Samosa because it was filled with meat, which was yummy. For dinner, we ordered the doro wat and the sampler platter. It was chef's choice so we didn't know what was coming on the sampler platter. It would've been nice to have something other than Doro wat as part of the sampler. If we had known, we would've ordered the tibs to sample more flavors. I don't know if they were having trouble with servers, but there was only one guy for six or seven tables and he was not able to keep up. It was 45 minutes before we got our appetizer which was a cold dish with one fried item and shouldn't have taken 45 minutes. By the time he brought our water, we had already retrieved our bottles from the car. And I agree with some other reviewer about the industrial shelves in the front with which is filled with what I suppose is their catering stuff. Also, the sign said Restaurant/Catering with Queen of Sheba in very small print under that so we almost didn't find the place. The food was great so I might consider doing takeout when the mood hits. read more

Great, authentic Ethiopian food! Something for meat lovers, vegetarians, and vegans! We will be back!

Food was excellent and service was exceptional. It was my first visit and experience eating Ethiopian food. Seble, the owner, was so welcoming and attentive. What a wonderful meal! read more

Queen of Sheba has been my go-to for years, even back when they were on Henderson Ave. Now? I'm basically family--and I love it. The service is warm and welcoming, and when I call, they already know my order: Lamb Tibs with extra veggies. Every single time, it's flavorful, authentic, and made with love. But for starters, I'd recommend kicking things off with the Doro Wat, a rich, spicy chicken stew that's packed with flavor. The injera is really good, though definitely an acquired taste for some. But if you're here, indulge yourself in the culture--go wash those hands and dig in with the injera as your utensils. It's part of the experience, and trust me, it's worth it. This place is the real deal for Ethiopian food in Tampa. The vibe is cozy, the food is as authentic as it gets, and the team treats you like you're part of their own family. If you haven't been, go--just don't forget to order the Lamb Tib read more

Husband and I love Ethiopian food and this place turned out to be pretty good. The doro wot is one of the best we have had so far. The veggie sambussa was good but overpriced at $5 each. Singe Karya (fresh jalapeno stuffed with Ethiopian spices) was okay, we have had better ones before. The Queen's Eight Platter was good, the veggies and lentils were delicious and so were the meat dishes. Service was good, there was only one person managing all the tables and he overall did a good job. read more

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Excellent vegan food. We especially loved the appetizer dip, the beets, and the mushrooms!

Good food, Ambiance, and Service. Also had Guava juice and a good selection of beverages.

First time having Ethiopian in Florida - and it was very good. Definitely a little different than some restaurants that bring a big platter for the entire table, but the individual servings were nice. The gomen and lentils were amazing. Injera was a little sour and good. They also sell some Ethiopian items like meson, serving dishes, etc. The spiced tea isn't already sweetened, so definitely ask for sugar or honey. Definitely will return. read more

Queen of Sheba - #8. Platter Vegetarian Combo. - Ethiopian Near Me - Temple Terrace, Florida

Everything about this place was amazing. The decor screams 'hidden nook', tucked away in a corner of this Temple Terrace plaza. It had such authentic and endearing vibes and the moment I sat down I knew it would be a true taste of Ethiopian food. We got the Queen's Platter to sample a little of everything and it was absolutely delicious. The seasoning was so good and combining all the parts of the meal into one flatbread was truly something else. I have no idea what anything was but that didn't matter it was so good. The Ethiopian tea was like a spiced chai sort of flavor but less strong in terms of spice which made it a delightful drink. All in all, this meal made me want to try more Ethiopian food because every bite was just so good. read more

Queen of Sheba - Queen's 6 Platter Ethiopian Tea - Ethiopian Near Me - Temple Terrace, Florida

My boss took me here for a late lunch. I love the laid back, family-run vibe; our server, when not helping us, was having tea at a table in the corner with some other people. She was so nice and friendly. I had beef wot and I absolutely gobbled it up. The spices were on point, though maybe just a little more sour than I prefer. Pleasantly piquant. Prices fair. A good experience, I would eat here again. read more

Queen of Sheba - Tibs Wot - Ethiopian Near Me - Temple Terrace, Florida

Every time I've been here I have been amazed on how good the food is. They never disappoint when it comes to taste and they also never disappoint when it comes to service, the owner is so kind and is welcoming of anyone coming to try this delicious food. read more

Queen of Sheba - Tibs Wot - Ethiopian Near Me - Temple Terrace, Florida

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Our party of 8 visited this restaurant yesterday (Sun) at 6pm. I have mixed emotions about this place. The environment looked unkempt. There were lots of beautiful items haphazardly stuck on cheap shelves that could have been arranged in a more inviting way. It was like no one cared to design the interior. The service was strange. It took about 15 minutes to get some of our drinks and that was after an appetizer had already arrived. I say "some" because water did not arrive until we asked for it. The water and soda were in bottle/cans and were an extra charge. The beer was served in bottles with the caps still on and we had to ask for an opener. In fact, excluding the food anytime we needed something we had to ask for it - this includes silverware and napkins! I say it was weird service because our waiter tended to keep a side eye on us in case we asked for something so we didn't have to wave him down. The food was the best part of the experience. We had never tried Ethiopian food before so it was an unusual flavor to us. It would have been great if our waiter described the dishes. We were simply asked if we wanted spice. Some of our recommendations include the honey wine, Ethiopian tomato salad, chicken gomen, and appetizer sampler. We did not care for the injera (a spongy flatbread) but were willing to try it. All in all if you want to try Ethiopian food I suggest that you visit the other restaurant in S Tampa. read more

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This is a small restaurant tucked away in a strip mall- but don't underestimate it. The owner was so friendly, eagerly describing her favorite food items and her home region of Ethiopia (where coffee originated). We got the cardamom-spiced Ethiopian hot tea and ordered a vegetarian 8 vegetable platter with all-teff injera, which is gluten free. And an order of lamb tibs, for the meat lovers of the family. I knew this was going to be amazing when the owner said "are you ready to party?" while bringing out our 3 foot wide platter. For those less familiar with Ethiopian food, it is traditionally served family style and eaten with your hands using injera as a vessel to scoop the stews with. Our favorite was the shiro, a richly spiced lentil stew, in the middle of the platter. The lamb tibs were tender and juicy and the drippings of tomato juice, berbere spice, and lamb fat were excellent for using injera to sop up. I would highly recommend this as a post Busch Gardens visit as we did- it's near by and has authentic African food unlike all of the Zambia grills or Zimbabwe diners with cafeteria fare at the park. read more

Queen of Sheba - #8. Platter Vegetarian Combo - Ethiopian Near Me - Temple Terrace, Florida

Stopped at Queen of Sheba with a group after a cruise. The staff and the owner were very welcoming and accommodated our group with smile. Went above and beyond to open ahead of usual time and some extras to make our experience spectacular. Decor is tasteful, great outdoor space. Delicious and authentic food and coffee. Can't wait to be back. read more

Queen of Sheba - Ethiopian Near Me - Temple Terrace, Florida

Wanted to try this place for a long time and finally got the chance. I love Ethiopian food and Queen of Sheba delivered. I had a hard time choosing between the entrees so I got one of the one of the combo platters so I could try as many things as I wanted. Not only did I get to get 6 different dishes but my platter also came with a MASSIVE piece of injera. Definitely don't order extra injera because one is more than enough for your meal. The flavors were so good, and my favorite dishes were the tikil gomen (cabbage and carrots) and the ye misr wot (red lentils with berbere). As is standard at Ethiopian places, there are several vegetarian options to choose from. Queen of Sheba has vegetarian combo platters too for those that can't choose (like me). If you haven't had Ethiopian food, I highly recommend experiencing it. I wish we had eaten in the restaurant instead of getting take out, as the staff was excited to show their food and culture to the people we brought who had never had this food before. My recommendation: Dine in and order a platter! read more

Loved this place, everything we got was delicious, and the staff was so friendly. Super excited to go back, and excited that they sell a lot of the products that go into the food, stuff you can't find in regular grocery stores. read more

Queen of Sheba - Queens Beef Tibs - Ethiopian Near Me - Temple Terrace, Florida

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Queen of Sheba was my first experience trying Ethiopian cuisine and it was nothing short of fantastic! From the service to the quaint yet vibrant ambiance and of course, the amazingly flavorful food, I truly enjoyed this culinary adventure. I would recommend for anyone to give it a try and to also support local businesses! It can be intimidating trying a new cuisine for the first time, but the staff and owner make Ethiopian cuisine accessible to those who haven't been exposed to this sort of food or flavor profile. The second page of the menu provides a great explanation as well as translations to different cooking methods or ingredients. I highly recommend the sampler platters as they allow for everyone to try a little bit of everything, and the owner will gladly answer any questions (and I had a lot!). While traditionally Ethiopian food is eaten with injera, a sort of pancake/flatbread that is used to scoop up food in place of using utensils, forks and knives are given. Food: To start we ordered the appetizer sampler that came with 4 different appetizers. It included a yummy Veggie Sambussa stuffed with lentils, Ethiopian tomato salad, Azifa (crushed lentils and mustard seed), Buticha (crushed chickpeas), and of course Injera to eat it all with. Our favorite was the Buticha and the Veggie Sambussa. We wish we had tried the Beef Sambussa and will be back to try it out. Our one comment was that the Ethiopian tomato salad was very salty... not sure if it's meant to be served on the saltier side or if there was additional salt accidentally added in. For our entrees we ordered the Queens Lamb Tib's and The Queens Six Platter. This was served on a beautiful large platter all on top of pieces of injera. The platter comes with 1 beef dish, 1 chicken, and 4 veggies. We were given 2 additional veggies, compliments of the house which was a very sweet touch. On our platter we had a beef stew, collard greens, potatoes, the Ethiopian national chicken dish called doro wat which is served with an egg, red lentils, split pea, mushrooms, and cabbage, as well as the Queens Lamb Tibs. It was all so flavorful and not overly spicey but more so spiced. Drinks: Bottled water was given when we first sat down although we weren't asked if we wanted to pay for bottled or opt for tap which we found odd. To drink we first ordered Taj Mahal beers since we thought this was the only beer offering. It's a favorite of ours when we dine at Indian restaurants, so we initially went with it. We soon found out there was an Ethiopian beer called Habesha offered and we tried it out next. It was light and we enjoyed it as well! Recommend going with that one if you're in the mood for a drink! read more

Queen of Sheba - Appetizer Sampler - Ethiopian Near Me - Temple Terrace, Florida

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I absolutely ADORE Seblah and her direct attention to ALL of her guest when you are dinning in her restaurant. Do NOT expect rushed fast food service. Instead sit, relax, enjoy your surroundings and the company you are with THEN enjoy slowly marinated food for the soul. What a treat it is to have the genuine authentic gem of traditional Ethiopian food! A staple of the Tampa community Queen of Sheba is a treasure. Today I took my "Sun" with me and we purchased authentic Ethiopian garb brought back from Seblah's recent trip to her homeland. What a blessing. Thank you as always! read more

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We love Ethiopian food and this place was spot on to satisfy our cravings. This place is small but charming. The food was healthy and interesting and just spicy enough. But the real reason to become a regular at Queen of Sheba is the Queen herself. The wonderful owner of the restaurant has a smile as inviting as her food. She cares for every person that sits at her table and delights in watching you enjoy your meal. Speaking of the meal, we both got the 6 course special that was plenty of food for a light early dinner. We loved it! And don't miss the big baklava! We had it with a beautiful Ethiopian tea for dessert. Amazing! read more

Queen of Sheba - 6 item platter - Ethiopian Near Me - Temple Terrace, Florida

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Rare Ethnic Food #73. Ethiopian Cuisine. Queen of Sheba is the best African restaurant you can find in Tampa Bay. Love it. The mixture of the spice and taste is very harmonious good. Expect waiting for the food because is popular. The owner is very friendly. Treat you like her family. We got the sampler to share and add a lamb tip. The sampler has three meats and three veggies. The three meats including two chicken and one beef. We add Queen Lamb Tip. All the meat is cook with different flavor. I like all of them. The lamb is good. I also like the veggies. Very good use of spice in each veggies to create the dish. Love the creativity of the veggies. You also can ask the share plate to be all veggies. The best way to eat it is by hand. Use the injera to pick up the food. My cheated with requested folk and knife. Which is not normally done. read more

Queen of Sheba - Share platter with lamb tip. - Ethiopian Near Me - Temple Terrace, Florida

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We drove all the way from Wesley Chapel with our family specifically to dine at this Ethiopian restaurant, excited for what we hoped would be a great meal. Unfortunately, we were never even served. We asked to sit outside (which was clearly available), and though the waiter initially handed us menus, that was the last we saw of him for nearly 20 minutes. My husband eventually had to go inside to remind the staff we were still waiting. The waiter looked surprised--as if he had completely forgotten about us. Even after that reminder, no one came out to take our order. We watched as the same waiter made multiple trips to the only occupied table inside, even taking the time to clean another table, but continued to ignore us completely. After waiting far too long with no acknowledgment or service, we simply stood up and left. It was beyond disappointing. We had looked forward to this visit, but after this experience, we won't be returning. A restaurant is not just about food--it's also about hospitality, and unfortunately, that was completely missing here. read more

I've been craving Ethiopian food for a while now and saw that this place wasn't too far from our hotel in St Pete. We're from the other coast and have a Queen of Sheba in WPB but when we asked, they aren't affiliated. This is a wonderful family owned business with very friendly staff. The food comes out super quick and literally everything was delicious. I started with the non-alcoholic honey drink (when asked, it's called Birz). It's a housemade fermented honey water and it's very good. If you're not trying the Tej (alcoholic version), you must give this a try. For my entree, I wanted a little bit of all the vegetable entrees so I got the #8 all of which are vegan. It comes with Inerja and a 1/4 cup serving of each of the following: - Atkilt Alecha: Carrots, potatoes, and string beans in a mild sauce. - Gomen: Steamed collard greens simmered with minced onions, and garlic. - Keiy Sire: Sliced beets sauteed with onions, tomato sauce, and olive oil. - Mushroom Wot: Sauteed mushrooms in a berbere stew. - Shiro: Dried beans (Chickpeas) ground into powder seasoned with onions, garlic, and berbere. - Tikil Gomen: Chopped cabbage and carrots in a mild sauce. - Ye Kik Alecha: Yellow split peas simmered in finely chopped onions, garlic, ginger and turmeric powder. - Ye Misr Wot: Red split lentils simmered in finely chopped onion, garlic, ginger and seasoned with berbere. I was pretty full after finishing my plate (I wouldn't have wanted to share) but still wanted something sweet so for dessert, the only non-dairy option was the chips. Those seem to be fried flour chips drizzled with honey and topped with powdered sugar. Overall it was a great experience. It's a small restaurant and most of the tables were full but it didn't seem like reservations were really necessary so definitely stop in if you're in the area!! read more

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I was really looking forward to this all week as I have just moved from Atlanta and there were quite some delicious meals to be had at various Ethiopian restaurants. I was with my foodie group and some had arrived already and were seated. Found out that they weren't even aware of us coming though I had called over a month ago to secure and even called a few days prior. Regardless the place was tucked in a corner of a nondescript area in Temple Terrace. I liked the authenticness inside and it was cozy. Normally I get lamb tibs and ater /Ye Kik Alecha. The group was all in line with getting a Queen's platter with beef, chicken and lamb tibs as well as various veggie combinations. The presentation with the plates was delightful. There was quite a bit of flavor in all the meats and vegetables however the meats were a tad on the dry side. Our server was balancing a full house at this establishment and she did a great job. She was knowledgeable and helpful in explaining. I was bummed there weren't any traditional Ethiopian desserts outside of Baklava. read more

Queen of Sheba - Queen's platter - 3 meats - lamb, chicken, and beef tibs along with various vegetable samplings. - Ethiopian Near Me - Temple Terrace, Florida