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    Selam Restaurant and Cafe

    4.2 (156 reviews)
    ModerateEthiopian
    Closed 12:00 pm - 8:00 PM
    Updated a few days ago

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    SELAM RESTAURANT AND CAFE ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Christine L.

    Was craving Ethiopian food and wanted to try a new restaurant- so glad I found Selam because I'll definitely be adding them to my rotation! Not only did Selam have fantastic food, but the service was amazing. My friend and I lost track of time while catching up, and they never rushed us even after they already closed. We ordered the vegetarian combo + kitfo per their recommendation (akin to a beef tartare). I loved how diverse the vegetarian combo was, flavors in a set usually blend into eachother, but each dish held its own here with various spices and textures- it was so fun to eat! The butter from the kitfo added richness without being overpowering, I'd get this again to share with a larger party. Portion sizes are huge- we ended up having enough leftovers for another meal. Thanks Selam for the great meal, I'll be back to try the telba wot, doro wot, and house honey wine!!!

    Vegetable Combo and Beef Tebes
    Winn H.

    Selam is perhaps my second time having Ethiopian food, and I have to admit it was what I expected. There was no wait on a Monday afternoon - understandably so - and my friend and I ordered a vegetable combo and beef tebes. All items in the vegetable combo were tasty and spiced well - some arguably too well. Aside from being a "choose your own adventure" experience, we found some of the food too salty / unexpectedly spicy - recommend confirming spice levels before ordering. The beef tebes were a tad on the tougher side, but otherwise flavorful and tasty. Service felt like fast food - order and pay at the counter. The staff member does bring it out, but after that it's pretty much a "have at it." For two people, this was definitely more than enough food, and we weren't able to finish the injira.

    Vegetarian and Vegan Combo
    Shweta S.

    Tried the food at Selam- they have several vegan options including some different dishes which I haven't seen anywhere like Telba wot (flaxseed) Their veggie platter was great too. The cafe is small with indoor and outdoor tables. Luckily there wasn't any wait time, so we got a table right away, however the service was slow. It took almost 25-30 mins for food to arrive. Otherwise food was good.

    Surai J.

    Best of Bay , hands down! I've tried all 4 Ethiopian places near this location and the food here is flavorful and not oily. The people here show Pride, passion. Plus!!! Their prices are 30 % lower than the nearest place. 11 stars !

    Veggie combo and meat combo
    Vanessa T.

    Ordered veggie combo, meat combo and gored gored. Most of the items had jalapeño slices on them. Everything was very well seasoned. I loved that they all came on separate trays as orders made me feel they weren't lessening the amount you'd get if they all came on the same platter. This place serves gored gored which are cubed beef pieces they maybe raw but the sauce masked it. Ambiance it's very cozy and simplistic. I was so happy I picked this one as it was open later. This is definitely top 3 of my Bay Area Ethiopian spots. This one has both Ethiopian and Eritrean dishes. Definitely will be back again.

    Meat Combination
    Seth C.

    Stopped by for an early dinner. Interior is basic and barebones, pretty tiny (there are maybe 8 small tables inside). Started filling up by the time we were finishing up our food. The service was great, as the gentleman helping us was kind, prompt, and helpful. The food was amazing. I've had a few other popular Ethiopian restaurants in San Jose, but the meat combination at Selam was the best I've tried. Seriously so good, and cheaper than other similar restaurants as well. Will definitely be coming back!

    Vegetarian and Vegan Combo Meat combo
    Salim B.

    This family-owned spot is the real deal.Super authentic and flavorful, tastes just like home cooking. Place is also spotless and the people are so friendly. The portions are generous and filling. If you want a taste of real Ethiopian food in a chill, welcoming place, Selam is it! Highly recommend! We had the Vegetarian and meat combo plate, it was good enough for four people.

    Josephine B.

    10am Saturday morning 1st customers in. Food wasn't the best i've had but it wasn't had neither. good customer service and comfortable and quiet outdoor seating.

    Delicious, authentic food in a cozy setting. The injera platter with doro wat and misir wat was flavorful and satisfying. Friendly service and a great spot for sharing a meal. Highly recommend!

    Vegetarian plate (to-go order)
    April C.

    Such a hidden gem! I first came here during the pandemic, and I recently came back when I was in the area and the food is still just as good as I remember. My go-to is their vegetarian plate. Everything is perfectly cooked and seasoned, and the portions are generous. Peruse their menu, as they have so many other delicious options! This is a family run restaurant, and the care and quality really shines through in their service and consistency. When you visit, you'll find lots of regulars - always a good sign and speaks to a sense of community here. Support your local business - you'll be a fan too :)

    Was super hungry and wanted to share the large portion meat combo in this small cozy neighborhood hangout. There is a table outside and 4-5 tables inside. They provided water and silverware if you prefer in lieu of traditional method eating with fingers. Easy to find parking and was seated immediately.

    Injera on the side
    Pranathi B.

    It had been a while since I had Ethiopian food and that's how we ended up here. First of all the waiter who I am also assuming is the owner had the most kind, gentlest heartwarming smile. The kids made a ruckus as usual about eating something new so we just placed an order for one combo with three veggie dishes and one chicken tibs. We also wanted to try the sambusa but they were out of it. We could hear them cooking away in the kitchen while we waited, and it came out in reasonable time. Everything looked and tasted fresh. Though lentils, chicken and vegetables are also common in other cuisines like Indian, the flavors and spices used here seemed different and unique. The injera was beautiful, fluffy and not too sour. I had ordered chickpeas dish as part of the combo but got cabbage instead, when I pointed that out our waiter immediately apologized and came back with a nice big piping hot bowl of the chickpeas dish. For $17, two of us had a pretty filling meal. I kind of felt bad as I found the restaurant mostly empty whenever I had passed by. They make good and fresh food and definitely deserve more attention!

    Shiro Vegetarian

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    1 year ago

    My absolute favorite for ethiopian food! Everything here is delcious! HIGHLY RECOMMEND! Great prices too!

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Food is unmatched 10/10 always, and the staff if very nice and welcoming. Will always be my place to go for Ethiopian food!

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    1 year ago

    My favorite Ethipian restaurant of Bay Area. Delicious and large size portions. .

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    1 year ago

    Delicious traditional food served in a casual restaurant. I don't know what more to say.

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    Kategna Ethiopian Restaurant

    Kategna Ethiopian Restaurant

    4.3
    (377 reviews)
    2.0 mi
    $$
    Family-owned & operated
    Locally owned & operated

    stopped by for dinner on thursday night. ordered the meat combo, veggie combo, and a glass of the…read morehouse wine. the veggie combo comes with yesimer wot (split red lentils), kik alitcha (split chickpeas), gomen wot (collard greens) and atakilt wot (cabbage/potato/corn). the cabbage mix was the least spicy so it was a good palette cleanser while the the lentils and chickpeas were my favorite. the meat combo comes with doro wot (chicken drumstrick), key wot (prime beef), alicha wot (beef stew), ayib (cheese) and salad. the key wot was very buttery. my favorite from this combo was the alicha wot. the combo is a good choice if you would like a little bit of everything. everything was so saucy, flavorful and fragrant. i enjoyed every bite! the food was good, the service was great and the ambiance was nice. i would recommend and even come back again.

    Restaurant It is…read moreinside a non descript strip mall. I traveled here from Fairfield. There are 8 booths and 10 sets of tables and 3 areas where it appears you would experience the authentic ethiopion coffee service. They were in the back preparing an order when we arrived so we waited short of 5 minutes for them to know we were there. When the waiter arrives she warmly greeted us and instructed us to sit anywhere. She quickly returned and provided us menus. Shortly thereafter our order was placed and we were provided water. We ordered our favorite no matter what ethiopian restaurant we go to and that is Gored gored Veggie platter Sambusas, the lentils inside were a bit hard and there wasn't much seasoning. I also ordered a cup of tea as I still had a cough from a cold Food The cabbage and greens were luke warm. The lentils were somewhat hot. The salad was fine and the gored gored was delicious. I wish their injera had more of a sour taste too it but overall food was good, service was good. I give them a 4 star review. Minus 1 point for the lukewarm food.

    Photos
    Kategna Ethiopian Restaurant
    Sambussa
    Sambussa
    Inside

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    Inside
    LeYou Ethiopian

    LeYou Ethiopian

    4.4
    (474 reviews)
    4.2 mi
    $$

    LeYou is located right off the N First St exit towards San Jose and is located in a very unassuming…read moreplaza. What I love about LeYou is, not only is it Michelin guided, it lives up to its recommendation. The food here was fresh and delicious, service was kind and attentive, and last the space was charming. I can totally see this place being a cute place for a first date or a special occasion. Now let's talk about the food, at most places they serve their tartare thats beef but at LeYou they take a unique take on that with fish instead. I believe you can pick between tuna or salmon and we opted for the tuna and it was hefty and delicious. You can even adjust the spice level on this and we opted for medium which actually felt like medium. Most places are heavy on the spices even if you ask for less. As for the rest of the meal you must try the gomen which is the collared greens. It's seasoned well and works good in combination of your other dishes. Of course you must order the shiro which is mashed chickpeas and various beans. This one is a little spicy and a slow burn which is pleasant because it won't cause instant tummy aches. Overall highly recommend LeYou if you're ever in town or wanting to try Ethiopian for the first time!

    Tried: meat combo with one wot style stew with chicken (1/5) and the other onion stew with white…read morefish (3/5). I love Walia's doro wot but don't love the location and ambience so hoped LeYou would offer similar taste but better ambience, but sadly, the doro wot (chicken stew) was extremely spicy even for me, and didn't taste good either. It could upset your stomach. The onion stew was alright but not a fan of the overpowering sweet flavor of the onions. When I crave Ethiopian food, will just do take out at Walia. Also one of the female servers was a bit pushy in trying to make us order more drinks, sides, dessert.

    Photos
    Bottle water and glasses
    Bottle water and glasses
    Stuffed Jalapeño cross-section w/ vegan filling
    Stuffed Jalapeño cross-section w/ vegan filling
    Complimentary Water ($0)

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    Complimentary Water ($0)
    Good Karma Fine Ales Food HiFi

    Good Karma Fine Ales Food HiFi

    4.2
    (1.2k reviews)
    3.8 mi
    $

    Made a stop at this place after a long hiatus, and I would say the place looks a lot different than…read morethe deli-style place that I recall. I was not totally surprised by the change, and I have driven by multiple times, so I have seen the change from the outside. The interior looks like beautifully decorated bar that serves food. Service was pretty good and fast, and prices are still very reasonable. I had a quinoa plate with Jamaican Jerk and Red Curry. The quinoa was well-cooked without being too soggy or undercooked. For the Jamaican Jerk, the potato was not too soft, and the veggie cutlets were flavorful. For the Red Curry, the sweet potato, fried tofu, and bell pepper were well also.

    This was my first time ever here at this bar and honestly, it was great!!…read more As my friend and I were leaving dinner, we walk home and I heard jazz music and I stopped to listen!! Somebody outside said we could come in and I realized it was a bar, but my friend and I were meeting up with some other people down the street first. The spot we went to meet them it was dead, so we actually walked back three blocks to good karma!! We were lucky that jazz band was still playing and apparently they play every Sunday from 7 PM through 9:30 PM!! They had a number of different beers on top as well as some bottled beers. I really want to come back and eat lunch here!! Sadly, they only had two red wines and no white wines. The red cab I had was tasty and worked fine for the evening, but mainly the live jazz band was my favorite part!! Great environment, good sound system, and amazing live jazz!! Not to mention the one bartender, a young lady who was running the whole joint by herself!! She kept everything clean and organized, and she was very patient with each customer that came up when they wanted to sample different beers! I will definitely be back!!

    Photos
    Started talking about The Clash so the owner put The Clash on. Perfect!
    Started talking about The Clash so the owner put The Clash on. Perfect!
    2 item - Quinoa Plate with Red Curry and Jamaican Jerk
    2 item - Quinoa Plate with Red Curry and Jamaican Jerk
    Rhinoceros - darker beer, smooth, flavorful

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    Rhinoceros - darker beer, smooth, flavorful
    Ethio-LunchBox

    Ethio-LunchBox

    3.7
    (7 reviews)
    1.6 mi

    Here is my two cents on the quality quantity and price of my order... it was delivered by GrubHub…read morein a timely matter. what I don't like about GrubHub is you cannot just add a tip you have to talk to customer service.. which is a stupid and ridiculous. hoop. You have to jump through to give the driver extra money... Unto the lunchbox food If you never had Ethiopian food, it's not meant or utensils .. they give you their soft bread and you dip it in sauce and you add the items of what you're going to eat. It is more of a communal situation .. I found the food to be quite good though not as big of a portion as I would like.. I did ask for it to be extra hot and spicy And while it was the most spiciest and hottest hot sauce, I have ever tasted almost in my life . It was good, but you had to drink a beer or milk to cool your mouth off. If you're looking for something spicy, this is the place beware .

    I was craving Ethiopian food and was looking for a place that was open during COVID-19. Usually I…read morestick with Zeni, but I wasn't close to the area. Found this place and was excited to order their Meat Combo which was $18 and came with Doro Wot, Ye Begin Wot, and Kitfo (beef), and a veggie entrée of choice along with some Injera bread. I ordered the Kitfo to be raw and spicy with my choice of vegetarian entree to be lentils. The total came out to about $25 with tax and everything. When I took the food out of the package. I got a tiny portion of one of their stews in two small sections in the to-go box which honestly both tasted the same despite them listing two different wots/stews, and the Kitfo seemed to be in the main part of my box and it WAS FULLY COOKED and DRENCHED IN SALT AND OIL. Even though I ordered the kitfo to not be cooked, which is an option, they still managed to cook it by dumping a gallon of hot oil over it (see picture). 70% of the dish was old oil rather than food. I got no vegetarian entrée as promised and the Kitfo was WAY oversalted and not edible. The two stews were okay, but besides this I felt cheated. I would not recommend anyone order pickup or delivery from this place. You have many other options around you as Ethiopian restaurants have increased in the area. The one review that comes before mine was not factored into the review of this place and is obviously the owner or one of the employees writing the review. There is only one review from that person ever in their Yelp history, and it is obviously promoting this business. Don't be fooled. Pictures are worth a thousand words.

    Photos
    Ethio-LunchBox
    Kitfo
    Kitfo
    Gored Gored

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    Gored Gored

    Selam Restaurant and Cafe - ethiopian - Updated June 2026

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