I took my parents here earlier this year, and they loved it so much they've been back at least five…read moretimes since. In fact, my mom even requested it for Mother's Day. That's usually a pretty good sign. I've only had Ethiopian food at two other restaurants around the Metro Atlanta area, and honestly, neither one was particularly memorable. This place is a completely different story. Every time we visit, the experience is consistent, no matter how busy they are. The decor is inviting, the service is always friendly and attentive, and the restaurant is consistently clean and well-maintained. My wife and I usually share the Tibs Platter with ribeye, lamb, and filet. The meat is always incredibly tender, juicy, and packed with flavor. We also order the Miser (spicy lentils), Atir (split peas), and plenty of injera. The combination of flavors and textures is amazing, and every bite complements the next. One of the things I appreciate most is how approachable they make Ethiopian cuisine for first-time visitors. If you've never had Ethiopian food before, this is a great place to start. The staff is helpful, the food is flavorful without being overwhelming, and the experience is unlike anything you'll find at a typical restaurant. If you're ever in the Atlanta area and want to try Ethiopian food, this place will not disappoint. Even if you're a little hesitant about eating with your hands, don't let that stop you. After a few bites, you'll understand why so many people keep coming back.

Wonderful food, service and ambiance!…read more This was our first time trying Ethiopian food and we let our server know on the front end that this was a new experience for us. We had so much fun. She suggested going with the Meat Lovers where we chose Lamb, Ribeye, and Grouper and told her to surprise us on the sides to which I'm pretty sure (based on the vegetarian section of the menu) we got Ater (yellow split pea stew), Miser (spicy red split pea stew), and Mushroom Stew. We also got Injera and Pita bread to go with it along with flavored rice. Everything was spectacular and we had such a fun time! This was for two people so we definitely had leftovers. Can't wait to go back!

Embilta is a hidden gem!…read more Food is always excellent and great for sharing - I love bringing groups here because the dishes are so large. Service is okay - there are not many staff, so the wait times can be a bit long, but the pay-off is soooo worth it. Bang for your buck is top notch - food is super cheap but DELICIOUS. I suggest getting the vegetarian sampler and a few meat curries.

Embilta is my favorite kind of restaurant because restaurants are about FOOD and Embilta's food is…read moreEXTRAORDINARY I got an Embilta Special Large to go... and I think I flooded my car on the drive home salivating oh my oh myyyyyyy the smells the woman working was as sweet as could be, and I can't wait to see her again when I order my next round (or when I ask her to cater my wedding)

I met a friend, and we shared four different dishes. It was delicious…read more I can't remember what it was called, but the ground raw steak was absolutely delicious.

Desta is the move for a Sunday lunch when you want zero stress and high-quality flavor. The space…read moreis massive, so you aren't fighting for a table, and the vibe is immediately set by the music. They had Afrobeats playing, which kept the energy right without being over the top. The beef sambusas are the essential starter crispy, well-seasoned, and gone in about two minutes. For the main, I went with the Meat Lovers combo: lamb, salmon, and filet mignon, with gomen, cabbage, mushrooms, and rice. It's rare for a spot to nail three different proteins on one plate, but the filet was tender and the lamb was seasoned like they actually care about the craft. Eating it with the injera is non-negotiable; you need it to catch all that flavor. The portions are heavy, so I did the smart thing and took the rest home. Honestly, that's the pro move--the spices hit even harder when you run it back for round two later that night. If you're in the area and want a meal that actually justifies the hype, this is it. No gimmicks, just solid food and good music.

This is the best spot to get Ethiopian food in Atlanta! (Definitely better than Desta for any of…read moreyou Desta-lovers.) The food is authentic, fresh and flavorful, and the portions are massive. We had a group of 20 and they were able to host us in their back room. The place is massive with seating up front but also lots of seating in the back. They even have a little gift shop market in the back too where you can buy stuff. It's a really great place for large parties with incredible, attentive service. They gave us some push buttons to press too so we were always attended to when we needed anything. 6 of us split the vegan platter 2, doro wok, and dereq tibs. It was my first time having doro wok and I will be ordering it every time I come now. Absolutely delicious! Splitting these three items was the perfect portion with all of us finishing the meal feeling full. The vegan platter 2 says it feeds 2 people but it's more like 4 people. The portions truly are big and the injera helps fill you up. Including some drinks, the total only came out to $20 each with tax and tip. I was very pleasantly surprised. Amazing food with large portions at an amazing price!

We finally got a chance to try Bahel after having it bookmarked for a while. As soon as we walked…read morein, the staff made us feel welcome, which was a great start. The menu had several dishes we've had at other Ethiopian restaurants, so we ordered familiar items to compare. We went with the Bahel 1 Combo and chose chicken tibs, doro wot, shiro, gomen, and yellow lentils. The food was ok. The Doro Wot had a sweeter taste than I'm used to, but it was decent, and the Chicken Tibs had a strong tomato flavor (not 100% sure it was tomato, but that's what came through), which didn't really work for me. The Shiro was excellent, though. I could've eaten that with some injera all by itself. Overall, the experience was pleasant and the service was welcoming, but flavor-wise it didn't quite hit enough for us to make it our go-to spot when we're craving Ethiopian food.

I love this place so much! I feel like I've been once a week for the past month, so I'm long…read moreoverdue to write a review about why you need to come to Bole! To start, the space is nice, spacious, clean, and thoughtfully decorated. Dark wood tones, colorful artwork, scenic landscape screensavers on the TV screens near the bar, and Ethiopian music pumping through the speakers (but not so loud that you can't hear the people you're with). The staff is also so sweet with great energy. There's a full bar with great drink prices, and I still need to try the honey wine. One thing to note is that the food is made to order and does take a little time (like 20 minutes or so), but when you dig in and start eating you understand why. I will wait every time, no problem. My favorite dish is the Fish Dullet and my favorite side is the brown lentils. My partner gets the Awaze pretty much every time. If you haven't tried Ethiopian food before, this is your sign to do so. If you already like Ethiopian food, make sure to stop by if you haven't already!

Beautiful decor! Delicious food!…read moreAttentive service! Those are just three of the reasons that Bole received a five star rating. This amazing restaurant located within proximity of the airport is truly a gem in the Metro Atlanta area. The exterior is well lit and encompasses a wraparound porch that has ample space to potentially host a party. Not sure of their outdoor intentions as it was fairly cool when I visited, and look forward to checking out again in the warmer months. Parking is available at no cost, with ADA compliant entry. From the moment I entered, I was impressed with the art in various forms throughout the restaurant. This include included pictures, sculptures, and even a traditional Ethiopian coffee set up. Our party was fairly large and sat to the right of the entrance where tables were pushed together to form one table with chairs on one side and bench on the opposite. I did notice that the other areas had tables that were spaced in the very larger room, as well as a bar area with television and would appear to be an area for music/Dj set up. The food was amazing as well. Amazing is the word of the day regarding ballet! I ordered the Bole Awaze Tims signature platter with lamb, other meat options were available. I also ordered the Timatim fitfit salad, a side of beets and had the hot spice tea as my beverage. The portions were ample and included a basket of njeri, the traditional spongy accompaniment used to eat the contents of your meal. The Timatim salad was extremely good, and a meal in itself. My food was seasoned well, and I enjoyed each and every bite! My tea was delicious too! A traditional us brand teabag was placed on the side for addition, but not necessary at all. The spices which I believe included cardamom were more than sufficient and truly warmed me adequately. Despite having an a large party, our server managed all orders like a champion, and made sure that no one had to guess on menu selections. She provided information in educated in the process. The overall vibe was that everyone was impressed and enjoyed their meals. As previously mentioned, I look forward to returning to share the extremely personable ambience and great food selections with others. Definitely a great location to celebrate a special occasion or for a delicious meal with a long layover.

I have been wanting to try Ethiopian food for a few years now ever since my wife brought gave me…read moresome leftovers over 4 years ago. Today we finally went, and the experience exceeded expectations! The food was excellent and the staff were helpful and answered my questions about the food and helped me and my wife decide what to get. The combo platter is a great option for trying out several different meats and veggies and it does not break the bank. There was plenty of food for 2. The building was nicely appointed and the convenient hand washing station made the experience of eating primarily with your hands much less messy than one might think. As a person who is not very good with spicy heat, there were still so many foods that I could eat without my face melting. The dry spice mix and the dipping sauces were too spicy for me, but it did not matter, as the food had plenty of seasoning and flavor packed into it already. I can't wait to go back and try some of their other offerings!

We have been wanting to try Ethiopian food but wanted to make sure we went to an authentic…read morerestaurant so my husbands coworker who is from Ethiopia brought us to his favorite restaurant. We told him what kind of food we like and our spice levels and he ordered everything for us. I got the Doro tips (chicken tips) with rice, my husband got the Shekla which was beef or steak and his coworker got the Shiro (fish & salmon). I don't normally eat Salmon but the Shiro was really good. It had a-lot of flavor to it. We shared everything and got to experience eating the Injera that is used as a plate and utensil. Everything was delicious. The customer service was superior. We could tell his coworker comes here often as everyone was friendly towards him and the owner even came over to our table so we were able to share our first time great experience with her. My husband's coworker wanted us to try some tea/coffee after our meal but we were both stuffed. We look forward to coming back and will hopefully save room for tea to conclude our meal.

I'm pleased to have discovered this gem when it comes to Ethiopian cuisine. Like many, my first…read moreintroduction was through Desta. I learned to appreciate the tibs, awaze for spice, and shiro along with injera. But if Desta is an entrance to this food, Kategna is the next level up. The storefront itself is humble and tucked away out of sight on Buford Highway. Right upon entering, I smelled burning incense to queue me in that this was different than even my previous experiences. There was booths and small tables. I think you could do a larger party but it'd been to be spread out. It's best for parties of 4. The decor is well loved and there's a counter up front where you can go and pay when you are done. For lunch, they have specials but I decided tk get a Kategna injera as an appetizer and then Yetebaberut (spiced ground beef). Speaking with the waitress running the front of the store, I decide to play it safe and go medium spice and medium for how cooked the beef is. Kategna injera - this is life changing. I enjoy injera but an injera fried in a pan so it's crispy and flaky in different parts and coated in awaze? Wow. This will pretty much be my go to dish every time I come in the store and I will recommend it to anyone I bring. This was so incredibly delicious that I know my words are failing to convey just how good this is. Get it if you are in the store. Yetebaberut - delicious. It's mixed with collard greens and feta cheese and goes well with the basket of injera. I ate half of it (2 injera and half the bowl) and took the rest to eat at lu cb again the next day. All in all, Kategna Ethiopian is the new standard for Ethiopian in Atlanta. If you're planning in going to Desta, I'd steer you here instead. I can't wait to bring my coworker and then my wife and then some family friends (the husband's wife is Ethiopian).

Spontaneously came here for some late night munchies and the food definitely hit the spot. It was…read moreour first time trying Ethiopian food and everything was incredibly flavorful. Service was great even when it was close to their closing time! If you're hungry late at night, I highly recommend coming here than going to some fast food chain.

I recently tried this place out. I've had Ethiopian food a handful of times and it never agreed…read morewith my tastebuds. This was my final attempt and luckily I found something I like. It was one of their non-meat dishes. It was tasty. The place is very unassuming, but the service and hospitality are there. I asked for a to-go container and ended up getting a refill on my entire order before I left. Lol Thank you! My lunch became my dinner.

Delicious food and friendly staff. My son and I ate here for the first time and we would…read moredefinitely return!

I had gone down (by Uber) to Atlanta Vintage Books for the afternoon to lounge in their chairs and…read moreread books, soak up the culture and enjoy their resident cats. I had not eaten before I left and after several hours there, I was HUNGRY. Because I had taken Uber, I asked the lady at the counter where was the closest restaurant within walking distance. She directed me across the street - just a hop skip and a jump from the bookstore. to Jebena Bistro. Never having eaten Ethiopian food, I decided to give it a try. As "Noelle" to the right, said, it's a little "hole in the wall". From the outside, it's nothing to write home about. But as soon as I walked in, I knew I was going to enjoy it. First of all, the lady that waited on me was so kind and welcoming. I asked her for her recommendations and she suggested several things. I ended up choosing the vegetable platter. When she brought it out, she explained to me that they eat with their hands. There was no silverware. She showed me the bread that they use to soak up the food with. It was made of a sponge-like substance and was rolled up. The platter was SO good. I quickly filled up and had to get a "to go" box which was filled with food. The amount of food I received for price I paid was ample. It easily made me a second meal at home. This wasn't a fancy place. But the food was very tasty and I will go back in the future.

What a jem! We are working our way trying every Ethiopian place in metro Atlanta. Jebena did not…read moredisappoint. The food was so fresh and flavorful! We bought two platters. One to share and one to take home to eat the next day! The love and care that went in to our meal was obvious. You have to try Jebena!!!

I absolutely love this place, they are so hospitable and kind! I have been coming here for the…read morepast 2 years and the food quality is always the exact same...delicious. I have never had the same server(because I come on different times and days), but they are all always so helpful when suggesting things off the menu. This past week, I went with 2 friends and our server was so nice and I totally forgot to catch her name. From the moment we walked in, she was so friendly and helpful offering different combinations on the menu to accomodate for different dietary restrictions while still getting the full experience. She brought out both types of injera for us to taste to see which we wanted our food with and let us keep them. We ordered the habesha salad and lentil sambussas and it was plenty for 3 people to eat for appetizers. The hot sauce the the sambussas were served with was sooo good! For the main coures, we ordered the ethiopian special(fish and lamb) and a mushroom tibs. For sides, we got misir(my fav), difin misir, dinich wot, fosolia, gomen, and tikil gomen. It was all so good, and more than enough for 3 people to eat. My friend ordered an iced coffee with oat milk and after giving it, the server mentioned that if she didn't like it, she would take it back and remake it. My friend said it was fine, but the server noticed that by the end of the meal, she never drank it, so she insisted and took it off the tab since she didn't drink it. For the dessert, there are only 2 things on the menu, but in reality, there are maybe 7- 10 different desserts, you just have to ask your server what they are. We got a kettle of habesha tea and it has about 4 servings, which was perfect for us. For the first hour, we were the only people in the restaurant, but as time progressed, there were about 4- 5 tables with other people and it never felt loud or too busy. There was great music and I know they occasionally will have a live performer playing classics. Overall a 10/10 restaurant and experience. Will definitely be returning.

I do not know why this restaurant doesn't have lines out the door!! By far, one of the best tasting…read moreEthiopian restaurant that I have visited. The food was absolutely amazing!! Our server Sky was wonderful and soooo knowledgeable and friendly. Such a beautiful personality! My husband and I truly enjoyed our meal. We are looking forward to patronizing this restaurant very often!! If you want authentic Ethiopian food, this is the place to go!! You will not be disappointed!