Messob Ethiopian Restaurant

In Short – Pleasant smells waft through the air as diners are greeted by one of the pair of brothers who own the restaurant or an equally attentive hostess. A neat row of glass-top tables sit comfortably on both sides of the room, with special Ethiopian straw tables known as the restaurant's namesake, mesob, in the center of the room. Two larger ones are perched communally in the front window. The menu includes traditional vegetarian sampler dishes, house specialty chili-spiced beef kitfo and more mild chicken breast.

Editor's Tips

What to Drink:: The restaurant serves a range of beer and Ethiopian honey wine, but not hard liquor.
Where to Sit:: The hut-like set up in the front window with traditional mesob tables is great for small groups of four or five, or can be combined for a larger group of 10. Reservations are recommended for groups of five or more.
Look Good:: As a tradition, the restaurant suggests that before you take your first bite, you feed one to someone else at your table.
The Extras:: Gift certificates are available for purchase at the cashier.

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User Reviews (27)

ambiance	100.0% positive	“The decor is "fun" to say the least -- I enjoy sitting in the little straw "tiki hut" at the front.” “The ambience works well and the coffee is perfect!”
dessert	100.0% positive	“And the plate came with a delicious baklava dessert!”
drinks	100.0% positive	“loved the traditional coffee.” “They give you a great deal of coffee and it was the BEST coffee I have ever tasted.” “The ambience works well and the coffee is perfect!” “Authentic spices imported from Ethiopia used in all the dishes, Authentic Ethiopian beer and wine imported from Ethiopia, excellent service provided by servers wearing authentic Ethiopian outfits on the weekend, great prices, A great atompshere that gives”
food quality	91.94999694824219% positive	“Bring a group to Messob and enjoy authentic Ethiopian food in a very cultural setting.” “a mixture from other Vegan dishes combined consisting of a variety of lentils, collard greens such as spinach and cabbage, and some Tomato fit-fit (a delectable spongy textured tofu-like delicacy).” “Great food, different” “Although the service is on the slow side, the food is delicious.” “Though I did not like one or two items on the platter overall the food was delicious and the service was good.” “And that reminds me: we were never asked about how we liked our food.” “The appetizer was really good, but the rest of the food was disgusting.” “The food was absolutely amazing!” “Authentic spices imported from Ethiopia used in all the dishes, Authentic Ethiopian beer and wine imported from Ethiopia, excellent service provided by servers wearing authentic Ethiopian outfits on the weekend, great prices, A great atompshere that gives” “The chicken wot was fair-to-good; the lamb stew was great; all other dishes were fair-to-poor.” “Authentic food from Ethiopia according to my brother-in-law who lived there for five years.” “The food is great & they have combo platters so that you can try a little of everything.” “The food is excellent and the portions are good.” “The food was absolutely delicious.” “While the service was sllloowww, when our vegetarian combo platter finally arrived about 40 minutes the food was excellent, fresh with subtle spices, and the traditional bread (which in my previous Ethipian cuisine experience had looked and tasted like in” “If you don't eat meat, the collard greens are equally as tasty.” “The doro wat (chicken & hard-boiled egg) is also delicious but not a great value, as they only give you like 2 skinny chicken legs for $10.” “You get it all;the best service, the best food, and the best ethiopian experience.” “Also the injera bread was fresh and very good!” “love the awaze tibs (beef).” “This authentic restaurant makes you feel right at home as soon as you walk in.” “Boring food, terrible service” “Both the meat and vegetarian dishes are yummy, although this is not the place to go if you don't like spicy food.” “The food does not disappoint -- particularly the lentils.” “Great food, good value” “Food is served the traditional way -- without individual plates and without utensils -- and you just use injera (spongy flat bread) to scoop up the food with your hands.” “The main dish consisted of a big bread on a big plate, with the different spicy "curries" on it.” “And the plate came with a delicious baklava dessert!” “Aside from the warm, friendly and attentive service provided by the staff, this was one of the most delicious types of food we?”
menu variety	100.0% positive	“a mixture from other Vegan dishes combined consisting of a variety of lentils, collard greens such as spinach and cabbage, and some Tomato fit-fit (a delectable spongy textured tofu-like delicacy).” “Although very sweet and with a big smile, her answer to each question about the menu was "It's very good-very traditional.”
overall	75.0% positive	“OK, so the service is slow, but this really is the best Ethiopian place on Fairfax.” “Messob is my favorite restaurant anywhere”
service	83.33000183105469% positive	“The service is friendly, albeit a bit slow at times.” “Service was great, everyone was friendly.” “While the service was sllloowww, when our vegetarian combo platter finally arrived about 40 minutes the food was excellent, fresh with subtle spices, and the traditional bread (which in my previous Ethipian cuisine experience had looked and tasted like in” “The only thing to warn about is some of the lower tables in the center of the restaurant have proportionally low chairs, which may be uncomfortable for people with back problems.” “Although the service is on the slow side, the food is delicious.” “Aside from the warm, friendly and attentive service provided by the staff, this was one of the most delicious types of food we?” “You get it all;the best service, the best food, and the best ethiopian experience.” “OK, so the service is slow, but this really is the best Ethiopian place on Fairfax.” “The wait staff didn't seem particularly friendly, either, but that could have been a bit of a cultural thing.” “Boring food, terrible service” “Though I did not like one or two items on the platter overall the food was delicious and the service was good.” “While the servers are very friendly, expect to wait a minimum of 20 min.” “Works great w/ the honey ale on offer, but order 2 up front because the floor is understaffed and it is excruciatingly difficult to get the attention of a server.” “Authentic spices imported from Ethiopia used in all the dishes, Authentic Ethiopian beer and wine imported from Ethiopia, excellent service provided by servers wearing authentic Ethiopian outfits on the weekend, great prices, A great atompshere that gives” “The service was fantastic.”
value	100.0% positive	“It's an insanely good value!” “The food is excellent and the portions are good.” “The doro wat (chicken & hard-boiled egg) is also delicious but not a great value, as they only give you like 2 skinny chicken legs for $10.” “Authentic spices imported from Ethiopia used in all the dishes, Authentic Ethiopian beer and wine imported from Ethiopia, excellent service provided by servers wearing authentic Ethiopian outfits on the weekend, great prices, A great atompshere that gives” “Great food, good value”
wait time	87.5% positive	“OK, so the service is slow, but this really is the best Ethiopian place on Fairfax.” “Although the service is on the slow side, the food is delicious.” “The service is friendly, albeit a bit slow at times.” “While the service was sllloowww, when our vegetarian combo platter finally arrived about 40 minutes the food was excellent, fresh with subtle spices, and the traditional bread (which in my previous Ethipian cuisine experience had looked and tasted like in”

02/15/09

the best piece of sh!t in la

by maaaason at Citysearch

This was the worst dining experience of my life - a real sin. First, we were shuffled out of the cute, cozy dining area into a drafty room in the back of the restaurant. The walls were yellow, cracked and peeling. There were tears in the tablecloths. The room wasn't even arranged symmetrically - the chairs were scattered haphazard among tables. The lights were yellow. We waited exactly 58 minutes from when were ordered to be served our food. During this time, a man lurked around, handing out napkins and assuring us our food would arrive in a few minutes. He gave us a free appetizer when we "reached" the 45 minutes mark. The appetizer was really good, but the rest of the food was disgusting. The chicken looked like it was coated in plastic; it was all slick, stringy pink-in-spots dark meat. The vegetable dish consisted of boiled cabbage. After a few bites, everything was nauseating - it was like a zesty swamp. It was such an awful dining experience we found it hilarious. Although we left, feeling sick, and still unsatiated. This restaurant is a piece of sh!t.

Pros: free appetizer to compensate for hour wait
Cons: everything else

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01/31/09

Great food, good value

by valifornia at Citysearch

We've been here a couple of times and we've always liked it. We went again last night. The food does not disappoint -- particularly the lentils. The service is friendly, albeit a bit slow at times. We'll definitely go back. The only thing to warn about is some of the lower tables in the center of the restaurant have proportionally low chairs, which may be uncomfortable for people with back problems.

Pros: Great food, good prices
Cons: Slightly slow service, low tables in the middle of the restaurant

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08/13/08

Great Food and Coffee

by dawn826 at Citysearch

My friends and I go out to dinner every month and pick a different restaurant. This month was Messob. We arrived at 6 PM on July 30. There were only a few people in the restaruant but when we left it was full. I wanted to try Ethiopian food. We ordered the meat and vegetable platter. Though I did not like one or two items on the platter overall the food was delicious and the service was good. The owner came over and spoke to us twice. I really love it when the owner or chef comes to the table. A restaurant goes up a few notches in my book when that happens. It shows they care. We ordered the coffee. They give you a great deal of coffee and it was the BEST coffee I have ever tasted.. Better than any of those coffee places that you find on every corner. So, if you are a coffee nut you NEED to go.

Pros: Coffee
Cons: none

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05/27/08

i'm bringing all my friends here

by bruizez at Citysearch

My boyfriend and i have had ethiopian food a few times before in northern california, but never in LA. so we decided to give Messob a try. The food was absolutely delicious. We ordered the combinations and they were so good. Perfect price for the perfect amount of food. Service was great, everyone was friendly. They have really neat seating areas that I have yet to try. Go in a large group and you get to be seated in this hut like thing. They also have a sink outside of the bathrooms for handwashing!

Pros: food!! everything!
Cons: can't think of any

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05/22/08

Excellent Food -- Insanely Good Value!

by artegone at Citysearch

I visit Messob pretty often and if I lived any closer to it, I'd probably be there once a week. It's an insanely good value! The food is great & they have combo platters so that you can try a little of everything. I love the vegetarian combo platter. (I am NOT a vegetarian, but this is REALLY good!) It's supposed to feed 2 people, but in actually could feed 4. Plus, it comes with baklava. Add a couple glases of mead and your bill is about $30. You can't beat that!

Messob Ethiopian Restaurant

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What People Are Saying About Messob Ethiopian Restaurant

Tara Lis

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Editor's Tips

02/15/09

the best piece of sh!t in la

by maaaason at Citysearch

01/31/09

Great food, good value

by valifornia at Citysearch

08/13/08

Great Food and Coffee

by dawn826 at Citysearch

05/27/08

i'm bringing all my friends here

by bruizez at Citysearch

05/22/08

Excellent Food -- Insanely Good Value!

by artegone at Citysearch

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