Minutes after my friends and I walked into Lalibela for an impromptu late dinner (9 pm on a Sunday night), we felt like we had traveled somewhere exotic. There was a thin haze of incense and lots of smiling faces sharing big platters of food. It wasn't my first time at an Ethiopian restaurant but I loved that the staff were wearing beautiful and identical traditional dresses and their consistent friendliness was pleasant.
We were seated within minutes and though the service was slow - it was a full house - we were happy to wait. We wanted to try some of their veggie dishes and a beef dish. Our waitress recommended the veggie platter and also the Ye'Beg Key Tibbs (she told us we could substitute the lamb for beef). That was plenty of food for 3 hungry people.
TOP PICKS: Cabbage Wat and the beef tibs (I'm sure the lamb version is just as delicious!)
BONUS: Coincidentally we found out they had a Groupon offer and we bought it on the spot! Woohoo!
The reason Lalibela doesn't get 5 stars from me is that we didn't get napkins and had to ask for them well into our meal. Not a HUGE issue normally but things get messy when you're using your hands to eat. Also the incense was overwhelming. People with allergies beware.
Overall, I'm happy to have found this gem in my new neighborhood.