Queen of Sheba Restaurant — Restaurant in Addison

A few of my friends and I visited Queen of Sheba for an evening of Ethiopian cuisine. This was our first visit to this particular restaurant but have eaten at a countless number of Ethiopian restaurants prior to. In the beginning the server appeared to be nice, but quickly became annoyed by the questions we were asking about the items on the menu. After receiving the food we all agreed that the meal was not as good as many other Ethiopian restaurant we've attended. We ran out of drinks and it took the waitress 15 minutes to bring us more drinks after talking to the next table for that entire time. We then later ran out of injera which took her another 15 minutes to bring. I then noticed that there was a Hispanic man in the kitchen so I asked the waitress if the cook was Hispanic and she replied with “yes… but he has been with us for 20 years.” I did not like the fact that they had a Hispanic man cooking authentic Ethiopian food. Once she brought out the check she never asked if it needed to be separated so there was one ticket for 4 people to split ourselves. She later came back and took our money individually. My meal was approximately $18, I handed her a $20 and said she could keep the change (now I know that $2 is not the recommended 15% of what my ticket was but something was better than nothing for the poor service and food), one other friend did the same thing I did but the other 2 friends did not tip at all. Once the waitress returned she asked with an attitude if the service was poor, she then went on this long rant about no one at the table tipping her and offered to give our tip money back but we insisted that she keep it. It was an overall bad experience there. The food was prepared by a Hispanic man and it was not the best I’ve had and the waitress became offended because we did not tip her for her poor service. No offence to the cook but that’s like having a black women in the kitchen cooking...

We commenced our meal with Kitfo, a delectable dish consisting of spicy, rare or slightly cooked ground peeled knuckle beef tartar artfully mixed with exotic spices and butter, meticulously shaped into rolls, and served piping hot. This culinary creation was simply divine. Additionally, we savored fried crab and mozzarella bites, which were complemented by a tantalizingly spicy silssi dip. The Injera bread, with its delicate texture, softness, and rich flavor, further enhanced our dining experience.

Subsequently, we ventured into the realm of combination platters. My selection included Doro Tibs, featuring tender pieces of chicken breast sautéed in a mildly spiced butter sauce, accompanied by onions, tomatoes, garlic, and jalapenos. I also indulged in Yebeg Alitcha, a non-spicy preparation of lamb that had been meticulously slow-cooked for several hours in a delectable butter ginger sauce. To complement these delectable entrees, I opted for fresh beets seasoned with jalapeno, onion, garlic, a squeeze of lemon juice, and olive oil, as well as slow-cooked spinach, onions, and jalapenos bathed in an olive oil and garlic sauce. Each component of the meal was simply exquisite.

My companion opted for Yebeg Wott, a tantalizingly spicy rendition of lamb that had been slow-cooked for several hours in a rich butter sauce, accompanied by beets and a refreshing salad.

We concluded our culinary journey with Ethiopian Espresso Bread Pudding and Baklava, both of which were exceptional in taste and presentation.

The service we received was truly exceptional, with Joe, our server, demonstrating remarkable professionalism and attentiveness. I had numerous inquiries regarding the menu and potential modifications to certain dishes, and Joe patiently and comprehensively addressed each of my queries. He went above and beyond to ensure that our dining experience was truly memorable....

Well, considering this was my very first time picking up food from this restaurant after looking them up online, it's entirely possible that my not so great first time experience could have been an exception, but disappointing my experience was nonetheless 😞. They got one of my kitfo combination orders entirely wrong giving me a well cooked version of what should have been raw kitfo dish order 🤨. And even with that, the cooked kitfo tasted so so bland and had the look and feel of tasteless burger meat. Couldn't even taste the spices that should have atleast brought out some flavor in the food whether it was fully cooked or not. Same with another dish I ordered of Tibs and Doro wot combination where even the veggie side dishes seemed so watered down flavorless versions of authentic Ethiopian cuisine. I hope the restaurant pays attention to this review because I'm sure they don't want to lose potential customers over first bad impressions, and really awful word of mouth reviews to friends. Considering their prices for individual dishes are slightly higher than other similar restaurants, the $51.00 I paid for two combination dishes my guest and I could not even finish eating felt like a waste of money during an otherwise happy celebratory occasion for my family. The dinner ended up being an aweful anticlimax to an otherwise great day 😤. If what you are looking for is authentic, spicy, or flavorful Ethopian cuisine and not some watered down version, perhaps this not the place for you. On the up side, nice decor and interior space. I wish the food had also made the same impression on me for the...