Lalibela restaurant LLC — Restaurant in Sioux Falls Township

With all the raving reviews here, I was really expecting exceptional. I’ve decided that I just don’t like Ethiopian food.

At 8pm on Tuesday, the place was empty. We were the only customers until one man came to get a to-go order. Other than him, it stayed empty. The owner was in the back and took a while before coming out to greet us (probably because the place was empty).

They don’t give you utensils - it could be that they don’t use it in Ethiopian culture, or that the server/owner forgot. We wanted to ask for them, but he went back inside and didn’t come out though we tried calling out a few times. We saw some spoons on the counter, though, and ended up using them. We could have eaten the meat with the bread, but there was also salad and it just wasn’t finger friendly.

Meat sambusa A meat filled appetizer, kinda like a triangular empanada. This was a tasty appetizer, but I’m a little spoiled, and some cheese inside would’ve made a huge difference. It didn’t feel so different that it was fine just as it was, and there was something reminiscent of an empanada that kept making me wish there was some cheese in it.

Beef wot fit fit It’s beef cuts tossed with the sour bread and green peppers, served with more sour bread (injera). The beef smelled funny. It was a different cut of meat from the other beef dish we had.

Awaze tubs This was the marinated beef tossed with veggies and served with salad and injera. This was the yummiest of the bunch. It wasn’t that spicy, but had nice flavors and the beef was tender.

Beef key wot Minced beef infused with sauce. Reminded me of chili. With some ketchup. Something familiar but couldn’t really place my finger on it.

I’m always up to trying new foods and was really hoping to like it here. Though it wasn’t my personal cup of tea, I may still grow to like Ethiopian fare and when I do, I may become a...

While looking up best restaurants in Sioux Falls, Lalibela restaurant continued to pop up in my search. Never having eaten Ethiopian food before, my husband and I were intrigued and decided we would give it a try while we were in town. We were not disappointed! We ate at Lalibela on 6/9/23. The waitress was very patient and kind when we said we had never eaten this type of food before. She briefly explained how you eat with injera instead of utensils. She also was eager to answer any questions we had and to make suggestions. We ordered the meat sambusa as an appetizer which was my favorite thing. Piping hot, pastry shell was perfectly crisp, meat was flavorful, and the sauce was a wonderful accompaniment. For our entrees, my husband went with a combination platter while I had the beef tibs. Every bite was excellent. The only downside is we live 15 hours away from Sioux Falls, and we will have to try to find an Ethiopian restaurant...

Having an adopted daughter from Ethiopia, we are always searching for an Ethiopian restaurant when we travel. Lalibela's is a great dining experience. Food is fantastic, best we have tried anywhere. The owner is very friendly and always treats us with great respect. I have noticed that some have not liked the service. Understand that they do not react as us Americans do. Go to the counter and they are more than happy to accommodate you with more water or anything else you may need. This is just how they do things. You cannot go wrong with any dish you order. The Combination platter is great and my personal favorites are the Tibs Platters. We always make it a stop when we are near Sioux Falls and will continue to do so...