Queen of Sheba — Restaurant in Temple Terrace

The big chain restaurants love to ask if you've eaten with them before. Their purpose is to separate themselves from the other chain restaurants with little quirks. Steak places will have a preference with how well the meat is cooked, for example. Whatever the intent, it comes across as demeaning, as if you are in a special club if you've eaten there and ignorant if you haven't. No one at Queen of Sheba, an Ethiopian restaurant that's all but hidden in Tampa, will ask you that question. And yet, maybe they should, as the experience of eating there is unlike one you'll find at a large chain restaurant. Ethiopian food is served on injera, a sort of sourdough tortilla, which the dishes rest on and which you are provided ample rolls of to tear off and scoop up your meal. After enough of the dish is eaten, you can tear off parts of the injera underneath, which has soaked up the flavors and sauces, to enjoy an even more flavorful bit of your food. The group I was with opted to go with the Queens Eight Platter, which the waitress was quick to correct to "Queens Five" as our group had shrunk from an expected eight to a cozy five. Samplers for groups are not uncommon, certainly though it's given a different name, a Pu-Pu Platter is nothing but a sampler. Some are even quite intricate. And yet none come close to the Queens Eight. A mixture of beef, chicken, and vegetable dishes form a ring around the edge of the platter, with a small offering of one dish right next to another, including two of most to make sharing easier. In the middle is a giant helping of what we assumed was Doro Wot, a chicken dish and the so-called "National Dish of Ethiopia." Sampling each was a delight. One of my companions and I declared the mushrooms to be divine, while others found their favorites. While I won't guess what everything was, I will say that they were all well prepared and full of flavor. Some were spicy, while one of the beef dishes had a certain sweetness to it. The sweetness continued into dessert as many of my party opted for the honey wine, a mead like drink which paired well with the honey chips we ate. The chips were crispy versions of fried dough with a dusting of powered sugar, and a generous coating of honey, hence the name. The staff were friendly, but to complete the family atmosphere, they were generally out of the way. While separate dishes are offered on the menu, I highly advise going with the sampler and sharing in the experience. The only downside is that the sampler does not include the seafood options. For a truly unique experience and a break from the chain restaurants that are ubiquitous, I highly recommend Queen of Sheba and am eagerly awaiting an...

The food has always been great. But it seems every time I go, the service gets worse and the portions get smaller.

We ordered the Queens 8 for 2. It was the same amount of food I got when I ordered it for 1. It may have even been less for some of them. They definitely charged for 2 but honestly some of the portions of the dishes were so small that they'd be cutting it close calling it for 1. Like a tablespoon of lentils. The doro wat, their signature chicken dish, came with 1 half of a wing and 1 egg. I'm not sure how that would be suitable for 2 people.

The service has been progressively worse each time. The server only had 1 other person dining. It took us 5 minutes to get acknowledged and seated. He finally brought our drinks after 12 minutes because I got up and asked if we could have them. We never got the appetizers we ordered. He did not check in at all, ask if I wanted another drink, ask if the food was to our liking. He also didn't even run the food, the cook did. He spent the whole time behind a counter leaned over ignoring the dining room (that was just me and a friend at 1 table and a single other person). He did bring the check at the right time, probably cause he was looking forward to his tip on a 100 dollar check he barely did 2 minutes of work for. They'd be better off just having that cook run the FOH too.

The food was still really good. The Kitfo was a little spicy, rich, delicious, our favorite thing there. All of the Queens 8 dishes were spiced and cooked well. The injera was cold in the middle and the texture was a little different. I think it was frozen and microwaved for service. Still good.

I still tipped but he really didn't deserve it. I love the food but wish they'd try a little bit harder. Get a better server and if someone orders a platter for 2, don't try to skimp on lentils, potatoes, and cabbage...

We already started off on the wrong foot. Upon arrival, there was no one to greet us at the door, so we seated ourselves at a five-person table in a more private area, as we were a group of three women with purses. We were then asked to move “in case a larger party arrives.” Out of courtesy, we moved to a nearby table that was more out in the open and less comfortable. I had to ask for an extra chair for our bags, and it was wobbly—just like the table and the other chairs around us.

As we waited to be served, we watched another party of two women come in and seat themselves at a similar table without issue. They were given menus promptly and weren’t asked to move. Eventually, they relocated themselves to a smaller table—but the difference in treatment was noticeable.

We ordered sweet iced tea and were served hot tea instead. When we asked for the correct order, the replacement tea still wasn’t sweet. I asked for water instead, but it was never brought to the table. Throughout the visit, the staff did not seem particularly friendly or attentive.

What stood out even more was that the waiter explained the food selections in detail to most other tables—but when it came to our “chef’s choice” items, we had to ask for clarification ourselves. It felt like we were consistently overlooked, and that definitely impacted the overall experience. To top it off, when it came time to pay, the waiter had already preselected a higher tip amount—so double-check your bill before finalizing your payment.

That said, the atmosphere was quaint and charming—this spot has potential, and it was still worth the visit for a new experience. I just hope the service and consistency improve...