Messob Ethiopian Restaurant

Los Angeles’s Little Ethiopia neighborhood is home to an impressive collection of Ethiopian restaurants, many of which have remained in business for decades. Messob has been open since 1985, and in our experience offered a broad menu with a large selection of choices for carnivores and vegetarians alike. Guests seeking something different from the local pack will find items such as pumpkin stew, chicken breast, fish, and the (more common but not universal) option to order lamb in addition to beef across stews and cooked tibs.

We were impressed by Messob’s nice atmosphere, which has more of a typical Ethiopian restaurant aesthetic than some of the local places we’ve visited, as well as their attentive service, and especially delicious injera – the spongy, bread-like wrapper used to pinch and eat Ethiopian vegetable and meat items. That said, the actual entrees were a step or two below our favorite local alternatives, Lalibela in Little Ethiopia, and Beteseb in Anaheim, though each of these restaurants has its own strengths and weaknesses. Messob is perhaps the best for menu diversity and authentic ambience.