Review Kokeb Restaurant - Winnipeg

This was my favourite place 15 years ago, and I'm eating here right now for the first time in ages and it's still my fave. The food is amazing, and the owners will do everything they can to give you the best dining experience they can.

Casual Ethiopian eatery with art on the walls, traditional fare & fixed-price all-you-can-eat lunch. I am very foodie. I love to eat and cook. The food gives us energy. Without food, there is no life. There are so many dishes available in today’s world some like Indian foods like Biryani, Dosa, Pav Bhaji, Pani Puri etc whereas some like western foods like Pizza, Burger, Noodles etc. Among the number of food, Pizza is my favourite food because it tastes and smells fabulous. No matter how much I have eaten, I never fail to make myself feel hungry when I have my favourite pizzas in front of me. Flavours are felt exploding in my mouth when I take the 1st bite of my pizza. My love for my pizzas is eternal and nobody on this earth could ever take this from me until I die

Extremely poor service. The gentleman was just lounging for half an hour and didn't even take order. And after I went and placed an order, he went back to his phone. And kept me waiting for another 15 minutes.

*edit* Went into the restaurant to try the food. The food is better than delivery and looks of course way more appealing. I was impressed with their flavors on the delivery, and they continue to deliver in the dining room. The person serving us was just as nice as the person who was on the phone as both were very helpful. The pricing can't be beat. 2 combos including meat for under $22 before tax. Many other restaurants have it closer to $26. I give this a 5 with some stipulation. The food flavor and value is 5. The jalapeno sauce on the side really makes the food. If you can't have that then the food can depend. I wasn't a fan of the salad which is just salad with Italian dressing. The server was super friendly as well. It's an ok space and parking can be a pain. There were some issues with the bathroom but I figure that will be fixed in the future. --------------------------------------------------- This is a delivery review. We ordered the kokeb combo that serves 2, plus an extra order of lamb. With orders over $20 it's free delivery with skip. You have to give a minimum 10% tip to driver. The odd thing was you couldn't choose a percentage. Just in 5% increments. (10, 15, 20) It was generous amount of food. We had spoken to someone from the restaurant before actually ordering as we had a question. The combo comes with choice of lamb, beef or chicken (you choose 2). You can also choose chicken breast or chicken thighs if you want chicken. There is also another option for deep fried meat?? We had minor issues with communications. After getting our food I do regret not following his advice. Trust the guy as he knows what most of his clients actually like. I thought I wanted something then realized my mistake after. We received 2 boxes of injera. I think it's because we had 2 orders of food? My one complaint was they hard packed everything into the first box. It would have been nice if items were spaced out a touch more and the meal given in 2 boxes instead of over lapping. Another thing the man on the phone seemed to be suggesting was for us to go in to eat. The food we received was very tasty, just not visually as appealing. I think had we been in the restaurant I might have loved it instead of just liking it. However, next time I would be encouraged to go. The injera came with a green sauce that was like a chili salsa. I really liked that.

I crave this place every so often. When I left Winnipeg for two years, this was my go to when I return to Winnipeg, I can’t find another Ethiopian restaurant so far that taste better than this. I usually do take out here but still prefers eating in because of the big plate. The combo platter that serves two is the best bang for you buck. It could feed up to 3 people!

So good!! First time there and I was lured by the aroma like a cartoon skunk. Ordered the veggie combo, which was a every veggie option for $10 (!!!) super friendly staff talked me into a veggie samosa to start. Green lentil filling was a nice suprise and came with a bangin garlic chili hot sauce/salsa. Bold, complex flavours and a crazy big portion. I will absolutely be back. Non-food related perks included the owner refusing to change his soccer game to jets for a drunk guy and a dj setting up and starting to play Patsy Cline around 9.

Awesome food and very neat kitchen and exceptional service .. one word.. exceptional. Do visit this place if you’re looking for trying something new .

Best ethnic food in the city! Had take out many times and the portions are very generous. Dine in is great as well, staff and service is always very good. Hope you like spicy cause their jalapeno sauce is to die for. 5⭐

One of my favorite Winnipeg restaurants for many years. Their injera bread is oddly addicting, the prices are very cheap given the flavour of everything is so amazing. The vegetarian platter with a stuffed jalapeno is always my go-to.

Went to Kokeb because they have a buffet. I am a total spice wimp , but I am getting better. The buffet was a major disappointment!! I was concerned the buffet would be too spicy, turns out it is very bland. Too bland for a spice wimp, go figure. No meat in the buffet at lunch. Just because I don't like it hot, doesn't mean I don't like flavour, it had none. Will not be back. Service was almost non existent. Will stick with the other Ethiopian restaurants in the city. Even Brandon has an Ethiopian buffet that is way better than this.

I love Kokeb, their prices are super reasonable and quite delicious food. BONUS that they have vegan options, that's so amazing. It's a little less spicy than I would expect from Ethiopian food, but they do have little containers of spicy green sauce that helps, but it's very mild. I've gone for the buffet before, which is really fantastic for a quick lunch. It was also good, but mild flavor. I am not sure if the buffet is vegan, I have not been since I cut out dairy and eggs. Yum!

Worst customer service. I will never go there again. Food quality is very low<br/>Would rather eat at home than spending money and time. a big NO to this place

So. Full. This place was amazing. We shared samosas and a veggie combo for 2, and I don't even know what the individuals items were called but there were lentils, split peas, salads, cabbage, potatoes, beets, all flavoured so perfectly. I can not wait to be back!

Pretty mediocre lunch buffet in my opinion.<br/>Reasonably priced at 10-bucks all in, but pretty thin on variety.<br/>No meat.<br/>4 lentil/bean dishes, 2 potato dishes and 2 cabbage dishes.<br/>And many of them tasted alike.<br/>And why no Injera available, the crepe like bread you traditionally eat it all with?<br/>Need to up their game!

So disappointed.  Other than the wonderful and vibrant green sauce the meal was bland and all the meat dishes were dry and tough and flavourless.  Service was perfunctory at best.  Back to my "usual" Ethiopian place next time - there is MUCH better Ethiopean food in the city..

Kokeb delivers quality Ethiopian cuisine. The true standout dishes were the vegetarian options and given their quality, Kokeb offers incredible value for the low price charged. Perfect for anyone in the area looking for good African/Ethiopian food, just get your protein load elsewhere.

Waiting time too long over 2hrs. My bf and I come to visit from States. We thought that would be good idea to tried this. When the time we got here, we were really hungry and thinking we would get our food served in 30mins. It proved we were wrong. After we sat down, we waited nearly 2.5hrs to get our food served. At that time, both of our appretize were gone. The food was so-so. But the serving time were ridiculous. Probably that was our first but also the last time come here

Date Visited: December 13th, 2014 - (Doro wot) Really Old Chicken & gravy + (Kokeb Rice) Dry Lambs and old rice. I am big fan of Ethiopian dishes. Specially Doro Wot. I cook it by myself at home at least once a month. And Kokeb restaurant is one of my favourite place in the town. I have been here two times before and recommend this place to all my friends. <br/><br/>But today was a really big disappointment. They were not welcoming at all. They had the attitude like we just disturbed them by ordering the food. <br/><br/>Ordered appetizer Vegetable Samosa, Chicken Fingers and main course Doro Wot, Kokeb rice with Lamb <br/><br/>The appetizer and main courses were served at the same time. they came in 10-12 minutes. <br/>The Samosa and chicken fingers were ok. The samosa had too much cumin flavour and lacked authentic taste. And my Favourite doro wot was bad. The chicken from doro wot had really bad smell. Only a chicken that is 3-4 days old would have that kind of smell. The gravy was old and tasted blunt. There was no flavour. The same blunt taste we experienced with the lamb as well and there was no minimum salt added to in the lamb. <br/>My friend and I went there at around 7 o clock and I had work at 9pm. Therefore, didn't nag much to the people over there. <br/>It was a really bad experience and big disappointment. I took my friends there and gave them high expectation about that place and at the end we didn't even finish the meal. <br/><br/>Never going back there. I would rather cook Ethiopian food at home or try out other Ethiopian restaurants in the town. But I am sure, never ever going back there. Bye Bye Kokeb.

I will take a pass. My first bite into my tibs I hit a decent size bone and nearly broke my tooth. The beef samosa lacked flavor but it was ok. I found my dish dry but the service was quick and I guess overall it was ok but Def not my favorite ethiopian restaurant in winnipeg. I'll take a pass

Kokeb gives you great food at a great price...but you'd better be patient.. 7/10<br/><br/>We tried Kokeb after reading strong and major positive votes from Urban Spoon and not surprisingly, we had just about the same experience as everyone else.<br/><br/>Pros: Fantastic food. Great use of spices and extremely generous portions of everything. The value for what you get is incredible, and after a pair of samosa appetizers and a platter to share between my partner and I, we left stuffed. It's 11:37 AM on the following day and I'm still full. The food was hot and delicious and the green chile sauce they serve alongside everything is divine.<br/><br/>Cons: The wait. We ordered appetizers and a meal after about 5 minutes of perusing the menu (And taking a recommendation from the waiter) and didn't see our samosas until a full 40 minutes later. There were three other groups in the restaurant and they had already finished eating, so I just assume that perhaps a mistake had been made in the kitchen, was caught, and then they had to remake our food or something. It was the only reason I could think why they took so long to make our food, and it was the ONLY drawback to an otherwise fantastic experience.<br/><br/>Since I don't mind taking a meal slow and enjoying the experience, I wish they would've brought the samosas even 10-15 minutes out sooner. It would've made the transition to our main course much easier and broken up the wait significantly...but in the end, it was the ONE reason I had to not give this place a top notch score.<br/><br/>Overall I'd give Kokeb a 7/10. The potential is there for an 8 or even higher, but until they start fixing some of the issues shown in mine and others reviews, my ranking will stay there.<br/><br/>All that being said, go and try this place. I know I'll be back and will look forward to exploring their menu.

One of the best restaurant in city. Everyone is so friendly and the food is always perfect!

A Huge Letdown! The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (A Disappointment). The Good: No wait to be seated. Prompt ordering after looking at the menus.<br/>The Bad: Waited for a beer for 40 minutes! (after asking again). Other customers (preferred?) who arrived after us were served food sooner than we were. One appetiser ordered never materialized. We waited very patiently for over one hour before we got a morsel! Meanwhile takeout orders were streaming out of the kitchen! Other patrons who arrived after us, were receiving their food. The gentleman serving hang out with friends/countrymen at the bar counter visiting and sharing drinks instead of tending to his duties running a restaurant. <br/>The Ugly: No bill to know what we were paying for and if we were charged for missing appetizer! Indifferent to our presence in the establishment and way too long a wait for simple food. In all not a good experience and feeling!<br/><br/>So thumbs down... for Kokeb!

Everything great. My boyfriend and I went there for lunch about 1 month ago. The place looked great. Food was incredible! Service was great. I enjoy the environment and very good price! I ordered one of their food with lamb and my boyfriend their Veggie combo. The lamb dish was served on a kind of stone bowl! It look great and taste fantastic. my boyfriend enjoy his meal a lot too. We will definitely come back there and I recommend this place to anybody who like to experience a fantastic traditional Ethiopian restaurant and environment and do not care about how fancy it is.

Terrible. We went there for lunch a few years ago. They had a buffet for lunch so we just had the buffet but were very disappointed and all of us vowed never to go back cause the food is horrible. It was super bland and that's not what I know of Ethiopian food. You're better off going to Harman's on Sargent or the Massawa on Osbourne.

Good food, but TERRIBLE service!. The service hasn't really been all that great on previous visits, but this last visit was inexcusable! When we entered the restaurant, the waiter didn't approach us for the first ten minutes. When he finally did come (with a pitcher of luke-warm water), he didn't even have menus. We ordered the Kokeb Tibs, Doro Wot and the Veggie Platter. He took our order (by memory apparently, because he never wrote anything down) and vanished. We waited for over an hour for our order, and had to actually approach him to refill our (luke-warm) water. While we were waiting, we saw several other tables (of his friends, presumably) enter, order their food and received it at least half an hour before us. Not only that, instead of servicing our tables, the waiter decided his time would be better spent sipping some sort of amber beverage at the bar with his friends (with unconcealed relish) instead of doing his job (and I don't think it was apple juice). When our food finally DID come, he almost delivered it to a completely different table, and not only that, it was completely NOT what we had ordered! Some kind of chicken tibs in a red curry (we DID get our doro wot and some kind of grilled tibs (not kokeb tibs, BUT) no veggie combo! When we tried to explain that this was not what we had ordered, he argued with us and said he would bring us lentils (watery red lentils with NO spice, whatsoever). We were too hungry to demand a new order, so we ate what we were given, but when I went up to pay after, (he offered us NO bill with our order on it, so I had to approach the bar to pay) he actually tried to charge us for the food he had wrongly delivered AS WELL AS the food we had ordered and not received, even going so far as to ask me if we'd ordered appetizers so he could charge us for that too. <br/>Obviously he has no interest in doing his job properly, or just enjoys suckering his customers out of their will to ever EVER return. It's a shame, because their kokeb tibs are exceptional, and if you ask them to spice the food properly it can be very good. This last experience though has left me with a bland taste in my mouth, and a disappointing headache.

Best Samosas/Ethiopian Coffee. We were invited by friends who are Ethiopian. This is their favorite Ethiopian restaurant and we can see why! Everything we ate was full of flavor and the place has a nice jibe. We love our samosas and this is the best Samosas I have ever had. We had both the beef and vegetarian with the hot relish...the hot relish is amazing! I could make a meal of the samosas alone - would be a great pre-game bite with a couple of beer or glass of wine. Do not go without experiencing the Ethiopian coffee- hands down it is the best coffee I have ever had in a restaurant. Excellent service!

Disappointed too many times. I am in agreement with many of the other reviews here. While I have raved about Kokeb in the past, I can no longer overlook the terrible service. We went there before a Jets game, arrived at 5:30 and were the only ones in the restaurant. We received water and a round of drinks fairly quickly, ordered our dinner and sambusas as an appetizer. 45 minutes later and starving, still no food and we never did get the sambusas which were completely forgotten about. During the 45 min wait, we had to approach the bar to request a refill on our drinks. When our food finally came, we had to rush to eat so as not to be late for the game. The most frustrating part of the entire experience was when friends of the owners arrived and they were promptly ushered out plates of hot food. They arrived a good 20 min after we did and were actually finished their meals before we even received ours!!! Unfortunately, I've seen this happen time and time again while dining there. While the food and prices are great, the poor service and blatant favouritism towards certain customers is inexcusable and therefore I won't be giving Kokeb any more chances or my business in the future.

Phenomenal. Great food and good service. Busy with Ethiopian Nationals but that just tells me that the food is the real deal. Not much of a wait and first exposure to the cuisine was a pleasant experience.

Appalling service. Ended up here as a nearby restaurant we'd been intending to dine at was closed for a private function and as we were attending a play at PTE didn't have an abundance of time to drive and find parking elsewhere. We came with low expectations as to service based on a previous visit and once again it was terrible. Serving staff are more interested ion visiting with their friends at the counter bar then attending to patrons. We were one of 2 tables so there was no excuse for abysmal service. We had to wait for everything starting from our order being taken onwards. Even though the food is delicious and cheap I will never again pay this place a visit. Even with low expectations we were disappointed.

Best veggie platter in the city. The sambussas are good, especially the hot sauce that comes with them.

Mediocre at best. Dined here at lunch today. I tried the very limited lunch buffet which was alright, nothing bursting with freshness or flavour. The buffet selections were lukewarm which was a definite turnoff. We ordered sambusas as well which were not that delicious compared to similar items we've had elsewhere. The service was sparse considering we were the only table in the entire restaurant. My water was never refilled. Basically, I wouldn't be tempted to go back. Unfortunately this restaurant leaves nothing to be desired.

Reliably good food and a great value. Anytime I can count on a vegan buffet, that is both good and very affordable, I will become a regular customer. Kokeb is consistent in both food quality and cost effectiveness. The vegan lunch buffet is smaller than some but still has more than enough variety for me. It is self service but the host is prompt with water and the delicious home made hot sauce. As for the buffet, the injera is cold but fresh. The red lentils are by far my favourite with the beet cabbage coming in second. The rest of the offerings, particularly the yellow peas are very mild and may be considered bland by some. If you like spice, the yummy and super flavourful hot sauce adds a lot. Lunch for two is $20 for good quality, healthy food. Can't beat that.

Food is great but..... I have been going to Kokeb for a long time. Food is great. Price is great.<br/>But the guy in the front is pretty rude. I believe he is one of the owners.<br/>Before even I ask the question, half way he interrupted me and went to his Ethiopian buddies who were having beer and started chit chatting and laughing and making conversation. I was just standing there and waiting till he gets back. I was actually there to pick my take out.<br/>I really like the chilly paste that they make and asked me to make it for me and offered to pay extra. He asked me whether I have a cup to take it home. I asked him whether he has a take out container so that I can take it home. He said he does not have any take out container. Seriously. I kept quite after that.

Love love love this place. I am completely addicted to Kokeb. My gal pal and I go at least once a month. The food always comes out piping hot and delicious. The stewed lentils are probably my favourite. And the price is great. 9 dollars for the veggie platter, which could feed a couple. The atmosphere is good as well. Very casual and relaxed. Don't expect to be waited on hand and foot though. <br/>Also it does take a while to receive food. I'm completely fine with that, so long as its fresh. I'm not for sure on this, but I think Ethiopian food generally takes a while to make. I've tried Massawa on Osborne, and that place was much longer than Kokeb.

Moldy desert. Went there for lunch buffet and had the smooze cake for desert. It was the only 1/4 cake left in the display and we thought it was selling fast. Turns out it was moldy. We asked the server and he said it was made today. Then later he changed his story to 2 days old and maybe the fridge is bad. Hope we're not sick later from it.

Very minimal service and the food is nowhere as good as Masawa. Sorry, won't be going back.

Not sure.... Service is very slow, so don't be in a hurry. Many items I tried were SO delicious and tasy but I can't get past the old stale flavour of the chicken drumsticks. It tasted as though it had been reheated more than once and it really turned me off.

Decided to try this place before a jets game and its a place that should be tried as its no typical Canadian eating experience. They have tv's showing sports and the atmosphere is very sparse but clean. It felt like we were in vacation as most of the patrons are native habitants of Ethiopia. We started with beef and veggie samosas, the green condiment that comes with it is HOT but addictive. These were very tasty but we wouldn't have needed them to fill us up as the combo platter we got was huge. There are no utensils; just flat bread that comes as your eating device. You get a huge plate if their native bread, I'd compare it to carpet underly with a sour dough bread taste. The food isn't full of flavor, it was nice there was coleslaw and pickled beets on the platter to give more taste dimension. Me and my husband are good eaters and we had to work to finish this combo. My husband ordered coffee with cream and he received what must have been espresso, not his idea if a good coffee but I'm sure coffee lovers would like it. I appreciated that my pop came in a vintage glass bottle. Certainly a place to try with friends as a fun evening out

Mixed Opinion. I went there the other day for a quick lunch. When I walked in I was beyond excited. The place looked great, and the food looking amazing. The prices were also incredible. I sat down and the server came by with menus and water. He seemed a little impatient with me, and unfortunately the first thing I ordered was not available so I had to take a little time to decide on a second thing. I am new to this cuisine and have only had it once before. I ordered a beef samosa and a stuffed pepper to start, as well as the curried lamb dish. I then waited a while for my beer, and even longer for my food. Finally it came out but the samosa and the stuffed pepper that I ordered were no where to be seen. I didn't say anything and luckily the food tasted really good. The spicy green sauce they put on the side was amazing. The server never returned once throughout the whole meal to offer me another beer or ask how everything was. He only returned when I got up to leave and he came to ask for payment. The staff was more interested in the soccer game and the restaurant was filled with what appeared to be friends and family. I may be back, I may not. I love the food there..... but I expect at least a moderate level of service. I think I am very easy to take care of. Not picky, not demanding. However, I am a server and there is a minimum of level of service that you are expected to give before people start to think that you just don't care. I don't expect lots of attention and chatter, but I do expect my order to be correct, my water to be filled, an offer for another beer, and a check to see if the food is good. I received none of this and seemed more of an annoyance after the lunch rush then a customer.<br/><br/>I will probably give it one more shot because I enjoyed my meal.

Been twice in then past 5 weeks. Both times were great. A new favourite. Quite affordable, service is good, restaurant is clean and tidy. Last time had the beef ribs, very good.

Me and my boyfriend's favorite spot! Everyone is so friendly and the food is always perfect!

One of the best Ethiopian food. I really liked their food....The service is good and food is out of the world.

The vegan lunch buffet was just okay... Not many options, but the price was right ($20 with tax for two people).<br/><br/>I'd consider going back but ordering off the menu rather than having the small buffet.

Lunch Buffet. The lunch buffet is about eight choices of your standard vegetarian Ethiopian fare (lentil dishes, berebere potatoes, cabbage/carrots, greens, etc) and injera off to the side. Everything was nicely spiced, tasty and fresh. I will be back!

Great new location. I was a semi-regular customer before when they were on ellice, but now their new location on edmonton just makes it even more fantastic. It's definitely a better spot for them, and I'm sure there's a flow of new customers thanks to the hydro building being so close. <br/><br/>Food prices have gone up a bit, but the food is just as amazing as ever. My boyfriend and I shared the meat platter and it was delcious. I love the new atmosphere created from their new interiors. I thought the flat screen tvs didn't fit the vibe as well, but that's just my opinion. The bar also looks good. The owner recognized my boyfriend and I from before, so you know that we'll be coming back :)

So delicious. My sweetheart and I have been twice, but it's not often enough. I can't believe we found amazing Ethiopian food served in a timely way and in such an attractive environment. Apparently downtown near Manitoba Hydro is a new location for them. It's certainly bright and cheerful, and the staff are welcoming. But the food -- delicious, nuanced, plentiful, and priced well. The two of us have appetizers, fill ourselves on the main dishes and take home leftovers, as well as have a beer each, for about $30. Highlights: samosas, especially the beef, for $1.79, and a great veggie combo platter with extra injera for

Very Unique. I don't know if I would want to eat this type of food frequently, but it was sure a pleasant experience because of the uniqueness. Service was great. The place was packed and the overall atmosphere was super.

Back and better than ever! The newly renovated restaurant (now on Edmonton and Graham) is much brighter and more modern than the old location They now do breakfast, and dessert! Food is as great as ever with many new meat additions and a new veggie addition. Love this place!!!

They're back better than ever!!!. We love Kokeb for their Vegetarian Combo (we're vegan), their authentic injira (real yeast, no baking soda), and their generous bottles of Ethopian beer. We had two out of three last night in Kokeb's new upscale location at 266 Edmonton Street. The Vegetarian Combo had been improved in terms of variety and taste, the injira was as delicious as ever, and the Ethiopian beer we were told will be back by next week. Prices are still very reasonable but I predict this funky restaurant will be busier than ever because of its proximity to the convention centre and large office towers such as Manitoba Hydro. Highly recommended!

ALIVE AGAIN!. After a few months of sampling the other Ethiopian fare which our fine city has to offer, the originators have returned. Their new space located on Edmonton St next to Second Cup and The Magic Room is quite an upgrade featuring contemporary decor.<br/>Do not worry...The food has been untouched if not improved (if even possible). The freshness and love in Kokeb's food has been remarkably consistent over the years. In my opinion, they are the Kings of Ethiopian food in Winnipeg.

Still closed - June 23 to present. No sign of life at their new location since their last day (June 23/12) at their old location. Old location torn down (building expropriated). Using Modern nearby on Portage as a backup until Kokeb returns. Dinner for 2 at Modern this evening cost us as much as Kokeb - and Modern's food was good. Service at Modern was better than Kokeb.

Unfortunate ending to a great night!!. There were 6 of us that went for a birthday party and it was the first time to Kokeb for all of us, half of us had never had Ethiopian before so we were pretty excited. The service was very slow but we were in no rush so we weren’t too concerned. We decided to order 2 combination platters for 6 people ($56). The stuffed jalapeno peppers were very disappointing yet other than that the food was really good. We ordered the Coffee Service Ceremony (I believe it was about $25 for all of us - one of us does not drink coffee). The whole ceremony was very enjoyable (and interesting with the butter and salt). We were all very impressed and interested in the history and he explained the traditions of the service which we totally enjoyed (the restaurant was empty so we did not feel that we were taking all of his time). <br/>When we were ready to leave we asked for the bill - he just paused and said “one hundred and twenty dollars”. We laughed as it was obvious he was not going to "ring us up".... yet in all of the confusion we did not pay attention to what the bill should have been, we only realized this after the fact. The bill should have been $56 for the combination meals, $6 for either a samosa or gross jalapeno pepper, and $25 for the coffee service – this equals $87.00. He told us the bill was $120.00, so we each gave $25.00 (as we do like to tip well and we were there for a while – having not have seen each other for years). Therefore he gave himself a $63 tip (although not ringing it up he probably pocketed the entire $150). I realize it was totally our fault for not noticing until after we left….. Yet he BLATENLY ripped us off. For this reason I have not been recommending this restaurant and will NOT be returning (nor will my friends).

Your ethiopian home cooked food.. Kokeb is like visiting your ethiopian family friends next door. They are consistent with the flavours and make a homemade hot sauce that keeps me coming back at least once a week. <br/><br/>Try layering your injera bread as the base and build up using a base layer of bebere red lentils then salads / rice. Mix & match flavours and top off with hot sauce, you won't go wrong.<br/><br/>I'll be there next week.

Was expecting better from reviews here and word of mouth. 4 of us shared a combo platter and it wasn't bad, but some of it was stone cold. Would be willing to try it again though. And crazy cheap to eat here.

Quite Disappointing. Having had only 1 delightful experience with Ethiopian food in my life, I decided to go again but wanted to try a different place--so a group of 4 of us decided to try Kokeb for the first time this weekend.<br/>The evening got off to a poor start when we stood in the entrance for several minutes before we were noticed and seated. Then we waited another few minutes until we received empty glasses, then another few minutes before the glasses were filled with water, and ANOTHER few minutes until the menus were brought. Compared to the only other Ethipoian restaurant I've been to (Harman's Cafe) this one seemed to have more options. My bf and I each ordered a sambusa because I had read on US how good they are. For dinner we wanted a combination platter to share. There was one available for 4 people and when asked what it had the server said chicken with egg and beef and a bunch of vegetarian ones, but he didn't go into detail. When he came back a few minutes later to take our order we asked for him to clarify what meat dishes in particular came on this platter--this time he said chicken with egg, and then pointed to a lamb dish (which he definitely did not say the first time). One in our group really does not like lamb, so we asked if we could get beef instead. The server said no. We then saw on the menu a different combination plate that was $28 for 3 people and contained no lamb. We asked if we could get it for 4 people--he said yes. So about 20 minutes after we ordered (we were all starving) the 2 sambusas came. I had the lentil one and my bf had the ground beef one. They were both hot and super flavorful. I also loved the sauce it came with which reminded me of a salsa with hints of cilantro and garlic. Refreshing at first--but then the heat hits. Overall it was a really good hot sauce. About 15 minutes later our platter came out. While I enjoyed the larger selection and the flavors were there--a lot of the dishes were cold. I wanted to love the homemade potato chips that were on the platter but they were cold too and so was the injera. There were no condiments served with the food and we just used the bit of leftover hot sauce from the sambusas. I also was disappointed that we had to ask for water refills and after we got the first refill no one ever came back to give us a second or offer us coffee or anything else (we stayed awhile after dinner chatting). So the poor service and long wait time combined with cold food turns me off enough to not want to come back here. The best part of the meal was definitely the sambusa--so if you go here make sure you have them! Overall, for food quality, time, and hospitality I was rather disappointed and definitely prefer Harman's.

Lunch Buffet. Love this daily vegetarian lunch buffet with 3 kinds of lentils, potatoes, and 2 cabbage dishes.<br/>My favourites were the Tumeric Lentils and the spicier Berbere Lentils. The potatoes simmering in a delicious gravy were also very good. The beet and cabbage dish was nice especially since I love beets...the other cabbage dish was a little under-cooked for my taste. There was also white rice and injera available. <br/>It's a buffet so you get to serve yourself. They also have a wicked green house hot-sauce that packs some nice heat. The owner/ server came around with water and was friendly and polite. Buffet will set you back a measly $9.01 including tax ! A really great meal for the price !

Perfect for lunch with friends. Between Christmas and New Year's, when most people were trying to recover from eating too much, I visited this restaurant with 3 friends that used to work with me. We all had the buffet so I can't speak for the rest of the menu. We were too busy talking to get the names of the dishes but I believe everything was vegetarian. Certainly there were lots of vegetable dishes and lentils and of course there was injera bread to pile everything on. Everything was delicious and we all loved it. When I went to pay I was amazed that they wanted to give me back change from a $10 bill.

Endeared to Injeera. Kokeb boasts advantages and disadvantages over the other Ethiopian restaurants in town. The food is not as fresh as Massawa, but the selection is wider and the service quicker.<br/><br/>If you like heat, order the stuffed jalapenos to start.<br/><br/>To end, I highly recommend the coffee ceremony. Not unlike espresso, the process is educational. And beautiful.<br/><br/>Service is fast and friendly and the food is delicious. As per the style of cooking, the menu features wat, Ethiopian stews served on a traditional flat bread called injeera.<br/><br/>Kokeb's particular takes on these seems to offer far more fixins than that of Massawa for instance. You'll find slices of boiled egg embedded in the beef, or fresh herbs garnishing the chicken. You'll also find a wider range of proteins, respecting and reflecting a wider arc of the cuisine.<br/><br/>This does make for some challenges, especially if you've never eaten this kind of food before. But isn't that half of the fun...part of the adventure?<br/><br/>And unlike Massawa, the menu descriptions much more clearly distinguish one dish from another.

Veg platter is the way to go. The vegie platter is so amazing. I crave the red lentils constantly and the yellow beans are great too. And I can eat the injera because it is made with Teff flour and is Gluten Free!

Some of the best food in the city. I have been to Kokeb on several occassions and I have to say, it is amazing. For those who have never tried Ethiopian food, it's completely unique (for example, you use copious amounts of a form of fermented bread as both your plate and your utensil). Service is friendly, and very laid-back... depending on your preference this can be either a good thing or bad thing.<br/><br/>I have recommended Kokeb to many people; the food is delicious, homemade, genuine cooking and the prices are beyond reasonable. Their lunch buffet is dirt cheap. Kokeb is not only the best Ethiopian food in the city, but also some of the best food in Winnipeg period. Highly, highly recommended.

First Time at Kokeb. Very tasty food in large quantities at a great price. Everything we had was excellent: the vegetarian platter, the vegetarian samosas, the Eritrean beer and coffee. I'll be back for all of them. The server came to offer more lentil stew when he noticed we had finished eating that item on our shared platter. There were left overs when we were done. You won't leave hungry - even without dessert. <br/><br/>Eating with the our hands, not something we do often, was made easier for use, as the instructions were under glass on the table. <br/><br/>Quiet, clean, comfortable atmoshpere. Friendly, efficient service. Well worth one or more visits.

What have I been missing?!?!. Our first shot at Ethiopian food turned into one of the best food experiences of my life!<br/><br/>This unassuming little place just blew my mind!<br/><br/>Three of us shared a large combo platter, which is made up of a half-dozen or more of their menu items, and each one is simply amazing! I have no idea what the items were, other than lentils, chicken, etc.....but the spices! The flavors were simply out of this world!<br/><br/>I loved the 'eating with your fingers' approach, and the large, shared platter of food. It made the meal so personal and friendly.<br/><br/>It's a family run place, and everyone we spoke with were great!<br/><br/>This is my new FAVORITE place!

Tasty, cheap and fast. Food is great here - flavourful, fast and cheap. Communication with staff can be difficult at times but the staff make every attempt understand and accommodate you. This definitely give the "other Ethiopian restaurant" in the city a run for its money.

What an experience. We have lived in the area for years and always walked passed this place. It really is a hidden gem. Open very late & with amazing food, portions & prices. Loved the vegetarian platter & samosas. Wasn't sure what food was supposed to be served hot or cold, but everything was delicious as it was.

Very Impressed. My sister and I went to Kokeb today for the first time... It was also our first time trying Ethiopian food! We were waited on promptly and our food was served very quickly. The waiter asked us if we were first timers or not, and showed us how to properly eat our food (Cha Cha and Doro Wot). The portions were very big and we struggled to eat half of our food. It was delicious and the flavours were amazing. The waiter even gave us a small vegetarian option (at no charge) to try so that we could become more familiar with this type of cuisine. The value was amazing, as each plate was under $10. We were very impressed by the service we received and how delicious the food was! If I didn't have leftovers, I'd be back again tomorrow!

Best Ethiopian Restaurant in Winnipeg.. The food is similar in quality to Massawa's but the service is much quicker and the portions are larger. Expect a 15 minute wait here rather than a 2 hour wait like at Massawa's. It's dirt cheap to boot. The first time I came here I split one of their platters with someone; it was spicy and delicious and gave you a good variety of food. I'm not sure if between the two of us we were even able to finish it all and yet the bill came up to less than $20. Their Ethiopian coffee is also excellent and I would recommend trying it as well. So take my advice, give Massawa a pass and come here instead.

Is it slloowwww?. Kokeb sounds like a good option, especially for someone who has always endured the insanely slow service and essentially torturous experience that is trying to get a meal from the Massawa.<br/>My questions are: how does the food at Kokeb compare with Massawa, and, most importantly-does your food arrive before you pass out from hunger?

Ebjoyable experience and awesome food!. Went there with a few friends for dinner and it was amazing. The platters are absolutely the best value. You get a large assortment of food, with the injera bread to eat it with. I loved how for first timers they have the instructions on how to use the bread on the table. The samosas and dip were the best I have EVER had! The only negative thing about the place might be it's size. It's not a huge restaurant so had it been really busy the night we had gone, we might not have been able to get a table quickly. That being said, the service is outstanding! Can't wait to go back!

Delicious. Great restaurant. The food is excellent, the price is right! Perfect for a date! Perfect for university/college students. Not in the best location however. Probably the restaurant I miss the most when I think of the great city of Winnipeg.

I was there the other day for their veggie buffet! I was delicious. Excellent price as well, only $8!

Yummy Stuff. I can't judge much for the atmosphere of Kokeb as I have only ordered takeout but what I can talk about is the food and it is indeed great.<br/><br/>I've walked by this restaurant a great many times while doing my daily errands and always took a whiff of the amazing smells that came out of there until I couldn't take it anymore and decided to order. It wasn't my usual food fare before but I'm glad I took the risk.<br/><br/>So far I haven't gotten further than ordering the Kokeb Bayaynetu as it is so yummy that it prevents me from trying anything else. This restaurant is definitely worth a visit. Great prices and great food

Try the doro wat. The food never is very consistent. And the service is super friendly even when you don't tip them. Put pls leave a tip. They are wonderful pple

You have to have the coffee ceremony!!!! What an amazing cup of coffee, the staff are friendly and the samosas are delicious!

I was told about kokeb 2 years ago. We go monthly Love the special,feeds 2 people. Busy on wknds with a bar inside but great food and inexpensive.

I have been going to Kokeb for a number of years now. Each time, I’ll bring a new friend along with me to try Ethiopian food. Everyone I have brought to the restaurant had nothing negative to say and many have requested me to go back with them. I think Ethiopian food is quite fun to eat. The first thing you’ll notice is that they don’t eat with utensils so make sure you wash your hands! They tear a piece of injera 1 and use it to scoop up the stews and salads. Their new location is close to Portage Place Shopping Centre. During the day, it is well lit, however, in the evening it can get a bit dim inside. I think it was a bit too dark for my taste, but I didn’t mind too much. My friend and I walked in at around 7:30PM and took a seat at table. We were given menus and water. Something that I do have to mention is that the service is very leisurely. Once you’ve received your food, most often you will have to waive down the server if you need more water or would like to order something else. I ordered the veggie combo and she got the beef tibs. We also ordered one beef samosa and one veggie samosa to try out. Both of the restaurant owners know me and always include a little bowl of their hot sauce with my food. Their hot sauce is kind of like a paste that resembles relish, but is a mixture of delicious, hot spices. (Those of you who aren’t a fan of spicy food might find this sauce a bit too much.) Our samosas came and my friend was eager to open them up. I warned her that they are really hot in the inside for a bit so we split them and let them cool some more. Our food came shortly after. I’ve tried most of the things on the menu, but the veggie combo has to be my favourite. I really like the selection that’s on the plate and with the different spices they use, I tend to forget that there isn’t any meat. I really like vegetables and I find that the meat dishes don’t come with enough salad to my liking, but my friend didn’t mind. When I asked her to describe the food as

I have gone to Kokeb a few times in the last five or six years and always enjoyed myself. This week I had the chance to try their lunch buffet for a second time. It is also the second time that I have been to their new location (their old one was closed because the building was demolished for the construction of centrepoint). The new spot is a beautiful and well lit location across from the Hydro Building. It is nice, but it doesn’t have the ambiance that the other place had.  The owner is friendly and always offers hot sauce in small cups, which I would accept because the neither the sauce nor the food is very spicy (to my level of tolerance). It’s a buffet so don’t expect a server fawning over you. The food was true to buffet form: there were good options (8 dishes?) and better than anything else, I could try them all. A vegetarian buffet is something of a miracle of gluttony for me.  Injera is available so that you can eat with your hands in the trad

The service is leisurely, but friendly and attentive. The decor is mainly dark wood, and the walls are covered with a variety of pieces or Ethiopian art and photographs. There are large screen TVs usually broadcasting sporting events, but they are easily tuned out if you want space for conversation, or as I generally dine alone, reading.