Messi’s Cafe & Lounge

My husband and I ate here Wednesday night. I can’t say enough about how delicious every single part of our meal was! We had a platter for 2 with a meat and three sides… all were incredible with the best flavors! Also, the owner was so welcoming. The place was very clean and service spot on! Cute little location tucked under Saba Pasta Joint in Emory Village. Will definitely be back!

Delicious!!! Very reasonably priced and the service was great. Ethiopian is my favorite and this was some of the best I’ve had!!!

Wow, this place is a hidden treasure!
I have been here a couple of times now, and it is just DELICIOUS food. I mean, food to remember. I work on college campuses, so when I am over near Emory, I like to try out the little food places around the campus. Messi’s is a great choice for anyone near Emory that is craving seriously delicious food!
This place is as authentic as it gets. It is owned and operated by Ethiopian restaurant entrepreneurs and from what I can gather from my conversation with the owners, also the chefs are Ethiopian, providing an excellent and true taste of Ethiopia. The place itself is a little dingy, but this is a good sign for me usually. There is a cute little lounge downstairs with a nice vibe. It is a great place to eat with a bunch of friends and hang out for a while.
Anyway, the food is EXCELLENT. I got to the beef tibs… and my goodness! I am still salivating thinking about it! The injera is delicious, and it comes covering a whole platter. So good. And the beef tibs!!! Delicious, flavorful… just the right amount of spice. MMmm. Honestly, some of the best Ethiopian food I have had in this city.
If you guys are in the area, you got to check this place out. It is also worth the drive in! The staff are super friendly! You won’t regret eating at this place! It is one of my favorites!

I come to the area a few times a year, and on my last trip I was excited to see an Ethiopian restaurant had opened in the sea of mediocrity that is Emory Village. When it’s done well, Ethiopian is one of my favorite cuisines, but unfortunately it’s not always done well.
Well, this place delivers. I got a vegetarian combo, and while the beets and collards were good, they were eclipsed by some of the best spicy red lentils (misir) I’ve ever had. These were a little less spicy than I’ve had other places but still outstanding.
As others have said, the minimal décor doesn’t match the price of the food. In particular the chairs are of the cheap folding variety and not very comfortable. I had a nice chat with the owner after dinner, though, and he’s aware of the situation and wants to invest more when he’s able. I certainly don’t mind, but know what you’re getting into. It’s also a little hard to find, being downstairs from Saba and next door to Domino’s.

See my comments under «check in». A new authentic Ethiopian restaurant near Emory University. Excellent injera, made solely with teff. A very small dinning area inside. Outside patio is still a construction zone. Slightly hard to find, but worth the search.

Great tasting beef and injera. My first time eating Ethiopian food, and it was satisfactory. Interior décor could use some improvement, but the excellent customer service made it manageable.

Tasty Ethiopia food in Emory village. What more can I say? The staff for friendly and the food was nicely flavored. I will definitely go again.

Man i love Messi’s their veggie combo is the best i ever had, the service is great i am defiantly
going back to eat something else on the menu

Messi’s lives up to it’s name by doing that: being messy. I was drawn in by a wonderful aroma of spices lingering in what would be an inviting corridor. Dirty tables, cigarette butts everywhere, piles of bricks, boards, trash cans with no lids, wheel barrows, hoses, and less than comfortable folding chairs makes this place a «to go» spot at best. The dine in experience is a MESS! I’ve never been in a place where I felt like I wanted to spruce up the place myself while waiting for food. It’s a real shame having decent food served in what felt like an alley filled with trash and debris!

Great food! It’s very authentic, and the employees clearly love their job. The ambiance is very casual, but don’t let it scare you off from a great experience.