Merkato Ethiopian Cafe

this is my most favorite place to eat in all of Las Vegas. it’s ridiculously affordable, even for massive portions. I’ve traveled quite a bit & Merkato is definitely the best Ethiopian food I’ve ever had. it also helps that the girls who work here are the sweetest!
I order the veggie sambusa & the veggie combo

I love Merkato. Ever since I had Ethiopian cuisine in college in California, I’ve been obsessed with finding good Ethiopian restaurants I brought friends to Merkato to try out Ethiopian foods. We’re all in healthcare and of course some of them were wary of the «raw» beef that is presented in their dishes. However, the beef is actually seasoned and safe to eat (but you can always ask them to cook the meats thoroughly if you want to be on the safe side, but it doesn’t hurt to try something new once in a while).
I ordered the Kitfo which is a minced steak tartare (tartare meaning raw). It comes with Injera which is a mildly sour and tart spongy flatbread that you can use to grab the meat and vegetables to eat. I love the Injera and I usually try to eat as much of it as I can. The Kitfo itself is a very flavorful experience. The beef fills up your mouth and the seasoning is very distinct and difficult to put into words. Being that the beef is raw but diced, the texture is extremely unique and worth trying out once in your lifetime. I eat Ethiopian food often and I’ve never had any issues with the quality of the food.
The service was difficult because of a language barrier between us and the wait staff, however we were able to get our questions answered by the manager who was very reassuring to my friends’ doubts on the safety of their food (again, I’ve never gotten sick eating Ethiopian food, so I wouldn’t sweat it).
Overall it was a very positive experience and I recommend anyone who enjoys food to try out Ethiopian food at Merkato!

I was excited to see so many Ethiopian food options in Vegas. We don’t have an Ethiopian restaurant at home but have had it on the Bay Area and in Austin unfortunately.
So based on the Unilocal reviews, this seemed like a great option. And it is. The food here is AMAZING! We had the veggie dish and Yedoro wot. I recommend this place for the food. This isn’t a shiny new restaurant, so don’t expect that but the tables and dishes are clean.
The man who prepared our food and took the order was friendly and personable. However, the women waiting on us were not. In fact, they seemed inconvenienced by us. We had to ask to order drinks. And, I had to ask to get the check 3 times. So, pretty bad service.

Look, don’t come here expecting a fine dining atmosphere. This place is a hole in the wall with Vegas taxi drivers making up the bulk of thier patrons. But if your like me, you understand when it comes to ethnic food, the dingier the place, the better the food! The neighborhood it is located in is mad ghetto, just a heads up. Be prepared to be asked for change by a crackhead or two upon arriving the parking lot.
I come here once every two weeks for the Awazi tibs (a stew made of chopped beef and onions). When I was pregnant I always craved the veggie platter. Thier food is very flavorful. I also enjoy thier sambusas and spiced tea. In fact, after writing this review, I think I might head over there.
Every now and then you will be treated to an Ethiopian music video and the smell of incense as they prepare a coffee ceremony. The waitresses are always very sweet to me.

I love Ethiopian food & have had what most places call the «vegetarian platter» at dozens of Ethiopian places around the country.
What I had recently at Merkato was OK, but the flavoring of the ingredients just really didn’t stand-​out like it should have, both in terms of basic flavors as well as the spices. Almost like the various vegetables had been frozen for a long time.
Hostess was non-​existent. I stood around for a couple minutes before a waitress invited me to sit wherever I wanted. But once I was seated, the waitstaff was friendly & attentive.
It was a slow, weekday night (around 7PM) & the place wasn’t very busy. Perhaps as a consequence of that, I think they only had two people working there at the time — my waitress & a cook in back.

I’ve been wanting to try Ethiopian food so a friend took us here. The place was a bit small and run down. We got sat and the server wasn’t the friendliest. We got waters and a platter that had a variety of meats and veggies, as well as the beef sambusa. We loved the sambusa, they came out piping hot with a nice dipping sauce. The platter was good as well. It just depends what you like I guess. The meat dishes were good except for a dish which was mostly bones lol i wasn’t fond of the spinach dish either. I did like the injera, it was super filling. I thought the dishes would have a lot more spice and flavor but most of them were quite bland. It was still a good experience, I’m glad we tried it.

Was a little skeptical the first time I came in so I am updating my review as I have been back multiple times, the ethiopian food is soo on point its rediculously good! The service is ultra casual and chill. This place is by far my favorite ethiopian restaraunt, and I highly reccomend it. The spice is perfect n the raw beef is delicious! Worth your hard earned $. My wife says she looves the cabage dish!

Shots of Johnny Walker red and black $ 4 and $ 5. Amazing food. I could not rate this restaurant any higher. Fantastic prices and all Ethiopian people. Food is amazing and healthy vegan optional food. Get your greens and lentils. Listen to the language and the music. Gorgeous people as well. I’m very glad we found this place and had this experience. Low prices mean the real people eat here Xoxox. Will definitely return on my next trip to LV.

My first Ethiopian food experience was not a bad one. Food was decent and service was ok. Asked for water was given a bottle of water which they charged us for. I am assuming Vegas water is garbage anyway so it’s probably better we received bottle water however a notice of a charge would have been nice. All and all an average expierence with decent food

My wife and I were recently in Vegas and were craving some good Ethiopian food, so we found this place on Unilocal.We took a taxi from the strip and arrived. When we arrived we went inside and all the lights were off and a strong smell was present! The waiter said we can sit anywhere. We waited about 10 minutes and no one came to our table at that point the lights remained off and we couldn’t take the smell anymore my anxiety level peaked and I told my wife I will not risk and eat here and we left.
A word to the wise this restaurant is not in a good part of town! If you don’t have a rental car or a taxi waiting for you don’t go! We didn’t realize this until we walked out and had to walk back 2 miles to the strip and we were being looked at like a piece of meat!

My first time trying out Ethiopian restaurant, a friend raved about it, so I decided to go for it.
First tip– research what you are getting into. I’m an adventurous eater, but I don’t like breaking protocol so I looked up some videos about eating Ethiopian food and was really warmed by the concept of family truly sharing a meal. Long story short– you eat with your hands, rolling bits of food into pieces you tear off a giant sourdough pancake– injera. And apparently it’s totally ok to enthusiastically shove food down your loved ones throats and they have to be ok with it, or you can act hurt for the rest of the evening.
So the way it goes is, your food will arrive on a platter. If you order multiple things, they will still arrive on the same plate, so don’t go in there saying– Bobby will have chicken and Ruby Sue will have ground beef tar tar. Coordinate. Act as a considerate, caring unit. Agree on a few things everyone wants to eat, and order. You’ll be cooperatively eating it off the same plate with your hands anyway.
The flavors, in my opinion, have universal appeal. Nothing super weird or terribly spicy, something for everyone, and they will gladly cook your food the way you like. We always get vegetable platter (spinach is the best) and either fish or beef.
The portions are enormous. I’ve been there twice and both times ended up with giant to go containers at the end. Prices are also incredibly reasonable.
Liquor left some to be desired. Beer choices are «light or dark», all bottles. Mercifully, they have Ethiopian beer, so at least you don’t feel like you are better off in the liquor aisle at your local grocery store. I like different!
There are some quirks. At the end of the day, it’s an ethnic cuisine experience with much of clientele being Ethiopian patrons. Some people said incense smell was strong– I didn’t even notice it. My family griped about bathroom cleanliness and the fact that they had no wet napkins provided at the beginning of the meal. Yes, that’s a miss. I told them to lick themselves clean.
The décor is very casual eatery like, which is fine by me, but don’t expect plush couches, silk curtains and belly dancers. It’s a family place. Speaking of family, I visited again, this time with my 11 year olds. Because I like showing them different cultures, and I thought they’d get a kick out of eating with their hands. It went well, my son actually enjoyed it more than my daughter, who’s a fussier eater.
There’s also an elaborate coffee ceremony, according so some accounts, but I chose beer ceremony instead.
Altogether, a fun experience worth checking out. The world doesn’t run on «build your own pizza» alone.

Dined here twice in the last week. Once with just me and the wife and once with the kids. Thought they would get a kick out of the ‘eat with your hands’ style.
The food is quite tasty. We like spicy and they delivered on that quite well. It is a popular place and you will often see many cabs parked outside, but that’s not necessarily because of tourists flocking there. It’s mainly because of the high number of Ethiopian cab drivers that Las Vegas has.
If you have never had Ethiopian food, served traditionally, keep in mind that it is served family style and with Injera used as the only food vessel/​utensil. Injera is basically like a sour thin pancake/​thick tortilla. We ordered the vegetable combo and meat combo. It is served on a big plate that is also covered in Injera.
Like I said, the food is tasty and I strongly recommend it if you want to try authentic Ethiopian food.
Now, the downsides:
It is most certainly not the cleanest restaurant. Though the floor and tables appeared pretty clean, the walls, and fixtures are all quite dirty and dusty. Also, the bathrooms are borderline gross. The men’s bathroom had no towels or toilet paper.
The service is a bit slow and refills on water come once at best. Very friendly though.
The restaurant is quite warm and they burn incense which is pretty potent. Also, the clientele is mainly Ethiopian so if you’re not Ethiopian, be prepared to be stared at a bit by the clientele as you enter.
Since you eat with your hands, I would expect a wet towel or something to rinse your hands with when you get there or when you are done, but neither are offered.
Drinks are not served from a tap or soda fountain so no free refills on anything except ice water.
Overall, I like the place and since we have been twice, I doubt we’ll go back any time soon but I do recommend it if you’re in the mood for a nice unique dining experience. Just be sure to wash your hands before you get there.

Ok, everybody knows what a foodie I am. I’ve been very fortunate to experience some of the most unusual and best food in the world since my family is such a melting pot.
I found this little gem via Unilocal while in Vegas on business. I love good Ethiopian food and it is hard to find. Merkato is the real deal. I ordered the Veggie Plate and it could easily feed two. Amy was my server and she was very attentive.
Check out the picture. It will have you salivating! They do an Ethiopian Coffee ceremony. I will need to bring friends next time to try it.
I knew I had stumbled on a winner when, I arrived and the parking lot was full of taxi cabs. My uncle Bobby who is Pakastani always took me to the best home style Pak restaurants in Chicago. In Vegas the Ethiopian taxi drivers eat at Merkato!

I came here with a group of friends. We ordered the bruschetta (sp?) And something that was like a somosa for appetizers. It was so flavorful and freshly made. For the entrée we order some sort of combo with beef, lamb and chicken. The food is eaten with your hands, community style. Very interesting and fun!
We all over stuffed ourselves because it was so good! We couldn’t stop eating! The food was seasoned so well and the quality of the ingredients was excellent. On top of the awesome food was awesome service! Everyone was very friendly and made sure we had all the water and extra bread we needed with the meal. Coming here was an experience and I’d recommend you come here too!

The incense was so strong when my wife and I showed up with our two daughters on a weeknight, that we walked out after standing there for a minute and trying to figure out whether we could breathe or not. When no one invited us to take a seat, we felt that was a sign that we should check out the taco place in the same shopping center. The incense was so strong that it gave my wife a headache. The incense made my eyes water. It was just too much for me. The incense smoke was so strong that it reminded me of college when my roommates would try to cover up the smell of their «special rolled cigarettes» with burning incense. While it can be fun to relive one’s college days, this just wasn’t for us. I am glad that others enjoy this restaurant, though.

Located at the East side ghetto of Las Vegas. A popular stop for cab and limo drivers. When you first walk in, they look at you like deer caught in head lights. They didn’t seat me and my boyfriend right away until I told the pretty Ethiopian girl, it’d be for 2, please! Yes, I agree with past posts about a language barrier, vbut it helps to be educated on Ethiopian cuisine or any cuisine that you guys decide to go venture.
I ordered the fresh beef tartar, curried beef, sauteed spinach and feta style cheese, with a side salad. All served on top of a large size engari bread, shaped like a sourdough pancake. My boyfriend had the grilled lamb, beef tartar, spinach & feta style cheese with a side salad, We didn’t think we’d get full from their scoop sized portions. The bread helped get us there. No wonder their portions were small, they knew you’d get full with the bread. The flavors were intense. The bread kept coming, the pretty, young lady even looked us down when we told her no more on the bread to eat the last bits of meat on our plates.
The soda’s aren’t refillable, as they sell soda by the can. I wish they had fountain style soda, cause all that bread can clog your esophagus. There’s nothing better that that Las Vegas water. mmm hmmm! Next time we come in, we’ll bring at least one more person, so we can enjoy the coffee ceremony. We’d probably order their vegetable platter and their assorted meat platter as well.
I wish there were half ratings. It was actually close to a 5, but I didn’t like the whole feeling in the beginning about them not hesitating to serve us!

update: came back another 2 or 3 times. Taste & portion size have been consistent.
Also, in case you are wondering, the fish dish is called fish goulash (sp?)
the one thing that keeps it from 5 stars is the language barrier… just tried placing an order for 1 veggie combo + 1 fish dish for pickup and it took more than 5 minutes cause I couldn’t recall the name of the fish dish initially so I described it and the woman who picked up put me on hold to consult with someone in the background it sounded like… not a big deal but they should probably have someone who is more fluent in English handle the orders since they definitely have waitresses there that are more fluent.

Das Essen im Merkato ist sehr lecker und günstig, für bereits 10 $ bekommt man bereits eine üppige Mahlzeit. Die Bedienung war freundlich, hilfsbereit und hat uns sehr gut beraten.
Man isst ohne Messer und Gabel, sondern nur mit den Fingern und einem Sauerteigbrot, anfangs etwas gewöhnungsbedürftig, aber es ist auf jeden Fall eine Erfahrung wert. Ich kann das Merkato nur weiter empfehlen.

Glad I tried Merkato. I’ve tried Abyssinia and now have another good option. The neighborhood isn’t the greatest, but if you can get past that, food is great and service was super friendly.
Had the veggie combo together with Fimi Tibs which is served on grill (like a fajita sizzling plate). The girls working were both super friendly, happy to explain things, bring extra injera, and fill water.
I’ll definitely be back and look forward to trying some their chick pea (garbanzo bean) dishes.

Delicious food with Vegan and Vegetarian offerings. Depending on your appetite, one order is usually good enough to feed two people or have leftovers for the next day.
I often go on my lunch break. They remember who I am and I feel comfortable there.
The services is wonderful. I forgot my wallet today, and because one of the waitresses recognized me, she told me I could pay later.
I have never been so mortified yet relieved at the same time. Great food and wonderful customer service.

Stopped by here with my husband for a late dinner a little before 9 pm last Saturday. Merkato is located in a plaza, specifically located right next to a hair salon. Parking shouldn’t be an issue.
When we entered, no one acknowledged us initially. The guy sitting at the bar was just chatting it up with another restaurant patron and did not notice us. I walked around looking for someone to sit us, which got his attention and told us we could sit anywhere. After looking over the menu, this is what we ordered:
Tibs Firfir ($ 9.50 prior to tax) — This dish is beef tips made with a tomato based sauce, onions and sliced injera. Wished there was more beef in this dish, but it was quite flavorful. I really loved that sauce and so did my husband. But he did find it odd that slices of injera was mixed into this dish, that was served on top of injera.
Veggie Combo ($ 10.99 prior to tax) — This vegetarian combo came with 6 different tasty options on top of a spongy bread (injera). Two of the options I had were potatoes (seasoned differently) that were pretty filling. One of the options was spinach, which was my least favorite (I do like spinach but this was just not very flavorful). One option was made of chickpeas and another was made of lentils. I also got a side of salad with dressing on my injera. Each option was a fun culinary adventure and it was fun to eat with my hands (I am not a newb to Ethiopian food… make sure you wash your hands before eating, especially if you plan on sharing your food with others).
Portions of this food is definitely more than enough to feed 4 or more people. After our meal, we had plenty of leftovers to take back to our hotel room (we had a fridge in our room). And leftovers tasted even better the next day, especially with the Tibs Firfir (which allowed the sauce to sink in a bit more).
Service in general was not as attentive, but our water glasses were refilled at least once during our meal. The owner actually stopped by our table to see how we liked the food. She told me that she was the one who made our food as well.
Food truly is delicious and I will keep this place bookmarked so that I can come back here for another amazing meal the next time I am in Las Vegas.