Zobel

Seattle, United States

4

Closed now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards
Free Wi-Fi

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 206-323-1408
Website:
www.zobelrestaurant.com
Address:
1219 E Jefferson St, Seattle, WA, 98122
b/t 12th Ave & 13th Ave
Central District
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
340 ftE Jefferson St & 12th Ave
540 ftE Jefferson St & 14th Ave
680 ftE Jefferson St & 15th Ave
Categories:
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
Yes
Delivery
No
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Accepts Apple Pay
No
Good For
Dinner
Parking
Street
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
Yes
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Casual
Noise Level
Average
Alcohol
Full Bar
Outdoor Seating
No
Wi-Fi
Free
Has TV
Yes
Waiter Service
Yes

Today

Today 11:00 am – 2:00 am
Closed now
Local time (Seattle) 09:20 Tuesday, 24 June 2025

Business hours

Monday 11:00 am – 2:00 am
Tuesday 11:00 am – 2:00 am
Wednesday 11:00 am – 2:00 am
Thursday 11:00 am – 2:00 am
Friday 11:00 am – 2:00 am
Saturday 11:00 am – 2:00 am
Sunday 11:00 am – 2:00 am

Description

Specialties

We have the best Doro Wot in Seattle!

History

Established in 2003.

Zobel was established by Enana Kassa, a successful Seattle restauranteur who previously opened the award-​winning Blue Nile Restaurant. After leasing Zobel for several years, Enana sold Blue Nile to fully manage Zobel. The larger space of Zobel has allowed Enana to work her magic in creating a vital focal-​point for the Ethiopian community. In addition to being an excellent restaurant, Zobel is an ideal place for hosting wedding receptions, birthday parties, and other special events.

Meet the Business Owner

Enana K.

Business Owner

Enana Kassa immigrated to the U.S. in 1983 from Gonder, Ethiopia. Motivated by her cooking skills, she began to set aside her savings to open a restaurant.

Finally in 1996 Enana opened Blue Nile Restaurant – where she won awards for her food and for her role in creating this vital establishment supporting the Ethiopian Community.

The success of Blue Nile allowed Enana to open Zobel in 2003. After leasing Zobel for several years, Enana sold Blue Nile to fully manage Zobel. She saw the potential of the larger space as a focal point where the Ethiopian community could shine. So in addition to being an excellent restaurant, Zobel is an ideal place for hosting wedding receptions, birthday parties, and other special events.

Since her sale of Blue Nile, Enana has worked gracefully at the helm of Zobel. The work of fulfilling her dream has taken many long hours and a lot of hard work, but she is rewarded daily by meeting new people and enjoying friendships with her many regular customers.

Related places

You might also like:
150
ft
Ambassel Ethiopian Restaurant
1224 E Jefferson St (Central District)
180
ft
Blue Nile Restaurant
456 12th Ave (Central District)
380
ft
Mesob Ethiopian Restaurant
1325 E Jefferson St (Central District)
1
mi
Shewaber
1221 S Main St (International District)
1
mi
Elu Cafe
1265 S Main St (Central District)
1
mi
Saba Ethiopian Cuisine
110 12th Ave (Central District)

Nearby

Near this location:
130
ft
Arcaro Boxing
1208 E Jefferson St
130
ft
Reign City Athletics
1208 E Jefferson St
150
ft
Peloton
1220 E Jefferson St
150
ft
Nate’s Wings and Waffles
1224 E Jefferson St
150
ft
Ambassel Ethiopian Restaurant
1224 E Jefferson St
150
ft
The Jefferson
1206 E Jefferson St

20 reviews of Zobel

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Seattle, WA
So good! It’s like you joined an Ethiopian family! Their food is healthy, fresh, flavorful, and unique. Very friendly staff! Repeat customer!
Place rating: 5
Sacramento, CA
Amazing food. I had the meat combination which was actually enough for two people for around 15 bucks. It was so delicious. Being an Ethiopian, I am pretty picky when it comes to eating out at Ethiopian restaurants but this place did not disappoint. I was in the Seattle area twice in 1 week and I ate there both times. Sadly, I live in California and won’t be able to go again for now but I would highly recommend this place.
Place rating: 1
Gold Bar, WA
The food was marginal – small portions, over spiced, and Luke warm. We had to ask for service. They ignored us and acted like we didn’t belong there. there is a much taster Ethiopian restaurant in North Gate, and they are a lot friendlier.
Place rating: 2
Belltown, Seattle, WA
My boyfriend and I came in with a Groupon worth 2 entrees and 2 drinks.
Our server had a lot of restrictions for what we couldn’t order that weren’t detailed in the Groupon and didn’t offer explanation for why she wouldn’t serve certain menu items to us to us. I thought it was because of the price difference and offered to pay more, but she didn’t answer any of our questions regarding that.
After several tries, we ended up getting the Yebeg Wot and the Zobel Combo. The food took a really long time to come out, and we weren’t forewarned about the long wait. The restaurant wasn’t busy so I’m not sure why it took so long.
Our food was very tasty, but I was displeased with the amount that we got. Considering the fact that we ordered two menu items, I’m surprised at how little we got compared to some of the other pictures of just the Zobel Combo alone that are posted on Unilocal.
I don’t think the way to gain and keep customers from Groupon is to sell them short for what was paid for. I thought the food was fantastic, but I didn’t like the way our Groupon was handled.
Place rating: 4
Rockville, MD
Used a Groupon for 2 entrees and 2 drinks and it was enough for 3 people. We didn’t have to pay anything extra or order anything extra. The waiter was surprised when I tipped him. Overall, a good dining experience. Don’t understand why the business was so slow that we were the only table there during lunch time.
Place rating: 5
Seattle, WA
The food here is amazing. I ordered the Zobel combo which is big enough for two or maybe three people. It was delicious. I especially loved the kitfo and the collard greens. The injera was moist, fresh, and spongy. I’ve tried many Ethiopian restaurants around Seattle and Zobel has to be one of the most flavorful.
Place rating: 5
Issaquah, WA
Prices have gone up a little since I last ate here but it looks like a good ol fashioned case of Seattle gentrification is at work here, as the Ethiopian restaurant and grocery store next door have turned into a trendy looking «beer and waffles» place. Please support this amazing business and don’t let this once hopping Ethiopian block turn into a vapid strip of hip fonts and overpriced coffee.
The food is fantastic. I have never been disappointed by the Yebeg wot and the Zobel combo. Servers are nice but not exactly quick. The music is great. I think they do live music here sometimes too.
Nice bar and good vibes.
Place rating: 5
Seattle, WA
This is my new favorite Ethiopian restaurant in town! The scoops of vegetable were non-​greasy, super flavorful (red lentils were amazing) and went perfectly with the fluffy injera. The vegetarian combo really stood out from the ones at other restaurants. This meal felt healthy too, which is a plus, and of course, filling.
Place rating: 4
Montreal, Canada
This is a really good Ethiopian restaurant. The food tasted authentic l. I got the lamb curry. The owner is very nice. Get the Ethiopian beer. I always make sure to get it. The price to quality ratio is great. Makes for great Instagram photos. I don’t know what else to write Unilocal.Stop making people write long reviews. If it is good it only takes two lines. «The food is great. I had X»
Place rating: 1
Seattle, WA
We received this order through Bite Squad and I couldn’t be more disappointed. The Injera (Ethiopian bread) was packing the food containers filling in where the food ought to be. I ordered three full meals plus a salad for two adults and one child. We are still hungry. One dish was small pieces of meat in primarily mushed up injera bread, gross. It was almost like a joke. There was no sauces, no flavors. Terrible. Never again! I will stick to Queen of Sheba from now on.
Place rating: 4
Seattle, WA
If you’re in Seattle and looking for authentic Ethiopian food, look no further. The injera is delicious here. And the prices on the menu are completely affordable! I can’t wait to go back…
Place rating: 4
Brier, WA
Bursting with flavor!
Zobel gets 382 829 stars for deliciousness, in the food category.
My sister and I road tripped from the east coast back to the PNW, and arriving in Seattle at around 11pm on a Tuesday night, this is the FIRST place we went upon returning home. We rarely treat ourselves to Ethiopian, but I wonder why we don’t more often, as it is probably our favorite type of cuisine and whenever we have it I find myself craving more for days on end. A former SU student, my sister is super familiar with this neighborhood and knows of the places to go to get our fix… Our favorite, Mesob (one block east) unexpectedly and tragically closed. But then we discovered ZOBEL. relief!
I love that they stay open till 2am daily. WHERE ELSE CAN YOU GO IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT TO GET A MEAL LIKE THIS?
I wish the server filled up our water, which never happened and we had empty cups :/​
The service isn’t like you’d get at red robin. They do things their own way, and I’m cool with that. In fact, the staff was socializing around the bar and having fun, but I’m cool with that, too, (besides At midnight, we were the only customers.) I’m so happy places like this exist on the hill.
If you love Ethiopian food and you’re comfortable in new atmospheres/​cultures, go nowwwww :)
Place rating: 4
Kirkland, WA
5 stars for the food plus 3 – 4 stars for the service and ambiance. The bathroom was dirty and out of toilet paper, and the service was slow, but the food was exceptional. We have eaten a lot of Ethiopian food, and this was top notch. I was disappointed they didn’t include cabbage on the vegie platter, even though the menu said it was included.
The TV was on loudly, but they graciously turned off the sound when we asked, and turned on some nice music. The place was empty at noon on a Monday.
Place rating: 4
Kirkland, WA
I have been patronizing Ethiopian restaurants for most of my adult life, at least 3 decades anyway. Yet somehow I had never tried lunch, only dinner. I cruised by the area near MLK & Cherry but nothing there was open (11:30AM). Anyway, I wound up at Zobel, which opens at 10. I was pleasantly surprised at the dining room. We ordered the vegetarian platter and the lamb dish that mixed the spicy stew (wot) with the nonspicy one (alicha), can’t remember the name. The food was WONDERFUL! Really excellent blend of spices, generous portions, reasonable prices too.
Come hungry!
Place rating: 4
Seattle, WA
I’m basing this review on the food itself since it was a lunch bought by my manager during work.
Great Ethiopian food! My manager had bought us 3 different types of food– 2 meat dishes (one that looked like the beef in beef broccoli, and the other had mixed dark greens in it) and 1 vegetarian dish with what looked like mashed potatoes mixed with spices and veggies.
He had said that the place charges a fair price– he ordered 3 to go meals for about $ 13 each and it fed 7 of us until we were stuffed! Definitely going to try to come to the restaurant itself to see what else they have to offer.
Place rating: 4
First Hill, Seattle, WA
I’m happy with this place: a clean, simple environment with friendly staff and tasty Ethiopian cuisine. I’m not an Ethiopian cuisine expert, and I have only enjoyed it a handful of times, but I think that the food here is executed very nicely, lots of flavor!
It’s also fairly priced, we ordered a huge platter of food at only 15 dollars, it fed all three of us.
One last perk is that it is open and serves food until 2 am! We live close by and now we know where to go for good, cheap Ethiopian late at night!
Place rating: 4
Seattle, WA
What a DELICIOUS experience! Me and my girlfriends came into Zobel before a night out on the hill and were super satisfied with the service and especially with our meal. The restaurant is very ma ‘n’ pa with a welcoming homey feel (literally, it is the owners’ home). They are open late so it was great for us coming in around 930pm on a Saturday and was not too busy so even though our server was bartending also, she was very attentive and really sweet!
We ordered the Quanta Firfir and the Zobel combo and, what a treat! They were served on a large platter so it was a great way to try several dishes and the amount was so plentiful that we were each able to fill our own small take-​home boxes!
The food was so well cooked with perfect textures and a general sensation of authenticity. I just wish they had had lamb available. I do not have a lot to compare Zobel to as my experience with Ethiopian food is not too extensive, but I will definitely be back to try some more!
Place rating: 4
Mukilteo, WA
Our family and I found this place by accident. We almost walked out the lady was slow and cold. It didn’t seem very clean and it took forever. However the food was awesome! This was our first try at this type of food and we are hooked. As Americans who are a bit spoiled we can spook easily and this reminded me of the importance of accepting other cultures and not being so snooty! If we wouldn’t have given it a chance we would have missed out on so much! Tacky linen and fake silk flowers won’t hurt you a bit, might bring you down a notch. Just saying. and by you I mean myself.
We shared 15 dero Alicha
Oh yea it was only 25 $ for three people! Wow
Place rating: 5
Bellevue, WA
I have heard they have been under two management chances since 2011. Now, they do things right. When was the last time you walked out of a restaurant saying, «OMG, those green lentils were unreal?»
We would not have gone in if we had read these Unilocal reviews first. We almost did not go in because have they have a huge banner proclaiming their vegetarian food to be the best and my husband didn’t want to go to an Ethiopian restaurant that didn’t serve Gored Gored. Actually, I don’t think he wants to live in a world where Ethiopian Restaurants don’t serve Gored Gored. But we were in the mood for adventure and a spontaneous visit to a new restaurant, while not a lot of adventure, is much better than none.
It was Epic. The smell, the sounds, the ambiance and the prices are all what a not-​Americanized Ethiopian restaurant should be. It was like coming home after 10 years of eating in «bistros.» Yummy Ethiopian Bistro’s, but bistros, nonetheless. Half way through dinner, we decided that this was now going to «our» new Ethiopian restaurant.
I think if the world were just, restaurants would not be rated by arbitrary opinions and stars, but by the exact number of «mmmm“s and grunts they generate per day. And if that were true, Zobels would be at the top of the list.
Place rating: 5
Redmond, WA
I’ve come to the realization that there are about one million Ethiopian restaurants in this area. Maybe a little more. Zobel stands out because it kind of has an «at home» feeling. There were lots of people in the restaurant when I was here, and they all seemed pretty comfortably settled in the place. That’s always a good sign anywhere, but it’s even better when it can be applied to a ton of great food!
Let’s see, among the things that made me feel relaxed here were the TV, the sight of a piano, and the pool table being used in the back. I love seeing restaurants add these little touches! They also had a full bar which I couldn’t take advantage of because I was going to drive afterward. Their bathroom was clean and looked exactly like the kind you find in houses, not like public restrooms.
I ordered a Zobel combo, their most complete dish, and it came with a bit of a wait at about thirteen minutes. They made up for it, though, since it was incredibly large with about eight different stews on the injera. My favorite additions were the chicken leg and hard-​boiled egg. Such a good idea to add those two!
I didn’t even come anywhere close to finishing the whole thing, of course. Once my separate plate of injera was empty, I was full and asked for the rest in a to-​go box. Plus, they threw in an extra wide «pancake» of injera on top of all that! Those leftovers lasted me three delicious lunches, so it was basically four whole meals. For seventeen dollars after tax, that is an amazing deal. Thanks, Zobel, for keeping me fed for so long!