kokeb restaurant

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 hadethiopianbefore 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).
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).

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 otherethiopianrestaurants in the city. even brandon has anethiopianbuffet that is way better than this.

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 ofethiopianfood. you're better off going to harman's on sargent or the massawa on osbourne.

it's a close second to harman's cafe for the bestethiopianrestaurant in town (hard to choose a runner-up between this place and massawa, but the service and prices here are much better) and they have the most convenient location if you live and/or work downtown. they have the best samosas/sambusas out of anyethiopianplace in town, too; the shell is super crispy and i love the jalapeno sauce they serve with them. if you're going with someone else get one of the platters or if ordering/coming solo, get the misir wot. everything comes with jalapeno sauce so that you can adjust the spiciness to your liking and extra berbere is available on request.

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 fromethiopianfood, 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!

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"ethiopianplace next time - there is much better ethiopean food in the city..

kokeb delivers qualityethiopiancuisine. 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.

i have been going to kokeb for a number of years now. each time, i’ll bring a new friend along with me to tryethiopianfood. everyone i have brought to the restaurant had nothing negative to say and many have requested me to go back with them. i thinkethiopianfood 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

date visited: december 13th, 2014 - (doro wot) really old chicken & gravy + (kokeb rice) dry lambs and old rice. i am big fan ofethiopiandishes. 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.

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.

ordered appetizer vegetable samosa, chicken fingers and main course doro wot, kokeb rice with lamb

the appetizer and main courses were served at the same time. they came in 10-12 minutes.
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.
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.
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.

never going back there. i would rather cookethiopianfood at home or try out otherethiopianrestaurants 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 favoriteethiopianrestaurant in winnipeg. i'll take a pass

consistently one of the best restaurants in winnipeg. you don't get polished, white glove treatment at kokeb. what you get is a fun, casual, laid back atmosphere, with some of the best food in winnipeg. it's just a bonus that it's also one of the least expensive places to eat.

this friendly, family-run operation has lasted for many, many years, and is a go-to place for theethiopianpopulation in winnipeg, along with a huge following of winnipegers who'd never before tried east-african food, but instantly loved it after a single visit.

father and son are the only ones working up front, so when it's busy, don't be afraid to speak up and remind them about a refill, another beer, or a missed item. it's all good at kokeb.

on your first visit, go with one of their mixed platters for 2 or more people, either vegetarian or non-vegetarian.......as you'll get to sample several awesome dishes at once, and can be made to accommodate any number of people at your table.

there are no utensils at kokeb, either......you eat with your hands, ethiopian-style, using injera as the method of picking up the delicious morsels from the platter. sounds strange, but once you try it, you'll find as i did, that it's the most civilized way to eat.

home of the best home-made hot sauce in town!


-----30 sep, 2013-----

arguably one of the best restaurants in winnipeg. yes, i know i've written 5 reviews of kokeb, but that's only because i've been a regular there for well over 10 years, and restaurants can change......so current reviews are helpful, i think.

anyway, i tried somethig new last night at kokeb - it's a dish simply called tibs. small chunks of beef intentionally sauted until very well done.......which gives the pieces a nice, chewy texture, with delicious hints of seasoning.

i opted for rice instead of injera for something different, too. mix the beef and the rice together, add some of their home-made hot sauce (more of a relish, really) and you've got perfection!

my lovely dining companion enjoyed her staple of stewed red lentils, with two additional orders of doro tibs to be taken home for the boys.

everything at kokeb is excellent!

service is as fast and friendly and laid back as ever.

if you're going for the first time, i strongly recommend one of their combo platters, so you can have a taste of everything, all on one plate......definitely the way to go!


-----17 dec, 2012-----

we missed you, kokeb!. it felt good to smell the smells of kokeb, again.

i had lunch at their new home on friday. the food was as good as ever, and the owners even more deligthful.

we tried one thing for the first time - theethiopiantea. now, for the most part, tea is tea, but their tea, with the addition of several mystery ingredients (like cinnamon and several other 'sweet' spices) was just awesome!

the new digs are beautiful.....decorated in such a way that you know you're in an ethipian place, but not just crammed full of 'ethnic' nic-naks like so many other ethnic restaurants.

kokeb remains my go-to, day-in, day-out, favorite restaurant.


-----03 jul, 2012-----

temporarily closed - moving. i almost freaked out when we drove up to kokeb last night, only to see the restaurant vacant, and "demolition" signs all over the building......i thought i'd just lost one of my favorite restaurants of all time!

luckily, there were some signs on the windows letting customers know that kokeb is moving across to the other side of portage avenue, on edmonton, across the street from the hydro building, and will re-open this summer.

the new location should work well for them, as the area is much nicer, and they should be able to draw a lot more customers, especially at lunch.

looking forward to it!


-----12 sep, 2011-----

they make you feel right at home. i love kokeb. it's got to be in my top 3 favorite restaurants.

there's three things that make this unassuming little place one of the best restaurants i've ever been to.

first, the family that owns it are very nice, and will do anything to make sure you have a great meal.

second, the food is amazing. i always get a combo platter to share with one of my sons, and it's full of an ever-changing assortment of dishes that lets us try just about everything they offer on the menu. the green hot sauce (more of a paste than sauce) is not only hot, but packs a huge amount of flavor, too.

third, the restaurant itself is a friendly, welcoming place. we walked in last night to a full house, so we sat in the 'lounge' area, where a half-dozenethiopiangents were intently watching a soccer game on the big screen. they quickly offered to turn up the lights, switch the channel, turn it off, or whatever we wanted, since we were the paying customers..........all of which we declined of course, and enjoyed a great dinner while watching soccer.

go to kokeb. you will love it!

ps - 4th reason - dinner for 4, 2 beers, 2 pops, appetizers, $40......and we left stuffed.


-----12 sep, 2011-----

beef sambusas. the green hot sauce served at kokeb may just be the best hot sauce on the planet. it seems to be about 90% jalapeno, plus some garlic. hot, but incredibly tasty!


-----08 aug, 2011-----

another wonderful dinner at kokeb. we dropped by around 8 on friday, ordered a mixed platter, a doro tibs, and a stewed lentil dish for the veggi-missus. we waited maybe 10 minutes for everything to be ready, and it was awesome! i think i could eat at kokeb every day!


-----17 apr, 2009-----

terrific!. food is awesome!

very friendly family-run place. try the platters, which let you try a half-dozen or more dishes all on one plate!

dinner for 4 with beverages will often be less than $40

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 traditionalethiopianrestaurant and environment and do not care about how fancy it is.

best samosas/ethiopian coffee. we were invited by friends who are ethiopian. this is their favoriteethiopianrestaurant 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 theethiopiancoffee- hands down it is the best coffee i have ever had in a restaurant. excellent service!

phenomenal. great food and good service. busy withethiopiannationals 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.

better places out there. we will definitely not be returning to kokeb again. we live close by and have given this place chance after chance. the sambussas as amazing, but they are often out of them. we've had good (not great) kifto and doro tibs there, and in all fairness their prices are beyond reasonable - but the past few times we've been there it has been incredibly disappointing. each time we've ordered doro tibs we've received chicken with some sort of yellow curry sauce, not at all what we've had in the past and come the expect when ordering. the service has always been terrible, but that doesn't bother us at all if the food is great. being treated like a burden for being in the restaurant and trying to spend money there, however, doesn't make for the most pleasant dinner out. i'm happy to see a lot more options in the area forethiopianfood with much better service.


-----04 sep, 2011-----

great african restaurant. we went there on a busy saturday night and grabbed a table in the lounge. service was quick, the food was very fresh and piping hot (which i've never seen in an african restaurant), and came quite quickly. we had the doro wat, which was similar in flavor to others i've had in the city, except it had quite a lot on lemon in it, which was nice. it was also a plus that the chicken was served bone in, instead of the little chunks of white meat that the other african restaurants in the city tend to serve. the beef samosas were very crispy and generous with filling. the sauce it came with was extremely hot, but it was an amazing cilantro, garlic, pepper sauce. the tibs was also really good, comparable to any in the city, and the injera had a nice touch of lemon in it. i would definitely recommend kokeb. two people, two dishes, two samosas, a glass of wine, and a beer came to just over $30!