Messob Ethiopian Restaurant

Reviews

• Paloma M.

  star star star star star 5 June 2026

  Amazing food, super friendly people, cozy atmosphere! Really nice place.

• Vincent L.

  star star star star_border star_border 5 June 2026

  I stopped by recently for takeout and found my experience within the restaurant to be quite pleasant. The owner is super nice - a total sweetheart in fact - and manages to hold down the fort with the help of only one other person in the kitchen. The venue itself is compact but has about half a dozen tables that can collectively seat up to 20 to 25 people.
  
  As for my food, I ordered the awaze tibs and they were fairly decent, whether in their taste or their portion size. The injera was also what I expected - a combination of fluffy, chewy, and tangy. It would have been an enjoyable meal if it weren't for the fact that there was a long strand of hair in it. Oh well.

• Shayla B.

  star star star star_border star_border 1 June 2026

  ***3.5 Stars***
  
  Ya know... I've tried my fair share of Ethiopian Restaurants in Oakland, and I've gotta say that Messob ranks just average in my book. It just didn't live up.
  
  I discovered Messob a couple of years ago when I was on the way to one of my favorite Thai food restaurants located right next door (Infinite Thai). I had been eyeing it for a while but never made the stop in until recently. I was in the area for lunch and decided to finally pay them a visit.
  
  This is probably one of the smallest Ethiopian spots that I've ever been too. It's like, you step inside and that's it. Maybe about 5-6 tables inside and a couple of tables in front. The lady who I think might have been the owner was very sweet. She appeared to be by herself and she was also the one who prepared my meal.
  
  They don't offer any lunch specials here but that's pretty common with many other Ethiopian restaurants in the area. In looking at the menu, the prices are actually pretty fair. I was excited to see shrimp tibs on the menu because not many Ethiopian restaurants have this dish. I decided to order the shrimp tibs for lunch.
  
  Since the interior is quite smallish, you'll get to smell the sweet aromas of the food being made as you sit and wait. It definitely smelled amazing in there which was a good sign. When the food arrived, I dug in anxiously.
  
  What I noticed first was that the shrimp tibs were prepared differently from what I'm used to. I've had shrimp tibs marinated in a spicy sauce previously. These shrimp tibs appeared to be marinated with onions and peppers, but didn't have any sauce on them. This is totally fine of course, just different from what I was expecting. The flavor was good but too subtle for my taste. I would have loved more spices added to it.
  
  The shrimp tibs came with a side salad and injera. Portions are definitely on the smaller side, including the injera. There was no side of lentils included with this dish either. So essentially, you're paying for injera and shrimp which isn't the most filling combo in the world. I just expected a bit more I guess.
  
  All in all, it's not a bad place to get Ethiopian food by any means, but I've had much better. I wouldn't be opposed to giving them another shot in the future, especially since the owner was really sweet and cordial.

• Andrew H.

  star star star star star 30 May 2026

  Short review: Messob's is a small, absolutely delicious Ethiopian restaurant in the main strip of the Piedmont neighborhood of Oakland that serves a very wide variety of Ethiopian dishes (lentils, chicken, lamb, beef, shrimp, salad) along with wonderfully tangy spongy bread that you use to pick up all the food. Utensils are somewhat discouraged and family style eating is strongly encouraged.
  
  I had a biased experience here because I came here with great company (a group of 5 plus a newborn baby) and we had the whole restaurant to ourselves at 3pm on a Saturday. The weather was perfect, the service was so fast because we were the only patrons, and we were all stuffed by the end with 4 entrees only. The food itself was very flavorful with great seasoning, fun textures, and fresh! See picture below.
  
  Don't change anything - this experience was perfect.

• Ellen C.

  star star star star star 28 May 2026

  Home comfort, comfort Ethiopian food, straightforward flavors.
  
  After having tried a ton of Ethiopian restaurants, Messob is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Not just because the place is cozy, it's in a great location on Piedmont Ave, but also because the food just tastes more flavorful in a homey kind of way. It's hard to explain, but I don't think I ever appreciated lamb alicha as much until I came here - the curries aren't thick, they're just the right consistency, and they've got just the right balance. Some places' curries are too salty and need the injera to pair with it otherwise it becomes too salty/spicy, but here you can eat all the curries on their own because they're flavorful enough to stand on their own without the additional sour bread or carbs.
  
  The pricing is pretty on point, parking is relatively easy and free outside on Piedmont Ave, since it's located closer to the end of the bustling street. The staff here are also super friendly, and they do a good job with to go orders, as in they don't make a mess in your car or dining room table. Great place. Highly recommended.