Ethiopian restaurant Cafe Lalibela closes after 30 years in Tempe

There was no farewell party and no social media post. Just a “We are closed” sign on the door.

Cafe Lalibela, the family-run Ethiopian restaurant on University Drive in west Tempe, has quietly shut down. According to diners, Monday was its last day. Owners Anibal Abayneh and Salem Beyene have not commented, and the restaurant has made no announcement.

The end seemed to surprise even staff. One diner posted on Facebook that a worker had only learned of the closure that morning and suspected business had been slow. The cafe’s online store, which sold its packaged coffee and ready-to-eat items, has also closed.

Three decades on University

Cafe Lalibela opened in 1996 in a small, low-slung strip mall on the southeast corner of University and Hardy drives. It is widely credited as Arizona’s first Ethiopian restaurant.

Named after a foundational Ethiopian king from the 12th and 13th centuries, the cafe was a family affair, with Beyene’s mother, chef Atsade Desta, long regarded as its heart. The food drew on the family’s recipes, made from scratch with traditional spices.

Twenty years in, the owners opened Market Lalibela, a small retail space selling grab-and-go food, Ethiopian spices and local products.

What was on the table

Everything arrived on injera, the spongy, slightly sour flatbread that doubles as plate and utensil, made in-house daily. The heart of the menu was wat, slow-simmered stews including doro wat (spicy chicken), kye wat (spicy beef), and yebeg alicha, a mild lamb stew with spiced butter, onion, and turmeric. Kitfo and tibs rounded out the meat options.

Most regulars ordered combination platters, like the Chef’s Favorite with doro wat, collard greens, and house-made ayeb cheese. For vegans, the vegetable combination paired green beans, collard greens, red lentils, and cabbage. Students from nearby ASU knew the deal: a weekday lunch sampler of any three items for $12.95.

An unanswered goodbye

Without word from the owners, it’s unclear what led to the closure. For now, the dining room that introduced three decades of Tempe diners to injera and berbere sits dark.