I've had the pleasure of visiting this place a few times, and my recent birthday dinner experience was exceptional. As an Ethiopian, every conversation with the owner makes me feel at home. She exudes a genuine Ethiopian motherly vibe and handles everything herself – cooking and serving. Remarkably, she's been running this restaurant solo for 30 years! The food is simply outstanding, reminiscent of my mom's cooking – not overly oily or spicy, but incredibly flavorful and authentically Ethiopian. We ordered vegetarian combinations for 1, Bozena shiro and Doro wot! Mama Z is an absolute gem!
Some of the best Ethiopian food in town. This woman is amazing. She runs the restaurant by herself! Everything was fresh cooked and tasted great. Highly recommend. She does ask that people call ahead for larger groups (6+).
Finally tried the Ethiopian food at Queen of Sheba on E Colfax — and what a treasure this spot is! The owner is a lovely lady who is also your bartender, server, and cook in this cozy little spot that feels like you’re eating in her home dining room. All the meats are delicious, as well as the lentils and potatoes for my vegetarian folks!
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Gluten-free injera available if you call ahead a few days.
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Call for a reservation! There’s a total of maybe 6 tables here, so it’s a must.
Damn good food. Unsuspecting hole in the wall place. The chef, owner, host (she is the one person) was fantastic. We ordered the chicken drumsticks, gored-gored, beef tibs and vegetarian for 2 between the 4 of us plus a bottle of Tej. Portions were fantastic and we even got a to go box. Highly recommended.
Three of us shared the meat combo for two. It was more than enough for us and we couldn't finish it! The spice tea was very good. The food was delicious and very fresh. The lady who cooks was really sweet, this is real home cooking and we felt like we were in her home. A very busy place, reservations are recommended.
Another amazing day in Colorado with my girls. Ended on a humbling note eating at a local Ethiopian restaurant, which happened to be the best meal of the trip. The owner left Ethiopia in the 70s and landed in Denver in the 90s where she single handedly runs her restaurant. She’s the chef, server, cleans tables and takes payment with absolutely no help. She was the kindest soul. Photos of the younger her were posted and she was absolutely gorgeous, and still just as lovely. If you’re ever in Denver check out Queen of Sheba, reservations required. One of the best meals I have ever had. No forks or spoons allowed, as would be an insult and we were happy to oblige. Be prepared to wait patiently with a smile and you will be rewarded with the most authentic food you have ever tasted and leave with a warm heart and fully belly❤️
You can absolutely feel the authenticity and dedication that the wonderful woman who runs this business puts into her food. I was lucky enough to visit twice while in Denver and both times was blown away. Enjera is wonderfully bouncy and perfectly sour with excellently spiced and seasoned meat and vegetable dishes with tender meat. The vegetable Sam Bussa is insanely full of flavor and served immediately out of the fryer, beautifully crisp layers outside of perfectly cooked lentils. You can’t go wrong, and make sure you leave her a good tip, you’ll see why she deserves it.
Amazing experience. Do not judge a book by its cover in this one. The chef/owner/cashier/sole employee prepared the “dinner for 2” for us and it was superb. Some of the best food I have had in a very long time.
It’s hard to put into words the details of this experience but I know I will be dreaming about it for a very long time.
This may be the best meal I’ve ever had in Denver. An experience unlike any other. True Ethiopian made by an incredible woman. Eat with your hands and have a meal you will never forget.
Amazing food and service. The owners go out of their way to make sure you eat well, especially the cook! They have table and floor seating, just call ahead and ask them.
Absolutely incredible meal. We shared the meal for 4 between 3 of us and we are definitely stuffed but we managed it. The owner was such a wonderful person and we loved chatting with her.
Amazing dinner at Queen of Sheba!! The owner gave us a warm welcome and we sat down immediately. It seemed like she was the only one in tonight, serving as both waitress and chef. She chatted amiably with us and gave us some recommendations. We ordered meat sambusas, the Queens Feast for Two, collard greens, and a potato/cabbage/carrot dish. It all came out fairly quickly and was served with heaps of injera. Everything was so delicious - super flavorful and well spiced. Favorite items were the lamb stew and potato/cabbage/carrot stew. If we lived here we’d come every week.
My Actual Review: The food is delicious. Uncontroversial opinion. *You* - yes, *you* - will like it; it’s good. Just trust me on this. Go here, and give a big tip.
Why I’m Giving a Five Star Review: The owner/chef/waiter is a complete doll. America’s mom/grandma. She’ll make your acquaintance. You’ll like her. She’ll make you think she likes you too. You’ll want to give her a hug by the end of the meal. *And* the food is actually delicious (see above). Like I said - give a big tip.
I absolutely love this place. This is an amazing one woman show. Her food is great and she does everything. Highly recommend, just don't forget to make a reservation.
This is some of the best Ethiopian I’ve had, and the owner is an exceptional chef and very kind. Highly highly recommend. But call ahead if you can, as she might be working alone.
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We first went to this restaurant for two reasons: my daughter, and my daughter’s keen, joyful interest in research. It was her birthday, and we wanted to host a special dinner for her at the venue of her choice. And my daughter? She wanted to go to the best-reviewed Ethiopian restaurant in the city. She loves to investigate such things. As it happened, it didn’t take much research at all. The Queen of Sheba is the very best-reviewed Ethiopian restaurant in town. A cursory online search will turn up many laudatory articles published by every local media outlet - 5280 Magazine, the Denver Post, the Rocky Mountain News (RIP), and Westword. Actually, Westword had several articles about the Queen of Sheba, all of them full of praise.
I like Westword’s reviews usually, but don’t always agree with them. In this case, they were right on the money. The Queen of Sheba is a great restaurant, and my daughter had a very memorable birthday evening there.
Recently, my wife and I returned. It had been several years, but not much had changed. Still a small place on Colfax, still the odd assortment of figurines and folk art on the walls. Still run by just one woman (local legend Zodi Aboye) and her daughter. There is still the slower pace that one should always associate with Ethiopian meals, which are all still made to order. And there is still – still! – the aromatic, beautiful-to-behold, savory food.
We ordered the vegetable samosas (lentils, this time) and the meat platter for two. The large ceramic dish arrived like a work of art, both colorful and captivating. It held blackened chicken legs, soft and tender, and two servings of tibs (lean beef chunks) in a simmering brown sauce. There were small heaps of vegetables - spicy miser wott (red lentils) and smoky, garlicky atar wott (yellow split peas), tangy collard greens, and yatakelt wott (potatoes, carrots, and cabbage). Maybe there was more? It was a bit mind-boggling, so I’m not sure. There were rolls and rolls of nut-colored injera, of course, the spongy flatbread of the Horn of Africa.
I strongly recommend the Queen of Sheba, and I also endorse the slower, more personal approach practiced here. If you have time and interest, look up these two reviews from Westword, which are well-crafted and entertaining on their own merits: “Queen of Sheba on Colfax Offers a Royal Feast” by Laura Shunk (September 23, 2010) and "Wott's Happening at the Queen of Sheba on Colfax” by Mark Antonation (June 4, 2014). Excellent writing for an excellent restaurant!
I give it more than 5 stars. The food was amazing!! The owner is the chef and she is the real deal. My family is Ethiopian and this place reminded me of home. This is my only Ethiopian restaurant when I visit Denver.
This was my first time having ethiopian food & im in love. The owner was so sweet and made sure me and my boyfriend were taken care of. We called a day in advance to get gluten free injera & it was delicious!! like a sourdough crepe or something... eating with just the injera and your hands was so fun and something i was used to growing up using tortillas in the same way. I do wish the portions were bigger for the price. The vibe was very homey and cozy. will definitely be coming back!
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This is an incredible place. We have been in Ethiopian restaurants in several countries and continents (not in Ethiopia itself though), but this little unassuming strip mall place at Colfax is certainly the best we had so far. It was the wish of my eldest daughter to go to an Ethiopian restaurant for her birthday, and we happily obliged. The food was heavenly, as always here. We were in the separate room at the end of the restaurant where you sit on low Ethiopian stools around a traditional basket table where the food is served on one large plate. The rest of the restaurant has regular tables and chairs. The restaurant was full, and given that it is a one lady operation, I expected long wait times, but incredibly enough, the owner/chef/waitress with her one stove managed to get delicious food to everybody in reasonable time. You have to live with her telling you "No" when you order something particularly time consuming when the restaurant is full, but we can very well live with that. EVERYTHING is so good. This is a remarkable place.
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