Lalibela Restaurant is a casual Ethiopian eatery at 1111 S Hamilton Rd on Columbus’s East Side, near Whitehall and the Eastland area. It pairs traditional Ethiopian cooking with a full bar and billiards tables, and it draws diners who want shared platters of stews and injera in a relaxed setting where they can linger.
Meals follow Ethiopian tradition. Dishes come on a communal round of injera, the spongy, slightly sour teff flatbread, and you tear off pieces to scoop up the food by hand. Look for staples such as doro wat (chicken stewed in berbere spice), tibs (sautéed beef or lamb), and kitfo (minced beef that is often served rare). Vegetarians can order combination platters of lentils, split peas, collard greens, and cabbage. The bar and pool tables give the room a neighborhood-hangout feel, so many guests stay after the plates are cleared. The venue holds a 4.5-star rating.
Visitor Highlights & Practical Info
Current hours, menu details, and phone listings for this Columbus location could not be independently verified, so call or check recent online listings before you go. Weekday afternoons and early evenings are usually the calmest times for a sit-down meal. Weekend nights are better if you want to use the bar and pool tables. Groups should order a combination platter to sample several dishes at once. If you’re sensitive to heat, ask how spicy a dish is before ordering. The restaurant sits close to I-70’s Hamilton Road exit, which makes it an easy stop for drivers crossing the city, and parking is generally available on site.
