Cafe Lalibela, the Tempe restaurant that spent three decades introducing generations of Valley diners to Ethiopian cuisine, has abruptly closed. The restaurant's phone has been disconnected, its online ordering shut off, and its Google business page now reads simply “temporarily closed.” No one has said why.
The closure comes just a week after the cafe was recognized as the best Ethiopian restaurant in the Valley, according to Phoenix New Times. It's unclear exactly when Cafe Lalibela officially shut its doors, and why the restaurant closed — or whether it might reopen — remains a mystery. The outlet reported that the restaurant's online store has also gone dark, and that Cafe Lalibela has not posted any updates to social media explaining the situation.
A Neighborhood Fixture Since 1996
Cafe Lalibela opened in 1996 in a small, low-slung strip mall at University and Hardy drives, just blocks from Arizona State University's campus, per Phoenix New Times. Owner Anibal Abayneh and her family ran the restaurant for 30 years, most recently at 849 W. University Drive, according to azfamily.com. The station's report from 2025 described Cafe Lalibela as one of the first Ethiopian restaurants in the state, a distinction that helped cement its reputation among Valley diners long before its sudden disappearance this month.
Regulars came for doro wat and fosolia, along with berbere-spiced chicken stew, red lentils, collards and shiro wat. The restaurant made injera — the spongy, traditional Ethiopian flatbread — in-house every day and served it with every meal, the same azfamily.com report noted. Clay-pot coffee service was another signature draw, and the menu's vegan and vegetarian options built a loyal following among diners who didn't even eat meat.
Online Reports Describe Staff Removing Artwork
Online reports cited by Phoenix New Times indicate staff were seen taking art off the restaurant's walls, though the circumstances behind that activity have not been independently confirmed. One customer, identified only as James, told the outlet he had ordered his last doro wat from Cafe Lalibela without realizing it would be his final meal there. Another person, Jena, questioned how a restaurant that had just been named the Valley's best and whose food was sold at Whole Foods Market could be going out of business.
That question points to one of the more puzzling aspects of the closure. Cafe Lalibela had built out a retail presence well beyond its dining room, packaging its own coffee and ready-to-eat items for sale through its online store as well as Whole Foods Market and Natural Grocers, per the same Phoenix New Times account. In 2016, the family expanded further, opening Market Lalibela, a 400-square-foot retail space that sold grab-and-go food, Ethiopian spices and products from local makers.
A Fixture on Best-Of Lists
Over the years, Cafe Lalibela became one of the Valley's top African restaurants, earning spots on Phoenix New Times' Top 50 Restaurants list and its roundup of the 10 best restaurants in Tempe. The restaurant's doro wat was also featured on the publication's food and drink essentials list, cementing its place among the region's most celebrated dishes.
For now, the reason behind the shutdown and whether Cafe Lalibela will reopen remain unclear, while the restaurant's online store has closed and the status of its Market Lalibela retail space is unknown. Diners hoping for answers will have to wait, as the restaurant that spent 30 years serving injera and clay-pot coffee near ASU's campus has gone quiet without explanation.
