Flavorful and abundant food, with a nice presentation. The owner, who was also our server, was a delight.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Elibeth Silva
The food is delicious. A very nice place ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ben Huffine
Update: my now WIFE and I still go here all the time! Just as delicious as it was seven years ago. Still one of our favorite spots. Peter, the owner is sweet and will joke around with you if you ever come in.My girlfriend and I are regulars here. It's our favorite restraunt in Portland by far. The veggie combo and beef tibs are the best we've ever had. I can not recommends eating here enough.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: TIBS, Enjera
Karl Smith
Great family-owned Ethiopian food. Friendly staff, delicious meals, and my neighbor - a retired health inspector - says they have the cleanest kitchen in
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Melis Gumusoglu
Super yummy Ethiopian food and a very friendly staff!
Blind Ivan
Very peaceful elegant setting, wonderful African music, well prepared delicious dishes. A true delight! Try the beef & vegetable combinations and share!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Hannah Dressler
this was my first time having ethiopian food and it was a delightful experience! the waiter was a character and kept us highly entertained. good vibes all
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
zephyr
Food was so so so so so good. Amazing service, the waiter was so fun. Perfect place for those new or familiar with Ethiopian food to really taste the distinct flavors in a dish. Clearly a lot of talented chefs and lots of love in the food.Vegetarian options: The Vegetarian Mixer is sublime
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alex Aldrich
One of the more bizarre and unpleasant dining experiences of my life.Me and my girlfriend went in for dinner on a wednesday night, and the restaurant was mostly empty. Things got off to a strange start as we were being seated. I asked the fellow seating us, the owner, if we could have a particular table, and he responded by asking "why?" I quickly learned that every verbal interaction would be a strange contest of wits, with him rebutting every menu question with a question of his own, designed to try make me look stupid in front of my date. And the thing is - I am extroverted and genuinely enjoy engaging with waitstaff at restaurants. But this was like being heckled at a comedy club, or at best, the kind of ribbing done amongst old friends.The food was middling at best. I wanted tea, but my query regarding whether it contained caffeine was met with a belittling response, so I passed on that. The samosas were fine, but came with a pea-sized pellet of sauce in a dish, sufficient for 2 bites. The injera and its ingredients were at best warm, and portions were minimal. Asking for silverware generated much opprobrium from the owner, and I didn't fight him when he said we should eat it in the traditional way. Fine, but some tools would really help as we're getting towards the end of the dish. And something to clean our hands with is usually furnished at Ethiopian restaurants...but not at Lete-Bukas. I felt filthy after eating the meal.Our interactions were clearly unpleasant throughout the meal, and as I paid the bill I attempted to close the loop on a high note by inquiring what the name of the restaurant meant. Unable to help himself, he threw it back at me and said "why don't you try guessing", again engaging in his insecurity-driven dominance contest.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
Adeline Medeiros
We loved Bete-Lukas! Excellent food - we got the veggie salad and vegetarian combo, and both were very, very good. The staff was sweet and funny. Great atmosphere!
With all the raving reviews, we must have hit this place on an off night. Firstly, it was so uncomfortable - it must have been 85 degrees in there (not a hot day outside) and all the tap water was fairly warm as well. We were looking forward to their extensive wine menu but they wouldn't serve us, apparently they were too busy? And the food was simply inedible - searing hot spices that were just so overpowering you couldn't taste anything. Ended up going down the street to the food carts to actually get something we could eat (and drink something cold - phew!). Disappointed as hole in the wall spots in southeast are usually always a hit.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 2
Sefana Wilde
One of my favorite ethiopian restaurants! Stay on your toes tho, the owner likes to throw ppl off with his off the cuff humor ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tara Dupuis
It’s a hard no for me when I go to a restaurant and the server is rude and tells me not to speak for my children when ordering. He was incredibly sarcastic and I am not impressed with this place and will not be returning. Joking or not, don’t tell my child to look in your eyes when he’s ordering. You would think with all the poor reviews about how rude he is that he would TRY to do better but unfortunately it is not the case
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
John Kutasz
We recently made our first post pandemic visit to Bete-Lukas, and everything was refreshingly similar to the way it always has been. The gentleman who attends to the tables is still a delight to chat with, and the food remains a neighborhood highlight. Spice levels continue to be just right - hot enough to be flavorful, mild enough to avoid being painful.The restaurant continues to be very low key from outside - if you aren't specifically heading there, it would be easy to miss. Go up the stairs on the south side of the building and you'll find the door - it's not visible from the sidewalk. Inside, they appear to have made some updates to the lighting - it remains subdued and contributes to a calm, relaxing environment for enjoying your meal.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lentil Sambusa, TIBS, Enjera
Jarrett Volinic
This place is such a hidden gem in Portland! The service you receive is incredibly personal and refreshingly entertaining and the food does not disappoint! I wish service could be this good everywhere! We've had Ethiopian cuisine several times in the past and this place is right at the top! Our server was absolutely the best we've ever had and completely turned the evening into a core memory outing! We loved every minute of our time here and can't wait to come back and bring friends!Vegetarian options: Vegetarian=Vegan on the menu. Do not let that hold you back, they're EXTREMELY vegan friendly!
Flavorful and abundant food, with a nice presentation. The owner, who was also our server, was a delight.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food is delicious. A very nice place ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Update: my now WIFE and I still go here all the time! Just as delicious as it was seven years ago. Still one of our favorite spots. Peter, the owner is sweet and will joke around with you if you ever come in.My girlfriend and I are regulars here. It's our favorite restraunt in Portland by far. The veggie combo and beef tibs are the best we've ever had. I can not recommends eating here enough.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: TIBS, Enjera
Great family-owned Ethiopian food. Friendly staff, delicious meals, and my neighbor - a retired health inspector - says they have the cleanest kitchen in
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Super yummy Ethiopian food and a very friendly staff!
Very peaceful elegant setting, wonderful African music, well prepared delicious dishes. A true delight! Try the beef & vegetable combinations and share!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
this was my first time having ethiopian food and it was a delightful experience! the waiter was a character and kept us highly entertained. good vibes all
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Food was so so so so so good. Amazing service, the waiter was so fun. Perfect place for those new or familiar with Ethiopian food to really taste the distinct flavors in a dish. Clearly a lot of talented chefs and lots of love in the food.Vegetarian options: The Vegetarian Mixer is sublime
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
One of the more bizarre and unpleasant dining experiences of my life.Me and my girlfriend went in for dinner on a wednesday night, and the restaurant was mostly empty. Things got off to a strange start as we were being seated. I asked the fellow seating us, the owner, if we could have a particular table, and he responded by asking "why?" I quickly learned that every verbal interaction would be a strange contest of wits, with him rebutting every menu question with a question of his own, designed to try make me look stupid in front of my date. And the thing is - I am extroverted and genuinely enjoy engaging with waitstaff at restaurants. But this was like being heckled at a comedy club, or at best, the kind of ribbing done amongst old friends.The food was middling at best. I wanted tea, but my query regarding whether it contained caffeine was met with a belittling response, so I passed on that. The samosas were fine, but came with a pea-sized pellet of sauce in a dish, sufficient for 2 bites. The injera and its ingredients were at best warm, and portions were minimal. Asking for silverware generated much opprobrium from the owner, and I didn't fight him when he said we should eat it in the traditional way. Fine, but some tools would really help as we're getting towards the end of the dish. And something to clean our hands with is usually furnished at Ethiopian restaurants...but not at Lete-Bukas. I felt filthy after eating the meal.Our interactions were clearly unpleasant throughout the meal, and as I paid the bill I attempted to close the loop on a high note by inquiring what the name of the restaurant meant. Unable to help himself, he threw it back at me and said "why don't you try guessing", again engaging in his insecurity-driven dominance contest.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
We loved Bete-Lukas! Excellent food - we got the veggie salad and vegetarian combo, and both were very, very good. The staff was sweet and funny. Great atmosphere!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
With all the raving reviews, we must have hit this place on an off night. Firstly, it was so uncomfortable - it must have been 85 degrees in there (not a hot day outside) and all the tap water was fairly warm as well. We were looking forward to their extensive wine menu but they wouldn't serve us, apparently they were too busy? And the food was simply inedible - searing hot spices that were just so overpowering you couldn't taste anything. Ended up going down the street to the food carts to actually get something we could eat (and drink something cold - phew!). Disappointed as hole in the wall spots in southeast are usually always a hit.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 2
One of my favorite ethiopian restaurants! Stay on your toes tho, the owner likes to throw ppl off with his off the cuff humor ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
It’s a hard no for me when I go to a restaurant and the server is rude and tells me not to speak for my children when ordering. He was incredibly sarcastic and I am not impressed with this place and will not be returning. Joking or not, don’t tell my child to look in your eyes when he’s ordering. You would think with all the poor reviews about how rude he is that he would TRY to do better but unfortunately it is not the case
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
We recently made our first post pandemic visit to Bete-Lukas, and everything was refreshingly similar to the way it always has been. The gentleman who attends to the tables is still a delight to chat with, and the food remains a neighborhood highlight. Spice levels continue to be just right - hot enough to be flavorful, mild enough to avoid being painful.The restaurant continues to be very low key from outside - if you aren't specifically heading there, it would be easy to miss. Go up the stairs on the south side of the building and you'll find the door - it's not visible from the sidewalk. Inside, they appear to have made some updates to the lighting - it remains subdued and contributes to a calm, relaxing environment for enjoying your meal.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lentil Sambusa, TIBS, Enjera
This place is such a hidden gem in Portland! The service you receive is incredibly personal and refreshingly entertaining and the food does not disappoint! I wish service could be this good everywhere! We've had Ethiopian cuisine several times in the past and this place is right at the top! Our server was absolutely the best we've ever had and completely turned the evening into a core memory outing! We loved every minute of our time here and can't wait to come back and bring friends!Vegetarian options: Vegetarian=Vegan on the menu. Do not let that hold you back, they're EXTREMELY vegan friendly!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5