'Queen of Sheba' Brings Taste of Ethiopia to Tampa

Those looking to satisfy an appetite for an intriguing and exotic dining experience need look no further than Queen of Sheba.

“I have gained so many friends” says Seble Gizaw of her experience as owner of the Ethiopian restaurant located at 3636 Henderson Blvd. It is currently the only restaurant in Tampa to serve authentic East African cuisine.

Giwaz was born and raised in the Ethiopian providence of Kaffa, the birthplace of coffee. She moved to the U.S.  20 years ago in order to pursue an education. After obtaining a degree in Business Management she moved to Tallahassee, then to Orlando, and finally settled in Tampa in order to be closer to her church, the Ethiopian Orthodox church in Riverview. While entertaining the idea of opening a small business, she found the ideal restaurant space on Henderson Boulevard, and decided to open Queen of Sheba.

“The Tampa people made it open,” laughed Gizaw as she remembered the overwhelmingly positive response at the restaurant’s opening, during which she had to enlist the help of friends and family to help serve patrons. The menu was not even complete yet. “It was a great welcoming.”

Ethiopian cuisine, if anything, is very spicy.  Berbere, a key seasoning used in nearly all dishes, contains chili peppers, ginger, garlic, and as many as 20 other spices and herbs. The staple food in Ethiopian cuisine is a slightly sour flatbread called Injera. Injera is  made using teff flour, a gluten-free grain native to the Ethiopian Highlands. Traditionally, Injera is used in lieu of utensils, often folded to scoop up meats and vegetables or used to soak up savory stews. Gizaw encourages customers to indulge in the cultural experience by eating with Injera, but utensils are provided upon request.

Almost all dishes are served as wots, traditional stews made with sautéed onions, garlic, ginger and other Ethiopian spices. The meats within wots are heavily steeped in herbs and spices. Doro Wot, a chicken wot, is the national dish of Ethiopia. Other Wots include Le Beg Wot (lamb stew) and Tibs Wot (beef stew). Tibs has its own special seasoning, and it is sautéed rather than stewed.

For first-time visitors, Giwaz recommends the Queen’s Eight, a sample platter of 8 different meat and vegetable entrees of the cook’s choosing, nestled in a bed of injera. In accordance with tradition, sheets of Injera are served with the entrees.

The chicken and eggs listed on the menu are free range.  Injera is available in an all-teff, gluten free variant. Nearly half of the menu is vegetarian, and the vegetables used in these dishes are bought exclusively from local fresh markets. Giwaz says this makes the food more authentic because fresh food purchased locally is the only way to buy food in Ethiopia.

“That’s how they eat it back home.” she says.

Giwaz looks forward to November, when Queen of Sheba will have its third anniversary. She plans to celebrate the event by hosting live Ethiopian music and dancing.