We had been planning a visit to this place for months, so perhaps our expectations were higher than they should have been. Unfortunately, the experience was very disappointing. There were seven of us, and we made a reservation in advance. When we arrived, the restaurant was nearly empty, with only a couple of other tables occupied. We were seated promptly, and at first, everything seemed fine. Two of us ordered honey wine, while the others ordered water and soda, along with a few appetizers. The drinks arrived about 30 minutes later, and the appetizers took roughly 70 minutes to come out—and they were served one at a time. At first, we assumed the delay was because the food was prepared fresh, but when the appetizers arrived, they were not hot as expected. Our main courses were served almost two hours after we arrived. In terms of flavor, we only truly enjoyed about 20% of the dishes. Several items were bland or cold. For example, the coconut rice had no flavor at all, and the tortillas were cold, as if they had just been taken out of the refrigerator. The sampler platter was especially disappointing and not worth ordering. Additionally, we ordered beef samosas but were served chicken instead. The overall cleanliness was also an issue. The tables around us were messy and dirty, and the bathrooms were extremely unclean. After discussing the experience among our group, it seemed clear that the restaurant lacks proper management and attention to detail. We left feeling truly disappointed after hoping to find a place in Valdosta that offered quality food and good service. Given how empty the restaurant was, the excessively long wait times were especially confusing. We ultimately had to stop at a fast-food restaurant afterward to satisfy our hunger. Unfortunately, we will not be returning.
Lion of Judah Ethiopian American Cuisine
Excerpts
We had been planning a visit to this place for months, so perhaps our expectations were higher than they should have been. Unfortunately, the experience was very disappointing. There were seven of us, and we made a reservation in advance. When we arrived, the restaurant was nearly empty, with only a couple of other tables occupied. We were seated promptly, and at first, everything seemed fine. Two of us ordered honey wine, while the others ordered water and soda, along with a few appetizers. The drinks arrived about 30 minutes later, and the appetizers took roughly 70 minutes to come out—and they were served one at a time. At first, we assumed the delay was because the food was prepared fresh, but when the appetizers arrived, they were not hot as expected. Our main courses were served almost two hours after we arrived. In terms of flavor, we only truly enjoyed about 20% of the dishes. Several items were bland or cold. For example, the coconut rice had no flavor at all, and the tortillas were cold, as if they had just been taken out of the refrigerator. The sampler platter was especially disappointing and not worth ordering. Additionally, we ordered beef samosas but were served chicken instead. The overall cleanliness was also an issue. The tables around us were messy and dirty, and the bathrooms were extremely unclean. After discussing the experience among our group, it seemed clear that the restaurant lacks proper management and attention to detail. We left feeling truly disappointed after hoping to find a place in Valdosta that offered quality food and good service. Given how empty the restaurant was, the excessively long wait times were especially confusing. We ultimately had to stop at a fast-food restaurant afterward to satisfy our hunger. Unfortunately, we will not be returning.
I am so impressed with this restaurant. My family doesn’t like to try new foods because they are picky but my son has celiac disease and a severe gluten allergy so finding places that can accommodate him are few and far between and the majority of Ethiopian food is naturally gluten free so we gave it a try. The food was amazing, the service was great, and they went above and beyond to make sure my son didn’t get sick. The wait was kind of long but honestly it was worth it and a lot of the wait was because they were being extra careful about keeping our food gluten free and safe from cross contact. We will definitely be going back.
I am so impressed with this restaurant. My family doesn’t like to try new foods because they are picky but my son has celiac disease and a severe gluten allergy so finding places that can accommodate him are few and far between and the majority of Ethiopian food is naturally gluten free so we gave it a try. The food was amazing, the service was great, and they went above and beyond to make sure my son didn’t get sick. The wait was kind of long but honestly it was worth it and a lot of the wait was because they were being extra careful about keeping our food gluten free and safe from cross contact. We will definitely be going back.
I usually try to find spots suited for my vegetarian husband. I look for spots with a wide selection of vegetarian options that are made to order with fresh non frozen ingredients. This spot was definitely it! Sambusas made of lentil and one of tofu. Yum!!!! Husband had the yellow lentil Wot and truly enjoyed it. I had the beef tibs. Both meals include Injera which is a fermented teft pancake like bread used to scoop your meal up with. We had utensils but did try to eat it the traditional way. Hibiscus and Lemonade were the drinks kf the evening. Husband loved the hibiscus also known as Sorrel in Jamaica. The ambience was very traditional. They had a video with music and videos of scene of Ethiopian. Please check this out!