Messob Ethiopian Restaurant Menu (Update 2025)
Welcome to Messob Ethiopian Restaurant, a gem located in the heart of Oakland. This vibrant eatery specializes in traditional Ethiopian cuisine, offering a delightful array of dishes that cater to both vegans and meat lovers.
As you explore the menu, start with the Vegetarian Sambussa, triangular pockets filled with lentils and spices, or opt for the meaty Meat Sambussa for a flavorful bite. The vegetarian options are plentiful, featuring dishes like Misir Wot, a kicky lentil stew, and Mushroom Wot, a savory mushroom delight.
For meat enthusiasts, the Kitfo—tenderloin finely chopped and served rare—is a must-try, paired perfectly with Ethiopian spiced butter. The atmosphere is casual yet lively, ideal for families or groups. With alluring flavors and a menu that sparks joy, Messob is perfect for your next dinner outing. Don't forget to enjoy it all with injera, the traditional sourdough flatbread that pulls everything together!
Appetizers
Vegetarian Sambussa
Ethiopian style triangular phyllo-dough pockets, stuffed with whole lentils, fresh garlic, jalapeno and onions.
Meat Sambussa
Ethiopian style triangular phyllo-dough pockets, stuffed with beef, fresh garlic, jalapeno and onions.
Salad
Hearts of green leaf lettuce, onions, tomatoes, and jalapeno mixed with corn oil and Ethiopian style house dressing.
Chicken Tibs Salad
Sauteed marinated chicken over salad.
Beef Tibs Salad
Sauteed marinated beef over salad.
Timatim Fitfit
Blended fresh Roma tomatoes, onions, jalapeno peppers, and fresh garlic pureed with corn oil and mixed with house dressing and injera pieces.
Telba Fitfit
Lightly roasted and freshly ground flaxseed mixed with a combination of fresh tomato, onion, jalapeno and injera pieces.
Misir Wot
Organic split red lentils simmered with onions, garlic, berebere sauce and a blend of mild Ethiopian herbs, spiced just enough to have a bit of a kick.
Ater Kik Alicha
Light vegetarian stew made from organic split pea in turmeric sauce cooked with garlic and touch of mild Ethiopian herbs.
Gomen Wot
Fresh chopped collard greens, onions, garlic and Ethiopian herbs cooked in corn oil.
Shiro Wot
Pureed chick peas cooked with onion, garlic, Ethiopian herbs and spices.
Atakelt Wot
Fresh yellow cabbage, long cut carrots and potatoes cooked with onions, garlic and corn oil.
Buticha
Spiced and powdered chickpeas cooked in oil, onions and jalapeno mixture.
Mushroom Wot
Mushrooms simmered with onions, garlic, berebere sauce and a blend of mild Ethiopian herbs and spiced just enough to have a bit of a kick.
Tofu Dulet
Tofu cubes sauteed with jalapenos, onions and mitmita (spiced chili powder).
Vegetarian Combination
Small dollops of misir wot, ater kik alicha, gomen wot, shiro wot and atakelt wot.
Vegetarian Combination with Buticha
Vegetarian Combination with Mushroom Wot
Vegetarian Combination with Buticha and Mushroom
Vegetarian and Vegan Dishes
Beef Entrees
Kitfo
Extra lean, finely chopped tenderloin of beef, traditionally served very rare, warmed only with melted nittir, kibbe, Ethiopian purified and spiced butter. This purified butter is further spiced with a special herb called koseret that gives Kitfo its unique and distinct flavor. It can be served raw, lightly cooked or well-cooked with Ayeb (home-made cheese).
Special Kitfo
Extra lean ground beef seasoned with mitmita (spiced chili powder) and mixed with Ethiopian spiced butter. Served with three different varieties of seasoned cheese and greens.
Kitfo Dulet
Extra lean ground beef served very rare with chopped jalapeno, onions and mitmita (spiced chili powder) and warmed with Ethiopian spiced butter.
Gored Gored
Lean cubed beef tenderloin simmered in a blend of jalapeno, onions, awaze and Ethiopian spiced butter served raw or rare.
Beef Tibs
Tender chopped beef sauteed to perfection with onions, fresh rosemary and jalapeno pepper then rapidly fried in seasoned corn oil.
Awaze Tibs
Tender cubes of beef marinated in Awaze, sauteed with fresh onions, jalapeno and fresh rosemary.
Gomen Besega
Fresh collard greens and beef simmered in mild sauce seasoned with spices and herbs.
Sega Wot
Hot and spicy beef stew made of lean beef cubed and simmered slowly in berbere, nittir kibbe, finely chopped onions and garlic.
Bozena Shiro
Pureed chickpeas simmered in a rich house sauce and ground beef spiced with butter.
Banatu
Injera tossed in a succulent sauce of tender chunks of lean beef sauteed in berbere, onions, garlic and blend of Ethiopian herbs.
Quanta Firfir
Quanta is the traditional Ethiopian technique for naturally preserving meat. It is marinated in salt and red pepper and dried naturally giving it a unique and subtle flavor when cooked into stew and served tossed with pieces of injera.
Alicha Fitfit
Tender pieces of lamb braised slowly in turmeric sauce, flavored with an Ethiopian herb, garlic and spiced butter tossed with pieces of injera.
Fish Goulash
Boneless cubes of tilapia lightly breaded and sauted in fresh garlic, onions, tomatoes and jalapeno, served with salad.
Fish Tibs
Thin slices of fillet tilapia lightly breaded and pan fried in corn oil, served with side salad and misir wot.
Shrimp Tibs
Fresh shrimp sauteed with fresh onions and jalapeno mixed with little bit of mitmita.
Fish and Shrimp Dishes
Poultry
Doro Wot
Hot and spicy chicken stew simmered slowly in berbere sauce with onions, garlic, seasoned butter, and a pinch of cardamom with boiled egg and a chicken drumstick.
Doro Tibs
Boneless marinated chicken sauteed with onions, jalapeno, garlic and rosemary.
Beg Tibs
Succulent chunks of fresh lamb marinated and sauted in butter seasoned with onions, jalapeno and rosemary.
Beg Awaze Tibs
Succulent chunks of fresh lamb marinated in Awaze and sauteed in butter seasoned with onions, jalapeno and rosemary.
Beg Alicha
Tender pieces of lamb braised slowly in turmeric sauce, flavored with Ethiopian herbs and garlic.
Meat Combination
A combination of doro wot, beg alicha and sega wot.
Messob Special
A combination of vegetarian messob and meat messob.
Lamb
Side Dishes
Gluten-Free Injera
Homemade Baklava
Honey soaked nut pastry.