The Black-owned restaurant opened during the 1990s.[3][4] Alem Gebrehiwot was the owner, as of 2020.[5]
Reception
In 2016,[6] 2017,[7] and 2020, Willamette Week readers named Queen of Sheba the city's top Ethiopian restaurant in an annual "best of Portland" poll.[8] In an overview of the city's "exceptional" Ethiopian food, Eater Portland's Maya MacEvoy wrote:
The casual-but-lively Queen of Sheba introduced many unfamiliar Portlanders to Ethiopian food when it opened in the ‘90s, quickly snagging local accolades and distributing injera, berbere, and other Ethiopian imports at markets around town. The folks at Queen of Sheba don’t play, spice-wise; all dishes arrive at a solid medium-hot. Those who can’t handle the heat should order mild dishes like an aromatic alicha. Conversely, heat-seekers can expect a real kick by ordering dishes like tibbsi kinttishara, sauteed mushrooms in a spicy berbere sauce.[9]
