Lunch Box

This is a hole in the wall with good authentic Ethiopian food. There was only one man there who waited on us and cooked the food. He was super nice, we had a bit of a language challenge communicating with each other but his graciousness translated well.

I got an Ethiopian beer which was refreshing on a hot day and the non-veg combo with injira bread was delicious.

The place itself is an extremely casual, hole-in-the-wall, mom&pop kind of place, so expect a very simple decor and homey meal. I phoned in an order for take-out and had their Kitfo "special" (with fresh jalapenos, recommended to me instead of the regular Kitfo) at medium-rare and lamb tibs at a mild spiciness. Communication was slightly rough but eventually got through and the pickup was smooth. The menu is relatively small, but focused on a core set of dishes.

Noteworthy is that this place has the most traditional injera I've found in the area so far, as their injera has considerably more teff than wheat (and a notably more sour taste and less volume to it). I can't tell you if it's 100% teff, but it has that distinctive sourness and coloration to say that it's high. It's expensive to import teff flour so most spots will charge a premium for it if it's even offered at all, let alone serve it by default (absolute pro for this place in my mind, but folks may prefer the more common wheat injera).

The fact they offer variable spicy level is a departure from most Ethiopian spots I know, but the flavor for the lamb tibs came up a bit short on taste so I can't help but feel this contributed. I will attempt to convince my brother to brave higher heats, but keep this in mind if you modify the heat down. The Kitfo was delicious, but notably quite spicy. They don't hold back when it comes to spiciness level! Each entree had a good portion size and got a good amount of injera to boot.

Overall, I happily recommend it as a casual eatery for those looking for traditional injera in their ethiopian meals. Contrary to their name, it'd appear that they're open quite late too.

We were here on Sunday and ordered Kitfo and Yebeg Tibs to go.

Pro:
Both dishes were outstanding, both flavorful and delicious. Highly recommend Kitfo (they can be rare, medium-rare, or well done, we got medium-rare)

If you can't handle spicy, remember to get non-spicy when they ask. I didn't think Ethiopian food was known for its spicy level, so it took me by surprise how spicy it was (I can handle spicy food BTW).

Con:
The phone order process was a challenge. I asked for the Goden Tibs (Lunchbox Special), and they said they didn't have it. I then tried to order Kitfo, since I couldn't pronounce it, so I spelled it out for her, but it took a while to get the message crossed.

If you are looking for their menu, go to Google and use their menu pics.


Overall, although the phone order was a hassle, but overall, loved their food and especially the Kitfo (I would love to try the rare version next time).

My new favorite Ethiopian food in San Jose! Exactly how I hope Ethiopian dishes to be prepared and taste. The chicken doro wat and the lamb tibs firfir were my favorite. Vegetarian sampler was right on point. The beef was ok. None of us liked the tej, though.
Feels unpretentious (no frills) and also authentic and loved by people who know Ethiopian food.

The nice gentleman who served and cooked was so kind and Gracious! There were only men at the night bar as I went after 10:30pm when this was the only place open. Loud music was an interesting cozy atmosphere and I felt safe despite being the only women there. Everyone was nice...food was great!

I got served rotten food. Veggies were slimy, smelly, and smelled bad. I've never ever had rotten food served. This is so disappointing.

Recently discovered this place and it does not disappoint!

The restaurant has a small but homey atmosphere and offers a couple unique dishes here that I do not see at other Ethiopian style restaurants as well and different variations of some of my favorite dishes such as the kitfo.

The customer service here is great as well as the owner is always present and constantly will check up to see if the food is great.

This is my second visit here and the quality and service here has been consistent so far so I hope this establishment will see growth.

First time ever trying Ethiopian food and it was fantastic. I had the Kitfo and it was unlike anything I've ever had, they really know their spices and the injera was a very interesting first experience. They also had the Warriors v Celtics game on and the energy in the room was contagious.

I can't wait to try other dishes, I'm so excited to go down this rabbit hole.

Landed in San Jose around 10pm and I wanted to grab a bite before heading over the mountain to Santa Cruz. I noticed this place was on the way and open late, so I stopped off to try it out.

When I first arrived, the owner greeted me with a smile and a handshake. I called in my order in advance, so nearly as soon as I sat down his wife brought me my food - also with a friendly smile on her face.

This was my first experience with Ethiopian food so the presentation alone was somewhat of a spectacle. There was a big round dish (somewhat like a pizza pan) covered with Ethiopian flat bread, called Injera. Injera is made of the highly nutritious and gluten-free tef grain, which is unique to Ethiopia. On the side of the circular plate of Injera was what I would describe as a creamy Ethiopian curry - mine was vegetarian - made of puréed chickpeas, an assortment of veggies, and some delicious spices. To eat, you scoop the curry onto the flatbread and then eat it.

Overall an absolutely delicious experience! The friendly, welcoming owners made my day.

First time at Lunch Box . My family and I were gladly surprised with the Food and the hours too ! Sometimes we have dinner late and is very hard to find good food after regular hours . I enjoyed my vegetarian combo and our daughter has been craving the lamb tibs fir fir for long time since she moved out of town ! Great service and yummy food . Thanks !!