Gebeta Ethiopian Bar & Restaurant Opened in Cully

Photo credit: Keala V via Yelp

In the “Well, I’m Late to the Party” category, I recently learned that Gebeta Ethiopian Bar & Restaurant opened in Cully last February. I’ve not gotten a chance to get over there, but online reviews are mostly positive. It’s located in part of Cully’s industrial section, and its presence there is a welcome surprise.

The area is probably best known, at least to those outside the general area, as “that place where that big fire was.” That happened in 2018 where NW Metals, their property filled with crushed metal cars and tires, caught fire. It was pretty bad, but that’s over; NW Metals moved out. And Gebeta has moved in to the general area, and I take that as a real positive.

Compared to most Ethiopian restaurants in town, it’s a little off the beaten track. The building they are in was home to a medical clinic for a while; Sunbelt Rentals is to their east; the great Gartner’s Meat Market is steps away to the west. Cully Park is not too far away, either, and if you haven’t gone, you should put that on your list for a visit. It’s a great park!

As one online reviewer says, “Don’t let the building scare you away.” There’s off-street parking, and a bus stop not too far from Gebeta. Inside you’ll find a bar and some tables (it’s apparently a smaller space). Eater visited earlier this year and had this to say: “[Gebeta] serves a strong lineup of Ethiopian standards, including tender beef and collard green dish gomen besiga and an allium-laden alicha wot. Gebeta’s take on bozena shiro is particularly nice, layered with berbere, as is the kitfo — for those who want theirs cooked.”

Yelper Colin R. remarked “The food is fantastic. The assa gulash was flavorful, but doesn’t taste “fishy”. The lentil sambusas were very tasty and hot. We got their stuffed jalepeños, which are essentially a type of salad. I got a dish made with jerked meat (forget the name) that was delicious. And their injera bread was very good, and they didn’t complain when we ordered one more. The next time we go, I will be getting the kitfo.” You can also view some of the things they offer, here (source: Google).

Gebeta is a family-run place, with a friendly, small staff, so it’s important to be patient. I love Ethiopian food and am so happy to know there is a place to try in Cully. I hope business is going well for them. I look forward to checking them out and will report back (either here or on social media) after I eat there.

A note on the address: PBOT has been changing the names of some of the streets in the general area there, so your GPS may or may not reflect that. Read more about what’s happening, here.

Gebeta Ethiopian Bar & Restaurant
7620 NE Killingsworth Street, Portland
gebetabar.com | Yelp