Back in 2018, Eritrea native Welday Gezehen opened Queen Sheba Eritrean Restaurant, sharing the cuisine of his homeland. Then in 2021, they announced the closing of its 5553 E. Grant Rd. location (where Amelia’s Mexican Kitchen currently operates) and relocated to 6470 E. 22nd. St.
However, in August 2021, they closed once more for remodeling. Fast forward to today and Queen Sheba has officially reopened for business at 6470 E. 22nd St.
Gezehan and his family left the northeast African country Eritrea as refugees in 2006 and lived in the neighboring country Ethiopia for three years before moving to the U.S. In 2018, Tucson Foodie interviewed Gezehen about Eritrean cuisine and the differences and similarities to Ethiopian cuisine.
“Ethiopia and Eritrea are separate countries, but the recipes are pretty much the same,” said Gezehen. “Both cuisines make heavy use of berbere, a blend of peppers, garlic, ginger, basil, fenugreek, and other spices. Both cuisines also feature injera, a spongy pancake-like sourdough-risen flatbread torn with your hands and used to scoop up the stews.”
Read our January 2018 article “Tucson’s First Eritrean Restaurant ‘Queen Sheba” now open.”
Right now, the current hours of operation at the new location is 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. daily.
Queen Sheba Eritrean Restaurant is located at 6470 E. 22nd St. For more information, visit queen-sheba.business.site.
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Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
