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.
