Kafa Cafe

I find it very odd that this place serves normal American food for breakfast and lunch, but switches to Ethiopian for dinner … I suppose it’s a business tactic? I also find it odd that there are next to no Ethiopian restaurants in a city as large as Miami. But I digress — this place is delightful.
I am a HUGE fan of Ethiopian food, and this place didn’t disappoint. The service was friendly and low-​key, and the food was delicious, every bite! I had the vegetarian platter, and loved all 5 of the different options — lentils, cabbage and potatoes, a salad, and a couple other things. Not overly spicy, but super flavorful. The injera (spongy bread) was to die for … I asked for an extra portion because I ate all of mine in .2 seconds, and the server brought us a huge extra serving, and didn’t even charge us — nice!
The BF had the meat combo — chicken and beef. He was a newbie to Ethiopian and loved it. I get such a warm fuzzy feeling when I introduce people to this fabulous cuisine option and they like it! I know it’s not for everybody. We also had glasses of the Ethiopian honey wine, which I’ve never tried before, and it was lovely. Very sweet, but went well with the spicy foods. Also, the prices are REALLY reasonable. I was stuffed to the gills when we left, I still took food home, and our check was way cheaper than I expected.
Ahhh Kafa Café, I had a simply lovely evening. A great experience to counter balance the terrible dinner we had elsewhere a few nights ago. I am redeemed. :)

Located in Midtown Miami, a block south of I-​195 near Biscayne Boulevard. Casual and friendly with good food. Ethiopian cuisine only served for dinner (the breakfast and lunch menu is different). Not the best Ethiopian food I have had (such as in New York and San Francisco) but quite good nonetheless. You should go.
For those who are unfamiliar with it, Ethiopian food is similar to Indian food with a lot of flavor, some but not all of it is spicy, and it is often mushy in texture. You can eat it dipping with a soft bread and your hands, or use a knife and fork.
At this place, it is priced appropriately and economically for the ample portions and casual ambiance. Service was friendly and attentive enough (we had to ask for a refill of the hot sauce three times).
I recommend either the meat combo for $ 14 or the vegetarian combo for $ 14 or the meat/​veggie combo for 3 people for $ 40. The Doro Wot chicken dish with a nice thick brown gravy was good, as was the dish with small lamb tips. The lentil appetizer wrapped in the amazing, expanding injera bread was very good, too. The lentils in it had a crunchiness that was wonderful.
Address is 3535 NE 2^nd Ave, Miami, FL 33 137, [ – ]. The website failed to launch.

Miami is so devoid of ethnic food for being such a large city.
No, I don’t consider latin food to be ethnic because American food is more a rare ethnicity around here!
Fortunately we do have some choices.
Originally there was only Sheba, but it was pricey so I never bothered to go there. Kafa is our first affordable Ethiopian restauraunt, and Sheba seems to have priced themselves out of the market for good so I believe Kafa is now our ONLY Ethiopian resturaunt.
Ethnic food should never be expensive or nobody will want to try it, and the owners seem to understand that. That alone is worth supporting them.
When I think of ethnic food I think of food from cultures very different from our own although surprisingly, Ethiopian food is not that very different once you try it.
Then again, the way it’s traditionally eaten does take some getting used to for some, it’s perfect for people who love to eat with their hands!
The food is known for it’s spicyness but they tone it down quite a bit here which I find a little disappointing but it’s still good nonetheless.
My suggestion is to come here with a group of friends and order a little bit of everything on the menu and share it on a big plate, and don’t forget the ditch the forks!

I went here for dinner. It is actually the second Ethiopian place I’ve been to in Miami.
My girlfriend and I ordered the Gabeta which is a platter of 5 entrees of your choice and 2 vegetable platters for $ 40. It’s a pretty big platter that can comfortably satisfy 3 people.
We ordered 2 chicken entrees, 2 beef entrees, and 1 lamb entrée. The only entrée I remember the name of was the Doro Wat which is chicken stewed in red pepper sauce. Its really good. It reminds me of Adobo chicken (the Filipino dish not the spice) because of the texture and strong flavor cooked into the chicken. My second favorite part of the meal was the red lentil dish. I love the sweet smoky flavor it had. Everything was served on top of Injera bread along with 6 rolled up Injera breads which are used to eat with like utensils. If you’ve never had it, its a like a spongy flatbread. I suggest putting your utensils aside and dig in with the Injera (wash your hands first).
This place is really 3.5 stars, possibly 4, but the only problem I had was the service was a little slow for my taste. Don’t get me wrong, they were incredibly friendly. But the place was empty. I would think they would be a little more attentive, but then it could also be a good thing (I also hate it when a waiter comes by every 3 minutes to ask you if everything is OK).

This was my first Ethiopian experience. My boyfriend and I went for an early dinner and had amazing service. We each had a meat combination platter (1&2), so we could sample more items from the menu. The food was fresh, with just the right amount of spice. With the combos you can choose two veggies as sides. We ordered the Yetimatin Fitfit (tomatoes w/​jalapenos), yatakit wot (potatoes/​cabbage, yemirsir wot (red lentils w/​chili sauce), and the gomen wot (collards). Everything was just wonderful. I loved the spongy injera bread. We also had a glass of the honey wine, which is honey with hops. It was very sweet, so I don’t think I could have had more than one glass, but it was a nice addition to the meal.
Again, I this was my first time, so I don’t have any other ethiopian cuisine to compare it to. We had two of the most pricey entrees and a glass of wine each, plus tip for about $ 50. Definitely worth a try for something different.

Ethiopian Restaurants in Miami might seem rare, but Kafa Café, a little gem located in Miami’s midtown, proves that anything is possible.
I am going to keep this short and sweet, because I am not one who frequents Ethiopian restaurants, and do not want to pretend to be a connoisseur… My friend Julie and I ordered 2 dishes, one beef and one lamb, and one of each vegetable on the menu. Our meals were served on one large platter, over a thin pankcake-​like bread called Injera, with extra crêpe rolls on the side. You can either eat with your hands, rolling the thick dishes into the crêpe’s, or with a fork and knife. The presentation was beautiful.
The meat was very tender, and the lamb was not heavy nor gamey… the vegetables were delicious, thick, and spiced perfectly with spices similar to Indian food. The owner said that the secret is in the chili peppers that they use, flown in directly from Ethopia! She informed us that other important spices, consistent throughout all Ethopian dishes, are garlic and tumeric, both of which contain significant healing powers.
There was no one else in the restaurant, sad for a tuesday night, but I almost felt as if we were eating a home cooked meal in an authentic Ethiopian kitchen.
Overall, I highly recommend Ethiopian food if you have never tried it, and specifically Kafa Café. The experience of eating with your hands is out of the ordinary, and certainly enjoyable.

July 7, 2009
I decided to try Kafa for lunch this past week because I have heard so many people talk about it. What a disappointment — from the servers to the food to the place.
I parked down the street on 35^th where there are plenty of meters. I did see some people parking near the train tracks but I don’t recommended doing this because NE 2^nd is very busy during the day.
I had asked a friend to join me there. While I waited for her, I worked on my blackberry and asked for a glass of water. The waitress asked me 5 times if I was ready to order, all the while I told her that I was waiting for someone. The place was not full at all. A couple outside and a table of construction guys inside.
At lunch they have a «ethiopian» buffet. The choices were chicken or goat for the meats, yellow rice, garbanzos and a lentil soup. We decided to try the buffet because we had already talked ourselves into Ethiopian. (I didn’t know that the Ethiopian food was only served for dinner.) I chose the rice and the goat. The rice was so bland it wasn’t worth the calories. The goat was so greasy and the pieces were so small that all that was on my plate was grease. My friend got the chicken (only chicken legs). It was also bland. More disappointment followed with the injera. It was rolled up and when I unrolled my piece it was stale and not spongy at all. It was almost leathery.
I decided to go back to the buffet and grab a bowl of the lentil soup. When i grabbed a bowl it was dirty and crusty. I grabbed a second bowl and it had a roach in it. I notified the lady behind the buffet table about it and she looked at it and just shrugged and put the bowl upside down on the buffet table.
My friend asked for a salad and she was brought a HUGE salad and she asked if she could get a half portion or side salad instead. The waitress told her that it was the only size salad they served. My friend asked her if they could make an exception and just bring her a small salad and the waitress told her that the house salad consisted only of lettuce. She brought that out and with it came the olive oil and vinegar containers. The olive oil was empty so we asked for another one and it never arrived.
I drank my water and asked for the bill. It was $ 25 for the two of us (the buffet is $ 10 per person). We sat there talking about the food and trying to catch up on other things after the bill was given to us and the waitress kept asking us if we were ready to pay the bill. Again, the place was empty and I felt like we were being rushed out.
I was very disappointed and as I was walking out, there was a huge dead roach right at the entry.
I miss Sheba. I wish they wouldn’t have moved. I love Ethiopian food and have had some really good dishes in Washington DC while I lived there. Kafa didn’t come close to this or anything remotely close to Ethiopian food. Maybe the dinner menu is better but after this experience, I doubt I’ll go back.
I gave it one star because there isn’t an option for zero stars.

For my birthday, my husband decided to surprise me with one of my fav cuisines — Ethiopian. We love Ethiopian food but always ate it in other citites. He said this place had great reviews, so we def needed to try it out. We went there wednesday night around 6pm and there was one other couple there. It started to get busier by the time we were getting ready to leave.
For an appetizer we ordered the Azeta Roll. For the entrees we decided on the meat combinations (combo #1 and #2). Drinks were water.
We parked our car across the street next to a train track because we didn’t see a parking lot. I wasn’t too crazy about the location because it seemed kinda dead (maybe we’re just used to Chicago and South Beach). Just outside the entrance was a quaint little courtyard area with tables and chairs, but we chose to sit indoors to avoid the heat and the sound of cars zooming by. The decoration inside was simple and clean– nothing too extravagant. The hostess was very friendly and made sure our water was filled. We decided to order the Azeta Roll. It probably took about 10 min or so before they brought it out. It was basically just lentils rolled up in injera (ethopian bread) cut into 6 – 8 small bite-​size rolls. It came with a semi-​sweet reddish dipping sauce. I had to keep double-​dipping each roll in the sauce otherwise it tasted a little bland. My husband and I thought these were just ok.
About 10 – 12 min or so later, the entrees came out. Wow! You could see the rising from the big family-​style dish and it smelled sooo good! My husband and I were very impressed with the entrees. They were delicious & so tasty! Each combo platter came with 2 meat and 2 veggies dishes and they all tasted like they were just made 10 min ago from scratch. We loved it! It’s also a LOT of food so we were full, but in a good way. We did ask for extra injera but they didnt charge us for it. We both would definitely come back for those combo platters!
With the appetizer and entrees, we paid about $ 50ish including tax & tip (which we’ve found to be typical for Ethiopian restaurants). It’s actually a very good price considering that you get a lot of food. You’ll walk out satisified and 10 lbs heavier!
PRO
Def order combo #1 and #2, you basically get almost everything on the menu
Service was excellent.
Price is very reasonable.
CON
Location was just okay.
Appetizer was filling but bland. Wont be ordering this.

I’m absolutely fascinated by ethnic food and when I heard about this place I obssesed about checking it out for weeks! Needless to say I finally had the chance and all the reviews I had read on Unilocal were so true… the place was beyond fantastic!
When we first got there for dinner, I was a bit concerned because the place seemed to be too desolate for a thursday night at the District. But we were tended to in a promptly fashion and our server (which I believe was also one of the owners) was one of the most delightful ladies I’ve had the pleasure of meeting in Miami. She chatted with us and answered all our questions, and even let us sample some of the traditional ethiopian honey wine (which was delicious, but definitely more of a dessert wine.)
Being that I am a vegetarian, the place catered to my every need. In fact, since I was so overwhelmed with my options, I opted for the vegetable platter which included an array of all the veggie dishes. I definitely recommend losing your inhibitions and replacing your utensils for the Injera (traditional ethiopian bread) and your fingers, it only adds to the experience!
The meal was more than satisfying, and we definitely got our money’s worth and more (my vegetarian platter was pricier but my friends paid around $ 8 for their dinner platters, definitely a bargain!). The service was also delightful and only enhanced the experience further. If you enjoy flavorful meals, I highly recommend you check Kafa out, you wont regret it! I know f’sure I’ll keep coming back!

My wife and I had dinner at Kafa a few weeks ago. We are huge fans of Ethiopian food and had many wonderful options when we lived in DC. Unfortunately, Miami has a very limited number of offerings and the last place we tried (Sheba) was very disappointing before closing shop (and moving to Hollywood?).
Hoping for the best and expecting the worst, we decided to try Kafa. The restaurant is located in midtown, in a poorly lit area across the street from railroad tracks (not sure they’re still in use). The ambience is not the type of place you take your date to impress. The staff was warm, friendly, and genuine. We ordered two specials that include two vegetable dishes each and asked for them to be served family style so we could share. The food was unbelievably good! The meat was tender, spiced perfectly, the sauces were great, the injera kept coming. Even the vegetables (collard greens, potatoes, green beans, carrots, salad), which I usually don’t attend to as much as the various meats (chicken, lamb, beef) were delicious.
In summary, if you’re looking for amazing Ethiopian food and a great price, this is THE place. If you’re looking for a sophisticated ambience, look elsewhere.

If you can ever get your hedonistic mind away from South Beach and venture into Midtown which is one of the fastest growing artsy areas in Miami then stop at this hidden treasure called Kafa Café which is an Ethiopian Restaurant. At first i had a problem with the name cos it rhymes with Kaffir or Kaffa which is a Derogatory Islamic word for unbeliever or in South Africa for a Negro but there goes my mind spinning out of usual but this place is far from any of my paranoia.
Its a Family owned Café and judging from the servers look the Owner is always there to greet us with a warm smile which is an anomaly in MIAM (Yeah i said it lol). I have only been there for Brunch and i make sure to order teh Omelets and have never been disappointed. I normally order the kafa Omelet i think that pretty much has a whole bunch of items mixed together and the potatoes are to die for made into some form of ethiopian hash brown with a side of fruit. I also order a side of bacon to go with it. You can eat inside or share your food with the Miami ninja flies outside if you please but its still a pleasant experience. For tourists they might find the area a bit desolate but trust me its safe and only a stone throw from the midtown shops.
I am yet to try it out for dinner because whenever i am in Miami i am probably wasted or dancing on top of some bars table but will try and make time for it someday but if you are ever looking for the best pound for pound omelet in miami dade county then try out kafa’s.

I’d been meaning to try this place out for a while now so when JoseLuis A mentioned having dinner here I called George M and decided to make a night out of it.
I’d never had Ethiopean food before so I asked the staff for help. They suggested a stewed beef of sorts with some veggies. JoseLuis an old pro told me to just unroll the pancake like looking bread and use that instead of a fork. Although a bit spicy it was good.
I agree with Ken D about the lighting, a little dimmer would be a whole lot better.
We all parked across the street near the train tracks just in front of the café and I can see how this might be difficult during the day. So go knowing the situation.

nice! im happy i finally tried kafa café. i came here for dinner last night with a friend of mine and then we were joined by maria a and mr george. i had heard about kafa serving ethiopian dinner and i love ethiopian cuisine. in all fairness, this place is four stars because miami has no other ethiopian restaurant which is totally lame.
i got the vegetarian platter and finished everything except the cottage cheese because i dont like stinky cheese. the purée lentils were nice and spicy. good flavors … i wish they had a menu online so i could write a more descriptive review but i guess you gotto go try it yourself.
if you love ethiopian or if youre curious about it, go to kafa for dinner and give it a shot. you will probably spend 20 $ (pp) beer and tip included.
nice!

Kafa Café has a yummy selection of vegetarian ethiopian food.
Went for dinner twice already and I absolutely love the place.
Small and intimate, good food, reasonable price and right
in the design district area. I’m a big fan of supporting small family owned
businesses, this place is one of them. I haven’t tried their breakfast or
brunch but dinner was good. Very nice people.

I love Midtown, and the fact that I can walk the streets (ok…no jokes) with a feeling of safety at night. However, when I’m feeling a bit dangerous, I walk to the wrong side of the Florida East Coast tracks to Kafa Café for Ethiopian food on Wed-​Sun nights. I’ve always found Ethiopian a good place to vet a first date. After all, they have to eat with their fingers, and try things like Kitfo (Ethiopian steak tartar)…what better way to test someone’s adventure-​tolerance?
The owners/​servers are friendly, the food is spicy and good, and, whether dine-​in or take-​out, we haven’t been disappointed. They do serve beer and wine, and usually have some old-​school disco or 80’s dance playing. While the lighting could be better, maybe it’s better to be brightly lit on the wrong side of the tracks. Safety first!

Nice little spot just outside the edge of Wynwood. I guess they have Ethiopian cuisine in the evening.
We went there for American breakfast in the morning though. It was good, affordable, the staff was friendly, and they have outdoor seating.
I’m not sure what Ethiopian food could be like? Is it spicy? If so, I’m THERE!

I came here on a Sunday afternoon and we were told they were serving breakfast all day, which is great since we were looking to have brunch.
I’m not sure if this is the case every Sunday but they were ONLY serving breakfast when I was there around 3 pm.
I had the California Egg White Omelette which came with Fruits, Home Fries and your choice of toast (I went wheat). Every egg dish gives you the choice of going egg white or egg beater for 75 cents extra.
The omelette was a very generous portion and was extremely tasty. My friends each had a veggie omelette and a kafa omelette, they were both equally as satisfied as I was.
Oh, and the best part is each meal was about $ 6.75. We were extremely surprised at how cheap the food was for being so good.
Kafa will now be one of my consistent breakfast spots.
P. S. They are now serving Ethiopian food for dinner, which I have yet to try.

ETHIOPIAN DINNER REVIEW:
I just ate at Kafa Café today for the first time — and the food really filled me up. The prices are very reasonable for dinner hours. I think they’re only offering the Ethiopian dinner menu from 5 pm to 10 pm.
The food was tasty and well made — I wouldn’t mind coming back, especially now that it’s the only Ethiopian in Miami. The most expensive individual plate went up to $ 15.
I had the number 2 of the meat combo (sorry, Ethiopian names throw me off as I’m not that familiar with the cuisine yet as to memorize the name). But basically I had Ethiopian style ginger/​red chili beef and ginger/​tumeric chicken — and with Ethiopian style collard greens and ginger/​tumeric potatoes and they were good. There were also several dinner plates for $ 8.
The owners were nice and the service was good. And it was interesting to learn how they had come up with the name like Kafa Café. Kafa is the name of the city where the word coffee originated from — and it’s near the Ethiopian capital.
But I didn’t really think they focused much on the coffee as they should have, with a name like that. However, I’ll be back for the Ethiopian dinners!

Kafa Café is a hidden gem located on NE 2^nd Ave, just down the street from the Shoppes at Midtown. They serve breakfast and lunch, and offer takeout and delivery as well. Parking is a bit of a hassle in that area, so if you live or work nearby, delivery or picking up might be your best bet.
My co-​workers and I have been ordering from this place a bunch over the past month or so, and every time we love it! Their sandwiches offer unique combos (like the Roast Beef Supreme — with sauteed onions, mushrooms, sour cream and cheese on grilled bread — YUM!), and they all come with your choice of a side. And for the bargain basement price of $ 6 – 8 each, Kafa Café can’t be beat for lunch in midtown!
Their potato salad is awesome, and their fries are steak fries and are cooked till crispy and seasoned awesomely. The menu says all the sandwiches come with seasonal fruit, but in my experience, it’s just been a little orange wedge. No matter though, cause for $ 6.75 including a side, you won’t hear me complaining!

Kafa Café, I have a feeling you’re gonna be my new best lunch buddy.
In an up-​and-​coming area, you’ve got the perfect combo: tasty selection, nice ambiance, and great price points. What more can a working girl ask for?
Well, your Turkey Supreme sandwich (roasted turkey, sauteed onions, avocado, sour cream, and melted cheese) was achingly good. And for $ 6.75, you even came with a side order and a slice of cantaloupe? You gotta tell me what’s the secret ingredient in that mad-​delicious potato salad. My friend digs your onion rings. Well, your parking arrangements are kinda ghetto but that’s ok because I am too. BFFs 4eva.