Cafe Desta

After visiting Biosphere 2 up near Oracle – a site that I would definitely recommend one’s seeing – a friend from out-​of-​town and I returned to Tucson hungry for dinner. I have eaten at Zemam’s many a time, and I wanted to check out a different Ethiopian restaurant this time. So, we drove down to 758 South Stone Avenue, just South of downtown Tucson, to Café Desta.
Though it does not have a liquor license, Café Desta does allow people to bring in their own alcohol. We just decided to settle for their fruit drinks and a Coke, and both the Guava and the Mango were quite tasty and served in decent sized glasses. For our meal, we made the very good choice to go with the combination of five different offerings for two people for $ 25.00. We chose Alicha Doro, Kaye Beg, Beef Tibs, Misr and Tikil-​Gomen. They came on a communal plate that was lined with Teff Injera and was accompanied by a salad on the plate, as well. For dining, we each received two pieces of tart, tangy Teff Injera with which to scoop up the meal.
Now, living just outside of Washington, DC, with its large Eritrean, Ethiopian and Somali communities, I have dined at many Ethiopian restaurants in that area, especially in the part of town called Adams Morgan. Café Desta is excellent, and it is as good as any of them! One thing that impressed me, too, is that ofttimes when one orders any meat dish in an Ethiopian restaurant, one is hard pressed to find the meat. There may be one piece the size of a kitty kibble, and that’s it. Not so at Café Desta: There is really meat in their meat stews. That was a nice surprise. Furthermore, the food was all delicious with exotic seasonings. We enjoyed everything from the fruit drinks to the entrees to the Teff Injera. Café Desta is a winner, and I will be back!

I’m not sure what I ate, but it was soooo good. The menu is a little tricky if you aren’t familiar with Ethiopian food, so just ask for some help and you won’t be disappointed. Unfortunately, I don’t think Café Desta gets as much business as it should, simply because people are scared of Ethiopian food. I’m writing this review in the hope that I can convince you to be adventurous! They have a great décor and a full coffee/​espresso selection too!

I was torn between Desta and another restaurant and am so glad I picked this one. It was only me, but I had to try all the veggie dishes so that I could compare to 5 – 6 restaurants I’ve tried in Dallas. This might be better than all of Dallas. If you want all-​Teff injera, it’ll cost extra, but it’s gluten-​free, and it’s the traditional grain of Ethiopia. This place is BYOB, which is really nice too. The green lentil dish had a different flavor than I’m used to, but the veggie dishes that stood out were the collard greens, spinach, red lentils, cabbage, and green beans. All fantastic.

This food is amazing. The variety for both vegan and non-​vegan alike is exceptional and the food tasted fresh and warm. .. everything was served together so we could all enjoy at the same time. .. I love that. The staff was welcoming and pleasant and helped us with our order to make sure we had the best experience. The location is warm and comfortable and the interior is modern and stylish. This is a must visit restaurant and I am happy that it was recommended. Don’t miss it!

OMG … I’ve never had Ethiopian food but I saw they offered some gluten free options. Let me tell ya, this food was AWESOME and plentiful and authentic as I could imagine! The owner came out and chatted with us (and yep it was plenty busy) … and the super-​beautiful (in personality and otherwise) waitress was just so helpful and really really friendly!
Food came out fast and awesome and yummy. Their little back-​store was closed but looked cool! I haven’t had a chance to go back but I felt so healthy, nourished, a bit indulged and satisfied, I keep planning on returning.
I love that it is just so different and yet inviting! We had wine and some crazy big shared plate of food that I could have never made at home.
YUM!

We decided to come to Café Desta after the closing of Famous Ethiopian Restaurant that severely limited our options in the Phoenix area. It was late in the afternoon, and the restaurant was empty and neatly organized. The red brick décor included a good number of squared-​shaped tables, black and white paintings, and a café area in the back. There was enough indirect sunlight to fill the interior, and we find the relaxed atmosphere conducive to both group and intimate gatherings.
We eventually decided on two orders of Individual Combinations ($ 15 each), which included our choice of three meat and vegetarian items from the menu that each came with a basket of injera. Santi’s order came with Mirsir, Gomen, Kik, and salad. The consistency of these items were thick, not runny or greasy, and full of flavor. I especially enjoyed the Gomen, as the collard greens came with great textures. The well-​balanced flavors made it one of the best Gomen I had tasted to date. The Kik came with thick yellow split peas cooked with onion, turmeric, and herbs. It was slightly sweet and equally addictive and flavorful. Lastly, the Mirsir came with red lentils seasoned with heavier spicy berbere, onion, and herbs. There were noticeable kicks in the seasoning, but I wished there were stuffed jalapenos to notch things up to another level.
My order came with Alicha Doro, Kaye Asa, Kaye Beg and salad. The Alicha Doro came with chicken, turmeric, kibe, onions, and spices. The chicken was nicely shredded, tender, and presented itself as a lighter alternative to the ones cooked in berbere that I find common in many Ethiopian restaurants. The Kaye Asa was a pleasant surprise of the meal. There were plenty of tilapia that came with good texture cooked with spicy berbere, sharp onions, and other seasonings. Unfortunately, the Keye Beg was my least favorite, as the lamb cubes had dry spots and the one-​dimensional flavor failed to render any wow factor. The salad was fresh and lightly dressed with lemon juice, olive oil, and pepper to counteract the heavier flavors.
Servings were sizable, and the accompanied injera were thin but held the food together quite well. Service was kind, friendly, and knowledgeable. Overall, it was a wonderful visit that exceeded our expectations. In terms of Tucson, we thought Zemam’s was good too, but prefer Café Desta due to the richer consistency and lesser grease used in the food. I hope to return to try the Ayeb, Shiro, and Lamb Tibs.

Long time, first time.
Have always loved me some Café Desta. It’s my, aaah, top destAnation (Laffy Taffy status).
The Shorba soup and the bread that goes straight to my thighs is wonderful. Add a mint tea or glass of mango juice and I’m all warm and fuzzy.
Skip the hipster haven next door and hit up Desta!

Favorite place in town for Ethiopian. It’s delicious and affordable! Not to mention in a pretty cool neighborhood with Bön, a great homewares shop, right next door. We always go for the combo for 2, which gets you 5 items for $ 25! Plus injera and salad. I go for the Misr, kik, Alicha Doro, Kaye Doro, and Ayeb. If you’re a lentil fanatic like myself, the spicy Misr cannot be missed (honestly wish it were spicier, but so good). Their injera is perfect every time and staff is always very friendly. If you think you don’t like Ethiopian, think again and try Desta.

Sometimes after only a few minutes in a place you know it’s going to be excellent. That was my experience with Cage Desta. The ambience was cozy yet elegant, the staff were friendly, the tea was delicious, and as soon as I laid eyes on the food, I knew it was going to be delicious.
There are tons of options both for vegans and meat eaters and everything is pretty reasonably priced. The mint tea was good but the Earl Grey was absolutely out of this world. The mesir and ayeb were probably my favorite parts of my meal and the injera perfectly complimented everything on my plate.
I will definitely be coming back!

It was an experience. I can say the soup was delicious. Entrees are tasty. I would recommend the chef to warm the bread.

I came here on my recent trip back home to Tucson and ended up going to the café several times just to get the coffee and visit with various relatives. The café location itself is very inviting and relaxed inside compared to the hustle and bustle outside and it’s a welcoming atmosphere. Good food that even the baby liked and reasonably priced lunch deals.
Tip: Get the Ethio-​Latte because it is so good and smooth.

If you haven’t tried Ethiopian food, this is the place to go! It’s always such a cool experience eating the food with «bread» instead of silverware. I got the combo for two with first five listed vegan options. They were all so flavorful and I would order all of them again. We waited about ten minutes in the lobby for anyone to even realize we came through the door but when we were seated, the service was excellent-​never had an empty cup and they are so so friendly.

What a treat, our Ethiopian friend, Jacob, introduced us to this restaurant. Six of us ate the «Whole Works» and enjoyed everything. We will return.

We enjoyed this affordable and tasty restaurant. We shared a platter that allowed us to sample 5 different dishes. They were all tasty and flavorful. It was served on piece of injera and we each got our own basket of injera to eat. The service was courteous and attentive. It is a little off the beaten path, but still close to downtown Tucson. It was a light and airy space. I would definitely return and recommend it to others. I am certainly not an expert on Ethiopian cuisine, but it was comparable to other places I have enjoyed.

Hmmm… it’s weird that I’ve never written a review of Café Desta. We eat here fairly frequently. (Our next door neighbor went to high school with the owner and she loves to bring us here.)
It’s a nice space, very open and modern, and you rarely have to wait for a table.
Pretty much 100% of the time I’ve eaten here, we ended up ordering «The Works,» which is a giant plate of injera with 1 of everything on the menu. Everything is pretty good, although there are some pieces that everyone seems to like better than others. The split peas never get much love, but the chick peas and lentils are always spot on. I’ve had tastier spinach/​collard greens in other Ethiopian joints but overall the food here is high quality and enjoyable. The chicken is always juicy and tender. You get some little green salads mixed in there too with the cooked food.
After tonight I must warn diners NOT to order The Works if there are fewer than 4 people in your party. It’s a huge amount of food and there is something about the presentation in Ethiopian restaurants that almost compels you to overeat. It’s a better amount of food for 4 – 6 people, and they have other (smaller) combo platters.

If you haven’t seen other reviews yet just know the food is delicious. Absolutely amazing hands down. The only problem I always have with this resturant is that the lack of quality service is pretty
disheartening. From now on I take my food to go because that’s how bad the service is. And I go on a regular basis, so every time I go here the service is very crappy.

Try the Sampler Plate with some friends !
I found this gem using Unilocal and I was pleasantly surprised to find authentic Ethiopian food. The staff is friendly and they are willing to help you choose something delicious. If you haven’t tried Ethiopian food yet, this is a great place to start. They also offer Ethiopian coffee. I can’t wait to return!

Tucked away, but not far from downtown is an excellent Ethiopian restaurant attached to 5 points market. They share seating. Desta is byob so bring a bottle of wine to pair. I always get the combo platter to taste a little of everything, although the vegan shiro is my favorite. I was able to go back into the kitchen during an Arizona locals event and learn how to make injera bread. Very cool.

This place is 5 stars for real, not like all the other fake 5 star places everyone reviews. I’m going to keep it simple.
Unique, delicious, flavorful food. All of the details are paid attention to here. Water has a hint of lemon. The place is clean and décor adds to the authenticity. I’m coming back!

Lovely ambiance, convenient location, free WiFi and hospitable service. The fact that an Ethiopian restaurant exists in Tucson took me by surprise and made me very happy. In theory, this place is well-​executed and their coffee and tea selections are well done and truly authentic.
So why 3 stars? Because the food, while pretty tasty, is not authentic. Ethiopian is not eaten with a fork, nor does it come with rice. Additionally, the flavors were a tad bland and left out some important ingredients: kibe (Ethiopian spiced cooking butter) and teff in the injera (which I believe was mostly flour in this case). In any case, if you’re not all that familiar with Ethiopian cuisine and are looking for a safe introduction, this is a good place to start. However, if you are looking for authenticity and tastes that aren’t too downplayed for the American palate, then just limit your expectations a bit.