Wow, I really need to update this review. I've been back several times since I last wrote and this place has won me over. The staff is consistently friendly, the food delicious, and the ambience is great for a date, dinner with friends, or a big group. I had my birthday dinner here, and they were able to accommodate a large group (around 20) in the room that they acquired to the left of the main restaurant. Ordering was a cinch, as we ordered 4 "The Works" plates for the table, which is a large sampling of almost every dish on the menu sans some specialty meat dishes. And as always, it's byob, meaning you can have a delicious, filling dinner with wine, for half the cost than another restaurant. I definitely recommend this place if you're looking for a place for a large group of adventurous eaters! read more

I was SUPER EXCITED for a new (only the second?!) Ethiopian place in town. Hearing about Desta made me so happy that I couldn't wait to get over and try it out. Went with my sweet girlfriend on her birthday to buy her dinner. We rode our bikes and enjoyed the cruise through downtown. We would love to go downtown or through downtown way more often, but we were really disappointed that when we got to the cafe, we found there was NO BIKE PARKING ANYWHERE. We had to lock up to the front entryway of the place (which wasn't easy and wouldn't hold more than two bikes). Isn't against the law for a business in Tucson to not have bicycle parking? Maybe Desta are working on it, so I'll give them time, but something needs to be there. We ride bikes here. You know what I'm saying? The space is beautiful. I mean, top notch design and decor. Very simple and minimal, yet warm and inviting. There is a killer framed print of elephants up on one of the walls that I was totally down for. They were playing a mix of music which included Mulatu Astatke which, of course, gets high marks. We ordered the Veggie Combo for Two and it was excellent. We got all the veggie options except for the cold one. They were all good, however, I always want more of the spicy lentils. I will double that next time and skip the collards. The injera was great and they gave each of us plenty of it. My issue with the combo was the price. $24 seems about $5 bucks too much for Tucson. The only other real complaint is that I wasn't too happy with our server. She wasn't rude to us, but didn't seem to care too much that we were there. We felt like she must have been tired or having a bad day, and it was kind of a bummer while out for a birthday meal. Oh well. Everyone has a bad day I guess, but cheer up Charlie. I'll be back soon. I hope to become a semi-regular. I'm down for eating with my hands. read more

It is popular to imply that a city's "hipness" correlates with the caliber of its individual chefs. Fortunately for us Tucsonans, this is not the case: Desta is a beautiful island of flavor in the middle of our oceanic blandburbs. Want to play the city comparison game? Desta easily beats countless Ethiopian restaurants in Portland and San Francisco. Their red lentils are a particular expression of culinary genius--the pretentious term "umami" may leave you bristling, but it was clearly invented to describe Desta's red lentils. The lamb is magnificent, too, but everything on the menu seems to fall comfortably into the delicious category. The injera is fluffy, not too sour and, best of all, amply portioned. You will want to give the chef a hi-five. Prices are fair and the service is mixed--a little confused the first time, but much more together on the second visit. read more

Maybe I am picky or maybe I am spoiled? I was introduced to Ethiopian food during college from an Ethiopian friend. I was enlightened with the flavorful cuisine, the traditional eating techniques and the overwhelmingly welcoming hospitality. Years after years, trips after trips to Chicago seeking authentic Ethiopian food, and visits after visits to his house where his mom made fresh Injera and various appetizing dishes, I may have a higher standard than most because my friend's family eventually moved to L.A. and now owns a 4.5-star restaurant. So, here is my take on Café Desta. Café Desta: Unexpected modern interior (because most Ethiopian restaurants I have been to are holes in the wall), friendly staff, and serviceable food. This little place was busy as I visited on a Friday night. We ordered an individual platter to share and it was more than enough food for two. Injera was definitely on the dryer and thinner side compared to what I have had. Mesir was good, probably my favorite out of the three. Chicken turmeric was my least favorite. I don't remember what it was called on the menu but I believe it was doro wat but without the hard-boiled egg. Atakilt wat was good but not as good as it could be. A latte to finish off the meal was better than most coffee shops in Tucson but $4 for a small Starbucks size of coffee was a little too expensive for me. 3-star rating for being in Tucson, I would have given it a two if it was in a big city. read more

Absolutely delicious Ethiopian food. The Kaye Doro, Shiro, fosolia, even the salad is delicious. The service is great. I highly recommend this place. read more

Cafe Desta - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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We have now been to Cafe Desta 3 times. The vegetarian options are more limited than the options at Zemam's, and the food has been luke-warm at best each time (it is also overpriced). The service has been horrible each time. Every time we go, we feel as though the owners are mad that we have taken up their time and tables-- as though us coming to eat there is an inconvenience to them. Save your time and money and eat at Zemam's instead, they are always happy to have you and the food is delicious and reasonably priced. read more

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. read more

Cafe Desta - Learned how to make injera bread today! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Longtime fans of Zemam's on Broadway, because it is the Ethiopian restaurant in Tucson, my dining companion and I figured we ought try the new place at some point, and we finally did earlier this year. Two Ethiopian restaurants in Tucson? Pretty great. Both Cafe Desta and Zemam's cater to white people (this is Tucson, after all), but at Cafe Desta, you're served by white people, too. I am guessing that they have some Africans in the kitchen, but we didn't make visual contact with any (other people have told me that they visited Cafe Desta and talked to an Ethiopian chef, so if true, that's awesome). While we were there, every table filled up, and only Northern Europe was represented among the clientele. Cafe Desta tells you what kind of restaurant it is before you even walk in. It's placed strategically south of Downtown, which is an even hipper choice of placement than actual Downtown. We all know that Tucson's downtown is chronically depressed and degentrified, and south of Downtown is even more so. Putting your slick, trendy, ethnic new joint Downtown is a statement enough; putting it at Stone and 17th is an exclamation. The place is decorated like a former Peace Corps volunteer is involved. The decor is pretty nice. Desta is certainly more deliberate than Zemam's. All the tables match, the drinks are listed up on chalkboards on the far wall in prim print, and the menu is on crisp cardstock and only one page. I kind of like Zemam's family-run deal, but I think if I were going to take my grandmother to Ethiopian, I'd choose Desta. I am not sure if that's a compliment, but it is a thing. We were congratulated for ordering a certain dish the "Ethiopian way," instead of the American way, presumably. Not sure what I think about that. But, the food came. They were out of the ayeb (cheese), so we had a lentil thing instead. The injera was good, different than Zemam's, but good. Gomen (collards) were good. The alicha doro and kitfo were both good. And we had a dessert, of which I tasted one bite. It was a raspberry almond tart with fresh whipped cream. Pretty good. I do think I like Zemam's better, though. read more

Amazing, food has been delicious and full of flavor every time! I go with their individual plate, you can pick three items of either vegetarian or meat dishes. Perfect portions and reasonable prices. read more

Considering that Cafe Desta is the second Ethiopian place in town, it bears the unfortunate position of constantly being compared to the first place to bring Ethiopian cuisine to Tucson: Zemam's. So I'll make the comparison short and sweet: -Zemam's has better food but... -Desta has better decor, atmosphere, and service. I'm not saying the food is bad. Cafe Desta's food is delicious, but not as good as Zemam's. I feel like Zemam's flavors are more pronounced and therefore more friendly to the American palate. However, as listed above, Desta has its advantages. Example: I got spoiled in terms of service. The owner offered me a sample of their iced tea since I wasn't sure i would like it. I gladly accepted and was surprised when the sample he gave me was huge! And he also gave us an extra dish on our sampler because I couldn't decide between two. Yes, I got lucky. So overall, a 4 star experience. I have yet to rate Zemam's but would give it a four as well. Each place has their respective strong suits and I wouldn't be comfortable saying one is better than the other. So Tucson has TWO great Ethiopian places. Everybody wins! read more

My brother had been talking about how great this place was for months...I did not think I would like it. How wrong I was! Cafe Desta is awesome! There is a nice and cool ambiance and the prices are cheap! I do not even know what I ate as I asked the owner to surprise me. The flavors and spices were all new to me, and totally fresh! I had a spicy chicken dish that melted in my mouth, some type of lentil stew, and a vegetable side that all came together on plate of awesomeness! I am going back tomorrow to try the fish! read more

Desta is a great place to get a hearty lunch. Their lunch special--3 items and injera bread for $9.00--is a great deal. If you come with a friend, they will combine your two lunch specials on one shared plate, so you essentially get the "combo for two" at a $6.00 discount. It's not usually very crowded during lunch so I often linger and read a book while finishing my tea--great relaxed atmosphere. I have eaten at many Ethiopian restaurants in Boston and Washington, D.C. over the years and Desta is excellent. I particularly like the misr (spicy red splint lentils in, gomen (collard greens with garlic and onion), and alicha doro (chicken in tumeric). I also love to get a yekemem shai (Ethiopian tea), either hot or iced depending on the season. I always feel great after eating at Desta. read more

I definitely disagree with the negative review below. The food was fantastic and was served at the right temperature. I loved this place, and I will definitely be going back. I also think the location choice shows an understanding of the neighborhood. There are lots of people who would love this, but there are so few restaurants in the area. My only negative is that the chairs were a bit too hard. read more

For our adventure-food outing this weekend, my husband and I headed to Cafe Desta. He has been craving Ethopian food and really wanted to check this place out. I had never tried Ethopian food before today. I brought a bottle of delicious shiraz with me, and my husband brought a 6-pack of hoppy IPA. There is no corkage fee at this restaurant. They get a star for that! (: Going out to dinner is always so much more expensive if you order delicious alcoholic beverages... so bringing our own with us totally rocked. The restaurant has a great atmosphere. It is casual with sort of an upscale feeling to it. The lighting was good-not too bright. On the Sunday evening we visited, right next door there was a dance class going on, with a live band playing while the dancers twirled each other around. It was very enjoyable to listen to the chill music and watch the dancers through the large opening between businesses. Free entertainment (and no corkage fee!)!! So, onto the food. My husband was really excited and wanted to try everything... so we ordered The Works. That is basically a 2-foot diameter plate with a small helping of every single meat and vegetable dish on the menu. Injera bread and salad came with it. You tear off a small piece of the bread and use it to pinch and eat the food, family style, from the table. We also ordered a side of rice. There was a LOT of food for $45. It could have easily fed one or even two more couples had we brought friends with us. My favorite dishes were: the fosolia (green beans, carrots and onions simmered in tomato sauce), the tikil-gomen (cabbage, carrots and potatoes spiced with turmeric), the kik (yellow split peas cooked with onion, turmeric and herbs), the kaye doro (chicken cooked in berbere, onions and flavored with various spices), and a beef dish with a greenish sauce that is not listed on the online menu. The server was a very pleasant young lady, dressed nicely. She was quiet and non-intrusive, and she checked on us enough but not too much. When we had a bunch of leftover food, she went into the back with our giant plate and wrapped our food up to take home. Overall it was a good experience! I think next time we will try the other Ethiopian place in town, just to compare. Check it out, it's definitely a fun experience. read more

Food was good and well made, but overpriced. I was alone and had a vegetarian platter with a single extra side with the meal and one side to go. Bill was $40. read more

they're just so awesome!! i love their service and all their option, the staff is super friendly and attentive plus their food is super super savory with quality read more

Picked up a to go order. Owners are so friends and the food is delish! Happy to support this local restaurant! Very different style than Zemam's and they are both delicious! Love supporting local businesses. The spicy lentils was my fave. read more

Admittedly, this is the first time I have eaten Ethiopian food so I may not be able to provide the best review but I was very happy with my first meal at Cafe Desta. I ordered the individual plate which allows you to order a combination of three different entrees out of a total of about twelve on the back of the menu. I ordered the spicy lamb, spicy beef, and red lentils and each one was delicious in its own right. I was a little concerned when I saw the sourdough flatbread, made from teff, barley, and wheat, as it had a slightly spongy texture a gelatinous bounce and felt as if it was kept chilled. But, once I started eating it the texture was not noticeable and it complimented everything else very well and made the meal very filling. I also ordered the Yekemem Shai tea which was really, really good. A perfect fall tea with cloves and other spices that really helped me recover from overstuffing myself at lunch. I highly recommend giving this place a shot. My only advice if you go for lunch order the lunch special rather than the individual. You still get three items but smaller portion sizes and it cost $9 instead of the individuals $15. read more

Cafe Desta - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Excellent Ethiopian food and I don't care for the cuisine well up until now. Order the sampler platter and be prepared to eat with sponge like bread and fingers. We all were very impressed and for the 5 of us bill was less the. 60 and we were stuffed. Planning on returning. read more

Ordered the lunch special which was a great deal for 9 frog skins. You get to pick 3 items. I had fish, beef and collard green. Only wish I've ordered it more spicy. Mild was like a 1 out of 10 on the hot scale. I gave it a four out of five start because the only gripe I had was the food got cold fast and I wish it was served on a hot plate. read more

Cafe Desta - Lunch special - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

There just aren't enough words to explain my love for Cafe Desta. Their food is so fresh and soooooo good. And with my vegetarian/vegan lifestyle (it's complicated lol), it fits my diet preference perfectly. They legit have the best vegan dishes I've tasted since I have started this journey. The staff are so nice and helpful even when it sounds like I am speaking gibberish trying to pronounce the dishes. My favs are the Gomen, Tikil-Gomen and Shorba. Shorba is a bowl full of soup that tastes like little naked angels are swimming laps in it lol. The building is nicely decorated and has a casual, chill vibe to it that I love. Parking is a little rough but I believe it's worth. So if you like good food and sounding borderline insane trying to say hard-to-pronounce dishes then by all means please check this place out lol. read more

Cafe Desta - Shorba (without beef or lamb) and Guava - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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I was so glad to go out an try Cafe Desta! The food is perfect! We had ordered "The Works" the dish is definitely not for the shy person. You have to reach across the table to try everything in the huge giant bowl they serve it in. I ordered the guava juice, but they gave me mango I was to lazy to return the drink, but it was equally good. The staff is friendly and quick to get your drink. I would go back if the opportunity presented itself! read more

Cafe Desta is a really pleasant, simply designed space to enjoy a nice meal. It's open and airy with the old brick exposed and floor to ceiling windows at the front yet still feels intimate and appropriate for a cozy date or special occasion. Our server was great and food came quickly. Unlike other reviewers, this was definitely not the best Ethiopian food I've ever had but everything was tasty, well-executed and they have a big range of dishes to try. Things overall were a bit bland and nothing was spicy as advertised. The chunks of beef and lamb were a little dry. I'm used to being blown away by Ethiopian food and amazed at how 5 different kinds of lentils or legumes can each taste rich, complex and completely different. Sadly, I didn't have that experience at Desta though I walked away very full and happy enough. Turn up the volume, chef, we can handle it! read more

Ordered "The Works" -- Cost is $45 but it can feed about 5 people. The dish is GREAT for a large group of people and especially if you don't know what to order because it samples their entire menu - I believe a platter of at least 12 different meals (spinach, green beans, beef, collared greens, chicken, beans, potato, etc.). Tastes range from slightly bland, slight spiciness, to full-on packed with amazing flavor. DELICIOUS. I'm sure out of all those you'll be able to find a dish you like and it'll prepare you for you next visit. I believe all the food is gluten-free but you may want to double-check that as I'm not sure. The staff was extremely friendly with the kind of folks who are coming back to visit your table at a very comfortable frequency to ensure your drinks are filled and that your needs are taken care of. The establishment itself is very cozy with brick walls lending itself to a very comfortable atmosphere. Parking has never been a problem (this will be my third visit). Just parking along Stone near the park behind the restaurant. FOOD: 5/5 SERVICE: 5/5 PRICE: 5/5 ATMOSPHERE: 4/5 read more

The food here is very similar to Zemams on Broadway, which is a good thing. Desta does have less menu options than Zemams, and the restaurant has a kind of modern, cafe-like atmosphere, whereas at Zemams you feel like you are at someone's house. Both places are BYOB (no corking fee at Desta). Bottom line: If you feel like Ethiopian food, go to the restaurant that is most convenient for you. You cannot lose either way. read more

QUICK QUICK QUICK prompt service! It was great. too my gf here for her first tango with Ethiopian grubbery. Get the meal for two. it comes out family style and you get 5 choices for a great deal. We ordered the food and it popped out in less then 10 minuets. the servers were awesome and we had a great time. We will be hitting this place up again! p.s. parking was easypeasy. read more

Absolutely delicious Ethiopian food. I loved everything I ate and will definitely be back

This is an interesting experience in cultural eating. There is a lot of vegan food here, probably about half the choices don't have meat. The Ethiopian coffee is great. Deep and rich flavor. The lentils and greens are flavored with garlic and spices. It's fine, but just called not my kind of food. read more

Long time, first time. Have always loved me some Cafe 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! read more

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! read more

Just picked up some food for the first time this evening. WOW! This place is instantly one of my favorites. Food was delicious, service was excellent. I'll definitely be coming back again and again! read more

Quiet neighborhood, we went for dinner and ordered the dinner for two. Food was spicy, fresh and very goood complement to the sour injera bread. The wait staff was courteous and attentive, gave us suggestions which was very helpful, else we would have over ordered! The bread with the soup was delicious and fresh. Casual place. Only reason for four and not five star is the location of restaurant. read more

A modest looking restaurant in a modest neighborhood but the food-- worth braving the weather elements for! My wife and I came here for dinner after a good hike in Saguaro National Park. I started with a red lentil soup which was very nice. We got a "combo for two" for the main course. We picked five dishes-- chick pea, collard greens, beans, lamb and chicken. Every one of the dish, except for the chick pea, was well spiced, had a nice aroma and was delicious. The chick pea dish was bland and was too pasty for both my wife and my liking. The only thing that was left on the plate when the waiter took it back was the chick pea dish . I highly recommend a visit to enjoy the flavors of Ethiopia . read more

I'm absolutely in love with this place. I love the vibe when you first walk in, both servers smiled and welcomed me while I waited for friends. The food was certainly second-to-none, and dare I say better than Zemam's? I found the bathroom a bit startling at first, a wall-sized mirror in front of and behind the toilet, very odd but worth a visit. read more

Fist time visitor today thanks to friend taking me there for lunch!! The food is amazing and the atmosphere is nice.....can get a little loud with a big crowd but it is a historic old building. The service can be improved upon but I think it is just the laid back attitude of the owner and staff. Not a big complaint at all.... Be adventurous and try this little cafe! read more

We share the 2 person combo and it is SO filling! We usually get the collards, spinach, spicy lentils, spicy chicken and beef. And it comes with plenty if injera and salad. Everything tastes wonderful. I also get the Ethopian hot tea which is ok but the coffee is really good. (They have a barista bar and use only Ethiopian coffee beans) Nice place, comfortable, clean with beautiful photos and artwork. And the people that work there are very friendly. Try it you'll love it! :) read more

Cafe Desta - Two person combo: we chose spinach, lentils, collards, chicken and lamb. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

We love everything about Cafe Desta. Food is spot-on, both for me as a vegetarian and my husband the meat-eater. Service is always well informed, friendly, quick. We love that it is BYOB, which makes an affordable meal even more affordable. Tucson is lucky to have you, Cafe Desta! read more

I went here twice in a month because it was so good. I had been saying for years that I was fairly neutral towards Ethiopian food. I liked it but didn't necessarily seek it out. After trying Cafe Desta, it's now become one of my favorites! I love that you can try a few dishes at one time and it always has great flavor and all the dishes are quite different from one another. As for drinks, I've only had the mango juice which I would highly recommend. I had them add some sparkling water to it! The service has always been great. The times I've been they have been busy even on weekdays which is great! I would highly recommend coming here! It's my favorite Ethiopian food I've had. read more

A great vegetarian sampler platter filled up two of us. The flavors and textures were great.

Delicious!! First time trying Ethiopian food so I can't compare it to anything but what I tried was great. We tried the combination plate for 2. If it says spicy don't be scared. It wasn't that spicy. I can vouch for the meat dishes of spicy lamb the reg chicken and beef as well as the cheese and the lentils. Love the ambiance and cozy feeling of the place. Next time you want to try something new give this one a shot. read more