I met a friend, and we shared four different dishes. It was delicious. I can't remember what it was called, but the ground raw steak was absolutely delicious. read more

Desta is the move for a Sunday lunch when you want zero stress and high-quality flavor. The space is massive, so you aren't fighting for a table, and the vibe is immediately set by the music. They had Afrobeats playing, which kept the energy right without being over the top. The beef sambusas are the essential starter crispy, well-seasoned, and gone in about two minutes. For the main, I went with the Meat Lovers combo: lamb, salmon, and filet mignon, with gomen, cabbage, mushrooms, and rice. It's rare for a spot to nail three different proteins on one plate, but the filet was tender and the lamb was seasoned like they actually care about the craft. Eating it with the injera is non-negotiable; you need it to catch all that flavor. The portions are heavy, so I did the smart thing and took the rest home. Honestly, that's the pro move--the spices hit even harder when you run it back for round two later that night. If you're in the area and want a meal that actually justifies the hype, this is it. No gimmicks, just solid food and good music. read more

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Just as good! My friend ordered dinner for us and I was WORRIED. I've only ever had Desta and any other Ethiopian food as dine in. How would the food be packaged? Would it still be hot? Would my injera be FRESH? YES! YES! And YESSSS!!! Not only was the food perfectly packaged (see the pics) but everything was just as delicious! While nothing beats being able to dine in and enjoy the food freshly made, this experience was a very close 2nd ! read more

We had the Vegetarian/Vegan Platter with added Tilapia Fish Dulet entree. Everything was tasty; you can never go wrong with Ethiopian food, but I've had a lot of Ethiopian food and this one just didn't hit like my experiences at the many other Ethiopian restaurants I've eaten at. We also ordered sambusas and this was the first time I've had a sambusa wrapped like an egg roll/spring roll instead of the usual triangular shape; it was meh. It was all missing something. I also ordered Honey wine; I was given Carrol's Mead, it was good, but I'm use to the in-house made honey wines that Ethiopian restaurants make. The lady serving us was lovely, great service. All said, with so many other great options in the Atlanta area, I would go with one of the others. read more

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Always a good time at Desta! I came in on a Monday and didn't realize the happy hour was 40% off cocktails. Enjoyed the spiked lemonade and Passionfruit margarita. Food wise I love the goden tibs (spare ribs) with cabbage and the lamb spaghetti. Both good to share but more so the spaghetti. Want something smaller - try the sambusa with beef or lentils- fried perfectly. Service is stellar and it's great for a casual solo date, a good meal with family or a casual lunch or breakfast! read more

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My friends and I love meeting up when we are practicing "clean eating". Although my friends aren't on the vegan path like I am, they do enjoy great tasting and healthy food options. While I ordered mushroom tidbits, a few had chicken and salmon. I suggested this restaurant and it did not disappoint! Everything was absolutely delicious and the portion sizes were great! We even ordered extra meals for the week. I was also introduced to Ethiopian Spice tea which was delicious! Please visit with a big appetite and patience because all meals are cooked fresh! Note: I'm so glad to see another location closer to Atlanta. read more

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We dined here with a large group last week. The lamb and the shrimp were particularly good. I also enjoyed the yellow split peas, potatoes and mushrooms also stood out. The beef was good but the lamb was much better. I also really enjoyed the beets. I felt that the chicken was a bit dry. All was served with plenty of injera. The restaurant is very clean and new looking. The staff were very patient with all of our questions and very helpful. read more

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They moved to a new location which has a lot more spacing and is more modern. The food is still just as incredible. The portions are large and everything tastes so delicious. The drinks aren't very good (got 2 different wines and both were not good, and the cocktails were very sweet), but the service was spot on. Shout out to Yohannes for being an incredible server, especially for a group of 10. Highly highly recommend eating at Desta! read more

Desta Ethiopian Kitchen Westside - Goden Tibs with Ater and Injera - Ethiopian Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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Decided to try this location out for dinner with some friends. The inside was open seating and welcoming. We were seated right away and attended to. The server had a few recommendations from the menu which was very extensive with plenty of options. We ordered the lamb, ribs, and ribeye tibs meat platter which was shareable for our table. The food came out quickly. All the meat was very flavorful and enough for all of us to share including the spinach cabbage. I ordered a side of rice with the injera as well. Everything was delicious and cooked to all of our liking. Half of us are not local but if we were, we would likely be regulars here. I'll return next time I'm in town. read more

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This place is so delicious and the service is pretty fast. We've never made a reservation-we usually just walk in. However, this is not recommended, especially on weekends as it gets really busy! I think on average, we have a wait time of about 30-40 minutes, depending on what time we get there for dinner. So make reservations ahead of time is my recommendation. But once you're seated and order, the food comes out relatively quick. The service is great. 10/10 for food taste and quality. We love it so much that we make the 30-40 minute drive out there just to eat here. read more

The food here is delicious! My friends and I got the meat lovers and it was more than enough food for 3 people. We got three different veggie sides with it and they were also so good! This is my second time here and their portions are always generous and their food so delicious and flavorful. Service is also very quick. I highly recommend this place to anyone, especially if you've never had Ethiopian food before. I would come back here over and over again! read more

Desta Ethiopian Kitchen Westside - Meat lovers - Ethiopian Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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First time here and the food was awesome!! I highly recommend the tibs, we got the chicken tibs and it was delicious! The chicken had a nice seared flavor but was tender and juicy, and the vegetables also had that same delicious smoky flavor. We also got their potato stew, which was also good but for the price and taste, would say the tibs was definitely the star of the show. For dessert we got the baklava, which was nice, sweet, and flaky but not crunchy. A good baklava but nothing too special. The service was great, they were so nice and knowledgeable about the food. Ambiance is like a clean, typical sit down, very spacious, clean, and organized. Good for dates or for just grabbing a quick bite of good food. Highly recommend coming here and getting the tibs! Great bang for your buck with delicious flavors! read more

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Excellent experience loved all the dishes we tried and you have to have the meat lovers - tibs lamb and ribeye with all of the lentils, cabbage, gowen and loved it all. Love all the vegan options and the injera was so delish. Our server was wonderful- come support this local, family-owned, black-owned biz, this is their second location in atlanta and I'm so happy that we have an option in Smyrna that's not too far! Come visit them if you're craving some ethiopian food! I still am on the hunt for some doro wat - but I may just have to visit Toronto again for that as you won't find it in ATL! read more

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First timer and truly enjoyed the experience. Waiter was friendly and super helpful answering my questions. I had the seared grouper with peppers and onions along with the shiro. Also flavorful. Can't wait to return to try more of the menu. It was difficult to decide! read more

I came here to celebrate with my family after my white coat ceremony. We had a decent sized party but were still seated immediately. My friend and I both ordered the chicken tibs and she also ordered Sambusa. My mom and mother in law shared a meat lovers platter and my dad got the vegan platter. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the food! Everything was delicious! The chicken tibs were delicious and went well with the injera! The collard greens were a little salty but besides that chefs kiss The restaurant had a nice ambiance and vibe, the lighting was definitely set to set the mood. This would be a great place to go on a date! read more

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I love Ethiopian food, and this is very close to the flavors that I'm used to eating back home, in Seattle. Everyone's friendly and the prices are reasonable. read more

This Ethiopian place had a somewhat confusing menu which buried the veggie combo that I (and probably plenty of other people) order at the end. While other parts of the menu promised fresh cooking, mine was made with veggie sides that were already made and which arrived almost instantly. The variety was quite splendid, but I found the results overly salty and not quite as flavorful as I'd hoped overall. The injera on the side seemed more wheat than teff. My tea had a hit of ginger combined with a basic teabag. I guess my bar for Ethiopian is a little higher than most as I've had plenty of it before. For the price, this place was okay but I had hoped for better. It may still be the best in the area as this is not an easy cuisine to find. read more

Desta Ethiopian Kitchen Westside - Vegan Platter - Ethiopian Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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Disappointed that the new location only takes credit card.. but the atmosphere is consistent with the old location, a little bit more upscale. The food has not suffered the Services not suffered.. highly recommend. The food is cooked fresh to order not sitting in a stew pot all day long waiting for you to come along. The breads are very good.. no complaints. read more

Desta Ethiopian Kitchen Westside - This is the meat lovers platter with ribeye fillet, and chicken. The sides are amazing. The bread is excellent. - Ethiopian Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

A new experience for us and we were thrilled with the flavors and the recommendations and the service

I just slapped myself for not trying this location sooner!! I have been driving past this one all the way to Briarcliff for almost 5 years! This location was nice and had the same friendly and engaging service. Most importantly the food was GREAT! i tried something new, Salmon gored gored. It was spicy as hell but delicious. Samson was an excellent server! read more

Desta Ethiopian Kitchen Westside - Salmon Gored Gored - Ethiopian Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Food was tasty and service was excellent. Portion sizes were great and prices were also very reasonable. I will definitely return here.

The food, the service and overall experience was 10/10. Loved everything we tried. Food is well seasoned and simply delicious. I just couldn't leave anything on my plate. Rahel was absolutely wonderful and provided great dish recommendations. We will be back. read more

Desta Ethiopian Kitchen Westside - Vegan platter in the back and salmon tibs in the front. Lemon cake topped off the experience. - Ethiopian Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

In town for a few days in Atlanta and me and my girlfriend decided we wanted something different for lunch. We found this place on Yelp with high ratings and decided to stop in. 5 star from start to finish! The location was very clean, great and fast service and food was immaculate! Portions were generous and the price was very affordable. Btw, they also serve cocktails! Highly recommend breakfast, lunch or dinner here when in town. You will not be disappointed! Cheers! read more

Desta Ethiopian Kitchen Westside - Filet mignon tibs with savory rice, cabbage, potato stew with pita bread. Also we had spaghetti mushroom pasta with side of salad. - Ethiopian Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

I came in twice in here and was always leaving happy. The place is always packed. The food was good. Ambiance was nice and welcoming atmosphere. read more

Great flavor in every dish. My favorite was the shiro. Nice size portions. Price is a little high and they charge for additional injera. I think seeing the extra charge is a turn off. This definitely made me try to work with what I had which is silly. read more

Desta Ethiopian Kitchen Westside - Vegan Platter and Tibs (Chicken) w side of Mushroom Stew - Ethiopian Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Great food. It was a little spicy but not bad at all. The service was great and the fact that they have vegan options is a huge plus. Yes I'd recommend and I'll be back as well. read more

My good friend loves this place so we had to try it. The restaurant was clean and tidy, I love that the waitstaff has to greet you and sit you. They were super helpful and friendly in explaining all the food choices, as well as having a handy guide on the menu. The shrimp tibs and salmon tibs with added potatoes were delicious! We had a light, lovely cocktail and the vegan option of appetizer rolls and everything tasted good as leftovers later that day. Thank you for the great meal! read more

Desta Ethiopian Kitchen Westside - Shrimp Tibs with injira, salmon Tibs with added potatoes, Plain Gomen, Plain Salad - Ethiopian Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

This dish ALWAYS does it for me. I normally eat at the other location off 85 in Druid Hills but I decided to have lunch at this location. The Salmon was cooked more than I'm use to but I love The flavor. Good service & ambiance read more

Desta Ethiopian Kitchen Westside - Salmon Tibs w/ Mushroom Stew - Ethiopian Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Still my favorite Ethiopian spot in Atl. And the best prices to boot! Service is always great, and the food is delicious. It tastes like it's made with love. read more

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Came back with my mom and we both had chicken tibs! It was amazing!!! Great service as always and on Saturday afternoon it wasn't too crowded. My mom said she's never had food like this, it was so good!! read more

Desta Ethiopian Kitchen Westside - Chicken tibs with extra Ater - Ethiopian Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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Liked - Liked - Liked - Liked - Liked - Liked - Liked - Liked - Lamb Tibs: Cubed Meat in a sauce with spices and onions, tomatoes, and peppers. Injera Gomen: I liked to eat this with the tibs, by itself it was slightly bitter. But I still enjoyed it. Salmon Tibs Disliked ! Disliked ! Disliked ! Disliked ! Disliked ! Disliked ! Disliked ! Salmon Tibs: I both liked and disliked this because the salmon didn't have any of the flavor I expected. I need salt and I hoped for more of the spices listed, it seemed like they were very light-handed. But this was still a tasty dish, it wasn't too hard to add salt and liven the flavor a bit, but it left me wanting more. read more

Was recommended this place by a friend ended up thoroughly enjoying would come back again

I had heard fantastic things about Desta, and boy did it live up to the hype. Excellent Ethiopian food. I ordered the chicken tibs with cabbage and injera. My table share both the beef and lentils sambusa. Everything was full of flavor and I can't wait to go back. The restaurant was clean and we had excellent service. The westside location has plenty of free parking right in front. read more

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Best Ethiopian restaurant in Atlanta, hands down! The food is authentic and always fresh. The service is always on par and the ambiance gives you a true African and Caribbean vibe with the music. Although I love everything I've tried on the menu, my go-to meal is the Salmon Tibs, Gomen, and Injera. read more

Desta Ethiopian Kitchen Westside - Ethiopian Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

My first time trying Ethiopian food and it's worth all the hype ! I was fortunate to visit the day after the one year anniversary of this location . The decorations were still up and just as lovely as ever! I ordered chicken paired with potatoes and pita bread ! My favorite part of my meal was the seasons used to create my dish . The turmeric in my cabbage just brought out the flavor and richness ! My meal was lite and perfect . I will return to experience more ! The atmosphere is calming and peaceful ! The service is impeccable and top notch . If you've read a few of my reviews then you know I'm a fan of cleanliness . I check bathrooms and this bathroom passed the bar of fresh and clean ! Overall , a wonderful establishment with beautiful people and delicious food! read more

Desta Ethiopian Kitchen Westside - Ethiopian Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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I love both of the new locations and visit both frequently. Service is always amazing. Food is phenomenal.

Great food and service. I use to frequent the one on Briarcliff before I moved. My eyes are always bigger than my stomach so I use to get the kirfo and meat lovers with lamb, salmon, ribeye....I think they may have changed the menu since I've been last. read more

Food is great the ambiance if you love African it is a must. The customer service excellent

I've never tried Ethiopian food before and was very curious about it, and I am so glad I tried Desta! First of all, the interior is beautiful and so calming. The servers are so nice and were very helpful towards me and my partner when we had no idea what to order. The food itself was delicious. We started off with the kitfo slice appetizer, which had minced raw meat in between two tortilla slices. So crispy and flavorful. The jalapeños added a nice kick without it being too spicy. We couldn't decide on an entree because everything looked so delicious so we got the meat lovers platter. This allowed us to get 3 choices of meat, 3 starches and 3 sides. Was this possibly too much food for 2 people? Probably. But we have no regrets because it was SO GOOD. Everything had so much flavor without being overwhelming!!! We actually left almost nothing behind because we couldn't get enough. Needless to say, we will definitely be coming back! read more

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This place is simply amazing!! This is the newer of the other locations but definitely the better! The parking is more convenient, it is more open, airy, and bigger, the service is superb, and the food tastes 10x better! I always order the Salmon Tibs with either Gomen or Cabbage and the Lentil Sambusa as an appetizer and it is AMAZING every single time! My food is always hot and fresh and so freaking good! This last time I went, I got a cup of Ethiopian coffee after dinner. It was delicious! It had a full body and dark roast profile without any bitterness! It was the perfect ending to a spectacular meal. read more

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