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    Jebena Cafe

    4.8 (56 reviews)
    Open 6:30 am - 4:00 pm
    Updated 2 weeks ago

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    JEBENA CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed
    Happy hour specials

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    Bagel with Cream Cheese and Lox
    Arturo N.

    I came in at 2:45. I pass this place all the time and wanted to try it. I ordered the lox bagel sando and was a bit disappointed with the dish. It was empty othar than a group of what seemed to be regulars huddled in the corner with about 7 cups of coffee water and blended green beverages. The smoked salmon was there but lacking enough salmon for it to taste like the star of the sandwich . So it was just sad. Everything tasted fresh but I'm most likely not returning after tax and tip with no beverage my bill came out to just over $18

    Minimalist decor on walls.
    Victor G.

    Jebena Cafe opened in Black Spring Coffee's vacant space. Inside & outside dining available. Modest pics on walls. Soft music in background. Offerings (Ethiopian & American): breakfast, lunch, pastries, hot/cold drinks). Ordering done at counter. Food came in 10ish minutes. Sips: drip covfefe (cup 3.50) Guatemala -smooth, easy sipping, medium roast. Black it was. Bites: Ethiopian Breakfast Combo (18.50) -scrambled eggs lightly seasoned with bits of onion, jalepenos, tomatos..lightly oiled. -wheat toast fresh & crunchy. No jam needed -2 small rollups of injera bread. Added bulk. Fresh! -kinche (cracked oats): looked/tastes ala dry fried rice. -chechebsa (Ethiopian torn flat bread) typical breakfast items tastes like vegan version of meat. -fir-fir: parts of warmed injera bread mixed with spiced clarified butter & spicy berbere sauce. Luckily the latter Ethiopian chili paste wasn't at full strength. Medium spiciness just right to mix with other breakfast items. 4.5 stars: invigorating vegan breakfast option that's healthy.

    Quanta Fir Fir Lunch
    Maya V.

    Cafe has a cozy feel (: big open windows make the place feel bigger than it is. Ample seating and a small couch seating in the back. seems like a good study spot, I spotted several outlets in the store along the windows and walls. Employees are very friendly. Quanta Firfir: this is the only meat-meat option on the menu. The flavor blend is spicy and savory and rich, the soft injera does really well in the saucy spice blend. Also, HUGE portions. Personally I'm not the hugest fan of beef jerky, but the flavors are phenomenal. Would definitely try if you like jerky or a meatier stew. Beso Smoothie: I looooooved. Very nutty and the honey was sweet but not too sweet. Actually paired very well with my rich, spicy, savory, slightly sour Quanta Firfir. I was so full after eating everything but stayed to finish my smoothie

    Honey Latte
    Sherelle L.

    Loved Loved Loved this place! I came in alone for breakfast & coffee and everything was amazing! The woman working helped me decide on what I wanted that morning and nothing disappointed! She walked me through how to eat the breakfast which was so insightful! This breakfast and coffee filled me up! I left nothing untouched lol. I highly recommend this cafe!

    Ful and Cold Brew
    Jesus G.

    I live for their Sambosas and Ful!!! Their coffee and cold brew is always nice and strong. The Sambosas are filled with lentils and are simple but savory and the crust is always cooked so well and never too oily. I will enjoy them with a cold brew in the morning quite often. When I have more time I'll sit down and enjoy the Ful. A bean stew type dish with diced jalapeño, Tomato, herbs, onions. And a loaf of bread!!! So damn good. Again, simple but savory and a bit spicy. Tastes like home cooking!!! I'm looking forward to trying the coffee ceremony someday, it always fills the cafe with a wonderful aroma. Customer service is sincere, If you go a few times you'll see the same faces. And they'll remember you! I'm thankful to have them as a neighbor.

    Front
    Michael-Anthony T.

    Oh my goodness this coffee is strong. I took a sip of the iced brew and I don't know whether I want to seize the day and conquer my accomplishments or pass out from being so wired (in a good way lol). This is definitely a spot that deserve more recognition and is definitely a hole in a wall that ends up being a diamond in the rough. I tried their chicken pesto sandwich on a ciabatta roll and oh boy was it tasty. Pair that up with a strong cold brew and I'm ready to conquer my duties for the day. Give this place a try when you're in the neighborhood, definitely worth it.

    Comfy seating
    Sharice W.

    What a treat! I had a couple of hours to kill and needed a space to work. Specifically wanted to support a black biz so I dropped into Jebena Cafe around open. The owner Mekky is so sweet and patient. We discussed a couple of items and landed on avocado toasted with no eggs and a mocha. I set up shop by the window and Mekky brought my food to me. The mocha was the perfect amount of sweet and the avocado toast was delicious! The avocado mash includes red onion, peas, cilantro, radish, and chili flakes. It was delicious! I will definitely be back for Mekky's great service and to try more menu items that caught my eye. Would recommend.

    Vegetarian combo lunch
    Lauren T.

    What a quaint little restaurant and cafe! Our small lattes were huge and perfectly crafted. The vegetarian combo lunch was delicious, filling, and healthy! We enjoyed the Ethiopian food while experiencing coffee roasting tradition for another customer. The lady was very kind and helpful. We enjoyed our meal and will be back!

    Iced Dirty Chai Latte , Turkey, Egg and Cheese with avocado on a croissant.
    Fleur S.

    Nice, clean and quiet cafe with very fresh food and excellent coffee. Service was quick and friendly. You can sit on a couch and chill, or outside in front at a couple of small tables. The sandwich was so good! The eggs perfectly cooked, a wonderful avocado, toasted croissant. Delicious.

    Special ful and vegetarian combo plate
    Sally L.

    We love jebena cafe!! Really amazing coffee and great Ethiopian breakfast/lunch options. Our favorites are the fata and ful but everything we have had here is amazing. Also their cappuccinos are, actually the best. They are family owned and really amazing people, we love seeing them every weekend

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    4 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Ema G.

    Ema G.

    Thank you Solomon!

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    4 years ago

    Friendly and welcoming. Good food and my Chai Latte was excellent. A welcome addition to the neighborhood.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

    This is a great new cafe with a relaxing atmosphere, good food/drinks, and Ethiopian culture.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Business owner information

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    Ema G.

    Sherri, we enjoyed serving you. See you soon!

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    3 years ago

    Lovely place, great coffee and tea, definitely ask to add Ethiopian spice to your hot drinks, so good!!!!

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    3 years ago

    Jebena had really good service, really good iced chai, and really good avocado toast.

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    3 years ago

    The coffee is good, the vibes are exellent. The location is nice. I am trying the food menu and have been pleased with everything.

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Leaving another 5 star review for how amazing this place is and how friendly the people are and how AMAZING the coffee is

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    4 years ago

    Great coffee, tea, smoothies and Ethiopian breakfast. Service was fast and friendly.

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    3 years ago

    Wonderful place. The coffee is good and the staff are friendly. I just had the Ethiopian salad which was very good.

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    4 years ago

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    Page 2 of 2

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    Enssaro Ethiopian Restaurant - Meat and Veggie Sampler for Four

    Enssaro Ethiopian Restaurant

    4.2(1.7k reviews)
    2.1 miRockridge, North Oakland
    $$

    I rather enjoyed my meal here! Shared a mixed meat and veggie platter for 4 amongst 5 ladies + a…read morecouple apps and we still had leftovers. For apps we had the beef sambusas, which is nice because they are packed with protein and everybody is obsessed with protein right now (myself included but I just want a fat butt.) the friend cauliflower was crisp and juicy and came with a tangy sauce. The mixed platter had a variety of all the good stuff, but the standouts were the red lentils, lamb cubes and collard greens fa me. The injera was tender and tasty. I think what sets dis place apart is the atmosphere--it's pretty aesthetic and cute inside with those terracotta walls and they have a patio where I guess you can bring your dog. They also have a full bar and a tasty looking cocktail menu. The servers were very nice but this place seems pretty popular during peak hours so just be mindful they be busy.

    Went for dinner, had the veggie sambusas and the meat/veg combo. The food was excellent, and very…read moregenerously proportioned. We found the value to be outstanding, especially for pricey College Ave. They've been open at the new location on College for a very short time and the servers, while well meaning, seemed to have too many tables to wait. For example, no one checked on us after our food was served, which would have caused me to order another glass of Tej. It also took a bit to locate our server, get the bill, and have him come back to pick up the bill None of this will keep us from going back. We are so glad they're here! Might just need a little time to get the machine running efficiently. Go check it out.

    Photos
    Enssaro Ethiopian Restaurant - Menu

    Menu

    Enssaro Ethiopian Restaurant - DORO WOT ( chicken stew ), BEEF Tibs, LAMB Tibs

    DORO WOT ( chicken stew ), BEEF Tibs, LAMB Tibs

    Enssaro Ethiopian Restaurant - Amazing Cocktails: Espresso Martini, Honey Wine Pineapple Cider, Honey wine, Campari

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    Amazing Cocktails: Espresso Martini, Honey Wine Pineapple Cider, Honey wine, Campari

    Blue Nile Ethiopian - Outdoor seating available

    Blue Nile Ethiopian

    4.4(188 reviews)
    1.2 miLake Merritt
    $$
    Family-owned & operated
    Free WiFi

    Absolutely delicious food, friendly service, reasonable prices, easy parking. Wonderful experience!read more

    A delicious home-cooked Ethiopian feast for two!…read more Came by on a Sunday night and it was pretty quiet. We were the only people dining in, which was honestly such a vibe. We ordered a meat and veggie combo platter for 2 + a serving of Bozena Shiro (chickpea flour simmered with beef), and an order of Selit (Sesame Seed Smoothie) to drink. It was my first time having Bozena Shiro and Selit! The Selit came out first while we were waiting for our combo platter to come out. They asked what sugar level I prefer which was nice. I went with light sugar and it was perfect! It reminded me a lot of a sesame latte, but they said there was no milk in it so I believe it was just water blended with sugar and sesame seeds. It was delicious and had a naturally savory/toasty aspect to it as well. The platter came out and wow it looked fantastic. They gave a generous amount of injera with it as well. At other locations, I always find myself ordering extra injera, but instead we had a few bites leftover! Everything was delicious, the Kik Alicha (golden split peas) are always my favorite and they definitely delivered here as well! I really need to start ordering Ethiopian food a la carte, because the Bozena Shiro was fantastic. I would've never known about it if we didn't add it to our platter! Savory, tender meat, thick consistency on the sauce/stew. The injera here is a bit too dense for my persona liking. I prefer the fluffier style injera, but the flavor was still spot on!

    Photos
    Blue Nile Ethiopian - Meat Combo Platter

    Meat Combo Platter

    Blue Nile Ethiopian
    Blue Nile Ethiopian - Vegan combo platter

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    Vegan combo platter

    Admas - They call it Veggie combo ,what a combination . & we add one delicious mild stew ,yebeg kikil (lamb)

    Admas

    4.4(93 reviews)
    1.6 miEast Oakland

    Admas has mastered the art of catering--not just authentic Ethiopian cuisine, but also soul food,…read moreMediterranean, Italian, and Mexican dishes. Every meal is prepared with authenticity, fresh ingredients, generous portions, well organized, fully staffed, prompt and ahead of schedule, fair pricing, exceptional service. I had the pleasure of working with Lieon, the owner of Admas, and his incredible team to cater a three-day conference to feed 300+ attendees. They served lunch and dinner from Friday through Sunday. The food was the highlight of the conference. The best injera I've had: fresh and light. Perfect texture and consistent. The variety of food was outstanding. There was something for everyone, including guests with dietary restrictions. The conference menu had tibs, doro wot, misir, fit-fit, rice, lasagna, macaroni, meatballs, chicken strips, collard greens, fresh salads, variety of rice and stews, and more. Very flexible and willing to customize the menu to fit your event and preferences. If you're looking for a caterer for a church event, conference, wedding, corporate gathering, or family celebration, I 10/10, 100/100 recommend Admas. Check them out!

    First off, I ordered for delivery…read more I love Ethiopian and Eritrean food, so I was excited to see this spot finally open for deliveries in my neighborhood! I think I've eaten at the majority of Ethiopian restaurants in Oakland, Berkeley, and San Francisco, so I'm a fan. Sadly, I was NOT a fan of this spot. :( (For context, I tried to go back to the delivery app to give a review, but the window for leaving a review had closed.) I looked over the menu and I was suspicious that there was no standard Doro Wot for delivery, but, whatevs --sometimes restaurants leave off certain items on delivery apps. I got the Chicken Tibs and Beef Tibs. The beef was spiced, but the chicken tasted bland and watery. Both seemed to be missing salt. The beef tibs was tougher than I'm used to. Maybe it was an off day. The Yemisir Wot (stewed red lentils) was flavorful. The vegetarian combo was a complete miss for the price and the portions were super small. The Tikil Gomen (cabbage, carrots, potatoes) looked like one tablespoon had been scooped out and put on the injera. It came with Yemisir Wot, Yekik Alicha (yellow spiced lentils), beets(???), Gomen (collards), and green salad (though I don't remember getting the green salad in my combo). The Gomen (collards) were super bland and tasted like reheated frozen collards. My last issue is that the a-la-carte items are photographed with a small salad and injera, pretty standard (see attached image from site). Unfortunately, the a-la-carte options came singularly in a container with a side of injera. Bummer. If I hadn't included the vegetarian combo, I probably would've been even more upset. What I did like: --- - The Tikil Gomen and Yemisir Wot were well spiced and tasty. - Plenty of injera, almost too many. I think my biggest issue is that given the portion size, most items are between $16 - $24, so if you're looking to have a rounded meal (injera, vegetables, meat), you're going to have to order multiple items and that adds up fast; it will be cheaper if you just eat in or call them and order for pick-up. (I'm also kind of bummed because I was rooting for them since they are in the space where Casa Vallarta used to be.) If you plan to go, I'd suggest sticking to the vegetarian options.

    Photos
    Admas - Dining room area. We forgot to take a picture of the food. Ate it too fast.

    Dining room area. We forgot to take a picture of the food. Ate it too fast.

    Admas - Gored gored, disappointing chicken doro wot, vegetable combo, & lamb tibs

    Gored gored, disappointing chicken doro wot, vegetable combo, & lamb tibs

    Admas

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    Cafe Colucci - Vegan Combination and Meat Combination Platter

    Cafe Colucci

    4.2(1.4k reviews)
    1.8 miNorth Oakland
    $$

    I had a great lunch at Cafe Colucci!…read more This place came highly recommended, and it didn't disappoint. I ordered the turmeric beef with a side of shiro and it was delicious! The beef was super tender, the shiro was flavorful, and the injera tasted fresh. The portion size was quite generous, especially for lunch. Next time I visit, I'm definitely ordering one of the giant platters to share. The platters were enormous and looked incredible! So many good Ethiopian restaurants in the East Bay, but Cafe Colucci stands out. Can't wait to return!

    Upscale Ethiopian spot with delicious spices across the board…read more The vegan sampler covers the highlights and mainstays of the menu. The foundation of the meal is the injera, which has the welcome sourness of wild yeast. Wrapping it around the cabbage of the AtaKilt and the collards of the Gomen lightens the vegetable bitterness and makes eating them into nearly a dumpling. The mild turmeric of the Kik Alicha is well met by the other split pea item, Messer Wot, which has a much bolder flavor. The pro move is to combine the appetizers with the entrees. Azifa is made with lentils but has the smooth texture of stewed eggplant and spreads easily. The Buticha brings garlic to whatever it meets. This time we also got the mushroom tibs. It came spicy but the mushrooms themselves didn't contribute much flavor -- the sautéed onions in the dish were doing most of the work. We will stick with the sampler next time. But regardless of what you order, by the end of the meal the flavors will all get mixed around and soaked into the injera beneath. The best part!

    Photos
    Cafe Colucci - The outdoor table decorated for a private party

    The outdoor table decorated for a private party

    Cafe Colucci - Injera (wheat combo)

    Injera (wheat combo)

    Cafe Colucci - Tej and a lemonade mocktail

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    Tej and a lemonade mocktail

    Jebena Cafe - ethiopian - Updated September 2026

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