I had some down time between an afternoon meeting and dinner, so I looked on Yelp for a cafe to work in with wifi and lunch because I hadn't eaten yet. MLK Cafe was perfectly located and exactly what I needed. I've never had Eritrean food before, so I was pretty excited. I ordered the foul meseleh ($13) from the breakfast menu (available all day though I had to ask for it), which was a bean-based dish, and chai. It kind of reminded me of shakshuka in terms of spices but the beans almost tasted meaty. I liked it so much that I brought it home, and my partner said it tasted like refried beans (though he did have them cold). The crusty warm bread was perfect for dipping, and I ended up not being able to finish it. The chai was pretty milky; there was a tea bag and the spices weren't very strong. Then again, I'm used to Indian chais. I would pass on the chai. There was basically no one else there on a Friday afternoon during off-peak hours. It was dimly lit and kind of chilly because the door was left open, so it wasn't the most comfortable cafe ambiance. The wifi did work well though and I would come back to try more Eritrean and Ethiopian food. read more

MLK Café - chai - Ethiopian Near Me - Oakland, California

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Tried this place on a whim since this area of oakland is highly known for their Ethiopian cuisine. It was surprising to find a local spot though serving breakfast. That's what really drew us in. Very tasty breakfast, got the injera breakfast plate filled with lots of spices, tomato flavor and tang from the bread. Super addicting if you love those flavors. Very thankful to be given a side of yogurt to help cool the heat down. Definitely would order this again, but maybe add my own mix-ins like an egg or more protein since it's very carb heavy. Inside wise, you can watch two tv's playing sports, our waitress/cashier was very kind, and it appeared like many locals hanging out. Only thing is their menu prices are out of date. About $13 plus tax per plate. Hope to come back at night to see the bar open and some live music! read more

MLK Café - Injera breakfast plate - Ethiopian Near Me - Oakland, California

Great East African spot with generous portions. No need to order the teff as included in the main though not mentioned on the menu. We tried to ask but there was a language barrier, but that's part of the experience, I guess. read more

MLK Café - two plates of food on a table - Ethiopian Near Me - Oakland, California

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I was stuck waiting for a PG&E meter check (for work) and looking for a spot in this area to get breakfast. I searched and found MLK Cafe. I walked about a block down the street to find the place. A young man was using an electric leaf blower to clean in the front and I thought he might be the only one working since the door was wide open and I hadn't seen anyone else so I leaned on the railing out front and the manager approached me. He was polite and greeted me with a smile. I sat down and ordered an omelette and coffee and began hoping that the lead blowing would soon end so I could enjoy the ambiance. About five minutes passed and I got my coffee and water. Soon after I got my food while I was finishing reading the news. So here is my warning to you. This place may not be the best breakfast spot. The eggs tasted old, the hash browns were very greasy and the bread was just okay. The coffee was great and I am sure that their other drinks and food specialties that they are known for are much tastier than the 9 AM breakfast options. So why did I give this place four stars? First, it is the only thing close to here that even tries to serve a balanced breakfast, (even if it is a bit carb heavy). Second everyone was nice and attentive and they did offer me hot sauce which I now know I should not have turned down. So if like me you find yourself here starving, order something and take the hot sauce when offered. The drinks and the company are worth the pit stop if you can't get somewhere else. read more

I was on the long, laborious, and often lugubrious bus ride on the 18 line to who knows where in Oakland when I noticed this place out of the corner of my eye. Of course it only makes sense that it's located on Martin Luther King Junior Way. It was presumptuous of me to think that this would be a restaurant of southern comfort favorites like fried chicken, collard greens, and pecan pie because I've read those were his most requested foods. But no, chef/owner Asmerom Ghebremicael's instead offers a mix of traditional Eritrean cuisine and all-American like pizza and burgers. It's in an area filled with public art murals reflecting pride in the black heritage of the neighborhood. Once I entered the restaurant, I was initially a bit confounded by what looks like a spacious sports bar and then promptly saw they have a regular schedule of live entertainment from classic soul to slam poetry. I was immediately drawn to the $14 MLK Veggie Combo, which combined a compelling trio, Alicha (potatoes, carrots and peppers in a curry sauce), Bersin (red lentils in a mix of tomato and seasoned Berbere sauces), and Spinach blended with garlic and onions (photo: http://bit.ly/2LXbfZE). All of that resting on a curled slab of injera with a plate of even more injera (photo: http://bit.ly/2LSEoVM). Had I known a green salad was part of the combo, I wouldn't have ordered the $6 Green Salad, which turned out to be a huge, fresh plate of lettuce, tomatoes, onion, and olives tossed with Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and vinegar (photo: http://bit.ly/2LXxNJZ). Whoa, that was a lotta tasty food, enough for leftovers for dinner. Burgers and pizza aside, Oakland is a treasure trove of East African delights between this spot, Shewat, and Dareye among other top-notch eateries in the immediate vicinity. FOOD - 4 stars...top-notch Eritrean food with plenty of injera AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...quite spacious especially during the day SERVICE - 4 stars...quietly thoughtful with the hostess drop-dead gorgeous TOTAL - 4 stars...MLK had a dream, MLK Cafe feeds it RELATED - Looking for African delicacies? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2JBDHib read more

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Gotta show love for my Eritrean and Ethiopian folks. Family style, the dish had large portions, more than enough for my Black boys alumni reunion. The food was spicy, flavorful, and light! And I had all my essential food groups: proteins, carbs, veggies, and alcohol, lol. The best part of the experience was the service. The owner was the nicest guy, so hospitable, so genuine. He checked on us throughout the few hours we were dining. If you haven't had this type of cuisine, then expand your palate here. Get ready to get those hands dirty with some injera! read more

MLK Café - Family style - Ethiopian Near Me - Oakland, California

We came here for brunch Saturday afternoon and the restaurant was bustling with groups of people and a bit noisy at 12 Noon as the ceiling is low. There's a bar, a couple of tvs and a comfy atmosphere when the crowds left. They have a huge menu, with sandwiches, pasta, Ethiopian dishes, pizza, burgers, breakfast at reasonable prices. We ordered the Shehan foul which was flavorful with a kick to it, scrambled eggs which came with crispy hash browns and wheat toast all for $6! I also ordered an Ethiopian coffee which was aromatic! This is a comfy cozy place for brunch and looks like a diner during the day, sports bar, nightclub at night. read more

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Decent sized space between MacArthur and 40th (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mlk-caf%C3%A9-oakland-3?select=TgzoMHlIFdKZONoYy8GajQ) with a fancy Vetrazzo, reclaimed glass bar top (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mlk-caf%C3%A9-oakland-3?select=6BQWu713fEk8Yy2QIjCsHA). The regulars are sports fiends (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mlk-caf%C3%A9-oakland-3?select=gwo3yFO1dpVRCgJjGr8nDA) and it's a fun place to watch Futbol (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mlk-caf%C3%A9-oakland-3?select=Ca2ekyTyi069l0_9JBbd7w). The menu here has both Eritrean / Ethiopian (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mlk-caf%C3%A9-oakland-3?select=cOwHx-qyqnpyVw4jlgWqkg&userid=DsHsuhUvyyW_75zFcJxkKw) and American food (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mlk-caf%C3%A9-oakland-3?select=2VElgBb5WDL8Kk69XZB39g&userid=DsHsuhUvyyW_75zFcJxkKw) including pizza (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mlk-caf%C3%A9-oakland-3?select=s3Uncy7VxnVe88V0L9EZ0Q) I've mostly had items from their Eritrean breakfast menu (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mlk-caf%C3%A9-oakland-3?select=r2JeYLuhsPFGaf7C-6OZIA) Frittata -This is a scramble with tomatoes, bell peppers and onions (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mlk-caf%C3%A9-oakland-3?select=4_-k8YVnIHgIt9L00Rs-5w) vs. the Italian open-faced omelette and served with two French rolls (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mlk-caf%C3%A9-oakland-3?select=NuQJ2bYrTAuKclsqBA4NDg). Distinct flavor of the berbere used to spice it up. Pretty tasty. Meselah Foul - this is their Shehan Foul (aka Shahan Ful) with sliced hard boiled egg (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mlk-caf%C3%A9-oakland-3?select=nRQH-H0YZ6ulRZnqptFzkg) It also comes with two French rolls and is quite a smooth puree compared to other places. Even with the jalapenos, I thought it needed more seasoning. For this, I'd go to Alem's on Claremont or Dajena down the block. Kitcha Fit-fit with Clarified Butter (also available with Silsi https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mlk-caf%C3%A9-oakland-3?select=ro9XAoFRkWeZRU0_3Ixgdw). Clarified butter . . . mmmmmm. No lack of spice kick here! This is a pretty large portion, so unless you're famished or a starving millennial, get this to share. Embotito is a sandwich (aka Umbotito on other menus) with potato, tomato and onion on one of the French Rolls. Flavored with oil and vinegar so appears to be vegan. Only $5.50 so decent option, if you're not super hungry. Onion rings are thick-cut and battered (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mlk-caf%C3%A9-oakland-3?select=pFWWtUxIXbeR4Dm2D82XOg) and make an excellent base for a pint of Guinness or Firestone 505 ;-) Friendly service. read more

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Great food! Obviously, their Ethiopian dishes are on-point, but they also serve surprisingly great pizza, burgers & fries, and solid brunch options too. If there's a major sporting event, you can count on the whole community gathering here to cheer and have a good time. We love this place! read more

Finally had a chance to try this place. My husband and I ordered food to go. I had the kelwa shrimp and my son had one of their mini cheese pizzas. Their menu consists of Ethiopian/African foods and American food (sandwiches, pizza, etc). I've never had Ethiopian food so I was excited to try some. I really liked the flavor of the kelwa shrimp. It had a nice salty and spice taste to it. It was served over rice. The portion of salad was kind of weird. It looked almost as if someone had eaten a good portion of it (no one had, it just looked scarce, lol). Check out my posted picture to see what I mean. The food is simple. Nothing too fancy. We plan on coming here during the day for brunch sometime to try their breakfast/brunch menu. I like how this area of MLK St. is starting to develop. read more

MLK Café - Kelwa shrimp - Ethiopian Near Me - Oakland, California

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Amazing food. I've never had Ethiopian food before and the server spent time and explained things to me and helped me pick out my food. Amazing place and amazing food. Highly recommend the kantisha read more

MLK Café - Kantisha - Ethiopian Near Me - Oakland, California

My uber driver suggested this place when I asked him for a cool Ethiopian restaurant . Am glad I found out this place, it was fun,the food was amazing and the vibe hits different. read more

Amazing food, very lively atmosphere (almost too lively- if you're looking for a quite place, this is not it), great variety of food, warm and friendly, if somewhat lax, service, fair prices. For me the reason I wanted to come here was the amazing spread of African breakfast food. And I was not disappointed. I got the shehan foul, which was almost enough for the two of us- and it was delicious!! we also got the fit fit with the clarified butter, which though delicious, was very heavy (I mean you know it's bread fried in butter so it's not a surprise at all, on both fronts ). The coffee was the only disappointment. It was quite burnt. Buuut all the food looked great. I'm definitely coming back and ordering shehan foul, along with a few other things (their pizza looks amazing too!). I'll just skip the coffee :D read more

great service food was great made fast & very good freach toste was great its right down the street from me & this was my 1st time

I invited a colleague of mine to this place. A female cook was blowing her nose, without washing her hands, and returned to cooking. When we brought this to the attention of the cashier, he pointed us out and relayed the message. She laughed loudly and stated, "I'm cooking for myself, not for you." As if it's OK to be in a commercial kitchen and not wash your hands after waste is on them! Hmmm. Our takeout orders weren't complete. My guest noticed hers before we left. I didn't notice mine until after I returned home. The beef dish I ordered was tough, not tender like the 3 other times I've been there. I've apologized to my guest for having suggested this place to dine. Snotty fingers and paid-for missing food is not my idea of a great dining experience. read more

What a delightful find! A place that serves pizza, burgers, breakfast, and ETHIOPIAN?! Hellzzz yeahhhh. My husband is picky about his first meal of the day so what a perfect restaurant to serve him breakfast while I have my Kelwa! (He ended up getting pizza anyway since it smelled so good when we walked in.) Ethiopean: This is the main reason I would venture to the East Bay; we just don't have a lot of places in the Peninsula and City that are as good and flavorful. The beef kelwa with mushrooms ($10.95) was very good after I sprinkled some salt onto it. The flavors just opened up. The injera was soft, bouncy, and wonderfully tart, just slightly. Portions were huge and lasted me three meals. Pizza: What a delightfully, yeasty, gooey, thin crust. My husband inhaled the entire 12". Coffee: One of the best soy lattés I've had. The coffee was robust and full flavored without being acidic nor bitter. Service was a little slow but very warm. The lovely lady behind the counter was the only server, cashier, and busser so I'm totally OK with being patient. read more

MLK Café - Beef Kelwa with Mushrooms. - Ethiopian Near Me - Oakland, California

MLK Cafe is the best place in Oakland to get traditional Ethiopian breakfast all for under $10 too! Kitcha fit fit with clarified butter and meselah foul are my go to's -- super filling and the foul reminds me of my childhood. I've heard great things about the pizza and their tibs are delicious, but it's honestly the breakfast and my fondness of the staff and community that keeps me loyal. Once I picked up food after going to urgent care and it was on the house! Prior to SIP it was a great place to gather for beer and soccer AND they hosted the monthly Root Slam open mic. If you're in the area and/or wanting to try something different than your standard American breakfast (they do offer this too for the less adventurous) you won't be disappointed!!! Support Black business. read more

My friends and I ordered takeout pizza from here last weekend. Two of my friends who live in the East Bay had been raving about how good it is and how much they love their gluten free pizza so we decided to test it out. The staff was super friendly. The owner remembered one of my friends from coming in there before and made sure to get us all the sauces that we wanted. The food, however, not so much. The crust on the pizza was super dense and absorbed all the sauce. We had ordered one marinara and one pesto pizza, but they put marinara on both of them. The salad we ordered was just some lettuce drowned in dressing. I am giving this place 3 stars because the staff was great, the prices are very cheap and my friend assures me that the food is usually much better than what we got so I am inclined to give this place another try. read more

MLK Cafe had only one table, if that. post lunch. no servers around so i grabbed a drink. menu: burgers, breakfast, ethiopian, pizza. pour: tanqueray & tonic (6) -small drink had a lot of punch -no well drinks, just bombay, tanqueray. on draught -felt strange about ordering food so didn't.: -good size eatery -bar clean. read more

Since when did such an awesome local place pop up in my neighborhood? I kept reading reviews for this place and couldn't figure out where it was, but am I happy I finally made it a destination. I am always looking for gluten free restaurants. Going out to some cool place that serves mostly pizza, and finding out you get to eat a salad (!!) and watch others eat yummy glutenous pizza drenching with sauce and cheese, is not my idea of a good time. The restaurant is very modern and they do a great job of keeping the place spotless and ready for the next guests. We brought our pup and sat outside for a nice little brunch of ethiopian type scramble with fresh rolls and injera. Two cappucinos and great company makes for a fantastic sunday morning. Then we went home and found the roommate of our dreams. Thank you MLK Cafe for being our lucky cafe. read more

MLK Café - Cappucino and puppies. Incredible food! - Ethiopian Near Me - Oakland, California

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A proper hole in the wall type restaurant, reminiscent of my time in East Africa itself! Friendly staff and a relaxed ambience. We ordered a vegetarian sampler which tasted fresh. That said, the variety wasn't quite what we're used to at other Ethiopian restaurants in the East Bay (just three dishes), hence the 3* review. read more

Why do I keep testing the limits when I have a perfectly healthy, reciprocal, loving relationship with Red Sea? I feel like someone caught cheating in a relationship who tries to excuse their behavior by crawling home with the "I was bored" line. It just doesn't make any sense. Granted, I fell into MLK Cafe the way folks usually succumb to substance abuse or poor decision-making: my friends made me do it. We were all interested in taking a look around Marcus Books about a half-block up and mi gente suggested MLK instead of Red Sea, my favored and favorite Ethiopian juke joint. Knowing no better, I obliged. I figured, they have honey wine and the same staples I've come to love at other spots, right? Nahsomuch. Their veggie combo fell short of my expectations and included a few but not all of the items I'm used to encountering. The flavor wasn't horrible, but it definitely wasn't good, either. Plus, there's no way to even compare the skimpy portions at MLK with the (admittedly over-the-top) size at Red Sea. Next time I'm following my heart and my intuition... Straight to Red Sea. read more

I told the waitress that I'm just looking for something small, like an appetizer. She handed me a menu and I selected a small pizza for $5.50. Upon purchase, the cashier charged me $14 for a large and said they don't do small pizzas anymore. The pizza itself was thin, flat and tasteless. Safe to say I'll never come back. read more

I'm a big fan of foul/fuul, which is basically east african bean mush with lots of onions, chili, yogurt and eggs, served with bread. It's a really savory start to your day and though your breath would blow a crowd away, any potential hangover you might bring with you wouldn't survive the meal either. read more

I was visiting from Texas and happened to get a hotel down the street from MLK Cafe. They were the only place open relatively late (Yelp says they close at 10:00 on weekdays, but I think I went in there around 10:15 or 10:30??), so I decided to walk down there and get some food. I was a little confused as to where to order upon first walking in, as there were people hanging out all around the bar and restaurant but no one behind the counter. Eventually I figured it out - they have menus at one of the counters and as I was looking one over, a man came up and asked what I would like. I decided to keep it simple and just ordered a small cheese pizza to go. It wasn't anything mindblowing, but it definitely hit the spot (and for a good price too). The next night I find myself in the same late-ish night predicament, so I walked back over there and decided I'd try one of their Ethiopian dishes. I had only eaten Ethiopian once before and I thought it was great, but nothing to write home about. I ordered beef kelwa and boyyyyyy was it fucking good! It blew my first Ethiopian experience out of the water. Atmosphere is super laid back. Second night I was in there everyone was watching the Warriors game, cheering, and what not. The guys cooking your food and taking your orders are very friendly. Highly recommended spot. I will definitely be back next time I'm in Oakland! read more

I had some reservations about this place.. only because it served breakfast, pizza, burgers, pasta AND ethiopian food, And had a full bar. I got the ful medames, it might've been called something else on the menu, but it's basically a bean paste, served with hardboiled eggs, onions, tomatoes, cheese and olive oil drizzled on top. it's served with tasty fresh baked rolls of french bread. I thought I would be hungry afterwards because there was no meat, but i was surprisingly full. My sister got the frittata, which wasn't really a casserole dish, but more like a scramble with onions and peppers. It was really fresh tasting and flavorful. The coffee was legit as well, strong, and well made. Our server was the nicest lady, that had a mama-bear quality about her. Would definitely come back. I think all of our breakfast dishes were 8 bucks. read more

I absolutely love coming here for the twice monthly root slam and open mic hosted by the root slam. They have a great venue, a full bar and a full kitchen with Ethiopian and American food. The prices are excellent and the staff are super friendly. I've had the Ethiopian vegetarian plate, which is delicious, as well as their house pizzas. I highly recommend this place for fun to hang out with friends, for a night of poetry, or for a good date night. read more

The MLK Café is a new restaurant that recently opened near the MacArthur BART Station. It is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In addition to food like Pizza, Burgers, and Pasta, MLK Café also serves traditional Ethiopian dishes. The restaurant features a modern interior with flat screen televisions, a bar, free Internet access, and outdoor seating. We recently dined here and experiences superb service. The Ethiopian beef dishes we ordered and pizza were fantastic and served in a timely manner and the servings were more than large enough. We ended up taking half of the food home. If you're in the neighborhood, I would highly recommend this place. This business represents the beginning of a neighborhood renaissance. Come support them in their fine efforts. read more

Went here for World Cup watching after passing this almost daily since it's opened! It was dark and cavernous to accommodate for maximum dramatic tv watching (with plenty of tvs for easy viewing) and ordering food was as simple as walking up to the counter. We ordered a coffee and fava bean foul mudammas (or whatever they call it on the menu) from the African breakfast menu and it was DELICIOUS. The fresh jalapeño provided nice spikes of heat and the french rolls they give you are PERFECTLY crunchy on the outside and soft and warm on the inside. I'm ready to go back for more now! One thing I noticed was that the server was really busy catering to all the WC watchers and eaters and drinkers but never seemed frazzled. She was really friendly, too. She noticed that one of the boys in our party didn't really eat his pancakes and she checked in w/his dad about it - did he not eat them because he didn't like them? His dad assured her it was more that he was really distracted by the game but that they were yummy (I ate a bunch, they were!) and she smiled and let him know that she wanted to know because if the pancakes weren't satisfactory, she wouldn't charge them. I rarely get checked in with like that at any restaurant and appreciate when everyone working you interact with has ownership over the success of the place. Whether or not she was the owner didn't matter - she wanted you to be satisfied! Oh and, at some point she walked by with a plate of spaghetti at some point and it looked BOMB! From what I'm reading in other reviews this seems like one of the rare gems where you really can order from all corners of the menu and not be disappointed. I can't wait to go back :-) read more

Fantastic! I found out about this place by looking for gluten-free stuff on Yelp. My wife and I got the pizza last week and it was awesome! The teff crust was nutty and a little sweet and went perfectly with the pizza flavors - which has not been my experience with regular pizzas, gluten-free or non. We got ours with garlic and artichoke hearts and goat cheese and mushrooms. Although when it came, it also had bell peppers, which was fine by me but annoyed my wife because they make her burp. I guess. It was soooo good. A large with four toppings was $20; more expensive than a tacky nationwide chain, but better for you, tastier, local, and anyway us gluten-free people are used to paying more for carbs. Most of the menu is Eritrean food, with some fusion elements like this. It was kind of a trip to realize that it's Italian-Eritrean fusion, and that that makes perfect sense because Italy invaded Eritrea and Ethiopia and probably lots of other places. Cafe Eritrea on the other side of the BART station from here does the same thing, but with more of a salad-and-pasta vibe. This would be the perfect place to go with a group of friends who can't make up their minds about what to eat. It's really pretty and shiny inside, all polished tile and dazzling brand-new super-tall cafe chairs and whatnot. I am looking forward very much to trying their kitfo! If I can ever stop eating the pizza. Like other reviewers here, we called ahead the day before to ask for the pizza; they said that if we came by about 1 the next day and told them what to put on it, it would be ready in 10 minutes. It was actually closer to half an hour, possibly because we blithely announced that we were going for a walk (the nearby Grove-Shafter? dog park was having its grand opening) and maybe they didn't want to finish it off too early. Or maybe we didn't have to call ahead after all. More delicious testing is needed here. If everything else is as good as the pizza, I'll have to award it that fifth star. read more

Came back for their burger and its legit They also had a big soccer match going so the place was loud and popping in a good way read more

Loved it loved it. One waitress we went at around 7pm. It was all guys no women on this Sunday they where just watching the game. It was nice a good amount of space and it smelled like fresh air. Everything was clean. Also you might have to seat your self. Only one waitress she was working the bar and the tables. But that just might be a Sunday night. But it was so good and beautiful. Such a nice break from California and American food. You know burgers and Mexican food. I just wanted something different and this hit the spot!!!! I will be back! read more

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Cute cafe with nice, relaxing atmosphere. Came here to have a cold drink while I waited for my car to be looked at. Everyone was pleasant and because one wall was totally open, it was nice and airy. Kinda reminded me of European cafes and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it. Nice spot to chill for a bit! read more

I just landed and was super hungry upon arrival. This place just near the BART station and I miss me some ethnic food. Got beef kelwa with mushrooms, was pretty good. If you are a fan of the Ethiopian food, you will enjoy the offerings. They also offer traditional American sports bar food. read more

Aaa, so this place was cute, the staff super friendly, the food delicious and super filling.... buuuut I got food poisoning. I went with my Friend Renee F. and we both got some upset stomach afterwards. I really wish I would like to go back, but being sick really puts a damper on things. oh well. read more

The reviews are spot on about the friendly owner and great Ethiopian food. My friend and I had the veggie combo platter with a side of beef and were thoroughly pleased. However, I offer all who go there one warning: you may experience a bit of an upset stomach afterward. We sure did... The atmosphere, on the other hand, is a little bizarre. This place is part swanky, part whole-in-the-wall. You might feel out of place if you're not a decked-out African business man. Overall, a-ok. read more

It's been a while since I've written a Yelp review, but I have to give props to this wonderful cafe just steps away from the MacArthur BART Station. I was on my way to Emeryville and decided to stop by this place for a bite to eat. They have a mix of Eritrean and American food, but I'd recommend the former since you can get American food anywhere. I ordered the shahan ful from the Eritrean breakfast menu: fava beans with chopped peppers, onions, tomatoes, feta cheese, and spices, served with a warm French roll (no utensils). It was very flavorful with just the right amount of spice, though you could probably also order it with less pepper and onions if you'd like. I also tried Asmara, one of their African beers. The woman who was working was very helpful when I asked her opinion on some of the menu items. It wasn't too crowded on a Sunday evening. The building faces west and the large windows let in a lot of sunlight, which was nice on a frigid-but-sunny day like yesterday. Most of the TVs were playing Sunday Night Football with audio, and one TV screen was playing a soccer (real football) match that a few people were watching as well. If you're in the area, I'd definitely recommend checking this place out. read more

Yes , Eye am a Big Fan! This was my second time visiting but first time I ate from here . Let me first say they have live music on some nights,which was my first visit. I enjoyed myself so much I came back the following afternoon weekend and did some work. The ambiance is nice and airy, people flowing in and out. I ordered a mushroom vegetarian dish that was superb! My mouth was singing to my tummy! The customer service is great but hey there's always room for improvement.I am glad to see them doing so well hope they can stay awhile. read more

Great service and good food and family oriented spot and comfortable spot , i recommend this place for party and hang out and chill great sports bar ...and i decided to have my daughters masters graduation party . read more

Love their Potato, Garlic, Pesto PIzza!! I will be trying many more of their veggie pizzas,,they all sounded amazing. Also their African breakfasts are very tasty... I order mine "hot" and it comes with chili sauce and jalapenos. Classy place to go for some food and drink. Very friendly people work here. I'm happy to have such a wonderful place to go to relax and enjoy some food. Looking forward to trying other menu items besides breakfast and pizza. read more