Alif Brew & Mini Mart

I'm a big fan of this place. It's definitely one of the better cups of iced coffee I've had in the city. The flavor is both bold and smooth at the same time. You can't beat Ethiopian coffee. Today I went for the egg bowl for a late breakfast. The flavors they use really bring out the best. I've had an injera wrap here in the past and loved that too. And the atmosphere to me beats any of the pretentious Center City spots out there. I think this place just became my favorite coffee shop in the city.

The food disappeared before I could take a picture. Soup of the day was a yellow lentil soup, delicious. We had the beef wrap, delicious. Perfectly spiced if you don't like too much spicy. Super flavorful. And I forget the name of these little Samosa type things. Lentil and chicken. Absolutely delicious!This is our first time here, and now we have to figure out a reason to be in West Philly, just to come back. Forgot to say, the friendliest and warmest service, and very nice and clean inside. Clearly a neighborhood gem and hang out spot for the locals.

Coffee and lattes are so good here! I love the staff here too! They are so kind! I love supporting small local businesses like Alif. There is a lot of seating inside and is not too busy/loud so it's very conducive for studying or getting work done.They also sell Milk Jawn pints here!!! I LOVE Milk Jawn ice cream so I was very pleased to find out they have an entire freezer's worth of pints with multiple flavors inside. $12/pint

Amazing Ethiopian food in this adorable cafe! We had the shredded chicken platter with two sides- the kale and cabbage w/carrots. It was as good if not better than the fancier Ethiopian restaurants. We would definitely come back.

Heeeeey, Yelp family!I just had the pleasure of trying Alif Brew and Mini Mart again, and I have to say...I was seriously impressed. The food was absolutely delicious, particularly the Foul Medames! This stew of cooked fava beans, cumin, tomatoes, and fresh herbs was SERIOUSLY flavorful and satisfying. The pita bread that it was served with was the perfect accompaniment, and I could easily have eaten a whole plate of this stuff. (Pssst, I eventually did lol)In addition to the tasty food, the service at Alif Brew and Mini Mart was top-notch. The staff were friendly and efficient, and they made sure that I had everything I needed. The decor was also really nice, with a cozy and welcoming artsy atmosphere. All in all, I had a really enjoyable experience again at this cafe / mini mart.So, my Yelp family, if you're looking for some delicious and hearty food that's served with great service and in a cozy atmosphere, Alif Brew and Mini Mart is DEFINITELY worth checking out.Have any of you guys tried this place before? What did you think? And do you have any other recommendations for great Middle Eastern food in the area?

I want to make this my new go to spot... i loveeee the fact that they have changing specials and truly have never had another coffee like the alif special, will walk out of the way just to get it iced w a splash of oat milk. Tried the malawah when i went and it was delicious - beet hummus, a cut up boiled eggs, pickles, labneh, all wrapped up in a delicious paratha type bread? Sooooo good. I like the soft muffins and baklava too! And the people here are lovely as well

It is a market for Ethiopian specialties and spices and delicious treats. It is a coffee shop with rich brews and it's a restaurant serving beautiful food. This place is wonderful. Any of the food one tries is sure to delight (try the ful!) and the vibes of the community coffee shop are all here. It's a regular stop for me after the farmer's market on a Saturday. I highly recommend.

I feel like this place is a hidden gem in Philly. It could also be because I don't really spend much time up in this area. Cool little spot to study. I was impressed by the food (I had one of their weekend specials they recommend) and extremely surprised and excited that they had mango lassi! One that actually tasted good too. Can't wait to come back here. If you do want to come here to study/get work done, just make sure to charge your devices as outlets are very sparse

Although the store I'm sure for their customers is a nice local spot they enjoy, I'm not a fan! The quaint items they sell along the treats may be good but my reason for the low score is based on service and product received using the 'Too good to go' app. This app was designed to help stores and restaurants that serve a range of items from baked goods to fast food and everything in between to possibly avoid total loss on food that wasn't sold. In placing an order you should receive leftover or unused supplies that can help create or supply a meal. On the site it's listed as surplus food. Now to Alif Brew. When I showed my order on the app the counter person said 'oh another one I thought we only had one'. She then went into a back room for a few. I took this time to peruse the store. They have nice novelty items and small food items from the Middle East. This was a good start and I decided to return for a $50 Turkish coffee set until.......I was called to pick up my 'surplus surprise' that cost $3.99 and 5 miles of driving. For $3.99 I received ONE DAY OLD CROISSANT! I can get a SAME DAY FRESH CROISSANT for $2.50 ANYWHERE!Im so upset because this store look so exciting. My planned return WILLNOT HAPPEN! If this process is designed to save and possibly create a new set of customers Alif Brew has lost me and more I'm sure!

There are many more options at Alif than I realized. The injera I have from TooGoodToGo is random and with the well done and combination of ingredients available, it is really nice. I read one review of the poor soul who got one croissant for 3.99. TooGoodToGo shouldn't work like that. Just give more food or more of something if your business screwed up offering Too many TooGoodToGos and people had to travel to get to you. There is a buffet setup for the injera. Seeing the buffet setup and everything else being "random" mini mart items, I was leaning toward 4 stars. But then I read the other reviews, saw pictures of quality coffee and other entrees for which I did not see a menu off quick glance, and I was sold. I will definitely stop here for coffee when I am in the area again at least.Jun 9 update: had their ginger coffee and you can defin taste the coffee. The ginger was defin there but not overpowering. I probably would've been okay with a stronger ginger flavor but I think most people would not like this. Reasonably good stuff. Not my fave personally but could definitely go for.