Desta Ethiopian Cafe

Wow, this place is a hidden jewel tucked away in a residential neighborhood. My partner and I have mainly come here for weekend brunch/lunch and gotten the combo. One combo feeds two adults without us leaving too full. Everything has been wonderful. The injera is especially good, as are the split peas, gomen, and atakilt wat. Our favorite dishes have to be the yesimir wat (red lentils with bebere spice) and the azifa (green lentils with jalapeno). Those are some of the best I've had in Oakland, which is a bit of a haven for delicious Ethiopian food, so that is saying a lot.Service is attentive and the owner/chef is extremely kind, interactive with her customers, and proud of her wonderful cooking. People often stop in just to say "hi" to her, so she has many loyal customers which is a great sign.

A fantastic restaurant that happens to be vegan and kosher and some of the best, most affordable Ethiopian food I've ever eaten. Desta is a cozy cafe just off of a couple major commercial streets, so it's easy to overlook. A friend and I recently got the sambusas and the veggie combo for delivery and it was ready exactly at the arranged pick-up time. The staff were extremely friendly and made pick-up easy.The sambusas were hearty, stuffed with a large portion of perfectly cooked and well-seasoned lentils, and the dough was fried well with a good filling-to-dough ratio. Although a bit on the saltier side for me, the veggie combo was outstanding. There were substantial portions of everything, some of the veggies were prepared in ways I hadn't seen before, and everything was deliciously spicy. Desta also gave us the right amount of injera to eat everything. The veggie combo was only $18, significantly cheaper and tastier than I've had at other places.I highly recommend Desta and look forward to going again!

I. Love. Ethiopian food. I feel so lucky to live in the Bay Area where there is a fair amount of it and a fair number of like, really good spots and that I've been to enough of them to have my favorites in both the East and South bay and now I have a new favorite that's like a 5 minute walk away from where I love. Hashtag blessed? Hashtag blessed. I'd been meaning to try Desta because it's so close to where I live, but unfortunately the hours don't always work with my schedule. We finally went today and tried their vegetarian combo and the tofu scramble (pictured). Desta really stands out from a lot of the Ethiopian places I've tried for a couple reasons:1) The Injera is less sour than other places, but pleasantly so! It's softer and I really like the texture. I actually feel like the milder flavor complements the different dishes a lot better because it's milder in flavor.2) Each dish is SO well flavored and seasoned! Everything on the veggie combo platter had such a unique and delicious flavor from sweet, hearty, and tart. The tofu scramble was excellent- a really nice blend of I think tumeric and some other spices that was unique and satisfying. I feel like some Ethiopian places the flavor skew too tart or maybe too salty, but everything at Desta is just right3) I love Gomen (stewed collard greens/kale) and Desta's is the perfect amount of softness and bite. A really satisfying texture all around that went really well as an entree with Injera and mixed in with the tofu scramble.Standouts for me were the Misir Wot (spicy, savory, hearty), Gomen (see above), and the Azifa (spicy, sour, refreshing), the last of which I hadn't had before. The tofu scramble was also excellent, and the sides with carrots and potatoes complemented it nicely- the carrots were really flavorful and the potatoes cooked to perfection. For drinks we got the Ginger tea and a cappuccino. The ginger tea in particular was very strong- you can ask for sugar to flavor it to your liking! Great if you like ginger, probably way too gingery if you don't. The cappuccino was fine. It's a really cute and cozy, well-lit joint in a place that gets plenty of sun throughout the day. It's family-run, and the lady who cooks and serves is extremely kind and welcoming. When we came in, it looked like family was also there for a bite to eat before going about their Sunday which gave it a really homey vibe. As other reviews mentioned, it's a little out of the way, but it's like a 10m bus ride on the 33 from downtown Oakland and, imo, absolutely worth it if you want some really wholesome and delicious Ethiopian food. The bus stop is literally right across the street (the crosswalk takes you straight to the door!) so whether you drive or take transit, it's pretty accessible. Please support this absolute gem of a spot! They're so so so worth it!

We love Ethiopian food and the reviews were so good we had to try Desta. Wherever we eat this delicious cuisine we always get the vegetable combination. The food was tasty. We noticed the red lentils was a little oily and the injera was a bit thinner than we were used to. Desta has two really hard working ladies that do it all . They greet , wait on guests , cook and buss the tables. The restaurant was cozy and we liked the decor. We're looking forward to trying other Ethiopian restaurants in the East Bay.

Went here with a friend who lived near by and had already read the amazing reviews and they are all correct! It is a teeny, tiny place but there was plenty of tables for lunch. Was welcomed warmly, and checked in on often, so you feel very at home and taken care of.Had a delicious ginger latte and the veggie combo and let the owner choose the options. It was so yummy, and plenty for the three of us.Highly recommend Desta! And pretty close to public transit, it took us 10 minutes to walk there from our 51a bus.

This place is wonderful! My brother brought us out to this restaurant last weekend and let me tell you- it was a treat! It is located in a residential area on Oakland Ave. There is little parking available and the shop is small. We ordered the sampler plate and it was delicious. It was made right there and it was very flavorful. Now, I'm not an expert in Ethiopian food- I've only had it 4 times in my whole life. But I can tell you, that I loved the flavors, it tasted fresh and I loved being able to try many veggie dishes at once. I loved the yellow lentils, the cabbage dish and I believe the kale dish. The orange lentils and the jalapeño ones were far too spicy for me. Now, you won't get as much food as you may get at other local Ethiopian places a couple blocks away... but the hospitality and service here are incomparable. The lady who cooks and I believe owns the shop is so warm and kind. She made us feel like guests, not customers. I would 100% drive back to Oakland to eat here and to bring friends along. Come try, you won't regret it!

Hard to not give this place 5 stars. I love Ethiopian food but this restaurant is another level. Initially dissappointed that it was vegan, the flavors were incredible. Very intimate setting rounds up this wonderful dining experience.

I went here not realizing it was a vegetarian/vegan restaurant but I was not disappointed by the amazing flavors and masterfully cooked veggies. I got the 4 combo plate and it was phenomenal. The inside of the restaurant is lovely, beautiful vibrant colors. The 2 seater tables have gorgeous plates. The server is warm, welcoming and attentive. Our food (for 2 people, technically 5 different items, 4 combined in 1 plate) was ready in a manner of minutes. The portions are generous, I have lunch for tomorrow.

Best Ethiopian food around, cooked by auntie. Generous portions. Fast. Friendly service. Nice seating.

Oakland has a good number of Ethiopian/Eritrean restaurants in the area. You really can't go wrong. But this one is THE BEST.I am not vegan nor vegetarian but it doesn't matter. The food here is AMAZING. I come at least once a week, if not more, for lunch. I am addicted. You get ample portions of fantastic food made by a local small business owner.Make this part of your regular lunch rotation. Order takeout before you go home to reheat for dinner. Trust me. You won't be disappointed.