Cafe Aurora

This was my first time trying this type of food, and it was absolutely delicious. I highly recommend giving the tea a try!When I walked in, Sesen assisted me and gave me a great walkthrough of what to try and eat. She didn't disappoint.I hope to visit this area again and will definitely be back to try more!

I really like this place and the food is quite good. The woman owner is lovely. I first met her more than 20 years ago at their grand opening. I left Virginia for a number of years. Now that I am back and was so near, I stopped in for a Saturday brunch treat.The menu (and there is a QR if you like to order on your phone) is not huge but provides enough choices with many breakfast items and drinks. This is a great place for vegetarians and even has some vegan offerings but also some traditional meat dishes. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner.I had the breakfast dish with eggs, Kitcha fitfit, and fu'ul. It was delish and ample. I also had the organic flaxseed drink (smoothie with soy milk base) to go. I asked for it without the honey and it still tasted so good. I saw people next to me eating french toast and it looked fluffy and super delish.The only down side to this place is that there is so little seating and it is lively -you will be sitting close to others and hear a bit of their convos even if you don't want to listen. That shouldn't be a deterrent, though, because the food is worth it and the ambience is still nice and friendly. I would say there is table seating for about 25 people plus an additional 10 barstool seats at the counter.Everyone up in the joint while I was there was probably Eritrean or Ethiopian with a couple of exceptions, including me. I say that in a good way, because it means people are going there because the food is authentic and good. If you are not familiar with Eritrean food, I highly recommend it.This cafe is a bit of fushion, bringing together American and Eritrean fare that has something for everyone (vegetarians, vegans, and carnivores). Besides breakfast/brunch items that are offered all day long (yay!), they offer salads, soup, sandwiches, pasta dishes, pastries, and traditional meals (veggie only or chicken, lamb, fish, or shrimp based dishes). The have a nice drink menu that includes a variety of coffee items, traditional tea with cinnamon and cardamom, and the organic flaxseed smoothie which I recommend.I would give this place 4.5 stars, because it is tiny and can be crowded during peak times. It's too small to have more than one waitress with the owners assisting. I am not criticizing anyone for that -it's just a small business. It's casual with a good ambience, clean, enjoyable, and the waitress/owners are nice. More importantly, the food is very good and it is clear the owners care about healthy and tasty meals. I highly recommend for breakfast, lunch, or a casual dinner... and for take out. Lovely cafe and I wish the owners another 20+ years of business success. Great addition to the neighborhood.

Coffee Shop No. 382June 17, 2024Cafe AuroraAlexandria, VAThe Land of Commin Sense. Any cafe that sells coffee obviously has common sense in my book.Cafe Aurora is an Eritrean cafe tucked in the back corner of a small strip mall. The smiling lady at the counter said, "No cortado, but I make a delicious cappuccino." How could I turn her down? Not only did the woman make a visually beautiful cappuccino it tasted good too! If I wasn't a cortado fanatic this cappuccino might have swayed to Team Cappuccino.Luckily, I sat next to a lovely young lady named Eden and her family is from Eritrean. She graciously told me about Eritrean; which is a country I had never heard until today. The world is full of friendly amazing people and cultures. I hope you meet someone new today who is as friendly and as beautiful as Eden.

We have been to Cafe Aurora many times for breakfast, but our recent visits have left us much to be desired.While the staff are very friendly, there's usually only one person who mans the front, taking parties' orders, making coffee drinks, and dealing with the register - if you're looking for a quick meal, this is definitely NOT the place, as you'll spend at least 1.5 hours.We usually stick with their French Toast, the Omelet, and the Fuul - the food has been inconsistent, as the French Toast, while usually prepared perfectly with the slight crisp edges, has been mostly soggy. The omelet, in which we requested all the ingredients to be included, has been missing cheese. The Fuul's portion has gotten smaller, and the request for extra jalapenos and sauce has always fallen on deaf ears.For coffee, I've usually stuck with the mocha, which, even when requested to be extra hot, hasn't been so.The place can be extremely loud from specific patrons/parties, and there doesn't seem to be any consideration for other diners.The inconsistency with the food, the long service times, and the high volume of some of the patrons doesn't warrant a repeat visit anymore.Plenty of parking in the shared plaza lot.+inconsistency in the quality of the food served+slow service+very loud patrons/parties

Delicious food and a large menu. Portions were large and filling. The cafe itself is very small and cramped, leading to a less-than-private feel to dining as the table next to us was so close it felt like we may have been dining with them too. Service was a little slow but we weren't in a rush so there was no reason to speed through lunch.

Best Food in the area! The breakfast is a hit. Also, very family environment and nice hospitality.

I brought my car in for a quick service appointment at a neighboring car dealership, and wanted a cup of something hot to drink and a place to sit. Cafe Aurora sits in an unassuming plaza off Pickett Street, and was a welcome oasis. Their menu is expansive but I wasn't hungry. After reviewing the hot drinks, I settled on an Eritrean tea accented with cinnamon. It was presented beautifully, in a glass cup and tray along with an individual pot for refills. The staff were so pleasant in explaining its ingredients and tradition.I will definitely go back and try the menu later on.

Delicious breakfast and lovely staff! I would recommend trying Cafe Aurora if you are in the neighborhood.

It was great to try a new style of food. The staff was very helpful and explained the menu.

A nice, little cafe with very kind servers where you can be left alone to eat spicy food for your soul and drink tea or coffee, all for a reasonable cost. Yep, it is very slow, but don't go if you are in a hurry. Go to a fast food place that will sling your pseudo-food at you in 5 minutes.