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Cafe Desta

4.5 (422 reviews)
Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

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CAFE DESTA ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Classy
Casual
Good for working

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Recommended Reviews - Cafe Desta

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Tea
Elizabeth O.

Came with a friend and had a nice time. I've never had Ethiopian food so I was happy to try it finally. My friend has been before and so he ordered the sampler plate that allowed us to choose 5 items from both vegetarian and meat menus. We tried lamb, fish, chicken with rice and injera. There is a homemade cheese on the middle that is very mild and helps to ease the spices on your palate. The injera was extremely sour. I heard that is how it's supposed to be since it's made from a in-house fermentation process. Overall service was good. I'm glad I got to try it!

Veggie sampler
Clare M.

Came back to celebrate my veganniversary! Got the vegan platter- obvs. Soooo flavorful and fresh. Lovely staff and bright big windows. This will forever be a Tucson staple for us.

Vegan platter
Haley N.

Incredible people, menu had great explanations with definitions of various words and lotsss of vegan options! We got the vegan platter to go and it was so worth it! We got like 4 meals out of it. So tastey, even second day! Variety of seating and warm ambiance. Will absolutely be back!

Elizabeth H.

We really enjoyed sharing the vegetarian platter. It was just enough for 2, and the flavors were popping. I thought it was cool they had a rotating dessert too. The interior itself was really cute, and the server was nice and attentive. I would recommend stopping in for sure.

Veggie platter plus 4 extra servings!!
Wendy H.

I had my birthday party of 10 there last night. Although they don't tale reservations, everyone working there went above and beyond to fit us all in! We had a blast and the food was so delicious!! 4 of us ordered the Veggie platter plus some extra so we were sure to get extra of what we all liked. Others ordered the meat platter and some other menu items that looked amazing, and everyone left feeling very full and satisfied! I would highly recommend this place for sure.

Check the floor...and the excellent lighting.
Steven G.

Place is close to my work. Etheopian cuisine. Pretty much street parking only. Was there on Tuesday night, slow but steady stream of customers. Ambiance/Cleanliness-A bit rough, but warm. Floor was pretty tore up. Native baskets and some photos are decoration. Cool lighting. Table and silverwear were clean. 4 stars Service-The hostess/server was a total smokeshow with a sense of humor. She seemed pretty bored, but took care of getting my food to the table..no complaints. 4 stars Food- and that food..Lamb Tibs-Cubes of lamb pan-seared in Kibe, Awaze onion, jalapeños, and fresh rosemary. Served with salad and Fosolia(seasoned green beans). Awesome. GREAT portion of food, seasoned to perfection. Plenty of injera bread to eat with. Will go back!! 5 stars.

Vegan Signature Plate Combo
Talisa M.

Absolutely love Cafe Desta. It's one of my favorite places in town, I visit this place often! It honestly taps into childhood memories of sitting around the table with my family and using tortilla bread to eat our food instead of utensils. What a beautiful experience! Here at Desta, even though cutlery is available, the Injera that they serve with the food is meant to be something that you used to pick the food up and enjoy it. Every single item has a unique flavor and is incredibly delicious. The textures, spice levels and experience are so varied that you can't get a single thing that feels repetitive. More often than not this is something that I enjoy doing with friends and others because I enjoy getting the larger platters and sharing that with them highly recommend a visit. Maybe I'll see you there!

Vegan plate
Niki G.

Went last weekend with a friend and we split the vegan plate. I always forget to take pics and remembered to take after we decimated it! It was like having a mini buffet of Ethiopian dishes all on one plate and we were given plenty of injera to eat it with. Flavorful, some spicy with just enough heat. I loved them all - the lentils with jalapeño, the tumeric cabbage with carrots and potatoes, the spinach, the yellow split peas were creamy, which i liked, (have has that at other places where the yellow lentils had more of a bite but I prefer the creamy texture - easier to scoop with the injera). It was so good, we had plenty of leftovers and I ate mine for lunch the next day.

Combo for 2 Beef Tibs
Veronica M.

My favorite Ethiopian spot in Tucson! Their food is flavorful and well spiced and they give good portions of entree and injera. My favorite would be the tibs and misir wat. They also have berbere for those wanting some extra kick. Service was great and servers were friendly. Interior is simple but clean and welcoming.

Lauren M.

My husband and I loved Cafe Desta. it's a hidden gem and an absolute must try if you're into Ethiopian food (or even if you're new to it and curious!). The restaurant is small, cozy, and full of charm. It does get busy, so plan ahead because seating is limited but totally worth the wait. The food? So flavorful and clearly made with love. We shared a combo plate and left full, happy, and already planning our next visit. The dishes marked as "spicy" werent really all that spicy in my opinion, but I'm use to spicy food. I actually could've added some hot sauce to a few meals just for an added kick but they were still packed with flavor. We were a little nervous about finding good Ethiopian food in Arizona, but Cafe Desta definitely exceeded expectations. On top of that, the staff was incredibly friendly and welcoming. Highly recommend!

Combo for two: two orders of spicy lamb, one order of spicy chicken, cheese, potatoes, carrots & cabbage, spicy red lentils and salad
Brittany S.

Must-try spot--you won't be disappointed! My husband and I are new to Tucson, and I randomly started craving Ethiopian food. I've been eating it since I was really young, so it's something I truly enjoy. I found a few places and decided to go with Café Desta--and I'm so glad we did! We absolutely loved all the flavors. We got the combo for two with spicy lamb, chicken, cabbage with carrots and potatoes, cheese, and spicy lentils. We also added extra lamb on the side. Everything was so delicious, and the injera was made perfectly--soft, tangy, and just right. For dessert, we got the raspberry almond cake to-go. We were super full but still wanted a sweet treat for later--and it was totally worth it. The ambiance felt authentic but with a nice modern vibe. Service was excellent! Parking: Street parking only, but honestly, the dining experience makes it more than worth it. We'll definitely be back!

Raspberry almond cake
Rachel R.

Everything tasted amazing! Even though they were busy, food was coming out quickly. The manager / owner was out helping the server. Coffee was strong with a little sweet. Every item on my combo plate was amazing. Definitely worth going

Alexis L.

Food was flavorful and tasty. They had good variety. We had the dinner for 2, with a beef and chicken selection, lentils, garbanzos and collard greens. My favorite was the beef, garbanzos and lentils. The lentil soup was also very good. I enjoyed the mint iced tea as well. Service was personable and the restaurant was clean and comfortable. There is plenty of street parking.

Veggie dishes family platter with injera

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29 days ago

We had never eaten Ethiopian food and we LOVED it. Food and service were fantastic. We had a combo plate for two. their coffee is great too.

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4 months ago

Everything was absolutely incredible! The Shiro was my favorite and the injera was perfectly made. Highly suggest.

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Ask the Community - Cafe Desta

Are they currently open for dining in?

Yes

How much is the lunch special combo & is it available 7 days/week?

$9, available 7 days a week

View All 4 Questions

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We called about 45 minutes in advance on a Sunday morning to see if we could get reservations, and…read morewe were so pleased when they said they could accommodate us. The drink menu is extensive- everyone loved what they ordered, and there were several other things we wanted too! The shrubs and Coca Cola with espresso were the favorite picks. We tried the orange almond (gluten free!) cake, which was amazing. We also tried the banana cake with tahini cream. My main course of kale Caesar salad was amazing, and the portion was so generous I had lunch for two days! Everyone else raved about their food. The service was so friendly and helpful. The location was spacious and airy. Highly recommend you check it out!

I came here for brunch yesterday with a friend, and I'm really glad I gave them another chance! We…read moreoriginally sat on the patio, but it became a bit warmer than we thought it would be, and moved inside. I ordered the Huevo rancheros, which is a Unique move for me since I usually avoid this dish. However, I saw a picture of it on yelp, and it just looks so good. I'm glad I went with my gut because it truly was delicious! It was a great portion, and I really like that the crunchy parts were tostada-like. My friend got the Korean pork sandwich with fries, and she liked her meal too. I do consider myself a french fry, connoisseur, and at first glance, I didn't think much of their fries. But upon tasting them, they had the perfect crunch and the perfect dash of salt. They were good! I got one of their chocolate chip toffee cookies and it was bomb!! I definitely had to hold back from ordering another. I can definitely see why people like this restaurant , from the low-key and local community feel, the great service, fresh ingredients, and they even have merch that they sell from wine, to canned drinks and stationary... something for everyone!

Cafe Desta - coffee - Updated May 2026

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