Cozy family-run spot. Love the vibes!…read more We got the Shewhat Special (vegan sampler + chicken/beef combo) and added the Selam Special (shrimp/mushrooms/spinach). The platter was flavorful and gorgeously colorful. I particularly enjoyed the lentils and Selam Special. Highly recommend the sambusas--the pastry was piping hot and so flaky!! Delicious paired with the sweet chili sauce. So glad to have finally made it here for some authentic Ethiopian cuisine (':

If you are considering Ethiopian food, just wash your hands and come here. It's like dining in a…read morefriend's home, welcoming, warm and genuine. The owner Abby D. is also the chef and her love and pride in her cuisine shines through her cooking. Having eaten Ethiopian food only in the US, this is the best version that I've had across Chicago, NY and DC. They offer indoor and covered outdoor seating, giving it a homely comforting vibe. Since it was just the two of us, we ordered the vegan sampler and the lamb tibsy (spicy). The lamb was delicious and well spiced. All the dishes were served on a platter of injera - sour, spongy bread that just soaks up all the flavor to perfection. I enjoyed the red lentils (misir wat), yellow lentils (alicha) cabbage and carrot stir fry, collard greens and a house salad that had a dressing which perfectly complimented the rest of the dishes. They also offer additional injera should you need any - we didn't. You eat with your hands from the common platter, but they do provide additional plates and silverware should you need it. The portions are generous and we ended up taking some of the food home. They have a bunch of dishes I'd like to try, so I'm definitely going to be back!

BOMB.COM. The food was amazing, the price and the amount of…read morefood that comes out is truly bang for your buck. The owner is extremely welcoming and she's just a sweet person in general, always checking in making sure we're doing fine. You can tell all their food is made to order, and the seasoning was amazing. I got the Tibsy, yum 10/10 would recommend. The shop is in the cutest location as well and the interior as well as outdoor seating is very cozy. P.S, their oat latte WITHOUT ANY syrups, bomb, you don't even need to be a coffee person to notice how fresh the coffee beans are and how fragrant and delicious the coffee is. Trust me, get Tibsy + oat latte, you won't regret it.

Ethiopian cafe that serves breakfast and lunch. Come with a friend to share their tasty…read morespecialties. I came by to try the Shihan Phul. First mistake was coming alone! The stewed fava beans come out with the density of something like baba ghanoush. It is served with two rolls of crusty French bread that you'll want to scoop and spread the phul over. The stew would be thick and heavy on its own but the bread lightens it up. Squeezing the lemon over the dish cut through some of the heaviness as well. Together, the bread and phul complement one another to make an excellent dish. The fava beans were topped with diced tomatoes, jalapeños, and farmer's cheese -- all covered generously with berbere and cumin. The effect was a rich spice that touched all parts of your mouth. (Maybe it needed a bit more salt to bring out the subtler flavors.) Spread over the crusty bread, the warm, gentle stew was met by the crunch of the bread that was delightful. If only I had realized why the bowl comes with two rolls! The stew is rich enough to need both. Fortunately, this is the kind of cafe where you can spend an easy lunch hour in the shade and visit. Bring a friend to share!

This place is special. This evening 4 friends who are loved like family and myself sat down to eat…read moreand share our recent experiences/discoveries in this thing we call life. We were quickly seated. Shortly after we were given our water. As we pondered the delectable menu one member of our group brought our attention to the beautiful artwork surrounding those eating. The images are breathtaking portraits of individuals who look to be part of the Eritrean community. Sounds of laughter from the surrounding tables and feelings of safety from the peaceful internal environment embraced us as we looked. Then the food came out. It was full of color and there was clearly intentionality behind the presentation. Upon tasting the dish, flavors of savory seasonings, fresh vegetables, and soft injera filled the mouth. It was more than enough food for us all and we ended up taking left overs. If you are near the area I HIGHLY recommend paying this spot a visit.

Came here for lunch with some friends on our break. We ordered the sampler that included both the…read moremeat and vegetarian versions of dishes. We also ordered a side of injera (sour flatbread). The food took a bit of time to come out but we didn't mind since we were chatting. This was my first time trying Ethiopian food. Eating the food was interesting and fun. Ethiopian food is made to be eaten with your hands and no utensils. My favorites on the platter were the salad, Dorho Chicken, and Potatoes. I wasn't a big fan of the sourness of the injera, but I did love the softness of the flatbread.

This place is beautiful! The customer service is really great and the food was good! We got two…read moreveggie plates and they put it on one big one for us! This is a vegetarian/vegan dish... the balls on the side or hummus, and it was real delicious! We ordered spice tea That was also delicious. I highly recommend.

I have been here several times and the food is consistently great. I always get a veggie combo and…read morea meat combo- all so good! And the injera has that perfect sourness to it. Friendly owners, delicious food- check them out!

There are a lot of Ethiopian/Eritrean restaurants in the SF/Bay area and particularly in the east…read morebay. I've been to most. Asmara is my favorite. I have been going since it first opened in 1985. I met the owner, Kesete then and he is still the owner. Great food, lots of dining space and as of 2026 they have an expanded bar in the adjacent space. Check out the rest and then come to the best.

The guys at Jerusalem Coffee recommended for my friends & I to walk over to Asmara for dinner when…read moreI said I have not had Eritrean food before. They said Eritrean is very similar to Ethiopian food so we finished our beverages & headed down Telegraph to Asmara. We were delighted when we were told to wait at the bar next door until they have a large table for our group. I asked the server to bring us their popular dishes, enough to feed 7 adults and she told me not to worry, that she would take care of it. She brought out the Meat Combo and the Beef/chicken/lamb tibs along with platter of veggies and eggplant. She gave us enough injera to keep us munching away. The food and service were Fabulous so naturally we had a great evening.

I had a great lunch at Cafe Colucci!…read more This place came highly recommended, and it didn't disappoint. I ordered the turmeric beef with a side of shiro and it was delicious! The beef was super tender, the shiro was flavorful, and the injera tasted fresh. The portion size was quite generous, especially for lunch. Next time I visit, I'm definitely ordering one of the giant platters to share. The platters were enormous and looked incredible! So many good Ethiopian restaurants in the East Bay, but Cafe Colucci stands out. Can't wait to return!

3.75 STARS A…read morenational survey shows that only 18% of Americans have tried Ethiopian food. Some of y'all are missing out on the bold, richly spiced, deliciously satisfying grub....and the heartburn. ;) What brought me to Café Colucchi is Doulet, a hard to find dish but more on that later. An institution in the town, Café Colucci interestingly began as a European-style café with a handful of Ethiopian dishes before eventually evolving into a traditional Ethiopian restaurant with a full bar. Walk-in only, no rezzies. Indoor and outdoor seating. Note: While they have a lovely dog-friendly patio, it's not always open. I first visited in April but was told the patio wouldn't open until May. When May rolled around, I tried calling multiple times but could never reach a live person. I also sent an email with no response, tho I eventually got a reply after messaging them on Yelp. When I returned last month, the patio was closed for a private event. Luckily, they were accommodating and said we could still sit outside as long as we finished within an hour. F O O D * Doulet: Raw beef, lamb liver, tripe ($21) - Choice of temp: Raw, rare, medium rare, etc. We chose to have the doulet the traditional way: raw....and it was BOMB! Deliciously beefy and buttery, the doulet was packed with warm spices and a nice kick of heat. The bits of tripe added a slight chew, giving it a more interesting texture than kitfo. The injera's tang perfectly cut through the richness. * Doro Wot: Chicken Stew ($21) My fav Ethiopian dish to order, the chicken stew (two tender drumsticks) was rich and spicy with a complexity from the spices and deeply caramelized onions. * Begue Wot: Lamb Stew ($22) Recommended by our server, this was our least fav dish. While flavorful, it was mainly bones with tough meat. * SIDES With each entree, choose a veggie side: --Shiro: Savory, earthy with the chickpeas broken down to a silky gravy-like consistency. --Misir Wot: The red lentil stew is boldly spiced from the niter kibbeh with a heartier texture than the shiro. * CARBS With each entree, choice of injera or rice -- Teff Injera (+$2.50 x3): Fresh and spongy with a good tang. -- Rice: While nicely cooked and fluffy, you get very little of it. The center is left open for the stews so the rice is arranged in a thin layer around the outer perimeter. S E R V I C E Warm, friendly staff. Food takes awhile to come out so we only had about 15 minutes to eat. A M B I A N C E Casual and welcoming with an open kitchen and sacks + displays of Ethiopian spices. Awesome patio with tropical plants and vibrant Afrocentric mural. Overall, I can see why Café Colucci has been an Oakland staple for yeaaars. There are only a handful of spots in the Bay Area that serve doulet, and Café Colucci is one of just two I can confirm that offer it with offal. So if you love tartare but want something with bold, explosive flavors, don't sleep on it!

This was my first time trying Ethiopian food, and what a beautiful experience! We came as a party…read moreof six to celebrate and didn't call ahead, but we were welcomed and taken care of wonderfully. Our waitress was excellent! She patiently explained the different dishes, answered our questions, and made sure our food came out in a timely manner. The owner was just as welcoming and even helped us celebrate and took pictures with us, which made the experience even more special. Great food, excellent service, and such warm hospitality. They definitely made my first Ethiopian food experience one to remember!

It's been along time since I've came to eat here!…read more This place is one of my favorites! We got the combination plate! We were so full and it was two of us! Food is delicious and so flavorful! I am never disappointed when I come here! Friendly staff, place is clean! Parking is a little tight. Only thing is the plate they put the food on looks a little smaller than the big round ones they use to use.

I love this place. Every time I'm there I just talk the whole time about how much I love it…read more Ethiopian has been a passion since I was a kid and this is one of the best Ethiopian restaurants I've ever been to. (My #1 favorite is owned by a friend from high school, so I can't give first place away. ) It's amazing to me how quiet it always is. Because the food is amazing.

i tried ethiopia restaurant on my birthday and WOW i will 100% be back. the food was amazing. i'm…read morevegetarian and there are so many options. this was some of the most flavorful food i've ever had. my friend and i shared the vegetable combo and mushroom tibs with a side of ayib. i loveddd the injera and they gave so much of it. we had so many leftovers and they definitely do not skimp out on the portions. the food was equally as delicious as leftovers too the next day. the server was welcoming and nice to us. i also loved how the restaurant has outdoor seating at both the front of the restaurant and in the back. absolutely will be back and i'll tell all my friends about this restaurant! thank you

We ordered the veggie sampler. One dish was ok but the others were bland and didn't taste fresh. I…read moredidn't even want the leftovers. The ambience was depressing and the restaurant was dirty. This is my least favorite Ethiopian restaurant in Oakland, there's much better places around the lake.

Love this place every time I go, quality Ethiopian food, small and quaint, relatively casualread more

So many Ethiopian restaurants on this stretch of Telegraph! We were planning to go to Addis since…read morewe had good meals there before but the recent reviews were not great. Appears that they have new owners and the service had gone hill so we pivoted to Barcote. We've been here before but that was 2 years ago. Had a great dinner here so I was hopeful! And they delivered! When we walked in, we smelled all the amazing spices. Lots of beautiful Ethiopian decor inside. So much to take in! There was an event on the patio, so we sat inside. The best food here! We ordered the beef samosas, the ultimate veggie and meat combo platter and shrimp tibs. We had the option of getting smaller platters or one big platter. We chose one large platter. They give us a basket of injera. And we all dug in with our fingers. We loved all of it! They come by with baskets of more injera to top you off. We didn't need any more but great to hear that it's complimentary. Will definitely come back next time. Love Barcote!

First time here & had such a great time! Right after leaving the restaurant, me & my friend already…read moremade plans to come back. It was my friend's first time trying Ethiopian food, so we got the Meat & Veggie combo. The food was so flavorful & even though I was full, I couldn't stop myself from eating. The service here was so lovely & I had a fun time talking to the staff.