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    MLK Café

    4.1 (109 reviews)
    Open 8:00 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order MLK Café Takeout or Delivery

    MLK Café Photos

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    MLK CAFÉ ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - MLK Café

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    Montage of images from MLK Cafe
    Ed U.

    I was on the long, laborious, and often lugubrious bus ride on the 18 line to who knows where in Oakland when I noticed this place out of the corner of my eye. Of course it only makes sense that it's located on Martin Luther King Junior Way. It was presumptuous of me to think that this would be a restaurant of southern comfort favorites like fried chicken, collard greens, and pecan pie because I've read those were his most requested foods. But no, chef/owner Asmerom Ghebremicael's instead offers a mix of traditional Eritrean cuisine and all-American like pizza and burgers. It's in an area filled with public art murals reflecting pride in the black heritage of the neighborhood. Once I entered the restaurant, I was initially a bit confounded by what looks like a spacious sports bar and then promptly saw they have a regular schedule of live entertainment from classic soul to slam poetry. I was immediately drawn to the $14 MLK Veggie Combo, which combined a compelling trio, Alicha (potatoes, carrots and peppers in a curry sauce), Bersin (red lentils in a mix of tomato and seasoned Berbere sauces), and Spinach blended with garlic and onions (photo: http://bit.ly/2LXbfZE). All of that resting on a curled slab of injera with a plate of even more injera (photo: http://bit.ly/2LSEoVM). Had I known a green salad was part of the combo, I wouldn't have ordered the $6 Green Salad, which turned out to be a huge, fresh plate of lettuce, tomatoes, onion, and olives tossed with Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and vinegar (photo: http://bit.ly/2LXxNJZ). Whoa, that was a lotta tasty food, enough for leftovers for dinner. Burgers and pizza aside, Oakland is a treasure trove of East African delights between this spot, Shewat, and Dareye among other top-notch eateries in the immediate vicinity. FOOD - 4 stars...top-notch Eritrean food with plenty of injera AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...quite spacious especially during the day SERVICE - 4 stars...quietly thoughtful with the hostess drop-dead gorgeous TOTAL - 4 stars...MLK had a dream, MLK Cafe feeds it RELATED - Looking for African delicacies? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2JBDHib

    Family style
    Darius W.

    Gotta show love for my Eritrean and Ethiopian folks. Family style, the dish had large portions, more than enough for my Black boys alumni reunion. The food was spicy, flavorful, and light! And I had all my essential food groups: proteins, carbs, veggies, and alcohol, lol. The best part of the experience was the service. The owner was the nicest guy, so hospitable, so genuine. He checked on us throughout the few hours we were dining. If you haven't had this type of cuisine, then expand your palate here. Get ready to get those hands dirty with some injera!

    Scrambled eggs with hash browns and toast
    Karen W.

    We came here for brunch Saturday afternoon and the restaurant was bustling with groups of people and a bit noisy at 12 Noon as the ceiling is low. There's a bar, a couple of tvs and a comfy atmosphere when the crowds left. They have a huge menu, with sandwiches, pasta, Ethiopian dishes, pizza, burgers, breakfast at reasonable prices. We ordered the Shehan foul which was flavorful with a kick to it, scrambled eggs which came with crispy hash browns and wheat toast all for $6! I also ordered an Ethiopian coffee which was aromatic! This is a comfy cozy place for brunch and looks like a diner during the day, sports bar, nightclub at night.

    Breakfast menu
    Andrew C.

    Decent sized space between MacArthur and 40th (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mlk-caf%C3%A9-oakland-3?select=TgzoMHlIFdKZONoYy8GajQ) with a fancy Vetrazzo, reclaimed glass bar top (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mlk-caf%C3%A9-oakland-3?select=6BQWu713fEk8Yy2QIjCsHA). The regulars are sports fiends (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mlk-caf%C3%A9-oakland-3?select=gwo3yFO1dpVRCgJjGr8nDA) and it's a fun place to watch Futbol (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mlk-caf%C3%A9-oakland-3?select=Ca2ekyTyi069l0_9JBbd7w). The menu here has both Eritrean / Ethiopian (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mlk-caf%C3%A9-oakland-3?select=cOwHx-qyqnpyVw4jlgWqkg&userid=DsHsuhUvyyW_75zFcJxkKw) and American food (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mlk-caf%C3%A9-oakland-3?select=2VElgBb5WDL8Kk69XZB39g&userid=DsHsuhUvyyW_75zFcJxkKw) including pizza (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mlk-caf%C3%A9-oakland-3?select=s3Uncy7VxnVe88V0L9EZ0Q) I've mostly had items from their Eritrean breakfast menu (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mlk-caf%C3%A9-oakland-3?select=r2JeYLuhsPFGaf7C-6OZIA) Frittata -This is a scramble with tomatoes, bell peppers and onions (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mlk-caf%C3%A9-oakland-3?select=4_-k8YVnIHgIt9L00Rs-5w) vs. the Italian open-faced omelette and served with two French rolls (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mlk-caf%C3%A9-oakland-3?select=NuQJ2bYrTAuKclsqBA4NDg). Distinct flavor of the berbere used to spice it up. Pretty tasty. Meselah Foul - this is their Shehan Foul (aka Shahan Ful) with sliced hard boiled egg (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mlk-caf%C3%A9-oakland-3?select=nRQH-H0YZ6ulRZnqptFzkg) It also comes with two French rolls and is quite a smooth puree compared to other places. Even with the jalapenos, I thought it needed more seasoning. For this, I'd go to Alem's on Claremont or Dajena down the block. Kitcha Fit-fit with Clarified Butter (also available with Silsi https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mlk-caf%C3%A9-oakland-3?select=ro9XAoFRkWeZRU0_3Ixgdw). Clarified butter . . . mmmmmm. No lack of spice kick here! This is a pretty large portion, so unless you're famished or a starving millennial, get this to share. Embotito is a sandwich (aka Umbotito on other menus) with potato, tomato and onion on one of the French Rolls. Flavored with oil and vinegar so appears to be vegan. Only $5.50 so decent option, if you're not super hungry. Onion rings are thick-cut and battered (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mlk-caf%C3%A9-oakland-3?select=pFWWtUxIXbeR4Dm2D82XOg) and make an excellent base for a pint of Guinness or Firestone 505 ;-) Friendly service.

    Kelwa shrimp
    Ruby V.

    Finally had a chance to try this place. My husband and I ordered food to go. I had the kelwa shrimp and my son had one of their mini cheese pizzas. Their menu consists of Ethiopian/African foods and American food (sandwiches, pizza, etc). I've never had Ethiopian food so I was excited to try some. I really liked the flavor of the kelwa shrimp. It had a nice salty and spice taste to it. It was served over rice. The portion of salad was kind of weird. It looked almost as if someone had eaten a good portion of it (no one had, it just looked scarce, lol). Check out my posted picture to see what I mean. The food is simple. Nothing too fancy. We plan on coming here during the day for brunch sometime to try their breakfast/brunch menu. I like how this area of MLK St. is starting to develop.

    Kantisha
    Izzie B.

    Amazing food. I've never had Ethiopian food before and the server spent time and explained things to me and helped me pick out my food. Amazing place and amazing food. Highly recommend the kantisha

    Beef Kelwa with Mushrooms.
    Alice L.

    What a delightful find! A place that serves pizza, burgers, breakfast, and ETHIOPIAN?! Hellzzz yeahhhh. My husband is picky about his first meal of the day so what a perfect restaurant to serve him breakfast while I have my Kelwa! (He ended up getting pizza anyway since it smelled so good when we walked in.) Ethiopean: This is the main reason I would venture to the East Bay; we just don't have a lot of places in the Peninsula and City that are as good and flavorful. The beef kelwa with mushrooms ($10.95) was very good after I sprinkled some salt onto it. The flavors just opened up. The injera was soft, bouncy, and wonderfully tart, just slightly. Portions were huge and lasted me three meals. Pizza: What a delightfully, yeasty, gooey, thin crust. My husband inhaled the entire 12". Coffee: One of the best soy lattés I've had. The coffee was robust and full flavored without being acidic nor bitter. Service was a little slow but very warm. The lovely lady behind the counter was the only server, cashier, and busser so I'm totally OK with being patient.

    Cappucino and puppies. Incredible food!

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    great service food was great made fast & very good freach toste was great its right down the street from me & this was my 1st time

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    Enssaro Ethiopian Restaurant

    Enssaro Ethiopian Restaurant

    4.2
    (1.7k reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$

    LOVE Ensarro! We loved the Grand location for years but the College space is a huge upgrade. The…read moreinterior design is beautiful and comfortable. Tons of seating including an outdoor patio (but it definitely gets busy around 7pm so expect a wait). The food is delicious of course. Ensarro is my favorite Ethiopian restaurant in Oakland because the meat is never dried out (the chicken is especially juicy) and the injera always tastes fresh. I recommend the meat sampler and beef sambusas. The drinks are nothing too crazy but I enjoyed the clarified milk punch. The service has always been great but with the new location I want to especially shout out the super friendly host. All of the staff were attentive and friendly, checking in multiple times throughout the meal, refilling water, bringing napkins, etc. We are excited to come back soon!

    This was my first Ethiopian meal ever, so my review might not hold as much weight, but I absolutely…read moreloved Enssaro! I come from a town with a Michelin-recognized Ethiopian spot (LeYou in San Jose) but never made it over. If it's elevated from what I had here, I'm dashing right there. We had a Meat & Veggie sampler for 2, and bottomless injera which was great! I really enjoyed all the different meat stews, but also liked the lentil and cabbage/potato/carrot mix-ins as well. I didn't get to try the famous honey wine, but I will have to soon! I know this location will be moving to Rockridge very soon, so it's even closer to where I work... guess you know what I'll be having every week!

    Photos
    Menu
    Menu
    DORO WOT ( chicken stew ), BEEF Tibs, LAMB Tibs
    DORO WOT ( chicken stew ), BEEF Tibs, LAMB Tibs
    Amazing Cocktails: Espresso Martini, Honey Wine Pineapple Cider, Honey wine, Campari

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    Amazing Cocktails: Espresso Martini, Honey Wine Pineapple Cider, Honey wine, Campari
    Blue Nile Ethiopian

    Blue Nile Ethiopian

    4.4
    (187 reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $$
    Family-owned & operated
    Free WiFi

    Absolutely delicious food, friendly service, reasonable prices, easy parking. Wonderful experience!read more

    A delicious home-cooked Ethiopian feast for two!…read more Came by on a Sunday night and it was pretty quiet. We were the only people dining in, which was honestly such a vibe. We ordered a meat and veggie combo platter for 2 + a serving of Bozena Shiro (chickpea flour simmered with beef), and an order of Selit (Sesame Seed Smoothie) to drink. It was my first time having Bozena Shiro and Selit! The Selit came out first while we were waiting for our combo platter to come out. They asked what sugar level I prefer which was nice. I went with light sugar and it was perfect! It reminded me a lot of a sesame latte, but they said there was no milk in it so I believe it was just water blended with sugar and sesame seeds. It was delicious and had a naturally savory/toasty aspect to it as well. The platter came out and wow it looked fantastic. They gave a generous amount of injera with it as well. At other locations, I always find myself ordering extra injera, but instead we had a few bites leftover! Everything was delicious, the Kik Alicha (golden split peas) are always my favorite and they definitely delivered here as well! I really need to start ordering Ethiopian food a la carte, because the Bozena Shiro was fantastic. I would've never known about it if we didn't add it to our platter! Savory, tender meat, thick consistency on the sauce/stew. The injera here is a bit too dense for my persona liking. I prefer the fluffier style injera, but the flavor was still spot on!

    Photos
    Meat Combo Platter
    Meat Combo Platter
    Blue Nile Ethiopian
    Blue Nile Ethiopian

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    Admas

    Admas

    4.4
    (91 reviews)
    2.2 mi

    Admas has mastered the art of catering--not just authentic Ethiopian cuisine, but also soul food,…read moreMediterranean, Italian, and Mexican dishes. Every meal is prepared with authenticity, fresh ingredients, generous portions, well organized, fully staffed, prompt and ahead of schedule, fair pricing, exceptional service. I had the pleasure of working with Lieon, the owner of Admas, and his incredible team to cater a three-day conference to feed 300+ attendees. They served lunch and dinner from Friday through Sunday. The food was the highlight of the conference. The best injera I've had: fresh and light. Perfect texture and consistent. The variety of food was outstanding. There was something for everyone, including guests with dietary restrictions. The conference menu had tibs, doro wot, misir, fit-fit, rice, lasagna, macaroni, meatballs, chicken strips, collard greens, fresh salads, variety of rice and stews, and more. Very flexible and willing to customize the menu to fit your event and preferences. If you're looking for a caterer for a church event, conference, wedding, corporate gathering, or family celebration, I 10/10, 100/100 recommend Admas. Check them out!

    First off, I ordered for delivery…read more I love Ethiopian and Eritrean food, so I was excited to see this spot finally open for deliveries in my neighborhood! I think I've eaten at the majority of Ethiopian restaurants in Oakland, Berkeley, and San Francisco, so I'm a fan. Sadly, I was NOT a fan of this spot. :( (For context, I tried to go back to the delivery app to give a review, but the window for leaving a review had closed.) I looked over the menu and I was suspicious that there was no standard Doro Wot for delivery, but, whatevs --sometimes restaurants leave off certain items on delivery apps. I got the Chicken Tibs and Beef Tibs. The beef was spiced, but the chicken tasted bland and watery. Both seemed to be missing salt. The beef tibs was tougher than I'm used to. Maybe it was an off day. The Yemisir Wot (stewed red lentils) was flavorful. The vegetarian combo was a complete miss for the price and the portions were super small. The Tikil Gomen (cabbage, carrots, potatoes) looked like one tablespoon had been scooped out and put on the injera. It came with Yemisir Wot, Yekik Alicha (yellow spiced lentils), beets(???), Gomen (collards), and green salad (though I don't remember getting the green salad in my combo). The Gomen (collards) were super bland and tasted like reheated frozen collards. My last issue is that the a-la-carte items are photographed with a small salad and injera, pretty standard (see attached image from site). Unfortunately, the a-la-carte options came singularly in a container with a side of injera. Bummer. If I hadn't included the vegetarian combo, I probably would've been even more upset. What I did like: --- - The Tikil Gomen and Yemisir Wot were well spiced and tasty. - Plenty of injera, almost too many. I think my biggest issue is that given the portion size, most items are between $16 - $24, so if you're looking to have a rounded meal (injera, vegetables, meat), you're going to have to order multiple items and that adds up fast; it will be cheaper if you just eat in or call them and order for pick-up. (I'm also kind of bummed because I was rooting for them since they are in the space where Casa Vallarta used to be.) If you plan to go, I'd suggest sticking to the vegetarian options.

    Photos
    Dining room area. We forgot to take a picture of the food. Ate it too fast.
    Dining room area. We forgot to take a picture of the food. Ate it too fast.
    Gored gored, disappointing chicken doro wot, vegetable combo, & lamb tibs
    Gored gored, disappointing chicken doro wot, vegetable combo, & lamb tibs
    Admas

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    Cafe Colucci

    Cafe Colucci

    4.2
    (1.4k reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$

    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!

    Upscale Ethiopian spot with delicious spices across the board…read more The vegan sampler covers the highlights and mainstays of the menu. The foundation of the meal is the injera, which has the welcome sourness of wild yeast. Wrapping it around the cabbage of the AtaKilt and the collards of the Gomen lightens the vegetable bitterness and makes eating them into nearly a dumpling. The mild turmeric of the Kik Alicha is well met by the other split pea item, Messer Wot, which has a much bolder flavor. The pro move is to combine the appetizers with the entrees. Azifa is made with lentils but has the smooth texture of stewed eggplant and spreads easily. The Buticha brings garlic to whatever it meets. This time we also got the mushroom tibs. It came spicy but the mushrooms themselves didn't contribute much flavor -- the sautéed onions in the dish were doing most of the work. We will stick with the sampler next time. But regardless of what you order, by the end of the meal the flavors will all get mixed around and soaked into the injera beneath. The best part!

    Photos
    The outdoor table decorated for a private party
    The outdoor table decorated for a private party
    Injera (wheat combo)
    Injera (wheat combo)
    Tej and a lemonade mocktail

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    Tej and a lemonade mocktail

    MLK Café - ethiopian - Updated August 2026

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