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All 906 Tucson Restaurants »

Cafe Desta

6th Ave at Stone Ave., Tucson, AZ
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Ranked #79 of 906 restaurants in Tucson
4.5 of 5 stars 11 Reviews
Cuisines: Ethiopian
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11 reviews from our community

90% Recommend
    8
    2
    0
    0
    1
Rating summary
    Food
    Service
    Value
    Atmosphere
Date Rating
Idahobungalo
Senior Contributor
25 reviews 25 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 4 May 2012

This place is such a gem! My brother and I went for lunch a few weeks ago. I had the vegan lunch, it was absolutely delicious! My brother had the meat dishes, he thought it was so good he ordered another lunch dish! Wish we lived closer, but will make it a point to hit this place up again! More

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See 2 more reviews by Idahobungalo for Tucson
1 review
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 15 April 2012

If you've never had Ethiopian food this is a treat! From bland to medium to spicy its a great meal. I've always been afraid to try different foods from different cultures but this is great! Lamb is their best dish. Also be sure and try their 100% Ethiopian coffee. More

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Senior Contributor
34 reviews 34 reviews
Reviews in 24 cities Reviews in 24 cities
170 helpful votes 170 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 27 March 2012

The food was uniquely pleasing and the dining is a cultural experience. We selected the three choice lunch; I had fish, lentils, and the homemade cheese and Scott had the same except he chose lamb. The food is a bit spicy, a bit sweet, and a LOT of delicious. There is also a coffee bar in the cafe, and the... More

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See 3 more reviews by csgoodman for Tucson
tucson
1 review
1 of 5 stars Reviewed 26 March 2012

We were the only table when we arrived, yet the service was very poor. We were made to feel that our presence was literally an inconvenience for the owner, who was our server. We waited a very long while for our orders to be taken, our minor request to have a single salad ingredient served on the side was met... More

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Tucson
Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 21 February 2012
1
person found this review helpful

My wife and I decided to try Cafe Desta the other day just to try something different. We have eaten Ethiopian cuisine on a handful of occasions before and liked it. Also, we used to live in Armory Park just around the corner from the Cafe and wanted to see for ourselves this little restaurant that seems to have defied... More

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Sonoma, California
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 25 December 2011

cafe desta is the best Ethiopean food i have ever had, on top of that the staff is very friendly and treat you like family. i recommend the lamb and the red lentils. yummy! More

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See 2 more reviews by lobsterfood for Tucson
Tucson, AZ
Senior Contributor
23 reviews 23 reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
28 helpful votes 28 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 7 November 2011
1
person found this review helpful

I have introduced Cafe Desta to many grateful friends who has since returned. The food is addictive, the atmosphere is renovated artsy warehouse and the home brewed teas are terrific. Another reason for this choice is the high level of cleanliness. People who work in the food industry have observed that the bathrooms reflect the level of cleanliness of the... More

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See 2 more reviews by Adventure_Waits for Tucson
Tucson, Arizona
Top Contributor
69 reviews 69 reviews
Reviews in 24 cities Reviews in 24 cities
37 helpful votes 37 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 2 October 2011

Went to Cafe Desta last night with a group of friends. I recently reviewed Zemans, another Ethiopian restaurant in town and I really enjoy the food at both. The spices and flavoring is wonderful. Being a vegetarian is no problem here. There is a large selection of Vegan dishes that are incredibly tasty. Their menu has combo platters, so you... More

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See 22 more reviews by Foster7204 for Tucson
Tucson, Arizona
1 review
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 28 August 2011

Yummmmm....My husband is a meat eater and I am vegan, so typically one of us feels a bit cheated when we go out to eat, but Cafe Desta is great. We are always satisfied and the owner treats us like old friends. Love it. Wish I could eat there everyday and am so glad it opened downtown. More

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Tucson
2 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 28 July 2011

The food is great for meat-eaters and vegans. The ambiance is bright and airy and the service is friendly. Delicious tea, too! More

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