Desta Ethiopian Restaurant Reviews

We visited this little place on a Saturday evening. The service was a bit slow but the wait staff had multiple jobs besides their table. The food was worth the wait. It was incredibly fresh and spicy and more than we could finish. The servers were friendly and very proud of the food they served. We will be coming back here again .

I love Ethiopian food and the atmosphere of their restaurants in Ethiopia. However this was not what we had here. The restaurant had no atmosphere. The Injera and Vegetable Platter was served stone cold which I have never come across in Ethiopia. Some of the items on the platter were not typically Ethiopian. The plate was oblong rather than round therefore not really suitable for sharing. All in all a bitter disappointment especially as it was the first Ethiopian meal for my guests. Sadly it will also be their last.

Ethiopian food is hard to describe as there is no other food on the planet that is like it. It is an amazing blend of fine African spices that stimulate your senses like no other food I have ever tasted. The bread (Injera) it is served with is one of a kind and has an amazing taste of its own. Having grown up in Africa and having lived in Ethiopia for 18 years I can truly say Desta is as authentic as it gets. I also recommend their traditional coffee and tea, as you may already know some of the finest coffee in the word is grown in southern Ethiopia. If you have not tried it you have missed out in a big way.

The waitress/manager, (not sure cause she wasn't wearing the uniform) was incredibly aggressive and disrespectful. She was continually yelling at me, telling me that I couldn't do things that I normally do in other places, like use my freaking computer and drink my own iced tea!!! When I asked her why, she said it's not a library. That's something I do regularly at other places with no issues what so ever. She completely ruined my day. I left without ordering anything and will never return!!

We found this gem by accident. We ordered beef and chicken tibs and a vegetable plate. We ate with our hands! First time I ate with my hands since I was a kid. It was awesome! Can’t wait to come back when I am in the area!

Have had Ethiopian food in a while. Expectations were high. They were exceeded! Great food, wonderful service.

Good food and good service. The food was surprisingly filling. The restaurant features a sparse modern decor. The other patrons were locals and Ethiopians so you know you're in the right place. This is a very social place and the food is meant to be shared family-style and as a result is quite inexpensive when dining in a group.

Perfect spice; however, not too hot for westerners! The injari bread comes seperately and isn't under the portions (which is helpful, if your dining mate is a germaphobe). I always order the veggie platter and that is plenty for two. Also, try their ridiculously-evil-good lemon cake! It is the perfect combination of rich, yet light. Wonderful staff and elegant modern atmosphere. Don't let the neighborhood fool you, it's safe to eat here at night and they are open late. Highly recommend!

Had an enjoyable cross-cultural experience eating at Desta with a group from our company. We were served up a combo platters with different meat and veggie selections. This cuisine is similar to Mediterranean in many ways. The most interesting dish was the bread which had a spong, slightly fermented texture and taste reminiscent of a sour dough pancake. Our large group had reservations, but the service seemed slow considering we arrived right after opening. However, if you want an authentic Ethiopian experience, this is the place!

We enjoyed delicious food and heartwarming hospitality during our first visit to Desta. The ambience was welcoming with its clean, modern layout paired with traditional seating arrangements and item displays. The tibs and injera vegetarian platter were a great pairing for three to share. A fabulous coffee service (advance reservation required) rounded out the fine meal and attentive service. We left smiling!

When are they gone re open? It is a best place to be. I miss the kitfo the kotcho, the tibs... Derek tibs waww! Good food and great service. Weyneshet best server. She respects people and her work. God bless.

This is a hidden gem of a dining experience. The lady who waited on our table was very friendly and took time to explain the dishes and even the Ethopian coffee experience. We got the large vegetarian dish with lamb in the center of the crepe-like bread. It was fun and an interesting experience. I love vegetables and there was a ring of vegetable dishes around the perimeter and lamb in the middle of our entree. The tiramisu was the best I ever had. The lady who waited on us was one of the owners and she had made it fresh that day. Since they serve families (with children) she does not put alcohol in her recipe. There was such an atmosphere of peace in caring there. As friends came in, they were greeted by hugs....I am going to keep coming so I can get a hug sometime!

I love Ethiopian food. This place was awesome on our visit. It took a long time for our food, but it was worth the wait. The atmosphere is kind of different, but this is coming from a very American perspective. The server was very friendly, but as I read all the mixed reviews, I can see how this place could be a bit inconsistent. I'm willing to overlook most anything as long as the food is good/great. We left Desta very happy.

We have waited an hour and 15 mins.yes 1 hour and fifteen minutes. And we just walked out. Others came in after us and got their food. Waitress running after us on the parking lot saying these customers placed the order over the phone. Really really really. They have lost a $125.00 check.

I've never had Ethiopian cuisine much less heard of any of the common dishes. I was somewhat ambivalent about trying it, but was feeling adventurous enough. I'm SO glad I did! We had the lunch special of Doro Wot and vegetarian combo. From what I've read the Doro Wot is a chicken dish simmered in a thick "gravy" of caramelized onions, garlic, ginger, chilies and spices. OH! MY! GOODNESS! I cannot describe how delicious it was! Spicy, but not uncomfortably so - unless you can't handle heat. The vegetarian combo included lentils (WOW! I typically don't mind lentils, but I LOVED these! They seemed to have a similar spice profile to the Doro Wot.), cabbage (again, not my favorite veggie - this was delicious!), collard greens (SO flavorful!) and a small salad with tomato. It's definitely a dining experience! Instead of getting a fork you'll get injera - an Ethiopian bread staple - that's like a sourdough crepe. Just tear off a piece and use it to pinch a small amount of your food and enjoy. The food took a little while to arrive, but OH so worth the wait. I was just there today and I'm already considering going again tomorrow! This will be craved regularly!

Wonderful food! Friendly service! Big screen TV for sport watching. I can eat hear every week!! Wonderful cafe too!!! Love it!

Our first time to eat here and we were not disappointed! Food was absolutely fantastic and the staff extremely friendly! We will definitely return !

I Took my wife to have lunch at Desta Ethiopian restaurant last week thinking that we will enjoy an Ethiopian meal instead we had a horrible experience! The severs wee very slow despite the place wasn't busy in a Sunday afternoon. It took 15 minutes for the server to pay attention that we are waiting. My wife decided on her favorite dish Dorowott and asked the server if the meal made out of fresh chicken she replied yes it will be fresh. after the meal arrived and presented in nontraditional way, the server poured the course on top of the Injera without asking my wife on how she is going to have her meal, big mistake! it took my wife one bite to tell me that this food taste bad and it's not fresh and asked me to taste it! Even though I am not the expert we both agreed it taste bad like it's been recooked or made out of frozen container she stopped eating the chicken part and finish eating the sides. I asked my wife if she would like to have something different or share my dish and she replied no. the serve came back with the bill and I gave her my card to pay for the meal This just the beginning, then the server came over and asked us how was our meal? so my wife told her the meal was not good and she didn't enjoy her meal!! I already got the bill singed and tipped them 30% of the total ... My guessing that the owner was informed about the situation so she came over and she asked us again how is the meal?and my wife told her the truth . I was shocked with her response to my wife by saying (maybe because you're so picky)!!! She kept saying that she sell a lot of the same meal and those people sitting next to us had the same course (NOT TRUE THEY WERE ONLY DRINKING AT THAT POINT) and or maybe they didn't complain since they are young and have no experience! My wife asked her Did you taste the meal? she replied she was fasting so she didn't taste the food witch is understandable ,but there are other people that work there can do that part to make sure the food is acceptable!! At this point I had heard enough excuses and felt that we are getting insulted for telling our opinion! So me and my wife decided to cancel the tip and just pay for the food which we did. We left to the place next door to have our desert in peace and really friendly environment. In our opinion this place need to learn so many things about customer service and respecting the customers!

We enjoyed our time at Desta! The tibs were very good along with the veggies. If you have never tried Ethiopian food this place will be a great start.

I had never had Ethiopian food and Desta made for an interesting change of pace. I don't remember ever eating without utensils, but that's traditional. (You pick up your food with pieces of soft Ethiopian crepes.) The service and food were very good, and there were many Ethiopian entrees that provided a new experience.

This was my first Ethiopian cuisine experience! The bread is amazing and gluten free! I had the vegetarian plate and a lamb dish. The lentils were my favorite from the vegetarian dish. It took about 2 hours to eat, but it was great because we could talk and enjoy each other. Also don't be afraid - you eat it your right hand- embrace the culture ! Try it!

I have been eating here for over 4 years. My father found it and my family loves it also. Everyone that comes in from out of town we love bringing them here. Bebe is great? She makes us feel like family. Super delicious!!! Just wish it was closer to my house....

Desta is a destination! Upon entering this restaurant, you begin a 'journey into the exotic'. From the decor to the delicious food and customer service, this restaurant is a must! If you're tired of the same choices, then allow yourself to experience Ethiopian cuisine. My husband surprised me with this place for lunch on my birthday. We'd eaten Ethiopian cuisine years before and had both been longing to eat it again. Give this place a try!

Great customer service and tastefully prepared food that even a newcomer to Ethiopian Cuisine would enjoy. One of the few times you can eat an entire meal with your hands in public!😍

As vegetarians, we seek out Indian and Ethiopian restaurants when traveling due to their vegetarian friendly offerings. We usually start with Trip advisor reviews to guide us and this is how we recently ended up at Desta on upper Greenville in Dallas. We've eaten at around a dozen Ethiopian restaurants around the U.S. and I have to report that Desta had the most outstanding vegetarian platter that we've ever had. Usually a restaurant has one or two dishes that are so-so, but every one in Desta's platter is excellent. I highly recommend it. As an aside, my kids really praised their beef tibs as well though I can't vouch for them personally since I don't eat meat. If you are a vegetarian or just lover of good Ethiopian food, or even never tried Ethiopian food, you must seek out Desta if you are anywhere near Dallas.

The place is just a short way's from the 635 and Greenville exit. Very easy to find in a strip area with other restaurants. The inside is very nice and has modern décor with a bar. We went for lunch and there was already quite a number of people there. We had heard the orders took a long time but we were surprised when it did not take long as we were prepared to wait! We ordered quickly as soon as we sat down. I would have liked the Tej (honey wine) but it was $10 for a glass so I skipped that and just ordered entrees. I had the meat and veggie combo - beef tibs with a variey of vegetables. It was just awesome! The meat was on the lesser side but that was because they surrounded the plate with lots of veggies and it ended up to be quite filling. My husband ordered the sizzling skillet Beretmetad Tibs. This comes in a fajita looking skillet that the waitress poured onto a plate that already had a salad on it. It was very delicious. All their beef was mouthwateringly tender. My husband did get a side order of lentils for $2.99 to go with his meal. All in all the service, meal, bathrooms were all very good. I would highly recommend them.

Traveling to Ethiopia a couple of times per year leaves you wanting for the flavors of their wonderful cuisine when you're back home in the States. Well, Desta has solved my problems there! The food here is very authentic, and it's very good! We've taken friends here to introduce them to Ethiopia cultural food, and they always love it! We have always had very efficient, very friendly service as well!

Very pleasant atmosphere, Ethiopian decor and friendly waiters. Get a combo plate with injera bread so you can try different flavors.

I had never eaten Ethiopian food and was pleasantly surprised. Classic style requires eating meal with fingers using bread but we had to break down after a bit and use a fork.

Great and attentive service which made the experience pleasant and easy. Anything we needed was met with a smile and “sure”. The place was clean and that’s at times is indicative of the way the place is managed overall. Great job!

This place serves pretty good Ethiopian Food. I love the Injira's they server - they are served unlimited. 1 platter is enough for 2 people. They have 1 Vegetarian Platter Option which is pretty good and filling. The food is close to Indian meals , with lentils, mix vegetables and greens tasting very similar to food back in India. There's live music & DJ in the evenings as well. Seemed pretty famous spot among Ethiopian Community

When you walk into an ethnic restaurant, and everyone eating there is obviously of that ethnicity, you know you're in the right place! That is the case at Desta. Both the vegetarian platter and the meat entrees are excellently done, with copious amounts being served family style. There was a great variety of veggies and lentils done 3 ways, as well as an abundance of the bread (Injera), which is the only eating implement you'll be given. And no, it's not that messy to eat. Two meals will generously serve 3 people. My only issue here is that a glass of the honey wine (which really is wonderful) costs $10, almost as much as a meal! Way overpriced. Didn't have any other alcohol, so not sure if their other drinks are similarly priced. All in all, Ethiopian food very well done!

‼️‼️ Me and my family waited at the table 22 minutes and no one ever came to even ask us if we needed a drink. Went up and asked to speak to the manager and she said well we’re a little bit busy so we can not deal with you right now. Told her it’s been 22min. She said just keep waiting‼️ Told her the waitress walked by me multiple time and even gave us a menu. But ignored us there after! ⛈Worst experience ever. ⛈ Used to go to Desta almost weekly but now under new management this place is trash. They don’t care about the customers anymore and have no respect for anyone 🔴 will never recommend this place to anyone‼️

Service can be slow, especially on a Holiday like Father's Day. However , food and atmosphere is very authentic. Main customers are Ethiopian people. That's how you know the food here is the real deal.

My wife and I visited Dallas to celebrate our anniversary. We enjoy trying different foods and new restaurants. While looking online for a place to eat, Desta Ethiopian Restaurant popped up. It wasn’t far from the hotel and sounded fun. We found the restaurant very clean and nice. The server was incredibly pleasant and polite. We explained that this was our first time trying Ethiopian food and asked for suggestions. She made several recommendations which were quite helpful. We did not have to wait long for our food to arrive. Again, the server explained the proper way to eat Ethiopian food. Our meals were fabulous. I ordered the sizzling lamb tibs and my wife ordered borzena shiro. For the amount of food served, the price was pretty good. We definitely want to try it again next time we visit Dallas.

Great food, generous portions and reasonable prices! Owners so friendly and enjoyed the experience immensely. Will return!

Always been a fan of Ethiopian food. Great option in North Dallas. The Kitfo, lightly cooked is best I've tasted. Great, friendly staff.

Desta Ethiopian Restaurant was such a cool experience! The food was rich and flavorful, and eating with injera made it feel authentic and fun.

First time trying this cuisine and I m ready to go back. Family style food platters n both vegetarian and non vegetarian options were great. Though they ran out of lentil sambusa that day but no regrets. Even the Ethiopian tea we ordered were good. The slight issue we faced was delayed food and we were damn hungry.

Went after a while and significant decline in food quality. Had veggie combo and served in some plastic plate with dividers instead of traditional way on the injera, had fewer dishes provided no longer had beet dish or salad. Lentils were too salty and some were undercooked. $13.99 for this was a rip off for what you get. Service is good and ambience is nice but food was over priced and not good. Feel sad as I have enjoyed this place in past and was apologizing whole time to my business colleague for suggesting this place as food was not good like it used to be.

My boyfriend and I love trying Ethiopian restaurants while on vacation and luckily stumbled onto this place as we were leaving Dallas. We are both vegetarian, so we ordered the vegetable sambusas and vegetarian platter. It was AMAZING! I'm usually picky about which Ethiopian dishes I like (usually sticking with Misr wat) but here I loved everything on the platter! I talked about it so much I had to take my meat eating daughter (7) there on our way to a family trip to Galveston. She ordered the beef tibs and I again ordered the veggie platter. It was again AMAZING! She ate all of the veggie sambusa and put a good dent in her beef tibs. I would highly recommend this place to anyone who loves Ethiopian food! It's a must try!

Great food, friendly staff, energetic atmosphere. Glad we made a reservation as this place gets busy. We will definitely be back.

Great food! Decent atmosphere, and extremely friendly staff! Service was great! It is a long drive for us but we will be back!

Overall a great dining experience. My favorite Ethiopian restaurant in Dallas for sure. Will definitely come back. Drinks : They have a well stocked bar with wine, beer and hard liquor. That's definitely a plus if you are looking to have a drink or two before your mean. Appetizers: Ordered the Sambusa with beef stuffing. Delicious! The plate has 2 pieces with a lentil garnish. Entree : All the entrees come with Injera. The Injera is made to perfection. Ordered the sizzling platter of beef. The dish was well prepared. It was quite dry and not a semi-gravy dish as I expected. That is the only reason for the 4 stars. Service : Friendly & courteous. The wait staff should know more about the dishes and drinks. Their knowledge of the menu was lacking. Ambience : A nice space for groups and for an intimate setting. You can sit at the bar as well. They have wifi as well. Price : Moderately priced given there was alcohol in the order. Heartening to know that the restaurant has reopened after the tragedy the family went thru. More power to the sisters.