Desta Ethiopian Kitchen can be found at the corner of Clairmont and Briarcliff roads in a shopping center, one of four restaurants serving Ethiopian cuisine in that neighborhood.
Desta Bairu first came to America in 1959 as a cook for an ambassador based out of New York and never anticipated opening her own restaurant.
Menu
Desta offers an impressive variety of items on its menu, ranging from breakfast classics to Ethiopian specialities like tibs and fir fir. Food is prepared using traditional techniques and served on injera flatbread; additionally vegetarian and vegan options are also available at Desta.
Ethiopian cuisine lovers in Atlanta will find this restaurant to be an exceptional experience, both delicious and friendly staff make this an excellent place for friends or families to gather around - with an outstanding customer rating of 4.7, this spot stands out.
Desta's signature combination of spices, onions, tomatoes and peppers to create succulent cubes of meat of your choice that is sauteed and served alongside a salad and side dish.
Locations
Desta is set in a picturesque environment and boasts an attentive team. Their cuisine will satisfy all your culinary cravings - be it quick bite or full-on feast with family and friends.
The restaurant provides an assortment of Ethiopian Injera flatbread-based dishes, which is made from fermented sour dough that has been baked before fermenting again for fermentation before baking. There is also an impressive array of vegetarian, vegan, and fish options sure to please any palette.
Ash Nega and Titi Demissie, born and raised in Ethiopia respectively, opened Desta on Briarcliff Road in 2006. Since then, it has become one of Atlanta's premiere Ethiopian restaurants, garnering several best-of lists over time. Recently, in early December they quietly unveiled another Desta location at Westside Village to bring more of their signature tibs platters and other meaty, veggie-friendly dishes closer to Bolton neighborhood residents.
Specialties
Ethiopian cuisine features a diverse blend of dried spices such as chili powder, fenugreek seeds, cinnamon bark and cardamom that forms its foundation. Berbere is blended with other seasonings to produce this key component in virtually all dishes, and often awaze is spread onto injera bread as a paste version of this mixture.
Titi Demisse and Ash Nega offer comforting yet exotic cuisine at Desta. Their menu boasts various meat dishes such as kitfo (Ethiopian steak tartare) and lamb biret mitad tibs (sauteed cuts of meat at extra high heat served well done).
The eatery also offers vegetarian combo plates arranged on injera - used as an eating utensil - which are available for delivery or pickup through Postmates. You can enter your address to determine whether it falls within its delivery radius before placing your order online and selecting a time slot to have it arrive at your location.
Catering
Desta is conveniently situated just nine minutes from Emory University in a secluded shopping center off Briarcliff Road and makes for the ideal setting to enjoy hearty and affordable Ethiopian fare with loved ones. Co-founders Ash Nega and Titi Demissie hail from Ethiopia before coming later on to Atlanta with the mission of offering authentic yet cost-conscious Ethiopian cuisine in Atlanta.
Restaurant patrons can experience traditional Ethiopian fare with injera as both plate and utensil, such as Chicken Tibs (cubed chicken sauteed with spices, onions, tomatoes and peppers served on Tomato Fit Fit bread), and Lamb Biret Mitad Tibs (sizzling prime ribs marinated with Desta sauce, fresh garlic and jalapenos).
Desta's is an iconic eatery known for their wide range of delicious vegetarian food options and recently added another location in Westside Village with bright exterior and extended exposed beam awning.
