Africana Cafe

About as good as I remember. I still enjoy this place. Only real downside to this meal was that the doro wat chicken was wayyyyyyy too tough. It was almost like it was days old.
Otherwise, the veggies and injera were good, as always :)

Fantastic vegetarian lunch. Yesterday returned to one of my favorite Ethiopian restaurants ever. It never disappoints. The food is fresh and delicious, the staff is welcoming and relaxed. Took a friend who had never eaten this food and she is now a convert. Low key, welcoming and delicious!

Let’s start by saying this is an Authentic Ethiopian place, with Ethiopian staff and not a lot of frills. If you want the pampered, American version you will probably come here and be disappointed.
As soon as I walked in this placed smelled like Africa! (I traveled through West Africa for two months and haven’t smelled that nostalgic smell for years!) The food was incredible. We had a party of ten, so we ordered two platters with basically everything. The Derack Tibs (beef) and Dero Wot (chicken drumsticks) were delicious and both lentil dishes were so tasty! The staff was attentive, but you can expect everything to be a little slow paced. If you have time, get coffee after dinner. They roast the beans and percolate it in front of you. It takes a good 15 minutes, but it is worth every enjoyable sip.

First time trying Ethiopian. I went here with my daughter and sister. The venue is nice… there was a dance floor and you could definitely have some parties there. There was Africana décor and ethnic music which put me in the mood. We ordered a vegetable and meat platter. Me, being a sourdough lover, was intrigued when I had my first bite of spongy injera. It was delish! I had an Ethiopian stout beer to wash it down. Great experience.

Great Ethiopian food here. Healthy portions and very helpful suggestions for those new to the cuisine.

Although perhaps not as heralded as some of its East Colfax brethren, Africana Café nevertheless puts out some darn good food from it’s jazzy little headquarters. So without further ado, here’s the scoop — or two or three as the case may be.
Are you a bit tired of the usual breakfast items? Are you hankering after something a little more… substantial? Then Chechebsa may be just the thing for you. A staple of Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group, the Oromo, this dish consists of chewy slabs of the wheat bread known as Kita torn up, then liberally doused with clarified butter and the spice mixture known as Berbere before being served with a bit of sour cream to cool things down. Alternatively, you can try the fava bean stew called Fouel, made with crushed fava beans mixed with tomatoes, onions, and peppers (mmmmmm). Some have called it «Ethiopian chili con carne» — try it out and see if you agree! If something a bit more traditional appeals after all, there are a couple of egg dishes for you to sample as well, so don’t despair.
Oh, you got there just a bit too late for breakfast. No problem! Africana Café still has a full slate of items to WOW you. The vegetable fans among you will get a kick (pun intended!) out of the spicy cabbage/​cottage cheese combination called Tikil Gomen, or the rich, almost buttery (yes, really!) split pea purée better known as Kik Alicha. Meanwhile, options for meat lovers include the beef stewed in chickpea powder (Shiro Tegamino), the chicken and hardboiled egg cooked in Berbere sauce (Doro Wot) or even the exquisite raw beef dish called Kitfo (this can also be ordered in cooked form incidentally). And the very adventurous among you will appreciate the offal offering Melasena Sember, consisting of stir-​fried beef tripe and tongue. Yes, Africana Café’s menu will appeal to both the bashful and the brave.

I went here for lunch today, and I really wish I could give them a higher rating. The food was quite delicious. I loved my meal. The service was great and friendly.
BUT, when I went to the restroom on my way out, the door to the one-​person ladies’ room was cracked open, and I saw a woman who I am pretty sure was an employee finish peeing, flush the toilet, and then leave without washing her hands. When I went inside the restroom, there was not a shred of toilet paper to be found anywhere. (I even looked under the sink and in a cabinet. No toilet paper). There was also no sign posted about hand-​washing requirements for employees.
I really, really hope this woman did not work in the kitchen…
I left feeling very worried about getting sick in a few hours. So far, I’m feeling fine, but it’s safe to say I won’t be returning. This makes me sad because I really did enjoy the food.
Perhaps Senator Thom Tillis of recent «optional hand washing for restaurant employees» fame would enjoy this establishment…

From the start very helpful with the menu, very casual eating with upscale food, all natural sodas with organic foods, gluten-​free menu and reasonable prices. Our food was served within 10 minutes if not sooner. Awesome place and the kids menu is fantastic.

Vegetarian Sambusa with honey — very light and crispy pastry filled with cooked and lightly spiced lentils and fried to a deep golden brown.
Meat combination — Ziggni, Dero Wot, & Yebeg Alecha served with 3 large pieces of soft injera bread. My personal favorite is the Yebeg Alecha (lamb)
Honey wine
Excellent location with easy access and on street parking.
Restaurant is small and cozy, the tables are separated from each other by very discreet screens. While the restaurant has a dimly lit, relaxing atmosphere, each table is very well lit from overhead lights. The chairs/​stools at the bar are a mismatched hodgepodge but they only add to the charm of this place! The waitress was very friendly and took the time to explain the various menu items.
Everything is made to order, and all is made fresh onsite.
The honey wine is also made on site, and is very light and not overly sweet. It nicely complemented all the dishes.
Atmosphere ****
Service *****
Food *****
Cost $$
** Personally, if you like Ethiopian cuisine, you’d be foolish to pass up this quaint little place. **

Very friendly staff and really delicious shiro, veggie combo, coffee, and Ethiopian breakfast dishes. Been going there for several years and will keep going back.

This is the worst Ethiopian restaurant I’ve been to in Colorado. Very rude waitress…

The venue is great and conveniently located to Mayfair and Park Hill. The food is AMAZINGLY yummy and served in large portions. On my most recent visit I ordered the Tibs, cubed beef fried with onions, rosemary, jalapeños, and garlic — super tasty. It’s pricey, but kind of worth it. I was a little disappointed that the price on the menu was incorrect: I was charged close to $ 13 for a meal listed at $ 10 and didn’t find out until I received the bill and asked about it.
Bottom line: Great place to get authentic Ethiopian food, live music from time to time, but probably too pricey to make it a regular hang-​out.

This was my second time here and I will go back again. Staff is super friendly, food is great. I had the meat combo and the veggie combo.

We’re still regulars here after almost 10 years. Be sure to read my previous review for more details, but we always leave happy. It’s a great place for a weeknight dinner or a special outing with friends (they can easily accommodate larger groups).
Tonight I tried something new– honey wine (which they make in-​house) and Sambusa, a delicious deep fried savory pastry along with our «usual;» the meat combo/​veggie combo/​doro tibs. I crave their food when I’m away from home in unfamiliar lands…

I bought a groupon to the restaurant and decided to give it a try. My husband and I ended up sharing a veggie and meat combo. Both were very tasty and flavorful. We’ve tried other Ethiopian restaurants in the area (Abssinia & Axum) and I think Africana Café had the best food overall. The service is a little slow (but I think because the restaurant has an overall relaxed vibe). But, the waitresses are very friendly. We’ll definitely go back.

I have never tried Ethiopian food before and with the urging of a friend and a Groupon I took the plunge. Overall this place doesn’t look like much from the outside but as I walked through the door I was greeted nicely and shown to our table. The service was very attentive throughout the meal — no complaints there.
We had the meat combo which comes with Ziggni, Dero Wot and Yebeg Alecha. It is also served with a side of injera — all was very tasty. I was recommended the honey wine which they make there at the restaurant. I wish I could order this by the gallon and take it home. Maybe next time I will ask if I can do this.
Also included with the Groupon was the coffee presentation — interesting. The coffee was a bit strong at first but by the time I finished the espresso sized cup I was hooked.
So yah — I am a fan — now I want to experience Ethiopian food at other places as well to see how this place stacks up — definitely enjoyed.

My buddy and his girlfriend had a Groupon for this place that was about to expire and so I got a call they they were heading over if I wanted to join in, seeing I live close by. It was a Friday night and the place was empty which is never a good sign! We started off with some local beer which was your typical fizzy lager with different labels! The groupon was for a set meal and so I just had what they had, some sort of meat combo platter. I wasn’t impressed with any of it. The coffee at the end was ok but thats about it!

«Pretty good» describes Africana Café for me.
The service was very good. The waitresses were about as nice and attentive as could be, although one had a bit of trouble with English.
The food was good, but did not particularly rise above other Ethiopian places in the area. Servings might have been a bit smaller than other places.
The prices were fine. We fed 6 people, including 2 preteens, and had 5 Ethiopian beers and still ended up at less than $ 70 before tip.
The décor was strange with tiles in the front by the window and dingy carpet elsewhere. Our table did not seem to have been fully bused when we arrived.
On the whole, I would have no trouble going back to this place if asked, but it did not particularly win me over.

Outstanding lunch (had the tibs and vegetarian combo). Authentic Ethiopian, with plenty of cultural atmosphere. I’ll be back.

I love Ethiopian food, and I came here one day (africana café #2) with two friends for lunch. The place was empty and they were playing really loud techno music.
It took them a while to get us our water and menus, and when were ready to order, the waitress wasn’t around. We got our order in, the veggie combination, and a few meat options. we also asked for extra enjera bread.
The service was very slow, and look us maybe another 30minutes for the food to come out, without our extra order for enjera. We asked for more, a roll for each of us (3) and she came out with one. The food was good, very spicy, but I’ve had better Ethiopian with better service for the price we paid.