Dashen Ethiopian Cuisine

Don’t miss this location located slightly above street level on Albany St. in downtown New Brunswick. They have great food, and the wait staff is super personable, and there are awesome entrees for the most voracious vegetarians and meat eaters.

This was my first experience with Ethiopian cuisine. I’m told this is as good as it gets, and I must say, I thought it was amazing. The staff is very friendly, the food is fabulous and although the restaurant is small, it doesn’t feel crowded. We’ll definitely be back. I would recommend making reservations, as the restaurant fills quickly.

Please for the love of g*d I NEED this place to stay open ever since we lost Makedas!!! Service is very friendly & polite. Food is AMAZING. So so delicious. No complaints from me, I have a wonderful experience any time I eat here.

Great food & kind servers. Kids loved the food too… very flavorful. Just order the recommendations from the server.

This place has good food but the service and way of thinking is unbelievable. I wanted to share a dish that costed $ 32 and they said I had to pay extra 6 dollars. As expected I thought this amount would go towards increasing the portion of the food. NOOOOOOOOOOOO this was not the case just because you want to share you pay that amount. The waitress was super ultra rude and she did not explain anything while ordering. When I said I don’t want to share I will order a salad then she said no you have to order an entrée. So in total for two people 32+6+6.25(for the salad) and in the end I was still hungry and they ruined my night.

I was never that big a fan of Makeda — overpriced, underseasoned Ethiopian food served on cold injera. So when Dashen opened up, my expectations for Ethiopian food in NB were low.
Dashen is way, way better. The food is properly seasoned, served piping hot. Price is on the upper end of what I would want to pay, but you can eat for less than $ 30 a head. Lunch is always a better deal than dinner.
I’d recommend the sampler platters — each dish is a little different, and it’s just fun to try them all. End the meal with a crêpe, a holdover from the crêpe restaurant that used to sit here, and we rolled ourselves happily home.

Get the sampler and a crêpe for dessert. Also get the Ethiopian coffee. Then come back here and thank me. Food was great service was good. I’m not sure how service would be if it was real busy but they seemed to be well staffed when we were there.

I always get the awaze lamb tibs with Mesir and Gomen. Or the veggie combo. The katenga app is to die for, I can’t get enough of that. I usually top it of with the jebana Buna (Ethiopian Coffee). Love this place!

It was a very good Ethiopian restaurant but I felt that the cook who came out to be the waiter (they were shorthanded) didn’t really know his own menu. I’m suspecting that they changed hands or something because the restaurant name did not match what was written on the menu.
The food was good but it could’ve been spice year. Perhaps they felt that since we weren’t regular say thought we would be able to take the spiciness. Ethiopian food is known for their spices so for that I had to deduct the point. Another point deduct it was because were supposed to get a salad with our entrée. The Dashen Sampler that we had chosen was originally from the dinner menu. I had to confirm with the cook several times what was available to us because it seems like he wasn’t even sure. That’s fine. I was really hoping that the waitress that was missing in action will come in soon. Thankfully she did. Hence that is why they received three stars instead of four. I think the food itself was very good but again Play up your spices. Overall I would definitely go back.

The place is clean and has a nice view of the kitchen and you can see them cooking. Great! Friendly and polite staff, good customer service so far, which is hard to find in many Ethiopian and other African restaurants. So 2 thumbs up for service, which by the way was pretty fast too.
The food is tasty but for an experienced Ethiopian food eater it’s not as authentic but will do to kill that craving. I grew up in Ethiopia so I know the difference but I also understand that they make it to the American palate and mix readily available and economical ingredients.
But will definitely go back for more. After all its the only Ethiopian Restaurant in this area.

I’m a fan of Ethiopian food in general, and this place did not disappoint (nor impress) me. The tables are a bit small, which isn’t great for an Ethiopian place because you need the space to really spread out the platter. The food was pretty much what I’ve had everywhere else, except that this is the only place I’ve ever seen where the meat was left on the bones … some people like that, some don’t.
Nothing was very spicy. I would have liked more spice.
Coffee was the best Ethiopian coffee I can remember ever having – and that’s saying a lot, because I’m a coffee fiend and Ethiopian is my favorite kind.
I’ll definitely come back once in a while.

I was pleasantly surprised! Like most people, I can’t help but compare it to Makedas since it was nearly iconic in New Brunswick. Overall the food was great. The gomen wat, messir wat, doro tibs and doro wat were all comparable to Makedas. I think the chicken (doro) dishes were actually better tbh. The shiro wat was not as good though.
Bottomline is that I will be back and was grateful there is a place to cater to my Ethiopian food cravings!

Nice place. Good professional staff.
The food is solid. It is good… but I wouldn’t recommend it for an Ethiopian or someone with a critical palate for an authentic Ethiopian dish. The food is also overpriced in my opinion.

So. Good.
So. Effing. Good.
Got a vegetarian sampler to share for two (Yes, I did in fact share it with someone), and it was so filling but could not stop eating!
Plus, they verified we were vegetarian and not vegan, because they wanted to be sure to explain something that we had ordered was made with butter. Very thoughtful!

Amazing vegetarian options and fresh full of flavor food. Combo plates are amazing and give you a great sampling of dishes.

Best Ethiopian food I’ve eaten in a long time! The menu was a bit confusing, but between the four of us we figured it out. The Desta Sampler is made for 2 people to share and we were 4, so we ordered 2 other meat entrees to supplement and they each came with 2 vegetable sides. All the vegetables we tried we perfectly prepared. The chicken came on falling off the bone, the cubed beefs were good and the lamb stew was tender and so delicious! We felt adventurous and ordered the rare kifka and it was surprisingly delicious. The awaze lamb tibs tasted good but were a little tough. Definitely will be back. A true BYOB gem!

The food here is some of the best Ethiopian cuisine I’ve ever had. It was so flavorful and filling. Despite what looks to be a small amount of food, neither me nor my friends were able to finish any of our meals. The injera was delicious and they gave us the perfect amount. The service was amazing, the waitress was incredibly nice and helpful.

Superb food. Good service. Excellent coffee. Good location. Reasonable prices. Get the vegetarian food and guess what… it all happens to be vegan. So much better than that «vegan» restaurant in town.
An extraordinary resurrection of Ethiopian food in New Brunswick. (Much, much faster service than Makeda’s ever was, by the way). The injera is hot and soft. The many selections all savory and delicious. I got the vegetarian sampler for dinner which has ALL of their vegetarian dishes, so you can’t go wrong! (Note they have a couple of fish dishes on their «vegetarian» menu… these are not included in the sampler, but if you are ordering from the vegetarian menu be careful if you don’t eat fish).
BYOB, and more casual that the old place too. Busy on Tuesday and not a huge dining room, so make reservations! I was shocked how good (and large) my latte was after dinner for $ 3. I look forward to trying their loose teas and an Ethiopian coffee ceremony one day. Nice bathroom, too! I will return.
Currently construction outside on the sidewalk but don’t let that stop you from finding this terrific restaurant!

Affordable good homely vibe. Feels like your friend has invited you over for good homely food. Am not too particular on ambiences so long as the food is good and the food here definitely is! Portions are huge!

This is the first time we are trying this place out and were glad we did! We had to get take out but the food was still warm and very delicious when we got home. Got the Desta sampler, there were 2 kinds of chicken, beef, lamb and 5 veggie dishes. Portions were big and the taste was excellent. We frequented Makeda before and were sad that it closed suddenly but now we will have a new favorite spot for our Ethiopian fix! We will back!

Let me say first, that my husband and I LOVE Ethiopian food. With that said, we thought we would never find a place as good as the «other» Ethiopian restaurant in New Brunswick. If you frequented that restaurant, then you know the food was always good. We have gone to Washington D.C. and searched for restaurants in ‘Little Ethiopia’ that rivaled our favorite spot in New Brunswick. We have yet to find one there. But LOOK NO FURTHER…
DESTA IS PHENOMONAL!!! This is my new favorite and it BEATS it’s predecessor, by a long shot. To be fair, this is not a ‘white table cloth’ place, it seems it is a BYOB, and the décor is warm, very clean, spacious, but casual. The prices match the quality and quantity of food. Say goodbye to $ 35 entrees!
Now for the food. We ordered two entrees, to be served on one platter. My husband’s initial reaction was that this was not enough food for two. But IT WAS! I ordered the Lamb Tibs… delish!!! He ordered the Chicken Wot… awesome! They serve the meal with the very traditional boiled egg… which is such a nice addition. Each meal came with two sides, we ordered the Mesir Wot, which is always our ‘go to’. The Mesir Wot at Desta was the best I have had. We ordered the potatoes and carrots, and two orders of Gomen Wot which is the collard greens. Perfectly done! We were absolutely satiated and we were blown away the wonderful flavors that cam out of that kitchen.
The kitchen is open to see to the entire restaurant, which I love that style. It adds to the ‘warmness’ and I love to see a clean kitchen. It was just that!
WE WILL BE BACK, AND VERY SOON! This is our new Friday night spot.

My husband and I love Eithiopian food! We were so sad when Makeda closed, but Desta is just as good if not better! We shared the sampler and got 5 meats and 5 veggies. It was more than enough food for 2 people. Honestly, we probably could have shared it with a third person and still been full. We can’t wait to come back.

My husband and I love Eithiopian food! We were so sad when Makeda closed, but Dashen is just as good if not better! We shared the sampler and got 5 meats and 5 veggies. It was more than enough food for 2 people. Honestly, we probably could have shared it with a third person and still been full. We can’t wait to come back.

Sweet service. Miser wasn’t good quality. My husband said it resembled pinto beans. We are biased of course because I am Habesha but I give stars for the ambiance and cleanliness of the place. It’s perfect for a date or small group. We’ll be back but we will stick to the other vegetarian options. Prices are fair as well.

Delicious! I’m so glad that there’s Ethiopian food in New Brunswick again! Service is very friendly and fast, and the food is great. The sampler platters (for 2+ people) let you try as many as 10 menu items. I’m not a big meat eater, so I was excited by all the vegetarian choices. However, all the meat dishes I’ve tried have also been delicious. This place is already in my top 10 places to eat around New Brunswick.

Excellent Ethiopian Food. We shared the vegetarian sampler and it was delicious. 9 different dishes are served, showing a great variety and a panoply of flavors and tastes. The service was great and we thoroughly enjoyed our
selves. Run here to get a great meal!

Since Makeda Ethiopian closed last year my wife and I have been on a quest for Ethiopian cuisine looking for it wherever we travel. While one of the places we tried (in MA) came close, others left us disappointed. So, were were really happy to see a new place in New Brunswick and we finally got to try it this past Saturday.
We had a meat combo platter (3 meats and 3 veggies) and a vegetarian platter (5 veggies) — both were outstanding and had the type of flavor we craved! The owner is also the cook and you can tell that she is committed to providing great quality.
Makeda thrived for many years just a few blocks away proving that there is demand for Ethiopian food in this area. Desta has a few advantages in my opinion. First, they are a smaller place with hopefully lower overhead that will enable the to keep their prices as competitive as they are now as opposed to Makeda which had gotten quite pricey. Second, they are a BYOB which makes it possible to enjoy a bottle of wine while still keeping the bill down.
If you haven’t tried Ethiopian food it’s time to give it a shot! If you have, you won’t be disappointed in Desta — a great meal, great value and great service!

Some truly solid Ethiopian cuisine in New Brunswick. Everything is reasonably priced and service is attentive. I highly recommend the ground fish. It’s just spicy enough to leave the mouth tingling without burning off your tongue, and it pairs nicely with the sourness of the bread. The doro wat is what you’ll be steered towards, but I think it’s a bit on the oily side. Everything should come out under $ 20 a person.

Delicious! My fiancé and I were devastated when Makeda closed a while back, and we kept meaning to give Desta a go. We finally made it there today, and we’ll definitely be back. The food was all simply delicious (we each got the vegetarian combo). You can tell the dishes are made with time and care. Our server was friendly and attentive, as were all the other staff in the restaurant. There was a mix-​up with my order (I’m probably not the best at pronouncing the dishes’ names!), and without any fuss, our server promptly brought out a replacement order. We were so full after our meals that we couldn’t fathom getting dessert, but we’d love to try their crêpes and coffee someday soon. I’d highly recommend Desta, especially if you miss great Ethiopian cuisine in New Brunswick!

It’s so refreshing to see a new Ethiopian restaurant in New Brunswick! I have been there 5 times in the past month and absolutely loved every visit! The staff is warm, friendly and welcoming. The food is FULL of AMAZING FLAVOR. The portions are generous.
I was a regular at Makeda from the day they first opened in the early 90’s. I had watched them grow from a small restaurant to a much bigger and successful one. It had saddened me deeply when they closed. I am hoping Desta follows a wonderful road to success!
I HIGHLY recommend this restaurant! I have spent 20 years working in the restaurant industry, many of those years in fine dining, and I consider myself to be a good judge of what makes a restaurant wonderful. Desta has an opportunity to grow into an wonderful and successful business if they keep up the great service and excellent quality of their food.
I have a difficult time choosing just one of the many delicious choices they have so I often opt for one of the sampler platters (with the intention of bringing some home with me to enjoy as a second meal). I highly recommend a sampler platter for anyone that has not tried Ethiopian food before. One thing that makes them stand apart from other Ethiopian restaurants is their addition of a crêpe menu. Their current location was a crêperie before they took over and they’ve held onto the crêpe menu. I believe that was an excellent decision on their part. The dessert crêpes are such a delightful conclusion to such a satisfying meal. They use the freshest ingredients in all their menu items and their flavors are rich with amazing layers of spice and texture throughout.
Do not miss out on this gem in the heart of New Brunswick! I am looking forward to many MANY more visits!

Tried this new Ethiopian rest and the food was great. Unfortunately for me my favorite two dishes had ran out but that’s ok, only means I’ll have to come back soon. The was very flavorful and plentiful. It was how ever a little on the cool side… but otherwise delicious. The service was very nice. The café is small but quaint. I would def return for more! Hopefully they will start serving fitfit soon!

Really tasty and the portions are generous.
One thing to note: the menu only lists one dish as your meal, but they all appeared to come with two random sides as well. If you’re ordering from the vegetarian menu, they serve you vegetarian sides, etc. Yay!

I was excited for an Ethiopian restaurant to open, since the lovely Makeda closed last year. The food here is just OK. Not flavorful at all. We won’t go back. The very weird thing is that they are still offering the menu from the restaurant that was there previously – Maxi Yumm’s, which was a great crêpe place. This seemed like good news, but the quality of the Maxi Yumm’s items was awful; nothing like with the previous owner, who took such pride in her creations. We felt bamboozled by the new business for saying they would provide the same experience and then failing to do so. We will miss Maxi Yumm’s so much!

I almost missed a delicious meal because Desta just opened and had no Unilocal reviews, until now.
If you love Ethiopian food like I do you will love Desta. We ordered a veggie sampler platter and everything was perfectly spicy and flavorful. The platter was huge but the two of did manage to finish it.
Most interesting is the fact that Desta also serves crepes. We ordered a Smores crêpe with chocolate chips, marshmallow and graham crackers and finished that too.
The servers were friendly and helpful and I think this place will do really well once people find out about it.