Desta Ethiopian Kitchen Westside

Desta’s Meat Platter Has Sustained Me Many a Night  | Eater Atlanta

"On days I don’t know what to eat, a quick stop at Desta Ethiopian Kitchen has never failed me. Tucking into spongy injera with meaty tibs and lentils is quintessential Atlanta comfort. Ash Nega and Titi Demissie first opened the restaurant in 2006, and now, with locations in Westside and Briarcliff Road, the duo continues to teach the city how to embrace Ethiopian cuisine. The Original Meat Lover’s platter ($35) is ideal for sharing: pick three meat options (get salmon, ground beef, and lamb tibs), and three vegetable sides — arguably the best part of the meal — like gomen (which are sauteed collard greens), the cabbage and potato, and misir (spiced, rich red lentils). The vegan platter ($18) comes with all 12 vegetable offerings, and I end the meal with a towering slice of tiramisu and Ethiopian coffee. Desta puts friendly service at the forefront. The Westside location is a no-frills, casual place: the walls are warm tones of orange and yellow with African art strewn throughout, and the air is thick with berbere spice; booth seating is ideal for spreading out as massive platters piled high with stewed meats and bread take up every inch of the table. With a cold Habesha lager in one hand, the other deep in misir and kitfo, this is the place to slouch back and exhale. Insider tip: the meat platter holds up well as take-out, order extra injera for a few bucks more — you’ll need it for leftovers; all the meats are also available as lunch sandwiches in pita or white bread, and the breakfast combo ($15) is a filling platter for two with scrambled eggs, kinche (cracked wheat with Ethiopian butter), and chechebsa (berbere-braised flatbread)." - Henna Bakshi