International Cafe

....came across this place during a recent visit to Omaha. It's located in downtown and is easy to find. Plenty of parking is available. Does not look too inviting from the outside and the atmosphere inside is not too inviting either. However, the service for takeout is quick. The food is prepared fresh and is delicious. The injera is fresh and the dishes with both lamb and goat meat are very good indeed. Try the sambusas. The mandazi are authentic. Do take the food out.

My first time trying lamb. I’m a flight attendant, and when I have a layover in Omaha, there are usually lots of choices to chose from. However, today is July 4th, and all the food places are closed downtown. Except, International Cafe. I enjoy exploring new foods, but lamb and goat were a little out of my comfort zone. I decided to give the Lamb Plate a try, and really liked it! Not to mention, the place was busy. Lots of locals coming in and out, so I felt that was a good sign. The quality of food was really fresh and I loved the flavor! Omaha, you are very lucky to have a taste of quality Ethiopian food in your neighborhood. My order came with a little green sauce on the side, and it was delicious! Restaurants like International Cafe offer variety and a chance to explore other cultures’ cuisine. Glad I tried it, next time, maybe I will try the goat!

This is hands down the worst experience I’ve ever had ordering takeout food. Their online menu is incorrect. The pricing online is stated wayyyyy below the actual price so if you want to order something thinking it’ll be 20 bucks and be surprised to find out that it’ll cost you a crisp 50 bucks, you’ve found your spot. Also, if you prefer hidden valley ranch to tzatziki, you don’t need to worry. This spot chooses to do the bare minimum and still fails. The service I received was poor, and made me realize that 1 visit was enough. I wouldn’t recommend anyone go here. Horrific.

Delicious! The interior leaves a bit to be desired, but the awesome food and great prices swiftly make up for it. The veggie combo with injera was on par with the best I've had. The service was quick and kind. The menu has a few vegetarian options plus quite a few others. This place is definitely worth checking out!

I ordered the goat and rice. The food was really good 5 stars. The host was really nice and friendly. I would come back to eat here again.

Called for take out. They got the order completely wrong then the lady was rela rude and proceeded to argue with me when I asked for my money back. I paid in cash its not like she couldn't refund me. And the men in restaurant who maybe are family or something tried telling g me to just forget it and go but why would I pay to not be serviced correctly? I got my money and I will never be returning. Dont start a business if you cant run it right

The food was not as tasty as some others Ethiopian restaurants we have eaten. We got rice instead of Injera with orders of one goat and one lamb. The sembusa was over spiced and not as tasty at all. Actually this was the worst sembusa we have ever eaten.

Place is a scam. The lady tried to tell me a single tray of rice and chicken is $300. For that price I could go to the store and buy enough to make myself 4 trays

So I was a Creighton student when I found this place in my sophomore year and I wish I frequented it more before I graduated in 2024. Yes, the prices are high when you look at them, but you also get a fck ton of food that's good for 2 meals, so a plate of injera with doro wat or goat or whatever for $17 isn't bad at all. I've only ever gotten take out, not sit down, but the time it takes to order is on the longer side. Still I don't think the food prep time being long is enough to knock off a star. Ambiance is whatever, just your normal small owned restaurant vibe. Not sure if the owners are Ethiopian (I'm sure they are) but either way the food is good so I can't complain.

This is easily one of my favorite restaurants in Omaha. I am glad to see that other reviewers love it as well. This is fantastic Ethiopian food. I have eaten here dozens of times over the past 15 years or so. The vegetarian injera platter is amazing! The meat entrees are great too, but keep in mind that the goat and lamb is chopped bone-in and might not be what you're accustomed to. Injera is amazing, it's a soft pancake made from teff, you tear it and use it to eat with. Utensils are provided if you want to use them. There isn't anything else that tastes like this, it is SO GOOD. My husband always gets the chicken gyro plate, which is rice, chicken meat, gyro meat, sauce, and salad. The rice is delicious, with a gentle, aromatic spice. The hot tea is similar to a chai, there's not milk in it but that's made up with a ton of sugar. I love it. The decor and signage - well, it's perfect for here. It might seem run down. It's fine. Once you get the food you will only be looking at your food. Portions are huge. TIP: the injera is a high-histamine food, like a lot of restaurant food is. I have to take a Benadryl after eating this (and other kinds of) food. Otherwise, sometimes I will have a headache, itch, stomachache if my overall histamine load is high. I'm pointing it out because a lot of the time when people go out to eat, they have a stomachache later and think it might have been something wrong with the food. I think this is why Chinese restaurants were criticized. It's not the food. Look up "histamine intolerance" for more info. There is a chess club/tournament that meets here on Thursdays and Saturdays. They seemed very welcoming. They enthusiastically invited me to join them but I don't play chess. Check out RCTO.us for more info. Parking is not great. There are meters out front, but there is free parking on the west side of the building, there is usually space available. You can enter through the door there as well.

We were surprised that more people weren't here. It's a great, authentic, Ethiopian restaurant. Service was counter order. There were many comfortable spaces to sit. Music would have been a plus. I had goat, but the vegetarian falafel was equally as delicious. Serving was decent with authentic sauces. I'd categorize as Ethiopian fast food.

Fast and friendly service as well as a delicious gyro plate packed with great flavor! I will definitely be back!

I had the Injera plate and let me tell you that it was so good. In fact, it was so good that I went back the next day to have it again. It is so flavorful, and the lamb is tender. I would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a very unique place with really great food.

The food was decent. The salad looks really old, I personally did not like the red sauces, the should've put it in a little cup so people can decide wether or not to put it on the rice. The meat was cooked really well, very tender, the rice was decent.

Best Chicken Gyro I've ever had! At a great price too. Friendly staff. Will be coming here every time I'm in Omaha!

This hole-in-the-wall is an absolute gem for authentic, home-cooked Ethiopian meals. I was greeted the moment I walked in. I had some questions and the woman working the cashier was very friendly and helpful! I ordered the Lamb Rice plate and it was delicious! Real lamb, cooked and seasoned very well. The stew on the side was very honey and I've never even had it before! So yummy. The side salad came with sauces and was a nice refreshing touch to the combo plate. I'd come back here in a heartbeat!

The International Cafe is a small, hole-in-the-wall type restaurant, located on the corner of Harney and 25th street. There is a good amount of parking out front, but you can only turn in from 25th. The outside is a little run down (because of construction), but they definitely make up for it with the food. I ordered the Rice Gyro Plate as recommended by one of the workers. The food took about 5 to 10 minutes. Included in the plate was a small salad, a kind of short grain rice with a tomato-based sauce on top, and finally some thinly sliced beef. The whole plate was topped with a creamy, savory sauce. The meat was tender, moist and tasty, while the sauce and salad added a nice complement. It was definitely worth the price ($10) for some delicious Ethiopian food. If you are in the mood for some ethnic food, this is the place to be. As one of the only Ethiopian food places in the area, I was really excited to visit because of the excellent reviews- and I was not disappointed.

The Ethiopian place I usually order from was closed early on a Saturday evening, so I tried this spot! I ordered the Doro Wot with Injera over the phone and the lady who took my order was very sweet. My order was ready when I got there, it was delicious! Good quantity of food, more than enough for one dinner & plenty of extra injera. I see they have Yelp ordering available for pickup, and I saw some combination plates on there that I will try next time!

International Cafe is a hidden gem that is absolutely fantastic. Such great authentic food that is reasonably priced! I highly recommend the gyro sandwich, very fulfilling and delicious too. Definitely will be back!

I absolutely love this little hole-in-the-wall restaurant. My go-to order is the gyro sandwich - you can't beat that portion of deliciousness for that price! The tzatziki sauce adds the perfect touch to the sandwich, and the meat ratio has never been lacking. The only reason I give four stars is because I haven't enjoyed any of their other dishes on their menu. The gyro plate specifically was mostly rice and didn't give me the same satisfaction as the sandwich. My recommendation would be to stick with the sandwich. While this restaurant may seem unassuming from the outside, it is definitely worth the visit!

There are pros and cons here, so depending on what matters to you and what day you come, you might feel differently from time to time. In general, this place has great food. I like the rice platters and the anjera platters. The service is usually ok, but the pace and attitude of the ladies are pretty chill...which means it might take a few minutes for them to address you standing awkwardly there and take your order. I have never had any issues with the food taking a long time though- dine in or take out. Recently on a few visits, the whole menu was not available (bummer since they didnt have My #1 and #2 choices available) and there were flies buzzing around inside. Everyone has that thing that grosses them out and for me it is flies. I would eat off an unwiped table and use a less than par bathroom but flies-they really weird me out and make me do this spastic flinching movement as they go by. The dining area was also quite warm and kind of humid. Overall it is super hit and miss here-I have had 5 star days and more recently 3 star days. I would still recommend it to people to try it, but please manage your expectations appropriately!

After seeing pictures online, I gave International Cafe a chance despite the run-down look of it. The staff messed up my order but was very friendly and gave me an additional entree free of charge. I took off two stars because of the quality of the food. The meat was mostly bones and fat. The vegetable dips and bread were delicious. If the prices were cheaper (less than $10.50) I wouldn't mind as much. The portions were mostly rice however with the sparse meat.

I walk around last night outside near my apartment and saw this cafe. I came in with like 3 dollars in change pretty much just for the purpose of getting out of the cold, but was pleasantly surprised by the hospitality despite the fact that I was probably not the most appealing guest at the time. For three dollars I was still able to get 2 cups of tea, which were really good, and a fried meat pastry. It definitely was really good, I wish I had more money with me so I could order more of the menu.

I had the gyro palate, good flavor, rice was perfect. Nice flavor on the sauce. Generous portions. Glad I finally made it here. As others have said, it's a hidden gem but definitely getting to be known. Interior of the restaurant is nice also.

All I have ever gotten here is the gyro sandwiches, the drip coffee, and the tea. The gyro sandiwches are extremely delicious. Compared to other experiences with gyro, this is very different. The pieces of meat are not sliced. Rather they are cut in strips. It comes on a piece of naan bread, and it's folded like a taco. Comes topped with lettuce, tomatoes, and sauce. Portions are large, and it is a good value for what you pay. I've taken family and friends here, and everyone leaves satisfied.

Why is it the most unassuming places have the best grub? So voodoo taco lost several customers who were hungry at 630 pm. I guess that's too late for VT? Wandered across the street and ended up with an awesome gyro. Lamb was real, not the beef lamb mix so many gyros places use. Add a crispy little pocket that I thought was like samosas. Definitely worth the price. $8 and I could not wait to take the picture. Just had to dig in. Of course don't forget a little Sricha for flavor.

Compared to the other Ethiopian Restaurant in Omaha, this is not good. Their combination plate has less than what Lalibella's would have while also being more expensive. I had visited there about a month ago and received tibs and cabbage. Then i went there last night and they didn't do tibs and the white cheese that is given with Duro wot was not an option either (even though there was a picture of it up). It also doesn't make sense, since they literally have a store full of all the ingredients to make any Ethiopian food option! The guy who took the order was not very nice. While I ate there, there was a woman who came in that paid for an order, cancelled it and the guy refused to give her money back. As far as the quality of food goes my boyfriend makes better ethiopian food than them! Lol. Their greens were not good, the duro wot didn't even have the chicken leg, it was jus the sauce and an egg. Feel like that shouldn't be considered duro wot at that point! I do not recommend. Go to Lalibella's instead.

My friend and I have been on a mission to find the best ethnic foods in Omaha (we are both Asian and quite tired of eating burgers). One of our classmates had recommended International Cafe so we stopped by one evening! We both had the lamb injera (natural source of iron! Big fan). So. Good. I definitely did not need the extra injera, though, it was an insane amount of food. The man working was very friendly. He offered us a delicious, green colored hot sauce that we subsequently requested more of. Highly recommend!

Awesome delicious food. Even better than Ethiopian I had in Seattle. Love the savory goat and also beef. Chicken was good too. Comfortable environment.

I'm sure I've mentioned somewhere in my other reviews that I recently moved to Omaha from Denver. I've been spoiled by the easy availability of international cuisine in Denver and I've spent a fair amount of time searching for local replacements. International Cafe meets one of my very important needs: Ethiopian food. Did I mention I was spoiled by Denver's international cuisine options? However, I found relief at International Cafe. Like absolutely every one of the Ethiopian restaurants I've patronized, the exterior is nothing special to look at and can be offputting to the unintiated. Do not let the exterior fool you. Heaven awaits the brave. Be brave. Inside I found the colors of northern Africa and the art and fabric patterns that I didn't realize I'd missed. There is a coffee set up behind the counter just waiting for someone to order the ambrosia that is Ethiopian coffee. But onto the food! I ordered Doro Wat, which is a hearty chicken based stew that is always served with a hard boiled egg. I am not afraid of spicy so I told her to go nuts with the spice and she didn't disappoint. Today's side dish was gomen kitfed and a salad topped with a sweet-ish dressing, tomatos, onions, sliced jalapeno peppers. Gomen kitfed is collard greens stewed with onions. I've seen that sometimes they make the amazing curried yellow split peas, so I hope to enjoy that soon. Ethiopian food is served with Injera, a spongy sour flatbread made from Teff, an heirloom grain and sparkling water (what makes the bread bubbly and spongy). Heavenly! I ate until I could eat no more and still had most of a plate of food left. I unceremoniously dumped the remainder into a to-go container to enjoy later. FYI, in addition to spice, they also use a bunch of butter so beware if you are lactose intolerant. I see that they serve some greek and other northern African dishes, but my heart lies with the traditional Ethiopian fare so it will be a while before I sample any other cuisine, even Somali, which is so close to Ethiopian as to be indistinguishable. But I digress... Eat here! You'll love it. Really.

Delicious! I always order the gyro plate (meat, rice and lettuce)...no white sauce(not sure exactly what it is but they put it all over unless you specify otherwise)...extra red sauce(it is not spicy). I also love the regular and the chicken shish kabob.

First of all, they are not cheap anymore as mentioned in google. Everything which was 6$ are now 11$. It was a surprise for me. Planned to get two items and ended up getting one. Now, the food was great and tasty. Portion was a lot for one person. The ambience might repulse you but good food no doubt. Just take to go and enjoy. Also the google maps do not take directly to the restaurant. Watch out.

Wow. A hidden gem for sure. Inexpensive and great quality. Very impressed. Photo of the aftermath.

Great food!!! I also like the fact that you can call the order in and it is ALWAYS ready when I arrive!!!

If you are staying at the EVEN Hotel a block south and want interesting and good food nearby this was great. It's not a fancy place but it's delicious and authentic. They were very warm and welcoming. Thank you for the yummy food.

We had. 2 amazing Gyros today...I give 5 stars but wont let me? I will be back for sure!

What a great surprise! Excellent Ethiopian food right up the street from our hotel in Omaha. This in best injera that I have ever had (fluffy with a nice fermented taste like sourdough bread.) Big portions are generous for the price.

The meat has a distinctive flavor . The resturant is full of Ethiopian people which is a good indication of the authenticity of the food.

Oh my god this place was awesome... I walked in and just asked the person working to give me whatever was good and I was not disappointed in the least. The atmosphere is very divey but the food is 10/10 stars

Amazing Ethiopian food. My go-to Ethiopian place was closed so I found this place on Yelp. So glad I found out about it!!Got the vegetarian injera and it was enough for lunch and dinner. SOOOOO yummy!!! I highly recommend.

The food is very good and plentiful considering the price. Highly recommend it for anyone looking to try authentic Ethiopian food.

Amazing hole in the wall steps from my hotel room. I am Kenyan and licked my fingers through it all. I had the Zambusas and lamb and salad.... heavenly!!!!

Not actually open until 9pm on Sundays. But they leave the door unlocked?? Showed up at 8:06pm today (Sunday) and walked right in just to be waved out saying "we're closed"! What business leaves their front door unlocked if they are not open??

The food is fantastic here and the staff is very nice. We had the beef stew, gyro plate and zambusa. Out of the 3 I liked the gyro plate the best (everyone raves about it and I see why).

Really great authentic food and refreshing atmosphere. The service was so kind and considerate - really felt welcomed. I will go again!

This is by far one of my favorite restaurants in Omaha. This is a small family-owned business serving Ethiopian food. I eat here at least once a month. My favorite plate is the injera, which I like with the gyro meat , or lamb, or goat. The fried tilapia is also excellent. Meals can come with rice, or spaghetti, and is usually accompanied with a small salad. The flavors on each of the dishes is so delicious that I have often been tempted to lick the plate. Portions are more than adequate and prices are very reasonable! I have always left here more than satisfied. If you want a true international experience, eat here!

I love this place. Been coming here for years and it always impresses me. Quiet lunch spot where you can sip delicious spiced tea and gorge yourself on succulent meat and rice. It is a nice getaway for lunch since I'm downtown, and it allows me to regroup in peace. The building has improved in recent years. I think a roof collapse was reason why it was closed for a short time. They offer separate family seating, so there is plenty of privacy. This place is very busy during Ramadan, but whether you are practicing or not you will be treated with respect and excellent customer service. Such a cultural gem, I encourage everyone to give it a try!

In the mood for something different, I came here and picked the most foreign-sounding item on the menu - Doro Wot, which is served with Injera. All words I had never heard before. It was exactly what I was looking for - something different and tasty. Injera is a kind of spungy flat bread and doro wot is a stew with chicken and hard boiled eggs. It was pleasantly spicy. It was a lot of food. Also, the gyro meat here is excellent. The inside of this place does look much better than the outside.

While this restaurant isn't going to win an award for decor or ambiance, it does provide a cuisine I've never had before, and found pretty tasty. I had Injera with vegetarian stuff (lentils, a potato dish, and green beans and carrots), and I really liked it. The gentleman at the counter was really friendly and helpful to an unsure white girl. He even created the vegetarian dish for me, because I wanted to try Injera, without it having meat with it.

I really like Ethiopian food and was thrilled to find that this place existed after I moved to Omaha. It's got a healthy contingent of African immigrants patronizing the place and hanging out; unfortunately, the food's not very good. I've been there twice, and while the injera and wats give a little scratch of the Ethiopian itch, the quality isn't there. (They also serve spaghetti, if that helps put things in perspective.) My kid was crawling the last time I was there, and he was black from the filth in the carpet (and it was a beautiful day outside, mind you) when we left, too. Thing is, I'll probably end up going back, as it's the only Ethiopian restaurant in the state that I'm aware of. BTW, if this place is your ONLY taste of Ethiopian food, please understand that it's not a fine example, and try someplace else. I've heard that Ethiopian Diamond in Chicago is good. I'm unaware of any places closer than that. Doesn't mean there aren't any, certainly! Update: Astute Yelper Scott B. alerted me to (and raved about) another Ethiopian place around 25th and Leavenworth, the matter-of-factly named "Ethiopian Restaurant." It's much, much better. Update to Update: There's also Lalibela on Saddle Creek now, too. Rock solid and friendly!

Very good food! I had the lamb, rice and salad mix. Very good authentic food! Not your typical American restaurant.

The gyro with thick, tender, flavorful lamb and warm pita was my late Sat supper. I agree with the other reviewers that the green hot sauce hits the spot. Welcoming, hospitable service. Looking forward to trying the rest of the menu.

I tried vegetarian plate. It was very delicious. I will definitely come back. Good food.

Came here with a colleague. We went on a weekday lunch trip. Not super crowded. Got in and out in less than an hour, probably. It's an unassuming place from the outside. I have passed it a few times and not really noticed it. It's cleaner inside that I expected, considering how worn it looks from the door. Inside, it's an odd mismash of decorations, really old menu signs, ethnic music, old tables and chairs. shrines, and people. And, that odd mishmash is also a fitting description of the menu. Part Ethiopian, part Middle Eastern or something? Ordering is a little free style. There seemed to be some regulars that came in and started ordering and chatting. We kind of stood there for awhile before we realized we should just jump in, get the woman at the counter off the phone (in her defense, she apologized), and order. The hot tea there is banging. Sort of tastes like chai, but not quite. I had Mandazi bread, which seems like maybe a cross between Native American fry bread and and unsweetened donuts? It was warm and I added some table sugar to it and it was even better. (Probably not how it's traditionally eaten, but whatevs.) My dining companion had the gyro and enjoyed it. I had the chicken plate with fries. The chicken is almost orange, like it has paprika or curry on it, but it's not super spicy. It tasted pretty good. It had some onions with it (a lot--what is the deal with the onions in this town?) and some sauce that look suspiciously like ranch dressing to me. And we had some fries. I'm a bit of a gorda, and can put away the groceries with the best of 'em, but even I ended up taking some chicken home. So, it's definitely a good value for the money. it loses a star because some of the items on the menu weren't even available that day, so it limited our choices. Will go again for sure.

Haven't been in a couple years. But the Gyros were what I remember being delicious! Now that I am reminded of the place... I will be going again.

Dumpy, divey little gem in the rough. I will be back. Ordered 2 Gyro sandwiches to go. Just over $12. Ready in 5 minutes, no one else around, 6:45PM on a Thursday. Meat was thick sliced and very flavorful. Not a lot of over all weight to it though. More meat would have been nice. As far as Gyros go, pretty decent tho! But still looking for a replacement for Victors Gyros up on 40th & Farnam (closed down after 35 years, :(. If International Cafe tripled their Gyro portions and they would be about tied with Victors as #1 for the same price. Maybe I need to dine in and order a few more things before making any final judgments. Most reviews here seem favorable to this place. I think it has potential to impress if I just keep going back and mix up the menu a little. Not enough food for $12 tho or else this one visit would get 4 stars. Like I said, I'll be back.

It is one of my favorite restaurant in Omaha and whole Nebraska. I feel like a home when I eat from them. They have a gorgeous food for either chicken or beef. If you are from middle east and haven't try it, just go ahead and get the opportunity. Don't miss it. They deserve five stars.