As customers walk through the doors of Desta Ethiopian, the smell of crisp sambusas, spicy tegabino shiro and seasoned banatu guides them towards a comfortable seat, eager to taste the intricate tapestry of flavors that fill the air.
Owner Mahdere “Maddie” Gebreselassie welcomes guests of all backgrounds, dedicating herself to creating an intimate, enjoyable dining experience.
“I want customers to feel like it’s their own restaurant. I don’t want them to come here and feel like strangers. The door is open for anyone,” Gebreselassie says. “We make them feel comfortable. Whatever the customer needs, we will be there for them.”
Gebreselassie grew up in Ethiopia and played soccer for most of her life. She prides herself on Desta’s athletic enthusiasm, connecting with customers over her love of the game as she serves them.
“I’m a community woman. The service industry is everything for me,” Gebreselassie says. “Serving people makes me so much happier. A lot of people are here to watch sports, so it’s very welcoming.”
Gebreselassie first took over the restaurant after the death of the original owners, Yayehyirad “Yared” Lemma and Yenenesh “Yenni” Desta. She moved across the country to help run it.
“The first owners were friends of mine,” Gebreselassie says. “I used to live in Washington, D.C., and had a restaurant there, but when they passed away, their sister told me that if I wanted to come back to Texas, we could run the restaurant. I decided to go.”
The restaurant is owned and operated by friends and family of Yared and Yenni. Honoring their mission, Desta uses natural Ethiopian ingredients and traditional cooking methods to maximize cultural authenticity.
“Our ingredients are homemade, organic and all come from Ethiopia. We don’t buy ingredients here, except meat,” Gebreselassie says.
Most dishes are served family-style and food is traditionally eaten with your hands. Many of their signature dishes reflect this standard, including the veggie combo with tegabino shiro (a split yellow pea stew), miser (a spicy split red lentils) and atkilt alicha (cabbage with carrots and onions) ($17.99). The weekend special, mahberawi plater, features kitfo (rare minced meat), lega tibs ( goat, lamb or beef stew), gomen (greens) and vegetables ($59.99).
“We have food for meat-lovers, vegans and vegetarians,” Gebreselassie says. “Ethiopian food is special. It has different tastes. You can’t find it just anywhere.”
Desta’s drink selection includes Ethiopian spiced hot tea ($2.99), ginger tea ($4.99) and a macchiato ($4.99) giving guests the chance to taste real Ethiopian coffee and chai.
“Our coffee is born in Ethiopia,” Gebreselassie says. “Coffee for us is everything. With it, we can socialize and make people comfortable.”
As Gebreselassie continues managing the restaurant, she hopes to expand the Desta family and keep building connections with customers already in the community.
“We focus on quality food, customer service and ambience,” Gebreselassie says. “We have a lot of returning customers and a lot of good feedback. They trust us.”
Desta Ethiopian, 12101 Greenville Ave., 214.575.9004
