In the Eritrean tradition, whole villages of people gather under the big tree to create community and live in harmony, enjoying coffee and meals together as if the tree's shadow were an extension of their living room. We invite you to join the community here at Cafe Dejena and enjoy a tasty meal or cup of coffee with friends and family in our bright and friendly atmosphere!
The cafe is a world of delicious tastes and smells, with a fresh and seasonal menu offering traditional Eritrean favorites, Italian dishes that represent the influence of Italy on our heritage, and some classic American dishes as well. Free WiFi is available for your enjoyment!
The cafe is a world of delicious tastes and smells, with a fresh and seasonal menu offering traditional Eritrean favorites, Italian dishes that represent the influence of Italy on our heritage, and some classic American dishes as well. Free WiFi is available for your enjoyment!
Services
We are a local, family-owned Eritrean cafe located in Oakland, California. We offer dine in meals all day, grab & go for those on the run, delivery via UberEATS, and catering for small events. The cafe has a bright and friendly atmosphere, free WiFi for students and busy professionals looking for a quiet spot to work, and is conveniently located near public transportation.
Two cage-free eggs any style, accompanied with Dejena potatoes or seasonal mixed greens, and choice of sourdough, wheat toast, or an English muffin. Sausage, tomatoes, spinach, green onions, jalapenos and mozzarella cheese. Accompanied with Dejena potatoes or seasonal mixed greens, and choice of sourdough, wheat toast, or an English muffin.
Reviews (21)
Meaghan C.
Mar 06, 2021
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Ed U.
Mar 11, 2020
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Well, the brownish red building is certainly prominent at MLK Way and 40th, enough so that I've been eyeing it as a place to have lunch in the area. Same as the clubbier MLK Cafe down the street, I think they're going for a comfort food hybrid between an American diner and Eritrean cafe. I'm guessing something strictly Eritrean probably falls short of the carb overload that a typical O-Townie is looking for. Business was pretty good on a Saturday morning, and I asked if it was too early to order one of their Eritrean specialties. The woman appeared puzzled by my inquiry perhaps because
Tara M.
Feb 13, 2020
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I came here for a meeting last week and was thoroughly impressed. Beautiful, convenient spot right by MacArthur BART.
Nice decor and vibe. I drank a very yummy smoothie. I looked at the food other people ordered and it looked and smelled fantastic!
I'll definitely be back again and will add to my review when I taste the food.
Nice decor and vibe. I drank a very yummy smoothie. I looked at the food other people ordered and it looked and smelled fantastic!
I'll definitely be back again and will add to my review when I taste the food.
Shoshana G.
Jan 03, 2020
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Love that Cafe Dejena is in my neighborhood. It truly feels like a community spot and the food is always delicious and well-priced. I was here today working, and there are plenty of outlets and free WiFi. I do wish that there was more table service. Once I got my food, I wasn't checked up on and had to get up twice to ask for my water. Next to Bart and lots of free street parking.
Ronado G.
Dec 17, 2019
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Samantha Berg
Oct 29, 2019
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Found this place by accident when looking for a quick lunch spot. They had a mix of salads, sandwiches, and Eritrean specialties. I wanted to try the Eritrean food but my stomach wasn't feeling it so I went for the grilled veggies sandwich. It was just ok - quite soggy, missing some ingredients, and took awhile to make. The Eritrean food others had looked good, I'd want to come back and try some.
Max G.
Aug 17, 2019
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I come in this place weekly because a group I'm part of meets here, otherwise I would never go. The food takes forever and they can never get my coffee right. 3 weeks in a row I ordered iced coffee and I got tea instead. Today I ordered a large iced coffee as usual and they gave me a small cup of ice with a drop of coffee. When I told the barista I ordered a large he was super rude and unapologetic for getting my order wrong. From now on I might show up for my group but Cafe Dejena no longer gets my $$$$. I'm done.
Carrie McClish
Jul 15, 2019
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I recently enjoyed a return visit to Cafe Dejena with a friend after morning Mass across the street at Sacred Heart Church. As usual the eatery was inviting - it was clean and tidy and sparkled in the morning sun. The glass shelves were filled with all kinds of yummy baked goods that helped to whet the appetite. But my mind and tummy had already settled pancakes and bacon which arrived piping hot very soon after I had placed the order. The pancakes were just the way I liked them fluffy and covered with butter and I found the syrup just as enjoyable with just the right amount of maple sweetness
Phillip W.
Dec 12, 2018
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Hailey Smith
Nov 28, 2018
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I absolutely hated this place, as the food quality was nowhere near as good as the overblown price suggested. The pancakes were cold and the extra bacon we ordered consisted of 2 over cooked rashers for $3! The cashier and servers were not very good and unable to correctly calculate our payment. The toilets were unclean. The hot beverages were served in glasses and the “big” breakfast someone ordered was tiny. My main reason for hating this cafe was the ridiculous cost of the food, and I will not be returning.
J. Ryan T.
Nov 10, 2018
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Farshud Sorourifar
Oct 11, 2018
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I was kind of hesitant to come here seeing some rather poor reviews, but I was pleasantly surprised. It's a small family owed Eritean place . Not only is it a great place to work (with lots of outlets), I thought the food was great! I got a Erithlrean plate (shahan ful), which was delicious, and fairly priced. I also got a smoothie, which I think was really good too. The pastries did seem a little pricey though.
Kerry Smith
Oct 10, 2018
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The service was dreadful. When we ordered at the till,the cashier couldn't even calculate the prices on the calculator! We ordered pancakes and rashers. The waitress came with three portions of pancakes with rashers and one portion of pancakes without rashers.It turned out that they didn't have enough bacon yet so we had to wait for the bacon to arrive. The bacon was two meager pieces of petrified bacon for $3!(overpriced). The waffles came with berries which were already fermenting and didn't give me a good stomach afterwards. Overall I think that the experience wasn't great at all.
Joy W.
Sep 04, 2018
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Isela Ford
Jul 25, 2018
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The place is clean, the food is so-so and the service is ok. Since it wasn't too crowded or noisy I was able to meet a friend there to prepare for a meeting and dialogue without having to shout. I picked it based on the proximity to the BART station but will probably try a different place in the future.
Wanda D.
Jun 28, 2018
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Wow wow wow!
Being able to order Eritrean food a la carte AND get gluten free bread is totally delightful!
I had the Ful, which was topped with a lovely mix of condiments: tomatoes, onions-red and green, jalapeños, and my own bottle of olive oil!
Full disclosure, they were out of the gluten free bread, Tiata, cuz the server said it was made fresh everyday and the chef was making a fresh batch. So I had pita bread and can't actually vouch for the amazing-ness of the bread. Just another reason to go back!
Also the service was super friendly!
Being able to order Eritrean food a la carte AND get gluten free bread is totally delightful!
I had the Ful, which was topped with a lovely mix of condiments: tomatoes, onions-red and green, jalapeños, and my own bottle of olive oil!
Full disclosure, they were out of the gluten free bread, Tiata, cuz the server said it was made fresh everyday and the chef was making a fresh batch. So I had pita bread and can't actually vouch for the amazing-ness of the bread. Just another reason to go back!
Also the service was super friendly!
Andrew C.
Mar 06, 2018
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Tl;DR - Interesting mix of American cafe, Eritrean, and Italian dishes. I didn't like the drip coffee. The Eritrean dishes have been the favorites of what I've tried here.
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Cafe Dejena is a brightly lit corner spot (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/cafe-dejena-oakland?select=8gKvSu5ELx9S8WZEJO_1YA) a block down from the MacArthur BART station.
Dejena also sports the typical cafe fare with coffee, pastries (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/cafe-dejena-oakland?select=dC7QA8Wc-F9qIhaQtoQTUw) salads and sandwiches (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/cafe-dejena-oakland?select
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Cafe Dejena is a brightly lit corner spot (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/cafe-dejena-oakland?select=8gKvSu5ELx9S8WZEJO_1YA) a block down from the MacArthur BART station.
Dejena also sports the typical cafe fare with coffee, pastries (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/cafe-dejena-oakland?select=dC7QA8Wc-F9qIhaQtoQTUw) salads and sandwiches (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/cafe-dejena-oakland?select
Jean W.
Aug 09, 2017
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This place has really blown it. I have given them many chances because I want to patronize a local business in my neighborhood, but I won't go back. They are right near BART at a perfect location for morning commuters, yet nearly every time I go there is no one at the front counter. Plus their coffee sucks, which is a shame because they are a coffee shop.
Today I asked for an 8 oz latte and the woman at the counter said they only had a 12 oz cup. So I asked if she could just fill it up part way, but that concept didn't seem manageable.
Good riddance.
Today I asked for an 8 oz latte and the woman at the counter said they only had a 12 oz cup. So I asked if she could just fill it up part way, but that concept didn't seem manageable.
Good riddance.
Sydnie
Jun 23, 2017
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Karen W.
Apr 22, 2017
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A friend and I came here for lunch and I ordered the 2 eggs with side of bacon and English muffin. My friend ordered fava beans and it came with two small loaves of bread. The fava beans were very tasty and my eggs were fine but the potatoes were bland so I added ketchup to it. It's a comfy spot to just relax and chat, right on the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Way and 40th Street. The service is friendly. Maybe next time I will be more adventurous and try the Eritrean food.
Samcha O.
Feb 15, 2017
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Free wifi
Clean establishment
Friendly customer service
Really good Turkey sandwich ($10.55)
Close to public transportation
What else could you ask for in a cafe? Cafè Dejena does the job. Of course your experience here determines the Yelp rating and I had no complaints during my visit. I came here to study while my car was being repaired (it took 3 hours) and I ordered hot tea and the Turkey sandwich. They took their time preparing the food, which I didn't mind, and they bring it out to you. Friendly customer service, good food, free wifi, jazz music playing, and a major plus: their
Clean establishment
Friendly customer service
Really good Turkey sandwich ($10.55)
Close to public transportation
What else could you ask for in a cafe? Cafè Dejena does the job. Of course your experience here determines the Yelp rating and I had no complaints during my visit. I came here to study while my car was being repaired (it took 3 hours) and I ordered hot tea and the Turkey sandwich. They took their time preparing the food, which I didn't mind, and they bring it out to you. Friendly customer service, good food, free wifi, jazz music playing, and a major plus: their
