Café Colucci

There are Ethiopian spots in abundance in Oakland—from the Lake Merritt mainstay Enssaro to the casual cafe Alem’s Coffee. Cafe Colucci in North Oakland is one of the city’s most dynamic. This fun, casual all-day spot doubles as a spice shop (for Cafe Colucci’s Brundo Spice Company) that's stocked with berbere, hop leaves, alicha kimem, and more. You’ll watch workers make spongy injera at the bar counter. And the serene patio is ideal for drinking ginger-lemon kombuchas or anything from their menu of housemade drinks. The crispy, beef-stuffed sambusas, garlicky buticha, and satisfying meat and vegetarian samplers with heaps of deeply spiced mitten shiro and gomen are the must-orders.