According to 5280 magazine, Colorado’s Ethiopian community grew out of immigration sparked by the Ethiopian Civil War in the 1970s and 1980s, and the first Ethiopian eateries in the Denver area opened on East Colfax Avenue. The Ethiopian Restaurant at 2816 East Colfax, described by 5280 as Colorado’s first Ethiopian and African restaurant, was opened by Negussie Denku and Elleni Mekonnen as a hangout for a local Ethiopian community of just 15 to 20 people, and the family still runs it in a storefront painted in the colors of the Ethiopian flag.
East Colfax is still home to many of the city’s Ethiopian restaurants and to Merkato Market, which says it has served Denver for more than 30 years, while newer places have opened farther east in Aurora (Westword, 2020). Some older names are gone: Arada and Axum on East Colfax and Saladwich in Englewood are now marked closed in this directory.
This hub covers listings in Denver and the nearby cities of Aurora and Lafayette. Use it to find Ethiopian restaurants, groceries, churches and services. Phone numbers and opening hours can change, so please check with a business before you visit. For where to eat, see our guide to Ethiopian restaurants in Denver, which covers five restaurants on East Colfax Avenue and in Aurora and Lafayette.
Know a place that deserves to be here, or see a detail that needs fixing? Tell us about it. The directory gets better every time someone in the community adds a business or shares an honest review.
Ethiopian restaurants and cafes in the Denver area
- Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar (East Colfax Avenue, Denver)
- Nile Ethiopian Restaurant (South Havana Street, Aurora)
- Queen of Sheba Restaurant (East Colfax Avenue, Denver)
- Ras Kassa’s Ethiopian Restaurant (South Public Road, Lafayette)
- The Ethiopian Restaurant (East Colfax Avenue, Denver)
Run or eat at another Ethiopian restaurant or cafe in the Denver area? Please add it for free.
Ethiopian groceries and markets in the Denver area
- Merkato Market (East Colfax Avenue, Denver; spices, injera, coffee and household goods)
Run or shop at another Ethiopian grocery in the Denver area? Please add it for free.
Churches and religious centers in the Denver area
No Denver area Ethiopian church or religious center is listed yet. Belong to one? Please add it for free.
Other Ethiopian listings in the Denver area
Cargo services, salons, community associations and other Denver area businesses will appear here as they are added. Add one.
Browse all listings in the directory.
Related guides
- Ethiopian restaurants in Denver: a local guide
- How to send money to Ethiopia
- Ethiopian businesses in Dallas
- Ethiopian businesses in Los Angeles
Own an Ethiopian business in the Denver area? List your business on Ethiopialist for free and connect with customers who are already searching. List your business.
Featured image: The Ethiopian Restaurant on East Colfax Avenue in Denver, 2015. Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, Gates Frontiers Fund Colorado Collection within the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress (public domain), cropped.