Buraka Restaurant

Many of our dining guests have asked what "Buraka" means and the culture of our dishes. Here's our story...our name is that of the owner's great grandfather; a tradition in Ethiopia where family names are honored and carried on for generations. The name comes from the Oromo language and means "joy and contentment"; sentiments popularly shared among our customers!

Buraka originated in Madison in 1992 as a popular food cart at the UW's library mall and later into a full service restaurant located off the Capitol Square. In April of 2000, Buraka moved to State Street location.

Our menu consists of Ethiopian and other East African dishes. Ethiopian cuisine is best known for it's rich and exotic mix of spices; such as Berbere, Garlic, Cardamom, Ginger, Cumin, Coriander, Curry Powder and many more that give our dishes a delicious, unique flavor and aroma. Ethiopian cuisine is also famously known for its unique traditional sourdough bread, "Injera" made from whole grain Teff flour, native to Ethiopia. Our menu offers a range of mild and spicy dishes with a variety of meat, vegetarian and vegan options.

Last but certainly not least is Buraka's coffee. Rich & authentic selections of Ethiopia's coffees are brewed here everyday. Buraka features a full espresso bar as well as individual french press coffees. Ethiopia, in fact, was the first land in history to cultivate coffee and produces some of the finest and most flavorful coffees in the world.