The Best Ethiopian in Baltimore

Seb-Seb Restaurant and Bar

★★★★★ 4.7 (34)

"Last night my wife and I had the pleasure of dining at Seb-Seb. We had been talking about finding a place that serves Ethiopian cuisine and after doing my research I found that this location came highly recommended. When we arrived we were immediately greeted and sat. Soon after our server arrived with water, and showed us the QR code to pull up the menu. They have a full bar at this location and so we ordered a few drinks while ordering for our food.Now, let's talk about the star of the show, the food. We opted for the veggie deluxe combo, which was a colorful platter the showcased the rich flavors of yellow peas, split lentils, kale, carrots, potatoes, black beans, red beets, cabbage, green beans, and salads. The freshness of the ingredients was immediately evident.We also got the Doro Wot which were chicken legs simmered in flavorful sauce with incised hard boiled eggs. If you've never had Doro Wot...OMG!The Lega Tibs might've been top 5 steak dishes I've ever had. So tender and super flavorful I don't think there's anything I could compare it with to give it proper justice. Just wow!You can tell that the ladies running this restaurant really care about the food they're serving, and want people to have a good experience when they come. They would come and check on us to see how things were going, but they had already won us over after the first couple of bites.One of the ladies suggested the honey wine, and if, actually WHEN you come "GET IT". It was sooo good. They weren't super busy while we were here, but it was Thursday and between rush hour and dinner time but again we had a great time. We rarely venture out to silver springs, but it looks like that's about to change."

Meleket Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.4 (192) • $$

"Solid food and great staff. I went here during one of their live music nights and it definitely set the scene. Meleket is authentic Ethiopian food and the flavors were definitely reflective of that. I enjoyed my visit here and would definitely visit again."

Bete Ethiopian Cuisine & Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.2 (209) • $$

"I love love love Bete! The service is lovely and the food is fabulous. I've never had anything bad there. I love the vegetarian platter, especially the cabbage and carrots. The different lentils are also great - I really like the yellow lentils that taste like split pea soup and the misir wot. Last time I was there, there was also a great beet salad on the platter - so good! In addition, we had a wonderful ginger and cinnamon tea that was so good I would really like to try to recreate it at home. This place is the real deal."

Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.7 (93) • $$

"My partner swore by this place so I decided to check it out with them and I was blown away! Immediately I was captivated by the vibrant energy of this place. Beautiful decor, live music, lively people. Just all-around good vibes. Then to make matters even better, the food was amazing! And there were so many Ethiopians eating there, which is always a good time. The service was amazing too, and you can even have some hookah with your food. 11/10!"

Tigi's Ethiopian Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.4 (259) • $$

"I loved trying Ethiopian food from here. I like the sour bread and eating with hands instead of utensils was an interesting experience. I really liked the beef tibs. That was absolutely delicious. There is a parking lot right in front so finding parking is pretty easy."

Dessie Ethiopian Restaurant & Market

★★★★☆ 3.9 (39) • $$

"We love trying new restaurants, we peeked at the menu before we arrived. The prices were decent so we decided to give them a try.We were give them menu and we proceeded to order lamb. We were told they were out, so it would be either vegetarian or beef. We love vegetarian dish but hubby is Hindu, so we don't eat beef. We ask if they had chicken, the waiter wasn't sure until he check with the chicken. We were not provide with water until we ask for some. The place had not be updated or renovated in a while. We were the only patrons at the restaurant. With the suspect sketch atmosphere and slow service. We considered giving them 1 star but the food saved the day. We will admit the food was good and tasty, the cost was decent. They had good injera. We aren't sure if we'd ever visit this place again. I saw on the wall a laminated news article from 2008, eleven years ago, it's time for this place to try to reclaim their glory and step it up."

Ahadu Ethiopian Cuisine

★★★★☆ 4.4 (147) • $$

"I would categorize this more as a cafe than your usual sit-down restaurant since service is limited: you order at the counter and they bring out the food to you when it's ready - nothing in between.I came here on a Friday evening for dinner. I was worried that parking would be difficult during the prime dinner hour, but there were plenty of pull-in spots available in front of the restaurant at 6pm.When researching the restaurant in advance, Google offered an option to make a reservation on my behalf using their smart assistant. I selected the reservation online and received a text confirmation that it had been made. The reservation really wasn't necessary at all - it's already a small space but only 1-2 tables were filled; the rest were open. (Maybe the fact that we also met up on the coldest, windiest day of the year was also a factor... but reminder: support your local businesses!) Nevertheless, the restaurant honored my reservation and had the table settings and "reserved" placard already set-up when we arrived. We were greeted by the staff, handed menus, and told to order at the register whenever we were ready.I appreciate that the menu had a plethora of pictures to clue you into the popular dishes for those that aren't experts with Ethiopian cuisine. Their website also does an excellent job of educating potential customers on the different dishes - kudos to them for making it more approachable.My friend and I decided to share the veggie combo #2 (Red lentils, cabbage and potatoes, split pea, collard greens, string beans, carrots, tomato salad, chick pea salad, and lentil salad) for two ($28.50). The food was brought out about 10-15 minutes after ordering. It came with double servings of everything and we each got our own basket of injera (four pieces). Portions were fair for the price. We enjoyed the meal overall since Ethiopian food is always a treat, but it could've been more flavorful in my opinion. Fortunately, nothing was overwhelmingly spicy, which is a plus in my book! I would come back to try some of their meat dishes."

Sheger Spring Cafe

★★★☆☆ 2.9 (37) • $$

"Authentic Ethiopian cuisine. It's not a fancy restaurant. In fact, it's pleasantly simple. The people are nice, and they seem to know most of their customers. Both times that I went, I got the injera veggie mix platter. It was plenty of food for me, and could have served two. The dishes were good. The injera (bread) was ok, but I have had better. The prices are very reasonable. I have not yet been for breakfast, but I definitely will be trying that next time. I recommend this place."

Lesaac Ethiopian Cafe

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (91) • $$

"This is one of many many choices in downtown Silver Spring for Ethiopian food. So why would you go here? I don't know why you would go, but I know why I liked it. Everyone inside was clearly happy about the lovely evening music. The waitress was very helpful when ordering, but she didn't come back to check on our water needs.Anyhow, I only eat the 'real' gluten free injera, and here, it is solid. It isn't dry and crumbly and bland. It holds its own and is moist and pliable. The platter is also covered in the gluten free injera, so, yes, thank you! It's really tasty! It may be my favorite yet! They do charge for the traditional injera- $3 for the base and $3 for the extra basket.Also, all of the veg entree dishes or wots/ stews are vegan. You don't have to ask. It just is vegan. So, all of my concerns for my diet at an Ethiopian restaurant are gone. So, now I can consider what to order. I guess that's the problem. There are, as always, many dishes to choose from. Somewhere around 8-10, I believe. You have the fosolia, the yellow split peas, the salad, the fit fit x2, the green lentils, the Berbere lentils, the chickpea balls, the collards/ gomen, the cabbage gomen, the beets and the shiro. So... really, when ordering veg Ethiopian what is the right choice? A combination platter! Yes! They have 2 smaller combinations and one with what seems like all the dishes. Whatever you order you'll enjoy.The food is not overly salted by any measure of my tastebuds. So, that's awesome! Then I don't need extra injera to sop up the salt. Also there isn't excessive oil to make my fingers extra messy. However, I will say that I would've liked a little more flavor to the green lentils and less to the chickpea balls, but other than that, it was a solid meal of which I should've split in half... oh well. Happy belly!The place is a little small, but there is a little bit of outdoor seating too. That's nice if it's a lovely night for being outside!"

Jano Ethiopian Restaurant

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (24) • $

"Very interesting experience. The restaurant is the back of an upstairs hookah lounge - don't freak out; you're in the right place! We just walked straight back and someone seated us. The dining area is essentially an upstairs lounge with cushioned benches and coffee tables.The menu is pretty extensive and describes the food well for those unfamiliar with Ethiopian cuisine. While I only saw shooters and cocktails listed as drinks, our waitress happily brought me a glass of Tej, Ethiopian honey wine, which I think is okay by itself but pairs nicely with the food. Speaking of food...The food was delicious! My wife and I eat got a sampler and split the two. I got a sample of beef and lamb tibs, which have this amazing berbere spice on them and vegetables mixed in. My wife's vegetarian sampler was pretty good. The cabbage and potatoes were solid, but the LENTILS - oh, the lentils! - so delicious! I need to learn what spices they put in those because I could eat that every day. Both of our meals came with a small salad, which is a little difficult to pick up with injera bread, but we managed just fine.It's a tad awkward eating quietly in this small room while there is loud club music pouring in from the rest of the space, but it's totally worth the top-notch service and high quality food. Definitely recommended."

Zene's Deli & World Market

★★★★☆ 4.1 (33)

"Their food is SOOOOOO good. I had it once earlier this year with a friend and couldn't remember the name of the restaurant so when I tried to go back I went to the wrong place. Recently I rediscovered the name and ordered takeout and it's literally the best Ethiopian food I've ever had. I got the Lamb Tibs, Spicy Lentils and Collard Greens."

Effoi Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.2 (25)

"We went for the grand opening today, July 2nd. A beautiful and warm setting to share a meal with a date or with friends. Excellent and warm service, server made an excellent recommendation that the veggie combo was a good start for the two of us and we can order more if we got hungry. There was so much food!! Everything was beautifully presented and delicious. We got complimentary injera and some mitmita and berbere spice on the side. Since it was their grand opening, they gave us a glass of champagne each on the house. Bravo, Effoi! We look forward to returning in the future!"

Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.4 (460) • $$

"Ordered delivery. Everything was pretty tasty but favorites were ayeb and eggplant. Different flavors than some other Ethiopian restaurants."

Chercher Ethiopian Cuisine

★★★★☆ 4.3 (141) • $$

"Amazingly delicious and packed well for a to go Ethiopian meal!I was in town for a business trip and came across CherCher which has great reviews. I'm originally from the area and love this place in Silver Spring so I was eager to check out CherCher. The rest of the group wasn't interested in joining me which was wonderful as I wanted a quiet evening alone haha. I ordered my food via UberEats and it came perfectly package. I got the Yebeg tibs, vegan combo serve kids meal, tomato salad and gluten free injera. Everything was delicious! They gave me so much injera which was nice as some places don't give you enough. The staff paid attention to my notes and included utensils in my order but forgot extra napkins. They also provided quick and efficient service."

Beteseb Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.3 (259) • $$

"Decided to venture out to Silver Springs for Ethiopian. I had always heard Ethiopian food here is much better than anything in DC but I was always pretty content in DC. The location is south of downtown Silver Spring in a cute corner spot. It's always a good sign when you walk in and see majority Ethiopians. Service was prompt with one woman tending to all the tables and one man helping out here and there. Food was amazing. Comparing it with DC, the taste was pretty similar but much less greasy. I got the veggie platter and spicy beef tibs. All of it tasted amazing with a nod to the salad. Salad on veggie platters are always interesting, usually an afterthought, but here was quite refreshing, cutting through some of the heavier items."

Tabor Ethiopian Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.4 (226) • $$

"So this restaurant has a patron for life out of me, because, man, what an amazing visit!I liked everything about this place as soon as I walked in the door. The venue has a nice vibe, chill and relaxed. The wait staff was attentive and very helpful with explaining menu items and making suggestions for entrees.I wanted ALL the things, and was directed to "The Baltimore" which includes 9 veggies (NINE, OMG) and 2 proteins. We went with the Key Wot and got Kitfo for an up-charge (WORTH IT). Also got some honey wine, which was interesting but ultimately not my thing. Perhaps on the next visit I'll explore the world of Ethiopian beer.The platter of food looked absolutely AMAZING when it arrived and I wasn't sure where to start...LOL, that's a lie, I went straight for the kitfo with a piece of injera. And when I say it was delicious...LAWD.I asked for some extra spice and was given a container of what looked like cayenne pepper, but less heat and more salt. It was perfect. With that and plenty of injera, I got to work. And I was thoroughly pleased with all the food on the platter. I ate until I was stuffed and there was still so much food left. Took home a doggy bag.Lo and behold, the next day, I heated up my leftovers and the food was still excellent. It was a little hard to wrangle out from soggy injera, but I happily managed what I could.I WILL BE BACK. A LOT. Not a threat but a promise, lol."

Elilta Restaurant

★★★★★ 4.8 (81)

"Delicious veggie platter for $14. I can't believe they're able to make a pile of lentils, potatoes, and beets taste so dang good lol. Service is great, one time they ran out of beets and the lady whipped up a delicious chick pea alternative instead! Another time I called right when they opened and no one picked up. Turns out they were running late to open but the lady was thorough in calling me back to make sure I got my order in. They really care about the business and their customers.I usually order takeout, takes 15 mins to be ready. Parking is next to the 4 corners Pub or street parking near the pub. 10/10 highly recommend!"

Dukem Ethiopian Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.7 (300) • $$

"Dukem was on my Yelp bestie's Baltimore collection list for a while. We were craving some Ethiopian food. We were a group of three and decided to opt for a combination sampler. We chose to try the Dukum Combo (4), but later when we were billed they charged us for the Dukum Combo (5) so I'm not sure which one we ordered. In the past, we've had our waiters tell us which each thing was, but this server just gave us the plate with no explanation. Thankfully we've had Ethiopian in the past so we could guess which some things were. Like always, the injera was delicious. However, a lot of the things on our plate were a bit one dimensional. I wish they had more flavor like we're used to. While I'm happy we tried this spot, I wish things were a bit more flavorful."

Langano Ethiopian Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.5 (105) • $$

"We stopped in for lunch today and had a great meal! The restaurant was almost empty, so plenty of booths available. The restaurant itself is nice- coffered ceilings, huge stocked bar... it's clearly a nightclub at night... but a nice one. The food was really good. We got beef tibs, and it was so crispy and flavorful. We also got the veggie platter with six different vegetable dishes. My favorites were the lentils, and the potatoes and green beans... but honestly they were all great. These two dishes easily fed me and my husband, and while we didn't finish everything, we were totally full and very happy with our meal.The kitchen was fast and our server was friendly and efficient. We will definitely come back!"

Ibex Ethiopian Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4 (67) • $$

"Good Ethiopian food close to my home. I went in to order since all the apps upchsrge like crazy. I waited maybe 15 minutes for all my food to come out. The Awaze and Lega ribs were pretty good. I ordered the Awaze as beef and Lega as lamb. Both were good but lacked the nuance and extra barber spice that other places produce. They were kind enough to make a couple changes with the veggie platter which I really appreciated. Overall the vibe inside is authentic (albeit a bit smokey from incense) and the food is good."

Ma'Ede Ethiopian Market and Cafe

★★★★★ 4.8 (14)

"Absolutely incredible. This place is such a gem. Service is fantastic, portions are absolutely insane, and the atmosphere is quite cozy. It is a family style place, so be prepared to be cozy with other patrons. The food is so authentic and rivals any Ethiopian place worth their salt in DC/Virginia. Best Kitfo I've ever had in my life, perfectly spiced and the collards it comes with are incredible. Sambuca is the best I've ever had too."

Elsi Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar

★★★★☆ 3.9 (16)

"There's a new Ethiopian restaurant a bit further out, for those who don't care to deal with downtown silver spring. The space is L shaped, cozy, and brightly lit. The bar runs down the left side. What I must assume is E-pop music is playing at a moderate level. A stage in the front promises live music to come.For those who are not familiar with Ethiopian dining, one eats with one's hands. The additional sinks outside the gender neutral restrooms are a thoughtful addition. The food is served with injera, a flat bread made from the ancient grain teff, which is gluten-free. Fermentation gives it a lacy texture and a bit of tang. You tear off a piece, pinch a bite of food, and pop it into your mouth. I ordered the classic kitfo, finely minced beef with complex spices and just a tickle of heat. A hot sauce is on the side for those wanting more Scovilles.Very tasty, on point recipe, cordial service. I am looking forward to the grand opening on September 7th. Four ****."

Fairland Ethiopian Restaurant

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (13)

"I ordered through UberEats the veggie combo, the miser, and the ambo water. The veggie combo platter was a huge portion but the entire dish tasted like fish and it was nauseating. The miser was a big portion but again the entire dish tasted like fish, so I threw it away. The bottled water was fresh and tasted good, but I wouldn't order food from this place again."

Langano Ethiopian Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.5 (17)

"Great atmosphere and food was very good. They have a full bar and dance floor though we weren't there late enough to experience it."

Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (158) • $$

"Went here with my cousin on 11/19/33 around 9:30pm. Most of the customer base was Ethiopian. Ive never had Ethiopian. The decor was the appealing nor welcoming. Your welcome to seat wherever you like. When I walked in I was smacked by the incense being burnt. Our server came over and went over the menu options but it was kind of hard to hear her over eh music. I ordered rum and coke. My cousin ordered bottle water. We ordered the vegan combination for the table. Rum and coke strong ad fudge. Now that vegan combination was so good. The beets were flavorful. Who would have ever thought beets would be that's good. The curry was good too but the lentil mixtures were by far my favorites. Definitely a intimate spot and I would highly recommend this spot. They could work on the customer service. Wasn't terrible but could use some improvement.Prior to departure they started to play live music. Date night friendly. I will definitely visit again. My total bill was 47.51. Affordable eating."

Dahlak

★★★☆☆ 2.7 (7)

"This is an "international," restaurant in the old Arco's spot that's mostly Eritrean food, which is basically the same food as Ethiopian.The Arco's sign is still up, and when you enter, it looks exactly the same as the old Arco's and there's a very local white guy, Bob, the bartender, who greets you. (Bob, and the rest of the crew are fantastic, btw.) I was initially confused if I was in the right place. And, since it's exactly like Arco's, there's a back patio as well as ample indoor seating. The menu is also a bit disorienting since it covers everything from bagels to linguini to kitfo and tibs. We stuck to the Eritrean side of the menu, and were delighted with our food. For three people, we had the veggie platter, which had beets, so good they tasted like candy; the excellent lamb tibs, and the kitfo that Daniel, the Mexican manager/cook steered us away from ordering raw as we had done in Ethiopian restaurants. At around 7:30 on a Friday evening, we were the only ones eating, although there was a group of Eritrean young men on the patio and a few women at the bar. We talked with Solomon, the owner, about his country. We talked with Daniel about Mexico City. We talked with Bob about East Baltimore. Patsy Cline was playing on the jukebox in the bar. It was all a wonderful, very urban mishmash. Highly recommended for both the food and the atmosphere!"

Nazrawi Ethiopian Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.3 (347) • $$

"The food was absolutely delicious!! I am so impressed! There are lots of yummy Ethiopian restaurants in Silver Spring, however, Nazrawi is now at the top of my list! I was very skeptical about the tofu steak but I gave the dish a try and was so impressed! I recommend trying it if you're fasting (or not)!"

Rohobot Ethiopian Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.4 (136) • $

"I've ordered delivery (through doordash) twice from here now and both times the food was great. The items are always packed well. The food is so flavorful and yummy. They give plenty of injera bread too. I've gotten the yawaze tibs, which are delicious. I've also gotten the side of lentil sambusa which is also super flavorful and yummy. My boyfriend has gotten dullet and loved it. He liked it so much that the first time he ordered it he told me to make sure we remember this place so he can keep getting it. You also get a lot of food. I don't know how in person service is, but for delivery my experience has consistently been good. You also get a free can drink with meals, which isn't even stated on doordash, so that was a pleasant surprise."

Shagga Coffee & Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.3 (454) • $$

"If you're a fan of Ethiopian cuisine, Shagga is a definitely worth visiting. The service is attentive and friendly; the staff are eager to explain dishes and make recommendations if you're new to Ethiopian cuisine. I've been inside to order take-out but have never dined in, although I plan to. Very simple and intimate atmosphere. Their kitfo is the best in the area in my opinion and is my go-to dish. Their combo platters have great portions and nothing I've tried so far has disappointed."