Shagga Coffee & Restaurant

The food here is amazing. I always order the doro alicha (which is sort of like a yellow chicken curry) and some lentil sambusas. I would highly recommend both, because the sambusas are delicious and crunchy, and the doro alicha has fantastic flavor (and goes amazingly with the injera bread). Also, the staff are always really friendly.

I recently visited Shagga Coffee & Restaurant to get my son (and myself) out of the house during his winter break, and it was the perfect spot for a cozy and hearty meal. Ethiopian food is always a go-to for us since so much of it is naturally vegan - perfect for my little one's dietary needs.The Experience: * The restaurant is located off a busy street, so keep an eye on your GPS to avoid missing the turn. Fortunately, parking was easy - there's plenty of space since it's a standalone location. * We were greeted warmly and told to sit anywhere. The service was quick, and our server made great recommendations.What We Ordered: * Spiced Tea - Needed a little sugar but warmed us right up. * Combo #20 - A mix of meats, lentils, and veggies served with injera. This combo came highly recommended by our server, and it didn't disappoint.The Food: * The Lamb - Spicy and flavorful. If you like heat, this one's for you! * The Chicken - Tender and delicious - my son devoured it. * The Beef - The standout for me. Perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection. * Sides: * Potatoes and Carrots - A must-order. Soft, seasoned well, and comforting. * Collard Greens - Good, but could've used a little more seasoning. Still paired nicely with the meats. * Salad - Fresh and simple, but balanced the heavier dishes well. * Kik Alicha (Lentils) - This was the only miss for me. I had high expectations, but the flavor didn't quite hit the mark.For My Son:When Kingston woke up midway through the meal (typical toddler life), I ordered him a side of: * Rice * Potato Alicha - A hit! He kept asking for more. * Tekil Gomen (Cabbage and Carrots) - He tried it but wasn't as into it.Service & Atmosphere: * The staff was friendly and attentive. I really appreciated how the server asked about my son's allergies before plating the food. * Business started picking up around 6 PM, so I recommend getting there a little earlier for a quieter experience.Cost:Our meal totaled $61.48 (including tax), which felt reasonable for the amount of food we received. Ethiopian food is always a great value - filling, healthy, and affordable.Overall:I'll definitely return for the service, tibbs (beef), salad, and potato alicha. The lentils let me down this time, but I'm willing to give them another shot. If you're in Hyattsville and craving Ethiopian food, Shagga Coffee & Restaurant is worth checking out!Visited Jan 4,2025

I have been to Shagga a few times. Unfortunately, this restaurant has left me unimpressed the past few times I paid them a visit.The ambiance and the service are average, but the food is why I am dissatisfied. Doro Wot, which is what I got this time around, had neither the boldness nor the brightness and depth of flavor you'd expect from berbere spices. It did not showcase chunks of tender meat (drumsticks, for instance) you'd expect from a Doro Wot. On the contrary, it was a hodgepodge of stringy broken meat with little to no heat and flavor to it. It felt like this meat was scooped up from the bottom of the vat. My companion got the raw Kitfo, which was bland. The vegetable dishes, in addition to their small portion sizes, were also bland.

Plenty of parking in a decent location off of Route 1. Ordered the Doro Wat (Chicken) and Chicken Tibbs. They have a special with 2 meats and 2 vegetables. Very cost effective and filling. This is my first time getting the tibbs. They were good but I was expecting a little more seasoning. The Doro Wat, Ingera and greens were delicious. The lentil samosa (appetizer) looked delicious so I'll get that next time.

I love there food I don't have to go all the way to DC to get Ethiopian food, it's very good, had it several times n my kids also like it

I've been trying a number of Ethiopian restaurants around lunch time seeking Doro Wat, a dish usually consisting of a chicken leg or two and a hard boiled egg in a sauce full of berbere and other spicy ingredients. I chose lunch time because I wanted to eat the dish alone, as it's tough to share because the chicken is still on the bone and it's hard to divide the meat and egg when injera is your only utensil. Turns out that Shagga uses breast meat for their Doro Wat, something I've never encountered. The chicken was overcooked and dry, a typical problem with white meat, and it wasn't very spicy at all. I aslo ordered a 4-veg combo of Mesir Wot, Gomen, Tikil Gomen, and Timatim (tomato) salad. The Mesir Wot wasn't spicy either and I asked for Awaze paste but it didn't help the lentils or the chicken. Sadly while I noticed the genuine Teff-based injera was available for a $3 charge, it took so long to place my order that I forgot to order that and I was served the regular wheat-based injera. It was oddly thicker than normal and the taste was off even compared to wheat injera at other restaurants.I ate most of everything but not because I liked it, but because of how my mom raised me. My wife always disliked this place and now I see why.

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.

This review is for takeout. I highly recommend Shagga. We've had issues with our fave restaurants in DC drastically reducing their serving size for the price, and Shagga hasn't done that! Generous portions. Loved the Doro Wat and the veggie sampler! We ordered 2 samplers and the chicken for a dinner party and it was plenty of food.

The service was amazing!! The young lady was very nice, I got the combination choice #1, the chicken wot was not as spicy as I imagined or the lentils and I love spicy, the greens were good and the beef tibs were good as well, next time I go back I will make sure they give me extra spicy and more sauce other than that I enjoyed it

I'm disappointed to write a negative review of Shagga. It has been my favorite Ethiopian restaurant for indulging in a treat, but unfortunately, I've experienced repeated issues with my orders. This isn't the first or second time my order has been incorrect, nor is it the first time I've had to wait over 10 minutes beyond the quoted 30-minute time frame to receive my food.Recently, my disappointment peaked when my favorite menu item was missing from my order upon arriving home. When I called the restaurant to address the mistake, the staff member insisted that I had ordered Lamb Tibs instead of Yegbeg Alicha, despite having my order saved in my notes app. She spoke over me and was rude. She did not offer to replace the missing item tonight or credit me for it, although she did promise a side order of the missing item on my next visit.To top it off, the item she recorded, Lamb Tibs, was not even included in my order; instead, I received double portions of tough Beef Tibs. And the injera was cold.