Merkato Ethiopian Restaurant & Market

this place is so delicious it's my favorite on the block!!! parking can be kind of rough if you're eating during peak hours but otherwise it's decently easy to get parking. if you can't find metered parking or want to score some free parking check out the residential area down the street. there's so restrictions there but it might be worth it to check out!i also 1000% recommend the awaze tibs! even for takeout they give more than enough injera which i usually seem to run out of!

Delicious food every time' it's a family staple when going out it's a unanimous decision! Service is friendly but usually too causal for me. Sometimes you have to look for the staff if you want assistance. They could be more attentive to the customers. Ambience is always a cultural vibes - feels like your in a extended family member cozy dining room Pictures and art work everywhere and I love it Adjacent or Next to the restaurant is a storefront that sales all kinds of items incense and things can definitely be found I will see you next time MerKato

I ordered delivery from Merkato and it was amazing! I got the kitfo, lentil sambusa, and extra injera just in case. They give you a ton of injera which I appreciated so so much because I love bread. I didn't need to order extra but I'm not complaining lol. The kitfo was delicious, spicy, and came with a couple sides. The portions here seem to be very large! I was able to share my meal with my husband and we still didn't finish it all. The lentil sambusa was very tasty as well!I hope to come in person someday. If you're thinking of ordering delivery, I would definitely recommend it. They do NOT skimp on the portions for sure. I've been to another Ethiopian restaurant where they didn't provide a lot of injera and we ran out of it quickly, so this was perfect.

Merkato is a new favorite restaurant. Would love to eat here every week. Ordered the fish and I must have it again. The sides were amazing. Such a unique ambiance. The bread on the platter is perfect to mix with the meal as it soaks in the flavor. Also loved the hot tea. This restaurant has my highest recommendation. Interesting market attached. My friend bought a scented oil there. Service was excellent. Ample parking.

I am so happy we got to eat at the famous Merkato that was featured on HBO's Insecure. I love Ethiopian cuisine and the level of flavor at Merkato is top tier. My friend and I each got the veggie platter and we should've just shared one because it was SOOOOO much food. They give you a basket of injera and we chowed it down. My other friend got the beef and that came out on a skillet and it was also so well seasoned. To drink we got the honey wine and next time I'm there I will take one to bring back with me because it was amazing. Can't wait to go back.

Beene wanting to try this place since seeing it on insecure and finally made it over! Food and service were great. We ordered a variety of things including a mix of veggie and meat dishes. It was also super pretty inside as well even though we sat outside since we had our pups. Will definitely return and sit indoors next time!

Merkato FEELS welcoming and family owned. We were greeted warmly upon entrance and allowed to seat ourselves where we liked. Great and calm ambiance with beautiful cultural decor that added to the experience.Our waitress was very kind, answering our questions about things on the menu and I decided to try the sambusa with lentils and the trout. The portions were GENEROUS. Enough for leftovers (which I took home). The lentil Sambusa was crispy, flaky, and flavorful. Really delicious. The sides were good as well and the injera bread was standard. The STAR of the meal was the trout. It was crispy on the outside, supple and moist on the inside and SEASONED to perfection. This will likely be my go-to meal anytime I return to Merkata.

Just absolutely amazing food , best stuff ever omg I could eat this daily .. the wine is just as good & the customer service is so great it's like they treat you like family . Everything on the menu is amazing !!

We were craving something flavorful and affordable & this was the place to come for a chill night dinner. Fun fact: this is the Ethiopian restaurant as seen on insecure. To start off the ambiance was super beautiful, traditional decorations all over, it looked like they have live music sometimes. The ordering was super smooth, and what you see in the plate was enough for 5 people to share. Our favorites were definitely the veggies + spicy chicken. Will def be coming back!!

I really wanted to love it but it was just ok. Almost every other Ethiopian restaurant on Fairfax was closed today (Valentine's day around 11am) which was odd. Since Merkato was the only one open and my craving for Ethiopian food was strong, I went with it. The service is nice. They accept card/cash. They burn palo santo inside which is nice. I ordered kitfo and collard greens. The greens were good. The kitfo was pretty underseasoned. It wasn't salty, spicy, or had an aroma of spices. I wish they would've been more heavy handed with the black cardamom and other spices. Luckily I had some mitmita at home and that kinda helped. The store front itself, is nice. They have a bunch of bunches of sage, palo santo, incense in boxes. It's nice! Overall worth a stop for goodies and snacks but perhaps ask for more spices in the kitfo