Chercher Ethiopian Restaurant & Mart

★★★★☆ 4.4 (832) • $$

"Hands down the best Ethiopian food experience I've ever had. I couldn't get enough!There are slim choices for Ethiopian food where I'm from, the San Francisco Bay Area, but there were plenty of options in Washington DC! Chercher was the spot that I saw people talk about the most online. My friend, who's a local, and I went on a weekday night. It was crowded! The restaurant is a narrow, small space, and they packed in as much table space as possible. We got a regular veggie platter (the regular, special, and deluxe are just different sizes I think) and the Zil Zil tibs (long strips of tender beef, meat, sautéed with onions, garlic, tomato, jalapeño pepper, and exotic herbs). The tibs were SO tender. They were perfectly cooked with a nice char on the outside. The veggie platter came with many items, more than I am normally used to. For some reason I couldn't stop eating. Everything went so well together. And this is saying a lot since I had fufu and egusi for lunch earlier in the day!The service was extremely friendly. They noticed we were running out of injera and refilled it promptly.The next time I'm in DC, I will definitely stop by again!"

Hawwi Ethiopian Restaurant

★★★★★ 4.6 (682) • $$

"Don't be put off by the unprepossessing exterior - it's basically a brick box with glass block windows. Because once you step in, you're guaranteed a delicious meal for a steal.Once inside, admire the pretty interior with the mural on one wall, nice lighting, comfortable seating. The menu has something for everyone - carnivores, vegetarians and vegans. You can't go wrong, but if this is your first time eating Ethiopian food, go for one of the combos. You get a little bit of everything! And it's honestly a lot of food - you'll walk away fully sated. Everything is spiced beautifully, with so much flavor, and a wide variety of textures. Try the teff injera - it's thicker and tastier than regular injera, and won't fall apart when you scoop up stew with it.We cleaned our plates, and then hung out with some tea and dessert. The dessert isn't anything super special but we did enjoy the lemonade cake and the rice pudding, and the chai. It was mostly an excuse to sit around and talk and catch up with friends.Highly recommend, go order everything!"

Ethiopic

★★★★☆ 4 (797) • $$

"My first time in a long while with such a spread! Reservations I would suggest but we were able to squeeze in a table or two on a Sunday evening. Ordering is through QR code and thankfully I had my experienced friend with me as I truly did not know what to order or even expect. Once I shared plate came, we went to work! Loved trying the different combo and see what I liked best though. I wish the injera in the basket had some type of paper underneath instead of just sticking to the wicker basket. Samosas were perfectly crunchy with not too much breading to filling ratio."

Dukem Ethiopian Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.5 (979) • $$

"Wow! Can't believe how long it has been since my original review so definitely time for an update! We had a fairly large group and our server was excellent. I had the #31 vegetable combination- 5 items - and everything was delicious. The seasoning was amazing and I managed to finish it all; I left full and happy! The injera was excellent as well. A few of us shared a bottle of dry red Ethiopian wine and enjoyed it. The location is a short taxi ride from the National Mall area or a long-ish walk if you're up for it. Definitely worth the trip!"

Heat Da Spot

★★★★★ 4.8 (506) • $$

"Ordered a sausage egg and cheese online around 9:30 on a Sunday morning and it was done within about 7min. I remember thinking "Damn, $10 is kinda expensive for a sandwich". When I came inside to pick it up I realized I forgot to order coffee. So I asked if I could get the "honey cinn. iced" that was on the coffee menu (didn't have a price next to the menu), but I asked if I could get it hot instead. For the sandwich it's definitely worth the $10. It was a very thick sandwich and they didn't skimp on the egg. Came with a spicy green and flavorful sauce on the side which was delicious. However, the coffee was not worth the $11 I paid for :( Idek what made it that price. I didn't order any substitutes and aside from the $1 I gave as a tip I was confused but decided to pay for it because maybe it was some type of special Ethiopian latte. Boy was I wrong. It just tastes like regular (and veryyyy light) drip coffee with a splash of milk. No honey or cinnamon taste. I was disappointed enough to take two stars off since this is suppose to be a Café afterall and coffee is a huge factor in that."

Das Ethiopian

★★★★☆ 4 (559) • $$

"This is a beautiful high end little restaurant in Georgetown... old building, white tablecloth, and guess what kids, you get to eat with your hands!We had a reservation, so was seated right away. Full bar menu and not vegetarian (which is totally different from the Ethiopian restaurants we have at home). So we ordered the Das Combination Vegetarian Entree Sampler as our base, and added the House Salad, which was a nice combination of beets, potatoes & green beans, as well as the Beef Alicha and Lamb Tibs. Everything on the plate was delicious. I was starting to get worried that I was going to fill up on the injera, when our server reappeared with forks! (Only so we could enjoy the rest of the food!). Definitely a five star meal and experience."

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."

Dama Pastry and Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.4 (397) • $$

"Wow! What a cool spot I'm glad I found. Great latte and had the cookies from the bakery. They are fresh and delicious. Great vibe."

Habesha Market & Carry-out

★★★★☆ 4.4 (342) • $$

"If you want good Ethiopian food or products, go to family-owned Habesha. Open every day from 8:30 am to 11 pm since 2005, there's a small market inside and two rooms of seating to enjoy the food. All the Ethiopian food usually dishes are on the menu and there's always a buffet of dishes too. The beef tibs were delicious, especially with the grilled onions, jalapeños, and sauce. The injera is good and more than enough. The back room decorated in a mural wrap has many tables and outlets for charging phones."

Letena Ethiopian Restaurant

★★★★★ 4.7 (288) • $$

"Really solid Ethiopian food! I really appreciate that you're able to customize the meat and vegetarian samplers, and it was a good way to try a lot of different dishes on the menu. Ambiance was pleasant as well. Service could've been a bit more attentive, as we had to flag down our waitress several times, but that was a minor thing."

Enat Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.2 (284) • $$

"Ambiance: (4/5) I loved the seating. They have very causal decor. I wasn't a super big fan of the really loud music. Price: (5/5) Great prices for the area. The portions are a pretty good size as well. Food: (4/5) Really enjoyed the food. You get enjera on the side as well. The beef wot was amazing. Probably my favorite dish. Great spices and the meat was tender. I think the mushroom tibs could have had more spices added. Just an FYI, if you order soda, you get a can, there are no refills.Service: (4/5) Service is a bit slow, but it is a very causal family style restaurant. People do come to sit and enjoy for a good bit of time."

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."

Lalibela Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.8 (320) • $$

"I've never had this kind of food before, so this was a nice experience. The flavors weren't very familiar but I kept an open mind. I had lamb tips and some of their sides wrapped in this uh...honestly I dunno what it was called. Either way, it was good.I got delivery, so I can't speak to the service."

Meaza Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.6 (294) • $$

"Overall great Ethiopian restaurant and good for first timers too. They have a huge space and also serve beer and wine. Their coffee is also great like most Ethiopian places, fresh roasted beans and brewed clean. My dad also loved the food last time we were here. Good outdoor seating and plenty of parking. I picked a to-go this time so missed going inside."

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."

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."

Family Ethiopian Resturant

★★★★★ 4.6 (134) • $$

"We went on a Wednesday. It was busy and severely understaffed. The food was good. No silverware we ate with a basket of spongy bread used to pick up pieces of our dinner. I liked the spicy lamb best. The beef was also good, the salads had cut up jalapeño and everything was pretty spicy. There was also homemade cottage cheese."

Ghion Ethiopian Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.4 (138) • $$

"I am new to the DC area and was looking for an Ethiopian spot. I tried this place and I'm absolutely in love with the food. Upon entering the place, I could tell it was a family owned business and the head cook was the wife/mom which made me more eager to try the food! The food did take a while to come out (around 40 min) but that didn't bother me since the food and service was worth it.I ordered the combo veggie platter and the Kitfo (center of plate). The veggie platter was amazing, I particularly loved the collard greens and the lentils. It came with a side of injera, which is a pancake like bread, that you eat the dish with.It was my first time trying kitfo, I'm not accustomed to eating raw meat and just don't like the texture of it but this was so well made and flavorful I forgot it was raw! I'm definitely coming back here and would love to try more things off the menu :)"

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."

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."

Eyo Restaurant and Sports Bar

★★★★☆ 4.1 (113) • $$

"Was recommended this place by one of my ethiopian friends as the best place to get authentic food and this recommendation did not disappoint. I wasn't sure what to expect when I saw this was a sports bar, but this isn't just typical bar food. They have the large TVs and a fully stocked bar to accompany delicious (and well priced!) Ethiopian food. For $15 my boyfriend and I split the veggie combo, which satisfied us both- if you are STARVING you would probably need a little more between two people but this served as a great dinner for us. The veggie combo was amazing with a ton of variety and different flavors to scoop up with the injera. Service was prompt and respectful, especially during COVID times. They were open for sit down seating (indoor only and there weren't many people inside) as well as takeout. If I'm back in this area I will definitely eat here again!"

Makeda Ethiopian Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.8 (120) • $$

"So far I have visited this place twice, and I have no regrets. I love great Ethiopian food, and this place does GREAT very well. The tibs, both beef and chicken versions, were packed with great flavor, moist and texture. (They ran out of the lamb). The various veggie platters are wonderful, including the lentil, cabbage and collard green side dishes. I could just visit this restaurant just for the vegetable dishes.The service during both occasions were quite fine. On our firat visit, my friend/colleague knew our server so we were well attended by her. The second time, our new server was very patient with our table and very attentive to our needs.The portions were just right, too! I look forward to our next visits!"

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."

Sora Ethiopian Market

★★★★★ 4.6 (73) • $$

"This place is extremely out of the way and tucked away in a hidden spot, but the quiet demeanor hides a quiet cafe filled with Ethiopian goodness and a nice cake option to boot. The easy parking lot option made it incredibly accessible by car.Menu is extremely simple and very reasonably priced. I ordered the Zil-zil tibs and had a carrot cake to munch on as I ran my errands. Both were pretty grand. The tibs were fantastically juicy and the dipping sauce complemented it very well with a nice kick. Cake was not too sweet (in a good way) and was subtle in a way I enjoy my desserts (akin to south-east asian baked goods).Overall, very pleased with this spot. Absolutely try this if you're in the area!"

Elfegne Ethiopian Cuisine

★★★★☆ 4.4 (72)

"I really love coming here. The portions are highly generous, the service has always been wonderful and the food is amazing at affordable prices. I am Eritrean and grew up eating Ethiopian food, even though I was born in the US. I have the most serious.....I mean seeèeeriousss cravings for Ethiopian food!This has been my main go-to place to meet that dire need. I really like that they have a wide variety of seated options, whether you want a booth, table or bar...even nice outside tables. They also have spacious and clean bathrooms, which is important. There's a lot of places to check out where they are located on 18th Street, even with a new Ethiopian restaurant in close proximity along with one that's only a little further down. I will continue to come here because I like the comfort of their consistency."

Doro Soul Food

★★★★☆ 4 (81)

"If you're looking for fried chicken bursting with flavor this is your spot. I got the two piece chicken that included a small piece of cornbread. It wasn't myfirst choice but it was all they had left. The chicken was drip drip drippin. It was perfectly cooked and nicely battered. The flavors are definitely different than your original fried chicken. Cornbread didn't do anything for me and was a bit more on the dry side, but the chicken is great."

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!"

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!"

Abuare Restaurant

★★★★★ 4.9 (47)

"Fantastic hostess, beef stew in the deluxe is Everything. We especially liked the lentils options. Injera has all fluffiness of a new goose down jacket"

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."

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!"

Meda Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.1 (47) • $$

"I have eaten here multiple times now and I love the veggie combo. Be ready though, you really should be ready to share this with someone as it is rather large. If you are fasting, ordering your own might not be a bad idea. The coffee service is very good as well. It is similar to Turkish coffee but the coffee is a bit smoother. Highly recommend this Ethiopian restaurant for the quality of food, setting, staff, and price."

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."

Shewa

★★★★★ 5 (26)

"I ordered the four different meat platter ... it was delicious. It wasn't super spicy and a really nice mixture of meats and veggies. The hostess and wait staff were very attentive. In fact, the hostess had them make this special platter because it was my first time eating Ethiopian food. Because it was our first time, they gave us a free appetizer and offered us a dessert .. we turned it down because we were so full. I'd go back in a heartbeat... I really enjoyed it."

Ethio Cafe

★★★★★ 4.5 (30) • $$

"Don't be put off by Ethio Cafe's unassuming exterior and its location (nestled between a Subway and a Title Loans). The cooks at this hole-in-the-wall know what they're doing. This little gem on the Pike really is a hole in the wall. The small seating area, which has no more than 6 tables (if I'm not mistaken), makes it ideal for a solo dinner or a date. There is usually instrumental Ethiopian music playing from speakers and CNN playing (on mute) on one of the TV screens. On my most recent visit, I ordered the beef tibs and asked the waitress to substitute the salad for collard greens and beets. I envisioned grilled tibs with slices of jalapeno, similar to how they're served at Dama. But out came the waitress with a plate of injera and veggies on one hand, and a bowl of "tibs stew" in the other. The tibs were poured over the center of the injera. It took me a few minutes to warm up to them, as the first couple of bites tasted a bit vinegar-y. But with a little persistence, I quickly found myself shoveling handfuls of tibs, collards, beets and injera in my mouth at high speed. Although it was a satisfying and yummy meal, I'd have to say that the Yestome Beyaynetu (veggie combo) wins the prize on taste and general awesomeness. Who knew cabbage, potatoes, beets, and lentils could taste SO good! Overall, Ethio Cafe is a great place for a quiet dinner. I suggest bringing a friend along so that one can order the beef tibs and the other, the veggie combo. One plate is too much food for one person...and you shouldn't limit yourself to just one."