Ghion Ethiopian Restaurant

Wow. This was incredible. A small but comfortable restaurant in Shaw, Ghion absolutely blew me away. The staff were wonderful and so kind, offering recommendations as I have never had Ethiopian food before. We got the lentil Sambusas to start and every bite brought a smile to my face. The dough was perfectly crunchy and the lentils had so much flavor. The injera was amazing, and served as a perfect vessel for every bite of our entrees. The seasoned beef spiciness was matched by its intense flavor, making each mouthful its own fun unique experience. I'm so happy with this meal and cannot wait to try more!

The vegetarian platter here is what dreams areMade of!! I could bathe in those amazing lentils! The owners are SO lovely and kind, just don't come here if you're in a rush yum!

Came here with friends and it was absolutely delicious!! We got the vegetarian platter and then a lamb dish in the side and we cleaned our plates!! Everything was so flavorful and well seasoned!! We also got the honey wine to try and it was really sweet but yummy!! The owner and her husband are so sweet and make you feel so welcomed, we felt like family!!!

I've definitely had better Ethiopian food in DC and probably won't recommend this place to anyone. When you walk in the Resturant immediately smells like mold. It was quiet when I arrived so service was solid, but what we ordered on the menu and what we ended up receiving were two different things. We ordered the veggie and meat combo. The meat combo was described as various cooks of beef, but we definitely did not receive any beef. We ended up with chicken and two servings of something wasn't beef. We also received collard greens which on the menu wasn't described as having meat in it, but it came with beef. The veggies we received were fine, but definitely not the best Ethiopian in the area. You should probably just go to Dukem instead.

I am genuinely befuddled by the high ratings for this restaurant. I came here around 7:45pm with friends. The restaurant was busy, the sun was starting to set on a 90+ degree day, and there was no AC and only one ceiling fan running.To start, the water cup they gave to my friend was dirty, but they quickly exchanged it when he asked for a new one.We had ordered one 7 veggie combo and an order of beef tibs to share. Food took about 30 minutes to come out and the restaurant had practically emptied by the time we got our order.I specifically ordered beef tibs because I do not eat lamb and have a very strong aversion to it. They gave us lamb tibs. When I told the guy they had mistakenly given us lamb instead of beef, he insisted they had given us beef. My lamb-eating friend had tried it too and agreed with me that it was definitely lamb because it was very gamey. Luckily the server took the dish back. However, when he had initially delivered the food to our table, he stepped out of the restaurant for 10-15 minutes and by the time he came back, we were already 75% finished with our veggie platter (the portions were pretty small). We didn't want to wait another 30 minutes for the replacement, so I asked him to please cancel the tibs and he agreed to.Then, comes the bill. We were charged $6 for 3 "extra" orders of injera. We never asked for extra injera. The only injera we received was the layer of injera that the veggie combo was served on and the 3 of us each received a plate with half a sheet of injera on it. The veggie combo was $35, $6 for the "extra" injera, and after tax and tip, the bill was over $50.I have Ethiopian food at least once a week. Never have I ever paid over $50 for a meat combo with actual extra injera, let alone a veggie combo.Lastly, the restaurant did not have hand soap available in any of its bathrooms. Instead, there were bottles of hand sanitizer. This is concerning because how are the employees washing their hands? And it's especially concerning because the food they serve is meant to be eaten with your hands. We used an aggressive amount of hand sanitizer because there was no other choice.This is one of the few negative reviews I have ever written, but there are so many Ethiopian places in the DMV with better food, service, and prices, including ones just down the street from this place. For what it's worth, the staff/owners? were nice, but for the price and experience we had, I won't be taking my chances here again.

Second time trying Ethiopian food. I was very impressed with this restaurant. It is not fancy but it is a very warm & welcoming family run restaurant. Seating is not crowded and it has a relaxed atmosphere. The food was so good. We went with the four meats and three veggie platter. As you know you eat with your hands in the traditional manner. The meats were outstanding and perfectly seasoned. The lentils were so tasty. A generous portion of Injera is provided to each diner for eating with the platter. They have a few beers and wines on their menu.

So all these years later, they survived the pandemic and the owner STILL remembers me! They are the friendliest people, and their food and drinks remain top notch. The place looks just as I remember... same table placement and everything. I had a rather lengthy conversation with the owner about how they've been doing for the last few years, and I'm happy to report that they have been doing well! They even have a hookah lounge opening next door soon, so I wish them all the success! I made a promise to the owner that I will be bringing my family... and hopefully that can happen sooner than later. I can't wait!

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 :)

Ghion is warm and welcoming, and the staff is extremely kind and helpful. Even better, the food was also incredible. Our party of 10 split a few meat and vegetable combos and it was a great amount of food, packed with flavour, and easily shared. Surprisingly I especially liked the collard greens. I'll definitely be back.

We walked in by chance after a few other spots in the area did not have a menu that fit our diets or only served beverages. This spot is small and unassuming. The staff seemed to be few, had their hands full, and efficient. The food was superb. We were in the area for a concert but I would make the trip back to the area specifically to dine here.