5/5 When family…read morecomes to town, I take my hosting responsibilities very seriously. My sister and brother-in-law were visiting DC, and since my sister had never tried Ethiopian food before, my partner and I decided that CherCher would be the perfect introduction. Thankfully, we chose wisely. We had a reservation, although funny enough, no one actually asked us about it when we arrived. Fortunately, it didn't matter because the restaurant wasn't crowded, and we were seated immediately. Sometimes the universe just aligns in your favor. We kicked things off with a bottle of honey wine because if you're introducing someone to Ethiopian cuisine, you might as well commit to the full experience. For food, we ordered the Deluxe Veggie Platter, which included three types of lentils, chickpeas, collard greens, beets, cabbage, and the tomato and onion salad--which, in my opinion, deserves its own fan club. I also ordered an extra green salad because I know who I am and what I like. For the meat dishes, we went with the Gored Gored, the Assa Dullet (tilapia), and the Lamb Awaze Tibs. Every single dish was delicious. The flavors were rich, well-balanced, and exactly what you hope for when you're craving Ethiopian food. The Gored Gored was especially flavorful, and the Lamb Awaze Tibs had just the right amount of spice and tenderness. One thing I always appreciate about CherCher is how quickly the food comes out. There's nothing worse than introducing someone to a cuisine for the first time and then having to spend 90 minutes explaining what injera is while waiting for the food to arrive. The kitchen moved quickly without sacrificing quality. The service was also exceptional. Both women taking care of our table were warm, attentive, and genuinely kind throughout the meal. Great service can elevate a meal, and they absolutely did. The restaurant itself is on the smaller side, but it's cozy rather than cramped. They also have a covered outdoor patio, which I'm sure is lovely during the approximately four weeks a year when DC weather isn't actively trying to harm us. As for pricing, I found it to be very fair and comparable to other Ethiopian restaurants in the area. Considering the quality of the food, service, and portion sizes, I left feeling very satisfied. Would I return? Absolutely. In fact, CherCher remains firmly on my list of places I take out-of-town guests when I need DC to show off a little. As I always say: I'm not difficult to please. I just have standards.

I had a favorite Ethiopian place. Instead, my daughter brought me to Chercher. Great choice!…read more Meant to be shared and even better to be with those we love. Our reservation. Thank goodness we had one! Getting ahead of myself and staying there.... Lamb Tibs were a clear victory over an already winning day. Wash your hands (crossing your fingers is optional) & roll up your sleeves, Chercher is divine messy greatness!

TLDR: Big yum…read more FOOD: Schmoop and I shared the family meat and veggie. It was tasty and very filling. Food came out quite fast. SERVICE: Good! No complaints. AMBIANCE: Casual, chill. There are TVs, which was ideal because we came right before the World Cup finals. OVERALL: Solid Ethiopian food!

Dinner was delicious. Service was below average…read more Deeply disappointed by the fact that a 20% gratuity was automatically added for our party of three. No mention anywhere that this was to be expected. If it's printed in the menu, I wouldn't have been able to tell because we had to scan a QR code and look at it on our phones. On top of which, the printed receipt was the "standard" one that provides space for gratuity, with pre-calculated 15/18/20/22% numbers. And no indication that this would be "additional".

Ethiopic was a solid experience, but did not quite stand out in a city with so many strong…read moreEthiopian options. The vegetable sampler had a decent flavor profile, and I enjoyed the beef tibs the most out of what we ordered. The fried tilapia was fine, but nothing particularly memorable. If you are someone who has Ethiopian food occasionally, I would probably recommend exploring some of the other spots in DC where the portions feel more generous and the flavors hit a bit harder. Service can also be a bit inconsistent, which matched some of the earlier reviews I had seen. We had ordered drinks that were forgotten until we followed up. Overall, not a bad experience, just one that blends into a very competitive dining scene.

Ethiopic has a warm, intimate ambiance that makes it a nice spot for a relaxed dinner. The food was…read morereally good and definitely helped elevate the overall experience it was flavorful and well prepared. Service, however, was just okay. Our server was also the host when we arrived. There was a small awkward moment when we were seated she just kept pointing to the table she wanted us at which felt a bit abrupt. When it came time to take our order, she didn't seem fully attentive, which took away slightly from the experience. Overall, the food and ambiance really carried the night. With a bit more attentiveness in service, this could easily be a standout spot. I'd still recommend it and would return, especially for the food and intimate setting.

I'm not usually a fan of Ethiopian cuisine so was skeptical when my partner insisted we try Feru on…read moreour trip to DC. I was pleasantly surprised by the food! I ordered the asa tibs (curried and cubed tilapia fish) which was served with injera. Generous portion and super flavorful. They even gave me the option to substitute the injera with rice, which I appreciated though I opted to stick with injera. My partner ordered the beef tibs and an off menu tomato, jalapeno and onion salad. She enjoyed her meal very much as well. The space is clean, well decorated, and cozy. Our server was knowledgeable and friendly. Can't go wrong with this spot!

The awaze tibs and beef sambusa are amazing and my go-to! Great dine-in or to go service. One of my…read morefavorite places. Great service and delicious food!

This was an unexpected but amazing find. After my original dinner plans with my girlfriend…read moreunexpectedly shifted I decided to refer to a recent list that was shared with me, and this spot came up. It wasn't too long since I had last had ethiopian, but I only have it a few times a year. So I was pretty excited. Once we got there, there was only one of the party inside, and it had the usual delightful decor. We got to choose where we wanted to sit and we browse the menu. We were curious about whether the honey wine was on the sweeter or dryer side, and the lady taking care of us was kind enough to let us taste it before committing. We decided to share a bottle, and we decided to do a deluxe platter as well. That included six veggies and one protein of our choice. We decided on the lamb tibs. Everything came out, and it was all fantastic. I can count the times that I have had Ethiopian lamb, and this definitely did not disappoint. I missed having beats, but I did really love the lentils. Honestly, I'm surprised I hadn't heard of this spot before. The food was fantastic and I'm looking forward to returning sometime.

Your standard Ethiopian restaurant that offers classic fare at reasonable prices. When in DC, I…read morealways try to get Ethiopian, and it always seems to come from a place where I have to take stairs down (NYC included) oddly enough. I went with the Abuare lamb tips, which were a bit spicy with the jalapeno, but packed full of flavour. It came as a set meal, but only with daal, which I was sad about at first but it was more than enough food to fill me up. The injera was plentiful and the lamb was tender and perfectly seasoned. Service was uncharacteristically good, but that might just be because it was off hours, but regardless, I was appreciative.

This is my go-to, never disappointing, always a good time and appropriate price place for a…read moreFANTASTIC meal. In a town with outstanding Ethiopian food, this place still shines brightly. The food is always good and quick. They have really good happy hour drink deals and the patio is a really fun place to people watch. I love this place so dearly

It was a gorgeous summer night to eat outside and glad we picked Tsehay. No reservation needed on…read morean early Friday night, though the tables inside and out were pretty full by 7pm. Ordered the 3 meat/3 veggie sampler, which admittedly wasn't as generous portion-wise as I thought it would be for the price ($50), but we were satisfied in the end (and had room for Van Leeuwen ice cream a block away). The spicy lamb in red chili sauce was especially tasty, but I've had more flavorful kik alicha (yellow split peas) at other Ethiopian and Eritrean restaurants. But gotta shout out the injera, which might be the best in the city - lighter in color, not too thick and heavy like most other places. I'm a fan.

This spot was one of the highlights of my trip to DC!…read more My friend and I shared the Chercher Vegan Special with the Chercher Beef Special Tibs. The vegan platter was phenomenal- super flavorful with so much variety which I loved. As for the beef, it was tender and seasoned well. Honestly, it was hard to choose which one was our favorite because everything tasted so good! And when we were running low on Injera (Ethiopian flatbread), our server gave us more. On top of the delicious food, the service was friendly and the inside was small and cozy (there's also outdoor seating too!) Overall, fantastic spot for Ethiopian food and I will definitely come back if I visit DC again.

Despite being located in a quaint setting that looked like a remodeled house with beautiful decor…read moreinside and out it lacked in key features necessary for a favorable rating. Namely custom service and the unfortunate late discovery of hair in my food. Arrived for a late lunch and the restaurant was sparsely populated. I noticed outdoor seating and wanted to enjoy the sun. No one was seated out there and I found a spot. A server came out @5 minutes later and advise me that I couldn't sit there. She mentioned seating was for larger parties despite being midweek and After most lunch rushes. I was moved to another table. The view was fine and I ordered my lunch. The platter I ordered had beef tibs, vegetables and njeri. As a connoisseur of Ethiopian food, I was accustomed to having lentils included in the meal. I soon found out that that was not the case, and also that utensils was not given unless requested. The couple that had finally joined me on the patio requested utensils. I opted to follow traditional style and used the njeri as my utensils. The food had good flavor and was enjoying despite the lack of lentils until I came across a piece of hair. I immediately lost my appetite and brought to the attention of the person at checkout, as it appeared, you had to bring your bill to the Bar area to check out. The person was unapologetic and swore that no one's hair was exposed. I feel that was the way of them saying that it was my hair, which was farther from the truth. I was not seeking a discount and gladly paid my bill while pointing out the obvious about the extra bonus in my meal. Sadly, I was recommended by the workers at the Marriott where I was staying. Its proximity to the hotel and adjacent Washington Convention Center made it a great choice for lunch, and was happy for the referral. They spoke highly of this restaurant, and that made the experience worse as I was anticipating the goodness. Hopefully receive better treatment when they dine there.

Had a wonderful time at Pappe for dinner the night before, service was on point and matched the…read moreoutstanding quality of food we had, will definitely return and will spread the word! This is a hidden gem in DC if you have a niche for Indian cuisine.

I went to Pappe in DC for happy hour with a friend and had such a great time. I originally wanted…read moreto go because I saw they had a $24 butter chicken meal deal that comes with a glass of wine or beer, and it definitely did not disappoint from 5-7. The butter chicken was AMAZING -- super flavorful, rich, and honestly a really generous portion. It was easily enough to have leftovers for lunch the next day, which made the deal even better. During happy hour they also have $3, $8, and $10 bites, and $10 margaritas, which is such a great value. I tried one of the $3 bites and it was so flavorful and well done. Honestly sooooo good! It was the vegetable Samosa and it's soooo good! The whole experience was great and the food had so much flavor. This was my first time coming here, but it definitely won't be my last. It honestly feels like a bit of a hidden gem for happy hour in DC.