This spot came highly recommended by our Ethiopian friends, so we basically had no choice but to make the pilgrimage (our subconscious had already registered that it was going to hit and hit it did). It's definitely a trek from DC, but we showed up with confident strides and zero regrets. I came with friends and we were genuinely shook in the best way. The food was incredible, and everyone was so hospitable. The Ethiopian folks sitting next to us even offered us a taste of their Kitfo (raw beef). We politely declined since we had our own order on the way, but the gesture was so kind it honestly made the whole experience feel even warmer. Our waitress was also super friendly and guided us through what to order. We got the kitfo, which is served by the pound. Since it was our first time, we followed the waitress's recommendation and went for a mix of fatty pieces and red meat. We also got the Birnado Combo and it was hefty. And when I say hefty, I mean HEFTYY because I've never actually seen Ethiopian food this packed before. We also had enough leftovers to make another meal out of it. Absolutely delicious, and easily the kind of meal that makes you start planning your return trip before you've even left. My friend also mentioned that he will never see NYC Ethiopian food the same way again. 5/5 experience and would 100% go again. read more

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A friend who was visiting from out of town wanted to try Ethiopian food for the first time and received a recommendation by one of her mutual friends who is Ethiopian. I've never heard of this restaurant before and is your local hole-in-the-wall place. Be forewarned though, during my experience -- the parking lot was chaotic. I've not driven to this area of NoVA before; this is worse than driving around the Seven Corners intersection. It took me 35 minutes to find parking by circling the lot and is not for the faint of hard, so be prepared. I'm not sure why the parking lot was so packed when we went for dinner though was relieved when I finally got to take a seat inside. I've had Ethiopian food before though compared to the other places I've dined at, presentation wise -- I noticed that the combo plate is served inside dishware instead of directly on the injera itself and served on a large silver platter. Unlike other places, Birndo gives you the option to choose your preference (American vs Ethiopian). I've not been offered a choice at previous Ethiopian restaurants, though enjoyed the fact that two options exist. We opted for both and found that the Ethiopian was more fermented while the American version was milder. I enjoyed the Ethiopian injera, so if you like a more "sour"/fermented bread, go for this option. This is also the first time that I've had raw meat prepared in this way and enjoyed the spices. For a table of four, we opted for the items below and we still had leftovers. All items we ordered were delicious with my favorites including the gored gored and shiro wat. Careful though if you cannot take spice and one of friends found that the gored gored was too spicy. Meanwhile, I thought it was perfect. +Birndo Combo -- clockwise -- gomen bisega (collared greens), kifto (finely chopped ground beef mixed with Ethiopian herbal butter (kibe), cardamom (korerima), spicy chili powder (mitmita), lega tibs (lean beef or lamb diced and cooked in a special mild sauce, Ethiopian herbal butter, onion, tomato and garlic), gored gored (raw cubed beef lightly heated with Ethiopian chili powder (berbere) and Ethiopian herbal butter (kibe) +Shiro Wat (not pictured) -- chickpea stew read more

Birndo Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Falls Church, Virginia

The food is very authentic. The best Ethiopian food outside of Ethiopia. Great place to experience Ethiopian culture.

Best Ethiopian food period coming from a native of DMV on and off over 25 years. Finally a place with ambience stiff drinks and amazing food. For years I've been saying if the ambience isn't that amazing the food is even better. But Birndo manages to do both. For all the meat eaters best Raw meat. It is an experience and Birindo does it perfectly. The geba weta juicy cuts of meat grilled lightly juicy and tender. Birindo combo gives you kitfo Derek Tibs and gomen be siga. Godin Tibs a fan favorite grilled to perfection. The drinks pack a punch the glasses are contemporary. You will not be disappointed. It gets busy so service maybe a little slow but it's worth the wait. No ifs or buts if you're in the mood for the best this is where to go. read more

Met family for lunch here and they were hopping around 12:30 on a Saturday. They don't take reservations and the wait was short at about 20 minutes. In a tucked away strip of shops and restaurants, I had to drive around twice to find it. Split Dining areas with a Bar area on both sides. Birndo team was wearing baseball uniform tops-a first at an Ethiopian restaurant and I liked it! All in our party had been here before so they ordered. As the pictures show, we went with the Carnivore option with the exception of one dish. Kitfo, Gomen (Greens) Besega, Gored Gored and Lega Tibs. All were delicious with the Gored Gored and Kitfo standing out. We also ordered Beef Ribs (off menu and Addis Abeba style). The Ribs came out a bit undercooked so we asked them to get it to medium for us and they did. Must try-well marbled doesn't begin to describe this delicacy-we loved it! Service was exceptional from beginning to end. This is one of those IYKYK spots. I see why the rest of my party was raving about Birndo-lives up to the hype! read more

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The service and experience were great! The Birndo Combo was the best choice on the menu. read more

Birndo Restaurant - Birndo Combo: Gored Gored, Kitfo, Dereq Tibs, Gomen besiga. - Ethiopian Near Me - Falls Church, Virginia

One of my favorite Ethiopian spots in the area. I always order the Kitfo, Shiro and the Teshekle Tibs. Sometimes I add salt to my Tibs but thats a personal preference. Always consistently good and the interior of the restaurant is nicely decorated. read more

We went to Birindo to have a breakfast after seeing off someone at dulles airport. As per their menu on their website, they claim to have traditional Ethiopian breakfast, which to our disappointment was not accurate. So be warned! If looking for breakfast menu, save your trip. Despite we decided to stay and eat whatever is available on the menu. We chose Dulet, which was descent. We also had the Goden Tibs, which for the speciality of the house was not great. Really chewy. The service and attentiveness was great though. read more

I loved everything about this place! The food was fantastic, and we ordered the combo--it was flavorful and perfectly prepared. Great service and a wonderful dining experience. Highly recommend! read more

Birndo Restaurant - Combo - Kitfo, Tibs, GomenBesiga and Gored Gored - Ethiopian Near Me - Falls Church, Virginia

Best Ethiopian food in the dc area, hands down. Quality food and the service is impeccable, do give them grace as they're always busy and on go - but the staff will tend to you accordingly. If you love Shiro, this is the spot, and the Shekla tibs is cooked perfectly unlike the other spots that'll have you fighting with your jaw. Also the jerseys are adorable. read more

Our experience this time didn't live up to our first visit, which might have been extra special because it was during Ethiopian Easter. Unfortunately, after today's visit and reading some recent reviews, we're not sure we'll be returning. The clay dish was extremely hot, which ended up overcooking the kitfo, and the gored gored was much tougher than before, nowhere near the melt in mouth quality we had the first time. We had hoped there would be consistency. read more

Great food, vibe- beautiful place. The service was great as well, they're very attentive

Epic taste, larger portions, fairly priced. Best service + Neat uniformity + wider smile and always ready to help servers. Ambiance : there's no other ethiopian eater with a very clean and elegant place to have a good food, chat and best coffee bundled together. Tip : Ask for " Combo" !! ... Peace read more

One of my fave spots in the DMV.... Very cute and clean restaurant! I love love love their tsome kitfo and dullet.... They may not have it regularly but I went there multiple times during tsome... it is a must try... read more

Amazing food excellent service you can't go wrong with any choose of food you order. Your Order always the same, the food is tasty

Ate here for the first time today. Great ambiance, every seat full and lots of lively people conversing. Cozy and dark. We had Geba Weta, spicy flavorful chunks of beef, and Shiro Wat, a kind of chickpea puree. The waiter asked if we wanted those served the traditional way, communally on a flat injera bread, and we said yes. I had been curious about this because the menu online lists the items as individual orders. The injera was delicious, slightly tart with a soft flexible texture. Absolutely delicious food and a fun time. read more

The service was very efficient, polite and sincere attitude really recommend others meat lovers. When I come to visit DMV definitely brings families and friends to eat. The place is delightful so easy to chat and we'd a great moments. read more

This is our favorite spot, my friends and I absolutely love it. The food is incredible, the customer service is exceptional, and the place is always spotlessly clean. I can't comprehend how anyone could have a negative experience here, but I suppose everyone has their own preferences. I have a wide circle of friends, and they all rave about the food and service here. I've visited multiple times, and each time, I've been thoroughly impressed. The ladies working there are incredibly friendly and go out of their way to make you feel welcome. Keep up the fantastic work! read more

Birndo is undeniably one of the best Ethiopian restaurants I've ever visited. I've tried a lot of dishes at its very difficult to pick a favorite. All of their meat dishes were truly exceptional!! But the standouts fit me have to be the Tibs and Kitfo.The authenticity of these dishes took me right back home to Ethiopia. The beef was tender and so flavorful! For vegetarians or those who fast, this place has great options too. But you will not go wrong with Yetsome Firfir! In addition to the quality of the food, servings sizes are big which is great for the price you pay! On a busy night, despite our lack of reservation, we were given a comfortable seats (I recommend placing a reservation since the place is usually busy!) And the staff was remarkably efficient given the full house they were tending to. What sets Birndo apart is its modern aesthetics that doesn't compromise on the authenticity of the food. With an ambiance that glows with natural daylight, and a warm, cozy atmosphere in the evenings, it felt like the most upscale Ethiopian restaurant I've ever visited. The experience felt truly Ethiopian, and yet entirely fresh and contemporary. Whether you already love Ethiopian food or you're new to it, I recommend Birndo to anyone who is looking for great, authentic Ethiopian food in a beautiful setting. read more

One of the best Ethiopian restaurant in the DMV area. Food is great and the ambiance is super classy. read more

Birndo Restaurant - Birndo special - Ethiopian Near Me - Falls Church, Virginia

They know what they're doing back there in the kitchen! The chekla tibs and gomen be siga is out of this world read more

Their food was really good at first. But now, it became the worst. I don't know if the cook has changed or they don't care anymore the food tastes really bad. I ordered lega tibs for to go and the meat was very dry and it had no spice at all. Believe it or not I trashed the whole thing. What a waste so, Do yourself a favor and avoid going there because you'll regret it. read more

Food was great, but the service was the greatest. Our waiter today was Jemal, and he is amazing. He went above and beyond, and we had a great time. Thank you, Jemal. read more

Nice cute place. The food was so DELICIOUS!! great service and decent prices. I'm looking forward to going back again.

This by far one of the best Ethiopian food. It reminds me of my mom's cooking. Way to go Birndo !! I have a complaint though, I reserved a table for five. As I was walking in I noticed two young girls walking simultaneously. Two severs approached us I informed the one attending to me, that I had a reservation. Unfortunately the table I reserved was not available. So. I requested two tables to be joined to seat us. The place is small the other option was to seat on a booth, I hate sitting on a booth as a group. He responded okay, turned to chat with the server that was attending to the girls. Then he immediately change his mind and said we can only seat on booth. I guess the girls didn't want to seat @ the booth. In actuality it's much easier for two persons to get in-put the booth seating than five people. I felt that was very unprofessional. Ended up on a booth squeezing in and out uncomfortably. We had another server help us & we ended up enjoying the food. My point to the owners it's important to train employees to be mindful. read more

I have combo ordered but besides the Kitfo all the other meat was hard to chew. When you pay $50 per plate I would expect the meat to be tender. Please be selective when you choose the meat. read more

For me and my friends, this is a must-visit destination. The food is outstanding, and the ambiance radiates sophistication and freshness.I think it's a great spot to enjoy tasty Ethiopian dishes and a nice environment. read more

Great food, I recommend the firfir. The service is very good as well. The ambiance is classy and has a warm welcoming vibe.

Their price is VERY expensive for a very normal service. Place is way too small , not that clean. There are no proper seating it's sofa and some chairs food is normal yet they charged $50 for a plate. Very inconsiderate. read more

The Brundo special is $50 and it was not even impressive. I do not understand what it is so expensive. On their menu the special is about $20, but when you order the special the will bring you the $50 one with out even explanation, yet you get to be charged $50. I do not recommended them for not bing transparent, food is not that good, and service was bad. read more

I was so excited when this restaurant was opened, it is rare to find clean and beautiful Ethiopian restaurants around dmv, if I had to go out eat I chose birndo but not anymore. after few month everything changed, the customer service, the food portion, we had to beg for the servers to bring us drink. the owner (lady) came to our table with bad attitude not even a bit smile on her face. I don't know how you do business with attitude. Nobody asked us how the food was, we had to beg to pay. I don't know why Ethiopian restaurants change after alittle of business time. read more

An exquisite menu selection, such tasty food and wonderful customer service. I recommend the house's combo special, lamb tibs and tibis firfir (NOT siga firfir)! You are welcome:) read more

We tried to reserve table online but it was a joke.no communication whatsoever. We came and our seat was taken by someone. High price for the quality of the food which not that good. Restroom was unhygienic , poor customer service. I would not recommend this place for anyone. people coming in looking for something new for a change. I see some group of people there but I don't think anyone would return. I am sure it even deserves one star. read more