This place is nice to have in the area when you are in need spices. However, the lack of professionalism and customer service is alarming! I will save my hard-earned money and go to GLUT in Mt. Rainer MD. where I can find the exact selection at better prices. The Butcher at Black Lion is extremely rude and unprofessional, I would give no stars if this were an option and I wouldn't trust purchasing meat from an establishment that treats customers poorly. read more

Black Lion is a wonderful market in Columbia Heights. My habesha partner and her mom love it for the good selection of items from home they can get: multiple types of injera, quanta, coffee, and other tasty treats. There's also several housewares available that are used in coffee ceremonies. The market also carries a solid array of produce, drinks, and dry goods. Prices are reasonable for a corner market like this. Staff are super friendly and often help locate items if they're not readily available on the shelf. In short, this is a great habesha market to visit if you're in DC, especially if you don't have the time or transportation to get to one of the bigger markets in Arlington. read more

Love this place, has Indian grocery items and everything else i could need. Plus organic items too and a huge injera collection

I hadn't been in awhile and that's detrimental. Unlike many small groceries specializing in international goods, Black Lion isn't in need of a thorough scrubbing. I love these markets that provide more than bigger chains do in the International aisle but a few of them be funky. Since Black Lion is on the newer side it is bright and clean. It is a Habesha run store but they even carry Egyptian drinks, hookah supplies and some products for the Columbia Heights clintele (almond milk and avocadoes). I think that Black Lion is good for prepared items like Sambusas, freshly baked breads other than but also including injera and packaged spices. My favorite thing I must say is the Tsiona products. The Injera Crisps are going to change the game. Progressive! I would give 5 Stars but it would not hurt if there were two cashiers because I wasn't in-and-out and I got moves to make. read more

Black Lion Market - Nice lil coconut waters. - Convenience Stores Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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My boyfriend decided to try and cook Ethiopian food so we needed some ingredients for the projects... berbere (Ethiopian spice mix) and injera (the flat, spongy sour sourdough bread). Therefore, we decided to check out Black Lion Market in our neighborhood. Black Lion Market is cute little Ethiopian market and convenient store. They carry many of the items that you would expect in a convenient store as well as have an excellent supply of Ethiopian spices and other items that you might need for Ethiopian cooking (injera, lentils, split peas, etc). We also found out today that they stock lamb which can be difficult to find in the neighborhood... Giant is often out of it. In addition, they have some Middle Eastern items like Sisha (Hookah) supplies as well as Turkish coffee cups. The people that work there are always helpful and even gave my boyfriend some advice on Ethiopian cooking. The only drawn back is that they don't carry any alcohol (I think the owners are Muslim). Therefore, they do not have Ethiopian beer or taj (honey wine), which would be great to be able to get in the neighborhood. Oh well... read more

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Their shelf is full of expired stuff, passed its best by dates and also their is no price tag on their merchandises. They charge customers by guess/as they wish at the cash register. Overall, bad customer service and needs a lot of improvement. read more

There doesn't seem to be a separate listing for it, but Black Lion has opened a coffee shop next door to the market called Sheba Cafe. Folks, in addition to being a nice spot to work with wifi, working tables with outlets, etc., Sheba is a legit Ethiopian restaurant. I've had two reasonably priced entrees here and they were both good, in fact the chicken tibs is outstanding and one of the best Ethiopian dishes I've ever had. Matches up well with Letena a few blocks down. Right now this place is deserted every time I go there, so enjoy the space while it lasts. Meanwhile, I still love the grocery store, but have to ding these guys a point because we have had a number of disappointing experiences with milk bought there going bad before its expiration date. I don't know if they have a refrigeration problem, a supply issue, or what, but it's really annoying and has caused me to shop there less often. I've mentioned it to management but they don't seem to have done anything about it. read more

This place is great. A friendly staff, reasonable prices, and a good selection make it a neighborhood staple that I trust for everything from household essentials to produce and meat. The strong variety of international products make it a good place to push your culinary boundaries too! Long live Black Lion. read more

They have food to go, but nothing to eat it with. Decided to get some yogurt to eat on the way to work. Spoons? No spoons. She did offer to sell me some though. I know, it's a high maintenance complaint. But I'm hangry. read more

I bought Ethiopian flat bread (injera) imported from Ethiopia-Letena and Nafkot brands. I returned the spoiled Letena and got Nafkot which I was told was fresh. Took it home and found out it was spoiled too. Yeshagete. Will never go to this store again. read more

Al Fakher shisha for $10 and rolls of coals for $2 each make this little Ethipian shop an ideal stop on your way home if you live in Mt. Pleasant/Petworth/Columbia Heights and enjoy some occasional hookah fun. Also spotted: bags of injeera and a myriad of your standard convenience store goodies. I'm no convenience store expert, but this place definitely has my attention. Stay tuned for updates :) :) read more

I have wanted to try my hand at making Ethiopian food for a while, however Trader Joe's lacks many of the necessary ingredients (berbere, injera, etc). This place was well-stocked with spices, however none of the names are written in english which makes it a bit confusing. The staff however were very helpful and helped me find what I was looking for. I will definitely be coming back! read more

I really enjoyed this market. It's especially nice if you're looking for some international products at a good price. Their coffee selection is also superb. The coffee options are primarily from Ethiopia. They also have a decent array of baked goods. Overall, this is a good local business to support. read more

I bought absolutely delicious coffee here, which I got to grind fresh in the store. The person behind the cash register came out to help me, as I was having a bit of trouble with the grinder at first, which was really nice! read more