5/5 When family comes 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. read more

Chercher Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I had a favorite Ethiopian place. Instead, my daughter brought me to Chercher. Great choice! 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! read more

I cannot believe it took me so long to finally try Chercher but we did it! I got the vegan platter with 5 different veg options plus the doro tibs (chicken with pepper and onion). I couldn't tell you all the different veggie varieties once it was in front of me but everything was delicious! Not pictured is the whopping pile of injera you get to scoop everything up. Portions were super generous and our service was great! They take reservations but it was not super busy on a weeknight. Definitely will be back! read more

Chercher Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar - Vegan Platter - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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The food at Chercher was amazing and incredibly vegetarian friendly, with veggie options and even a veggie combo platter. The outside of the building was unassuming but inside was vibrant and warm, with tables packed efficiently into every space possible. At 6 pm on a weeknight, we had a short wait but the restaurant moved quickly - there was little wait time for food and they turned the tables quickly. read more

I stopped by on a Sunday night. I ordered two sambusas (lentil) ($3 each). I was surprised by the spice but it was good! I ordered beef tibs ($21.99) with a side of beets ($3). The meat was tender and the beets were sweet. I thought they complemented each other very well. I believe the injera was pure teff. It was so good. I started eating it by itself. The service was ok. The waitress was nice. They have TVs which played Sunday night football so I stayed to catch a bit. They have a full bar so it's a nice lowkey spot to catch a game and get full meal if bar food isn't really your thing. read more

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A DC staple for Ethiopian. I love coming in here for a quick (usually) Ethiopian meal. I always get their veggie deluxe with an order of meat. I've tried nearly all of the meats and besides the one that is advertised as 'dry' (which is actually very dry), I enjoy all of the others. My favorite is the lamb stew or the geba weta. The ladies who work there are so kind. Sometimes they could get carried away chatting with the Ethiopian men at the bar or with each other but they are really attentive so a simple waving will grab their attention. read more

First time trying Ethiopian food and I was pleasantly surprised! Got the beef tibs, lamb stew, and collard greens, all of which were very tasty. Service was average, if not a little slow and unhelpful giving recommendations. Overall would come back again to try more! read more

Met up with a bunch of friends here -- and a lot of them were first-time Ethiopia diners, so it was exciting! CherCher has 3 locations in the DMV -- one in Columbia Heights (this one), one in Mt. Vernon and one in Bethesda. We opted for this one since some folks wanted to check out a happy hour spot nearby. Making a reservation in advance was easy, and they kindly accommodated over the phone. When we walked in, the decor was so lovely! Our table was immediately recognizable because it was the only long one in there. We got seated with menus and water and folks started figuring things out. I was happy to answer questions when the staff weren't around, so that felt good lol. I decided to branch out and try some new things, and went for kitfo. For that and some other specials, you can make it 'deluxe', which adds qocho. Traditionally, kitfo is beef served raw with Ethiopian spices, but I decided to get it medium-rare instead -- you can pick how you want it cooked. It was quite delicious! And it came with a bowl that was half greens and half cottage cheese, which I typically don't like... but I loved it that night! I also ordered some beets because I wanted more veggies, and I love the sweetness of them. Yummy! Now the qocho was the low for me -- it was my first time having it... and it's hard to describe! It's like a rubbery flatbread that smells super fermented. On it's own, it doesn't taste good in my opinion, but it's better when consumed with the other parts of the dish. This is just a personal preference, and based on a friend at the table that's how it's supposed to taste... not my thing for sure! The night there was lovely -- we were just hanging out and chatting for a bit and we had to get the staff's attention for the bill -- the place was technically closed so we were shocked they weren't kicking us out haha. I would definitely return and suggest you try them out too! read more

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Tasty food. Good flavors yummy yummy. Yummy. This is why I don't leave written reviews because of the limit on space I'm having to talk and write until I get to that limit. read more

This was my first time visiting this location, I normally visit the 9th street location and decided to switch things up. Service: the service was pretty good but I did wish that they paid a little more attention to guests because I had to flag them down for simply needs such as water and to get the check. Aside from that, they were very hospitable. Ambiance: we were seated in the back, nearby the restrooms while their were tons of available seats upfront- which were not being used. I wish that guests had the options to use those but they were placing everyone in the booths and not the table, not sure why. Food: as with their other location, the food here is always great but I thoroughly enjoyed my beef tibs. They were well seasoned, cooked to perfection, and simply delicious from start to finish. Who can resist that?! The yellow lentils were a little hard and that made them less enjoyable. They did carry flavor but were undercooked. The injera was a perfect compliment to the meal and the spices on the side only required minimum use...If you know, you know that it can pack a punch and leave you coughing and begging for water lol My guest and I ordered a large meal and as you can see, that was enough to share, hence why we only ordered one. The bill was under $50 and included the natural mango juice (not pictured but delicious) and my friend's canned soda. Overall, I would probably return to the 9th street location because it's closer to me and this location was further than I expected and it took forever to get home. read more

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I'm just going to say it. The BEST tibs in the DMV! They are crispy, juicy, meaty, and delicious. As is EVERYTHING else.

The food was so amazing, and a completely authentic experience. The service was good, felt very family-run and local, even though j know that there are a few locations around the district. I will say that the tables were wobbly, making the food a bit hard to eat sometimes, but not too distracting. It was bright and well lit, a good stop from the street! read more

Chercher Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Came here with a group of 5 people on a Saturday evening. We didn't have an issue getting a table. Our group was down to share and try a bunch of stuff so we opted for a platter that had a variety of food options and added lamb and some beef tips. We asked the server what she recommended and she guided us through the menu and also suggested the honey wine for our group. Our group loved everything on the platter and we went in with injera bread! Highly recommend. Food was good and very affordable for our group. We left happy! read more

Chercher Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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This Branch of Chercher is one to be visited whenever possible for its most delicious foods, excellent hospitable service by owner Alemayehu and all the beautiful waitresses as well as the pleasant atmosphere. I come here as often as I can, and everytime I come here, it is like getting a therapy prescribed by the doctor. I go home most satisfied and most relaxed. Please do visit this place and holler your experience. read more

Short and sweet of it-- The food was fresh, and packed with flavor, and was prepared quickly (for an Ethiopian restaurant). That part l was nice because I have experienced excellent food...that took awhile, but NOT this place! I always pay attention to cleanliness, and it was. Service was done with a smile. read more

delicious food, fast service, plenty of injera! every cher cher location I've been to is always a success. my typical go-to for ethiopian food in DC! read more

they are an amazing option for vegans! the veggie combo is my go-to for carry-out as you can get a nice variety of food and it is always delicious. the staff is nice as well! i highly recommend eating here. read more

oh yeah no, you can't possibly fathom how much I adore eating with my hands - sitting there shoving my claws into warm, flavor packed stews that are sitting on top of injera and leaking in the flavor so I can devour that after?!? - this doro wot packed the perfect rich meaty flavor with a perfectly crafted spice kick. the chicken was falling off the bone - the cottage cheese sauce (I don't recall the name), basically blended cottage cheese, was fabulous. it balanced out the spice kick. everything about this flavor profile was to die for. - the lega tibs were VERY buttery. it was super tender and delicious. I wish I could cook beef like that. loved the onions as well for a texture break. - the injera was much less tangy than other restaurants I've had. not much of an opinion on that, just a note! I wish they had a sampler so we could try a few dishes! - inside of the restaurant is very underwhelming. service is quite awkward, would have been hard to ask for more injera if we wanted it...for sure. it's definitely not a restaurant about the experience, it's about the food. and sometimes that's exactly what we want! read more

Chercher Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I didn't take any pictures because the food presentation was underwhelming. The lamb and chicken lacked flavor and seasoning, while the veggie combo offered a good variety but was served a bit cold. They also didn't have Ambo sparkling water available. When I visited on a weekday, the restaurant was fairly empty. I'll give the 9th Street location a try next time. On a positive note, the server was friendly and attentive. read more

The veggie platter + beef selection was delicious. We dropped in on a Monday evening and the owners seemed a bit surprised to see us walk in (very hole-in-the-wall vibes) but they were courteous and the service was quick. read more

The best Ethiopian food in DC! Very tasty and great service. Recommend both vegetarian options and meat dishes. read more

Chercher Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar - Mild Lega Beef Tibs, Doro Wot, fish and mixed vegetables - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The tibs and veggies plate were absolutely delicious. It was clean and modern style. Loved the booths. The service was super friendly and on point. All five stars! read more

Chercher Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar - Veggie platter and beef tibs. - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I brought my Kenyan colleagues here for dinner - they requested Ethiopian cuisine. We were able to get a table for four quickly and the service was friendly and informative. It was an excellent shareable spread and a tasty round of honey wine as well. We all enjoyed the experience and dinner so much! read more

Chercher Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Came to eat at Chercher with a friend a few weeks ago and I'm happy I did. I've only had Ethiopian food twice but it is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Our only difficulty here was that there are two restaurants and the online pamphlet has one address is one place and the other in another part. My friend and I accidentally went to the different locations and he had to grab an Uber over to me. He did mention that this location was much calmer than the location near the convention center. Once we got settled, we each ordered an appetizer, a sambusa, which was had a yummy spicy lentil filling. It was great and not too spicy, however, it did take kind of long to arrive at our table. We also ordered the special #1 and the special #3 for veggies and beef tibs. Our waitress did confuse us a bit because we asked if he could add on beef and she said yeah we could add on tibs. I asked her how much it would be then with the tibs and she said $22.50 so we thought that was a plate of half veggies and half tibs. It wasn't until the end that we realized we had ordered two separate plates. We couldn't eat all of the food, but I wish I could have because it was so good! Definitely spent more than I meant to because of the miscommunication but at least now I know you can't combine the plates!! Will come back with other friends here soon! read more

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Really enjoyed the food. The service was excellent. The waitstaff helped us select meals that we enjoyed. I enjoyed an espresso after my meal, which was delicious. read more

Amazing food and service we will be back. The people were very hospitable and the food was amazing we ate every bit of our left overs.

The taste of each item was scrumptious. I couldn't tell you what's what but all enjoyable. Meat and veggie lovers alike, best food selection for everyone's tastes. read more

Chercher Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar - Combo plate - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The food here is so delicious and authentic! Our server was amazing and recommended some wonderful dishes to us. She was so friendly and the service was very quick :-) The restaurant was clean and the ambience was very authentic. Whether you are familiar with Ethiopian cuisine or trying it for the first time, I highly recommend Chercher. read more

Chercher Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar - Zil Zil Tibs - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Chercher is rightfully acclaimed for their Ethiopian food experience. It's delicious! My best advice? Go for an early dinner (5:30) and beat the crowd as they don't take reservations. The staff were helpful sharing recommendations and they combined our veggie and steak options into one giant plate. Servers were helpful, they didn't rush us despite a crowd and the meal for both of us each ordering one Ethiopian honey wine was less than $70. read more

Chercher Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar - Veggie and steak meals with all the lentils! - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I've visited the restaurant a couple of times. The food is great, and the service is friendly. The prices are pretty reasonable too. My go-to Ethiopian place now. read more

The food here was amazing. The service was very good as well. Would definitely return next time we are in the area. We were glad we didn't have to wait for a table. Nice and relaxing jazz music. read more

Chercher Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar - Kitfo and two different steak meals (forgot the names). - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Had an incredible lunch here. There were four of us so we ordered a sampler platter so we could try a little bit of everything, it was wild how hard it was to choose favorites! Everything was so flavorful and delicious, we will definitely be back soon. Highly recommend. read more

Amazing food! Amazing service! We ordered the beef tips and chicken tips and had extra to take home! read more

My boyfriend and I had lunch here today. I had been eager to try after having heard such positive feedback about their original location in Shaw. We had the place to ourselves. We ordered the vegan special #1 and the kitfo special #2. The flavors were amazing, the portions generous (especially the kitfo), and service friendly and fast. This may be my new favorite Ethiopian restaurant in DC. Highly recommend! read more

Excellent!! Our family of 5 enjoyed the sampler, spicy chicken, lamb, beef, and injera.

Delicious lamb and beef dishes. Vegetarian platter was incredible too! All so much flavor! Our first time having Ethiopian food and we loved it! Service was fast and friendly. read more

Chercher Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar - Beef and lamb dishes on the vegetarian platter - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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First time trying Ethiopian cuisine. Aster who waited on us was very nice and pleasant. She was very informative, we ordered the salmon, beef and vegetables as she suggested. All dishes were delicious! Free parking at the gas station, just mention that you are going to cher cher. read more

Chercher Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar - Beef, vegetable and salmon and brown injera bread. - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Great addition to the neighborhood. Vegetable platter and beef tips were delicious. Would like to come back and try other dishes!

Food was outstanding!! We ordered the deluxe sampler platter. The flavors were incredible. Couldn't even pick a favorite.

The food is amazing!!! Anytime I'm in the area I HAVE to eat there. They never disappoint.