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    Effoi Restaurant

    4.5 (59 reviews)
    Open 10:00 am - 3:00 AM (Next day)

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    Recommended Reviews - Effoi Restaurant

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    Chicken, veggie and the flatbreads
    Alresch J.

    Lovely place for dinner. Servings are massive but also delicious, probably good enough for three people was way too much for two. Service is very pleasant and always double back to make sure that we were taken care of and had plenty of napkins as we were messy. Eaters. Parking is on the street and the menu is very reasonably priced.

    Leizle A.

    This is the spot to go in downtown Silver Spring! The food is fresh and authentic Ethiopian food.

    Kitfo
    Simon P.

    Kitfo can be tricky--sometimes it's too dry, other times too wet. Effoi's version gets it just right. Perfectly balanced, well-seasoned, and full of flavor. I'm so grateful to have such great kitfo nearby.

    Veggie combo with lamb dish added
    Derek C.

    For my birthday I chose this restaurant and it did not disappoint. The food was excellent. Two of the 8 friends had never had Ethiopian cuisine. They loved it. Ella was our primary server. She explained a lot of the menu options in detail. Everyone was very welcoming. I/We will be back!

    Lamb tibs

    I visited Effoi for my birthday while in town, and it was an incredible experience from start to finish. Despite being Ethiopian American, I had never actually eaten at an Ethiopian restaurant before, so this was my first experience--and it absolutely exceeded every expectation. The food was phenomenal, especially the Yebeg Derek Tibs (lamb tibs), which was easily my favorite dish of the meal. The buna (Ethiopian coffee) was excellent as well. This is one of the top 3 best and most flavor-packed meals I've ever had! What made the experience truly special was our server, Sisay. She was outstanding--warm, attentive, welcoming, and genuinely invested in making sure we had a great experience. I also asked for several dishes to be prepared without butter, and she made sure everything was handled perfectly. When my dad casually mentioned it was my birthday, Sisay and the team went above and beyond. Without us asking, they brought out a birthday cake that was honestly amazing on its own, and even played Happy Birthday throughout the restaurant. It was such a thoughtful surprise and turned a great meal into a truly memorable celebration. I was only visiting from out of town, but I'd gladly come back just for the food and hospitality. Thank you, Sisay, for making my first Ethiopian restaurant experience and my birthday so memorable. Highly recommend!

    Evie S.

    The reason I picked this spot from all the amazing Ethiopian options in Silver Spring is that they had some holiday specials available for Ethiopian and Eritrean dishes that I have never had. This made it perfect for getting an Ethiopian fix of legit Ethiopian food in the area while being in town but also still stick with my plan to only try new dishes I have never had during visits in cities with lots of international options. I tried a "lifer" dish special they had until Christmas: Hilbet. My Realization on the connection to the word Hilbeh from Yemeni/ Yemenite food somehow didn't hit me fully until later on even though I immediately thought of Yemeni/ Yemenite Hilbeh when I tasted the fenugreek in the Hilbet! I am familiar with Hilbeh form Israel where it was brought to by Jews who came to Israel from Yemen like my aunt and of course Hilbet is related! The Ethiopian and Eritrean hilbet, just like the yemenite one is a naturally vegan dish. Unlike the yemenite Hilbeh that is only made with ground fenugreek seeds, the Ethiopian and Eritrean Hilbet has fava beans, fenugreek, and lentils, all ground into a powder, cooked, and whipped to a cream like texture. It was definitely whipped and maybe a little sticky. It would take a little getting used to for me but definitely super interesting and super fun to try. It came with shiro next to it that I was very happy with (one of my favorite Ethiopian stews!). The hilbet was topped with a salty (a tad too salty for me maybe) tomato based sauce. There were pieces of fresh jalapeno on the hilbet which I really liked with it. I really liked the presentation of the dish. The injera was good which is the most important part for me in Ethiopian and Eritrean meals and the food was well spiced-- both, and the injera in particular, have been a source of disappointment when eating Ethiopian food in the limited amount of Ethiopian restaurants in Tucson while living here. There was a woman in the restaurant roasting coffee beans and doing the coffee ceremony which added to a nice ambience. With providing some less common Ethiopian and Eritrean dishes, especially around the holidays I think this restaurant is a real gem and definitely a good one to prioritize trying some special less commonly found dishes at! This is what earned a 5 stars from me which I now tend to reserve for very few favorite outstanding places. My general rating system: 1 star: I would stay away 2 stars: Has some good things about it but I generally don't recommend. 3 stars: Pretty good. I wouldn't go out of my way to go back but a decent place 4 stars: Great place. I would go back. 5 stars: I highly recommend stopping whatever you are doing and making plans to try it out! An Evie favorite!

    Chris G.

    I convinced my date to try ethopian for the 1st time ever. I picked this place and I haven't been here before. This place is AMAZING!!! Wow, what an experience she had on her first ever ethopian adventure. Ella was our server and let me tell you she served up the most memorable experience I had at a restaurant. I had the kitfo and my date had zil zil tibs and we both shared sambusa and the coffee experience as well. This has now become our restaurant toge!

    Lamb

    Went back bc of Threads and actually got to dine in. We went on a Sunday, during the day and it was a completely different experience from the first time we went! Food was delicious, especially the spaghetti lawd I wanted to lick the plate! Veggie platter was filling and delicious and my partner said he loved the lamb. We also had the fresh coffee and it was strong and delicious especially that it was served with the resin incense on the side and popcorn! Grateful that I was able to have a new experience and enjoy it!

    Ethiopian honey wine

    10/10 experience! I'm fairly new to Ethiopian food so this was one of the first places I trued. I LOVE it! The food is amazing, it's fresh, and the ambiance is very welcoming. Everyone was kind when I went and they give you a lot of food. I came here for the first time on a Friday and came right back on Sunday. On Friday Ella was my waitress and she was very kind and attentive. She explained some of the food items and made sure we had everything we needed. I had the veggie combo and doro wot. Both were great! The second time I went I ordered the veggie combo again.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    The worst. Low class. Loud music on a work day until 4am

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    3 years ago

    The vegetarian platter was the best we have had in the Silver Spring area. We will definitely return.

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    4 years ago

    Excellent food pleasant service and clean and inviting restaurant. Price is also reasonable.

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    4 years ago

    Great food and great customer service! I highly recommend Effoi if you want to try authentic Ethiopian food. I will definitely go agian

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    Page 2 of 2

    Ask the Community - Effoi Restaurant

    You might also consider

    Beteseb Restaurant

    Beteseb Restaurant

    4.3(294 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    Definitely my favorite Ethiopian restaurant in the area! The meat and two veggie combo is just the…read moreright amount of food for two people and the price is fantastic. I prefer the spicy tibs, but the crispy tibs are also quite good. My favorite side is the lentils and salad. My wife loves the cabbage and carrots. I like adding the extra chicken leg as well. I only wish they had a full chicken meal and some spicier sauces. We come here at least once a month and always enjoy ourselves. It has become quite popular and there are a lot of white customers these days... I hope the food maintains its quality and flavor. The service is always friendly and I like the Ethiopian beer.

    I've been coming here quite a lot lately because the ethio food is not only second to none…read more(especially if you're a meat eater), but the place has pretty decent ambiance as far as your hole-in-the-wall ethio spots go. I always get the veggie combo, and I probably always will. Their tomato lettuce salad is perfection, not an afterthought, and I wouldn't mind if they gave me a whole bowls worth to grab in every bite! I've sampled bits of the meat off my partner's platters, and it far exceeds any we've ever tasted around here from an ethiopian restaurant. Back to the ambiance. I recently brought two good friends here because the space is bright and decent. That said, reservations are a MUST if you are bringing a party of larger than 2, due to how tiny the space is, and for a group, you really need to get spots either by the window or maybe their dark nook in the back. (you'll know when you visit). So so good... I'm not sure I want to go anywhere else at this point for my ethio fix!

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    Beteseb Restaurant
    Beteseb Restaurant - Veggie Combo + Lamb Tibbs Entree (all on one plate)

    Veggie Combo + Lamb Tibbs Entree (all on one plate)

    Beteseb Restaurant - Stamp of Approvals!

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    Stamp of Approvals!

    Bete Ethiopian Cuisine & Cafe - Several meat dishes and veggie sampler around the outside

    Bete Ethiopian Cuisine & Cafe

    4.2(210 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    Great vegetarian combo--good value. I came in on a Saturday night before a concert around 7 PM. I…read morewas seated right away. They sell beer and wine and the seating is cozy, decor is eclectic. I got my food within about 15 minutes of ordering and the portions were huge. The lentils were my absolute favorite. Everything was decent, but the red lentils were standout. Injira was delicious. It was easy to check out and the bathrooms were clean. It's just off the main drag in silver spring with numerous garages nearby. All in all, a great option!

    Shout out to my Ethiopian brothers and sisters for this phenomenal establishment! Looking for…read moreauthentic Ethiopian food? This is the spot. I was greeted by warm and welcoming customer service. I stopped in as soon as the restaurant opened and was able to choose my own table. I ordered veggie sambusas as my appetizer, traditional Ethiopian tea for my drink, and lamb tibs for my main course. The drink was warming and earthy! These herbs helped digest your food and calm the senses. Ethiopian cuisine is like medicine to the body and soul! The sambusas were so delicious and warming!!! The sauce that came with it was very warming and flavorful! I felt both fulfilled and like my senses were singing! The lamb tibs were simply divine! Juicy, tender, and flavorful! Paired with the injera bread and the vegetables! Do not get me started! During the time I was here, many people were coming in and out of this place. Best believe I will be back! It is a nice treat and well worth it! Cheers!

    Photos
    Bete Ethiopian Cuisine & Cafe - Ethiopian beers.

    Ethiopian beers.

    Bete Ethiopian Cuisine & Cafe - Beef sambusa.

    Beef sambusa.

    Bete Ethiopian Cuisine & Cafe - Injera.

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    Injera.

    Effoi Restaurant - ethiopian - Updated August 2026

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