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    Elilta Restaurant

    4.9 (107 reviews)
    Open 10:00 am - 9:00 pm

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    Andrew P.

    Been a while since I had Ethiopian food! I just found out one of my buddies only had it once, but he had never had it in MD. So I gave myself a mission. I Yelped this spot and had to try. They've got the decor and the music down. And sambusas are on display at the counter, which is dangerous. We looked through the menu and I knew I wanted to try their veggie combo -- typically that's my go-to. And the sambusa was irresistible since it was on display, grrr. That came first, and it was nice and flaky, but I would've loved a sauce with it! Traditionally, I'm not sure if they usually come with sauces like samosas do, but I definitely would've liked one. And then the main course came out. Such a beautiful display of lentils, beets, cabbage, and more. Every Ethiopian spot doesn't have beets, so I was excited to see them here. And they were good -- everything was good! And they nailed the amount of injera... at least for me. I didn't have to ask for more or anything! They also have a fridge with soft drinks, beer, and honey wine. The latter is difficult to spot... you see a bottle, but the labeling is in Amharic, so you wouldn't know what it is unless you know what honey wine looks like, which I do :). They don't sell it by the glass, but the bottle was $20 and my friend and I shared. I've never had it sparkling, but it was delicious. I prefer non-carbonated beverages though. The only issue I ran into was the parking. That area does not make it easy, and the parking lot signs are very strict about which businesses you are supposed to visit in designated spots. I don't know how strict they are, but I know I wouldn't want to take the chance. This isn't the restaurant's fault, but it is helpful to mention. All that to say, I'll be back to this restaurant soon. It was FANTASTIC!

    Veggie combo, lega tibs, and awaze tibs
    Rachel B.

    Amazing! The food here is really good but they were out of lamb which was unfortunate and the menu descriptions aren't correct; our server was very helpful in describing what each item actually entailed. Two friends and I got three things to share family style, which was nice. The interior is cute but there's no music so when no one is speaking it's a weird silence. Overall would definitely reco

    Beef tibs and veggie sides
    Yael M.

    Food is delicious and the restaurant is so clean and cozy. The owners treat you like you're in their home.

    Derek Tibs with Vegetable Platter
    Carl R.

    Amazing Eritrean host, waitress and chef serves up delicious, fragrant Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine in an unassuming environment with Ethiopian music and decor. We enjoyed the Derek tibs (crispy beef sautéed in onions, tomatoes and jalapeño peppers with the vegetable platter (pictured). They also serve Ethiopian sandwiches and pasta. I had to write this review to include the menu for take out. Definitely returning.

    4 veggie option with Beef entree. Absolutely amazing. First time here and would recommend it over and over again
    Lori W.

    Food was absolutely delicious! Service was excellent. Such a down to earth feel and such a wonderful experience!! Anytime we are back in this area we will return. Highly recommend!!! Awaze tibs was phenomenal.

    Fish goulash & 6 veggie combo
    Monica T.

    My husband said "this is my new favorite Ethiopian restaurant." For me, it was a 6/5 The owner gave us such great service and you could taste the love in her food. We ordered the fish goulash & the 6 vegetarian combo. The fish was crispy & tender & a perfect bite with enjera & beets. The lentils were my favorite, so much flavor in the sauce. The food came out steaming & was so beautiful. Also she makes the best coffee. Restaurant is small & there is limited parking -- best for 2-4 people.

    Traditional coffee  service.  Puts out coffee bars to shame

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    2 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    21 days ago

    Everything ordered was outstanding. Recommend the fish goulash. Will be back. Will try the kitfo next time.

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    1 year ago

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    25 days ago

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    9 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    I had a veggie firfir today which was out of this world. Delicoius, generous and fairly priced. Well done Almaz.

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    5 months ago

    Delicious fresh high quality food. The vegetarian platter was delicious. Friendly service!

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    2 years ago

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    10 months ago

    They are friendly and welcoming, and the food was incredibly fresh, flavorful, and absolutely delicious.

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    7 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    10 months ago

    Delicious Ethiopian food, well prepared injera, sweet/smiling owner/waitress. Ambiance is simple & Ethiopian.

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    2 years ago

    OMG, the food was amazing! The ambiance is nothing much. The owner was extremely friendly. And the food was just extraordinary!

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    Effoi Restaurant  - Doro Wot with Ayyib

    Effoi Restaurant

    4.5(49 reviews)
    2.0 mi

    We may have found a new go-to Ethiopian spot! As we usually do when trying a new place, we ordered…read moreDoro Wot and a veggie combo. It was easily 4 people's worth of food, but more importantly, delicious. The veggie combo had the best shiro and collards I've had in awhile as well as delicious beets, two varieties of lentil (misir wot and another name unknown), cabbage & carrot gomen, fried potatoes, salad and yellow split peas. I am usually not as keen on yellow split peas but we thought these were better than average. The doro wot was excellent and for the first time ever, came with two drumsticks. I seriously have never gotten more than one drumstick anywhere else. It was easily twice the size of other doro wot portions. It had a decent amount of heat but probably not as much as our other favorite places. It was by no means bland though, it was excellent, just not as spicy as others (still very spicy by Marylander standards, be warned). The veggies though are mostly milder while also being well seasoned. You get a choice of injera; local injera is a blend that is not gluten free and is included in the price. You can get the 100% teff for an upcharge of 3.50. We aren't celiac so went with the local and it was still good for our tastes. We stuffed ourselves and still had probably 2/3 of the food left so will be enjoying it for a couple more days. The meal came in under $50 and seemed a bargain comparatively when balancing quality and quantity. We will definitely return! Oh, I should add: Service is very friendly, but this is not a super fast place so plan accordingly. It is very clean and attractive, bathrooms clean too. They have a couple small metal tables out front if you want to enjoy the weather, but it might be a little loud as it's right on the street.

    The reason I picked this spot from all the amazing Ethiopian options in Silver Spring is that they…read morehad 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!

    Photos
    Effoi Restaurant
    Effoi Restaurant  - Fresh roses and champagne for grand opening!

    Fresh roses and champagne for grand opening!

    Effoi Restaurant  - Two pieces of chicken one supposed to be a leg and other a wing 18.00

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    Two pieces of chicken one supposed to be a leg and other a wing 18.00

    Nazrawi Ethiopian Restaurant

    Nazrawi Ethiopian Restaurant

    4.3(348 reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$

    Nazrawi was the perfect choice…read more I decided to pop in for a meal after arriving really early for a nearby event. I settled into a seat at the bar, and right away the intimate vibe won me over -- cozy and genuinely warm. The fish dish was absolutely delicious -- flavorful, perfectly seasoned, and clearly made with care. The yellow lentils were rich and comforting, and the injera? It was the ideal vehicle for everything on the plate. I enjoyed every single bite. The service matched the food -- sweet, attentive, and unhurried. The kind of warmth that reminds you a real family is behind this place. It was a cold one outside, so on my way out I ordered a spiced tea to-go. The perfect ending. Nazrawi doesn't just feed you -- it sends you off right. Highly recommend. This one's going in the regular rotation.

    OK overall. Went at 8:00 on a Saturday night yet there were few people dining. I ordered Minchet…read moreAbish and was told they were out and couldn't serve it. Seems strange to be out at 8:00 on a Saturday night with modest business. I don't believe they had so many orders that they ran out; they just chose not to make any on a Saturady might, imo. I picked this restaurant solely because the serve Minchet Abish, so I was very disappointed. Sambusa was good. We ordered the Veggie Combo, which came without the tomato salad listed on the menu. Tibs were good. Probably would not return.

    Photos
    Nazrawi Ethiopian Restaurant  - Inside bar

    Inside bar

    Nazrawi Ethiopian Restaurant
    Nazrawi Ethiopian Restaurant

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    Zene's Deli & World Market - The Special Veggie Platter

    Zene's Deli & World Market

    3.9(38 reviews)
    2.1 mi

    This spot is located on Fenton off the main row of Ethiopian restaurants on Georgia Ave. One of a…read morerelative's favorite spots so our first time. We met for lunch on a Sunday. We loved the coffee prep area where the Etan (traditional burning incense) scent fills the air and you can view the Buna (coffee) being made. Complimentary Ethiopian Bread delivered personally from table to table was also a nice touch. We ordered Special Kitfo which includes the cheese (Ayeb) side, Shint (filet) Tibs and veggie combo. We had 4 in our party so just right portions. Tibs was tender and seasoned perfectly as well Kitfo. The Veggie combo was delicious. We ended our meal with the freshly made Coffee. Black and No milk please. So good. Service was exceptional! Our server took great care of us. The owner arrived and immediately started to visit tables greeting customers and offering more complimentary bread. We felt like we were visiting family, friends. From the market, we picked up a freshly baked loaf of bread as well Injera from Ethiopia. Our only regret is not discovering Zene's earlier. Serving up exceptional food with above and beyond service-not to be missed!

    This place is so welcoming! They make you feel at home as soon as you walk in the door. The owner,…read moreZene greets you and offers homemade bread! The smell of the coffee is so inviting! My friend saw them on IG and I added it to my list. I figured they must be new because surely I've heard of all the Ethiopian spots in downtown Silver Spring! Wrong! There's just that many! We had lunch here this past weekend. My friend got some vegan options. I got the awaze tibs - they warned me it would be spicy. It was perfect and to my liking. If you can't handle heat, then stay away from that one. It was an adequate amount of meat. I ended up needing extra injera and they were so nice in getting more for the table. This place is unique in that it's not jut a restaurant. It's a market with food items and clothing. I love that! My friend ended up getting some injera to go! They could do better with the signage as the name isn't clearly seen from the street but maybe that was by design! If you know, you know! I would definitely come here again!

    Photos
    Zene's Deli & World Market - Coffee prep area

    Coffee prep area

    Zene's Deli & World Market - Fresh roasted Coffee beans for fresh brewed coffee by Jebena.

    Fresh roasted Coffee beans for fresh brewed coffee by Jebena.

    Zene's Deli & World Market - Special Veggie Platter

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    Special Veggie Platter

    Elilta Restaurant - eritrean - Updated May 2026

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