We saw a few Ethiopian restaurants in DC and took a shot on Shewa. It's quite a ways from downtown…read moreand when we arrived, it definitely seemed like a rougher part of town. We arrived at 10:10 and the doors were locked. Called the restaurant and an employee said that they'd be open in a few minutes. A few minutes later, a man and an older woman said hi to us and went into a side door. Turns out that was the owner and his mom (the chef). They light incense in the restaurant and the odor is quite strong. I remember on Kitchen Nightmares, Gordon Ramsey yelling at someone for having scented candles because it messes with how the food tastes. Luckily, the food had enough flavor to overcome the incense. We ordered two meat combos and asked for them to give us some variety since I had never tried Ethiopian food before. The dishes came out with 16 items, with only one repeat. I can't really tell you what I ate since there were so many items, but I did really like the chicken and lamb. Very flavorful and just a fun experience from eating with our hands and the variety of options. One combo can easily feed two people. For our two adults and two kids, we had enough for leftovers. Honey wine was not my favorite thing, but the rest of the dining experience was very memorable. We were the only customers, so the owner came out and chatted with us for a while. Very friendly.

Food was amazing!! Took our friends here for their first Ethiopian experience and they adored it…read more And not to mention the service was impeccable. 100% recommend.

Super tasty food, fast service, friendly staff, very reasonable pricing…read more This has become a regular for my wife and myself. We eat here at least three times a month. We prefer to go on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday when the crowds are thinner. But don't hesitate for a Friday or Saturday night if we feel like eating their great food. The fare and service is always top notch whether it's hopping or sparse. We almost always get the vegan deluxe. If we feel like some meat, we add another dish and they are all good. I also enjoy their Ethiopian beer, Habesha Cold Gold. It is light, crisp, and refreshing with a clean finish. It has a mild malt sweetness up front, very light bitterness, just enough to balance and is smooth and clean with no heavy aftertaste The Vegan Deluxe is a combination plate that includes everything from a wonderful salad with fresh jalapeños and tomatoes to a wonderful assortment of lentils spiced in different way, also cabbage & carrots, and greens. I always feel good after our meals because the food is so fresh and beautifully done. Our pocketbook is grateful, too. My wife and I can leave with a bill of about $30 including food, a beer and tip. Not many places in Bethesda you can do that. The staff always smile and are helpful whether providing standard service or troubleshooting a challenge. The ambience is not upscale, but it's clean, beautiful, and filled with good people, whether it's the customers who are always having a good time, or the manager, who makes the rounds to ensure everything is going well.

If I could give 10 stars I would. My boyfriend and I took a quick birthday trip to DC from NYC…read more This was a last minute dinner plan after we weren't sure how the rest of the day would look post bottomless brunch. WOWOWOWOW. small space so it gets packed quick. We didn't wait longer than 10 minutes to be seated. Our servers were so delightful and happy. My most pleasant surprise here has been the service !! They gave us great recommendations and even gave us a taste of all four honey wines they had to offer. We went with the house. YOU SHOULD GET THE HOUSE HONEY WINE !!!!!!! Everything we had was absolutely amazing. My vegan bestie got her veggie platter and my boyfriend and I split the beef tibs and were so so full and satisfied. We have been waiting for the opportunity to go back. This was our last restaurant stop during that trip, and it will be the first stop for our next. They play no games here !!!! Serious food, serious flavor, serious service!!!!!! We highly recommend!!!!!

I think it's a decent choice for Ethiopian food in the area, but not my favorite. The restaurant is…read moremore like a night lounge, but that is because they do have hookah and are open late. The food comes out slow and the servers are nice. We got the 6 item veggie plate and mushroom tibs. I thought the lentils and salad were great. The string beans, shiro, and collard greens were cooked well but a bit bland. I also was not the impressed with the mushroom tibs, they were not seasoned but cooked well with the rosemary. The spiced tea was okay. The injera tasted authentic.

As I was walking through the H Street Festival browsing the many food vendors available, I knew I…read morewanted to try something unique that I can't get everywhere. I stumbled across Ethio Vegan, which I came to find out had just opened its doors this week. I haven't had Ethiopian food before, so I was excited to try something new. The staff were very welcoming, and the waitress who helped me went over their menu in great detail for me. Inside is very sleek and stylish, and I look forward to visiting at night to catch a game or relax in their lounge. As far as the food, the beef couldn't have been any more tender or well-seasoned. The thought of having leftovers for dinner later quickly evaporated, as I finished the beef, rice, and salad that came with it. The rice had a similar taste and texture to quinoa, even being long-grained. The only part that was a mission for me was the bread. I took one bite and realized it wasn't for me. This is absolutely a restaurant I'd come back to and recommend to anyone and everyone if they want authentic Ethiopian food and hospitality.

Best date spot I've been to in awhile. Veggie plate 2 with fish was excellent- Delicious,…read moreaffordable, vibrant, this is what all restaurants should strive for. Yes, the fish has bones, that's flavor. I had leftovers with my date and I eat a ton. Service was kind and excellent with water refills. Can't say enough good things about Ethiopic! May they forever be a neighborhood staple

Ethiopic was a solid experience, but did not quite stand out in a city with so many strong…read moreEthiopian options. The vegetable sampler had a decent flavor profile, and I enjoyed the beef tibs the most out of what we ordered. The fried tilapia was fine, but nothing particularly memorable. If you are someone who has Ethiopian food occasionally, I would probably recommend exploring some of the other spots in DC where the portions feel more generous and the flavors hit a bit harder. Service can also be a bit inconsistent, which matched some of the earlier reviews I had seen. We had ordered drinks that were forgotten until we followed up. Overall, not a bad experience, just one that blends into a very competitive dining scene.

This was my first time here…read more It's really cute when you walk in, very intimate with bar and some artwork. The staff was nice and answered my questions on ordering. I got #19 which is the combo of 2 meats and 2 veggies: doro wat, yebag tibbs, collard greens and lentils. I was hoping it would be a little spicy but it wasn't. I wasn't feeling the portion of the actual food but they gave us lots of injera.

My first meal upon arriving to Hyattsville! I ordered the combination option with 2 meat and 2…read morevegetable dishes. I chose the spicy kifto, yebeg alicha, kik alicha, and gomen. It was a little bit of a wait, but it was so worth it. The portions were generous but just right for a very hungry lone diner. The injera was soft and had a nice chew, with good fermentation and a tangy flavor. The two meat dishes had intense flavor and were super tender. I was in love with the strong cardamom flavor from the kifto, it was the highlight of my meal. The gomen and kik alicha were a nice complement to the two meat dishes. More mellow yet still flavorful, they helped to balance out the meal. And all that for just a little over $20 in 2025? Amazing! Would come again.

Stopped by for dinner while in the area. On a Saturday night, we were able to grab a table for two…read moreas a walk-in. We shared the Eatopia Special Tibs and Asa Gulashi. Both were good and had a lot of flavor, just wished they had more spice. We asked for a side of the spicy sauce and seasoning and this definitely turnt up both dishes! I also enjoyed the Le Anchi special cocktail, which was perfect for the cooler weather that day. Service was great. Street parking available

the food here is amazing, top of the best flavors I've had and the drinks are also good and unique…read more service was prompt and food came out very quick, and tasted warm and fresh. the restaurant has a calm ambiance and it was quiet. my waitress took her time to share with me the culture, amazing experience.

After almost 7 years, I was in the area again and I was super happy to be able to come back…read more The food is still amazing The people are still awesome, one of the best services I've ever had. We all loved it, and can't wait to be in the area again !

Enatye is a true hidden gem, tucked away in the back of an industrial park. You'd never know it was…read morethere unless someone told you--or you were actively hunting for Ethiopian food. At first glance, I wasn't impressed ( yeah yeah judging a book by its cover... I know better) I was wrong. The food was very flavorful, generous, and downright satisfying. We started with the sambusas (meat and veggie). They were good, though a bit mild (personally for me), I still give the edge to an Indian samosa, but that's just me. The combo is absolutely the move. We shared a three-person platter with lamb, beef, and chicken tibs, plus a variety of vegetarian dishes (see photos). Everything came served on rolls of injera, the spongy Ethiopian flatbread. This is a hands-on meal. As in, you eat with your fingers. Yes... it was glorious. The presentation is classic Ethiopian style: a large platter lined with injera, topped with meats and vegetables spread out like they're feeding 50 million people. The trick is to tear off the injera under the food, not the extra rolls, because it soaks up all that flavorful gravy. It's harder than it sounds, but totally worth it. The main dishes were very flavorful. I was genuinely impressed by both the quantity and the depth of flavor across the entire meal. These are the happy surprises I live for. Highly recommend giving it a try.

I came to Enjera for dinner and the food was delicious. Everything was seasoned to perfection and…read moreour server was really nice. We ordered the vegetarian sampler mixed with the meat sampler. My favorite parts of the meal were the chicken and lamb. It was a warm day so we sat on the back patio, which had good background music and curated a great vibe. I definitely suggest outside seating if it's a nice day when you try!

I've been a customer here for a few years, I have mixed thoughts about this place…read more Nestled in the heart of the Aurora Highlands 23rd street restaurant strip, Enjera is a quaint, cutely-decorated eatery, adorned with paintings by Ethiopian artists, the city skyline of Addis Ababa, and framed French/Italian wine adverts. It's eclectic and encapsulates an element of the immigrant experience in how it's decorated. Likewise, despite three stars, I do keep coming back because the food is quite superb. Always flavorful and with a decent variety of traditional dishes on offer. Their veggie combo is among their signatures, and I often also get the Asa Spris (curried fish stew) when I visit. I do, unfortunately, have to dock a star here for some of the cuts they've had to make; a small side salad used to accompany most entrees, but now costs $9. I understand inflation is ever-present, but that's eyebrow-raising. Moreover, the injera they provide seems to be in smaller bundles than previously, usually not enough to complete a meal including the piece it is served on, which means you usually need to ask for more. And this segways to why I have to dock another star for the service quality; it could be much better lately. Typically, I find that I have to seat myself, which isn't a huge deal, but the waiters often disappear from the dining room for up to 15 minutes at a time. I've had to get up to refill my water or grab napkins from the waiter station, which I feel bad doing because it's technically not somewhere clients should be accessing on their own, but I often don't have any choice. Finally, the website hasn't been updated in years; don't look at the menu posted there unless you want to lament how inflation has taken its toll on affordability. Overall, I give Enjera props for having quality fare and a nice little venue, but there are some issues I'd encourage management to address.

Terrific meal and will be back again. Kitfo was a star and the greens were stellar. Braised lamb…read morewas another excellent protein. Red lentils were super. Service was efficient, very helpful, and friendly.

First time trying Ethiopian food and it did not disappoint. The authenticity of this place felt…read morefamiliar and comfortable. Our server helped us decide on the VIP platter + injera. Everything was delicious but those Shint Tibs were my fave. For people sensitive to smoke, it might be worth noting that a lot of incense is burned throughout the night (very strong) but goes away after a while.

Great vegetarian options! I highly recommend the "Dinch Wot" The service was wonderful, as were…read morethe wait staff! An overall great experience with wonderful ambiance, highly reccomend!

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Cottage House today! Kidush was a gracious and knowledgeable…read moreserver! The Tomato Fitfit appetizer wax fresh and gently spiced. My wife enjoyed the Beef Alicha Wot while went for the spicier Lamb Kay Wot. Go. You won't be disappointed!