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Excellent Ethiopian food with made to order spice levels, large portions, and very reasonable prices. Service was fast and friendly. The food was delicious and I had leftovers for a second meal (at $20)! Adding this place to the rotation of great reasonably priced restaurants!
Visited Keren's during lunch time it was quite busy. The restaurant is quite small and cozy. Staffs were super efficient. I ordered Keren's special and everything was tasty. It's my second time trying Eritrean food and I love it. I enjoy the side potatoes and veggies a lot. I couldn't eat it all as the portion size is massive. Two people can easily order one for lunch. Highly recommend if you are around the DuPont Circle area.
The portions were pretty big to the point that one dish filled me up even as someone with a large appetite. The fish dulet (tilapia) was delicious and filling, and was not super spicy even though I ordered it spicy. The enjera was pretty good too. I would come back the next time in D.C. to try their breakfast dishes.
I recently went back to Keren for the first time for a weeknight dinner since the fire there a couple years ago and was pleased to find that the experience, the affordable prices, and food were as good as I remembered. I got the chicken tibs and ended up also getting the veggie combo, both of which were perfectly prepared, extremely flavorful, and a fantastic portion size. I look forward to my next visit! From October 2022: I have been to Keren several times for dine-in and takeout and the food is always outstanding. I ordered ful with a side-order of injera to-go, and the ful was creamy and appropriately salted. Keren's use of tomatoes, jalapenos, and herbs complemented the dish and the accompanying baguettes well and provided freshness. I have ordered the veggie combo and meat dishes on several previous visits and always enjoyed them. Because Keren's food is so good and the physical space is small, Keren is always crowded and you should prepare to wait 15-20 minutes for a table and 20-30 minute waits for your food once you order. Nonetheless, the wait is worth it. I order from Keren regularly and look forward to my next visit!
While walking around D.C. I decided to try this Ethiopian restaurant. It's small, clean, and has ahome type atmosphere. I ordered the Special Tibsi- Chicken, lentils, vegetables, and an injera. This was probably the best meal I have enjoyed while in D.C.! The chicken was so flavorful and the lentils were perfectly cooked. The portion was very large and it could have easily served two people but I tried my best to finish it on my own. I didn't want to stop eating that chicken! The injera was spongy and light and didn't fall apart when you picked up your food. I will recommend this place to everyone and the only reason it's not a 5 star is because the attention to service could have been better on this day. You will not be disappointed eating here.
A friend and I made Keren Restaurant our first stop when we arrived in DC this weekend. I was really hungry and thrilled to finally be checking out this Eritrean restaurant that has been open in DC since 1987. 1987, y'all. That's almost 40 years, and that says a lot. The restaurant is casual and comfortable, with big front windows that keep the small but long restaurant light and bright. And the service was friendly throughout. But the food is why we were there. We each started with a cappuccino, which was great after our drive and with our brunch meal. And then - shockingly - we both ordered the same thing: Ful with eggs. Ful is a dish popular across parts of the Middle East and North Africa made from stewed fava beans. It's often eaten for breakfast. When I had Ful for the first time many years ago, I fell in love. And whenever I see it on a menu, I'm done with research and options - that's it, that's where I'm going, that's what I'm ordering. Keren's Ful is topped with fresh tomatoes, raw onion, raw jalapeno, creamy yogurt, and olive oil, and then you can choose to top the dish with eggs, tuna, or sardines, or served alongside a salad. The beans (made with Berbere spice) are the obvious star of the dish, and Keren's version of one of my favorite breakfasts was delicious, warm, comforting, filling... I loved it. It's a big bowl (and served with some great French rolls), so we weren't able to finish every last bite, which made me a little sad, because it was delicious. They have a full menu for breakfast (which they serve all day, every day) and then a full menu of other items (including combo platters). I loved my Ful, and I'd go back for that alone. But I'd also love to return to try more of their menu. Maybe with more than one friend next time so we can share and enjoy more of their Eritrean food and hospitality.
Amazing restaurant for Ethiopian/Eritrean cuisine with large portions and some of the best food in D.C.! Very friendly staff who came to check on us up all the time. Recommend trying their #3 or their #4 (or both!) and you can absolutely split one of the dishes with 2 people since the portions are quite large. The restaurant is a little small, so make sure to get there early, but the atmosphere is very cozy and I truly appreciated the experience.
I have long been awaiting the reopening, and was pleasantly surprised to see they opened a few weeks ago. The place is your standard Ethiopian spot. It feels comfortable and intimate. There's a not a lot of tables and reservations are not available at this time. Prepare if you plan to go during a busy day/time. There's food is prepared quickly and served bubbling and hot table side. I ordered the vegetarian platter and shiro. Both were very good, although I think I would ask for the shiro to be spiced up quite a bit. The cabbage and potatoes were my favorite vegetable sides. They were so flavorful and delicious, with the potatoes just perfectly cooked. I also appreciate the large serving of salad. It like this is always skimped on at most places, so it was happy to see. My one irk is the bathroom setup. To use the toilet my face was in a urinal, which was an odd start to the meal.
Even though it was dinner time I got their breakfast sampler and it was delicious. The fava bean dish, buttery tortilla, eggs, and warm bread, with Eritrean tea. The service was so friendly, you feel right at home.
I came here for lunch with a group of friends and it was the cutest place. Situated on the corner of Florida and 18th it's easy to miss, I've probably passed it dozens of times in my years of trekking up to Adams Morgan. When we arrived we got a warm welcome as my friend knows the owners, and we sat at a table near the back. Since it was my first time visiting along with another friend we did some sampling of the menu and decided to order a few dishes to share from the breakfast menu and a pot of tea. The tea was good but really strong I asked for honey to cut the strength. I can't recall the names of everything we tried but it was all very fresh and full of flavor. It took a while for the food to come out but that's ok this place felt very welcoming. They had a steady stream of customers both dining in and doing to go orders. I would visit again and recommend you check it!
Keren is back!! After a stint away, it's back and people couldn't be more happy. First opened in 1987, Keren is a small Eritrean restaurant just south of Adams Morgan. Walking in on a Wednesday at 5:30pm, we got a table for three right away. Service is quick and friendly. Within minutes, our honey wine and Keren Special were on our table. The Keren Special is a mix of beef and veggie dishes on injera. It's very tasty!
What a fabulous experience at Keren's. The food was authentic, flavorful and just enough spicy! Super friendly staff.
Didn't know I'd fall in love so early in the year. It's only the second day but here we are. The service was swift and thorough. We got spiced Ethiopian Tea and the #4 with beef. I do not know for the life of me why this isn't #1. Everything was delicious and I will be coming back several times over the next few months. With me being observant I recognized several people walking by and patrons beside us with the same sentiments "we back!" The place was pretty intimate but not noisy. Love it here.
Best Eritean food I've had yet! Got there super starved and was immediately fulfilled by the Keren's Special and the Regular Ful. The order was a lot of food even for two hungry people. The Keren's Special is basically a combination of the Vegetarian Combo and a Meat Combo. Everything was delicious and flavorful! The Regular Ful reminded me of a hefty bowl ot chilli with lots of beans and appetising spices. It came with two small baguettes so you can dip them in the Ful. Loved the casualness and quality of this place. You definitely should check this place out!! read more
My first time trying Ethiopian food and the experience did not disappoint. I am always looking to taste new flavors. Due to the popularity of this place, I was afraid of a long line. There was a line-but the wait was only about 25 mins. Came on a Saturday around 830pm. Keren is a small restaurant, no frills, relaxed, quick service type of place. We ordered the Keren Special which is the veggie combo with chicken and I added beef (chicken would've been just enough for 2). What came out of the kitchen was a large tray of veggies, potatoes, corn, cabbage, beans, chicken and beef all placed together on top of a sheet of injera. This is meant to be eaten by hand as no utensils were provided for us. A plate of 1 large injera flat bread was given each as you use it to scoop up the meal. Very flavorful, food plentiful as we had leftovers to go. For all that food, the bill was less than $20!! Amazing, go try NOW! read more
This was my first time trying Eritrean food, and it was an amazing experience! The food was all inexpensive and reasonably price. I was able to split this dish with a friend and we still had leftovers! The server was so nice and showed my friend and me how to eat the dish with our hands. I want to try the other dishes on the menu! read more
Y-U-M. We came here last night and ordered the Special Tibsi and the vegetable order. It ended up being more than enough food. They also give you a TON of injera on the side compared to other Ethiopian places which helps. There was a little bit of a wait around 6pm and it was a Wednesday but it wasn't too bad. The service was great, the food was delicious. I would say the only other place that I've had on par with this is Cher Cher. Overall, definitely one of the top Ethiopian places for DC, very authentic and flavorful, and still budget friendly! read more
3 years ago
Fish dulet was phenomenal. Takeout containers are also microwavable safe. Server was very attentive. One entree is plenty for two and I eat a lot, I had to take home nearly half of mine on a full stomach. read more
Was finally able to try Keren this past weekend and it was amazing. I fully understand why it's always so packed. Restaurant is small and the food is great. We ordered chicken tibs and a veggie combo. Good amount of food for two - everything was delicious. The tibs were amazing (don't usually order chicken but was recommended by the server), which had great spices and flavor with just a touch of heat. All of the veggies were great, but the red lentils were the standout for me. Would definitely come back to Keren if I'm in the area, but it was great to finally see what all the fuss was about. read more
3 years ago
The best Eritrean / Ethiopian restaurant in town! #4-Keren Special-with Chicken is a must. It includes #1-Special Tibs & #2-Veggie Combo. Everything on the plate is sooo delicious, and it feeds two people. Breakfast Combo is overrated and bland, just stick with the Keren combo! read more
4 years ago
Had dinner here while I was on a DC work trip. Ordered the Keren special which is an assortment of veggies and a side of meat. I had the choice of chicken or beef and I went beef. It was ALOT of food! I've never had Eritrean food before. But I have to say, it was quite good. And on top of it, the service was excellent. The two ladies waiting tables were so friendly and sweet. Definitely recommend! read more
3 years ago
One of the best places for food in DC! Staff was very friendly and welcoming, made it such a nice environment to be in. Much love read more
It's nothing fancy, this little Eritrean place (Yelp apparently has only Ethiopian as a category, but Eritrea is a different country and I suspect they prefer to be recognized as such). Nonetheless, it offers cheap and good food (and drinks, but for some reason, no drink menu). Breakfast (they're open most of the day) consists mostly of variations on ful, stewed fava beans. They appear to be canned (based on the boxes of cans I saw), and dressed up with various add-ons and accompanied by simple white rolls, but I can get with that, as long as it's reasonably priced and good, which it was. I suspect their veggie combo offers more, and I'd be happy to try it. It's a little space at an awkward intersection that isn't overly easy to get to or park at, but people have been filling it for a while, and I'm happy I finally made it in. read more
Made a last minute decision to come in for Ethiopian food. Waited about 30 mins on a Friday night around 8pm. #1 Special Tibs #4 Keren Special Plenty of meat to share among three people since it's a double order of meat. I always love the veggie sides. My favorites were the cabbage and beans, which were the most flavorful. Best way to eat is to grab a sizeable amount of injera to grab more toppings per bite. Each person gets 1 huge piece of injera to begin with and can always get more. Great decision to drop in last minute as we came famished and left stuffed. read more
As someone who has been to Ethiopia several times and eaten traditional Ethiopian food there, this place brought me STRAIGHT BACK. We did takeout, and the flavors were on point. There was actually a mix up with our takeout order, but the management did such a great job of making sure we got the right order after accidentally getting delivered the wrong order. After I called them about it, they apologized, called to straighten out the order, and even threw in an extra sauce (we think it was the flaxseed sauce, which was very very yummy). Great service and adaptability. We got the Chicken Special Tibs and Beef Special Tibs, and there was so much food! For $13.99, you got one dish of Special Tibs, and it could feed two people. It comes with so much enjera (the takeout box was packed full), which was wonderfully silky smooth with that delicious sourdough taste. Definitely brought me back to meals in Ethiopia. The food has only the tiniest bit of heat, but it's really not very spicy at all, so DON'T ask for mild (one of my friends asked for mild, and it definitely compromises the flavor). Both the Chicken and the Beef were so good, can't really go wrong with either of them! Good enjera, flavorful meat with traditional spices, wonderful service, amazing amount of food for the price point - Keren Restaurant is fantastic! read more
4 years ago
This was the second time I tried Ethiopian food and the first time in DC. After a long day of tourism (walking, sight seeing) working out and the time for dinner came, my friend who is a local brought me here. The smell of all the food was warm and cozy while the actual food was purely delicious. My friend and I cleaned the plate with pure pleasure. Lentils yellow and red were delicious along with the beef tibs. Highly recommend this place read more
This place serves Ethiopian food at a great price and bargain. There are tons of Ethiopian food in DC but this place is definitely a favorite amongst local. I have to dock it for its slow service. I felt like they were heavily understaffed. It took them close to 45 minutes before we even got our food. It took them a bit too long from start to finish and it really ate up a big part of our day. The quality of the food is good. I've definitely had better elsewhere in similar mom/pop restaurants. I didn't love their injera and I thought it wasn't as flavorful as other places I've tried it at. But that is just my opinion. All in all, if you have a lot of time to kill this is a good place to go to for brunch. But if you don't have 1.5 hours to spare for their slow service, then maybe you want to wait for a different time. read more
Wow. I got the first entree (special tibsi) and it was amazing-- slightly spicy, very very flavorful. I love the Enjera too (the flat spongy bread on the bottom). They have lots of veg options too-- definitely recommend checking this place out. read more
My new favorite Ethiopian place in the city! Keren Restaurant is cozy and small. We waited for just 10 minutes at 7 PM on a Saturday, which I thanked the rain for. Between the two of us, we split the vegetable combo and beef Tibsi. The vegetable combo was out of this world delicious. The spinach had so much depth of flavor that was umami based. The lentils were prepared two ways - in golden curry and red spicy sauce. The cabbage was the best rendition of sauerkraut. We asked for the beef Tibsi to be spicy and, although the meat itself was not so spicy, the injera below soaked all those juices and was throat-clearingly spicy. If all of my spinach and lentils could be prepared the same way that Keren does, then I would be ten Pop Eyes as I would have it for every meal! I am literally sitting here salivating about lentils and spinach as I write this review. The price is also super affordable - I was shocked when we got the menu. read more
2 years ago
THE. BEST. ETHIOPIAN. I will always always always come here to get food. Can not more highly recommend this place. I LOVE the waitress who has been my waitress for ages and ages. She is THE best. One day I will get a photo with her. I've come here regularly for almost 3 years, 12/10 recommend read more
Ful on a cold rainy day - name a better pair, I'll wait. DC has many good Ethiopian and Eritrean places, but only a few of them serve breakfast food. I love a combo situation because I'm indecisive and would like a bit of everything. Keren's breakfast combo comes with ful, scrambled eggs, and Kicha Silsi (a stir-fried shredded flatbread). The ful was definitely the highlight and what I came here for - smooth, hearty, flavorful, with some kick from the jalapeño and onions. Wonderful to dip the bread in. Kicha Silsi got a chewy texture, some crispy browned bits and lots of spices. The whole plate is $16.99, super reasonable for the portion and quality. The service is no question. The ladies here are so sweet and friendly and will ask if you enjoyed the food. Yes, I wiped my plate clean and will come back a hundred times over. read more
4 years ago
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6 years ago
I've been coming to Keren for over 2 years.. and I can say without question this is the best Ethiopian food in both DC, and every other state I've had it. We decided to get carry out on a Friday night, and the food tasted just as good as it would when eaten in the restaurant. We ordered the Keren Special with Spicy Beef. Everything was delicious and the portions were great which is rare to find with "to go" food. My friend who is not a huge Ethiopian fan said "this is the best food I've had in DC". So excited to be back in DC and to have my favorite Ethiopian place back in my life! read more
4 years ago
Best Ethiopian restaurant in DC hands down, no competition. Come insanely hungry, order the veggie combo, the ful with egg, the chicken tibsi, ideally with 4-5 people. One of the best best restaurants in DC, literally criminal to visit DC and not pay Keren a visit. And everyone here is so friendly! read more
2 years ago
My cousin recently moved to DC and found this hidden gem 3 blocks from her place. Our family is fasting for lent so we decided to visit her and come here. It was soooo good! We came Sunday night and there was a pretty long wait, which means the food is good if near closing time there was still a long line. We finally got seated and ordered two veggie combos, two shiros, and two foil plates to share among the 7 of us. It was plenty of food, maybe even too much! The Shiro was my favorite, extremely flavorful, I could eat the bowl by myself. The foul was also delicious, we got it without the yogurt since again we are fasting, but it tasted just like how we would make it at home. This place is amazing! Can't wait to come back after lent and try their meat platters. read more
I had an awesome dinner- The hosts there are super nice. While there is a wait, the staff really show their appreciation for your patience and are hospitable inside and out- giving water when you're outside waiting on the line and making sure you have everything you need. The food is amazing and everything on my plate was flavorful and delicious. read more
3 years ago
3 years ago
Food: 5 stars. I got number 4 on the menu with chicken (which a lot of others seemed to get as well). The Ethiopian bread is delicious and apparently good for you! Portion and service size is huge. I could only eat half and brought the rest home. This place is a small hole in the wall resturaunt in admo. I came here on a Sunday at 6 and there wasn't a wait but by 7pm this place was packed. Even when we left around 8 there was a huge line. -1 because of the service. We originally only ordered one dish but decided to each get our own because we were hungry. The waitress seemed annoyed we were asking her to update our order after tracking her down for 10 minutes read more
3 years ago
Saying you've tried and liked Eritrean/Ethiopian when you've lived for any period of time in DC is hardly novel at this point, but despite living here for three years after college, I've only had it once at Zenebech many years ago. It was another time when my palette was much less developed and I don't remember much, but I do remember really disliking the enjera bread. But in a desperate effort to eat something interesting in DC on a Sunday morning, rather than some clichéd bottomless mimosa brunch, a friend and I decided to visit Keren. All I can say is that I still don't care for enjera, but I really enjoyed the stewed vegetables and the beef tibsi from Keren. They were suffused with spices and flavors I commonly associate with Indian cuisine, thanks to the trading networks in the Indian Ocean world. I would love it even more if it could be somehow paired with rice or maybe a nice paratha, but that would be sacrilege. (Though they can't govern what I do with the leftovers) Service is prompt and functional, as is the interior décor. It's nothing fancy, but it's an affordable, interesting, and delicious meal. read more
3 years ago
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More info about Keren Restaurant
1780 Florida Ave NW
Washington, DC 20009
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(202) 265-5764
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Is it halal food?
Do they have gluten free options?
I am gf and have been provided with all-teff injera here upon request for a small additional cost. It was delicious! I did not have any gluten reaction to the food here with the teff injera.
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Keren Restaurant - ethiopian - Updated September 2026
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