I'd heard this was the best Ethiopian restaurant in northern Virginia and it did not disappoint!! I had such a good experience at Makeda. I ordered the vegetable combination for $24, and for $25 I tried Kitfo (raw meat dish) for the first time, both to share. They were yummy! The Kitfo had a spicy kick to it but even with my low spice tolerance it was not unmanageable. It was my first time trying Fasolia Wot (string beans and carrots) in the veggie combo and it might be my new favorite! It had an unexpected sweet flavor that I can't describe. All in all it was a great meal and I'll be going back for sure. read more

Makeda Ethiopian Restaurant - Kitfo and Veggie Combo - Ethiopian Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

This spot was recommended by a friend and I vaguely remember visiting before but it has been some time. We arrived on a Tuesday around 12:30 and quiet. A good size dining area as well Bar and saw an area for Live Entertainment. Modern decor with some interesting artwork. We were fasting so were limited to fish and veggies for lunch. We started with Timatim Firfir. Just the presentation of this appetizer was enough but the combo of the tomatoes, onions, Awaze wrapped in injera was delicious. We also ordered veggie (Lentil) Sambusa which was just right crispy and hit the spot. For main, we ordered the Veggie combo-our favorites were the Misir Wots and Beet Salad. We saw the Tuna Kitfo on the menu and ordered as we had never tried this one. Exquisite dish and a must try. As a lover of the Beef Kitfo, this is a formidable alternative. We finished with Macchiato which was bold and reminded me of the ones I had in Addis. Service was friendly and attentive. They picked up quite a bit by the time we left around 2:30. Will be back to enjoy the rest of the menu. Don't miss the Tuna Kitfo/Timatim Firfir. read more

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Now let me say the food here is good! I think I only had one dish from here that wasn't good!! Service is good as well but the one woman that works there pissed me off!! I know yall be wanting tips and everything but don't say to me you forgot to add gratuity! I looked at her like what? I had to catch myself like she didn't even give me a chance to look in my purse for cash which I didn't have but like girl no don't do that.... If u keep that up you will lose business! And one time I went there to order take out there didn't have change so I was trying to get some change! I got it gave it to her and she told me on its this price like the a little bit of change so I gave her a dollar.... I didn't even get back my 50 or 60 cent from that!! I'm not worried bout tho but it's the principle.... Yeah she needs to stop read more

The restaurant was clean and the waiter took my order as soon as I sat at the bar to order takeaway. I ordered the veggie combo and was delighted at how nicely seasoned everything was. I would recommend them and will be going back to experience the in-house service. Takeaway was barely a hello and me placing my order Bon appetit! read more

Makeda Ethiopian Restaurant - Veggie Combo - Ethiopian Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Trash. Restaurant is warm and muggy inside. Music in the middle of the day was extraordinary loud and basic service like water refills in an empty restaurant was impossible to get. The food was awful too. A real difficult thing to do with Ethiopian food. Meat in my sandwich was cold and the bread was stale and overly soaked in butter. The doro wat was also super overpriced for what you got, one drumstick, the cheapest part of a chicken and they were stingy with that for a $23 dish? Unbelievable. Avoid, there's tons of great spots within a 2 min walk of this place. read more

Good Ethiopian food to share with our dear DC friend. Makeda Tibs (beef tenderloin tips with jalapeno onion garlic) was delicious and would order this again. The beef with collard greens and beets/carrots/potatoes were hearty and more healthy if you want to go in that direction. Generous portions and friendly service. Spacious and clean restaurant inside, lots of parking outside. read more

UPDATE: They have some of the best vegetarian dish options in the DMV, whether as sides, combos, or platters. Wait staff are great, and I get to practice what little Amheric I know. When I bring friends here, they have not been disappointed by the presented cuisine and the tea, honey wine. read more

my first time having ethiopian food and im so glad that i had it here!! the service was so hospitable-like you're being invited in by a family! i got the beef tibs and kitfu. the kitfu can be intimidating if youre not used to the idea of eating raw meat, but once you get over the initial fear youre rewarded with buttery melt in your mouth beef. injera (the bread) is soft and pillowy and helps soak up all the meaty goodness. v casual vibe and parking is ample! im definitely coming back! read more

Makeda Ethiopian Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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I've had their food a few times--definitely more convenient than my usual Habesha spots. If I'm craving Awaze Tibs or Doro, I'll grab it from here since it's close by. That said, the last couple times, the tibs weren't as tender and came out a bit oily. Not bad, just not hitting like it could. It's cool if you're in a pinch and need to satisfy that craving, but it's not my go-to. read more

This is the dopest Ethiopian restaurant in the region. The way they season their vegetables is moi! Second to none! We drove 45 minutes to have this meal and it was well worth the trip. Vegetarians will love the veggie combo. I am not a vegetarian so we got our combo with Makeda Tibs (seasoned beef) and a whole fried Tilapia Fish. So delicious. I promise you, you won't regret coming here. Every bite is bursting with flavor so good, so good! This is the type of restaurant you want to tip your server generously so you look good for the next time you come in. No it's not bougie but the food is to die for! The best Ethiopian restaurant I've been to so far! Highly recommend! read more

Makeda Ethiopian Restaurant - A whole Tilapia Fish - Ethiopian Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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My first time having Ethiopian food and I loved it! The staff was very friendly and the restaurant was beautiful. Highly recommend Chefs kiss read more

Makeda Ethiopian Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

my experience at Makeda Ethiopian restaurant in Alexandria was genuinely disappointing from start to finish. Atmosphere & Service: The moment we walked in, the energy felt unwelcoming. No smiles, no "welcome," no friendliness just a blunt "how many people?" before being sat. People were staring, the atmosphere felt rude, and there was no warmth at all. Our server had earbuds in and looked like she couldn't care less about us being there. The attitudes overall were terrible and made the whole environment uncomfortable. Food: I ordered the Doro Wot expecting a proper portion for the $20 price, especially since the menu mentioned $20-$30 dishes. What I got was disappointing: one very small chicken leg and one boiled egg that's it. For that price, it's absolutely not worth it. We also ordered the mixed vegetables with injera, which was the one decent part of the meal. The food overall was fine typical and a bit greasy, which I know is normal for the cuisine. but nothing that made up for the poor service and atmosphere. Pricing & Charges: This is where things got even worse. Our food total was $47, but when the bill came, it shot up to $62 because they added an $9.50 service fee" on top of $5 tax. Who charges a random service fee without telling customers? Tips are one thing, but adding a fee like that with no explanation is ridiculous. I'll be attaching the receipt when I post this because people need to see it. Final Thoughts: The atmosphere was uncomfortable, the staff was unfriendly, the service was careless, and the pricing was misleading. The food alone wasn't good enough to justify any of it. Between being stared at, ignored, upcharged, and served tiny portions, I would not recommend this place to anyone. By the way if it means anything my mother and I went and we are Eritrean Muslims. Not sure if they treated us differently cause of that or not. But I've not had a problem like this at any other place. I usually go to Nazret Ethiopian restaurant in falls church Virginia near skyline towers. But I was far at the time and I wanted to try this place out. read more

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Food: Amazing! Service: Amazing! Ambiance: Awesome! The food was great! Very tasty and delicious! The restaurant paintings were great and artistic! read more

So so sooooooo good! Today's my birthday and all I wanted was to relax and enjoy some good food. I've been trying to make my way back here since we had one of our wedding celebrations here with my husband's family. The food from what I remembered was delicious!! The restaurant was busy, but there were plenty seats at the bar. Full service bar but I only wanted a Ginger ale and water. The restaurant is clean, a little dark which creates a more intimate atmosphere and the servers were very attentive. We enjoyed and appreciated the Habesha music they played and around 9pm a live band set up to play. At that point the restaurant was pretty loud. To start we opted for the Lentil Sambousas and for dinner we shared a veggie platter that included: greens, cabbage with carrots, string beans with carrots, yellow lentils, red lentils, shiro, salad and tibs. Everything was delicious and flavorful!! Not to mention healthy food options...which I'm trying to be more intentional with these days... And after dinner tea and coffee. The Ethiopian tea experience with the spices they boil in the water takes your tea experience to another level. I love it! We will definitely be back here!! read more

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This is really a 3.5 You enter at a nice bar area and into a quite large dining area. Service was friendly but VERY slow. Seriously, prep yourself. The food was good. I got the lentil sambusas which were kinda dry without much flavor to me. They give you a hot sauce with it. With the hot sauce, it was much better. The veggie plate was delish. I always get a veggie plate when I'm at an Ethiopian place and this was average to better, based on my experience. While I would get it again, the service will keep me away. Also, they have live music on Thursday-Saturday, according to the server. We left before it started (we saw them setting up) and noticed that the place got quite full. Obviously, it's a draw. read more

Makeda Ethiopian Restaurant - Veggie platter - Ethiopian Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

The only thing I ever get at an Ethiopian restaurant is the vegetarian platter and this one has me hooked. So much FLAVOR! My favorite is the red lentils; I just crave the bold mixture of spices. It's large enough for two meals and then some. Four stars only because I can't speak to their other dishes but if you're looking for an outstanding vegetarian entree, this is it. Mix a tiny bit of each item in a small piece of injera and wrap it up like a taco - you will not be disappointed. read more

The experience was frustrating from start to finish. The staff were unhelpful especially the lady with braided hair and styled edges. Communication was poor, and basic expectations were not met. Issues were not addressed in a timely manner, and there was a clear lack of professionalism and attention to detail. We ordered veggie combos, and the shiro was uncooked just mixed with water and salt. When we informed the server she gave us a dismissive look instead of trying to fix the issue. The manager was aware of the situation but did not bother to address it or even speak with us. This was far below the standard I expected and I would not recommend this place to others. Very disappointing and unprofessional customer service never again. This occurred on January 4, 2026, around 8:00 PM. Deserve zero star!!!! read more

Getting started with the customer service which was trash, ordered a veggie platter and asked for a missing food but then we faced an attitude from the server (a girl with braids, zig-zag edges)Furthermore,she went aheah and told the so-called manager who reacted wrongly, smiled instead of being accountable, and failed to meet the customers' demand. We honestly expect better and we are disappointed by the service. To highlight the main issue which was the attitude of the server made everyone frustrated, I would not recommend it. The whole encounter ruined our experience and I personally would not recommend this place. Date:01/4/2026 Time:Around 8:00pm read more

I wish I could give them 5 stars but I just can't. I don't know if this was an anomaly for them or part of their model to boost profits. Whatever it was, heed this warning! We went there last night for the first time based on the reviews and the fact that it's so close to home. Place is amazing! Beautiful decor, friendly staff. We were seated almost immediately...they even asked a small group occupying a large table if they would move to accommodate our large party party, which they did. So far so great! Food was very good, as good as any of the many Ethiopian restaurants we frequent (I lived in Ethiopia so I know what it should taste like). The problem was the bill. They serve small bottles of water at the table. I suppose for sake of convenience. And since they're small, we needed more. We didn't know, nor were we told that they charge for these small bottles. We ended getting charged $3 for each bottle of water. That adds up. Now, if they'd given us the option of buying bottled water or settling for tap water, this review wouldve been 5 stars, but they didn't. It felt disingenuous to foist this charge on customers. The manager/owner took care of the bill but let this be a warning to others who go there...make sure you ask for tap water or you will be charged for their little bottles. We may go back...food and ambiance were great. Just feel like they don't have the customer 100% in mind when a business does stuff like this read more

The food and atmosphere is amazing; standing on the outside the establishment is unassuming, but once inside...the ambiance, the sense of familiarity, and the aroma is astounding. The waitresses and host provide you with great hospitality and service. The entertainment; live Ethiopian dance tunes and ballads only set the mood and relaxing state...bar the heavy bass coming in from the Spanish bar next door. read more

*****Absolutely the best Ethiopian food I've ever eaten. Ordered takeout of vegetarian combo, a mixed cabbage entree and lentil appetizer. Everything was so delicious and well flavored. The enjera was the best I've eaten as well. Light and tangy cooked perfectly. Cannot say enough how highly I recommend this restaurant!! read more

Came here last minute on a Friday night with some friends after the gym. We were able to snag a table pretty quickly (about 5 minutes) thankfully because we were quite hungry and there was a crowd already. Everyone was dressed to the 9s on a Friday night! We were definitely the most underdressed crew, but nobody looked at us funny! We ordered a couple of sampler plates to get introduced to their offerings. Everything was delicious! I love Ethiopian food and this was some of the best. The veggies had a good kick (not blow your head off spicy, but just right), the lamb was tender and flavorful and we had plenty of injera to soak up all the sauces! Yum. I washed it all down with some crisp Habesha beer. Cheers! The service is on the slower side because there are a lot of tables to cater to, but everyone was still kind and making sure we had the best recommendations. In the later hours, a band came on to play live music while we were eating. What a treat! I could come here every Friday night if I could afford it! (That said, everything was fairly priced). Love this place! Highly recommend. read more

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Ny new favorite Ethiopian restaurant for delivery. They customize my orders when I call prior to ordering with Uber Eats. The portions are HUGE, the entera is soft and delicious and the service is super nice and helps with my food allergy aversions. They also have a bunch of gluten free options for my godson. My favorite things to order are the veggie combo, Misir wot and engudae dulet. read more

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Nice size restaurant overall with a good-sized bar at the entrance. We popped in for lunch because we were craving international food. We found the vegetarian menu options to be rather limited, so I settled on the samusa appetizer (lentils) and Mesir Wot as the main course. We also order the Assa Goulash. All were very tasty with just enough "heat". [Issue: I had eaten half of one samusa when I realized it was beef and not lentils. The server apologized and blamed it on the kitchen.] I am rating this place a 3 because our overall experience was below average. -the staff's communication skills are horrible. Their English is either limited or they chose to not use it as best they could. -the service was extremely slow / borderline neglectful. We asked for iced tea refills 4 times before getting it. Glasses were empty eating spicy food - go figure! Found out when leaving that they brew the tea hot (per order), then add ice (which could explain the delay). However, this was never communicated. -Had to ask for things multiple times. Napkins, tea, straw... -the tea did not have free refills. Ok, perhaps we should have asked. But the tea was very good and we enjoyed it, so we asked for more. Charged $3 per glass. Be aware and ask if you want tea. For these reasons I cannot honestly give a higher rating or offer gratuity for the things I experienced. read more

I order 3 meals for takeout but got only 1 injera even tho I was charged full price for all the meal . I call the restaurant back to ask what happened, the customer service agent was rude and just said " maybe the person who took order taught you order one injera " and was not apologetic or admit to their mistake or giving solution . I tried to explain my disappointment and that there is no way you send just stew to people with out injera to eat with and asked if she is gonna refund me for the injeras she charged me , she refused refund and kept on being defensive I usually like to try different Ethiopian restaurants but was disappointed by this one and their rude customer service read more

Subpar service and it seems they take the community for granted. They appear to have a preference for whom they cater to.

The service and food are both excellent. There are several Ethiopian restaurants in the area to choose from, and I highly recommend Makeda. The vegetarian combo is delicious. read more

Loved this Ethiopian restaurant. A friend and I decided to try this place out after looking at the many reviews, and we were not disappointed! The food was delicious and cooked to perfection! I would say my favorite of the choices we got was the Awaze Tibs. It's strips of lamb sautéed with onions and peppers. Everything else was great, but the highlight of the meal was definitely the lamb. The environment was very nice and clean. It's a lot bigger inside than what the outside of the restaurant looks like. It's very modern and clean. As for the service, I think the staff could've been a little bit more attentive with water refills, but overall the experience was not bad at all. I'd highly recommend giving this restaurant a try if you're craving Ethiopian cuisine. Solid 4/5 in my books! read more

Makeda Ethiopian Restaurant - Awaze Tibs (Top Right), Kik Alecha (Top Left), Doro Wot (Middle), Kitfo (Bottom Left) - Ethiopian Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

It had been a long day. I'd traveled the whole day and hadn't eaten since breakfast (a measly serving of oats, mind you). My good friend suggested Ethiopian food, and my stomach lept at the simple suggestion of vittles. We arrived and found a lovely atmosphere at Makeda. The joint was filled with pleasant muisc, and on Thursday nights they have live jazz. After having our stomachs' interests piqued by the menu, we ordered the veggie platter with a lamb dish and a beef dish. My two comrades ordered two beers, too. The beers were delicious. A perfect forerunner to this behemoth meal. Good lord. This was simply one of the best meals I've had in a long time. The flavors ran together like wild horses in a pasture. Everything was balanced and perfect. No part of the plate went unenjoyed. The veggies made a man think he could be a vegetarian; the lamb reminded him that he could never do such a stupid thing. The three of us nearly cried over this food. It was simply incredible. And the method of eating it--tearing pieces from foamy rolls of bready stuff to pick up the food--made for a great, communal meal that we took our time to enjoy. The service was great, too, and our waitress's recommendation was delicious. I highly recommend Makeda. If you want someone to fall in love with you, take them here for a first date. For love and joy spring from the stomach! read more

Makeda Ethiopian Restaurant - Veggie Combo + lamb and beef - Ethiopian Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

This place is the absolute worst. The customer service is horrible and they always mess up your food order.

Top in commonwealth district for me right now. When it comes to delivering accordingly in sections to place on a plate the traditional way. Baby it was the delivery for me excellent. read more

Makeda Ethiopian Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Not only was the food great, so was our server who had the same name as the restaurant. The ambiance was ok, its in a strip mall but the food was excellent. Sorry not photos because I ate too fast. Highly recommend. read more

I was waiting for my car to get serviced and I was very hungry. A service rep recommended a chicken joint in the direction of Van Dorn, so I headed out. Before I got to see the chicken place, I noticed that there was a few other places, the Ethiopian restaurant stood out. As soon as I got in I was greeted by the smell of good food. The place was a bit larger than I could tell from the outside. And it was very nicely decorated with a large bar, where I decided to sit. I ordered an injera platter with veggies, beef and chicken. Everything was good! But what stood out to me was the service! I love the Ethiopian people! They treated me like I was a visiting relative. Everyone wanted to know how I liked my food, and asked questions about me. Meron, Jerry, and others whose names I didn't get... all so nice!! I will be back very soon!! read more

Staff were very friendly. You can speak to anyone and get assistance versus the waitress assigned to your table. They have live music but we left right before they started playing so I'm not sure how good it is. The food was very flavorful. The spices were prevalent in the veggie combo. I would definitely go here again. read more

Makeda Ethiopian Restaurant - Veggie Combo, I loved everything on this dish. It's family style and has a little spice. - Ethiopian Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Food was delicious. Split the veggie combo and doru wat. Only nit with food was the doru wat--one chicken leg, one egg in a large bowl of sauce. Plenty of food otherwise and only one of us was eating chicken though so no one was hungry. Service was fast and friendly. Ambiance pleasant, music a little loud but we were able to converse. The major reason for less than five stars was that we didn't get moist cloths before or after the meal, which I've seen at every other place where you eat with your hands. read more

I would love this restaurant more if it wasn't located in such an awful plaza. The food is authentic, and all the serving staff are extremely kind and genuine. They will go the extra mile to describe a dish to you or make a recommendation. If you do go, please tip in cash. They have live music towards the end of the week and their bar is good! Drinks are decently priced. I only wish some of the dishes were cheaper because I would eat here more often. I recommend eating here if you're interested in exploring new cuisines. read more

If I could give this place 0 stars I would, I ordered with them from DoorDash and asked for a full fish and they gave me cutlets instead of my full fish. I called them to let them know they gave me the wrong food and they told me if I wanted the food I originally ordered I would have to drive back to the store and give them the food they gave me that I didn't order. So they probably are giving that food back out to other customers. they were in the wrong and had me go out my way to drive back and give them the food. This place is terrible service, rude people I would not recommend if ordering online. read more

The food was delicious, the service was amazing, and the ambience was beautiful. You can just taste the freshness and qualify of the food. Everything we ordered we loved! From Los Angeles and have tried most of the Ethiopian restaurants here and in a few other states but Makeda in Alexandria VA is honestly the best we've ever had! Definitely recommend and will for sure be coming back if we are ever in the DMV area again. Wishing they had a location here in LA! read more

If I could give this place 0 stars I would, I ordered with them from DoorDash and asked for a full fish and they gave me cutlets instead of my full fish. I called them to let them know they gave me the wrong food and they told me if I wanted the food I originally ordered I would have to drive back to the store and give them the food they gave me that I didn't order. So they probably are giving that food back out to other customers. they were in the wrong and had me go out my way to drive back and give them the food. This place is terrible service, rude people I would not recommend if ordering online. read more

Very much enjoyed the food here. I've been wanting to visit here and once I saw a Groupon+ deal for cash back, I was definitely coming. Atmosphere: Not your typical hole in the wall Ethiopian restaurant. It may look small from the outside but it's quite large on the inside with good lighting. It almost seems "fine dining" level with their real plates and petit vases and flowers on every table. The bar is very pretty and the lighting fixtures are very nice. Food: We really enjoyed our orders. We got the Veggie Combo plus Makeda Tibs. Everything was absolutely delicious and the pricing was very reasonable. I was stuffed to the max. I am slowly learning all the names of the dishes! I loved all of the ones on the Veggie Combo list! Next time, we'll try different meat but still do the veggie combo. Service: This is where it could've been better. We waited a while to be talked to and only after I stopped someone to ask if they had forgotten about us (I think they had). I think service was just a bit slow so we made sure to get lots of water when they came by one time and gave them the credit card when they brought the bill because we didn't want to wait for the next time they came. Overall, very pleasant experience because the food was so yummy!!! And you can't beat the Groupon+ deal! read more

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