Hidden gem! Food: delicious! Tried the sambusa as an app, and when I was undecided between the two options, owner suggested to get one of each since dish comes with two; preferred beef over lentils, but both good; spicy sauce on plate was delightful! As an entree, had the Sheba combo with spicy beef, spicy lamb, eggplant, cabbage with carrots; served with house salad and fresh injera; all delicious, meats were tender and nicely portioned so easy to eat with bites of injera. Ambiance: low frills, clean tables and clean bathrooms Service: friendly and fast; owner recommended the iced Ethiopian tea mixed half and half with lemonade which was refreshing and not too sweet. read more

Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant - Sheba Combo with beef, lamb, eggplant, Tikil Gomen (Cabbage w/ Carrots) - Ethiopian Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

While the menus at Ethiopian restaurants tend to be somewhat similar, Sheba stood out to me in some good ways. One way that I always like is seeing something on the menu I rarely see at other Ethiopian restaurants. That was their Chicken and Spinach option. The other was, for lack of a better term, a "lightness" to some of the entrees. This was particularly true of the meat dishes. While always tasty,they sometimes have a heavier, or oilier taste to them. The dishes here, in particular the chicken dishes, tasted lighter and fresher. The atmosphere here is a bit quieter, we had great service, and overall it was a very enjoyable experience. read more

Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

Good service and very tasty food. Not much ambiance. Limited free parking outide the door The owner is very pleasant and accommodating read more

Taste of foods is nice. I ordered for take out, everything was fine. They paid attention my note that wanted Injera bread on the side. Only one thing that I was wondering, I ordered Beef Sambusa & Sheba Combo (2 meat dishes and 2 veggie sides) All was correct and tasty (Sheba tib, Doro Wot, Tikil Gomen, Kay misir) but I thought Doro Wot is supposed to come with chiken leg and hard boiled egg. But why I didn't see egg in my dish. It is not a big deal for me, just want to make sure they serve as they have described on the menu. This restaurant has enough space for dining table, clean and organize. The parking is free but quite limit spots. read more

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My first time having Ethiopian food and I will be forever loyal to this place!! Everything is so good, so flavorful I ordered the Sheba combo with 2 meats, 2 veggies and chose the red lentils, chickpeas, chicken, and beef. And it comes with a salad with vinaigrette. The injera though we gotta talk about the injera. It's so nice, fluffy, pillowy. There's a slight tartness like sourdough. It just makes the perfect vehicle for all the toppings. The owner was really nice and offered me an extra injera (not pictured). I really cleared the whole plate and that extra roll. Everything was amazing and I will definitely be back next time I'm in the area!!! read more

Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

(5) ~ Excellent Food & Service! The Tej (Honey Wine) by the glass was still slightly oxidized, so I recommend getting a full unopened bottle to make sure it's fresh;) read more

My husband and I stopped by for lunch on Veterans Day as we both had off. This is a small restaurant in a strip mall which is unassuming but clean and neat. We were greeted and told we could sit where we like. There were only a few others there but everyone was chatty and enjoying themselves. I got a hot tea which was wonderfully spiced and my husband got a beer. The one man serving everyone was quick and friendly. We started with one beef and one lentil sambusa. Nice hot and flavorful. We got a combo with 2 meats and 2 veggies as well as the raw beef kitfo for our main and they asked if we wanted it all served together which we did. Everything was super tasty and the injera wonderful. We really enjoyed our lunch and will be back! read more

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I'm loving this place more and more. The ambience is low key but comfortable, and the owner is happy to make recommendations. I love the vegetarian platter, the stews, and the injera. If you've never had Ethiopian food, give it a chance - some dishes are very spicy but there are also delicious milder options too. read more

This was a first for me and I must say the food was tasty! Middle eastern and African spices really make a difference - we had beef and lamb / collard greens. The service was great and everything came out quickly! It was well lit and actually bigger than it appears from the road - it is a little strip mall and very deceiving. read more

Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant - Yummy! - Ethiopian Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

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I have already have recommended Sheba to two friends. It is a casual place with lots of people coming and going with their carry out orders. This was nice. It created a friendly neighborhood environment. We arrived early on Friday after we had gone to a matinee movie. The service was attentive and the food came out fast. The owner was sitting at a nearby table and checked on a us twice. Food was a good value and flavors were nice. Our bill, for two with a drink each and tip, was less than $70. I am a chef and am often disappointed by restaurants' quality of their dishes. For a small business, locally owned restaurant, this one is very good. We will return. read more

Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant - Veggie and beef samplers with Tej. - Ethiopian Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

After having dinner there a few weeks ago, I decided to try the carry out mode for taking home the food for dinner. I ordered it through yelp. It seems like it must've gone through GrubHub when I got there they did not have my order started and that was 30 minutes From leaving work. The server said to please wait 10 minutes and it would be ready so I walked around and came back. The food was ready. I ordered the same things I ordered when we ate at the restaurant. I love the lentil samosas they must have flavorful wonderful spicy sauce cooked perfectly or should I say fried. I ordered the vegetable medium size and it was very nicely prepared. I also ordered the lamb stew now to get it to go. I should've told them not to put it on the bread because it absorbed all the wonderful broth or sauce. Otherwise I was very pleased with this restaurant and it was nice to eat at home at my own pace read more

My first time having Ethiopian at a restaurant (previously only had takeout here and there) and WOW!!! My mind is blown utterly, every dish we tried were all so dang good, and the honey wine washed everything down perfectly. I was visiting from our of town, and am really going to miss this place. read more

Great Ethiopian food in Rockville! We've come about once a year for the past few years and it's always so tasty. You can buy 100% teff injera which is more tart, tasty, and doesn't make you feel as bloated as injera cut with flour that is more common. Everything we've tried so far has been yummy, so full of flavor: sambusa, veggie combo, Sheba combo, doro wat, Sheba tibs, tibs kay wot, yebeg kay wot. Dipping injera into the veggies is so savory and filling that you don't even need meat - red lentils, collards, split peas, cabbage & carrots, chickpeas, egg wot, eggplant, green beans, potatoes & carrots. For dessert they have a chocolate cake made with teff & 60% cacao with 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream. The dish is not too sweet which is very welcome. Quite pleasing way to end the meal. The staff are also very friendly and kind. Definitely recommend Sheba if you're looking for flavorful food to eat with your hands in Rockville! read more

Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant - Veggie combo and Sheba tibs - Ethiopian Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

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Sheba is the place to go to experience an authentic Ethiopian dish. The atmosphere is great, the service excellent and the prices competitive. The Sampler dishes (both vegan or meat, or both) are a great choice as you can fulfill your taste buds with a combination of what is offered. My kids love it also and they always ask me to treat them there. Bon appetite. read more

Sheba is a little off the beaten path, tucked in the middle of a small strip shopping center with very limited parking. However, if you can navigate your way here, the cuisine and service that awaits is well worth the effort. Featured on the menu are various combos of meats and vegetables, stewed or simmered in aromatic sauces. You can also order many of the combo elements as separate entrees. The Ethiopian iced tea was delicious. It is served unsweetened, leaving that decision up to the customer. Service was rock solid without being obtrusive. Prices were fair given the geography. Note that no lunch specials exist on weekends, apparently. I can imagine the dining room being packed on weekend evenings, but the teeny, shared parking lot would get crowded first and might be a useful guide. We certainly plan to be back. read more

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Such a quiet, spacious, restaurant, full of light. The inertia (wheat free) is delicious, with a sour-dough flavor. The vegetarian platter was full of a delicious variety of veggies to be scooped up with the inertia. A LOT of food! The service is attentive and the owner is helpful for advising regarding choices. Looking forward to going back to try the chocolate dessert with vanilla ice cream next time! read more

My husband and I were looking for a place for lunch one afternoon, so I headed to Yelp and found Sheba. It's a little tucked away in Rockville, and the GPS will have you turn too soon, but once you find it, you'll be glad. The owner is welcoming and the ambiance is sweet and simple. I went with the veggie combo. There are SO many options, it's hard to choose only five. Each dish was delectable and had its own flavor profile. Don't be afraid of anything marked spicy because it's not super spicy at all. I also tried the Sheba iced tea. That one wasn't incredible, but I wonder if it's more flavorful hot. Give this spot a try. read more

Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

A cozy and quiet Ethiopian restaurant in Rockville. The service was nice and the prices were inexpensive. The food was great! We had a quick week day lunch. There were inexpensive lunch options on the menu. We ordered 4*Unsweetened Sheba Iced Tea: it was pretty good without the sugar. It was basically tea with cinnamon and ice. 4*Veggie Combo: we could pick five different types vegetables. Fresh and good. We mixed spicy and mild flavors together to balance. 4.2*Lamb Combo: very good lamb, tender and flavorful. read more

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Food was like, really good to my out-of-town friend who hasn't had Ethiopian food in two years. On the other hand, I live here and am spoiled by the variety of Ethiopian restaurants available locally and so I was pretty disappointed. Props though for having teff-only injera available. read more

Ordered delivery. Everything was pretty tasty but favorites were ayeb and eggplant. Different flavors than some other Ethiopian restaurants.

The staff is very friendly. The restaurant is clean with a lot of natural light. The lentil sambusa is amazing! The main course was okay. I wasn't the biggest fan of the texture of the injera so that didn't help. The spices of the food was very good. The chicken was a bit hard. The portion size looks big but the food is pretty light so I didn't feel very full after. I wouldn't come back here for a meal but definitely for some sambusa! read more

Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant - Doro Alicha (Mild Chicken Stew) Difin Misir (Brown Lentils - Mild) - Ethiopian Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

We ordered a variety of dishes for our family to share, and they were all very good. We have a couple of picky eaters, so it was nice to come away with everyone full and happy. We will definitely go to Sheba again. read more

This was my first time trying Ethiopian food, and coming here was the best decision. Our server Emmanuel was so enthusiastic and sweet. He was also excited that it would our entire group's first time trying Ethiopian food at his family's restaurant and my first time trying Ethiopian food altogether. We ordered the veggie combo, beef combo, and lamb combo. I forgot which items we ordered exactly, I think we got the yellow split peas, cabbage and carrots, chickpea stew, potato stew, boiled egg, and brown lentils. The food was so delicious, everything we had on the plate was so tasty and didn't disappoint. I loved each of the different flavors. My favorites are the potato stew and cabbage and carrots. They gave us a generous portion size too. The servers always checked up on us, overall amazing service and amazing food. Emmanuel took care of us so well. I'll never forget my first time trying Ethiopian food along with the excellent service and experience we had here. I feel like wherever I'll try Ethiopian food in the future, I'll always think about my first time here :) read more

Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant - Injera - Ethiopian Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

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Food is amazing. Crispy injera is a new family favorite. One serving was plenty for each of us. Watch out if you are timid in spice.

The day after we enjoyed dinner there, we are still talking about how good it is! Three of us enjoyed three different veggie combos and a chocolate cake. The food was super fresh. The injera was delicious. Portions were the perfect sizes. The prices were reasonable. This place was full of regulars on a Friday night. The owner greeted them all with a hug. Also, the service was fabulous. We can't wait to return. read more

I used to dine here very often until the cook was changed. In my last two visits I was extremely disappointed that I will not come back. The service is ok, but the food went town badly. The taste is not there anymore, the size of the dishes are reduced and the price has gone up unjustifiably-doubled-in my opinion, if you are increasing the price the least you can do is keeping the quality and the amount of food you are serving. I enjoyed this place for few years but I'm moving on. I give two stars because of the location, parking and a waitress that was friendly. read more

We we're hungry for Ethiopian and kids had never tried it, so this place was recommended. It was outstanding! The space itself is informal, but the food was spectacular. We got the vegetarian sampler plus a couple of meat dishes, and honey wine of course. It's a bit out of the way for DC travel but honestly worth it. Service was excellent, will definitely be back when I'm in the neighborhood. read more

Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant - I believe we got the Vegetarian Sampler with a couple of meat add-ons - Ethiopian Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

Sorry for no pics on this review but i was just too hungry by the time my delivery order arrived to stop and take any. After finishing my meal, I honestly have no regrets about that decision. This food was absolutely amazing. I ordered the Tibs Kay Wot and loved every bite of it. Wonderfully spicy but not in the uncomfortable, runny nose kind of way. The veggie side of Kay Misir (spicy red lentils) was a great complement. I also got the beef sambusa also a big winner. the fact that everything tasted great despite the fact that it was delivered by Uber eats says something too. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to visit the restaurant in person On my first business trip to Gaithersburg, I'm happy to have discovered this place. read more

I've tried Ethiopian food all over the DC metro area and can confidently say Sheba is the best. I'm veg and I've only tried their vegan options, but there are plenty of them, along with meat dishes. The injera is fluffy and light, their lentils are tasty, and the veggies are superb. Service is very good and the owner is frequently there taking orders, so you can pass any comments directly to him. And unlike a lot of semi-casual restaurants, the ambience is actually nice - softly lit, quiet, decorated with handcrafts from Ethiopia. If you like Ethiopian food or want to try it, I highly recommend Sheba. read more

Echoing that, 2 years since my original review, this restaurant is still my number 1 favorite in the area and maybe of all time. The service is always warm, albeit once in awhile slow depending on your timing with other customer groups. The food is beyond compare -- incredibly flavorful and, bonus, much healthier than other restaurant food. I've talked with the family owners who described how high their standards are for ingredient quality and fresh delivery of food. Glad they're getting so many customers from takeout or delivery -- but if you ask me, this is truly one of those cases where dine-in is best. Having your food presented fresh on top of a big warm plate of injera just cannot be the same compared to unwrapping everything at home... But if takeout or delivery are your only options, they are still solid ones. :) Our favorites are still the vegetarian combo with spicy yebeg ribs and a side of awaze. We've had their sambosas before, and theyr great. But a new favorite appetizer for me is the injera crisps with some kind of dip -- there are at least two options (one is pictured below), and you can't go wrong with either of them! read more

Love it! So glad to have this place right here in Rockville and get to be fed the best food in these viral times, ha ha! Great for take-out or delivery service! Sheba is excellent as always! They offer prompt, accurate service with all the special instructions followed, boxes labelled as to which contain mild food, everything is absolutely delicious, they have a great selection, all is cooked to perfection, and every morsel is completely tasty! Perfect! Oh, what did I eat, you wonder? The Dinich Wot (Potato Stew) I had never seen or heard of before so naturally, it was a must! Nicely spiced, saucy stew! That was had with a side of Ater Kik/ mild yellow split peas and the 'regular' injera served in America .... My dining partner and I shared most everything including my Fosolia with a side of Kay Misir -- spicy red lentils -- and the authentic Ethiopian injera (the original teff rather than teff mixed with wheat -- thinner, more sour-tasting, with a totally different long-term bodily effect!) -- and a delicious, crispy lentil sambusa for to end! Again, it was just perfection! Mmm ... ! :-D read more

Quiet family feel place. Halal, vegetarian and Gluten Free options. One of the few places still run with heart. Someone's aunty or grandma is in the back cooking is how the food tastes. The teff chocolate cake is gluten free and oh so yummy!! Served warm with vanilla ice cream and a splash of chocolate syrup. Can't wait to go again. Good for quiet business meeting or family style sharings. The ginger tea is strong, made fresh with real spices. Let me know how you like it :-) read more

Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant - Vegetarian Sampler lunch yummmy - Ethiopian Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

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I must say, I don't eat Ethiopian food very often we got there late, but they were very accommodating. The waiter who is the son of the owner was excellent lotta personality made us feel very welcome. The food was very good and very different. The tofu was excellent. The other vegetables were tasty and flavorful. We had the cake and ice cream for dessert. The cake was very interesting consistency. I liked it TOFF I think it was called type of flour We had the Ethiopian tea which was interesting with the spices. it was a unique kind of dinner. One that I would recommend if you don't want the traditional foods that you eat most of the time !!!!!and you wanna try something ethnic. read more

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A lovely Ethiopian restaurant with a cozy atmosphere, the owners are very welcoming. I've had the Kitfo here, some other beef dishes, and lamb. I haven't tried everything so far, but the Kitfo is definitely my favourite! I recommend getting it 100% raw - I haven't gotten sick from eating it and it goes to show you how clean the food prep and restaurant is. Also, the owners sell lentils and Injera chips which are AMAZING. Very well done! read more

Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant - Yebeg Kay Wot (Spicy Lamb Stew) - Ethiopian Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

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I've been to Sheba a couple times now and have enjoyed the food. Service was always good, with our waitress being attentive. If you order a non-alcoholic beverage, I have noticed you do wait some time for it, though. Luckily for me, I usually order one of their Ethiopian beers or the Tej Honey wine. My go to at Sheba is the beef sambussa and Sheba special tibs. The sambussas (2/order) are filled with a good amount of ground beef that's seasoned well. I like how it's lightly fried and has a nice crunch to it. If you want to add some heat to the appetizer, don't forget to dip the sambussa in the awaze! Again if you like spicy food, I highly suggest getting the Sheba special tibs spicy. You get a generous amount of beef tibs (cubed beef) that's not only marinated well, but is accompanied with jalapenos, tomatoes, and onions. So good! If you like a lot of sauce in your dish, this one isn't for you. Don't forget to eat the injera below the beef tibs. It's packed with tons of flavor and juices! Parking in front of Sheba could be a challenge at a times, so have some patience as the lot is small. If you are in the area and in the mood for some good Ethiopian food, I suggest checking out Sheba. read more

Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

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Overall, a very good neighborhood restaurant. The samplers are a good way to go since you can try 4 or 5 dishes. The injera bread is excellent, and everything I've eaten there has been wonderful. Very pleasant ambience and service as well. read more

Beef tibs were well seasoned and enjoyable. The spicy lentils were also good but I was not a huge fan of the yellow lentils. Also I did order from Uber eats which was fast but I wish they provide more injera instead of one role outside of the injera the food came on. read more

Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant - a plate of ethiopian food - Ethiopian Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

Great food. I order thru Uber eats and my notes are always followed perfectly. The food arrives packaged neatly and spill proof and the enters is fluffy and soft. I've tried a bunch of the Ethiopian restaurants in the area and Sheba is the one I decided was my favorite and my new go to when I'm craving Misir wot or tibs. My favorite things to order, the beef and chicken combo (not in the photo), doro wot, the veggie combo and of course extra injera. I highly recommend Shaba. The food is delicious and they even have mild options. . Doro Wot chicken Key Misir Red Lentils Minchet Abish Veggie Combo Teff Injera Mild read more

Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant - Doro wot with collard greens, veggie combo (shio in separate container) and injera - Ethiopian Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

My husband went to pick the food up for us. He had to wait a long time. He said there was one guy working & the worker immediately told him it's going to be a while. There was a family dining in and that was it as far as customers go. I ordered the Sheba Sambusa & veggie combo with 100% teff/gluten free injera bread. The teff injera I usually purchase is not light like this. Even watching it get made is not this color. This is not the gluten free injera bread. The food was good nonetheless. The injera was more sour than what I am used to...not a bad thing though. read more

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I have been wanting to try Ethiopian food for a long time and finally got the chance. Sheba's great reviews are well-deserved! The food was generous and flavorful and the server and manager were friendly and warm. We ordered a vegetarian platter, a chicken platter and a lamb platter, which came with plenty of injera bread to soak it up. Can't wait to come back and try more dishes! read more

Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant - A vegetarian platter, a chicken platter and a lamb platter, which came with plenty of injera bread to soak it up. - Ethiopian Near Me - Rockville, Maryland