Ethiopian Restaurants in Washington, DC

“The food is wonderful. We always eat here when we come up from Richmond, VA. The staff is great as well.“

“very tasty Ethiopian dishes and very good atmosphere also excellent services!!!!“

“Excellent food and atmosphere. The bartenders were also super chill and make really creative drinks. Recommend the honey wine!“

“Go. Now. If it’s closed, just wait outside til it opens and thank me later. I CANNOT recommend them higher. The food was absolutely phenomenal. Portion sizes that can feed 2-3 people. Ridiculously delicious food. Great prices… and most outstanding THE SERVICE! The lady running the place was quite simply one of the kindest sweetest souls you’ll ever meet, took care of us like we were part of the family and honestly was just incredible.“

“Don’t miss coming here if you are in DC! This is the best Ethiopian food we have ever had and the service was incredible. We will definitely be back! Becca was an amazing hostess/server. Don’t miss trying the homemade tiramisu for dessert.“

“The food was amazing here and the atmosphere was out of this world. As somebody who has grown up integrated into the Ethiopian culture this food was so authentic and traditional. Especially happy to see that they had traditional Ethiopian coffee and wine. You know the coffee will be good when they pull out that jebena, and from the looks of it, it looks like it was from the Gurage tribe. I went with my Work of Black and Brown indigenous queer and trans folk and I was treated with nothing but respect and care!“

“I haven’t tried the food yet but I just wanted to rate them on the atmosphere and pleasant energy when I walked in . It’s so hard to find great atmosphere restaurants nowadays but I know the food will be great 👍🏾 this will be one of my go to Ethiopian spots ! Great job on the customer service Amen 🙏🏾“

“I recently visited Letena while on a visit to D.C. from Israel. Amazing food! Great option for those who keep kosher...just ask the super helpful staff about specific preparations. Loved their injera! I often find injera too sour for my personal tastes, but this injera was wonderful!“

“We loved our first experience with Ethiopian cuisine! Instead of leaving us to decipher the menu, the owner (also the chef and our server) asked us what we liked, and she took care of us. We enjoyed a veggie platter and a meat platter, both excellent. 10 out of 10. Would recommend.“

“Got the meat combo for 2. Incredible value for about $30 before tax and tip and the best Ethiopian food I’ve ever had! Delicate meaty stews full of flavor without being too rich or salty. If more people knew about this place it’d probably be very crowded.“

“best ever!!“

“A wonderful, authentic Ethiopian restaurant/cafe with great service. I had the vegetarian platter and it was delicious. I was very touched because I accidentally left a small thing on the table and the owner had a customer rush after me to return it (I had already crossed the street and was halfway down the block). I’ll definitely eat here again and recommend it to anyone who likes delicious Ethiopian food.“

“I eat here every 2 weeks or so, I love their Beef and Lamb Tibs and sides. Always get carry out so can’t comment on eating in the restaurant. It’s delicious and always tastes fresh. Highly recommend the Lega tibs over the Derek tibs. Taking off one star because the meat does tend to be SUPER oily compared to some other places. I love the flavor so I keep coming back, I just wish it were slightly less oily.“

“The best Ethiopian food and fresh food made immediately when you order thanks ghion that make me love it“

“Great experience. Definitely recommend combo platters to test the waters. Excellent service.“

“I went to the restaurant Monday night, even for a Monday night the place was packed. My wife and I ordered the special 1 and the special 3. The food was very delicious but the service was even extra ordinary! After our server realized my wife has a hearing problem, she tired to help us order by the few sign language she knows. She told my wife “Going out for dinner experience includes ordering food for yourself so I wanted you to part of it” which made my wife so emotional. By the end of our night we taught her some new sign languages which might help her for other customers. She was so friendly and patient even though the house was so packed. I’m so happy my wife had the experience she did. I didn’t know it met so much to my wife until I saw how happy her face was. I will definitely recommend it for people who have hard of hearing or family member. It will definitely make them happy they are part of the EXPERIENCE rather than sit there while other people order the food for them.“

“First time eating it but it was good. And the workers were very nice and respectful. They evening told us what was the best thing to share for an group. The food is mostly finger foods no silverware just the meat had an spoon cause the plate is hot“

“I’ve loved coming in and seeing the staff make the fresh coffee on Sunday from the pot. Such a refreshing aroma. I like their espresso coffee with steam milk .“

“For $40 you get a delicious 7-course vegetarian dinner for 2 with croaker and honey wine. The staff makes you feel at home and the owner is a wonderful host. Try it.“

“The food and service was excellent. The server helped us out with ordering our food so we didn't over order. Her suggestions were spot on. At the end of the meal, coffee was freshly roasted and served piping hot
It was a wonderful treat after indulging in such delicious food.“

“I was rooming round in DC and saw this restaurant so we decided to go dine in, the very welcoming server made eye contact and showed us our table gave menu, come back to take our order also suggested that I should try sautéed Lamb onions, tomatoes and potato wedges with Engera or freshly backed bread I took the suggestion order Lamb. While waiting for my food I turned to see dine areas the atmosphere was great, the Lamb was cooked Beautifully and the portion was large so I asked to go parcel, definitely I would suggest this restaurant and when I go back DC I would love to visit the restaurant again.“

“Best Ethiopian Restaurante in Town! I recomendar this place“

“The food was good and approachable if a little spicy. We loved the short ribs.“

“great food and service nice spot“

“The best, most authentic Ethiopian food in DC… pour up the homemade tej from the plastic soda bottle & taste the realness 🤤“

“I stopped in with friends before a event Sunday evening. The staff was warm and welcoming. I had the lentil sambusas and a peanut-infused coffee at the staff’s recommendation. The food was fast and delicious- the sambusas were warm and spicy, and the peanut coffee was delicious! In a kind gesture, the chef sent over a sampling of sushi to our table. Fresh and refreshing, the sushi was a nice complement to my sambusas and hot beverage. I’m not on this side of town often, but now I have a reason to come back.“

“I have enjoyed drinking Harrar Coffee for more than six years. I discovered the Roastery one day while walking on Georgia Avenue and was really impressed by the coffee. I have moved to South Carolina and order it by mail for the last three years. The absolute best coffee.“

“I recently visited Marcus DC with one of my close friends and honestly could not have asked for a better experience. From the moment we walked in, the vibe was incredible and the service matched it perfectly.
We decided to go the small plates route and I'm glad we did. We started off with the oysters. The oysters paired the prickly pear piri piri and habanero sauce were absolutely delicious... bold, unique flavors that I was not expecting but loved every bite of. We also had the snapper crudo which was so well balanced and flavorful without being overdone. Just really well executed.
Now let me talk about the adobo cauliflower because it may genuinely be the best seasoned cauliflower I have ever had in my entire life. I would go back to this restaurant just for that dish alone!! Lastly, the crispy potato was also a great addition and rounded out the meal perfectly.
Everything about this visit was top tier. The food, the atmosphere, and especially the service. If you have not been to Marcus at the Morrow Hotel yet, you are truly missing out.“

“Everytime I have visited Qategna, the service and atmosphere is always excellent. This is a great place for groups or even those looking for a more private experience. Also they have great happy hour prices for hookah and drinks if you're looking to save some money. There's also have plenty of parking available.“

“Authentic Ethiopian restaurant in Washington, DC. The food is very tasty. I’m really happy to have the opportunity to try a different culture’s cuisine without having to travel far. I’ve visited many times because my curiosity keeps bringing me back to explore more of their dishes. I love it every time.“

“The capuccino was amazing! We dont live around here so our usual coffee shops are like starbucks, etc. We tried this place because it was near our destination and it was amazing! It was what we call real coffee. The customer service was great, the workers were so sweet and gave us recommendations on what to order. Its a cute bookstore and meeting place with ethiopian food and coffee. Definitely recommend if you want some real coffee or something different than your usual starbucks.“

“Went on a Saturday night after deciding we didn’t want to wait in line at the Pizza place around the corner. We had no idea what to expect but it looked interesting so gave it a shot and we’re very surprised to find three restaurants in one (Burgers, Mexican-Ethiopian fusion, and Soul chicken) I was originally to try the soul chicken, but I changed my mind and tried the Mex-Ethiopian fusion since I’m Mexican and my husband got a burger and fries. Well, I was very pleasantly surprised with my unique tacos and guac, and the burger was crazy filling. Those fries were pretty good too. Now I’m excited to go back and try the soul chicken too.

The service was also welcoming, music good, volume perfect, and food came out quite fast.“

“Very chill vibe. Me and my sisters went during the day on a Saturday and it was a great grown adult atmosphere. DJ came in the last hour we were there and that set it off even more. Glad we came when we did. Wasn’t a crowd and had plenty of room to sit and dance.“