Tsehay Ethiopian Restaurant And Bar

The food is not bad; but it was not as flavorful as some of the spots in silver spring; some key authentic flavors were definitely missing.
Loud American music was playing; management should switch to Ethiopian Jazz. It would make the atmosphere more authentic.
I would say this place is good for those who never had Ethiopian food. If you have had authentic Ethiopian food, Tsehay might not hit the spot.
Very nice staff.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 3

Service: 5

I had an amazing experience at this Ethiopian restaurant! The exotic ambiance immediately transported me with its warm colors, traditional decor, and inviting atmosphere. The food was just as impressive – generous portions full of rich, flavorful spices that made each bite a delight. The injera was soft and perfect, and the Tibs was cooked to perfection. What truly made the experience stand out was the excellent hosts; they were warm, attentive, and made us feel right at home. If you're looking for a unique and flavorful dining experience, this place is a must-visit! Highly recommend.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Combination, Lamb TIBS 8oz 225g

Wonderful food and exceptional service! Highly recommend this amazing culinary experience in Washington DC!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I love the food and I like yeron dish it was soo yummy

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Fried Whole Tilapia

Good option for Ethiopian platter and the meat was very fresh! Tried the honey wine, which was decent. Slightly pricey , but I guess it is due to the location.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

Super delicious. Get the tomato salad for sure!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Vegan Combination & Ye Belay Superior, Injera

I have visited and ordered take out over a handful of times and I enjoy their food but there are a lot of things to be taken into consideration:

The portions are quite small compared to other Ethiopian restaurants in the area. For most dishes, they have a description of how many ounces it consist of, but every single time I ordered I got a different portion - not really sure what happens.
That being said, once I requested some extra shiro and they did it, which was a really nice surprise. I think it’s always unclear how much Injera will come with the food, sometimes I’ve gotten a few rolls, other times a single one.
For example, the lunch special clarifies its 4oz of meat but there is no further explanation of how many oz for the veg item and/or if it would come with Injera. I was still hungry after getting the special with shiro and beef, and think it would have been 10x better to get the Memo Special (shiro, beef, more injera and a salad) for an extra 2/3 dollars. On top of that, I found two small pieces of hair in my food (which was definitely not mine), I brushed it off and decided to eat the food anyways because I was in a hurry.

I’d also be careful when ordering online as they have different pricing for different platforms. For example, the Memo Special is $22.99 on Toast and $29.90 on Storefront by DoorDash and GrubHub.

All the staff I’ve met in person was always helpful, I usually go around lunch time and see the same waiter who is always kind.
That being said, most replies I’ve seen to costumers here on Google Maps are extremely rude. It seems like they take all feedback as bad criticism, instead of trying to listen to their clients (people who are spending their money and want good quality service) and improve.

Overall, it’s a 3 stars experience for me and there’s a lot of room for improvement!

Absolutely fabulous!!! The food, the service....words don't do this spectacular restaurant justice!!! Ken was a phenomenal host... genuine, thoughtful, helpful and personal!!! The best food in D.C. just thinking about it makes us happy and fills our hearts...The most amazing combinations of flavors!!!!!!! Wish it was located in east TN!!!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Maybe it was the full moon but this was Not the best experience. I had high hopes for this restaurant since most reviews were stellar however, the management and service staff let me down. As a person that works really hard for my money, I have a certain expectations when dining out, I wouldnt even consider my expectations outrageous just the basics, serve food in a timely manner, come back and check on your table within 5 minutes of meal being served, and provide your table with napkins. Last night our waiter decided those basics would not be offered and as a result caused me to have one of the worst dining experiences I can remember. When I spoke with management after our dinner, the manager argued with me for almost 30 minutes and doubled down on his staffs service. I repeatedly requested he review the camera footage so that he could see what I was saying was not made up. To add injury to insult, the restaurant wasn't full at all... Just poor service across the board. My advice, skip the dining in experience order to go or dont order at this restaurant at all.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 3

Service: 1

Last meal in DC was an Ethiopian brekkie at Tsehay. My first time having Ethiopian food and the kind and friendly gentleman recommended the Harar Special - Scrambled eggs and shiro with tomatoes, onions, jalapeno served with Injera. He even taught me how to eat it and I went all in! Breakfast choices are limited but I'm so happy I tried something here. I wish I had a chance to visit for lunch or dinner.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Delicious food and drinks. Courteous staff.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I think this may be the best Ethiopian restaurant in DC. And that’s saying a lot, we have some amazing Ethiopian food here. But honestly, the vegan combo platter and the red lamb stew were so delicious. The vibe in the restaurant is really cute And it made for a really fun dining experience. And the cherry on top was our amazing server Valentina. She was so sweet and really took the time to help us with the menu. She’s the one that recommended the meat that we ended up getting and it was all amazing. Highly recommend this place, the food and service is phenomenal. I’m excited to go back and try more!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Ye Beg Wet Red Lamb Stew, Vegan Combination & Ye Belay Superior, Injera

Came here with my friends because I was in the mood for Ethiopian food, which bears noting because I am Ethiopian myself and typically prefer my mother’s cooking to that of most restaurants. However, I had walked past Tsehay recently and was curious about what the food at a Michelin-selected Ethiopian restaurant would be like.
I ordered the espresso martini, beef sambusa, kitfo combo, shiro, tibs, and salad. It took a moment for us to get our waters, but our server was nice and took great care of us. The sambusa were a bit smaller than I
Am used to, which felt like a reoccurring theme throughout the meal. I enjoyed the kitfo combo, although I wished that the flavor of the niter kibe (clarified butter spiced with black cardamom) was more present. The star in my opinion, was the tibs, which was tender, juicy, and perfectly seasoned. We ended up ordering more tibs, and at that point were so full, that the moderate portion size almost felt like a blessing.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 3

As far as global cuisine adventures are concerned, whenever I don’t see a fair number of customers dining who look like they grew up eating what I’m about to eat, I get a little skeptical…it’s actually kinda a deal breaker. Tsehay knocked the skeptic right out of me with a single bite..and that was just an appetizer Sambusa. Added one of their cocktails to that…(the GinJena i think) and I knew we were in for a treat!

The Shiro was fantastic! We had the veggie combo with extra Shiro of course. The meat eating part of our group got Tibs, kitfo, and other equally appetizing looking dishes. Everything was meticulously plated in front of us over a bed of Injera. The colors were amazing, the taste- fresh, well-seasoned, and absolutely delicious!

The portions are small but enough. Don’t expect to have leftovers for the next day though. We decimated our plates. The waiting staff and owners were very courteous lovely people. I’ll keep coming back until one us moves.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Vegetable Platter Ye Tsom Beyeaynet, Vegan Combination & Ye Belay Superior

We visited Tsehay on a group outing with the GU Eating Society. We tried the sambosas, sample platters, and dessert. All of the food was amazing and the atmosphere in the upstairs private dining room is intimate and authentic. Ted spoke to us about Tsehay’s enormous effort into recreating the magic of Addis, including overnighting ingredients from Ethiopia, not compromising on quality, and ensuring dishes are authentic to their cultural source. We are so glad we enjoyed the very delicious food and even gladder to have had such a gracious and kind host that is helping expand love for Ethiopian cuisine to all.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5