The food was exceptionally good. Our server, Caleb, was very helpful and had some great…read morerecommendations. I highly recommend.

We saw a few Ethiopian restaurants in DC and took a shot on Shewa. It's quite a ways from downtown…read moreand when we arrived, it definitely seemed like a rougher part of town. We arrived at 10:10 and the doors were locked. Called the restaurant and an employee said that they'd be open in a few minutes. A few minutes later, a man and an older woman said hi to us and went into a side door. Turns out that was the owner and his mom (the chef). They light incense in the restaurant and the odor is quite strong. I remember on Kitchen Nightmares, Gordon Ramsey yelling at someone for having scented candles because it messes with how the food tastes. Luckily, the food had enough flavor to overcome the incense. We ordered two meat combos and asked for them to give us some variety since I had never tried Ethiopian food before. The dishes came out with 16 items, with only one repeat. I can't really tell you what I ate since there were so many items, but I did really like the chicken and lamb. Very flavorful and just a fun experience from eating with our hands and the variety of options. One combo can easily feed two people. For our two adults and two kids, we had enough for leftovers. Honey wine was not my favorite thing, but the rest of the dining experience was very memorable. We were the only customers, so the owner came out and chatted with us for a while. Very friendly.

Went on a Friday Night and was it busy. I think everyone is trying to go again before they close in…read moreNovember. Reservations are only taken for parties of 6 or more and then everything else is on a walk in basis so there might be some wait. I didn't enjoy the tea really, it was very clove heavy. We got one of the veggie platters and then two of the best sellers for the meat entrees. One was beef and one was one. They have extra of the wraps. I think the highlight were the meats. I do wish they had given out wet wipes since you are eating with your hands.

In my finally era... hitting every spot on my DC bucket list…read more.. Visiting Dukem was 15+ years in the making, and even though I moved away from the DMV 2.5 years ago, I thought Dukem would always be there when I returned. When I heard Dukem was closing after nearly 30 years, I knew the next time I visited DC, I'd finally have to try it. Luckily, I finally got to go to Dukem this past weekend. I ordered Dukem Special Tibs, choosing beef over lamb. Dukem Special Tibs include cubed tender beef, fried and marinated in their special sauce, then sautéed with onion, rosemary, tomato, and jalapeño. Regular veggie combo #2 - mild - alicha kik (yellow peas), gomen (collard greens), tikil gomen (cabbage and carrot), and tomato salad. I added ayib (Ethiopian-style feta cheese) to help cut the spiciness. The food was flavorful but not very spicy. I knew the veggies would be mild, but I chose that because I thought the special tibs would be spicier. Because of that, I ate quite a bit of the tomato salad, which had visible jalapeños,s to get the heat I was seeking in the rest of the meal. I left feeling full and thankful I got to say goodbye to this DC institution.

Once I walked in I could tell we were going to have a great dinner! I was craving Ethiopian and…read moredragging a friend along before an event nearby. The place feels like a mom and pop place with a bunch of different items laid out behind the glass. We were a little confused about ordering but someone at the register to the left gave us menus and we ordered. We got the deluxe veggie combo to share, which was a great price at around $15! After we paid we sat and the food came out quick. The portions were huge! We did ask for extra bread and they got it for us quickly without an extra charge. The food was just delicious. If you're looking for authentic Ethiopian food this is a great place!

We came here for a late dinner. Habesha Market & Carry-out is metro accessible from both the U…read moreStreet and Shaw-Howard stops. Habesha Market is a cross between a fast casual and cafeteria-style place. The sides are already on display, ready for scooping. You order at the register and they'll give you a buzzer to ring you when your food is ready. There are a few tables in the front to seat yourself and additional seating in the back. There was a steady amount of customers coming and going around 9pm on a Tuesday evening (always a good sign). My go-to order at an Ethiopian restaurant is the veggie combo. I came here with a friend, so we decided to share a veggie combo and meat dish. We went with the #18 Regular veggie combo (4 items; $12.75) and #50 Habesha Tibs (lamb, medium well; $17.25). The dishes were reasonably priced - we got both for $30 total (before tip and tax) - which is really reasonably priced! There are definitely pricier Ethiopian options in DC. I like how we were able to change out the sides for our order. The veggie combo typically comes with spicy lentils, yellow peas, collard greens, and the house salad. We were able to swap out the house salad for the shiro (orange chickpea stew). The lamb entree also came with the house salad and we swapped it out for the mild lentils. When placing the order, the cashier was mindful to ask if wanted to share the two entrees on the same platter or have them served separately (we were fine sharing, so we got it all on the same tray). The cashier was also helpful with answering any questions that we had about the menu. Our food was ready in about 10 minutes. We picked it up at the counter (after our order buzzer went off), and it was a platter of our veggie and lamb entrees with a side of giant injera. The injera was thicker than I'm used to, but still had the traditional texture and flavor. From the sides, I liked the spicy lentils, mild lentils, and collard greens the best - in that order. I found the flavor of the sides overall to be lacking - I know some Ethiopian food can be spicy, so I'm not looking to set my mouth on fire, but I do like Ethiopian food with more punch in terms of spices. The lamb was good but it didn't blow me away. I've had better lamb dishes at other Ethiopian spots. I think the food is more of a 3.5, but I'll round up for the value.

Food was great! Very accommodating. The platter was able to easily serve 5 not-so-hungry folks.read more

This place was everything I hoped for and more! We tried the tasting menu since it was my parents'…read morefirst time trying Ethiopian cuisine. Every dish was unique but all tied together either well. I absolutely love experiences like this! Every course was explained to us on a culinary and cultural level which I adored. Our server was attentive and super friendly. She really made us feel welcomed. We went on a Saturday and had reservations, but were able to get seated about half an hour early. The space is small, and has very nice live music which helped blend into the background noise of the restaurant that was otherwise a bit loud. Very good balance. As far as the food goes, the branzino, shiro wot, and collards were my favorite. Definitely do not overlook the veg options here, to be they were even better than the meat! I truly think this place is worth every penny and a good welcoming environment for beginners to the cuisine. We will be back!

Your standard Ethiopian restaurant that offers classic fare at reasonable prices. When in DC, I…read morealways try to get Ethiopian, and it always seems to come from a place where I have to take stairs down (NYC included) oddly enough. I went with the Abuare lamb tips, which were a bit spicy with the jalapeno, but packed full of flavour. It came as a set meal, but only with daal, which I was sad about at first but it was more than enough food to fill me up. The injera was plentiful and the lamb was tender and perfectly seasoned. Service was uncharacteristically good, but that might just be because it was off hours, but regardless, I was appreciative.

This place so cozy and delicious!…read more We ordered the combo with two meats, and my friend ordered doro wat to add to it. I don't eat beef or chicken, so I only had the vegetarian options. The cabbage was the highlight! Flavorful and it wasn't spicy in my opinion. I also enjoyed the shiro! The injera was flowing and it food was more than enough for three people. And the service was welcoming and warm.

Delicious food and great customer service! The chicken over rice was perfect: spicy without being…read moretoo hot. We went back the next day for iced lattes which were also very good and made with fresh espresso. The market section is limited but curated and had a thorough selection of grains, spices, etc. The owners are incredibly warm and made us want to return.

A great little market and mom-and-pop! Mostly Ethiopian products, especially dry goods and packaged…read morefood, at solid prices. The couple who run it seem chill and friendly. I popped in today for a couple lentil sambusas, which were tasty, mildly spicy, and pretty cheap. This place is just one of those local, independent Ethiopian market-cafe establishments that DC is lucky enough to have many of.

Food: 4 * Service: 5 *…read moreAmbiance: 3 * This place is right next to Dacha. Portion sizes are good. I think the food needs more aggressive seasoning, because when compared to Cher Cher or Dama Bakery (Arlington), this place felt a little more Bland. But I still very much enjoyed my food.

This is in the old Lalibela/Glo Lounge location and I was relieved to find that absolutely nothing…read morehas changed. The food is still OUTSTANDING. The owner and her husband came and said hello, and they were so warm and welcoming. This place needs traffic, the food is simply outstanding, in fact I think it's gotten even better. The platter has gotten a little larger and more variety, but the service, the friendliness, and warm atmosphere are still very much the same.

Met up with a friend who was in town from New York and decided on Ethiopic since it had been way…read moretoo long since we'd had Ethiopian food. H Street was also having a festival that day, so it seemed like a good excuse to head over. We started with the sambusa and then shared the Signature Tibs and the chicken and beef wot sampler. Everything was really good, but the tibs were probably my favorite. Plenty of flavor and spice, and obviously half the fun is tearing off injera and trying a little bit of everything on the table. We also decided to try a bottle of the Ethiopian Acacia dry red wine. We'd never had Ethiopian wine before and it paired really well with the beef and all the spices in the food. Definitely glad we tried it. Service was friendly, although definitely on the slow side. We weren't in much of a hurry since we were catching up with a friend, so it wasn't a huge deal for us, but it's worth knowing if you're trying to get in and out quickly. Overall, really good Ethiopian food and a nice dinner on H Street.

I read the reviews before walking in the door, so I knew I could encounter "meh". And that's what…read moreI received, so it didn't necessarily disappoint me. We entered a sparsely populated restaurant and STILL encountered delays in ordering and getting our food. But that's okay, we chatted through ten minutes of hunger pains until the waitress approached. I will add that the decor was wonderful inside. They also had outdoor dining as well. As for our food, we ordered the samosas as a starter. They were very crispy; almost too crispy. They were not as favorable as others I have tasted, but definitely edible. The vegetable sampler #1 was more than enough, with a great variety of menu selections. I must state that the gomen was my least favorite because it lacked favor. We added doro wat and beef tibbs. Both were just okay. As others have mentioned, there are many Ethiopian restaurants in DC. Some stand out, while others barely try. This one on this day, was just okay.