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    Bole Bole

    3.3 (20 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:30 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Services - Bole Bole

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    Shared combo plate
    Audrey S.

    Delicious Ethiopian food in a chill setting. I liked that the seating was all benches and the tables were lower, as it made for a relaxed environment. The food was very good and the combo platter we got was reasonably priced and fed four people. As usual with Ethiopian, a blend of delicious meat and vegetarian options. I loved the yellow lentils and everything else I ate. So good we came here on our way out of DC and came back on our way in!

    Kik alicha, gomen wat and tikil gomen
    Katherine L.

    I love Ethiopian food, especially the injera. Most of it is prepared in advance... because how could you possibly cook down legumes with a delicious melange of spices and flavors on an order by order basis without it taking a very long time? It's ok, though, because the flavor medley is usually worth it! Bole Bole confirms for me that the food is definitely made in advance and reheated because I ordered a 5-item vegetable medley in person at the restaurant, and it was handed to me in a plastic to go bag in about 3 minutes (I know, because I barely had time to do anything meaningful on my phone). That's not the concern I have for Bole Bole, though, as, again, Ethiopian food at a restaurant is not made to order. Could you imagine their making injera to order? That would be so cool... but I digress. When you reheat food, there are a few choices for the type of food you generally order for entrees at an Ethiopian restaurant. On the stove, in an oven, a microwave... but, I wonder if what they did here was somehow add each item to a skillet or sauté pan with hot water and heat it up? I say that because in all the millions of calories (yummy, too) of Ethiopian food I've eaten in my time, I've never had Ethiopian dishes feel and taste watered down. The five items were a tiki gomen/ cabbage dish with cabbage that was so flimsy, I don't know how to describe it. There's cabbage that's tender, and cabbage that like all food/ vegetables when it's older, just starts to deteriorate. The spices in the food were there, but I could barely taste them. The main reason I know they were there is I could see the characteristic golden turmeric infused color to the cabbage and the rich spicy brown in the red lentils seasoned with berbere. The spices also lingered on my eating utensils, aka, my fingers. However, the flavor in my mouth was so diluted, it was strange. Again, I've never had that occur to me, ever, with Ethiopian food. This seems to align with comments from others that the food is really greasy in the sense that maybe they saw the reviews and tried to address it but over compensated by literally watering it down. The other give-away for me that the food is likely watered down is that there was very little oil or grease, which is extremely rare for Ethiopian dishes to have such a small amount of oil (again, you know it's there from the signature sheen on the food items, which is not bad IMO), and, the salt level was incredibly low. I am not a fan of salt, but, it was almost like there was no salt at all. I could only taste the actually veggies like the cabbage, the collards and the shiro. I've never tasted shiro was taste so much like chickpeas - that super earthy mellow flavor - and almost nothing else. The shiro wat was so watery I couldn't actually pick up anything more than just a light coating on injera acting like a dip rather than a stewed dish of substance. Even the red lentils were not spicy with hot peppery heat and the kik alicha yellow split peas has the similar earthy rich flavor of just plain legumes. So, I guess the take-away for me is this: if you hate salt and oil and lots of spices, you'll do great here! The dishes all tasted like their namesake key ingredient with little else to elevate the palate sensation. The injera was extremely fluffy, so fluffy I don't know when I might have if ever had such thick fluffy injera. In that sense, I can understand why some folks might have had a stomach ache afterwards. If you're used to using pieces of injera to pick up Ethiopian food, as one does, you end up using a lot more injera per bite because it's so thick and fluffy. This leads to a far higher ratio of injera to the dishes/ stews that if the injera were nice and thin. All in all, the restaurant was a lovely open space, the service was fast, the prices were fair and the parking was easy. However, if you're looking for the most flavorful Ethiopian fare, this is not for you. At the end of the day though, if you just want something to eat really fast that is Ethiopian, this place will do it, as long as you are ready for the food expectations.

    Ambiance
    Sarthak S.

    The service and ambiance were good. The server was quite attentive and friendly. The veggie combo for 7 on the other hand was sub-par. The injera was just alright. The establishment didn't offer teff-based injeras. The greasiness of the items was off-putting. I also had the veggie combo for 7 as takeout item as well and the grease puddled after the takeout sat for sometime. The flavors were nothing to write home about.

    Derke Tibs

    The best meal I've had out in a long time. The food here is truly high quality and authentically Ethiopian. From the cooking methods to the fresh ingredients, they don't compromise. So you know you're enjoying a meal that's both delicious and healthy. The Derke tibs were unbelievably good--an absolute MUST when you visit. The spices and sauce were divine. The manager, Mika, came over to chat, and we had a great conversation. His mother is the chef, which explains the incredible flavors. They're both from Ethiopia, and you can taste that genuine heritage in every bite. If you're in the area, do not miss this place!

    Whats left of my Baklava... best ive ever had.

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    24 days ago

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    10 months ago

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    9 months ago

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    3 months ago

    Warm, friendly, people, family owned. Authentic, delicious food and generous portions!

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    1 year ago

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    10 months ago

    The food was great. Took my mom here for her first Ethiopian experience. One dish is plenty for two. Yum.

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    10 months ago

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    9 months ago

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    9 months ago

    Food is so good!! High quality! Nice to go with a small group. Very relaxing vibe. And the lunch prices are great!

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    1 year ago

    My son and I just ate there...unbelievably tasty. Service was great and their cuisine is unique.

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    Stone Manor Boutique Inn - Release of butterflies

    Stone Manor Boutique Inn

    4.7(69 reviews)
    26.7 mi

    We just stayed at the Stone Manor Inn ("SMI") this past weekend and had a lovely time. We were in…read moretown for a family reunion and hosted a dinner party at SMI one evening that was among the highlights of the family weekend. Manisha and Prashsant, owners of Stone Manor Inn, were personally involved in making sure all went smoothly with our cocktail and dinner party, and it most certainly did! SMI is a lovely old country inn on 14 acres, I believe, with a number of different venues (indoors and out) for meetings, parties, and weddings. The rooms (7 in total) were eclectic, in a good way. All four of their largest rooms that we occupied were spacious, with king beds and spa tubs with separate showers. All were well maintained and clean upon check-in. We had no complaints. I'm not sure when we will return to the area, but when we do, we will not hesitate to return!

    Luxurious bed and breakfast, nice jacuzzi and dogs are welcomed! My hubby and I came here with our…read morepup for my birthday and the $300 room (additional $30 pet fee) didn't disappoint - well worth it! I was on the fence to book this place given its hefty price tag, and glad I went for it and completely agree with the glowing 5 star reviews. The bubbly host Manisha is very warm and welcoming. She cordially gave us a 20 min tour around the property, which was built in 1908, and even gave me a bonus tour of the other rooms afterwards. She kindly answered all of our questions and didn't rush us. The Peacecock Room is the most spacious and best room (aside from the bridal suite), elaborately decorated in peacocks. We loved it! The little touches like the handmade soap, a set of wine glasses, and a wine opener made the stay so memorable and special. While the rooms aren't temperature controlled, the electric flameless fireplace kept the room warm. The double capacity jacuzzi was perfect for my hubby and I and even had lights (some of the other rooms have smaller jacuzzi, so be sure to check). The rooms were clean minus a couple of lady bugs and stink bugs (which is too be expected out in the country). Dr. Fauci's assistant stayed here and Manisha informed us of the extensive sanitation process, even the pillows and decorations are quarantined for 6 days! The backyard is well groomed and really spacious with a nice patio and heat lamp, which kept us warm sitting outside in the frigid winter. Our dog loved running around! You can see the stars and constellations really well. It would make a great wedding venue! The Christmas decorations around the property are really nice. The owners really go the extra mile and put a lot of TLC into the property. The 6 course breakfast is delicious and bursting with flavor. Between the veggie quiche, cheesy potatoes, scone, pancakes, yogurt, and fresh OJ, I was stuffed! The fresh butterscotch scone was divine and devoured my mine and my hubby's! The cheesy potato had a nice spicy kick. Everything was so fresh and delicious. All the courses come out at once on a large tray. While my hubby and I chose to sit at the communal table (the chairs are roughly 6 feet apart), you can take the tray up to your room. Manisha and her family greeted us and thoroughly explained the dishes and chatted with us for a bit, even her son made an appearance! The bed and breakfast has a nice bar with wine, cider, and alcohol based on an honor code system. Water and soda is complementary, they even had Coke 0! The complementary fudgy brownies by the breakfast area during the day were sweet and tasty. Again the little complimentary stuff gives this bed and breakfast a nice resort feel. Very relaxing stay and looking forward to coming back!

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    Stone Manor Boutique Inn
    Stone Manor Boutique Inn
    Stone Manor Boutique Inn

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    Dranesville Tavern - Tables and Chairs Included w/ Signed Rental Agreement

    Dranesville Tavern

    4.0(2 reviews)
    3.5 mi

    My husband I hosted our post wedding celebration here…read morehttp://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/hprs/dranesville.htm on 4/18/15. Zack (who showed me the property and set up the reservation) and Cindy (who was on-site manager the day of the event) were very easy to work with. Since, the property is managed by Fairfax County; I never got the feeling that I was being upsold. The space itself has both pros and cons. The cons of the space is that is split into several small to medium sized rooms making it difficult to host a typical style reception (our guests stayed and gravitated outside so we hardly needed the indoor space). You have to bring down the chairs and tables from the top of the stairs (the tables and chairs are included in your rental costs). The Dranesville Tavern only has a cold kitchen (so, if you'd like an event where the cater(ers) are cooking something fresh at your party site this is not the location for you). You must have a license catering (no on-site cooking from the hosts is permitted). You have to pay (and give yourself additional time) to obtain an ABC license from the state of VA. The pros are the outdoor space includes 2 large covered decks on either side of the property. Our party was able to set out the chairs and tables on the deck and our guests brought their food from the buffet (set up in one of the rooms inside). If you're looking for a place with charm the Dranesville Tavern is a nice mixture. It is historic without being small (believe it can hold up to 80 people). It also has a nice rustic feel to it. The exterior of the buliding looked nice in our pictures. The Dranesville Tavern gives you an rain plan. Although we only used the indoor space for a place to store gifts, drinks and the buffet; it was nice to know had it rained that we could still host our guests comfortably. The lawns at the Dranesville Tavern are large and surround the property and although this property is located off a busy road it feels very private. Our party had several lawn games for people to enjoy (making the lawns even more pleasant place to spend an afternoon). There is ample parking (at no additional cost) located next to the property. In a nutshell for the cost and space, if you're looking for a place that feels special without the upcharge; I would suggest looking at the Dranesville Tavern.

    We were looking for a venue for a reception that was reasonably priced. The Dranesville Tavern…read morequickly moved to the top of our list. It's run by Fairfax County and the staff were easy to work with and helpful as we planned our event. The only drawback to the building is that there isn't one large room like most event spaces. But there is a nice porch that over looks a beautiful lawn. There are multiple good sized rooms where you can set up tables for food and seating on both floors. Overall given the reasonable cost, good proximity to Nova/DC, lovely historic building, and abundant parking it was a choice and I would recommend it for small to medium gatherings (30-60 people), particularly in the spring and fall.

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    Dranesville Tavern - Rustic Feel to the Space

    Rustic Feel to the Space

    Dranesville Tavern - Rustic Feel to the Space

    Rustic Feel to the Space

    Dranesville Tavern - Exterior of the Dranesville Tavern

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    Exterior of the Dranesville Tavern

    Castle Strasburg

    Castle Strasburg

    4.2(20 reviews)
    33.2 mi

    Seems like they're on Groupon all the time. Our horseback ride started about 1.5hours late. I…read morewasn't happy about this at all. Not simply because he was running late, but because the house (castle/waiting room/party room) was absolutely filthy. I was really taken aback by a business looking like this, even if it's a business that works w/ animals. When we got there, the owner and assistant were on a ride w/ another group. Then the group we were supposed to be riding with were an hour late, so we had to wait for them. It was just annoying, although Steven (owner) was friendly. When we walked into the empty house it looked like a construction space, a hen was walking around the inside and I even saw it poop IN THE KITCHEN! Things finally turned around when I hopped on Sherman (my white horse w/ black spots). He was a greedy little thing and ate up all the grass but he was a great horse. Steven immediately put ppl on the horses and taught us while we were riding. He was a straight to it teacher and I liked that. He definitely knows what he's doing when it comes to animals. He took a bunch of pictures and videos and sent them to everyone in the group. I'm thankful to have such awesome pictures that didn't cost us extra. I'm giving 4 stars despite the filth because Steven was friendly, welcoming, and I enjoyed the experience. Tip: -don't eat there if germs bug u -don't arrive early, there's no point -yes, you're in the right spot, even though it looks a little funky on the outside

    It's funny this guy is trying to say we never went when we did - I'd love to see what evidence he…read morehas considering during our entire time there he never once asked for our names or checked that we even had a reservation. He also never redeemed our Groupon. He has repeatedly messaged me and begged me to remove this review and has even reported it to Yelp to try to get it removed. Not only do I stand by my review but this Steven Strasburg owner has proved himself to not only be completely unprofessional but also desperate and dishonest. My advice: TAKE SOME RESPONSIBILITY for your business instead of accusing people of posting fake reviews or saying "it must've been another place". This is the ONLY time where an owner has not only not apologized but tried to say I'm posting for the wrong Castle Strasburg. How many Castle Strasburg horseriding places are there in Midland, VA? SHAME ON YOU!

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    Castle Strasburg
    Castle Strasburg
    Castle Strasburg

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    Bole Bole - ethiopian - Updated May 2026

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