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.

This is one of if not the best Ethiopian restaurant I've ever been to. And I've been to over 50 of…read morethem! From the service to the food this fine establishment is doing it all right. Each side on the veggie combo were all phenomenal. The lentils, the shiro, the collard greens, and the potatoes and carrots and cabbage. I had a veggie combo as well as a separate order of shiro. The shiro was perfection. The injeera here is also perfect. I will for sure be back and suggest anyone who has never tried Ethiopian food or anyone who has had it many times to try this restaurant out.

Wasn't sure what to expect for my first African food experience. I ordered the Veg Combo and my…read moredaughter got the beef. We were pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed the greens on my plate the most, the cabbage was really good too. I had an Eritrean lager with my food and with it being unseasonably hot, was just what I needed. I really overate and there was plenty left over that I didn't take with me because I won't have any room in my visit for reheating leftovers. Hard to say much about the service-it was attentive and friendly but we were the only customers. Just the pit stop I needed from my long day of walking. The only drawback was that the place smelled - different; maybe because of the different types of food they're cooking, also the bathroom wasn't very clean.

We had dinner here last night and really enjoyed it. Sylvan continues to up their game. We have a…read morenumber of Ethiopian restaurants to choose from. The food here has improved, so if you haven't been here in a while, give it another chance. Service was good. Loved the outdoor seating. And, the price/value for dinner is pretty good. We'll be returning for sure!

Very happy with this place. Visited every morning this week during our vacay stay. Very nice and…read morefriendly staff. Ethiopian food is very tasty especially for breakfast. Prices are definitely reasonable and they even do a cashapp cash back. I would definitely recommend.

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.

Hey friends! I was on the hunt for a good happy hour after work and landed here…read more We ordered the beef tips, a veggie samosas and a couple cocktails. The beef tips were the star of the show! Flavor was perfect cook was a little though. A good portion for one person. The veggie samosas are filled with lentils, they were good! The first cocktail I ordered was sour and I had to return it. Waiter had an attitude when I asked to return it. I then ordered a mango margarita and it was better. My boyfriend really enjoyed his ginger mule. +Customer service was okay +Happy hour prices were good! I hope you enjoy!

FINAL REVIEW-Dukem Ethiopian Restaurant: NOT the Farewell I Expected!…read more I'm not even going to fake it...I'm DISAPPOINTED! When my foodie friends and I heard that Dukem would be closing its doors for good on November 7th, we were GUTTED! As the foodies we are, OF COURSE we wanted to support them one last time before they said their final goodbye. But let me backtrack a little...A few weeks ago, two fellow Yelp Elites and I randomly decided to visit on a Wednesday. The food was just as delicious as I remembered, but the SERVICE? WHEW! Let's just say the three of us made the best of the situation. Fast forward to this past weekend. EIGHT of my foodie friends and I gathered to give Dukem a proper farewell. Three of my friends had NEVER tried Ethiopian food, so I was especially excited for them to experience it! We made reservations IN ADVANCE, so why was our seating such a MESS?! The confusion threw off our entire evening, and what made matters worse was how UNACCOMMODATING the staff was. Instead of trying to make things right, they seemed completely uninterested in resolving the situation. We came to enjoy good food, great company, and one final Dukem experience. Was that too much to ask?! AND LET'S TALK ABOUT THE BILL! As a table, we spent DAMN NEAR $600! SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS for what I can only describe as PISS-POOR SERVICE! And don't even get me started on the split checks! It was one of the WORST and most EMBARRASSING split-check situations I've EVER experienced while dining out! Seriously, how does paying for your meal turn into such an ordeal?! After all the frustration we had already dealt with, the checkout experience was just the icing on a very disappointing cake. For the amount of money our table spent, the level of service was absolutely UNACCEPTABLE! Now, let's discuss the AMBIANCE, DECOR, and CLEANLINESS! The restaurant was looking a bit DINGY, and the decor and overall appearance could have used some serious TLC. Nothing particularly inviting or impressive. Listen, I'm not expecting luxury, but a clean, comfortable dining environment is the BARE MINIMUM! And the BATHROOMS?! OH, ABSOLUTELY NOT! RED FLAGS GALORE! One of my friends actually had to ASK the staff to clean the restroom! The toilets weren't flushing properly, and there weren't even paper towels or napkins available. WHAT?! Now, anyone familiar with Ethiopian cuisine knows that eating with your hands using injera is part of the experience. Which makes having CLEAN, FUNCTIONING restrooms with proper handwashing supplies even MORE important! So imagine my disgust when the bathrooms weren't properly maintained. I had my hand sanitizer on HEAVY rotation and was using my OWN paper towels! At a restaurant where we're literally eating with our hands?! NAH! ‍ That really grossed me out, and I couldn't help questioning the overall attention to cleanliness. Here's the thing...I've visited Dukem approximately FOUR times recently, and although the food has generally been good, each experience has gotten progressively worse. The food doesn't quite hit the way it did during my earlier visits, and the SERVICE has been the biggest disappointment. I don't expect to be treated like royalty when I dine out. However, honoring reservations, being accommodating, handling payments professionally, maintaining clean restrooms, and providing basic hospitality should NOT be optional! What makes this even more disappointing is that Dukem has been around for years and has introduced so many people to Ethiopian cuisine. I genuinely wanted this final visit to be a celebration of the restaurant and its legacy, especially with three friends experiencing Ethiopian food for the first time. Instead, we spent part of our evening dealing with unnecessary frustration, an embarrassing checkout experience, and questionable restroom conditions. Thankfully, we had each other and still managed to enjoy our time together. I hate that THIS is the review I'm leaving for a restaurant I once enjoyed so much. I wanted to say goodbye on a positive note, but I can't overlook what we experienced simply because they're closing. Nearly $600 spent at our table, and THIS was the experience we received?! SMH! Goodbye, Dukem. I appreciate the good meals and memories over the years, but I REALLY wish our final experiences had been better.

Delicious, inexpensive Ethiopian. Very friendly service, will be a regular haunt. Got the special…read morevegetarian combo, which was worth the upgrade as the beets and beans were great. This platter could feed two of us twice over.

Beautiful decor. Very nice place to hang out. Staff was polite and friendly…read more I ordered a cortado. Frothed milk was solid but the espresso tasted a little burnt. I prefer medium or light roasts.

An absolute must try!!! Spent a night with friends and enjoyed the sampler platter. Everything was…read moredelicious! Goat, beef, and lamb stews were amazing. The vegetarian options were well seasoned and we enjoyed it all. I normally do not like mushrooms but became a fan. To top it off we got the coffee, and as a coffee lover I must admit, this may be the best coffee in DC! Will be back soon!

I ate here a few weekends ago with my boyfriend. I've eaten Ethiopian food a handful of times, but…read morewanted him to try since he's never eaten it before. Since they had high reviews, and weren't too far from me, I figured this would be a good place to try. We had perused the menu online before coming inside so knew what we wanted to eat. I ordered the veggie sampler with red lentils, tomato salad, yellow split peas, and collard greens and a side of goat stew while my boyfriend ordered the mushroom tibs (unfortunately there are no pics due to us being too hungry to snap a photo :-( ...The veggie sampler came with a side of injera. The injera came out way before the actual platter. Since I was very hungry, I actually nibbled on that, and wished everything came out at once. The veggies were pretty tasty, but for some reason, I wasn't excited about my overall meal. The goat stew was pretty good too. What I really enjoyed was my boyfriend's dish of mushroom tibs. It was nicely sautéed and well seasoned. I'd probably order that if I ever went back. The interior was very colorful and earthy. The owner, I think, was also very hospitable.

Great customer service great food and great price They…read morecleaned while I was there I saw them tiding up things which was great Nice customer flow consistent My first time here I enjoyed the service and food I needed to pay with my Apple wallet but my phone died they charged it for me to be able to make payment I went on a Friday around 2pm

We checked out City Kabob and Curry House, a local favorite for their AYCE buffet -…read more Their regular menu offers various apps, salads, kabobs, chicken entrees, and vegetarian options. There are styrofoam plates and utensils, and you can go up to the buffet as many times as you'd like - honestly, I enjoyed the tandoori chicken and the chickpeas most out of all the offerings. Would love to have it more flavor forward, as most were on the bland side. Their mango lassi was thick, creamy, and refreshing, a nice way to end the meal. The service here is super friendly and welcoming, and there's ample seating inside. The spot seem to be super popular with the CUA and the local employees. There is a small parking lot, but it's super restricted and fills up quickly. +AYCE lunch buffet +friendly service +limited/restricted parking lot