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    Dukem Ethiopian Restaurant

    3.5 (987 reviews)
    ModerateEthiopian
    Open 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM
    Updated 2 months ago

    Order Dukem Ethiopian Restaurant Takeout or Delivery

    Dukem Ethiopian Restaurant Photos

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    DUKEM ETHIOPIAN RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Good for kids

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    Austin G.

    Dukem is a D.C. institution and just two blocks from Little Ethiopia (the 1900 block of 9th Street NW). Ethiopian owned and run, Dukem is a spacious restaurant that is also a community hub. If it's your first time, the staff are more than happy to guide you through the menu. I always enjoy getting the Awaze Tibs. It comes with injera and a bowl of tomatoes. If you go with a group, I recommend one of their platters. They say each platter (combo) serves 1-2, but injera is filling. I say a combo serves three! The food is flavorful and tasty! You can't go wrong at Dukem.

    Dinh D.

    I only been here once and it was also my first time having Ethiopian food and it was pretty good! We got a variety of things as shown in the pictures and they tasted great. The service was good and she gave us good recommendations. There is seating indoor or outdoor and it is decorated well. There was a dish that served meat raw that I had to get use to the texture but it tasted way better than it look!

    Micaela W.

    The veggie platter was delicious and came with spices that I haven't seen at other Ethiopian restaurants! It came with generous sides of injera. Good service and a large patio to accommodate big groups

    Arthur C.

    I appreciate that Dukem has a happy hour special that offers items for under $10. I ordered the veggie sampler ($7) and the beef tibs ($8), which were each about appetizer sizes but filling nonetheless. If you're craving Ethiopian food but just want something light, the happy hour (which I think is from 5-7p) is the way to go.

    Gomen and Shiro
    Glen W.

    A happy hour date at Dukem was right on time! After a busy day of work and running errands, my wife and I settled on Ethiopian food for dinner and that's when I remembered seeing Instagram advertisement and Google reviews for happy hour at Dukem so we decided to give it a go! The food was fresh, service was great and the establishment welcoming. Since the weather was nice, we decided to sit outside on the terrace area. We really enjoyed the special beef tibs, pieces so flavorful and tender, the sambusas, both the chicken and spinach. I ordered the Shiro and gomen, while my wife ordered the misir wot and alicha kik, awesome portion size for the price and shareable with the injera. While waiting on our order we had a chance to speak with one of the owners, Yodit, very sweet of her checking in on how the evening and service was going. We will definitely be back again and can't wait to check out more of the menu. I recommend Dukem be your next DC Ethiopian restaurant to check out and also check out their happy hour specials.

    Dori Wot (mild)
    Yvonne T.

    The restaurant is large with a nice size bar and at least three big screen TVs. The staff was friendly. The Spinach Sambusa was a little spicy but good. The Chicken Sambusa was spicy and the pastry shell was crispy. The chicken Dori Wot was very juicy, and tasty. I enjoyed my meal.

    Goden ribs and chicken sambusa
    Robert N.

    The goden beef short ribs(goden tibs) are a must!!! It is so good and flavorful. I wish I had more, the chicken sambusa was on the drier side, maybe a dipping sauce to go with it but still good. I would definitely come back to try more. Good first experience, the service was good and the ambiance-decour with the Ethiopian music was fun & inviting.

    Steph K.

    Came here after the viral video on instagram/tik tok. The family vibe was nice to see. They were super quick and very nice the entire time. And the food had the authentic Ethiopian taste that you come looking for. I'd highly reccomend.

    Leroy R.

    First time trying Ethiopian food and was delighted! Me and a friend shared the Combo # 6 that had a variety of meats and veggies that were flavorful and filling. We also had the chicken and lentil sambusas which were nice. We wish they came with a sauce or a dip of some kind, but overall they were good. We also had the honey wine which was delicious! I will have to try and find a bottle somewhere now. The service was decent, it got pretty busy so it took a while for us to receive our check but nonetheless it was a pleasant experience. The location and inside was nice. Plenty seating both inside and outside.

    Awaze Tibs (Beef)
    Jasmine Y.

    Really enjoyed the food and will be back! Sat outside at night and got good service. Even got to meet the daughters of the owners so sweet!

    Ze! Kitfo (8) and Dukem Combo 1 (12,14,15)
    Missy B.

    I arrived to DC late one night and as I was scouring Uber Eats for a late night dinner, I noticed several Ethiopian restaurants. I'd never had Ethiopian food before (San Diego isn't exactly known for its Ethiopian fare) so I was very curious and made myself a promise that I'd try it before I left. As luck would have it, the next morning in my Uber to my conference, I struck up a conversation with my friendly driver who just so happened to be from Ethiopia! I told him I'd never had the food before and asked him for some rec's in town. He immediately said Dukem and told me it was one of the most authentic he'd had outside of Ethiopia! No brainer, the next night I convinced my adventurous boyfriend to try out Dukem. We started off easy with a couple of veggie sambusas and then ordered blind using only the dish descriptions to guide us. I settled on the Ze! Kitfo and my boyfriend went with a combo platter that featured Minchet Abesh, Melasena Sember, & Lamb Wot. First off, the Injera is unlike anything I've ever eaten before in my entire life. I absolutely loved the texture and was impressed by the ingenious elasticity and absorption that lent itself so well to the entrees. We had fun eating with our hands and tasting each little pile. I must say, I hit the bullseye with me Ze! Kitfo - it was spicy and the seasoning (!!!!!!) WHERE HAS THIS BEEN ALL MY LIFE?! I knocked a star off for the ambiance, the decor was a little chaotic. But overall, I couldn't have asked for a better 1st timer experience!

    31. Special Dukem Veggie Combo (5 Items)
    Ann L.

    Wow! Can't believe how long it has been since my original review so definitely time for an update! We had a fairly large group and our server was excellent. I had the #31 vegetable combination- 5 items - and everything was delicious. The seasoning was amazing and I managed to finish it all; I left full and happy! The injera was excellent as well. A few of us shared a bottle of dry red Ethiopian wine and enjoyed it. The location is a short taxi ride from the National Mall area or a long-ish walk if you're up for it. Definitely worth the trip!

    Beef Goden Tibs, Special Dukem Veggie Combo 3 (7 Items), Awaze Tibs (Beef)

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    3 months ago

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    2 months ago

    Fantastic food. Average ambiance and service. Better than most Ethiopian restaurants I've gone to. Definitely would recommend it.

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    4 months ago

    The food is really good. It was cold that night and there weren't a lot of people in the restaurant. Service was good.

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    9 months ago

    Good selection of Ryhiopian standards. Efficient and friendly service. Excellent food preparation, very drlelociios and fresh.

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    2 years ago

    Enjoyed authentic Ethiopian food in a nice corner restaurant. 5 veggie plate was delicious!

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    2 years ago

    Love eating here with big groups. All the food options are tasty and there's something for everyone.

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    Page 1 of 25

    Dukem Ethiopian Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

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    Chercher Ethiopian Restaurant & Mart

    Chercher Ethiopian Restaurant & Mart

    4.4(905 reviews)
    0.6 miShaw, Downtown
    $$

    Super tasty food, fast service, friendly staff, very reasonable pricing…read more This has become a regular for my wife and myself. We eat here at least three times a month. We prefer to go on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday when the crowds are thinner. But don't hesitate for a Friday or Saturday night if we feel like eating their great food. The fare and service is always top notch whether it's hopping or sparse. We almost always get the vegan deluxe. If we feel like some meat, we add another dish and they are all good. I also enjoy their Ethiopian beer, Habesha Cold Gold. It is light, crisp, and refreshing with a clean finish. It has a mild malt sweetness up front, very light bitterness, just enough to balance and is smooth and clean with no heavy aftertaste The Vegan Deluxe is a combination plate that includes everything from a wonderful salad with fresh jalapeños and tomatoes to a wonderful assortment of lentils spiced in different way, also cabbage & carrots, and greens. I always feel good after our meals because the food is so fresh and beautifully done. Our pocketbook is grateful, too. My wife and I can leave with a bill of about $30 including food, a beer and tip. Not many places in Bethesda you can do that. The staff always smile and are helpful whether providing standard service or troubleshooting a challenge. The ambience is not upscale, but it's clean, beautiful, and filled with good people, whether it's the customers who are always having a good time, or the manager, who makes the rounds to ensure everything is going well.

    If I could give 10 stars I would. My boyfriend and I took a quick birthday trip to DC from NYC…read more This was a last minute dinner plan after we weren't sure how the rest of the day would look post bottomless brunch. WOWOWOWOW. small space so it gets packed quick. We didn't wait longer than 10 minutes to be seated. Our servers were so delightful and happy. My most pleasant surprise here has been the service !! They gave us great recommendations and even gave us a taste of all four honey wines they had to offer. We went with the house. YOU SHOULD GET THE HOUSE HONEY WINE !!!!!!! Everything we had was absolutely amazing. My vegan bestie got her veggie platter and my boyfriend and I split the beef tibs and were so so full and satisfied. We have been waiting for the opportunity to go back. This was our last restaurant stop during that trip, and it will be the first stop for our next. They play no games here !!!! Serious food, serious flavor, serious service!!!!!! We highly recommend!!!!!

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    Chercher Ethiopian Restaurant & Mart - Vegan assortment with some kid of beef dish

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    Abuare  Restaurant - Ethiopian Tea & lamb DELICIOUS

    Abuare Restaurant

    4.8(70 reviews)
    0.4 miU Street Corridor

    This was an unexpected but amazing find. After my original dinner plans with my girlfriend…read moreunexpectedly shifted I decided to refer to a recent list that was shared with me, and this spot came up. It wasn't too long since I had last had ethiopian, but I only have it a few times a year. So I was pretty excited. Once we got there, there was only one of the party inside, and it had the usual delightful decor. We got to choose where we wanted to sit and we browse the menu. We were curious about whether the honey wine was on the sweeter or dryer side, and the lady taking care of us was kind enough to let us taste it before committing. We decided to share a bottle, and we decided to do a deluxe platter as well. That included six veggies and one protein of our choice. We decided on the lamb tibs. Everything came out, and it was all fantastic. I can count the times that I have had Ethiopian lamb, and this definitely did not disappoint. I missed having beats, but I did really love the lentils. Honestly, I'm surprised I hadn't heard of this spot before. The food was fantastic and I'm looking forward to returning sometime.

    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.

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    Letena Ethiopian Restaurant - Meat and vegetable sampler

    Letena Ethiopian Restaurant

    4.6(299 reviews)
    1.0 miColumbia Heights
    $$

    Excellent Ethiopian spot! All the staff are super kind, and all the tibs have such good flavor…read more There is lots of seating inside, and there is a warm atmosphere you can feel as soon add you walk in. We got theMeat Lover Sampler for 3 people, and we left so satisfied and stuffed! I can't choose a favorite, everything was so delicious. Definitely worth the money, you have to stop here!

    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.

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    Letena Ethiopian Restaurant
    Letena Ethiopian Restaurant - Injera, Yemisir Wot, Asa Tibs, cottage cheese and collard greens for pairing with the kitfo, Kitfo, Kik Wot, Beet and Potato Salad

    Injera, Yemisir Wot, Asa Tibs, cottage cheese and collard greens for pairing with the kitfo, Kitfo, Kik Wot, Beet and Potato Salad

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