Promising First Visit, Let Down the Second Time - Wish There is a Negative Rating Dec 2025 * Friends I wish there was negative rating!!! This was my second visit to Enat Kitfo, and unfortunately, it was completely different from my first -- in a very disappointing way. The first time, I happened to be in the neighborhood and searched for an Ethiopian restaurant nearby. I decided to try Enat Kitfo because it was nearby, and I was genuinely impressed. The food was delicious, the service was excellent, and the server was kind and attentive. The owner even came to greet me, checked on my dish while I was eating, and made me feel welcomed. It was such a positive experience that I shared it with others and looked forward to coming back with my family. Because of that great first impression, I drove more than an hour for my second visit, this time with a friend who had just arrived from back home. We came around 6:00 PM, during the Eagles vs. Lions game in the 4th quarter -- it should have been a great evening. Unfortunately, the experience could not have been more different. The waitress was kind but inexperienced and had to ask the owner about everything. When the owner came out, he appeared unwelcoming and dismissive, which was surprising given how well he treated me during my first visit. As an Ethiopian who has lived in the Washington, DC area for a long time, this interaction reminded me of the old Ethiopian restaurant culture of the 1980s and 1990s, when Ethiopian customers were often treated poorly, while customers from other countries were treated as masters -- even though Ethiopia has never been colonized. Thankfully, competition have improved customer service standards over the years, which made this experience especially disappointing. We ordered Cotlet (fish) and Tsom Beyaynetu aka Veggie (Combo). The Cotlet (fish) was delicious, well prepared and enjoyable. However, it arrived without the combo. We waited, assuming the Tsom Beyaynetu (Combo) would follow, but no one checked on us. I eventually went to the bar to ask about it. The owner's response was simply "" (okay), with no concern or apology. When the combo finally arrived, it was delivered as if nothing had gone wrong. While the fish was very good, the Tsom Beyaynetu (Combo) -- which I had truly enjoyed during my first visit -- lacked flavor this time. There were many items on the plate, but none stood out as good. No one came back to check on us, and even ordering drinks required me to go to the bar myself. Overall, the service was extremely poor, worse than many Ethiopian restaurants from decades ago. With so many good Ethiopian dining options available today, I will not be returning. I truly want Ethiopian-owned businesses to succeed and flourish. However, I am accustomed to the American service standard and vote with my wallet. I do not accept neglect or disrespect as a customer. I hope this feedback is taken constructively so future customers are treated better and the business can improve. I wish Enat Kitfo the best, but without meaningful changes in service and consistency, it will be difficult to succeed in today's competitive environment. read more

One of my favorite Ethiopian restaurants in the area. The food is always really tasty, and the staff is nice and friendly. I typically get a vegetarian combo and it always tastes delicious. On one visit, the owner stopped by our table and explained how Ethiopian food is typically eaten, which was such a thoughtful touch and really nice to learn. Overall, it's a great spot and one I'm always happy to come back to. read more

Ambiance: (4/5) I loved the seating. They have very causal decor. I wasn't a super big fan of the really loud music. Price: (5/5) Great prices for the area. The portions are a pretty good size as well. Food: (4/5) Really enjoyed the food. You get enjera on the side as well. The beef wot was amazing. Probably my favorite dish. Great spices and the meat was tender. I think the mushroom tibs could have had more spices added. Just an FYI, if you order soda, you get a can, there are no refills. Service: (4/5) Service is a bit slow, but it is a very causal family style restaurant. People do come to sit and enjoy for a good bit of time. read more

Enat Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

It had been a while since (2023), the last time I ate at Enat. I ordered the ribeye tibs with locally made injera and wow- it was even better than I remembered. The tibs were incredibly tender, juicy and flavorful. Just the right amount of spice, jalapeños and awaze. The order was ready on time and the host was kind. read more

This place is a hidden gem. The food is always fresh and consistent when I go to visit. It feels like family when you visit. Today i order deliver and the food was just as good with an amazing variety on the veggie combo. Also, I ordered the fish. The fish is fried perfect and big enough to share with 2 ppl. They serve the fish whole like it should be. read more

Enat Restaurant - Whole Fish and injera - Ethiopian Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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I ordered spaghetti, but as soon as I ate it, I became sick and had to rush to the bathroom to vomit. The food smelled stale and spoiled, and afterwards I couldn't even bring myself to open the container again because of the odor. When I called the merchant to report the issue, instead of listening or offering an apology, he cursed at me and hung up the phone. His behavior was extremely rude, unprofessional, and dismissive. Not only was I served unsafe food that made me ill, but I was also treated with complete disrespect when I tried to address the problem. This shows a clear lack of care for both customer health and customer service. No one should have to experience being insulted and ignored after reporting food that is clearly unfit to eat. read more

Enat has fallen off immensely for me. This pains me a little since I gave it such high praise before, but on my last visit... the food just wasn't the same. Service was slow, as always, but I ordered takeout well in advance online, so it wasn't as painful. Waited about 5-10 mins for our food upon arrival. It was fairly late on a Sunday night and no one else was in the restaurant. I was starving and ready to chow down when I got home. However, the food just wasn't what I was used to. Everything was sitting underneath pools of oil in a way that I'd never seen before. The flavors overall were still good, but nothing stood out. The kitfo had an overwhelming taste of what I can only describe as cinnamon-y. The next day, I was pulling out the cold chunks of solidified oil from all the food. It just seems like Enat has changed chefs or declined in quality sibce my last visit, and it's really sad to see. I'm hoping it rebounds and it can be a favorite again soon! read more

Some days they are excellent. It just dépends on their mood. Like Agegil? It's what they have, not what you choose.

Finally got to try Enat after hearing good reviews from friends and family. We arrived around 2 on a Sunday afternoon for a late lunch. They had a decent crowd with a few there to watch the Liverpool/Arsenal game. We ordered some Enat Kitfo and Chekina Tibs. The Kitfo was seasoned perfectly with the right Eti spiced butter amount. Tibs was tender and lived up to the Chekina billing. We chose the Teff Injera which is the way to go. A good variety with all of the Ethiopian favorites & some surprises (Tuna Kitfo!) Cozy Dining area with a smaller bar. Breakfast looked good also. Service was attentive and friendly. Ended up getting the same dishes to go. Portions are generous with reasonable prices. Don't miss the Chekina Tibs! read more

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Favorite Ethiopian spot in the DMV! Go to dishes are the vegetarian combo with whole fish and the Doro Wat. The coffee is great and roasted in house too! The owners and staff are very friendly and accommodating without being overbearing every 5 minutes. Don't mind the loud music as this is also a hangout spot for locals. Oh and the prices are excellent! read more

We ordered Enat as delivery and it was overall great. I got the veggie combo with the whole fish. The whole fish was MASSIVE so my husband helped me, but very tender and flaky. I was worried a little about the bones, but it was easy to separate away from the bones. The veggies were solid. My favorite was this sticky preparation of the green beans as well as the beets. The injera was overall too sour for me, and more sour than I'm used to at other Ethiopian restaurants. It was overwhelmingly so that I couldn't eat that much of it (though I typically love to wrap plenty of injera around the accompaniments). I also thought some of the dishes had a lot of oil in them. I would still order from here again, and just order less injera next time! read more

The food here is not seasoned. That's it. I got the enat Anegel and it isn't good. The meat crumbles are dry, the food not seasoned, and the to-go order was in separate containers which is weird for Ethiopian food. Don't come here, I repeat, DONT COME HERE. There are better Ethiopian places. The injera was bland too. read more

Good service & good vegetarian platter. Meat dishes were a bit off. Would only recommend ordering vegetarian. Felt a little ill in the days following. read more

Came on Saturday afternoon. Service was a tad slow but the food was good. I got the vegetarian combo with Chekina tibs and Enat kitfo. My bf and I really enjoyed the Chekina Tibs since it had a kick of spice to it. Some of the sides were cold. We just didn't eat much of it and ate everything else. We were stuffed and still had quite a bit of leftover. This place is an the alternative to going into DC so I'm happy we found the place. Knocked off a star because of the cold sides and slow service. read more

Enat Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

This place is SO delicious. Some observations: - You have the option of having 100% teff flour based injera flown in from Ethiopia (a bit more expensive but totally gluten free), or an American-style injera which includes a bit of wheat flour. Both are soft, supple and flavorful. - Their vegetarian sampler goes way above and beyond comparable places. It includes ten items. That includes all of the traditional favorites (cabbage and carrots, collard greens, lentils with berbere, shiro) but also some dishes I've not had at other places (a horseradish-reminiscent lentil salad, a dish that looks like egg salad but seems to be yellow split pea based, beets). They are all really good and offer a lot of flavor, texture, and color variety. - Their takeout is all packaged in recyclable and/or compostable packaging which is a really nice touch. read more

First time, Not bad - I finally got my cravings fixed! My husband and I shared the Chekina Tibs Vegetarian Combination. My favorite side was the beets which I wish there was more of! The Tibbs tasted great! However, there was one side that was heavily seasoned with horse radish that my husband and I didn't have the taste for. I accidentally ate chunk of it and my nose was felt like it was on fire and eyes were watering! I can't remember what the name of that side was. The Injera had a good texture but it seemed a little on the sour side - I kinda wish it didn't. It was a little muggy in there too with flies! I'm pregnant so it didn't feel very comfortable for me. Oh well. read more

Enat Restaurant - Chekina Tibs Vegetarian Combination, Teff Injera - Ethiopian Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Great excellent Ethiopian food near my house! I really like the combo veggie and meat dishes you can get, it's plenty of food. I'll swap out one of their meat options for awaze tibs which is excellent. You'll see Enat featured in top Ethiopian restaurants regularly and I can attest, it's good. read more

Fantastic food! The spicy lentils and the spicy fish were stand out for me. The injira was not rubbery and seemed fresh. The service was excellent. I met some folks who never had Ethiopian before and I got there early and told the hostess and she helped them understand how it is served and eaten. I highly recommend. read more

Giving this a 5 for flavor & authenticity. We got the veggie combo platter and the Shennt Tibs (rib eye tips). The meat was so tender and the spices are just so satisfying. I'd order that again for sure. The flavors of the veggie platter were great, every bite was different and there was a lot of variety. I especially liked all of the lentil sides, green beans and cabbage. They also served us each our own plate of enjera, which was a nice touch. I felt like I ate a ton, yet we still had a ton of leftovers. Spice soaked enjera & veggies for breakfast the next day was mmmm good. Giving it a 3 on presentation, as 3 of the side dishes were ice cold, as if they had just come out of the fridge and went straight on the platter. The enjera When our server was present, she was great, but we waited over an hour for the check. The music was also super loud & varied in octave from loud to louder throughout our time there, and most of the time we were the only patrons dining in (it was a weeknight). I enjoyed the music but it was tough on the conversation. I would order takeout from here, because the food was amazing, but probably wouldn't dine in again. read more

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Enat Restaurant is great. I recommend coming here for superb Ethiopian food. Come here for lunch or dinner. The injera is good. I liked the collard greens a lot too. There is plenty of parking here as well. read more

Enat Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Absoutely delicious. Generous portions very reasonably priced. Love coming here whenever I'm in the area. One day I'll actually remember the names of everything I eat here but no matter what I've pointed to and tried I've had a great experience. read more

The takeaway: passable but there are better Ethiopian options within 15 minutes of here. We ordered two different types of tibs as well as the veggie combo. They didn't have goden tibs for whatever reason so I had to settle to beef tibs. It was okay, nothing special - definitely not on par with the crispy meat served at places like Enjera and Zenebech. The veggie platter was fine, but nothing to write home about. Two of the veggie sides we didn't finish because they tasted very exotic. The most appalling part of the meal was when we were charged $8 for injera bread - our server kept on trying to sell us on their special house injera but we told her that we just wanted the regular. For some reason she brought us 3 orders of the house injera anyways. It was okay and a little more sour than the American injera but we definitely didn't order it and didn't appreciate being charged for three orders of it. We won't be back. read more

Enat was a bit out of the way but I wanted to give them a try since they had what looked like my favorite dish that I normally get from a place closer to me. I ordered the spicy lentils, cabbage, tomato and jalapeno salad, schennt tibs and chiktina tibs. I got two meat dishes, unsure which would be close to the one I was looking for since they sounded similar but both sounded delicious. I picked up the order and drove home, excited to try out a new place. Now, I genuinely go to one place close to where I live because they are truly the best Ethiopian food I have ever had. But I want to have other options in other areas. So I was really careful reading the menu and ordered the two items that sounded the most similar to what I wanted. Unfortunately, when I got home, there was only ONE meat dish. Which one, I am not sure, but I was very disappointed. The food I did get was good, and I tried to enjoy it, but I was charged more than what I received. No worries, let me dispute the order and get my money back for the missing item. I called the restaurant several times but no one answered. I doubled checked my online order which had 2 meat dishes and charged me for the such, but there was no way to dispute the order or ask for help. Overall, a disappointing dining experience and I won't be returning. read more

Tried Enat for the first time and had a delicious takeout order. The vegetarian platter is my all time favorite Ethiopian dish and the take here at Enat is quite interesting, including some stews and flavors I haven't tried before. I particularly liked the darker lentils seasoned with berbere. Combining bites always results in amazing mouthfuls. Also ordered from the breakfast menu the kinche (cracked wheat Ethiopian butter mitmita) and it was my FAVORITE dish we tried. It is small pieces of bready, fried, well-seasoned, and boldly flavored bites. I wouldn't recommend the sambusa, wasn't the best I've had. Overall, I recommend trying this restaurant to expand your Ethiopian food experiences in the DMV area. read more

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Absolutely amazing. Delicious food and even better, the service was amazing. The gentleman servicing us was so nice and welcoming and explained everything. Please come visit this amazing local restaurant read more

Enat Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

I grew up right by this place but for some reason had not tried it out until recently. Obviously the area is known for Ethiopian food but this place was really good in its own right. We got the vegetarian combo, the enat kitfo, and the yebeg (lamb) tibs. Everything was beautiful and full of flavor. For takeout, each item in the veggie combo came in its own small plastic container so it's definitely a good option if you're looking to do takeout since nothing will get soggy. We ordered an extra side of injera but ended up with a ton of it since it seems that the entrees themselves come with injera too. As a note, remember to mix up the butter with the kitfo as I forgot to do so until later! read more

Enat Restaurant - Vegetarian Combination Yebeg Tibs Enat Kitfo - Ethiopian Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

This is a great Ethiopian restaurant. The restaurant itself has busy hours during dinner and weekends. The food comes in fairly large portions. It's very spacious and clean with a bar and pool rom . Nice place to take the family for authentic cuisine. read more

Great food. Very friendly service! We love this place. We've come here post pandemic and food was still awesome. read more

A couple of weekends ago, my family and I had a taste for Ethiopian food so we decided to take a mini-road trip (30 minute drive) to take a break from being indoors and treat ourselves. The take-out process was pretty easy. We called in our order and they let us know that our food would be ready for curbside pick up in 30 minutes. We ordered two orders of cheken tibs, two orders of kitfo, and a sambusa. I went into the establishment to pick up my food, with my mask on, while my family waited in the car. The woman inside who rang up my order had on a mask as well. She asked for my name, I paid for my food, and she handed me my to go order. Very easy. One thing we should have done was check our order before we left the parking lot, however. When we got home we realized we didn't receive the sambusa, which was upsetting because we were so looking forward to eating it! That said, the food was delicious! Each of the dishes we ordered was fresh and separately packaged. I would definitely recommend ordering take out from this Ethiopian spot. read more

Cold, stank,tasteless, so unenvironmentally friendly they should be ashamed, and even the enjera was bad. I've complained numerous times, I don't even care if I get my money back. I just think this restaurant shouldn't be allowed to exist. I hope nobody else makes the same mistake I did ordering from there. CUPS OF GREASE! read more

We love the food and the music and the staff. We came up from a doctors appointment about three hours away and love Ethiopian food so we thought we'd give this a try. This was perfect Ethiopian food. We loved the injeria and the wonderful flavors. read more

This place was right up the street and we wanted to add some spice into our mundane weekday. It was the perfect spot to get our cravings satisfied. Got the Vegetarian combo and the first Tibs on the menu. The food was really really delicious and so perfectly priced. It was our first time here so we wanted to try all their offerings in the combo but we definitely have some favorites and didn't care for some others. The waitress said next time, we can choose to omit the ones we didn't like and get double portions of the dishes we did like. She even said if we didn't want to choose from the beginning, we can wait until we finish and then choose what we want to eat more of!!! How accommodating!! I love it when the restaurant actually cares about their customers. What we got was plenty for 2 so we really got to stuff our faces. Unlimited injera and all. Omg so good. Get the Groupon coupon and get even more cash back. It's a great deal!! Since it's so close and delicious, we will def. be regulars here! read more

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My biggest gripe with Enat is the to-go packaging! I understand the reasoning behind their thinking, but it feels extremely wasteful placing each component in individual plastic cups! I also feel like the individual cups reduce the portion sizes being served. I ordered the Vegetarian Combination with Whole Fish, the Enat Kitfo and Ye Chikina Tibs, and an extra order of Gomen. My favorite part of the meal was the Whole Fish. It was incredibly crispy on the outside and nice and flaky on the inside. Sadly, they forgot to include our order of Gomen. I would eat here again, but it wouldn't be in my top choices of Ethiopian restaurants to go to in this area. read more

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I can only comment on the food because I've never dined in before but it's very delicious. I always get the vegetarian platter. I don't exactly know the names of what I'm eating but I know I like it. You get a lot of options and get to try a bunch of different types of food. The ingera is very good, could be a bit more sour in my opinion but I still love it. read more

This was my second visit to an Ethiopian restaurant, but first visit here. My reason for revealing that is that I've never tried the shareable dishes before, so it was quite an experience. I wasn't too thrilled about sharing from the same plate. However, now I know, I can easily ask for a separate plate. The staff was super friendly. They fully explained everything when we were ordering. We ordered the vegetarian combination (it pretty much includes everything from the Vegetarian Entree section of the menu) with a side of Lamb Tibs (I believe it was the Yebeg Wot). Unfortunately, we couldn't remember the names of the vegetarian sides. Initially they ask which one we want an extra serving of...so we chose the collard greens. Later we found out we can have unlimited refills of all the vegetarian sides. They were constantly coming by to refill our sides and injera. I didn't eat the lamb, so can't comment on that. However, regarding the vegetarian options...we really liked the Misser Watt (it wasn't that spicy for me). I thought the Gomen (collard greens) were a bit bland. The restaurant itself wasn't in the best condition. The ceiling was pretty worn and the bathroom/backroom was about the same. One thing to note about parking: it is very limited. This restaurant is located in a busy intersection and a small strip mall. There is parking available in the back; the spots in the front are definitely tight spaces. read more

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First time for Ethiopian food. It was awesome!! We ordered lamb tibs and vege combo, which is super enough for two, and all tastes good. read more

Enat Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Straight out AMAZING. Everything was incredibly tasty and reasonably priced. My mom and I got a platter and had 2 portions of leftovers. Flavourful meat, fluffy injera and wonderful condiments. Try the lamb tibs! read more

Great option for Ethiopian in the area with decent parking. Stopped by for dinner with friends and we ordered the veggie combo with two meats - it was the perfect amount for three people. read more

Enat Restaurant - Veggie platter with 2 meats. - Ethiopian Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

This is a nice Ethiopian restaurant, we wanted to be here after reading the reviews. Its in a small strip mall and don't let that dissuade you. The ambiance is OK. The servers are friendly and nice, they took time to explain the menu as well. The food is great, loved the lamb dish, it had the right spice and was awesome.he chicken was ok, the gravy was good but the chicken was bit hard and not very fleshy. The fried fish was also great ! Overall a good experience ! read more

Enat Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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The food used to be good. The quality has dropped quite a bit. We order chicken Doro wat, veggie combo and fried Fish. Fried fish is basically throwing a whole fish in the deep fryer. Fish was moist but lacked flavor. Could not tell that it is Etopian. The vegetable were the best part. The beets are tasty and the other vegetables are pretty good. The Doro Wat was horrible. Chicken was tougher than leather and not edible. Told the wait staff and they did not seem to shocked. They did credit for the chicken. If you live by it might be worth another try. I would see many Etopians in the restaurant. read more