I came to Enjera for dinner and the food was delicious. Everything was seasoned to perfection and our server was really nice. We ordered the vegetarian sampler mixed with the meat sampler. My favorite parts of the meal were the chicken and lamb. It was a warm day so we sat on the back patio, which had good background music and curated a great vibe. I definitely suggest outside seating if it's a nice day when you try! read more

Enjera Restaurant - Vegetarian Sampler and Meat Sampler - Ethiopian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

I've been a customer here for a few years, I have mixed thoughts about this place. Nestled in the heart of the Aurora Highlands 23rd street restaurant strip, Enjera is a quaint, cutely-decorated eatery, adorned with paintings by Ethiopian artists, the city skyline of Addis Ababa, and framed French/Italian wine adverts. It's eclectic and encapsulates an element of the immigrant experience in how it's decorated. Likewise, despite three stars, I do keep coming back because the food is quite superb. Always flavorful and with a decent variety of traditional dishes on offer. Their veggie combo is among their signatures, and I often also get the Asa Spris (curried fish stew) when I visit. I do, unfortunately, have to dock a star here for some of the cuts they've had to make; a small side salad used to accompany most entrees, but now costs $9. I understand inflation is ever-present, but that's eyebrow-raising. Moreover, the injera they provide seems to be in smaller bundles than previously, usually not enough to complete a meal including the piece it is served on, which means you usually need to ask for more. And this segways to why I have to dock another star for the service quality; it could be much better lately. Typically, I find that I have to seat myself, which isn't a huge deal, but the waiters often disappear from the dining room for up to 15 minutes at a time. I've had to get up to refill my water or grab napkins from the waiter station, which I feel bad doing because it's technically not somewhere clients should be accessing on their own, but I often don't have any choice. Finally, the website hasn't been updated in years; don't look at the menu posted there unless you want to lament how inflation has taken its toll on affordability. Overall, I give Enjera props for having quality fare and a nice little venue, but there are some issues I'd encourage management to address. read more

Enjera Restaurant - Veggie Combo w/ injera; Habesha Beer. - Ethiopian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Perfect, the host, the food; we've eaten here a fair bit over the years; the food is never disappointing. Tonight was no exception so fresh, spices on point and our server brought the warmth and smiles with his kindness. Just perfect. Relaxing jazz music, simple. Get the mushroom vegan platter and I'm sure you will be a frequent guest as well. It's a neighborhood place that makes you feel like a neighbor no matter if you just flew in from far away. Tip: you can ask for teff - they have it read more

This is my second time trying Ethiopian food in the DMV and I will say this has probably been the best restaurant experience by far. The first restaurant I went to was in Admo while the food was good the portion sizes were laughable. Enjera in comparison will have you in all with how much food they provide. Not only is the food amazing the portion sizes are easily more than enough and it leaves you with a hefty take away box! There's ambient space upstairs where you're seated either by the window area or inside by the tables - when we went around noon on a Sunday it was easy to get seated! I will be revisiting this restaurant more frequently and doing a shared platter between the veggie platter and the meat platter. For a brunch with two combo shared between us and take a home plate it was around 35 per person ! read more

See all

One of the best things about coming to the DC area is great Ethiopian food. I started with Katanga, and the Kibe used just gives it such a layer of fatty flavor to offset the Berbere spice and the beef. The Kitfo, cooked Medium Rare / Rare, was spectacular. The sour of the enjera and the spice of the lentils were a great pairing. I love great Ethiopian... and this is great ethiopian in a quaint little local restaurant with more than enough seating that you shouldn't ever really have a long wait. read more

Enjera Restaurant - Katanga - Ethiopian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

See all

Enjera was nothing short of an amazing experience! I love a restaurant that can mimic my mother's authentic cooking! We ordered the veggie platter and it was so flavorful and fresh. I really appreciated that they let you order sides of different wot (which most Ethiopian spots don't offer) such a nice touch! The portions were super generous too. We had leftovers for two days! read more

Enjera Restaurant - Veggie Combo For 2 Zigni D Erho - Ethiopian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

WOWWWW does food get any better than this. I came here with a girlfriend, and we did the meat lovers for one and the veggie lovers for one, and this was plenty of food for 3-4 people! Each portion of the dish was so delicious! So flavorful and fresh. I am honestly amazed at how they make every single bit taste so good! The staff was attentive and friendly, and the restaurant had plenty of seating. The second you walk inside, you can smell just how good the food is going to be! Highly recommend coming here. read more

Enjera Restaurant - Meat Lovers Combo and Veggie Combo For 1 - Ethiopian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Whenever I'm in the DMV area I make my way to Enjera! Quick service, good flavors and an assortment of options. The staff are so attentive and kind ... parking is convenient and depending what you're up for, there are plenty of other spots close by to grab coffee, check out a local diner or live music. read more

See all

Delicious food, friendly service, excellent overall! We had the meat combo and veggie combo (1 each) and it was enough for the 4 of us with a couple sambusas. We also really enjoyed the honey wine as well. Will definitely be back next time we are in town! read more

Enjera Restaurant - Meat and veggie combos (all on same plate) - Ethiopian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Literally my favorite Ethiopian spot in the area. The veggie combo is always incredible and the service is quick! read more

Enjera Restaurant - Vegan Sampler - Ethiopian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

See all

The food is amazing. I learned that Ethiopian hot peppers are vastly hotter than Indian hot peppers. I began my meal with the Tomato Salad. The tomatoes were indeed the star of the dish - hearty, juicy, bright red, flavorful and oh so fresh, served with onions, plenty of jalapenos, mitmita and a tangy house dressing which I thoroughly enjoyed. The salad is enough for two to share. Next I tried the lentil and potato Sambusa. Flavorful lentils, soft potatoes wrapped in a crispy pastry dough. Deeelish! If you enjoy crispy pastry dough consider getting 2 orders. When I return I definitely will reorder Sambusas. I also tried the Veggie Roll. It's an Enjera (soft, spongy like, Ethiopian dough slightly thicker than a crepe with lots of tiny holes, the smell is reminiscent of yeast, or sourdough. It was fresh, soft and tasty. The chef prepared some delicious mixed veggies which were skillfully wrapped inside. Yummy. Though I didn't want to admit it, I was getting full. The food is so delicious and flavorful I kept eating. My main course was the Shrimp Spris. A generous portion of sauteed shrimps over mild Azwe sauce, served with tomatoes, onions, jalapenos and seasoned with the chef's blend of spices. It was similar to the Tomato Salad but included shrimp. Yummy Yummy. Believe it or not, I also asked for a side of beans. Absolutely the very best beans I've ever eaten in my life. We received complimentary rice which was a beautiful compliment to me and my cousin's meals. The ambiance is low key, relaxed. Our server was attentive, polite and DDG (Drop Dead Gorgeous). Their food portions are GENEROUS; prices are very fair. Street parking is FREE on Sundays. I can't wait to come back to Enjera. Thanks for a delicious dining experience! read more

I wanted to try this Ethiopian restaurant a couple of nights ago but was pretty full, but I'm glad I came back tonight! I asked for a meat lover platter with a veggie lovers platter mixed in. The food flavours and textures were astonishingly good, every bite was a taste explosion in a good way, I could tell what all the veggies were but they were excelllent! The margarita was spectacular as well. read more

Enjera Restaurant - Mixed meat and veggie platter - Ethiopian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Without a doubt, our favorite Ethiopian restaurant in all of Northern Virginia. We've been here dozens of times, but this is our first review to share news of this exceptional place. Decorated in culturally significant art and artifacts, it is a pleasant environment to enjoy and appreciate the food to come. While we typically mix-up our entrees the Veggie Combo is our go-to everytime we're here. Served on a bed of Injera (for those unfamiliar, it is sour fermented pancake-like flatbread with a spongy texture, made with teff flour), and accompanied by sides of rolled up Injera, the Combo for two has alicia (split pea stew seasoned with turmeric and ginger sauce), spicy lentils, collard greens, green beans and yellow split peas. This is a wonderful dish, and the Combo for two is quite filling. On our most recent trip we also added the Awaze Tibsi, which are very tender cubes of beef marinated with rosemary and adorned with onions, tomatoes and jalapenos. Spicy but amazing! read more

Enjera Restaurant - Veggie Combo Platter for Two - Ethiopian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

This is my family's favorite Eritrean/Ethiopian restaurant. Just so happens to be near where we all grew up too. It is in a fairly busy area of town but there is a decent parking lot behind the strip of restaurants. The food and service here are both good. Very casual spot. Go for one of the combos and you can't go wrong. Enjera is very filling as it feels like it expands in your stomach. Great place for first timers as well. read more

I joined some coworkers at Enjera for a quick dinner before returning home. Located in Arlington's Restaurant Row (and a quick walk from my hotel), the space looks like it was an old house converted to a restaurant. As a design professional, I like this adaptive reuse. In addition to a delicious meal, my dinner was actually an educational experience as this was my first time enjoying Eritrean cuisine. For the uninitiated, as I was myself, traditional Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine is eaten essentially with your hand or rather with the Injera bread (the restaurant's namesake. In consistency and looks, it's almost like a pancake with a spongy & slightly sour texture. A lot of the dishes tend to be stews, and this bread is placed both on the bottom of the plate with the meat and stew on it as well as on the side where you pick your food. Thankfully for this first timer, they did provide utensils. as it were, embarrassingly for me, when I saw the plate of the Enjera bread first served, I thought that it was the napkin that I would put on my lap. Besides the bread, my chicken dish consisted of boiled eggs and chicken drumsticks covered with a deliciously spicy hot stew. This is what I started picking on first thinking it was shredded chicken. I appreciate my coworkers for pointing out where the chicken was lol this spicy marinade , gave my dish a deliciously well seasoned and spicy flavor. I did have to use the utensils for the chicken and the the egg. My portion was very generously served, and I loved the combination of flavors. I did love the cuisine to the point that I'll be keeping an eye out for this dish in Miami. read more

Enjera Restaurant - Teff Enjera (namesake bread) - Ethiopian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

See all

The veggie combo for two is cost effective and you get to try so many amazing things! All the veggie options are gluten free, so if you ask for gluten free injera, it's totally safe. Note: you will get the gluten free upcharge TWICE, $4 for the side and $4 for the injera on the plate. The server told us we ordered the last gluten free injera they had and it was only 6:30 pm, so note that it's possible they could run out. I tried calling earlier in the day but the call didn't go through. In terms of ambiance, it's a simple restaurant, not super cute but looks nice! read more

Enjera Restaurant - Veggie Combo For 2 with gluten free injera - Ethiopian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

I was really hoping for a memorable and delicious Ethiopian dinner, but my experience fell short of expectations. I visited on a Tuesday evening and did not have to wait for a table (no other customers present). The waitress was friendly and served us quickly. The restaurant was quiet, cozy, and dark. The food was okay, just a little too much heat (spice) and oil in the meal. The serving for 1 for the Meat Lovers combo was too much food for one person, wish they could offer a smaller sampler dinner entree. read more

See all

Truly can't get enough of this place! From the service to the meal everything is top notch. Their doro wot, tibs, and veggie platters are 10/10. The next time you'd like to get Ethiopian in NoVA check out Enjra read more

Enjera Restaurant - Veggie Combo for 2 and Tibsi - Ethiopian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

I went to Enjera and had the Ethiopian vegetarian and meat lover combo.The food came out on a giant round tray covered with injera (spongy flatbread that's soft). We all ate with our hands, tearing off pieces and scooping up whatever looked good. There were plenty of extra injera rolls on the side. You could open them up and basically make your own little wraps, packing them with lentils, stewed greens, beef, or chicken. It was hard to say which dish stood out as everything blended together. The vibe of the place definitely was great too. Light Ethiopian music in the background and the staff was super friendly and happy to explain anything if it was your first time. I also think it was a hookah bar too but i've been a couple of times and never smelled anything. Overall, great place to eat, and bring your friends! read more

Enjera Restaurant - Meat Lovers Combo - Ethiopian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Came here with some colleagues after the first day of our conference at the Kennedy Center. We wanted to share a meal and enjoy some light-hearted conversation and this was the spot most recommended to us. To start, I got the iced spice tea - it was extremely refreshing and full of spices like clove and cinnamon. Then, we got two orders of the Meat Lovers Special and Veggie Combo platters for the table. We thoroughly enjoyed the lentil dishes, but my personal favorite was the meat! So flavorful, with just enough kick to remind you that you're alive. VERY decently priced - for 5 people, plus drinks, we ended up paying about $35 (with tip). Price: 5/5 Food: 5/5 Drink: 5/5 Atmosphere: 5/5 OVERALL: 5/5 - will definitely come again when I am up this way! read more

Was looking for an Eritrean restaurant to try while in town last weekend, and Enjera did not disappoint. OVERALL RATING: 4.5/5 Food: I got the regular tibsi as well as derek tibsi. The food came quickly and was delivered hot. A nice portion of awaze and mitmita were also provided. The food was a bit underseasoned, but these toppings/additions made up for it. The TaiTa (injera) was also lovely; I was super impressed that this restaurant provides the option of 100% teff TaiTa! You don't get that option anywhere, really. I can't forget to mention that this restaurant gives generous portions. Service: we had a lovely server, though she was a tad bit MIA in certain moments. Still, this did not dampen the experience. Ambiance: this restaurant is great for family or a group of friends. There is an excellent array of seating to choose from: indoor seating, bar seating, window seating, outdoor seating. Would 100% recommend to others, and I'd return myself next time I'm in town! read more

Enjera Restaurant - Tibsi and Derek Tibsi - Ethiopian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

This is our go to comfort food Ethiopian food restaurant. We have been over 10 times. They have great service and awesome at Ethiopian wine. Definitely try Mamas Auth Ethiopian Honey TEJ wine. It is very sweet and can serve as a dessert. read more

Enjera Restaurant - Enjera Special Awaze Tibsi - Ethiopian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Had a lovely Saturday evening dinner- the owners and other staff who served us were lovely, very helpful and informative. The food is some of the best Ethiopian food in town. Serving sizes were more generous than I've experienced recently at other Ethiopian places- had plenty to take home. Place at one point was packed and though we arrived at 6pm they didn't pressure us to leave, and we stayed till closing! The place is slightly worn as popular places get over time, but still pleasant and attention to cleanliness is present. Felt welcomed as if we were guests in someone's home. Plentiful Gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options. Looking forward to next time! read more

Absolutely perfect meal. Wonderful array of flavors and colors on a delicious bed on injera. read more

Enjera Restaurant - Vegetable sampler with Alicha Fit Fit - Ethiopian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

My introduction to the cuisine didn't disappoint. Enjoyed the recommendations by our server. Aromas fill the air, setting the anticipatory stage for the huge platter of delicious selections. You travel the World without leaving your table. The restaurant was comfortable and welcoming...a nice place to take the family, spend time with a date, or just treat yourself to a selection of well prepared dishes. Looking forward to another dinner soon. read more

A new Ethiopian fave! I live in NY and Enjera has been on my list for a couple of years and I finally got my mom to try it with me after landing in DC. My aunt came too. For our appetizers, we had the meat Sambusa and the veggie role. Th veggie role had a great portion size but the Sambusa was a smaller portion. We ordered the derek tibsi, alicha bsiga, chicken spris, collard greens, yellow lentils, and of course the salad. We thoroughly enjoyed every bit of our meal. However, the drinks were gross. We had a Moscow mule and a margarita. Both were insanely sour and just all around disgusting. We decided to order the honey wine which was great! We recommend you do the same! Stay away from the drinks from behind the bar lol. read more

Enjera Restaurant - Veggie Roll - Ethiopian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

See all

Gourmet Ethiopian food! The restaurant serves generous portion sizes which taste fantastic! We ordered a variety of sambusa for the table as appetizer to share which were great. I ordered the veggie combo for 1 which was phenomenal! I would recommend this place if you love Ethiopian food or if you want to try it for the first time! The service was great and the ambience was a chill vibe! read more

Enjera Restaurant - Veggie Combo For 1 - Ethiopian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

See all

I've slowly developed a love for Ethiopian food since moving to the east coast. I think the neighborhoods in and around DC are the best place to get Ethiopian food. This is one of those location where you are just amazed with the food and presentation! I highly recommend getting a vegetable option and a meat option. We shared a crispy meat and a vegetarian platter with 3 people and that was enough food. Everything was so delicious! The server was friendly and attentive. They have live music later in the hours (9pm?) but we left before getting to experience the music. My only complaint is the loud music they play regularly. It almost felt like you're dining at the club. At first I love the music but then it gets distracting when you're just dining in and trying to enjoy your food. read more

Enjera Restaurant - Vegetable platter with the crispy beef choice!! - Ethiopian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Enjera Restaurant - Crystal City, VA I recently visited Enjera Restaurant and ordered the veggie platter along with yega tibs. While the presentation was fine, the yega tibs were underwhelming -- the meat tasted as if it had been cooked too quickly, without giving the seasonings time to fully coat and infuse the flavor. Portion sizes were noticeably small for the price, which was disappointing. I also ordered iab (Ethiopian cheese), but it was served in an extremely small side cup, even smaller than the typical condiment containers you see elsewhere. For the price point, I expected a bit more generosity. Overall, I wasn't impressed compared to other Ethiopian restaurants in the DMV area. I'm willing to give them another try in the future, but I'll likely order something different in hopes of a better experience. read more

I had lunch at Enjera and the food was delicious! Good portions and food was flavorful. Everything was seasoned well and fresh and had a nice kick. Sambusa beef was incredibly crispy and definitely a must try! read more

Enjera Restaurant - Enjera Special - Ethiopian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

See all

My first meal here was about 8 years ago and to this day, I haven't found anything that compares. It's so good, I used to drive 35-40 mins to get it since I previously lived in Bowie MD. Now, I'm much much closer and eat here at least once a month. Every time I stray and try new Ethiopian spots, I compare it to Enjera because they set the bar high. And it's not that those restaurants are bad, it's just Enjera is THAT good. read more

See all

Here I am thinking that all the Ethiopian/Eritrean food is across the river. I've been absolutely sleeping on this Crystal City gem! Not only do they have one of the better sampler platters, but I don't have to fight DC traffic either I loved everything--the veggie platter, the meat platter, the fancy Ethiopian honey wine. I left happy and full (and wincing a little at the price not gonna lie), but considering I will live and die for this cuisine, I can't complain. The dining room is a bit unorthodox but we were served well and had a great view of 23rd street. read more

Enjera Restaurant - Meat lovers combo and veggie combo - Ethiopian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

I am so lucky to have eaten so many good meals here over the years I have come to DC for business. The service is excellent, the food is high quality and delicious, and the restaurant is cozy! Grab a friend (or few) and go to dinner here! You won't be disappointed! read more

The injera here is excellent: DC has many options for Ethiopian & Eritrean food and this is a great introduction to this type of cuisine. I went with someone who's never had Ethiopian/Eritrean and they walked away a big fan. The decorations here are very cute and the plates are so beautifully and colorfully decorated! It's a great location for a nicer meal without breaking the bank: we saw some folks celebrating graduation at a table nearby. We ordered a shared meat combo platter for 3 people - and it was a lot of food. We had trouble eating all of it in the end. They also provide some large injeras on the side so with all of the food, we were stuffed when we left. The food itself tasted delicious: everything was so rich and perfectly seasoned without one particular spice or dish overwhelming everything. I would highly recommend the meat combo: it gives you a taste of everything and it was all good. The price is definitely worth it for the quantity and quality of food you're getting. We left very full and satisfied. The waiters weren't fussy: they took our orders quickly (and provided some helpful information about serving/portion sizes). It was a bit of a wait to get the food - but I'm not surprised since the platter was so large. read more

Enjera Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

The food was very good. The Enjera was too thick and sticky but worked. The service was not good at all. With so many other Ethiopian/Eritrean restaurants in DC there are others that would be preferred. read more

Decided to be spontaneous and try a new chained while walking through Arlington. I was seated immediately. I was given time to look over the menu and was skeptical since the previous reviews advised the food is super spicy. All seating is upstairs and it has dim light but while we were there, they end up turning the lights down really low to the point where I couldn't see my food that well. I opted for water to prepare myself (I don't know if they don't serve ice with water but even the waitress who had pitchers of water didn't have ice inside.) For an app I had the Merek. I didn't chose the app but I wish I would have since I am a texture person. It was very soft and mushy with a tangy aftertaste. Although I wasn't a huge fan of it, it may be palatable for others. Since we wanted to explore a wide range of food, we got the meat combo. This was the entrée that was warned about with the heat and other reviews. Now this dish, including my entrée, took a very long time to come out. We waited close to 45 minutes for our food. The appetizer was not piping hot and some of the meats on the combo were not as hot as I would expect it. Nevertheless, there were five meat options to choose from three beef and two chickens. One of the chicken dishes were chicken legs that had boiled eggs in it, which was by far my favorites. None of the meats were overly spicy. In fact, I didn't get a bit of spicy at all which is a good thing because I can't take anything over Texas Pete haha. Both the meat entrée and the appetizer sat on a blanket of their bread. Their bread does have a tangy taste as well. If you have trypophobia, you may want to opt out for the bread. All in all, I give it a four out of five only docking one star for the service. read more

Enjera Restaurant - Meat Lovers Combo - Ethiopian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

See all

My husband and I came in hungry and got the Meat Lovers Combo for 2 for ~$45. This could have easily fed 3-4 people! About 75% of the meat dishes accompanying this are quite spicy (as someone with relatively low spice tolerance for someone of Taiwanese heritage), so be warned! Flavorful, but the flavor profiles eventually blend in with each other since it's so meaty. For your first time here, I would suggest getting something with more veggies for variety. 3.75 for the choice we made, but would come back to try something not as meat heavy! Service was great - food came out fairly quickly after ordering; room was well air conditioned and there was still some window seating at 7pm on a Friday evening. No reservations needed read more

Enjera Restaurant - Meat Lovers Combo for 2 - Ethiopian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

I recently went here for dinner after work with one of my coworkers. She has never tried Ethiopian food before so I decided to order the veggie combo and legs tibs. We also ordered drinks. The food and drinks were really good, but the service was very slow, so don't go there if you're in a hurry. read more

See all

Came here at 8:50pm on a Wednesday night. Contrary to my last review, the place did not give off night club vibes but more so a family friendly vibe. This time around we got the meat combo and shiro on the side with a mushroom appetizer called kantisha. The kantisha was super spicy but so flavorful and delicious- a little in the oily side. The meat combo was filling and more than enough for 3 people. Funny enough, everyone's favorite was the shiro. Next time, we'll do the vegan sampler with a meat side since the lentils are that good! We also tried honey wine. I wasn't a fan but my partner and his friend loved it! You can definitely taste the honey. Service is SLOW, and note that they already include 20% tip in the bill as well as an Arlington meal tax on top of regular tax. Word to the wise to not tack on extra tip unless you had a phenomenal experience. read more

Enjera Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

We live in Harrisonburg and were so disappointed when the Ethiopian Restaurant closed down (quite awhile ago). We were staying overnight before an early flight and walked to Enjera. The food was so very tasty with a great atmosphere. read more