Food: Portions were big and everything was fresh, authentic and served hot. Also, the presentation was quite colorful and everything looked so appetizing (and of course ended up being so tasty). I had the beef tibs which were excellent, although the stew sauce was probably more spicy than most average people can handle. (4.5/5) Ambiance: Nothing special or fancy about the ambiance, except it's got a "neighborhood hangout" vibe that replicates decent, reputable restaurants in smaller international towns. Was pretty bustling the two times I've been. (4/5) Service: I had wonderful service both times -- food arrived very quickly and staff was very attentive. (5/5) This is one of my favorite African restaurants not only in D.C., but in the entire U.S. (and I grew up in L.A. which has quite a few solid Nigerian & Ethiopian spots among others in the diaspora). When I was in D.C. craving African food, I had two different local friends recommend this spot and it did NOT disappoint. The storefront doesn't look too eye-catching from the outside, but the food and experience inside was first class. read more

This place was great. It was my first time to eat Ethiopian cuisine. My friend and I shared a dinner for two. The food took a while to arrive to the table but it was very good. We also tried an Ethiopian lager which was good. The portion was large for two. The server was efficient and friendly. Four stars only because there were some gnats flying around and the bathroom was kind of dirty. Otherwise Highly recommend for the food. read more

Glo Lalibela Restaurant - Dinner for two - Ethiopian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I can't help but love this place. Last night I wandered in alone and had the combination platter from one, as I've always gotten. It never changes. It's absolutely fantastic, it's very good pricing, and everyone is always so very kind. They make the food with such care, it always comes out tender and warm and delicious. The lounge upstairs is a great place to hang out. This is above, by far, the best Ethiopian restaurant in town. read more

If you know anything about the "DC food scene", you know there's no short in options for good Ethiopian food. In my opinion, the differentiators are service and freshness (of both food and flavor). The service and atmosphere were both just okay. The differentiator here for me was the fried croaker which was seasoned through and freshly cooked with a strong "fish taste" which is what I was expecting. Of the vegetable combo, the red lentils and greens stick out the most - the lentils for their spice and the greens for their freshness (they still had a slight crunch). I'd go back for the fish and lentils alone. read more

Glo Lalibela Restaurant - Fish with Mixed Vegetables Crocker Special - Ethiopian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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OVERALL: one of my favorite Ethiopian restaurants in DC! FOOD: We ordered the Doro Wot and for 4 people that was a lot. It was so good and had the right balance of vegetarian sides and meat sides. Would highly recommend pairing with an Ethiopian beer, which they sell there too. VENUE: pretty big venue with ample spaced out seating. There is also a bar. I love seeing locals and Ethiopian families there - that's how you know the food is good! read more

Glo Lalibela Restaurant - 16. Doro Wot - Ethiopian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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We finished up a show at the Howard theater and were looking for somewhere close by to eat. I remembered that this spot was open on 14th St. for years so we headed to this location -- yall WOW. It's hand down one of the tastiest meals I've had in awhile. Thanks for feeding us late night will be back for sure. read more

I will not pretend that I am versed in Ethiopian food but generally had an okay experience here. I wish the food was a bit hotter, but otherwise everything tasted okay. The ambiance was average, but the service was quite good. Seems like a family owned small business. read more

Glo Lalibela Restaurant - Mixed platter - Ethiopian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The staff is so friendly here! If you don't know what to get and go with a group, they'll make sure you get a bit of everything. The food is incredible and they were excited to show us how they brew their own coffee! 10/10 will be coming again. read more

I had a great experience eating here. The staff were vert sweet and welcoming. The owner even came to say hello! Thank you for a delicious meal. I would definitely come back. Heart warming food! read more

The most delicious Ethiopian food I've ever had. Excellent service! This is a necessary spot read more

Glo Lalibela Restaurant - Amazing food - Ethiopian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The service over the phone is not good. The women were kind even though there was difficulty understanding our allergy needs. When the women got the manager, a guy, who was rude, short and difficult to talk to because of his demeanor. We explained that the online order did not clarify certain allergens over an order and he was controlling about what number the order was on his menu. We had to explain that the order number was different and that we just needed to make sure everything was edible for us. He confirmed that an item was not edible for us and we thanked him. He shortly said bye and hung up. Be aware of establishments that treat you rudely. We don't know if this place is good, but It does not matter. In general, we must stop patronizing people with disrespectful attitudes over your food. You should not eat where you feel disrespected. read more

I stumbled upon this place after checking out several vegan late night options within metro DC and this was one of the few places that was open. I had not had Ethiopian food in a while, so I was excited. I'm glad I went because I was not disappointed because the food was great and tasted fresh, Great size portions for the price and the Injera was amazing. I ordered the vegetarian combination with fried fish. The fish to me was fried just right, it was very well seasoned. I believe one of the veggie dishes was a smashed eggplant and it was definitely one of my favorite parts of the entire meal aside from the fish and the lentils. I ordered my food to go, but inside of the establishment it was clean and the restaurant gave off nice vibes, I would definitely come back for a date night, and or just for Ethiopian food with friends/family because the service was prompt as well. Definitely give them a try if you're in the area, I can't wait to go back and try the Doro Wat and Kitfo read more

Glo Lalibela Restaurant - Store Front - Ethiopian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

delicious food + really kind staff. I had a fantastic vegetarian platter to split with a friend and had a great time. this restaurant is clearly a community favorite - many people were hanging out here just watching TV or spending time with friends. I loved how casual and friendly the place felt. read more

**vegetarian review** OMG this was the best Ethiopian food I had in a while! The restaurant is unassuming and open till late. I visited close to closing time and ordered sambusa and vegetarian platter - number 11. The sambusa - close to India samosa - was delicious - it was filled with lentils and was super crispy. The vegetarian platter - oh boy - so reasonably priced at $12 contained one injera with 2 lentil dishes, 1 cabbage dish, 1 salad and 1 green collards. Everything was delicious and we finished the food in minutes. I highly recommend the place! read more

Such a wonderful restaurant with AMAZING food and hospitality!!! Gi is the best, if you're in DC you must go!

Lalibela moved recently from 14th to 7th, a block from my house, so I came in wanting to have a new carryout place nearby. But the food was standard - nothing that tempts me from my regular spot. Let's start with the ordering - they don't have a menu online or takeout menus at the shop, so you pretty much have to go in. We took pics of the menu and called in an order later on. Quoted 10 minutes, in reality it took 25 and they didn't seem all that busy. Now for the food. We ordered lamb tibs, quanta fit fit, and tomato salad. Prices I thought were a little higher than other places ($14 main, $8 salad), portion sizes seemed similar (maybe a little smaller). Dishes came with a veggie side (tibs with yellow lentils, fitfit with carrots and cabbage). The tibs were decent but a little dry, in a runny sauce which I'm not used to. Not a big fan of the lentils, they were a bit dry. The fitfit was good enough - I would get this again if I came back. The cabbage and carrots were good too. My main issue though was with the injera. It was thin and seemed stale, and wasn't as tasty as others I've had (very plain). It was not soft and as a result would fall into pieces when using it to eat the meats/veggies which got messy. A good Ethiopian place needs solid injera - it's the base of the meal, and is the main reason I won't be back to Lalibela anytime soon. read more

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Solid Ethiopian food. Good portions. Good flavor. I ordered it for delivery and everything came as expected with plenty of injara. Pro tip: reheat the leftovers in the morning and serve with scrambled eggs, topped with plenty of paprika for an awesome breakfast. read more

This is suppose to be a platter for FOUR people... yes 4. This is not $55 dollar's worth of food. This is a scam. It's in the same container as the $16 meals for one person. Make it make sense. I called them and told them my issue and all they could say was that's how they do it. So you charge costumers triple the price for the same amount of food. This is not a platter that can feed four individuals. Scam Scam scam... Shame on this business. I spent $78 dollars total and can't even feed my family. I am pissed. FYI... I ordered a platter from Family Ethiopian a block over on 8th street and when I ordered a platter for four it came in a large silver container suitable for four different entrées for multiple people. Don't be fooled. They need to do better and give customers what they advertise. $55 dollars for my food to come in the same container as the $12-16 meals they sell. I want my money back. Also, the food was so crowded that it was just all mushy and mixed up together. The star is for something that I ate that as seasoned well. Can't tell you what it was because it was all mashed into this little container together. read more

Glo Lalibela Restaurant - They just tossed my container in a bag sideways and the food was spilling out. Sloppy. - Ethiopian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I've never had this kind of food before, so this was a nice experience. The flavors weren't very familiar but I kept an open mind. I had lamb tips and some of their sides wrapped in this uh...honestly I dunno what it was called. Either way, it was good. I got delivery, so I can't speak to the service. read more

Glo Lalibela Restaurant - a plate of food with a fork in it - Ethiopian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Food was excellent. Got the shared combination dinner for two, an order of spicy Beef Tibs split between 3 people. Lots of food. Leftovers were awesome. Laid back vibe, but the waitresses got us out quickly when we asked for the check so we could catch our showtime. Definitely recommend. read more

The absolute smalllest portions of food I've ever received at a Ethiopian restaurant. Literally a spoon full of collards and 2 pieces of potatoes. And if you're not Ethiopian they don't care if you need anything or enjoying your meal. Literally came in there and was spoken to once and that's just to get my order read more

Glo Lalibela Restaurant - Here's my measly portion of Mixed Vegetables Special - Ethiopian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Casual and lowkey Ethiopian restaurant in Shaw. This place seems very unassuming and frankly unglamorous, but that's honestly a good sign you're gonna get some good ethnic food. We walked in on a Monday around 7 and the three of us were seated right away. It was fairly busy but had a few other tables open as well. There was one outdoor seating table. The inside is very casual and no frills. There's lots of TVs inside which were showing soccer at the time. Since one of us had never had ethiopian food before we just opted for the combination platter for three, which comes basically with all the hits - cabbage + corn, collard greens, chicken, hard-boiled egg, lamb tibs, chicken, and beef (don't remember all the proper names), which just makes it easy to knock out all the essentials in one order. It came out fairly quick, maybe 10 ish minutes. The cabbage and corn was surprisingly tasty, kind of sour and bright in a good way. I liked the collard greens a lot too. The lamb tibs were great with the jalepenos too. Otherwise the other dishes didn't blow me away too much. None of them were bad, just fine. I wish some of the meat dishes were spicier or had a bit more kick to them. And I felt like some of the dishes would have been better if they were a bit warmer. Nothing was cold but just some extra heat would have been good. Service was pretty good for basically one waitress doing everything. Refilled water quick and hooked me up with an extra plate of injera without my asking, for free too. The combo for three of us was $45 and we came away pretty full and satisfied. I can't say this is the best Ethiopian place I've had in DC ( Chercher impressed me more) but this was a solid place for the price and proximity. read more

Glo Lalibela Restaurant - Combo for three - Ethiopian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Super nice staff and quality food. I'm not from DC but you can tell this place has been here for a while and the neighborhood around it has changed. How has it lasted? Good food, reasonable prices and staff who genuinely care. I've been here twice. Once before COVID, where I sat down at the restaurant. The again this week but for take out. Both times I was impressed with the food and felt very well taken care of. Support this restaurant that seems like it is family owned. This neighborhood doesn't need another chain. read more

Brought some out of towners for their first Ethiopian experience. Party included two super picky and annoying kids. The server did great with the kids' BS orders. The food was excellent. I'm not crazy about TVs in restaurants, but this place is more of a pub for the Ethiopian community that a restaurant for tourists. Highly recommended! read more

My companion and I were looking for a great Ethiopian restaurant in town and found this cozy establishment on a slower Saturday night. The staff needed a little prompting, but they were really friendly and responsive. The world series was on while we ate and I had a blast as the other patrons and I cheered for the Astros over absolutely delectable, flavorful food with sizable portions. We had a "combination platter for 2", which turned out to be an absolutely delightful assortment of lentils, doro wot, cabbage& carrots, lamb tibs, beef tibs, etc for a measly $30. I am writing this unable to move with a belly that is somewhere between full and bursting, so I thought to make use of the much needed recovery time to give well-deserved credit to an establishment that understands what it means to create the feeling of a "home away from home". read more

One of my favorite Ethiopian restaurants in D.C. Lalibela is centrally located in NW on 14th and P Sts. A regular spot for Ethiopians which is always a good sign. Food is authentic and reasonably priced. Good lunch specials as well. Service is friendly and the food comes out relatively quickly. read more

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It was a nice happy place to eat. I like the food. I had #23. Lamb Soup The waitresses did seem distracted though. Lots of TVs everywhere. read more

Glo Lalibela Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

My first time ever trying Ethiopian food was at this place!! Our waitress was super patient and helped us a lot when we weren't sure what to order. There were four of us and we ended up getting a combination plate for 4. We wanted to try a little bit of everything! I really liked the beef and the spicy chicken. I wish I got down the names- but luckily you get a portion of each meat in the combo platter option. The injera (bread) is filling and a perfect pairing to the flavorful toppings/sides. If you're coming in a group and ordering as a group, I'd highly recommend getting the combo for one quantity lower than your group. I think my group could've easily been good with a combination for 3 -- we struggled to finish our laaaarge plate! A combo for 4 ended up being about $15 per person after tip split four ways! read more

Glo Lalibela Restaurant - Meat & Veggie combo for 4 - Ethiopian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This place has a very different vibe than most of it's neighbors on 14th street. There's checkered tablecloths and plastic chairs and it almost feels like you're in a cafeteria.. I kinda dig this vibe. The waitresses are very friendly, not super attentive when it comes to filling up water, checking in, but I don't think they're trying to be... its not that type of place. If you want something from them you can call them over. The food overall was average, we enjoyed our meals but we weren't blown away. We started with sambusa which are filled with lentils and have some spice to them. We got a vegetable combination dish for our entree, which the waitress insisted could only serve one, but between the one combo and sambusas, my mom and I were both full. The dish had a good variation of veggie dishes. The greens were a bit too earthy tasting for me and the tomato salad had too much vinegar but the potato and lentil dishes tasted yummy scooped up by the injera. The ethiopian honey wine is definitely something different. Its nothing like wine, it almost resembles something more like beer but is very sweet. Good to get if you want to be adventurous. If you're on 14th St and craving Ethiopian food, this is a fine place to go. read more

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We shared a combination platter for 2 here. The portions were generous and the food was a good variety of vegetables, chicken, beef, and lamb. The injera was light, spongy, and went well with the dishes. One of my favorite parts of the meal was eating the sauce soaked injera that was lining the platter. My favorite dishes were the chicken/egg dish (Doro wat) and the cabbage with carrot. Service was friendly, but they did not come to refill any drinks and the only time they came over after we were seated and received drinks was to deliver our check. I'd definitely come here again for the delicious Ethiopian food. They are open late as well which is very nice! read more

Glo Lalibela Restaurant - Combination dinner for 2 - Ethiopian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

5 stars! Awesome experience. Delicious unique cuisine. I love the way the foods presented & served. it's an awesome place to go with a group, especially if you are with family sharing is awesome (: read more

In awe. Everything about this place was phenomenal. The food was absolutely incredible. Flavorful and filling. Even the leftovers two days later were amazing. Our waitress was also amazing so kind and considerate. The people dining there were incredibly kind as well. The good energy of the place attracts customers with good energy. We love to see it! Still daydreaming about my meal. read more

Glo Lalibela Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

3.5 stars! Recently, I learned that DC has the second highest Ethiopian population in the world. That only means one thing - legit finger grubbing! No wonder every Groupon, Livingsocial, Amazon, all the coupons you can imagine offered Ethiopian as one of their most popular dining deals! We were just exploring the neighborhood, got hungry, and decided to give Lalibela a try. We had a choice of either eating outdoor by the sidewalk which I later learned aka eaten alive by mosquito or indoor smokey, incensed dining. We went with the sidewalk and were immediately seated. The service was a bit slower but our foods were served promptly. 2 of us got the veggie platter, my husband got the meat sampler for 1, and I went with the veggie platter with fish. Overall, we were impressed by our dishes. This was my third time having Ethiopian and I must say it had convinced me to crave/want more! All the veggies and meats were delicious. The (unlimited) injera soaked up all the stews nicely! In addition, I wasn't expecting a whole fish to be presented on the side (just $4 more than a regular veggie platter). It was fresh, hot, crispy, and meaty! With so many Ethiopian options available in DC, I can't say I would be dying to return to Lalibela any time soon but definitely recommend others to at least give it a try! read more

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The vegetarian dishes were easily the best Ethiopian food we've ever had. Y'all have it down to a science! Thank you so much!

Meh, it was okay. I agree with some of the other Yelpers that the spices are a bit lacking in the dishes. I tried to order the lamb tripe with raw beef but the waitress told me no and that I should order the sauteed beef cubes with the jalapenos. Booooooooo! Boring! I finally convinced her to let me order it, and then she came back later to tell me they didn't have the ingredients for it =T I ended up ordering the combo plate and it was okay, nothing really stood out for me. Skip for next time. read more

Food is good but portions not worth it for delivery. The delivery guy did not knock on our door nor did we receive any kind of delivery notice. Nor did I receive the free soft drink. Also, I did not receive the extra injera I ordered. read more

Best Ethiopian food in DC hands down!! The food is unbelievably flavorful, and the level of spice is respectable. Highly recommend the lamb tibs (#19, in the middle of the photo), and the beef tibs. Relaxed with a good atmosphere and sweet staff! read more

Glo Lalibela Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I came here and shared a combination platter for four with friends. Everything was delicious! We were stuffed to the gills with food. I loved the flavors and the adequate spice for all the different dishes. They definitely didn't skimp on anything and provided a generous amount of fresh injera. The ambience was also fun with a mix of televised sports and fun music videos. It was also super affordable. I would definitely come back if I were in the area! read more

Glo Lalibela Restaurant - Combo plate for 4 - Ethiopian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Ethiopian restaurant with outside seating on corner of P and 14th. Food: Got the combination plate for 2, lamb was delicious. Some of the other meats a little too spicy for my taste but overall the chickpeas and veggies were a good selection. I'd suggest putting the names of the foods above the combo menu too so people can remember what they're eating and order it again next time. Tried to redeem the soda coupon but couldn't bc there was a water outage that day due to street flooding and a broken fire hydrant - their water and soda dispensers were not working. Would have been nice if wait staff tried to replace the coupon offer with something else... Ambiance: Family run business type of vibe (they use Chinese plates haha). Casual and outdoor seating has a nice view of 14th street. Would suggest decorating it up a little for the price of the food customers pay! Come here if: Ethiopian food is your latest obsession! (I know it's mine). Forget it if: You don't like trying ethnic cuisine and would rather have a burger. read more

Glo Lalibela Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

A friend of mine was visiting the area and wanted to catch up with myself and another of our friends. She loves Ethiopian food and says good stuff doesn't exist in Boston, so she insisted we come here. This was her stomping ground and favorite Ethiopian restaurant back when she lived in the DC area, and declared it the most authentic. I was getting over morning sickness and couldn't handle heavy meats, so we ordered the vegetarian combo and only ordered one beef dish that was cooked with buttered cabbage. ALL of the food was sooo good. I apologize for not knowing specific names, but my favorite besides the buttered cabbage dish were the seasoned lentils. There were also pickled tasting potatoes that were cold. They tasted wonderful. What I loved was that where most places offer vegetarian options and they're bland because AMERICA LOVES MEAT, this restaurant was able to make delicious meatless options. Service was friendly, and the food came out really fast, which was great because we were starving. Only downside was that their drink selection seemed out of stock. I tried to order juice listed on the menu, but they were out. My colleague wanted a Sprite, but they were out of that too so she got a Coke. read more