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    Heat Da Spot

    4.8 (531 reviews)
    Closed 8:30 am - 3:00 pm

    Order Heat Da Spot Takeout or Delivery

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    Business Info

    HEAT DA SPOT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Heat Da Spot

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    Reviews With Photos - Heat Da Spot

    Ethiopian Vegetarian Style Breakfast
    Madison C.

    well loved for a reason! very kind owners and delicious food. the green sauce is really spicy but so good. the inside is eclectic and there's a huge patio through the inside too.

    Jennifer V.

    Everything at this place is so unbelievably BOMB. The menu is killer and has something for everyone. The service is so kind. They have a very cool coffee selection. Everything is priced exactly the way it should be. There's seating outside for small parties. This place is the embodiment of DC cuisine and I highly recommend it for everyone.

    Suri S.

    Had brunch here with a DC local, recently. It really is a diamond in the rough and feels like a NYC bodega. The staff were very friendly and I liked the decor inside, feels really unique. I ordered the ETHIOpian STYLE X (Sambosa) with the eggs and injera. It was very cooked very well, and I enjoyed the spices and flavor profile. I wished the particular dish came with more options, although this place has plenty of choices on the menu. Heat Da Spot a fast casual experience, unlike a late-night dining experience at somewhere like CherCher. However, place is bustling with locals for great reason. It works for meeting up with friends or grab-and-go meals. I'd highly recommend to drop by for a visit!

    Vegetarian omelette with sourdough toast.
    Lydia B.

    Lovely experience. The staff is so kind and welcoming. My omelette had an abundance of vegetables and quite savory. Will definitely be back to try other items on the menu.

    Kaya E.

    When you walk into Heat Da Spot it automatically feels like you've stepped into your grandma's kitchen--homey and filled with love. There's highlight menus everywhere on the wall with things that they offer. What stood out most was the sign above the register that says, " Do not rush the chef. We're not fast food. Your food is made with love. Place your order and sit on the throne kings and queens" lol I loved this sign so much. It reminded me to chill out so I sat down and enjoyed a soursop drink while my to go order was being made. I ordered a bacon egg and cheese on an everything bagel. Unfortunately I was not really a fan. It seemed like a small portion for the price. The egg tasted weird and microwaved and the bagel tasted like a Thomas bagel you would get from the grocery store. The bagel also came with a special spicy green sauce that I wasn't too fond of. I think the next time I will just go for the Ethiopian breakfast. Service was great, I'll return to try something else.

    Taylor L.

    One of the best places for breakfast in DC. Super friendly staff, delicious food, options for everyone. The outdoor seating area is great!

    Sydney G.

    3 years later and Heat Da Spot remains one of my favorite spots in DC. I love their traditional Ethiopian breakfast, but literally everything on the menu is delicious! And the service is amazing--you can really tell the love and care they put into every meal they make.

    Sausage Omelette, I added bacon.
    Vinton S.

    I happened to be in Washington DC for work and stumbled across this spot close to the Howard University Campus. I went with the Sausage Omelette and added bacon. This thing was AMAZING. It was packed with green peppers, tomatoes, red onions, potatoes and cheese. The toast came with light butter and a honey drizzle. If you are OK with somewhere where the decor is not so fancy, this place is a GEM. The owner was so accommodating and went above and beyond to ensure I enjoyed the experience. Their honey cinnamon iced coffee with cream was a winner. Oh, I was also able to log onto my laptop to get a few work items done due to the free WIFI. Please check them out.

    Chicken tibs with eggs and veggies
    Zhen C.

    Sharing some more photos! Tried something that wasn't one of the Ethiopian entrees - the pizza bagel. And that was insanely good. Continues to be a 10 out of 5 experience

    Very welcoming

    Love this spot! Every time I come to DC this is one of my favorites! I found it after moving my daughter into Howard University. They always seem to remember me. Great customer service and food is prepared with love! I love the Gold Tea! Cool spot to relax.

    Home Fries
    Sophie T.

    What a cute spot for breakfast! Shoutout to the DC CM Sydney for bringing me here while I was visiting DC! It's a great local business with the friendliest staff and a large menu of breakfast and lunch items - mainly specializing in Ethiopian food but they also have just about everything you could think of. I ordered a sausage egg and cheese on a biscuit and swapped the hashbrown with a side of home fries. My plate came out with 2 sandwiches! I was so full after the one I couldn't even dig into the second. There's limited indoor seating and some great seating outside. All around a very flavorful and friendly place for sure!!

    Michelle D.

    I can't believe how long I've lived here and haven tried this place yet. Heat da spot is an Ethiopian cafe that has a large menu of Ethiopian and American breakfast items. I didn't come for lunch, so I'm not sure what's on their lunch menu. I came around 11 am and got the Ethiopian-style breakfast, which came with injera, a lentil sambusa, scrambled eggs with Ethiopian spices, tomatoes and onion, and their "secret" green sauce. The eggs were some of the best eggs I've ever had, they had so much flavor, and the secret sauce that came with it added a sharp, herbal flavor (i don't know what's in it- it says there is no cilantro or avocado on the bottle). It was $25, which was a little expensive for breakfast, but it is enough for two meals. The inside is really cute, with lots of antique items. They have seating on the inside and outside in a covered patio. My food came out very quickly and the service was friendly.

    Ethiopian Combo Breakfast
    Mary J.

    Bustling and unique neighborhood spot with super-kind staff. They also have a lot of seating, including outdoor seating, which wasn't clear from the photos. I got the Ethiopian Breakfast with special sauce. It was a big portion, spicy, and generous. I took half of it to go.

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    The kindest staff, they treat you like family here. Amazing food. Best breakfast in the DMV.

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    Ask the Community - Heat Da Spot

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    Chercher Ethiopian Restaurant & Mart

    Chercher Ethiopian Restaurant & Mart

    4.4(908 reviews)
    1.5 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

    Vegan assortment with some kid of beef dish

    Chercher Ethiopian Restaurant & Mart - Same photo

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    Same photo

    Keren Restaurant - Spread the Silsi on the French bread and it is heavenly!

    Keren Restaurant

    4.6(1.3k reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$

    My first experience with Ethiopian cuisine at Keren was such a memorable one. The staff was…read moreincredibly friendly and welcoming, and the surrounding neighborhood felt vibrant and full of life. We walked into a cozy, intimate space and were lucky to grab a small table for two by the window. Since it was our first time, we asked for guidance in choosing something authentic. Our server pointed us to the left side of the entrée menu, and we followed her lead. We ordered the special tibsi with chicken and the special shiro served with enjera--a traditional chickpea dish presented in a clay pot. Both dishes came with spongy enjera, which you tear and use to scoop up the food by hand. It made for a fun and immersive dining experience. The food was rich and flavorful, and we truly enjoyed everything we tried. Midway through, we did ask for forks as the enjera started to feel a bit heavy for us, but it didn't take away from the experience. Overall, I'm a fan and excited to explore Ethiopian cuisine more--maybe even closer to home next time. Highly recommend Keren if you're looking for something delicious, authentic, and welcoming.

    A Michelin restaurant serving Eritrean food, with a focus on breakfast and cafe style dishes. I…read moredropped by for a quick breakfast after a morning run. Ordered the Eggs Silsi with French bread. By default the dish had three eggs, but I asked for just two eggs. The dish was basically scrambled eggs with tomato sauce, green peppers, onion and berbere sauce. It was very fluffy, similar to a Sabzi kookoo. It tasted spicy, earthy and a bit smoky. Compared to Turksih Menemen, it was drier, spicier and earthier, and had no cheese. The French bread was nice and hot. Spreading some eggs silsi on the bread and it was heavenly! Moreover, the restaurant was small but very clean. The staff was friendly. Highly recommended if you want some African cafe food!

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    Keren Restaurant - Inside

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    Abuare  Restaurant - Ethiopian Tea & lamb DELICIOUS

    Abuare Restaurant

    4.8(71 reviews)
    1.2 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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    Abuare  Restaurant - Inside the resturant

    Inside the resturant

    Abuare  Restaurant - Fish dullet with veggie platter

    Fish dullet with veggie platter

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    Family Ethiopian Resturant - Family Meat Special

    Family Ethiopian Resturant

    4.6(188 reviews)
    1.5 miShaw, Downtown
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    Went a little out of the way on our tour of the monuments to come here and it was well worth it! I…read morehaven't had much (if any) Ethiopian food and this was an amazing first entry. We got a family platter so we could try a bunch. It said it serves two but between four hungry people, we were actually pleasantly filled by the end. The platter was delicious, I would eat everything on there again. I couldn't tell you exactly what everything is, but the cooked vegetables were one of my favs and the injera was so light and delicious. The shop itself was very cute and we got our food pretty quick!

    Located in an area where you could walk right by if you're not paying attention. Limited parking is…read morelocated along a busy street. There is no sidewalk dining, but you are welcome to dine in or get your items to go. The people working there were kind and accommodating. I ordered a glass of honey wine (Tej), but it tasted a little different (tart) than the Tej I've had in the past. I ordered the fish dulet (tilapia), and it was a generous, flavorful portion. Here, they offer enough injera with your order. I do wish they had more veggie options and larger portions. Group dining could be a challenge as the seating is close. I'm sure, with some notice, they could rearrange the tables to make it more roomy. I would be willing to dine here again to get my fix of Ethiopian food.

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    Restaurant

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    Family meat and veggies special

    Dukem Ethiopian Restaurant - We for the Vegetarian Plate #3, the Beef Goden Tibs, and the Awaze Tibs (Lamb)! Soooooo good

    Dukem Ethiopian Restaurant

    3.5(987 reviews)
    1.0 miU Street Corridor
    $$

    It's no secret that I love Ethiopian food--so when I say **Dukem Restaurant** holds a special place…read morein my DC journey, I mean it. This was actually one of the very first Ethiopian restaurants I tried after relocating to DC, so yes... this review is *long* overdue. From the very beginning, what stood out to me was how they manage to balance fine dining energy with genuine warmth. You get the elevated presentation, the polished atmosphere--but still the friendliness and hospitality that make Ethiopian dining feel like home. I'm a loyal veggie combo person (it's who I am at this point), so I was especially excited to see that their combo options offer a wider variety of dishes than most places. It's truly a "little bit of everything" situation, which is perfect when you're indecisive--or when you're dining with a large group and want everyone to taste it all. More variety, more flavor, more happiness. The food? Rich, flavorful, beautifully prepared. The kind of meal where you slow down and savor every bite. I'm already planning to return with my partner because I recently saw on social media that they offer Ethiopian wine and even wine flight tastings. Ethiopian cuisine paired with Ethiopian wine? Say less. I love when restaurants create experiences, not just meals. And of course, we can't ignore the moment they had in August 2024 when they went viral after receiving stellar reviews from viral food critic **Keith Lee**. What stood out most wasn't just that he praised them--it was that he spoke highly of Dukem while being candid about not having the same level of service and food quality at other local spots he visited. That says something. Excellence stands out. Dukem delivers flavor, hospitality, and atmosphere in a way that feels intentional. Whether it's your first time trying Ethiopian food or your hundredth (like me), it feels special every time. If you love Ethiopian cuisine--or just love great food and great service--this place absolutely deserves a visit. And if you're like me, it won't be your last.

    Finally made it to Dukem DC after first spotting it on TikTok, and happy hour did not disappoint!…read moreWe tried the Beef Tibs, Lamb Tibs, Special Dukem Veggie Combo #2, and Lentil Sambusa--all packed with flavor and perfect with the injera. Huge shout-out to Fefe, our amazing waitress--so friendly and attentive. Great food, great vibes, and an even better deal at happy hour. Already planning a return for the full dinner menu!

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    Letena Ethiopian Restaurant - Meat and vegetable sampler

    Letena Ethiopian Restaurant

    4.6(299 reviews)
    0.5 miColumbia Heights
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    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.

    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!

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    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

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    Heat Da Spot - coffee - Updated July 2026

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