Food isn't great This was my second visit, food taste horrible! however, the place is cosy and it's okay for desert and drinks. I had breakfast (sega firfir) today and food didn't taste good at all. Our server was great and apologized for the food which was not her fault and she said she was going to tell kitchen staff or management; no one came out to apologized or explain, they seemed not to care or show some sort of courtesy. we still had to pay full price and left unhappy. I did have this place a second chance and I am not going back for food again! read more

Amazing food. Both the platters with beef tips or veggies were great, and the dessert options were all fantastic!

Consistently the worst customer service I ever experienced. Employees are always behind the counter watching ethiopian drama on their phone or chatting while a customer is standing and waiting for service. read more

Good coffee! Got the super combo platter to split with my daughter and wasn't disappointed in the quantity of food. It was huge with lots of different toppings for the injera. The food was good - not mindblowingly awesome - but probably a good start for those looking to get introduced to Ethiopian cuisine. Could have been more spicy. Service was friendly and prompt, and there is a pretty nice, relaxed atmosphere. Good for groups or dates! read more

The server that gave me my TO-GO order mistakenly gave me the wrong food (something I don't eat). But they called me and not only did they apologized but they are sending the correct food to my house . Yesss . Thank you team Lesaac! read more

Great food. Had the Veggie Combo and it was delicious. The staff were very friendly and attentive. It was a relaxed environment and I feel like I could stayed longer if I wanted. read more

Last night, we had very enjoyable late night dinner at Lesaac. We did not want a noisy bar and did not want to be rushed and Lesaac fit the bill. The staff gave us the table that we asked for and answered any questions we had on the menu. They had honey wine (a treat that not all Ethiopian restaurants can keep in stock). The food came promptly and extra injera as well. This was our second visit to the place (the first time was because of a special). The previous time, they had also been very helpful in making suggestions that maximized our food value with the coupon special. We will be back. read more

Very strange encounter here one afternoon I stopped by for a vegetarian meal. Nobody greeted me. Lady just came to the counter and poked her eyes open. But the strange part happened after ordering and giving them my card to swipe. They handed it back to me in the usual book/pouch with the bill. After adding the tip/total and handing the book/pouch back to them, they proceeded to ask "is this your card?". To which I responded with a confused yes. Then they ask "did you pay for the food"? Even more confused, I say yes and point at receipts they had just taken from me and literally just put on top of that receipt spike thing. Felt like I was in the twilight zone. After all that, the vegetables smelt old and slightly sour. This was my first time trying food here, but they're so many Ethiopian options in this region I don't see a reason to go back. I'm sure you could get good food here on a good day. read more

I ordered the beef tibs and I absolutely loved it. Super crispy and juicy. Super large portions and affordable.

One of my favorite Ethiopian restaurants in the D.C. area. I highly recommend this restaurant. I've been plenty of times and I've never had a bad experience. Ive always had great service. Also the food is great, and authentic. read more

i love this restaurant, the food is one of the best ever. Way to go ......heaven on earth i have shared with friends and families about this awesome place..... i love all the waitress as well good work guys Christie Ech read more

Had an ok experience here. Food was excellent though the Doro Wat and other meat dishes do not come with veggies on the side as they do at other Ethiopian restaurants, and must be purchased separately. Ordered a Long Island iced tea, did not receive a Long Island iced tea, but instead a very strong drink that tasted like cherry cough syrup. Staff didn't seem knowledgeable about menu or drink list. They didn't have honey wine. I've never been to an Ethiopian restaurant that didn't serve honey wine. Maybe next time I'll call before when checking out a new restaurant. Overall ok, but a bit disappointing. read more

How come i can't get over it in the past 2year it is always fresh and delicious ..all the dishes i love it specially* gomen be sega *everybody should try it ...... read more

Here's my thorough review (TL:DR at the bottom for impatient readers): My Amharic class met here for dinner following the conclusion of our Level I beginner's course. I had never had Ethiopian food in my life, and my teacher was shocked, so he asked around in the Silver Spring Ethiopian community and Lessac was recommended. I called to make the reservation for our group and I spoke with the owner who was as pleasant and nice as she is beautiful!! She made certain to stop by our table to say hello in person and to make sure that we practiced our Amharic - a total delight. I'm sure she didn't have trouble finding me as I was the only white guy in the place, but everyone is so friendly and kind that I never felt out of place in any way. So, I obviously don't have much frame of reference for the food, but I really like to dive right into cultural experiences like this and not tiptoe around. We ordered doro wot, kitfo, and a vegetarian dish I forget the name of (it's commonly eaten during the weekly days of fasting and had lots of lentils in it). Everything was AMAZING!!! *** The kitfo was my favorite. I'm no stranger to beef tartar, but this raw beef was by far the meltiest, tastiest, most delicious awesomesauce to ever grace my palate. *** I understand this might not be everyone's thing, but definitely get the special kitfo if you're into that sort of thing. The doro wot was solid and I liked the vegetarian dish, as well. I also enjoyed both the injera and the kocho (a thick bready thing of a hard cheese consistency made from the false banana plant) which were served with the kitfo. I liked the eating method, as well. It was natural to me to eat by snagging stuff with the injera. It's less messy than it seems, I made it through the meal with a single napkin and the wetnaps at the end of the meal were a nice perk. I didn't have dessert as we were all stuffed, nor did I try any Ethiopian beers, but I'm sure that the desserts are good because they seemed mostly Italian and there is a strong Italian influence in Ethiopian culture/cuisine on account of the brief Italian occupation in the 1940's. As for service, I've said many times that everyone is kind and friendly. No need to come here if you're in a hurry, just relax and enjoy yourself. I never felt like our waitress was unattentive, but we did end up staying for 2 solid hours (even after my other classmate left and it was just me and my teacher together with no food and half a beer each on our table). I enjoyed not feeling rushed and being able to just take it easy (plus the Redskins preseason game was on the TV behind the bar for the lulls in conversation). In summary, this was a great way to first experience Ethiopian cuisine!! TL:DR - Highly recommended, awesome place. I will definitely be back for the kitfo and the company. read more

I had a terrible experience with this place and will never go back. First, to be fair, the food is just ok. I have been to other Ethiopian restaurants and this is definitely not the best. There are quite a few others in silver spring, DC and vagina that are far more better. The service of the waitress - not too bad either. We were not in a rush so we were pretty happy with the speed of getting served. Here comes the bad part. I purchased a social living coupon ($20 for $40) about months ago. Until last weekend I realized that I have it expired. However on the coupon it reads "promotional value expires on Jan 2014, paid value never expires". It's self explanatory - I am not going to use this coupon to cover $40 of my bill but only $20 of it. When I showed this coupon to the waitress she told me she needed to talk to the owner. After 20 minutes on the phone she came back and told me the owner "refused to take it". I said "let me talk to her so she can enlighten me what it means by "paid value doesn't expire". She looked embarrassed but asked me to wait for another good 10 minutes and talked to someone on the other end of the phone, then telling me "the owner refused to talk to me". Honestly I have never dealt with business owner like this. Refusing to honor the specifications she made up by herself, and then refusing to talk to the customer for any explanation?? $20 is not a big deal so we just paid for the meal and the tip and left. Afterwards I filed a complaint to Amazon Local (that's where I purchased this coupon) and actually got a refund from Amazon. I was surprised because it's not Amazon's fault and definitely not their obligation to refund me. But, my friend, that's why some business can flourish and some will be killed by competitors. read more

Stopped in for tea and something small to eat. Sat at the bar and had my order taken. Saw that other people were being served, but they'd gotten there first so I didn't say anything. Waited a good fifteen minutes and another group walked in and ordered some beers. They got served immediately. I was at the bar so it's not like she could have forgotten about me; I was right where she was the whole time. I asked for my tea and it took a minute or so to make. Only thing I can think of is that they wanted to serve it with my food and waited because of that, but it felt like I'd been ignored. That said, the tea was delicious, as was the appetizer I ordered. It was timatim fitfit, a salad made with injera, tomatoes, hot peppers, and Ethiopian salad dressing. Dressing wasn't greasy at all, and it was perfectly dressed. Delicious. Also, they kept checking up on me after they saw that they'd kind of ignored me, so they made up for the earlier blunder a little bit. Tl;dr: great food but don't go if you're in a rush in case they flake out. read more

I love this place and it is my favorite Ethiopian of any I've had in the DC-area. Tonight was my fifth or sixth visit over the last year and reminded me why I need to come more often. The injera is fabulous and they will make it with teff only (authentic and gluten-free). They offer some variation over the typical selection, and everything is incredibly flavorful. The cabbage varieties are my favorite and the lamb is seasoned perfectly. The atmosphere is comfortable and modern and the seating is cozy with a little lounge flair--intimate for small group conversation. The service is very friendly. And I think they might have a full bar. I can't believe this place isn't packed. YUM. read more

We've had the Beef Tibs, the Veggie Combo, and the Combination platter - all delicious! The service is super friendly and the vibe is very clean and modern. We went there during the Corona Virus, and hadn't ordered ahead, but they were super accommodating and kind about our having to wait. Gave us extra injera and we waited with a couple of beers. Highly recommend. Glad to have this place around! read more

Was walking toward Addis Ababa on Fenton when I saw the sign for this place. Lots of people inside drinking beer and coffee, so at first I figured it was a "cafe" only, given the name. However, the sign on the side did say "restaurant," so I figured I would go inside to look at the menu. First off, they need a menu outside because others might choose not to walk in, as I was tempted to do. I'm glad I did walk in. The staff was extremely accommodating and helpful. Four separate employees including the owner came over to make suggestions about what I should try. I explained that I do not like tough meat, as I have gotten a other Ethiopian places in the hood. They assured me that the three beef entree (forgot its name) would be tender and soft. They were right. The berbere was fiery, I would say it could have even been spiced a little more(though I have an unusual tolerance for the hottest chiles.) Best of all was the experience. I felt like I had been transported to a cafe in Mumbai or Amsterdam or... Addis Ababa:) Young people hanging out, drinking coffee, laughing with great food and very friendly hosts. What a great place! Please put a menu outside! Judging from the food quality, there might be a grandmother in the back ladling out some heaven. Let her shine! read more

Came here for breakfast and was not disappointed. Combo platter and macchiato were a good start to the day. No decaf though. And the overwhelming smell of cleaning solvents made it hard to enjoy the meal completely. Maybe it's better as the day goes on. read more

Lesaac Ethiopian Cafe - Combo breakfast platter - Ethiopian Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

Lesaac has some of the best tasting Ethiopian food I have ever enjoyed. I highly recommend them.

my friends and I were frequent customers of this restaurant for a long time until a year and half ago . We were unhappy with the service and the food that we had different times and we stop going there up until this Friday . We specifically asked for a mild food and got the opposite. What is supposed to be a simple and easy order got complicated and at the end when we told the manager our complaints she was worst than the service provided . Instead of apologizing or assuring us they ll have it corrected , she decided to go back and forth arguing what we should have done and haven't done . Very argumentative and confrontational. We were very unhappy and I know I won't be going there again . read more

The food is good for the most part but the service is awful and food is served cold. I complained about it and was asked to leave. They deserve to be out of business really. read more

The worst service ever! If possible I would give this place zero star. Me and my friend ordered a pitcher and we didn't get our beer after waiting 45 plus minutes. This is travesty! I would never come back and don't recommend this establishment to my worst enemy. Very disappointed. Sad! read more

The food is great but the service is trash. You can wait for 20 min before they take your order, even when its not busy. Ive been there for a couple time but same shit ! Servers are not really welcoming unless you're Ethiopian or white i guess. Im really disappointed! The other my friend went there to eat but finally left because he waited for 15 min and they were ignoring him. I guess its only for Ethiopians ... read more

I recently graduated from college and had a little thank you lunch for my family and friends at Lesaac. Simply put, the food is the best Ethiopian food I have had in the U.S ever. All of us enjoyed it a lot! Moreover, the price is affordable and you get a generous serving too. Half of the restaurant is under renovation so the venue was not the best but the manager (and owner) of the restaurant as well as all the waiters were gracious and did all they can to help the day go nicely. They were very communicative and beyond accommodating. All in all, I highly recommend this place and kudos to my Habesha fam for running this successful business!! read more

This place is excellent. I've eaten a lot of Ethiopia restaurants in DMV and this is definitely one of the top choice.

The chechebsa was so good this happened five minutes ago. You got to come and try this out. I am glad I went there before my flight!!

Sophie G. If you are up for an authentic Ethiopian food experience, Lesaac is the place for you. I have recent vegetarian convert and, didnt feel the vegetarian platter at any of the restaurant in DC or Maryland will satisfy my craving for spicy Ethiopian dish of home ...and there comes Lesaac ( just what i needed) The vegetarian platter was colourful and super Delicious! I had miser (red lentils ) shero (chickpeas ) seles made with hot pepper , gomen ( collar green), tekel gomen(cabbage), timatim fitfit, a salad made with injera, tomatoes ..and spiced fish ..i had the ethiopian spicy tea at the end of my meal and the entire experience was totally amazing ! read more

I ate here last night with three friends, and we enjoyed our meal thoroughly. The portions were huge, the food was delicious, the prices were reasonable, and the service was excellent. I see from other reviews that service has been an issue in the past at this restaurant (slow, inattentive etc). That was not our experience her at all, and it WAS a busy Friday night. Our servers were pleasant and helpful, our food was exactly as ordered and it arrived quickly, and we were asked several times throughout the meal if we needed refills of our beverages or more injari (which was perfect, by the way). I will be going back! read more

This is easily the best Ethiopian food in silver spring as well as my fav coffee spot. Outdoor seating area is a hugely cool aspect. The staff is remarkably helpful and friendly. Highly recommended (from a lifelong sil sp resident). read more

Don't sit at the bar! Like us, you may not be acknowledged by the 5 staff members behind it. Otherwise, decent service and food.

I really love and enjoy this place..... Beautiful and warm spot to hang out with friends or family, the food is amazing and fresh, the crew are so dedicated and sweet, such a variety of choices and affordable prices ... I wish i knew that spot longtime ago, Fish Goulash is one of my favorite, i'm just saying .... Well done "Lessac Team" . Georges, read more

I used to frequent Lessac Ethiopian Restaurant mainly because of the convenience of the location and my loyalty attitude that prevents me from even trying new places. Thanks to the incident that happened three months ago, I now go no more to this place, but also have explored the amazing neighboring Ethiopian restaurants that prepare delicious food and deliver it with an excellent customer service. So, what happened on one beautiful night was I ordered one to go dinner, paid for the food with tip and I left the merchant's copy of the receipt at the restaurant. Three days later, I accidentally checked my account on my phone to find out that the transaction was charged twice, one with tip and the other without. The one with out the tip was supposed to be my copy which I shouldn't have left at the restaurant. I explained this to the couple owners, to the manager, to the waitresses and everyone down in the hierarchy for more than ten times just in two months. They take my name, the last four digits of my credit card I used to pay for the transaction and promise to call me after investigating. They never do. When I remind them again, they take the same information and promise to resolve it. They never do. This has happened more than ten times without any exaggeration. I am not sure whether it is because of the humble approach I chose to explain to them their mistake or their disregard to customers' complaints in general or because admitting mistakes and refunding customers is not in their priority, I have not seen the slightest attempt and genuine effort to handle my little case. Although I don't know how many times I might have been double charged in the past two years, it will never happen again because I am never going to this place again. read more

The atmosphere is fun with groovy tiles on the wall and interesting seating arrangements. The coffee and food were excellent. But the service was offensive. We ordered the traditional Ethiopian breakfast and the waitress said "It's spicy...are you sure?" I said yes. She asked again if I was sure. I said yes - again. Then she said, "OK, you can have it." I would have left immediately but I chalked it up to language differences. When we got the check, however, the food cost $2 more than the menu and the coffee .50 more than on the menu. We pointed it out to the waitress and she said that the menu was incorrect and that we had to pay the higher amount. We had to argue until she would give us the prices that were on the menu. She claimed that the price on the menu was for a small coffee and we had ordered medium. The menu said nothing about coffee serving sizes and we did not specify a size when we ordered. The coffee that we drank was about six ounces, maybe eight. By that time, we just wanted to get out of the restaurant and we paid the .50 more per coffee. I am disappointed because I liked the atmosphere, the food, and the location. But I will never go back there. read more

I will never go back to this restaurant because of the lack of communication. I placed and order for beef tibs and got the opposite of what I asked for because they are unable to speak English so it made it very hard for us to communicate. They gave me stewed tibs then when I told them that that's not what I asked for.. They took it to the back and refried it. We did realize until we got home. This was a very awful experience and I will never go back. read more

Came here a few weeks ago with my husband and our daughters on a Saturday night. We were on our way to Addis Ababa but noticed this new place and decided to try it. The first thing I noticed was the decor - kind of Euro-cafe vibe, and the atmosphere - feels lively and fun. The place is small and our youngest (6 months old) was in her stroller which was a little tight in the place but they were very accommodating. We were seated quickly ordered a vegetarian platter for my husband and myself and a cheese omelet for my 4 year old. The food was all very good, tasted fresh and portions were good. i especially like the spicy lentils. I look forward to going back and trying more things. read more

I had the worst experience at this place. I used to go often when they first opened and was fascinated by their customer service as the owner walked around and asked how you are doing. I came back a year later and found the portion of the meals shrank and the price skyrocketed more than any other Ethiopian restaurant. I went with 3 other friends of mine and were excited to have kitfo and tibs as I had bragged to be the best in town. The waitress had the biggest attitude from the start and we weren't even greeted for about 20 minutes after we arrived. She took our order and we got our food about 45 minutes later. Meanwhile we had ordered water that seemed to have something disgusting in it and we all noticed it after we had our first sip. All of us freaking out by what we just drank we told the server but she had an i don't care attitude and offered to give us clean water. We demanded to see the manager but she refused to go get her saying she can handle it. I was pretty pissed because of the fCt that I had brought my guests to a place I had raved about and was being treated horribly and my background as a bartender made it so hard for me to keep my cool. I personally got up and approached the manager who made me wait and not bothered by what's going on. Imagine our reaction while trying to figure out what we just drank. The manager then said I will be right with u and continued making coffee to customers which I thought was absurd as she can see our frustration and didn't care to assign her employees to finish making the coffee for her. She came by and asked what's going on still with I don't care look, typically managers are supposed to do everything possible to calm customers in these situations instead she took out a piece of it and said "oh this must be lemon, sometimes we leave it overnight so some pieces maybe left behind" we wondered how many days that lemon if it really is lemon has been in there because it was slimy and gray.. She took the waters away with no apology and replaced it with bottles with bottled water.. We got our food and it was half the stuff we ordered, I was very confused because the place wasn't even full. We got the check at the end with everything on it. In a typical setting managers would apologize and send the customer happy with better service and usually pay nothing to partial check but this was far from what happened.. It was the worst experience with a health hazard and they didn't care.. Seems to me like they have attracted enough customers with their previous good reputation and do not care about anything else! read more

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First of all price is going up while service and hospitality sucks. Secondly, food takes forever to come out. Cant tell who is the cook, server, or the bartender. The all stuff need extensive training including the owner. Owner or manager need to know when is the rush our so they can put more stuff. Servers are always females with smile when they want and sometimes with attitude. read more

We got the shifinfin for two($20). It was 95% firir and 5% tibs and kitfo. It was not tasty at all! I will give them another try a different day and see how they do with a different dish. read more