If you want to wait an hour for your food and then have to repeat your request to your waitress in multiple occasions, I would say go to this restaurant. Last time I checked, awesome service to the customer is what keeps you open and those same customers coming back. Bathrooms...wow! (Ever heard of a mop and some cleaning products?). For a place where you eat with your fingers, you should have enough hand soap and a clean restroom environment to wash your hands in. I hope the chef or cook washes their hands... Everyone in the restaurant had their glasses empty waiting for refills or drink requests...the food was good, but the overall experience was among my worst in restaurants domestically and internationally. Needless to say, I WILL NOT go back to this place they call a restaurant. Not to worry, in Silver Spring it seems like there is an ethiopian restaurant at every corner. - A VERY dissatisfied customer read more

This is the new place among the cluster of Ethiopian restaurants near the center of Silver Spring. It's quite good. I think the veggies they use are fresher and somehow the spices seem deeper and more interesting. My Ethiopian friend noticed this as well. It's a nice place, but the restrooms and service aren't of the highest standard, but are acceptable. read more

Great food. Fair prices. Staff is quick. Bathroom a little messy. Overall very positive experience. read more

Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant - Beef dish. Nice and spicy. - Ethiopian Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

We came into Lucy about 10:00 on a Thursday night and it was already packed. We got the only table left which was pretty close to the stage and right behind the speaker. We ordered quickly, getting our usual, 1 vegetarian sampler and 1 kitfo raw. I'm only now reading that their specialty seems to be Kurt. Service was friendly, but a little slow. The waitress came out to apologize that our food was taking so long. When our food did come it actually came on two trays, the kitfo on one and the vegetarian sampler on another. This is the first time that this has ever happened to us. We looked around and most of the other tables were eating raw beef that was not served on injera (I'm now assuming that was kurt). Although our kitfo said it would come with gomen neither the vegetarian sampler or the kitfo had any greens. The kitfo was quite tasty. It was a little bit spicy actually, and it came with cheese and red pepper to dip it in as well. This is often, but not always the case. Not the butteries kitfo ever, but definitely a good offering. The vegetarian sampler was kind of different than the norm. Instead of white potatoes they had sweet potatoes, which I welcome. They also had purreed beets and a horse radish tasting yogurt. As mentioned there was no gomen. My partner thought that the split peas were sort of bland but I enjoyed them. The red lentils were a little overspiced but the brown lentils were delicious. The atmosphere was festive without being too loud. There was music with two different singers when we were there. Overall another solid offering in Silver Spring, definitely high on the list. read more

Try the veggie platter. It is filling enough for 2 people. Service could have been better. Overall must try!

AMAZING! My first time trying Ethiopian food and I was absolutely blown away. This place is great. The food is incredible, and the service is great too. read more

Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant - the vegetarian platter - Ethiopian Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

Our party of 6 had a late lunch at Lucy today. We were initially going to have Thai food, but as it turns out several of the Thai restaurants in Silver Spring don't open for lunch on Sundays, so we changed our plans We each ordered a veggie Sambusa, and then we ordered two veggie platters to share among us. The Sambusas were good- clearly freshly fried, hot and flavorful. They were probably among the best sambusas I've had, not that I'm an expert or anything. The veggie platter was a smaller portion than many Ethiopian restaurants in the DC area, but everything was tasty. This had 4 different lentil/bean preparations, beets, cabbage, potato/onion/green bean/carrot preparation, and a creamy horseradish sauce, plus a salad in the center of the platter. We realized towards the end of the meal that there were no collards or other greens, but didn't say anything. This amount of food was slightly less than enough for us, so we added on another order-my brother chose the lentils in the spiced red sauce, I don't remember the name. Service was a bit disappointing- long waits. It was pretty empty when we came in, and filled up with lots of people coming in after church services, so it was pretty busy by the end, but service was slow throughout- appetizers took a long time, water refills were basically nonexistent, the offered injera refills took forever, etc. The menu lists both canned and fountain soda as options, but my brother ordered a fountain soda and was brought a can and told the fountain was flat (I mean, better than bringing him a flat soda, but not the best situation for a restaurant to be in). I knocked off one star for the slow service. read more

Sooo, I came to the restaurant, starving. My food took a little extra time to come out, but I didn't care bc when I got it it was hot, fresh, and delicious. When I was initially looking at the menu I was going to get up and walk out bc I wasn't sure what I wanted. But the kind waitress helped me pick a dish that wasn't on the menu. I told her I wanted rice. And she suggested collard greens as my vegetable. The dish also consisted of onion, potatoes, and some other good stuff. Delicious! I will be coming here again. Oh, and the staff is friendly! Love! read more

Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant - Yummy! - Ethiopian Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

Just tried this place out for lunch- spectacular! They have a $7.95 lunch special with many options, I went for the vegan sampler (four dishes and plenty of injera bread) Each dish was delicious; a mildly spiced yellow lentil, a spicy tomato and jalapeño salad, a cabbage and carrot dish, and a brown lentil dish with a bit of kick! Very filling and flavorful, and priced very affordably. I will be back without a doubt! Oh yea, service was extremely fast and friendly. My food was ready in 10-15 minutes after ordering :) read more

Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant - Vegan sampler lunch special - Ethiopian Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

Way too expensive . Called in to go order . Was told by the staff it would be ready in 10 minutes. Had to wait more than 20 minutes while they were making my order. Unacceptable . There is too many competition for them to be lacking. Will not be going back any time soon . read more

Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant - Too damn expensive - Ethiopian Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

I had much better Ethiopian food but it's decent and the service was very good. They are very very crowded in the eve. I believe they have a gluten free injera upon request (many places in the US add wheat unlike the traditional teff injeras). read more

Great food and service as well. Everything was fresh and all of the dishes that I had were delicious.

It was my first time at Lucy and I was truly delighted with my experience. It was the dinner time. To start off , there were some amazing karaoke singers and a live drummer. Although the seating was a little tight, the soothing music and dim lights made us forget that. The ambience was perfect for a couple. The songs were in Amharic mixed with some jazz. We ordered the vegetarian/vegan platter and sambusa (lentil filled fried pastry). Both the dishes were really tasty, however, the spice level of the vegan platter was a little mild, so we asked for some fresh jalapenos. All in all, it was quite a unknotting experience. Also, this place is open till 3, so I surely know where to go when I am hungry in the after hours! I definitely recommend this place if you are looking to spend a relaxing evening with nice food. read more

Great food and services. THE servers are very friendly. Authentic and flavorful food.

Got the veggie/vegan plate. it had like 7-8 different options included for $14. score. tastewise, i don't think it's as flavorful as other options in the area (thinking addis and bete) but hubby thought the ingredients seemed fresher than other places, which I would agree with. i liked their ethiopian tea. it was a spicy flavor and just the right size. atmosphere is very cozy. It's not very fancy, just very comfortable and laidback. my friend and i had a 2 hour dinner and were never rushed or made to feel that we needed to leave so they could turn over the table. the waitress was friendly and helpful in providing suggestions for fish options for my friend. her option was a little spicy with fresh jalapenos. the waitress also brought out some hot sauce which was no kidding, slap yo mama hot. i have a pretty good heat tolerance and just a little dab had some kick. judging solely on flavor, i wouldn't rate the food as high as other reviewers. with the atmosphere factored in, i really liked it. read more

Lucy is the best Ethiopian restaurant in the DMV area. This review is based on our experience with Ethiopian restaurants in the area for the past 3 years. Lucy deserves 5 stars for consistently providing authentic and very well prepared food. What sets Lucy apart from the other restaurants we have tried in the area is that the food at Lucy is prepared with delicious spices that give it this unique flavor that keeps us coming back for more. Although, speed of service could be improved, the staff provides good customer service. The only thing we would like to see more of is all day Ethiopian brunch...at least on weekends. read more

It's good, not my favorite Ethiopian place but definitely tasty. It is kind of slow but that is because they're cooking the food up fresh. If you want to try a lot of different things, get the vegetarian platter, and if you eat meat get that + tibs. The lamb combo is also good but doesn't come with as as much variety. read more

Grad school can be a very stressful time. You spent most nights writing papers and imbibinf substances that calms the nerves and raises one's appetites. This is where Lucy comes in. For $35 (which is a lot), you can have shuro and injera with a side of lentils and tibbs and injera with green peppers. A powerful meal that annihilates even the most fervent of hungers. read more

The food was delicious and the service was good! Our server was very helpful and patient when she explained the different platters to us. I will surely go back and try more dishes. We ordered Any 4 Combination with kitfo, doro, tibs and dulet with the chickpeas and "yellow" lentils... this was enough for four people and there was still some left overs. YAY! read more

This place is wonderful and the service is very quick and kind. I've eaten the Kitfo, tibs and the veggie combination, all where delightfully tasty. I recommend all people to come and eat authentic Ethiopian food . read more

We went with group of six, four of them were from Asia & first Ethiopian food experience for them. They are amazed by the taste. The service is wonderful and the food is delicious. The place is also very convenient. The staff were so friendly & inviting! read more

The waiters are not friendly and polite. A waiters came and told us we can't bring any drink from outside, I had a small juice in my hand and she grab it without my permission, I thought she is kidding but she wasn't. She doesn't even return it. We order food and took forever! I asked the waiters nicely if the food is ready yet but she told me to calm down and wait for it. Bad service. Dislike the food too even it took forever. Not clean too. Don't go!!! read more

Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant - Ethiopian Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

Always a place I come to eat but the one server acts like she doesn't want to serve food everything I ask for anything and it's a big problem she's very slow service and rude she needs to do better it's not right! read more

Unsafe environment to relax and have a good time. I'd definitely look for better options.

Food is awesome. We were lucky to come with our Ethiopian friends and it's a great sign if everyone there is Ethiopian... great sign that food is authentic and yummy. We ordered the beef, chicken and vegan combo. Loved the beef and vegan combo!!!! read more

Not too familiar with this kind of food so I asked the server and she recommended Mincht Abesh. It was a spicy concoction of minced beef and veggies including sweet potatoes that is served with injera, a steamed flatbread. You eat it like you would a soft taco- rolling the beef mixture up in the injera. Very tasty. Watch out! It's a messy deal and the orange-y sauce looks like it could stain. Get lots of napkins! The price is right and the service, too. read more

I found my new favorite Ethiopian restaurant! The food was exceptional, better than most Ethiopian restaurants I've been to!! The musical performance was also very good! read more

I went to have dinner. I was able to get my drink. After that the waiter never come back to me either to provide me the Menu or ask me how I am doing. I wanted to have dinner, ignored over an hour and a half. Left with disappointment. I always wonder why the owners train their employees. I wish if I have provide them a free training class. read more

Lucy is one of my favorite Ethiopian places in Silver Spring (and there's no shortage of great Ethiopian food here). The veggie sampler platter is a must and there are superb meat dishes as well. Service is friendly and the place is hopping late at night. read more

I came here with my boyfriend and his mom on a Saturday afternoon and was a big fan with one minor exception. The place has great food, reasonable prices, nice ambiance, and friendly service. We asked our waitress for suggestions and she suggested the vegetable platter as well as one of the meat platters. We decided on JUST one of the meat platters since it came with a side vegetable dish. However, when she came back and we ordered, she made the assumption that we also wanted the vegetable platter and brought us (and charged us for) that as well. I don't think this was with malicious intent; I think she just misunderstood us. However, I do think that if a customer orders something, the waiter shouldn't assume that they also want what the waiter has suggested earlier. In the end, though, it worked out, because we definitely needed the extra food! read more

do not order carry out unless you want to wait an additional 30 minutes because they will never make it until you get there.

Worst service ever. I came in with two other people and we asked about one of the menu items which was a platter of 3 meats and 1 veggie item. First the lady told us one was chicken, one beef, and one lamb. Them she looked confused and asked someone else, and they said it was all beef items. We ended up ordering that. 30 minutes after that, we still hadn't gotten our food even though the people that came in after us did. We Asked about our food and she said it was coming out soon. 10 minutes later, we got our food. The food was good, but nothing special. After we ate, I needed to use the restroom, but there were two sisters in there together. How did I know they were sisters? The man at the table next to us told us after my friend told me two women were in there. I waited, and one woman came out and another went in. Repeat 2x and I gave up. Party in the restroom anyone? All this time, I kept waiting for the check. We alert for it and the lady took her sweet time while chatting it up with someone else while holding my check. I ended up going up there myself to get it. I will never frequent this place again. read more

Average tasting vegan combo. Good tibs. Nice spice condiment. Courteous but slow service. For great flavors on the vegan dishes check Abol and Bête -- in the neighborhood. read more

The food is delicious, fresh, and plentiful. The prices are very reasonable, the decor is super tasteful, and the place is quiet enough to have a conversation with friends. The owners were soooooooo nice, and are definitely the kind of mom and pop owners you want to support! The restaurant's vibe is friendly and clean. The atmosphere is so polished that it's really the best place to take friends or family from out of town who've never tried Ethiopian before. read more

It is my favorite destination. The food is great, the musicians are the best. But some of the servers are not so good they are very rude. They don't know how to serve their guest. the owner who is super nice unlike the servers need to evaluate them how they serve customers. There are times that I left with no tip for their ignorance and rudeness approach. Overall If you get the nice server Lucy is the best place to enjoy all Ethiopian food and music!!! read more

I really enjoyed the food, entertainment and waitresses...we shared the vegan platter along with the cubed fish. This is my new go to for Ethiopian food and entertainment. Sidebar the honey wine left much to be desired compared to others I've had. read more

The most horrible experience I have in years. The service is bad the owner is very ungrateful & unpleasant. I will never recommend this restaurant to anyone the food it was discussed it took them more than 1 hour read more

All men except for me and one other. Very good Ethiopian food. Service was good. Good came out pretty fast. Couldn't tell what dish was what. Would have been nice if waitress told us What each dish was. We had combo platter. Ijera bread was good and plenty. Would go back next time in the area. read more

Worst customer service from the greeting at the door to the explanation of my entree that I chose wasn't as stated on the menu I was told I can eat it or not thank goodness there was a waitress working that had some common sense and came over to rectify the situation I was ready to leave but she insisted that I stay so I did my sister and I enjoyed our food but the incompetent server left a bad taste in both of qmouths read more

Me and my friends went to Lucy and I went to the bathroom and when I got back to my table I noticed that my water bottle that I left was missing as as I asked my friends where it went they told me that server took my water bottle away. And as I asked for it back they told me I can not drink water from outside or I should drink the water fast before I sit down. I could. It believe what was going on so we just left. Who ever came with that policy needs to revise. Never coming back there... did not even get apology. read more