Beautiful ambience & relaxing atmosphere. Eden, the owner, was very welcoming & helpful. Omelet &…read moreFull' was delicious & flavorful with fresh veggies. The bread was warm, toasted and soft inside. Highly recommend checking this place out!

A hub for D.C.'s Eritrean community, Eden's Kitchen is run out of a house along Bladensburg Road NE…read moreby a mother and her son. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, it's worth visiting. They will treat you like family. There's easy street parking nearby. Walk inside to Eritrean art on the walls and a small bar area and a side room with small tables. Outside is a medium-sized outdoor patio with tables, chairs, and umbrellas for shade. To feed two of us, we ordered the vegetarian combo with six items- Ades, Yellow Split Peas, Alicha, Collard Greens, Shiro, and Cabbage. Everything was prepared by the mom and well-seasoned. My favorites were the Shiro (puree of chickpeas in a sauce) and the Yellow Split Peas. The items came on teff injera with extra injera. Afterwards, the mother poured us traditional coffee, which was a perfect way to end the lunch. We left very full and our entire meal cost $15.59 before taxes and tip. That's a steal in D.C.

Love that they make all of their own sauces, and the food is delicious! They also do a great job of…read morehaving fun pop-up events with a "secret" weekend diner, sushi, burgers, etc. The diner is really great for kids. (I call it "secret" because they are open when Yelp & Google say they are still closed in the morning.) My only complaint is that some of my favorite items are often not in stock (dan dan noodles, dumplings, etc.).

I hate to give up on Pow Pow, but I have never received my food on time this entire year. The…read moreowners don't seem to want to pay to employ enough staff necessary to prepare the food, so even if you order 45-60 minutes in advance, your food will always be at least 30 minutes late. it is rare to see more than one person preparing food at any time. I always feel bad for them, but clearly the owners do not. Please hire and pay more people to do the work. Your customer service and customer experience will improve, and that will increase business! But your austerity in staffing and pay has substantially harmed your customers' experiences. You can do better. The food is great, but service is completely unreliable. Written as I wait for my food to be prepared when it was due to me 20 minutes ago. I will certainly be waiting at least another 15 minutes.

So, I enjoy the dishes I have ordered so far like double cooked pork, chicken hot pot, ribs, string…read morebeans, bok choy w/an exotic mushroom....all superb! But I made the mistake to order the Sichuan shrimp, it was totally disappointing and the shrimp were soft and chewy tasteless as opposed to succulent and firm. I mean very disappointing compared to the other dishes. With that said, I would avoid the seafood dishes perhaps. The double cooked pork is a real winner and very authentic.

Incredibly flavorful, family-style Szechuan Chinese food. I went with my family so we went for the…read morewesterner basics like sesame chicken, fried rice, orange chicken, beef broccoli (I know I know) real basic. All of it was great. Its on my DC favorites list now.

I'm not usually a fan of Ethiopian cuisine so was skeptical when my partner insisted we try Feru on…read moreour trip to DC. I was pleasantly surprised by the food! I ordered the asa tibs (curried and cubed tilapia fish) which was served with injera. Generous portion and super flavorful. They even gave me the option to substitute the injera with rice, which I appreciated though I opted to stick with injera. My partner ordered the beef tibs and an off menu tomato, jalapeno and onion salad. She enjoyed her meal very much as well. The space is clean, well decorated, and cozy. Our server was knowledgeable and friendly. Can't go wrong with this spot!

The awaze tibs and beef sambusa are amazing and my go-to! Great dine-in or to go service. One of my…read morefavorite places. Great service and delicious food!

We saw a few Ethiopian restaurants in DC and took a shot on Shewa. It's quite a ways from downtown…read moreand when we arrived, it definitely seemed like a rougher part of town. We arrived at 10:10 and the doors were locked. Called the restaurant and an employee said that they'd be open in a few minutes. A few minutes later, a man and an older woman said hi to us and went into a side door. Turns out that was the owner and his mom (the chef). They light incense in the restaurant and the odor is quite strong. I remember on Kitchen Nightmares, Gordon Ramsey yelling at someone for having scented candles because it messes with how the food tastes. Luckily, the food had enough flavor to overcome the incense. We ordered two meat combos and asked for them to give us some variety since I had never tried Ethiopian food before. The dishes came out with 16 items, with only one repeat. I can't really tell you what I ate since there were so many items, but I did really like the chicken and lamb. Very flavorful and just a fun experience from eating with our hands and the variety of options. One combo can easily feed two people. For our two adults and two kids, we had enough for leftovers. Honey wine was not my favorite thing, but the rest of the dining experience was very memorable. We were the only customers, so the owner came out and chatted with us for a while. Very friendly.

The food was exceptionally good. Our server, Caleb, was very helpful and had some great…read morerecommendations. I highly recommend.

I've never left a review before but this food deserves every 5 star ever!!! While being in DC every…read moremeal that I had was trash and being able to taste this food right here saved the entire trip OMG! Genuinely the best thing I had coming to DC. The chef that helped us was amazing. When the doors opened at 4 chef was quick to get our order and hooked us up with the best. Everyone that came thru the doors was non stop talking about how good the food is. Would come back to DC just for this!

Food is great service is good. I enjoy the vibe every time I go to the restaurant. The staff is so…read morefriendly and patient.?

I came here for dinner on Sunday. It turns out they have happy hour everyday so we got some happy…read morehour specials. Everything was great. For the side dal buratta, I don't think the buratta did much to add to the dish. Everything else was great though. My favorite was the scallops and bison momo. The service was great. It was quite crowded on the patio, so service was a little slow but the staff provided wonderful recommendations. The patio was also very comfortable and well-spaced. I would definitely come back to try more restaurants!

July 2026: My wife and I recently ordered takeout from Daru after not having been in a few years…read moreand were pleased to find that it was just as outstanding at it was three years ago. We shared the malai paneer lasagna, which was rich, creamy, and flavorful. I got the murgh makhani as my main dish and it was fantastic-perfectly cooked, great flavor, amazing portion size, and creamy. I highly recommend Daru and look forward to returning! February 2023: An absolutely outstanding experience from start to finish in every way. Daru is the rare restaurant to exceed the tremendous hype it has. My friend and my amazing experience started the day before, when Daru asked us if anyone in our party had any food restrictions, which my friend did. When we arrived for our weeknight reservation, we were seated immediately. What distinguishes Daru from almost anywhere I've been is that our server gave us a paper menu with the dishes my friend could eat based on the listed dietary restrictions starred-above and beyond service. The rest of our service was similarly excellent, with our server making some excellent recommendations that allowed us to try the dishes we wanted and additional dishes in the most cost-efficient way. Our dishes were delivered in a timely manner and the meal itself was extremely affordable. Daru adds an automatic 20% charge to all checks and tells you on the menu; our experience was worth all of that gratuity. The food itself was incredible-a modernist take on Indian cuisine. Everything my friend and I had was good and ranged from fine to incredible. I recommend sharing 4-5 small and large plates per two people like my friend and I did to enjoy as many dishes as possible. Black Dal Burrata-my least favorite dish of the evening, but still fine. The lentils could have had a bit more flavor and the dish needed a side of rice, but the burrata was rich and creamy. Bread basket: The za'atar naan was fine but no need to order it, as the garlic naan was outstanding. The parota was good but needed more butter or oil. Chutneys and sauces: My favorites were the sour cherry chutney, the chimichurri, and tomato-szechuan. I love spicy food but the habenero-kashimir chili overwhelmed overwhelmed any other flavors. Blue Cheese Reshmi Kebab-One of Daru's most recommended and unique dishes, it lives up to the hype. The chicken was well-cooked, the cashew provides crunch, the cheese umami, and the sour cherry sauce complemented everything perfectly. Striped Bass Paturi: Simply outstanding. Perfectly cooked fish with good spice, greens, and creaminess. Some of the best bass I've ever had. I highly recommend Daru for your next special occasion and make sure to book well in advance if you want a reservation between 6-9 PM-there are many reasons Daru is this popular! Things to note: 1. Daru is small and it can be hard to hear at times. 2. The surrounding neighborhood isn't the safest-I would recommend not coming alone at night and taking a rideshare after dark if possible (avoid public transit and parking nearby) 3. The lot next to Daru is currently a construction zone, so you may see a rat or two if you are at Daru after dark and sitting by the window. This is beyond Daru's control; something to note for the next few months if you go there.

i wish we had this in california, BIG PORTIONS AND ABSOLUTELY IMPACTFUL!!…read more- a lot of sauce for the portion of noodles -flavorful -cheesy

Nostra is a nice and cozy neighborhood gem. Our family made same day reservations and they were…read morenice enough to accommodate us for dinner. We were off to a good start with the tangy and fresh Greek salad. My husband and shared the chicken marsala. It worked for us but wouldn't say it's a sharing portion. The Marsala sauce was smooth, little peppery and slightly sweet the way you would want. Slathering it all over made up for the chicken that could've been better. The Marsala was better than my daughter's piccata that had the same issue with little tough chicken and a too-sour sauce. The subtle sweet and citrusy flavor of the Lemonchello cake was so good. Had a little envy noticing other people's red sauce items like bolognese and chicken parm. These looked great and would be back to try. Service was friendly and the place is cute but no frills.

Rumi's Kitchen DC was an absolute standout and one of my favorite meals in DC. The flavors were…read moreoutstanding, and what impressed me most was how beautifully they let the meat shine without overwhelming it with spices or sauces. Even the vegetarians in our group were raving about the food. We ordered the lamb merguez, mushroom hummus, eggplant appetizer, and a family-style spread of soltani kebab, lamb kebab, and chicken barg. Everything was packed with flavor and beautifully prepared. The portions are HUGE, so definitely plan to share. I also loved the fresh sabzi served with pita--it was such a simple but delicious addition. The mocktails were excellent as well and paired beautifully with the food. Service was outstanding. We were a large group, and the team took excellent care of us with quick, attentive, and friendly service throughout. The ambience is fantastic, with a rustic, warm vibe that makes the restaurant feel both lively and inviting. Between the incredible food, generous portions, and excellent service, Rumi's Kitchen is an easy recommendation and a place I'd happily return to.

When my wife and I lived in Atlanta, Rumi's first location in Sandy Springs represented our…read morefavorite restaurant in the metro area. It has since expanded into other markets. A recent visit to DC with some dear friends provided the perfect opportunity to check out their branch here and assess how it compares to the original. Happily, I found the food here essentially equivalent to what I sampled at the Atlanta locations, that is, excellent. We started with the sabzi and bread service, which pairs Rumi's excellent and freshly baked Persian style naan with fresh herbs and feta cheese, which makes for a light and refreshing start to the meal. Our appetizers comprised the lamb hummus, the fatoush salad, kashk-bademjan eggplant dip, and the duo of yogurts. All were great, with the classic, creamy eggplant and the tangy, cooling yogurt duo standing out for me personally. We ordered three entrees, including the lamb kebab, beef soltani combination, and the duck fesenjan stew. All the kebabs possessed a juicy texture, great seasoning, and had an excellent cook. The duck had a tangy sweet flavor profile that may not be for everyone but was nonetheless satisfying with rice. Speaking of the rices, the fluffy grains complimented all of our dishes well and we particularly enjoyed the dill-fava bean as well as the lentil-raisin renditions. Do note that portions here are generous, and splitting entrees is suggested especially if you opt for a decent number of appetizers as we did. Special mention should be made of the cocktails at Rumi's. While I personally did not have a mixed drink, my friends all raved about the flavor profiles of their libations and found them refreshing and balanced relative to others we had in the city. Service here meets the high standard I experienced at the Atlanta locations, and our waitress was helpful and attentive. The space itself is bright and strikes a great balance between rustic Persian accents and more modern, swanky touches. Overall, Rumi's offers a well rounded Persian dining experience with great food, drinks, service, and ambiance which is hard to beat. It's well worth a visit for any fan of Middle Eastern flavors, and my wife and I are already planning our next meal here.

Birthday cake for breakfast? Say less!…read more I've been dying to try South Block's seasonal Birthday Cake Smoothie because I'm a sucker for anything birthday cake flavored. With this week's heat wave, Thursday felt like the perfect excuse to finally treat myself. The Birthday Cake Smoothie is made with almond milk, banana, vanilla, granola, maple syrup, plant protein, and topped with a dollop of blue CocoWhip, a cherry twist, and sprinkles. I swapped the plant protein for whey protein, and it absolutely hit the spot. It was creamy, refreshing, and definitely gave me the birthday cake vibes I was hoping for without being overly sweet. I ordered ahead through the app, and my smoothie was ready right on time. I also appreciated their pickup setup. Completed orders are placed in a freezer at the counter, so you can simply grab your drink and keep it moving. Quick, easy, and perfect for busy mornings. One thing I love about this location is being inside Union Market. There are plenty of places to sit if you want to enjoy your smoothie or bowl. Now, if you've ever been to Union Market on a weekend or evening, you already know finding a seat can feel like a competitive sport. But in the mornings, it's much calmer with far less foot traffic, making it a great time to visit. Price-wise, it's about the same as the South Block near my office in Arlington. Is it expensive? Sure. But honestly, that's just the reality of smoothie and açaí bowl spots these days. At least here, the quality, convenience, and fresh ingredients make it feel worth the splurge every once in a while. I'll definitely be back... especially if they bring this Birthday Cake Smoothie around again.

I knew that an acai bowl was food, and, honestly... that was about it! We were drawn to this booth…read morefrom the dozen people lined up to get one, and WOW, I'm furious that I've never had one before. Exceptional. South Block has scores of options to choose from and I got the peanut butter & jelly. A+. I tried my fiancee's nutella amalgamation and it was just as good. I need to go back! We had such a great time enjoying it on the picnic tables outside. My only complaint was the acai bowl's were so good, our conversation was practically non-existent... we mostly just ate. They were filling, delicious, and broke my brain as to why I had gone this far in life without making this treat a regular in my pursuit of constantly enjoying the most toothsome dishes to be had. I need to go back. Soon.