Skyline Cafe is really more like Skyline Lounge, but the atmosphere was lively and friendly. I ordered the bozena shero, which was beef tips cooked in a buttery tomato sauce served on a platter lined with tangy, spongy injera bread. I also had the collard greens on the side, which were cooked surprisingly much like we eat them in Georgia. Of course, a plate of injera was provided for dipping up the food. It was all delicious. The staff and other patrons were all very friendly. Apparently they were not only used to serving good food but warm hospitality, as well. read more

They gave me a menu that said "Lunch & Dinner" with the price of Lega Tibs -- $13.99. Then when I got the bill it was $22 -- I asked why the $8 difference. First she said in it was the price for lunch then she said it was new owners and they hadn't changed the menu. On the bill it didn't even list the name of the item -- just said "Custom Item" so she could charge whatever she wanted. I feel like they just purposely stole money from me thinking I wouldn't say anything. read more

Just don't bother going in if you're hungry. I was sitting at a table for no less than 15 minutes and no one so much as offered a glass of water. The vibes alone were creepy. The place is dark and dingy looking. The health department rating alone is a turnoff. I should have researched that before stoping in. Thank you for ignoring the only customer you had seated in the restaurant on a Sunday afternoon. You did me a favor. read more

my mouth will never recover from this. i won't be able to eat meat again without feeling profound disappointment that it's not from this restaurant read more

Ate at this restaurant with a close friend of mine and we ordered the veggie platter. The food was delicious and I will definitely come back to order again if I'm in the area. I joked with my friend saying if the people of the same nationality are eating the food than you know its authentic and worth every penny lol. We also ordered a couple of glasses honey wine which was too strong and sweet for us to drink. They ended up charging us the whole bottle which we did not drink (because we only wanted a glass). But regardless we paid for it ($25!) and took it home. Next time I'll just get water lol. Regardless though the food and service was great! Highly recommend! read more

Skyline Cafe - Honey Wine - Ethiopian Near Me - Falls Church, Virginia

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I passed by Skyline on a Saturday night and decided to stop through...not impressed. The girl behind the bar said they didn't have rum. The workers/owners/friends of employees or whoever they were, were yelling inside and making obnoxious noises. read more

Thank you Yelpers for directing me to this place!! I used to live very close to this little shopping center, and thought I'd never have a reason to go in. WRONG. Skyline Cafe is now my go-to Ethiopian place. I no longer have to go to DC to get some good Ethiopian food. I went last Friday for lunch. The bartender/waitress was very friendly and tended to me right away. I sat in the higher bar tables near the front of the neat, small, but not cramped, place. I got the lentil sambusa which was flavorful with a nice wrapper. The wrapper was thicker than I've had at other places, but it was good - and the sambusa was unusually large. I got the veggie platter and loved all of it. The collards actually had flavor here, and the lentils had some kick. The potato "salad" and the other green salad was delicious. Throughout the meal, my waitress was attentive, filling my glass when I needed it, replacing my napkins, etc. It was a perfectly pleasant lunch. I already told others, so we could go back together :) read more

It was hard to decide which restaurant to go to with so many options to pick from in the mini mall. I'm thrilled I selected a wonderful choice. It was nice and cool inside on a warm day. The weighted was so nice and attentive. I ordered an Ethiopian beer and appropriately asked for my ID. I ordered a veggie combo to eat in, and a meet conbo to take home. The food was amazing and I even got some extra injera to take. I'll definitely be back. read more

Skyline Cafe - Ethiopian beer, it's light refreshing lager. - Ethiopian Near Me - Falls Church, Virginia

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Amesaquanalo! I love Enjera and Ethiopian food since I grew up with Ethiopian neighbors in Israel. We use to celebrate holidays together and we explored the amazing Ethiopian kitchen. In the U.S I've always went to Ethiopian restaurants on many places : Vegas, Miami, NY, DC but this Skyline one is my favorite. Enjoy read more

Skyline Cafe - Ethiopian Near Me - Falls Church, Virginia

It's pretty good. I believe it's very authentic. The service is very good. We ordered the veggie combo platter as well as lean beef. It's so so so so so good. It's more filling that expected so we packed some leftover. We used groupon. Highly recommend this. read more

Skyline Cafe - Veggie combo and beef - Ethiopian Near Me - Falls Church, Virginia

Yet another absolutely excellent Ethiopian place in Virginia! I got the "50/50" here, which is basically a 50/50 split of raw meat and tibs. Needless to say, it was excellent. The injera was perfectly spongy and fresh, the meat itself was tender and excellently spiced, and the vegetables were nice, crunchy, and equally fresh. Everything was very affordable for the volume, though I'll note that ordering delivery (through BiteSquad) can get kinda pricey. I'd definitely eat here again! read more

Eating with your hands is not a big thing for me so I asked for a fork. It was good and very different. The food is very authentic and so is the food. This is my first journey in to an ethiopian restaurant and I didn't know what to expect. But I wasn't disappointed. They ask you if you want everything on one plate or not. One plate will involve a huge platter full of injera (which is their rice kind of. It's made of barley and was very soft). So in essence, everything is consumed including your plate. You eat on injera and you wrap it in injera. I got the fish dish and it was good. Their spice is good. Has a little kick to it. Finished off with some coffee which was on point. It's dark so if you're one of those fake starbucks mocha sweet folks then this isn't for you. read more

Skyline Cafe - Everything comes together on one plate fyi! So if you want your order on separate plates let them know! - Ethiopian Near Me - Falls Church, Virginia

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Skyline Cafe has been our go-to Ethiopian place for years. We'd try other places, but would always come back to Skyline. Their veggie and meat combos were amazing. However, they sold out to a new owner a while back and the quality has bottomed out. We've tried them twice since. The first time was meh. Today's was worse. We'll be going to Eyo or Enat from now on. read more

I think I have found a new lunch spot. Was originally going to go for pho since it's the perfect day for it, but at the last minute thought Ethiopian would be nice too. So my coworker and I decided to give Skyline Cafe a try. I'm so glad we did! We ordered the spicy lamb (Yebeg tib?) and the spicy beef and to break it all up - an order of cabbage (chock full of buttery goodness!). The lamb was perfectly cooked and spiced just right. The beef was equally good with good spice and very flavorful. Salam (?) was our waitress and did a great job of explaining things to us. A word of caution - the menu is not translated, but there are definitions in the back; thank goodness for our waitress! Though not an Ethiopian food connoisseur, I can say that I liked what I had here equally as good, if not better as Etete in DC. Would love to take the BF here and get his opinion. read more

Decent Ethiopian food (I had the Doro Wat) in a hole in the wall place. Felt like I was in a restaurant in the Middle East/Africa, so, authentic feel for sure. The server was very nice, and efficient. It's not a fancy place, but if you want a place to watch sports and eat some food with your hands, Skyline will do just fine. read more

Walked in 10 hours from my last solid meal and ordered the chicken tibs. They turned out to be too spicy for me, and I was preparing to pay and leave disappointed. The waitress saw I hadn't finished, and the cook came out, apologized personally, and cooked a milder dish at no charge. I don't get service like that every day! The new chicken was great. read more

There was a time when if you wanted good Ethiopian/Eritrean food, you would have to drive to Silver Spring, MD or down to the Adams Morgan neighborhood in DC. Nowadays, if you live in the Commonwealth, all one has to do is cruise down I-395, get off at the Seminary Road exit until coming across the Build America shopping center. This compact strip mall is widely known in Northern Virginia for its concentration of East African restaurants and shops were one can find fresh injera bread and spices. I've eaten at a few of the restaurants in the center, but usually come back to Skyline Cafe. The food is consistently good, the prices reasonable, and the service attentive. I would suggest coming here during lunch hours, since for the uninitiated, the parking is horrible! There are definitely not enough spots and what little spots are available tend to be taken by off-duty taxi drivers, especially in the evening hours. When I started coming here a few years ago, this was definitely a "hole in the wall" no-frills kind of place. Walk into the oddly L-Shaped restaurant, the bar and stage are towards the front of the house, while the main dining area is toward the long narrow part of the structure. Over the past year or so, the owners have undergone a massive remodeling effort, with metallic themed floors, new flat panel LCD TVs on the walls, and a back-lit cloud print on the ceiling to make the room seem bigger than it actually is. All of these upgrades are fine, but I detract 1-Star since the bathrooms are still in desperate need of a make-over. Trust me on this... But as for the food, it is a good representation of East African cuisine. As is typical, the platters usually come out "family style" for the table to share. I usually opt for the veggie sampler and one type of meat (the doro wat and Yawaze tibs are both excellent choices). The food comes out on a silver platter on top of a multiple pieces of injera bread, as well as a side order of extra injera. The veggies are well seasoned, with my favorites being the tomato salad and red lentils. The tomato salad is very reminiscent of Mexican pico de gallo, with chopped tomatoes mixed with onions and a light vinegar dressing. Tear off a piece of injera and scoop up a bit of that salad, and your in veggie heaven. And the red lentils have just enough spice to provide heat without being overpowering. Honestly, one veggie combo for two ($22 as of this writing) is definitely enough to keep you full for the whole day. After eating, I suggest perusing some of the shops in the center, and if you're so inclined pick up some fresh injera bread, or maybe even some spicy berbere seasoning for your home meal. read more

I met Carol and some of her co-workers at Skyline Café for lunch. My expectations were fairly high since we both love Ethiopian food and she had good things to say about the place. Skyline Café resides in an interesting strip mall along George Mason Dr. Interesting in that the strip mall is home to multiple restaurants, markets, and other businesses that are predominantly owned/operated by Ethiopian immigrants with a smattering of businesses owned/operated from immigrants from around the Levant and Southwest Asia. If Annandale is the area's Koreatown and Eden Center is the area's Little Saigon, then perhaps this cluster of Ethiopian businesses is Little Addis Ababa? Getting back on track. Skyline Café is nothing special to look at from its modest exterior to its smallish, somewhat plain interior. The magic, however, is in the food. Our party of eight split four combination platters (2 meat, 2 vegetarian). Our server was friendly and helped us to navigate the menu as well as keep our table well stocked with injera. Some of the selections on the platters were Doro Wat (a spicy chicken stew), Lamb Tibs, Kitfo (raw beef marinated in mitmita, a spicy chili powder), Gomen (collard greens), and Tekil Gomen (cabbage and carrot). There were a couple of meat items that I had not had previously, so I don't know what it was other than they were tasty. Injera, obviously, accompanied our platters of food. It was on par with the injera found at other area Ethiopian restaurants. For me, however, the true taste revelation was the kitfo. It was the best tasting steak tartare that I've ever had! The mitmita added wonderful flavor and spice to the very fresh raw beef. Perhaps the biggest surprise of all, the total bill for our group came out to around $80, tax included! We ate our fill of very flavorful, well-executed food, and it came out to around $10 per person. Now that's what I call a steal! read more

Really tasty Ethiopian food especially the chicken(doro wat) and beef(tibs)! I went with the combo "Cornts" for my first visit. It came with two sides of your choice. Good portion for dinner. It's a great place to try Ethiopian food. read more

Skyline Cafe - Cornst for two - Ethiopian Near Me - Falls Church, Virginia

In the old days, one had to trek to Adams Morgan or 9th Street to find good Ethiopian. Those days have changed, and now it is possible to get tasty and cheap Ethiopian food right in NoVa. Skyline Cafe is nestled in a little ethnic strip mall right off Route 7. It is surrounded by shisha bars, Arabic restaurants, and African stores -- the vibe is definitely international all around. The cafe itself consists of a bar area where Ethiopian locals congregate for a drink and a smoke, along with a long dining area populate by small tables. The food served constitutes all of the usual Ethiopian dishes one can find at other such restaurants in the area. I found the dishes to be tasty and frankly less greasy than those at some of the spots on 9th street. With entree prices hovering around $10-$12, the value is great here! The atmosphere is cozy -- nothing gimmicky or special -- just a comfortable place for a solid, casual meal at an unbeatable price. If you love Ethiopian food and live in Northern Virginia, Skyline Cafe is a must. read more

Came here with a Groupon, and the food was pretty decent. My family and I ordered a large sampler platter and a "50/50", a combination of meat and tbs. The flavoring and spices were okay and the selection was very nice. Unfortunately, I think that the injera we were served was either old or it wasn't very good. It was cold and slightly grainy, rather than warm and soft like injera I've had at other places. It also didn't help that our food 30 minutes to arrive at our table. At the time we entered the restaurant, we were literally the second group of patrons in the restaurant, so I have no idea how it could have taken so long. The music on the TV was also playing very loudly, which we weren't fans of. Overall decent Ethiopian, but I have had better. read more

This place is excellent! I grew up with an Ethiopian family across the street. The mother of the house used to bring over huge bowls of dorowat and injeera...this place takes me right back to those days. the bread is always fresh and has a nice slightly sour taste to it. Its perfect with the thick spicy berbere. Every time I o searching for ethiopian food I tell myself I'm going to branch out an try a new place, but somehow I always end up Back at Skyline. My only complaint is that the waitress never seems to understand what I mean when I ask for "extra meat". Typically the dorowat is a boiled egg, and a chicken leg...well that's just not enough, I always want more!!!! read more

Fairly priced and delicious Ethiopian food. That's not the reason for the low rating; if this was only for food, sure, I'd give them four or five stars. This gets a two because the parking here in the evening is so far beyond awful it borders on demonic. Skyline is in the same shopping center as a number of grocery stores, hookah bars, clubs and sports bars, so the whole place is jam-packed with cars from the early evening on. I cannot stress this enough: parking here is a complete and utter nightmare. If you come here after 7pm, (6pm on some nights) you will absolutely not find a single parking space anywhere in the lot-- be it in front, the back or on the street. I was circling the lot for ten minutes one time and was forced to call into the restaurant, beg them to bring my bag outside as I double parked my car. Go for lunch when the lot isn't as crowded, because the food is absolutely wonderful. read more

This place underwent renovation recently and just re-opened again. We thought it would be worth our while to pay a little visit. The inside atmosphere now has a more lounge-y "feel". We always come with an empty stomach and leave 100% satisfied. Our favorite go-to dishes are the veggie combo platter, as well as the spicy lamb tibs! It's the winning combination, you should check it out! Service is excellent as well. read more

Skyline Cafe - Truly palate-pleasing! You must order the Veggie Combo platter along with the Spicy Lamb Tibs! - Ethiopian Near Me - Falls Church, Virginia

I think I've been to this place at least a half a dozen times, and I rarely eat lunch anywhere but my desk. I don't know what anything in Ethiopian cuisine is called, so I usually just order the vegetarian sampler or the meat one. This time, we ordered the veggie sampler for two. YUM. The enjara (fluffy bread used to scoop up your food--that's right, no utensils) here is just perfect. Not soggy, not too sour, and it flows freely from the kitchen...I think my personal record is 3 whole rounds. My favorites from the platter were the lentils, both yellow (sweet and mild) and brown (spicy and kicky!). Although I'm not a huge fan of collards, they go down easily here. Be forewarned...the platter for two can feed at least double that. I took home leftovers (which, incidentally weighed approximately ten pounds), had enough for two more meals, and had to throw out the rest because the binging was getting ridiculous. I'm no expert on Ethiopian food, but I think this is one of the best places around. Consistently delish food, and none of the pretension that comes with some of the more well know places, like Zed's in Gtown. A plus -- we were in a huge hurry at lunch (less than 45 minutes to get there, eat, and get back), and told our server so: our food arrived, no joke, within 3 minutes of us ordering it, and we were fed and paid and on our way in 20! Not that I recommend speed eating, but sometimes you have no choice. (portions x-posted to blog) read more

Skyline Cafe - Vegetarian Sampler - Ethiopian Near Me - Falls Church, Virginia

Since I am fortunate enough to be married to a local real estate agent who claims to be an Ethiopian food connoisseur, we tend to eat Ethiopian food. A lot of it. Seriously. Don't judge. We go at least once a week to a place in this same strip mall, but for some reason decided to branch out. We are glad to have done so. This is a more upscale version of what we're used to with a nice decor to boot. Look, the food is really good. They have options for non meat eaters and is the type of restaurant I could take my entire family to without going into DC. By the way, this place is way better than places in DC AND (big and there) cheaper. If you live in Virginia and you're in the mood to have Ethiopian, this is a good, clean place to go to. Note: I still think that Abay Market is better, but their hole in the wall appeal has since lost its appeal... read more

This place is decently priced and decently delicious. I shared the vegetarian platter for 2, which was around 18 bucks for a large amount of food. The red lentils were yummy, although a little spicier than I'm used to. The platter also had a standard salad (greens, tomato, balsamic vinaigrette) with it that seemed less than authentic/a little out of place with the rest of the food, although it was still tasty. The injera (bread) was great and plentiful, which was nice because usually they never give you enough. One thing though -- this place is in a small strip mall surrounded by other popular restaurants and hookah bars. If you plan to go on a Friday or Saturday night, be prepared to park way down the street or to circle the lot for 20 minutes to find a space. It is probably not so bad during the week. Parking situation aside, Skyline Cafe is yummy and definitely worth the trip to Falls Church, whether you're an Ethiopian food connoisseur or a first timer. read more

Was referred here by an Eritrean friend who said this place is "most authentic". LOVED my veggie combo platter and Yawaze tibs. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because the place is small, crowded, and loud. I got my meal to go which is what I would recommend unless you don't mind the noise and space issue. read more

We went last night and had an enjoyable experience. Only our second time eating Ethopian food, we ordered the meat combo hoping to get a large sampling of items- and were pleasantly suprised. The food was tasty and plentiful - my wife especially liked the greens and the spicy lamb. I particularly liked the chicken and its sauce(wat?). Neither of us cared for the cabbage. The food wasn't the best, but I would defintely label it as good. That combined with very affordable prices (Dinner for two for $20), I would reccomend this place to friends. For a Tuesday the place was packed- lots of locals using the place more as a bar to hang out than for dinner, although the tables tucked around the corner from the bar kept the noise to a comfortable level for a casual meal. The waitresses were helpful and friendly, although service was a bit slow. My main complaint is that the parking lot is too small for the large number of shops in the strip mall. read more

I got for take out the veggie combo for one. Huge portion with one enjera underneath and one on top. Delicious, fresh, filling. Will return as a great option for a quick bite. 11.99. read more

Skyline Cafe - Veggie combo for one. (Take out) - Ethiopian Near Me - Falls Church, Virginia

I just finished my very first Ethiopian meal, and I am newly obsessed! I really don't know what I was eating. It was a vegetarian sampler, and it had collards, cabbage, carrots, potatoes, lentils and the enjara bread. There was something else in the mix too, but I'm not entirely sure. I just dove in and chowed down. My boyfriend ordered the food to go, so I can't speak for the restaurant or staff. I just know that what I just consumed is easily one of the best meals I've had. It's also pretty healthy. I never liked greens until I had this meal. If you've never had Ethiopian food, definitely try this place. I can't begin to express just how excited I am! read more

Great Ethiopian food. Love it. The place has great vibe and awesome food !! The staff is very friendly and the restuarant feeling is amazing. read more

top two mediocre ethiopian food n it's not two. the food literally has no flavor - it makes u lose ur appetite especially when ur taste buds have experienced the good stuff. a lil overpriced for the quality. lol i'm good off this place read more

Terrible customer service. Don't buy any coupons of Groupon or restaurant.com they won't accept it even if it's valid.

I really enjoy their vegetarian platters. Absolutely delicious. Highly recommend. I think their food is one of the best. I typically get take out cause the place is a bit small and dark. read more

It's ok Ethiopian food.. portion of meat is large but you get a small bowl of salad then MEAT on the injera comes out.. it's little hard for me to eat just meat and bread . read more

My go to Ethiopian restaurant for the Arlington area. The food is consistently excellent.

We had Groupons to this restaurant, and the first time we tried to use it, there was a mistake and we were charged the full amount. I emailed the owner, Sammy, and he was very apologetic and responsive. He made everything right, so we decided to bring family here on black Friday and I could not have been more pleased. Even the people who had never had Ethiopian before were impressed and thought the food is delicious. Highly recommended for both the food and the level of service and communication! read more

Went there looking up by reviews. Server did not take any notes while taking the order, ended up messing the order. As a server you have to take the order and write it down, so you won't make a mess. Left hungry and angry. read more

I love the food here!!! It is a great restaurant with great costumer service. Try the vegie combo or the lamb combo. Also ask for the ingira (ethiopian bread) with 100% teff wheat..I will definetly come back here soon!! read more

Skyline Cafe - Great beer also!! - Ethiopian Near Me - Falls Church, Virginia