Addis Ababa
8233 Fenton St, Silver Spring, MD, 20993
Addis Ababa Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Silver Spring for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Silver Spring for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Silver Spring for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
8233 Fenton St
Silver Spring, MD, 20993 - Phone (301) 589-1400
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Opening Hours
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Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : No
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Nicole L.
I love the chicken with hardboil egg, spicy lamb, cabbage and collard green the most. The spices used are similar to Indian food but less explosive and spicy. I like slow cooked dishes with lots of flavor. Probably my fav Ethiopian restaurants compared to the others. I been to the Adams Morgan one as well. Servers are friendly and flexible.
(4)Murat S.
I know a lot about food but I don't know anything about Ethiopian food or restaurants. I tried this place using a groupon. We ordered group special number 2. My water did not get filled. I ate way more carbs (read pancake/crepe bread) because I had to use it as a utensil. All the food on the single plate was between cold and warm and almost everything including the hard boiled eggs that had the dark sulphur ring outside the yolks as a result of over cooking was overcooked except the single potato piece that was as hard a a rock and literally crunched when you bit into it because it was not cooked enough. I am willing to give Ethiopian food another chance but not at this place. Majority of the customers were Ethiopians so it must be authentic and good Ethiopian food. May be I choose the wrong time of the day or the wrong dish to order...One good thing was the friendliness of the waiters.
(2)Cata N.
Delicious Ethiopian food. The honey wine is tasty. You'll definitely have a nice meal for a decent price. I usually find coupons on Restaurant.com or in the mail, and I never have trouble using them. I recommend going in a group so you have the opportunity to try different plates.
(3)A. B.
The food was really good but the service was poor. All the vegetarian dishes were vegan, but it was kind of weird that there was a fish dish in the "Vegetarian" section of the menu (WTH?). The service was really disorganized. One server asked us to sit and wait for a table and then we were forgotten and had to insist to be seated when a server was about to seat the second party to come in after us. Our water arrived a bit late and was not refilled during the meal. The waitresses seem to be much more comfortable hanging out at the bar/cash register area than walking among the tables asking people what they need. Also, gluten is a problem. I called at lunchtime on the day I went there for dinner and was told all the injera is wheat-free. Then when we sat down to dinner we were told the injera is half wheat, and no, they can't make any wheat-free injera for us. So this does not appear to be a gluten-free friendly restaurant. It is a vegan-friendly restaurant. But I'm a little hesitant to use the word "friendly" at all at a place where the servers wanted to let us sit on a couch and wait for a table while they seated parties that arrived after us. At least they got our order right and the food arrived promptly after we were finally able to place our order. I will probably go back, with high expectations for food quality and very low expectations for service.
(3)Dak F.
I don't know jack about Ethiopian food. But I do know that animal bones, for the most part, should come with meat attached; and potatoes, I find, need to be cooked in order to enjoy them. I won't give up on the cuisine, I'll just have to try it somewhere else.
(2)Iris W.
My husband and I are "foodies." We especially like ethnic food and good service. We have eaten at many Ethiopian restaurants in the DC Metro area and enjoyed many. Hubby and I decided to have dinner there. When we arrived there were not many people so we thought "great, fast service." Wrong! A waitress took our order in good time, but took almost 20 minutes to bring our drinks, never brought our appetizers, which we canceled when we called another waitress to our table to inquire about our starter. She said the other waitress forgot to place our order. We waited a while longer for our entree, which was ordered for two but arrived for one. Dinner was less than overwhelming. We will not dine here again.
(1)Scott L.
Great lunch buffet. One of my favorite Ethiopian places.
(4)Alex A.
I ate upstairs recently, and it was everything I could have hoped for. The decor is really nice up there. From this Ethiopian aerie you can gaze out upon all that Silver Spring has to offer, and marvel at the splendor of the people, the places, and the Safeway parking lot.
(4)jeni m.
I liked it! I am not a seasoned ethiopian food eater, so there were no doubt many ignorant questions/things I did. the waitress made me feel reassured though, and most importantly the food was yummy. the only thing that I wasn't so fond of was the spiced raw ground meat, but even that was good mixed with the other food.
(4)ml k.
My favorite Ethiopian place ever! Food is consistently good and plentiful. Great atmosphere including traditional tables and music. Decent prices as well. Have gone here at least 8 times and always as good as I remember.
(5)Cliff E.
The Lunch buffet gets crowded and forces you to eat at tables below knee height. food may be good, but when it runs out, don't expect quick replenishment.
(2)D S.
This place is great value. Food is well prepared and tasty, prices are reasonable, staff is friendly and accomodating, if not always super efficient. Good spot for fans of futebol.
(4)Geo N.
yummy, easy and fun take out - the roof is fun, too
(4)Mike S.
Authentic and excellent. I usually get the vegetarian platter, and my only complaint (if you could really call it that) was that it's a lot of food for one person. I eat it all and love it though!
(5)J H.
So one day my dining partner and I decided that we were going to eat something... different. So we started driving around Silver Spring and ended up at Addis Ababa. We should have known better when we walked in and took a whiff of the sour-ness? I'm not sure how to describe it. Since neither of us knew anything about Ethiopian food we decided to use the expertise of our waiter. She ordered us a huge platter that had a little bit of everything. It was definitely different. Both of us ate with an open mind and with our fingers (they don't have any forks, we asked). I can't say it was good. I think i really tried to enjoy myself and opening myself to a different culture. But---- i can't say i like this restaurant. 1) the tastes of Ethiopia were too far off for my buds (no pun intended) 2) the restaurant itself wasn't a deal breaker nor the price. If you enjoy the Ethiopian cuisine, you'll probably like it here.... bring your pepto bismol.
(1)H W.
Although this place has great decor, it is my least favorite Ethiopian place in the area food wise. The messir wat (sp?) red lentils were strangely a super bright red giving off a fake kind of look that left me uneasy. The shiro (always a favorite) was terrible. I have never been back. I much prefer Meskerem in Adams Morgan or Etete off 11th St NW (U Street corridor.) I've tried nearly all the Eritrean and Ethiopian places in DC/MD area.
(1)Brian W.
Ethiopian is an acquired dining experience. You have to go with the flow and the unusual seating and utensil-free adventure. Once you accept it though it is quite tasty especially for vegetarians. The vegetables are nicely seasoned and there's plenty of variety. The spices proved to be a bit much for my little one but he did enjoy the bread. Sundays feature a buffet! There's great rooftop dining space which I can't wait to try next spring.
(4)Jeff L.
this place has great atmosphere. the price is what you should expect for an atypical night of dining. the food hit the spot.
(4)Jimena M.
My mom really wanted to try this place because everytime she walked by the restaurant it was packed. So we went one evening to experience a meal with no utensils. It was a chilly Sunday evening back in April. We sat in the rooftop setting. The place was packed again. Looks like many native Ethiopians eat there. Now, I think we were not lucky and possibly got a new waitress. She seemed completely overwhelmed and did not take care of us at all. There were 4 of us and we all planned on ordering an entree. But, it took her almost 20mins. to get to our table and bring us water. By then we decided to only order two entrees. We then had to wait another 20mins. to get our drinks., and another 20minutes to get our food. By then our appetites were spoiled and we really didn't enjoy the food. We then had to walk up to her to ask for our check because she never came back to check on us and she came back and brought the checks for every table around us except ours! Needless to say we are not going back again. This is based purely on service, not the food. For good ethiopian food I would try Meskerem in Adams Morgan.
(1)Alesia L.
My favorite Ethiopian place... I haven't been to a better Ethiopian place in America. From the lamb to the veggies, the lentils to the doro wot... I love this place. I wish they would get out of MD and come back to DC I miss this place so much. The best Ethiopian in the DMV.
(5)Ms A.
Truth be told...I've eaten here numerous times and though I come back my feeling is still the same...'mediocre at best'. What Addis Ababa offers is convenience. When I want Ethiopian, but don't want to leave my neighborhood and fight with parking on U St or in Adams Morgan, or when I definitely don't feel like driving to VA, it suffices. But comparatively speaking you can do so much better. Last night my veggie combo was so bland I finally decided to write a review. I usually order the combo, special tibs, doro watt, or the other tibs with jalepenos. Last night the lamb special tibbs was remarkably bland. The meat wasn't seasoned well and very chewy.The tomato salad was good but my favorite red lentils lacked any real berbere pizzaz. The cabbage was soggy and the potatoes and green beans were basically all mushed together. Technically that shouldn't be a big deal for Ethiopian but still. I've also eaten there for the afternoon buffet and typically there are three meat dishes. The variety is fine excpet the flavors are very similar and typically bland as well. It has been months since I've eaten here since discovering Enat (AWESOME!! and they use traditional Ethiopian flour for the injera which is much lighter) in VA, and Zenebech (good take out) on T St. Dukem is also a reliable choice. But in this area traffic is a big deal and can determine your meal for the night. If you eat here and you think this food is Ethiopian benchmark good, it is time for you to expand your horizons. This area is FULL of better choices.
(2)Katie B.
Overall: I love Addis Ababa for what it is! Think of it as the fast food version of Ethiopian food in the region. Several friends growing up were Eritrean or Ethiopian (the food is similar) and I spent much time in their kitchens;), so I have some understanding of authentic v. everything else in this food genre. (Keyword: some..I'm not E. African) The meats are pre-cooked, the tomato salad is really a salsa from a container, the gomen is from a can....but still, it tastes good! Can I replicate it at home? (other than the sides?) No! Food highlights include their: special tibs with lamb, yatakikt wat, misir wot, lega tibs, and kitfo!! Ambience: The upper level deck is great in the summer, early fall, and late summer! The lower level holds more authentic seating options. The service is attentive but not falling over...cultural in a sense. Meals should be an event, not a rush and go type deal. As I am a creature of habit, I'll keep going back to Addis Ababa to support the business and when in need of quick, comfort food. I've been a regular for 4 years and will continue to be on the weekends! Service: attentive, if you understand the cultural norms. A meal is not meant to be in and out; but more of an experience. Ambience: I love their upper level! The view of Silver Spring is nice!
(4)Shim P.
I wanted to like this place so much. The staff was friendly enough (perhaps not bringing enough water); the ambiance was cool and tables felt authentic. My wife, who was in the Peace Corps in Africa, saw very unique touches to the place. We had a pleasant experience dining -- an adventurous experience for me (a very picky eater). We ordered one of the combo platters -- I can't remember which one, but it had chicken drumsticks (and some boiled eggs, which we forewent!). My food reference point was that it compared to a slightly differently spiced version of Mexican food -- except instead of tortillas, you have a crazy spongy bread. BUT -- and here's the huge but -- BOTH my wife and I ended up with horrible intestinal distress for a day and a half. It felt like pure evil coming out of the other ends of us. If it were just me, I'd chalk it up to my weak stomach and unadventurous palate. But, my wife has an iron stomach and will eat pretty much anything. The hour of pleasant-enough (but nothing to write home about) dining was not enough to make up for hours on the toilet. AVOID THIS PLACE LIKE THE PLAGUE -- which you may well get if you eat here.
(1)Dulani W.
Ok, I'm easy (or quirky), but this is truly my current favorite place. I have been to a few of the other Ethiopian places in the DC area and I can't say this place's food is better or worse. That is... their food is good! But, what I like best is eating their good food (we've ordered the "Silver Spring Special" every single time) on their rooftop deck. The deck is not always open so be sure to call in advance if that is important to you (it is to me). I'm giving them 5 stars. That's 5 for food, 5 for ambiance and 3 for service. But, since the first two matter more to me, I'm going to grade on the curve and give them a bump for being my favorite.
(5)Jojo S.
Had an early dinner at Addis Ababa today and the food and service were surprisingly good. We were seated right away and the young woman who served us was attentive and offered suggestions when asked. My husband ordered the Addis Ababa (beef tenderloin with onions/peppers with two sides) and I had a veggie dish (five vegetables). Everything was delicious and we will definitely go back.
(5)Jon C.
Best zilzil tibs in town, great service, and amazing rooftop deck.
(4)Aliya W.
Addis Ababa has delicious vegan Ethiopian food. Every available choice for the veggie platter (collards, split peas, lentils, cabbage, and some other kind of pea I think?) is awesome. They are also open much later than pretty much any restaurant in MD that I know of. The service is pretty bad, however. The decor is nice enough but the tables and chairs can be awkward and uncomfortable.
(4)Katherine L.
Warning: This review is from the veg perspective and a lover of Ethiopian food. Why the 4 stars for an Ethiopian restaurant in Silver Spring? Well, because it's good! Any place that has a weekday lunch buffet for $7.95 automatically gets 3 stars. Then when you eat the food and know you can eat as much as you want of only the things that you want, that bumps it up to 4 stars! It's not anywhere near 5 stars though. The endless supply of food is great, but it's quantity that gets the high ranking! Lots of injera, nice lentil/ split pea dishes, good vegetable options. I think it varies by day, but no veg*n will be unsatiated by eating here. The non-buffet veg food is also pretty good. The injera is very good, just the right thickness and sourness. However, like any bread, this is subject to change. Still, I do love the injera! Order up a combination platter and they'll bring out 5 dishes to try: tikil gomen, gomen, mesir wat, atakilt wat and kik alitcha. The tikil gomen had a bit too much of an oily mouthfeel. Also, it had some cumin or some other spice that I'm not accustomed to tasting in a cabbage-based Ethiopian dish. It was an interesting twist, but not my fav. The gomen was great! The greens were nicely cooked down and the flavor of the veggies came through. The mesir wat was a bit greasier than I would've liked, but not to the point that it affected the food. It had a slight berbere kick. I loved the atakilt wat because it provided plenty of green beans (looked more like haricot verts). Although the potatoes were slightly firmer than usual, still good. The kik alitcha was very nicely pureed with a good flavor. The best part about their food: not too salty. Sometimes, salt is the predominant flavor. Here, that was not the case. Thank goodness! Ooo, and so much injera, sooo good! One order will certainly feed two people (not two starving people though)! The decor is pretty standard. It looks traditional to me. Lots of open air so that the table doesn't get in between you and your party. I think it facilitates sharing and communication. There is a large TV on the wall that some might find distracting. Nice music playing. Nice, efficient staff. I would certainly go back here, but am more tempted to go for the steal of a deal for the weekday $7.95 lunch buffet! Yeah!
(4)Yuri R.
Arguably the best Ethiopian in the DC environs - yes, sometimes you gotta go to the burbs. All of the real-deal, gummy, spicy goodness a growing boy or girl needs; service from exemplary mademoiselles who can't stop flashing their pearly whites; and an enormous, bi-level, authentically decorated interior, regularly filled with Ethiopian folks, a true vote of confidence.
(4)Katherine G.
I am only giving two stars because of the inconsistency of the food and the lack of good consistent management. The first time we went, it was late lunch and the food was fantastic. The manager/owner was very friendly and came over to talk to us about all the restaurant has to offer. We were told of a band on Friday nites and a dj on Saturday nite at 9. We came back again on a Saturday nite hoping to experience the same great food and get some party on. The food again was good and we sat around waiting until about 10 and no dj. We were told the dj was hung up in traffic but next time to come later for dinner so we would not have to wait long for the dj. Went last night and made a reservation for 9 pm and reserved a specific table. When we got there, the restaurant was full and there was a group at the table we reserved. We told the waitress we had made a reservation for that specific table and she told us 5 minutes (we had a group coming and that table would have been great). After waiting 15 minutes, we were talked into starting at another table and getting the table we requested when the other party left. We called the other members of our group and told them if they were not near and wanted to go someplace, then feel free. We spoke with the manager/owner about this he seemed to just take it in stride. Even asking him what we should have done differently to get the table we requested. We are both foodies and eat out quite often and normal restaurant protocol is when a specific table is requested, if they sit someone there they let them know that a reservation at 9 is for that table and if they have not finished by then, they will be moved to another table for additional service. We sat at another table (we are used to very slow and non attentive service at Ethiopian restaurants); received our food, which was just ok compared to what we had in the past (the beef short ribs were rubbery and tasteless - we were told that is how it is served - we sent back for the lamb and believe they mixed in some of the meat from the beef with the lamb dish). Waited for "the band" only to see 1 older gentlemen with a synthesizer and a mike set up and seemed to play pre-recorded music. This after we were told "we really party on Friday and Saturday nites". During this whole time the folks at the table we had initially requested never budged from that table. The manager/owner never came over to check on us and seemed to be a whole different person than we had initially met. My general experience has been that when customers are inconvenienced, the managers checks on them or follows up (maybe even offering a first round of drinks or a return to the restaurant and actually getting what was initially requested). Feeling defeating and having sent back the beef ribs and an overcooked fish; no "real" band to speak, we left feeling extremely disappointed as we had anticipated a fun, party night. Maybe once the weather warms up, i will warm-up to Addis Ababa and try them again. In the meantime, onto the next Ethiopian experience.
(2)Angela W.
I have had better! But here's the good first: 1. Friendly service- I had a very helpful server. She was pleasant and non-hovery but, attentive. Also, the other servers check on my table (refilling water & random stuff). 2. Cool ambiance- Both my husband and I really enjoyed the set up-- charming and comfy. The seats are uncomfortable, at first. But, we got used to it and it was really a cool looking place. Plus, it was pretty crowded. 3. The food was pretty tasty. Not as spiced as we were hoping but, tasty none the less. You get a lot with the specials! Okay here is the bad: (only 1 but it's a biggie) 1. Did anyone else get really bad food poisoning on Sunday evening??!! Oh my goodness, my husband and I spent President's Day at home all day. I was wondering if anyone else got sick?
(3)Lex X.
This place was ok. Great atmosphere, it seemed very traditional. The service was nothing great but not really bad just...average. The food was good but...I have had better at another local Ethiopian restaurant. It may look very traditional but they are on the edge of "Americanization" which is not a good thing. People go to an Ethiopian restaurant to eat authentic food, don't dumb it down! Do get me wrong, it's good enough to go back to but there are better Ethiopian restaurants out there.
(3)Johanna M.
We had dinner on a Friday night for a party of six. We were seated immediately on the top floor, which is open to the air in summer. Service was fast to take our order and bring our food, but incredibly slow to bring our check and close out our credit card payments. The food itself: we ordered the beef sambusas and the shared meal for four (I don't remember the exact dishes in the shared meal--it was the cheapest shared meal option on the menu). The beef sambusas were bland. Not bad, just not anything I'll remember a week from now. The shared meal was good, and enough for six moderate eaters. We also had the honey wine which was OK (really really sweet).
(3)Meagan H.
Try the honey wine! The people I was with said even the Ethiopian beer tasted like there was honey in it! Now it was difficult to tell after drinking the honey wine... As a vegetarian, it was great to realize that they had a generous selection of vegetarian dishes. I will mention that if you are a purist vegetarian and don't want to have meat or meat products touching your food, however, you might wish to attend with other vegetarians. All of the food is served on the same large piece of almost-pancake-like bread. We were given rolls of the doughy bread and we went through them almost immediately. I don't know if it's acceptable to eat the bread that the food is served on, but we set into that after we ate all of our rolled up bread. The waitress DID serve us additional "rolls", but, well, I hate to waste bread. There was something with a kick to it in the spinach offering. I wasn't sure what it was, some kind of a pepper and it really gave the dish a great flavor. I will always be up for a return visit.
(4)William D.
The restaurant was full, as advertised. The food was diverse, tasy and spicy. Not sure what to make of the following, but here it is: We stopped by Rite Aid nearby on the way home and the cashier asked me, "Did you just cook something or eat something?" When I told her we had just eaten at an Ethiopean restaurant, she said, "You smell so good." The after taste was deliscious. We had the plate with two lamb choices and were very happy with the cuisine. Charming was the fact that one of the tables was filled with Etheopians drinking and carrying on. This created a genuine feeling for the restaurant. I had read that the service was spotty and was eager to prove the contrary. However, our waitress disappeared for 15 minutes at the end of our meal and we had to ask for the check from someone else. Had she been available, we would have requested another honey wine. The seats were uncomfortable, but part of the experience. The big window fronting the street, was charming, cosmopolitan. We enjoyed the overall ambiance, loved the spicy food, and the genuine feel of the place. The cost was 48$ for the two of us, so that's a plus. We will be back, but maybe 1-2 times a year when we want to get away for 1.5 hours to enjoy a change of pace.
(3)Laura W.
Finally, a place where I can eat with my hands (in public)! I have this theory that Ethiopian food can be really, really bad if not done well, and really, really good if done well. Luckily, Addis Ababa is the latter. The food comes out on big platters, on top of a large round piece of spongy bread called injera (the closest thing to it would be a crepe, but it is thicker and spongier). Then the food is arranged on top of this - the different vegetables and spices are ground up together to form a thick, chunky sauce, and the meat is placed in the sauce. You also have another common basket of rolled-up injera. You use this bread to eat with by scooping up the sauce. I have been a big fan of the Doro Alitcha (chicken drumsticks in a butter/onion sauce, served with a lentil paste, collard greens, and egg), but I admit it's the only dish I've tried here. Friends have ordered the Doro Wat (chicken with spicy lentil sauce) and the vegetarian platter and also been very pleased. Most dishes are very affordable ($9-14). Now the next day, Addis Ababa can also be enjoyed! yes, in the form of leftovers. You might not think that this food would be good the next day, but the sauce, meat, and yes, even the bread hold up very well and stayed moist and flavorful. Since the portions at the restaurant are large, I had plenty for a yummy lunch the next day. The food at Addis Ababa is best enjoyed on the top patio deck. The service is good, although not speedy. The waitress was even nice enough to notice that my car was in the wrong lot and advised me that I should move it. (There is a dry cleaner's next door with a lot, but apparently they will tow you if you park there to go to the restaurant.) So park your car on the street, and get ready for a delicious Ethiopian experience!
(3)Chelsea W.
This is my go to spot for Ethiopian food in the area. I don't know what they cook the meat in but it must be magic because it falls right off the bone and the flavor is perfect. Service can be a little slow so expect to be there for awhile, but the atmosphere is cozy and authentic. Amazing!
(5)Flo B.
My husband and I went there one day that I was craving Ethiopian food but did not want to go all the way to Adams Morgan. So far, it was the best Ethiopian food that I have had in Maryland (and DC since the Red Sea in Adams Morgan closed a few years ago). I ordered the ZilZil Tibs and asked for it to be very spicy and it came out very close to the spicier Ethiopian food that I am used to. My husband got the Doro Watt and that was very good for someone who likes less spicy food. The service was pleasant, attentive and timely. The price was really affordable especially if you don't drink alcohol. The restaurant is nice, clean and cozy. Parking is easy and cheap compared to Adams Morgan. All in all I would highly recommend it to my friends and family.
(4)T R.
I have been twice. We always order the vegetarian platter as we do at all Ethiopian places. I forgot to specify that when we wanted to split a veggie platter with all the elements that I actually meant all 8 of their dishes once and maybe 2 others repeated. I guess they figured that I don't know what I want. The first time we went there I felt the food was not as flavorful as other places, the second time the spice level was about what I would hope for (I like spicy food but I know not everyone does). The Injera seemed not as fresh as I would like but hey there is a science to picking the right injera. The downstairs is a bit more moody, more "traditional" dining the upstairs is an enclosed patio with tables and chairs. Both are fine, but the downstairs might be better if the weather is in between warm and cold. The service was alright though they were a bit busy. Their drink prices did not come out right when I looked at my receipt again. If I was an uptight person like the ones that have been known to wander Montgomery County I would have a bit peeved but hey I had the groupon anyway. Will I be back? Yeah most likely but I like trying out different ethiopian place so it might not be for a while.
(3)Patricia B.
The food here was OK--nothing special. Actually every one of our dishes had the same tomato-based sauce and flavor, and not because we chose similar dishes. The service turned me off in a way that I probably won't return. The night we visited there weren't many folks in the restaurant, but they left the two of us sitting there with no menus for a long time, then didn't come to take our order for a long time (even though we tried to gesture for the waitresses, they were looking right through us). The food arrived in good time, but that was the last we saw of any server (there were about three waitresses working that night and we did see others getting attention) until they abruptly brought the check without even checking if we wanted coffee or dessert, or even if everything was OK with the meal. I kept wondering what we did to deserve such cold service. We were dressed like everyone else (no sweats), smiled when we arrived, were polite and said thank you when we were seated. Maybe one of us looked like someone that had given them trouble in the past; maybe they have a problem with women dining unescorted by men? It was the first and last visit for us.
(1)Esther W.
I was introduced to this place from Groupon. The first time was so good that when another Groupon deal popped up, I bought it again! The combination platters are a great deal if you don't really know individual entrees to order. My favorite is the tikil gomen, and the doro wat comes at a close second. There is such intense and savory flavor to everything, and I've left the restaurant super full but extremely satisfied. Try the honey wine! It is sweet and refreshing! Now I just need to research where I can buy bottles of that stuff.
(5)Timothy C.
We bought a Groupon and went out to lunch with some friends. When we arrived, we thought for a second it was closed, no one was in the dining room, just empty tables and a thick cloud of incense smoke. I called someone out of the kitchen with an awkward "Hello?, and things improved from there. We sat inside along the street windows around a basket/table that fits one of their platters for 4 perfectly. We had platter #1 - two kinds of lamb stew, doro wat (Chicken with a hard-coiled egg), and gomen. Served with a generous helping of injera, each stew was very tasty, and it was a very social way to eat, all sharing one platter. We had juice alongside our meal, and the food was pretty tasty. You can find nicer Ethiopian restaurants, but with the incense and the special table and platters, it really did feel like a foreign experience. The dining room filled up while we were there and it was much more lively by the time we left. No rush to go back, but I wouldn't specifically avoid it.
(3)Jan Pirouz P.
Delicious food! Served on injera bread with a hint of spiciness. Nice themed decor too. Prices are reasonable as well.
(4)Jessica B.
I brought a groupon deal ($9 for $20) and I came here last night with my friend, who's Ethiopian for dinner. It wasn't crowded but there were a few patrons at tables and some guys at the bar. The lighting was dim but not so much that you couldn't see--perfect for a date. The waitress was polite and attentive. I got the beyaynetu platter, which you get a choice of five vegetarian options (I got the tikil gomen, gomen, yatakilt wat, mesir wat and kit alicha). I also got the lentil sambusa. My friend got the awaze tibs. Overall, I enjoyed the platter--my most favorite was the yatakilt wat; the gomen was tad bit on the bland side. I also liked the lentil sambusa--nice and flaky. My friend thought the tibs were just okay. I thought the price was right even without a groupon deal. I would definitely go back--groupon or no groupon.
(4)M C.
We knew it was a good sign when we walked in and saw we were the only non-Ethiopians in the place! Great veggie combo, though slightly oily. Still, the flavors were good. I'm gonna mess up the names, but loved the gomen, lentils, yellow peas, collards. My boyfriend was a fan of the spicy red lentils. Wish they had actual glasses instead of plastic cups, but other than that, no complaints. Tasty authentic Ethiopian food!
(4)Dave H.
I'm surprised by a number of the less favorable reviews. I normally don't review restaurants unless there's a *really* good reason, and the reasons for this one are the injera and the doro wat. I've been to maybe 20 Ethiopian places across the country, and this spot has my favorite injera, which is saying a lot. It's tangier than others, with the perfect amount of moisture. Three thumbs up. Similarly, the doro wat is just phenomenal. Not too oily, perfectly spiced, abundant. For an item that some say is Ethiopia's national dish, it's a big deal that Addis Ababa is better than the rest. As for the service etc etc, you can be guaranteed that the waitstaff is super friendly. Otherwise, you can't be uptight. Remember, you're about to eat with your hands.
(5)Stephanie S W.
I LOVE this place. It's so warm and cozy inside with great chairs and tables to make you feel as if you've just hopped a plane to Ethiopia. They have some great shared platters that are reasonably priced for as little as 2 guests.
(4)David W.
We had an absolutely fantastic meal here. Highly recommended! We tried the raw beef and it was great, better than the cooked version in fact.
(5)Phi N.
I don't know my ethiopian food that well, but I've had some before... so I can make a comparison for an outsider? lol. The food was good here... I'm not even going to try to name the items on the menu that I ordered... sorry. This is a late review, so I sort of forgot what I ordered... but I think it was tibs, some kind of lamb, and chicken with tomatoes diced up. The spices were wonderful. A little salty, but that's how I like it! Side note, I asked the waitress what I should get based on what most people order, and I don't think she understood me, lol. She just explained what each item was, and said each was good... Thanks, hahah. Also, I know I have to eat with my hands... but I mean, could we at least get napkins? I don't need the full ethiopian experience here! I'd like to wipe my hands and mouth every now and then. Other than that though, waitress was real friendly.
(4)Desiree B.
Alright, so I'm just going come out with it. Someone was smoking pot at the bar while we were eating dinner. It's not a large place and the bar is just off to one side of the room so it was well evident throughout the room. We clearly weren't the only ones who noticed either. I don't even really know what to say but as a self-professed anti-smoking nazi, I find any smoking indoors unacceptable and it's doubly unacceptable to be forcibly exposed to something illegal you would not choose for yourself. Now for the food. The beef sambusas had a good flavor, very spicy, but were frozen in the middle. Yum, icy-hot for your mouth! The doro wat was good, oily, but good. My friend had the awaze tibs and didn't eat much of it. I thought it wasn't bad but the meat was really tough and chewy. We also had the mesir wat as a side and it was my favorite. So there you have it.
(2)Dana M.
Came here with a groupon and a group of 4 girlfriends. Three of us are adventurous eaters, the other two...not so much. But everyone really liked everything on the combination platter we got, except for the kifto. The texture was a little too odd for our taste. The Doro wat (chicken stew with egg) was phenomenal, as well as the Addis Ababa tibs and the yellow split peas. Couldn't help scooping up every last bit of those! Service, however, was really slow. Price wasn't that great either.
(3)Daniela L.
After a day long trip in DC, my friends were ready to head into Silver Spring for a filling dinner. We bought platters 1, 2, and 3 for a group of 8 and we were all stuffed at the end! Great combinations of spicy and mild all on a spongey injera plate. My favorite part was that each plate had a chicken leg and hardboiled egg covered in spice. I definitely recommend coming with friends, this is an experience worth sharing.
(4)Leslie M.
I came here today for the lunch buffet took one bite looked at my coworker/friend and said "never again" it was that bad waste of money and so upsetting the food was BLAND and a bit misleading considering it had so many jalapeños not spicy in the least bit I would never come back and they will not be getting good word of mouth from me SMH
(1)Zhuozhen L.
My friends and I love Ethiopian. Normally we wouldn't come here but was swayed by the 50% deal on foursquare. The pros: -During the meal, the waitress would ask how the food was, etc... -Good vibes: totally feeling the decor and music they had on. It was super relaxed, which was great. -Serving sizes were awesome. We came here with 4 people but ordered 3 dishes and we were all struggling to finish it. The cons: -While the waitress did ask how the food was, getting the check was a pain. We must have waited for 15 minutes even after asking at least 2 times for it. -Manager gave us a hard time with the foursquare check in. The "claim" page wasn't opening up for me on my phone (he saw the 50% off deal on my phone, the claim was just the next step). We thought ok, maybe there's a barcode on the claim page which was why he was giving us a hard time. Nope, opened it up on my friend's phone he took a look and said ok. The food: We ordered tibs, kitfo, and the cabbage veggies. The kitfo was awesome. Serving size was amazing. The tibs were not as 'crunchy' as we expected it to be. Normally my friends and I love it to be a little hard. This was sort of just...soft and chewy. The cabbages were not well done enough. It was a bit difficult to chew on, normally we like that soft. The seasoning was good, though. Overall, I would probably come back for the kitfo. But for everything else, I would go somewhere else.
(3)Stephen M.
Liked the food, but the price of doro wat was exorbitant for portion sized. Stick to the vegetarian platter for 2. Note: if your use a daily deal, they will charge you 18% tax and add it to the bill before the optional gratuity. So, there's a fair chance your meal will either be more expensive with the coupon or you will only save a few pennies. It's hard not to take this as a "gotcha," perhaps a ploy to stick it to previous customers who did not tip on the before-discount meal price. Comes across as trying to be crafty with customers, detracting from the experience. Tit-for-tat with customers ends poorly for everyone, and I hope the restaurant amends it's ways. That's the only way I'd return with so many other choices in the city.
(3)Maevs D.
Granted I only ever order the vegetarian platter...IT IS ALWAYS AWESOME! I have been eating it for the last 17 years or so, first at the Adams Morgan location and now in silver spring I love it and to find they have my favorite dishes in a buffet during the day! No words.
(5)Heather B.
I used to live in Silver Spring and would go here regularly. In terms of food, I would give them 4 stars. However, I just had a very negative customer service experience and am downgrading them a star for it. I bought their Living Social lunch deal but didn't see the fine print about excluding the buffet. The thing is, when you go in for lunch, they don't offer you a menu. As far as I knew, the only lunch option was the buffet. I now live in North Carolina and will not be able to use the Living Social deal in the future. I explained this but they wouldn't budge. Even if they had offered me the face value of the Living Social deal, I wouldn't have felt used. As is, I feel like I just wasted my money.
(3)Tiffany L.
So this was my second Ethiopian restaurant experience and I'm glad I tried it again! This time I came with two girl friends, my Eritrean choose this place to show us good food. She was right! Ive been to this one Ethiopian place in Burtonsville with my two asian sisters and was disappointed by the lack of flavor. I wonder if I came here with non Habeshas would we have gotten the yummy flavorful food.. oh well. The three of us were very hungry and ready to eat. We ordered one lentil sambusa and one beef sambusa and the combo/platter #1 for three people. Everything was delicious! The sambusas were very flavorful, the beef was pretty spicy but tasted really good. We had chicken in red stew, lamb in red stew, lamb in this white yellow stew and greens that looked like collard greens. The red lamb stew had a very strong.. cinnamon or some sort of nutty taste that my friend didnt like. It was strong but it was okay to me. The chicken stew was yummy and had three hard boiled eggs for the three of us. My friend, who didnt care for the red lamb stew, loved this chicken stew. I really liked the light colored lamb stew. It was spicy and a tad sweet. Compared to the other place I went to I was expecting something bland. We demolished the meal and quickly regretted eating aaaaaallllll that food even though it was really tasty. The three person combo is more than enough for three girls. We also ordered the honey wine, my friend thought it was going to be the house made strong authentic wine but was a little disappointed that it was packaged and bottled from Indiana. The wine was alright, it was light, sweet and easy to drink. It didnt taste too special to any of us but it was fine. This place was a good second chance for me and Ethiopian food. I will definitely come back here and probably try other places around downtown Silver Spring (little Ethiopia lol- I didnt know this till we took a walk around the block after out huge meal and saw a million restaurants). Oh, the servers.. are pretty slow but I was told this is what you get at Ethiopian restarants. The owner/manager was very nice and helpful though. And it was pretty busy on a Tuesday night.
(4)Alex F.
Fantastic Ethiopian Food!!! very nice people and wonderful food! not my fav in silver spring but walking distance from home and work :) great place!
(5)sydnie m.
Really enjoy this place! Love the yebeg wat and doro wat. Even their veggie dishes are tasty. Soooo glad I don't have to go all the way to Adams Morgan if I have a craving for Ethiopian food.
(4)Heather J.
We went here for dinner and enjoyed the whole experience. The place doesn't look like anything special from the outside, but the atmosphere inside is nice. It's easy to park on the street in front of the restaurant, and there's also a public parking lot across the street. Our waitress was very friendly and attentive, and kept our basket of injera full without us having to ask. For our entrees, we ordered the doro wat and the vegetarian combo. The doro wat was excellent. We had a choice of getting it spicy or mild. We chose the spicy version, and it was just spicy enough, without being too hot. The veggie combo was great, as well. My favorite entrees in the combo were the gomen (collard greens), yatakilt wat (green beans, potatoes, carrots, and peppers), and the tikil gomen (cabbage with onions and peppers). The lentil entrees were good, too, but not as flavorful. The food here is just as good as the more expensive Etete in DC, and it's more comfortable inside and easier to get to. I'll be back!
(4)Jake P.
I'm shocked by the people who give this place any less than 3 stars. Are you eating the overly bland Americanized fare down in Columbia Heights and then coming to Addis Ababa and having your taste buds blown off? I just don't get it. My first time there, they had live dancing which I can only imagine was of some tradition or another. The dancers were lively, had great chemistry with each other, and really added to the experience of being in an Ethiopian restaurant. Back when I lived in DC I ate here at least 10 times with say 5-10 different people -- and not once did myself or anyone else have a complaint. The injera quality here bears mentioning because frankly, some places are getting lazy and starting to use wheat as a cheap substitute for teff -- not only does this negatively affect the taste of the injera, but for gluten-free people like myself, it's just *not cool*. That said. Doro Wat? Whoever said it was not spicy probably did something to make them think you wouldn't want it spicy. The Yebeg Tibs, obviously more mild, but still full of flavor. And I'm not a big fan of vegetarian food, but have friends who are -- and there are a great number of dishes in their combo platter that blow "standards" in DC like Dukem out of the water. I love you Dukem, but this place has you beat... assuming people are willing to get out to Silver Spring. You know from the negative ratings I'm seeing here, I have to say something in general: If you treat a restaurant like crap, they are likely to do the same to you. I've made reservations for over 5 people here... no one ever told me I was lying. A little smile, an effort to understand a foreign culture? Man, it goes a long way in my experience. The folks at Addis Ababa will have me coming back for more every time I head back to DC... and I'll be smiling :-)
(5)Kristin M.
After coming here a handful of times, I'm still...on the fence. I've had some tasty, flavorful dishes, and I've had meals that disappointed. The service isn't stellar in the traditional sense - drinks can be slow to appear, waitresses need to be called over for pretty much anything (to order, for forgotten food, for the bill), and there's little help in guidance through the menu (fyi, the vegetable combo option is limited to the dishes named ABOVE the combo listing, and if you try to pick from below, you will be laughed at). Nonetheless, despite inconsistent food and service that isn't the best in town, I must say that Addis Ababa has provided reliably pleasant date nights overall. The waitresses are never surly or dismissive, they just expect to be waved over if you need something - don't call them and they'll assume you're good. I think they also assume the people eating here know their way around an Ethiopian menu, and perhaps their menu in particular (there's a lot of regulars here, so it's a reasonable assumption). Eating with your hands is always fun, and the food's never been bad at its worst - just average. I'll be back, and I'll be looking to identify a few dishes that are reliably delicious .
(3)Stacey A.
I would not go back, even if the meal was offered for free! Issue 1: Lukewarm food. Maybe we got the last of the batch. Or we got food from the day before (I hope not)! Either way, I did not come to a restaurant and pay $13 of my hard earned money to be served lukewarm food. Issue 2: Price. We found the food to be way overpriced, considering what we got. My friend paid $13.75 for chicken doro wat, which ended up being one small piece of chicken (I kid you not) and one boiled egg. C'mon, nearly $14 for half a chicken thigh and an egg? Issue 3: Service. The friendliness of the wait staff was seriously lacking. Our waitress barely opened her mouth or cracked a smile. Overall, very disappointed and I would not recommend this restaurant.
(1)Elizabeth A.
I am sorely disappointed with this place. I had been there once about 6 or 7 years ago, and I definitely remember the food being flavorful. It was actually too hot for my friend who was with me. I think we might have had the same waitress as last time. Granted it was New Years Eve and the place was busy, but she didn't even crack a smile. She couldn't seem to figure out how to split the check between cash and credit cards. She also informed me that spicy is not an option on the vegetarian platter, because everything is pre-made. If I weren't with friends, I would have left at that point. Pretty sure people choose Ethiopian for the heat. Everything tasted ok, especially the cabbage, carrots, and potatoes, but way too bland for me.
(2)Mahsa K.
I've been here way more times than I've checked in, but I always get the same thing: the veggie platter (2 parts greens, 2 parts potatoes/carrots, and 1 part yellow lentils). Mine is delicious and super consistent. This time was my first time taking my sister to Ethiopian food ever though---she was pleasantly surprised, she's usually pretty picky, but she loved her ribeye steak tips, but she said her "tomato salad" was so-so in comparison.
(4)M S.
I've never been disappointed in Addis Ababa. Their Zilzil Tibs are to die for. Been here more times than I can count and it's always delicious. Staff is super friendly. They're really good with Groupon deals as well so don't miss out on those.
(5)Rachita S.
LOVE this place and can't get enough of it! I have taken tons of friends and family members here on several different occasions and have not been disappointed. The Yebeg Tibs, Yebeg Wat (Lamb dishes), and Doro Wat (Spicy chicken with a hard boiled egg) are delice' while their Lentil Samosas leave me wanting more. If this is your first time, I would recommend getting a platter for 2-3 people so you can try different combinations (a platter for 2 will easily satisfy about 3 hungry appetites). Several yummy options for vegetarians too!
(5)Joe H.
Addis Ababa is pretty consistent. I go there for dinner fairly often--they regularly offer Groupons and the like. The food is very tasty, and pretty consistent. I often have to restrain myself and get the remains of my meal to go, or I'd have to roll myself home. I will say that the menu is not quite as extensive as other Ethiopian restaurants I've been to, but what they do, they do well.
(4)Medina K.
So My Girlfriend and I decided to try this place, one because we had a coupon (ha)... Good Move to be honest. I enjoyed the dish we had... Gomen of course is my favorite! Which came out a bit on the bland side but I ate it!!! The doro-wat was tasty still a bit bland and the tomato and onion salad was good also... I would go back if it was the last resort... It would NOT be my first choice... Also, we had the house wine (Red and White) and both were dry and not tasty. I have been eating Ethopian food for sometime now to know what is what and this spot is just "ok".... And I'm out ghost.....
(2)Jennifer B.
In the mood for Ethiopian and wanted to try something different from my usual restaurant, The Nile. I had eaten here once before, when I first started eating Ethiopian food, but didn't have anything to compare it to. After coming back about 2 years later, this place blew me away. The service wasn't that great, but the food mde up for it. First of all, the sambusas were the best I've ever had! Yummy, crispy phyllo (sp?) dough with a spicy beef mixture inside. We ordered the Addis Ababa tibs and the Lamb Tibs with a side of cabbage...you MUST get the cabbage. Everything was so tasty and delicious...even my bf who isn't the biggest fan of Ethiopian food loved it. They always have restaurant.com and groupon certificates available, but my phone died mid-meal so I couldn't use one. I didn't even mind paying full price though because it really was that good!! Also, I love the authentic feel of the restaurant itself. It does get packed for dinner!
(4)nic b.
I've eaten at several ethiopian joints in DC (and portland and baltimore and new york) and I will say that this holds up. The vegetarian sampler is ample and the Kitfo is some of the best i've had in several states. seriously, if you aren't a vegetarian, get the kitfo. the injira is good...not homemade...just a guess. aloo gobbi and coffee are on point. great ambiance...better than many places around here. sorry for the excessive uses of ellipses.
(3)MP P.
Very good Ethiopian food. Fine service. I like it when I go to an Ethiopian restaurant and there are lots of Ethiopians dining there. I got the combination #2 and would have liked my food a little spicier. I wonder if they toned it down for an American palate. I don't normally like sweet wine but the honey wine was perfect with the meal. They didn't have the cheese I find at most Ethiopian restaurants which was a little disappointing but all-in-all a good meal. I will go back and will ask them to up the heat a little.
(3)Ben S.
I've eaten here 3 or 4 times and it has always been a pleasant experience. It is set off a little bit behind Georgia and it has always been occupied without being packed. I always saw this as more of a change of pace to Langano, with a slightly nicer atmosphere, but I was glad to have it as an option.
(3)Terinee B.
Considering that I previously had an experience with an Ethiopian restaurant (which I felt scarred me for life)..., I wasn't too thrilled about trying Ethiopian again. After much discussion w/my husband, he convinced me to give it another shot!!! OMGosh!!! WOW!!! I would have totally missed out on some of the absolute most flavorful food that I have ever experienced!!! The Doro Wat was BEYOND #thebombdotcom!!! It was really great!!! Even though I really wasn't feelin' the whole "eating w/your hands thing"... by the time I was done, I was gettin' down w/my hands like a real Ethiopian b/c the food was FINGER LICKIN' GOOD, and I didn't want to let one drop of this food go to waste!
(5)Trux S.
Stopped by randomly on a Friday night. Place had a nice vibe. Lots of patrons of all colors, nice music, etc. Had the veggie platter. It was fine. Not great, not bad.
(3)Inga N.
We used think we go to this place over other Ethiopian options around mainly for the ambiance. The Ethiopian decor, dim warm lighting, everything is very nicely done. However, our last couple of visits there left us very happy with the food. I will no longer wonder whether something better might not be had nearby - this is the place to go to. The veggies are indeed exceptional, so was the lamb, it did have a real lamb taste, the leftovers next day were even better. My only complaint was that the bottled Heineken did not taste right, it was either too old or had not been stored properly. I should've said something but I didn't. The attentiveness and friendliness of service varies - depends on who you get. I'll leave 5 stars for now, on the strength of the overall good experience.
(5)Ashley E.
I wish I could leave zero stars. HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT. I made reservations for 15 people on a Saturday night for my boyfriend's birthday. I confirmed twice via phone. When my group arrived, we were told they had no such reservation and I was "lying". I have never ever been treated so poorly at a restaurant. Needless to say, my group and I promptly left rather than wait for a table- why would anyone give business to such a place? Change of plans... To Gaylord Bombay Indian Restaurant were we were treated like royalty. The food at Gaylord was amazing! If anyone is looking for GREAT ethiopian food check out: Queen of Sheba in DC- delicious- best in all of DC/VA/MD 1503 9th Street NW BOTTOM LINE- DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY HERE.
(1)Abhi K.
I just had to say that four years after my initial review, I am still in love with this place. I have eaten at a lot of Ethiopian restaurants in a lot of cities, but this is still hands down my favorite. Everything is very well spiced, good portions, good bread. Our waitress was very sweet and attentive. I am a little upset that people still fawn over Meskerem, but oh well, it just means that there's more Addis Ababa for me!
(5)Nova P.
Look mom, no silverware! This is my first experience to try Ethiopian cuisine and was fortunate to have an Ethiopian friend with me to introduce, recommend, and explain the food, decor, and music. She thought Addis Ababa besides one other location in Los Angeles, is one of the most authentic Ethiopian restaurants she has tried in the US. She explained that the furniture and art work were true to what she had seen growing up in Ethiopia. She also mentioned the music playing was native from her homeland and was the type of music that her grandparents listened to. The dishes sold there could be sold individually or for multiple numbers of people. We shared a very generous portion for two, which probably could have fed four people. To give me a good sample she order a dish that sat on a huge circular platter, with a Enjera, which is a spongy flat bread. On top of the Enjera were separate piles of curried lamb, beef cooked in onions and red peppers, two hard boiled eggs mixed in with the sauce, chicken also cooked in onions and red pepper, and a flavorful collard greens. They gave us another side of Enjera rolled in a bread basket and used that to scoop up the all the goodness! The flavors were popping! I really enjoyed all of the food and the experience. I was bummed they ran out of their honey wine. This has definitely opened my palette to another new cuisine, and I look forward to trying more when I'm back in Los Angeles.
(4)Laneesha W.
This is my third time going to an ethiopian place, there seem to be sooooo many in my neighborhood. I went here due to a groupon deal. The food was yummy and I was happy that it wasnt too spicy, I got a lamb dish. The food came out fairly quickly and our waitress was very attentice. I had honey wine for the first time. It was delish! I would mos def go back here again.
(4)Kevin C.
Best place to go to if your in MD, other than that you have to travel to VA to get some good kitfo or Godin tibs. Wait staff is super friendly and nice. (water is refilled unlike other non Americanized restaurants) I always get the RAW kitfo and have been there at least once a week. I'm pretty sure they sprinkle cocaine on there stuff because I'm going through withdraw since they were closed and didn't have power because of the storm. Anyways great place!!!
(5)Janelle M.
This is a late-night favorite of ours. Standards that we order: Sambusa - similar to spanikopita, but filled with lentils and other veggies if you order the vegetarian ones, or beef, jalapeno, onions etc. if you order the beef ones. Gored Gored - raw (yes, raw) filet mignon in a clarified butter and chili sauce Tibs - zilzil and lega tibs are chunks of beef cooked with onions and spices. Zilzil tibs are more spicy as they have jalapeno. Yebeg tibs are similar to the above, but made with lamb. Kitfo - raw (not even warmed) ground sirloin with chilis and other spices Doro Wat - Curried chicken cooked with seasoned butter, onions, green peppers, garlic and ginger served with boiled eggs Saturday brunch is AYCE, and always has a great selection at a fantastic price. We have never had a bad experience here. The food is dependable, the service is dependable. Don't waste your money on the coffee or coffee ceremony. Not all ethiopian coffee is created equal. For good ethiopian coffee, go to Sidamo. There is an upstairs patio that is heated during the winter, and the patio is good for large groups. The main dining area downstairs is not good for groups larger than 4-5. There simply aren't any large tables, or any real ability to join tables together. A word of caution: Though you may be tempted to park in the dry cleaner's lot next door, don't do it. Even after hours. There seems to be some bad blood there, and they will happily tow your car at all hours. Just don't do it. There is a public parking lot across the street. Use it.
(4)Diana C.
I can't believe I haven't reviewed this yet--I've been here a few times over the years and it's reliably good. While there are something like three or four other Ethiopian restaurants in the area, I think this one slightly wins out for ambiance over the others--though the food is about on par with the others. I especially like it in the summer when they have the rooftop deck open. Everything I've had I've been happy with--from the veggie selections, to the lamb dishes, to the kitfo. I've also tried the dinner for two, which was a crazy amount of food, but sadly didn't contain my favorite options. I am not a huge Doro Wat fan, personally, but that's my own preference. At any rate, decent place, nice atmosphere, and on par with the other Ethiopian offerings in downtown Silver Spring.
(4)Dee S.
Tried this place several times with a friend; we both agree we would not return after the third time. The food was mediocre, and the service was poor. The only thing we liked was the balcony seating on a warm evening.
(1)Rachel P.
Cute lil place. I've always enjoyed the food. As a vegetarian, I love that they have a variety of dishes for me to eat. I love the "sharing" aspect of Ethiopian dining. The service isn't all that speedy. Yes, there is a tarp covering the roof that flaps around. I can see it from my apartment, and while it's not all that aesthetically appealing, it's nice during the summer!
(4)Suze B.
Yep, I've definitely found the best Ethiopian food in Silver Spring. And conveniently enough it's right down the street from Montgomery College, so that just adds to my enjoyment. Their lunch buffet is around 7 bucks, and it's all-you-can-eat. My taste buds are in heaven. Great ambiance as well. Found my new go-to Ethiopian restaurant.
(5)Kirsten H.
Our first trip to this restaurant was average - slow service and really dirty furniture, but we sat outside (in the summer) and had reasonably good Ethiopian food. But after the second trip, we will never, ever be back. We ordered take-out and was told that our Groupon wasn't good for take-out, so I decided to 'dine in' and take home the leftovers for my husband. Unfortunately for everyone, the waitress informed me that she had just given my food to some man in a suit who came running in, demanded food, and ran out. Not sure who he was, but he ran off with MY food. She didn't apologize until almost an hour later - when I was leaving. So I sat for 20 minutes - admiring the many disgusting things growing on decrepit furniture. The decor in this place is really cute - but upon close inspection, it is ALL truly disgusting. DON'T go here in broad daylight if you can help it. If I were in Ethiopia, I might expect such a place - but I would also expect large rats to be running back and forth across the floor, which is probably what happens here at night. When the NEW food finally arrived, the injera was OK - but the potatoes were nearly raw (undercooked) and the beef was bone dry (overcooked) and chewy enough that I wouldn't even feed it to my dog when I got it home. Two meals, two screw-ups. And waiting for it to be cooked twice sure didn't help. It was absolutely awful. There is a wonderful place in Gaithersburg, Addis Cafe, that has never, ever let me down - and I will visit them from now on to satisfy my Ethiopian food cravings. I don't care how cheap it is, or how many Groupons they offer - I won't step foot in here again.
(1)Joe G.
I'm really torn. The first time I came here for dinner, the food was so good, this place became my favorite Ethiopian restaurant. The shrimp tibs, beef tibs, and veggie combo were delicious. I came here for lunch last week and the food tasted like it was reheated in a microwave. It's wasn't bad, but I prefer my food made fresh. What's the dealio Addis Ababa?
(3)Sara M.
Addis Ababa was one of the first Ethiopian restaurants we tried in the DC area, and the food is decent. But it pales in comparison to some of the other places we've now tried - the bar has been raised! They offer a number of special combination platters that give you a sample of different dishes. The portions are medium-sized for what I've come to expect from Ethiopian restaurants - fairly generous but not overwhelming. Follow their recommendations on how many people a dish or platter will serve. We found the food at Addis Ababa disappointingly bland, especially once we'd begun to make the circuit of other local restaurants. The spices and sauces here are simple and underwhelming. I want flavors that enhance and complement the meat and vegetables, and sauces that soak into the injera. The food is a little too basic and needs more flavor. The downstairs dining room can be rather hazy with incense smoke, which can be unpleasant when you're trying to enjoy the exotic flavors of your meal. It's better upstairs. The main advantage of this restaurant over other Silver Spring Ethiopian establishments is atmosphere - it's prettier and more elegant than the others in adjacent blocks. But I'd prefer flavor to elegance.
(3)Mark F.
Good food, and the buffet is a plus. I am still looking for that mindblowing Ethiopean dining experience. Haven't found it yet, but this is a pretty good choice. Be sure to have a Harar beer with your meal. St. George is okay, but it's no Harar.
(4)B B.
930 on a Friday night in Silver Spring. Rule of thumb, we never eat at ethnic places an hour before they close because all the family (employees) are eating dinner and too preoccupied with their food and not yours. So when we saw that this restaurant closes at 12, we thought ok this should be good. In my mind I have seen the construction going on for quite some time. When you walk in the entrance (?) you can smell the plaster and construction debris, junky. When we enter the restaurant it is freezing in there. Coming from outside with a jacket on, it was weird that the inside was just as cold...... Weren't sure to seat ourselves or wait. Our waitress sat us and brought the menus, dropped them and walked away. When she came back with our drinks she slammed them on the table. Excuse me would you rather not be here, because I rather not have your attitude? We ordered the vegetarian combo with fish and the doro watt and doro fitfit. The food literally takes 20 mins. At this time we were the only people eating food. Everyone else was at the bar or drinking coffee. She brings the food, drops it and walks away. No napkin, nothing. Yes I know not to expect silverware. I have eaten at Ethiopian restaurants before. The dorowatt comes with half a chicken leg, yes half. My husband eats that immediately before I could tell him.....you know that is all the chicken. The rest of the food was mediocre at best. While we are eating more patrons come in. Three people sit at the table next to us. They are greated, brought water and their food came within 10 mins with napkins. When our waitress sat their food down, "I said oh wow they get napkins?". Our waitress immediately turns around to ask how everything was. We had been there a good 45 minutes you had not said a word to us. The fish was crispy. It was good but I have to wonder if it was over cooked. It was heavy with salt. My impression of this place is that they cater to natives. Everyone in there seemed like regulars. Service alone did this place in for me. Food wasn't worth returning.
(2)Roy S.
The Zil Zil tibs are the best, i do wish the chicken was boneless and offered in more dishes. The service can be slow but the food makes up for it. The upstairs balcony was better before the cover was put up but is still nice in the spring and summer... Also the downstairs dining room is not designed for tall people. The tables and chairs are not the best if you are over 6 feet tall like myself.
(3)Megan M.
This was my go-to place for Ethiopian food when I lived in Washington. The staff was quite friendly, and the decor was very cozy and welcoming. I always ordered a few of the vegetarian dishes as a platter. The food was excellent. I'd always order extra bread to take home, because it was so delicious. The lentil samosas were also really great. There's not much to say about the restaurant, because it's pretty standard as Ethiopian places go. Be assured that you'll get a good meal at a good price, with smiley service and fun music.
(4)F L.
I visited Addis Ababa with a party of three for lunch on a rainy Saturday, without reservations. The restaurant was pretty much empty and we had our pick of tables. Initially we were seated at a low table on the side of the restaurant, but I asked to be moved closer to the windows. The place is quaint and traditionally decorated. After a while the place started filling up with Ethiopians, so we felt like we were in good hands. Our party had a a beef dish, a chicken dish, and I had the Beyaynetu (vegetarian combination) with tikil gomen (cabbage cooked with onions and peppers), yatakilt wat (carrots, potatoes, string beans, and peppers cooked with tumeric and seasoned with spices), mesir wat (split lentils cooked with berbere and garlic), kik alitcha (yellow split peas cooked with with onions, green peppers, and garlic), and gomen (collard greens cooked with onions and peppers). I loved it all except for the cabbage, but then again, I am not a cabbage lover. One thing I do have to whine a little about is the lack of explanation-skills from our waitress. I asked what "timatim fitfit" and it took me walking her through four tries of explaining what it is, and still didn't get a good explanation. She kept saying "it's food from my country" - yeah I know that, you're Ethiopian. She said she was going to show me what it was, but never did. Also the vegetarian combination is not a choice of "any vegetarian entrees" like the menu says, it's just the ones listed above "beyaynetu" on the menu. Which kind of sucks as the more interesting entrees are below it. I know what not to order next time. Aside from that, we were all pleased with our meal and stuffed to the gills.
(3)Don K.
A nice place located in Silver Spring with outdoor seating and a cool roof patio (seasonal). The prices are very reasonable. We ordered the "Silver Spring Special" that was for two but it was easily enough food for 4 people. We also ordered the Siksilosh and it was very tasty. The Injera was good (and there's always plenty of it) but I personally like it a little less sour than it was here. I am definitely going back!
(4)Chew M.
My GF and I ate here this past weekend because we've always driven by and been curious to try it out. Everything started smoothly even got a parking spot right in front and the place wasn't busy - just one other table. So we place our order - Sambusa app, the Special Tibs and the Siksilosh. Strike One. The first thing the waitress did was bring me a Coke, when I had asked for a diet Coke. Not a big deal, I can let that slide, but I should have seen that as an indication of things to come. Then the entrees arrived. See what I did there So I ask where is my appetizer and she says "Oh we're out of that". Okaaaaaay. Thanks for letting me know AFTER the food came out. Strike two. So we eat our meal - everything was fine - a little heavy on the "tamarind-tasting" spice on the Siksilosh but ok. After we ask for the bill - it took her no less than 20 minutes before we actually got our bill and guess what is on it? The appetizer that she told us earlier that she didn't have. Strike three. The only reason I didn't give this place a one star was because the food was maybe a low three, so I gave them a mercy two. They seem nice enough - but some restaurants seem to take "family style" too literally and treat you as bad and informally as they would their own family, which just doesn't fly to a paying customer. Oh and the waitress is one of those "I can remember the order" types and refuses to write the order down. be forewarned.
(2)Zachary H.
I'm a Dukem Fan. but Addis Ababa is very very good. I also think that they have an unfairly low star ranking on Yelp, due to a couple of reviews from people who clearly do not like Ethiopian food in general. Addis is very good, but if you don't like tibs or fit-fit, you won't enjoy yourself here. Let's be fair, people! On our last visit we enjoyed a round of Harrar beer, which was surprisingly good, and split the Vegetarian platter and Group Special (for 3) #1. The Group Special, which is labeled as spicy, has a good level of heat and a nice mixture of classic Ethiopian entrees, including a nice marinated chicken and hard-boiled eggs. We also enjoyed the mixed spinach. Addis Ababa has a great atmosphere and would be a great date spot. I've had consistently excellent service and I enjoy the Ethiopian music videos continuously playing in the background :) This restaurant is a solid four stars. Hope you enjoy it!
(4)Victoria S.
Who would of thunk it? I actually love Ethiopian food... Addis Ababa is an adventure. If you enjoy trying new things you should definitely check it out. If you have an issue with eating with your hands or that it's not the cleanest place I would advise not to venture here. The atmosphere is like you are in Ethiopia...well, maybe not exactly but it's not the most updated looking establishment. The downstairs is filled with interesting looking furniture you don't see everyday. The upstairs in an open bar area with tables. I ordered the Vegetarian platter and it came with the spongy bread and separated mounds of lentils, spinach, tomatoes and more types of beans. I was happy with my meal and as It was extremely satisfying. I enjoyed the different textures and the hint of spicy. I also ordered the Ethiopian beer which was very drinkable and delicious. The service was OK but not the greatest but I would definitely go back. A few words of caution: Don't eat this meal before a night of heavy drinking. Trust me it's not a good mix. :oP
(4)Suzanne A.
A friend and I ate at Addis Ababa this week on a Groupon. It was only my third time eating Ethiopian but felt perfectly at home here. We ordered a delicious Special #1 for 2 - a sampler of beef, lamb, chicken and greens - and some average coffee. More than enough food for two. Super quick service. Cozy atmosphere. I had planned on gradually trying some of the other Ethiopian restaurants in Silver Spring over time, but now I'm looking forward to going back to Addis Ababa sooner than later.
(4)