Dukem Ethiopian Restaurant — Restaurant in Baltimore

Disappointed in my last three or four or so times getting food here-food quality is slipping and the one server will apparently rip you off. Definitely done giving them second chances.

I’ve been coming here for a couple years now but lately, every time I go, something is weird or wrong, and this last time was absolutely atrocious. Dukem used to be my go-to for dinner at least twice a month but something has been going wrong every time I go lately. Enough is enough.

A different server than the one who’s usually working was working this last time-a younger woman-and she seemed to have found a way to add a ton of extra charges to the bill. I pretty much always sub salad in place of the 2nd side that comes standard in the meal I order, this time I was upcharged $4 for it randomly. I didn’t order an extra side, just subbed a different one that’s literally the same price on the menu, that I have never been charged for before. We asked for glasses of water, our server brought us bottles, we said glasses were fine and we didn’t need bottles, and she ignored us, then of course charged us like $2 each for the bottles. My friend ordered a side order of plain rice that was somehow $14? Last time she ordered it, we were not charged anywhere near as much for the same amount. It was literally just a side of white rice. We brought it up and the server just shrugged at us and said “that’s how much it is” and bailed before we could discuss the bill further.

I was super embarrassed because I’d talked Dukem up so much to her and she’d liked the carryout we got, and it was her first time sitting down to eat here, and it sucked a$$.

The last couple times I have been here the quality has also been all over the place too - I often order the same combo meal and sometimes it’s really good, but sometimes lately it tastes really off. One time it tasted super sour and flavorless and was a strange color, another time the greens in the salad had started to go bad. I keep trying to give them another chance but it’s becoming a little too frequent to ignore.

Lately if I order carryout or delivery it’s straight up been a smaller portion than normal, or missing the sides, or had some other issue, pretty much randomly. I also don’t recommend ordering the desserts, I got an order of tiramisu that was frozen solid one of the last times I went to dine jn. A guest at another table ordered fish one of the last times I was there and it smelled very strong and like it had gone off. I’ve ordered fish here before, it didn’t normally smell that strong/bad, so this is definitely a new issue.

Cleanliness has also gone downhill here-the last couple times I was there they were burning heavy palo santo or similar incense to cover a noticeable sewage-y smell, and the most recent time a cockroach literally crawled past me on the wall. The new bathroom area remodel is nice, but it doesn’t really matter if the restaurant itself is gross. It also sucks that upstairs is never open so you’re basically stuck sitting in the small downstairs area getting blasted by freezing air every time someone opens the door. It’s cozy in the spring and fall but in winter it’s absolutely brutal.

I’m really sad, this was one of my favorite places for years and their food is really good when they do it right-I put up with the quirks for years because the food was so good. The server who’s normally there when I come in was so chill and nice, and the service used to be great. I’ve never had such a garbage experience there before, but lately something is always wrong with the food, and getting stiffed on the bill six ways to Sunday was the last straw. I can’t trust Dukem anymore.

It’s 50-50 that you’ll have even a decent experience, if that, and the quality and service are all over the place now. Probably never going back, at least not for a long time. If you go, ask for prices on EVERYTHING up front, be very insistent about not wanting bottled water etc, check your bill for extra charges, and check your carryout thoroughly before you walk out of...

I recently visited Dukem Ethiopian Restaurant in Baltimore, excited to try Ethiopian cuisine for the first time. We arrived early for our reservation, but the server's blank expression didn't exactly welcome us. We kindly asked to be seated early and were shown to a booth.

The ambiance and aroma inside were pleasant, although the space felt a bit small. Fortunately, it wasn't busy during our visit.

Despite mentioning it was my first time trying Ethiopian food, our server made no effort to explain the menu or offer recommendations. Luckily, I had watched some YouTube videos beforehand, which gave me a basic understanding.

We ordered water, which arrived as bottled Deer Park – a bit unusual. It would have been nice to have glasses provided. Considering the spicy nature of Ethiopian food, not offering free water refills seemed unreasonable.

I started with the vegetarian sambusa, which was dry and could have benefited from a sauce. For my entrée, I ordered a veggie platter with fish. Unfortunately, the fish arrived whole, with bones throughout, making it difficult to eat. While it had good flavor, the bones made it hard to finish.

The rolled injera tasted fine, but the larger portion underneath the veggie platter was quite sour and lacked flavor. The combination of items on the platter didn't complement each other well. The only standout components were the greens and the red lentils with berbere spice.

Throughout our meal, our server never checked in or offered refills on our water. The check was dropped off without asking if we wanted dessert or coffee. The service was subpar, and I reluctantly left an 18% tip.

While I'm glad I got to try Ethiopian food for the first time, I'm disappointed that Dukem didn't live up to my expectations. I wouldn't return and would recommend exploring other Ethiopian restaurants with better service and more...

I got food delivered from Dukem with it being one of a few Ethiopian restaurants here in Baltimore. I have heard from habesha (Ethiopian) friends of mine that Dukem is good especially since they have a D.C. location.

Well this location here in Baltimore is NOT GOOD AT ALL. I got the veggie sampler and an order of Sambusa. The first sign this food wasn’t going to be good was the Sambusa was floppy.

If you know actual Sambusa, it shouldn’t be floppy at ALL. It should have a crispy structure. Whoever cooked it that day must’ve let it sit in cold oil to get warm because it was the floopiest Sambusa ever. It had no flavor and was greasy. It also was made with a dough closer to pastry rather than a phyllo dough which is what most places use.

Now let’s get to the actual veggie combo. If I could describe it in one word it would be BLAND. Everything was luke warm and had no flavor at all. Even the misir wot which is usually heavily spiced at other places lacked a depth of flavor.

The most criminal of offenses was the injera which tasted as bland as store brought pancake mix. This injera lacked the sourness that injera is supposed to have. It tasted like someone heavily diluted the mixture to the point it was bland as well.

I even saved 80% of my meal I didn’t finish because of the taste for my habesha friend because they couldn’t believe that I mentioned the food was bad. Well as soon as they tasted it as well they came to the same agreement as me that this food was bad. Even mentioning the food tasted BURNT. I was highly disappointed with Dukem and will not return.

TLDR: Floopy Sambusa, flavorless food and...