Dashen Restaurant and Lounge — Restaurant in Washington

It’s a flavor explosion, an experience like no other! I was visiting DC and was looking for foods unique to the area. I learned that DC is home to a diaspora of Ethiopians who have quite the unique culinary variety. I’d never had Ethiopian food before and decided this would be my chance! I did a bit of research and looked at different menus, but Dashen stood out to me because they had both a vegetarian and meat combination platter and would size them all the way down to a single person size. Traditionally Ethiopian meals are very social and platters are often shared. It was very simple to get there I simply took the Greenbelt Metro to the Shaw-Howard U station and it was like a block and a half south of that. When I arrived they told me I could sit wherever I’d like, so I chose a seat facing the window (people watching). I ordered both the veg and meat platters for one. I was hungry, but this was even too much for me, but I wanted to try as much as I could. It was an absolute delight! If you are nervous about Ethiopian food, take it from me, you’ll like it! Try a platter and I guarantee you’re going to find dishes you fall in love with. It’s a great way to try a variety of things they offer. Also if you have friends with you twist their arm to go with you, it’ll be a lot of fun and super tasty! The staff was so nice and friendly, they explained what everything was and how it was made. They make it fresh daily (I can’t imagine the labor that goes into that!). The chef came out and greeted me and later as I had requested coffee, she came out with a cast iron pan she was actually roasting the beans in! She carried it over to me and another couple people who had ordered coffee and stirred it while it roasted around the room so the room filled with the smell of roasted coffee beans! Delightful! She then came out with a platter and poured the cups of coffee and even sat at my table for a couple minutes with me as we chatted and she too shared a cup of coffee! Such a nice experience! They also have a special honey drink called Tej, it’s actually a house made honey wine, so be aware it is alcoholic. Very sweet and tasty though, they serve it in a very unique glass that I guess is traditional. Anyway you eat the different foods with this flat bread that kinda has a spongy texture to it but tastes like sourdough. It was very good honestly and worked well with the dishes, trust me. Totally recommend Dashen to anyone who wants a great culinary experience or a great social experience! Honestly you could go alone like I did, but I would really like to bring...

3.5 stars! Recently, I learned that DC has the second highest Ethiopian population in the world. That only means one thing - legit finger grubbing! No wonder every Groupon, Livingsocial, Amazon, all the coupons you can imagine offered Ethiopian as one of their most popular dining deals!

We were just exploring the neighborhood, got hungry, and decided to give Lalibela a try. We had a choice of either eating outdoor by the sidewalk which I later learned aka eaten alive by mosquito or indoor smokey, incensed dining. We went with the sidewalk and were immediately seated. The service was a bit slower but our foods were served promptly. 2 of us got the veggie platter, my husband got the meat sampler for 1, and I went with the veggie platter with fish.

Overall, we were impressed by our dishes. This was my third time having Ethiopian and I must say it had convinced me to crave/want more! All the veggies and meats were delicious. The (unlimited) injera soaked up all the stews nicely! In addition, I wasn't expecting a whole fish to be presented on the side (just $4 more than a regular veggie platter). It was fresh, hot, crispy, and meaty!

With so many Ethiopian options available in DC, I can't say I would be dying to return to Lalibela any time soon but definitely recommend others to at least...

I stumbled upon this place after checking out several vegan late night options within metro DC and this was one of the few places that was open. I had not had Ethiopian food in a while, so I was excited. I’m glad I went because I was not disappointed because the food was great and tasted fresh, Great size portions for the price and the Injera was amazing. I ordered the vegetarian combination with fried fish. The fish to me was fried just right, it was very well seasoned. I believe one of the veggie dishes was a smashed eggplant and it was definitely one of my favorite parts of the entire meal aside from the fish and the lentils. I ordered my food to go, but inside of the establishment it was clean and the restaurant gave off nice vibes, I would definitely come back for a date night, and or just for Ethiopian food with friends/family because the service was prompt as well. Definitely give them a try if you’re in the area, I can’t wait to go back and try the Doro...