Walia Ethiopian Restaurant

I will NEVER go to another Ethiopian restaurant in this area again. The hospitality alone will bring me back! The cook made me a special item that I requested (was not on the menu). I’ve had Yebeg Wot from many restaurants and this was by far the BEST! I am so gracious. It was delicious! Tekil Gomen is also delicious. So happy I found this gem! Now I don’t have to drive into DC for great Ethiopian food.

Authentic. No utensils. Really tastie food. Soft spoken servers are friendly and welcoming. Not super spicy.

I didn’t like it. The food and the service was rushed and nasty. I will not be returning. Much better options for good quality Ethiopian food.

Done very well. Came here a few nights ago and ordered a poultry dish and the vegetable combo.
The meal came out within a reasonable time from when we ordered — the chicken dish consisted of an egg and a drumstick. This was rather difficult to split with another person, so we split it. I went with the egg. The dish itself was tasty and the sauce went very well with that dough they provided.
As for the vegetables, there was a good variety there. The combo consisted of collard greens, mashed peas, a tomato-​onion side with jalalpenos (beware, I did not notice the jalapenos until i took a bite), beet salad and two other ones. I thought the dishes were prepared well.
As for the service, the waitress was attentive and came by our table at the right moments — we never felt rushed or anything. Towards the end of the evening, I believe it was the owner who came by the table to ask how everything was too.
The restaurant is located in a seemingly sketchy neighborhood (as my friend stated), but we had a very pleasant experience.

Each time I go to Walia, I tell myself this time will be different.
It isn’t.
Walia offers below average Ethiopian food. Most recently, I ordered the lamb tibs, and the food was so greasy that it soaked through the injera.
Word to the wise: If you’re looking for quality Ethiopian food, take a short trip to Silver Spring or Hyattsville for better options.

Absolutely delicious! As a former vegetarian, it’s a little scary how often I crave the kitfo, since it is seasoned raw beef. Totally delicious and served with greens called gomen and and ayibe (cheese). Don’t forget the beets, these are amazing! Their vegetarian platter is also super yummy, with your usual lentil-​y things, carrots, cabbage and other dishes. Did I mention they have a full bar? The owner is super gracious, also. Love this place, great spot to take a crowd and stuff yourself silly.

Just as good as anywhere I’ve eaten in DC but with much more reasonable prices. I went with my family and they were very friendly and accommodating of my two small kids. We will go back.

Best Ethiopian veggie combo food near College Park. I’ve only had carry out but it’s cheaper than Shagga and has more choices and great bean dishes.

Ate there last night with the family. The Doro Wat was one of the best we have had in the DC area. I have had so many Doro Wats over the years and just thought I was losing my affection for Ethiopian food, until last night. The Mesir Wat on the vegi platter was also excellent. We also had a lamb tibs and while the kids liked it, it was a little insipid for me, perhaps I just ordered the wrong one. The vegi platter was good. The prices were reasonable ($ 12.99 per?). The place was empty 6pm Friday (kinda early I suspect) We will definitely be returning.

NO, THEY DO NOT DELIVER! Oct 3, 2012. someone needs to fix that since it says that they DO.

The service bad and the waitress attitude was completely rude and disrespectful.
The manager did not want listen to customer concerns and special instructions for my order.

What’s the best way to find a new restaurant?
A. Unilocal
B. Ask a friend’s hairdresser from the country whose cuisine you are seeking
C. Both! Cross-​reference!
My friend was visiting from Los Angeles and he requested Ethiopian food for dinner. I gave him the option of a famous Ethiopian place on U Street with lots of positive reviews (strength in numbers) or this place recommended by my friend’s Ethiopian hairdresser with less positive reviews (but still very positive).
Without a skipping a beat, he said we obviously have to rely on the expertise of the one with experience in her own cuisine. So after I cross-​referenced with Unilocal to make sure that the reviews of the place were still positive (I know I’m hopeless) we tracked our way to Walia :-)
Truth be told I would probably drive by this place a million times with no inkling to ever stop in. Walia is located in a ghost of a strip mall with no big flashy signs, no lures of shops, nothing. The restaurant itself was not bustling but had a steady stream of customers.
«Please sit wherever you like»
May I complain that the group of four who came in 10 minutes after us decided to sit at the very next table to ours?! The WHOLE restaurant was available and you choose to sit next to me?! Isn’t there some kind of space etiquette!!!
Anyway.. .
We ordered a spicy lamb dish, a beef dish and the vegetable combination. I’m sorry that I don’t remember the names of these dishes — we were recommended a different beef dish than the one we tried to order. The waitress stated that the beef dish we wanted was not very flavorful.. . Ok you’re the expert!
Everything was delicious, flavorful, cooked to tender perfection.. . It was not as spicy as I would have liked but what it lacks in spiciness it makes up for in flavor spice. The portions were very very VERY generous.
For those of us who do not have a drinking problem but simply love the taste of good wine or rum or tequila (the list goes on.. .), Walia did not have honey wine for me at this visit. I was sad for a brief moment until the waitress offered another red Ethiopian wine for us. Two words — nom nom! Again I fail my fellow Unilocalers because I did not quite catch the name of the wine.. .
Review snobs — «What a horrible review — no real dishes named, no name of delicious wine. Nothing but a recommendation to go to the place!!»
Relax.. . One must realize that my taste in food might be different from yours. Perhaps you don’t like spicy or do not eat meat. My friend and I tried seven different dishes at this restaurant (the vegetable combination is a sampling of five of their vegetable dishes) and they were all very good. That’s good enough for me ;-)

I went here for the first time the weekend of the DC Storm; I was just looking for a way to escape my stifling hot apartment, but found my new favorite restaurant! In the two weeks after that, I ate at Walia twice more, and got takeout once. It’s that delicious! The vegetarian combo is amazing, and the two lamb dishes I’ve tried were also both wonderful– tender and perfectly seasoned. The staff is very attentive. We were given plenty of extra injera– both in the restaurant and for take out.
Just writing this review is making me hungry for some of their delicious food… I’ll be back soon!

Went here today and had the Walia tibs (beef) and the chicken fit fit?
The beef was really good, great sauce and some jalapenos which might be spicy for children but still adds a nice flavor. I wish there had been more beef but maybe I am just greedy.
The chicken as in every other Ethiopian restaurant I have ever been to was lacking in most regards. Two small drumsticks for $ 13.99??? The sauce was average at best.
I wish they had a meat sampler platter also. Waitress was not super attentive, so we didnt get a refill on our waters. I like a ethnic restaurant that plays their own music. Any place that plays top 40 or jazz and its not an American restaurant loses major points in my book.
Overall a nice place that I will go back to and I will try the lamb next time…

Had vegetarian sampler and spicy lamb, both were very good, service was great. Would definately come here again.

one of dc’s standard ethiopian restaurants, so if you like ethiopian, you’ll do just fine here.
as with pretty much every other ethiopian restaurant in the dc area, though, they tend to only have about half of the vegetarian menu at any given time and if you double-​up on the veggie platter, they’ll give you double-​orders of the five things they do have instead of a single order of all ten things on the menu…
but alas, it’s still all good and the fact that they take calls for take-​out and are right around the corner from my house puts them a few notches higher in my book.

3.5Stars–
Ate at Walia last night and it does compare favorably (taste-​wise) to the downtown establishments.
We had a vegetarian combination for two though only got five different selections, they just doubled each one for us. Thus those looking for huge vegetarian variety ain’t gonna get it here. Strangely they were out (?!) of the tomato, onion, jalapeño salad we enjoy so much as a refreshing addition to the rich, thick purees that are most Ethiopian vegetarian options.
As for taste the Mesir Wot was VERY spicy which was a nice surprise. Otherwise my wife who usually doesn’t like the collard greens said they were her favorite version yet and the beets were awesome. Different, not in a bad way, but the usual Ethiopian dish of cabbage, carrot, potato was a different version here containing neither cabbage (as per menu description) and hardly any potato (though promised). Also, just an observation not a judgment, the food was more dry (less saucy) than other places we’ve tried. The injera the food was laid upon then did not get real soggy which some people enjoy as the best part of the meal.
Oh, and no sambussa? Waitress suggested we go to the grocery next door if we wanted some «after our meal» Pretty funny.
All in all a pleasant experience but I am not in a hurry to go back in light of the many other Ethiopian choices in the area with a much better vegetarian selection of dishes.

I love and miss this place!!! I recently moved, but when I still lived out that way, me and my roommates were regulars here. I’ve never been a regular anywhere so it’s got a special place in my heart. Everytime we would get the same thing — vegetarian combo. It was so delicious, can’t improve on perfection. And the perfect accompanient — Ethiopian beer. I love one particular brand b/​c it tastes like apple juice. We always got the same server who was so nice and already knew what we wanted before we order. Siiigh… nothing comes close.

This is another great Ethiopian restaurant. I have been here a few times and their Vegetarian combination is delicious. One special thing about it is the beet salad which is great. I have gone with groups as big as 8 or so and it has been perfect.
One of my friends as part of a high school newspaper article investigated many Ethiopian restaurants in the area. Last time he ordered the Walia Golden Tibs (sp?) and said it was one of the best if not the best Ethiopian meat he has ever had.
The parking lot is not great but other than that no real complaints. If it were closer to where I live it might be my go to Ethiopian place.

I love Ethiopian food and Walia is def in my top Fav. List!
The Tibs and Kitfo are to die for!!!
The food has never disappointed me and I have been going here for several years now!
For those of you who are not familiar with Ethiopian food it is very spicy esp. the Doro Wot! It is not a dish for someone who is not prepared for it. :)
Walia is a great family owned restaurant the owners are the sweetest and most welcoming I have met at an Ethio restaurant. Ethiopian food takes time to properly prepare and serve — you want quality then you must be patient. This is not a fast food restaurant it is a place to come with a friend or family and relax have great conversation listen to beautiful music and fill your stomach with scrumptious exotic foods!
Cheers!