Habesha Market and Carry-out

vegans/​vegetarians: they have a veggie platter, as most ethiopian places are known to have. delicious, but not my favorite place in DC. it’s cafeteria-​styled, and the only place I know of in the immediate area that serves vegan ethiopian breakfast. can’t vouch for it though, because my boy and I strolled in around noon and I guess we were late to the breakfast party (I think it ends at 11am).

This is a highly recommended (by Ethiopian cab drivers, who know their Ethiopian food), very-​casual restaurant. Unfortunately, couldn’t quite get into the chicken stew. Could have used a fork or spoon. Made such a mess trying to use the Ethiopian bread. Gave up after a while. The stew was quite spicy — a bit more than I would have liked. The fish dish was easier to eat, milder, and still tasty so it might have been better to just eat that. The dining area had a number of bugs flying around — not such a good thing — so ambiance takes a hit here, too.

One of my favorite Ethiopian restaurants in DC, chiefly because of its authenticity. It’s known as a watering hole for many of the Ethiopian cab drivers because of its cheap and quick food. I love the No. 44, which is a sampler of 4 meat and 4 vegetarian dishes. The spice level is perfect — not too overpowering but with a little kick. The only downside is the the Doro Wot traditionally comes with an egg, but you have to ask for it be included on the platter otherwise you’ll be skimped

I just picked up kitfo and paid with a $ 20 bill and the cashier ran it through a reader to check if it was counterfeit, which caught me by surprise. But when she didn’t do the same with the Ethiopian patrons that followed I couldn’t believe it! I concluded that this was some racist shit she was pulling, since I’m an American brother. I’ve been coming here to get kitfo for about nine years and always left a happy customer. I didn’t want to make a seen so I left, but told my wife who was waiting in the car for me. Now she was upset, we called the manager since we were on our way and let him know what happened. He pointed out they only check large bills, hardly apologizing. I hope Yared, the owner, reads this post. It was not his doing, but he needs to better train some of his employees. A little customer service etiquette goes a long way.

This place is incredible. Straight-​forward, no fuss, delicious Ethiopian food. And by straight-​forward, no fuss, I mean that their one concern is entirely and completely the food– no attention whatsoever is paid to the décor or ambiance. But with food as good as this, I couldn’t care less. I’m too busy staring at my platter to look around anyway.
The prices are equally incredible. My boyfriend and I (both known to have somewhat expandable stomachs) share the vegetarian platter. Two meals for under $ 10.

5 stars is for the food, all the food, nothing but the food.
This place has no ambiance to speak of at all, unless cafeteria/​bodega chic is your thing.
The service is fine. Not great, but fine.
But the FOOD. It is the spiciest, most flavorful, most complex, most generously portioned Ethiopian food I’ve found yet in DC. I ordered the special Kitfo. It was an enormous mound of delicious finely chopped (not ground!) raw lean beef with butter and berbere and everything wonderful mixed in. This was served with collard greens and a side of soft, yummy ayeb cheese. So damn good.
It made for a huge dinner and then I put the leftover Kitfo in the toaster oven the next day (I just can’t do leftover tartar). Still amazing.
This is my new go-​to joint for Ethiopian food in DC. Ambiance be damned.
ALSO, I’m putting this in my «Affordable DC Groceries» list because they sell ingredients you can use to make Ethiopian food at home. I’m looking forward to trying to up my Ethiopian food game, although I have no illusions whatsoever that I will be able to throw down like they do at Habesha!

I just relocated to the area and finding Ethiopian food + pre-​packaged injera was high on my list of priorities. I think Habesha Market and Carry-​out is perfect for both. The vegetarian option which I get to-​go, is plenty, delicious and well-​prepared — also, affordable. In the grocery/​market section, there’s a few different options for injera, plus canned fava beans to prepare foul, spices and a huge treasure: a large jar of the stew-​base to make misir wot with! I mean, the taste of it is cool — homemade over this — but honestly it saves time and energy, so I’ll buy it again for sure.
There’s also about 2 – 3 other Ethiopian restaurants either next door or across the street to this place, and another one opening up (I saw the sign).
Good food, good options and good service.

Oh haaaay, Habesha! In a contest between my friend and me vs you, you won.
My notes:
1. Come in and seat yourself. If your table is not clean, get a napkin and wipe it off. #selfservice
2. When you’re ready, order and pay up front.
3. The #45 combo platter (~$ 23) is the best. Split it among you and two of your friends!
Overall, I am very impressed. Authentic atmosphere and yummy food… what more can I want?

I really, really wanted to like this place. I went with an old coworker and ordered what I usually order when eating Ethiopian, doro tibs and chicken samosas. The injera and sauce was good. The chicken *side eyes* it looked like it had been sitting on a display for days… like cremated, rubbery meat. This isn’t even the worse part. I went home and was up the entire night with stomach cramps and nausea, and bathroom woes. Again, I eat Ethiopian food all the time, fav. cuisine but this one… ehhhh. 2 stars only for the injera and sauce.
Just a FYI to anyone ordering the chicken make sure it’s a fresh batch.

I eat here multiple times per week. Delicious, healthy and affordable. Something to write home about.
I tried about third of the menu but lately I just go for the lamb awaze tibs.

No frills, no nonsense. They’re probably best for takeout, but I’ve dined in here pretty often. I love that they are open late! I’ve strolled in after spending the evening hopping around U St, when all I want are heaping gobs of Ethiopian food to shove into my mouth.
Also, I like that they are more adventurous and varied with their meat dishes than many other places. I’ve had the beef tongue and the beef stomach, both were quite good. It’s not really like a real restaurant, so don’t expect table service or someone refilling your water (in fact, they would expect you to buy a water bottle rather than serve you free tap water, but you could state a compelling argument). They do have a little seating area though. Highly recommend for your post-​drunken nights.
Also, I love that they sell the spices and injera in the front. The prices look reasonable. Next time I swing by, I’m going to pick up a big container of berbere spice mix!

Ethiopian is new to us. But our friend recommended this place. It’s intimidating for those that are not Ethiopian. You will distinctly get the looks, by employees and customers.
Cons: limited seating. No English. No table sevice.
Pro: Food. Delish!!! Isn’t it all about that anyways?
I’ll be back!

I was in DC for three days and I visited Habesha twice. Habesha used to be my go to Ethiopian place so I had to make sure I filled my belly with it since I don’t know when I’ll be making a trip back again soon. Their beef tibs will never let you down, I alway order them dry. The veggie sampler is also a must because you can choose any of their veggie items so I mix it up. My favorite are the collard greens. The injera at Habesha is also fresh and flavorful.
Unilocal tip– they are opened later than is posted.

As an Ethiopian guy who knows how to cook different Ethiopian dishes, Habesha is the place I go when I am too lazy to cook. This place is a solid #1 if you’re looking for a place just for the food and not for the décor. Their Kitfo has been very consistent for years, I usually order the «Goden Tibbs» (ribbs). The bone looks so intimidating, but trust me, with a nice portion of Awaze sauce, it will disappear quick. Be adventurous and try the Kitfo raw! We shared the raw Kitfo and the Goden Tibbs with a friend and it hit the spot.
Cheers!

This was the first time I’ve ever tried Ethiopian food, and I was quite impressed with the boldness of flavor and how strong the spices were. We ordered the 4 meat and 4 veggies combo, which was a lot of food for 3 girls. While most of the concoctions that came on a plate ended up being a bit too salty, there were others, such as the beef tibs, that were quite tasty. The bread was really good too, very spongy and slippery.
Overall, pretty good experience, but make sure you go hungry

My friends and I were originally gonna stop by another Ethiopian place nearby, but I’m glad we came here! It’s self-​service, so you order at the counter, seat yourselves, then drop off your tray at the end. Much quicker than restaurant waited tables. Portions were generous and prices were reasonable. My friends and I split the meat & veggie combo #2 which cost $ 23, and the three of us couldn’t even finish that! One of the meat items was a bit too salty, but otherwise everything was flavored with wonderful spices and delicious!

Solid Ethiopian restaurant in DC! The atmosphere is pretty casual since it’s also a take-​out place but there’s plenty of tables if you want to eat in as well. The people at the registers were very nice.
My friends and I decided to split the meat and veggie combo (combo #2), which comes with like 5 meat dishes and 4 veggie dishes. It was way more than enough food for 3 girls, and splitting it 3 ways comes to about $ 8/​person, so very reasonably priced. All of the dishes were intensely flavorful and each had unique tastes. Some were a bit salty however, even with the injera. Most were quite spicy, except for a few. My favorites were the beef tibs, the stewed chicken, and the lentils.
Would definitely come back! The single-​serving dishes looked great too and were all about $ 10.

If you’re looking for a place to grab some quick, fairly decent and cheap Ethiopian food, you’ve found it. My wife each ordered combination platters to try a variety of food. My favorite was the Menchet Abesh (ground beef in spicy sauce). Overall I thought the vegetarian entrees were decent, but somewhat lacking in flavor. You can find better Ethiopian food in the DC area, but the price here is outstanding. Seating is a bit tricky as it’s limited and people were waiting for tables on the Saturday night we went. If you want a long, leisurely experience, I suggest heading somewhere else.

Good spot for food and woman. Love the lega lamb tibs.

My favorite Ethiopian place, favorite late night eatery and favorite casual/​comfort food all in one! I have been going here for my Ethiopian fix for more than 2 years and it never disappoints. My boyfriend requests Habesha twice every week. We are usually the only non-​ethiopian here. Super fast, cheap, delicious food and it opens late!

Amazing food, we had to get food to go because it was so packed, at 10:45 at night!!! Better than anything I have had in NYC!

this place is the truth. super friendly and smiley service. cafeteria style. i asked the lady behind the counter to please surprise me and hook me up with some goodness, being that in miami, we are unfortunately deprived from ethiopian restaurants.
for a bit over $ 10 i got a nice platter filled with some of the tastiest ethiopian food ive had. very generous portion too and i got plenty of injera to destroy this whole thing in approximately 20 to 25 minutes.
although this restaurant is not really near any metro station i think its totally worth it to take the detour. i will try to make it a point to visit habesha every time im dc.

Trekked to Habesha with a closed fried and my husband a day after the epic snow storm and celebrated Fatty Friday with what’s claimed to be the best Ethiopian in DC.
Habesha functions more of a cafeteria — place your order, pick up when your buzzer goes off, and pay on your way out. It runs on an honor system which we thought was interesting — how do they keep track of who paid especially on busy Friday nights (the line was through the door)? And customers had to line up twice — to order and to pay at the same line/​counter — talk about efficiency?
My husband and I shared the usual meat and veggie combo (our go to at every Ethiopian restaurant in order to sample as many options as possible) and my friend ordered the choose 4 combo. Although all the items were cooked and ready to be served at the buffet station, it still took quite some time to receive our order. Our combo platter included 5 meat and 4 veggies options — our favs being the ground beef and lentil stew. The other 7 options were just okay — The lamb from lamb stew was overcooked and tough; The collard greens weren’t chopped up and had a strange sour aftertaste; the house salad were not dressed. What disappointed us the most was that the injera were served cold. It was literally taken out from the pre-​made package straight onto the plate.
Perhaps we should have tried the more popular items such as beef tartare and fried ribs (I was eyeing those on my way out). But if the sampler platter embodies what Habesha has to offer then I would save my trip and go to CherCher any day.

Who knew that Ethiopian food was good, and how come I was not informed of this earlier???
After seeing the interns bringing their homemade Ethiopian food, and after they reluctantly shared their lunch with me, they said that Habesha was legit (and stop asking to share their lunch). Fair enough. Now, I could take their word, but at the same time, I gotta turn to Unilocal.After reading a couple of reviews, and in particular, Janice S.‘s review, it sounded like Habesha was the shizzles.
The plans was to meet up with Ann adventurous chick who was willing to try Ethiopian for the first time. I got there a little late and looked around for this Asian girl but couldn’t find her. Either she got scared and ran away (understandable) or flaked on me (more understandable). All you have to do is take a few more steps in the store and there’s a dining area… that’s where I found her. We had the Habesha tips and Tripa dishes. I even got tongue (not from her, but the place). It all tasted great and loved that the place was packed. BTW, you gotta eat with your hands to really enjoy it.
I was pretty excited to write a review of this place, but next morning, Boom — ROTD, Janice S. Like Patriots footballs, I was a little deflated — what more could I say? Her review was spot-​on and the reason for going. So this is more of a testament to Unilocalers, we know what’s up!
dmo out

In some ways, I preferred Habesha Market to Dukem, which I had just had the night prior. I still had not satisfied my tripe craving, so I decided to have Ethiopian food one more time before leaving DC. Habesha’s menu had dullet (a breakfast version and an entrée form), but I decided to get the beef tongue & tripe dish instead. This tripe was of the thicker, larger-​holed variety. It was EXCELLENT and came with a side of salad and a generous helping of injera.
Habesha Market is a no-​nonsense hole-​in-​the-​wall that serves an extensive menu at affordable prices and offers generous portions. I don’t think I’ve been to any Ethiopian restaurant where my entrée was less than $ 10; at Habesha, I only spent a little over $ 9 and there was so much food I had leftovers!
There isn’t much in terms of service or décor, and the «market» only carries a few items, but the food and value here warrants five stars in my book! Most of the diners were Ethiopians, which is always a good sign of authenticity. The music playing in the background also reminded of the music played on the airplane when I took Ethiopian Airlines to South Africa in 2013. =)

It was somewhat disconcerting to be eating in a place that also sells toilet paper. «Hi, I’d like the thing with raw beef!» seemed to be an ill-​advised dance with fate.
Alas, everything was delicious and decidedly non-​poisonous. The goden tibs (served on the bone of what must have been a dinosaur) was the showstopper of the night. Actually, the showstopper of the night was me, gnawing on a giant dinosaur bone to get every last piece of meat and sinew off. People were really impressed/​disgusted/​jealous of my skills.
Not everything is spicy, the doro wat and lamb «curry» both contained some complex, milder flavors. Injera still isn’t my jam, but a necessary evil to keep my fingers [relatively] clean.
A younger, more naïve, me used to refer to Ethiopian food as «kind-​of-​bad-​Indian-​food.» This place has changed my mind.

Nice experience! Great food and not hard to find. Take the metro if you are not in a rush. Street parking available only so park by the meters. Neighborhood parking not advisable.
Food nicely presented and portions are generous! Had to bring the rest home. This place is casual and seems like a lot of local friendly folks come here.

This is one of my favorite Ethiopian places in DC. One of my friends who is very knowledgeable about the hole-​in-​the-​wall scene in DC introduced me to Habesha after I raved about Zenebech Injera (which is great, too). At first, I was a little put off at the idea of meeting for a Friday dinner at a «market» in an area of Shaw I never usually go to, but was I in for a surprise. The market right when you walk in is very cute and clean, with bags of injera for sale, in case you want to grab 1 or 30 after your amazing meal.
The staff is super friendly and the clientele is testament to the authenticity of the food — when we went, we were clearly outliers. The service is cafeteria-​style, so you order at the front and then pick up your food when it comes out from the kitchen area, and then you have your choice of seats, of which there are plenty.
I had a platter with two meats and two veggies, and I’ve had good Ethiopian before, but not amazing Ethiopian. The tibs and Menchet Abesh (spiced ground beef) were out of this world — so much flavor and just spicy enough. The two meats definitely were different tastes, but both done perfectly so I couldn’t think of a way to improve either. For veggies, I got the spicy lentils and the greens, both of which were great and off-​set the firework of flavors in the meats. Overall, the Menchet Abesh was my favorite out of the four.
Anytime anyone important to me visits DC, I am ensuring that I bring them here to share my special Ethiopian secret in this city.

Washington DC! So much to see: The White House, Lincoln Memorial, Smithsonian, Washington Monument… and Habesha!
Seriously, if you’re visiting the city (or lucky enough to live nearby) it’s a no-​brainer. It’s as authentic as you can get without buying a ticket to Addis Ababa. It ranks as one of the best Ethiopian eateries around… and that’s a hard feat to manage considering that there is a plethora of competing restaurants situated on every block.
So… what makes this place stand out? First, it’s open until the wee hours of the morning on the weekends. Not only is a convenient late night treat (or daytime), it’s unbelievably fresh and made specifically to order. So… what to order here? Kitfo! Be sure to order it raw (terey) or sauted lightly (lebleb). Seasoned to perfection, tender and amazing! If the thought of this traditional dish frighten you, no worries. There is something for everyone. Try awaze tibs and one of their combination plates. You really can’t go wrong.
For DC/​DMV locals, it’s also a grocery store. So if you feel so inclined to recreate one of these delectable dishes at home, look no further than Habesha for your ingredients.