Nile Ethiopian Restaurant

I’ve been on a major ethiopian kick recently, but I’m also lazy so I enjoy good delivery. This places’ takeout food was better than dukem. The only reason this gets four stars instead of five is because their selata says it has green peppers but really what they mean is seeded jalapeño, so be warned.
The rest of the food was good enough to forgive that though. The tibs were moist and flavorful, the ijera was the stretchiest and softest so far and none of the vegetable dishes needed salt (a frequent complaint from me.)

I went here with my fiancé last week. The lamb and vegetables were delicious!!! This is the best Ethiopian food I have ever had!!!

Love the food!
Service was amazing, clean atmosphere and did I mention food is AMAZING? !

Authentic Ethiopian spot. Very friendly and the food is always delicious! I’ve been going here for years!

My boyfriend and I came to Nile for lunch recently. It was mid-​afternoon, and the only other customers were a few men speaking Amharic and sitting at the bar. We ordered a combination entrée to share (including side dish of collard greens) for around $ 13.50, and it was plenty of food. Very filling and delicious! The waitstaff was very attentive and brought us plenty of warm injera. They have a selection of Ethiopian beers (all around $ 6.25 per bottle). There’s a parking lot in the back, which is convenient, and an Ethiopian food store attached to the restaurant which I hope to check out soon.

This place is a market, yes, but it’s also a quaint restaurant away from the high density downtown Silver Spring or Little Ethiopia in DC. So, why not try it? The market drew me in, and for some, it might be the parking lot!
The sambusas are hot and tasty– mmmm lentils. However, most people avoid appetizers because the entrees are heaped heartily onto the plate. This place is no exception. I have tried all of their veg samplers, and I have been told they are vegan. Classic salad, red lentils, gomen and shiro make up my favorite selections, but really the best is knowing every time I go how friendly the staff and owner/​manager are to the diners! Many are regulars, but even the newbies seem warmly embraced!
One other special attribute– every time I have gone, the staff has asked if I want more of not just the injera but the entrees! Since the portions are already huge, I am reluctant but of course I always ask for something like the shiro or gomen! So good! I also like that their injera had never been too dry or too thick. Lovely!

Good food. Good service. Came mid afternoon and place was empty. Ask for teff injera because they serve white flour type.

There are a ton of Ethiopian restaurants in Silver Spring. Some are good, some are bad. This restaurant was very good.
Parking. There is a parking lot next to the building with several spaces. Even during rush hour I could find a spot.
Food. The food was delicious. This is probably the best Ethiopian food I’ve had yet. I ordered vegetarian sampler platter #2 with fish. The fish was broiled croaker. The fish was definitely fresh and it was broiled right before being served. The vegetarian sides tasted as if a lot of time went into cooking them all day. They had a very homey slow cooked goodness taste to them. I don’t think I’ve ever had collard greens that good outside of a soul food restaurant. The platter also came with three injera. I’m not usually a big fan of injera but there Injera was light and springy. It went well with the food.
Restaurant Area. It was pretty empty when I went. However, as I was leaving I noticed several people coming in to make orders.
Service. The server was nice. I got the vibe that she thought I was lost, but she quickly recovered when I asked for a menu.
Overall if I ever get a craving for Ethiopian food I will definitely be returning.

I had to fulfill my craving for my favorite cuisine so I decided to try a new spot from the usually restaurants I visit. I ordered the Vegetarian sampler #2 and everything was scrumptious. I’m always a huge fan of misir wot (lentil) but the shiro (fine chickpeas) was very good. The gomen (collard greens) was fantastic, I was not disappointed. The restaurants is small with off white walls housing several smalls tables draped in traditional Ethiopian cloths. There’s also a few booths around the perimeter and a bar in the rear of the restaurant. On my way out, I decided to stop in the market next door to explore the spices. The store only carries a few products; spices, injera and an Ethiopian selection of music CDs. I was so anxious to eat my food that I didn’t stay long. Maybe I’ll pick up a few spices during my next visit but I will definitely put the restaurant at the top of my good Ethiopian food list… possibly the best near the downtown Silver Spring area.

Delicious yet underrated restaurant right near downtown Silver Spring. Great food but not necessarily the best in-​dining experience. I recommend take-​out as the best option. :-)

My husband and I live in Hawaii most of the year, but we visit DC annually. We have always especially looked forward to frequenting Ethiopian restaurants in the DC area, since there is none in Hawaii. We have frequented many in the past, but the Nile Restaurant, a kind of hidden gem near the DC/​Silver Spring, MD line, is by far our all time favorite. Now whenever we visit the DC area, where we have a second home, we make it a point to eat at the Nile Ethiopian Restaurant (at 7815 Georgia Avenue) as often as we can. We wholeheartedly recommend it!

The food was not bad, actually. I’d give it a 4 star.
And then I went to wash my hands.
And then I saw the cockroach.
And then I wanted to throw up.
Anyway, That’s fine and all, so I went to the manager, who was in the little market next door. His response? «What’s wrong with cockroaches? I don’t see what is wrong with cockroaches?»
So, no.

I have been here many, many times with my partner in crime so idk why I haven’t done a review thus far but there’s no time like the present, so here goes… I always get veggie platters so I cant comment on the meat stews but if they’re anywhere near as flavorful as the veggie dishes you’ll be satisfied. My favs are Gomen (collard greens), Misir Wot (spicy red lentils), and Kik Alicha (yellow split peas). I also love the lentil sambusas, always so hot and crispy, never oily, with that nice spicy kick from green chiles. Mmmm, my mouth is watering as I type this. The service is always attentive, and they have a market right next door in case you want to attempt to recreate your fav dishes at home (I have and they came out well, just not as good as theirs). I dig this little low key Ethiopian spot.

My new fav Ethiopian place in DC. It’s not swanky, but the décor was fresh (fresh flowers on every table), everything was clean, and our service was perfect! The food? amazing! They even have a hand washing station outside of the bathrooms so you can wash up before eating with your hands. Many Ethiopians eating there when we went.

Visited here with a friend to redeem a groupon. I am real glad that I did. This place is awesome the food is real good. The Dakar wat Is the best i ever had. They keep supplying you with injera as much as you like. The waitress was attentive and the it had all the good sides of a well run family business. The owner did come around inquiring how we were doing and took care of our orders. Will definitely go back soon.

This is the proverbial hole in the wall restaurant with the best Ethiopian food in the city. My friend Lita and I stopped by for dinner last night and I just have to post another glowing review.
We ordered the vegetarian sampler #1 and a mixed meat sampler (#24) because it included the kitfo, which I love. Kitfo is lean ground beef mixed with lovely fragrant spices and barely cooked. It’s like a steak tartar and if you’re in a meaty mood, it really satisfies. These two samplers provided a nice array of flavors rather than a berbere (the red spice that is in so much of Ethiopian food) intensive. Nice décor, tables not too close together so you can chat about even the the most intimate stuff without worrying you’re going to be overheard.
The waitress and owner couldn’t have been more pleasant, smiling and checking in to make sure we were happy with our food, bringing us fresh bread when we weren’t even really running that low. Seriously, nicest people ever. That makes a big difference to me. There’s free parking outside, which is a big bonus in that area.
We each had an adult beverage plus more food than we could actually eat for a total of $ 38, add into that an $ 8 tip for an affordable and very pleasant outing. Why the place wasn’t packed is a mystery. There were plenty of Ethiopian chaps at the bar but only a few other tables filled.
The restaurant doesn’t look like much from the outside but inside it’s very pleasant. The bathrooms are clean, which is a pretty good indicator that they care. I haven’t shopped in the attached shop but I understand it’s very nice too.

I enjoyed the food here they provide plenty. I had a combo platter although thats way too much food for me. but I wanted left overs.
This got a three star because I went with my expiring Groupon, I called ahead of time asking could I use the groupon for dinner vs lunch. I was told sure no problem. if I paid $ 7.00 for it and was suppose to get $ 14.00 worth of food I am not sure of the issue. Especially when the manager came out and said the portion sizes are the same size. OK my platter cost $ 19.95 so I had to pay a difference. I would visit again but I am not sure when.

I really and truly love this place. Both the restaurant side and the market side.
We came here on a Groupon Now one night having little else to do. The boyfriend had not had Ethiopian before so the entire experience was new to him and I really wasn’t sure how he would do. Well, we are now regulars.
It is a small and quaint place. Not overly decorated and quite casual with a very small bar. The restrooms are always clean and parking is never a problem. There is also a few tables outdoors if you would like to sit out there. I always opt to eat inside.
At the market they sell injera and a wide variety of spices. The lady is so sweet and always gives me cooking tips and how to get the most out of my new purchased spices.
The owner has to be one of the friendliest gentleman I have met in DC. He obviously cares a great deal about the comfort of his guest as if he were welcoming them to his own home. I have brought my boyfriend’s family here (on a visit from Montana where there is basically no ethnic cuisine), my mother here for her birthday and even celebrated part of my birthmonth celebrations here (because I do not just do one day… hehehe). Every time we are in, the owner stops by to chat, see how our week went, make sure we are happy, and answer any questions or address any concerns.
The food is incredible. Every stew is bursting with flavor, the injera is perfect and meat tender. We generally split some sambusas, the largest vegetarian platter and try a new meat stew om each visit. I have never been disappointed.
This is really a great place to come to have a relaxing and enjoyable meal. You will not leave hungry! Prices are terrific. Come with friends, kick back and enjoy!

I give the business three stars not because there was any problem with the restaurant or the food… The food was just different than what we were used to!
My husband and I went on a Tuesday night for dinner. Although from outside, the place looked a bit shady, however, the restaurant was OK. Nothing very fancy.
It was small but clean.
Well, that didn’t bother us– we were not there for the ambiance but for the experience –and what an adventure it was!
It was our first experience with Ethiopian food and frankly saying we had no clue what we were getting into. We had done a quick research on our way and narrowed down some food that we wanted to order. The names were hard-​to-​remember, though!
We ordered the combo sampler with various meat fare and it took almost 15 minutes for the food to come. The fare was spicy and tasty. The lamb was succulent. The flavors were very distinct.
No spoons and no forks… We had to use injera (a flat bread) to pick the meat and eat.
I guess we have to try more of Ethiopian food to really justify it.

I can’t be in D.C. without getting Ethiopian and while I’m used to the great joints on U Street or in Adams Morgan, horrendous Saturday night traffic prevented it. My godfather suggested a little place he passes on the way to get coffee on Georgia Avenue.
I can’t lie — I got a little worried when we walked up. The glass door to the adjacent store was shattered by what *clearly* looked like a bullet. We were undoubtedly in «the hood» but, hell, we’re from Chicago. We sucked it up and went inside!
I’m glad we did because this place was outstanding. Always a good sign when most of the patrons themselves are Ethiopian. We were one of only 2 tables of non-​Ethiopians.
Had the sample platter of standard vegetables & meats. They could not keep the Injera bread coming fast enough because we were gobbling it down. The lamb & beef were definitely spicier than you get in «popular» Ethiopian restaurants and I loved it – no catering to American palettes, here.
My friend’s 2 year old son was dining with us, and they even whipped up a little dish of chickpeas for him too. Truly a great adventure. My only complaint was that the lamb was VERY «bony» — more than I’ve experienced in an Ethiopian restaurant in a long time.
If you’re in D.C. and want an off-​the-​popular-​path experience with locals for a truly reasonable price, check out The Nile. Definitely planning to visit again when I go back.