Etete
Washington, DC 20001 (202) 232-7600
- Nearest Transit:
U St/African-Amer Civil |War Memorial/Cardozo (Green, Yellow)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:00 a.m.-12:00 a.m.
Fri-Sat 11:00 a.m.-12:00 a.m.
Sun 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
40 Reviews for Etete
I've been to Etete a couple of times in the past year, it was actually my first Ethiopian food experience. The prices are reasonable and the veggie platter is delicious and incredibly filling. The honey wine here is really yummy. I always order a whole bottle for myself and whoever else happens to be with me!
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Because of all the Ethiopians living in DC, I figured they must have a good set of restaurants, so I set out to try to find one. With the help of my fellow YELPers, I settled on Etete. It was definitely a memorable experience. There are 2 stories, but we went late in the evening, and surprisingly they were still pretty busy. I don't recall the names of the dishes, but we tried tried a veggie dish, a lamb stew dish, and a grilled beef dish. I also had a glass of the honey wine, which if you are not careful can get you pretty lit up pretty fast. We also tried an fried appetizer, stuffed with a lentil mix. We ordered all the dishes as spicy, which was not too spicy and did not detract from the flavors, but had a great bite.
The service was adequate, they could have been a bit more attentive, but no negatives.
Definitely go here with an appetite, because we were so stuffed.
A must-go if you are in DC, and are looking for something off the beaten path.
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I'm certainly no expert on Ethiopian food...I had only tried it once before, and the injera was about the only thing I really remembered. But I gave it another try, and Etete was definitely much more memorable. Like other reviewers have noted, the place is pretty small, so you definitely need to get here early if you don't have reservations. In fact, it's so small that I literally walked right by it on the way there from the Metro. Inside, it's quite nice, with a bar to complement the small number of tables.
For those of you (like me) who might not know exactly what you are doing when ordering, the combination platters are a good way to go. After starting off with a lentil sambusa (you definitely need to try one of these), I had the vegetarian platter. While not everything appealed to me on there, most of it was really good, and you'll be surprised at how full you can get. The yemisir wat (red lentils) were my favorite, but even the salad was good. You also get all the injera you'll ever need to get every last morsel off the dish.
Oh yeah, don't forget about the tej. When they say honey wine, that's exactly what it tastes like. It's really, really sweet which hides the potency a bit, plus it doesn't help that when you order "a glass", they actually give you what amounts to a small bottle, and I got about 4 normal glasses out of that. You'll definitely be feeling it by the time you are done.
I'm probably not going to go out and try every Ethiopian restaurant in the city, but I'll definitely remember this place for the future. It's a great deal for what you pay, and a convenient location to boot. Other than the lack of space, it's hard to ask for much more.
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This is THE place where I take all of my family and friends when they come to visit me in DC.
I ALWAYS get the vegetarian sampler with fish and some kind of meat (that way we have a variety of veggies- otherwise you have to order them separately and I love them all! I get either the tibs or some kind of Kitfo. My favorite is the Etete special kitfo which comes with three different kinds of cheese. One tip - the food always *looks* like it's not going to be enough, but it's incredibly filling, don't overorder.
They have a full bar with a bunch of really interesting Martini drinks, but I recommend the Tej (ethiopian honey wine) or one of the Ethiopian beers.
They added a second floor, as some reviewers mentioned. I haven't seen it, but it does seem to alleviate the usual problem of actually getting a table (it's totally worth the wait).
Plus, the waitresses are helpful, attentive, and super cute!
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Etete was my first experience with Ethiopian food. I never realized that DC was such a hot spot for this type of cuisine. I went with a fairly big group, most of us hadn't ever had Ethiopian before. The veggie platter was definitely very good but I'm not too sure I'm a big fan of injera. We also ordered a lamb and beef dish that weren't too memorable. And while I love me my ports and dessert wines, even the honey wine here was too much for me as a main course drink.
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LOVE Etete. The veggie platter + the raw beef makes an excellent dinner for a party of 3-4 (or just my husband and I if we're feeling gluttonous - we usually are.) The staff are friendly and attentive, the decor is nice but simple, but even if they weren't I'd still come here for the incredible food, which is lighter and fresher tasting than most of the Ethiopian cuisine I've had before.
The only drawback would be the seating space problems mentioned in other posts, which have apparently been taken care of. I haven't been there since they added second floor seating, but I'm excited to go back now that they've addressed the one hangup to an otherwise excellent eating experience.
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This is one of my favorite restaurants in DC. The food here is delicious! I've only been to one other Ethiopian place in Little Ethiopia in L.A., so I'm not an expert, but Etete was better than this place in L.A. The decor is tasteful, and they have recently added a second floor for more spacious dining.
I would recommend getting the vegetable combo (with fried fish), zilzil tibs (sauteed beef strips), and Doro wat (chicken leg). So delicious, and highly recommended.
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This was my first Ethiopian experience. It was definitely unique. I don't think I'm a fan, but I wouldn't mind trying it again. There was a lot to chooise from. The service was good, place was dark and quiet. It was small too! So if you do during peak hours you may end up waiting. Price was ok but again the food didn't wow me enough but that was just me. Nevertheless, I still think everyone should check this place out at least one. Great for groups of people to go and try something new together.
Oh, WOW!
After a very mediocre meal at Madjet in DC, and a faboo lunch at Bua (Thai), Jack & I ventured to Etete. It's a small place but friendly, a little bit more stylish than Madjet. Full bar! Very pleasant service. We actually ordered 4 main courses because I wanted to try my favorites: we ordered kitfo (raw minced meat like steak tatare), gored gored (raw chunks of beef in a delicious spicy sauce), the veggie combo, plus my beloved azifa (a type of lentil salad).
Everything was spectacular, so flavorful. We ate most of it till we were totally stuffed. What a great place. Too bad it's so far from home...........
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I haven't been here in at least a year-and-a-half, but I remember it being so good! (In fact, why haven't I been here more recently ...) Definitely my favorite Ethiopian place in this city. I agree with Angie C. who recommends the vegetarian platter plus add-ons. The one time I got fish, it was really good.
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This was my first Ethiopian experience. It was very very good. I would recommend getting the vegetarian platter then adding a couple meats to it. The lamb is delicious. The platter with 3 added meat dishes was enough for 4 people.
I will definitely come back next time I am in DC
Absolutely delicious! The wait staff is very kind and attentive. The only drawback is the space; no room for large crowds.
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I don't like reviewing places where I didn't eat, but I figured this story is worth something.
My friends and I went to Etete w/o reservations (not thinking we would need one). The place was decently filled but a large party left leaving a bunch of tables in a row open. We naturally thought we'd get one of those, but they informed us that all the tables were taken up for a reservation and we had to wait for the family of 4 (in which one of the kids had just received her plate) to finish so we could sit there.
I know, I know. The family was still eating and other people made a reservation, so I shouldn't be complaining. But if your place can only hold about 30 people, then allowing a party of 20 make a reservation seems kind of wrong to me. Maybe that's just me. Maybe I'm just bitter because I wanted to eat there but got a mediocre meal at Dukem instead.
I def. want to stop by again later and actually eat here, and I will make sure to update my review at that time!
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Ethiopian cab drivers swear by it, so that's a huge tip-off that Etete is on to something good. The place has just one table in the window and 8 or so more tables, but it never feels cramped, just cozy. The staff are nice, too. I've had one of the veggie platters the last two times I was there, so it was all the old standards, but I found them done lighter, more artfully spiced, just better than whatever I've had down the road at Dukem.
Now, if they just had an outdoor patio like Dukem!
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I really enjoyed the small cozy atmosphere of this joint! That being said I think it would be wise to make a reservation in advance like my party of 6 did. I came with a bunch of first timers and the waitress was very friendly and patient, in the end just asking us all what our spice tolerance was and what type of thing we were in the mood for and she basically put the order together for our group- which turned out great. We got a wide variety to taste- including all my veggie and meat favorites- and the flavors were delicious!
Last note- as others have said definitely try the honey wine if you haven't before- it's a very different flavor but certainly delicious and looks fairly home made here. I've been around the Ethiopian block and this is for sure a spot I will return to- particularly bc the atmosphere was a little more calm (would be great for a date) than spots such as Dukem or Meskerem and not quite as stuck up as Zeds.
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If you've never eaten Ethiopian before, you can save yourself a lot of trouble by starting here. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, the service is friendly and very helpful with selections and the food is out of the park!
I highly recommend the kitfo (minced meat) cooked, though it is available raw and the gomen (Fresh green, carrot, potato, green pepper and onion sauteed with garlic, ginger and tomato).
Come ready to eat with your hands (using a special spongy, crepe-like, bread to eat with) and get ready to leave very full. The food is spicy, complex, rich and there is always plenty of it!
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I've either dined here or gotten carryout at least twenty times in the last two years, given the proximity to my wife's job. My initial experience with Ethiopian was at one of the places on 18th Street and was pretty negative - however, this is the restaurant that turned my opinion around (in conjunction with Madjet).
Generally speaking, this is a very affordable place to get dinner and normally the quality is very good. There is a difference between eating at the restaurant and getting carryout, though. Dining in I have almost always had a great experience as far as the food goes, although I'm not sure that the staff is the most efficient at managing traffic when the place is full.
Lately I've been using Etete as a place to get carryout, and I'm sorry to report that the quality has started to slide a bit. To start with, it takes quite awhile once you order your food for it to actually appear, and while I wait at the bar, the staff almost never stops by periodically to assure me that my food is on its way - a small thing perhaps, but something that makes me feel like it's worth the wait. Secondly, the last few times I've gotten carryout here, I've been disappointed once I got home - the food appears to be less skillfully cooked than in the past (veggies are mushy) and half the time the meat dish is not what I ordered, or was prepared using a lower quality of meat than what I had experienced in the past. When you've been salivating the entire way home with images of your favorite dishes in your head and open the box and find something less than what was expected, it's pretty disapointing.
Overall I still enjoy this restaurant, and on less-crowded weeknights I think it's a decent place to get a bite to eat. However, for the time being I'm going to turn to Madjet when it comes to satisfying my carryout needs.
Etete opened a second floor this past weekend, so any reviews talking about a long wait to be seated are out of date. However, the kitchen and wait staff haven't yet acclimated to feeding twice as many people, so be prepared for really long waits for food, drinks, the bill, etc., until they work things out.
That said, the food was (and still is) amazing. The vegetarian combo is an excellent choice, as you get to sample at least five or six different dishes, but the best dish has got to be azifa, a cold lentil salad with mustard and green chilis.
In addition to the high quality of the food, what really sets Etete apart from the myriad of other Ethiopia restaurants in DC is the decor. While I haven't tried every single place in the city, Etete is the only one I've been to with such a modern, well put together feel...and the decor doesn't come at the cost of price or quality of the food!
As someone who has been eating Ethiopian for years, I highly recommend Etete. Sometimes Ethiopian/Eritrean food can be greasy and too heavy. Etete makes their food flavorful but also very light. Last time I went I ordered the vegetarian platter. The amount of food looks very sparse on the large piece of enjera. However, you will be full by the end.
Also if you order the honey wine it will come in a huge bottle which appears to be a used Johnny Walker bottle. Although it may seem economical to order a bottle for 2 people it's a lot of honey wine so don't do it. Luckily I live in walking distance so I could roll myself home. I would only order the bottle for at least 4 people.
Etete is really small and it's hard to get a seat quickly most nights. The decor is modern unlike the village style decor of most other Ethiopian places in the city.
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As others have said, the only real downside is that it's too small. That said, we had to wait an hour for a reserved table because others did not feel the need to finish their meal and pay the bill. To the restaurant's credit, they gave us a free round of sambusa appetizers and then actually asked the very large party who had overstayed their welcome to leave.
The food is delicious, one of the best Ethiopian places around for sure, since nothing I've had there is ever bad. Also, Harar is the best Ethiopiuan beer on the menu--almost like caramel or pumpkin-y in its flavor and complexity. The wine is way to hoppy, unfiltered, and fermented-tasting.
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took half an hour to get the waitress to take our order; another 45 minutes to get the food, which wasn't all that much, and definitely didn't warrant their saucy attitude. I asked for napkins, but had to get my own. The indignity! Not recommended, unless it's completely empty. Prices are nothing great, either.
Never drink an entire bottle of tej (honey wine). Just don't do it. I don't care how awesome your friends say it is. A glass is really all you need, unless you're at a table of 6, then you may be justified.
Now that we've gotten that out of the way, everything here was excellent. It was crowded as all get out, and the restaurant itself is pretty small and quite narrow. But my word is it worth it. I wish my friend and I would have gotten only one vegetarian sampler because I think we only got halfway through it. Our favorites were the delicious dark red lentils, and the cabbagey thing with carrots. AMAZING. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. Plus it's very reasonably priced. Go here. Or don't and leave me space so I can sit and eat here all night.
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Injera was good. Fish was excellent. Not sure if they seasoned it with crack or what, but I tore it up!
The veggie platter was just so-so. Maybe they assumed that I needed it mild 'cause there wasn't much heat on the plate. I'd recommend going to Axum two doors down (less ambiance, but way better food).
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This is one of my fav. Ethiopian places to chow down in the city. It's got a cool modern look and great food. Last time I was there they were getting a bit too crowded and slow, almost missed my flight. It seemed like their business was slower when they first opened, but you probably need reservations five nights week now. But this place is where raw beef (kitfo) died and went to heaven and then to my injera and into my mouth. YUM YUM YUM!
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Excellent, all-around. Very friendly, very competent service. Delicious food - the vegetarian combination platter is a great way to try different things, and amazingly reasonable at $12. My boyfriend had lamb, which he loved - apparently it was tender and seasoned deliciously.
The wine was enjoyable (but strong - watch out), the decor was understated but very pleasant and vaguely upscale, the patrons all seemed quite happy. It's smallish, so I wouldn't recommend bringing a party of more than 4 without a reservation, and reservations would be a good idea generally. We went on a Saturday night at 9, and the restaurant was full most of the time we were there, but it seemed like they kept people happy at the bar and nobody seemed to mind the wait.
Truly, a great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend to my friends (and already have).
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This much-heralded Ethiopian restaurant has a warm, richly colored interior that complements the food perfectly. The crisp lentil sambusas make an excellent starter. Also enjoyable is the vegetarian platter which includes a variety of traditional legume and vegetable dishes served family style and meant to be eaten scooped up with the pillowy soft injera bread.
It's worth making a reservation as Etete fills up fast - even on a Sunday night.
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Oh man, you cannot say anything bad about Etete.
The meat courses are great, as well as the vegetarian selection, especially their platter. A big plate of everything under the sun, the greens are amazing, and for an extra two dollars you get a fish too. Yes a whole fish, bones and all, which makes for challenging eating, but its such a sight I am always torn on whether to eat it or hang it from the wall.
Drinks include fruit juices, domestic and imported beers (incl. 3.50 Guinness!), Ethiopian beers and even the exquisite "honey wine." Desserts and hot beverages are available, but by the time dinner is over I am never able to consider the option.
Oh, and while it is a bit too small to suit its following, the stylish interior and great prices wrap a bow around the entire experience. Believe the hype, this place brings it.
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This is my favorite Ethiopian place in the city.
The food is really well done. I particularly like the greens.
It's cozy and the staff is super nice.
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Probably my favorite Ethiopian restaurant in DC right now. And it's in a trendy location -- close to the 9:30 club, not far from the U Street metro station (the 10th street exit). I went here with my girlfriend and several of her friends before a 9:30 club show on a Saturday night, and we had such a great meal. Reservations are recommended because it's a small place. As other yelpers have mentioned, even if you have reservations, you'll probably have to wait at least 10-15 minutes (if not longer) because there are only a few tables and turnover depends on how quickly patrons finish up. The vegetarian sampler is great, the lentil sambusa is delicious, doro wat has good flavor. Yebeg Wat (lamb) is very tasty. The only klunker was the Kitfo (minced meat)-- it was pretty bland. We'll definitely be back!
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My wife and I checked this place out a couple of days ago and I must say that I am truly impressed. We're considering moving to the Shaw area and if we do then will definitely be our go to spot. I really loved the decor and the native music that played during our dinner. The food was really good. I'm a little biased because I love ethiopian food but the place really lived up to our expectations. The menu also seemed to have more choices than most ethiopian restaurants that we've been to which makes it imperative that we check this place out on a regular basis. My only complaint about the place (and this is a very minor one) is that the incense was burning hella strong on the night that we were there. Thank god the incense smelled really nice though because I would hate to have taken away a star.
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A great ethiopian food experience. Very cute restaurant with contemporary decor and a small bar tucked in the back of the restaurant. A short walk from the u street metro stop on the green line. We had the veggie sampler plate (tons of food - enough for 2 people) and the spicy minced beef and cottage cheese dish (again - enough for 2 people). It was just the two of us, but i surely wish that we had 2 friends or at least one other person join us. Lots of left overs. The servers were really nice and never rushed us. Can be some tight quarters, though. Bring your appetite.
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It can be hard to differentiate between Ethiopian restaurants, as they all tend to follow traditional recipes pretty much to the T. When comparing them, I like to see which ones have the fewest screwed up dishes, rather than the most good ones. Etete has never served my something disappointing, and I thus I understand where it gets its reputation for being the best around. The only reproach I have is that it's very very small. Also, don't drink the Ethiopian wine. It's disgusting.
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Had lunch here today and it was excellent. We ordered a mixed vegetable entree that had collard greens, split peas, red lentil (spicy!), a cabbage/carrot thing and a potato/string bean offering. We added a little meat to it by also ordering Yebeg Wat (spicy lamb).
For 2 pm on a Sunday, it was crowded which speaks to the quality of the food. They sat us in the window on backless basket chairs. There are a few pieces of art on the walls, but overall the atmostphere is a bit blah.
Would recommend just getting the vegetarian sampler for lunch, since what were ordered was more than enough food.
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Made reservations, but had to wait an extra hour before we could sit because the people before us were slow. This was not the fault of the restaurant--but it is a very small space. Once seated (backless chairs), service was good and the food came quickly. There was a little confusion over the order--we ended up with two vegetarian platters instead of one (which meant that we had more food on one plate, rather than two separate plates; everything is served together)--but I wasn't sorry. It made nice leftovers.
Food arrives on a large round tray, on top of a layer of injera (spongy, almost sourdough-flavored bread). Many extra rolls of injera are provided, because you scoop up every bite with a little bit of bread (no cutlery).
In terms of the food on the platter... I'm not sure what was what. The collard greens were very good, as was the yellow cabbage stuff and the yellow potato stuff. The red bean stuff and yellow bean stuff were tasty. The sauce poured next to it all added a lot. I didn't particularly like the greenish bean stuff.
I ordered the Ethiopian honey wine (tej) for a new experience, and found it fairly indescribable. It's made with hops, so it's an odd combination of beer and wine flavors. Yeasty, a little sweet, but smells a lot like vinegar. It's quite a lot like the taste of a saltine. I found it hard to drink more than a few sips. Comes in a nifty ampoule kind of bottle, though.
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This restaurant lived up to the hype. I went a couple of weeks ago with a party of 5 on a Saturday night. We made a reservation and only had to wait about 5 minutes for a table, so that was fine. The space is stylish but quite small. One person in my party was cold becuase she was close to the door. It seems more mainstream than other Ethiopian places in the city, so it would be good place to take a first-timer. The waitress was really nice and helpful. And the food was great. I had the vegetarian sampler and it was filling and tasty. I didn't necessarily think it was better than most of the Ethiopian places in the city but then again I think they're all brilliant, so maybe I'm just not that discriminating.
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Etete is a great place to have Ethiopian food in DC. It's fairly easy to get to by public transportation which is key if you're visiting from out of town like I was.
Even though we made reservations ahead of time, we still had to wait a little while and we were only a group of 3 so that was a little bit of a pain. However, once we were sat the service was great.
This was not my first time eating Ethiopian but the waitress was very good about explaining things and making recommendations to us. My fiance and I are not vegetarians but our friend is and they were good to accommodate her with a separate platter. It was a little tight in space but the food made up for it.
We all left ridiculously full- it was hard to stop eating. I tried the taj- honey wine. It was okay and reminded me of some of the sweet reislings out there, but I don't think I would get it again. Next time I would get a beer to go with the food. Since the food is rather rich and spicy, for me I think a beer would compliment it better.
I would definitely go back!
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Very tasty Ethiopian, fine vegetarian selections. They use seasonings and peppers liberally which I love. My faves are the lentils in thick zesty red sauce, and the buttery cabbage. The restaurant looks and feels really classy but the food is surprisingly affordable with big portions (The veggie fastening dish was big enough for two). Great spot to chow down on your way to the 9:30 Club.
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There was a TV crew here, a couple weeks ago, hauling around these big cameras and getting close-ups of the chow. I was sitting at the bar with my roommate and his girlfriend, having a beer, and the owner was talking to us and trying to seem pleasant for the camera. "Get ready for your close-up!" he kept laughing. He told us that he established this joint for his mom, the head cook...she is a terrific chef, and at one point she came out in her white chef hat and paraded around the dining room for the video crew.
Anyway, I like the feel of the restaurant--close quarters and familiar--not very many tables, so it feels like you're getting special treatment from the management. Just be sure to arrive early on the weekends, or else expect to wait in line.
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This is my favorite DC Ethiopian restaurant. I get the fastening (vegetable) platter with friend fish for an extra $2). It is in the U street area, and is a small place with only tables for 4. It is a cute little place, and not really divey.
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This is my first Ethiopian restaurant experience, so maybe I'm not enough of an authority to properly review this place - but I'm going to anyway.
My fiance and I went to Etete last Saturday evening and thoroughly enjoyed it. The decor is very classy. Since it was only the two of us, we got to sit at one of their small counter height tables with funky bar stools. I was a bit jealous of the group in the front of the room, who got to sit in a circle on backless basket chairs that reminded me of sitting around a campfire with good friends. It definitely looked like the place to be. There is a nice looking bar in the back, and a flat screen TV which is probably convenient to the bargoers who keep up with their favorite teams, though I didn't find that entirely necessary or appropriate. The food itself was delicious, and very well priced. I had my first taste of Ethiopian wine, and found it to be exquisite! It has a wonderful honey flavor. Also very well priced - $5 a glass, and a glass is really two since you get a small container of it to refill. My only complaint is that there was only one real vegetarian entree, since the second came with fish. But it was delicious, well priced, and very filling!
Edit: Turns out I was deceived by the menu lay-out, and there are, in fact, plenty of veggie dishes! But each time I always go back to the combo, and each time it is delicious. I have never had a bad time here, and it remains one of my favorite spots in DC!
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