Dukem

The food here is fantastic. I’ve been to a number of Ethiopian restaurants here and in other places, and I must say the food here is so fresh. The flavors are fantastic (I recommend the lentils and the lamb), the ambiance was cultural, and some weekends they even have live music! This is a small staffed family owned restaurant, so keep that in mind when considering cook time and service. I had the great pleasure of experiencing an Ethiopian coffee ceremony and while speaking to the cook learned that practically everything is house made and the meat comes directly from the farms. I highly recommend Dukem and look forward to my next meal there!

The food is good but it’s always something with this place. They don’t keep regular hours, sometimes opening 2 hours late or not at all, rarely answer the phone, and the service is standoffish to say the least. Their vegetarian platter is great but after my last three attempts to eat here and showing up to a closed restaurant for no apparent reason, I’m throwing in the towel and going to Lalibela.

I’ll begin by saying I’m a big fan of Ethiopian food from back when Blue Nile was open on High St. In its absence, my husband and I have checked out Lalibela (perfect service, good food) and a place in Pittsburgh called Tana (lentil samosa, holla). Dukem outshone them all. For real. The flavors were complex and wonderful, even the simple salad (tomato, romaine, onion, fresh jalapeño slices). We got the vegetarian sampler and the lamb tibs. All the veg items were knock your socks off good. The lamb tasted fresh and delicious. My only minor critique of the lamb was that it may have been cooked a little too fast. It was ridiculously tasty though. Looking forward to the next trip. The doro wat is calling. Also, the owner checked in with us before and after the meal and was exceedingly gracious. He seemed delighted that we enjoyed it so much. The constant refrain since we left has been, «DAMN. That was delicious.»
Incidentally, we’re night owls, so we went for dinner at about 10:30. There was music playing fairly loud for the busy bar patrons, but it wasn’t uncomfortable to talk. Service was prompt and courteous from the only waitress.

Was visiting Columbus and drove by this place. Wanted to try something different. This food is amazing as well as tasty. I had the Awaze Kulwa tibs. The dish was well seasoned and had plenty of spice as well as flavor and texture. Be aware that Ethiopians do not use utensils. Everything is eaten with the hands and dipping the bread in the dish. No big deal to me, we eat fried chicken, french fries, and hamburgers with our hands. Overall a great experience.

So delicious! Glad this popped up on my Unilocal e-​newsletter or I would have never known it existed. Had the awaze tibs spicy to go, which was flavorful and definitely hit the spot with my pregger craving. =) Ordered extra injera bread because I love it so much… the person who took my order over the phone advised that 3 extra orders would be too much since the dish already comes with 2 (of course I still insisted) and boy was she right! The only other Ethiopian I’ve had in Columbus had very small rolled injera so that’s what I expected but these are authentic large sheets — moist, flavorful, and delicious. Yummm would definitely go again! As far as atmosphere… I don’t know if it’s always this way, but I went in the evening on Friday around dinner time. There wasn’t anyone inside dining and it was VERY dark– felt more like a dive bar than a restaurant, though the tables looked very nicely set up.

This is the worst Ethiopian restaurant I have even been. The service was slow and rude. It took more than 30 mins to finally get my order. I ordered the shekla tibs. The meat was extra dry fried. This dish wasn’t suppose to be dry. Plus, it lacks flavor. It was simply bland. My recommendation: spend your money somewhere else.

We got away from work for a little bit and decided to stuff our mouths with Ethiopian food. All of us were in Atlanta at some point, so we were reminiscing about the many options available to us down there that just didn’t exist in Cincinnati. Two of us weren’t that hungry, but the third was apparently starving. So we decided to split the beyaynetu (vegetarian platter) and the awaze tibs (I think? don’t quote me on that one). We decided to sit at the mesobs, a basket where you eat from a common tray of food, since I’d only done it once and my coworkers had not gotten to. Not many Ethiopian restaurants have mesobs available, so I always jump at the chance to eat at them when they’re there. Other people in the restaurant were around the bar or at the tables.
The food was delicious, and those of us who had said we weren’t hungry probably ate just as much as the one who was hungry. I really liked the potato and cabbage vegetarian dish as well as the tibs. The service wasn’t the best, seeing as I had to beg for water refills after unwittingly biting down on a fresh jalapeño slice. As with almost every other Ethiopian restaurant, service was fairly slow, and we didn’t leave the restaurant until 1.5 hours after we’d arrived. However, I’m sure it was partially because we were the only ones on a work schedule at 8pm on a Saturday night.

Was not very happy with the awaze tibs. Were dry and just not very good. Rather go to lalebala

This was only our second time trying Ethiopian in a few years, so the server was helpful with our choice and how to eat it. We had a platter to share with Beyaynetu (vegetarian sampler), Lumb Tibs (lamb), and Doro Wot (chicken stewed in red pepper sauce). Everything was delicious! We will definitely be back.

Excellent little Ethiopian restaurant. Went there on a Wednesday night several weeks ago with two children ages 3 and 5. Staff was very attentive and helped us order something that the kids would enjoy. The food was fresh and great and out timely. We ordered a sampler platter and tried several different favors. I also ordered a separate beef and jalapeño dish. The kids enjoyed the injera and eating with their hands. Great experience and will return!

Very good authentic ethiopian food… we tried only the veggie combo and it was fantastic… the ambience can be a bit misleading but the taste is good… open pretty late

Whelp, I’m a legit Ethiopian food fan now! Of course, this was my first encounter with this food genre… Ah, but still! Put together another UYE, and chose this establishment to try.
Lots of space inside. A bar to the side of the tables. A stage in the front corner for drumming and local ethiopian bands. The restaurant had a table for our UYE. Set and everything. Yohannis, the owner/​manager, was fantastic. Polite, Pleasant. Very accommodating. Checked in on us at all the right times. He even suggested we try their Shekla Tibs — a true Ethiopian dish, authentically cooked and served — as opposed to the Goden Tibs dish.
I seem to always be drawn to lamb, so I ordered Lamb Tibs. Mmmmm! The juices in the bottom of the dish, alone, left me in complete aw! I used the injera to slop up every. last. morsel. I couldn’t tell you the spices used in that entrée, but man do I want to go back! I also had a few strips of the beef that were cooked in the Shekla dish, and they were also delish.
The evening was extremely played back, nothing to complain about at all. For such a cheap price, I left with a totally full tummy! I can’t wait to try more of the dishes on Dukem’s menu.

I was so pleasantly surprised by this restaurant. My dad and I were not sure what to order, so we decided to share an order of the lamb tibs and the beef short ribs. They were both delicious. The presentation of the food is beautiful. The service was fantastic. I look forward to going back.

Let me preface this review by stating, I did not review Dukem last time I ate here because I was so disappointed and I hate to give really negative reviews to family owned restaurants. I generally give a place a second chance before condemning it and boy am I glad I did.
I went there last night with a great group of Unilocalers and had a fabulous meal. My daughter had the lamb that was prepared in a most delicious broth and I had the short ribs that had just the right amount of heat to excite my pallet. mmmm I am so glad I don’t condemn places on my first experience. I should also mention that they changed management which is why the quality and service was so good.

The food at Dukem was good! It wasn’t quite as flavorful as Ethiopian food I’ve had in NY or Chicago, but it was still very good. So far it was comparable to other Ethiopian food I’ve had in Columbus though.
The restaurant was clean, and the decorations were nicer than I expected. I felt a little awkward though– we were the only ones in there eating, but there were several other groups of people sitting around just hanging out. The menu design was a little confusing– they had two– a menu without photos but with prices and a paper menu with photos but no prices and apparently they had the same exact items listed.
Overall it was decent. I’d come back if I was in the area.

I’ve taken a few people to this place. It’s so delicious! Nice service and very clean.

None of my co-​workers could do lunch this past Tuesday, which is when I try new things, since everyone’s afraid to, so I got to check out Dukem. They don’t have a menu online, so I had to make out the items in the pics taken by Giovanna (Thanks!). The first time I called around noon and no one answered, but I called back a few minutes later, and someone picked up, and I put in an order of the Lamb Tibs.
I drove on over to the restaurant, located just off Hamilton on Main St, and it’s literally a block or two from another popular Ethiopian joint, Lalibela, which I had had two weeks before. I figured this would be perfect to get a comparison, since I hadn’t had Ethiopian food previous to that. The seating and lighting in this restaurant is much brighter compared to the dimly lit Lalibela, and the place as a whole seems much more welcoming. At the time I picked up food, I was the only person in the place. The guy that grabbed my order was friendly enough, but I can’t really rate the place on service.
The presentation and order was almost identical to the one I had at Lalibela, a side salad with dressing (not that great), and my main course wrapped in injera with an extra piece of injera on top. It looked almost identical to what I had at Lalibela.
The lamb tibs were so tasty, and I love using the injera to make mini-​wraps for the meat. The bread itself is pretty heavy, so unless you’re super hungry, you’re probbaly only going to use one of them for the meal. The jalapenos and spices in the lamb were fantastic, and this is definitely a place I’d try again. The only problem is now I won’t know which place to choose, so I’ll have to rotate!

I am sorry for cheating on you La Libela but this was so fantastic it was out of this world! What I ordered shouldn’t have been earth shattering, what chicken and rice everyone has that right? Well not with this sauce! Nope never had amazing sauce like this at any African restaurant. Fabulous service too! Thanks to my hairdresser (Wintana) who provided what appears to be a rare version of the menu with pictures I was finally able to try this place and what a gem! Will be back for sure!

Very friendly service when I finally came across someone who spoke English! The lady who greeted me spoke Arabic, as most of the patrons. Very good veggie spread on injeera, and great recommendations for what I was looking for. I was offered additional servings of all of the vegetables, and the lentils and cabbage were excellent. As mentioned below, I’m not sure what the story was with the little Italian salad, but hey, it wasn’t a bad contrast to teh rest of the meal.

This was a fun find… my husband and I were looking for late night food (we are the opposite of morning people :-)), and we used Unilocal to find this place… we didn’t really read too many reviews.
We went on a Sunday around 11PM. The parking lot is very dimly lit, and is flush with an apartment complex. This is essentially a bar that has a full menu until closing… I really like the atmosphere, however, the music was very loud… like club loud — where you couldn’t hear the person next to you, and it was very dimly lit… so much so that it was very difficult to read the menu. There was a large group of men watching a soccer game at the bar, and a few playing a pool like game in the corner.
We ordered one meal per waitress recommendation (I believe #33 or 34), and I picked an additional meal (I believe #36 or 39).
The portions are HUGE. One dish can easily fill 3 – 4 people. The recommended meal was very good — is was a fermented (I am guessing — I don’t know a thing about Ethiopian cuisine) crêpe like ‘bread’ with several, flavorful vegetarian dishes — red lentils, split pea, spinach, and cabbage with stewed beef in the middle. You eat the dishes with your hands and the provided ‘bread’. The other meal was made of the same ‘bread/​crêpe’ which wrapped around a very large portion of meat, vegetables, hard boiled egg, and smaller pieces of the fermented bread with spices. While initial taste was good, it became a little weird the longer I ate it. I really liked the recommended meal (I really wish I remember the names).
I will more than likely return to the restaurant to further explore the menu.

Dukem was my first experience eating Ethiopian food. The food is excellent. The atmosphere was very quiet when I was there, but that’s not always a bad thing. Give this place a chance.

Dukem is a fantastic find! Whoever is in the kitchen is whipping up some AMAZING flavors! We love Ethiopian food and this is our new favorite in Columbus! With the Blue Nile closing, we were thrilled to find Out about Dukem (on Unilocal,as a matter of fact)
Dukem had some big shoes to fill and it did not disappoint. We are vegetarians and the veggie combo was fantastic! The flavors were deep and delicious. The place was very clean and the server was very friendly and attentive.
Oh…and the cost? For dinner on a Friday night, less than $ 10 for our vegetarian combination. That’s right… under ten bucks for 2 people…
Of you have never tried Ethiopian food, give it a chance. It’s a wonderful dining experience. The food is served on a communal platter and eaten without utensils (the food is eaten by grabbing bits of food with injera (a crêpe like bread made from teff… like a sourdough pancake… amazing…)

Very good food, excellent service and a very interesting atmosphere.
I got the combo with meat [$ 16]- the vegetables and lentils were kinda cold but very nicely cooked and seasoned, the salad was over drenched in dressing and the beef tips were tough but nicely seasoned. The injera was well made but also a bit cold, and not as sour as I remember it elsewhere. They brought out a complimentary dish of peas [split or pigeon, I’m guessing] — that was off the hook WOW, fantastic. I’d go back just for that.
Unfortunately, they did not serve Tej [honey wine], but did have an Ethiopian beer — pretty standard larger with a faint honey aftertaste.
Service was very warm and friendly, and definitely not rushed. They even gave us a round of beers seeing as we were a large group.
The crowd is mostly Ethiopian and very friendly. A couple of pool tables [one for an indigenous form of the game], a couple of tv screen with sports on and Ethiopian music piped in.
Overall, pretty close to Lalibela… but I havent been there in a while so cant remember details.

My excitement increased with my approach.
As the neighborhood grew… less chic… delighted tremor.
As the business names became more ethnic… enthused quiver.
As the parking lot exposed a high patronage of taxi drivers and the interior revealed only dark complexions, sweet tarragon and cumin, I knew some sort of Nirvana would be reached.
People are just people around other people here — drinkers arranged themselves casually around the bar, diners occupied the condensed mom-​and-​pop dining area without order, and a few involved played Ethiopian Billiards in a corner. Greetings and guidance, free of processing, came naturally from anyone who made eye contact. Service is slow, in a leisurely, not lazy way.
Food was good in flavor, quality, and value. Our meal consisted of an awaze tibs & veggie combo ($ 13.99) with an extra order of kitfo ($ 11.99) washed down by a Dashen (unfortunately, the only Ethiopian beer stocked and not my favorite). Served in traditional proportions each order is enough for two. The veggie combo had a dishing each of salad, mesir wat, shiro wat, tikil gomen, and gomen kitfo, i.e. garden salad, green lentil stew, split red lentil stew, curry cabbage, tomato, and carrot stew, and collard greens, respectively. The awaze tibs were well seasoned with sufficient, but not excessive grease. The kitfo is the best I’ve had, with spot-​on texture, and sides of mitmita (chili seasoning) and iab (fresh cheese) to add to personal taste. The injera was also very resilient and well made.

I brought my family here for a Birthday dinner. I was crossing my fingers and hoping this would be excellent because it’s rather recently opened.
The food was lovely and you get alot of it. The spiciness was tolerable and my toddler loved the injeera.
On the flip side service was really slow, even though we were the only people in the restaurant. I believe that they were making our meals separately and that took some time.
I was also impressed that I was able to get a honeyed Ethiopian beer.
Instead of dining in, the next time I will probably do a call in order.