Addis Cafe

I suggest coming here during their Lunch special — 11:30 — 3:30; The food’s much cheaper.
Siga Wot ($ 6.99) — Cubes of Beef cooked in the traditional Berbere Sauce, served with Alicha (potatoes, carrots, cabbage), Misr (Spicy lentils) and Chopped salad. Comes with Injera (flatbread with spongy-​like texture; a bit sour). All the food comes on top of the injera so get ready to eat with your hands.
Pros: The food’s not bad, price’s acceptable. The worker’s friendly, they got wi-​fi & couches to chill. It’s probably the best Ethiopian food around the area since there aren’t many.
Cons: Small place, there’s only 1 worker so the food will take awhile to prepare. They also don’t give you that much meat but the food’s very acceptable.

As I go through and review all the Ethiopian places that I’ve been to it makes me sad to see some of the ones that are gone. I’m particularly grieved about this one. It wasn’t the best food by any means, but it was the best Ethiopian food (and only) for probably 20 miles in any direction. The owners and staff were incredibly friendly, they had a great selection of coffee and it was just a nice place to sit and relax. A big loss to see it go.

Free wi-​fi and good food. Nice place to go to if you want a change is scenery to study. Come in place is homey and has a nice family run business feel.

This is a SMALL, family run place. The food takes forever… get over it… the food is very well-​prepared. sit back and enjoy the experience. Unfortunately, calling ahead or phoning a to-​go order doesn’t help.

My sister wanted to try Ethiopian, so we stopped by this place on the way to her home for takeout. I’ve eaten at numerous Ethiopian restaurants, and I know there are better ones, but this place was the closest and on the way.
We ordered the tibs, kitfo, and vegetarian combo, and it took about 45 minutes. Arguably, there seemed to be only one person working there, and it was Monday after New Year’s.
Though the food might have been slightly better hot out of the kitchen, everything was very off from what I usually expect Ethiopian to taste like. The tibs was tough and dry, it should have been much more tender and saucy, more like stew. The kitfo was overspiced, and everything was so oversalted, it was a crime. The only items on target was the collards and the injera.
I told my sister this was not the typical flavors we’ve normally experienced, so we will have to try someplace else next time. :(

If you’ve never had ethiopian food, this would be a cheap way to see if you like it. Come for lunch with a friend and order the sampler. If you like it great, if not you’re only out a few bucks. Personally, I like the strange bread and sharing a big plate of food with friends and family. It’s not for everyone though.
The food is good enough for Gaithersburg and there are better places if you want to drive into DC.

Ok, I’ve been here 3 times for coffee only.
My first visit back in 2008 was better, I happened to stop by today as well.
Back in 2008, the plaza where Addis Cade is located was not as hectic– crowded. Now there is an international grocery which is always pact with their customers vehicles.
So, its not a easy place to grab coffee to go anymore.
Service at Addis is slow, but friendly. There’s not a hint of rudeness in the air. Its just the Ethipion style. I think its a family run operation so sometimes there’s only two working the place and it can get busy quickly.
They always have native music playing which is nice.
The seating could be updated.
I have seen all walks of life in here. I think the food must be authentically good because i have seen 10 ethiopian cabbies grabbing lunch.
I also see white elderly locals eating here as well.
So the food must please different palates.
If you live in the area and crave or want to try ethiopian food in a casual setting…
It’s worth it.
Coffee is good too. The ethiopians discovered this heavenly beverage afterall

My husband and I stopped in for lunch yesterday because I was having a craving for Eithiopian food. I got the veggi combo and since it was lunch they had a lunch special (I think it was around $ 6.50). It was a great deal. The Misr (red spicy lentils) was incredible and the collard greens, carrots and potatoes, and salad were very good. The Ye Kik (yellow split peas) and Shiro were kind of bland and I was hoping for more heat. My husband got the Doro Wot and it was very good. The service was VERY friendly and the wait was not too long for our food. I don’t live in the area, so I probably will not be back. If I did live here I would go back and just ask them to spice up the Ye kik and Shiro. The menu is limited and theat along with the lack of heat in my meal is the reason I have not given them more stars.

Loved the food — Would have liked more options.
I went at 1;30 and they had a lunch special at that time and so it was nice. It was super difficult to find but if you can find it, its a really nice find in Gaithersburg.

Service a bit slow, but I think that’s pretty standard for Ethiopian restaurants. Got the Sig Wot lunch special (great deal!). Injera nice & sour, good texture too. Carrots good, salad ok, meat & lentils spices good. Interior very basic.

Awesome Ethiopian food, especially for far out in the burbs. The restaurant itself is very small and unassuming – looks more like a strip-​mall coffee shop than a place to get a meal (take-​out is available). But the food is on par with the best Ethiopian I’ve had.
Prices are also a bargain. My wife and I usually get the sampler platter – enough food for two, and it costs about $ 16.00.
I’ll continue to be a regular customer.

I love Addis Café. It’s small and cozy, and the three times I’ve been there they were playing great Ethiopian pop music. The food is fantastic, I think it’s better than Etete in DC. I’ve had the beef tibs and a vegetarian sampler. The vegetables were really fresh, especially salad that comes comes in the middle of the platter. I think a lot of people in the neighborhood stop by for carry-​out, but with its relaxed atmosphere, Addis Café strikes me as a place you could hang out and read or study for a while if you wanted to.

I went here last night for my birthday, knowing it wasn’t a fancy place but I wanted Ethiopian food, it was close by and had good reviews. And I am glad we did. The food was great my boyfriend and I shared the the sampler platter that came with a little of everything. Different types of lentils, beef, and veggies. It was just the right amount of food for two people. Towards the end of the dinner the owner came out with a piece of chocolate cake and birthday candles that my boyfriend had given her. I was totally surprised. The whole experience was good cheap our dinner with two drinks came to $ 19.00 she would not let us pay for the dessert which was excellent too.
I highly recommend this place especially if you have never had Ethiopian food, because you can get the sampler platter for a reasonable price and try a variety of dishes.
Now, I wish we had ordered more food I would be eating the leftovers right now.

So– my first experience ever with Ethiopian food was at Etete. The reviewers gave it two thumbs up. But my experience was horrendous, and the food barely worth eating. Fast forward 12 months. I decide that I shouldn’t decide whether I like Ethiopian or not based on one bad experience, but I wasn’t about to make the trek into DC again. Then I discovered this little gem. It was basically empty (2 other couples in the restaurant), clean, quaint, and comfortable. We got to sit on sofas to eat. We ordered the sampler platter– which was $ 15 and could have fed 3 ppl. This was my husband’s first time eating Ethiopian. All the dishes were delicious. AND they have homemade injera which was SOOOO much better then the disgusting clammy injera I had at Etete. I would highly recommend you try this place especially if you DON’T live in DC.

As good as it gets for Ethiopian so far from DC.
If this place wasn’t half as good, I’d still go here – there’s just no other Ethiopian places around. Luckily, it awesome!
When we first walked in, we noticed there were only about 5 tables and a sofa.
It really looks more like a café than a restaurant.
We did notice the the place was extremely clean though (yes the bathrooms too).
I told my friend, «hmm, not sure if the food will be that great». To our surprise it was. Great vegetables dishes as well as beef tibs. Everything tasted fresh and cooked perfectly.
We didn’t have coffee but they seem to have a really nice espresso machine.
I hope this place does well (we were there on a friday night and it was empty!).
It’s definitely one of my MOCO favs.

Ok, so I *might* be giving them 4 stars out of the simply selfish reason of wanting more people to come so they stay open (they always seems empty), but hey, that just means I like them so they deserve 4 stars right? :-)
So seriously — I really love Addis, even though they are not the best Ethiopian I have ever had. I always order the veggie combo when I go for Ethiopian, and theirs is slightly one-​note, as everything just tastes like «spicy» to me, which I don’t really love, and I can’t differentiate flavors. But — everything is still great. And the prices are good, the café is cozy and warm, with tables and couches, and they are always so friendly and welcoming. Plus — I love being able to get Ethiopian without having to go downtown!
Today I just wanted some injera to go with a dish I had made at home, and the lady couldn’t have been more happy to help, even with my tiny $ 2 order. This is a great neighborhood spot and definitely worth a trip over.

Small, quaint, friendly, and deeelicious! We decided to check this place out after reading it about it on Unilocal and I’m so glad we did! The lunch special is cheap and quite satisfying, little heaps of Ethiopian stews and veggies on top of a generous piece of Injera. Love their spicy lentils!!! Flavorful and filling, a great spot for a casual little meal.

Tucked away in a corner of a random strip mall, this place never seems crowded so I’m glad to hear it is still in business. Very decent food — I’ve always gotten the veggie platter — and it definitely cures my «fix» without having to travel into the district. Besides, the owners are wonderful. I go sporadically but the woman always recognizes me and is very warm. Unfortunately I usually go at night but if I am there during the day I always get the coffee — yum. Never tried the pastries but they look good. I believe they offer free WIFI as well.

Addis Café is a small ethiopian café off of 355 in Gaithersburg. Walking into it, you would be surprised that they sell food as it looks more like a small coffee shop. I’ve had their vegetarian dishes only so I can’t comment on their meat dishes.
The food is good! The sandwiches come on a nice soft french bread. The platters come with injera which I really like. The lentils are delicious and I ask for spicy lentils when I order. The collards are really good and so is the potato/​carrot mixture they have. This local place really helps me when I’m craving ethiopian food. I’ve been to Langano in Silver Spring and thought Addis Café was better, at least for their vegetarian entrée.
I do highly recommend Addis Café.

I was very surprised by Addis! (I only had Ethiopian food ONCE in California, when I was 7 years old, and it was not a pleasant dining/​food/​memory experience.) After much, persuasion, I visited Addis Café with some friends. It was a very cozy café/​shop in a small strip mall. Not crowded at all during the Saturday dinner time (however, I expect that it would pick up more in the summer) and the owners were very nice! There was a flat screen TV showing the Winter X-​games.
Pros: The Misr Wot (spicy red lentils) was excellent! The Doro Wot (slow-​cooked Chicken in traditional sauce) was also great, but it’s only a weekend special and it comes with a huge boiled egg in the sauce. Veggie Combo was also fantastic! This place is great for all your herbivore /​omnivore /​carnivore friends! A sampler dish for $ 16, plus one extra dish, is PLENTY for 3 hungry grown adults with gluttonous appetites — we couldn’t finish the entire spread of injera bread with stews, but next time we’ll be ready!
Cons: The website shows excellent desserts in the photos however there were none when I visited. There is no soda fountain, but you can grab your drinks from a cooler by the register, this wasn’t a problem, but if you’re eating a lot of spicy dishes… it might be bad. Also, 3.95 is a little pricey for a mocha latte, and it was served so piping hot that all of had to wait half an hour before we could sip our drinks.
Final thought: I’ll be raising my rating if Addis shows consistency and if I am impressed again when I return to Addis.