Gebeta Ethiopian Restaurant

Several years ago, I had dinner at another Ethiopian restaurant in Silver Spring and disliked it. A couple of months ago, I was taken to this one, which reversed my opinion.
First, the atmosphere: It’s nice — wooden chairs, tablecloths, and napkins, without the dim lighting and silly décor that often accompany them — so it’s a very comfortable place to sit down and hang out.
Second, the food: Solid. The sourdough bread was flavorful without being in-​your-​face sour (which it was in my previous Ethiopian restaurant), so it was a great substrate for the tasty side dishes all over the platter. I’ve had their monster platter (~$ 45, sized for 4 – 5 people) twice, with various «side» dishes added to the platter, and I’d say they were 50% fine and 50% great. My favorites were probably the fried onions, something that looked like eggplant dip, greens, pico de gallo (similar, anyway), and the spicy centerpiece of various meats (ground, chopped, and in cured/​dried nibs) with tomato.
Third, the service: Pretty good. Both times I went, we were very well attended (orders, hot towels, water) except for when we wanted the check.
Fourth, overall: It’s a pleasant place with good food. Just make sure to specify that you want the meat cooked!