Zenebech Injera

This is a bit of a hole in the wall, and it wasn’t the absolute best Ethiopian I have had. I also found the service to be a bit slow, and the meat on the sampling platter that I ordered was quite tough and not quite as not as I would have liked. However, the injera was good.

One of my favorites in the country. When I am in town. I always come here. Love the Derek Tibs!

I went here on a whim to get some take out for my friend and I. I kept hearing about this place and couldn’t wait to try it. When you walk in, the place is very unassuming. From the tips I ordered the 3 item below:
Awaze Tibs –spicy tender lamb or beef with awaze sauce, onions, garlic, jalapenos, herbs
— we got the beef one and thought it was really good. I eat a lot of spicy food, but I did not feel like it was spicy at all. It was by far my favorite of the three.
Doro Wot-​chicken stew simmered in awaze sauce, seasoned Ethiopian butter, a boiled egg and drumstick
— I really enjoyed eating this, but it was a little more awkward to eat. Either way, it had really great flavors
Vegetarian Combo-​yellow split peas, red lentils, collard greens, cabbage, tomato salad, shiro (chickpeas stew)
–Of the three, this was my least favorite. I think in the future i would rather order the first two and then something else to try.
All three were enough food, for two of us and maybe even enough for 4 people. It cost us about $ 40 for all the food. I think I would have rather had the food there, but it was still good none-​the-​less. I cannot wait to try more of the food!

Hands down the best Ethiopian food I’ve ever experienced, and I’ve experienced a few. Prior to this, my favorite was the Eritrean Cultural Center, which has moved since and is about to move again.
Personally I prefer the atmosphere of the Eritrean Cultural Center, and will probably return to it after it has settled into its new digs, but for now if I have to go out for quality Ethiopian food, it will be this place.
I wish to be clear. I actually think the quality of the food, the injera specifically, is actually better at this place than at the Eritrean Cultural Center. It just happens that in my case, I can’t entirely tune out my environment. At the Eritrean Cultural Center I am treated like family, and I cannot discount the value of that.

Great, cheap carryout Ethiopian. Interior is a bit dreary, like a small 70s cafeteria.

A very nice Ethiopian place. Food is tasty, portion sizes are very generous, and from what I can tell of DC food prices, getting a meal of this quality for about 5 – 7 $ a person is an absolute steal.
I got the vegetarian platter ($ 10.00) with a side of another spiced meat ($ 3.00 beef stew) like curry. The curried vegetables were flavorful, and there were a couple interesting vegetables like collards, cabbage with potato and some kind of tomato item (reminded me heavily of pico de gallo). I liked my add on spiced beef curry the best. There was enough leftover to feed another person, so I consider this meal to be $ 13 for two people.
It wasn’t mind blowing, but a solidly tasty meal at an unbeatable price. I don’t happen to be a huge fan of Ethiopian food in general, though I’ve had it before in Atlanta. Maybe if I were more into the type of food and flavors, this would be a 5 star review, but there was nothing in the food that made me any more or less of a convert.
The atmosphere is not great and cheap, which is to be expected at this price point. I sat outside at a white plastic table on a beautiful day just as they began service for lunch. It was empty, aside from a table of older men outside smoking and hanging about. I figure they must be friends of the owner. The surroundings outside are not ideal, this is an area that a few homeless like to loiter, and the square is littered with trash and overgrown weed gardens.
It didn’t spoil my appetite, but I can imagine it may for some.

This is your «hole in the wall» spot with great food. We found that our food came fast (some folks had reported slower service). The staff was helpful in suggesting dishes, and the price was great.

I think I’ve found my new favorite Ethiopian place in the city! Recently got a chance to check out this place with some friends, and I was seriously impressed by the quality of the food, the promptness of the service, and super low price points!
My friends and I ordered the kitfo (rare), fish dulet, collard greens, and cabbage. They brought it out with the spicy pepper paste and pepper powder, without asking, which was a great sign in my book. I hate having to ask for extra spices — a true sign of authenticity to me is when a restaurant serves everyone in the same manner that they would serve a native, and Zenebech wins in this area. Every dish was delectable, and our only regret was that we didn’t have any leftovers.
Service was always prompt, and the kindness and welcoming nature of the space really gives you the feel of having a home cooked, authentic meal.
Zenebech is definitely moving up in my list for the next time I have an Ethiopian food craving!

Although the service is ungodly slow because of the 3-​person staff, you will be sooooo happy when your food arrives in that round metal tray. So delicious and spiced and saucy, meat and lentils dampening the bread. (If I can’t finish, I like to take home the mushy part!) Never had to wait too long to be seated, but you can tell the turnover is a little delayed because there are half eaten trays of injera that sit on empty tables for like 15 minutes. And why are people not finishing their injera? Tsk tsk. Maybe it’s because the cheap menu throws them off and they over-​order. Hello! This is not the place where each person needs to get their own $ 19 entrée. It’s okay if you can’t understand the difference between the items on the menu because everything is good. You really can’t go wrong. Your second moment of happiness descends when your bill arrives– $ 5 each for a party of 5! And we were stuffed. If it weren’t for that I’d give 4 stars but that price point is %#$&-ing amazing when it comes to dining out in DC.
PS: If you are dining with others, please be a good friend and wash your hands before digging in. Thank you!

Whenever we have out of town guests visit DC, one cuisine my husband and I will always recommend — Ethiopian. And this time was no difference, we took our two friends to Zenebech.
The menu at Zenebech was more extensive than ones we’ve seen in the area. In addition, the price was much more fair. The four of us shared the veggie combo (6 veggies), the mehaberawi (4 meats and 2 veggies), and ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ (we opted for the awaze tibs and tibs ferfer).
My husband and I usually have no trouble clearing two full entrees. But with the help of two additional people for one additional entrée, we struggled and struggled — There were still plenty of leftover sides and injera. Every veggie and meat was perfectly seasoned and cooked. There was not a single side (even veggies for my husband!) we didn’t enjoy. Overall — I think our search is over — Zenebech topped our favorite Ethiopian restaurant in DC and will be our go to from now on.

Whenever I have visitors in town, I like to take them around the corner to Zenebech, while I proclaim in tour guide mode, «DC is like, the diaspora of Ethiopia.» What Zenebech quite lacks in décor and prompt service, it more than makes up for in delicious food and dang cheap prices.
It can be hard to decide what to order when the menu appears to be a long array of similar dishes with the words «wat» and «tibs» flying about. Thus, I recommend that open-​minded diners who are having trouble opt for the Mehaberawi (combination of 4 veggies and 4 meats) or the Vegetarian Combination, as they allow you to try a variety. When I went to Zenebech with a party of five, we ordered both combos, which ended up being plenty of food, despite the bill ringing up to approximately $ 5 per person — cheaper than fast food! Note: when the food comes to the table, it always looks a bit sparse, but never underestimate the expanding powers of injera in one’s belly when combined with liquids.
Given my carnivorous tendencies, the Mehaberwari is my clear favorite with its fall-​apart tender meats. It comes with Alicha Wot (beef stew with ginger root and caramelized onions); Keye Wot (beef stew with chili sauce); Doro Wot (chicken stew); and Kitfo (minced beef). The cabbage and potatoes in the Vegetarian Combo are amazing as well, though the carb-​on-​carb action of wrapping injera around potatoes feels very naughty. Lastly, I recommend the Goden Tibs, which are fried short ribs and totally remind me of Chinese food in the best way possible.
Even on a Monday night, you may have to wait around, given Zenebech’s small quarters and lack of reservations. What I’ve done in the past is give them my name and number, then headed down to Showtime for a quick beer-​and-​shot combo while waiting to receive a text that my table is about ready. If you’re lucky, you may be able to grab one of the tables outside on the patio, which to me would make for an ideal summer evening.
Apart from Keren in Adams Morgan, Zenebech serves the best Ethiopian/​Eritrean in the city. The only advantage that Keren has is that it serves ful (bread and fava bean dip) all day, whereas Zenebech only has it in the mornings, sadly. Tip: eat all your leftovers quickly, since injera does NOT age well (it loses its crêpe-​y texture and just hardens like play-​dough).

This place was great. So let’s start off with convenience. I don’t believe they take reservations (from what I can remember). However, when you arrive, they take your name and party number and cell number. They will text you when your table is ready! Perfect for being able to explore other places in the area until you can indulge in the wonderful Ethiopian food.
The honey wine is always a plus. The dishes are great. The servers were nice and welcoming. The bathrooms were clean.
The restaurant is on the small and simple side, but don’t let that deter you from trying the great menu options.

This was my first time eating Ethiopian food and it was a very fun, tasty eating experience. All the food is eaten by hand using the sourdough Injera, which feels like moist skin. I thought everything was delicious, my friend who spent some time in Ethiopia told me the food and honey wine were both solidly mediocre.
The restaurant itself was pretty divey, with the bathrooms being on the slightly grimy side.
I liked the place, but would probably try a few different places out of curiosity before I come back.

«The dumpier it looks, the better the food tastes.» This place is a data point to support this principle.
I’m an Ethiopian food junky, and those of you who read my reviews know it’s my favorite cuisine. Whenever I’m in DC, I always use the opportunity to pig out on Ethiopian before I leave. Have found recently you should AVOID the U Street places, which have appalling price-​to-​portions (P2P) ratios. They suck in tourists who hear about the U Street Ethiopian restaurant cluster and shortchange those who don’t know any better.
Zenebach is right next to but out of that area, and you don’t have to put up with that nonsense. If you don’t know what any of the menu items are, I’d go for the safe doro wat option (chicken) or get a combo. I devoured the stuff and basically didn’t eat for the next 24 hours because it’s so filling (injera expands in your stomach).
I don’t get the comments about the service. Dude at the counter seemed really concerned that I didn’t like the coffee because I didn’t finish it. I was just too full even for that!!!

Food’s pretty good but not mind-​blowing. They double charged my card, so if you’ve eaten there, check your statements to make sure this hasn’t happened to you. Maybe a harmless error but the food’s not good enough to make me want to put that aside and come back.

Zenebach is a solid choice for Ethiopian in the District. I had a hard time picking three or four stars for this place.
We ordered a big ass plate for five people. There were 12 globs of food and one Lamb dish in the middle.
What I liked:
— It’s popular for a reason. Yummy Ethiopian cuisine and big bottles of honey wine. I’m sold!
— Good for groups. When I dined here, there were two big groups of at least 10 diners and everyone was accommodated.
What I didn’t like:
— It was a really cold day and the restaurant did not put on their heat. Most people in the restaurant kept their coats on because it was so cold.
— It would have been nice if the vegetarian dishes were put on one side. They were instead scattered on the plate. Some of the meat stews look similar to the vegetarian ones.
I like Zenebach, but Keren still wins the my heart for the tastiest Ethiopian food in town. Zenebach has an advantage in handling larger groups, but Keren has tastier food!

Not a fancy place but the food was great. I got the veggie sampler and a sambusa. I didn’t like the sambusa but the veggie sampler was outstanding. Lots of Ethiopian people were eating here so you know it’s good. Prices were really affordable too.

Amazing food, value and people!!! If I lived near here I’d go at least once a week.
The simplicity of the décor means that anyone can afford to eat here and walk away feeling like they stumbled upon a hidden gem.

My first meal in Washington DC and it was my first time trying Ethiopian food. I was so excited to give this place a try. To keep it short:
Service: 1/​5, it does not take 30 minutes to get your attention with a restaurant of less than 10 people.
Food: 1/​5, Azawe Tibs (lamb) with a side of veggies and spongy Injera bread. Lamb was pretty good and made up for the rest of the dish. The Injera bread was definitely not for me. It taste too iron like and sour. Had a sour feeling and was uncomfortable for the rest of my day. My boyfriend felt the same way. We went to Cosi to get a cup of warm tea to soothe our stomachaches afterwards.

I would not come back again.

I love Ethiopian food, and I was super happy when I finally tried this place. The restaurant has a casual appearance, so I passed this restaurant so many times without noticing it. My 2 friends and I ordered 3 dishes, which was the perfect amount. We ordered the vegetable combo, the awaze tibs (lamb), and the minced beef. All were so flavorful and went well together. I love eating the injera that was soaking in all the flavors/​sauces at the end. But be careful to not eat too much — this stuff expands in your stomach!

Santi and I came to this Ethiopian restaurant to meet a good friend for dinner. This establishment was formerly an injera bakery. The decent lighting, plain walls, tiled floors, and festive ambiance underscored our evening. Among the crowd of people, there were small tables spread across the floor before the bar and kitchen in the back. The cold weather outside and the lack of space to wait for a table was a challenge to us. Instead, we stayed inside by the bar sipping a glass of Honey Wine to keep warm and tried not to get in anyone’s way.
The Kitfo ($ 10) was made with raw minced beef marinated in mitmita, butter, and herbs. Unfortunately, the beef wasn’t as flavorful and complex as the one we had at Famous Ethiopian. The one-​dimensional raw taste worn out its luster after a while. We didn’t finish it.
On the flip side, the Lamb Awaze Tibs ($ 11.75) was sensational. Serving was too small and hard to share, but the small cubes of lamb were spicy and tender. The meat was nicely seasoned with awaze sauce, onions, garlic, jalapeño, and herbs. I wished the serving was more generous, but would recommend this to anyone who might want to dine here.
The Vegetarian Combo ($ 10) came with yellow split peas, red lentils, collard greens, cabbage, tomato salad, and chickpeas stew. Servings were small with decent flavors, but the wow factor was lacking. The usual suspects such as the yellow split peas, red lentils, and chickpeas stew were enjoyable. Despite all the food we ordered, there was still too much room left in between the items on the platter.
Service was warm, inviting, and friendly. We were pleasantly surprised that the food wasn’t greasy, but we’ve also had better experiences when comparing to other Ethiopian restaurants. I might consider coming for Ethiopian breakfast, but it is difficult to give them another chance given so many other options in the DC area.

First time coming and it was good. The joint is small, seems like a mom and pop joint. Since it’s so small, it stays cold all the time from the door opening and closing. The waiters are all very nice and accommodating. The food was good too! Not sure I’d come again because of the location but the food itself is authentic and very good.

Oh my god this place was so good. The wait was about 20min, the service is very genuine. It’s run by two brothers and their grandma/​mums in the kitchen. Not a thing on the plate wasn’t delicious though the standout was the beef, there are two versions and the nonspicy one had so much more depth in flavor. Atmosphere you can write off and it’s conveniently close to the Metro :)
tip when eating injera: this stuff expands with liquid so only eat until you are 75% full. I had the misfortune eating until I was pretty full, going out drinking, and then being seriously uncomfortable for the next 2 – 3 hours…

When I lived across the street from an Ethiopian spot, I’d go once every couple of weeks. Now that I got to make the trek, I knock back some injera once every couple of months.
Getting there — Yellow/​Green Shaw stop. There didn’t seem to be a whole lot of parking, but i’m sure if you had to…
Décor/​Ambiance — Some Ethiopian places try to be «transformative», this spot is more on the barebones side. A couple of things on the wall, but you don’t feel like you’ve been transported to Addis Ababa at all.
Crowd — A lot of locals (transplants, as what used to be one of the more «exciting» places in NW has become fairly gentrified). And a fair amount of Ethiopians. Everybody was watching the football game that particular Sunday. It’s actually a decent spot for Sunday brunch, with a fair amount of tables inside and out.
Service — There was one guy handling the register, taking the orders, and bringing out the food. Under that circumstance, you basically know that service is not going to be ideal.
Menu — All your favorites are here. They had «gored gored» which I don’t see too often. It’s like kitfo (steak tartar), but instead of being minced into essentially ground beef, you have centimeter squared cubes of beef instead.
I ordered the 50/​50, which came with 2 proteins and a vegetable.
— Gored Gored
— Awaze Tibs Lamb
— Hakim beer.
The beer was fairly good, a darker beer that meshed well with the heavy meats.
Gored Gored was among the best i’ve had, and I’d specifically go back here for that.
Lamb is lamb. When you stew lamb down, it can get tender or stringy. I like to put it on the grill myself.
In terms of spice — there was plenty of spice, but not really a lot of heat.
Greens — they were greens. Not really much to write home about on that one.
Decent Sunday lunch meal.

The food was a 4.5, but everything else was 1 or 2 stars.
Despite the store being nearly empty, service was slow and we were ignored for quite awhile before anyone came to take our order.
There were an absurd number of flies. Like… at least 10 around us while we were trying to eat. I have a soft spot for crappy little dives, but I draw the line at fighting flies for every bite.
As I said, the food itself was really good.

The food is plenty flavorful and generous portions. Lots of meat and veggie options alike. I enjoyed a good dinner here with friends. The place is on the small side so you really get squeezed in next to other tables. I think the prices are a bit high, but not so much that it would prevent me from coming back.
Note: Parking is just about impossible in this area, so take public transit if that is an option for you.

Unfortunately our last Saturday visit wasn’t as good as the first one. It was four of us and we were hungry. Our server didn’t even want to talk to us through the menu. We asked for a combo suggestion with meat and vegetables together. Our plate was %80 meat and very little vegetables. We wanted some explanation on what we are eating, he didn’t bother spearing ten seconds to tell us the ingredients. We found some cartilage parts in the meat that wasn’t pleasant either. I believe their vegetable combos are the best in their menu. Not to forget; the wait is very long– like around half an hour when they aren’t busy. Such a shame. It’s a great location and delicious injera.

Bless you Unilocal.I wanted Ethiopian food while in DC. Your recommendation gave me one of the best Ethiopian meals I’ve had.
This place is small, and on a Monday there were groups standing around, waiting on a table to open up.
We got a vegetarian combo and alicha wot. The Shiro peas, the red lentils (mesr wot?)…everything was delicious.
If you’re looking for quantity, this will satisfy too. Two of us couldn’t eat it all. Just the vegetarian combo would have sufficed.
I’d heard that the DC area was one of the best places in the country to find good Ethiopian food. My first try did not disappoint at all.

I was referred to this gem by cab drivers.
I think this is a perfect date spot… Despite patio furniture … Hear me out:
The Incredible flavors completely outweigh the décor… So you totally look like an insider. Two can eat for 22 dollars, each having a beer… You look really smart going here.
Don’t promote it too much though… I don’t want it to change!

This cozy, friendly restaurant makes you feel right at home. The injera is excellent, making a delicious vessel for all of the diverse and tasty treats you will consume. We got a chopped lamb dish, which was truly excellent, though very spicy. One order was more than enough for both of us, and we had plenty of leftovers.
Others around us got veggie plates, which I would love to try the next time I visit. Don’t miss out on this authentic and homey gem!

DC really changed, into a better shape in recent years — less pretentious, but more fun.
One of the changes I’m so happy to see is that there are so many Ethiopian restaurants everywhere, more authentic and less expensive than those in New York — thanks to the largest Ethiopian population in DC.
This is the hole in the wall restaurant but so delicious! Vege combo gave me the full satisfaction… ahh, I feel so happy even thinking of that meal.
Off topic joke — there are two restrooms there. If you want to have some laughs on plumbers, to go the one on the right…

What a gem tucked away in Shaw! The three of us shared the Mehaberawi (4 veggies and 4 meats) and a Derek Tibs with lamb. Three beers later, the total came out to only $ 18 per person!
The Mehaberawi had one of the most succulent chicken leg I’ve ever had. We initially left the chicken leg alone because we didn’t know how to eat it with the injera, but turns out the leg was so tender you could scoop the meat right off. I do think that the veggies in this dish could not hold up well next to the meats, and their flavor intensity was easily overshadowed. However, the meats were so delicious anyway. As another Unilocaler noted, I would eat a salad for lunch if I plan to come to Zenebech for dinner.
The Derek Tibs was so interesting! The dried lamb was like a jerky, a little chewy but not tough. It was my favorite meat of the five. If you love smoky, gamey meat, this one is for you! The two dishes were a tad too salty, so I strongly suggest getting soda or beer to wash it down.
While I would bring out-​of-​town guests to other Ethiopian restaurants for better ambience, I would come to Zenebech in a heartbeat whenever I want just a good, homey meal where I can pig out to my heart’s content.

Someone once told me that DC has the largest population of Ethiopians in the world outside of Ethiopia. Given this stunning fact, if you live in DC you definitely have to try this fantastic cuisine at least once. Or you should visit Ethiopia so you can appreciate the culture but I think just coming to a restaurant on 7^th and T would be a better start.
Zenzebach is definitely one of the best Ethiopian spots in DC. Don’t go in expecting anything other than delicious food and homely service. I have been many times and on this occasion I went on a Saturday afternoon for lunch. The restaurant had 3 other tables occupied but the cashier/​manager/​waiter/​busboy (see the homeliness!) was promptly at our table with a menu. We got some honey wine and a veggie sambusa as an appetizer. The sambusa was good and had a nice crispy texture on the outside.
We got the doro wot and the fish dulet for meat entrees. We also got a side of the lentils. We got everything extra spicy because that’s how we roll. The food was all delicious and we probably over did it with the ordering since we had plenty of leftovers! Everything was delicious! If you have never had injera it’s like a spongy bread that you scoop up the food with.
All in all, Zenzebach is a delicious spot in the Shaw area. It is also veggie friendly so I would recommend to anyone!