John B.
Yelp
Certainly, the U Street area has been a destination for Ethiopian food for a long time. But it's a changing neighborhood, and after a wave of development, this new restaurant seems almost a throwback. Small and unimpressive inside, and lightly staffed, but nonetheless offering impressive renditions of the things one expects. It was not populated by cab drivers as many local Ethiopian places have been, and I thought it a sign of the times that despite arriving with a beard, a salmon pink shirt, and my roundish Australian glasses, I was the least hipster person there.
The larger of the two veggie combos they offer lets you choose seven options from their various strews. They don't let you get shiro, which is a fantastic spicy one that is similarly set aside by many Ethiopian places, probably for some cultural reason I don't understand. That leaves eight options, so you're basically getting everything but one (or doubling up on your favorites). Nonetheless, when I ordered, the proprietor just brought me all eight to try, and I must say that the eighth which I had opted to forgo, the whole lentils, was delicious. For that matter, the other seven all delivered as well, from the beets I am normally hit or miss on, to the spicy green beans and red hot lentils, to the cabbage and greens that made it a round meal. Everything was served on a huge injera, with another of the distinctively spongy flatbreads on the side for dipping. The option is given to order more or to get them gluten-free, but I found the included bread satisfactory. If you want an introduction to the range of flavors Ethiopian can offer, this is a good one. I had designs on dessert afterwards, but gave up due to being stuffed; I'd suggest ordering the smaller veggie combo or splitting the big dishes if you aren't starving.
The downside for me that with only one person waiting on several tables, it was a rather slow evening, and it took a while to even get water when I ran out while downing the spiciest portion. Also, I rather wish they offered their sambusas vegetarian. That being said, it was probably the best Ethiopian restaurant experience I've had; food and value were great and I'd happily be back.