Hawwi Ethiopian Restaurant

The woman who provided service to me was very warm, polite and accommodating. I recommend others get the spicy tea along with your meal, as that is very nice. I ordered Combo 2, which comes with Doro watt (chicken stew) and key watt (beef stew) and two of their many vegan options. I chose yellow split peas and collared greens. The food was really good and I enjoyef it and the atmosphere a lot. My only slight issues is that I felt the beef in the key watt could have been stewed longer to make it more tender and allow the spices to penetrate into the meat a little more, and in my opinion the collared greens could have been slightly saltier. For dessert, I had their rice pudding and it was quite nice and subtle.

My friend and I popped in here after seeing in walking around. The food was amazing and the service was too. Cannot express how much we liked this place. They were also very accommodating with food allergies/preferences. Several option were gluten free and/or vegetarian. Potions were huge. I literally got 4 meals out of mine.

This place was great their food, service and atmosphere was very relaxing. We tried their vegetarian and vegan plates and were impressed by the flavors. We are not vegan or vegetarian however we try to give each food a try and mix it up often. The baklava and their coffee excellent choices for dessert. Overall a nice experience and a delight to the senses. This type of food is delicious and simple looking but packed with all the nutrients you need. We highly recommend this location for the whole family.

Excellent food and service. It’s also halal. We go the queen combo but the stews weren’t enough for me and husband so we ended up ordering more beef stew.

We love Hawwi. Food is delicious and the family who run the place are so kind. Takeout from here is great and we always used to do that. Recently we've been coming for dinner on Friday nights. It's easy, laid back, and always a great meal. Also, the prices seem really great for how much you get.

Not only food is authentic but the service is great! Me and my husband had the queen combo and the food was flavorful. I highly suggest recommend this restaurant.

I want to give this a full 5*, but I can't just because it was soooo blazing hot! I am a wuss, but did my best! I could tell the flavor was there and it was fantastic, but there were some things I couldn't eat more than a bite off because it set my mouth on fire! My friend loved it, so that's great. I wish they would have made suggestions or mentioned certain things are spicier than others. It was my first time having Ethiopian food. Tasty, but so hot! 🔥 The meat Sambusas were amazing, though, and not too spicy!

Great local Ethiopian restaurant with great service. I highly recommend the Queen Combo if you have two people. You get to try a little of multiple dishes! Oh, and it’s BYOB.

I've had Ethiopian so many times at various spots and have not had a bad experience yet. This is a hidden gem/hole in the wall! We were greeted warmly and attended to promptly throughout our meal admidst a relaxing atmosphere. My friend and I shared a combo platter and enjoyed all the flavors. Would recommend to anyone seeking Ethiopian food!

Got some lunch from here today! Walked in was not busy at all. Very friendly people asked me if I needed a menu. I ordered the Doro wat which is stewed chicken, to go. The place is quiet with plenty of seating. So when I got home it was good but it didn't have pop of flavor that it usually has but it was still good. I did eat some with my hands but ended up with the fork. Good place I may try again.

My new fav place! Great Ethiopian food and lots of it! The staff were excellent and was proud of their offerings. Great!

This is a small mom and pop place in Old Town. BYOB if you want adult beverages with your meal. They'll give a bottle of water with your meal. The place was busy inside along with what seemed to be a very busy take out service. Had the Awaze Tibs. You pick your sides. It was all delicious. Will definitely make this a regular stop.

This place will give you the real authentic Ethiopian experience- some people will eat.....and some will not. Came here with my family and we sat down and placed our orders. The waitress brought out some of our food and then never came back. After 10 min we inquired with the waiter and he said that the cook didn't see our orders. Then he apologized and walked away. Are you kidding me????? How about "oh I'm very sorry - let me get that order placed again and get it right out to you". I felt like the unlucky one waiting all day in the Red Cross food line, and the guys with machine guns just cut it off and steal it for the warlord. Only come here if you want to visit Ethiopia without visiting Ethiopia

The food is wonderful, love eating ethnic foods. Freshly made. The lady is always so sweet every time we dine, very friendly and great customer service. The place appears clean and I like the feel of the restaurant. Home-like and inviting, feels very family oriented.

Homey, friendly, great food. From the outside it looks like a dark hole in the wall, but don't let that deter you! We went for my father in laws bday and the restaurant made him feel special and right at home. Love places like this! We ordered the veg sampler and fish goulash, all was excellent. The goulash was spicy in a comforting way and they fish was tender. As with all Ethiopian platters, it's fun to eat by hand & create your perfect bites. My favorite "bite" was the enjera with fish, red lentils, cabbage and the hot sauce. I'm not a dessert person, but the lemonade cake amazing! "Easy" street parking (similar to anywhere in old town). Restaurant is right on the corner of Queen & N Lafayette.

Hawwi is a nice hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Old Town, but not the main part where everything else is. My friend and I got dinner earlier today and we were seated immediately without a reservation. The servers were nice and helpful when we asked for recommendations. I also liked that they gave us Deer Park water bottles here instead of tap! SUPER COMBO - 30.95 My friend and I shared this and it was much more food than we needed. The super combo came in a huge platter filled with lots of marinated meats and vegetables and a big plate of injera on the side. Each order comes with three meats - doro wot (chicken's stew with drumstick), chicken infillay, and key wot (red beef stew) - and four vegan options from their vegan sampler. For our four options, we got red lentils, yellow lentils, chickpea puree, and spinach & potato. I liked all of the meats for different reasons. The beef was tender and flavorful, and I liked how easily the chicken came off the drumstick. The marinades for all three were different and delicious. The vegan options were super tasty. The red lentils were a spicier version of the yellow lentils (?) I think, and I enjoyed the spices that went into it. The chickpea puree had such a smooth texture, probably my favorite vegan option. I also enjoyed the spinach & potato. There was so much injera and we weren't able to finish all of our food. The portions here are huge. Overall, pretty good option for Ethiopian in the area!

Don't be put off by the unprepossessing exterior - it's basically a brick box with glass block windows. Because once you step in, you're guaranteed a delicious meal for a steal. Once inside, admire the pretty interior with the mural on one wall, nice lighting, comfortable seating. The menu has something for everyone - carnivores, vegetarians and vegans. You can't go wrong, but if this is your first time eating Ethiopian food, go for one of the combos. You get a little bit of everything! And it's honestly a lot of food - you'll walk away fully sated. Everything is spiced beautifully, with so much flavor, and a wide variety of textures. Try the teff injera - it's thicker and tastier than regular injera, and won't fall apart when you scoop up stew with it. We cleaned our plates, and then hung out with some tea and dessert. The dessert isn't anything super special but we did enjoy the lemonade cake and the rice pudding, and the chai. It was mostly an excuse to sit around and talk and catch up with friends. Highly recommend, go order everything!

I cannot recommend this restaurant enough! The only thing that disappointed me about this visit is that we waited far too long to return to this restaurant! The food and the service is above and beyond what we expected both times we have visited. THIS is a place we plan on visiting much more often! This visit was in celebration of my partner's birthday. He wanted Ethiopian cuisine and reminded how great of a time we had the first time we came here. Wow, Hawwi did NOT disappoint! Please support this wonderful establishment and enjoy the delicious food and lovely service.

Hawwi is seriously great. When I'm craving Ethiopian food, THIS is what I crave. Too bad I don't live in DC :( I haven't tried other Ethiopian restaurants around this city, but Hawwi is my favorite of all the Ethiopian food I've had in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Lancaster. Their kitfo really blew me away. It's super flavorful and not too oily. The spices taste a bit different than other places, and I love it! We also tried their vegan sampler, which was excellent. Great injera texture too! We came for a weekday lunch, so the restaurant was empty. Service was friendly and the paintings on the walls are beautiful. If we lived closer, we'd come all the time. I wouldn't even be writing this review because I'd be on my way over right now.

First visit to Hawwi won't be the last! Owner very helpful in guiding our choices. Food was great! It was 4th of July so it was a quiet day just after noon. We took home our extra injera along with some baklava. We love Ethiopian cuisine so this meal really hit the spot!

Wonderful experience, service, and of course - the food! Ethiopian is my top choice for going out in the DC area, and I will for sure come back. The feel of Hawwi is welcoming, there were many families eating there, and overall had a great atmosphere for a weekend date. Thank you Hawwi!!

We were staying downtown Washington and took the Metro to this place. Not too far of a walk from the station. It was a new experience for me. The waiter was very helpful in explaining the meals. The other patrons were helpful too. We ordered the queen combo which had a variety of items, appetizers and drinks. We ordered the hot ginger tea -- amazing. The food was ever so tasty if we lived here this restaurant truly would be a go to place. Service was splendid

My favorite spot I have been coming here since 2020 I used to come with my best friend Ashraf all the time he has passed away since, but I continue to come with my baby! He absolutely loves the injera This place is by far the best! great food and customer service the Chai tea is also one of the best I always get the queen sampler and it's the best

Ate here some time ago. Safe location and the host was very pleasant and answered questions about the menu because it was my first time eating Ethiopian dishes. The food was excellent and my boss and I, oops I meant my wife and I enjoyed our meals and would definitely visit again. I am certain you will enjoy the food and hospitality as well.

A fantastic place for Ethiopian food! Loved the huge variety of dishes. I got the Vegan Platter Sampler and it was a HEFTY portion for one person! A lot of delicious dishes including a Beet/potato mix, Lentil dish, spicy lentil dish, collard greens, green beans, and more and lastly a lovely Injera bread. Also comes with small spicy green condiment which I loved! I've always enjoyed Ethiopian food and injera might be a taste adjustment for many Americans but you can learn to love it. Service was very prompt (although I did take mine to go). Ambiance is pretty lacking--a standard casual joint, nothing special here. Don't expect anything fancy but not to worry the food speaks for itself.

Amazing small family business! This is a hidden gem, especially for Alexandria. You can't go wrong with any items on the menu. I tried to make a reservation online but they never responded. However, I called that day to double check and they were able to reserve my spot. Again, small family business. I was with a group of 6 and we got 4 entrees and the Timatim salad. The veggie mix is basically spiced mushrooms and onions. It is more of a side dish than anything given the lack of protein, but very still tasty. The Tilapia was the winner of the night with its rich and complex sauce. As for sides, the yellow lentils were the best. The potato options are good too, but the portion could be a tad bigger. 4 entrees was perfect for the 6 of us. We definitely finished everything, but only because of how good it all was! Can't wait to come back or order takeout.

Food was great and very authentic. The waiter was amazing and made great conversation. You can tell this is a super family oriented business and I def recommend for good Ethiopian food.

About me: I am not Ethiopian, but attended an Ethiopian church in Texas for a few months while living there. And also had Ethiopian coworkers during that time with whom I became close that would make homemade food for me (salads, veggie dishes, fresh injera, etc.). This was my introduction to Ethiopian food in 2017. I currently reside in Korea, have close Ethiopian friends there, and found the places where Ethiopians frequent and thus, so do I (regularly). Thus, even though I have never been to Ethiopia, I think I have a palate for proper and acceptable Ethiopian food. I last went to my favourite vegan spot in November '23 and as I'm visiting home, I was missing one of my favourite foods and excited to take my dad who does not regularly eat Ethiopian food. I saw several good reviews on Google and decided to backburn the one review by an Ethiopian that said the food was "okay" and try it out. My experience: I ordered the vegan sampler with regular expectations and suggested my dad get the Awaze Chicken Tibs (he also got the collard greens and the cabbage and potato for his sides). My food came on a partial injera piece with a plate of extra injera for us both on the side. I've never received food in this manner, I'm used to receiving it on the full circle of injera, but I'm not Ethiopian so I let it pass. Then I tried the food. All of it was bland. The most bland Ethiopian food I'd ever had (sans one poor experience in a new Ethiopian restaurant in Korea - that place closed down in a few months, so I'm not lying). I was confused and upset. The collard greens were okay, but everything else was confusing. The temperature of the food was not that warm, which if the food was flavourful, I would have let go. But it was just becoming a bland, not warm/not hot eating experience. I called over the owner (who does seem sweet, I will say) and explained that I am very familiar with the food and asked if she held back the seasoning because we are in the States. She said the food is always like this. Okay. I mean, what can I say? To me, even if I had never tried Ethiopian food in my life or was not a regular consumer, I believe that I would still note the extreme blandness. My dad also said that the collar greens were good but that his cabbage and potatoes were bland (and he has only had Ethiopian food once 30 years ago). So...now I am just looking for reviews from Ethiopian people alone on this topic when searching for an Ethiopian restaurant. Final Outcome: I only like to consume food that is good and good for me. So I stopped eating and gave it back. The owner (I only interacted with the woman) was nice and she took my food off of our bill. Honestly, I feel like she probably knows how to cook. I don't know who the cook is. But whoever they are, they probably know how to cook well. They just are not presenting that there. My dad liked his Awaze chicken though.

amazing experience. the restaurant, the food, the owners were all amazing. beware that some of the food had some spice heat to it. i tried one of their combos and when some of it was a little too hot for me, they prepared me a little something extra on the side that was tamer. overall, amazing place and amazing food!

I wish they served water that isn't a plastic bottle of water. The food was really tasty though! We ordered several of vegetarian options and enjoyed all of them. Service was very friendly and prompt. When we're next craving Ethiopian, we'll definitely keep Hawwi on our list of options!

It appears to be a small family business with excellent food and service for a fair price. This was our first time dining here and we invited another couple to join us. We were all impressed by the service. One would have thought we were long time customers instead of first time customers the way we were greeted. Bottled water is standard at no extra charge. It is not fancy from the outside and has basic tables and chairs inside with hand painted murals on the walls but, the food and service more than make up for that. We will be going back.

Great food! Vegetarian sampler platter was ready quickly. Engaged and personable service.

I came here with friends. A few of them never had Ethiopian food before and everybody enjoyed it! I love their veggie sampler. It was so colorful, flavorful and filling! But at this restaurant, my most favorite was their ginger tea. Unbelievably strong ginger flavor in the tea with a hint of sweetness. All my friends loved it. The restaurant is relatively small and family owned? Very friendly staff. We had a great time.

Rating: 4.5 I have FINALLY found a Ethiopian spot that has injera deemed to be worthy of serving. Literally 90% of the Ethiopian restaurants here have the blandest and most tasteless injera. I don't know if it's cause they think foreigners can't handle the sourdough flavor, but it's always the reason I never go back to an establishment: tasteless injera that doesn't have enough Teff Flour. But Hawwi? First one in a long line of restaurants that made me smile like a homemade cuisine. Hawwi not only offers gluten free injera options, but also their normal injera. Why this is important is because GF injera is even more sour than their normal offering since it's 100% Teff Flour. With that being said, just get their regular injera as it is spot on and compliments every dish very well. As much as I appreciated the GF flavor, it was very dry and chalky. I'm assuming it's because people may rarely get it the bread may have been old. The Injera also came with a side of a very fresh green pepper salsa that was absolutely amazing. Reminded me of a fresher verde salsa that was not only spicy but refreshing. I ordered a few of their meat dishes and a veggie combo platter and we devoured the whole spread in 15 minutes. There was no time for talking. This is my favorite Ethiopian spot to date in VA. Homemade is still better so will keep searching.

I want to start by saying the food here was EXCELLENT, (5 stars) however, the service gets 1 star. This was our first visit to this restaurant and we waited an hour and 10 minutes for our food before asking on the status and were told they'd given it to another table. During this time we did not receive the drinks or appetizers we had ordered, nor did we get an update on when our food would arrive. While the staff was very apologetic for the mix up, they did nothing concrete to remedy our situation. We left before our drinks were served because we were in a hurry, but were still charged for them. I had hoped they would offer to discount our meal or offer a free meal to return in the future. We arrived at 6:20 thinking we had plenty of time to eat and make it to a nearby show at 8pm. We hurried to eat the food when it finally arrived and, needless to say, we were late for the snow. It seemed that they were doing a brisk take out business which seemed to be taking priority over in-restaurant patrons. While this may explain the slowness of service it is not an excuse. I'm not sure we would return because of this disappointing experience, as delicious as the food was.

I don't have pics as I was too busy stuffing my face. The first dish I tried to order was spicy, I was told, therefore I ended up ordering the. Doro Wot which was mild. It was good, but I think ordering something mild took away a little bit of the flavor. Still tasty though. The waitress allowed me to add some beef since the original dish did not include that. She was very accommodating, and I appreciate that. I really love the atmosphere of this restaurant. The guy who served us was so gentle and kind. This place really is a gem. Try them out! Also, I'm a germaphobe & this place was so clean. The corners of the floor....no dust. I will ask to move tables if I'm sat near a dust railing, shelf, or anything. You can tell they don't leave any surface un-wiped here.

Excellent, authentic food. We had the Combo #1, Combo #2, and vegan sampler. All of the split pea and lentil vegan dishes were excellent. I wish more vegan sides were included in the other combos! But you can add then quite affordably.

I have been going here since they first opened. I really do love the food. I almost always get the combo #2. I've since moved but I'll be back in town in a week and a half. Totally planning to stop by for a takeaway order! If you like spicy ask for the green sauce. It's amazing.

It was decent Ethiopian food. The collards were underwhelming, but that might just be my poor choice. Overall, I have had better.

Some vegetarian variety of spicy foods sounds good to balance out all of the fried foods consumed during this trip so far. It's BYOB here. They charge a meal tax of 11% here, added to your bill at the end. The state tax is 6%, part of the 11%. Their meal tax is 5%. Nothing around here with the larger platter I am used back at home, but this place looked good and had a good 4 star rating. The woman waiting on us seemed nice enough. She warmed up to us over our visit and even joked with us some towards the end too. We started off with one order of the vegan samplers, awaze chicken tibs and an order of the GF injera. The GF injera is $3 extra. They charged us $6 for two of us. I would have ordered just one since I don't eat the injera. Keep that in mind when ordering. They brought us out a house salad before we ordered anything and two bottles of water too. The house salad looked a bit flat, no jalapeños. That's a different house salad. They use iceberg for the salads here. The dressing is just herbs, it's dry, no actual dressing at all. It came in a thin plastic square bowl. I wasn't sure if they were being used as disposable or if that's what's normally used, non-pandemic. The salad was a bit lack luster for me. I was glad I didn't order a separate salad now. The GF injera looks good, wouldn't know it was GF. It comes with a ramekin of minced jalapeños. The GF injera has a lemon flavor to it. The lentils are spicier than usual, but all are good. Everything tasted good, different overall taste to every dish than what I was used to and most were quite spicy, but flavorful. The chicken is and the spicy red lentil were both wgood. The heat lingers after each bite. The lock door on the bathroom is like Fort Knox, no ones going to be breaking in while you do your thing. Each portion was on the small size, which would be okay if it were an all you can eat spot, which it is not. I guess that's what you get for $16 for the vegetarian platter. The chicken portion wasn't bad, but it clearly states we get 2 vegetarian dishes with the chicken order ($15), didn't see any bigger single portion of any two of the veggie dishes at all.

I had the vegetarian platter. All of the vegetarian food was nice and tasty. The service was great.

Such delicious food and such great service! The flavors were amazing!!! Looking forward to our next dinner.

Lovely owners. Unfortunately the food just wasn't for us. We love different cuisines. Had high expectations from reviews and ranking but flavor was average. The chicken was seasoned well and tasty. We threw away our leftovers which we never do. Came as tourists and usually trust Yelp reviews but I don't think this warrants the high ranking it has. We wish we'd gone elsewhere. Just a warning unless you really love Ethiopian.

The restaurant was nice and clean and the meal we ordered was perfect for 4. I liked that they added the gomen, and misir wot on the sides which most Ethiopian restaurants don't do (they may add a tomato and lettuce salad but thats all). Our server was the owner and he took really good care of us. Would definitely recommend!

The vegetarian sampler platter was excellent. Nice mix of lental, greens, and veggie dishes to try. The service was great, and I received my food right away. Everyone was very friendly, and they came and checked on me several times. The price was very reasonable for the amount of food and variety. I will definitely come back again.

This place was amazing! We got the super combo and it was definitely enough to feed three people! The flavors of the food were amazing and it was a great ambiance within the restaurant. Service was quick and we got the whole restaurant to ourselves which was nice too.

We came here for lunch on a Sunday and we were the only ones in the restaurant. I don't understand why this place wasn't packed. The owners (at least I think they were the owners) were very friendly and the food was great. We order 2 sambusas, one super combo with an extra injera. This was more than enough food for three people. So the value is also great. Definitely one of the must-try halal spots in the DMV

I've been here a few times and always enjoyed the warm hospitality at this establishment. Staff is very kind and goes above and beyond to serve their customers. During COVID-19, I read an article about how to eat world cuisine from the comfort of your home, which reminded me how many restaurants in old town & del ray serve international cuisine. I ordered the chicken & beef combo with 2 veggies, an egg, via door dash. Food was tasty, was plenty for 2 meals for me. The entree was $15. It came with 2 fresh injera breads. The order was delivered hot and in 30 minutes total. That's pretty awesome. The side salad was okay, not the freshest but edible. I am thankful that this restaurant has not increased their prices as most restaurants has. Door dash menu prices were the same as their regular menu. Highly recommend this restaurant!

The restaurant has a casual but nice ambience. This appears to be a mom and pop type of restaurant and appears to serve authentic Ethiopian. I was going to order the Lega Tibs (the lamb tibs), but was directed to try the Awaze Tibs based on the recommendation of the owner. It was wonderful. The injera here is excellent as well. There was a lot of meat for one person. I was hoping instead to get a bit of the Ethiopian lentils which I love, but alas they didn't come with the meal. The spices were also just right. Had a good kick, but nothing overwhelming. The food took about 20 mins to prepare so the owner's wife came out and profusely apologized. I told her that this didn't bother me at all, as I was in no rush at all (I guess lots of folks that come here must treat is as a fast food place --- surprising). If you are in the Old Towne Alexandria area, I'd recommend giving it a try.

Great food and affordable. very authentic and nice ambience. I highly recommend! I like it and I'm definitely coming back!

I ordered the Vegan Combo to-go today. It was very quiet since there were only 2 tables being served. As I waited for my food, all I heard from the back was the "beep beep" of a microwave going off...door open, closes, beep beep! Microwave cycle over again. After a few minutes of microwave cycles, my food comes out. Ummm why is everything being reheated in a MICROWAVE?! There was no kitchen sounds, no clinking of pans, no smell of fresh food on the stove. $22 for some old microwaved veggies. The food was beyond BLAND, 1 of 10 items had little spice while everything else tasted stale, unseasoned & the texture of microwaved reheated food. Very disappointing & I will take my money back to Nazret or Cherche for FRESH food with flavor. I've had jarred baby food with more flavor than this place. Never again.

Great food and excellent service! I will return for more and recommend others enjoy a meal or two at Hawwi, too!

This is a hidden gem tucked in the residential part of Old Towne. The food was excellent. We ordered the Queen Combo, which gives you the experience of both vegetarian and meat options. The injera bread was soft and very filling. I loved the experience of Ethiopian coffee with my dinner! Highly recommend this place.

Dropped into Hawwi on a recent trip to DC and I was not disappointed. Ethiopian food is one of my favorites and I've had as often as I can from La to NYC and everywhere in between. On my recent trip o tried the Awaze beef tibs and the kitfo (minced beef tartare). Both were delicious, but the show stopper was the kitfo! It was the best I had in all of my travels--100%. The service was also impeccable at this establishment. All around 5 star Ethiopian cuisine served authentically and to the highest quality and standard.

My wife daughter and I got the super combo at the suggestion of the owner. The owner was our server and cook! The food tasted like amazing home cooking. Super flavorful and the injera (bread) paired with it was a match made in heaven. We also got coffee. It was dark, rich, and almost creamy. May be the best coffee I've had. I need to figure out how to make it. Try this place it's amazing!

This review is on behalf of my lady. I surprised her and her best friend a hotel delivery at the Wyndham for a late lunch yesterday. She mentioned she wanted Ethiopian food again since they ate there a few days ago. This is the only place she's enjoyed while out there. I ordered two Vegan plate with Injera. Also a chicken dish for her best friend. Since she's not vegan. My lady being from Oakland loves Ethiopian food since we have Ethiopian/Habesha friends. I personally am a huge fan. Delivery arrived on time and she mentioned it's seems like delivery has more portions. Over all, I got a phone call of appreciation. They both love the food from this place. Im keeping this on the list, since we may be going here in the future.

I visited DC during New Years. I was specifically looking for mom and pop restaurants around my hotel. I found this place on Yelp. Hawwi did not disappoint. Upon entering, we were greeted by a nice gentleman (maybe the owner). I ordered combo 1 with cabbage & potatoes, collard greens, and another side and meat sambusas as an appetizer. I also had mango juice as my drink. The sambusas had SO MUCH flavor. I prefer the beef over the chicken. It had just the right amount of kick to it. I enjoyed my whole entire meal. I actually finished my plate with not one morsel left on my plate. That's new for me. Lol. The only thing I didn't enjoy was the mango juice. It was thick. I know it was fresh and made to order. I was expecting artificial juice and they came out with the real deal. I ended my meal with 2 slices of cake to take home. The chocolate cake was rich and delicious. I should've gotten another slice. The vanilla lemonade cake was light and refreshing. Hawwi really impressed me. This was my first time trying Ethiopian cuisine but definitely not my last!