Ebenezer Ethiopian Restaurant

Had a huge craving for Ethiopian food yesterday (1÷18÷16) but found most restaurants were closed — or opened at 4:30 on Mondays — so I tried this one. Called first to make sure they would be open –said they would open at 11 — I got there at 11:58 & the door was locked — knocked on the door & the guy said they didn’t open until 12 (???) then he said — oh — you’re here for food? and let me in — I looked at the menu & it was an old single sheet of white paper inside a dirty plastic cover with about 4 dishes on it — and very little variety. The place was kind of sketchy & I wasn’t sure if it was actually a real restaurant — seemed like just a guy & his 2 year old hanging out — & there was a funny smell to the place –so I split — went to Dukem instead –I think it was a wise choice. Would have stayed if the menu had been more extensive.

Excellent vegetarian platter that is more than enough for 2 people for $ 9!

I am only taking out a star because the place is very small and could use some renovation. This was my first time having Ethiopian food, and I will definitely try it again. Although the menu could use some improvement (misspelled), the food was great. I agree with all the reviews that say that beef and lamb tips are the best. I recommend this restaurant, but make sure you go there at a time that wouldn’t be busy; otherwise you will find yourself waiting because this place only fits 10 – 12 people total.

I’ve had Ethiopian food only a handful of times so I am by no means an expert but this place was good. The portions are very large. We ordered the tibs awaze and the vegetarian combo platter and it was more than enough for the three of us with some to spare. I was a little suspicious upon walking in because this place is literally the epitome of «hole in the wall» and I’m usually always down for low-​key places but you almost feel like you walked into someone’s living quarters (I wouldn’t doubt if it actually is) and the space is so small that you could hear the next table’s conversation word-​for-​word awkwarddd.
The lady who is a one woman show took our order and was very pleasant. She then proceeded to the back to cook the food and then served it to us. The food comes out on a spongy type of bread and you just dig right in with your God-​given chopsticks aka your fingers (they don’t give out utensils). I guess I can see how they cut down on their costs and put it right back into the customer’s pockets. It’s an amazing deal! The spice from the beef and the acidity of the veggies helped a lot because you can only eat so much of that spongy bread without starting to feel a little queasy. I’m craving it again just writing this review. I’ll be back in the near future!

This place was so good!!! Best Ethiopian I’ve been to in Baltimore and beyond. We were 4 vegetarians and we got the vegetarian platter which they doubled for us. Everything was fantastic! Not a fancy place but who cares when the food is so good?!

Great food in a really small house-​like restaurant. The owner there was so nice to us. Me and two girlfriends came on a Tuesday night and wasn’t packed at all. The best part about this place will probably have to be the food in comparison to the prices. It’s a lot of food… And you walk away without barely a chip in your wallet. Flavors are great throughout in all the dishes we ordered. Veggie platter was perfect to go with the meat. I don’t remember what it is called but she does this tossed tomato salad that tastes so fresh and clean and complements the food so well.
Overall good atmosphere. Do not come looking for a high class experience here. The restaurant is humble and down to earth. But the food really delivers. Will definitely be coming back in the future.

Great food in a VERY small, out-​of-​the-​way location. I will definitely go back.

After living in the Ogaden for three months I searched many places throughout DC and Baltimore for good Ethiopian. The result have varied wildly, but Ebenezer stands out on top as the closest I could find to the local restaurants in Werder. All they need is goat on the menu :(
The place is a hole in the wall, but… ethiopia. Even so, something to be said about dining in– the dishes come out together on a huge platter that looks as awesome as it tastes. And you aren’t inclined to cheat and us utensils.

Hello Everyone! I stopped by to this small restaurant while I was driving to PA from VA after looking on Unilocal for Ethiopian restaurants. It has great ratings and its price are not as expensive as most places I know in DC, MD & VA; min $ 6.00 max $ 11.99 as of 9÷28÷15. I got 3 to go with 8 Injera (Ethiopian flat bread). Even if I didn’t pre ordered the food ahead, they managed to make sure I get all I needed. They have excellent customer service regardless of their small size and limited number of staff. Cheers, AT.

One of the best Ethiopian meals I have had. Clean Home spun. They made the ingira without wheat flour fresh for me (am gluten free). Nothing fancy. Just excellent food cooked with love.

Whenever I’m in the mood for something healthy, filling, hot, and fast this Ethiopian joint hits the spot. Take away only — I can’t say I would sit and dine in.
Menu highlights include the vegetarian plate and the lamb. The tibs are crispy and flavorful — just to my liking.
I’m not sure how long they’ve been in business but they’re going to be getting a lot of my money. For take out in Pigtown — this might be #1.

Firstly, the restaurant is very small. Its definitely a «hole in the wall». It was clean, but looked a little dingy. My son and I went there on a Thursday evening and we were the only customers there. This was our first time eating Ethiopian food, so we asked the lady waiting on us to recommend something. We decided on the beef tibs. It came on the Ethiopian bread with carrot/​potato/​cabbage mix, a spicy tomato/​onion mix, and collard greens. The cabbage mix was delicious. I would have eaten the spicy tomatoes, but they were too spicy for me (my stomach cant handle spicy). The beef tibs had a good flavor; they were just really tough. The collards were flavorless.
Would I go back… maybe. The lady that waited on us was really nice and made sure that we enjoyed our meal. I would want to try another place so that I can compare Ebenezer’s with them.

Excellent, unassuming spot. I had the lamb tibs, just a quick bite for lunch, and it was delicious. I foresee frequent visits to this little hole in the wall.

Bottom Line: The food is solid, but not amazing, or the best Ethiopian food I’ve ever had. The restaurant was clean enough for me, but I could see how the ambience might be off-​putting to others.
Food
A group of three of us went, and we ordered the TIBS awaze and the vegetarian platter. The two dishes, plus the four giant pieces of injera that the proprietress gave us were more food than the three of us could finish. The vegetarian dishes (spicy lentils, especially) were very tasty, more so than the meat dishes included with the TIBS awaze, and the meat chunks were tough. The injera was not as sour as I like, but it was fine.
I suspect that the food is cooked in advance, because they’re various stews and that can be reheated before they’re served, so they don’t seem extremely fresh.
Parking
It was difficult for us to find parking near the restaurant. Many of the nearby streets have permit parking and the metered parking on the same street as the restaurant were all taken. The free parking across the street was 1-​hour only. We ended up parking a block or two north of the restaurant on a north-​south street nearby.
Ambience
Unfortunately, the first thing that I noticed upon entering this restaurant was that it didn’t smell great. This could be because the restaurant is one small room, and the bathroom is connected to it. It also has the appearance of an older space, kind of like a convenient store with unflattering fluorescent lighting, so it somehow feels dirty, even if it might be clean.
No one else was in the restaurant (although it was a Thursday without a sporting event), except for people who appeared to be family or friends of the owner. Read what you will from this, and decide if this would be okay with you.
Service
Our order was taken promptly, and we were checked on once, which was fine for our purposes. The woman serving us was very friendly.

You won’t find a more affordable, delicious, exotic, and urban-​homey place! yumtastic
A dinner under $ 20 fed us for two days… we arrived late one week-​day evening in a snow storm and were treated to a sweet ample dinner prepared with kindness and humanity. The children of the proprietress had just had a birthday party two days earlier and still seemed happy about it. We loved the whole experience. be prepared to confront real people here and be treated well. Yes veggie platter! Only thing we didn’t like was the big TV…

Delicious. The first Ethiopian food I’ve ever had was here. I’ve only been to one other place since, so I don’t have much to compare it to, but I really don’t see how it could get much better than this. The entrees are a TON of food, and to me the best way to go is to order a few to split among multiple people. The beef tibs and lamb tibs are great (for what it’s worth, they’re almost indistinguishable). But the star is the Tibs Awaze. If you don’t like spicy food, it’s not for you, but if you do it’s incredible. The sides are good too, especially the lentils and the tomato/​pepper mix that’s almost like a pico de gallo.
Know going in that if you’re planning on eating there, it’s going to feel like you’re essentially eating in someone’s house. It’s not your typical restaurant vibe. But the cook/​owner (?) is very friendly and welcoming. This type of food also works really well for carry out.

Food is very tasty and a large quantity (for me) iPads was also very polite and pleasant. Only downfall would be the parking. I was very lucky to find a spot right in front of the place. I would had otherwise just kept driving. Will be coming back again:)

This place is kind of a hole in the wall, but don’t let that fool you the food is great!
My boyfriend and I have come here a few times, and he also gets take-​out all the time since he stays relatively close for school.
We always get 2 things: veggie platter and the TIBS lamb. I cannot express how much I love their veggie platter. Everything is flavorful and delicious (and super healthy, always a plus). I can’t really name everything on there: I know they have at least 2 preparations of lentils, some chickpeas, a salad, and a red almost like couscous? grain thing that I love. The lamb is also really spiced and yummy, but if you don’t really eat spicy then it’s probably not for you.
If you’ve never had Ethiopian, everything is served on a giant piece of their bread (I have no idea what it’s called), but it’s kind of a spongey bread. Super unique, if you’ve never had it, but sometimes it can be a bit sour. You get blobs of the different veggie spreads placed on the bread (and meat along with the veggies if you get a meat one)
You get more of the bread on the side, and you rip bread and pick up spreads with the bread and eat with your hands! (That’s always fun). If you eat in the store, you can always get extra bread if you finish the basket they give you.
Portions are generous; my boyfriend and I always have leftovers.
The couple who runs the place is pretty nice and might help explain how to eat it if it’s your first time.
It’s a great place to eat ethiopian!

Don’t let the low-​key décor fool you; this is some of the best Ethiopian food I’ve ever had! Also, this meal marked the first time I have ever in my life said, «These tomatoes are incredibly delicious.» When the salad on the side of the plate is remarkably good, it’s hard not to be impressed.
We came in in the middle of the World Cup, so the atmosphere was kind of joyful and focused on the TV but service was not hindered. My friends chose the steak tartare, the lamb, and a sampling of vegetarian stuff, mostly lentils and some chick peas. The lamb was absolutely sublime. I had never eaten steak tartare before, and I loved it. The injera is fluffier than any I’ve ever had as well.
This also marks the first time I’ve ever been to an Ethiopian restaurant and had leftovers. Portions are pretty big.

I was out on a business trip to Baltimore and had a craving for Ethiopian food. I checked out the Unilocal reviews for this place and decided to visit with our team.
This place is very small and appears to be family run. There was a lady (who appeared to be the owner) who took our orders. We noticed a lot of stains on her t-​shirt and were a bit concerned about hygiene. But the concern went away when the food arrived.
Our team ordered the meat-​based dishes and I ordered the vegetarian platter. The lady was very generous with the injera. We had to actually tell her that we had enough injera at the table.
From what my team mates told me, the meat-​based dishes were fantastic. They almost finished all of it. My vegetarian platter was excellent. They served a few lentil-​based dishes (Red, green, yellow and brown colored), a dish made of carrots & cabbage, and a couple more. Delicious!!! The injera fills you up quickly and as a result we didn’t have space for anything else.
If you are in the Baltimore area and want to try Ethiopian, visit this place and you won’t be disappointed!