Axum Ethiopian Restaurant

The three star rating is more for the service than anything else. Let’s start with the negative. Service, service, service!!! There was only one person working the night i was there… she was the host, waitress, and bartender… WTF?! This was a Saturday night during Labor Day weekend. The place was packed around 830pm. Every normal exp. you typically encounter at a rest. took longer… ie: ordering, getting the food, refills, etc. There was a huge floor fan plugged into the wall and was blasting on high the whole night. I assume they either A: have no central air or B: the AC system was broken. The décor is less than appealing but its quaint. I give credit to the lady working that night, she was nice and friendly but had too many responsibilities.
This was my first time eating Ethiopian food and it was great food experience. I noticed that most of the patrons were of Ethiopian descent, that’s usually a clear sign that the food is going to be good when you’re eating at ethnic restaurants. I ordered the meat combo dinner to try a little bit of everything. I was surprised that the injera was flavorless and not served warm; but since you are using it in place of a fork I guess it doesn’t matter since the food you are eating is flavorful and hot. Everything on the meat combo was excellent and very filling. My favorite was the beef tibs. I didn’t like the Ethiopian beer (Meta) I ordered but it was tolerable.
Bottom line: go for the food, just know the service is going to suck.

This was my second time eating Ethiopian and wow, it was amazing! When going with a party of two definitely get the combo — you get a bunch of different meats and it’s super delicious and filling. Couple that with some Ethiopian beer and you now have a wonderful meal. Stunned why this place is so underrated… check it out!

Pros:
Cons: Awful service. Mediocre food.

The place isn’t bad. The décor is a bit dark and definitely could use some lighting. I found the bathrooms clean which is of course a good sign. I came in with a party of 7. It took about 15 minutes for all our food to come out. The food is alright. It wasn’t too bad but it wasn’t fantastic either. I guess the only things that will prevent me from coming back is when they gave us carry out containers that had dirt inside of them and when a friend had gotten coffee, the side of the cup had lipstick stains that came out when she rubbed it with a napkin. The service was alright. There was only one waitress so it was a bit slow. Decent food but questionable cleanliness.

It was my first time eating Ethiopian so I was a bit nervous since I didn’t know what to expect. IT WAS AWESOME.
First off, my date and I got there at like 630pm and were the only ones there. The woman working was super friendly and helpful with explaining the menu. We ended up order some Ethiopian beers, chicken, lamb and beef.
I saw some other people commented on lack of service. Which is true to an extent. She wasn’t creeping on our every need, but we had what we needed in a timely manner. Plus I’m fairly certain she helped cook our meals.
Now the food…
I spent about a year in the Middle East and was pretty stoked to eat with my fingers again. Plus the food was amazing! So flavorful! And the portions were more than generous.
So, to sum it up, the woman working was sweet. Food seemed authentic plus it was flipping amazing. And I got to try a new (delicious) beer.

I ate here with my fiancée last Saturday night. It was around 9:45 when we got in. The waitress asked for our drinks, and I mentioned we had a groupon, just so she was aware. Her entire demeanor changed after I said this.
We were brought out water, our order was taken, and we waited. There was some sort of party going on in their upstairs section, and the smoke was coming down and giving me and my fiancée a headache. We continue to wait. I had finished my water and so had my fiancée. We waited more. We waited until 10:40 before asking what was going on with the food.
The waitress proceeds to tell us they are cooking for the party upstairs, and that it will take another 10 minutes. We asked if we could get some strong drinks because we needed someone to cut the edge off of this ordeal. She told us that all the drinks were being used for the party, and there was none available for us.
We got our food 15 minutes later, which was extremely burnt. I asked for a refill twice on my water, and never got it.
It was just a bad experience here. The customer service was atrocious. She, at the end of our meal, proceeded to remind me to leave her a tip, lest I forget.
In short, I won’t be going back here again, and if you are reading this, I hope you decide to go to the other, much much better Ethiopian spots on U street, such as Etete which is right next door.
Don’t make our same mistake here.

Purchased a Groupon for when I was visiting DC. Friend and I sat down, and while waiting for our food, a huge black rat ran up the stairs from the basement, past our feet, and to the bar area. We would’ve left, but stayed to use the Groupon. We really didn’t have a choice. Food was good, but we’ve had much better. The waitress was friendly, though acted like the rat was not a big deal. We didn’t get sick, so that’s a plus. Bill was rather high, and we’d suggest going to the other Ethiopian restaurant next door.

I came here for dinner with my GF on my birthday, midweek. I think we were the only customers. We ordered Derek Tibs and Minchet Abish. What came out was a pile of food that after eating as much as we thought we should, we still had enough to take home and each have another meal of leftovers. Only negative was that their credit card machine was broken so we had to pay cash.

Great food great service. I split a vegetarian platter and the food was just enough for a couple with solid appetites. I also enjoyed a glass of honey wine. I used a groupon and ended paying like $ 10. It’s a small restaurant so it has a nice & comfy feel right off the U st. corridor. I would go back but I’m not in a hurry– there are several Ethiopian restaurants I want to try.

The food was good but what sets this place apart is the optional authentic injura (~$ 2pp extra at time of review). It’s not as «sour», more airy with a nuttier flavor. Definitely a bonus compared to most other ethipian places. Note — option could not be found on the menu and must be requested.
Saw other posts that said place was dirty. It’s not! Had to wash hands before meal since this is ethiopian food afterall and eaten with hands. Yes, the bathroom was clean — to me a key indicator on overall cleanliness. Dined here during a heat wave (95+ outside) and restaurant was cool and comfy. Didn’t see any flies. Don’t know what the other negative reviews were talking about.

If there was the possibility of rating this place zero star I would. 1) The restaurant was filthy. By filthy I mean insects were swarming around the walls and one actually flew into my honey wine. 2) The tray on which the food was served was also filthy. Now given the filthy conditions here I still attempted to be gracious and tip the waitress but she had the temerity to demand more in a not so subtle way. Firstly ma’am you technically deserve no tip as this establishment was filled with insects and uncleanliness. Secondly, seeing as to how we were the only paying customers, one would have expected some level of courteous and prompt service.
In summation, this place was an utter disappointment not to mention a huge waste of money and time.
If one values cleanliness and decent service, I implore you not to come here as this establishment is the antithesis to all things tasty, clean and great customer service.

Was a groupon on a whim sort of thing… A beautiful marriage between discounted food and proximity to my house. Love at first sight. Ethiopian? Sure, I’ve had Ethiopian in DC before, we’re known for it.
Well upon approaching the restaurant, the sparse dining room and regular crowd at the bar should have been a sign. I got the «this is the people’s momandpop sort of jive.» I was wrong. After ordering the requisite beers and food, I noticed something behind my girlfriends head. Oh, it’s just a grouping of flies, chilling on the wall. Sup, flies.
Well, next thing I know one of the staff is sitting with a friend and/​or family member and helping him, in tandem, wave the flies off his food/​drink.
The yuppie eavesdropping girls next to us were not as good at their craft as we, and I, nonchalantly, was reverse eavesdropping them to notice their less than tactful conversation about the flies, the food, thier excitement at buying dinner at CVS rather than eat whatever food that their groupon also had lured them into.
I made a fake call, stepped outside, got our food to go, marked our groupon redeemed, and gave the bag to the closest homeless citizen I encountered.
Hope he doesn’t get sick.

Wow surprised by all the poor reviews. I’ve been here twice now and think the vegetarian platter is delicious! It was a lot of food and all hot, not half cold like in some Ethiopian restaurants. The service was very friendly. The honey wine was delicious as well. The place is small but full of Ethiopian people so they food must be authentic to them.

I thought it was okay. The meat did not taste like quality meat, but the sides and the bread were both flavorful and yummy. The service was great. When I was there one of the tv’s was on an Ethiopian channel so I had no idea what was going on, but the 4 guys watching did. Made it feel authentic and good to see actual Ethiopians there. It was not super clean, but I figured that would be the case. Prices are reasonable but not the best bang for your buck when it comes to Ethiopian food in DC.

Took a friend here over the weekend– she had never had Ethiopian food before. I wish I took her somewhere else…
There was a LOT of food… which was great. However, I’ve definitely had better. Meat was overcooked. the spices were not blended well… food didn’t even come out hot.
Worst part, she saw a rat, the same rat, a few times scurrying under the bar and around the table…
Will not return. Didn’t even dare use the bathroom (if there’s a rat, I didn’t want to imagine…)

I visited Axum with a friend after attending a show at the Howard Theatre Friday night. When we arrived seating was limited, so we ventured upstairs to be seated. A staff member was kind enough to let us know that a band was about to start performing and it would be too loud to carry on a conversation. We headed back downstairs and were able to find a table.
We both ordered lamb. I ordered the Key Wot (lamb in a spicy red sauce), my friend ordered the bale-​ageru (lamb cooked with onions, jalapenos and spices). The food came on one platter with injera bread and veggies.
The food was delicious! It was well seasoned and had a kick, but was not over whelming. Our server brought us more injera bread and was fairly attentive.
The prices were reasonable and I would definitely return.

I had a groupon for this place and decided to stray away from Dukem, my usual go-​to Ethiopian restaurant, for once.
My friends and I met up on a Wednesday at around 7 and the place was pretty much empty except for a couple dining at another table. I was pleased to find that their drinks are much cheaper than Dukem’s. You will pay $ 5 for a glass of the house red or white or $ 6 for the honey wine. I will say that the honey wine here is somehow of a thicker consistency and sweeter than the one they serve at Dukem. I loved it!
The veggie combo dish that my friend and I ordered to share was more expensive than what I would usually pay at Dukem, but at Dukem, you will get one injera bread for both, whereas we were given one each. The plate was huge and offered a ton of different options, some of which I’ve never tasted, but all amazing and delicious. My friend and I finished off our injera AND the entire plate. It was SO good.
I can’t speak to how the meat combo for one is, but my friend who ordered it thoroughly enjoyed it. It was recommended to her by the owner, who had taken our orders and made sure we were okay. He was so nice!
Level X is above this restaurant and after 9 or so, the loud bass and music started to really cut into our conversation so we left, but overall, I had a wonderful experience here and would definitely come back!

we went here for an early Saturday evening dinner out, about 6 pm, and had both the combination plates (one vegetarian, the other with meat). All very spicy and hot and delicious and served with the Ethiopan «bread» you have to tear in to pieces in order to pick up the food. This is just like a restaurant you might find in Addis Ababa with plastic red check tablecloths (with sheets of clear plexiglass on them!), TV screens playing Ethiopian cultural activities and Ethiopian pop music playing. We had honeyed wine, St George (Ethopian) beer with these two dishes. The service was good. The atmosphere was not upscale, but definitely good food and an experience. Several Ethopian men were having dinner and/​or a business meeting while we there. This place has two steps at the front door so it’s not wheelchair accessible. Have no idea what the bathrooms were like.

We went to Axum because our go-​to Ethiopian place (Little Ethiopia) has changed hands and we were too hungry to venture too far from 9^th Street. Axum definitely has a kind of anti-​aesthetic. The room is dark, very dark (some patrons were using their iphones to illuminate the menu, though the two televisions certainly add some light) and minimalist (the walls are bare, the chairs and tables are shabby, but it doesn’t have that dirty funky aesthetic of Dukem).
The menu features the usual suspects and we ended up going with what we usually get — a veggie sampler for 2 for $ 23. What we ended up with was fine — definitely far from the amazing-​ness that is Ethiopic but certainly a step-​up from Dukem (which isn’t hard. The last time i was there, I found not one but two hairs in my food!). Everything tasted slightly overcooked and bland which surprised me. There was nothing here exciting enough that I’d return, and if I were in the area again, I’d probably hit up another Ethiopian place instead of Axum.

How can anyone not love an Ethiopian old man bar with great food? While the other restaurants on 9^th Street cater to the Ethiocurious, this one is for the Ethiopurist.
Immediately upon walking in, I’m always struck by the smell. And it’s not the food. It’s the sweet smell of quasi-​legal substances mixed with old dudes at a bar reading newspapers and chatting up the smoking hawt serving staff.
The food the staff brings is served slightly differently. The size of the injera «plate» is smaller. But the size of the individual dishes is the same. Waste not, want not is the way of the old person it seems. But they bring plenty of more injera to eat it with.
And the quality of the dishes truly feels homemade. If someone has Ethiopian grandparents it is.
Upstairs is an additional bar which has great acoustics (and less of a smell) and good prices on both pedestrian and unique beers. I saw a presentation by the D.C. Humanities Council there and it felt like a political discussion in someone’s attic. I’ve heard there are dance nights up there as well. But I don’t think I’m ready to get *that* authentic yet.