Fasil Ethiopian Restaurant

I haven’ t been yet, but I just wanted to say they’re NOT CLOSED. I just called to double check, and they’re still open at 7^th and Q. I’ve heard good things, so I may go tonight… I’ll just give 4 stars for now as a placeholder…

From what I’ve seen online, Fasil Ethiopian has become Uptown Ethiopian which is where I ate, so if that’s wrong, disregard this review. My friends were staying at the hostel next door and we wandered in around 945pm on a Wednesday night. We ordered the meat platter for 3 (raw kifto) and it was absolutely delicious. The wait staff was very friendly as well and spoke english very well which I know can be a challenge sometimes at ethnic restaurants in DC. The only reason I gave them a 4 out of 5 was because the waitress did not give me back my credit card after running it (we were the only table in there, so it wasn’t busy). When I came back the next evening, they pulled out a handful of credit cards to find mine, so it seems like this happens a lot. I’d go back, but pay in cash next time.

Stopped by because we were hungry! Amazing food! At first it looked sketchy because its not exactly in the best parts of town. But we were headed into the city and we spotted this place on the road.
When you first walk in, you’ll notice that this place is a local dive. It’s not trendy or yuppie like, its a family owned place. The owner came out and checked on us to make sure that our meal was good. His English was very good and he was very nice.
The Tibs are the way to go. I ordered the Fasil Tibs with lamb and it was excellent. It came with lamb, collard greens and lentils all mixed in spices that will give you slight kick. The crêpe like bread (I have no idea what it is called) was fresh and light. The dish is served with the meat and vegetables on top and you eat all with your hands. That’s right… no silverware.
This is a vegetarian friendly place. They had a veggie combo Tibs that also looked very good. Be careful! After you down the huge plate of food and water, you might get uncomfortable because the water will expand the bread in your tummy and it will not feel good.
I’m so glad that my first Ethiopian experience was at this place. I’ve been told that this place is the real deal when it comes to authentic Ethiopian food. Will gladly be back again.

There’s a plethora of Ethiopian restaurants in DC, and out of the half dozen I have tried Fasil is my favorite. It is relatively cheap ($ 10 – 15 a person) and consistently good. I’ve been there a few times for dinner and always get tasty, complimentary Italian-​style coffee. Try the Fasil Combo (Lamb and Beef doro wot). Usually I am the only non-​Ethiopian group in the place but I think that is a plus and they are welcoming to all.

Fasil is one of my absolute favorite Ethiopian restaurants in the city. We came in here after looking at an apartment on 7^th street, and really didn’t know what to expect. It was relatively early, probably about 7:00 when we came in on a week night. We were the only white folks in there, and they clearly don’t get many. There were a couple people at one table, and some folks at the bar but we were really the only ones eating. We ordered the Kitfo raw and the vegetarian sampler. They were a bit surprised that we wanted raw kitfo, and were super attentive to us to make sure that we were doing ok. The kitfo was unbelievably buttery and yummie, the best that I’ve had. The veggie combo was ok, but nothing spectacular. Overall a very solid offering and one that I would definitely repeat.

I went here for lunch today based on a co-worker’s recommendation. This place seemed promising. Any ‘ethnic’ restaurant menu riddled with typos and misspellings usually has great food. We ordered beef ribs (or rigs as the menu says), lamb, and chicken. Of course the chicken was good. The lamb and rigs, I mean ribs, were not. Maybe it’s a texture thing, but my first bite was almost inedible. I pretty much stuck to the chicken and green veggies before trying the lamb, which was incredibly disappointing.
This was my first time trying Ethiopian food. In the future, I’ll try some place around U Street instead.

I went here tonight and was initially thrilled that they were open and serving food so late at night. That is, until I saw THREE DIFFERENT KINDS OF ROACHES CRAWLING ALL OVER THE BAR. This restaurant should be avoided at all costs. I’m skipping dinner tonight. This restaurant should be shut down. It seems to have a severe infestation problem. It’s so bad that the staff doesn’t even seem to take note of the giant roaches crawling all over everything. Call the health inspector. This could be the filthiest restaurant in the city. It’s a disgrace. Don’t go here; it’s better to starve. I went to bed hungry. Nowhere in any city, in any country have I seen so many bugs in such a short amount of time. Granted I’ve only been on 3 continents, but this place is foul.
«Cockroaches spread nearly 33 different kinds of bacteria, six kinds of parasitic worms and at least seven other kinds of human pathogens. As cockroaches crawl through decaying matter or sewage, they turn into disease-​carrying pests by picking up germs on the spines of their legs and bodies.»

Food is awesome, service is OK. Get take out.

When I was living in Shaw, Fasil was by far my favorite local restaurant. The food is consistently delicious, the staff is super friendly, and the prices are reasonable. To top it all off, Fasil has a great bar and is a nice, laid-​back hangout spot. If you’re getting dinner, I would especially recommend the Veggie Combo.

An Ethiopian person told me the tibs are the best thing on the menu if you had to pick something at Fasil. So I ordered the tibes and huh… the tibs were very very dry– I was disappointed! I went for lunch and the place looked like it was closed. After I sat down for about 10 minutes they finally turned the lights on in the restaurant. It was the oddest thing…
They could have done something funky with the place but instead it is another Ethiopian restaurant that DC has already so many of, except this one has dry food. It’s mostly cabbies that hang out (so you would think the food is great, but not…) and if you do go for lunch time there is NO parking in the area-it’s all taken up by cabbies. The staff seems indifferent about your visit. I guess the spelling errors on the menu were a warning. I will not go back nor do I recommend it to others. There are places in that area that serve better food with much more engaged service. Dukem, Queen of Sheba etc