Kokeb Bite Bbq - Washington, D.C.

Located a short walk from Howard University, this restaurant is situated across the street from basketball courts inside a neighborhood park. The Sambusa, a flaky and flavorful appetizer with a hint of jalapeño heat, was served warm with a cool center and no accompanying sauce. I was interested in ordering four items on injera bread, but unfortunately, that option was only available for vegans and I wanted lamb tibbs. Despite the high price tag, the meal turned out to be absolutely delicious, with amazing flavors and possibly the best Ethiopian dining experience I've had. The lamb in Awaze sauce was exceptional, and the atkilt wat and timins salad complemented it perfectly. The only downside was the slow service when requesting more injera, but overall, I give this place a rating of 4, with 5 for the food and 3 for the service.

My best friend and I decided to try this restaurant because it catered to both vegetarians and meat lovers. The temperature inside was quite warm, but it was cold outside so it wasn't too bad. Despite it being a Monday night and the restaurant being quite empty, we had a great time. Ethiopian music played in the background, and the service was satisfactory. It was impressive that they remembered our order without writing it down. I ordered the Kokeb Doro Wat and while I was a bit disappointed with the portion size (one boiled egg and one chicken leg), the taste was excellent - spicy and delicious overall. Even though I would have liked a larger serving, it was just the right size to leave me feeling full and satisfied. My friend ordered four vegan sides, which all came out on one plate, so be aware of that. I will definitely be returning to this restaurant - it was so good!

I have a love for Ethiopian cuisine, and one of my favorite dishes to judge a restaurant by is the gomen. I recently visited this restaurant on my way to a hair appointment and was pleased to find it empty with a friendly owner. He shared with me his plans to expand the restaurant's hours and menu, including bringing in chefs from Jamaica and Mexico. The food, close proximity to Howard University, and reasonable prices make it a must-visit for students. The yellow dal, gomen, and injera I ordered arrived quickly and were delicious. The injera was freshly made and generous in size. While the atmosphere may not be ideal for a date, the restaurant does have a liquor license and a small stage. I look forward to returning to try the sega wat and hope they incorporate live music on weekends. Overall, it is a great spot for a quick lunch and I only wished it was closer to downtown, though they do offer delivery service.

I love this restaurant. We recently moved into the neighborhood and I was so excited to have an Ethiopian restaurant nearby. Previously I'd frequented restaurants with similar cuisines, including (but not limited to! I really love Ethiopian/Eritrean cuisine) Dukem, Lalibela, Ethiopic and Keren, and hoped for something that would save us the trip across town. This is it! It is so, so good. The menu is simple, but it's priced and executed well, and the portions are generous, which is really all I need.

I liked but didn't love Kokeb. Oddly the restaurant did not smell like food at all, but had a sterile, school cafeteria-type feel to it. I did like the laid-back environment, and it was not busy at all on a Friday night. We tried one of the lamb dishes and an assortment of veggies. The lamb was delicious, but I didn't love the veggies, and I felt like the lentils in particular had some off flavors to them. The collard greens and other veggies were forgettable Service was good and portions were generous. I would give it another try if I were in the area and definitely try the lamb again, but I'd try some different vegetarian options to see if any of them are better. It's hard to say I'd go out of my way for this though, since there are so many other Ethiopian restaurants in the metro area.