In search of a new favorite African spot?
Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the best affordable African spots around Washington, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of where to venture when cravings strike.
1. Habesha Market and Carry-out
Topping the list is Habesha Market and Carry-out. Located at 1919 Ninth St. NW in Shaw, it is the highest-rated cheap African restaurant in Washington, boasting 4.5 stars out of 250 reviews on Yelp.
Yelper Molly H., who reviewed Habesha Market and Carry-out on June 18, wrote, "One of the best Ethiopian meals I've ever had in D.C. Everything was so fresh, so carefully prepared, and so good. We got the doro wat and the biggest veggie combo. The doro wat came with a fresh Ethiopian farmers cheese. Every single vegetable in the combo was incredible."
Bryan R. noted, "I just love this place. I can't say enough. We usually get one or two of the platters, depending on how many people are eating, and then just go to town. I'll occasionally come across things that are too spicy for me (I'm a spice wimp), but the flavors are so good, I just don't care."
2. Harrar Coffee & Roastery
Next up is Columbia Heights' Harrar Coffee & Roastery, situated at 2904 Georgia Ave. NW. With 4.5 stars out of 99 reviews on Yelp, it has proved to be a local favorite for those looking for Ethiopian coffee.
The site has lots more information on Harrar Coffee & Roastery.
"Every batch we roast is handcrafted in our shop," it writes on Yelp. "Roasting coffee is a little science, a little intuition, and a lot of good taste. We are specialized in roasting high-quality coffee every day in-house, so you can enjoy the benefits of fresh beans roasted in small batches, helping preserve quality and taste."
3. Hype Cafe
Capitol Hill's Hype Cafe, located at 1129 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the low-priced cafe and Ethiopian spot 4.5 stars out of 46 reviews.
"We serve strictly Ethiopian coffee (Arabica)," per the business's Yelp profile. "Some weekends we do have a complementary Ethiopian coffee ceremony that includes roasting and brewing. In addition, we also offer breakfast, panini and also Ethiopian veggie combo."
4. Lilypad on the Run
Lilypad on the Run, a food truck, is another affordable go-to, with four stars out of 67 Yelp reviews. Head over to Sixth and Maryland avenues SW to see for yourself.
Yelper Victor H., who reviewed Lilypad on the Run on April 27, wrote, "The wats were a thick beef stew with a side of lentil stew and collard greens. All the items had that flavor of nice spices (chili powder, ginger, cumin, I think). The collard greens were awesome, and the beef was very tender."
A S. noted, "For a food truck, this place is awesome. Fulfills a strong craving for Ethiopian. Tried the #2 tray that came with one meat and two veggies. The meat was flavorful and had nice big chunks of beef. The lentils were also quite tasty and a great side to the beef."
This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.
