By Elizabeth Daub

Addis Ethiopian Restaurant interior. Photo credit: Elizabeth Daub.

In January, my friends and I visited Addis Ethiopian Restaurant, a sizable restaurant and bar in Shockoe Bottom that offers an authentic Ethiopian dining experience. Addis is tucked into a desirable and beautiful part of the city. Parking was hard to find and far from the restaurant because of its location, but the walk there was enjoyable. This restaurant is near other popular city hot spots, including C’est Le Vin, a stylish restaurant and art gallery, and Sweet Spot Ice Cream Cafe, a local ice cream spot. This relaxing and welcoming restaurant was so popular that the only reservation was at 5:15 p.m., so we settled for an early dinner and were pleasantly surprised.

Upon entering the restaurant, we were greeted by the upbeat song “Oshey” by Juls, and paired with the blue LED strip lights along the ceiling, creating a charming dining environment. The restaurant had wooden tables, chairs, and a bar. The atmosphere was relaxing and light. 

According to their website, Addis Ethiopian Restaurant was opened in 2008 by Bitew, who grew up in Ethiopia. When in America, he enjoyed eating Ethiopian food to remind him of the fond memories of his life there. After moving to Richmond, Bitew realized he could not experience Ethiopian dining anywhere nearby; the closest authentic Ethiopian restaurant was in Washington, DC. So he got to work on finding the perfect chef and location to open a restaurant. After years of work, Addis Ethiopian Restaurant opened on 17th Street, became successful, and was complimented for its authenticity. The restaurant’s website states, “Addis has one foot firmly planted in RVA and the other around the world in Ethiopia.”

We asked our waitress what she would recommend to us. She said if we wanted the most authentic experience, we should order the “Addis Specialty Plate,” which allowed us to try different breads, vegetables, and meats. This meal is $26, but entree prices range from $21 to $26. Jackson Drummond, a junior at James River High School, and I decided to share this meal. The prices became very affordable when split between the table. We chose Awaze Tibs, Keye Sega Wot, and Chicken Tibs as our meats, and as our vegetables, we decided on the Fasolia. We mainly chose these because we did not know what these meats or vegetables were, but after some research, we learned more about the specifics of Ethiopian cuisine. 

Awaze Tibs are lamb pieces cooked in spicy Ethiopian awaze sauce, Keya Sega Wot is a classic spicy beef stew, Chicken Tibs are similar to chicken curry, and Fasolia is crisp string beans and crunchy carrots cooked in a mild sauce. These are all dishes and flavors Drummond and I had never had before, and we looked forward to broadening our flavor horizons. Katherine O’Toole (’25), a vegetarian, took a different approach to the menu than we did. Addis has a large menu and offers many vegetarian and vegan options, making her decision challenging. She complimented, “There were so many options for a vegetarian, which was very impressive.” O’Toole ordered the Sambussas, a pastry shell stuffed with spiced lentils and pan-fried crisp, which were $8, and Denech Alicha Wot, fresh potatoes and carrots cooked in a mild curry sauce, which was $5. Drummond explained, “The menu had a lot of options, which made us order a lot. We were excited to try everything.”

Addis Specialty Plate. Photo credit: Katherine O’Toole.

“Eating Ethiopian food is a social event, a shared experience that includes everyone around the table and usually involves eating with one’s hands thanks to the use of injera (Ethiopian bread) as a sort of utensil,” explains Audrey Scott in her culinary guide on her travel website “Uncornered Market.” When we were served, it was clear that Scott was correct. Our meal came out on one large plate with our meats and vegetables on top of a pancake-like grey piece of injera, with a side plate of more injera. Drummond described the plate as “colorful and intriguing.” It wasn’t like any meal we had seen before.

We dove into each meat and vegetable using the sponge-like grey injera as our utensil. The bread provided an interesting texture, and although the bread lacked flavor, it was accompanied by the intense flavors of the seasoned meats and vegetables, creating a wonderful blend of flavors and textures. Each component offered a different flavor, but Drummond and I especially liked the Keya Sega Wot because of its spice. Drummond said, “I don’t normally like spicy foods, but this was so good.” O’Toole favored the Sambussas. She describes them, “I enjoyed the pastry-like outside paired with the earthy lentils inside.” 

Overall, the most incredible part was that we could experience a new culture and way of dining and were introduced to new authentic flavors and seasoning without traveling. We plan to return to Addis Ethiopian Restaurant soon and try some new dishes.