Cafe Yeshi

The food is ok, but the wait staff was very difficult to find. Considering only two other tables were occupied, the wait for our food seemed interminable. And, our waiter was so high that he could only remember to bring out one thing at a time. I couldn’t decide if that was funny or frustrating.

If you have dreadlocks and make your own patchwork clothing, this is the first date spot for you!
Cheerful rasta décor inside, orange walls, etc. We went inside first to check and see if we could sit outside (mostly just to let them know we were there) and the extremely stoned young man there said «outside…inside…whatever…outside is better…» and then drifted off. Outside there are four faintly grimy plastic patio tables, but hey, at least it is outside. The trip to the bathroom was the low point of the visit, but it is in an old old house so I’m imagining cleanliness is hard to obtain and maintain.
Food was delicious. There are precisely four items on the menu: doro wat, so wat, some other chicken thing and mixed veggies. Every item is 10 dollars. The doro wat was surprisingly delicious given the rather down-​at-​the-​heel décor. Injera was also delicious but I’m a sucker for injera. The highlight of our visit was my friend flirting with the waitstaff which probably would have gone over better if the ganj hadn’t impaired his speech so much.
I’d return for the food. (Only if I pee beforehand so I don’t have to stand in the hall and wonder what the health department thought of the grimy walls and the small flock of flies.)

The food here is pretty good. The ambience is better. It’s like sitting in your stoner friend’s kitchen, only quieter. The walls are all painted different bright colors, the people who work here are present, but they hang out in the back a lot and you don’t see them much. Simple, lightly psychedelic décor… with some knick-​knacks and home-​made paintings. I have seen the dread that works here at a TON of reggae shows and at hempfest. The older man is very nice and smiley. My vegan friend loves the vegetarian plate, and I must admit some of the funky multi-​colored veggies taste good. Doro wot is good here, they have coffee and hot tea if you ask. It says on the sign that they have espresso, but I am not sure if they really do. Sometimes in the summer I have seen live music in the back of this place.

Pretty darn good Ethopian food! I used to frequent the various Ethiopian restaurants in the Central District and this doesn’t quite compare to some, but it’s good and only a block from my house!
The service is a little slow (kitchen timing, mostly) but the interior is cute and clean. The menu is limited in a good way. Everything I’ve had there has been great! I especially like the vegetarian platter.
I hope they get enough customers to stay in business. They’re a great addition to the neighborhood!
(For anyone standing outside Taste of India waiting for a table, go here.)

First of all, Café Yeshi gets an extra star for being clever enough to move into a neighborhood that doesn’t already have an Ethiopian food option. Sometimes we Wallingfordians do not wish to drive the the CD (or Northgate) to satisfy our craving for ZilZil Wat.
Unfortunately, business looks to be very slow at Café Yeshi — I was picking up and was the only person in the restaurant, which is too bad because the food was pretty good. The injera was not stale, though the veggies were a bit underspiced. The beef stew was really good.
Hopefully, Café Yeshi can attract a few of the folks waiting around for average Indian food at Taste of India.

Kayur is correct, this place is very good. Not sure about the «older man» part however since there was an attractive thirty-​something couple working there the time I went. If you can get past the tempting smells emanating from next door neighbor ‘Taste Of India’, this place is definitely worth a visit. Situated in a residential home of sorts, it’s not much to look at, sparse in fact, but very clean, and the attendees are very polite, charming and well-​versed in the mysterious ways of traditional Ethiopian cuisine –enough to surpass any wants of interior elegance. Though there’s currently only a small menu of items to choose from, the items they do offer are near perfect. Ameseginalhu!

I just had a wonderful dinner at Café Yeshi in the University District. The restaurant is run by one older man, and since he does all of the cooking and waiting, the service may be a bit slow. However, the feeling of home and the delicious dishes make the wait more than worth it. On top of everything, the prices and portions are very reasonable. Prior to my discovery of this place, a delicious Ethiopian dinner involved a trip to Capitol Hill. I’m glad this is no longer the case. Try Café Yeshi out, you won’t regret the trip.

I live near Café Yeshi and I’m tempted to stop there every day to get the vegetarian platter! The combo of items in this dish is different from time to time, and I may not always know exactly what is what, but they’re all delicious. I’ve eaten at a few other Ethiopian places, and Café Yeshi matches up well in the flavor category. The atmosphere is a bit unusual, but it’s cozy just the same. I recommend that fans of Ethiopian food give this place a try.