A great place for exceptional Ethiopian food. Portions are generous, service is very friendly and the menu includes some unique takes on Ethiopian food, such as the delicious Tofu Tibs (a vegan dish).
(5)
Em P.
Unfortunately, I have to rescind my earlier stellar review of Laco Melza. There was a small stone (yes, an actual stone) in the misir wat that I almost bit down on. In addition, the prices have increased while the portion sizes and food quality have disproportionately dwindled since the grand opening. This restaurant no longer tops my list as one of the best Ethiopian restaurants in the DC area.
(1)
Helen S.
After several other visits, I really felt like I needed to update my review. This is one of my favorite restaurants in DC and definitely my favorite Ethiopian restaurant in Silver Spring. Why have I bumped this place up? Several reasons. The restaurant is clean and the ambiance is calm and romantic. What a relief it is to not have soccer matches on the tele or loud music. This is not that type of place. The women who run Laco Melza are fantastic. They are attentive, helpful and very sociable. Now the food - the glorious, glorious, food. Everything I have had here has been excellent. I recommend the veggie platter, doro wot, or the rosemary tibs (add berbere sauce!). I can tell that great care has been taken with each dish. Unlike some other places where sometimes the random piles of mush aren't very distinguishable, everything I have tasted here has been fresh. The freshness and spices make such a difference. I enthusiastically recommend Laco Melza !
(5)
Ben S.
We came in to Laco Melza this weekend late at night and quite enjoyed it. It is open till 11:00 on Fridays and we came in apologetically at 10:40, but were given a warm welcome. There was only one couple eating when we came in. The waitress was very friendly and the restaurant was pretty. The red walls had lots of different shadows from the different lighting fixtures. We ordered a raw kitfo and a vegetarian sampler. The kitfo was great. It was super buttery with great flavor and a good amount of heat to it. One of the better kitfo offerings I've had. The cheese with the kitfo was more like cottage cheese than like the crumbly feta like cheese that we often get, and I didn't like it quite as much. The vegetarian combo was also really good, especially the lentils and the split peas. The gomen was very garlicy, tasty. The cabbage was also really nice. In addition they had a really nice salad with spring mix as the greens instead of just lettuce. A definite improvement. It wasn't the cheapest meal, $27 total for both dishes and we successfully cleaned our plates, but it wasn't too expensive either. They also spent some time on the presentation. Our dishes came out in individual bowls which we then scooped onto our injera and the injera on our plates was cut into nice triangles. This was a great surprise and a really enjoyable restaurant. We will definitely come back.
(4)
L. S.
The sign outside this place now reads "Champion". (The website is definitely not working.) The staff inside said that there had been a change of ownership and half the menu is no longer available. Because of this I didn't actually eat here (Yelp wouldn't let me turn in a review without a star rating).
(2)
Andrew T.
There's a lot of competition for good Ethiopian food in Silver Spring, but I think LacoMelza is the best. Their service is great, and it's a quiet and comfortable ambience. What puts them ahead of the pack, though, is the quality of food. Their food is never greasy the way many Ethiopian restaurants are. While other restaurants also have good meat dishes, Lacomelza does their vegetables justice as well: every dish I've had is remarkable.
(5)
D S.
The food is great quality with quantity and the price is right. I defiantly i'll go back.
(5)
Julia E.
Listen up, vegetarians, Ethiopian restaurants just got a little more interesting! This adorable woman-owned gem up on Georgia Ave in Silver Spring has TOFU TIBS!! All the other standard items in the vegetarian combo are good too, but the tofu tibs is ingenious. Service is very friendly, bathrooms are clean, and the motif breaks from the mold of most Ethiopian restaurants. Give it a try!
(5)
Ayda A.
LacoMelza is great etiopian restaurant silver spring inside nicely done and food quality is one the best in DC area. Loved it!
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Specialities
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes
Ted L.
A great place for exceptional Ethiopian food. Portions are generous, service is very friendly and the menu includes some unique takes on Ethiopian food, such as the delicious Tofu Tibs (a vegan dish).
(5)Em P.
Unfortunately, I have to rescind my earlier stellar review of Laco Melza. There was a small stone (yes, an actual stone) in the misir wat that I almost bit down on. In addition, the prices have increased while the portion sizes and food quality have disproportionately dwindled since the grand opening. This restaurant no longer tops my list as one of the best Ethiopian restaurants in the DC area.
(1)Helen S.
After several other visits, I really felt like I needed to update my review. This is one of my favorite restaurants in DC and definitely my favorite Ethiopian restaurant in Silver Spring. Why have I bumped this place up? Several reasons. The restaurant is clean and the ambiance is calm and romantic. What a relief it is to not have soccer matches on the tele or loud music. This is not that type of place. The women who run Laco Melza are fantastic. They are attentive, helpful and very sociable. Now the food - the glorious, glorious, food. Everything I have had here has been excellent. I recommend the veggie platter, doro wot, or the rosemary tibs (add berbere sauce!). I can tell that great care has been taken with each dish. Unlike some other places where sometimes the random piles of mush aren't very distinguishable, everything I have tasted here has been fresh. The freshness and spices make such a difference. I enthusiastically recommend Laco Melza !
(5)Ben S.
We came in to Laco Melza this weekend late at night and quite enjoyed it. It is open till 11:00 on Fridays and we came in apologetically at 10:40, but were given a warm welcome. There was only one couple eating when we came in. The waitress was very friendly and the restaurant was pretty. The red walls had lots of different shadows from the different lighting fixtures. We ordered a raw kitfo and a vegetarian sampler. The kitfo was great. It was super buttery with great flavor and a good amount of heat to it. One of the better kitfo offerings I've had. The cheese with the kitfo was more like cottage cheese than like the crumbly feta like cheese that we often get, and I didn't like it quite as much. The vegetarian combo was also really good, especially the lentils and the split peas. The gomen was very garlicy, tasty. The cabbage was also really nice. In addition they had a really nice salad with spring mix as the greens instead of just lettuce. A definite improvement. It wasn't the cheapest meal, $27 total for both dishes and we successfully cleaned our plates, but it wasn't too expensive either. They also spent some time on the presentation. Our dishes came out in individual bowls which we then scooped onto our injera and the injera on our plates was cut into nice triangles. This was a great surprise and a really enjoyable restaurant. We will definitely come back.
(4)L. S.
The sign outside this place now reads "Champion". (The website is definitely not working.) The staff inside said that there had been a change of ownership and half the menu is no longer available. Because of this I didn't actually eat here (Yelp wouldn't let me turn in a review without a star rating).
(2)Andrew T.
There's a lot of competition for good Ethiopian food in Silver Spring, but I think LacoMelza is the best. Their service is great, and it's a quiet and comfortable ambience. What puts them ahead of the pack, though, is the quality of food. Their food is never greasy the way many Ethiopian restaurants are. While other restaurants also have good meat dishes, Lacomelza does their vegetables justice as well: every dish I've had is remarkable.
(5)D S.
The food is great quality with quantity and the price is right. I defiantly i'll go back.
(5)Julia E.
Listen up, vegetarians, Ethiopian restaurants just got a little more interesting! This adorable woman-owned gem up on Georgia Ave in Silver Spring has TOFU TIBS!! All the other standard items in the vegetarian combo are good too, but the tofu tibs is ingenious. Service is very friendly, bathrooms are clean, and the motif breaks from the mold of most Ethiopian restaurants. Give it a try!
(5)Ayda A.
LacoMelza is great etiopian restaurant silver spring inside nicely done and food quality is one the best in DC area. Loved it!
(5)