Dukem Ethopian Restaurant

The food here is always excellent, and on that score this is my favorite restaurant in Baltimore. There are many wonderful vegetarian items. However, the last two times I've been there the waitstaff have screwed up the order and then acted very rude about it, e.g., not even apologizing tonight when they failed to deliver my friend's meal until after everyone else was long since finished with their food. They also acted miffed when I asked for more water and my friend asked for more coffee -- even though there were hardly any customers in the restaurant at the time. Also, be prepared to wait FOREVER to get the check. I will keep going to Dukem because of the glorious food, but I wish the service was better.

I went here with some other fellow Baltimore Bloggers of Restaurants. I had never eaten Ethiopian before and it was a very unique experience. The decor and music was very pleasing and nice.

Dukem's menu features a complete menu with everything from kitfo, tibs, kornis, alicha, and vegetarian dishes. Ethiopian food is served on centerpiece platters over injera, accompanied by plates of more injera (spongy flat-bread), rolled up like so many dish towels. To eat, you simply tear off pieces of injera and scoop up bites of food. They use many spices such as chili peppers combining with ginger, garlic, onions, spices, basil and a host of less familiar flavorings like bishop's weed, which resembles thyme, and enset (banana tree like) plant powder.

We tried many items such as:
-TIBS: Cubed tender lamb or beef with onion, rosemary jalapeno pepper served with injera and salad and spicy awaze sauce
-KITFO: Beef tartar seasoned with our herbal butter and mitmita, cardamom
-LAMB WOT: Freshly made lamb stew
-DORO WOT: chicken stew simmered in berbere/red pepper/ sauce or simmered in ginger sauce with garlic onion and herbal better served with boild egg
-MINCHET ABESH: Finely chopped lean beef braised in milled ginger and garlic sauce

Over price wise it came to $20 a person and there was 6 f us (with tip). Their Ice Tea is very different and I found it very hard to explain to someone who hasn't tasted it. Overall, I enjoyed most of the food, however there were a few dishes I didn't care for. I would go back again and try some more things.

A bit of a notice to all- I hope you don't mind eating with your fingers!

For the best Ethiopian food in Maryland, Dukem Restaurant is the only choice! Their wait staff has to be some of the friendliest people and they are willing to answer any question not only about the ingredients of a platter but also about how the food is prepared. The restaurant is bi-level and is normally filled, but still has a quiet and cozy atmosphere. You have traditional seating upstairs with the Ethiopian handmade tables as well as stools, but traditional tables and chairs exist as well.

The food is amazing, you can get anything from mild to spicy and they will help you pick out what will suit you the best. Also have a very good honey wine if you enjoy a sweeter wine. Their food is incredibly filling and honestly one entree can feed two people and still have left overs.

Food is well priced and inexpensive but incredibly filling

PROS: Great Food, Friendly Service, Inexpensive
CONS: Parking

Dukem provides, quite simply, fantastic Ethiopian food at great prices! Baltimore was really missing a restaurant like this before it opened in 2004. Try Harar, an Ethiopian beer, and get a platter to sample the different dishes. Vegetarians will for once have a great selection of dishes to choose from. I love the spicy red lentil dish, while my boyfriend always goes for the lamb. The fish comes, er, completely intact, and I have yet to figure out how to really get any meat out of it. Experienced whole fish eaters might fare better...