Beteseb Restaurant in downtown Silver Spring is again gaining national attention, this time in Bon Appétit Magazine for its chicken stew known as doro wat.
The Ethiopian restaurant has received multiple features locally and nationally, ranking #88 in Washingtonian’s 100 Very Best Restaurants for 2025 and appearing in an episode of chef Marcus Samuelsson’s PBS show No Passport Required.
According to the article “The Best Doro Wat in Washington, DC,” the dish has deep historical roots: it was served at a banquet for Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to Ethiopia in 1965 and paired with tej, an Ethiopian honey wine.
The stew is made with onions, garlic, berbere spice, kibbeh (spiced clarified butter), chicken, and hard-boiled eggs. Some versions use whole chickens broken into 12 pieces to honor Jesus’s apostles, while others use drumsticks or chicken breast for convenience.
Doro wat is rich and aromatic, featuring tender chicken and golden eggs, served with injera and vegetable sides that enhance its deep flavor.
As for Beteseb’s doro wat, Bon Appétit contributor Lenore T. Adkins wrote:
Across the street from two Ethiopian markets in downtown Silver Spring, this warm and modest restaurant attracts locals and eager tourists who eat under a large mural of Addis Ababa. Darmyelesh Alemu, who owns the restaurant with her brother, Aynalem Zedlek, makes her doro wat with a middle-of-the-road spice level that most diners can handle; Zedlek says it is traditionally much spicier back home. (By request, Alemu is happy to amp up the heat.) The dish arrives with zesty green salad to cut the richness. You’ll want to wash it all down with one of three imported Ethiopian beers: Castel, Habesha, or St. George, the country’s most famous.
Beteseb Restaurant is located at 8201 Georgia Ave. in downtown Silver Spring and online at betesebrestaurant.com.
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