For nearly three decades, Dukem Ethiopian Restaurant has been a go-to spot for authentic Ethiopian cuisine and heartwarming service in the District. But on Nov. 7, they’ll open their doors to patrons for the last time.
“After nearly 30 incredible years, it is with heavy hearts that we share the difficult decision to close Duken Ethiopian Restaurant, including the upstairs lounge,” reads an Oct. 1 statement on the restaurant’s Instagram.
The business faced challenges after the sudden passing of owner Tefera Zewdie, who was known as a pioneering businessman in the District’s Ethiopian community. In Nov. 2022, he died at 66 years old. Since then, his wife and two daughters have been struggling to keep the business afloat.
Dukem started as a carryout and market in 1997 and later turned into a full-service restaurant and upstairs lounge occupying a corner on the U Street corridor. The restaurant was a dream for Zewdie, who immigrated with his wife Hiwot Gebru from Ethiopia to D.C. around 1980. Since then, it has become one of the city's longest-standing Ethiopian restaurants.
On a summer night in 2010, Emily Gouillart had just moved to the city and needed dinner. Her roommates told her to head over to Dukem, minutes from their house. She was met with the smell of fresh Ethiopian food and kind service from the staff. “It was just a magical evening,” said Gouillart. “It's just such a fun memory for me.” Sixteen years later, Dukem leftovers still make their way into her refrigerator.
For lifelong DMV resident Cory McGonegal, his first memory of Dukem goes back to when he was around 10 years old. McGonegal, now 35, has had birthday meals there with his family and dinners with his wife over the years.
“I love the environment. It felt a little bit more homey and a little bit more authentic than some of the other [Ethiopian restaurants],” said McGonegal. “Quite honestly, I love just about everything about Dukem.”
In August 2024, Zewdie’s daughter Lydia Tefera posted on TikTok about the challenges her family was facing to keep the doors open. The video received over 1 million views, 157,000 likes, and nearly 6,000 comments. Days later, food critic and influencer Keith Lee announced he was coming to the D.C. area, and Dukem loyalists encouraged him to stop by. He answered the call, trying their vegetable sambusas, kitfo (spiced raw beef), and short ribs. In an interview, Lee said it was the best food he had on his trip so far.
Tefera’s viral video and Lee’s visit helped bring more customers through Dukem’s doors, but the business still faced ups and downs. In one of Tefera’s TikTok videos in April, she showed the restaurant full of customers on a Friday night. Days later, she posted a video of a nearly empty dining room.
“This was a very hard decision, a very emotional one,” said Tefera, in an Instagram video about the restaurant’s closure. “It’s been around my whole life.”
In the comments of Tefera and Dukem’s social media accounts, thousands of people shared their memories of eating at Dukem: Countless dinners with friends and family, date nights, and for many customers, trying and loving Ethiopian food for the first time. Though many were devastated about the loss of the hometown staple, they also praised the business for a long, storied run.
“Some restaurants are more than just a place to eat,” one commenter wrote. “They become part of the fabric of a city. Dukem will never be forgotten.”
Sam is a reporter with The 51st. She was a multimedia freelance journalist for a year before joining the team. Prior to that, she worked at Vox and More Perfect Union. Sam has covered a wide range of issues, from invasive vines to vaccines.
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