Cheap Eats 2009: Shagga Coffee and Restaurant

Reviewed by Todd Kliman , Cynthia Hacinli , Ann Limpert , Kate Nerenberg , Rina Rapuano

Great food, low price, lots of fun.

Shagga Coffee and Restaurant

6040 Baltimore Ave.
Hyattsville, MD
Phone: 240-296-3030

Cuisines:
Ethiopian, Breakfast

Opening Hours:

Wheelchair Accessible:
No

Nearby Metro Stops:
None nearby

Price Range:
Inexpensive

Dress:
Informal

Noise Level:
Chatty

Reservations:
Not needed

Special Features:
Kid Friendly

Best Dishes
Sambusas (turnovers filled with chicken, beef, or lentils); doro wat (braised chicken and hard-boiled egg in a peppery sauce); kitfo (we like the raw beef very lightly cooked and sided with farmer’s cheese and collards); firfir (a casserole of injera and beef).


 

Reader's Rating:
No Reader Reviews

Why go: This converted doughnut shop dishes up some of the best Ethiopian cooking outside of Little Ethiopia—rich stews that steer clear of the heaviness or greasiness the cuisine is prone to. Husband-and-wife owners Adamu and Kelem Lemu also brew one of the darkest, smoothest cups of coffee in the area.

What to get: Sambusas, crispy turnovers filled with chicken, beef, or lentils; doro wat, braised chicken and hard-boiled egg in a peppery sauce; kitfo, Ethiopian beef tartare (we like the raw beef very lightly cooked and sided with house-made farmer’s cheese and collards); firfir, a casserole of torn injera, cubed beef, onion, tomatoes, and chilies.

Best for: Takeout; group dining.

Insider tip: At lunch, you can have a main course and two veggie sides for $6.95. Though the menu lists the name of the place as Shegga—“good” or “beautiful” in Amharic—the sign says Shagga. A new sign is coming soon to resolve the confusion, the owners promise.

Open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

>> See all 2009 Cheap Eats restaurants here