Meaza Restaurant

Food is the best Ethiopian Cuisine in Virginia. Meaza Ethiopian Restaurant & Cafe is a very good inexpensive and beautiful Ethiopian Restaurant in Bailey's Crossroads on Columbia Pike. Easy to find, they have a bar with big screen televisions, full bar, a cafe with expresso, cappuccino, pastry, a banquet room and outdoor sidewalk dining. They were on The Washingtonian Dirt Cheap Eats in 2009 and an Editor's Choice on The Washington Post's Going Out Guide. Open late and music on the weekends.

If you're not of Ethiopian descent (1 or 2 generations removed), don't do it to yourself! My boyfriend and I are African-American and this was the most unwelcome we've felt in quite some time. As if the stares, sneers, and whispers (from patrons & staff alike) were not enough, the service was absolutely HORRIBLE! It was slow, disorganized, and disinterested...probably due to the fact that the waitstaff kept passing our table off to one another because they didn't want to wait on us...that is after the 15 minutes it took for them to seat us in the first place. All of that being said, our covering the bill without tip didn't quite scratch my itch. So I wrote this review (and sent it to the restaurant's management) to warn you that wonderful ambiance alone does not a good dining experience make.