In a region packed with fried chicken sandwiches, it takes something special to stand out. Doro Soul Food does it by breaking the rules entirely.
Founded by an Ethiopian-born, Michelin-star-trained chef Elias Taddesse, this D.C. spot near Howard University (2108 8th St NW) fuses classic American soul food with bold Ethiopian spices, creating flavors you won’t find anywhere else in the DMV. It’s familiar, fiery, deeply seasoned, and completely non-traditional.
Mr. 8 That visited the tiny takeout window that can be found right around the corner from DC’s 9:30 Club. Mr. 8 That rates every restaurant using two simple categories: price and taste, each scored on a scale of 1-5. Add the two scores together, and if a restaurant reaches a total of 8 or higher, it officially “8 that.”
Doro Soul Food focuses on chicken-centric main dishes like fried chicken, tenders and chicken sandwiches, along with classic soul food sides such as mac and cheese, potato salad, coleslaw and collard greens.
Mr. 8 That: “The star was the chicken sandwich, with their Mit Mita spice blend that left a pleasant spice that lingered with each bite. It complimented the perfectly fried chicken and the old bay aioli had a creaminess to help cool it down a touch. The mac and cheese had that traditional comfort oooey-gooey cheesiness, yet had a unique, rich depth of flavor from the Doro Wat. The coleslaw was refreshing and stayed crisp, and the fries were seasoned to perfection with the berbere spice blend.”
During his visit, Mr. 8 That tried the Berbere fries, doro wat mac and cheese, turmeric coleslaw and the chicken sandwich with the “Burna Boy” dry rub. He gave the flavor a 4.4 and the price a 4.3, leading to a final score of 8.7. That means that Doro Soul Food 8 That!
In my opinion, Doro Soul Food has an incredibly strong case for the BEST chicken sandwich in the DMV area.
@mr.8.that 🇺🇸 x 🇪🇹 from a Michelin Star Chef! – @Doro Soul Food – Washington, D.C. #FoodieTikTok #Foodie #FoodTok #RestaurantReview #DMVEats #DCEats #Chicken #Michelin #Mr8That ♬ Walking Around – Instrumental Version – Eldar Kedem
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