*Semret Asfaw, co-owner of Ice ‘n Slice*

by Teddy Wansink

Ice 'n Slice is a pizza joint. But walk inside, and you’ll be hard pressed to find a pepperoni in sight.

Instead, you’ll find pies topped with ingredients from traditional Ethiopian dishes, including chickpeas, hard-boiled eggs, cabbage, lentils and full chicken wings (bone in).

Ice 'n Slice’s unique Ethiopian-Italian fusion has made it a neighborhood favorite in Petworth. Go on a weekend, and you may find a crowd of customers eating shoulder to shoulder.

“We were packed in there super tight,” said Maxwell Cloe, a 26-year-old university program coordinator. “It was a cold night, and so the fact that there was that many people showing up in person to sit down and eat the food, I think was a testament to how successful it is.”

The “Slice” refers to the restaurant’s five varieties of Ethiopian pizza, which take inspiration from traditional dishes like doro wat, a spicy chicken stew, and tibs, a beef stir-fry. The “Ice” refers to the extensive choice of ice creams, sourced from Philadelphia-based creamery Bassetts. The owners, twin sisters Semret and Timni Asfaw from Addis Ababa, also run the popular Heat Da Spot café a few blocks down Georgia Avenue.

Ice 'n Slice opened in August 2022, during a tough period for restaurateurs in DC. With rising crime and inflation following the pandemic, more than one-third of restaurants saw a drop in sales and traffic over 2023, according to a report from the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington.

Ice ‘n Slice is at the corner of Shepherd Street and Georgia Avenue NW.

The local pizza market is especially competitive. DC had the most pizza places per capita out of any other U.S. city in 2021, according to a study from the National Restaurant Association.

Ice ‘n Slice credits some of its success to word of mouth. Semret Asfaw remembers welcoming international visitors from Asia and Europe, who came specifically to the pizzeria because they received a recommendation upon arriving at the airport.

Local food influencers have also highlighted the restaurant on Instagram, driving millions of views.

Semret Asfaw was traveling in Tanzania when a video by @DMVBite went viral on Instagram last December. The influencers had not even told Asfaw that they had visited the restaurant, so she was surprised when her phone blowing up with notifications.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Selam & Emily (@dmvbite)

“It's a lot of followers because my phone keeps dying,” Asfaw recalled. By the time she got back to DC, the demand was so overwhelming that there weren’t enough tables to accommodate the crowds of customers.

*Ice ‘n Slice’s vegetarian pizza, the “Addis Ababa,” topped with chickpeas, cabbage and lentils*

Ice ‘n Slice has still had its fair share of struggles.

The restaurant’s now-signature patio was originally a response to crime in the neighborhood. When the restaurant first opened, Ice 'n Slice’s main door opened directly to Georgia Avenue. People would smoke outside, loiter by the door and enter without paying, Asfaw explained.

In response, Ice 'n Slice moved their entrance to the side facing Shepherd Street and built a gated patio with glass barriers. The colorful space not only keeps out crime, but has since become a popular hangout spot on sunny days.

Inflation has also taken its toll. According to Asfaw, the price of eggs has quadrupled over three years, and prices for most supplies have also skyrocketed. In response, Ice 'n Slice has had to raise prices on their menu. The same vegetarian pizza that cost $23 on opening day, now costs $27.

“It's very stressful even to see the customers looking at the price, and they're not happy about it,” Asfaw said.

*Semret Asfaw on the Shepherd Street patio outside Ice ‘n Slice*

Asfaw said she tries to compensate for rising prices by emphasizing customer service. It’s not uncommon for the staff to remember your name or to sneak you a treat on your way out.

“The man who was serving us made sure to make us comfortable and give us snacks while we were waiting,” said Juliet Fusco, a 26-year-old broadcast traffic coordinator. “It felt like we were at home.”

Ice 'N' Slice Eatery
3937 Georgia Ave NW
dcicenslice.com