The Eritrean Cultural Civic Center in the Chinatown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., looks like a men's club on the inside, but there is a cafeteria for all to enjoy, where the culture of Eritrea is celebrated. Open for lunch daily, the center allows visitors to share platters of cheap, delicious ethnic food. A vegan platter for two goes for only $11.00, for example. As customers enjoy their meals, soap operas play on mounted televisions.

Established in 1989, the Civic Center has come under some scrutiny in the past. On June 30, 2006, Kasetbrhan M. Keleta, who wired more than $8 million to overseas customers, was found guilty in a federal court of operating an illegal money transmitting business out of the center. The evidence at the trial showed that, in the early 2000s, Keleta was sending money illegally to Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Libya, and Kenya.