We came in around an hour before closing and the solo man working the restaurant served us. We told…read morehim we wanted vegan items and he suggested the veggie combo for us both. It's Ethiopian, so of course it was all wonderfully seasoned. Everything from the greens to the lentils was delicious. I enjoyed a few cups of the traditional Ethiopian tea. This was an affordable and flavorful dining experience.

Great food and kind people. We will be back to try more dishes. We had the Doro Wat and veggie…read morecombo and left the restaurant feeling very full and happy for two people eating.

as we sat in our cozy booth, i felt a little sad that we hadn't eaten at little affrica sooner…read more my partner and i shared the group platter which is the best way to experience all of the stews. for those who have not tried ethiopian food, your meal is served on and with injera, a bread used to scoop up the stews. the injera was spongy, tangy, and the perfect utensil. research shows eating with your hands improves digestion and enhances satisfaction. it's such a mindful process and truly makes you feel good. mindfulness aside, the stews were delicious and flavorful. i also ordered the guava juice which was thick and very sweet. i'd love to try the mango next and i know my partner is interested in trying the coffee. at $12.50 per person, the group platter is affordable and filling. And yes they do accept cards (no longer cash only). the owner (i'm assuming) was sweet and attentive. we can't wait to head back to little africa soon.

Updating my review to note that as of October 2024, you can use a credit card to pay at Little…read moreAfrica! This is really convenient and I hope it gets them more business. I met with three friends for dinner recently and we got the group platter for 4. It comes with all of the different dishes, including lentils, soy curry, greens, salad, and even two seasonal dishes - one with beets and one with squash. We all agreed that the squash was one of our favorites! I also got the Ethiopian tea, which is a warm fruity spiced tea that is perfect for fall. The ambience is homey, and service can be a bit slow as it is usually just the owner working and maybe one other person. That said, it's a wonderful spot and I always love the food, which is all vegetarian and vegan friendly. I'm not vegan but I'm always satisfied and I love the variety. I'm already looking forward to my next visit to Little Africa! (Sidenote, I would still recommend calling ahead to confirm they're open.)

Tropicala Taste is located in a strip mall in Kentwood near Horrocks. I made plans to meet my…read morefriend Carly H there for dinner and took Nate with me. We were greeted right away when we walked in by Nick, the owner. He is so friendly, kind, and his smile is infectious! He told us about some of the popular menu items and we planned what we wanted to order. Nate and I got the whole tilapia, jerk wings, and a side of plantains. Carly got the same thing as well as some other items to-go to take home for her husband. We sat down and enjoyed the bright and cheerful space as Nick started on our food. He was the only one working so we figured we'd have time to catch up which was nice. Nick asked if we eat beef, and we said yes so he said something about making us a traditional dish - ok! We're all adventurous foodies so we were excited. Nick's energy was infectious and he was so excited that we were open to trying new things. He brought out some flaky pastries stuffed with ground beef - sort of like an empanada. They were so tasty! The meat was flavorful and he encouraged us to try adding some of the spicy chili oil to the accompanying coleslaw and then eating it all together. The chili oil totally added a kick of spice that lingered but wasn't overpowering. Just a drop or two was enough! Our wings came out next - Carly said they might be her favorite wings in all of GR! They were spiced but not spicy hot, and perfectly fried. The jerk rub was a little salty but the flavors were great. I would definitely get them again. The plantains were some of the best I've had! Sometimes they can be dry or tough, but these were crisp on the outside and tender inside, slightly sweet and delicious! The fish came out last and it's a show stopper - the whole fish is deep fried to perfection and a huge portion to share between two people. It was juicy and not overcooked, with beans, rice, and an herbaceous green sauce to drizzle over everything. I loved trying this fun hole in the wall spot with delicious food - I encourage you to try it too! It's unique and interesting, with flavors you don't find everywhere. Plus, Nick is so wonderful and truly made me feel like I was an old friend dining at his home. I can't wait to try the chicken and pasta dishes!

One of the best new restaurants to open in quite some time! I'm so excited I finally came to visit…read moreTropicala! Let's start with #1: the food! Everything we tasted was outstanding! We ordered the tilapia, the fried turkey, and were also sold of the chocolate cake for dessert (definitely not a mistake). The tilapia was really great. The batter was well spiced but not spicy. (If you like spicy ask for the spicy drops and he will bring a house made oil to the table.) The turkey was equally delicious! Turkey is often dry but they did a great job with it. Both entrees came with plantains and rice and beans, both delicious. The plantains were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, just perfect! And the rice and beans were well seasoned and perfectly fluffy. Both dishes also came with Tropicala's amazing signature sauce. Bright green and bright flavor, this sauce pairs well with everything! Once this place takes off I wouldn't be surprised if it was bottled. #2 the service: the front man of the restaurant is charming, charismatic, and makes everyone feel welcome. It's obvious he has a real passion for his food and seeing his customers' enjoy themselves. I couldn't say enough good things about him! #3 atmosphere: they have done the best they can with a small space. Tucked away in a strip mall off Kalamazoo, they have done their best to transport the patrons into a comfortable colorful space. Bright walls and on-theme decor compliment the mood of the restaurant. Though there isn't much seating, especially with covid precautions, they are hoping to include some outdoor seating for the summer. I hope everyone gets a chance to check out this new spot! It will not disappoint!

This is a Takeout Place only. The atmosphere was very depressing. You walk in and it looks like a…read moremarket, but with the shelves only a third full. The order counter is across the room, with no signage or menu. They have a QR for menu access on their counter. The photos I saw on Google do not match the reality and food options are different from the pictures shown. Once clicking on the QR menu, they don't serve all the options on that menu either. I ended up ordering the Palm Butter with Chicken ($20) with fufu. Plus a side of Jollof rice ($6). The Palm Butter was like a curry with 2 giant Chicken Kegs in it. The sauce was good, but not great. The Chicken was tender and tasted fine, but the skin has a negative slimy texture. The fufu was like a mux between bread and mashed potatoes, odd sounding, but pretty good. I did not like the Jollof rice at all and ended up not eating it. The service was very friendly and they certainly tried. Overall a 2 star review. Maybe this type of food just isn't for me, but I was trying something new. Would I return? No, however if you enjoy West African food I suggest giving it a try yourself and maybe it will be more to your liking.

First place in GR that I found to offer fufu, had to try it…read more Walk up counter for ordering food. No dining inside. Limited menu posted on the wall (~8 items). Fufu is a plain tasting dough with mashed potato/mochi like texture. I tried it with egusi (melon seed) soup. The soup was more like a sauce and it was on the bitter side with a strong earthy seedy taste and loads of texture from finely minced veggies. If you don't like bitter foods, I'd avoid egusi. What you have to try is the chicken quarter and plantains with chili oil (not pictured). That was heavenly. Phenomenal flavor with a delicious spicy oil to go with. The fried plantains were soft, mushy and ultra sweet. I loved it, though it could be firmer. Excited to come back for other dishes.

Food truck at the farmers market. A real laid back experience, but the food was delicious. Would…read moreeat again, but only if I can have a nap after cuz I ate a LOT.

I had heard good things about Go Jo, I wasn't still not expecting much from an Ethiopian restaurant…read morein Grand Rapids, my comparison is having had wonderful Ethiopian food in Kenya, but it was fantastic. We were greeted by a lovely woman who seemed to be running the restaurant solo. This did not stop her, she got our order in, brought tea and coffee, and then our entree in a standard amount of time. The tea was wonderful and hot on a cold February night. My brother and I shared (and for $28 we could not finish it) a sampler. For those not familiar, wash your hands, and use in injera (a thin, spongy bread) to scoop and eat. Every item was warm and flavorful with spices, we were very full by the end. My brother had never had Ethiopian before and he loved it as well. This is a restaurant to check out in Grand Rapids.

Love love love Gojo!! I always get the same exact thing…read morewhen we go and it's consistently the best comfort food. Their Yeshekla tibs is everythingggggg

Mizizi and Chef Shaw are such an underrated/hidden gem for Grand Rapids. I've stopped by a couple…read moretimes now and they are always super friendly and pretty quick! They have a couple bar stools / high tops inside but it's pretty small so either plan to eat at their seats outdoors in front or take it to go! Love their drink options, always super tasty and refreshing. I think they are known for their birria and they had a birria udon special this past visit that I had to try. It was good! A bit salty for my personal taste but the birria flavors were on point. I also tried one of my friend's pork birria dumplings and that was so yummy. Great texture and very saucy. Will definitely be back for more soon!

My daughter was a huge fan after our first visit. We both ordered a quesadilla to go as there were…read moreonly two small standing tables and the place was hopping on a Thursday evening. I chose the chicken tikka and she opted for the pork. Both were delicious. Although we didn't have leftovers, I did save the consommé broth and have been dipping bread in that for days now. So good! This is a great place for some takeout and we will surely be making our way back again soon.