family friendly. warm and welcoming every time you walk in. Also fully stock. the best plantains.

Frozen food is very unsafe. Tasted like grandular dirt was in it Also could have been baked pies which was dry and heavy thick crust. After eating that food i fell ill. I ended up with lesions on my butt. I have been feeliing sick which still contiinues. Warning read more

I come here at least once a month to stock up on Ribena. It's a concentrated drink that's only sold internationally. Good stuff. The problem with this place is the staff. Not only are they friendly, remember you and give eye contact, they upsell. They are like, "would you like to try?", "I see you only have XYZ, will you need ABC as well to go with that?", "Have you tried our fresh bread, it just came out of the oven!" Listen, Listen, LISTEN LINDA.... when they mention the bread, understand it's a trap. You've been cornered. GET OUT!! Run! Do not pass go, do not collect $200... leave immediately. So, the previous time I came, I went with a list... I got all items on the list. Then, I am approached about the bread. I tell him, "I am on a low/no carb diet, I don't do bread but thank you". You call it being a salesmen, I call it recess peer pressure. He tells me, "it's fresh. It's the best bread you will have ever eaten. Look at me, I'm skinny. Would you like two loaves or three" I'm like EXCUSE me sir!! No means, no! Well, my weak willed self left buying not one but TWO loaves of the tallest, softest, longest loaves of bread I've ever seen in all my years. I was just going to take it home and trash it, consider it a donation, but the devil on my shoulder told me, "try it". I did. Errrrmawwwwgawwwwwd. Then, I whipped butter, added honey & cinnamon & smeared it on said bread and that kicked it up to a level that I'm pretty sure is outlawed. First of all, what is this bread made of. I swear they use potato flour, honey, fairy dust and some highly addictive ingredient that may or may not be legal on this side of the globe. I don't know. All I'm saying is... save yourself! Do as I say, not as I did. Don't come here, but if you do....don't get the bread. If you do buy the bread..... don't eat it. If you do eat it.... can you remember to bring me some Ribena when you get admitted to the Afia Freshest Most Delicious Bread Addiction Center. We are gonna need something delicious to wash this down with. I'm just saying, you've been forewarned. This bread is gonna lead me to have my own TLC special: Intervention- She risked it all and ate the bread. So, my last visit, I convinced the lady in line to buy it. She too doesn't eat bread. I told her, if I'm going down, I'm taking everyone with me! She got a loaf. I bought two for my family as well. It's over for us. :) read more

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I discovered this african store last year and so far it's been great. They make their (Agege) bread home made, comes out very fresh. Best thing is to pick it up while it's fresh out of the oven. The owners are always very nice also. read more

Afia International - Outside - International Grocery Near Me - Elkridge, Maryland

Afia International is situated really conveniently in an area with a lot of grocery stores and restaurants. I love the convenience of Trader Joe's, ALDI, and Royal Farms being very close by, but I always hesitate to purchase from this market because the sanitation and hygiene practices are lacking. This is especially concerning during the current pandemic. I often worry about how long the products have been on the shelves, and there isn't always expiration date on the products to indicate shelf life. I've also noticed that the prices aren't consistently displayed throughout the store. I continue to return to this store, because I usually only purchase two items- kenkey and shitto, and both are individually packaged by an outside local seller, but still I worry about food safety practices (i.e. temperatures, refrigeration, and expiration dates). This morning I ran in to grab the above-mentioned items and the cashier was eating food. He proceeded to scan my items for me with food particles on his unwashed hands. He then handed me my change and I noticed that some of the food particles from his hands were on the dollar bills and coins. I hate to leave a review like this because I am Ghanaian and I know things are tough right now for small businesses, but it would go a really long way if they could step up their food safety and hygiene practices. read more

Afia International - Ghanaian shitto. - International Grocery Near Me - Elkridge, Maryland

Afia International Market's painful customer experience from the store guy. Today's best decision was to end my purchase at the Afia International Market in Elkridge, MD, and I will never go to that store again. I went there this evening to buy snacks, and I already knew that the minimum purchase to use a card is $10 because I have been buying things I don't need in that store to support "so-called black own business" and making the minimum purchase of $10 for Nine years. Anyway, I took some plantain chips and chin chin to exceed the threshold of $10. I was looking for a bottle of water inside his refrigerator to add to my purchase, but I couldn't find a bottle of water but Goya and other non-alcoholic drinks. I looked on the floor, and I saw a case of water that was already broken. I took one bottle of water, and I was at first joking with him that I hoped you are not going to charge me for this water because it was not cold, it was on the floor, and it also looked like something you were drinking yourself. I hadn't even finished my sentence before the store guy started angrily shouting. Here are his words "Why should I give you the water for free? Can I go to your place of work to ask for free stuff, or can I take money out of your paycheck? How dear you are asking me for that. Can you go to giant and ask them for a free water bottle?" At this point, I felt so embarrassed, and I told him, bro don't worry about it. I'm going to pay for the bottle of water. No one is asking you for free stuff; besides, you know me that I have been coming to your store for nine years to support your business, and I have never asked you for free stuff, but the way you are talking to me right now is terrible, and this is poor customer service. I walked away from his store, and he followed me outside and yelled, "don't ever come back to this store again. I usually don't write reviews, whether bad or good. But I want people that go to Afia International market to pay attention to the store guy. He's insulting and arrogant. He acts as if he's doing you a favor by spending your hard-earned money at his store. I understand we don't have that many African stores in Howard county, but guess what, I will drive 20 minutes to PG COUNTY where I don't have to deal with an arrogant village man. He said he's a business man, but this is not how successful businessmen treat their customers. read more

Afia International - Here is another comment from a dissatisfied customer. The guy is rude; he can't survive in a corporate American own business. - International Grocery Near Me - Elkridge, Maryland

2-2.5 ish.... I thought the service was great, but I think the guy there screwed me over when he saw that I wasn't African. I don't know if this is accurate and I'm really hoping I just came by a bad day, but I had the feeling the guy assumed I didn't like African food or was just trying it out for the first time, so he ripped me off by giving me a bunch of plain white rice with a teeny bit of sauce and meat over it for 30 dollars because of the assumption that I'll never come back. I understand, I get it that not many people who aren't African may not like your cuisine due to its distinct flavors and aromas. But not me. I love different foods from Africa including Nigerian, Ethiopian and Egyptian. If you look at the pictures I put up, you can clearly see the pile of rice that's covered with a little bit of sauce and a couple pieces of goat meat. And honestly? I absolutely loved it. If only they gave me more sauce to help accompany the 3 pounds of rice. I didn't even mind the meat because the sauce was what made the dish in my opinion. I don't even know what the dish is called but it also came with a fried tilapia. The tilapia was slightly dry but had some good flavor. I also got the Egusi with goat and fufu. But what I got was Egusi with a plethora of pointy fish bones and 2 pieces of goat that came from a different dish because it clearly had a different colored sauce which also has a different flavor. The bottom piece of goat was really tender, flavorful and went great with the fufu. However, the top, bigger piece was straight up leather. It was the skin and I couldn't eat it due to its really, really tough texture. The Egusi was worse. It smelled rank and every bite I took had at least 5 pieces of fish bones in it and it didn't have ANY fish in the stew. NONE. Why would it have so many freaking bones??? The flavor was not the same or even similar flavors I had when going to Ethiopian restaurants. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm almost certain that other countries have their own versions of Egusi, but that was clearly not fresh. I also ordered 2 meat pies in which the guy never gave me but I don't know if he also charged me for them, but I do know that paying almost 30 dollars for the above mentioned dishes were not worth it. I'll come back here soon and try out their other dishes and hope, and I really mean hope that my experience there would be better than last time. African food in Howard County sounds fantastic. read more

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Afia International Market's painful customer experience from the store guy. Today's best decision was to end my purchase at the Afia International Market in Elkridge, MD, and I will never go to that store again. I went there this evening to buy snacks, and I already knew that the minimum purchase to use a card is $10 because I have been buying things I don't need in that store to support "so-called black own business" and making the minimum purchase of $10 for Nine years. Anyway, I took some plantain chips and chin chin to exceed the threshold of $10. I was looking for a bottle of water inside his refrigerator to add to my purchase, but I couldn't find a bottle of water but Goya and other non-alcoholic drinks. I looked on the floor, and I saw a case of water that was already broken. I took one bottle of water, and I was at first joking with him that I hoped you are not going to charge me for this water because it was not cold, it was on the floor, and it also looked like something you were drinking yourself. I hadn't even finished my sentence before the store guy started angrily shouting. Here are his words "Why should I give you the water for free? Can I go to your place of work to ask for free stuff, or can I take money out of your paycheck? How dear you are asking me for that. Can you go to giant and ask them for a free water bottle?" At this point, I felt so embarrassed, and I told him, bro don't worry about it. I'm going to pay for the bottle of water. No one is asking you for free stuff; besides, you know me that I have been coming to your store for nine years to support your business, and I have never asked you for free stuff, but the way you are talking to me right now is terrible, and this is poor customer service. I walked away from his store, and he followed me outside and yelled, "don't ever come back to this store again. I usually don't write reviews, whether bad or good. But I want people that go to Afia International market to pay attention to the store guy. He's insulting and arrogant. He acts as if he's doing you a favor by spending your hard-earned money at his store. I understand we don't have that many African stores in Howard county, but guess what, I will drive 20 minutes to PG COUNTY where I don't have to deal with an arrogant village man. He said he's a business man, but this is not how successful businessmen treat their customers. read more

I moved to Columbia after living in an area where there's plethora access to African groceries. I came across Afia after a recomendation from someone at the gym. I recently discovered that Afia has found a new home at a bigger and more accessible location behind Costco, Food Lion, my favorite Halal meat shop, and next to Kiddie Academy on Old Waterloo Rd. This place carries African and Caribbean groceries, and unless you want to drive down to Laurel, it's the only place in Howard county that carries ethnic food. It's not five star yet, because the price is a bit higher than what I get in PG, MoCo, and DC, and last time I was there they didn't have yams, but it's conveniently located. This market used to be in Jessup and tightly squeezed in a hard-to-find corner of a strip. Finding an ethnic food grocery store in Howard County was a daunting task when I moved here a few years ago. I hope this review helps someone. read more

AFIA has a diverse assortment of African groceries, and a wonderful cafe as well. The fish, suya, and fried plantains were quite tasty. Chinedu, the owner is quite friendly, and keeps customers apprised of when there is a new batch of their favorite items in stock. read more

I am new in the area and was looking for an African store. So happy I discovered this shop today. I got everything I wanted and the man who attended to me was very nice. Will be back! read more

Afia International - a brick building with a neon sign - International Grocery Near Me - Elkridge, Maryland

I have been a regular customer at this store for almost two years. The grandparents are a regular staple and make you feel at home. The regular cashier(Chinedu?) is always cordial and keeps customers happy by offering other options and their famous "agege" bread. Sadly, my impression of this business changed today. This is rather unfortunate because I've had the utmost respect for the regular workers at this store. I politely asked a gentleman to wear gloves to serve me some fresh bread because I noticed that he hadn't washed his hands. Big mistake on my part. He told me he doesn't have to wear gloves when he washes his hands. This was not true because I watched him come from the kitchen, touch a couple of things and he did NOT wash his hands. I said never mind because I didn't want to engage in an argument over hygiene. I asked him to kindly ring up the rest of the items I was trying to purchase, and he totally lost it! He asked me to get out of his store or he would call the cops for "disruption". I asked him to go ahead and call the cops and explain how I was being disruptive. My crime was that I dared to ask that he uses gloves to touch the bread. This is pretty BASIC hygiene. The regular cashier who knows me very well tried to use gloves and this gentleman stopped him from doing so and I was asked to leave. He said he owned the store and that I should get out immediately but not before I was reminded that they had 1000 customers. Well, make that 999 because you just lost one. I LOVE agege bread but no thank you. read more

They have pretty much everything I'm looking for and they're aren't really any other African Grocery stores in the area

The staff is rude. The customer service is abysmal. Their sanitary practices are unsatisfactory. I will not be patronizing this shop.