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    African Icons Restaurant

    3.6 (206 reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 10:00 PM

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    AFRICAN ICONS RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - African Icons Restaurant

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    Grilled lamb with onion, tomato, sweet pepper stew, spinach, jollof rice and sweet plantains
    Krishna P.

    Warning: this place is not for everyone. Don't go here on a date, don't go with kids, don't go if you are on a rush and don't go if you feel entitled. This is a very humble establishment that runs on African time but serves really authentic cuisine. Go here solely for the food. Better if you can do a take out order. I had grilled lamb with spinach, jollof rice and sweet plantains. Just amazing. I also did a take out order of Ndolle (goat with some bitter leaf gravy). Loved it. There are too many issues with the restaurant. Outdated ambience, super super slow service, difficulty communicating with the staff which resulted in some extra side dishes I ended up paying for, their website doesn't work, the prices they charged were a bit more than what was on the menu (basically outdated menus) and the list simply goes on. Inspite of all these issues, I would still go there because none of those issues seemed intentional. I didn't see foul play. The manager/owner Patrick and the server/cashier Agbenfa both seemed naive and humble. They tried to make sure I enjoyed the food. I also feel I may have gotten lucky because the food that was served to me was hot. (Not cold or room temp like some of the others mentioned) I went on a Friday night. I would have to try a few more times before judging if the food is consistent. But the two entrees and the three sides I tried were all phenomenal. It also helps if you know what you are getting but I like to try new things especially when I am going to authentic places and I don't mind taking small risks. Oh the portions were huge. When it took 30 mins for the lady to come take my order, I was all set to leave the place and was prepared for a 1star experience as I started reading the reviews. But I'm glad my patience served me well. I wasn't in a rush. It was a lazy Friday evening. Lazy enough to stick around long enough to try their food.

    Croaker with jollof and spinach Goat
    Mary L.

    A few years ago, an Uber driver taking me home from the airport recommended this place to me for Cameroonian food and today, I finally tried it for takeout. 5 min after I ordered the roasted whole croaker and the goat, I got a call saying that I could choose a side of plantains, rice, or jollof with my croaker and I opted for jollof. When I got to the restaurant, I only had to wait a few min and my order was ready. The place only had 2 tables available for dining in, understandable for COVID, with photos of Cameroon on the wall and had a homey feeling. The croaker was delicious, seasoned well and tender. I would want to learn this! The sides of spinach and jollof were less memorable, although the spinach was creamy and jollof had nice consistency, both were bland. This was disappointing considering how the rice took up more than half the plate. The goat was cooked well, nice grilled taste, but as other reviewers have noted, $7 for 4 small bites of goat is pricey. I would probably come back for the croaker in the future, and maybe try an egusi stew.

    Chicken wings, goat meat grille and plantains
    Nikki L.

    This is my go to spot for African food. I almost always get the goat meat grille. It comes with grilled goat covered in onions and bell peppers that have been sautéed in a tomato based sauce, a lil spinach, and a heaping portion of jollof rice. It hits the spot and does the things. Sometimes I get the chicken wings (spicy) too. The chicken wing portion is small but the flavor is mighty. They come with sautéed onions on top so I like to take the onions and sauce and put them on top of my jollof rice. The plantains are also a nice side to have. I tried the chicken yassa once and wasn't really a fan. Other than that, the food here is good!

    Egussi Stew Fish with yam fufu
    Leeann J.

    This was my first time having egusi stew with fufu and it DELIVERED. My partner got this tomato-based stew with super tender and juicy chunks of lamb and cassava with gari fufu, which was also incredible. The food was super flavorful, the fish that came with the egusi stew was meaty and not too bony, the portions were LARGE. Service was also great and the staff were really friendly even if it was a slower day. I would absolutely come back here again and try more things on the menu!

    Inside
    Jason L.

    Excellent food and the cook is awesome. I had the Egusi with Fish and Cassava Leaf with Beef which was so flavorful and delicious. I also tried Boiled Plantian for the first instead of Fried and it was so damn good. It is a very small restaurant with limited seating, but most customer were picking up phoned in orders. You have to try the food here and you will be glad that you stepped out of your comfort zone.

    Chicken, salad, fries...nicely seasoned chicken but a bit on the dry side, fries were lukewarm and a little soggy.
    Angela A.

    If you read Nick L.'s review that is how I feel. And also from reading the reviews, I think this place has an issue with being consistent. My guess is that the same people are not always doing the cooking. Nick L. wrote, "The service is slow and inaccurate; stuff comes or doesn't come intermittently, and at the end of the day the flavors and quality are a poor reflection of African cuisine." Well said, Nick! I wanted to like this place, I really did and I feel bad writing this review but I must be honest. Years ago my hubby raved about this place but things have changed. I am married to a Cameroonian and have had 'da bomb' West African food. Food that makes you weep, either from the pepper or "pepa" or just because you wish you could have it every day. The jollof rice is bland and despite it's red color taste like white rice, which they were out of. White rice, really? Isn't that standard. The pepper soup was so mild, my kiddos ate some without as much as a sniffle. Chicken, a bit dry. Curry Chicken a bit salty and gloopy sauce and the ndole tasted like it was spoiled. I tried adding heaping tablespoons of the pepper sauce and I think I could have just eaten it by the spoonful because it was not spicy like you would expect. The staff was very distant, seemed like they weren't trained in how to be an effective wait person. They should smile, come to the table and ask if you are ready to place your order, don't get mad when asked about items on the menu, ask if the customer needs anything, etc... One staffer barely spoke english and had to get help to figure out what we needed. My daughter called the other waitress, 'the low talker.' They made no attempt to go above or beyond basic service and even that was lacking. They also aren't well versed in the ingredients of the items and if they are they seem to follow the 'share as little info about the menu as possilbe.' When one waitress accidentally served me jollof rice instead of white rice, she said we don't have white rice. I think she wanted me to just eat the jollof rice and so I said well, can I have fufu and she said, "we have to cook it" and I said okay, I'll wait and then lo and behold here comes my fufu 1 minute later!! She lied because she just simply didn't feel like changing my order. That or she somehow didn't know the fufu was ready. Since I know these dishes are very labor intensive and some take hours to cook, I think that all this stuff tasted like they got it out of the fridge and heated it in the microwave because none of it came out piping hot. And finally the waitress had no change, only 5's and 10's thus forcing you to leave a larger tip which was in no way earned. I left to get change and tipped her just over 15% and that was painful because she was not a good waitress but I wanted to at least give the minimum. I was really disappointed in the mediocre food. This is not what West African food should taste like. I know they can find some 'auntie' to come in the kitchen and do it better and do it like 'back home.' Don't know if this place is still owned by an African but whoever owns it, you can do so much better!! P.S. $2.50 for a can of Sprite is highway robbery!! At least at other establishments at that price you can get refills. Yikes!

    Dirk R.

    Authentic West African restaurant. Pepper soup with goat was excellent. Egusi with spinach (no bitter leaf) and plantain was delicious as well. The goat was a bit tough, but goat can be like that. No liquor license so we opted for ginger beer. Outside seating in good weather, or a small cozy seating area inside. We will come back.

    Roger Miller's TERRIBLE reproduction of the classic Nigerian Egusi Soup. Please, spare your stomach & taste buds and DO NOT order this dish!
    Nwunye O.

    Wow! It is RARE for me to give an African restaurant one star - as I am fiercely supportive of my people. But Roger Miller has earned it. I ordered the Egusi Soup with Beef and Pounded Yam fufu. The ONLY edible item was the beef. Egusi Soup (at least, the way most Nigerians prepare it) is supposed to be a HEARTY, RICH soup. Deep orange and green in color, moistened just right with palm or vegetable oil, and seasoned perfectly. This is NOT what Roger Miller prepared. Their egusi soup tasted RAW - RAW! - like it hadn't spent more than 5 minutes over heat. There was no oil at all. The pounded yam was a lumpy mess. Look, even when using yam flour, you CAN still get the soft, stretchy consistency of pounded yam - just use the right mixing technique! But apparently, not at Roger Miller. I can't speak for other items on their menu. But based on their TERRIBLE reproduction of this CLASSIC Nigerian dish, I shall not be patronizing Roger Miller again. Ever! (but I may do their chef a favor and bring them a sample of what this soup is meant to LOOK & TASTE like... seriously, even I prepare it MUCH better...)

    Menu with "no Groupon accepted" printed on it.

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    I love everything about this placethe food is always great and the older man in front is extremely kind and helpful.

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    Ask the Community - African Icons Restaurant

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    Recently visited The Charmery and was pleasantly surprised! I like when places have unique flavors…read moreand combos. I tried the Strawberry Matcha Milkshake. It's made with lavender matcha ice cream which was really tasty but more on the lavender side than matcha. I also tried the Takeout sundae if you like a salty sweet combo this is it. The staff was super nice and it was actually pretty quiet inside. A hidden gem in the area.

    It's a good thing I don't live closer to the Charmery because I think they have the best ice cream…read morein the city! I would need to get new pants! My favorite part is the creative ice cream flavors. Where else can you find cantaloupe or Old Bay ice cream? And they're delicious too! I went with friends on a quiet Thursday night. The interior is bright, spacious, and funky! I love the creative decorations. They had about 10 ice cream flavors available. I had to try a couple because they were so unique! Baklava, saffron, old bay, cantaloupe, and more! They had classics as well like chocolate and mint. A single scoop was $6 and was a good size. I got the baklava and WOW. I'm a huge baklava fan and this was incredible. I don't know how they mixed real, delicious chunks of baklava in the honey ice cream without it getting soggy or mushy, but they did and it was amazing! A friend got their dark chocolate and it might be the best chocolate ice cream I've ever had- I'm look at you Ben and Jerry! Some other nice touches- the spoons change color with different temperatures! So fun to watch your spoon change when it sits in the ice cream. They were also selling shirts to support the local elementary school. They have new flavors each season, so make sure you come in and try more! I can't wait to see what else they make!

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    Moorenko's Ice Cream

    Moorenko's Ice Cream

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    They're open during the pandemic which is a YAY! My littles wanted ice cream (not popsicles) after…read morea long hard day playing so we drove over around 6pm. They're located on Georgia right next to Denizens, and It's kind of in the cut and hard to see (well it was for me). If you're coming in from East-West Highway (pro tip: don't if you're driving, the parking there is restricted and they tow) you have to walk down stairs between the 1830 building and Denizens to find it. They allow one party in the building at a time. My boys and I went in and the young man immediately asked if we were just using the restroom or also getting ice cream-- I doubt they have public restrooms but I was on a trot after 3 hours out-- and when he realized we were getting ice cream, he didn't allow anyone in until we came out of the bathroom, ordered and left. Very safe. Their ice cream is clean, delicious, and their flavors are unique. I tried honey lavender and It was SOOO good until the very end ( I ate a bit of lavender and didn't taste anything else til I was done). The boys' strawberry ice cream was delicious and NOT pink- we avoid red dyes so this was exactly what we were looking for. The sugar cones are just the right size for the small children and they don't overstuff the cones a la Brusters and Ben and Jerry's. These are just right in size and price for kids. They didn't have a "kids cone" option per se (but I didn't ask) we just did a single scoop. That's one thing I'd like- a cake cone (smaller) with a kid sized scoop. As ir was, I got a scoop and a half helping the 3 year old finish. The 6 year old inhaled it in 2 minutes so it's just about right! Overall it's close to home, easy to get to once you know it's there and had great service plus AWESOME ice cream. I cannot wait to try the ginger, coconut, and wild blueberry! Lo

    Interested in some super premium ice cream (aka ultra premium at this business)? Super premium,…read morepremium, standard, and economy are marketing terms used by ice cream makers. The FDA rules (in general) for calling a frozen dairy product ice cream are: 1) it must have at least 10% dairy milkfat. 2) it must weigh at least 4.5 lbs per gallon. 3) the overrun cannot exceed 100%. Super means the ice cream has at least 15% milkfat and less than 50% overun. Each ice cream company has their own definition, but they are similar. Overrun is the percentage of air in the ice cream compared to the starting materials. E.g. If you start with 1 quart of ice cream ingredients and mix it until it expands to 2 quarts, you will have 100% overrun. More milkfat and less overrun makes ice cream thicker, richer, creamier, and smoother. So, my wife and I came here to try their super premium ice cream and sorbet. They have 17% milkfat in their ice cream. We sampled 5 items and bought 4. 1) Pumpkin milkshake It tasted like pumpkin pie with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. No noticeable clove flavor, which was fine with me. It was thick, creamy, and rich while still being easy to drink through a straw. It had a smooth sweetness that was just right. A great milkshake if you love pumpkin pie! The pumpkin ice cream was smooth, rich, and creamy with a great pumpkin pie flavor. It was the best tasting out of the 5 we tried. That's why we picked it for the milkshake. 2) Peanut Butter It had a strong roasted peanut flavor with a moderate sweetness level. The flavor was excellent, but the texture was not right. The ice cream had ice crystals throughout, not just the surface. I hope this was a production error and not the norm. Iciness is not acceptable at $9.25 per pint. 3) Gingersnap It had finely crushed gingersnap cookies in it. It tasted like gingersnap cookies with a strong ginger flavor. It was smooth, rich, and creamy. There were 2 problems: it melted very quickly and the ginger flavor was too strong. Less ginger and a touch more molasses would have made it great tasting. Ironically, molasses makes ice cream softer and melt faster. My photo shows the amount of melting that occurred in less than a minute after scooping it out of the container. I can imagine the mess on a hot day while eating this from a cone. You have to eat this very quickly if you don't want to drink it. This is inconsiderate to the customer. 4) Mango sorbet This had a natural mango flavor with a good amount of sweetness, but not too much. There were bits of mango in it which added some tanginess. It was thick and smooth with no iciness. This was fruity and refreshing! The service was informative, helpful, and friendly. They let you sample as many as you like. There were only 12 flavors available on our visit. They usually have more, but supplies had not been delivered. There are 2 freezers with pints of ice cream and sorbet for sale. The store was clean. They had 7 tables with chairs and counter seating. There are no restrooms for customers. I found the sorbet to be one of the best around DC. Some of the ice cream was disappointing in either taste or texture. The iciness in the peanut butter ice cream was probably due to a mistake that was made during the production. They need to check each batch of ice cream before release. The incredibly rapid melting of the Gingersnap ice cream will turn people off. That's easily fixable. Taste is subjective. I just think it's better to have less ginger as opposed to more. The pumpkin ice cream was an excellent example of super premium ice cream. We will return to try other flavors and give the peanut butter ice cream another try.

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    Morning My Day

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    I recently picked up a small Lemon cake and a Strawberry cake from Morning My Day in Silver Spring…read more I was expecting a decent dessert; I wasn't expecting to be reminded that most other bakeries have been lying to us for years. The first bite was a bit of a shock to the system. It's one of those rare "Ratatouille moments" where a flavor profile manages to bridge the gap between Maryland and the legendary sponge cakes of Phoenix Bakery in LA. It's a bit of a trick, really--making something taste like a childhood memory without being cloying about it. The Breakdown: * The Sponge: It's exceptionally light. Biting into it is less like eating a dense dessert and more like biting into a sweetened, high-end pillow. It's airy, delicate, and possesses the kind of structural integrity that only a professional (or a wizard) could manage. * The Icing: A triumph of restraint. Instead of the usual sugary plaster one finds elsewhere, this is a light, white cream. It's sweet enough to let you know it's there, but it doesn't try to dominate the conversation. It's icing with a bit of dignity. * The Verdict: This is how cake ought to be. It's exquisite, technically brilliant, and far too easy to eat in a single sitting. If you appreciate a dessert that relies on craft rather than a massive dose of corn syrup, do yourself a favor and stop by. It's a legit bit of baking excellence right here in Silver Spring

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    African Icons Restaurant - african - Updated September 2026

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