Nothing is better than thinking "ooh, I've never had X food. Look- an X restaurant!" and then having it be delicious. I ate here a year and a half ago, and it was the first time I had any sort of African food. Roger Miller Restaurant is West African, more specifically Cameroon. As a vegetarian I was quite happy here, plus the waitress was helpful when we were trying to figure out all of the things on the menu (plus what did and did not have meat, and what dishes were secretly better than the others). Our group was the only one not to speak French in the little restaurant, but it looked like everyone knew each other and were hanging out That didn't take away from the service though, it was quick for our group of 5. read more

i've been here twice in the past month or so.... the first time i was impressed with the service, the food, and the atmosphere. we sat outside on a nice summer evening. my dinner companion speaks french and so do much of the staff and regulars. the food was different and delecious, and they have 4-5 vegetarian dishes. just this past saturday night, we spent a breezy summer evening there again. our waiter was different and not as good. they were out of lots of regular menu items ... like no salad whatsoever. i wasn't crazy about my entree, either. but i hesistate to say too many negative things because i really like the place, i may give them another try. i hope they survive as a business. my companion thought they charged too little for their entrees and most of the clientele seemed to order very little and hang around for hours. we shall see, NO? read more

The food was really salty!! And the service SUCKED. The waitress was extremely unfriendly and rude. She made a mistake with our order, (we had ordered the fufu), and when we drew her attention to it, she told us that her choice was better.. What a waste of money. read more

My friends and I were very impressed with this establishment. They offer traditional West African fares and you feel like you're right in Senegal or Cameroon. I tried the fried fish with vegetables and plantains. It was delectable and quite inexpensive for the quality. The service was also nice. My only negative comment is that there is an extremely large television in a very small indoor dining area. Perhaps it will be nicer to sit outside when we have warmer weather. read more

So I tried this restaurant for the first time recently and...Roger Miller is a winner! This is not my first time with West African food since I am, indeed, West African, hahaha. I liked it! I'm not used to having Basmati rice used for Jollof Rice, but it was still good. And although less deep in color and in flavor richness than what I'm used to--it was altogether a yum experience. Man, I was satisfied! I had the Jollof Rice with goat meat and a side of Fried Plantain. It came with a sauce that had a few sauteed/cooked sliced bell peppers on top of the meat, and it also came with a small side of chopped efo (cooked spinach) and a little cup of fairly spicy pepper sauce--amped my experience for sure (yesneeess). It was sooo delicious. I approve. Wait was about 15 to 20 minutes for the food--not bad, less than I was expecting (West African food places often may take a while to prep, so this---for me--was good). A shame that it's all the way in Silver Spring and not in D.C. Grr. Based on this particular experience--I have no regrets and would try it again. I forgot I spent money it was all so fulfilling. read more

I've never had West African food before, but if this is what it tastes like I am definitely a fan. I had the okra soup with chicken and rice. It was very flavorful and came with a great hot sauce. My daughter had a vegetarian dish with the fufu, which is similar to mashed potatoes. Next time I would get fufu instead of rice, it is perfect for soaking up the sauces. The service wasn't stellar, our waitress had a hard time remembering our order and disappeared for long periods of time, but part of that may have been because we were alone out on their (lovely!) patio. read more

I've been going to this restaurant for the last couple of years. It is definitely my favorite in Silver Spring. Fantastic food at really affordable prices. If you want to save, try their lunch specials which run 7 days a week until 3 pm. Some of the dishes are really amazing--like you never tasted anything so good--i.e. Pepper soup, spicy shrimp appetizer, goat pinon, groundnut stew. The food is spicy so if you can't do spice, you may want to avoid or at least give special instructions to lessen the spice. The place is small so if the place is busy, be patient as the food might take longer, but it will be worth the wait. Owner Patrick and head server Elle are very kind people, and always appreciative of their guests. I highly reccomend! read more

This seems like a great place to come on a Friday night with a group of friends, or a Sunday evening to enjoy dinner solo and feel easy. I'm giving Roger Miller Restaurant a smooth 5 stars because I had no complaints. I spotted the restaurant on my way to the shopping area and wanted to come check it out another day. Upon my first visit, I went with a friend who is Nigerian, and myself a Ghanaian. The owner is laidback and friendly, was observant of us and came back to check on us several times. He was not hyper-attentive, so I felt relaxed and free to kickback. Great thing I noticed - they had a vegetarian portion of their menu! Never seen this in a West African restaurant until now. But as a back-slidden vegetarian, I ordered the roasted chicken, jollof rice, plantains and spinach. The entree already came with some spinach, so I didn't need to really order an entire side, but I do need my greens for redemption, so it was alright with me. I definitely enjoyed it. I asked for hot pepper and a super lovely lady - I believe she was one of the chefs - brought out a very tasty cayenne-based pepper. Nothing compares to Ghanaian shito though, but I actually enjoyed it. My friend had egusi with beef and fufu. I'm still not used to seeing non-Ghanaian fufu. When I told my friend that he said, "Oh yeah, you all submerge your fufu in the soup, right?" Yes o! I tasted his and it was delicious to me, so I want to try that next time. That's the diversity of West African cuisine - we have similar signature dishes, but if you're from Togo or Nigeria or Ghana, it will come out different. Overall, the presentation of the food was on point, the flavors were honest and uncomplicated, the portions were not overwhelming but so satisfying, the price range is affordable for sure, the ambiance was mellow and unpretentious and the people friendly and welcoming - true to West African style if you ask me. I shall return. read more

WOW...!!! I was blown away by how delicious this food is. I am a carnivore. I definitely like meat, and vegetables more than anything. My wife took me to this place. I had never been to an authentic African cuisine restaurant before. It is a small restaurant on a average Joe kind of neighborhood strip. It was just a few people working there. The servers were friendly, and the atmosphere was simple but cozy. I had the goat and chicken with plantains, which I had never had plantains before. The food was amazing. It was very hearty and savory. Full of flavor, and unique. I had never had quite a meal like that. I will definitely return! It's wonderful what gems we discover when we dare to explore! read more

Pretty good. I had egusi, shrimp and jollof. Everything was seasoned well. Pleasant experience picking up food. Will order for pickup again. read more

Beware. The food was good but I got major food poisoning from it recently. I haven't been that sick in a while...

One of my favorite West African restaurants around! I have come here many times over the years and found their food to be quite reliable and consistantly delicious. I can't speak to the entire menu because I typically only get fried croaker fish, jollof rice and spiniach. The spicy sauce on the side is ALWAYS a winner! Although the actual restaurant is rather small, the food delivers is a BIG way. read more

Had dinner there last night, and the food is the truth! Outstanding. Best Yassa I've had since Senegal. I took off one star for decor and interesting service. Waiter was great, but the owner or manager was interesting read more

Cannot recommend this place enough---very vegetarian & vegan friendly. Must try the Rice & beans as well as the spicy sauce , gravy and jollof rice. Simple yet exquisitely delicious! And the prices are just ridiculously low!!! Grab the Groupon if you can --- you'll be glad you came here. Service can be a bit spotty ---mostly I believe due to the communication (English) skills of the employees ---but in any event it's totally worth the wait! read more

This place is everything!!!!! I come here whenever I'm in downtown Silver Spring. But tonight they REALLY came through. I was so hungry that I had to stop studying to race down here. And they kept their doors opened for me for an extra 30 min!!!!!! Check this place out people!!! read more

Just walked by and despite the previous reviewer, I saw that it is still OPEN. Haven't eaten there recently, just wanted to add that it was open read more

Whenever I have a guest in town I take them here for some authentic African food. Its very good. The service is great. A bit slow but who cares if your in good company and the food is going to be good. I would recommend calling them to order before you get there. That way if your in a rush you can pick it up and go. My favorite which is not on the menu is the Pullu De Je. I honestly don't know how to spell it. But its chicken, plantains, and bell peppers with some spices. Its very good. read more

People were nice. Food was missing something. Didn't give enough rice. It could have been that what I ordered wasn't their specialty might give it another try and just order jellof read more

GOAT.PEPPER.SOUP. There are a lot of good dishes on this menu but nothing beats the goat pepper soup. If you're into spicy food, this is your joy! I swear, it's probably medicinal. The restaurant owners are wonderful people and everything is so cheap. Me and my date ordered a plate each and took home enough food for lunch and dinner the next day. read more

I don't like their food. I don't feel like it's a good representation of west African food. ( Cameroonian food ) is definitely not that great read more

Really enjoyed the food on both our visits, and meeting the chef. My friend who lived the Cameroon for several years brought us and we've been back ourselves. Fancy it is not, but that is part of the charm. read more

Food was excellent, very authentic. Only complaint was somewhat slow service. But otherwise it was a great experience. Highly recommended!

The service and the food are good but the serving portions for the sides are too small. They used to be decent size . Now they are too small and sometimes the jollof rice is dried out. When I order the whole tilapia meal I should get more than 2 tablespoons of jollof rice and spinach, esp. when the meal is around $15. They have some work to do here. This place use to be 4 stars but now I can only give it a 3....I hope that between the food and the service it will return to at least 4 stars again. read more

I visited Roger Miller with a group of 8 on Sunday afternoon. Have been there many times before. Food was quite good- I had egusi with goat meat and fufu and some others had okra soup with goat meat, another had chicken and shrimp and plantains. They don't have a liquor license. Someone in an earlier review said there was no air conditioning or fan - but the air conditioner was working pretty well on the hottest day of the year so far. The restaurant is named after a famous Cameroonian football player, and serves dishes common in Cameroon and Nigeria, but the cook/manager is from Togo. The cook and waitresses are West Africans and they speak fluent English and also French. In the past service was sometimes pretty slow but this time it was fairly fast for our group and a few others in the restaurant. The restaurant is small, with about 10 tables inside plus a couple of tables outside. Very pleasant West African atmosphere. The price is inexpensive - under $10 for most dishes and cheap soft drinks. Our bill for 8 people incl tax but not tip was $90. We brought a birthday cake and they helped us serve it. read more

Good food, couldn't agree more. Just the right proportion and low noise. Love the location the most. Thumbs up to Roger Miller Restaurant.

The food is a garbage and cold! The restaurant is dirty and the most important thing, my waiter which was an african male 50 60 yo was unbelievably rude and impatient! I'd never ever go there again and dont fall into their traps for 10% off order and groupon etc. just don't go read more

5 stars for finger licking good. I recommend ordering different items to work your way through the menu. It's small, slow, hospitable service was perfect for date night and a table of expats reminiscing on their travels. In a rush? Order ahead, the Waiter recommended. But for me Roger Miler is well worth the wait. Since visiting Senegal, I've found it difficult to find West African food of this quality. Two places I used to go have dropped off. Another caters to a generic American palates. Roger Miller's tasted like it came from someone's kitchen. This is my first review, because I want Roger Miller to stay and end my search for quality West African food. Roger Miller Restaurant makes DC taste good! read more

Woohoo! Finally a west african restaurant! I grew up eating Liberian food and I don't eat it much any more because I don't have the time to cook it due to work schedule. I just had cassava leaf stew and it was well seasoned. I asked them to make my cassava leaf stew spicy and they did. I look forward to trying their palm butter with fufu along with other dishes in the future. The food is good and authentic, please try it. read more

Delicious, unique West African restaurant. Great value, especially for dishes like whole fish. I have been here probably three times in the past year. I have brought multiple people here who were blown away by the flavorful food. (Side dishes like fufu can be bland, but it seems like that's how they are supposed to be.) Egussi shrimp, roasted fish croaker, and Palm butter stew are all worth trying. read more

Anthony Bourdain could easily feature this place on one of his shows. It's a casual, unassuming joint that serves true home cooked West African cuisine. My husband's cousin's husband (how confusing is that?) is from Cameroon and loves this place. We'd have never thought to try it without his recommendation. I was blown away by the roasted tilapia I ordered - they serve the entire fish! My husband ordered goat ndolle and it was equally delicious. Definitely, definitely eat here. We're looking forward to returning! read more

Had food again here and it was decent but didn't have the same delicious thoughtful goodness to it as before. Not sure why. They also changed the decor and it doesn't have the same friendly, connected vibe as before:( read more

Do not come here if you are in a hurry. We (a party of two) were the only people in the restaurant. We ordered two ginger beers, a soup, and two entrees. From start to finish, our meal took THREE HOURS. The proprietor seemed more interested in chatting with us than with, say, getting our check at the end. I was so damn hungry when the goat-pepper soup came out that I gobbled most of it (despite it being very very spicy--which I loved, but it was hell on my throat). Then we waited ages more for the entrees. The proprietor, who was the only one in the entire restaurant and thus had to cook, wait tables and wash dishes, kept forgetting to bring things like silverware, napkins, and more water. THAT BEING SAID. The food was delicious. We got chicken-egussi stew and the chicken was tender and falling off the bone but still flavorfull. We also got the broiled tilapia, which came with a fantastic sauce and plantains. We enjoyed the experience immensely and chalked it up to non-Western standards of service. I doubt we'd have felt the same if we had a movie or something to get to afterwards, but if you've got an evening to kill, sit outside, watch people go by, and enjoy the food. read more

The food was great. Brought my parents who live in Liberia and a friend who lived in Africa for many years. They had real Liberian style jollof rice and the cassava leaf and rice was slamming. The service was ok, but worth the wait for some really good and authentic West African food! I'll be making the trip up from Alexandria often in the winter for some good comfort food! read more

Food was delicious. This was my first time visiting a restaurant with African cuisine, but I couldn't help myself after walking by and smelling deliciousness in the air. I did carry-out and got the curry goat, fried plantains, and shrimp. I'll definitely be back - maybe I'll try the fried croaker next time! read more

The food here is amazing! Moreover, the atmosphere is very low-key and the dishes are very reasonably priced (it was hard to believe that we'd get 1/2 tilapia and a side of rice for less than $10). Bonus points: they deliver! The only complaint is that the service is slow. But if you know that and are OK with that, then it's highly likely that you'll absolutely love this place! read more

The food was not good and the service was terribly slow. I'm not sure the waitress had ever been in a restaurant before. Too bad, as the other reviews are better than this. read more

My lady has been egging for us to check this place out and my God was I happy I finally obliged. We started off with salads and I got an order of plaintain that came with a spicy dipping sauce. My God were my taste buds in heaven. The plaintains weren't too sweet and I loved the contrast of the hot spicey sauce. I also got the Tiko style beef and she got the yassa chicken. Once again, I was in heaven. The steak was seasoned & grilled very well but what killed it were the sauteed onions and peppers. They absolutely killed it. This place is easily going to beat Chipotle as my #1 go to in downtown silver spring. And the fact that they've got a lunch special every day and the prices are VERY reasonable - I'm sold and will likely become a lifer! read more

Authentic West African Cuisine. For milder palates go for lemon Yassa Chicken or if you want spicy hot pepper soup with meat grill. 5 stars

Really good pepper soup; spicy, well seasoned, could be a great cold-weather reviver or cold remedy. The shrimp and chicken dishes we had were both nicely seasoned and sizable. The fufu that is an option with most entrees (other choices being rice or couscous) is a little like bland, gluey mashed potatoes, not fabulous by itself but a nice starch to go with the main dishes. The service was very friendly but slow (with the excuse that someone hadn't shown up for work today) and the atmosphere is probably best described as utilitarian. The prices were reasonable and sitting outside on a warm late fall afternoon was very pleasant. Happy to have this place in downtown SS. read more

They cook well. Just don't order the cassava leaves. If they are sour, it means they have gone bad. Beware!!!