(This review is for a delivery order so does not include any detail on service / ambiance). Delicious Ghanaian food in the heart of U Street! I've been wanting to try Ghanian food for the longest time, so when I saw Appioo on UberEats, I just knew I had to put in an order. I got their grilled red snapper with a side of fufu and banku (two traditional paste-like Ghanian dishes; fufu is a starchy dough made with cassava and plantains, while banku is a slightly sour fermented version made with cornmeal and cassava). The red snapper was perfectly grilled, with a delightful char on the outside and super crispy skin, but flaky, tender flesh. It was served with a light, refreshing tomato sauce, and shito / black pepper sauce. The shito was incredibly rich, with a great spicy, smoky, and umami flavor. The tender fish and flavorful sauces went wonderfully with the two sides, with the fufu serving as more of a blank canvas (and therefore a great way to let the natural flavors of the fish -- or the deep, smoky, spicy flavors of the shito -- shine). The banku was perfectly tangy and just the right amount of funky, and it was great with the fish on its own. Everything from Appioo was incredible! I can't wait to sample a few more of their dishes, hopefully from inside the actual restaurant. read more

This is my first ever yelp review, but this place was such a breath of fresh air that I just had to. Every local place I've been to in DC has been not a lot of food that is also mediocre. Except for this one. Know that I am not exaggerating when I say I haven't had any food in this city that has been half as good as this. It's been about half an hour since I left and I can still taste it on my tongue (and I'm already sad that the flavor will eventually leave) 100% would recommend, my only regret is that I didn't get an appetize. read more

With classic Ghanian dishes included and the vibe friendly enough for a good conversation, this establishment had many options for every dish on the menu such as vegan, beef, chicken, fish, goat, and oxtail, ranging from $22 to $25 as standard price points. The food here is very authentic and has been approved by many of my West African friends living in the DMV area. My friends and I decided to order one kind of each dish along with one kind of each side so we can try a bit of each. The okra soup was a bit too spicy for my taste, but it contained a lot of flavor, which could be neutralized a bit by the fufu that I ordered. The peanut butter soup was very creamy and flavorful. The jollof was a bit plain, but since the spinach stew was flavorful, it was all good. The wings seemed like an outlier amongst everything else we had ordered, and they were a bit dry, but with two types of dipping sauces, they worked out just fine. Even though there are so many West African restaurants within the DMV area, I find this establishment to be one of the most authentic ones. Since Ghanian food itself is already fire in general, one can't go wrong with coming here. read more

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This was my first time trying west african food (specifically Ghanaian food) and we had a great experience! First off the restaurant is located in the basement of a building. Unfortunately when we walked in, it smelled of strong urine which turned us off but we still stayed. It was clean inside and our server was courteous and helpful. My brother and I both ordered egusi with goat meat and fufu, jollof rice and chicken peanut butter soup. The food is greasy but it tasted amazing! The peanut butter soup - 10/10!! If I was to return, I'd order takeout. If your out of town, parking is on the street so take public transportation or walk. Driving is a nightmare. I highly recommend this place! read more

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My friend and I came here on a random weekday evening and absolutely loved this place. All of the food was so flavorful, portion sizes were plenty for the two of us, and our server was so kind to recommend different dishes to us. It did take a while to get our food but it was certainly worth the wait! Some of the best wings I've ever had! It's located a short walk from the metro and you have to walk down a set of stairs to access it. read more

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My friend in DC suggested this restaurant and all the things she said were true. The food is so good. That peanut soup is a hit! All 3 of us ordered it, and we all loved it. I had beef and my friends had oxtail and goat. They have a really great African music playlist as well. One thing to note is they take 20% gratuity for parties of 3 or more. I highly recommend the place and if I lived in DC, I would definitely go back! read more

Appioo African Bar & Grill - Fufu and Peanut Soup with beef - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Good spot! There was a lot of options on the menu, portions were good, prices were alright, and service was a bit slow. Appetizer: Kebab 9/10 (basically Suya) Palm drink (if you know you know) Food: Waakye 7.5/10 Jollof and stew 7.5/10 Kenkey 7.5/10 Spice level was medium nothing crazy. Nice vibes they played good music and have good ambiance. It's not fancy you can come casual. Overall, there's some other West African/Ghanian spots I prefer. But I wouldn't be upset at coming back. read more

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We had a late pickup delivery. The restaurant is pretty small but spacious. We came in 30 minutes before closing so it was completely empty. The guy there was extremely nice and answered all of her questions. We ordered the waakye with beef stew and both the chicken and beef suya. Honestly, I would not get the chicken suya again. The chicken itself was overcooked. Beef suya gets a 10/10 from me. My bf is Ghanian and said the waakye was okay. I get like it could have been seasoned a bit more. The shito wasn't as spicy as I was expecting. The star of the show was definitely the beef stew! It was so tasty and the beef was cooked to perfection. Wasn't too hard to chew and pulled apart pretty nicely. Would definitely try again! read more

Appioo African Bar & Grill - Waakye and Beef Stew - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

4/10/24 Noticed there were several African Cuisine in DC, so we had to try. Ghanaian Cuisine Prince Island (Cognac based cocktail) Not a drinker but this was good. Egyptian Mango Juice Yum! NKRAKRA - Pepper Soup w Chicken Peppery! Hehehe. It's good tho NKONTOMBRE & JOLLOF - Spinach Stew w Croaker Delicious! KELEWELE - Plantains WAAKYE - Rice & Beans Hubby loved these sides. The only thing he wanted to try LOL Wish they were near us so we can try everything on the menu! read more

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Came here to try Ghanaian food for the first time and it was sooo delicious!!!! I got the okra soup with goat and fufu and it was incredible!!! This was my favorite meal in DC!! The flavors were so yummy and earthy and spicy and complimented each other perfectly especially with the fufu!! My plate was scraped clean!!! I've been dreaming about this since I left, will definitely be back!!! read more

Appioo African Bar & Grill - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Terrible, i ordered take away and the food was stale, tasted like the cook rushed the jollof and they forgot my fufu. I'm am so disappointed. DO NOT GO, there are better places. read more

Hello all, This restaurant has a great tasting food, without a doubt the taste is just amazing. I had plantains with white rice and spinach stew. But, as I ate with my family, I noticed something extremely hard in the plantain. It was a woman's nail, half an inch long and insanely strong. YES A WOMANS NAIL!! that was was disgusting. Lord have mercy. read more

Appioo was an amazing experience from the vibe of the restaurant to the quality of the food. Please do not let the prices alarm you the food is the highest quality and the portions are LARGE. I ordered the egusi and pounded yam after a long day and still came back with a good amount of leftovers. Additionally I got the suya as an appetizer and it was perfectly nutty and spicy!! Cynthia was my server and was everything and more! She was very personable, kind, and checked in on me regularly answering any and all questions. The food came out fairly quickly with a bowl to wash your hands for those of us that eat with our hands. The vibe itself is very african with a bar, sports on the tv, a beautiful mural, and true afrobeats to top it all off. I'm Cameroonian and recently moved from California to DC for university and the meal was truly a taste of home when I was feeling disconnected from everything and felt very familiar. Many thanks to the amazing server Cynthia and the rest of the staff that gave me this amazing experience . Can't want to come back! read more

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Their food took me back to Accra! I enjoyed the pepper soup, which was flavorful and had nice chunks of protein. I followed that up with Egusi with fish. Again, plenty of good sized chucks. The only stumble was with the side, jollof rice. It was not soft and fluffy as rice should be. And, it was minimally spiced. Perhaps to cater to western palates. But after the kaleidoscope of spices in the pepper soup, the jollof felt bland. I would not call this "fine dining" but it was damn good Ghanaian cuisine. How would I know? My dad was born and raised in Ghana and I spent my early years visiting. Go on, satisfy your West African curiosity. read more

I've been waiting to try Fufu and Okra for a while, recently visited DC and my friend recommended this restaurant! I have no words. The meal was exactly as I was hoped it would be., plus 10x better! Now to find a place back home that can give me this same feeling. read more

Appioo African Bar & Grill - FUFU AND OKRA - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I was really looking forward to enjoying an authentic traditional cuisine from my hometown after a long trip from California. Unfortunately, my experience was disappointing in several ways, with the most notable issue being THE SERVICE I received from Cynthia W., who acted as both the server and bartender. Her behavior was shockingly rude, condescending, and sarcastic which to me is a clear display of poor customer service. I've never encountered such unprofessionalism while dining out, and because of this, I will not be returning. As for the ambiance, there wasn't much to speak of, though there was a mural on one wall and a statue draped with the Ghanaian flag on another wall. Food: 1. Kabobs - 10/10 Absolutely delicious! Perfectly seasoned and grilled. 2. Kelewele - 8/10 Nice sweetness and softness, but lacked the spicy kick I was expecting. 3. Banku - 0/10 Completely disappointing ! this didn't taste authentic at all! If you know you KNOW! 4. Grilled Red snapper - 8/10 Well-seasoned and flavorful. One of the highlights of the meal. 5. Shitto - 0/10 Tasted burnt, like the bottom of the pot. Very unpleasant. 6. Service - 0/10 The waitress CYNTHIA W. was not pleasant at all! 7. Beef Stew - 5/10 Lacked both salt and spice. Very underwhelming. 8. Presentation - 3/10 The food could have been plated with more care. It didn't look appetizing upon arrival. 9. Overall Satisfaction - 5/10 Some items were tasty, but the POOR SERVICE and inconsistency in quality made this experience disappointing. I won't be returning. read more

Came into town and wanted to try some good African food. While searching on Google, I found this location. The location was a bit hard to find but once we found it, it was easy to get in and grab a seat. The restaurant was busy on and off, but the service was great. Our server was very attentive and provided some great suggestions to us as well as other patrons. The food was delicious and the ambience was top tier. The music was the touch that we needed for tonight. The music was relevant and just the right volume. My only complaint was that the oxtail was small for it to be an added three dollars. Other than that, everything was great and I will certainly visit if I am back in the area. read more

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Just ordered the pepper soup with oxtail and while the taste was delicious I was taken aback when I noticed hair wrapped around a piece of the oxtail. PLEASE DO NOT EAT HERE! Very unsanitary!! I am so disgusted. The plantain were burned and charred! This has been a horrible experience read more

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One of our friend recommend this restaurant. We were very excited to try it. Dont get me wrong, the food is delicious. I ordered the egusi ($22) with chicken and my husband ordered appio platters (2 protein included) $28. I waited for so long and my order came. The waiter brought me egusi with goat. And i was like, ok, whatever i waited too long anyway. So i ate the goat. And my husband order came, his order was fine. And when the bill came we were surprised because they charged mine +$3 and my husband +$6. They gave me the wrong order and charged me with $3 more. My husband got the right order with the price $25 (that should include 2 proteins) BUT the charged him $6 more. I wanted to tell the restaurant and my husband told me : WE WILL NEVER COME BACK. So we let it go. Their location is in the basement and they didnt turn on the cooler. It was hot inside. We arrived at around 3PM. Oh well.... read more

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My family's first time trying West African / Ghanian food during our trip to D.C. Our server was absolute wonderful and answered all our questions, and was very friendly and full of smiles when he saw our group enjoying all the food. He made sure all our needs were met as well. We also loved the atmosphere and music that was playing during dinner! Highly recommend the yam chips, Kelewele (fried plantain, with peanuts), Jolloff rice, Appioo wings with chips, Nkontombre (spinach stew) with oxtail and fufu, and Egusi with fufu. read more

Appioo African Bar & Grill - Yam chips (bottom), Kelewele/fried plantain (top). - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Small, cozy, and community-oriented, this DC joint is cracking and smacking. As my first time having Ghanaian food, I can say the cuisine is authentic-all that spice and everything nice! The portions are generous and the service responsive, especially when a bunch of educators also known as "out-of-towners" come stomping in looking for some DC flava! read more

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I love the food. The fried chips were phenomenal. Shrimp paste and spice pepper elevated the dish. The waitress was absolutely adorable and friendly. I'm torn with my 3-star rating. But hear me out. I arrived for dinner - we were first. The place smells weird - a mixture of mustiness and something that I couldn't put my fingers on. Restroom had no soap. No soap at the beginning of dinner service. Food and service are right but the facility is so wrong. I want to love this place. read more

Appioo African Bar & Grill - Yam chips - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Delicious food! Ordered on DoorDash since I'm sick right now. My order came in an hour, which was pretty typical since they had to prepare it and deliver it to my apartment. I ordered the Spinach stew, the Egusi, and the Fufu. These portions on my plate are about 1/4 of what was in the containers, but I was splitting the meal so I took a picture of my plate before realizing it. The Efo Riro was sweet and succulent, we ordered it with goat ($9) and we ordered the Egusi with beef ($4). The Egusi was delicious as well, but I will warn you that it was pretty spicy. I like a little bit of spice, but this one packed a lot of heat. Nevertheless, I finished both stews and was very very satisfied. The fufu was yummy and sticky, but very easy to handle with the stews. I had enough food left over for lunch the next day & I am very glad that I ordered from this restaurant!! read more

Appioo African Bar & Grill - Fufu, Spinach Stew (Efo Riro), and Egusi - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I've never had Ghanaian food so I don't really have any point of reference. But every flavor I tasted, I really liked. 10/10 would go again The restaurant's exterior is very low key. But very cozy inside and our waitress was lovely. read more

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My it was my first time having Ghanaian food. I got the platter with egusi, goat, oxtail and jollof rice. We also had the yucca fries. Then I had the rum punch. Everything was amazing. I loved the spices and a drink with top notch. If you ever go for the first time, try the platter with multiple options. You will not be disappointed. The staff was so nice. I will be going back when I'm in town. Thank you Appioo read more

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Appioo African Bar & Grill: A Love Letter to the Best Food in Town! I've been going to Appioos Bar & Grill since 2020, and let me tell you -- they NEVER disappoint. It's more than a restaurant; it's a whole experience. The food is always fresh, flavorful, and made with so much love and care, you can taste it in every single bite. As a Congolese and Dominican woman, food is my love language, and Appioos speaks to my soul. Their dishes have that perfect balance of comfort, spice, and authenticity that makes me feel right at home. Whether I'm having one of my all-time favorites or trying something new from their menu, I'm dancing with every bite -- that's how good it is! It's the kind of place you recommend to everyone you know because you know they're going to be blown away. The flavors are bold, the portions are generous, and you can feel the passion that goes into every plate. Appioos isn't just a meal; it's a treat for your soul. I'll keep coming back for years because nothing else compares. If you haven't been yet, you're seriously missing out. Go ASAP! You won't regret it. read more

The food here is good, but the terrible service isn't worth it. Trust me. If you decide to dine here, just know that there's a 21% chance that you will receive your food within 2 hours, if at all. They typically have one person waitressing the ENTIRE restaurant, if that. If you try and voice your concerns to the staff, they tend to be dismissive and unfriendly. Once again, the only thing this place has going for it is the food, but that's if you even get your food at all. Oh, and if you think that you can circumvent the bad service by ordering through a food delivery service, think again. You'll place your order and they'll cancel it after 2-3 hours. You've been warned. read more

Ok so I loveeeee Ghanaian food! I went to Ghana in 2017 and fell in love! I had authentic Ghanaian peanut butter soup in Ghana. This was not even close to compare. The fufu was box made so of course I didn't think it was good but the soup itself was a little watery and didn't hold to the fufu which was sticky like hot gum on the side walk. Overall it was not the worst but definitely did not meet my expectations at all! I got my food to go. The restaurant and bar was actually packed. So maybe they have better drinks. Idk. I would try happy hour. read more

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The door entrance is below street level. Go inside and there is a spacious dining room and bar area with screens playing soccer. The wait for food was a bit long but worth it for authentic Ghanaian food. The egusi soup (veg) and fufu; and grilled snapper with hollow rice were delicious. I wonder if I can ask for less pepper in the jollof next time. read more

This place was recommended to us one of our neighbors the other day. Since it was Friday night and we had nothing at home to eat, we just decided to go to this place for dinner. It's a 15 min walk from our place. We arrived 10 mins before their happy hour ended. We were greeted by one of their servers and she handed us their menu. We were very excited but everything changed within a span of 15 mins. Our server completely ignored us and started taking orders from others who had arrived after us. By this time we had spent about 20 to 25 mins just staring at the menu and looking foolishly at other customers who had come after us. Finally, after a long wait, a different server who was also their bar tender comes to take our order. We didn't want to take any chances so we ordered everything at the same time. We ordered wine then goat pepper soup, their platter and fufu with palm nut soup and chicken. So feeling excited again after placing our order only to realize it was really a bad choice of restaurant to dine especially when you're extremely hungry because our wine never came through after waiting for another 25 mins. How long does it take to pour a glass of wine? We waited for 25 mins then reminded the bar tender about our wine. Between this time our first server comes and check on us whether we placed our order or not. At this time we had spent about an hour and got nothing. Our wine finally arrived. After 15 more mins arrives our first food item. The only reason I did not give them 1 star is cause their food was delicious. Goat pepper soup was extremely flavorful and delicious. I like the extra pepper kick in it. Really good especially when it was very cold outside. Goat was very tender. Then arrived fufu and platter. Oxtail with beans and rice was my favorite. Definitely recommend that. Fufu was good but not a fan of palm nut soup. I wish I had ordered peanut soup. Well, now I know how palm nut soup tastes like. Well, since the food was worth it I am planning to go back again. I really hope their service debacle was just a one time thing. read more

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Great food, but expect to wait 3 hours for your order to arrive if you order on any food service! Door-dasher literally took a picture of an EMPTY restaurant. Someone came in and got their order first! Mind you, at this point it had been an hour. But hey, the food is good if you're willing to wait. Ordered again another day, 1 hour wait before I had to cancel because my dasher was upset he was waiting for 30m! Unbelievable. Seems they don't look at doordash orders AT ALL. read more

Great hidden gem with some delicious West African food! Fufu is a classic choice, and their platters are delicious too. The staff is very kind and the decor is very cool as well. read more

Appioo African Bar & Grill - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Incredible food and extremely nice staff. Ambiance was so cool. No fuss but welcoming. read more

Appioo African Bar & Grill - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This is the place that made me a believer in waakye Whenever I have waakye cravings, I already know this is where I'm going! Super kind people and great food! read more

The food and ambiance were phenomenal. It was my first time trying Ghanaian food, and Appioo made it such a great experience. My girlfriend and I shared a platter of jollof, oxtail, goat, and egusi. We also ordered a side of fufu. Everything was fresh and nicely seasoned. The goat and oxtail were succulent. The cocktails were also on point and reasonably price. They also have live music on Fridays, which was an unexpected treat. I'll definitely be back soon. read more

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We ate kelewele (spicy and sweet plantains with peanuts) and beef egusi and fufu. So flavorful- first time having Ghanaian food. I will definitely be back! The service is very casual so don't come in here thinking it's fast food. They were very nice, too! Place is clean and comfortable- but could use a lift. read more

Appioo African Bar & Grill - beef egusi and fufu - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The best of Ghana's food around town! The egusi and fufu are especially not to be missed! The vibe and music are also outstanding. Great staff, too! read more

Appioo African Bar & Grill - Beef egusi with Fufu - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Appioo African Bar & Grill is a Ghanaian restaurant located in U Stree/Shaw area. Came here for dinner on a Friday day and they had live jazz. The restaurant is small but chill and laid back. Ordered the Appioo platter which consisted of Waakye, Egusi, goat and fish. The plate came with small amount of meat. Wish they added more. The live band was excellent. They played some of favorite afro/dancehall music. Plug: I recommend this song "Aïcha" by Khaled. I was moved when the band played it. Good vibes and good food read more

Appioo African Bar & Grill - Appioo platter - Waakye, Egusi, goat and fish - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Have mercy. The egusi with fufu and goat meat from here was one of the best dishes I've ever had. This is one of my favorite dishes, but it is very difficult to find a great version of it. Some of the best flavors I've had, and I also like that it was on the spicier side. It held up well after delivery, too. I'd rate this a 6/5 if it were possible. read more

This place is a hidden gem in the U Street area. It's tucked away in a basement on 9th street between T & U. Honestly, I'm upset I hadn't discovered it sooner. In a sea of Ethiopian restaurants, it's nice that there's a West African one in the neighborhood. The restaurant is Ghanaian, but the food brought me back to my Peace Corps days in Benin (the dishes are very similar, just with different names). I learned how to make a really good peanut stew in Benin, but I haven't been able to find the correct yams to make mashed yams. This place serves both! Some West African restaurants use the powdered yams that come in a bag. I don't know if this place does, but they were good nonetheless. I ordered the goat egusi with the yams, and it was really good. The egusi is a spinach base. I added some hot sauce to it to give it some extra kick. It was a lot of food too. I ended up taking half of it home, though I wish they had given me more yams. I also recommend the kelewele which are fried seasoned plantains topped with peanuts. West African food tends to use a lot of peanuts and/or nuts in their sauces, so if you have an allergy, I'd stay clear. Otherwise, definitely worth a visit! read more