Oxtails are delicious! Joe and Kojo (bartenders) are both great and can help recommend dishes if you're not familiar with the items on the menu. The bands that play there are also really good! read more

Completely amazing. Went here not expecting that much but man i was wrong. The food was incredible and the service was great. had a great time too, great environment over all. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!! read more

Plantains were good! service was a little iffy .live music was great! but I would definitely come back again:) read more

Bukom Cafe - Great food and Live Music - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The ambiance wasn't the greatest. The service was ok. We ordered wings as appetizers. I wasn't crazy about them. They were fried and really crispy (a plus) but there was no flavor. I asked for hot sauce, thinking it would help but their hot sauce is basically salsa. It had tomatoes and onions, weird. For my entree I got the oxtail stew. I'm Jamaican so it was very different from how I'm used to but it was good. It had a lot of tomato sauce but it was flavorful. My sister got the cassava leaf which was very salty to me. Overall, the food was ok. Nothing special. It was good checking it out but I probably won't be returning. Parking is IMPOSSIBLE to find. After circling around twice I had no choice but to park in a parking lot adjacent to the restaurant. It was $22 for more than 1 hour. I was pissed to say the least but this is typical of DC. read more

Food is simply delicious! It's a no frills place, but if you're coming to eat you will get a bounty of delicious African food for a great price. They have happy hour everyday of the week and the Jollo rice, plantains and red snapper are cooked and seasoned to perfection. The music is also very good. read more

Bukom Cafe - Delicious! Red snapper meal - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

With all the COVID-19 restrictions, I got restless in my home and with my own cooking and decided to try something new and Bokum did not disappoint at all! I've tried a good number of meals on the menu(I've had Bokum delivered 4 times so far, and tried 2 new selections each time) and have yet to dislike one meal I've tried! Will definitely be popping in when restrictions lessen! read more

Pepper soup was bomb , red red was bomb ... grilled fish is not like African cook house fish I was very disappointed !!! I really enjoyed the first two dishes tho read more

Tasty African food from a hole in the wall restaurant. I ordered the oxtail entree, which came with jollof rice. I was apprehensive at first after reading that it came in a tomato based sauce, but took the plunge anyways because I really enjoy oxtail. The meat was overcooked and chewy, rather than falling off the bone like it is supposed to. Normally, this would be a death sentence for a restaurant's Yelp review but I was actually a fan of the tomato based sauce (and everything else on the plate). It was different from the brown gravy that comes with Jamaican oxtail, but flavorful and addictive. I drizzled the tomato sauce all over the jollof rice and actually ate the entire carb serving. I also ordered a suya appetizer, which consists of spicy meat kebabs topped with onion slivers. It was pretty good, a good portion of meat for an $8 appetizer. The plantains looked aesthetically pleasing but were less crispy than I was expecting. Overall, 3.5/5 because the oxtail was overcooked read more

I'm sitting here because the husband wanted Nigerian food for his birthday and it's been a minute since we've come out, but I'm imploring you not to come! I've been sitting my ass here for over an hour wondering where the hell my fried snapper is (they said 45min to an hour for grilled) so my husband with his 3 dishes asks when my food was going to come out and the server says I thought you cancelled your order... WTF?! Why would I sit here and watch my husband eat all this food with nothing?! Maybe they're trying to be authentic, but I've been to Lagos and all and service is not supposed to be this shitty! How about Bokum turns down the damn music low enough so people can actually hear orders and not fuck around with people's time?! Zero stars is more realistic of today's visit! read more

GREAT FOOD, GREAT AMBIANCE!! I would definitely recommend to folks looking for west African cuisine in a relaxed, casual environment. Will definitely be going back! read more

My friend suggested this place so I went with her to try it. I'm Nigerian - she's American but has been coming to my moms house for years to eat jolloff rice! The food was good! We ordered meat pies as an appetizer and the mamas platter (replaced white rice with jolloff). The food was fresh and tasty. The meat pies were a bit small and I didn't like the mixed veggies in the jolloff, but besides that everything was good. read more

Bukom Cafe - Meat pie - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I come here when I miss/don't feel like cooking my cultural food... :-P read more

Bukom Cafe - I come here when I miss/don't feel like cooking my cultural food. Started with the Suya this time but I always get the Wache! - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The ambiance has been nice the few times I have been. Some people are chill, others upbeat...great music. I hear the chicken wings are delicious. I would not recommend the cassava leaf. read more

Best Pepper Soup If I could rate this place with 10 stars, I would. The food is phenomenal, the drinks are healthy and the live music is always great! read more

Ordered the egusi but it was not fresh. It came way too quickly and it tasted old and so we could not eat it. Maybe they were just having an off day read more

food was incredibly good. My favorite place to go when I'm in that area. Good value and hearty portions.

I looooove Bukom Cafe. The ambiance is keeps you coming back. The food is to die for! For them to even deliver during this pandemic and be on time, is awesome! I will continue to order from them and a lot of my family and friends are placing orders too. I'm about to play my order right now. If you want a place that'll give you some tasty food at a reasonable price, Bukom Cafe is the place! read more

Full disclosure first - This is my first time having any sort of African food so I'm not sure what flavors to look for, but I do love all sorts of foods. We ordered the pepper soup with goat and the Suya (skewered beef kebab) for appetizers (half price during happy hour), and had Broiled Fish and Ox-Tail Stew for entrees and we asked for Fufu on the side. I must say, the pepper soup with goat completely blew me away. The soup was perfect and flavorful with a good amount of spicy kick to it, and the goat was perfectly tender. It was served pipping hot too! As the other reviews have said this is 10/10. The Suya was delicious with a strong nutty flavor which I liked, I would give that 8/10. The broiled fish entree however was nothing special. It was bland and nothing unique. I would skip that for sure. That gets 5/10. The ox-tail stew was tasty but it was hard to eat. The meat was difficult to eat off the bone, and the dish was served a little on the cold side. I was hoping for a similar experience to the pepper soup but no where close. This gets 7/10. As for the Fufu, it was quite nice to have with our food. I don't know if its authentic or not, but I enjoyed it. Overall, I wish we had more time in DC to eat here again and I do recommend based on our experience with the appetizers. I would come here again just to have five more bowls of pepper soup with goat! read more

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I frequent this restaurant and have enjoyed every plate I have had. My favorite dishes would be between egusi with goat or the red snapper with black-eye peas and plantain. The food is always hot, fills me up and full of flavor. The wait time is appropriate to the quality and type of food that is being prepared. The cherry on the cake is the friendly service I encounter every time I go. You gotta try this place out! read more

This is the best food in DC, bar none! The waiters are friendly, the service is quick, and the live music is a nice touch. I've been here about 10 times, each time I've ordered something different, and every meal is just as amazing as the last. Update: I visited Bukom for carry out (due to COVID-19) and the service was just as amazing! The food was sensational, as always, and they had all the measures in place to make me feel safe. I've raved about Bukom to all of my friends since the day I stepped foot inside, I highly recommend you see for yourself! read more

This somewhat pains me to write because I fell in love with Bukom upon first introduction 20 yrs ago. Have so much respect for Madam and her family BUT I must say, she needs to return!!! Food quality still remains hands down the best W. African food I've ever had...slow/poor customer service, nonchalant staff both have led me to question whether I want to continue to spend my hard earned money and time here. Please regroup Bukom!!! read more

Their policy is... 1-food comes first after an hour 2-cutlery comes about 20mins after the food 3-if you're lucky, you might just get your drinks 4-to pay your bill you have to chase down the cashier. Never again. read more

I looked at the menu and I knew, I knew I was in for a treat. It's been more than a decade since I last tasted a Nigerian dish. Bukom Cafe had been calling for me for a week. I already planned beforehand what I wanted and quickly picked out suya, egusi soup with gari, fried plantain, and jollof (jallof) rice. I hoped this restaurant would deliver on what I wanted, simply delicious Nigerian food...they didn't disappoint. Suya came out as an appetizer. I bit into the skewered meat seasoned with spices and I was instantly sent on a flashback to my childhood years in Nigeria. I can't begin to explain how much nostalgia this brought back. I was 6 again, climbing trees, running around barefoot on dirt roads, playing soccer, and running around in the rain. The rest of the meal was the same, each dish transported me back. Egusi was delicious with goat meat and gari, just the way I like it. I was so close to using my hands if they only had water to rinse my fingers. The jallof rice was delicious and the plantain was alright. I can't wait to go back to Bukom cafe, okro soup and moi moi, I have you in my sights! The atmosphere was fantastic. I felt like I was home again. They had reggae and west African music playing with the essential Bob Marley portrait hanging. It felt right. Sometime after, a live band came out to play, what a great scene. I highly recommend this place. Great West African food, great price, fantastic atmosphere, this is simply the best place to get a taste of Africa, just the way I remember her. read more

This review has been an EXTREMELY long time coming.. Started sneaking into Bukom, with varying degrees of success, freshman year of high school (the ABC board wasn't as up its own ass back then). You could say I eventually became a fixture. Some college chums and I once did an estimate and realized we'd spent more time in Bukom during undergrad than in lectures (we were not model students). Make it to Bukom early enough and you can party on the West African staples of suya or jallof rice, but on the whole the grub here's fairly unremarkable. The Food comes quick & the Check comes slow, but don't worry about that.. The real appeal of this place has always been the Music. Despite its pretentions of being a restaurant, Bukom is in reality just a great Reggae dive. DC's always had more Talent than Venues, and Bukom is one of the beneficiaries. Great roots/cover Reggae band every night of the week. But while its former success was based on lack of competition in the area, that's no longer the case (PATTY BOOM BOOM - BIG UP YASELF!). *laugh*. I tried heading back a couple of years ago. Same Bouncer, Same Bartenders, Same Servers. In fact, many of the same patrons.. ten years older... still swaying from side to side and still gazing adoringly up at the bands after all these years. There was nothing new about the place except the vibe. It was seedier - and somehow a little desperate. Its like Bukom knows its best days are behind it and it's just hanging on as long as it can on the back of nostalgia. I still see the old crowd - but it's usually from across the street through the window of Tryst or Madams. Perhaps Bukom could still be great for a new crop of roots reggae enthusiasts or maybe a new generation of Fake IDers and lecture-skipping slackers.. But for me the thrill is gone - The Magic is dead - U St. killed Adams Morgan and Patty Boom Boom killed Bukom. The King is Dead. Long live the King. read more

Got the egusi with fufu. It was excellent. Perfectly flavored and spiced. Not too hot, definitely not bland, and the goat was nice and tender too. One of those unforgettable comfort meals. I wanted to try their African sweet pie but they were out. read more

Perhaps a unique spot for West African reggae enthusiasts; but not my cup of tea. First off, it's always so hot. I understand a lot of bars deliberately keep the temperature high so customers will keep buying drinks, but every time I go to Bukom it's always invariably uncomfortable. And that's only a minor point. My biggest qualms engendered when I once walked into the place on a Friday and seeing no one greeted me at the entrance, found myself a seat in the back where most tables around me were occupied. I waited and waited, watching two waiters drift in and out of the alcove several times without tending to me. This went on for at least an hour before my friend finally arrived and we moved to a table in the front. It was apparent that they did see me and yet chose not to acknowledge my presence while I sat by myself rather awkwardly for an unacceptably long time, during which I would have ordered a drink while waiting but seeing their plain rudeness (and my lack of knowledge when my friend would arrive) I didn't say anything. A second weird thing took place when at the end of our meal our waitress declined to accept a voucher I'd purchased when I showed it to her on my phone. Nowhere in the fine print did it say it'd only be valid in a printout. Yet she would not budge. We had to pay all cash and acquiesce to using the voucher another time. We probably wouldn't have chosen to go there had we known they wouldn't accept the voucher for no reason (I was able to get a reimbursement from the company from whom I'd bought the voucher; and I hope Bukom now readily accepts vouchers on mobile devices). Finally a general observation of the establishment the spotty service and unreasonably idiosyncratic coupon-rules notwithstanding, it's a pretty relaxed bar where people can groove to live music (and not the usual hip-hop, electro-remixes, or Top40 that most other bars in the neighborhood would play). Be prepared to sweat because it is hot as I have noted, and gets crowded. It has the feel of a damp and dark basement bar; again, not my cup of tea. read more

THE WEST AFRICAN found in here is nothing short of delicious. I had the oxtail stew with jallof rice and plantain. The spicy tomato based sauce was thick in consistency and very flavorful. The oxtails were very tender and covered in the stew. A great dish for the winter, very filling read more

Bukom Cafe - Oxtail stew with jallof rice and plantain - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I checked out Bukum this past Friday, after a good five years. Bukom used to my a favorite college haunt of mine, so it was good to see that not much as changed. My friend and I got to Bukom around 4 pm, so it was pretty empty except for a few people at the bar. I ordered a mango lango, and let's just say that first one was one of many. It was delicious, yet potent! I tasted the real mango juice for sure. I would have only had two, which really is like four, but then a third was sent my way. To eat I had the egusi soup (yummy combo of spinach, melon seeds with chunks of tender lamb) with gari (a stiffer fufu). My food was served first, and my friend's took a while, so we both dug in with ready fingers. When her fried fish dish arrived, I sampled it and found it equally delicious. The fried croaker was served with raw onions, tomatoes, a fresh hot pepper sauce, and a brown sauce. We left around six pm, and by then a few other tables were full. But I remember how lively Bukum got at night, and from I hear that is still the case. This is a definitely check-out when in the DC area. read more

Bukom bomb. That was my drink of choice and I would not mind having it again. There was a reggae band the night I went. They were good. When they took a break, Bukom played the latest Nigerian songs. A few people were dancing, as the bar is not large enough for everyone to get up and move their feet at the same time. I plan to go back to sample the vegetable soup, the night I went they had "run out earlier in the day." read more

Why do I always leave my credit card there? I'm not really sure. Maybe it's that I'm so engrossed in their every night of the week reggae acts. Maybe it's because of all the lively conversation I seem to always have there with perfect strangers and friends alike. Maybe it's because I'm like that girl that conveniently leaves her purse in that hopeful 2nd date's car. Maybe I need to not liken myself to a woman on a date and understand I just might be a little forgetful. What is not however, is a night spent at Bukum (unless of course the notches on your drink belt contribute to something of the opposite). Great music, great vibe, and a cool international crowd all lend to this place being one of my favorite spots in DC. If not already, hopefully it will become one of yours too very soon. read more

I am shocked that Bukom only has two reviews, and that they are only re: the restaurant. I didn't even know they served food! A friend of mine used to date a Jamaican Rasta dude that considered Bukom his home away from home, and he invited us to Bukom for a few reggae shows on Friday and Saturday nights. There was no cover, the music was great, people there actually know how to dance and the place was always so packed I couldn't even turn around! One warning to the ladies: in my experience guys at Bukom are not afraid to dance with you first and ask questions later, but if you aren't into that politely saying no is never a problem. read more

The most authentic African cuisine in the city. Great ambiance and entertainment (usually a reggae band). Cant stress enough, the FOOD IS DELICIOUS! read more

I was deeply impressed. The service was a bit slow and the decor could use some modernizing, but the food more than made up for whatever may have been lacking. Live music, spicy and unique food, and cheap drinks. Order fearlessly and you'll leave happy and full. Beef wrapped in cassava leaves was certainly a hit. Given the quantity of food that we ordered, the bill was more than reasonable. read more

I came...because I wanted to try West African cuisine. I ate...some deliciousness. That ox-tail stew was divine. It was delicious and spicy and perfect. I just wish I had more ox meat and less bone, but that's like faulting the sky for being blue that day, because I'm pretty sure that's just how ox tails are. I drank...some local beer. It was lovely, medium-bodied, satisfying. I paid...an ambiguous amount. With the HomeRun deal and the added gratuity, I didn't spend too much time concerning myself with the bill. It was about $85 for four people, and $12-$14 for entrees. My only problems came with the service. We were seated and waiting for a fourth to join us, but could have used, I don't know, some beers? Some water? Some acknowledgment of existence before she arrived (five minutes after us)? The restaurant was not crowded, but our server seemed rushed and indifferent. I also took issue with their policy of considering a large group 4 or more. No divided checks for 4+ (says so on the menu) and they added an 18% gratuity. Considering our large party ordered exactly 4 dishes and 3 beers TOTAL, I thought that was a little presumptuous. I mean, really? You can't handle ringing up one beer and one entree for four people? That's just too difficult? I felt like I didn't get the service I paid for. read more

The food was horrible. I bought rice and cassava leaves , I got what looked like a table spoon of cassava leaves. The plantains were hard , rice is the only food that was nice. The fish was crispy and dry . The moi moi did not taste that good. I was very disappointed. I will try other foods before I cancel them . I wish they can add more cassava leaves to the rice. Even the little they had was not that good compared to the cassava leaves I have bought from other places read more

THIS IS A WEST AFRICAN RESTAURANT. Yelp has Brittish, Burmese, Hawaiian, and Himalayan, but nothing for Africa. This ain't Ethiopian, this is West African. Whatever . . . This is a great place to take a date and show her how knowledgeable and cultured you are. No one is ever in here, save for a few people at the bar who maybe work here. You're not quite sure who works here, they don't exactly do that whole hostess, waiter, bring you your food and your check thing here. Just relax, it's ok. Get the pepper soup. It will change your perception of pepper. Not some crazy habanero pepper either, just normal black pepper. The menu is full of words that you might remember from a Chinua Achebe book. Date never heard of Chinua Achebe? Well, maybe she ain't that smart, but after a round of the cool pink drinks, she will be much more interesting. There are a total of four cool pink drinks on the menu, so by the end of the meal you should each have had two of them. They are pink and don't taste very strong, but don't worry. Save the $7 Zebra beer for another time stud, get one of the cool pink drinks. Your masculinity is not in question; just make sure that you are patient in asking and waiting for the check. They like to test you to see if you get all paranoid and worried. If she asks you "where is our waiter, did they forget about us?" tell her to relax and have another sip of her pink drink. If you can keep your cool in this West African enclave and earn the respect of the guy in that crazy patterned shirt, this chick will be impressed. Now if she is worth keeping is another story, if she ain't as hot as the pepper soup I say find a new one. read more

Bukom Cafe - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This food here is amazing and the tunes were on point! I think the food could come out faster and servers should check on customers more often. For the most part I give this place 4 stars for the food!!! Yummy read more

I came here with a friend who had never had West African food before, so they were clueless as to what to order. I thought it wouldn't hurt to ask the woman who took our order (not sure if she was the cook or waiter) if it were possible to try a small sample plate of some items. I didn't think this would be a far-fetched request because I'd been offered samples at other African restaurants before, so I thought why not ask here. She brusquely replied "I can't give you everything on the menu so what do you want". That took me aback because I wasn't trying to be cheap, I was just asking a question and wanted me friend to get the best experience. I actually would have been willing to pay for a sample platter. So I just replied that we would like to try the cassava leaves. She then scoffed, rolled her eyes and walked away. Then she came back with the smallest 1 ounce cup partially filled with cassava leaves. I just laughed at that point. That was a waste of time. The food was good, though. My friend and I loved what we ordered but won't be back because that left a bad taste in our mouths. read more

I came here with friends for some Nigerian comfort food because I was missing the motherland, and I'm glad to say we weren't disappointed! First, I was advised to order the wings and suya as an appetizer. The Bukom sauce that came with the wings was the perfect touch. The suya was also well seasoned. I ordered some eba and okra soup and it definitely hit the spot, the okra was hot and at the right spice level and the consistency of the eba was the business. The meat was also perfectly tender. I'd also like to add that my drinks were both tasty and strong! We planned to come for dinner and ended up staying even longer because of the band. All around great vibes. I will certainly be back. read more

COVID-19 Update: Bukom has been one of the few places I've felt comfortable ordering take out from during this pandemic. Their staff has done a great job of transforming this establishment into a safe take-out experience. The few times I have driven there to pick up food, I have witnessed staff routinely cleaning each surface. They even offered free mask with one of my meals. The quality of the food also remains top notch. Original Review: This is my FAVORITE establishment in the district. Most places have amazing service or amazing food. Bukom has BOTH. The food and drink menu are plentiful and diverse. I suggest trying something new every time you visit. The staff is warm and welcoming, even when it's packed they make time to ensure I have been served. I have taken over 20 friends here and they all agree that this is a top notch establishment read more