The person running the shop thought that I had been in before. This was not the case, mainly…read morebecause the hours here are quite limited. It has been on my list for a while. I wish I'd been in sooner. The menu left me with the impression that it would be a little bit more of a fast, casual vibe, but the atmosphere is more personalized in the food is higher and quality and better in presentation than you would get from most of those random build a bowl places. The bowl is constructed by default for a balanced meal with a grain, some greens, vegetables, and a couple of delicious plantains. It is vegan by default and I was happy to keep it that way, selecting options for a bit of protein in the mix. My Black Eyed Peas and rice, kale, and a stew based on ground melon seeds were robust in flavor. I added a hot sauce, which was strong in both bite and flavor. Getting water resulted in me, getting charged for a bottled water, which is the main thing I have against them. I would be happy to come back.

Yummy bowls just on the pricier end! The oxtail yummy hit or miss on quantity but when…read moreIt's good... oh it's GOOD! Oxtail with coconut rice and cabbage is my fave. There's better jollof rice around but as a West African theirs is OKAY. Still need to go try in person!!

My review is for takeout (delivery) as I haven't yet dined in. So I can't speak to ambiance,…read moreseating, etc. I've had it twice this year and both experiences have been good. A favorite is the Peanut Butter Chu and Chicken Afra. And for my dinner crew, there werent any major complaints. Flavor was there and quality. The one thing was around the desserts. Because we ordered via third-party app, I think the cake was subbed for whatever was available and not specifically we ordered. But not a major miss. Overall, delicious food and good portions. If you're in the Takoma Park area and having a taste for some warming West African cuisine, definitely check them out!

Went to Mansa Kunda on a weeknight and it was pretty much just us at the restaurant, although a ton…read moreof people came in for order pick up. From the moment we walked in, the service was great and you can tell that they care about their customers. The African decor is also very beautiful! Something fun to look at every corner. As for the food, we got the Okra Soup with paneer and fufu, Chicken Chu and Jollof. It was my first time trying fufu and I really enjoyed it. I had a recent dental procedure that prevented me from being able to chew so it was honestly the perfect meal for me, as traditionally you're supposed to swallow the fufu. My husbands chicken chu was very flavorful and totally new to us. As for the jollof I felt it was lacking a bit of flavor and the grains of rice were a bit too el dente for my personal liking. I have had jollof at other places that I liked a bit more. Overall great spot! I love trying new West African restaurants and would recommend this to others!

Spice Kitchen is a great choice for when you want suya, or the spicy kick or West African food. I…read morerecommend the shrimp or salmon but the chicken and beef are solid choices, too. I get spinach, corn or plantains for side dishes. I'm not a fan of the Jollof rice. The portions are a good value. Give it a try!!!

I ordered the half beef, half chicken suya plate with rice and spinach as my sides. The taste of…read morethe food was amazing. The Suya has a subtle but lingering spice. The place is Next to the CVS in a very active retail center, but the orders are filled quickly on site.

This was my first time trying Ghanaian food and Elmina was such a great introduction!…read more I started with a Fresh Strawberry Martini which I really enjoyed. For an appetizer, we ordered the Crispy Okra Fries and it came with a burnt leek and onion ranch dipping sauce. I don't eat okra very often, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked them! The ranch was especially delicious and paired perfectly with the fries. For my entree, I had the Hamachi collar. It was absolutely delicious and the portion was much more generous than I expected. It also came with what I believe were plantain chips. They were fun to snack on alongside the fish! I also got to try my friend's Crab Fried Rice and it was excellent. It reminded me of a flavorful Thai fried rice and I kept going back for another bite because it was so good!

I finally made it back to Elmina for dinner! I first visited over a year ago for brunch and vowed…read moreto return to try the dinner menu. Mission accomplished...and they absolutely delivered. The restaurant was slightly busy on a weekend evening, but I am not surprised. It's clearly become a go-to spot if you're looking for a modern, upscale African dining experience in DC. The décor is still one of my favorite parts of the restaurant: clean, contemporary Ghanaian elegance with an open kitchen that lets you watch the chefs at work. My friends and I always order family-style so everyone gets to try a little of everything, which means we rarely leave with food envy. The appetizer: the fried okra. Whew! Light, crispy, perfectly seasoned...dangerously addictive. I could've easily eaten a whole basket by myself, lol. The branzino was my favorite entrée of the night. Perfectly cooked, flavorful, and also very addictive. We also ordered the crab fried rice, and honestly, I enjoyed that more than the jollof duck pot. The duck pot was good, but I'd definitely order the crab fried rice again first. The tomahawk steak was okay. Good, but it wasn't living up to its price point, tbh.. My mocktail was refreshing and exactly what I needed with the meal. One of the highlights of the evening was getting the chance to meet Chef Eric Adjepong from Top Chef. Such a cool surprise and a nice way to end the evening. I'm so happy I came back. Sometimes you revisit a restaurant and it doesn't live up to your first experience. That wasn't the case here. Elmina is still doing its thing!!!!

Everything was phenomenal. Highly recommend this place. The Jollof with beef skewers knocked my…read moreshoes off. Amazinggggggggggggg. Also, try the Shrimp & Avocado salad best everrrr!!!

When I came to this restaurant for the cassava leaf back in February of this year, it was not…read morereally flavorful cassava leaf, but it was tolerable. However, tonight's take out of the same dish was horrible! Who dumped the entire container of salt into the cassava lead? Chef or whoever cooked tonight must a smoker because their taste buds are ruined!!! I was so hurt when I got back to my Airbnb and was ready to enjoy the food ans share with my son who loves cassava lead as well! The plantains were stale and hard. The grilled or smokey chicken was good but I couldn't really eat it because I could not mix it with the cassava lead stew. I noticed a review from last year said the same thing I did about the severely salty cassava leaf. Please do better with regular quality checks and a chef who knows African seasonings have nothing to do with saltiness. If the cook used salt fish in the stew they are supposed to boil the salt fish or dried fish until it is soft enough and then pour out the salt water, not add it to the stew!! Do better! Please! We want to you succeed in your new venture and we don't to get high blood pressure from heavy handed salt in the process.

Finally got an opportunity to dine here. Ive had the food catered before and this time I was able…read moreto try in house. The establishment itself is quite dated. The awning outside needs refurbishment and inside furniture is not updated. It's dark inside, almost like a night club. Perhaps it is sometimes. I did not like the decor, it was a little run down and honestly did not match up to the prices. The service was also disappointing. I felt that staff lacked a bit of professionalism and they rarely checked on us. The plates are huge. That is a plus. My partner ordered the goat and I tried the red snapper. I think one plate is big enough to share. I like the spinach, but everything needed a bit of salt. While the red snapper was coated in a lovely tomato and red pepper gravy, I felt it made the crispyness of the fried fish disappear and it was kind of soggy. Maybe you can ask for the gravy on the side. The food is not bad, but given the physical establishment and the service I wouldn't return.

The sheer ambiance and service of this restaurant pushed this from a 3 to a 4 star. This is…read moredefinitely, more on the fine-dining end- which I was not aware of. Our waiter was so charismatic, helpful, and kind. He even turned up the music in our corner of the restaurant upon request! The food was generally good, just a bit on the drier end. Even the stew wasn't really soupy. So if you were trying to mix some rice with some stew, you basically got cake on your plate. Regardless, everything was seasoned to absolute perfection. Also, don't know if this matters but it may matter to some- though this is an East African Restaurant, the menu is slightly more Kenyan than Ugandan. Something to keep in your expectations when visiting!

If you want to try some authentic Nigerian, Ghanaian food, this is a great place for it. Since…read morecoming back from my African trip, I have been craving fufu and egusi. Finally found the right time and place to try out African food in DC. They have various types of fufu which was awesome. I tried pounded yam and fufu with egusi and oxtail. Either Egusi you can either get the vegetarian option or with any meat. I love meat so I ordered egusi with goat. Goat was nicely cooked and very tender as it should be. Egusi had nice balance of heat and very flavorful with lots of green veggies. Goes so well with fufu. Oxtail was great. It's cooked in their hot tomato sauce. I wish it wasn't as oily as it was. That's the only negative. But I drained the oil and mixed it with the kibbles and gave it to my pup. She loved it. Now she expects something to be mixed with her kibbles every time. Serivice and ambiance were great. Great value for money.

I've been meaning to check out Bukom Cafe for at least a year now, and I finally made my way over…read moreyesterday evening after a work event. I heard it was reggae Thursdays where they'd have a live band playing reggae music so I was hoping to check it out. When I entered, the restaurant was practically empty and the server was no where to be found. Eventually, she came out and I seated myself at a table. I had previewed the menu ahead of time, so knew what I wanted. I ordered a side of jollof, side of greens, and their version of pepper soup. Jollof-- (I thought this was pretty good. It wasn't the best I've eaten, but it was decent. I wish it was hotter. It was more on the warm side, and I also wish it had a bit more seasoning /spice) Greens- (These were just OK. They were just boiled with water so no flavor or broth in it. I drizzled some of my pepper soup on the greens just to flavor them up. They are definitely a healthy option, though!) Pepper soup- (This was delicious but very very spicy! I had to drink multiple glasses of water, and even though I was struggling to eat it, I had to finish because it was very good! The goat meat was tender and the soup was very flavorful. My only gripe is it was more of a a stew consistency to me than a soup. I wished it was more of a broth) Unfortunately, didn't get to see the band perform because I guess it was still early, but they were setting up. They started putting up the speakers really loud so that was a bit distracting. The service was decent, but I had wanted an order of beignets and they were out of that and all their desserts evidently. There was also a lot of random noise coming from the back of the restaurant. Sounded like a bunch of young kids. I think this is a pretty good spot for African food, but not sure I'd return.

Went there twice. Once for brunch and another time for dinner. Both the times it was for take out…read more Food was okay but had long wait times. And it wasn't organized. Needs better management. Also priced higher for what you get.

Do NOT!! After serving me old food in one bowl and undercooked in the other it's safe to say I will…read morebe okay because I DID NOT eat this! You all should be ashamed to serve this to people. TRASH!! DO BETTER

I've been coming to Koite Grill for years - especially back when I lived down the street and it…read morenever misses. I've tried just about everything on their menu, and it sparked such a love for Senegalese food that I ended up taking a trip to Senegal last year...yes, it's that good. The family who runs this place is incredibly sweet, welcoming, and somehow never forgets a face. I bring friends and family any chance I get...partly to share, partly because I need everyone to understand the hype! And I can absolutely confirm Senegal indeed makes THEE best Jollof (I mean they did create it!)

Bintou was absolutely amazing! From the moment we sat down, she was so warm, welcoming, and…read moregenuinely friendly. She made us feel right at home and went above and beyond to make sure we had everything we needed. The food was just as incredible!!! We ordered their chicken and lamb dibi combo, fish fataya and their jollof! Everything came out perfectly and tasted amazing. You can really tell there's care put into both the service and the kitchen. If you're dining here, definitely ask for Bintou. She made our experience unforgettable. We'll definitely be back more often!

food - service - ambiance on 100%!…read more thank you GG for not only being stylish with her beautiful stacks of jewelry, but being so attentive with our table. thank you to the rest of the staff for your wonderful service :)

Amazing food! Great atmosphere! We love GG and we will be returning soon to try more items!read more