West African Restaurants near Washington, DC

“Wow, after everything I have heard and the awards this place has received, I had high expectations. My TLDR is that some of those expectations were met, others were not.

I have been wanting to try Dogon for a while, my boyfriend finally got a res for my birthday dinner. The food was great, some of it was excellent (Ben’s Bowl, ugh that sauce!!), our server was helpful and met expectations, but I cannot look past feeling rushed during my dining experience with Dogon. Especially when the booking says to plan to be there for at least 2 hours, reservations are so hard to get, and the staff KNEW we were there to enjoy an occasion. Plates were being cleared while we were not done with dishes, or we still had food in our mouths. We felt rushed eating, we felt rushed to place an order, and pressured to order everything for the table at once. We were going to order a bottle of wine, but we felt there would not be enough time to enjoy it. In total we were in and out of the restaurant in an hour and 15 minutes for a full birthday dinner. I want to make crystal clear that our server was great, and this issue isn’t on one person. It is on the service team and their communication with the kitchen.

My dad was the head chef at one of the most popular restaurants in NYC for a long time, I know what is a reasonable expectation of a high volume, high end restaurant, and what isn’t. Pacing is something the restaurant is in full control of. Dogon should look into improving here. Even with this issue, I would still go back to try more of the menu.“

“tasty food and good service“

“Fantastic food and atmosphere, highly recommended“

“We tried 4 different dishes and EVERYTHING was AMAZING! The decor is beautiful. I enjoyed the music and the entire vibe of this restaurant. We got a chance to meet the chef and he was so nice and down to earth.“

“Great Late-Night Find with Excellent Service!
I ordered from Beyond Suya at their kiosk, and I was genuinely impressed. The staff was so nice, patient, and super communicative throughout the entire process. Even though it wasn’t a dine-in experience, they made sure everything went smoothly and made me feel like a valued customer.

The food was absolutely delicious – full of flavor and clearly made with care. What really stood out, aside from the amazing service, is that they’re open late! If you’re looking for something tasty and satisfying to eat late at night, Beyond Suya is a perfect go-to. I’ll definitely be back again soon. Highly recommend!“