I had abula on the spot, yoooo That was so delicious, the ewedu, gbegiri and abula sauce tastes sooo good. Actually that was my first time having abula special.. Excellent service too..
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Meat Pie, Fried Rice, Fish Pie, Pounded Yam and Egusi Soup, Okra Soup, Fisherman Soup, Grilled Fish, Amala, Shawarma, White Rice \u0026 ATA Dindin, Baked Fish, Pepper Soup
Sean Awofodu-Johnson
I had such a great experience at Jolloff Etcetera. For my first time in DC, I truly enjoyed Nigerian food that actually tasted like home. From the first bite, it felt like I was back in Naija. The flavors were rich, well seasoned, and just right.
It was so good I had to come back today. If you’re craving real Nigerian food in DC, this spot is definitely worth it. Álátá Șwèșwè just confirmed this. Stay jiggy y’all. ✌🏽
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Eneke Agnes
Excellent food, clean and good customer service
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Emma Okafor
Let's be honest. This place is not ready to change. Because the reviews are the same years after years. And there has been no improvement. The food has improved, the customer service and atmosphere has not. I have given this please more than grace Only because it is the closest African restaurant around me. But today was the last straw for me. This review is for all the experiences I have had with this restaurant over the last 5-9 years. Whether you are dinning in Or picking up, the customer service is horrible. They talk to you like you are begging them for food or thet are doing you a favor rather than treating you like a customer who is petronizing them. No form of courtesy( greetings, please, thank, have a good day, sorry we are out, come back again, please hold on there is customer ahead or you, etc.) Just something to knowledge the customer. I am not going to talk about the prices of their food because I don't mind especially in the economy, but the food DO NOT WORTH the price in appearance and taste.
We as Africans needs to do better we it comes to customer service because it goes a long way and change a lot of things in business.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Chris Brayen
WORST CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE EVER. Literally SO UNPROFESSIONAL PEOPLE WORKING. Lazy workers. I open the reviews nd saw it already has bad feedbacks. NOT SURPRISED AT ALL. The hostess works nd walks around while eating. DO BETTER
Service: 1
Oxreen Desouza
I genuinely regret spending my money here.
I paid nearly $80 for two orders of jollof rice and plantains, which is already outrageous for what was served. The food quality did not come close to justifying the price. The rice was soaked in excessive oil, to the point where it was unpleasant to eat, and within hours I experienced serious stomach and food poisoning issues.
The plantains were clearly not fresh💯dry, unevenly heated, and tasted like reheated leftovers, not freshly fried food. That alone tells me quality control is lacking.
This was my first and last time ordering from Jollof Etcetera. There are far better African restaurants in the DMV that offer fresher food, fair pricing, and consistency (Kingsway being one of them). I should’ve stuck with my usual spot instead of trying something new here.
For the price being charged, customers deserve fresh ingredients, reasonable oil usage, and basic food safety. Extremely disappointed.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Anoved Sivad
The food is delicious. They give great portions for carry-out. I've driven 30 minutes at night to obtain their product
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Fola
If you want to eat excess salt in your food especially jollof rice, then this is your right place.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
Emmanuella
I have given this establishment enough grace. It's either they quote a rodent price for your over the phone and charge you fifteenth when you arrive to pick up your food or their food is just inedible. How do you sell stew that's inedible. I grew up with Surulere atadindin and have bought atadindin from jollofetc before, never have I, among my complaints about this restaurant, ever been given stew that causes instant heart burn and is impossible to swallow past the first spoon. How can you, in all honesty, as a restaurant, claim to sell this to people? NOONE, and I repeat, NO ONE, could ever digest this or go through a plate. This is a complete waste of money!! Completely inedible and tasteless BTW. All oil, no taste!! Called them to let them know that if this is what they're serving to people, it's a hazard. The lady I spoke to stated that this is how the stew is, which is a blatant lie. I know that they sometimes ask if you want it mild, this time no one asked when I called but I reminded them of that, they didn't honor it. I have to throw this food away. Appalling!!!
My family and I were visiting from out of state and intentionally went out of our way about a 30 minute drive to support a Nigerian restaurant. While the food itself was good, the customer service was very disappointing. From the moment we arrived, the staff was not welcoming, which set the tone for the rest of the experience. Although the food was on the expensive side, the cost was not an issue for us, we were happy to support and enjoy the experience. However, good food and pricing should come with equally good customer service. As a business owner myself, I strongly believe that customer service is just as important as food quality, especially when customers are making an effort to support their own community. Despite the service, we still left a tip because we believe in supporting businesses. I didn’t initially want to leave a review, but I feel that constructive criticism is necessary for growth. With improved hospitality and customer engagement, this place has the potential to be much better.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
Cristane Fouejeo
Love it
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Verissa Beccles
Terrible. I called to order food the automated system is stupid because you don’t know what store you are ordering from. I called the number for the silver spring location. When I got there they didn’t have my order ready I waited 40 mins and that is only because I had already paid. And then… the food! Is green pepper soup a Nigerian thing? Where I come it’s red. Sad I wasted my money.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 2
James Cordeon
I’ve been eating Nigerian food in the DMV for years, and I can confidently say this: Jollof Etcetera has some of the best-tasting Nigerian dishes in Maryland—possibly the entire DMV. The flavors are authentic, the seasoning is always on point, and the quality is consistent. When it comes strictly to taste, they truly stand out. That’s why I’ve been a loyal customer since the early days, back when they only had one location.
But as much as I love the food, two major issues keep holding this place back: the long wait times and the extremely high prices.
First, the prices. A plate of jollof rice and meat costing over $30 makes absolutely no sense. If you get that for lunch every day, you’re spending around $700 a month on just one meal. That’s not realistic for everyday customers, especially Africans and people in the diaspora who just want good food from home—not a bill that looks like fine dining.
It’s even harder to justify when a Ghanaian restaurant nearby sells the same kind of meal for $14.99, still tasty and with bigger portions. Nigerian restaurants already have a reputation for being some of the most expensive African restaurants in America, but this place is pushing that reputation to the extreme. Jollof isn’t an expensive dish to make, yet it’s being sold for $30–$35 like it’s some rare delicacy.
Then there’s the wait time. Even when you walk in to place an order, it can take up to an hour before you get your food. That makes no sense, especially for a restaurant that sells high-volume items like jollof, rice, and stew. And instead of expanding the original kitchen or investing in a setup that helps food come out faster, they keep opening new branches. They went from one location to three, with another coming in D.C.—clearly business is booming. But if demand is that high, why not reinvest in efficiency instead of letting customers wait forever? Why make the prices higher without improving the experience?
There are so many simple ways they could improve customer satisfaction without hurting their business: • Introduce lunch specials for working customers • Offer loyalty rewards or discounts for frequent buyers • Create bundle meals that include sides or drinks at a fair price • Provide daily or weekly promos (like “Jollof Wednesday” or “Pepper Soup Friday”) • Increase kitchen staff or streamline prep so orders don’t take an hour
The goal here isn’t to bash the restaurant—far from it. The food is genuinely amazing, and a lot of us WANT to keep supporting them. But spending $30–$35 on a single plate, waiting nearly an hour in-store, and getting no added convenience or customer rewards just isn’t right.
In summary: Jollof Etcetera is one of the best Nigerian restaurants in the DMV when it comes to taste. But if they want to keep their loyal customer base and keep growing, they need to address the prices, long wait times, and overall customer value. The flavor brings people in, but the experience and affordability will determine who stays.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 1
Kenyatta Crenshaw
My daughter and I were planning to do carry out but when we arrived we were told to go @3 doors down to order carry out as there is a different place for dining and carry out. The costs seemed a bit high and the staff were not welcoming or engaging when we walked through the door. Based upon the energy of the staff and their toned responses to our questions regarding the menu, we had a sour taste in our mouth that good food would not even resolve. We didn’t even want to try it…and we actually love Jolloff rice.
The food
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I had abula on the spot, yoooo
That was so delicious, the ewedu, gbegiri and abula sauce tastes sooo good. Actually that was my first time having abula special..
Excellent service too..
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Meat Pie, Fried Rice, Fish Pie, Pounded Yam and Egusi Soup, Okra Soup, Fisherman Soup, Grilled Fish, Amala, Shawarma, White Rice \u0026 ATA Dindin, Baked Fish, Pepper Soup
I had such a great experience at Jolloff Etcetera. For my first time in DC, I truly enjoyed Nigerian food that actually tasted like home. From the first bite, it felt like I was back in Naija. The flavors were rich, well seasoned, and just right.
It was so good I had to come back today. If you’re craving real Nigerian food in DC, this spot is definitely worth it. Álátá Șwèșwè just confirmed this. Stay jiggy y’all. ✌🏽
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Excellent food, clean and good customer service
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Let's be honest. This place is not ready to change. Because the reviews are the same years after years. And there has been no improvement. The food has improved, the customer service and atmosphere has not. I have given this please more than grace Only because it is the closest African restaurant around me. But today was the last straw for me. This review is for all the experiences I have had with this restaurant over the last 5-9 years. Whether you are dinning in Or picking up, the customer service is horrible. They talk to you like you are begging them for food or thet are doing you a favor rather than treating you like a customer who is petronizing them. No form of courtesy( greetings, please, thank, have a good day, sorry we are out, come back again, please hold on there is customer ahead or you, etc.) Just something to knowledge the customer. I am not going to talk about the prices of their food because I don't mind especially in the economy, but the food DO NOT WORTH the price in appearance and taste.
We as Africans needs to do better we it comes to customer service because it goes a long way and change a lot of things in business.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
WORST CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE EVER. Literally SO UNPROFESSIONAL PEOPLE WORKING. Lazy workers. I open the reviews nd saw it already has bad feedbacks. NOT SURPRISED AT ALL. The hostess works nd walks around while eating. DO BETTER
Service: 1
I genuinely regret spending my money here.
I paid nearly $80 for two orders of jollof rice and plantains, which is already outrageous for what was served. The food quality did not come close to justifying the price. The rice was soaked in excessive oil, to the point where it was unpleasant to eat, and within hours I experienced serious stomach and food poisoning issues.
The plantains were clearly not fresh💯dry, unevenly heated, and tasted like reheated leftovers, not freshly fried food. That alone tells me quality control is lacking.
This was my first and last time ordering from Jollof Etcetera. There are far better African restaurants in the DMV that offer fresher food, fair pricing, and consistency (Kingsway being one of them). I should’ve stuck with my usual spot instead of trying something new here.
For the price being charged, customers deserve fresh ingredients, reasonable oil usage, and basic food safety. Extremely disappointed.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
The food is delicious. They give great portions for carry-out. I've driven 30 minutes at night to obtain their product
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
If you want to eat excess salt in your food especially jollof rice, then this is your right place.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
I have given this establishment enough grace. It's either they quote a rodent price for your over the phone and charge you fifteenth when you arrive to pick up your food or their food is just inedible.
How do you sell stew that's inedible. I grew up with Surulere atadindin and have bought atadindin from jollofetc before, never have I, among my complaints about this restaurant, ever been given stew that causes instant heart burn and is impossible to swallow past the first spoon. How can you, in all honesty, as a restaurant, claim to sell this to people? NOONE, and I repeat, NO ONE, could ever digest this or go through a plate. This is a complete waste of money!! Completely inedible and tasteless BTW. All oil, no taste!!
Called them to let them know that if this is what they're serving to people, it's a hazard. The lady I spoke to stated that this is how the stew is, which is a blatant lie. I know that they sometimes ask if you want it mild, this time no one asked when I called but I reminded them of that, they didn't honor it.
I have to throw this food away. Appalling!!!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
My family and I were visiting from out of state and intentionally went out of our way about a 30 minute drive to support a Nigerian restaurant. While the food itself was good, the customer service was very disappointing. From the moment we arrived, the staff was not welcoming, which set the tone for the rest of the experience. Although the food was on the expensive side, the cost was not an issue for us, we were happy to support and enjoy the experience. However, good food and pricing should come with equally good customer service. As a business owner myself, I strongly believe that customer service is just as important as food quality, especially when customers are making an effort to support their own community. Despite the service, we still left a tip because we believe in supporting businesses. I didn’t initially want to leave a review, but I feel that constructive criticism is necessary for growth. With improved hospitality and customer engagement, this place has the potential to be much better.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
Love it
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Terrible. I called to order food the automated system is stupid because you don’t know what store you are ordering from. I called the number for the silver spring location. When I got there they didn’t have my order ready I waited 40 mins and that is only because I had already paid. And then… the food! Is green pepper soup a Nigerian thing? Where I come it’s red. Sad I wasted my money.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 2
I’ve been eating Nigerian food in the DMV for years, and I can confidently say this: Jollof Etcetera has some of the best-tasting Nigerian dishes in Maryland—possibly the entire DMV. The flavors are authentic, the seasoning is always on point, and the quality is consistent. When it comes strictly to taste, they truly stand out. That’s why I’ve been a loyal customer since the early days, back when they only had one location.
But as much as I love the food, two major issues keep holding this place back: the long wait times and the extremely high prices.
First, the prices.
A plate of jollof rice and meat costing over $30 makes absolutely no sense. If you get that for lunch every day, you’re spending around $700 a month on just one meal. That’s not realistic for everyday customers, especially Africans and people in the diaspora who just want good food from home—not a bill that looks like fine dining.
It’s even harder to justify when a Ghanaian restaurant nearby sells the same kind of meal for $14.99, still tasty and with bigger portions. Nigerian restaurants already have a reputation for being some of the most expensive African restaurants in America, but this place is pushing that reputation to the extreme. Jollof isn’t an expensive dish to make, yet it’s being sold for $30–$35 like it’s some rare delicacy.
Then there’s the wait time.
Even when you walk in to place an order, it can take up to an hour before you get your food. That makes no sense, especially for a restaurant that sells high-volume items like jollof, rice, and stew. And instead of expanding the original kitchen or investing in a setup that helps food come out faster, they keep opening new branches. They went from one location to three, with another coming in D.C.—clearly business is booming. But if demand is that high, why not reinvest in efficiency instead of letting customers wait forever? Why make the prices higher without improving the experience?
There are so many simple ways they could improve customer satisfaction without hurting their business:
• Introduce lunch specials for working customers
• Offer loyalty rewards or discounts for frequent buyers
• Create bundle meals that include sides or drinks at a fair price
• Provide daily or weekly promos (like “Jollof Wednesday” or “Pepper Soup Friday”)
• Increase kitchen staff or streamline prep so orders don’t take an hour
The goal here isn’t to bash the restaurant—far from it. The food is genuinely amazing, and a lot of us WANT to keep supporting them. But spending $30–$35 on a single plate, waiting nearly an hour in-store, and getting no added convenience or customer rewards just isn’t right.
In summary:
Jollof Etcetera is one of the best Nigerian restaurants in the DMV when it comes to taste. But if they want to keep their loyal customer base and keep growing, they need to address the prices, long wait times, and overall customer value. The flavor brings people in, but the experience and affordability will determine who stays.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 1
My daughter and I were planning to do carry out but when we arrived we were told to go @3 doors down to order carry out as there is a different place for dining and carry out. The costs seemed a bit high and the staff were not welcoming or engaging when we walked through the door. Based upon the energy of the staff and their toned responses to our questions regarding the menu, we had a sour taste in our mouth that good food would not even resolve. We didn’t even want to try it…and we actually love Jolloff rice.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 2
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