Tempoo Restaurant and Lounge

Unprofessional and unnecessarily expensive! Although the DJ & music was lit I wouldn’t recommend this place.My last time coming here I watched two drunks fighting over a lighter in the parking lot and spent a ton of money on a tiny shot. Before that time I was literally cursed out for holding the front door open because the door doesn’t automatically close. After giving them a second chance I can confidently say this is NOT a safe place to let your guard down and have a good time.

Lacking rum options. Unable to make cocktails.. diluted liquor.. drinks not worth price. DJ was alright spinning afrobeat soca reggae and hip-hop music hop

Parking: Urban bar no need to dress up

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 1

Service: 1

Excellent and tasty food

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Jollof Rice with Chicken Stew and Kale, Fried Plantain, Jollof Rice Fried Plantain

The restaurant had a very nice vibe to it , the food was amazing . Very authentic and flavorful , definitely will be returning soon !

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Jollof Rice with Chicken Stew and Kale, Jollof Rice Fried Plantain, Pounded Yams

Very good customer service, the snapper was some of the best snapper I had it came with plaintains, rice, & onions and peppers! I will definitely be coming back again. The music and vibe was also great a nice way to kick off the holidays.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Super dope hidden spot where the treatment is defenitely top tier. West African beautiful vibes and love here. If you want to get away vibe and enjoy a place of comfort and up tempo music to get you in a great mood.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Tempoo Restaurant in Maryland deserves every one of its five stars! I’ve been back four times in five days (only skipping Monday because they’re closed), and each visit somehow tops the last. The food here is exceptional – every dish bursts with flavor and freshness. The whole fish, jollof rice, and plantains are a perfect combination, with the fish cooked to crispy perfection, the rice deeply seasoned, and the plantains beautifully caramelized.

A big part of Tempoo’s magic is TJ, the owner and chef. Humble, welcoming, and an incredible cook, TJ makes everyone feel right at home. He pours his heart into every dish, creating a dining experience that feels personal and memorable. With his warmth and culinary talent, TJ has crafted a gem of a restaurant that I’ll be returning to again and again.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Fried Plantain, White Basmati Rice, Jollof Rice Fried Plantain, Red Snapper with Fried Yam

This place has the BEST Nigerian jollof I ever had. I came pretty late and they still prepared the food. Will definitely be back!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Music was really good at this lounge, only problem was the speakers; they were annoyingly loud, maybe the sound needs to be adjusted or something but it made it hard to really have a good time. Otherwise, everything else was ok

Atmosphere: 3

Service: 4

Afro beats ? ? Dj Music is Boss . Excellent Food & Excellent Mr Host & Owner. Great atmosphere & Good Vybz ? ? ? ? ? ?. Spicy peppa with

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Jollof Rice with Chicken Stew and Kale, Meat and Fish, Red Snapper with Fried Yam

It was terrible , food took years ! The owner or whoever that guys walking around with no sleeves and dreads is very creepy ! The music was cool though! Shoutout to the dj and the young security and the nice bottle girls. However this place is a no go ! There is no entertainment and nothing interesting and the drinks are overpriced and they sell cheap liquor and make it seem like it’s the real thing

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

I really recommend this restaurant if you are interested in experiencing west African food, especially if you are intimidated to try a cuisine that is new to you. The owner, TJ, was so welcoming to us and is more than happy to answer any questions about the menu. He asked us if we had tried west African food before and offered his help navigating the menu if we needed it. You can tell he puts a lot of thought and effort into his food and the service he provides. The flavor of everything was so good. The spices are complex and warm. We would definitely return if we’re in the area. ??

My personal food recommendations:
Plantains, Egusi with foo foo
The jollof rice was also really good. The flavor was so deep and unique to any I’ve ever tried.

The bartender also made us mocktails with ginger that he said was off menu ?

If you are looking for a classic dining experience and not the “lounge” environment simply come earlier in the day. We came in around 7:45pm and they were still doing regular table service with the bar open. I read from another review that the restaurant turns more into a club environment by 10pm.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Fried Plantain, Yam or EBA, Jollof Rice Fried Plantain

Came here for dinner with my partner. Let’s start with when we first entered this establishment, wow! The decor is so gorgeous and the lighting was a vibe. The music immediately had us dancing in my seat and I was excited to order my food. TJ, the owner, asked if it was our first time having African cuisine and if we had any questions we could ask him. TJ was so nice!

We ordered the Efo Egusi with Pounded Yam (Fufu), Red Snapper Platter with Jollof Rice and a side of fried Plantain.

If you don’t eat the Fufu & Efo Egusi with your hands, you’re missing out!! We dug in, and I was in love. The flavors are sososo well balanced. Warm, and spiced in the right ways where it is all flavor packed.

Next was the Red Snapper and let me tell you it was mind-blowing how flavored it was. This was my favorite way to eat red snapper. The jollof was also like a warm hug. I’m not sure what was spicy if it was the jollof or the fish but it just made me want more, I was in heaven at this point.

We got water to start, but I wanted to try a mocktail so I asked for anything with ginger. They made me something that was sweet, refreshing, and ginger-y (the real kind). It was delicious.

We left this establishment unbuckling our pants and rolling from how stuffed we were. We also left with some leftovers not because we didn’t want to finish but because the portions for everything were GENEROUS. Thank you for the amazing meal. We will be back. ?

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Yam or EBA, Jollof Rice Fried Plantain

Empire did really great. Me and friend ordered the Jollof rice, egusi with poundo, and the red snapper! MAN IT WAS DELICIOUS!! He even brought it to us. Empire I swear if I get 10 thumbs you’re receiving all of them. Thank you so much for helping us on this stressful night.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Jollof Rice with Chicken Stew and Kale, Yam or EBA, Jollof Rice Fried Plantain

Good and fantastic customers service ,very clean
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Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5