African Restaurants near Alexandria, VA

“This place was such a delightful discovery! The attentive care by the owner and staff made us feel welcomed and at home. And the food was so good! Truly fantastic. We had the grilled tilapia with bantu and okra soup with fufu. We were super grateful for water and bowl at our table to wash our hands before and after the meal, too. We'll definitely be back.“

“This food is sooooo good and service is even better. Satisfied all my west African cravings! I ordered peanut butter goat soup, rice, puff puff and fried fish. Everything was hot fresh and delicious. I’m so excited for you guys to move closer to my house lol. Thanks yall!!“

“Most unique gelato I ever had. But it wasn’t bad! 👍🏻“

“Found out about this restaurant through a friend and came back today to try it out again. The food especially the jollof was really good but the best part of it was the last I met at the counter. She was super friendly, energetic and kind so I’ll definitely be coming back again!“

“Great store and staff! Visited earlier to get someone some traditional Ghana 🇬🇭 food. The guy in the line in front of me was super nice and explained some food items to me like: corn 🌽 mixed with peanut 🥜 butter 🧈 and ginger. 🫚 If you don’t like ginger 🫚 you probably won’t like some of the items. The wife wasn’t a fan. I thought it was delicious and much better than the lemonade we made at Deliver Lean; that was the most ginger thing I have ever had 😂 it burned to drink that stuff. Anyway, great staff, great food, smelled amazing!!! Wish I had tried more stuff cause the meats smelled amazing. Muslim friendly as it had a sign praising Allah. I’m a barefoot 🦶 servant of Lord Jesus and know that The Holy Spirit watches over all the children of God Almighty no matter what name. Also, the cops posted outside made it feel more safe and secure. Wish I’d take more photos. The music was awesome!! Wife had to made me stop snapping 😂“

“This place was probably one of my favorite dining experiences in DC. One of the reviews I read mentioned you’ll probably end up ordering 40-50% of the menu, and they were definitely right. For two people, we ordered 1 snack, 2 appetizers, 1 item from the “with bread” section, and 1 large share. We also got the rum cake (which was so good!) for dessert and we each had a drink. We left very full and with some leftovers from the large share.

All that aside, this place absolutely lived up to the hype! Each food item was packed with flavor and had beautiful presentation. The servers were kind and quick to help. Food comes out quickly which was nice! The music was on the louder side, but the playlist was great. We could still hear each other.

One thing to note is the menu changes slightly, so what you see in other reviews will more or less be what is available (with slight changes). For instance, we saw reviews about the chargrilled oysters but when we saw the menu it was (raw) oysters escovitch.

This place is definitely on my list to go back to!“

“If I could give the Ambassador six stars, I would! The owners were very kind and hospitable — I showed up around 11pm, and even though the kitchen was already closed, they took the time to grab the food from the back themselves. The vegetarian combo place truly is what everyone says it is, and is well-priced too. I was famished when I walked in, and when I finished eating, I was satisfied. You can’t ask for much more than that. Thank you very much to the kind people at the Ambassador. Do check them out if you’re in DC :]“

“This was a good experience from start to finish. I'm so glad that my first exposure to Ghanaian food was with Chef Eric Adjepong. As always my first time somewhere, I order a lot. I arrived some short time after Chef Eric introduced a prix fixe menu with standout choices. Not on my radar, but highly recommended by my server and the table leaving as I was seated, was the Zaalouk Dip featuring eggplant and goat cheese served with flatbread. Somehow the cheese brightened this dish. I'm a huge fan of okra in all forms, so I added the Crispy Okra Fries. I thoroughly enjoyed this dish. I would love it if Chef Eric added a spicy dip in addition to the creamy dip that it came with. Also not on my radar, Roasted Carrots. This was the most earthy, enjoyable, balanced dish I've ever eaten with carrots! The cheese(s), as in the dip dish, are transformational. I truly could have stopped here and been completely satisfied. The book I can write about my first experience with Fufu. I could have eaten the Fufu swirling it around in the broth by itself and been happy. Instead, I had the most perfectly cooked seared fish with it. I was then served a Jollof and Duck Pot. The presentation of this dish is so pristine, you really won't want to disturb it. However, I had to taste this Jollof. My first Jollof dish was merely days before, prepared with a Nigerian recipe. I didn't understand what all the hype was about. Chef Eric's Jollof answered my confusion. I'm pleased to say in the battle of two local Top Chefs (Nigeria vs. Ghana), Elmina and Ghana wins! The duck was succulent and another surprise, the tiny salad was a star! The night ended with an espresso and Malva Pudding Cake, the perfect ending to a thrilling meal.“

“It’s my pleasure to ordering food from Kulan restaurant for my kids and I. I had requested a rice dish with lamb, but to my delight, the portion was more than generous. The lamb itself from Kulan was incredibly delicious, with a tender and succulent texture that melted in my mouth. The flavors were well-balanced, and the combination of the rice and salad complemented the dish perfectly. It was evident that Kulan put great care and attention into preparing the meal. I highly recommend Kulan for anyone looking for exceptional food and service. My kids love Somali food no more burger or fries.“

“I went during the late afternoon. Parking was ok. I was able to find street parking. I walked in as a first time customer and was greeting with a warm welcome. The staff talked to me about the different areas of the restaurant and upcoming events. I was waited on almost immediately. My drink came first; which was really good and priced well. I ordered wings and salad. Everything came out hot and tasted really good. The vibes during this time I day was chill with good music. I was told they have DJs later on in the evening. Overall I had a great experience. I would definitely go again.“

“The food was really good and the waiter was very attentive. I forgot the name of the appetizer but it was a shrimp, avocado combo that was served with bread. DELICIOUS. We also had yam chips served with a mayonnaise based sauce. They were seasoned differently than what I am used to (which is just salt) but it tasted amazing! The main meal was snapper with jollof rice and fried plantain. 10s across the board would highly recommend.“

“Thanks to Tracye McQuirter of By Any Greens Necessary for recommending this Ethiopian Cafe to me. The sign on the store says Bethel Cafe. I ordered the Vegetarian Platter. THEE VERY BEST! Friendly staff and accommodating. I will be venturing out to Arlington, VA on occasion just to come here.“

“Good food, music, ambiance, and customer service. I will definitely be returning.“

“Best place to have a good evening after a hard weekend work. Music is amazing“

“Saw an amazing story about the food and owners of this restaurant- what a great story - thank you for being such a great role model and giving back to the community“

“So much great and yummy cuisines to savor....Varieties of exotic drinks. Wines, spirits, etl.👌“

“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.“

“How in heavens name do you rate delicious? I recommend Disbe for all grilled meat loving fans.“

“Food was so good I ordered curry goat and chicken rice and FuFu 👍“

“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!“

“Delicious meal. This woman Joan can cook. Everything was cooked to perfection, tender tasty. I ordered Egusi soup!!! She was kind and had great service too. It’s also one of the less expensive places I’ve seen. I’ll be gone my back today.“

“Fantastic food and atmosphere, highly recommended“

“Awesome food, great service & awesome energy!!!“