As a DMV African restaurant connoisseur, I take pride in discovering spots I've never heard of. So…read moreimagine my surprise driving past Flora Restaurant, a place that has apparently existed for over 20 years, and I had no idea it was there. Naturally, I had to stop in for lunch, especially since I've been wanting to try cassava leaves for the first time. Let's start with the space. The decor is simple, small, and honestly a bit dated. Very much giving 90s era gaudy with a slideshow playing above the bar highlighting the owner's credentials and accomplishments. Not terrible, just... okayyyy. Now let's get into the experience. When I walked in, there was NO ONE there to greet me. No host. No server. Nothing. I sat alone for a full 10 minutes. Completely alone. Eventually, I heard movement in the back and had to call out for someone. The owner finally came forward. I recognized her from the slideshow. She told me she saw me enter... which immediately made me wonder: why didn't you greet me then? Customer service was essentially nonexistent. My presence felt more like an interruption than a welcomed potential customer. She explained she was finishing a large catering order, which I can respect, but acknowledgment costs nothing. I asked what type of African restaurant it was, which somehow seemed to offend her. Instead of simply answering, she directed me to her slideshow and began referencing her international training and experience. For context, Africa is a continent, not a country. Asking for clarification is a normal question. I told her I had read good reviews and was excited to try cassava leaves for the first time. I asked if the dish was spicy. She responded, "All African food is spicy." That is simply not true. She then said the cassava leaves might be too spicy for me. I asked if I could taste a small sample to see if I could tolerate the spice. She refused and said she doesn't give samples. At that point, I expressed that I had specifically stopped in because I was excited to try something new. Instead of meeting that curiosity with warmth, she continued emphasizing how long her restaurant has been open and how it outlasted the business next door. Impressive longevity, yes. But hospitality matters. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to try the food. The interaction left me feeling more like a nuisance than a guest. As much as I wanted that cassava leaves experience, the cocky energy and lack of basic customer service made it hard to stay. So, no food review this time. Just an experience review. Will I return... for the plot? Closure? Maybe. Because one thing about me, I will find out if that cassava leaves is worth the attitude.

I loved the food here, it reminds me of back home. The guy was helpful and nice. Even gave me a…read morebowl to try some of my food before I went home. I will definitely come back and try the rest of the menu. Price is actually better than some places I've been to.

The owners stay harassing me while I dance and kicked me out on Juneteenth. I don't think they like…read moreblack people coming to their establishment and will be going to city hall about the mistreatment I've received here on multiple occasions. I've had my phone stolen off the table while I was reserving it and was dancing in front of my belongings. The man that stole it, proceeded to call me to the front door to come outside and retrieve. I've never been through anything like this and I'm from New York. These people are rude to American women and only like African women to patronize the place. Also, I called to order food and just cause I spoke English and said good evening, I was told, " why am I saying good evening?" It's always a back and forth with the owner. I have no relation to him and don't know why I'm being treated with such disrespect as a women. Juneteenth was my last straw and I will not be taking the disrespect from other men here in America that don't know how to treat American women. It's sad and I feel very sad that I have to deal with this in my own country,

Food is good I've had the pepper soup, egusi and okra which are my faves. The red snapper is famous…read morefor being fried and smothered with peppers. Wings are always a go to, wish they had lemon pepper. The bartender Hilary is the best, she basically is the face of the place there almost everyday and is really nice to the people. The only upset for me is the decor, you can't tell this place has been around for a long time. It's a good spot to grab a good drink and eat some authentic African food. Happy hour is really affordable but it's only from 7-9. There's also a band that plays a couple times throughout the week.

Visited this take out establishment on 3/13/26. Read up on African food & ready to order. No…read morechicken. Settled on goat meat, jollof, sweet plantains. Also no meat patties. $46 later for 2 orders (pricey) I drive home. Only to open the food take a bite....meat is questionable. It's FISH!!! Highly allergic, triggers my asthma resulting in trip to ER. Panicking home alone rinsing my mouth out...call restaurant...daughter answers & passes phone to her mother, the owner. Apologies. The owner actually drove to my home with 2 new fresh correct meals, both goat as originally ordered. That alone makes them 5 star. Please support this business. And the food is good. I will return and as promised telling my tribe.

4/13/24 We were…read morelooking for a seafood restaurant that the hotel recommended. But we went to the wrong location, and it was just a fish market. But next door was a Ghanaian restaurant and decided to get some takeout. I got Egusi with Fish. Heated it up the next day. It was so good. I thought it was eggs. LOL. Turns out it's a seed they mashed up. It sort of reminded me of Ackee (Jamaican) Genevieve Flo and Philjean were so friendly. We chatted while waiting for the freshly made food. If we lived in MD, we would be going to try everything on the menu

We had a combo plate that was Fantastic! When the truck was at Allen Pond in Bowie, MD.read more

I had the pleasure of making a large corporate order with Camella's (about 250 units) and it was…read moresuch a fantastic experience, from start to finish! Nyana is unbelievably helpful and accommodating, prices were very reasonable, and the product that was delivered was beautifully packaged and incredibly delicious. My family and I loved what we received so much, I'm going back to order two more cakes for the holidays! Thanks Camella's Kitchen!

Jane's Jamdung is a must-try. Very delicious food!…read more Great food, great people, great vibes.

One of the BEST Egusi I've ever had. I was pregnant and Ms. Bangura (owner) was so kind enough to…read morehave my special order ready for me on almost a nightly basis. For whatever reason, my craving was egusi and it started with just single orders every other night to ordering pans of egusi with a side of pounded yam. My husband would do pickups for me and he said it was always easy to place and order. She has a waiting area inside and a small grocery for your quick grabs while you wait. Parking is nice and the customer service is top tier. Will be coming back!

I ordered through DoorDash. There was some kind of plastic or glass in my food that made me…read moreuncomfortable to eat. I ordered the cassava leaf which was good but I don't think I would order again. They did give a lot of meat in cassava leaf along with the rice

Please read! I wish I would have read reviews before ordering that afternoon. I cannot believe I'm…read moreeven writing this because I wanted to support this business . I ordered the jollof rice with tilapia on Sunday, and the fish came undercooked and watery . Not long after eating, I got painfully food sick for two days. I won't be ordering from Zion Kitchen again, and I hope they take this seriously before someone else ends up sick too. I

This restaurant is a bit confusing to identify. Your GPS will get you here but once here, you may…read morequestion if you're at the right place. It has 2 names. There are 2 restaurants in one. I did choose to eat from the Zion Kitchen menu which on the day, I regretted. I am not a big African cuisine consumer so I wasn't aware that it was going to be HOT. The menu didn't mention everything was going to be hot. It was so hot that I let it touch my tongue only twice and then told them to bag it. I did request some rice because I figure if I ever do get the courage to eat it, the rice will help. Everything is a-la-carte and if you don't know to order something, you just have a very sad meal. The menu hints at telling you, you should order all 3 parts but you could expect your stew to have something in it but it will not. Your stew is a soup or better yet a broth of sorts. You have to also order a starch and a protein unless of course you only want the blazing hot broth. Not only was it spicy, it was scolding hot which amplifies the spice. Once I got it home and warmed it up the next day, I added some honey to it to cut the heat and it worked perfectly. I'm sure it did however change the intended taste but if the intended taste is fire, that's not my cup of tea. Also, there wasn't a lot of meat on the things that I ordered but the "beef" was good. I tried the combo but that had a little piece of beef and cow foot which is a type of fat that you have to bite off the bone and then something that was similar in texture to the fat on the cow feet but I think it was ... I don't even remember what it was. It wasn't bad but it wasn't meat.