The atmosphere is...African...true, but the food seems like it's out of this world. I highly recommend Bukom Cafe if you want to taste Western African cuisine for the first time. The staff are extremely nice. Honestly, this is one of my favorite restaurants in DC. It's one of those places where you need to go in with a very open mind (so easy to construct a long list of complaints). Most cities, like Boston, don't even serve this cuisine, but it's well worth a try. read more

The most authentic African cuisine in the city. Great ambiance and entertainment (usually a reggae band). Cant stress enough, the FOOD IS DELICIOUS! read more

The live reggae band that played there was awesome. We were there for at least 2 and half hours and they didn't even take one break nor did they look like they would take one soon. They played lots of Bob Marley renditions as well as other familiar reggae songs. They had good beats and good vibe. I had the "Red Red" which was Crocker fish, black eyed pees and plantains and it was all so delicious. Service was a bit slow but that's no surprise. They were on island time....lol The band started at 10 pm. So earlier in the evening it's more a café and slowly turns into a club/lounge environment as it gets later. Loved it! read more

The food was horrible. I bought rice and cassava leaves , I got what looked like a table spoon of cassava leaves. The plantains were hard , rice is the only food that was nice. The fish was crispy and dry . The moi moi did not taste that good. I was very disappointed. I will try other foods before I cancel them . I wish they can add more cassava leaves to the rice. Even the little they had was not that good compared to the cassava leaves I have bought from other places read more

This food here is amazing and the tunes were on point! I think the food could come out faster and servers should check on customers more often. For the most part I give this place 4 stars for the food!!! Yummy read more

I came here with friends for some Nigerian comfort food because I was missing the motherland, and I'm glad to say we weren't disappointed! First, I was advised to order the wings and suya as an appetizer. The Bukom sauce that came with the wings was the perfect touch. The suya was also well seasoned. I ordered some eba and okra soup and it definitely hit the spot, the okra was hot and at the right spice level and the consistency of the eba was the business. The meat was also perfectly tender. I'd also like to add that my drinks were both tasty and strong! We planned to come for dinner and ended up staying even longer because of the band. All around great vibes. I will certainly be back. read more

COVID-19 Update: Bukom has been one of the few places I've felt comfortable ordering take out from during this pandemic. Their staff has done a great job of transforming this establishment into a safe take-out experience. The few times I have driven there to pick up food, I have witnessed staff routinely cleaning each surface. They even offered free mask with one of my meals. The quality of the food also remains top notch. Original Review: This is my FAVORITE establishment in the district. Most places have amazing service or amazing food. Bukom has BOTH. The food and drink menu are plentiful and diverse. I suggest trying something new every time you visit. The staff is warm and welcoming, even when it's packed they make time to ensure I have been served. I have taken over 20 friends here and they all agree that this is a top notch establishment read more

Its been almost 6 years since I have come to Bukom Cafe, when i came I think I went to one of their club nights. Now, the food is really good here, I enjoyed my sweet plantains and wache. However, I really think this restaurant/cafe should be catered as a lounge, Im understanding that they have live music 6-7 nights a week? Now the reggae band they had here was GREAT, but it was too bad that I couldn't really have a conversation with one of my good friends that I hadn't seen in years. It was waaaaay too loud.I would come here for food again(mayeb take out), but I dont think Id be able to come here again for a sit down meal, unless I come before the live music starts. read more

Not having a convenient West African place in Atlanta, I dragged a couple friends to Bukom on a recent visit to DC. I decided to try the Pepper Soup with fish and Moi Moi (mashed black eyed peas) for my meal. Both were quite tasty, though one of them may have given me a bit of a stomach ache afterwards (though I'm not positive Bukom was the culprit). My friends enjoyed their meals (beef and goat), and the atmosphere was also quite nice, with a live reggae band playing after 9:30. My only complaint was the time it took to get the check...we probably had to wait 20-30 minutes after they cleared our dishes before everything was done. read more

Best food that I have tasted on this trip... The only complaint that I have is that we had to wait about an hour for our food... like really guys what are you doing back there, an hour???????? I decided to try out the shrimp vegetable with spinach peppers an onions with some amazing sauce served with spicy rice.... my mouth is still watering just thinking about it. They have a live music so I guess listening to the reggae band didn't make my wait seems so bad. read more

This is a 2-part review since one must acknowledge the fact that it is one of the best venues for good live music (almost every night) by some good local reggae bands. i would go just for the music and bar. The food is good, not pretentious or overly complicated. The dishes are authentic West African, they reminded me of my friend's mother's cooking, they retain their spices and are well presented. The goat dish i got was good. Tasty and tender meat, the jollof rice could be better but the meat and sauce made the bad rice ok to eat. They somehow managed to not make the sauce too goat-y, i wouldn't have minded anyhow, and give good cuts of meat. On top of the good live music, authentic and tasty dishes, the price is very reasonable. The entrees are all around $13 dollars which makes getting good food affordable. They have some good West African beers and "red stripe" (in the Irie voice, of course). I'm a big fan and will be going fairly often since i want to have tried all their dishes. ***You should try it if you like West African food or want to be adventurous and try something different. read more

Bukom's is amazing! I loved everything and especially would recommend the puff puffs. The staff are all very kind and welcoming and the space is beautiful. I will definitely be coming back! :) read more

Amazing food and service. Great live band performances on weekends. Everything from the jollof rice to the oxtail stew is just superb. Service could be better. read more

I have lived in DC area for years and frequented this establishment thought the years. The food is consistently good, fresh and well prepared. The service is why I am NOT giving this establishment 5 stars. Since Madam handed the reigns to her family the service is horrible, slow, and ambivalent. If you come to this establishment come with exceeding amounts of patience. I am literally writing this review seated at the bar after another disappointing visit. read more

Nice atmosphere, good and fast service, and the absolute best fried plantains - seriously, I haven't had plantains good like this in over 10 years. Highly recommend. read more

One of my DC favorites, i have been here many times to drink and listen to some rhythmic beats of West Africa and The Carribean. However this last time i actually tried the food..... and it was delicious i had the Afloa Salmon, and tried some of my lady friends Red Snapper both were delicious. After that and a lil red wine it was growing increasingly hard to resist dancing to the music.... so we did... what an amazing night! read more

Bukom Cafe - Red Snapper - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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They don't give you enough pounded yam when you order to go. Overall it's good food, but I'm upset at the fact that I barely have a portion of pounded yam. read more

Love the spicy jollof rice and the plaintains! My go to was the Chicken Yassa and the chicken was flavorful and tender. The fried fish dishes are really good but I usually ask for sauce/accompaniments on the side as I like my fish to stay crispy. The live band is a pretty great way to waste some time in the evening and the crowd there is usually very very lively and fun. Great place for a group. Can get crowded but there's space enough to breathe. Don't take your date unless you don't want to talk to him/her...lol becuz it's loud. read more

I used to go here all the time when I lived in DC, to any vegetarians/vegans out there - try the Baaflo Vegetarian, you won't be disappointed! I keep going back here every time I'm in DC visiting. Note: if you head there on the weekends after 10pm there will be a longer wait on your food since it's usually jam packed but believe me it's worth it! read more

3 words ~ I LOVE BUKOM! The vibe is easy and relaxed. Food is great. The music is always great. Quiet yet live! Staff is wonderful. Absolutely Hakuna Matata up in here! read more

This place is a DC classic. I've been a patron for 20 years! It's always been divey with consistently dodgy service. I go back because the food is even and the atmosphere is all West Africa! The live reggae, the colorful regulars, the spices, the plantain, the foo foo, rice, the diverse crowd.... yep. These days. I don't go as often as when I was a younger maiden. Back then I would head out nearly every Saturday night with my bestie and push through bodies of handsome men crowding the bar and swaying to the music...... I give the overall experience a B+. I admit nostalgia is likely inflating my rating a bit. (Wink). read more

Yes, please! FOOD: One of DC's awesome bartenders suggested this place and boy am I glad that I followed his advice. I had my favorite fish in the whole wide world: fried snapper (i'm not joking) with jollof rice and plantains. My inner fat girl jumped and cartwheeled for joy (apologies if this statement offends you...I'm just being honest). Although fried, it wasn't breaded, which helped my waistline, was seasoned to perfection and the meat was fresh and flaky. My co-conspirator had the Afloa Salmon and white rice which I heavy-handedly (is that a word?) helped myself to...more than once. It had just enough spice that didn't over power the dish. SERVICE: We sat at the bar on a Monday night for dinner so the place was pretty sparse. With the exception of 2 occupied tables, there were 5 or 6 of us sitting at the bar. The decor wasn't anything fancy which I can care less about. What I do value is service and Kojo our bartender, delivered. He was super attentive, friendly and heavy-handed with the pour ;-). The band provided a chill vibe; they weren't super loud as to drown out our conversation. I'll be sure to go back on a more bustling night to enjoy the dancing and what-not that I've heard so much about. VERDICT: This may become my go-to spot for comfort food, music and drinksssss. read more

Went in at opening time and ordered some food to go. Service was prompt and good. I got Suya, A side of Jollof Rice, Fufu with Egusi and 2 Meatpies. The food was well prepared and tasty. I was not disappointed at all and will definately return to Bukom as soon as possible...their African Dishes are the TRUTH...Great Job Bukom. read more

Worst west African food I have ever had; the smell of the establishment should haven been the first sign.

Well, I'll give the other reviewer this: Bokum is many shades removed from Ethiopian. I had a dish with spicy goat and fufu, which is somewhere between mashed potatoes and mochi. It wasn't bad. It didn't make me quiver with pleasure, either. As the other reviewer pointed out, the cocktails are something else. Whether that's a good something else or a something else worth 6 bucks, well, the jury is still out. I can see myself going there again, but not going out of my way to go there. read more

One word: FOOD I had the chicken wings which were whole wings with a side of mambo sauce!! I'm hyped because if you know anything about DC we love our mambo sauce & wings. To add, the beef suya was well cooked & seasoned. Go on and get your grub on! :) read more

It don't get no betta!!! This place is live ALWAYS!! The food is West African in cuisine and tastes great! It is also very reasonably priced. The atmosphere, though a bit cramped is full of soulful vibes! When the band isn't jamming some good ole reggae, the bartender has a CD going with neo-soul, oldies R and B and reggae hits. As I hinted earlier, once the band starts around 9pm, you can expect the place to get quite crowed, but it doesn't matter because everyone is still having fun. If you want dinner you should get there a little early to be able to eat comfortably. Sooo...if you are looking for a place that caters to the grown and sexy, this is the place to be. I'm here at least once a week! read more

Egusi with plantain EVERYTIME. It's delicious -granted, I've never had West African home cooking so I can't compare it to Mom or Grandma's best, but I do love it. I try my best to get to Bukom on every visit to DC and am super bummed when I'm not able to make it. The only reason I'm giving Bukom a 4 is because there have been times when the food took a bit long, but the food really is so yummy. You should gooo! read more

My first time here was amazing! I enjoyed the rice and the fufu, the egusi soup was a delicacy. They have beautiful art hanging on the walls, the vibe is very calm. I left more than satisfied and I learned new things. If you are looking for a restaurant with good food, I definitely recommend coming here. read more

Truly amazing West African cuisine. Perfectly spiced, well-priced. Feels like it's homemade. read more

The first time I was here, the food and service were good. I got a salmon dish and my friend got chicken curry - both were delicious! The second time was pretty bad. I got another fish dish that was a bit too fishy for my taste. My fiance got an okra soup that was slimy with no flavor at all. They also stuck us in a small area isolated from the rest of the restaurant and then came back to ask us to move to another table (also in that small section) because they had a big group coming. The server disappeared and forgot about us. read more

Came here with a coworker who recommended the food! And it was delicious! Had the aloaf salmon and African curry chicken with rice and plantains! Had the wings and fried beef on sticks can't remember the name of it but was fantastic!!! read more

Bukom Cafe - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Went to this well established restaurant and club. Had great time. They had a great reggae band. Lead singer tony. Had great pleasure of meeting the owner. She is awesome and so friendly. Drinks were great and fast service. read more

Food was great, expect some time for the food to come out , the server know how to multi task & remains professional . I will come again read more

Lively place and nice selection of drinks. The food, however, was incredibly salty and not a lot of it.

Love this place. Best Egusi soup I've ever had. Great ambient. Great service. Wish I lived closer so I could go more often. My other favorite African restaurant. read more

What an awesome spot. Free raggae concert on a Saturday night? I'll be there jamming with my mates! I didn't get to try the food, just a couple of Red Stripes, but I really enjoyed the vibe of this resto/bar. Will definitely be back. I wish they had a place like this in Oakland! read more

I went there on a Friday night and the service was absolutely horrible. We got there about an hour before it seemed to really get busy. It took almost 45 minutes just to get our drinks. Whenever I was even able to track down my server (who spent a good deal of his time standing and working on a computer in the back) he would tell me that "they were coming". I finally saw the bartender finish them and place them on the bar for our server to come pick up...10 minutes passed and absolutely no sighting of Mr. Server of the Year. I finally just got up and got them myself. Our meal came and while it was somewhat tasty, I couldn't get beyond the fact that it was barely lukewarm. While I felt my blood temperature rising, my friend pointed out the numerous other tables that had not even been given menus and had been there for 15 minutes. People were craning their necks looking around for Server of the Year and I saw the scowls, frowns and at that moment-we all bonded and I felt myself cool off...closer to the temperature of my food. The music was great so while I silently cursed the ineptness and unresponsiveness of Server of the Year, I did so while moving to Nigerian artist, Timaya and reggae legend Bob Marley. Great music! So go here for the music or if you want to see what it would be like to be on MTVs Boiling Point. Let me know what you think when you do. read more

I'm not sure why I'd want to come here. The music can be oppressively loud. The food is not notable, compared even to Ghana across the street. Jolof rice is well done. Chicken Yassa, as others note, is not great. On the plus side, I was in there one time and the dude who played reggae keyboards was stoned out of his mind. Thereafter, I seemed to see him regularly on 18th Street, and he never failed to give me a wink and a thumbs up. read more

Service is ridiculously slow and please be aware there's an 18% gratuity automatically added to parties of 3 or more. Fine print on the menu...This is a bit ridiculous, normally gratuity is added to large parties of 6 or more. Food came out cold, but was prepared correctly. Tables are very unstable. Place needs updating... read more