Now, this is more like it. So, as I wandered down the street broken and disillusioned from my previous bar experience (actually, down the stairs), I was in search of something new, of something that would ease my troubled mind. And, then I heard the drums. Like some sort of primal experience from days long gone by, the beat got deep in my soul and didn't let me go. I entered through the door and found an entire bar jamming to house grooves mixed with continental beats. The drinks were flowing, people were dancing and yet, the funk level (smell, not George Clinton) was at a bare minimum. Win. I don't know anything about the food (I think the kitchen was closed by the time I got there). But, if you're in the mood to get a drink, dance and groove on, you could do far worse than by checking this out. Bukom, you saved the evening... for a little while (to be continued....). read more

I'm not into the really fancy places when I want to go unwind. I grew up going to backyard/basement parties in Brooklyn at 3-4 o'clock in the morning. So I love me a good hole in the wall where nobody is passing judgment. Bukom is that place for me. I feel comfortable going any night of the week if I want to get a quick Reggae fix. The food is good too. I never had West African food before my first time here several years ago. I love to order the Red Red and a side of jolof rice...yumee! I usually wash that down with a Bukom Bomb or Ageage Slammer (very strong cocktails). I have always had great service. After the first few times, you will probably get to know the 2 bartenders. I will continue to enjoy Bukom and its international crowd. read more

As a fellow West African, I have been needing my fix for some good staples. I have now ordered from Bukom Cafe 3 times and have not been disappointed. There are some differences in the food from what I'm used to as I am Nigerian and the owners/cooks are Ghanaian (based on their website), but I'm not picky. The price for the food is definitely on par with the quality and quantity you receive. Even the packaging for delivery is great as they wrapped the soup with plastic to avoid spillage. My first order I got Egusi and Okra soup, jollof rice, and suya. Again, all very good quantities and quality for the price. My second and third orders I got the veggie plate with a side of plaintain. I love plaintain so spending an extra $5 and receiving more than a handful of plaintain was the best thing ever. My partner is American and has enjoyed all of these meals as well. One day I'll learn to cook it myself, but Bukom Cafe will be my go-to for now! Once I'm more comfortable, I'm definitely going to dine-in for the live music I've heard people love. read more

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I just saved $3500 on a RT ticket to West Africa by finding my way here instead. I cannot remember the last time, or shamefully, if I've ever eaten out at a West African restaurant, but for this most recent stay in DC, I told the manfriend that we are eating motherland food tonight! Walking in, the place is very very welcoming and both friendly patrons (whom I suspect are regulars) & staff smile & nod at you as you make your way to your seats. I love the traditional clothing of the servers. Good music. Good vibes. 2 things caused the rating to earn less than 5 stars: The first was the decor and general condition of the place. I struggle with this one, because when I watch youtube videos of Nigerian & Ghanaian nightlife and restaurants, many of the places look like Bukom Cafe. For the most part, this added an authentic feel to the place. The manfriend felt quite different, believing that considering how long the restaurant has been there, the owners were negligent in it's upkeep and an upgrade. Slightly inclined to agree. We ordered the wings appetizer. Perfect. We ordered drinks. I, the Shakara which was FANTASTICALLY tropical tasting. My entree was pounded yam with egusi. It was delicious, though the goat meat was slightly dry (2nd reason for knocking off a star). Portions were substantial. My beau had the oxtails, bathed in a tomato stew, and I wanted to switch plates with him. He declined, but shared :). The 3 layer rum cake sucked. A marvelous experience. The staff, the ambience, the drinks, the meal guaranteed our return patronage. read more

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My first time in D.C stopped by this place to grab something to eat with my bf. Their was only one person working when we walked in. It didn't take him too long to come ask us what we wanted. The food came out in a timely manner but the food was just not good. I got the curry chicken and my bf got oxtails. My food was mediocre and my plantains were dry. My bf said his oxtails were tough and his rice was overcooked. I honestly don't think the food was fresh.The only thing good was the Nigerian "Star" beer we had. I will not be back here:/ read more

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

If you are looking for upscale or fancy, keep it moving. You shall not find it here. But if you want a chill hole-in-the-wall spot for good food and decent music, Welcome to Bukom Cafe! What is amazing to me is how this place has not changed in 10 years! That's a good sign that whatever they are doing, works for them. The food is well priced, well proportioned, and good. If you are going for the live Reggae music, arrive early or be prepared to stand. As the night progresses, the entrance way becomes the dance floor. I am not sure if the same reggae band performs weekly, but the band last week was very entertaining. It was funny to watch the band perform "live" while lip syncing. Sad but true... Nonetheless, this is a great spot in Adams Morgan to get your party on. read more

*walks in and awkwardly waits for someone to address me* When that didn't happen, I went up to a man near the door and asked if they were serving food. He thought I was waiting for the band to show up and I'm like "no"...so he got me a table in the back to feel comfortable on my own. I ordered the Suya - beef skewers with Chichinga spice and groundnut. These were a hit with me! This dish comes with 3 skewers. The skewer has a roasted and crispy texture on the outside. It tasted nutty and spicy. Unfortunately my main meal, Egusi with goat and fufu fell flat on me. To put it in the most nicest way, it smelled funky...and tasted off like it wasn't fresh. The goat tasted so gamey and the egusi broth didn't taste like anything except being spicy. I'm no expert on West African cuisines but the sample of egusi I tried from Sumah's tasted way better than this. Since it was my first time trying fufu, I wasn't sure if it was suppose to smell funny but I did like the texture of it. I'd like to try this dish again somewhere else that can do it better. In terms of trying out West African cuisine in the center of DC, it looks like Bukom's, Sumah's, and Appioo African Bar & Grill are the biggest options. Bukom seems like a hit or miss for decent food and service but gets a lot of traffic due to its prime location in Adams Morgan. There was a reggae band performing after 9:30PM. They also have a bar with big screen tvs for a lively vibe. read more

If I'm ever in the D.C. area, I will definitely make sure to swing by again. "My Girl" played over a reggae beat + band shout out to the out-of-towners + groovin' the night away = love. read more

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

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Enjoyed my experience at Bukom last night. Honestly, I was a little nervous because it was my first time trying West African food.Took a while to come out and the waiter forgot my friend's beer but we were distracted by the great reggae band. Started off with the Suya which was delicious, not too overpowering with the spice. For the entree I ordered the Salmon with the Spinach with the sides of Jolloff rice and plantains. I will give the waiter a break because it was very crowded on Friday night. Food was excellent and the portions were huge so I had enough leftover for the next day! Already know what I want to try next time. read more

Bukom serves up authentic West African food, as far as I can tell. Haven't been to West Africa, but I would imagine the food in that country would taste like Bukom's. The vibe is certainly here with carvings from Nigeria and Senegal on the wall. There is a live band here every night. They start between 9 and 9:30 and play mostly reggae. The fun part is when the band plays cover tunes reggae style. Next time you are out late in Adam's Morgan, why not try Bukom instead of the Diner? Bukom's kitchen stays open until 1am or later. Warning, though, some of the dishes are not for the faint of heart. Like the Red Snapper, for example. If you order it, it comes with its head, tail and bones still on. Just warning you A safer bet is the chicken yassa which is a marinated chicken breast. The fried plantains here are out of this world. Also, for vegetarians aren't any options on the menu, but there usually is a special that is all veggie. Or you can make meal of the sides like sweet potatoes and rice. The staff is super helpful, and will answer questions about the food. read more

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

This is one of the first places that I visited in Adam's Morgan. I looked over the website prior because I had just decided to change to a pescaterian lifestyle. Anyways once I got in the place was packed and we were seated upstairs. The food was great and I got a plenty of it. The waitress was also able t make recommendations ans actually took pics of my friends and I. The best thing about this place was the live band. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE live music and I wanted to go grab the mic a couple of times. Let's just say this is a kool place to take friends and family for something different. read more

Again, I am reminded as to why I will ALWAYS trust my Yelpers! In the endless sea of Ethiopian restaurants that are battling for supremacy, we have neglected the West African restaurants, hiding, with less glitz and glamor in the shadows. I've walked past Bukom countless times, but it's dim lit and narrow interior, never seduced me past the door! I recently went their with some (15) work buddies for a engagement party. The owner lady, brimming with that mommy vibe, gave the bride to be a shot and gave her a HUGE hug (sooooo adorable, I LOVE HER!!). The drinks, while on the pricey side are STRONG and are overflowing with tropical goodness. The decore, the tables, the cavern like enviromement, the floor fans trying their hardest to keep the non-ariconditioned space cool alll were perfect in placing you in a restaurant in West Africa (I probably wouldn't go here on a record breaking hot day)! Now for the food. Peanut sauce, curry chicken, peas and rice, sweat potato fries, each seasoned with the perfect blend of African spices. This is nothing like the Tibs Watt from Meskerem down the street, savory and hearty with out being overly bold!! THIS PLACE IS ON POINT!! Huge portions for a good price! The Live music started as the cocktails and beers came to an end and the shimmying and shaking could not be contained! Don't let the looks, or lack of looks fool you...I'll be back!! read more

So this was my first time trying Bukom. I ordered the Egusi Stew with Goat and Jollof Rice and some wings. The food is flavorful i will say that. Better off not getting the Goat. It is too tough to eat. I can't even finish the goat its soooo tough. Everything else was great. The Moin Moin was great would have loved more for 5 dollars. Overall, would i come back: strong maybe. read more

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I've never had West African food before, but I really enjoyed it. We tried several different dishes and sides and they were all very tasty. The service was great, as well. A+ read more

Got the jollof, plantains, fish, moin moin, eba, egusi, and suya ---- that's accounting for everyone at my table. The food was not tolerable. No real Nigerian would find this comparable to what they can make at home even if they didn't know how to cook. read more

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

ZERO LACK OF URGENCY FROM STAFF! The food and music were good.. so I would come back to listen to music and maybe grab a drink at the bar... but will not sit and have dinner. We got sat immediately(which was nice for a Friday evening). Then waited 10 minutes to be acknowledged, and another 20 ON TOP OF THAT to get our ginger cocktails. Not to mention the additional 30-45 minutes AFTER that... to get our food. No one seemed to be in any type of hustle mode, and or be in the know what was happening. It was pretty disappointing. We almost walked out towards the end, as it took 15-20 minutes to get our check and CC back.And to top that all off... they added gratuity for a party of 2... really... come on;( read more

My friend and I were feeling a bit adventurous and wanted to try something new instead of the Amsterdam Falafel for dinner in Admo. We opted for Bukom Cafe and sadly got there too early to hear the live music at 9. The menu has many options and our server was more than happy to provide us with recommendations. We started off with some delicious beef kabob which had wonderful spices on top. The two entrees we ordered were egusi with fufu and chicken yasa with rice. The chicken yasa was absolutely delectable. The chicken was super moist and flavorful. Cooked to perfection! Sadly, the egusi did not live up to expectations after our server had spoke so highly of it. It really just tasted horrible to the both of us the fufu was absolutely flavorless. Thank god there were such large portions and the chicken yasa alone was enough to fill us both up. We decided to indulge and order some dessert. The only option they had was a rum cake. Again, this was a disappointment. It was definitely straight from a box and tasted like cardboard. Oh well. The chicken yasa still made up fro a lot of the problems. read more

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Tried this place again. I went nearer to when they opened and the place was empty. Service was much better this time. I still don't like that they bring out some portions of your order when you are halfway through your meal. Other than that I have no complaints. Food was excellent though not as good as last time I ate here. Tasted like a different chef to me. I also got the biggest piece of fat I've ever seen as one of my pieces of goat. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience here this time. Prices are reasonable and food is very tasty. If parking was easier, I would be a regular. read more

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I was a mini day trip to Washington DC. I was super excited to co.e try this restaurant since they have a lot Nigerian food that I am familiar with ( I am a full born Nigerian). Let me talk about the only good thing about this restaurant. The egusi soup was the only good thing that tasted alright out of the main menu. The not so good part of this restaurant. There was only one person in charge of attending to the customers orders,attending to the bar,in charge of billing. We didn't get our meal till like after 1hr. The suya we ordered is a lil small to be almost $7 (just 3 sticks). Food are too over priced for the small quantity and quality.The ECOWAS okra soup tasted like uncooked tomatoe sauce. The pepper soup is a very low quality. This restaurant didn't meet my expectation at all. I don't think I will come back to ever eat here. read more

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Bukom is easily one of my favorite haunts in D.C. Metro. I love everything about this place: Adams Morgan + bar scene + art + live music + food. Speaking of food, I always manage to inhale a bowl of fish pepper soup on every single visit. However, I am also a fan of the fish pie and pan fried croaker. A Nigerian friend brought me here a couple years ago as a proper introduction to West African food after many, many Ethiopian meals down in Richmond, VA. Now, I always demand that we go back whenever I am visiting. I am a loyal convert, lover, and budding aficionado of West African grub. read more

We came here when a friend suggested it to us. I've never had African cuisine so I was excited to try something new. The place is a little small and the interior is very basic. They had live music while we were there and it sounded great. I ordered the African Curry Chicken. It came with rice and plantains. It was good but I wasn't wowed. My boyfriend had oxtail and rice and he was not happy. Their was barely any meat. He pretty much had bones and rice. The friend who suggested the place ordered an appetizer that never came and they tried to charge him for it. The waiter also kept forgetting to bring us more water. We had to ask at least 3 times. Overall, we were underwhelmed. I doubt we will be back. read more

We loved the restaurant! The food was great and the waitress couldn't have been nicer. I highly recommend this restaurant.

Love this place! Second time here on a Saturday! Food was delicious! My boyfriend who is Nigerian complained that the food did not come with enough rice but I thought it was perfect! The live music was great! Drinks were tasty! People were dancing and friendly! Overall a good Saturday night hangout spot! Will return! read more

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When in town have to stop by and get some authentic food, can't wait to see in January while seeing Kamala and Joe

Great West African food! My date had the tilapia and I had the croakers with plantains and jollof rice. On the weekends, there is live music after 9:30pm. If you plan on having dinner by that time or thereafter, it might be best to sit down or upstairs as the typical bar crowd will start to swell. I definitely could be wrong, but it's not that common in DC to enjoy a decent dish of culture whilst an excellent live band is jamming in the background (in this case, reggae). After dinner, we stayed at our table for another hour and enjoyed more of their mixed drinks whike takinf in the music. Great for very casual dates and small groups. Indeed, pescetarian and vegetarian friendly. Service was very friendly and attentive. A cool atmosphere. And dare I say, possibly one of the most underrated hole-in-the-walls in the District. Definitely coming back! read more

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

I ordered the red snapper off of Ubereats. It took 2.5 hours for the food to be delivered to me (which was highly frustrating), but when the food finally arrived it was steaming hot as if I was dining at the restaurant. The snapper, rice, and plantains were very delicious. The food isn't worth a 2.5 hr wait, but I will definitely eat/order from Bukom Cafe again. read more

Just tried Bukom Cafe for the first time and I'll definitely be going back! I got the Oxtail Stew, Kumasi Nkatikwan (peanut chicken) with fufu and collard greens. Everything was flavorful and unique. I cannot wait to finish my food so I can order again. I'll definitely be recommending the place to everyone I know in the area! read more

I treated myself yesterday to Bukom and I am so happy I did. I got Mama's Platter and it was perfect for one person and beyond delicious. The chicken and rice and plantains were incredible. I don't know what they put in that sauce to make it so good! My tastebuds were in heaven. I was smiling the entire meal. Definitely ordering again. read more

Bukom Cafe - Mama 's Platter - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I don't even know where to start with this review. I ordered suya and a platter with chicken, beef and jollof rice. First and foremost, it took 2 hours for them to "prepare" my food so my DoorDash driver could pick it up. my rice was bad. Not bad as in tasted bad but bad as in spoiled, rotten. It smelled bad and it was slimy. So I waited 2 hours for food that was rotten. The plantain was half cooked. And the beef in the stew was over cooked. The suya was kind of dry and over salted but that is just preference. Overall a terrible experience. read more

This place it s abosolutely horrible....lazy workers and let's not talk abt the food so nasty the food is soo watery the only thing that was okay was the Sita....after ordering some African food which they Prepared...istg you will have to visit the bathroom More than once my whole family did...this store is an embarrassment to African/Nigerian cuisine read more

Completely amazing. Went here not expecting that much but man i was wrong. The food was incredible and the service was great. had a great time too, great environment over all. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!! read more

This spot is so awesome. Great vibes, tasty food (I had the egusi with goat, plantains and fufu), an awesome neighborhood staple to support. The food travels well in delivery. read more

My friend and I decided to try something new so I suggested we come here! I had read a few reviews and I figured it was worth trying out! The restaurant was small but very lively! The bar area was packed with people and there was a live band that made the place feel like a little get a way. Our waiter was really pleasant. He sent us two drinks on the house and recommended we order the egusi with fufu. This was my first time trying African food so I did not know what to expect. The goat was cooked really well and was flavorful! I am not the huge fan of goat but this dish did not disappoint. I recommend this place for anyone looking to try West African food! read more

Well done, well done. Hello everyone. Issa go. I have collected. I will chop. Di smell. Mmmm. There are only two fines I want in life. Fine food and a fine woman to make fine babies with and keep the galaxy going. Say!!!! .... .... ... YOU MUST GO AND TAKE SOME OF THIS. I AM EATING DI BEST SWALLOW EGUSI WITH POUNDED YAM 2FACE MOTHER WILL BE DISAPPOINTED OH forever yours truly. no seriously, you can have me forever Sincerely, Yourbrodafromanodamoda read more

Thank you Kojo! I was craving for West African Goat stew and I went to Bukom cafe in Adams Morgan. I ordered Beer meat & Egusi stew with Gari. I love it! Kojo the bartender was so friendly and hospitable from the moment I walked into the door. I asked him where to get good hookah after lunch and he even sent his brother (or colleague) to go with me. Now Back to the food .. , The Egusi goat stew was tender, succulent and flavorful. and Kojo made the experience even better. read more

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

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Great food great service at a reasonable price. If you want to enjoy African hospitality and eat well this is the place. Great music on Friday's as well. read more

Two words: aflao salmon. Can't say it's the best thing in the menu because I can't get past that to order try anything else, but this simple dish is the best thing ever. read more

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

Highly recommended! The food is fresh, tasty, and consistently tastes amazing. I've gotten the Vegetarian Platter a few times and each time I am impressed! I can't wait to come again. read more

The food is truly so good. If youve never had cuisine like this I would definitely recommend it.

Oxtails are delicious! Joe and Kojo (bartenders) are both great and can help recommend dishes if you're not familiar with the items on the menu. The bands that play there are also really good! read more