The closest thing to authentic ivorian dishes without having to deal with visa application, flying…read moreacross the Atlantic Ocean and suffering occasional bad food in airline cabin food. Ivo Restaurant has relocated to this new address with an upgrade to their service. The food is, without question, consistently good, the menu is comprised of sauce graine with oxtail( palmnut stew), sauce arrachide with oxtail (peanut sauce) and the famous ivorian Kedjenou (chicken and vegetables cooked under pressure for optimum flavor). The grilled tilapia and fried plantains is a flagship but there is so much more to discover on the menu.. You can either dine in in a comfortable environment or do a take out of anything on the menu. My only recommendation for carry out would be that you find a better sealed container for the stews and sauces. Carry on with all the upgrades. 4.6 out of 5

For this week's effort to support local businesses, our food delivery app recommended a brand new…read moreWest African restaurant called Ivo that is located in the Hyattsvile Regal Theater complex across from the Mall of Prince George's (aka PG Plaza) The cuisine is from Ivory Coast, specifically. I ordered braised fish. I got the entire fish from head to tail. It was massive! The fish was very succulent and tasty. Not dried at all and well seasoned but NOT overseasoned! It also was not salty or greasy and oily! A PLUS for someone watching their cholesterol. It was very KETO friendly because it was served with an onion and diced cabbage slaw and a tomato based pepper sauce on the side. The fish is really bony however but the bones were very thick so you could avoid choking on them if you're not used to eating bony fish. The portion is so large it could feed 2 people! By yourself, you could arguably divide up eating this fish into 4 meals: You could eat this for lunch, dinner and then lunch again and a snack! For $18.99 you also get to pick a free side! I got the plaintains and we got plenty in the small carton that came in the bag. This is a steal of a price compared to what other area Afrian restauants charge for a full entree. It arrived super fast (like under 20 minutes) and was piping hot and fresh! I will definitely order there again especially bc they are so close to where I live. By the time I ordered in the evening, most of their most popular dishes were sold out so that tells me this place is a hidden gem that has already been discovered by locals who are keeping it quiet and to themselves. And for that reason, I will skip blabbing about them in my Next Door app but will help them out by giving them good reviews in Uber Eats, Postmates, Door Dash, Google Biz and Yelp and Facebook.

My girlfriend and I came on a random Wednesday around 7:30 pm for food and drinks. I really enjoyed…read moretheir efo elegusi. The owner was kind and accommodating. The music was great and there is def a nice vibe to the place. Will be returning soon!

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 was exquisite! Service was awesome!…read moreDecorum and restaurant was extravagant. Gloria Lilly

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'm giving it 3 stars because I didn't experience their service since I didn't have dinner there…read more So I was there for a meeting where the group pretty much booked the restaurant. Now the food we consumed came from the restaurant and I can tell you that it was HELLLAAAAAAA TASTY!! We had the joluf (sorry if I misspelled that) rice, the cabbage, chicken and fish. Let me break it down for you: Rice - sooo sooo sooo goood. Loved the level of spiciness. Didn't need anything else could be eaten alone well I definitely ate it alone lolzzz. Now unsure it all of their joluf rice is always that spicy but either way buyer be warn if you eating African food just be ready for some level of spiciness and don't complain about it. Cabbage - hm hm hm good. So great especially when paired with the rice. Honestly the best part of my meal I saw it and automatically knew that I wanted it. Also spicy so NO COMPLAINTS Fish - so well spiced like the flavor was in the skin inside the fish and in every nook and cranny of the bones YUMMMM Chicken - YUM YUM YUM ugh why add anything else?

I now understand why this place had no customers. 1. The…read morefood is overpriced. 2. The rice tasted old--its texture made that obvious. (Came back to add the rice tastes like the pan was dirty). 3. The plantains had a strange taste and texture. They were dry and completely flavorless. 4. The beef--oh my. It was tough, bland, and served in a ridiculously small portion. I need to emphasize the portion size again--it was tiny. When I cut the beef in half and took a bite, I immediately realized it wasn't good. I went to the counter and politely asked if I could swap the beef for fish instead. I was told "No."--unless I paid for an entirely new plate. The reason? Because I had already taken a bite. Well, yes, I had--how else would I know it was bad? Overall, this place deserves zero stars. They didn't have any drinks available either. The customer service was poor--they simply didn't care whether I was satisfied or not. They got their $35, and that was the end of it. We won't be back, and we'll make sure our friends and family know this place is not worth their time or money. As for the ambiance--it was clean, but it was clear they don't get many customers. Now I understand why.

I've been here twice so far and I think it's going to be my new regular for Nigerian food. Other…read moreclose by restaurants just don't have the flavor and spice that this place packs into their meals. So far I've had their moi moi, meat pie, goat meat pepper soup, jollof rice, okro/ogbono and puff puff. The moi moi and meat pie 20/10. Their meat pie has a nice kick to it that I really like. The pepper soup was excellent. Their jollof rice however was mid to me in my opinion. The okro/ogbono was so flavorful and nice, I just wish the soup portion sizes were bigger. I didn't like that there was a huge piece of meat that took up the space of most of the plate. Other than that, honestly really good food that I will be coming back for. I ordered to go btw, so my opinion is based on that. I can't speak much on their service since I didn't eat inside.

Ah ah so THIS is what we are doing now in the DMV? A whole WEST AFRICAN BUFFET??…read more Listen ehn, I have been to Jollof Etc before for regular dinner so I already knew the standard of food there is not play play. But seeing them attempt this buffet concept for Valentine's Day, Easter Sunday (when I went), and now again for Mother's Day this Sunday? I actually respect the initiative Everybody is always shouting rubbish this ____, and rubbish that ___ meanwhile OUR OWN cultural foods are sitting right here in Silver Spring looking delicious and full of flavor. When I say all the staples were THERE, I mean THEY WERE THERE Amala Moi moi Pepper soup Jollof rice Fried rice Everything hot, fresh, flavorful and tasting like somebody's mother entered that kitchen with warning And can we discuss the drinks please?? Non alcoholic but SWEET, refreshing and pairing perfectly with all the food. Very family friendly atmosphere too. You can bring auntie, uncle, cousins, everybody Now let me tell the truth small because you know I don't lie for reviews The wait time? Hmmm. Table organization? They can improve that one too because people were kinda just standing around confused at moments. BUT no wahala this is still a new venture for them and honestly I can already see the vision. The most important thing for me? Their service was AMAZING and they accepted feedback very well instead of doing attitude. That part matters. I actually want to see this succeed because we need more innovative African food experiences in the DMV that push our cuisine to the forefront instead of acting like only tacos and burgers exist outside Jollof Etc Silver Spring, Maryland

Absolute best African Restaurant in the DMV! I've ordered…read moreeverything on the menu (Thanks to the lockdown ), and I can testify they're all legit tasty! The Peppersoup is Spicy and Flavorful, loved the rice stew (Ayamase), and the Meatpie tastes so Authentic! I recommend this restaurant to anyone skeptical of African restaurants (I was ), and I guarantee you'll love their food. The owners are also very professional and courteous to customers. Highly Recommended !!!

I called in for my order. Appetizer of suya, side jollof rice, side of egusi (2). Total: $37…read more 20 min later I arrive. They had me wait 5 more minutes. The suya was about $13 & in a VERY small container. It is not worth it. The side of jollof rice was ample as most African dishes, the rice is plentiful. The egusi had NO flavor at all. I felt like it was for the diabetic..it just tasted spicy. I even tried putting a lil salt... I do not recommend the egusi.

The food is good but overpriced. I get the rice and stew as well as the peppered snail. No…read morecomplaints. The service is terrible and the location is terrible. This is a pick and go place so there is no indoor seating. The ambiance is unattractive but I don't expect much.

Dark, flickering lights. We couldn't tell if the place was open or not. We were the only customers…read morefor a minute and felt very weird. Not very welcoming and the food was garbage. This was our first experience at an African restaurant and needless to say, it fell short. We still tipped and took the food in to-go bags to be respectful but we'll need another experience to make up for this one. We ordered: Fried eggs (was out so we didn't taste it) Puff Puff (was out so we didn't taste it) Meat patty (ok but cold) - only one came when the picture showed 2 Shawarma (cold slaw with weiner in...yuck ) Egusi soup (nothing special, no flavor) Fried rice with fried chicken (hard chicken, rice was good) Jollof rice with baked chicken (chicken was really good, rice was good)

great services............... the meat pie and joffor rice was so good, would be ordering again soonread more

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

From the owner: My style of cooking is national and international food. The food I cook warms the heart and the…read morebelly you choose, and I will make you a believer. MY menu consists of Caribbean, African, and American dishes that strike, great tasting flavors.