As a DMV African restaurant connoisseur, I take pride in discovering spots I've never heard of. So imagine 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. read more

See all

I loved the food here, it reminds me of back home. The guy was helpful and nice. Even gave me a bowl 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. read more

Flora's Restaurant - Cassava Leaf - African Near Me - Glenn Dale, Maryland

I love the cassava leaf and the peanut butter stew!!! When I live nearby this was my go to!! I was was in the area and decided to stop by it's still taste really good!!! Definitely should try if you are nearby read more

Flora's Restaurant - Cassava Leaf - African Near Me - Glenn Dale, Maryland

It is extremely hard to find good African food. There are definitely more places opening, but Flora's is top notch! Her food is consistently good. She has become a household name in my family. If we want really good food and don't want to cook, we head here. Everything we have had has been just like eating at your auntie's house. The Eru - very good, the Ndole - very good, the Egusi - very good, the meat pies - very good, one is big enough for too. Not only is the food really good but the customer service is also very pleasant. Please understand, I'm not just saying the food is good, we've had food from here twice in the last week. I will continue to support and send others there. Try them for yourself and let me know what you think. read more

See all

Food was exquisite! Service was awesome! Decorum and restaurant was extravagant. Gloria Lilly read more

While I'd initially given a 5-star rating, I want to drop it to 1-star, because the inconsistency is so jarring that it bears mentioning to anyone thinking about patronizing this establishment. The food is delicious, but the restaurant is rarely opened at posted times; calling prior to find out whether they're open (as it's quite a drive from where I live) is also a hit or miss. Not to mention that you will often find out that your favorite item was not cooked on the day you felt like making the drive. Just too many hoops to jump for this whole experience to be worth it, no matter how good in itself the food is. Over the past 5 months, I've only been able to dine here less than 30% of the time I've attempted. I read reviewing going back to 2 years ago, and it's the same complaints, so the owner(s) of the restaurant have clearly decided that consistency is not their top priority. I'll be taking my business elsewhere from now. read more

If you have never tried african food before or just want comfort food, Flora's is where you need to go. They give generous portions. I mean family sized portions of the most delicious food you can find in town. I'm surprised I just stumbled upon this heaven. Her resturant was literally down the street. Can't go wrong with anything here! Next time will definitely bring friends to wine and dine! read more

Finally found some good African food in the area. Went today and got cassava leaf. It was plentiful, good and had a lot of meat. Owner was very friendly even though she was busy. I ate half before I remembered to take a pic. Only issue was that the AC was out but it's over 100 degrees so I understand. Other than that, I'll be back for sure. read more

Flora's Restaurant - African Near Me - Glenn Dale, Maryland

"Went here on a Wednesday afternoon only to have to wait 10 minutes for somebody to even show that the place is open for business and greet the party. We assumed it was self seating so we all sat down. One look at the menu and I was ready to try everything possible. I started off with trying to order jerk wings which is pretty simple in my estimation. The waiter proceeded to tell us that they only offer that for dinner even though there is no designation on the menu. After asking what is offered for lunch, the selections became slim to none! Having a separate menu for lunch and dinner would help people masks a better lunch decision somewhere else. The waiter even had an attitude for me asking about the menu options. Maybe those who visit will have a better experience but I will not he returning. read more

A little difficult to find but Plenty parking outside and nice ambiance inside. Seating is mostly semi booth seating with limited bar area. The drink selection is limited and not much to offer at best. Waited a good 10minutes and yelling on top of my lungs to announce myself before my presence was noticed. Nice boisterous lady came out swinging with a smile and handing me the menu. The menu was simple and easy to follow, and not crowded. Options include jerk chicken, goat stew, jollof rice, curry chicken and assortment of appetizers of west African cuisines including plantain. I quickly ordered a plate of jollof with goat meat stew and side of plantain. Don't hesitate to indulge yourself and try other options on the menu, you might discover a new favorite. In less than 15min, my order came out smoking hot and looking delicious. Before I dig in, I prayed to God to bless this taste food am about to devour and bless the hand that made this food. Sure enough, it didn't disappoint. Food was well cooked and spice level was mild and easy. The jollof rice was more mixture of Nigerian and Cameroonian flavor. The goat stew offered more meat than anticipated and easy to chew. Definitely a new favorite for me. It turns out the chef has been offering such great cuisines for over 25years and now a local legend. With a masters degree from culinary school, she went to work offering authentic west African dishes for all to enjoy. Definitely satisfying to see a chef with such passion for food. I licked my plate dry and paid my dues. Definitely will be back for more. read more

See all

Most of the time the food is good though on two occasions they attempted to sell me cassava leaves sauce that had gone bad. When they are bad the sauce tastes sour so be mindful of sauces with a sour taste. The most recent incident was on2/24/2016. I returned the food and the owner got belligerent cussing me out. Also, you may order the egussie stew but she may unilaterally decide without informing you, and mix it with bitter leaves. These are two distinct taste. One is notably bitter and the other is usually sour. read more

Flora's Restaurant - The receipt for the cassava leaves sauce that had gone bad. - African Near Me - Glenn Dale, Maryland

Jollof was flavorful but there were literally two small chunks of chicken in the huge plate of rice. I will try again since it was the end of the night. read more

The food is better than the best i have ever eaten. Keepu up the great job Chef Flora. Thanks read more

About two weeks ago I ordered the Egusi, it was sicey but not salty. Yesterday I ordered the same thing, Egusi, this time there was no spice just salt. I was disappointed and the food could not be enjoyed. I will try again in a few weeks and hope the sauce does have pepper as opposed to all salt. read more

I would love to review this little restaurant. It looks adorable and cozy. I went in today at 12:25 PM with two friends. There were no employees visible though the front door was propped open. We waited for about ten minutes-- not quietly, just having a conversation-- before we wandered back out. I debated taking some of the very pricey liquor displayed behind the bar as well but decided against it... though I may head back tomorrow! So I have no idea what sort place this is, or even what sort of food it offers. Best of luck to the owners. I won't be back except to steal the booze next time you leave the door wide open and nobody around! read more

The food was decent, it could have been better. But, service was excellent especially given COVID.

Absolutely delicious! The roasted fish and spinach are my favorites! Good service and quaint atmosphere. They are located near NASA Goddard campus. read more

Flora's Restaurant - Roasted Fish!! - African Near Me - Glenn Dale, Maryland

Yelp needs to institute zero ratings! Literally the chef / owner is rudest human in the Milky Way. She came out and yelled at my entire family. They gave us two menus with such starkly different items- for example, one had goat meat with onion rings and the other, goat meat with veggies and rice, so we wanted to ask about which was which. Cue the hysteria. She went off on a rant and berated half the group. Don't waste a good mood on this seventh circle of customer experience hell read more

Best African restaurant in the area. Good food, amazing customer service, and more importantly clean environment. Will def recommend 100%

A small place with sun-filled windows that we visited for lunch. Not easy to find next to the Curves in the strip mall. The place is on a smaller side - about 10 white-clothed tables with a slight dusty feel, and a small bar. Two TVs mounted on the wall were somewhat annoying, but manageable. The menu is made of standard breakfast selections (eggs, ham, bacon), various sandwiches for lunch, as well as a number of main dishes. Among them are some 'traditional' ones - these refer to unidentifiable-to-me cuisine, perhaps Ethiopian? Around noon we were able to get eggs and bacon, a chicken sandwich and one of the traditional dishes - all turned out to be a-ok. The traditional item was somewhat spicy, but completely palatable. Bottled behind the bar indicated that they serve liquor as well. read more

Great food, awesome customer service and I love the atmosphere!!! I'm in love with their cassava leaf dish

Superb African foods. Great for lunch and dinner. Floria's is awesome..

Horrible customer service!!!!! The owner was eating and loudly slurping her food and then started to pick food out of her teeth with a toothpick, while a customer was there. My mom went to place her order and the owner was going to make it without washing her hands. When my mom suggested that she wash her hands first, she became very irate!! Yelling and screaming at my mom all while waiving a white towel at her basically shooing her out the door. She said that my mom couldn't afford the food there(which is cheap). She was yelling all the way to my moms truck! It took everything out of me not to go back up there and confront her!! Be careful who you mess with tho, My mom has been a food service director for over 35 years and she's very friendly with the Health Department! So you might wanna scrub and clean that hole in the wall Flora! And I will contact Immigration just to make sure those papers of yours aren't fraudulent! We've been in the Lanham/Greenbelt forever and never have we been treated like this. If you cant get your staff and yourself a better attitude and some much needed sanitation training, then GET OUT of our area. read more

Terrible service the cook is absolutely rude. The cook came out and completely disrespected our entire family. We simply had a question about the menu read more

The food is fresh. It tastes so good. I go there atleast once a week. The owner is very nice and friendly. Also they do lot of catering incase you need it. I highly recommend this place. read more

I have now been going to Flora's for almost 2 years! I drive over 45 minutes to see her. She is very welcoming to me and my boyfriend. I know I can call her and she will have my food ready for us when we get there. For ones that know. Some African food can take time to cook. It's always best to call ahead if you know what you want. We always get her Ndole the best I've ever had. I've been to kitchen near you and 5 Sisters. They can not compare to what Flora offers and her price. I see some bad views on here. I've never seen a nasty side to Flora. She takes pride in what she does and her business. She is an amazing Chef!! read more

Worse customer service ever received. The owner is very rude and disrespectful. A friend of mine took me there to eat Arrow. A dish that looks likes spinach. I have eating this dish before and I enjoyed it. My friend did not have time to make for me again due to work schedule and decided she will take me there. The restaurant supposed to open at 11am and when we reached there the owner was just driving off 1058am. The restaurant door was closed. Waited for 15mins, call the number, the own answer and said she was on her way, to give her 15mins. Called her again at 1245pm, she began yelling at me on the phone that she had something important to take care of, then pick up her grandson from daycare. I hang up the phone cuz I really didn't need to hear that. This supposed to be a business. Other customers are coming by and leaving. My friend asked me to wait. When this lady arrived, she was not apologetic at all. I lost my appetite then. The tables were dirty, table mat and drinking cups very dirty. I don't know what kind of business this lady is running, but I will definitely not go there again nor will I recommend this place to anyone. She's rude and disrespectful. read more

Flora's restaurant is Cameroon owned restaurant that specializes in a variety of African, Caribbean and American foods. Flora's restaurant has very good jollof rice. After you've had her jollof rice, no other place compares. The down side to this restaurant is that the customer service isn't too great. When you walk in, whoever is sitting at the counter never smiles or welcomes you. Also, if you happen to have a craving for some of Flora's food, most of the time you can expect one of these two things to happen-the store is closed even when the hours posted on the door states that it should be opened or they don't have what you want(either they ran out or they didn't cook it that day). The menu looks amazing and is filled with lots of great food but don't expect for her to always have what your mouth is watering for. Overall I would give Flora' restaurant a thumbs up for her food but thumbs down for how she runs her business. read more