Stopped by Swahili Village with a group of five after taking a pottery class at Moonlight Studios…read morenearby and it turned out to be the perfect way to end the evening. It's only about a five minute drive away, so the location worked out great. This was everyone's first time trying Kenyan food and we were all blown away. The flavors were rich, comforting, and beautifully balanced. We ordered several appetizers to share and then entrees including the salmon, oxtail, goat, and snapper. Everything at the table was delicious. Our server Diamond was wonderful. She was warm, helpful, and really guided us through the menu since we were new to the cuisine. Her service made the experience even better. Such a great introduction to Kenyan food and a really fun group dinner. We will absolutely be coming back.

Several reviews were mixed for Swahili Village so we decided to give it a try. Stopped in the Rhode…read moreIsland location. Unfortunately, it was disappointing. Started with a Margarita cocktail which was $16.00 and terrible. Low grade tequila and store bought margarita sour mix. Service was very slow and one of the mangers was drinking and having a long conversation with the bartender. We decided to try the Jollof Rice and Suya bites. The rice was very bland. The Suya had some flavor but seemed to be missing something. I decided to take the leftovers home but unfortunately the Suya bites got very hard overnight so were not enjoyable the next day. Since eating out is pricey you may want to choose a different restaurant to try.

Finally got an opportunity to dine here. Ive had the food catered before and this time I was able…read moreto try in house. The establishment itself is quite dated. The awning outside needs refurbishment and inside furniture is not updated. It's dark inside, almost like a night club. Perhaps it is sometimes. I did not like the decor, it was a little run down and honestly did not match up to the prices. The service was also disappointing. I felt that staff lacked a bit of professionalism and they rarely checked on us. The plates are huge. That is a plus. My partner ordered the goat and I tried the red snapper. I think one plate is big enough to share. I like the spinach, but everything needed a bit of salt. While the red snapper was coated in a lovely tomato and red pepper gravy, I felt it made the crispyness of the fried fish disappear and it was kind of soggy. Maybe you can ask for the gravy on the side. The food is not bad, but given the physical establishment and the service I wouldn't return.

First time trying this spot and the food was really good. The suya was tender and you could tell it…read morewas grilled, though I wish it had a bit more seasoning. I ordered the "Mother Land" cocktail--it was very strong but still sweet and enjoyable. Unfortunately, the service was a big letdown. Our server wasn't attentive, barely checked on us, and put our order in incorrectly. I ended up waiting a long time for my partner's food, and by the time it arrived, mine was cold. The space itself is super cute, I loved the afrobeats music and the overall vibe is great. While the food was good, I just wish the service had matched it for a better overall experience.

I liked the vibe of this place, but overall it was just too expensive for the quality/quantity of…read morefood. The wild mushroom gnocchi was tasty, but the presentation was not up to par. The premium ribeye was cooked well, but it cooled very quickly since it was served pre-sliced. I really liked the cauliflower rice side though! The creme brûlée was much too dense, and I felt like the whipped cream on top defeated the purpose of the crust.

3rd year in a row,we have come for my birthday on Christmas Eve. we were 8 people. Took awhile for…read morea server to take our orders as they were very busy. My entree(boneless ribeye with crushed garlic spread) was luke warm,so I sent back for another one. It was cooked the way I like it. Two orders of Onion Strings came and they were luke cool and had to be returned and new ones were sent out. Overall was a pleasant experience and the food was good,everyone in the our party were pretty happy,although we did ask for separate checks,but everything was put on one check.

Dogon gave my wife and me one of the best dining experiences we've ever had in our lives, and we've…read morebeen to a lot of restaurants. We came yesterday for our anniversary, and from start to finish, everything was exceptional. First, our waiter Rafael was superb. He truly made the entire experience feel top tier. Every recommendation he gave us -- from the dishes to the drinks -- was absolutely on point. His service, attention, and energy took an already amazing meal to another level. We've been to their sister restaurant, Tatiana, and really enjoyed it, but I have to say Dogon completely blew us away. The flavors, the spices, and the textures were all perfect. We had the charbroiled oysters, Benne's Bowl, Mom Dukes Shrimp, the coconut curry branzino, and finished with the rum cake. Every single dish was outstanding. The food tasted so rich, soulful, and layered -- it honestly felt like I was eating in a friend's Caribbean grandmother's home. A huge thank you to Kwame, Michael, and Rafael for making our anniversary dinner so special. We are not DMV locals, but we will absolutely be back this summer.

Celebrated my birthday here earlier this year. The food, service, and music were all fantastic…read more Additionally there was a delay with our oxtail dish in the kitchen, after our greens dish had already been brought out and got cold because we wanted to enjoy the dishes together. I say this to say our server was very attentive and made sure to have the kitchen bring us out another hot greens dish at the same time as our oxtail dish, WITHOUT us asking. Top notch customer service and attention to detail. Definitely a great experience with the ambiance to match.

Drinks were really good but the food could've been better. I understand you have to cater to…read moredifferent clientele... as a Cameroonian I wasn't that impressed. I will come back for dinner, maybe it'll be a different experience... PS. Julio was great, he explained the menu to us and everything came out as we ordered!

Great environment, DJ on point and the suya was delicious. Would definitely recommend to a friend…read morelooking for a good night out

Great food: from the Fante Fante fish, to the oxtail waakye, to the bofrot donuts for desert,…read moreeverything was heavenly. Excellent service Personable chef and sous-chef. Both came round to chat with us - nice touch.

Came here for a birthday dinner…read more My friend is from Ghana and wanted to try this new fusion Ghana restaurant. It certainly didn't disappoint. The drinks were spot on. We especially enjoyed the plantain chips Because it was our birthdays the waitress did honor that by giving each of us a free glass of champagne on the house. I did like the outdoor patio vibe that they had set up with warmers it was quite comfy and had nice spacing around it. I think it would be a pretty good place to chill in the summer Parking is on the street and might be hard to find but if you try hard enough it's possible. Service was excellent no issues I would be inclined to come back

THIRD TIMES THE CHARM!…read more This is my second time dining at Lydia's on H (third visit). My first time was Valentine's Day, and the restaurant, while calm, was chaotic, AKA the full menu was not available. The second attempt to dine there, the staff member (whose name I forgot, please charge it to my head and not my heart!) informed us before we sat down that the evening service was a limited menu. To entice us to return and ensure consistent customer-centric service, the bar manager invited us to return on the first night and asked the staff to inform us when we arrived. Sure enough, the next day, when we arrived, there was a note for the staff informing them that they should be expecting us. The vibe in Lydia's is always chill! The music is always good and at a volume where you and others can still enjoy each other's company with conversation if desired. Overall, the food, service, and ambiance at this establishment should be the standard for many others. Well done, Lydia's. We are excited to come back and try the steak-and-cheese egg rolls next time.

THERE'S MOLD IN THE ICE. If you get ANYTHING to drink from here do not get ice with it. You've been…read morewarned. There was a black thing in my drink I tried to grab it to show the bartender just to realize it was INSIDE the ice. Frozen into it. The food is NOT good. Best thing here is the egg rolls. I've had everything on their menu between three visits and each time I was disappointed. The oxtails came to the table hot on the outside but COLD towards the center which lets me know they microwave the oxtails before putting them on the plate. The server said there was nothing they could do but put it BACK IN THE MICROWAVE because I ate some. I wasn't asking for a discount just expressed I was unhappy with the inconsistency in temperature. My kids didn't even like the wings and fries so that should tell you something. They're 12 and 10, that's all they eat. The Suya was a finesse. It's not Suya. It's just not. And to not get what you expect, it wasn't cheap either. I was also told on my last visit that they do not pay their staff properly (stealing hours from their checks) but you'll have to ask your bartender or server about that one. He said that the service fee does NOT go to staff at all it only goes to the business and seemed like he was even scared to say anything. Why not just raise your prices Lydia? It's misleading!!! If I ever go back it'll only be to party upstairs after eating elsewhere and I'm only doing shots! No mixed drinks, no ice.

I absolutely love this store! *Insert Big Hearts* I saw this store when I came into the mall for…read moreother purposes. I decided to go in and check it out. It was worth it. There are some gorgeous pieces of beaded jewelry, artwork, clothing, and more in this store. This is an authentic African collection store so you can find just about anything that you'd like that will relate to your African roots. Mr. Kwame was really pleasant, friendly, he engaged his customers, and he just innately knew what we liked or what he thought would be pretty on us. Blue is my favorite color and he picked out this wonderful dress and I fell in love with it instantly. It fits well, has pockets, and a belt to match. My daughter came into the store and before she could begin to browse, he took one look at her, pulled the mannequin inside, and removed the dress from it. He gave it to her with a humble, rather gorgeous smile, and said, "This was made just for you." She turned to see that it was the dress from the mannequin and once again the words, "I love it!," were squeaked into the air. She went to the fitting room to try it on and it fit very well. So we bought it! She wore the dress right out of the store. I changed into mine later and pinned my hair up with the beaded hair pin. Mrs. Sandy got the orange and yellow dress with a bracelet. She absolutely loved that too. You cannot go wrong in this store. I really thought that he was not going to have anything to fit me because I have such large bosoms, however he did. It surprised me. I highly recommend this establishment. Tell Mr. Kwame that the "Shawn, Lady in Blue" sent you. LoL! 5 Stars.

We walked in off the street after another placed was extremely hot inside and zero service. We…read moreentered Nando's and it was a refreshing cool temperature from the 85° heat outside. You order at the counter and we were not familiar with parts of the menu. The man taking our order was helpful and informative. The kitchen was visibly and I noted it was extremely clean. I ordered the rainbow bowl and he ordered the quarter chicken with rice and mash potatoes. This was one of the best meals we had in DC and we've done some fine dining this weekend as well. The rainbow bowl was bursting with exotic flavors and spices and fresh vegetables, hummus, rice, and goat cheese. As he devoured the quarter of chicken is only regret is that he didn't get the half chicken because he was savoring more after every bite. The rice was perfect and left us wanting more.

We've loved Nando's since our first visit in London, so when we stopped in last night after a long…read moretravel day, walking over from our hotel for dinner felt like a no-brainer. Unfortunately, this location didn't hold up. The ordering process was a mess from the start. They were out of boneless chicken, so we pivoted to a half chicken... only to be told they were out of that too. Then it turned out they did have it. We ordered the hummus appetizer and got the side portion instead, which meant another trip to the counter to sort it out. We ordered medium peri peri sauce and got something noticeably spicier. Too tired and hungry to send it back, we just ate it... and the meal just didn't hit the way Nando's usually does. The mushy peas we'd been looking forward to aren't even on the menu anymore, which was its own small disappointment. On the bright side, I ordered a 5 oz glass of wine and got what looked like a double pour. Not complaining... but it does sum up the vibe. The staff seemed indifferent, whether it was end-of-night fatigue or just an off-night, hard to say. We'll probably give Nando's another shot elsewhere, but this DC visit was disappointing enough that I can't really recommend this location.

Terrific meal and will be back again. Kitfo was a star and the greens were stellar. Braised lamb…read morewas another excellent protein. Red lentils were super. Service was efficient, very helpful, and friendly.

First of all, if you are going for the first time, make sure u check the name as this strip mall is…read morefilled with Ethiopian restaurants. And the restaurant number should be verified until the last alphabet. The restaurant is cozy with a small bar and room enough for probably 50 people including the bar. My wife and I tried the VIP platter at the chefs recommendation. The platter comes with Chicken and Beef with 6 veg side dishes over an Injera. U also get 4 injeras with the platter. As a first timer, the portion looked big for two folks. The food was not spicy as we thought it might be. The beef and chicken was good but the side dishes were awesome