Wouldn't order again. I was craving Meat Pie and decided to get White Rice & Stew as well. The rice was so dry they probably put 1 tablespoon of stew. It really needed more stew. Even though I ordered soft chicken the chicken was so overcooked and tough. The meat pie also had some pink ground beef inside and I was very worried it was under cooked. Will not eat here again. (And yes it took forever, but I expected that). read more

Zion Kitchen - Meat Pie - African Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I always wanted to try this restaurant but the outside is so dark it looks closed. I decided to stop finally and they are indeed open. The cashier looked like she was sizing me up a little before she finally greeted me and asked what I wanted. After rattling off my order without reviewing the menu she managed a grin. I ordered the jollof, stew fish and egusi. The stew fish was good but the egusi lacked flavor and a lot of the water from the rice was still present. I did go back later in the week and ordered the same thing. This time, the stew fish was horrible! The stew was very thin like ketchup water and the skin on the fish was really soft as if it wasn't cooked enough to crisp up the skin before adding it to the stew. The egusi lacked even more flavor and the jollof was made better however... something plastic must have broken in the preparation process and two pieces were in the rice. I had high hopes for this place but oh well... I tried. read more

Zion Kitchen - a plate of chicken and rice - African Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I don't get how and why " businesses " bother to take all of these pictures and come up with clever slogans for their ads to try and get me to patronize them, only to offer RUDE staff and non-existent customer service to past patrons who then write reviews? um. I read The reviews, and I'm not coming. and I am in The market for this and introducing aLOT of people. but I can't risk taking them here and having them get mistreated. nO way. instead of marketing thoughtlessly, how about fixing and resolving your issues with YOUR CURRENT patrons to show me some semblance of care? - now THAT is a form of marketing that may WORK. even The 5 star reviews are signs to keep away "Are the staff rude? Yes." "Just pay and leave" you have GOT to be kidding me. read more

This is the worst peanut butter stew ever. Save yourself the trip your not missing anything at all. This is the full $20 plate of peanut butter stew smh. 1 piece of protein, spoiled rice and badly cooked stew read more

Zion Kitchen - Nasty peanut butter stew - African Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Are the staff rude? Yes. But the curry goat, jollof, and efo riro quickly make up for it. Just pay and leave

if you want to be met with rude , disrespectful and arrogant customer service with subpar food you can go here . The attendant is so nasty ! Zero customer service for people spending their money! read more

Highly disappointed..This place is not what it used to be .. food tasted old and stale servers just don't care about service, they just want to move on to the next customer. I used to love coming here for a taste of back home ... but I can't come back here again waste of money and gas making the trip to DC from VA read more

I ordered the jollof rice with chicken. The chicken was so small and so dry. Everything was flavorless. they gave a good portion for the rice, but it's not my favorite out of other places in DC. read more

The peanut butter stew is not vegan it has fish bones in it. I'm not vegan but I ordered the vegan entree. Some people have fish allergies so this isn't a good sign. Just because you didn't add extra meat to it doesn't make it vegan. If it is cooked with meat or fish it isn't vegan. read more

I received a meal here via the too Good To Go app which helps connect to local businesses to eaters that want to fight food waste. Because of the nature of the app, you don't know exactly what you're going to get but you get it for a discount price. I got a very large portion of some spicy rice and two big pieces of what I later learned were chicken and fish. They were all so very spicy. Lots of bones in the fish. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get any other items of the menu I guess I'll have to come back and try them myself. The ambiance of the restaurant is very bare-bones and a little dirty and the staff was not overly friendly. read more

Zion Kitchen - Large portion of rice and two pieces of fish and chicken covered in a spicy sauce - African Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

How glad am I that this popped up. I didn't think to do a review because I didn't get to try any food. Walked in, wasn't greeted at all by the lady at the counter. Asked for menus, they have none. Some food on display but nothing I'm used to seeing, so I ask. I must have been out of line or these ladies were mad they had to work the night shift. I decided I'd try the goat and some Egusi. Boy oh boy did I get SCREAMED AT .... "WE OUT" as loud as you could say it is what I heard. So y'all don't say 2 words to whole time and than when you do, that's how you deliver it? Wow! I eat African all the time and I usually seek them out when I'm in different areas. Never going to attempt to try this place again. Food looked dry as though it sat out all day and the night before. If you close at 3am how are you out of egusi by 7pm. There is an opening in the plexiglass that is over top of a few of the dishes. So if you don't want breath and germs all over your food, don't eat here. read more

Mid ... I've had way better west African food. The peanut butter soup was good. The egusi was a 1 . If I was blindfolded, I wouldn't know what I was eating. Fufu was good but not enough read more

I walked to this place from my office down the street to meet there homophobic and colorist staff that called me yellow! After I orderd and paid 19.25$ to receive three very small pieces of beef and when I called to ask why I was met with a rude tone and told I could get more next time I returned! read more

Zion Kitchen - African Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Ordered grilled tilapia today. First off this is an African restaurant but the servers and the chefs are Mexican... Second off I ordered grilled tilapia it was a large piece of fish I will say that however it did not look grilled nor did it taste fresh. Seems like they grill the fish maybe a few days ago and then warmed it up in the oven. It was watery although there was no vegetables so I don't know where the liquid came from? Also not seasoned well at all. Would not order this ever from this place and this cannot be real African food if you don't have real African people making it!! Want my money back. read more

If you need a place where you can dash in and grab your favorite Nigerian cuisine, this is it. Quick and easy on the go food. Beware of the line. Parking can be limited especially during afternoon rush hour. Food was delicious. Ordered fried rice with veggies and goat meat and plantain and side of Moi moi. Food dispensed behind glass enclosure buffet style. Food tasted fresh same day cooking. Didn't like the moi moi in the microwave and tasted overly spiced. Meat was easy to chew and better than most other places where it is dry and overly fried. But overall nice presentation. The decore needs improvement, better seating and checkout procedure. read more

Zion Kitchen - Fried rice with goat meat - African Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Where do I begin with this dump. The fact that this place is still open is a wonder, they really should not be in business. The place smelt so bad, the food was old and tasteless. I would not recommend this place to anyone. The pictures when you do a Google search are mis leading, it looks nothing like that. The bathroom had no tissue and you couldn't flush. What a dump and disgrace to Nigerians. PLEASE STAY AWAY read more

I'm only giving one star because you need to give a star. This was the most disappointing and disgusting meal i've ever had to eat. For starters when i arrived, the ladies were extremely disinterested and rude, selecting meat in front of me so they could give me the one with only bones. The rice was INEDIBLE, after i had to remind the lady to give me my rice that i ordered, she gave me day old, rotten rice that smelled foul the minute i opened the bag, the asun was undercooked and hard we only ate it because we were hungry, the buka stew tasted desperately in need of some seasoning and like it could give a horse cardiac arrest sooo much oil. i am extremely disappointed because i drove 30 minutes and didn't check every bag individually... i am absolutely appalled as i spent over 100 dollars on a lot of food for my family. I demand a refund and for this business to be SHUT DOWN. these people are sick and if i get a stomach ache from eating this poison i will be charging them the bill! DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY!! read more

Zion Kitchen - Asun. UNDERCOOKED - African Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Nasty, nasty! It smells like rat piss! Fly every where food was horrible! I hope I don't get food poisoning! I will never go there again!

3 stars for Zion seems appropriate. Here's why: The food is delicious. Everything else sucks. The atmosphere is bad, it looks too dumpy and, quite frankly, smells like pee. In fact, the kitchen... hahaha... oh man... the kitchen was not clean. The cook literally grabbed fried chicken from a random open drink cooler. No way in hell was it sanitary with all the flies hanging around. But... I've gotta admit, the food is really GOOD! Every time I order ahead and arrive 15-20 mins later, they never have my food prepared, not ready, but prepared. As in assembled. Like they start making ("dishing out" since most of their food is pre-cooked and kept warm) the food when I get there. But again... the food is really GOOD though. DC has some of the weirdest conundrums, I swear! read more

My husband and I went here to celebrate his birthday in March. We chose to dine in around 4/5pm on a weekday. The atmosphere was fine. Nothing fancy. No complaints. My husband and I ordered our food and it was just ok. Efo Riro is one of my favorite meals, I was disappointed because it didn't taste flavorful. The moi moi was just ok, I've tried better elsewhere. Jollof rice was decent as well as the oxtail. I gave two stars because it wasn't the worst food and service I had, but it also wasn't the best. It was just ok. We won't return. read more

The place is very dirty. The meat pies r horrible I should have gone to get Jamaican parties I am very disappointed i will never go back there . I wish management can refurbish that place . Throw away the dirty containers . If the place is refurbished and given a new look I may go back . I am sorry to live such a review. I think the food is good , the jollof was good . The puff puff was fair. Please clean the place . I saw two dirty containers I couldn't eat my meat pie that has minced meat inside. Just spend money to change the kitchen a friend of mine had told me it was dirty I didn't listen . Not very dirty. A dirty container can finish an appetite. read more

Since I moved away from home, I had been craving Nigerian food. I was not disappointed. The service was commendable. I have been to several African/Caribbean restaurants and have experienced bad service but Zion stood out for its great service. The servers were aware that it was our first time visiting and were patient. I had iyan, half egusi and half efo riro (I was surprised that they let you mix up vegetables), and fish, goat meat, and chicken (they allow 3 choices of protein). I was impressed! I just wish the vegetables were a tad bit more flavored (salt and maggi) but nonetheless, it was a delicious meal. One of my sisters had their jollof rice, plantain, with chicken. It was also a good meal. The jollof was tasty. My other sister had half jollof and half white rice with designer stew. That designer stew was yummy and spicy! It was a little weird that kidney was one of the proteins in the stew (she removed it), but the taste was still on point. I also liked the fact that they display the food behind a glass screen so that you can actually see what you are ordering. read more

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I am not sure why they have a menu with prices. I was appalled when I order a small peanut butter soup and 2 pieces of chicken (legs) I was charged $35. I will never return. I felt robbed with no gun. read more

I went to this restaurant via the TooGoodToGo app, which helps customers find food stores that will provide meals, packaged food, and groceries that would otherwise become food waste at the end of the day for a discount. As part of the mystery box, it allows customers to get a surprise each time. My box included half a chicken, a spicy tomato sauce, white rice, and plantains! It was absolutely delicious, and I'm happy I got to try takeout from a local restaurant I hadn't visited before. read more

Had egusi and jollof rice on 4/21/23 and both were not tasty. The seasoning or something in the egusi was definitely off. I am a native so I know how the soup should taste. You may have a different cook who is not familiar with the cuisine. Also management did not bother to taste the food for quality control. Very disappointed and final purchase and support. read more

Unfortunately Brandi's previous post about the unsanitary conditions of this establishment are true. According to the Washington Post, this restaurant was closed by the District of Columbia Department of Health: "Closed July 25, 2018 because of insects, rodents and other pests." Source article:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/health-code-violations-in-the-district-maryland-and-virginia/2018/07/30/aba9675c-8f45-11e8-8322-b5482bf5e0f5_story.html?utm_term=.898af734c969 read more

First and foremost, I'm a cook. So I enjoy patronizing restaurants. And will leave a great deal of tip as a way to show my support for a well cooked meal, and great service in general. Moreso to say, my experience over the years eating at Zion Kitchen hasn't being any short of an adventure, as I'm thrilled by the varieties and long list of option on the menus. The environment has continue to improve incase it's being a while you stopped by to eat out. Moving forward, trailing back to September 2018, me and my company attended a Afro Delicious event presented by DC Mayor, Muriel Bowser. And although, It wasn't to my very knowledge of the hosts of Restaurant that'll be in attendants until I came to find out the very day. And you best believe I wasn't surprised to know Zion Kitchen was among a selected few African restaurants like Nando's Peri-Peri (South Africa), Zenebech (Ethiopia), 1230DC(Ghana), Arose (Morocco) invited to host this indoor event. Obviously, this speak volumes of the platform Zion Kitchen has embarked on. Thus, if you're still exploring your options, or new to the DMV area, I strongly recommend Zion Kitchen! Cheers and thank me later. read more

Zion is okay compared to some others in the DmV. I typically go out of convenience (proximity to my house). But today will be my last day going. Covid precautions are thrown to the wind in here and that doesn't work for me. Customers are not asked to wear a mask, but how can they when even staff aren't wearing a mask? Not only that but I'm also tired of hearing the new Nigerian lady constantly argue with the Hispanic lady while standing over the open food, no mask and customers waiting in line for food. Overall just not worth it. read more

3.5 stars. Please note that the restaurant is open on Sunday. Classic hole in the wall. If you have a hankering for some jollof rice, beans and plantain and you just happen to be in D.C., this place is worth visiting. I've attended a few events where the catering was done by Zion's Kitchen and the food was so good. As in: please tell me where I can order this food so I don't embarrass myself by asking for a second plate.... Or a third The restaurant itself is somewhat lacking and I recommend just getting your food to go. The portions are decent but I do think the prices are a little high. I have been to the restaurant twice and the first time, food was so good. Second time, not so much and very oily. It's telling when there is so much oil left in the take-out container when your dish consisted of rice, plantain and fish. I don't see myself making a special trip there based on my last visit but like I said, should I happen to be in the area, I might wander in. Maybe the third time would be better. read more

I have been a patron of Zion Kitchen more than 4 occasions; the food is very authentic and tasty. The Staff is friendly and very attentive to the needs and your order. The location is perfect, but the atmosphere within the restaurant is very unorganized and cluttered. Takeout would be my recommendation ; pricing is by far the most in the DMV. If you ask for chicken by the piece it is sold by the piece which is a breast chopped up into 4 pieces and sold for $1.50 per piece. I am hopeful things get better because I really enjoy the food, but cannot continue to support the current pricing per portion. read more

I got the meat pie because I did not have time for a full lunch. The meat was flavorful and plenty of it, the surprise was the crust - it was moist, flaky and delicious. I will have to come back for a full meal, the smells from the kitchen alone will keep you there. This is definitely a no-nonsense restaurant, they have some tables but from what I saw, most everyone was taking food to go. The food is already prepared so all you have to do is let the cashier know what your want, very good selection of west african cuisine. read more

Zion Kitchen - Meat Pie - African Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Ordered through Postmates and they got my entire order wrong. This seems to be a trend with them. Thankfully Postmates gave me a full refund. Unfortunately won't be ordering again. read more

Ordered online. Served me cold food. Uber driver told me the just scooped the food from a fridge and passed to him directly.

I am writing this review because I am utterly appalled at the fact that this place is over charging people for the food that tastes so old... I ordered some peanut butter stew with fish. With rice(a small bowl at that.. when I get to the register she charges for the stew 6.99 the fish that's in the bowel with the stew 7.99 and that was fine.. but when you ring up the rice for 6.99 that should come with the stew that was a problem... now I have patronized a many African restaurants as I love their dishes.I have never been charged for the rice that comes with the food.. I tried giving this place the benifits of the doubt.. I have come there o 2other occasions and every time I go there they charge me a different price for the same food I get every time... it seems as if these different establishments are trying to recoup the money they have lost due to Covid off the backs of their customers and it is sad..I will never patronize this place again... you all need to do better and stop overcharging your customers. read more

I also came here because of too good to go. I was supposed to receive a meal worth $18, but all she gave me was a small bowl of rice and one chicken leg. The place was dirty and the food had clearly been sitting out a while. I won't be going back. Too bad--I love west african food! read more

Ordered some food to go on Uber Eats - spicy jollof rice, plantains, African chicken. Ended up getting "fried" jollof rice, goat meat, and spinach instead. That said, the spinach tasted like fish and the goat meat was mostly very fatty. In general, very disappointed with the mixup, in addition the food quality. Will not be ordering from here anymore. read more

I've been coming to this place for about four years and this is my go to African spot anytime I wanna go get cassava leaf, jollof rice, stew chicken and fufu every time I order a big box of food here they fill up your box to the top and it's always really good I haven't tried anything outside of my go to so I can't speak on any other meals but their cassava leaf is the best. If you're going here for something fancy or for something super top-tier customer service this might not be the place but if you want really good food straight from a Nigerian family go here, there are Spanish workers who work here as well they are very kind and friendly as well read more

False advertisement, I've been to this place before and it was okay. So I came back and picked from the menu with the price listed is plain view . I get to the register and it changed I said that not the price they stated on the sign. They changed it and I said they need to take the sign down because it's false advertisement. And to think I was going to get them to cater a bridal shower . They lost my business . I told them I'm not coming back any more and I'm loyal to it . If you run a business run the business well . I paid for the food because I was hungry and late for work . But never again . Stupid ppl it's only Africans that do half way business read more

i was visiting the DMV area with family and we wanted to try some Nigerian food, and found this on google, and the reviews didn't see bad. So we set out and drove almost an hour to the place. Where do I begin, the fact that this place has not been shut down is a wonder to me. It stunk so bad, i was pretty sure i inhaled something bad. The food, we ordered a bunch of things and NOTHING tasted good. How do you mess up jollof rice, I should have known the food would be awful, when we ordered pepper soup, okra soup and egusi soup and i didnt see them displayed but she had to go warm it up. I still wanted to give them a chance, until the food came out, we ate it luke warm and all, then tasted it and instantly knew it was a mistake. The decor, the stench and overall set up of this place is horrible. I would NEVER go there again or advise anyone too. read more

Don't let the name throw you--there's no Middle Eastern food, politics or religiousity here. It's West African cuisine, mostly. The articulate proprietor, Oyin, is a proud Yoruba from Nigeria. Her restaurant's food is fresh, not too crazy spicy and the menu is substantial. First and foremost, the Jollof Rice was respectable, and as such, is a solid measurement of the rest of the fare. Bear in mind it's Nigerian-style, and, yes, there is such a thing; Malians and Senegalese, for example, prepare their Jollof Rice differently. I consider Jollof Rice to be sort of like potato salad here in the US; there are lots of ways to fix it; kinda depends on how your people like it. I tried one of Zion's combo platters. The one I opted for consisted of a whole bunch of rice (options: Jollof Rice or fried rice), along with a sauce/stew choice (options: too many to list), a meat choice (beef, chicken, goat, fish), and a side choice (plantains or beans). I went with the Jollof Rice. My sauce was Efo Riro, a Yoruba delicacy (pounded melon seed with greens and smokey, dried fish)--it was flavorful and hearty. I took white fish as my meat and it was, notably, cut into one, unbroken piece (a fish steak fillet, if you will)--meaning I was not given a mess of bones. It wasn't a whole lotta fish, but it was moist and tasty. The fried plantains were good; and although cut into smallish pieces that I have never seen before, this approach does ensure each morsel is crisp and not oil-laden, as can happen with larger hunks of plantain. I tried the fufu out of curiosity. Zion offers 3 kinds; cassava (traditional), plus wheat and oat. I selected cassava. The fufu's consistency was plump (no grit or lumps) and came steaming hot. Zion Kitchen's customers are African primarily. African cabbies/drivers are a staple here, and stop by regularly, along with African families looking for a meal from the motherland. This is an important fact. Zion is known by word of mouth advertising amongst Africans essentially. Try and seek out Oyin if you are new to this type of food. She will patiently and happily describe the various offerings of the day, as things do rotate. Zion Kitchen has been in existence for 13 years, and that's saying a lot since African restaurants are as scarce as hen's teeth in the DC area. Ghana Cafe recently closed; Chez Aunty Lib appears to have shuttered; and Nando's Peri Peri chain is not genuine African food. I do realize that there is an endless number of Ethiopian restaurants operating in the DMV, but Ethiopian cuisine is really unto itself and not comparable to the numerous other "leaf sauce" dishes available across the African continent (my opinion). Why do I love the West African dishes? I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali and lived in other West African nations for a time... Oyin told me she intends to expand Zion Kitchen soon, both in terms of menu and space. She wants more non-Africans to discover the restaurant and become patrons. I wish her and the staff there all the best with these encouraging plans. Tip: Don't consume all the food that comes with the combo--save some overnight in your fridge; enjoy it even more the next day, after the great flavors have time to really sink in. Oh, yeahhhh. read more