Aside from Jollof rice, which is a staple dish of African countries and is currently one of the most “Instagram made famous” across the world. With so many varieties and options of food and flavours, it is difficult to pinpoint a single definition of “African cuisine.” Luckily, you don’t have to fly to Africa to enjoy the diverse array of cuisines. Here is the list of 20 best African restaurants, where you can indulge in Nigerian and African food around the US.
Alaska:
1. Queen of Sheba
If you are looking forward to experiencing unique culinary cuisine, look no further. Queen of Sheba gives you the privilege of sampling African cuisine with brilliant service. Although the restaurant is quite small, the ambience is very beautiful and welcoming. So, if you’re planning brunch with friends and family, this African restaurant is ideal to visit.
This African food restaurant is located at 2813 Dawson Street, Anchorage. You can visit the restaurant anytime between 11 am to 7 pm and 1 pm to 7 pm on Wednesday to Friday and at Weekends respectively.
The restaurant features an extensive menu that has options for various Africa-based delicacies to choose from. All the dishes are made with authenticity and will surely leave you wanting more.
However, we recommend you try their exquisite prawns and ingudai which are cooked to perfection.
You can also try injera, it is neither very thick nor very sour, just right to compliment the creamy spiciness.
And in drinks, we recommend you get yourself an authentic pot of spiced tea or wicked beer, if you prefer alcohol. The menu even features vegan and gluten-free dishes. Also, they are very generous with the proportion of food. So, it’s best to pay a visit along with a group of friends or family.
The Queen of Sheba is rated4.5 out of 5
California:
2. Aduke Nigerian Cuisine
Aduke Nigerian Cuisine is certainly one of the best African restaurants that will surely not disappoint! All the dishes are prepared by the Nigerian chef AdukeOluaafunmilayo; who also happens to be the owner of the restaurant. If you are looking forward to a get-together with friends or family you must visit this place; the restaurant is very spacious and welcoming.
This West African Restaurant can be easily spotted at 1117 West Manchester Boulevard Suite #C, Inglewood. The restaurant is open anytime between 11 am to 8:30 pm every weekday. However, on public holidays the hours might vary.
This African Food restaurant is highly loved among locals as well as tourists for its appetizing servings. The menu is extensive to splurge on and has something for everyone. However, the wait time is usually longer than the rest of the restaurants nearby but it’s worth it!! That is because all the food prepared is authentic and handmade by the chef with fresh ingredients.
While visiting the restaurant, look for a variety of stews made with unique Nigerian ingredients. Alongside, you can choose from fufu, okra, greens and much more. The restaurant’s speciality lies in its seasoned Jollof rice steamed in tomato puree.
In drinks, we recommend you try beverages like zoo made with hibiscus, sorrel, ginger and honey and freshly made pineapple juice.
This Nigerian Restaurant is rated 4.1 out of 5.
Colorado:
3. African grill and bar
This African Restaurant started winning recognition as soon as it opened in 2010. It encompasses two dining spaces and avails a capacity of 200 seatings during usual days. The owners have claimed that one of the two dining spaces is dedicated to organising private parties and functions, this is open for booking special events like birthdays and anniversaries. This family-centred restaurant is certainly the only restaurant that has been serving a large variety of food.
This African restaurant is located in Lakewood, Colorado. You can visit there anytime between 11 am to 9 pm irrespective of weekends or weekdays.
While visiting this African food restaurant do try these familiar yet exceptionally flavourful pillowy samosas, jollof rice, and also fried chicken. You can never go wrong with these on your plate. Besides, Stew and Soups make up the better part of the menu. There are also many fascinating recipes to discover here. They also serve varieties of fufu; these soft doughy balls cover the soothing counterpart to the blasts of flavour imparted by the stews.
In drinks, we recommend you try Theo’s fabulous fresh ginger juice with a shot of rum. Besides, there are more amazing options for drinks to sample, such as wine from Southern Africa and Ethiopia, beer from Kenya or Liberia, and bitters from Ghana or Nigeria. Moreover, the menu also features a classic selection of cocktails.
The African grill and bar are rated 4.8 out of 5.
Florida:
4. Sheri Restaurant
This West African Restaurant is known for its brilliant servicing and customer-friendly behaviour.
If you are in the Miami metropolitan city and wish to visit nice African food places, you should stop by Sheri restaurant. This restaurant offers authentic dishes at a very reasonable price.
It is located at 16595 NW 27th Ave, Opa-Locka, FL. The restaurant welcomes visitors anytime between 9 am to 9 pm except on Sundays.
The restaurant’s menu is extensive and features a large range of Nigerian-based dishes that are cooked to perfection. They provide quite an ample amount of servings that are enough to fill you. We recommend you try their fried chicken with fried rice and plantains, Jollibee and Egusi with fish or added assorted meat. The recipes are made with incredible authentic ingredients, so it’s for sure that your mouth will explode with flavours after every bite.
The restaurant is rated 4 out of 5
Georgia:
5. 10 Degrees south
10 Degrees south is certainly one of the best African food places that is dinner appropriate.
The restaurant features a spacious posh looking ambience as well as serves fine African-based diners. It is quite renowned among locals and tourists and one can certainly spot that by the overflow of luxury sedans in the parking area.
The restaurant even has a bar and patio where you can hang out with your friends or colleagues.
This African food restaurant is located at 4183 Roswell Rd NE, Atlanta. You can visit the place anytime between 5 pm to 10 pm.
This African Restaurant is worth a try for dishes like bobotie, a sweet ground beef curry on which savoury custard is baked to a deep brown and the whole is served over rice. But before that, you can have boerewors, hunks of meaty but nicely spiced sausage as a starter portion.
This African restaurant is rated 4.3 out of 5
6. Cafe Shonghai
If you’re seeking authentic West African cuisine that represents the taste of African countries, in Peachtree Corners, Georgia, Cafe Songhai is the place that you should visit. It is a very chill and welcoming restaurant that is ideal for lunch or dinner with your family or loved ones. The restaurant features good food as well as good services; that is certainly why you must pay a visit!
It is located at 3380 Holcomb Bridge Rd, Peachtree Corners, GA and the opening hours usually vary from weekdays to weekends, that said, 12 pm to 9 pm and 12 pm to 8 pm respectively. However, the restaurant remains closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
The menu features a selection of traditional Nigerian dishes such as egusi soup; Ghanaian food such as Kelewele, deep-fried, lightly spiced, diced sweet plantain; and dishes like Attiéké, ground cassava, served with fried tilapia fillet or red snapper that is quite famous in Ivory coast.
The west African restaurant is rated 4.3 out of 5
Iowa:
7. Taste of Africa
This African Restaurant is the most underrated yet one of the best African food places to try. With authenticity and perfection, it brings the taste of Africa to Western countries in every bite. The restaurant is very welcoming and comfy, which makes it appropriate for brunch with family and friends. It features excellent services to its customers and the staff are friendly too.
The restaurant is located in Des Moines at 2500 Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy Suite #3. You can visit the place and try the amazing dishes yourself anytime between 9 am to 6 pm.
While visiting the restaurant and exploring the delicacies make sure to try beef samosa and Lagos meals; these meals included fish and lamb, and plantain that is served with rice and vegetables.
Moreover, the restaurant is a perfect stop for road trippers and day trip visitors to Addo National Park.
This African food restaurant is rated 4.7 out of 5
Louisiana:
8. Bennachin Restaurant
This African Restaurant has been in business since 1992 and has its initial origins in Gambia and Cameroon. It has come a long way from serving locals to attracting tourists as well. The overall ambience of the restaurant is very comfy and welcoming. It offers customers delicious African dishes bursting with flavours.
Located at 1212 Royal St, New Orleans; this restaurant is a great spot to explore if you are planning an Africa-based meal. You can visit the location anytime between 11 am to 8 pm and 11 am to 9 pm on Wednesday to Thursday and Friday to Sunday respectively. However, the restaurant is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
This African food restaurant’s speciality lies in its dishes such as Makube (Banana Tropicana), Nyeaturing (Fish pie) and Kone Mi Makondo. All of these dishes are made with fresh ingredients and delivered to the table instantly to ensure the best customer service.
The restaurant is rated 4.4 out of 5
Massachusetts:
Suya Joint
Suya Joint is one of the best African Food places to visit. This African restaurant is renowned for serving good food as well as customer-friendly services. It invests in quality and authentic ingredients to prepare its delicacies, and that’s what makes the restaurant stand out from the rest. They serve an ample amount of food with a short wait time and are perfectly organized.
This sophisticated African Food restaurant is located at 185 Dudley St, Boston. You can visit there anytime between 11 am to 9 pm from Tuesday to Saturday and 2 pm to 8 pm on Sundays. However, they are closed on Mondays.
This West African restaurant intends to attract local Africans searching for taste from home and Non-Africans that are willing to try African cuisine.
It serves delicious Ethiopian food in a communal style along with injera bread. And while exploring the menu, we recommend you try their special suya dishes such as beef suya and chicken suya.
This African food restaurant is rated 4 out of 5
Michigan:
Maty’s African cuisine
This west African restaurant is a hidden gem that is worth sneaking out of! The ambience of the restaurant gives a classy and warm vibe that is perfect for family and friends gathering. The restaurant’s menu features a unique assortment of purely African-based dishes that are served hot and beautiful.
Located at 21611 Grand River Ave, Detroit; this restaurant brings the flavour of Africa to Western Country in each bite. To try the amazing recipes yourself, visit the restaurant during their opening hours, that is, 11 am to 9 pm every day except Mondays.
Lamb with jollof rice, whole red snapper, plantains, and fish Yassa are some of the highly loved and much-appreciated food options on the menu that we think you should try too! In drinks, you can try their ginger juice.
This African restaurant is rated 4.6 out of 5
New York:
Brooklyn Suya
Brooklyn Suya brings fast comfort West African food to the States. It has everything that will surely blow your mind. The restaurant features a very cosy and welcoming ambience and also avails delivery and takeaway options. The food served is finger-licking delicious. Don’t trust us? Well, then try it out yourself.
This west African restaurant is located at 717 Franklin Ave, Brooklyn, NY. You can explore the place and try their delicious servings anytime from 9 am to 11 pm irrespective of weekends or weekdays.
This African restaurant enables you to build your suya bowl with preferred meat/protein. Alongside you can include a base of either rice or kale; and mild, medium or spicy sauce. In add-ons, you can have avocado, plantain, egg, mushrooms, eggplant and vegetables. However, the star of every serving is the Suya Spice Mix, made with peanuts, ground-up peppers and various aromatics.
This African restaurant is rated 4.6 out of 5
Buka
If you’re searching for “good old-fashioned Naija cooking” this Nigerian restaurant is where you should be! The ambience of the restaurant is very classy and basic with its spacious modern decor. And that makes it ideal for dinner with friends, family and loved ones. This African restaurant has earned a reputation for its delicious dishes that are presented beautifully with remarkable customer service.
Located at 1111 Fulton St, Brooklyn, the restaurant is a must-visit for every local African who wants to recall the African flavours in New York. You can explore the place and try out their delicious servings anytime between 12 pm to 11 pm from Tuesday to Thursday, 12 pm to 2 am on Fridays and Saturdays, 12 pm to 11 pm and 4 pm to 11 pm on Sundays and Mondays respectively.
While in the restaurant, we recommend you to try their Edikaikong, goat and tripe meat cooked in spinach with crayfish, dried shrimp and periwinkle with fufu. After a nice filling good meal, you can wash down with a glass of Nigerian hibiscus iced tea or Zobo.
This African food restaurant is rated 3.7 out of 5
Parlin:
Olaide’s Kitchen
Olaide’s kitchen was initially started as a catering business that operated out of chef Olaide’s home kitchen. After 18 years of experience, it expanded into an African restaurant. This restaurant helps customers get inspired and relate to African culture while they dine alongside their African art gallery.
This restaurant is located at 499 Ernston Rd, Parlin, NJ. To taste the west African flavours you can visit the place anytime between 11 am to 8 pm except on Mondays.
This is an ideal African food restaurant, where you can try out the elevated, yet genuine Nigerian dishes, like the EfoElegusi, a flavorful pumpkin seed (egusi) and kale stew cooked in palm oil; or the Giz Dodo – sauteed gizzards and plantains infused with peppers and herbs.
The African restaurant is rated 4.5 out of 5
Seattle
Blackstar Kebab
Blackstar Kebab is a “dream come true” or at least that is what the owner PriestwickSackeyfio says. Just like every other successful restaurant/food truck owner, PriestwickSackeyfio started initially by making delicious traditional Ghanaian family recipes for western locals who had never tasted them before. And gradually, turned into a big hit and one of the highly loved African food places in Seattle.
And to know why it is so renowned, we should try their appetizing dishes. This food truck can be spotted in various great places across the Seattle area and they might also vary. So to get their current location and opening hours you can contact them via their website or call on 206-499-4019.
Although, this African food place is quite famous for its kebab which is cooked over a charbroiler and seasoned perfectly with Ghanaian spices; it also has a lot more to offer. We recommend you try their jollof rice and plantain fritters. They also serve food combos for both adults as well as kids. But that’s not it, they even feature food combinations for vegans so if you are one, then do try the meal.
The food truck is rated 4.2 out of 5
Kansas City
Fannie’s West African Cuisine
Fannie’s West African Cuisine boasts itself of being authentic as well as handcrafted. The restaurant embraces an African lifestyle, by utilizing African cooking methods. They use organic and fresh ingredients to satisfy their clients’ appetites, as well as their tastebuds. So, if you are looking forward to a nice brunch with family or friends in an African restaurant, this is one of the ideal African food places to visit.
Located at 4105 Troost Ave, Kansas City, MO, this west African restaurant opens its door to delicacies every day at 11 am and closes by 7 pm, except on Mondays.
The menu features a large range of African food that is cooked to perfection. The dishes are spiced according to the customer’s liking, from mild to spicy. They also have delicious breakfast options and we recommend you try their bread with fried eggs. For lunch, you can try their cassava leaf and for dinner either order yourself a plate of the pepper crab, pepper snail, or the highly loved Waakye.
This African restaurant is rated 4.2 out of 5
Memphis
Bala’s Bistro
This African restaurant’s menu does a wonderful job to showcase the diversity of African cooking. This restaurant is surely one of those African food places that has everything for everyone. From authentic African home cooking to vegan and cross-continental fusion dishes. They also offer meal preparation and catering services.
Located at 4571 Elvis Presley Blvd, Memphis, this restaurant is a great place to enjoy African brunch with your loved ones. And you can gain the experience yourself by visiting the place anytime between 11 am to 8 pm.
While visiting this Nigerian restaurant don’t forget to try their beef stuffed pastry, which is fried to perfection and served with a spicy onion relish; and if you prefer veg, order the vegan kimchi wrap, which is served with a side of fried plantains, sweet potato fries with spicy honey, or fried whole okra.
This African food restaurant is rated 4.6 out of 5
Houston
Taste Of Nigeria
This West African restaurant is one of just a few African food places that can successfully fill the void for authentic Nigerian food in Houston. Made with fresh ingredients, all the meals are prepared to make the food appetizing as well as flavourful. This restaurant is still the favourite and most preferred of many locals and tourists.
It is located at 5959 Richmond Ave. Suite 160, Houston and usually opens at 4 pm and closes by 11 pm. So, if you’re someone from Huston and craving Nigerian jollof rice someday you know where to go!
Besides the typical Nigerian dishes, we recommend you try their Isiewu, a spicy diced goat head served in a thick sauce, and main dishes like Banga soup, a palm nut soup made with beef, dry fish, and crayfish. Taste of Nigeria features a large range of menu options and also provides catering and delivery services. So, in case you don’t want to dine in you can easily opt for the door delivery option.
This Nigerian restaurant is rated 4 out of 5
Washington
Appioo bar and grill
This African restaurant is a perfect location to loosen up as well as dine in with your friends or loved ones. Its excellent customer service and many delicious Ghanaian foods are something that makes the restaurant stand out from the rest! The overall ambience of the restaurant is very warm and welcoming, and it is for sure that you are going to love your time there.
This west African restaurant is located at 1924 9th St NW, Washington, DC and can be spotted without much difficulty. The restaurant welcomes visitors between 9 am to 10 pm every day.
Although two new dishes were initiated on the menu, that is a minced goat burger and seafood okra stew; the customers still like the staples. It contains light pepper soup with fufu and meat or fish, waakye – filled with black pepper sauce (Shinto), and amps (steamed yam and steamed green plantain) filled with spinach stew. And, of course, jollof rice.
This West African restaurant is rated 4 out of 5
San Francisco
Eko kitchen
Eko Kitchen is proud of itself for surviving as the first Nigerian diner and catering corporation in San Francisco, offering pre-ordered takeaway and delivery on the weekends.
Located at 130 Townsend St, San Francisco, CA this restaurant is an ideal spot for anyone who wants to try the incredibly delicious Nigerian dishes without having to move out from the US. You can visit thy place anytime between 8 am to 12 pm.
The kitchen’s speciality lies in its Eko Combo, which includes a plate of jollof rice aside from peppered chicken and fried plantains. So if you’re making plans to have brunch at Eko’s do make sure to try these servings.
This Nigerian restaurant is rated 4.5 out of 5
Manhattan
Ponty Bistro
This African restaurant successfully fuses West African and Senegalese culinary traditions with modern Mediterranean and French techniques to serve up a menu that thrills the palate morning, noon, and night. And undoubtedly that is why Ponty Bistro is said to make one of New York City’s best restaurants that brings up African flavours in western states effectively.
This chic and upscale West African restaurant is nestled away on Third Avenue, between 18th and 19th Streets near Gramercy Park. Ponty Bistro acquires a trendy part of Manhattan. And to know the hype you can pay a visit to the place anytime between 9 am to 12 am.
Although the menu is diverse and extensive, African mussels in the red sauce, Steak dishes, Mushroom risotto and Dakar Chicken Wings are some of the dishes that you must try.
This African Restaurant is rated 4.4 out of 5
Numerous African immigrants to the United States find it quite difficult to cope with American food. And although there are several African food places, choosing one ideal African restaurant that offers authentic meals can be a bit of a task. But we hope our list of 20 best African restaurants is helpful to you. All the restaurants are listed after going through customers’ feedback and reviews. Now, what’s stopping you from trying these amazing African food places? Burger?
