Appioo African Bar & Grill

Edit: Reviewing to 5 stars due to massive improvement in quality and timeliness of service delivery on my second visit in 2023. It was very easy to find. I think they need more hands to help out there. Ambience was on point, loved the lighting and the effort to play West African music. The food was good, but my hands were forced to buy extra large tilapia when I had budgeted for me large.

TL;DR I entered unjustly bastardized from my ethnic lineage, hungry yet foreign to this cuisine and its culture. I exited beyond satiated and galvanized to journey back to the continent, marry 10 wives, repopulate my tribe, and liberate the motherland from its dependency on first world manufacturing and exploitative systems of economic plunder. — As I nurse my Ghanaian food baby let me disclose to you the fullness of my experience… I’m from Chicago I’m a writer, I love food and I love a good bargain. This place checks all the boxes. This place was recommended to me by “Kat” a street vendor on the strip. I had every intention to go to smoothie king and go to bed and boy was I glad I didn’t. You would miss it but that’s the draw. Tucked beneath a 2-flat apartment, with only a colorful sign to draw you in, you step down into a beautiful hideaway of cultural cornucopia. While the menu isn’t accessible to anyone unfamiliar with these dishes I simply told our server what I wanted (fish, hella veggies, plantains and rice) and she correctly assessed the needs of my palate. As we nursed our beautiful 5 dollar rum punch - which certainly packs a solid right hook, the food was hot, fresh and ready to be devoured. Handful by handful I scooped the delicious morsels upon my tastebuds until I was overly stuffed. I tried to walk it off and explore DC more afterward but MAN did I leave feeling much better than when I entered. Everyone is so friendly, charismatic and blackity blackity BLACK! I will be back.

Me and me girls had a fabulous experience, our waitress was very friendly and patient with our ignorance with the menu. The mango ginger margarita that was recommended was amazing!! They ran with 2 waitresses that ran the entire establishment and hustled hard. There will be a wait for food but that’s how you know it’s fresh. Portions are huge and price is very reasonable. I highly recommend this restaurant. Be patient if they’re busy the flavor explosion is worth the wait.

First time trying Ghanaian food. It was jello rice, goat with boiled eggs and salad. The rice was not disappointing and sauce was okay, but the goat meat was little bit hard to chew. Because I have tried Swahili village which is Kenyan restaurant but had same goat meat and it was soft and delicious. The spinach was not bad but I was expecting more like with sauce in it. Over all service was not bad, Emani was taking care of me good.

If you ever find yourself in DC please make it your duty to run not walk to this restaurant. While it is not big, it is very welcoming and they make you feel like you are at home. The waitress I had was super sweet and she gave the best recommendations. I even had to make an order to go. Be sure to try the sampler plate because it allows you to pick several things to try before committing to a bigger entree. And the peanut butter soup with pounded yams is literally the best thing on this planet! Make sure you walk through the door with a open mind and open palette I promise they will not steer you wrong.

This restaurant is located in a great area, but very discreet. The ambiance is cultural and exciting. The obsequious young woman that attended to me was polite and patient. The was knowledgeable about the menus, and answered every question I had about the menu with efficacy. The food was hot, fresh, and delicious. I would recommend this place to everyone, and intend to return very soon.