Sumah’s

If you’re looking for authentic West African cooking (and you can’t make it to Mom’s house), it doesn’t get ANY better than this. The portions are enormous, and the Krain Krain is some of the best I have ever had – reminiscent of being in Salone type GOOD! I’m salivating now just thinking about it. The owners were extremely gracious and blessed us with a nice treat of freshly cut watermelon and my FAVORITE, Rice Pap, at the end of our meal which I ended up carrying out. I’ve also had the pepper soup, soooo good! I will definitely be frequenting Sumah’s now that I’ve discovered it’s goodness for myself :)

I am all about service, and the man (I believe the chef or the one that serves the food) was great! When I got there I took a minute to look over the menu. I’ve been looking for a good place for African food, and I heard about this place from Unilocal reviews. Anywho, the man asked if I had that kind of food before. Because I hadn’t, he gave me a plate with small portions of each, and explained what each one was! I ended up choosing cassava leaves with fish (comes with white rice). ALL the food is good, but I chose that for my first try. I sat and waited, and he brought the food to me and gave crackers with it. I ended up asking for it to go. He boxed everything up for me nicely in containers, and gave me a big box to put it all in for my car. He gave more crackers to go, & threw in slices of fruit (maybe a first-​timer treat!). I thought it was a great way to treat a first timer, and will draw customers to come back, for the service alone. To wrap it up, He made sure I liked everything and made sure I was satisfied, or if I needed anything else. They have been there for 24 years, and I’m assuming it’s cause: for one, the good food, and two, their service (if they are as welcoming to everyone as my experience was). The food is FILLING, and will take you a bit to finish, which is my kind of food! *Will be returning soon*

They have more variety of dishes than any African restaurant I have been, the owner gave a free tasting sample, food tastes really good and they do very big portions, 1 meal can be shared by 2 people. My only problem is their food presentation is not good.
Yes like other reviews here the owner has some attitude when u change the order or something

So, as I entered the restaurant you could smell so many spices that enticed the tastebuds. I got to the counter and was asked have I been there before and as I stated no, the lady whisked off and gave me a sample of what they offered because I didn’t know the name of what I wanted. After trying her plate of tastes I settled on four of the six, I’m not a fan of okra and I’m on the fence with the peanut sauce. She made me a platter of what I asked for and wrapped it to go. Food was really good and I will be going back.

I keep my one star. The owner is extremely RUDE RUDE RUDE RUDE RUDE. I will NEVER come back to this place.
I have never in my life been more disrespected than I have been here.
He’s friendly until you ask a simple question or you want to adjust an order. His attitude is poor and detrimental. His business would seriously be so advanced were it not for his attitude.
The owner has to go

I went with a friend and wasn’t not impressed, but then I went again and really enjoyed the food. Granted the location/​ambiance is meh, and there’s a sign that say «we serve goat meat» lol but honestly the food is good
DONT get the potato leaves if your looking for a saucier/​juicy kind of dish (which I ALWAYS am) but the cassava leaves are a really good sub. Also the tomato sauce thing.
ALWAYS ALWAYS. Get the $ 5 fish appetizer with tomato sauce on top — yasssss

Great customer service. I walked in there asking all types of questions and the gentlemen instantly went to grab me a sample plate. I am very familiar with West African food and I would have to say that it’s really good. I went with the cassava leaf with fish and chicken. I asked for pepper sauce because I like my food extra spicy. The fufu was nice and firm. I also got the ginger juice/beer…I had to buy two because it was that delicious.
I would definitely revisit.

Slow service. Poor customer service. Don’t bother calling in your food ahead of time. It will be a waste of your time. Not the best west African cuisine for the money, service, and time spent there.

Looking for some great african food??? Dont look any further! Being initially indecisive, the owner gave me samples of their most popular entrees and still threw in free food at the end! Definitely try the cassava leaves!

Wonderful people and food.
Though unfamiliar with West African food, it seems really well done. I came during the lunch rush and the whole place had such a nice, welcoming energy.
I got the peanut and cassava leaf sauces, over chicken. Next time I’ll likely get the same, but with goat or fish.
The ginger drink is deliciously spicy.

(1) Delicious jollof rice + beef. Not the same taste as I remember in Ghana, but guess that this is the Sierra Leonan variation. (2) A bit expensive. (3) I wish that they offered Red Red!

Their hot pepper soup with cow foot is amazing! If you’ve never had west African food and you want to try, come to Sumah’s. This establishment has been here for a long time and deserves to be here forever!

What an excellent rich and flavorful place to get a bite!
This is the real deal folks. Came right in for lunch a little early, and was greeted with excellent hospitality. More importantly there was a better note greeting me, a quickly written piece of writing on paper in red ink… Goat Meat Today. Thy die is cast… and I will slay thee…
A wonderful woman says to me first, you ever eat here before? I say no. she says… you go sit right down and I’ll take care of you.
OH YES!
And with that after some time while many people came in with orders phoned in, Mama as I called her went and took care of me. She gave me a simple plate of rice and all their sauces to let me figure out which ones I might go for. Find your sauce, request regular or jollof, then your protein. You know it… I am going for the goat.
The real stand outs… seriously. all 5 of the sauces are incredible. Cassava leaves are nutty and rich, the potato leaves are in some sort of spicy rich sauce and some tumeric I think that it will just crush your skull. The spinach is rich and chewy. fatty tasting, and melts in your mouth. I don’t care for okra, but it’s alright, and the tomato? like peanut sauce is really neat, nutty, practically could put this on anything and it would just make it 100 times better.
I told mama I love the potato and cassava and would love it with goat. She says you sit there and I give you both, how bout dat? You soon enjoy this she says. I said yeah.
Oh man it’s good. Get a medium size cause it’s rich and filling. Everything is served in take out containers. She even let me try some of the tomato like chicken as well, but the goat is where it’s at. Other options are fish, or beef (costs extra), but it’s all incredibly rich and stewy and you MUST get the traditional potato leaves or classic cassava to go with it.
Come here… and let mama take care of you… Be aware though that service is VERY leisurely, but really, just sit back and let mama make her cooking for you in soon time. IT’s so worth it.

Great food.
Horrible service. The OWNER seems to have a personal vendetta against me.
I heard the microwave beep when I ordered my food. I asked if he was indeed microwaving my food.
He looked up and gave me the most condescending look. He said it’s been 20 something years and no one has ever complained. I wasn’t complaining I was asking!
My second visit was worst. He kept watching me and I was so offended when he went in the bathroom after me simply to see if I had done something to his restroom.
Once I received my food, he stood over me to collect his 10 cents for a plate.
THIS IS THE WORST PART. WHEN SOMEONE IS EATING IN YOUR RESTAURANT AND YOU WALK TO THEIR TABLE AND STAND WAITING TO COLLECT 10 cents. What kind of tacky sh! t is that!!!
I was livid.
The first visit –one of the lady’s didn’t charge me for a freaking plate. As you can see. I’m getting upset recalling this experience !
This is by far the RUDEST SERVICE I HAVE EVER RECEIVED!
THE OWNER LACKS AN UNDERSTANDING FOR BUSINESS. As consumers, when we purchase food — we want it to be FRESH and not microwaved — if this expectation makes me a bad customer then I accept that.
My daughter enjoys the PB sauce and rice so that last time I sent my cousin in there to get it because I didn’t wanna risk them doing something to my food. The owner HATES me because I didn’t want my food microwaved— sorry I guess you will hate me forever.
If you care about good service, this place won’t cut it. The good is yummy the service is sh! tty

I only take one star off because the owner’s wife isn’t the most hospitable or friendly person and it seems like every time I go, I have to deal with her. The owner himself is extremely nice though.
The food itself is amazing! Always consistent quality and quantity. And I have never been disappointed in anything. My favorite is the okra with beef and the jollof rice. The flavor is incredible. You always get a good portion of beef. The okra is cooked well, but never overcooked. And the beef is always super tender.
I also love the pepper soup. You have to really like cow feet or tendon to enjoy this soup. Oh, and spice! Sooooo smooth, rich, spicy and delicious!
Sumah’s is the first restaurant that I tried in DC (a friend brought me all the way from Woodbridge, VA to try it). 11 years later, I’m still a fan!

SUMAH!
SUMAH!
SUMAH!
Where do I start
From the cheerful patrons already seated ave enjoying their food
To the wonderful Sumah
(didn’t find this out until I was paying)
He was so patient in explaining every single sauce
Hee was gracious enough to let me sample each of them as I received a personal tutorial on the items as I tasted
I can’t tell you enough about how each was tastier than the former
IT JUST GOT BETTER AND BETTER
I decided to purchase
Large krain krain
And
Large potato leaves
I have jollof rice at home
I’m so excited to have found my new favorite go to joint in D.C.
Thank you
Mr. And Mrs Sumah

Excellent food, reasonable prices. The owner is so sweet and always welcoming. Definitely try to sampler! The peanut butter sauce is amazing (but definitely quite spicy)! I’d recommend ordering the medium instead of the large/​separate — I think the price to food ratio is more worth it. In any event — delicious food, great service. Definitely go!

I love this Restuarant and the food. Best West African food in town. I am a frequent customer for the past 10 years!

The food is incredible. It was my first experience with west african food and so they offered some samples for tasting. It was all delicious, in fact I had a hard time choosing. I had the cassava leaves, tomato sauce and peanut butter sauce with rice and goat meat. Servings were huge and people were exceptionally nice too.
I braved the cold on my last night in DC to try it, and I am so glad I did. The reviews are right about this place.
They also cater…

Unilocal, please add more stars, as Sumah’s deserves them for food & customer service! Made the drive into the city, based on Unilocal reviews, so glad I did.
The sampler was GREAT, almost couldn’t make a decision. Finally, we decided on, white rice, spinach, cassava, tomato sauce & boned fish. My 10 yr old even loved it! Friendly, warm, one-​of-​the-​family type customer service, luv it!!!

The service is real, you feel very welcomed when you come in, immediately we were offered the sampler, which was explained to us, a little taste of what the menu offers, i decided on the special, which was the goat meat, my friend got the tomato sauce and spinach, which all the entrees are basically a plate of food, served with rice and your choice of topping. You only decide between a large or a medium. Beware it is pricey, they use fresh
Ingredients but i dont see how two dinners one medium and one small come up to $ 34.00, again the customer service was amazing, everyone is really nice in there… I would have given 5 stars if our food didnt cost so much.

Great people, very friendly. It was nice that they let your taste the food before ordering food. We couldn’t decide after tasting, they ask tasted great so we had a bit of everything. Food is great… Will be back for sure.

Excellent food! Served in a hole in the wall kinda place.
I knew nothing about Nigerian food and luckily was brought here by friends when we were in town visiting.
Ask to try a sampler plate… some rice, and all the different sauces, that way you can taste to see what you will like… then you can select 1 or 2 sauces and your choice of meat (chicken, beef, fish, goat) then you can pair this with rice or fufu (?) a traditional pairing for the stews made with plantain and yuca (maybe? I’m not sure) it tastes like mashed potatoes with a creamier consistency… this is hearty and very satisfying food.
We greatly enjoyed eating everything here and the man (owner?) who served us was wonderful and friendly.
Highly recommend!

First, let me start off by saying that yes, this is authentic West African food. Extremely delicious and satisfying. Couple of things an individual who is new to this type of cuisine should try at this restaurant. Save yourself the troubles of potentially being upset by ordering the sampler first. This gives you the ability to taste the various sauces prior to deciding which ones suit you best!
The restaurant is great and the male chef in the back is actually very friendly and hospitable.

Sometimes the best food can be found in the places that you don’t expect. When you walk in, you feel like you’re in someone’s home that they quickly converted into a place to eat by buying used chairs and tables to fit whatever they felt like in there.
But, don’t be fooled by its appearance. The staff are friendly, and they’re happy to give you a sampler of their foods so you can taste a bit of everything before you order.
A thoroughly enjoyable meal, and if I lived in the neighborhood, I could easily see this being my go to place to pick up lunch or dinner to take home with me several times a week.

Long ago and far away, my favourite restaurant in all of Ireland was a little West African hole-​in-​the-​wall in Cork city centre. They are long gone and so am I, but the yearning for incomparable Nigerian food has stayed with me. I’ve tried a few others in my travels in the states since, and have mostly been disappointed. Until now.
I cannot impress upon you, dear internet, how wonderful it was to dine at Sumah’s and eat the exact same food prepared the exact same way with the exact same taste as my food memory. Like, exactly.
The staff was very friendly and as a matter of course, gave us small samples of all their sauces. I was most impressed by this, as most Americans are not familiar with African fare, and this removed the guessing/​stressing game in placing an order.
I ordered my usual (can you call it your usual if you haven’t had it in ten years?) fufu with tomato sauce, and my companion got the cassava over rice. Neither of us could finish these, nor the appetizer of juicy and piping-​hot plantains that came out mid-​meal, nor the huge chunks of complementary watermelon offered to us at the end. Oh, and the ginger beer (that tasted like carbonated ginger tea) was delicious and also unfinishable.
The atmosphere is very casual, with a rather loud TV in the centre of the space. At my request they turned it down, and I was grateful for it.
Thank you, Unilocalers, for letting me know of this lovely place, and thank you, Sumah’s, for a wonderful birthday meal. I’ve dropped a pin for this place in my phone and am alerting my friends that anytime I’m in the city, we’re eating here.

The neighborhood has gotten better over the years, but stay on the east side of the street and away from the apartment building on the west side of the street. Can be a little suspect at night when Pookie and Ray-​Ray are hanging outside with Little Peanut and ‘nem from around the way.
My favorite dish here is the Potato Leaf with Beef and Jollof Rice!!! I have been coming to Sumah’s since 1996 and they have been very consistent with eveything on their menu. Of course the prices have gone up over the years, but what hasn’t?
The place can be a little hard to find, but once you do find it, you still may be a little hesitant to walk in the door. Just come on in and you more than likely will be greeted with stares from the regulars like walking into someone’s home with new carpet and you forget to take your shoes off, but dont mind, you will be welcomed by the man Sumah with a big smile and the greeting of «Hello Brother/​Hello Sister».

My friend and I happened to park in front of the restaurant and, as curious as we are, just decided to walk right in. Glad we did bc the owner was so welcoming and treated us to a sample of their menu. Honestly, every single item I tried was delicious. We decided on cassava leaves and peanut sauce over jollof rice. I don’t know what was in the cassava leaves bc it looks like there’s beef chicken AND fish looool but whatever it was, it sure did not disappoint. The peanut sauce was delicious as well and reminds me of the Malay peanut sauce.
The home made ginger beer is awesome. Watch out bc it burns! He gave us a sample and we ended up buying a cup to bring home. It’s on the sweeter side so I mixed it with seltzer water and it tasted just right.
Btw… Portion is HUGE. Took me three days to finish the box.

Best West African food in the area!
My fav’s are;
Pepper Soup w/​Cow Foot
Cassava Leaves
Potato Leaves
Krain Krain
Peanut Butter Soup
Tola (which MOST African restaurants in the area don’t provide)
The Okra is also very good.
I haven’t had the ginger beer but heard that its very good as well.
You can order your stew with White rice, Jollof rice, and different types of Fufu. They also have Couscous. You also have the option of getting Chicken, Beef, Fish (on or off the bone), and Goat.
If you aren’t sure about what you want to order, Mr. Sumah will give you a sample plate if all their dishes if you ask.
I highly recommend this restaurant. I’ve been coming here for well over 10 years and have tried other West African restaurants. Nothing compares to Sumahs.