Appioo African Bar & Grill

My mother and I have been on the road for the past two weeks and as Ghanaians, we began to crave our home food. I found this place on Unilocal and when we realized that we were within walking distance we had to drop by. I’m SO glad we did because everything was incredibly tasty, true and authentic and the place was spotlessly clean. Ugh even as I write this my mouth waters for the chichinga and waakye that I had. We finished our plates and ordered meals to go for the next day when we hit the road again.
Also the customer service was perfect when we were there, but I’ll be honest and say when we started our meal, we were the only ones there (we came at an odd time for dinner – 5:15pm). But by the time we left, the place was beginning to fill and the service was still great.
Will definitely be back anytime I’m in the area and highly recommend to any fellow Ghanaians missing home

Ordered for the first time through Über Eats. The customer service is great as they called to clarify so the order would be right. I got the Red Red, wings, pepper soup with fish and fufu. The food was great. The Red Red was really good –not the best I’ve had but it was still good — although the croaker was a little overcooked.
Cons: they nickel and dime you on sauce charges. They charge $ 2 each for hot sauce or extra sauce. They provided a nice amount in my order so I was happy with the extra hot sauce I purchased.
I will definitely order again.

I came in on a Monday evening specifically to celebrate good times with old friends with karaōke. They had a decent selection of specials and $ 1 wings. The wings were perfect alone. I’d definitely go back just to sit and eat those with a few beers all night. The place wasn’t particularly busy and there was a girl who seemed like a local who singing a lot of songs for the karaōke portion as though she was trying to get in practice for her world tour. It was cool though. Monday nights are nice when you have your own medium to even large group of people that you come with to enjoy the night. My friends had a few other food items which I didn’t get the chance to try but I heard no complaints. I’d revisit this spot on other nights to see what the atmosphere is like and come back for karaōke 10 persons deep as well.

Ordered egusi and what turned up reeked like it was spoiled. I made the mistake of tasting it… yuck! save yourself tummy troubles.

Visiting from Seattle, came here on a whim. I was not disappointed. Authentic tasting meal, just like home.
I had fufu with peanut soup and goat meat. Delicious!

Tonight’s dinner at Appioo made up for last night’s dining disappointment on H St. I called ahead to see if they were crowded or if we needed a reservation. We walked down the steps, heard west African music playing and noticed a table set for 4 as we walked in. Our appetizers came pretty quickly then the waitress came over to say there was only one chef in the kitchen so our food would take a little extra time. The goat kebabs and spicy peanut plantains were so good that we felt teased just enough to be patient. Here’s the thing: don’t be in a rush when you go to Appioo and you will walk out of this restaurant doing the happy dance and feeling well-​fed.
Dinner was soooo worth the wait! And it wasn’t as long as we thought it might be. My God, we each praised the chef out loud as we ate and shared our dishes. One person ordered egusi stew with fufu, I ordered vegetarian red red, a side of okra and fufu and two people ordered spinach fish. We also tried the fish pepper soup which was nothing short of magical.
So the spinach fish wasn’t dripping in palm oil which makes it healthier but my friend was looking for a little more «grease». :-) She knew she didn’t need it but had the classic version in her mind with no concern for her arteries. The funny thing is they cleaned their plates regardless.
Will I recommend this place? Hell yeah. Will I return? Oh yes. It was the best! Thank you to the owner for existing. Give thanks! And props to that woman in the kitchen tonight! She rocked and I’ll be dreaming of this meal for some time to come.

Seriously sooooo goood. Very rarely do you get Ghanian restaurants in America that truly capture the Ghanian tastes in their food, but appioo has been the closest to achieving that. I had the egusi and pounded yam (yes, I know that’s nigerian) and it was amazing, I was pratically crying tears of joy. My friend had the waakye and kelewele on the side and we both agreed it was delicious. My only complaint is that its a bit expensive $ 15 for most entres and $ 6 average for starter, but the food was so good I could deal with the price.

The food at this restaurant is ok; it used to be better. As the business has grown, the chef has gotten greedier by reducing portions and steeply increasing prices. Please beware because there is a mark up of up to $ 3 on every line item you order. The servers will kindly apologize when you bring it up but for four months they should put the real price on the menu. The customer service is also really poor and slow. If you choose to order delivery through Postmates the prices are marked up again, the portions reduced and the containers are not properly sealed so choose wisely. I am Ghanaian and I would rather go to Jamaican restaurant if I am craving goat, oxtail or red snapper because I will get a decent portion of food, fast service and not pay $ 15 for kenkey and fish.

Where to start the best place ever food is sooo damn good. May have to wait more then 15 minutes but at least you know you food is fresh. The owner Prince is very welcoming to his guests. I have known him since working at Bukom Café located in Adams Morgan now he own his own business. If you want really great West African food this is the best place to eat!!!

I love Appioo. If this is your first time heading to Appioo, take notice that Appioo is a basement/​ground floor restaurant — so don’t miss it as you’re walking along U Street.
If you expect your food to be served within 30 minutes, Appioo is not the place for you. But Appioo is worth the wait! The food is cooked fresh and with so much care — so it’s worth waiting for. In addition to the (amazingly, tasty) food, I’ve only gone on Friday nights when Appioo features live bands. I don’t know if they have bands any other night, but each time I go, the bands are great, interactive, and leave you with no option but to get up and start dancing because the music is just that good. It’s a live atmosphere. I love the vibe. I’d choose Appioo any day over high-​priced, highfalutin DC restaurants with lackluster food.
Portion sizes at Appioo are substantial. I always leave with enough leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day. You definitely get a huge bank for your buck.
Parking is terrible — as is expected for U Street nightlife. Appioo is a short walk away from the Metro, so take the Metro if you can.

The food is good. Don’t go here when you’re starving. Crazy long wait time due to Chef Prince being the only one in the kitchen. Not sure if it’s always the case but he and the server were the only staff there when I went. I waited almost 15 minutes before I even got a menu. Nearly 45 mins for my food. Prince came out and asked me if I enjoyed my meal which was nice. If they get some help in there this place could be better.

I just got back from a trip to Ghana and wanted to find a place in DC that satisfied my craving for Ghanaian food. I tried a few places in DC but I went to Appioo last night and it was amazing. I also took a bunch of my friends who hadn’t ever tried this type of food and they also loved it. Great food, get the tilapia and banku!

I spent this past summer in Ghana, so when I relocated to DC I had to find a Ghanaian restaurant to satisfy my desire for good Ghanaian food. I decided to hit up Appioo, after being on my restaurant bucket list for some time now, and the fufu with goat meat pleased every single tastebuds that was being ignored since I left Ghana. The fufu was hot, the soup was spiced just right, and the goat was tender and succulent. I can’t wait to taste all the other lovely dishes on the menu! Takes me back to Ghana!

My new favorite African restaurant in DC! It is so delicious. There are lots of choices on the menu. I went on a group of four and everyone’s dish was excellent. The veggie sauce and the fish were really good, as were the rice balls. The owner let us taste the ginger beer I think it was and it was really good too. They have live music on the weekends and are open for luch and dinner.

My husband and I went here last night for a Friday night wind-​down after we noticed the band setting up for their live reggae session. We sat at the bar and were immediately met with a smile by Salia (I’m sorry for the spelling). Thank you for your wonderful customer service and attention. My husband had wings, and I had oxtail stew, jollof rice, and the spicy fried plantains. It was so delicious, and portions enough for two, I was so full and happy afterwards! Nice vibes, good food and good music. We would definitely go back in the future.

My husband and I came here with a young friend from Cote D’Ivoire (We are americans)
We really enjoyed our dinner but more importantly our friend thought the food was delicious and praised the pounded yam. We had a whole grilled snapper which was perfectly cooked: moist and beautifully seasoned. We also had a goat/​okra stew which was flavorful and the meat was tender and lovely.
Black eyed peas with Plantain dumplings were a big hit as well.
The portions were large and the three of us were stuffed!
While the service was slow on an early saturday evening, the place was friendly and the servers very helpful. Clearly not a place to rush in and out, but to relax and enjoy your evening. We will be back for sure.

Just about the most authentic Ghanaian experience I’ve had outside of Ghana. Varied menu includes all my favorites from red red to waakye. Fried yams with pepe and shito to kelewele. The Gulder and Star flow freely (pricey at 9 bucks, but hey, they’re the big bottles and they did travel a ways).
Owner and chef, Prince (Yaw), is super friendly and accommodating (he brought me an extra shot of sweet sweet palm oil to lubricate my red red). He even mixes his own bitters on the spot with a Jamaican rum base and herbs flown in from Koforidua.
Will be back!

I have been here previously and their food is okay. However, I have a problem with their horrible customer service. One person running between the bar and the kitchen. I called and placed my order and he first of all complained that there were too many people at the restaurant and then he proceeded to take my order and tell me it will be ready in 20 minutes. I showed up 30 minutes later only to meet no one at the bar. Waited at the bar for 15 minutes and walked to the kitchen area to signal for service. He said he would be with me in a second. So far I have waited for 20 minutes and I have no explanation as to why my food isn’t ready. Horrible customer service.

Travel from NYC for a two day birthday bash., starting at this venue. Because from street level., you can literally pass this place without realizing it. Parking is not the greatest. Understand residential need parking options since their no driveways. We circle around the blocks literally for 1.5 hours. Gratefully we managed a spot directly in front of the venue. My first impression was a basement party as we took a flight of stairs downward. Once in. You have the pleasure of a live Caribbean band that egos entire place. Only issue I had was the lack of kitchen staffing. Party started @ 9., we ordered immediately., but the food came 2.5 hours later. No apologies, or explanation, until one of us asked about delay. Discovered their was only one chef. Food was excellent large portion enough to take home if you want too. Drinks were great. Had rum punch. Mixologist were very friendly and I did not have to ask for a refill. She kept them flowing.

As a West African myself, I can vouch for the food here. It is very good and they have Ghanian beers like Club and Star! This place is 10x better than how Ghana Café was. The Fufu and soup and Jollof rice is good as are there fish dishes. They have music on the weekends which has been good.

Came here last Friday for some drinks and to listen to the band. I loved it.
Appioo is not the fanciest place around. It’s a basement bar/​restaurant, but I really loved the vibe. I was really surprised at the great acoustics. One really doesn’t expect the best sound system in a small little place like this, but it was really good. Drinks were strong and the gentleman that I think is the owner was ever-​present, serving drinks, answering questions and was very friendly.
I did not order any food, because I had already eaten, but the food that I saw other people get looked and smelled pretty good.
I will definitely be back for the reggae band that performs on Fridays and I look forward to trying to food, too.

I had the Jollof Rice with goat meat (which came with a sauce over it, which I would would call «obe»). I’m experienced with Jollof Rice (I’m from West Africa) and… this one was (is) rather – RATHER tasteless. Oh my gosh. I’m eating it now and I want my money back. *Sigh*. The goat meat is O.K. but a bit flavorless, too – like it wasn’t cooked in well-​seasoned broth. The sauce atop it is as if I was served «burntish» sauce from the lower middle to the bottom of the pot. I was excited to experience Appioo’s food tonight because I had just tried Roger Miller’s restaurant in Silver Spring (and liked it) and was hoping to find a West African food place nearer to me here in D.C. for those times I don’t really feel like cooking, but still crave the whole gamut. I am very disappointed.
Also, $ 5.50 for a side (i.e. 7 – 8 pieces) of Fried Plantain (as I was informed by the waitress, that is the price, not the $ 3 stated on the take-​out menu) is kind of inflated. I will have to stick with Roger Millers – which was rather satisfying – in price and flavor.
Final thoughts based on this experience– I’d say, if you really have no experience with or expectation for West African fare, it may be O.K. to try it here first, then try other places and compare them to develop a nice taste standard.
I don’t think I will be returning… I might for one thing or the other (a side, a peculiar dish, to kindly give a 2^nd chance)…but 99% of me says «why?»…so probably not.
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Okay I’m back to write more. *Siiiiighhhhh*. I am seriously chagrined (Yes. CHAGRINED) with my food right now. I actually don’t think I can finish it right now. Ugh. U. Gh.