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Bukom Café
Rating Details »
Neighborhood: Adams Morgan
2442 18th St NW
(between N Adams Mill Rd & N Belmont Rd)
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 265-4600
2442 18th St NW
(between N Adams Mill Rd & N Belmont Rd)
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 265-4600
- Hours:
Wed-Sun. 4:30 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
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- Location:
- Arlington, VA
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14 reviews for Bukom Café
I've been here a few times on a Saturday night for the live music, but a friend and I decided to try the food on a Thursday. When we arrived the band was setting up. I liked the laid-back atmosphere of the cafe. All the servers were friendly and welcoming. We never felt rushed, which was nice.
About the food: I wasn't too impressed. I ordered the "vegetarian II" which came with black eyed peas, jolof rice, greens, and plaintains. The plantains were by far the best part. I found the rice tasteless and the peas tasted like they were cooked in dirty dish water. I know that sounds harsh, but that's really what it tasted like. My friend ordered two side dishes, the meat plate and the jolof. His came out on one plate (and they gave him plantains, too, which was nice) and it was overflowing. The portions are definitely generous. He liked the meat, especially the goat. I was disappointed overall with the food b/c it lacked well-rounded taste in my opinion. I've been to several countries in West Africa and I knew it probably wouldn't be as good, but I was still disappointed b/c I thought it would be better than it was.
I probably won't be back anytime soon for the food, but the music is great. If you want to eat and chat with your buddies, then don't do it when there's a live band b/c you won't be able to hear the conversation.
Not having a convenient West African place in Atlanta, I dragged a couple friends to Bukom on a recent visit to DC. I decided to try the Pepper Soup with fish and Moi Moi (mashed black eyed peas) for my meal. Both were quite tasty, though one of them may have given me a bit of a stomach ache afterwards (though I'm not positive Bukom was the culprit).
My friends enjoyed their meals (beef and goat), and the atmosphere was also quite nice, with a live reggae band playing after 9:30.
My only complaint was the time it took to get the check...we probably had to wait 20-30 minutes after they cleared our dishes before everything was done.
I really like Bukom and almost always enjoy the live music. My only issue is its size. Its so small and gets packed on Saturday nights. Walked out dripping sweat. Not sexy at all. Sadly, I have never tried the food... will put this on my to do list.
this is one of my favorite places in the world - the scene for soooo many good memories... (pausing to smile and reflect)
i don't drink beer, but they have a great selection of African beers, and the food is always super consistent. Chicken Yassa is a favorite, love the yam chips; it's this perfect combination of dancing (well not really, the spot is small and quarters are tight, but you can kinda bump your head and wind a little bit if you get stuck on the wall), good live music, plenty of potential to get pleasantly drunk, flirt or yell a friendly political discussion. i can just remember so many times this joint was the perfect wind-down to a stressful week, like that thursday salvation to get you through friday and into the weekend. dammit dc, i think i miss you.
I'm not sure why I'd want to come here. The music can be oppressively loud. The food is not notable, compared even to Ghana across the street. Jolof rice is well done. Chicken Yassa, as others note, is not great.
On the plus side, I was in there one time and the dude played reggae keyboards was stoned out of his mind. Thereafter, I seemed to see him regularly on 18th Street, and he never failed to give me a wink and a thumbs up.
Bukom serves up authentic West African food, as far as I can tell. Haven't been to West Africa, but I would imagine the food in that country would taste like Bukom's. The vibe is certainly here with carvings from Nigeria and Senegal on the wall.
There is a live band here every night. They start between 9 and 9:30 and play mostly reggae. The fun part is when the band plays cover tunes reggae style.
Next time you are out late in Adam's Morgan, why not try Bukom instead of the Diner? Bukom's kitchen stays open until 1am or later. Warning, though, some of the dishes are not for the faint of heart. Like the Red Snapper, for example. If you order it, it comes with its head, tail and bones still on. Just warning you
A safer bet is the chicken yassa which is a marinated chicken breast. The fried plantains here are out of this world. Also, for vegetarians aren't any options on the menu, but there usually is a special that is all veggie. Or you can make meal of the sides like sweet potatoes and rice. The staff is super helpful, and will answer questions about the food.
Love the spicy jollof rice and the plaintains! My go to was the Chicken Yassa and the chicken was flavorful and tender. The fried fish dishes are really good but I usually ask for sauce/accompaniments on the side as I like my fish to stay crispy.
The live band is a pretty great way to waste some time in the evening and the crowd there is usually very very lively and fun. Great place for a group. Can get crowded but there's space enough to breathe. Don't take your date unless you don't want to talk to him/her...lol becuz it's loud.
Bukom is my spot.If you like authentic West African -Ghanaian -Caribbean style food then this place is right for you.The owner is super sweet and the live music is loud and right.The way Reggae should be.Also, one of the few places where you can get authentic African beer (Tusker, Star, Zambezi, etc.).
My friend and I came here just to eat dinner, not realizing that this place really is primarily a late-nigh spot.
We awkwardly walked in, as all of the employees were sitting around chatting at the bar since they had no customers at 6pm on a weeknight. We took our pick of all the empty tables and looked over the menu.
I came with a goal of eating one thing: goat. So I immediately picked the Egusi w/ a side of Jolof rice. My friend got the chicken yassa w/ Jolof rice. We also ordered a mango lane and bukom bomb cocktail.
The food came out at in pretty decent time. My egusi was really good except for the fact that they had lots of meat on the bone, but the ground melon seeds (egusi) made it hard to distinguish between bone and egusi. I had to chew really carefully, which I hate doing when all I want to do is EAT. The jolof was also pretty good, though the veggies in it were a bit undercooked for my taste.
Chicken yassa was dry and didn't seem particularly special.
The cocktails were SO strong even I couldn't finish mine. For the price though, it's a good deal and on a weekend I can definitely see myself coming back here for a "pick-me-up" for cheaper than most places.
It was awkward flagging down the server for our check and for water. The food itself was ok but I think it's best to come later to Bukom Cafe.
The atmosphere is...African...true, but the food seems like it's out of this world. I highly recommend Bukom Cafe if you want to taste Western African cuisine for the first time. The staff are extremely nice.
Honestly, this is one of my favorite restaurants in DC. It's one of those places where you need to go in with a very open mind (so easy to construct a long list of complaints). Most cities, like Boston, don't even serve this cuisine, but it's well worth a try.
I was really excited to go here because I had been really craving Senegalese food for a long time. Bukom Cafe itself is sort of a blanket West African restaurant, serving items like Jollof rice (a spicy, tomato rice) and Fufu (cassava mush) from Ghana, Senegal, Nigeria, DRC, etc.
I studied abroad in Senegal and my favorite dish was Poulet Yassa (chicken yassa). In my travels across the US, I've found many great Senegalese restaurants who have perfect renderings of this complex and tasty dish. Yet I was extremely disappointed with the Yassa at Bukom because it didn't even reassemble the taste and dish that I loved. The chicken was a bit dry, the onions were raw, and the rice was too plain. The only good part of the dish were the fried plantains.
In addition, we were there at around 8 pm on a Saturday night, and although the place wasn't packed, the service was very slow (moving at an African pace, so I guess that's forgivable...) and it was sooo noisy. There is really nothing to absorb the music and voices, so the cacophony made it very difficult to have a conversation over dinner.
I guess I'll just have to keep looking for good Senegalese food in DC...
Looking for some fun, live music? How about some different types of drinks and beers? With live music every night, and no cover Bukom is a place that is definitely worth checking out. The bar tenders are always extremely friendly and love to dish out massive 32 oz. beers that most have never even heard of, but compliment the music much better than any domestic or vodka soda. The music is always reggae, and the bands will play as late as the crowd is into it. If you're looking to post up in a seat and have a conversation with a friend or two, I'd say avoid this place. I'm not the world's best dancer, but I have never been to this place without breaking it down with friends and other patrons.
RASTA MON! This place rocks out with some sweet live reggae groups. It draws a sizeable crowd on the weekends but they don't charge a cover which is great. Grab a red stripe, wear your Marley t-shirt, and grow some dreads!
When I am craving Jollof rice this is the place I go. It's hard to get a seat on the weekend late night but it sure beats Jumbo slice. If you want to do something a little more adult in adams morgan this is a good place. Live music and food.
