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Categories: Middle Eastern, Jazz & Blues
Neighborhood: U Street CorridorU St/African-Amer Civil |War Memorial/Cardozo (Green, Yellow)
Mon-Fri. 12:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 1:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Cafe Nema serves up a wide range of dishes with an African bent, but I didn't scrutinize the menu because my friend had talked up their falafel sandwich.
Now, I realize it was a Saturday night when we were here, but they seemed to be out of several things, including the falafel sandwich, tahini, kibbeh, Newcastle and, well, several other items that the waitress listed after our original orders were out of stock. So two of us ordered the chicken shawarma, and then only one came, with the second lagging about ten minutes behind because the chef misread the order. The chicken itself was good, but this didn't resemble any shawarma I'd ever had before, with a sauce that seemed reminiscent of ranch dressing, and so much of that sauce.
The live jazz was not especially impressive, unless you like excessive vamping on E (the note). The artwork on the walls is pretty nice.
All said, I'm willing to give this place a second chance and come back on a weeknight or for happy hour.
Good food, great live jazz! Underground location, not a great place for conversation because it gets very loud when the band is going. Bar in the back with a few TVs. Server was attentive and helpful with menu selections.
The menu has quite a selection of dishes for different palates: African Fares, Italian Fares (pasta bolognese), chicken sandwiches, and even spicy buffalo wings.
Our table had:
- Baba ghanoush (creamy and full of flavor..you can request for extra pita bread),
-4 orders of Biryani (3 w/lamb, 1 w/beef..the lamb was very tender and seasoned nicely, would have liked my rice spicier. the beef was not cooked through.),
- Kalankal with lamb (lamb was chewy and the dish overall lacked flavor), and
- Stuffed lamb (by far the best dish of the night; meat was tender and full of flavors from the mushrooms, peppers, and spinach inside-served with a heaping portion of bismati rice.)
People thought this was:
A friend and I wanted some middle eastern food. Though I'd been to Nema once for drinks, I hadn't eaten there so we figured we'd give it a try.
We were seated right away, which was awesome. However, we then had a little trouble getting the waiter's attention to order drinks. The wine list was totally adequate and I enjoyed what I got.
We again had a little trouble getting the waiter to take our food order. I ordered hummus, tabbouleh, and falafel. My friend ordered some sort of beef and the fattoush salad.
It's a small, cozy cafe and I loved the chill music they were playing, but it was oddly loud in there, so we had a hard time keeping our conversation going.
I was pretty much disappointed with the food. The hummus had a good texture, more chunky than the usual. But it had no garlic in it at all. The tabbouleh appeared to have been made from fresh parsley, but tasted like it came from a box. I asked for a wedge of lemon to squeeze over it to brighten up the flavor (or give it any flavor whatsoever), and was brought the smallest, most parsimonious sliver of a slice of lemon ever seen. The falafel was actually quite good--clearly made in-house from actual ingredients rather than a mix--but they had apparently fried it up as soon as my order came in and it sat in the kitchen while my friend's food was prepared and came out cold. Although he had ordered beef, my friend got lamb. Which was fine, but we'd been betting when we placed our order how many items would be wrong. Luckily, that was the only thing wrong and it wasn't a big deal. The fattoush was really good.
Overall, this was ok--not horrible, but not worth repeating. The food wasn't great, the service wasn't great, the venue isn't great due to the noise. I don't plan to return.
People thought this was:
I love going to Cafe Nema. I enjoy the ambiance and the food. The staff is super friendly. The place is cute and cozy. Everything about this place makes you just want to relax and stay a while. Take your friends, they will love it; and while you are there, make a couple new ones!
As for the food, some of my favorites are the stuffed grape leaves, hummus, the Nema Burger, and the baklava.
Had an awesome time here on a Saturday night -- didn't eat, but the jazz was great, we got a good table by the bar, the drinks were strong...loved it. The food looked delicious, but I definitely want to come back to sample, and of course to hear some more jazz! Will update after my next visit.
People thought this was:
We went here for the music but it started really late. The place is tiny and gets busy and is packed with people as long as there live band performs. The food was good...but they were out of a lot of things on the menu @ 830pm!. My friends tried the Somalian chicken and were super impressed. The one real plus is that the place serves food until 2am ...which means great for late night dinners with some music!
I stopped in with four friends on a Saturday night for drinks, and we enjoyed the atmosphere of Cafe Nema. The place is tiny and it was relatively busy, so we couldn't grab seats, but we didn't mind. The bartender was super friendly and got our drinks quickly. Luckily, it was my turn to buy us a round - five drinks (both beers and mixed drinks) only cost me around $25 (including tip).
The interior is warm (and rather dimly lit, especially the later it gets) with exposed brick, a fireplace, and lots of interesting art on the walls. Really cozy and could be a nice spot for a dinner date. A DJ was spinning, so my friends and I got some folks dancing in the middle of the room. The bartenders later thanked us for that.
We didn't stay too long, but I plan on coming back to Cafe Nema - perhaps a little earlier in the evening to try some of the Middle Eastern cuisine, too.
People thought this was:
Came here for dinner on a Friday night. There was no wait around 7:30, so we just grabbed a table. We decided to get about 4 appetizers and then share an entree.
We got the hummus, which was good, though the pita it came with was dry. We also got the falafel, kibbeh, and sambusa. All of them were good, though all in all it was all very heavy. But that's what happens when you order 3 fried appetizers. The falafel was probably my favorite. The kibbeh was nice as well, though really huge and kind of heavy.
As for our entree, we split the lamb shank. It came with rice, and some spinach on the side. The lamb itself was nicely cooked, but sadly it was a little too salty. The spinach, interestingly enough, was highly lacking in salt. Maybe the chef missed when he was aiming at the plate...
It definitely was decent enough to come back for another go round. There were other interesting looking options on the menu and the staff was very friendly. At the beginning our waitress checked in on us about 10 different times, but by the end it was much harder to get her attention. Of course, the place was packed by then, so I guess it makes sense. I still liked her - and not just because she complimented my hair. Though that didn't hurt!
People thought this was:
Best falafel in DC in an unbeatable atmosphere. I have traveled far and wide in search of the best falafel in this town. Cafe Nema is it. The falafel itself is flavorful (and colorful), moist, and delicately fried, and is wrapped in a perfect pita package with a hard-to-achieve tahini-kabis-cucumber ratio. The falafel alone ($7) brought me to euphoria, then you get jazz, a nicely renovated space, and dedicated service thrown in for free. Only draft beer would make this better, but that's about it.
Great place to drop in with friends for a relaxed atmosphere and some good drinks. It's not very big downstairs, but everyone's really friendly and even on busy nights tables seem to open up as people move in and out. The new decor is warmer and more open-feeling than before, with a smaller bar but more room for tables (and maybe dancing??!). I haven't actually eaten here yet, but everyone I've talked to who has says the food is good too. Definitely check out the music on weekends, Bro DJ is awesome.
If I lived closer, I'd be here every weekend - but alas, I don't get up here as much as I should. Wish I had a Nema close to me!
People thought this was:
First of, "middle eastern" is a bit of a misnomer. It's more of a melange of cuisines, including a few middle eastern dishes, some somali, some italian, french, etc. Relatively short menu (which I actually prefer to a long menu).
Dinner tonight
Appetizers:
Stuffed grape leaves: these were good, but not great. Typical issue with the leaves themselves being tough, but I've found that a common problem (except in Greece, where the leaves were fresh, not out of a can).
Falafal: despite what other folks say, I don't believe these are the best falafal in DC. The texture was great -- nice and crunchy outside, soft inside. But the flavor was lacking a little something (perhaps coriander). The falafal were served with a chile chutney, which was itself quite good, but which tended to overpower the flavor of the falafal.
Main course:
Chicken Kalankal: Great flavor, nicely done. The spinach that came with it was good too. The only complaint was that the chicken was a bit overcooked. I realize that this is a common fault, and that it really is hard to find a place that has the balls to take the chicken off the heat at exactly the right moment, but I can still complain about it.
Chicken Kebab: See above. Same things hold true -- good flavor, just overcooked a bit.
Overall, I thought the food was good, and for a reasonable price, but I think it unlikely I'll go back anytime soon. There's enough other places along U St. that I either know are better or which I haven't tried that an "Ok" place will just have to drop off the list...
service was ok, decor was ok, etc.
Total cost for food + 2 drinks each (2 people) was $68 pre-tip, not a bad price overall
People thought this was:
The combination of great food, great service, great atmosphere, and live music makes Cafe Nema U Street's best kept secret. The restaurant is relatively small and a perfect place for a date or hanging out with friends, away from the hustle and bustle of Gallery Place, Adams Morgan, and Dupont.
The food is one of the highlights of this Somalian restaurant. We started off with the spiced chicken for our appetizer, which was 10 chicken wings drenched in a sweet bbq sauce. Recommended by our server, the biryani with lamb for $14 was mouth-watering, but if you're not into Middle Eastern cuisine, there's several americanized options including the NY strip steak and buffalo wings available for the not so daring stomach. Additionally, the service was phenomenal and exemplified Middle Eastern hospitality. My friend's shawarma arrived really late and our server dismissed the charge on the final check.
The live jazz music, which consist of two guys playing the bango drums and guitar, was a great touch to our evening dinner along with the independent artwork lined across the walls.
The food here is fantastically flavoured, even the fries, which are highly recommended! Not a place to go chat with friends though. Between the crowds and the music, you can't here anything unless you yell. That said, he music is fun, and the ambiance great. The chicken schwarma is delicious, as with the burger, but was not as much of a fan of the beef schwarma. Definitely a fun place to go for good music and good food.
People thought this was:
Well, I couldn't add more stars to my last review, but I'd like to.
Nema got a facelift! OK it also got breast augmentation, a tummy tuck and a chemical peel. I loved this place before, but it was sort of shabby. It had that lovable dumpy, pseudo-dive-bar type feel that for whatever reason makes me feel comfortable. I was a little nervous when I heard the owners were remodeling - I didn't want to lose that homey vibe, right?!?
Pretty much every inch of Nema has been redone, but somehow they managed to retain the relaxed, broken-in feel. New floors, painted walls, wood paneled some walls (not like your grandma's rec room - nice paneling, I swear), new layout (better for dancing - and being able to move in general), new furniture, new bar, new bathrooms, new lighting . . . you get the picture. Thankfully, the same awesome bar tenders are still in effect and the kitchen should be reopening again soon to serve up the same delicious fare.
If you loved Nema before, you'll still love it. If you thought it was sort of grimy before, you'll love it more now. If you still don't love it . . . then maybe just stick to Georgetown. Everybody wins!
People thought this was:
Nema! This is my favorite chilled out bar in DC. The drinks and bartenders (what up, Chris!!) are… Read more »
My only other visit to the U street corridor was a miserable date that I went on a few years ago. The incessant bellicose political discussion made me feel like I was on a date with my sister (Not that I know what being on a date with my sister is actually like, but she's a social conservative too, so I can guess what it would be like.) Anyway, I'm off on a tangent, sorry... :)
I'm getting too accustomed to Suburbia, where the restaurants have enough space to lounge around a bit. For a small intimate venue, this place is able to fit quite a large number of people.
The drinks were a bit overpriced, but in DC I expect it to a certain extent. The meal was reasonably priced though, so it all evened out in the end. The service was a bit slow, but quite attentive. Our waitress was gorgeous! (Certainly a bit out of my league, but attractive nonetheless) The food was quite tasty. I had the chicken kabob. mmmmmmmm. Also, the place had a nice smooth laid-back jazz vibe to it. Certainly a welcoming environment. I felt like putting on sunglasses and a beret and pretending to be cool........ (Notice, I said pretending....as I'm a certified member of the dork squadron)
I enjoyed my experience, and would certainly consider coming back!
People thought this was:
Cafe Nema is a great DC experience; where else can you get a chicken shwarma, a Spaten draft, and listen to live jazz at a bar run by a Somali? It's in a basement, and not very big, but is one of my favorite places on U Street. There are actually four taps, but I stick to the Spaten. The African art that adorns the walls adds to the overall funky feel of the place. The customers are a very diverse lot. My only complaint is that when they remodeled in February, they shortened the bar, which from a business perspective makes since, since there is now more space for tables, but I always liked sitting at the long bar and watching the performances.
Friendly folks, jazz band, good atmosphere, falafel, basmati rice .. mmm
What an odd mix of food styles. Somalian, French, Italian, and Middle Eastern all on one menu. That said, it's only a couple items of each on the rather small menu. Not a complaint, just an observation. I got the beef kalenkal, which was beef chunks cooked in a tasty sauce with Somalian spices, and some vegetables, served with rice and spinach. The food was all very good, and the hot peppers that were brought to us on the side were definitely hot. Just the little bit was enough to spice up two plates of food. Service was really quick and friendly, and the waters were kept full. On the minus side of all of this was the size of the place. It's small, and they're not afraid to pack people in. We were seated in a small two top with about four inches between us and the next table, plus similarly close ones on the other sides. That said, it's a nice bit of space, and the food was good. So yeah.
People thought this was:
3.75 stars. I went in here last night for a drink and a quick bit after seeing a board outside boasting drink specials (which were actually for Momo upstairs).
The bartender was cool. The beer was good. The food was good. The veggie sambousas were absolutely delicious (accompanied by a great spicy sauce). The hummus was also good. The falafel was a bit burnt, but still acceptable. My dining companion got the wings, which he raved about. He also picked up the check, so I'm not sure how well the we fared price-wise, but it seemed about average.
I'm likely to return.
People thought this was:
3.5 stars, really. I absolutely adore the hummus here. Better than any in town. You'll find everything on the menu from Italian mediterranean to African, without being overwhelmed. Good food at good prices. We arrived about 8 PM on a Thursday night, a group of 6. We were seated just by the fireplace (don't get excited, this place is tight in that good cozy sort of way, the fireplace is tiny ) and the first table by the window. We ordered a variety of things, and I can best describe food as yummy all around. Service was a bit spacey if you know what I mean, but well intentioned. Some people haven't figured out that appetizers come before the entree...
When the band started up, they played well and the jazz music was eminently enjoyable...but too loud to be able to converse with one another...so we moved next door to Tabaq for night caps. For those of you that don't live walking distance from the U-street corridor, Cab distance, or metro distance, be prepared to circle for hours like a starved vulture looking for a spot.
People thought this was:
Update: I finally ate at Nema. LOVED the falafel wrap!! Also, the renovations are great.
People thought this was:
I love this place! Great bartenders, great music (especially Bro DJ), and a great feel. I've yet… Read more »
The set up of the building is odd (narrow and long) but that is part of the charm. Nema only has room for seating about 50 peeps. And yeah, I recommend trying out the food here because it is really good.
Based on a rec from a friend, we stuck to the Middle Eastern dishes. Starting off with an appetizer of hummus, we moved onto chicken and beef kabobs. I gotta say, the rice that came with the kabobs was the high point of the meal for me - -curried basmati with a nice addition of garlic and raisins.
There's music downstairs-- mainly jazz and Neosoul. Check out the art on the walls: the owners are constantly changing it, and the artists featured are from artists from Africa, India and some are local, too.
People thought this was:
Seconding Candy's review and adding some love.
Fab apple martini & a great "hole in the wall" kind of place to sit down with a bunch of friends for ridiculous story telling and bicker banter. I felt like making friends with the bar people... but I'm not really sure why. And I kind of feel like going on a date there. I think the facade of sketchiness is alluring to me, and that is why it gets so many stars when I don't even know if the place serves food... Hahaha. I'm a wack job... I know. Scuse the language.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to going back and finding out. When I do, I'll let you know what's good besides the liquor.
People thought this was:
Great place to get a drink after work...good service, nice ambience, tasty falafel.
People thought this was:
They make the drinks strong, and charge you a lot for them.
Friendly service, hole in the wall feeling, but a great place that I'll definitely visit again.
People thought this was:
This was a great place to come on a Friday night. The tables are small and the restaurant is intimate. I loved the African artwork on the walls and the dark tables. When we got there at around 8 the band was setting up. Our server was friendly and didn't mind us taking our time to decide what we wanted to eat. We ordered the falafel appetizer and it was fantastic. I've never had such a soft falafel. It looked and tasted very fresh. For our entrees, my friend ordered the NY strip, which came with basmati rice and spinach. I tasted her spinach and it was soaked in butter---not a fan, but she loved her steak even though it was a little overcooked. I had the isku karis, which was basmati rice with somalian spices, diced veggies (zucchini, tomato, onion), dried bing cherries (sounds random but it was excellent!). The portions were huge and we both left will plenty of leftovers. Our only complaint was that when the band started playing it was way too loud to carry on a conversation. They were a great jazz band, but a little too loud if you want to talk. I might go back for a meal alone, where I can eat and groove to the music, as I saw others doing.
3.50 stars. Cafe Nema is an inconspicuous Somalian/Middle Eastern restaurant located on U Street. Basically, this is a good spot to meet up with a couple of close friends for a few drinks. Like all the other posters have noted, the food is pretty tasty. I cannot speak to its authenticity, but I can state the beef kalankel is moderately spicy, generous, and reasonably priced. They also have a burger doused this Thousand Island dressing that is among the better burgers in the city. Service was excellent the last time I was there, but it has been hit or miss in the past. In any event, it's a cool little basement bar that is a must on U-Street.
People thought this was:
Great bar with a laid back dive atmosphere. Good drinks, friendly staff, (Victor and Chris are super nice) and great tunes Saturday nights when my friend Brody dj's. only bad thing is it can get really crowded really fast, but definitely give this place a shot next time you are in the area.
People thought this was:
Ah...so many great memories at Nema. It's a great place to meet friends. On weekend nights there's live music. The drinks are strong, the staff is friendly and there's generally a good crowd. I don't go for the food in particular, but it's pretty good! Overall, a great spot.
People thought this was:
Nema has the best falafel in the city, probably the best anywhere. It's completely crave-worthy, and both floors have a totally welcoming vibe--kind of an African style dive, with a group of old men smoking funny cigarettes (no, not those kind) down at the end of the bar.
People thought this was:
Good burger...good beer. But, who burns nag champa in a restaurant? I'm trying to eat -- not smell that crap.
I went here after a night of drinking on U St. The waiter/bartender was really cool and even hooked us up with some free food. My friends and I shared a chicken tawook plate (it came with a yummy side of spinach) and a falafel sandwich, as well some type of dip. I though everything was pretty good and reasonable. Amazingly, they have some very similar food as Tabaq next door, but I found this to be better and more authentic and a hell of a lot cheaper. I did find the chicken to be a little salty, and I usually pile on salt. I think I'll have to go back completely sober to really judge the quality of the food, but my first visit left a good taste in my mouth (pun attended!).
gross i saw the bartender use his fingers to mix this one guys drink!
People thought this was:
this review is only for the "nightlife" here, as i got dragged down for some recent saturday excursion after a friend's party spilled out of her nearby apartment and down to u st....my friend, who has terrible taste in men (and by men i mean boys) or terribly token collared types always playing nice to try in vain to sleep with her , decided to ignore the somewhat informed opinions of all her other friends, and trust, as she does entirely too often, in the one opinion of the one guy whose taste and intelligence was somehow developed through an obvious progression of cheating at second-rate private prep schools, plagiarizing at third-rate but expensive colleges, watching and worshipping of fourth-rate mtv spring break specials, an encyclopedic collection of girls gone wild and shake-ass-loud-bang-gold-chain-bump-bump fake rap videos, shopping it up on mail-order catalogues after jacking-off to pictures of tied-sweaters and hand-in-pocket-jackets and micro-fleeces, nepotistic landing into some politico lawyer daddy's wallet firm for young republicans, and clubbing it up at the mcfadden's and rumors of the world with orange-skinned coochies and some toilet love, rather than listening to the worldy multitude of voices represented, or at least considering the other many, many legitimate options on u st.....yeah. so we marched straight here to end our night. and the end came rather quick. what with the incredibly loud, incredibly bad music spun-off hip-hop 90's style near the entrance dj-table by some head-bobbing nitwit making intelligible speech impossible, a horribly shabby selection of bottled beer and wine served up at ridiculous prices by slow-motion bartenders, and a five-foot by five-foot happenstance dance floor made possible by cleared chairs and populated with several pale bloated fatties shaking blubber to remixes of ace of base, salt n' pepa, and whatever shitgroups had "ice" in their name back in the day, half the party was gone in less then twenty minutes. and the rest was gone in the next ten. which is a shame actually. because when you step down into the place off the street and you look around at the artwork on the wall, and the wooden chairs before they were stacked to make room for walruses, and the exposed brick, and the off-red lighting, you'd actually think the place was gonna be cool. the extra star is for hoping they pull from these strengths, get some new bartenders, cut their prices, increase their drink selection, and get rid of that goddamn dj table that's so absudly loud for such a cozy-seeming place that you'd think they were trying to blast right through their renovations. once i get over the sad impression the place has made , maybe i'll drop in to see if they've improved....
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