Hedzole

Flavors are on point! Adorable setting in Upper 16th area of NW. Vegan options. Did I mention them flavors. It might not be close to many of us but thanks to Food delivery Apps, this can be a delicious lunch or dinner option for anyone. Them flavors tho !!

This is a Black Woman Owned West African restaurant. When it comes to service the women here are welcoming! it was refreshing, to say the least. It was my first time patronizing this establishment and the woman taking the order was very patient with me and explained everything, especially the stews and her recommendations on which stew to pair with which dish. I ended up ordering the oxtail without a stew because it comes with its gravy. When I got my order, I didn't get much gravy, I let one of the workers know, and she provided me with a cup of gravy and extra oxtail. The oxtail was nice and tender and seasoned well. The coconut rice was delicious and flavorful. The establishment is really small with not enough seating to accommodate guests who want to stay in and eat, and customers who are placing orders to go, to sit in and wait for their orders. Also, the restroom area is awkwardly located in the back of the restaurant and it seems as if you're trespassing into the forbidden area. However, all in all, this restaurant is awesome and I highly recommend it. I pray that they move into a bigger establishment to accommodate all their customers. They were pretty busy when I went.

There are many reasons to visit Hedzole- the food, the drinks, the atmosphere, the owner's story, the neighborhood. Stopping in for plantains on a Saturday afternoon, here's my experience.1) Food: Serving Ghanaian American food, the main concept is building your own bowls using foods like coconut rive, jollof rice, plantains, and more. They have plant-based options. Or you can order one of their bowls- salmon or stewed oxtail. They sell sides like cabbage, plantains, "red red," and groundnut soup with fufu. 2) Drinks: They sell bottled water, soda, and a hibiscus-based drink. 3) Service: When I walked in, the owner was there serving the food herself. Leaving a career in corporate America, she started with pop-ups, farmer markets, and a residency before opening this spot in April 2023. She's kind and happy to walk you through the menu.4) Space: It's small, but cozy. There are several tables in a brightly-decorated space on the bottom floor of a 1935 brick apartment building.5) Area: It's along a commercial area in Sixteenth Street Heights. Moreland's Tavern, a local bar, is across the street. Rock Creek Park is within walking distance. There's free street parking close.

This place was great and lived up to the hype I got an oxtail jalof rice, and cabbage. It was super flavorful and rich. The oxtails were tender and perfectly cooked. Not over cooked so still held its form but was tender and juicy. Jalof rice had great flavor tomato flavor and rich. Played perfectly with spicy flavor of the ox tail. The cabbage was perfectly seasoned added some freshness and texture to the meal.Inside is small but can sit and is pretty cool homy vibe which I liked. We got it to go. Service is very friendly and nice.Will definitely be back.

I've bookmarked Hedzole to try for at least two months now. My friend frequently sends me restaurants to check out in the DMV area, and as soon as I saw the post for them, I knew I wanted to make a visit. It's across the city from me, so it was quite the drive, but it was so worth it! I got to the restaurant within minutes of them closing, but the owner was very accommodating and made sure to warm up food for me as I had called ahead to be sure I'd have my order ready. I ordered two bowls to go, although I would have preferred to dine in. I just got there too late. The inside is very cute and cozy. It would be a nice spot to sit in for lunch, and lounge for a bit, but definitely not ideal for a larger group. One of the bowls I got was jollof rice, with oxtails and cabbage salad. I had a side of shito sauce. I've been craving home cooked African food for awhile, and for me, this was it!! The jollof had a smoky taste and it soaked up the flavors from the salad and the oxtails. I added the shito to the rice and that added a bit of heat to the dish. The cabbage had a pickled taste, and was very flavorful. I thought the oxtails were tender and succulent, but I would have preferred a bit more seasoning on them. The second bowl I got will be my lunch for next week. I got coconut rice, chicken, and spinach/egusi stew and kale salad. I tried a bit of this and I preferred this plate over the jollof. It's been awhile since I had egusi and the Ghanaian version is very similar to the Nigerian one I grew up eating. It was so tasty, and I never thought to pair it with rice, but it was a great combination. I also liked the kale salad over the cabbage salad. The kale salad was crisp, but also had a bit of sweetness to it. Each bowl also came with sweet plantains that were soft in the middle, but crisp on the outside. The portion sizes are great and will definitely fill you up. I really wish I lived closer to here because I could definitely see myself coming here at least twice a month, but thank God for Uber eats. I highly recommend!

After traveling through several countries in Africa from the tip of South Africa to the Sub-Saharan and the Eastern coast of Ethiopia and Kenya and eating lots of Nigerian food, I'm familiar with the flavor of West African food but honestly I couldn't tell you what makes Ghanaian food Ghanaian. However, I do know flavor and no matter what you order at Hedzole, there is so much flavor. Candice is an incredible chef who single-handedly runs the place. I ordered jollof rice with oxtail and the spicy shito sauce (it's got some heat!) with a kale salad which includes pickled onions and a homemade pineapple vinaigrette. The jollof rice was tasty and the oxtail was fall-off-the-bone delicious. The pickled onions in the kale salad cut some of the fattiness in the oxtail and ended up being such a good combination. I also got a waaakye (rice with black eyed peas), egushi stew, and sauteed cabbage. Both plates came with fried plantains. I also tried their sobolo drink which is a hibiscus clove citrusy drink (i forget what else went in it) but everything was delicious. I can't wait to come back. I'm either getting the oxtail again or trying the groundnut soup with fufu.

I got the jollaf rice and the plantains and the chicken and the spinach dressing and wow it was so good! It was nice and spicy and very flavorful! I sware to god it's the next CAVA! Same concept as cava and chipotle! The service was good! The owner was there and it was so nice meeting you. This was my first time having ghana food and it was so good!! It's a cute little small shop in petwoth!!

I had high expectations for this place and maybe it's what I ordered but unfortunately nothing to rave about. I got the rice and black eyed peas with egusi and chicken. The rice had a weird after taste which hurt my stomach. The chicken was a bit salty but I ended up cooking some pasta at home and adding it to it. The plantains were thick and hard and not crispy like how they should be. The service was great though but I Won't be returning.

Muy rico. Had the jollof and waakye rices. The agushie also a standout. Everything was perfect. Candice was helpful and walked us through the whole menu. Can't say enough about this restaurant.

This place has been on my list to try for some months. Glad I finally got to stop in on a random Saturday while I was in the area. I went for a late lunch closer probably to dinner but the timing was perfect because the inside is very small and there were already a few people sitting in eating and any more there may be a wait because it's limited. I ordered the jollof with salmon and kale salad. The flavors with the stew, seared salmon, and kale were on point. I love shito in general and thought that their shito was fresh and nicely spiced. Next time I go I'll ask if they actually make it themselves. Also next time I go I want to try the jollof before I mix in the stew just curious about the flavor alone. I was pretty hungry and eager so I mixed the stew and shito in before getting a taste of the rice without sauce. The presentation of the food is nice and service is good. They even have me a bowl plantain chips to start.