Zion Kitchen

This place deserves an update from me. I've never been to the restaurant and I was harsh in my initial review. No, it is not owned nor operated by W Africans but given the W African restaurants are readily available in this area (nor are they good), I order from here. Often. Very often. It's worth it. It is. No lie. I always order a few stews, the jollof, the pounded yam, the ginger drink and a couple different proteins and eat off of it for the week. It's delish. It really is, although it's not perfect. I do have a few issues... the containers for the stews aren't always filled, sometimes, the jollof is sometimes dry (it would be so nice to offer a lil condiment container of red pepper stew w/ the jollof), sometimes the efo riro is too spicy and not made w/ enough crawfish. I've ordered maybe 30x since this review (maybe more). I'm not a hater, I promise. I just prefer authentic cuisines that are made by those of that culture. Given no options, this is close enough.

We ordered delivery: egusi soup with goat and pounded yam, jollof rice with croaker, sans porridge, and a small side of stew. My tastebuds immediately snatched me back to the first time I ate West African food at the original location of Zion Kitchen on Minnesota Ave in NE DC about 20 years ago. I thought, "there's no way this is from DC, and I haven't been back since! I was so confused because the location on the app said Crab & Chicken in Laurel. The food was fresh, perfectly seasoned and delicious!So, today I ventured to the Crab & Chicken spot and demanded to know who was cooking! This little Honduran woman said "me, my boss taught me how to cook!" I hugged her. Come to find out, she'd been cooking at the original location for over 10 years! She let me sample her egusi soup and the peanut butter soup she was finishing up, chef's kiss!! I promised her I'd be back as soon as I could afford it again lol. I also said I couldn't wait to sample her native cuisine! I wish she could teach me how to cook West African food, but I get it!

Food was amazingly delicious. Jollof Rice, African Chicken and Fufu along with some other food we had. I can't wait to order more from this place.

Zion Kitchen is truly phenomenal and has served consistently flavorful food for years. The same is true for the new location! A brilliant idea indeed to serve delectable West African cuisine alongside flavorful seafood options. The combinations are endless! As an appetizer, I had French Fries (with a fantastic dipping sauce) followed by Asun. The spice immaculate, the meat was tender, and it was seasoned to perfection. For the main, we decided to try out a full combo seafood boil with all the fixings! The house sauce is a must! Additionally, I have to recommend the Zobo drink! Perfect portions of pineapple, ginger, and hibiscus. The entire staff (the cashier, the cooks, and the custodial staff) were so kind and helpful. The restaurant itself is decorated with fun fixtures and beautiful finishings. This makes for an excellent dining experience. I cannot sing enough praises. A must try for people of all walks of life. There's something for everyone!

Look at what I found in the bottom of my egusi. It was a whole sticker for red peppers. It was cooked in the pot with the food. My child wanted this and if I didn't go put it in another container to warm it, they could have swallowed this and choked or got ill.