Casa Africana Restaurant

The Bukom Cafe is a vibe. It is warm, intimate, and soulful. The owner is friendly moving around the cozy space checking in on all. The bartenders are attentive and charming. What is unique about this Afro Caribbean spot in the heart of Adams Morgan is their food. It is shockingly delicious. Getting good food, good music, and good people in one place is rare. Even if you just come to have a drink and listen to the band, stay for a meal. There is someone in the back making magic. 🪄🫕

The food at Bukom Cafe is well seasoned, well prepared, delicious and authentic which is why we continue to dine there. That said, the fish and plantains amounts to about 12 slices of plantain and the tiniest piece of fish I’ve ever seen, which was noticeably less food from just a year ago - a disgrace even at the $15 price point. Other entree dishes were better aligned with the pricing. The staff can be hit or miss. The fountain soda machine was not working properly during our last visit and the staff didn’t seem inclined to fix it - even after pointing it out, they just brought another drink with the same issue. We also asked for a small dish of water to use throughout the meal as the pounded yam and soup were being eaten by hand - instead we were directed to use the bathroom (presumably for a one time hand washing). Generally speaking though the staff is quite friendly. The ambiance on a Saturday is loud and lively - if you want a calmer, quieter meal visit on virtually any other day.

I got to hang out there with a friend late the Saturday night. The live band was amazing and audio guys who helped make it sound really good were awesome. I'm a bit of an audiophile and the space seems impossible to make sound right due to dimensions but it is still awesome. I loved the African beer (Star) and also the wings were phenomenal. My friend had some food that left over that was amazing even the next day! Highly recommend Bokum and I'll always go there whenever I can. Great hospitality too!