Seattle's vibrant culinary scene has expanded in recent years to include a diverse array of African restaurants. Thanks to the significant Ethiopian and Eritrean diaspora population, the city has long had a thriving Horn of Africa dining scene. But in recent years, as immigrants from other African regions have put their stamp on the Emerald city, the African food landscape here has diversified.
Whether you’re craving a comforting plate of jollof rice, an injera and shiro feast, or Moroccan delicacies, here’s where to find African food across the city.
Here are some of the best African restaurants in Seattle, offering a taste of the continent's rich culinary heritage.
Delish Ethiopian Cuisine
Delish Ethiopian Cuisine is a family-owned restaurant that offers traditional meat, fish, and vegetable dishes in a relaxed setting. Delish Ethiopian truly lives up to its name! From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere was warm and inviting.
Read also: Authentic Ethiopian Dining in Seattle
The restaurant's special vegetable combo, featuring fasolia and stewed beets, is highly praised. With the Delish combo you get a huge range of dishes, each texturally different and distinct. The flavors all work perfectly together, nothing tastes dried out or like it's been sitting around. The variety-everything from stewed lentils to collard greens and perfectly spiced beet and cabbage dishes-was colorful, fragrant, and so satisfying.
Diners can enjoy their meals using the traditional mesob table for communal eating. The friendly service from owner Delish adds to the warm atmosphere of the restaurant. Yared, our server, went above and beyond-he didn’t just serve us, he made us feel like family. The food was absolutely outstanding. Each dish was presented beautifully and with robust, distinct flavors. The quality is top-notch, and it’s clear that a lot of care goes into every plate.
Even though the owner isn’t Muslim, they offer halal meat, which is something we don’t often find in Ethiopian spots around here. Beyond the incredible food, the entire staff is welcoming and the cozy ambience makes you feel right at home. Delish Ethiopian is a true gem, and we can’t wait to return!
Customer Reviews:
- "Absolutely incredible food! Every dish has its own unique flavor and we love them all. The combo platters are large and can be shared."
- "We had such a great experience at Delish Ethiopian Restaurant! We ordered the Delish Beef Combo and everything was packed with flavor and cooked perfectly."
- "This was a wonderful find for dinner with friends visiting from out of town. The ambience was great, every table full on a Thursday night but not crowded. Delicious food - we ordered the veggie and veggie beef combo platters which provided a wide variety of dishes to try. Everything was flavorful and well spiced. The injera was delicious. Really looking forward to returning with family and trying new dishes and wine. Lovely experience."
Pass D Jollof
At Pass D Jollof, we serve authentic Nigerian cuisine that brings the heart of West Africa to your table. Our dishes are crafted with traditional spices, fresh ingredients, and vibrant flavors, offering a true taste of Nigerian culture.
Read also: Authentic Ethiopian Cuisine
Idayi opened Pass D Jollof in late 2022 with his mother, Victoria Idayi, who planned to retire and split her time between Seattle and Nigeria. “We’d always talked about doing this. My mom loves cooking. That’s her passion,” Idayi says, explaining that she had previously operated a restaurant in Nigeria.
While trying its namesake dish-jollof rice-is a must, venture beyond the likes of the beloved spiced rice dish. Whether you're craving our signature Jollof rice, hearty stews/soups, or mouthwatering sides, each bite is a journey to the roots of Nigerian cooking. Try egusi soup-a creamy Nigerian delicacy simmered from ground melon seeds, vegetables, and spices- and domodo, a Gambian peanut butter stew with veggies and meat. Order a side of fonio to accompany the stews.
“The Nigerians are excited to get the suya,” he says, describing the smoky, charred beef skewers. His customers from across Africa love the spiciness of asun, roasted goat meat sautéed with habanero and bell peppers. Come in and experience warm hospitality, rich flavors, and a welcoming atmosphere that makes every meal memorable.
Eating Nigerian cuisine is about the full experience, Idayi says: the still steaming amala trembling on the plate, hot soup poured over top, digging in with bare hands until the spice sends sweat dripping down your face. He hopes to eventually open a full-service restaurant, but even limited to takeout, Pass D Jollof does what Idayi set out to do: share his tastes of home with a wider audience, alongside his mother, doing what she loves.
Read also: Seattle Ethiopian Orthodox History
Gold Coast Ghal
Owner Tina Fahnbulleh’s Liberian origins and Ghanaian upbring are reflected throughout the innovative menu that offers contemporary twists on West African classics served in a chic setting. Unlike Chiedu, Fahnbulleh is far from family. But in building Gold Coast Ghal, she created a community around the food she cooked in Liberia, where she was born, and Ghana, where she lived as a child.
Come hungry and with company so you can dine family-style. Must-orders include jollof rice with apple cabbage slaw and fried plantains, goat peanut soup, and red red - a dish of black-eyed peas, tomatoes, and peppers served with plantains.
She designed the menu to imitate the chop bars of Ghana, casual restaurants with open kitchens and outdoor seating. “You’ll see the man and woman working, pounding the fufu,” she says. At Gold Coast Ghal, she usually makes it with plantain, and sometimes with cassava or cocoyam, also known as taro.
When Fahnbulleh first got to Seattle, she could only find frozen sweet potato greens, which turned black when defrosted. She approached a number of Seattle markets and eventually worked with Hau Hau Market, in Little Saigon within the International District, to supply fresh sweet potato greens for her Seattle kitchen.
Gold Coast Ghal began in 2018, as a pop-up. During the pandemic, Fahnbulleh tired of her day job and committed to her business full time, posting menus on Instagram, cooking and delivering the meals herself. The community she didn’t know was also out there, like a woman who had lived in Liberia in 1971 and came in speaking Liberian English to her.
How to Make Jollof Rice | NYT Cooking
Other Notable Mentions
- Marrakesh: Serving Moroccan cuisine since 1989, offering classics like chicken, honey, and prune tagines, vegetarian couscous, and mechoui (whole lamb roasted over charcoal).
- Kezira’s: Known for its vegetarian dishes, especially the veggie special with alicha (split yellow peas cooked in garlic and turmeric).
- Lands of Origin: Serving snacks, sweet treats, and drinks from across the African continent since 2022, offering spiced potato sambusas and Moroccan lamb rolls.
- Jebena: Known for its breakfast menu including foul (fava beans) and fir fir, as well as dinner dishes like misir wat.
- BlackStar Kebab: A food truck opened by a soccer coach, serving kebabs.
