Little Africa Cuisine — Restaurant in Grand Rapids

This place really has an authentic feel and taste. I love the calm environment. It was easy to have a conversation and enjoy one another's company, which is the whole point of the platter for 2. The flavor is quite unique. There is quite a bit of ginger and garlic used in most of the entrees. I enjoyed all of the flavors except one, which really didn't take away from the experience at all since the platter comes with 8 different d'oeuvres. I also enjoyed the pace. This is something that most Americans will probably get annoyed by, but my wife and I showed up at 7:15 and left at 8:50. It was awkward at first, but then refreshing to realize that this is a cultural experience that pulls you outside of your carefully plotted schedule. There are 2 reasons that I did not give 5 stars: first, there was only one man running the place which made service unimpressive. That being said, I was impressed with this mans ability to host, serve, cook, wash dishes, and run the cash register for a diner that was pretty full. The second reason that I only gave 4 stars instead of five, is that the CD that was playing in the restaurant kept skipping which was rather annoying. All in all, the food is good, the environment is kind of an escape from American busyness, and portions are generous...

The 1st time I tried to visit they were closed, but there was no signage to indicate it, so I left.

Called the next day to check, they said that sometimes they are closed 330-5 or something like that for a break. So I told them I'd definitely be in that day then.

I went in with another person, we used the bathroom(very clean) and sat down. Took a minute to get our order but not too bad.

Staff is very friendly, brought us our coffees(pretty good coffee), and took our order. They didn't indicate how long it would take; it took more than an hour. We weren't in a hurry, having given ourselves more than an hour to go in and eat, but we had prior commitments to attend to, so we left early, paying for the coffees. Yes, we waited on food for more than an hour. It seemed like only 1 person staff for a Saturday evening.

I wanted to say the food was great but didn't try any. It looked really good on the menu.

I understand rating is really important to small and local businesses, so I won't rate it less, but I was pretty disappointed. I would go back 1 last time if/when I had 3...

I’ve enjoyed this place every time I’ve visited.

The first thing they always bring out is bowls of water to wash your hands before eating, as this is very much finger food! I always bring a friend and always get the group platter. 🤤 All of the salads are delicious, and I LOVE the injera bread. Teff bread is also available for an up charge.

I always get the hot tea- it’s spiced and sweet- super delicious and I’ve never had anything like it before. It is lightly caffeinated, in case you’re trying to stay away from that.

The decorations are very much Ethiopian, and there’s a tea service set up in the far corner of the restaurant, although I’ve never actually seen it used, so it might just be for display, but it really adds to the authentic African experience.

The staff is always so kind and nice. The booths are comfortable. I’ve never had to wait any time I’ve visited, but it’s also never been empty.

Make sure to bring cash, as they do not...