Four Must-Visit African Restaurants

Despite facing a number of challenges, including language barriers and an unfamiliarity with the wide-ranging regional cuisines of the world’s second-largest continent in the U.S., many African immigrants have been able to find success opening food businesses in Denver.

While many African restaurants have long served as places for immigrants to gather and enjoy a taste of home, that's started to change in recent years. Aghanom Alnaz, the head chef and owner of Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant, says that her customer base has expanded far beyond the Ethiopian community. "Especially now…we [serve] so many types of people," she notes. Alnaz and her staff pride themselves on serving “food made from scratch that is natural, tasty and fresh," she says, which is a sentiment echoed by other owners of African eateries in the metro area.

Here are four restaurants where you can get a taste of African fare in Denver:
African Grill and Bar
955 South Kipling Parkway, Lakewood
303-985-4497
africangrilllakewood.com
At this family-owned restaurant run by Sylvester Osei-Fordwuo and his wife, Theodora, the menu is not limited to a specific African region. Instead, it offers a variety of foods from across the continent. Enjoy West African staples like fufu, a starchy side dish made from pounded cassava or yams; and jollof rice, a heavily spiced dish made with tomatoes and chiles. Keep moving down the continent (and the menu) for South African pap — porridge made from ground corn — and chakalaka, a flavorful stew of spiced beans and vegetables. The restaurant also regularly hosts entertainment including live music, drummers and dancers.

Akwaba Restaurant
16251 East Colfax Avenue, Aurora
720-467-2329
facebook.com/akwabarestaurant1
The cozy feel and inviting ambience of Akwaba captures your heart before you even place your order. With melodic tunes playing through the restaurant and friendly employees, it is no surprise that this spot is so loved by its customers. While owner Linda Essoh is originally from Côte d’Ivoire, she explains that the restaurant’s menu transcends all of West Africa, taking inspiration from places like Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal. Some of the standout dishes here are the crispy red snapper, goat stew, and an Ivorian-style gumbo called kplala.

Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant
7401 East Colfax Avenue
720-465-9883
lucyrestaurant.net
The star of the show at Lucy is the injera, which not only acts as an accompaniment to most Ethiopian dishes, but also as a vehicle for eating. Its pleasant spongy texture and unique sour flavor enhance meals like beef tibs (chunks of beef cooked with onion, garlic, jalapeños and spiced butter) and doro wot (a heavily spiced, bright-red chicken stew).

Maandeeq East Africa Restaurant
1535 South Havana Street, Aurora
303-745-2355
maandeeqrestaurantcafe.com
Mandeeq is one of a handful of African restaurants located On Havana Street, a global business district in Aurora and one of the most diverse areas in the city for diners to explore. It specializes in Somali and halal cuisine, with options like a fried fish of the day, goat stew and fall-off-the-bone-tender lamb shank. As is traditional in Somalia, most meals are served with a banana, which offers a sweet balance to the savory, spiced fare.