Calabash African Cuisine & Bar

After hearing rave reviews from a few friends, I decided to visit Calabash African Cuisine and Bar while I was in Alexandra this weekend, eager to see what the hype was all about. I must say, I was truly impressed! The restaurant boasts a unique decor and a welcoming ambiance that immediately made me feel at ease. The staff were professional yet warm, embodying the best of African hospitality. For my meal, I went with a quick take out lunch option: Waakye with assorted meats, accompanied by a side of salad, Red-Red with fried plantain, and topped off with a light soup. Every bite was absolutely delicious. What stood out to me was the restaurant’s creative twist—pairing these traditional dishes with Caribbean flavors. The jerk chicken that accompanied the Waakye was a delightful fusion that I thoroughly enjoyed. Kudos to the team at Calabash for such a fantastic culinary experience! I’ll definitely be returning with friends to explore more of the menu.

- Akua -

I had the stew beef with fufu and my friend had the spinach stew with beef. Amazing! the food was amazing.

- Muhubo Sheikh-Salah -

The food is delicious! I was a little concerned from some of the negative Google reviews, but they are just wrong. The service was great, the portion sizes were great, plenty of greens in my girlfriends spinach stew haha. I had the chicken and the literally award winning jollof rice that lived up to the hype. Clean restaurant with really great service, great atmosphere, great music and decor.

- Con Wren -

I’ve seen this place many times and was always curious to try it out. I finally went and have been hooked! The service is top tier and super hospitable. The hosts are super friendly and even educated me on their different entrees and how to properly prepare/eat meals with fufu. The female host was even nice enough to give me samples of food that I haven’t tried before. The food is very flavorful and came out piping hot, just how I like it. I had the egusi with chicken, okra stew with beef, waakye, and plantains. This place is a must try!

- Jazlyn Keating -

Boyfriend and I stopped in to try Ghanaian food for the first time. We ordered the egusi (spinach stew) with beef, jollof with fried fish, and fufu in peanut soup with chicken. It was a bit of a wait for the food because they had to make more fufu (about 30 min) but we had no problem waiting. And boy was it WORTH it. I was a little nervous I wouldn't like the fufu since I'd never had it before but it was SO YUMMY!!!! The peanut soup was flavorful, a bit spicy, and had a richness to it. The egusi was full of tasty vegetables and big chunks of beef. I was torn between if the egusi or the fufu was my favorite. Both were amazing. You can tell the ingredients are fresh, and the food is seasoned expertly. The portions are also really generous. Above all that, the waitress was so so sweet too. Best kind of service (and I don't even prioritize service when I go to restaurants usually).

- Zarin B -

Lets start off with that they serve Ghanaian African cuisine. The food is truly fulfilling, tasty and well seasoned. There's a bar to sit at also the atmosphere is really nice, cute, and laid back it's perfect for a date, or hanging with friends or to eat solo. The staff is very attentive and polite and you feel like family. You get enough food for the price you pay. I try to frequent this spot whenever im out Alexandria VA. I Love Calabash

- Joyce A -

I have been eating at Calabash since it first opened and have never had a bad meal, and I have eaten everything on the menu. The owners, management, and service staff are exceptional! One of my favorite meals of all time is peanut butter soup with fufu and an Orijin( tasty alcohol beverage from Africa) on the side.

- Walter Wright -

This was my first time trying West African cuisine, and it was absolutely divine! We had the jollof rice with chicken and the fufu with beef— both were full of rich, bold flavor. Truly chef’s kiss . The mocktails were super refreshing (and pretty look at too haha! ) . The staff were incredibly friendly and made us feel so welcome. 10/10- I can’t wait to come back

- Raana Behbahani -