Grand Rapids Restaurant Guide

I've been enjoying the cuisine at Little Africa ever since it opened and have to wonder where the other reviewers were eating. . . the food is absolutely the BEST Ethiopian food I've ever had. The injera bread is fantastic, it's never once broken apart. The prices are more than reasonable and the atmosphere is laid back and relaxing. It's not like going to some over sanitized chain restaurant that's uber clean and reeks of air fresheners. [did you know they are loaded with formaldehyde and pesticides? Well, they are] When I go out to eat I want to smell the food, not fake flowers or ocean breezes! I've also never seen a roach, but even if I did, it wouldn't stop me from returning. Roaches are everywhere. Most restaurants spray pesticides. Where do you think that ends up? That's right all over the pots, pans, dishes and silverware and in to your food. I'd rather see a roach than eat poison. Lou is a wonderful host and cook. I so appreciate him for sharing a bit of his culture.

Excellent food! Food quality was great and the taste was wonderful. The place is very plain, but clean. I brought my 3 teenage kids and they LOVED it. You must know how to eat with the bread or ask questions when you are there. I will definately be going back.

The food here is good--and reasonably priced. He seems to have cleared up all confusion by adding the per-person clarification to combo dishes and tea service.
However the injera (the bread you pick up your food with) is COLD. Cold injera is... well... very off-putting. It changes the consistency, and what should be pliable and warm, allowing you to really scoop your food, becomes brittle and breaks in your hand.
My dining partner couldn't even finish eating because the temperature of the bread made him not want to eat any more.

This restaurant is otherwise an amazing addition to Grand Rapids, but they need to figure out how to serve warm, fresh injera --not just cutting up disks that have been prepared far far in advance.

Awesome restaurant. Great Service. Very friendly dude. Pricing is perfect.

I was regular at one time. The food actually made me feel energized which made me hooked on going there. I'm now in Iraq and will be home soon. I can't wait to try one of the combos.

Great restaurant, and for all the wannabe haters that reviewed the cleanliness or decor badly, they remodeled the whole place this last winter,so you might want to check it out again! the premier ethnic restaurant in town.
j.g.

The food was ok but the guy was weird and at the end of the meal a roach crawled across the table.
We did not go back.

Lou is awesome! The place was a little dirty but once you get past that, the experience is awesome. For our first time, we ordered a pot of tea and a sampler platter. Fun place to go for a date :)

I thought the food was great too - but also, i would appreciate standard prices on the menu. The one time I went there I thought he was just making up the price he gave us...

I read some of the other reviews on here..some people were complaining of the prices???!!! Thats CRAZY!! This place has AMAZING food and is a great price. Lou Rocks! It makes me think people are reviewing the wrong pl;ace. I eat there regularly and it's always yummy. The decore is awful but I don't care cuz the food is FAB. If you can be rustic and like good chow you will love it. .....PS spicy means spicy!

Damn, Lou makes the best food by far in the Grand Rapids area! I happened across this place in a dream and then it became my reality! I highly recommend it but leave your screaming kids at home!

Ok, so my adopted Ethiopian child, Ralphie, and I were passing by and we saw Little Africa's Cafe and were quite pleased...until we went in. This was not authentic at all. Ralph was telling me how he got food like that only around once a month,and the rest of the time he foraged around the garbage dumps collecting scraps. I was appauled by them calling this food authentic, as the portions were way too big. Also, the food looked like giraffe poo on a taco. The giraffe part is probably as close as they got to Africa. The service was horrible as well. Horrible restaurant all around. Little Africa, just quit at life.

This was a great dining experience! Loved it!

The food is excellent. I'd like to go again, but I stopped going because the guy makes up any old price when it's time to pay. For instance, the second time we went, we got the same thing and ended up paying more. The third time we went in, we got less and ended up paying more. I've seen reviews about this place complaining about the same thing, so my husband decided to call him on it. He tried to tell us that because we split the one pot of tea (that says $2 on the menu), it goes to $4. Yes, even though the menu says $2 and we didn't get any more tea. . .it's not like we're taking the extra cup home. Then he told us that the platter we ordered. . .that the waitress specifically told us twice was $8 was $17. He kept making up these invalid excuses because he simply doesn't want to take the time to be honest and do calculations according to the prices stated on the menu. I miss the food. . .it's really great. . .the tea is delicious. . .I'd like to go again but I don't plan to simly because of him making the prices up as he goes along. . .

Having eaten here before with my husband, we took our three teenagers for their experience. We ordered a pot of chai tea to share and one combination platter. Of course, the price of this platter isn't on the menu so we were very surprised to find that Lou charged us $70.00 for the five of us. The food is just too spicy for us even when we ask for it to be less and too pricey for us to eat here again. I'm not happy that he just decides what we are to pay at the end of dinner. Ask for pricing before you order.

Little Africa is a wonderful restaurant for diners who are interested in a unique, fun experience. The decor is not too good, and the building is older and in a bit of disrepair, but the food and service are excellent! I have never had a bad experience with service or cleanliness. The prices are very reasonable also, and the food doesn't seem too "vegetarian"-it's got amazing taste and texture. No rabbit food here! Wonderful spot!

My husband and I decided to try this quaint restaurant on a Friday night. At first there was only one other couple dining; but when we left, the place was packed. Be sure to tell the server your preference on "spicy" dishes, as they were all still too spicy for us, even after we told them to keep it mild. I'd go back again just to try the experience of eating with my hands, using the unique injera bread. Just for the experience, try it...it's not elegant, but very unique. Just a shared sampler is enough to try it at least once...and the tea...really delicious.

i love the food- and come back again and again. sometimes 2 or 3 times a week. the decor is horrid and seems dirty - but the food is so unbelievably fabulous, as well as the tea, that i just cant get enough!

I ate at Little Africa yesterday.. Craving it again today. The food was spectacular, the music incredible and Loul the owner couln't have been sweeter!!! There is a peace and relaxation I experiened there that I have not anywhere else. This is my new hangout. Love it soooooo much!!!!

Little Africa is definitely my favorite restaurant. I usually go about once a week, but I'd eat there every day if I could! Lou is the nicest guy, all I have to do is tell him how many combos I want & he knows exactly what my fav dishes are.
The paintings on the walls and the big booths look so cool, add some hot music and the spiced tea and this is a pretty sweet place to hang out. There's usually outdoor seating available in the summer, too, with more murals a little garden.

Little Africa is a favorite restaurant of our family. The food is delicious, and although it is all vegetarian, we all agree that because of the tastes and textures, you don't even notice that you're not eating meat. Also, Lou is a very friendly guy, and its great to go to a restaurant where the owner always remembers who you are, knows your order, and asks you (by name) about your family members who are not there. I love it!

Little Africa is an amazing, delicious restaurant! I first ate there a few months ago and have been going almost once a week ever since. The flavors are amazing--they are like nothing I've ever tasted before. And the prices are so cheap. My girlfriend and I usually split a three-item combo, which is just under $7, plus extra injera bread, which I believe is 65 cents. It's just under $4 for the both of us. I highly recommend Lou and Little Africa.

well, I used to drive to chicago and enjoy all those ethinic food, the one I very much missed in europe during my long stay. I went to Little Africa, Ethiopia Rest. It was great change for me from the fast food and all those fat foods. I love the food in ethiopian rest., enjoyed the tea, and had great time with similar diners. Will go back soon. Jay

A great Ethiopian restuarant that happens to be vegetarian, also. If meat does not matter, then the testimony from my vegetarian sister who has eaten at over a dozen Ethiopian restuarants should count for something. Either way, she rates this as her favorite or second favorite Ethiopian restaurant. And to think, this is in Grand Rapids. Ask for the specials. The tea is fabulous. This place is highly recommended.

Lou, the owner serves you and is a very nice guy. The building is comfortable, the service is relaxed and laid back. Food is great and Lou is very willing to accommodate you as to how spicy (or not) you want your meal. I give it 4 stars!

A friend and I were looking for a vegan restaurant and found Little Africa. When we first walked in we felt as if we stepped into the seventies. The place needs a good cleaning and dusting. Reassuring my friend that the food would compensate for the poor decor, we proceeded to order. We recieved our food with no problem, but however, when the meal was just about over,my friend said, "What the hell is that"? I looked down at what she was looking at and there was a disgusting roach by my plate of food. We could not pay the bill fast enough. We were so disgusted we did not dispute the bill, we just wanted to get the hell out.

I like to try new places and this place is one I would not revisit.

Excellent Ethiopian cuisine. Besides the menu items, we were offered a sampler selection for 2 people. It was served on the traditional injera and everything tasted great! Compares well to other Ethiopian restaurants. However, there are only vegetarian selections, no meat dishes, which would be lovely. If they added doro wat, or any other meat dishes to the menu we'd be back much more often.