Little Africa Cuisine in Grand Rapids - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Wonderful Ethiopian food! Try the soy curry.

The food is excellent and the price is good. I think the entire menu is vegan and vegetarian as far as I could tell.

Divine delicious and nutricious. Excellent service. Thank you.

An amazing experience for a family meal. The staff was so lovely, they went above and beyond to ensure we enjoyed the experience. Thank you so much.

The food is excellent. We got the platter for 4, and no one left hungry. The spiced tea is sooooo good. I believe that everything is gluten free.

I was recommended this place by my fitness trainer, and I'm glad that he did. The food was great, and I'm in love with season tea. Will go back

Food’s excellent with customer service! Definitely recommend :)

Without a doubt, some of the best ethiopian food I have ever had. The tea was delicious and sweet. The tomato soup was spicy and comforting. I shared a combo platter with my partner, and everything was a 10/10. The injera is more crepe like then what I've had in the past, and I really enjoyed it. Didn't get a photo of the food, but I just loved the orange and yellow Hughes of their glassware.

Ethnic finger food. Great people/delicious food/fun experience! Atmosphere is simple but cozy. Two of us got the deluxe platter and left full-and took the left over soup home. Will definitely go back again!

Food and service was amazing! Highly recommend the combo platter.

Delicious and authentic cuisine. Yummy!

Cash only; go for comfort vegetarian food and the best tea ever tasted

The atmosphere in this place was delightful and very cozy. The food was delicious and very inexpensive. I would highly recommend coming here!

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Grand Rapids. I've brought many non-vegans here, and they've all loved it too. The atmosphere is very cozy and home-y, and the food is always amazing. Make sure to try the tea!

You get a lot of good quality food for a low price, the tea is amazing, and the owners are friendly. Listen, regardless of what the menu or other reviews say, the business is not cash only, you can pay with card. Little Africa accepts credit, debit, and cash. I'm not sure about any other forms of payments.

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 take cc’s 😉.

When they say its mild spiciness levels it is NOT mild! Otherwise pretty good, I’m quite picky so I disliked most of the dips, bit the injera was amazing! All the food is vegan and the injera (similar to a sour crepe) was soo stretchy, after a lifetime of dealing with non-stretch tortillas it was so fascinating finding stretchy bread!

Very flavorful. We enjoyed the spice level and authentic flavors.

amazing food and amazing service my favorite restaurant in the city :)

The meal was excellent and the service was good. Everything was fresh, presented beautifully, and perfectly spiced. Reasonable prices and such a charming hole in the wall atmosphere make this a place worth frequenting.

I’ve been going here since I was a kid. One of my favorite places to go! Love the owners and I hope this place stays around. A great place to eat if you’re vegan/vegetarian or just looking to try something new and support a local black owned business 💖

So delicious… went for a casual dinner with a friend and found our new favorite spot. Very authentic, food is wonderfully prepared and perfectly spiced. Food is spice-hot so be warned, that being said, try the spicy tomato soup (you won’t regret it)

Everything was beyond delicious. One can taste all the love put into this food, without a doubt. I live on the other side of the state, and would make the ~3 hour drive out to GR, just for this place. Will be back SOON

Peaceful, delicious & authentic.

Food is always amazing - top tier vegetarian fare. And their tea must have a little magic in it. Soo good.

Great delicious authentic food! It felt like you were eating a meal at someone’s house. Little hidden dive close to down town. Very kind sweet woman who ran the restaurant. We went with our kids and friends. Other families were there too. Highly recommend for an authentic. Ethiopian experience. Thanks for a great lunch!

Cozy little spot with incredible vegan options. We got the combo platter with soup and tea and everything was great! We'll definitely be going back and hope to share this experience with family and friends.

Tried going here for lunch on a Tuesday at 12:15PM and they were not open even though their hours said they should be open. Frustrating as we paid for parking first! I have been here before, and the food is great-- just wish the owners took the hours more seriously and didn't just decide to show up whenever is convenient to them...

Be sure to call to see if they're open if you're coming between lunch and dinner. Today we went during what was supposed to be open hours and they weren't open. It's understandable they're not open between lunch and dinner, but the posted hours should reflect that so people don't come for nothing. But, we love the food at this place. So delicious, and definitely worth a stop.

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 hours to spare.

Favorite restaurant in the world! Been going since ~2005 🥹 Absolutely delicious and v affordable. Expect a down to earth experience and bring cash or check. :)

We LOVE Little Africa’s Ethiopian food!!! It’s the best with quick service and many combination options for the vegan specialties served on injera bread. The quiet ambiance is always relaxing, and the spiced tea is wonderful!

Delicious and amazing vegan food just off Wealthy street! We ordered the vegan platter and were so happy to feed the two of us lots of yummy hot stews and delicious injera. We loved the water bowls for dipping our hands-- such a fun place to eat!

Wonderful, especially if you adhere to vegetarian diet. The African tea is a treat. We went on a hot afternoon and the place was not air-conditioned, yet comfortable enough to enjoy our meal

*Delicious* food, amazing people and service. Everything is gluten-free and vegan except the bread.

Lived in GR for 3 years and been trying to find a favorite restaurant. This is it! Delicious food, not a long wait, friendly staff.

Vegan and gluten-free. Delicious vegan Ethiopian food and gluten-free if you order the 100%teff injera. The restaurant has not been updated, but the prices are good and the owner is friendly.

CASH ONLY establishment. Other than that, everything about this restaurant was SO GOOD. I got the two person platter and the sever was so accommodating by asking if we liked spicy foods or not. My friend did, so there were a couple of options that were spicy, but not overly spicy. More on the mild side. I'll definitely be coming here more often when I can. It's well worth trying out.

This place is so good and the people who run it are fantastic.

As a non-vegetarian myself, I can honestly say that the soy curry left me not missing the meat. The bread is simply amazing and the staff is sweet and attentive. Definitely will be back.

Very delicious and filling food, tasted as great as it looked. There was only one worker when we visited and she did an incredible job, was polite and worked as fast as she could. They're tea was likely the best I've ever had, and they had great mango juice as well. We bought their coffee grounds which we'll try tomorrow morning. I would definitely recommend trying this place and leaving the worker the big tip she deserves.

I've been there often. Never disappointed

Amazing food. All vegan options, and I believe it was cash only while I was there. So plan ahead on the cash. That said, even if you aren't vegan the food here is top notch. The place could use a little sprucing up, but didn't feel dirty or uncomfortable. Highly recommended!

It’s smaller inside, 8 tables, 7 of them are booths. Non-descript exterior. Odd to hear country station playing in the background. Very odd. The waiter came or our table with a tray with two glasses of water, he didn’t put them on our table and waited for us to grab them ourselves. He asked if we wanted something to drink. I asked ro confirm the deluxe combo platter is the group platter with added soup and a drink. He replied yes. I asked the female staff member to make sure they accept credit cards, since we heard and saw several customers pay with cash. We ordered the deluxe combo platter with lentil soup and seasoned tea for me and a seasoned tea for my husband and a spicy tomato soup for him. We ended up ordering a one person combo with 4 items: Mesir, Shiro, Azifa and Soy Curry. It comes with more injera. The first deluxe platter was not enough food. The one person combo portion was almost double the portions of the deluxe combo platter. The seasoned tea is intensely sweet, not for me. Have a whole pot even. I will stick to water then. I asked if I could get an unsweetened seasoned tea. The unsweetened is leas sweet, but still not so good either. The spicy tomato has a nice kick to it, it’s good. It’s more flavorful than the lentil soup. The lentil soup is super green, has a couple of bay leaves in it. The taste is distinct, takes some getting used to, but it’s okay. Miso bowls of warm water to wash your hands before the meal comes out. 5 pieces of a quarter of an injera. The entree portions are super small here, half of what we get back at home even and for two people too. Don’t come here hungry and of course there is no refills at all. $18.50 per person for a platter of what looks like would be enough for one person, not two people. Seems crazy that each item costs $8 a piece. The injera is good, nice and spongey and slightly sour too. Some parts of it is a bit crusty, but still good. The Mesir, Shiro, Azifa and the soy curry were decent, a double portion would have made more sense for the two of us. The rest were so-so and not so notable. We are both finally full after a deluxe combo platter and one person combo platter. Food wasn’t too bad, would stick to the 4 items for a repeat. Service was okay, the woman was much warmer and friendlier to us. Get the spicy tomato, it’s flavored packed and worth the try. Skip the seasoned tea. I would probably give it 3.5 stars, not quite a 4 since the portions are super small and I wasn’t a fan of the lentil soup, seasoned tea and only 4 of the dishes was notable.

LOVE eating here! The flavors are amazing. We always order the platter and enjoy the variety of flavors and textures. Been eating here for over a decade. I love eating vegetarian or vegan so this hits the spot for me. The food is consistent and so delish. Always leave STUFFED and HAPPY :) The Ethiopian tea is so yum! I can't enjoy it as often as I would like since caffeine keeps me awake and we always eat here at dinner time. Must stop for lunch to enjoy the tea too.

The combo platter (a good amount for two hungry people) and tea were absolutely incredible! Best eating-out experience I've had in a long time.

Loved this food, I didn't know the food serverd was vegetarian when I went in. but, the taste exceeded my expectations.

The food was absolutely amazing! Visit Little Africa if you want authentic Ethiopian cuisine and warm service.

Phenomenal. This place is perfect. The environment is super low-key, and the service is warm and friendly. The food was outrageously delicious and at a great price. Go for the combo platter, it’s amazing! There’s a reason the reviews for this spot are so good. Believe the hype!

Went here on a Saturday night at 6:30 and were seated immediately, though most tables were full. No loud music and very spacious for a small restaurant. Two in our party were familiar with Ethiopian food and two weren't. Such an enjoyable dinner! The combo platter ($12.50/person) was the perfect amount of food for four people, and everything was delicious. The tea was super flavorful. And they now accept credit cards! I would happily return again next time I'm in the area.

Our first time here and we would very much recommend!! My boyfriend and I popped in for lunch and got the plater to share along with coffee and tea. Everything was so good and the service was great too, we will be coming back when we’re in town again.

The food is so good. Best Ethiopian place we’ve eaten at including Chicago. Our favorite restaurant in Grand Rapids

Good food at an unbelievable price !

I try to stop here whenever I drive through Grand Rapids. Food is consistently good. I've been stopping once every couple years over the past eight years or so. I live in northern Michigan. I usually order the vegetarian sampler for one to go, never been disappointed. Affordable Ethiopian food fix. Cash only I think.

Their food is really good and they're so friendly!👍

Ordered the hot tomato soup and tea to start. Both were fantastic. Got a sampler platter and thoroughly enjoyed it. Great dining experience

I like the idea of this place. I like the community platter that you can share. I loved the tea and guava juice. I got the platter that had a little bit of everything, I didn't love everything but i liked a lot of the food. I didn't love the bread, It has a certain bitterness to it that just doesn't sit right with my palette. I enjoyed the experience and had a surprisingly really good salad.

So happy we stumbled in here for lunch! You can get a group platter for however many people, which was great so we could try everything!! Each dish was fresh and flavorful. Great vegan option - we do not usually eat vegan but left very full and satisfied. Kind service as well. Cash only!

Interesting food at great prices, with very good service and a unique, enjoyable atmosphere.

Cash only, delicious choices, friendly service.

As a chef’s daughter, I can honestly say this restaurant has FANTASTIC food and amazing service. Everything is vegan with excellent flavor, one hell of a talented chef. They offer dine in and takeout. If you are interested in trying something different, definitely check this place out.

Very vegetarian friendly. Excellent restaurant. Almost never a wait, and the portions are generous for what they charge. I've never regretted dining there.

Fantastic food at a little hole-in-a-wall, family-run place. The flavors are just so vibrant that you won't miss the meat in this vegan restaurant. Loved the firfir in particular as well as the Ethiopian lentil soup. Do yourself a favor and order a pot of the seasoned tea -- it is so good. Dine-in area is somewhat cozy, but it is clean and comfortable. Service is friendly and helpful in case you need help ordering.

Believe the hype. Every entree is great. Hey the sample platter, you won't regret it.

Little Africa Cuisine was a delightful find on our visit to Grand Rapids. Our shared dinner was an Ethiopian styled dinner served with delicious injera (bread) that allowed us to scoop up flavorful bites. The meal offered so many unique flavors that makes a place like Little Africa Cuisine so special. I highly recommend the tea served with dinner, it is a slightly sweet spiced tea that I could not get enough of. Little Africa Cuisine is a cash only restaurant, and there is a nearby ATM. I highly recommend coming here for a wonderful and unique eating experience.

Delicious, cozy, & well run. Great little hole in the wall and plenty of food.

My new favorite spot in grand rapids

Amazing vegan food. So much flavor. The owner is very friendly. Cash only though.

Seriously the most exquisite food! We had the platter which was the most fun dish ever, got to try everything and the teff bread totally blew us away! Highly recommend and can’t wait to go back!

Sooo Good! I recommend the group platter at spiced tea. 2yr old approved.

Authentic all be it a bit run down Ethiopian. Don’t expect a ton of service. Food was good. We ordered a mixed plate so got a bunch of stuff served on spunky bread.

ALL VEGAN!! CASH ONLY. We got the spicy tomato soup and one person platter (4 choices). The food was good. I’m glad we got takeout because the soup was a little too chunky for my liking so I put it in a blender.

Great food and prices, service was prompt. They don’t take care here though (at least at the time we went in July 2022)

Great, homemade style Ethiopian cuisine. Food is vegan and gluten free, but you wouldn't know it from the taste. Owners are friendly people. Tea is to die for. Great experience and somewhat of a hole in the wall. Love it there!

Some treasures are found when you least expect to find them. This Ethiopian restaurant is a small, family run place offering great cuisine that we least expected to find in Grand Rapids. Most or all of their food is vegetarian and the dishes are unique and traditionally served on injera, wheat crepes. The tea was delightful. They are well located in the downtown area. Note that they accept cash only, which was fine with us.

This place was amazing! The customer service was great and everything was delicious. They had options for my vegetarian and gluten free family members. I wish we lived closer so we could coke back here, we truly love the food and experience.

My mom and I go here all the time. At least once or twice a month or even more depending on the time. Thier food is super good and we can't go wrong with anything on the menu. We usually get the combo for two which feeds us both and we usually have leftovers too. If you are going here you have to get the tea, it's amazing and will not compare to anything else. The coffee is also really good. I can't say anything about the small husband and wife restaurant. It's the best food ever.

Love this place food is so good

This is the very best restaurant in Grand Rapids. Everything is vegan, they do have gluten free bread, and the tea is out of this world! He recently updated getting new & more tables, tablecloth's and glass tops. Eating here is about the experience. As this is traditional Ethiopian food with no flatware.

Amazing food, great service, and extremely clean environment. The picture doesn’t do it justice. I ordered three items, Gomem, Kik, and Soy Curry. Each was delicious, but the spices balanced one another out beautifully. Will definitely be returning!

If I could give this place a zero I would. They have no signs anywhere stating they do not take cash. Very inconvenient to go down the street to Family Fare to the ATM. The guy who took our order was very rude and unprofessional. While we were asking questions about different foods and prices, he kept cutting us off and getting loud. He kept asking “Do you understand”. Acted as if he was annoyed or did not have patient with us. The food was extremely cold. Please go somewhere else to spend your money. This place is not it.

The food is fresh incredibly delicious! The owners are so very nice. So glad to have found this little gem!

Delicious vegan food made and served with love. Take cash, no cards.

The food & service was outstanding! The waitress & chef were so nice. The tea was so flavorful & the spicy tomato soup was to DIE FOR. I highly recommend!

Met a friend here for dinner and I was absolutely amazed by the food. So much flavor and such a good experience. While the food and service was amazing, I throughly enjoyed the tea. It is the BEST tea I’ve ever had in my life. I even bought a package of tea to go!!! Please give this restaurant a try. It’s quaint, and personable. You cannot go wrong!

Amazing food like always, coffee was incredible. Cash only

This place is amazing! They are such sweet people and you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. We split a group platter and it was so fresh and flavorful. Can't wait to go back the next time we are in town!

Wonderful environment and atmosphere. I hear they have specialty coffee cuisine tastings that my wife and I are planning on doing someday but I think the food is great and the hospitality is fantastic as well

Great food, small family run business. Our first time having Ethiopian food and we loved it! Highly recommend this place, great service and good prices.

So cute and so delicious. The man cooking our food was so nice and literally made us the best food we've ever had. Do yourself a favor and at least check it out! Affordable too!

The best Ethiopian- go to for years on end, so nourishing and healthy

The most cozy little authentic hole in the wall experience. There was just one person seating, taking orders, and cooking when we were there but it was a great food and good service

At this point, its been quite a few years since I was here, but it was one of the best meals Ive ever eaten in my life. It was good enough im writing this review about a meal I had probably close to 14 years ago.

Everything about our experience was wonderful--friendly staff, quick and delicious food, and at an extremely affordable price. We can see why this place is so highly recommended!

Very happy with little africa, I got the sampler for 2 and tea, it was very good. Will be back.

Little Africa is a family place serving delicious vegan meals. I am not even a vegan and I love their food. The owner works there. He is kind. You will love it..

Best Ethiopian in town and I love Lou!

I always go to Little Africa when I want some tasty food with interesting spices and healthy vegan options. The service is excellent and we always leave feeling full. I get cravings to eat at this restaurant! Good for takeout too! Wonderful alternative to have in Grand Rapids!

Looks…well, guess you have to get past that. Food , very good, unique opportunity to try a different culture. We tried the combination platter, liked one in particular but don’t remember which one. I’d go back if I could remember which one.

Delicious food & gracious people.