OMG!! When I tell you the food is OUTSTANDING and so flavorful, I mean it!! Spoke to the chef to let her know how much we loved our choices. I will have to make this a must-visit restaurant each time I'm up from Seattle!! Sure would be nice to have one there!!
May Y.
I would NOT recommend this restaurant. The food was average for being really expensive (averaging $20-29/dish). The waitress was also not friendly and the menu was confusing. I got the chicken dibi ($22) that was just chicken with onions. On the menu, it said you could do fries for (+$1), plantains (+$1) and rice ($+1). I asked for plantains and fries, assuming each one was only a dollar more. Had I known I could only choose one of the options, I wouldn't have added the extra, which was a basket of fries for $10. The waitress should have clarified that it would be an additional charge of $10, and when I told her about it, she looked indifferent. Her attitude was just unfriendly. We also got the chicken yassa ($20) that was literally just chicken and onions. The food tasted like you could get it at a food cart for half the price. There wasn't anything that tasted spectacular. My friends got the chicken dibi, okra stew, and seasoned rice and said they were on the salty side. The 1 star is for the ambiance. I really liked the hanging plants and the interior was nice. The space was also clean. The big warehouse-looking front door was uninviting though.
Poppy W.
I would give this restaurant 5 stars except for the service. Food was great . There was 4 of us and we all enjoyed our meals and appetizers. The samosa's were fabulous. The green spicy sauce is so yummy. The issue was with service . I've worked in the service industry for 35 years so I'm speaking from experience and from the heart so hopefully they work on it. Apps came with no sharing plates. Food runner that dropped apps said he would be right back with them. Never did. I flagged our server down ( different person) and asked for some. It took her a REALLY long time to bring them . Next was once or water glasses were filled after starting the night no one ever refilled them. I was out of water . We did not have a bottle on the table like others did. Mains came out before anyone bussed the table so they didn't have enough room and were clumsily trying to pull stuff off and put plates down. No foresight. Last was no dessert was ever offered and we had to flag server again and ask for more cocktails. I will say she was very nice and i honestly think she just doesn't have the training / experience yet. I don't blame her they just need to work on doing better. Maybe this will give upper management some insight.
Andrea B.
My first and definitely not last time trying west African food. This place was amazing. I got the Riz gras with lamb and omg it was delicious. The rice was so fragrant and even the salad was amazing. I got a side of Akadi sauce for the rice and potatoes and it was AMAZING. Service was great and the interior is beautiful!
Mona Tong
Overall Thoughts: AKADI PDX is a well-worth experience all around— great food, flavors, service, and ambience. The food isn’t specific to any one West African cuisine, but features prominent dishes and blends from many West African countries. The interior is spacious and decorated gorgeously. The service was great— my server helped answer all my questions and the food came out quite quickly. The ambience is also immaculate— when I was there around 7:15pm, they had a sax player playing live music. It’s pricey for sure, but worth the splurge in my opinion. I only wish I came with a group so that I could try more dishes!Food I tried:- Lamb Egusi Stew with Corn Fufu (4.6/5): A very meat-forward dish, but wow the lamb was so tender and fell right off the bone. The spices in the stew were flavorful, rich, and earthy. It paired pretty well with the corn fufu, which was stiffer than other fufus I’ve had before. I think white rice would’ve been a better choice, but the fufu was still good.- Kumasi Mocktail (4/5): This tasted good, but for mostly ice and a small drink, it was definitely not worth $10.—Price (relative to peers): 4.3/5Food: 4.4/5Service: 4.9/5Overall Value: 4.6/5
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mona T.
Overall Thoughts: Akadi PDX is a well-worth experience all around-- great food, flavors, service, and ambience. The food isn't specific to any one West African cuisine, but features prominent dishes and blends from many West African countries. The interior is spacious and decorated gorgeously. The service was great-- my server helped answer all my questions and the food came out quite quickly. The ambience is also immaculate-- when I was there around 7:15pm, they had a sax player playing live music. It's pricey for sure, but worth the splurge in my opinion. I only wish I came with a group so that I could try more dishes! Food I tried: - Lamb Egusi Stew with Corn Fufu (4.6/5): A very meat-forward dish, but wow the lamb was so tender and fell right off the bone. The spices in the stew were flavorful, rich, and earthy. It paired pretty well with the corn fufu, which was stiffer than other fufus I've had before. I think white rice would've been a better choice, but the fufu was still good. - Kumasi Mocktail (4/5): This tasted good, but for mostly ice and a small drink, it was definitely not worth $10. -- Price (relative to peers): 4.3/5 Food: 4.4/5 Ambience: 5/5 Service: 4.9/5 Overall Value: 4.6/5
Nicki I.
Akadi was one of the absolute best meals I've had in my entire life. I had the vegan peanut butter stew and it was incredible, I can't wait to go back again to try more food. I also tried both types of wings and both were amazing. The service was top notch. I ordered a cocktail, and as soon as they brought it out, I accidentally bumped it and knocked it over. They immediately brought me another cocktail, which they totally did not need to do, it was my fault that I knocked it over. But I really appreciated it! I went with a group of six girlfriends and everybody raved about their meals.
West Liberty
Holyyyyyy this place is good. Best jollof rice I’ve ever had. The atmosphere is incredible. So dang cute. The staff were very kind and accommodating to get us in even on a busy night. 10/10 would recommend. I will definitely be coming back every time I’m in PDX.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Michele R.
Sooooo delicious!!!! Soooo glad my friend from San Diego recommended it from istragram!!! Love it!! Service was wonderful even being short staffed and the atmosphere was popping!!! Beautiful plants and amazing people !!! Thank you for the amazing food!!!
Katie Wicks
Such a great experience! Excellent food and genuinely friendly staff. Will absolutely return and would recommend to anyone.
We came when there was an awesome band apparently they're there Wed and Thurs 6-9. They played great music and added to the wonderful atmosphere. We tried the poisson Frit with Akkiete it was fantastic, and the jolof rice with oxtail. I'm a HUGE plantain lover and I'm so happy they had them. The drinks were a hit as well I highly suggest the Yop city and the Freetown. We will be back! Y'all did not disappoint. Thank you!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish, Nokoss Wings
Crystal Ann Ghanem
Stop 3 on the Restauranteur Explorators trying all the restaurants we keep saying we are going to! @akadipdx was picked out of the hat and I'm SO glad it was!!KELEWELE Plantains were spectacularJolof coconut rice was delish - I had the oxtail but going to try the lamb next time as it was hard to get to all the meat in the oxtail bone.Mafe peanut stew was great but a bit heavy so definitely recommend sharing!Pepper Soup was by far my favorite - so flavorful with just the right amount of spice.I really love how easy it was to order since everything was labeled for my gluten and dairy free self!Beautiful atmosphere Delicious food Kind service
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Stella Starika
Very poor customer service. There needs to be a lot of training starting from the Barman/bar lady to know the drinks they are selling. How can someone not know Amarula when the bottle was right behind him. We paid for VIP seating but got kicked out because apparently the tables very reserved….duh! If possible I would have them a -1
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Alex P
Words cannot express how amazing this meal was! From start to finish, I was blown away. They have live music on Thursdays, beautiful artwork, and fantastic staff. I ended up ordering more food to go at the end! I’m still craving the desserts!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Suya Chicken Wings, Jolof Meal, Fried Plantains, Attieke Poisson or Poulet
OMG!! When I tell you the food is OUTSTANDING and so flavorful, I mean it!! Spoke to the chef to let her know how much we loved our choices. I will have to make this a must-visit restaurant each time I'm up from Seattle!! Sure would be nice to have one there!!
I would NOT recommend this restaurant. The food was average for being really expensive (averaging $20-29/dish). The waitress was also not friendly and the menu was confusing. I got the chicken dibi ($22) that was just chicken with onions. On the menu, it said you could do fries for (+$1), plantains (+$1) and rice ($+1). I asked for plantains and fries, assuming each one was only a dollar more. Had I known I could only choose one of the options, I wouldn't have added the extra, which was a basket of fries for $10. The waitress should have clarified that it would be an additional charge of $10, and when I told her about it, she looked indifferent. Her attitude was just unfriendly. We also got the chicken yassa ($20) that was literally just chicken and onions. The food tasted like you could get it at a food cart for half the price. There wasn't anything that tasted spectacular. My friends got the chicken dibi, okra stew, and seasoned rice and said they were on the salty side. The 1 star is for the ambiance. I really liked the hanging plants and the interior was nice. The space was also clean. The big warehouse-looking front door was uninviting though.
I would give this restaurant 5 stars except for the service. Food was great . There was 4 of us and we all enjoyed our meals and appetizers. The samosa's were fabulous. The green spicy sauce is so yummy. The issue was with service . I've worked in the service industry for 35 years so I'm speaking from experience and from the heart so hopefully they work on it. Apps came with no sharing plates. Food runner that dropped apps said he would be right back with them. Never did. I flagged our server down ( different person) and asked for some. It took her a REALLY long time to bring them . Next was once or water glasses were filled after starting the night no one ever refilled them. I was out of water . We did not have a bottle on the table like others did. Mains came out before anyone bussed the table so they didn't have enough room and were clumsily trying to pull stuff off and put plates down. No foresight. Last was no dessert was ever offered and we had to flag server again and ask for more cocktails. I will say she was very nice and i honestly think she just doesn't have the training / experience yet. I don't blame her they just need to work on doing better. Maybe this will give upper management some insight.
My first and definitely not last time trying west African food. This place was amazing. I got the Riz gras with lamb and omg it was delicious. The rice was so fragrant and even the salad was amazing. I got a side of Akadi sauce for the rice and potatoes and it was AMAZING. Service was great and the interior is beautiful!
Overall Thoughts: AKADI PDX is a well-worth experience all around— great food, flavors, service, and ambience. The food isn’t specific to any one West African cuisine, but features prominent dishes and blends from many West African countries. The interior is spacious and decorated gorgeously. The service was great— my server helped answer all my questions and the food came out quite quickly. The ambience is also immaculate— when I was there around 7:15pm, they had a sax player playing live music. It’s pricey for sure, but worth the splurge in my opinion. I only wish I came with a group so that I could try more dishes!Food I tried:- Lamb Egusi Stew with Corn Fufu (4.6/5): A very meat-forward dish, but wow the lamb was so tender and fell right off the bone. The spices in the stew were flavorful, rich, and earthy. It paired pretty well with the corn fufu, which was stiffer than other fufus I’ve had before. I think white rice would’ve been a better choice, but the fufu was still good.- Kumasi Mocktail (4/5): This tasted good, but for mostly ice and a small drink, it was definitely not worth $10.—Price (relative to peers): 4.3/5Food: 4.4/5Service: 4.9/5Overall Value: 4.6/5
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Overall Thoughts: Akadi PDX is a well-worth experience all around-- great food, flavors, service, and ambience. The food isn't specific to any one West African cuisine, but features prominent dishes and blends from many West African countries. The interior is spacious and decorated gorgeously. The service was great-- my server helped answer all my questions and the food came out quite quickly. The ambience is also immaculate-- when I was there around 7:15pm, they had a sax player playing live music. It's pricey for sure, but worth the splurge in my opinion. I only wish I came with a group so that I could try more dishes! Food I tried: - Lamb Egusi Stew with Corn Fufu (4.6/5): A very meat-forward dish, but wow the lamb was so tender and fell right off the bone. The spices in the stew were flavorful, rich, and earthy. It paired pretty well with the corn fufu, which was stiffer than other fufus I've had before. I think white rice would've been a better choice, but the fufu was still good. - Kumasi Mocktail (4/5): This tasted good, but for mostly ice and a small drink, it was definitely not worth $10. -- Price (relative to peers): 4.3/5 Food: 4.4/5 Ambience: 5/5 Service: 4.9/5 Overall Value: 4.6/5
Akadi was one of the absolute best meals I've had in my entire life. I had the vegan peanut butter stew and it was incredible, I can't wait to go back again to try more food. I also tried both types of wings and both were amazing. The service was top notch. I ordered a cocktail, and as soon as they brought it out, I accidentally bumped it and knocked it over. They immediately brought me another cocktail, which they totally did not need to do, it was my fault that I knocked it over. But I really appreciated it! I went with a group of six girlfriends and everybody raved about their meals.
Holyyyyyy this place is good. Best jollof rice I’ve ever had. The atmosphere is incredible. So dang cute. The staff were very kind and accommodating to get us in even on a busy night. 10/10 would recommend. I will definitely be coming back every time I’m in PDX.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sooooo delicious!!!! Soooo glad my friend from San Diego recommended it from istragram!!! Love it!! Service was wonderful even being short staffed and the atmosphere was popping!!! Beautiful plants and amazing people !!! Thank you for the amazing food!!!
Such a great experience! Excellent food and genuinely friendly staff. Will absolutely return and would recommend to anyone.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
We came when there was an awesome band apparently they're there Wed and Thurs 6-9. They played great music and added to the wonderful atmosphere. We tried the poisson Frit with Akkiete it was fantastic, and the jolof rice with oxtail. I'm a HUGE plantain lover and I'm so happy they had them. The drinks were a hit as well I highly suggest the Yop city and the Freetown. We will be back! Y'all did not disappoint. Thank you!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish, Nokoss Wings
Stop 3 on the Restauranteur Explorators trying all the restaurants we keep saying we are going to! @akadipdx was picked out of the hat and I'm SO glad it was!!KELEWELE Plantains were spectacularJolof coconut rice was delish - I had the oxtail but going to try the lamb next time as it was hard to get to all the meat in the oxtail bone.Mafe peanut stew was great but a bit heavy so definitely recommend sharing!Pepper Soup was by far my favorite - so flavorful with just the right amount of spice.I really love how easy it was to order since everything was labeled for my gluten and dairy free self!Beautiful atmosphere Delicious food Kind service
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Very poor customer service. There needs to be a lot of training starting from the Barman/bar lady to know the drinks they are selling. How can someone not know Amarula when the bottle was right behind him. We paid for VIP seating but got kicked out because apparently the tables very reserved….duh! If possible I would have them a -1
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Words cannot express how amazing this meal was! From start to finish, I was blown away. They have live music on Thursdays, beautiful artwork, and fantastic staff. I ended up ordering more food to go at the end! I’m still craving the desserts!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Suya Chicken Wings, Jolof Meal, Fried Plantains, Attieke Poisson or Poulet
Amazing food
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sauce, Suya Chicken Wings, Fish, Fried Plantains, Nokoss Wings