Kat N.

This was my second visit to Sankofa Cafe but my first experience dining there. It's a cute little place in a part of town that most people might decline to visit based on the address alone--but both times I went (once in the summer, once in early November, both times after dark) I felt perfectly safe. It's on a quiet corner surrounded mostly by homes (granted, not fancy homes) and has a small parking lot as well as parking on the street. The menu is limited but if you want delicious, well-prepared Jamaican food you will not find it lacking. The prices are VERY reasonable--three of us ate for $19.50 before tip--and the portions are generous. Food arrived quickly and was nice and hot. I chose the curry chicken. Like the other entrees it came with "two sides" and a generic dinner roll. The two sides available are red beans & rice and steamed cabbage. A few more "sides" choices would have been nice, but the chicken itself was so delicious I was not about to complain. Falling-off-the-bone tender, and spicy enough to please my palate but not too spicy for lightweights. My friend (she's picky) had the brown stew chicken and enjoyed it. My husband had an "appetizer" of jerk chicken (basically an entree w/o the sides). It was drier than my curry but simply heavenly. Another member of our party ordered goat curry and while I did not ask him directly how his dish was, his plate was cleaned rapidly. Service is mom-and-pop-style friendly. You'll feel more like a guest in the owner's home rather than a customer. Full bar, reasonably priced drinks. Sankofa Cafe is also positioning itself as a destination for live reggae music. They have a lovely (if somewhat primitive) back deck with a nice stage that hosted international reggae legend Everton Blender earlier this year, and another concert featuring Turbulence. The deck is being sealed up with tarpaulins so it can be heated and used in the winter months. The local reggae band that played indoors on my most recent visit was great: not too loud, and the owner was obviously glad that our group was there dancing and enjoying the evening. Fantastic food, welcoming service, great music--what's NOT to love about Sankofa Cafe? I guess the address, if you're timid.