African in Denver

5 Star East African Restaurant

262 Havana St., #E Aurora

720-255-2948

African

African Grill and Bar

955 S. Kipling Parkway Lakewood

303-985-4497

African, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Readers' Choice, Essentials

The menu isn’t limited to a specific African region at this restaurant owned and run by Sylvester Osei-Fordwuo and his wife, Theodora. Instead, it offers a variety of foods from across the continent. If dishes like fufu, South African pap and chakalaka sound unfamiliar, don’t worry: The knowledgeable staff is happy to help guide you, delivering plenty of warm hospitality along the way.

3 articles

Akwaba Restaurant

16251 E. Colfax Ave. Aurora

720-467-2329

African

1 article

The Ethiopian Restaurant

2816 E. Colfax Ave., Denver Capitol Hill/Uptown/City Park

303-322-5939

Ethiopian, African, Recommended, Menu, Readers' Choice

The vibrant exterior of the Ethiopian Restaurant -- painted with the red, green and yellow flag of the namesake country -- makes it clear what cuisine is featured here. Inside, the feast proceeds slowly as the kitchen turns out savory and spicy Ethiopian stews, accompanied by plenty of tart injera bread that diners use to scoop up the dishes. The lentils are a particular standout: garlicky green, spicy red and mild split peas harmonizing in combination. The only drawback to a dinner at the Ethiopian? You may have to wander the neighborhood in search of an ATM when you realize the place is cash-only.

5 articles

Jozi's Kitchen and Shebeen

10971 S. Parker Rd., Parker Southeast Denver Suburbs

303-840-7971

African, Recommended

Jozi's started out as a semi-permanent food shack at the TheBigWonderful in May 2015, but soon hit the streets in a bright red mobile kitchen, introducing South African cuisine to a town where it's such a rarity that the names of the dishes trigger looks of pure bewilderment. In September 2016, owners Angus and John Hicks opened a full-fledged restaurant in Parker, making food so delicious and homey that everyone in the metro area should be a convert. This is food influenced by wave after wave of South African settlers -- Dutch, British, Indian -- as well as indigenous traditions. There's bunny chow (beef or vegetarian curry ladled into a hollowed-out bread loaf), borewors and pap (farm-style sausage served over polenta-like cornmeal), and spiced kebabs called sosatie, sided with saffron rice. The names may be hard to pronounce, but every bite reads as simply delicious.

7 articles

Kin Restaurant

7950 E. Mississippi Ave. East Denver

303-750-0326

African

3 articles

La Guarida Cubana

5922 E. Colfax Ave. East Denver

720-328-6521

African, Afro-Cuban, Cuban, Latin, Latin American, Recommended, Slideshow

La Guarida Cubana opened in the summer of 2012 on a stretch of East Colfax known more for McDonald’s and pot shops than good food. But Lissette and Enrique Rosell, who run this no-frills mom-and-pop joint, are definitely serving good food, authentic Cuban fare that’s made with love, Lissette says. Although the names may not be traditional (coffee and milk rather than café con leche; rice with chicken instead of arroz con pollo), the tastes definitely are. Standouts include the Cuban and Midnight sandwiches and the No. 2 combo plate, featuring “lechon asado,” which also comes with the best sides: moro rice and maduros, soft slices of sweet plantains that are fried until dark brown on the edges, sugars transformed into caramelesque chewiness. Although there are a few misses on the menu (and no tres leches cake at all!), there’s a lot to love here.

3 articles

Maandeeq East African Restaurant

1535 S. Havana St. Aurora

720-589-1010

African

4 articles

Mataam Fez Moroccan Restaurant

4609 E. Colfax Ave. East Denver

303-399-9282

African, Ethiopian, Middle Eastern, Menu

Leave your shoes at the entryway but bring your sense of adventure to Mataam Fez, a traditional Moroccan-style restaurant that's given East Colfax some exotic culinary flair for decades. Diners sit on pillows and use their fingers to eat their way through five extravagant courses, which can include everything from game hen and rabbit to lamb, chicken and beef flavored with exotic spices. A meal at Mataam Fez is a sumptuous affair that can span three hours: Belly dancers, pre-dining rituals and informative servers fill the time with intrigue and deliciousness.

5 articles

Nile Ethiopian Restaurant

1951 S. Havana St. Aurora

720-748-0239

Ethiopian, African, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Menu

Some Ethiopian restaurants in Denver are intimate and cozy — great for getting to know a cuisine without distraction. Then there's the Nile, which is so raucous on weekends, you almost feel like you stumbled into a family wedding. But with big sampler platters that arrive as a mosaic of colorful stews atop spongy injera bread (the deep color is a sign that Ethiopian teff flour is the main ingredient), you can explore the vegetarian choices made with lentils or soft-cooked vegetables while still getting your fill of beef, lamb and chicken dishes like spicy, buttery kitfo (similar to tartare); complex, brick-red doro wot complete with hard-boiled eggs; and fiery lamb awaze, with tender cubes of meat in chili-like sauce. The Nile is a celebration of Ethiopia you won't want to miss.

5 articles

Ras Kassa's Ethiopian Restaurant

802 S. Public Rd. Lafayette

303-604-6885

Ethiopian, African, Recommended, Best Of, Menu

For years, Ras Kassa's was the only Ethiopian option for folks in Boulder County — but then the quaint eatery, run by chef Tsehay Hailu, was forced to close in early 2015 because of redevelopment (you can thank the Google office campus for that). Hailu limped along for more than a year in a temporary location at Boulder's Broker Inn with a takeout-only menu, and while the food was still great, we were glad to see Ras Kassa's settle in at its permanent home in Lafayette. Customers who've followed Hailu for nearly thirty years can once again enjoy Ethiopian hospitality with honey wine, tangy injera bread and some of the best vegetarian offerings around — no small feat in Boulder County. Meat lovers will also enjoy the spicy kitfo with collard greens, housemade cheese and rich lamb stew.

6 articles

Sudan Cafe & Khairat Injera Bakery

10375 E. Iliff Ave. Aurora

303-337-7409

African, Middle Eastern, Recommended, Best Of, Menu

The designation "Middle Eastern" is a vague and shifting notion that doesn't exactly encapsulate the spectrum of cuisine cooked from Morocco to Pakistan, from Turkey to eastern Africa. So forgive us if Sudan Cafe doesn't fit neatly into standard notions of where the Middle East begins and ends; you'll understand once you try the kitchen's spice-laden ful — soft-cooked beans served as breakfast with eggs or at lunch on a crusty baguette — or Egyptian-style koshari, a hearty dish of lentils, rice and pasta topped with tomato sauce and onions fried to a crispy dark brown. While the dishes seem new and different, they have familiar flavors and spices, including cumin and garlic; you'll also find lamb and falafel on the menu. But you'll also be reminded of Ethiopian cooking if you order molokhia, a slippery green soup made with jute leaves and served with housemade injera flatbread. Herbed coffee and sweet mint tea are a great finish to a warm and filling meal at this friendly cafe; just leave your map at home.

5 articles

African in Denver

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