Vegan
Take-out
African, Ethiopian
Ethiopian restaurant offering vegan dishes. A microwave is used on some foods. Ask about special of the day. Black-owned. Open Tue-Thu 11:30am-9:00pm, Fri-Sat 11:30am-9:30pm. Reported to have irregular hours - call ahead.
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956 E Fulton, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA, 49503
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- Cash only
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Last update on 05 Aug 2022 by Guest
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33 Reviews
First Review by erbavore
polishphoenix
Points +185
Great service amazing food - Edit
Got the combo platter - my favorite dish was the ground chickpea one - the lentils were my least favorite - but everything was amazing - can’t wait to come back. Staff was super nice.
Read morePros: Chickpea dish
Guest
Zeldacat424
Points +97
Best Ethiopian food - Edit
Such great tasting food, a good variety if you get the shared plate, but also can order individual dishes. Try the tea too. We come whenever we're in grand rapids and it doesn't disappoint. And it's ok to eat the injera off the plate!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-06-17
Pros: Greg flavors , Great variety , Nice owner
Guest
dgourd
Points +33
Vegan and Gluten Free - Edit
Most restaurants we can eat at offer a few vegan dishes and a few gluten free dishes that are usually not vegan. Little Africa is a completely vegan restaurant. You can order the combo either regular (with wheat injera) or gluten-free (with 100% teff injera). All the food is unique and delicious. We don't get to Grand Rapids often but ate here about ten years ago after finding the restaurant in Happy Cow. It was a surprising discovery then and we rediscovered it with Happy Cow yesterday. The food is still delicious. The prices are also very reasonable. Credit cards can now be used to pay. The restaurant is a small, not so up-to-date place, but everything is clean and the owner is pleasant. We recommend it highly.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-05-19
Pros: Completely Vegan, 100% Gluten Free Available, Pleasant owner
Cons: Not updated restaurant
Guest
WholyLove
Points +198
Tastebud paradise - Edit
Every single one of the options are blissful! Highly recommend!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-04-18
Guest
GrenMoyo
Points +26
Wonderful Dive - Edit
A great place and the owners are friendly. If you've never had Ethiopian cuisine before you're in for a treat.
Read moreGuest
Bohemiangirl
Points +52
Favorite vegan restaurant - Edit
The food tastes great and I swear has healing properties. The combination of spices is really good. Absolutely still our favorite vegan restaurant in Grand Rapids. We always get the spicy combination for two. Lou’s tea is sweet and a favorite of ours as well.
Read moreGuest
itselectric
Points +84
Ethiopian Platter - Edit
Service was phenomenal! The food was good, as was the tea. Some items are microwaved. Be aware it’s cash only. Not the cleanest restaurant, but I would eat here again.
Read morePros: No meat in site
Cons: Cash only
Guest
GyanS
Points +77
Enjoy Ethiopian - Edit
Truly enjoyed Ethiopian dinner.
Read morePros: All vegan, Reasonable price, Delicious
Cons: Decoré is sub par
Guest
iscloviscool
Points +58
Great food in a cool atmosphere - Edit
Fully vegan, delicious, not too expensive, what more could you ask for. Went on a week day and were the only customers, so very timely service. Got the group platter and everything was delicious, lots of interesting spices and tastes.
Read moreGuest
Jimmy&Mack
Points +541
Platter Matter - Edit
We stopped in while driving through GR and picked up a couple combo platters. They were excellent. Would definitely return.
Read moreGuest
BallroomVegan
Points +242
This place rocks!! - Edit
Incredible meal, fantastic service and what sweet owners!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2021-09-09
Pros: Delicious , Intriguing flavors, Well executed
Cons: None!
Guest
Piggy
Points +412
Yummy, Comforting Food - Edit
We were traveling through Michigan and were happy to find this place. They have gluten free teff Injera, though we had to call way ahead of time to make sure that it was prepared once we came in. Their food was great (I got the Kik and Alicha) and the mango juice was very tasty. The owners were very friendly. I would highly recommend going here!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2021-07-24
Guest
JillKeb
Points +183
Always delicious! - Edit
Lou puts some love into the food. Best sweet tea to offset the spice. Yummm
Read moreGuest
eaglenws
Points +503
Excellent!! - Edit
While visiting our daughter we went to Little Africa. This was our first Ethiopian food experience. The food and the experience were GREAT!! This is definitely a place to return to.
Read moreGuest
gwild
Points +1371
at least it is vegetarian.... - Edit
We ate at Little Africa on July 25. We ordered the vegetarian platter for four people for approximately $11 each. It included a sample of every available dish. Some of the items were a bit spicey but not too bad. We all liked the lentil dish best.
Read moreEverything was served on injera and you eat with your hands.
We were all stuffed and couldn't finish.
The place is a little worn around the edges. Service was adequate. We've had better Ethiopian food.....
There aren't many places for vegetarians in Grand Rapids and I wanted to love this place however I doubt we will return.
Pros: all vegetarian
Cons: bit worn around the edges
Guest
DoryThomasJohnson
Points +41
May be out of business - Edit
Called to see if open since op said they can be closed randomly. Voice mail said it would be open for lunch on Fridays. Arrived for lunch and it was locked up tight. Windows were dirty and it just looked abandoned to me.
Read moreCons: Visited Friday June 28. Looks out of business.
dgourd
Definitely still in business.
Read moreGuest
aliandben
Points +215
Wonderful restaurant - Edit
The tea is amazing. The spicy tomato soup is so good too. The first time I went I got the deluxe platter with my SO and my family. The platter is good to get the first time because you can try everything on the menu, and then you know later exactly what you like best (it’s hard to figure out still though cuz everything is amazing). The platter is $18.50/person. You get to try every entree, soup for every person, as well as tons of tea. Individual items are priced much cheaper.
Read morePros: All vegan restaurant, No wrong choice because everything is great
Guest
KatieMoore
Points +19
Amazing - Edit
Seriously amazing food - all vegan!
Read moreGuest
Damntastyvegan
Points +961
very very good - Edit
Absolutely delicious. Perfect blend of spices and flavor. Ran by a sweet married couple. Atmosphere is very laid back, kind of a diner feel but with African music and decorations. Highly recommend
Read moreGuest
happycowgirl
Points +5618
Delicious! - Edit
You can't go wrong with any of the entree selections. The mango and guava juices are also amazing. Coke products. Casual interior. Large, spacious booths to sit at. Very reasonable prices & friendly service. Cash only. Love this place.
Read moreGuest
amenenema
Points +26
Great, all-vegan restaurant, cash only - Edit
What else is there to say? Great small business, friendly service, excellent food, you get to eat with your hands, and you'll leave full! My recommendation is to get the sampler platter for 1 or 2 more people than you have if you really wanna be stuffed.
Read morePros: All vegan, Small, family-owned business, Get to eat with your hands
Cons: Cash only?
Guest
kapustaparty
Points +21
Best ever - Edit
Little Africa is by far the best restaurant in Grand Rapids. It is impossible to leave hungry and to spend more than twelve dollars. It's also BYOB, so if you bring a bottle of wine, Lou will provide glasses for the table. Not open on Sunday or Monday, unfortunately. Don't forget to bring cash!
Read morePros: Great food, Good atmosphere, Super affordable
Guest
Laurie24Sutra
Points +109
Randomly opens and closes on a whim - Edit
I wish I could review this place. My husband and I were very excited to try the food after reading great reviews and receiving a word of mouth recommendation. I called ahead in the early afternoon to make sure the place was open. The person who answered the phone said they were open until 9pm. When we arrived a couple hours later the place was closed. No sign. No explanation. We wandered around the neighborhood for 30 minutes hoping someone would come back. Nope. We called and got the answering machine. We called again an hour later and got the machine again. A proprietor on the block told us that randomly opening and closing on a whim is a regular occurrence at this restaurant. We are from out of state so we won't have the opportunity to give it another chance.
Read moreCons: Random, unreliable hours
Guest
rbsky
Points +16
Amazing Food! - Edit
So yummy! Trust the reviews. Amazing, and reasonably priced, friendly vegan place. I had never had authentic Ethiopian food and I was really impressed. Definitely worth the trip!
Read morePros: Excellent food, Good value, Friendly staff
Cons: NONE!
Guest
ssplus3
Points +16
SIMPLY AMAZING - Edit
We took our kids to the Children's Museum in GR for the day and were about 8 or 9 blocks away from this restaurant. We decided to walk there, although a bit chilly that day, to see if the reviews from this site were true. As a previous reviewer stated, this place is a whole in the wall and there is only one employee (at least when we were there). We'd never eaten this type of ethnic food before but were amazed at how delicious it was. Our 6 and 8 yr old loved it, although my son's dish was a little to spicy for him. Portion sizes...ha...bring your appetite because we all had "doggy bags" to take home. Service was slower but the wait was worth it. Really decent prices. As I mentioned before, we'd never tried this type of ethnic food so when we asked for a fork, the owner looked at us kinda funny but provided us with some. This type of food is eaten without utensils. Our family of 4 walked out of there for $40 and that's including a very very generous tip. Would like to see some desserts on the menu but other than that this place settles on the taste buds nicely.
Read morePros: Great Food, Low Prices, Nice Atmosphere
Cons: Slower Service, Place needs updating, Desserts needed
Guest
conniex721
Points +136
Trust the Reviews - Edit
Trust the reviews: the food here is good! I would never have walked into this place without reading about it. "Hole in the wall" is the perfect description for this restaurant. Often times nobody is there eating. The menu is plain and not 100% clear. For example, what does "all you can eat" mean? (For the record, we discovered it means you're served a little bit of everything and if you want more you just ask. Not a bad deal!) However, all the dishes are fantastic and hearty. They'd be perfect for the dead of winter. You can specify spiciness. Also, the guava juice was delicious! I can't wait to return.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on Saturday August 20, 2011
Pros: Delicious, Cheap, Vegan
Cons: Styrofoam takeout containers
Guest
TRaeCH
Points +384
One of Grand Rapids' Brightest Gems - Edit
I find Teshlou's Little Africa to share a lot with the city of Grand Rapids: both are unassuming, thoroughly satisfying, cultured and - used liberally - delicious!
Read moreAfter a first visit to Grand Rapids my date and I attempted to go to eat at Little Africa but it was a Sunday and the restaurant was closed *note: if you are in the area on a Sunday, just across the street from Teshlou's is a very good Indian restaurant, open on Sundays*
So, my second visit to Grand Rapids I needed to try their only vegan restaurant. Having eaten at a handful of Ethopian restaurants in the past - never entirely vegan though - I was wholly pleased by this little establishment.
It's like being invited over and eating in someone's giant dining room. The owner/cook/only employee on site is friendly and happy to inform customers about the menu offerings. Service can be a tad slow but, the food being as good as it is, you'll most likely sit and savour it for quite awhile.
All dishes (about 8-9 choices) come atop delectable African flatbread. There are also a few drinks on the menu - I ordered a tall glass of guava juice. In terms of food I opted for two "dishes" while my date, cleverly, ordered only one. Alas, I was too ambitious and there was no way I would finish two dishes on my lonesome. Please note that the minimal cost of dishes does not translate to minimal food - the portions are large.
We both enjoyed our meals though next time I may go for something a little less spicy.
This is Ethopian food done right, done healthy and done deliciously. Visit Grand Rapids - especially for the mind-blowing summer extravaganza that is ArtPrize - and visit this restaurant. 4.5 Cows on 5!
Pros: All vegan Ethopian!, Owner/cook, Price
Cons: Food a bit spicy for me, Service is pretty slow
Guest
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