Dōgon
Kwame Onwuachi's tribute to Ben's Chili Bowl at Dōgon is a crispy lamb dish, after the curries its Trinidadian founder, Ben Ali, ate at home.
Why go
Kwame Onwuachi made his name in D.C. with Afro-Caribbean soul food at Kith/Kin at The Wharf, since closed (The Infatuation). Washingtonian calls his New York restaurant, Tatiana, one of Manhattan's top restaurants (Washingtonian). He opened Dōgon on 9 September 2024 off the lobby of the hotel then called the Salamander. The name honors Benjamin Banneker, the largely self-educated astronomer who surveyed the land D.C. stands on, and his ties to the Dogon people of West Africa. Eater described a menu built on Onwuachi's Nigerian, Jamaican, Trinidadian and Creole heritage and on all the cultures within D.C.'s four quadrants
(Eater DC). The hotel became The Potomac Hotel in 2026. The one thing they wanted to keep was the restaurant,
he told Washingtonian in September 2026 (Washingtonian).
Several dishes come from the city itself. Onwuachi's H Street chicken came out of my times on H Street late at night, just eating Ethiopian food,
he said (Washingtonian). In 2024 Thomas Rose of The Infatuation found Dōgon's chicken and rice marinated in berbere and niter kibbeh, then piled on top of jollof rice.
His hoe crab came as buttery crab meat with a kick of shito crisp
to scoop onto plantain hoe cakes and top with Peruvian-style aji verde. He found it smaller than we'd like. It's also richer than we thought possible
(The Infatuation). In January 2026 Washingtonian's critics found the sauce reminiscent of our city's Peruvian chicken joints
(Washingtonian).
Rose thought what Dōgon does best is New Orleans-style seafood.
Order the Mom Dukes shrimp, a Kith/Kin dish, first (Washingtonian). Rose's came as Shrimp the size of small birds, charred and arrayed like rockettes in a brown sauce made with beer, white wine, Worcestershire sauce, and spices.
His warning: If you come to Dōgon and skip the Mom Dukes Shrimp, you messed up.
His brown stew snapper, crisp with a hint of jerk spice,
sat in a puddle of creamy, rich cinnamon-sweet tomato stew
(The Infatuation). Washingtonian's advice is to share everything, the larger plates above all (Washingtonian).
When Dōgon opened in 2024, Eater traced the celestial theme of the 200-seat dining room to Banneker, who used the night sky as a guide (Eater DC). Rose called it a fancy cookout during R&B night at the planetarium,
with a host stand shrouded in chain curtains that shimmer like a meteor shower
and craters in the moonscape ceiling
(The Infatuation).
Order this / avoid
- Order: the Mom Dukes shrimp. Washingtonian (2026):
spicy, buttery.
2 - Order: the brown stew snapper. Rose (2024):
we'll order it whenever we get the chance.
1 - Order: the hoe crab, a small portion. Washingtonian (2026):
decadent.
2 - Order: the braised cabbage,
given a good char, then paired with a coconut vinegar sauce
(MICHELIN inspectors, 2025).5 - Order: the rum cake,
far from traditional thanks to the surprise of charred gooseberries
(MICHELIN inspectors, 2025).5
What locals & experts say
- The MICHELIN inspectors (2025):
A clever cocktail list is complemented by its N/A counterparts, and the wine list is especially thoughtful.
5 - Washingtonian (January 2026): Onwuachi's room
still feels like the place to be.
2
Good to know
- Booking: in 2024 The Infatuation found tables hard to get even weeks in advance. The compact bar took walk-ins, up to two to a party, with the full menu, so get there early.
- When: dinner (Eater, July 2026).
- Price: Washingtonian put dinner for two at $300 or more in January 2026.
- Where: off the lobby of The Potomac Hotel, formerly the Salamander, in Southwest D.C.
Verdict
should-visit — Book Dōgon for Kwame Onwuachi's Afro-Caribbean cooking and start with the Mom Dukes shrimp. Share everything, and expect dinner for two to run to $300 or more, as it did in January 2026.