Daryll B.
Yelp
Hide the mamas and grannies who must be in Spiced Black's kitchen throwing down because they may risk foot burns (because they put their foot in it) and trauma from all the slapping (because it is so good they must be slapping mamas and grannies). Good cooking idioms are apropos. I ran out of superlatives to describe this fast casual soul food bowl concept. It is too easy to compare Spiced Black to other create your own bowl places. Too easy and too limiting. The unique selections of bases, like Jollof rice, and toppings, like collard greens, is unlike any place I have ever been.
Is the sum greater than the parts, or are the parts by themselves greater than the whole? After two different bowls I cannot decide. Bowl one's base was Jollof Rice topped with collard greens, cooked corn and onion, red beans, red cabbage, green onion, cilantro, and red peppers. I love that there are numerous protein options like grilled shrimp, salmon, barbecued chickpeas, in addition to chicken and beef. I went with the perfectly grilled salmon. I added collard green pesto dressing. Yes, you read that correctly, collard green pesto dressing!!! I tried it and give me a gallon of it. Each ingredient sang soulful songs as soloist, but combined into a celestial chorus! The collard greens are among the best I have ever had. Meatless, perfectly cooked, vinegar twinged, hearty, and just darn great! I wish they sold them as a separate side dish. The red beans will have you missing Monday in New Orleans (red beans day IYKYK) and pining for a bigger side dish of them, like by the tub. Same for the barbecued chickpeas, which tasted like baked beans sweet and smoky with a molasses or honey barbecue sauce. As a home cook, I am going to try my baked bean recipe with chickpeas instead of navy beans. The red cabbage is sublime. The second bowl was the similar except switching chickpeas in place of salmon and adding chipotle Caesar dressing along with the collard green pesto. Like the youth on social media say, give 13 of them! I customized my bowls but they have curated bowls that also sound like they would be Dy-No-Mite!
The prices are a little higher than Chipotle and Cava because of the high quality but pricey seafood proteins. However, the taste and quality is far superior and well worth it. The service line setup is similar to those other places, but that is where the comparison ends. Service was outstanding but to the uninitiated, it would help to peep the options beforehand so you are not holding up the line like I did. Apprehension about asking Neophyte questions aside, I had zero qualms about the ordering experience.
They are about to have all my money and patronage as they should. Prince George's County residents deserve places like this. The line was robust, but should have been longer than lines at the nearby Chipotle. Spiced Black's is serving some delicious Diaspora food combining soul/Caribbean/African/Creole and more. I welcome the challenge of trying combinations I would not have contemplated (like cornbread croutons or toasted cashews as a topping). Lastly, the bowl the next day for lunch was even better because the flavors had a chance to meld.
Five big stars. I wish the staff and owners well because they are hitting all the marks!
