Pan-African Restaurant, The Bussdown, coming to Western Market this Winter

courtesy The Bussdown

From a press release:

“MRP Realty and Westbrook Partners, along with consultants Cana Development, are excited to welcome The Bussdown, a Pan-African kitchen fusing Caribbean and Cajun Creole flavors, to Western Market this winter. Founders and Chefs Solomon Johnson (AKA Chef Swoop) and Mike Woods perfected the California-based ghost kitchen business after spending an entire year only accepting take-out orders during the pandemic. This time allowed Chef Swoop and Woods to curate the combination of flavors in the exact way they wanted while honoring both of their backgrounds in Cajun Creole Southern and Caribbean. The duo is excited to bring their concept back to their hometown of Washington, DC.

Specifically, The Bussdown prepares all food with care using freshly sourced ingredients, including rice and beans from Marsh Hen Mill, an heirloom grain provider, as a way to teach people that there is always a lesson that comes from food. The Bussdown offers “soul food” with bold rich flavors and melt-in-your-mouth bites. The crafted menu is a mashup between the flavors they enjoyed growing up and their love for trying new spices, and boasts craveable fare from coconut curry chicken to sofrito shrimp to “gangsta mac” and even fried plantains. The new stall will join nearly a dozen other food and beverage vendors within the Foggy Bottom neighborhood’s marketplace.

“Head Chefs Solomon Johnson and Mike Woods will bring their Pan-African kitchen to DC”

The duo behind The Bussdown has built a strong reputation, earning widespread acclaim after competing on The Food Network. Since then they opened a successful dine dining supper club and, last year, won Chopped 420, a contest highlighting cooking with cannabis, on Discovery+. Chef Swoop first started cooking with cannabis by baking infused cakes and brownies, but the show aims to de-stigmatize marijuana usage, both for medical and recreational use, demonstrating a wider use for the plant in the kitchen, looking past common stereotypes.

Chef Swoop is more excited than ever to come back to DC and join the modern food hall in the heart of Foggy Bottom, stating, “Having the opportunity to be a part of such an amazing space like Western Market is like a dream come true for me. I was born and raised in the DMV, and I’ve been gone for so long. The support I get from friends and family supersedes the distance between us. We started the Bussdown in California, but DC feels like home for our pride and joy.”