This was my first time trying Ghanaian food & it is amazing. The chicken jollof bowl with a side of steak is my favorite but honestly everything I've tried here tasted great. The jollof rice kinda hits like a biriyani if you're familiar with SE asian dishes but it has a distinct vibe I enjoy. Service is super friendly and the vibe is nice, chill, fast casual. This is one of Portland's best restaurants. read more

So good! It was empty when they opened on a weekend, but tables quickly filled up. Access- The Main Street entrance is not accessible, there are a few steps up. Not sure if there is an elevator or ramp elsewhere. Food - So good! We had the stewed black-eyes beans, plantains bowl and the chicken bowl. Prepare to wait ~30 minutes, but it's worth it! The beans and plantains were amazing and there is a hot sauce at the table. Cole slaw was described as spicy, but not. Note that Ghanaian jollof rice doesn't typically have the fiery spice that Nigerian rice does. It was mild, not really spicy. Staff was friendly. Decor was cute, and the inside of the restaurant is clean. read more

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BSG has a menu full of delicious Ghanan food that I was excited to try. My BF and I went for the Build Your Own option, where we could pick 2 meats, 2 sides, and a veggie for $34. -deep fried wings (you get 4, though get 5 if ordering à la carte) were simple and delicious--a good size and seasoned with salt & pepper. I'm curious about the roasted ones, which the menu says are seasoned w/ ginger & herbs -beef suya was 2 kabobs, I did not find it to be spicy. Could have been a little more tender, or maybe less well-done -they were out of the spicy plantains, so we got the plain ones, which were plentiful and delicious! -also got a large bowl of jollof rice, which was tasty. I love the seasoning. It was also a nice compliment to the -spicy slaw, which has the kind of heat that hits you at the end. You get a good amount of food for the price. I also like the interesting African drinks they have--we tried the sobolo, which is a spiced hibiscus tea. Got it hot on a cold rainy day, which was nice on a cold rainy day. Also tried the Fun Malt, which was tasty, lightly sweet, and thanks to the evaporated milk, also helpful in cooling my mouth from the spicy slaw. The spice on the slaw was not overwhelming, it was actually a nice level, but did make me hot! Service is friendly. Ambiance is a bit lacking. The building is weird, NOLA Donuts used to be there, so the service counter is all the way in the back. There is no decoration other than a large TV playing ESPN and an electric fireplace that was not emitting heat. But that does not matter, the food is tasty and filling, and there's more dishes I want to try next time! My Yelp scale: 5 stars: Excellent, there is nothing I can think of to make it better 4 stars: really good, but a few things would make it better 3 stars: not bad, but I wouldn't go there again 2 stars: do not recommend 1 star: this place should be shut down read more

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My only sadness is that I left my leftovers on accident! I can't wait to go back. The restaurant is truly a treasure. Warning, if you are mobility challenged like me, there are stairs - a lot of Portland buildings are terrible. They do have very stable stairs though withvery sturdy rails. I had to take my time, but just know that going in. Also the restroom is downstairs (2 flights) - they have a lift for that but, she said it can take a bit. I assure you, it is well worth the climb! I got the #2 jollof bowl topped with steak bites and a salad. It comes with plantains. I had them add fried shrimp. Next time I am also getting a side of their black eyed pea stew. My friend I went with is vegan - she seriously said she was about to lick her plate clean! But she said her favorite part was the black eyed pea stew. She also ordered the grilled tofu as a side and it was a very large portion! Unfortunately, one of their folks had called in so it did take longer than planned but we had left a huge chunk of time for dinner, not releasing, we were gonna need it. Well, worth it though, because that was one of the best meals I've ever had! read more

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Stopped by late on a Sunday afternoon. Street + private parking available close by. We were the only patrons at the time and got max attention. Nice afrobeats in the background. Clean tables. We sat at one of the booths. We ordered the following. Drinks: $5 - Sobolo ( Spiced Hibiscus tea brewed with bunch of herbs FYI - No alcoholic beverages. Food: $17 Nantwi Nam ( Beef Bowl) - Yummy - Recommended by staff $12 Yoko Gari $6 Steak fries $16 Black Star Wings Bowl (4 pcs) Overall, fresh tasty food and attentive service. Will be back. read more

Black Star Grill - Steak fries - African Near Me - Portland, Oregon

They started as a food cart and have been moving around town a bit until this brick and mortar spot. Lots of people from their food cart time were there which was very cute. Staffs were super friendly. You feel like dining at someone's home. Inside is still in the work as they very very recently opened and still getting things together. We tried the Classic Chicken and Steak Bowl. The meats in both were super succulent and flavorful. Well-charred. Both came with a serving of Jollof Rice which was also tasty. Loved the plantains! Don't skip on their hot sauce and creamy sauce. Prices were great for a down spot, especially given the portion. I can see myself coming back to try their Shrimp and Patty for sure! read more

Black Star Grill - Classic Chicken - African Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This place is unique and delicious. I had the goat jalfrezi bowl with black eyed peas. It was flavorful and both the beans and the goat were cooked perfectly. The plantains were also perfectly caramelized. The waiter was great: helpful and attentive. He told me the in house made hot sauce on the table was so good people have been stealing the bottles. I won't lie. I thought about it after trying it. I need some of that!! Hot hot and yummy! read more

Food is delicious! I enjoyed the heck out of the chicken suya, Jollof rice, and heavenly fried plantains (the sweet ones). Cole slaw also yummy, and the black-eyed pea stew. The hibiscus tea-based beverage was refreshing and lightly sweetened. Yum all around! I'm giving only 4 stars because subbing chicken suya for the regular chicken was much more expensive and there was no mention of this on the menu or when I ordered it. read more

Wow what a treat to visit this Ghanaian eatery right across the street from Powell's Books. You can tell everything on the menu is crafted with love and care. And the space is bright and open without too many tables so it never gets too crowded. I had the Classic Chicken Jollof Bowl with spicy slaw. It was pretty much perfect. Great spice, delicious char on the chicken, and the sauce on the side was next level. Also, don't even think about not adding a side of plantains - they were some of the best I've ever had. 10 stars for Black Star Grill. read more

Black Star Grill - Classic Chicken Jollof bowl - African Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Black Star Grill is a Ghanaian/West African restaurant that opened up half a year ago. As this is my first exposure to Ghanaian cuisine, I can't speak to its authenticity, but every dish I tried was packed with flavor. I had the steak jollof bowl called Nantwi Nam with a choice of spicy slaw as a topping. The jollof rice was rich in different flavor. So tasty. The steak bites were grilled super well, tende and juicy great seasonings. The grilled banana added an unexpected but enjoyable sweet touch, and the spicy slaw offered a fresh, crunchy contrast on top. The portion size was quite generous. You place your order at the bar, and the staff brings the food to your table. The setting is casual, and the staff are kind and helpful. My only critique is that the food takes a bit longer to arrive. I'd definitely recommend this spot to anyone curious about trying new flavorful international cuisine all in one bowl. read more

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We've eaten here twice now, both times the food has been excellent! We especially love the goat soup and the peanut soup with some fried plantains, a side of rice and a side of noodles. There's great ambience, and TVs to catch a game while dining. Staff are attentive and kind! read more

Great service, nice ambience, delicious meal. And reasonable portion. Loved the drink offerings. read more

Black Star Grill - African Near Me - Portland, Oregon

A small restaurant that focuses on Ghanaian style food located in the Pearl District. We ordered the beef kyikyinga with jollof rice and chicken kyikyinga with plantain chips. The food took a bit to come out, but when it did, it was well prepared. I did enjoy the flavors on the meat. Both the jollof rice and plantain chips were good sides. read more

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Used to go to the food cart now happy to see brick and mortar. Good food and love the plantains.

My family ordered the sampler and we loved everything! The shrimp was so lightly battered and had just the right touch of black pepper. The plantains were so sweet and caramelized but not oily. I could go on! Delicious! read more

Great food, great service, really nice ambiance. Prices very reasonable as well. In town for the week and it was the only place my kids requested more than once (and I was happy to oblige). read more

I got the 5 piece wings, so good! I actually walked around for a few minutes and biting into them after having them in my backpack they were still hot as if they were just made. Seasoned perfectly, the two sauces I received were super delicious. Service was quick and the wait for the food was worth it 100% No before pictures of the food because it was just that damn good! read more

Black Star Grill - The remains of the 5 piece chicken - African Near Me - Portland, Oregon

First, the food was incredible. My 11-year old nephew had never had any sort of African food, so I didn't know what to expect, and a few bites in he announced that he wanted to come back every day AND have his birthday dinner there. And of course the adults were happy too! Our server was as nice as could be, and it was a great lunch all around. read more

We really wanted to love this unique restaurant but didn't. The service was slow despite the restaurant not being very busy. It took about 40 minutes for our food, and the two dishes were dropped at the table about 5 minutes apart. The rice was dry and the chicken was pretty over cooked. read more

Wonderful authentic Ghanian food. Delicious! I am not Ghanian, but we went with a friend from Ghana who was SO happy with the food. He said "it is Home". That is the Best recommendation of all. read more

Incredible service, DELICIOUS food - one of my favorite local spots. Favorite dish is the chicken bowl. Ambiance is warm and relaxing; great music too! read more

The food here is delicious! We had the tilapia, fried shrimp and the chicken bowl with coleslaw. Everything was flavorful but not spicy. Perfect for kids! There was a good amount of seating and some booths downstairs. The restaurant was also very clean. It takes a little bit for the food to come out but it's because they're making it fresh. It's worth the wait! read more

First time eating Ghanaian food and it was delicious. The Sobol was fragrant and satisfying and the beef with jollof rice and spicy coleslaw was delicious. Service was inviting and warm. Definitely recommend this spot for sure. read more

Black Star Grill - Beef with Jollof rice and spicy slaw. - African Near Me - Portland, Oregon

The food was great however, the bowl did have very little meat. We ended up ordering the steak bites bowl and a side of beef suya. We came here for 4 PM lunch and weren't very hungry so it was just the right amount of food for the two of us. read more

Black Star Grill - Steak Bites jollof bowl - African Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Yummy yummy lunch! And enough left for dinner tonight. I got the Jollof Chicken with pea stew and plantains. Every part of the lunch plate was delicious, including the rice and chicken. And they all tasted **so good** together. Highly recommend the hot sauce. it's not that spicy but it has excellent depth of flavor and really enhances the while dish. It takes a little longer than some other places, but that's because it's not fast food. It's good food prepared quickly. read more

Tried this while in Portland for the weekend and the food was delicious. I also had the pineapple ginger fizz which was refreshing. The service was great and the server was so helpful. The vibe inside was calm but kinda like a sports bar, too. Overall, I will recommend this place to anyone I know. read more

My first time here, and I'll be back! I had the chicken jollof. It was a delicious rice dish plus plantains and slaw. It had fantastic flavors. read more

Black Star Grill - Chicken jollof bowl - African Near Me - Portland, Oregon

We had the most amazing meal catered by Black Star Grill tonight. From the Jollof Rice to the grill fish, everything was delightful. I look forward to more opportunities to work with your catering. read more

We're vegan and we've been a fan of Ghanaian food for years. You know it's hot when if you're not sure about the hot sauce, the server tells you--with a wry smile--"I'll put it on the side." The Jollof rice, the plantains, the black-eyed, the grilled vegetables, and the grilled tofu all were excellent. The hot sauce was delicious and a great complement. We had ours to-go, and it was fantastic served at home. This is a great find for fantastic African food in our neighborhood. read more

Great place for lunch. Got an original chicken bowl with spicy slaw and a beef bowl with the black eye pea stew. Very tasty. Chicken and beef were tender and freshly grilled. Hot sauce is very good. The fried plantains are great. read more

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The food was delicious, the ambience pleasant, and service courteous. Also, the prices are very reasonable. Highly recommended!

Black Star Grill is a winner. My go-to is the Classic Chicken Bowl that includes grilled ginger herb chicken, Jollof rice that is aromatically seasoned, a side (I always get the slaw) and the best part, sweet juicy plantains! I've worked my way through the menu and it is ALL good. Classic Chicken Bowl Roasted Wing Bowl Steak Bowl Shrimp Bowl Crunchy Wings Roasted Wings The restaurant is spotless and the staff is warm and friendly. read more

This place hits the nail on the head on all three categories. Ambiance, tasty food and hospitality. Well done Black Star Grill!

My son gave this place 100stars! Delicious food, very flavorful. There are quite a bit of choice's to choose from. The owner is friendly and helped answer any questions we had. I'm Definitely coming back. read more

Friendly service, good portion sizes and the veggie jollof bowl was absolutely delicious!

They are now in the old Nola's donuts location in the Pearl. I ordered their rice and it's Awesome!! I will definitely be back to try their bowls and desserts (they were out of them when I was there today Sun. at 1 p.m.) Carol read more

We've had lunch catered with Black Star a couple of times. Everyone always loves the food! If you're not familiar, it's got a similar flavor profile to Mexican/Cuban/Puerto Rican food. Their chicken is my favorite, and you've got to try the hot sauce along side the wings. I had the chance to go into their new location and I was not only impressed with what they've done with their space (they've got a great ambiance/vibe). Very clean and fresh. It's much bigger on the inside than it looks from the outside. A definite stop if you haven't tried their food before! Meant to take a picture but everyone dove in too quickly! read more

The best food you will have in Portland. The owner is such a wonderful guy, and makes fantastic food. It's a MUST TRY! read more

Black Star Grill - Menu - African Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Was walking past this place and decided to eat here based the reviews. The food was delicious and comforting. Friendly service and warm ambiance with music. Highly recommend! read more

This restaurant was very recently a food truck, and is now a lovely spot in a great location with excellent food in the Pearl. Definitely go for a delicious meal and support a local business! The menu will soon be expanding, the owner says, but for now they've got the bowls (choose a protein or go veggie) with rice, plantains, slaw, and other side choices. Yesterday I was there with a friend before a show at Portland Center Stage, and we had a chicken bowl and a shrimp bowl. I loved the spicy slaw, and my friend who previously thought she didn't like plantains was 100% sold on them. read more