This place was banging! The owner was super friendly, welcoming, and made the experience even better. The food was authentic and full of flavor, which means a lot coming from someone who's really particular about their food. What made the experience even more special was getting to enjoy the food in an authentic way, including washing our hands before eating. It felt like more than just a meal, it was a chance to experience a different culture and tradition. If you're looking to try somewhere new in Columbus, this is definitely a spot I recommend. One of my top finds! I'll absolutely be back. read more

Drelyse African Restaurant - African Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

10/10 experience! Everything we had was sooo good. We tried the fufu and goat soup, peanut butter soup, jollof, baked chicken, spinach stew, fried plantains, fish, and sweet potatoes. Literally everything was delicious! She was also super sweet and took the time to explain all the different foods to us and tell us about the culture behind them, which made the experience even better. You can tell the food is made with love. We'll definitely be back! read more

Drelyse African Restaurant - African Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

This is my favorite restaurant in Columbus. I forgot to take a picture of my husband's spinach beef stew with sounded yam. The waitress cashier was training and she was working hard as always. She was training 2 young ladies and ensured they attended well to all customers. The upgrades to the restaurant brings it up to date all the while preserving the flavor with the traditional dishes. They offer a spice sauce use at your discretion it is definitely spicey. Love it here they have a new watermelon water i never tried before that is no sugar added and is perfect for a warm spring day. read more

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Service - Amazing: Ambiance - Bright, Clean, Fun! Food - Best Jolloff I have ever had. I had the goat and my husband had the snapper, fried. It was delicious! I would give five stars, but my food came about 10 minutes before my husband's. This place is a gem! read more

I know from good west African, somewhat, having been stationed for a year in the hinterlands of Liberia some years ago. West African food is mostly absolutely divine. Spicy, flavorful, diverse, fun to eat - and meals are a social thing. "Let's eat!" was my favorite thing to hear from a friend or even acquaintance calling from his porch. Fun. Yum. It was just me. Darn. But I thought I should check this place out before I drag friends in to eat with me. It ain't steak and potatoes, and the eating style seems coarse to some. Let me 'splain. Yeah, they'll give you a fork, like a Chinese place will give you a fork. But fork that. REAL hinterlands west Africans will eat with their hands for most things. From a communal bowl, no less, but let's not get crazy here. I ordered peanut goat with fufu (aka foufou and other things). It's a bowl of peanut soup with about 15 generous chunks of yummy tender goat meat (with bones and stuff - you don't have to eat those bits!) happily swimming inside. Don't dig in yet! - wash first by pouring from the pitcher of warm water (not to drink!) over your right hand into the spittoon. Your utensil, should you decide to use it this way, is the cheerily light yellow lump of dough served on a separate plate to your right. You wet your right hand fingers with peanut soup so the fufu doesn't stick, then twist off a morsel of fufu about the size of a small plum (larger if you're a pro) and roll it into a ball in your fingers. Then dip the ball into the soup and raise it to your mouth. Roll it around with your tongue a second or three to savor, then swallow. Suggest not really chewing because that's just not what you do. What did you taste? YUM, right? The flavor isn't really very challenging - more familiar than you might expect. Nicely savory soup with a little sweetness from the fufu. A little palm oil flavor and just a tad of hot pepper heat. Wipe your chin and do it again. Soon you'll get the hang of not making a mess of it and start to appreciate the simplicity. Can't tell you how to deal with the meat. Different cultures do it differently. The Liberian Gio would eat the protein with the fufu in the same handful. Others would eat it separately. Some use a spoon. You do you. Extra points if you eat the fat and bones. When you're done, wash your right hand with the water. Masters undo their belts and belch, a complement to the cook for the Gio. I skip that part. OK, you can use a fork, but that misses some of the fun. Cut off some fufu, dump it in the soup and wallow it around, then stick the forkful into your hungry maw. The rest is the same. I would have liked it much spicier, and I probably could have asked for that. I'm more used to peanuttier-tasting soup, yet this recipe was more than satisfactorily wonderful. The goat was fairly lean and very tasty, yet "soft" (tender). The only thing I miss is terrible beer or respectable red table wine. Maybe they have some. Didn't ask this time. The store is in a working-class neighborhood in an older strip mall. It's a little grubby on the outside, but inside is spotless and really comfortably attractive. The service was good; a little terse until I established that I knew what I was ordering, but not unfriendly even before that. The mama cooking had sparkling eyes and a relaxed way. The other customers were very friendly and I made them smile - a white American eating fufu! In all, a place that knows you want to enjoy your food. Everyone but me was there for takeout. There was a steady stream of locals leaving with bags of goodness. There are about 20 seats at tables, so I'm thinking this would be a good place to take a moderately sized group. And have fun eating good food. Go there! read more

The food was great, the staff was very friendly, the experience was authentic! The best in Columbus! read more

Drelyse African Restaurant - African Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

The food is great. It's not inexpensive but price is fair. This place is extremely busy with mostly take-out orders. The dine-in service could use attention as there is no waitress...the cashier has to multi task two phones, dine-in and walk-in customers. We went two days in a row as visitors from another state. read more

I've actually been to this restaurant several times and have also ordered online, including this specific dish. That's why I was so disappointed when I received undercooked broiler chicken in goat soup! I have the order history on DoorDash, as well as a record of my follow-up call. During that call, an employee explained that they had run out of hard chicken and, quote, "when we're out of hard chicken, we send that." Unfortunately, no one called to confirm whether I was okay with the substitution before sending the order, which I found very disappointing. I've actually been to this restaurant several times and have also ordered online, including this specific dish. That's why I was so disappointed when I received undercooked broiler chicken in my goat soup. read more

Drelyse African Restaurant - Undercooked chicken - African Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

I do want to disclose the pictures are not mine. Use them here to describe the food. Did not have phone on me to capture but accurately represent the food we ate. This is an African restaurant tucked away in a small strip mall. I came across this on yelp and decided to pick up dinner for family. Food is very authentic. The fried fish is highly recommended. Amazing fusion of flavors. Loved every bite. Fufu with beef stew and rice with beans was also amazing. I also ordered chicken with jollaf rice. Every menu item was infused with amazing flavors. You can dine in but the dine in space is small. Seems like they also have entertainment/karaoke. Excellent customer service. Will be heading beck for another meal! read more

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I absolutely love and respect the owner of this restaurant, because she has did nothing but put her best foot forward to make sure that her customers are happy and that we eat good. The food is delicious. I definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone and everyone. Has Good customer service, and the prices are good. read more

As other reviewers have already mentioned, you don't come for the ambiance or fancy service, but for the food. I thought the food was quite good. My wife got the lamb shank and Jollof rice. The dish comes in two sizes: regular and large. And the regular size is already a pretty good sized portion. I got the goat stew with rice. Both dishes were quite flavorful but come with a heapful of raw onions, which my wife hates, so I was busily scraping the raw onions out of each dish :). The meat wasn't cooked fall of the bone tender but was not bad. The side order of fried plantains were delicious. Okay, so be aware that if you are vegetarian, this is not the place for you because they cook most dishes with meat stock. We had come here with our close friends who are vegetarian and they really didn't have too many options. read more

If you know what the cuisine here is supposed to taste like, you will not be disappointed! As customary, we washed our hands at our table, the service was inviting and overall experience was wonderful. (If you call ahead you get faster service too!) FCFS* Thank you! We will be back! read more

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Food was amazing, 10/10. I would have rather ordered take out, dinning experience not so great. Wasn't offered a drink and felt like we were forgotten. read more

Service is horrible every. single. time. I keep giving them chance after chance, and the only positive thing I can say is that the food is usually good. I could honestly write a whole book about this place. They play favorites, they lie about when the food will be ready, and they'll even tell you they have certain items--only for you to show up and find out they replaced it with "chicken." And at that point, you're stuck because you already drove all the way there. Horrible read more

The food was great. We got sambusas to start - yummy, flaky and warm with delicious seasoned beef in them I got the red red with fried fish and plantains My husband got the okra stew with beef and fufu I ended up using the fufu to eat my red red which was basically black eyed peas in a delicious sauce which I loved with the sweetness and softness of the fufu They being around these big basins to wash your hands if you choose to eat with your hands which we did! Great experience overall The points taken off were because the service was a bit disorganized and the staff was fighting loudly read more

Drelyse African Restaurant - Okro Stew with Fufu Red Red and Fried Plantain with Fish - African Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Don't let the strip mall location fool you--Drelyse is a tucked-away gem! The interior is really well done, and our waitress was so welcoming and super attentive. Everything we tried was excellent--the samosas were crisp and flavorful, the jollof rice with chicken was perfectly seasoned, and the peanut butter and goat soup was delicious. Can't wait to go back again! read more

I love love love this place. I love the atmosphere and the music. I love that on Saturdays they have fresh Coconuts. I really enjoy the food and service. Great food and atmosphere. read more

Went in for a Sunday lunch. A very nice server explained what different items on the menu were. We ended up ordering fried chicken with jollof rice and fried fish with banku. They were fried perfectly and served with a savory, tomato sauce and marinated tomatoes and red onions. The decor is nice and the music just needed a better blue tooth connection. Many neighborhood folks dropping in for takeout. A few weeks ago we had East African food (Tanzanian). This food (Ghanian) is very different. Thank you for a good meal and for expanding our palates. read more

This is a popular spot! It's Ghanaian and they've got way more options than Sermat. We got two orders of waakye (saving some to bring home to my parents) and an order of red red. The menu had a lot of stuff! Jollof, peanut butter soup, all the usual Ghanaian food that I should learn to cook. The waakye was good. Pricier than Sermat and less generous. But the beans tasted a bit dry. The red red was SPICY! Couldn't take a huge bite of it without a bit of a burn. I enjoyed it a lot and would order again! It also came with ripe plantains. Sermat only gives the ones that aren't ripe. Again, I can't cook Ghanaian food except one dish so I'm glad to know I can get my fill! The service was good! I walked in for takeout and the guy opened the door for me since I was holding so much. Seems like they have a lot of regulars and people hang around here. The area seems a bit sketchy but I wouldn't know. They seemed super busy though. When I called, they told me the order would take an hour! So anticipate a wait for good food! read more

Drelyse African Restaurant - Outside - African Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

This is my very first time to visit an authentic, traditional African food restaurant. It is a very popular restaurant. We arrived 20 minutes after opening and there was a constant flow of people in to be seated and order for carry out. We ordered the Grilled Tilapia, Light goat fufu, Chicken with Jollof, and Goat with Jollof. For appetizers we ordered the plantains and fried yams. Every dish was spectacular. The spices and flavors were so unique and all had a nice heat. The fish (bone in) was like butter. The walls and decor all celebrated Africa from the art down to the Nelson Mandela plaque. And end-to-end great experience. Some people seemed to wait quite some time for their food so if time is of the essence you may want to order ahead. read more

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This was my first experience with West African Cuisine and it DID NOT disappoint. The staff was attentive and the food was amazing. We got the tilapia with jollof rice, and spinach/beef stew with fufu (which was the customer favorite dish) The stew was saucy, slight spicy but very flavorful and the tilapia was perfectly seasoned with a onion & pepper salsa that gave the fish a refresh back end taste. Absolutely amazing and I would highly recommend read more

Drelyse African Restaurant - Grilled Tilapia with Jollof - African Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

They mislabel their dishes online which is a lawsuit waiting to happen. Salad marked as "vegan" contains both fish and egg. This is ridiculously irresponsible for a restaurant owner, who clearly does not know what vegan or even vegetarian means. Edit: And I'm "arrogant" for calling this out. Y'all are literally contaminating people if you're mislabeling your dishes in this way. Getting defensive when receiving valid criticism is proof of guilt. I'll be sure to spread the word. read more

Everything was amazing , everyone was nice and great. Amazing and great, they did great and they came fast . read more

Drelyse African Restaurant - African Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

I read a lot about this place and decided to give it a try when visiting Columbus. Drove for 35 minutes to the restaurant from the hotel and it's next to a grocery with plenty of parking. Ordered the light goat soup with fufu, peanut butter soup and a side sweet plantains. We love African cuisines as we used to work in Nigeria and Ghana. In fact, we had Hoyo's for lunch. First of all, this is a small mom and pop place. We waited 15 minutes in line for ordering to go and were told it would be 45 minutes when food would be ready. We placed the order at 7:15 pm and I called at 8 pm where the lady said they haven't started cooking my food. She said she'd call when ready. Our food was ready at 8:55 pm and it closes at 9 pm. That was quite unacceptable as we wouldn't have ordered if we knew it would take that long. We read you can order via app but it's our first time and have questions. The quantity of meat was so little for $18 per entrée, mostly broth. Flavor was good but we won't be returning! read more

Drelyse African Restaurant - African Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

When I first received my order, the grease that settled on top of my Peanut Butter Soup definitely threw me off. I don't like to judge a book by its cover though, so with one hand in my fufu I drenched it in the soup. From there, my soul was quenched with a satisfying sensation of spices I can not describe. This was delicious. I took a look at my sambusa shortly after my first bite, wondering if it would be the cherry on top. It was more than that. In fact... It was the whole list of sundae toppings on top of that. This place is delicious. This cuisine is delicious. I will forever feed this newfound addiction. read more

Drelyse African Restaurant - Yum. yum. yum. Peanut Butter Soup with Beef - African Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Food service and prices. My chicken legs were dry and I wasn't even asked if I preferred white meat or dark meat. Also why are the coconuts $16?! read more

This Ghanaian restaurant is a gem. Food is excellent, ambiance is of a friendly mom-and-pop. Seating is limited so would rec calling ahead. They do a thriving take out business too, if you want to avoid seating issues. read more

Drelyse African Restaurant - Chicken gizzard appetizer. - African Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Drelyse Synopsis: When I eat specialized foreign I want the feeling like I'm eating in their authentic homeland with dishes that would be difficult to duplicate had I tried to make them myself at home. I didn't have that experience as the food tasted and felt like it was made in a church basement on the west side of Dayton, OH. The chicken thigh was really small and slightly dry. The jollof rice had flavor but was dry. The red meats were chewy, dry, and tough and are really caught up in my teeth. I don't get that iceberg salad stuff as it was a hybrid between a soggy salad with too much dressing and a coleslaw and I can't tell what their intention was. The best most moist and flavorful thing was the plaintains ‍. Overall I feel like I could make that stuff at home as all it is is crockpot meats with sauce, flavored rices, and plaintains. At $17-$20 per dish I wouldn't go back and I could've fed the whole house buying $20 worth of groceries and making Drelyse at home. Last but not least I'm still hungry ‍ read more

Drelyse African Restaurant - It was all so bad what's the point of specifically describing what each item is? Lot of white rice tho! - African Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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On this day, I awoke with the desire to acquire a dish that resonates with my soul. This dish has become one of my favorites to egest, seemingly very simple, challenging to make, and hard to come by. The dish I am describing is called Jollof rice. I was first introduced to this dish in college, and it was a hit with me. So I embarked on a quest to find some, and that quest led me here via a recommendation from one of my clients. The establishment is quite a mom and pop-ish. It's pretty small and has a few tables and a tv that is tuned to the news. I ordered meals for my son and me, and you know I got the jollof rice. The people behind the counter were very accommodating and helped guide us on our overall selection. I got chicken and jollof rice. Let me just say that when I laid eyes on this thing, It soothed an ache that I had for this dish. I longed for this culinary delight of mine. I spent at least 10 minutes sitting in my car admiring the look, the texture, and the smell of this stuff. I built my expectations so high that I could no longer contain my excitement; I dove in. As I began to chew, I took utter pleasure in the aroma of this familiar treat. The subtle heat began playing with my taste buds, it was as though there was a family reunion in my mouth, and I was happy to see everyone getting along. read more

Drelyse African Restaurant - Roll Jollof Rice with Chicken - African Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Food was not pretty good! I think I got the goat stew with rice. Portions on the stew could have been a little better. Owner was friendly and welcoming. Pretty cool vibe and atmosphere, she also mentioned something about a buffet on the weekend. Definitely plan to check it out next time I'm in Columbus for work. read more

Drelyse African Restaurant - Goat stew, rice, veggies, and a salad that I already ate. Lol - African Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

SOMEONE CALL THE HEALTH DEPT! I wrote a review almost two years ago and nothing has changed. This place isn't authentic. The meat is dry and bland. The service is horrible--my sister heard the employee talk about her for simply asking for a food recommendation. The ambiance is like eating off the top of a garbage lid. Since writing that review, the owner has harassed me time and time again, most recently in the middle of the night, to take down my honest review. She claims I edited my review. I didn't. She claims I lied about the wilted nasty slaw--and as you can see by the pic I found, that's a lie too. I forgot to point out that the rice was undercooked and unseasoned. Go to Hoyo's (a delicious authentic African restaurant) page to see how African basmati rice should look. This ain't it! I don't think this place will survive much longer. The owner seems desperate and evil. Instead of apologizing for a misstep and fine tuning her employee, she attacked me. She's edited her response several times. You can click on my post to see it's never been edited. She personally attacks me. This isn't about me. This is about your lack of customer service and most importantly having poor quality food that's dry, flavorless, overpriced, not prepared correctly and nasty. The only reason no one got food poisoning is because we all stopped eating it bc it had zero flavor. I was going to leave well enough alone, but I'm going to spread the truth about this raggedy restaurant on as many review sites as I can find. People should know the truth before they waste their money and risk their health. read more

Drelyse African Restaurant - Disgusting, flavorless food with a weird, out-of-place slaw on top. #barf - African Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! Amazing flavors, just wonderful food overall if you have a diverse palette! The chicken and jollof rice seems like a simple order, but it is amazing! The chicken is cooked so perfectly, better than any restaurant I've had before. Highly highly recommend! Also loved the sambusa appetizer and the peanut butter soup!! read more

Drelyse African Restaurant - Grilled chicken and Jollof Rice with Chicken - African Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

The food here is fabulous! I'm somewhat new to the authentic African food scene and was super impressed! I was craving Jollof rice and my beautiful best friend recommended this restaurant. What an amazing rec! We ordered a little bit of everything! Don't hesitate to order the turkey tails! Yes, turkey tails! They're packed with flavor! The food has a bit of spice but not overwhelming. You cannot adjust spice levels, so ask if you're unsure. The peanut butter beef stew is fabulous! I had fufu for the first time and I'm not a fan, but everything else was amazing! They have an app called Drelyse where you can order ahead - super convenient and would highly recommend. It's about a 30+ minute wait for food. Drelyse is a small, no-frills restaurant, with great food- most patrons ordered their food to-go! A must try for African food in Columbus! read more

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This place had the authentic food for your tastebuds. Very cozy place to share a meal with an intimate love or friend. You will not be disappointed from first taste. Mouthwatering dish after dish.Beef Spinach Stew read more

I was visiting Columbus on business and happened to find this restaurant on yelp. I ordered through grub hub. I was thrilled to have an option for African food and the restaurant did not disappoint. I ordered the Waakye with goat and it was delicious! The goat was very tender and seasoned perfectly. The meal brought back memories of the wonderful meals I had while in Ghana earlier this year. I also ordered banku and plaintains and they were delicious too. If I'm back in town, this restaurant will be at the top of my list to have again. Next time I'll visit the restaurant in person. read more

very good food and services. I enjoyed the food very much it's very delicious and the vibes of the restaurants are good and very African

If you haven't been here in a while you have to come. The new back patio is amazing and I felt like I was on vacation. The food and service is always top notch. Best service and hands down one thee best African restaurant in all of Columbus. read more

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Awesome food and great service! It was our first time trying that type of cuisine and we were blown away! read more

Drelyse African Restaurant - Waakye with Beef Stew - African Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Food is good by all standards. However be prepared to wait a very long time and receive portions of your food cold due to the other items taking too long to prepare. Based on the customer volume It appears that they have outgrown being just a hole in the wall operation and need more kitchen staff. Would hesitate returning based on the long wait time. If you try this place out, better you call in an order and show up 1 hr later to pick up the food read more

Ive been craving some African food since my Uganda trip. Jollof rice is delicious and chicken is very savory. Didnt work up my courage to try peanut butter soup so will be adjusting my rating after that. 4.5 stars! read more

Drelyse African Restaurant - African Near Me - Columbus, Ohio