This was my first experience trying truly authentic African food. By authentic, i mean we were the only 2 people in the restaurant that were not African. I felt a little awkward at first, but the owner was super friendly. We inquired on the soups but ended up not ordering it and he brought out samples of it for us to try anyways. I came here as a recommendation from a patient of mine that is from Kenya. He told me to try the Jollof rice with chicken. We had that and the fried fish. It was soo good! I have mentioned this place to many of my friends and they really like it as well. African food is truly underrated. read more

Drelyse African Restaurant - African Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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I was warned against getting the Okra soup but I got it anyways because I wanted to try something new and different. First couple bites were good but half way in, the okra texture got to me. I recommend coming here if you've never had African food, I need to go back to try other dishes! read more

Delicious foods mainly from the country of Ghana and some from Nigerian. Prior to my vegan days, this was my happy belly spot. Now I have to pray to the veggie gods to protect me from animal products when I am in the area and the will to stay away. Not sure if they have vegan options of many of their delicious dishes, but it is worth asking! Enter at your own risk fellow vegan and vegetarian brethren Anyway, service at Drelyse is EXCELLENT! They seem to care about making your experience there enjoyable. read more

To be transparent, I have never had African food before and had no expectations when I made the decision to come here. However, I fell in love with the unique spice blends instantly when I began my dining experience. I have a background in Customer Service, so I typically weigh hospitality heavily into any food/event/store experience I have. This place earns 5++ stars in that department. The owners took time out of what they were doing to personally greet us, they went over every menu item in great detail, and even offered some really good suggestions on what we should try as first time diners. They then proceeded to teach us some simple eating customs, and suggestions towards how to eat the food. We started with the Gizzards (spicy but good) and the Vitumbua. I have never had Vitumbua before, and I was surprised by how tasty/flavorful rice can be! For our entrees, we tried the Peanut Butter Soup with Fufu and the Jollof Rice with Chicken. The Peanut Butter soup tasted nothing like peanut butter, but had a very complex taste with a savory spice. We used the Fufu to soak up the soup and scoop out the beef chunks. The chicken was super tender, and both my Fiancee and I ate all of the Jollof rice within minutes. Overall, this restaurant knocks it out of the park with their food and also provides a unique experience. I would highly recommend this place to anyone stopping through Columbus or is simply looking for great food to try. read more

Drelyse sits in a nondescript strip mall on Tamarack Circle. This was an experience. If you go here, treat it as such. The place runs on a different time schedule, so don't go here if you are in a hurry. Plan at least an hour and a half for dinner. And listen, LISTEN to the owner and get what he tells you to get. I didn't do a particularly good job of listening and ordered the beef/spinach stew (meh) and plantains... plantains rocked it, especially with the hot sauce. Owner insisted on giving me some beef stew with joffee rice (which was fantastic). My dining companion had the goat soup with fufu (sticky plantain bread used to eat the soup with your hands). Very spicy and excellent. We had vitumbau (think African beneighs) and spring rolls for appetizers. Probably may favorites. We drank palm wine and had a blast. read more

I will start this review by saying that I've been to West Africa and have had a lot of the dishes on their menu right from the tap. They do a great job but I had some personal preference issues. I prefer my peanut butter soup more like a thick stew and served over rice. The Yassa was also different from what I remembered and a little on the salty side. The Jolof Rice and Beef Spinach Stew were great. I was disappointed that they didn't have the Chep Djan available because that was my favorite when I was traveling the area. To add to my disappointment, I tried to order this dish a couple years ago in a West African restaurant in Philly and was told the same thing! I guess I've just been unlucky. Strange though. I was hoping to see the ubiquitous super sweet minty gunpowder tea but didn't. For anyone interested... http://www.congocookbook.com/beverages/green_tea_with_mint.html Drelyse: If you're reading this, ask a Senegalese person for a good Akara recipe. This was my all time favorite dish there. It would make a good West African addition to the app menu. For Yelpers, it's black eyed peas crushed, mixed with ingredients, rolled into balls, and deep fried. Like a bean fritter. Where I had it they would be served lined up on a fresh baguette with a light spicy palm oil, onion, and hot pepper stew, and eaten as a sandwich. I think it's served many different ways but this was my favorite. The best breakfast sandwich of all time! Sorry, I don't mean to be nit-picky. I guess it's unrealistic but I've been looking for the exact same dishes I had when I was in the region. Overall it was a great dining experience and I'll be back. A great place to go if you're not a picky eater and feel like being adventurous. read more

This was by all accounts a wonderful meal. I yelped, and as a result went here to celebrate my birthday with my fiance, because West African was a type of food we had never tried before, and the place had just such great reviews. We were not disappointed at all. In fact, I now wish i lived closer to Columbus. It was a Sunday night, so a little quiet, and other than a group of young people who seemed to be there to peacefully watch tv and hang out, we were the only people in the restaurant. The enthusiastic and kind host greeted us, and asked us if we ever had African food before; we answered that we had, but only Ethiopian. He said that we would like this better and that he would introduce us to it by walking us through the menu. He was so helpful, and charismatic--extremely concerned about whether I could handle the spice level. He brought out samples to test me. I found it really endearing that he didn't want me to "fill up on water" but instead enjoy the delicious food. The amount of pride from the host made me really happy to be eating there. Once i tried the food. I was even happier. Our host wanted us to try everything. We got one of each appetizer, and they were yummy. They came with a hot sauce that was good, but I didn't have a lot of it. He brought out two small dishes of soup--the goat and peanut. They were both delicious. For the entre, he was pushing the Jollaf rice, and I was happy to order that. I got it with Tilapia filets, which came fried, I thought it would be grilled, but it was still absolutely lovely. The Jollaf came with this sauce on top that if i ever learned how to replicate it, I would put it on everything. The tilapia was smothered in marinated tomato and onions. It was really delicious. I misunderstood his description and thought it was both chicken and fish, rather than one or the other, but when i asked for it, he brought me out a chicken leg anyway, which was delicious. I would definitely agree with other reviewers about the pace of the meal. If you are in a rush, this isn't the place to go. I think we were there for about 2-3 hours. It was a very leisurely meal. We had a beer with dinner, some Kenyan lager, which was nice. We weren't offered another one, and at one point the host seemed to run out for a spell to go somewhere. There were folks there picking up to-go orders, who seemed to call it in and had a while to wait just the same. The host had told us though that certain things, like the whole tilapia, would take up to 45 minutes to prepare, so be ready for that. Altogether, we had one of each appetizer to share, a small taste of both soups, a beer to share, and then our entres, as mentioned, i got the tilapia witha chicken leg, and my partner got the goat. He loved his as well. The host also brought us out some Chapati (sp?). All of this food cost us somewhere around $30. I would recommend this place to anyone who likes to try new things, likes spicy and interesting food, and would be willing to go to dinner and let the host really treat you well. To some degree I felt like I had been invited over to someone's house for an intercultural dining experience, more than a meal at a restaurant. Just like if you were a guest in someone's home though, mark off the night, because you will be eating at the restaurant's pace -- food like this reminds you that great things come to those who wait. read more

Several coworkers and I made the trip to Drelyse for lunch. The gentlemen who greeted us took the time to step us through the menu and make helpful suggestions. We shared appetizers of vitumbua and sambusas. The vitumbua ($1 each) out-shined the pretty good sambusa ($1.50). It was a doughy, semi-sweet, fried rice ball. The sambusa had a nice flaky shell, but was on the small side. My lunch consisted of goat peanut butter soup with a side of rice and banku. I had never tried banku so I didn't know what I was in for. From what the gentlemen explained, banku should be eaten with a stew or soup and consists of fermented corn or cassava, corn in this case. It comes out as a baseball size ball of dough, and when you pinch a chunk off you get a strong sour aroma that is best described as "farm fresh". Most in the party tried it, but stuck with their jallof or white rice. Getting past the initial smell I did finish it, and enjoyed the texture and flavor when completely dunking it into my soup. I'm glad to have tried it, but I'll probably will stick with just rice next time. Sharing tastes between the party, I think I enjoyed the goat stew the most. I didn't get to try the waakye though. Overall the food was really good, but I limited my rating to a generous 4 star because the value didn't seem to be there. Not a terrible deal, but maybe a little on the high side compared to other African restaurants. read more

Drelyse is wonderful. Some friends and I ate there last night and we're all new to African food other than Ethiopian.The three of us shared goat with the cassava couscous and whole, grilled tilapia with jollof rice. Both were excellent and the fist was beautifully presented (we went for the head on). The owner generously agreed to fillet it and removed the spine after filling out plates with the top half of the fish. Crispy skin and no scales! The only beer available was a Kenyan lager (Tusker) but the owner told us that additional beers are often available but sell out more quickly. The only downside was that they had sold out of the okra dishes for the day, but considering the size of the servings, two entrees were more than enough for us. Things to be aware of: If you order the tilapia, it will take about 45 to prepare. There is another restaurant in the same plaza, "African restaurant", so depending on your route, you may need to drive around Tamarack Circle to reach Drelyse (it's to the left of a Donotos) read more

Fantastic food. Truly a culinary experience! Our host and server, he was honestly warm, inviting and an ambassador guiding us on a Ghanaian tour. read more

Who knew that Columbus would have great African food hiding out in a strip mall on the outskirts of town? If you're feeling adventurous and want some great homemade food, this is the spot. I thought the jollof rice with chicken was amazing: moist, well seasoned chicken and rice with an interesting shaved veg topping (not sure if it was pickled or what the preparation was, but it was really good). I was talked into the chicken gizzards by the manager, and I'm glad he was able to convince me. Surprisingly, I've never had them before. They're a little chewy, but perfectly prepared with a spicy sauce and more of that veg topping. I also had the peanut butter stew with goat, and while the goat was good, I wasn't in love with the broth. read more

My first foray into African food and all I can say is that I was very impressed with the attentiveness of the owner (I'm assuming he was the ower). My girlfriend and I went in, totally green, and not sure of what to eat. We were kindly given a run-down of all of the things on the menu. I ended up getting a sambusa and vitumbua for an appetizer. The sambusa seemed like it was similar to an Indian samosa...the difference being that this tasted fresh and homemade, which I can't say is the same for many Indian restaurants (I feel that the majority serve up frozen samosas). The vitumbua was excellent as was my favorite appetizer. My girlfriend ordered the peanut soup with goat and I had the jollof rice with goat. Both dishes were fantastic. The peanut butter soup had a slight taste of peanut butter but it wasn't overwhelming. The owner, at not expense of my own, brought out a small bowl of goat soup and I fell in love with that. We also tried the fufu and used it to dip into the peanut butter soup. The fufu was like a doughy, sticky ball of mashed potatoes - if that makes any sense. Long story short, if you're interested in some wonderful African cuisine, I highly recommend Drelyse. I will be going back often now. read more

Drelyse African Restaurant - African Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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We found this place on Yelp because I was feeling adventurous and I'm genuinely glad that we did. The restaurant is on the north side of Tamerack circle, just to the east of the Donatos. We ordered the rice cake and the sambusa as appetizers and both were excellent though I definitely give the edge to the rice cake. Plus, they were only a dollar a piece which was fantastic. For dinner my friend and I split a Jalloff Rice and Chicken entree and an order of plantains as a side. The rice was a great consistency, well seasoned and reminded me of dirty rice from Cajun fare. The chicken had a crispy skin and the meat beneath was moist and flavorful. The plantains were also excellent, perfectly done and a great compliment to the rice. The only letdown in the meal was the salad that came on the plate. The vegetables were crisp but the dressing tasted like low budget Italian, and didn't seem to fit the rest of the meal at all. The service was excellent and the woman who took our order was happy to explain the menu and allow us to share. I can't say that West African food is my new favorite but I can definitely say that if like me, you're looking for something adventurous, Drelyse is definitely the place. read more

My boyfriend and I went to Drelyse last weekend after seeing that it got great reviews on Yelp. We were not disappointed. It was absolutely wonderful. As has been mentioned in earlier reviews, the owner is a very amiable and approachable woman. She was very helpful in showing us how to eat our dishes with our hands without making a complete mess. We started the meal of with one vitumbua each. Vitumbua are rice patties that are fried to golden-brown and served while still warm. They are slightly sweet but not overpoweringly so, and they were so delicious that we were tempted to order more. For his main course, my boyfriend ordered the beef peanut butter soup with fufu (a doughy ball made of ground cassava). The owner showed us the proper technique for pinching off pieces of fufu, molding it into a sort of saucer shape, and using it to scoop up pieces of the soup. The soup was very flavorful and delicious, and the mellow taste and starchy texture of the fufu blended with the soup in perfect harmony. The pieces of beef in the soup were extremely rich and hearty. I had the grilled tilapia, which is the most pricey item on the menu but totally worth it. It is a whole fish, grilled completely intact, which is served to you covered with tomatoes, onions, and peppers and with a tomato relish on the side. It was the best fish I've ever eaten in the States. Every mouthful burst with flavor, and I ended up eating the whole fish in one sitting. As soon as we were done my boyfriend and I vowed that we would be back as soon as possible, and that next time we'd bring lots of friends with us with whom to share this gem! In short, everything about Drelyse is a wonderfully pleasant experience. The dining area is very clean and well-lit, the service is very friendly and timely, and the food is absolutely delicious. The owner said that there is also patio seating available in the summer, so if you're looking for a place to enjoy great food in the fresh air I would highly recommend Drelyse. DRELYSE WEST AFRICAN RESTAURANT: IT'S GREAT FOOD. read more

Drelyse African Restaurant - Grilled tilapia from Drelyse African Restaurant in Columbus - African Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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This was my first time at an African restaurant. A friend took me after going to the DMV and told me that I had to give it a try. My experience here was very pleasant. The owner was very pleasant and cordial. He welcomed us with a big smile and explained many of the dishes to us. I ordered the sambusa to start off with, which was very flavorful. These alone would be worth making a return trip for! For the entree I had the jollof rice with chicken and it was absolutely amazing! The rice was well seasoned and the perfect amount of spice for me. Next time I will venture out of my comfort zone and eat something besides chicken and rice haha. read more

Drelyse is by far the best African restaurant hands down. If you really want to try African food, you would not be disappointed. I make it a point to buy food there anytime I'm in Columbus. Trust me, go get your food of choice and thank me later :). Enjoy. Note: You may have to wait an hour for your food to be prepared with love and perfection. But that time can be cut in half, when you call ahead and place your order. read more

I finally tried this place out with a friend. My sister recommended this place. The area is in sort of an odd spot because you have to go through a neighborhood to get to it. I'm not good at reviews... Anyways, I tried the vitumbua which as an appetizer made of rice that has been fried. You don't taste the rice. It is a little bit of a sweet taste. This appetizer was pretty good mostly due to the texture. I liked it. I ordered the Joloff rice with chicken. I never had African food before so I'm not sure how it's supposed to taste. It's pretty good. I wouldn't say the food is AMAZING but I do think everything there is pretty good. I liked the house salad also. The nice man let us try the goat soup and I think that people who like goat would like this dish but I'm not a fan of goat or lamb which I believe has a similar taste. It has a bit of a spice to it. I thought it was a nice change to try something new. I wasn't disappointed. I really liked the plantains too. I ordered some of this food to have my bf try. I agree with people the owners of the restaurant are charming :) Be sure to get the COUPON on their website and print it out! read more

The first time I visited, a number of other diners where eating the special grilled Tilapia, which you have to order ahead. This time I called ahead and got two orders of the grilled Tilapia. Excellent! It came with a spicy tomato/onion sauce and with sides of jollof rice and plantain. On this visit I got the vitumber and sambusa again, peanut butter soup with chicken (a big hit with the four kids), goat soup with chapati (another big hit), beef spinach stew, and chicken waakye. Oh, and the side of fried yam was really nice. Again, great service and great advice from the staff. Tried all the different African beers this trip as well. Well, as you can see, I tried a lot more of the menu and their special dish (the grilled Tilapia) and must raise them by a star. This is a great little African restaurant. read more

My girlfriend and i stopped into Drelyse one cold night recently just because it looked interesting from the road. When we arrived inside, the dining room tables were set up in classy fashion and the manager woman was sitting down to have a meal. We talked with her and she was most pleasant, expanding on why it's important to make a good representation of classic African food and to run a clean, upstanding restaurant. Then a younger girl arrived who was perhaps the manager's daughter (you can see her in one of the pics i've posted), and got herself some food as well. She was pretty and shy about having her picture taken, but she said i could use her image on yelp. The manager directed my attention to the hand bowls on stands lined up along the wall that are used to wash one's hands before an African meal, since much of the food is eaten without utensils. We tried the lamb soup and--interestingly--the peanut butter soup and found both to be delicious and unique. I will definitely be going back again soon for a full dinner experience. read more

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Really friendly and attentive guy making sure you are welcomed. Went over the menu and explained everything. First time rating African food. Was really goood! Will drop by again if I'm in the area. read more

Drelyse African Restaurant - African Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

This place is FANTASTIC!! First time trying African cuisine and I will be back. The goat is incredible tender and the flavors with everything I had, were amazing. The service was friendly. The place is spotless! 10 stars! read more

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Immediately welcomed and seated as soon as we walked in. The entire menu was explained to us, and popular dishes were pointed out. If we didn't know what something was, the waiter described it in American food descriptions. We tried two of the appetizers, sambusa and vitumbua. They were both delicious and I could have eaten many more of them. For dinner, we ordered two of the popular dishes to share. One dish you eat with your fingers. Right hands only, (we asked), and they washed your hands for you. The waiter taught us how to use our fingers to eat the food as well. An awesome place to try western African cuisines, and definitely a warm and welcome facility. I will take my friends there in the future. read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants to visit whenever I'm in Columbus. I even went twice this weekend. Its that good you guys. Drelyse is located in a small plaza. Usually walk in and able to sit down to eat. Most people order for pick up. The woman who runs the restaurant is very kind and attentive. She makes you feel like your home. I always order the jallof rice with chicken dish. So tasty and delicious. Give this place a try- You will not regret it at all read more

The food was excellent. The joloff rice with chicken tasted authentic , just like my students would bring in to share. The banku was interesting and fun to eat. I was told it was an acquired taste, but I loved it. It had a wonderful texture and the aroma was pleasant. I enjoyed dunking it in all the sauces, especially the hot sauce. Overall food was good and the service was friendly. It was clean and the followed serve safe rules. It was a bite pricey compared to other African places read more

Holy Crap! Yelpers you are right, this place is awesome! I had the Beef Peanut Butter Soup. Such a wonderful flavor. A bit spicy, not too hot. No real peanut taste, just a perfect flavor that is exactly what I wanted. The help there is great. Awesome service. I bit pricey but worth it. I love this place from the first taste. I will be back. read more

Drelyse is a special place. The food was outstanding. The service was top-notch and incredibly friendly. Drelyse is the sort of restaurant that makes strange and intimidating foods seem accessible. We started with the vitambua. They're like sweet little rice pancakes. They were great. Very comforting. I wanted to pour syrup on them and have them for breakfast, or honey and eat them as a dessert. Next up were the sambusas. Another reviewed likened these to samosas, and I don't think that's very far off, but I don't think that does these justice either. I found them to be much richer than a samosa. They probably has something to do with it being stuffed with fatty ground beef. For entrees, everyone in the party ordered something different. I had the jollof rice with chicken. The rice was tasty. It did remind me of dirty rice as another review mentioned. The chicken was great: tender and juicy with a crispy skin. Someone else had the red red: A black-eyed pea stew served with plaintains and chicken. The plaintains were lightly fried, and were as good as any plaintains I've ever had. The stew was rich and smoky and spicy. The dinner that most impressed me, though, was the beef peanut butter stew with rice ball. The stew was intensely flavorful and the meet (actually lamb in this case as they were out of beef) was tender. When I want a spicy stew, this is what I want. Be warned, though, there are two West African restaurants on Tamarack Circle. The first time we tried to go, we ended up at the other one. It was not Drelyse. It was no where near as good. Lisa -- the proprietor -- told us that happens a lot. The sign very clearly says Drelyse, make sure you go to the right one (and make sure you go soon). read more

First time eating African cuisine and had no idea what will happen. Don't even know where to start. Walking into the restaurant it is not fancy schmancy no, not at all but it is honest to the bone. Ever experienced real hospitality? This is the place to experience it, a warm welcome and good advice on the menu. I told him that I cannot eat certain food containing gluten, eggs, nuts and milk. After a brief phone call discussing the menu with the chef we found a lot of food I can eat. And eating is what we did. It is delicious. 100% sure when I'm back in Ohio I will be there for some more food. They also offered us small samples to get a feeling about the food. They take pride in what they do, you can sense, feel and experience this. If you wanna taste something special, see how hospitality looks like. Go there. read more

This place has a beautiful decoration, it makes you feel the Africa roots . I am very disappointed by customer care over the phone , the lady or man that answer the phone calls and take orders talks so rudely . I don't get it ! If you can't give details of your menus to your customers please I beg close the restaurant. We're running the business for you because we're buying foods from your place . I've been in the restaurant field for 7 years in Manhattan so I know how to approach clients, also the fact of being polite and respectful with the person on the other line of the phone is important . This is a very awful experience. read more

I would eat here every-day if I could afford to. How much higher praise can I give than that? This place is awesome. The food is amazing, the people are lovely, and did I mention the food? Best, most tender gizzards that I've ever had (and I've eaten a lot of gizzards), I want to hoard their vitumba (think sweet puffy rice pancakes), spice levels are perfect, and jollof rice is heaven-sent. When they ask you your spice levels don't be afraid to tell them you like the heat, it's the kind that slowly builds in your mouth but, is never too much to handle. Go here. Seriously, I mean it. There's nothing more I can say. read more

The food is second to none. The service wait-time could use some improvement, though.

One of the worse in customer service. I called to order food at 6pm and they told me they will call me when it's ready in an hour only for them to not pick my calls after that hour and come to find o out they where closed too. Mmoa mmoa. read more

I really love this place! the owner and his staff are really nice & welcoming. The food was delicious I can't wait to visit again hate that I live 1 hour and 20 minutes away I'll be back!!!! read more

I have eaten here many times and as yet have not thought to write a review!. What can I say the food is fantastic, fresh and always flavorful. The staff is polite and most courteous. I could write a long winded review detailing each dish I have tried but to be honest I have found everything on the menu that I have tried so far to be wonderful. If you have never tried the food here then you are seriously missing out on an almost religious experience. read more

This restaurant is a GEM in Columbus. Not only is the service great and very kind, but the food is authentic and brings me back to my time spent in Ghana. I've had the red red, fried chicken, and fried plantains. Although the red red is different than what I am used to, their style is still amazingly tasty and everything tastes fresh! Definitely recommend if you want a meal that will warm you up from the inside out. read more

Drelyse African Restaurant - African Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Very Good and Very Friendly!!! Highly recommended!!! Great food, great service, great prices! Staff was very helpful and answered any questions we had about the menu. Food is West African, different from Ethiopian. Can be spicy, but they'll adjust according to your taste. We've been there three times in two weeks. Get the vitumbua appetizer (or 4), great on it's own, dipped in sauce or use to clean up your soup bowl. The gizzards were also amazing(I know, doesn't sound tasty, but they were delicious!) Get the sambusas too, they're like Indian samosas, but less veggies, more beef, onion and savory spices. I could go on and on. Just go and try it:) read more

My family loves African cuisine, and Drelyse gives you authentic dishes that are guaranteed to satisfy your appetite for great tasting African food. read more

Never a disappointment when we dine here! Fantastic food, very clean and friendly staff!!!!!

I'm giving it 3 stars because we were charged for tasting a spoonful of one of their soups, the waitress was not attentive also the wait was wayyy too long! Otherwise the food was great! read more

Drelyse African Restaurant - Peanut butter soup with fufu. - African Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

I have travelled most of the globe and Trelyse is hands down the best West African I have had in the US. I highly recommend the sambusas and goat stew, as well as the turkey tails. The staff is very courteous and more than happy to make recommendations. Don't forget to try the fufu ball also! read more

Drelyse African Restaurant - Drelyse restaurant and kitchen. - African Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Tried this for the first time last night and we were very impressed! We walked in and the restaurant was clean, well decorated, and welcoming. Immediately we were greeted and seated. The owner helped us navigate the menu, asking us if we had any allergies and what spice level we liked. She was an amazing help and had great customer service. We tried the Vitumbua and Sambusa for appetizers. We liked them both. We had the Joloff Chicken and Beef Stew with joloff rice for dinner.. Both were excellent! We had Malta to drink, which is definitely an acquired tasted! It was a great experience and we will definitely be back! read more

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