Like someone's kitchen, Drelyse has this warm feeling making you feel right at home, it offers an impressive all day meal menu. Enjoy a meal with friends and family. What a great restaurant this is! The food is freshly prepared and tastes really good. Average meal consisting of a main course, appetizer and 2 beer's will be about $18/-. A variety of stews--including chicken, beef, goat and seafood--are served with rice. Make sure you try the Fufu, a traditional dish of pounded plantain and cassava root, Vitumbua, deep fried spongy goodness and the Grilled Tilapia and Banku. The somewhat spicy food pairs nicely with an African beer. There are several to choose from. Sit back, relax, and listen to Afropop and Reggae music as you enjoy a truly exotic meal. Say 'hello' for me to the chef/owner she is sweet and passionate about her work. Her husband is kind and accommodating and will greet you at the door on arrival, if you are a first timer to African Food he will help you choose based on preference and will also throw in some samples to taste before you order, I do not know any other restaurant that cares enough to do that for their customers. After our meal the owner/chef came by our table and chatted with us briefly. To our pleasent surprise we found that she does a whole lot of community work that truly got my attention. I was hugely impressed. Infact if you look up their website www.drelyse.com and click the Events section they have coupons you can redeem for food and make donations in exchange for a free meal. Now that is something extraordinary. They also offer free meals on Thanksgiving so people from Ohio listen up and drive down to support a cause in exchange for a delicious memorable meal. It can't get any sweeter than that!!!! If you are looking for a simple, warm home cooked meal with no bells and whistles this is it! You will be pleasantly surprised and go back for more. read more

Asides it being hot in here and the service being a bit slow, the FOOD IS AMAZING AND MAKES UP FOR EVERYTHING LITERALLY. I was NOT disappointed. Also my husband tried Ghanaian food for the first time (he's Cameroonian) and as picky as he is he really enjoyed his meal. I had beef spinach stew and he had waakye read more

Everything about this place is great. The food, the people, the atmosphere.. loved it all. I swear if I closed my eyes it would have been like I was back in Ghana. Even if you have never tried Ghanaian food, this place will blow your mind. You haven't lived until you try out Drelyse African Restaurant. read more

My husband and I recently moved to Columbus and tried out this restaurant yesterday. We tried the vitumbua, Jollof rice and chicken, goat stew, and fried plantains. Everything was absolutely incredible, and I cannot wait to go back! read more

Had a catering order for my sister's graduation party and i was not disappointed. The jollof rice and chicken had the perfect level of spice, and the plantains were a hit. The hot sauce and chimichuri were the perfect addition to the dish. I will definitely be back to try different dishes. Highly recommend!! read more

This is my favorite African restaurant in town! The beef spinach and grilled tilapia are to die for. The owner is hands on and makes sure we have a pleasant dine-in experience every time. Even my children love the food. Last week my son knocked his food off of the table. He was very upset and the owner quickly calmed him and told him she had another order ready in 5 minutes. Great staff, Amazing food, why hasn't the food channel came here yet? read more

Visited this place after being out of the state for a few years. It was just as good as I remembered. The service was helpful with samples to help us decide. The food was also just as tasty and exotic. I would highly recommend this place if you are looking for some new and unique flavors. -----Old Review------ Amazing service and tasty food. Definitely worth a visit. I've been using yelp to help me find delicious interesting places. This hidden gem definitely fit the bill. Not only was the food interesting, but it was tasty and reasonably priced. The waiter was thoughtful and friendly. He asked us if we had ever had African food before. Because we hadn't he was very helpful and considerate in guiding us in our selections. He even brought out samples of a few dishes to try so that we could gauge whether we could handle the spiciness of the food. He also gave us free appetizers and a African restaurant calendar when we left. When my friend first ask for goat, he told us they were out. But because my friend really wanted to give it a try he went back into the kitchen and saw what they could do. It took a little longer, but they were able to cook my friend a goat dish. All in all it was a great experience. read more

Had a lovely experience on a date at Drelyse tonight, and we will likely be going back. When thinking about restaurants to try, my date suggested something African, and she came across this place via (where else?) Yelp. We knew from prior reviews what some of the most recommended dishes were, but nonetheless we asked our server about her recommendations. We wound up sharing peanut butter soup with goat and fufu, sambusas, fried plantains, and a kind of rice ball whose name I don't remember. ALL of it was delicious. As other reviewers have mentioned, fufu has a unique flavor on its own, but when you cut it with a spoon and immerse it in the soup, it absorbs the liquid while remaining delightfully doughy. The plantains were more on the savory side than the sweet, but they weren't at all heavy, despite being fried. The sambusas were very similar to samosas (as my date quipped, "every culture has a version of these..."), and therefore tasty. As for the soup, I was initially a little nervous, as I had no recollection of trying goat before, and I'm not a huge fan of peanut butter...but the goat was delicious, despite a few bits of gristle, and the soup has a very unique, slightly spicy taste (in a good way) that bears very little resemblance to peanut butter. All in all, I can't deny that the charming company of my date aided the dining experience, but the food, the service, and the general atmosphere of Drelyse makes it an essential stop for anyone with a taste for West African cuisine. read more

This place is a must have, if you're looking for authentic Africa food. The staff are extremely friendly and they were pleased to share their vast knowledge of multiple cultures with us. We walked away with a treasure trove of information about how to be properly immersed in numerous countries. A definite repeat visit is in our future. read more

Tasty African food! Tried it the first time in my life today. The beef stew is good but my favorite is the spinach one! Lisa, the owner is really nice and sweet, definitely going back again. Want to try the fish dishes next time. read more

Drelyse African Restaurant - African Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

The flavors of Drelyse are exceptional. I had the vegetarian platter (which is not on the menu) and it did not disappoint. It was made of rice, salad, beans, and plantains. All really well done and extremely tasty. I will be frequenting this place!! read more

Grilled tilapia is a great choice! Very flavorful and well cooked. My favorite is the garish on top.

Food was solid, we were not disappointed, but not impressed. Service was iffy, place was very small and out of the way, but clean. Would go again if I was in the neighborhood, not going to drive across town to get there. read more

This is a hidden gem! I got the jollof rice with chicken, and it also came with a side salad and some sliced & seasoned onions & tomato. The tomato sauce on the side was SO good! They obviously know what they're doing. Service was also great. I will be back for sure! read more

One of the best places I have ever eaten at. A huge tbumbs up to you guys. This place is where I ate African food for the first tine and I was mindblown. read more

There ain't no two ways about it! Drelyse is tops with it comes to African food in Columbus. The peanut butter soup with some fufu has flavors and textures that truly excite! I have used Drelyse as a way to turn people on to African cuisine and it always works. read more

Went in tonight for an order of the goat fufu and a side of plantain. You could see the kitchen from the front counter, large pots of stew boiling down from tonight for tomorrow's meal. You know a place is going to have good stew when its cooking from the night before! I jumped in to the fufu before thinking to take a picture, the goat just smelled too good. The soup was properly spiced, coming from a Jamaican's pallet! Not hot, but just enough spice to leave a welcomed tingle a few minutes after the meal. Goat was tender and fell off the bone. Would have had 3 more bowls. Didn't take to the fufu personally, a bit bland to be taking up caloric space! Next time I will try the goat stew! read more

I visited this place on Friday 12/4/2015 around 3 pm. The place is very clean (even the restroom!!!) I had the Jollof with Chicken and I tried the Sambusa. I would not recommend the Sambusa (waste of money-taste is quite bland). The prices are not the same as listed here on their menu list price. My Jallof was $12.99. I would definitely recommend the Jollof. I will return and try a different entree. Patricia read more

This place is actually amazing. The taste is phenomenal and the portions are generous. Seriously. I want this place to be around forever and ever. If you have taste buds and have an appreciation for food being seasoned properly and hearty portions, hit this place up. read more

They have the best tilapia in the world! Order before going cus they gonna take about 45 mins to get your food ready. Get place to get African dish. read more

Am so happy Drelyse is opening today after 2 months come show love best African food in town if you haven't tried it yet get there now stop in and try the jollof rice and plenty of other food to try too See you soon read more

Drelyse was my first taste of West African cuisine and it was simply amazing. I discovered this place via Yelp and, once again, Yelp did not let me down! Pronounced Dreh-Leez, it's a little restaurant in the center of Tamarack Circle in North Columbus. The owners used to run a restaurant in Ghana, so the authenticity is unquestionable. The dining room had six 4-person tables, not huge, but it didn't need to be. The interior was very Mom-and-Pop, nice but not fancy. We arrived and started looking at the menu (available online at www.Drelyse.com) and everything sounded great. We threw ourselves on the mercy of our host, the husband of the owner and a wonderful food guide. So kind and attentive, he did his best to steer us 'first-timers' to flavors more suited to the Western palate, but we assured him that we were foodies who had come for authentic food. He then, happily, pointed out the local favorites, local to Ghana that is. As we went over the menu, he brought 2 small bowls of soup for us to sample (like I said, he was very kind). One was goat soup and the other was peanut-butter beef soup and both had a few small bits of FuFu in it, a starchy, doughy dumpling. We tasted and swapped and decided they were both terrific. Drinking right from the bowl, the broths were so very rich and deep in flavor that I almost forgot to share. The beef soup was spicy and the goat soup was spicier, but neither was overly spicy and the flavor of the soup was complimented not overwhelmed, just enough to put a little sweat on the brow. We grabbed a pair of Tusker ales/beers, from Kenya, to wash it all down and it went well with the spicy food. Tusker is similar to Guinness, dark, strong, with a slightly nutty back-note. Our host explained that West African food is eaten with the hands and asked if we wanted silverware. We decided to remain true to the food. If it's to be eaten with your hands, so be it! He brought over a small ceramic basin of soapy water. We dipped our hands and gave them a quick wash. He then produced a ceramic jug of clean water which he poured over our hands to rinse them. I love a good food ritual, so this was fun and elegant at the same time. The samples really hadn't helped because now we wanted to taste everything! In the end, we decided on Sambusa and Vitumbua for appetizers. Sambusa is a small flaky pastry filled with spiced meat (and I mean filled, more meat than pastry) and served with a spicy-sweet sauce. Crisp and deliciously meaty. The Vitumbua was a dense, chewy fried dough muffin/biscuit/cake, lightly sweet but also savory at the same time. A great start! We chose Goat Soup and Jollof Rice with Chicken for our entrees. Our host brought out two steaming plates plus a softball-sized bread round. The bread round was actually a dish called Banku and it's a sticky ball of fermented cassava dough that felt very much like uncooked bread dough (just MUCH stickier, you have to eat it off your fingers or you'll never get it off). Grab a sticky wad of Banku, use it to grab a piece of meat from the soup, and eat both. Banku has a potato-ish taste and goes great with their soup. Tasty and fun! The Jollof Rice was bright red with a lovely sauce on top and I have never tasted rice with that much flavor before. No tableware, so the banku was used to eat the rice too. The tomatoes and onions on top of the chicken were spectacular and I cannot pretend to know how they made them taste so good. Maybe they were pickled, might be magic, but they were far tastier than the plain onion and tomato they seemed to be. The chicken, ah the chicken, I don't know what spices were on it, but it was really tender and so good. Packed with flavor through and through, not just a coating, but a permeated flavor that made for some really good eating right down to the last morsel! I'm a pretty big eater, but, since every bite included some banku, I filled up long before I cleaned my plate And I really wanted to clean my plate! And I wanted to clean the plates of the people sitting next to us (their fish dish looked awesome, takes 40 minutes to cook, so call ahead for that). I really wanted to be hungry again so I could order other items from the menu, but I was so stuffed that I didn't have room for dessert (or a deep breath). We repeated the hand-washing ritual again to clean up, but I wish I hadn't because, now, hours later, I would be happy if my hands tasted and smelled like their amazing food. I can honestly say it was better than finger licking good, it was lick-your-friend's-fingers good. Heck, it was knock-your-Momma-down good (yeah it's THAT good). I am looking forward to tasting every item on their menu, so I'm already planning a return trip. And it's only five minutes from my house! If you hit Drelyse, and I think you should, you'll probably see me there with a handful of food and a big smile on my face! read more

WOW WOW WOW. This was one of my most amazing dining experiences of my life. I was only driving through Columbus and looked on Yelp to find an interesting place to stop and enjoy a meal. I really felt as though I was having dinner with them instead of at their establishment. It was a slower night so I'm sure that played into how much attention I got, but after revealing it was my first time, I really got a great introduction to West African Food and everything that was on the menu. I was offered samples of different dishes, taught how to eat fufu and peanut butter soup the authentic way with my hands, and was treated to some table side hand washing. It was a very comfortable and hospitable atmosphere and I enjoyed the food just as much as I enjoyed the service and experience. I would literally return to Columbus only to eat at this establishment. I'm not sure I'll find a better West African restaurant. Thank you for such a wonderful experience. Best!! read more

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I don't review things obsessively, but Drelyse was so great that I thought it was necessary. I'm not *that* cuisine adventurous, so although I was interested in trying Drelyse, I was also hesitant. But everything was delicious! The vitumbua were delicious with the spicy (more flavorful than spicy sauce), and the sambusa was a good basic meaty hot pocket. I also tried the beef peanut butter soup, the beef spinach stew, and the jollof rice with chicken. They were all tasty, but the jollof rice with chicken was especially a standout. The flavors were strong and delicious, and the chicken was so tender it was falling off the bone. There was also a nice selection of some African beer and wine which excited my sister, who spent some time in Uganda. A lot of people might not like the banku, with its sour flavor, although I personally thought it was worth a try, and not awful. I was warned to stay away from the okra stews by people much braver than I, which have a slimy, gelatinous quality, and I think that was a good call. Beyond the food, though, we had a great server who removed any awkwardness I might have felt about being out of place. He was happy to explain anything on the menu and was very personable in general. I will definitely be coming back. read more

Based on fellow Yelper's reviews we stopped here for lunch on our way to Cincinnati. Perhaps it was just the day, (there was a problem with the credit card machine that totally engulfed the front help) we were the only patrons in the restaurant (oddly enough on a Friday just after one P.M.), yet mysteriously there was a stack of credit cards and slips the processing of which obliterated the fact that someone was in the restaurant requiring some small modicum of attention. Alas, no gracious host appeared with hand washing materials, the time gaps between menu, taking order etc. were frustrating, I mean we were the ONLY people there. When it came time to order I may have made a cardinal mistake, based on the rapt attention others were given regarding the menu choices, I stated that I liked fish and I liked spicy and asked what the waitress would recommend. I was told that the beef peanut butter soup that so many others have referenced could be made with fish, so I ordered that, as did my significant other, ...(without the spice.) It took a while to prepare, and after a time the meal appeared. We were told that there would be some bones in the fish as we were served. Non-plussed, we dove in only to find that this statement was an absolute inaccuracy. Perhaps it was the language thing, (all conversations between employees occured in some presumably African tongue), but what the waitress/hostess meant to say was there MAY be some fish in your BONES. I'm not talking a few pin bones here, I'm talking about when you filet a fish and there's a spine that is the framework from which the rib bones blossom, they hacked up spines from multiple fish, breaded them and fried them and tossed them in our soups, ALONG WITH RANDOM FISH SCALES! It was as though they pulled the scraps out of the garbage as they were out of fish and thought "let's play choke the yelpies". I get the whole thing about cooking things with bones in for flavor enhancement, That might have been acceptable had there been some actual flesh from a fish that found it's way into my bowl, along with the scraps but AT BEST there was perhaps two level teaspoons full of fish. To add insult to injury, you Yelpers who have not yet visited this establishment, may think well the cheap sot just paid for a bowl of soup, and you are right, but they charge twelve bucks each for these bowls of soup, so we are talking luncheon entree prices, not typical bowls of soup prices. I've had awsome lobster bisque with marble sized chunks of lobster in it for half that price, so yeah I actually expected a piece of fish in my soup, and I am honked. Was it an aberration? NO! My significant other got exactly the same bone to flesh ratio in her soup as well! In fairness I must say, that the broth was phenomenal! There were complex layers of flavor, deft use of ingredients and spices etc., that obviously took some time in development and unless you have a nut allergy have no fear that it is going to taste of peanut butter- no discernible peanut flavor, and sweetness is not imparted. Thankfully the soup was served with a plate of rice so there was something edible to put in the soup after one fished out the bones and watched them clumbsily ring the bowl during the dining process joined by the occassional fish scale that one coughed up while eating the re-named rice soup. The heat in my bowl was supplied by a halved scotch bonnet pepper swimming about in the bowl. I am a carnivore/omnivore. I'll eat the other stuff too, but I want flesh of some sort when I dine, so as it happens the first place we pass on the way back to the interstate was a Long John Silver's. I stopped and got a piece of fish for a buck and a half and ate it for fuel for the last segment of our drive. My suggestion is stop at LJS first and quietly bring your own fish to the party should you be inclined to order the same dish we had, otherwise FORGETABOUTIT!!! Beverages are all bottled and short of Orange Crush, Guiness and bottled water largely limited to beverages of intrigue (Goya malta, varioius uncommon fruit based beverages and and an African beer . read more

Thank you fellow Yelpers!!! After some waaaaay inflated ratings on some places that I have found through surfing this site, you have come through big time. THIS PLACE KICKS ASS!!! Now, this is not a white table cloth place, it is not for a romantic dinner, there are many things it is not. What it is... it's family run restaurant that lacks polish and pretense and it's run by some of the nicest and most accommodating people that I have met in a long while. I have had Ethiopian food while in Chicago and was really underwhelmed. But since I was on business solo in Columbus, I took a chance and was rewarded. Beforehand, I looked at the reviews and read the menu. However, once I was inside this little place, the husband of the couple running the place introduced me to the perfect items to order and before I knew it I was enjoying a wonderful meal full of flavor and high quality ingredients. I tried the sambusas, which were meaty and a tad spicy. I had a spring roll and then the rice cake to start. Each item was a masterpiece on it's own. I was also offered a taste of the peanut butter soup which was anything but peanut buttery, but spicy, rich and complex. For my main course I had the Jollof rice with chicken. The rice was, as stated, a bit like dirty rice. The sauce on top was where the spice "hid" and there was quite a bit in there... I said hot was good. The onions and tomato "salsa" on the chicken was delicious and tangy. All the while, the owners looked out for me and made sure I enjoyed my meal. I also had a nice cold Tusker beer. When the bill came..... $18. You're kidding... for that quality... $18??? If this place was in Chicago, it would be packed and $30 for what I got. They need to get the word out... or maybe not. I will be back when I am back in town again. read more

First time eating Gahanaian food. The menu was kindly explained for us. Therefore, there is no fear on not knowing what you are ordering. The guy working there is super nice and the food was unbelievably good. Peanut butter soup and goat stew were excellent. We really enjoyed it. read more

This was pretty much the ideal dining experience. Great food served by a deeply enthusiastic staff and made by loving hands. The place is humble but the food is magnificent. The food was rich, satisfying and full of nuanced spices. Great atmosphere with lots of west Africans streaming in and out and just a great vibe in the air. I felt fantastic after eating here, and I think that's only partially because of the really delicious food. read more

With all of the different ethnicities of food that I've eaten in my life, I'm almost embarrassed to say that this was my first excursion into African food. If all African food tastes like what I experienced today, I have been doing myself the greatest of disservices. I had been wanting to try something different for quite some time and today I figured that I would indulge. I had first been made aware of this restaurant by one of my coworkers who is of Nigerian descent. I coupled his recommendation with some of the reviews that I read on Yelp! and quickly came to my decision. Now I went by on a Sunday afternoon after work, just a coworker and I, and needless to say it's a trip that I should've made a long time ago. It's a very small place that's located in a strip mall and one of the owners doesn't seem to be of African descent but the cooks definitely are. And that's all that matters! LOL!! I ordered the jollof with chicken with sambuka and the flavors were amazing!!! The only drawback was that the chicken was slightly drier than I would've liked. Other than that, for a first experience this place was exceptional. read more

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Ok, Don't go here. Why? Because the place is small and has great food and if you go there I may not be able to get a table when I'm hungry. I better not see you there. I ordered chicken jollof and my son ordered the goat stew. We also ordered sambusa and vitumba both of which were good. The thing I like about the place is the friendly and helpful people running the place. They gave us samples of fried plantain and peanut butter soup to try and told us what to expect from the food with regard to spice and flavoring. My son ate the goat stew like a hungry animal. He actually found the place online and suggested we try it. We both liked it and will be coming back. But, please don't go there when I'm going :) read more

Used bitesquad. They called and said they were out of goat stew so I asked them for a goat fufu or a double serving of beef to make up for not having the stew. I received an abomination of leftover bones from a goat who knows how old. It reaked and there was 0 meat. I guess they decided to ruin my dish instead of trying to make it up to me. Chicken jollof dish was good though. Thanks for a terrible first experience guys. read more

While visiting Columbus recently, we decided to be adventurous and try this place out. We had the peanut butter soup and jollof rice, with vitumbua and sambusas for appetizers. Wow, this place has it going perfectly. I am used to Nigerian food and a bit of other African, but never have I had it with the flavors here. Being Caucasian, you may get an odd look or two from the patrons, but the owner was beyond friendly and did not mind explaining things to my friend who were not as familiar with the cuisine. The meat is tender, cooked with bone attached (be careful if you're new, but it gives a lot more flavor), and worth the wait. Also you can do traditional eating here using fufu and your hands, so do a little bit of research beforehand so you are not caught too off-guard by the authenticity. Definitely worth eating here again, and looking at the tilapia he brought out to the table next to mine, I know what I will try next time I am in town. read more

I wouldn't recommend them at all !! They only have one meal proportion , no small , medium , large !! I asked the guy could I get a large size up & he said they only have one size. It was so small and cost 13 dollars !!! For a bowl or peanut butter soup & rice smh !!! The guy in front is very rude & if you call he's rude as well ..I would never recommend them read more

Drelyse has really good food. Love their jollof & chicken, and sweet potato & chofi (turkey tails). Banku & Tilapia very good too, but a little pricey (big size tho!). My problem going here is the 'host'. He is very rude and ignorant. Called in to place an order, he literally starts an argument with a customer in the restaurant, telling them they can leave, whilst I'm attempting to give my order over the fone. Doesn't even place me on hold to argue! Zero professionalism. I have called in and changed plans after speaking with him on more than one occasion, bcos he's simply rude. My recommendation is to keep him away from customer service. Otherwise, I love the food n the owner is a really lovely lady too. read more

ALLERGY ALERT: Be sure to alert the staff if you have a nut allergy each time you visit this restaurant. I had the spinach stew with goat on my first visit, assured that it did not contain nuts. On my second visit, when I ordered the same dish the cook that day used goat from the goat stew, which contains peanuts. FYI: groundnuts and peanuts are the same thing. read more

I've been here twice in the last two weeks. My girlfriend and I have tried most varieties of things on the menu. Currently, our favorites are the beef and spinach stew with fried plantains. The beef and peanut butter soup is excellent as well. Most recently we tried the Okra stew, also great, as well as some fufu (a fun texture) and Banku (kind of an acquired taste). This is a great find in Columbus! read more

This was our first African food experience. I was very impressed. The peanut butter soup was fantastic. The staff was very helpful and polite. The service was 5 star! We had a great experience. I liked vitambua & the plantains too. I'm looking forward to trying more African food! read more

Pretty good. Went there one time. Quite expensive lunch for the portion I got. Taste good tho.

Had mutton stew with injera, and was wonderful. I've had a lot of Indian mutton curry and stew, but this exceeded them by far.

Best African spot in the city, I highly recommend it for anyone wanting to experience something different! The food is amazing!