For the last 6-ish years, Akwaaba Restaurant has been my favorite Ghanaian spot in Brooklyn. I only…read moreget one dish but I have never ever EVER been let down after ordering it: fried beef, Jollof, plantain, and a mixture of sautéed peppers, onions, and carrots. It's about $20 for this but the portion of Jollof and beef is large enough for me to split into 2 meals (once I add my own greens to it, because broccoli goes with everything lol). The food is spicy but so full of flavor that I don't mind. As far as the service, I am always happy to see that the chef / owner(?) is there and well. He's cool and really takes pride in the food, which is beautiful to see. The orders usually take a long time to be ready but it's worth the wait. So I recommend placing your order over the phone ahead of time because it's not really a dine-in type of spot. I love the food at Akwaaba Restaurant dearly and look forward to visiting whenever I'm in the area and have a craving for Jollof. I'd highly recommend ordering from here if you're craving it too.

Cash only! I must mention this first. No delivery either and…read morethis place is strictly take out. Saw locals coming and going so I am excited to enjoy this! 1. Waakye and stew with spaghetti with meat 2. Jollof and vegetable with fish 3. Peanut soup/okra soup 4. Fufu and Banku Service was great. I will phone it in next time to shorten the wait time. Quiet ambiance will lots of love and care going on in the kitchen!

This is coming from someone who has been in the culinary world and worked with one of the best…read more Brooklyn Suya is an experience, with every bite you enjoy the intention behind each flavor. Incredible, I had steak, shrimp, shrimp plantain, boiled egg, honey & peanut sauce, and the aïoli. I knew the food was going to match the incredible service and vibe in the restaurant. Compliments to the chef! (&the team too :)

Can't even front this one of those "ones"! Reviews match experience and food. Service excellence…read more Nigerian food spot. Take out only. Served w love and personality. The bowls amazing is I got beef w rice and kale, plaintain, veggies, medium spice and peanut sauce. Large. Filling as hell and couldn't put it down. Benches outside to eat. Inside is just a kitchen with lots of signs, you can buy spices it feels like your in and old rib shack. Salmon bowl only comes in large and it is great too. Suya rocks and worth the hype

I came on a rainy day right at 11:30am when they open, and the owner was still getting things ready…read morebut kindly offered to rush my veggie sandwich order. Unfortunately that meant the bread got the microwave treatment instead of proper defrosting and toasting. If you've ever tried microwaved frozen bread, you know the texture I'm describing. The crispy honey bean (akara) burger itself was quite tasty. The patty had a crispy exterior and creamy bean paste interior, dressed up with vegan cheese, mayo, lettuce, tomato, and pickles. It's a nice alternative for vegetarians who dislike fake meat substitutes. They don't purport the beans taste like anything but beans. The jollof rice completed the meal. It had a rich tomato base with great depth of flavor that made everything feel more substantial. The owner was genuinely sweet about the whole rushed situation, and based on reviews, I know this is the kind of place that shines under normal circumstances. This is primarily a takeout spot with a few high-top tables by the window if you want to eat in. I'd definitely give it another shot during regular operating hours when they're not scrambling to accommodate early birds.

STEPH JUDGEMENT: A unique vegan fast food experience…read more I'd read about them in the New Yorker and was intrigued. A vegan Nigerian fast food joint in Brooklyn? Why not! We'd never had Nigerian food but were game to try. We took a bus to a decidedly unglamorous part of town, to a humble storefront with a couple of small outdoor tables. Inside was very small, with just some bar seating by the window and a bench. We were a bit early for the lunch rush, so had the place to ourselves. The nice owner came out to greet us and take our order. The hubby ordered the Classic Akara Burger, which was their signature deep fried honey bean fritter patty on a bun with tomato, lettuce, cucumbers and vegan mayo. It was good but a bit bland. My Oyster Mushroom Wrap with bean fritter pieces and veggies had more zip, courtesy of their Nigerian red sauce, and was quite sizable--I really enjoyed it. It was a very hot day and they had no AC inside (just fans) so we opted to eat at one the outside tables, which turned out to be much cooler and quite pleasant. If you're vegan/vegetarian or just curious about what Nigerian flavors are like, I'd say it's very much worth a try.

I got egusi with mixed meat, as that was the only egusi option for delivery. Mixed meat is my…read morefavorite way to enjoy egusi, but I try to be careful where I get it due to the need for everything to be cleaned super well since it usually includes things like tripe. WELP! Long story short, my food smelled and tasted like poop. POOP! I had to throw the whole thing away, I was so disappointed. PLEASE AVOID AT ALL COSTS!

Ewe is the warmest and most welcoming chef/host. It was almost like we were in her home kitchen…read more Ordered the goat with rice (and more) and almost ordered seconds had we not been so full from all the good eats. Definitely earned her NYT mentions each of the last three years!

It's been awhile since I've tried Ghenet. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and quantity…read morethis past week. The injera bread was very fresh and delicious. I always get a combination dinner. This time I tried the Siga Wett beef stew with Ethiopian spices - very delicious! Spicy but not too spicy. Ethiopian food can be addictive, years ago I was definitely into eating a lot of Ethiopian. New York City has some great Ethiopian. If I were a tourist here, it would be on my list under "things to try." Or at least to try once ! I also had 2 vegetarian dishes - the Shiro Wett and the Messir Wett. The Shiro was made with beans. The Mesir was made with lentils. I've had the Shiro and Mesir Watt many times before - both at Ghenet as well as other Ethiopian restaurants (Awash Ethiopian on the upper west side). I think Ghenet has some of the most flavorful dishes in the city. They don't overdo it - just the right amount of spicy hotness. Overall, my favorite dish from the combination platter was the Shiro Wett. It had a light touch of smokiness that went really well with the beans. Very filling and delicious with the injera. I wish they offered fitfit salad - the menu has Ethiopian tomato salad but there are no photos of it on the online menu. There are photos of some of the other menu items but not all. I think they'd sell more stuff if there were photos since not everyone is familiar with all of the various dishes. Just a thought.

A standout Ethiopian restaurant, not that I'm an expert, for several reasons. while the focus of…read moreseveral Ethiopian restaurants around the area seem to be vegetarian or vegetable focused, one of the reasons why this place caught my attention at first was due to the menu that featured a large variety of meats not easily found else where in NYC. I came here and ordered the doro wot and the kitfo. Kitfo was okay, just what you'd expect of raw meat, but it paired beautifully with the vegetables that were offered. The doro wot was the absolute star here, the chicken was moist and the sauce was fiery and bold with a hint of earthiness, this is still a dish I think of from time to time and currently use as a standard of how doro wot should taste The only thing that irked me about the restaurant was the confusing pricing. The combination pricing really did not make sense. We ordered the meats, were given two vegetables for each meat and paid for what was listed for the doro wot and kitfo, making the section about combination pricing completely obsolete. Still confused to this day. Either way come here if you want excellent Ethiopian with a focus on proteins with the addition of great vegetables.

Would 100% recommend a reservation, this place is popular and for good reason. The service is…read moregreat, and we came on a nice sunny day so we were able to enjoy an indoor outdoor eating environment. We really enjoyed the Thiebou Jen, while the fish had some bones they were manageable and the flavors were on point. The dish does come with a pepper on the side, but beware she is a heavy hitter and not for the faint of heart. So happy we had the plantains as well, they were a perfect compliment to this main dish. Cocktail was the Last Last, a delightful take on the Last Word and extra points here for the creativity of the name. Had some of the Fataya empanadas as well, next time I want to try the Spicy Potato Nems and a lamb dish.

first time trying senegalese food and it was so good!!…read more - got the thiebou jen (national fish dish) and lamb chops - top bites were the smoky lamb chops, the flaky fish paired with the rice, and plantains - the juices were also good! though I wish they had the baobab juice (sadly they ran out) - servers were nice!! also the decor was very cute and felt homey/authentic in a summery way some notes: - for some reason resy showed a bunch of openings but when we got there it was pretty full and only had bar seating. rec making a res!!

Very cute spot with delicious food! Everything we ordered was very tasty. The only downside was…read morethat the music was extremely loud, so it didn't feel like the most intimate place for a date. They also offer hookah, which was a nice touch and added to the overall experience. The drinks were okay. I felt like they could have used a bit more alcohol, as they tasted more like juice than cocktails. That seems to be a trend at a lot of restaurants these days. Overall, the experience was very enjoyable. The atmosphere was cute, the food was excellent, and we had a great time. Thanks for an amazing meal!

Overall, I would give Native 3 out of 5 stars. The ambiance is definitely the highlight. I would…read moregive the atmosphere and decor a 5 out of 5. The space is beautiful, has a great vibe, and the staff was friendly and welcoming. They also offer hookah, which was a plus for us. Parking can be a little challenging since there is no dedicated parking. We had to circle the area a few times before eventually finding street parking, so I would recommend giving yourself a little extra time. We happened to visit on a night when they were hosting an event, and unfortunately, the music was extremely loud. It was difficult to have a conversation or really enjoy the atmosphere, and that was my biggest complaint of the night. I understand that the volume may have been because of the particular event happening that evening, so I would not necessarily judge the restaurant entirely based on that experience. I would definitely give Native another try on a regular night. The ambiance, friendly staff, and hookah make it worth coming back. I would just prefer to visit when the music is at a more comfortable volume.

We happened to be in this part of Brooklyn for the concert in a small park by my son's band, and…read morehappened to notice that there was a Senegalese restaurant nearby. Since we've never had Senegalese food, the decision to go there was no brainer. The interior of the restaurant looked like an art gallery, with paintings, carvings, handicrafts and photos from Western Africa. An old man (the owner?) received us. He recommended several vegetarian options for me, but I already had my heart set on the Okra stew. He then asked if I wanted Okra Tofu? I asked him if people in Senegal consumed Tofu? He said no, but customers had requested it, so they put it on the menu. (Who comes to a Senegalese restaurant and asks for Tofu?) I told him to not give me anything outside an authentic Senegalese diet. A few minutes later he came out of the kitchen to tell me that there was not enough okra stew left to form a main dish, but he'd offer whatever was there as a free side dish for me. So I went with his suggestion of Mafe Legumes (vegetables stewed in peanut butter sauce), while husband asked for the Senegalese national dish of Tiebou Jeun (baked fish). For the accompanying starch, I chose Funio, the Western African staple grain (again introduced by this wise old man). We also ordered Nem Legumes - vegetable spring rolls (I'd call them samosas :-)). Husband asked for a ginger drink. The ginger drink tasted like pure ginger juice (sweetened a bit of course) - it would certainly cleanse one's palate and warm one's stomach. The Nem Legumes were nice, but the winner was the stewed tomato dipping sauce that came with them. Our main dishes were served on large dinner plates. The portions were so substantial that I ended up packing half of my stew home, after stuffing myself unusually full already. There were chunks of yam, carrots and cabbage on my plate, flavored in a creamy and well-seasoned peanut butter sauce. But the winner was still the Okra stew - spicy, tangy, tasty. I also stole some Joloff rice off my husband's plate. It was another surprisingly delicious treat! His fish looked like a portion of a big carp, with quite a bit of bones to pick out (we don't mind fish bones, having been well trained in certain Asian cuisines :-)) Our bill, presented by a young waitress, came in a little basked covered by the broad hem of an African lady in a beautiful dress. The old man passed out table and said "oh yes she collects for us." For a meal of one appetizer, two mains, and a drink, the price was super reasonable!

You must visit if you're in the area…read more Enjoyed the okra stew with Joloff rice. For appetizer, small fish pastries. Everything was lovely. The space inside is warm and inviting. They already appear to host community events as well. I noticed a small stage and projector.

This is our 2nd African restaurant experience and the first Nigerian restaurant and is fantastic!…read moreOur server, a beautiful young lady Aliyah was patient, she explained the different dishes and made great recommendations. We started with the Goat pepper soup, hot, spicy and delicious. Fur my main I had the Tilapia with egusi and ponded yam, hubby had the stew goat with Eba and Efo (cassava and savory spinach). Everything was delicious amazing flavors and textures. For the beverage we had Gunness Malta. The restaurant has nice art on the walls and the vibe is simple low key. I minused one star for the restrooms. It needed to be cleaned.

Do Not order online they will short you...I ordered the pepper soup which come up to over $28 ..30…read moredollars to be exact ....What I got delivered was a small sauce container with 3 bones of Goat meat...My thing is Africans are so greedy you really do want to support ur own but why would yall do that knowing how much someone paid...I will be getting my money back and I will never in life order here again....

Service was very attentive and the feast for two was delicious- so flavorful and filling with lots…read moreof different options. The lighting and decor was really pleasant and the atmosphere was very inviting. The only thing i would change is that there wasn't enough complementary injera to finish the whole dish and it was $6 extra to get enough for the meal. Regardless, it was over all a great experience and i would go back!

Five stars - Phenomenal -…read moreMagical - Nostalgic - This place is incredible. From the moment I walked in, their dim lighting set the mood. The food came out incredibly quick, but that was not in sacrifice of the quality. Best Ethiopian food ive ever had. Got the feast for two and it was more than enough. Absolutely delicious. I feel so grateful I got the chance to try this place honestly