was at the jambo grill the other night...and while it wasn't horrible, I've had better. We walked in around 9pm, and waited for 5 minutes to get noticed at the door. We were seated promptly after however without menu's. The service was a little scattered, one guy came and set down empty glasses and one plate, another person removed those two glasses and brought two glasses with water and plates. A little random...and funny actually We had the butter chicken, mogo, and ribs...mogo was fantastic and fresh. I've had better ribs and butter chicken - see my review on Simba's and Saffron The drink selections were fantastic - you can get a Litre of Lassi or Pop, just fantastic. Overall, not a bad place to get your fix but can't give it top marks. read more

We got there at around 1:30pm on a Wednesday and the restaurant was completely empty. Atmosphere - Likes to play African style music. A little bit chilly (for me) but it could be because there's no one else there. Service - We were given water until after selecting food from the menu. We came in with the Entertainment book coupon which said, "Buy one DINNER or LUNCH entree and get one DINNER or LUNCH free - up to $10". The server saw the coupon and then said they don't honour the coupon for lunch specials. And then the ribs we have to get the 10oz instead of 5oz. No where did the coupon mentioned these restrictions. Not too happy with it. We asked the server to recommend some good dishes, but he wasn't too helpful with choices at all. He just pointed to the fish portion of the menu when we said we wanted a fish entree. Cleanliness - Bathrooms and tables are clean enough. I may be a bit skewed since I don't mind eating from street vendors in East Asia. Taste - At the end, Hubby picked Tandoor Chicken and I picked the Tilapia. The Tandoor was ok. The Tilapia was fried nicely and it was quite a big fish. Returning customer? Likely not. read more

Thali Thursdays. Oh. yes. So varied and delicious, and since you'll leave full-to-bursting, worth every cent!! read more

Stopped in last night with 5 people for dinner, had great service and some delicious dishes. The Bharta was really good - as a vegetarian, I've had a lot of it in various restaurants and this was one of the best. The veggie pakoras were a surprise - not the usual overfried or doughy appetizer but rather light and perfectly cooked. Really good. The continual refilling of the steaming chai tea was appreciated, too. The servers were sweet and attentive, and Nash, the owner, came by and was quite gracious. The decor and ambience of the restaurant is unique and really fun. A good place to get a taste of East African dishes. read more

This is my third visit to Jambo Grill and really enjoyed the East African and Indian Fusion Dishes. We ordered Mohogo (Fried Cassava), Nylon Bhajiya as appetizer and mini Grill as main dish. read more

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Was here again today,because hey maybe i was wrong the first time? Turns out, I wasn't. The service was average and the food tasted worse. Very stale. Kind of shows how having pictures of famous people by your main door doesn't mean that your food is good. Final verdict : I wouldn't recommend this place to my worst enemy. read more

Didn't feel like cooking and ended up here. As a first time diner here I started with Keema Chipatti and bottomless masala chai. For the main my hubby and I shared the Briyani chicken, this dish was a good portion to share. Not enough room for desert but will try the homemade Kulfi. Would recommend based on my first time dining here. Owner and staff friendly. Edit: I tried take out and it was cold and over cooked. Wouldn't recommend read more

Service is horrible... Waiters have no sense of customer service. All they do is sit behind the bar and clean glasses. Making eye contact with them is close to impossible since they don't really care to serve you. Never going back... read more

The food is overly spicy but delicious and worthwhile nonetheless. The service, however, leaves much to be desired; it is slow, disorganised and absolutely amateurish. The ordered dishes arrive separately with a large gap in between so that by the time everyone's order arrives, one person's order shall have become cold. Even cutlery and napkins have to be ordered. read more

Jewel in the rough. A variety of African & East Indian dishes. My friend & I tried the Pili Pili Masala Mogo - delicious deep fried casava fries, samosas (beef/chicken/vegetarian) - my favorite was the Chicken Tiki with your choice of sides. Excellent, friendly service. Will definitely go there again to try the other dishes. Meter parking available in front of restaurant but depending on time of day - lots of side street spots. Watch out for restriction signs. read more

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My review is based on ordering through Skip the Dishes, so I cannot speak for their service. Was looking for a new cuisine to try other than the usual Chinese, Japanese, and Indian you find all over the city. The plantain "fries" are really good, as well as the Mandazi Bharazi (coconut bread with coconut curry sauce). I got them "medium" spicy and wow, did they have quite the kick or what. I usually like spicy, but that caught me off guard. read more

Yummy! Was in the area and needed some lunch... With the free chai with a yelp check-in offer and an interesting Indian + African menu, we decided to come in. Friendly service and interesting items. I don't know much about African food and had a hard time deciding so we went with the shared appetizer plate and the pilli pilli pizza. Loved the appy plate - it was a great way to sample their dishes. Their samosas are excellent (thin wrap, meat heavy), their mogo specialty fries are unique and the kebabs and patties rounded things out well. The pilli pilli pizza is not at all like an Italian pizza... It reminded me of a stuffed dense naan bread - it was tasty, but not sure I'd order it again. Reasonable prices ($30 ish pre tax and tip) for 2 for lunch. I'd definitely come back if I was in this area more often! read more

BE WARNED! This is not Kenyan cuisine, they use Swahili words and try to advertise as Kenyan food but they are faaaaaaaar off the mark!! I was born and raised in Kenyan for over 29 years and have never seen this type of food in my life!! What a disgrace and stain to Kenyan cuisine!!! Beyond disappointed!! DO NOT ORDER FROM THIS PLACE!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

A gem! The first time we went there we went with kids (4 and 1) because we knew they had a great kids menu (yep, it was good). Our kids were a bit tired and impatient though, on this particular night, but the owner was SO nice. He talked to us a lot and was interacting with our kids and helping us keep them happy. Our food was awesome, it was African night so we chose some sort of African BBQ combo. I can't remember the exact name, but it featured several different meats. Went again just with my wife and we pigged out, got 2 combos, each was meant for 2 people. Delicious and great service. read more

One of our all time favourites for Indian food. You definitely need to be sure to have some time before coming here for food cause it does take some time to prepare but that's also why you can be sure that the quantity and quality is excellent! Worth the wait. read more

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I ordered dinner via Skip the Dishes (thanks to them for sending a great delivery guy) of Mishkaki Choma, because the 'tender grilled sirloin'. First, the meat was tough and over done. The meal also included a choice of two sides. I chose masala fries and salad. For the record, the 2nd star is specifically for these fries. They were fantastic. The salad was strictly and only a handful of romaine lettuce with a cucumber chunk on top. No dressing. There was a little container of some sort of spicy sauce. Was that the dressing? There was also a nice yogurt dressing similar to tzatziki which was enjoyable. The lettuce was also packed into the same container as the hot food. So it was also wilted romaine lettuce. Straight into the trash. Overall, really disappointing. Overcooked what were basically 'sirloin chunks' with (really good) masala fries with a pile of warm romaine that went straight into the trash. Super disappointed and won't order again. read more

African food is outside my comfort zone so I was taking a chance when I came here. I was drawn in by the attractive decor. Also, this place always seems busy considering its middle-of-no where location. This was an unexpectedly pleasant experience. The dishes were tasty, and service was personal. The owner took time to come out and chat. Unfortunately, I don't come often because I found some of the dishes too spicy, but that's just my personal taste. I'm still glad to have experienced great African food. I may come in just for the cheesecake. It's the best! read more

Love the food at this place. Fusion of African and Indian food gives you a lot of choices. One of the most surprising things about this place is how big their menu is and yet they manage to serve really good food. In my experience, the bigger the menu the higher the chances that food is not fresh/good. This place challenges that preconceived notion of mine. Word to the wise: go there an hour before you are hungry because service, as others have mentioned, is extremely slow. Went there for my sister's birthday and it took them about 25 minutes to take the orders and about an hour, hour and a half, to serve the food. I can forgive the slow service because their food is amazing and I will be visiting again for sure. read more

What can I say? This place is super great!!!! First off - the African theme was interesting. But lets get down to it. The boneless ribs.... WOW.. SUPER TENDER AND GREAT TASTING!!!! This beef is done right!!!! Chicken Curry - Yum.. The chicken wrap.... their tikka wraps.. mouth watering. Finally after all that, I also bought a Paan, which was leaf with some seeds and grains (my ignorant and simple explanation) which was really good. Overall, I enjoyed my food and the service was great. read more

My stepdad which is an African Indian likes to get food from here weekly and surprisingly one of my girl fiends knows this place too. We have the best service from the server tonight, he puts a smile on his face and recommends food that we'll definitely like to eat. He's very pleasant! The food is great. We ordered the ribs platter at $30 which is the best value for 4 people. Added goat curry and jambo ribs on side. We ended up paying $16.99 each +tax I will surely come back for more ribs :) read more

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Jambo Grill has probably the best Naan in Vancouver and just for that I could go there everyday , the KuKu Paka , chicken in a creamy coconut sauce is divine , service is super friendly as well read more

This was a nice little restaurant. The prawns were delicious, very good quality. All the curries tasted really fresh and could taste the nice spices. read more

This is one of my favourite restaurants in the city! It's dishes may sound similar to some Indian ones, but their flavouring is unique. They do lamb popsicles like Vij's, and they are really delicious! Authentic food, excellent staff who are busy but attentive and always have a smile, plus the owner/manager comes by to make sure things are Ok. You can have a shorter meal, but also a long one. It's also a great place for parties as it seems birthday parties are a norm there. Prices are fair and the vibe is warm and genuine, no pretences as so many Vancouver restaurants can have! read more

The food is good enough to bring you back to this place. But our experience with service in our 2nd visit was TERRIBLE! 90% of tables were reserved for groups that showed up an hour later. Staff failed to give an estimate of wait times with sleazy excuses saying "how can we say when people will get up, we can't ask them to get up!" Not just that, there was an air of arrogance around it. Next, the servers forgot to get cutlery and things requested. We got our spoons half hour after the food was served. To sum it up, the food is decent for sure but it's not the experience I'd go back to. read more

Wish there was a place like this in Minnesota. When we sat, at least 25 people that were ahead of us and hadn't ordered. They had so much help and food came out lightning fast and was excellent. Will come back someday. read more

Jambo Grill - Chicken Tikka pila oil - African Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

After eating here twice I thought I should write a review. A few people seem to be confused on the cuisine here. It is a Indian cuisine based on a community of Indian people in Africa, (British colonialism) and a bit of Iran. So a bit of a mix and some variations. We have had a real mix of selections here. Jungle ribs, lamb biryani, fish masala, butter chicken, beef and chicken samosa, masai ribs, beef and chicken satay skewers, cassava (momo) All the food was very good. Some tastes are like nothing I have had before. But very delicious indeed. Things were a bit on the spicy side but I have no problem for me. The service was great and I had a drink that was unique and tasty that contained ice cream and vermicelli noodles. read more

Great food, amazing service. The Mogo, Ribs and Mishkaki were all delicious. Thanks to a friend that suggested we try this place. read more

Jambo Grill - African Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Their website price is out of date. You will get charge more when you arrive the restaurant to pay. Restaurant refuse to honor their website pricing. Do not like dishonest business. read more

It looks like very popular restaurant for Indian people. We tried butter chicken curry, it was very spicy. Some people said ribs was very good., but we feel one star They put too much sauce. read more

I've been here twice, once for eat in and once for take out, and both times was amazing. For eating in - it was a good mix of casual dining and yummy food. The server was pleasant, refilling water and stopping by to check on out table. As for the food, I had the tandoori chicken with masala fries and it was great. The server asked how hot I wanted it (mild) and it was just right. My only complaint would be that I wish there was a vegtable side instead of just salad. That said the salad is actually pretty good. For the take out - fast service and really friendly, I had the tandoori chicken Tikka this time with masala fries. It was also great, the chicken was tender and the salad was good. Overall I really liked the Jambo Grill. The service is good and the food is great. I'll definitely go back again. read more

With high expectations, my friend and I went there for lunch. The waiters were " too busy" to serve us---in total, less than six tables. After a long wait, we got the food we thought just so so. We ran out of ice water, no waiters noticed. Bad bad experience, won't go again. read more

First time and it was very good. I recommend the jambo paya. The service was seamless and comforting. The mood is alive and approachable. The garlic naan was superb. read more

This restaurant had great food; spicy and tasty, just the way I like it. I went here last for my birthday dinner, and even though the friends I went with have different tastes in food, they all enjoyed it. A word of caution to you or whoever whoever you take to this restaurant: the food can be too spicy for you. So, if the server asks you if you want it mild, medium, or spicy, it would be a good idea to go with mild or medium instead of being adventurous, especially if its your/their first time. Overall, the service was great. The only sore point was the emptiness of my wallet afterwards, but it was worth it for the quality of the food. read more

This restaurant serves the best authentic African foods on the west coast. We had the jungle ribs and the spicy mogos which were both exceptional. The flavors and smells reminded me of a trip to the Kenyan coast. I can't wait to go back! read more

My wife and I both agreed . . . one of the best dinner meal experiences we have ever had here in Vancouver. Renovated by the owner Nash a year ago The Jambo Grill is firing on all cylinders. On Thursday evenings they offer a Thali all you can eat served at your table for just $ 15.95. No food wastage as the service staff consistently bring you a wide assortment of dishes to select from. Everything including the Lassi yoghurt drink was amazing. They serve African and Indian food. Nash is originally from Uganda so the food experience is authentic. Many of the guests are local to either Vancouver, Africa or India so you know that The Jambo Grill is awesome read more

Pros: - Amazing food. If you like spicy food (especially meat), you have to try Jambo Grill. - Convenient location, easy plenty of parking around even though it's not always possible to park just in front of the restaurant. - Usually friendly staff. Owner himself is also very welcoming. Cons: - Service is not the best I have seen. Almost each time we go there, we see different waitresses. Especially when the restaurant is a bit busy, you might simply feel like your table is being ignored. - Prices! Menu prices went up over 25% recently. I understand that sometimes you have to increase your prices because of increasing costs but 25% is a bit too much as the prices were never cheap before either. Even with the below average service and above average prices, Jambo Grill still deserves 4 stars because of the delicious and unique food you can have here :) read more

Worst service ever. It was insulting actually. I can't even speak to the food as we didn't even get a chance to order, we just got up and left. Upon entering the the restaurant, we were not greeted. One of the servers that was setting food down at another table, just looked at us as if he had never seen people walk into a restaurant before. It took him a moment to come over to us even because there was confusion at the table he had given food too because the didn't know what plate was what. Finally another server came over and seated us, or at least tried to at a dirty table. Then we were seated at a less dirty table, Crumby. As someone with a dairy allergy I have to be careful what goes into my body, sometimes the vegetarian options aren't even safe. So we were going to ask the server which ones were safe to eat. After a few minutes of him fumbling around doing nothing, and the other waiter completely doing nothing. One came over to ask if we had any questions. We were finally able to ask! Upon asking about a few items, he said he needed to check with the chef. Not a problem. While checking another yummy looking dish was spotted on the menu. When the waiter came back we asked if this specific dish had dairy in it. The waiter responded "You probably will not like that dish." That was not my question. Do not tell me what I will and will not like. ESPECIALLY when it my first time at your restaurant. Completely insulted we got up and left and went to an amazing fish and chips place down the street. Way to tell diners they will not enjoy your food. read more

My mother and I entered and we waited to be seated. Not once did someone come and check on us or bother to greet us. No one seemed to care and they ignored us while we patiently waited. I will definitely not be returning. Very poor customer service. read more

Excellent as always! Love this place! Great service and yummy food! Newly renovated so looks beautiful

Stopped off here for lunch on a few occasions. Some of the best butter chicken I have ever had. Good place for lunch as it's not usually too busy so you can always get a decent table. Good, friendly service and fantastic food! I haven't tried any of the African dishes yet but their curries are awesome! read more