Delicious Senegalese cuisine that's always a win! My favorites are their signature joloff rice with fish tiebou jeun, yassa gnar or thiou gnar, all in rich flavored sauces and a side salad. A must is the sweet plantains and to drink their bissap hibiscus and for ginger lovers can mix these drinks as a cocktail! Hands down my favorite West African restaurant in Brooklyn & NYC, always delish. And bonus love the colorful decor and art. From this location and their original on Fulton read more

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Service takes a while, but that's how you know the food is FRESH! Still in love with this place. read more

Joloff - Lamb - Senegalese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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This restaurant has been on my Yelp Bookmark list for about three years. Yesterday, my friend and I finally went. I waltz in this tastefully decorated and inviting Haven for the infamous Jallof rice in the middle of "Gentried" Bed- Stuy with high expectations. Did they life up to the Hype? New York Times and other newspaper articles decorated the wall that acknowledge this Brooklyn staple. Food was excellent. I had the traditional Senegalese meal of Tiebuu Jeun, which consisted of Blue fish, Jollof rice, Carrots, Yucca and Cabbage. The rice could have been more warm. I think the temperature of the rice through my taste buds off. Nevertheless, it was amazing. Especially after you slather their home made hot sauce on it. My friend had the same dish, but with Red Snapper. I wish I got the Red Snapper, as it was very meaty. To go, I ordered the grilled lamb. I mean, I was not going to leave this spot without trying the grilled lamb. I absolutely love the way West African's prepare lamb. I snuck a piece out my take out container and was satisfied! Appetizers we shared the fish pasteles and plantains. Plantains was sweet and the fish pasteles were good. Its also BYOB......yesssss Come Hungry....leave Happy! read more

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Joloff Restaurant is a Senegalese culinary gem located in Bedstuy/Clinton Hill area. Do your taste buds a favor and check them out. Their dishes are delicious and bursting with exciting flavors. Given their diverse menu, I ordered two dishes: Mafe Yapp (lamb stewed in peanut butter sauce with ground okra) for $14 and Yassa Ganar(chicken braised in onion and lemon sauce a d joloff rice) for $12. Both dishes tasted fresh and were very filling. Customer service was top notch, helpful, and were extremely knowledgeable about ingredients and Senegalese cuisine. They also practiced and enforced social distancing in the restaurant. Joloff Restaurant is a local black owned business that seems very invested in their local community. I look forward to going back and experiencing more of their menu. read more

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The food was good but the service was slow and the server didn't really seem to know what she was doing (switching up the entrees, basically ignoring the guests until it was time to pay the check, etc). The menu is pretty extensive so there's something for everybody. I love the flavors of West Africa and it was refreshing to see vegetarian options as well! read more

Joloff - Joloff Veggie and Mafe Legumes (background) - Senegalese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Tiebuu Jeun was not to my liking. The atmosphere was casual, nothing exciting. The problem was I ordered a red snapper to go in place of the fish they supplied for Tiebuu Jeun. I was charged $22.00 for a fish smaller than my hand. Food was tasteless had no real flavor that I was used to. Fish was not incorporated into the dish properly, Plaintains were not sweet at all. Salad & sorel drink were good. read more

I almost starved when the hours had changed due to COVID. I'm elated they are back up and running with outside dining to accommodate our new lives. Joloff is definitely my go to when I'm in the mood for a African cuisine. The food is always delicious, and seasoned to perfection. I've ordered the fish (National dish) and the stewed chicken with tomato and lemon sauce (forget the names). Both SOLID. The lemon ginger juice is my go to, especially when I'm sick, not too spicy or just want a fresh juice. And the beignets ! YES read more

Joloff - Senegalese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

We hadn't been here since we lived in Brooklyn in the late 90's, first time at this new location. Wonderful decor, it was a perfect day & a great way to celebrate Mother's Day! We are always in NY, but hardly ever make it to Brooklyn. We ordered fried plantains- which were cooked perfectly, the fataya djeun & legumes (fish pastels were our favorite), very flavorful & the sauce was tasty. We all ordered a mix of sorrel & ginger- which was bangin'. It's a BYOB so we picked up a few bottles from Moore Brothers Wine. Gotta love a BYOB! Tiebuu Jeun (snapper) was awesome, perfectly seasoned! If your feeling adventurous- ask for hot sauce or sauce pimente- the perfect accompaniment to any Senegalese food- but use sparingly! Mafe Jeun was off the hook. The creamy tomato peanut stew is to die for with cabbage, yucca, carrots and joloff rice! I'm hungry thinking about it. Yassa Jeun was very good too. We had the Mafe Yapp- lamb stew in peanut butter sauce with okra - which is pureed in the sauce! It was soooo good with brown rice. We thoroughly enjoyed the food, service & ambience. We won't wait so long to come back! read more

Joloff - Tiebuu Jeun - the national dish of Senegal - Senegalese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Culturally rich restaurant in Bed-Stuy. You can definitely see the restauranteurs take great pride in sharing their cultural. The staff was very friendly. It's definitely a family run operation. I ordered ginger tea to start. It was freshly made. This wasn't run of the mill tea bag tea. For lunch, I had okra with joloff rice. It was simply yet tasty. It was home cooked style dish. The okra was cooked in balanced tomato sauce. This is certainly a unique restaurant. read more

Always great food and sorrel. It's a family business that's been around for decades!

Very good but very inconvenient to get to. Good food at reasonable prices and good service. Brought large party of 10 and they were very hospitable. Muslim establishment and no wine. read more

Was traveling to NY for work and decided to explore bed-stuy a bit on this trip. After a few Caribbean meals, was in the mood to try something different. West African (Senegalese) sounded perfect and Joloff didn't disappoint. On the friendly proprietor's advice, I had Tiebou Jeun the national fish dish (red snapper) with broken rice + Mafe Yapp the peanut butter lamb (bone-on) stew. Both dishes were savory and the meat expertly cooked. Left feeling satisfied and incredibly full (yes, I housed two entrees lol). read more

Joloff - Tiebuu Jeun (National fish dish of Senegal) with broken rice - Senegalese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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I usually get the Tiebu Djeun for dinner, but this time I got the yassa jeun (shown in pic) and it was delicious. Both are great! The food is always made with love so I don't mind the wait. read more

Joloff - Yassa Jeun - Senegalese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Just what I wanted. The Jollof was tasty. The service was pleasant. The ambiance was just what I was hoping for (no fancy place, a natural environment). The prices were reasonable and the ginger drink had that right amount of burn read more

Great food. Joloff rice is banging and the Tiebou Juen was very flavorful and delicious. We also had the Fataya Juen, it was crispy and yummy. The Thiou tofu was mediocre, could use more seasoning but I appreciate all the vegan/ vegetarian options available. read more

Ambiance The space is beautifully decorated with kente tablecloths, African and African American art pieces coupled exposed brick areas with lime and sea green painted walls. In the background there is traditional African music. On a Monday evening around 7 it was pretty empty. I blame the frigid cold temperatures and wind outside. I had the chicken with onion sauce and joloff rice. The chicken was hot while the joloff rice was lukewarm. I was not impressed with the joloff rice. It was just missing flavor. The chicken was ok. The owner was really nice but the food does not scream come back. read more

Joloff - Joloff rice and chicken w. Onions(yassa ganar) - Senegalese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I stepped into the entry way with my hungry self and immediately liked the decor. I thought to myself oh yea this is gonna be good! I get to the waiting area and I see a replica of an historical Ife sculpture from Nigeria. Kinda odd in a place that says it's bringing the taste of Senegal. I go to the table and I'm digging the vibe with the projection screen playing African music videos. But, the table cloths are in kente cloth pattern from the Ashanti in Ghana. Again, odd. I'm now getting the vibe they're throwing random west African decor together cuz hey almost no Americans will know the difference right? Ever been to a French restaurant with a historical polish sculpture and culturally specific table cloths from Portugal? I'm sure no one has. Finally we order the food. The pastel apps were ok but the tomato sauce accompaniment was very good. My wife had the Tiebuu Jeun and she grew up on this type of food. Her first response was this isn't Tiebuu. It didn't taste as flavorful as it should. The fish was ok but the jollof rice had almost no flavor. My jollof rice was the same too. My chicken and veg dish seemed like a west African trying to make generic American food. It was alrite but not what I came to a Senegalese restaurant for. And they used chicken breast when an authentic place would've used dark meat as it's more flavorful and goes better with the dish. A place doesn't have to be authentic but if you try to change your food then don't do it in a way that detracts from the taste and don't describe your food as taste of Senegal. Service was quite friendly but very slow (as is often the case at African restaurants). I hope they fix the food. read more

Ok so I've been here once before and I really enjoyed the food so I decided to come back. All I have to say is the food is great, the service however really needs some work. We waited over an hour for our drinks which still came after our food was served. After eating we then waited over an hour for our plates to be cleared and to be given our bill even though we were the last people there. I would really want to come back and try again I just hope the service will have improved. read more

Joloff - Menu - Senegalese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

This is a cute little restaurant. A bit dark but it's cute. Has a family/homely feel to it. The staff is okay. Not overly welcoming but they are far from being rude and inattentive. I ordered Thoiu Kanja Ganar (chicken and okra with tomato sauce) with Couscous. And that's exactly what it tasted like, chicken and okra with tomato sauce and a side of couscous. It was nothing to jump for joy over. It wasn't bad but it didn't have me wanting to explore other things on the menu or wanting to come back anytime soon. And that's about it.We went, we ate, we left. read more

Joloff - Thoiu Kanja Ganar - Chicken & okra with tomato sauce & couscous - Senegalese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

We were in town for one night and chose to visit this place for dinner. My friend got the blue fish, and it came with rice and cabbage. I don't recall the official name of the dish I had, I got the chicken with lemon and onions. It came with a side salad and joloff rice. We also got the plantains. My chicken was delicious! While I think I had too much on my plate, I managed to eat the majority of the food with some help from my friend..... :) The service was also great. I loved the coziness of the restaurant. We're definitely coming back when we return to the city. read more

They have the cleanest toilets and it always smells good in there. The food is excellent. You may have to wait a bit, but you won't be disappointed. And Rama, Pape and their staff will take care you. read more

3.5 stars. The place is beyond cute, with fabulous art work and funky decor. I agree that the service is slow, but if you order some appetizers and bring your own liquor (yes, it's a BYOB with a $6 corkage fee), time goes by quickly. I was here with a group of friends and had a great time. They have a free comedy show on the first Friday's of each month, which was a complete surprise. Fried plantains and fried yucca: ok. Tiebuu Jeun (Senegalese national dish with blue fish): big portion; ok dish. The food is ok, but the show is the real star of the place. read more

So I just placed and order for pick up and was disappointed! My husband is west African (Mali) so we frequent Senegalese restaurants. Our favorite dish is Dibi a flavorful grilled lamb. Now Jollof's Dibi is very good and tasty however for $15 the portion is extremely small. If you have time go to a Senegalese restaurant in Harlem there the portions of Dibi are doubled for around $12-$15! I hope Jollof improves their portions or I will just have to go to Harlem every time I crave Dibi. read more

Joloff - Small portion of Dibi for $15. - Senegalese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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I came here yesterday for lunch with friends (it was by accident - we'd intended to go to Grand Dakar, but that restaurant was mysteriously closed so we walked a few blocks over to Joloff. We found this really funny because we had the same mysteriously closed experience with Joloff a few months ago when we tried to go). This was my first experience with Senegalese food, so I can't opine on whether Joloff serves authentic food, but I can comment on how good the food tasted and try to explain why. Joloff is a cozy shop. The exterior has an interesting mural painted on one of its walls. The interior is a cross between a restaurant and a lounge, with chairs and tables taking up most of the real estate, but when you enter, on the left are couches, chaises and coffee tables; a nice place to relax and read a book while sipping a cup of their fairly strong ginger tea. They also have a couple other interesting drinks on the menu, including a cold hibiscus drink and booye, a drink made from - somebody correct me if I've got this wrong - baobabs - we got sidetracked talking about them being the planet-wrecking trees from the Little Prince, which would have made a cool drink - but unfortunately they were out. As you may expect from such a relaxed atmosphere, the staff is in no rush to hurry you through. Although you may need to chase them down for the bill, they are very nice and obliged us by turning off the music when one of my friends wanted to record something. I went with a group of eight, so the leisurely pace of the meal was fine because we were busy talking, but I understand why some Yelpers complain about the wait. We got there around 1:30 and did not leave until 4:00. If I were in a hurry I'd think twice before eating here. We started with the fish pastels, yucca fries and plantains. The pastels were tasty: the dough was buttery and flaky, but the fish was very fishy, so watch out if that's not your thing. They came topped with a little tomato sauce/onion chutney, which added a good bit of flavor. The yucca fries weren't anything special on their own, but they were served with a peanut sauce that really hit the spot. This thick, mildly spiced sauce is made from ground peanuts and shows up in many dishes on the menu (mafe). My only complaint is that I wish there had been more sauce to coat the fries; we went through it fairly quickly (I really like sauce!). The plantains were regular plantains - we probably should have ordered them as a side dish instead of an appetizer. For the main course one of my friends and myself had the tiebou jenn, Senegal's national dish, while most ordered a mafe dish. All of these were served with rice - there was white, brown and, particular to the tiebou jenn, a kind of either very short grain or crushed rice (it was too big to be couscous) - and usually with stewed root vegetables, including carrot, yucca and sometimes cabbage. The mafe dishes were good - the peanuts mixed with tomatoes, onions and some spices came together in a rich and soul-warming, but not overwhelming, sauce. The tiebou jenn is fish baked in a tomato and onion sauce, served with root vegetables, also cooked in the same sauce, and the aforementioned rice, which added up to a nice dish. This sauce has inspired some difference of opinion among Yelpers, with some decrying it as bland and others extolling its virtues. Often when we have a dish with sauce - tomato, curry, brown butter, whatever - the dish tastes like the sauce, not like the main parts of that dish. By comparison this sauce is not overpowering - you could almost describe it as absent, even though you can detect the flavors - and you can very clearly taste the constituent parts of these dishes. I don't think that's a bad thing, but, although I appreciate the subtlety, I'm not blown away by it. It's simple and good. For dessert we had the best options - the only options; most of the list had been crossed out - beignets and thiakri. The beignets were shaped like donut holes; they tasted crisp, sweet, fluffy and not oily and were served with vanilla ice cream, a nice contrast. Thiakri is similar to rice pudding; it's made with couscous and yogurt, and also had some raisins mixed in. This was a really nice dish. I'm not crazy about most rice pudding - it's too sweet - but the use of the slightly sour, not too sweet yogurt and couscous, a mouthful of which has a more consistent and creamy texture than grains of rice, sets this dish apart. I really enjoyed the desserts. For someone who had never tried Senegalese food before, I left Joloff with a favorable impression. I didn't have any wow, 5-star dishes that would cause me to gush, but I was happy with what I ate. The total bill for each of us came to $20, which was pretty fair for the amount of food we ate. However, if I go back I'd probably skip the appetizers. read more

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I hate to say it, but I really didn't like Joloff. After seeing all of the reviews I was BEYOND excited about experiencing Senegalese food for the first time. I ordered the Chicken with Lemons and Onions, with Joloff rice (for an additional $3). Honestly the rice was the best part. The chicken was ok, it didn't really have any flavor. A friend ordered the Fish with vegetables and Joloff rice (the national dish of Senegal). She really didn't like it. The vegetables entailed half of a carrot, a quarter of yucca, and 2 leaves of cabbage. 2 LEAVES! That's not a vegetable side. The service was extremely slow, even though everyone was nice. I won't be coming back though. Honestly it was a bit disappointing. read more

Joloff - Chicken with lemon & onion, and Joloff rice - Senegalese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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I'm baffled on how to rate this one - it really gets 2.49 stars. Given the unusual flavors of the chicken and vegetables with peanut butter sauce, I have no doubt that the other items on the menu are worth trying. While the sauce tasted as expected to begin with, strategic spicing popped up to offer a fun contrast to the sweetness. The chicken itself was juicy - the vegetables weren't as varied as I hoped (a lot of cabbage) but overall the dish was fine. The problem was the service. I felt like the staffer was annoyed to see me. It wasn't a matter of being overworked since there was one other table present at the time. I know there are some people out there who actually enjoy bad service - it makes the experience feel more "real" or whatever - so I'm not saying you should stay away but I probably will. read more

Great food but don't order too many things because they tend to forget items. The food is always made fresh and packed well. I like the bissap and the fish pastel. The joloff rice is interesting, if you've never had it, it's worth a try. I rather go in to the restaurant and pick up food. It is an intimate setting but I've never really encountered it on a busy day. Again, very fresh food and very hearty so order to share. *Maybe they give less rice now. Not for sharing lol read more

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The Food was amazing omggg ! I got there at closing and they still let me purchase food AND eat there! P.S it was my mother's birthday they didn't know either and for that I am very thankful! the Sorrel was so good ! the staff was amazing also and very friendly ! read more

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I've been meaning to leave a review but omg! This place is still one of my favorites! I'm still craving the thiou ganar and unfortunately I live in SD so I can't come by as often as I wish. I highly recommend anyone to come check out Joloff Restaurant! read more

The dish was excellent. The food is amazing. For my first time being out and having African food and I'm in love read more

Joloff - Senegalese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

The vegetarian dish is awesome and fresh. The only downside was the delivery time. One hour in and half. read more

Joloff - Excellent food and fresh.. - Senegalese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Whenever I go visit my boys in Brooklyn, I gotta drop by this spot. I absolutely love this place. Great Senegalese food...I definitely ahve to recommend the classic fish theibu (I forget how to say the whole dish...but it's fish with couscous...and it's awesome. There's a chicken one, and the menu even caters to vegetarians, which is great for all parties involved. Service - EXCELLENT. Granted, my friends know the owner and the other servers because they frequent the place so much, but they treated me just like they treated my friends - there was a family-type aura to the place, which makes it that much more of a pleasant experience, at least imo it does. Sometimes the food may be a little slow to get to you, but I think it's just because the atmosphere is a little laid back and definitely not a place to go to if you're in a rush...besides, you wouldn't want to rush when your'e here anyway. They have musicians play there every now and then, which is nice, and the place is decorated with local artists' work, which again adds to the friendly and family-type ambiance... ...a must-eat for anyone on Fulton in this area! read more

Okay, so I went to Joloff for the second time and I have to say I'm still not impressed. The menu is lack luster and so is the food. I got there for dinner at 6pm (which is quite early) and the only thing that I wanted -- grilled chicken -- was completely sold out! what?? So, I had to order this meal with chicken, tomatoes and vegetables and it was no better than anything that I could have done myself at home. The one thing I do like about the place is that it is never busy so it is a good place to bring friends and chit-chat for a long time, because they won't bother you. I was there for three hours and was left alone. Other than that, I think Joloff could do better. read more

Very solid spot. I'm no jollof expert, so caveat accordingly. I ordered the lamb chops with the lemon and onion marinade, and this was definitely the best dish we had. Highly highly recommend. Hubs ordered the chicken with stewed okra, which he thought was good. Sides disappointed a bit -- got the yucca fries (small portion, they can bulk it up a but) and plantains (wish they were more ripe). But we also ordered it for takeout, so I'd be willing to try it all again fresh and hot on-site. read more

A friend suggested this place for dinner. I've never had any kind of African cuisine so I don't know how authentic the flavors are here. I liked the food here though, kind of like good home cooking. I loved the decor of this place as well, so inviting! There isn't much to say about service, wasn't much interaction, but I didn't mind. I read in another review that the food may take some time to come out and it certainly was the case when my friends and I were there. So, don't come hungry! My friends and I sipped on our drinks while we waited for the food. We got the bissap, ginger and Joloff cocktail, all of which were pretty sweet, but good. As for food, we ordered the Thiebou Ganar, Thiou Kanja Ganar and Thiebou Djeun. I think I would probably recommend the Thiebou Ganar, flavors were just right and jollof rice was yum. The chicken was cooked just the right amount of tender. I'm not a big fan of cooked fish, but the Thiebou Djeun still looked pretty good. If you like tomato-based flavors, the Thiou Kanja Ganar seems to get it right. Although Senegalese food isn't my go-to cuisine, I am glad I got to try this place! I would love to come back and try some other dishes. read more

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A small colourful restaurant with a nice african theme. The staff were sweet and the food was really good. I ordered fried plantain as my side order and fish with jollof rice as my main. This was my first African restaurant I went to in NY and I was not disappointed read more

Joloff - Plantain - Senegalese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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I loved it. This was exactly how it is portrayed to be online. I wonder if they have a happy hour? The food was good, the music was good too. The restaurant itself is okay, but there is an end piece design near the restroom that is sooo beautiful. I had tiebou jeun -and the beignets. read more

The restaurant was in the heart of an area of African and Islamic businesses. Joloff was decorated wonderfully with artwork representing Senegal. I ordered the Tiebou Jeun, the national dish of Senegal. It was a colorful plate with many terrific flavors. The rice had a great, unique flavor. In my pursuit to try food from different countries, now I can say I have tried food from Senegal. read more

Hands down one of the best restaurant experiences I have ever had. Really. I almost never walk out of a restaurant completely satisfied but everything about this place truly touched my heart. I came in for an early lunch on a Saturday, and my friend and I had the entire place to ourselves. The owner was extremely kind and patiently answered any questions we had about the menu. The decor was extremely colorful and full of life. Every part of the restaurant- from the wall colors to the pictures to the table cloths to the utensil accessories was full of thoughtful touches. And dont even get me started on the food... it was just PHENOMENAL! portions were more than I could ask for, spices were amazing, and it was extremely affordable. Overall I absolutely loved this place and highly recommend. I had a craving for Senegal again and as soon as I came here I felt like I had gone back. Will definitely be coming back here again. I'm so sad I didn't know about this place sooner!! read more

Joloff - Lamb dish and chicken dish - Senegalese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Thanks to Joloff for lasting so long, even after relocating from Clinton Hill to Bed-Stuy. As I previously wrote, the food is a reliable and well-seasoned delight. Africans I've dined with here attest to authenticity, and were pleased. They even get their namesake Joloff rice right. I write this updated review to extend praises. While much of the menu features traditional recipes, the modernity of preparing vegetarian entrees (veggies and tofu, primarily) is a great benefit when compared to most of the West African restaurants in this city (the myriad of Ivorian and Senegalese restaurants in Harlem--specifically on W 116 St) that do not have a single vegetarian dish besides small side orders. As far as African cuisine, aside from the growing number of good Ethiopian restaurants in Brooklyn, Joloff has no competitors. The buffet spots on Fulton St in Bed-Stuy don't cut it. And Buka's alluring shine long ago reversed into a horror show; just read their reviews. read more