From the moment you walk in, the vibe at Kanu is unmatched: welcoming, lively, and effortlessly cool. What truly elevates this place, though, is the people. The bartenders--especially Leo and Ashley--are absolute standouts. They're not just skilled at what they do; they bring personality, warmth, and real hospitality to the bar. Whether you're a regular or it's your first visit, they make you feel seen, remembered, and taken care of. And then there's Cierra, the manager, who runs the place with a rare blend of professionalism and genuine care. You can tell the culture here starts at the top--everything flows smoothly, the staff is energized, and the overall experience feels intentional and thoughtful. Kanu isn't just a spot for great drinks and good food--it's a place where community, energy, and top-tier service come together. If you're in Harlem and looking for a place with soul, consistency, and incredible people, this is it. I'll be back again. read more

This was my second time at Kanu Bar Grill, and both visits told me the same thing, this place is doing something right. The first time I came, it was extremely packed, which already says a lot. Ages later, I returned with a friend on a Thursday night, sat at the bar again, and somehow it felt like a Friday or Saturday night. That kind of energy does not happen by accident. The place was busy, but in a good way, lively, social, and full of people clearly enjoying themselves. A DJ was playing high energy music and actually knew how to read the room. At one point, people started dancing right at their tables, which always feels like a sign that the vibe is working. I counted about four staff members moving around like busy bees, and our bartender was very attentive, friendly, and easy on the eyes, not mad at that. What really stood out was that she mentioned happy hour without me having to ask. Some places hide their promotions like state secrets, so that earned points immediately. Prices were reasonable, drinks were solid, and the atmosphere made it easy to relax and enjoy the moment. I did not eat a full meal this time, just drinks, but my friend ordered an appetizer, those cheese filled sticks, and I tried a piece. They were good enough to make me consider ordering food next time. There are plenty of TVs around, and one of the staff members happily put football on for my friend, no sound needed, the music and energy carried the room just fine. The crowd felt right for the space, people there to chill, enjoy good drinks, good music, and a stress free atmosphere. The design works, the drinks are quality, the prices are fair, and yes, I checked, the bathroom was clean. Overall, thumbs up. I am glad to see this spot thriving, and I will definitely be back. Cheers to Kanu for getting the formula right. read more

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Love this place, especially bar seating. It's fun during sports games but they also have great DJs throughout the week. I've tried their tacos and wings, which were good. The cocktails are good as well but I usually stick with a basic tequila & seltzer. Hookah is good, I forgot my favorite girls name but I'm happy she's back after she was gone for a while - dark skin, beautiful smile, petite). What's even better is that it's black owned. Love to support and I'll definitely be back read more

Kanu Bar Grill - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Went to hang out another restaurant and although drinks were good menu was not doing it, but still wanted something with a good vibe and was told to pop in. Walked into to get music playing and lovely host who sat us quickly, we wanted to have some conversation and were accommodated with outside seats by the server who stayed attentive all night. The door was left open to appreciate the music as well. We order the salt fish sliders and the steak fried rice. Both tasted amazing, the flavors were everything,, one of the best fried rice I have ever had. For drinks we order the Mayweather and Pacquiao both were delicious. read more

Mid experience on cinco de mayo. Idk if they weren't ready for a crowd but they advertised misleading drink specials, seated my group of 14 at a table for 8, food took 50+ minutes to come out, and our "special offer" to make up for our less than great experience was the advertised happy hour.... THEN after all that chaos we were promptly asked to depart after 90 minutes . read more

Went to Kanu for Sunday brunch, did a reservation for 3 and we sat at the bar at 2 pm. We chose the bar because the chairs do not have back support at the tables and I don't like to be hunched over lol. Let's start with the good things ...the music is good! The playlist and the Dj who came around 3:30-4 really carries the experience. The service is okay and the food comes out slow. We ordered off of the regular menu and were not impressed with anything. Other patrons were also so/so with their reactions to the food. Drinks were okay we opted out for cocktails and not bottomless and it was strong but meh on the flavor. I would go back for the vibes and music not so much anything else. read more

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We had an awesome time & Lea took care of us, which was awesome. We had such a time! The drinks were good and the music was such a vibe. We loved it! read more

First and foremost the garlic Parmesan wings were top 5 I've ever had. PERIOD! Okay, now the space was super cute and nicely decorated with a grass photo wall and mirror art. There's an outdoor seating area as well. The drinks were okay, but the food is really the star here. We ordered the lemon chicken with mashed potatoes, oxtail with rice and peas, shrimp Cesar salad, coconut shrimp with mac and cheese and lastly truffle fries. The best ones were the shrimp salad, Mac and cheese and again the wings. They were so juicy and thick and crunchy all at the same time. The Mac and Cheese was ooey gooey, flavorful and had a great top crunchy layer on top. I was super full afterwards but was thinking about ordering the wings again just because lol . Definitely recommend for a solid meal. It's cute for a date night vibe, or friends outing. They were playing good music too which is always a plus. read more

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This is my 2nd time at this restaurant. It was just as good as the first time. This is a good spot for happy hour. It has good vibes and good music. I ordered 10 wigs with a choice of every 5 sets of wings in a different flavor. I also got the beef tacos. They were good but I mistakenly thought they were going to be steak so I wasn't pleased when I bit into ground beef (that's my fault). I also got the fried rice. It was good but it was a little too moist for my liking but I was hungry so i ate it with no complaints. My only complaint is that I kept having to ask for water & the waiter took long. She seemed to be the only person waiting on tables so I understood the delay but I was very parched. Would return read more

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Great food and good drinks. Always a vibe in here when I go. They also have hookah as well. Could be a little hectic some nights to get seated but that's to be expected in a spot like this. Overall will be returning read more

Kanu Bar Grill - GRILLED LAMB CHOPS - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Horrible... this is my second time coming. Not only did a server put her hands in my face and my sister had to step in, no one cleaned my table and when asked the busboy said he was "busy". Our waitress was at the bar doing hookah instead of taking orders and the manager said there was nothing she could do... so many problems on so many levels. Avoid this bar read more

Kanu Bar Grill - This is the server... avoid her. And watch the clip of her enjoying hookah at the bar and ignoring us - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

It was our first time going to this place last night. We were a group of 7. This place did not disappoint at all. We were greeted by a great server named Jaz. She was friendly and got us searing fast. We had pitchers of drinks and it was great. I would definitely go back as they definitely knew the throwbacks when the DJ was there. read more

Kanu Bar Grill - Love flavored for the hookah. - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Lea was absolutely amazing, she made sure we had great drinks the whole time! Jaz was always attentive making sure we were treated well and served properly. Overall a great experience! Music was lit and great mixture and food was delicious!! read more

Great vibe drinks are good, food is on point 10/10 recommend the bartendera are nice. The manager is nice and accommodating. i would definitely recommend it's definitely a vibe. read more

Been wanting to come here for awhile, mostly for brunch. Decided to come for happy hour after work because I wasn't too far away. It was a Thursday and it wasn't packed at all. Just a few people at the bar. The service was attentive and the atmosphere was laid back. I took advantage of the two for 1 drink special, and both of my drinks were strong but good. The coconut margarita was my favorite. I decided to try to out the fish tacos and the wings. The fish tacos were just okay. I ended up just eating the fish out of the taco. I wish the tortilla was warmed a little bit more. The wings were actually good, but there was way too much sauce for my liking. The music was good, and the vibe was calm. I would consider coming back for brunch or for a evening/night vibe. read more

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Came a second time and it was just as good !! So yummy !! Great music !! Positive vibes all around!! Delicious drinks that pack a punch !! read more

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Birthday Tour.... Happy Hour Stop! Came here for the happy hour part to my bday celebration. Happy hour is 4-8, we arrived around 7pm on a Wednesday evening. Besides the 3 patrons at the bar we were the only ones actually seated at a table. That was confusing because their IG makes Kanu appear to always be lively. Being that it was empty I just knew the service would be A1..... I was wrong. When our waitress came over we had several questions about the menu. First the main menu states Happy hour is 4-7 but the happy hour menu on the table states 4-8. After asking the manager he adhered to the 4-8. We asked what the Veggie delight includes but she didn't know.... For all menu questions she didn't know the answer and had to go to the kitchen to ask the chef. My friend decided on the Vegan Delight for her entree and I had the Braised Oxtail. The food is GOOD!!! That is their saving grace. Although I wasn't found of their calamari the side of Mac n cheese that was ordered was yummy. Our waitress checked in 2 times, after that she disappeared. When we were ready to go the process of getting our check, paying and getting the receipt took 30 minutes. My experience wasn't horrible but there's surely room for improvement from a service perspective. read more

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Just did drinks but the vibe was good. Will definitely go back. The service was great.

Looking for a bottomless brunch in Harlem . This is the place to go . Dj spins at 8 but the playlist has the vibes Bartenders Anissa and Tiffany were amazing . Drinks sting but tasty And the foooood You you take something extra to go Make sure you tell Moses the owner hello Must go ! read more

Kanu Bar Grill - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Came on a Thursday because my friend wanted to check out it, and they have a good happy hour from 8-11pm. We arrived around 8:45, and it was pretty chill, not crowded. Some people at the bar smoking hookah and some people at the tables. Music is nice, cool space; we sat at the space by the window to watch the car because of parking. We ordered the henny wings, which were not so tasty, the sweet Chili ginger was very good. We also had shrimp tacos, which I really liked they were good, and my friend had fries. The waitress was by herself, and she was attentive She did a good job. The bill came up to $89 because the 2 for 1 margaritas are $15 each they were good and they also added a 4% charge of $2.76 for using credit card but i used debit and she didn't remove it. So I would recommend using cash if going there. Smh. All in all, it's not bad but very slow on a thursday good first date spot or to just go catch up with friends. read more

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Came here just to start our summer and it was definitely worth it. Had a great time with my girls. The Dj was AMAZING. Djfragg for the win!!! read more

Rose was the starWe wasn't comfortable with this setting because we were new in town ' until she showed us a good time . Me and my partner wasn't sure what we wanted and she stiredd us in the right direction! I give this restaurant a 5 star for the host and the bartender ! If it wasn't for them I wouldn't have stayed ! Thank you again rose ! read more

Kanu Bar Grill - 2-16 ? 4pm to 8 pm ? Not bad . - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

I came here on a Tuesday for their karaoke night & it was cool. Prior to karaoke starting it was kinda quiet with low music, but as it got closer to karaoke starting, people started to come in. They had drink & appetizer specials, although what is advertised on their social media price wise doesn't all coincide with what's on the happy hour menu. My cousin & I had a pitcher of rum punch & it was pretty good. We had wings & shrimp tacos too. My cousin noticed the shrimp taco literally had one little piece shrimp, not even jumbo size, but little. That was a bit disappointing & the people next to us complained about something relating to the shrimp tacos & they exchanged it for fish tacos which you were able to see a nice piece of fish in the fish taco. Kanu also has hookah & there was a "happy hour" price which was $30 & they don't refill your coal, so if you want it changed they exchange the whole head & it was $25. Overall my cousin & I had a alright time. There's some tweaking that could be done here to make it better, but it's a laid back, cool spot. read more

Ummm came back to the towns and wanted a vibe but nothing to extra n this was the spot n make sure u look for Ebony!!! Very attentive plus a she on it love her service they better keep her!!!! Thank for the experience Ebony!!!! read more

Amazing drinks 10/10 and Rose's customer service fantastic and she's beautiful. Order the kee drink the lychee notes so good

We loved this place, so much. Good food, good vibes and good people. Our waitress, Valery was amazing! I would return to Kanu just for her, give that beautiful lady all the tips please. read more

Came here because the owner Moses was nice to me when I first came to have a drink after work. So hey I said let me decide to support a black eatablishment. A month later I came with a few friends and visitors from out of state to give them a bit of the Harlem vibe. But if the Harlem vibe is this establishment than PLEASE AVOID. This place will overcharge you and charge unnecessary fees. Well here's my experience: I got a hookah, which is a separate cash only charge btw, and a drink at first by the bar tables. Then the rest of my party came and joined. However we was fine standing there but wanted to see if we could get a table to drink and smoke hookah. We did ask the waitress if that's okay, if we purchase food or if gratuity is included...she's said no, you'll be fine if you're getting drinks. So we're ordering a bunch of drinks and waiting for the Afro rays DJ that was supposed to start at 8 but it's past 11pm at this point. Dj finally comes but literally is not playing anything afrobeats/dancehall as advertised on the flyer and social media. On top of that he plays at least 4 of the same songs repeatedly. Then the same waitress that sat us down tells us that we are almost at the 90min limit. However she never mentioned that there was a limit on the table to begin with. We ask about staying and she mentions that we have to buy a bottle or a tower. Meanwhile we've already been spending money on drinks the whole time. We could've had a tower to begin with, but she failed to inform us of that information even though we asked upfront when we were at the bar. We end up getting the tower (which is full of cheap poisonous liquor) that was well not worth the price. If you plan on supporting a black business that's on you! but DONT DO GO HERE if you respect your pockets and integrity of service. Charges 4% for credit cards/debit. And has a 20% gratuity on top of a extra service fee btw. read more

Drove from NJ, couple dinner with my bff. We catch up every month for dinner. Saturday night and we were rushed out after 90 mins mind you they allowed us to refill hookah but didn't allow it to finish. They had other seats available for patrons and no one waiting. It was distasteful. I've been to places where they gave us 90 mins but we've never been told we had to leave. Also, they charged a credit card fee along with $2.00 for gravy on the dose without even telling us. The waitress called it extra gravy when there was no gravy on the dish, we only asked for it on the side. It was just very penny pinching and unorganized. Host, stares tables down waiting for time to be up. I ordered a Long Island and the Long Island was made poorly. At the very least make the drinks well. Food was okay, I've had way better. I won't go back. read more

Hennessy wings is just a generic bbq sauce the fries were bland and the kanu knockout was disgusting save your time and money and go somewhere else. read more

This was my second time here and it was just as good as the first time. Food was amazing, hookah was great & drinks even better. The staff was super attentive, including the owner. Nice harlem spot. Music was afrobeats, reggaeton & dancehall. read more

My name is Theresa and I'm a regular here.And I can tell you their food.Is amazing Especially their Lemon pepper chicken and a frozen pomegranate or frozen margaritas and chicken tacos. The management and staff isecurity are very professional at nice. The ambiance is also nice. read more

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I stopped by this place with my friend & her younger sister for dinner. We wanted to start off with drinks but the bar wasn't fully open I think it's because a private event had just ended, so we were offered frozen drinks and got the rum punch. They were pretty good tasted very juicy & sweet. For our appetizer we had the coconut shrimp, very yummy. I was a huge fan of the accompanying sweet chili sauce it came with. My friends sister got the chicken tenders & fries, those were also good can't go wrong with that LOL. For our entrees I got the sweet chili wings with fries, my friend got the buttermilk fried chicken with rice & peas. The food was overall pretty good. To end we had a slice of carrot cake and they sang happy birthday to my friends younger sister it was so cute. Our waitress was the sweetest! She was so attentive. Our food did take long to come out but it tasted really fresh like it was just made. The place itself is really cool & they play great music. I recommend this place if you're looking to have a good time & have a bite. I can see this place going in a very uptown vibe direction. read more

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The place it's not what you expect! Beware of the 90min and the reserve bar with the overbearing security guard! I WILL NEVER GO BACK! Beware if you want have a good time. This is not the place to go to for a birthday celebration or anything else! read more

Kanu Bar Grill - The rice was hard and the shrimp was over cooked and dry. - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Great place good food drinks and hookah ! I would def come back the staff is amazing as well

If I could give less than one star...that would have been a true review! I guess they can get one star for the music. The service was HORRIBLE! 1st...the booth my party and I were seated at was dirty. There was old food and hair on the booth seating 2nd....the waitress was incredibly preoccupied with the gentlemen that were seated next to us 3rd.... we received a wrong order. We ordered Bellini for our unlimited (90 min); it took 10 min before were able to locate her then another 25 min to get the correct placement. We were forgotten partially due to her utilizing her cell phone and the other part was due to the party of gentlemen. Needless to say, I will not come back to this establishment; nor will I recommend. *Also the food left much to be desired* *Forgive my typos. Thank You read more

I must say, this review may have been overdue for some time because since I've come across this location, the vibes have remained on point. I have yet to venture in after work but as of recently l, I have caught the brunch hour. It took some time to warm up but the crowd as ready to go. Games and films on the tvs. The DJ was playing all kinds of hits. The patrons either danced or broke out into choruses. This was the New Year energy that was necessary. My only takeaways are 1. the pricing of the meals but again, it's brunch. They can finesse a tad more next to happy hour but note, gratuity will already be included. And 2. the potential of this venue, if it had more space, it could pass for a lounge to a mini club. Either way, the bevs, the hookah, hell- the service have all been on point. read more

Kanu Bar Grill - Kan Island Burger (For the price it should be more. The burger though, a real life image of the Krabby Patty. It was delicious.) - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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There were 4 tables inside that were empty and tables outside that were empty. Waited 20 minutes before I decided to leave.

The worst food I've ever had. Now let me say this, the place looks great and the mimosas are just right. However, the food wasn't what I thought it would be. I had the steak and eggs as apart the bottomless brunch for $45. The steak was to be cooked medium well. The steak was clearly reheated after sitting out. The texture was off and the eggs were scrambled hard! Who eats scrambled eggs for brunch these days... This experience wasn't great but it's worth another visit dude to the ambiance. Much smaller than in person so don't expect anything big. read more

Kanu is so great if you're looking for a quick bite, listen to good music they have hookah at the bar and really good food. Especially when you're looking for like a Caribbean Latin fusion. They have a jerk chicken quesadilla, which is amazing shrimp tacos also notable mention I love their wings. The Hennessy wings are the sweet, wings are also really good and they have a rum punch that will punch you into next week. They also have a tres Leche cake, which I'm not sure if they discontinued but the last time that I went, I was unable to get it. read more

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I went last night and the overall take out experience was HORRIFIC I drove 37 minutes in the rain for 2 ORDERS an waited 30 additional minutes for an order I places 30 minutes before getting to destination. Nevertheless, my order consisted of oxtails, white rice and sweet plantain. Needless to say the order was incorrect, I received Mushy rice and peas instead of white rice, the oxtails were hard, the cabbage was ok. The second order was the jerk chicken dinner what in the whole wild world was that... NO absolutely not.. WE DID NOT EAT OUR FOOD.... To top it off they charged me an additional fee for sauteed veggies and additional plaintains that WE NEVER RECEIVED and NEVER ordered. So, in all honesty I want my money back! I deserve my money to be refunded ...... I will be calling them today, lets pray for a refund if not I will def be disputing it with my bank! read more