I've only had West African cuisine a handful of times in my life, but Keobi stands out as one of the best ones. We ordered the asaro and egusi with plantain fufu. Everything was terrific and strongly flavored. The asaro, a yam stew with shrimp and greens (though I located very shrimp if at all) had an intense, somewhat smoky savory flavor. It was also quite starchy and did not require any rice or fufu accompaniment. The egusi stew with chicken was also incredibly flavorful; I preferred this slightly more over the asaro. Paired with the soft steamed and lightly sweet but more neutral-tasting plantain fufu, the egusi was really tasty. As others have noted, the food did take a while to prepare. It appeared that there was only one woman working both the front of house and the kitchen. There were no high chairs. The restaurant was clean and nicely decorated for the holidays. Our kids were entertained by the Afro beats playing on the TV. Overall we had a very delicious and comfortable experience at Keobi. read more

Keobi Restaurant - Egusi with Plantain Fufu - African Near Me - Albany, New York

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Very quaint restaurant. They had a friendly staff. I believe the owner is also the chef and he was very accommodating to my order. I ordered egusi with fufu and a plate of jollof rice and goat meat. And I say don't walk... run there and get your order. You will not regret it. Even my children who have basic taste buds and are quite picky ate the entire plate of jollof rice and goat meat. I will be back to try more dishes. read more

Keobi Restaurant - Egusi and fufu - African Near Me - Albany, New York

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You'll have to wait forever to get your food. It tastes good, but even with calling ahead I had to wait for 3 hrs for them to make my food. Not worth it. Do not order from here!! The other day I tried to order from them on a mobile app and they didn't call to tell me they ran out until 1.5hrs after I ordered. They refused to cancel the order and asked me to do it--which would make me have to pay a huge fee. I won't be ordering from here again. read more

I never thought I'd be the type of person who couldn't sleep because every five minutes I'm thinking about the small food I have in my fridge. Keobi did that. The flavors? Insane. Rich, hearty, and packed with that deep, home-cooked soul. i ordered a efo-riro and ate at the restaurant then ordered afang to go. when I got home and tasted the afang, oh boy! small time is open the fridge with spoon lmao. let's just say by the time I went to bed my belly was ripe! Highly recommend--but be warned: Keobi might just ruin all your future dinner plans. Nothing else will compare. read more

Keobi Restaurant - African Near Me - Albany, New York

This place was a hidden gem, everyone we ordered was delicious and the service was laid back and kind. First time trying fufu and it was delicious. Would highly recommend checking this place out and supporting an amazing restaurant. read more

Best authentic African food in the area! Takeout is just as good as ordering in person.

The food was just as magnificent and tasteful as the service. A hidden gem that must be tried, experienced, and appreciated. As a person who never had Fufu before I honestly say you come here to expand your cultural palate and curiosity. My stomach, mind and heart are all satisfied. read more

Got diarrhea, sick two weeks, parasites, terrible. Be forewarned, not worth it. Other ethnic restaurants nearby

My daughter is constantly on the internet, reading stuff. She read about fufu and wanted to try it. Saturday night, around 8:00 pm the place was not busy. We were not familiar with the menu. The front desk person was super friendly and helpful answering all our questions, which was super appreciated. We also meet Jason, a regular from NY? We all had a good time while waiting for the freshly made food. Everything is freshly made so plan for extra time in there or order ahead of time. Our food was delicious and the spices were marvelous!!! We tried two kinds of fufu and will come back for more. The place was clean and the service exceptional. read more

The staff was very nice and helpful. But the food was super mid! I mean it was somewhat edible but I didn't finish. I ordered efro riro, which is a spinach dish made from a rich pepper sauce, with assorted meats. Their version was soggy, slimy, and tasted like it was made from frozen or canned spinach. It was soupy and mostly inedible, I ate the meat which was somewhat tough and chewy. They did not use assorted meat or fish. Only one stewed meat. The meal came to $30! If it was good I wouldn't complain, but I couldn't finish my food. read more

The food here was delicious! Will definitely come back. Only complaint is that it took about an hour for our food to come out. Next time I'll call in an order and pick it up. read more

Price was outrageous for a plate of food, 25$ for half a thing of rice and one piece of chicken.

ALL of the food is delicious! And the customer service is wonderful! It was very tasty and fresh, and the staff was very personable. He gave me much information and helped me to understand their cuisine. We were at the Farmer's Market so I told him I look forward to visiting the restaurant, especially to try the soup. read more

The food is delicious, I tried the Jollof Rice and Goat meat! This is the best Restauran in Albany. I also loved the service. I had to dine in and it's amazing how they are so quick to serve that delicious food. I am definitely going back again! Ambiance 100%. read more

I ordered early through Yelp which goes through Grubhub and to pick up for lunch since I had to work overtime. I am essential during covid 19. Not essential enough to get my food at lunch time. Yes I experienced a couple of glitches but these are trying times and a very big order was placed. Well worry about that another time. The owner, (whom I believe it to be) fortunately delivered the food I ordered near afternoon break time and I was starving!!! I had the chicken jollof rice, it was very tasty and the rice had an awesome amount of heat so if you don't like heat this wouldn't be for you. I also ordered the beef suya traditional, omg great taste and spices and a little less heat then the rice. Never had this type of food before and I do like and plan on being almost a regular... say what lol I'm not a regular at anywhere. Variety is my taste of life. Lucky for them and myself its close to work so I'm going to be enjoying it. I hope I didn't scare anyone off with the heat, I'm sure they have plenty to offer with less hot alternatives. Check out the menu and enjoy read more

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Oh my God, this place is amazing! You have to try the fufu with Peppered Goat Meat and fried chicken! We could not stop eating!!! read more

Keobi Restaurant - Oh my God, this place is amazing! You have to try the fufu with Peppered Goat Meat and fried chicken! We could not stop eating!!! - African Near Me - Albany, New York

A slightly bizarre experience, made the experience even more authentic. I spend plenty of time outside of US, and restaurants just operate differently elsewhere. I wanted to try Keobi since they first opened, but life and Covid got in the way. We finally had some time this weekend, and met up with a couple. We arrived at 5 planning to spend around an hour. The restaurant was empty right at 5, but started to fill up as we decided what to order. By the time we placed our order, all four tables had someone sitting at them. When I mentioned to the employee that I had a reservation, he had a deer in headlights look, looked around, and said he'd make room for us when the food was ready. The food started to come out an hour later, with a twenty minute gap between the first and last dish. While we sat and talked for the hour, there was a steady stream for Door dash, Uber eats, and takeout orders. The redeeming quality was the food. It was one of the tastiest meals that I've had in Albany. We all tried every dish we ordered. Oxtail, Curried Goat, Plantain Porridge, Ayamase bowl, spiced gizzard, fufu, jolof rice, rice and beans, wings. Not only did everyone love what they ordered, everyone also loved what everyone else ordered. With tax and tip, is was around $140, so not a cheap meal, but it was worth it. Going forward, we might resort to takeout though, or at least ordering ahead of time. Not the type of ambiance where you want to spend an hour sitting there, waiting for the food. The food does make excellent leftovers! read more

The food was good. However I was charged a gratuity fee ($4.68) without my knowledge from a purchase of $26. Once I asked for a receipt I saw where the overcharge was and I asked. The gentleman at the register stated he didn't know and that was an automatic fee. I did not eat at the restaurant and found this to be sneaky and unfair. It was my first time here and I am discouraged to return. read more

Keobi Restaurant - Receipt with a gratuity fee added I did not request for a to go order! - African Near Me - Albany, New York

Good food served by friendly nice people. I'm likely to eat here again in spite of an ordering snafu (which I think I know how to avoid next time). Here's what I had, in order of what I liked best: --Asaro (Yam Porridge). More like a stew because the chunks of yam were intact, in a gravy including smoked fish and bitter greens. Feral, exotic and delicious. --Goat Meat Pepper Soup. Lots of chunks of goat meat with the skin on (it's chewy like pig skin) in a rich but salty broth. --Keobi Beef Suya. Grilled beef which has been marinated in a peanut sauce, on a skewer served over cucumber, onion and tomato slices. --Joloff Rice. Got two of these, chicken and goat. You get a lot of a spicy rice pilaf cooked in tomato stock, sliced plantains and mixed sautéed vegetables (peppers, onions and some mystery greens) and just a little of the protein. This would seem to be the go-to dish but I found the two above more interesting and will stick with soups and stews next time. --Moi Moi. This is a spicy bean cake reminiscent of refried beans, flavorful and filing. It's not made in house but presented in its cooking pouch from moimoipouch.com. --house pie. Got two of these, with chicken and with beef. The crust is pleasant but there's very little filling. Would not order again. Now, about my ordering snafu. I had the $25 for $50 coupon from Yelp and could not figure out a way to apply it online so decided to just stop in. The counter person said she had never seen the coupon before and had to spend quite a bit of time on the phone (I think with Yelp customer service) figuring out how to apply it. I then placed my order and it took close to an hour to get the food. Meanwhile other customers were coming in and picking up orders to go which were ready for them. And about half way through my wait a bunch of folks came in with trays of food prepared elsewhere which they then placed in a warming oven, steam table trays etc. My hunch is they were actually out of several of my items (it was after 2 pm, so in the void between lunch and dinner) and had to wait for them. Solution: next time I'll order in advance, online or on the phone, and not worry about a coupon deal. (Yes, I know we are not supposed to use coupons anyway during the pandemic because restaurants need all the support they can get, but Keobi opened in March and put up the coupon immediately so I figured they knew what they were doing. Also, prices have gone up considerably since they opened.) read more

Keobi Restaurant - Menu as of 7/1/20 part 1. - African Near Me - Albany, New York

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Only West African food in the capital area. It's great. That comes with some trouble... most people are unfamiliar with the spices or flavors. The food traditionally will be spicy; you should ask about the spiciness if you're concerned in the same way that you'd ask about it in an Indian or Thai restaurant. Also, the food can take a little longer to prepare which is normal for this cuisine; your patience will be rewarded. : ) Anyway. All of the swallows are wonderful. Feel free to ask for a recommendation for which one to accompany your soup. Peanut-butter soup, egusi, and efo riro are delightful. Can't wait to try more items on their menu. If you're planning to pick -up just call the restaurant directly (should do this with most restaurants honestly). read more

The food was delicious my first time. A little pricey for the small portion sizes in my opinion. The second time, I was craving them, my bf ordered pick up right before close and it looked soooo good when I opened it, only to find that the fish was super dried out as if it had been cooked the day prior and or in the morning and sat under heat all day. I was truly disappointed because the two meals were almost $30 and I could only eat the jollof rice. Everything else went right in the trash. read more

Keobi Restaurant - Fried Fish Dinner w/ Jollof Rice, Salad and Plantain - African Near Me - Albany, New York

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Wow ! Hot & Spicy side of Lark Street . I couldn't wait to try Keobi. Heard so much about this place. I know tic toc is tending anything FuFu. I had to come out and see what that is all about. Such a cute and clean restaurant. Met by a friendly beautiful smile. Asked if she could help! I told her I never had this type of cuisine and I wanted to try different things. We went over a few things and chose the following: Ayamase. Assorted meats, mixed with onions and green herbs and spices. A tad spicy. Very good rich sauce. Served it over great flavorful rice. Cassava leaves. Made with cassava leaves, and chose fish. Liked it but next time no fish although the fish was great I didn't like the small bones. Egusi. A thick soup with ground egusi seeds. Added beef. Another spicy dish but just enough heat. Spicy gizzard. My favorite. Great red pepper sauce. Very lite and flavorful ! I loved this ! The fufu was great. It reminded me of a mashed potato. I especially like the tan one. Melt in your mouth goodness! Can't wait to go back to try some more ! read more

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Delicious food! I wish I knew about them sooner and I've always wanted to try Nigerian food. If you don't do spice I would call to ask what isn't spicy. I tried the the fufu and Egusi with beef. Spicy but hearty and warms your whole body, the kind of flavor where you have to keep eating even through the burn. Also tried their Jallof rice with beef and a side of plantains and purple cabbage salad. Super good, will definitely get next time and try a different soup. Ofc you can eat how you're comfortable but I recommend you look up 'how to eat egusi with fufu' and give it a try! read more

Keobi Restaurant - Fufu, Egusi Soup, Jollof Rice, Plantain - African Near Me - Albany, New York

The food here is really good and authentic. It's rare that you get African food in the capital district that isn't Americanized. I recommend this place for everyone looking not only for good food but a genuine experience. Looking to try everything on the menu! read more

Keobi Restaurant - African Near Me - Albany, New York

This place was absolutely delicious!! Whilst browsing endlessly on Yelp on what to try next for dinner, I stumbled upon Keobi. Having never really tried African food before I decided to give it a try. On first glance, the restaurant seemed very clean and the menu was very easy to read as well. I asked one of the employees for recommendations As I am not familiar with African food and she gave me a good list of four or five items I could try. I ended up getting the plantain porridge (which can be made vegetarian) and man was that delicious. My friend got the ox tail and noodles and my god they were both delicious. I'll definitely be coming back! read more

I'm always impressed by the tasty ogbono soup:). Spicy and delicious soups if you want to try something different

I am so so so impressed by Keobi!!! Ive been dying to try fufu and went with the classic Okra soup and mackerel. I had no idea what to expect and am blown away. The fish was so fresh and the soup was perfectly spiced with super warm fufu!!! 10/10. I should've taken photos but ate it too quickly. DO NOT USE GRUBHUB if you are picking up the food yourself. I felt awful because GH charges them a very high amount. We tried to cancel the sale so I could pay them directly and she was nice enough to tell me not to worry - I will be a repeat customer!! read more

The spaghetti looks super delicious however there was meat in the spaghetti so I couldn't eat it. I did call prior to ordering and was told there is no meat in the spaghetti and I requested no meat in the notes. I would definitely love to cater spaghetti in the future. Thank you! read more

Delicious, authentic Nigerian food. We came for lunch and tried a variety of dishes. Everything was yummy!

Fresh and tasty mango and cucumber salad. I enjoyed it thoroughly and served as a complimentary dish for the extremely hot weather. I'm glad to see this new addition to Lark St. read more

Keobi Restaurant - Cucumber mango salad - African Near Me - Albany, New York

Ordered lil before 7:30, got a call to cancel my grubhub order from the restaurant & make a separate order, being charged again. If you guys have issues with GH, best to cancel them thats now (-$100) for me which i have to wait on the first transactions refund. I started to describe my meal and experience , but Im taking this as its just been one of those nights. Im not one to post bad pictures & talk down especially after hearing good things about this place. As far as delivery I wont again, but I may pick up for sure. Best read more

The food is absolutely delicious and well prepared and Sevice is absolutely delightful. Very clean and quiet environment. I had serval dishes that wear all delicious I enjoyed my pepper soup with fufu especially read more

Delicious! I haven't heard many people talk about keobi so it took me a while to try it but everything I had tasted amazing

The food is very good. It is spicy and staff doesn't know how to turn it down if you ask. Awful ordering experiences, every time I order I get an estimated pick up time of over an hour for two entrees and on top of that it's never in my 8 orders have been ready on time, there is always an extra 30 minute wait! So unprofessional give an accurate time! Awful will never try to order from here again as much as I love the food. read more

I spent two (2) weeks in Albany! In those days, I had the opportunity to have everything on the menu at Keobi's: fufu with a variety of soups, yam porridge, fried rice and plantains, white rice and sumptuous stew, goat meat, beef, and ox-tail. I left Albany not only impressed with all the delicacies and how tasty they were, but also with the painstaking efforts by Keobi to replicate them at such an affordable price in a squeaky clean ambiance. My palate still yearns for your fufu and the varieties of soups. Unfortunately, I failed to pick out the best among the several soups and dishes I had; they all tasted great. I wish the review came with a million stars, I would have gladly given it! read more

Tik tok is going crazy over FUFU so I had to indulge and try for myself. We ordered egusi soup (beef) with fufu and oxtail plate. I'll start by saying I do not have any experience with African food. I did love the oxtail although the portion was small for the price. Try the egusi if you wanna try something different. I'm glad I gave it a try. read more

We found Keobi on a hunt for something out of the ordinary and it was one of the best gambles I've made in weeks. The staff was super polite on the phone - they quoted a long wait time but, when it ended up being shorter than they expected they called to let us know. They were sweet when we arrived and gave us extra plantains (we're vegetarians so they hooked us up in lieu of the meat). I got the Jollof rice and my friend got the Ewa G and we split some of the instant noodles. We asked for spicy and we were not disappointed! Everything was delicious and filling. Next time I'm in town I will definitely stop by again! Thanks guys!! read more

First time trying this place and I am in love ! I got peanut butter soup , beef suya & fufu. Great prices as well . Will be back . The spice level is just perfect if you like spice . Can't wait to try egusi soup read more

Keobi Restaurant - African Near Me - Albany, New York

I was looking for a black-owned restaurant to support in Albany and was delighted to see the Capital Region has African food. It was a lovely, delicious experience. They're masters of spice -- I'm not sure how noodles that look so simple can taste so incredible. Also recommend the Ewa G, Jollof Rice, and plantains. So glad Keobi is here, and can't wait to come back. read more

I tried this place at the farmer's market and it was amazing. The jollof rice was flavorfully and a bit spicy. The pepper goat smelled amazing and tasted just as good. Definitely going to need to go to this restaurant in person and not just the park. Highly recommend the food as is and need it again soon. read more