My sister-in-law was visiting and wanted to try out one of my local African cuisine restaurants, so stopped by here. This no-frills place was friendly, reasonably priced and delicious. read more

Although I'm a country girl at heart, happiest hiking with my human and canine pups in remote places, it's little nooks and crannies like Le Petit Sénégal / Little Senegal, centered around 116th Street, that anchor me to NYC. For a tiny fraction of the cost of a plane ticket, one can talk to so many interesting people, explore so many fascinating cultures, and eat so many different kinds of delicious food here! Senegalese food is, like many west African, coastal cuisines, spicy, often seafood-heavy, and complex, often incredibly labor intensive to prepare. Over the years, we've tried probably a dozen different restaurants in Le Petit Sénégal, but this was the first time we'd ordered from Keur Coumba despite the fact that it's no newcomer to the scene. (I think it's been open for a decade at least.) Keur Coumba's version of the Senegalese national dish, Thiebou Djeun (rice with fish), was quite good. It was a pleasure to sink one's fork into a thick, generous cut of meaty, white fish to find allium-heavy pockets of dark green roff (a mixture of finely chopped garlic, onion, and parsley). The fish was served over reddish brown, umami-rich, tomato paste-infused rice, circled by slices of sweet carrot, eggplant, plantain, green cabbage leaf, fresh red bell pepper, lemon -- and even some lovely xoon, the close cousin of socarrat. I thought I detected a note of crustacean in the rice (it reminded me of lobster bisque), which a survey of different recipes tell me could be shrimp bouillon, fish sauce, dried / smoked fish, mussels, or... ? I'm not sure what was used in Keur Coumba's version, but if you have a shellfish allergy, you should probably ask! Yassa Guinaar (chicken marinated in lemon juice with sauteed onions) and yassa yapp (beef with the same lemony sauteed onions) were both deeply flavorful and oily -- I believe pleasantly so by Senegalese standards, but perhaps not pleasantly so to everyone. A finish of oil (palm, I think) is used to dress dishes, not unlike chili oil in Sichuan cuisine, tadkas in south Indian cuisine, olive oil in Greek and Turkish cuisines, etc... It might seem excessive to those unused the cuisine, but that oil adds stick to your ribs flavor, which might be particularly desirable if you consume mostly vegan dishes and calories are not as easy to come by. The onions in the yassa preparations, caramelized to sweetness and slowly cooked in oil to a silky consistency, combined beautifully with the bright acidity of lemon / vinegar, and touch of pungent mustard. Yassa might just be the next premade slow cooker sauce peddled by a major US food corporation. It would taste great on just about anything, including hot dogs. (You're welcome, Campbell's!) Our final dish, Borokhe, was about 1/3 oil -- more oily that we have had it at other Senegalese restaurants. I enjoyed the flavor of the vegetables, which slightly reminded me of nettles. But for us, at least, the large proportion of oil was excessive and not at that point of satiation enjoyable. I'll give our leftovers another try in a few days. With so few data points, I can't say that Keur Coumba -- which Google tells me translates to either "Coumba's house" or "strong house" in Wolof -- serves my favorite versions of any Senegalese dish we've tried so far. But I would not hesitate to go back, especially for the Theibou Djeun, which is made with attention to detail and impressively fresh fish. Jërëjëf, Coumba! read more

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The food was great, just what we wanted. Thieboudienne literally translated means the rice of fish in the Wolof language. The portion was enough for 2-3 people. Nicely flavored broken rice with huge chunks of fish and chicken, because we ordered one of each. Well actually we did not order anything. We were the only two gringos in this part of town today and the only English speaking people in there. It was fast and furious and busy and everything I pointed to the lady said No No No. Finally a Senegalese lady customer took pity and ordered for us. We had no idea what we were getting and it did not matter at that point. I had no idea what it cost, what we were getting or when it was coming. All part of the adventure, Senegal without the airfare. Our French is passable but not in here. The ambiance is that of a busy Senegalese cafe, it's not date night. read more

Keur Coumba Restaurant - Portion 1 of 2 - Senegalese Near Me - Manhattan, New York

Worst restaurant. They serve grilled meat from day before, the food is dried, not tasty at all but salt. 0/10 read more

Having not been here two years, I am a little disappointed to see how much the offerings have dropped off. I came with a group of six (myself included) and their were many menu options that were not available. However, they were accommodating and the staff was friendly. Everyone enjoyed the food. I noticed that the portion size is much smaller. All in all when I'm ready for a Senegalese food I think I will try another spot next time. The Dibi was less than visually appealing as it was served wrapped in butcher paper and cut in small pieces. That is a new one for me. read more

Came here because a colleague recommended it. I got off at the wrong train station and Columbia- the closest I'll probably ever get to an Ivy League. I hiked through the little park and found my way to Keur Coumba. The service was quick and attentive, though they weren't busy. I was told to get dibi and the thiebou jien. Both were good- Easy for two people to eat. read more

Keur Coumba Restaurant - Thiebou Djeun to go. Never mind my electronic mixer. - Senegalese Near Me - Manhattan, New York

If you haven't had Senegalese food yet you need to make your way to 116th. Walking down the street you will find many options to try. I picked Keur Coumba, because I was after one dish in particular. Maafe! Maafe is a peanut stew. It is served with rice but I just eat it like soup. I went around lunch time on a Saturday and was seated right away. The place is small only 10-12 tables. read more

Keur Coumba Restaurant - a bowl of curry and rice - Senegalese Near Me - Manhattan, New York

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What the flying f@&k kind of service do they have here!! I've been tolerant of bad service lately and usually let things slide cause the service industry has had it rough the past couple of years. We waited awhile for service as we observed everyone who I think worked there...keep in mind this place is small, it wasn't busy with only 2 other tables. Finally, someone asked us "do you need a menu?" I looked at her and thought this whole time as we waited patiently and saw you just standing there...you finally ask us if we need menus...why the sh!t f@&k do you think we're sitting here?? There are better West African restaurants around the city...don't need to come back to this bad service place. Walked out without ordering or saying anything the vibe was bad!! read more

Soooooooo Keur Coumba catered my wedding two years ago and have been catering my life ever since. It's been soooooo good each time I decided I need to tell somebody about it. The food!!!!! Omg! When that warm dibbi hits your mouth it's like all the spices and seasonings are doing Riverdance on your tongue, it's a divine experience. Oh and the onions too, so good sometimes I have to shout! This is the best Dibibi of all the Senegalese restaurants (my husband took me to them all) I've visited in NYC. Tonight I had Mborokhe, a cassava leaf stew dish with lamb and rice. It was rich in all kinds of savory flavors. The bissap is off the chain too. Love it there, we will continue supporting them throughout quarantine with their delivery services. read more

Slow service. You have to call out in middle of restaurant in order to get waitress. Large portions and great prices. Unpredictable which chef you will get. So food taste isn't consistent. read more

Keur Coumba Restaurant - Food is decent large portions but slow service. - Senegalese Near Me - Manhattan, New York

Food is very delicious. I go every payday for the lamb and chicken . Prices are very fair as well !

When I go to small, informal ethnic restaurants, I really don't care about service. Even if we don't speak the same language, put good food in front of my face, and I will love you like a brother. You don't have to act like you're my best friend. I don't mind if you're missing 90% of the items on the menu. I don't really even care if the table is clean. Still, I think there are some basic rules of courtesy. If a customer walks in, smiles broadly, says hello and asks how you're doing, there are plenty of appropriate responses. A grunt is not one of them. I was fine with the dirty table, and didn't mind that the menu was irrelevant--apparently, Keur Coumba serves only one dish on Friday afternoons (thiebou djeun). That's cool. But the standoffish grunting? Not cool. All would be forgiven if the thiebou djeun was great, but it wasn't. Overcooked fish, greasy rice, uninspired vegetables, and minimal flavor. I love me some thiebou djeun, but I'll stick with Africa Kine or Cafe 2115 next time I need a West African fix in Harlem. read more

I'm letting everyone know that this restaurant is awful restaurant the food is reduclus be careful with restaurant I bought soup over under June 15 2022 but when I opened the food the color was so dark and I tasted it it was horrible read more

The restaurant seemed authentic and popular with the locals. The atmosphere was interesting, with plenty of people watching Senegalese wrestling in darkness. A foetid smell of uncertain origin permeated the place. Unlike other reviewers, I found the waiters agreeable and polite. I have limited familiarity with West African food, but Keur Coumba didn't convert me. The main dish that the staff suggested, a small piece of fish with rice, was bland and dry. However, it had some curious vegetables and spices in the middle. I liked the yoghurt, but it probably wasn't made by the owners. I would have given the place a 3. However, I had a massively unpleasant experience here. I ate one of the peppers in the middle, which turned out to be hellishly hot - the hottest pepper I ever tasted. I was bed-ridden for the rest of the day because of it, had to buy medicines, and drink several bottles of water while running home. The staff should have warned me. read more

Lamb shank w/ couscous is delicious and has a nice heat to it. The bread was very good and they gave you two sauces, both incredibly savory especially when you mix it with the entree and sides. Plantains were a little dry but were still very very tasty and crispy especially with the couscous or any of the sauce served with the bread. Restaurant was very clean, service was very fast and I enjoyed the tv with the Senegalese stations on it. Great customer service, will certainly be back, can't wait to try the rest of the menu! read more

Happened upon this place while looking for another spot to eat that we didn't end up finding. We decided to have a go and try this joint out instead. Went in and nobody there acknowledged us, so we just took a seat next to the radiator, under the loud television on the wall. Had to flag down the waitress and she came over and took our order. They were out of several items on the menu so we went with some chicken and rice with lime. Figured that would be a safe bet. Told the gal that we wanted to share a plate and she didn't even bring us two plates. I had to ask the lady at the register for a couple of plates. Kind of a self-serve vibe to the whole restaurant but it wasn't that big of a deal. Food was good overall. I asked for a water no ice and she brought me a bottled water. New York tap is just fine and she should've asked me first. They give you a massive portion of white rice, which I guess was good for us since we were sharing everything. This is a pretty funky spot. Lots of locals hanging out. No amenities really - no paper towels in bathrooms, one paper napkin at the table, old coffee in Styrofoam cups, etc. I don't know too much about Senegalese food but I don't think I'll be hurrying to get back to this place any time soon. It did serve its purpose for lunch meeting though: warm and rather quiet ambiance so we could catch up while having a bit to eat. read more

I ordre from home and everytime I call in to place my order they rush you and Hung up the phone . Very bah customer service. Rude to death

No professional the service is bad this place is the worst place to get a west African food in New York Custemer service 0

this is a real african senegalese restaurant !!! portions are good , generous , tasty and not expensive at all !!! this is a must go place !!! read more

Best dibi (Senegalese BBQ) ; just like back home. The ladies are friendly and welcoming. I recommend this place.

The Keur @ one time was one of my favorite spots too order take out, but lately I've notice the quality & taste has slipped, as for the taste I think its the rotation of the cooks that has something to do with it at times it's very salty, bland or perfect it has become a hit or miss place, if you're a gambler and A/C is out of the equation roll the dice you may get a perfect meal. read more

Ate there for the first time today. Delicious cebujun!. Really generous portions, reasonable prices. They have cafe touba too! Anyway great sauce on the rice, great rof (stuffing) in the fish, plenty of vegetables like yucca, carrot, eggplant, cabbage, okra, sweet pepper, lime wedges and habanero. Delicious "hoing" (rice crust from the bottom of the pot). Not too salty which is great bc some cebujen chefs put too much Maggi. This cebujen was not too salty. Space is a little cramped but it's worth it. If you've never had gingeer, it's a delicious drink made with fresh ginger and pineapple juice. Nothing like ginger ale read more

Real African Food, Decent prices... Overall nice experice

So the food when done right and is fresh is incredible!!!! BUT my order only seems to be correct & fresh 25% of the time. I love their grilled tilapia and couscous. My husband loves their lamb/dibi. They deliver but it takes a full 2 hours to arrive. I only go there now when I can pick it up myself. Also they are not overly polite. Customer service has been lacking in all of the African/ethiopian/Senegalese restaurants I've been to in NYC. This is sumthing they should change ASAP because I've also noticed none of them are that busy. read more

I went to this restaurant in search of the National Dish of Senegal, Thiebu Dien pronounced chebu Jen. I arrived around 1 which is usually the only time of day to get it fresh. Well I got it! Eleven dollars later... I was extremely disappointed to find that I had been given a batch with jolof rice that smelled and tasted burnt. The bottom rice is considered a treat as it is packed with flavor. Personally, I don't like it. However this is the first time in 21 years that I have ever been served burnt rice. I threw it away. Thank God I didn't buy two as originally planned I'll never eat there again. Avoid if you can. read more

Horrible customer service, they served me cold food l, and the hostess was very disrespectful

Down to earth environment, friendly staff and the food overall is GREAT I always have the best experience when I eat here the place stays open until 3am and they deliver. If you even in the are try thiebou dieune, soup, mbagal saloum. Fresh dishes daily from 1p.m read more

I stumbled upon this place on a Saturday at brunch time when feeling adventurous. It is tucked away next to Amy Ruth's in Harlem. I loved the food! Be warned that their menu does not reflect what they serve. Instead, they have a handful of dishes available each day, depending on what the kitchen stocks. Every patron, other than yours truly, was of West African descent. I took this as a good sign that the cuisine is authentic West African. Their phone was ringing off the hook, and two women hustled to place all the orders. The portions are huge, so that the $12 spent on one dish can easily cover two meals. I much enjoyed my fish dish, called Thiebu Djeun, and my companion had a lamb dish whose name did not appear on the menu, but whose picture did (pointing goes a long way at this establishment!). I had never had cassava leaves or this type of rice before. Both dishes tasted amazing! The restaurant is tiny, but the flat-screen TV showing African popular music videos set the mood. The only minus is that bathroom is not well-maintained. I highly recommend this place, especially if you grow tired of the long wait at Amy Ruth's and are looking for a chill place with delicious food that you may never have had before. read more

I am pleased that my first Yelp review is a positive one and giving props to a local spot. First, Keur Coumba is a relatively new Senegalese restaurant that opened earlier this year and within a month time of regularly ordering their debe (grilled lamb) and ocassionally having the grilled whole talipia - I am sold. The seasoning on the lamb and fish is consistent and the food is plentiful to share. Second, I've also tried their grilled chicken, spinach beef dish (name I cant recall) and their jollof rice (fabulous!!); all bursing with african seasoning flavors and never a disappointment. Lastly, I've also tried the other three Senegalese spots nearby, and they, too, are sometimes good options, but the atmosphere is far better at Coumba; the delivery service is prompt; the ladies at the counter are very welcoming and seem to make an extra effort to assist those who are new to the cuisine. read more

This place is a mess, the customer service is very, very bad. They barely listen to you when you are ordering and talk to you any kind of way, no respect at all. I wouldn't recommend this place to anybody even my enemies. They are way better restaurants than this one . read more

I'm all about the food. When it comes to Senegalese food this is the best restaurant in Harlem. Everything I've had here has been great. The service is typically West African but the food wouldn't be so good if they catered to non-Senegalese. I'm an American but I like my ethnic food authentic so I will gladly suffer (a bit). Dibi is highly recommended. read more

Dear Yelpers, here is a tiny, dark place, with 6 tables and you, oh yes, "YOU" very much likely are the only one who really speaks English in this restaurant. I was brought here by a good friend, a Francophone (yes, dear; French helps, if you speak it). Take heart, it's not the end of the world, just ask plenty Senegalese standing right out side the front door, they're just hanging out and waiting for their food. Don't be shy, they're really friendly and thank God they spoke English with me, then I dashed right in. For Yelpers of not the same color scheme as Senegalese (such as myself), don't worry, very nice staffs will do their best to accommodate you. After all, we pretty sure, as customers, we've created extra stress for the employees in there. But it's the genuine West African culture, food, and people that attracted me to come and dine. It was a bilateral slightly culture shock and requires a bit of quick adaptation for both the staffs and us. (Sweet heart, this place is as close to Africa as I can ever be, okay~!) I love the big white color, round, pounded yam with some sort of chicken and mixed with fish stew/sauce like dish=$13. Get the deep fry/roast? duck/chicken?, well it was 1/2 of a bird (tough to chew but it sure was finger licking greasy good) with a huge plate of couscous and salad=$18, now be gentle on the tiny container salad dressing, taste it first, if you like the flavor, then ask for more. Oh, by the way, something in my food, whatever it was, and it was a tiny spicy, but not as spicy as Tabasco spice. It was a tolerable, good spicy for me. Just a heads up for those of you not into spicy food. Get the huge brown paper wrapped lamb, I didn't have it but I did saw next table of 4 gown men having a good time with it. Hey, open your mind, heart, and soul. I will come back here next time to update after I get the brown paper wrapped lamb. read more