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    Safari Njema Restaurant

    4.5 (278 reviews)
    ModerateAfrican
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Safari Njema Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    SAFARI NJEMA RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Safari Njema Restaurant

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    Puréed veggies, stewed greens, mixed veggies and homemade hot sauce.
    Peter M.

    Excellent home made authentic Kenya cuisine. Service is very personable and welcoming. Ambiance is very basic. Go for the flavors!

    Pictures of some of the dishes
    Lisa L.

    My daughter has always wanted to try Fufu (made from cassava). My daughter loved her mango juice. The kind lady who sat us and took our order walked us through the menu and suggested we each order a different meat (instead of two fish plates) and made everything family style to share. We ordered the fried fish, chicken, fufu, okra, and collard greens. There was a consistent flow of takeout orders, and dining in was relaxed and something you want to have time for. When she Sat the platter (yes, a full-blown platter heaped with food) on the table, her pride in serving and sharing her food was undeniable. It was lovely. The chicken: delicious. Distinct flavor of buttery, caramelized onions - complex yet simple flavor. The fish: the star of the show. We fought over every last morsel. The fish was tender, succulent with an amazing crispy skin. You have to eat around the bones and so promise you it's worth it. Wonderfully seasoned and spiced, with a distinct lemon note. The okra: I've never liked okra before in my life. Until now. The fufu: Lovely accompaniment to all the spices and flavors in the other dishes. The greens: not as heavy as traditional, southern stewed greens, no overpowering pork flavor; these were delicious and paired so well with the meats, fufu, everything. The next time we are in Seattle, we will be back.

    Veggie entree with green banana and salad
    Naomi D.

    Can't believe it's taken me this long to get here! Been wanting to come for a couple years but finally came in and I will definitely be coming back after this first visit. Food is made from scratch by one woman who takes the orders and cooks at the same time so don't expect anything to be fast, just enjoy the ambiance and flavors. Highly recommend the cold ginger drink as it packs a punch! Asked for the wet fry tilapia not knowing what it meant and and I'm so glad I did! I think dry fry would be without the delicious tomato sauce they put on top of the fish which really made the dish for me. The owner/chef is extremely welcoming and kind and you can tell she puts love into this food. Can't wait to come back and try more of the side dishes as they all looked so good. Warning: I came with 3 people and we all got our own entrees and shared. My fish alone was enough for two more meals after so come hungry or order a bit less!

    goat curry with pilau and kachumbari
    Dana T.

    Food is amazing amazing amazing. I always end up getting the fried fish. It comes with two sides that you can choose from, my favorites are the pilau and collard greens. Ugali is fun for a different texture but is pretty flavorless. The goat curry is also a top pick for me! Beware if you're dining in... THE WAIT IS FOREVER! They're always so understaffed, unfortunately. I wish they had more resources. It's such a shame that the food is so amazing but folks probably get pretty turned off by the wait. I think the last time I was in, we ordered at 7:05pm and got our food at 8:00pm. Left around 8:45pm. Was just thinking we should get Aunty Jane and the whole restaurant some front of the house folks, or even on one of those restaurant optimizing Gordon Ramsay shows I want everyoneeeee to come eat here, so make sure you come at an off time so that the wait isn't too long. It's not a bad idea to hop next door to either Flying Lion for a beer or Full Tilt for dessert before dinner :P Truly if the food was just meh and service was like this, I would give this 2 stars. But Safari Njema has 4.5 stars for a reason... their food is damn good.

    Lawrence L.

    Another Columbia City gem. Safari has a decent range of choices, and the chef said she'd make some vegetarian curry for me next time. Delicately seasoned with a decent hot sauce on the side. The collards and spinach (Sukuma) were the highlights. I'm always down for some greens. The mixed veggies were just right. Ugali is a starchy mix not unlike grits or fufu but Kenyan style. Very filling and enough to take home. Not pictured is the cold ginger drink, which is not too sweet and refreshing. The chef is cook and hostess; they do a lot of take out. Friendly and good to chat with which is always a plus. Everything is made fresh, so be prepared and patient. Good things take time :)

    a bowl of stew with meat and vegetables
    Michelle Z.

    Food: AMAZING. Bursting with flavors and spices. Service: Depending on the day, can be normal (10 min); can be slow (15+ min) Order the matoke and the goat side. The goat is so tender. The matoke was really good too. Kind of reminded me of yuca. As for what to avoid ordering, I thought the chicken was kind of dry. Sukuma (collard greens and spinach) was a bit too salty. Came here twice for pickup and dine-in

    Chris S.

    Awesome food had a lot of flavor and tasted fresh. Great service Small restaurant, good for party up to 4.

    Fried fish, homemade fries, chapati, sukuma, pilau, salad, ginger drink

    The food here is amazing. You have to try the fried fish, seriously one of the best things I've ever eaten. The sides are delicious as well. I like the chapati, sukuma mix, and their homemade fries the most but you can't go wrong. You can tell the food is all homemade and made with love. The ginger drink served cold is a must. You can tell the owners take pride in their cooking! If you're looking to try something new, check this place out!

    Samosa (beef and veggie), bhajia - IG @bougiefoodieboi
    Kyle W.

    This is one of the first times I have actually had Kenyan food, and I enjoyed opening my eyes to a lot of unique dishes offered here. My friend and I were fairly hungry so we got some appetizers - beef samosa, veggie samosa, and bhajia, as well as 2 entrees - samaki with pilau and Sukuma mix, and mbuzi with ugali and tz zege. Appetizers: the beef samosa and veggie samosa were great. I love the fact that a lot of cuisines have their take on these samosas. Here, the samosas themselves were not too spicy or salty, but their house spicy sauce that has some ginger in it amplified these samosas. The bhajia is thinly sliced potatoes, which tasted somewhat like fried potatoes / fries, but they were hearty chunks of potato. Entrees The samaki is tilapia, flash fried. We opted for pilau which is a spiced basmati rice and Sukuma mix which is collard greens and spinach. The mbuzi is goat, where we chose ugali (similar to grits) and tz zege (omelette potato) for our sides. We decided that the goat be prepared in curry, which is an additional charge, but it allows us to try both the dry and wet preparations for the respective dishes. The tilapia is very flavorful and crunchy, and they already pre-squeezed the dish with lemon juice (which can be good or bad depending on if you like lemon with the fish). The rice is well spiced and the Sukuma mix is very fresh and nicely salted. The goat curry is also full of spices, though fortunately not really spicy, and pairs well with the ugali as it did not have too much flavor. The tz zege is a very filling side and is of good value as it is one of the pricier sides but it is complimentary as one of the 2 sides when you order the entree. They prepared it to my liking as the eggs are cooked to medium. Service is somewhat mediocre. It is understandable (and I did not dock a star off for this) that food comes out very slowly, about 30 minutes minimum, as there are just 2 workers operating the entire restaurant. However, I'd have liked if they gave the water (it was free, even though they gave water bottles) shortly instead of much later, and if they gave us utensils and plates sooner than later, as we were waiting minimum 15 minutes for it so that we can fully enjoy the appetizers without making a mess. These small touches of service would have made the dining experience much more enjoyable, but regardless, I am a fan of Kenyan food in this restaurant.

    Samaki and chapati

    This was my first African restaurant I ever ate at and is literally my favorite restaurant in Seattle. Ive been coming here for 2 or 3 years now. I actually daydream about the samaki (fish). Chapati is also amazing. I live 2 hours away but will always make the drive for this place. Lovely owner and staff. Cute, authentic, and delicious. 100/10 recommend.

    Fried Fish, rice and mixed greens
    Kimberly T.

    I so enjoyed this new eating experience. This is a Kenyan restaurant in the heart of Columbia City in South Seattle. [disclaimer: without the menu, I can't communicate the Kenyan name for the items on my plate. I apologize in advance for any offense] Atmosphere: friendly and kind to a newbie. It's was an unique experience to be in a restaurant that all of the staff was from the African Diaspora. The conversation and the different languages was so special. Food!!!! Excellent...no complaints. The fried fish was amazing!!!! I just was to eat that with the bread. Wait time: we waited 45 mins for our meal. We were Warner in advance that it takes a long time to be served so we were prepared. But 45 mins is a long time. It was worth the wait - the food was so good and the conversation was great! So warning ...you will be waiting for this good meal. I'll definitely go back.

    The fried tilapia is ahhhhmmmaaaayyyyyzzzzzinnnnnnggggggg.
    Maria R.

    This review is quite late but to this day I still think about that fried tilapia in coconut sauce! You HAVE to try it! I grew up not too far from here and let me tell you, Columbia City is no longer the Columbia City of my childhood. I'm happy to see the plethora of businesses thriving in this area, and next time I may spend an extra hour or two solely in this small complex, which also houses a Full Tilt and Flying Lion Brewing. We came early with a visitor from out of state in tow (there were only a couple of orders in front of us) and ordered to-go so we could have a picnic at Seward Park. Everything was well made and seasoned perfectly from the beef samosas to the greens and veggies to the fish. But the star of the show was the fish, which was crispy, fatty, sweet, and slightly acidic thanks to the lime. Every bite was the perfect bite. We descended on it like vultures after the first taste and picked it clean down to the bones. Of every meal we ate during our guest's visit, this was the best. I can't wait to go back since I missed that they also have dessert. Highly recommend!

    First time having Kenya food. The fish tastes amazing. It's crispy and has a touch of acidity from the lime. It makes me nostalgic. In my hometown, there is a similar fried fish dish. Will definitely come back sometime in the future.

    Goat curry, fries, kachumbari, habanero sauce

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    The food was great, and the service was fantastic such nice people you have to come here!

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    3 years ago

    Huge portions of delicious food! The server was happy to make recommendations for us. Worth a visit!

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    Page 1 of 7

    Ask the Community - Safari Njema Restaurant

    Driving in from California are reservations needed?

    I'm not sure if they take reservations but it does get pretty busy for dinner! Pretty much zero wait if you get there at or a little after 11am or whenever they first open. Enjoy!

    Do you do catering for large-scale events?

    No, we can do a small catering for up to 30 people and you would need to pick up the food.

    Does Safari Njema do delivery?

    We currently do not deliver.

    Do you serve fufu?

    We serve ugali which is the East African equivalent of fufu which is West African.

    Do they sell fufu?

    We serve ugali which is the East African equivalent of fufu which is West African.

    Do you have ugali prepared in the morning so someone could pick it up and take with them? Is it easy to reheat after cold?

    We prepare ugali fresh when it is ordered. This dish is best served hot but can easily be reheated at home. It is best to reheat it within a day of purchasing it and using a Zip-lock bag to warm it up in the microwave.

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    Jollof Hub West African Cuisines - Inside of the savory meat pie (6/9/24)

    Jollof Hub West African Cuisines

    4.4(32 reviews)
    12.7 miBitter Lake

    Food safety should be the number one priority for any food business, and Jollof Hub failed to…read moredemonstrate that. Don't get me wrong, the food tasted amazing, the portion sizes are great, and the price was justified. However, the negatives outweigh the positives for this restaurant. Me and 3 other people came in, and the store was empty. We ordered 3 okra soups, 1 with chicken, 2 with lamb, and 1 jollof rice chicken plate. The first plate took about 40 minutes to come out, which was an egusi soup to which we had not ordered. We still had to wait longer for all of our food to come out. Upon my food arriving, I noticed there was a hair in the Saran Wrap of the fufu, making contact with my food. Because we had already waited so long for our food to come out, I didn't bother to mention it to the worker. Comparing Jollof Hub to Pass D Jollof, this place has better portion sizes and better pricing. It was $26 for okra soup that includes protein and 2 portions of fufu whilst PDJ charges $34 for okra soup, you have to pay extra for protein, and 1 portion of fufu. That said, I don't think I'd come back here due to the food safety issue.

    Rating: 3.5 Stars. Rounding up to support a small business…read more Jollof Hub West African Cuisines in Shoreline is the third west Africa restaurant in our area that we visited. It ranks the third out of the three (sorry). They focus on Gambia, Senegal, and Nigeria. The west Africa region has their own set of spices that are uniquely flavored and so delicious. Their meats are perhaps cut traditionally - coarsely butchered with lots of bones (again, sorry). The interior of the restaurant is modestly decorated with tables that can support a group. The service is very kind though his English is limited; I did more googling afterwards to answer my questions. Business was very slow, not much take-out orders, either. One server covered two tables plus two takeouts during the time we were there on a Saturday night. I hope business picks up. They have their own parking lot with more spaces in the back. The Food: Lamb Afar, with vermicelli, $23.99 - 4 Stars The meat is very well seasoned and tender. It is difficult to sort the meat from the bones. Just be aware this is more of a hands-on dish vs a fork and knife dish. Serving size is so gigantic that hubby didn't finish, which is a rare phenomenon. This may have been a 3.5 Stars dish, but due to the portion, rounded up. Benachin (Jollof rice), $22.99 - 2.5 Stars I asked the server which is his favorite dish, and he named this one. The Jollof rice recipe is commonly the focus and signature of a restaurant or of a household. Both their rice and the meat are drier than I expected. We have had better versions of the Jollof rice elsewhere. I would have preferred more tender meat also. Most of this went home to be modified (which turned out great!). Meat Pies, $7 - 4.5 Stars I have found meat pies at West African and at soul food restaurants. I personally enjoy the seasonings used in the West African versions better. These are impeccably seasoned with a kick and perfectly fried. I preferred this dish over my entrée for sure.

    Photos
    Jollof Hub West African Cuisines - Interior (6/9/24)

    Interior (6/9/24)

    Jollof Hub West African Cuisines - Meat patties

    Meat patties

    Jollof Hub West African Cuisines

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    Bantaba African Restaurant - Delicious!

    Bantaba African Restaurant

    4.3(346 reviews)
    18.4 mi
    $$

    Just updated with pictures of food and front of the restaurant for pictures of some ambiance. The…read moreowners and staff are fantastic. You hear lots of French here from staff and customers interacting.

    I haven't had much West African food in the past so when we were looking for some new food to try…read moreout over the weekend, we came across Bantaba. As other reviews state, this is kind of a strange restaurant that seems more like it's for regulars rather than new customers. There's no actual printed menu other than hints of a menu on the signboard above the register (and we confirmed this with the cashier). I guess this is to save on cost, which coincidentally also allows them to adjust pricing on the fly? There are photos posted of the menu from 2024, but my guess is those are of an old pre-COVID menu, given that the prices increased over 50% at this point. Per other reviews, dine-in orders are also packaged in takeout boxes and can take a variable amount of time to cook. We don't usually get takeout much, but decided to call in an order for this visit. This was at around 5PM on Saturday and we were promised a 30 minute wait. We arrived 30 minutes later, paid for the order, and it ended up taking about another 10 minutes. Not too bad. Benechin Beef ($18.99) - As I learned, benechin is essentially a different term for the more commonly known (at least in the US) jollof rice. In this case, the rice has a deep tomato and spiced umami that combines a pleasant saltiness with a heat level that builds and builds. It's topped with a small side of cabbage that seems to be stewed in the same spices as the rice. There's then a piece of yucca root, stewed but still rather toothsome with fiber strands all in one direction like muscle grains. For the beef, they include four pieces of thinly sliced barbecued meat. The meat is extremely flavorful with what seems to be a black pepper and allium based spice mixture. In terms of texture, it's quite tough and chewy, almost to the level of beef jerky. (4/5) Afra Lamb ($20.99) - This dish comes with a choice of rice or salad, not both as the older menu states. We went with the rice which comes in a smaller container and is a long grain rice cooked until perfectly fluffy. It's cooked with salt, which is something that I'm not used to. The larger container includes a mound of bone-in lamb meat doused in a savory and tangy mustard based sauce. The meat is a very interesting mixture of off-cuts, a combination of cross-cut ribs, shanks, lamb chops, and some random other cuts. The lamb is mostly bone in and there are tons of small bone shards all over the meat, making it a bit of a pain to eat. The meat isn't very gamey and all and is much more tender as compared to the beef jerky in the benechin. On top of the lamb, they include mustard infused softened onions and whole quick-charred onion rings, resulting in a still crunchy texture. They include some powdered dried chilis is a small pile hidden under the onions. Be careful - it's starts out smoky like paprika to start and the heat only starts to build after a couple of seconds. (4/5) Bantaba is a great place to try some new food. While it's not the most beginner friendly restaurant, it offers some flavors and dishes that are hard to find around Seattle. Bathrooms - Single unisex room

    Photos
    Bantaba African Restaurant - Interior

    Interior

    Bantaba African Restaurant - Benechin with lamb

    Benechin with lamb

    Bantaba African Restaurant - Seating

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    Seating

    Dijah’s Kitchen - Lamb dibi

    Dijah’s Kitchen

    4.2(54 reviews)
    20.5 mi

    Dijah's Kitchen in Lynnwood is our fourth West African restaurant. We continue to enjoy this…read moreregion's seasonings and flavors and find tonight's food delicious and enjoyable. By now, we are minor 'pros' and know to bring some patience to West African restaurants. Entrees generally take about 30 minutes. To fill the gap, we order an appetizer. Service was "shy". The server approached cautiously always with a big smile. English was good enough but don't expect deep detail replies. Luckily, we are familiar with the food. The restaurant is modest in décor and narrow in shape. A cluster of tables in the back can sit a large group. The Food: Shrimp Pies, $8.99 - 5 Stars This is the only restaurant out of four that offers a shrimp version of the meat pie. Perfectly fried, these were really good! The server said this is his favorite amongst the pies. Lamb Dibi, $21.99 - 4.5 Stars Well-seasoned lamb pieces are well grilled. It comes with a choice of starch; the plantain was great. A surprising delight is the dressing on the onions. Yummy. Grilled Branzino, $25 - 4.5 Stars Not for the faint of heart, this is a whole fish grilled. Honestly, I think the rest of world eats whole fish while US and Canada eat filets only. They made sure to give us the two inches of tail that had broken off. I have to admit I was amused. Perfectly cooked, hubby picked this fish clean. The sweet potato fries are also very good. Jollof Rice with Chicken, $18 - 5 Stars Ever since I learned jollof rice is every family's own recipe from our first W. African restaurant, I have ordered it from all others to try each variant. The Dijah version has a good chewy rice that is superbly well seasoned. The chicken is also very well prepared and flavored. Theirs might be my new favorite. I ordered it to go and sampled a bit at the restaurant. The 5 Stars overall rating is focused on the food. Don't expect fine dining 'ambiance'.

    Just ordered the grilled fish. It was great. I got it with vermicelli. The onion and sauce was…read morequality. Ordered meat pie and the sweet potato fries. Good stuff all around. I'll be back.

    Photos
    Dijah’s Kitchen - Inside the Restaurant

    Inside the Restaurant

    Dijah’s Kitchen
    Dijah’s Kitchen - Menu

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    Menu

    Safari Njema Restaurant - african - Updated May 2026

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