Love this place! Great spot for senegalese food, the space is pretty lowkey but they've dressed it up nice. Staff are super friendly as well. I've tried the chicken pastel, cebbu yap, and thiebou djene. The cebbu yap is probably my favorite so far, but everything is delicious. The rice is super flavorful, the sauce is rich. Hope to be back soon! read more

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I always like trying new cuisines so was excited to try Senegalese food for the first time at this restaurant in 2019. The restaurant has a very casual interior. I liked the Senegalese art and design. Not a lot of ambience otherwise. I love that there are a lot of vegetarian options on the menu. The owner was friendly and went to cook my dish up fresh. Typically, I love peanut sauce in different cuisines. Unfortunately, I wasn't a fan of this dish. It had a lot of peanut butter and I didn't taste many spices. I would have likes more veggies. The rice was plain white rice. I wish I could have tried other things on the menu that I may have liked more. read more

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Okay first off..... WOW. I will be the first to admit I didn't think I'd like this food.. and boy was I wrong. Badou Senegalese was the only option for food during the Jauz Block Party event this weekend at Plumbers Hall in the west loop. We weren't sure if this is what we were in the mood for, but we were starving. I'm SO glad we gave this place a shot!! To split, me and my friend ordered the Jerk Chicken, Plantains, and some fried goodness that included a veggie Boulette and a meat filled Pastel. OMG. We devoured this plate.. everything was so flavorful. The jerk chicken.. now my friend does not like spicy foods but she also could not stop eating this! The plantains were a little cold but we were eating this supppper late, and they were still tasty. The boulette... was incredible. This may sound weird but I kept saying it tasted like minestrone soup, but in fried ball form. The description might not be great, but the meal was. Overall... I will definitely not be skipping out next time I see this place at an event. If I'm in the area too I will definitely be stopping in to try some more items! read more

Badou Senegalese Cuisine - Stand at the Jauz Block Party - Plumbers Hall, West Loop - Senegalese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

food was so flavorful and tasty! chicken off the bone was very tender and hot. spices were perfect read more

Badou Senegalese Cuisine - chicken stew - Senegalese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I have become a Badou Senegalese Cuisine disciple. I have been hooked on the barbecue jerk chicken which is grilled and slightly spicy along with the veggie and chicken pastels. The pastels are crunchy, light and flaky. I used Badou for many of my events where the participants have never tried Senegalese food before and now they have become Badou groupies read more

Badou's food is amazing. Curry veg soup blew my mind. My wife's salmon dish was great. Dishes are great size and beautifully served. Don't sleep on this place! He's also a great man! read more

Amazing food, I had the mafe peanut stew and it was fantastic, the chicken and carrots were perfectly tender, and the peanut sauce was great. Service was lovely; we ended up staying past closing without realizing it, and the staff didn't try to make us leave or anything. I loved the vibe and the music they played. The biggest disappointment was how few people were in the restaurant! With how good the food was, I think it should have been packed. read more

Absolutely Exquisite, Perfectly seasoned, the aroma of what God Eats for dinner . it's rare that I fine food , where EVERY dish is Perfect. kudos to the chef. the Food was excellent when it was hot. the leftovers were Excellent cold. sincerely if you don't get some of every dish .... you're missing out. read more

I got to try their food at the Taste of Chicago. First off, they're such lovely ladies. So kind and funny. But the food was amazing! The keel chicken was tasty and not too salty. The jollof rice was full of flavor and the veggies were tender. If I didn't have any self control, I would've faded blanched into it. Well done! read more

I had a chance to try the pastel through Taste of Chicago and I'm so glad I stopped by. It easily won the best thing I had that evening and I'd love to come by and try other dishes here. The chicken pastel had a delightful crunch and the chicken was also savory and well seasoned and somehow still so moist despite it being almost close time of the event that day. read more

Badou Senegalese Cuisine - Senegalese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This was an excellent experience! I loved everything we had, but particularly the vegan mafe, yassa, and pastel. There were tons of vegetarian options and they were all good. The service was great as well. He pulled up a chair and helped us choose what to order, and then the food just kept coming. Great value for money as well! 10/10 recommend and I will be going back. read more

Don't let the modest appearance mislead you, what Badou lacks in the appointments associated with fine dining, they make up with incredible food plus attentive & genuine hospitality. Senegalese cuisine is definitely something worth exploring (West African, in general), especially their Mafe/peanut stew plus a variety of other dishes. Since much of it may be unfamiliar, just let them take you on a journey. For example, we had a large group and they put together a great progression of options including vegetable, fish, poultry and beef-based preparations, and we enjoyed everything (and still had food to take home). read more

This place was such a pleasant surprise. Food was 10/10, staff was precious and price was right. The owner was out sick so his wife was in the kitchen, so things were a little slower than usual. But she apologized and gave us a heads up as we came in - so expectations were set. That alone was better service than most restaurants I've been to. Got the chicken and peas and a few other menu staples - plates were licked CLEAN after. We've been back a few times since - this place has a permanent place on our restaurant rotation forever. read more

Takeaway: Strong flavors, perfectly cooked meat, and reasonable prices combine for an incredible dining experience Context: Dined in for dinner with a friend. I effectively have no experience with West African food and especially with Senegalese cuisine What I Got: Pataya (8.5/10) Perfectly flaky (and so hot) pastry dough filled with spiced chicken, tomatoes, and onions. The stand-out part of this dish, which reminds me a lot of an empanada, is just how great the crust / dough is. You can tell it was freshly baked (fried?) and that made a massive difference. The filling was also great - despite it being a more "wet" mix due to the tomatoes, it held up really well, likely due to it being freshly made. I would go back just to eat more of these. Diby Yaap (8.5/10) Spiced grilled lamb, onions, & carrots over saffron rice. Everything was basically seasoned perfectly here and want to call out the lamb specifically for also being just the right amount of tender. Saffron rice was great with the rice at an ideal texture - not too mushy and not too hard. This was the spiciest dish we got, but definitely not anything crazy. My only complaint is that I wish there was more of it! Jerk Chicken with Jollof Rice (7.5/10) Jerk chicken paired with jollof rice, plantains, cabbage, & carrots. My favorite part of this dish were the vegetables - the plantains, carrots, and especially the cabbage could be a standalone dish - as with everything else, perfectly seasoned and cooked. My main complaint, if you'd call it that, here was with the jerk chicken. Don't get me wrong, it was still great and cooked / seasoned well, but maybe pales a bit in comparison both to the other dishes I tried as well as some of the more dedicated Jamaican restaurants in town. read more

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Such great food, really enjoyed the boulettes, pastels (pastry was so crispy ), followed by yasa and mafe chicken. So flavourful!

Everything was fresh cooked and made with love and joy! You could taste every drop of care through each bite. If you love fresh fish, veggies and fufu, you will be in heaven. The sauce, splashed with fresh lemon enhanced the flavor of the jollof rice and side veggies. I was so satisfied and full. We will be visiting again! read more

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We cannot say enough great things about the service and food. I learned about Badou through a Timeout Chicago article promoting different NYE restaurants to order from. The restaurant reviews were great and I was very interested in trying Senegalese food for the first time. After seeing I could order online, we placed an order for four items. Long story short, when we arrived to pick up the order this evening, the restaurant appeared closed. It turned out the 3rd party ordering system hadn't updated the restaurant's hours for the day and they were in fact closed, HOWEVER with the help of the small business owner next to the restaurant, they contacted the owners of the restaurant and then the owners of Badou said they would complete our order!!! What?! It was over and beyond! I was shocked and extremely appreciative, but I also shared with them it wasn't necessary if they were closed. They insisted they would make the food for us if we were okay waiting just 30 minutes. We waited 30 minutes with no problem and then they called when it was ready. I later learned they had a big catering job that evening/tonight and so was even more grateful and surprised that they were willing to fulfill our order. The food did NOT disappoint and was the perfect way to end 2021 and say hello to 2022! I will 100% be revisiting Badou, and will just make sure I call the restaurant in the future to confirm our online order came through. ALSO, the online ordering company they use is very helpful. The online ordering company was quick to respond when I emailed to see what happened with our order. They originally refunded our credit card, but once we received our food, I emailed them back to ensure that our credit card was recharged. I will also call tomorrow to make sure that the restaurant did in fact get paid for our food order. 5 stars all the way! read more

Badou Senegalese Cuisine - We ordered four items (all AMAZING): Diby Yaap, Ndamme, Yassa Guinar, Fataya - Senegalese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The owner Badou was super welcoming and friendly. The "mafe," sweet potatoes in peanut butter sauce, and the tilapia dishes were wonderful. Badou showed us Senegalese recipe books and took time to explain what makes his recipe's unique. read more

Food was great! Especially the chicken pastel! So crispy, love that the crust was so thin. The fou fou was fantastic, so flavorful. Would definitely co read more

I had an absolutely wonderful experience. My selection was absolutely wonderful. I had the grilled lamb with caramelized onions, grilled yellow, and red peppers over saffron rice. The restaurant has a wide selection of fresh juices. I selected the ginger juice with a hint of pineapple. The service was exceptional. It's a family owned business and the owner and his wife are so hospitable. It's like being in their home. The ambience was very traditional Senegalese setting. With Senegalese artwork, sounds of 70's Senegalese music, and all the feelings, sounds and sights of being on the continent of Africa. read more

Badou Senegalese Cuisine - Grilled Lamb - Senegalese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

"We should definitely go back again...soon!" It is THAT good, folks! The people, customer service, and food exceeded our expectations. To us, it was just another workday when we didn't feel like cooking so we decided to try out a different place. This place made our day. Easy peasy online ordering. The food was prepared swiftly and they were so delicious! We fully recommend trying out this place, if you haven't. Most of all, the owners were so warmth and kind to us. They even gave us a freshly made ginger drink for free. As ginger drink enthusiasts, we were obsessed with how fabulous it was. We would definitely go back again...soon! read more

Badou Senegalese Cuisine - Senegalese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It was all very good. You may have to stick your head around the window inside and let them know you're there, but the chef is friendly and the food is delicious. We had the Mafe Peanut Stew, it's like peanut butter chicken, and it was very good. The Thiou Curry Chicken (I chose beef actually) was so interesting, just a little spicy, and very very good! The chicken Pastel (handpie) had a very good flavor but deep fried and too heavy for me personally. I want to go back and try the other entrees! read more

First time trying Senegalese cuisine and wow - I don't think I've have anything quite like it before. Badou is a small blue shop in a small strip mall (yay free parking!). These are my favorite kinds of places - unassuming and in a strip mall (is my Southern California showing yet? ha.) We had the: *Mafe Entree (Chicken or vegetables cooked in rich creamy peanut butter sauce) - YUM. That rich creamy peanut butter sauce!! I was telling my dining companions that it reminded me of Taiwanese Cold Noodle (tahini/peanut butter is used as the sauce). *Thiebou Djen Entree (Djolof rice, senegalese national dish with fish fillet) - this dish had a wonderful unexpected tomato overtone, which created a comforting heartiness. The fish did seem a little salty at first, but once paired with the veggies/rice, it was perfect. The djolof rice kind of reminds me of cous cous/another more short grain, more al dente rice. Yum. Our server didn't ask us heat level for either dishes but I liked the heat. I probably could've even used a little more heat. She also wasn't really sure about the Yelp check-in free appetizer, but it's fine. I also was entertained by the "open kitchen" concept because the first thing you see is two stacked microwaves. I'm not sure what they're microwaving back there, but I don't really mind because the food didn't taste not fresh or microwaved. 95/365 read more

The food is hit or miss. I ordered delivery from this location, and it was still warm when I got it, which was nice. The fataya appetizer was delicious, flakey pastery and very flavorful beef filling. The entree that I got, fufu, on the otherhand was very bland and watery. I was surprised and disappointed because this was the item that I was msot excited to try. I also got their beef stew, which was delivious as well. read more

Food was amazing and the owners are very friendly and accommodating. Great place to go!

I had many Senegalese foods in CHciaog, but by far Badou is the best of all He is a chef who makes food with love and is the kindest person you can meet. He puts the flavor in all Senegalese dishes and is welcoming, I love his food, and the vegetarian this is great. Go to Howard street and eat at Badou. read more

I have eaten here several times and always get excited to something I haven't had yet. Had the classics jerk chicken, peanut butter stew, fataya and others. There's many other chicken dishes, lamb and fish. And a surprisingly varied vegetarian menu as well. Intending to try it all. Badou and his wife Paula are committed to best culinary experience possible, and are genuine and welcoming. The decor seems Senegalese to me. Very low key, to the point where I was surprised at just how good the food is! Also, be prepared to be a little patient. They are preparing to order and the food comes out hot and fresh. I go often. read more

Hands down one of the best experiences we have had!! They recommended every dish and every dish was better than the last! So many different flavors, everything cooked to perfection, I 100% recommend this place! I will be back!! read more

I love trying new cuisines and am proud to have earned my Senegalese badge! First, the food here is good and honest. And what I mean by that is you can taste the love that goes into each dish. It's a small dining room (maybe 5 or 6 tables) and there were only 2 people working on the day I went. I ordered the Thiebou djen jolof rice, the national dish, as well as the Mafe, Peanut Butter Stew. The Thiebou djen was a delicious fish dish that I highly recommend over the Mafe if you're only getting one thing. The fish was pan fried, served over rice and topped with a thick tomato paste. It tasted homey and even though I've never had it before, it tasted like familiar. The mafe was good and did remind me of a Taiwanese dish, as someone mentioned earlier. I looked the owner in the eyes and asked him to make it as spicy as he could because I heard this place was ridiculously spicy. It wasn't, although it had a kick to it. It tasted like he used a habanero blend. It was good, but it was an incredibly thick sauce. Great, but the fish dish was awesome. I will say that if you're in a hurry that this probably isn't the place for you. There were only 2 other people there and it took them a bit longer than an hour to get my food out. I plan on coming back of course because the food was not only delicious but the owner was extremely kind. I might call it in though next time. read more

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Quite possibly the best jerk chicken in Chicago! The food was so freshly made and the staff were so, so warm. We loved the jollof rice with jerk chicken--definitely a standout. The boulette and pastel were perfectly fried. I'm excited to try more from this little restaurant. read more

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We had our monthly dinner club at Badou last night. I stopped in earlier in the week to be sure he could accommodate a party of 10. Yesterday Badara called me to confirm and asked about any dietary restrictions. When we arrived, the tables were already set up and ready for us. Plus he had already planned out the menu for us and we were treated to some very delicious, Senegalese cuisine. Very nice people and a great dinner! read more

Really good, authentic Senegalese food! That is hard to find in the Chicago area, but Badou has it in spades. I don't tell my moms, because she was slap me silly, but it's better than what she makes. There. I said it! read more

Badou Senegalese Cuisine - Miles Morales. - Senegalese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Absolutely in love with Badou! All the flavors are outstanding and unique. Great portions on delicious stews. We're determined to eventually try everything on the menu, haha. Also, their pineapple ginger juice is one of the tastiest beverages I've ever had. One time we had to wait a little longer than expected so they gave us some for free. So sweet! Highly recommend to try some epic food and support small local businesses :-) read more

Delicious African food. I had the chicken curry & rice. It was very good and fresh. You can vary the spice, mild or spicier. We also tried the chicken & vegetable pastels (like empanadas) dough was very light they were delicious. Can't wait to go back. read more

I had been itching to try this place because my former roommate had gotten food from them numerous times at 3 in the morning. Today I finally got my chance, and ordered the Fataya (beef pastry) appetizer, Chicken Coconut Soup, Mafe lamb (peanut butter stew), and some Jollof Rice on the side. The Beef Pastry was Phenomenal, it was deep fried, crispy, hot, and full of flavor and filling and sauce. However, that's the only thing I had that I really liked. The chicken coconut soup just tasted like regular chicken soup with a hint of basil/thyme - not anything super special. The jollof rice was unfortunately really bad - it had no detectable tomato flavor, or flavor whatsoever. The Mafe I didn't end up liking much, but maybe that's my fault because I thought Peanut Butter stew would taste more like Peanut Sauce than Peanut Butter. I didn't know to take it that literally. I'd definitely come back for the Pastels only (for a snack), although I'm inclined to give them a second chance with other dishes like the Senegalese Fish. In terms of food I'd give 3 stars, but I did like the service much more than the food. Badou's wife gave me a metal spoon bc she didn't have any plastic ones - I felt bad for taking it but she insisted they had plenty and she does it a lot. Apparently Badou himself is in Africa atm so they haven't had time to redecorate the restaurant after moving locations in the past year. read more

Locally owned, family owned, Senegalese Owned. AMAZING food Deep rooted family vibes and wonderful service always. What more can you ask for? Try EVERYTHING. read more

Highly recommend Badou! Everything we got was absolutely delicious! We tried many things off the menu, the Thieboudienne and Jerk chicken were especially phenomenal. They also have a wide array of vegan/vegetarian options that tasted great. We got the Mafe and pastels and some of the lentils/soup dishes. A low key dish that was one of our absolute favorites was the veggie soup. Don't sleep on this pick, the broth was so wonderfully spiced and warming it almost brought tears to our eyes! Extremely friendly ownership that truly cares about their food. read more

Excellent service and wholesome food: we ordered what was recommended by our hostess/server : fried plantains, pastels, grilled lamb w saffron rice and Yassa chicken! So tasty! Highly recommend! read more

A few weeks ago while going into Evanston, I saw Badou Senegalese Cuisine and thought to myself to make a calendar entry for a visit. After time had passed, I wanted something different to write about in my food blog and Badou Senegalese Cusine came to mind. Bissap. Cury soup. Fataya. Cebbu Djen. One drink I always hanker for during Christmas is sorrel, something that is very popular in Jamaica. I was quite happy to see that there was bissap on the menu, a drink made with hibiscus leaves just like sorrel. And it was just as refreshing. The curry soup was spicy, as I requested, and I swear this would be an idea autumn and winter soup. The fataya were also spicy the way I ordered them and if it were not for me going to a friend's home after leaving the restaurant, I would have ordered some for take-away. The cebbu djen was outstanding. The fish was meaty and seasoned well. Yes, it, too, was spicy. The djolof rice, cabbage, whole carrot, and eggplant would have made a rather tasty vegetarian dish without the fish. For those who like their food to arrive at the table within minutes of ordering, you may not be a happy customer. Clearly food is prepared to order and I like that because I'm assured that it's not being warmed up quickly in a microwave. There is something good about having food prepared to order. Then again, being Jamaican and Ghanaian, I am accustomed to food being served that way. I need to go back in the future to sample some of the other dishes. read more

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We traveled here from Milwaukee a few weeks ago looking to try something new and really enjoyed our experience here. The food was delicious! For our order we shared plantains, peanut butter Mafe , and the fish dish. Everything we ordered was full of flavor and was exactly what we were looking for. It was our first time trying Senegalese food and Paula was really kind and took time to explain some of the dishes which we really appreciated. Since we were there towards closing we even got to meet the owner & Chef Badou who came out and said hello. loved the food and enjoyed meeting Paula & Badou! Will definitely be back! The food was so good that we forgot to snap a pic lol. read more