My vegan husband and I love this place! I get the jerk chicken or lamb shank with jollof, and collard greens and it never disappoints! I think my vegan gets the okra stew. They have a lot of delicious vegan options for him. read more

Amazing food with beyond generous portions for incredibly reasonable prices. Bala's has the best African cuisine in Memphis. If that's not enough, the decorations and ambiance are second to none and the staff are kind and gracious. read more

I've visited three times. Food is always hot and delicious! I always get the same thing. The egusu soup ( w/o the fufu) jerk chicken and on my last visit I tried the black eyed peas and the greens. Vegan portion was tasty and I love the plantains!! Cashier is always friendly as well as the cooks when I've seen them come from the back. Out of my three visits I dined in once and the table was really sticky. Other than that I'll most def come again. read more

y 1st time experiencing authentic African cuisine, and I was a little nervous. I had YouTube and google everything on Egusi and I wanted to try it so bad. After careful research, Memphis had a location and I drove and ordered. The lady was so helpful and gave me plenty of information about the soup. The establishment was welcoming, clean and the aroma of the food cooking, smell so nice. I was in heaven. I will try everything on the menu for sure. Furthermore, I had a great experience!!! read more

Bala's Bistro - Egusi Soup - African Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Exceptional! The vegan selections are out of this world and the quality was fabulous. Authentic African food and beverages and that may scare off people because it may be perceived as too different but it is soooooooo good. The neighborhood is run down and the building is a little rough but we can't recommend this place more. read more

Holy smokes. So we got to Bala right at 11:00 am and had beef kabobs, a burger and some beignets as an appetizer. Everything was really good. Nice sear on beef kabobs, handout fries with burger. Beignets tastes similar to Cafe DuMonde. My wife had a okra stew with shrimp, crawfish and salmon that was superb. Bala got it!! read more

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I was looking to switch up eating the same type of cuisine so I ran across this restaurant. Saw that it received great reviews, so I gave it a try. I must say that it was very very tasty and the food was made to order. I ordered the oxtails with jollof rice and plantains. I haven't eaten much African cuisine but I'd imagine this place tops the cake. The prices are a bit high but the quality and taste of the food makes it worth it. I'll definitely be returning! read more

Bala's Bistro - African Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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This was my very first time trying African food, and it was so good!! We ordered from the buffet, and the woman that prepared our plates was so nice. There was a young lady cashier, and she was a sweetheart as well. The food was so flavorful, I could not believe it!!! I had the Egusi soup, fufu, Lamb saka saka, and fried plantains. I cannot wait to come back!! I would give them 10 stars if I could!! Oh, I almost forgot, try their homemade drinks! I had the hibiscus drink mixed with the ginger drink. Very delicious! read more

Bala's Bistro - African Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

This place should be on Yelp's "hot and new" list! There isn't an African restaurant that caters to other African countries. Outside of Ethiopian there is mostly African/Mediterranean style eateries. Bala's Bistro is a very unassuming spot near the corner of Raines and Airways. If you turn the corner too fast, you'll almost pass it. It's a basic little restaurant; clean and the counter helpers are lively. This is my second time eating from Bala's. I've not ever dined in, but I will at some point. The place is open from 4pm-10pm. This is awesome because any eatery with real, cooked food is already closed or is near closing at 8. So if you decide at 8:30pm that you want African food, you can get it. They also serve simple American food as well(wings, burgers, catfish). This is a good balance because of the demographics. It serves the people in the community and one day they may actually come in and try African food instead of ordering wings! I know the place is going to expand and include foods from other African countries. It will be welcomed. All the food was good. The first time I had the okra stew with seafood(basically seafood gumbo) with fufu. Their fufu is made from plantain instead of yam, so I wasn't expecting the taste, but with paired well. My mate had the lamb stew and saffron rice. He really liked it and was impressed with portion size. This time I had what is in the photo. The spinach was a little salty, but with the sides I had, it balanced out. The hibiscus drink and the ginger drink are good, but too sweet. I wonder if the person who makes the drinks also cooks the spinach! This is a pretty long review. I feel lazy now, so forgive any typos. There are bound to be a couple. read more

Bala's Bistro - Oxtails with veggies. Fried sweet plantain. Saffron rice. Spinach/Cassava leaf with smoked fish in palm oil. Not shown: Ginger drink. - African Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

This is my happy place. So damn good all the time. Wish he had 4-5 locations. Wide variety of items. All made fresh in house. Just delicious

When I tell you do NOT sleep on this spot, heed the message! The food is wonderfully seasoned and packed with flavor. I enjoy lamb and oxtails and they do both dishes very well. The jollof rice is nice as well. They also make various juices that are the surprise you didn't know you wanted. Tumeric Ginger, Hibiscus and Baobab juices are amazing! Please check them out ASAP! You will not regret it, trust! read more

Bala's Bistro - Tumeric Ginger juice, oh my my my this is so good! - African Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Absolutely a hidden gem! Do not let the quaint restaurant's size deceive you...this is gourmet food at its best! So far everything recommended & tried was absolutely delicious & even took home an order and their homemade ginger drinks! I look forward to ordering from them for catering in the not too distant future when we have in person meetings once again! read more

The food was great!! Meat was tender and well-seasoned. Drink was great. I went back for more less than a week later.

This was the most flavorful meal I've had in a long time. Jerk chicken fell off the bone and came with an incredible sauce on the side. Spinach and lamb stew mmmm. And the fried plantains were so yummy. read more

Great food..... just speechless.. can't wait to bring my family. The service was amazing and on time. The scenery is welcoming. I'm sure they're gonna love it read more

Bala's Bistro - Jollof Rice Saka Saka Chicken Plantain Fufu HOUSE TURMERIC GINGER JUICE - African Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

I went during downtown diner week and the food was excellent. I will certainly be back.

Amazing vegan options and the flavor is immaculately consistent.. wish I had a photo but just go and see for yourself.. vegan or not!

I had egusi soup with the plantain fufu dee freaking lish will def be going back for more in the near future.

The oxtail and beef Pattie's are my go to but everything from the service to the ambiance is on point. Cannot recommend enough.

Y'all! If you've been thinking about coming here, please come! All the food came out piping hot and super fresh. The owner also let us try everything before we ordered. Bussin!!!!! I mean good! The service was very good and the people friendly! So good! Did I already say it was GOOD?! read more

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Went for the lunch buffet today last week with a friend from West Africa. Everything was freshly prepared. Everything we tried was seasoned perfectly and not salty. read more

Never had it before. Got it from my mom and when I tell you it was on point!!!!!!!!! I got jerk chicken Pattie's and the jollof rice. I'll definitely be back to try some other dishes. I also tried the turmeric and ginger drink, delicious read more

The food was outstanding, it was so good I forgot to take a picture. I had Curry Chicken over Jasmine rice, Greens and Cornbread, the curry was delicious, the greens OMG!!!!!, the service was absolutely great and portion size was good for the price, I definitely will return again and again. read more

My husband and I have been wanting to visit this restaurant for a long time but had not until now because we are just now starting to eat out instead of takeout. I'm so glad we finally tried it. The food was amazingly delicious. Everything we had was really good. Huge portions that we had to take home. We started with the fried beef patties called fatayas. Yum! My husband had the bone in lamb with the mixed vegetables as a side. I have no idea what they season their vegetables with but it was the best I've ever eaten. I ordered the braised oxtails with jollof rice as a side. Fall off the bone tender and delicious. Then they gave us an order of beignets on the house. Also the service was super friendly. The location is kind of out of the way for us but we definitely will be back. read more

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Came here on recommendation and it didn't disappoint. It exceeded my expectations with house made hot sauces, and house made drinks that you don't necessarily see in many restaurants . They have vegan food, hot wings, burgers, and an African buffet (which is what I came for). I got the buffet and everything is labeled. You just point to each item you want and someone will pack it into a circular tin to go box that you can eat from in the restaurant. I grabbed a house made hibiscus or Jamaica bottle along with my buffet box of 4 items (fried plantains, fufu (like mashed potatoes but with plantain), lamb spinach, yellow rice, and cabbage-carrots) along with a slice of house made vegan chocolate cake and vegan strawberry cheesecake To go). The drinks and desserts are in mini fridges for you to grab. I loved everything that I ordered but my favorite convo was the lamb spinach with the fufu. The fufu is bland but it is perfect for all of the seasoned items so definitely eat a spoonful of fufu with the lamb spinach. The other item I will always order in my coming visits will be the fried plantain. Everyone working there was really nice. Although this was further than I normally travel to for food, it was definitely worth it and I 100 percent recommend it. It was all reasonably priced. In fact my bill was only $20 something dollars which was quite surprising considering the variety they had and everything being made in-house. The only criticism I have is that some of the buffet items were salty which is why I recommend eating a bite of entree with a spoonful of the fufu. However I totally recommend this place. read more

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Don't let the outside or area of town turn you off, this place is amazing and worth trusting my words! Staff was super friendly and helpful. Everything we ordered was super delicious! We started with the appetizer sized lamb stew. An amazing stew with large chunks of tender lamb meat still on the bone. Great tomato base, loaded with veggies. I had the catfish dinner with fried okra and seasoned fries. The catfish is some of the best I have found in the area, and there are a lot of places selling sub-par catfish. Not this place... proper amount of breading, great seasoning, and really fresh. The fried okra are whole okra, battered and fried like the normal okra you're used to. I've never had okra that's not been chopped into small bites, but this works really well. Seasoned fries were good as well. The wife had the grilled bone-in lamb steak with jasmine rice and fried okra. The cost is well worth it, there is more than $15 worth of lamb - she had leftovers even after sharing with me. Seasoned well, juicy and cooked to perfection. Give this place a try! read more

I was lucky enough to have them prepare Oxtail Stew as the special today. They were excellent! The jerk chicken was also perfectly spiced and cooked thoroughly while remaining juicy. Their beef rice had a floral flavor that was outstanding. They also prepare their own digestive agent drinks with mixtures of ginger, tamarind, and turmeric. Treat yourself to a delicious meal and come here. Staff was friendly and professional, very informative. read more

I was managing 23 kids while writing my last review and realized my post was full of typos! We had an amazing time and loved Chef Bala, Aïcha, Marry and Mady!! It's a wonderful family business that really gives back to the community! read more

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The side portions could feed a small family, everyone enjoyed their meal....my Snapper was seasoned well, my plantains were very yummy...the grilled corn was delicious and, of course, the beignets made me feel at home(I MISS NOLA). A nice surprise for an impromptu night out with friends....and lastly, Mary was very nice, knowing it was my first time there, she allowed me to sample their beverages...I chose the hibiscus punch, it was delicious read more

Bala's Bistro - Grilled Red Snapper.plantains.Jollof Rice.lamb stew.chicken and shrimp pasta.catfish and fries.grilled corn.fried okra....Beignets - African Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

The food from Bala Bistro is Amazing!!! The freshness of the menu items is unparalleled. OMG the seasoning is perfect!! The flavorful food makes a party in your mouth. The portions are plentiful. I absolutely love every item that I have tried. I especially like the Braised Lamb, Lamb stew, and Lamb curry. I was literally eye rolling and groaning with every bite. The house made juices are delicious as well and the perfect compliment to the tasty food. This food literally gives me life. If you want authentic fresh West African cuisine Bala Bistro is the place to go. read more

This was delicious! They make natural drinks too. Friendly service we got the zaman lamb and the hollow rice. Loved the hibiscus, tamarind and ginger slushies. Super good! read more

Good place to eat. It's new. Hopefully it will get better and better! Grilled Lamb chops - too rubbery but great flavor. Fufu - good Veggies - good Ginger drink - good but too sweet Hibiscus drink - good but too sweet Wings - good Chocolate cake - good Atmosphere- Excellent!! read more

Amazing customer service, phenomenal vegan options (yes more than just one option, they have 8 vegan mea options). The juice is amazing & I can't wait to try more options later! read more

I didn't like the food at all. I tried two plates. It was weighed and over priced in my opinion. The lamb was a bunch of bones and meat was hard like it was over cooked. The rice had no flavor to me. I spent $35 for 2 plates and couldn't eat it. I would not recommend this place personally. I tried the fufu, rice, soup, lamb, and plantains. All I liked were the plantains. read more

Authentic African Soul Food that melts in your mouth big your hand but the way to enjoy the foofoo and the egusi soup is to eat it with no cutlery but your hand and don't forget to add some okra sea food is so yummy Don't thrust but you will thank me later read more

Bala's Bistro has been my favorite place since finding out about it two years ago. Whenever someone ask me for a new and exciting place to try I always take them here or order it in for us. Bala specialize in Senegalese food & adds an American twist to his menu. My personal favorite is the seafood stew & house salad add chicken. I'm a bit of a stale eater sometimes but whenever I'm looking to add spice to my diet I always order form here. Friendly staff and friendly owner- it's always a good thing when you see the owner inside of the establishment cooking your food hisself or watching over his staff at all times. A very hands on man. My son is half Senegalese so I try to incorporate food from there into his diet despite us living in MS/Memphis. He enjoyed the seafood stew a lot (and he's only one). Great prices, fast service and if you choose to sit in amazing music. read more

I ordered lamb Dibi. It was horrible. It was described s smoked yet it was fried. It was the texture of jerky. And it had no seasoning. read more

Bala's Bistro - African Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Just came from the restaurant. Ordered lunch To-go. Everything was !! Oxtails Jollof plantains they even "Beigneted" me.... . Thank you. Great customer service. I'll be back (with friends)! read more

Absolutely delicious! Excellent, friendly staff and service was speedy and thorough. The ambience is welcoming!

Very tasty! Had the lamb plate, and vegan plate - so tasty! Fed my family of 4! The staff were so kind. Highly recommend. Do yourself a favor and get the biegnets! read more