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

Wow! What a gem! We were able to try so many new African foods with the cafe's modified buffet option! I tried all the vegetarian options; my boyfriend tried some additional meat dishes. We LOVED everything!!!! Unexpected flavors and twists on the ordinary (green peas with black-eyed peas, yum!), amazing greens, delicious jollof rice...so much to try! My absolute fav was the vegan damoda, vegetables in an incredible tomato sauce. The vegan maafe was a close second. This place is a culinary adventure that will not disappoint! Great selection of juices! Great service! read more

I've been here now at least 15 times and they never disappoint! it is great to have quality International cuisine in Whitehaven! tired of the usual unhealthy options. WE LOVE THIS PLACE!!! The vegan menu rocks and the home made juices are a true blessing!!! read more

This place is bomb ! The food was excellent , the service was impeccable and the owners and staff are very personable. They let us try some dishes before we ordered. The fresh ginger juices are amazing as well. I got ginger-tamarind and ginger-lime juice! They deserve 5 stars! read more

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We used takeout for dinner. We had kimchi wrap with vegan cheese. It was excellent. The peanut soup was outstanding. As was the okra stew. Overall some of the best vegan options in MeMemphis. Friendly service. read more

this food is da bomb. great lunch after graceland. feed your soul. get the okra--vegan AND meat okra dishes. nice staff too. hibiscus tea for dessert!!! read more

So good! Friendly staff. Delicious food. Love that you can order from the hot bar and pay by the pound or order an entrée from the menu.

When I tell you this man can cook. This man can cook! Whenever I want to spoil myself from a hard week of working I always go to Bala's for literally anything off the menu. I had the African food the American food. I literally try to order something new every time I go because it's so good. The lamb is phenomenal though ask for spicy you won't be disappointed and there's this quinoa type grain that he makes I think is called Attike or something along the lines and he has this pickled cucumber and tomato topping on it I fell in love! I get that with every meal and also an order plantains. This is truly a hidden gem of Memphis. If you want some food that's gonna stick to you and not make you hungry in a couple hours this is the place. read more

We ordered delivery - and everything tasted fabulous!! They have such a variety of menu items. And Every Single Item that we ordered was delicious. Some absolutely amazing vegan options. (and I'm a meat-eater - but son is vegetarian) The Jollof Rice was delish; Okra Stew (with Seafood) was yummy; Vegan Saka Saka (braised spinach) was really good; and Vegan Maafe (peanut-butter-stew) - also good. Did I mention all of the options?!? I would have given a 5-star rating except for the delivery containers. They were a bit precarious - and several items items had spilled into the bags. Kinda a mess... read more

One of my favorite places in Whitehaven.I usually get the Catfish but today I tried the Seafood and Chicken Pasta and it was Good! On a scale of 1 to 10 it got a 15.It was just that Damn Good.Phone was dead so i didn't take Any pictures read more

Really good food! Everyone in our group enjoyed their meal. The staff was super friendly and helpful guiding us through the menu. Portions were very generous and prices were reasonable. read more

I found this restaurant through Yelp and decided to give it a try, and I can honestly say that I was not disappointed! The food was amazing.

WOW! The lamb chops were sooooo good and seasoned to perfection! I had enough for leftovers the next day, so I was really looking forward to lunch. We tried it during Black restaurant week and I'm so glad we did. We will definitely be back. read more

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

Yum yum yum!! Food was amazing. I had kabobs with a few of the available sauces to dip with not that you needed any the steak was awesome. Side we're all really good but I have to admit I wasn't super well versed on what all of the were but on I will be a bit more adventurous on my next visit. read more

Awesome food and service! I'm from Chicago and it's been hard to find authentic African food in Memphis. Young lady who took my order was polite and efficient and the food was delicious. read more

Love the stuff and the food I work down the walkway and you can smell the herbs and delicious food outside. My favorite is the okra soup curry chicken but don't sleep on all the other delicious dishes read more

Tried fufu for the first time with one of the vegetarian stews. It was delicious. The cornbread was extra sweet and moist too. I want to eventually try everything from the buffet lol. The chicken wings are party sized which I didn't expect for the price but they were still fried crisp and tasted good. Will definitely be going often as it close to where I live and I love anything African! read more

Yum! We didn't really know what we were doing and ordered a bunch of items from the lunch buffet. It was all so good. Also, the homemade drinks, we had one tamarind and one honey lime ginger, were really yummy. So glad we stopped in here! Thanks, Yelp! read more

I ordered the oxtail to go, and drove all the way to Cordova with it. It was still the perfect temperature! The oxtail was seasoned so well and was nice and tender. It had a little more fat than I would have liked but still no complaints. I enjoyed the vegetables and the corn was cut so conveniently. Everything met my expectations. I'd highly recommend! I smashed it and forgot to take a picture. read more

Went here on a whim while trying to find some vegan options for my boyfriend and we both absolutely loved it. There were several vegan options and he was able to eat a full plate, and I tried basically everything and was super satisfied, plus I think it's a great value for what you pay!!! read more

I've been waiting for a restaurant serving authentic African food and I've finally found it. We had the lamb stew and the oxtails with fufu, jollof rice, spinach and plantains. The food was delicious and plentiful. My only complaint would be that there are items that are available to order, but not on the menu. It was only after I saw photos on Yelp that I knew to ask about the oxtails and spinach, neither of which were on the menu. Great food in an unsuspecting location, but worth the trek across town. read more

Ate at Bala's last night after reading a review in a local paper. This little hole in the wall by the airport is amazing! We had both vegan and meat pies, curry goat stew, a chicken Maffe which is a peanut dish, chicken Yassa has a bunch of veggies and the jollo rice - everything was so tasty! Can't wait to go back! read more

Amazing Restuarant, very clean and the food is so delicious. I can't wait to go back to Memphis and order from them again. Customer service is exceptional read more

Don't let the location fool you. It might appear closed but just walk up there open. Clean, inviting restaurant. Great music and customer service. Food cooked freshly prepared and fast. The food. Everything we ordered was fresh and amazing. The seasonings the portions are on point. Prices are very reasonable and again portions are huge. Great place hands down. You won't be disappointed. Did I mention the beignets y'all I took an order home. New favorite spot read more

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

My wife and I ate at Bala's Bistro as we were passing through Memphis. They serve both American and and traditional African. Neither of us had ever eaten African food per se so we were unsure what to expect. I got the vegan Fataya vegetable pies and the vegan kimchi wrap. Both were excellent. I got the plantains as my side and they were very well cooked. The best I've had for a while. My wife got the Yassa with chicken. She enjoyed hers too. They don't skimp on portions and I thought good value for the amount of food. In addition to the food, the young woman who wired the pick up counter was very nice and seemed to genuinely enjoy her job. Was very happy and had a big smile on here face the entire time I was in the restaurant. Definitely five stars as far as I'm concerned. read more

Best New Restaurant: This restaurant is the perfect option for my healthier choice appetite. The Chef custom fits dishes to my liking to ensure my satisfaction. Also, I love the complimentary beignets for my dine-in experience. Great food and great customer service. read more

Authentic food with great service. They were very helpful when we were trying to figure out what we wanted to eat.

Very delicious food, we were in town visiting Graceland and wanted to try some local food but the restaurant we wanted to go to was closed, so we decided to go and try Bala's bistro. From some other reviews we knew that the bistro is not in the best looking neighborhood but we still wanted to try it and I am glad we did - the flavors were superb!!! We ordered vegan saka saka, peppered goat curry, vegan kimchi wrap and vegan fataya. Every single dish was full of flavor and we felt that it was hard to stop eating . Service was great and we even had a chance to say hi to the chef and thank him for such wonderful food. Wish we were living locally bc we would have been here very often definitely try it if you are looking for more then just BBQ and biscuits and gravy read more

The African stew was amazing.. and my girl enjoyed the burger with fries I added mushrooms to it she loved it will be back soon !!!

You can taste the passion in the food! I had the grilled chicken with plantains and jollof rice. And yalll....... it was so good! I'm so happy I found authentic African cuisine in Memphis. read more

A friend saw Bala's Bistro on Instagram and suggested we try the African food. I am so glad he did! I love global cuisine so I looked at the menu online in eager anticipation. Lots of African options and American choices, too. With the help of the knowledgeable staff, I ordered the Shrimp and Grits which included sausage in the rich roux for a very satisfying entree!! I have eaten that dish in many places and this version was closest to an etouffe. Had plantains and veggies as sides. $15 for lots of food. Very good deal! I have leftovers for lunch. A simple store front restaurant with fresh and inspired food. Going back to try the traditional African peanut soup with a collard green twist. The less adventurous can try the hamburgers and wings. read more

I had the Seafood Stew with rice and plantains along with the fried catfish with fried okra. Both were delicious and I will be returning and recommending to friends. read more

The food tastes beyond AMAZING! Everything was very well seasoned & fresh. Chef & owner Bala himself was very friendly & has excellent customer service skills. He made sure everything was ok & checked on us multiple times! This is definitely my new go to. If you want an all around great service, be sure to check it out. read more