the chicken wings, greens and rice are a must have, a little expensive, but worth buying.

Delicious! Jambo Africa catered breakfast for an event I was at and it was amazing. The chicken and gravy was full of flavor. The chicken was juicy and tender. The cornbread was on point. The root vegetables were so good. Mash the veggies and then pour some gravy over it, delish! Chef Simone Chambliss really made us a fabulous African breakfast. read more

Jambo Africa Restaurant - Corn bread, chicken and gravy, roasted root vegetables - African Near Me - Brooklyn Center, Minnesota

Atmosphere somewhat off putting, kind of a nightclub nights I guess. Food was excellent, we had the coconut curry with red beans and the whole tilapia with fried sweet plantains. Delicious and legit. read more

Consistency is how you measure a good restaurant. This was our second time ordering here. The first time, everything we ordered was delicious, however customer service was poor. The second order, we ordered chicken/dried rice, and it turned out the chicken was stale. We also ordered beef fry (Karanga) and plantains. Both the beef and plantains were stale and not fresh. We drove from another city and was dissatisfied with the food quality and customer service. Lastly, staff and some customers were not wearing masks inside the restaurant. read more

Their ugali was well prepared; because it is rarely offered even at "African" restaurants it made the dinner worthwhile. Likewise the goat stew was decent and similar to what one would find in Kenya or Tanzania. Greens were cooked enough but had little flavor or seasoning. On the other hand, the service was poor--especially considering we were the only customers seated at the place and there were as many workers as customers. read more

Had their food 2x. I've had Egusi soup w Fufu & jollof rice & chicken. Both dishes were really good. Egusi was flavorful but the chicken could use a tad bit more seasoning. Every attempt after those 2 tries I could never get an answer on the phone. When I did finally get an answer the young man working the counter tells me "we are busy tonight can I call you back?" What type of business is being ran here? I've called 3x in one week & was told the exact same thing by the same young man. Today I decided to drive over because the hours of operation stated they were open. I drive 25 minutes to get there and they are in fact NOT open. This is disappointing that they never answer the phone. There aren't many west African restaurants in the twin cities & I thought this would be my Go-to place but I was wrong. read more

Oh, boy, where to begin? In summary, a general state of DISREPAIR throughout, SLOW service, BORING food. GOOD: 1) The restaurant seemed clean. 2) Our server was friendly. BAD: 1) Confusing when you enter: no sign at the front desk to say you should either wait to be seated or to seat yourself. No staff appeared, and a customer (waiting for takeout) actually told us you can sit anywhere. In hind sight, this is when we should have turned around and left. 2) The server was SLOW, SLOW, SLOW. We waited for a long time to be acknowledged and greeted (even though there was only one other occupied table). 3) The menu is very goofy. The funniest thing is a full page (in the MIDDLE) that advertises a Chiropractic service. I've never seen this before in the United States--too funny! Can they at least put this crap on the back page? 4) The server was dressed very unprofessional (not in a charming way) in a baseball hat, blue jeans, and tennis shoes, making it hard to identify him as staff. 5) There was a SEVERE communication problem. We could hardly understand his accent and he seemed to have a very hard time understanding both of us. It was somewhat comical. 6) Appetizers took half an hour to arrive. And when we finally got them, they were pretty boring and not worth the wait...and we were already irritated. 7) Never refilled our water or soda...sitting empty. 8) Disrepair... The backs of the booths are all floppy and don't seem to be attached correctly. The tables are mostly all wobbly and not balanced. The room divider between the restroom entrance and the closest table is simply a large (stained) piece of corrugated cardboard with a section of cloth draped over it. The divider behind the front desk looked similar. Where did they get this stuff--the Salvation Army? 9) The rest of the decor is similarly tacky and possibly, suspiciously, against some sort of health code. For example, is it okay to have a thin Rayon window curtain as the door to your kitchen??? 10) The African Chai Tea arrived 40 minutes after ordering. Plus, it was mostly milk or cream and you could hardly taste the tea. Again, not worth the wait. At this point, my wife (who LOVES tea) was totally pissed off. 11) They were still trying to figure out the coffee at 45 minutes, when we told them to forget it...we'd just square up on the bill and leave. I was looking forward to at least having a nice strong African Coffee. Oh, well. SOOO disappointing! I was really hoping this place would be good. I don't understand all of the four and five star reviews at all. I work hard for my money so I won't be spending any more of it at Jambo Africa. -Daddy Maxx Retro P.S. I apologize for the crappy quality of the photos. I only had a cheap cell phone with me. But I think they make my point. read more

Jambo Africa Restaurant - A full page ad for a chiropractor in the middle of the menu! Really? - African Near Me - Brooklyn Center, Minnesota

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Terrible food. We actually ended up throwing everything away. Even worse customer service

I love African food so gave this place a try. We had the coconut curry beans and tilapia with sweet plantains. I would come back here.

This was perfectly warming on a cold Minnesota night. I ordered the Curry Chicken, substituted ugali for chapati and it was excellent. I almost did not come in after reading the reviews... I do not see a grocery store here so that feedback was accepted. I will come again, next time with the family. My service expectations are mellow, a correct order and a smile meet my needs, and those were on point. read more

I agree with a previous Yelper, this place has gone down hill. Ever since they changed it to a grocery store, the food hasn't been that good. I usually get the collard greens with just chicken instead of the usual beef, chicken and turkey, but I was told that I'd be charged for double meat. Two times in a row, I've ordered the collards and they taste like they've been scrapped off the bottom of the pan. Just burnt! Today I ordered the coconut curry tilapia, and the curry was decent, the fish was tender, and the cabbage stuff was good. Just keep in mind the fish is completely whole. I will probably not go back here. read more

Jambo Africa Restaurant - Tilapia, Coconut Curry, Chapatti - African Near Me - Brooklyn Center, Minnesota

My family and I love their food however, their service is terrible.. it's close to being a deal breaker. I've been here many times but it's starting to be too much, to the point that I'd rather go elsewhere. When you call to put in a takeout order they either never answer or they ask you to hold and NEVER take you off. Then if you call back they won't answer. Then when you come in they are slow and will have you waiting 30+ minutes for food. Hopefully they get their service together or I will have to go somewhere else. read more

My husband and I just had a delicious dinner. Attentive service, clean, friendly atmosphere. We had the goat curry... he cleaned the plate! I had the coconut curry tilapia, the fish was done to perfection, fresh, moist, hot and well seasoned. The greens are really tasty! We will be returning. read more

Jambo Africa Restaurant - African Near Me - Brooklyn Center, Minnesota

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The food is seasoned good But they don't give enough meat. 2 small bites size pieces of meat and a bone. I had mostly rice and that's it. Hey need to do better with giving more meat. I order the turkey, chicken and beef with spinach spices. Also I order Plantains they were good. read more

Tried this place for the first time. It's in their new location. We loved the food! The red beans were delicious! We also ordered the beef dish and it was super good. Both were excellent!! I've seen some reviews knocking the service but we found the service very good and the staff was friendly. It's a bit more casual than full service dining and the service was just fine for that and friendly. We will definitely be going back! Give them a try! read more

Jambo Africa Restaurant - African Near Me - Brooklyn Center, Minnesota

I went to Jambo Africa for lunch and they had a lunch buffet so we went for it. Honestly, I don't really suggest doing the buffet. I feel like for the most part all of the foods were lacking... flavor I guess. I'm not sure what sort of spices native African cuisine normally has but I was expecting to be surprised in a good way. Also, the buffet was rather small with few options. I was hoping for more 'different' options that I wouldn't normally see on a regular American buffet... yet on this buffet there was watermelon, mac and cheese, meatballs, and rice. Having a few of this 'kid friendly' or 'Caucasian-American friendly' options are nice, but what the owners should realize is those of us who fit that category that go to their restaurant are looking for an 'African Experience'. We wanted to be enlightened and wanted to try things we had never tasted before. The staff on the other hand was GREAT. Very friendly and it felt like someones home. I think the next time we visit we will order some crazy stuff off the menu, I'm sure it will be more exciting. (: read more

Workers are super kind and helpful! Everyone was wearing a mask and being respectful (for these times). The samosas were good, not as bulky as an Indian samosa but the flavor was good. We ordered the chicken jollof rice, chicken curry, and tilapia with plantains as our mains dishes. They were all super good! Servings were enough to be 2-3 dishes! The jollof was by far our favorite! We also got a side of collard greens which were super tasty! Highly recommend trying this place. read more

Great food loved it this is my go to place when I want some collard greens or tilapia if you haven't tried it yet your missing out . GO CHECK IT OUT read more

Really good food. The service is great and they treat you well. I have never had a bad meal here and I've had plenty. I suggest their plava sauce, whole fried tilapia with dry rice, and the calla (little fried dough balls that are dipped in hot sauce). And speaking of hot sauce. Although this is a hotly controversial statement, I feel, they have the absolute best. It is prepared fresh every day, and it is extremely, extremely hot and equally addicting. But unlike other hot sauces (Latin American, southern etc.) there is a savory taste to theirs and it has the consistency of a finely minced salsa. If you like it, they have large containers available to buy. There have been some name changes, right now it is Jambo Africa again and they no longer serve Latin American food. Seriously, if you haven't tried Liberian food, you are in for a treat. Not as heavily spiced as curries, nor hot and spicy (hot sauce on the side), just really good food simply made. Worth the drive, even if you are on the other side of the cities. read more

Jambo Africa Restaurant - Jambo Africa, plava sauce, beef, dry rice, fried tilapia - African Near Me - Brooklyn Center, Minnesota

Difficult to rate food because we decided not to stick around. Came in around 5:15 pm on Wednesday. There was no person at front station. There was a man walking around with a blue jacket on. He finally came up to us and offered us a table or booth. My wife placed here order to include Chai Tea. Even though listed on the menu, she was told they didn't serve that. I placed my order to include Arabica Coffee. Again, even though that was listed on the menu, I was told they didn't serve that either. After placing our order for food, I handed the person the Entertainment Book coupon that was sitting on the table. I was told that the "Manager" had instructed him to not accept any of these if he or she wasn't there. We excused ourselves and left. Have absolutely no intentions of returning to this establishment. read more

I hit upon this wonderful fare at the reggae fest in Duluth. The service was so warm and friendly and the food is excellent home-made African dishes, focusing on Liberia and Kenya. The beef samosas were delectable and the sweet pIaintains were cooked to perfection. I can't wait to try their fufu and stew. There are so many things to try here. I have many African friends cook for me and you can tell right away that these folks know what they are doing. Since I live in Minneapolis I will definitely be visiting their restaurant on Shingle Creek blvd. read more

The customer is horrible. The food has truly went down hill. The quality is never consistent. Potatoes greens filled with oil and no taste, fried rice taste old and dry and the plantain burned. read more

Jambo Africa Restaurant - Burned Plantains - African Near Me - Brooklyn Center, Minnesota

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My friends are meat lovers so they were very happy; I'm more of a vege lover so everything was good if you like your veges tasting like they're cooked with the meat. I don't mind, it was all quite tasty and the restaurant was comfortable friendly & very reasonably priced. We had the one-price lunch for$10 - great value. We'll be back. read more

I would give this ZERO STARS if that was possible.customer service was terrible.there was no salt available in a whole "restaurant" with no salt.ridiculous.dirty tables.and the portion of food compared to prices is a total rip off.was so disappointed for the stars it has. read more

WARNING!!! Customer services Extremely Sucks!!! Dirty restaurant, with rude owner. Most of the group got food poison!!! Waited for over 45 minutes, just to get served the wrong order. Food served cold and smelly. USDA needs to pay a visit to this mediocre restaurant like yesterday!!!! read more

I went here with a Kenyan friend for lunch. I thought the food was good but not as tasty as I have had in other African restaurants. The restaurant is now called The Global Kitchen. read more

Called to place a take out order in the middle of business hours Sunday, but no one answered after many rings. I went back to look at reviews and a recent review was frustrated by no one answering the phone, so I figured it was just more of the same. Since it was supposed to be open I drove up there, only to find it closed. Nothing on the website indicated it would be closed today. I am hoping they refocus there customer service efforts. It appears that everyone loves the food but complains about the service. I'll try again sometime, but I can see why some fans are giving up on the place. read more

Love it! I used to live in Tanzania, but this place makes me miss it a little less. They have great food and service! Great ugali na kuku!! read more

This is the BEST African restaurant in MN! I usually order greens or cassava leafs!.. read more

Would give it a 0 star if i could I am from the ivory coast and i must say The food was horrible. Took a friend from outta state there. I had never been there muself before. That was a first and a last. I should have just made lunch myself. The attieke was soak in oil the plantain was bad and the fish was dry. They need to get it together or just get some things off their menu if they don't know how to make it ( who puts carrots in attieke??) read more

Never had Liberian food. Loved it. Tried the fried tilapia with plantain. The fish is served whole, with suble, amazing spices on the skin. Fried plaintain were well-prepared and generous in portion. The sauce was hot with subtle flavors that I thoroughly enjoyed. Friendly service staff. The restaurant appears to have two names -- Jambo Africa and The Global Kitchen. read more

I can't make greens any better then that. The servings were ample and the service was very good. read more

Jambo Africa Restaurant - two plates of food on a table - African Near Me - Brooklyn Center, Minnesota

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This restaurant was by far the worst restaurant I've ever been to. The owner is extremely rude and unprofessional. I truly wanted West African food, went there about 3 times and all 3 times, i was given the wrong order. She hired her 10 year old son who doesn't know how to take order and gave me the wrong food to go, over 3 times. I will never go back there again!!! I would not recommend her. When i complain about my bad experience and how she has treated me, her response was very ugly and she didn't even want to help me. Rushed me off the phone and told me she didn't want to "fuss". She's rude and unprofessional. Horrible experience!!!! read more

I will come back time after time. Excellent food, fast service. Wonderful summer time patio. This is a can't miss fast casual experience. Love love love it. read more

Went to get spinach which comes with beef chicken and turkey got 1 piece of chicken and 2 turkey bones I will never eat here again

"Best restaurant at Torchlight Awards". What a waste. I've had the unfortunate experience of going here a few times. Each time i thought would be better than the last, but alas that was not the case. The ambience is what one would expect in a typical mom & pop joint. Its fairly clean , not as packed as most chain restaurants. If you're expecting a congenial wait staff, keeping waiting. Most of them plaster a half smile when they greet you quickly slip back into blank masks as they perform menial tasks around the restaurant. I must say however, Adrian the host is a joy. I suspect that half the patronage in this place can be attributed to his entertaining nature. Quite honestly, the food is below average. The goat stew is watery and really is more bones than meat. The rice is dry. The fish is bland (i mean everyone knows seafood has the best texture for seasoning!, salt is not enough people!) The Kenyan sausages taste funny. (Something tells me that they probably prepared incorrectly). The greens float in fat.Now I understand that this is an "authentic" African restaurant and as such one must embrace our ancestral leanings towards to artery clogging dishes . However one cannot deny the paradigm shift in our attitudes towards healthy eating. Yes, it's great to get a little of "taste of home" but surely, the greens could do with a little less oil. Aside from the Liberian stew, I don't see why anything else should be prepared with that much oil. I'm not the healthiest eater around by any means, but I know better than to swallow globs of oil for the sake of vegetable intake. And oh!, I would probably STAY AWAY from the chapattis, Someone I know got the runs the last time she had that. :-( On my last trip, I encountered a foreign object in my food. Upon further examination, I determined that said object could not have come from my person. It had to have come from the kitchen, or mid-transport i.e got dropped in during the journey from the kitchen to my table, who knows? Needless to say ,I made my waitress aware of the situation , her response was just as expected, blasé.She then escalated it , as I foolishly waited for a better response. Not. They dared insinuate that I may introduced said object into my food, after all, they were running a clean shop back at the kitchen. After haggling back and forth briefly, I got 10% off my meal. Here is the thing, I understand that they have a business to run but is 10% really the best they could do? My tip bridged the difference , so in essence, I still paid in full.) I actually would not have minded paying for my now abandoned meal in full, I just expected better customer courtesy.There are many other ways this could have been resolved. Starting with their attitude .Here's a hint " THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT." Bottom line, don't waste your time. There are better places out there. read more

Great authentic food, great service, nice atmosphere!! Hard to find real African food like this!

This establishment is a pleasure to dine in due to the delicious fare and pleasant staff. They have always been ready to make recommendations to me on different African dishes, since I am not widely experienced in this cuisine. I have really enjoyed the fried tilapia dishes, as well as the mbusi. The spices are evident and enhance this experience. Since I enjoy some fire as well, the habanero-based condiment that they make in house certainly provides some added excitement and flavor. A cuisine that is perhaps not for everyone, but one that definitely should be tried by the more adventurous eater at least once. read more