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

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.

Spontaneous dinner here while heading to Full Tilt next door and decided to try something new since…read morewe've never had Kenyan food before. Really glad we did! It was pretty busy and the food did take a while to come out, but everything tasted super fresh and it was definitely worth the wait. The portions are large and the flavors were incredible. What really stood out was the service. Samantha was amazing! She was so friendly, funny, and welcoming even though the restaurant was packed and there was a line. She took the time to walk us through the menu since it was our first time there, let alone trying Kenyan food. Even with how busy it was, she made sure each customer was taken care of and exuded such positivity. You can tell she really cares about her customers. Great food, even better service. Would definitely come back.

Here's a polished version that keeps the emotion and details while staying clear and credible:…read more We chose this restaurant for our first date night since having our baby, so we were especially excited after reading all the positive reviews. Unfortunately, our experience was incredibly disappointing. We arrived at 8:00 p.m. and didn't receive our food until after 10:00 p.m. Keep in mind the restaurant closes at 9:00 p.m., so we even watched them lock the doors while we were still waiting. There was only one other table of four people dining, and it appeared they had also been waiting a long time for their food. When we finally realized we needed to get home to relieve our babysitter, we asked our server to pack our meals to go. Instead of apologizing for the two-hour wait, he told us we "should have come earlier." We reminded him that we had arrived two hours before and had no reason to expect such a long delay. He showed no empathy or accountability. We still tried to stay positive, hoping the food would at least live up to the hype. Unfortunately, when we got home, we found the dishes to be overwhelmingly salty. We understand that delays can happen, but poor communication and a complete lack of customer service turned what should have been a special evening into a frustrating experience. We left feeling disappointed and unlikely to return.

I searched yelp for African food and food Juba. Glad I decided to go there for lunch. I ordered the…read morelamb with rice (see pictures) to go. The place is spacious and I could have eaten there. I walked up to the counter (order and pay first) and after a short wait (less than ten minutes. The lamb was not so spicy but the rice had lots of flavor. I squeezed the provided lemon the shanks and eating it with rice - man that flavor combo! It was enough for two meals ( actually ate half and saved half for dinner).

This was my first time trying Somali cuisine, so I had to ask for suggestions on what to order, and…read morewas recommended the goat and rice plate. No regrets here! The goat was flavorful and tender, and came on a mountain of perfectly cooked and seasoned rice. They also provided hot sauce and a lemon wedge. Others in my party got the chicken suqaar plates, and enjoyed their meals too. We all were obsessed with the bisbaas/basbaas (green hot sauce) that came with our meal, and I really liked the dynamic flavors in the food. Pricing is a little high, but the amount of food you get is generous. I'd definitely come back again and will plan to take leftovers home or share an entree.

Stop reading Yelp reviews and go here already!…read more No, but really, I had to get on here and put a good word in. I love peanut stew and had never tried this place, so I went on a solo mission to check it out... Everything I had was perfection! I ordered goat peanut stew, 8oz fufu, and a side of jollof rice. I am fed!! This restaurant really cares about what they put on the table and their staff were super friendly (and helpful-this cuisine is new to a lot of customers!). If it's your first time trying West African food, I'd say you're in VERY good hands.

Went here to try fufu for the first time. It's a cozy, spacious restaurant. The server was very…read morewelcoming, generous, and happy to share her knowledge on the food. The food came out at a great pace and everything was perfection! The hand pies were incredible. Flaky and flavorful. I would go back for those alone. We ordered fufu, egusi, jollof rice, and goat soup. The flavors were incredible, and the textures were phenomenal. It was our first time trying fufu and I thought I would struggle to swallow the food without chewing, but it was easy to break the habit. The Fufu, paired with the entrees, was incredibly delicious and satisfying to eat. We rounded the night out with some dessert. The puff puffs were a very different flavor than I expected. It was a delightful surprise from the expectation of regular fried dough. Can't wait to come back sometime!

Great food, decent prices!…read more I was seeking something beyond the typical food offerings while on my way to the airport, and this was my chosen spot. I'm not very familiar with African food, and the menu items were mostly unfamiliar to me. Even so, I'm thoroughly pleased with my take-out order (ugali with beef that also came with a couple sides: a little salad and lentils with cooked greens of some sort)! It was maybe a 15 min wait for my food to be prepared after ordering, but it came out hot and flavorful! I look forward to coming back again.

The food here was awesome. Friendly service answered my questions because I didn't know what to…read moreorder. The lamb shank was delish. I came here for lunch not knowing what to expect. Very chill atmosphere. Not many people here for lunch on a Thursday. Honestly I will be back next time I'm out in the area for work! The coffee is also decent and cheap compared to what you'd get in Seattle. The beans are ground fresh which was a plus. Big portions as well. Almost didn't finish everything on my own.

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'.

Came in for an early dinner…read more Hibiscus Drink: A refreshing drink that tastes similar cranberry. Jollof Rice with Chicken: Very well seasoned spread. Quite pricey for how little protein you're getting but you're paying more for the Jollof rice. Onions had an incredible zang and spice to it. Service was adequate. Took a bit for someone to come out after I rang the bell. I'll definitely be coming back when I'm in a chicken afra carving.

Food was ordered off a QR code menu on your phone, not with a waiter. I ordered jollof rice with…read moreboneless chicken thigh and the wait wasn't long at all. This was my first time trying jollof rice or Nigerian food in general and I enjoyed it! The rice was in some kind of tomato sauce with spices. The spice level was perfect for me, not too hot or boring. The chicken thigh was tender and had soo much flavorful sauce. My total was 23 and some change after tax and tip, slightlyyy steep but still worth it. I left a very full and satisfied customer.

Was very excited to get some Authentic food while traveling…read moreto the area. Asked for water and noticed stuff floating in our water immediately after pouring from their pitcher. Ordered the Egusi soup and it was disgusting with no flavor. Asked if I could replace the dish with something else due to the lack of flavor and was told no. The service received was unfortunately very disappointing as the initial request was not for a refund but rather to order something less costly and the establishment to keep the remaining funds from my order. Would never dine this establishment again.

One of the best experiences I've had in a while. My Girlfriend and I love the atmosphere and the…read morefood was amazing! Service was really fast and the workers were really nice! 맛있는 음식 고마워요!

My family's first time trying East African/Kenyan food, and everyone, including my toddler, enjoyed…read moreit. The server who took my order over the phone is friendly, answered my questions and helped me choose the sides. The establishment is half restaurant and half bar. Turn left after you enter through the door to get to the restaurant part. Food: Rafiki basket (3 appetizer combo) - mandazi (fried bread, slightly sweet) is my favorite, followed by the samosa (beef filling, kind of oily) Samaki WA Nchuzi (fried whole tilapia with sauce) - the sauce is not spicy, bright with lime and tomato. Mbuzi Kaanga (goat stew) - some bones as expected. Goat meat is tender and flavorful, though portion isn't that big. For sides we tried the collard greens, Ugali (white corn mash, very dense, not my favorite) and chapati. Overall a good first experience. We want to come back to try other dishes.