Fantastic! Stopped in for take out while visiting a friend and it did not disappoint. Authentic west African cuisine is hard to come by where I live. The place had some indoor and outdoor seating and a nice vibe with music playing on the monitors. Staff were friendly and the food came out nice and fresh. We had some fried fish, dibi mouton, placali, and aloco. Everything was delicious. There was plenty of food and we had leftovers for later. I will definitely be back for more next trip. read more

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I've been here multiple times since 2015, but I usually got fried tilapia and alloko. This time, I tried the lamb shank. So flavorful! Oh my goodness. I also tired attieke for the first time. I liked it. The fresh pepper was amazing. I really love the kick of spice. Their portions are very generous, so I always have lots to take home! Also tried their joloff for the first time (to go order) and it was phenomenal. This will always be a revisit for me. Very homey and cozy too. read more

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Very flavorful Ivorian food and polite (not overly convivial) service. The djolof rice has a nice peppery kick to it, and serves as a great side for the meat and fish dishes. The guinea fowl is a lean bird, and the meat tends to get dry, but the sauces are a nice accompaniment. The interior of the restaurant is cheerful, with linen matching the colors of the flag of Ivory Coast, and upbeat West African music playing. read more

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Wow! I used to come to this spot for decades as a youth! You could spend $20 and still have food left over to share or take home! What has happened? This place appears to have fell off. I should have noticed there was a change as it is not as crowded as it used to be especially on popular days. I can tell its under new management because of the overall vibe of the place. If the sales girl who is constantly busy multitasking with customers, the kitchen and diners, is not around, you're not really greeted by management when you enter the establishment. It was never like this in the past. When you walked into La Savane, it didn't matter who you were, you were warmly greeted and fed. The crux of my review is driven by the change in their food quality. I ordered Jaloff rice with fried Red Snapper. Total cost. approx $31. What a waste of money! That was not jaloff rice I got. And, mainly, the red snapper I had to eat was the size of 20 gold fishes put together: it was extremely small and did not satisfy in taste as well. I was disappointed because I planned to split this dish with a friend. A toddler wouldn't have got full off the combination of rice and fish. I am not one to give low stars for no reason. So I hope they get this establishment back to what it was famously known for years ago. Years ago, this place was originally of high quality and vibe; it was a place to go to celebrate certain wins or accomplishments in life. Or just get a fulfilling and tasty meal with friends in an energetic and positive establishment. It has changed: I don't see the placed packed like it used to so that is a true sign that La Savane has fell off. Will I be back? Only if I can grow locks. And I'm bald. So you know it's going to be a super long time before I reconsider. Food: 2/5 Service: 2.5/5 Ambiance: 2.5/5 This placed used to be a solid 5/5 - I don't know what happened. read more

The vibe makes this place stand out from other similar spots. The service team did a great job and all were supportive! The food quality makes for a pleasant experience. Joyful atmosphere inside. Definetley be back for more.... read more

The cuisine here is that of the Ivory Coast, run by a Senegalese staff. The food is simple, and the menu even simpler. When we went, there were just 2-3 things on the menu for mains: grilled fish, grilled fowl, and grilled lamb (along with sides). There are just two outdoor tables that fit two people each, and they only accept cash. The limited options are kind of annoying, but I ordered the grilled fish (don't know what kind) and it did not disappoint in portion or taste. It was a little oily, but not so much that it was unappealing. I love that they left the head in there, as I'm one of the few people who love eating fish head - eyeball and jawbones and all. It comes with a very spicy sauce that took my breath away, and I have an incredibly high tolerance for spice. The price was $19, which is unusual for such a hole-in-the-wall type of place, but I'd say it is worth it. I also got the sweet plantains side, which is included with it, and that was so good. I love that it is cut up into very small pieces and that it's not as sweet as it's normally done elsewhere. There's a side salad that comes with it as well, but that was way too oily for my taste. I can't imagine anyone enjoying that one, sadly. Very much a no-frills place. Simple and hearty dishes. Go if you're okay with not having options. read more

La Savane D'Afrique - grilled fish and potatoes on a tray - African Near Me - New York, New York

I guess it is about time that I let the secret out for non-Harlemites. This spot is where you want to be to start your Harlem food journey. First and foremost you have to order their ginger drink. Talk about fresh: fresh ginger is pressed, poured into a cup and voìla: enjoy. My next favorite here is the fried fish with attieke and their little hot sauce. Don't be fooled by my calling it little because this hot sauce will slap your mama. If you are really in a mood for flavor drink aforementioned ginger drink after some of this hot sauce. (I will pause here to laugh at you if your tongue clucks). The staff is friendly and very welcoming. They will understand if you need a takeout bag because the portions are large, and worth every bit of your money. Most importantly, the food is delicious so you will not want to waste it. If you don't like it, give it to me or any of my friends who are in the know. All five stars earned. read more

Came here with a friend on the Sunday afternoon. I tried calling ahead a few times to try and make a reservation not knowing the outdoor seating situation due to covid but I was unable to get a response. I did some research prior to coming so i knew ahead of time that they only except cash and that sometimes they don't have certain items on the menu. But.....I didn't expect them to only have three entree's available when we arrived. There were two outdoor seating tables with two chairs each allowing for only 2 people to sit at a time and a very limited menu. My friend got the grilled fish which she enjoyed and of course what I really wanted (which was the grilled chicken) which wasn't gonna be available until later in the evening There was nothing else I really wanted that was available at that time so I opted out for a lonely side salad instead (talk about boring). Portions are definitely a large enough for two (in my case just me). I really wanted to enjoy this place and its cuisine but sadly they just weren't prepared for customers when we went which made for a blah experience. Service was really nice and fast just a shame i couldn't experience the food and I don't see myself heading back anytime soon. read more

La Savane D'Afrique - a fish and a plate of food on a table - African Near Me - New York, New York

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Let's start out with the customer service HORRIBLE! The cashier name Djibril very rude, he shouted out me. I would never go back. The food was not tasty, food took so long to come out. The meat was sooo hard, my bracket is almost came out. I travel from Queens to Harlem. 0/10 read more

La Savane D'Afrique - Plantains, Atieke, Gigot - African Near Me - New York, New York

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Just look at the pictures. Thrown in the garbage. The food was inedible and if it wasn't so far I would take it back. I know my way around West African food and this food was terrible. Will NOT Recommend! read more

La Savane D'Afrique - Inedible plantain fufu - African Near Me - New York, New York

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OMG! We ordered from here tonight delivery through Uber eats. Gumbo sauce, plantains, foufou, Fried fish. TERRIBLE! This place should be ashamed! Serving out old, spoiled rotten food. I am so ill now. Should be paying me for having to take it out to the trash so it doesn't smell up the apartment. The plantains are so old, dry and cold that there's no way these were even cooked today. The fish SMELLS! It SMELLS VERY BAD! How did someone not notice this! I reached my hand in and grabbed some thinking it was my partners food that had this smell. Put the fish in my mouth and immediately my whole body reacted. You know that feeling? Opened the container fully and omg it smells terrible. They ruined our whole dinner. These prices do not at all justify this terrible quality. $45 and for what? Afraid for our safety to eat this. read more

I came to La Savane a few months ago after finding it on the African Restaurant week website, turns out they weren't even participating in it. The prices on the menu are so good that we ended up spending less than we would've if we went to a restaurant with an ARW prefix menu. I got the lamb shank which was cooked amazingly and it was delicious. My friend got the guinea fowl which was very good but a little difficult to eat because of how it's presented all in small pieces, it's hard to tell what's bone and what's meat. For our sides we split cassava and plantains. Our meals also came with a mixed vegetable vinaigrette which tasted a lot like a Brazilian vinaigrette, it added great flavor to the cassava. The plantains were AMAZING and they also came with a little sauce which we wished we had more of since the cassava was kinda plain. I had plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day. We also had a really tasty hibiscus drink called Bissap. Friendly service, nice environment, and amazing lamb and plantain. I'd definitely recommend. read more

La Savane D'Afrique - Plantains with a delicious sauce, lamb shanks, guinea fowl, and cassava. Delicious pepper and tomato vinaigrette - African Near Me - New York, New York

So I have a sweet mouth and I was craving for some grilled fish and onions. We had to wait 20 minutes for the fish which is absolutely fine. It was so busy during the holiday season. The restaurant has a very cozy environment it's personal. This is not the place for romance though lol just saying. It has the energy for like a local bar. It took some time for our order to be put together because they got the cashier hustling at the register, picking calls, taking orders for the to go customers, and bringing out plates to serve the guests sitting in. So unless you're quick with the French you might have to keep flagging down a sister to get your order in. Now since we decided to have a feast at home we took it to go. The pictures show all of our orders. The grilled fish, lamb, plantains, vermicelli noodles, and rice. The fish had me tight because imagine going from the Bronx to 116 and back lol to open your foil pan and see burnt spots!?!??? I wanted to cry but I forced through and ate. Now Mr ordered the lamb and didn't want to share lmao but when I took a bite i understood why. That lamb WAS SOOOOO GOOD. It was tender and juicyyyyyyy. I took a bite and I was like damn. The flavor is unexplainable you have to taste it to understand. This ain't no basic steak or chicken this is that good good. I wish I ordered it too . Maybe next time. The sides were good, however we thought the white rice would've came with something but the sides of spices were sufficient. I would recommend you visit just warn them to not violate your fish lmao. read more

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Grabbed dinner with a friend here at La Savane. Even though it's in my neighborhood i wasn't familiar with it (it's super low key). The place itself is not very big and can probably accommodate ~20 people at a time. The servers were attentive and served us quickly. I decided to go for the fish, white rice and side of plantations. The portions were pretty large (i wasn't able to finish it all). The fish was well seasoned and cooked well. I like the sauce that accompanied it. The fish also came with a fish soup that was really good. Plantains were good they cut them up in smaller pieces than I'm used to but cooked well Overall a cool spot that i will keep on my radar for future dinner spots read more

La Savane D'Afrique - Poisson Braise - African Near Me - New York, New York

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My new place for comfort food. Big whole tilapia with your choice of a big side (highly recommend the plantains) for $15 solid. So worth every dollar. I love the spicy hot sauce on the side. It will have your nose running but for hot sauce and spicy lovers like myself, I wanted more! Good people. Nice small cozy family ran restaurant. Authentic. read more

La Savane D'Afrique - Doesn't my fish look sooo good?? Because it was!! - African Near Me - New York, New York

Bissap drink was the best thing I took from here. It is equivalent to the Jamaican sorrel drink. Note that there is no ginger flavor in bissap. It was very nice. The owners were kind enough to let me taste a sample of the Ginger drink. That was not at all a sweet drink. It tasted like a very concentrated form of ginger extract. It burns in the mouth and burns all the way to tummy. My tummy had the tingly sensation for a while. Think twice before taking it. Lamb gigot was my entree. Lamb shank was big. It comes with a small cup of spicy sauce. That sauce was spicy. I liked the lamb with the spicy sauce. It was enough for two people. Fried plantains was ok as well. read more

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We went to La Savane after an afternoon at Central Park. It's not too far from the park. They do outdoor dining, so I felt comfortable going there during the covid delta variant situation -- we got a table outside. I ordered the grilled fish, which was a whole tilapia. It was crispy on the outside with a lot of flavor, and soft on the inside. It came with very tasty onion tomato relish, and for the side I got atieke, which is like couscous but made with cassava (that went perfectly with the fish). The fish came with a spicy mustard sauce that was in a separate little container. All of it combined together was fantastic! My friend got the Dibi poulet/ grilled chicken, with a side of plantains . It was in cubes, kind of like kebabs, the marinade/flavor was super tasty. If also came with the onion/tomato relish and the little container of spicy mustard sauce. For drinks we got the Bissap, which is hibiscus juice. I had been a bit wary because I thought it would be very sugary and too flowery. But it wasn't overly sweet or floral. The food portions were enormous (my friend took the leftovers home and the food lasted an additional 2 meals). Everything was so delicious! I wish they had a location downtown so I could go back more often. The hostess/waitress explained the dishes well and she had recommendations on what side would go with what dish (she was pretty adamant about what wouldn't go well!). I appreciated that she stopped me from ordering the wrong combo when my food arrived and I realized how perfectly the atieke went with the fish. It was also nice to sit outside and people watch. A lot of francophone African immigrants were coming and going on that block. It almost felt like we were in a different country, hearing everyone speaking French, and watching people who knew each other stop and talk on the street. It was a very warm friendly vibe. read more

La Savane D'Afrique - Atieke Poisson Braise/Grilled fish Dibi Poulet Plantains Bissap - African Near Me - New York, New York

This was my first time trying food from the Ivory Coast and I loved it! There were 5 of us total (good for groups) and we ordered 3 dishes to share. The portions were big and more than enough for us all. [Food] We ordered the fried fish, lamb shank, and stew with futu. My favorite was the fried fish because I love seafood. The fish was tender and juicy and not over cooked. The lamb shank was soft and tender. The meat tasted great with the spicy sauce that comes with the dish. The stew was a little weird and goopy, so I wasn't a huge fan of the consistency. I liked the flavor and it went great with the futu, which is a soft and chewy bread cake. [Price] Including drinks and gratuity, the total per person ended up being around $15, which is amazing considering how great the food and service was. I highly recommend La Savane and will be back again!! :'D read more

La Savane D'Afrique - African Near Me - New York, New York

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This location is not kid-friendly.If you are in a big group, be prepared for the employees to give you strange stares. The cuisine was mediocre at best. I experienced discrimination.It is really disheartening. There is a strange atmosphere. This place has so much potential to be much more, which is terribly unfortunate. Thankfully, there are other excellent restaurants in the vicinity. read more

I am originally from Ivory Coast, so you can imagine my excitement when I discovered this gem! The food is excellent and as authentic as you can get in NY. Prices are really fair ($12-18) with huge portions. The place is a little dark with dimmed lights, but it can be a decently romantic spot for a date. It gets really noisy though, and tables are really near each other. The service is typical of African restaurants, a little bit disorganized but this place serves food faster than most. Don't be surprise if half of the items on the menu are not available:..pretty typical too. The waitresses are nice and helpful. I would highly recommend this place! I removed one star bc of the service. read more

La Savane D'Afrique - African Near Me - New York, New York

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I LOVE THIS PLACE everyone is sooo friendly, the food doesn't cost a lot compared to what they serve you.. The best African restaurant in NYC read more

La Savane D'Afrique - African Near Me - New York, New York

Please don't go eat in this restaurant worse restaurant I have ever been in my life the food is not good and they don't respect a customer read more

La Savane D'Afrique - African Near Me - New York, New York

Cash only. This was a great experience. The staff was really friendly, and the food was really good. Everything is fresh. And you will leave with a really full belly! read more

La Savane D'Afrique - Poisson Braise/Grilled fish with Fufu Grilled chicken with jallof rice - African Near Me - New York, New York

Aside from the fact that half the items on the menu may not be available (which may be, in part, the charm), there is some absolutely mouthwatering dishes to be had at this small but authentic (so I'm told) establishment. The big surprise was the fork-tender - no, SPOON-tender (which is good, since they didn't give me a knife) - lamb shank. Named more aptly on the menu as, "Gigot", this monstrous helping of two lamb shanks was deeply seasoned and progressively satisfying, bite after bite. The fried fish was also a similarly generous serving (definitely made for two!), and a big hit for everyone at the table who ordered it. Savoury, crispy, and flaky within - if I wasn't such a unabashed carnivore, this could very well have been my favourite dish instead. Guzzling down orange Fanta and spiking each bite of lamb or fish with that fantastic hot sauce on the side made for a great meal, although be forewarned, your ordering experience will probably go a lot smoother if you speak French. But French-speaking or not, the food will remain equally delicious. read more

La Savane D'Afrique - Gigot (Lamb shank) - African Near Me - New York, New York

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Best attieke in NYC, their poisson braise will make u wanna smack ya mammy and their dibi is on point. You literally cannot go wrong here. Everything taste great and the portion size is pretty good as well. Unlike other West African spots they usually have most of the meal items on the menu. Try the bouye/baobab juice if they have it in stock. Seating is pretty limited and it's always full during the evening. I always invite people here and everyone loves it, you will too. read more

Because the food was so exquisite, I'm going to ignore the fact that one waitress completely ignored all female customers. Some male customers who came after us were being helped right away. My friends and I were finally attended by a different waitress who was very courteous and attentive, and took the time to explain the menu (now that i'm writing the review, i wish i had asked for her name)... I had the "poisson grillé" or grilled fish, and my friends chose the gigot (leg of lamb), poisson braisé (cooked w/live embers) and pintade grillée (grilled guinea foil). read more

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Awesome Ivorian restaurant. 1) This is one of hand full of restaurants in the US serving authentic food from Ivory Coast. 2) The food is fantastic. I got the gigot (lamb shank) and atieke (cassava) as the side. 3) I loved the maggie salt they gave, you have to crush it over the atieke. It tastes amazing. 4) Portions are very large. Will return. read more

La Savane D'Afrique - Menu - African Near Me - New York, New York

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This is probably the only Cote d'Ivoire restaurant in the city, so it kind of wins by default. That said, they were out of a ton of things when we went, which was pretty disappointing. What we did get was tasty, though. The Poisson Grille was bony but full of flavor, and the accompanying spicy onion sauce was incredible. This is a mom 'n' pop outfit, so don't expect Michelin-style service, but do expect warm attentiveness. read more

Incredible food. Last night (the first in I hope a long series, as the wallet allows) fried fish, lamb shanks, fried plantains, atieke, hibiscus juice and ginger juice. All great. Biggest surprise was the hibiscus juice: not too sweet and not too thick. Just right. The staff is super friendly and helpful. And that hot sauce....unbelievable. Will return to further explore their menu. read more

I was looking for an african restaurant to satisfy my cravings and stumbled upon this place. My oh my was the food delicious !!! The portions were sooo good, I had enough to take back home and the place is of good vibes. My waitress was also funny ! Loved every moment of it and will definitely be coming back ! read more

La Savane D'Afrique - Atieke Dibi Poulet Plantains - African Near Me - New York, New York

This place is great. Really good food and crazy huge portions. I've never had Ivorian food before so I am unable to compare it like some of the other reviewers, but I have eaten a wide variety of foods around the world and I do say that this was very good. My only complaint was the lamb was incredibly chewy and took me over a minute for each bite. I got the fowl, cassava, plantains, and lamb with a friend and the total was around thirty -- not too bad considering we have tons of leftovers! Also in response to the language thing: I noticed they seem to appreciate if you can work a little French in but they all seem to speak fluent English. read more

La Savane D'Afrique - Lamb, fowl, cassava, plantains, and a salad. - African Near Me - New York, New York

Amazing food and great, friendly service! The lamb was absolutely DELICIOUS! You will not be disappointed

My first time here, thank goodness I had someone to translate for me. I had the grilled fish with couscous and a side order of plantains. Food was delicious. I was able taste the ginger drink,, sooooo delicious as well. My friend had the lamb and she loved it as well. Definitely going back! read more

La Savane D'Afrique - Grilled Fish with couscous - African Near Me - New York, New York

We love La Savane and have been ordering from them for years, specifically the whole grilled fish and gigot (lamb shank), both of which come with super-generous portions of sides and house-made hot sauce and briny vegetables. Great value and great taste every time. read more

We came on a chilly Friday evening, my sister in law and I. We were able to sit wherever we liked. The staff was very welcoming, helpful, and courteous to us. The portions are very generous and the drinks were not only fresh but very refreshing. We chose the grilled fish with plantains and the chopped lamb with yams. Both orders were flavorful and delicious. The tomato onion salad was so good we asked for more and they brought it without a problem. The prices are very reasonable. I will return and highly recommend you stop in if you are in the area. The menu is limited but, they do it well. I am ready to try thier other dishes and stews. read more

La Savane D'Afrique - African Near Me - New York, New York

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I love this restaurant. My only complaint is the size of restaurantit is a very tight fit. However, I will say the food is Absolutely Delicious. I have never came here and not enjoy myself. Large portions where u can share with someone or take home half for another day. The lamb is one of my favorites with cassava and sweet plantains. The staff is cool usually have a quick response rate. The food is fresh and out in under 10 minutes I have no idea how they do it. I highly recommend this restaurant for tasty authentic food. read more

La Savane D'Afrique - Omg the food is incredible here - African Near Me - New York, New York

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Be careful if their fee scam. They scammed me when they brought the check. They added a 20% service charge and said it's because I had four people, and they added a 3.5% fee for using my credit card. These fees were not listed on their menu, and they did not advise me of these fees prior to ordering. When I spoke to the manager afterwards she said she has to update the menu. It's just a scam to get more money. I would advise you to choose a different restaurant operated by honest people read more

My boyfriend and I trekked up to Harlem for a weeknight dinner after being led here by a NYT article. Good thing La Savane is conveniently located right off the 116th St. stop (so not much of a trek at all). This place is definitely popular! We were basically the only non-local diners, there was a wait by 7, and the phone was ringing non-stop with delivery orders the entire time. We ordered the lamb shank (small netted us two giant pieces) and a stew with a side of plantains and cassava. The lamb was definitely the standout, and such a bargain for the price. The stew platter actually came with two varieties - one with meat and tomatoes, and the other some sort of meat with okra. The two were split in the middle by a mound of foutou, which kind of resembled a giant Chinese mantou in looks, but tasted more like Ethiopian injera (sour, doughy) - it's made from plantains, as I understand. The tomato-based stew was definitely more popular, as the okra one was quite gelatinous. Oh, and be careful with the hot sauce that's provided - one drop was enough to set my mouth on fire. I've seen a few reviews here ding them for the service, but that's honestly what bumps mine up. We had no problem getting someone's attention, ordering, and didn't have to wait long for the food to hit our table. When we requested our check at the end, the waiter was so dismayed to see that we didn't finish half of the stew that he offered (multiple times) to provide a replacement dish that we'd like better. Eventually we bent to his will (really felt like we were insulting his entire being by not eating the okra stew) and just got all of the leftovers to go, but I haven't had such a fantastic exchange in a restaurant in a long time, if ever. read more

This is by far THE BEST / MY FAVORITE AFRICAN RESTAURANT for Ivorian (food from ivory coast) food. It is a true mom & pop and the food is prepared fresh! YES FRESH so it might take a while... They deliver as well. Anyway, I've been eating at La Savane for 4+ years and they renovated the restaurant in 2017. They now serve alcohol (wine + beer only). Eating there is like being back in Abidjan! read more

La Savane D'Afrique - @Africanbiloko on IG - Gigot aka lamb shank :) - African Near Me - New York, New York

Cozy, dimly lit restaurant with authentic west african food and staff. tried 3 things in their menu out of a dozen or so. The chicken was ok. you get many oversized chicken nugget like pieces of mostly white meat. enough to get you full w/ leftovers but no one wants dry leftover chicken. I'd only order it again if i gave up red meat and didnt have the manual dexterity to debone my fish (fish comes as whole legit fish here). Guinea fowl was a step up. both crispy and juicy, and if youve never had guinea fowl before it sorta tastes like chicken. in fact i think it tasted more like chicken than the chicken dish itself. Now the lamb shank. oh my goodness, the lamb shank. I saw god when i ate it. No wonder the bible compares Jesus to a lamb. This perfect lamb died for the sin of serving dry chicken so that the restaurant may enjoy eternal 5 star yelp reviews. hallelujah. if i only had the chicken i wouldve given 3 stars, but the lamb shank was truly redeeming. shawshank redemption? more like the lambshank redemption. read more