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    Lilly's Corner

    4.4 (92 reviews)
    ModerateAfrican

    Order Lilly's Corner Takeout or Delivery

    Lilly's Corner Photos

    LILLY'S CORNER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Quiet
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Lilly's Corner

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    Reviews With Photos

    Lamb Mafe Lunch
    Chanel T.

    I ordered online and got the fish yassa and nems (egg rolls) and bissap drink this time. They were out of the bissap drink so I got the ginger lemon drink instead, it had strong ginger taste, I liked it the deink felt "cleansing". The fish came with white rice and sautéed onions, the fish was seasoned really well and the white rice was also seasoned well. The nems / egg rolls came with three sauces and they tasted pretty good.

    Near the entrance.

    The fish fataya was tasty but aesthetically unappealing. As you can see from the photos, some were burnt. However, the Thieboudienne, was quite delicious. I couldn't stop eating it. The family owned business, which is Senegalese (Wolof) is filled with all things related to family. With that said, the brother and sister who greeted me and my daughter were exceptionally gracious and friendly. Will definitely be back.

    The menu
    China B.

    This is a small hole in the wall kinda restaurant. But they offer flavorful good food. I ordered the Chicken Yassa with jollif rice and Beef Fataya. It cost about $17, which was reasonable. The chicken is marinated in lemons i think. It was jam packed with flavor and the rice was to. It was served with raw and sauteed onions on the side. The onions were delicious, they had a kick, and a pow, and a boom. Lol. Flavahhhh for ya!!! So anyway, the Fataya are like empanadas and their very good. They come with a red sauce that you should only try if your bold... Because u will feel the burn. It creeps up on ya for sure. I enjoyed the meal and will definitely return to try some other things. The guy who worked there was friendly and he made small talk which i could appreciate. The inside is small and colorful. I ordered togo and it was done when i got there about 15 minutes later. There is a gas station attached so it was kinda busy in the parking lot. But it was enough parking available. So everything was cool and I'd give them 4 stars.

    Lamb mafe
    Ara A.

    08/2019 They really knocked it out of the park this time. I ordered the grilled lamb with jollof rice and my coworker ordered the grilled lamb with plantains. The food was excellent and so delicious. Kudos. 04/2019 This review is based on my first Senegalese experience with the lamb mafe (peanut sauce). I'm not a huge fan of peanut but I felt obliged to try as it was highly recommended, gotta say it was alright. I probably wouldn't order it again. I plan to try something else next time like the grilled lamb or ch

    chicken Thue Curry Lunch

    I've been daydreaming about getting my hands on some savory and aromatic ethnic food that would satisfy my cravings so I decided to settle for this local restaurant that specializes in Senegalese cuisine. I ordered through grub hub and let me tell you the portions for the lunch platters will fill you up for sure. It was all so filling I probably had only one beef fataya which I'm happy about so I can have more for later. I still have plenty of leftovers. For around $5 the fataya side comes with 4 pieces and the ground meat inside is so tender bursting with flavor and it's not too salty. It pairs well with the pepper sauce they give you but be careful it definitely has a kick! I liked it. The shell of the fataya is also buttery, crispy, light, and slightly flaky. The white rice is just the perfect fluffiness, it's so soft and absorbs the sauces from the stews well. Not too wet, not too dry. The lamb mafe reminds me of Filipino kare kare, they are both peanut butter stews from two different cultures! It's very rich and the lamb chunks were oh so tender. One thing I would critique is maybe adding 2 more pieces of meat but I do appreciate the amount of sauce so I can let it go. I could probably just eat the sauce and rice tbh and it also came with carrot and potato. The thue curry chicken dish was pretty good too! you can really taste a nice blend of spices giving the dish a depth of flavor. The chicken drumsticks were fall off the bone tender. Overall I rate what I got an 8/10! You can tell the foods were cooked with love and patience in order for all the ingredients to marry well with each other. If there's one thing you can't go wrong about, it's definitely the beef fatayas! I can't wait to try more next time.

    Beef Fataya
    Ling L.

    I'm only going to be commenting on food and customer service. Okay so... Wow. So many different flavors; so good! The customer service was fab. The person who helped us was so nice. He let us try some of the jolof rice and some of the drinks. Helped us decide what we want. We ended up ordering 3 things and a drink. The Beef fataya is like empanadas. Great by itself. But the habanero sauce they provide is a perfect fit if you want to add some heat to. The Thiebu djen is apparently the Senegalese national dish. It is only available on Saturdays so we decided we had to try it since it was both the national dish and we happened to come on a Saturday. The jollof rice by itself is wonderfully flavored with a kick. I could eat a whole bowl of that stuff by itself. The explosion of flavors and all the different textures and items in this stew/dish was amazing. There was a satisfying savory, acidic, smoky, and spice that kicked all the major taste buds. It just worked, but be prepared for a kick in each bite! Fufu: We had heard it was something very different than anything we're used to so we wanted to try it. The flavor was pleasant, light and savory. The texture... I would compare it to an over thickened mashed potato. We were supposed to dip it into any of the stews; we chose the lamb mafe. Lamb mafe: this was a peanut stew with lamb and carrots. Savory and delicious. I could eat this with rice or fufu. We were eyeing more items and will probably try to come back another time to try those items out.

    Chicken yassa
    Cynthia R.

    I found this place by accident while looking to order something quick for dinner. With the black lives matter movement going on, I decided to try something out of my comfort zone. I had african food twice in my life--ethiopian food in DC and Virginia Beach. When Lillian's popped up as Sengalese food, I was intrigued. Also, the yelp reviews were great. I messaged the restaurant on facebook and asked for a recommendation--I was told the chicken yassa, fish yassa & dibi lamb are popular. Choice made--everyone can't be wrong all the time. I ordered about chicken yassa and dibi lamb. When I arrived, the order was not ready but the handsome young man said he would make it fresh for me if I had 10 minutes. When the order was ready he brought it to my car and I was on my way home. Bad thing--the lamb was not there--fish yassa was in the bag. Good thing--the fish was THE BOMB. The chicken and fish were both nicely seasoned and great amount of heat (real fish with the head and bones) Both came smoothered in seasonings and sat on a bed of onions. White rice was more than enough and looked great with the mixed veggies on top. At first, I thought way too many onions. Not so. I finished the onions with the rice. My take aways: 1. Lillian's had great sized portions and fresh food. Rice is cooked to perfection. The chicken was so good I don't have the words. Moist, well seasoned and wonderful presentation is what comes to mind. 2. Lillian's is the only place I will eat so many onions. Onion lovers, endulge. 3. Check the order before you leave. Mistakes happen. It just worked out that the mistake was so delicious.

    This WAS a lamb shawarma ‍
    Onaja F.

    So this WAS a lamb shawarma. I know I'm supposed to take a photo of the actual food, but I keep forgetting lol. I've had about 10 of these things over the last 3 months (don't judge me) and keep forgetting to write a review and take a pic just like I did this time. Only this time, I figured what the heck- I'll take a pic of the aftermath :) and still write a review. So as you can see I'm still in my car- this bad boy doesn't even make it into the house- it's that good! The lamb shawarma consist of lamb, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, And French fries all wrapped up in some Kinda magic sauce. Yes I said French fries. 10 shawarmas Ago I would've thought what the heck.. French Fries!?! but it goes. Trust me. And even though this dang shawarma is packed with a great amount flavor already, my dear friend, Elhaeji - the young man who works the front most days recommended I try this hot spicy sauce on the side with it- that's what you see in the little container. The spice does something to my taste buds that I've never experienced. EVERYTIME! Just about everything at this dang place is delicious- trust me I think I've had everything on the menu with the exception of a few items. But this dang on shawarma........ perfect snack. I think I'm gonna start ordering two cuz one just is not enough.

    Fufu Lunch
    Starr J.

    Whenever I have a taste for something different I eat at Lilly's. The staff are ale's friendly and the food hasn't disappointed me yet. The food is a bit pricey but it's worth it. I've tried the dibi chicken with jollof rice and stewed onions and sautéed onions. I never knew onions could be cooked in so many ways and be delicious at the same time. This Nigerian style of cooking is authentic as it get.

    Fish yasso made my Lilly. Excellent!!
    Arielle C.

    I've been telling all my friends this is one of my favorite places to eat in Norfolk. When Lilly is cooking the food is BOMB. I ordered the fish yasso and it was delicious! Perfectly crispy/charred on the outside but soooo juicy and flavorful on the inside. One of my most memorable dishes from Norfolk. Another time I came back and a guy made the fish but he over fried it and it was just way to crispy. I wish Lilly was cooking all the time.

    Red Snapper & Jollof Rice

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    This is one of my fav african restaurant in the area. To see this place grow from a few years ago to this has been great!!

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    7 years ago

    Top five meals of my life. "Absolutely angelic, life changing! Too good for this earth" - my girlfriend

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    Business owner information

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    Massamba S.

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    6 years ago

    Amazing food!! They did not have everything advertised on the menu, but the things they had was done very well.

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    5 years ago

    Great taste and spice , they are very friendly, love this place . Didnt know they were right here :)))

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    Page 2 of 3

    Ask the Community - Lilly's Corner

    Yendidi Norfolk

    Yendidi Norfolk

    4.3
    (176 reviews)
    2.7 mi
    $$

    Went here on a Saturday night because I was craving something filling and flavorful; the place…read morething that came to mind was Yendidi. I tried them before a long time ago and haven't had them recently, so I was really anticipating having them again. The ordering process was quick and easy, we used their computer screens to put our orders in. Not too bad of a wait for our food. The staff were very communicative on our food status while we were waiting, which I appreciated. My order included an Afro pie (7.5/10), I absolutely loved the sauce it came with, but I do feel like the meat inside and pie itself was dry. Sautéed green beans (10/10). Chicken Egusi soup w/ pounded yam (9/10), the flavors were amazing! I loved how savory it was; however, I do believe they switched the spice level of my soup with my sisters because I asked for none-little spice, yet my soup tasted like it was their highest spice level !! I had to keep taking breaks while eating because while it did taste really good, it was also so so spicy! I really did enjoy my meal, despite receiving the wrong spice level in my Egusi soup. I will def return again soon. My overall rate of experience : 8.6/10

    I recently dined at Yendidi and I feel spiritually, emotionally, and culinarily changed…read more First of all, the atmosphere? Immaculate. It's the kind of place where you walk in thinking, "Oh nice," and walk out Googling how to recreate the lighting in your own living room. Cozy without being cramped. Trendy without making me feel like my shoes were judged. The food? Listen. I would like to publicly apologize to my taste buds for ever doubting them. Every bite tasted like the chef stood over the plate whispering, "You deserve this." Bold flavors, perfectly cooked, plated like it was about to audition for a food magazine. Now why four stars instead of five? Because I have trust issues. And also because the food came out so good I now have unrealistic expectations for every other meal I will ever eat. That feels like a burden I wasn't prepared to carry. Service was friendly, attentive, and didn't once make me feel bad for asking, "What's that?" three separate times. Water refills were prompt. Smiles were genuine. No one hovered. No one disappeared into the void. Would I go back? Absolutely. Would I recommend it? Yes. Would I pretend I discovered it before it was cool? Also yes. Four stars. Only because if I give five, they might get too powerful.

    Photos
    Yendidi Norfolk
    Fried Sweet Plantain
    Fried Sweet Plantain
    Yendidi Norfolk

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    Yendidi Virginia Beach

    Yendidi Virginia Beach

    4.3
    (69 reviews)
    4.2 mi

    Yendidi has been on my Yelp radar for years, but never found time to try them out. Their flagship…read morelocation is in Norfolk where they even have a grocery market. A few years ago, they opened this location which has a bar and dine-in service. Sophia and I joined a friend of ours for lunch on Saturday. Let's see how the event turned out. I happened to place a reservation for our table the previous night, but since there weren't many people present, it wasn't necessary. The staff greeted us when we walked inside and got seated immediately. The decor inside was really nice. There's artwork abound, a bar and even a foosball table. Simply put, you should not be bored at a place like this. After looking at the menu, we were all ready to order. I selected their cabbage stew with chicken as the protein with plain jasmine rice and sweet plantains. Overall, the food was good. The stew was presented with medium spice so it definitely had my lips burning (a great thing) and the rice was well cooked. The plantains had flavor, but I felt it was overcooked. It has been a minute since I've eaten plantains but they were always a bit soft. The stew did have plenty of chicken but it could've been cut to slightly smaller pieces. Still, the meal had yours truly full and I did takeout. So did Sophia and our friend. All in all, I had a really nice time. The hospitality was really nice (the owner actually came to our table to check on us) and the food was plentiful. Oh yeah, we even had a robot bring our food to us. How cool is that??!! Anyways, till next time :)

    My wife and I had friends coming into town over the weekend and I suggested meeting up at Yendidi,…read moreas my friend loves African cuisine. I have been to Yendidi two times prior and have had great experiences both times. However, this particular time left a LOT to be desired. I've previously visited Yendidi during the week and around late afternoon/early evening. They have good happy hour deals and they allow you to order off their lunch menu well into the evening which I appreciate. Since my friends got into town late we ended up visiting Yendidi around 7:30pm on Sunday evening. When we sat down and were getting ready to order our waitress informed us of a laundry list of food options they had run out of (chicken, shrimp, plantains, jollof rice, white rice, beef patties, bread rolls, and samosas). This really limited the availability of options that we could choose from on their extensive menu. I would highly recommend having a white board or some way of communicating what options are not available before customers sit down so that they can make an informed decision about whether to dine at this location or go somewhere else with more options. My friends ordered the goat suya and chicken suya (they apparently still had a small amount of chicken left) and they both enjoyed their appetizers. The meat was very tender and well seasoned. I was relieved that things were taking a turn for the better but unfortunately I was disappointed again. My friend ordered the pepper soup and the wrong entree came out...twice! The waitress didn't give a sincere apology and it took my friend about an hour to get the correct entree. His correct order came out around 8:45pm (Yendidi closes at 9pm) and I could tell he didn't have enough time to enjoy his food. He ate about half of it and didn't even box up the rest (likely because they were staying at a hotel). My wife and I ordered the Waakye Special with a side of sweet potato fries. Fortunately our orders were correct and our food was tasty. Though I much preferred a side of jollof rice or plantains like I normally get, I was satisfied with my meal specifically. Given the lack of food options available and the lack of accuracy with my friend's order I believe their whole meal should've been complimentary or at least significantly discounted (i.e 50% off). I was so disappointed and embarrassed that their dining experience was so subpar. I expect much more out of Yendidi since I've had such better experiences in the past and I've met the owners. I hope they reach out and make this experience right. This restaurant provides tasty authentic West African food but I highly recommend coming during the weekday and or before 7:30pm to ensure that you have the best dining experience. Also, ask for Connie, she's a super jovial waitress.

    Photos
    High top seating by the bar
    High top seating by the bar
    Egusi with goat
    Egusi with goat
    Entrance

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    Entrance
    Tasty Kabab

    Tasty Kabab

    4.4
    (68 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    The food here is good, the staff is friendly, and the restaurant is clean and well-lit…read more My husband and I stopped in to get a quick meal to-go. We were greeted by a helpful employee and the owner. They helped us decide what to order. We ordered the grilled chicken platter with a side of falafel. We made the mistake of not expressing that this meal was to-go. Another customer walked in after we ordered, placed his order (a wrap) and got his meal on a tray within 5 minutes. He ate in the restaurant and by the time he ate and left, our food still wasn't ready. It was only us and the customer that came in after us and ordered a wrap, so it wasn't busy. When we did get the food, it was tasty, hot, and tasted fresh. The food and the service was good, just express if you want to-go upfront and if you're eating in, prepare for the possibility of a wait. Update: We last went here a couple of months ago. We passed by on 6/22/25 and they are now permanently closed. Hate to see that! Hopefully they will be able to reopen at another location.

    I got Tasty Kebab for lunch. Its close to Lidl in the Janef Shopping Center. There was no one…read moreinside so i didn't have to wait. If you get a bowl its kinda Subway style so you just choose your toppings and you can watch it be made. The owner is really nice, she is always friendly when I come in. I got egg plant, cucumber, chicken , onions, sauces, and etc. At first I was disappointed at the amount of what she was scooping, but in the end it was a good amount and was filling. The bowl was tasty and I really enjoyed the eggplant. The garlic sauce and hummus was good as well. I'd definitely return. Check them out!!

    Photos
    Tasty Kabab
    Tasty Kabab
    Tasty Kabab

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    Jam Cafe

    Jam Cafe

    3.7
    (78 reviews)
    4.5 mi
    $

    My husband surprised me by ordering dinner from Jam Café because I've always wanted to try this…read morecuisine, but every time I've called before, they were closed. I was so excited to finally try it. Unfortunately, the experience was extremely disappointing. When my husband got home with the food, we realized one of the dinners was missing. When he called the restaurant, they went back and forth with him, insisting he had the item and confusing it with a veggie tray. It was very frustrating and unprofessional. I drove all the way back from my home in Chesapeake to resolve the issue. While there, I also returned the glory greens because they were clearly not fresh or properly prepared. I asked to swap them for cabbage, but the cabbage wasn't fully cooked. After waiting an additional 10 minutes, they asked if I would prefer a refund instead. I then had to wait another five minutes just to receive the refund. Throughout the entire interaction, the staff was rude and showed no empathy for the inconvenience -- especially considering I had to drive all the way back after my husband had already brought dinner home. Overall, this was a horrible experience, and sadly, the food was even worse. I truly wanted to love this place, but I will not be returning

    This was very underwhelming the jerk chicken taste like it's been sitting too long and under…read moreseasoned. The oxtails were whatever.

    Photos
    Vip area
    Vip area
    Chicken Sampler, Callaloo Rice, Mac and Cheese
    Chicken Sampler, Callaloo Rice, Mac and Cheese
    Menu

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    Menu
    Nando's Peri-Peri

    Nando's Peri-Peri

    3.9
    (188 reviews)
    4.5 mi
    $$

    I had to update this review. Ever since I was introduced to Nando's (by Yelp, mind you), I have…read morebeen a crazy person about it. If I remember this place exists mid conversation (any conversation), I stop to tell the person I'm talking to about it. The food here is so good and so fresh!! They got rid of the peas, and when I asked the waiter about it, no one knew what I was talking about. But from the picture you can see they existed lol. I'm sad about the peas, but this time i discovered a new obsession: their Brussels sprouts. Oh. My. Goodness. I will dream about them. The peri ranch on top of them was just *perfection.* The chicken is always so juicy and freshly made. The char on it smacks every time. You can choose different sauces to dip it in. They're available to bring to your table where the silverware and napkins live. I always get my chicken medium spicy and dip it in the wild herb or the garlic sauce. 10/10. Can you tell I'm obsessed? Come with me to ensure this place never closes. Visit Nandos, you will never be disappointed!

    Once again I decided to stop into Nando's as I was in the area and this experience absolutely was…read moreincredible! The staff was extremely friendly and welcoming! The host informed me I could order with a QR code at the table. Let me tell you! It was extremely easy to navigate, ordering this way you really see everything like the workers would, it is truly genius, I now know I can order different sizes of the Peri Mac! I decided to try the lemon & Herd pulled chicken and for the price the portion it is prefect! The chicken was absolutely delicious! So far Nando's once again gets five stars! If you are thinking about coming here, do it! Restaurant was clean/bathrooms as well!

    Photos
    Nando's Peri-Peri
    Nando's Peri-Peri
    Oh, outdoor seating with lights, trees, and heating.

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    Oh, outdoor seating with lights, trees, and heating.

    Lilly's Corner - african - Updated June 2026

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