This small shop is worth visiting to have some delicious Nigerian food. If you're looking for an interesting place to take a friend, this is a great choice. Portions are generous and there is plenty of outdoor seating and parking in the area. There are a couple of indoor tables, but I'd recommend going when it's nice out so you can sit at the picnic tables in the middle of the traffic circle out front and watch the planes on final approach to SNA. It does get a bit loud since the airport is so close by. You order at the register and the food can take a little bit to come out depending on what dishes are ready to go. I decided on goat as a traditional option and went with the non-spicy jollof rice. The cashier also offered their habanero sauce with a warning about how hot it is. I'm not sure what the greens were, but they were mild and not bitter like collard greens. The plantains were a nice sweet treat to round out the meal. read more

Lynda's African Delicacies - Goat Jollof Rice - African Near Me - Irvine, California

I've really wanted to like this place more. I don't usually give bad reviews, especially to small local businesses but here we are. I came here because I've been wanting to try Nigerian food for the longest time. I ordered through doordash their beef egusi that came with fufu. It was about $28 for one portion. They put the beef on the side and it was dry AF. The flavor was okay but it was difficult to swallow since it was so dry. The egusi unfortunately had a strong fishy smell to it that was off putting. The fufu was probably the best thing there. I also gave some to two other girls to try and they felt the same. Unfortunately I was very disappointed in everything and didn't even finish my meal. That is rare for me. I also didn't like that when I came my order wasn't ready. I think they didn't even see my order. This place is small and casual. The two ladies working there were nice. The foods look pre-made. They also sell some grocery items in store. There is a few tables and chairs inside and outside. It's located in a business area by the round about. read more

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I was thrilled to find out there was a local spot serving African grub and it definitely delivered on the aggressive, earthy spices balanced by the hearty starches and meats. I tried out their Fufu (dense dough made of yam/cassava), Egusi (traditional African stew) with some Oxtails and had to also try one of their traditional meat pies! Take a chance and try this place out folks! read more

Lynda's African Delicacies - African Near Me - Irvine, California

To celebrate 2026 World Cup, our office decided, each Thursday, we will have a different cuisine of the World. World Cup spans 39 days. Including today, that is 6 Thursday of international lunches. :) We started the first one today with Lynda's African Delicacies. It's something new for all of us (about 30 people in the office today). We had some sort of fried rice, chicken drumsticks, potatoes stew, beef (or goat?) stew, and masa rolls. I must admit, it was definitely different and I'm not sure if I would say I enjoyed it. The beef or goat meat was super dry and tough. Chicken drumsticks were okay. The masa rolls were a bit sweet and that was my favorite from all the dishes. We ended up having so much leftovers. read more

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Man, I've been wanting to try African food for a while and came across this place... for family dinner, I ordered several things so we could try different things. I ordered fufu w/ oxtail and spinach, fufu w/spinach,egusi, chicken jollof rice, plantains, masa, puff puff, and meat pies. The PROS: The chicken jollof rice, oxtails, and plaintains were decent. The CONS: The masa had good flavor, but like the puff puff, and meat pies, they were so greasy and rubbery. The spinach had a flavor I didn't particularly enjoy. The egusi stew didn't fare much better. We ended up tossing the majority of it. read more

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Your girlfriend wanted to try this place and I was super excited because I've actually never had Fufu before! Parking isn't very great around there but hopefully someone is leaving while you get in. As you walk in, it's actually a ghost kitchen, but you can order from the front cashier or the iPad. I recommend ordering directly from the cashier because iPad doesn't have everything on the menu. So I was a bit confused because some other individuals ordered meat pies and other items that I wanted to try :( Hopefully Lynda can fix that! Food: - Fufu & Egusi Stew with Ox Tail - I loved the soft texture of the FuFu. The stew is absolutely delicious. Also. Tail flavor was fantastic but I think it could've been a little bit more tender still awesome! - Goat - It wasn't very gamey and I did like the flavors! It does come with rice so technically I didn't need to order the small rice. - Plantains - 10/10 would recommend as it's nice having some balance in between the spice. - Jollof Rice - I tried the spicy and the regular they are both very good. Spicy isn't too spicy There were some tables that you were able to eat in. The cashiers were nice and welcoming. They were attentive. It was a nice chill vibe even with tables outside to eat in the sun. Overall, I really enjoyed all of the food. I can't wait to try the other items on the menu! read more

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Cravings satisfied! Been wanting to try fufu and egusi for months so I finally ordered for delivery. This is a first experience for me and I'm glad it was a good one. My review is solely coming from the perspective of someone who tried this for the first time and am not familiar with African food. Everything was surprisingly not strong in flavor and was easy to eat. My picky eater even enjoyed it. Fufu - taste like bland mashed potatoes. Daughter loved it. Soft and perfect consistency. Egusi - You can really taste the crawfish/crayfish. Like if you ever sucked the head, that's what it tastes like and it's delicious! I like that they didn't skimp on the spinach so there's a good balance. Whole family enjoyed, including my picky kid. Great with both fufu and puff puff. I'm still craving this the next few days. So good! Jollof rice - cooked perfectly. Great with spinach stew. Spinach stew - similar taste to some Asian spinach dish so it felt comforting. Again, easy to eat. A little salty for my taste but my kids disagreed and said it was perfect. Puff puff - SO GOOD! It is greasy straight out of the fryer but man, this was good. Picky eater and I actually liked this with the egusi better than fufu. It has a slight sweetness but is still a savory fried bread. Meat pie - The only thing we didn't care for. The dough was too thick for our liking. Would've preferred a thinner dough and more meat. Overall, would order again. BTW, their spicy sauce is AMAZING! I asked for it on the side and have been eating it with everything. If you like spice, definitely get it. Note - I ordered delivery on Postmates and it doesn't look like they update the app when certain items are unavailable. I ordered the Masa but they didn't have anymore when the driver picked up my order so I had them replace with more Puff Puff. Just keep that in mind and maybe check with the restaurant before ordering. read more

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+ Yummy Nigerian food. Man, the oxtail entree is so rich. *drool* + Polite, helpful staff. - Limited indoor & outdoor seating. - Lacking in vegetables. - The portion is kinda small. - The snacks masa & puf puf are lacking. Little to no ingredient variety/toppings. Seemed like just bread. + Pleasant ambience. I had: $17.99 Peppered dishes oxtail + $1.50 masa + $1.50 puf puf + tax = $22.62 read more

So yummy! I got the fufu and egusi. Jennifer, one of the employees, was kind, helpful, and so happy to see us all excited! This was my first time trying Nigerian food, but certainly not the last. Best of luck to your business as the shopping center continues to grow! read more

Lynda's African Delicacies - fufu and egusi - African Near Me - Irvine, California

I've always been a fan of trying new dishes and flavors. When Lynda's African Delicacies appeared on my Yelp search, I was excited to pick up some dishes for dinner. Meat Pie (4/5) - Loved the buttery pie crust and tasty meat filling Oxtail Fufu and Egusi (3/5) - The oxtail was the standout of this dish, but you only get 2 pieces. I do wish more of the fat was trimmed off of the oxtail. The fufu was enjoyable with the sauces and stews. I didn't really enjoy the egusi because it had a bitter/burnt aftertaste. Lamb Jollof Rice w/ Fried Plantains and Spinach (3/5) - The jollof rice was very flavorful. The sides were okay - half of the plantains were sweet and soft and the other half were firmer and more raw tasting. It was fun to try new flavors and to eat fufu with all the stews, meats, and sides. read more

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First time trying African food! Everything was a delight and would love to try some more new things next time! Ordered a combo plate with jollof rice, oxtail, plantains, spinach. Rice was tasted like a more tomato-ey Mexican rice. The oxtail was braised and tender and juicy. The hot sauce it came with was a good addition. Love the spinach as well but warning that there might be fish bones in it as I had a couple hard pieces. Plantains were great as well. The place is hidden in a business complex. The interior is small and had no AC so it was really hot during summer. Only one register so had to wait a bit to order which sucked because of the heat. Staff were friendly though. Overall good place to try African food and would love to try again. read more

Lynda's African Delicacies - Combo plate with oxtail jollof rice plantains and spinach - African Near Me - Irvine, California

After seeing everyone in my for you page eat Fufu and Egusi Soup, I've been wanting to try it for myself. Originally wanted to try the beef combo with the fufu and egusi soup but they ran out and it wouldve taken 25 minutes extra (should've waited but I was too hungry lol) Instead I opted out for the Chicken Combo (7/10) , but it was still good. We also got the Lamb Combo (8/10), and that was amazing! Very tender and the meat just fell apart and melted in your mouth. The portions were pretty big in my opinion so this spot is definitely worth the drive if you're faraway and debating on it. Would also try the jollof rice next time. If I could, I would give it a 6/5 stars!!! The customer service was one of the nicest we've experienced. The guy was very helpful and answered all our questions. Will be going back veryyy soon to get the beef (note to self, get there early cuz they go by fast) PS. There's not really a seating area, this is a grab and go spot but theres picnic tables right across when you step outside the store. read more

Lynda's African Delicacies - Cashier - African Near Me - Irvine, California

First time trying African food and I was not disappointed! My friend and I shared the lamb jolloff rice plate. The rice and spinach were seasoned well but the lamb was a little dry. As someone who doesn't really like plantains, I was surprised that the plantains were delicious and had a balance between sweet and savory. I definitely will be coming back! read more

Lynda's African Delicacies - Lamb jolloff rice and meat pie - African Near Me - Irvine, California

I've always wanted to try fufu - so Lynda's was a perfect spot for me to order from! The oxtail was so good! 10/10!! If you order 1 thing from here - let it be the oxtail! We also ordered the chicken but do not get it. It was just baked chicken with simple seasoning. I wish there was more seasoning but if you like your chicken that way - this is for you. The fufu itself was so soft! No chewing! The egusi was good too! I loved the flavor! The shop is a small shop with little seating outside. We got ours to go but it was a bit hard to find the actual store. It looks like a warehouse area, but once you get in - there's a secret nook of stores! read more

Lynda's African Delicacies - Oxtail Fufu Egusi Chicken Fufu Egusi - African Near Me - Irvine, California

Not What I Expected! First Time Trying Egusi. This was my first time trying egusi, so keep that in mind, I can't compare it to other places just yet. I ordered the egusi soup with beef and fufu, along with a meat pie and fried plantains. The meat pie was actually really good, meaty, flavorful, and satisfying. I just wish it had a little kick of spice. The fried plantains were hit or miss. Some pieces were perfectly ripe, sweet, and tender, while others were a bit bland and firm. Now for the main dish: egusi soup with fufu. The egusi had a strong smoky flavor that tasted a bit burnt. I'm not sure if that's how it's traditionally supposed to taste, but it definitely caught me off guard. The smoky flavor overpowered everything else, at least for me. I'm really hoping this was just a bad batch or that it was cooked a little too long, because I want to give egusi another shot elsewhere. It wasn't terrible, just not what I was expecting at all. As for the location, it's more of a takeout spot with a few outdoor tables. It's in an industrial area near John Wayne Airport, so you'll get a cool up close view of airplanes flying overhead while you wait. Service was quick and they all seemed friendly. read more

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This is our second time coming here, we came back for the egusi and fufu! We haven't tried any other African food so we don't have anything else to compare it to, but it was really tasty. Lots of flavors going on. This second time we tried the chicken jollof rice. To be honest it was good, but nothing special. I was expecting more flavor from the chicken and the rice but they were surprisingly very bland. The spinach that came as a side with the dish was excellent! I ended up pouring it on top of the rice and mixing it in to add more flavor. Wouldn't get this dish again, but we will definitely come back for the egusi and fufu! read more

Lynda's African Delicacies - African Near Me - Irvine, California

Lynda's African Delicacies is a gem for some authentic and delicious African diasporic food. This spot is located in a more industrial like plaza right next to a ghost kitchen concept. There are a good amount of parking spots in the plaza. Inside, they have a modest setup with a kiosk machine for ordering and a couple chairs to sit on while waiting for your order. There are a couple tables outside for seating as well. For their menu, they have a plethora of options to choose from with different combo options. Wifey and I got a spread consisting of the Fufu & Egusi with Beef, Jollof Rice Combo with Oxtail, Masa, Meat Pie, and an extra side of Plantains. Overall, everything we tried was delicious with great seasoning. All of the staff here are very friendly and welcoming. Whether you are looking to try something new or are seeking some delicious African food, this is definitely a must try spot! read more

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This was my first time having Nigerian food and in Irvine of all places! I ordered the beef fufu and spinach plate, with a side of yam pottage and jollof rice. I also tried the oxtail fufu and egisu plate and preferred that to my own plate. The oxtail was tender and moist while the beef was firm and dry, but they came in the same sauce which tasted incredible. The jollof rice was so good, we opted for the spicy version and it definitely had a good kick to it. I wouldn't order the yam pottage again, it wasn't particularly flavorful and the yam was big and a bit dry. We also ordered puff puffs, and a meat pie. These were made fresh so they came out piping hot! The puff puff is essentially fried dough and the meat pie had a tasty doughy exterior and a meat and potato filling. It was definitely busy on a weekend dinner so expect a bit of a wait. The seating is limited, the space is shared between 3 restaurants. read more

Lynda's African Delicacies - Beef Fufu & Spinach, Yam Pottage, Jollof Rice - African Near Me - Irvine, California

I think it was alright, but this was also my first time trying African food, so I don't really have anything to compare it to. The chicken was dry and not very moist, almost like it had been sitting out and not stirred. The fufu and other items were interesting. It's more of a takeout spot, so I ordered online and picked it up. The ambiance was simple and the service was nice. read more

Lynda's African Delicacies - African Near Me - Irvine, California

Finally got to try this place, it's hidden inside a plaza with lots of parking in front. You order at a kiosk and there's seating in front of the stores. They looked very busy, so be sure to be patient as the staff was working very hard to get all the orders out. It seems like a small family owned business, I believe they just recently opened. There were so many options! Really unique tastes that I've never tried before, eegusi was salty and slightly sour almost and the fufu was so pleasant to eat. The chicken was a bit dry, it came with a slightly spicy oil based sauce. I threw in a few fried pastries since it was only $1, airy texture and hot from the fryer. Overall definitely recommend trying out! read more

Lynda's African Delicacies - African Near Me - Irvine, California

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First time trying African food, and while it was a cool experience, we learned it's definitely an acquired taste and just not for us personally. We ordered the Egusi with fufu , Jollaf Rice and the shrimp noodle plate and spent about $50. After a few bites, we realized it wasn't our preferred type of food, so unfortunately we couldn't finish it. Customer service was okay, the girl at the front was very quiet but still helpful. I'm giving 3 stars because just because it wasn't for us doesn't mean it won't be for someone else. That's not the restaurant's fault at all. read more

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Literally so good! Heard so much about this place and finally got a chance to visit. The lady helping was super nice and even the customers were super friendly. The nice man behind us in line was extremely patient when I took forever to figure out what I wanted. Super friendly environment. Definitely going to come back again! I got the egusi/spinach with lamb and fufu. Highly recommend:) read more

Lynda's African Delicacies - Lamb Fufu & Spinach, Lamb Fufu Egusi, habanero sauce - African Near Me - Irvine, California

Top: Oxtail Fufu and Spinach This one was my favorite! The eforiro spinach was very flavorful, I love the bell peppers with it. The oxtail was also very soft and came apart easily. Bottom: Chicken Fufu and Egusi The chicken was a bit dry but the egusi definitely helped it bring a little flavor and texture back. This is a quick service place, there is no seating inside and it's located in an office building. However, there are a couple picnic benches outside for you to eat and enjoy the scenery. If you're looking to try authentic African food, definitely come to Lynda's! read more

Lynda's African Delicacies - oxtail fufu and spinach (top) and chicken fufu and egusi (bottom) - African Near Me - Irvine, California

Coming into the restaurant, we were introduced by an employee who was vaping outside the entrance door who i thought was a customer. alr bad vibes from the beginning . Anyways, We ordered Egusi Stew, plantains, goat, and Fufu. Unfortunately, our Egusi Stew tasted burnt and bitter to the point where we couldn't even get three bites in. Both me and my sister were looking forward to trying this, and the entirety of this meal ruined our night. Plantains weren't fresh, and had a rubbery texture to it but taste wasn't too bad; Don't know if the rubbery dry texture is normal, but thats what we received. Goat on the other hand tasted wonderful, however hard to chew on. I don't know if buying the food during dinner time affected the food quality, but it really does seem so after trying to consuming this (I don't recommend buying it during dinner time if its always gonna be like this). I'm js sad we wasted $30 and couldn't even enjoy majority of this meal. Maybe we just went on a bad day or something, but I'm willing to try again and give it a second chance during lunchtime. read more

The location was very easy to find parking and the service was very nice! I didn't have to wait long for my food and I loved how my food tasted! It was my first time trying fufu and egusi but safe to safe I'll be coming back again! read more

Lynda's African Delicacies - Beef Fufu Egusi - African Near Me - Irvine, California

The last time I had Lynda's African Delicacies, they were still serving out of their food truck. They have since moved into a brick and mortar just around the corner. Not only is this a huge upgrade in terms of shorter wait times for your food, but they are open six days a week instead of one! It's a bit confusing on how to order if you've never ordered from them before. While they have their items set out for you to see and choose from, it's not necessarily a pick and choose your own kind of place. They are super friendly, so just ask how it works and they'll explain. I can honestly just eat their vegetarian entrée which comes with your choice of rice (I recommend jollof rice) and it comes with collard greens and plantains ($10), but their protein options look so good that it's hard to pass. Just the vegetarian with no protein alone is a huge portion so I split it with my hubby and we are both full by the end of it. I love their Egusi ($10), but I'm not a huge fan of the Fufu that comes with it. They were kind enough to let me substitute the Fufu for Jollof Rice at no extra charge! The flavors are spot on at this place and i just love coming here! read more

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I want to come back and update this review. I think 3 is a more accurate rating for my review. The food was good but I'm not sure if anything was a standout. I liked the hot sauce the best. read more

Lynda's African Delicacies - African Near Me - Irvine, California

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First time trying African food and was pleased w the flavor! Yam Pottage: 5/5 I enjoy the texture and mild flavor. Reminds me of potato. Spinach Stew: 5/5 My favorite item I got! I felt like this has the most flavor and reminded me of a filipino dish/flavor profile Plantains: 5/5 Always love plantains and it's a nice sweet flavor and texture to eat along the rest of the meal Fufu: 3/5 Nothing wrong with it, it was fresh and warm...didn't have much of an expectation for it but it is exactly what you probably expect. Just in terms of personal preference, I'd rather eat the yam pottage Beef Egusi: 4/5 The flavor was this item was fine, it does give a more smoky flavor profile than preferred but I do enjoy the beef portion as the meat was super tender and good portion Overall pretty solid flavor profiles all around and I'm so glad to have finally come around to trying it! Service: 5/5 The cashier was nice, patient and understanding considering i had several questions about the menu since it was my first time Ambiance: 3/5 The shop is small and intimate inside, only complaint is that it's pretty hot inside. There are several outside dining options though which is nice if you want to eat the food freshly l. Location is also right next to the SNA Airport and was easy to find Parking: 5/5 Lot has ample free parking, was not an issue at all. Overall I enjoyed my experience, and would come back if I found myself craving these flavors again read more

Must try! I've been seeing fufu and egusi soup everywhere on social media and really wanted to try something new before the year ended. Also couldn't help myself but to order the jollof rice and protein combo! It's HUGE. I was able to share this with 3 other people (we all an appropriate amount). Well worth the price. I posted pictures of the menu below as the combos are based off the price of the protein selected. You can find this business within a small industrial plaza located in Irvine. read more

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I got the fried rice, oxtail, plantains and Zobo hibiscus tea.... oh my goodness, soooo good!!! Everything is on point!! Everything! read more

Lynda's African Delicacies - Fried rice, plantains, oxtails and Zobo hibiscus tea - African Near Me - Irvine, California

Technically give this place a 3.5 I want to say this is my personal opinion on taste and this is the first African place I've ever tried. I might just not be used to the flavor. The lamb was extremely tough so my family had a hard time eating it. The ebusi stew was too fishy for me. We did love the oxtail, Jollaf rice, and noodles. Those were 10/10. Fish was great as well but if you don't like bones it is not for you.i personally liked the fufu but my husband didn't so i feel like it's a hit or miss. Service is 10/10. The lady at the front was so nice and patient. She answer all my questions about what different foods were and what was in it and gave recommendations on what to try. Food came out really fast for how much we ordered. Inside there's no seating. It's very much like a quick food pick up place but there are picnic tables. I'm still glad I tried it and would highly recommend this place if you've never had African food. read more

Amazing, kind and knowledgeable staff! Small place but they move quick! Meat quality is good and decent portions. Plantains are amazing! Jollof rice wasn't as spicy as expected but still good. read more

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Food: Combo with fufu, lamb and traditional egusi, meat pie, plantains Overall: My first time having Fufu! We came an hour before closing time and we came at a perfect time where they were still making fresh fufu. We ordered the egusi, which had a pronounced shrimp flavor. Surprisingly, it was quite heavy, and we felt full after only a few bites. It also had a slightly salty taste. The fufu had a texture similar to mashed potatoes, which paired perfectly with the other flavors. The lamb was excellent. We enjoyed the marinade, but some pieces were chewy while others were fall-apart tender. The meat pie was reminiscent of an empanada. Since it was near closing time, it had been sitting in the heated oven for some time, resulting in a slightly dry texture. Despite this, the flavor was still present, with a peppery taste and a minimal amount of meat filling. The flaky crust of the pastry was thick and bready. A great place to try Nigerian Food!! read more

Lynda's African Delicacies - Menu - African Near Me - Irvine, California

Food was 10/10 the quality of the ingredients were super fresh, I never had fufu and egusi before but I definitely recommend that you try it from here! Will be going back today for more! read more

Lynda's African Delicacies - Fufu & egusi with Lamb I ordered last week & I will be going today again - African Near Me - Irvine, California

Not for me. Tried it a few times at home before throwing it out. Had the Fufu & Egusi (No Meat) and Fried Rice.

This was my first time trying African food and I found this place through tiktok. I am not going to rate the food because we all have different opinions and because I have never tried anything like this and have nothing to compare it to. It was an interesting experience. This rating is for their service and presentation/packaging: I ordered online on their website and the website was easy to order from but they didn't have combo plates like the menu has in person. I was able to order everything I wanted and schedule my order to be ready in 45 minutes when I would arrive. As someone who has never had African food it was a little difficult to order only because they didn't have a lot of pictures but their Yelp had a lot so I went back and forth to see if I was ordering the right thing. I arrived at the restaurant a couple minutes before I was supposed to pick up my order and they didn't even start my order. There were a few people already there also waiting for their orders so it was a long wait. They also ran out of meat pies and at this point we were already there for 20 minutes and we were told to wait another 10 minutes for them. They were very apologetic about it and even offered to deliver it to us if we didn't want to wait 10 minutes but we chose to wait. There were only 2 seats inside so we waited outside for the rest of our orders. The meat pies took almost 30 minutes but we got fresh hot meat pies! There was really no point in ordering online since we still had to wait almost 45 minutes for our order... The food looked amazing in the end but the to-go boxes were very greasy on the outside and made a mess when we were opening everything up. read more

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Love the jollof rice with the oxtails combo, the meat was falling off the bone and seasoned so flavorful and just right. I really enjoyed the spinach with the rice and meat as well as the slightsly sweetened fried plantains. For the fufu and egusi, i thought the egusi was a little salty and has a distinct taste that i'm not super familiar with but it was good. The lamb was also just as tender and goes well with the egusi though it does have a bit of that gamey taste that i'm not too big of a fan of personally. Everything was nicely packaged but i still ended up having some spillage out into the carry out bag so be careful not to get this all over your car. Overall i would definitely go back to try other dishes. read more

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African food is very unique and it's a shame that it's not as heavily popularized as other ethnic foods. That being said, the flavor profiles definitely set it apart from others. I had the jollof rice with spinach stew, plantains, and ox tail. The rice and oxtail combo was delicious! The oxtail was seasoned perfectly and tender and rice was flavorful. Spinach strw and plantains were okay, but the meat and rice made up for it. Definitely something to try if you haven't had African food! read more

Lynda's African Delicacies - Oxtail, jollof rice, and plantains - African Near Me - Irvine, California

lynda's food is delicious!! we got fufu, egusi and jollof rice and everything was cooked to perfection lynda also came out from the kitchen to talk to us and she was super sweet! read more

Lynda's African Delicacies - African Near Me - Irvine, California

Tried this place for the first time, fufu with oxtail was good, didn't really care for the egusi. The rice was good by itself. Their hot sauce has a good kick to it so be careful.. good service, small restaurant with 2 -3 tables. They have benches outside under trees where you can also sit at. Overall an okay experience , nothing really WOWed me. read more