I'm not used to eating West African food, so this was definitely a nice surprise. I had a whole grilled tilapia cooked with a tomato-based sauce here with a side of brown rice (I think it's actually white rice cooked with caramelized onions with half a hard-boiled egg). The fish is harder work than I'm used to, but worth it. Everything was so flavorful here with just enough spice to make it interesting. The portion sizes are huge, and I got two hefty meals out of it for $11. I definitely look forward to trying other dishes from here in the future. My coworker and I got carryout from here slightly before the dinner rush. Service was decently fast for the amount of people coming in to place and pick up orders. read more

I had heard so much about this place and had been dying to check it out. Went here with a friend today for dinner. It's located in a small plaza. The restaurant is pretty small inside but has been recently renovated. It wasn't busy though so we were able to be seated right away. I ordered grilled chicken with a side of rice and peas. Very delicious. The spices on the chicken were mouth watering. I highly recommend you try this hidden gem. read more

Teranga Restaurant - African Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I have been going to Terangas for years but they have definitely lost their touch or there is a new cook. My food was very bland so bland I had to come home and put some seasoning which Is something I never had to do because it's always seasoned well. The cabbage isn't good anymore, very crunchy. You'll need to step it up or hire the old cook back. I was very disappointed with my meal. I ordered red snapper, curry chicken, peas rice cabbage and chicken wings. read more

I love there food and there service. The woman are beautiful inside and out. They definitely have a customer out of me every time I come to Cincinnati from now on. read more

If you appreciate good African and Jamaican cuisine then this is the place to get it. I mean every aspect is tops. And the owner keeps it tight and respectful. The oxtails could cook another hour though ! I'm a customer for life. read more

Love this place! The dishes are definitely authentic and taste great. I have been ordering food from Teranga for over a decade now and the owner is extremely professional. read more

Love this place! The Senegalese food is delicious and the staff is very friendly. Try it!

Massive portions, reasonable prices, and a heavenly flavor combination. We went here twice this weekend, its that good! The first time I had the grilled fish dinner. It was very flakey and none of the overpowering fish taste. They weren't kidding with this fish either, it was an entire probably 8in fish. If I had known the size I would have split with my bf, mind you each dinner meal comes with its own equally massive side dish. I also tried the Lamb lunch which was by far my favorite. The lamb was very tender and juicy but it was a bit fattier than I would like. The brown rice however, phenomenal. The entire duration of our visit (on both days) Teranga was a revolving door of customers. Most people carry out, but if you feel like eating in there is never a wait for a table. And the service is so quick it rivals many quick service chains. This unassuming strip mall restaurant has quickly become a staple on my lunch rotation. read more

I had never had African food before it was delicious!! The location is small and hard to spot of the road (don't miss out) I will be back and will recommend to everyone read more

Teranga Restaurant - Its hard to see off the road, the food is delicious - African Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Seriously this place is bomb. We've been here twice. We always do carry out, and the woman who answers the phone is always so sweet. I've had the chicken curry, jerk chicken and BBQ wings. Big portions for great prices and everything has been spectacular. I'm so excited to have this place right down the street from me. My husband has also had the fried fish, I didn't partake because I'm not a seafood person, but he said it was awesome! Don't sleep on this place, go and make your tummy happy. read more

This is the BEST PLACE to go for African cuisine. The service is fast and very loving . I highly recommend them if you want some hearty eating read more

First tip: call ahead to place your order! It'll make the process of getting your food MUCH faster! Also, be prepared to potentially receive an order that might be slightly incorrect. Now...aside from those two issues let me that the food is DELICIOUS! I have been visiting Teranga for several years after a coworker (whose husband is from Senegal) recommended it to me. And, in my opinion it's the best west African food in Cincinnati. The chicken brochette (grilled, basted chicken on a skewer) is tender and juicy. The cooked onions are an amazing blend of vinegar, mustard and spice. The couscous and brown rice are always perfectly prepared. Plus, one order can readily feed 2 people. So, if you want some excellent west African food straight from the Midwest, check out Teranga! read more

I just happened by this place one day their oxtails are ok the sauce they sit in kind of taste like skyline chili a little bit and it's spicy their lamb is delicious as well as their fufu I haven't gotten a chance to try anything else but hopefully I'll be able to read more

Really delicious food, I've been working at Drake for three years and never tried it. Won't make that mistake again!!

Everything from flavor, price, portions and service is perfect. This is the type of restaurant you may be hesitant if you never had African food before. But once you try it, it changes things for you and makes you wonder what you have been missing out on this whole time. read more

Teranga is by far one of my favorite restaurants in the Cincinnati area! If you haven't been, go! It is a hidden gem and for $10 entrees, you WILL not be disappointed! Since Teranga is more of a carry out place, I highly recommend calling 20-25 min ahead of time to place your order so that it will be ready upon arrival. Some of my favorite items include: -Grilled Tilapia: I'm not sure what spices they use, but this is the best tilapia that I have ever had! I have tried to replicate it, and failed miserably. Word of caution to non-Africans, you will get the entire fish...head included. -Grilled Lamb: Again,the spices are amazing! Plus, you get a takeout container packed FULL of lamb! -Brown Rice: This is my absolute favorite item on the menu! If not for the carbs, I could probably eat it all day! If going to Teranga with a group or another person, I recommend getting different entrees and having a sharing feast. However, you may want to add a second order of brown rice...because it will be gone fast! read more

On a whim, my boyfriend and I decided to hop over to Hartwell and check out Teranga, which had come recommended by my boss. We had no idea what to expect besides "delicious African food." Well, on that count, Teranga definitely did not disappoint! Details: - The food was really good! We got the beef and chicken brochettes (kebabs/skewers), which had strong, tasty seasoning. The couscous was a good balance (subtler flavor, but not bland) and the fried plantains were AMAZING. I'd like to go back and try the fish, which looked/smelled great. ** Note: I did NOT have the spicy mustard-y onion stuff on the side, because I don't like spicy OR mustard. My bf did, however, and he liked it well enough. Until later, that is... (See end of review.) - Portions were huge. In the future, I think my bf and I would order 1 main dish and just pay for an extra side. 2 main dishes was too much food. - The decor/environment reminded me of Chinese takeout places, like Fantastic Wok or Dragon City. We were the only sit-down diners for most of our time there, although later a couple other groups came in. Meanwhile, most people just walked up to the front counter, ordered and paid, and then took their food to go. - The French bread is baked fresh on-site -- delish! -- but served with mayonnaise, not butter. (Note: I don't know if French bread always comes with your meal or not... We were waiting quite awhile, since someone before us ordered a TON of food to go, so the owner came over to ask if we'd like some bread. Speaking of him...) - The owner was super friendly, even offering us a free sample of the ginger drink that everyone else there was raving about. I felt like he genuinely wanted to know what I thought about the food, and wanted me to enjoy his restaurant. He was also friendly with everyone else, and joking around with some of the regulars. That impressed me. We left feeling great about our restaurant adventure. Unfortunately, a couple hours later my bf's stomach really started to bother him. Considering we had the exact same food all day, except the spicy mustard-y onion stuff, I have to wonder if that was to blame. Sadly his tummy-ache has turned him off from Teranga, at least for a while. (This review would have been 4 stars if not for that, and for the awkward-ness of coming in and not having anyone acknowledge us, tell us to sit, or offer us menus.) To be honest, while I'm sympathetic to my bf's stomach, I still thought the food was great and would go back in a heartbeat. No joke, those plantains are a piece of heaven. read more

Dining out should sometimes be an adventure. With Teranga, my expectations were fairly high and thankfully, Teranga delivered an amazing meal to myself and the others in the group. As Scott mentioned, takeout is by far the most popular method of ordering as we saw a non stop stream of customers coming and going. I had the grilled chicken and it was full of flavor and spices that one can only find in ethnic restaurants. Wonderful. For a drink, I had the Bissap Juice which is an Hibiscus fruit drink that is not only the national drink of Senegal, but great tasting as well. I think the only gripe I have is that the bathroom is pretty abysmal. They really need to repaint, clean and update that sucker. Pros: unique drinks and food, large portions, prices (very very reasonable many meals under $10) Plantains were perfectly prepared. Authentic cultural experience. Cons: Bathroom, casual service, kinda off the beaten path and far away, decor is plain and simple, large parties (over 6) might have to split and sit at different tables. I didn't see any meals for vegetarians. I broke my meat free diet out of necessity. read more

I love this place. The food is always fresh and delicious. The service is great!!! The garlic wings and cabbage is my go to!!

I've lived minutes away from Teranga for years but kind of avoided it because it is the very definition of "hole in the wall." However, while it is grubby as could be and in a sketchy strip mall, it's got some of the best food in this part of town! We ordered our food to go and it only took about ten minutes to prepare. In the meantime, we watched a rerun of "Without a Trace" with about 10 other carryout customers-all, apparently, regulars who memorized the menu. Good times. I took the advice of fellow reviewers and ordered the fried tilapia with a side of plaintains. And, like they've all said: Yum! I normally hate tilapia (my mother made a lot of really bad baked fish growing up *shudder*) but, dang this was good; fresh and perfectly cooked with a crispy, well seasoned skin. The plaintains were awesome as well. I thought the onions that came with my meal were a little too... tangy, but, in the grand scheme of things, it really didn't matter. Oh, and did I mention that this $10 meal was so huge that it came in a large, aluminum catering pan? Ridiculous. My brother had a lamb dish with couscous. It was delicious and served about medium rare. He wasn't crazy about the couscous, but I loved it. Of course, keep in mind that this is a teenage boy who lives off Taco Bell and peanut butter, so I'm willing to let his dislike of couscous slide. We also had their ginger drink, which was good, if a bit strong, and the thiakry, a couscous/ yogurt dessert which was tasty, though the texture was a little weird. Overall, it was a unique, tasty, and affordable meal, so it's a win for me, especially in a neighborhood where your other choices are Frisch's or fried chicken. And, of course, it's nice to know I can catch up on Without a Trace reruns while I'm there. ;) read more

We just happened to be in the area and stopped by. We ordered food and drinks and we drank our ginger drink while we waited for our food. It was amazing. I bet it would be great for upset stomached. The food was amazing! Servers were great also! read more

After living nearby for almost two years, we finally took the plunge and walked down the street to give it a try. Don't be dissuaded by the unassuming facade of the restaurant! The food is good and prices are very fair. We had the grilled fish with plantains on the side, having read the recommendation from Yelper Liz A. It was delicious as promised! The sorrel juice was tasty too, remember to dilute it with water because it's painfully sweet. We will be coming back again, this is a good weeknight spot when you don't want to cook and are looking to expand your food horizons. read more

the food is something serious! the lamb and brown rice with the onions on the side is amazing. I also love the tilapia fish its perfection!!!!. nice clean environment. read more

Had an AMAZING lunch here- the lunch specials are reasonably priced, and the fish was so fresh and delicious!! We had the jerk chicken wings as well, which had such great flavor. Their space is well designed, clean, and so much fun! My one wish is that this restaurant was closer to Clifton! But highly recommend if you're in Wyoming! read more

Visited Cincinnati to stop at IKEA and the outlet mall from Kentucky. Wanted to eat at a Nigerian restaurant but none were open and we ended up at here! The interior is kind of shabby but we didn't really care. The workers were nice. We were pleasantly surprised how flavorful their jerk chicken was. I ordered the jerk chicken and my boyfriend ordered the fish. He liked the fish but didn't like the lemons and some sauce drizzled on the fish. Portion size was great for the price. We also ordered rice and beans and plantains. I loved the cabbage that came with my chicken. The rice was so so... and the plantains were super sweet and oily. Overall we'd definitely return again because it was a great value and we may try a Senegalese dish. read more

Teranga Restaurant - jerk chicken, rice and cabbage. plantains in the middle and on the top most plate there is fish. - African Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

This place is amazing! It's definitely tucked away in a strip mall and doesn't look impressive upon first look. However, the food is incredible!! I had sorrel (hibiscus and pineapple) juice and a fish dish with eggplant, rice, and cabbage and it was delicious. Great flavor and a huge portion. We also had plantains which are one of my favorites. My friends had chicken and rice and jerk chicken lunch specials and we were all very happy with our food. A definite diamond in the rough, I can't wait to go back! read more

GREAT WEST AFRICAN FOOD !!! I EAT THIS EVERYDAY NO LIE !! I recommend you try this if you thinking about trying African food for the first time or tenth time! Don't all come in at once now... jk everybody go in. It's greatttt read more

On any sane person's list of "Best Bangs for the Buck in Greater Cincinnati," Teranga would have to be near the top. By Yelp standards, Teranga is way off the beaten path. It's in lower-income Hartwell, in the farthest northern reaches of Cincinnati proper, in a seedy-looking Vine Street strip center. (But Hartwell is adjacent to Wyoming, a Yelp-ier (i.e., wealthier) community, so those familiar with Wyoming should be able to find Teranga easily.) Nothing about this Senegalese/Jamaican restaurant is subtle: It offers gigantic portions and flavors for under $10. And I'm not talking about just chicken or rice and beans or such ordinary cheap ingredients. Teranga offers a series of rotating entrees for different days of the week, including things like lamb shank (TWO of them, incredible for $10) and whole grilled or fried fish. The cooking isn't exactly artful: my lamb shank was by turns tender and flavorful or tough and overcooked, but there was plenty of the former to make it more than worthwhile. Couscous on the side had a tart and tangy sauce or dressing that would be strong for some folks. The wife ordered a dish whose French name I've forgotten, but it was a rich, bold stew of green peas with tender chunks of lamb, and it was delicious. (We were very tempted by the Jamaican menu, which included some of that cuisine's excellent standards (curried goat, etc.), but we wanted to try the native stuff first.) I definitely want to go back and try much more. Decor is as spartan as it gets. On the Saturday night we were there, Teranga's business was almost entirely take-out. The counter was crowded with styrofoam take-out boxes, and there was a long line of neighborhood folks waiting for them, but only a handful of tables were occupied. Perhaps because of this imbalance, the table service was annoyingly inattentive on this night, although the server was friendly and warm when he actually appeared. Definitely recommended in spite of the problems with service. UPDATE (10/13): The human brain sure is weird. I couldn't remember the name of my wife's peas-and-lamb dish right after we'd been to Teranga, but months later it popped into my head: Petit pois. Order it if they're offering it. read more

I tried this place one time with a colleague and we both enjoyed our dishes. I got the goat stew with FuFu. I haven't had it in almost a decade and it was sooooooo good. I remember how it tasted then and trying it here it was better than any goat stew I had before. Definitely worth a try if you want to try something new! read more

I just had to get to this place because the food sounded different. I'd wanted to go for a year when I finally got a good opportunity; so, I hopped on it. The chicken kebabs were great, and it comes with these two little piles of grilled onions. Man that dish was great. The side dishes were pretty good (even if I don't remember the specifics), but the fish was on the dry side. I think that serves us right for getting take out. Anyways, it's kind of out of the way, but the food is definitely interesting and tasty. Bottom Line: I'd go back for tasty chicken kebabs if I was in the area. read more

The other reviewer who recommended this place as "best bang for your buck" is spot on. The food is truly delicious, massive portions, and unbelievably cheap. I've had the grilled fish and the jerk chicken wings, and while I really enjoyed the fish (particularly the sides, though the eggplant wasn't really my thing), the wings (10 delicious wings for $5!) were definitely my favorite. The staff is always friendly, and the place is always buzzing with Senegalese locals. A great lunch stop! read more

My husband brings food home from here at least once a week. We love the tender lamb. Everything is always cooked perfectly! read more

Teranga Restaurant - African Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

This is the best value you can get around the Queen City. Just remember three things: delicious, plentiful, and economical !!! So many dishes are wonderful there but my recommendations are curry goat, grilled fish, chicken brochette, oxtails, leg of lamb, among others. Their ginger drink is the best I had ever had as they don't make it too sweet. Because of having done great business for a few decades, they have since installed booths and painted walls colorfully. It's no longer just the bare bones in a strip mall. The friendly and francophone staff will welcome you. Definitely, worth a trip !!! read more

This place surpassed our expectations. It is hidden away in a part of Cincy I never frequent. We were hungry and got very lucky. The restaurant is very clean and updated on the inside. Service is friendly, fast, and authentic. I had the chicken and my wife had the fish off the lunch menu. It was more than a normal human could eat. I'm not a huge fan of ethnic foods but this is a keeper. read more

Teranga Restaurant - Chicken and Fish Lunch - African Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

My friends and I had Lamb with brown rice, Brochette chicken, and two of grilled fish with white rice, we did like it and it was our first time to been here! Broadly the foods were so delicious, thank you read more

The grilled lamb was slightly overcooked and dry. The cassava side was not what I expected, shredded similar to couscous, so that was disappointing. However, the jerk chicken wings were good. read more

Good food but no sense of urgency. I've eaten there a few times and there's usually not a focus on people who sit in since they have a lot of pick ups. In this case, my friends placed an order for their 1 year old son's birthday for pick up at 1pm and asked us to pick it up on the way there. Upon arrival, there was confusion on what the actual order was which had me slightly concerned on whether the food was ready at all. Didnt walk out of there until 2pm, an hour after the original scheduled time. Good thing was that the owner came out and apologized for the confusion and delay and gave me extra plantains. My suggestion : Order at least an hour before you need it or make sure you clarify exactly what you need. read more

Best thiebou dienne and yap in the city!!! So many different Senegalian dishes. The staff is friendly and the food is very filling. The prices are great for the amount of food you receive. read more

I have been coming to this restaurant religiously for years. So long that when I call in my weekly curry chicken order they know exactly who it is! Being a native Guyanese it's hard to find food that's similar to my culture. The staff is so friendly, the food is amazing & anytime I feel the need for a cozy home cooked meal, Teranga is the first place I call! read more

I can't begin to tell you what I ate. I went with someone from Senegal and he ordered. It was DIVINE.