This is a very laid-back place: When we entered, there was no-one at the counter to greet us. We picked up menus and sat. Chilled Jarritos, Coke products, and water bottles as beverages; the waiter came quickly and said it would take ten minutes for our order. It took six! The portions were enormous! In retrospect I should have ordered a small, but we didn't specify, and so received a large meal! I could have easily fed three people! The chef thoughtfully put the hot sauce on a side cup of my husband's meal. Like a royal poison taster he asked me to test it. I rated it a three; he gave it a seven...but he was raised in Minnesota. My chicken and rice were great! Loved the side of plantains! We'll be back! read more

Yalleys African Restaurant - The best ginger ale! - African Near Me - Buffalo, New York

See all

This place is a gem. Cute on the inside. Friendly service. We got the buffalo jollof rice with chicken, chicken pepper soup with fufu, and a side of plantains. Everything was delicious and super flavorful. I would say my favorite was the jollof rice though. Everything is a bit spicy so just be aware of that if you're not a spicy fan. Bonus points because their chicken is halal. Will definitely be back here! read more

See all

I have been searching for a good African restaurant in Buffalo, and this is definitely the place. My order consisted of Fufu and Egusi soup with chicken and chicken with rice. Everything was delicious and I will definitely be going back. Apparently they have a buffet on Sundays?! I haven't been there myself but I bet that's great too. The one thing I would knock is the price but honestly, who is doing it like they are? I think it's worth every penny for sure. read more

Very cute restaurant with bright colors and an inviting atmosphere. We ordered ahead for takeout, and the food was hot and ready when we arrived. We've never had Eest African food, only Ethiopian, so we were excited to order multiple menu items. We ordered a side of fried plantains, a pack of 3 meat pies, small Jolof rice with a fried chicken drumstick, and banku with okro stew. The plantains were great and reminded me of trips to the carribean with a mild sweetness and fried flavor. The meat pies were heavy with a very flaky crust and spicy meat filling. I love meat pies in general, and these were pretty good. I liked the shape of them, but the dough was a bit thick. I didn't mind it at all, but I think it needed something to dip it into. Maybe a soup would've been good with it. The banko and okro stew is definitely an acquired taste, or maybe I should say "texture". I love okra, but man, this stew was slimy. I love the taste of the spinach and okra stew and banku (cassava/corn meal dumpling), but I just couldn't get over the look and feel. If you've ever cut fresh okra, you know what I mean. I loved the jolof rice with its spicy sauce and meat of your choice. We had the fried chicken, which came as a drumstick. It was all very flavorful and probably my favorite of what we ordered. I may attempt to make it at home. I recommend this place if you want traditional West African or are looking for a new place to try out. read more

See all

Some of the most tasty African cuisine I've had! I absolutely love it here. The atmosphere, the food, the staff. Chefs Kiss! My go to meal is the chicken and fried rice. I've also tasted the fish as well, although there were a bit too many bones for me. I love how fresh and flavorful the fried rice is. For that reason I've never had their Jollof rice yet. The chicken is always good good and the side salad is just as tasty. Overall I highly recommend you pay them a visit. read more

See all

I tried Yalleys for the first time today and no question that I will be coming back. I got the fufu with the goat pepper soup. I absolutely loved every bite. It was so spicy and flavorful. I had never had fufu and was excited to try it. It did not disappoint. I will be telling all of my friends to come her read more

Had an amazing experience at Yalleys. I was so excited to come here and give this place a try. It did not disappoint. I ordered Buffalo Jolof Rice with Beef. Kebab - Spicy Beef with Mixed vegetables. Fried Ripe Plantains and a Bean vegetable stew. Every bite was amazing and packed with flavor. Service was great. Not many people were inside so food came out hot and quick. Server was great. Smiled and recommended a dish (Buffalo Jolof Rice) and it was really good. A cool, casual place with music playing. And looked as if they may play live music. I will def go again to try more things! Very happy with my experience and lived up to the anticipation that had built up after 2 weeks of waiting to go! read more

See all

Food was amazing. All of our entrees came with two sauces. Service was quick. Nice atmosphere. read more

See all

My friend and I were looking for a place to grab a quick dinner. He suggested Yalleys I've driven by it many times and I always meant to stop in and try it. I'm glad that I did. I didn't get any pictures of the inside but its got a cool vibe. There is no air conditioning so it was very warm inside. We opted to sit at the tables outside because it was cooler but the downside is that the tables are basically in the parking lot on a busy street. I have never had African food so I wasn't sure what to expect but the food and the service were both good. I will definitely be back. read more

See all

This truly was an amazing experience. First time indulging in this cuisine, and the owner (I think) was so amazing. She took her time explaining the dishes to us. Asking us what flavors we like to then in return provide recommendations for us to try. We ordered 4 separate dishes to try, and all we amazing. One thing to note we ordered the Suya Kebab as one dish, and we were told we can control the spice. We ordered it mild, OM it was so good but it was also super spicy at mild, so just take note of that when ordering! We also tried the Jolo Rice, Fried Tilapia(head included), and FuFu. Of course I have nothing to compare too prior. But now I do, and Yalleys has set the bar high. Definitely recommend! read more

See all

Having passed by this restaurant numerous times, I finally stopped by last week and ordered takeout of the peanut soup and fufu. The soup was good, a bit spicier than I expected, so I added some yogurt to reduce the heat. The chicken was tender, but most of it was from the back of the chicken so not much meat; there were 2 small drumstix, also. Impossible to eat with the soup, but since i was home, i ate them separately. The fufu: warmed it up in the microwave, as instructed (after I asked), but it just tastes like raw dough to me. There's no flavor to it. Serving sizes were enough for me to have leftovers, which I always appreciate, and the takeout was ready when he said it would be. Although I was disappointed, I'll try them again. read more

Yalleys African Restaurant - The fufu! - African Near Me - Buffalo, New York

No flavor , I'm a peanut butter soup and fufu lover. This one taste juste like hot water and peanut butter no flavor . I won't go back read more

Yalleys African Restaurant - So disappointed, peanut butter soup taste like juste water in peanut butter, no flavor. I won't go back - African Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Went for dinner with a friend who deep in the Jollof Rice wars of African countries as he's from Cameroon. We both had the Buffalo Jollof Rice ($18 large; $12 small) as our main course. We also both choose chicken as out meat, but you could also select beef or goat for the same prices. The Joloff rice was well seasoned and was very delicious. There was just a tad of spice that was the perfect amount to make every bite really savory. The meal came with a small amount of salad and French dressing. I gave this place four stars because though the food we had was delicious, the service left some things to be desired. For example, my friend ordered a soup but it never came. Not really sure what happened since it wasn't busy at the time we ate. Definitely would return again though to try some other things on the menu as this is the first west African restaurant I've seen in the Buffalo area. read more

See all

I stop here every Friday afternoon when I get out of the VA hospital for a bowl of spicy goat soup and a large dish of fried rices with spices and their sauces This place is outstanding. It plays great music staff right on the ball. Love it here read more

See all

The food was great (fufu, goat stew, fried plantains, jollof rice, flavorful chicken), service was quick and friendly, the place was clean, and the music was good! read more

Best Ghanian food this side of the world. So glad someone brought some hood food to WNY authentic Ghanian food is so hard to find up here. Food is fresh and delicious always read more

So good!!! I loved my experience here. The staff were super friendly and helpful and the food was delicious. Very flavorful and cooked to perfection. I'll definitely be back. read more

Yalleys African Restaurant - Chicken Jolof Rice - African Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Was binge watching the food channel one day and came across a episode featuring Ghana cuisine (Africa) and the we're eating fufu so I wanted to try it and I did! It was okay kind of reminds me of a dumpling or maybe almost like a mashed potato texture. I had the chance to eat with my hands which was a cool experience but I can honestly say I don't have to try it ever again lol, the Jolie rice was excellent especially with the side of tomatoe sauce I think this place is definitely worth the try at least once sometime that's how you figure out what you like and don't. If your ever in kenmore show em a little support read more

See all

We went on an African Safari last year and we're in Africa for two weeks and never had any of the dishes on their menu. We started out with the Chicken Pepper soup and the peanut soup. Liked the Pepper soup the best of the two. For our main course we had Waakye with fried chicken and the Buffalo Jollof rice. We loved both of them. Most of the dishes you can substitute Goat for chicken. I'll be brave on our next visit and try the Goat. They do have a counter and a few tables. Service was excellent and the premises were very clean. By the way Waakye is rice with beans. read more

The restaurant was empty when we came in so it was kinda odd but yet pleasant because we had the entire place to ourselves they were playing really good music (a lot of Afro beats which I enjoyed! They also had a pool table which was pretty neat kinda distracts you from your food wait time (which wasn't too long ) ! Not the food was decent it was our first time trying African food the we got chicken fufu and my date said it was tough (we heard the microwave go off )and he believed that , that's how they cooked the kitchen and I'd rate it a solid 6/10 ! It was a nice experience but it just want what I personally expected read more

See all

food is amazing atmosphere is awesome fresh food which is A1. Will always come back. very nice people

I ordered the Fufu with pepper chicken soup. The flavor of the broth was great. The Fufu was a little undercooked so it was so sticky it wouldn't come off my fingers. And the chicken? It was chicken scraps. No really meat. Just cartilage. I wish they'd put a leg or something with meat in it. It's the 2nd time I've ordered it and last time I had a tiny piece of chicken. People would like meaty protein when ordering something with chicken. The service is also terribly slow. They have potential. I hope they take these comments into consideration. read more

We saw an open sign lit up next to the door and at least 10 cars in the lot, do we went in. We had heard the food was good and so took this opportunity to try. We walked in and no employee was in sight. We heard laughter and saw a large group of people in the side dining room. We took two menus off the counter and sat down at a table in the front dining room. While sitting and reading our menus, a woman came out and told us that they were closed and we needed to leave. She said it was a private party. There was no way we could possibly have known that. There was no "Closed for private party" sign on the door. (Just a lit up open sign). Then being asked to leave?? There are many restaurants in Buffalo with polite proprietors that want business. I definitely won't waste my time trying to eat at this restaurant. read more

Saw the reviews and gave this place a try. Don't be fooled by the exterior. This place has amazing African food. We tried the Buffalo jollof rice with chicken. The rice has a smokey curry flavor. The rice is tender and the serving was large. The chicken was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The sauce went great with the chicken and the rice. The plantain were sweet and well cooked z again the serving was large. The beans were well seasoned with a slight spicy flavor. This is the best beans I have had in a long time. It was served in a bowl. I tried to eat it all but the serving size was too great. I am so happy to have leftovers to take home for tomorrow! The service was exceptional and very friendly as well. For the price for the portion makes this restaurant a very pocket friendly place to eat! read more

See all

Food was AMAZING. The portions were big so everyone was able to take home left overs. The service was okay, it was more casual than most restaurants, which is fine. Only thing is they only serve bottled water which isn't free. Overall great. read more

See all

I didn't want to leave this review because i have had so many great experiences here. But today took the cake. After supporting this place for so long and the fluctuation in their prices from visit to visit we still came and i brought friends and family here. Today after a debate with my husband about coming and convincing him to come again even with the prices increasing we finally came. I ordered the exact same thing that i order every time. Buffalo jollof rice with tilapia and it comes with a little salad. Today it seemed like it was reheated and not fresh at all. The rice was very sticky texture and the fish tasted old. I asked the owner i assume the man that's always there if they could fix another one for me or just charge me for the rice and salad. Even though the rice was not got i would pick on it and try to eat it. He stated he couldn't and i had to take it how it was and pay for it or buy a whole new meal but i would have to pay for them both. He insisted that it was fresh but sat in a warmer to stay heated . It was visibly not fresh or not even attempted to make it fresh. The red sauce that's on it was soaked into the fish which is normally not like that. He went back and forth with me saying i could get a different fish but i had to pay for everything and he wasn't going to compensate me. The amount of times i have come into this place to give my money and support them this is what they do. I am very disappointed and felt the need to let it be known. This place has went up on their prices numerous of times and they charge differently each time we still stuck it out but this was definitely the final straw. Yes it's a small business but satisfying the customer is what small businesses need to try to work on more to stay in business. This is not a chain and with that type of mindset you will not prosper. I posted photos but wish i could post the video i took to show the consistency of the food. I will find a way to post the video on some platform. read more

My son wanted to come to this African restaurant which is Nigerian and I always wanted to try fufu so I ordered the hot pepper soup which came with chicken but what we did not know was once you add the food food it increases the price by $10 the soup came out lukewarm and in my opinion the fufu otherit was just disgusting, my son ordered Jolloff rice which came with a piece of tilapia fish that was supposed to be fried and a salad the Jolloff rice, the salad came out dry there was no type of dressing on it the rice was excellent I would definitely get that again and the tilapia that was supposed to be fried was very soggy and was very fishy, I did notice that they were not doing any cooking in the kitchen and women were bringing in pots of food, which seemed to me to be very inappropriate they should be cooking in the kitchen the service was good the place was clean and it was quiet but after trying the fufu I have no desire to ever try it again and the lukewarm hot pepper soup could have been a lot hotter and the fish that was supposed to be fried was very soggy and fishy I did not like it but the service was great well at least I can say I tried African food read more

See all

I tried Yalleys for the first time today and no question that I will be coming back. I got the fufu with the goat pepper soup. I absolutely loved every bite. It was so spicy and flavorful. I had never had fufu and was excited to try it. It did not disappoint. I will be telling all of my friends to come here read more

Yalleys African Restaurant - The Fufu Goat Pepper Soup - African Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Delicious food and great service. I had the suya kebab and it was spicy and flavorful. I tried my husband's peanut soup and my friend shared her plantains and they were both great. The plantains were incredible, actually; I'll be going back just to get those as a side. read more

3 of us came to try Yalleys and we were each impressed with the taste, presentation, and overall experience. We will be back for more! It's definite a meat-heavy menu, but hopefully more veggie options will arise as they become more rooted in the space. read more

In an effort to introduce new foods/culture to our daughter, every weekend we like to try something new so we played Yelp roulette and stumbled upon Yalleys. We walked in and were greeted by a younger girl, who looked like she thought we were a little lost (LOL). We ordered the fufu w. the goat pepper soup and the banku w. peanut soup. Holy WOW. I had been wanting to try fufu for awhile and was not disappointed. Overall, incredibly flavorful. Service was great and despite them thinking we were lost, they were super informative. We just told her to surprise us - which seemed to be a surprise to her! Only con was that the bathroom was absolutely disgusting - there was feces all over the toilet and the sink was filled with gunk. If I had seen that first, I probably would have walked out tbh. read more

We had three entrees, jolof rice with chicken, waakye with chicken, and the okra stew with fufu (instead of the banku) along with a side of plantains. The okra stew was excellent and went well with the fufu. Chicken was plentiful. We really enjoyed our lunch! read more

This was my first time eating African food. I had fufu with the goat pepper soup. Very nice and I will be back. I also enjoyed hearing that sweet lady sing in the back ! Thanks for the positive experience! read more

Great food for a hole in the wall spot but the food was great recommend to everyone thank you

Delicious! Went here on a date with hubby and I had the fufu and peanut soup while he had the fried rice and chicken. Didn't take a photo because we were stuffing our faces but everything was savory, spicy and so well prepared. Will definitely be back! read more