The food was good, just not memorable for me personally. I'm West African, so maybe my standards for dibi are a little higher. The lamb was flavorful and nicely grilled, but I've definitely had better. I also really wish they served attiéké instead of couscous. The mixed vegetables in the couscous didn't really add much and felt unnecessary. Service was also surprisingly slow considering there were only two other tables during the day when we visited. That said, I do think this is a solid spot for Americans or anyone new to West African food who wants to try something approachable and tasty. The flavors are there, I just wasn't blown away or craving a second plate. read more

Yassa African Restaurant - Dibi Lamb Senegal - Senegalese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Cannot express how delicious and tender this food is. This is a community cornerstone for Bronzeville. If you've never had fufu or djolof, this is the perfect place to get your toes wet. The Chicken and Fish are the perfect place to start for mains. Give your time to this family owned spot. read more

My food was absolutely delicious! The tenderness of the meat was perfect, and I loved all the fixed vegetables on top -- everything was seasoned and prepared so well. The jollof rice was awesome and full of flavor. This is my second time having this meal, and it was just as good as the first time. It's definitely well worth the cost. The staff was very nice to me, and my food was ready right on time according to the pickup time given when I ordered through DoorDash. Great customer service and great food -- I'll definitely be back again! read more

Yassa African Restaurant - Yassa Fish - Tilapia - Senegalese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The food was well-paced coming out to us, and served fresh and hot. We started with the fataya, which were crispy but also slightly chewy in the best way, especially with the flaky salmon patty inside. The tangy sauce with it is spicy and balances the deep fried flavors of the fataya. The chicken was some of the best we've ever eaten. It was flavorful, charred perfectly, and paired well with the sweetness of the plantains. The saka saka was unlike anything I'd ever had, and was also delicious. The lamb in it was tender and perfectly cooked, falling right off the bone. 10/10 for the food! The only note I will make is that it did take a while for us to get the check at the end of our meal. We waited a while, but thankfully didn't have to wait long for our food or drinks. The staff was also very kind and helpful. The ambiance was very relaxed and chill. There were TVs playing music videos and the baseball game. There were lots of people happily eating and chatting! Highly recommend this gem of a restaurant! read more

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This was my first time having African food, and it did not disappoint. We walked in and it smelled incredible. We had a hard time ordering because we wanted to try so many different things. We landed on nem (Senegalese egg rolls) and those were amazing. Then my husband ordered maffe with lamb which is a peanut butter stew. He loved this. I got dibi lamb which was charred lamb pieces with couscous and onion sauce. The lamb was really tasty! The only thing I struggled with was that each lamb piece was attached to a piece of bone, but I think that's pretty normal in non-US cultures. I tried the fufu from my husband's plate and really enjoyed that. I've never had anything quite like it before. We also got a piece of caramel cake to go which was tasty but slightly dry. Either way, I'd recommend this place! read more

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Glad to see more west african spots in Chicago, and though this one isn't super close to downtown (being in Bronzeville). Overall it was good; you can tell this is a family run spot and that the food is authentic. I got the salmon patties, lamb senegal, and saka saka stew. I didn't care too much for the filling of the salmon patties, but they were fresh and crispy. The lamb senegal had good flavor and a good portion of meat. The saka saka stew wasnt my favorite (didn't love the flavors of meat and seafood together) and the fufu here has a sweet taste which I wasnt a big fan of (I've mainly had more savory fufu). read more

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I ordered the Yassa lamb with aloco (sweet plantains) via the Relish app which is what we have at work. It gets delivered to a floor in my building and we pick it up from there. The order was ready by 12:15pm, the temperature was hot. It is very tasty, fresh ingredients and a very good portion. I will have some leftover for dinner. It is only 4/5 stars because of the packaging. I now make this a crucial criterion in my reviews. But I wouldn't hesitate to come to the restaurant and order more food! read more

Yassa African Restaurant - Yassa Lamb with alozo (sweet plantains) - Senegalese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I thought that I'd already experienced some of the best Senegalese food living in DC. NOT THE CASE! This Chicago gem has everyone beat! The menu was overwhelming and I wanted EVERYTHING! Our server was a sweetheart and recommended the dishes for us to try. The tender lamb, the flavorful jollof rice, the delectable plantains and thirst quenching pineapple honeydew juice were ALL delicious! Everything was so yummy I ordered another dinner to take home! The African tunes playing in the background had me constantly searching and downloading the songs on SoundHound!! Yassa will forever be a spot that I visit EVERY TIME I COME TO CHICAGO!! read more

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Some friends who happened to be in Chicago the same time we were took us to Yassa and everything was amazingly tasty. The service was great and I enjoyed looking at the decor on the wall. Would definitely go back again the next time we are in Chicago! read more

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The food was incredible!!!!! Though there were a bit more flies than I'd like to experience, nonetheless, I'll most certainly return, and will grab the Thiou chicken with the delicious jallof rice. read more

Yassa African Restaurant - Thiou Curry Chicken - Senegalese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Yassa was sooooo delicious, definitely one of those places that are deserving of five stars and more. My friends and I came here and had such a great time - one of those meals so good that you hope all the blessings are bestowed upon the small business owner and they and their place keeps thriving. We tried the nem and fataya as snackie appetizers and also tried the baobab, bissap, and honeydew and melon drinks. I enjoyed trying them because they aren't drinks I've really been exposed to before. I wish I remembered every entree we got but I am not exaggerating when I say everything was so delicious. They knocked everything out of the park. All the sides that came with the meals were so good including the plantains and the fufu. I still think about that fufu lol, it was So Good. I am no expert on this cuisine but I have had much more mediocre fufu before and this was exquisite. I would absolutely come here again and if you haven't been, definitely go. So yummy. Staff was also nice. read more

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I found the Yassa chicken incredibly delicious especially with djollop rice. Can't wait to return and dive into more of those unique flavors. read more

Just had another wonderful meal here. Authentic Senegalese cuisine especially the delicious Yassa fish and chicken. Love the ginger drink, too. Will be back. read more

Street parking can be challenging. They are a little slower at the food being ready but everything appears to be made fresh upon ordering. No alcohol. When I order online all of the menu options aren't available that I desire which usually allows for me not having something I desire because they don't do well with acknowledging the comment section when ordering ahead. Maybe call in is better but I haven't tried that. I enjoy eating their food and so far nothing has disappointed I have had their Chicken it seemed grilled, curry chicken, curry lamb, and granine stew from the Ivory Coast which consist of lamb and small shrimp. The service is as to be expected which is Cordial. The ambiance is busy with carryouts, dining in there is a TV playing music and tables that can seat larger parties. read more

Great location, busy weekends, good service. We ordered Yassa chicken, Yassa lamb, whole red snapper over joffol. Good portions, flavors were good, spicy. Fish was dry but had good flavor , lamb was tender juicy, lots of onions and the rice was . We took the chicken home to eat later. Good spot to try something new read more

Good and great service! This was my first time trying Senegalese food, I enjoyed the Chicken dish with the onion sauce. The rice could have been better by itself but everything together was great. read more

I love their food. I come here about twice a month. I love the fataya, which reminds me of a fried salmon empanada, and they have thee absolute best jollof. My only problem here is that the Aloco (plantain ) isn't always the best.. but they're my favorite spot right now, and has been for 6 years so far. read more

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The best west African food I've had both in Chicago and in Milwaukee. The fish is excellent, I get it every single time.

Overall Thoughts: A homey, spacious restaurant with super friendly service, beautiful decorations, and a solid selection of flavorful, traditional dishes. The prices are reasonable for the large and filling portions. This is a family-owned restaurant I'd always be happy to eat at and support! Food I tried: - Yassa Fish with Djolof Rice (4.5/5): The fish was great-- quite boney and salty, but very tender and flavorful. The soft sautéed veggies on top added a nice kick of flavor and texture. The djolof was wonderfully crispy and wasn't spicy but very well-seasoned otherwise. - Yassa Chicken with Fried Plantains (4/5): The chicken was pretty crispy and juicy, and again, the soft sautéed veggies on top added a nice contrasting flavor and texture. The plantains were flavorful and well-fried. - Maffe with Plantain Fufu (4.5/5): The maffe was good and heavy, with distinct yet somewhat subtle peanut butter flavors. The lamb was very tender, but I wish it came with more-- there were only a couple pieces in there. The fufu had a soft, fluffy texture, and was a good pair to this dish for scooping up the maffe sauce. The fufu itself didn't have much flavor, but it soaked up the flavor of other things pretty well. -- Price (relative to peers): 4.2/5 Food: 4.4/5 Ambience: 4.8/5 Service: 5/5 Overall Value: 4.5/5 read more

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We came across this restaurant during a brief visit to the south side and wow, what a find! I had the yassa fish fillet lunch plate which tasted incredible-the herbs, spices and sauce were savory and delicious. The space is large but decorated with vibrant murals that make it feel cozy and fun. My only regret was having to leave in order to make an appointment and I didn't get to finish the very generous portion. Highly recommend allowing lots of time to fully enjoy the amazing cuisine. read more

I stopped in here as a treat with my School after we had a wonderful field trip with Sherman Dilla, a Chicago Historian, through Bronzeville. Living near Bronzeville, I am absolutely blown away every time I drive or bike through the neighborhood at its beauty, culture, and rich history. Stopping in here for my second African food experience was a special surprise. It's a smaller, family-run restaurant that gets busy. Our party of about 25 people took up most of the space, and another party with about the same came in after we were seated, so be sure to call ahead just in case. Thankfully, they were able to accommodate them, but keep this in mind if planning a visit. The menu was so hard to choose from because everything sounded delicious. I decided on the red snapper with the jollof rice since I had been craving one for a while from a Mexican restaurant. It was so tasty! I am glad I chose it over my second choice, another seafood dish. The flavors were so rich and flavorful that it made me sad that I waited this long to experience this cuisine again. Try the Senegalese ginger drink. Amazing! read more

Yassa!!! A group of friends and I came here for Senegalese food after a beach day on the southside of Chicago. Amazing Senegalese food - I got the dark meat chicken with plantains. The food was flavorful and delicious and the price was out of this world. I think I spent around $13 including tip for this dish. In terms of ambiance, you won't really find much of it here but it is still an experience and I would recommend coming on a night where there is live music. read more

Yassa African Restaurant - Senegalese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great!, great and great! I love trying new foods. First time having fufu. Let's just say this- I will be back... read more

Food was not great. I was really looking forward to jollof rice but it tasted like instant rice with no flavor. The only thing I enjoyed was the rolls! read more

I have been craving a red snapper and based on the reviews decided to give this spot a try. Not sure what all the rave reviews are about but this was definitely not it and I feel like I wasted $30 and am still left unsatisfied. If you prefer your food swimming in grease then this is definitely the spot. It should actually be a health code violation. The snapper fillet itself was decent and I thought it would be pan fried however it was a deep fried filet. It was sitting on a huge pile of greasy peppers and onions. The rice was burnt tasting. The plantains were hard and dry. The cabbage I paid extra for was nothing but a bunch up huge cut up cabbage pieces with ZERO seasoning. The salmon patties were the best part of the meal if you can call it that. I likely won't return. Zero Stars if I could but I guess one for the turnovers read more

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A hole-in-a-wall restaurant worth going to. The sauce graine with jolof rice was yummy. Although the food took a while to come out, but it was a good experience overall. read more

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I don't typically write reviews, but this was so good I had to. The lamb was bone in and so tender. The plantains were perfect. Everything was so flavorful. I ordered delivery and it was still hot when it arrived to me (I'm a 25 min drive from the restaurant). Idk how they did it, but they did. This was effing phenomenal. Everyone should give this a try. read more

Yassa African Restaurant - Dibi Lamb Senegal, Djolof Rice, and Aloco (Fried Plantain) - Senegalese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food and service and excellent! Ambiance was chill and homey but elevated! Highly recommend read more

Yassa African Restaurant - Ordered the RED SNAPPER with JOLLOF RICE AND PLANTAINS. YUMMY!!!! This has to be West African soul food! Highly recommend! - Senegalese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ordered on a whim from this restaurant for lunch - zero expectations, resulted in 100% satisfaction! Let's start with the Fataya - Salmon Patties, basically - except there's NOTHING basic about them! The filling is SO flavorful and well seasoned and not fishy at all. The outer pastry crust is so delicious, even on its own. Well done, Yassa folks! Then there was the Yassa Shrimp - beautifully cooked shrimp in a beautifully developed sauce with green peppers and onions. Again, the key to this being such a successful dish is just how well seasoned the stew is! The onions and peppers add more depth of flavor, and are not over-cooked, just a bite to them. The plantain Fufu was the thing I was most skeptical about - and it turned out to be JUST PERFECT!!!! And lastly the Couscous - when you first taste it, you think to yourself, it's just couscous - it's just a vessel for the stew. But no, even eaten alone, this staple is so comforting and delicious! I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGGLY recommend this place to everyone. I don't eat meat, I'm a pescatarian, but I'll be trying absolutely everything I damn near can from this restaurant!!!!! read more

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It's been a decade since I've been to Yassa and I wanted to see if it lived up to the memory I'd built up, so I stoopped off on a late Friday afternoon with a friend to check it out. We started with the Fataya which was absolutely delicious. It was a fried dough pocket filled with a spicy salmon mix with a savory flavor. Definitely the best bite. We also ordered the yassa red snapper filet covered in vegetables and a side of fried plantain. The red snapper was well-cooked and the seasoning was fine, however it didn't have the lemony-garlic flavor I was hoping for so slightly disappointing. The veggies on top were not cooked down as much as I like, but the plantain was perfect! They were a fried sweet bite that were perfectly done. Worst part of the meal was service. The young lady serving us was very inattentive, hard to flag down, and absentminded. Overall, okay experience. I'd come back to order the fataya to-go. read more

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I was craving Ghanaian food but didn't want to drive far in the rain, so I searched for nearby African restaurants. Yassa Restaurant came up with great reviews, so I gave it a try. For my first time, I ordered the Palm Oil Stew and was blown away--the meat was fall-off-the-bone tender, and the flavors were bold and deeply satisfying. I also got the Djolof rice and fufu on the side, which made the meal even better. Yassa has quickly become one of my favorite spots, and I'm excited to try more from the menu. I forgot to take a photo, but I will next time! Glad I decided to give it a chance! read more

They will barely answer the phone to take your order. Whatever time they tell you your food will be ready, add 40 minutes to that or more. Service is horrible I watched people get up and leave because of the wait to receive their food. If you have all day to waste, give them a try. read more

I can only attest to the food as I ordered out, but I really had much higher expectations considering other reviews. I got the maffe with 1/2 djolof rice and 1/2 fufu (for an up charge) and also sampled one fataya and one nem. I was hoping to have enough for two meals. I was honestly disappointed by everything. The djolof rice was super bland, and while I have not had the Senegalese version before, I at least expected it to have some flavor. The maffe was very nutty but was incredibly oily (to the extent that it got oil all over you as you opened it) and the portion was very disappointing for a $22 entree: there was honestly one piece of carrot and one piece of potato, and three large lamb bones with a small amount of meat. That was it. The rest was sauce. The fufu came out fine but it was packaged in a way that on arrival it was totally smashed flat and covered in rice. The nem also tasted greasy and was quite soggy. I liked the flavor of the fataya but it wasn't enough to make up for the rest. After eating my one carrot and one potato and picking the meat off of the huge pieces of bone I ended up throwing the rest away as I didn't want to just eat sauce and rice for leftovers. I don't mind bones in food but when the menu advertises "cubes of lamb" I expect some pieces of just meat and not mostly bone. Overall I was very disappointed by my meal, especially for the price of over $30. Tl;dr: the best part of the meal was the hot sauce. read more

Yassa Senegalese restaurant is highly recommend. They are not that far away from Chicago convention center. We accidentally stumbled across this place looking for a place to eat dinner. Very friendly staff. Off street parking in front of restaurant. Meat, rice and the Fataya is explosion of flavors. Our orders included, Fataya, Combo Yassa Lamb and Chicken, Yassa Chicken. Prices are reasonable and be prepared for a little bit of a wait. They are supper busy and seems like they have a big carry out business also. Next time I am in Chicago will be stop by for a meal. read more

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When in Chicago, be sure to visit Yassa! The food here is so good it'll make you want to slap your mama! The flavors are as authentic as it gets. The space itself reminds me of places I've traveled to on the African continent, and even the service evokes the atmosphere of local restaurants I've visited. I tried the red snapper, tilapia, and veggie plate, and every single dish was worth writing home about. I couldn't believe the amount of flavor in each bite! read more

We had the food delivered to the North Side and it was still warm and fresh. The lamb Senegal was great with the raw onions and snapper filet with onions and peppers was really good too, as was the Saka saka, although it felt a bit oily. Would certainly eat here again. read more

Interesting place. Decent food. Friendly service. I've been there for endorsement dinners and enjoy this establishment.

Ugh YASSA If you're looking for an incredibly flavorful and budget friendly meal, look no further!! I got the Yassa Lamb dinner + aloco, and had hefty leftovers. My friends got the yassa chicken and the veggie plate (one of them is vegan), and rave reviews all around. We had a party of 6, and the server split our checks without any of us even asking. The service is on the slower side, which is a plus for me because the sense of urgency is a white norm read more

Yassa African Restaurant - Yassa Lamb with Aloco (Fried Plantain) - Senegalese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Cooooooooked, this was horrible burnt chicken and I was so hungry for a sandwich but it wasn't even that good

Well it's been a long time since I went to yassa Senegalese restaurant and I didn't know that they changed the location since 2010. The food is actually very good the last time I came. I went to another Senegalese restaurant last year which was good too by Hyde Park but nothing compares to yassa. Their fataya was much more savory than the other Senegalese restaurant and they were very fast and service delivering the food. Although it took a while being sat down since I was dining in. Other than that I think it had improved since the last time I came here from the old location I don't know if it's a different manager? Ambience is a little interesting it's not bougie but it does have that Senegalese feel being in this restaurant. Thus the four stars out of five stars but then again since this outside is predominantly African-American some restaurants I'm not surprised that if it's not bougie in ambience. Otherwise the food makes up being a Senegalese restaurant ethnically for still having a high rating of four stars. read more

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