Africa Kine in New York
Site: http://www.africakinenyc.com/
- Monday:1PM–1AM
- Tuesday:1PM–1AM
- Wednesday:1PM–1AM
- Thursday:1PM–1AM
- Friday:1PM–1AM
- Saturday:1PM–1AM
- Sunday:1PM–1AM
Its warm, the food tasted great, the menu is set, you can only order what is made for lunch if you come during lunch/dinner and so on. This works for the locals, if you havent had African food for a while try a different place this not for you.food cost $15. I order for my nieceAfter that we ended up walking 10 min over to a place I have eaten before for me to get the African food I wanted, its buffed style, in there I had many options.
This review is long over due. I’ve been ordering from here for over a year. They NEVER miss. Food is always well seasoned and cooked to perfection. Sure, there tends to be a wait... but traditionally these dishes take hours to make. I am impressed with how quickly they get the food out for the type of food it is. This not a pizza spot lol. It’s worth it!!!!
Tired of bland foods, want a burst of flavors??? You have to try this out. It was my first time to the African Kine restaurant and I was not disappointed. The food is so flavorful. I got the roasted red snapper, which I had no idea was whole (two servings for me) and it was totally worth it. The gentleman at the front is really personable and he helped me navigate the menu. As someone who mostly eats a plant-based diet, I wish they had more plant based options.
Definitely will love for them to train staff on customer service. Its a shame because the food is delicious. Like home cooked! Great food, huge portions come hungry and the price is worth every bite. Wonderful flavors, definitely for the spice lovers 😋 But whomever owns this place definitely need to train their wait staff and cashiers or just turn the place into a take out spot to avoid the 1 🌟 reviews for rude staff......just saying
One of the best west African restaurants that Ive ever been to.The plates are scrumptious and a very very good relation between price, quality and quantity.Special mention for the lamb in the spicy peanut sauce. One of the best lamb dishes Ive eaten in my life.Service was good and friendly and the place is simple but cozy.100% recommended.
The food is superbly delicious, I ordered two fried snapper with sides of jollof rice & fried plantains to take to my Aunties house in Northern New Jersey. My Auntie said she truly enjoyed the food, she asked for the name & address of the restaurant!!! Safe to say we will both be back soon!!!
Im giving us a big review for a little spot. I actually really love the food here. I dont know what the name of the fish is called that I ordered, but it is so filling in delicious.It seems like theyve remodeled since the first time I came, and its a cozy spot now. One of the things I really enjoyed with seeing a table full of young African boys. Its pretty uncommon to see that here in Harlem. The ranged in ages from about 12 up until about 18. I could tell they fell at home there. And were clearly welcome by the staff.The staff was friendly, and accommodating. The food was delicious. In fact Im getting hungry just thinking about it right now. Also, the prices are way reasonable considering the amount of food you get.Do you know that some of the dishes can be spicy. So you should make a special point to ask if spicy food is not your thing. That includes mild spicy.Cant wait to return.
The restaurant has incorrect hours, we drove all the way from midtown, as we arrived the restaurant was open and there were staff members inside but I guess they weren’t serving customer, yet they didn’t even have the decency to tell us the correct hours or tell us what’s going on or if we could pre order, there were no notes on the counter stating any clarity at all, they don’t answer their phone either. The customer service is horrible, prepare to be treated with disrespect or like an animal even when you were planing to spend a lot money.
Ok, so the waitress wasnt very good and never checked on you. So she never brought our check and we had to ask other staff for it. Whatever.The food was so good that it still gets 5 stars. It ran 15 to 20 dollars per plate, but they give you a lot for your money. Despite the bad service, Ill still go here whenever Im in East Harlem. Just dont get your order to stay if youre in a rush.
The food is good but the service really sucks. I placed an order for pickup only to be told when I arrived 30 minutes after placing the order that it would be another 25minutes.When they took my order, they hadnt started making the fish. They started making it 20 minutes after I called.To make matters worse, they are not apologetic about it either.Whether you stay or get food to go, service sucks so give yourself an hour from the time you order to get it.
The food was pretty good, but the service was absolutely atrocious. My friend and I were completely ignored for almost the entire time we were there. The waitresses actually watched us trying to signal to them for the check. They only stopped by to drop the bill when another customer signaled them to tell them we were trying to get their attention. Its like they had something against us.
Great service and the food was excellent. Depending upon your order request it may take a little longer to receive your entree but its only because it is well prepared and quality is essential. Prices are reasonable for both lunch and dinner. Atmosphere is clean and relaxing..... music and ambiance of Dakar
This restaurant and the staff are just great. I am from Senegal and live in DC but for the second time being in this restaurant in New York I will definitely make it my number one. The food is tasty, mild and delicious. I like the hygiene in the environment and how welcome they are for the few time I’ve been their. Keep the good job Salam!!!
Idk but the taste of their food has changed since they moved from their old location. I bought their fish and acheke and the acheke was sooo hard and dry! Not to mention the onion was so bitter and the sauce on the side was so bitter and hard to even taste. I couldn’t even finish it so I saved it for the next day hoping it’ll taste a bit better but It was the same hard bitter taste. Ate only the fish and threw the acheke and onions away. Waste of gas, time and money. I miss the oLd African Kine!
I’m not sure if it’s me but when I go to a restaurant I kind of expect to have a good experience, and I take customer service very serious. I feel like the people in this restaurant need a refresher on customer service, I don’t care how good your food is, if the way you treat your customers is not consistent then you can really put someone off. I really try my best to support black owned businesses but they make it hard, every time I go there the male always has an attitude and so does the younger lady. After the last time I vowed to never go there again. You should really treat all people with respect because you don’t know who is who.
I did not like the experience I had today it was very unprofessional. I ordered my food and came from Brooklyn and they sold it to another customer, and proceeded to tell me they ran out of that particular plate that I wanted with an attitude. If you can’t treat your customers with respect then close your restaurant because your customers are the reason why your restaurant is running.
Food takes a LOOOING time to get. The place is REALLY small. When you order, the rice, French fries are considered extra depending on the entree so you better read because the waitress we had was not familiar with inferring a starch goes with the meal. The ginger drink is strong and delicious! Look if you dont mind waiting and can work through claustrophobia go there but read the menu!
This is a Senegalese restaurant that you might pass by without thinking twice. We were hungry so we stopped to look around. We werent sure whether to go to the american pub food next door or this place. It looked less traveled. We decided on adventurous. It was only us and another couple inside speaking French. Boy did we luck out. I ordered a lamb in spicy sauce. I raved about it all meal; so much so that my spouse took a picture of the menu so we could make it at home. Outstanding taste. I ordered mafe. And a wonderful hibiscus drink. If you are in the area make a point of trying this place.
Insulting and disrespectful customer service. Please do not order in this place if you value your money and what goes into your stomach. I am an African, and the people working in this establishment give us a bad name. Please do not order in this place and find somewhere else.
One of the best African restaurants in Harlem!!! I’ve been there twice with my bf for a lil date night and it was great. We ordered lamb dibi with ah cheke and ah loco (plantains) and it was so delicious. Very affordable and their portions are huge with a lot of meat and side dishes. I won’t be going to no other African restaurant besides this one!! Next time, I will try their grilled fish.
LOOOOOOVEEEEEE African Kine. My favorite African restaurant in NYC. Love the Poisson Grille and the Thiebu Thien. Best of the best. We have been going there for years even when they had the location in the West 50s. Food is great, staff is friendly, portions are generous, atmosphere is great. Alhamdulillah.
Good food and plenty- but the wait is inexplicable. I eat here with west african natives and they are also consistently frustrated by the wait time and perplexed at how a stew with rice can take so long- so it is not just a cultural thing. I have back problems and sitting for that long is literally painful. By contrast if you order take out it arrives at a brisk pace. I have had take out many times- always good. I have eaten in the restaurant many times and even when ordering lunch when the restaurant was empty (but for one other table) I was there 90 minutes later- so the epic wait is not just when they’re busy. The full restaurant tonight was left entirely in the hands of one waitress who was working sooo hard but facing frustrated customers as the food took forever. I hope they either close the restaurant part and keep the take out business or figure out a way to improve the service- I have trouble convincing anyone to go a second time because of the slowness. On the other hand if you have time hanging heavy on your hands and need a delicious experience that will take a few hours, go for it!
Dear Owner,I was at your establishment tuesday 4/30/19 around 2pm. A rather large young woman of color was our waitress. #1. She was rude as hell abd didnt even speak! She threw an electronic menu on our table. #2. She looked unkept, #3. The seats to your restaurant was very dirty and torn. Lastly I drove all the way from D.C. where I live to come to your restaurant. Im from the bronx orginally n was in town. I know the food is good but I take customer service very seriously! You cannot trust someone to cook your food if they are rude. So we left! Thats what she wanted anyways.
I use to love this place when there were on 125 street , it used to be popping I mean the service everything . but since moving to 135 they just lost it. Now they tell you to seat yourself which they never did before and some if the employees have attitudes they will see you and wont ask if you want to order, I love their food but the service made me rate it a 2 . I hope they improve the services
I am critical of restaurants. More so if they hail themselves as west African. This restaurant gives me life! You have to understand that African cuisine is super laid back. The entire point is the food and the community. Food is a TEN, it is chill and its BYOB, so wait time and service is totally secondary. The baked fish recently started in an orgasmic dream so yeah...
Food is good my only problem is their service. Wait time is extensive and the staff doesnt even come around to let you know that the food will take forever to arrive, so youre there sitting wondering whats taking so long. Plus the staff doesnt understand anything you ask about the menu.
Awesome food!! Quick service!! The thiéboudienne or thiébouyaap will have you coming back time and time again!! Im from Philly and go there every time Im in NY. If you want to eat there during peak times, you should make a reservation as its a really popular lunch and dinner spot!
This place doesn’t deserve 1 star. The employees are rude and they display items on the menu that they don’t have. This place has better quality service and food when it was on 116.Save your money and your time. Look for other options in your area as this place is not worth the time or headache.
I have been going to Africa Kine since before they moved to the large building on 116, they were across the street on 116 and it was a ground floor restaurant. One thing I can say is that the food is still great and has not degenerated. I could taste the different cooks unique flavor in plates through the years but overall excellent... However the portions have gotten a tad smaller especially for the lunch ( Chebu Djen) It was in a plastic container vs the huge silver one overflowing with vast amount of food.
The Dibi combination with the jollof rice is amazing, it has to be one of my favorite dishes of all times hand down. Other than that you wouldnt know this place existed walking by it because its appearance looks like a whole in a wall from the outside and when you walk-in. But the food speaks for itself which is why I gave a 4 star review. I would even suggest having food trucks around the city and I am sure it would become just as popular as the Halal trucks.
The wait is unreasonably long, my friends and I waited 2 hours for our food (it was only 5 of us) and it still didn’t even come. There were people who came after us , who ordered the same food as us and got their food before us. When I asked the lady when our food is coming, she said it was coming now, another 20 mins had passed and it still did not come. No one apologized to us AT ALL for the wait . My friends and I have then decided that we’ve had enough and we decided to leave. When we were leaving the lady tried to say the food was coming, but at this point we’ve had enough. Then the lady preceded and said in her language that if we leave, we cannot come back there again. We still perceeded to leave and it was evident that the lady was embarrassed that we exposed their unprofessionalism of the restaurant. Everytime I come to this restaurant, I notice that they discriminate against their own people (aka Africans) and give better service to those who are not African. I’ve had enough of not being and equally treated customer.
Waited for almost 2 hours no food. The white people that came in same time as us, got there food. If your part of the African diaspora do not eat there, they do not like their own. Stink attitudes, not helpful, unbalance tables. Rude, lying about card machine not working.
The food is good however their services is extremely appalling . You have to beg them to bring water, beg them to bring the Bills .. then they come with attitude... THE MANAGER PLEASE NOTE.IF YOU WANT THIS RESTAURANT TO PROGRESS HIRE PEOPLE THAT HAVE GOOD COSTUMERS SERVICE....
Customer Service sucksYou make a phone order they have no say yes but when you come to pick up they have no idea what you are talking aboutThey need to get better with customer serviceI wouldnt be in here if the food wasnt goodWhich there is no reason for poor servicevery unhelpful and impolite staffs, poor after sales service, poorly trained staff members who lack knowledge and skills to perform various tasks and poorI AM SO READY TO WALK OUTThey really need to get it together
I always call to order they said come in 40-45 minutes I get to the window to pick up my food they be like give us 5-10 minutes.. that’s 5-10 minutes wait will be 30- 1 hour waiting The owner’s son older is always arguing with customer.. the younger son is a sweetheart the food is great but customer service is horrible
I come for the poisson and ask for 1/2 salad and 1/2 plantains. My friends have ordered other dishes and we all agree that everything we have had is delicious. The onions alone have changed the minds of picky eaters. I see a bunch of low ratings for service. I disagree. This is a casual dining restaurant. I like that my order is taken, served, and I can spend time chatting up my company without interruptions. I have been at different times; afternoon, evening, 1:30am... and have never felt rushed. Through the years I have always found the staff to be friendly.
EXPERIENCE WAS HORRIBLE. WE WAITED TWO HRS TO GET NO FOOD. NOT ONLY THAT, WE WERE THERE BEFORE THIS COUPLE AND THEY GOT THEIR FOOD BEFORE US MIND YOU WE WERE ALREADY WAITING AND BEING PATIENT. THEN WE WERE FED UP AND WE DECIDED TO LEAVE AND THE WAITRESS SAYS IN WOLOF THAT “IF WE LEAVE WE WILL NO LONGER BE ALLOWED” THIS SHOWS HOW THEY DISCRIMINATED AGAINST US AND THE WAITRESS DIDN’T EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE OR APOLOGIZE FOR WHAT SHE DID. THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME THIS IS RIDICULOUS AND I DEFINITELY WON’T BE COMING BACK AGAIN AFTER THIS HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE.
Total reviews rating 4.3
199 Reviews for Africa Kine 2023:
Review №1
2022-03-20So I’m a picky person when it comes to eating out. A lot of times when you buy food from another culture it become Americanized in taste (boring), but lord the food here is the best and taste like back in Africa. The service was also good. Small inside and no place to sit and eat, but the feel is inviting and comfy.
Review №2
2022-04-09Food is really good, however there is one bald headed guy there that takes the orders who is very rude and has poor customer service skills is the reason I rather not be bothered. I rather have a pleasant experience when buying food. Not dealing with someone miserable who doesn’t enjoy what they do. These are the types of people who will jeopardize your business. The owner should take him out of there and let him do the dishes or garbage. That would better suit his personality.
Review №3
2022-05-31I heard good things about the food but I wasn’t wowed. Also did not know about the dinner entry which served grilled dishes starting at 6:30 pm only . Might not be going back . There’s also no option to dine in so I and my friends went to St Nicholas park to eat .
Review №4
2022-03-31Mbodj Niae! This is AMAZING. I can tell this is cooked with HEART!
Review №5
2022-05-10Baby? Im eating here every time I go to Harlem. The maafe & supakanja (okra stew) taste so fresh & comforting, as though Im eating at a restaurant in West Africa. The staff is straightforward and always take care of their customers, delivering trustworthy & quality food + service, every time. If youre in search of authentic-tasting African food stateside, Africa Kine will not lead you astray!
Review №6
2021-06-15The food is amazing 👏🏾😋, but the customer service (-1 ), they need to realize that having 4 people working from a window is not effective 😑.
Review №7
2022-06-17Ive enjoyed ordering from here before but believe I got some of the worst food poisoning Ive had in years from a Thiebu Djen ordered on June 15
Review №8
2018-05-27I Absoulety love this restaurant! The food is delicious, theres something for everyone and the food is always fresh . Also the restaurant has takeout and is open pretty late! If you love good food here is the place to go.
Review №9
2022-05-09The smiles of beautiful souls who took care of us was extraordinary. I love the music and the food was the best. Highly recommended.
Review №10
2019-03-24I was initially skeptical about dining here, but all my fears were out the window the moment I perceived the aroma of their food. First time eating Senegalese food and I must say the taste of all the different dishes ordered was delicious. Portion sizes are large and super affordable .Will definitely be returning whenever I am in the area.