My husband is West African and was born and raised in NYC, where he had more access to his cultural foods. Once he moved to Syracuse, he desperately craved the delicious foods that he grew up on. Unfortunately, African cuisine is not as accessible as it once was for him. Luckily, we have Yelp, and we're able to simply type in African cuisine and The Taste of Africa was listed as an option. We decided to stop in and check them out. I can tell instantly upon arriving that the aroma alone teleported my husband back to his NYC days. His excitement on its own was enough for me to leave a rave review! The ambiance of the restaurant is very clean cozy and comfortable. You can either dine in or opt for takeout. Once we decided that we would dine in, We were greeted kindly and told we could sit where we liked. Upon sitting, we were immediately given our menus.The selections here all sound amazing, which made it difficult for me who's never had African cuisine to choose. Ultimately, I decided to order their stewed beef with rice. My husband ordered the red snapper with cassava leaf. We also ordered plantain for our starter.Each dish was so full of flavor! As a first-timer, I was very pleased. My husband was very impressed with his meal as well. We were checked on quite often by our waitress, and she was extremely kind. Towards the end of our meal, the owner came over to our table, and he was also very personable and kind. Overall, this is a wonderful family owned restaurant. We had a wonderful first experience dining with The Taste of Africa and will definitely return again. I encourage anyone who's interested in trying African cuisine to give them a try. Owners are very kind and extremely helpful when it comes to explaining what each dish is.Update: These photos are from our 2cd visit to this restaurant (take out).
Diamond
OMG that's all I have to
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Kabob Collards & Fufu, Fried Whole Fish, Extra Large Combo, Fried Plantains, Additional Sides, Medium Combo, Small Combo, Fried Beans, Basmati Rice with Peas and Carrots, Chopped Lamb Marinated, Large Combo, Chapati Wraps, Fufu and Fish, Chicken Stew with Couscous
Alexis K
Worst food I’ve ever eaten in my
Food: 1
Gaspi corgi
Rude phone etiquette took my money
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Ameenah
Despite having their business hours on google, seems like they are never open.
K A
Ok this is not real African food. Rice taste like boxed white rice colored yellow. No flavor. Oxtails cheap, fatty, and oily. Most of all these people have the worst attitudes. The younger light skin girl is so rude with a bad attitude. No smile just miserable acting. Not cute or a good look. Other girl a little better but honestly why have children at your counter who don't want to be there? Food is not even all that good to have to deal with that sort of energy in the air. Won't return or recommend.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Black Cinderella
If I could leave no star I would let me start by saying some comments I m not understanding maybe it used to be a good place as soon as I walk in front counter was very rude and things that they say that they have on there menu it not there and there was hardly any food and I called first and I ask do u everything on menu they said yes except chicken wings and she why u asking u want everything on the menu she was very rude I didn't get a chance to say anything else she slammed the phone down I was asking so I could know what I wanted before I came so we ordered a lot things I said to her I want the biggest portion of oxtail u have which xlarge then I need a large she had food in stem trays and it was low so I said to her do u have fresh fried rice that supposed had peas and carrots it had none long story short she did not have all the food that I paid 68 67 dollars for she gave me 4bones oxtail bones and 3 bones in another and some yellow rice with no seasonings no carrots or peas 4chunks what supposed to be beef stew with potatoes basically smothered in red sauce with no taste and and some of 0there plantain was the best in Syracuse no they where burnt and mushy I don't eat out much and it because I'm very sick and cook for myself right now someone recommended them and when I showed them the food they said oh no they must of change ownership because she went 2 years ago food very grease the worst of all if was the rudeness from the front counter staff if u want authentic African food this is not it u could cook this at home and pour tomatoes sauce all over greens was watered down no flavor cassava grease please don't waste your time I took time out to do the review because I didn't want anyone else to have the same experience please taste of Africa give us the taste of Africa
Food: 1
Service: 1
James Bruno
Congolese food in Syracuse. Imagine! Increasingly, Syracuse is seeing the benefit of recent immigration in the form of restaurants featuring new cuisines. Taste of Africa is one of them. In our two times dining here, we've found the food delightful and the service personable. The tilapia in tomato and pepper sauce with fufu tantalizes your palate. The fried plantains are the best in Syracuse - crisp and sweet, but not overly so. The ribs are also worth trying, while the curry dishes with their distinct central African spicing dance on your tongue. We had a vegan bean dish this time that did not disappoint.The overall atmosphere has a Third World vibe to it: utilitarian, unpolished, slightly haphazard, plastic utensils, informal bordering on inattentive. The owner greets you like a friend and will recite the fare without giving out a menu. Drinks are in a refrigerated case next to a pool table. Anyway, don't go to Taste of Africa for the atmosphere. It's the food that counts. Prices are neither low nor high - about market rate. I recommend it, especially if you're in for trying a cuisine with which you're not familiar.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
shaun Britton
Food is always great and consistent if you like food from different cultures this place is a must visit
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
J. B.
Congolese food in Syracuse. Imagine! Increasingly, Syracuse is seeing the benefit of recent immigration in the form of restaurants featuring new cuisines. Taste of Africa is one of them. In our two times dining here, we've found the food delightful and the service personable. The tilapia in tomato and pepper sauce with fufu tantalizes your palate. The fried plantains are the best in Syracuse - crisp and sweet, but not overly so. The ribs are also worth trying, while the curry dishes with their distinct central African spicing dance on your tongue. We had a vegan bean dish this time that did not disappoint.The overall atmosphere has a Third World vibe to it: utilitarian, unpolished, slightly haphazard, plastic utensils, informal bordering on inattentive. The owner greets you like a friend and will recite the fare without giving out a menu. Drinks are in a refrigerated case next to a pool table. Anyway, don't go to Taste of Africa for the atmosphere. It's the food that counts. Prices are neither low nor high - about market rate. I recommend it, especially if you're in for trying a cuisine with which you're not familiar.
Excellent food, outstanding service. I always enjoy the ambiance at The Taste of Africa.
Charisma Michaelis
They never deliver every time i open grubhub no matter how close i am it says they are closed. Need to fix your delivery app or get a new one i know your food is good but the downside is definitely this.
liza buccina
Chicken with FuFu did not disappoint! I’m hooked! The restaurant is absolutely spotless and the staff is extremely pleasant and helpful. I am looking forward to going for dinner with friends.
quynh bui
One of the best places in town to get african food
Andreanna Baptiste
Clearly this is an unprofessional establishment! I called ahead of time based on the reviews saying they’re never open. The woman who answered the phone said they close at 7pm. By the time I got to the store the doors were locked and no one was answering the phone. Clearly these reviews need to be taken into consideration it’s dated back over a year with people saying the same thing about the time on Google. Just unprofessional
My husband is West African and was born and raised in NYC, where he had more access to his cultural foods. Once he moved to Syracuse, he desperately craved the delicious foods that he grew up on. Unfortunately, African cuisine is not as accessible as it once was for him. Luckily, we have Yelp, and we're able to simply type in African cuisine and The Taste of Africa was listed as an option. We decided to stop in and check them out. I can tell instantly upon arriving that the aroma alone teleported my husband back to his NYC days. His excitement on its own was enough for me to leave a rave review! The ambiance of the restaurant is very clean cozy and comfortable. You can either dine in or opt for takeout. Once we decided that we would dine in, We were greeted kindly and told we could sit where we liked. Upon sitting, we were immediately given our menus.The selections here all sound amazing, which made it difficult for me who's never had African cuisine to choose. Ultimately, I decided to order their stewed beef with rice. My husband ordered the red snapper with cassava leaf. We also ordered plantain for our starter.Each dish was so full of flavor! As a first-timer, I was very pleased. My husband was very impressed with his meal as well. We were checked on quite often by our waitress, and she was extremely kind. Towards the end of our meal, the owner came over to our table, and he was also very personable and kind. Overall, this is a wonderful family owned restaurant. We had a wonderful first experience dining with The Taste of Africa and will definitely return again. I encourage anyone who's interested in trying African cuisine to give them a try. Owners are very kind and extremely helpful when it comes to explaining what each dish is.Update: These photos are from our 2cd visit to this restaurant (take out).
OMG that's all I have to
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Kabob Collards & Fufu, Fried Whole Fish, Extra Large Combo, Fried Plantains, Additional Sides, Medium Combo, Small Combo, Fried Beans, Basmati Rice with Peas and Carrots, Chopped Lamb Marinated, Large Combo, Chapati Wraps, Fufu and Fish, Chicken Stew with Couscous
Worst food I’ve ever eaten in my
Food: 1
Rude phone etiquette took my money
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Despite having their business hours on google, seems like they are never open.
Ok this is not real African food. Rice taste like boxed white rice colored yellow. No flavor. Oxtails cheap, fatty, and oily. Most of all these people have the worst attitudes. The younger light skin girl is so rude with a bad attitude. No smile just miserable acting. Not cute or a good look. Other girl a little better but honestly why have children at your counter who don't want to be there? Food is not even all that good to have to deal with that sort of energy in the air. Won't return or recommend.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
If I could leave no star I would let me start by saying some comments I m not understanding maybe it used to be a good place as soon as I walk in front counter was very rude and things that they say that they have on there menu it not there and there was hardly any food and I called first and I ask do u everything on menu they said yes except chicken wings and she why u asking u want everything on the menu she was very rude I didn't get a chance to say anything else she slammed the phone down I was asking so I could know what I wanted before I came so we ordered a lot things I said to her I want the biggest portion of oxtail u have which xlarge then I need a large she had food in stem trays and it was low so I said to her do u have fresh fried rice that supposed had peas and carrots it had none long story short she did not have all the food that I paid 68 67 dollars for she gave me 4bones oxtail bones and 3 bones in another and some yellow rice with no seasonings no carrots or peas 4chunks what supposed to be beef stew with potatoes basically smothered in red sauce with no taste and and some of 0there plantain was the best in Syracuse no they where burnt and mushy I don't eat out much and it because I'm very sick and cook for myself right now someone recommended them and when I showed them the food they said oh no they must of change ownership because she went 2 years ago food very grease the worst of all if was the rudeness from the front counter staff if u want authentic African food this is not it u could cook this at home and pour tomatoes sauce all over greens was watered down no flavor cassava grease please don't waste your time I took time out to do the review because I didn't want anyone else to have the same experience please taste of Africa give us the taste of Africa
Food: 1
Service: 1
Congolese food in Syracuse. Imagine! Increasingly, Syracuse is seeing the benefit of recent immigration in the form of restaurants featuring new cuisines. Taste of Africa is one of them. In our two times dining here, we've found the food delightful and the service personable. The tilapia in tomato and pepper sauce with fufu tantalizes your palate. The fried plantains are the best in Syracuse - crisp and sweet, but not overly so. The ribs are also worth trying, while the curry dishes with their distinct central African spicing dance on your tongue. We had a vegan bean dish this time that did not disappoint.The overall atmosphere has a Third World vibe to it: utilitarian, unpolished, slightly haphazard, plastic utensils, informal bordering on inattentive. The owner greets you like a friend and will recite the fare without giving out a menu. Drinks are in a refrigerated case next to a pool table. Anyway, don't go to Taste of Africa for the atmosphere. It's the food that counts. Prices are neither low nor high - about market rate. I recommend it, especially if you're in for trying a cuisine with which you're not familiar.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food is always great and consistent if you like food from different cultures this place is a must visit
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Congolese food in Syracuse. Imagine! Increasingly, Syracuse is seeing the benefit of recent immigration in the form of restaurants featuring new cuisines. Taste of Africa is one of them. In our two times dining here, we've found the food delightful and the service personable. The tilapia in tomato and pepper sauce with fufu tantalizes your palate. The fried plantains are the best in Syracuse - crisp and sweet, but not overly so. The ribs are also worth trying, while the curry dishes with their distinct central African spicing dance on your tongue. We had a vegan bean dish this time that did not disappoint.The overall atmosphere has a Third World vibe to it: utilitarian, unpolished, slightly haphazard, plastic utensils, informal bordering on inattentive. The owner greets you like a friend and will recite the fare without giving out a menu. Drinks are in a refrigerated case next to a pool table. Anyway, don't go to Taste of Africa for the atmosphere. It's the food that counts. Prices are neither low nor high - about market rate. I recommend it, especially if you're in for trying a cuisine with which you're not familiar.
Restaurantji Recommends
Excellent food, outstanding service. I always enjoy the ambiance at The Taste of Africa.
They never deliver every time i open grubhub no matter how close i am it says they are closed. Need to fix your delivery app or get a new one i know your food is good but the downside is definitely this.
Chicken with FuFu did not disappoint! I’m hooked! The restaurant is absolutely spotless and the staff is extremely pleasant and helpful. I am looking forward to going for dinner with friends.
One of the best places in town to get african food
Clearly this is an unprofessional establishment! I called ahead of time based on the reviews saying they’re never open. The woman who answered the phone said they close at 7pm. By the time I got to the store the doors were locked and no one was answering the phone. Clearly these reviews need to be taken into consideration it’s dated back over a year with people saying the same thing about the time on Google. Just unprofessional