120 W 116th St

Senegalese cuisine is one of my favorites around. Each platter is such a flavorful and well-rounded meal, filled with spices, sauces, meats, and veggies. And while this restaurant looks a bit shabby, the food is excellent, which is the most important part. Two of us split the thiebu djen (my forever fave) with jollof rice and lamb dibi with couscous, and both were excellent. The fish was so tender and flavorful, the sauces went perfectly with the jollof rice, and the veggies (ranging from carrots and cabbage to yucca) were nice and tender. It was also a massive portion. The lamb was smoky and flavorful but had lots of bones. There were onions prepared two ways, one a little more crisp, mustardy, and tangy, the other a soft sautéed kind of stew. I loved both. You can easily split each dish into two meals, which I did, along with ordering another thiebu djen to go. The bissap (another typical go-to item) had a really deep, concentrated hibiscus flavor that took me by surprise. I liked it, but the flavor was a little too rich for me, so I did shamefully bring it home and dilute it with a bit of water. *hides face* The employees were all really friendly and helpful. It was almost empty when we first arrived on a Tuesday at around 6:15, but in less than an hour it was packed to the brim. Everyone ended up sharing tables with strangers, but no matter because we were all busy enjoying our own food, exactly as it should be.

The cuisine of West Africa has layers of nuances. It is slow cooked with passion and has been shaped by history. Someday, hopefully I will make it to West Africa. I look forward to that experience. I cannot wait to try the authentic and undiluted Jollof Rice, Cest Bon, Thieboudienne, Yassa, Mafe etc. I am currently obsessed with Dibi Senegal. It is a street food. It is essentially charcoal grilled lamb chops which post grilling is doused in a tangy, spicy mustard sauce, garnished with sliced onions, wrapped in a parchment paper and then thrown in a wood fired oven. Dibi Senegal is served wrapped in the parchment paper (straight out of the oven), along with bread and Sosa Kaani (an incendiary sauce made from Scotch Bonnet peppers). The best Dibi Senegal (in our area) I have found is at Le Baobab Gouygui (120 West 116 St NY). BTW on Monday Le BaoBob offers Cest Bon made with fish, shrimps and vegetables. It is a smoky flavored Seafood Paella on steroids.

I've been to Senegal, and this place is very authentic as most of the customers seem to be Senegalese. The place was very busy but the staff made us feel welcomed and they made space for us so we could dine in. This place has a communal feeling, and most people seem to know each other, which was very nice. There was one server, but she really did a great job managing all of the tables on her own. I ordered the dibi lamb and was a bit disappointed that they did not have the sweet plantains (alloko), so I got the fries instead. The fries were not that good, but lamb was so delicious! It really tasted just like the lamb I was eating in Senegal. My friend ordered the fried fish and it was also very good. We had the bissap juice, and I loved how sweet it was. The portions are very generous, and prices were very reasonable.

The food is delicious. Dibi lamb and salad was my choice today. Service was good and prompt.

Great food, and actually good and friendly customer service. Sometimes the food can be a little inconsistent in terms of preparation style but always very tasty!

I've noticed that a lot of Senegalese restaurants around the 116th Street area open later than advertised. According to Yelp, this place opens at 7AM. Yet when I arrived around 12:30PM-1PM, the hostess told me that the chef had not arrived. Apparently most regulars know about this schedule, since I was the first to arrive to an empty restaurant. About 5-10 minutes later, two people, who seemed like regular patrons, walked in. Once we ordered, the food did arrive relatively quickly. And it was worth the wait. The plates were huge! Our party of three shared the thiebu djen ($13), which included stewed fish with eggplant, carrots, cassava, white cabbage, and djolof rice, as well as the the lamb maffe (with peanut butter stew, $13), and the chicken yassa ($13). The chicken yassa included marinated chicken with lemon and onions. The last two dishes included white rice, not djolof rice. By far the best was the thiebu djen, offering the greatest diversity of items and flavors. Compared to some of the other Senegalese restaurants I've tried in the 116th street corridor, Le Baobab offers similarly good and well-priced food with a similar level of service.

I never had Senegalese cuisine before so I decided to try it out. This place is fire. literally and figuratively. I got takeout during lunch time and they only have a few options to choose from. I believe I got lamb stew and it came in HUGE portions with plentyyy of rice. It was delicious and also very spicy. I highly recommend giving this place a shot. This became two meals for me due to the large portions haha

Liked - Thiebu djen - great portions but the fish was a bit too fishy and the rice could have been more flavorful

I almost walked out of this place when I heard they didn't have thiebu djen, since that's what I went there for. It would have been a grave error to walk out, and I never would have known! Luckily, the smells of lamb fat encircling me convinced me to stay and get the thiebu yap instead, which I thought was going to be basically the same thing as the fish with lamb in its place, but no - it was this intensely fatty flavored spiced rice laced with black eyed peas and tender lamb chunks that was simply amazing. If you order this, make sure you like gamey, fatty meat. The two of us honestly could have been full and satisfied on just that one dish, but we also ordered the whole fried fish, and even decided to wait a half hour for it (we were there a little early for normal dinner time). This kind of dish can be kind of boring and only satisfying because of the fried crunch, but the way Le Baobab did it, it was scorching hot, crispy, and tender, and accompanied by these mustard-infused sauteed onions, as well as a lime, that gave it plenty of kick. Sorrel and ginger drinks (they were out of baobab juice, which I have yet to try) capped off a perfect meal.

Went into the city for West African food at another restaurant which was closed. Not wanting to have made the trip in vain we decided to check this place out. (I think we tried it years ago and it was very tasty but we weren't sure this was the same spot.) Well, so glad we decided to give them a try. The grilled lamb was absolutely delicious! The price was good and I actually wish we had bought two orders, although the one was plenty for two and maybe three people. We had more than one serving! We also had a rice with black-eyed beans and lamb (thiebu yapp) in it which was delicious as well. The serving was huge and enough for 4 people at least! Bonus is that they stay open late. We were there at around 1:00 a.m. I think they stay open until 4:00 a.m. The only con I can think of is that there is a bit of a wait for the food but it was worth it.

Absolutely amazing! I came here because I knew that I could get amazing Senegalese cuisine in New York, something that we rarely see in Los Angeles. I was very excited to see fish and okra in a dish together on the menu, and it was an absolutely delicious combination. I honestly couldn't get enough of it. Everyone here was very nice and kindly explained the menu to us. Even other patrons were very friendly and talked to us. It was a bit of a trek up from the heart of Manhattan to get here, but it was more than worth it. The next time I'm in New York, I'm definitely coming back here.

I've been only thrice and get the Theibu Djen every time with some ginger or sorrel or Vimto to drink. Their Theibu Djen is the red one and the fish had little to no bones which is major to me. They do it the traditional way with broken rice tasting fermented like fish sauce (so much my wife didn't like the smell) and hot pepper and a half lime garnish. Every time I go here the plates are already ready and there are several delivery guys getting theirs to go. I mean someone is constantly handing the cashier to go plates of Theibu Djen it's that busy and the food is already made so it's an amazing win/win.

Here you can- casually dine, with friends or family on traditional & authentic Senegalese cuisine or grab it to go #takeout My ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 5. Where 1 is tragic and 5 is Ouwww terrific! Overall ratings- 4.5 Food taste- 4.5 Food portions- 5 star ! Ouwww! Very generous! Bang for your buck- 5 star. Ordered theobo ginar. It was large enough for 2 people. Customers service- 4.5 star very relaxed, but I enjoyed how they weren't hovering. It's very relaxed and easy going. Cleanliness- 3.5 stars Ambiance- 4 stars. Relaxed and much like a cafe / coffee shop, but in a luncheonette. Decor- 3 stars. Functional and somewhat humble.

There are many African restaurants to try in Harlem and I've been to almost all of them. I recently tried the Dibi lamb here and it was one of the best ones I've ever tried. The flavor was there and they included a good portion. I ordered the cous cous side and also the fresh ginger drink ! So good can't wait to try more items off the menu.

This place use to be good but after the pandemic the service has changed. Before the pandemic the servers bought water and fresh bread to the table with a dipping sauce. This time while every other table a around me had water and bread I did not. I asked the server for the bread and water and she contemptuously bought a cold piece of bread out on a paper napkin. I felt like because I am not African like the people in the community that I was not welcome every other guest that was dining in the server checked on them multiple times I had to practically had to wave my arms in the air to get her attention. They use to be vibrate diverse with great service and food now it is not welcoming and the debe was dry.

Tiebou djen - or tjeb, cheb, aka heaven for my mouth. Senegal's national dish of fish and rice (with veggies). Listen here - I TRAVEL for this dish! You can get two kinds - red (cooked with tomato), or white (without tomato) - the red is MY FAVE. (Good Lord, how I Wish I could make this dish!)

A friend brought me here last year and I never stop coming back ever since. I come here once or twice a month for the fried fish and alloco (fried sweet plantain). They serve big portion for reasonable price. The only downside of this restaurant is the slow service.

Ate here on a cold winter night with some friends. We had wanted to try food from sub-saharan Africa and were intrigued by the menu. The inside was busy, with people coming in and out getting pickup orders of food as well as dining at tables. We were seated in the corner, where we could watch TV (which was playing a soccer match). Our waitress was helpful in providing some recommendations. I had the fried fish, which came with a sweet plantain sauce that also had some kick to it from crushed mustard. It came with a side of maduros and was perfectly cooked and flaky. The fish was served whole and was not deboned, which is pretty standard and did not take away from the experience. The highlight of the meal was a bottle of Sorrel juice (hibiscus) which was light and refreshing and perfectly complimented the sweet glaze for the fish. Would return just to stock up on this drink. Would recommend this restaurant for someone looking for an off-the-beaten track exposure to West African food at a good price.

After not going to this place for a while, because of bad customer service and the nasty smell. I tried it again. This, a few has changed, rather upgraded. The smell was more calm. The ladies behind the counter were more attentive and respectful. I didn't have to deal with any ignorant person (as I did the last time I was there. That lady served all the Senegalese People and kept ignoring me). This time around, the food was quick, the rice was tender, and well seasoned. Even the vegetables were well cooked. I will have to return back. Great job for fixing up the place and replacing the people behind the counter. And this lunch cook or cooks are superb!

this food used to be so good I don't know what happened maybe the the virus not sure but the meat was dry the rice dry terrible very disappointed and then the lady wanted me to come all the way from queens to bring it back lafmocame all the way from queens after not having it for years and this was the result .

Love love Le Baobab that grilled fish is everything. And if on a Tuesday or Saturday you can catch their THIEBOUDIENNE then you're winning! Make sure you call in early cause they will sell out fast!

Authentic having been to Senegal. Including the Senegal pepper, a habanero variety, that was adventurous to nibble on. Good traffic through the restaurant so everything is cooking and ready to be served just after arriving.

The restaurant has incredible food. The service is very good. Only problem is sometimes dishes are not ready to the later half of the day. But totally worth the wait the portions are incredibly generous and the food is delicious.

Service was exceptional. I did feel the server could've been more attentive. The food was amazing. I did not think i would like the food as much as i did, i fell in love. Great blend of spices really a must have. I'm sad it has to be in harlem :(

My first encounter with Senegalese food has been a pleasant one. I ordered the lamb debe and my friend got the chicken debe, but we tried some of each other's. Debe (usually spelled dibi) is just pieces of meat, lightly seasoned and prepared simply on the grill. The lamb was done just right, with a little less gameyness than I'd prefer but the fat is unmistakably lamb. I'm normally not a huge fan of chicken but they managed to make it taste great. Portions are generous and service is reasonably good.

I tried this African restaurant yesterday. I am so happy I did. I had their Thiebou Djeun (djolof rice with fish). I went during lunch. The meal cost $12 and the portion was huge. The exotic rice is delicious!!,I have found my new spot and can't wait to go back. For those who don't like it too spicy, you might have to ask before ordering if the dish will be spicy or not. I personally love spicy food so it was perfect for me. A definite must try.

Just ok. Came in the middle of the day. Service was slow and they didn't have a couple of things that were on the menu for the day. Food was pretty bland. Had no kick to it. Not sure if they watered it down because we're Americans but I was really wanting some flavor. But not bad.

Incredible food, great service. At times a bit greasy, but coming from an African family, that's how you know it's good

Amazing authentic Senegalese food (I have been to Senegal a few times so I know!) - it looks and feel like a family restaurant and the food taste like home cooked too! the people working there are also nice, but it helps if you speak french (or Wolof or even better Fulani) to them ... I strongly recommend it! Portions are really big though, I could only eat half of my portion... Also they dont serve alcohol...

This is a great spot to adventure to for some absolutely baobomb food. It's small and vibrant and has a majority African clientele. You can tell it's good because of the people constantly bustling in and out grabbing their take-out orders. I'm pretty unfamiliar with West African food and didn't know quite what to expect. I was dubious when my girlfriend ordered the Peanut Butter Stew with lamb, but WOW was it good. It was so rich and peanut buttery and I was shocked at how well it complimented the fall-off-the-bone lamb. We've been dreaming about that dish ever since. I can't give five stars mainly because I had my heart set on a few menu items that, when I ordered, the waitress said they were not serving. Make sure to have a plan B (and maybe C and D) in case they don't have the dish you want.

The environment was cozy and the server was patient and accommodating. The food didn't take long to come out at all. The value is great for the amount of food you get. The food was delicious and satisfying(grilled fish with rice). There was no time to take photos before everything in the tray disappeared. We will definitely return one day, God willing.

This place is close to where I live and I've been there enough times to put in a review but never got to it until I discovered a new drink on a recent visit. Yes, the baobab drink, so delicious that I looked it up online and found out that the baobab fruit is in fact a super fruit super loaded with stuff good for you! I'm giving one extra star for getting me to know the star fruit. The ginger drink needs to be mentioned as well - a lil on the stronger side (have had stronger ones), you will feel the ginger bite as it flows down your throat which is good. They have renovated this year, the place has a brighter cheerful look with the new setup(I need to post pics of the new do) They are busy with takeouts and seem to have a well organized system of dealing with it though it might look like a bit chaotic Coming to food, I've mostly ordered grilled fish and grilled lamb which have been consistently good. Not shy on portion size. Never eaten in before so can't comment on the service but takeout lines seem to managed pretty well

I love this place. When my sister and I were living in New York, we frequented this place and brought many friends with us to try their delicious tilapia fish with jollof rice. Make sure you go after 6 in the evening to order that dish. They offer different dishes on different days for lunch. This time we went while visiting NY and it tastes just the same as it did years ago. This particular dish I have not tried but it was great nonetheless. The rice was delicious as expected ! Down the street there's an African market you can go to purchase some souvenirs as well. I love the rich African culture prevalent in Harlem!!

This is a quaint and good tasting restaurant. My friend and I had two of their Tuesday specials. I had the fish, eggplant and couscous and she had their peanut sauce fish stew. I loved my dish. We were also served their special tea and I had their ginger juice. It was all great tasting. The staff doesn't rush patrons to leave as my friend and I were there for hours. I will definitely be going back!

This is by far the worst African restaurant ever! No only do they take more than 2 hours to deliver your food in a 10 block radius they sometime give you the wrong food and you don't realize it until the delivery guy leaves The food is not fresh or healthy because of the amount of grease that's on the bottom of the plate Please do not order or eat from them I will personally call the Department of Health on them I don't understand how they can be in business. A concerned customer

This place was excellent. There were many African people coming in to pick up take out orders , so it seems it's authentic. The restaurant makes their own ginger juice which was delicious. They also have baobob fruit juice which was interesting. I was thick kind a milkshake with pulp. Tasty nonetheless. The food was tasty and cheap. And the portions enormous. I loved the juices so much I wanted to buy a few bottles to take home...but they were all out. I will Definetly return here.

My partner and I - two white seniors visiting from Boston - were looking for an African restaurant on Saturday December 31, following the wonderful gospel concert at Mount Olivet Baptist Church. We are avid Yelp users worldwide - and were attracted to the reviews of "Baobab Gouygi" on West 116th Street. We arrived just as they were opening for lunch - and glad we got there early, because the place quickly filled almost every table, and a line formed for take-out. The restaurant is clean-clean and bright, and the staff could not be more friendly. I immediately chose the "Lamb Maffa" - which a Malian taxi driver told me is really a dish popularized in Mali (that's like arguing whether falafel originates in the Palestine territories or Israel proper, or ?). The dish consists of big chunks of mutton, cooked to fall-off-the-bone tenderness, in a sauce of tomato and peanut and luscious spices, with potatoes and carrots, over white rice. Heavenly! My partner ordered a fish platter with a kind of bulgar couscous and vegetables - another delicious offering (fish was mahi-mahi). The menu changes from day to day, but seems to feature the lamb maffa most days. Price for each entree was $12, which for the quality and portion size was most reasonable. The portions are large, so I was glad we skipped appetizers. We will be back!

Amazing food, customer service, and they were open late. I got the chicken with white rice and plantains. The chicken was juicy and flavorful! I would definitely come back to New York just to go to this restaurant!

I have literally been coming here for as long as I can remember. Their food is amazing. Sometimes when it is busy, they tend to get overwhelmed when ordering over the phone. The food takes a while to make, so I always call ahead and pick up if I'm not dining in. My favorite thing to get from here is definitely the shawarma (a lamb wrap with fries, tomatoes, and onions). I also love the theipu yap (definitely spelled that wrong). I prefer the one without beans. Their dibi (lamb) senegal with loco (plantains) is also really good.

The food there was incredible, and it warms my heart to see it served on Chinese plates. I've been there for lunch and for dinner--and I'm hoping to go back soon! The lunch portions are generous and the dinner portions are nearly impossible to finish.

I was pleasantly surprised by this restaurant. I've walked by it many times and never knew it was there. I was brought here by a few friends. It's very unassuming on the outside and quaint on the inside. You can tell that it's something that the African residents in the neighborhood keep secret. I had a lamb with rice entree. The lamb was flavorful and tender and the rice seasoned well. I would definitely come back.

The customer service is horrible. Some businesses don't understand it's a total experience- the food, customer service, and location. Don't waste your time going there.

Horrible achekeh.... the flavor wasn't really there and it just seemed like it was a day old and nothing something fresh. I was better off making it at home.

Horrible service, very rude people (they show no respect to the customers, talking over their personal phone while you as a customer are talking to them). When l arrived to the restaurant, l asked to be seated after they point out a table they did not ask if I wanted something drink or look up a menu. So 3 minutes later l had to ask them for a menu and if l could start with something to drink and the waitress ( 5 pounds of fake hair and badly bleached skin) with a very rude attitude standing 6 feet away from me was like we only have Thiebou Yapp and Yassa. l almost walk out, but my husband insist it that l stay. Overall if you care about being respectfully taken care as a customer l would not recommend you go there. Well if you just care about the food, the food was not bad.

Always my favorite place to eat in all of New York. Very Authentic. Great service, really great food!! Always bring people here and everyone raves about the lamb jollof.

THIS IS NOT A CHINESE RESTAURANT!!!!!!!! The GRILL FISH IS AMAZING!!!!! ITS SLAMMING for 16 dollars you get a whole grilled fish, rice and plantains. The raw onion is like crack and I hate raw onion. The ambience is crappy and served on a crappy looking plate but how good the food is who gives a fuck how ugly the plate is. Service sucks but who cares I keep going back. They don't deliver but there is such a thing as take out. Call in advance.

So I have ate here a few times and I love this place food is always good the staff is very friendly and welcoming The prices was recently raised but it's still worth the price.

An explosion of flavors with every bite, the thierney (with peanut-based sauce) was delicious. Like other Senegalese restaurants in the area, they ran out of thiebou dishes early on this Saturday, but had plenty of wonderful other dishes to try. It's a low key, casual spot, yet still great for a group outing. HUGE portions

This place is such a gem. The food is amazing and prices are affordable for the amount of food you get. I ordered the spicy lamb dish and it was amazing. I saved some for later and it was still amazing after reheating. I would definitely recommend if you're looking for a delicious meal in the area.